121722 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

PUBLIC health officials in LA County are reminding residents to do their part in limiting the spread of COVID-19 during the holiday season as deaths and hospitalizations continue to rise.

This new alert comes as the numbers have surpassed those reported during the same period last year.

LA County remains in the High Community Level based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) designation, despite a decrease in reported cases.

There was an average of nearly 2,920 cases reported per day, a nearly 20% decrease from the 7-day average of 3,639 cases reported per day last week.

The county, however, witnessed a troubling doubling in the reported seven-day average of deaths per day from two weeks ago, currently to 16 this week, including the county’s 20th confirmed pediatric death.

Although the number of reported COVID-19 cases declined slightly in LA County, they remain more than 120% higher than numbers

Major metropolitan areas did not submit data to FBI, causing severe undercount of hate crimes

THERE was a huge spike in hate crimes against Asian Americans last year, nearly doubling the number of such crimes in 2019.

Several major law enforcement regions, including Los Angeles County, New York, Miami, and Chicago did not submit data for the FBI’s 2021 Uniform Crime Reports, which likely led to a dramatic under-count of hate crimes.

Law enforcement agencies are currently not mandated to report data for UCR reports: reporting is voluntary. Data for the 2021 report — released on Dec. 12 — was derived from 11,883 law enforcement agencies. 6,929 agencies — almost one third — did not provide data.

Overall, 7,303 hate crimes were reported for 2021, a drop from 2020, in which 8,263 hate crimes were recorded by the FBI.

PH House passes $2B wealth fund bill

by MA. REINA LEANNE TOLENTINO ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippine House of Representatives on Thursday, December 15 approved on third reading a proposed law creating the $2-billion Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF), which has been certified as urgent by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. The Senate must pass a counterpart bill for the measure to become law.

Under House Bill (HB) 6608, the MIF will have the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and LandBank of the Philippines (Landbank) initially providing a total of P75 billion.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) profits, which the bill's authors estimate at P35 billion this year, will make up the balance.

The total is far smaller than an earlier version of the bill that envisioned a P275-billion fund, mostly capitalized by the Social Security System (SSS) and

the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). The House abandoned that version in the face of public opposition.

Business groups, opposition leaders and other critics had warned the fund could deplete worker pensions and stoke corruption through reckless investment decisions.

In a letter to House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Marcos said the fund would be "a strategic  PAGE A2

Marcos approves PH Dev’t Plan for 2023-2028

by CATHERINE S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Friday, December 16 approved the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028, providing a roadmap to a deep economic and social transformation for the country.

Marcos, who heads the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) board, approved the plan prepared by the agency on Friday .

"I'm happy to announce that today, at the NEDA board meeting, we approved the Philippine Development Plan for 2023 to 2028 and this sets out the framework of the development plan for the Philippines and we have included all of the priority areas," Marcos said in a message.

The President enjoined agencies to employ a wholeof-nation approach in the implementation of the PDP 2023-2028 and steer government instrumentalities into the “same direction.”

"This will facilitate the coordination and the alignment of all departments and all agencies in government to a single plan so that we are all working in the same direction," he added.

The PDP 2023-2028 aims to reinvigorate job creation and accelerate poverty reduction by steering

Pinoy faithful gather for 9-day Simbang Gabi

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, December 13 agreed to hear an appeal by a North Carolina man serving life in prison after being convicted of taking part in a plot to murder a woman in the Philippines at the behest of the head of a multinational criminal organization.

Adam Samia, 48, was convicted in 2018 alongside former U.S. Army sergeant Joseph Hunter and another North Carolina man, Carl David Stillwell, on charges related to the murder of Filipino real estate agent, Catherine Lee.

Prosecutors said Samia killed her while working as a mercenary for Paul Le Roux, a

Zimbabwe-born transnational crime leader who was sentenced in 2020 to 25 years in prison after cooperating with authorities investigating his organization.

Prosecutors said his organization committed money laundering, drug and weapons trafficking and murder in multiple countries.

Prosecutors said Joseph Hunter, a former U.S. Army sergeant who led Le Roux’s teams of mercenaries, recruited Samia and Carl David Stillwell for a “kill team,” and in exchange for money the two murdered Lee, who Le Roux believed had stolen from

by GHIO ONG Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippines has welcomed almost 2.4 million foreign tourists since the country reopened its borders to international travel in February, data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed.

As of Thursday, Dec. 15, the tally recorded 2,397,919 foreign arrivals with majority of them coming from the United States (447,278), South Korea (374,097), Australia (118,228), Canada (109,041) and the United Kingdom (90,196).

The number exceeded DOT’s 2022 target of only 1.7 million tourists, which was achieved in October.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco attributed the increase in the country’s tourist arrivals this year to the relaxation of travel restrictions like mandatory COVID-19 testing, wearing of face mask and quarantine period that were imposed by the government to control the spread of the virus.

Easing the travel requirements, according to Frasco’s statement, also gave the country higher tourism-related revenue –estimated to be at P130 billion as of last month.

Relaxing pandemic-related travel rules also pushed the DOT, in partnership with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the private sector, to

by ROBERTZON RAMIREZ Philstar.com

MANILA — The traditional predawn novena masses, popularly known as “Simbang Gabi” in the Philippines, officially started on Saturday, December 16.

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said most parishes in the country would adopt “synodality” as the theme for this year’s nineday pre-dawn masses to promote journeying with Jesus Christ and with one another.

“It looks like most parishes all over the country will be adopting synodality as the main running theme for the ‘Simbang Gabi’ celebration because Christmas is really about God who has been journeying with us so that we learn to journey with one another,” David said.

“Synodality has to do with promoting communion within the Church as well as greater participation towards mission, and our dream is missioning Church and we hope that through these nine novena masses, our priests will be able to impart message, good news of synodality of communion participation and mission,” he added.

In a video message, CBCP vice president and Pasig Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara urged the Catholic

faithful to attend the first of the nine-day novena masses as he emphasized that the first day will determine the faithful’s disposition toward the coming of Jesus Christ.

Vergara said the faithful should emulate St. John the Baptist who served as the Lord’s “precursor” and led a greater majority to the protection of the Lord.

The Simbang Gabi will run from Dec. 16 until Dec. 25.

Masses at the Manila Cathedral from Dec. 15 to 23 will be held at 8 p.m. while pre-dawn masses will be held from Dec. 16-24 at 4:30 a.m. Masses at the Quiapo church will be held from Dec. 15-23 at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. while pre-dawn masses will be from Dec. 16-24 at 4 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Quiapo church spokesman Fr. Earl Valdez said they are preparing for “a slight increase” of people attending the nine-day masses as he urged the faithful to continue observing health protocols to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

“We are preparing for a slight increase in mass attendance so cleaning and maintenance, plus placement of markers for physical distancing. We also have several volunteers deployed for ushering and observance of safety protocols (particularly masking),” Valdez said.

He added that they are also in close coordination with the Manila

FIRST OF NINE. Catholic devotees, aided by a giant screen, hear mass outside the jampacked Saint Joseph Parish in Las Piñas City at the start of the nine-day Simbang Gabi (dawn mass) on Friday, Dec. 16. The tradition will culminate in the Christmas Eve mass on Dec. 24. PNA photo by Avito Dalan

Almost 2.4 million foreign tourists since February – DOT

US Supreme Court to review conviction of hired gun in murder of Filipina

LA County reminds residents to slow COVID spread this holiday

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco Philstar.com file photo

PH House passes $2B wealth...

mechanism for strengthening the investment activities of top performing government financial institutions, and thus pump-prime economic growth and social development."

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno had requested the President to certify the bill creating the MIF as urgent.

In a letter dated December 13, Diokno told the President the measure will shore up the government's effort to create jobs, promote trade and investments, strengthen connectivity, expand infrastructure, and achieve energy and food security.

To maximize investment returns, the MIF should be an independent entity, professionally managed and administered by the Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC), he said.

"The MIF and the MIC comply with the 'Santiago' Principles, which pertain to the set of generally accepted principles and practices voluntarily endorsed by the International Forum of SWF (sovereign wealth fund) members," Diokno said. "This represents best practices for operations of SWFs."

The MIF will be subject to strict investment and risk management guidelines, and is authorized to invest only in financial

instruments and development projects approved by its board of directors, Diokno said.

"Investments in real estate, infrastructure, and other development projects, however, shall be limited to National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board — approved major capital projects to ensure that these are in line with the socioeconomic development program of the government," he said.

The MIC will be barred from holding a controlling stake in its investee companies, and will not be directly involved in their day-to-day management and operations.

The 15-member MIC board of directors, chaired by the finance secretary, will see to it that the investment policies formulated are consistent with the objectives of the MIF, and subject to periodic review, Diokno said.

The MIC will also have an advisory board composed of the secretaries of the DoF, Department of Budget and Management, director general of NEDA, and the national treasurer.

In addition, the MIC will tap an internal auditor, as well as an internationally recognized auditing company and the Commission on Audit to ensure transparency, accountability and

protection to the fund.

The MIC will also contribute to state social welfare projects, as the company requires by law to remit 20 percent of its net profits to fill state coffers.

"Finally, the proposed bill provides penalties for erring directors, trustees, or officers who willfully and maliciously violates investment policies and guidelines set by the Board of Directors," Diokno assured.

