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OCTOBER 8-14, 2020

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Volume 31 - No. 40 • 16 Pages

Tel: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879

Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

Fil-Am voters weigh in following VP debate

by CHRISTINA

M. ORIEL

AJPress

A fly that landed on Vice President Mike Pence’s head and California Sen. Kamala Harris’ various smirks and “I’m speaking, Mr. Vice President” sound bite set social media abuzz following the only 2020 vice presidential debate on Wednesday, October 7.

“Senator Harris was abrasive and condescending. It was disheartening that the liberals focused their attention on a fly on VP Pence[’s] hair instead of California Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, and Vice President what he was saying,” said Rudy Mike Pence squared off on Wednesday, October 7 for the only vice presidential debate before Asercion, an elected member of the November 3 general election.

Photo courtesy of C-Span

USA

DATELINE Public warned: Beware of COVID-related scams FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

AS the pandemic continues, individuals are advised to stay vigilant against the COVID-related scams currently spreading — from websites peddling fraudulent virus cures to calls pretending to be contract tracers to generous aid promising to clear debt.

To date, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has received over 206,000 consumer complaints, and recorded some $146 million in losses.

Among the common scams right now include individuals ordering personal protective equipment like face masks, thermometers, and hand sanitizers. Customers would reportedly receive tracking notices, but the packages never ended up arriving.

Scams related to online shopping make up a majority of the reports from Riverside and San Bernardino counties, according to the FTC. “That is what keeps me up at night. At a

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New ruling: 2020 Census must continue until Oct. 31 A FEDERAL judge ordered that the 2020 Census counting efforts must continue through the end of the month, not October 5.

This comes after the Census Bureau was found violating a previous order that had moved the decennial enumeration through the end of October 31.

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in Northern California, in an order on Thursday, October 1, said that “perhaps the most egregious violation” of her previous injunction last week was when the Census Bureau on Monday, Sept. 28 tweeted that the deadline would be Oct. 5.

“The Secretary of Commerce has announced a target date of October 5, 2020 to conclude 2020 Census self-response and field data collection operations,” the bureau said in a tweet on Monday before a virtual hearing following up on Koh’s preliminary injunction.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross pushed Oct. 5 as a “target date” to end the enumeration in order to deliver the first set of census results to President Donald Trump by Dec. 31, according to NPR.

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DEVICE TEST. A parent tests the tablet camera with the help of a non-teaching school staff member to ensure it works for the children during the distribution of tablets at Juan Sumulong High School, Cubao, Quezon City on Wednesday, October 7. The Quezon City Government said the tablets are part of the P2.9-billion supplemental budget approved by the Quezon City Local School Board.

PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

White House doctor: Trump ‘symptom-free’ for over 24 hours

by AJPRESS PRESIDENT Donald Trump is reportedly feeling “great” and has gone 24 hours without any coronavirus symptoms, the White House’s top doctor said on Wednesday, October 7, two days after the president was discharged from the hospital.

Dr. Sean Conley, in a memo released by the White House on Wednesday, said that the President Donald Trump greets supporters during a drive by outside of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on president’s physical exam and Sunday, Oct. 4.

Official White House photo by Tia Dufour vital signs, as well as his oxygen

saturation and respiratory rate, “all remain stable and in normal range.”

“He’s now been fever-free for more than 4 days, symptom-free for over 24 hours, and has not needed nor received any supplemental oxygen since initial hospitalization,” Conley’s statement added.

The memo added that the president’s blood work from Monday showed “detectable levels” of COVID antibodies.

On Monday night, October

5, the president returned to the White House after a three-day stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The 74-year-old president arrived on the White House’s South Lawn after a 10-minute flight on Marine One and made his way up the stairs, where he removed his white surgical mask, and posed for photos before retreating inside.

Before being discharged from the hospital, Trump downplayed the virus that has killed more than

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Nevada Dems unveil Tagalog PH to cooperate with UNHRC to address EJK, human rights violations voter protection hotline

by CHRISTINA

M. ORIEL

AJPress

FILIPINO American voters in Nevada who need in-language support before they cast their ballots can now call a Tagalog voter protection hotline.

This new resource announced on Monday, October 5 is the latest effort from the Nevada State Democratic Party to reach and engage with the Fil-Am community, which makes up the largest Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) group in the Silver State.

“It’s critical that we earn the support of

Fil-Am voters, who make up the fastestgrowing group in Nevada’s AAPI community. Nevada Democrats have long prioritized reaching AAPI voters and have provided election materials and training sessions in Tagalog in the past,” Nevada Biden for President spokesperson Stefanie Lao told the Asian Journal in an email.

By calling the hotline at 888-525-VOTE (8683), Fil-Am voters can be connected to a volunteer in English or Tagalog to ask questions about how to register to vote before the deadline, locating a polling place, or where to drop off their vote-by-mail ballot.

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PH Bureau of Immigration: Travel restrictions still in place

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

TRAVEL restrictions to enter the Philippines are still in effect as the pandemic continues, the country’s Bureau of Immigration (BI) reminded the public on Wednesday, October 7.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente stressed that only Filipinos, their foreign spouses and children who are minors are allowed to enter the country.

Likewise, foreign children with special needs of Filipinos, foreign parents of minor Filipinos, and foreign parents of Filipino children with special needs may enter the country.

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

MALACAÑANG on Thursday, October 8, welcomed the resolution passed by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that offers assistance in addressing the extrajudicial killings and human rights violations in the Philippines.

“We are thankful for the UN Human Rights Council. Tama po naman iyong kanilang ginawang resolution (The resolution they made is correct),” said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

The resolution, adopted on Wednesday, requests High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet to support the Philippines “in its continued fulfillment of its in-

ternational human rights obligations and commitments.”

The assistance will focus on domestic investigative and accountability measures, data gathering on alleged police violations, engagement with civil society and the Commission on Human Rights, national mechanisms for reporting and followup, counterterrorism legislation, and human rights-based approaches to drug control.

The resolution also urges member states, relevant UN agencies and other stakeholders to “encourage and support technical cooperation between the Philippine government and OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights).”

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Morente also said that foreigners are required to secure an entry visa from Philippine embassies or consulates prior to their arrival.

The reminders came after an online petition urged the government to allow foreigners to reunite with their Filipino partners.

“We acknowledge the petition of the #LoveisNotTourism movement, and we understand how difficult it must be to be separated from your loved one,” Morente said.

“But this is a temporary measure. We trust the wisdom of the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force), and we are ready to implement immediately, should there be any changes in travel restrictions,” he added.

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Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque

PNA photo

A

http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678

OctOber 8-14, 2020 • LAS VeGAS ASIAN JOUrNAL

Fil-Am voters weigh in...

PAGE A1 the San Francisco Republican County Central Committee.

But amid the viral moments, other viewers found the vice presidential debate less chaotic than last week’s event between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee, and that it gave the American public an opportunity to hear from their running mates before the November 3rd election.

“Pence’s performance was better than Trump’s so I can say that…But if you listen to his substance, he really has a distorted view of what happened in reality,” said Irene Bueno, a government relations consultant and former official in the Clinton administration. “If you are already leaning towards Trump and Pence, then you think that he performed well, but if you are the average American voter who’s been looking at what’s been happening these last four years, you could see that Pence was just trying to spin you a truth that did not exist.”

Bueno praised Harris for “keeping her cool” despite instances of being interrupted by the vice president.

“What the American people saw was someone who is intelligent, firm, prepared, believes in science, and someone who could really step into the shoes to be president if that should happen,” she added.

Pence and Harris squared off at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City for their only 90-minute debate wherein they touched on issues, such as the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and the Supreme Court vacancy. Debate moderator Susan Page, Washington Bureau Chief for USA Today, reminded the candidates that they had two minutes interrupted to respond to each question.

From the start, the ongoing pandemic took center stage on Wednesday night as the death toll has risen to more than 210,000 Americans with over 7.5 million positive cases. The two candidates were separated by two plexiglass dividers and were seated 12 feet apart as a reminder of the new normal.

“The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country,” Harris said in her opening remarks, referring to the current administration’s management of COVID-19.

Pence, who is the head of the White House’s coronavirus task force, defended the administration’s response and said that the president acted early on, such as suspending “all travel from China.” He also alleged that the Biden-Harris campaign’s coronavirus plan “looks a little bit like plagiarism” and mirrors what the administration has already done.

“When you say what the American people have done over these last eight months hasn’t worked, that’s a great disservice to the sacrifices the American people have made,” the vice president said in response to Harris’ criticism. “The reality is, Dr. Fauci said everything that he told the president in the Oval Office, the president told the American people.”

For Luisa Blue, executive vice president for the SEIU and former registered nurse, the vice president’s answer to the COVID-19 question fell short. She cited how health care workers across the country reported the lack of sufficient personal protective equipment.

