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w w w. a s i a n Volume 24 - No. 47 • 2 Sections - 16 Pages

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

DECEMBER 8-14, 2017 Also published in LOS ANGELES, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

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Duterte: ICC won’t help Filipinos against drugs

by CHRISTINA

MENDEZ

Philstar.com

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, Dec. 7, brushed aside charges leveled against him before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in relation to the reported human rights abuses committed in his anti-drug campaign.

“Give me a little bit of time. I will finish it to the last man. I do not care what other people say. I do not give a s*** what the International Court of Justice says,” Duterte said.

“At the end of the day, if my country collapses under the weight of drugs, you will not be here to help the Filipino,” he said.

A Philippine delegation, which includes presidential spokesman Harry Roque, is currently attending the 16th Assembly of the State

USA

DATELINE Trump travel ban given green light

by Supreme Court FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

THOUGH not a final ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, December 4, gave the Trump administration the green light to enforce its travel ban which had been blocked by judges in Hawaii and Maryland.

The ban — in its third version — will prohibit residents of the six predominantly Muslim nations of Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Chad from traveling into the United States. Travelers from North Korea and Venezuela are also said to be affected.

The Supreme Court’s Monday announcement came unexpected, and with little explanation. It did though, signal that the high court may approve the latest version which was issued by President Donald Trump in September.

Of the nine justices, seven were in support of the ban. Only two justices — Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor — were opposed.

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Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC in New York.

Roque had earlier said the delegation would bring up the issue wherein the Philippines, being an ICC member, must be respected under the principle of complementarity, which provides that the court will only exercise jurisdiction if domestic courts are unwilling or unable to exercise jurisdiction on any crime cognizable by the ICC. “To violate the principle of complementarity would be to violate the very basis of our consent to be bound by the Rome Statute,” Roque said.

“If this will happen, then there may be a possibility that the Philippines, like the three other African states, may withdraw from the Rome Statute of the ICC.” Duterte also recognized that he is facing

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NEW OFFICERS. President Rodrigo Duterte administers the oath of office of the newlyappointed generals and flag officers at the Malacañan Palace on Wednesday, December 6. During his speech, the president showed a letter from his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and went on to explain that he and his family have no plans of building a political dynasty and that it’s the voters who chose them to serve.

Malacañang photos by Karl Norman Alonzo

DOJ: Aquino included in dengue vaccine probe

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

FORMER Philippine President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is included in the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)’s probe into the procurement and administration of the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“Everybody who was involved A health officer packs Dengvaxia vaccines in a box hours after the Philippine Food and Drug Administration will be included in the NBI invesstopped the sale and distribution of the dengue vaccine. tigation,” Justice Secretary VitaliaManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan no Aguirre II told reporters when

asked if the former president will also be included in the probe.

Aguirre has ordered the NBI to conduct an investigation and case build-up over the “danger to public health” of the dengue vaccination program launched by the Department of Health (DOH) in April 2016 during the Aquino administration under then-Health Secretary Janette Garin.

Under the DOH’s mass immunization program, more than 700,000 children in the country’s three highly endemic regions—Regions

III Central Luzon, IV-A Calabarzon, and Metro Manila—were administered Dengvaxia last year.

“We have to know why [the DOH] ordered such a huge amount of vaccine and immediately vaccinated 733,000 schoolchildren. Is that appropriate?” Aguirre told reporters.

The justice secretary also encouraged families of the children who were administered Dengvaxia to come forward and give their information to the NBI if their children would show adverse effects due to

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PH vice presidential poll recount to begin in February

The ballot recount requested by former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is expected to start on the second week of February this coming year, according to Romulo Macalintal, lawyer of Vice President Leni Robredo. In a statement on Monday, Macalintal said the Supreme Court (SC), sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), would start collecting the ballots in Camarines Sur on Jan. 22.

Inquirer.net photo

THE Supreme Court (SC) will begin in February 2018 the recount of votes in connection with the election protest filed by former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. against Vice President Leni Robredo.

The poll protest and the recount of ballots shall cover the three pilot provinces of Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental. These were the areas chosen by Marcos as the best provinces where he could prove the irregularities al- The justices voted 10-3-1 to affirm the high court’s decision last July dismissing three consolidated petitions seeking to strike down Proclamation No. 216 for lack of necessary leged in his protest.

Philstar.com photo According to Marcos’ lawyer factual basis.

George Garcia, their camp is glad that the ball will finally roll.

“Natutuwa kami, although nadelay nang konti, tuloy-tuloy na

SoCal fires continue AFP recommends one year martial law to torch through extension in Mindanao the Southland CJ Sereno to justices: Impeachment Fires break out in Ventura, Sylmar, Bel Air, Malibu, Oxnard, San Bernardino and Huntington Beach, burning more than 116,000 acres

A VIRAL video has been making the rounds on social media that shows the hillside near the Skirball Cultural Center along the southbound 405 freeway mercilessly burning acres of earth. Drivers on their morning commutes stare in awe at the hellish landscape torched as the fire showed no signs of calming.

Since the early morning of Tuesday, December 5, fires have broken out all across Southern California’s hillsides, canyons and coastlines, prompting widespread evacuations and concern from residents and public officials.

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complaint baseless; focus on work

by EDU

PUNAY Philstar.com

MANILA — Saying she has repeatedly stated her position that the charges in the impeachment complaint against her “bear no sufficient basis,” Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno appealed on Thursday, Dec. 7, to her fellow magistrates to focus on their work as “there is much to be done for this country.”

Sereno’s appeal came after Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro and other ranking Supreme Court (SC) officials testified in the hearings on her impeachment by the House justice committee. Three or four more magistrates are expected to appear in the hearings next week.

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by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has reportedly recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte another extension of martial law in Mindanao, which is set to lose its validity by the end of the year.

Citing a “highly placed source” who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the Inquirer on its report dated Thursday, December 7, said that the AFP endorsed the extension of martial law for one more year.

According to the unnamed source, ground commanders have expressed support for the recommendation as the prevailChief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno Inquirer.net photo ing security development re-

mains a cause for concern despite the liberation of Marawi City from terrorists.

“The recommendations came from them and then forwarded to the CSAFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff) almost all of the ground commanders actually need martial law and at this time they are for it,” the source was quoted as saying.

The source noted that with the continuing terror threats, the military still needs the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, which allows authorities to immediately arrest those who are “judicially charged for rebellion or offenses inherent in or directly connected with PAGE A2

www.TravelTradeConsumer.com Asian Journal’s series of annual events showcasing tourism, trade, and business opportunities in the USA and Philippines.

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From the Front Page

DOJ: Aquino included in dengue...

PAGE A1

the vaccine.

Last week, Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine’s manufacturer, released an analysis which found out that for those not previously infected by the virus, more cases of severe disease could occur in the long term following vaccination upon a subsequent dengue infection.

The DOH immediately suspended its dengue vaccination program following the disclosure of health risks.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Philippines also ordered Sanofi Pasteur to pull out its Dengvaxia vaccine from the market, “pending compliance with the directives of the FDA.”

FDA, likewise, directed Sanof to immediately “suspend the sale, distribution, marketing of Dengvaxia,” and to “conduct an information dissemination campaign through Advisories, Dear Doctor Letters and patient fora.”

In a statement on Tuesday, December 5, Sanofi assured that they will work with the FDA to review the implementation of its order, and will hold dialogues with the regulatory body on the matter.

“We were informed of the position of the Philippine Food and Drug Administration which was published on December 4, 2017 and will work with them to review the implementation of their direction,” Sanofi said.

“We will continue to seek constructive and transparent dialogue with them,” it added.

Sanofi also clarified anew that Dengvaxia does not cause dengue fever.

“We remind you that the dengue vaccine does not contain any viruses that can make people ill with dengue or severe dengue. If you have had no previous dengue infection before vaccination, the vaccine does not give you dengue,” the company said. n

OFF TO LAW SCHOOL. After announcing her plan to study law next year, Presidential Communication Operations Office (PCOO) Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson appears to be already preparing for it. In a Mocha Uson Blog post on Wednesday, Dec. 6, Uson shared a photo of herself reading and surrounded by law books. She stated that these books were from public works and highways Secretary Mark Villar and Build Build Build Chairperson Anna Marie Yu Lamentillo.

Photo from Facebook/Mocha Uson Blog

Duterte: ICC won’t help Filipinos...

PAGE A1

ga, known for its good food and charges related to his brutal delicacies. drug campaign but he managed Duterte made the remark to crack a joke that he would while he recalled his closeness rather be detained in Pampan- to former president and now

Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who got him as a consultant on matters related to peace and order during the former president’s term. n

PAGE A1 the invasion.”

The source also cited the reported recruitment activities by Islamic State (IS)-inspired groups and their possible merging with the communist rebels, who have stepped up its offensives after Duterte recently cancelled peace talks.

While such reports were still unverified, the source pointed out that it is logical.

“They need that mechanism especially the suspension of writ—that is the important component. Because it’s on the spur of the moment… without martial law you cannot do that,” the source added.

Last month, Duterte said the decision to extend martial law in

all three appeals questioning the constitutionality of Duterte’s martial law in Mindanao.

Denouncing the SC decision, members of the militant group Barug Katungod Mindanao (Mindanao Stand for Human Rights) staged protest on Thursday near the high court’s office located at the Padre Faura Street in Manila.

In a report by Radyo Inquirer 990, Ryan Amper, spokesman of the group, claimed that the high court only gave the green light for the military to “harass” and “bomb” the Moros and Lumads in Mindanao.

Amper also insisted that Duterte should be held accountable for the military’s actions in Mindanao. n

PH vice presidential AFP recommends one year martial... poll recount...

PAGE A1 ito. Sana matapos na pagbibilang ng mga balota (Although there was some delay, we are happy that it will finally happen. We wish that the counting was over),” Garcia said.

Robredo’s counsel, Romulo Macalintal, said that first to be reviewed are the ballots from the contested clustered precincts in Camarines Sur, the vice president’s home province, which will be retrieved on January 22, 2018 with the recount slated for the second week of February.

The vice presidential votes in Iloilo abd Negros Oriental will be counted next. (Jomar Canlas/ManilaTimes.net)

Mindanao will be in accordance with the recommendation of the military and the police, as they were the ones deployed in conflict areas.

The source expressed confidence that Duterte will approve the AFP’s recommendation to extend anew the martial law.

Duterte declared martial law and suspended the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao on May 23 following the attack of IS-inspired Maute terrorists in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur. The president’s proclamation was initially set to expire last July 22 but was extended by Congress until December 31.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court (SC) “denied with finality for mootness and lack of merit”

Trump travel ban given green light...

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The Trump administration has continuously argued that fully blocking the ban was a threat to foreign policy concerns and national security.

Trump first signed his executive order which barred admission to the U.S. from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen in January. The unexpected roll out caused panic and disorder as many found themselves stuck in airports or unable to return to the United States.

The Trump administration’s second version of the travel ban was brought forth in March, but expired this fall.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement that the high court’s action on Monday was “a substantial victory for the safety and security of the American people.”

“We are pleased to have defended this order and heartened that a clear majority Supreme Court has allowed the president’s lawful proclamation protecting our country’s national security to go into full effect,” he added. “The constitution gives the president the responsibility and power to protect his

country from all threats foreign and domestic, and this order remains vital to accomplishing these goals.”

Those against the ban say that the latest version, like previous versions, show prejudice against Muslims. Many have cited Trump’s recent actions on Twitter in which he retweeted a number of graphic anti-Muslim tweets and videos.

Omar Jadwat, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) Immigrants’ Rights Project said, “President Trump’s anti-Muslim prejudice is no secret — he has repeatedly confirmed it, including just last week on Twitter.”

“It’s unfortunate that the full ban can move forward for now, but this order does not address the merits of our claims,” he added. “We continue to stand for freedom, equality, and for those who are unfairly being separated from their loved ones.”

According to the lawsuits filed in Hawaii and Maryland, the federal courts said that the latest travel ban violated federal immigration law.

Lawyers for Hawaii said, “Less than six months ago, this

court considered and rejected a stay request indistinguishable from the one the government now presses.”

“But the justification for that dramatic relief has only weakened. In place of a temporary ban on entry, the president has imposed an indefinite one, deepening and prolonging the harms a stay would inflict,” they added.

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, and the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, are expected to hear the challenges to the travel ban this week.

The Supreme Court signaled that the issue was expected to be dealt with by the courts in a rather prompt manner. The Monday order read, “In light of its decision to consider the case on an expedited basis, we expect the Court of Appeals will render its decision with appropriate dispatch.”

Assuming the appeals courts reach a resolution quickly, the Supreme Court would then be able to decide on the issue by the end of June. (Rae Ann Varona/AJPress)

CJ Sereno to justices: Impeachment complaint...

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“In various fora, I have already tried to incapsulate in very brief form why the charges against me, in fact, should bear no sufficient basis,” the SC chief said in her speech at the 14th Metrobank Foundation Professorial Chair Lecture at the SC. The justice committee is trying to determine probable cause to impeach Sereno. If such is established, the committee will transmit the complaint to the Senate for trial.

“To the men and women of the judiciary. Please continue to focus on your work. Nothing should distract us,” she said.

“Continue your work undistracted, professionally and excellently as you have been doing in the past,” she said, addressing her colleagues.

She pointed out the “country is crying for justice.” She did not elaborate.

The SC chief stressed it is important for members of the judiciary to “monitor and watch and be on the lookout for the hallmarks of independence, integrity and dignity of the judiciary to be preserved.