He said the Philippines can use Indonesia's SWF, whose funds were tapped to finance big ticket infrastructure projects even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as a model.

BSP Governor Felipe Medalla on Thursday expressed support for HB 6608.

At the sidelines of the central bank's media briefing following its rate-setting meeting, Medalla said the removal of pension funds in the bill's new version was a "good" move by Congress.

"Now the issue is what can the fund be used for. And I think at times like this, let's support the President. There are many things that I think he wants to do and these funds can be used to attract foreign investors. It could be good for the country," he said.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel 3rd 

2023 NAT’L BUDGET. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (center) signs the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2023 amounting to PHP5.268 trillion in a ceremony at the Malacañan Palace on Friday, Dec. 16. Among the priority sectors under the Marcos administration’s first national budget include education, public works, health, social welfare, agriculture and transportation. PNA photo by Rolando Mailo

Marcos approves PH Dev’t Plan for...

the economy back on the highgrowth path and push for efficient economic transformation for a prosperous, inclusive and resilient society.

Last week, NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the PDP "offers an inclusive way forward, identifying the program priorities, strategies, and targets — as well as enabling policies and governance mechanisms — toward a 'matatag, maginhawa, at panatag na buhay (strong, prosperous and peaceful life)' for all Filipinos."

"Addressing inflation and the constraints to rapid economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction in the new normal requires a whole-of-government

US Supreme Court to review conviction...

PAGE A1

him.

In 2018 all three men were convicted at trial and are serving life sentences.

At trial, prosecutors introduced a post-arrest confession by Stillwell in which

he named Samia as the person who pulled the trigger.

Stillwell did not testify at trial, so Samia’s lawyers could not question him. To protect his rights under the U.S. Constitution’s Sixth Amendment to confront witnesses against

him, his name was redacted.

But Samia’s lawyers say the confession remained incriminating and that the federal appeals courts are divided on how to assess whether how such redacted confessions should be used at trial. 

Almost 2.4 million foreign tourists since...

PAGE A1

introduce its Bisita Be My Guest (BBMG) program on Thursday.

The program aims to promote the country’s tourism industry by encouraging overseas Filipino workers and Pinoys living abroad to fly back to the Philippines

and bring potential tourists, especially foreigners, along with them.

According to the DOT, the program offers a raffle promo, BBMG passport and a privilege card, which participants can use to avail of discounts, special rates

and packages.

Frasco said the program is one of the ways a Filipino can show love for the country by inviting their foreign friends to visit the Philippines and allowing them to experience world-class Filipino hospitality. 

LA County reminds residents to slow COVID...

observed one month ago and wastewater data reaffirms that transmission of COVID is currently high. For the most recent week reported, the viral concentration of SARS-CoV-2 observed in wastewater was higher than it was during the peak concentration seen in July during our 2022 summer surge.

Over the past seven days, the average number of daily COVIDpositive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals is 1,252, very slightly elevated from last week when the average number of COVID-positive patients per day was 1,245.

Based on data collected from 90 hospitals that are polled daily by the LA County Emergency Medical Services Agency, as of Dec. 12, there were 242 available adult beds, including ward and ICU beds. The average number of available beds so far in December is the lowest number reported in the past four years. Contributing factors include high circulating rates of respiratory illnesses and less available staff.

To minimize the transmission and impact of illness during the holidays, residents should think ahead about steps they can take to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the flu and other respiratory viruses. Importantly, being up to date on vaccines and the new bivalent booster provides essential protection against severe illness associated with COVID and flu.

Of the nearly 7.5 million county residents eligible for the bivalent booster, just 1.35 million residents have received it. While the number remains low, more people are getting the new booster – up to 18% this week compared to 16% on Nov. 27.

The new specially formulated bivalent booster for children 6 months through age 4 is now available in Los Angeles County. Previously, this booster was authorized only for children ages 5 and older. To maximize protection against COVID-19, dosing and eligibility for this new pediatric

booster is dependent on the primary series the child receives.

If you have questions about vaccinating your child, you can call the Department of Public Health Vaccine Call Center at 1-833540-0473 open daily 8 am to 8:30 pm. Many vaccine sites received the new bivalent vaccines for young children this week. At the Public Health community sites, clinics, and mobile vaccine teams, staff are trained and have begun administering these new vaccines.

To find a vaccine site, visit ph.lacounty.gov/ howtogetvaccinated or residents can reach out to their provider. As a note, many general pharmacies do not vaccinate children under three years old so please check the Public Health website or contact your provider to find a site able to vaccinate young children.

In addition to getting the bivalent booster and seasonal flu vaccine, it is important this holiday season to continue to have plenty of well-fitting, high-filtration masks on hand, preferably N95s, KN95s, or KF94s. When choosing activities or planning an event, it also makes sense to look for outdoor options. If it doesn’t work to be outside, open windows and doors to increase ventilation inside.

It’s also crucial to use COVID tests before gatherings. For more information on types of tests, where to get them, and how to interpret them go to ph.lacounty. gov/COVIDtests. Also, the federal government reopened its free COVID test program; each household can get four free tests shipped to their home. Tests can be ordered at COVIDtests.gov and shipping will begin the week of Dec. 19.

Finally, it’s important for family and friends to stay home when sick to prevent others from getting ill. If you test positive for COVID-19 and have symptoms, the therapeutics Paxlovid and Molnupiravir are both prescription antivirals that can be taken at home. Both should be started within 5 days of symptom

onset. Contact your provider if you have a fever, coughing and sneezing, unusual fatigue, muscle aches, or other symptoms. If you do not have a provider, you can call the Public Health call center at 1-833-540-0473 to get answers to your questions and access free telehealth services.

“I extend my condolences to the all of the families that have been impacted by loss due to COVID,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Navigating the pandemic has been made much easier with the new tools at hand and the data we can look at to better understand risk. High numbers no longer mean shutting down events or gathering over Zoom. We have the strategies, information, and resources to celebrate in-person with friends and family in a safe way. I hope that over the next few weeks, everyone can use this information to keep each other protected. Simple efforts can lead to big returns, and this works best when people come together and act collectively. We all have a role to play to reduce COVID-19 transmission and I appreciate the inspiring efforts I have witnessed in the community. Your actions have personal impact, and also impact the people around you.”

On Friday, Dec. 16, Public Health reported 20 additional deaths and 3,257 new positive cases. Of the 20 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 18-29, 10 people were between the ages of 65-79, and nine people were aged 80 years or older. Of the 20 newly reported deaths, 18 had underlying health conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in LA County is 34,410.

Public Health has reported a total of 3,598,453 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County. Today’s positivity rate is 10.9%. There are 1,261 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,784,124 individuals, with 25% of people testing positive. (AJPress)

and whole-of-society approach," Balisacan said in a statement. With the approval of the

development plan, it will be ready for immediate implementation in 2023. 

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Malacañang photo

Major metropolitan areas did not submit data...

New reporting platform

John Duran, a Southern California-based civil rights attorney and LGBTQIA activist who served on the California Hate Crimes Commission in 1987, told Ethnic Media Services that the FBI made significant changes in reporting requirements, but failed to train law enforcement personnel in the new procedures.

The new data collection system is known as National Incident-Based Reporting System. Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta issued a statement Dec. 12, saying the system was designed to provide “significantly more detailed data for each individual criminal incident.” The FBI has set out a five-year timeline and provided technical assistance and funding for the transition.

“The FBI wanted to collect more data on perpetrators and victims, to provide a more detailed composite and demographics. Unfortunately, it did not equip law enforcement for those changes with proper resources,” said Duran.

Trump and anti-semitism

“As a result, hate crimes were vastly under-reported this year, in what would have been a peak year with the rise of antiSemitism,” he said. “Trumpism has unleashed so much hidden hate and allowed it to come into the open.”

Duran’s statement is borne out in FBI data. In 2019, 963 hate crimes targeted Jewish Americans. This year, because of the number of agencies that did not report, anti-Semitic hate crimes dropped to 324.

Black Americans have consistently and overwhelmingly been the targets of hate: the community was subjected to 2233 hate crimes in 2021, a drop from 2020 data, which noted 2,871 hate crimes against the community.

‘Wheel of misfortune’

The activist attorney said he has witnessed the ebbs and flows of hate crime targets in his almost 40 years of advocacy on the issue. “I call it the Wheel of Misfortune: we see peaks in rises against specific communities,” he said, predicting that — as Republicans take the House next year — immigrants will be the targets of hate crimes and incidents.

At a news briefing Dec. 14

organized by the Act Against

Hate Alliance, Duran equated the U.S.’s national discourse to a modern day “Tower of Babel.”

The dizzying array of social media platforms run unfettered, with no guard rails to reign them in. “Truth suffers. If I only talk to people who look like me and think like me, I would be subjected to a lot of misinformation and disinformation about other communities, with the revival of old prejudices,” he said.

The LGBTQIA community suffered 1,084 hate crimes in 2021, including crimes against gay males and lesbians.

Nefarious intent?

Manju Kulkarni, Executive Director of Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, and cofounder of the web portal Stop AAPI Hate, believes there is no “nefarious intent” by law enforcement agencies who did not submit data this year.

“I believe most state and local law enforcement agencies in California do take hate crimes very seriously.”

