September 26-28, 2018 Volume 28 - No. 75 • 3 Sections - 20 Pages
DATELINE
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Trump administration plans to cut green cards to immigrants on public assistance programs UNDOCUMENTED immigrants who receive food stamps, Medicaid, housing vouchers or other public benefits may be denied green cards, the Trump administration announced on Friday, September 22. The Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) said that a new proposal would classify current and previous recipients of some public benefits as a “heavily weighed negative factor” if they apply to be lawful permanent residence, a key step on the pathway toward naturalization, and seeks to fulfill the primary goal of ensuring that those who enter the U.S. or adjust their status are “self-sufficient.” “This proposed rule will implement a law passed by Congress intended to promote immigrant self-sufficiency and protect finite resources by ensuring that they are not likely to
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First-time candidate seeks to transform political landscape in Calif.’s 39th District Democrat Gil Cisneros says he’s ready to serve the 39th in the House of Representatives
IN the wake of the 2016 presidential election, the Democratic Party began a self-reflection period that involved taking stock of what the party truly represents in order to truly reflect its brand as a party G i l C i s n e ros, ca n d i d a te i n of the people. California’s 39th congressional During the district 2016 campaign, Photo courtesy of Cisneros the strong showfor Congress campaign ing by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a Democratic socialist, proved that liberals, especially millennials, are seeking to deviate from establishment and career politicians in favor of grassroots
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‘Duterte is people-power proof’ by RALPH
VILLANUEVA ManilaTimes.net
MALACAÑANG on Monday, September 24, voiced confidence the supposed ouster plot against President Rodrigo Duterte, dubbed “Red October,” would not prosper, as the opposition did not have the support of the people. Brig. Gen. Antonio Parlade over the weekend claimed the Red October plot would push through and would
be led by Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) leader Jose Ma. Sison. President Duterte had said the communists, along with the Liberal Party and the Magdalo group, would push for his ouster in October. In a news briefing, Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said Filipinos continue to bestow “overwhelming support” on the Duterte government. “We have no doubt the CPP has
been out to overthrow the government since they were founded. We have no doubts that there are powerhungry individuals in the opposition who would like to resort to extra-constitutional means to bring down the government and we have no doubt the Magdalo group is addicted to coup d’etats,” Roque said. “However, what I will say is that we enjoy overwhelming support from the people and therefore what these
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Former senators Enrile and Marcos can’t twist history, says Palace by AJPRESS AMID the recent commemoration of the atrocities brought by the declaration of Martial Law in 1972, Malacañang on Monday, September 24, refuted the accusations that former senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. could twist what transpired in history. Presidential Spokesperson Presidential Spokesperson Harry Harry Roque said that in orRoque Inquirer.net photo der to change the facts on what really happened during the regime of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, the two former lawmakers would go against the Constitution. “I don’t think they can twist history when there’s a law
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VISIT TO WOUNDED SOLDIERS IN SULU. President Rodrigo R. Duterte shares a light moment with the staff of Camp Teodulfo Bautista Station Hospital in Jolo, Sulu during his visit to the wounded soldiers on Monday, September 24. Malacañang photo by Valerie Escalera
In fight vs ‘devil’, Trillanes hopes for ‘miracle’ in coup d’état case by MAILA
AGER Inquirer.net
UP against a “devil,” opposition Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV now only hopes for a “miracle” as he awaits the ruling of another court in Makati on the nonbailable coup d’état charge against him. “Milagro ang hinahantay natin from Branch 148. Kumbaga Senator Antonio Trillanes IV (2nd from right) submits himself to police officers, led by National Capital Region Police Office chief, slightly more hopeful but we Director Guillermo Eleazar (3rd from right), at the Senate premises on Tuesday, September 25. Trillanes proceeded to Makati have to expect for the worst,” Police headquarters for booking process and posting of P200,000 bail for a rebellion case. Senate photo by Avito C. Dalan Trillanes said at a press briefing
by AJPRESS FORMER Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday, September 24, decided to once again return to public office and run as the second district representative in Makati City in the upcoming May 2019 elections. Binay’s spokesperson Joey Salgado confirmed that the former vice president is eyeing for a government position along with three of his family members — his daughters Senator Nancy Binay and Makati Mayor Mar-Len Abigail Binay-Campos, and son-inlaw, Makati City Second District Representative Luis Campos — all of whom are vying for a reelection. Inquirer.net photo
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at the Senate late Tuesday afternoon, September 24. The senator was granted temporary liberty by Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 after posting bail for the rebellion case filed against him in connection with the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege. But aside from rebellion, a case of coup d’ etat had also been filed at Makati RTC Branch 148. Asked if the arrest order was a prelude for another arrest order
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Paolo Duterte tells Trillanes: ‘Dakdak. See you in court!’
Former VP Binay to run for Congress in 2019
Former Vice President Jejomar Binay
groups would like to see, the ouster of President Duterte, will not happen,” he added. People would be the ‘offended party’ The people would be the offended party if the ouster plot succeeds “because they gave the president the mandate to lead,” Roque said. “You cannot people-power a person with the mandate. [Duterte] defeated
by AJPRESS PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s eldest son Paolo Duterte told Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to prove in court that he was involved in the P6.4-billion drug smuggling case on Monday. “Dakdak na naman (You’re all talk). See you in court!,” he responded after Trillanes issued a statement on Sunday, September 23, saying he has a plan to have the younger Duterte as a hostile witness in a Senate drug-smuggling probe. “I welcome the filing of the libel case because it will be an opportuFormer Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte nity to call Polong as a hostile witPhilstar.com photo
ness, so he would be compelled to show his tattoo on his back to prove that he is a member of a Chinese triad drug syndicate,” Trillanes said in his statement. “It would also be an opportunity for me to have his bank accounts subpoenaed,” he added. The libel case he mentioned refers to the one Paolo filed on Wednesday, September 19, after after the opposition senator linked him to P6.4 billion-worth of shabu (methamphetamine) that slipped through the Bureau of Customs last year. Paolo, in his complaint, said Trillanes described him and his father of being “illegal drug
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A September 26-28, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOUrNAL
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From the Front Page
Former VP Binay to run for Congress in 2019 PAGE A1 “I am confirming that former VP Binay will run as Representative for the First District,” Salgado said in a statement as reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The spokesperson also said that Binay would be a constructive voice should he be elected in office.
“He does not believe in obstructionist politics or opposing just for the sake of opposing. The former vice president will be a constructive voice in Congress,” he added. Salgado believed that the former vice president will be able to help alleviate the situations of those who live in poverty. “He intends to support policies
and programs that will improve the lives of the poor and the middle class. In the same manner, he will point out policies and programs that could burden our countrymen. But he will also propose solutions,” Salgado said. Salgado also announced that the former long-time mayor would join “the ticket of Mayor Abby” as they are members of the political party United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), presided by Senator Nancy. However, the senator claimed to be as surprised as everybody when her father publicly announced that he will return in government service. “We haven’t talked about it. All I knew was that he would go to Italy to pray,” she said. The current Makati City mayor, Abby, also welcomed her father’s plan as she honored her father onstage during a flag ceremony. “It’s a big honor to stand on a stage with a person who taught and showed me the true essence of faithfulness in service, the beloved of Makati City, my father Jojo Binay,” she said as reported by The Manila Times. Undoubtedly, the Binays were often accused of perpetuating a political dynasty given that everyone in their family has been in power at some point. Senator Nancy said that they were elected officials and that the people must have placed them there for a reason. “At the end of the day, the people will choose who they will vote for. It’s still the will of the people,” she said. She also expressed her support in his father’s plan. She firmly believed that the public still trusts her father because of his service to them. “I don’t think that could be erased. It will always be there,” the senator said. Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDPLaban) member and action movie star Monsour del Rosario is the current representative of the first district Makati. However, he is rumored to be vying for a Senate run. There are also claims that former Makati Vice Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña Jr. would become the former vice president’s opponent. The said first district is labeled as the wealthy part of the city. It encompasses the areas of Forbes Park, Dasmariñas, Magallanes, Bel-Air, San Antonio, San Lorenzo, and Urdaneta villages. n
TATTOO FESTIVAL. A tattoo artist participates in the Dutdutan Festival 2017 at the World Trade Center in Pasay on Saturday, September 22. Dutdutan is currently the country’s biggest and grandest tattoo exposition held annually presented by Tribal Gear Philippines. ManilaTimes.net photo by DJ Diosina
‘Duterte is people-power... PAGE A1 their candidate by 6 million votes. Do not dream of a people power to oust him from his position,“ Roque said, referring to the president’s 2016 margin over the defeated Liberal Party presidential candidate, former senator Manuel Roxas 2nd. The Palace spokesman also cited the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing that almost eight out of 10 Filipinos were satisfied with the adminis-
tration’s anti-illegal drug war. Roque said that six months ago, he commissioned a survey on the drug war. It had the same results, he said. “When you won by the margin the president had in the [2016] elections and when you have this kind of support being shown in surveys, they will have a hard time [ousting] the president,” Roque said. In his tete-a-tete with Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sal-
vador Panelo on September 11, Duterte said a “sympathetic” foreign country told him of the supposed plot being hatched by the Liberal Party, the Magdalo and the CPP. “Sison, Magdalo and the others who do not want me, who cannot accept me since the election, they have combined. And, we have the evidence and we have the[ir]conversations provided by a foreign country sympathetic to us,” Duterte said. n
In fight vs ‘devil’, Trillanes hopesfor ‘miracle’ in... PAGE A1 from Makati RTC Branch 148, Trillanes said: “Well, sa ganitong bakbakan, you have to expect for everything. You have to expect the worst.” “Ang kalaban mo demonyo eh, so lahat ng kasamaan i-expect-in mo.” “Alam naman natin ang panlaban sa demonyo ay panalangin
at maraming kababayan tayong nanalangin… ‘Yun ang nagbibigay sa atin ng lakas,” he further said. Trillanes admitted being dismayed by the issuance of an arrest order against him, lamenting that the judiciary has already surrendered to the pressure of “dictator” President Rodrigo Duterte.
The charges against the senator have been revived following Duterte’s decision to revoke his amnesty and ordered for Trillanes’ arrest via Proclamation No. 572 signed last August 30. “Talagang nakakadismaya na itong hudikatura ay tumiklop sa pressure nitong diktator na si Mr. Duterte,” Trillanes said. n
Paolo Duterte tells Trillanes: ‘Dakdak...
PAGE A1 smugglers.” He has since negated this claim made by Trillanes.