“It is most important to me that the dignity and independence of

the judiciary is preserved. And that has been the principle I have been observing in my conduct in all of these times,” she said.

In the same address, Sereno also insisted on her innocence of charges in the impeachment complaint of lawyer Lorenzo Gadon, which she already addressed in her verified answer.

“I have submitted myself to this process according to the rights that are accorded in my position. And I hope that you have taken it in all good faith that my intent is to defend the dignity and independence of the judiciary,” she told SC officials and employees.

Sereno has opted not to attend the impeachment hearings at the House. She decried the decision of the House justice committee to deny her lawyers the opportunity to cross-examine the witnesses summoned by the panel, calling it a violation of her constitutional rights.

Associate Justices Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam and Samuel Martires and retired associate justice Arturo Brion are expected to testify in the impeachment hearings next week.

De Castro testified on some of the 27 allegations raised by

Gadon in his impeachment complaint, including an administrative case stemming from Sereno’s issuance of an order creating a regional court administration office in Cebu without the high court’s collegial approval.

De Castro had also discussed before the House panel the merits of her separate concurring opinion in the August 2014 ruling that voided the Judicial and Bar Council’s decision not to include the name of then solicitor general Francis Jardeleza in the shortlist of nominees for SC justice post after Sereno raised an integrity issue against him.

With De Castro at the House hearings was SC Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez who discussed the administrative processes in the high court.

Sereno’s camp has insisted the matters De Castro discussed before the committee reflected only the differences in opinion within a collegial body and did not constitute an impeachable offense.

The Chief Justice’s lawyers argued De Castro’s concerns could be properly addressed by the magistrates internally and not through an extraordinary remedy of impeachment. n

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Cayetano encourages OFWs to invest in PH

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

CA CONFIRMATION. Senate President and Commission on Appointments Chairman Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III (3rd from right) pose with foreign service officers whose ad-interim appointments were confirmed during the CA’s plenary session on Wednesday, December 06, 2017. The newly confirmed foreign service officers are (from left) Denis Yap Lepatan as Ambassador to Switzerland with jurisdiction over Liechtenstein; Jocelyn Batoon-Garcia as Ambassador to Norway with jurisdiction over Iceland, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden; Eduardo Jose De Vega as Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, the Commission of the European Communities, and the Council of the European Union, and Demetrio Tuason, as Ambassador to the United Mexican States.

Senate photo by Romeo Bugante

SoCal fires continue to torch through...

PAGE A1 With the help of the relentless Santa Ana winds, the Thomas (Ventura County), Creek (Sylmar), Rye (Santa Clarita) and Skirball (Bel Air) fires have scorched a total of 116,000 acres as of Thursday morning.

More than 5,000 firefighters (half of them directed to the massive Thomas fire) have been doing what they can to try to contain the expanding flames, fire officials said. Some 9,000 homes are still without power and school officials have shut down hundreds of schools in at least 15 districts.

At about 96,000 acres, the Thomas fire is the largest (roughly the size of the city of Denver) and only 5 percent has been contained so far, according to the latest information from fire officials. As of Thursday, the fire has spread north consuming parts of the Ojai Valley and west in La Conchita, reaching the Pacific Ocean.

More than 50,000 residents have been evacuated and at least 12,000 homes have been threatened. A body was found in the burn area near Ojai, the known first casualty of the fires.

The Creek Fire ignited in the Angeles National Forest around 3:45 am on Tuesday and reached a size of 12,605 acres. The fire has been 10 percent containment and has ordered the evacuation of 150,000 people. Officials confirmed that 15 homes and 30 structures have been destroyed in the stubborn fire which continues to blaze.

“Firefighters are challenged by high winds, poor access and steep, rugged terrain,” said a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection report.

The Rye fire has consumed 7,000 acres and firefighters have made substantial gains, achieving 15 percent containment. The mandatory evacuations have been lifted, as of Thursday morning.

Gov. Jerry Brown has issued an official State of Emergency in the Los Angeles and Ventura counties in response to the Thomas, Creek

and Rye fires on Tuesday, urging residents to follow procedures delivered by local officials.

“This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly, but we’ll continue to attack it with all we’ve got,” Brown said. “It’s critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so.”

The Skirball Fire has burned 475 acres of the hillside near the upscale neighborhood of Bel Air. More than 600 firefighters have contained 20 percent (as of Thursday) of the fire. In response, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued a local State of Emergency for the area and urged residents who may be affected to evacuate and follow safety procedures delivered by officials.

Four homes have been destroyed with 11 damaged, and more than 700 residents in a 3.2 square mile radius have evacuated, including Josephina and Josh Miranda who live on Chantilly Road.

They made the decision to evacuate their Spanish revival home (built in the 1940s) early Wednesday morning when they awoke to the neighbors’ dogs barking and saw the early morning sky painted a burnt orange tinge.

“The sky looked like it was gonna be engulfed by the fire, too,” Josh Miranda, an engineer, told the Asian Journal on Thursday morning. The family is currently staying with a friend in Hancock Park.

Neighbors and friends had been blowing up their phones alerting them of the nearby brush fire that erupted overnight. The Mirandas’ home is further away from the 405 freeway, but they wasted no time packing their valuables in their cars.

“We didn’t want to take any chances,” Josephina Miranda, a culture consultant in the film industry, said. “We packed up everything we didn’t want to burn and made our way here.”

“My wife woke me up before the sun even came up and told me there was a fire nearby,” said

Josh Miranda, an engineer. “We looked outside and all you saw from the westside of our balcony were flames and smoke everywhere. We looked at each other and just agreed that we needed to leave.”

Unsure of the current state of their house, they are awaiting news from local authorities of when it’s safe to return to their neighborhood. They’ve lived in LA since the 1980s and have “never seen a disaster quite like this.”

“We don’t know when we can go back. We’re waiting to hear from officials and all that, but we still have friends who haven’t evacuated yet,” he added. “We’re both still a little shell-shocked about this whole thing, [and we’re] not even thinking about our home being destroyed.”

New fires in Huntington Beach, Oxnard and the San Bernardino County have ignited as fire officials across the Southland try to contain the ever-growing flames.

On Thursday morning, Huntington Beach Fire Department officials responded to a fire in Bartlett Park near Beach Boulevard and Adams Avenue brought on by winds gusting at about 30 mph.

Seventy children and 20 staff members were immediately evacuated from the La Petite Academy, which sustained damage to the roof and attic, according to HBFD Battalion Chief Jeff Lopez.

Within the hour, the fire was extinguished. The fire burned for two acres and no one was injured.

In San Bernardino County, the Little Mountain and Meyers fires burned almost 300 acres of land, but both were contained and no one was injured, according to the local fire officials who responded Thursday morning.

Those who live in the affected fire areas are urged to follow live updates from the city. For evacuation information, visit https:// www.lacity.org/blog/fire-evacuation-information. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

PH reelected to int’l maritime council by reiceLyn ignacio Manilatimes.net

THE Philippines has been re-elected to the council of the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization in charge of maritime safety, security and environment protection, the Department of Transportation said on Monday, Dec. 5.

The Philippines obtained 124 out of 160 votes on December 1 under Category C, placing 13th among 20 elected IMO memberstates under the said category.

Category A are states with the largest interest in providing

international shipping services while Category B are those with the largest interest in international seaborne trade. Category C meanwhile are states not elected under A or B, which have special interests in maritime transport or navigation and whose election to the Council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world.

Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Administrator Al Amaro said the Philippines’ obtaining a higher position is attributed to the “strong and progressive image of the Philippines under the leadership of President Rodrigo

Duterte and the good reputation of Filipino seafarers to worldwide maritime operations.”

“The Philippines winning a slot in this prestigious international maritime Council is not only a victory for the DOTr, but a victory for Filipino seafarers, the entire Philippines, and for all of us Filipinos,” Amaro said.

The Philippines ranked 18 in IMO Category C in 2015.

According to government data, Filipino seafarers comprise over 25 percent of the 1.5-million mariners worldwide. They provide $5.575 billion to the Philippine economy through remittances. n

With US pullout, PH leads campaign to protect rights of migrants

by Dona

Z. PaaZibugan Inquirer.net

THE Philippines has vowed to lead the campaign for a global agreement on the protection of migrants’ rights following the withdrawal of the United States from the UN-led negotiations.

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday reached out to “our allies in the West” for support, without directly commenting on the U.S. decision to withdraw from the so-called New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants that was reached last year.

The declaration, which seeks to provide better treatment and protection for migrant workers, would lead to a Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) that is expected to be adopted by the United Nations by the end of next year.

The Philippines is among the participants in the preparatory negotiations this week in Mexico. The main negotiations will be held at the UN headquarters in New York from February to July next year.

The GCM will be adopted at an international conference to be hosted by Morocco in December 2018.

“Our experience in the promotion of the welfare and the protection of the rights of Filipino migrants firmed up our commitment to stirringly advocate for the rights of all migrant workers,” Cayetano said in a statement during an official visit on Monday in Macau.

“We are also committed to work with our allies and friends in the West who share our values but have issues and concerns that need to be addressed,” he added.

He called the negotiations for a global compact the primary UN process to advance the cause of migrant workers.

“The GCM process is important to the Philippines and we are ready to assume a leadership role to ensure a successful outcome,” Cayetano said.

With at least 10.4 million Filipinos living abroad, the Philippines is among the few countries that have fought to include migration

on the UN agenda and led the campaign for a global compact on migration, according to Teodoro Locsin Jr., the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations in New York.

The Philippine delegation to the GCM negotiations in Mexico will be headed by Foreign Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola.

On Sunday, Dec. 4, the United States notified the United Nations that it was withdrawing from the negotiations, saying that staying in the campaign would be inconsistent with American immigration policy.

U.S. President Donald Trump has made “America First” a cornerstone of his administration, issuing executive orders to restrict incoming immigration and refugee settlement.

“Our decisions on immigration policies must always be made by Americans and Americans alone.

We will decide how best to control our borders and who will be allowed to enter our country,” U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said. n

THE Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) strongly encourages Filipinos working in Macau, Hong Kong, and other parts of the world to invest their earnings back in their home country.

During separate town hall meetings with members of the Filipino community in Hong Kong and Macau on Sunday, December 3, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano urged Filipinos working abroad to consider investing in the Philippines to secure the future of their families.

Citing the Philippines’ unprecedented 6.9 percent economic growth in the third quarter of 2017, Cayetano said overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) should “take advantage of the economic boom and start investing their savings.”

“Over the years, you and our other kababayans abroad have been investing in the future of our country,” Cayetano told Filipinos who attended the meetings at the St. Joseph the Worker Church in Macau and at the Duke of Windsor Auditorium in Hong Kong.

“Your remittances serve as investments not only in education and housing but also for the future of your loved ones back home,” he added.

The DFA secretary thanked

Foreign Affairs Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano

the close to 219,000 Filipinos working in Hong Kong and the 30,000 in Macau for their remittances, including from those in other countries, which continue to “fuel the country’s growth.”

Cayetano also encouraged Filipinos to continue acquiring new skills to have access to “betterpaying” jobs.

“I encourage you to attend regular skills enhancement and language trainings here in Hong Kong or Macau and even back in the Philippines as this will surely open better employment opportunities for you,” the DFA chief said.

Cayetano further noted that President Rodrigo Duterte also “knows very well the important

Inquirer.net photo

role our overseas workers play.”

“This is precisely the reason why he wants us to not only look after your interests and welfare but to also provide you with comfort and convenience,” he added.

According to the DFA, OFWs can apply for passports that would be valid for 10 years starting January next year, which will lead to more efficient processing of multi-year work contracts for overseas workers.

“This is one of reforms that responds to your needs as overseas workers and I assure you that the Duterte administration will strive hard to ensure that all your rights and interests are protected,” Cayetano said. n

PH vows to work with US in addressing N. Korea’s threat

by Patricia LourDeS Philstar.com

Viray

SENIOR officials of the Philippines and the United States discussed their shared concerns in the region during the bilateral strategic dialogue between the two countries in Washington last week.

Both the Philippines and the U.S. pledged to work together to put an end to North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs, which are unlawful, the DFA said in a statement released on Tuesday, Dec. 5.

Washington also welcomed the Philippines’ compliance with the United Nations Security Council Resolutions relevant to the issue.

Along with the U.S., the Philip-

pines had been calling on North Korea to stop its weapons testing which increases tensions on the Korea Peninsula.

Last week, Pyongyang launched an intercontinental ballistic missile that traveled about 1,000 kilometers before landing near Japan’s coast.

Manila and Washington also reaffirmed their commitment to uphold freedom of navigation and overflight in the disputed South China Sea. The two countries stressed the importance of resolving maritime disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The joint statement, however, made no mention of China’s island-building activities

in the disputed waters, as well as the landmark ruling of the UN-backed tribunal based in The Hague, Netherlands which invalidated Beijing’s historic nine-dash line claim.

DFA Undersecretary Enrique Manalo and DND Undersecretary Ricardo led the Philippine delegation in the seventh bilateral strategic dialogue from November 30 to December 1.

Meanwhile, Acting Assistant Secretary of State Susan Thornton and Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense David Helvey co-led the U.S. delegation.

The annual dialogue between the two countries is a venue for discussing political, security and economic cooperation between the Philippines and the U.S. n

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Robredo backs Duterte’s proclamation declaring CPP-NPA as terror group

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

MARIAN DEVOTION. A soldier touches an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary during the 38th Grand Marian Procession held in Intramuros, Manila.

