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LAS VEGAS

NOVEMBER 22-28, 2018 Volume 29 - No. 44 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages

T H E F I L I P I N O –A M E R I C A N C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R

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Chinese President Xi visits Manila, declares friendship with PH

by AJPRESS

by Philippine Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos CHINESE President Xi Jinping Dominguez III, Philippine Ambasarrived in the Philippines on sador to China Chito Santa RoTuesday, November 20, for a mana, and Chinese Ambassador two-day state visit to address the to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua.

Xi is the first Chinese president issues that tie the two countries together including the West Phil- to make a state visit to the Philippines after 13 years. Former ippine Sea rift.

As Xi arrived at Ninoy Aquino Chinese President Hu Jintao International Airport (NAIA) visited in 2005, during the Arroyo Terminal 1, he was welcomed administration.

The Chinese president praised the current administration of President Rodrigo Duterte noting that the Philippines-China relations improved after Duterte was elected in office in June 2016.

“Our relations have now seen a rainbow after the rain,” Xi said in a statement as reported by The Philippine Star.

“As we speak, it is already

PRESIDENT XI IN PH. Chinese President Xi Jinping, escorted by AFP Chief of Staff Carlito Galvez, troops the line upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for his two-day state visit in the country on Tuesday, November 20.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

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PH, China sign MOU on oil and gas Marcos critics cry ‘double standard’ development, 28 other deals

by GLEE JALEA ManilaTimes.net

by NESTOR

CORRALES Inquirer.net

THE Philippines and China on Tuesday, November 20 signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for oil and gas development cooperation.

But the location of the oil and gas development was not immediately disclosed.

President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping witChinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. nessed the exchange of the MOU sign the memorandum of understanding on oil and gas development between the Philippines on gas and oil development in and China.

Malacañang photo

Manila on Friday, November 16.

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Malaysia and Israel and “poor” for China.

The highest net trust rating was at +59 for the U.S. It decreased by six points from a +65 score in June. Japan now had a +28, a leap from its previous -35. Malaysia and Israel registered +15 and +13, respectively, while China posted a net trust score of -16.

The results of a poor public trust rating to China was attributed to the

by ABAC

CORDERO Philstar.com

ADRIEN Broner said Manny Pacquiao is making a terrible mistake thinking of a rematch with Floyd Mayweather ahead of their January 19 clash.

“He ain’t fighting Floyd. He’s fighting me,” said Broner in New York where he and Pacquiao faced the media at the Gotham Hall.

Pacquiao was asked about the possibility of a rematch with Mayweather, and the Filipino senator responded positively.

Broner took it as Pacquiao taking him lightly.

“He’s gotta get past me first. I’m gonna beat your ass. You worry about Floyd, he’s already beat you brother,” he said.

Pacquiao, dressed in an elegant gray suit, smiled from where he sat. The event was streamed live on YouTube past midnight Monday (November 19), drawing close to 6,000 viewers.

Earlier, in his turn at the microphone, Pacquiao said he chose to fight the 29-year-old Broner because

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Fil-Am Gina Ortiz Jones concedes in close House race

AFTER a tight race, Gina Ortiz Jones, FilipinaAmerican congressional candidate for Texas’ 23rd congressional district, conceded on Monday, November 19 to Republican incumbent Will Hurd.

Nearly two weeks after Election Day, Ortiz Jones hoped to flip the seat blue, but trailed behind two-time incumbent Hurd by 1,150 votes out of the 209,000 cast.

Filipina-American congressional candidate for Texas’ “I remain committed 23rd congressional district Gina Ortiz Jones conceded to Republican incumbent Will Hurd.

ManilaTimes.net photo

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Broner to Pacquiao: Forget Mayweather NDF, peace panel cancel return

DATELINE ‘Filipinos trust US most, China least’ THE latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed on Tuesday, November 20, that among five specific countries, Filipinos’ public trust rating fared highest for the United States and lowest for China.

The public trust rating for the five countries namely the U.S., China, Japan, Malaysia and Israel were all measured in September.

A “very good” rating was received for the U.S., “moderate” for Japan,

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THE so-called Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives has expressed dismay with a Sandiganbayan decision granting former first lady and now Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos temporary freedom after she posted P150,000 bail on Friday, November 16.

“Very double standard! Very shameful of the high magistrates of the Sandiganbayan bowing down to the high and mighty Marcoses for the whole world to see. Very disappointing!” Anakpawis Rep. Former first lady Imelda Marcos takes the witness stand during a hearing at the graft court in Ariel Casilao said in a statement.

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BOARD CERTIFIED, INTERNAL MEDICINE

Call for An Appointment

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to PH due to arrest threat

by AJPRESS

NATIONAL Democratic Front (NDF) Peace Panel chairman Fidel Agcaoili, NDF Senior Adviser Luis Jalandoni and Peace Panel member Coni Ledesma canceled their scheduled return to the Philippines due to the impending arrest threat from President Rodrigo Duterte.

Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Founding chairman Jose Maria Sison shared on the NDF website about how Agcaoili and his constituents were scheduled to return on Monday, November 19. However, the government has yet to clarify that no arrest or harassment will be made.

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November 22-28, 2018 • LAS veGAS ASIAN JoUrNAL

‘Filipinos trust US most...

PAGE A1 issues that tied the two countries.

A lot of people who were aware of the rift regarding the West Philippine Sea had a higher distrust for China.

“Distrust in China was higher among those who already knew that the Philippines is unable to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing in the West Philippine Sea before the survey, compared to the neutral

-3 among those who just learned about it,” SWS said as reported by The Philippine Star.

Issues including Chinese coast guard personnel taking away the catch of Filipino fishermen, Beijing transforming Manila-claimed features in the Spratly Islands into military outposts and other territorial disputes were among the factors that possibly influenced such results.

From The FronT Page Palace questions survey’s timing Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that the release of the SWS timing seemed off considering that it was on the same day as the first official state visit of Chinese President Xi Jing Ping.

“We find the timing of the release of the results of the survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) last September 15-23 suspect considering that such was made public on the day of Chinese President Xi Jing Ping’s first state visit to the Philippines,” Panelo said as reported by Rappler.

“Time adds credence to the commonly-held belief that polling firms could be wittingly or unwittingly used for partisan purposes,” the spokesperson added.

Panelo also criticized the one question that he perceived as slanted, giving the notion that the government is not fighting for its claim in the ruling regarding the West Philippine Sea issue.

“Pabayaan na lang ang Tsina na panatilihin ang mga imprastraktura at militar sa mga inaangking mga teritoryo – ay tama o hindi na pamamaraan na gawin ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas upang malutas ang pagtatalo ng Pilipinas at Tsina tungkol sa West Philippine Sea (Leave China alone with its infrastructures and military presence in the claimed territories – right or not right for the Philippine government to do in resolving the conflict between the Philippines and China about the West Philippine Sea),” the question stated.

However, the polling firm stood by their objectivity claiming that they are unbiased in their intentions and that what they do is purely out of public service.

“The Social Weather Survey items on people’s opinion about the West Philippine Sea conflict were non-commissioned. They were included on SWS’s own initiative and released as a public service,” the survey firm said.

SWS considers net trust ratings of +70 and above as “excellent,” +50 to +69 “very good,” +30 to +49 “good,” +10 to +19 “moderate,” +9 to -9 “neutral,” -10 to -29 “poor,” -30 to -49 “bad,” -50 to -69 “very bad,” and -70 and below “execrable.”

The survey was conducted from September 15 to 23 using face-toface interviews among 1,500 adults nationwide with sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages. (AJPress)

BICAM ON UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE BILL. Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, (left) Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography shakes hands with Davao Rep. Karlo Alexei Bendigo Nograles (center) while Health Secretary Francisco Duque III (right) looks on during the Bicameral Conference Committee deliberations to reconcile the disagreeing provisions of S. No. 1896 and H. No. 5784 (Universal Healthcare Bill) at the Senate in Pasay City on Monday, November 19.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives...

PAGE A1 winter in the northern part of the globe but here we are still enjoying refreshing breeze and exceptional scenes and this is exactly what China-Philippines relationship is like today. I am satisfied to see the growth in our relations and indeed I have been looking forward to this trip a long time ago,” Xi added.

In his opening remarks, Xi stated the history between the Philippines and China as he begins the expanded bilateral meeting with Duterte.

“China and the Philippines

are close neighbors with a thousand-year history of exchange; good neighborliness, friendship, and winning cooperation is our only correct choice,” Xi said as reported by Rappler.

Xi stayed at the Shangri-la The Fort, Bonifacio Global City during his two-day visit. All official activities was held at the Malacañang Palace on the first day, after the wreath-laying ceremony at Rizal Park.

The Chinese president schedule included the official welcome ceremony, signing of the guestbook, expanded bilateral meet-

ing, witnessing of the signing or exchange of agreements, joint press statements with no question and answer and restricted meeting and exchange of gifts and state banquet with toast remarks.

The activities on the second day involved the joint call of House Speaker and former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Senate President Vicente Sotto III followed by a photo opportunity with leaders of the Filipino-Chinese Community at the Shangri-La, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City. n

8. Exchange of infrastructure cooperation program between the Phl and China 9. Exchange of program for cooperation on industrial parks development between Phl and CHina 10. Exchange of handover certificate of emergency humanitarian cash assistance between Phl and China 11. Exchange of MOU on jointly promoting the cooperation in key infrastructure projects in Davao region between the DOF of the Phl and Ministry of Commerce of China 12. Handover of certificate of humanitarian cash assistance between the government of Phl and China 13. Exchange of implementation agreement of the feasibility study for Davao City Expressway project 14. Implementation agreement of feasibility study for PanayGuimaras-Negros islands bridges project 15. Exchange of MOI on Renminbi clearing arrangement 16. Exchange of protocol for phytosanitary requirement for export of fresh young coconuts from the Phl to China between the DA of Phl and the General Administration of Customs of China and Protocol of sanitary and phytosanitary requirements for export of frozen fruits from the Philippines to China between DA, DOH of Phl and General Administraion of Customs of China 17. Exchange of agreement on

economic and technical cooperation between gov’t of Phl and China 18. MOU on supporting feasibility study of nature projects between DOF of Phl and China International Development Cooperation Agency 19. Exchange of letters on project of container inspection equipment 20. Exchange of letters on project of Davao River Bridge Project 21. Exchange of letters on China-aided bridge and road project in Marawi 22. Exchange of MOU on panda bonds issuance 23. Exchange of loan agreement on New Centennial Water Source Kaliwan Dam Project 24. Exchange of commercial contract of Safe Philippines Project Phase 1 25. Exchange of commercial contract of the NEw Centennial Water Source Kaliwan Dam Project 26. Exchange of framework agreement for industrial park between BCDA and Gezhouba 27. Exchange of contract for the project management consultancy of the Phl National Railways South Long Haul Project – North-South Railway Project 28. Handover of letter of no objection to the organization of Renminbi-Philippine peso foreign exchange trading market 29. Handover of certificate of authority to operate for the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited Manila branch n

PH, China sign MOU on oil and gas...

PAGE A1

Malacañang Palace.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi signed the MOU. Twenty-eight other agreements on trade, infrastructure, and education, among others, were also signed in Malacañang.

The agreements signed between the Philippines and China were: 1. Exchange of MOU between the Phl and China on cooperation on the Belt and Road initiative 2. Exchange of MOU on cooperation on oil and gas development between the Philippines and China 3. MOU between the Foreign Service Institute of the Republic of the Phl and the China Foreign Affairs University of the People’s Republic of China 4. Exchange of executive program of the cultural agreemeent between the government of Phl and China for 2019 to 2023 5. Exchange of MOU on basic education cooperation between DepEd of Phl and the Ministry of Education of People’s Republic of China 6. Exchange of MOU between the Dept of Information and Communication Technology of the Phl and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China 7. Exchange of MOU bet Phl’s Cooperative Devt Authority of the Phl and Ministry of Agricutlure and Rural Affairs of China on strengthening the building of agricultural cooperatives

Senator Manny Pacquiao and Adrien Broner take the stage at Gotham Hall in Manhattan New York City press corps on Monday, November 19.

They confirmed their fight on January 19, 2019.

AJPress photo by Troi Santos

Broner to Pacquiao: Forget...

PAGE A1

he’s a “top-caliber fighter.”

Pacquiao, who won the WBA welterweight crown with a TKO win over Lucas Matthysse last July, knows he’s taking a risk facing the ex-champion.

“I chose Broner because we can have a good fight and entertain the fans. Adrien is a top caliber fighter and a good boxer. We cannot underestimate him,” he said.

From New York, the two boxers will head to Los Angeles for the second and last stop of the press tour. Then it’s time to train.

Pacquiao will do the first half of his training in the Philippines, and then the other half in the United States, under Buboy Fernandez and Freddie Roach.

The celebrated trainer will

be back in the fold as training supervisor. “[Roach] can rest and just watch the training, and instruct the training, strategy-wise, advice some techniques like that,” said Pacquiao.

Broner came to the press conference dressed like a rapper. He said he “didn’t come here for the check” but the chance to become a legend of his own. “[Expletive] the money. I know when I win this fight, there is more money to come. Excuse my language but this ain’t Nickelodeon, this is pay-per-view,” he said.

Broner, cocky inside and outside the ring, had seen Pacquiao being knocked out, and thinks it can be done again.

“I’m not worried about what

Manny does. He has to worry about what I’m doing. I have three losses and he has eight. But he has been knocked out three times so we know he can go to sleep,” he said.

“He doesn’t need Nyquil (cold medicine) for that, and I have the power to do it,” said Broner, who’s 33-3-1 but never been knocked out.

Pacquiao is 60-7-2 with three knockout defeats.

“I’m here to knock him out.

I feel like a bum trying to fight for a sandwich,” said Broner, who knows what Pacquiao has achieved in the sport.

Yet, he doesn’t really seem to care.

Broner doesn’t even know how to spell Pacquiao’s name. n

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DATELINE USA

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 22-28, 2018

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The “Sleeping Giant” awakens: AAPI civic engagement reaches historic highs Dispelling the AAPI electorate’s stereotypes and how to further mobilize AAPI voters in the future

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

DANCE OF CHAMPIONS. The National University Pep Squad wows the huge crowd that gathered at the Mall of Asia Arena to watch the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Cheerdance Competition on Saturday, November 17. The NU team was declared the champion. The Bulldogs hoisted their fifth cheerdance trophy in six years while also seizing the gold in the group stunts category.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Russell Palma

Fil-Am Gina Ortiz Jones concedes in close...

PAGE A1 to serving my community and country, and I wish Will Hurd the courage to fight for TX-23 in the way in which our district deserves,” Ortiz Jones said in a statement on Monday.

She attempted to make history by becoming the first Filipina-American to be elected to Congress, as well as the first first openly gay, first Iraq War veteran and first woman House representative from Texas’ 23rd district, which runs along the state’s border with Mexico.

“I would be honored to be the

first but it is important that I am not going to be the last because I am only here because of the opportunity my community, my country afforded for me. This is very much about protecting those opportunities for others that are just as talented, just as hungry and need a little bit of help,” Ortiz Jones told the Asian Journal in an interview leading up to the midterm election.

Last week, the veteran had filed a court motion to have a deadline to make provisional ballots official but was denied by a judge.

Marcos critics cry ‘double...