“Evidently, it was intended to malign, destroy and kill my good name and reputation, locally, nationally and internationally. This
is especially so as I am the eldest son of our sitting president,” the former Davao City vice mayor said. n
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First-time candidate seeks to transform political... PAGE A1
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. Decorations and lanterns light up a stall along Commonwealth Avenue in Old Balara, Quezon City. As a tradition, Filipinos begin the countdown to Christmas as early as the onset of the ‘ber’ months. PNA photo by Rico H. Borja
Filipino freed after 3 months in ICE detention A FILIPINO legal immigrant, who has a valid green card and has lived in the United States for 30 years, was freed from an immigration detention facility after 3 1/2 months. Cloyd Edralin of Highland Park, New Jersey, who was arrested in June for deportation due 12year-old weapon conviction, was released last week after a judge ordered a “Cancellation of Removal.” Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Edralin outside his home June 4 as he got ready for work. “They were asking if I had the A judge released Cloyd Edralin of Highland weapon, so I was a bit confused. And then when they said, ‘You Park, New Jersey from ICE custody. Photo screengrabbed from have weapons charges,’ I said, Youtube/TFCBalitangAmerica ‘That’s back in 2007.’ ‘So, where’s
the weapon?’” Edralin told News 12 New Jersey. Edralin had been cited for possessing a BB gun when he was pulled over by police for a traffic stop in 2007. He was put on probation for four years. He is among many immigrants detained by ICE since President Donald Trump came into office. Members of his community rallied around his wife and children. He can now apply to become an American citizen. Edralin’s attorney, Justin English, told News 12 New Jersey that it has been a difficult climate for immigrants under the Trump administration. “Under a different administration Cloyd would not be on the radar of ICE.” (Inquirer. net)
Trump administration plans to cut green cards to... PAGE A1 become burdens on American taxpayers,” DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said. The proposal would primarily affect immigrants applying for green cards through family-based petitioning. According to DHS’ 2016 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, most individuals who immigrate to the U.S. are immediate relatives of U.S. citizens or have a sponsor who can petition them. The DHS published the 447page proposal last weekend and will appear in the Federal Register “in the coming weeks.” A 60-day public comment period will commence before the measure takes effect. According to the department, the proposal “will clearly define long-standing law to ensure that those seeking to enter and remain in the United States either tempo-
rarily or permanently can support themselves financially and will not be reliant on public benefits.” Current federal law already requires green card applicants to prove that they will not be a “burden” or “public charge” to taxpayers, but the new DHS rules detail specific programs that could disqualify applicants, including food stamps, Section 8 housing vouchers, Medicaid and Medicare Part D Low Income subsidy which helps lower costs for prescription medication. The DHS proposal was announced weeks before the crucial midterm elections on November 6, and the Trump administration’s mission to cut legal and illegal immigration has become a contentious issue that could motivate voters. Trump has proposed to eliminate the diversity visa program as well as family reunification programs in which family
members who are related to U.S. citizens can be petitioned for a green card. Immigration advocates warned that withholding these benefits from undocumented immigrants who opt not to apply for public benefits for fear of denied visas. That could put them at risk for homelessness and worsening health issues. “How you contribute to your community, and not what you look like or the contents of your wallet, should be what matters most,” said Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center. “This proposed rule does the opposite and makes clear that the Trump administration continues to prioritize money over family unity by ensuring that only the wealthiest can afford to build a future in this country.” (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
campaigns which are not tied to corporate interests and money. Since then, a number of Cinderella stories have emerged throughout the country of young and/or first-time candidates launching grassroots campaigns for elected office. A record number of women and people of color are currently running on the local, state and federal levels, redefining the unvaried congregation of public office that historically favored white, straight and male career politicians. In California’s 39th congressional district, first-time candidate Gil Cisneros plans to be a part of that change in the Democratic Party. Cisneros, 48, served 11 years in the U.S. Navy (where he held the position of lieutenant commander) and a philanthropist who used his 2010 Mega Millions winnings to create scholarships and expand educational opportunities for young Latinos. “Under the representation of Ed Royce, constituents had a leader who would vote against them,” Cisneros, a Latino-American, told the Asian Journal in a phone interview in July of this year. “He’d show up to events and tell people what they wanted to hear only to head back to Washington to vote against what they believe. That’s not what I’m about.” The 39th District — which stretches from Chino Hills to Buena Park, and Hacienda Heights to
Yorba Linda — Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris won with 51.5 percent. The 39th has, since 1993, been represented by Republican Ed Royce, who won’t be running for re-election, but Cisneros may shift the district’s partisan leadership. Cisneros is running as a Democrat against Republican Young Kim, widely seen as a surrogate of Royce’s brand of conservatism. Though Orange County has historically been a Republican sanctum, election exit polls show that the landscape is veering blue. “I think my opponent will be nothing more than a rubber stamp for the Republican agenda,” Cisneros said of Kim. The son of a Vietnam War veteran, Cisneros has made universal health care a priority for his campaign. In the war, his father was exposed to the toxic defoliant Agent Orange and, consequently, developed severe health problems. His father lost his job, which meant the family lost their health insurance. Though Cisneros’ father was able to eventually get coverage through the Dept. of Veterans’ Affairs, his mother went 16 years without health insurance before receiving Medicare. Cisneros condemned Republicans in Congress for trying to terminate President Barack Obama’s healthcare program, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and for proposing their own
version in the American Health Care Act (AHCA), which would have stripped coverage from 23 million people. “This country is just too rich for people to struggle without good, affordable health care, and I think the thing we need to do once I get to Washington is we need to go and fix the ACA, protect the individual mandate and those with pre-existing conditions and negotiate with pharma companies to bring down the price of prescriptions for everybody,” Cisneros explained. On Sept. 18, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti endorsed Cisneros for his charitable contributions to education and his campaign promise to bolster public schools and help make higher education affordable. “I know that Gil Cisneros shares my passion for education and working to ensure children are given the tools they need to succeed,” Garcetti said in a statement. “Gil has a proven commitment to expanding opportunities for students, including working to make higher education more affordable and investing in our public-school systems. I am proud to give Gil my wholehearted endorsement because I trust that Gil will fight to improve our children’s future.” Cisneros denounced the Trump administration’s Dept. of Education for “taking away funding from our public schools” in favor of higher-income families who PAGE A4
Photo courtesy of Cisneros for Congress campaign
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PAGE A3 send their children to private schools. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has advocated for the expansion of school vouchers, which are essentially statefunded scholarships to send children to private school, putting public schools at risk, Cisneros said. He’s also a proponent for expanding higher education access and opportunities to prepare younger generations for the workforce. According to Georgetown Public Policy Institute, by 2020 more than half of the jobs in the United States (65 percent) will require postsecondary education and training beyond high school.” “We need to invest more in our
teachers, and make sure they have the resources to educate our children,” Cisneros asserted. “Devos wants to divert funds from public schools to vouchers and charter schools, and in Washington, I will protect our public schools and we need to provide quality K-12 education and expand access and affordability of higher education.” Cisneros is a proponent for responsible immigration reform, and he condemns the Trump administration’s agenda on that front, especially its mission to cut legal immigration programs like family reunification. “I served with many members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community while in the Navy, and they
should have a path to citizenship because they want immigration reform to be able bring their families into the United States,” Cisneros said, adding that, “We need comprehensive immigration reform, and we need to pass the DREAM Act,” he continued. “I think a lot of what the AAPI community wants overlaps with what the Latino community wants. We all want our voices heard and good representation and that’s what I’m going to give to them.” The midterm elections will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 6. For information on voter registration or to find your polling location, visit https://www.sos.ca.gov/ elections/polling-place/. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
Former senators Enrile and Marcos can’t... PAGE A1
and when there are court decisions attesting to what happened during martial law,” Roque said as reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The spokesperson said that the executive office strongly acknowledges the abuses suffered by the martial law victims. He said that the government recompenses for those affected by that dark period in Philippine history. “As far as the palace is concerned, there are decisions affirming that there were grave human rights violations committed during the Marcos regime. There’s even a law in Congress which provides compensation for victims of martial law,” the spokesperson added. The said law, Republic Act No. 10368, otherwise known as the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013, mandated a compensation for victims of human rights violations of the Marcos rule. The Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board (HRVCB), the agency that is responsible for evaluating and providing reparations to the victims of gross human rights violations committed during the period from September 21, 1972 to February 25, 1986, said that it will issue monetary payment to more than 11,000 people after completing its final list. The HRVCB is also tasked to recognize those whose rights were violated by enshrining their names in the Roll of Human Rights Violations Victims. The agency believed that honoring their heroism and sacrifices is the state’s moral and
legal obligation. Enrile denies human rights violation during martial law The palace’s statement was intended to assure the public that there will be no successful attempt to distort the details of the 1972 dictatorship. This was after Enrile appeared on an interview with Marcos Jr. denying the atrocities of martial law. The said interview aired on Marcos’ social media accounts on Thursday, September 20 — a day shy from the 46th anniversary of martial law declaration. “Name me one person that was arrested because of political or religious belief during that period. None. Name me one person who was arrested simply because he criticized Marcos. None.” The 94-year-old former lawmaker, who was the defense chief and the one who implemented martial law during the Marcos administration was asked in the video “JPE: A Witness to History” what was the greatest fallacy being fed among young people. “They claim that we killed a lot of people. When I was interviewed by someone some time ago, I challenged her, name me one that we executed, other than Lim Seng,” Enrile said. Critics debunk Enrile’s claims The said interview was criticized by several lawmakers and human right groups. One most prominent critic is former President Benigno Aquino III, son of late Senator Ninoy Aquino who was assassinated in 1983, for being Marcos’ archrival. “May edad na si Senator Enrile pero hindi naman siguro pwedeng gawing parang dahilan
‘yun para maniwala tayo sa gusto niyang pagbabago ng katotohanan. Pwede nating unawain pero pasensya na, ang totoo ay totoo; ang pambobola ay pambobola pa rin (Senator Enrile is old but we cannot use this as an excuse to believe his attempt to change the truth. We can respect him, but I’m sorry, truth is truth, deception is deception),” the former president said Senator Nancy Binay shared her family’s experience since his father — former Vice President Jejomar Binay was imprisoned for being an activist during martial law. “Based on what I experienced growing up, this was what I saw during that period. It’s a fact my father was jailed. I grew up joining rallies,” the senator said. She recalled that their family would join rallies where they walked from Gil Puyat Avenue to Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila. They would also visit her father’s friends who struggled to defend human rights violations. Her experience proved different from Enrile’s claim. Senator Leila de Lima also slammed Enrile for perpetuating “lies about martial law.” She attacked his old age as she reminded him of those victims who lived to tell their accounts. Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chair Chito Gascon noted that Enrile’s denial of the dark part in history “is a lie and will still be a lie even if said a million times.” “Such attempt at historical revisionism will continue on the part of those who want to forget that sad part of our history,” Gascon said. n
Doug Chin (in blue), Hawaii’s lieutenant governor who had challenged U.S. President Donald Trump’s widely-reviled travel ban on Muslim-majority countries, in dialogue with visiting journalists as part of 2018 East-West Center Senior Journalists Seminar. Inquirer.net photo by DJ Yap
Fil-Ams tend to favor Trump travel ban in immigrant-friendly Hawaii by DJ
Yap Inquirer.net
HONOLULU — Maria, a university staff worker living in Hawaii for more than three decades, would not give a direct answer when asked if she supports U.S. President Donald Trump’s ban on Muslim-majority countries. “It’s a very complicated issue,” the Filipino-American said with a laugh. But when encouraged to speak her mind, Maria (name changed), who immigrated to the U.S. after the Edsa People Power Revolution of 1986, said she thought the travel ban was a necessary evil to ensure the security of the state. “You know, there are all kinds of problems with terrorists and ISIS (Islamic State) and all that, so it’s only for security,” she said. It’s a controversial opinion in Hawaii, a highly liberal, ethnically diverse state, but Maria is not alone. More than any other immigrant group, Filipino-Americans were more likely to support Trump’s travel ban on Muslimmajority countries, according to Doug Chin, Hawaii’s lieutenant governor who had challenged the widely-reviled policy. Chin, the former attorney general, said the large Filipino population in the state favored Trump’s “Muslim ban” despite initial fears in 2017 that the Philippines — a Muslim-minority nation grappling with religious conflict on the southern island of Mindanao — might be added to the list of banned countries. Speaking to visiting journalists earlier this month, Chin said he observed such a sentiment among the Filipino community, even as other immigrant populations, especially Japanese-Americans and Chinese-Americans, stood up to oppose the ban. “I think what quickly got around the citizens [who] were here, the people who live here in Hawaii was this idea that when you attack one group, you’re attacking all of us, that is, essentially if you attack one group, what’s to stop another type of attack?” he said during the 2018 East-West Center Senior Journalists Seminar. The ban, whose third iteration was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in June, suspends indefinitely the issuance of travel visas for Muslim-majority countries Libya, Iran, Somalia, Syria and
Yemen, as well as North Korea and Venezuela. Chin, as the attorney general, led one of the legal challenges to the Trump administration’s immigration policy, which was seen as having been motivated by anti-Muslim sentiment, arguing that the ban discriminates on the basis of nationality and prevents Hawaii residents from receiving visits from relatives in the Muslim-majority countries. In late June, the Supreme Court affirmed the legality of the travel ban in a controversial 5-4 decision. Chin said he received a “small degree of criticism” for bringing the lawsuit against the president. “And that small degree of criticism had much to do with the fact of ‘why are you getting Hawaii involved?’ ‘There’s hardly any Muslims in the state of Hawaii’,” he said. By and large, however, he said he got ample support from Hawaiians, especially among the Japanese and Chinese who were reminded of racial segregation during and before the war. On the other hand, most of the almost 200,000 Filipinos residing in Hawaii appeared not to think the same way, according to Chin, who is of Chinese descent. “[I] will say that the criticism that you’re describing is valid and it’s something I would hear,” the Hawaii official said when asked by the Inquirer to confirm whether Filipinos reacted positively to the ban. Hawaii is the most demographically diverse among the 50 U.S. states with more than 320,000 multiracial Americans; 310,000 Caucasians; 198,000 FilipinoAmericans, who comprise about 15 percent of the population; 185,000 Japanese-Americans; and 55,000 Chinese-Americans. Chin suggested that the relatively small support for the travel ban among Hawaiians might be explained by a cultural aversion to antagonize government. “Speaking as an Asian-American myself, I think the usual cultural reaction among AsianAmerican populations is ‘trust the government.’ That’s how my parents raised me,” he said. “So I grew up believing that’s the course of action for everything: Just trust government and keep doing your own thing, and everything will work itself out,”
