091220 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

SEPTEMBER 12-15, 2020 Volume 30 - No. 72 • 2 Sections – 18 Pages

USA

DATELINE Filipina immigrant appointed director of Nevada’s Office for New Americans FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

WHEN Charina de Asis arrived from the Philippines to Las Vegas nearly a decade ago, she had questions about how to navigate the workforce and access essential services in her new home.

“When immigrants with a different background and skill set come, they wonder how to translate that to the United States economy,” de Asis told the Asian Journal. “That’s what I feared too — how to bring my professional experiences here.”

The 31-year-old Filipina immigrant recognized her advantage of being proficient in English and a college graduate, as well as having her immediate family as a support system. However, many new immigrants may not have the same resources and there are other factors, such as language barriers and fear of government, that prevent them from seeking help.

Pemberton now under immigration custody for deportation from PH

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE Philippine Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Friday, September 11, turned over U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for deportation.

Pemberton will remain in the Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group detention facility in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City while the BI implements its 2015 deportation order.

The turnover of custody means the convicted marine has received clearance from the court that there

US COVID-19 vaccine makers didn’t ask for conditions from Philippines — DOH

by GAEA

u PAGE A3

LA County advises against trick-or-treating, other social Halloween festivities AS the beloved holiday that embraces the horrific unusual, it’s fitting that Halloween will be celebrated against the norm this year.

The Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health on Wed., Sept. 9 warned the public once again that massive holiday gatherings could bring about another surge in positive cases of the COVID-19 virus, the real horror of 2020.

After previously announcing a full ban on Halloween festivities, LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer walked back the initial announcement on Wednesday, saying that Halloween celebrations are allowed but should be approached with caution.

“Our guidelines have been slightly revised, so we’d ask that people go back and look at them to distinguish between those activities that are not permitted by the health officer order — that includes events, gatherings [and] parties,” Ferrer said. “Those are just not allowed. The only activities you can have [are] a party or gathering for those people that are in your household.”

The previous day, the Dept. of Public Health posted on its website guidelines that stated that door-to-door trick-or-treating is “not permitu PAGE A4

CLOSER TO FREEDOM. Bureau of Corrections Chief Gerald Bantag turned over to the Bureau of Immigration the custody of Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton on Friday, September 11. The BI will implement its 2015 deportation order. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is already processing the clearance of Pemberton. An NBI clearance is one of the requirements in the deportation proceeding to make sure that the subject of deportation has no other pending cases in the country.

Photo courtesy of BuCor

KATREENA Philstar.com

CABICO

AMERICAN drugmakers did not ask the Philippine government for any conditions in exchange for possible access to coronavirus vaccines being developed in the United States, the Department of Health.

“We have had discussions already with manufacturers from U.S. No conditions were provided or given for us,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual forum on Friday, September 11.

This, after presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that President Rodrigo Duterte likely granted absolute pardon to U.S. soldier Joseph Scott Pemberton to help the country gain access to COVID-19 vaccines being developed by American pharmaceutical firms.

Although he insisted he was expressing his personal opinion, Roque said Thursday that the chief u PAGE A3

Federal court rejects Trump PH drug war killings worsened during COVID-19 lockdown –HRW administration’s attempt to

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE number of killings caused by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign worsened during the COVID-19 lockdown, New York-based Human Rights Watch said Wednesday, September 9.

The international watchdog found that 155 people were killed by the police from April to July 2020, which is 50% higher than the 103 deaths from December 2019 to March 2020.

“In total, since Duterte took office in June 2016, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has officially recognized 5,810

persons killed as of the end of July 2020,” the HRW said.

However, the organization pointed out that “PDEA’s figure of 5,810 killed only covers deaths in police anti-drug operations.”

“Thousands of other drug suspects have been killed by unidentified assailants, many of whom are believed to be plainclothes police officers or vigilantes operating in coordination with local authorities,” it added.

In a report by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, more than 8,600 people were shown to have died in Duterte’s “drug war.” u PAGE A4

Former Fil-Am US Solicitor General on Trump’s list of potential Supreme Court nominees

by RAE

Former U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco, who is of Filipino descent on his father’s side, became the first Asian American to hold the position from 2017-2020. On Wednesday, September 9, President Donald Trump named Francisco among the 20 potential candidates for Supreme Court justice if there is a vacancy.

Photo courtesy of DOJ

are no pending cases against him, according to BI acting spokesperson Melvin Mabulac.

Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is already processing Pemberton’s clearance, one of the u PAGE A2

ANN VARONA AJPress

FILIPINO American Noel Francisco, the former U.S. Solicitor General, was among the 20 people named in President Donald Trump’s list of possible Supreme Court additions this week.

Trump released the list, which also includes Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Ted Cruz of Texas, and Josh Hawley of Missouri, in the event there is a vacancy should he be elected to a second term.

“Every one of these individuals will ensure equal justice, equal treatment and equal rights for citizens of every race, color, religion and creed,” Trump said at a press conference announcing the names on Wednesday, September 9. “Together we will defend our righteous

heritage and preserve our magnificent American way of life.”

Francisco, 51, was appointed the nation’s 48th solicitor general in 2017 and served in the Department of Justice (DOJ) until July of this year, when he returned to his former law firm, Jones Day, in Washington, D.C. A New York native, Francisco went on to receive his B.A. with honors from the University of Chicago and his J.D., with high honors, from the University of Chicago Law School.

“Mr. Francisco served as a law clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court of the United States and Judge J. Michael on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit,” read the list of possible Supreme Cou rt additions.

During former President George W. Bush’s u PAGE A4

leave undocumented immigrants out of census count

by RAE

ANN VARONA AJPress

A THREE-JUDGE court in New York unanimously blocked an order by President Donald Trump that looked to exclude undocumented immigrants from the 2020 Census for the purpose of apportioning representatives.

Federal statute governing the decennial census and apportionment requires the commerce secretary to report a single “tabulation of total population by States” to the president, which the president is then to use in connection with apportionment.

The federal judges, on Thursday, September 10, ruled that Trump’s Presidential Memorandum issued on July 21, violated statutory requirements by directing Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to include a second set of census figures excluding noncitizens.

It also violated requirements by excluding noncitizens from the required “whole number of persons in each State” count that is used as a basis for apportionment of House seats.

The Presidential Memorandum, the judges said, was an “unlawful exercise of authority” granted to Trump by statute, and thus there

was no need to move on to the question of whether the memorandum violated the U.S. Constitution itself.

“Because the President exceeded the authority granted to him by Congress by statute, we need not, and do not, reach the overlapping, albeit distinct, question of whether the Presidential Memorandum constitutes a violation of the Constitution itself,” the judges wrote in the 86-page opinion. “The merits of the parties’ dispute are not particularly close or complicated.”

When issuing the memorandum, Trump said in a statement that the “radical left” was trying to “conceal the number of illegal aliens in our country.”

“Just as we do not give political power to people who are here temporarily, we should not give political power to people who should not be here at all,” said Trump.

The judges said that while Trump did have some discretion in overseeing the conduct of the decennial census and how the results of the count would be issued for reapportionment, such authority, they emphasized, is limited.

“Nevertheless, where the authority of the President (or other members of the Executive Branch) u PAGE A2

A september 12-15, 2020 • LA WeeKeND AsIAN JOUrNAL

Federal court rejects Trump...

PAGE A1 t to act is derived from statutes passed by Congress, the President must act in accordance with, and within the boundaries of, the authority that Congress has granted,” the judges wrote in their conclusion.

The case was brought forward by a coalition of states, local cities, and civil right groups who were concerned over the possible loss of congressional seats in areas where representation is critical.

Looking at 2019 population estimates, the Pew Research Center in July said that California, Florida, and Texas, for example, would each end up with one less congressional seat if unauthorized immigrants were excluded from the apportionment count.

The case was also one of eight other legal challenges in California, Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Massachusetts, and will possibly be appealed directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Dale Ho, director of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) Voting Rights Project, one of the groups that challenged Trump’s order, called the ruling a “huge

victory for voting rights and for immigrants’ rights.”

“President Trump has tried and failed yet again to weaponize the census against immigrant communities,” Ho said in a statement.

“The law is clear—every person counts in the census.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DCalif, called the ruling a “resounding victory for justice, equality and our American Democracy.”

“The President’s unlawful order was a brazen violation of the rule of law, purpose-built to cause traditionally underounted communities to be even further underrepresented and left behind,” added Pelosi. “We are pleased that the court unanimously declared that the President’s directive violated the law and blocked this latest Trump attack on our immigrant communities.”

While the ruling was a win for advocates for a complete census, many remain focused on a separate effort by the Trump administration that looks to end all census counting efforts in less than three weeks—a full month earlier than it had previously planned.

A federal judge on Saturday,

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

From the Front Page September 5 ordered the Trump administration to halt its plans at least until September 17 when a court hearing on the issue will be held.

The Trump administration has until Sunday, September 13 to present documents explaining why the administration moved the census count deadline from October 31 to September 30.

“Trump has tried to sabotage the census from the beginning, leaving states with inaccurate numbers that will deprive communities of federal assistance to recover from the pandemic. The court has blocked this attempt to cut people and communities out of the once-in-a-decade count, but we still need Congress to do its job and stop the administration from rushing the census,” the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights said in a statement.

“The Census Bureau needs more time to finish and process a complete count. And organizers need time to reach immigrants and other communities this administration has tried to scare away from the census,” it added. n

Pemberton asks Olongapo court...

PAGE A1 t requirements for the deportation process.

“At wala nang ibang hinihintay ang Bureau of Immigration bukod dito sa NBI clearance except ‘yung travel documents ni Mr Pemberton. That means ‘yung kanyang passport at ‘yung flight details na manggagaling naman sa U.S. Embassy (Aside from the NBI clearance, there is nothing else that the Bureau of Immigration is waiting for other than Pemberton’s travel documents.

That means his passport and his flight details which would come from the U.S. embassy),” he said in an interview on DZMM Teleradyo.

Mabulac also said that once the documents have been completed, Pemberton will be brought to the airport for his flight schedule out of the country.

“We have to ensure na siya ay nakaalis (We have to ensure that he has left),” he said.

Pemberton was granted an absolute pardon by President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, September 7, drawing criticism from notable figures and groups across the country.

Pemberton was convicted of homicide on December 1, 2015 for killing transgender Filipina Jennifer Laude in 2014. He was sentenced to six to 10 years imprisonment.

Duterte said that it was unfair to keep Pemberton detained, pointing out that it was not the marine’s fault that his good conduct time allowance (GCTA) was not recorded.

“You have not treated Pemberton fairly. So, i-release ko. Pardon. Eh ang pardon, walang mga question ‘yan (So, I’ll release him.

Pardon. There are no questions there),” the president said during his televised public address on Monday.

He added, “It is not the fault of Pemberton na hindi na nacompute because we should allow him, the good character presumption kasi wala namang nagreport na Marines na nagsabi na nagwawala siya (It is not the fault of Pemberton that his good conduct was not computed because we should allow him, the good character presumption of good character since the Marines did not report anything about him acting out).”

Various groups picket at Commission on Human Rights on Friday, September 11 as they denounced the pardon given to U.S. Marine L/Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton.

Philstar.com photo by Michael Varcas

The Olongapo City Regional Trial Court on Sept. 1 ordered Pemberton’s release, saying that the convicted American serviceman has completed the minimum of his sentence after serving a total of 2,142 days or over five years and eight months in prison as well as accumulating GCTA of 1,548 days or more than four years.

The order was signed by Presiding Judge Roline Ginez-Jabalde.

However, Pemberton’s release was put on hold by the Bureau of Corrections (Bucor) following the motion for reconsideration filed

by Laude’s family.

Duterte said he informed Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Guevarra about his decision before announcing it.

“So sabi ko kay Justice Secretary, Medialdea, pinatawag ko sila kanina, sabi ko it’s my decision to pardon. Correct me if I’m wrong but ito ang tingin ko sa kaso (So I told Justice Secretary, Medialdea, I called them over and said it’s my decision to pardon. Correct me if I’m wrong but this is my opinion about the case). We have not treated Pemberton fairly,” he said.

Locsin: No exchange deal Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. on Friday clarified that there was no “exchange” in the absolute pardon granted by Duterte.

“There is no exchange. I clinched that purely on my charm with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. I insisted that it (vaccine procurement) be a private sector venture,” he said in a tweet.

“It is what it was: the presi-

dent’s sense of fairness in a particular case. And it’s impeccable law and morals,” Locsin added.

His statement came after Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the president’s decision might have been grounded on national interest.

“Sa tingin ko naman, itong desisyon nga ni presidente — ito ay personal na opinyon ko dahil tinanong mo ang aking personal na opinyon — ang pagbibigay ng pardon kay Pemberton ay kabahagi ng pagnanais ni rresidente na kapag mayroon na ngang vaccine na na-develop kung sa America man ay makikinabang din ang Pilipinas (I think the president’s decision — this is just a personal opinion because you asked for my personal opinion —pardoning Pemberton is part of the president’s desire to get a vaccine from America if they develop one),” the spokesman said Thursday.

Roque, who once served as the private legal counsel for the Laude family, admitted that he doesn’t have an issue with Pemberton’s release if it meant a solution to the country’s health crisis.

“At sa akin po, bagamat tayo ay tumayong abogado ng pamilyang Laude, eh kung ang ibig sabihin naman niyan ay lahat ng Pilipino ay magkakaroon ng vaccine kung Amerikano ang makadevelop, wala akong problema dyan (To me, even if I were the Laude family’s former lawyer, if it means all Filipinos will have access to the vaccine that Americans would develop, I don’t have a problem with that),” he said. n

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

Dateline USa

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • SEptEmbER 12-15, 2020

A

Breaking down systemic white supremacy and the rise of the alt-right Former FBI special agent discusses the United States’ checkered past with white supremacy and the ways far-right views on race have infiltrated law enforcement

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

THE ethnic and racial makeup of the United States has, in the last few decades, become more diverse.

The increase in demographic diversity is partly due to immigration influxes, like the migration boom from Asia in the 1980s and 1990s.

Gov. Steve Sisolak in June 2019 signed the law creating the Office for New Americans, which promotes opportunities for immigrants, refugees But in a deeper sense, diand aspiring Americans to thrive in Nevada.

Photo courtesy of the Office for New Americans versity thrives in a progressive environment. As the country began slowly reconfiguring systemic racism in the 20th cenPAGE A1 t tury, it became more welcomson in the office for now, she ing of people from all racial and Today, de Asis is using her said she is working on licensethnic backgrounds. background and passion for ing guides for immigrants who It’s become so that in 2008 public service to guide immi- come with certain degrees and when the first election of thengrants when they arrive in the skills. Often times, the degrees President Barack Obama sigor licenses can’t be converted Silver State. naled the arrival of “post-racial In August, Nevada Governor so they have to shift to another America,” a theory that categoSteve Sisolak appointed her as position or settle for lower-wage rizes America as a race-blind the director of the Office for jobs. country after the election of the “Sometimes there’s trouble in New Americans, which serves first Black president. But as we as a central place for refugees trying to translate your skill sets know, the myth of post-racial and immigrants — who make up here, whether you were a docAmerica is just that: a myth.