PAGE A1 Bayan Muna Chairman and former congressman Neri Colmenares echoed Casilao, pointing out the stark contrast of the justice system between the poor and those in power.

“This also shows the seeming double standard in the Philippine justice system. Kapag mahirap ka ay sasabihin ng pulis ay sa presinto ka na magpaliwanag, pero kapag mayaman ka o Marcos ka pa, ang pulis pa ang magpapaliwanag (When you are poor, the police will tell you to explain yourself in the precinct, but if you are rich or you are a Marcos, it’s the police who will explain for you),” he added.

Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus described the verdict as “abhorrent” and “beyond mockery of justice” in the country.

Kabataan Rep. Sarah Elago said the decision of the anti-graft

Sandiganbayan was “an insult to the Martial Law victims, their families, and Filipinos who have long been deprived of justice since the Marcos regime.”

Then-President Ferdinand Marcos, Imelda’s husband, declared military rule in 1972.

Despite the verdict, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said the “massive human rights atrocities and pillage” during Martial Law will condemn the Marcoses “to the prison of history.”

Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate also criticized Mrs. Marcos for failing to attend the November 9 promulgation and citing ailments in her plea but managed to make time for the birthday party of her daughter Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos in San Juan City the same night.

“While she is suffering from ‘multiple organ infirmities’ and

As the Asian Journal previously reported, Ortiz Jones attended orientation for new House members last week despite ballots still being counted. Her campaign said she was invited by the Committee on House Administration, which allows candidates in undeclared races to participate in new member events.

Following her concession, Hurd said, ”I want to thank my opponent and her supporters for engaging in the democratic process.” He added that “whether you voted for me or not, I will need your help.” (AJPress)

is ‘under strict orders’ to avoid stressful situations that would put her at risk of a heart attack or seizure according to her explanation to the court, her actions and demeanor say otherwise,” Villarin said.

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division convicted Mrs. Marcos in seven out of 10 graft cases for using her position in public office to manage several Swiss accounts from 1968 to 1986.

In a hearing of her “Motion for Leave of Court to Avail of Post Conviction Remedies” Friday last week, she maintained that had she known about the initial verdict last week, she would have gone to court.

The former first lady, however, said in a statement on November 9 that she was absent because it was her lawyer, Robert Sison, who was “indisposed and confined at the Asian Hospital.” ■

IT’S 2018, and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters will not be silenced.

As previously reported by the Asian Journal, the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund reported the initial results from a post-election survey of AAPI voters that measured the changes in voting behaviors, attitudes and turnout of the fastest-growing electorate.

The survey focussed on six crucial states with battleground races with significant AAPI populations: California, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Nevada and Arizona.

Unsurprisingly, it found that the AAPI electorate continued its trend of voting majority blue: 70 percent voted for Democrats and 25 percent voted Republican in House races.

But a key finding of the survey was the lead-up to the midterms yielded historic highs in civic engagement. Seventy-three percent of AAPI voters in district races encouraged family or friends to register and/or vote.

Notably, health care cost was the No. 1 issue this time around for AAPI voters, coinciding with the ongoing battle between Democrats and Republicans on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which, if eliminated as Trump has pledged to do, would wipe millions of Americans off their healthcare.

“The poll finds AAPI voters are alarmed with the direction the country is headed in and expressing their dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump,” said EunSook Lee, Director of the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund. “Out of enthusiasm for the democratic process, they are showing their power at the polls and through other forms of participation, which has contributed to the Democratic takeover of the House. With AAPIs activated in momentous levels, it will be important to see how this newfound civic activism will impact public policies in the months to come.”

But why is mobilization of the AAPI electorate important?

Paul Ong, Melany Dela CruzViesca and Don Nakanishi of UCLA’s Asian American Studies

described the AAPI electorate as the “sleeping giant,” a steadily growing subset of eligible voters that could swing elections, in a 2008 study that explored civic engagement among the electorate.

The 2008 election of Barack Obama was a huge milestone in the history of American politics, but it also marked the arrival of Asian Americans as a pivotal voting bloc that has the power to swing elections.

Although Asian Americans count for only about 6 percent of the overall American population (according to the Census data); by 2040, the AAPI population is expected to double, increasing its electoral impact.

Moreover, high concentrations of Asian Americans exist in some of the most pivotal regions, including those surveyed in the 2018 AAPI Civic Engagement Fund exit poll.

But despite the poll’s results that may provide important foresight into future electoral politics, it’s striking to know the decadeslong effort to mobilize AAPI voters and shirk misconceptions of the community at large.

The correlation between citizenship and eligibility to vote is direct; in order to vote, you have to be a citizen. Asian Americans gained the right to vote in 1952 when the federal government officially eliminated the federal policy that barred Asian immigrants from becoming U.S. citizens. (These policies began to lift in 1943, but a majority of Asians in the U.S. were granted the right to naturalize in 1952.)

Then in 1965, the Voting Rights Act (VRA) was signed into law and outlawed racial discrimination at the polls. In 1992, the VRA expanded in 1992 to include language protections for regions with significant populations of non-English or limited English speakers.

“It’s part of the history of nonAAPIs having preconceived notions about who Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are,” Taeku Lee, managing director of Asian American Decisions and one of the key researchers in the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund election eve poll, told the Asian Journal in

a recent interview. “Specifically, for a long period of time, there was [a] prevailing stereotype that Asian Americans were not interested in politics, and that’s why they were under participating in electoral politics.”

Among the stereotypes attributed to the lack of attention given to Asian American voters by candidates, pollsters and non-AAPIs in general are the notions that Asian Americans either don’t care about American politics or that they’re only interested in the politics of their motherlands; two misconceptions that Lee says are “patently untrue.”

For example, if you’re a Philippine-born voter and you’ve expressed interest in the politics of the Philippines, you’re likely to also be engaged in American politics, Lee posits.

“So it’s not a zero-sum tradeoff, the idea that being interested in politics of the home country means you won’t be interested in U.S. politics,” Lee said. “The opposite is true: that if you’re more politically-engaged, you’re just more politically-engaged, in any context.”

Overcoming barriers to voting Lee pointed out three interconnected barriers that, to this day, obstruct AAPI voter mobilization for political campaigns and pollsters: cultural competence, technical know-how and cost.

He explained that the overall heterogeneity of the AAPI electorate means that you would need bilingual interviewers, sample lists of people who may Asian Americans and translate in several languages.

“It’s cost coupled with the idea that this is a sufficiently small segment of the electorate that it doesn’t make any difference if we don’t get any data on them,” Lee said, adding that the AAPI electorate is growing “so exponentially” that it’s becoming more difficult for candidates and campaigns — especially in certain jurisdictions where the concentration is more saturated — to adhere to that logic.

For the Filipino-American electorate, in particular, it’s all the more difficult, primarily bePAGE A4

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Dateline USa

November 22-28, 2018 • LAS veGAS ASIAN JoUrNAL

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FBI sued for records on 1981 Seattle US VP Pence: ‘China’s One Belt, One murders pinned on Marcos regime Road Initiative not against sovereignty’ SEATTLE — A Seattle lawyer and a documentary filmmaker sued the FBI on Friday, Nov. 9 for allegedly withholding documents to help cover up the sensational 1981 murders of Filipino American cannery-union leaders who were also militant critics of Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle by attorney Michael Withey, author of newly published “Summary Execution: The Seattle Assassinations of Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes” (WildBlue Press 2018), and Sharon Maeda, who is working on a film about the murders.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle, asks for the release of more than a thousand pages of FBI documents, including ones previously requested through the Freedom of Information Act but denied, in relation to its role in the fatal shootings of Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes in the Pioneer Square headquarters of the ILWU Cannery Workers Local 37 on June 1, 1981.

Withey and Maeda specifically want to know why FBI informant LeVane Forsythe, now deceased, tried to derail the murder trial by testifying for the criminal defendants by saying he was present near the murder scene and saw someone else other than the defendants leaving the scene.

Withey said he later discovered through his own research of more than three decades and FBI records that Forsythe was an FBI informant with a specific identification number. He said one of the lingering questions is how Forsythe happened to be at the scene of the murders, whether it was tied to work for the FBI, and whether bureau operatives had prior knowledge of the planned assault.

The FBI in 1973-1982, the complaint said, was conducting a “foreign counter-intelligence operation” against the Union of Democratic Filipinos (KDP), the anti-Marcos organization led by Domingo and Viernes in Seattle.

Domingo’s name and activities are referred to at least eight times in this investigation.

The FBI refused to make a statement, telling the Seattle Times that it does not comment on ongoing litigation.

Domingo and Viernes, both 29, militant critics of the Mar-

by Janvic

Mateo Philstar.com

CHINA’S One Belt, One Road Initiative would not compromise Philippine sovereignty, officials said Sunday, November 18, after U.S., Vice President Mike Pence warned nations against loans and projects that come with strings attached that could lead to staggering debt.

Speaking to Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and business leaders hon Saturday, November 17, Pence took a jab Silme Domingo (left) and Gene Viernes, Seattle labor leaders and anti-Marcos militants at the initiative, saying Asian murdered In 1981.

Contributed photos countries should avoid loans that compromise their sovereignty and support poor-quality projects.

The One Belt, One Road Initiative aims to convince about 60 countries to invest in infrastructure projects to develop land and maritime routes following the old Silk Road network that once

linked China to Central Asia and Europe.

While Pence did not mention the Chinese initiative, he mentioned terms that clearly alluded to the $1 trillion project, whose supporters claimed would promote free trade across Asia and Europe.

Pence said the financing initiative being offered by the U.S. and supported by its allies Japan and Australia is the “better option” as it would not “drown” its partners in a “sea of debt.”

He said the U.S.-led initiative would prioritize infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific and would not compromise nations’ independence.

But the Duterte administration is convinced that the One Belt, One Road Initiative is beneficial to the Philippines.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the government was able to secure reasonable loan terms

from China.

“The Department of Finance (DOF) and the other agencies have reviewed the terms that would be the best for us. We won’t enter into a deal (with) unreasonable terms and terms that are worse than (those offered by) other sources,” Lopez said in a press briefing here. “(Based on) the report last time of the (DOF), we got good terms, very concessional. It’s like I think 30 years or more and then very low rates and of course... the prices also of these projects are what we can say really reasonable or better than the others,” he added.

Lopez also allayed concerns that the Chinese loans would compromise Philippine sovereignty.

“We are very clear on sovereignty—mutual respect for sovereignty is very solid as far as we are concerned,” the trade chief said. n

US offers additional P37.3-M aid for ‘Ompong’ victims Lawyer-author Michael Withey and filmmaker Sharon Maeda sued the FBI on Nov. 9.

cos government, were pushing for reforms in the union, which sent Filipino workers to Alaska’s fish canneries. They also successfully lobbied for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union’s support for the then-largely underground trade union movement in the Philippines. Viernes had returned from a visit with labor activists in the Philippines shortly before his murder.

Two defendants, Jimmy Ramil and Ben Guloy, members of a Filipino gang that ran gambling operations in the canneries, were convicted of the murders.

Later, the union local’s president Tony Baruso, a town mate of Ferdinand Marcos, was also convicted as principal conspirator, and died in prison.

During Ramil and Guloy’s trial, FBI informant Forsythe appeared as a surprise witness in their defense. However, Forsythe was discredited when his link to the notorious hoax “Mormon will” of billionaire Howard Hughes was exposed.

After the criminal trial, the celebrated Domingo v. Marcos civil suit went to trial in Nov. 1989, and a federal court jury found

former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos liable for the murders and awarded $15.1 million in damages to the estates of the slain men.

Federal Court Judge Barbara Rothstein found two Marcos allies liable for the murders, stating that they participated in a civil conspiracy initiated by Marcos against the anti-Marcos forces in the U.S. by paying for and/or providing the murder weapon for the murders.

At the trial the plaintiffs proved that the murders were paid for out of an intelligence slush fund set up by Marcos with allies in San Francisco to pay for “special security projects.” It is the first and only time a foreign head of state has been held liable for the murders of U.S. citizens on U.S. soil.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Seattle on Oct. 30 wrote to the Department of Justice, in support of Withey and Maeda’s efforts: “Mr. Withey hopes to use these documents to further understand the FBI’s connection with the Domingo and Viernes case so that he might provide closure for the families of the victims.”

(Inquirer.net)

THE United States government will be providing an additional P37.3 million worth of assistance to families who lost their homes and livelihood in the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong (international name Mangkhut) last September.

This brings the total assistance of the American government to Typhoon Ompong victims to P42.5 million, the U.S. Embassy said in a media release.

Through the U.S. Agency for International Development, the funding will provide six months of emergency home rental assistance for 375 families in Benguet who were displaced by landslides.

In partnership with World Vision, the funding will also be used to buy seeds for 1,400 small-scale farmers in Cagayan for them to plant new crops.

“The US government is honored to provide shelter, to support the reestablishment of livelihoods, and to walk alongside those in need on their road to recovery,” U.S. Embassy to the Philippines Deputy Chief of Mission John Law said.

Law met families in Itogon, Benguet who were affected by the landslides, along with Mayor Victorio Palangdan, Manny Flores of the Diocesan Social Action Center and representatives from Catholic

Relief Services.

Dozens were buried under the mud following a massive landslide triggered by the typhoon in the mining town of Itogon two months ago.

Washington was among the first to respond when the disaster hit northern Luzon, providing hygiene supplies for 5,500 people who were displaced in Cagayan.

The U.S. government also initially provided 1,000 metric tons of food to disaster-stricken families in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the United Nations World Food Programme. n

The U.S. Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission John Law addresses media representatives, partners, and landslide-affected families in Itogon, Benguet. The U.S. government, through the United States Agency for International Development, is providing P37.3 million in new assistance for families that lost their homes and livelihoods during Typhoon Ompong in Benguet and Cagayan provinces. US Embassy released photo

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The “Sleeping Giant” awakens: AAPI civic...

PAGE A3 cause of the Spanish surname.

Aquilina Soriano Versoza, executive director of the LA-based Pilipino Workers Center, discussed the stereotypes that could put off campaigns and pollsters from taking advantage of the AAPI vote.

The model minority myth, which is often applied in an academic context, can also explain the lack of attention the AAPI community receives, especially in terms of issues like health care cost, jobs and wages and public programs.

However, the widely-accepted veneer of the “well-off” AAPI ignores the concerning realities of many AAPI families and, in turn, could deter campaigns from reaching out to them at all.

“I think that there’s this stereotype of the Asian business owner, and that most Asians are conservative that not only has this effect of ‘We’re not going to make this effort’ but also this idea that, ‘Oh, we don’t want to mobilize that vote because it’s going to work against us,’” Soriano Versoza told the Asian Journal in a recent interview.

Soriano Versoza, last year along with Fil-Am philanthropist Alex de Ocampo and communications consultant Marco Meneghin, established the Filipino Voter Empowerment Project (FVEP) which seeks to en-

courage more civic engagement and voter turnout among Filipino American voters and to make that electorate more visible.

“But the reality is that we have so many working families and those are the people who aren’t as visible, and we have so many Asian Americans who are so spread out, especially the Filipino-American community,” she added.

“That’s our goal with FVEP [to] provide a link to the community to address things like the complicated process of voting, increasing voter contact within the FilipinoAmerican community and to ultimately strengthen those voting muscles to make civic engagement more of a habit rather than a chore,” Soriano Versoza said.

