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OC TO BER 18 -24, 2019 Volume 12 - No. 51 • 16 Pages 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 • 2500 Plaza S. Harborside Financial Center, Jersey City, NJ 07311 • Tel. (212) 655-5426 • Fax: (818) 502-0858
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Federal courts block Trump administration’s DATELINE USA ‘public charge’ rule from going into effect Palace slams Washington FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Post report on Trump-Duterte phone call
MALACAÑANG on Wednesday, October 16, slammed U.S.-based news outlet The Washington Post after it reported that President Rodrigo Duterte was among the world leaders whose phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump “horrified” White House staff, saying that it bordered on rumor-mongering and showed strong negative bias against the American leader. In an article entitled “Trump’s calls with foreign leaders have long worried aides, leaving some ‘genuinely horrified,’” The Washington Post cited anonymous sources and mentioned Trump’s conversation with Duterte in April 2017 in which they discussed the nuclear tension in the Korean Peninsula and reiterated the Philippines’ position in the issue. Trump also praised Duterte for doing an “unbelievable job” on the country’s drug problem. “Trump’s phone calls with foreign leaders were an anxiety-ridden set of events for his aides and members of the administration, according to former and current officials,”the report read. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, for his part, criticized the report and stressed that leaking Trump’s conversations was “simply outlandish.”
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by RAE
ANN VARONA AJPress
charge” rule, days before it was scheduled to take effect on Tuesday, October 15. The rule expands the definition of who may FEDERAL judges in three states have blocked the Trump administration’s controversial “public become primarily dependent on the government
through public cash assistance or long-term institutionalized care funded by the government, or essentially who may be considered a “public
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Former PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde speaks during the Senate Blue Ribbon inquiry on the alleged “Ninja Cops” last October 9. Inquirer.net photo by Cathy Miranda
Duterte expresses ‘utmost disappointment’ with PNP by CHRISTINA
MENDEZ
Philstar.com
OUTSTANDING ATHLETES. President Rodrigo Duterte is assisted by Senate Committee on Sports Chair Senator Christopher “Bong” Go as he distributes the incentives to the Filipino athletes who have brought home medals from various international competitions during their meeting at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on Wednesday, October 16. Duterte gave a P1 million incentive each to gold medalist gymnast Carlos Yulo and boxer Nesthy Petecio during their courtesy call in Malacañang on Wednesday. Yulo, who earlier booked a ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, beat seven other finalists to claim the men’s floor exercise crown FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at Hans Schleyer Halle in Stuttgart, Germany last Saturday. Petecio ruled the featherweight division in the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships after beating hometown bet Liudmila Vorontsova of Russia on Sunday. Malacañang photo by King Rodriguez
MANILA — Philippine National Police officials received a dressing down from President Duterte at a closed-door command conference Tuesday night, October 15, amid a controversy over the possible involvement of PNP officers and men in illegal drugs, an insider revealed.
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Villar still richest among senators in 2019 Locsin suggests cutting out
offending scene in ‘Abominable’
by AJPRESS BASED on senators’ latest statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), Senator Cynthia Villar remains to be the richest member of the Philippine Senate, while Senator Leila de Lima is the poorest. As of June 30, 2019, Villar posted a net worth of P3,534,412,797 — a figure that is P185.52 million less than her net worth of over P3.72 billion last year. Boxing champ-turned-senator Manny Pacquiao follows with a declared net worth of P3,005,808,000. While Villar declared her net worth with no liabilities, Pacquiao has the highest one at P146 million as of Dec. 31, 2018. Senator Cynthia Villar
Philstar.com photo
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by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday, October 16, suggested to cut out the offending scene in the animated film “Abominable” where China’s nine-dash line claim appeared. In a new Twitter conversation with Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, Locsin said: “Of course, they should Vietnamese theaters have pulled out DreamWorks animated film “Abominable” cut out the offending scene which will after viewers noticed scenes featuring China’s invalidated nine-dash line claim
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over the South China Sea.
Photo screengrabbed from Youtube/DreamWorksTV
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From the Front Page
Federal courts block Trump... PAGE 1 charge.” Originally published by the Department of Homeland Security in August, the public charge rule gives U.S. immigration officials discretion in deciding whether an immigrant should be granted a green card or entrance into the U.S. depending on whether they’d be self-sufficient. Among the 20 factors the officials would use include looking at whether applicants use certain public benefit programs like food stamps, housing vouchers, cash assistance, and most forms of Medicaid. But on Friday, October 12, Judge George B. Daniels of the Southern District of New York issued a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration’s rule, temporarily barring it from going into effect. “The Rule is simply a new agency policy of exclusion in search of a justification,” wrote Daniels while granting the request. “It is repugnant to the American Dream of the opportunity for prosperity and success
through hard work and upward mobility,” he added. “Immigrants have always come to this country seeking a better life for themselves and their prosperity. With or without help, most succeed.” Critics of the new public charge rule have said that its implementation would punish immigrant families and would result in many families being forced to choose between maintaining immigration status or meeting basic needs like food. Heng Lam Foong, senior policy manager with the Health Access Project at Advancing Justice - Los Angeles, told the Asian Journal last October when the rule was first proposed, that about 3.8 million Asian American and Pacific Islander immigrants relied on some form of public benefit to make ends meet. A study by the Urban Institute published in May found that 1 in 7 adults in immigrant families reported avoiding public benefit programs in 2018 out of fear that they’d possibly endanger their future green
card status. Also blocking the rule on Friday, U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton in the Northern District of California emphasized the repercussions of the rule, particularly when it came to public health. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Hamilton wrote, “made no attempt, whatsoever, to investigate the type of magnitude of harm that would flow from the reality which it admittedly recognized would result — fewer people would be vaccinated.” She said Trump administration officials further violated the Administrative Procedure Act in that they “acted arbitrarily and capriciously during the legally-required process to implement the changes they propose.” U.S. District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson in the Eastern District of Washington, also issued a nationwide injunction and ruled that the DHS had “not cited any statute, legislative history, or other resource that supports the interpretation
PH BUSINESS CONFERENCE, EXPO. Vice President Leni Robredo (2nd from right), receives a token of appreciation as keynote speaker from officials of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) led by its president, Ma. Alegria Sibal Limjoco (second from left) during the opening of the 45th Philippine Business Conference and Expo (PBC&E), held at The Manila Hotel on Wednesday, October 16. The conference gathered government officials and business leaders to provide a platform to discuss the impact of digital economy on local businesses. PNA photo by Gil Calinga
Duterte expresses ‘utmost disappointment’...
PAGE 1 “The president has expressed his utmost disappointment at the PNP,” the insider told The Star when sought for details on the outcome of Duterte’s late night meeting with top police u PAGE 4 officials. “Binigay na raw niya lahat, nag-involvement pa rin sa drugs (He has given them everything and yet they still have involvement in drugs),” the source said, referring to the additional salaries and benefits given to uniformed personnel. Contrary to what some quarters had expected to transpire during the meeting, Duterte made no announcement of his choice for the replacement of Gen. Oscar Albayalde as PNP chief. Albayalde submitted a “letter of intent” to go on “non-duty status” early this week as he parried accusations that he was a protector of “ninja cops,” the term for policemen involved in recycling illegal drugs seized in raids. The outgoing PNP chief was supposed to retire on Nov. 8. The source said the president gave PNP officials a dressing down during the conference, supposedly for their failure to stop the activities of the socalled ninja cops. With the president’s choice for next PNP chief still a guessing game, sources said Manila Police District director Vicente Danao Jr. is emerging as a “dark horse” owing to his closeness to Duterte. “Of all the aspirants, Gen. Danao has the direct line to the president. He also has his trust and confidence,” an insider told The Star. If chosen as the next PNP
chief, sources pointed out that Danao may be able to implement reforms in the police organization more efficiently since he will have a longer term. A member of Philippine Military Academy class of 1987, Danao will retire on Aug. 10, 2023, enough time to allow him to implement reforms beyond the President’s term that ends in 2022. After graduating from the PMA, Danao was assigned in Duterte’s home province. Reports said Danao became commander of one of the smallest stations in Davao City, which covers the city’s Bago district, in 1995. From 2001 to 2007, Danao remained in key posts in Davao when Duterte was mayor. Danao rose to regional police headquarters before returning to Davao City as its police chief in October 2013. He was also at Duterte’s side when several groups urged the latter to run in the 2016 presidential elections. When Duterte was elected as president, Danao was assigned chief of counter-intelligence of the PNP Directorate for Intelligence at Camp Crame. He then became deputy chief for operations of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). It was under Danao’s watch that the CIDG sent a team to the Senate to try to arrest Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV last year. If appointed to the top PNP post, Danao would dislodge his upperclassmen at the PMA, who are also occupying top posts in the police organization. They include newly appointed PNP officer-in-charge Lt.
