101018 - Southern California Midweek Edition

October 10-12, 2018 Volume 28 - No. 79 • 3 Sections - 20 Pages

DATELINE

USA

Senators reject Arroyo’s draft constitution

by GAEA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Kavanaugh sits on Supreme Court bench after weeks of debate over sexual misconduct Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office announces landmark settlement JUST weeks before the midterm elections are to take place, Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh sat on the Supreme Court bench for the first time on Tuesday, October 9 after weeks of debating accusations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse.

Kavanaugh, 53, was confirmed on Saturday, October 6, and replaces retired Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy who resigned earlier this year. Swearing Kavanaugh in was Chief Justice John Roberts.

The 50-48 Senate confirmation vote to approve Kavanaugh was the closest of such kind in over a century, and was a major victory for President Donald Trump and Republicans who with Kavanaugh may now see a 5-4 majority

u PAGE A5

Filipino home care workers win wage theft case in Southern California Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office announces landmark settlement LOS ANGELES City Attorney’s Office announced last week that it reached an agreement with a home care provider that allegedly failed to pay minimum wage and overtime to its employees, many of whom are Filipino.

In a press conference on Tuesday, October 2, City Attorney Mike Feuer revealed the landmark settlement against Canoga Parkbased home care providers Emelyn Entino Nishi, Joe Derick Regoyal, and their companies Health Alliance Nurses Corp. and Hand Homecare Provider, Inc. Under the terms, Nishi and the companies have agreed to pay $250,000 in restitution to be deposited in a Restitution Fund administered by a qualified third party administrator.

Employees of the companies who have worked: one or more 24-hour shifts; more

u PAGE A3

KATREENA Philstar.com

CABICO

MANILA — The draft federal charter of House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will not thrive as time is running out under the 17th Congress, senators said on Tuesday, October 9.

The Arroyo-led proposal, which is different from the draft constitution submitted by President Rodrigo Duterte’s Consultative Committee, House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ManilaTimes.net photo removes the vice president from the

line of succession in the transition government.

It also aims to keep a presidential form of government while empowering Congress to create federal states and keep a Senate where members are elected at large, instead of by region.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said there is simply no time to tackle charter change.

“We don’t have time to even talk about it. We don’t even know if I’m still Senate president by then,” Sotto said.

The Senate is scheduled to go on break from October 13 to November 11 and again from December 15 to January 13 in 2019. Congress still has to deliberate on and approve the General Appropriations Bill for 2019.

Drilon reiterated that the House

u PAGE A2

Joma Sison: Duterte, Uson not NPA targets for assassination

by DELFIN

MALLARI Inquirer.net

JR.

LUCENA CITY — Neither President Rodrigo Duterte nor former Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson are targets for assassination by the New People’s Army (NPA), according to Jose Maria “Joma” Sison, the exiled founding chairman of the ComCommunist Party of the Philippines founding munist Party of the chairman Jose Maria “Joma” Sison Philippines (CPP).

Inquirer.net photo In a statement posted on Facebook, Sison said Uson was fantasizing

u PAGE A2

COURTESY CALL. President Rodrigo Duterte discusses matters with Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua who paid a courtesy call on the President at the Malacañang Palace on Monday, October 8. China has no desire to engage in military confrontation with any state in the South China Sea but has expressed concern about the United States’ reported plan to conduct naval exercises in the area next month. The statement was relayed by Zhao in a meeting with President Duterte about the impending visit of China’s President Xi Jinping to the country.

Malacañang photo by Simeon Celiacs

6 Cabinet secretaries plan to run in 2019 aide Christopher Go and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director General MANILA — President Rodrigo Guiling Mamondiong.

Duterte on Tuesday, October 9, “I’m sure these will be guys disclosed the names of six Cabi- running,” Duterte told members net members who might run in of the Malacañang Press Corps next year’s elections. when asked whether he was exDuterte said among the offi- pecting a Cabinet revamp becials who are seeking electoral cause of the 2019 polls. posts are Foreign Affairs SecreDuterte said Cayetano is runtary Alan Cayetano, presidential ning for congressman in his disspokesman Harry Roque, politi- trict in Taguig. He said he has cal affairs adviser Francis Tolen- already identified Cayetano’s Presidential spokesman Harry Roque with fellow Cabinet secretaries on tino, Agrarian Reform secretary possible successor.

Monday, October 8, the day he said he was on indefinite leave.

“I have a name. He agreed but Philstar.com photo John Castriciones, presidential

by ALEXIS

ROMERO Philstar.com

he did not authorize me to name him,” the president said.

Duterte: Roque ‘flip-flopping’ on political plans Duterte also said he believes that Roque will push through with his plan to run for senator.

Roque has said he has not yet decided whether to seek an electoral post.

The president said Roque had been flip-flopping on his political plans.

He said he is considering Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sal-

u PAGE A3

Pacquiao isn’t interested Bong Go launches citizen coalition vs corruption in fight with McGregor EIGNING World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao is not interested in fighting mixed martial artist Conor McGregor of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fame in a boxing match.

“Wala (None),” Pacquiao told The Manila Times in an interview when asked if he has plans to battle the Irish fighter who lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov via submission in a brawl-marred UFC 229 bout last Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

“Hindi dapat nangyari yun tapos na ang laban at naghihitay na lang ng decision. Mali naman si Khabib sinugod niya pa ang mga tao. I think magkakaroon ng suspen-

sion or multa (I think it shouldn’t have happened anymore since the fight was over and they’re waiting only for the decision. Khabib was wrong to attack the people.

I think there will be a suspension or fine),” the 39-year-old senator said.

On August 26, 2017, Floyd Mayweather Jr. came out of retirement to beat McGregor in a boxing match via technical knockout for a 50-0 win-loss record that includes 27 knockouts.

Pacquiao (60-7-2 record with 39 knockouts) admitted that there were talks of a fight against welterweight boxer Adrien Broner (33-3-1 record with 24 knockouts)

u PAGE A3

SPECIAL Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go has announced the formation of a citizen’s coalition to fight corruption as he welcomed calls of private groups and individuals to be part of the initiative.

Go said the Truth and Justice Coalition would help authorities conduct “fact-finding inquiries, lifestyle checks, and other investigations, as well as propose systemic change to policy reforms.”

“Kailangan po natin magtulungan, including private individuals. Ipaabot niyo po sa amin; bukas po ang aming tanggapan para sugpuin po itong korapsyon.

Wala pong ibang magtutulungan kung hindi tayo-tayo din (We need to work together, including private individuals. Our office is

always open to fight corruption.

We should all work together in this endeavor),” Go said in an interview on October 3.

Former Civil Service Commission and Presidential Management Staff head Ricardo Saludo earlier suggested in his column in The Manila Times the creation of a Citizen Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG).

Go said his office and the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) were working to have a nationwide organization made up of representatives from key sectors to support the government’s fight against corruption.

“My office and the office of PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica have been working together

u PAGE A2

Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go

Inquirer.net photo

A OctOber 10-12, 2018 • Socal ASIAN JOUrNAL

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

From the Front Page

Joma Sison: Duterte, Uson not NPA...

PAGE A1 her fear that the NPA was out to kill her.

“Such a verbal stunt or fantasy of Mocha will not gain her a seat in the Senate but a hand wave of dismissal or a passing chuckle at a low-kind of absurdity,” Sison said.

Sison made the remark after Uson declared that if ever she would suddenly killed there would

no one to blame but the NPA. The NPA is the CPP’s armed wing.

According to Uson, who has declared that she would run in the 2019 elections, she doesn’t want security for herself.

But her manager, who is also her chief of staff, told Uson that she would need personal security because she was already going

Former Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson Inquirer.net photo

against the NPA. “Kaya ‘pag ako namatay, kilala niyo na kung sino. NPA nagpapatay sa akin (So if I die, you know who had me killed. It’s the NPA),” Uson said.

Sison retorted: “After being used up and thrown away as rubbish by her master Duterte, Mocha Uson wants to raise her political stock at the expense of the CPP and NPA which she falsely accuses of wanting to kill he,r.

Sison said there was “absolutely no reason” for the CPP and NPA “even to wish the untimely death of Mocha.”

“She is at best allowed to expose herself as an excrescence, the mere vomit of an abominable monster like Duterte,” Sison said.

He added: “She may not be as bad as Duterte in terms of outright violence against the poor, but she has been responsible for a lot of fake news and the vulgarity of the regime.”

Meanwhile, Sison also assured the President that the NPA would not target him for assassination.

“Even the abominable monster Duterte, whom many people want to get rid of because of the soaring prices of food and other basic goods, the mass murder of people in urban slums and countryside and the rampant corruption, has been assured by the CPP and NPA that they wish to keep him alive so that he will be able to pay for his crimes in prison,” Sison said.

Sison also criticized Duterte’s declaration on Tuesday that he diagnostic test showed he was free from cancer.

“Duterte may or not have cancer. But he is certainly a cancerous growth on the Philippine ruling system,” Sison said.

Sison likened Duterte to “an abominable monster to the Filipino people” who are suffering the consequences of his policies and actions. n

PHILIPPINE SENATE LEGACY. Senator Panfilo Lacson (2nd from left), chair of the Senate Committee on Accounts, receives a certificate of appreciation from Senate Secretary Myra Marie Villarica (2nd from right) after his address to Senate employees on the flag rites on October 8. Lacson said that for more than a century now, the Senate has remained strong, principled, colorful, and active amid the many challenges it has faced. “Truly, this democratic institution has outlived our forerunners. It will outlive us. What will remain in between the pages of history is the legacy that we will leave behind,” he said. Also in photo are Senate Deputy Secretary for Administration and Financial Services Arnel Jose Bañas and Bureau Director Arnold Vistan of the Senate Maintenance and General Services Bureau.

Senate photo by Albert Calvelo

Senators reject Arroyo’s draft...

PAGE A1 draft federal charter will be “dead on arrival” in the Senate.

“We are still awaiting the report of the committee whether or not the recommendation is to amend the Constitution and if it is through a constitutional assembly, before we consider the substance of the proposal.

There is simply no time. Kaya pagdating dito wala na kaming panahon in order to look at it,” he said.

Instead of discussing charter change, the Congress should instead focus on the problems of soaring inflation, lack of jobs and rising criminality, the Sen-

ate minority leader said.

Minority senators hit exclusion of VP in line of succession Drilon and Sen. Risa Hontiveros also thumbed the provision, which excludes Vice President Leni Robredo in the presidential line of succession. It, instead, puts Sotto as next in line should President Rodrigo Duterte be unable to lead the transition government.

“If they want stability, then the more that we should follow the well-defined succession to the Office of the President in charge in case the president is unable to lead the transition government,” Drilon said.

Hontiveros called the draft charter of the House “not only absurd and unjustifiable, it is also colossal, shameless affront to long-established, recognized and practiced democratic processes.”

The opposition lawmaker said she is confident that the majority of senators, including Sotto, will not support the move. “[I am confident that the majority of my fellow senators] will see it for what it is: an attempt not just to coopt, but to weaponize, the Senate in aid of their agenda. It must not see the light of day in the Senate,” she said. n

Bong Go launches citizen coalition...

PAGE A1 in apprehending corrupt officials and in submitting to the President concrete evidence that have led to the resignation and filing of cases against low, medium, and even high ranking officials,” he said.

“Presently, PACC is investigating and preparing a report against 50-80 officials allegedly involved in corruption,” he added.

But given the limitations, Go said that they were tapping the help of members of the private sector, including lawyers, retired officials and religious leaders in the fight against corruption.

He said they would also work with the Department of Justice on “witness protection,” with the National Bureau of Investigation and with the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Go said an Informant Reward System was also being explored in order to give incentives to citizens who would come forward and present proof against those who are “stealing the people’s money.”

“Having a citizen’s initiative such as a coalition for good governance is a good step towards the right direction,” he said.

(ManilaTimes.net)

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

Dateline USa

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 10-12, 2018

A

6 Cabinet secretaries plan to run...

PAGE A1

vador Panelo to become press secretary, a post that would be revived once he issues an executive order reorganizing the Presidential Communications Operations Office.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, nominally the head of the agency that had reaped criticisms over a series of blunders, previously said Roque was being eyed to become press secretary.

“It’s not my fault. He (Roque) said he is not running. Then he is running. I said I would choose someone else so there would be no paralysis in the functions,” LA City Attorney Mike Feuer joins members of the Pilipino Workers Center and the California Domestic Workers Coalition on Tuesday, October Duterte said.

2 to announce the settlement against a home care provider in Canoga Park.

Photos courtesy of Pilipino Workers Center “I do not know where to place him. I did not wait a minute longer,” he added.

Filipino home care workers win wage theft...

PAGE A1 than nine hours in a single shift without overtime; or more than 45 hours per week without additional overtime will be contacted to file a claim for restitution, according to the City Attorney’s Office. Funds will be subsequently distributed following a 90-day period for all claims to be filed.

The defendants have also agreed to pay $100,000 in civil penalties and costs.

“Hard-working men and women have the right to a minimum wage and overtime,” said Feuer.

“No worker should be forced into poverty because an employer denies them these rights, as we alleged when we filed this case. This settlement sends a strong message to employers across our city that we take allegations of wage theft seriously and my office will fight to ensure all workers are paid what the law demands.”

Caregivers at the company first launched a public campaign against the home care provides in 2015 with the help of the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC). Two years later in 2017, the LA City Attorney’s office investigated the alleged violations.

The complaint alleged that during the last four years, the defendants employed 200 workers or more, who are mostly Filipino immigrants. Defendants allegedly charged between $170 and $250 per day for 24-hour inhome domestic care to families.

However, these employees allegedly were generally paid only $100 to $125 per shift, equating to as little as $5.50 per hour or less.

The defendants allegedly pres-

sured their employed caregivers to falsify time records to avoid overtime payments, and routinely threatened them with termination or blacklisting within the industry.

“After organizing for nearly three years to demand dignity from Health Alliance Nurses Corporation, caregivers together with the Pilipino Workers Center have reached a precedent-setting victory,” Aquilina Soriano Versoza, executive director of PWC said in a statement. “This resolution sends a message to the industry that these common employment practices are illegal and that agencies must come into compliance with the law - both to honor the dignity of caregivers and to ensure quality of care for consumers.”

The settlement also said that the defendants are placed under a seven-year injunction and must comply with all wage and hour laws and Home Care Organizations laws and regulations; must pay overtime for over nine hours worked in a day or more than 45 hours worked in a week;

hire all caregivers as W-2 employees rather than independent contractors; and agreed to abolish 24 hour shifts, to limit all shifts to no more than 12 hours per shift, and to refrain from advising caregivers to falsify their timesheets. A written report of audits conducted every six months will be required for a period of five years to verify compliance.