Despite under-reporting, FBI Uniform Crime Reports data reveals that hate crimes against the AAPI community have nearly doubled since 2019. In 2021, 305 hate crimes targeted Asian Americans, 214 targeted Sikhs, 33 targeted Pacific Islanders, 29 targeted Buddhists, and 10 targeted Hindus. Disaggregated data for other Asian subethnicities is not collected by the FBI.

Stop AAPI Hate, a web portal which allows victims to selfreport hate crimes or incidents, logged 4,632 reports in 2020, and 6,273 reports in 2021. The vast majority of these incidents were not hate crimes, said Kulkarni, noting that verbal harassment which makes up the bulk of reports, is not prosecuted.

One in 5 AAPI individuals have experienced some sort of hate incident amid the pandemic, she noted, adding that victims need access to resources that can help them report and heal.

Distrust of law enforcement

Amr Shabaik, Civil Rights Managing Attorney for the Council on American Islamic Relations’ Los Angeles chapter, said Muslim Americans are historically under-reported in FBI data collection of hate crimes because victims are often too afraid to report to law enforcement.

“There is an inherent distrust of law enforcement, which has a history of surveilling our community,” he said. In a recent case he worked on, a victim was verbally and physically attacked by his neighbor who uttered racist epithets. The victim reported the incident to LAPD.

FBI recruiting informants?

A few days later, he was contacted by the FBI. “They said they would help him with his immigration status if he would be an informant for the community,” alleged Shabaik, noting media reports of similar incidents in other cities.

The Muslim American community, including Arab Americans who are disaggregated in the UCR report, were targeted in 171 hate crimes in 2021. This is a dramatic drop from 2019, when 273 hate crimes involved Muslim American victims.

Marshall Wong, who serves on Los Angeles’ Human Rights Commission, and is the primary author of the Commission’s 2021 report on hate crimes in Los Angeles County, noted that FBI UCR data has always been imperfect, because it is based on voluntary reporting. Previously, more than 85 percent of law enforcement agencies did not report crime data to the FBI. However, that number has been rising in recent years.

Amid the pandemic

The HRC dropped its own report for hate crimes in Los Angeles County in 2021 earlier this month. The number of such crimes rose by 20 percent in 2020 and by 23 percent in 2021. Wong believes the “pent-up frustration” of the Covid-19 pandemic and “the need to blame someone” for pandemic related issues such as unemployment, the housing crisis, and Covid-mandated lockdowns contributed to the jump in hate crimes.

In Los Angeles County, there were 77 reported hate crimes against Asian Americans in 2021, the largest number on record.

Hate crimes in Los Angeles are up by 13 percent in 2022, according to Police Chief Michael Moore, who spoke at a police commission meeting Dec. 13. Surprisingly however, Asian Americans experienced a 20 percent decrease, he reported.

(Sunita Sohrabji/Ethnic Media Services)

Pinoy faithful gather for 9-day...

city government and the police for increased security measures as he hopes that the observance of Simbang Gabi will become meaningful and not become a super spreader event.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said all security measures are in place to ensure the public’s safety aof dawn masses.

Col. Jean Fajardo, PNP spokesperson, said they went

on full alert status on Thursday, which will run until Jan. 10, “so that all available police officers are ready for deployment and respond in case of emergencies.”

In compliance with the directive of PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., all police commanders are required to deploy 85 percent of their personnel on the streets to secure churches and other places of convergence.

Fajardo told dzBB that least 85 percent of the PNP force or

192,950 policemen should be on field duty.

While the PNP has not monitored any credible threat to security, she said policemen are not keeping their guard down to prevent lawless elements from disrupting the Simbang Gabi and the rest of the Yuletide season.

In Metro Manila, Lt. Col. Dexter Versola, National Capital Region Police Office spokesman, said at least 14,000 policemen are deployed for Simbang Gabi n

PH House passes $2B wealth...

PAGE A2

wondered why the executive branch wanted to speed up the passage of HB 6608.

Pimentel had hoped that the President would reject Diokno's request to certify the measure as urgent.

Asked to comment on the President's move granting Diokno's request, Pimentel said, "We are being set up for something. What that something is, I don't know yet."

"We will try to find out when we interpellate on the Maharlika Fund bill. What is it that they really want to achieve with this measure? And why is this measure urgent at all?" he said.

He said the presidential certification is for legislative measures "which are urgently needed in order to meet a public emergency or calamity."

"Please ask Sec[retary] Diokno, what emergency or calamity is there now which the Maharlika Fund is intended to be able to immediately address, help, or alleviate?" Pimentel said.

"If the President issues the certification then this is clearly an abuse already of presidential prerogatives and powers," he said.

Sen. Francis Joseph "Chiz" Escudero had cautioned economic managers against investing a huge amount of public money in the MIF.

Escudero said it is "not wise" to commit a big chunk of funds of government financial institutions like Landbank and the DBP.

He tossed this issue at NEDA chief Arsenio Balisacan when he faced the Commission on Appointments for the deliberation of his ad interim appointment as socioeconomic planning secretary.

Escudero

vote among lawmakers on Thursday.

the GSIS.

With the government now relying on the BSP to fill the void left by the two state-run financial institutions, Escudero asked whether it would be a smart move on the part of BSP to lift its policy against putting all its eggs in one basket in order to put up the Maharlika fund.

Balisacan responded that government banks should manage and diversify their investment portfolio to make themselves immune to financial shocks due to overexposure.

HB 6608, as amended, hurdled second reading through voice

"As Chair of the Technical Working Group for refining the Maharlika Investment Fund Act, I thank the House for its favorable consideration of the enhanced version of the bill," Albay Second District Rep. Jose Ma. Clemente "Joey" Salceda said in a statement. He said he "will continue to study viable models and frameworks for the MIF. I will continue to study viable models and frameworks for the MIF. I will continue to work with counterparts in the Senate to improve this measure or explain the proposal better."

Salceda said he welcomes "the spirited public discussion of the MIF."

He thanked the President "for certifying the refined version of the bill as urgent." 

asked Balisacan about the proposed sovereign wealth fund's seed capital after the House decided to drop its earlier plan to raise a total of P175 billion as seed capital from the SSS and

Maharlika for investments

CERTAIN economists and at least one investment banker are seeking clarity on the exact nature of the sovereign wealth fund that the House of Representatives is rushing to approve.

President Marcos declared one particular objective: the country, he said before embarking on his latest foreign trip, needs investments that can be sourced from a wealth fund. His super majority in the House of Representatives promptly introduced amendments to the bill creating the Maharlika Wealth Fund, including renaming it the Maharlika Investment Fund.

Editorial

Where the proponents intend to place the investments is still as amorphous as an amoeba. Several of the world’s largest and best-managed sovereign wealth funds have suffered massive losses this year in their investments. This month Taiwan’s Public Service Pension Fund reported an investment loss of $1.96 billion or about 8.38 percent from January to October. The report followed Norway’s massive loss of $174 billion in the first half of the year alone and the $275-million loss of Singapore’s Temasek Holdings in the now bankrupt FTX crypto currency exchange.

Maharlika proponents reportedly want to limit the fund to local investments. They have yet to sufficiently allay fears that the funds might end up as behest loans to cronies of those in power. Proponents say the Maharlika can be used to finance infrastructure and development projects

D AN E. N INO

IN my 41 years as a resident of Los Angeles County, I have known and interacted with every consul general from the time of the late Ambassador Armando C. Fernandez to the current Edgar B. Badajos.

They have varying traits, idiosyncrasies, style and demeanor. They have a common denominator though: they are congenial and amiable but passionate about their consular jobs.

And in my humble opinion, my top three diplomats who have been assigned to Los Angeles with jurisdictions in adjoining states are: Armando C. Fernandez, Adelio Angelito Soriano Cruz and Edgar B. Badajos in that order — with consuls general Hellen M. Barber De La Vega, Marciano A. Paynor, Jr. and Emmanuel C. Fernandez, our fraternity brod and my Quezon City neighbor, as honorable mentions.

Why do I say this? From my keen observation and closerange interactions with them, they have earned the affections of their constituents or general public that they serve.

JOEL RUIZ BUTUYAN

IT happens every six years. When an election ushers in our country’s new president, a massive migration takes place. Massive migration is normally associated with animals that move to fair weather destinations. But the kind of migration that happens after we elect a new chief executive involves politicians who shift allegiance to the new sovereign.

In the olden days, a new king needs to either wage war or threaten one, in order to collect the allegiance of unsupportive warlords who rule provincial serfdoms. Nowadays, our nation’s new leader needs only to win an election and warlords fall over each other to show allegiance to the new dispensation.

The migration of politicians happens in two ways. They either become new members of the ruling party, or their current political parties enter into a “majority coalition” with the ruling party. In the latter case, the other political

as well as allow certain private enterprises to grow.

After proponents heeded protests and excluded pension funds as well as a portion of the national budget as funding sources, only the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Development Bank of the Philippines and dividends of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas are now being eyed as Maharlika sources. But the Landbank and DBP are already investing in the types of activities eyed for Maharlika.

The BSP, meanwhile, is reportedly against the use of its dividends, which under its Charter must be used for recapitalization. Analysts say using BSP dividends for Maharlika will divert the central bank away from its mandate of maintaining the country’s financial stability and turn it into a profitmaking institution.