“This administration has failed totally — they still call it a ‘hoax.’ They don’t believe in science so they haven’t responded adequately at all,” Blue said following the debate, referencing the U.S.’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization earlier this summer. “This is a pandemic [and] everybody is supposed to work together to come up with a cure, to come up with common standards to apply across the world to tamp down this virus.”

Despite the CARES Act passed in the spring, many Americans are still unemployed and small businesses have had to shutter.

“If [Trump] was smart, he would come to an agreement on a relief package because then he can claim victory that he’s getting money back into the pockets of the American people and he didn’t take that advantage,” Blue said.

With the vacancy left by late

From The FronT Page

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Pence said the “American people really deserve an answer” on court packing, the idea of expanding the Supreme Court to allow more liberal justices to be nominated.

“Joe and I are very clear. The American people are voting right now, and it should be their decision about who will serve on this most important body for a lifetime,” Harris said.

“Another key moment is when Kamala Harris refused to answer Vice President Pence’s question about packing the Supreme Court, this shows how polarization negatively impacts the Democrats and the BidenHarris message of perpetuating radicalism instead of uniting our country over Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination,” said Lisa Noeth, a small business owner in Las Vegas.

Days after the first presidential debate, Trump revealed on Friday, October 2 that he tested positive for COVID-19, and is still recovering at the White House, after spending three days hospitalized.

“Don’t be afraid of Covid.

Don’t let it dominate your life.

We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge.

I feel better than I did 20 years ago!” the president tweeted on Monday, October 5, before he was discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Some voters hoped that going through the experience would change the president’s perspective on the seriousness of the virus.

“When he came out of the hospital, and he said, ‘You know, I learned a lot about COVID because it happened to me,’ I was expecting that his next words would be, ‘We need to take this seriously. We need to wear a mask, we need to have social distancing, we need discipline in order to get this under control,’” Bueno said. “It’s because he got access to treatments that are not accessible to most Americans. So he’s asking people to continue to take risks that he’s continued to support and advocate for since he knew about the virus. He knew it was deadly back in January and PAGE A8

NUMBER CODING. Social Security System (SSS) members line up at the entrance of the SSS branch inside the Central Mall on Emilio Aguinaldo Highway cor. Salitran St., City of Dasmariñas, Cavite on Thursday, October 8. SSS-Dasmarinas implements a number coding scheme to regulate the number of transacting members in compliance with the safe physical distancing policy amid the coronavirus pandemic.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

White House doctor: Trump ‘symptom-free’...

PAGE A1 210,000 individuals and infected over 7 million in the United States since March.

“Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!” the president tweeted on Monday.

In another video posted on Twitter, he said: “One thing’s for certain: Don’t let it dominate you.”

“We have the best medical equipment, we have the best medicines, all developed recently,” Trump continued. “I know there’s a risk, there’s a danger, but that’s OK,” Trump added. “And now I’m better, and maybe I’m immune, I don’t know.”

He will continue to be treated for COVID-19 at the White House, though his physician, Navy Cmdr.

Sean Conley, said the president “may not entirely be out of the woods yet.”

“While he may not be entirely out of the woods yet, the team and I agree that all our evaluations and, most importantly, his clinical status support the president’s safe return home, where he will be surrounded by world-class medical care 24/7,” Conley said.

Early Friday morning, October 2, Trump revealed on Twitter that he and first lady Melania both tested positive for COVID-19 after it was revealed that close adviser Hope Hicks had contracted the virus. Later that day, the president was transferred to Walter Reed “out of an abundance of caution.”

Since his diagnosis, the president’s team of physicians have given him different treatments, including an 8-gram dose of an experimental antibody therapy cocktail made by biotechnology company Regeneron; a five-day course of antiviral drug remdesivir; corticosteroid drug dexamethasone after his oxygen level dropped on Saturday; and supplemental oxygen.

“And after about a minute on only two liters, his saturation levels were back over 95%. He stayed on that for about an hour maybe, and was off and gone,” Conley said on Saturday, October 3.

On Sunday afternoon, October 4, Trump, wearing a black cloth mask, briefly left his presidential suite aboard a black SUV to wave to supporters who gathered outside the medical center.

Prior to this, the president said he “learned a lot about COVID.” “I learned it by really going to school. This is the real school,

this isn’t the let’s-read-the-book school. And I get it, and I understand it, and it’s a very interesting thing, and I’m going to be letting you know about it,” he said in a video posted on Twitter.

The event was slammed by critics as irresponsible as it put two Secret Service agents with the president at risk.

“That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack,” Dr. James P. Phillips, an emergency medicine physician affiliated with Walter Reed, wrote on Twitter. “The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures.

The irresponsibility is astounding.

My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play.”

Other White House staff who have tested positive for COVID19 include senior adviser Stephen Miller, who tested positive on Tuesday; press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who revealed her diagnosis in a statement on Monday; and Nick Luna, personal attendant to the president. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, who both helped the president with debate preparations, also contracted the virus. n

PH Bureau of Immigration: Travel restrictions...

PAGE A1 Morente also reminded that only foreigners, overseas Filipino workers, permanent visa holders, students enrolled abroad, participants in exchange visitor programs, and those travelling

for essential reasons like medical emergencies are allowed to leave the country.

“Visiting relatives abroad for a vacation is still not considered under essential travel,” he stressed.

“These restrictions were set by the IATF to protect everyone from the threat of COVID19. If your travel is non-essential, it is best to defer it when the pandemic has subsided,” he added. n

Dateline USa

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com

ON A BREAK. No workers can be seen at the construction site at the Philcoa area of the MRT-7 project along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Wednesday, October 7. The 22-kilometer railway project will have 14 stations from North Avenue, Quezon City to San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.

PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.

New ruling: 2020 Census must continue...

PAGE A1 “The decision also risks further undermining trust in the Bureau and its partners, sowing more confusion, and depressing Census participation,” Koh wrote in her ruling on Thursday, Oct. 1.

Last week, the judge said the U.S. Census Bureau must continue its outreach efforts through October 31 in order to have a more accurate count.

Koh — agreeing with civil rights organizations and local governments like Los Angeles that filed a lawsuit against the Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Commerce — said that the current schedule would leave out many minority and hard-to-count communities that have yet to respond.

“An undercount in any locality matters greatly,” the judge wrote in the preliminary injunction on Sept. 24, six days before the initial

Sept. 30 deadline. “Even a small undercount of a subset of the hard to count population would result in the loss of federal funding.”

Koh’s new ruling this week also orders the Census Bureau to send a mass text to every census worker by Friday to let them know the head count will continue through this month.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday, Sept. 30 ruled 2 to 1 letting Koh’s preliminary injunction stand. They argued that ceasing the count “risks undermining” the purpose of the census.

Filipino American Judge Patrick J. Bumatay, who was appointed by Trump, dissented on the ruling.

“Nearly every American’s plans this year have been roiled by the virus,” he wrote. “But it cannot roil the law.”

The once-a-decade enumera-

tion — which can be done by phone (844-330-2020 for English), returning the mailed form, or heading online (my2020census. gov) — measures where individuals live as of April 1, 2020. That includes young children and infants, roommates, and family members or friends staying at the household, even if temporarily.

In addition to English and Spanish, completing the census online or by phone can be done in 11 other languages, including Tagalog (844-478-2020).

The results guide how over $1.5 trillion in federal funding will be allocated to states annually for resources, such as schools, health programs, and infrastructure projects. The data also determines the number of seats each state gets in the House of Representatives and the redrawing of legislative districts. (AJPress)

PH to cooperate with UNHRC to address EJK...

PAGE A1 According to Roque, the resolution is proof that the international body trusts the Philippines’ institutions to address violations against human rights.

“Iyan po ay nagpapakita na nagtitiwala pa rin ang UN Human Rights Council sa mga institusyon para mapanagot po ang mga lumalabag sa karapatang pantao ng ating mga kababayan (That shows that the UN Human Rights Council still trusts the institutions to persecute those who violate the human rights of our citizens),” he said.

The spokesman also assured that the country will cooperate with the UNHRC, admitting that the national government is not

without flaws.

“We will fully cooperate po with the UN Human Rights system, dahil iyan naman po ang gusto natin (because that’s what we want),” Roque said.

“We are not saying we are perfect, kaya nga kung gusto ninyo, huwag na ninyo kaming pulaan, tulungan na lang ninyo kami (We are not saying we are perfect, that’s why if you want, don’t criticize us, help us instead),” he added.

Roque maintained that the government always welcomes cooperation.

“We always welcome cooperation. Ang ayaw lang po ng Presidente iyong pula nang pula, wala namang solusyon ‘no at ito po ay nanggagaling pa doon sa kakilal-

ang kalaban ng ating gobyerno (The president just doesn’t like criticism without offering solutions and they are coming from the opposition),” he said.

“So, we always welcome cooperation with the United Nations on a very important topic such as human rights,” he added.