Gen. Archie Gamboa, who served as commander of the PNP National Security Task Force for the 2019 midterm elections; and Deputy Chief for Operations Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan. Albayalde, Gamboa and Cascolan belong to PMA Sinagtala Class of 1986. At the conference, sources said the president was visibly “disheartened” with developments linking ranking policemen to illegal drugs. The Senate testimony of former police general and now Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong was just too much to ignore. Sources said Duterte reminded the officers of his efforts to improve the salaries and benefits of policemen since he started his term as commanderin-chief in 2016. He also told them about his strong support for the PNP’s modernization program. In May this year, the Department of Budget and Management announced an increase in the salaries and benefits of military and uniformed personnel retroactive to Jan. 1. Sen. Christopher Go said the president would likely consider seniority in his choice for Albayalde’s successor. “He is considering competence and honesty... Most likely he will follow the seniority,” Go told Senate reporters in an ambush interview at New Clark City in Tarlac, one of the venues for the Southeast Asian Games from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11. Go said all star-rank police officers are considered candidates for the position of PNP chief. n
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 18-24, 2019
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Pacquiao-Mayweather rematch talks on again THE now on, now off Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. 2 is again shaping up. This time, though, it looks the fight fans have been looking forward to happen, could, at last, be realized. What triggered renewed speculations was the holder of the immaculate 50-0 fight record, “Money Man,” was reported to have withdrawn from talks about a planned exhibition fight in China that, for all intent and purposes, has restarted negotiations for a rematch with the Filipino eight-division champion. Jay Lau of Hong Kong’s DEF Promotions director and promoter, and the man behind the exhibition match, told Boxing Scene that Mayweather is currently more interested in a rematch of his 2015 mega-fight with Pacquiao than finalizing the China deal. Lau reportedly admitted that the Pacquiao-Mayweather 2 is a lot more important businesswise than the exhibition match he was offering to the undefeated American. “We were talking about an exhibition in China, a big event, not a professional boxing fight, but something like Mayweather vs Tenshin in Japan,” Lau was quoted as saying. “We spoke a bit about doing a special fight in China, but half way through he turned to the Pacquiao rematch so we stopped (talking).”
Dateline USa
Federal courts block Trump... PAGE 2
ManilaTimes.net photo
Lau said that letting go of such a big (exhibition) event is something that a boxing promoter wouldn’t do, adding, however, the rematch with Pacquiao will more beneficial. He pointed out that the rematch is the biggest thing that can happen, so why bother with the exhibition bout first? “If that happens we will stop everything and let him (Floyd) do his thing first.” Had the 42-year-old not withdrawn from the exhibition bout negotiations that actually started last June yet, It would have been the second fight of this kind for Mayweather. He outclassed kick boxer Tenshin Nasukawa in the first round of their three-round exhibition held under Japanese promotion Rizin on New Year’s Eve in 2018 where he collected a gargantuan £7m for brief outing.
In a separate interview, Lau said Mayweather came twice to Hong Kong and spoke to his son. “He spoke with my son Jayson we had communications but now he is focusing the Pacquiao rematch.” The two greatest welterweights in the world first fought in 2015 in a contest that was the richest in the history of sweet science won by Mayweather via unanimous decision. Although the fight was considered by fans as a big letdown that failed to come up to expectations, a Pacquiao-Mayweather 2 is still considered as big business. Lau expressed apprehension, though, in Mayweather being too expensive that “we have to work really hard to get him back over to Asia – the offer is not easy.”(Eddie Alinea/ ManilaTimes.net)
PAGE 1 The third richest senator is Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto who posted a net worth of P555,324,479, followed by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Ramong “Bong” Revilla Jr. with a declared net worth of P182,851,570 and P164,203,379, respectively. Meanwhile, one of the senators at the bottom of the ranking is Senator Christopher “Bong” Go who posted a net worth of P15,508,370 as of June 30, 2019. According to the Inquirer, Go was the top campaign spender among the winning bets, spending P161,418,299 for his campaign in the 2019 elections back in May. Here is the complete ranking of senators based on their latest declared net worth: 1. Senator Cynthia Villar – P3,534,412,797 (as of June 30, 2019) 2. Senator Manny Pacquiao – P3,005,808,000 (as of December 31, 2018) 3. Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto – P555,324,479.82 (as of December 31, 2018) 4. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri – P182,851,570.34 (as of December 31, 2019) 5. Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. – P164,203,379.38 (as of June 30, 2019) 6. Senator Sonny Angara – P139,026,597 (ss of June 30, 2019) 7. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon – P97,726,758 (as of Dec. 31, 2018) 8. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian – P96,210,607.14
that Congress has delegated to DHS the authority to expand the definition of who is inadmissible as a public charge or to define what benefits undermine, rather than promote, the stated goal of achieving selfsufficiency.” The three federal rulings were among nine legal challenges to the public charge rule. In a statement on Friday, the White House said the rulings prevented the nation’s immigration officers “from ensuring that immigrants seeking entry to the United States will be self-sufficient and instead allow non-citizens to continue taking advantage of our generous but limited public resources reserved for vulnerable Americans.” “These injunctions are the latest inexplicable example
of the Administration being ordered to comply with the flawed or lawless guidance of a previous administration instead of the actual laws passed by Congress,” read the statement. Ken Cuccinelli, the acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, also released a statement on Friday defending the public charge rule. “Longstanding federal law requires aliens to rely on their own capabilities and the resources of their families, sponsors, and private organizations in their communities to succeed,” said Cuccinelli. “The public charge regulation defines this long-standing law to ensure those seeking to come or stay in the United States can support themselves financially and will not rely on public benefits,” he added.
“Through faithful execution of the law, we will ensure immigrants are able to successfully support themselves as they seek opportunity here. An objective judiciary will see that this rule lies squarely within long-held existing law.” Despite the temporary blocking of the public charge rule, the federal court moves came a week after Trump signed a proclamation barring legal immigrants unable to prove that they will have health care coverage or means of paying for it within 30 days of their arrival. Starting November 3, immigrants will be allowed entrance to the U.S. only if they can show that they are already covered by health insurance, or have the ability to pay for “reasonably foreseeable medical costs.” (Rae Ann Varona/ AJPress)
Palace slams Washington Post report on...
PAGE 1 “The article borders on rumor-mongering. We understand that the reporters based their story on interviews with 12 former or current Trump officials who all spoke on the condition of anonymity. The fact that President Trump’s private conversations with world leaders are leaked freely to the press by unnamed sources is simply outlandish,” he said. “To headline it as ‘genuinely horrified’ shows strong negative bias against the American Presi(as of Dec. 31, 2018) dent, as well as those person9. Senator Grace Poe – P95,693,450.37 (as of alities involved in the article. It June 30, 2019) violates the objectivity principle 10. Senator Pia Cayetano – P82,308,227.36 (as we expect from high-caliber of July 1, 2019) journalists of The Washington 11. Senator Richard Gordon – P71,285,178.56 Post,” Panelo added. (as of December 31, 2018) He called The Washington 12. Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III – Post’s slogan “Democracy Dies P70,120,700.30 (as of Dec. 31, 2018) in Darkness” as very “apt” since 13. Senator Lito Lapid – P69,910,000 (as of June 30, 2019) 14. Senator Francis Tolentino – P62,482,000 (as of June 30, 2019) PAGE 1 15. Senator Nancy Binay – P59,911,019 (as of show our displeasure better June 30, 2019) than if we unconstitutionally 16. Senator Panfilo Lacson – P42,442,341 (as ban it, as some suggest.” of Dec. 31, 2018) “Do cut out crudely. Maybe 17. Senator Imee Marcos – P29,970,467 (as interject MTRCB [Movie and of June 30, 2019) Television Review and Classi18. Senator Aquilino Pimentel III – P29,934,635 fication Board] head in cut out (as of June 30, 2019) scene with a hectoring lecture. 19. Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa – Then cartoon goes on,” he P28,258,908 (as of June 30, 2019) continued. 20. Senator Joel Villanueva – P26,921,555 (as Locsin’s statement came of Dec. 31, 2018) after Batongbacal said, “I think 21. Sen. Francis Pangilinan – P16,695,048.17 that the government should at (as of Dec. 31, 2018) the very least move to cut out 22. Senator Risa Hontiveros – P15,627,176.04 the offending scene. Consider(as of Dec. 31, 2018) ing Free Speech and all, that 23. Senator Christopher “Bong” Go – should be the minimum acceptP15,508,370.82 (as of June 30, 2019) able. Citizens are still free to 24. Senator Leila de Lima – P7,706,392.45 (as continue to call for boycott.” of December 31, 2018) n “Abominable,” a joint pro-
Villar still richest among senators...
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Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo
Philstar.com photo
“it died in darkness when the prestigious publication engaged itself in political propaganda.” Panelo also came to Trump’s defense, saying that the U.S. president’s praise of Duterte’s anti-drug policy and action “underscores the American leader’s fair judgment coming from his
unlimited and unimpeded access to information.” “The staff was blissfully ignorant about pertinent facts surrounding this Administration’s campaign against illegal narcotics; hence, the reaction, if true, is not surprising,” he added. (Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress)
duction by DreamWorks and China’s Pearl Studio, tells the story of a Chinese teenager helping a yeti return to his home. On Tuesday, October 15, the Philippine Foreign Affairs chief called for a universal boycott of all DreamWorks productions. “For me, call a universal boycott of all DreamWorks productions from here on,” Locsin said in a tweet. “Agree this is a slippery slope, but think we should push back vs. CN propaganda tactics nonetheless. MTRCB technically has power to require deletion of objectionable portions of films for reasons that include,”Batongbacal said
in response. He also showed his support on the calls for boycott to avoid contributing to China’s profit as well as send a message to American companies partnering with China to stop enabling such moves. In a separate tweet, Locsin clarified his call for “Abominable” boycott, saying that failure to react may be seen as “a kind of submission on the diplomatic level.” “But our reaction must be minimally invasive of free speech concerns: cut out offending scene & interject grainy film of ugly face of boring public official explaining why,” he added. n
Locsin suggests cutting out offending...
