120421 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

DECEMBER 4-7, 2021 Volume 31 - No. 96 • 2 Sections – 18 Pages

USA

DATELINE US tightens travel restrictions over omicron variant FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

THE United States is going to require all air travellers entering the country to show a negative COVID-19 test performed within one day of departure in an attempt to slow the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the new one-day testing requirement would apply to U.S. citizens as well as foreign nationals.

Prior to this new rule, vaccinated international air travelers could present a negative test result obtained within three days from their point of departure.

According to Reuters, the administration is also considering whether to require air travelers to get another COVID-19 test within three to five days after arrival in the United States.

The first reported case of the omicron variant has been identified in the U.S. and according to the CDC, the case was detected in a

LA County documents first case of COVID omicron variant Officials caution against possible surges, encourage unvaccinated residents to get their shots

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

AS the third year of coronavirus looms, the threat of the new omicron has been detected in Los Angeles County, public health officials confirmed on

Thursday, Dec. 2.

According to a county press release, a fully vaccinated individual returned to their residence in LA County after traveling from South Africa through London, England on Nov. 22. The individual is

Meet the young Filipinos who made Forbes’ ‘30 Under 30’ class of 2022

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

u PAGE A3

ALL SET. Workers make a last-minute cleanup in a community amusement park in Barangay Salitran 3, Dasmariñas City, Cavite on Friday, December 3. The park will start its month-long operations on December 4 and will impose basic health protocols, such as temperature checks, wearing of face masks, and physical distancing.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

Romualdez virtually joined the conferment ceremony held at Malacañang from Washington, DC. The embassy’s former minister and consul, Gunther Sales, accepted the award on the ambassador’s behalf. Philstar.com photo by Efigenio Toledo

PH envoy to US feted for exemplary service

PRESIDENT Duterte has conferred on Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez the Order of Sikatuna, Rank of Datu, Gold Distinction, in recognition of his efforts in strengthening the long-standing comprehensive and thriving ties between the Philippines and the U.S. Romualdez virtually joined the conferment ceremony held at Malacañang from Washington, DC. The embassy’s former minister and consul, Gunther Sales, accepted the award

u PAGE A4

currently isolating at home and improving without medical care — anyone who came into contact with the infected person tested negative for COVID, officials said. u PAGE A2

THE year 2021 was a complicated year for the Filipino American community.

As Filipinos (and Asians and Asian Americans in general) continue to fight misinformation and bigotry of anti-Asian hate, communities are seeking respite and unity amid the tragedies of COVID-19.

However devastating and hopeless the year may have been for Filipinos, there were plenty of high points and young members of the community stepping up and providing inspiration to the masses.

Every year, Forbes releases its “30 Under 30” list which honors innovators, tastemakers, and influencers under 30 years old to show that wisdom and tenacity can manifest even in younger generations.

The class of 2022 is one of the most diverse lists since the magazine began its “30 Under 30” lists 10 years ago. According to the magazine, nearly half of the in-

u PAGE A4

DOJ may probe Quiboloy, but gov’t waiting for US evidence first MANILA — The Philippine government can investigate Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, indicted on sex trafficking charges in the United States, but they will have to wait for evidence from American authorities, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said.

This is to avoid duplication of efforts if the offense and the victims are the same in American and Philippine jurisdictions, the justice secretary explained to reporters.

“If the evidence further shows that some acts other than those covered by the U.S. indictment have been committed here, then that’s cue to conduct a separate domestic investigation,” Guevarra said.

U.S. prosecutors last week announced sex

trafficking charges against Quiboloy and two top officials of Kingdom of Jesus, The Name Above Every Name. They are accused of recruiting females aged 12 to 25 to work as personal assistants or “pastorals” for the religious leader.

Pastorals supposedly prepared Quiboloy’s meals, cleaned his residences, gave him massages and were required to have sex with him in what they called “night duty.”

Guevarra told reporters that they are still waiting for the official extradition request from the U.S. They are expecting that this will come with a copy of the charging document. Rappler CEO Maria Ressa On the case against Quiboloy, the justice u PAGE A3

Corruption in PH: Where presidential aspirants stand

by KURT

DELA PEÑA Inquirer.net

MANILA — Ending corruption in government was one of Rodrigo Duterte’s promises when he was still campaigning for president.

His famous quote then: “I can’t promise heaven but I will stop corruption.”

In 2016, he was elected as president by 16,601,997 Filipinos who believed his “iron fist” would end “endemic” corruption in the Philippines. He had said he would end corruption in three to

six months.

Pulse Asia, in September 2016, said 79 percent of Filipinos approved of Duterte’s efforts against corruption, way higher than the late President Benigno Aquino III’s 56 percent in March 2011 and former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s 32 percent in October 2004.

In September 2021, however, less than a year before the end of his regime and as Senate investigations exposed irregularities in the government’s COVID19 supply contracts, Filipinos u PAGE A3

Inquirer.net file photo

Appeals court OKs Ressa’s travel plea to receive Nobel

by KRISTINE JOY

Philstar.com

PATAG

MANILA — The Court of Appeals has granted Rappler CEO Maria Ressa’s request to be allowed to travel to Norway to personally receive her Nobel Peace Prize.

The CA Special Seventh Division granted Ressa’s Urgent Motion to Travel and leave for Oslo, Norway from December 8 to 13, “only for the purpose of attending the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony.”

The CA held that Ressa’s travel to Norway is “necessary and urgent,” and that she is “not a flight risk.”

Ressa, however, must first return to the Philippines on December 2 from the United States, where she was previously allowed to attend a series of lectures at the Harvard University and visit her family.

Ressa is currently on postconviction bail and is seeking the reversal of the Manila court’s conviction before the CA. Ressa, Rappler CEO, won the Nobel Peace Prize, along with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, for being “representatives of all journalists who stand up for [freedom of expression] in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face inu PAGE A3

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FROM THE FRONT PAGE

LA County documents first...

PAGE A1

“Throughout the pandemic, we have always known there would be more mutations, resulting in the possibility of a more dangerous variant than the Delta variant,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of Public Health.

The county is reiterating its urge for residents to get vaccinated against COVID, saying that the “vaccines are effective against the Delta variant and earlier strains of the virus, which allows us to remain hopeful that the approved vaccines will also provide some protection against Omicron.”

As of Friday, Dec. 3, nearly three-quarters of the county population 12 years old and older has been fully vaccinated. Only 14% of children aged 5-11 have received at least one dose of Pfizer, which was cleared for use among that age bracket in October.

“While we can’t know for certain the impact of Omicron at this time, the good news is that we already know how to reduce transmission and slow spread using both pharmaceutical and

non-pharmaceutical interventions,” Ferrer said. “I encourage everyone to take the steps that we know offer protection, including getting vaccinated or boosted, tested if you feel sick or are a close contact, and wearing your mask indoors and at large mega events.”

Omicron, which is named after the letter in the Greek alphabet, was designated a “variant of concern” on Nov. 26 by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is unclear where the variant originated from, but it was first detected in South Africa, which is currently experiencing a spike in positive Covid cases.

The variant has been seen in travelers arriving in countries across the world: so far, the variant has been detected in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, China, Japan, Australia, Nigeria, Botswana, South Africa, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland, according to WHO. U.S. President Joe Biden

warned that infections in the U.S. are likely to increase this winter while laying out broad plans to tackle the highly contagious new variant.

“We’re going to fight this variant with science and speed, not chaos and confusion,” he said, speaking at the National Institutes of Health medical research facility in Maryland.

Under his plan, the government will require international travelers coming to the U.S. to be tested for coronavirus within one day of departure, regardless of vaccination status. Mask mandates on public transportation will extend to March 18.

The first known transmission in the U.S. occurred in Minnesota, after the patient reportedly attended an anime convention in New York, which discovered five cases of omicron. The new variant was also detected in Colorado. The first case in California was detected in San Francisco, from a traveler who was vaccinated but had not received a booster shot, officials confirmed. ■

BOOSTERS FOR WORKERS, INDIGENTS. Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III (right) and Dasmariñas City Mayor Jennifer Barzaga (left), a registered nurse by profession, administer a COVID-19 booster shot to two persons during the rollout of the jabs for essential workers (A4) and the indigent population (A5) at the De La Salle University campus in Dasmariñas City, Cavite on Friday, December 3. Local government units were earlier allowed to extend the three-day ‘Bayanihan, Bakunahan’ massive vaccination drive until Friday.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

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DOJ may probe Quiboloy, but gov’t waiting...

PAGE A1 secretary pointed out that human trafficking “may be a transnational crime where various elements of the offense are committed in different jurisdictions.”

“That’s why we need to see the evidence in the hands of the U.S. No point in duplicating efforts if the offense and the victims are

exactly the same in both jurisdictions,” he added.

This new indictment, which includes six other individuals, expands on allegations made last year against three KOJC administrators based in Los Angeles that they oversaw a labor trafficking scheme that forced church members to solicit donations for a bo-

gus children’s charity.

In October 2018, Hawaii News Now reported that a former KOJC member accused Quiboloy of running a “child sex ring.” Earlier that year, federal agents also found $350,000 worth of cash and gun parts inside his private jet. (Kristine Joy Patag with reports from Xave Gregorio/Philstar.com)

US tightens travel restrictions over...

MERCI BEAUCOUP, FRANCE. National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. (6th from right), French Ambassador to the Philippines Michèle Boccoz (beside Galvez) and World Health Organization Philippines Representative Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe (4th from right) pose for a photo opportunity shortly after the arrival of 1,632,900 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine at the NAIA Terminal 3 on Wednesday, December 1. Boccoz said more donated vaccine doses are arriving soon.

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

Corruption in PH: Where presidential...

PAGE A1 who approved of Duterte’s fight against corruption declined to 52 percent.

The Philippines, in the last four years, had an average rating of 34 out of 100 in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index with 1 being the highest ranking: • 2017: 34 points (rank 111) • 2018: 36 points (rank 99) • 2019: 34 points (rank 113) • 2020: 34 points (rank 115) • Deputy Ombudsman Cyril Ramos said in 2019 that the government had lost an estimated P670 billion in 2017 and P752 billion in 2018 because of corruption, explaining that 20 percent of yearly government resources were lost to corruption.

• In his last State of the Nation Address, the President said corruption was “endemic in government”. Looking back, corruption has been persistent in nearly all administrations that governed the country since the downfall of the Marcos dictatorship.

• The Political and Economic Risk Consultancy said in 2007 that the Philippines was ranked as “most corrupt” in Asia with 9.40 points. Indonesia and Thailand were both second with 8.03 points.

• In 2021, the problem, however, was Duterte’s acknowledgement of helplessness in the fight which he said he would end in three to six months. “Nobody can stop corruption unless you overturn the government completely,” he said.