The resolution was introduced by the Philippines, India, Nepal and non-member states Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Thailand, and Turkey.

It was supported by 40 states including Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Spain, and Switzerland. n

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 8-14, 2020

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Dateline USa

OctOber 8-14, 2020 • LAS VeGAS ASIAN JOUrNAL Karagdagang impormasyon sa Filipino (Tagalog) ay makikita rin sa website ng Lalawigan ng Clark Kagawaran ng Halalan sa: www.clarkcountynv.gov/vote

NOTICE OF EARLY VOTING FOR THE 2020 GENERAL ELECTION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that early voting for the November 3, 2020 General Election will begin on October 17, Saturday, and continues through October 30, Friday. Any voter registered in Clark County is eligible to vote at any early voting location.

The early voting locations, dates, and times are listed below. All voting sites are ADA compliant. For additional information, call the Clark County Election Department at (702) 455-VOTE (8683). The TTY/TDD number is 711. Also check online at www.ClarkCountyNV.gov/vote.

General Election Early Voting Is October 17 (Saturday) to October 30 (Friday), 2020

Any registered voter in Clark County may vote in-person before Election Day at any early voting site. VOTING IS EASY at the 35 convenient early voting sites per day during October 17-30 or on Election Day at any of the over 100 Vote Centers. During early YRWLQJ JR WR ZZZ &ODUN&RXQW\19 JRY 9RWH IRU D OLQN WR DQ LQWHUDFWLYH PRELOH GHYLFH HQDEOHG PDS IRU ÂżQGLQJ WKDW GD\ÂśV QHDUE\ sites and their approximate wait times.

You may also drop-off voted mail ballots in-person at any early voting site during the hours listed in the schedule. Not all locations will be open every day during early voting.

If you decide to vote in-person instead of by mail, you will need to do one of the following: ‡ ,I \RX KDYH \RXU PDLO EDOORW VXUUHQGHU \RXU YRWHG RU XQYRWHG PDLO EDOORW SUHIHUDEO\ LQ WKH SDFNHW VHQW WR \RX WR DQ HOHFWLRQ RI¿FLDO DW WKH YRWLQJ VLWH ‡ ,I \RX GR QRW KDYH \RXU PDLO EDOORW \RX ZLOO VLJQ DQ DI¿UPDWLRQ DW WKH YRWLQJ VLWH VZHDULQJ WKDW \RX KDYH QRW DOUHDG\ YRWHG LQ the current election and that you understand no one may attempt to vote or actually vote more than once in the same election.

LONG-TERM EARLY VOTING SITES

Open Every Day During the 14 Days of Early Voting, Oct. 17-30 LONG-TERM EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS WITH ADDRESSES / CROSS STREETS Hours for All Long-Term Early Voting Sites Are October 17-29 (Saturday-Thursday), 9am-7pm, and October 30 (Last Friday), 9am-8pm

Las Vegas Strip Site at Pebble, EVENT TENT Parking Lot, 8755 S. Las Vegas Blvd. / W. Pebble Rd. Lowe's - Craig / Losee, EVENT TENT Parking Lot, 2570 E. Craig Rd. / Losee Rd.

Arroyo Market Square, EVENT TENT Parking Lot Near the Men’s Wearhouse, CC-215 / S. Rainbow Blvd.

McCarran Marketplace, EVENT TENT Parking Lot near Peter Piper Pizza, S. Eastern Ave. / E. Patrick Ave.

Blue Diamond Crossing, EVENT TENT Parking Lot Between Target and Kohl’s, Blue Diamond Rd. / Arville St.

Meadows Mall, EVENT TENT NEAR DILLARD’S CLEARANCE CENTER Parking Area Yellow 4, 4300 Meadows Ln. / S. Valley View Blvd.

Boulevard Mall, EVENT TENT SOUTH OF APPLEBEE’S Parking Lot South of Applebee’s on Maryland Pkwy., 3528 S. Maryland Pkwy. / E. Desert Inn Rd.

Mountain Crest Community Center, 4701 N. Durango Dr., South of Lone Mountain Rd.

Centennial Center Home Depot, EVENT TENT Home Depot Parking Lot, 7881 W. Tropical Pkwy. / Centennial Center Blvd.

Mountain’s Edge Regional Park, EVENT TENT Parking Lot, 7929 W. Mountain's Edge Pkwy., East of S. Durango Dr.

Cora Coleman Senior Center, 2100 Bonnie Ln. / E. Lake Mead Blvd.

Neighborhood Recreation Center, 1638 N. Bruce St. / North of E. Owens Ave.

Deer Springs Town Center, EVENT TENT Parking Lot Near Home Depot, North 5th St. / E. Deer Springs Way

Nellis Crossing Shopping Center, EVENT TENT Parking Lot Near Target, S. Nellis Blvd. / E. Charleston Blvd.

Desert Breeze Community Center, 8275 Spring Mountain Rd. / S. Cimarron Rd.

Paradise Community Center, 4775 S. McLeod Dr., North of E. Tropicana Ave.

Downtown Summerlin Las Vegas Ballpark, EVENT TENT Aviators South Parking Lot, 1650 S. Pavilion Center Dr.

Parkdale Recreation and Senior Center, 3200 Ferndale St., North of East Desert Inn Rd.

East Las Vegas Community Center, 250 N. Eastern Ave. / Stewart Ave.

Silver Mesa Recreation Center, 4025 Allen Ln. / W. Alexander Rd.

Galleria at Sunset, EVENT TENT NEAR LA-Z-BOY FURNITURE GALLERIES Parking Lot, 1300 W. Sunset Rd., East of N. Stephanie St.

Silver Springs Recreation Center, 1951 E. Silver Springs Pkwy., East of N. Green Valley Pkwy.

Heritage Park Senior Facility, 300 S. Racetrack Rd. / Burkholder Blvd.

Silverado Ranch Plaza, EVENT TENT Parking Lot Near PetsMart, S. Eastern Ave. / E. Silverado Ranch Blvd.

Hollywood Recreation Center, 1650 S. Hollywood Blvd., Between E. Sahara Ave. and E. Charleston Blvd.

Las Vegas Athletic Club - North, EVENT TENT Parking Lot, 6050 N. Decatur Blvd. / W. Tropical Pkwy.

Las Vegas Athletic Club - Northwest, EVENT TENT Parking Lot, 1725 N. Rainbow Blvd., South of Lake Mead Blvd.

Veterans Memorial Leisure Center, 101 N. Pavilion Center Dr., North of Alta Dr. Walnut Recreation Center, 3075 N. Walnut Rd., South of E. Cheyenne Ave. West Flamingo Senior Center, 6255 W. Flamingo Rd. / S. Jones Blvd.

Whitney Community / Recreation Center, 5712 Missouri Ave., West of Boulder Hwy.

SHORT-TERM EARLY VOTING SITES

The sites below are open for a Limited number of days, as listed. Locations, dates, and hours vary.

Boulder City, City Hall 401 California Ave. / Arizona St.

Oct. 17-18 (Sat.-Sun.) 8am-6pm Oct. 19-20 (Mon.-Tue.) 7am-6pm

Mountain Shadows Community Center 9107 Del Webb Blvd. / Crown Ridge Dr.

October 20-22 (Tue.-Thu.) 9am-7pm

CSN Henderson Campus Student Union, 700 College Dr. / Heather Dr.

October 28-29 (Wed.-Thu.) 9am-4:30pm

Nevada State College, Rogers Student Center 1300 Nevada State Dr., Henderson

October 26-27 (Mon.-Tue.) 9am-4:30pm

CSN N. Las Vegas Campus Tyrone Thompson Student Union 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave. / Campus Dr.

October 19-20 (Mon.-Tue.) 8am-6pm

Searchlight Community Center 200 Michael Wendell Way, Searchlight

October 30 (Fri.) 9am-4pm

CSN West Charleston Campus, Student Union 6375 W. Charleston Blvd. / Community College Dr.

October 28-29 (Wed.-Thu.) 8am-6pm

Sun City Anthem Center 2450 Hampton Rd. / Anthem Pkwy.

October 28-29 (Wed.-Thu.) 9am-7pm October 30 (Fri.) 9am-8pm

Desert Vista Community Center 10360 Sun City Blvd. / Thomas W. Ryan Blvd.

October 26-27 (Mon.-Tue.) 9am-7pm

Sun City MacDonald Ranch Community Center 2020 W. Horizon Ridge Pkwy.

East of Green Valley Pkwy.

October 26-27 (Mon.-Tue.) 9am-7pm

Doolittle Senior Center 1930 J St. / W. Lake Mead Blvd.

Oct. 17-23 (Sat.-Fri.) 9am-7pm

Sun City Mesquite 1350 Flat Top Mesa Dr., Mesquite

October 25 (Sun.) 9am-7pm

UNLV Lied Library E. Harmon Ave., East of University Center Dr.