“They were robbing us of our hard earned wages. This is a victory not only for me and my family, but for all caregivers. It sends a message that we should not stay silent out of fear. We must educate ourselves and ask questions. And when we stand up for our rights, we win!” Josephine Bicklar, one of the caregivers part of the campaign, said.

“More than the monetary aspect, we are glad to see that Health Alliance is being asked to comply with labor laws. And hopefully, other home care agencies and employers will do the same.

This is definitely a big moment for caregivers everywhere.” (AJPress)

“He (Tolentino) is a very good administrator...He was always my point man. He was my always my contact sa outside world,” the president said.

Duterte said Go, who sometimes represents him in public engagements, has been a “faithful assistant” who can be a “friend” of the public in the senate.

Sources said Castriciones is planning to run for senator while Mamondiong is considering running for a local post.

Duterte also said that he wants a Chinese-Filipino businessman to lead the National Food Authority. Retiring Army chief Lt. Gen. Roland Bautista was initially eyed to become NFA administrator but Duterte later on decided to name him as Social Welfare secretary. n

Pacquiao isn’t interested in fight...

PAGE A1 anytime next year ahead of a possible rematch with the undefeated Mayweather Jr. also next year.

“We are still finalizing everything [about Broner fight]. Hindi pa sigurado (It remains uncertain).”

But the eight-weight division

Health Alliance and Hand Homecare Provider employee Josephine Biclar talks to the press about fighting back to assert her rights as a caregiver.

Duterte said Panelo would become press secretary once he revives the office and he finds a new chief legal counsel. He said Andanar would remain as a consultant after the PCOO is replaced by the Office of the Press Secretary.

“He (Andanar) will remain a consultant....They have to reconfigure sa PTV 4. They need to change a lot there perhaps to make it more responsive as sounding board of the Republic of the Philippines,” the president said.

‘Tolentino a good point person, Go could be friend of the public’ Duterte heaped praises on Tolentino, a former Metro Manila Development Authority chief, saying he has been efficient as a point person during disasters.

champion said it was also possible that he could still face either former sparring partner Amir Khan or American Keith Thurman early next year depending on negotiations.

“It still depends,” said Pacquiao, who was considering joining forc-

es with Mayweather Promotion as co-promoter in the upcoming fights. “We are still fixing that.”

Pacquiao scored a seventh round technical knockout against Lucas Matthysse last July 15 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Josef Ramos/ManilaTimes.net)

A OctOber 10-12, 2018 • Socal ASIAN JOUrNAL

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

Dateline PhiliPPines

De Castro exits after hiking court salaries “We have upgraded the salary of our first-level courts in keeping with the heavy responsibility that MAKING sure her short stint they perform,” de Castro said in will be remembered by the ju- a speech on Monday, October 8, diciary, Chief Justice Teresita during her last flag ceremony as Leonardo de Castro promoted a chief justice. number of court personnel and “We granted overtime pay for increased the salary of trial court court employees who are helping employees. in the continuous trial of cases,”

by Catherine

Modesto ManilaTimes.net

LUNGSOD NG ANAHEIM PAUNAWA NG MGA KANDIDATO PARA SA PAMPUBLIKONG TANGGAPAN AT MGA PAMANTAYAN SA BALOTA ANG PAUNAWANG ITO AY IBINIGAY upang ang mga sumusunod na tao na hinirang para sa mga posisyon na itinalaga ay mapunan sa Pangkalahatang Munisipal na Halalan na gaganapin sa Lungsod ng Anaheim sa Martes, ika-6 ng Nobyembre, 2018: Para sa Alkalde – Bumoto ng Isa Ashleigh Aitken Cynthia Ward Robert Williams Tony D. Martin H. Fuji Shioura Harry Sidhu Lorri Galloway Rudy Gaona Para sa Miyembro ng Konseho ng Lungsod, Distrito 2 - Bumoto ng Isa Duane Roberts James Derek Vanderbilt Robert Trimble Jordan Brandman Donald Bruhns Para sa Miyembro ng Konseho ng Lungsod, Distrito 3 - Bumoto ng Isa Mitch Caldwell Robert R. Nelson Jose F. Moreno Para sa Miyembro ng Konseho ng Lungsod, Distrito 6 - Bumoto ng Isa Grant Henninger Trevor O’Neil Patty Gaby ANG PAUNAWANG ITO AY IBINIGAY DIN upang pagbotohan ang mga sumusunod na panukala sa Pangkalahatang Munisipal na Halalan na gaganapin sa Lungsod ng Anaheim sa Martes, ika-6 ng Nobyembre, 2018: Mga Panukalang Pagbobotohan: PANUKALA J Reperendum ng Pamantayan na Nagpapatibay sa Kasunduan No. 201600001 – Kinakailangan bang pagtibayin ang Ordinansa ng Konseho ng Lungsod OO ng Anaheim No. 6376, na magpapatibay ng isang Kasunduan ng Pag-unlad at magbibigay ng makapangyarihang karapatan na magtayo ng isang Four Diamond na may 580 na kwarto, isang hotel na may walong palapag sa lupaing matatagpuan sa 1700 S. Harbor Blvd. sa loob ng limang taong termino ng HINDI Kasunduan ng Pag-unlad alinsunod sa mga pagpapatibay ng gobyerno at sa mga karapatang ipinagkaloob ng Lungsod?

PANUKALA K Reperendum ng Pamantayan na Nagpapatibay sa Kasunduan ng Pagunlad No. 2016-00002 – Kinakailangan bang pagtibayin ang Ordinansa OO ng Konseho ng Lungsod ng Anaheim No. 6377, na magpapatibay ng isang Kasunduan ng Pag-unlad at magbibigay ng makapangyarihang karapatan na magtayo ng isang Four Diamond na may 634 na kwarto, isang hotel na may walong palapag sa lupaing matatagpuan sa 1030 W. Katella Ave. sa HINDI loob ng limang taong termino ng Kasunduan ng Pag-unlad alinsunod sa mga pagpapatibay ng gobyerno at sa mga karapatang ipinagkaloob ng Lungsod?

PANUKALA L Nangungunang Ordinansa upang Itaas ang Pinakamababang Sahod ng Tiyak na Tagapag-empleyo sa Industriya ng Mabuting Pakikitungo – Dapat bang OO pagtibayin ang nangungunang ordinansa na itaas ang pinakamababang sahod na maaaring bayaran ng mga tagapag-empleyo sa industriya ng mabuting SDNLNLWXQJR QD PDWDWDJSXDQ VD $QDKHLP R VD 'LVQH\ODQG 5HVRUW 6SHFL¿F 3ODQ Zones na may kasunduan ng rebate sa buwis sa Lungsod, at ang pagpapataw HINDI ng kaukulang kabayaran sa serbisyo tulad ng pagbabayad ng mga tagapagempleyo sa mga manggagawa nang buo?

Linda N. Andal, CMC Klerk ng Lungsod Lungsod ng Anaheim Petsa: ika-11 ng Oktubre, 2018

CNS-3181578#

which was pushed by Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta, she said.

She also announced that high court employees would receive “tokens of appreciation” from the justices “for their dedicated service to the court.”

These are bonuses or additional fringe benefits subject to tax, as later clarified by the court’s public information office.

She also took a swipe at Maria Lourdes Sereno, who was removed as chief justice in May for lack of qualification, leaving many positions unfilled.

“We have also promoted immediately our officials to fill vacant positions and opened up positions of assistant chiefs of office, numerous positions [that went]unfilled for many years, in BREAK FREE FROM PLASTIC. Greenpeace Southeast Philippines Campaigner Abigail Aguilar (2nd from left) gives an overview of the global order to not disrupt the delivery plastic waste problem during the launching of #breakfreefromplastics Global Report on Brand Audits at Salu Restaurant in Quezon City on Tuesday, October 9.

PNA photo by Oliver Marquez of public service,” she added.

De Castro served as top magistrate for only 44 days. She has served in government for 45 years. her last day in office was on, Tuesday, October 9, but her mandatory retirement will be on Wednesday, upon reaching 70. have universal health care cov- need to be voted on third and

by Consuelo Marquez De Castro will attend the oral Inquirer.net erage and benefits from the final reading before it is conarguments on the case involvNational health Security Pro- sidered approved by the chaming the country’s withdrawal The Senate Bill 1896 or the gram, which replaced National ber. from the International Criminal “Universal healthcare Bill” health Insurance Program or Sen. Joseph Victor ejercito, Court. n which aims to “promote and Philhealth. who chairs the Senate Comprotect right to health of FilipiThe house of the Represen- mittee on health and Demognos” was approved on second tatives passed their version of raphy, eyed the passage of the reading at the Senate. the bill on Sept. 6, 2017. The universal care bill not later than Under the bill, Filipinos will Senate version of the bill would October. n

Senate approves Universal Health Care Bill on second reading

Most Filipinos believe Duterte’s health is a public matter — SWS MORe than six out of ten Filipinos want to know what President Rodrigo Duterte’s health status really is, a survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

The survey said 61 percent of Filipinos believe that Duterte’s health is a public matter, while only 33 percent said it is a private one.

The remaining six percent just shrugged their shoulders.

Those who agreed that Duterte’s Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro health is a public matter numwaves to Supreme Court employees and bered the highest in the Visayas associate justices on Monday, October 8. at 65 percent.

The President’s home region, Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban Mindanao, came second at 63 percent, followed by Balance Luzon at 59 percent and Metro Manila at 58 percent.

This is also the dominant opinion among socio-demographics.

Section 12, Article VII, of the 1987 Constitution states, “In case of serious illness of the President, the public shall be informed of the state of his health.”

Palace spokesman harry Roque Jr. on Friday, October 5, said he will urge the President to release a medical bulletin this week.

The survey was conducted from September 15 to 23, roughly two weeks after Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Ma. Sison said Duterte was in coma.

Duterte admitted on September 21 in a speech during the 3rd Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical

Forum of the Asia-Pacific Association of Gastroenterology (APAGe) that he underwent colonoscopy and endoscopy a week before.

On Thursday, October 4, he floated the possibility of having Stage 3 cancer, after admitting that he went to Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City and stayed there for an hour as doctors “took samples.” he said he did not know the state of his health, but would not seek treatment anymore if diagnosed by doctors with Stage 3 cancer.

The SWS survey also showed that less than half of Filipinos believes that Duterte has health problems.

Forty-five percent of those surveyed said they believe that the President has health issues, while 26 percent answered in the negative.

Those who believe this strongest come from Metro Manila at 53 percent, followed by those in Balance Luzon and Visayas at 45 percent and Mindanao at 39 percent.

The remaining respondents were undecided on the matter.

Fifty-five percent said they are worried that the President will have health problems and 44 percent answered they are not.

The SWS polled 1,500 adults.

The survey had sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, ±4% for Balance Luzon, and ±6% each for Metro Manila,

Visayas, and Mindanao.

Right to be informed Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said Filipinos have the right to be informed of the real health condition of the president.

“Nasa Saligang Batas po iyan na may karapatan ang taumbayan na malaman ang tunay na kalusugan ng pangulo (The Constitution states that the citizenry has the right to know the real health condition of the president),” Drilon said in a radio interview.

But Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said there was nothing alarming about Duterte’s recent check-up “Those are regular procedures.

I do the same once a year.The President is healthy enough to discharge his duties,” he said in a text message.

“Am sure Malacanang will update the public on the President’s medical condition at the appropriate time,” Recto said.

Sen. Francis escudero said the procedures mentioned by the President are diagnostic in nature and are not “findings” or conclusions regarding his state of health.

“I think he will be equally candid with respect to the ‘findings,’ if any, and his spokespersons should take the cue from their boss with respect to this issue and not second guess him as regards his candidness and honesty with respect to this and other matters,” escudero said. (ManilaTimes.net)

Kavanaugh sits on Supreme Court bench after...

PAGE A1 vote in nine seat Supreme Court.

Kavanaugh was Trump’s second nomination to get a seat on the court since the president took office in 2016.

On route to a campaign rally in Kansas, Trump said of Kavanaugh, “We’re very honored that he was able to withstand this horrible, horrible attack by the Democrats.”

In the weeks leading up to the confirmation, protesters throughout the nation rallied behind Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, a university psychology professor, who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in an upstairs bedroom in one of Washington’s upscale suburbs in 1982.

Two other women, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick, also accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct in the 1980s.

On Saturday, Ford’s lawyer, Michael Bromwich, described the final week of an FBI investigation that culminated the hearings in tweet saying, “A week that will live in infamy for the U.S. Senate, permanently diminishing its stature.”

“It treated serious allegations as nuisance to be sidestepped rather than a call to investigate seriously,” Bromwich continued. “It then deemed a perfunctory investigation sufficient when it was not.

Appalling.”

For Republican senators — including a few who showed hesitance over voting Kavanaugh forward — a brief weeklong FBI investigation that found no corroborating evidence of Ford’s accusations was enough to get their vote.

But Democrats and other protesters, the FBI probe — given its

time limit to one week — was simply not enough.

On Capitol hill Saturday, protesters briefly interrupted the confirmation vote in the Senate gallery by chanting “Shame on you!” and “November is coming!” Several protesters, many of who were women behind the widespread #MeToo movement, were arrested.

Kavanaugh’s hearing drew stark similarities to the also controversial 1991 confirmation hearing of current Supreme Court Justice Clarence who was also subject to sexual harassment allegations by law professor Anita hill.

According to Nielsen data released about a week before his confirmation, roughly 20.4 million people tuned into the hearings on broadcast and cable networks. #NovemberIsComing While the bitter battle over Kavanaugh’s confirmation came to an end, it has fueled Democrats and Republicans who are now using its outcome in encouraging people to go and vote in the upcoming midterm elections on November 6.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, told reporters that the hearing and its result will be boost to Republicans at the ballot box.

“We have noticed some kind of energy pick-up on our side,” McConnell said at a Monday press conference in Kentucky. “It provided the adrenalin shot that we had not been able to achieve in any other way.”

Democratic Senator elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts told protesters before the vote, “It hurts every survivor of sexual as-

sault who has been ignored.”

Warren continued with encouragement to “take back the house” and “take back the Senate.”

“We have forged a bond that will make us stronger in the next fight,” added Warren.

With seats in both the house and the Senate at stake for both parties, Democrats are looking to gain at least two Senate seats, and 23 house seats during the midterm elections in order to be a majority in each chamber.

As house and Senate candidates across the U.S. voiced their opinions with the outcome, so too have some running candidates of the Fil-Am community.

“Kavanaugh’s confirmation reminds us that there are still those who think of our voices and our experiences as inconvenient distractions, versus life experiences equally deserving of respect,” tweeted Gina Ortiz Jones for Texas District 23. “Women deserve to be represented, and we’ll remember those who sold us out.”

Running for California’s 14th District, Fil-Am GOP nominee Cristina Osmeña urged people to “Stop bullying Susan Collins,” in a tweet linking to an article Senator Susan Collins who as a result of voting for Trump’s nomination of Kavanaugh, has been called by many a “betrayer of women.”