The Philippines, in 2022, will elect a new president who could either put an end to corruption, diminish it or abet it.

Here’s what the current crop of presidential aspirants say: Ka Leody De Guzman De Guzman said on Oct. 26 that individuals involved in corruption and killings should be prohibited from seeking elective posts.

“A government led by officials who are allegedly corrupt, killers, and thirsty for power will never become a good government.

There should be a realization to prevent this kind of governance,” he told One News’ The Chiefs.

He said electing these kinds of officials will only make corruption endless.

Panfilo Lacson Lacson, who was among the senators assailed by Duterte for the Senate investigation of COVID-19 spending anomalies, said he would immediately sign a bank secrecy waiver on his first day in office as president.

Lacson said he expects all other officials in government to do the same.

“To ensure our people that

leadership by example will set the tone of my administration, I will lead the way by signing a waiver of my rights under the bank secrecy law and encourage all the members of the Cabinet, down to the rank and file to do the same,” he said.

He said his first 100 days in office will lay the foundation for a clean government.

Lacson also promised to catch the “big fish” in his fight against corruption.

“There must be a single standard of leadership, applicable to all. Unlike what we have seen in the past, the treatment will vary when someone close is involved, like someone who has helped a politician in the elections,” he said.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Marcos Jr. has not made any new comment yet on corruption.

However, he told CNN Philippines’ The Source in October that he was not sorry for the violations committed by his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

“I can only apologize for myself, and I am willing to do that if I have done something wrong and if that neglect or that wrongdoing has been damaging to somebody,” said Marcos Jr. “No matter what apologies you give, it won’t be enough. It’s not been enough because the political forces opposing my father, let us remember, his government fell. They won. That side of the political aisle has been dominant since 1986.”

Mayor Isko Moreno Moreno said on Oct. 1 that if he was elected as president, he would send individuals engaged in corruption to prison, saying that those who profit at the expense of Filipinos will not have a sound sleep.

“We will hold accountable those from the government who raped us and private companies that committed wrong, stole, abused their power, and we will hold them accountable in the eyes of the law,” he said.

Manny Pacquiao Pacquiao, who said he has no questionable wealth, said on Nov. 17 that he wants to see corrupt government officials in prison as he promised to bring “real change”.

“People’s heads and ears get irritated because of corruption.

I want to see these thieves in prison. That would be my happiness,” he said.

Pacquiao said he can wear expensive watches because Filipinos know where his wealth came from – his blood and sweat.

“The others pretend to be poor, they are not wearing expensive watches or they are shy to wear

Appeals court OKs Ressa’s...

PAGE A1 creasingly adverse conditions.”

Not a flight risk In its ruling dated December 3, the CA said: “A thorough review of the present urgent Motion to Travel Abroad shows that Ressa successfully proved that her intended travel to Oslo, Norway, from December 8, 2021 to December 13, 2021, is necessary and urgent.”

The CA also said that the confirmation and invitation letter for Ressa clearly indicates that the awarding will be conducted physically and Nobel laureate is expected to receive it in person — refuting claims by the Office of the Solicitor General in its opposition.

OSG lawyers opposed Ressa’s motion to travel and claimed that she is considered a flight risk, as supposedly seen in her “recurring criticisms of the Philippine legal processes.” Government lawyers also said the purpose cited by Ressa “does not show compelling reason for the court to permit her travel.”

But the CA pointed out that it already deemed that Ressa is not a flight risk in its October 18, 2021 resolution, and the finding remains true when she filed her latest motion to travel.

“While Ressa has yet to comply with the conditions imposed on her fifth Urgent Motion to

Travel Abroad, specifically, to return to the Philippines after her engagement in the U.S.A. on December 2, 2021, any allegation that Ressa would be absconding is merely speculative at this moment,” the court also said.

It also noted that Ressa submitted to the court a confirming itinerary of her return and has committed that she will inform the court of her arrival to the Philippines. “Indeed, these show that Ressa intends to immediately return the conclusion of the Nobel Peace Prize Award ceremony,” it said.

“Considering that Ressa has proved that her intended travel is necessary and urgent, and she is not a flight risk, there is no reason to deny the Urgent Motion to Travel Abroad,” the ruling read.

The CA, however, said it cannot consider Ressa’s alternative prayer to extend her stay in the US until December 8 to fly from there to Norway. This means that she has to return to the Philippines on December 2, and inform the Court within 24 hours as indicated in the previous ruling.

Associate Justice Geraldine Fiel-Macaraig wrote the decision, with concurrences from Associate Justices Ruben Reynaldo Roxas and Raymond Reynold Lauigan. ■

it because they know where their wealth came from,” he said.

Vice President Leni Robredo Robredo said on Oct. 29 that while those seeking elective posts would promise to fight corruption, Filipinos should check if the commitment was genuine.

“When elections come, we all make promises. We say we are against corruption. But what will be the people’s assurance that we are really against corruption once we get elected? Always check where we came from,” she said.

Explaining her record, she said the Office of the Vice President received the highest Commission on Audit rating for three consecutive years. It proves her stance against corruption, she said. ■

PAGE A1 person in California, an individual who returned from South Africa on November 22. There are currently no confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in New York City.

The CDC lists about 80 foreign destinations as having “Level Four,” its highest level of COVID19 transmission. Americans are discouraged Americans from travelling to those destinations.

Close monitoring As part of his efforts to beat back the COVID-19 pandemic and encourage San Diegans to get vaccinated, Mayor Todd Gloria on Monday, Nov. 29 discussed the City’s Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.

Gloria explained that requiring city employees to get vaccinated is “an important and necessary step” to make sure they can provide essential city services while keeping city employees and the public safe as well.

“Simply put, the proposed vaccine mandate for City employees is an issue of public safety for both the community and employees,” Mayor Gloria said in a tweet. “It is also a necessary step in order for

the City to be able to efficiently provide the municipal services our residents expect.”

Aside from vaccination, Mayor Gloria said local health officials are closely monitoring the region for the omicron variant of the coronavirus, echoing what President Joe Biden said that the variant is a cause for concern, not panic.

“We’re monitoring it very closely, obviously we have made tremendous progress in pushing back on the delta variant, any new variant is going to capture a lot of our attention and so we’re watching this closely,” Mayor Gloria told NBC News.

NYC officials tells residents to mask up In New York, city officials on Tuesday, Nov. 30 strongly recommended that all New Yorkers, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks in indoor settings in an effort to try and get ahead of a new Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dave Chokshi is anticipating the detection of Omicron in New York “in the coming days, based on what we know about its global spread.”

“We still have a lot to learn about the Omicron variant, but its emergence lends urgency to the importance of the precautions we’ve all become familiar with, particularly vaccination, masking, and testing,” he said. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Dr. Chokshi issued the health advisory and said that while the new variant had not been detected yet in the five boroughs, it has ignited fears of worsening an ongoing surge in cases.

Mayor-elect Eric Adams stressed the importance of working together and thanked the South African scientists for detecting this new variant and immediately alerting the international community.

“I believe that we’re sending a clear message, being sent to New Yorkers that the vaccine is our most potent weapon, but our coordination is a close second to that. And we’re going to have that coordination,” Adams said. “And how we choose to respond as a city, we show our resolve against this virus, to each other and to the rest of the globe.” (Momar G. Visaya/AJPress)

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PH envoy to US feted for exemplary...

PAGE A1 on the ambassador’s behalf.

“The Order of Sikatuna is one of the three senior honors of the Republic conferred upon Filipino and foreign diplomats who have made immense contributions to the foreign relations of the Philippines and its geopolitical standing. This afternoon, my good friend Ambassador Jose

Manuel ‘Babe’ Romualdez will join the distinguished roster of the Order of Sikatuna awardees,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in his remarks.

While serving as Philippine envoy, Romualdez “further deepened the Philippines-U.S. alliance through enhanced defense and security cooperation,

particularly in maritime security and the upgrading of Philippine defense capabilities; for promoting trade and investment resulting in the recent entry into the Philippines of U.S.-based SBA Communications, thereby advancing the development of the country’s telecommunications technology backbone.” (Philstar.com)

Meet the young Filipinos who made Forbes’...

PAGE A1 dividuals listed identify as people of color and about a quarter are immigrants.

And, unsurprisingly, quite a few of the celebrants are members of the Filipino and Filipino American communities.

Olivia Rodrigo, singer/songwriter/actor If only one name could define the pop music genre in 2021, it would be Olivia Rodrigo. The 18year-old sensation claimed 2021 with her viral hit single “drivers license.” The award-winning torch ballad would just be the beginning of her speedy ascent, which accelerated with the May release of her debut album “SOUR,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200.

Aside from being the voice of Generation Z, Rodrigo also participated in a vaccine campaign alongside the White House to promote vaccinations among younger Americans. In the latter half of the year, the young star scooped up a bevy of awards including Best New Artist at the American Music Awards and three MTV Video Music Awards.

As if the year couldn’t get better for America’s It Girl, Rodrigo also received seven 2022 Grammy nominations.

Marianne Paguia Gonzalez, engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Lab At 29 years old, Marianne Gonzalez’s work is out of this world — literally. As a chemical engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, she has worked on several projects including an experiment designed to generate oxygen on the planet Mars. Currently, she is working on an exploration into the possibility of microbial life on one of Jupiter’s moons.

In March, Gonzalez, who is a second-generation Filipino American, told the Asian Journal, “As a Filipina and a minority in this field, it is easy to feel like you might not belong. I would encourage any aspiring Filipina engineers to work on building their confidence. Being a woman of color in a dominantly male field can be scary at times. As long as you remind yourself about why you’re passionate about engineering, it makes it all worth it.”

Alyssa Navarro, executive producer at Walt Disney Studios As media and entertainment companies strive toward more diverse workforces, Alyssa Navarro of Walt Disney Studios is front and center of the cause. Navarro, 27, specializes in minority representation and inclusion strategies for the entertainment titan and was integral in the formation of Disney Launchpad Shorts Incubator, which gives up-and-coming filmmakers a platform to showcase their work on Disney+.

Writing in an Instagram post celebrating her inclusion on Forbes’ list, Navarro wrote, “Representation, diversity, equity, and inclusion is so meaningful and personal to me. The fact that Forbes has recognized this work validates my passion and dedication to continue to open doors so that more people from underrepresented backgrounds get to tell their stories on the big screen.”

John Vincent Salcedo, vice president of digital marketing at Columbia Records As Columbia Records youngest and only Filipino vice president, Salcedo has been overseeing marketing strategies for some of today’s most exciting musical acts, including Tyler, the Creator’s Billboard No. 1 album “CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST” and Lil Nas X’s hit singles “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” and “Industry Baby (feat. Jack Harlow).”