20% of the state’s population tor, nurse, engineer or accounOver the last decade, the na— to navigate immigration poli- tant in your home country. The tional conversation over syscies, workforce development, question is, ‘How can we do it temic racism came to a head starting a business, and other here?’” de Asis said. “So we’re with the high-profile murders of working on licensing and pathquality of life services. unarmed Black youth — Tray“Charina has done a terrific way guides to help them scale von Martin in 2012 and Michael job throughout her career help- that economic ladder in Nevada. ing those in need and advocat- COVID has shone a light that we Charina de Asis, director for the Nevada Brown and Tamir Rice in 2014 ing for what she believes in,” need them and that there is an Governor’s Office for New Americans — by law enforcement.

Police brutality and racial Sisolak said in a statement. “Our immigrant community willing to Contributed photo goals are aligned for the Office work but they sometimes don’t for New Americans, and I’m con- know how to get there.”

The office does not take fident that in this position she will work to support our newest someone’s legal status into conneighbors, help them navigate sideration and is only in touch through challenging bureaucrat- with U.S. Citizenship and Imic barriers, assist them in build- migration Services (USCIS) for ing new businesses, and create updates like rule changes. (Una welcoming environment in Ne- documented immigrants comvada. I couldn’t think of a better prise about 7% of the state’s person to help us achieve those population.)

“It’s not about status, it’s goals than Ms. de Asis.”

Originally from Cebu, Philip- about the dignity of a person. pines, de Asis migrated to Las People tend to forget that imVegas in 2011, where her family migrants touch every corner of had settled before her. She had Nevada — every business and earned bachelor’s and master’s industry,” she added.

With the coronavirus pandemdegrees in international relations from Ateneo de Manila ic still upending everyday life for University and Tallinn Univer- Nevadans, communities of color sity of Technology in Estonia, have been disproportionately affected in terms of infection rates respectively.

De Asis briefly lived in Wash- and hospitalization, and ecoington, D.C., where she had a nomically as major industries fellowship with a member of had been shut down or limited Congress. But she realized that in operations.

Immigrants make up nearly she wanted more of “tangible results” in her career and moved 40% of workers in the state’s back to Las Vegas to work with hotel and food services industry, the state government, where and nearly a third of those in the she held positions within the arts, entertainment, and recreDepartment of Public Safety and ation, according to the American the Department of Veteran Ser- Immigration Council. Nevada posted the highest unemployvices.

In March of this year, she ment rate in the nation in April saw a job listing and applied for at 28.2% following the first full a senior advisor role in the Of- month of non-essential business fice for New Americans, which shutdowns.

Given that, among the current had been created last fall after Senate Bill 538 was passed in priorities for the office is assistthe state legislature and subse- ing immigrants with the unemquently signed by the governor. ployment application and other Sisolak called for the creation relief options for those who did of this office to break down bu- not qualify for stimulus checks reaucratic barriers, support im- under the federal government’s migrant-serving organizations, CARES Act, de Asis said.

The office, together with other and let immigrants know they are welcome in Nevada, espe- agencies, is also working on incially at a time when there is language and culturally relevant rhetoric that makes them feel messaging that will inform immigrant communities about otherwise.

“It wasn’t just a professional the health and safety orders. In interest. It was a more personal April, it released “Stay Home for level for me being an immigrant Nevada” PSA in six languages, and using my skills and abili- including in Tagalog.

The Philippines continues ties to help other immigrants,” de Asis said. “I know how hard to be the second top country it is to move and feel your way of origin for immigrants, and and be successful in the United Filipinos are the largest Asian American and Pacific Islander States.”

Less than six months into the group in Nevada. De Asis hopes job, she was promoted by the that representation in this office governor after the former direc- — which is physically located intor, Amaka Ozobia, left the role. side the Grant Sawyer State Of“As a director, I can voice fice Building in Las Vegas — will out more on what I want this help immigrants feel comfortoffice to be, which is to be that able reaching out.

“There’s a myth in the Filimiddleman between government and our community-based pino and AAPI community that organizations…[and] work to- we don’t need help or that we’re gether to help immigrants, fine. I want the Filipino comwhether they’ve been here for munity to know, especially in 20 years or if they arrived yester- Nevada where we’re such a big day…I want the office to make it part of the population, that they more commonplace that immi- can engage with the office and grants can thrive in Nevada,” de have a voice because they have someone on their side to fight Asis said.

Though she is the only per- for issues,” she said. n

Filipina immigrant appointed director of Nevada’s...

US COVID-19 vaccine makers...

PAGE A1 t executive’s move to grant pardon to the U.S. solder was part of his desire for the country to benefit from a vaccine that U.S. drugmakers might develop.

The United States is among the countries leading the global race in the development of COVID-19 vaccines.

Vergeire stressed that all potential COVID-19 vaccines will undergo the regulatory process in the Philippines.

“Like what we always say, all the vaccines entering the country have to go through our regulatory process to ensure they are safe, effective against

COVID-19 and they will benefit the population,” she said in Filipino.

Early this week, Duterte granted absolute pardon to Pemberton, effectively rendering moot the court proceedings opposing the release order of the American convict through the Good Conduct and Time Allowance law. He said the soldier was treated unfairly by authorities.

The Philippines is in talks with different vaccine developers worldwide as it seeks to source a COVID-19 vaccine to fight Southeast Asia’s worst outbreak. n

profiling among law enforcement aren’t new phenomena, but they’ve become renewed conversation topics in the wake of the murders of George Floyd in May and Breonna Taylor in March.

The Asian Journal has covered the current conversation about racial injustice and the roles that other non-Black communities of color play in perpetuating antiblackness in all industries and public-facing entities, and the crux of the issue lies in the ways in which systems of bureaucracy are steeped in white nationalist sensibilities.

The problem is that the “post-racial America” fallacy has made it more difficult for any traction to be made in the effort to stifle existing white supremacist policies and practices which, according to former FBI special agent Michael German, have existed since the founding of the U.S. “One of the things we have to understand is the influence of white supremacy in our society,” German said in a telebriefing hosted by Ethnic Media Services on Friday, Sept. 4. “We were formed as a nation, as a white supremacist project. This was European colonization of the so-called New World which of course wasn’t new to the

people who live there and white supremacy was codified in law for hundreds of years, and police officers enforcing those laws were enforcing white supremacy.”

Anecdotally, there’s undoubtedly been a rise in white nationalism, and it’s not just in the South. More and more white supremacy rallies are being held in areas like Los Angeles, Orange County and New York City.

The increased visibility of white nationalism and far-right radicalism in the last few years has manifested itself in blatant public displays: white supremacy rallies, the growth of online fringe communities and other movements that promote reverting the country back to a nation that largely puts its white citizens first.

“There is still no national strategy around far-right violence and white supremacy violence in the United States and I think is poorly understood partly because the federal government deprioritizes this work,” said German, who has 16 years of experience that includes going undercover while investigating white supremacist groups.

The FBI doesn’t currently track violence spurred from u PAGE A4

A september 12-15, 2020 • LA WeeKeND AsIAN JOUrNAL

LA County advises against trick-or-treating...

PAGE A1 t ted.” On Wednesday, the department revised the guideline to say that trick-or-treating is “not recommended.”

“Trick-or-treating, we’re highly recommending that it not happen.

We don’t think it’s an appropriate activity during a pandemic,” Ferrer said, adding that “there’s no guarantee [that] when you go trick-or-treating that your child goes up to a house where the person who opens the door is wearing a face covering. And when you don’t know the people opening the door, there’s no guarantee they’re not sick and that the candy they’re passing out — and that they’ve touched — may not be safe for you to want your child to be sharing.”

In response to Ferrer’s warning, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a Facebook Live chat that county deputies will not enforce masks, and he encouraged parents to exercise “common sense” on Halloween.

“We’re going to leave that alone,” Villanueva said. “By the time October 31st rolls around, let’s see what the conditions are at that time.”

Statistics over the past seven months have shown that long weekends and holidays lead to spikes in COVID-19 cases; as previously reported in the Asian Journal, the weeks following Memorial Day and the Fourth of July experienced dramatic surges in positive COVID-19 cases.

The effects of Labor Day week-

Dateline USa

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

end have yet to be observed due to the 14-day incubation period of COVID-19.

“I do want to reinforce the need for us to remain cautious as we go about all of our business during the day and evening, remembering that we can be positive and infect others at any point in time, and others can infect us and the people we love at any point in time,” Ferrer reminded.

In place of traditional Halloween activities and events, the county issued some suggestions for alternative celebrations. The county recommended holding online parties, car parades in their neighborhoods and more elaborate in-home parties among those living in one household. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

PH drug war killings worsened during COVID-19...

PAGE A1 t

Meanwhile, other human rights groups believed that the actual number could be three times higher than that.

“The Human Rights Council should once again tackle the issue of rights abuses in the Philippines when it convenes this month,” Carlos Conde, researcher of HRW Asian Division, said.

“The government is expected to continue to deny the allegations rather than offer a constructive response. But as the government’s own statistics show, the atrocities in the drug war have worsened, even as the country suffers the worst in the region from the pandemic,” he added.

Since March 16, the Philippines have been under quarantine to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. The lockdown in Metro Manila has been relaxed into a general community quarantine until September 30.

Not gospel truth Malacañang, for its part, dismissed the report saying that HRW failed to show its methodology.

“Hindi ko naman po pupuwedeng tanggapin ang conclusion ng hindi ko nakikita iyong pagaaral. Hindi ko po nakikita kung ano iyong hakbang na ginawa nila para magkaroon ng conclusion (I cannot just accept the conclusion without seeing the study. I have

not seen what steps were taken to arrive at that conclusion),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Thursday, September 10.

He also stressed that not everything the rights groups say is gospel truth.

“Ganyan talaga ang trabaho ng mga human rights groups. Magingay para iyong mga gobyerno eh pakinggan sila. Pero hindi naman ibig sabihin na lahat ng sinasabi nila ay gospel truth (That’s how human rights groups work.

They make noise so the government would listen to them. But it does not mean that everything they say is gospel truth),” Roque said. n

Supreme Court, and represented Trump in major cases like the travel ban that barred individuals from numerous predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S., and the still pending effort to end the Deffered Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Filipino heritage As the first Asian American to serve as solicitor general, Francisco has previously spoken about his Filipino heritage and of his father who immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines and became a medical doctor.

During a DOJ Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month program in May 2018, Francisco shared in his remarks, how his late father, Nemesio Maharice Francisco, remained his biggest inspiration.

In sharing the story of how his

father left for the U.S. to attend medical school on the savings of family members in the Philippines, Noel Francisco said, “That’s, of course, where my story began.”

“We came here on the shoulders of immigrants who had the courage to cross oceans in search of a better life,” said Francisco.

In regards to his father’s influence on his interest in politics, Francisco shared how his father donated to President Ronald Reagan’s re-election campaign and received an auto-penned photograph of Reagan which his father was proud of.

“It was only many years later that I began to understand why,” said Francisco. “It was because he had come to understand that he was an American, and he was actively participating in our democratic process.” n

Former Fil-Am US Solicitor General on Trump’s...

PAGE A1 t presidential term, Francisco served as associate counsel of the president before serving as deputy assistant attorney general at the DOJ. In his private practice, Francisco brought a number of high profile cases before the Supreme Court including McDonnell v. United States in which Francisco represented former Virginia governor Robert McDonnell, whose corruption case was overturned.

He also represented plaintiffs who challenged former President Obama’s efforts to uphold recess appointments, and plaintiffs who sought to allow employers to opt out of covering contraceptives in employee health plans if they had moral objections.

As solicitor general, Francisco personally argued 17 cases at the

CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS. The Manila City government has put a public advisory on the closure of the Manila North and South Cemetery during the observance of All Saints’ and Souls’ Days from October 31, to November 3, 2020, as seen on this photo taken on Thursday, September 10. The move is to prevent the crowding and mass gathering of people amid the coronavirus disease pandemic.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Breaking down systemic white supremacy...

PAGE A3 t

white supremacy, German said, which provides a startling conundrum within law enforcement on the local, state and federal levels. Though white nationalism is bigger now than it was 10 years ago, the FBI still hasn’t developed a system to keep track of the number of victims who were killed by white supremacists.

In regards to the FBI terrorism watch list — a list of subjects of terrorism investigations with the FBI that police use as a resource to determine whether or not someone they encounter is a terrorist — a loophole exists in local law enforcement to allow white supremacists, specifically, off the hook.

Because of this closeness of white supremacists [to law enforcement], the FBI has devised a way to ensure that local officers don’t get in the way of white supremacist investigations.

Usually, local police are given the FBI terrorism watch list in case they come across a subject of a terrorism investigation, but the FBI shields white supremacists from the list because potentially, those local officers — who are likely friendly with white supremacist groups — may intervene in the FBI’s investigations.

“[The FBI] tells the agents not to use the watch list that way and to instead use what’s called a silent hit in which, if a police officer pulled over a subject of a white supremacist investigation and searched that person through the terrorist w atch list, they would not get a positive response,” German said.

He continued, “A note would go to the agent who is working the case, but the police officer would not be alerted that this person is potentially dangerous.”

The reason for that is that, German noted, is because the FBI knows that local police may let that subject off the hook, saying “the reason why [the FBI] does this is because it doesn’t want [local] law enforcement searching for their white supremacist friends and then tip them off.”

German said that the “familiar relationship” between white supremacist groups and law enforcement holds strong today when “far right violence, at best, is ignored and at worst being lauded by government officials, including the president of the United States. These white supremacist beliefs manifest themselves in many ways, not least of which comes in the

form of violence and deterioriation of public safety for communities of color.

German, however, noted that crime rates and homicides are lower than they were from the 1960s to the 1990s when civil unrest mounted due to civil rights, political unrest and growing resentment of the American public toward those in power.

But, at the same time, lower overall crime rates don’t always tell the full story, especially in a policing system that still racially profiles subjects, finds loopholes for other subjects and refuses to take accountability for these faults.