Osmeña shared her thoughts throughout the hearing once saying, “Dr. Ford seems likeable and trustworthy. So does Brett Kavanaugh. I hope he shows compassion for her experience when he testifies. She has been truly victimized by someone.” (Rae Ann Varona/AJPress)

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

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 10-12, 2018

A

Supreme Buddha-Dharma Once Again Astonishes the World

by Liu

Yinghong

In Buddhism, mastery over one’s own birth and death has always been a legend. Yet, in September of 2018, I saw that with my own eyes!

The Buddhism founded by Sakyamuni Buddha has been propagated in the world for more than 2,000 years and has evolved into various sects and schools, each with its own teachings and traditions. Patriarchs, eminent monastics, and greatly virtuous people have all talked about how they themselves possess the best teachings, boasting that they themselves can teach people the ultimate accomplishment and liberation. Yet, what are the results?

As proven by facts, very few people in history truly attained the accomplishment of actual liberation. Rather, the overwhelming majority of people have been unable to attain accomplishment from practicing dharma.

There have been those who attained outstanding accomplishment, such as Bodhidharma, Hui neng, and Han Shan. In more recent times, there were Xu Yun, Hui Ming, Sheng Qin, and other elderly dharma masters. There were also Guru Padmasambhava, Master Tsongkhapa, Master Karmapa, Venerable Atisa, and Venerable Suchandra, among others. Still, persons of holy virtue with the kind of accomplishment of those people are so rare.

Especially in the last 100 years or so, the dharma-ending era has taken a deeper and more pervasive hold. The true dharma of the Tathagatas is already almost completely lost. This applies even to leading figures of the modern era who were world-renowned people with titles such as eminent monastics or greatly virtuous ones, for when they approached the end of their lives, they suffered from pain till the very end. They did not attain liberation from birth and death, not to mention having control over their own birth and death.

H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has brought the great dharma of the Tathagatas to the human world, resumed the original teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha, restored Buddhism to how it was when Sakyamuni Buddha was in this world, and even brought about a template by which Buddhists get faster and higher accomplishment through diligent cultivation. Such great dharmas include The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation, initiation into the “Holy Inner-Tantric Jingxing Dharma,” dharma methods of cultivation that are beyond compare, and supreme dharmas that lead quickly to accomplishment.

Such teachings and dharmas, which are innumerable, have never been previously brought to this world by any other holy person in history.

It is widely known that H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has reached the pinnacle of accomplishment in the Five Vidyas and that His Holiness has the holy realization of a Buddha. This

Dharma King Gar Tongstan attained mastery over his own birth and death. He said he would leave this world before the ink got dry and he did.

After he was cremated, he left behind ringsels; unprecedented relic-flowers in green, blue, yellow, white, and black colors; and a tooth-relic.

Such are testimony that he said his words truthfully and exactly as the facts.

has indeed been validated by all kinds of facts. I would, however, like to propose that everyone give some thought to one thing. The accomplishments of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, just like the accomplishments of Sakyamuni Buddha, are the accomplishments of a Buddha and have nothing to do with us. What is truly intimately relevant to us is that we Buddhists can become accomplished through following the teachings. It is this that is of utmost importance!

In this regard, we conducted on-the-spot investigations. It is indeed true that greatly accomplished ones who were taught by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III can still be vividly recalled in everyone’s minds. They include Elder Dharma Master Wu Ming, Elder Dharma Master Yi Zhao, and Holy Venerable Yin Hai. Other examples are persons of holy virtue such as Dharma Master Tonghui, Master Puguan, Elder Dharma Master Guozhang, Great Venerable Wang Lingze, Layperson Cheng Efen, Hou Yushan, Lin-Liu Huixiu, and Zhao Yusheng. The facts prove that people taught by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III have attained extraordinary accomplishments.

Moreover, a disciple of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, Dharma King Gar Tongstan Ciren Gyatso, who was the President of the World Buddhism Association Headquarters, demonstrated his world-astounding mastery over his own birth and death!

In his lifetime, Dharma King Gar Tongstan had learned from many famous figures within Buddhism. Since he became a disciple of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III in 1995, it was as if he had found the rarest and most precious treasure. His experience was just like that of Luosang Zhenzhu Geshe, the only Larampa Geshe among the Han Chinese people, who, when answering a reporter’s question, said that his previous sixty years of learning Buddhism could not match one day of learning from H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III! Think of the implications of that!

After Dharma King Gar Tong-

stan learned dharmas and cultivation practices transmitted by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, he gave up all the ineffective dharmas that he had learned before and dedicated himself to practicing the profound Buddha-dharmas transmitted by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. His realization advanced by leaps and bounds, and he attained perfect good fortune and wisdom. In 2004, he demonstrated the vajra power of one who has the most extraordinary physical strength in the world. At the Holy Buddha-Bathing Dharma Assembly, as witnessed by many, he lifted the Buddha-bathing lotus tub weighing more than 4,000 pounds to pour water from it. In 2009, in front of many people, he performed a dharma by which his consciousness exited his body and fetched a vajra pill that was a distance away from him. Ultimately, the Dharma King illuminated his mind, saw his original nature, and realized the dharma-body (dharmakaya).

The Silver Box Dharma Discourses, in which he talks about his realizations, are to this day widely distributed in the world.

In 2015, the planning and preparatory committee for the building of the Juexing Temple in Taiwan invited Dharma King Gar Tongstan to serve as the abbot of the temple. In a letter dated July 16, 2016, Dharma King Gar Tongstan wrote to the committee, telling them that he could not serve as the abbot of the temple because he does not have such karmic conditions. (For details, please see “Answer no. 18” in the “Important Replies from Holy Virtuous Ones and Eminent Monastics” issued by the Inquiry Center of WBAH.) In 2017, a person of holy virtue by the name of Chen Yigu wrote the article I Dare to Guarantee What Merit Is and What Sin Is, and Buddha-Bestowed nectar.

That article quoted words from Dharma King Gar Tongstan informing Buddhist practitioners that he could not wait until the foundation of Ancient Buddha Temple is laid: “I, Gar Tongstan Ciren Gyatso, am simply not qualified to be the abbot of Ancient Buddha Temple.…I am not

even qualified to be the supervisor of Ancient Buddha Temple.

Furthermore, I already lack the karmic conditions to see and pay obeisance to Ancient Buddha Temple.…Although I am confidently in control of my birth and death, I am not sure I can return to the human world after arriving at a Buddha-land. That is because I do not know whether Amitabha Buddha will allow me to return to the human world to pay respect to the Buddha in person, unless H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, my beneficent Master, summons me.” What great Buddha-dharma it is by which the Dharma King could attain such accomplishment and confidently foretell his own birth and death!

In “Inquiry Reply no.

20180102” issued in 2018 by WBAH, it was stated, “Today, two members of the board of directors of World Buddhism Association Headquarters went to seek instructions from the Dharma King, as some people are asking when the Dharma King will leave this world in a state of liberation.

Dharma King Gar Tongstan said that he had accomplished control over his birth and death by practicing a dharma, the yidam of which is H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. He said that once a last dharma is performed, he will write a decision letter about his leaving this world and then will leave this world in a state of liberation. He stated that he will not waste any time. Upon hearing that, members of the Persons of Holy Virtue Group at WBAH immediately entered a supernatural observance and found that Dharma King Gar Tongstan had already fully realized the status of Shang Zun at the level of Gold Button Grade 3!

Why was the Dharma King able to speak with such certainty? In today’s world, where could people possibly find such Buddha-dharma by which they can attain control over their own birth and death? For almost 100 years, there has not been Buddha-dharma that astounded the world in this way. The Dharma King said that once a last dharma has been performed, he would leave this world in a state of liberation as soon as possible.

What dharma was he waiting for? What kind of decision letter would he leave behind? Anyway, that would happen very soon. It was just a matter of waiting for a dharma assembly to take place.

We eagerly waited to see whether what he said was empty talk or a reference to an actual great dharma!

In September 2018, Dharma King Gar Tongstan beseeched his beneficent Buddha Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, to perform a holy fire-mandala grand offering. He said, “Your Holiness the Buddha should use this highest and greatest dharma of the Tathagatas to verify whether those who flaunt the banners of their lineages in soci-

Dharma King Gar Tongstan

ety are ordinary or holy people, whether they are amateurs in Buddhism who have lost the lineage of true dharma. Those who carry evil views have made much efforts in social-media websites on the internet to undermine and slander the conduct and dharma of my beneficent Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. This is the only way for us to refute their evil and show what true Buddhadharma is!”

H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III said, “You are wrong. One must not cause others to feel bad for one’s own sake. I am not able to perform that dharma. Even if I were to perform it, I would only be able to chant according to the rituals.”

Dharma King Gar Tongstan continued to beseech, “My beneficent Buddha Master, even assuming that dharma is not performed for the sake of validating Yourself, that dharma still needs to be performed for the sake of validating the true dharma of the Tathagatas, for the sake of living beings in the entire Western world so as so eliminate their disasters and pray for their good fortune, and for my sake, Your disciple Gar Tongstan Ciren Gyatso, who is beseeching true Buddha-dharma so that I may have the requisites for my accomplishment!”

H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III then said, “Since this relates to the great cause of spreading true Buddha-dharma in the entire Western world, and for the sake of praying for good fortune to benefit living beings, you can rest assured that this dharma assembly will be performed. Even if I do not do perform it, a person of tremendously holy virtue will perform it.”

On September 17th, a metalwork specialist led a team to rush the fabrication of a brass cauldron. On September 18th, Sister Xuan Hui brought sandalwood pieces and charcoals from the residence of Dharma King Gar Tongstan to be burnt during the homa fire-offering. On September 19th, the “Holy Fire-Offering Grand Dharma Assembly” was formally held at the Holy Miracles Temple in the United States.

The “Holy Fire-Offering Dharma” is the king of all dharmas in eliminating karmic hindrances and increasing good fortune. About eighty years ago in Tibet, this dharma was once successfully performed by Master Phapongka and Kangsa Rinpoche. Ever since, both in Tibet and the regions of the Han Chinese, the so-called fire-offering dharma has been something that is merely described in books or described orally as being a holy dharma practice; that is, there has not been any actual manifestation of holy states during that time. There have only been conventional dharma practices performed through the Dharma King Gar Tongstan attained freedom from birth and death; and passed away at a state of liberation at a time he foretold. chanting of rituals.

However, on September 19th at the Holy Fire-Offering Grand Dharma Assembly that was performed by one of tremendously holy virtue at Holy Miracles Temple in the United States, Vajra Maternal Buddha personally arrived in the sky. Her entire tall and enormous blue body emitted light. In an article published on the internet, someone said that they saw Vajra Maternal Buddha flick a finger, sending forth a flash of light from the sky. The fire inside the cauldron then ignited.

However, I have interviewed quite a few people who saw something different. They saw that Vajra Maternal Buddha, who was blue, manifested Her appearance in the sky. She was enormous, very tall, and extremely dignified and majestic. Her body and movements changed. A net of fire and lightning swirled around Her entire body. As soon as the fire-ignition guardian finished beseeching Her to ignite the fire, Vajra Maternal Buddha suddenly Before Dharma King Gar Tongstan passed away in a state of liberation, he personally grinded his ink and wrote the Verses of Respectful Farewell. At the very moment he put down his brush, emitted a flash of light from between Her eyebrows directly into he passed away gracefully and completely at ease.

the fire cauldron. In an instant, a raging fire started burning!

At that time, only five pieces of sandalwood had been placed inside the fire cauldron. How could such a raging fire possibly ignite in an instant?

Subsequently, the demons captured inside the vajra demonsubduing bowl struggled desperately to escape, trying to shake the bowl to find an exit. Right at the moment that the bowl shook, Vajra Maternal Buddha again sent forth a flame from between Her eyebrows directly toward the demon-subduing bowl. Suddenly, the sound “Hong” was heard. The demon-subduing bowl emitted golden flames, instantly turning the demons and black karma of the attending cultivators into pulverized powder.

Vajra Maternal Buddha subdued the demons, whose souls were brought to a Buddha-land to be edified! The nearly 100 cultivators attending the dharma assembly were greatly astonished, and they were all kowtowing non-stop to pay obeisance!

At the dharma assembly, the one of tremendously holy virtue announced to the practitioners, “This dharma assembly has now been performed. Dharma King Gar Tongstan will very soon leave the world.”

Sure enough, this was precisely the last dharma assembly that Dharma King Gar Tongstan said he was waiting for. On the next day, the Dharma King took a bath, changed his clothes, and entered his dharma practice. In front of his meditation seat, there was a writing desk, brush and ink, paper, and white-out fluid.

After writing a letter respectfully bidding farewell to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, the Dharma King immediately went into a sitting meditation and passed away in a state of liberation.

When monastics from different temples heard the news and quickly made their way to the site, they found that right after the Dharma King put down his brush, he passed away in a state of liberation gracefully and completely at ease. At that time, everyone came to realize that the Verses of Respectful Farewell written by Dharma King Gar Tongstan are pointing living beings to where the true, great dharma of the Tathagatas is. That is, the true dharma is held and controlled by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. It is the same as the dharma of Sakyamuni Buddha; namely, Buddha-dharma that is non-sectarian and belongs to the entirety of Buddhism!

The following are the Verses of Respectful Farewell written by Dharma King Gar Tongstan: Verses of Respectful Farewell Namo beneficent Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Disciple Gar Tongstan Ciren Gyatso has decided to leave this world.

As life is filled with suffering, I rushed about learning Buddhism and seeking enlightenment.

I have followed many masters: Guang Qin, Xuan Hua, Kalu, And Dharma King Dilgo Khyentse, Diligently practicing their dharmas and the Sakya unshared LamDre Dharma, All to no avail.

Thankfully, I met my Buddha Master.

Through the Mahamudra of Liberation that is supreme and unsurpassed, And the secret initiations and transmissions of holy dharma from my Buddha Master, I achieved control over my own birth and death.

My direct realization is reality.

I now put down my brush and leave this world, Entering into the state of liberation before the ink dries.

Namo my beneficent Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III! Disciple Tongstan respectfully bids farewell.

September 20, 2018 n

A6 OCTOBER 10-12, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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

OPINION

‘The war is over’

FEATURES

LAST Saturday, October 6, some 6,000 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front lined a five-kilometer stretch of road from Cotabato City to Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao, to welcome a visiting group from the Armed Forces of the Philippines led by chief of staff Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. MILF chairman Al Hajj Murad Ebrahim led those who welcomed the AFP officers to the MILF’s Camp Darapanan, where Galvez declared that the war with the Islamic separatists is over. This is a most welcome development for peace efforts in Mindanao.

Even before the Bangsamoro Basic Law or BBL was enacted earlier this year, the MILF had been cooperating with the government in various aspects particularly in law enforcement and counterterrorism in the conflict zones of Mindanao.