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 18-24, 2019
OPINION
With SC skittish, the nation is hostage to fortune IT sounds melodramatic to put it in these terms, but we believe that after three years of hemming and hawing about the electoral protest on the contest for the vice presidency in the 2016 elections, the Supreme Court (SC) owes it to the nation and our people to bring this issue to full resolution. Not because we favor one side or the other, but because we want to know the truth of the 2016 balloting, we make bold to intrude on today’s deliberations of the high court to urge it to do its duty by our people. In 1578, the great English essayist Francis Bacon wrote in the essay “Crimes and criminals”: “He that hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortune” — meaning that he places his loved ones at the mercy of fortune or luck, with all its uncertainties and cruel surprises. We think of Bacon’s words today, as we await the court’s decision on the election protest. We are made conscious again of the
incomprehensible delay and repeated procrastination that has attended the hearing of the election protest by the Supreme Court, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET). Our nation and our people, we daresay, have become hostages to fortune because of the sword of uncertainty that has been hung over our national life by this unresolved question, and by the reluctance of our honorable justices to complete their work on this issue. The delay is troubling, first, because it is now three years since the PET received the protest. The delay is tormenting, second, because without a firm resolution of the question of succession to the presidency, our country’s political fortunes will be placed at the mercy of the unknown and possibly hostile forces that could wreak havoc on the nation. Finally, we are fairly warned against the possibility that the high court may again kick the can further down the road, and that our people
5
FEATURES
Editorial
ManilaTimes.net photo
would then have to wait again for who knows how long to find closure to this question. Many times in the past, we have heard the Supreme Court authoritatively and firmly act on great questions of national life, and its rulings
proved decisive in keeping our ship of state safe and steady. We pray then today that the Supreme Court will again use its voice to calm and strengthen our troubled nation. (Manilatimes.net)
New Fox News and other polls show a majority of Americans Chirac and the Muslim mosque in the south; now say Trump should be impeached, removed from office brief Qatar visit and tension in Persian Gulf tigation. He has been attacking and accusing Democrats and the media of being behind this so-called plot to remove the power from the people by trying to oust him from office and to abort his so-called GEL SANTOS-RELOS “sure victory” in the 2020 “HOAX” and “witch hunt” U.S. presidential election. — that’s how President Don- He contends that the Ameriald Trump has always called can people do NOT want him any investigation into him. impeached and are so happy He has gone further by in- with his performance as presstructing officials and staff ident that they want him rein his administration NOT to elected. Unfortunately, Trump’s accooperate with and ignore subpoenas from the Constitu- tions, decisions, and words in tion-mandated congressional public have already betrayed impeachment inquiry/inves- him, and have given Congress
The Fil-Am Perspective
the probable cause to launch an impeachment inquiry, pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution. As Newsweek reported, the Democrat-led Congress finally launched an impeachment inquiry after a whistleblower formally submitted a complaint in accordance with the rule of law. It alleged “that Trump asked a foreign leader to investigate a potential political rival. In a July phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trump mentioned Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden, PAGE 10
PeaceMaker FORMER SPEAKER JOSE C. DE VENECIA, JR. (Part 2 of 2) WE were then a young aggressive entrepreneur, and decided to bid as prime contractor for the Port of Jeddah, the largest then in the Arab world, which was opened for bidding to manage the port, Saudi Arabia’s main entry point in the Red Sea. We had signed a joint venture agreement with the Singapore Port
Authority, and created the Philippines-Singapore Ports Corporation, which was quite successful. We won the bid, acquired a large ship without engine in the Port of Piraeus in Greece, and had it towed across the Aegean Sea and into the Suez Canal and into Jeddah. As we had written before, the vessel arrived in Jeddah in early morning as some ten commercial 707 jets just flew in from Manila with stevedores and port executives for immediate deployment in the Jeddah port. We won the bid for the Jeddah port, not because we were the best but the big port
operators from the U.S., U.K., Italy, South Korea, and Japan could only start operations in Jeddah after two years since they first had to build permanent housing barracks for their large workforce. We outwitted them and won the bid by promising to start operations soonest with our 3,000 Filipino stevedores and an array of Filipino, Singaporean, and English port executives, backed by our multi-million bid bonds and performance bonds following stiff international competition. After a few weeks our ship, PAGE 10
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 18-24, 2019
Dateline PhiliPPines
Palace: Oil deal with Russian firm to start from scratch for proper vetting by ratZiel
san Juan Philstar.com
The long wait for the Supreme Court’s final ruling on Ferdinand Marcos’ protest case against Vice President Leni Robredo is far from over for their supporters who massed on the high court’s grounds in Manila on Tuesday, October 15. Inquirer.net photos by Marianne Bermudez
PH Supreme Court won’t rule yet on VP election protest case by Dona
Z. PaZZibugan Jhesset o. enano Inquirer.net
MANILA — The Supreme Court has opted to release the findings of the initial recount of votes for Vice President Leni Robredo and losing candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as it again deferred ruling on whether to dismiss or proceed with Marcos’ election protest. At the weekly full-court deliberation on Tuesday, October 15, 11 of 13 magistrates (one was on leave), including retiring Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, voted to release to the parties the Sept. 9 report on the recount done in the three test provinces handpicked by Marcos. Two magistrates — Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate Justice Benjamin Caguioa, who prepared the report as the justice in charge of the case — dissented. According to insiders, Car-
pio and Caguioa held that the election protest “should have been dismissed since Marcos failed to make a substantial recovery” from Robredo’s votes in the three test provinces of Iloilo, Negros Oriental and Camarines Sur during the two-year-long vote revision and recount process. Comment of parties Voting 11-2, the court, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), instead required both camps to comment on the recount results within 20 days. The court also ordered both camps to comment within 20 days on Marcos’ petition to annul the vice-presidential election results in Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Maguindanao provinces for alleged irregularities. Robredo and Marcos were told to respond to “various issues relating to the jurisdiction and other matters” if the court were to grant Marcos’ petition to set aside the results in the three provinces.
Robredo had objected to Marcos’ petition to annul the votes from the three provinces, arguing that the rules for the test recount should cover only three provinces. Robredo, who edged Marcos by 263,473 votes in the six-field vice-presidential race, garnered a total of 477,985 votes in Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Maguindanao. Marcos got 169,160 votes. Court rules She had apparently anticipated that the test recount went in her favor since she asked the tribunal on Monday to uphold its own rules and dismiss the election protest if Marcos failed to show a deviation from the official results in the vote recount in his three chosen pilot provinces. If Marcos were able to prove his claim of widespread irregularities in the test recount, the court may order the continuation of the recount in the 21 provinces, five cities and one district in Northern PAGE 8
Peralta wins race for chief justice – sources by Jomar
Canlas ManilaTimes.net
SENIOR Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta appears to have won the race for chief justice. According to well-placed sources of The Manila Times, President Rodrigo Duterte was set to appoint Peralta as the successor of Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, who will retire on October 18. Peralta is the most senior of the three candidates endorsed by the Judicial and Bar Council for the post. The two others are Associate Justices Estela Perlas-Bernabe and Andres
Reyes Jr. If no appointment will be made by Duterte on Thursday, Associate Justice Antonio Carpio will sit as acting chief justice. Carpio is set to retire on October 26. Informed that he is “on the brink” of becoming chief justice, Peralta smiled and said he would leave everything to God. Before he joined the Supreme Court, Peralta was the presiding justice of the Sandiganbayan. He also served as prosecutor in Laoag City and in Manila and a regional trial Senior Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta court judge. n
MANILA — Russian giant Rosneft Oil Company needs to enter into a new contract with the Philippine government to develop oil and gas resources in the country, because an earlier allegedly “unauthorized deal,” Malacañang said on Thursday, October 17. The Rosneft involved then president and CEO of Philippine National Oil CompanyExploration Corporation Pedro Aquino, whom President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday told to resign. “Maganda nga ‘yung proposal pero hindi nasunod ‘yung stages of bidding and vetting (The proposal is good, but the stages of bidding and vetting were not followed),” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a PNA release. Panelo said Rosneft had to
start from the first stage and re-apply to bid. Applicable policies include the Oil Exploration and Development Act of 1972, Office of the Energy Affairs Circular No. 87-12-003, and Department of Energy Circular No. 94-01-01. The DOE’s “Energy Investors’ Guidebook also lists the requirements and processes involved. ‘Cutting corners’ When Duterte flew to Russia earlier this month, he discovered that the PNOC-EC had forged a contract with Rosneft without the knowledge of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, Panelo said. “Hindi siguro purposely pinaalam. Hindi pinaalam kaya nga siguro nagkaroon ng bulilyaso (It was kept secret purposely. It was deliberately done, that’s why the deal did not push through),” Panelo said. “Pinapaliwanag sa kanila
(Resnoft) na maganda ang proposal nila but they have to go through the regular bidding process. I-vet pa ‘yun kasi nga hindi nasunod (We explained to Resnoft that they have a good proposal, but they have to go through the regular bidding process).” However, Panelo said Rosneft had signed a memorandum of intent to reaffirm its plan of investing in Manila. Stronger Russian ties Duterte on October 2 met with Rosneft in Moscow for a possible oil and gas investment in the Philippines. “We wish to add that the chief executive underscored that any agreement that will be executed or performed for such purpose shall undergo the proper domestic processes and comply with applicable laws and pertinent rules and regulations so as not to leave any room for PAGE 10
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4 dead, 20 injured after quake in Mindanao by Dempsey
Reyes ManilaTimes.net
MARAWI CITY — Four people died following a 6.3magnitude earthquake that rocked parts of Mindanao on Wednesday, October 16. National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) spokesman Mark Timbal on Thursday confirmed that two of the fatalities were from Magsaysay, Davao del Sur. Timbal said the unidentified victims died from a landslide that hit the town following the tremor. The NDRRMC also recorded 18 injured in the area. In Tulunan, North Cotabato, an unidentified child died while two others were hurt after the earthquake. Tulunan Mayor Reuel Limbungan reported that the child from Datu Paglas in Maguindanao was declared dead
Nurses attend to those who were injured following the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that rocked parts of Mindanao on Wednesday, October 16. Photo courtesy of NDRRMC
on arrival at a hospital in the town. In M’lang, Cotabato, a certain Tony Panangulon died because of heart attack following the quake. Patients of Dr. Arturo Pingoy Medical Center in Koronadal City were evacuated after a tremor was felt in thr city on Wednesday night. (Photos from KJ Java/ PDRRMO South
Cotabato) Panangulon, who was reported in his 40s, was rushed to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival, Vice Mayor Joselito Piñol of M’lang town confirmed. The earthquake, tectonic in origin, struck at 7:37 p.m. on Wednesday. Its epicenter is in North Cotabato and had a depth of 2 kilometers. n
AFP backs selective coverage of martial law in Mindanao by FRances
mangosing Inquirer.net
MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines has expressed support on selective coverage of martial law in Mindanao due to the reported improved situation in some areas since it was declared two years ago. “We have articulated our support to selective coverage of martial law as deemed warranted by the local chief
executive and validated by our operational commanders on the ground,” AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said in a statement on Tuesday, October 15. His statement comes a day after the Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte called for support to exempt her area from martial law, citing “very good peace and order situation.” Eastern Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Felimon
Santos has already expressed support to lift martial law in Davao City following a recommendation from Mayor Duterte, Arevalo said. But the final decision would still come from President Rodrigo Duterte. President Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao on May 23, 2017, following the siege of Marawi City by Islamic State-inspired terrorist groups. It has been extended three times. n
PH Supreme Court won’t rule yet on...