If President Marcos wants investments, it is better to work on creating a more attractive business climate. In his foreign trips, he pitches for investments. His call must be matched by the necessary reforms that will make it easier to do business in the Philippines. The country has an unfortunate record in respecting the sanctity of business contracts. The regulatory environment is malleable and the rule of law is weak. Red tape

The endearing qualities Los Angeles consuls general

Although Ambassador Fernandez, who was the longest-serving consul general in L.A. (July 1977-May 1985), his diplomatic rank is that of an ambassador. The second longest-serving consul general was Pedro G. Ramirez (19541962), the father of my fellow community leader and good friend Peter Ramirez. It was in October 1955 during the tenure of Congen Ramirez when the L.A. post was elevated to Consulate General by thenPresident Ramon Magsaysay. It used to be an extension of the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco.

I chose Ambassador Fernandez not only because he is my cum-provinciano my wedding godfather and family friend way back but his closeness and deep affection to the Filipino community. My father, lawyer Bonifacio D. Nino was a political ally and campaign manager of his late father, 2nd District Pangasinan Congressman Angel Fernandez of our town Mangatarem. The prominent Fernandez clan hail from Dagupan City.

The late Ambassador Fernandez organized the Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA in 1978 as well as the Confederation of Pilipino Organizations also

known as CONPOSO. He was an inveterate organizer. We used to meet many times at his ambassador’s mansion in a glitzy village on Wilshire Blvd. near the consulate office — with my fellow Pangasinan town and city association council presidents.

One time, he called and caught me off guard while I was lullabying my one and only son Denver, who was crying loud at that time while I was speaking to him. Because of his encouragement, I organized our Association of Mangatarem Overseas Residents (AMOR) of Southern California. His purpose of calling was to remind me that he’ll send a case of San Miguel beer to our first organizational meeting. This was unprecedented. Even with his exalted position, Congen Fernandez was humble, down-to-earth, pro-active, and generous with his time. He is a people-oriented diplomat. He and his lovely wife were so hospitable.

As a tribute to Ambassador Fernandez’s glorious stint as consul general in Los Angeles, the Pangasinan BrotherhoodUSA had organized a send-off gala night for him.

Next on my list is Congen Adelio Soriano Cruz. I had a

Politics as business

parties become appendages of the ruling party.

Under the current Marcos Jr. presidency, the migration has not taken the form of membership in the President’s political party. This is because President Marcos Jr. has a ghost of a party in the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, to which he has no sanguine affinity.

The shift in allegiance is in the form of a “majority coalition” that has professed loyalty to the new President. Thus, we have a supermajority of senators and congresspersons who are subservient to Malacañang. They curtsy with unquestioning approval at the legislative wishes of the President. Cases in point: a national budget that gifts Mr. Marcos with billions in confidential funds, and eager congressional sponsorship of the Maharlika Wealth Fund. Our legislators are being consistent in their fealty to previously sitting presidents.

In contrast to the migratory behavior of our local politicians, there seems to be a culture of party loyalty among politicians in so many other countries, if one reads prevailing political culture overseas. Even when a ruling

political party falls from grace and becomes the minority in a new administration, its reelected members stick with their old party. Why has our country bred the kind of politicians who change party affiliation or leader’s allegiance without scruples and shame? Why have perennial turncoats thrived in our midst, but have withered elsewhere?

The most proximate explanation on why this repulsive political culture has flourished in our midst is that our country has nurtured politicians who view politics as business. People go into politics because of the business and financial opportunities that positions of power make available. Gone are the days when our leaders vie for public positions by breathing, spouting, and living by principles and beliefs.

We have business-minded leaders whose eyes, hearts, and brains are focused on the monetary value of their actions, both for themselves and their constituents.

This is the reason why we hardly hear of principles, values, and ethics being mouthed by our politicians, save for a handful of opposition and leftist lawmakers.

closer inter-personal interaction with Congen Adelio Cruz because he is also a cumprovinciano from Pangasinan. His beloved mother is from Dagupan City although he didn’t grow up there and could not speak our Pangasinense dialect, but her mom is very fluent with the right twang. During his first year of tenure, Congen Cruz attended our Christmas Party at the world-renowned, cavernous and gleaming City of Cerritos Performing Arts Hall. He was well-received by our fellow Pangasinenses. He connected well with his grassroots constituents like me. Then, met him again during the Induction and Coronation of my client, Filipino American Tarlac Association whom I had the pleasure to introduce him at Marriot Baldwin Park.

As a fellow Pangasinense, we invited him to grace our special treat for him at Marriott Long for an intimate private dinner cum karaoke and disco party with his mom – courtesy of PP Eddie C. Ferrer. With a baritone voice, Congen Cruz sang some OPMs. He was also down-toearth and shed off his “high and the mighty diplomatic position.” His wife Cathy danced with us with the late Miss Mutya ng Pilipinas Rosemarie de Vera,

another Pangasinense. This was followed again by a fund-raiser at Marriott Long Beach with PBUSA.

I was impressed when he helped somebody from Fresno, California who asked me to connect to him for help due to emergency to travel to the Philippines, for a dying relative. Without any kinks and impediments, she was able to travel to the Motherland. This nurse from Fresno was so profuse in her praise for Congen Cruz and his staff — for mitigating her journey.

The third-ranked in my list is Congen Edgardo B. Badajos. He made an indelible imprint with his social action advocacy and grassroot outreach when he partnered with the Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) under Trini Foliente in organizing the Congen’s Cup. The proceeds of this golf tournament has funded the Livelihood Program of APO Global Foundation’s Egg Laying Chickens also known as “Manok Ni Juan” in the foothills of Mt. Sierra Madre, Nueva Ecija — benefiting three marginalized indigenous families of Dumagat and Igorot early this year.

Not only his grassroots reach but Congen Badajos also earned his legions of fans with

his gift in public speaking and extemporaneous, inspiring speeches and his talent in singing. This was recently manifested during the Kalayaan Inc.’s Induction on Dec. 11 at Hyatt Hotel near Disneyland. He jested, “Do you want me to speak first or sing first?” to the uproar of the crowd. He crooned two love songs, “One in a Million You” recorded by Larry Graham Jr. and “Ikaw” popularized by Philippine recording artists, Sharon Cuneta, Ariel Rivera, Martin Nievera and Regine Velasquez. His fans gamely swarmed over him, wiping his forehead and hugging him and posing for pictorial. Congen Badajos became a celebrity in his own right. Co-emcee, Bro. Noel Omega commented, “Congen Badajos can be a politician someday in his native Abra.”

Lydia Solis, one of the emcees, joked “Is there an additional compensation for a consul general singing in front of his constituents?"

* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

* * *

denino1951@gmail.com

And this is also the reason why our politicians readily join the bandwagon of a new president because the latter becomes the new source of business favors. For all intents and purposes, our legislators have accomplished their “reason for being” when they approve the country’s annual budget that ensures their own and their constituent’s share of the pie. Even more disheartening is the infection of our electorate with the same political malady because we now view politicians as necessary

dispensers of financial favors. Our voters no longer choose leaders based on shared principles.

Political leaders are now elected because of their capacity to dole out economic favors.

It’s no wonder, then, that we have thrown away our metrics of right and wrong, morality and immorality, and ethical and unethical character, in choosing our leaders. We have shifted to a different standard of measuring their worth by judging them on their capacity to bestow

financial aid, scholarships, health assistance, farm subsidies, and the like.

Our leaders have transformed politics into business. And we, the people, have ditched our politicians in favor of businesspersons.

* * *

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

* * *

Comments to fleamarketofideas@gmail.com

ANDY TECSON

IVY

DING

ManilaTimes.net photo

and corruption are endemic. These problems will bedevil a sovereign wealth fund, and they are behind the trust issues driving opposition to Maharlika. (Philstar.com)

From My Point of View

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Malacañang photo

Dateline PhiliPPines

Atayde vows: Maharlika fund will be corrupt-free

by Moises Cruz and Javier Joe isMael ManilaTimes.net

QUEZON City First District Representative Juan Carlos "Arjo" Atayde has vowed to add more security measures to the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) management to protect it from corruption.

The House on Thursday, December 15 approved House Bill 6608, or the proposed "Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) Act," after it was certified as urgent by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

In a statement on Friday, December 16, Atayde said the amendments to HB 6608 "are proof that we in Congress are serious about keeping the MIF as free from corruption and risk as possible."

Among the amendments is the exclusion of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and Social Security System (SSS) as sources of funding for the wealth fund.

The Development Bank of the Philippines, the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. are now contributors to the fund under the amended bill.

The MIF is a sovereign wealth fund or SWF that will support high-impact infrastructure projects, urban and rural development, agricultural support, and other revenueraising initiatives.

Nearly 50 countries have SWFs, among them Singapore, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam and East Timor.

Atayde said he and other House members will continue to evaluate the measure so that safeguards are introduced to protect the MIF from anomalies and questionable investments.

"This is just to be fair to all those who have questions and concerns regarding the fund that needs to be addressed," he said.

The inclusion of a penal provision that would prosecute Maharlika Investment Corp. directors, trustees, or officers for failing to abide by MIF's investment policies and guidelines is another example of

the steps that Congress is taking to protect the interests of the people, he said.

Under Section 44 of the bill, persons found guilty of irregularities are subject to fines ranging from P50,000 to P2 million or to prison terms of from one to five years.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said on Friday that in response to an opposition lawmaker's proposal, the House has raised from 20 percent to 25 percent the amount set aside from the MIF profits for social welfare or subsidies.