As a Filipino who migrated to the U.S. as a young kid, he has made it a mission to bring in more Filipinos and Filipino Americans into the music industry. He told Myx Global earlier this year, “Filipinos have wild talent and as one of those who have been blessed with a position in one of the biggest global music labels, I hope to bridge the gap, build more connections, and bring to the spotlight our creative prowess.”

Bella Poarch, TikTok star In the pantheon of viral social media stars, Bella Poarch’s rise seemingly came out of nowhere.

But once she came on to the scene, her place in the Generation Z cultural imagination was secured.

An immigrant from the Philippines who was born to Filipino parents and adopted by a white father and Filipina mother, the now-24-year-old Poarch initially enlisted in the United States Navy

Olivia Rodrigo

Photo from Instagram/@oliviarodrigo

Bella Poarch Photo from Instagram/@bellapoarch

Marianne Paguia Gonzalez

John Vincent Salcedo

Alyssa Navarro

Rachell Hofstetter

Trisha Bantigue

and served from 2015 to 2019, after her parents disapproved of her performing in a high school talent show.

In 2020 she created a TikTok account that started off as a gaming and cosplay account, but that summer, she gained a massive following from her lip-sync videos where she dons a cutesy, egirl aesthetic. This past May, she released her first single, “Build a Bitch,” and continues to rise the ranks of Gen Z idolatry.

Trisha Bantigue, co-founder of Queenly As a Pinay, Trisha Bantigue knows the importance of pageantry in the Filipino community.

But her story is unlike most Filipinas who decide to model and enter beauty pageants.

After escaping abuse as a teenager, Bantigue leveraged her ambition for a better future through working at fast-food joints, modeling and entering pageants to earn a living. After graduating from UC Berkeley, she worked at some of Silicon Valley’s largest firms like Facebook and Google before co-founding the online marketplace Queenly with Kathy Zhou (with whom Bantigue is featured on the Forbes list) in 2017.

Queenly allows users to resell formalwear to other pageant contestants, kind of like Poshmark or Depop but specifically for pageant wear, which can cost hundreds of dollars.

“Making it to the @forbes 30 Under 30 list is a literal dream

come true, and never would I have thought I’d be on a Forbes cover by age 27. I can’t even begin to explain the overwhelming feeling of gratitude right now as it all feels so surreal (yes I’m screaming inside as I type this out),” Bantigue wrote on Instagram.

She added, “Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to create an impact onto society and with @ queenlyapp, I have the opportunity to touch millions of lives. My past self would be so damn proud seeing this today.”

Rachell Hofstetter, gaming content creator at 100 Thieves As an entertainment medium, gaming has become one of the hottest spaces over the last decade. Traditionally a male-dominated (and often misogynist) space, several women have come to the fore to establish a more diverse gaming community.

Rachell “Valkyrae” Hofstetter is quite possibly the most influential female game streamer in the gaming world with more than 3 million subscribers on YouTube and Instagram, each. In 2020, she was named Content Creator of the Year at The Game Awards and joined 100 Thieves, a top gaming and esports organization.

Reacting to her placement on the Forbes list, she wrote on Twitter, “I MADE THE FORBES 30 under 30 LIST!!!!!!!!!! I’m honored.. this was one of my goals and i can’t believe it actually happened.. wow” ■

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A5

Entire Philippines under Alert Level 2 until December 15

by HELEN

FLORES Philstar.com

MANILA — The entire country is under Alert Level 2, the second most lenient classification under the five-level COVID-19 alert system, until Dec. 15, Malacañang said on Friday, December 3.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) approved on Thursday the downgrading of Apayao from Alert Level 3 to 2 from Dec. 3 to 15.

“This means that as of today, no province or city is under Alert Level 3. The entire country is under Alert Level 2,” Cabinet Secretary and acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles told a press briefing. “I hope this will continue to make Christmas truly

happy for our countrymen.”

Nograles said the IATF amended the metrics for the alert level classifications of provinces, highly urbanized cities and independent component cities.

“Amendments include removing the one-week growth rate as a metric for escalation from Alert Level 1 to Alert Level 2, the escalation of areas under Alert Level 1 to Alert Level 2 if either case classification or total COVID-19 bed utilization increases to moderate risk or higher, and the escalation of areas under Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 3 if both case classification and total COVID-19 bed utilization are at moderate risk or if case classification is at high to critical risk,” he explained.

Nograles said local govern-

ment units should immediately impose granular lockdowns if they detect clustering of cases in their areas amid the threat of the Omicron variant.

Department of Health-Epidemiology Bureau director Alethea de Guzman called on the public to continue to observe minimum health standards during the holiday season.

Under Alert Level 2, the maximum operational capacity for businesses and activities is 50 percent for indoor venues, fully vaccinated persons and those below 18 years old, including those unvaccinated.

Outdoor venues can open to up to 70 percent capacity provided all workers of the establishments are fully inoculated against CO- Leaders of Akbayan Partylist, along with other sectoral representatives and activists who suffered martial law atrocities during the Marcos VID-19. ■ dictatorship, file another disqualification case to derail the presidential candidacy of the late strongman’s son and namesake Ferdinand Marcos Jr., at the Commission on Elections office in Intramuros, Manila, on Thursday, December 2.

Inquirer.net photo by Richard Reyes

Moreno to quit politics if not elected president Party dissent, more disqualification cases hound Marcos

by CHRISTIA

MARIE Inquirer.net

RAMOS

MANILA — Presidential aspirant Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso on Friday, December 3 said he will quit politics should he fail to get elected to the country’s top post in next year’s polls.

“Tapos na ang buhay, move on. Para ka lang syota ‘yan, nagkahiwalay kayo, move forward.

Pahinga na rin,” Moreno told reporters in Meycauayan, Bulacan when asked what his next step would be if he unsuccessful in his presidential bid.

(It’s over, move on. It’s like a couple breaking up, moving forward. It’s time to rest.)

He added he will no longer pursue a local position in Manila.

“Tapos na ko. I did my share.

That’s why I offered myself to the people hangga’t malakas pa ‘ko.

Kasi nangyayari baka mamaya may pandemya nakapagpahalal tayo ng medyo may edad na naman. Mahihirapan,” Moreno said.

(I’m done, I did my share.

That’s why I offered myself to the people while I’m still strong.

Because what may happen is we

vote for someone who is a bit older. It will be a challenge.)

“Di natin minamaliit yung edad. Pero sa hirap ng buhay ng mga kababayan sa pandemyang ito and post pandemic, kailangang mabilis kumilos. So you know, there are things that needs to be considered,” he added.

(Not that we are underestimating those who are older. But with the way life is hard right now amid the pandemic and post pandemic, we need someone who is swift in action. So you know, there are things that need to be considered.)

If he wins the presidency, Moreno said he will also retire from public service after his term ends.

“I’ve been working in the government half of my life, I’ve been involved in public service. Halimbawa, pinalad ako, at the age of 52 tapos na yung term ng presidente, pahinga na. Magbabayad na ko ng kakulangan sa pamilya ko, sa mga anak ko,” Moreno, who is 47 years old, said.

(I’ve been working in the government for half of my life, I’ve been involved in public service.

If I’m lucky, at the age of 52 my term as president ends, I will rest. I will make it up to my fam-

by DONA

Z. PAZZIBUGAN Inquirer.net

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Inquirer.net file photo

ily, my children.)

“At least 52 medyo kas-mala (malakas) pa. Pwede pang pasyal pasyal. Ma-invest ko naman yung remaining days of my life after the presidency if, may awa ang Diyos at sa tulong ng tao, magtagumpay tayo sa laban na ‘to,” he added.

(At least at 52, I’m still a bit strong. We can still go out together. I can invest the remaining days of my life after the presidency if, by God’s grace and the help of the people, we will succeed in this fight.) ■

TWO more petitions opposing the presidential candidacy of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. were brought to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday, December 2, including one filed by the supposed original officers and members of his adopted party, the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), questioning his membership.

Another petition against the late president Ferdinand Marcos’ son and namesake concerning his 1995 tax evasion conviction was filed by the party list group Akbayan led by former Commission on Human Rights chair and martial law survivor Etta Rosales, along with other activist groups that had filed their own disqualification case against him.

Akbayan amplified the arguments made in two earlier petitions filed by other individuals and groups that fought the dictatorship: that Marcos Jr. was disqualified from seeking public office for life because he has been found guilty of tax offenses as a public official.

The latest petitioners also

said Marcos Jr.’s conviction fell within the Comelec’s grounds for disqualification of candidates, because tax evasion was tantamount to a crime involving “moral turpitude” and he was convicted with finality for which he was sentenced to imprisonment of more than 18 months.

The petitions now number seven, including an earlier one by taxpayers seeking to intervene in support of the petition to cancel Marcos Jr.’s certificate of candidacy (COC) for supposedly falsely claiming eligibility to run; another that seeks to cancel his COC filed by another aspirant with the same surname; and another that wants him declared a “nuisance candidate.”

But Marcos Jr.’s camp remains focused, according to his spokesperson Victor Rodriguez.

“We respect the right of every disillusioned group to take whatever legal action they think would best serve their own agenda, so we also expect them to respect our right to be heard,” Rodriguez said in a statement ‘Never officer, member’ Claiming to be the true chair of the PFP, retired police general and National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Commissioner

Abubakar Mangelen led the supposed original party members in denouncing the “unauthorized, unilateral, illegal and improper” issuance of a certificate of nomination and acceptance (Cona) to Marcos Jr., “who as records would show was never an officer or member of PFP.” Mangelen said Marcos Jr.’s endorsement by “some officers of PFP came as a big shock and surprise” to him and a “substantial number of officers and members” of the party.

“As a matter of fact, the party officers from Lanao del Norte and other areas who were not consulted or notified of any meeting or convention complained of their replacement as officers without due process of law and in contravention of the PFP’s constitution and bylaws,” he said in the petition.

Mangelen said the Cona issued to Marcos Jr. “is unauthorized, defective, invalid and void,” and that the party’s endorsement of him as standardbearer “is inoperative, void and nonexistent.”

As well, Mangelen said Marcos Jr. should be disqualified for “ineligibility” due to his convic-

u PAGE A8

A6 DECEMBER 4-7, 2021 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

OPINION

Ranked last, again

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FEATURES

FOR the third consecutive month, the Philippines has ranked last among the world’s 53 largest economies in terms of resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In its November Resilience Ranking, titled “The Best and Worst Places to be as Winter Meets Omicron,” Bloomberg gave the Philippines a score of 43.1 – a slight improvement from last October’s 40.5, but still behind other Southeast Asian countries Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Bloomberg based the rankings on vaccination coverage, mortality throughout the pandemic, quality of healthcare, virus containment, severity of lockdowns and progress in restarting travel. The two economies at the bottom of the list, Bloomberg noted, had given out fewer than 100 shots per 100 people: Indonesia had administered 87.3 doses per 100 and the Philippines 73.2.