October 21-23 (Wed.-Fri.) 8am-5pm

Dr. William U. Pearson Community Center, Room C 1625 W. Carey Ave., West of Martin Luther King Blvd.

October 24-29 (Sat.-Thu.) 9am-7pm October 30 (Fri.) 9am-8pm

Laughlin Library 2840 S. Needles Hwy., Laughlin

October 23-24 (Fri.-Sat.) 10am-6pm October 25 (Sun.) 11am-5pm

Mesquite Deuce 2 Building 150 N. Yucca St., Mesquite

October 22-24 (Thu.-Sat.) 9am-7pm

Moapa Valley Community Center 320 N. Moapa Valley Blvd., Overton

October 21 (Wed.) 9am-6pm

Dated this 2nd day of October, 2020.

JOSEPH P. GLORIA Registrar of Voters Clark County, Nevada PUB: October 8 and 15, 2020 Asian Journal

http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678

Nevada Dems unveil Tagalog voter...

PAGE A1

“With the stakes so high this election, the Coordinated Campaign believes launching a voter protection hotline in Tagalog is a great way to continue helping voters navigate changes in voting procedures and to make voting as accessible as possible to the Fil-Am community,� Lao added.

The deadline for voter registration by mail or in person was on October 6, but registering online is October 29. Same-day registration is available on Election Day, and registrants must show a valid Nevada driver’s license. “Voters can also receive support for any voting-related issues

they may experience. Volunteers are trained to answer these frequently asked questions in Tagalog,� Lao said, for those who may encounter any issues when voting in person or need assistance getting to the nearest polling location.

Leading up to the November 3 general election, all active registered voters in Nevada will automatically be sent a vote by mail ballot to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Early voting in the state runs from October 17-30. In Clark County, there will be 35 early voting sites during this period, and over 100 vote centers on Election Day, according to the

county’s Election Department.

Voters can also mail their ballots through the U.S. Postal Service or drop them off at certain designated locations.

In addition to the hotline, the state Democratic Party has a website NevadaVotesEarly. com (English) with other resources, such as information about candidates on the ballot.

The party also recently launched its fourth voter activation center in Henderson where voters can pick up in-language campaign materials and voting literature. Other centers are in East Las Vegas, the Historic Westside of Las Vegas, and Reno. n

Public warned: Beware of COVID-related...

PAGE A1

time when so many people are experiencing income insecurity, nobody can afford to lose any money,� said Monica Vaca, associate director for the Division of Consumer Response and Operations in the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, during a recent press briefing. “And yet the data we have shows that people are reporting losing more than $146 million on COVID and stimulus-related problems.�

Further, individuals have complained about receiving text messages with a hyperlink that says they have a package waiting for them. However, experts advise that the link may contain malware or may phish for information. “We don’t know — is there malware in there or is this a link that’s going to take you somewhere to ask for your personal information?� W.J. Murdoch of the FBI said.

With individuals being laid off or furloughed from work, it puts them in a vulnerable position to look for other employment opportunities, especially those that allow them to work safely at home. But officials advise prospective employees to be cautious if a job seems too good to be true. “These con artists are preying on people who are already down.

We’re seeing a lot of reports about phony job offers, where you’re pitched a job as a mystery shopper or as a clerk or to have advertising on your car. And often people think that they’ve landed some kind of a job only to find out later that they were be-

ing scammed,� Vaca said.

One such scheme is the “fake check� scam where individuals are promised that they can work from home and receive a check in the mail. But then, individuals end up with their bank accounts wiped out once they deposit the check, she added.

Despite the alarming number of reports to the FTC, Vaca is hopeful that thousands more Americans can avoid being scammed if they hear about the different schemes out there. “Research that was released last year shows that people are 80% more likely to avoid losing money if they have heard about the scam before,� Vaca said.

Fraudsters will often follow what’s newsworthy and build their schemes around what people are paying attention to, said Maricela Segura, regional director of the FTC’s western region Los Angeles office.

Early on, the FTC tracked over 275 companies that were making false claims of treatment and cures related to COVID-19, and caught scammers promising stimulus checks and other small business relief programs, and to help individuals get out of debt. “Sometimes scammers are posing as part of a federal program that’s built to assist people to get out of debt. They will sometimes ask consumers to pay money in order to get a stimulus check,� Segura said, adding that under the CARES Act, individuals did not have to shell out money in order to receive assistance.

Further, the commission has received complaints about in-

dividuals receiving a call that they’ve come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. “All these folks are attempting to do is to get personal information,� Segura said. “We’re also starting to see scams that are offering to help people who are behind on their mortgage and on other debts all for a very large, upfront fee. Now that’s a red flag of a scam, because such upfront fees for debt relief are illegal under the FTC rules.�

As there is no known cure or vaccine for COVID-19 yet, the rule of thumb that officials are following is whether the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued any guidance around certain remedies. “Generally speaking, if there’s a claim about COVID and it’s not consistent with something that out there on the CDC public guidance, it’s probably a scam,� said Nick Akers, senior assistant attorney general in charge of the consumer law section of the California Department of Justice.

Segura also advised the public to consider how the information is being disseminated. “If we hear of a vaccine or a cure, it will be newsworthy,� she said. “You won’t get it in a text or an email from a company trying to sell you something.�

Individuals who believe they have been victimized by a scam are encouraged to report it by using the online form at www. ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ or can report it to the California Attorney General’s office at www. oag.ca.gov/. (Christina M. Oriel/ AJPress)

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 8-14, 2020

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com

OPINION

Lessons from Trump

A5

FEATURES

HEALTH experts have emphasized it from the start of the pandemic: coronavirus disease 2019 is highly contagious and can strike anyone. But by observing basic health safety protocols that are now known worldwide, it is possible to avoid getting COVID-19.

Now the leader of the world’s lone superpower and biggest economy has contracted the coronavirus, together with his wife. U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania themselves announced their infection on Twitter in the early hours of Friday, October 2.

The infection is significant because Trump has been vocal in downplaying the COVID threat and the need to observe the health protocols, starting with wearing a mask. U.S. media ran video footage of his children Ivanka, Donald Jr., Eric and Tiffany, all wearing face masks as they entered the university pavilion in Cleveland, Ohio where he had his first presidential debate Tuesday night with challenger Joe Biden. The siblings then took off their masks as they settled in their seats. In Trump’s campaign sorties, he has thumbed his nose at those who are stressing the importance of physical distancing.

Some reports said the U.S. president was tested daily for the coronavirus. Clearly, testing is different from avoiding infection. Now the illness has sidelined him for at least a week, into the final stretch of

his campaign for reelection.

The lessons here can be combined with those from other countries that have allowed the full reopening of businesses, particularly bars and dine-in restaurants, only to see a resurgence of the virus, compelling them to reimpose restrictions and shut down businesses again. Health experts have repeatedly warned that the resumption of economic activities must be accompanied by significant boosts in capabilities for COVID testing, contact tracing, isolation and treatment. And in the absence of a vaccine or cure, all health protocols must continue to be observed, including physical distancing, wearing of masks, regular handwashing and disinfection.

These are worth remembering especially with the approach of the Christmas season and increased attendance at church services. The virus has infected even Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the for those who have succumbed to COVID, for the former archbishop of Manila who now occupies recovery of the infected, and for the virus to be a high position in the Vatican. While people pray beaten for good, prayers must be accompanied by

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

active efforts to prevent infection. Healthy people mean more people able to celebrate mass inside churches. (Philstar.com)

Despite COVID-19 infection, Trump has not learned the lessons of empathy, truthfulness and true patriotism

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS PRESIDENT Donald Trump tweeted on Monday, October 5: ”I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good!”

Trump sent this tweet to his followers shortly before making a dramatic exit through the front doors of the hospital, pumping his fist to cameras, NBC News reported.

He said, “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge.

I feel better than I did 20 years ago!”

This tweet from the president created more questions than answers regarding the true condition of Trump’s health on social media.

Did he really test positive with the virus or was it another diversionary tactic after trailing behind Joe Biden in the polls by 13 points as a result of their chaotic and antagonistic first presidential debate?

Was it his desperate way to elicit sympathy, even from his opponent Joe Biden who pulled out all negative ads out of respect for the president, and win sympathy votes?

Was it his way to seal the loyalty of his followers who now demand empathy and sympathy

from critics even when they themselves cheered on Trump when he would, in all cruelty, mock and berate people with illnesses and disabilities?

Was it a diversionary tactic to move national discourse away from the bombshell reporting by the New York Times about Trump’s much-concealed tax returns, showing that Trump “had paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years — largely because he reported losing much more money than he made.”

“As the president wages a re-election campaign that polls say he is in danger of losing, his finances are under stress, beset by losses and hundreds of millions of dollars in debt coming due that he has personally guaranteed. Also hanging over him is a decade-long audit battle with the Internal Revenue Service over the legitimacy of a $72.9 million tax refund that he claimed, and received, after declaring huge losses. An adverse ruling could cost him more than $100 million,” the report continued.