Unfortunately for the peace process, long before the BBL was passed, a faction had broken away from the MILF. And just like the MILF when it broke away from the original secessionist group the Moro National Liberation Front, the breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters is conducting armed attacks in several provinces in Mindanao. BIFF fighters are believed to have teamed up

with Islamic State-inspired Maute terrorists who laid siege to Marawi City for five months last year.

Besides the Mautes and BIFF, the AFP also continues to battle the Abu Sayyaf, whose terrorist activities have hampered development and poverty alleviation efforts in the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. The Abu Sayyaf is still keeping several hostages, most of them foreigners. Kidnapping for ransom is a major source of funding for the group.

The Mautes, on the other hand, are believed to be raising funds through drug trafficking and various types of business fronts.

The continuing activities of these threat groups mean sustained conflict in Mindanao, even if the BBL is ratified in the plebiscite set next year. The war with the MILF is over, but the battles with threat groups in Mindanao continue on other fronts. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Give the power back to ‘we the people’: Go out and vote in the November 6 midterm elections

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS THE CONFIRMATION process of Justice Brett Kavanaugh just all the more highlighted how divided and angry this nation has been, especially in the last two years.

If you are happy where the country is right now, or whether you have serious concerns how the democratic process has increasingly been hijacked, then do NOT fall into the trap of either complacency or paralysis and resignation. Channel your passion into a mission to give the power back to us, “We the People”, as stipulated in the U.S. Constitution.

“Government of the people, by the people, for the people”, is

what democracy really is. This is why if you think the balance of power is now leaning toward one ideology and/or party, and that the system of checks and balance provided for by the Constitution seems to not functioning as it should, then we all need to VOTE in the November 6 midterm elections.

As we have witnessed in the Kavanaugh confirmation process, it is important for us to have informed decision on who to elect into positions of public trust. This should not be limited to the top positions of the executive branch of our government.

The legislative and judiciary are co-equal branches of government and have a lot of power as well in making con-

sequential decisions on how to run the government, the bills to pass, the services to be given to the people, the nominees to be confirmed, the impeachment of the people in power who abuse public trust, etc.

On November 6, each vote — your vote — matters and has consequences.

As the New York Times reported, the 2018 midterm elections, which rolled out “with hundreds of congressional, state and local primaries, will culminate with the Nov. 6 general election to decide whether Democrats can gain control of Congress or if Republicans will keep their hold on the legislative branch.”

What are the chances of the “blue wave “ changing the seascape in the Senate? According

Is the end imminent?

Commentary

FRANCISCO TATAD DESPITE the disturbing presidential admissions in the last few days, most Filipinos, I believe, continue to hope that President Rodrigo Duterte would serve his full term until 2022, without any incident. But for some, the next three years will be a toss-up between his physical health and his political health. Will he ultimately fall because of failing health or will he be ousted by the CPP/ NPA/NDF? This question can no longer be avoided.

An endoscopy and colonoscopy recently performed on DU30 have shown a “growth,” which doctors are still trying to determine whether malignant or benign. The complete reading is not yet known, but DU30 told the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association on October 4, “if it’s cancer, it’s cancer. And if it’s third stage, no more treatment. I will not prolong my agony in office or anywhere.”

The physical vs the political While DU30 is battling such serious health issue, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has claimed that the CPP/NPA/ NDF plans to oust DU30 soon, and that 18 universities and colleges had become the hub of its destabilization effort. We have not seen anything remotely resembling the storm that raged inside the universities during the Marcos years, but if DU30 believes they had become the hotbed of an oust-DU30 movement, then the relevant “facts” will not be slow in rising to the surface.

University authorities and students have already denounced the government’s allegation as baseless.

Both threats to the President deserve an objective, cold-blooded look. What are the real prospects of each? First, let us consider DU30’s physical health.

Since the 73-year-old DU30 assumed office on June 30, 2016, he has been bothered by various maladies. His recurring and unexplained disappearances from official public functions have been blamed on these ailments. He has complained of continuous migraine, Barrett’s esophagus, Buerger’s disease, and some spinal injury sustained during an early motorcycle riding accident. He was recently reported to have suffered severe coughing and vomiting spells, before and after his July state of the nation address.

An endoscopy is an examination of the esophagus, stomach and small intestine, using a tube with lighting and camera at the end. It is usually performed on patients who are complaining of dyspepsia or heartburn, constant bleeding or vomiting. A colonoscopy on the other hand is an examination where the doctor inserts a colonoscope from the anus up to the hole of the large intestine. Both procedures have been performed on the President. Some doctors, however, point out that if the patient’s problem is the throat, this would require a separate examination; it is not known whether the President needs such an examination or that he has had it.

What’s serious illness?

DU30’s own revelation has triggered a demand for more in-

formation about his actual state of health. Section 12 of Article VII of the Constitution provides that “in case of serious illness of the President, the public shall be informed of the state of his health.

The members of the Cabinet in charge of national security and foreign relations and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, shall not be denied access to the President during such illness.”

Section 11 of the same article provides that “whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.”

Likewise, “whenever a majority of all the Members of the Cabinet transmit to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House…a written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.”

No enabling law has been enacted to define what “serious illness” means. Who decides when the President is seriously ill? Is cancer, whether treatable or not, considered a serious illness that should instantly trigger the implementation of the constitutional provision? Who can compel the release of the President’s medical records if he decides not to release them? Does the Presi-

to the analysis of the Times, “Democrats hope to win at least two new seats to regain control of the chamber, but their margin for error is slim. A majority of the seats up for election in 2018 are currently held by Democrats.”

Meanwhile in the House race, “Democrats need to flip 23 seats to capture the 218 seats necessary for control of the chamber.

There are 194 likely or solidly Democratic seats and 173 likely or solidly Republican seats. The competitive races below are listed by state and district number.”

In the state elections, “there are also 36 governor’s races on the ballot in 2018. With the next redistricting process set for after the 2020 election, winning

gubernatorial and state legislative control will be crucial for both parties.”

The exercise of our right and obligation to vote are so sacred and important as they keep our elected officials accountable. If we do not exercise this right, we give abusive officials a pass and become complicit to their transgressions against our democracy.

So, register to vote if you haven’t yet and go to your polling places on November 6.

Some states allow early voting and mail-in ballots.

Vote for candidates who represent your values and priorities, who consider the good of ALL AMERICANS and not just a chosen privileged few, who think not only of short-term

gains but of long-term benefits to yourself, your family, your community, our nation, and our planet.

Vote for candidates who value honesty, accountability, and respect for all, especially for our Constitution, our democratic principles, institutions and processes.

For more information, go to: https://www.rockthevote.org/ voting-information/ or https://www.usa.gov/election-office. ***

dent have to order or authorize the issuance of regular medical bulletins? Who can authorize such bulletins if the President refuses to have them?

Roque in the dark No complaint has been heard from the Foreign Secretary, the Defense Secretary, the National Security Adviser or the AFP Chief of Staff that they have been denied access to the President at this time, but the presidential spokesman Harry Roque has complained that he has been kept in the dark about DU30’s endoscopy and has threatened to resign. Roque has made known his desire to run for the Senate in the May 2019 elections, but DU30 has said he has no way of winning because the armed forces, who are supposed to be politically neutral in any election, are not inclined to support him.

DU30’s medical condition has triggered instant discussions about his possible successor, but his gratuitous remarks about Vice President Leni Robredo have provoked speculations about the possibility of an extra-constitutional process.

However the President goes, the choice of his successor is defined by the Constitution, not by anybody else. The line of succession begins with the Vice President, down to the Senate President and the Speaker of the House. Vice President Leni Robredo’s election is under protest from former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., but if the presidency falls vacant now, Robredo automatically assumes the office.

Bongbong Marcos will have no claim to it, and Robredo’s right to succeed will not be affected

by DU30’s opinion that she lacks his murderous qualities to be-

come president. Neither will the military be obliged to listen to DU30’s musings about a military junta, unless perhaps a military conspiracy or a foreign invasion threatens to overrun the government and the military decides to act as the constitutional protector of the people and the state.

The communist threat This brings us to the second question: What are the chances of DU30 being overthrown by the communists?

It is safe to presume that the CPP/NPA/NDF considers the university classroom or campus a fertile ground for recruiting new members. Even foreign intelligence and corporate “headhunters” look to them as possible sources of fresh recruits. But the government cannot just assume “it is highly likely” that communist recruitment is going on; it must show it is indeed happening there, and build up its case against the suspects. This is best done through police investigative work, not simply by making a blanket accusation against the universities and colleges.

Irresponsible and dangerous The statement, coming from the AFP, is regrettably so unintelligent, irresponsible and dangerous. It tars all the academic institutions, makes every student and faculty member in those institutions suspect, and threatens a military crackdown that will make the slightest tinge of academic freedom a thing of the past. Far from preserving the university classroom and campus as places where the young can explore new ideas, it turns them into places where they could build and throw bombs instead. It creates the very situation which academic learning is supposed to prevent.

Under Marcos, the “university

belt” became the seat of the student protest movement. University of the Philippines President Salvador P. Lopez, a nationalist patriot who wrote the last words (“Bataan has fallen”) for the Filipino wartime defenders of Bataan against the savage Japanese onslaught, and who long after the war served as one of the nation’s more consequential Secretary of Foreign Affairs, led the student marches from Diliman to Malacañang in an effort to showcase the nationalist character of their protest.

But there were no clear dividing lines between the nationalists and the communists. Their common objective was to remove Marcos, even though Joma Sison and Commander Dante alone had a concrete plan of setting up a Maoist dictatorship.

Irony of ironies, Marcos virtually broke the back of the communist movement by capturing and jailing Sison and other top communist leaders during Martial Law, only to fall in a civilian-supported military putsch in 1986. Then Cory Aquino, his revolutionary successor, released and amnestied all the dissidents. When the Soviet empire disintegrated and the Cold War ended in 1991, Sison and his companions remained the only communist holdouts in Europe, specifically in Utrecht.

Was DU30 ever anti-Red? In 2016, DU30 began his presidency with an express desire to forge a coalition government with the communists. His most notable Cabinet appointees were members of the CPP central committee, without the benefit of any peace agreement.

He pursued his peace talks with the communists in a farcical dance between NDF-1 and

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

PAGE A7

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

ADVERTISING AND ADVERTORIAL POLICIES

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

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

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

ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board

CORA MACABAGDAL-ORIEL President

CHRISTINA M. ORIEL Editor-in-Chief

MOMAR G. VISAYA Executive Editor

IVY MANALANG Vice President - Marketing Los Angeles Asian Journal

MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA Senior Vice President Los Angeles Asian Journal

DING CARREON Videographer

ANDY TECSON Photographer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dateline PhiliPPines

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 10-12, 2018

A

Senate OKs bill vs catcalling, street harassment Robredo camp hits draft charter’s ‘ridiculous’ basis for omitting VP from line of succession

by Gaea

Katreena Philstar.com

CabiCo

sogyny seem to be the new normal, this is an important victory MANILA — The Senate on for all women and LGBT persons.

Monday, October 8, passed on This is a major pushback against third and final reading the mea- street-based sexual harassment sure that seeks to protect women and the culture of sexism,” Honfrom catcalling and other forms tiveros said. of harassment in public places.

She added: “With this meaSenate Bill 1326, or the Safe sure, we will reclaim the streets Streets and Public Spaces Act of from sexual harassers and make 2017, aims to penalize catcalling, them safe for all.” wolf-whistling, cursing, leering Hontiveros is hopeful that the and groping. bill will “change the people’s lanIt also lists persistent requests guage habits, prevent different for a person’s name and con- forms of gender-based harasstact details and the use of words ment and convince the public of tending to ridicule on the basis of gender-sensitive expression.” actual or perceived sex, gender A counterpart bill filed at the expression or sexual orientation House of Representatives by and identity in public spaces as Rep. Tom Villarin (Akbayan) in grounds for punishment.

2017 is still pending at the comSen. Risa Hontiveros, the bill’s mittee level. principal author and sponsor, Last July, the local government hailed the passage as a “major of Manila passed ordinance, pushback” against misogyny and which aims to ban catcalling and sexism. other forms of sexual harassment “At a time when sexism and mi- in the city.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros is the principal author and sponsor of Senate Bill 1326, or the Safe Streets and Public Spaces Act of 2017.

Philstar.com photo

Quezon City passed the first ordinance penalizing street-level harassment of women in 2016. n

Fox’s lawyers: Immigration ‘gave in’ to Duterte’s whims MANILA — The camp of Sister Patricia Fox on Monday, October 8, slammed the Bureau of Immigration for its ruling that showed, they said, that it gave in to the “whims” of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The Immigration bureau has denied with finality Fox’s appeal to extend her missionary visa. BI ordered Fox to apply for a temporary visitor’s visa that has a validity of 59 days.

In a statement, Fox’s lawyers said: “Clearly, the BI wants her out of the country, discontinue her missionary work for the poor Filipinos, and silence her unwavering call for justice, accountability and protection of human rights, without even laying the basis for such decision.”

“The BI has long prejudged the case of Sister Pat that it con-

sciously turns a blind eye and deaf ears to reason and evidence, and [gives] in to the whims and caprice of its master in Malacañang,” their statement further reads.

The statement was signed by lawyers Jobert Pahilga, Rey Cortez, Kathy Panguban and Sol Taule.

Duterte has publicly admitted to ordering the investigation into Fox. He repeatedly lambasted the elderly nun for having a “shameful mouth” for supposedly criticizing him at rallies.

The chief executive said that foreigners are not allowed to criticize the Philippine government. “You don’t have the right to criticize us. You can come here to enjoy all the sights,” the president said on April 18.

Fox’s legal counsels said that the said that BI “consciously turns

a blind eye and deaf ears to reason and evidence, and give in to the whims and caprice of its master in Malacañang.”

BI has repeatedly said that the deportation against Fox is for her involvement in partisan activities, an accusation that Fox has denied.

The lawyers also said that the ruling reflects the Duterte’s administration stand on its critics and human rights defenders.

They noted that four other foreigners were barred from entering the Philippines in the past months. Their cases “illustrate the State’s persecution of human rights defenders,” said the lawyers.

Immigration has denied that there is a crackdown on foreign missionaries. (Kristine Joy Patag/ Philstar.com)

Is the end imminent?

PAGE A6 NDF-2, driven by his previous personal association with Sison as his professor in college. Then the talks broke down on a bed of personal insults. Most of his communist appointees failed to hurdle the confirmation process, but he kept his top communist aide, rebel ex-priest and NDF vice chairman Leoncio Evasco Jr., who continues to run the Office of the President.