Lombard By The Bay is a joint venture development project between Premier Asia Pacific Real Estate and Development Corp. and Omnicor Industrial Estate & Realty Center, Inc.
PAGE 7 Samar that Marcos also contested. “The action of the court is to provide copies to the parties and for the parties to comment on the results of the revision and appreciation of ballots. So as for the decision, there’s none yet,” Supreme Court public information chief Brian Hosaka told reporters. Hosaka said he himself had not seen the report on the recount findings that was submitted by Caguioa. Marcos’ lawyer Vic Rodriguez said the court order was a “positive development because finally, for the first time after three years, we shall now deal with the issues on the annulment of the election results in the province of Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Maguindanao.” Rodriguez added the Marcos camp was glad that the tribunal dismissed Robredo’s petition to dismiss outright
the election protest based on the initial recount. ‘Victory’ for Robredo Robredo’s lawyer Romulo Macalintal told reporters that they considered the decision a victory since they could now show through Caguioa’s report that Marcos had failed to get enough votes in the recount in Iloilo, Negros Oriental and Camarines Sur to overcome Robredo’s lead. “We won. She won in the recount. Otherwise if she did not win in the recount, the resolution would have been different,” he said. Macalintal accused Marcos of “fishing for evidence” after he failed to prove irregularities in the test recount. “We will argue that the annulment of votes (in Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Maguindanao) should not be included anymore since he did not make a substantial recovery in the recount in the pilot provinces,” he said.
“He should not be allowed to fish for evidence. Under the rules, he should prove his case based on the pilot provinces,” he added. In a press briefing in her office in Quezon City, Robredo expressed both relief and frustration over the continuing electoral protest. “It’s very good news because the public will really know what really transpired in the recount … and who between us is telling the truth,” she said. “But [I also feel] frustrated … because we believe that there is no other way but to dismiss this, considering their own rules and the result of the recount.” Robredo’s camp had earlier manifested for the immediate resolution of the protest, saying that by their own records from the initial recount, she even gained 15,000 more votes, further widening the margin. n
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Palace: Oil deal with Russian firm to start...
PAGE 7 corruption or irregularity,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said. Improved ties between the Philippines and Russia was
acknowledged by Duterte in a separate October 2 meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. “We are intent to sustaining this momentum. I am
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confident we’ll succeed as I see strong commitment and will from both sides to bring our relation to an even greater level,” Dutetre said in a release. n
New Fox News and other polls show a majority... PAGE 5 and his son Hunter, according to a summary transcript of the call released by the White House.” The report added that “despite Biden being mentioned in the call, the president insisted there was no pressure put on Ukraine to investigate the Bidens, and no ‘quid pro quo’ discussion, despite aid to the country being held up around the time of the conversation.” Seventeen of the former special prosecutors who investigated the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post to declare that they believe “Trump should be impeached”. “We, former members of the Watergate special prosecutor force, believe there exists compelling prima facie evidence that President Trump has committed impeachable offenses. This evidence can be accepted as sufficient for impeachment, unless disproved by any contrary evidence that the president may choose to offer,” they wrote. They continued, “The ultimate judgment on whether to impeach the president is for members of the House of Representatives to make. The Constitution establishes impeachment as the proper mechanism for addressing these abuses; therefore, the House should proceed with the impeachment process, fairly, openly and promptly. The president’s refusal to cooperate in confirming (or disputing) the facts already on the public record should not delay or frustrate the House’s performance of its constitutional duty.” “In reaching these conclusions, we take note of 1) the public statements by Trump himself; 2) the findings of former special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation; 3) the readout that the president released of his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky; 4) the president’s continuing refusal to produce documents or allow testimony by current and former government employees for
pending investigations, as well as for oversight matters; and 5) other information now publicly available, including State Department text messages indicating that the release of essential military aid to Ukraine was conditioned on Ukraine’s willingness to commence a criminal investigation designed to further the president’s political interests,” the former prosecutors argued. Following news about the Ukraine scandal, recent polls reveal growing support for the impeachment inquiry, compared to previous polls involving other Trump scandals, including the Mueller probe. The Washington Post poll: 58 percent of respondents supported the impeachment inquiry; Quinnipiac poll: 53 percent of people supported the impeachment inquiry itself, and 45 percent also felt that the president should be impeached and removed from office; NBC/Wall Street Journal poll: 55% of people back the inquiry; Politico/Morning Consult poll: half of registered voters would back removing Trump from office; NPR/PBS NewsHour/ Marist poll: 52% say they approve of the impeachment inquiry into President Trump. BUT the poll that really made Trump furious was at the recent poll taken by Fox News, the cable news channel perceived by most Americans as a propaganda machine for Trump. Trump’s statements and tweets suggested he was not happy with polling results from Fox commenting to reporters at the weekend: “Fox has changed. My worst polls have always been from Fox.” The Fox News poll conducted on October 6-8 revealed the following, among others: Q: Do you approve or disapprove of the job Donald Trump is doing as president? A: Approved 43%; Disapproved 55% Q: Do you have a generally favorable or unfavorable
opinion of each one? A: Favorable 43%; Unfavorable 56% Q: Do you think the Trump administration is more corrupt than previous administrations, less corrupt, or is the Trump administration about as corrupt as previous administrations? A: More corrupt 51%; Less corrupt 27%; About as corrupt 18%; Don’t know 3% Q: Please tell me how much confidence you have in Trump (among others): A: Confidence 43%; No confidence 56% Q: How troubling do you find the situation surrounding President Trump’s dealings with the Ukrainian president — extremely, very, somewhat, or not at all? A: Extremely 38%; Very 13%; Somewhat 18%; Not at all 26%; Don’t know 5% Q: President Trump has made allegations about Joe Biden and his son’s business dealings in Ukraine and China. How troubling do you find those allegations — extremely, very, somewhat, or not at all? A: Extremely 19%; Very 17%; Somewhat 26%; Not at all 32%; Don’t know 6% Q: Do you think President Trump should be impeached and removed from office, or not? A: YES 51%; NO 43% THESE POLLS do not even cover the latest Trump decision to abandon our Kurds allies in Northern Syria that cleared the way for the attack of the Turks forces. At least 104 Kurdish fighters and 60 civilians have been killed since Turkey’s attack on Wednesday, putting hundreds of thousands of families at risk and benefitting the interests of the Russian and Syrian dictators. ABANGAN ANG SUSUNOD NA KABANATA. ***
INDIAN PRESIDENT IN MANILA. Indian President Ram Nath Kovind troops the line, escorted by Lt General Antonio Ramon Lim, Inspector General of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, shortly upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 in Pasay City on Thursday, October 17. Welcoming the Indian leader are Health Secretary Francisco Duque and officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
Chirac and the Muslim mosque in the south...