“So even though there are fewer homicides, law enforcement is solving fewer homicides, and that’s something I think needs a lot more inquiry [into],” German said. “And particularly when you look at those unsolved homicides, they tend to be against the very communities that are overpoliced as suspects of crime: black and brown communities, indigenous communities and all these other communities where the police are not as aggressive in actually investigating real crimes against those communities, but are more interested in pursuing them as suspects.” n

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

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • SEptEmbER 12-15, 2020

Dateline PhiliPPines

A

Pacquiao launches digital payment platform PacPay by aJPress

PHILIPPINE Senator Manny Pacquiao, the eight-division boxing world champion, is launching PacPay, a digital payment platform for global influencers, brands and fans.

The boxer-senator’s technology startup, Pac Technologies, on Friday, September 11, announced that it has forged a “strategic partnership” with fintech remittance firm Remsea to further both companies’ initiatives in the fintech space in Asia and beyond.

The payment platform is slated to launch this year to provide users with seamless, faster and safer cross-border prepaid soluDISINFECTION. A man wearing a personal protective suit disinfects the covered court of Delfin Geralde Elementary School on Salvia Street tions to make payments convePasong Putik, Novaliches Greater Fairview in Quezon City on Friday, September 11. The Department of Education (DepEd) has reset the niently. Users will also be able to opening of classes from August 24 to October 5.

PNA photo by Oliver Marquez connect with their favourite influencers and brands easily, as well as participate in exclusive private events and enjoy ‘money-cannotbuy’ privileges and experiences.

by Ritchel Mendiola “My fans have supported me AJPress over the past decades since I started my career as a boxer. I TWO months after a Philippine certainly hope to have more opHouse of Representatives panel portunities to engage with them,” rejected ABS-CBN’s application said Pacquiao in a statement. for a new 25-year franchise, the He added, “Through the media giant received another blow unique card programme, my folas the National Telecommunicalowers will be incentivized with tions Commission recalled the freexclusive rewards including quencies assigned to the network. complimentary tickets, limited “Respondent has no valid franedition autographed merchanchise to continue operating televidise and attractive discounts by sion and radio broadcasting stamerchants around the world.” tions nationwide,” the NTC said in Despite the economic downan eight-page decision dated Septurn caused by the COVID-19 tember 9 and released on Thurspandemic, Pac Technologies day, September 10.

The decision ordered the recall “Consequentially, absent a valid wide “sent a valid Congressional partnered with Remsea, which of all of ABS-CBN’s free television legislative franchise, the recall of Franchise as required by law.” and radio broadcasts nationwide, the frequencies assigned to reRepublic Act No. 7966, which which included five AM radio sta- spondent is warranted,” it added. granted the network a 25-year tions, 18 FM radio stations, 42 TV ABS-CBN on July 10 failed to franchise to operate TV and radio stations, and 10 Digital Terrestrial secure a new franchise after the broadcasting stations expired on Television Broadcasting (DTTB) House Committee on Legislative May 4, 2020. stations.

Jonathan Sy-Alvarado, House Franchises, voting 70 to 11, adIt was signed by Commissioner opted the recommendation of its Legislative Franchises Committee Gamaliel Cordoba and Deputy technical working group to deny vice chairman, said ABS-CBN’s Commissioners Edgardo Cabarios the network’s application. Two frequencies are now up for grabs. and Delilah Deles.

“It’s now open for application congressmen inhibited while one “The denial of respondent’s abstained. by other broadcast companies,” franchise renewal application by The network stopped its opera- he told the Philippine STAR. Congress, coupled with the denial tions on May 5 in compliance with “The challenge for them reof respondent’s petition by the the National Telecommunications ally is to match the capacity of Supreme Court, lead to no other Commission (NTC’s) cease and ABS-CBN and its asset of having conclusion except that respondent desist order due to the expiration the most number of regional stahad already lost the privilege of in- of its congressional franchise. tions in the country. But I have not stalling, operating, and maintainThe order directed ABS-CBN to heard of any instance when the ing radio broadcasting stations in shut down its various TV and ra- NTC rejected an applicant for an Philippine Senator Manny Pacquiao the country,” said the NTC. dio broadcasting stations nation- available frequency,” he added. n Photo from Instagram/@mannypacquiao

NTC recalls ABS-CBN frequencies, channels

focuses on international money transfer, to tap into the huge potential of cross-border payments in Southeast Asia.

“The global landscape of payments is witnessing unprecedented growth. This is an incredible opportunity for us to enter the regional market,” Pac Technologies CEO Sean Wong

said. “We are excited to work with Remsea to add value and enhance our product range by offering prepaid debit cards to the global fans of Sen. Pacquiao.”

Last year, Pacquiao announced his plan to develop PacPay, which gained a strong reception from fans. n

A6 SEPTEMBER 12-15, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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

OPiniOn

Budget priorities

FeatUres

Malacañang is disputing observations that the proposed national budget for 2021 has lump sum appropriations, in violation of a Supreme Court ruling at the height of the pork barrel controversy. The lump sums, according to Sen. Panfilo Lacson, are allocated among others for Build, Build, Build flagship projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Also getting flak is the priority in funding allocations, with health and scientific research getting less than certain items related to national security. The proposed allocation for COVID vaccine procurement, for example, is too small for the needs of a population of over 100 million, according to several lawmakers. Officials have explained that with limited funds amid the economic contraction, the government can afford to provide free immunization only to the poorest segment of the population. The appropriation for vaccine procurement reflects this policy.

Meanwhile, the Department of Science and Technology may have to give up its plan to revive its virology research institute. DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Peña has said the budget for the project went to the DPWH, which might still push through with the construction of the institute to be managed by the DOST. Dela Peña pointed out that the pandemic response involves not just health and science but nearly all

aspects of governance. He admitted, however, that without sufficient funding, several other R&D projects that can be useful in responding to pandemics and emerging infectious diseases will have to be shelved or scaled back. Also to be affected are plans for upgrading responses to natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and typhoons.

The two chambers of Congress have just started scrutinizing the budget proposal of the executive.

Initial observations about the funding priorities show that next year’s appropriation will be subjected to close scrutiny, not only by lawmakers but also by affected sectors and the general public. Clearly, there is a need to focus on public health, with renewed attention given to related research and development. The shift to blended learning also needs funding support. With the economic crisis spawned by the pandemic, Congress must ensure that every centavo of people’s money will be properly appropriated. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Betrayal of public trust: Trump’s deliberate cover-up, misinformation of the COVID-19 threat has killed 192,000+ Americans

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS As we remember the sad day in our nation’s history, when at least 3,000 people were killed and thousands more were injured in a series of coordinated attacks on American soil on September 11, 2001, carried out by the Islamist global terror network Al Qaeda, we come to realize another sobering fact happening now, almost two decades later.

The American people’s lives and safety continue to be under threat, not only by homegrown extremists in America, but also by people in government who have betrayed their sacred oath to protect us.

We feel betrayed to know that the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, deliberately covered up information he already knew in January from the warnings coming from our own intelligence agencies and scientists, and purposely downplayed the grave and fatal threat of the coronavirus pandemic to the American people.

This judgment call by Trump has killed more than 192,000 people and has infected almost 6.5 million people and counting. COVID-19 has killed more Americans than during 9/11 and more than the 67,830 troops who died in every war since the start of the Vietnam conflict in 1964. It did not have to happen this way and more lives could have been saved if Trump had been honest with the American people.

On the Record with Governor Newsom GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM Better schools.

Safer roads.

Healthier neighborhoods.

All Californians can help their communities secure these resources and more by participating in the 2020 Census before September 30. It’s as simple as answering nine easy questions online or on the phone.

As we continue to address the double pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism, many of us are thinking about the world we want to live in, and how we can make it better and safer for the next generation. The Census gives us an opportunity to lay the groundwork for securing the funding that communities need to thrive.

An official count of the popu-

You should have already watched or heard news reports, and listened to Trump’s voice himself from an interview, recorded with his permission for a new book by the legendary investigative journalist Bog Woodward. (Woodward teamed up with another investigative journalist, Carl Bernstein, to report on the Watergate scandal which led to government investigations that pushed President Richard Nixon to resign.)

Woodward interviewed Trump 18 times from December 2019 to July 2020. The president told the journalist that he downplayed the threat of the virus to avoid panic.

Quoting the reporting by the respected news organization of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), contrasting “What Trump was telling Woodward v saying publicly”: 28 Jan: National security adviser Robert O’Brien tells the president: “This is the biggest national security threat you will face.”

7 Feb: “This is deadly stuff,” he tells Woodward, far more serious than the flu.

23 Feb: “We have it very much under control,” President Trump tells reporters.

26 Feb: On the 15 confirmed cases at the time, he tells a briefing: “within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, that’s a pretty good job we’ve done”, implying that flu is far more dangerous.

27 Feb: The virus is going to “disappear”, he says.

10 March: “We’re doing a great job with it. And it will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away,” the president says on Capitol Hill.

19 March: He tells Woodward he wanted to play it down to avoid a panic.

Following the backlash that ensued after the news broke out, Trump chose to lie about his lie despite the evidence of an audio recording.

“I didn’t lie, what I said is we have to be calm, we can’t be panicked,” he said in response to a reporter’s question in a White House news conference on Thursday afternoon, September 10.

And then Trump resorted to his usual tactic: Shoot the messenger. Deflect blame to anybody or everybody other than him.

“Bob Woodward had my quotes for many months. If he thought they were so bad or dangerous, why didn’t he immediately report them in an effort to save lives?” Trump contended. “Didn’t he have an obligation to do so? No, because he knew they were good and proper answers. Calm, no panic!”

Woodward said the reasons he did not immediately release the tape and information: “The biggest problem I had, which is always a problem with Trump, is I didn’t know if it was true,” Woodward told The Post in an

interview.

The investigative journalist also wanted to know the source of information and the context of Trump’s statements, so that he could tell the bigger picture to the American people before the November election.

Why is Trump deflecting the blame to Woodward? Trump is the President, the Commanderin-Chief, and it is his responsibility and obligation to be truthful to the American people about what is really happening in our country, the threats we are facing. He is duty-bound to unify the country instead of dividing our people to defeat the invisible enemy by urging every American to follow safety measures based on science and facts to protect lives and keep us all safe.

Trump contends, “I don’t want to jump up and down and start screaming, ‘death, death,’ because that’s not what it’s about.”

YES, Mr. Trump, that is what it is about: To protect the lives of the American people from death because of the severity of the virus. You said you did not want the American people to panic?

That is not the way to do it, Mr. President. Lying is not the way to do it. The facts that we are No. 1 in the world with the most number of infected cases and No. 1 in the death toll, with a continued uptick in cases just as other progressive countries have already defeated the virus just prove you have failed in your duty to pro-

tect the American people.

Panic and death happen when people are confused because of mixed messaging coming from the government without a true, trustworthy and unifying leader for the nation. We, the people, cannot trust a leader who is not truthful to us. We cannot be calm when we do not have a true leader who has a clear plan and strategy based on facts and science to defeat the enemy, a plan we all can follow and abide by together.

But you, Mr. President, despite knowledge about the severity of the virus and its threat to human lives, continue with your misinformation campaign.

Through your dangerous rhetoric and example, you have been selling us to the invisible enemy because the truth is — you are more obsessed about defeating your political opponents to be re-elected than defeat the virus and save people’s lives.

President Trump, you are too focused on covering up the facts, the numbers, downplaying the required wide-scale testing and contact tracing because such statistics will make you look bad and that is your worst nightmare more than seeing people die under your watch.

Despite warnings from our health officials and scientists, despite what you already know about the virus, and despite the death toll and the growing number of confirmed cases, Mr. President, you have been

pushing states, businesses, and schools to open because the numbers you want are good economic indicators that will be your bragging right in your reelection bid.

Consequently, we see more people dying as a result. These are hundreds of thousands of ordinary people, including our front liners and teachers. You hardly even talk about this to urge people to come together and be united in the battlefront against COVID-19. But then you tweet urgently on the ratings and economic numbers you think are good for you, and more incessant tweeting against your political opponents and critics.

You foolishly think that fabricating a semblance of normalcy like life as we know it pre-COVID will make the virus go away. No, Mr. President. This approach only exacerbates the problem, and prolong our journey toward healing and true recovery, both in our health and in our economy.

My fellow Filipinos in America, my fellow American citizens, we deserve more than this from our president.

There is blood on his hands, and we have to call him out for his failure in leadership. No selfrespecting American will give him four more years for betraying his constitutional duty to defend us and protect our lives because of his personal and political agenda. This is a betrayal

u PAGE A7

Census 2020: Get Counted by September 30 lation, the Census is used by every level of government to decide funding for our children’s schools, childcare programs, and nutrition and health resources.

The answers you give today will affect us every day for the next ten years. Whether or not you take the Census will impact your 6-year-old until they are in high school.

The Census has helped us tell our American story since the first survey was conducted in 1790. It’s a count of everyone living in the United States, regardless of background, immigration status or citizenship.

It paints a proud picture of who we are, informs political representation and determines funding for the foundation of our lives.

By taking the Census, you will help secure billions of dollars of funding for your community, tribal nation and state. You

will ensure you and your neighbors are represented in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. Communities that have more people officially counted have greater representation in the legislature and the Congress, and they have more funding available to assist with the community needs based on this official count.

The Census gives us the chance to say, “we’re here, we matter and we know what our kids and communities deserve.”

We are proud that California is the most diverse state in the world’s most diverse democracy. Every community in our golden state is unique and each deserves to be counted. But not every community has been counted as they should.

Native Americans, immigrants, non-English speakers, diverse communities and children are among those most

often missed by the count. An undercount would take away the power of our voices and count us out of the decisions that affect us. And it would put our future and funding at risk, resulting in less money for our hospitals, fire departments and schools. For every person left uncounted, California could lose $1,000 per person each year for the next ten years.

It’s our mission to include every community in the Census count, including ones who have previously been left out due to language and cultural barriers, fear or misinformation. In California, we are taking the Census as seriously as we take our children’s futures. We’ve made historic investments in ensuring every single person living in California – especially those in hard-to-count communities – is counted. That includes working with non-profit organizations and ethnic media

partners to ensure we reach every Californian in the language they speak.

You may have already received instructions in the mail on how to fill out the Census form. If you didn’t, you can still fill out the form online at my2020census.gov or by phone at 844-330-2020. Assistance is available on the phone in several languages. If you received a paper form in the mail, you can fill it out and mail it back.

Make sure you count everyone in your household, including children, and do it before September 30.

As you’re filling out the Census, know that it is safe and confidential. The information collected cannot be shared or used against you in any way. Census data cannot be used for law enforcement purposes or shared with landlords. The Census Bureau will never ask for your Social Security Number, financial

information or money. And the 2020 Census is prohibited from asking about immigration or citizenship status.

Right now, Census teams are going door-to-door to follow up with people who have not responded. They are following all public health guidelines, trained to wear a mask and ask the Census questions from outside your home. You can tell if the person is an official Census taker by their I.D. badge and Census Bureau-issued phone.