If DU30 is determined to go after the alleged communist recruits in the universities, what will he do to his communist partners and subordinates in government? Given his relationship with the Communist Party of China, which now feeds into the broad conduct of his national security and international relations, is it unthinkable for DU30 to accelerate his original plan of building a coalition govern-

ment with Evasco’s communists, while abrogating his ties with the Sisonite forces, who accuse him of running a “brutal, corrupt and mendacious” dictatorship?

His revelations on “Red October” and on his precarious state of health may have compelled various political forces to come out of the woodwork, but they have not necessarily put DU30 entirely on the defensive. (ManilaTimes.net)

MANILA — The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo questioned the proposed draft federal charter, which removes the vice president from the line of succession in the transition government.

The draft charter that House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and 21 other lawmakers authored puts Senate President Tito Sotto as next in line should President Rodrigo Duterte be unable to lead the transition government.

Section 4, Article XVII of the House draft federal constitution states, “In case a vacancy by reason of removal, resignation, permanent incapacity or death of the incumbent President, the incumbent Senate President shall act as President until a President shall have been chosen and qualified.”

Romulo Macalintal, Robredo’s legal counsel, said the proposal was a mere “political calisthenics” based on the reason of Rep. Vicente Veloso (Leyte).

Veloso, chair of the House Committee on Constitutional

Amendments, said this proposal was made to prevent “instability” that comes with the election protest against Robredo.

Former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. filed the poll protest against Robredo after he lost by 263,473 votes in the 2016 national elections.

“The election protest filed by former Senator Bongbong Marcos as [a] ground for ousting VP Leni is clearly frivolous if not outright ridiculous,” Macalintal said.

“Since when did a pending election protest be the basis of succession to the highest position of the land?” he added.

Macalintal stressed that Veloso’s reasoning has no visible means of any legal or factual support.

Questions on Duterte’s health Robredo’s lawyer raised questions on why Duterte’s allies appear to be implying that the president would not be able to perform his duties while Malacañang has been insisting that he is healthy.

“If he is sick, succession should

not be the topic of discussion but prayers for his health,” Macalintal said.

The vice president’s lawyer said the Senate and the House would not even have enough time to make a final draft of the proposed shift to federalism.

“The Senate and the House could not even resolve how they would vote, whether jointly or separately. There is still the need to submit the proposed charter for people’s ratification and the process would involve substantial time and public funds which will never be achieved till the next presidential polls in 2022,” the lawyer said.

Macalintal expressed confidence that the proposal to remove Robredo in the transition government would never happen.

A report of the House panel dated October 2 showed that Arroyo’s draft charter has been recommended without amendment to the plenary.

The draft also lifts the term limits for members of Congress and made no mention of anti-dynasty provisions. (Philstar.com)

A OctOber 10-12, 2018 • Socal ASIAN JOUrNAL

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

BUSINESSJ& COMMUNITY OURNAL

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

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 10-12, 2018

B1

Fil-Am execs to explore PH opportunities – PCCI

by ANNA LEAH

E. GONZALES ManilaTimes.net

A DELEGATION of FilipinoAmerican businessmen from the United States will visit the Philippines this month to explore opportunities in the country, the head of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said.

“There’s a delegation from the United States coming.

They are Filipino-Americans, about 25 of them wanting to go to the Philippines because they like to partake in the growth of the country,” said PCCI president Alegria Limjoco.

Limjoco said the delegation would be in the country on the third week of October.

“They know that our country is growing so they want to be a part of the growth of the Philippines. We have different chambers from all over the U.S. They will be here about a

week to see if they can invest also,” she said.

“These companies are mostly from the information, communications, and technology sectors. We know how the government is pushing for growth so they really want to see the growth here,” Limjoco added.

Limjoco said the delegation would also participate in the upcoming Philippine Business Conference and Exposition (PBC&E) which will be held on October 18 to 19 at the Manila Hotel.

The annual two-day business summit will provide a venue for businessmen, policymakers, and industry leaders to meet and exchange ideas on current issues and business opportunities.

Limjoco said this year’s conference would focus on the infrastructure and digital economy. ■

PH smartphone market recovers Pinoys are buying high-priced models

ANALYST firm IDC said smartphone shipments in the Philippines reached 7.8 million units in the first half of 2018, posting a 5.6 percent growth year-overyear (YoY) and allowing the market to bounce back from the -6.6 percent decline experienced in the same period last year.

Although the ultra-low-end smartphones still have the biggest market share, the average selling price (ASP) of a smartphone grew to $192 (about P10,000) in 1H18 compared with the $127 (about P6,800) before in 1H17.

“The higher ASP indicates that end users are willing to invest in a phone with better specifications and features to suit their latest needs,” said Polyne Gallevo, market analyst at IDC Philippines.

“Use of phones have become

heavier, aside from end-users being accustomed to using smartphones as a platform for capturing, sharing, saving content, and streaming videos, engaging in higher form of mobile gaming has also been emerging.”

The availability of payment options has continued to make purchasing higher priced smartphones less taxing for end users. Financing companies such as Home Credit and Flexi Finance, and in-store retail credit allow customers who do not own credit cards to get installment plans to make payments lighter.

“Keeping in mind that Filipinos remain to be price conscious and want to ensure they get the best value of their money, brands now highlight not

u PAGE B4

‘Higher oil prices to result in lower Philippine growth’ In its economics and weekly strategy titled “How will Asia cope with $100 oil,” DBS economist for the Philippines and Indonesia Masyita Crystallin said the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) would expand by only six percent instead of 6.7 percent next year.

File photo by Philstar.com

by LAWRENCE

AGCAOILLI Philstar.com

DBS Bank Ltd. of Singapore said the Philippines’ economic growth would ease further while inflation would continue to soar in 2019, if the price of oil hits $100 per barrel as the US ratchets up sanctions on Iran.

In its economics and weekly strategy titled “How will Asia cope with $100 oil,” DBS economist for the Philippines and Indonesia Masyita Crystallin said the Philip-

pines’ gross domestic product (GDP) would expand by only six percent instead of 6.7 percent next year.

She said the peso would also depreciate to a new record low of 60 to $1 instead of 56.5 to $1 next year under the $100 per barrel price of oil scenario.

She added this would translate to a wider current account deficit of three percent of GDP instead of 1.4 percent per GDP as importers would have to shell out more greenbacks to pay for oil shipments.

According to Crystallin, oil imports have a big impact on trade as it account for more than 10 percent of total imports.

In the first seven months of the year, there was an additional $14 billion of imports that were mostly due to oil price increases.

Furthermore, Crystallin warned remittances from overseas Filipinos continue to weaken.

“Widening trade deficit and possibly weaker consumption due to lower purchasing

u PAGE B4

‘Little downside risk’ to PH banking industry

by MAYVELIN

U. CARABALLO Philstar.com

SOLID fundamentals will keep Philippine banks on solid footing amid concerns that the economy is overheating, a Fitch Group unit said.

“We believe that the Philippines banking sector is likely to remain stable and that there is little downside risk to financial stability over the coming quarters,” Fitch Solutions said in its latest “Industry Trend Analysis”.

It expects gross domestic product (GDP) growth to remain stable, forecasting full-year expansion of 6.3 percent this year

and the next—lower, however, compared to last year’s 6.7 percent result and the government’s 7.0-8.0 percent target for 20182022.

GDP growth as of the first semester has averaged 6.3 percent.

“While there are concerns that the economy may be overheating and the business environment is deteriorating, we expect growth to remain supported by positive demographic trends, a strong public infrastructure drive, and deepening economic cooperation with China and Japan,” Fitch Solutions said.

This “robust” backdrop sug-

gests growth in household income and corporate profitability, it added.

“We also observe that credit has been moving away from the more speculative sectors such as real estate into more productive sectors like construction, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail, which will be supportive of growth in the coming quarters,” Fitch Solutions continued.

Tighter domestic monetary policy, meanwhile, will also support capital buffers.

It anticipates a “fairly stable” capital adequacy ratio (CAR) “as the weakening profitability will likely be offset by slower loan

and risk-weighted asset growth” in the coming quarters due to continued monetary tightening by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The BSP has raised its key interest rates by a total of 150 basis points (bps) beginning May and Fitch Solutions expects policymakers to order a 25-bps adjustment before the year ends and another 75 bps in 2019.

“While we believe that asset quality will likely worsen over the coming months due to the sustained rapid loan growth (which might have come at the expense of due diligence) and

u PAGE B4

B OCTOBER 10-12 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

Business news

What’s new: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 1. AMUSEMENT, recreation, and entertainment are now nondeductible under the new act.

Businesses may still claim 50% deduction on meals if 1) provided to potential customer or client 2) not extravagant 3) the employer or employee is present 4) purchased separately from entertainment events. You may rely on Notice 2018-76 until the Department of Treasury publish regulations on when business meals expenses are deductible.

2. Qualifying property in service on or after September 27, 2017, must file election to choose 100% depreciation deduction with the IRS by October 15, 2018. The election allows to write-off depreciable assets in the year placed in service and generally applies to depreciable assets used in the business with life of 20 years or less. For timely filed 2017 return and did not elect out but wanted to elect out will need to file an amended return.

3. Unless you are member of Armed Forces on duty, moving

(Part 3)

What’s New Arlene Al-os, CPA, MBA expenses is no longer deductible.

4. Child tax credit and additional child tax credit increased to $2,000 per qualifying child and maximum additional child tax credit increased to $1,400 subject to income threshold phase out of $200,000 and $400,000 for married filing jointly.

5. There is new credit of $500 available to each dependent who does not qualify for child tax credit subject to income threshold phase out of $200,000 and $400,000 for married filing jointly.

6. Social security number is now required to claim for child tax credit. The qualifying child must have a social security be-

fore the deadline on your 2018 tax return to qualify for child tax credit or additional child tax credit. If the child has an Individual Tax Identification Number and not SSN by the due date of the tax return, new credits for other dependents may apply.

7. Standard deduction increased to: $12,000 for single or married filing separate, $24,000 for married filing joint, and $18,000 for head of household.

8. Personal exemption has been suspended and therefore no personal exemption deduction will be on the return.

9. Itemized Deductions: 1) Limited to combined deduction of $10,000 state and local income tax, sales, and property taxes.

2) Job-related expenses or other miscellaneous deductions no longer deductible.

3) You may still deduct gambling losses.

4) Home acquisition indebtedness incurred after December 15, 2017 is limited up to $750,000 of

Commentary

lou MArie reyes risks for certain applicants. It is critical that you consult with an experienced and trustworthy immigration attorney before proceeding with any immigration application. Below is the general eligibility information for VAWA self-petitions, but keep in mind that this information is not a substitute for any legal advice: In order to be eligible to apply for a VAWA self-petition: 1) You must be legally married to (or the child of) a U.S. citizen or LPR.[1] If you divorce your abuser because of the abuse, you must apply for the VAWA selfpetition within two years of your divorce. If your abuser dies, you must file the self-petition within two years of the death.

2) You must show that you married in good faith. This means that you married your spouse intending to establish a life together, not just to gain legal immigration status.

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA

(The first 5 tips came out in last week’s issue. Here’s the second installment of 5 more.)

6. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify. Know the difference between needs and wants. Use the Pareto principle in pinpointing the vital few (20%) and the trivial many (80%). When you let your wants overrule your life, you will end up trading your time and therefore, your life away to get those material things you thought will make you happy.

For those of us with big egos who cannot resist the urge to impress others with the latest gizmos, this can be a serious problem. Stuff is just stuff. If we don’t watch it, we can clutter up our lives with junk. Browsing leads to buying.

There is a back end to each u PAGE B3 item we acquire as personal property. After its use, we MUST CHOOSE ANY OF THESE OPTIONS: THROW, DONATE, SELL, DESTROY or KEEP them.

3) You must have lived with Keeping a great chunk of stuff we your spouse in the United acquire over a lifetime can make pack rats out of us and deprive us States.

4) You must be a victim of physical, sexual and/or psychological abuse by your spouse.

5) You are a person of “good moral character,” which generally means that you have not committed certain types of crimes.

However, immigration law has AS I write this, the political dramany specifics on what consti- ma over Kavanaugh’s nomination tutes good moral character, and hearing in Washington D.C, that an attorney can help you figure has caused many suspense-filled out whether you likely meet this chapters daily, continues. Like requirement. millions of Americans, I am also After the VAWA self-peti- drawn to watching TV news and tion is approved, you can apply read daily editorials in our Orfor a work permit, which allows ange County newspapers. With you to work legally in the United this occasional column about States. Depending on where you politics, I am certain that I will be live, you may also be eligible for receiving strong comments from certain types of government ben- both sides: those who strongly efits. If your abuser is a U.S. citi- agree with me, and those who zen, you can apply for LPR status vehemently don’t. Nevertheless, as soon as your VAWA self-peti- I am writing this “controversial” tion is approved. If your abuser column as my constitutional is an LPR, then you will be given right, as well as to add my ONE a priority date and cannot apply voice to the millions of small voicfor LPR status until your priority es across the country so that our date becomes current. The LPR leaders will finally listen to our application process has require- sentiments about these serious ments and fees separate from the issues that have polarized and VAWA self-petition application divided the American people toand should be completed by or in day, as it did during the Vietnam consultation with an immigration war era. To be transparent, I am u PAGE B3 no longer a Republican (I used to

What is the VAWA self-petition?

IN this week’s column, we address the Violence Against Women Act, commonly known as VAWA. VAWA is a federal law that allows victims of domestic violence to obtain lawful permanent residence (a green card) without the help of their abusers.

Typically, a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR) submits an application “petitioning” for his/her spouse or child. Once immigration authorities approve this family petition, the spouse or child (also known as the beneficiary) becomes eligible to apply for LPR status.

However, VAWA creates a different path for victims of domestic violence. Under this law, the abused spouse or child can “selfpetition” without the help or involvement of the abuser. This option is important because many abusers may control the immigration process and the victim’s immigration status, including threatening deportation, as part of the ongoing abuse.

The information below is not a substitute for legal advice. Assessing VAWA eligibility and procedural requirements can be very complicated. Also, new changes to the way immigration authorities review and decide applications may create additional

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

How to build a house of bricks in any season

(Second of 3 parts) of breathing space. Empty space “the times, they are a-changin.” can be beautiful because it presThe political axis has shifted, ents possibilities. The truth is, perhaps for the better, and the life’s journey is easier when we times call for nations to build travel light. This was the bucket walls and constrain the movelist elucidated on in a previous ment of people in the face of real article. threats to their national sover7. Refuse to live in the shad- eignty. A one-world, unelected ows. If you’re illegal, exhaust government, with wealth and absolute power as their global goals, has zero interest in upholding the average person’s human rights. Economic migrants will be hit the hardest.

Terrorism has reared its ugly head and fluidity and movement of people is now constrained.