The Philippine government had previously blamed the country’s poor ranking on the scarcity of vaccines. With the country now offering pediatric jabs as well as boosters to all adults, however, the problem is clearly more complicated than mere vaccine supply. In some areas, vaccines have expired because of logistics problems and the failure of local government units to deal with residents’ vaccine hesitancy.

The just concluded three-day National Vaccination Day, extended for another two days in some areas, boosted the vaccination rate and could im-

prove the country’s ranking in the next Bloomberg ranking this month.

The government has maintained that it will continue managing pandemic health risks while providing an environment conducive to economic growth.

But the emergence of the latest COVID variant of concern, called Omicron, will test the pandemic responses of all countries. The Philippines continues to have weak capability for contact tracing, and COVID testing remains so costly people continue to fake test results or else avoid testing until it is too late to contain infection.

Bloomberg, in its report, emphasized the importance of an effective system of contact tracing and testing. It also stressed the role of health education, which helped socialize basic safety protocols such as hand hygiene and wearing of face masks in the consistent best performing economies.

Philippine officials find it unfair for the country to be compared with advanced economies.

The ranking, however, covers the world’s biggest economies including Southeast Asian neighbors at similar levels of economic development. In terms of pandemic response, it is better to be compared with the best performers. The ranking is a challenge for the Philippines to do better. (Philstar. com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Base-building and coalition-building: What a candidate must learn Commentary

YEN MAKABENTA MUCH time and attention are being spent on analyzing the impact of Sen. Bong Go’s withdrawal as a presidential candidate in the May 2022 election. There is interest in why he precipitately quit the race and in who will stand to profit politically from his withdrawal.

In my view, Go’s quitting is not really much different from the earlier withdrawal by Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa of his presidential candidacy, except for a difference in timing.

Both candidacies were launched or floated because of the urgings of President Duterte that they file their certificates of candidacy as a tactical or stra-

tegic maneuver of the administration. Both presumably were assured of the backing of the President and his government to the limits allowed by law.

Both loyally agreed.

But then, when the senators came face with the challenge of waging a national campaign for election, they realized that they had only reached a dead end. They had nowhere to go.

There was no army or legions for them to command and lead.

Bato, no doubt because of his military training, saw the situation and the predicament.

So, he quickly decided to withdraw his candidacy.

Bong Go had to consult for a sign from God first before making his final decision to withdraw.

They left the race without the blessing of their boss.

Like stillborn children There would be no point in speculating on who will benefit from the withdrawals, if we re-

THE decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) convicting Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of criminal violation of the Tax Code became final and executory on Aug. 13, 2001. The fallo or dispositive portion of the Court of Appeals decision ordered Marcos Jr. “to pay to the BIR the deficiency income taxes” and “to pay a fine of P2,000.00 for each charge xxx for failure to file income tax return for 1982, 1983 and 1984; and a fine of P30,000.00 xxx for failure to file income tax return for 1985, with surcharges.”

Section 12 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC) provides that any person convicted of a “crime involving moral turpitude shall be disqualified to be a candidate and to hold any public office.” Such disqualification is “removed xxx after the expiration of a period of five years from his service of sentence.” If the penalty is only payment of reparation and fine, the convict is deemed to have served his sentence upon payment of the reparation and fine. Since the CA decision ordered Marcos Jr. to pay reparation, which is the deficiency income tax, plus fine, the question arises if Marcos Jr.

checklist of essential chores that a presidential election campaign must undertake before it can be considered serious and worthy of consideration.

Essential chores in election campaign The essential chores are: 1. A candidate for president must take a long view of his goals and objectives. He should be able to summarize in a single page why he is running for the office.

A campaign for high office is an intense and emotional experience. It is serious business and will involve a lot of work, so one must be prepared to work harder than you could.

2. Being smart and strategic about campaigning requires having a plan. In every aspect of a campaign, planning is a first step. It is impossible to run a focused, sufficiently financed and successful campaign without having goals and a blueprint for achieving them.

3. To succeed, a campaign

must deliver a credible and winning message that voters can enthusiastically support.

The most effective messages are bold, clear and concise.

They establish a link between the campaign and the voters.

4. Unless it literally starts from nowhere, an election campaign must engage in base building and in expanding the base.

A base is the core group of people who can be counted on to support a campaign. A campaign focuses on base voters and base constituents.

5. Once the base of a campaign is identified, the work then turns toward building the base and expanding it.

6. From base building, the candidate and his team must turn their attention toward building a coalition with other political groups and even political rivals.

Every voter counts The key point to remember is that a candidate or a campaign

wants to represent a broad and diverse group of people. They cannot take anyone’s vote for granted, particularly someone who is assumed to be part of the base. A campaign has to work for every vote and for every supporter of his/her previous voting pattern or affiliation.

Finally, it should always be recognized that there is a huge number of people who should become part of the base.

In an electoral campaign, base building starts with the candidate and depends on his belief and ability to galvanize and inspire people. But it is not enough to merely inspire.

A campaign must methodically nurture its base by working closely with different communities. (ManilaTimes.net) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

Did Marcos Jr. serve his sentence?

Crosscurrents

ANTONIO T. CARPIO

gard these withdrawn or aborted candidacies as very much like stillborn children.

Just as we can’t imagine the children who might have been had the stillborn survived, we cannot also imagine what kind of political campaigns Senators Go and dela Rosa could have mounted, or how much interest or excitement they could have brought to the race.

Both the Go and dela Rosa campaigns abruptly ended before they could be launched.

Both candidates did not get around to assembling the nuts and bolts of a campaign for the presidency. I seriously doubt whether they ever found the time to find out what a serious run for the presidency really entails. In this case, ignorance was bliss.

In the belief that there are still live candidacies out there that need serious review and reassessment, and could benefit from some practical advice, I want to outline here today a

had paid the deficiency income tax and fine, and when.

In his Answer to the Petition to cancel his certificate of candidacy (COC), Marcos Jr. claims that the CA’s fallo “does not specify the particular deficiency income tax which appellant therein is required to pay.”

In effect the Answer judicially admits that Marcos Jr. has not paid the deficiency income tax up to now. Moreover, while the Answer admits that the order to pay the fine, as distinguished from the deficiency income tax, is unambiguous, the Answer does not state that Marcos Jr. had paid the fine. Even assuming that Marcos Jr. did pay the fine, the failure to pay the deficiency income tax means he still has not served his sentence.

Consequently, Marcos Jr.’s disqualification to run for public office remains in effect up to now.

Marcos Jr. cannot claim that the CA’s order does not specify the particular deficiency income tax because this deficiency, as stated in the CA decision, was the subject of a stipulation of facts between the prosecution and Marcos Jr. With the stipulation of facts, Marcos Jr. judicially admitted his liability to pay the deficiency income tax as stated in the stipulation of facts.

The Answer of Marcos Jr.,

however, raises the defense that the crime for which he was convicted does not involve moral turpitude because he was only fined for non-filing of income tax returns, which he asserts does not involve moral turpitude. Thus, Marcos Jr. claims he cannot be disqualified under Section 12 of the OEC which requires a crime involving moral turpitude. There are many reasons why the non-filing of income tax returns, particularly if done repeatedly over several years as in the case of Marcos Jr., constitutes moral turpitude.

Moreover, the Petition to cancel Marcos Jr.’s COC also advances another separate and independent ground—that Marcos Jr. is “perpetually disqualified” to hold public office for conviction of “any crime” under the Tax Code.

Section 253 of the Tax Code mandates that a public officer shall be “perpetually disqualified from holding public office” if he is “convicted of any crime penalized by this Code.” It is immaterial whether or not the crime involves moral turpitude.

It is also immaterial if the sentence has been served as the disqualification is perpetual.

The Answer of Marcos Jr. is completely silent on this second separate and independent ground for his disqualification.

Former Senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

Thus, the material averments in the Petition relating to this second ground, not having been specifically denied by Marcos Jr., are deemed admitted.

The Petition to cancel COC ultimately turns on the question of whether Marcos Jr. is disqualified to hold public office under either Section 12 of the

Inquirer.net file photo

OEC or Section 253 of the Tax Code. If he is disqualified under either, then he made a material misrepresentation in his COC when he claimed he is eligible to run for public office when in fact he is not eligible due to his disqualification, thus warranting the cancellation of his COC. If he is not disqualified under

either provision, then his COC cannot be canceled since he did not make any material misrepresentation. (Inquirer.net) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 4-7, 2021 A7

‘No vaccine, no vote’ unconstitutional, says Comelec

by JOHN

ERIC MENDOZA Inquirer.net

MANILA — Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson James Jimenez on Friday, December 3, said that the poll body is “unlikely” to require voters to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to exercise their right to vote, saying that such a requirement is “unconstitutional.”

“Unlikely,” Jimenez said in a meeting regarding the elections

GOV’T-PROCURED PFIZER VAX. National Task Force Against COVID-19 special adviser, Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, and Ms. Claire Bea of the U.S. Embassy pose for a photo during the arrival of 1,078,740 doses of government-procured Pfizer vaccine at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Wednesday, December 1. Herbosa said some local government units would have to explain the spoilage of “a few hundred doses” of AstraZeneca vaccine that expired on November 30.

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

PH ranks 4th in one-day jabs worldwide

by CATHERINE

VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippines has clinched the fourth spot in the global rankings of nations with the highest daily COVID-19 jab rate, the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF) said on Friday, December 3.

This was achieved during the first day of the National Vaccination Days on November 29 where around 2.7 million doses were administered nationwide.

The Philippines is next to China’s 22 million, India’s 10 million and the United States’ 3.48 million doses, and followed by Brazil with 2.6 million doses, based on the global monitoring website ‘Our World in Data’.

“Kung dati ay libo-libo lang ang ating nababakunahan sa isang araw, ngayon ay nagawa na natin itong paabutin ng halos tatlong milyon kada araw. Ito ay dahil sa ating pagbabayanihan at pagkakaisa (Before, we could only vaccinate thousands in one day, but now we have attained nearly three million vaccinations in a day.

This is because of our bayanihan and unity),” vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said in a statement.

Held from November 29 to December 1, the country administered a total of 7,628,432 doses during the “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” immunization drive.

Of this number, 2,713,731 doses were administered on November 29; 2,466,728 on November 30, and 2,447,973 on December 1, according to consolidated data from the National Vaccination Operations Center.

This was short by some 1.4

million doses as the government originally targeted to inoculate 9 million Filipinos during the three-day vaccination program.

Still, Galvez said that the event was successful since its goal of inoculating 70 percent of its target population with at least one dose by the end of November was achieved.

As of December 1, a total 55,415,753 individuals have already been vaccinated with at least one dose or 71.84 percent of the country’s target population.