It’s safe to say that — after the 2018 midterm elections — AAPI voters are more mobilized than ever before, and the results from the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund’s survey inspires innovative methodology to increase engagement.

In 2008, Obama and Organizing For America demonstrated the positive effects of a strong ground game — i.e. door-to-door canvassing, voter contact via phone calls and text messages — that involves the campaign team (especially the candidate themselves) making the effort to personalize the mobilization.

Lee described this direct con-

tact as “the best way to convert someone from a couch sitter to an active voter.”

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders famously mobilized voters in the 2016 primary election by employing a comprehensive ground game that involved visiting key districts, knocking on doors, increasing contact with previously ignored electorates and utilizing social media to further mobilization, especially among millennials.

Notably, Democratic senatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke of Texas took it a step further and made diversity a cornerstone of his campaign. This was coupled by strategic social media mobilization which brought his campaign national attention. (Although he lost, O’Rourke won 66 percent of the AAPI vote and, from the looks of it, is likely going to remain a tastemaker in American politics going forward.)

“If you’re going to reach out to an AAPI voter, you’re likely to succeed if it’s an AAPI volunteer on the other end of the phone or on the other side of the door or if it’s someone who is a neighbor or someone who you attend church services with,” Lee offered. “The more personal you can make the connection, the likelier you are to convert someone into an active voter, and that’s another thing we’re seeing that has been effective.” n

NDF, peace panel cancel return to PH...

PAGE A1

“Fidel (Agcaoili) also feels insecure and wants to be assured that there will be no threat against him from the military or police despite assurance of safety from (presidential peace adviser) Jess Dureza and Bebot Bello (government chief peace negotiator) that there is no pending charge against him,” Sison said as reported by The Philippine Star.

“But Louie (Luis Jalandoni) and Coni (Ledesma) have already decided not to return to the Philippines due to threats of arrest from General Año (Interior Secretary Eduardo Año),” Sison added.

Agcaoili, Jalandoni and Ledesma are supposed to meet with Duterte so that they could resume the peace talks they had before.

However, no assurance was given to ensure that the Philippine Na-

tional Police (PNP) or the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will keep their hands off them during their stay in the Philippines.

In a statement, Dureza said President Duterte has ordered them to meet Agcaoili and Jalandoni should they come to the Philippines. The peace process adviser even set the meeting between Duterte and NDF leaders next week.

“President Duterte has tasked me and secretary Panelo to meet with them in an informal chat. I am now on my way to head the Philippine delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York so the planned meeting may take place upon my return next week,” Dureza said.

Dureza assured that he had checked and found that Agcaoili and Jalandoni had no pending

warrants of arrest. He even added that the petition filed at the Department of Justice (DOJ) to declare the CPP, its armed wing New People’s Army (NPA) and the NDF as terrorist groups remains pending and still not implemented H o w e v e r, S e c re t a r y A ñ o seemed to contradict the peace process adviser. He claimed that the two communist leaders have both pending warrants of arrest in Quezon province and would be arrested unless President Duterte orders otherwise.

Sison also added that the NDF lawyers were threatened since Jalandoni and Ledesma are included in the list of 600 proscription cases connected with Proclamation 374. The legal consultants said that the two might face court summonings as soon as they arrive in the country. n

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL â&#x20AC;˘ NOVEmbER 22-28, 2018

(702) 792-6678 â&#x20AC;˘ http://www.asianjournal.com

D ateline PhiliPPines South China Sea ruling useless â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;as of nowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Palace

A

Multiple murder case vs Ampatuan submitted for resolution

by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com

Viray

MANILA â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Following President Rodrigo Duterteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pronouncements on Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s occupation of artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo argued that the arbitral ruling is of no use to the country at the moment.

In July 2016, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a landmark ruling invalidating Beijingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expansive claims in the South China Sea, part of which is the West Philippine Sea. The MalacaĂąang spokesman pointed out that the arbitral ruling cannot be enforced as the United Nations-backed tribunal does not have enforcement capacity.

Asked if the verdict is useless, Panelo said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;As of now, yes, but as I said, we can get what we are supposed to have by negotiation.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our position is the arbitral ruling says it is ours but, meanwhile, cannot be enforced,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Palace: Negotiations underway The Philippines and China have established a bilateral consultation mechanism to settle the maritime dispute. Beijing and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-states are also working on a legally binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo during a press briefing at MalacaĂąang on Tuesday, November 20. MalacaĂąang photo

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Meanwhile, from the point of view of the president, we can get things done by negotiating. That is precisely why we have this mechanism of negotiating, talking with them,â&#x20AC;? Panelo said.

Duterte has repeatedly said that he will bring up the arbitral ruling with China at some point in his six-year term although the Palace declined to answer when that will be. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to leave it with the presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s judgment on when and where the perfect time would be made. He has six years within which to do it... Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still only coming in the half of his term,â&#x20AC;?

Panelo said earlier this month.

Duterte: China already in possession In a doorstop interview at the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Singapore last week, Duterte declared that China is already in possession of artificial islands in the Spratly group.

The president warned the United States against creating â&#x20AC;&#x153;frictionâ&#x20AC;? that would â&#x20AC;&#x153;turn things wrongâ&#x20AC;? in the region. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I said China is already in possession. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now in their hands, so why do you have to create frictions... military activity that will prompt a response to China,â&#x20AC;?

Duterte said.

Such remarks from the president may be detrimental for the Philippinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; victory from the arbitration, a law expert warned.

Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, noted that Duterte is recognizing Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current occupation of the disputed features. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yes, it is a unilateral declaration that can be used against [the Philippines],â&#x20AC;? Batongbacal told Philstar.com last week.

Duterteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s words could bind the country in declarations in a dispute under the doctrine of unilateral declaration.

Under the United Nationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; guiding principles applicable to unilateral declarations of states, a unilateral declaration â&#x20AC;&#x153;binds the State internationally only if it is made by an authority vested with the power to do so.â&#x20AC;? n

Dept. of Education: Korean, other foreign languages wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t replace Filipino subject only an elective subject.

Aside from Korean language classes, DepEd also offers SpanMANILA â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Department of ish, French, German, Chinese Education clarified that the study and Japanese elective classes.

DepEd noted that the Special of the Korean language would not replace the Filipino subject in the Program in Foreign Language is one of the programs being basic education curriculum.

DepEd issued this statement on offered to equip learners with Sunday, November 18 amid â&#x20AC;&#x153;mis- necessary skills to engage in a guided assertionsâ&#x20AC;? about the of- linguistically and culturally difering of Korean language classes verse world. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As early as school year 2009in selected public schools.

The agency stressed that the 2010, the department has already study of Korean language, just recognized the need to develop like other foreign languages, is the foreign language skills of

by Gaea

Katreena Philstar.com

cabico

learners amid the increasing impact of globalization,â&#x20AC;? it said.

The department, moreover, maintained that the Filipino subject remains as one of the core subjects in basic education. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The teaching of Panitikan in the Filipino subject serves as a springboard for discussion of grammar lessons and a way of strengthening the Filipino identity and culture. Additionally, Filipino continues to be the medium of instruction for Araling Panlipunan and Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao,â&#x20AC;? it said. n

by edu

Punay Philstar.com

MANILA â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The quest for justice in the gruesome massacre of 58 persons â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including 32 journalists â&#x20AC;&#x201D; on November 23, 2009 in Maguindanao is nearing conclusion.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Monday, November 19, that the multiple murder cases against Andal â&#x20AC;&#x153;Datu Unsayâ&#x20AC;? Ampatuan Jr. and other accused have been submitted for resolution by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 221. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Per information from our prosecution panel, the case against Unsay is now submitted for decision upon ruling of the court on his formal offer of exhibits,â&#x20AC;? acting Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon revealed in a text message.

Fadullon, chief of the DOJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

The Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority (SNRHA) provides subsidized housing for low-income persons who meet both the Department of Housing and Urban Developmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (HUD) and SNRHAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s admission criteria.

The wait list will be open and we will accept applications for the following programs: ESPINOZA TERRACE (PBV-RAD/Henderson) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1 & 2 Bedrooms, Head, Spouse or Co-tenant must be 55 years or older at the time of application.

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MARION BENNETT (Future PBV-RAD) 1 & 2 Bedrooms, Head, Spouse or Co-tenant must be disabled or 62 years or older at the time of application.

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by demPsey

reyes ManilaTimes.net

DESPITE the twice-extended martial law in Mindanao, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) still could not completely solve the problems on terrorism on the whole southern island.

This was admitted by AFP chief Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. on Friday as he hinted of another extension of martial law, citing resolutions from local stakeholders and local government units in Mindanao supporting longer military rule.

Galvez, however, said there was no categorical decision yet whether martial law would be extended in Mindanao, adding the AFP, as well as the Philippine National Police (PNP), would need to submit first a complete report to President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte is currently in Papua New Guinea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, after attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Summit in Singapore.

Once the President returns to Manila, Galvez said, the AFP and the PNP would be holding a joint national security conference with Duterte to present recommendations whether martial law shall be extended again.

7KH 6RXWKHUQ 1HYDGD 5HJLRQDO +RXVLQJ $XWKRULW\ LV DQ (TXDO +RXVLQJ 2SSRUWXQLW\ SURYLGHU The Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority (SNRHA) does not discriminate against DQ\ SHUVRQ EHFDXVH RI UDFH FRORU UHOLJLRQ QDWLRQDO RULJLQ VH[ VH[XDO RULHQWDWLRQ JHQGHU LGHQWLW\ PDULWDO VWDWXV GLVDELOLW\ RU IDPLOLDO VWDWXV

AFP chief Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. ManilaTimes.net photo

The AFP chief cited a need for the military for a â&#x20AC;&#x153;complete resolveâ&#x20AC;? of the problems concerning terrorism and the communist New Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Army (NPA) in Mindanao. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wanted a complete solution of the problem. Terrorism still lurks in the area and what we wanted, while these are all very successful in quelling the communist-terrorist groups and the different terror groups in Mindanao, we want the victory [to be] completed and the result should be irreversible,â&#x20AC;?

Galvez told reporters in a news conference at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

He said local stakeholders from Mindanao favor the extension of martial law, saying they were â&#x20AC;&#x153;benefiting from martial law and they wanted the problem to be solved through implementationâ&#x20AC;?

of military rule.

Galvez said Benito Marohombsar alias Abu Dar, the alleged new head of the Islamic State in Southeast Asia, is still at large and continue to roam Mindanao, while the problems on the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) , among others, are yet to be solved.

When asked if this means the military was unable to complete its goal of clearing the island of terrorists and insurgents, he answered: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yes, considering also that there are many significant activities that will be held next year.â&#x20AC;?

Sen. Panfilo Lacson had stated it would be difficult for the government to persuade senators this time on why martial law should be given another round.

To further defend why martial law should be given another chance, the military chief said they would consolidate all resolutions collected during his recent visit to Mindanao and would be conducting â&#x20AC;&#x153;collegial recommendationsâ&#x20AC;? with the PNP. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe that in Congress, we have a lot of supporters, there are people who grew up in Mindanao.

They like the extension of martial law [and] we will try to convince the good senator of his perspective considering the local government PAGE A7

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Before the RTC concluded recently the hearings on the cases, one of the witnesses â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Thonti Lawani â&#x20AC;&#x201D; recanted his testimony on Ampatuanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s involvement in the massacre.

Lawani recanted his earlier testimony that he saw Ampatuan giving orders to his commanders at a crossing in Sitio Masalay, Ampatuan town, and that he also saw the convoy of vehicles going toward the hilly portion of the area where the massacre happened.

In his 10-page affidavit submitted to the court last September, the witness took back his testimony and claimed that he was pressured by the family of Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu to testify against Ampatuan.

But Guevarra stressed that such recantation would barely have an impact on the case. n

AFP: Terror problem in Mindanao still unsolved

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prosecutorial arm, said RTC Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes is expected to set the promulgation of the case where she would decide whether to convict or acquit Ampatuan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The court has yet to set the date of promulgation, which will cover Unsay and all other accused â&#x20AC;&#x201D; except those who were belatedly arrested,â&#x20AC;? the DOJ official added.

The massacre, which gained global attention for its record as the highest number of journalists killed in a single incident, will mark its ninth anniversary on Friday, November 23.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra earlier said they expect the RTC to decide on the case in the first quarter next year.

Guevarra expressed confidence that the prosecution presented strong evidence to establish the guilt of Ampatuan and other principal accused.

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NOVEMBER 22-28, 2018 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL

OPINION

Return of the bells

FEATURES

AFTER more than a century, it looks like the Bells of Balangiga are finally headed back to the Philippines. This week a symbolic handover was done in the U.S. state of Wyoming, where two of the bells are displayed as spoils of a brutal war. A third bell is in South Korea.

All three are expected to be back in Eastern Samar’s Balangiga town by next month.

The bells were taken during America’s foray into colonial rule.

When the United States supplanted Spain as the new foreign ruler of the Philippines, freedom fighters resisted in Samar and several other provinces. A vicious guerrilla attack on U.S. troops that was heralded by the tolling of the church bells of Balangiga prompted U.S. General Jacob Smith to order Samar turned into “a howling wilderness.”

Much has changed since then in bilateral relations. Even as a segment of the Philippine population continued fighting for full independence from the U.S., other Filipinos embraced the so-called 50 years of Hollywood, learning English and the ways of Western democracy, and enjoying corned beef and Coca-Cola.

The two sides fought as allies during World War II, going through the same ordeal. Even when the Philippines gained full political independence af-

ter the war, the two allies remained bound by a mutual defense treaty and shared values on democracy and human rights. Millions of Filipinos now live in the United States, with most members of the younger generations born there.

The Balangiga bells, however, remained a sore point in the alliance. Previous administrations had tried to recover the bells, but were rebuffed by U.S. war veterans’ groups and their families especially in Wyoming, home state of most of the American forces killed in Balangiga.

While the deaths of 48 U.S. soldiers were tragic and unfortunate, citizens of the world’s bastion of democracy would understand that the Filipino guerrillas were fighting for freedom. Filipinos were also killed during the attack and in the “howling wilderness.” sad, ugly chapter in the two countries’ relations.

Returning the bells would bring closure to that Filipinos eagerly wait for the bells to toll again,

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS POST-MIDTERM elections, President Donald Trump finally forced Attorney General (AG) Jeff Sessions to resign, and at the heart of this was Sessions’s recusing himself from the Russia probe because of conflict of interest.

Trump had repeatedly lashed out at Sessions, saying had he known Sessions would do so, he wouldn’t have appointed him for this top Justice Department post.

The president then appointed Matthew Whitaker, the chief of staff of Sessions, to be acting AG. This appointment bypassed the line of succession statute which mandates that should there be a vacancy, the Deputy Attorney General should replace the AG, and that official is Rod Rosenstein.

Rosenstein became the acting AG, overseeing the Russia probe when Sessions recused himself, and was instrumental in appointing Special Counsel Robert Mueller to head the investigation in the alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to interfere and influence the 2016 presidential election.

Trump has been undermining the Russia probe, calling it a “witch hunt”, and has now picked Whitaker to be acting AG who will now oversee the Mueller probe, instead of Rosenstein.

The problem with Whitaker is

THERE is something perverse, uncivilized and sadistic in the hysterical shrieks of the Yellows and the Reds demanding the immediate incarceration of an 89year old grandmother, Imelda Marcos.