PAGE 5 the largest pre-war luxury liner, renamed the Villa Magna by the Greeks, docked in Piraeus, Greece, without engine, was pulled by giant tugboats we hired from the Netherlands, crossed the Suez Canal and into the Red Sea to our cheering employees, 3,000 stevedores from the Philippines, to our port of destination, Jeddah. The project was so successful that the Saudi Government this time awarded to us without further bidding our second port, the Port of Jubail in the Persian Gulf or Arab Gulf to the Arabs, on the other side of the peninsula. Perhaps the rest is history and after our successful projects in Jeddah and Jubail, smaller O&M projects in Gizan also off the Arab desert, housing projects in Kuwait, smaller projects in Iraq’s Basrah and Baghdad, we ended our Arab journey after striking oil in Ajman, the United Arab Emirates, where we — Basic Energy and Landoil — brought our own oil rig which we leased from Andres Soriano’s PODCO in the Philippines. Drilling was supervised by the late experienced Mario Nieto of Isabela whom we engaged as drilling superintendent. The drilling location was chosen by our Dr. Fran Gidson, the celebrated Amrican who helped discover in earlier days the giant oil field in Iraq and a celebrated geologist. We organized the drilling Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and and raised drilling funds from opinions expressed by the author in our Arab friends and our subthis column are solely those of the scribers from the Philippines author and not of Asian Journal and and we had a substantial oil ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www. strike in Ajman, one of the TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www. smallest Emirates in the UAE, the United Arab Emirates, facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
whose most popular centers are Dubai and the capital Abu Dhabi, where overall we have today perhaps more than two million Filipinos in the Arab world since our pioneering days from the mid-1970s to the 80s. Our successful ventures in the Arab world came to a close with the Iran-Iraq war as we had to close shop with significant losses and then we had to come home to return to our old love, run for public office in the Philippines, after the end of Martial Law. Last week, as we boarded the plane in Qatar, we envisioned going back to the Middle East and talk to the rulers of Ajman and the UAE about perhaps allowing us to redrill our old well there and adding new wells to establish our oilfield, beginning with the first oil well we drilled there which was a success. This may be difficult to accomplish now but who knows. We are still active with Basic Energy in the Philippines with brother Oscar and nephew Carey de Venecia and son Joey III. They have small projects in Myanmar, Thailand, and Japan with major Thai partners. We do not know how to go about it now, but after almost 40 years, we could inquire and try. For our return home from France, instead of flying to London from Paris to catch the direct Philippine Airlines London-Manila non-stop flight, we decided to take the return flight home via the Arab route, in Qatar along the Persian Gulf, Arab Gulf to the Arabs, despite the dangerous tensions in the Gulf region. The week before, rockets destroyed some of Saudi Ara-
bia’s richest oil fields, hit by missiles from Yemen or Iraq but suspected by Saudis as fired from Iran. There will be many charges and counter-charges from both sides of the Gulf. Last week there were missed opportunities for U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran President Hassan Rouhani to meet at the U.N. General Assembly. We believe the U.N. Secretary General and the President of France or Chancellor of Germany could take the lead in initiating negotiations, with say, Asian counterparts, from India, Japan or ASEAN to restrain the Iranians, the Saudis, and the U.S. to help put an end to the crisis in the Gulf which threatens more than 50% of the world’s petroleum supply which include the bulk of Philippines’ oil imports. The Catholics and Protestants of Europe, after decades of conflict and bloodshed, following the Biblical days in Israel had long reconciled and live in peace. The Sunnis led by Saudi Arabia and the Shiites led by Iran, both followers of Islam, should likewise reconcile, keep their beliefs, until in God’s chosen time, like the Catholics and Protestants at least reconcile, and unite as one family under God. The U.N. Secretary General Antonio Gutierres, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, an ASEAN leader-designate, a Chinese or Russian representative should get-together and journey to Tehran and Riyadh to set a sustained peace process in motion until the work is done. n
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COMMUNITY Journal
Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ MANY people believe that once their case is denied, that is the end of the line. No more hope or chances. There is nothing more they can do, and the case is now dead. However, depending on the reasons for a denial, it could still be possible to salvage the case and get it approved. The first thing that should be done is a thorough and detailed analysis as to WHY the case was denied. What were the legal and factual bases relied on by the government to support that denial? Were the proper legal standards and burdens of proof utilized by USCIS or the U.S. Embassy in supporting the denial? Were there any misunderstandings or miscommunications that created confusion and resulted in a denial? (For example, the person was nervous, didn’t understand a question and gave a wrong answer, etc.). Did the person fail to fill out the forms correctly or include the required documents or information? The next thing to evaluate is WHAT can be done to overcome the denial. Is a waiver available to overcome the denial? Could additional documents or other evidence prove eligibility and overcome the denial?
The Kite Runner Prof. enriQue M. SoriAno WITHOUT any doubt, crafting a Family Constitution or a Charter is one major step to every founder’s dream and aspiration of ensuring that his blood, sweat and tears (legacy) is cemented for generations to come. The objective therefore in any governance undertaking is to anticipate the “what ifs,” create harmony, and unite family members. The key is to prepare solid family
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Is there hope after a denial? Part 1
Is it possible to seek reconsideration or reopening of the case? Can or should the case be refiled? Can the case be appealed, and what would be the grounds for appeal? There are several reasons a case could be denied, including the following, where it could be possible to get the case approved: Child aged out and therefore not included under a petition. However, it could be possible the child could still be eligible under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA). Marital petition denied because USCIS thought the marriage was fixed. If a couple truly married for love, the petition should be approved. However, in some cases the couple does not fully document or prove the bona fides of the marriage (they may not have enough joint documents, they live apart because of work, etc.). If they receive a notice of intent to revoke or the case is already denied, it could be possible to better document the case, refile with a far better packaging of the bona fides of the marriage, etc. The denied family petition could also be appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). In a future article, I will discuss more situations where there could still be hope dispite a denial.
Although there cannot be any “guarantees” of success, if your case was denied, you should consider consulting with an attorney, who can evaluate your situation, and determine if there is hope in overcoming that denial and assisting in helping you reverse the denial and your case approved. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw and Twitter @GurfinkelLaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)
Preparing for the what ifs (Part 1 of 2)
and ownership agreements. Today’s column will focus on family agreements and in what my industry colleagues Lansberg and Gersick refer to as “institutionalizing control.” They went on to highlight that “Governance is concerned with all of the ways that the interests of owners are reflected and implemented in the organizational system…” Formalize agreements Formality is very important in family businesses. Assuming that one’s relatives would forever be supportive
to the family business and consistently remain productive may not be a good way to set one’s frame of mind. We should always accept the reality that there are different types of family members working in the family business. Some of them may exhibit exceptionally good performance, are committed and trustworthy. There are some that are plain indifferent, selfish and would always look at his last name and employment as his or her birthright. For some enPAGE 12
IS THERE A WAY TO EXPEDITE THE PETITION FOR A 42-YEAR OLD SPECIAL CHILD SINCE HER GRANDMOTHER WHO USED TO CARE FOR HER HAS ALREADY PASSED ON? THIS QUESTION AND MORE WILL BE ANSWERED ON “CITIZEN PINOY: YOUR TANONG, MY SAGOT!” The first batch of Kapamilya who came to the “Citizen Pinoy” taping in Illinois have their questions answered this Sunday. Find out if the petition for a married son, that has dragged on for 15 years, can be expedited since he is needed by his aging parents to care for them. Can a U.S. citizen petition her mother who has married twice, but her first marriage has not yet been annulled? Get answers to these questions and more on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy,” this Sunday at 6:15 p.m. PST/EST (9:15 p.m. EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)
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OCTOBEr 18-24, 2019 • NEW YOrK AND NEW JErSEY ASIAN JOUrNAL
Pacquiao to play World War II hero in Hollywood movie By Ricky Lo Philstar.com
THIS just in: Manny Pacquiao confirmed that he will play local hero Col. Macario Peralta Jr., leader of the Philippine Guerrilla resistance on Panay Island during World War II, in the Hollywood-Philippines global feature film “Freedom Fighters.” An incredible true story of courage, faith and hope in the face of unspeakable Japanese-inflicted terror, “Freedom Fighters” will be produced by Inspire Studios, Inc., in association with a major U.S. studio. The production is slated for 2020. Producer/financier Francis Lara Ho, CEO of Inspire Studios, said, “‘Freedom Fighters’ will be a global, Hollywood studio-level release. We are currently in discussions with leading Hollywood and Philippine studios, financiers and distributors, as well as A-List
The ad layout for Freedom Fighters that will star Manny Pacquiao as Col. Macario Peralta Jr. Right photo shows Pacquiao with Inspire Studios CEO Francis Lara Ho. Contributed photos
directors and actors to bring this amazing, inspirational story to the global audience. “Having the charismatic and beloved Sen. Manny Pacquiao join by playing Col.