Remember that by answering these nine easy questions and ensuring a complete count, you are creating a brighter future for your community.

As parents, there is nothing we would not do for our children. This year, add “taking the Census before September 30” to that list.

Visit the Census website to learn more: https://californiacensus.org/ ■

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.

ADVERTISING AND ADVERTORIAL POLICIES

Main Office: 1210 S. Brand Boulevard Glendale, CA 91204 Tels: (818) 502-0651 Fax: (818) 502-0858 e-mail: info@asianjournalinc.com http://www.asianjournal.com

Manila Office: 2nd Floor Units D&E, Fort Palm Springs 30th St., Cor 1st Ave, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig Tel.: (632) 856-4921 • Fax: (632) 856-1661 New York: 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 Tel.: (212) 655-5426 • Fax (818) 502-0858

Northern California: New Jersey office: 1799 Old Bayshore Hwy, Suite 136 2500 Plaza 5, Harborside Financial Center, Burlingame, CA 94010 Tel.: (650) 689-5160 • Fax: (650) 239-9253 Jersey City, NJ 07311 Tel: (212)655-5426 • Fax: (818)502-0858 Las Vegas Sales Office: 2770 S. Maryland Pkwy., Suite 200 Las Vegas, NV 89109 Tel.: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879

ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board

CORA MACABAGDAL-ORIEL President

CHRISTINA M. ORIEL Editor-in-Chief

MOMAR G. VISAYA Executive Editor

IVY MANALANG Vice President - Marketing Los Angeles Asian Journal

MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA Senior Vice President Los Angeles Asian Journal

DING CARREON Videographer

ANDY TECSON Photographer

Asian Journal Publications, Inc. (“AJPI”) reserves the right to refuse to publish, in its sole and absolute discretion, any advertising and advertorial material submitted for publication by client. (“Client’s Material”) Submission of an advertisement or advertorial to an AJPI sales representative does not constitute a commitment by AJPI to publish a Client’s Material. AJPI has the option to correctly classify any Client’s Material and to delete objectionable words or phrases.

Client represents and warrants that a Client’s Material does not and will not contain any language or material which is libelous, slanderous or defamatory or invades any rights of privacy or publicity; does not and will not violate or infringe upon, or give rise to any adverse claim with respect to any common law or other right whatsoever (including, without limitation, any copyright, trademark, service mark or contract right) of any person or entity, or violate any other applicable law; and is not the subject of any litigation or claim that might give rise to any litigation.

Publication of a Client’s Material does not constitute an agreement to continue publication.

Client agrees and covenants to indemnify AJPI and its officers against any and all loss, liability, damage, expenses, cost, charges, claims, actions, causes of action, recoveries, judgments, penalties, including outside attorneys’ fees (individually and collectively “Claims”) which AJPI may suffer by reason of (1) Client’s breach of any of the representations, warranties and agreements herein or (2) any Claims by any third party relating in any way to Client’s Material.

AJPI will not be liable for failure to publish any Client’s Material as requested or for more than one incorrect insertion of a Client’s Material. In the event of an error, or omission in printing or publication of a Client’s Material, AJPI shall be limited to an adjustment for the space occupied by the error, with maximum liability being cancellation of the cost of the first incorrect advertisement or republication of the correct advertisement.

Under no circumstances shall Asian Publications, Inc. be liable for consequential damages of any kind.

ASIAN JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS, INC. publishes the Los Angeles Asian Journal, published twice a week; the Orange County and Inland Empire Asian Journal, Northern California Asian Journal, Las Vegas Asian Journal and the New York / New Jersey Asian Journal which are published once a week and distributed to Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange Counties, Northern California, Las Vegas and New York and New Jersey respectively.

Articles published in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Letters to the Editor are welcome.

Letters must contain complete name and return address. The materials, however, are subject to editing and revisions.

Contributions and advertising deadlines are every Mondays and Thursdays. For advertising rates and other informations, please call the L.A. office at (213) 250-9797 or send us an email at info@asianjournalinc.com

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

Dateline PhiliPPines

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • SEptEmbER 12-15, 2020

A

Sotto: Gov’t protection, benefits for media workers

by Javier Joe ismael ManilaTimes.net

SENATE President Vicente Sotto III pushed for the enactment of the Media Workers’ Welfare Act, which mandates the government to provide enhanced protection, security and benefits to the country’s media workers in recognition of the critical role that they contribute in shaping government policies and public opinion.

“At times when reliable and accurate information is crucial, such as today amid the menacing health impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19) pandemic, media workers have set aside all fear and reason and have gone the extra mile to gather facts and figures to make the public fully aware of what is happening in their government and communities,” Sotto said in UP HIGH. A technician takes photos of the cables of a cell tower that need to be replaced in Novaliches, Greater Fairview in Quezon City on filing Senate Bill (SB) 1820, the Friday, September 11. Telecommunication companies are upgrading their facilities to try to provide stable internet service to their clients. proposed “Media Workers’ WelPNA photo by Oliver Marquez fare Act.” Sotto’s bill seeks to provide media workers with a compre-

hensive benefits package at par with the current benefits enjoyed by the labor force both in the government and private sector.

“Our media workers have sacrificed a lot in the name of public service. They spend more time with their microphones and cameras, recorders and laptops than their beds, their fur babies and their loved ones. It is time for the government to level up with them and provide them a safe and protected atmosphere conducive to productive, free and fruitful media work,” the Senate chief said.

“The media has even gone beyond their duty of news gathering. They have become the voice of the marginalized and the scared. They bridge and connect the people and their public leaders,” he added.

“Our reporters, their cameramen and all in the media industry are playing a big role for our nation. It is only fitting for the government to look after their welfare and compensate for their

services to our nation,” Sotto said in Filipino.

Among the highlights of SB 1820 are the creation of a basic compensation scheme for media workers, guaranteed security of tenure or regularization for all media workers, a P500-per-day hazard pay for dangerous coverages, and additional insurance benefits on top of existing government benefits.

Sotto has likewise proposed the creation of a News Media Tripartite Council that will serve as a link among various stakeholders and provide media worker groups and entities the platform to craft policy decisions that will affect the industry as a whole.

“It is high time that we provide the media workers their well-deserved emoluments and protection under the law,” Sotto said, adding, “The public’s need for quality, informative news can only be satisfied when our media workers feel safe and secure while in selfless pursuit of news and information.” n

tions and an additional standby fund of P25.5 billion.

The Bayanihan 2 likewise provides for a P10-billion fund that will be on standby for COVID-19 testing and purchase of medicines and vaccines once they become available.

Bayanihan 2 stipulates that the Department of Health will receive P3 billion for additional face masks, personal protective equipment, shoe covers and face shields, alongside P13.5 billion for emergency employment and compensation of health workers.

Another P4.5 billion for the construction of temporary isolation and quarantine facilities as well as the expansion of existing public hospitals shall also be taken from the Bayanihan 2 law.

The Department of National Defense shall get P4.5 billion to cover expenses in isolating and treating returning overseas Filipino workers who test positive for COVID-19.

The Department of Foreign Affairs shall also be getting P820 million for repatriation efforts.

And while certain areas in the country are subjected to lockdowns from time to time, P6 billion will be given to the Department of Social Welfare and

Development for cash assistance to affected Filipinos.

Displaced workers shall also get assistance through cash-for work programs wherein a P13billion fund is allocated for such purpose.

Government shall also hire and train some 50,000 contact tracers, with P5 billion provided for such purpose under the Bayanihan 2.

Reports have it that Bayanihan 2 shall likewise provide subsidies to certain sectors and government initiatives in combatting the effects of the pandemic. For instance, state-run banks shall get subsidy for the payment of interest on local government loans. Local government units shall get P1.5 billion in assistance, while P1 billion has been allocated for TESDA scholarships.

Another P600 million will be earmarked as subsidies and allowances for students severely affected by the pandemic; and P300 million in subsidies and allowances to teaching and nonteaching personnel and parttime faculty in state universities and colleges.

National athletes and coaches shall get P180 million as allowances and subsidies.

Cardinal Tagle tests positive for COVID-19 Duterte signs P165.5-B economic stimulus law

by Gabriel

Pabico lalu

Inquirer.net

MANILA — Former Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who is currently the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, has tested positive for COVID19.

In a Facebook post by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Former Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio the Philippines (CBCP), it said Tagle Inquirer.net photo by Edwin Bacasmas that Tagle tested positive upon

arrival in Manila from the Vatican on Thursday, September 10.

CBCP said the 63-year-old Cardinal-Bishop is asymptomatic, and is currently in isolation “BREAKING: Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle tests positive for #coronavirus upon his arrival in Manila yesterday, Vatican News reported. He is asymptomatic and in quarantine,” CBCP said, sharing a tweet from Vatican News. n

Betrayal of public trust: Trump’s deliberate...

PAGE A6 t of the public trust and power accorded to him by the Office of the President of the United States.

It is a betrayal of public trust when you use the bully pulpit and power of the Office of the President to attack people, institutions, even our own state and federal government officials who do not flatter you as they fulfill their constitutional duties to provide checks and balances in government, even fabricating lies against your critics.

It is a betrayal of public trust when you attempt to disenfranchise people of their right to vote safely by mail amid the threat of

the pandemic, and peddle conspiracy theories without bases in fact to discredit mail-in voting, which you yourself use to cast your vote. President Trump, you even tactically and maliciously smear the election process to cast doubt in the minds and faith of the American people in case you lose, as you are trailing behind your opponent, Democratic nominee Joe Biden, in the polls.

My fellow Filipinos in America, my fellow Americans, it does not have to be this chaotic in America for another four years.

We can do something to change the course of our country for the greater good this November.

We, the people, have to fire Donald Trump. We, the people, need to vote him out in November. Remember that we get the government that we deserve. A true democracy is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos.

by edith

reGalado, Paolo romero Philstar.com

MANILA — President Duterte signed on Friday, September 11 the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, allocating P165.5 billion for an economic stimulus package to help the country recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Sen. Bong Go confirmed the signing of the measure, which was ratified by the Senate and the House of Representatives last month.

Bayanihan 2 was ratified by the Senate on Aug. 20, with the House of Representatives following a week later.

The stimulus plan is deemed necessary as the country grapples with the coronavirus disease and its severe impact on the economy.

Bayanihan 2 requires the President to submit a report to Congress monthly until the end of the year – a departure from the old requirement of a weekly formal report under the first measure or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. The plan consists of P140 billion worth of regular appropria-

u PAGE A8

A september 12-15, 2020 • LA WeeKeND AsIAN JOUrNAL

Dateline PhiliPPines

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

Palace: Duterte to study proposal to ease deployment ban on health care workers

by Catherine

Valente ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will reconsider a recommendation to relax the overseas deployment ban on Filipino health workers abroad, his spokesman said.

In a virtual press briefing, Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said the proposal to allow nurses with valid contracts as of August 28 has been discussed by the government’s task force against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

However, Roque said the final decision was up to the President

since it was he who told the task force that nurses should stay in the country as part of the “reserve force” should the COVID19 pandemic worsen.

“Napag-usapan po iyan kasi mayroong proposal na ang i-allow, ito po ay proposal lamang ‘no, i-allow iyong mga nurses na naayos na ang papel as of August 28 (It has been discussed because there is a proposal to allow the nurses with contracts as of Aug. 28),” Roque said.

“Pero kinakailangan po na kukonsultahin ang Presidente kasi iyong desisyon po na magimpose muna ng moratorium ay desisyon po ng Presidente at

ayaw naman naming pangunahan po ang ating Presidente (But the President will still be consulted because the decision to impose the moratorium was the President’s and we don’t want to preempt the President),” he added.

Earlier this month, Roque said the government has no plans to overturn the deployment ban despite the clamor from hundreds of healthcare workers who are stuck in the country.

He said that this was for the well-being of the medical workers who may contract COVID-19 if they work in countries with a high number of cases. n

40% of Filipinos see dark future TWO in five adult Filipinos expect the economy to worsen in the next 12 months as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19) pandemic lingers, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

The mobile phone survey, conducted from July 3 to 6 among 1,555 adult Filipinos nationwide, showed 40 percent of respondents believe that the country’s economy would get worse, while 24 percent of Filipinos expect it to stay the same and 30 percent expect it to improve.

SWS said the 40-percent “pessimists” is the highest in over 12 years since the 52 percent recorded in June 2008.

Meanwhile, the 30 per-

cent “optimists” are the lowest in five years since the 27 percent documented in March 2015.

The net economic optimism — the expectation about the general Philippine economy — declined to -9, which is considered as “mediocre.”

“This is 47 points below the very high +38 in December 2019 and the lowest since the low -19 in February 2009,” the polling firm said.

The SWS said the net economic optimism in all areas in the country also declined.

In August, the Philippine economy went into recession. The gross domestic product shrunk by 16.5 percent for the second quarter, when most people were ordered to stay at home to pre-

vent Covid-19 transmissions.

Unemployment rate reached a record-high 45.5 percent in July, which means that 27.3 million Filipinos have no jobs.

A separate SWS survey said 79 percent of Filipinos believe life has worsened since the pandemic, while 43 percent expect their lives to worsen in the next 12 months.

The non-commissioned survey, conducted through mobile phones and computer-assisted telephone interview, had sampling error margins of ±2 percent for national percentages, ±6 percent for Metro Manila, and ±5 percent for Balance Luzon, ±5 percent for the Visayas, and ±5 percent for Mindanao. (ManilaTimes.net)

Job applicants wait for their turn to be called before proceeding to the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena on last August 25. Organizers of the job fair set a 50-person capacity inside the venue to ensure that physical distancing and minimum health protocols are observed.

PNA photo

File photo shows the Martial Law Memorial Wall at Mehan Garden in Manila. Engraved in a series of marble structures are the names of those who suffered and died at the height of Ferdinand Marcos’ martial law regime from 1972 to 1986. Several protest activities have been lined up for today’s commemoration of the 47th anniversary of the declaration of martial law.

Philstar.com photo by Russell Palma

On Marcos’ birth anniversary, anti- torture advocates ask SC to nullify law ‘reminiscent’ of dictatorship

by Kristine Joy

Philstar.com

Patag

MANILA — On the birth anniversary of ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., torture survivors and families of involuntary disappearances asked the Supreme Court to nullify the AntiTerrorism Act of 2020, a law that is “reminiscent” of the “dictatorship of Marcos,” they said.

Led by the United Against Torture Coalition-Philippines, the petitioners argued that provisions of Republic Act 11479 or the ATA run contrary against the Constitution and the anti-torture law, “particularly those that value the dignity of every human person and guarantee full respect for human person and guarantee full respect for human rights of all persons, including suspects, detainees and prisoners.”

Dr. Benito Molino, a forensic expert and petitioner in the case, stressed: “What makes torture abhorrent is not only what it does to the victims but how the system condones and hide it.”