Get legal and go the whole nine yards towards American citizenship. Shop, ask around every available avenue open to and get the best legal represenyou to GO LEGIT. The gates have tation you can get if you have to. cracked open for the time being. Not all immigration lawyers are Life is tough enough without you cut from the same cloth. Choose having to look over your shoul- wisely. Inspect track records. ders and feeling edgy all the time 8. Get physical. Make diet fearing you’ll be put on the next and exercise a regular part of plane back to the home country. your life. We maintain our cars Surely you didn’t go through all and use high-grade fuel to get that trouble just to live a short, great performance from a maharried, hapless life. After 9/11 chine to get us from Point A to and the dangers of soulless ter- Point B. Our magnificent bodrorism, whether we accept it or ies, the crowning glory of God’s not, after years of abuse, a new Creation, deserve no less. If we system, is now firmly in place and u PAGE B3

” I build my house of sticks.

I build my house of twigs.

With a hey-diddle-diddle, I play on the fiddle.

And dance all kinds of jigs” — Fiddler Pig

Sen. Flake’s bold act starts the political pendulum to swing back to the center The Metamorphosis

ernie d. delfin be) NOR did I turn as a Democrat. Instead, I have become an INDEPENDENT decades ago, as I could no longer embrace the current values, policies and philosophy of the GOP of Lincoln nor cannot accept the very liberal programs and socialistic tendencies of the Democratic Party.

For over three decades, I have voted across party lines and voted for the candidate whose values, programs and beliefs parallel mine. For instance, I have voted for President Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush (Republicans) Pres. Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary

Clinton (Democrats) and many other candidates regardless of their parties, both in national or local elections.

With the preceding paragraphs as backdrop, I am quite surprised — pleasantly that is — that one unassuming Republican senator, Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, garnered enough courage to go against the majority members of his party when he initiated a conversation with Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware that changed the course of Kavanaugh’s nomination. With Flake’s brief but bold act, the elevation of this nominee to be a Justice of the Supreme Court, is now in jeopardy. What is happening is Washington D.C. this week is the culmination of decades of dysfunction or disconnection of many politicians with their constituents, compounded by the increasing polarization of nar-

u PAGE B3

BUSINESS NEWS

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

Client with good income seeks Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 relief for $84K credit cards

CLIENT is 58. He is not divorced but separated for 20 years. His income is good. He nets about $7K to $8K a month.

He lives by himself and does not even own a car. He goes carpooling with a relative to go to work.

His rent is $800 a month. So, he doesn’t really have too much monthly expenses of necessities for himself, except his food expense is about $1K a month with 3 meals a day; spends at least $30 a day for breakfast, lunch and dinner eating out. His problem is $84K of credit cards.

He needs $2,800 a month for minimum credit card payments.

He appears to be able to afford making that payment because his disposable income, based on net income of $7K to $8K and actual monthly necessities, excluding credit card debt payment of $2,800 is about $3,000.

In other words, every month, he has $3,000 available to pay $2,800 of credit card debt, which he has been paying for 15 years.

He therefore has paid $504,000 in the last 15 years for minimum monthly credit card payments but still owes the same $84K of credit cards! Well, half a million dollars is a fortune by most standards, unless you’re a billionaire who can afford to pay half a million dollars for 3 or 4 Ferraris without flinching. I’m sure that many people would rather have half a million dollars sitting in their retirement account, instead of $84K of credit cards! But $84K of credit cards is what client still has even after paying $504,000 to master card and visa in the last 15 years. If he had wiped out these credit cards in 2001, client probably would have about $1M of equities in his portfolio by now.

But instead of being a millionaire at 58, he has a lot of problems. He lives by himself, has chronic back pain and has received a lawsuit from one of the credit card companies. Now, where is his $3K monthly disposable income going into? Because I can see clearly that based on his current income and expense, he is able to float out $3K of disposable income every month. So I ask him if he has relatives who don’t live with him that he sends money to. His face lighted up as he informs me that he sends about $1K to his son abroad, and

Debt Relief

ATTY. LAWRENCE YANG $1K each to his brother and sister who also live abroad. His son has just started college abroad and client pays for all his college tuition and living expenses abroad. He sends $2K abroad, which is split 50/50 between his brother and sister who have their own families abroad. Apparently, both his brother and sister do not make enough to make ends meet so client takes care of both of them. His remits to his son, brother and sister more than $3K a month. This eats up all of his current monthly disposable income. It’s either he pays $2,800 a month to credit cards, or sends $3K a month to his son, brother and sister who need the money to survive. It’s not a hard choice to make.

It appears that client was making a lot more than $7K to $8K a month before when he was younger. When he was younger he was making a net of $120K a year, or $10K a month. But his back has been giving him problems starting last year when he could not work at all because of chronic back pain. In his line of work, he has to do a lot of physical work, which has taken a toll on his back. He was on disability for the last 12 months until August he has been off disability.

But when I saw him today, he was still contorting and grimacing due to back pain.

I’ve had back pain too and believe me, as you get older, it does not take too much physical activity to trigger back pain. I used to be able to do my gardening for 3 or 4 hours straight without any back problem. But nowadays, the most I can garden is one hour straight. If I do more than one hour of gardening, my back begins to act up and the pain from the pelvis starts to rear its ugly head. So, I have no doubt that since client has gone back to physical work, I don’t really know how long he can continue working with that kind of back pain.

Faced with the foregoing cir-

cumstances, what client needs is bankruptcy relief to get rid of $84K of credit cards. But will client qualify for Chapter 7 relief where all of the $84K will just be wiped out without a single payment from client, or is his case really a Chapter 13? Well, this could be a nail biter just like the 2016 presidential elections. I was for Hillary, who, according to all the polls and pundits in the last 12 months was a sure winner, but in the end, she lost. Well, it must be God’s will for Trump to be our president. God’s ways are truly mysterious and unfathomable by us mere mortals. I’m really concerned for all the 11M immigrants who appear now have no path to be legalized under Trump. Let’s wait and see what happens. Let’s pray that our God, the one and only true God, the God of Moses and Israel, my God as well, will speak to Trump and guide him on the immigration matter. I am praying for a miracle on this matter for God’s greater glory.

If we file this as a Chapter 7, there could be objections from the US trustee on the $2K that he sends to his brother and sister since he is not really required by law to make these payments. In other words, Chapter 13 would be a safer bet. Maybe the court will accept a $400 a month plan payment for 60 months. This means he pays $24K out of the $84K credit cards, and the court discharges $64K. That’s a 30% payment. It’s not too bad. But let’s see, I still have to crunch out the means test to see what is possible and not. This remains to be seen but certainly he needs bankruptcy relief and will go for it. He doesn’t want a 25% garnishment of his wages from the lawsuit he just received. Can’t blame him, nobody wants to lose 25% of one’s gross wages to a garnishment.

“This God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end.” Psalm 48:14 *** 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.

Is real estate property purchased prior to marriage considered community property in a divorce?

GENERALLY, in California, property acquired by a spouse Barrister’s prior to marriage is considered separate property under fam- Corner ily code section 770 while those acquired after marriage are considered community assets under family code section 760. How do ATTY. KENNETH you characterize real property URSUA REYES purchased prior to marriage but with the mortgage principal paid to the marriage. The original down using community income mortgage was $30,000.

By or funds during the marriage? the time the husband got marThe community in this situation ried, the house was now worth acquires a pro tanto interest in $65,000 while the mortgage has the ratio that the payments on gone down by $7,000. Both the the purchase price made with appreciation of $26,700 and the community funds bear to the mortgage reduction of $7,000 total payments on the purchase would be separate property since price and any appreciation it occurred prior to marriage. should be apportioned accord- Marriage of Madsen (1982) 130 ingly. Marriage of Moore (1980) CA3d 426, 181 CR 910.

28 C3d 366, 371, 373, 168 CR During the marriage un662, 664, 665. Other expenses til the time of trial, the propassociated with the property are erty has appreciated another not considered in the calculation $117,500 (property now valued such as mortgage interest, taxes, at $182,500) while the mortgage and insurance. In essence, the has further declined by $9,200 real property would accumulate up to the date of separation. both a separate property and a The ratio at which community community property component funds paid down the mortgage by the date of separation. The ($9,200) during the marriage appropriate remedy in this situ- to the original purchase price ation where separate property is ($38,300) amounts to 24.02%. subsequently paid with commu- This percentage of the property nity funds is “apportionment.” appreciation during the marThe process of apportioning riage of $117,500 ($28,223.50) between the separate and com- plus the reduction in mortgage munity property component is balance during the marriage laid out in the Marriage of Mad- ($9,200) would constitute the sen. In that case, the court de- community component of the termined the ratio or percentage real property. The rest was the in which the mortgage loan prin- husband’s separate property. cipal was reduced during the The husband in that case was marriage and applied that per- awarded his separate property centage to the appreciation of component of the real property the real property during the mar- plus one half of the community riage. The community property property component. component would then consist The Madsen apportionment of the reduction in the mortgage method is also applicable to loan principal during the mar- situations where a community riage plus the portion of appreci- real property is later transmuted ation during the marriage apply- into one spouse’s separate proping the ratio discussed above. erty through execution of a quit In the Marriage of Madsen, claim by the other spouse but is the real property was purchased subsequently paid using comby the husband for $38,300 prior munity funds. Marriage of Brod-

erick (1989) 209 CA3d 489, 257 CR 397.

Since California case law allows the creation of a community interest in real property acquired prior to marriage, one has to consider vehicles to protect themselves if you own property and you are contemplating of getting married. There are several ways of avoiding the creation of a community interest on your separate real property.

One, you can sign a prenuptial agreement. Two, the parties can execute a postnuptial agreement if the parties are already married. Three, the parties can execute a transmutation agreement with a waiver of any family code section 2640 reimbursement claim. If your divorce case involves complex issues of asset distribution, it is best to retain the representation of competent counsel. *** 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

What’s new: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act...

PAGE B2 t

mortgage interest deduction.

5) Home equity indebtedness is no longer deductible if not for purpose of buying or improving qualified residence secured by the debt.

6) Cash charitable contributions increased to 60% of adjusted gross income from 50%.

7) You can deduct medical expenses in excess of 7.5% of your

adjusted gross income.

8) The itemized deductions are no longer limited if over a certain amount of adjusted gross income. *** 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)

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 10-12, 2018

B3

How to build a house of bricks...

PAGE B2 t

expect to run the full course set before us and barring unforeseen twists of fate, like being run over by a truck, struck by lightning or hit by a meteorite, we can look forward to a long stretch of happy, productive, relatively healthy years ahead.

9. Admit you’re no superhero.

Don’t take on more than you can handle. American life is demanding. We are all required to multitask at work and at home — to do too many things all at once —it’s enough to drive us to the edge of insanity. One technique to help us maintain our mental health and take off the pressure when we feel overwhelmed is to say NO. Know your strengths and respect your limits and know when you’re spreading yourself

too thinly.

10. A fool and his money are soon parted. Have this truism tattooed on the hand that keeps wielding the plastic, aka credit/debit cards, until it hits home — just until you learn fiscal responsibility and mind your financial health. The great financial industry that runs and oils America has your number and gauges the kind of risk you are based on your track record of fiscal responsibility reflected in that all too important number called the FICO score.

This is the metric reflective of how you deal with money and your financial obligations. The gold standard is 850 and above.

Cash remains king but a good credit history is queen. Mess with this metric and you will

pay a painful price that hits your pocketbook even more when you have to buy big-ticket items, like a car or a house. Take care that in the first few years and for the rest of your life, you guard your credit history with the tenacity of a pit bull.

(Next week: The third and final part of 15 Tips: How to Build a House of Bricks in Any Season.) *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com. To read past articles, click on the link Online: http://issuu.com/ asianjournaldigitaledition” http://issuu. com/asianjournaldigitaledition or you can do searches in the least invasive search engine duckduckgo or bing or yahoo even before agenda-driven google.

What is the VAWA self-petition?

PAGE B2 t

attorney.

If your abuser does not have immigration status, you may be eligible for another immigration benefit called “U nonimmigrant status” (U visa) instead of the VAWA self-petition which may eventually lead to LPR status.

You should consult with an immigration attorney if you are a victim of domestic violence and have reported or are willing to report the crime to a law enforce-

ment agency.

If you have questions about your situation or need legal assistance, please contact Advancing Justice - L.A’s Tagalog helpline at 855-300-2552.

[1] There are some narrow exceptions to this requirement, so if you believed that you were legally married to your spouse, but later found out the marriage was invalid, you should address this issue with an immigration attorney.

*** Lou Marie Reyes is a community legal advocate at Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles. She joined the organization in February 2018 and staffs the Tagalog helpline, which prioritizes in-language assistance to the local Filipino community. Ms. Reyes works alongside Advancing Justice – LA’s attorneys that specialize in family law, domestic violence, citizenship and immigration, and employment law.

(Advertising Supplement)

Sen. Flake’s bold act starts the political...

PAGE B2 t

row policies of both parties. This polarization and division was exacerbated dramatically with the candidacy and eventual election of President Donald Trump, who has made the Republican Party as his captive, whose national leaders appear been spineless to stop him from his unorthodox whims nor correct him from his countless documented lies.

With the small victory of delaying the vote for Kavanaugh whose confirmation was almost certain a month ago, there is great hope that the political pendulum from extreme right (and extreme left in the past) is swinging back to where it should be, towards the center. As the American people rally and commend these reasonable and overdue compromises among opposing parties, this uncommon action among our elected senators and congressmen will become more common that will encourage more cooperation for the common good. A few minutes of unselfish compromise exhibited by Flake and Coon to stop the further division of the American people will be etched in U.S. history that started a conscious effort to bring back decency and integrity to the Senate.

The Senate was compelled to delay Kavanaugh’s confirmation process until after the FBI investigation of several women’s allegations of sexual harassment against the nominee. Whatever the final outcome of the nomination of Kavanaugh to the Su-

preme Court, Flake and Coons have unwittingly caused some strong waves that are changing the political atmosphere and have empowered many.

What is happening in Washington D.C. is forcing our political leaders to listen and act positively to address our concerns regarding serious issues that oppose our traditional values.

As the bastion of a government OF the people, BY the people, and FOR the people; our country will be the ultimate beneficiary of this Kavanaugh confirmation process, whether he will become a justice of the Supreme Court or not. Beyond this week’s political drama are still bigger dark clouds hovering over our nation that could be more serious and riveting than the ongoing Kavanaugh show.

The forthcoming political drama that is anticipated with great suspense is the final report of the Muller Investigaton that may sooner or later be completed and made public. The many allegations surrounding the Russian involvement or collusion as well as the allegation of obstruction of justice that implicated Trump may be given some overdue answers by the Muller report sooner rather than later.

His former lawyer Cohen and his campaign manager Manafort who have pleaded guilty are now reportedly cooperating with Muller. In the remote possibility that the tax returns or financial balance sheets of Trump are sub-

Calendar of Events across

poenaed, itwill either exonerate him or will make him guilty as alleged. As it is now, just being implicated by no less than his former lawyer portends more headaches for Trump, his family and the Trump organization. Like the Watergate fiasco was the waterloo of Nixon, this Muller Investigation MAY be the same.