These screams to lynch Imelda have nothing to do with justice.

Those who demand that Imelda be immediately thrown in jail are those who have never been in prison, and do not have the slightest idea of the mental and physical torture of incarceration. Or they have never cared for or lived with a mother or a grandmother in her 80s to witness how an elderly person’s body and mind deteriorates each day, and her memories fade so fast that she becomes somebody so totally separated from her past.

For chrissakes, Imelda will be 90 by July next year, eight years more than the 72 years average life span of Filipino women. Has she committed a crime so hor-

this time in friendship, in the church of Balangiga.

(Philstar.com)

As the Republican leadership refuses to protect the Mueller probe, Senate Democrats sue President Trump for defying the Constitution in appointing Whitaker that he has made public statements in the past discrediting the Mueller probe, and has expressed that the DOJ should limit the scope of the probe and slash its budget to cripple the full investigation wherever the facts and evidence take it.

Republican and Democratic senators filed a motion to protect Mueller from being fired, yet Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to subject the motion to a vote.

Now, a group of Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit that seeks a court order preventing Whitaker from continuing to serve as the acting attorney general.

This complaint joins other legal challenges and is the first that squarely addresses Whitaker’s appointment.

The lawsuit filed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal, Sheldon Whitehouse and Mazie Hirono — all members of the Senate Judiciary Committee — contend that Whitaker was ineligible to step in as the interim attorney general because his past role as a Sessions aide did not require Senate confirmation.

Senator Blumenthal tweeted on Monday, November 19, “Americans prize checks and balances.

Trump’s dictatorial appointment of Whitaker denies Senators from completing our constitutional obligation to scrutinize the nomination of our top law enforcement official. We are left with no choice but to seek recourse through the

courts.”

The Senate Democrats sue Trump to challenge the constitutionality of Trump’s appointment of Whitaker as the acting AG on November 7.

According to the complaint, “the Constitution’s Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm high-level federal government officials, including the Attorney General, before they exercise the duties of the office”.

As the National Law Journal reported, “The lawsuit highlighted Whitaker’s past involvement as an adviser to a company that shut down after being accused by the Federal Trade Commission of bilking consumers out of $26 million.

Critics also contend Whitaker is predisposed, based on media appearances and written comments, to curtail Special Counsel Robert Mueller III’s ongoing investigation of Donald Trump’s campaign ties to Russia.”

The DOJ defended the appointment of Whitaker in a statement: “President Trump’s designation of Matt Whitaker as Acting Attorney General of the United States is lawful and comports with the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution, Supreme Court precedent, past Department of Justice opinions, and actions of U.S. Presidents, both Republican and Democrat. There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a tempo-

rary basis, the duties of a Senateconfirmed position. To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent.”

In a Fox News interview, Trump denied any knowledge of Whitaker’s previous statements against the Mueller probe, despite such statements had been made public online, on print, and on television. In the same interview, Trump said that having known now, it would not change anything. “No collusion,” the president insisted.

The Senate Democrats pointed out in their complaint: “The stakes are too high to allow the president to install an unconfirmed lackey to lead the Department of Justice — a lackey whose stated purpose, apparently, is undermining a major investigation into the president.”

“Donald Trump cannot subvert the Constitution to protect himself and evade accountability.”

Trump’s attack on the credibility of Mueller and Rosenstein escalates, even when these two men are registered Republicans and have earned the respect of the Republicans, Democrats and Independents for their impeccable integrity.

Trump also continues to attack the Mueller probe, and will not sit down for a face-to-face interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, contrary to his earlier statements that he would fully cooperate because he is innocent and has nothing to hide.

His attacks against the investigation and the people overseeing the investigation negate his claim of innocence. What is he so angry about and afraid of?

Maybe it is because the Mueller probe, which calls a “witch hunt” has now indicted or gotten guilty pleas from 32 people and three companies — composed of four former Trump advisers, 26 Russian nationals, three Russian companies, one California man, and one London-based lawyer.

As reported by Vox: - Six of these people have pleaded guilty. Four of these are ex-Trump aides who struck plea deals with Mueller — Manafort and Gates were charged with a series of offenses related to their past work for Ukrainian politicians and their finances. Papadopoulos and Flynn both admitted making false statements with investigators to hide their contacts with Russians.

- The probe has also filed two major indictments of Russian nationals and a few Russian companies for crimes related to alleged interference with the 2016 election: the troll farm indictment, and the email hacking indictment.

- Konstantin Kilimnik, a longtime Manafort associate, has been charged with obstruction of justice.

- Michael Cohen and Sam Patten struck plea deals after Mueller referred their investigations

elsewhere.

- If you also count investigations that Mueller originated but then referred elsewhere in the Justice Department, you can add plea deals from two more people to the list.

- Other reported focuses of Mueller’s investigation — such as potential obstruction of justice by the Trump administration — have also not resulted in any indictments yet.

The Vox rightly pointed out, “It’s a sprawling set of allegations, encompassing both election interference charges against overseas Russians, and various other crimes by American Trump advisers. However, Mueller hasn’t yet alleged any crimes directly connecting the two — that is, alleging that Trump advisers conspired with Russian officials to impact the election. He is continuing to investigate that.”

Mueller has seen evidence nobody has seen. He knows the big picture. He puts all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together. His independent investigation needs to be completed without interference. The American people need to know the truth. And that is what Trump is so afraid of. *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFilAmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos

Leave the 89-year-old grandmother in peace

Commentary

RIGOBERTO TIGLAO

Philstar.com photo

rible that she should be barred from spending her twilight years in peace?

Why are people like Red Representative Neri Colmenares and the Communist Party itself (in an official statement) gloating that a near-octogenarian suffer in jail for an alleged crime, and not even a heinous one, committed four decades ago?

The glee over Imelda’s conviction is a psychotic bloodlust that is the result of the total success of the Yellows and the Reds in demonizing the Marcos couple. After all, the Metropolitan Manila and Cebu uprising called EDSA I would not have succeeded, and its Yellow victors could not have held on to power, if Marcos had not been painted—with the help of the best Washington-based PR firms and the U.S. deep state—as both a brutal, ruthless dictator and a colossal thief.

Yellow fiction Marcos and his wife of course weren’t saints that they didn’t accumulate their own huge retirement stash and secretly acquired substantial shares of the companies—such as PLDT, Benguet Corp., United Laboratories,

and Manila Bulletin— that were owned oligarchs they crushed or who became their allies. But in varying degrees and modus operandi, all Philippine presidents—except perhaps Ramon Magsaysay—also did so.

But the claim they plundered the nation’s coffers or committed horrific human rights violations on a mass scale has been a Yellow fiction. They did have major, incontrovertible contributions that advanced the welfare of Filipinos. As a nation, we need a balanced objective assessment of our past, or we will not learn from it.

The Communist Party has been at the head of the lynch mob against the Marcoses since its legitimacy has been almost totally based on its propaganda that has been an immense lie: That it led Filipinos to fight a ruthless fascist. It is struggling to maintain that narrative, claiming that all succeeding administrations have been simply versions of the Marcos “fascist dictatorship.”

I am biased for Imelda for very personal reasons, although I have never met her in person.

I became so only in 2004. That

was when my heart arteries became so blocked that I had to have a heart bypass surgery. I owe my life to my cardiac surgeon Chuck Chuachiaco, my cardiologist Lito Atabug who very quickly diagnosed that I was on the brink of a heart attack, and to an old friend Rho Clemente who, because her husband owned the hospital, had me jump the queues at the clinics and laboratories.

But I also indirectly owe my life to Imelda. The hospital where I had my surgery was the Philippine Heart Center. While I was diagnosed in a very reputable private hospital where my cardiologist was based, he insisted I have my open-heart surgery at the Heart Center, which he said is a world-class institution for that kind of operation.

The Heart Center was totally Imelda’s pet project. It wouldn’t exist if she had not pushed for its establishment in 1974 and asked the country’s elites to help finance it. It was then called the Philippine Heart Center for Asia, which wasn’t at all a misnomer as it was the first such center for heart diseases, at least in Southeast Asia.

It was Imelda’s prestige that got world-class heart specialists like Christiaan Barnard (who performed the world’s first human-to-human heart transplant), Denton Cooley (the first implantation of a total artificial heart), as well as cardiac surgery pioneers Donald Effler and Charles Bailey to be consultants at the center. They passed on their skills and insight at the Heart Center to Filipino doctors who became the core of the country’s now world-class generation of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. (Ninoy Aquino spurned the Filipino cardiologists at the Center, claiming they would kill him while he was under the knife under Marcos’ orders and demanded in 1980 that he have his heart surgery in a Texas hospital. It was Imelda who lobbied her husband that he be permitted to do so.)

I’m sure that if my father’s doctors had asked him to be brought to the Heart Center, he would not have died in 1977 of the heart disease I would later have. By that year, heart bypass surgery had become routine at the center, but not done in other hospitals because the procedure

required then sophisticated and expensive equipment such as the heart-lung machine.

How many Filipinos with heart disease has the Heart Center served? Using a low estimate of 10,000 in- and outpatients annually served: half a million Filipinos. How many Filipinos like me whose lives were saved through open heart surgeries? With 3,000 such surgeries every year (or about 10 daily): 129,000. How much was the cost of the center’s medical services for heart diseases that were given free, officially or de facto, to the lower classes? Using the Commission on Audit’s figure: P1 billion.

In sharp contrast, the Communist Party and its NPA that direct Colmenares, who has been livid that Imelda hasn’t jailed, have killed by one estimate over 100,000 soldiers, policemen and civilians in its 50 years trying to violently overthrow our democratic system.

With heart disease becoming the leading cause of mortality in the Philippines, we owe Imelda big-time. Visit the Heart Center, it’s become so crowded, as it rePAGE A7

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEmbER 22-28, 2018

A

‘Junjun Binay not disqualified from 2019 mayoral race’

by Rudy

SantoS Philstar.com

HISTORIC VISIT. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim poses for a group photo with Armed Forces Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. and other AFP and MILF officials during a visit to Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Monday, November 19.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

MILF chairman makes historic visit to Camp Aguinaldo

by Roel

PaReño Philstar.com

MANILA — Moro Islamic Liberation Front Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim was nostalgic and expressed happiness at setting his foot in Camp Aguinaldo, the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that for decades was the rebel group’s fierce adversary.

Ebrahim arrived at the headquarters of Camp Aguinaldo with Bangsamoro Transiiton Commission Chairman Ghazali Jaafar and other ranking MILF leaders on the invitation of Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., Armed Forces chief of staff.

The visit, Galvez said, was a gesture of reciprocity. The AFP chief had visited the MILF’s Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat last month, where he was honored as the first military chief welcomed to the group’s main camp.

Ebrahim and his party were led by Galvez to the Balangiga Hall in the main headquarters, where he was given different mementos and tokens as a gesture of the AFP’s gratitude for the visit.

The MILF chairman and members of the BTC later sat in a closed-door conference with Galvez and other ranking military officials.

“Well, it’s both happiness and sentiment. As what I have said, I never thought I will be walking around this camp,” Ebrahim told media right after a press briefing with Galvez.

The MILF chairman also visited Malacañan Palace in 2014 when he witnessed the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the peace deal between the government and the MILF. ‘Now, we are here’ Ebrahim admitted that during the height of their revolution, their focus was to destroy the camps of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. “But now, we are here.”

He said his sentiment against the military started in 1969, when he was 19 years old.

Ebrahim was a student at Mindanao State University and later transferred to Notre Dame Col-

lege, both in Central Mindanao.

He said that what led him and others to join the revolution was the series of massacres at the time.

“We felt there was a genocidal campaign against the Moro people. So we were forced to organize ourselves to defend,” Ebrahim said.

He said that they had generally been on defensive mode until the attacks against the Moro people worsened after martial law was declared in 1972.

“So many Moros were killed, so we organized already a liberation organization – thus the birth of the Moro National Liberation Front,” Ebrahim said.

The MILF split from the MNLF in 1977.

‘Final stage of Moro struggle’ The MILF chairman said that walking towards the Philippine military’s headquarters and shaking hands with its commanders and officers made him think about the pending plebiscite on the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the law that will imlplement the 2014 peace deal by creating a new region to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“I thought this is a signal from Allah that it’s already the final stage of our struggle,” Ebrahim said.

“I do not remember anyone in the MILF hierarchy—except for Ghadzali Jaafar, who visited last July as chairman of BTC—who has been to Aguinaldo,” Ebrahim said.

Galvez said Ebrahim’s visit was his way of reciprocating his visit to Darapan, where arrival honors stretched five kilometers.

“That was the longest foyer honors that I have received from any camp,” Galvez said.

He said the visits done by the AFP and MILF leadership manifest their strongest cooperation towards justice and lasting peace for the Bangsamoro region.

Galvez assured Ebrahim that, while the AFP will soon change leadership when he retires, it will continue to support the peace process with the MILF. “I will always said that for the rest of my life I will always dedi-

Leave the 89-year-old...

PAGE A6 mains the hospital of preference of cardiac surgeons and doctors around the country. It is practically the only hospital where the poor with heart diseases go to: at 4 a.m., there is already a queue for its free medical consultation.

Communist cadre Colmenares should pray hard to whatever god he believes in that he doesn’t contract a heart disease or he’ll have to endure being treated at Imelda’s “edifice.”

If only for her role in establishing the Heart Center, Imelda should be left alone in peace, and dignity.

But not only the Heart Center. Besides that hospital, the Philippines has three other specialty hospitals, all government operated, all renowned in their respective fields: the Lung Center of the Philippines, the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), and the Philippine Children’s Medical Center.

(NKTI has been performing 300 kidney transplants each year, and its 43 dialysis machines serve the poor daily from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m.)

Guess what? All of these were Imelda’s projects. The first hospital Imelda actually lobbied her husband to build, in 1969, is one of the health department’s biggest tertiary hospital today, the East Avenue Medical Center.

Why such unimaginative name for a huge hospital?

Months after she grabbed power, President Cory Aquino ordered to change the name of every hospital in the country that would remind people that these were built during Marcos’ watch.

So, under her Memorandum Order No. 48 issued in 1986, the name “Bagong Lipunan Hospital” was changed to refer simply to its location in East Avenue.

Mariano Marcos Medical Center was changed to Batac General Hospital; Marcos Maternity and Children’s Hospital to Northern Ilocos Norte District Hospital; and Doña Josefa E. Marcos General Hospital to Lasam District Hospital. The names of five other state-owned hospitals in the provinces with a “Marcos” or “Romualdez” in its name were similarly changed.

In the three decades since the Marcoses fell from power, has there been any hospital of any kind built by succeeding administrations? None.

Corazon Aquino died of colorectal cancer, a disease that has become the country’s number one cancer. It is preventable with early diagnosis through colonoscopy. The procedure though, costing P10,000, is beyond the reach of the masses.

President Aquino III had absolute discretion from 2011 to 2012 over P175 billion in funds under the so-called “Disbursement Acceleration Program” he invented. But it didn’t even cross his mind to establish a Philippine Center for Cancer that would provide free colonoscopy, endoscopy and other cancer-treatment services to the masses, to honor his mother.

The Yellow Cult, indeed, has managed to cast a spell on our nation that Imelda’s contributions to the country have been nearly totally forgotten. What kind of sorry nation have we become?