“The ATA brings back memories of gross human rights violations of the Marcos regime,” he added.

Retired SC Justice Antonio Carpio earlier said that with the anti-terrorism law in our statute books, “it is as if the Philippines is permanently under a situation worse than martial law.”

The ATA also runs contrary to the Republic Act 10353 or the

Anti-Enforced Disappearances Act of 2012—the law that took decades after the martial law rule and thousands of enforced disappearances to be enacted.

The Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearances (FIND) said they recorded nearly 2,000 documented cases of enforced disappearances during the martial law. “Most of the victims are still missing and their families left to heal by themselves from damages and economic displacement,” the statement read.

FIND Secretary General Joey Faustino said: “Torture and enforced disappearance are usually paired by unbridled authority... we need laws like this (RA 10353) to protect our rights, not to stifle them.”

Prolonged detention conducive to torture The group assailed Section 29 of the law that allows the authorities to detain a suspected terrorist for 14 days before they are required to bring the person to judicial authority. The period of detention is extendible by another ten days.

In a statement, they said that this condition is “conducive to the person detained for being tortured or coerced into involuntary confession, forcibly made to disappear or even summarily executed, which the anti-torture law aims to prevent.”

They also noted that this period is far longer than what the Constitution allows when the

privilege of the writ of habeas corpus is suspended. “Warrantless arrests of designated suspects and prolonged pre-trial detention heighten the risk as shown by years of documented cases,” lawyer Cristina Sevilla, counsel of the petitioners, said.

Coupled with the “dismal human rights record” and “misogynistic acts” of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, “the implementation of the ATA will have a chilling effect to every woman, especially the most vulnerable among us such as the prostituted woman who have experienced torture in the hands of authorities,” Jean Enrique of the Coalition Against Trafficking Women-Asia Pacific, and co-petitioner, said.

They also said that the law’s provision on designation of individuals or groups as terrorists by the Anti-Terrorism Council “will only institutionalize the government’s repressive and discriminatory measures.”

Even humanitarian workers and health care workers treating wounded persons who are suspected terrorists may be accused of providing “material support for terrorism,” Edeliza Hernandez of the Medical Action Group said.

This is the 33rd petition challenging the constitutionality of the anti-terrorism law. The case has been set for oral arguments, although date has yet to be determined. n

WHO solidarity vaccine trial may begin end-October — DOH by gaea

Katreena Philstar.com

CabiCo

THE clinical trial of candidate vaccines against coronavirus disease led by the World Health Organization may start in the Philippines by the end of October, the Department of Health said on Friday, September 11.

The target start of the solidarity vaccine trial was scheduled on the last week of October.

The candidate vaccines that will be included in the trial will be identified by third or fourth week of September.

“About 34 na mga bakuna ang pinagpipiliian. But of course, they would be reducing this, kung ano

lang ang karapat-dapat ‘yun lang ang isasama nila,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a media briefing.

Meanwhile, the trial sites will be known by end-September.

The agency, however, noted that the timeline of the clinical study is “subject to change depending on several factors and it is the WHO that will primarily determine adjustments and changes.”

According to Resolution 68 of the government’s inter-agency task force on COVID-19, the WHO solidarity vaccine trial will be prioritized in the assignment of trial zones.

It also said that vaccine recipi-

ents under the solidarity trial will be recruited from barangays with highest COVID-19 cases.

The government is currently in talks with various vaccine makers from other countries for possible independent clinical trials.

Vergeire said the government had already reviewed the documents submitted by Russia’s Gamalayera Institute, the maker of Sputnik V. “We are just waiting for their response on the comments of our vaccine expert panel,” she said.

The number of coronavirus cases in the Philippines reached 248,947 as of Thursday. n

Duterte signs P165.5-B economic...

PAGE A7

University of the PhilippinesDiliman’s Computational Research Laboratory shall get P15 million.

Another P10 million shall be used for the research fund of the Health Technology Assessment Council and at least P2.5 mil-

lion has been allocated for the computer-based licensure of the Philippine Red Cross.

The fund also provides P9.5 billion to the Department of Transportation to assist businesses critically affected by the pandemic.

The tourism sector shall also

get P4.1 billion which includes P100 million for training and subsidies to tour guides.

The Department of Education shall get P4 billion for the implementation of blended learning and another P3 billion for the development of smart campuses across the country. n

FACE MASKS DONATION. Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro (3rd from left) and other city officials receive the personal protective equipment (PPE) and hygiene kits from Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III (2nd from left) and Higher Education chair Prospero de Vera III (left), during the CODE team visit held at Marikina River Park in Marikina City on Thursday, September 10. The CODE team has been visiting local government units to monitor their coronavirus disease response.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

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

Dateline PhiliPPines

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • SEptEmbER 12-15, 2020

A

Mikey Garcia wants to fight Manny Pacquiao –promoter

by Bong Lozada Inquirer.net

MANILA — Promoter Eddie Hearn is looking at a future where four-division World champion Mikey Garcia faces off against boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, but he knows that staging a fight that big in the current times will be a difficult process.

In an interview with DAZN, h/t BoxingScene.com, Hearn said that Garcia (40-1) want nothing more than a fight against Pacquiao, boxing’s only eightdivision World champion, but a compromise has to be made to progress a fight with this magnitude amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Mikey Garcia is one of the fortunate ones that has boxed this year, so he’s not busting my phone up too much at the moment. But he wants to fight Man-

ny Pacquiao,” said Hearn.

Hearn said that they need to get a significant site fee from to stage the bout since public gatherings are still prohibited in the time of the pandemic.

There’s also the issue of Pacquiao not wanting to fight this year as longtime trainer Freddie Roach said before.

“It’s very difficult to make those sort of fights at the moment, unless we get a big site fee from another country. Mikey is basically that guy who wants the monstrous fights, and he’ll be looking to make that happen,” said Hearn.

Garcia is coming off a unanimous decision win over Jessie Vargas in February to take the vacant WBC Diamond welterweight title while Pacquiao (627-2) hasn’t fought since July 2019 when he scored a split decision win over Keith Thurman for the

WBA Super World welterweight championship.

“For all of these top names, it’s just a case of getting them out just once this year. Letting them get out there, letting them progress their career, letting them get paid, keeping their profile bubbling,” said Hearn.

Boxing has returned to the scene despite the pandemic but cards are closely monitored to make sure they follow strict health protocols. Fans are also still not allowed inside venues to maintain social distancing.

None of the sport’s biggest names have yet to take the ring since the pandemic hit.

“That’s the tough job for us now, coming through Fight Camp: trying to schedule all these major names and world MORNING EXERCISE. Members of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) at the Barangay Paligsahan Fire Sub Station do their morning exercise champions without crowds. It’s in front of their building on Scout Reyes Street in Quezon City on Friday, September 11. Morning workouts are one of the best ways to feel PNA photo by Joey O. Razon going to be a tough task over the energized for the day’s work. next couple of months.” n

PH, China defense chiefs agree not to rock the boat in South China Sea

by Frances

Mangosing Inquirer.net

MANILA — The defense leaders of the Philippines and China have agreed to keep peace and stability in the South China Sea, the Department of National Defense said.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana met with his Chinese counterpart, Wei Fenghe, on Friday, September 11 in Camp Aguinaldo to discuss several issues related to defense relations between the two countries.

The two defense chiefs discussed how to avoid misunderstanding and resolve differences peacefully in disputed waters, the DND statement said.

The early conclusion of talks on the code of conduct in the South China Sea was also discussed.

Arbitral ruling An earlier statement from the DND, which was recalled a few minutes after its release, said Lorenzana brought up the 2016 arbitral ruling with Wei during the meeting. The ruling declared illegal and baseless the ninedash claim of China to virtually the entire South China Sea. The earlier DND statement said Lorenzana “reaffirmed the Philippines adherence to the award and its enforcement without any possibility of compromise or change.”

Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe is in Manila as part of his tour around some Southeast Asian states. He met with Philippine DDefense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Friday, September 11 at Camp Aguinaldo to discuss several issues on defense relations.

DND photo

According to the recalled statement, Lorenzana said the Armed Forces of the Philippines will continue to “conduct routine, legitimate marine patrols in the West Philippine Sea and challenge any activities that infringe on Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction.”

Why the statement was recalled has not been explained.

China continued its incursions in the West Philippine Sea as the world grappled with the coronavirus outbreak, which started in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

In the same meeting, the Chinese government pledged P1 billion worth of donations for humanitarian assistance and disaster response equipment.

Wei’s Manila visit is part of his tour around some Southeast Asia states— Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

His visit comes amid China’s continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea and renewed security worries in the Philippines over Chinese investments.

Wei also met with President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacanang. n

PH qualifies for US aid for infra, poverty reduction in 2021

by Ben

o. de Vera Inquirer.net

THE Philippines is eligible to avail itself of financial aid from the United States’ Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC) next year for mostly infrastructure and poverty-reduction projects.

The MCC’s Sept. 8 candidate country report for fiscal year 2021 showed the Philippines was among a total of 63 countries on the shortlist for a possible compact with the U.S. aid agency.

The Philippines was included in the low-income category with 59 other countries, while three others–El Salvador, Sri Lanka and Tunisia–were in the category of lower middle income candidates.

The Philippines landed on the shortlist for having per capita income below the World Bank’s middle income country threshold for fiscal year 2021, which is equivalent to gross national income (GNI) per capita of $4,045.

The Philippines was among 75 countries earlier identified by the World Bank to have the lowest per capita income and it was not ineligible to get economic assistance from the US under its Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.

The latest data on the World Bank’s website showed that the Philippines had a GNI per capita of $3,850 in 2019.

In the same report, 15 countries were barred from access to MCC aid due to some legal pro-

hibitions—Afghanistan, Algeria, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Comoros, Eritrea, Lesotho, Nicaragua, North Korea, Papua New Guinea, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Zimbabwe.

The Philippines in 2017 withdrew from the planned second MCC grant to build roads along the coast of Eastern Luzon.

In late 2016, the MCC deferred deciding on a new compact for the Philippines as the country had been “subject to a further review of concerns around rule of law and civil liberties” under then US President Barack Obama, who had been critical of President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on drugs.

The Philippines’ first MCC compact for three projects, that repaired roads, reformed revenue administration and supported delivery of social services to the poor, ended in 2016.

The first grant extended in 2011 amounted to $434 million.

In November 2019.

The MCC’s annual scorecard, which it uses to determine which developing countries to extend grants, showed the Philippines failed in eight out of 20 indicators–control of corruption, freedom of information and rule of law.

The Philippines’ scorecard for fiscal year 2020 showed that it passed in 12 indicators which are: Under economic freedom: • Fiscal policy • Inflation

• Regulatory quality • Trade policy • Gender in the economy • Land rights and access (under “economic freedom” Under “ruling justly”: • Political rights • Civil liberties • Government effectiveness Under “investing in people”: • Natural resource protection • Girls’ secondary education enrollment rate • Child health The Philippines’ 2020 scorecard, however, showed red marks in eight indicators, which was higher than six in the 2019 scorecard.

These included: • Access to credit and business startup • Control of corruption • Rule of law • Freedom of information • Health expenditures • Primary education expenditures • Immunization rates The Philippines reversed the gains posted in two indicators in 2019—control of corruption and freedom of information, which received passing marks in the preceding scorecard.

The scores in control of corruption and rule of law were based on the World Bank and Brooking Institution’s Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI), while the score in freedom of information was from independent democracy watchdog Freedom House. n

A10 september 12-15, 2020 • LA WeeKeND AsIAN JOUrNAL

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

B Saturday, SEPTEMBER 12, 2020

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

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 12-15, 2020

The Asian Journal

WKND

Getting an abusive green card me to stay at home all the time and have no friends. He has never been physically violent with me, but I am just so miserable and afraid.

Is there any way to legalize my status in this horrible marriage, Atty. MichAel especially when he refuses to Gurfinkel, eSQ petition me and threatens to have me deported?

Very truly yours, DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: TF I married a U.S. citizen for Dear TF: love, hoping we would live “hapPerhaps you could be eligible pily ever after.” Unfortunately, soon after marriage, he changed. to file a self-petition (petition He drank a lot, gambled, took yourself) as a battered spouse, drugs, called me names, said based on the Violence Against he would never petition me and Women Act (VAWA). (That law would try to get me deported. He is not limited to abused wives, gets very angry when I laugh and but could also apply to abused speak with my family in Tagalog, husbands.) Also, the law does does not want me to see them or not require that you be physically have them over, and just wants abused or battered, as people

Immigration Corner

could be eligible if they have been subjected to “extreme cruelty,” or severe mental abuse and harassment. It also applies to a person who has been abused not only by a U.S. citizen spouse, but also by an immigrant/green card holder spouse.

The basic requirements include: 1. The marriage was entered into in good faith (meaning it was not fixed.), the person resided with the U.S. citizen or immigrant spouse, and was battered (physically abused) or subject to extreme cruelty during the marriage.

2. Extreme cruelty could include threats of harm to the alien or to the alien’s family members, intimidation and humiliaPAGE B2

LEADING U.S. IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL ANSWERS YOUR IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS VIA ZOOM ON THE SIXTH EDITION OF CITIZEN PINOY – SOCIAL DISTANCING STYLE. Citizen Pinoy continues its public service by providing relevant information and updates on immigration. In this episode, Atty. Gurfinkel answers questions from Kapamilya in Illinois and California, among other places. Marie from Los Angeles, CA (top right) asks: Can a person who is on a student visa get work authorization through her parent’s petition? Linda from Chicago, IL (bottom right) would like to know: If the parent who is the original petitioner died, can they retain the priority date of the petition if one of the siblings acts as substitute sponsor for humanitarian reinstatement? These are just some of the questions that Attorney Gurfinkel (left) will answer on a brand-new episode of CITIZEN PINOY: Your Tanong, My Sagot – Social Distancing Style this Sunday, September 13 on TFC at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

(Advertising Supplement)

LifestyLe Consumer Guide Community marketpLaCe

‘Cool’ hobbies and collections of stars revealed

By Iza IglesIas ManilaTimes.net

TO further strengthen its online presence with a recently launched YouTube channel, GMA Artist Center promises to connect netizens with their artists through meaningful virtual interactions.

Continuously creating a wide range of fresh, original, and exciting content for their channel, GMA Artist Center also began streaming one of its new video series dubbed “Cool Hub” which features the different collections of the stars and is hosted by Yasser Marta, Myrtle Sarrosa, Manolo Pedrosa and Ayra Mariano. “’Cool Hub’ means collections and hobbies. It’s an infotainment show na nagca-cater sa ating younger audience and kids at heart. So we feature arts and crafts, hobbies, health and lifestyle, also collections of the artistas na pwede nilang maishare sa mga viewers. It’s an entertainment show na makakapagbigay ng nostalgic feels sa bawat isa. Lalabas din yung creative side natin kung saan pwedeng maging fun ang quarantine days natin,” Mariano explained during a Zoom interview.