The procession that featured more than a hundred images of the Virgin Mary was a prelude to the observance of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Friday, Dec. 8.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Bob Dungo Jr.

Vice President Leni Robredo is supporting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision declaring the communist Party of the Philippines (cPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), as a “terrorist organization.” in a radio interview on Wednesday, December 5, Robredo said it is only right to label the cPP-NPA as a terrorist group if it engages in “terroristic activities” such as the killing of civilians and extortion.

“For me, what’s the definition of a ‘terrorist’? A terrorist sows fear without any reason. Terrorists are also those who kill civilians and extort money from them,” Robredo told Bombo Radyo isabela.

“For me, if the acts committed by the New People’s Army are terroristic activities, then it is right that they be declared as a terrorist group,” she added.

The vice president also agreed that it is only reasonable for the administration to declare the cPP-NPA as a terror group in or-

der to preserve national security, as she stressed that the government does not condone acts of terrorism.

“All the actions of the government to quell violence, to quell the illegal activities, to quell the terroristic activities, i agree with that,” she remarked.

Duterte on Tuesday, December 5, signed Proclamation No. 374, declaring the cPP-NPA as a “designated/identified terrorist organization under Republic Act No. 10168 or The Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012.”

According to Malacañang, the president made the move due to the “continued violent acts of the cPP-NPA which sow and create a condition of widespread and extraordinary fear and panic among the populace.”

Last November, Duterte terminated negotiations with the communist rebels amid the latter’s continued attacks on state troops, saying the government is “not anymore inclined” to continue the peace talks.

Welcoming the recent procla-

mation tagging the cPP-NPA as a terrorist organization, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Major General Restituto Padilla said the military can now “fully execute and perform its mandate without reservation or restrictions.”

“This proclamation clearly classifies and labels the group for what they really are.... We can now address without any hesitation and with all the means and resources available to us the increasing criminal and economic sabotage activities of these terrorists,” he added.

But for the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), which serves as the cPP’s political arm, the “real” terrorist is Duterte himself and not the cPP-NPA. in a forum, NDFP senior adviser Luis Jalandoni argued that the president should be labeled as a terrorist, saying that Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign has claimed thousands of lives.

“The public will not believe the cPP-NPA are terrorists because the truth is Duterte himself is the terrorist,” Jalandoni said. n

Opposition on De Lima’s award: Pacquiao says next fight likely in April 2018 You can’t put a strong woman down

by AJPress

by GaEa

KatrEEna Philstar.com

cabico

MANiLA — Opposition senators on Thursday, Dec. 7 congratulated their colleague Sen. Leila de Lima for being recognized as one of the leading global thinkers of 2017 by American magazine Foreign Policy.

They said De Lima’s dedication to the cause of justice and human rights in the country, particularly her public denouncement of the government’s war on drugs, has

not gone unnoticed.

“Her steadfast convictions have captured the interest of people all over the world and have started a global conversation that throws into sharp focus the dangers and abuses happening under this administration’s ruthless anti-drug campaign,” opposition senators said.

They added: “This award serves as a reminder to all of us that you can never put a strong woman down, much less one who sides with truth.”

Sen. Leila de Lima

Philstar.com photo

The senators lauded De Lima for remaining true to her principles despite being detained in camp crame.

“We are proud to have such an indomitable spirit among our ranks, and we will stand by her as she carries on with her campaign against injustice and human rights abuses in our country,” they said.

The opposition senators include Bam Aquino, Franklin Drilon, Risa Hontiveros, Antonio Trillanes iV and Liberal Party President Francis Pangilinan.

For two consecutive years, De Lima has been named as one of the leading global thinkers by the magazine.

The Malacañang on Tuesday said it respects the decision of the magazine to include De Lima as one of the 50 leading global thinkers of 2017 but said the recognition does not diminish the “serious” charges against her.

The senator, an outspoken critic of the administration, was accused of protecting and coddling drug traders inside the New Bilibid Prision during her stint as Justice secretary.

De Lima is facing three counts of violations of the comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. She has repeatedly denied the charges. n

Sandiganbayan: Revilla must present own evidence

by ElizabEth

MarcElo Philstar.com

MANiLA — even veteran lawyer, former solicitor-general estelito Mendoza failed to convince the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan that there is no longer a need for his client, former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. to present counter evidence in seeking the dismissal of his plunder case over the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam. in a hearing Thursday, Dec. 7, the Sandiganbayan’s First Division denied in open court Revilla’s motion for leave to file a demurrer to evidence.

Also denied by the court were similar motions filed by Revilla’s former aide Richard cambe and the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

“The court is of the view that there is a need for the accused to present evidence. Therefore, the motions for leave are hereby denied,” First Division chairman Associate Justice efren De La cruz said.

The other two magistrates of the First Division who deliberated on the motions were Associate Justices Geraldine Faith econg and Reynaldo cruz.

The filing of a demurrer is a legal strategy usually employed by the accused to seek the dismissal of a case without having the need to present counterevidence. The demurrer is usually filed after the prosecution rested its case.

But under the Rules of court, an accused may first seek the permission of the court before filing a demurrer so as not to lose his or her chance to present counter-evidence if the demurrer gets denied.

De La cruz clarified that Revilla, cambe and Napoles may still file their respective demurrers but under the risk of losing the chance to present their counter evidence.

The court said the accused may file their demurrer within

Former Sen. Bong Revilla

10 days from yesterday. if the accused would not file a demurrer, the presentation of their counter-evidence will proceed on Jan. 25, 2018, the court said.

Revilla, cambe and Napoles’ plunder case stemmed from the alleged misuse of the former senator’s Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel.

Based on the information of the case, Revilla, through cambe, received from Napoles a total of P224,512,500 in kickbacks of commissions in exchange for the allocation of his PDAF to the latter’s bogus non-government organizations (NGOs). in their respective motions for leave to file a demurrer, Revilla, cambe, Napoles maintained that the prosecution failed to present any documentary or testimonial evidence that could prove that they committed all the elements of plunder provided under Republic Act 7080 or the Plunder Law. The three accused said the prosecution also failed to establish the “combination or series of overt criminal acts” that each

Philstar.com photo

of them supposedly committed in order for Revilla to amass kickbacks or commissions from the pork scam.

Revilla, who looked downhearted after the hearing, no longer granted any interview with the reporters but instead just said “Merry christmas.”

His lead counsel Mendoza, meanwhile, maintained that the prosecution’s evidence is weak, thus the former senator should have been allowed to challenge it through a demurrer. “i stand by our argument that there no evidence presented showing that Bong Revilla accepted a single peso from the P224 million alleged kickbacks,” Mendoza said in Filipino.

Mendoza, however, admitted that with the court’s denial of their motion for leave, it is now “risky” to file a demurrer.

“We have to study that carefully. We will take a chance by just filing a demurrer.. but that would mean we waive the presentation of evidence. There is a risk there,” Mendoza said. “i have to discuss with the other lawyers and also to senator Revilla,” he added. n

FANS of Filipino boxing icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao have something to look forward to next year, as the former eight-division world champion assured that he will still fight.

While he did not drop any names of possible opponents, Pacquiao disclosed that his camp is currently negotiating for a comeback match next year.

“Siguro mga January malalaman natin (Maybe we can know by Janu- IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas poses with Manny Pacquiao during a recent visit Senate photo ary),” Pacquiao told ABS-cBN’s to the latter’s Senate office.

Dyan castillejo. vember 23, Pacquiao teased a posmatch last July in Brisbane.

According to Pacquiao, his match Pacquiao initially wanted a re- sible match next year against Mcwill likely be scheduled sometime match against Horn but the Filipino Gregor when he used the hashtags within the first half of 2018. “By boxer reportedly refused to have “2018” and “real boxing match.”

April may laban na (There will be the fight again in Australia.

“Happy Thanksgiving! Stay a match by April),” the fighting Asked about his supposed chal- fit my friend. #realboxingmatch senator said. lenge to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) #2018 @thenotoriousmma,” the Pacquiao has not been in the superstar conor McGregor, Pac- Filipino boxer posted on his inring since losing his World Boxing quiao said, “Wala pa kay McGregor stagram account along with a Organization (WBO) Welterweight (No news yet).” photo of the UFc Lightweight title to Australia’s Jeff Horn during a in a social media post last No- champion. n

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OPINION

FEATURES

Fake drugs

BESIDES the anti-dengue vaccine whose use may have put some 70,000 children at risk, the country has also been saddled with the proliferation of counterfeit medicine.

For many years now, public health advocates have warned about the proliferation of fake drugs in the Philippines. The counterfeit drugs range from medication for common afflictions such as cough and diarrhea to maintenance drugs for hypertension and fake Viagra for erectile dysfunction. As early as 2010, health advocates had estimated that one in 10 drugs sold in the country was fake.

Over the weekend the World Health Organization gave a similar estimate, but on a global scale, with developing countries including the Philippines reported to be the principal markets for fake drugs. WHO officials believe tens of thousands of children worldwide die every year from afflictions such as malaria and pneumonia due to the use of fake drugs. Of some 48,000 drugs covered by 100 studies reviewed by WHO experts, 65 percent of the fake medicines were for treating malaria.

There are no suppliers if there is no demand. And demand in developing countries is high, not for fake drugs but for more affordable medicine. This is what suppliers of fake drugs can offer: products that

are dirt-cheap when compared with the branded originals.

Those who profit from meeting this demand either produce fake drugs or bypass global rules on intellectual property rights, manufacturing generic or copycat versions long before international patents lapse, without the consent of the companies that developed the medicine. The companies then cannot impose product quality controls and efficacy of the imitations cannot be guaranteed.

Fake drugs also proliferate in countries where regulation is weak. This is true in much of the developing world, including in the Philippines, where practically anything can be smuggled through Customs by anyone with the right connections and financial means. If P6.4 billion worth of shabu can breeze through the Port of Manila without even a cursory check, think of how many other types of illegal drugs including fake ones are waved through from what health advocates said were the top sources: China, India and Pakistan.

If the government wants to protect public health, the smuggling must be stopped. The government

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS PRESIDENT Donald Trump gave his full support behind the candidacy of Roy Moore, a former judge who is running for senator in a special election in Alabama on December 12.

Trump endorsed Moore despite the fact that at least six women have come forward, accusing Moore of making unwanted sexual advances toward them when they were teens, with one of them being only 14. Two of them accused him of assault and molestation. Moore was al-

RICARDO SALUDO IF there is war in Korea, will the Philippines take America’s side?

Asked exactly that last week, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said: “As of now, we’re not prepared to say which side we will be on, other than … we want the UN charter followed, we want all parties to refrain from the use of force, we want all parties to utilize peaceful means in resolving this dispute.”

Let’s hope Secretary Roque’s remark got to Pyongyang’s rocket man. Then maybe we won’t be on the priority target list of Kim Jongun’s projectiles, despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s tough talk against North Korean nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development.

The heat over Kim’s rocketing ambitions flared up again after he launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, which climbed over 4,000 km before dropping into the Sea of Japan—theoretically able to reach the continental United States.

Minutes after the ICBM launch, South Korean warplanes promptly conducted practice air strikes in waters east of Korea, flying as far as the launch site was from their air base. Also keeping the pressure on Pyongyang, this week U.S. and South Korean air forces will hold military exercises.

In times like this, one can appreciate President Duterte’s independent foreign policy of taking no sides in big power rivalry, and thus moving the Philippines off the firing line in Asia’s potential hotspots.

First of all, reduce threats

must also provide the manpower and resources — all acutely lacking in this country — to prevent the local manufacture, distribution and sale of fake medicine, and to expand the capacity for screening

all types of drugs for safety. Finally, to give justice to victims and prevent impunity, purveyors of counterfeit medicine must be caught and appropriate punishment imposed. (Philstar.com)

Trump endorses an alleged child molester for senator in Alabama: ‘He denied it!’ ready in his 30s then and was an assistant district attorney in Alabama.

When the news about Moore broke out, several Republican leaders have distanced themselves from Moore, with some calling on Moore to step aside and quit the race. Even Trump’s own daughter Ivanka Trump said in an interview, “There’s a special place in hell for people who prey on children,” when asked about allegations against Moore. “I’ve yet to see a valid explanation, and I have no reason to doubt the victims’ accounts.”

BUT for President Trump, it suffices that Moore DENIED the accusations of these women.

That was all that he needed to hear from the former judge, despite the pain, shame and damage the latter has caused these girls through many years, who have now mustered enough strength to tell their stories.

This news about Moore allegedly preying on teenage girls was but one of the many stories of other women coming out to reveal the dark secret about how they had been sexually victimized by men in the workplace, at home, in the community — with the hashtag #MeToo as a platform for ordinary girls and women to speak up so this culture of sexual abuse and objectification of women may be addressed.

How Duterte is making the nation more secure Opinion

Philstar.com photo

That’s one of six crucial thrusts of the Duterte administration which are moving to enhance and strengthen the security of the Philippines now and in the future. These fundamental policy directions may not seem to matter much to national defense, and are even attacked by those claiming to be patriots. But think them through, and one can see why and how they will make us safer and stronger.

First of these policy thrusts is President Duterte’s controversial independent foreign policy. It reversed the past administration’s headlong rush to become America’s military platform in Asia, mended fences with China, and cultivated warm relations and even military cooperation with all big powers.