he added. What’s ironic about FilipinoAmerican sentiment about the travel ban, according to Chin, is that there was a time when Trump might have seriously considered including the Philippines on the list of banned countries. In early 2017, “there was buzz going on among various different groups where people were starting to think what if now that he’s banned these Muslim-majority countries into the United States, if we allow that to happen, what’s to stop him from banning the Philippines?” he recalled. “You know, if he woke up one morning and said, for national security reasons, I’m mad at President Duterte who’s scary and dangerous, therefore, I’m going to ban people from the Philippines,” he said. In such a case, “I think people in Hawaii would be very concerned about that because we have so many people who live here who were from the Philippines,” Chin said. Before he won the election, Trump lumped the Philippines together with other “terrorist nations,” whose citizens he said should be denied entry to the United States during a anti-immigration speech in Maine in August 2016. But he and President Duterte have been on friendly terms since then, each publicly expressing admiration toward the other despite the Philippine leader’s frequent anti-U.S. rhetoric. In July 2017, the Philippines was also one of the few countries in the world that viewed Trump in a positive light. A Pew Research Center study found that only eight of 37 countries surveyed had confidence the U.S. leader would do the right thing in world affairs, with the Philippines emerging on top. Some 69 percent of the Filipino respondents expressed trust in Trump, though this was well below the 94 percent his predecessor Barack Obama registered in 2015. The seminar organized by the Honolulu-based East-West Center is an annual fellowship for journalists in the U.S. and countries with substantial Muslim populations, who go on a threeweek tour of U.S., Asia, and Africa to study the role of religion in the public sphere. n
Legislation to increase opioid preventative education becomes law SACRAMENTO - Senate Bill 1109, authored by Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel), was recently signed into law. SB 1109 will promote opioid preventative education and educate the public, especially young people and student athletes, by explaining the risk of addiction and overdose from prescription opioids. The San Diego County District Attorney’s office is the sponsor of the legislation. “The opioid crisis is very real, but it can be prevented with proper education. I thank the governor for signing this critical legislation which will continue to bring awareness to a painful topic that has affected families throughout California. “In my district, the mothers of Aaron Rubin and Jarrod Barber shared their sons’ stories about the deadly consequences of prescription drugs. Aaron survived and is now a quadriplegic, but Jarrod died from
a prescription overdose. Both mothers actively supported my legislation and I am proud of the work that we did together to push for legislation that would help other parents from experiencing the same pain,” said Senator Bates. Senator Bates partnered with San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan to author SB 1109. In 2017, San Diego County had 273 unintentional prescription-related deaths, which is an increase from 253 in 2016. “This is a common sense law that will protect people in our community by telling them the truth about the real risk of addiction and overdose from prescription opiates. The law is also important because it focuses on the duty of medical professionals and athletic school based programs on educating and informing minors and their parents about the risks of opiate based pain medications,” said District At-
torney Stephan. “We’re proud to partner with Senator Bates to pass critical laws that address the increase in opioidrelated overdose deaths in our community.” Senate Bill 1109 would achieve four objectives: • Require continuing medical education for prescribers to include the risks associated with opioid use; • Require a flag or other notification mechanism on all Schedule II controlled substances prescription bottles warning of the associated addiction and overdose risks; • Require prescribers of an opioid to a minor to discuss risks with the minor’s parent or guardian before issuing the initial prescription; and • Require youth sports organizations to distribute a document annually highlighting the risks of opioid use to each student-athlete and their parent/ guardian, and to obtain their parent/guardian’s signature. n
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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • SeptembeR 26-28, 2018
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Dateline PhiliPPines
Duterte’s approval, trust ratings fall – Pulse Asia by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com
Viray
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval and trust ratings dropped in the third quarter, according to a Pulse Asia survey released on Tuesday, September 25. The latest poll showed that the president obtained a 75-percent approval rating and a 72-percent trust score, a significant decrease from his 88 percent and 87 perent approval and trust ratings in the previous quarter. “At the national level, President Duterte experience a decline in his approval ratings (-13 percentage points) and a rise in indecision (+5 percentage points) during the period June to September 2018,” Pulse Asia said. Despite this plunge, Duterte remains the most approved and most trusted top national official. Vice President Leni Robredo TINAPAY FESTIVAL. These kids perform street dancing during the ‘2018 Tinapay Festival’ to commemorate the feast of Santuario De San scored 61 percent and 56 percent Vicente De Paul Parish and Shrine of the Poor at Tandang Sora in Quezon City on Sunday, September 23. PNA photo by Oliver Marquez approval and trust ratings, respectively. She recorded majority approval and trust scores in nearly all
Pulse Asia survey: Grace Poe still top Senate bet by JanVic
Mateo Philstar.com
MANILA — If the midterm elections were held today, 17 individuals led by re-electionist Sen. Grace Poe have a statistical chance of winning a slot in the so-called Magic 12, according to survey firm Pulse Asia. The survey, conducted from Sept. 1 to 7 with the results released on Friday, September 22, showed five women topping the list, followed by incumbent and former senators. Some personalities identified with the administration are also well within the top 12, including Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos in fifth and eighth places, respectively. Following Poe are re-electionist Sen. Cynthia Villar, former senator and Taguig City Rep. Pia Cayetano and re-electionist Sen. Nancy Binay. Re-electionist Sen. Sonny Angara and former senator Jinggoy Estrada trail Duterte at sixth and seventh places, respectively. Meanwhile, statistically tied with Marcos are re-electionist Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III and former senator Lito Lapid. Rounding up the Magic 12 are
former senator Sergio Osmeña III and former senator, interior and local government secretary and presidential hopeful Manuel Roxas II. Due to small differences on the voting preference results, Pulse Asia said five other personalities are statistically tied with Roxas and have chances of making it to the Magic 12. They include actor and Duterte administration supporter Robin Padilla, detained former senator Ramon Revilla Jr., media personality Ramon Tulfo, former Philippine National Police chief and incumbent Bureau of Corrections director general Ronald dela Rosa and re-electionist Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito. Re-electionist Sen. Benigno Paolo Aquino IV is trailing behind broadcaster Ted Failon and Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista at 20th place. Following Aquino is his cousin media personality Kris Aquino, former senator Teofisto Guingona III and former environment secretary Gina Lopez. Special assistant to the president Christopher Go, who has said he is not interested to run despite the appearance of his
name and face in tarpaulins at various projects, is at 24th place – two notches higher than his 26th place in the Pulse survey last June. He is followed by Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian, former president and Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, presidential assistant for political affairs Francis Tolentino, Social Welfare Undersecretary Isko Moreno and Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles. Trailing behind are other personalities being touted as possible senatorial candidates next year, including singer Freddie Aguilar, presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr., entertainment personality Agot Isidro, former broadcaster Jiggy Manicad, Maguindanao Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu, former interior and local government secretary Rafael Alunan, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano and human rights lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno, among others. The survey had a sample of 1,800 respondents and an error margin of +/- two percent. The filing of certificates of candidacy for next year’s midterm polls is scheduled on Oct. 11 to 17. n
geographuic areas, except Metro Manila. “With regard to vice-presidential performance, majority approval ratings are posted across geographic areas and socio-economic classes (53 percent to 68 percent) but when it comes to vice-presidential trustworthiness, only those in Classes D and E give Vice-President Robredo majority trust figures (56 percent to 66 percent),” Pulse Asia said. Senate President Tito Sotto also enjoyed majority approval and trust ratings with 73 percent and 66 percent, respectively. Acting Supreme Court Chief Justice Antonio Carpio posted a similar approval (42 percent) and indecision (40 percent) figures. Robredo registered the highest disapproval rating (17 percent). Meanwhile, House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo scored the lowest trust rating of 19 percent, the lowest among all top five national government officials. The survey also showed that Duterte and Sotto obtained ma-
jority ratings across geographic areas (66 percent to 90 percent and 69 percent to 76 percent, respectively) and socio-economic groupings (72 percent to 81 percent and 67 percent to 79 percent, respectively). Filipinos approve Congress, Supreme Court The latest poll also showed that majority of Filipinos approve the work done by the Supreme Court (52 percent), the House of Representatives (56 percent) and the Senate (63 percent). The Senate posted a 7-percent disapproval rating while the Supreme Court received a 10-percent disapproval score. Both chambers of Congress enjoyed majority approval ratings in various geographic areas and socio economic classes. The nationwide survey was conducted from September 1 to 7 using face-to-face interviews among 1,800 registered voters. The poll has a + 2 percent error margin at the 95 percent confidence level. n
A September 26-28, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOUrNAL
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OpiniOn
Changing the anthem
Features
THE national anthem has undergone changes since Julian Felipe wrote the melody in 1898 and Jose Palma wrote the original lyrics in Spanish in 1899. Apart from being translated into English and finally Filipino, the beat of “Lupang Hinirang” has also been slightly modified. Its current version, however, is now protected by Republic Act 8491, the 1998 Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, and altering the anthem when it is sung in public can warrant a court indictment and penalties. Any change in the lyrics, as proposed by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, will require amending RA 8491 and must be approved in a public referendum. Another senator has proposed to change the design of the flag, adding a ninth ray to the sun to represent Muslims. At least one historian has pointed out that this would destroy the historical significance of the design, which symbolizes the eight provinces suspected by Spain of joining the revolution against the colonial government. If Congress approves the addition of a ninth ray, there is another valid concern: how much will it cost taxpayers to change all flags in government offices and on official documents? This leads to another question: why is any design
change needed? The same questions are being asked in the proposal to tweak the lyrics of “Lupang Hinirang.” Specifically, Sotto is proposing to change the last line from the current one that declares the Filipino’s readiness, when faced with an oppressor, to die for the country — ang mamatay nang dahil sa iyo — into one that vows to defend freedom — ang ipaglaban ang kalayaan mo. Perhaps concepts of patriotism and heroism are evolving, and should be reflected in national symbols. Opponents of any change, on the other hand, point out that these symbols reflect significant events in the history of the nation and must be preserved rather than changed. National symbols can be dynamic and the debate over the possible changes is fine. But various quarters are also asking: with so many problems besetting the country and limited time for legislation, don’t senators have more urgent things to do? (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
Confirming SC nominee Brett Kavanaugh: Do or die for Trump and the GOP’s political survival
The Fil-Am Perspective Gel SantoS-reloS LESS than six weeks before the consequential midterm elections and President Donald Trump and the members of the Republican Party are urgently scrambling, moving heaven and earth to confirm Trump’s nominee for Supreme Court (SC) Justice after the retirement of Justice Robert Kennedy. Brilliant legal mind with stellar credentials Kavanaugh has, they assert, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the SC nominee will get up-or-down vote in the “near future”, blasting Senate Democrats for delaying The confirmation of Trump’s chose one. “The Democrats have already made up their minds and chosen their tactics,” McConnell said on the august chamber of the Senate. “Delay. Obstruct. Resist.” Such strong words against his Democratic colleagues are so antithetical and even hypocritical for the party that would not even conduct confirmation hearings for President Barack Obama’s highly qualified Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland to fill the seat vacated by the passing of Justice Anthony Scalia, one of the most conservative members of the highest court. President Obama said when he announced Garland’s nomination:
“I have selected a nominee who is widely recognized not only as one of America’s sharpest legal minds, but someone who brings to his work a spirit of decency, modesty, integrity, even-handedness and excellence. Presidents do not stop working in the final year of their term; neither should a Senator.”[67] Obama stated: “To suggest that someone as qualified and respected as Merrick Garland does not even deserve a hearing, let alone an up-or-down vote, to join an institution as important as our Supreme Court, when two-thirds of Americans believe otherwise—that would be unprecedented.” The Senate Republicans nevertheless obstructed and resisted to vote on Garland’s nomination. McConnell then said “the decision the Senate made weeks ago remains about a principle, not a person.” That principle he was referring to was that no nomination should be confirmed for a lifetime position like that of a Supreme Court Justice during an election year, and that President Obama was a lame duck president. “The American people are perfectly capable of having their say on this issue, so let’s give them a voice. Let’s let the American people decide,” argued McConnell. “The Senate will appropriately revisit the matter when it
considers the qualifications of the nominee the next president nominates, whoever that might be.” That nominee now happens to be Kavanaugh, whom Trump picked so speedily and wanted confirmed right away, even despite allegations of sexual assault he made against women years ago. Trump, Kavanaugh and the Republicans immediately dismissed the allegations as “tactic” and “lies”, despite one credible witness Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s call for an FBI investigation on Kavanaugh and her willingness to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The same vilification, victim blaming and shaming had also been done by Trump and his Republican cohorts against the second woman who came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh — Deborah Ramirez — who attended college with the SC nominee. See the pattern here from Trump and the party who claims they value and respect women, fair investigation and transparency? Senate Democrats assert that no vote on Kavanaugh should be in order until these serious allegations and questions against the Supreme Court nominee had been looked into, but Trump and
the GOP want to railroad the due process to really examine the man vying for the lifetime job of being a Supreme Court Justice. WHY THE RUSH? Because Trump needs Kavanaugh to be sworn in as SC Justice so that if Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicts Trump to testify in the Russia probe, then the vote of Kavanaugh— who has written about his legal opinion that no sitting president should be indicted — could save Trump. Because Trump and the Republicans know that if Kavanaugh is not confirmed before the midterm elections and the Democrats take over the majority of the Senate and the House, then Kavanaugh would never be in the Supreme Court. The Dems taking over the majority could also mean they will have numbers to impeach Trump. Now who are these Republicans in Congress really serving and protecting — we, the American people, or Trump and their political agenda? Think about it. . *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www. facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh
Admiral John McCain and the unprecedented PH Dollar Remittance Program PeaceMaker Former Speaker JoSe C. de VeneCia, Jr. (Part 3 of 3)
AFTER the session, Calalang and Benedicto remarked: “Had the Dollar Plan been devised and implemented since 1946, there would have been no need in the past for import and exchange controls.” We were tasked to supervise the dollar-plan’s implementation. Newspaper columnists and opinion makers reacted with profuse praises for the remittance program. “It is the most brilliant monetary maneuver in recent times,” observed the Daily Mirror. The Manila Times, in its editorial, praised the plan as “one of the most outstanding Philippine achievements” and gave us due
recognition. Joe Guevarra, a Manila Times columnist wrote, “The first $100 million project was a successful assertion of Philippine economic sovereignty without irritation to both sides.” In its final form, the large-scale dollar remittance proposal with the seal of American approval included five main items: First was the “lipstick formula.” Red overprints — much like lipstick smudges — were used on the checks and treasury warrants to ensure they would be cashed only with the CB-PNB and authorized commercial banks and cashable only in pesos. This would dry up the black market through which veterans and pension checks had been channelled for years. Second was the payment in pesos from exclusive sales of U.S. dollars to the Central Bank, allowing the CB-PNB to maintain an exchange market at a fixed negotiated rate. Third were the salaries, hence-
forth to be paid in dollars, of about 16,000 Filipinos employed worldwide by the U.S. Navy. Fourth was a provision that included expenditures of U.S. military transients in Philippinebased U.S. military installations as a dollar source. Fifth was the large-scale remittance to the Philippines of dollar earnings of Filipinos in the Pacific U.S. bases, in Hawaii, etc. and the U.S. mainland. Our economic diplomacy was a smashing success. The legendary Foreign Secretary Carlos P. Romulo, who succeeded Narciso Ramos, himself one of the original architects of the now successful ASEAN, said economic diplomacy was a “basic plank” of the country’s foreign policy and praised us for what he called our “stellar performance.” He instructed Philippine missions and embassies abroad “to stress trade promotion and the search for markets and investments.” We took a more
expansive view that a diplomat’s principal task in a developing or underdeveloped economy is to “utilize and harness foreign affairs to help solve economic problems at home.” In 2007 alone, remittances from overseas Filipino workers hit over $14 billion, part of almost $200 billion that had already made its way through to the Philippine banks. This was unimaginable in 1967, at the program’s launching, when the Philippines total bank reserves were about $400 million. Whatever the political environment at home, the economic impact of the remittances came to be felt strongly especially in times of crisis: the 60 percent peso devaluation in 1970, the oil shocks of the 1970s, the economic depression in the many years of the Marcos administration, the crisis years of the rightist military rebellion against President Cory Aquino, the Asian financial crisis that ravaged the Philippines in 1997-98