This figure already includes the 36,869,419 individuals who are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The government aims to fully vaccinate 77 million Filipinos by the end of 2021 to attain herd immunity or population protection.

“Our new milestone is a testament of the strength and efficiency of our national vaccination program,” Galvez said.

“More than 55.4 million na ngayon ang may at least one dose. Ibig sabihin nito, talagang maaabot natin ang target na 54 million fully vaccinated individuals bago matapos ang taon, lalo’t patuloy pa rin ang malawakan nating pagbabakuna,” he added.

Among the 17 regions in the country, Metro Manila recorded the highest vaccination coverage, having administered at least one dose to 112.16 percent of its target population.

Six other regions have vaccinated with at least one dose to more than 70 percent of their target population. These include the Cordillera Administrative

Region (CAR), Ilocos Region (Region 1), Cagayan Valley (Region 2), Central Luzon (Region 3), Calabarzon (Region 4A), and Northern Mindanao (Region 10).

The government expects that these regions will be able to fully vaccinate their target populations before the end of the year.

“We have to give huge credit to our bayanihan (civic unity) spirit in achieving these recordhigh numbers,” Galvez said.

“In the past three days, we have administered more than double our usual vaccination output prior to our National Vaccination Days. This alone is a major achievement and a testament of success of our major rollout,” he added.

Meanwhile, the NTF announced that local government units (LGUs) can extend the national COVID-19 vaccination drive until Friday, December 3.

Based on Advisory 112 released by the NTF, the extension is meant to sustain the momentum of the massive vaccination rollout, as a large number of people are still lining up in vaccination sites nationwide.

Regional Vaccination Operation Centers are also directed to provide support to LGUs — vaccine supplies, technical assistance and additional resources — who will decide to extend their Bayanihan, Bakunahan rollout.

The second leg of the National Vaccination Days, which aims to further ramp up the first and second dose coverage of Filipinos, will be held from December 15 to 17. ■

when asked about the possibility of requiring voters to be fully vaccinated for them to be able to vote.

“Wala dapat [There should be no] additional requirements to exercise their right to vote, that is unconstitutional, I think,” Jimenez added.

A total of 37.3 million individuals in the country are already fully vaccinated against the new coronavirus as of Thursday, December 1, accordingto the national

government.

Previously, Jimenez also said that the poll body will not require voters to undergo swab tests as a voting requirement.

However, the Comelec spokesperson pointed out that the poll body will allot a designated area in voting precincts called “isolation polling places” to accommodate voters who will present COVID-19 symptoms on the election day.

The local and national elections will be on May 9, 2022. ■

CHR hopes inequalities exposed by COVID-19 pandemic are addressed

by GABRIEL

PABICO Inquirer.net

LALU

MANILA — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) hopes that the celebration of this year’s National Human Rights Consciousness Week will highlight the need to address several long-standing inequalities that were exposed even more by the COVID-19 pandemic.

During a program as of Thursday, December 1, according officials noted the importance of looking at the health crisis from a human rights lens, especially with the pandemic creating inequalities such as in the delivery of healthcare services and vaccines.

“Our survival as human beings is dependent on the preservation of human rights,” CHR Commissioner Karen GomezDumpit said in her message.

“In the midst of the current pandemic, issues of equality have come to the fore and underlying inequalities in the world and in our different societies have surfaced and have become more pronounced.”

“Inequalities in vaccines, inequalities in healthcare services, inequalities in recovering from the pandemic, inequalities in opportunities in life amidst the pandemic, inequalities in accessing life-saving medicines, and other inequalities and incidents of discrimination have exacerbated our vulnerabilities and have bred further divisions among us,” Dumpit added.

The existence of these inequalities, CHR Commissioner Gwendolyn Pimentel-Gana said, is a reason why the commission continuously works towards raising awareness about human rights and their advocacies, in a

push for better lives.

“Our continued engagement with duty-bearers have at times resulted in the re-calibration of their procedures so that it could become more aligned with a human rights-based approach,” Pimentel-Gana said.

“While we have not always been successful in all areas, I am heartened to know that our indefatigable efforts have started to shape the consciousness of our people that many of them now are also advocating our own advocacies within their respective networks. In light of these positive developments, we should continue to press on with our important work,” she added.

For this year’s National Human Rights Consciousness Week, the CHR is adopting the theme “Pagkakapantay-Pantay: Isulong mga Karapatang Pantao sa Panahon ng Pandemya” (Equality: Advocating for Human Rights in the Time of a Pandemic).

CHR said it was adapted from the theme of the United Nations’ Human Rights Day 2021 theme.

“Today is a most opportune time for us to come together to affirm this year’s theme which is a cornerstone principle of human rights: Equality, or in Filipino, Pagkakapantay-pantay,” Dumpit added.

“We are encouraged to combat discrimination; fight for the protection of rights; obtain equal access to opportunities—that is true equality,” said CHR Commissioner Roberto Eugenio Cadiz added.

During the span of the pandemic, CHR has called on the government repeatedly to use a human rights-based approach to law enforcement, after reports of authorities abusing their man-

date in the enforcement of quarantine restrictions.

Aside from these violations, there were also incidents of apprehensions made for alleged curfew and quarantine violations that ended in the deaths of violators.

But aside from health-related concerns brought about by the pandemic, Commissioner Cadiz also noted that prior concerns about inequalities — from women and children’s rights, discrimination of persons with disabilities — should also be addressed.

During the earlier part of the COVID-19 crisis, CHR also expressed concerns that the pandemic would bode badly for women and children who are subjected to domestic abuse, as they are forced to spend more time at home due to the lockdown protocols.

For persons with disabilities, the main problem was how to provide services to them as most of the country’s healthcare programs were geared towards ending COVID-19.

“Women’s rights, together with children’s rights, must be advanced. And discrimination of whatever form and kind must be condemned. The rights of People with Disabilities and the wide variety of economic, social, and cultural rights should be obtained without any discrimination whatsoever,” Cadiz said.

“Violators have to be taken to task and be held responsible because they violate rights and laws safeguarding rights. They violate dignity—the inherent worth of the human person upon which the principle of equality rests and finds it utmost meaning,” he added. ■

A8 DECEMBER 4-7, 2021 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

DATE LIN E PH ILIP P IN E S

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Former Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. and running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio lead UniTeam’s rally at the San Juanico Bridge on Tuesday, Nov. 30 during the symbolic meeting of thousands of their supporters from Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

ManilaTimes.net photo

Bongbong, Sara supporters fill San Juanico Bridge

by JAVIER JOE ISMAEL ManilaTimes.net

THE supporters of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate, Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio, made history when they met at the country’s longest bridge to show their strength on Tuesday, November 30.

The “salubong,” or meeting of north and south, was held on the San Juanico Bridge, which connects the province of Leyte and Samar. The event was sym-

bolic of the unity of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao and the support given to the BBM-Sara UniTeam.

Marcos Jr. said the historic joining of forces of supporters of BBM-Sara UniTeam signals the continuity and enhancement of legacy programs initiated by President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Napakaganda ng pangyayari na ito dahil ang pagsasama ng isang Marcos at Duterte ay isang magandang simbolo ng pagkakaisa ng bansa. Ako from north

at si Inday Sara from the south at nagkita dito sa Eastern Samar (This is a beautiful event because a Marcos and a Duterte joined forces symbolizing national unity. I am from the north, and Inday Sara is from the south and we met here in Eastern Samar),” he said.

The 2,200 meters San Juanico Bridge is part of the Pan-Philippine Highway project of former president Ferdinand Marcos and was dedicated to his wife Imelda Marcos. ■

Party dissent, more disqualification cases...

PAGE A5 tion of “a crime involving moral turpitude.”

Per Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez, two petitions in favor of Marcos Jr. have been filed by the PFP and by South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. who stands as PFP president.

The Comelec’s second division required the parties to comment on these petitions.

‘Exception’ Marcos Jr. was convicted by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court on July 27, 1995, of four counts of failure to pay income taxes and four counts of failure to file income tax returns (ITRs) from 1982 to 1985. He was sentenced to serve a total of nine years in prison and to pay a total fine of P72,000.

On appeal, the Court of Appeals on Oct. 31, 1997, acquitted him of failure to pay income taxes but sustained his conviction of failure to file ITRs. He was ordered to pay the deficiency income taxes with interest until fully paid.

He filed an appeal at the Supreme Court but eventually

withdrew it, and his conviction became final on Aug. 31, 2001.

At the time, he was governor of Ilocos Norte, the post he also held from 1982 to 1985.

“To complete the picture, he was then the son of the ruling dictator, the same dictator who imposed the penalty of perpetual disqualification for all public officers who dare violate the National Internal Revenue Code of 1977. Perhaps he thought he was an exception to his father’s decrees,” Akbayan et al. said in their petition.

They said Marcos Jr.’s “repeated failure … for more than a decade to file his [ITRs] as a public officer was a series of continuing acts done contrary to justice, honesty, modesty or good morals that manifest baseness, vileness or depravity.”

They claimed that the appellate court’s decision to exclude the penalty of imprisonment of three years imposed by the Quezon City court for his failure to file his ITR for 1985 was “patently a mistake.”

“In fact, the Court of Appeals held that [he] failed to prove that

he did not commit the crime of failure to file his [ITR] for the year 1985,” they said.

Section 254 of the 1977 National Internal Revenue Code requires the penalty of imprisonment in a conviction of failure to file an ITR, the petitioners added.

‘One group’ Rodriguez said the disqualification cases filed against Marcos Jr. were just part of the demolition job of “one group” who did not want the country to move forward.

He did not name the group.

But earlier, he said the “yellows” should stop using the Comelec for their political propaganda to derail Marcos Jr.’s presidential run.

“Yellow” refers to the political color of Vice President Leni Robredo’s Liberal Party, which she chairs.

Rodriguez said that despite the disqualification cases, Marcos Jr. and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte would continue to focus on uniting the country and working for economic recovery. ■

Should Duterte’s ally Apollo Quiboloy, megachurch the...

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Update on embassy interviews Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ MOST people, with family members or employees stranded overseas waiting for their immigrant visa interviews, will find some ray of hope with the news and updates coming from the Department of State’s (DOS) Visa Office. Charlie Oppenheim, the Visa Office Numerical Control Division Chief, and the person in charge of setting the priority dates on the monthly Visa Bulletin, offered advice and predictions for the coming months in terms of scheduling interviews and processing of cases.

First, it is important that once the priority date on a person’s petition becomes available or current, they must ensure that their visa application is completed promptly, including the submission of all required documents and payment of all applicable fees. This is called being “documentarily qualified.” Typically, if a person does not pursue his or her visa within one year of availability, does not submit requested documents within one year, etc., the case can be terminated and canceled. Therefore, it is very important you monitor your priority date for visa availability and make sure NVC has your current address.