“There’s the collaborative aspect of it na we have four hosts and each of us have different personalities, interests so we’re not just there to host.

We’re also chosen to introduce our own interests and we also in a way share it through hosting. It’s very engaging for both the host and the one being interviewed,” Pedrosa furthered.

For their first guest, Mariano reached out to Ashley Ortega who got to share her Barbie doll collection from when she was a kid.

Ayra Mariano Photo from Instagram_@ayramariano

Manolo Pedrosa Photo from Instagram_@manolopedrosa

Myrtle Sarrosa Photo from Instagram_@myrtlegail

Yasser Marta Photo from Instagram_@itsyassermarta

“I was one of the first guests so I was given the opportunity to share what I’ve been collecting. Actually, hindi ako vocal about this, but during this lockdown, ngayon ko lang nabigyan ng pansin yung collections ko kasi I’m always out and about. Now, I was able to look back at my dolls which I had during my childhood.

I also showed the ones that I was able to open for the first time,” Ortega declared.

“Aside from the dolls, I was

able to start another collection and hobbies. This time, naging plantita na ako, ‘yan na ang bago kong collection — plants and flowers, also teacups. It’s very nice in some sort because the lockdown gave me the chance to get to know myself,” she added.

And for their part, Pedrosa will showcase his new found hobby of reading books and Marta, on the other hand, will present his car and motoring PAGE B2

B SEPTEMBER 12-15, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

EntErtainmEnt

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

John grateful for ‘On the Job 2,’ ‘Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot celebrates 5th year of ‘Heneral Luna’ – Social Distancing Style’ answers more By ian

Biong Inquirer.net

VETERAN actor John Arcilla cannot help but be thankful for having finished filming the highly anticipated “On the Job” sequel

by Erik Matti even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

While also following strict health protocols, Arcilla noted that they were able to wrap up shooting “On the Job 2: The Missing 8,” which he said is another film to be proud of.

“Last Week, with Diligent observation of protocols and against all PANDEMIC CHALLENGES, I was able to finish another Film that I will be very proud of,” the actor said on Instagram on Sept. 9. “‘OTJ2 The Missing 8 is finally on its way to give you another excitements, goosebumps and disturbed minds,” he added.

His post came with several posters of his other films along with behind-the-scenes photos of him with other actors and Matti, although he noted that these were taken before the pandemic.

Arcilla also shared that while shooting “On the Job 2,” he was also able to finish six other films that he is “equally proud of.”

Three of these—”Kuwaresma,” “Miracle in Cell No. 7” and “The Panti Sisters”—have already been released before the lockdown.

The other three films—”A Hard Day,” “Suarez” and “BIG-

John Arcilla

Philstar.com photo

NIGHT”—are, meanwhile, ready to be released, according to the actor.

“I am one hell of a Lucky Actor I must say to be able to make movie projects together with A1 Directors and Icons in this Industry,” he gloated.

“From Mario De Los Reyes, Gil Portes-Ismael Bernal (theater) to Carlos Seguion Reyna- to Jerrold Tarog- Jun Lana – Law Fajardo, Nuel Naval, Joven Tan and ERIK MATTI… (at least I had a stint in Lino Brocka’s LAST FILM before his unfortunate Death where I was part of a press Crowd),” Arcilla stressed.

The actor is grateful for having been able to share the screen with Filipino movie icons such

as Christopher de Leon (“On the Job 2”), Sharon Cuneta (“Kuwaresma”) and Aga Muhlach (“Miracle in Cell No. 7”).

Arcilla added that it was also an “equally great opportunity” to star alongside new icons such as Dingdong Dantes, Dennis Trillo (“On the Job 2”), Christian Bables and Paolo Ballesteros (“The Panti Sisters”).

‘Heneral Luna’ turns 5 Arcilla, who played the titular role of Heneral Antonio Luna in the Jerrold Tarog-directed biopic, also highlighted that Sept. 9 is the fifth anniversary of the “Heneral Luna” release in cinemas.

The veteran actor’s iconic portrayal of the brash Philippine general won him the best actor accolades from the 2016 Luna Awards and the 2016 Platinum Stallion Media Awards. He was also nominated for the said award in the 10th Asian Film Awards held in the same year. “[This] Film project of a lifetime needless to say opened the doors to all the great Films I have mentioned and more on its way,” Arcilla said.

“Of course [I] will never forget the @tbastudiosph (TBA Studios) who made it all possible. Thank you God for all the Blessings!” he added.

Matti on Aug. 30 revealed that after almost three years of filming for the said sequel to “On the Job,” which was released in 2013, it is finally a “goddamn fu&#in’ wrap!”

immigration questions on Sept. 13

CITIZEN Pinoy continues to provide relevant information to individuals and families who have concerns about the latest immigration policies and how it affects them.

Leading U.S. immigration attorney, Michael J. Gurfinkel, answers questions from Linda of Chicago, IL and from Marie of Los Angeles, CA, and several

others who sent in their inquiries.

Tune in when Atty. Gurfinkel answers questions like: retaining priority dates of a petition when the petitioner has already died; or eligibility to apply for citizenship by someone who acquired their green card through a fiancé visa, even if they were divorced by the petitioner. Some terms,

like “follow to join,” will also be explained.

It will be another informative episode on a brand-new episode of CITIZEN PINOY: Your Tanong, My Sagot – Social Distancing Style this Sunday, September 13 on TFC at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

(Advertising Supplement)

Kakai on COVID-19 recovery

By Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

KAPAMILYA actress Kakai Bautista revealed that she tested positive for novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) but has recovered.

In her Instagram account, Kakai said she already graduated from COVID-19 University.

“Today, on my 14th day... I graduated from COVID University!!!!” she declared.

“Yes, I tested positive for COVID-19 Asymptomatic and got another test today and the result was negative. Thank you Lord,” she added.

Kakai said she made her condition public to raise more awareness about the disease.

“GUYSH, Covid is not a Joke,” she enthused. “OO, sakit sya, virus

sya. Pero mas PARANG ikakamatay mo ang FEAR AND ANXIETY pag nagkaroon ka,” she said.

According to her, when she had it, only two things came to her mind.

“2 bagay lang ang sinabe ko kay lord. ‘Lord, hindi pa ako pwedent mamatay kase mababawasan ng maganda ang mundo’ AND ‘Lord, I surrender everything to you’.”

She ended her post saying she also cares and prays for other COVID-19 patients for their recovery.

“And I was Ok. NagpakaNormal ako, hindi alam kong mas magkakasaket ako kapag HINDI ako umayos sa isip at sa gawa. AKAP and PRAYERS SA LAHAT NG MAY PINAGDAANAN sa Walanghiyang virus na ito. MATATAPOS din ito Guysh!!! KAPIT lang tayo. Sa PAGASA at FAITH!!! Isa lang ang dapat Kakai Bautista positive — MINDSET.”

Photo from Instagram/@ilovekaye

Getting an abusive...

PAGE B1 tion, chastising or making fun of the victim in public, displaying weapons, threatening to contact immigration authorities to have the person deported, economic abuse, such as refusing to give the victim any money or prohibiting them from looking for a job or trying to get them fired from an existing job, stalking or harassing the victim at his or her workplace, social isolation, such as restricting the victim from using the phone or contacting friends or family members, sexual abuse, including forced sexual activity, threats to call immigration to have the person deported, being extremely jealous and accusing the victim of being flirtatious or cheating, even though they are not, and verbal abuse, such as yelling, screaming, insulting, or otherwise mistreating the person.

3. It does not require that the person be physically abused or beaten up to qualify for a green card under VAWA. As you can see, extreme cruelty includes mental abuse, yelling, and threats.

4. Evidence of battery or extreme cruelty could include police reports, medical records, affidavits from clergy, or social workers, restraining orders, photographs showing bruises, or other evidence that could show a pattern of abuse and/or violence. Even if there are no police reports, a person could still qualify if they properly present their case or by demonstrating a pattern of mental cruelty.

If you married for love, but are now living in an abusive nightmare, you should consult with an attorney who can evaluate your situation and determine if you could be eligible to file a self-petition (without the need for the abuser to file a petition) and get a green card on your own.

Moreover, these filings are “confidential”. But most important, make sure that if you are in an abusive relationship, look after your physical safety. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different, and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw, Twitter @GurfinkelLaw and YouTube: US Immigration TV Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

‘Cool’ hobbies...

PAGE B1 collection.

New-found skill Aside from highlighting their personal side, the newbie actors were able to unleash their hosting skills which they haven’t brought to the spotlight before.

“Laking pasalamat ko sa Artist Center dahil sa sitwasyon ngayon, ang daming nawalan ng trabaho pero napakaswerte namin dahil isa kami sa napiling mag-host at simulan itong show,” Marta mentioned.

“The show basically presents our personal side. Also, we’re not just hosts here. We also suggest what topics to promote. Like me, marami akong friends sa car and motor scene, so meron din akong mabibigay sa show. And ang maganda din dito is free flowing ang conversation whenever we host.

‘Yun din yung gusto namin sa ‘Cool Hub.’ Ayaw namin maging scripted yung show, pero gusto naming sobrang natural yung pakikipagusap ng bawat isa,” he added.

Mariano seconded, “For me, it’s a learning experience lalo na yung first time na sinabi sa akin ng handler ko na in-offer ito ng Talent Development.

Mas na-encourage ako na matuto pa doon sa hosting skills.

Especially hindi lang siya yung hosting na voice ang gamit, but also confidence onscreen as well as writing skills namin.

“Our creative minds ay napapagana namin through this show kasi it’s a collaborative

effort, nag-iisip din kami sa show na ito. Hindi lang basta bibigyan kami ng talking points or kung about saan ang episode. We help, kumbaga part din ng pag-aaral namin as actors, we can also be confident as hosts.”

Finally Manolo noted, “It goes back sa collaborative efforts na we’re not just actors.

We’re also producers and hosts na we can make content and we can make it engaging.

Very important din is being engaged with the work. What we’re hosting about is something we’re interested in. Doon lalabas our own personally, kung saan makikita yung other side namin ng mga viewers.

“As with hosting, it’s also a skill. Acting and hosting is still a skill so it’s something that we all have to learn and I’m lucky enough na nagprovide yung Talent Development ng hosting workshop. I would say na it’s natural din kasi it’s something we’re engaged in,” he added.

Aside from “Cool Hub,” other online shows featured in the official YouTube channel of GMA Artist Center are “In The Limelight,” where viewers can get to know Kapuso stars better; “Hangout,” which is a weekly live fan meet; talk show “Just In,” hosted by Paolo Contis and Vaness del Moral; game show “Quiz Beh!,” hosted by Betong Sumaya; and online dating show “E-Date Mo Si Idol,” which will be hosted by comedian Pekto Nacua.

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

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 12-15, 2020

SEAFOOD CITY FPFC

B

B SEPTEMBER 12-15, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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

Kyline finds out why Nora Aunor is the ‘Superstar’

By AllAn

PolicArPio Inquirer.net

In “Usapang Real Life (URL),” TV5’s head of News Luchi Cruz-Valdes narrates interesting true stories about celebrities and ordinary people.

TV5 photo

Luchi gets real

By ricky lo Philstar.com

EVERY person has an interesting story to tell, whether he/she is a celebrity or an ordinary mortal. There’s no such distinction (“categorization”) in Usapang Real Life (URL), a new Kapatid weekly show hosted

by TV5’s head of News Luchi Cruz-Valdes, airing Saturdays at 9 p.m. since Aug. 15 with KC Concepcion and Karen Davila as guests in the pilot episode.

The show is timely when everyone’s life has been upended by the pandemic. Whether it’s about their personal life or their struggles and their triumphs, the resource persons recount their experiences that deserve to be heard.

Line-produced by ContentCows Company, URL shows the veteran newscaster and noted investigative reporter, Luchi in a new light... a Luchi Cruz-Valdes who is lighthearted, nurturing and compassionate, a side that allows her to connect to her guests, bringing out up close and personal stories of people from all walks of life that many people do not usually get to hear.

In her talk show, Luchi herself opens up about little-known facts of her life and the issues she is similarly facing as the rest of us. For instance, she’s a devoted mother of three and a widow, and an avid fan of Korean dramas. She likewise has her personal viewpoints on the issues of the day, as well as trendy topics and concerns that people talk about, which she shares on the show. These cover the gamut of life in the province, mental health, married life, motherhood, passions and advocacies, and how people deal with change.

Usapang Real Life with Luchi puts a spotlight on life behind the camera; unveiling real experiences and celebrating our common humanity. It’s about harnessing the lessons of everyday life and using these to empower and give hope.

After its Saturday TV5 airing, URL has a primetime replay on Sundays at 7 p.m. on Colours Channel (available on Cignal TV Channel 202 HD and 60 SD).

Let’s listen to Luchi tell her own story.

Your show is called Usapang Real Life (URL). How real can you get?

“As real as I can possibly get.

And because I am a news person, doing URL (usapang REAL diba?), the expectation is to ask about issues and controversies surrounding my interviewee.The problem is celebrities will tend to filter those questions — and not without basis. They are not government officials, after all.

They do not have the same burden of accountability to people.

They are essentially still private people, right?

“They can choose to not talk about their personal lives. So it becomes my burden to draw out their thoughts and sentiments about those issues or controversies. That’s a challenge for me. I need them to trust that because I’m a journalist — and hopefully someone they accept as credible — I am not after getting an exclusive story but instead a deeper understanding of their particular context: their drives, their dreams, their minds and hearts, or the ‘histories’ behind what may have led them to do what they did or say what they said.

“This is also the reason why our pilot episode had me being interviewed by my good friend, Karen Davila. I wanted to be the first to open up about my personals to show how real I want the usapan to be, and to drive home to our viewers that, hey, ‘tao rin po kami. Hindi perpekto pero hindi rin ilusyonado’.”

What’s your criteria in choosing your guests/resource persons; do they have to be celebrities)?

“No not at all. Though I will admit that celebrities are the low-hanging fruit in terms of viewability — because naturally there already is a general public awareness of them.

“For ordinary folks, these celebs are — for good or bad — ‘models’ of whatever values they espouse or not. And I truly believe that there’s a lot of learning to be had from hearing from these famous people — their lives, their challenges, their experiences. And you know what? It’s good for us to see that underneath the glam and glitter, they’re not much different from you and me, and that we do share a kind of humanity that we don’t really see when we’re merely watching them.”