of the Ramos period, the ouster of Estrada, the series of coup and impeachment attempts against President Arroyo. The dollar remittance model has encouraged copies of the system in India, Pakistan, Turkey, and Bangladesh, among other nations, enriching their foreign-exchange reserves, financing economic development, mass housing, and the small businesses of recipients in the countryside. In 2005, believing the program could be more successful, we wrote the Central Bank, “The remittances are substantial but there is about 20-30 percent left that’s not remitted here. We have to create an Overseas Filipino Fund for the Filipino technicians abroad, who could put their monies in safe investments, instead of keeping them in saving deposits in banks abroad that pay 1 to 2 percent in high-yielding instruments, mass housing, etc. The international banks like ING Bank,
HSBC and others can assist us in its implementation because they have global reach, and if we can get the Filipinos in America, Europe, and the Middle East through the Bank of America or Citibank and European banks, you can see the numbers add up fast. The sky is the limit.” On July 8, 2005, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas under the outgoing Governor Rafael Buenaventura and his incoming successor, Governor Amando Tetangco Jr., honored us with a rare national decoration. The man who conceived and carried out the program, negotiated with the U.S. state treasury and defense representations, finally won effusive praise from the very institution that had almost succeeded in killing it. (From the book, “Global Filipino” the Jose de Venecia Jr. biography by former Wall Street Journal Editor Brett Decker, published in Washington D.C., 2008). (To be continued next week)
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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Dateline PhiliPPines
SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • SeptembeR 26-28, 2018
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Robredo: Ouster plot claim ‘baseless,’‘dangerous’ by KrisTine Joy
Philstar.com
FREE DOG VACCINATION. Residents of Barangay Payatas in Quezon City fall in line for a free vaccination of their pets, courtesy of the veterinarians from Humane Society International (HSI) and Street Dog Defenders, to help achieve the target of immunizing 70 percent of dog population and to mark ‘World Rabies Day’ on Monday, September 24. PNA photo by Oliver Marquez
A year after Marawi siege, IS continues to lure young people by Drei
ToleDo ManilaTimes.net
LAST year’s protracted battle between government forces and the Maute group that attacked Marawi City quashed the Maute and destroyed the “main battle area” in the Islamic City. It also destroyed the rampant drug trade in the city. A source from one of the royal families in Lanao del Sur, who asked not to be identified for security reasons, said local drug lords and “narco-politicians” joined the Islamic State or IS Philippines in 2016 to protect the biggest shabu (methamphetamine) laboratory in Marawi from the war against illegal drugs. “Because of the powerful and ultra-rich ‘tribal elite’ behind organized crime in our area who continue to have positions in the local government today, those among us who are not and never have been involved in illegal drugs and [IS] lost everything we have in Marawi,” he said. Francisco Lara, country manager of the World Bank-funded think-tank International Alert, said a “major enabling factor” that allowed the IS or ISIS to lay siege to Marawi was the rise of shadow economies that provided resources and funding to militant groups in the Philippines. He said money from drug deals, gun-running and extortion rackets, as well as ransom payments from families of kidnap victims, gave the Maute group enough resources to attack Marawi. Ishmael Omar, one of the “bak-
wits” or internally displaced persons from Marawi, said his family also lost everything, but was thankful the drug trade was destroyed. “At first, I was filled with so much rage against President Duterte because he destroyed our home and our lives here in Marawi,” he said. “But now, more than a year after the Marawi Siege, I am grateful to ‘Father Digong’ [Duterte] for having Marawi’s commercial center bombed because I finally realize there is no other way to end the massive crystal meth trade at the heart of Marawi, and there is also no other way to stop the recruitment of ISIS child warriors,” he added. More than a year after the Marawi siege, however, IS sympathizers continue to recruit and radicalize children from different parts of the Philippines, an indication, according to sources, that IS Philippines continues to get financial support, likely from external funding sources. Ishmael, a brilliant and eloquent youth who now works in a small shop, feels ashamed to return to the sixth grade at 16 years old. The teen bakwit has rejected attempts to recruit him. But he fears other young people like him would be unable to resist the recruiters out of “desperation.” “It’s hard for my family to accept alms and beg for assistance now, because we used to be the ones helping those in need. For others, because of desperation,
it seems they want to join ISIS to rise above poverty. A lot of recruitment is going on, even on Facebook,” he added. At least two sources have confirmed the existence of a big IS training camp in the mountains of Lanao del Sur. “In the mountains of Piagapo, Lanao del Sur, the biggest ISIS training camp for child warriors have yet to be penetrated by the military,” an ex-rebel informant from Lanao del Sur told The Manila Times. While there are Maranaos assigned as members of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) detachment in Piagapo, Cafgu sources said “They have not received any order from the higher ups of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to patrol the aforementioned territory.” Abdullah “Orak” Macabago, 15, claims young IS recruits like him were “reserve” forces who could be summoned back to clandestine camps when the IS has recovered from the Marawi debacle. Those who refuse could be killed, Orak claimed. “In the meantime, we are currently on standby since ISIS has not yet recovered from last year. For now, some of us sideline as vendors in the city selling belts, t-shirts, shoes, cell phone covers, battery chargers… Whenever we get a signal from our ISIS commander, we need to return to our respective ISIS training camps in the province. If we don’t go back, they will find us and kill us,” he said in the local dialect. n
PaTag
MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo has flagged the military’s claim that members of the political opposition are part of an ouster plot as alarming and dangerous. The alleged armed ouster plot conspiracy “would be laughable if they were not so dangerous,” said Robredo, also the chairperson of the Liberal Party, which is now the de facto mainstream opposition party. “The attempt to delegitimize various opposition groups and personalities linking them to an alleged extra-constitutional ‘plot’ is alarming,” she said in a statement on Tuesday, September 25. Gen. Carlito Galvez, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, and Brig. Gen. Antonio Parlade, deputy chief of staff for operations, earlier linked the political opposition to an alleged armed conspiracy to overthrow President Rodrigo Duterte. But Robredo stressed that the military’s claim is not only baseless, it also poses a threat to the country’s democracy. “Baseless allegations that link my involvement in legitimate op-
position activities with illegal actions, particularly when they come from high ranking military officials, undermine not just the opposition but also our democracy,” the vice president added. The vice president reminded the men and women of the AFP that they share the same mandate of upholding the constitution “They politicize the AFP, subvert the Constitutional protections and weaken a crucial mechanism for ensuring public accountability,” she said. Robredo also pointed out that a similar tactic of branding critics as criminals was employed during martial law “to strip the opposition of its voice.” “[T]his silencing of the opposition was a prelude to establishing a regime of corruption, abuse and dictatorship,” the vice president added. Parlade, in an interview with ANC over the weekend, claimed that a “broad coalition” being orchestrated by the Communist Party with [National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace panel consultant Rey] Casambre, Satur Ocampo are working together to overthrow the gov-
ernment. This was in support of an earlier claim that President Rodrigo Duterte made in a staged conversation with his lawyer Salvador Panelo on September 11. He said then that a sympathetic foreign government had recorded conversations of a conspiracy involving Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, members of the Liberal Party and communist rebels. The supposed “coalition” includes Coalition for Justice—a group who backed ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno during the government’s campaign to remove her from office— and Tindig Pilipinas. Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV already clarified that Tindig Pilipinas do not have communists and uniformed personnel among its members. Coalition for Justice has also refuted the military’s claim. Movement Against Tyranny, a separate opposition coalition, also slammed the military’s claim. The group said, is a “clear sign of the Duterte regime’s full engagement in facilitating the return of dictatorship and cementing the comeback of the Marcos family.” n
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SSS releases over P49M for pension loan program by Mayvelin
U. CaRaballo ManilaTimes.net
STATE-run Social Security System (SSS) over the weekend reported that it had released more than P49 million worth of pension loans in just 12 days of the pilot implementation of its Pension Loan Program (PLP). In a statement, SSS president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Dooc announced that 1,976 qualified pensioners availed themselves of the PLP with loan releases amounting to P49.78 million. “We are very much overwhelmed with the influx of applicants in our SSS branches. We hope that the loan privileges under the PLP will help our dear pensioners to finance their emergency and short-term financial needs,� he said.
Launched on September 3, the loan program was in response to clamor from senior citizens for more affordable loans for their short-term needs like emergency medical expenses. The program seeks to end the growing incidence of pensioners falling victims to loan institutions that offer steep interest rates. PLP is now being offered in 34 branches nationwide, but the SSS assured that 50 more branches will soon receive loan applications “to further serve more number of pensioners who wanted to avail of the PLP.� Initially, 20 SSS branches accepted PLP applications, namely Diliman, Kalookan, Pasig-Pioneer (Shaw), New
u PAGE B5
GSIS readies condonation program for members’ unpaid housing loans by MaRy
GRaCe Philstar.com
PaDin
cent of our remaining 29,000 housing accounts are for cancellation, foreclosure or have STATE-run Government Ser- incurred several months of arvice Insurance System (GSIS) is rears,� Aranas said. set to implement a loan condo“The program will lighten nation program for its member- the burden of our borrowborrowers with unpaid housing ers as it saves them from the loans, a top official said. heavy load of having to pay In a statement, GSIS presi- the accumulated penalties and dent and general manager Je- surcharges that have been imsus Clint Aranas said starting posed from unpaid amortizaOctober, the state fund would tions. More importantly, it will offer a 100 percent waiver give them the opportunity to on unpaid penalties and sur- save their homes,� he added. charges to housing borrowers According to Aranas, the with past due accounts and are program is open to both active willing to settle their housing and inactive GSIS members, loans. as well as non-members, with The deadline for application deeds of conditional sale or for interested members is on real estate loan accounts that Dec. 31, 2018. are in arrears or default. “Majority of our existing borOnly accounts that have not rowers stand to benefit from yet been cancelled or forethis program as almost 55 peru PAGE B3
Philippines has great potential for microgrid development Schneider Electric president for East Asia and Japan Tommy Leong (left), Schneider Electric chairman and CEO Jean-Pascal Tricoire talk to media during the Innovation Summit in Singapore. File photo by Philstar.com by Danessa
RiveRa Philstar.com
THE Philippines has great potential for microgrid developments and French multinational firm Schneider Electric is positioning itself aggressively in the middle of the country’s transition to power up off-grid areas by bringing in distributed energy solutions. In Southeast Asia, the Philippines and Indonesia share the challenge of providing power to every corner of the country since
they are made up of a lot of islands which are not directly connected to the main power grid, Schneider Electric executive vice president for industry business and member of the executive committee Peter Herweck said in an interview during the company’s Innovation Summit at Marina Bay Sands. “It becomes, of course, very interesting for countries like the Philippines and the same is also true for Indonesia where you have a lot of islands, you have to make sure that a grid is self-sufficient,� he said.
“We’ve discussed challenges in the Philippine market which is geography, weather conditions and a lot of people who do not have access to safe, reliable energy is the country,â€? he said. The Philippine government is pushing to achieve 100 percent electrification for the entire country by 2022. But the challenge remains in funding and sourcing investments to put up microgrids in far-flung areas, to which MalacaĂąang is reportedly preparing an executive order to
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Don’t overshare on social media SECURITY experts said that cyber crime has risen unprecedentedly in the past few years, with global cost expected to reach $2 trillion by 2019—four times larger than the 2015 estimate of $500 billion. Cybercriminals, now more than ever, are achieving greater degrees of success particularly on social networks because “these are more accessible and offer a treasure trove of valuable data that are useful in gaining access to one’s bank account, email, or credit card information,� this according to Jonathan John B. Paz, data protection officer and Enterprise Information security officer at the Bank of the Philippine Islands. Most users of social media are unaware of scams and intrusive permissions on so-
cial networking sites that are disguised as spams, personality quizzes, and click-baits. Such malicious content is easier and more widely circulated, he explains, because people trust those sending these messages, their “friends� or “followers� of their social media accounts. “Social media users who fall into these cyber traps are also those who are excessively eager to share things and information about themselves, those who are too trusting, and unaware of the dangers lurking on the Net,� siad Paz. The cyber officer also said posting geotagged photos that indicate place of residence and work, snapshots of identification cards, boarding passes for vacations, and
File photo by Manilatimes.net
sharing details of one’s lifestyle—which implies wealth—makes social media users more attractive to hackers. For example, barcodes found on boarding passes contain a lot of private information,
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Pilgrimage to Some of ITALY’s Highlights and Miracles of the Eucharist 6SLULWXDO 'LUHFWRU 5(9 -2(/ %8*$6 ĹĄ 1RYHPEHU WR 1RYHPEHU 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 0RQ Ĺ&#x; 86$ 520( 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 7XHV Ĺ&#x; 5RPH Upon our arrival in Rome, our Tour Escort will welcome us to Italy. Rome is the heart, home and the spiritual capital of over one billion Catholics all over the world. After a short panoramic orientation of this Eternal City to us Roman Catholics, we will have our dinner and overnight rest at this great ancient City. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN ROME (BB,D) 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY :HG Ĺ&#x; 5RPH 3DSDO $XGLHQFH 5RPH This morning before we continue with our tour, we will have a Papal Audience. Then after, we will visit the famous Coliseum and see the Forum, the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon, one of the best preserved ancient monuments in the world. Celebrate the Holy Eucharist at St Peter Basilica St Joseph Chapel .Short stop in Trevi Fountain, before heading to our Hotel. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN ROME (BB,D)
'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 7KXUV Ĺ&#x; 5RPH %DVLOLFDV We will visit the Vatican Museum this morning and the Sistine Chapel to admire the awesome masterpieces of Michaelangelo, and even ancient Greek and Roman artists. the largest church in Roman Catholicism, St. Peter’s Basilica. Holy Eucharist at ST Mary Major, Followed by visit of the Basilica. We continue to visit the rest of the major Basilicas within the walls of Rome, and St. John Lateran, St Paul Outside the Wall. We will also pray at the Scala Santa or the Holy Stairs. St. Helena transported the steps from Jerusalem; the same steps that Christ ascended to receive Pilate’s unjust condemnation. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN ROME (BB,D) 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY )UL Ĺ&#x; 5RPH 6DQ *LRYDQQL 5RWRQGR 2018 is the 100th Anniversary of the stigmatization of St Pio. Church Will have Monthly Pastoral Program of Activities for the whole year. San Giovanni Rotondo, the home of St Padre Pio of Pietrelcina from 28 July, 1916 until his death on 23 September, 1968. Enjoy the drive going to San Giovanni, after we check in our Hotel. vWe visit the Shrines of St Padre Pio of Pietralcina as well as the places associated with him, such as the Shrine of Our Lady of Grace that contains his tomb. Here, we spend some time meditating, see his room, his confessional box and the cruciďŹ x that gave him his supernatural Crucifying stigmata, Celebrate Holy Eucharist (Hotel Gran Paradiso) DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN San Giovanni Rotondo (BB,D) 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 6DW Ĺ&#x; 6$1 *,29$11, 52721'2 This Morning we visit the new and Modern Basilica of St Padre Pio, See his uncorrupt body. Celebrate Holy Eucharist Spend some time meditating in this awesome Basilica. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO (Hotel Gran Paradiso)