Abangan! STAY TUNED! ----------As an American voter, I too believe that one’s loyalty to his or her party must end when his loyalty and love for his country begins, to paraphrase the late Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon. That should be a good guide for all politicians regardless of party affiliation.

Although I did not vote for Trump, I pray that he will become a better president, to tone down his outright lying and utter exaggerations and stop his many pronouncements that are contributing greatly to dividing our people. He is not only the president of his political base, but the president of all Americans. I pray that he will have a true conversion to become a servant leader, and a respected leader.

I pray especially at this troubling time that God bless and guide Trump and his administration, so that he can be a successful and effective. God bless America! *** Email: ernie.delfin@gmail.com websites: www.rotary.org www.gkerc.org

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS O C TO B E R 9 - N OV E M B E R 9

FASGI presents FAIR art exhibit in Los Angeles FASGI is pleased to announce FAIR – FASGI Artists Impressions & Reflections – an art exhibit to be held from October 9, 2018 to November 9, 2018 at the FASGI Bayanihan Center (135 N. Park View St., Los Angeles, CA 90026). FAIR is presented as part of FASGI’s Arts Incubator Program. FAIR will showcase five internationally-acclaimed artists who will unveil new and original artworks: Rafael Maniago, Cesar Devera, Johnny Otilano, Mat Relox, and Tiinz Taruc. FASGI’s Arts Incubator Program was created in 2016 to promote and uplift Filipino and Filipino American arts and culture. The program’s mission is to: (1) help Filipino American artists to be properly recognized and given economic opportunities for advancement; (2) enable Filipino Americans to get in touch with their culture; and (3) to educate mainstream America on Philippine/American art. The program currently includes a permanent gallery, special exhibits, portraiture, parol-making, and an artist-in-residence program. Art workshops, instruction, and live projects are currently being planned for commencement in 2019.

O C TO B E R 1 3

48th year anniversary retreat and rosary rally in Tujunga, CA October is the month of the Holy Rosary and what could be fitting is to pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary and offer flowers of mercy and compassion to others. On Saturday, October 13, the Federation of Filipino Rosary Groups is sponsoring the event which will include a variety of retreat speakers: Monsignor Lorenzo Miranda, Rev. Stephen, Rev. Robert Victoria and Rev. Rene Panlasigui, RCJ. Topics will revolve around the theme: “Mary and the Church”.

Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. Registration will start at 8:00 am at the patio. Procession will begin from the Grotto leading to Church. Come one, come all! All are welcome. Be refreshed and be renewed. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish (7344 Apperson Street, Tujunga, CA 91042). For information, please call: Tess Domingo at (909) 855-2208 or Rico Nosce at (818) 352-3218.

If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com

B OCTOBER 10-12 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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

‘Higher oil prices to result in lower...

PAGE B1 t

sis points to contain inflation in our baseline scenario. If oil goes to $100, there could be another 50-basis point upside to the policy cycle,” Crystallin said.

Under its baseline scenario, DBS expects the country’s GDP to expand 6.7 percent this year and next year. On the other hand, it sees inflation averaging six percent this year and 5.5 percent next year.

The country’s GDP growth eased to its slowest pace of six percent in the second quarter from 6.6 percent in the first quarter, bringing the first half average to 6.3 percent.

On the other hand, inflation leapt to 6.7 percent in September from 6.4 percent in August

due to higher oil and food prices, weak peso, and the impact of the implementation of Republic Act 10963 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law. This brought the average to five percent in the first nine months of the year, exceeding the BSP’s two to four percent target.

The BSP’s Monetary Board has so far raised interest rates by 150 basis points since May to curb rising inflation and keep inflationary expectations well anchored.

Based on its latest assessment, the central bank now expects inflation to average 5.2 instead of 4.9 percent this year and 4.3 instead of 3.7 percent next year. n

PH smartphone market recovers...

PAGE B1 t

only the quality of cameras but also features that make smartphone usage experience better such as near bezel-less screens, high-speed processors, quality speakers, AI features, and long battery life to ensure the customers that the brand is the bang for their buck,” Gallevo added.

Top 5 vendors Cherry Mobile continued to lead the smartphone market in terms of unit market share but experienced a slight decline as it faces price competition with international brands and their strong marketing.

Samsung remained at the second spot as it continues its approach of being present in most price points with the J and A series for low-end to midrange and its flagship phones S and Note around 5 percent and the aver- be able to sufficiently cope with series for the premium, comPAGE B1 t increased difficulty in servic- age of 2.5 percent in the 2013- an unlikely event of a bank panic, bined with celebrity endorsewith limited assistance from the ments. ing loans due to higher interest 2017 period.

Vivo climbed up a notch to third It highlighted that private sec- central bank.” rates, we believe that the strong Lastly, it pointed out that cash place in a year with its aggressive economic growth outlook is like- tor credit as share of GDP stood ly to cushion some of the down- below many of its peers at just and due from banks as a share marketing efforts and tapping of 47.8 percent in 2017, “suggest- of total deposits was at 19.8 per- popular local celebrity endorsers side impact,” it added.

The Fitch unit noted that gross ing that debt servicing costs re- cent, higher than the 18-percent in launching V9. Shipments for reserve requirement, “indicat- their Y series increased with the non-performing loans as a share main manageable.”

Fitch Solutions also noted that ing that there is still some buffer launch of Y71 and Y85. X21 was of total loans of 1.9 percent in July remained significantly Philippine banks were liquid and before liquidity becomes a con- also launched as the first in-display fingerprint smartphone and below the 2008 crisis level of that “banks in general will likely straint for bank lending.” n

the official smartphone of FIFA. Oppo slipped into fourth place as Vivo became more aggressive. The vendor maintained its presence through mall ads and promodizers. It launched Oppo F7, A71, and F7 Youth. Oppo also tapped local celebrity endorsers

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

FOR SALE

ing power, will adversely impact growth. Under this scenario, GDP growth in 2019 will only reach six percent compared to 6.7 percent in our baseline,” she said.

The economist said inflation could average 5.9 instead of 5.5 percent next year as an oil price scenario of $100 could boost inflation by 0.4 percentage point.

This, she said, would prompt the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to raise interest rates by 75 basis points instead of only 50 basis points next year.

“Given that the Philippines economy is currently overheating, BSP will likely raise rates further by at least another 75 ba-

‘Little downside risk’ to PH banking...

File photo by Manilatimes.net

who have a high reach among the millennials and masses.

Huawei shows significant growth. The vendor increased its marketing activities with noticeable in-store display in retail, online ads, and celebrity endorsements. (Manilatimes.net) n

B OCTOBER 10-12 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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

Day 6- Party-Le-Monia, France.l The group in front of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Toured the Romanesque basilica and saw the Chapel of Apparition. Father John officiated our daily Mass at the Chapel of Visitation.

Day 3- Paris, France The group on the grounds of the Eiffel Tower.

Day 4- Avila, Spain- Statue of St, Therese of Avila with the men.

Day 5- Photo taken at the grounds of the Convent of St. Gillard in Nevers, France where St. Bernadette’s incorrupt body is miraculously preserved.

Day 7. Lourdes, France . In front of the Basilica where St. Bernadette was baptized with some of the pilgrims

Day 5- Avila, Spain. The group with St. John of the Cross statue.

Day 8- Lourdes, France . In front of the Basilica of Notre Dame.

Day 5- In Avila, Spain. photo taken in front of St Teresa of Avila church with the ladiies. The church was built on the house in which St. Teresa of Avila was born.

Day 10- Avila, Castilla y Leon, Spain . In front of the altar of our Lady of Pillar. his is the Magnificent altar in the Basilica, built on the site where the Blessed Virgin appeared to the apostle St. James before her assumption into heaven.

Day 9 of our pilgrimage in Avila, Castilla y Leon, Spain. Inside the shrine of our Lady of Pillar, the 2nd most popular sites in Spain .

Day 11- Salamanca, Spain- the altar of the Salamanca Cathedral.

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

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

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 10-12, 2018

B6

The

Asian Journal

mdwk The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - October 10, 2018

Wednesday, OCTOBER 0, 20 8

mAGAZINE

†Ü¯†ÅºÊåÙņ¿Ö咿¯“†â¯ÊÅÜ

dž†Ü¯†ÅºÊåÙņ¿“ÊÄ

dž†Ü¯†ÅºÊåÙņ¿

XXX BTJBOKPVSOBM DPN -PT "OHFMFT LJ -BT 7FHBT LJ 0SBOHF $PVOUZ *OMBOE &NQJSF LJ /PSUIFSO $BMJGPSOJB LJ /FX :PSL /FX +FSTFZ

2

cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - October 10, 2018

The raw, unapologetic candor of Jose Antonio Vargas The journalist and activist explores the meaning of home, internal identity struggles and the power of speaking up in new memoir “Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen”

by Klarize

Medenilla / AJPress

TWO things happened to Jose Antonio Vargas after Donald J. Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States of America.

First, he found himself without a permanent residence. On the day after the election, on Nov. 9, 2016, Vargas was living in an upscale apartment building in Downtown Los Angeles.

The building’s manager, with whom Vargas had a friendly acquaintance, texted him saying “I’m not sure what we could do if you showed back up here,” suggesting the likelihood that Vargas would be apprehended under Trump’s stringent immigration reforms. “[James] Baldwin once said, ‘All safety is an illusion,’ and that never felt more real than that day,” Vargas told this writer in a recent phone interview. Vargas proceeded to move out of that apartment building.

The second thing that happened was a sudden flood of emails, tweets and messages from young, undocumented immigrants to Vargas, who for the last decade has become a reverberating voice in the fight for immigration reform and immigrants’ rights.

Across the country, the undocumented community feared for their futures in the U.S. and turned to the strongwilled, defying voice that Vargas lent in the national dialogue on these issues, and the 37-yearold writer and activist wanted to deliver in the form of a book.

Originally, he had planned on an issue-based book of the global impact of immigration policy, but his editor, instead, asked him to list out the top 10 most painful experiences of his life, “all of which had to do with lying, passing or hiding,” Vargas said in the interview.

This became the foundation of his newly-released first book, “Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen,” a powerful, unmitigated memoir which has less to do with immigration policy and the politics surrounding it, but more to do with the psychological and emotional implications of living in America as an undocumented person.

Vargas has propelled his message through the affecting cogency of his journalistic writing (like in his 2011 New York Times essay in which he made public his citizenship status) and documentary filmmaking that thematically challenges social and political norms. He’s harnessed his message into founding Define America, a non-profit media and culture organization focused on immigrants and their stories rather than politics.

Vargas began “Dear America” after he left his downtown LA apartment and began his nomad lifestyle, staying with friends or renting out hotel rooms and Airbnbs. As he writes in the prologue, the book appeals to the feeling of homelessness and living a life where he had to hide from the government and lie about his

Vargas was detained and later released by Border Patrol in Texas in the summer of 2014.

citizenship.

But this time around, Vargas wanted to strip the story of policy jargon and political rhetoric and put together a narrative with language that’s “more accessible and relatable” to relay a more human element of an oft-dehumanizing topic.

“After twenty-five years of living illegally in a country that does not consider me one of its own, this book is the closest thing I have to freedom,” Vargas writes in the book’s prologue.

In the book, Vargas details — through succinct, but stirring chapters — his mother sending him from Antipolo, Philippines (where he was born) to Northern California in 1993 to live with his lola and lolo. He recounts the shock and horror he felt as a teenager when he found out that he was undocumented and how coming out as undocumented was more difficult than coming out as a gay man.

For those of us who haven’t gone through life as an undocumented immigrant of color, it’s difficult to imagine the emotional rigmarole that comes as a requisite for undocumented peoples in an America where the emergence of nativism and xenophobia continues to manifest itself in the ugliest ways.

“Dear America” delivers a perspective that has endured institutionalized and socialized racism and internal struggles and identity crises as an undocumented gay immigrant of color.

“The book is kind of owning up to my own depression that I don’t really talk about. I wanted to create something relatable, but I wrote the book, really, for myself, and it’s probably the closest I ever got to going to therapy,” Vargas quipped in our interview.

Vargas with his mother Emelie in the Philippines before he was sent to live with his grandparents in the U.S.

Impactfully, he references his literary idols — celebrated black American writers Toni Morrison and James Baldwin and legendary Filipino-American writer and poet Carlos Bulosan — writers of color who, unapologetically, claimed their identities and reverberated their truths through their writing — and, it’s evident throughout “Dear America” that he’s following suit.

He began writing the book at the dawn of 2018 and chronicled the invisible existence he’s lived throughout his life as the Trump administration rolled out its most controversial immigration measures.

“We are flooded with news about immigration, and sometimes the media makes it seem like all of this is happening all at once, but the reality is that Trump is only the culmination and manifestation of every bad policy on immigration. This did not happen overnight,” Vargas says.

When news came out that migrant families were being separated at the border in the early summer, he was simultaneously recounting his own detention long before Trump’s election, in the summer of 2014 when he was detained with young Hispanic boys in a jail cell in south Texas, when “the media didn’t care and there were no hashtags or marches to bring families together,” he laughingly tells me.

In this poignant chapter, Vargas details the language barrier between these boys and him and the desire to assure them colonialism was the root cause of the unjust, inhumane immigration practices that America, a country founded by immigrants, has adopted.

“If I spoke Spanish, I could

Vargas holds up a sign during Mitt Romney’s speech at the Iowa caucus in 2012.

Photos courtesy of Jose Antonio Vargas

When Vargas was 16, he found out his green card was fake when he tried to apply for a driver’s permit.

have told the boys that none of this was their fault,” Vargas writes in the book. “I could have made sure they understood — even if most Americans do not — that people like us come to America because America was in our countries.”

The physical book, itself, also emphatically represents Vargas’ claim of identity and voice with the handwritten cover title and byline, Vargas’ fingerprint as the cover art and the bright, Pantone yellow book jacket that represents the given color of the Asian race.

In a chapter called “Filipinos” he writes, “Filipinos fit everywhere and nowhere at all,” and despite the rich presence of Filipinos in American history, the struggle of Filipinos in America to feel at home and to feel a sense of belonging is ubiquitous.

In our interview, Vargas notes the present reckoning of Filipino-American writers like Noel Alumit and Elaine Castillo who are “redefining and claiming” the Filipino identity in the 21st century. In many ways, “Dear America” is an Jose Antonio Vargas speaks at a stop on his book introductory call to Filipinos in America — undocumented and tour at USC on Sept. 25 AJPress photo by Klarize Medenilla otherwise — to stake a claim to

the Filipino-American identity and understanding how we got here.