"We have increased the contributions of the profits of the Maharlika Investment Fund to a social welfare fund that the government can utilize to provide assistance to those who need it the most," Romualdez said.

"This amendment was proposed by the Makabayan bloc, which we accepted," he added.

During the plenary, "several interpellators and numerous hours of session were devoted to informative debates and manifestations discussing lengthily the nature, scope, and benefits of the proposed measure," Romualdez said.

Initially, 20 percent of the MIF revenues were allotted for social welfare purposes under HB 6608.

Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers), a member of the opposition, wanted to raise the allocation to 30 percent, but it was finally agreed to make it 25 percent.

Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri on Friday said the Senate will not rush the passage of HB 6608.

Zubiri said the bill needs a thorough looking over by senators.

He said he is still waiting for the final version of the measure from the House.

"They just passed it yesterday (Thursday) and we are now on break. So logically nothing can be transferred or referred to us till January 23. After which the House approved bill will go through first reading and will be referred to at least four committees to tackle the measure," he said.

The four committees are Banks chaired by Sen. Mark

Villar; Government-Owned and -Controlled Corporations, chaired by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano; Ways and Means, chaired by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian; and Finance, chaired by Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara.

Under Senate rules, the heads of the four committees will schedule hearings on HB 6608 by the middle of February.

"We respect the committee system in the Senate and we will study through the hearings and plenary debates all measures with a fine tooth comb to make sure every bill or proposal would be good for our people and our country," Zubiri said.

He said that the speed of the passage of the measure will depend on the ability of the chairman and the quality of work that is put in during the hearings and debates.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel 3rd said the MIF will have extensive effects and ramifications not only to the present generation but to future generations of Filipinos as well.

"Hence this should not be rushed. Haste makes waste," Pimentel said.

"We have to examine everything in the said bill. Even the commas, semicolons, and periods," he said.

He said that superficially, a certification of the urgency of necessity gives the impression that Congress needs to "speed up things."

"I hope this will not be the feeling in the Senate," he said. g

Quezon City First District Representative Juan Carlos "Arjo" Atayde Photo from House of Representatives

Overseas voters’ registration resumes

by JAVIER JOE ISMAEL ManilaTimes.net

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) have resumed the registration of overseas voters as part of preparations for the 2025 national elections.

Registration for overseas absentee voters will run from Dec. 9, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2024.

The Philippine Embassy in London reported that their first registrant is a career from

Gloucestershire, England. Before the resumption of the registration, the DFA and the Comelec held trainings for personnel who will be tapped to facilitate the processing of overseas voters.

Trainings were held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates from October 24 to 28; in Barcelona, Spain from November 7 to 11; in Seoul, South Korea from November 21 to 25; and in Toronto, Canada from November 28 to December 2.

A total of 180 representatives from different foreign service posts attended the training.

The trainings were conducted to equip the foreign service personnel with the legal and technical knowledge in implementing Republic Act 10590, otherwise known as the "Overseas Voting Act of 2013," particularly on the aspect of overseas voter registration, and of Comelec Resolution 10833 or the rules and regulations on the conduct of continuing registration for overseas voting. 

Sara hopes for ‘meaningful’ Christmas for Pinoys

DESPITE various challenges the past few years, Vice President Sara Duterte expressed on Friday, December 16 her hopes for Filipinos to enjoy a "meaningful" Christmas celebration.

In a video posted on Facebook, the second-highest official made the statement more than a week before Christmas Eve, as she expressed her prayers for a peaceful holiday celebration.

"Hangad ko na maging makabuluhan ang ating selebrasyon ng Pasko sa kabila ng mga pagsubok na dumadating sa ating buhay at sana ay magpatuloy tayo sa pagiging matatag para sa ating mga sarili, para sa ating mga pamilya, at para sa ating bansa (I hope that your Christmas celebration would be meaningful despite the challenges that we

have in our lives, and I hope that we will continue to be strong for ourselves, for our families, and for our nation)," she said.

Duterte noted that Filipinos share common values grounded on faith and love which brings "unity" among the citizenry.

"Magkakasama tayo sa pagdiriwang ng kapanganakan ni Hesus. Magkakaiba man ang ating prinsipyo, paniniwala, at pamumuhay, pinagkakaisa naman tayo ng pananampalataya, mithiin, pangarap, at pagmamahal sa isa't isa (We are one in celebrating the birth of Jesus. We may have different principles, beliefs, [and] lifestyles, [but] we are one in faith, aspirations, dreams, and love to one another)," she said.

"Maligayang Pasko sa inyong lahat! Nawa magkaroon ang lahat ng mapayapa, masaya,

Protection of OFWs, utmost priority of Marcos admin

MANILA – The protection of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and overseas Filipinos is one of the utmost priorities of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration.

During the National Forum on Migration that gathered migrant workers and their families on Thursday to celebrate the OFW Month, Commission for Filipinos Overseas (CFO) officer-in-charge Undersecretary Abdulgani Macatoman vowed to strengthen its efforts to protect migrant workers as well as their families.

“The protection of our kababayans abroad is among the priority of our beloved President Bongbong Marcos and we will continue to institute measures to do so,” Macatoman said.

He said that through the newly

established Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the government is expected to speed up the process of addressing OFW complaints.

The conduct of the predeparture seminars is also set to be improved to better inform and brief Filipinos going abroad to work to know about the culture of their host countries.

Macatoman cited the important contributions of OFWs based in different countries worldwide to the country's nation building through the foreign remittances that help keep the Philippine economy afloat.

“This Administration really wants to address the needs of OFWs,” he said.

During the celebration, some OFWs shared their stories while living and working abroad.

During his recent meeting with the Filipino community in Brussels, Belgium to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-European Union Commemorative Summit, Marcos vowed to invest more in human capital development, infrastructure and the digital economy in order to create more jobs in the country.

“Sana naman dumating ang panahon, at ito ang ating pangarap na wala ng kailangan umalis ng Pilipinas dahil walang mahanap na trabaho sa Pilipinas. Aabutin din natin ‘yan (Hopefully the time will come, and this is our dream that no one will have to leave the Philippines because there is no job to be found in the Philippines. We will reach that too),” Marcos told the Filipino community across Europe. (PNA)

Dangerous Drugs Board open to medical use of cannabis

MANILA — The proposal to allow the medical use of cannabis is gaining ground, as the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) – the government agency tasked with creating policies in dealing with illegal drugs – is open to the idea.

During Thursday’s public hearing (Dec. 15 )at the Senate committee on health presided over by Sen. Robinhood Padilla, DDB Chairman Catalino Cuy Jr. said the board has issued a resolution approving the creation of the technical working group (TWG) which could study the proposal to allow medical use of marijuana.

“The DDB is open to the use of cannabis to be administered by a medical expert,” said Padilla. He clarified that the use is subject to regulation and constant monitoring. The DDB promulgated resolution 19 –approving the creation of TWG with people to evaluate the use of cannabidiol composed of experts from the Department of Health, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Science and Technology.

In the continuation of the Senate hearing for the use of medical marijuana or the Medical Cannabis Compassionate Access Act of the Philippines, Cuy clarified that those who will apply for access must first get a special permit from the FDA.

At present, the use of medical grade cannabis and the THC or tetrahydrocannabinol content should not exceed 0.1 percent but the use of oil form of medicinal cannabis is not yet allowed.

The FDA also allowed another medicine with medical cannabis – Epidiolex – for a rare type of epilepsy and seizures but the DDB said there is no pending request for them for a permit to use it.

The senators also learned that Epidiolex, currently being patented in the U.S. but manufactured in other countries, is quite expensive as a 60ml vial costs $982 or about P50,000.

Dr. Katerina Tanya Gosiengfiao, president of the Philippine League Against Epilepsy, said aside from the price of the medicine, the cost of shipment would be added on and that the medicine could not be easily secured nor carried by an ordinary person. Apart from securing an import permit from the DDB, the doctor said it is also

necessary to find a company that will import here since it cannot be handled by an individual.

Acknowledging those apprehensive of possible abuse, anti-drug advocate Sen. Ronald dela Rosa has called on them to open their hearts and minds for compassionate use and support the bill.

“Open our hearts and minds to this possibility. I advocate against illegal drugs but for compassionate use, why not give it a try. Let’s open our minds and hearts, let’s see,” said Dela Rosa.

Duterte worried

The recent high-profile arrests of law enforcers involved in illegal drugs is worrying former president Rodrigo Duterte as it could be signaling the return of “ninja cops,” Dela Rosa said on Thursday

Dela Rosa said he was able to talk to Duterte recently and “he was really saddened that these things are happening, but he doesn’t want to interfere with how this government is running its own show.”

“He (Duterte) was just expressing his concern that the ninja cops, narcopoliticians… pity our children,” Dela Rosa told reporters partly in Filipino. “Ninja cops” is slang for law enforcers involved in the illegal drug trade, particularly those who resell seized drugs.

“As chairman of the public order committee, we’re concerned. I’m not saying our police force and the PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) are not doing their jobs but we must press them. It’s like the fear factor from President Duterte is now gone so they must compensate through their efforts,” he said.