Many wonder how he could have been discharged from the Walter Reed Medical Center and try to claim victory over the coronavirus on Monday, as he returned to the White House, when he only announced that he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive three

days before?

Many question why during his briefing on Sunday, October 4, the Physician to the President Dr. Sean Conley, “acknowledged that he had provided a rosy version of events to please his notoriously sensitive patient,” the New York Times reported.

“I didn’t want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction, and in doing so, you know, it came off that we were trying to hide something, which wasn’t necessarily true,” Conley said.

This sounded like a “double speak” creating ambiguity more than clarity. Could this imply that the president could not accept any report that would go against his image of himself as “invincible“?

The Times reported that Alyssa Farah, a White House communications adviser, “conceded that Dr. Conley had been speaking to an audience of one during his Saturday briefing.”

“When you’re treating a patient, you want to project confidence, you want to lift their spirits, and that was the intent,” she said. She said that Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was trying “to be as transparent as we can” be by amending the report later.

Again, intentional double speak because the president

isn’t mature enough to face the truth.

National Public Radio (NPR) reported that Trump gets steroid medication dexamethasone, which according to the World Health Organization and NIH guidelines, is given only to patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms, supplemental oxygen, and two other experimental drugs, Regeneron monoclonal antibody cocktail, and Remdesivir.

After being infected with the virus, Trump said from a video recorded Sunday, October 4, from his hospital suite: “I learned a lot about Covid. I learned it by really going to school. This is the real school.

I get it. I understand it.”

Trump’s actions, however, betray his words.

If he indeed got it, why would he endanger the life of his Secret Service agents when he made a trip outside the hospital in his SUV to wave at his adoring fans?

Current and former Secret Service agents and medical professionals were aghast Sunday night at President Trump’s publicity stunt.

Where was his empathy?

Where was his compassion for these agents who have families to be bereaved if they die from the virus?

As CNN’s Dana Bash eloquently articulated, the Secret

Service would take a bullet FOR the president to save his life.

But their job description does not include making them “take a bullet” FROM the president just so he would project invincibility, strength and victory and over the virus.

Where was his wisdom when his judgment call shows he did not have the intellectual nor emotional maturity to understand the facts and science about the virus, the effects of it — both short term and long term — on patients? He proclaimed: “I feel better than I did 20 years ago!” Really?

Where were his wisdom and empathy when he and his cohorts in the Republican Party and his administration chose to conceal who among his staff have contracted the virus despite being asymptomatic?

Was he acting based on science or his delusion that he knows more than scientists and health officials?

Did Trump not know how important it is to determine who were exposed to a person with COVID-19 in order to quarantine them until a negative result comes out? Did he not understand that one can be asymptomatic yet be a carrier of the virus? Did he not get it that this was the reason why people were told by scientists like Dr. Anthony Fauci over and over again to wear masks to mitigate

the spread of the virus?

Did he not get it that patients with a positive result should be isolated so he would not spread the virus and infect other people? Why did he not isolate himself when he went back to the White House?

No, Trump did NOT get it.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have done that SUV publicity tactic.

He wouldn’t rush back to the White House, remove his mask, and interact in a short distance with his staff.

Does Trump really care for these people’s safety and life?

OR, does Trump see and use people as his “props” in this new episode of his reality show?

Did he not learn the lesson that concealing and downplaying facts about the virus would lead to more death, even after he got infected himself? After so many members and officials of the Republican Party also got the virus because of his blatant lies and misinformation script and direction?

Was projecting his false sense of strength, invincibility and victory more important to him than protecting and saving peoples’ lives?

Was the threat of being determined to be “incapacitated to fulfill his duties as president” and therefore be replaced by Vice President Mike Pence or

by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, pur-

u PAGE A8

Fellow Fil-Ams: Whether it’s by mail or in person, make sure to vote FORMER President Dwight Eisenhower once said, “[t]he future of this republic is in the hands of the American voter.”

This is especially poignant as we approach the 2020 General Election in November. While the focus of the election is on who will be president, there is much more at stake—social equality, climate change, healthcare, taxes, and foreign policy, to name just a few. Over the past few months, our nation has faced an ongoing global pandemic, an economic downturn, record-high unemployment rates, and civic unrest from years of engrained social inequity.

According to the Pew Research Center, only 61% of voting-age citizens turned out to vote during the last presidential election in 2016.

As Thomas Jefferson so aptly said, “[w]e do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.”

Whether it be due to apathy or inconvenience, we as citizens cannot stand idly by and we must exercise our civic duty to vote.

Voting is an important responsibility we all share in our democratic society. This election, we have an incredible opportunity to shape the future of our community. It is vital that candidates and elected officials understand the growing political power of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and address issues that affect our communities. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest-growing racial group in the country. In 2018, a survey by APIA Vote and AAPI Data indicated that the number of Asian American voters in the last decade has nearly

as each state handles mail-in doubled from about 2 million voting, as well as their respecvoters in 2000 to 5 million vot- Commentary tive timeframes, slightly differers in 2016, and that Filipino ently.)

American voters make up the Voting by mail is not a new second-largest group that acconcept. Much of the country count for this figure. This year, has voted by mail through an more than 11 million Asian PHILIP LIM NULUD absentee ballot for years. In Americans will be eligible to AND MARI BANDOMA CALLADO fact, absentee voting by mail vote, making up nearly 5% of first started during the 1860s the nation’s eligible voters per the Pew Research Center’s analysis of Census to allow members of the military to vote during the Civil War. According to the U.S. Election Bureau data.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents potential Assistance Commission, an independent U.S. barriers to community members to vote in-per- government agency, 24% of the ballots cast in son. Long and crowded lines at polling places the 2016 election were through mail-in absenwill force citizens to choose between risking tee voting.

Many of us, including the authors of this opCOVID-19 exposure and their right to vote.

While many, if not all, in-person polling places ed, have used absentee ballots to vote by mail will take certain safeguards with regard to so- for years because of the sheer convenience. It cial distancing and masks, voting by mail is a affords one with the ability to take their time while reviewing the various options on the balviable option for many.

To help ensure the exercise of the right to lot. It provides the ability to maintain one’s vote while balancing the health and safety of regular daily routine and not have to go out of voters and poll workers alike, many states have their way to go to a polling location (especially if they’re far away). And, it allows one to just avoid expanded mail-in voting.

For example, California is automatically send- crowds in general. What a year to avoid crowds! ing mail-in ballots out to all registered voters (If you’re wondering, you also get an “I Voted” (many should have received their ballots by sticker when you vote by mail, so you’ll still be now), and Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and able to show off on the ‘gram that you voted.)

With all these benefits to mail-in voting, inWashington are holding their elections entirely by mail. Moreover, voters in 28 states and the cluding the ability to avoid COVID-19 health District of Columbia have the right to request risks with large crowds at polling places this a mail ballot without excuse this coming elec- year, there are still many that are reluctant to tion. (Please check your particular state’s rules vote by mail. Why? The arguments range from

the opportunity for fraud or potential error from mail-in voting, as well as ballots not being handled or delivered properly by the U.S. Postal Service due to budget cuts. Additionally, some believe that voting by mail favors one party over another. While these are all potentially valid concerns, they are unfounded.

With regard to fraud and error, that is a misconception, paranoia, and exaggeration. There are several anti-fraud protections built into the process. In order to vote, one must be registered to vote. Ballots are only provided to registered voters and they are specifically tied to such registration, which are also cross-checked through other databases, such as the DMV’s database.

States are taking safeguards to verify voters’ information so that ballots are only issued to rightful voters and that a vote only counts once.

Additionally, election officials can track ballots throughout the process using a barcode.

In most states, rather than mailing their ballot through the USPS, voters also have the option of dropping off their ballot at a secure government office, a secure official ballot drop box, or other identified locations.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has also weighed in. In an August 26, 2020 briefing to the press regarding election security, FBI officials stated that they have found no evidence of coordinated fraud with mail-in ballots and they even went as far as to highlight how unlikely such a scenario would be. Those who abuse mail ballots can be charged with election fraud and face

u PAGE A8

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 8-14, 2020

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Dateline PhiliPPines

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Condé Nast Traveler names Cebu, Despite COVID-19 infection, Trump has...

Visayan Islands top island in Asia

By AJPress

Cebu and the Visayas Islands have been named the Top Island in Asia in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards.

“Located in the center of the Philippines, Cebu draws nearly 2 million travelers annually for its pristine beaches and diving off the island’s northern coast.

Spanish and Roman Catholic influences permeate Cebu City; Basilica Minore del Santo Niño houses a small statue of Christ that was presented by Ferdinand Magellan,” the international luxury and lifestyle travel magazine wrote on Tuesday, October 6.