Peralta is an exciting step in putting together a cast of top-tier actors for this movie. Manny is a worldwide hero and admired by people from all over the world, so PAGE 13
Preparing for the what ifs... PAGE 11 titlement is all there is to it in a family business. Behaviors change According to a Business Week article, family business leaders must always recognize the family members’ individual differences (types of personalities, attitudes, and behaviors), varying opinions, values, demands, expectations, and capabilities and changing or evolving priorities in life. What you know of your younger or older siblings’ behavior when you were in your teens may no longer be the same in midlife. With all these likely scenarios happening, family business leaders must anticipate and expect the difficulty in meeting the kind of certainty that is needed from its pool of family members to operate a business on a professional level and direct it towards specific objectives. The core group of any family business would be the members of the family itself who could either be catalysts for positive outcomes or a major source of problems if they do not agree with certain guidelines. Familiarity and entitlement The issue with members of
the family boils down to familiarity and entitlement and they will naturally have the tendency to be complacent and presumptuous since they are related by blood or marriage with the president or any family business leader with significant influence, they would not be made accountable for underperformance or weakness they might have. In most cases, “free riders” in the family can also compromise the business. They think that being entitled will allow them the advantage to put little or no effort at all in the development of the business. Without any performance metric and a semblance of accountability, they continue to draw their salary every payday and benefit from dividend sharing. And to add salt to the wound, they moonlight and put up separate businesses outside of the family business. Another cause of major conflict is in dealing with different personalities in the family. Some could be very intellectual, capable and productive, but are greedy, overly controlling and manipulative for their own good. Some are usually quiet and have the penchant to question every policy laid
out by a family member or sibling disrupting initiatives for growth. Start by crafting solid agreements and policies There are different kinds of agreements that could be created and followed in the family business to keep family relationships in harmony and espouse professionalism in the industry. Based on my experience coaching family businesses in the Asia Pacific region, the most important documents and policy to unite and harmonize family members are the following: Family Constitution or Charter incorporating Governance Policies covering Employment, Compensation Policy, A Code of Conduct, Job Description of working family members and a Statement of Vision and Values Shareholders Agreement, on the other hand, covers agreements on ownership and Board level accountabilities (to be continued next week) *** Prof. Soriano is the chairperson of the Marketing Cluster of the Ateneo Graduate School of Business. He is also a Senior Consultant of Wong+Bernstein Business Advisory Group. For comments, send email at sorianoasia@gmail.com
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Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA (Continued from last week …) Trust your own instincts. Your own personal experience will color the lens with which you view and relate with your personal guardian angel. God so loved the world, He sent His only son to redeem us from sin and death so we may gain eternal life. Angels are sent to help us during our time here on earth towards this arduous journey to eternal life. The Holy Spirit came to guide us and enlighten us. But on the micro, day-byday level, God sent us our personal guardian angels from conception, birth, throughout our life and our passage from death to eternal life as a constant presence. Come to think of it, every time an unborn life is cut down, the murder deprives an angel of his purpose. There must be some cosmic angst and turmoil in the heavens. There must be anguish and pain, a disturbance, not only on earth but
Angels Among Us (Third of 4 Parts)
“I think we all do have a guardian angel. I believe they work through us all the time, when we are thoughtful and good and kind to each other.” —Roma Downey also in the celestial realm. Some say God created so many angels, one cannot count the number of angels that can stand on the head of a pin. But there is a caveat to this gift from the Almighty. One must accept the gift and use the gift of the presence of angels in one’s life for good and only good. One must be humble of heart to know that by ourselves we can do nothing of real value to ourselves or our loved ones and ultimately find God in our lives without asking in earnest for help from the spiritual, unseen realm of angels. Yes, the key is to ask for help for one to receive it. Also, one must never take the gift of a personal guardian angel for granted. An angel is an invisible
presence that must be acknowledged to become ever stronger. God sends angels to keep watch over human beings and help them in every human challenge. There is, however, the element of free will in humans. You can acknowledge the presence of angels or deny it. It is your choice ultimately. The more angels are acknowledged and become a conduit to heaven, they become a hovering, guiding reality in one’s life growing ever stronger in their influence to shape every thought, word and deed in one’s life. (to be continued …) *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@asianjournalinc. com.
Lin-Manuel Miranda & his PH connection By Ricky Lo Philstar.com
BEVERLY Hills, California — The question must have been popped on him a few times so Lin-Manuel Miranda reacted with amusement when The STAR asked him, “Is there something Filipino in you?” That is, his surname being very Filipino. “Really?” Lin-Manuel broke into a wide smile, so reminiscent of his role as Jack in Mary Poppins Returns for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Actor (Motion Picture Musical Picture or Comedy). “It’s an honor to be mistaken for a Filipino, but I am Puerto Rican. I do know a few Tagalog words because so many of my Filipino kids follow me on Twitter and they keep me updated on the slang.” (LinManuel’s mother, Dr. Luz Towns-Miranda, is a clinical psychologist; and his father, Luis Miranda Jr., is a Democratic Party consultant
Lin-Manuel Miranda, star of the HBO series “His Dark Materials” as an ‘aeronaut’, recalls his visit to the Philippines where he counts Lea Salonga among his Filipino friends. Contributed photo
who advised New York City mayor Ed Koch.) We were at a function room of the Beverly Hilton, interviewing Lin-Manuel for his role as Lee Scoresby, an “aeronaut/adventurer” cowboy pilot “with a Jackrabbit daemon” in the HBO series (now streaming) His Dark Materials, adapted from Philip Pullman’s awardwinning trilogy of the same name, which is considered a modern masterpiece of
imaginative fiction. The series follows Lyra (played by 14-year-old Dafne Keen), a seemingly ordinary but brave young woman from another world. Her search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children and becomes a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. It is said that the trilogy has been embraced by atheists PAGE 13
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Pacquiao to play World War... PAGE 12 stepping into this role is a natural for him.” Ho, founder of Inspire Studios which will hold offices both in the US and the Philippines, has great vision for the company. He added, “We want to impact humanity by creating world-class movies of hope, heroism and honor from stories based on trueto-life event; movies that go beyond mere entertainment and that showcase positive, human virtues…movies that inspire and inspire us to look beyond ourselves, and help us dream to be greater and encourage us to pursue
something bigger than life itself!” “Freedom Fighters” is based on the memoirs of Louise Spencer, an American who was one of the residents of Hopevale, a community of patriots in Panay Island during WWII that played a great role in a most crucial time in Philippine history. After the Japanese sneak attack invasion of the Philippines in WWII, staged to coincide with the attack on Pearl Harbor, a group of American doctors, nurses, missionaries and miners in Panay Island chose to stay hidden behind enemy lines to continue to help the local
people and the Guerrilla resistance, led by Col. Peralta. They built a community deep in the jungle called Hopevale and survived there for almost two years under constant threat of torture and execution if captured. They were supported by loyal, brave Filipinos who put their lives and the lives of their families on the line to help them survive and hold back the Japanese, allowing the triumphant Gen. MacArthur to belatedly return. Pacquiao will be busy playing hero next year. He has also been tapped to play Gen. Miguel Malvar in another movie.
Lin-Manuel Miranda... PAGE 12 and condemned by believers for its villain, a powerful quasi-religious organization called the Magisterium. As he is on screen (Mary Poppins, etc.) and on stage (in, among other award-winning performances, Hamilton for which he wrote the music and starred in until 2016), Lin-Manuel in person is funny, engaging, talkative, genuinely friendly and imbued with a “lightness of being” that is at once infectious and endearing. “I have a relationship with the Philippines because my best friend in college is Filipino,” continued Lin-Manuel whose looks are Pinoy na Pinoy. “She grew up in Subic Bay. She was the original character in In The Heights that I wrote as a college production. The musical had its first international production in the Philippines in 2012, directed by Bobby Garcia.” That was how Lin-Manuel met Lea Salonga whom he described as “an international treasure.” “I flew to Manila for two reasons. One, to attend my Filipino friend’s wedding in Bohol and, two, to grace the opening of In The Heights. Lea took her weekend off to show me around. She let me eat Filipino food and we had this karaoke concert with the cast. Lea was in the background, sort of singing along with her then little daughter (Nicole). I’m excited to see her and Eva Noblezada in a movie (Yellow Rose, also with USbased Princess Punzalan in the cast. — RFL). I saw the trailer. That was great!” Sought for comment, Lea
texted this: The first time I met Lin-Manuel Miranda was in the Hexagon Lounge of RCBC Theater. Heavily jetlagged, he was in Manila on his way to attend a friend’s wedding out of town, so Bobby Garcia invited him to see a dress rehearsal of In The Heights. Lin watched with much excitement and afterwards generously gave notes to the cast, complimenting folks that gave new insights into dialogue and song lyrics. The next time I saw him was at his despedida, and he took my then five-yearold daughter on the dance floor to dance with him. Then, of course, I watched him in Hamilton and he has become insanely successful but has remained humble and grounded. When we see each other, there’s always a hug and plenty of laughter. Lin-Manuel shared that he was in London working on Mary Poppins Returns when he got the HBO offer for His Dark Materials. Happily, he confessed that he’s a big fan of the Philip Pullman trilogy, so… “I fell in love with his books at the same time that I fell in love with my wife,” he related. “When we started dating, we would read his books together. We love books of this kind, mystery thrillers and the like. His Dark Materials says something about the breadth of the world, that there is this massive religious force…that there are people in a universe whose souls exist out of their bodies. I’m happy to be the Han Solo of the story, who survives by winning a card game or picking a pocket, or winning a fistfight by play-
ing dirty. Then he falls into doing the right thing on the right side of history and helloing free those stolen kids.” In the next breath, LinManuel noted that in his first appearance in an HBO production, he played as a bellboy with no more than two lines and for which he got a talent fee that paid the rent for two months. However, he didn’t say how much he’s paid for his latest HBO outing. Asked how challenging it was to be in a fantasy series, Lin-Manuel said, “What’s so hard in doing fantasy is the mix of big ideas and the compelling personal journey. I think the (His Dark Materials) books do that so brilliantly. The books deal with ideas about repression whether by religion or by the state, ideas about personal freedom. Those ideas reflect who we are and that alone is a brilliant idea. “Then there’s so much more. It’s the story of a girl growing up through acts of serendipity, through acts of kindness and through drama about everything that conspires to make us who we are. It’s a beautiful world to be part of. I know it would be an adventure that would give us time to spend in a different part of the world.” He added, “Dark Materials is very relevant today. It tells the same old story about children being stolen or separated from their families, infringement of freedom and fight for freedom.” Lin-Manuel has Hamilton to thank for what and where he is today. “Hamilton happened when I was already married and I had my first child; now I
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PhilDev annual awards gala in Beverly Hills, CA Join the Philippine Development Foundation (PhilDev) on Saturday, October 19 for a red carpet affair at the elegant Montage Beverly Hills hotel in the heart of Los Angeles. Let the glamour of Hollywood inspire your attire as we celebrate our 2019 PhilDev awardees and enjoy the evening. The night begins with a cocktail reception where guests can meet, mingle and bid on our exclusive silent auction items. Guests will then be escorted into the Grand Ballroom where they will be treated to a delicious multi-course meal and entertainment. After dinner, PhilDev will present the 2019 awards to the outstanding FilipinoAmericans who have made significant leadership and innovation contributions in their industries and who have furthered the positive impact of Filipinos worldwide: PRISCILLA HUNT - Philanthropist of the year; NICOLE PONSECA - Rising Star in Entrepreneurship; APL.DE.AP - Innovation in the Arts; RAISSA GERONA - Innovation in Branding; and JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS - Innovation in Education. For more information, visithttp://www.phildev.org/gala-2019.