'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 6XQ Ĺ&#x; 6DQ *LRYDQQL 5RWRQGR /DQFLDQR /RUHWR MASS AND BREAKFAST. We arrive at Lanciano, famous for the Miracle of the Eucharist. Near the Piazza Plebiscito, the Miracle is inside the Sanctuary of the Eucharistic Miracle. The miracle took place during the 8th century when a Basiline monk doubted the Real Presence of our Lord in the Eucharist. He found himself holding the host that had changed into Real Flesh and the Wine on the altar had changed into Real Blood. We continue our pilgrimage to the great Marian shrine of Loreto to see the famous sacred home of the most Holy Family, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Since 1294 the holy home has been located inside the Basilica of Loreto. Celebrate Holy Eucharist in Lanciano. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN Assisi. 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 0RQ Ĺ&#x; /RUHWR $VVLVL Today we explore the hilltop birthplace of St Francis of Assisi. In the Crypt of St Francis Basilica lies the tomb of one of the most humble and beloved Saints of all times, St. Francis of Assisi, Holy Eucharist at the Crypt of St. Francis See the Basilica of St Clare, with her incorrupt body, and the little Church of St. Damiano and its CruciďŹ x from which Jesus spoke to Francis about his mission in 1206: “Go, Francis, and rebuild my house, which as you see is falling into ruin.â€? We visit the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, located in the lower plains of Assisi, and the place where the miracle of the Eucharist of Assisi took place in 1240. The small Church of the Porziuncola is inside the Basilica itself. Pope Honorius III granted a plenary indulgence for those entering this humble Church on August 1st and 2nd every year, with Confession, reception of the Eucharist and no attachment to venial sins. (BB,D) 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 7XHV Ĺ&#x; $VVLVL 6LHQD )ORUHQFH We will spend half day in Siena. Begin in the old town center with a visit to the Basilica of San Domenico. Built in the 13th century, it is a treasure chest of the Renaissance art and dedicated to St Catherine of Siena. You will learn about the city’s history while admiring it’s cathedrals, Museum, and libraries .Also you will admire the famous piazza del Campo, one of Europe’s great medieval squares. Continue to Florence. (BB,D) We start with a guided walking tour of Florence, this fascinating city with its Piazza, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery of St. John the Baptist. Rest of the day free (BB,D) 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY :HG Ĺ&#x; )ORUHQFH 5RPH Leave Florence around 2PM Arrived Rome almost dinner time (BB.D) 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 7KXUV Ĺ&#x; 5RPH 86$ End of our wonderful Pilgrimage
Please call QTS Tour and Travel NOW at 1 (714) 288-0800 or (714) 761-6280 1095 N Main St. Suite O, Orange, CA 92867
Business news
B SEPTEMBER 26-28, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL
What’s New ArlEnE Al-os, CPA, MBA THE US tax system is on a payas-you-go basis. Taxpayers are required to pay most of the tax liabilities during the same year they earn the income. If you pay less than 90 percent of your taxable income for the current year, you will be assessed with estimated tax penalty plus interest for each quarter you underpay the required quarterly estimated tax for both Federal and State. • Pay Quarterly: If you have other income not subject to withholding, you are generally required to pay quarterly estimated taxes. Most of the other income includes rental income, self-employment, capital gains, dividends, sharing economy, and
Do you have enough witholding? Part 2
other sources. • Estimated Taxes Due Dates: The quarterly estimated taxes are due on April 18, 2018 for the 1st quarter, June 15, 2018 for the 2nd quarter, September 17, 2018 for the 3rd quarter, and January 15, 2018 for the 4th quarter for the tax year 2018. If you are expecting a refund and have underpaid 1st and 2nd estimated taxes you can still choose to apply refund to 2018 estimated taxes as you file your 2017 tax return if you are on extension. If you have filed an extension, last day of filing will be on or before October 15, 2018. Visit your corresponding state website for the state requirement. If you live in California visit https://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/ • Form W-4: If you are an employee who receives income from other sources, you may increase the amount of withholding from
your paycheck instead of paying estimated taxes. Complete a new Form W-4 to reflect the changes in the a) personal allowance worksheet, b) deductions, adjustments, and additional income worksheet, and c) two-earners/ multiple jobs worksheet. Refer to our previous week column utilize the IRS withholding calculator. Visit https://apps.irs.gov/app/ withholdingcalculator/ and your corresponding state website. The new tax law could have an impact on how much your employer should withhold from your paycheck. Too little withholding from your paycheck could mean large unexpected tax bill as you file your tax return in 2019 for Tax Year 2018. • Form W-4P: If you receive pension and annuities to reflect changes complete a new Form W-4 to reflect the changes in the
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Caregivers are presumptively disqualified to be named as a beneficiary in a patient’s will or trust with “Certain Exceptions” CAREGIVERS are presumptively disqualified from being named as beneficiary of a patient’s Will or Trust. Probate Code Section 21350, subdivision (a) provides: “Except as provided in Section 21351, no provision, or provisions, of any instrument shall be valid to make any donative transfer to any of the following: …… (6) A care custodian of a dependent adult who is the transferor.” A “disqualified person” under the statute “means a person specified in subdivision (a) of Section 21350, but only in cases where Section 21351 does not apply.” (§ 21350.5.) Other presumptively disqualified donees under section 21350(a), include: the drafter of the instrument; the drafter’s relative, domestic partner, cohabitant, or employee; the drafter’s law partner or shareholder; an employee of the law partnership or corporation in which the drafter has an interest; one having a fiduciary relationship with the donor (including a conservator or trustee), who transcribes or causes the instrument to be transcribed; such fiduciary’s relative, employee, domestic partner, or cohabitant; and a relative of, domestic partner of, employee of, or a cohabitant with, a care custodian of the donor who is a
Barrister’s Corner Atty. KEnnEth UrsUA rEyEs dependent adult. (§ 21350(a).) The statute defines the terms “dependent adult” and “care custodian” as follows: “For purposes of this section, the term ‘dependent adult’ has the meaning as set forth in Section 15610.23 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and also includes those persons who (1) are older than age 64 and (2) would be dependent adults, within the meaning of Section 15610.23, if they were between the ages of 18 and 64. The term ‘care custodian’ has the meaning as set forth in Section 15610.17 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.” (§ 21350, subd. (c).) “ ‘Instrument’ is broadly defined in Probate Code section 45 as ‘a will, trust, deed, or other writing that designates a beneficiary or makes a donative transfer of property.’ ” (Rice v. Clark (2002) 28 Cal.4th 89, 97, fn. 4, 120 Cal.Rptr.2d 522, 47 P.3d 300.) However, there is an exception to the presumptive disqualifica-
tion of care custodian as beneficiary in a Will or a Trust. The presumption of invalidity of donative transfers to specified individuals under section 21350(a)-including transfers to care custodians of dependent adults-does not apply, , where “[t]he instrument is reviewed by an independent attorney who (1) counsels the client (transferor) about the nature and consequences of the intended transfer, (2) attempts to determine if the intended consequence is the result of fraud, menace, duress, or undue influence, and (3) signs and delivers to the transferor an original certificate ... with a copy delivered to the drafter.” (§ 21351(b).) This “Certificate of Independent Review” must state that the attorney: reviewed the instrument; counseled the client/ transferor concerning the nature and consequences of the subject transfer of property to the presumptively disqualified person under section 21350; was disassociated from any interest in the transferee; and concluded that the transfer to the presumptively disqualified person was valid because it was “not the product of fraud, menace, duress, or undue influence.” (§ 21351(b).) The intent of section 21350 was “to prevent unscrupulous
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The bucket list
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond
Travel Light
MonEttE ADEvA MAglAyA TRAVEL is a pure metaphor for our life’s journey. There are two choices in the way we can travel. We can travel light or we can load up on stuff and literally become a beast of burden. The reality for most of us is that we heft and carry far too much physical and emotional baggage over time. I am focusing on the physical baggage aspect only. The emotional baggage aspect is yet for another day. Our journey becomes tedious and cumbersome. All we want when we are too heavily laden with stuff while on the road, at sea or in flight, is to get to our destination fast so we can rest our weary bones and aching muscles and put our feet up. The fun is gone because tedium and fatigue have taken over. It shouldn’t be so because there is truth in what they say about any journey. Half the fun should be getting there. Very few of us are born wise old souls who already know what is important and what is frivolous at the get-go from a very young
(16th of a series) parents may try to tell us so until age. For most of us ordinary beings they are blue in the face but for who have to learn from scratch, the most part, unless and until we our learning curves can be steep. go through life experiences that It takes a long while for us to shape our understanding and apknow the difference between a preciation of what truly matters in life, it is guaranteed that we NEED and a WANT. We all know the drill. Needs will bungle our way through just are the things required for basic learning to distinguish between a human existence: food, shelter basic need and a frivolous want. A need is probably owning one and clothing. Wants are those that our ego or an infomercial quality watch to help us manage tells us we should acquire to feel our time. A want is having 12 different watches to match what we wear. We will acquire mountains of stuff through our lifetimes. It’s not our fault we live in a consumer society where acquiring stuff is the default behavior. Consider better, look better and improve the success of companies that our status in society such as the rent out public storage spaces. latest car model, the new smart- If you are one of those who rent phone, large screen TV sets or such spaces in addition to your luxury items or anything else home’s bulging garage and storthat advertisers tell us we ought age spaces for long periods of to have to make our lives better time, it may be time to assess the quality of your life’s journey or feel important. The distinction should be easy and begin divesting promptly, eienough if our mental faculties ther gradually or drastically and are grounded in common sense choosing to travel light. The stuff and just basic understanding of we acquire is just that. Stuff and what is important and what isn’t. nothing more … u PAGE B4 Those of us who have wise
”He who must travel happily must travel light.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery
The Metamorphosis
ErniE D. DElfin MY last column on death (after the death of Sen. McCain) elicited dozens of feedbacks that inspired me to write this topic on life: its four phases and homeostasis state that many human beings aspire but often struggle to achieve. In his “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” America’s foremost guru Dr. Steven R. Covey wrote that “effective and fulfilled people do things consciously at first, until it becomes an unconscious habit in their human activities in all Four Quadrants: PHYSICAL (to live) MENTAL (to learn) SOCIAL (to love) and SPIRITUAL (to leave a legacy).” Doing these make our lives more complete and in equilibrium that makes us more happy and fulfilled. As there are countless challenges and various circum-
The four phases and quadrants of a good and balanced life
stances from birth to death, it is not easy to achieve that state of balance especially for people who are born into poverty in our world today. It is a must for them to undergo the tough SURVIVAL phase first, and with patience, perseverance, and LUCK; they may be able to graduate into the next phases of SECURITY and SUCCESS. Thereafter, the successful person longs for SIGNIFICANCE (Spiritual) to leave his legacy to make this world a better place. After about seven decades of living on this planet, I feel I am now in this last phase of significance — to do as much as I can to leave this world a better place. That priceless state of SIGNIFICANCE, thinking, writing and doing more for others is both very envigorating and rewarding make me want to continue living and do more until the very last breath of my life. Along the way, however, as long as the body and the spirit
(soul) are still together, the four quadrants need to be maintained like an expensive machine. Physically, human beings need good healthy food and supplements to be able to move to the other quadrants. And this must not be taken lightly but incorporated in our daily lives. HEALTH IS WEALTH, especially for us Baby Boomers who are now in our last train JOURNEY. Speaking about healthy living, I strongly recommend to all my readers to take time to learn more about breakthroughs in organic products, like cannabidOIL from Austria. Many excellent presentations are available in online or at www. theultimatehealthsolutions.com. A company in San Diego County, Kannaway Corporation, is leading the way in educating people and promoting these amazing products from the hemp and hobs plants. Needless to say, without good health, our life
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Business news
Bank forcloses on client’s house despite Chapter 13 filing Seniors choose Chapter 7 to discharge $30K and $10K credit cards
CLIENT is 47, single and a registered nurse. Her income is good at $80K a year. She has no dependents except her mom who lives with her. Despite her good income, she has a default on her mortgage for $50K. She had an affair with a married man who promised her that he would divorce his wife and marry her. That never happened. But what did happen was, client had given the guy about $50K in cash for his various business endeavors ( so he claims), all of which failed so he never paid her back for the $50K. Where did client get the $50K? Instead of paying her back the $50K which she had lent to him in the name of love and romance, truth be told, she didn’t really care if she paid her back. She just wanted to be his “mujer,” his woman. The guy must have been the male version of Anna Nicole Smith who was playboy playmate of the year in 1993 when she met the man of her dreams, well let’s just say a half a century older than the man of her dreams, the 90-year-old billionaire J. Howard Marshall. She eventually filed for Chapter 7 in Los Angeles because of a lawsuit against her for $40M. Her husband died a year or two after they wed, from exhaustion from you know what, and left her nothing in his will. Instead, he left his $1.6 B fortune to his eldest son with his first wife. The bankruptcy judge in Los Angeles believed her testimony that she loved her husband and that her husband had orally promised her “half his fortune, if I married him.” The bankruptcy judge nullified the will and awarded her $500M of her husband’s fortune. Then everybody died. First Anna Nicole Smith’s twenty year old son with her first husband died from a drug overdose. Then Anna herself died soon after her son’s death from overdose of prescription drugs and grief from her son’s death. Then the 67-year-old son of Marshall died from an “aggressive infection”. Eventually the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Los Angeles bankruptcy judge had no jurisdiction awarding Anna $500M of Marshall’s estate because that was not a bankruptcy issue. So, the $500M owner is the estate of the Marshall’s 67-year-old son who died. So what good does chasing money do for you when death surely “comes like a thief in
Debt Relief
Atty. LAwrence yAng the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). We don’t know the day and the time or hour of our death, do we? You can be a 4 year old having a good time in Disney world when out of nowhere a six foot alligator drags you into the water and you die. Or, you can be a twelve year old thinking you are about to be thrilled at the most awesome water slide in the world but in the next few seconds your head will be severed from your body. Youth does not guarantee that you will not die. We all know this. You can have $6B and own the largest tech company in the world with products the entire world wants, but with all your billions at your disposal, you’re not able to save yourself from dying from pancreatic cancer like Steve Jobs. Was it within his great wealth and power to invent a man made pancreas to save himself? So, great wealth, power, even absolute power cannot save you from certain death. Only Jesus Christ has proven God’s power over death as He resurrected on the third day from his death on the cross 2000 years ago on Mt. Calvary, and before that, He resurrected many people from the dead. You don’t want to die and end up some place you don’t want to be, just because you believed in a false god, do you? The time to decide is now, when you are still alive and still possess your wits about you. This is a lot more important than your life insurance. This is insurance for your soul for eternity, which does not cost you anything except the right choice. Ok, have it your way, die and go straight to hell and share your cell with Hitler. Is this what you really want - eternal damnation because you made the wrong choice? You don’t even have a tenth of the brain of Stephen Hawking, the alleged smartest man on this earth, and even Mr. Hawking with all his super duper brain power, cannot cure himself of Lou Gehrig’s disease and is permanently immobile.h The first commandment of the Ten Commandments states, “I am the LORD thy God, who brought
thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. The shalt have no other gods before me.” Yes, Yahweh, Adonai, El Elohim, El Shaddai, Jehovah, He is the ONE TRUE GOD! He sent His one and only beloved son Jesus Christ to die for us so that we can have eternal life with them in paradise. What a wonderful God He is! Almighty and all loving! Client came to see me a day before her auction sale date. We did an emergency filing on the same day to stop the foreclosure. But the bank nevertheless foreclosed on client’s house and shortly thereafter filed a lawsuit for eviction. Is that foreclosure valid, no way Jose! That foreclosure was in violation of the bankruptcy automatic stay, therefore null and void. So, we filed an answer in state court saying the foreclosure was null and void, and we filed a motion in bankruptcy court to have the court order the reversal of the foreclosure sale and fully expect that client will win on both. She will keep her house, but not her lover, who has dumped her for another good income lover, this time, he has hooked up with a medical doctor who is a general practitioner. What’s with women nowadays? We are about to have the first woman president of the United States of America, Hillary, as you know, I’m with her. But in this day and age, women still believe they need to be married to a guy to make them happy even if they have achieved so much success in their lives. Did Wonder Woman ever get married to Batman? I don’t think so. The next client is 55 and married. She has $30K of credit card debt. She lost her job 2 years ago and is now self-employed in a multi level business. It’s not doing that great. She makes about $1K a month. That’s just enough to cover monthly minimum payments on the $30K credit cards. If her husband was still working, she could probably stay afloat, but husband was also terminated recently from his $60K job with a large company. He’s tried to look for an equivalent paying job but all he could get are minimum wage jobs that do not use is skill or experience. There are lots of jobs in food service but he doesn’t want those jobs. So he decided to take early retirement. He’s resting for a year and will claim early
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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 26-28, 2018
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Don’t overshare on social...