Palawan, Siargao, and Boracay also nabbed spots on the Top 10 in Asia list, placing fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively.

Condé Nast Traveler invited 600,000 travelers to weigh in on the survey for the Top Islands in Asia, Australia and the South Pacific, the Caribbean and the Atlantic, Africa and the Indian Ocean, Europe, and North America.

Cebu and the Visayas Islands were lumped as one entry, while Boracay was a separate entry.

“The Philippines is indeed blessed with the best of nature, as exhibited by the consecutive accolades we are receiving from reputable and prestigious publications for our islands and beaches,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said in response to the accolade.

“This latest citation from CNT gives us in the Department of Tourism (DOT) a boost of confidence, as we continuously carry out our strategies to gradually re-

open domestic tourism, to once again welcome travelers from other countries when things become better,” she added.

Puyat noted that the challenge for DOT is to continue advocating for more sustainable and responsible tourism practices to help preserve the destinations.

“With over 7,641 islands in our archipelago, there are still so many left for nature-loving travelers to discover. In our journey towards tourism revival, sustainable and responsible tourism development shall continue to be one of the DOT’s core principles, just like how it has always been in the past few years,” she said.

Last year, Boracay was crowned as the best island in Asia, followed by Cebu and Visayas. Palawan, meanwhile, ranked fourth. n

Fil-Am voters weigh in....

PAGE A2 concealed it from the American people.”

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced on Thursday that it would move the upcoming Oct. 15 town hall to a virtual format with the candidates in separate, remote locations “to protect the health and safety of all involved.”

The president, however, told Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo on Thursday morning that he would not do the virtual debate, calling the format “a waste of time.”

If a future debate between the two presidential candidates arises before the election, FilAm voters hope they can cover issues like health care reform, immigration, and the U.S.-Mexico border.

“Our current healthcare system is broken as many Filipinos are facing job loss through massive layoffs due to the repercussions of COVID 19 across the nation,” Noeth said.

“This issue about access to affordable health care needs to be addressed promptly by both presidential candidates about how can we reduce the cost of healthcare by removing Obamacare and forcing insurance companies to compete with one another for Filipino Americans

out of work right now in these unprecedented times.”

“Immigration has not come up, so assuming there’s a future debate, I hope the issue comes up because it impacts not only the Filipino American community, but also so many communities,” Bueno said.

Blue said that given that family separation at the border has been a contentious topic over the past few years, it should be brought up. “I hope for the next debate, there’s going to be discussion about what’s going on at the border. They’re separating children. There’s over 2,000 migrant children that are still unaccounted for and folks are getting with COVID at the border.”

Asercion would like to hear more about the U.S.’ foreign policy in the South China Sea, which other Fil-Ams are closely watching as well.

“I would like the next presidential debate to address freedom of navigation in South China Sea where $5.3-trillion worth of goods transit through annually,” he said.

Last 20-some days until election With less than a month to go until the general election, FilAm voters on both sides are urging still undecided voters to

look at both Trump and Biden’s political record.

“For undecided voters, I believe Filipino Americans need to do their own research about the facts and impact of President Trump’s leadership and accomplishments of improving the lives of hardworking Filipino American workers for the past four years matters through tax cuts, protecting the police, and upholding our first and second amendment rights. President Trump and his administration’s policies triumph over Vice President Biden’s track record for over 4 decades in public office,” Noeth pitched.

Meanwhile, Bueno said it’s telling how many Republicans and independents are supporting the Biden-Harris ticket.

“I think it’s just really clear why they want to bring back respectability to our government. They want to be seen as a beacon of hope to the rest of the world. They want a government that relies on science and that cares about everybody…”

Bueno said. “We’re exhausted these last four years of what this president has been doing tearing apart this country. We just want someone who can bring it back together again, and provide some stability and hope for all Americans.” n

PAGE A6 suant to the 25th Amendment to the Constitution provision on the rules of succession, more compelling and matter more to him than the lives of more than almost 210,000 Americans who have already died because of COVID-19?

Did he really get the science and facts of coronavirus? Then why double down on downplaying it when he was about to leave the hospital, instead of using this moment to educate his fans and the American people about the fatality of the disease to save their lives?

Hasn’t Trump internalized yet that such was part of his oath when he was sworn to as president? Has he not learned the lesson that honesty and trustworthiness are important in governing?

Has he not leaarned that true patriotism and love for the country is serving ALL of the American people, to protect and save their lives, to govern for the greater good and not for his own

political and personal interest?

“Don’t be afraid of Covid.

Don’t let it dominate your life.

We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge.”

Were the lives of the American people who died of Covid insignificant to him because his goal is to be re-elected, no matter what the cost?

Clearly, Donald Trump is incapable of learning the lessons of empathy and sympathy, science and facts, the true role, and the obligation of the title “President of the United States.” He is incorrigible, a hopeless, helpless case as he has proven in the last four years because he does not have the character, the heart and soul required of the leadership position. He is beneath the dignity of the Office of the President of the United States.

He is definitely the WRONG MAN for the job. But like what he has done to other contestants in his reality TV show, we can fire him.

Former Vice President Joe

Biden has proven he has the temperament, judgment, character, vision and experience to be the leader to unite us instead of divide us, to serve us instead of using the Office of the President to serve his selfish intentions, to heal and rebuild America from the rubbles and destruction Trump has caused in the past four years, to help us all fulfill the promise of America and save the soul of our beloved nation.

If you are looking for an alternative to what we have experienced as Americans for nearly four years, you can make the choice to vote Trump out of office this November. *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos.

Fellow Fil-Ams: Whether it’s by mail or in...

PAGE A6 stiff fines and/or prison time.

Even though the USPS was subject to budget cuts, prompting questions on its ability to timely deliver mail-in ballots, that should no longer be an issue due to court orders. Courts across the nation have issued injunctions ordering that election mail must be prioritized.

For example, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, in Mondaire Jones, et. al. v. United States Postal Service, et. al., ruled that the USPS shall treat all election mail as first-class mail or priority mail express, pre-approve overtime that has been or will be requested for the time period beginning October 26 – November 6, and restore the on-time delivery of mail. Other courts across the nation have taken similar actions. As an additional safeguard, some states, like California, have implemented a process where a voter can track the status of their ballot online.

Voting by mail does not favor any particular party. Mailin voting simply allows more people to vote, and does not favor any candidate or party. In a recently released research ar-

ticle by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, independent researchers found that “universal vote-by-mail does not affect either party’s share of turnout or either party’s vote share”. Thus, no matter what your political affiliation, the ability to vote by mail (or in-person) does not change the balance towards any direction.

Mail-in voting is at the forefront this year but it does not mean that the act of voting is any different, nor is its need any less. 2020 has brought about significant change in our daily lives, but it has not taken away our right to let our voices be heard. Our vote is even more important now than ever. Make sure you exercise your right to vote, whether by mail, or in person. As said in Hamilton, “do NOT throw away your shot.”

If you have any other questions regarding voting, the National Filipino American Lawyers Association has created a Voter Protection Program (VoPro). The NFALA VoPro is a national non-partisan effort designed to protect the vote and rights of voters for the upcoming election. Fil-Am attorneys

from across the nation will be available to answer questions regarding voting in California, Arizona, and Nevada. For more information on the program, please visit www.nfala.com/VoPro. *** Philip Lim Nulud is an attorney at Buchalter in Los Angeles, where he specializes in intellectual property law.

Many of his clients are well-known fashion brands, who he represents in IP protection, strategy, enforcement, and licensing matters worldwide. He is the current president of the National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA) and a past president of the Philippine American Bar Association (PABA). He has been named as one of the Most Influential Minority Attorneys in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal. *** Mari Bandoma Callado is an attorney at the Dolan Law Firm in Oakland, where she represents employees in wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblower and human trafficking cases as well as injured individuals, and families of loved ones who have died due to the fault of others, including in elder abuse and neglect lawsuits. She is the current president of the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California (FBANC). She has been recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers every year since 2017.

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 8-14, 2020

VEGAS&STYLE Journal

Social justice, activism and allyship: Filipino American History Month kicks off with calls to engage politically, culturally and socially

Unpacking the history of social justice and revolution in the Filipino American community and cultivating a more inclusive, informed future by

Klarize Medenilla / AJPress

EARLIER this year, Filipino Americans from all walks of life took to the streets in protest of racial injustice and systemic discrimination following the highprofile murders of Black Americans.

Filipino Americans all across the country joined protests and rallies decrying the systems within American law enforcement that have allowed officers who have shot and killed unarmed people, particularly Black individuals, to bypass the justice system.

Skeptics, critics and disengaged Filipinos alike all continue to question: Why are you getting involved in an issue that has nothing to do with Filipinos?

For many Filipinos in social justice circles, that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth.

This year, the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) themed Filipino American History Month 2020 around the concept of social justice because of the pervasiveness of oppression that the Filipino American (and global Filipino) community has endured for centuries.