Even if a person’s priority date is current, they will NOT

be scheduled for an interview unless and until the case is “documentarily qualified.” This means all required documents, forms, and fees have been submitted. Sometimes NVC asks a person to submit additional documentation. Even if their priority date is current, unless and until the person completes the required documentation or information, their case will not be queued up for interview. It remains collecting dust waiting for them to act.

USCIS processed cases at the rate of 7,000 to 8,000 per week in August and September 2021.

Even if USCIS processes 5,000 cases per week, when combined with immigrant visa processing abroad, it could result in using up all the estimated 280,000 employment-based visas before the end of the fiscal year.

Right now, employment-based visas for most countries are “current.” However, if all the visas are used up, priority dates may have to retrogress or move backwards.

Many consulates are increasing their processing rates of immigrant visas, which would also affect how quickly the number of visas are used up for the coming year. In addition, refusal rates of visas have decreased because people appear for their interviews better prepared; fewer people are missing their interviews; and people immediately submit requested documents right after the interview, to enable the case to continue to be processed and visa issued.

Overseas, there is tremendous backlog for employment-based visas, and once embassies start

clearing the backlog, it could be possible the annual supply of employment-based visas will be used up.

Mr. Oppenheim predicts there will be a substantial increase in processing EB3 employment cases at the U.S. Embassy in Manila to address their backlogs, including the sizable backlog of those following to join family members. This is great news because under the DOS previous prioritization for immigrant visa interviews, employment-based cases were to be processed last. Now, it seems they will be finally taken off the shelf and slotted for interviews.

While the F2A (spouse or minor children of immigrant) priority date remains current, it could be possible to impose a final action date in the next nine months, meaning the F2A category will no longer be current for filing.

If your case has been stagnating at the embassy, or if your priority date is current, and you have not received any notice or notification from NVC, you may want to consult with an attorney, who can evaluate your situation, and determine if the case is properly on track and documentarily qualified, in order for the interview to be scheduled as soon as possible. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 40 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York.

All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different, and results may depend on the facts of the

JUMPSHIP SON HELPS LEGALIZE HIS MOTHER THIS SUNDAY ON CITIZEN PINOY. Did you know that family members can “spread the love” by helping each other legalize their status? Mommy Emi (left) came to the U.S. on a visitor’s visa and overstayed. Upon consulting leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right), she was advised to wait for her son to legalize his status in the U.S. first. But Emi’s son, Jerome, was a crewman who jumped ship and was not eligible to adjust status in the U.S. When the provisional regulations came out in 2013, Atty. Gurfinkel filed a provisional waiver so Jerome could get his green card in Manila, and eventually become a U.S. citizen, so he could petition his mother.

Watch this success story on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” this Sunday, December 5 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/ Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo.

(Advertising Supplement)

particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice

Call Toll free to schedule a regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 is, or shall be, established with any (866) – GURFINKEL reader.

Four offices to serve you: WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/ LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW GurfinkelLaw, YouTube: US Immigration YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES TV and Instagram.com/gurfinkellaw (Advertising Supplement)

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Nadine continues to trailblaze Gawad Kalinga USA to with new life in Siargao celebrate hope through music with ‘riSING Together’ concert

By Seph

aSong Philstar.com

DESPITE her effort to be elusive from the prying eyes of the public, the spotlight seems to be following Nadine Lustre wherever she goes and every move she makes.

Recently, the singer-actress reportedly volunteered in Siargao, where she is currently based together with her boyfriend Christopher Bariou, to join fellow actress Andi Eigenmann’s environmental protection program and patrol group. She also reportedly joined Andi in a literacy program for children according to sources, but this is yet to be confirmed.

This week, the multi-hyphenate actress-singer made headlines again with the launch of ENTER. AUDIO, which is her new platform to enter the NFT landscape. Lustre has reportedly minted over 1,000 copies of her latest pop-R&B single “Wait For Me” and putting it up for sale for $30.12.

“Wait For Me” is Lustre’s way of letting go of her inhibitions to face her emotions and realizations head-on. This track cuts through the ambiguity and complexities as it directly tackles the real-life experience of separating from a lover while introspecting on what it means to forge her own path. Lustre’s new mellow RnB hit was written by American songwriter-singers Bekah Novi, Antonio Cuna, and Dewain Whitmore, who’s been credited writing songs for American pop stars like Nick Jonas, Chris Brown, and Kacey Musgraves.

“Wait For Me” has been dubbed as a “closure” for Jadines, die-hard fans of former love team and real-life couple James Reid and Nadine.

With her new venture, Lustre is paving the way for young and emerging Filipino artists to have a wider reach and help them monetize their craft.

If you think about it, this could potentially be a lucrative move for the young actress as this is virtually an untapped market.

What is NFT and how can you earn from it?

By eric

Nadine Lustre

Photo from Instagram/@nadine

NFT or non-fungible tokens are digital assets authenticated with unique pieces of code that can be traded like collectibles. These are stored on a blockchain, the distributed ledger system that underlies Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Because of the nature of Blockchain technology, once a token is created, it can no longer be deleted or counterfeited. This makes it useful for artists or musicians to create limited-edition digital creations and trade them over a safe and secure network.

Through ENTER.AUDIO, Lustre hopes to bridge the gap by democratizing the creation of art and music by helping thousands of Filipinos to earn by either investing or putting up their content on the NFT platform. This is especially relevant during a time where people are trying to pick up the pieces and make new revenue streams in a post-pandemic world. n

Grounds for annulling a marriage before. In a divorce, the couple would always be regarded to as Barrister’s married during the period of the Corner marriage.

Unlike Divorce which can be obtained regardless of the reason. Voiding a marriage may Atty. Kenneth only be obtained based on certain UrsUA reyes grounds. It is void in cases of incest and bigamy. It is voidable MOST couples that want out of in cases of minority, Unsound a marriage in California usually Mind, Fraud, Force, or Physical file for Divorce.

There are Incapacity. Marriages between circumstances though that allow parents, children, ancestors a couple to have their marriage and descendants, brothers and “voided” rather than “dissolved.” sisters, half brothers and sisters, There is a big difference between uncles and nieces, and aunts and the two concepts. With a voided nephews are incestuous and are marriage, it restores the couple void from the beginning. So are to status of unmarried person as bigamist marriages where either if they have never been married party was still married to another

person when they entered the marriage.

Nevertheless, it is best to obtain a Nullity Judgment to clarify the legal status of the parties under these circumstances.

Certain situations does not necessarily make a marriage void but makes it voidable on the parties option. One such circumstance is when the petitioner was under 18 years old when the petitioner married and the parents did not provide their consent. The Nullity petition based on this ground has to be filed within four years after the party turns 18. The parent of the minor may also file the Petition provided it is filed prior PAGE B6

Sayno

THE impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is felt all over the world, but the challenges that come with it are even more daunting for those who belong to the poorest sectors of the community. In the Philippines, a weakened economy and the fear of contracting a viral disease add to the burden of the less fortunate, who have already been struggling to make ends meet each day. Now, more than ever, the need to come together in the spirit of “bayanihan” is crucial to support povertystricken Filipinos.

Gawad Kalinga (GK) USA will lead the charge through riSING Together, a virtual celebration of hope through music, in partnership with world-class Filipino talents who are lending their voices to inspire, encourage, and move people during this most precious season of giving. The event is headlined by National Artist for Music Maestro

Ryan Cayabyab together with the Ryan Cayabyab Singers.

Sharing the stage are seasoned multi-hyphenate performer Gary Valenciano, online sensation and Filipino-American artist AJ Rafael, and singer-songwriter Kiana Valenciano.

“I have been in close coordination with GK since the first year of inception of the Ryan Cayabyab Singers as a powerhouse singing group and it has been some years since we did a project with GK. This is a most opportune time to collaborate again with an organization I believe in,” shares Mr. Cayabyab, fondly known as Mr. C. “I look forward to working with three exciting artists in Gary V, Kiana, and AJ, and I can’t wait to showcase the Filipino’s excellence in music creativity and artistry!”

AJ chimes in, “When GK approached me to ask if I can be a part of the concert, it was automatic.”

“If there is any opportunity to help or do a concert, as long as I’m free, I’ll be there. That is

the impact that GK has on me.

I’m excited to be part of this and working with Mr. Ryan Cayabyab.

It still doesn’t feel real – I wouldn’t believe it until I watch him singing along to one of my songs on video,” adds the popular YouTube artist. riSING Together is presented

by Seafood City and The Filipino School, and sponsored

by MVMi, Pray.com, Shining Light Foundation, Tagline 360, Skills Simplified, Assistantly.com, Pinoy Monthly, and Asian Journal.

The event is powered by VEAP (Virtual Events and Activations Platform), and will be streamed online on December 11, 4 PM PST/6 PM CST/ 7 PM EST in the US, and on December 12, 8 AM in the Philippines. Registration is free, but donations towards GK’s various efforts to help poor and vulnerable families are most welcome.

Be part of GK USA’s riSING Together concert and spread love and hope through the power of song. Please visit www.gk-usa.org to register for the event. n

Bianca relishes serious acting challenges

By Jerry

Donato Philstar.com

AT 21, Bianca Umali seems to have a firm grasp of the ins and outs of show business and the intricate process of nuanced and inspired acting. The used-to-be greenhorn GMA Artist Center (GMAAC) talent could attribute all this to the set of characters, all equally exciting and empowering, her network has gifted her to test Bianca’s mettle.

As expected, she would make the grade and never do her work in haste.

“It started with Sahaya (a fantasy-drama series); that was when I saw the (serious acting) path that I’ve been continuously taking,” Bianca reflected on her maturity and work process as a young actress in a recent virtual press conference. “(The approach) is definitely very different from what I used to do like (when I was tapped to portray) similar roles, laging light lang, laging in love.”

Such change was brought about by her work in Sahaya, the family drama-romance Legal Wives and the soon-to-be-aired HBO Asia Original series, dark fantasy thriller Halfworlds.

“Sobrang nag-iba yung atake, nag-iba yung process (My approach to and process in playing a role have immensely changed),” added she, who recently renewed her contract with the Kapuso network. “They (my recent projects) were bigger, (the roles were) more challenging. It took more effort and more preparation (on my part).” Bianca relished the gamut of putting herself in someone else’s shoes and exploring another person’s life. Given the challenges at hand, she never backed down.

Bianca also granted everyone in describing her typical lifework, by recalling that everything starts with the announcement of a new project. “Then, even before the story con, I will ask them (the creatives) to tell me about my character, like a gist,” said she.

After feeding her curiosity, Bianca continues the prep work and never considers the assignment a done deal yet “until the story con, the media con, the launch and reading the entire script” have been carried out.