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which anyone can access with basic barcode reading software available for free on most mobile phones. These barcodes can include your full name, arrival and departure airports, the airline you’re flying with, the flight record number and your frequent flyer number. Once someone has access to your account, they will be able to do anything from cancelling flight to changing personal information related to the account. Revisiting cybersecurity habits Paz enumerated three traits of social media users who are highly vulnerable to cyber security risks: security negligent, too much self-promotion, and need for instant gratification. Security negligent users upload and download digital information and files while oblivious to viruses, spam or phishing attacks. These users also perform banking transactions online or through their smartphones without much regard for possible security breach. People who overly promote themselves by regularly publishing personal content, their opinions, and their activities are the top lure for scammers and hackers. Such intimate information posted online give cyber criminals ammunition in terms of profiling insights that allow fraudsters not only to find ways to cash in on stolen bank accounts or credit card information but also for extortion and blackmail. Lastly, those who crave instant gratification can easily fall for fraudulent schemes that promise instant rewards and prizes
gained with very little effort. These common traits of many Filipino social media users make them extra vulnerable and have contributed to the weak and fragile state of cyber security in the country. For all its fame as the world’s social networking capital—Filipinos clock in an average of four hours and 17 minutes a day on social media—the Philippines is currently 37th out of 193 countries in terms of cyber security preparedness, according to a recent global security index report. The same report also tagged the country as the most vulnerable to cyber attacks in the Southeast Asian region and the 10th in the world in terms of falling prey to cyber criminals. “The country’s weak cyber security can also be attributed to the lack of information among Filipino internet users on the myriad ways culprits use social engineering to get information, such as hacking, phishing, email address impersonation, fake but hyper-realistic websites or piggybacking on target entities’ social media campaigns,” said Paz. Self-defense To protect online privacy and strengthen cyber security: “social media users to remove or omit as much personal and sensitive information as they can from social networking sites, said Paz. “Securing one’s mobile phone, both physically and digitally, is also a must as it carries sensitive information—contact lists, location and browsing history, among others.” “Social media users should also avoid internet cafes for transactions, email and social
media access to thwart cyber criminals from stealing their passwords and other secure information, which may result in account takeover, fraud and public ridicule,” Paz added. To further fortify one’s online defenses: “use difficult and different passwords across multiple platforms and services—including online or mobile banking apps, and to stop using public or open Wi-Fi, which can easily be raided by hackers to steal or download personal files,” said Paz. Most importantly, we should be more prudent of the information we share online. These days, it’s a fairly common practice to find quizzes and shareable content in the form of memes, such as “your first pet’s name plus the shirt color you’re wearing is the name of your rock band name.” Random quizzes such as these are instantly shareable for a few laughs and likes from your friends, but sometimes, criminals can take advantage of our nature by getting you to share valuable private information, such as a post that went viral during the craze around Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s marriage. The post asked social media users to share their grandparent’s name, their first pet, and the street that they grew up on to create their “Royal Guest name.” Many participated without realizing that those three bits of information were also answers to basic security questions when setting up a private account. “There is no substitute for being very careful,” Paz said. “Hackers can only be kept at bay by being one step ahead of them.” (Manilatimes.net) n
Philippines has great potential... PAGE B1 t
encourage private investment in rural electrification. And this is one area Schneider Electric is focusing its investments on. “We are seeing great potential in the Philippines, given its many islands where powering and digitizing many islands is a specific challenge… We believe that this is one great potential of the Philippines. This is one of the biggest things we want to do,” Schneider Electric executive vice president for international operations Luc Remont said. During the summit, the French multinational firm—whose main business is energy management and automation—introduced a number of technologies including a decentralized energy system to existing clients and pro-
spective customers. Remont said one of the purpose of the meeting is to bring these solutions called EcoStruxure to the Philippines. So far, it has co-developed several microgrid projects across the globe, including Northern India, South Australia, North America, Eurpe and Africa. As microgrid development is one of the global firm’s focus, Schneider Electric is in discussions for potential projects in the country. “We continue to develop our commercial presence (in the Philippines). We are developing a number of partnerships,” Remont said. In fact, it is in discussions with a local party interested in putting up a microgrid project in Pala-
wan, Schneider Electric Philippines country president Alexandre Vermot said. “I was just having a conversation about a project in an island in Palawan, where the customer is willing to invest in a microgrid simply because there is no connection to the grid to the island. It’s an area where digitization and solutions can bring the needed solution for investment and development in the country,” he said. The company is also working on a few projects in the country as well. “We have a number of projects up and running like in northern Europe. In the Philippines we have some few projects, we call them in testing stages, but it will come,” Vermot said. n
GSIS readies condonation program for...
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closed are eligible for condonation, he said. However, accounts that have been cancelled but not yet uploaded as investment property, and those foreclosed but with titles not yet consolidated in the name of the GSIS, may still avail of the condonation program, Aranas added. Buyers of rights and legal heirs
of deceased borrowers may also apply for penalty condonation. “We would like to remind all interested applicants to avail of the program before the set deadline to prevent the troubles caused by last-minute filing and avoid further penalty charges of at least one per cent per month,” Aranas said. Applicants who will pay their overdue accounts in full can re-
Calendar of Events across
quest a condonation statement of account from the nearest GSIS office. The GSIS is a social insurance institution that provides insurance and loan products to government workers. Last year, the GSIS reported a net income of P94.7 billion, 69 percent higher than the previous year. Its total assets also rose nine percent to P1.1 trillion. n
America
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SIPA hosts 8-session Entrepreneur Training Program (ETP) in Los Angeles The Entrepreneur Training Program (ETP) is an 8-session skills building training program designed for startup entrepreneurs covering the A to Z of starting and running a successful business. This is open to all! If you want to start your own business and don’t know where to start or how to start, this program was made FOR YOU! Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to learn from the experts and from business owners themselves on how to build the business of your dreams! Program details: One time fee of $100 covers food and beverage and training materials for all 8 sessions; 5 FREE slots are available for College/University students and low income families; FREE Parking on site. Parking lot is accessed on Robinson St.; Includes FREE one-on-one business counseling with SIPA’s counselor, Fidji Victoriano; and you will receive a Completion Certificate at the end of the program. The eight sessions will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the whole month of September 2018: September 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25 and 27 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Program will be held at the SIPA Multipurpose room at 3200 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (through Robinson St. entrance). For any questions or to register in person, please contact Fidji Victoriano at (424) 235-5011 or e-mail at fvictoriano@esipa.org. This program is brought by Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) in collaboration with the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce Hollywood (FACCHO) and the support of Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program (APISBP) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
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Laoguenian Association of Southern California to hold induction ball in City of Industry, CA The Laoaguenian Association of Southern California, Inc. (LASC) will hold its induction of new set of officers on Saturday, September 29, 2018 at the Pacific Palms Resort & Hotel (1 Industry Hills Parkway, City of Industry, CA 91744). The new inductees are headed by Mario Medina, president-elect. Music will be provided by Willie Manacsa & The Midnight Motion Band. For other related questions, please call Sonny Siazon, past president & adviser, at (714) 720-3913.
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The bucket list
When we own something, that something owns us. We are responsible for its care and maintenance to keep it functioning and useful. When that something has outgrown its usefulness or has become passé, we are responsible for its disposition. When we acquire something new, we probably need to dispose of 3 other items, just to keep us in balance. One day, if we let ourselves listen and learn from that small, quiet and wise voice within us, we will discover that important things are not stuff. They are
largely intangible things — like health of mind, body and spirit, faith, hope and love, joy, sacrifice, a sense of wonder and humor to cushion us from the rough shocks of life. So next time we find ourselves meandering about armed to the teeth with credit cards in those huge shopping malls, outlets or flea markets, try to go on browsing mode only. Hold off on splurging next month’s paycheck. This is likewise true for those who go online shopping, indulging themselves in retail therapy in the comfort of their own homes in their pajamas. Look at the
Caregivers are presumptively disqualified...
merchandise and appreciate the craftsmanship and give yourself time to decide if owning it will answer a need or just satisfy an impulsive want. Window shop, if you must. It would be like going to a museum where you can look, appreciate beauty and quality while having a great time and leaving as light and unencumbered as you came in, without a shopping cart full of stuff. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com
Bank forcloses on client’s house despite Chapter 13...
hypertension. But he still works retirement next year at 62. Not a his full time job, which pays him bad plan. Fortunately, they have $2K monthly. Not much, but it adult children who are helping helps. Wife used to work as a them out. So, the only problem caregiver but her patient just now is to discharge her $30K of died. Client opts for Chapter 7 to credit cards. No doubt, Chapter 7 discharge $10K of credit cards. It’s the right decision. is the right solution. “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord The third client is 65 but still works. He owes only $10K credit God, the almighy, who is, who cards. But at his age, every dollar was, and who is to come! You counts. He is now on Medicare, are the alpha and the omega, the which comes in handy for his pre- beginning and the end. Heaven scription drugs for diabetes and and earth are full of your glory!”
Revelation 4: 8
EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT
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*** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803.
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persons in fiduciary relationships from obtaining gifts from elderly persons through undue influence or other overbearing behavior. [Citation.]” Bank of America v. Angel View Crippled Children’s Foundation (1999) 72 Cal.App.4th 451, 456, 85 Cal. Rptr.2d 117. In 1997, the Legislature amended section 21350(a) to include care custodians of dependent adults as presumptively disqualified donees. (See Stats.1997, ch. 724, § 33; Conservatorship of Davidson (2003) 113 Cal.App.4th 1035, 1051 [6 Cal. Rptr.3d 702] [1997 amendment to section 21350 “was intended
to apply to gifts made ‘to practical nurses or other caregivers hired to provide in-home care. If an elderly patient intends to create a Will or a living trust naming a caregiver as one of the beneficiaries, it is important for the elderly donor to retain an attorney that can advise the elderly of the proper procedure for drafting the Will and the Trust and avoiding having the gift to the beneficiary caregiver held invalid by the court after the donor’s death. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all
the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)
Do you have enough witholding?
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a) personal allowance worksheet, b) deductions, adjustments, and additional income worksheet, and c) multiple pensions/more than one income worksheet and submit to your payer. • How to Pay: You can pay estimated taxes by increasing your paycheck withholding, mail a check payable to the United States Treasury, or electronically (Advertising Supplement) using IRS Direct Pay https://www.
irs.gov/payments/direct-pay or through Electronic Federal Tax Payment System EFTPS https:// www.irs.gov/payments/eftps-theelectronic-federal-tax-paymentsystem. For more options visit https://www.irs.gov/payments. If you live in California visit: individual: https://www.ftb.ca.gov/ online/webpay/index.asp And business: https://www.ftb. ca.gov/online/webpay/Business ***
EMPLOYMENT
FOR RENT
SERVICES
Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication is neither intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties. *** Al-os & Associates Accountancy Corporation provides accounting and tax services to individuals, corporations, LLCs and business entities. The Firm has a niche in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS and other governmental agencies. (Advertising Supplement)
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The four phases and quadrants of a good...