That accomplished the first aim of any security policy: reduce threats. By keeping nuclear-capable American naval and air forces out of the country, and making friends with China and Russia, President Duterte lessened potential hostilities with two major powers.

And by openly affirming his trust that Beijing would desist from further island-building and militarization in the South China Sea, Duterte has put the onus on the Chinese to behave, and they largely have done so.

Strategy No. 2: Engage China through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Not by stirring up anti-China agitation, as then-President Benigno Aquino 3rd did, but by pressing for a Code of Conduct to reduce tensions, avoid conflict, and boost confidence and cooperation in the South China Sea. Skeptics argue that China would never agree to a binding Code constricting its military power on the high seas. But just as Duterte’s declaration of trust in Beijing prods it to show good

faith, it also has to seriously work with Asean in crafting a credible and effective Code, or else dialogue loses, and the region turns to armaments and powerful allies to counter China.

Third on Duterte’s defenseenhancing thrusts is regional security cooperation. Instead of depending on a superpower ally that is in rivalry with China, thus making the latter an adversary, the Philippines is engaging a wide range of nations, China included, in military exchanges.

Japan is rapidly becoming the leading source of major external security hardware, with its donation or loan of some two dozen aircraft and patrol vessels to the country. Beijing has not objected, since Japan is not a strategic threat to China and will not put forces in the Philippines.

China and Russia are also providing weapons and equipment, possibly including the country’s first submarine from Moscow.

Also of great importance are the joint air and sea patrols with Indonesia and Malaysia, now targeting terrorists and pirates, but can also help secure maritime economic zones in future.

Richer and stronger Asia-pacing economic growth is also a Duterte thrust, but how is that supposed to help defend the archipelago. No prizes of answering that a wealthy nation can buy or build better armaments without starving its people.

Thanks to the Arroyo-era fiscal reforms in 2006, the Philippines was able to buy more attack planes and choppers, patrol boats, and tanks in succeeding years. And with even more resources under Duterte’s tax reforms and growth push, the country may finally be able to acquire the maritime surveillance aircraft, anti-ship missiles, and air defense systems long urged

Trump was asked what he thought about these women now speaking out about their sexual abuse and harassment stories to which he told reporters that it was great that they were speaking up, but maintained that Moore denied the accusations. He questioned why women were speaking out against Moore at this time, after decades, and suggested this was part of a conspiracy to damage the candidacy of Moore. Moore denied all allegations, and that was all that mattered to him.

He was effectively saying that these women, who were allegedly victimized by Moore when they were teenage girls, were all liars.

Sounds familiar? Trump himself had been accused by at least 16 women of sexual misconduct and of sexually violating women, even without their consent. During the “Access Hollywood” open mic interview scandal that broke during the presidential campaign, Trump gloated he could do everything because of his celebrity status.

BUT of course, Trump was using the “deny and deny” template to claim innocence.

It worked for him before, why wouldn’t it work for Moore? He said the women who were accusing him were liars, and said he would sue them when he becomes president. He has not done so up to now.

Therefore, Trump has now thrown his 100 percent support for Moore. Nevermind his questionable character, Trump told voters they should vote for Moore and not for a liberal.

Respect for women? Respect for the truth? Respect for the laws and the rules and morality? For Donald J. Trump, president of the United States of America, it is all about winning — no matter what the cost. *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https:// www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

The browning of America

Street Talk GREG B. MACABENTA

ADVERTISING is one indicator of changes in lifestyle, social mores, fashion and language.

One such development that has become apparent in U.S. television commercials is the use of mixed race families (i.e., an African-American husband, a Caucasian wife and mixed-race children).

This would have been unthinkable only a few decades ago. In 1978, at the Advertising Age workshop that I attended in Chicago, the only non-white commercial endorser was Bill Cosby. For years, Hollywoodtype white models were mandatory for all kinds of massmarketed products in the U.S. – pretty much the way they were in TV commercials and print ads in the Philippines. America was still coming to grips with the concept of civil rights and racial equality, and we Filipinos were still weighed down by the monkey on our backs called “colonial mentality.”

The election of half black, half white Barack Obama to the presidency may have marked the most dramatic change in the attitude of American society towards “people of color,” a euphemism for non-whites.

Obama epitomized the national leader who possessed all the positive qualities of the white man and the black man, as well.

Handsome, charismatic, eloquent. He was the “ideal blend,” the poster boy for racial equality.

To use a phrase I coined in a feature article in 1989, Obama represented the Browning of America. Not plain white or PAGE A7 plain black but rich brown.

In the 1990s, I used that phrase again, along with the headline for an ad, “Old Glory was never intended to be plain white.” It was an ad for PG&E’s policy of diversity in hiring.

The recent emergence of mixed race superstars, like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors, in spectator sports which have been traditionally dominated by blacks, may have reinforced the concept of racial “balance” and “blending.”

Perceptive advertising practitioners have been quick to adapt their creative strategies to this development.

Unfortunately, not just ad men appear to have done this, but politicians, as well – specifically the “Washington outsider” who became president, Donald Trump.

To set things in perspective, there was a time in American history when the separation of races was seen by mainstream Americans as a divine mandate.

For decades anti-miscegenation was the law in most of the states. It was illegal for “people of color,” particularly blacks (and including Filipinos in some states like Maryland) to marry a white person.

Following is an entry in Wikipedia: “In 1967, 17 Southern states (all the former slave states plus Oklahoma) still enforced laws prohibiting marriage between whites and non-whites.

Maryland repealed its law in response to the start of the proceedings at the Supreme Court.

After the ruling of the Supreme Court, the remaining laws were no longer enforceable. Nonetheless, it took South Carolina until 1998 and Alabama until 2000 to amend their states’ constitutions to remove language prohibiting miscegenation. In the respective referendums, 62%

of voters in South Carolina and 59% of voters in Alabama voted to make the amendments. In Alabama nearly 526,000 people voted against the amendment, including a majority of voters in some rural counties.

“In 2009, Keith Bardwell, a justice of the peace in Robert, Louisiana, refused to officiate a civil wedding for an interracial couple. A nearby justice of the peace, on Bardwell’s referral, officiated the wedding; the interracial couple sued Keith Bardwell and his wife Beth Bardwell in federal court. After facing wide criticism for his actions, including from Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, Bardwell resigned on November 3, 2009.”

In truth, racism has never really disappeared in the US, but the civil rights movement and the rise of a more enlightened American society left only the fringe groups like the neo-Nazis clenching their futile fists, while the closet racists remained in the closet.

The tumultuous presidential campaign of Trump and his equally unsettling presidency may have opened the Pandora’s box of racist resentments that, according to one TV political analyst, had been exacerbated

by Obama’s election.

Adding to the volatile brew has been the feeling among those in the American heartland that they are retrogressing in a country they are told is their own but which is being dominated by all kinds of foreigners, including illegals and potential terrorists. The same TV analyst described the American heartland as “the new ghetto.”

Trump has made no effort to soothe these resentments. In fact, he appears to be encouraging them. His response to the PAGE A7

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

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Dateline PhiliPPines

OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEmbER 8-14, 2017

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Senate to subpoena Bautista EU development fund for over ill-gotten wealth issue Philippines still intact until 2020 by maRichu

VillanueVa Philstar.com

by Paolo

RomeRo Philstar.com

MANILA — Former Commission on elections (Comelec) chief Andres Bautista will be cited in contempt by the Senate if he does not heed the subpoena to be issued by the chamber in connection with its inquiry into his alleged ill-gotten wealth, Sen. Francis escudero warned. escudero, chairman of the Senate committee on banks and financial institutions, said the Senate is set to issue a subpoena to compel Bautista to appear before the panel in its next hearing into the former poll chief’s P329million deposits in the Luzon Development Bank (LDB) that were alleged to be ill-gotten.

Bautista has snubbed the last two hearings of the committee even as he promised before the media that he was willing to face the legislative inquiry and issue a waiver to open his accounts at the LDB. “We will wait…for an explanation from him (on why he snubbed the investigation) and if none is forthcoming, we will ask Senate President (Aquilino) Pimentel (III) to issue a subpoena,” escudero told reporters after the hearing on Wednesday, Dec. 6. escudero said the committee has sent formal invitations to Bautista through all his three known addresses, of which only one was properly received.

Former Sen. Jinggoy Estrada

Former Commission on Elections chief Andres Bautista

“He (Bautista) has made so many claims and statements, including his brother (Martin), about being transparent and having nothing to hide, and willingness to cooperate in any investigation — we’re all waiting for them to live up to their statements,” he said.

The senator warned that Bautista could be cited in contempt and be arrested if he does not show up at the next hearing in January as what happened to other high-profile individuals who refused to cooperate in Senate investigations.

Last Oct. 11, Bautista expressed his intention to resign by the end of the year, apparently to stave off his impeachment in the House of Representatives also on charges of ill-gotten wealth, among others.

Inquirer.net photo

Jinggoy seeks court’s nod for holiday vacation in Hong Kong by elizabeth

maRcelo Philstar.com

MANILA — After nearly three months since he was freed from detention through bail, former Sen. Jinggoy estrada is now seeking the court’s permission for a six-day holiday vacation in Hong Kong with his family.

In his motion filed before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, estrada said his family intends to spend the holidays in Hong Kong from December 26 to 31, 2017.

“After accused-movant was allowed bail, the family have been longing for bonding outside of the country. The Christmas holidays would be the most opportune time to have this,” estrada’s motion read. estrada said he would submit a detailed itinerary should the court allow his request but said that his family intends to stay at the Marco Polo chain of hotels for the entire duration of the trip. estrada maintained that he is not a flight risk as proven by his return to the country after he accompanied his father, former president and incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph estrada in a medical check-up in Singapore last month.

The younger estrada said he had long promised to his wife Precy and their children Janella, Jolo, Julian and Jill that, if the

court permits, “all of them will take a holiday trip to a near Asian country.” estrada said they chose Hong Kong as their travel destination “due to ease of securing flight and hotel bookings.”

The Fifth Division had earlier issued a hold departure order against the younger estrada for his pending cases of plunder and 11 counts of graft in connection with the alleged misuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel during his term as a senator.

He is accused of receiving P183-million worth of kickbacks from alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles in exchange for allocating portions of his PDAF from 2004 to 2012 to the latter’s bogus NGOs for the supposed implementation of his livelihood projects.

The Office of Ombudsman, which filed the cases in June 2014, said estrada’s projects turned out to be “ghost” or fictitious. estrada was detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City since June 2014 for his plunder case. But on September 15 of this year, the Fifth Division allowed him to post bail on the ground of the supposed lack of evidence from the prosecution showing that he is the “main plunderer” in the case. n

How Duterte is making the...

PAGE A6

by Washington defense experts.

Former National Security Adviser and Parañaque congressman Roilo Golez, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, has advocated buying about 200 supersonic anti-ship missiles from India. Mounted three on a truck, the BrahMos projectile can hit targets more than 300 km away — enough to guard the country’s exclusive economic zone.

The last two Duterte initiatives seem focused on domestic peace and order, but they too greatly enhance external defense. The current war on extremist terrorism and communist insurgency, if they finally put these decadesold violent movements to pasture, would finally enable the Armed Forces to channel AFP resources to defending our territory and sovereign rights.

So, instead of expending tens of billions of pesos yearly on small arms and foot soldiers, once peace is concluded with Muslim rebels, and war is won against Islamic State cohorts and the New

People’s Army, the military can then build up air and naval forces needed to assert and defend our maritime interests.

What about the anti-drug war?

How will dismantling the narcotics networks, including their protectors in government, supposed to fight off foreign invaders?

Two ways. First, by tightening border controls to stop contraband, we keep out not just drugs and drug-making materials and equipment, but also guns, explosives, and other war-making gear.

But more important, in taking down narco-politicians, President Duterte is stopping the takeover of our democracy by shabufunded officials under the thumb of overseas drug cartels, which could very well be used by big powers to influence and control our government.

Plainly, the war on drugs is also a battle against foreign control.

One can now see why our soldiers and police support President Rodrigo Duterte. (ManilaTimes.net)

Philstar.com photo

The House impeached him the following day apparently because there was an agreement for him to immediately step down or face impeachment.

Bautista then said the decision would be up to President Duterte, who opted to accept his offer to resign effective immediately.

During the hearing, escudero also sought the submission of Bautista’s statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

Officials from the Anti-Money Laundering Council told the committee that it is still looking into the books of LDB to see if the bank violated the Anti-Money Laundering Law. LDB officials maintained they cannot open Bautista’s bank accounts to the committee unless his issues a waiver. n

DeSPITe President Duterte’s accusations of meddling in his governance and Philippine internal affairs, the european Union is keeping intact its development aid for the country from 2014 to 2020.

The 325-million-euro fund from the eU Development Cooperation will be available for release once “value-based” rules are complied with, eU DevCo officials told a press briefing here on Tuesday night on the next cycle of official development assistance (ODA) to the Philippines.

“We’re now reviewing the midterm of the seven-year program that started in 2014 and a lot of things have happened

since then. So we’re looking at whether or not we’re doing the right things,” one of the eU DevCo executives told six members of the Philippine press, including The Star, who were invited under the eU Journalists Program by the eU delegation to the Philippines.

The eU DevCo executives in charge of the ODA package for the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries requested for non-attribution of their comments during the briefing, except for official matters that were discussed.

“The eU itself is not immune from politics. But we cannot let politics leave anyone behind,” the same eU official said.