In subsequent installments of these series, I will show that the Sandiganbayan decision itself is so terribly flawed, and that contrary to what the Yellow commentators have been spewing out, it doesn’t at all conclude that Imelda stole “$200 million” from the nation. (ManilaTimes.net)

cate my services for the peaceful resolution of our place, particularly the Bangsamoro,” Galvez, who has said he will campaign for the ratification of the BOL when he retires, said.

Galvez was commander of the 6th Infantry Division and later of the Western Mindanao Command before being appointed AFP chief of staff in April.

He was chairman of the government panel of the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities and helped “negotiate a ceasefire, separate the two contending forces, assist in the evacuation of casualties, assess the situation of internally displaced persons, and help stabilize the situation” after the Mamasapano clash in 2015. n

MANILA — Former Makati mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay is still running for the city’s top post in the 2019 midterm polls, former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes clarified on Monday, November 19.

Brillantes made the statement amid misleading reports that Binay had been disqualified from the mayoral race.

Brillantes, who is Binay’s lawyer, said it is the Comelec and not the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), which should decide whether the former mayor can run or not.

“The DILG has no jurisdiction over Binay’s case. The spokesman for the Comelec has declared he is not barred from running in 2019,” Brillantes said, referring to James

Jimenez.

Last month, Jimenez said Binay could run in the elections unless there is final conviction on his pending cases.

“Unless there is a court decision that is final and executory, a candidate cannot be barred from seeking public office,” Jimenez said.

The former mayor has been found guilty of serious dishonesty and grave misconduct by the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the P1.3-billion Makati Science High School building.

Binay had been dismissed from the service and perpetually barred from holding public office.

But the Court of Appeals reversed the ombudsman’s decision citing the “Condonation Doctrine,” which prevents the administrative disciplining of elective officials for offense committed during their

immediate preceeding term.

Brillantes said the case in question could not be use to stop Binay from seeking public office.

“The decision of the ombudsman in connection with the construction of the Makati Science High School building is on appeal and therefore, not final and executory,” the lawyer said.

Brillantes said the Supreme Court has previously ruled that only a final and executory judgment that carries with it an accessory penalty of disqualification from holding public office can disqualify a person from running in the elections under Section 40 of the Local Government Code.

“The jurisprudence on the matter is clear––the Comelec can only bar those who have been perpetually disqualified from holding public office,” he said.” n

AFP: Terror problem in Mindanao...

PAGE A5 units [in Mindanao] have been overwhelming [in their support for martial law],” Galvez said.

Martial law in Mindanao was declared by Duterte in May last year as a response to the attack of the Islamic State-inspired Maute group on Marawi City, Lanao del Sur. Galvez said military rule is still necessary in addressing the unsolved problems of terrorism in Mindanao, citing “weak laws” of the country when it comes to terrorism.

He made a comparison with existing laws of Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Malaysia on anti-terrorism.

In Singapore and Malaysia,

Galvez said, suspected terrorists can be detained for 12 months and their detention can be extended indefinitely while in the UK and Australia, terrorists can be incarcerated for 28 days.

“If our counter-terrorism law is as strong as [those of] Singapore and Malaysia, we don’t need martial law. This is the reason why the CPP [Communist Party of the Philippines]-NPA exists for 50 years because our laws do not limit their logistics recruitment and even their [arrest],” he added.

“Now we have martial law, we still have provisions that we can have a custodial debriefing for three days, that is why without martial law, there are no fangs and [without

martial law], it can create a condition wherein terrorists can exploit this,” Galvez said.

The military has been boasting of recent surrenders of NPA rebels and Maute, Abu Sayyaf and BIFF terrorists in several areas in Mindanao.

Martial law was extended last year in June by Congress during a joint session with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and other high-ranking military officials raised concerns on terrorism, saying it can be solved with military rule of specific duration.

When it was about to expire in December last year, martial law’s validity was renewed until the end of the year. n

A

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEmbER 22-28, 2018

VEGAS&STYLE

Fil-Am brings girl power to Guns N’ Roses

by Nathalie

tomada

Philstar.com

MELISSA Reese is being celebrated in rock circles as the first and only female member of the iconic American rock band Guns N’ Roses (GnR). And she’s halfFilipina.

The 28-year-old classicallytrained musician joined the band in 2016 as a keyboardist while also playing the synthesizer, sub-bass and back-up vocals. She’s now traveling the world with GnR who recently came to the Philippines for the first time for the Manila stop of the group’s ongoing “Not in This Lifetime… Tour”. The reunion concert of the band behind such hits as “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, “Patience” and “November Rain” has brought together classic linePAGE B2

by tessa

mauricio-arriola ManilaTimes.net

NOT that they explicitly mentioned the name Coco Martin, nor his ABS-CBN program’s title, “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” but GMA Network’s biggest male stars were unable to escape addressing the fact that they are indeed, going head to head with the reigning champ of the prime time ratings game.

They obviously didn’t want to touch on the subject because it effectively steals the thunder from what should be the day’s big news: That Dingdong Dantes and Dennis Trillo — two of this generation’s most important actors — have teamed up to headline an action-packed drama series for the very first time via “Cain at Abel.”

All the same, the majority of questions that met them at

Journal Chef Jessie: Championing Filipino cuisine By ritchel

meNdiola AJPress

YOU can tell a lot about a chef not only through the dishes they prepare, but also through the experiences they accumulated.

For instance, Chef Jessie Sincioco was the first ever Filipina pastry chef. She was handpicked to cook for His Holiness Pope Francis during the Pontiff’s visit to the Philippines in 2015, and lately assigned to lead the preparation of the Gala dinner for the heads of state and delegates of the ASEAN Summit 2017.

But it’s not only the awards— and she has countless of them— or the menu of impressive dishes that are striking. When Balikbayan Magazine met with Chef Jessie one afternoon at her restaurant in the Rockwell Club, she was all warm smiles and friendly greetMelissa Reese ings as she welcomed us in.

Photo from Instagram/@themelissareese Dressed in her immaculate white uniform, she never once lost her smile during her photoshoot for the magazine, or even after, when she sat down and shared her cooking journey, her Papal experience, and exciting developments about her restaurant.

Where her heart belongs Chef Jessie’s pursuit of culinary excellence both in the hot and cold section of the kitchen is unwavering as it is unparalleled.

Dingdong and Dennis say they’re not out to compete with Coco

B

“There was a saying that if you are a pastry chef, you can never be good in the hot kitchen,” she said. “But I somehow proved that wrong by being a good pastry chef and, at the same time, a good chef in the hot section.”

Chef Jessie loves cooking everything—but more than that, she loves a good challenge. “Nowadays, we’re doing a lot of catering and my clients always tell me to cook anything,” she laughed, sharing the various menu she had to prepare in her line of work, including but not limited to: Moroccan, Spanish, Singaporean, African, and Guatemalan cuisine.

“I enjoyed doing all that. I really love working with food.”

But when asked if she has to choose between cooking and baking, she immediately answered the latter, sharing how baking was the one that brought her into the kitchen.

Basking in the muted afternoon light, Chef Jessie recounted her childhood days when she would leave the kitchen as soon as she smelled onions and garlic being sautéed. “The smell clings to your skin and clothes—it’s just not pleasant.” But everything changed when she started working with cakes, cream, and chocolate. “Everything smelled good!”

According to Chef Jessie, bak-

Chef Jessie Sincioco at her Rockwell Club location.

ing and cooking are like heaven and Earth. From the way her eyes sparkled and her voice warmed with fondness, it’s no-brainer that baking is truly her heaven.

A blessed experience Chef Jessie has come a long

AJPress photos by Godwin Gasacao

way since winning the grand prize in the baking category of The Great Maya Cookfest in 1983 that basically launched her culinary career.

In 2015, she was chosen by PAGE B4

OXTAIL PHO

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Dennis Trillo and Dingdong Dantes

WHOLE DEEP FRIE TILAPIA WITH SPECIAL CHEF SAUCE

GMA photo

the show’s grand media launch practically alluded to one thing.

“How do you feel being pitted with Probinsyano?” “Do you think ‘Cain at Abel’ can finally topple Cardo?” “Are you ready PAGE B3

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A preview of menu items based on international cuisine influences.

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B November 22-28, 2018 • LAS veGAS ASIAN JoUrNAL

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Fil-Am animator Josie Trinidad would love Fil-Am brings girl power to... to see a Filipina Disney princess warrior and definitely thinks ‘that’s in the future’

by Nathalie

tomada Philstar.com

WALT Disney Animation Studios’ Josie Trinidad recently visited the Philippines to talk to fellow Filipino animators at the 2018 Animahenasyon, Philippine Animation Festival.

Trinidad is the head of story for Disney’s upcoming “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2,” the much-awaited sequel to 2012’s “Wreck-It Ralph.”

“I can’t tell you what a dream come true everything on this film has been for the animators,” Trinidad told the aspiring and professional animators at the festival about her experience working on “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2.”

The proudly Filipino animator, who oversaw the film’s story team (the group responsible for translating the script to its first visual form), shared the animation process at Walt Disney Animation Studios.

She also showed behind-thescenes videos and several clips from “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2.”

Hometown hero “My journey started here in the Philippines,” said Trinidad, whose parents are both Filipinos who migrated to the United States. “I feel very connected to the Philippines, despite being miles away.”

In 2004, Trinidad joined the Disney team as a story apprentice, and once she completed training, she was hired as a story artist. Her Disney credits include “The Princess and the Frog” (2009), “Tangled” (2010), “Wreck-It Ralph” (2012), and the Academy Awardwinning “Zootopia” (2016), for which she was co-head of story.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Josie Trinidad, head of story for “Ralph Breaks the Internet”.

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Animation Studios

She is joined by other Filipino talents in the studio such as Ronnie Del Carmen, Gini Cruz, Paul Abadilla, Nelson Bohol, and Bobby Rubio.

“The diversity is by design,” said Trinidad, “because Disney’s stories go global.”

Research, research, research According to Trinidad, once the directors give their idea for a film, the team goes on full-on research mode.

“We start every film we do with research,” she said. “We’re passionate about research because we care for the believability of our stories.”

Plus, research can be so much fun! For example, for “Moana,” the animation team went on a research trip to the beautiful islands of Polynesia.

For “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2,” after directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston

In Ralph Breaks the Internet, video-game bad guy Ralph and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz leave the video-arcade life behind and venture into world of the Internet.

had given their vision for the film, the team asked themselves: Where do we go for research?

The answer: One Wilshire Boulevard, a data center in Los Angeles, California, which houses all internet communication for the US. It was not quite like visiting the exotic islands of Polynesia, but what they saw awed and inspired the team to create a visual for the world wide web that would be relatable to audiences in the much same way that the power strip a.k.a. Game Central Station did in the first film.

“We started to envision that the internet was like a major city, like Manhattan and Manila,” said Trinidad.

Never give up Just like the stories she helps create for Disney, Trinidad’s reallife success as one of the Filipino animators at Disney is an inspiration for Filipino animators.

“I am the poster child for someone who failed but still made it to where I am today,” said Trinidad, who earlier shared that she realized while in animation school that she wasn’t as good as her peers at drawing, and that she could not find a job after graduating.

“Just be true to yourself and work extremely hard. I got to where I am because I’m Filipino and my parents instilled in me an incredible work ethic. Keep at it, and never give up.”

In “Ralph Breaks the Internet: PAGE B6

PAGE B1 up members Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan.

Melissa has “more than one job,” also composing and scoring music for videogames, commercials, films and music videos such as Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” and the Eminem-produced movie “Bodied”. And did we say Melissa is half-Filipina?

If she’s become a source of #PinoyPride for Pinoy fans of GnR, it’s because she’s proud to be Pinoy as well. She credits her Filipino side for her passion in music.

Her attitude towards work is also credited to her Pinoy DNA, said her older sister Stephanie Reese, who accompanied Melissa on her second visit to their mom’s home country (her first was when she was 12). Stephanie is already a familiar face in the entertainment scene because the singer-actress (she was Kim in a German production of “Miss Saigon”) has been here to do charity concerts.

“It was our (Filipina) mom who said, it doesn’t matter if you’re the best because there are so many talented people and there are always better people but just work the hardest. Because if you’re the hardest worker, you will never be afraid. And I think that’s also (Melissa’s) Filipino culture,” said the proud sister during The Star’s interview with Melissa a day before the sold-out GnR concert at the Philippine Arena.

Here is The Star’s exclusive interview with the Seattle, Washington-born Melissa: On how Melissa got to be part of Guns N’ Roses: “I got a call. That’s exactly what happened. I met Axl before and my composing partner Bryan ‘Brain’ Mantia was the drummer before.

They knew of me as a producer and heard about my poetry work. I knew a lot of people in their camp.

It just came up as an idea: what about her? I thought it was a joke.

(They lost their keyboardist right before the reunion happened.)

That’s how the music industry works in general. For producing or composing gigs, film and all that, you say yes to everything but it’s not necessarily a real question.

Literally, nine times out of 10, it means nothing. But then, it wasn’t a joke.

“Axl also put in a call to my composing partner, ‘Do I have your blessing on this? I’m going to take your composing partner away, all of these stuff, can she pull it off?’

Of course, he vouched for me. But behind the scenes, he was, ‘Dude,

Melissa Reese

it’s gonna be heavy and you should be prepared. It’s a really intense thing. You’re you and you’re used to being in a studio.’ So, you really, really have to be strong and deal with not being settled like constantly traveling all the time.”

On “coming home” and performing for Filipinos: “The hospitality, the culture, a really beautiful sort of happiness.

I really get where my mom’s sunshine comes from. That vibe — I never knew that before. But it’s really cool. Real talk: I have no sleep, but it’s fine. Everything has just been so pleasant. It’s awesome! I shall return.

“It’s funny because one of the executives at Gibson Guitars texted me, is your DNA buzzing?

You know, I feel like, if anything, I’m learning and going, this should be something I should know about, identify with and be proud of.

“I’m not trying to be a d***, but I pay people for assistance and stuff but everybody here sincerely cares, I’m like, why? But you really do (care). The whole other thing — that my mom is a sunshiny thing. That’s what other people, friends of mine, some band members who met my mom (who loves to bring the GnR lumpia) love about her. It could be the most horrible situation and she’s like (laughs) happy.”

On where she got her musical genes: “From my lola. My mom’s mother from Camalig, Albay. She sang to us religious songs. Heart of Jesus. There was a song that focused on the Sorrowful Mystery.

I loved her voice. Even our mom’s dad, my lolo, he’s almost like hiphop today, he does three notes.

Not so much melody, but he did what he could musically. I find it

Photo from Facebook/ Guns N’ Roses

comforting.”

On her family’s reaction to her being part of GnR: “I forced (Stephanie) to keep it a secret. They didn’t know at first because our dad would tell everybody. Like the band is really tightlipped on the press and about saying certain things for obvious reasons. And everybody is always trying to infiltrate and get info about these people because they’re these musical icons or gods basically… Nobody was supposed to know that I was part of a surprise, that they are getting back together and there’s this new girl.

“I tasked Steph to not say anything and just bring (my parents) to Vegas for a big show. Because I used to do these little things for them, I pay for them to go on these little vacations, it wasn’t weird for them to be sent to Vegas. It happened Steph was with them and took care of them. They thought it was business as usual. And when it was revealed… (I was) in the band, dad was like, wait a minute, what’s going on? He didn’t know anything! It was in an arena with 40,000 seats. He was like what are we doing? My mom was just jumping up and down. She’s just super happy. Our parents have met (GnR) a lot of times.”