20th annual Asian Small Business Expo in Montebello, CA The Asian Small Business Expo on Saturday, October 19 is the only business-tobusiness Expo that engages the Asian business community and brings this growing economic force into the mainstream to connect and utilize your company and its services. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the day will feature networking, exhibitors, business services, start-up opportunities and workshops. Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with small businesses, market your organization and tap into a network of entrepreneurs, service providers, financial organizations, franchises and governmental and legislative representatives. There will also be a Women Entrepreneurs Panel featuring Trisha Murakawa (Principal and Chief Problem Solver, Murakawa Communications), Patricia Perez (Co-founder, Pho Show and Co-founder & CEO, Genever Bar) and Lindy Huang Werges (Founder, Integritas Resources, Inc. and Co-founder, Zen Yoga Strap, Inc.) Registration is FREE at http://www.apisbp.org/expo. The event will be held at Quiet Cannon Conference & Event Center (901 Via San Clemente, Montebello, CA 90640). For more information, please contact smallbiz@apisbp.org or (213) 473-1605.
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75th anniversary of Leyte Landing in Carson, CA The 75th anniversary of the Leyte Landing will be observed on Sunday, October 20 at the International Sculpture Garden at the Carson Civic Center from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. the main program will start at 10 a.m. where the veterans present will be honored by the guest speakers and the community. There will be music and entertainment, food trucks, vendors and booths. This program is part of the annual FilipinoAmerican History Month in October. For more information, please contact Dr. Jenny Batongmalaque, executive director of the Erasto R. Batongmalaque Foundation, at drjennyb.md@gmail.com or visitwww.erbfoundation.com.
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 have two kids. I understood what I wanted to put in this world and the kind of things that I wanted to do. Hamilton helped demystify things for me.” Part of the perks is having a staff who, according to Lin-Manuel, “reminds me, ‘Hey, time to go back to work!’ I get a lot of help from friends, one of them
my friend from college whose job is to keep tab on the projects I’m working on. Thanks to the success of Hamilton that I got the privilege of choosing projects. I’m in a different position now.” Since he hit big time, has it been all work and no play for the Jack-of-all-trades? Doesn’t he know how to un-
wind? “Of course, I do,” he assured. “I spend time with my family and,” adding with a laugh, sweeping his hand across the journalists at the roundtable (generic term for interviews during Hollywood junkets), ”I’m doing it right now with you, guys. Didn’t you notice that I’m having fun?”
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people events arts culture entertainment
Pinay visionaries: A spotlight on Filipina American elected and appointed officials
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Interviews by MALOU LIWANAG-BLEDSOE, JOSEPH
PERALTA AND CHRISTINA M. ORIEL /AJPress
HE late Thelma Buchholdt paved the way for Filipino Americans to serve in public office, when she was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives in 1974, becoming the first Fil-Am woman legislator in America. She served four terms until 1980. Since then, Filipina American women have occupied statewide or local positions, whether through elections or appointments, in states like California, New York and Nevada, to name a few. In a large city like New York, for example, Mayor Bill De Blasio has appointed a record number of Filipina Americans as commissioners: Anne del Castillo, Office of Media and Entertainment; Carmelyn Malalis, Commission on Human Rights; Maria Torres Springer, Department of Housing Preservation and Development; and Minerva Tantoco, the city’s first Chief Technology Officer. (Torres Springer and Tantoco have since vacated the roles, however.) In the 2018 midterm election cycle, three Filipina Americans vied for congressional seats: Gina Ortiz Jones in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District (she’s since announced she’s running again in 2020); Cristina Osmeña for California’s 14th District; and Jennifer Mijares-Zimmerman for Florida’s 1st District. While we have yet to see Filipina American representation in Congress, it’s a start for individuals to have the backing and support to run on that level. This year’s Filipino American History Month theme of “Pinay Visionaries: Celebrating Filipina American Women,” recognizes the vital but underreported role of FilAms in U.S. history, especially their work in public office. The Asian Journal spoke to several current Filipina Americans who have been
elected or appointed to public offices about their contributions and what needs to be done for more Pinays in these types of leadership roles. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti — who has often said that LA is a “very Filipino city” — has Fil-Ams across levels of his administration and has made an effort in ensuring that the city no longer has any all-male commissions. Filipina Americans have been reflected in this goal through commission and advisory appointments: Joselyn Geaga-Rosenthal, Department of Building and Safety; Melany de la Cruz-Viesca, Human Relations; Pilar Diaz, Department of Recreation and Parks; Theresa de Vera, Department on Disability; Myrna Cabanban, Department on Disability; Gerlie Collado, El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument Authority; Abigail Zelenski, Civil and Human Rights; and Ethel Rubio, Adams-Normandie Historic Preservation Overlay Zone advisory board. This year alone, Garcetti has appointed two Filipina Americans to prominent city commissions: Susana Reyes to the LA Board of Water and Power and Jessica Caloza to the Board of Public Works — both becoming the first Pinays in these roles. Susana Reyes – Commissioner, LA Board of Water and Power Reyes announced her retirement from a 32-year public service career earlier
this year, until she was nominated by Garcetti in April to join the LA Board of Water and Power Commission, the largest municipal utility in the country. Reyes was previously the director of LA Dept. of Water and Power’s Low-Income Customer Access and was a senior analyst on Garcetti’s sustainability team. Outside of City Hall, Reyes is vice president of the national Sierra Club’s board of directors. On what it means to be a commissioner: Done right, this role can be powerful. I take my duties seriously and as a steward of the communities that LADWP serves, I know I can make a difference from where I sit. I painstakingly ensure policies reflect the values of the organization by working closely with the organization leadership and public stakeholders like neighborhood councils, community-based organizations, environmental justice advocates, and businesses that promote clean energy and sustainable programs. Being a commissioner requires continuous learning about governance and being an advocate for the mission, making decisions that are in the best interest of the organization, ensuring prudent use of the organization’s assets, and planning for a sustainable future. On being an environmental and social justice advocate: Growing up in the Philippines, I’ve seen firsthand the poverty and inequality in communities that are most impacted by climate change. I was aware of the lack of
leadership and corrupt moral compass at many levels of our government. So I took action. I’m reminded of growing up in the Philippines and experiencing water shutoffs and power outages on a regular basis. I’m reminded of the contamination in the drinking water and the worst air pollution episodes one can imagine. These experiences gave me the courage and the competency to look at our world through a different lens, and maybe, even, to polish the view for others, especially for my grandchildren who will have to deal with the climate crisis. My public service and career is a continuation of my commitment to make a difference where I can most meaningfully serve. I don’t distinguish my passion from my career. To me, they are inherently connected and woven in the fabric of my being. On accountability: I would like the public to see me in my various leadership roles and hold me accountable for my work. I have an opendoor policy and I welcome feedback and ideas that are transformative and meaningful. The Fil-Am community can engage with my office in an open and transparent manner. Our ‘kababayans’ can bring to my attention their concerns or ask me for input, comment on my work, or involve me in working groups and panels on particular issues. Effective communications help build trust and a sustainable relationship over the years. PAGE 15
Judge Cheryl Moss
Susana Reyes
Jessica Caloza
Juslyn Manalo
Sonia Delen
Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye
Mona Pasquil-Rogers
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Pinay visionaries...