The next cycle of the ODA program increased from the 2007-2013 period amounting to

128 million euros.

Bulk of the unreleased portion of the 325-million-euro ODA are allocated to support the ongoing Mindanao peace process, anti-poverty programs, rule of law, human rights and justice projects of the Duterte administration.

Of the total package, 225 million euros are allocated for sustainable energy and growth and job generation, while the balance of 95 million euros is meant for rule of law.

Meanwhile, the release of 99 million euros for the Mindanao peace process largely depends on the final outcome of the peace process involving the passage and implementation of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), whose timeline runs from 2018 to 2023. n

The browning of America

PAGE A6 racial riots in Charlottesville, and his subsequent statements, were widely perceived as pandering to the neo-Nazis.

If racism has ever had a more fertile breeding ground in America, it has been during the brief presidency of Trump. Worse yet, this resurgence has been mixed up and confused with conservatism, which in turn has run right up against the blossoming of lifestyles and attitudes that are in direct conflict with conservative mores and beliefs, such as

equal rights for LGBTs, the acceptance of sex change as a personal privilege, and same-sex marriage vs. traditional concepts of matrimony.

Will this situation get worse?

It could. What is certain is that the confusion is getting worse, with nonsequitor arguments being thrown into the boiling cauldron.

Hopefully, in California where my family resides, enlightened liberals will triumph over the racists and bigots without discounting valid conservative

values. But there are sectors in America’s heartland (and even some areas in ostensibly enlightened California) who are standing fast on their belief that God has mandated racial segregation and a violent confrontation is inevitable.

Mercifully, Trump’s term is only for four years and, hopefully, he will realize the folly of aspiring for a second term.

And, hopefully, the browning of America is here to stay. (gregmacabenta@hotmail. com)

A

December 8-14, 2017 • Oc/Ie ASIAN JOUrNAL

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Driver’s license and car registration 101

Staying safe on the road

By JENNIFER

EVERYONE seems hyped up for the holidays, hurrying to wrap up their shopping and head on

BY KLARIZE MEDENILLA / AJPRESS to parties and get-togethers.

WHEN I first learned how This holiday season, chances to drive, I was baffled with how are, you will be spending much much paperwork is actually of your time traveling. Since involved. streets will be a lot busier (and in However, it turned out to not some places, raining, snowing or be as scary and complicated as covered with ice and frost), it’s a I thought. Car registration and time that calls for a driver to be the driver’s license are two of the extra vigilant on the road. Here are most important components for some tips to stay safe on the road: every driver. Car registration is Make a safe driving plan proof that you’re the owner of Leave enough time for you to your car and your driver’s license take stops for food, rest breaks, is your passport to the roads. phone calls or other business.

All applications for car Also, before putting the car in registration and driver’s gear, adjust mirrors, seats and license are done through the climate controls.

Department of Motor Vehicles Don’t drink and drive Driver’s License: how to and a California Certificate of Title.

(DMV).

Driving under the influence Registration typically lasts for apply and when to renew The notoriety surrounding the is a problem all year round, Getting a driver’s license is a lackluster customer service at the a year, after which time you must but reports reveal that every big moment everyone’s lives. It’s DMV is not a myth. Many folks are renew your auto registration.

December, there’s a spike basically a rite of passage into subjected to long lines, famously Renewing car registration only in road fatalities in the adulthood. Not only does it allow United States between takes a few clicks online. Head unpleasant staff members you to legally drive, it’s also used to https://www.dmv.ca.gov/ and antiquated methods of Thanksgiving and New for self-identification. portal/dmv/dmv/onlinesvcs/ processing requests. But not Year. So, if you plan Whether you’re a teen driver registrationrenewal and follow every interaction and trip with to indulge in or an adult first-time driver, the the steps. You should have the the DMV has to be a nightmare. a drinking process to obtain a driver’s license spree, common following with you before you Many services can be done is pretty much the same: renew: online at www.dmv.ca.gov, sense says: • Make an appointment • License plate number but there are some things that Don’t drive! local California DMV office and • Last five digits of your need to be done in person. If You can stay complete a Driver’s License or Vehicle Identification Number a trip to your local California the night. If Identification Application (Form (VIN) DMV is needed, always make an you insist on • Smog certification filed with DL 44) appointment so you don’t have to going home, • If you’re under 18, you’ll the DMV wait in line. just take a need a parent or guardian’s • Renewal notice that was Here’s a refresher on what cab, order signature mailed to you that shows your car registration and a California • Provide social security current address or a confirmation driver’s license are and how to number and verify birth date and through the Change of Address retrieve them: system that logged your updated legal presence Car registration: What is it • Submit certification that you address and how do I do it? completed driver education or • A method of payment to The purpose of car training or proof of enrollment pay the mandatory renewal fee registration is to establish a link • Give a fingerprint In the mail, you’ll receive

by RITCHEL MENDIOLA between the vehicle and the • Pay the driver’s license fee proof that you’ve renewed your AJPRESS owner(s) if the vehicle. If someone — in California, it’s $33 registration and new stickers to is convicted of any crimes, • Give another fingerprint, place on your plate.

AUTOMOTIVE complaints can oftentimes the car registration is However, if you buy a car from provide a signature and have be difficult to deal with, especially the first place law enforcement your picture taken — all these will when you don’t know how to a private owner, it’s a different points to. appear on your driver’s license story. You must transfer the proceed with what to do. You Every car (new or used) that • Pass the written knowledge don’t want to end up in a deadownership of the vehicle with you purchase from a licensed test — for teen drivers, there are 10 days and you’re to submit the end dispute with the dealer or California dealer must be following documents to the DMV: 46 questions and a passing score manufacturer, but it might result to registered with the state. The • An endorsed and completed is at least 38 questions correct. that if you don’t know the proper dealer collects use tax fees to For driver’s over 18, there are California Certificate of Title OR way to complain. register and title the car, and 36 questions. You have three Application for Duplicate or The first thing you have to those use taxes are forwarded to chances to pass the test and if Paperless Title (REG 227) form do is find out if your complaint is the state Board of Equalization. you fail, you must wait 7 days • Smog certification, if legitimate. Write down your car’s Once all that is processed at before retaking applicable issue/s, why you were dissatisfied, the DMV, you’re given temporary • Schedule a pass/fail road • Use tax payment, if and how you want to resolve it. operating authority. Typically test — you have three chances applicable Take the time to consider if your within 6 to 8 weeks after you to pass the driving test. If you • Odometer Mileage complaint is valid in order to purchased the car, you’ll receive fail, take some time to practice save time and effort. Setting this a registration card, license plates, Disclosure Statement, if then you may make another applicable. straight will help you communicate stickers (placed on license plates appointment. There’s no waiting • Necessary vehicle more effectively. to indicate the month and year of period, but you must pay $6 for 1. Time is essential. Complain each year of renewed registration) registration fees each additional driving test. as soon as possible so you can Once you pass the road test, have a better chance of settling the congratulations! Your new driver’s issue. There are some cases where license will be mailed to you in companies are not legally liable the next 90 days. if you fail to complain within a Your California driver’s license reasonable time. So, as soon as you expires every five years on your discover the problem and figure birthday. Two months before it out if it’s legitimate, act quickly. expires, the CA DMV will mail you 2. Keep records. Keep all a renewal notice. You can renew relevant information such as your your license online, by mail, by account number, receipt and phone or in person. invoices, and record a log of your For more information on car conversation when you take it registration and how to obtain a up with the dealership, including driver’s license, visit www.dmv. the time and date. Remember to ca.gov. Happy driving! be assertive, but not to the point

2

SORIANO/ AJPRESS

a ride via an app, or designate a driver who’ll take you home.

Drive defensively Be aware of what other drivers around you are doing, and expect the unexpected. Always assume that other motorists can do something that might cause accidents, and be prepared to avoid them. Road safety experts say drivers must maintain a 2-second cushion between you and the car in front of you. If the weather is bad, make it four seconds.

Watch out for emergency vehicles In an emergency situation, every second counts. The moment you hear a siren, be sure to pull off to the side of the road to allow the

police car, ambulance, or fire truck to pass.

Carry an emergency kit A good driver keeps an emergency kit that comes in handy if ever the car is stranded on the side of the road or involved in a vehicle accident. Your kit should include bandage strips, hand sanitizer, antiseptic, antibacterial ointment, bug spray, aspirin (or similar), cotton balls, gauze pads, tweezers, a bandana that can be used as a tourniquet or sling, small fire extinguisher, road flares, jumper cables, rain ponchos, flashlight and extra batteries, rags, duct tape, scent-free baby wipes, and a multi-purpose tool.

Pull off the road if you feel tired Driving while feeling sleepy is a deadly mix. Do not ever attempt to drive when you feel like just shutting your eye for a good rest. Pull off the road and stop for a break and have a short rest. For long drives, anticipate being sleepy at a given time.

Given that, you can bring someone who is a licensed driver whom you could take turns with in driving.

Car complaints: What to do when you have a defective car

where you come off as aggressive.

Communication between you and the salesperson you’re dealing with will flow so much better and easier when you’re not angry.

3. Go to the next step if needed. If the problem isn’t resolved quickly or if the customer care representative is unhelpful, you can escalate your complaint by politely asking if you can speak to someone with the authority to help you resolve the issue. Don’t hesitate to send out an email about your complaint to the owner, president, or chief executive officer (CEO). Once a solution has been proposed, ask them to put it in writing as proof and a part of your paper trail.

4. Find alternatives. If you fail to resolve the problem, consider looking at other alternatives. Seek advice from consumer groups as they offer free consultation about consumer problems. There are

government agencies that give advice and information that may help you in your complaint. You can also contact a lawyer to learn more about your legal rights and options.

5. The power of social media.

Social media is a powerful tool to expedite a process and give consumers the power to quickly make their grievance public.

Companies and businesses usually avoid getting publicly shamed so venting on Twitter or Facebook will put that pressure on them to act and see things your way.

If all things fail, take legal action — but only if you are prepared to wait as legal action may take some time.

In truth, however, an automotive complaint will rarely go to court if it’s reasonable. Just research thoroughly, and find the balance between being persistent and patient as you go through the process.

Electric vehicles a big showcase at the LA Auto Show Annual showcase of the latest automobiles include self-driving vehicles, more clean energy mechanisms and a push to make electric vehicles more accessible

by KLARIZE MEDENILLA AJPRESS

THE automotive industry is all about innovation: where can we take the automobile next?

When cars were mass produced at the turn of the 20th century

and and more and more drivers were on the road, it seemed that the evolution of the automobile rapidly advanced as technology and engineering became more sophisticated.

With the growing threat of climate change and a push by

Tesla’s Model S is marketed as “the safest, most exhilarating sedan on the road.” The electric vehicle pioneer promises lightning speed acceleration, full LED adaptive headlamps and a medical-grade HEPA in-air filtration system.

AJPress photos by Klarize Medenilla

activists and lawmakers to reduce our carbon footprint, the clean energy movement has ballooned into a global movement in the 21st century. Included in that conversation was how we can limit fuel emissions of our automobiles.

The invention of the hybrid car’s electric motor allowed for less fuel consumption (there less fuel emissions), but manufacturers still strived to create a vehicle that didn’t need a trip to the gas station.

Enter the electric vehicle (EV).

Tesla Motors — with their introduction of the first luxury electric sports car in 2006 — ushered in the era of the completely electric vehicle that seeks to make gasolinepowered cars obsolete and address the growing concerns of transportation’s impact on the environment.

Experts and lawmakers agree that the shift to EVs is a signal to the future.

“Transportation impacts our air quality and also our

climate goals, and to shift over to electric vehicles that limit tailpipe pollution is a strategy California is working on in order to address those clean air standards and our climate change goals,” Commissioner Janea A. Scott of the California Energy Commission told the Asian Journal at a power lunch and forum hosted by the California Electric Transportation Coalition (CalETC) at first day of the Los Angeles Auto Show on Friday, Dec. 1.

However, due to many new technological innovations, the EV has been met with many stigmas and concerns. One of the biggest concerns with the expansion of fully electric cars is the price point and how to make them more accessible to more lower-income communities.

Community members as well as car industry and energy experts at the CalETC forum agreed that expanding the accessibility of more environmentally-friendly cars will be beneficial to the clean air movement as well as the

The 2018 Cadillac CT6 Sedan with Super Cruise is the first true hands-free driving system.

The Super Cruise feature allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel on limited access freeways, but still requires drivers to remain attentive and alert.

communities.

“For me the message becomes once you figure out the pricing and accessibility to these communities, as the vehicles become more accessible through education and opportunity to these communities then the messaging can be how to get more cash in your hand that you can re-invest in education or in areas of their lives, personally or for their children or for their community. That is the critical issue,” said Pastor Najuma SmithPollard of Word of Encouragement

Church.

In general, plug in hybrid electric vehicles — which utilize a part-electric/part-fuel running system — and battery EVs range anywhere from $27,100 (like the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime) to more than $82,500 (like the 2017 Tesla Model X). Used vehicles, of course, cost lower.

One of the most crucial arguments for the financial benefits of driving a car that runs on electricity is the savings on gas in the long run. Fueling a Continued on Page 3

Versatile Riley Silos, an Olympic archery hopeful, to sing in FASO’s Dec. 9 holiday concert Riley Silos, a versatile young man who recently competed as a member of the Philippines’ team in the 20th Asian Archery Championships in Dhaka, Bangladesh, will sing with the Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO) in “Holiday Pops Concert” on Saturday, December 9, 6:00 p.m., at the Arcadia Performing Arts Center.