On her first-ever show with GnR: “It was in L.A., a surprise show.

It was on April Fools’ Day (2016).

People were like anticipating it being a thing. I was pretty freaked out in my mind but also just getting into the work mode and telling myself to keep it together. So, I was doing my thing and the whole place was packed and heavy. Axl broke his foot on the second song and powered through and finished PAGE B6

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL â&#x20AC;˘ NOVEmbER 22-28, 2018

B

What Daniel Padilla really worried Fil-Am â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;American Idolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; runner-up about after losing phone in Sydney Jessica Sanchez to debut as actress

by NiĂąa

V. GuNo

by Maridol

raĂąoa-BisMark Philstar.com

Inquirer.net

LAST October, ABS-cBn stars headed to Sydney to stage a live variety show for fans in the Land Down Under.

The cast, which included regine Velasquez, Gary Valenciano, Darren espanto, enrique Gil, Liza Soberano and maja Salvador, performed last Oct. 20 at the icc Sydney Theatre.

TV host robi Domingo, who was part of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;ASAPâ&#x20AC;? cast that flew to Australia, released a vlog on nov.

15 of what the performers were doing during their downtime.

At one point, Domingo talked to actor Daniel Padilla about losing his phone in the city, as seen at the 7:42 mark in the video. â&#x20AC;&#x153;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not about the phone for me,â&#x20AC;? said Domingo when he asked Padilla what he felt. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yeah, oo (yes), itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not about the phone,â&#x20AC;? said Padilla, who looked dejected about the situation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can always buy a new phone. You know, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the files, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the pictures.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;And? What else?â&#x20AC;? Domingo probed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And i cannot also contact my, my girlfriend, man,â&#x20AC;? he replied.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;AmericAn idolâ&#x20AC;? runner-up Jessica Sanchez was recently trending on Twitter when she sang the soulful â&#x20AC;&#x153;Another Silent christmas Songâ&#x20AC;? with balladeer christian Bautista at her presscon.

This is the singersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; second time to perform a duet. The first was for the song â&#x20AC;&#x153;Two Forevers,â&#x20AC;? released in 2017.

But is christmas for the 23year-old anything but silent? â&#x20AC;&#x153;i havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t had a silent christmas. itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loud and fun for me! i love christmas! itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very festive!â&#x20AC;? she exclaimed.

Jessica explained that christmas for her back in her US home is a frenzy of activities, which consist of â&#x20AC;&#x153;putting up trees and Daniel Padilla with Kathryn Bernardo Photo from Instagram/@supremo_dp wrapping presents.â&#x20AC;?

Since the season always puts â&#x20AC;&#x153;The problem is sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gonna busy filming the cathy Garciabe very very mad at me,â&#x20AC;? he said, molina project â&#x20AC;&#x153;Three Words to her in a happy mood, Jessica adfailing to keep a straight face Foreverâ&#x20AC;? in Ormoc city. The film mitted she cannot relate to a sad as he and Domingo broke into stars Sharon cuneta and richard christmas song. The fact that she puts so much soul to her somber Gomez. laughter. certainly, Padillaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s onscreen and real-life love Kathryn Bernardo must have been understanding of his predicament. The actress did not join the group as she was

The couple eventually got to travel together in canada where they performed in â&#x20AC;&#x153;One magical nightâ&#x20AC;? shows earlier this november.

And possibly in bid to prove that neither he nor Dingdong considered the project as GmAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s answer to ABS-cBnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seemingly unbeatable Probinsyano, Dennis declared, â&#x20AC;&#x153;To be honest, nung umpisa po, hindi naman namin alam kung saang timeslot kami ilalagay. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why ang mindset namin is to come up with a show na kahit saang timeslot pa kami ilagay, kahit ano pang itapat na show, eh tatayo at lalaban pa rin siya.â&#x20AC;? rounding it up, Dong effectively ended the issue by saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kaya mas gusto po namin na sa quality kami naka-focus in doing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cain at Abelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at hindi sa kung ano mang bagay. Kasi yon naman ang trabaho namin â&#x20AC;&#x201D; gampanan ang role and hindi mag-monitor ng mga ratings.â&#x20AC;?

According to the production notes from GmAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creative team, â&#x20AC;&#x153;cain at Abelâ&#x20AC;? is an action-family drama about two brothers, Daniel (Dingdong) and miguel (Dennis), who grew up in two very different worlds.

As children, they were separated by fateâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Daniel was raised

Jessica Sanchez Photo from Instagram/@jessicaesanchez

since they first sang together. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Her voice is clearly one of the best iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard. iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m ecstatic that we are able to sing again,â&#x20AC;? he said of their new collaboration.

KZ Tandingan, Apl de Ap collab for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Coke Studioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; finale

â&#x20AC;&#x153;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a conversation of longing and wanting to be with your family,â&#x20AC;? Apl said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a tribute to our FiLiPinO pride KZ Tandingan hardworking OFWs.â&#x20AC;? and Apl de Ap shared the stage â&#x20AC;&#x153;Merong mga Pilipino na grabe comfortably in the city by his at â&#x20AC;&#x153;coke Studioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sâ&#x20AC;? Season Two yung sakripisyo para sa mga famifather, while miguel was taken finale aired on Sunday, november lya nila kaya sobrang importante by his mother who later changed 18 ABS-cBn. his name to elias. They relocated The two artists who have conto a poor fishing village where quered the international stage they struggled to make ends performed an original song enmeet. titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Homecominâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? dedicated to Years later, Daniel and elias overseas Filipinos who are away are drawn together by mutual af- from their families. fections: the father who tore them apart, the mother they yearn for, and the woman they both love.

Besides Dingdong and Dennis, a smoking hot cast has been assembled to bring this story to life, starting off with their respective leading ladies, Solenn Heusaff and Sanya Lopez.

Leading the veteran stars on the other hand are eddie Gutierrez, chanda romero and Dina Bonnevie, along with ronnie Henares, Tommy Abuel, Bing Pimentel, marc Abaya and Boy 2 Quizon, among others.

Helmed by GmA favorites Don michael Perez and mark reyes, it was revealed at the launch that former â&#x20AC;&#x153;Probinsyanoâ&#x20AC;? director Toto natividad is also part of the KZ Tandingan with Apl.de.ap Photo from Instagram/@apldeap project.

Dingdong and Dennis say theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not...

PAGE B1 for battle?â&#x20AC;? ever dignified and diplomatic, GmA Prime Time King Dingdong replied, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wala naman po kami dito para makipagkompitensya kanino man kasi naniniwala ako na ang mga manonood may sarisarili at iba-ibang gusto at ibaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ibang panlasa. And para doon na magugustuhan ang â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cain at Abelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, i can guarantee, gagawin namin ang lahat para maibigay sa kanila yung gusto nilang programa.â&#x20AC;?

Giving a peek into the obvious plot of sibling rivalry from the Biblical title, he added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;i think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to say that in as much as maraming action dito, the action is just incidental because the real core of the story is what i believe na dapat aabangan dito. itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why i accepted the role besides the fact that iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll finally get to work with Dennis.â&#x20AC;?

Similarly, his versatile co-star put in, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bukod sa makakatrabaho ko si Dingdong Dantes, yung project mismo ang naging exciting para sa akin dahil ngayon lang ako ulit gagawa ng action-drama on TV.â&#x20AC;?

christmas song with a fellow Stages actor is proof of Jessicaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talent.

Jessica recently held a concert with martin nievera at Solaire on november 10, and will be holding another one in December in Davao. The Davao show is produced by BG Productions international owner Baby F. Go. The U.S.-born Jessica (her mother is Filipina) is prepping for an extended stay in the Philippines next year to learn Tagalog with the help of a personal coach.

That three- to four-week extended stay next year will see her doing an album, as she looks forward to â&#x20AC;&#x153;tapping into the (Filipino) culture and collaborating with more artists.â&#x20AC;?

Go plans to cast her in a movie, so expect to see Jessica make her acting debut on the big screen as well. meanwhile, christian hopes â&#x20AC;&#x153;Another Silent christmas Songâ&#x20AC;? will be heard every christmas season. He has become Jessicaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fan

by krissy

aGuilar Inquirer.net

samin na ikwento sa inyo through our song ang kanilang storya,â&#x20AC;?

Tandingan added. in the finale episode, Apl and Tandingan also sang their rendition of the latterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2017 pop song â&#x20AC;&#x153;Labo.â&#x20AC;?

60 COUNTRIES. OVER 100 CITIES WORLDWIDE. THATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INTERNATIONAL.

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B November 22-28, 2018 • LAS veGAS ASIAN JoUrNAL

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Chef Jessie: Championing Filipino...

PAGE B1 the papal visit committee to put together and prepare a four-day menu exclusively for Pope Francis and 12 other papal guests.

“The idea of cooking for the Holy Father never came into my mind—not even in my wildest dreams,” Chef Jessie gushed. “It’s really something I wasn’t expecting, that’s why when I was told I was the one, I was jumping with joy! I felt blessed and I was also glad that it happened when I felt I was ready.”

Chef Jessie spoke of the Pope with open awe, describing his presence as magnetic and simply majestic. One anecdote she’ll never forget was when she served roast beef as the main meal for the pontiff. “I ordered the best slab of beef I could get. I told our supplier I don’t care how much it was, just give me the best slab of beef and it has to be chilled—never frozen,” she related. “When the slab was delivered, I thought of roasting the beef. I thought of slow roasting it so the outside will be seared and seasoned and when I bring it to the nunciature, I’ll just slice and cook the steak to their doneness.

I had one waiter with me and I had him ask how the guests like their steak. When he came back to tell me their answers, he said the

Pope wanted his steak alive!”

Clasping her hands, Chef Jessie continued, “When he said that, I couldn’t help but shout yes!

Because my decision to slow roast the slab was right—so when the Pope cut the center, it’s alive but the outside is cooked and safe to eat.”

It was one of the moments in Chef Jessie’s life where she felt like everything fell into place. “It’s like knowing you’re guided and this is exactly what you should be doing without anybody telling you,” she said.

“When they were about to go to Luneta, they were already aboard the Popemobile,” she recounted.

“It was drizzling, so I said my goodbyes from the entrance where there was some cover.

When they passed by, Cardinal Chito saw me and pointed me to Pope Francis. The Pontiff held out his hands and profusely thanked me—I was overwhelmed!” When Chef Jessie asked if he liked the steak, Pope Francis gestured with his hands and said, “Yes, it was so tender. It was so delicious. Like the cow, moo!”

As a chef and a devout Catholic, Chef Jessie considers this experience as the highlight of her career; after all, nothing beats the experience of cooking for

Chef Jessie Rockwell Club delivers a fine dining experience.

the Pope, the representative of Jesus. “In the Philippines, I can definitely say I am the Papal chef,” she concluded proudly.

Giving back Everything in Chef Jessie’s life is super providential. Blessings upon blessing keep coming her way, so she thought of a way to give back.

“I don’t like people to forget about the historical moment of the Pope’s stay in the country. To help people remember, we will be offering all the menus that we served during the papal visit every year, from January 15—the day he set foot in the Philippines—until February 15,” she said. 100 percent of the proceeds will go to Tulay ng Kabataan, the orphanage the pontiff visited across the Manila Cathedral.

Towering success In 2009, Chef Jessie established JCS Gastronomie Inc. Today, as president and CEO of the company, she is actively running three restaurants: Chef Jessie Rockwell Club, Top of The Citi by Chef Jessie, and the newly opened Chef Jessie Grill at The Grove by Rockwell.

These restaurants all serve stellar and sumptuous culinary dishes that cater to the upscale market, but that’s where the similarities end. According to Chef Jessie, each of her restaurants have different personalities, different highlights that set them apart from each other.

On top of the world Located in the heart of the Makati Business District, Top of The Citi by Chef Jessie serves high-end international and asian cuisines.

“It’s more of a corporate outlet,” Chef Jessie said, explaining that being on the 34th floor of a skyline of a tall building made it somehow conducive for corporate functions. “But people also find it romantic. It gets full every Valentine’s Day.” Top of The Citi offers a 360 degree view of the metro, and a dining area that can fit 120 people, with seven function rooms for 10 to 100 guests. “We’ve done a few weddings, birthday parties, and seminars there,” she said.

Famous for the Sea Bass with Goose Liver, Angus Beef Tenderloin, and Lamb Chop with Adobo Sauce, this executive fine dining restaurant’s menu is rife with dishes as spectacular as the view around you.

The baby in the family “Chef Jessie Grill is our baby,”

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

Chef Jessie smiled. Located at the Grove by Rockwell along C5, right across Tiendesitas, this restaurant opened its doors on September 8, 2016.

“It’s our smallest outlet, seating only 50 people,” she said. Still, Chef Jessie Grill is a must-visit place for people seeking a relaxing and cozy dining experience, and the taste of home cooked food. At a glance, you might shrug it off as a normal restaurant, simple without the flair and aesthetics of Chef Jessie’s two other fine dining restaurants, but once you take a bite of their delicious offerings, you’ll immediately know this is on par with the likes of Chef Jessie Rockwell Club and Top of The Citi.

This outlet’s casual but rustic approach to dining is already a hit, amassing a loyal following hungry for everything sizzling.

Its popular dishes include the Special Chicken Adobo, the BBQ Pork Spareribs, and Green Tea Cheesecake.

Chef Jessie Grill is a testament to Chef Jessie’s versatility when it comes to cooking—there’s just that certain Chef Jessie magic in her dishes that everyone can enjoy in any kind of setting.

Elegance at its finest “Chef Jessie Rockwell Club is the most elegant,” Chef Jessie said. “It’s a place where people would come in beautiful dresses and nice suits. It’s a place for entertaining business clients. But it’s also a place where people can relax and come in their most comfortable outfit if they want to.”

“This is also our outlet where people bring their guests because—according to them—if they come here, they get what they expect. So when they have important guests they want to impress, they bring them here,” she added.

Despite its rustic flourishes, the restaurant exudes elegance with its high ceilings and great windows that let in natural light.

The flooring is a mix of wood and

The Filipina chef runs three restaurants: Chef Jessie Rockwell Club, Top of The Citi by Chef Jessie, and the most recently opened Chef Jessie Grill at The Grove by Rockwell.

AJPress photos by Godwin Gasacao

tiles, the chairs are wooden, and everywhere you look is a feast for the eyes—oil paintings in gilded frames, fresh flowers in vases, and the outside view of the pool and garden.

It’s homey but still radiating class; luxurious but grounded, much like Chef Jessie herself—despite achievements and awards, she’s still very much humble and down-to-Earth.

Chef Jessie Rockwell Club never fails to deliver international cuisine at its finest. The menu is teeming with elegant dishes as fine as the setting itself and the restaurant’s loyal customers have earmarked the Pasta a la Jessie and Pan Fried Goose Liver Salad as staunch favorites.

New and exciting changes Chef Jessie Rockwell Club is set for renovation this April. When asked about her decision to have the restaurant renovated, Chef Jessie laughed. “It looks dated already! The chairs are more than 20 years old.” And while the chairs may look old, they carry a history in them that will never be replaced. Countless of dignitaries have sat on them—the President of the Philippines, starting from Joseph Estrada up to PNoy, among others.