What has been your lifethreatening, life-changing experience and how did you

ACTRESS Kyline Alcantara, one of the lead stars of the Kapuso drama series “Bilangin ang Bituin sa Langit,” disclosed that she would resume taping next month. And the teen actress is looking forward to picking up where she and her costars—Nora Aunor, Mylene Dizon, Yasser Marta, Zoren Legaspi—left off.

“I was a little sad because we had to stop shooting [during the government-imposed lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19] just as I was getting comfortable with the team. But it feels good that we will be returning. But of course we have to stay careful because COVID is just there,” Kyline said in a recent video conference.

The first two months of taping, she recalled, made her realize why Nora is the “Superstar” that she is. “I get why she’s well-loved and respected.

She’s always ready on the set.

She’s very kind to everyone, especially to us younger actors. Nakikipagbiruan siya sa amin. And we really appreciate that. She’s so fun to be with,” she said.

But while she has grown more comfortable working with Nora, Kyline surmised that a bit of nerves could actually do her some good in their scenes. “I don’t want to be too comfortable, so that I’m always inspired to do better,” she said.

Kyline, who turned 18 last Sept. 3, chooses not to dwell on the negative despite the postponement of her debut party that she had been organizing for the past year. Her birthday, she stressed, can’t be compared to what the world is going through amid the COVID19 pandemic.

“During the first few months of quarantine, I thought that it wouldn’t last until September and that we would be able to push through with the party.

But at some point, I realized that I can’t do anything about it,” she related.

Kyline had already decided on the party’s theme as early as last year. She had a hotel venue booked in December. She had been going on meetings with

survive it?

“I was hospitalized for three months in 2018. I had been feeling sick for six months before that but no doctor could diagnose what was ailing me.

When my creatinine rose to super abnormal levels, that’s when they surmised it must be lupus nephritis. (Lupus is an autoimmune disorder where the body’s defense system mistakes its own organs as invading bacteria or viruses. Nephritis is a kidney disorder, so the supposed lupus attacked my kidneys.)

“I had to be hospitalized for a biopsy of my kidneys. But the night before my biopsy, I contracted pneumonia and was transferred to the ICU. When my pneumonia passed and they biopsied me, my kidneys bled from the biopsy. I was returned to ICU. When that one passed, I couldn’t breathe again, and when they put me through a series of tests, they found that a virulent bacteria had eaten my heart valves! So they had to do open heart surgery to install an artificial aortic valve and patch a hole on my mitral valve. I was in ICU for three weeks because of that. And while I was recovering there, my intestines began to bleed from the blood thinners.

So they had to operate on me again to resection (cut off) part of my intestines.

“How did it change my outlook? I realized that sickness is worse than — not just death — but the struggles of my daily life. I was never the sickly type and I was never really afraid of death, but when you go through a long-term illness, and you’re holed up immobile in the ICU feeling like you’re about to die but you’re not dying, you realize how much better off you were just taking on all the work dumped on you and dealing with the difficult people and problematic situations of your life. All of a sudden, the daily grind is not a burden — it’s a blessing!

“My values have shifted.

Work, and all the physical and emotional toll it can take on me, I now choose to embrace. Yes, I still struggle to not grumble, whine, or even curse, but I now make a conscious choice to by niñA V. Guno be thankful that I am alive and Inquirer.net well and can work. That is a life RUFFA Gutierrez has no change for me. That’s grace.”

Do you see a “divine hand” plans on getting hitched again, in what’s happening to the stressing in an interview that she is content with what she PAGE B6

Nora Aunor and Kyline Alcantara

her team. Downpayments had been made.

“We expected that it was going to be a good year … with lots of events,” she said.

“But I didn’t want to put in negative emotions [over what happened]. I just had to accept that there’s no way it could happen.”

But her birthday wasn’t devoid of any celebration. She spent her special day the way she wanted it—simple, intimate and with only her family and closest friends. “Kwentuhan lang,” the singer-actress shared.

Colleagues also surprised her with a small get-together.

“After a photo shoot, I was told that I will have a meeting for a sanitary napkin endorsement.

I had a whiff that they would surprise me, but I didn’t want to assume,” she recalled.

While she would like to keep her wish for her personal life private, she let on that, careerwise, she’s hoping for more “blessings, supporters and challenging projects.” “I would love to Now that she’s officially an adult, Kyline said she’s anticipating more responsibilities, especially in terms of being independent. The possibility of

GMA photo

living alone crosses her mind once in a while. “But I was still shocked,” she said. “I was happy.

“Being 18 hasn’t really sunk in yet. I think there will be more challenges. People tell me that people will expect more from me, so I have to keep up,” said the GMA 7 star, who’s now looking into how to invest her money and entertaining the idea of starting a business.

“I need to be more responsible with money… there are so many other things to learn,” Kyline said. “And if I ever venture into business, it’s something I have to think about carefully.

One of the things the pandemic has taught me is that you have to think long term.

Another thing Kyline wishes to change now that she’s 18 is her being an overthink er—something that, she feels, makes it hard for her to live life fully. “I used to be an overplanner. I’m always thinking about the future, always thinking ahead. And because of that, I forget to live in the moment,” she said.

“Now I want to do my best, pray and lift everything up to Him. I think it’s better to have that kind of mindset,” she added.

Ruffa thumbs down getting married again: ‘I’m fine the way I am’ has in life.

The actress spoke with Toni Gonzaga on the online show “I Feel U” released yesterday on YouTube, as reported by Inquirer Bandera on Wednesday, September 9.

“For me, OK naman ako mag-isa (I am OK being alone).

Kaya ko naman mabuhay (I can live) with my kids, with my dogs and my career with my life,” she said. “Kasi buo ako sa sarili ko (My own self is whole), I’m happy on my own.”

“I need a man that will grow with me. I need a man that will make me feel happy.

And if he doesn’t fulfill that need anymore, okay bye!” she stressed.

She also shared her sentiments on marriage, stating, “Ayaw ko nga magpakasal ulit eh (I don’t want to get married again), kasi ‘di ba (because then) you have to go through an annulment again.”

“Tapos marami akong na-

Ruffa Gutierrez

kikitang marriages na parang (Then I see many marriages where) they are just with their partners because for the kids, just to make it work,” she noted.

Gutierrez said she has Bible study-mates who say they pray she will get married again, but she tells them, “Guys, I’m OK. You don’t need to pray for me.

I’m not lonely. I’m fine the way I am.”

However, she remains open to love. “If the time comes that my partner will propose or I feel that it’s right and I feel that it will make me happy forever, kahit 70 pwede ako magpakasal (even at 70 I can get married).

Why not?”

Gutierrez was previously married to Turkish businessman Yilmaz Bektas, and has been open about the abuse she experienced while with him. She is a single parent to their two daughters Lorin and Venice.

Photo from Instagram/@iloveruffag

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

9 ways to avoid an IRS audit Tax Tips Victor Sy, cPA, MBA & roger L. orieL 1. Do not boast about how you got away with undeclared income.

Ever heard of whistleblowers?

They earn rewards of 15% to 30% of your assessments.

2. Do not hide interest and dividend income from the IRS. Remember Murphy’s Law: IRS sends a notice of unreported income of some savings and stock brokerage accounts that you’ve been hiding from your beloved spouse. Surprise, honey.

3. Do not estimate income from interest, dividend, independent contract, partnerships, S-Corporations, or LLCs. Banks,

Tapat Sa Batas Atty. rheA SAMSon KUNG ang magulang na U.S. citizen (USC) ay magkaroon ng anak na isinilang sa ibang bansa o sa labas ng U.S., ang kapanganakan ay dapat iulat sa lalong madaling panahon sa U.S. Consulate o U.S. Embassy upang makakuha ng Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA).

Ang CRBA ay ebidensiya ng U.S. citizenship ng batang isinilang sa ibang bansa sa magulang na nakatupad sa requirements para sa pagbigay ng U.S. citizenship sa ilalim ng Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Ang aplikasyon para sa CRBA ay kailangang gawin bago ang ika-18 na kaarawan ng bata.

Upang makapagbigay ng U.S. citizenship ang magulang na USC sa anak na isinilang sa ibang bansa, ang magulang ay (1) dapat USC na noong isinilang ang bata at (2) nagkaroon na ng sapat na physical presence sa loob ng U.S. Ang physical presence requirement ay depende sa petsa ng kapanganakan ng bata at kung kasal ang mga magulang noong kapanganakan ng bata.

EMPLOYMENT

stockbrokers and entities send exact amounts of your income to IRS via form 1099s and K-1s.

Estimates are bad. They generate mismatch - the main source of correspondence audits.

4. Do not estimate mortgage interest because lenders send exact amounts via form 1098 to IRS. 5. Do not claim unsupported charitable contributions or use big round numbers that look like guesstimates.

6. Do not dump amounts into “miscellaneous” deductions.

7. Do not exceed national averages for donations, mortgage interest, or taxes if you do not have documentation. IRS computers compare your deductions with others in your income bracket. Excess deductions could increase your DIF score, a secret IRS formula to select returns with the highest probability of helping reduce budget deficits via audits.

8. Do not consistently file late returns. It speaks of a taxpayer who disregards tax laws - a fair game for scrutiny.

9. Do not submit shoddy tax returns. A shoddy return speaks of a disorganized scatter brain who probably does not keep good records or any record at all - a good catch for an IRS agent. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation in Pasadena, California. *** He has 50 years of experience in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, FTB, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He is publishing a book on his expertise - “HOW TO AVOID OR SURVIVE IRS AUDITS.” Our readers may inquire about the book or email tax questions at vicsy@live.com.

Birth of US citizens abroad Kung ang bata ay isinilang sa ibang bansa sa dalawang magulang na USC at ang mga magulang na ito ay kasal na noong ipinanganak ang bata, ang anak ay may karapatan sa U.S. citizenship. Kinakailangan na isa sa mga magulang ay nakatira sa U.S. bago ang kapanganakan ng bata.

Kung ang anak ay isinilang sa ibang bansa sa mga magulang na hindi kasal, ang mga regulasyon ay: (1) kung ang ina ng bata ay USC at ang bata ay ipinanganak noong Hunyo 11, 2017 o bago ang petsang ito, ang bata ay maaaring may karapatan sa US citizenship kung ang inang USC ay may tuloy-tuloy na physical presence sa US ng isang taon (365 araw) o higit pa dito bago ang kapanganakan ng bata; (2) kung ang ina ng bata ay USC at ang bata ay ipinanganak noong Hunyo 12, 2017 o pagkatapos ng petsang ito, ang bata ay maaaring may karapatan sa U.S. citizenship kung ang inang USC ay may physical presence sa US ng 5 taon at ang 2 taon dito ay noong ang ina ay may 14 taon gulang na, at bago ang kapanganakan ng bata; (3) kung ang ama ng bata ay USC at ang ka-

panganakan ay noong Nobyembre 14, 1986 o pagkatapos ng petsang ito, ang anak ay maaaring may karapatan sa the U.S. citizenship kung ang amang USC ay may physical presence sa U.S. ng 5 taon, at ang 2 taon dito ay noong ang ama ay may 14 taon gulang na, at bago ang kapanganakan ng bata. *** If a child is born to a U.S. citizen parent abroad, the child’s birth should be reported as soon as possible to the U.S. Consulate or U.S. Embassy to obtain a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA). This is evidence of U.S. citizenship of a child born abroad to a US citizen parent/s who meet the requirements for transmitting citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

CRBA applications must be made before the child’s 18th birthday. It is recommended that the parents apply for CRBA as soon as possible after the child’s birth.

In order to transmit U.S. citizenship to a child, the U.S. citizen (USC) parent must have been a USC at the time of the child’s birth and must have acPAGE B6

EMPLOYMENT

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 12-15, 2020

B

How to naturalize as a US citizen Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrSUA reyeS TO most immigrants, obtaining their greencard has been a long and challenging journey.

However, it should not be regarded as the final destination. The real American dream is to become a United States Citizen. After obtaining permanent residence status, many green card holders desire to take that next step—becoming a United States Citizen. As a United States Citizen, one is afforded many privileges that are not conferred on persons who only have permanent residence status. A United States Citizen is able to petition for the green cards of close relatives, pass on citizenship to existing children and children yet to be born, and vote in elections.

Needless to say, naturalization is a very important step that requires familiarity of the requirements and procedures in-

volved. The following is a brief overview of naturalization.

You need to determine whether you qualify to seek United States citizenship. To qualify, one must have held his/her green card and have been physically present in the United States for a sufficient amount of time. Generally speaking, one is required to have held his/her green card for a minimum of five (5) years.

In addition, one must resided or even better be physically present in the United States for at least half of those five years.

Exceptions to the general rule having to do with, among other things, minor children and marriage do exist that cannot be fully explored in this article because of space limitations.

In addition, local residency requirements mandate that the person seeking citizenship reside within the state or district in which the application is filed for at least three (3) months.

In addition to determining eligibility to apply for naturalization, one should also consider the practical issues. To become naturalized, a determination is made as to whether the applicant is of good moral

character. Generally, one is deemed to be of good moral character when it can be shown that one has not committed a crime of moral turpitude or has engaged in so-called “vice” crimes such as prostitution and illegal gambling. Other considerations, too many to go into detail here, exist in making the moral character determination.

If one has done something that may adversely affect the determination of moral character, one must seriously consider whether to proceed with the application for naturalization.

The application may bring such actions to the attention of the USCIS, which could result in possible denial of the application and deportation.

Once one has hurdled over the residency requirements and considered the practical issues, the next issue to consider is the appropriate time to file the application. One can apply for naturalization in the three (3) months before the aforementioned required period of residency has been completed.

The application is a multi-step process. First, necessary paperwork is required to be filed PAGE B6

What are the common questions about bankruptcy?

Here are some answers Debt Relief

Atty. LAwrence yAng IS there a constitutional right to file for bankruptcy?

Yes, there is. The United States Constitution adopted 250 years ago provides for the creation of bankruptcy courts and the power to administer them.

Our founding fathers believed that people should be given a chance to have a fresh start in life to become productive again without accumulated debt. Before the adoption of the Constitution, we followed the concept of having debtor jails as that was the practice in England.

Debtors who could not pay their debts were jailed until they paid their debts. Thus, if you lived in before the adoption of the constitution and defaulted on your credit card debt, you would end up in jail, just like a criminal.

However, with the adoption of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787 at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, forging a new government for the United States, debtors who can’t pay their debts do not have to go to prison. Instead, they can start life anew without accumulated debt, making them productive again, while being able to keep most if not all of their assets. Our founding fathers believed that allowing debtors to get rid of debt would be beneficial to society.

How many kinds of bankruptcies are there? Chapter 7

FOR RENT

FOR SALE

of the bankruptcy code gives debtors a new start by discharging most of the accumulated debt. Chapter 13 of the bankruptcy code gives debtors a financial reorganization by allowing partial payment of the accumulated debt. Chapter 13 is sometimes called the “wage earner reorganization plan” because the payment plan is funded by the debtor’s regular wages or business income.