Riley, the nephew of actor Ryan Agoncillo and grandson of veteran singer Carina Afable, was proud to represent the Philippines in the recent archery championships which drew top athletes from over 30 countries.

Based in Southern California, the 16-year-old is the son of Ronnie Agoncillo Silos and evelyn Abancio Silos, who is also a noted singer.

The multi-talented teen will continue to train as an archer and will have another shot at qualifying for the 2018 youth Olympic Games in Argentina. He also has his eyes set on the 2020 Olympics. in the meantime, Riley is excited to perform for the first time with the 60-member strong FASO under the baton of music director and conductor Robert “Bob” Shroder. He participated in the FASO vocal workshop, one of the music education and outreach programs of the only Filipino symphony orchestra outside of the

From Page 2

DESPITE ASSURANCE FROM MOM SHE WILL RETURN

Maine Mendoza still a no-show on ‘Eat Bulaga’ Custodio ManilaTimes.net

Riley Silos with Carina Afable

Philippines.

Riley joins a select group of guest youth performers carefully picked to perform with FASO in its eagerly awaited concert of favorite Christmas carols, pop, Broadway, classical and OPM (Original Pilipino Music) pieces: Nayah Damasen, Janelle Feraro and Shane Selloria.

FASO’s pianist, Paul Concepcion, will be featured in a special number with the orchestra, George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”

“Holiday Pops Concert” will also highlight the majestic sound of over 200 glorious voices from combined adult and children choirs comprising of members

MAiNe Mendoza’s open letter to fans and followers of AlDub— her phenomenal “eat Bulaga” Kalyeserye team up with Alden Richards—disappointed their most rabid supporters but also gained admiration from a good many celebrities.

Mendoza posted the now viral letter on Twitter on November 26 where she said that while their fans hope they will get together in real life, she and Richards are only friends. That was a Sunday, and while she appeared on “eat Bulaga” the following day, she has not from Holy Family Chorale appeared on the noontime show (Glendale), St. lorenzo Ruiz since then.

Catholic Church Choir (Walnut) She has however posted the and Vox Kapelle Choir (Artesia), following sentiments on Twitter, and children’s choirs of GOD Faith “you are all right. i deserve all the Choir (Carson), iHMC Children’s hate in the world because i am Choir (los Angeles) and Precious such a coward and selfish little Blood Children’s Choir (los brat. i get it and i understand.”

Angeles).

Following her revelation, Tickets at $100, $60, $40 and AlDub fans picketed outside “eat $25 are available through Andy Bulaga’s” studios in Broadway Tecson (323) 467-5096. Tickets Centrum demanding to see the are also available at http://www. female half of the showbiz pair, arcadiapaf.org/leased-events/. forcing Mendoza’s mom Mary Ann More information at www. to declare, “Maine will stay.” it was fasofoundation.org. Arcadia only then the fans calmed down.

Performing Arts Center is located Way back when at 188 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA in June, Mendoza deactivated 91007. her Twitter account, which she explained was due negative exchanges between AlDub’s supporters and bashers.

“Do you still remember when everything used to be fun there? When Twitter used to be a harmonious environment for everyone? Anyway, i just cannot stand people’s negativity there lately. i mean, i have enough negativity in my system already to still add and endure those. lately, some of the fans are the ones to start and engage in conflict; until things start getting blown out of proportion… to the point where fans are quarrelling with fans.

Remember the bayanihan days?

Kalyeserye days? Tamang panahon? i know things have changed but i hope we get to perpetuate the Photo from Instagram/@annecurtissmith harmony among each of us.”

She reactivated her Twitter Her response then was consistent with her answer to the reporter who wrote the article and other reporters during the recent Unicef event: “i love children! i really, really do. But i don’t think i’m going to have one right away.

After getting married, we’d wait for maybe a year so, so we can enjoy muna each other’s company and then travel na kami lang. i have a group of friends who have kids and it really changes eh. Parang when you want to travel, ‘di na pwede ‘yung basta basta na lang aalis. Or when you book a restaurant, iba ‘pag may baby. So, we will wait for that and just travel more to all the exotic places na gusto naming puntahan.” (Deni Rose M. AfinidadBernardo/Philstar.com)

Newlyweds Erwan Heussaff and Anne Curtis

pagdumating yung panahon na gugustuhin mo na eh di ka na mgkaron…” in another screenshot, the comment read: “you are selfish. why marry if you don’t want to be a mother just be an actress…” The rest of the comment is explicit. in response to Anne’s Twitter post, actress Angel locsin commented: “Ano ba yan. Hay nako grrr.”

Angel was a guest at Anne and erwan’s recent wedding in New Zealand. in an earlier interview during Anne’s launch as Shiseido Collagen endorser, Philstar. com asked the actress the same question about when she and erwan plan to have kids.

Electric vehicles a big showcase at the... hybrid car, for example, is about the same as gas at $1/gallon of fueling with gasoline, according to Plug in America, an advocacy organization focused on clean air initiatives. eVs also currently produce about half the carbon pollution of gasoline cars, and that number is slated to decrease as the technology to manufacture eVs becomes more sophisticated.

Whether it’s for financial reasons or to contribute to clean air initiatives, more and more drivers are opting for hybrid cars or fullyelectric vehicles.

Sam Perez, nurse practitioner in Arcadia, California, made the switch to a hybrid car when he bought a 2015 Chevy Volt, which was “a little over my price range.”

“Originally, i thought that spending a little more money for a car that needed less gas was the most important thing when i was searching for a car years ago,” Perez, 35, told the Asian Journal.

“But then, i started reading about

3

by Arlo

No baby plans yet for Anne Curtis ON Wednesday, Dec. 6, actress and TV host Anne Curtis posted on social media her dismay over an online news report titled “Anne Curtis no time to have a baby.” in a Twitter post directed to her over 10 million followers, Anne said: “Wow. These people are so harsh. The headline is misleading too. i never said that.”

Anne continued: “Maybe if they read the article they would see what i said was - We JUST GOT MARRieD, can’t we enjoy that first before making the next big step of becoming parents. it’s our life anyway! Kalerky.” in the story published on December 4, Anne was asked when she and husband erwan Heussaff plan to have a baby and she has been quoted as saying: “Oh my gosh…not yet! We just got married, and so first, we will enjoy married life… For the meantime, i will be looking after the children we have been helping through Unicef.”

Anne is a celebrity ambassador for humanitarian organization United Nations Children’s Fund.

Besides the headline, Shealea’s post cited by Anne shows screenshots of comments Anne could be referring to as “harsh.” The comments were directed toward the article.

One netizen said: “Kung ganyan paniniwala mo sana

december 8-14, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

the overall impact of electric, or at least partially electric, cars and saw the projections of more people opting for these cars and it really surprised me.”

Standing at the land Rover exhibit, Perez said that he’s saving money to buy one of the new land Rover vehicles, all of which are to utilize electric mechanisms by 2020. The company’s first foray into eV technology comes in the form of the much hyped 2019 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport P400e models, which features a turbocharged 2.0- literfour cylinder with an electric motor to create a combined 398 horsepower.

“When you think land Rover or Range Rover, you don’t really think ‘fuel economy,’” Perez said with a laugh. “But i think it’s great what these more luxurious companies, which aren’t really known to be environmentally-conscious manufacturers, are doing now.”

Self-driving cars were also the rage at the lA Auto Show with many manufacturers showing off

The 2018 Lexus LC 500 features the all-new 10-speed Direct-Shift automatic transmission, which promises quick shift times at lightning speed in what Lexus describes as “the most expressive Lexus ever built.”

AJPress photos by Klarize Medenilla

their takes on technology that allows drivers to relax a little.

The sleek 2018 Cadillac CT6 with SuperCruise features Super Cruise technology that allows drivers to go hands-free while driving on the freeway. Although not a fully self-driving car (drivers must remain alert and ready to brake), Cadillac’s introduction of the first hands-free system gestures to a more automated vehicle.

Amid all the glitz of Nissan’s elaborate “Star Wars” concept vehicles and millennial-geared SUVs (like the Jeep Wrangler and Subaru’s three-row Ascent), many families were on deck to view the latest safety features on the newest models.

Gloria and Ryan Soo, along with their 2-year-old son Justin, browsed Toyota, their prefered manufacturer for its ways in preventing car accidents.

“We really like the new lexuses because they feature this new safety system that avoids collisions,” Ryan Soo said, referencing the company’s Safety Sense System, lSS+A, which builds on a prototype version that automatically brakes to assuage collision with other cars or pedestrians. “it’s just so impressive to see what these big companies are doing nowadays to move towards self-driving, or more autonomous systems. it’s definitely helpful for families,” Gloria Soo added.

The lA Auto Show is still open at the lA Convention Center until December 10.

Maine Mendoza

account to her fans’ delight but was driven to frustration over the pressure of getting together with Richards.

“By the end of this letter i am pretty sure majority of you are going to turn your backs on me and probably hate me. Pero sabi nga nila, speak the truth even if your voice shakes. But i need to be honest, i am at this point where i feel like i live in a box… i just could not take how some people feel so entitled in so many

Photo from Instagram/@mainedcm

things, hindi lang sa career, ultimo personal na buhay.”

She concluded, “i do hope i have also given you enough joy for you to give me the freedom i believe i deserve. Freedom to feel what i want to feel, be what i want to be, and do what i want to do.

Alden deserves the same, too.”

On social media, AlDub Nation fanatics—especially Mendoza’s 4.6 million Twitter followers— were divided on the issue. There Continued on Page 5

DECEMBER 8-14, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

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Best wishes to the ‘princess bride’ AiAi delas Alas

by TESSA

MAURICIO-ARRIOLA ManilaTimes.net

SHE may be the Philippines’ undisputed Comedy Queen but when AiAi de las Alas walks down the aisle to marry her longtime partner Gerald Sibayan on December 12, she envisions herself as a “princess bride.”

Speaking with The Times at a pre-wedding-cum-birthday party for her groom on November 30, AiAi looked blissfully happy and stress-free unlike most bridesto-be. Asked how she managed to glow a whole fortnight before the big day, the Comedy Queen said that much as she’s a bridezilla herself—particular over the tiniest details—she hired wedding planners she knows she can trust and who can pull off her heart’s bridal desires.

As for her look on the big day, she excitedly quipped, “Prinsesa ako!”

Thanks to her best friend Marian Rivera whom she playfully calls “Kambal” [twin], who has gifted her with her Frederick Peralta gown, AiAi promises to wow Gerald on Saturday in a design of opulent romance.

“Wait until you see it,” Frederick meanwhile enthused to The Times a couple of days later.

“The details are under wraps like everything else about the wedding, but it will be fabulous!

For their first stop, the Miss Universe beauties explored Luneta and Fort Santiago in Manila.

Miss Universe queens tour Luneta, Intramuros

AiAi delas Alas and soon-to-be husband Gerald Sibayan

AiAi and Gerald, as you know, would like to keep their special day as private as possible.”

Indeed, even the wedding venue has been kept a secret to media, and while AiAi told The The Times where the Catholic wedding will be held [it’s closer than you think], the popular comedienne—a Papal Awardee for her benevolent charity work— proudly showed the misallette where no less than 10 bishops and priests are listed to bless her union with Gerald.

“Happing-happy talaga ako,” she expressed. “Alam ng lahat na kinasal na ako twice before and hindi nag-work, at pareho yun na hindi sa Catholic Church. So this is a dream come true for me.”

During the pre-wedding party, the couple’s romantic wedding prenup video was shown where AiAi already looked every bit a princess, dressed in elaborate ball gowns.

They “practiced” cutting a wedding cake and exchanging sweet bites of the tradition symbol of good fortune and fertility in marriage, and as always, AiAi did so with a comedic flair.

“Much as we would like to invite everyone to our special day, sana po naiintindihan niyo na hindi kakayanin to have everyone

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

EMPLOYMENT

Philstar.com photos by Edd Gumban

there that’s why we’re having this thanksgiving party,” the bride-to-be said in her speech for her media friends. “Ang saya ng pakiramdam na nakasama ko ang aking mga kaibigan sa isang masayang okasyon sa aking buhay so this party is really for you. It’s my way of expressing my gratitude to you for being there nung mga panahon na nagkamali ako, nasaktan, nalungkot, at ngayon masaya na. Nandiyan kayo sa simula pa lang ng aking career at kasama ko pa rin kayo hanggang ngayon sa panibagong yugto ng aking buhay.”

To deafening cheers, AiAi declared, “I believe in love and I believe na may forever sa pagibig.”

AiAi was first married to actor Miguel Vera, with whom she had two children. In April 2013, she married a 28-year-old American businessman named Jed Salang, which ended after a month due to physical abuse. The following year, she got together with Gerald, 29 years her junior, finding “the one” in the shy but loyal college student.

After three years of being together, AiAi happily announced their engagement in April.

To the Princess Bride, our best wishes and hearty congratulations to Gerald!

EMPLOYMENT

MISS Universe 2017 DemiLeigh Nel-Peters, Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere, Miss Philippines Rachel Peters, and other Miss Universe winners and candidates kicked off their fourday tour of the Philippines on Wednesday, Dec. 6.

Among those in the trip are representatives from the Netherlands, India, Italy, Spain, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Malaysia, China, Great Britain, and Singapore.

For their first stop, the beauties explored the Spanish-era architecture, World War II ruins and other historical landmarks in Manila.