“We choose this theme to highlight the myriad ways Filipino Americans have participated in social justice movements, including but not limited to, the United Farmworkers Movement, the fight for Ethnic Studies, Hawaii Sugar Plantation strikes, Washington Yakima strikes, and AntiMartial Law Movements across multiple decades,” the organization said.

In June during an interview about the Filipino community’s role in civil rights, Filipina American organizer Jollene Levid told

Filipino labor leaders Philip Vera Cruz and Larry Itliong, key individuals during the Delano Grape Strike that started in 1965, are memorialized in “Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana,” a mural

by Eliseo Silva in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown.

File photo courtesy of Eliseo Silva

the Asian Journal that “[e]very mass movement in our history that has changed the way a state or government or a country has been run, including the Philippines and the toppling of Marcos. People have found a way to contribute in ways that go beyond what you see as a normal protestor on the street.”

Although contemporary Filipino Americans enjoy a relatively comfortable life, the year 2020 presented them with stark reminders that as long as racism, political tyranny and propagandistic forms of communication exist, persecution, in any form, is just around the bend.

“This living nightmare that we’re living in now is not new,” Filipino American lifelong activist Kalaya’an Mendoza told the Asian Journal in a recent interview. “The anniversary of martial law in the Philippines was just a couple weeks ago, so we have come from a place when one dictator took over. History can be replicated again.”

Mendoza — who helped mobilize the Filipino American community following the reignition of the Black Lives Matter move-

ment this past June — described a present-day Filipino American community that is slowly but surely becoming privy to the various ways that bureaucracies and systems of power subjugate communities in America.

“I think people are realizing that when the Black community is under attack, when the LGBTQ community is under attack and when the immigrant community is under attack, that means we are all under attack,” Mendoza remarked.

As previously discussed in the Asian Journal, the “post-racial America” myth paints the now as an unprecedented period of equality across all demographics, conflicting with the grim realities of Black Americans, immigrants and other communities.

For the past several months, Filipino American community leaders, including those in FANHS, have been working to mobilize the nearly four million Filipinos in the U.S. to participate civically, but Filipino American History Month provides an opportunity for Filipino Americans to examine the community’s PAGE B4

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‘Guadalupe’ musical to be streamed Oct. 30-31 McDonald’s sweetens up breakfast with

THE original theater production “Guadalupe,” taped during its run at the Meralco Theater in 2018, returns as a streamable video on Ticket2me.net beginning 9 a.m. on October 30 till 11:30 a.m. on October 31.

Through technology, the Julie Borromeo Performing Arts Foundation Inc. and producers of the musical’s online edition hope to

reach art aficionados and devotees alike.

The Filipino musical, created

by Joel Trinidad and Ejay Yatco, is directed by theater legend Baby Barredo.

“Guadalupe: The Musical” stars the inimitable Victor “Cocoy” Laurel (Miss Saigon) who reprises his role as Juan Diego, the Aztec matweaver at the center of the tale.

new nationwide McCafé® Bakery lineup

Joining him are award-winning performers Sheila ValderramaMartinez (“Binondo”), Lorenz Martinez (“Spamalot”) and a host of other theater stalwarts.

Proceeds from the sale of the etickets go to beneficiaries. Email guadalupethemusical-live@ gmail.com or call (650) 550-9851 for more details.

CHICAGO – Wake up and

(Advertising Supplement) smell the...cinnamon rolls! For nearly five decades, McDonald’s has been the leader in providing quick, delicious and savory breakfast options to our customers. And on Wednesday, October 7, we’re sharing some sweet news to give fans even more ways to experience the breakfast they love at McDonald’s with our new McCafé Bakery lineup.

Beginning Wednesday, October 28, customers can enjoy a new Apple Fritter, Blueberry Muffin or Cinnamon Roll at breakfast time (or break time... or lunch time...or coffee time... or me time, or...anytime, really).

Each new menu item will be available all day at participating restaurants nationwide, because you never know when that sweet craving will hit.

• Apple Fritter: A classic fritter made with cinnamon and apples, this hand-held treat is fried to a golden brown and drizzled with a sweet glaze icing. Are we saying you should dip yours into your morning coffee? No way… Ok, fine, we definitely are.

• Blueberry Muffin: Our new recipe is baked with real blueberries and topped with a streusel crumb topping, making for a crave worthy soft & fluffy muffin.

For the first time in eight years, new baked goods join McDonald’s iconic core menu: Apple Fritter, Blueberry Muffin and Cinnamon Roll

ACDC October community events LAS VEGAS — The Asian Community Development Council (ACDC) is hosting a number of community events coming up in the month of October. This nonprofit and nonpartisan organization is working to keep the community safe and informed, especially when it comes to filling out the U.S. Census and registering to vote in the General Election.

For more information, please contact ACDC at (702) 489-8866 or email info@Acdcnv.org For media inquiries, please contact Patranya Bhoolsuwan at (702) 556-0235 or email Patranya@ acdcnv.org Pop-up flu clinic: Partnership with Roseman University College of Pharmacy When: Friday October 9, 2020 Where: 4276 Spring Moun-

tain Road, Suite 207 Las Vegas, NV 89012 Time: 12:30PM - 3:30PM Early Voting Kick-Off Event with Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones When: Saturday October 17, 2020 Where: Desert Breeze Dog Park, 8275 Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas NV 89147 Time: 12PM - 3PM Community Meal Distribution in partnership with Caesars Entertainment When: Sunday October 18, 2020 Where: Chinatown Plaza, 4205 Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas NV 89102 Time: 10AM - 1PM Pop-up flu Clinic in partnership with Immunize Nevada & Asian American Pacific Islander Nurses Association of Nevada - Rose-

man University Student Nurses Association & Meal Distribution in partnership with Caesars Entertainment When: Sunday October 25, 2020 Where: Chinatown Plaza, 4205 Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas NV 89102 Time: 10AM - 1PM The Asian Community Development Council (ACDC) is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization with the mission of connecting, educating, and empowering the Asian American Pacific Islander community in Nevada. ACDC was officially chartered in 2015.

Among the services ACDC offers include voter education, health & wellness fair, pathway to citizenship program, college readiness bootcamp, and the GraduAsian ceremony. For more information, go to www.acdcnv.org.

Feeling “blue” all day never tasted so good.

• Cinnamon Roll: Loaded with cinnamon layered between buttery, flaky pastry dough that is drizzled with a delicious cream cheese icing. Served warm, the aroma alone sparks a craving for the next decadent bite…talk about a reason to roll out of bed.

These craveable options will be offered alongside our beloved McCafé cookies and pies, marking the first addition of bakery items to McDonald’s core menu in over eight years.

“McDonald’s has been famous for our savory breakfast menu

for almost fifty years,” said Linda VanGosen, Vice President, Brand and Menu Strategy, McDonald’s USA. “We’re continuing our breakfast innovation by adding tasty new sweet options with our new McCafé Bakery lineup. We know our customers deserve a break now more than ever, and are excited to give them another reason to visit their favorite breakfast destination by offering delicious flavors they crave, any time of the day.”

Our breakfast story began with the now-legendary Egg McMuffin in 1971. Over the years, we’ve PAGE B5

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Social justice, activism and allyship: Filipino...

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Members of Congress join Filipino Americans for Biden-Harris Nevada’s virtual Kamayan Zoomustahan

by Gloria

T. Caoile

SeVeRAL special guests participated in Filipino Americans for Biden-harris Nevada’s Kamayan Zoomustahan on Saturday, Oct. 3. The virtual event was a celebration of October’s Filipino American history Month, held exactly one month before the 2020 U.S. elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and it featured speeches from Congresswomen Dina Titus and Susie Lee and Senators Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto. The night commemorated our community’s history and was a call to action and remembering.

Reps. Titus and Lee both made live virtual appearances during the Kamayan, while Sens. Rosen and Masto sent recorded videos that were played for attendees.

Rep. Titus embraced our culture and contributions, while Rep. Lee acknowledged the power of our numbers and our vote. The two congresswomen also emphasized the great contributions of our Fil Am frontliners during the pandemic, in Nevada and around the country.

“The fact that Nevada’s members of Congress participated in our Kamayan is a testament

to the power of the Fil Am community,” says Margie LlorenteGonzales, proud originator of this event and Chair of Fil Ams for Biden-harris-NV (FAFBh-NV).

“This is a historic time for us, and they were with us because they care and want our voices to matter.”

“It was an honor to have our congresswomen and senators speak,” exclaims Rozita V. Lee, respected longtime community leader and Co-Chair of FAFBhNV. “We are grateful that they carry our concerns to the halls of Congress.”

Speeches from Nevada’s members of Congress were not the only highlight of the event.