There are also the options of Chapter 11 and Chapter 12.

There is also the urban legend of Chapter 20. This is doing Chapter 13 after Chapter 7 in certain circumstances.

Can you keep your assets if you file for bankruptcy?

Yes, debtors are able to keep most if not all of their assets while getting rid of their debt PAGE B6

B SEPTEMBER 12-15, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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

Can an employer legally fire me because Pechanga Resort Casino wishes everyone a healthy, joyful Harvest Moon Festival I (or a family member) got COVID-19?

Q: I read about severe cases of COVID-19 infections requiring several weeks of recovery. Can the employer fire me while being on leave due to this illness? Do I have remedies?

A: The California Family Rights Act (CFRA) protects employees’ rights to take a leave of absence due to the serious health condition of the employee or the employees’ child, parent or spouse.

This means employees may use this leave to self-quarantine as a result of potential exposure to COVID-19 if quarantine is mandated by medical or civil authorities, or to care for a spouse, child, or parent diagnosed with COVID-19.

California employers are subject to CFRA if they employ 50 or more part-time or full-time employees. Covered employers also include the State of California, its political and civil subdivisions, and cities and counties, regardless of the number of employees.

To be eligible for CFRA leave, an employee must be a full-time or part-time employee with more than 12 months of service with the employer, and have worked at least 1,250 hours in the 12month period before the date the leave begins. Qualified employees may be entitled to a total of up to 12 workweeks in a 12 month period, which does not need to be taken continuously.

Employees must give advance notice to take a CFRA leave. While a verbal notice is

Pastor’s Notes reverend rodel G. BAlAGtAS HOW often should we forgive someone who has wronged us?

Peter asked Jesus this age-old question in the Gospel this Sunday. “Oh, Peter,” Jesus responded, “not just seven times but seventy-seven times.”

While Peter saw a limit to the number of times we have to forgive, Jesus taught “bottomless” forgiveness to anyone who offended us. And he taught this commandment not just by words but also by his redemptive action on the cross.

Don’t we remember his last words before his last breath?

“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” And didn’t he tell the good thief dying beside him, “Today, you will be with me in paradise”?

“Well, it’s easy for Jesus to do that because he is God,” we might say. “We’re just humans, and we can’t just let go of resentments and anger.”

Let’s look at it this way. Who

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. sufficient, providing a written notice is advisable. The notice must state the reason for the leave and its anticipated duration. An employer may require 30 days advance notice if the need for the leave is foreseeable. If the leave is an emergency, notice must be given as soon as possible. The employer must immediately respond to a leave request and no later than ten calendar days after receiving the request.

After granting a CFRA leave, the employer must reinstate the employee to the same or comparable position and provide such a guarantee if requested by the employee. The employer may deny reinstatement of an employee if, for example, the position no longer exists.

Finally, the employer must continue health care coverage during their CFRA leave up to a maximum of 12 work weeks in a 12-month period.

Violations of CFRA may result in significant damages for the fired employee.

California law prohibits discrimination based on disability or medical condition. If an employee is unable to perform his or her old duties, the employer must engage in a timely, good faith interactive process to determine if reasonable accommodation can be made for the

employee. The employer must start the interactive process if the employee’s disability becomes known or obvious.

The type of reasonable accommodation to be provided will depend on the employee’s specific restrictions and the employer’s circumstances. Reasonable accommodation may include offering part-time or modified work schedules to the employee to accommodate the employee’s disability.

If the disabled employee was terminated, even though he or she could have performed the job with reasonable accommodation, the employer’s conduct may be wrongful. The employee, who sues for wrongful termination and prevails, may be entitled to the following: reinstatement, back wages, loss of future earnings, damages for emotional distress, attorneys’ fees and costs, including punitive damages in certain instances. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw.com. [For more than 25 years, C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is a past Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas.]

(Advertising Supplement)

WIN a Share of Our $100,000 Giveaways Join us at Pechanga Resort Casino in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival with our $50,000 Harvest Moon Drawing on Saturday, September 26.

There will be a total of 105 winners of EasyPlay and cash prizes.

An additional $50,000 Harvest Moon Drawing will also be held on Saturday, October 3.

Another 105 lucky winners will be drawn to receive a total of $50,000 in EasyPlay and cash prizes.

Both drawings’ rules and prizes are the same. Pechanga Club members can earn entries to the drawing by playing slots and table games from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day. Multiple entries can be earned depending on your membership/tier level. Red Card members can earn up to 8x entries; Platinum Card members can earn up to 5x entries; Gold Card members can earn up to 3x entries, and Silver Card members can earn 1x entry.

On each drawing night, 50 winners of $250 EasyPlay will be announced at 7 p.m., 25 winners of $500 EasyPlay will be announced at 8 p.m., 20 winners of $750 will be announced at 9 p.m., 10 winners of $1,000 cash will be drawn at 10p.m.

Play more for a chance to win multiple times! Winners will be posted each hour.

Pechanga Resort Casino is excited to welcome you back; your health and safety is the top priority Pechanga Resort Casino is committed to the health and safety of the guests and its team; guests must follow the safety rules when visiting during its initial opening phases: • Smoking not permitted inside for initial reopening phase.

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

• Face coverings will be reintestine, right arm, and index quired. finger. Despite severe blood • Every other slot machine loss, the pope survived. will be in use to allow for proper In 1983, Pope John Paul II physical distancing. visited his would-be assassin • Reduced number of table in prison. They had a private games. Plexiglass safety shields conversation and ended up as friends. The pope even stayed in touch with Aqca’s family. In 2000, he requested that Aqca be pardoned and released from prison.

PAGE B5 What was even more impres- crued sufficient physical pressive was Aqca’s conversion to ence in the U.S. to transmit citiChristianity and his profound zenship. The physical presence admiration and love for Pope requirement depends on the John Paul II, now a canonized date of birth of the child and saint. In December 2014, Aqca the marital status of the parreturned to Rome and laid ents at the time of the child’s two dozens white roses at the birth. pope’s tomb.

If a child is born abroad to Let’s stop nourishing ha- two USC parents who are martred and unforgiveness in our ried at the time of birth, the hearts to live and die in peace! child is entitled to citizenship, Amen. provided that one of the par*** ents, prior to the birth of the Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pas- child, had been a resident of tor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, the U.S. California.

For a child born out of wedlock abroad, the following regulations apply: (1) if the child is born to a USC mother and alien father on or before June 11, 2017, the child may be enfinished bankruptcy. After two years, you can get a mortgage loan to buy a house but your interest will be higher. After two years, your credit score will be PAGE B5 about 600 to 620. After three to five years, your credit score will with appropriate fees. Therebe about 650 to 700, depend- after, an interview is scheduled ing on how you handle new where further inquiry is made credit. Between six to seven upon the applicant. Usually, years, your credit score will be inquiry is made into the apabout 730 to 750. On the 10th plicant’s eligibility and knowlyear from filing bankruptcy, edge of U.S. government and there is no more record of your history. Finally, if the applicabankruptcy filing in any credit tion is approved, the applicant report. You’re back to over 800 must take the oath of allegiance to the United States. or perfect credit. *** Are income taxes dischargeable in bankruptcy? Yes, they Please note that this article is not are provided you meet qualify- legal advice and is not intended as ing factors. For instance, the legal advice. The article is intended tax owed must be at least three years old. An assessment must have been made at least 260 days ago and there is no fraud involved. For instance, you owe PAGE B4 the IRS $300,000 of income taxes for 2014. Chapter 7 will world today?

“Yes, it is absolutely divine! It discharge the $300,000 and you won’t owe the IRS anymore is a divine act meant to humble provided all qualifying factors us and to remind us that we are mortal, we are equal — walang for discharge are met.

Who are famous now suc- mayaman at mahirap sa COVID cessful individuals who have — and we need God. He is the ultimate essential in life. This is filed for Chapter 7?

Walt Disney filed Chapter 7 a time to recognize this truth, twice. Now Disney business is global and worth many billions surely, if you don’t get rid of of dollars. Disney has theme your accumulated debt now, parks in China, Japan, France, you won’t ever become proetc. Milton Hershey filed for ductive again. You will remain Chapter 7. Now Hershey Choc- a debt slave forever. As you olates is probably the biggest know, being a slave will get you global chocolate business that nowhere in life because slaves exists worth many billions. can’t do much for themselves.

Will you be the next Walt Slaves work for their masters.

Disney or Milton Hershey if Whatever you become, debt you file for bankruptcy? slave, free man, and wildly sucWho knows, maybe? But cessful entrepreneur, that’s

On the possibility and healing power of forgiveness loses when we can’t forgive?

Us! Because we will never live and die in peace as long as we hang on tight to wrath and anger. We will never experience healing and forgiveness.

Our First Reading from the Book of Sirach reminds us, “Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord? Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself, can he seek pardon for his own sins? If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins. Remember your last days, set enmity aside, remember death and decay, and cease from sin!”

Pope John Paul II taught us that it is possible to forgive. On May 13, 1981, as the pope was crossing St. Peter’s Square, Mehmet Ali Aqca, who had escaped from a Turkish prison after receiving a life sentence for murdering a journalist, fired four shots with a 9-millimeter pistol at him, hitting his lower

What are the common...

PAGE B5 by claiming “exemptions.” “Exemptions” keep an asset out of the bankruptcy estate and out of the jurisdiction of the bankruptcy trustee.

For example, the homestead exemption in CA under 704.730 of the CA code of civil procedure is $75,000, $100,000, and $175,000 of home equity depending on the applicable circumstances of the debtor.

So, if you are a senior at 65, and your house, which has a current fair market value of $600,000 has a mortgage balance of $425,000, your homestead equity of $175,000 us fully exempt. You get to keep your house in Chapter 7. For instance, you owe $100,000 of credit cards. You can file Chapter 7 to get rid of the $100,000 of credit cards while you “exempt “ your house, i.e. you keep your house even as you get rid of your $100,000 of credit cards. You also keep your retirement account of $200,000 by exempting it. Let’s say your 401k is $350,000, can you still exempt it? Sure you can. Even if you had a 401K or IRA or another kind of ERISA qualified retirement account like 403 or whatever of $1.0M, you can exempt the entire $1.0M, exempt your $600,000 house, while discharging your $100,000 of credit cards.

Is there a minimum debt required for Chapter 7? No. There is no minimum debt required. Owing $1,000 or $1 billion, it doesn’t make any difference. So, you can owe $1 billion of credit cards and other debts and have these wiped

out, while you keep your $1.0M of 401K? Absolutely.

How often can you file for Chapter 7?

Every eight years.

Can you keep your cars in bankruptcy? Absolutely. Let’s say you have a car loan of $25,000 on your 2013 Tesla-S, and a lease on your 2017 MBenz c-300, and you want to keep both of them even as you file for Chapter 7 to discharge $50,000 of credit cards and other debts. You have to continue the monthly payments on the Tesla and the M-Benz as before bankruptcy filing. You don’t get the cars for free. Most of the time, you can just continue payments. Sometimes, the creditor will require that you sign a “reaffirmation” agreement. This means that you recognize that the car loan or car lease survives the bankruptcy.

If you don’t want to keep the car, you can surrender the car and you will not owe the voluntary return deficiency.

For example, you return the Tesla. Creditor sells the Tesla for $15,000. Without the bankruptcy, you will still owe Elon Musk, $10,000 of return deficiency. With the bankruptcy, you owe Musk zero.

How fast can you rebuild credit after bankruptcy? Pretty fast. Right after bankruptcy, you can walk into a Toyota car dealer and buy a new car.

However, the interest on the car loan will be higher. You might end up with 10% instead of 4% with good credit.

And, there are creditors who specialize in providing credit cards to people who have just

Come and celebrate festival with peace of mind!

at games in use.

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

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

• No concerts or major events to be held in the near-term.

Come enjoy Pechanga’s diamond-rated service with the NEW health and safety measure because your peace of mind is our top priority. To learn more about the health and safety measures that have been implemented, please visit pechanga. com/covid.

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

Today and rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort Casino provides an unparalleled getaway, whether for the day or for an extended luxury stay.

Offering the hottest slots, table games, world-class entertainment, hotel rooms and suites, dining, and golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort Casino features a destination that meets and exceeds the needs of its guests and the community. Pechanga Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. For more information, call toll free (877) 711-2946 or visit www.Pechanga.com. Follow Pechanga Resort Casino on Facebook and on Twitter @ PechangaCasino.

(Advertising Supplement)

Birth of US citizens... titled to U.S. citizenship if the USC mother had been physically present in the U.S. for a continuous period of at least one year (365 days) at some time prior to the child’s birth; (2) if the child is born to a USC mother and alien father on or after June 12, 2017, the child may be entitled to U.S. citizenship if the USC mother had been physically present in the U.S. for at least 5 years, 2 years of which are at the age of 14 at some time prior to the child’s birth; (3) if the child is born to a USC father on or after November 14, 1986, the child may be entitled to U.S. citizenship if the USC father had been physically present in the U.S. for at least 5 years, 2 years of which are at the age of 14 at some

time prior to the child’s birth. ***

ATTY. RHEA SAMSON is the principal of SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C. She has been a member of the State Bar of California for over 15 years and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines for over 20 years. Atty. Samson received her Legal Management degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo Law School. She was a Professor for over 10 years, teaching Obligations and Contracts, Labor Laws and Social Legislation and Taxation Law. Atty Samson is the author of The Law on Obligations and Contracts (2016), Working with Labor Laws-Revised Edition (2014) and Working with Labor Laws (2005).

SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C., 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1710, Los Angeles, CA 90010; Phone: (213) 274-4561; Email: info@ samsonlawfirmpc.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

How to naturalize as a US citizen to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist.

He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a

Luchi gets real...

member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

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

re-learn it, and return to Him. There is point of no return when it comes to our faith. If we don’t turn to God while we live, there is no turning back ever again.”

Is dramatizing real-life situations much more affecting and challenging than reporting news and issues?

“Dramatizations will certainly

be more appealing to viewers.

But because they’re just an interpretation of real events, they can distort facts, especially when the drama uses stars as performers! The empathy — or antagonism — toward the actors could heavily influence public opinion on the news event. That’s why dramatizing events is something that we could do albeit sparingly in Usapang Real Life with Luchi Cruz Valdes.”

really up to you. Decide and choose a productive life again or remain a debt slave until you die.

If you need debt relief, call to set an appointment. I will analyze your case personally. You won’t regret it. *** Disclaimer: None of the foregoing is considered legal advice. Each case is different.

*** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803.

(Advertising Supplement)

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

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 12-15, 2020

B

B SEPTEMBER 12-15, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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