Onboard an electronic jeepney, the queens passed

by National Hero Jose Rizal’s memorial and death site in Luneta.

Then, they went around the remains of the Spanish fortress

Fort Santiago, which contains a museum dedicated to Rizal and also the hero’s prison cell.

The beauties are set to visit Manila, Batanes, Vigan, Bohol and Camiguin, and will culminate their trip with a charity fashion show featuring designs from Mindanao.

The tour is part of the Department of Tourism’s Bring Home a Friend marketing promotion that seeks to give incentives to Filipinos who will invite their foreign friends to explore the Philippines. (Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo/Philstar.com)

Sarah Lahbati proudly shows her baby bump ACTRESS Sarah Lahbati’s pregnancy has started to show

and on December 4, she proudly shared photos of her baby bump on Twitter.

The pictures have the caption: “Almost six months pregnant.”

In Ricky Lo’s FUNFARE column for The Star, it has been revealed that Richard and Sarah are expecting a second son, following their first born Zion, who is now five years old.

Richard and Sarah are now engaged to be married. In an interview with Philstar.com, Sarah said she would resume with their wedding preparations after the baby comes out. “Pagkatapos kasi s’yempre ayaw ko naman ng mataba sa wedding. Gusto ko rin mag-focus sa pregnancy ko.”

Sarah Lahbati Sarah believes her second Photo from Twitter/sarahlahbati

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pregnancy has been a good luck charm as she now has many endorsements. “Saka I don’t really feel nervous or stressed as I was pregnant with Zion. So I feel it’s a totally different pregnancy,” she explained.

As seen in the photos posted on Twitter, Sarah has been able to stay fit and beautiful because though she has avoided dancing in the Sunday variety show “ASAP,” she continues to exercise.

“I’ve always been fit and strong even before this pregnancy…

Maraming tao na hindi nila alam na you should actually take care of yourself para maging easier ang pregnancy mo saka when you give birth,” she enthused. (Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo/Philstar.com)

Health@Heart PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS TWELVE years ago, we wrote that drinking coffee reduced the risk for type II diabetes, based on a new study then (involving 42,000 healthy men and 84,000 health women from 1980 through 1998) by the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital published in the Annals of Internal Medicine on January 6, 2004.

Compared to those who did not drink coffee, men who had more than six cups of caffeinated coffee a day lowered the risk of developing Type II diabetes by 50 percent. Among women, there was a 30 percent reduction in the risk.

Caffeinated coffee was found to be more beneficial than the decaffeinated or the hyped-up mocha, cappuccino, or latte, etc., variety.

Unclear rationale The exact mechanism is still unclear. In another research (Nurses Health Study), it shows that the 2000 women coffee drinkers in its survey had significantly lower (13-14 percent levels of C-peptide hormone, a component of insulin in our body, compared to non-coffee drinkers.

Higher level of C-peptide, which

Coffee and longevity indicates the body is unable to use insulin (called insulin resistance) are linked to the increased risk of developing adult-onset diabetes. The good effect was more apparent among obese and overweight women, 22 percent and 18 percent, respectively. So, if coffee reduces C-peptide, then the risk is reduced.

Some hormones This is still not fully understood. Both regular and decaffeinated coffees have a lot of antioxidants in them, like chlorogenic acid (the ingredient that gives the “addicting” coffee flavor), phyto-estrogens, and magnesium. These chemicals improve sensitivity to insulin and may play a vital role in lowering adult onset diabetes. Caffeine itself is also known to affect insulin secretion.

How much coffee?

The Harvard study stated six or more cups per day. The research on the same subject in Finland (which has the highest per capita coffee consumption in the world), involving 15,000 healthy men and women (ages 35-64), as reported in The Journal of American Medical Association, showed that women who consumed 10 or more cups a day had 79 percent lower risk, and men, about 55 percent.

Effect on longevity Two recent major international

studies (U.S. and European) suggested that coffee lovers may also live a longer life compared to those who do not imbibe coffee.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and Imperial College of London, which reviewed more than half a million people with variable habits and customs across 10 European countries, was the first study. This showed “those who drank about three cups a day tended to live longer than non-coffee drinkers; they also had a lower risk of death from any cause, and specifically for circulatory diseases, and digestive diseases.”

The second one, done in the U.S., involved 180,000 subjects of different ethnic, social, and career backgrounds. The findings revealed that drinking coffee “benefits longevity whether the coffee was caffeinated or decaffeinated…and coffee drinkers had a lower risk of death due to heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and respiratory and kidney disease.” One cup a day drinkers “were 12 percent less likely to die compared to those who didn’t drink coffee; those who drank two or three cups per day saw an even higher 18 percent reduced risk of death.”

“We cannot say drinking coffee will prolong your life, but we see an association,” stated Veronica

Tapping into the power of prayer Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA AT a breakfast after mass at the Holy Family Church during a school fundraiser in Glendale California one beautiful fall morning three years ago, a statuesque, well groomed lady holding her breakfast tray asked my husband, my sister Olga and myself, if she could join us.

We said yes of course. There weren’t enough tables and chairs in the auditorium at the time.

After a few pleasantries and the frost among strangers had thawed, the woman indicated that she was from the East Coast and she was visiting her son who lived in the city.

She was staying in a hotel for a few days and had checked online for the nearest church where she could attend mass. She remarked that the Glendale Holy Family Catholic Church with Spanish architecture built in the 1920’s was beautiful.

The conversation around the table was light at first, meandering around innocuous, safe topics. Out of nowhere, she asked us to pray for her son. Startled at first, I asked what her son’s name was and we all must have made a mental note of it. It seems that her 36-year old son who is an engineer, with so much going for him, had a major relapse in his bid to overcome his alcoholic addiction — yet again.

His poison of choice – vodka.

She was in town to check him in to a rehab facility and taking a chance on a new drug that would have adverse, irreversible ramifications if there is recidivism or if he ever went back to the bottle. In short, it was a last ditch attempt to end his addiction.

Over breakfast we had a glimpse of the turmoil the woman was going through in seeing a

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin loved one going through the repeated cycles of addiction and rehabilitation, only to go through it over and over again– a seemingly hopeless struggle that many battle with these days.

It is like Sisyphus of Greek mythology who was punished by the gods for chronic deceitfulness and wickedness. He was cursed for eternity to roll a rock uphill only to have fate roll it back downhill just when success at lodging it safely on top of a steep hill was a sure thing.

She let slip that another son had died in the last year, the reason for which, she didn’t mention. And she would have to come again and visit in December because her alcoholic son has an ex-girlfriend who is pregnant and is due by then.

You can’t make this stuff up. Life is just so tough that her face was etched in pain. Yet there was also a brief glimpse of hope for the baby about to be born. Grief, just like joy, has way of welling up within and spilling over.

We listened to her over breakfast aware that she just wanted to ease up some of the heavy burden that was troubling her. A lot of us are like this woman.

We each have problems that seem too much to bear until we reach out and ask others to pray for us, even strangers we will never ever see again. We ask others to knock and bang on the doors of heaven with a battering ram, if need be, to beg for help on our behalf.

In many ways, each one of us can be a prayer warrior. Often, we come to church just to be with others who are a bit like us, seeking one another’s company in seeking God’s help in many ways, big and

small. Because we know deep down, by ourselves we can do nothing.

Just as gravity holds the physical universe together, prayer draws the spirit universe together among kindred souls. The power of prayer is unimaginable among those whose faith is built on solid rock.

If you can, please pray for this anonymous woman Mrs. B and her son G. Mother and son both need prayers so badly; for the son to break the bonds of addiction once and for all and for the mother or the strength and the fortitude to endure her trials and finally, for both mother and son to find the peace, serenity and just maybe, hope and joy even in a season of darkness.

And while we’re at it, we might as well decide to make time for prayer ourselves. We need to grit our teeth and cut off the electronic leash that is so much a part of our lives these days. We know we are in deep trouble when we have to post the latest “selfies” on FB even while we are in the restroom. Isn’t it time we weaned ourselves from having to spend too much time tethered to our gadgets? Our obsession with our tech toys may very well be another form of addiction.

Dwell in the silence for that is where God is. How can God speak to us if our ears are stuffed up, our hearts are not right and our minds are cluttered with non-essentials all the time? Modern life is much too full of inane, sometimes insane, distractions assailing all our senses during our waking hours to make time for God. Perhaps we can even pray for

Maine Mendoza still a no-show on...

From Page 3

were those saying that although they are loyal “Dabarkads” [avid “Eat Bulaga” viewers’ moniker] they also wanted her grow as an artist — even if rumors are true that she is planning a transfer to the rival station.

There is also talk that Mendoza is getting cozy with Jake Ejercito who appears on “Eat Bulaga” every so often. Ejercito is the son of former actor and Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and Laarni Enriquez.

Celebrities hail openness Meanwhile, a number of celebrities have hailed Mendoza’s honesty and speaking out on how she feels about the pressures of the love team and losing her individuality.

Sam Pinto, who was said to have dated Richards once thus becoming an “enemy” of AlDub fanatics at some point, said celebrities should be able to control their fans instead of the other way around.

Actress-comedian Ai Ai delas Alas said, “Go girl! Whatever makes you happy support kita

and same with Alden. Sabi mo kahit 10 lang ang fans mo, bec[ause] of this pang-11 ako. The secret of happiness is freedom and the secret of freedom is courage.”

Gabbi Garcia, who was bashed by fans because she was thought to have snubbed Mendoza during the “Bench Under the Stars” fashion show, said one word, “Brave.”

Though not directly naming Mendoza, netizens considered “It’s Showtime” host Vice Ganda’s tweet as a message to the Dubsmash Queen turned TV and movie star.

“Pssssst!!! Mahaba pa ang araw. Madami kang haharapin.

Alam kong stressed ka na. Gusto ko lang sabihin na kaya mo yan!

Smile!” the post read.

Christine Bersola (Ninang Dub) Babao chimed in, “Here for you @mainedcm.”

Still top trending, even without Alden Per her Twitter post, Mendoza’s latest public appearance (as of press time) was on November 30 at a tech gadget

launch.

Her recent appearance in the GMA fantaserye “Daig Kayo Ng Lola Ko” as the tale-bearing neighbor “Osang Tsismosa” trended on Twitter with the hashtag #MaineMendozaStarsinDKNLK eliciting comments from the fandom like, “It’s a relief to hear your voice and see your face again tonight kahit na alam ko na taped naman eto.”

One also commented, “There is one more thing this DKNLK episode proved: Maine can express emotions without throwing lines.” Another one said, “Reminds me of the time she wasn’t allowed to speak in EB. Pero ang galing talaga.”

There were also fans who continue supporting AlDub with the hashtag #AlDubPaRin. Reaching more than two million tweets, fans say the loveteam doesn’t need saving.

“How about ‘AlDub loveteam patutunayan ang tibay, Alden at Maine tuloy ang pelikula.’ That to me sounds like a challenge we will gladly accept. Thanks.”

DECEMBER 8-14, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

5

bedtime. Three cups a day may not be enough to satisfy another.

This should be tailored to personal tolerance. The final word on this issue is not settled, but the preliminary results as presented above are most encouraging.

More long term studies are definitely needed before this becomes a medical dogma. *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities, and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.

Setiawan, lead researcher and an associate professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California.

Drinking coffee is reported to impart anti-oxidant benefits and may improve liver function too, but it is not recommended for pregnant women and children.

Also, drinking any very hot beverage in general is suspected to increase the risk for cancer of the esophagus (food pipe).

A professor at the University of Cambridge, David Spiegelhalter, described the research as “huge in size and carefully done,” but nevertheless unable to prove cause and effect.

“If these estimated reductions in all-cause mortality really are causal, then an extra cup of coffee every day would on average extend the life of a man by around three months, and a woman by around a month,” he added.

While drinking coffee appears to help in reducing the risk for Type II diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and cancer, and now claimed to prolong life, more clinical studies are still needed to make this an evidence-based medical fact.

Coffee trivia Second to water, coffee is one of the world’s most consumed

beverages. Over 16 billion pounds of beans are produced in 70 countries annually. More than 2.25 billion cups are consumed each year globally.

The Netherlands (population: 17,035,938) is the highest consumer of coffee in the world at 260.4 liters per capita, compared to 115.2 per capita in the United States (population: 325,416,914), where about 400 million cups of coffee are consumed each day. Almost 85 percent of Americans drink coffee daily. Ninety-three percent of households in the Philippines (population: 105,589,888) drink coffee, the country consuming 100,000 metric tons year. Coffee, “first brought to the Philippines by a Franciscan friar in 1749, is the most consumed beverage next to water, and second most bought item next to sauces and seasonings,” according to one study.

How many cups are safe?

Since the long term effects of coffee (especially caffeinated) on diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, other illnesses, and longevity are not totally clear, the so called “safe level” becomes an individual issue. One cup of regular coffee may be too much for one person, who might develop heart beat irregularity, like palpitation, or insomnia, when taken before

*** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States.

Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

complete strangers and those in our immediate orbit who we know are in dire straits but are either too timid or too proud to ask for help. There are people who feel diminished if they ask for help. They label themselves as proudly independent. The truth is that they are poor, unfortunate fools severely afflicted with hubris.

Hubris, that extreme form of pride, the same brand that brought down the fallen angels, always prevents humans from seeking help.

When we pray, we need to learn how to delete specifics. God knows specifics — our blood type, our DNA, even the number of hair on our heads. God knows what we are asking for. The how, what, why, when and where of answers to prayers will have to be his call and his alone.