Bianca Umali Photo from Instagram/@bianxa

This preliminary phase gives Bianca a clear vision of her character and subjects her to a long arduous process of character study with research.

“Personally, malaking bagay po yun sa akin (it is a big thing with me),” said she, “especially dito sa mga past projects that were given to me. They were ‘cultural serye.’ I also make it a point, if possible, that I get to immerse myself in whatever culture or world that is being depicted in the project.”

With this almost cyclical routine, Bianca realized that acting is more than just a profession, “it’s my passion,” affirmed she.

“I just really love what (I’m doing).” Loving it means that Bianca commits herself to a lifework of continuous learning through workshops, planned and provided by her management.

“I’m very active in (attending) workshops because I don’t want to stop learning,” said Bianca.

“I have to keep on learning and keep on exercising my craft… I like practicing and practicing it, kahit paulit-ulit.” With that, the thespian knows the importance of honing her style and nurturing her voice as an actor.

Bianca, hands down, picked Sahaya and Legal Wives as her GMA 7’s toughest and biggest projects, which represented a culture (like Badjao or Maranao) or a slice of it.

“Everything had to be (done) accurately,” said she. “Ang sayasaya ko. When I got to immerse sa kultura ng mga Maranao people sa Legal Wives, I didn’t know

anything about them before.

Ngayon lang po talaga for the show. Studying and researching about it, and being in it for the show, I did learn a lot about life, not just culturally.”

To deliver the goods, Bianca would take it upon herself to study even the minute details of her character such as manner of speaking. Since some dialogues in Legal Wives carried Arabic words, she had to be conscious about the rhythm of the language, like understanding concepts of pauses and what “letter-sound” should be amplified.

Bianca also found pleasure in getting into her character’s “linguistic life.”

If there’s one thing she anticipates to happen soon, it will be the premiere of Halfworlds, in which, again, Bianca is among the stars. The series is five years in the making, from conception to production, according to her.

“The concept is, every season is shot in a different country,” added she. “It is called Halfworlds because it focuses on the folklore of a country.” Given the rich folklore of the Philippines, Bianca’s character might be facing head-on fantastical creatures like aswang and tikbalang (bloodthirsty and half-horse, half-man entities, respectively).

Halfworlds is in contrast, focus-wise, to Folklore, which is about rediscovering fear. The first two seasons of Halfworlds had Jakarta and Bangkok as places of origin for the narrative.

Looking back on her shooting days on the Halfworlds set, Bianca found the experience wonderful and unique, and hoped that fellow actors would also get the chance to work with HBO Asia. She felt that she was like doing a TV series, a commercial and a film, all rolled into one.

Being in that new working environment, Bianca had to adjust to the production’s sense of time and preparation.

“You (had) so much time to study,” said she, “you (had) so much time to prepare and plan what you really (wanted) to do.

When you (were) on set, kumbaga, plakado na po (everything was perfectly in place).”

What only actors like Bianca can do is, to lose themselves in their roles, and Bianca surely delivers. n

Pops claims Aga, Piolo her ex-boyfriends

Pops Fernandez Photo from Instagram/@popfernandezofficial

SINGER Pops Fernandez revealed that she had a relationship with heartthrobs Piolo Pascual and Aga Muhlach.

In her YouTube channel, Pops played “Jojowain, Totropahin, Dededmahin o Dadakmain Challenge” with Joy Ortega, Lara Melissa de Leon and Toni Abad.

Some of the celebrities name-dropped included Gabby Concepcion, Dingdong Dantes, Christopher de Leon, Coco Martin, Derek Ramsay, Dennis Trillo, Luis Manzano and Xian Lim. When Piolo appeared on screen, Pops answered, “jojowain.”

“Na-jowa ko na siya so Jojowain. Jowa lang, ha?” Pops said.

The “Concert Queen” also said that she will “totropahin”

Aga. “Nasa listahan, wala akong choice,” she said.

“Totropahin.

Hindi nga, friends. Bakit? Ex ko na siya so friends na tayo,” she added.

In the description of the video, Pops said that the game was just for fun.

“One fine afternoon, Joy, Melissa and Toni, invited me for lunch. It was my super early bday lunch, and I surprised them with this game. We added a twist to the popular vlog fave,” she said.

“Well, all I can say is honesty can be achieved with a glass of champagne! We were laughing so hard during the shoot.

Remember, this is just for fun and we are just sharing our crazy moments with you! Enjoy everyone,” she added. (By Jan Milo Severo/Philstar.com) n

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Filing bankruptcy: Sooner or later?

SFIO, NeuroSky sign $15-M partnership to bring biotech wearables to global markets STARFLEET Innotech, Inc. (Smokefree Innotec, Inc.) and biotech company NeuroSky signed an agreement earlier this month, awarding the asset management company distribution rights of NeuroSky’s state-of-the-art health and wellness monitoring devices. As part of SFIO’s broad campaign to build synergies across their core investment areas, the company plans to sell an initial batch of at least 100,000 wearables through partners in health, construction, education, and other related industries.

NeuroSky is a Silicon Valley-based, private biotech company that specializes in electronic wearables such as watches, wrist bands, and headsets. Depending on the device, features include vital sign monitoring, symptom tracking for conditions such as viral infections, and brainwave tracking to help enhance one’s learning abilities.

The agreement grants SFIO exclusive rights to sell NeuroSky products in New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates. SFIO also has non-exclusive distribution rights in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the United States, and other countries yet to be determined.

Tapping their partners across health, construction, education, and similar industries, SFIO intends to position these wearables as a quantitative way to ensure community health in a post-pandemic world, focusing on the communities that have proven to be most vulnerable to communicable diseases.

As an initial project, SFIO will be rolling out these devices to retirement villages, where residents will be able to both monitor their wellbeing and automatically alert medical staff and loved ones with SOS notifications in case of health emergencies picked up by the wearables.

Educators and researchers will also benefit from NeuroSky’s brainwave monitoring technologies. While initially designed to facilitate more data-driven meditation practices, these head-mounted wearables have scientifically proven use cases in improving performance in the classroom as well.

For the first 18 months, SFIO aims to sell at least 100,000 units of NeuroSky’s wearables, including their flagship BioSense HR watch.

SFIO expects this venture to generate $10 to $15 million in revenue.

In addition to selling to enterprise partners, SFIO will also be making these devices available to interested buyers through e-commerce platforms like Amazon, and other commercial channels via sub-distributors.

Beyond distribution, SFIO has larger plans to launch its own brand of health tracking wearables, with their in-house software development teams working alongside NeuroSky’s product designers and engineers.

These new products will be manufactured by NeuroSky and will fall under a new “white label” brand currently being developed by SFIO.

(Advertising Supplement)

I WAS in line at the grocery store the other day and noticed the man in front of me smiling and looking at me as if he wanted to say something. I only had a couple of items in my hands, so he proceeded and asked: “Do you want to go ahead of me?”

I appreciated the gesture and thanked him. Then he said, “Your welcome, Mr. Bulaon.” I was surprised to hear my name from someone I didn’t recognize. He then proceeded to tell me that he was a past client of mine about 5 years ago. I was a bit embarrassed because I didn’t recognize him right away. After all, 5 years can be a long time and I’ve dealt with hundreds of clients in the past 5 years.

He continued: “I just wanted to thank you again for helping me and wife get through our bankruptcy. It was a very difficult decision for us to do it.

We were so stressed out being in debt and we started fighting over our financial problems.

You literally saved us not only from financial destruction, but you also helped saved our marriage. We realized that sooner or later, we had to file bankruptcy to start a new life. So, we did and we thank you so much for making it as easy for us as possible.”

I was happy to hear what he said because as a bankruptcy attorney, that’s what I try to do in every case I handle- to make a difference in my clients’ lives.

I also found out that he and his wife had moved and recently bought a new home in Northern California. He said that they were just in town visiting for a couple of days.

The words he said, “sooner or later” comes to my mind as I write this article. There comes a time in a person’s life when their debt burdens become too heavy to bear that nothing short of filing bankruptcy can make things better. People realize that “sooner or later”, they need to make a decision, or they will remain stuck where they are.

I always tell people that bankruptcy is a serious decision to make and that while it does help a lot of people get a fresh start, it is, of course, not the instant solution to all debt problems. But when done right and appropriate for your situation,

your family. Nothing can be worse than being financially devastated and not being able to recover from it.

Over the last 20 years now, I have counseled thousands and thousands of people who are Atty. RAymond seriously in debt. They know BulAon deep inside that they need to do something about their situait could mean the difference tion but the first step towards a between forever struggling in solution always seems to be the debt and having a more secure hardest. So sometimes, they financial future for yourself and PAGE B5

Minding Your Finances

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The second candle of the Advent wreath: The light of faith Pastor’s Notes reverend rodel G. BAlAGtAS WE are now journeying into the Second Sunday of Advent.

Last week, we lit the first candle that symbolizes hope—hope for the world and the Church in these challenging times!

This Sunday, the second candle symbolizes faith, which all of us-- families and children--need as we face the changing times.

I say “changing times” because so much in politics, news, entertainment, and social media have challenged our traditional values and mindsets in recent years.

Varying political ideologies, fake news, sexual fluidity, pornography, illegal drugs, violence, hatred, injustice, apathy toward the Church, and many more have influenced the minds of many people. Indeed, it’s tough to raise children nowadays.

That’s why we must come together as a community of faith to support and pray for one other, keep our families strong, and show our children and youth how much we love and value them.

We don’t want them to be lost in

confusing, empty, mundane ways and the culture of “fake news” corrupting their minds. Instead, we want them to experience genuine love and care, wholeness, peace, justice, honesty, success, fulfillment, joy, and most of all, a personal encounter with the living God in Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

We aspire to be a church that builds faith-filled families, where God is at the center of every marriage and relationship, and where there is a healthy reverential fear of God. And so we never get tired and discouraged of inviting people to worship God in Word and Sacrament.

Like St. Paul in the Second Reading this Sunday, December 5 (Phil 1:4-6, 8-11) I pray that “your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.” At times, we may be like John the Baptist that cries out in the wilderness, urging people to turn to God, to come back to him through a loving and faithful relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s because, like John the Baptist, we testify that Jesus Christ is the bearer of all truth, love, and

life. Through Jesus Christ, “every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” Testifying does not only mean preaching and teaching our children and youth the ways and values of Jesus Christ. It’s also about the faithful living of our relationship with Jesus. That means loving our children unconditionally, being with them in difficult times, understanding and empathizing with them, and showing them what is honest, just, loving, merciful, and kind by example.

Moreover, it’s taking them to church, showing them our fidelity to God through worship and acts of charity.

Let’s keep faith vibrant in our families and community. Let’s worship together this Advent and Christmas. And as missionary disciples of Christ, let’s invite everyone to COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS! *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.