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is like living in hell. But we are given the power and some degree of control on what we put in our bodies. Check about this wonder product called CBD by Kannaway at www.kannaway. com. So much for this physical quadrant of life. Please allow me now to briefly share my personal view with the other equally important quadrants. As a writer, the longer I live the more things I desire to write about, expressing my own views or even venting some frustrations over many events or policies of the secular world that I often disagree with. However, as an optimist I also share hopes and dreams for a better world for the sake of generations that follow us. Since biblical times, we humans have been in quest for that nirvana where there is a happy and ideal balance in all quadrants in our lives. However, it is easier said than done. Many who are wealthy sometimes do not manifest their passion for social or spiritual work. Many are just focused on material things and often want to be known for what they have and not who they are. On the other hand, many in the religious or spiritual world sometimes are also disconnected with economic or social reality where they live or work. Many mega church leaders from various denominations live lavishly although their members or followers are living from paycheck to paycheck. The opulence dis-
played in many churches and even catacombs are so lavish that sometimes it is an anomaly as just walking distance from those expensive marbles and gold are homeless people. They represent the Lazarus of our era, who are the poorest of the poor. Quite a sad commentary about our society today, but it is a reality especially in cities like New York or Los Angeles. Since biblical times, these human ironies existed and the desire to have that just society has always been. To eliminate this unjust human condition remains a lofty goal! Yet, it seems it is just chasing the wind! *** In a recent retreat, one topic that penetrated many hearts was a simple question: “What is a good life?” The priest spoke on the subject from his perspective for about 30 minutes, then followed by 30 minutes in solitude, 45 minutes in a smaller group sharing, and culminated by another 30-minute homilylike lecture from the Franciscan priest. What a spirited and lively discussion we had! As this was a retreat exclusively designed for men only and mostly Catholic Christians, it dawned on me that despite of being the only Filipino, it was irrelevant as there was an obvious common bond, that inexplicable living spirit that dwells within all of us which craves for that rare oil to fine-tune our beings, regardless of one’s nationality, culture or educational background.
Health, family, friends, church, peace, comfort and freedom do not have any nationality or color. These things do exist and they are in the top of every body’s bucket list. Surprisingly, in general discussions and the last sharing session, material things were not even written on the whiteboard in the TOP 10 desired to have a good life. That brings to mind Shakespearian words in “The Merchant of Venice” that expressed a universal truth to this day: “All that glitter is not gold, often have you heard that told.” Even Mark 8:36 warned that, “For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world but loses his own soul.” Important food for both the body and spirit are a must daily. Like the priest in our retreat, this writer challenges you to please answer these: “WHAT IS REALLY THE GOOD LIFE? “What really matters most in my life?” with utmost candor and sincerity. The honest answers might surprise you and may cause a dramatic change of what you do next to aspire to have a happier, more balanced and fulfilled life. Hope is eternal. The ideal is always in front of us. And yes, it is never too late while we are alive. Good luck and God bless and grant you your prayers!
*** Email: ernie.delfin@gmail.com websites: www.gkerc.org www.edelfin.globalgn.com
SSS releases over P49M for pension loan...
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Panaderos (Mandaluyong), Manila, Makati-Gil Puyat, Alabang, Naga, Dagupan, Baguio, Ilagan, Bacoor, Binan, Cebu, Tacloban, Iloilo Central, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, General Santos, and Zamboanga. The SSS said additional 14 SSS branches in the National Capital Region have started accepting PLP applications on September 19, namely Batasan Hills, Fairview, Cubao, Malabon, Antipolo, Marikina, Pasig-Rotunda, San Juan, Binondo, Legarda, Pasay Taft, Makati Ayala, Makati-JP Rizal and Taguig. Meanwhile, it added that the 20 SSS branches in Luzon that will accommodate PLP applicants on September 24 are La Union, Laoag, Cauayan, Tuguegarao, Balanga, Cabanatuan,
Camiling, Pampanga, Malolos, Olongapo, Angeles, Carmona, Lucena. Batangas, Lipa, Puerto Princesa, Legazpi, Daet, Masbate, and Sorsogon. SSS branches in Visayas and Mindanao, namely Lapu-Lapu, Tagbilaran, Talisay, Ormoc, Bacolod, Dumaguete, Kalibo, Roxas, Butuan, Iligan, Dacao Ilustre, Tagum, Toril, Koronadal, Dipolog, and Pagadian will also start accepting PLP applications on September 24. Qualified retiree pensioners are those 80 years old and below at the end of the month of loan term, have no outstanding loan balance and benefit overpayment payable to SSS, have no advance pension under the SSS Calamity Package, and have been receiving their regular monthly pensions for at least six months.
The minimum loan amount for qualified pensioners was twice the amount equivalent to their basic monthly pension and the additional P1,000 benefit. On the other hand, the maximum loanable amount is six times their basic monthly pension plus the additional P1,000 benefit, not exceeding a total of P32,000. The loan carries an interest rate of 10 percent per annum until fully paid, computed on a diminishing principal balance, which shall become part of the monthly amortization. The loan repayment term of the loanable amount will be payable in three, six, or 12 months depending on the multiple of the loan amount and will be deducted from the monthly pension of the borrower. n
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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - September 26, 2018
The Pinay Uprising of #BabaeAko Fostering empowerment in the Filipino community and women’s rights by Rae
ann VaRona / AJPress
IN the Asian Americans Advancing Justice building in Downtown Los Angeles, over 100 people filled up the first floor meeting room to rally for the rights of women in the Philippines. At the front of the room, the words #BabaeAko (I Am Woman) were lit on the projector screen. “It’s important that we have spaces like this,” rapper Ruby Ibarra told the Asian Journal after an energy charged performance on September 9. “It’s important to engage in conversation in our communities, and help spread awareness of what’s going on back home.” The event, called “Pinay Uprising,” was created to support the emerging women led #BabaeAko movement in the Philippines by fostering empowerment in the Filipino community through stories and shared experiences of
Filipina women. Ibarra, who moved to the Bay Area from Tacloban City, Philippines at the age of four, pumped the crowd up with her songs “Here” which talks about the Filipina immigrant experience, and “Playbill$” which talks about the immigrant working experience and includes lines in the Filipino dialects of Waray and Tagalog. Joining her in the unofficial Filipina empowerment anthem “Us” — which originally features Filipina rappers Rocky Rivera, Klassy, and Faith Santilla — was Silakbo Sa Miktinig, a group of young female rappers in their early to late teens. Similar to the #MeToo movement that has been burning through the U.S., Europe, and across the world, the #BabaeAko movement too has been picking up steam.
In June, TIME named the women of the movement as one of the top 25 most influential people on the internet. American actress Rosario Dawson in July publicly showed solidarity with the movement. While the #MeToo movement has toppled down men from across the industries of entertainment to those in government, the women of #BabaeAko have put a big focus on Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte who aside from being criticized for human rights violations through his controversial war on drugs, has also developed a reputation for candidly making rape jokes and misogynistic comments since taking office in 2016. Earlier this month, Duterte defended his latest rape joke by saying he was simply exercising his freedom of expression. “These critics, you just say many were raped in Davao. I said because maybe there are many beautiful women in Davao. I didn’t say all of them were raped,” Duterte said in Filipino during his recent trip to Israel. “But you are almost mesmerized or tempted kasi that’s how you control yourself. It is a democracy. Freedom of expression,” he added. Duterte first got backlash over a rape joke during his 2016 presidential campaign when he joked about an Australian missionary, who was raped before being killed, as having been so beautiful that the mayor should have been first in line. Duterte also made international headlines when he gave his soldiers permission to rape up to three women amid concerns over
martial law in the southern city of Marawi. But on May 20, women in the Philippines — headed by a dozen of activists and artists — took to the streets and social media in starting the #BabaeAko movement. “Let’s face it. There are a lot of cultural barriers for women of color,” said actress and model Giselle “G” Tongi who along with actresses Minerva View and Arianna Basco performed a reading from a collection of stories based off of actual experiences of women in the Philippines. Tongi, also acts as a spokeswoman for the Malaya Movement which organized the event and is comprised of other grassroots movements looking to spread awareness of Filipino issues and hold the president accountable for human rights violations. “Particularly for Filipinos, there’s a layer of cultural submissiveness and historically we have been asked to be quite about a lot of these issues.” The reading, entitled “Breaking the Silence,” shed light on the different perspectives women in the Philippines on the issue of reproductive health rights and abortion. Other performances depicted the experiences of working women in the Philippines, specifically those of NutriAsia which has been receiving backlash after numerous workers and journalists were injured and arrested for picketing against low wages and poor working conditions. On the difference between the #MeToo and #BabaeAko movements, Tongi cited the historical roots of the Philippines. “I think the #MeToo move-
Long Beach-based journalist Hyasmin Saturay, shares stories of NutriAsia workers and her experiences of covering the NutriAsia picketers.
Filipina women perform pieces of music, theatre, and poetry at the Pinay Uprising event on Sunday, September 9 in Downtown Los Angeles.
Bay Area rapper Ruby Ibarra performs her songs “Here,” “Playbill$,” and “Us” at the Pinay Uprising even in Downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, September 9. AJPress photos by Rae Ann Varona
Arianna Basco, Giselle “G” Tongi, and Minerva Vier perform a reading piece entitled “Breaking the Silence,” which is based off the actual experiences and thoughts of women regarding abortion in the Philippines.
ment definitely sparked the #BabaeAko movement, but the difference is that as women of color and as Filipinas, there are historical roots that make it important for us to speak out as a Filipina,” said Tongi. “That’s very different from the #MeToo movement.” She pointed out how many Filipinas still don’t have access to education, or access to services for issues like reproductive health. “There are things that as FIlipinas, don’t talk about,” said Tongi. “We need to talk about reproductive rights. We
Members of Gabriel South Bay perform a spoken word piece about the NutriAsia women workers in the Philippines.
Young rap group Silakbo sa Miktinig performs at the Pinay Uprising event with an original composition.
need to change the mindset of Filipinos that they are are not just childbearing women, or that they’re supposed to work.” One specific issue Tongi brought up was that of incestuous rape which the president’s daughter and current mayor of Davao Sara Duterte admitted was particularly high in her city. For Ibarra, the timing of the movement in part came hand in hand with the new generation of strong and vocal young people who have been harnessing resources like social media to bring awareness. “We see the rise of these movements, because we luckily have resources like social media to amplify our voices, and we have a lot artists too who are talking about it in their music,” said Ibarra, naming other rappers like Bambu, Rocky Rivera, and Blue Scholars. “I think we’re in a great time in our community right now where a lot of people are willing to listen and are willing to engage in those conversations, not only amongst our peers, but engaging in dialogue with our parents, our auties, our lolas — the generations before us, and making sure they’re they’re also informed with what’s going on,” said Ibarra. “We just need to continue to be resilient.”
Carlo, Angelica say yes to second chances
by MaRidol
Rañoa-BisMaRk Philstar.com
Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach gets her hair matched with samples by artists of Madame Tussauds Hong Kong.
Pia Wurtzbach becomes first Filipino to get Madame Tussauds figure by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
FORMER Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach makes history again as the first Filipino to be immortalized as a wax figure at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong. Wurtzbach, who recently went through the MTHK sitting where they took up detailed measurements of the beauty queen and photos of her from every angle to capture the perfect reference, took the news to Instagram. “I have a big announcement! Starting early next year, I’ll be residing in Hong Kong! Well, my wax figure will! So excited to be the first Filipino part of Madame Tussauds! What a birthday treat! Please visit me there. Will be waiting for you!,” her post read.
Madame Tussauds General Manager Jenny You said, “Leading up to this moment, we of course did our own research, and this is our way to showing the Filipino community living and visiting Hong Kong as well as our neighbor SEA cities that we heard them well. With Pia’s sweet, positive and fun personality, we really could not have imagined having anyone but her to represent the Philippines in this way.” “More than being a queen, she has all the makings of an icon and we’re proud to be able to house her wax figure at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong for the rest of the world to be able to interact with,” she added. “When I found out, I was so excited. I couldn’t believe it! In my head, this is some-
thing only happens to big stars. I go to Madame Tussauds, so I know what it’s like and how fun it is there. And now, thinking that I’m going to be one of them, I’m very honored, I’m very grateful, and I can’t wait to see it,” Wurtzbach said in a press statement. She also told Preview that it gives her “more motivation to keep on doing better” and “just keep representing the Philippines as best as I can even after Ms. Universe.” Madame Tussauds is a wax museum that first opened in Europe back in 1835. It has since opened museums in major cities all over the world. Wurtzbach’s wax figure is slated to be unveiled in early 2019. She will be joining the likes of Michael Jackson, Barack Obama, Anne Hathaway, and many more.