There was also a meaningful message from Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden on Filipino American history Month read by Joel enriquez, who, with his wife Olive, created our award-winning logo. We heard important messages from community leaders—Ron Sumbang, VP for the Adult Residential Care Providers of Nevada dba eChO; Cristina Llorente-Drost, retired teacher; Gerose Cahilig, manager of Max’s Restaurant; Loni Andal, eVP of the Phil-

ippine American Chamber of Commerce of Southern Nevada and a longtime pioneer in the entertainment field in Nevada; and Dan Santos, a proud second generation Filipinx American.

Friends of our community, Clark County Commissioner Richard “Tick” Segerblom, Ash Merchandani, Chairman of the AAPIsNV Biden-harris Council, and State Senator Yvanna Cancela expressed their support for our community.

“This year has been difficult for all of us,” says Kate Recto, Co-Chair FAFBh-NV. “Being able to bring members of our community together to celebrate and honor our frontliners in this way was very special.”

“The event gave us a chance to energize the community as we get closer to the election,” expresses Cindy delos Santos, a long-time and very active community leader and volunteer.

“This is an absolutely crucial election, and we need to be heard.”

Fil-Ams for Biden-harris-NV will continue get-out-the-vote efforts through election Day on Nov. 3. We will encourage early voting Oct. 17-30.

close relationship with social justice and political activism.

“I think people are recognizing that we all have a place in the movement for social justice, whether it is on the front lines providing medical aid to protestors to being behind a computer screen educating our community,” Mendoza said.

A (very) brief history of Filipino American social justice Celebrated every October to commemorate the landing of the first Filipinos in America in October of 1587, Filipino American history Month was first designated and recognized nationally in 2009.

Filipino Americans are the second largest Asian American group in the U.S, a group that has exponentially grown since the first North American settlement of Filipinos in 1763. These were swaths of Filipinos who were forced into enslavement during the Spanish galleon trade who escaped and established settlements across the Louisiana bayou, eventually dispersing throughout the country.

By the 20th century, the West Coast became the most popular point of settlement (by then, a part of the U.S.), coinciding with a changing of colonial guards when the Philippines became a U.S. territory.

As a pawn for two consecutive colonial powers — Spain and then the U.S. — sovereignty wasn’t just an issue of national political autonomy; it also became about the right to be recognized as a community that has a place in the United States.

Immigration to the U.S. from the Philippines flourished from 1900 to 1934. Filipinos became U.S. nationals when it was realized that Filipino workers could fulfill the demand for cheap labor in agriculture, cannery and domestic servitude.

But Filipino immigrants of the manong generation faced intense racial discrimination prompted by changing immigration policies, anti-miscegenation laws (the prohibition of interracial coupling) and oppressive labor laws that kept wages low and conditions nearly unlivable.

This prompted a wave of workers strikes and demonstrations, most prominently led by fabled Filipino organizer Larry Itliong, the godfather of the labor revo-

The International Hotel, known as I-Hotel, was a low-income single-room-occupancy residential hotel in what used to be San Francisco’s Manilatown. During the late 60s, real estate corporations proposed plans to demolish the hotel, which would necessitate displacing all of the I-Hotel’s elderly tenants, many of whom were Filipino. In response, housing activists, students, community members, and tenants united to protest and resist eviction. All the tenants were evicted on August 4, 1977 and the hotel was demolished in 1981.

Photo courtesy of Manilatown Heritage Foundation

lution that put Filipino American activism on the map.

Fast forward to the present when the world is plagued by intense political division, fights for racial justice and, of course, a literal plague when social justice once again comes to the fore of collective consciousness.

The wound of the martial law era in the Philippines remains fresh for stateside Filipinos and their American descendants as a reminder that progress isn’t linear, that tyranny and loss of basic freedom and rights occurs in a domino formation. especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that has disproportionately affected front line health care personnel, communities of color and essential workers (which prompted weak government response), the need to participate in meaningful activism has never been more dire.

Moreover, thousands of antiAsian hate incidents have been reported by Asian Americans across all cultures, prompting the question over whether or not America is truly welcoming of all races and ethnicities, Mendoza noted.

“We’re seen as the perpetual foreigner, so regardless of where this virus came from, this rhetoric will always come back to haunt us. And we should never throw our Chinese brothers and sisters under the bus and be like, ‘We’re not Chinese.’ [Racists] don’t care about that,” Mendoza said.

A more inclusive future One way that Filipinos can manifest social justice efforts into their daily lives is to become

City Of Las Vegas 2020 Halloween Happenings Free Fun Activities For The Whole Family!

The days leading up to halloween and beyond usually are filled with free activities for children and fun seekers of all ages. Find something safe and fun to do below. All activities are subject to change.

Ward 2 Movie in the Park Friday, Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m.

Movie starts at dusk.

Free and open to the public.

Bruce Trent Park, 8851 Vegas Drive.

Bring the family to enjoy the 2014 PG-rated “Maleficent,” free children’s activities, bottled water and popcorn, while supplies last. Food trucks will offer refreshments for sale. Lawn seating; bring blankets or low chairs to be more comfortable.

Ward 4 Movie in the Park Friday, Oct. 16, 6 p.m.

Free and open to the public.

Trigono hills Park, Cliff Shadows Parkway at West Gilmore, 3805 Cliff Shadows Pkwy.

Bring the family to enjoy a free showing of “hocus Pocus” and light refreshments in the park. Movie begins at dusk. Lawn seating; bring blankets or low chairs to be more

EMPLOYMENT

comfortable. For more information, call 702-229-2524. Social distancing, masks and other safety precautions will be required.

Annual Ward 4 halloween at the Y Family event Friday, Oct. 23, 6:30 p.m.

Free and open to the public.

Durango hills Community Center/YMCA parking lot, 3521 N. Durango Drive.

Bring the family in halloween costumes to enjoy a drivethrough trick-or-treating event in the parking lot. Plenty of fun for the whole family! Free candy while supplies last. Masks, social distancing and other safety precautions will be enforced.

For more information, call 702229-4906.

Ward 1 Creature Feature Thursday, Oct. 29, 6 to 8 p.m.

Free and open to the public. Mirabelli Park, 6200 elton Ave. Bring the family to the park to enjoy the 2017 animated movie “Coco.” Bring blankets and low chairs to be more comfortable.

Councilman Knudsen and staff

will be available to answer any questions. For more information, contact: 702-229-2299 or email ward1@lasvegasnevada. gov for details.

Ward 3 halloween DriveThrough Saturday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to noon.

Free and open to the public.

Baker Park, 1020 e. St. Louis Ave. Bring the family for a drivethrough trunk or treat. enter the park on St. Louis Avenue; watch for signs at the park.

Ward 6 Drive-thru halloween Spooktacular Saturday, Oct. 31, 5 to 7 p.m.

Free and open to the public. Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs, 9200 Tule Springs Road.

Join the Ward 6 staff for a spooktacular halloween celebration at the back section of the park. Just follow the pumpkins to enjoy spooky music, halloween décor and treats from community vendors. Fun for all ages! For more information, Filipino Americans joined a Black Lives Matter protest in Chicago in June 2020.

Photo courtesy of @hazelsunday/Instagram call 702.229.5463.

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a beacon of information on these pressing topics and to marshal the people in their lives to get involved, whether that’s through phone banking, volunteering for campaigns or even simply voting.

Filipino Americans for Joe Biden — made up of key Filipino Democratic volunteers across the country — is currently making its last-ditch efforts to drum up support for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who has been characterized as an antidote to the current administration.

A 2020 Asian American Voter Survey found that Filipinos are the second-largest Asian American group to support President Donald Trump, a leader who has stirred antipathy from Democrats, Republicans and moderates alike for his restrictive social policies and his efforts to scourge basic constitutional rights, as the Asian Journal recently reported.

The admiration many of these Filipino Trump supporters have for the current administration is rooted in a warped view of rugged individualism and American exceptionalism that neglects the basic need for community-centered, inclusive solutions.

According to Mendoza, the key to cultivating a successful social justice force — especially one that stands the test of time and isn’t built upon superficial and performative means of activism — is relationship and community building and finding which social justice avenues are the right ones to follow.

If you’re immunocompromised and can’t attend a protest, you can use the internet and telecommunications to participate in specific movements and causes.

Donating to reputable charities or financially supporting those who are able to take their activism to the streets is another way to rally behind a movement. Using your specific talents, whether it be graphic design, writing, videography or any other creative outlet, is another way to participate.

But the strongest impact comes from educating yourself and others, especially family members, about the nuances of issues like police brutality, voter suppression or immigration reform.

Whatever form your chosen mode of activism takes, Mendoza emphasized the potential of the Filipino American community to build a future that is more informed, civically engaged and inclusive of all races, ethnicities, genders and bodies.

“We need to ground ourselves in the legacy that we all hold on this stolen land. When it comes to social justice because we have always been here and a lot of the times we’ve been erased from those stories, so it’s important for us to remember and to uplift all those who have come before and who will come after that fight for social justice for all communities,” Mendoza added.