“The new look will have a tinge of something Filipino. The new design will make the place become part of the garden, like an extension; it will compliment

SERVICES

FOR RENT

the view outside,” Chef Jessie divulged. “There will also be new chairs, and a new bar. We want the bar to entice people to drink and enjoy wine.”

Apart from the setting, there will also be changes in the curated menu line-up and its menu cover.

“I painted the design for the menu cover myself,” Chef Jessie shared. “I designed it with something people can identify with Filipinos. It’s a tree that when you see, you’ll immediately associate with us.”

The menu, like everything else, will have a Filipino touch.

“I’m a classic chef so I cannot stay away from that,” Chef Jessie explained. “I will still keep a lot from the present menu since they all have followings, but I will add more dishes and make sure the presentations are different.”

Chef Jessie’s excitement for her restaurant’s new developments was palpable—there’s a spark in her eyes that was hard to miss, urging everyone to look forward to Chef Jessie Rockwell Club’s new look. And if there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that when it comes to Chef Jessie, expectations are sure to be exceeded.

For more information on Chef Jessie and her restaurants, visit www.chefjessie.com.

(This feature originally appeared in Balikbayan Magazine)

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Thanksgiving: A celebration of immigration Your Immigration Solution ATTY. ERIC WELSH THANKSGIVING is a day for family, feasting, and gratitude. We express gratitude for good health, for surviving adversity, and for the blessings that surround us even as life presents many challenges.

The holiday is also an excellent opportunity to express our gratitude for immigrants seeking a better life, and for good hosts who grant refuge.

America is proud of its immigrant heritage, even if we don’t always reflect that pride in our treatment of immigrants today.

The Pilgrims and Puritans that sailed from England and other parts of Europe to the land that would become America were refugees, seeking to start a new life in a new land, free from religious persecution and hard times. They held an annual festival to express their thanks for a good harvest, and for the freedoms and opportunities afforded to them by their new home. We celebrate the difficult journey that they made to get to America, and the sacrifices that they made when they left their native lands. Without them, we would not be America.

Thanksgiving is an opportunity to show our gratitude for every person who has sought bravely to find a better life for themselves and their families, from the early people who trekked across the Bering land bridge during the last ice age to those intrepid Pilgrims that landed at Plymouth Rock, to the immigrants that continue to strengthen and enrich our country

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA (First of 2 parts) LONG ago, on a visit to my father’s grave site on Father’s day, my husband, daughter and I trudged along several tombstones of husbands and wives who lived in the 1850’s and died just before the mid-1900’s buried side by side on a quiet, lush, manicured patch of Forest Lawn Glendale.

My daughter noted the pattern in the headstones of a generation ago. I commented that it is getting harder to find such longevity of devotion these days among younger married couples of the current generation.

Call this the Age of Distraction.

Perhaps it is because the young ones are engaged in far too many distractions and mired in too much self-absorption living in a popular culture that fosters selflove and to a point, extreme narcissism. It has become a struggle for many couples just to stay together.

One might argue that the generations before us didn’t have the same challenges that we are having. True. It may have been a

Health@Heart PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS HEART, the symbol of love, of Valentine’s Day, even of religious adoration, is always fascinating but still a mystery to most of us.

The amazing facts about our most loyal and dedicated heart are mind-boggling and a constant source of wonderment. Winning hearts, stealing hearts, breaking hearts, and for us cardiac surgeons, mending hearts, are easier to understand and do, than to comprehend fully the wonders of this hard-working, ceaselessly pumping, untiring, and unique muscle in our body.

How large is our heart?

The size of the adult heart is about the volume of two hands clasping each other, with the fingers intertwined. In children, it is the size of the kid’s one fist. The heart is located, not to the left, as often thought of, but in the middle of your mid chest, enclosed in its own compartment, an envelope called pericardial sac, and located between the left and right chest cavity, where the left and right lungs are, respectively. Its tip is pointed slightly to the left.

Does the heart ever rest?

The heart beats about an average of 70 beats per minute, 4,200 an hour or about 100,800 times in one day, roughly about 36 million times in a year. In an average life span, the human heart will beat about 2.5 billion times. But contrary to what seems obvious, the heart rests for a split second in between beats. This happens between contractions, when the

with new ideas and perspectives.

We say that America is a “nation of immigrants,” and this is certainly true, but all civilization owes a debt of gratitude to immigrants. Civilization would not have developed and evolved as quickly as it has if not for the movement of people across geographic boundaries. When people immigrate, they bring diverse sets of knowledge and backgrounds that spark innovation in all disciplines, from science, engineering, and medicine, to the arts, literature, and law. Simply put, humanity as we know it would not exist but for immigrants.

America—more so than many countries steeped in hundreds of years of ancestry that predate the Enlightenment and the concept of national sovereignty—was founded on ideas moreso than land. The place that we call America has changed many times: the geographical boundaries of what now constitutes the contiguous United States has changed at least 10 times since America declared independence from Great Britain, and we’ve added some archipelagoes and the land mass known as Alaska along the way. The land that makes up the United States has always been less important than the idea of America.

We give thanks that our Founding Fathers understood the importance of the idea of America, and designed a nation that would welcome diversity and adapt to shifting cultures and demographics throughout time. We are thankful that the idea of America has proved so attractive over its history that so many great thinkers, entrepreneurs, and nonconformists born elsewhere have sought to be a part of this Great Experiment.

We will remain attractive in the 21st century only if we reaffirm our commitment to be a nation

united by grand ideas rather than a country fixed by (and fixated on) borders.

We give thanks that the Pilgrims who landed ashore were welcomed by the native population, and were not turned away to face the demons that forced them to leave their homes. We celebrate the breaking of bread between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans, remembering that whatever our personal histories may be, we can find common ground and peace with our fellow man. America has not always lived up to this ideal of interpersonal understanding and peace (the abhorrent treatment of Native Americans is one example), but on Thanksgiving, we can put aside our differences and remember that we can be great only when we are good.

Thanksgiving should be filled with love and harmony, and as we consider our many blessings, we should count among them the basic human right to seek a better life and travel to a new land. This Thanksgiving, thank an immigrant for making the brave decision to leave home and start a new life in America. Without them, we would not be the country that we are, or the country that we can be. *** REEVES IMMIGRATION LAW GROUP is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration fi rms in the United States with offi ces in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Manila and China.

For more Information please call (800) 7958009 or visit www.rreeves.com.

Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com. *** The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case.

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Two magical words “...And I think about those people who mean so much to me And for so many years have made me so very happy And I count the times I have forgotten to say “THANK YOU” And how much I love them.”

– “Sometimes”, Richard & Karen Carpenter far simpler time compared to the complexities we are all faced with.

And yet they leave behind lessons of love that result in devotion and fidelity. Surely, we can learn a lot about nurturing human relations from those who have gone before us.

This I have learned from an older generation at an early age. Of all the powerful words in the English language, the words “Thank you” are like magic wands in helping transform human relationships, marriage in particular, happier.

Not perfect … just happier.

You don’t even have to say the words. You can acknowledge anything good done for you by your partner by a sweet gesture, a nod, a smile, a touch or anything else that works for you that says

“thank you.”

In short, don’t take your partner for granted. Whether you’ve been together 50 days or 50 years, those words never get old.

If you want that most powerful emotion called love to live on, treat your partner like a gardener takes care of a plant. Most plants cannot survive without water, light, soil and other optimum conditions kept at a consistent basis.

The human heart is like that. It grows strong and beautiful with constant, devoted care.

Saying “thank you” to your partner in life as often as you can, simply means you appreciate him or her. You are validating his worth as a person. Perhaps, being appreciated and shown respect is PAGE B6

Your heart heart relaxes to accept more oxygenated blood from the lungs, and prepares to pump blood out of its chambers again.

How powerful is the heart contraction?

The heart contraction is so powerful that it approximates the force one needs to give a tennis ball a hard and full squeeze with all your might. The cardiac muscles work twice as hard as the leg muscles of a person running full speed. The hydraulic force generated is necessary to propel rapidly the blood that circulates about 13 kilometers per minute, or 780 kilometers per hour, about four times the speed of the fastest racing car there is.

Will an isolated heart beat on its own?

The muscle of the heart is a specialized one that beats on its own (automaticity) and one that has its own rhythm (rhythmicity), even when cut off from the body and lying on a surface. The isolated heart in this situation will beat continuously until its own residual energy is used up, which is within about 4 minutes. It then ceases movement.

What is the normal heart rate?

This varies from individual to individual, depending on the age, condition of the body, and the health of the person. A wellconditioned athlete may have a heart rate of 35 a minute and feel great, but this rate would cause almost all of us, non-athletes, to feel faint and pass out, or in the very least, feel very dizzy and weak. On the average though, the normal resting rate (medically speaking) is from 60 to 100 beats per minute. Anything below 60 is

called bradycardia (too slow heart rate), and a rate higher than 100 is tachycardia (too fast a heart rate).

Among children the range is between 90-120 beats a minute.

How much blood does a person have?

The adult human body has about 5.6 liters (6 quarts) of blood in the circulation. These 6 quarts completes a full round of circulation throughout the body about every 20 seconds. The blood travels a total of about 19,000 kilometers (12,000 miles) in 24 hours, which is about four times the distance from California to New York, or roughly five times the air miles from San Francisco to Manila. About one million barrels of blood is pumped by the heart in an average life span, a volume enough to fill more than three super tankers.

Where does the blood go?

The blood pumped by the heart goes out through the ascending aorta, the largest artery in the body (about half the size of an average wrist), that is connected to the heart, and circulates through the various arterial branches and capillaries to the brain and to all other vital organs (liver, pancreas, kidneys, adrenals, intestines, sex organs, etc.). The capillaries are terminal or end arteries, the size of which is about one-tenth the size of the human hair. These are the tiny vessels that actually bring blood to the tissues and cells of the various parts of the body.

How does blood get oxygen and nutrition?

The nutrition and oxygen in the blood are used up by the tissues and cells. The used blood (now containing much less oxygen PAGE B6

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 22-28, 2018

Calendar of Events across

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America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS N OV E M B E R - D EC E M B E R 1 2

JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles features Sou Fujimoto: Futures of the Future exhibition JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles is pleased to announce the upcoming SOU FUJIMOTO: FUTURES OF THE FUTURE exhibition, taking place Oct. 27 - Dec. 12, 2018 at JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles, located at Hollywood & Highland. Named the Wall Street Journal’s Architecture Innovator of The Year in 2014, Fujimoto has designed public and private buildings around the world since establishing his atelier in 2000. This exhibition is a showcase of over 100 models and largescale photographs of past and current projects by the celebrated Japanese architect. Fujimoto addresses many opposite concepts, including the recurring theme the “primitive future.” This apparent contradiction refers to the primordial, intuitive moments that reconnect us with our own humanity, and open us up to new possibilities. His designs often feature juxtapositions of outside and inside, nature and urbanity, objects and spaces, public and private. And, his work considers the macro and micro: when does an object become a space? Exhibition dates from Oct. 27 to Dec. 12 are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, except Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Closed Thanksgiving Day 11/22). JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles is located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028 (inside Hollywood & Highland). Admission is free. For more information, please call (800) 516-0565 or visit https://www.japanhouse.jp/losangeles/events/.

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Art exhibit inspired by Filipino food movement in Santa Ana, CA In “Super Sarap” — from November 3 to December 15 at Gallery 6/67 — three artists Mik Gaspay, Jeanne Jalandoni, and O.M. France Viana revisit commonplace objects and food within Filipino cooking. Through sculpture and photography, the artists elicit personal and collective memories and offer cultural connections that go beyond the Philippine diaspora. The exhibition title, “Super Sarap,” fuses both English and Tagalog together, to hold multiple meanings. It can convey something that is extremely delicious, an expression of excitement and affirmation. Artists in “Super Sarap” play with these definitions and mutate symbols, making them both strange and familiar, challenging the expectations of cultural norms. It is guest curated by Patricia Cariño Valdez, an independent curator based in Oakland, CA. In addition to the exhibit, there will be two art and culinary events: an intimate four-course gourmet dinner prepared by acclaimed Orange County Chefs, Ross Pangilinan of Mix Mix Kitchen Bar on November 15 and Chef Ryan Garlitos of Irenia Restaurant on December 9 combined with an exhibition walk-through. The opening reception for Super Sarap will be on Saturday, November 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. Gallery 6/67 is located at 404 West 4th St., Suite K (2nd floor), Santa Ana, CA 92701. Gallery visits are by appointment. For more information about the exhibit and related events, visit https://www. gallery667.com.

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Quarter Madness at Holy Name of Mary Parish in San Dimas, CA Quarter Madness is a fundraiser on Saturday, November 24 that is full of fun and excitement.

It will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Holy Name of Mary Parish at 724 E. Bonita Avenue, San Dimas, CA 91773. Those who attend may find themselves raising bidding paddles for items that they may want to get. There are several vendors with a variety of items to bid for. Vendors will put up items and if you are interested on these items, you make a bid using quarters only.

There will be many items for yourself and/or for your friends. Come and celebrate with us this day as we raise funds for the poorest of the poor in Bagong Silang, Philippines. Your support will provide livelihood tools, and feeding programs. FCHNM projects include winter shelter and faith formation programs. Ticket donation: $20 includes lunch, dessert, bidding paddle. The event is sponsored by Bagong Silang Mission/ Philippines and Filipino Catholics of Holy Name of Mary Parish. For contact information, please contact Nora Prescott at (909) 525-2124.

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Healing Mass with Rev. Fr. Corsie Legaspi in La Puente, CA Come experience the healing power led by Rev. Fr. Corsie Legaspi on Friday, November 30 at 7 p.m. It will be held at St. Martha Catholic Church (444 N. Azusa Ave., La Puente, CA 91744).

Contact Rainier Valenzuela at (626) 964-4313 for more information.

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NAFFAA hosts civic leadership forum in Carson, CA The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) will have a civic leadership forum on Saturday, December 1 in Carson, CA from 1 to 5 p.m. It is a free event focused on civic leadership and empowerment within the Filipino-American community. Following the forum will be a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. It will be held at the Carson Community Center on 801 E. Carson St. Carson, CA 90745. To RSVP, visit naffaa.org/events.

“Pasko Na Naman” in Glendale, CA The Federation of Filipino Rosary Groups will sponsor a fundraiser entitled: “Pasko Na Naman 3” on Saturday, December 1, 2018 at Incarnation Community Center (214 Fairview Avenue, Glendale, CA 91208) starting at 3:30 p.m. The presentation’s theme is: Tapestry of Music and Dance which will show a variety of music and dances in the Philippines especially at Christmas time. The show is filled with talented artists who give to the community with generous hearts.

Bre Harris and Matt San Jose will portray the role of friends who happened to have shared a common denominator about life in the Philippines; depicted through choral singing and folk dancing. The performers are: Malaya Filipino American Dance Arts, Holy Family Adult Choir under the direction of Tom Makiling and the Spirit of God Community under the direction of Ralph Santiago. “Ninangs” and “ Ninongs “ will also be presented. Pasko na Naman presentation is on its third year. This show will bring nostalgia especially to those who miss their families at Christmas time. Benefactors of proceeds include but are not limited to: Channel of Charity feeding and scholarship programs, FFRG faith formation events and projects. Come one! Come all! Feel the scents and sights of Filipino Christmas. The audience will also enjoy “merienda cena” at intermission. Ticket donation is $20.00 per person. For souvenir ad and ticket information, contact Tess Domingo at (909) 855-2208 or Carol Evangelista at (909) 969-3316.