SECOND chances? Why not? This is what ex-lovers Carlo Aquino and Angelica Panganiban, also known as CarGel to fans, are saying with the way they treat each other, even in public. Angelica cracks jokes – sometimes with Carlo as the target – and the latter does not mind. He brings his mom to her house to pick up Sinta, his pet cat, after returning from a trip abroad, and she prepares a meal for mother and son. Angelica and Carlo’s mom hug each other tight as proof of how much they miss each other after all these years. “It is us (Carlo and I) who parted ways. Not his family and me,” Angelica explained at the press con of their reunion film, “Exes Baggage,” launching project of ABS-CBN Films’ new brand, Black Sheep. The two were sweethearts not once, but twice. The first time around was when they were barely out of their teens and just starting in showbiz via the youth-oriented TV series “G-mik.” The second time happened at an undisclosed moment. Angelica recalled their last break-up as if it were only yesterday. Carlo dropped her off at her doorstep. He was inconsolable. “He was so angry. He let out all his feelings by hitting his car. He didn’t know if he
Carlo Aquino and Angelica Panganiban
was doing the right thing.” She knew he was about to call it quits. So, she invited friends over at home so she can have lots of shoulder to cry on. By the time she closed the door, Angelica had her support system to pull her through. Carlo, so he recalled, had no one to turn to. But they moved on. “You realize you’re wrong, you’re not perfect. So you forgive yourself, and you forgive the other person,” said Angelica. “You look for happiness, not necessarily from the other person,” Carlo chimed in. This way, they do not carry excess baggage when it comes to each other. Carlo and Angelica can tease each other, and literally lean on each other. Carlo stretched his arm at
Photo from Instagram/@black_sheepph
the back of Angelica’s seat while they were fielding questions from media for “Exes Baggage.” Angelica, meanwhile, draped her hand on Carlo’s knee. She admitted she only agreed to the project because Carlo happened to be her leading man. Angelica knows their fans have waited so long to see her and Carlo together on screen again. And she is excited for them. This overshadows whatever fears she has about the boxoffice performance of “Exes Baggage.” “I want to put a stop to their waiting,” she said. “I’m more concerned about this than how the audience will receive the film. I’m confident about the film because I saw the scenes and I’m proud of what we did.” Continued on Page 5
Stars react to proposal to change national anthem lyrics by Jan
Milo Severo Philstar.com
CELEBRITIES have turned to social media to share their views on the proposal to change the lyrics of the national anthem “Lupang Hinirang.” Comedian and TV host Vice Ganda first posted on his Twitter account: “E kung palitan na lang yung last line ng national anthem ng ‘Ang matraffic ng dahil sa’yo’??!! Mas keri ba?” Then, at the “Tawag ng Tanghalan” segment on “It’s Showtime” on Saturday, September 22, the TV host again blasted the idea, saying: “Sa sobrang dami nilang ginagawa, naisip nilang palitan yata ang huling linya ng national anthem.” “Pinagdedebatehan ngayon iyan ng karaniwang tao, kung bakit papalitan ang last line ng national anthem. Sa dinami-dami ng nangyayari ngayon, ha, napansin nila yun... ‘Ay, hindi pala maganda
Ogie Diaz
‘yung line, palitan natin.’ Ba’t ‘yung trapik hindi niyo napansin? ‘Yun na lang ang palitan niyo kaya?” Vice added. “Papalitan daw ‘yung, ‘Ang mamamatay ng dahil sa ’yo.’ Bakit hindi na lang ang mamatay dahil sa trapik? Ang mamatay dahil sa mataas na bilihin? Ang mamatay ng dahil sa bukbok ng NFA? Lahat na
Inquirer.net photos
lang pinapalitan, nakakaloka!” The video clip became instantly viral in different fan pages on Facebook. On his Facebook account, comedian and radio commentator Ogie Diaz asked that if the national anthem will be revised, will the real problem of the Philippines be solved? “’Pag pinalitan na po ba
entertainment
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - September 26, 2018
ang linyang yon sa Lupang Hinirang, bababa na po ang inflation? Mababawasan na ba ang lumalagong bilang ng corrupt officials?” he asked. “Magkakaisa na ba ang DDS, Dilawan at yung mga worried at concerned lang naman? Kung mangyayari po ito, nako, kahit po ‘Ama Namin’ at ‘Hail Mary,’ palitan nyo na rin po ang mga linya,” he added. On the other hand, TV host Bianca Gonzalez-Intal posted on her Twitter account a brief statement regarding the suggested change of lyrics. “With all due respect, no thank you to changing our national anthem lyrics,” she wrote. Meanwhile, singer Yeng Constantino said on her YouTube channel that the last line of the national anthem is not “defeatist.” “Hindi siya defeatist. It’s the greatest thing you could do for someone. Kaya nga natin hini-hail yung mga heroes, e,” she said.
Bianca Gonzalez-Intal
Yeng Constantino
“Kung papalitan, mas mababaw siya kasi mas matindi ‘yung you will die for your country. That is more heroic than just fighting… Kung na-
kakapagsalita ang Motherland natin, sobra siguro siyang touched na sabihin natin sa kanya na, ‘I am willing to die for you’,” she said.
entertainment The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - September 26, 2018
Heart Evangelista stuns at Ferragamo show in Milan Fashion Week by Jan
Milo severo
Philstar.com
KAPUSO actress Heart Evangelista continues to make a mark in the fashion industry as she recently graced Milan Fashion Week and was even given a shout-out as one of Salvatore Ferragamo’s special guests. “On point. @hannah_quinlivan, @iamhearte, @philippacoulthard and @vousmevoyez celebrate with us the #FerragamoSS19 Show,” the fashion brand wrote on its Instagram page. Heart was seated beside Eliza Sam, a Canadian actress based in Hong Kong, and South Korean actress and Photo from Instagram/@iamhearte singer Krystal Jung. Other
guests who had a special mention from the fashion brand were Hannah Quinlivan and Philippa Coulthard. Prior to the event, Heart was also a special guest at the recent New York Fashion Week (NYFW) and at Parish Fashion Week last July. In NYFW, Heart was named as among the “favourite faces” of New York label Kate Spade, while she was listed as one of Elle Magazine’s “best dressed” at Harper’s Bazaar Icons Party. Kevin Kwan, who wrote the novel that serves as basis for Hollywood movie “Crazy Rich Asians,” described Heart as the “modern-day incarnation of Audrey Hepburn” and “the real crazy rich Asian.”
Claudine wants out of movie contract by riCky
Calderon ManilaTimes.net
IS it true that Claudine Barretto is asking to be released from her contract with Viva Films? If it is, then what happens now to the movie that she is supposed to do with ex-boyfriend Mark Anthony Fernandez and director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo? With big plans to shoot the movie in Georgia, what would’ve been a very interesting reunion movie for these often troubled actors has yet to start shooting. As previously reported, it was Claudine herself who took Mark Anthony to Viva’s offices and initiated the idea of their team-up’s comeback movie. So why does she want out then? According to Roving Eye’s source, Claudine told Viva she just doesn’t want to do the movie anymore, consequently giving the film studio a difficult time. Continued the source, the actress is getting impatient because the project is taking forever to begin shooting. The script, apparently, is still being written. “We‘ve heard that Claudine is getting impatient, but we want to present her a good script. We have a very good story for her. Sayang kung ‘di niya mahintay,” the source
Accept the truth: AlDub is extinct!
Martin in their hopeful entry to this year’s MMFF. Coco’s nightly TV series “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” is, of course, WHO says that only in politics does an impassioned citizen Alden Richards’ rival show over at GMA. see a fragmented nation? In a recent interview with In showbiz, fans have seen Maine, the AlDub netizens the so-called AlDub nation got even more provoked after crumble as they accuse Maine the actress laid her options Mendoza (aka Yaya Dub) to be open about doing a guest apthe cause of its disintegration, pearance in the long-running worse, extinction. teleserye. The tone of Maine’s open Simply for saying “Tingnan letter which she had published natin (Let’s see)” twice, irate in social media over a year Aldenatics labeled Maine as ago more than indicated her “walang delicadeza at utang na wanting to break loose from the loveteam. She just couldn’t loob.” Let Vignettes share its two stand the pressures and the expectations of having to smile cents’ take on this. For the fans, to think that even if she wanted to frown. And yes, even to the extent the AlDub loveteam still exists to this day is a complete denial of faking her feelings toward of an obvious truth. If it were Alden Richards where there a word in the dictionary, it cerhonestly none at all to begin tainly is obsolete; if an animal, with. extinct. The Dubsmash Queen has If this is the premise, been getting the flak anew, this Vignettes believes that Maine time for partnering with Coco by ronnie
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won’t be held liable for committing contractual infractions with regard to her guesting if ever. Moreover, Maine’s cameo exposure is inevitably part of the whole movie promo package as is Coco’s possible guesting on “Eat Bulaga” where his major co-star Vic Sotto is host. A showbiz insider couldn’t help but remark: “Hindi imposibleng kahit walk-on lang, e, mag-guest si Maine sa teleserye ni Coco. Di ba, tambakan naman yun ng mga artista kahit laos na? Saka ke lumabas dun si Maine o hindi, will she help Alden’s show rate higher than Coco’s?” As of press time, Yassi Pressman, Coco’s love interest in the teleseries and a self-confessed fan of Maine, was quoted to have said she couldn’t wait for the latter’s guest appearance.
Dingdong, Marian expecting baby No. 2 by Christina
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Claudine Barretto
quoted an unnamed insider. As per schedule, the movie begins rolling in November. As of press time, meanwhile, Viva has yet to act on Claudine’s demand so there may still be a possibility for the reunion with Mark Anthony to happen. By the way, also left hang-
A NEW “royal baby” is on the way. Actors Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera – dubbed as local show business’ royal couple – confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that they were expecting a second baby. On her Instagram account Photo from Instagram/@claubarretto @marianrivera, the 34-year-old actress posted a photo of her ing in the air is Claudine’s sup- sonogram with the text “We’re posed tell-all book, also under expecting!” Viva, about the highs and lows Accompanying the photo of her life that are still unbewas the caption, “ My heart knownst to the public. The overflows with gratitude and release date of July—the achumility. Dong and I, with our tress’ birth month—has been Zia, have been gifted with the pushed back for reasons still miracle of life!” pending a reply from Roving “Looking forward to meetEye’s query. ing our ‘little one’ soon,” Rivera added. She also wittily added the hashtags #YesAnotherDantes #BigSisZia #YESmayIsaNanamangDantes #4DnaKami #Yesenthused. Angelica joked that he took ImBuntis to her post. Meanwhile, husband a two-minute nap in the middle Dantes also confirmed Rivera’s of the press con, and then, he pregnancy coupled with his ofjoined everyone in the outficial announcement regarding burst that followed. She told rumors that he will be running him, “the door is still open,” (for his romantic moves) before for a government post. “Marami ang nagtatanong shooting wraps up in a few kung tatakbo ako sa darating days. His poker face said he na eleksyon, at marami rin ang knows her too well to react. humihingi ng pormal na sagot,” By the time the press con he began his lengthy message was almost over, it was pretty obvious that Carlo let Angelica on his Instagram @dongdantes. (A lot of people are askdo most of the talking. It is ing if I will be running in the also obvious that they share coming elections and a lot of the same wavelength on a people are also waiting for a couple of things. formal answer.) “You shouldn’t give up on The actor then admitted anyone. You should always that his stint as Commissionergive him a chance if he wants to change or if he’s looking for at-Large of the National Youth Commission and his volunteer hope,” said Angelica. works for YesPinoy Foundation “If love is still there, don’t and YesPH Community Develstop it. Loving someone is the best feeling there is,” Carlo added. Lest their fans get some ideas, CarGel clarified they are just friends. Angelica is happy for his success, because “you deserve it.” “Go for gold,” she urged her ex. Carlo is grateful Angelica by MJ Marfori broke her own rules and did ManilaTimes.net “Exes Baggage” even if she just started taping the telAFTER the momentous eserye “Playhouse” opposite 11th anniversary of Gabay Guro Zanjoe Marudo. recently where Sharon Cuneta Carlo knows taping a and Gabby Concepion were in teleserye and shooting a film an event together for thouis exhausting, and Angelsands of teachers, now we talk ica’s weight dropped due to about Gabby and his concern fatigue. But such is friendship for his first child KC Concep– and a shared past. You give cion who is living her best life time and exert effort to help with new French boyfriend each other. Pierre-Emmanuel Plassart. This makes CarGel an ideal KC already mentioned peg for any couple who have Emmanuel to Gabby and here loved and lost, but are willing was what her father had to to move on and make the best say, “I hope sila na and I would of their separate lives. like to wish them the best. As for bringing back the Pag bata tayo marami tayong romance, Angelica spoke up nadadaanan sa buhay. We again. She will not let pressure either fall in love or fall in love from those who want to see with love. We just get lonely them back in each other’s arms and think this is love and this is push them into renewing their it but nothing is sure sa mundo relationship. na ito.” Gabby did not want The deafening silence that to sound like negative but KC followed said her words have is in the right age to decipher taken a life of its own. CarGel’s what she wants and who she story is not yet over. wants to spend her life with.
Carlo, Angelica say yes...
From Page 3 Confidence is a trait Angelica developed over the years. Carlo marvels at how she bloomed from a quiet girl to a confident woman who sees humor, even in serious situations.
Maine Mendoza with Vic Sotto (left) and Coco Martin (right) at the story conference of the MMFF 2018 entry, ‘#JackEmPopoy: The Police Credables.’
“She’s a happy soul. You feel her jokes, and get carried away.” Thanks to her, Carlo admitted he learned to be more patient, and look at things in a better light. “I’ve learned to value every moment,” he
Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera
opment have inspired him to continue serving the country. “Pero naniniwala ako na ang pagiging ‘public servant’ ay isang mabigat na responsibilidad na dapat pinag-aaralan, pinaghahandaan, at higit sa lahat, ipinagdarasal.” (But I believe that being a public servant is a heavy responsibility that should be studied, get ready for, and most of all, prayed over.) As such, Dantes said he underwent discernment through prayers and said he received God’s response “in the most surprising and beautiful way.” “Natupad na rin ang matagal nang dasal naming magasawa, lalung-lalo na ni Zia,” he continued. (Our prayers, especially that of Zia’s, have been answered.) The 38-year-old also wrote that the pregnancy news was a clear indication that he should give his all to his growing family. “My discernment revealed what is truly important in my
Photo from Instagram/@dongdantes
life – panahon ito para suportahan ang padadalang-tao ng aking asawa.” ( . . . this is the time for me to support my wife’s pregnancy.) Thanking his friends and supporters who have been pushing him to run, Dantes said he would continue his humble service to the public albeit in a different form and level in the future. Finally, Dantes asked for prayers of protection and good healthy for his family, especially Rivera’s second pregnancy. As of posting time, no further details – how far the actress was in her pregnancy or the gender of their upcoming baby, among other details – have been added. The couple welcomed their first child, Maria Letizia in November 2015. Their wedding meanwhile, hogged the headlines and was declared as one of the most glamorous weddings in local show business.
Gabby Concepcion gets serious about the love talk with daughter KC
KC and Gabby Concepcion
Gabby believes that KC is having fun but he is not sure about the level of commitment her daughter put in this new relationship, “If it is then I am happy for her.” You can’t blame Gabby for some hint of skepticism given KC’s colorful lovelife. He just
wishes her daughter all the best in the love department, “I am happy that she found love and that she is in love and I am happy for any of my children if they will be in love. My only wish is that the person will love them back the same and that is important.”
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - September 26, 2018
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - September 26, 2018