He cited the ongoing investigation of the Philippine

The

“Rodrigo Roa Duterte was the only President of this Republic who dared to wage an all-out war against the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country. One might say that it was like opening a can of worms. Yes, this argument might be true. However, waging the war on drugs also opened our eyes to a reality we refused to acknowledge. Or was it merely hiding in plain sight?” he said in his speech.

“At the start of his term, then President Duterte made us realize that the drug problem was massive and complex – a web of intricate systems that branched out into other different criminal activities. Fortunately for the Philippines, our President was ready and willing to be the first to do the dirty and difficult work in order to untangle the knots of the criminal web,” he said. He cited a conversation with a mayor who lamented that drug syndicates are now back in business while asking authorities to continue to go after both big fishes and lowlevel pushers.

Dela Rosa also cited a 2019 Supreme Court ruling in the case of People v Ameril that expressed disappointment that the judiciary was swamped with cases involving small fry arrested for minuscule amounts and admonished law enforcement agencies to go after leaders of drug cartels. 

National Police (PNP) into two cops, who allegedly withheld P6.7 billion worth of shabu that was previously seized in raids.

senator delivered a privilege speech calling for the sustained fight against illegal drugs even as he cited Duterte’s unorthodox methods that yielded results felt by ordinary Filipinos.

Senator Robinhood Padilla

Philstar.com file photo

maunlad, at manigong bagong taon (Merry Christmas to all of you! I hope we will all have a peaceful, merry, successful, and prosperous New Year!)," she added. (PNA)

Vice President Sara Duterte PNA file photo

New Year’s Eve fireworks expected to draw more than 300,000 to LV Strip

by RealtoR Fely Quitevis-Bateman

WHEN Las Vegas does one thing, it typically goes big. And that goes with New Year’s Eve (NYE) celebrations, which can rival the party atmosphere in New York, which has the traditional, glittering ball that drops at the stroke of midnight on December 31. That’s why Sin City has become a go-to destination for NYE celebrations, fun and revelry.

There will be fireworks galore and many parties taking place in the Strip, in the downtown area, and across the Las Vegas Valley to usher in 2023.

According to news reports, fireworks display will be launched from the rooftops of eight casino properties in the Strip, as part of the ‘America’s Party 2023” event in Las Vegas. If past fireworks displays are taken into consideration, this year’s display should be quite the spectacle that many are looking forward to seeing.

The eight properties taking part

in the event are MGM Grand, Aria, Planet Hollywood, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island, The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, Resorts World Las Vegas and The STRAT.

Whether you are out on the streets or inside one of the casinos, prepare to be amazed at the pyrotechnic displays prepared by organizers of this year’s NYE celebrations.

Aside from the fireworks, each of the casino-hotel properties have their own New Year’s Eve parties going on so visitors will have plenty of opportunities to join the revelry and enjoy the festivities.

Plus, the Strip is not the only place to party in Las Vegas. The downtown area, courtesy of Fremont Street, will have its own festival-type atmosphere where ticket holders get to experience fireworks, acrobatic performances, live entertainment, drink and dining options and a lot more.

If you want to escape the crowds along the Strip and in downtown,

there are a bevy of options – places like M Resort Spa Casino or Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa where one can also view the fireworks display happening in Las Vegas at a distance.

So, if you are planning on being in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve, it’s advisable to have a location or two singled out so you, along with family, friends and other guests, can enjoy the NYE fireworks display and other goings-on.

Of course, fun and entertainment is on the menu in Las Vegas all year round.

Aside from artist residencies, major concerts, sporting events, shows, great restaurants, 24-hour gambling, and nearby tourist attractions (yes, one can visit the spectacle that is the Hoover Dam and the great wonder of The Grand Canyon easily from Las Vegas), locals and tourists have many things to look forward to in 2023.

For one, major sporting events are taking place in Las Vegas, which is poised as the next big sports capital in the United States. It already has football, soccer, triple-A baseball, hockey and recentl-crowned WNBA champion, the Las Vegas Aces. There are rumors of a Major League Baseball franchise moving to the city in the near future, and there is one group planning to construct an entertainment/shopping hub with an NBA-ready arena should the National Basketball Association decide to expand on its current size.

Las Vegas hosts Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games for the NCAA tournament in 2023 for the first time. Typically, Sin City hosts March Madness watch parties for the NCAA tournament, but with games scheduled in Las Vegas, this could even become a bigger event for sporting enthusiasts.

Later in the year, specifically in November, Formula 1 racing takes centerstage – crowds will hear the roar of racing cars as they navigate the twists, turns and straightaways of a 3.8-mile, 1215m wide street track where F1’s seasoned drivers will aim to win the title. Racing fans from around the world were reported to have rushed to buy tickets to the F1 Las Vegas race when it went on sale last November, about a year away from the actual race date.

Secondly, there are major changes taking place with the casino properties. Bally’s has been rebranded into a Horseshoe Casino after a multimillion-dollar

renovation. Visitors to Sin City will want to be the very first ones to experience the rebranded hotelcasino, which is part of Caesar’s Entertainment Inc.

Also, the Fontainebleau will be opening in late 2023 after undergoing many changes since its announcement in 2005. With a 2-story retail complex, lots of meeting/convention space, a hotel and casino, it will add to the bevy of spaces where expos, big meetings and corporate events can take place in Las Vegas.

The MSG Sphere at The Venetian, a music and entertainment arena, has been rescheduled to a 2023 opening. The MSG Sphere will rise to a height of 366 feet and width of 516 feet (at its broadest point), and can accommodate up to 20,000 people (17,500 seating, plus standing capacity).

The sphere’s exterior venue can accommodate 580,000 square feet of programmable lighting, while the interor wraparound screen will measure 160,000 square feet.

Beyond 2023, the major hotel-casino properties are planning their own renovations and developments. Hard Rock International will be joining the scene as it purchased the operations of The Mirage and is scheduled to construct a guitarshaped property along The Strip.

Jobs will be available in Las Vegas in the foreseeable future, with all the construction, activities and openings scheduled in 2023 and in the foreseeable future. Perhaps that is why Las Vegas continues to be an attractive addition to those wanting to expand their real estate portfolio. Despite the increase in mortgage rates, Las Vegas properties – and those in nearby cities, towns and

areas – continue to be affordable. Whether as an investment property or real estate holding, those who want to invest in Las Vegas surely have something to look forward to as the city continues to expand and develop.

Now is the time to take advantage of deals in land and real estate properties. I have had decades of experience in helping people look for that piece of real estate heaven they want to build their special place, invest their money on and turn it into an

income-generating property, or just buy something that their budget can afford.

My company, Precious Properties, is a full-service company that has successfully helped its clientele find the best deals since 1992. You can reach me at 775-513-8447, 805-5592476 and 702-538-4948 for more information, or send me an email at fely@precious-properties.com or fely.precious@gmail.com. We have investors who buy houses in California and Nevada for cash and

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman helps those who need business financing, including loans for small businesses. For more information, call (702) 538-4948, or send email to fely@preciousproperties.com or fely.precious@gmail.com.

The 3.8-mile, 12-15m wide street track for the Formula 1 race in November 2023 will feature exciting twists, turns and a straightaway. Global race fans were among those who bought tickets to the Las Vegas F1 stop when it went on sale last month, about a year away from the actual event. File photo/www.f1lasvegasgp.com

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman (left) with her clients and repeat investors Neneth Suarez (right) and husband Tony Suarez (not in picture) who are extremely happy with their properties in Pahrump. With Realtor Quitevis-Bateman and Neneth in photo is prospective client Josephine Devlin.

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman (center) with her new Pahrump investors, (from left) Ron Quilang and Mico Osotio.

Atty. Gurfinkel answers immigration questions from Kapamilya shoppers at Arko Foods in Glendale, CA on Citizen Pinoy

THE holidays are a time to prepare special meals and celebrate with friends and family. Many Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the U.S. prepare holiday dishes that bring them a taste of the Philippines.

For this episode, leading U.S. Immigration Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel and the Citizen Pinoy team went to Arko Foods International, a grocery store that offers a variety of Filipino

products and take-out food.

Arko Foods co-owner Susie Chua sits down with Atty. Gurfinkel to share information about the Filipino food and products offered at their busy store. Aside from their groceries, they also prepare plates & food trays that shoppers can bring to potlucks and family gatherings.

Kapamilya shoppers and Arko staff were PAGE B2

Celeste leaves for Miss Universe

By MJ Marflori Philstar.com

SVELTE, statuesque and ready are some of the adjectives used by pageant aficionados to describe 2022 Miss Universe Philippines Silvia Celeste Cortesi. She will be competing against almost 90 women from around the globe at the 71st Miss Universe pageant.

During Celeste’s recent send-off, she wowed the press with her pasarela and “no buckle” answers. But the Italian-Filipina beauty thought that she still needed more polishing. That’s why she’d wake up in the wee hours of the morning to get so many things done.

“It is very hectic. I wake up very early and work out so that is done,” she said. “I have to go to work, do my shoots and interviews and at night time, that’s when I dedicate my time to polish and train my communication skills and pasarela. It is more like polishing, it’s more being ready in every single aspect of the competition even mentally under pressure.”

She flew to the U.S. a day after her birthday which was Dec. 16 and Celeste said she was lucky enough to bring the whole team with her and her loved ones.

“I just booked a ticket for my mom to go to New Orleans, so I’m very excited,” she added. “She will be there before the preliminary and coronation. The boyfriend is coming, too. It gives me so much strength that the people I love are there to support me. It gives me so much strength and confidence.”