God’s love for us is beyond all telling. It will be between God and each one of us alone in the silence of our hearts. It will be that space and time where there is no FB, no Instagram, no Snapchat, no Twitter — none of the things that tend to make pompous asses of ourselves

demanding attention and approval from others.

The answer to prayers is God’s call alone. We ask for help but end our prayers in humble supplication saying as Jesus said in agony as he prayed to the Father, “ … yet not my will, but yours be done.” We are simply conduits, pipelines of the flow of good that comes from God. But there is a residual effect when we suit up and become prayer warriors.

The prayers we pray build layer upon layer an intangible aura of light and goodness that soak us, permeate and envelop us. And just like in the physical universe, what goes around always comes around.

The laws of cause and effect also govern the spiritual universe.

It is uncanny but most of us who try our best to nurture a spiritual life even as we take care of our bodies, have that instinctive gift for detecting which among us emanate this invisible shield of energy and light. They are usually the ones with the quiet or sometimes effusive, contagious joy about them. Strangely, we tend to gravitate towards such people.

After all, as humans, we are all in this together, from one generation to the next.

As the Jesuit priest, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin once so astutely said of humanity: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

I have the strangest feeling that with faith and unceasing prayer, both mother and son and his new family will be just fine in the end. There is no doubt it will be a long tough slog but they won’t be alone. The woman has faith. She reaches out and asks for prayers and the ripple of powerful heartfelt prayers builds up like a tsunami wave that will burst open heaven’s door for the graces they need.

Will we ever know for certain of the outcome? Perhaps not, but that is what faith does. We do not need to know. We simply trust in God’s ways. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

Calendar of Events across

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Fil-Am Association of Santa Clarita Valley holds annual Christmas potluck The Fil-Am Association of Santa Clarita Valley (SCV) invites guests to its annual Christmas potluck party on Saturday, December 9 from 6 p.m. It will be held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help (23233 Lyons Ave., Santa Clarita, CA 91321). There will be food, games, entertainment for the whole family. Don’t forget to bring your favorite dish to share. Santa will be there to give presents to everyone. For more information, please call Emie at (661) 877-2699 or Cecile at (818) 439-9392 or visit www.filamofscv.org.

D EC E M B E R 28

Immigration forum in Anaheim, CA Global Law Centers will be hosting an immigration forum on Thursday, December 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. It will be held at Brookhurst Community Center (2271 Crescent Ave., Anaheim, CA 92801); admission is FREE. The forum is about employment-based immigration, information regarding fast-track work visas ( H-1B1, TN, E-3), green card by Marriage, familybased immigration, employment sponsorship for green card, and work visas after graduation. Candidates with H-1B, TN, F-1, OPT & other visas issues are encouraged to attend for FREE immigration consultation & immigration assistance. For more information, please contact Global Law Centers at (714) 657-7460 or www.globallawcenters.com.

D EC E M B E R 27-29

Ateneo de Naga High School Class ’67 celebrates 50th anniversary in Naga City The Ateneo de Naga University (ADNU) High School Class 1967 is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2017 from December 27 to 29 with various activities lined up for its 153 alumni members. (ADNU is a leading Jesuit university in the Bicol region located in Naga City, Camarines Sur, Philippines). The activities include the publication of its 50thAnniversary Yearbook, a coffee table book which features the individual life stories of the class members after high school, tributes to their mentors, and various articles about school life in the 1960s.

Also scheduled for the middle of the year is a golf tournament which — aside from fostering camaraderie — will essentially be a fund-raising activity for planned alumni projects such as a medical mission to a remote provincial town, scholarships, and donations for other worthy causes. This year’s reunion will be at the ADNU main campus in Naga City with various fun and commemorative activities lined up for the occasion. All batch members, wherever they are domiciled, including those residing in foreign countries, especially those in the USA and Canada, are enjoined to contribute their life story articles for the anniversary book as soon as possible, to participate in the various identified activities and outreach projects, and attend the grand homecoming in December. For coordination and for details about the events and activities, please email or call up any of the following batch members: Jojo de Jesus (email: jvdejesus6@yahoo.com; cell: 09772114750); Nilo Ezequiel (email: nilo.ezequiel0977@ gmail.com; cell: 09257200926; Antonio Sibulo, MD (email: assjrmd@gmail.com).

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

december 8-14, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

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Pechanga Resort & Casino’s $285-M expansion unveil: The new hotel tower is set to open!

Book now to reserve your stay starting December 22, 2017 wiTH the Holiday season just around the corner, travelers are planning ahead to book their vacation stay to celebrate with their families. You can now reserve your stay at Pechanga’s new hotel tower and be the first to stay in one of the 568 new hotel rooms and suite starting December 22, 2017. As part of its $285 Million resort expansion, Pechanga resort & Casino adds an additional 568 hotel rooms and suites; two new restaurants; 68,000 square feet of meeting and event space including a rooftop garden; and a new, 25,000 square foot luxury spa all to open at the end of December.

A four and one-half acre pool complex including a lagoon area and waterslides is slated to open in April 2018.

The new hotel wing comprises 96 suites and 472 deluxe hotel rooms. every room in the new wing offers state of the art amenities and technological capabilities.

Technology: 55” and 65” hospitality-rated TV - largest currently on the market USB & charging stations on each nightstand with up to 8 ports to charge – Addt’l outlets in bedside lamps HDMi cable below TV monitor room Cast remote for personal smart devices Button controlled hotel service & Do Not Disturb indicators electronic smart lighting for in-room eco efficiency (adheres to Title 24 of Calif. energy code)

Infographics by Twitter Philippines

Twitter: Vice Ganda is most followed Filipino, Maine Mendoza most tweeted

by Rosette

Adel

Philstar.com

Upgraded room amenities: Keurig coffee makers Mini bar with space for guest food items Plush robes & slippers in-room safe Molton Brown Bath Products Book your stay now at www.

Pechanga.com or by calling (877) 711-2946, experience “Play On Another Level” at Pechanga resort & Casino.

About Pechanga resort & Casino Pechanga resort & Casino offers one of the largest and most luxurious resort/casino experiences anywhere in the United States. rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2002, Pechanga resort & Casino provides an unparalleled

getaway, whether for the day or for an extended luxury stay. Offering 4,000 of the hottest slots, table games, world-class entertainment, 1,090 hotel rooms, dining, spa and golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga resort & Casino features a destination that meets and exceeds the needs of its guests and the community. Pechanga resort & Casino is a privately-operated business of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño indians. For more information, call toll free (877) 7112946 or visit www.Pechanga.com.

Follow Pechanga resort & Casino on Facebook and on Twitter @ PechangaCasino. Pechanga is open 24 hours and guests must be 21 or older to enter the casino.

(Advertising Supplement)

TwiTTer Philippines on Tuesday, Dec. 5, looked back at the most followed Filipino accounts and most tweeted Filipino celebrities on social media this year.

Comedian Vice Ganda’s account was named the most followed in the Philippines in 2017 while eat Bulaga’s dubsmash queen Maine Mendoza emerged as the most tweeted Filipino.

Other celebrities who made it on the Most Followed Filipino Accounts list of Twitter Philippines were Anne Curtis, Angel Locsin, Kathryn Bernardo, Yeng Constantino, Bianca Gonzales, Daniel Padilla and Lucky Manzano.

Twitter Philippines also welcomed Myx Philippines and @ohteenquotes in the top 10 roster of most followed Filipino

accounts.

On the other hand, joining Maine on the Most Tweeted Filipino Accounts list of Twitter Philippines this year were her onscreen partner, Alden richards, PBB Teens star Kisses Delavin, Kathryn, Daniel, Maymay entrata, elisse Joson and Vice.

Twitter also released the top five most-tweeted loveteams of 2017 and these are AlDub, Kathniel, JaDine, LizQuen and

Mayward.

The social media site giant also said Star Cinema’s “My ex and whys” and ABS-CBN’s “La Luna Sangre” are this year’s most tweeted movie and teleserye, respectively.

Meanwhile, Twitter named De La Salle Green Archers basketball player ricci rivero as the most tweeted Filipino athlete of 2017.

He is followed by volleyball player Alyssa Valdez.

Will wedding bells finally ring for Megan and Mikael in 2018 by lhAR sAntiAgo ManilaTimes.net

ğ įōíľ ÀðıÃæµįPçį ʼn æIJįıÀ ØÃĉÃæîÂ ß ğÃqPç qíß߼æÃıŎįĤÀíĽØ ÕæíŊįPdíĽIJĕ If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, email us the details (title, description, time & date, location, etc.) at info@asianjournalinc.com.

And for consideration in our print calendar, please send submissions at least three weeks before the date of the event.

To be included in our online calendar/ e-newsletter, please allow at least two to three weeks' notice.

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“FirST time!” sweethearts Megan Young and Mikael Daez exclaimed together when the sat down with Showbuzz this week.

The lovers were referring to the new GMA Network series “The Step Daughters” which they will top bill with Katrina Halili. it will be their first time to work together in a project explaining their excitement. “we’ve actually been talking about being in one project together when she transferred to GMA but it didn’t materialize immediately. She had her separate projects and i had my own. So, when we were told that we’ll finally be together in The Step Daughters, we were both so happy,” said Mikael. “i, too, am very excited to work with Mikael. Although we’re always together, yung samahan namin is always outside of the work area. we haven’t been together at work. i also want to know how he is at work, his working style. we never visit each other at work kasi—it’s like an unwritten rule for us. Bawal magvisit sa set because the tendency is you get distracted. instead of focusing in my work, parang kinikilig ako sa gilid because he’s there. So, the challenge now is to stay focused even if we’re working together,” Megan enthused.

Megan and Mikael just came from the project’s story conference and talked about their respective characters. “i play the role of Mayumi, a good girl who was born poor but driven. She strives hard to make good in life to help her mom,” Megan averred.

“Ako naman si Francis Soriano,” Mikael volunteered. “At first, i am attracted to Bettina, the character of Katrina Halili, until i meet Mayumi who i find not only beautiful but also very kind.

Although Bettina doesn’t really like me, when she learns that i’m more drawn to Mayumi, she does everything to get in the way of a relationship because she hates Mayumi.”

Taping for The Step Daughters is scheduled to commence this December, which means a busy Christmas season for the couple, so much so that they haven’t made any plans for the holidays.

“Kami naman, we really don’t plan. it’s always last-minute decisions like pag nag-travel kami, bigla na lang magkaka-ayaan, let’s go to this place. we pack our bags and off we go,” Mikael quipped.

“Most probably, it will be a traditional Christmas for us— dinner with Mikael’s family usually.

Megan Young and Mikael Daez

My family naman, usually, parang go with the flow. whatever we agree on, if it’s in Subic or in Manila kami mag-se-celebrate ng Christmas.”

This will be Megan and Mikael’s seventh Christmas as a couple, which is why they can hardly avoid questions about wedding bells.

“How about 2018? Showbuzz asked.

“Wala pa!” Megan quickly replied. “Not in our plans yet. Of course it will eventually lead to that but not yet, not next year.” “i believe we will feel when the time is right. Sa ngayon, we’re happy the way we are. it will come, i know, but not so soon,” Mikael rejoined. *** On the subject of weddings, it was five days before Max Collins’ walk down the aisle with fiancé Pancho Magno when Showbuzz visited her on the set of “The One That Got Away” with Lovi Poe and rhian ramos. Yes, she was still working but she confessed, “My mind is elsewhere.” “i don’t feel the jitters anymore, it’s more of excitement. i can’t wait to walk down the aisle. i’m so happy,” she gushed. even her groom is excited, of course. “it’s funny because he wanted to show me what he will wear on our wedding day. ‘O, ang guapo-guapo ko sa susuutin ko,’ sabi niya. i told him not to show it to me. ‘Huwag muna! i want to be surprised on that day. i want to see him wearing that special suit.”

A week before the wedding, Max was given a bridal shower by friends richelle Pangilinan and Andrea Torres. Lovi was also present. Max couldn’t stop talking about it because she never expected a grand bridal shower.

“They got me a party bus

ABS-CBN photo

which had champagne and music and lights. when we arrived at the venue, which is my friend’s house, nakalatag ‘yung food and drinks. As in sosyal na food. Ako naman sobrang simple lang na tao so i was overwhelmed big time,” she related.

“There were a lot of wine and cheese and cold cuts. The set-up was boho–bohemian and laid back. And then we had a pajama party. They even sent to my house the outfit that i would wear. i was so touched that they went an extra mile to make sure that everything was perfect for my bridal shower.”

Asked about their plans after the wedding, Max said they haven’t really talked much about it as they’ve been focused on the big day.

“Although we made plans of going to a nearby country after the wedding, we haven’t decided on anything really. it’s only now when you asked that i realized we haven’t decided on what to do after the wedding!” she laughed.

Their real honeymoon will be delayed by a few months because both of them are busy with their respective projects. Pancho is taping for Haplos, while Max is busy with “The One That Got Away”.

“Our real honeymoon will be next year. we want to go to europe,” she beamed.

One thing’s for sure though, she and Pancho are looking forward to a blissful life together. “i look forward to, you know, just living with my best friend and cooking for him or him cooking for me. Doing simple things together. Dati, pag nasa trabaho kami, we hardly get to see each other. But now we’ll be able to come home to each other and wake-up next to each other every day.”

december 8-14, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

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december 8-14, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

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