Filing bankruptcy: Sooner or later...

PAGE B3 suffer NEEDLESSLY for years trying to do what they can with no success when they could have done something sooner to get the relief that is right under their nose.

A lot of people think that once they file bankruptcy, they will forever be a financial outcast and they will never be able to get credit again.

But this is simply not true. Most people who file bankruptcy can regain their good credit standing in as little as 3 years and like my client in this story, would be able to buy a home which they wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise if they had remained in excessive debt. Most people can’t even save a couple of hundred dollars a month for a down payment on a home when they can’t even keep up with their credit card minimum payments. Go figure.

Fear of the unknown can sometimes be your greatest enemy if it paralyzes you to the point that you don’t take any action to change your life for the better. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Most of the fear disappears when you begin to

understand that bankruptcy laws were created to help you, not to hurt you and it is not as bad as what you may initially think. Once you’ve reviewed the pros and cons and can make an intelligent decision based on that information, imagine how your life could change by finally getting that monkey off your back.

My office can provide you a free confidential evaluation of your situation to determine whether Bankruptcy relief may help. If there are other alternatives to filing bankruptcy, I will help you explore them. *** NOTE: Due to virus safety concerns, I am offering free consultations BY PHONE OR VIDEO to anyone who needs help in dealing with their debt problems. *** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped over 5,000 clients in getting out of debt.

For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-477-7772.

(Advertising Supplement)

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Employer’s duty to find suitable job for the disabled employee Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. Q: I WORKED at a company for more than 20 years. I was injured at work several months ago and I was forced to take a leave of absence so I can have surgery and recover. When my leave ended, I called my employer so I could return to work.

My supervisor told me my position was eliminated while I was on leave and I have to wait until another position opens up. After three months of not hearing anything, I called the employer again. This time HR told me I had been terminated because they could not find a position for me. Is this right?

A: No, it is not. Based on the facts you narrated, this termination may be unlawful. First of all, the employer, having known of the employee’s disability, should have engaged in interactive process with the employee. This means communicating with the employee in good faith to determine if reasonable accommodation is available so the employee can continue to do their job. Engaging in the interactive process allows the disabled employee and the employer to work together to determine reasonable accommodation.

California law prohibits discrimination based on disability or medical condition. California law defines disability (whether mental or physical) as any disease, disorder, cosmetic disfigurement, anatomical loss, emotional or mental illness, or specific learning disabilities, which limits a major life activity.

Working at a job is considered a major life activity.

The employer has a duty to provide reasonable accommodation to employees to enable them to work despite their disability. Depending on the

employee’s specific restrictions and the employer’s circumstances, some examples of reasonable accommodation include making facilities accessible to and usable by disabled individuals; job restructuring; or offering part-time or modified work schedules. If the employee can no longer perform their former job’s duties, offering a vacant position may be a reasonable accommodation, even if the position pays less than the disabled employee’s former job.

The employer has the duty to find and offer suitable jobs for

months later, and Home Depot still refused to return her to work after that second round of leave. Home Depot then claimed they eliminated her position and there was no job for her. Home Depot then terminated her.

Jensen sued and contended that Home Depot wrongfully terminated her because of her disability, failed to engage in the interactive process, and failed to provide reasonable accommodation despite the improvement of her condition and numerous requests to return to various positions. Jensen accused the company of keeping her on unpaid leave for 14 months, hoping she would quit.

When she didn’t quit, the company claimed it eliminated her position and terminated her.

Jensen argued she was fired because of her injuries.

After 15 days of trial, as the Daily Journal reported, a jury found that the employer engaged in disability discrimination, failed to engage in interactive process and failed to accommodate Jensen’s disability. They returned a verdict in favor of the employee, awarding her $3,967,135 in economic and emotional distress damages. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic.

All inquiries are confidential and at nocost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw. com. [For more than 25 years, C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is a past Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas.]

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“The employer has the duty to find and offer suitable jobs for the employee. The employer must in good faith determine whether a disabled employee can be transferred to a vacant position.” the employee. The employer must in good faith determine whether a disabled employee can be transferred to a vacant position. The employer is in a better position to know what jobs are vacant or may become vacant. Lastly, the law entitles the disabled employee to “preferential consideration” in reassignment of existing employees.

If the disabled employee was terminated, even though they could have performed the job with reasonable accommodation, the employer’s conduct may be wrongful. Consider the story of Rosa Jensen: Jensen, 55 years old, worked at a Home Depot in Hemet, California for several years in various positions. Jensen was injured at work and had to take medical leave to undergo carpal tunnel surgery. After she had the surgery, Home Depot refused to return her to work and kept her on a leave of absence.

Jensen had a shoulder surgery

B6 december 4-7, 2021 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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Grounds for annulling a marriage...

Unsound Mind means a person PAGE B2 to the minor turning 18. Another is incapable of understanding situation is a bigamist marriage the nature of the marriage where the first spouse has been contract and the duties and absent and not known to be living responsibilities it creates which for 5 years prior to the second depends on the degree of mental marriage or if the party believed capacity of the party. This may the spouse to be dead at the time not be a ground if the party later of the second marriage. A Nullity on came to reason yet continued based on this ground may be filed to freely cohabitate with the during the life of the other party. spouse.

A marriage may be voided Fraud is another ground for if either party was of unsound voiding a marriage. The false mind at the time of the marriage. representation or concealment

must relate to a substantive matter and directly affect the purpose of the party deceived in entering the marriage. The fraud must go to the very essence of the marital relation before it is sufficient for an annulment. It is not sufficient simply to contend that your spouse turned out to be a lazy, drunken disappointment.

Nullity based on fraud has to be filed within four years of discovering the fraud.

Certain marriages that are entered into by force are voidable.

Circumstances that meet these standards requires that the forced party’s free will to have been overcome by the spouse such as through the use of threats. These type of Nullity must be filed within four years from the date of marriage. A marriage where the spouse was found to be incapable of physically engaging in copulation may be voided. It can only be filed by the spouse that does not have the physical incapacity and must be filed within four years of the marriage. Before deciding weather a divorce is the appropriate avenue to end your marriage, parties should evaluate if a Nullity is a viable alternative and weather it serves their best interest. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice.

The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information.

This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.

The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010.

Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com. Visit our website at kenreyeslaw.com.

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Seniors need Chapter 7 relief for $50K various unsecured debt

THE client is 72. He still works his normal job and makes about $3K a month. He also receives social security of $1K. So, his total income right now is $4K. He tells me that he is tired of working. His wife doesn’t want him to work anymore. His wife retired ahead of him at age 65, and now receives her social security of $800. She doesn’t work anymore.

I ask him what’s the problem?

He says they have the following debts: 1. He owes $30K of credit cards; 2. He owes $10K of car repo deficiency; 3. His wife owes $12K of credit cards.

Minimum payment on his credit cards is $1K a month.

Minimum payment on wife’s credit cards is $400 a month.

Total minimum credit cards payment for the household is $1,400 a month. Net income for the household is $4,400 a month. They don’t own a house.

They rent for $1200 a month, just a one-bedroom apartment.

Utilities and food is about $700.

They have a 2013 Lexus 250 IS that is fully paid. They only have one car. They had a new SUV but that was repossessed last year, thus the $10K repo deficiency.

Car insurance is $120 and gasoline and car maintenance is $400. Cable TV and cell phone is $200. They contribute to their church $100. They send $1000 a month for the medical expenses of their adult son who lives abroad. He doesn’t have medical insurance, and has diabetes T 2.

His illness has taken a bad turn recently. Although only 45, he now has to have dialysis 3 x a week. And, last month, his foot was amputated due to gangrene from a wound that would not heal. He accidentally cut himself while cleaning his backyard.

He stepped on a nail that went through his flip-flop. The nail was rusty and made a nasty wound on the sole of his feet.

The wound became infected with MRSA, which is a kind of bacteria that does not respond to antibiotics. The wound and infection became full of pus, then, it became gangrene. Panic time. Doctors suggested that they amputate his foot to save his leg. Is there a choice? What

Debt Relief

Atty. LAwrence yAng a difficult position to be in. Lose your foot to save your leg.

So, with the $1K that they send to their son, their total monthly expense for necessities is $3,800 vs. their net household income of $4,400. Hence, they still have an extra $600 a month, BEFORE they make the minimum payment for their credit cards of $1,400.

Well, at this point, their short $800 because they need $1400 for minimum card payments but they only have $600 left.

And who knows, their son may need more than $1K a month for medical expenses with his rapidly deteriorating health.

We pray to our God Almighty through his Son, Jesus Christ, we’re never faced with this kind of sad situation. Imagine having your son or daughter having to choose with amputation of the foot to save a leg and being on dialysis. That’s too much to bear.

You would probably cry your heart out everyday.

I refer you to Psalm 91: Whoever goes to the Lord for safety, whoever remains under the protection of Almight, can say to Him ‘You are my defender and my protector. You are my God; In you I trust… When they call to me, I will answer them; When they are in trouble, I will be with them. I will rescue them and honor them. I will reward them with long life; I will save them.

Obviously, something else will now have to be chopped off. The credit cards have to be chopped off to free them of having to pay $1400 a month.

Anyway, they have paid this minimum of $1400 for the last 10 years. They have paid a total of $168k for the last 10 years to keep $42K of credit cards current. So why do they still owe the same $42K of credit cards today?

Because that’s the way it works.

It’s a great deal for mastercard and visa but it SUX totally for clients. If they had wiped these cards out with Chapter 7 ten years ago, they would not only

owe $42K today in cards, they would have at least $250K in savings that will give them extra income of say 7%, giving them income of $17,500 a year, or $1,500 a month, which they can use to travel around the world, or just reinvest the income.

I forgot to ask if their son has children. If he does, clients may need to help their daughterin-law take care of their grand children if their son dies. It would certainly help to have an extra $1,500 a month for the care of their grand children abroad. $1,500 a month abroad in a third world country goes a very long way towards good care of their grand children abroad. Their son will appreciate this very much since he won’t be able to take care of his children anymore.

Here’s the other problem clients are facing. He is about to stop working his regular job that gives him a gross of $3K a month. You don’t have to be an accounting major to figure out what the loss of that income will mean. There will just be no money available to make the minimum payment of $1400 a month to keep the credit cards of $42K current. No way, just, no way. It’s time to get rid of the $42K with a Chapter 7 wipe out.

Should have done it ten years ago. Now, clients really must file to get rid of the $42K. It’s like the foot has to be chopped off to save the leg. Such is life.

So I refer you to Psalm 91 again because that Psalm was written

by Moses who is much beloved by our God. So it carries a lot of weight and truth in it.

If you need debt relief, please set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally. *** Disclaimer: None of the foregoing is considered legal advice for anyone.

There is absolutely no attorney-client relationship established by reading this article. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803.

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