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Healing Mass with Rev. Fr. Corsie Legaspi in Los Angeles Come experience the healing power led by Rev. Fr. Corsie Legaspi on Monday, December 3 at 7 p.m. It will be held at St. Bernard Church (2500 W. Ave 33, Los Angeles, CA 90065). Contact Puri Narvaez at (818) 543-1831 for more information.

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Healing Mass with Rev. Fr. Corsie Legaspi in Montebello, CA Come experience the healing power led by Rev. Fr. Corsie Legaspi on Tuesday, December 4 at 7 p.m. It will be held at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (820 N. Garfield Ave., Montebello, CA 90640). Contact Frenz Rivera (626) 338-7898 for more information.

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Healing Mass with Rev. Fr. Corsie Legaspi in Reseda, CA Come experience the healing power led by Rev. Fr. Corsie Legaspi on Wednesday, December 5 at 7 p.m. It will be held at St. Catherine of Siena (18115 Sherman Way, Reseda, CA 91335). Contact Divinia Encina at (310) 212-6083 or Rosalie Corpuz at (626) 825-5327 for more information

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UP Alumni Association Berkeley Chapter Celebrates 50th Anniversary The University of the Philippines (UP) Alumni Association (Berkeley Chapter) is celebrating its Golden Jubilee with a luncheon party from 11am to 4pm on December 29, 2018 at the Oakhurst Country Club in Clayton, California. All present and former members are invited, including alumni or graduates of the university’s high schools in Manila and Diliman, and the different institutes, colleges and campuses of the University. Interested parties are requested to get in touch with the following: Daisy Rodriguez (916) 768-9955, Henrietta Fajardo-Boyd (925) 433-3359, Diosy Rey (707) 315-2351 or Jay Castro (925) 899-8881.

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

B November 22-28, 2018 • LAS veGAS ASIAN JoUrNAL

EntErtainmEnt

Fil-Am animator Josie Trinidad would love...

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Wreck-It Ralph 2,” video-game bad guy Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) and best friend Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) leave the comforts of Litwak’s arcade in an attempt to save her game, Sugar Rush.

Their quest takes them to the vast, uncharted world of the internet where they rely on the citizens of the internet—the Netizens—to help navigate their way. Lending a virtual hand are Yesss (voice of Taraji P. Henson), the head algorithm and the heart and soul of the trend-making site “BuzzzTube,”

and Shank (voice of Gal Gadot), a tough-as-nails driver from a gritty online auto-racing game called Slaughter Race, a place Vanellope wholeheartedly embraces—so much so that Ralph worries he may lose the only friend he has ever had.

Filipino Disney character soon?

Want to see a Filipino Disney character? For Fil-Am Disney animator Josie Trinidad, she would love to see a Filipina Disney princess warrior and definitely thinks “that’s in the future.”

“I definitely think that there

Josie is the film’s co-head of story, overseeing the team responsible for translating the script to its first visual form.

PAGE B5 and more carbon dioxide, lactic acid and other “waste products”) travels back from the tissues and cells to lungs for oxygenation.

Then blood goes to the heart for pumping to all organs, like the liver where toxins will be detoxified, to the kidneys that will filter the waste products and passed out through the urine, to the stomach and intestines where it will be replenished with new nutrition.

The used blood then flows back to the lungs. After the oxygenation, the blood flows into the heart, ready to be pumped back into the circulation once again. And the cycle goes on.

How strong is our heart?

A healthy heart can take a lot of beating (no pun intended). It is one of the most powerful pumps in the world, even when compared to the mechanical ones built by man. Self-contained, self-propelled, energy-efficient, the heart works without stopping, and can survive grave insults and abuses we, humans, subject it to day in and day out.

Is mechanical heart better?

Certainly not. Not yet, anyway.

Your heart The man-made hydraulic-driven artificial or mechanical heart prosthesis available today is still no match to the one we were born with. Besides being a bulky foreign body and made of hardware not as soft and tender as our body tissues, it also requires electrical energy from outside the body and the use of anticoagulants to prevent thrombosis (blood clots, which can cause stroke). The mechanical heart is also prone to infection and not as durable as a natural heart. At the present, the artificial heart leaves too much to be desired.

When is artificial heart used?

Mechanical heart is helpful as a bridge to heart transplantation, implanted temporarily (for a few weeks or so) while a transplant patient waits for a human donor heart, but not as a long-term, permanent, heart replacement.

Obviously, of course, a suitable permanent mechanical heart with as close inherent features as those of the human heart is the ultimate goal of ongoing researches around the world.

When that day comes, a dying

will be a lot of stories that can come from and be inspired by the Philippines because culturally, artistically, creatively, it’s such a rich world that (it) would be very exciting to see. And I definitely think that’s in the future,” Josie told the media, including The Star when asked about the possibility of a Philippines-inspired Disney animation similar to other “culturally-themed” films like Coco (Mexico) or Moana (Polynesian islands).

On bringing the Filipino culture to Disney “At Disney animation, there are at least three Filipinos working in the story department. I have a friend named Jo Mateo, he’s been there with me since I started working there, he’s like my kuya.

There’s a kinship that I feel with other Filipinos… it’s just a shared experience that I know, it’s like I’m with family.

“As far as bringing our culture? I think it just happens…

For example, there are a lot of Filipinos working in Disney Animation as well. It’s just nice to see familiar faces who have shared experiences, and I can go there and just kind of know that I’m in a trusting environment.”

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

Vice Ganda speaks up on removal of Filipino, Panitikan as core college subjects MUCH noise has surrounded the Supreme Court’s decision of declaring the K-12 program constitutional, which renders Filipino and Panitikan (Philippine Literature) excluded from the core subjects in college.

From professors to lawmakers, many have surely given their take.

Celebrities’ sentiments, too, are not unheard in the issue, as the likes of comedian Kakai Bautista, and now Vice Ganda, have also given their opinion regarding the court’s decision.

Vice Ganda used noontime variety show “It’s Showtime” last Nov. 14 as his platform to share his thoughts, going back and forth with co-host Vhong Navarro on the matter. Navarro, at one point, told Vice Ganda that kids these days are more inclined to speak English.

“Eh kasi ngayon diba sabi ko nga sayo yung mga kabataan ngayon hindi na nila alam yung ibig sabihin ng Tagalog, lahat alam nila English (Isn’t it that these days, like I’ve told you, children no longer know what Tagalog means, all they know is English),” Navarro said.

Vice Ganda echoed Navarro’s sentiments, saying that some would even ask what panitikan means.

“Pag sinabing panitikan, ano ba yung panitikan? Mas alam yung literature kesa sa panitikan.

At tsaka ang daming college students na mas magaling mag Ingles kesa managalog at mag Filipino (When we say panitikan, what is that? Literature is better known over panitikan. And there are so many college students who

cardiac patient would not have to wait for a compatible donor to die before getting heart transplant. The cardiac surgeon then would simply ask the operating room nurse for the appropriate size artificial heart from the shelves (much like asking for a pacemaker today) to be implanted on the patient. By then too, coronary bypass, heart valve surgery, and most cardiac surgeries, would be a thing of the past, and the millions of lives lost annually around the globe today from severe and end-stage heart diseases would be saved. As a PAGE B2 cardiac surgeon, I can’t wait for the show like a badass. No one knew a reunion was happening. that dream to come true.

The whole top-tier of the rows *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac (was) the who’s who of Hollywood.

Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and Then, there was paparazzi running chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 after you. I really had to hide out. It at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he was a pretty heavy situation. There holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, were people in that show who had is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow been to every single show for the of the American College of Surgeons, the last three years. And they cry, they Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton freak out, they’re like the same A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He since that Day 1. They just love the is the chairman of the Filipino United Network music and the band so much. That – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation first show was just so crazy!”

On being the first and only in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@ female in the band: gmail.com “I think it’s awesome. I feel that there are two sides to that coin.

Sometimes, it’s a little heavy being the only chick but obviously, you also have the opportunity to be yes, girl power! You know what I mean? And I think that’s the most important thing to take away from it, for both the fans and for me. It is to be like, I’m repping for chicks, you know, and for young people around the world. That you can work as hard as you can and get to like a level like this for your own thing. This is possible! Break the glass ceiling!”

On performing with the rock legends: “Not to be repetitious, but they’re iconic. It just feels like larger than life. It doesn’t feel real sometimes. At this point, too, there is so much happening on stage musically and little things going on between band members, you’re so into the music, you forget you’re before 100,000 people.

Vice Ganda Photo from Instagram/@praybeytbenjamin

are better in English compared with their fluency in Tagalog or Filipino),” Vice Ganda said.

He then posed the question whether Filipinos truly know the Filipino language or not: “Ang Pilipino ba talaga ay alam na alam na talaga ang lahat, ang pasikutsikot tungkol sa wikang Filipino o hindi ba? (Is Filipino truly already known by all? The intricacies of the Filipino language, or not yet?)”

He also brought up the matter of the Korean language being taught in public high schools, as per a memorandum of agreement that the Department of Education and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea signed last June 2017.

“Masakit pa diyan kaya maraming tumatalak kasi tatanggalin daw yung Filipino pero iniisip nilang isama ang Korean language para pag-aralan (What is even more painful, and why a lot are making noise, is that Filipino will be allegedly removed while

Korean is being considered to be taught.)”

For Vice Ganda, it seemed as if learning other languages is prioritized, even though he said that there is nothing wrong in learning a language different from one’s own.

Navarro, on his end, brought up other people’s false notion that a person is more classy if they speak in English, one that Vice Ganda called nothing but a load of “kag*guhan” (silliness).

In the end, Vice Ganda expressed his hopes that the issue be looked into and studied more closely, saying, “Pag-aralan sana, pag-aralan kung ano talaga ang makakabuti. (I hope it gets studied; I hope [the authorities] get to analyze what would really be for the good.)”

Meanwhile the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) last Nov. 14 stated that it will be looking into the Supreme Court’s decision of excluding the subjects from the college curriculum.

Their statement comes after various group’s plans on working to reverse the ruling came to light, arguing that CHEd violated the Organic Act of the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino, the Education Act of 1982, and the Organic Act of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

The Supreme Court, however, stated that the groups’ allegations that CHEd removed the subjects were “incorrect.” As per the court, the changes in the core subjects were done to ensure that Filipino and Panitikan will not be duplicated in grade school, high school and college. (Inquirer.net)

Fil-Am brings girl power to...

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Melissa Reese is being celebrated in rock circles as the only female member of the iconic American rock band Guns N’ Roses.

Photo from Facebook/ Guns N’ Roses

“I remember in Peru, the tickets were expensive, people saved up to watch us. That was also a touching thing how much these people who really have nothing saved all their money to come to the show.

My tech, the dude that helps me set up everything, said, check that out, Blue, they call me that. There’s this huge sea of people and you can see this mountain, they look like stars, thousands of lights, and he said, those are the people who can’t afford. But you can see their cellphone lights, and they’re trying to hear the music from the mountain, and it was so touching.

God!” On what she has learned from GnR: “What do you not learn from these people? They are a gem, they keep their bodies in check, they work on themselves. Of course, they’re GnR. There’s also a need to preserve that attitude, still this

iconic thing being looked up to. In music these days, I feel like a lot has been missing, I don’t want to say marginalized, but I’d like to say homogenized because everybody is able to do it which is a great thing to do, YouTube, Soundcloud and all the musical stuff. Everybody is a legend in their own line.

But this thing is one of the things that still exist where for people, they’re still up there. This hope, this nostalgia. I can look up to this greatness and be like whoa, dude, I need to get my act together and work that hard to be that rad. To have that look, that vibe, I mean it doesn’t just happen anymore, you know what I mean?

“I think what I learn is to also just how to carry that with grace because they really do and to be hardworking, to have healthy boundaries. And just be really good people, be smart and really normal underneath it all.”

Two magical...

next on the list of the most basic needs of a human being after the needs of food, clothing and shelter are met.

The words may not come naturally to you and your partner may be stunned at first but go ahead.

Give it a try and say “thank you.”

Say ‘em like you mean ‘em. Look for the small gestures such as giving you a cup of coffee, opening your car door, doing housework, cleaning your car or filling up your gas tank. Just don’t take what he does for you as a given.

Or how about taking the initiative yourself? If you do it long enough and often enough, he might mirror your behavior. What goes around comes around.

If he brings home the paycheck that pays for your family life, then treat him like a king. Often, the goodhearted partner will treat you like his queen. There are exceptions, of course. It is only the jerks and the jackasses who abuse their positions of strength.

That holds true for both sexes.

If there is constant, sincere appreciation shifting back and forth between partners, you are, in effect, cementing a foundation for a relationship that would be tough to crack even if a threat to your marriage, like a pretty, young vixen with mile-long legs comes along making a play for your partner. Likewise, a smooth talking, slick Pepe Le Pew character with washboard abs would smell more like Brad’s sweaty armpit and would have no chance with a woman who already has a man at

home she can canoodle with.

What is good for the gander is good for the goose. There may be scores of women out there right now who feel neglected by their spouses. Maybe there’s another woman or man waiting in the wings. But more often than not during this Age of Distraction, the disaffection is rooted in self-absorption. And there lies the problem. Women need, want and crave appreciation just as much as men, if not more.

Self-love takes many forms — whether it is playing video games or social networking on FB or some such platform on the internet for hours on end; binge drinking; gambling; watching or playing golf or any other sport; vain, self-obsession as a health nut or on becoming an Adonis body-building hunk or going to the deep end of things, deviant sex and pornography. Excessive time spent on these obsessions is time stolen from nurturing the love relationship. Watch out for these modern-day distractions and addictions that are just too many to list. Okay, let’s call a spade a spade. These are sins.

Admit them if you have them and break the bonds with firm resolve. If you want true love and happiness, strive for balance and moderation.

In all cases of neglect, love is left to wither and die. Women who feel neglected, if driven to their limits, may throw all caution to the wind and look for love from the first opportunistic guy that comes along ready to engage in

mild flirtation, an occasional dalliance or a full blown affair and gives them the attention and validation they crave. Such women can make disastrous, life-changing decisions that cause not only personal damage but also leave behind in the wake of a messy split, massive psychological, irreversible damage to children and other people involved in the couple’s orbit.

Say “thank you” and mean it.

Don’t just do it out of habit. Cut off the cellphone “umbilical cord” and make eye contact. Open your eyes and see the good in your partner. Wisdom, as they say, is knowing what to overlook. Rein in that critical sharp tongue. The tongue is a small yet powerful muscle that can lash out, slash and burn a relationship forever.

The effect is amplified a million times when you write it down or use the web to vent your fury.

When you document your anger on paper and more frequently these days online, you have entered “scorched earth” territory.

There is little chance of ever going back.

(To be continued in next week’s issue…) *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com. To read past articles, click on the link Online: http://issuu.com/ asianjournaldigitaledition” http://issuu. com/asianjournaldigitaledition or you can do searches in the least invasive search engine duckduckgo or bing or yahoo even before agenda-driven google.

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEmbER 22-28, 2018

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