SB19 consolidates gains in homecoming concert

THE boys of the P-pop group SB19 were admittedly a bundle of nerves going into their major concert tour last

October. But all their worries quickly turned into excitement once they stepped onstage and saw their fans’ overwhelming

support in the different cities they visited. “We were so nervous before

YOUR TANONG, MY SAGOT IN GLENDALE, PART 1. Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel (in red sweater) answers immigration questions from Kapamilya at the Arko Foods in Glendale, CA in “Your Tanong, My Sagot”. Among the questions Atty. Gurfinkel answers are – From Tracy (top left): How does a U.S. citizen petition a parent who once entered the U.S. under an assumed name?; From Lola Nessie (top right): My granddaughter met a green card holder online. When he went home to the Philippines in 2020 to marry her, he got stuck there for over two years due to the pandemic. When he applied for a returning resident visa at the Embassy, he was denied. Can anything be done for him to come back to the U.S.?; From Roel (bottom): My brothers-in-law are just waiting for their interview at the U.S. embassy in Manila, but their petitioner passed away last year. Can they avail of Humanitarian Revalidation? Watch Part 1 of “Your Tanong, My Sagot” at the Arko Foods in Glendale, California on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, December 18 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. (Advertising Supplement)

The Fil-Italian beauty will be competing against almost 90 women from around the globe at the 71st Miss Universe pageant.

Photo from Instagram/@celeste_cortesi

CCHC introduces Healthcare College Medical Assistant Program

LOS ANGELES – Comprehensive Community Health Centers (CCHC), a non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) has founded a Healthcare College to train individuals to become Medical Assistants. Located in Glendale, the college is an ideal option for individuals looking for a career in the medical field. CCHC’s Medical Assistant program is a 9-month program. Upon completion and graduation from the program, individuals can immediately start their career as a Medical Assistant. Medical Assistants generally earn a starting salary of $45,000 per year. Medical Assistants are extremely versatile and can work in a broad range of health care settings and specialty fields. As a Medical Assistant, you are well positioned if you are interested in furthering your health care career by pursuing more advanced degrees such as nursing or even becoming a health care provider in the future. Medical Assistants do not require a college degree. Applicants need to be a high school graduate or have an equivalent degree to apply.

Medical Assistants help with routine medical procedures, including conducting patient interviews, documenting medical histories, taking vital signs, giving drugs as prescribed by a doctor, and compiling a patient’s medical history. They may also assist with the administrative

duties such as handling paperwork, billing insurance, and arranging appointments.

The healthcare industry is one of the most secure job sectors available today. It continues to be a booming industry with a high demand for trained personnel, is insulated from economic conditions such as recession, and offers long term job security. It is the ideal industry for individuals looking to start a career, or interested in changing careers.

Because CCHC is a non-profit organization, it is able to offer students a very affordable tuition with financing options available. In most cases, tuition fees are a fraction of the fees charged by other programs. Finally, CCHC also offers a tuition forgiveness option to qualified students who satisfy certain program requirements.

Founded in 2004, CCHC has grown to become one of the largest FQHCs in Los Angeles County providing primary care, mental health, oral health and vision care services to children, adolescents, adults, and older adults regardless of their immigration status through its clinic sites in Metro Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley areas.

For more information or to apply to become a Medical Assistant, please email CCHC Healthcare College admissions@cchccenters. org or call 818.844.4271. g

Sunshine now leaving ‘all-out’ sexy scenes to younger stars

BEING successful in your job is meaningless if you are a failure at home. What’s the point of working hard if your family life is hardly working out? Such is the dilemma of Sunshine Cruz as Rowena in “An Affair to Forget.”

The sexy drama-thriller directed by Louie Ignacio also stars Angelica Cervantes, Karl Aquino and Allen Dizon. Witness how a woman’s desperate attempt to save her marriage leads to worst scenarios. That’s what happens when wives in

distress do the wrong thing for the right reason.

When Sunshine was asked about her rumored split-up with Macky Mathay, she was evasive. She also said that accepting potential suitors is

Atty. Gurfinkel answers immigration...

When he went home to the Philippines in 2020 to marry her, he got stuck for over two years, due to the pandemic. He applied for a returning resident visa at the Embassy but was denied. Lola Nessie wants to know what her grandson-in-law can do.

Roel’s brothers-in-law were just waiting for their interview at the U.S. embassy in Manila. However, their petitioner passed away. Roel asks if his inlaws can avail of Humanitarian Revalidation.

Tracy wants to find out if a U.S. citizen can petition a parent who once committed fraud by entering the U.S. under an assumed name.

Atty. Gurfinkel answers these questions in Part 1 of “Your Tanong, My Sagot,” with Kapamilya from Arko Foods International in Glendale, California. Watch this brandnew episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, December 18 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET thru select Cable/Satellite providers), right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app. (Advertising Supplement)

Mylene shares what she learned from partner

By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

ACTRESS Mylene Dizon shared what she learned in her current relationship with basketball coach Jason Webb.

During the press conference of her Metro Manila Film Festival entry “Family Matters,” Mylene said her relationship with Jason is her longest.

“You cannot choose what’s going to happen. Si Jason, matagal ko nang kilala ’yun, e. College pa lang, pero kami pala ’yung magkakasama. So, hindi mo s’ya masasabi na he’s the one or I’m the one,” she said.

“Sometimes ang timing din sa buhay. I’m more mature now, he’s more mature now. More responsible. We’ve already shaken off things that are not necessary,” she added.

She also opened up on their blended family set up with Jason in an interview with Smart Parenting.

Why Bea couldn’t stop crying over contentious role

By rito P. aSilo Inquirer.net

BEA Alonzo is a little relieved that “Start-Up PH,” her primetime costarrer with Alden Richards and first teleserye for GMA Network, is set to end on a high note on Dec. 23.

Indeed, the Philippine adaptation of the 2020 K-drama series starring Bae Suzy, Nam Joo-hyuk and Kim Seon-ho has been earning raves not only for its lead actors’ astute portrayals, but also because of its technical polish and K-drama-channeling gloss.

We’ve always considered Bea one of the two finest mainstream actresses of her generation (along with the versatile Angelica Panganiban). But now it can be told that the lovely actress did find the task of bringing “StartUp PH’s” story to life initially daunting.

“It’s my first time to appear in an adaptation of a Korean title… and that really scared me,” she admitted to us in an exclusive interview after a recent press con with the dynamic Cebu press. “Natakot ako kasi K-drama fans can be pretty aggressive, and I understand where they’re coming from. That’s what we’re like when we love a series or movie. We go out of our way as keyboard warriors to express what we think a favorite production’s new version shouldn’t tamper with.

Dapat hindi ganito or ganyan… huwag n’yong sirain!’ But I realized that as an actress, I couldn’t live my life in fear or trepidation … After all, I’ve been taking risks my whole life, so I should stand by my choices. Dapat itodo ko na lang (laughs). So when the risk paid off, it felt very rewarding.”

Artistic choices

We’ve always loved talking to Bea because, just by asking her about her artistic choices, she allows you to take a peek into how she creates character with no pretensions and without a heavy hand.

Asked if her characters’ choices ever help her make difficult decisions in life, Bea mused, “Sometimes, art really imitates life. The line between

what’s real and what’s reel gets blurred. That’s the reason why John Lloyd [Cruz, her erstwhile screen partner] and I decided to do that ‘experimental’ short film on Instagram by Antoinette Jadaone and Dan Villegas in 2020—that was an exact representation na hindi mo na alam kong totoo o hindi ang napapanood mo sa social media.”

We admitted to Bea that upon watching that reel, we initially thought the narrative being played out on Instagram Stories was as real as it could get.

Shaping a character Di ba?” she told us. “It’s so easy to show what you want to show. Of course you want a performance to always be honest and truthful. There will always be Bea in Basha (her iconic character from 2007’s ‘One More Chance’ and 2015’s ‘A Second Chance’) and Bobbie (2013’s ‘Four Sisters and a Wedding’). Hindi s’ya organic if it’s not coming from a place of truth. There’s always going to be part of the character I play that will be left in me… and that affects what I do or say or feel.”

At this point, Bea dug deeper into the topic of “going beyond the surface” when shaping a character.

She continued, “Since we’re talking about what actors learn from the roles they play, I distinctly remember a scene from ‘The Love Affair’ (the 2015 film directed by Nuel Naval and written by Vanessa Valdez where she costarred with Richard

Gomez and Dawn Zulueta).

“At some point during the shoot, Ate Vanessa (the writer) and I were fighting over a contentious line she wanted me to deliver. Arguing isn’t uncommon to us because we’re close since we’ve done so many projects together. That’s the kind of relationship I have with her … it’s very collaborative.

“But she wanted my character Adie to run after the guy and plead. But I refused to do it because I felt that doing so would strip Adrianne of her dignity! Magmamakaawa s’ya sa lalaki.

“I told Ate Van, ‘No selfrespecting woman would do that! Huwag mong tanggalan ng dignidad ang character ko,’ I pointed out. ‘Hindi ko magagawa ang eksenang ’yan kasi hindi ako naniniwala! That isn’t Adie’s journey.’