PAGE 14 On Pinay power: As a Filipina, I take pride in my race, my roots, values, and culture. Being a Filipina means having a unique and authentic voice that lifts up voices of our kababayans. It means having the strength to rise above complex challenges as a strong advocate and leader of social change. I see my role as a disrupter to systemic injustice and racism. I have the power to make a difference simply by showing up and telling the truth, by giving a voice to that which burns fiercely inside my heart. Jessica Caloza – Commissioner, LA Board of Public Works In addition to being the first Pinay, Caloza is currently the only Asian American on LA’s Board of Public Works, a full-time, five-member commission that manages projects and programs, such as construction and sanitation, to the benefit of the city’s 4 million residents. Caloza oversees the Bureau of Engineering, which deals with infrastructure. On the call to public service: I was a senior at UC San Diego and I got terribly sick. I was working multiple jobs, had internships, and was taking a full course load and I ended up getting a bad case of pneumonia and [being] hospitalized. The Affordable Care Act was passed a few months before that…and if I wasn’t covered under my insurance plan by my parents, I would have had crushing medical debt. This experience was just so formative…and made me think if I got out of [there], I had to make sure policies like this continue to exist for people who need it the most, for people that really need to be protected by our government. That’s why for me our work is so important because sometimes it’s a matter of life and death. On the impact of local government: One of the things I grappled with the most at the federal level is that you have a hard time grasping what the real issues are that constituents face because D.C. is a bubble…and you lose a lot of what is important to the everyday person. That’s what I love about working on the local level, I will never not know what the problem is in LA. The Board of Public Works is the only full-time policymaking commission in the city, and we handle a lot of the critical city services
and also the city’s infrastructure projects that hit close to home because we impact people’s quality of life. On memorializing Pinays: I hope we institutionalize these Filipina trailblazers when we write in our newspapers, articles and books. When I was looking for these Filipina trailblazers in history, it was really hard to find them in Filipino American history because it is very male-dominated. We just have to keep sharing these stories…until they become part of our history because repetition is everything when it comes to who we remember, whether it’s Dawn [Mabalon] or the one I’m trying to institutionalize in our Filipina history here in LA is somebody like Tita Jocelyn Gaega Rosenthal who is a remarkable community leader and advocate. On representation: Being Filipina is something that I always represent, whether it’s in this role as a commissioner or whether I’m out on my own time. I like to let people know that there are not as many Filipinas in leadership positions and that it is so important for us to identify ourselves where there are some. You could be in the highest position in an organization, but if nobody knows that you’re Filipina, or it’s not something you’re proud of and share with people, then it’s like it doesn’t exist and it isn’t part of your identity. Half of it is telling people and being proud to be Filipina and creating that awareness and having that conversation. Once you identify yourself and see that you’re the only Filipina or Filipino at the table, it really does open up a discussion about diversity and inclusion and who’s at the table and gets to make decisions. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Juslyn Manalo, Councilmember, Daly City, CA Young as she is, Daly City Councilmember Manalo is no stranger to public service. In 2016, she was the first-ever Filipina American elected to the city council’s 106-year history. During her first year in the council, she served as vice mayor. She was voted as Mayor in 2017 by the council and city officials. On creating a pipeline for the younger generation: I think we need to create a pipeline for more younger women to understand that it is necessary for our community to have representation.
Let’s have more mentorship opportunities for younger women. I also say to young people, feel free to reach out to me. On the female myth: There continues to be the underlying myth that you cannot be in leadership roles and have a family, I have experienced that even today. We are in 2019, allow women to be who they are. Do not silo us into one role. We are dimensional. Look at House Leader Pelosi. On paying tribute: Filipina means to me is a great honor to be part of a culture that dates back to leadership with the Baybaylans and we were in a matriarchal society. With this year’s Fil-Am History Month theme celebrating Pinay Visionaries, we must honor those who have contributed to our community and to U.S. society because we have been able to influence, create, lead and empower in so many facets and sectors. It is time to celebrate and give tribute to these women. Sonia Delen – Member, the State Bar of California Board of Trustees Delen’s passion for community and public service has been shaped since her childhood days in a barrio in Batangas City, where her family home was like a community center open for those who needed help. In addition to being a senior vice president at Bank of America’s leasing division, Delen is currently a member of the Board of Trustees with the State Bar of California (2018-2021), having been appointed by then California Governor Jerry Brown. In 2016, she was initially appointed by Gov. Brown to the Board of Trustees for the Health Professions Education Foundation (HPEF), but resigned from HPEF after her appointment to the State Bar of California Board of Trustees. On bringing perspective: As a non-lawyer, public member of the Board of Trustees of The State Bar of California, Delen brings a lay person’s view of the legal profession as an engine for a just society. “I represent consumers, the public in general and the under-represented, which adds to the diversity of law professionals and levels the playing field for legal representation of all citizens.” On community building: We must continue to elevate, lift and encourage one another. Filipinos are known to be
some of the best workers and leaders in the world; we have the skills, character and attitude. We need to show the world how effective we are as individuals, how we use culture to our advantage, and how we celebrate diversity to build collaborations. It is a civic duty of anyone to give more, share more. I mean there are a lot of avenues for someone to be involved in something, whether you financially support a starting Filipina social entrepreneur, mentor young women about her career choices, give time for a weekend volunteer event, support grassroots campaigns, look for sponsors or share an advocacy page poster in social media. There’s always something to do for the betterment of this world. On a united front: We need to be united. As Filipinos and as one nation, we need to show that we can use our economic power/ buying power. We need to insist that we have a voice, that we must be heard and that we are a strong community. These narratives impact and empower people, making ripples of change that influence the minds and inspire people to dream and make a difference in the world. Be it climate change, government policy, politics or nonprofit advocacies, let your voice be heard. LAS VEGAS Cheryl Moss – Judge, Eighth Judicial District Court of Nevada Cheryl Moss, a family court judge, was first elected to the District Court, Family Division in November 2000 and was re-elected in 2014. In 2001, with the help of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, she was the first judge in Nevada to institute problem gambling assessments in child custody and divorce cases. Last year, Moss established the state’s first-ever gambling court, which offers offenders a second chance to get help for their gambling addiction. On continuing a legacy of public service: My parents both served over 30 years each in the public sector as physicians in the veterans administration medical center. Public service seems to run in the family. A typical day for me as a district court judge is to hear court cases throughout the day. Sometimes I work through the lunch hour nonstop because of the heavy caseload. After the court session ends, I would spend several more
hours into the late night preparing my cases for the next day, responding to court-related emails, and taking at least some free time to relax, breathe, and recover. On embracing Pinayness: Being Filipina means embracing and being proud of my heritage. My dad spoke Tagalog and my mom spoke Visayan. I was raised in my early years in Kalibo, Aklan and Bacolod City although I was born in the United States. Being elected as the first full-blooded Filipina to the District Court in the state of Nevada’s history has made me proud to represent the Filipino community for nearly the past 20 years. On engaging Fil-Ams: I have provided externships and internships to Filipino law students and newly-admitted attorneys. I have spoken in the past at community events for Filipino students who are just thinking about their career paths. I also believe that mentorship and hands-on experience in government offices will spark their interest. I have also enjoyed throughout the years attending Fil-Am community events and gala dinners as it gives me the opportunity to stay connected those in Las Vegas. Winning four elections in a row has brought the Filipinos in Las Vegas closer together as a community. It makes all of us feel important and letting the rest of the world know that we can do great things to help others out. On being a community resource: I have always tried to answer their questions and concerns in my role as a public figure or to point Filipinos in the right direction when they need help. While there are certain limitations in what I can respond to, the fact that I can be a resource of information has given comfort to Pinoys who need assistance in navigating the legal system. They feel like they have representation with someone who is from their community and who understands their needs. We should continue to collaborate to increase interest among our youth about public office. They are our future! Other Filipina Americans in office The Asian Journal reached out to other Filipina Americans elected/appointed officials in California, but due to time constraints, busy schedules and pending deadlines, they were unable to accommodate our requests for an interview for this feature. We
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do, however, want to recognize them for their achievements and the work they continue to do: • Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Chief Justice of California - The first Fil-Am and the second woman to serve as California’s chief justice, Cantil-Sakauye was nominated in 2010 by then California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for the state’s highest judicial office and was retained in office by voters in 2010. • Mona Pasquil-Rogers – In 2009, Schwarzenegger appointed Pasquil-Rogers as acting lieutenant governor, making her California’s first Asian and first Filipino/a to hold the position. At present, Pasquil-Rogers is Senior Advisor with Governor Gavin Newsom’s Office of Emergency Services. • Nikki Fortunato Bas, Councilmember, District 2 City of Oakland, CA – Prior to being elected to City Council, Bas was the executive director of the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE), a non-profit that helps with economic and discrepancies of low-income families. She is also the first Fil-Am to be elected to a public post in the City of Oakland. • Pat Gacoscos, Councilmember, Union City, CA -Gacoscos was first elected to the Union City Council in 2010, and was re-elected in 2014. Gacoscos was also Vice Mayor in 2012 and 2017. Previously, she held two elective positions: a Trustee for the New Haven Unified School District; and the Director for the Union Sanitary District. • Joanne F. del Rosario, Mayor, City of Colma, CA – Del Rosario was first elected to Colma City Council in 2006 and also served as mayor in 2015. She was also the past president of the Filipino American Association of Colma and past director of the Filipino American Coalition. • Diana Colvin, Councilmember, City of Colma – Colvin was appointed to Colma City Council in 2008 for a term of seven months to fill a vacancy and then was elected into the position November of that same year. She also was selected to serve as Mayor in 2010. [This list includes up to the city council level only. There are many Filipina Americans serving as trustees/board members in school districts and in city commissions. Interviews have been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.]
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