At the time of publication of “Dear America,” Vargas is 37 years old, one year older than his mother was when she dropped him off at the airport in the Philippines.

On Sept. 25, on a speaking tour for his book at University of Southern California, Vargas requested that he record the audience singing “Happy Birthday” to his mother, who turned 61 years old that very day.

Vargas has not seen his mother in person since that day at the airport 25 years ago.

Publicly, Vargas is a fierce, outspoken advocate for the humanization of the immigration conversation. But on that day at the Bovard Auditorium recording a crowd of strangers wish his mother a happy birthday, his demeanor softened and a modest, faint smile formed on his face.

At that moment, Vargas wasn’t an activist or a writer. He was the son of a Filipina who risked family separation for the success of her anak.

“Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen” is out now.

Oscar-nominated Filipino is cinematographer of Lady Gaga’s ‘A Star is Born’ HOLLYWOOD — He served as Director of Photography for Darren Aronofsky’s daring films “Requiem for a Dream,” “The Fountain,” “Noah,” “Black Swan” and, most recently, “mother!”

Now, Oscar-nominated cinematographer, Filipino-American Matthew Libatique, lenses director Bradley Cooper’s criticallyacclaimed romantic drama, “A Star is Born.”

In this new take on the iconic love story, Cooper and Lady Gaga fuse their considerable talents to depict the raw and passionate tale of Jack and Ally, two artistic souls coming together, on stage and in life. Theirs is a complex journey through the beauty and the heartbreak of a relationship struggling to survive.

It was important for Cooper that “A Star is Born’s” cinematic style have a first-person perspective, with the hope of giving the audience the ability to experience the intoxicating energy of performing live before a crowd.

To achieve this sensation, Cooper and director of photography Libatique chose to film all performance sequences from the perspective of the performers: that meant the singers’ and musicians’ immediate POV and onstage interactions with each other. No wide shots of concerts from the audience perspective; the lens would live inside the performance.

Producer Bill Gerber states, “Bradley took a very specific approach with how he told the story cinematically. There are certain angles from traditional concert movies you’ll never see in this film. Instead, he and Matty put you in the middle of what it feels like to start becoming famous, what it feels like to

Aga Muhlach and Bea Alonzo “A Star is Born” director Bradley Cooper and Filipino-American cinematographer Matthew Libatique.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

have been famous for a long time, and what it feels like to lose that. It’s very visceral.”

Libatique has shot his fair share of music and concert videos as well as feature films.

“He’s an artist,” Cooper said of Libatique. “I got to meet him through Darren Aronofsky, who he has done many films with, and we hit it off right away. I told him we wouldn’t have a lot of days and we’d be moving fast, here’s the color palette I see, here’s a little about the opening composition, and he just got it.”

Libatique incorporated various shooting techniques, including handheld, Steadicam, long tracking shots following Jackson Maine from backstage to onstage, and so on, frequently keeping the focus extremely up close and personal on its subjects.

“Thank God for Matty and his crew, they were incredible,” Cooper emphasized. “And our camera operator, Scott Sakamoto. I found myself watching him operate, he’s like a dancer. One of the greatest of all time.”

“Black Swan” earned Mat-

thew Libatique his first Academy Award nomination, as well as nominations from BAFTA and The American Society of Cinematographers. He was honored with both the New York Film Critics’ and Los Angeles Film Critics’ awards, as well as the Independent Spirit Award in cinematography for the same film.

Libatique has ongoing collaborations with several directors, including Spike Lee, for whom he photographed “Chi-Raq,” “Miracle at St. Anna,” “She Hate Me” and “Inside Man”; Joel Schumacher, with “Tigerland” and “Phone Booth”; and Jon Favreau, with “Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2” and “Cowboys & Aliens.”

His other feature film credits include “Venom” for Ruben Fleischer; “Straight Outta Compton” for F. Gary Gray; “Gothika” for Mathieu Kassovitz; “Everything Is Illuminated” for Live Schreiber; and “Ruby Sparks” for directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. “A Star is Born” marks his first collaboration with director Bradley Cooper. (Philstar.com)

Photo from Instagram/@beaalonzo

Bea Alonzo, Aga Muhlach say they’ve always wanted to work with each other by alfred

Bayle Inquirer.net

BEA Alonzo and Aga Muhlach were surprised to learn that they had been hoping to work with each other for the longest time.

Both actors had a longstanding admiration for each other’s work and hoped to work with each other on a future project, but years went by and the right film didn’t come until director Paul Soriano walked in with “First Love.”

“Nakatrabaho na siya ng ibang mga babae sa generation ko like sina Angelica (Panganiban), Angel (Locsin), Anne (Curtis), tapos akala ko, hindi na siya mangayayari. Pangarap ko siyang makatrabaho,” said Alonzo during an interview with Push.

(He’s (Muhlach) worked with other women from my

generation like Angelica [Panganiban], Angel [Locsin], Anne [Curtis], then I thought maybe it’ll never happen to me. I’ve always dreamed of working with him.)

Meanwhile, Muhlach had also been admiring Alonzo’s work on the big screen. The veteran actor recalled saying, “Man, I’d love to work with her,” as he watched one of her films.

Soriano would later approach Muhlach with a new project that the director had seen as a perfect movie for the two actors, such that he already labeled the raw script as “Aga and Bea.” Muhlach immediately texted and called up Alonzo to pitch the project. On her end, Alonzo quickly asked her driver to pull over just so she could answer a call from the Aga Muhlach.

“Sabi ko, ‘Sandali, sandali, tumigil ka, tatawag si Aga Muhlach!’ Oo, talagang sinagot ko. Tapos, tina-try kong ikalma ang sarili ko,” Alonzo recalled.

(I said, ‘Wait, wait, stop, Aga Muhlach is going to call!’

I quickly said ‘Yes.’ Then I was trying to calm myself.)

“Hindi pa niya natatapos ’yung sentence niya, sabi ko, oo, oo, opo, sige, gumawa tayo ng pelikula.”

(He wasn’t finished with his sentence yet and I was already saying, ‘yes, yes, yes, all right, let’s make a movie.’)

Muhlach also mused at how the actress called her “kuya.”

Alonzo reflected, “Siguro ngayon ’yung perfect time at siguro, ito ’yung perfect project.”

(Maybe now is the perfect time, and this is the perfect project.)

entertainment Gretchen’s sex harassment raps: ‘Some people tried to stop us’ The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - October 10, 2018

by Christina

alpad ManilaTimes.net

Miss World Philippines 2018 Katarina Rodriguez (third from left) is flanked by (from left) First Princess Chanel Morales, Miss Multinational Philippines 2018 Kimi Mugford, Miss Eco Philippines 2018 Maureen Montagne, Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas 2018 Alyssa Muhlach Alvarez and Second Princess Pearl Hung.

Davao City beauty wins Miss World Philippines

by arlo

Custodio ManilaTimes.net

BEAUTY pageant veteran Katarina Rodriguez of Davao City bested 39 other candidates to win the Miss World Philippines 2018 crown on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. The 26-year-old model was a Binibinibing Pilipinas title holder in 2017 and represented the country in the Miss Intercontinental pageant in Egypt on January 25 where she placed first runner-up. She also placed third in the second edition of “Asia’s Next Top Model” in 2014.

Rodriguez was proclaimed Best in Long Gown, and also won the Beach Beauty fasttrack challenge which automatically advanced her to the Top 16.

Three Miss World winners were part of the panel of judges who were impressed by Rodriguez’ performance. They were former title holders Megan Young (2013), Stephanie del Valle (2016) and Manushi Chhillar (2017).

Mr. World 2012 Francisco Escobar hosted the glittering pageant alongside Miss World 1993 Second Princess Ruffa Gutierrez and actress Carla Abellana.

On Monday, hours after her victory the country’s official representative to the Miss World pageant in Sanya, China in December, poured out her thoughts on Instagram.

“Before I get into the conventional beauty queen victory post, I wanted to share something about authenticity. This is me. Katarina Rodriguez at 26 years old. I’ve had people from

The former Binibining Pilipinas-Intercontinental is now Miss World Philippines.

ManilaTimes.net photos by Gerard Seguia

all directions, coming from everywhere and anywhere judge me like it’s their profession.

“People who know me, or don’t know me, who think they know me, or may have just heard something through some imaginary grape vine so to speak—gave me constant criticism, be it constructive or just flat out unnecessary.

They come my way day to day. I have people telling me to act this way or that way or not post, wear, or do certain things and at one point I got very confused at who I should be. “‘Just be yourself, Katarina.’ That’s me to me. ”The last two years of my life I had the chance to really get to know who I am as a person, as a woman in fact. And in the last four days that all seemed to have gone out the window. I was second guessing every breath I was tak-

ing because of the pressure.

“Don’t doubt yourself… shake that off,” someone told me. I kept echoing these words in my mind. “Staying true to who you are is so important even in a performance like @msworldphil because in a world full of many false things, it’s almost like magic to be something so real. I made myself a promise that if I was going to win Miss World Philippines, I would win by being me and doing my thing. And I did exactly that.

To anyone with self doubt, again,be who you are, the you of your soul. With that and kindnesss you’ll stay golden.”

Also crowned were Alyssa Muhlach Alvarez as Reina Hispanoamericana 2018, Maureen Montagne as Miss Eco Philippines 2018 and Kimi Mugford as Miss Multinational 2018. First Princess was Chanel Morales, and Second Princess was Pearl Hung.

TWO days after filing sexual harassment and libel cases against ABS-CBN executives and her colleagues, Gretchen Fullido asked the public to pray for her as she stressed that the filing of the complaint was not done on impulse.

Her legal counsel, Marvin Aceron, said the complaint should have been filed in August but some people tried to stop them.

The Manila Times reached out to Fullido’s camp on Sunday after Evalyn Ursua – the counsel for the accused Cheryl Favila, former ABS-CBN News Executive and Maricar Asprec, ABS-CBN News segment producer, described Fullido’s complaint “baseless” and “a classic example of discrimination against LGBTQ individuals and gender stereotyping against them in matters of sexuality.”

“Why did Gretchen file only now? The answer is because the decision was hard to make.

The complaints were ready as of August,” Aceron said.

He added that some people discouraged them, warning that they would lose the case.

“We analyzed the grim repercussions. In the end, we decided that the trigger would be a meeting with one person.

We cannot name this person yet. After that, it was just a matter of schedule,” Aceron said.

“This thing was deliberate.

It wasn’t done on impulse.”

Fullido claimed that Favila and Asprec sent her text messages “loaded with sexual innuendos, which amounted to requests for sexual favors.”

The cycle allegedly went on for three years.

Fullido filed an administrative complaint against the two before ABS-CBN in November 2017.

According to Aceron, in July 16 of this year, ABSCBN Management released a decision dismissing the sexual

Gretch Fullido with Filipina-Italian model Ambra Gutierrez whom she described as “one of the first to speak out about sexual abuse against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein” Photo from Instagram/@gretsfullido

harassment case against Favila but found her liable for gross misconduct. This led to Favila’s dismissal from the company recently.

Fullido also filed libel complaints against two news executives of ABS-CBN, Cecilia Drilon and Venancio Borromeo, as well as reporter Marie Lozano, for allegedly besmirching her reputation when they stated that she filed the administrative complaint last year “to leverage her employment status with ABSCBN.” Celebrity support Messages of support from celebrities continue to pour on social media.

On Saturday, model and #MeToo advocate Ambra Gutierrez gave a shoutout to Fullido. On her Instagram stories, Ambra– a Filipino-Italian Victoria’s Secret model – took a screenshot of a report on Fullido’s filing and wrote, “Yes!!!” and tagged Fullido.

The two met three days before Fullido filed the case, when the latter interviewed Gutierrez, one of the first to file sexual abuse complainants against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

Actress Melissa Ricks

and celebrity Jerika Ejercito also showed their support to the broadcaster, using the #IStandWithGretchenhashtag on their respective accounts.

“Today she made history. Today she fought for her rights. Today she is writing her own story. I am so proud to call her my dearest friend. Her courage amazes me. Gretchen Fullido makes a brave stand for all women out there who have been bullied and victimized. You are not alone in your fight for justice… #IStandWithGretchen” Ejercito, the daughter of former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, wrote using her account @jerikaejercito.

“Strong. Brave. Kind.

Stood with me in difficult times and I will stand by her.

It takes a lot of strength and courage to stand up for your rights, and you did. Proud of you… #IStandWithGretchen,” Ricks posted.

Fullido her friends and the public for their support.

“All I can say is these are public records now. The public can do their research and verify. Please just pray for me in these difficult times,” she said in a statement released by her legal counsel.

entertainment The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - October 10, 2018

Breast cancer prevention: Regine Tolentino gives tips

by Jan

Milo Severo

Philstar.com

CELEBRITY fitness enthusiast Regine Tolentino recently gave tips for busy mothers to know how to take care of their body to prevent diseases such as breast cancer, the most common cancer in women worldwide.

In an interview with the media during SM’s Pink Ribbon Day wherein she led a Zumba session at the Sky Dome in SM North Edsa, Regine said that to be at the peak of one’s health, it is important to combine proper exercise with a healthy diet.

“I mashed up my exercise routine with a healthy diet by try not eating too much carbohydrates. I’m into vegetables, you know, eating green,” she said.

For her exercise routine, she does a lot of stretching and pushups that busy moms can do at the comforts of their home.

“For my exercise routine, definitely I do a lot of stretching and then I do pushups, planking, hamstrings stretch, weights, TRX and more dancRegine Tolentino ing,” she said. tightening the muscles like bi“Simple exercises that ceps curls, bring your arms up moms can do at home is aptly

Photo from Instagram/@reginetolentino

habang naka-tense lahat ng muscles, and just keeping it real

Kayamanan Ng Lahi dance troupe at LA Philharmonic’s 100-year anniversary festival

tight and sit ups. I’m a big fan of doing planks, so whenever you are at the house you can actually do this. Just get a floor mat or even a towel on the floor,” she added.

She advised mothers to workout at least two times a week. “You can workout two to three times a week and if you can match it with a little bit of cardio, at least 20 to 30 minutes of cardio is good.”

With the Philippines topping the list of breast cancer incidences in Asia, SM Cares, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings, is determined to spread awareness on breast cancer through Pink Ribbon Day. Held in celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Pink Ribbon Day was attended by about 1,000 people comprising of different women’s groups, doctors and advocates. The project aims to encourage women to have their breasts examined for early detection and early intervention.

“Breast cancer is a fight that can be won with early detection, prayers, and support of family and friends,” said Berna Velasco, SM Cares Program on Women and Breastfeeding program director.

The Kayamanan Ng Lahi company performed Philippine folk dances at the Los Angeles Philharmonic 100-year anniversary celebration on Sunday, September 30 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall outdoor stage in Downtown LA. Photos by Andy Tecson

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - October 10, 2018

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - October 10, 2018