“At that point, they were setting up for that scene, but it was around 4 a.m. already. So buti na lang hindi na umabot ang setup kasi maaabutan na kami ng araw. So, the set was packed up. Ate Van said to me, ‘We’ll do the scene again tomorrow. So think about it and sleep on it… namnamin mo lang.’ “I told her, ‘Hindi talaga … I won’t change my mind about it, we need to revise it.’ So, I went home with a foul mood—bad trip na bad trip ako! When I woke up the next day, I was still a little upset, but I was already more open to the idea. I thought, ‘What do I do with the scene later?’

“Then, at 7 or 8 a.m., we shot the scene. I just told myself, ‘Just stop overthinking the scene!’ Para akong nag-freefall … ‘Bahala na,’ I thought. ‘I will just react to what Ina (Feleo, her screen partner) would do.’ But I didn’t know if I would be able to pull it off or feel the kind of emotion I needed to reach.

In denial

“But after the scene, I couldn’t stop crying! Because I realized in the middle of it that I was actually playing … myself! Ako pala ’yung character na ’yun… and I was just in denial! I’ve been forcing myself on somebody [who didn’t love me as much as I wanted to be loved]. I thought, ‘Sh*t … ako si Adie!’ Then, Ate Van came to

able to ask their immigration questions during a two-part Q

and A with Atty. Gurfinkel. Lola Nessie’s granddaughter met a green card holder online.

CCHC Healthcare College Team: (L-R) Pedro Ramirez, Director of Outreach and Community Engagement, Kendra Smith, Executive Assistant, David Lontok, Chief Executive Officer, Brianna Kennedy, Operations Coordinator, Kathryn Aguirre, Medical Assistant Instructor, Gigie Claudio, Vice President of Human Resources, Flora Poladian, Chief Operating Officer and Raymond Retirado, Vice President of Quality and Clinical Programs.

The blended family of celebrity couple Mylene Dizon and Jason Webb. Photo from Instagram/@missmylenedizon

Bea Alonzo GMA photo

Mylene has two sons with former partner Paolo Paraiso, while Jason has two daughters with ex-wife Claudine Trillo.  Wala pakialamanan. We respect that. If you start telling somebody how to rear a child, eh, he’s been rearing his

children for a long time, parang it’s overstepping,” she said.  Hindi naman namin sinadya, nangyari na lang. It turned out na ’yun pala, kumbaga kung ano sa amin ngayon, ang formula to make things work as a blended family,” she added. g

(From left) Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel, his wife, Millie Gurfinkel, and Arko Foods International co-owner Susie Chua outside the store located at 1425 E Colorado St,

Arko Foods team member Roel (right) shows Atty. Gurfinkel how to unwrap suman, after which he also asks his immigration question.

Can I enforce a form I-864 affidavit of support in divorce proceedings?

is subject to removal or deportation but applies for and obtains anew adjustment of status based on a new affidavit of support; 4) the intended immigrant or sponsor dies; or 5) the intended immigrant worked for 40 qualifying quarters under the Social Security Act.

SB19 consolidates...

we began our tour. We didn’t know if people would actually come and and watch our shows in the cities we were going to,” leader Pablo said of the group’s “WYAT (Where You At)” tour, which—after making stops in Dubai, New York, Los Angeles, Redwood City and Singapore—will wrap up with a homecoming concert at the Araneta Coliseum.

“It was an overwhelming and amazing feeling because we didn’t expect that the opposite would happen: Our fears and worries turned into happiness because people supported us. And we’re so thankful to the people who went to our shows,” Pablo said at a recent press conference.

Added pressure

One challenging aspect about doing shows in places an artist has never been to is the bigger likelihood of having casual listeners in the audience. And that means added pressure to give the best performance they could give.

“Whenever we perform where we’re not as known, there’s a certain pressure and nervousness that we want everything to go well … that we have to be in our best condition when we face the crowd,” Pablo said. “There’s pressure for us to think of new things to improve our performances.

But as daunting as it may seem, performing for nonfollowers in foreign places will only be beneficial to the band’s growth, Pablo said. “When you’re at home court,

people will be supportive no matter what. But what about those outside the fan base? What do casual listeners think?”

“When you get affirmation only from people who already support you, then you won’t get comments that will challenge your mind-set and help us improve. These comments will come from people outside,” he added.

While they were in the United States, it quickly dawned on them that the music industry is so much bigger than they have ever imagined.

“We realized that there are things we still need to improve … what we have now to make our music more appealing to other people. Perhaps we can say that we already established ourselves in the Philippines. But if we can still come up with something that we can show to every corner of the world, we will do it, over and over again,” main vocalist Stell said.

“Of course, we can’t please everyone. We’re just here to give inspiration and deliver our message to the world,” he added.

Lead rapper Josh initially felt that he would be all good after going on a world tour; it only made him more eager to hone his craft. “I thought I would already be content now that we have done a world tour. But now, I’m more eager to achieve or reach more,” he said.

No place like home But as exciting and instructive their international tour was, SB19 believes that PAGE B6

THE Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 requires that U.S. Citizens sponsoring an alien for legal permanent residency execute an immigration form I-864 Affidavit of Support. This is an agreement between the U.S. Government and the Sponsor to promise to support the immigrant beneficiary seeking admission to the U.S. at a level not less than 125% of the national poverty level. The purpose of the I-864 Affidavit is to prevent the noncitizen from becoming a public charge. The sponsor’s obligation continues until either 1) the intended immigrant becomes a permanent resident; 2) the intended immigrant is no longer permanent resident by departing the U.S. or relinquishing his or her residency; 3) the immigrant

The I-864 affidavit is legally binding and enforceable contract between the Sponsor and the U.S. Government. The enforceability even goes beyond this. The sponsored immigrant spouse can also enforce this contract against the sponsor and file an action to enforce the sponsor’s support obligation separately from any support rights the sponsored immigrant spouse may have under Family Code Section 4320. Erler v. Erler, 824 F.3d 1173 (9th Cir. 2016). This obligation becomes an important issue where the marriage between the Sponsor and the immigrant beneficiary breaks down and a Divorce Petition is filed. The I-864 obligation does not terminate with divorce or dissolution of marriage. Pursuant to Erler, neither a divorce judgment nor a premarital agreement may terminate an obligation

of support under the I-864 affidavit. The obligation is not dischargeable even if the immigrant spouse is later supported by a third party or attempts to be self-sufficient.

Further if a Joint Sponsor also signed an I-864 affidavit, the Joint Sponsor is jointly and severally liable for the support of the immigrant spouse.

The immigrant spouse has an independent standing to enforce the obligation under the I-864 affidavit against the sponsor either in state court or federal court. In re Marriage of Kumar, 13 Cal. App. 5th 1072 (2017). This means the sponsor’s support obligation under the I-864 affidavit may be enforced within the family law case/ divorce action. In addition, the Court in Kumar held that immigrant spouse has no duty to seek employment to mitigate his or her damages. The bottom line is that in any divorce proceeding, one has to consider whether one spouse has signed an I-864 affidavit in the past for purposes of conferring a green card to the other spouse and whether that obligation continues on. It may be a separate claim for support available to the immigrant spouse

within the family law case.

* * * Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice.  The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC. This article is not a solicitation.

* * * Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

Sunshine now leaving ‘all-out’ sexy scenes to...

not on her agenda for now.

Here are quotes from Sunshine (S), Angelica (A) Louie (L) and Allen (Al):

S: I fell in love with the story so I said yes right away. Natulala ako when I read the ending. Kaabang-abang na plot twist. As for my sexy scenes, I already have limitations because I’m 45 na. Ipinapaubaya ko na sa younger stars ang mag all-out.

Al: Shine and I portrayed brother and sister in our previous movie. Now, we play husband and wife, so iba ang dynamics. But since we already worked together, we’re already comfy with each other. Even at 45, Shine and I are out to show na may pang “kiliti” pa rin kami sa audience.

A: Ate Shine told me that playing sexy is just a stepping stone. It felt like I was possessed by the spirit of my character Beth, so all my inhibitions vanished while doing my daring scenes.

L: Prior to our shoot, I watched porn to learn what not to do and how to protect my actors. Our movie is not

bordering on porn. It’s story-driven.

S: I have no affair that I want to forget because I learn lessons from every relationship I’ve had. So even if it ended, I have become a better woman after each love affair.

Al: In our movie, the wife earns more than the husband. In real life, if that’s the case, a marriage can work as long as the husband does not let his ego get the better of him. Even if his wife makes more money, when it comes to decision-making, both of them must be equal.

L: Since I paint, I was able to guide Allen in his role as a struggling painter. Artists are introspective and let their eyes do the talking. Allen and Shine have many “eye-to-eye acting” scenes.

S: If plans push through, our “blended modern family” with Buboy, his partner Kath and their three kids, our three daughters and Diego (Loyzaga) will spend New Year in Buboy’s hometown in Bohol. All is well in our world. (By Dolly Anne Carvajal/Inquirer.net)

Photo from Instagram/@officialsb19

Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes

Barrister’s Corner

Sunshine Cruz Photo from Instagram/@sunshinecruz718

Humanitarian effort raises P3 million in Save Lives Campaign

FilAm Chambers of Commerce delivers cash and medical supplies to the Philippines

AFTER raising funds through a multitude of events, two non-profit businessoriented organizations fulfilled its mission to save lives of Filipinos through its U.S.based membership of small businesses.

In response to a call for help from the Philippines to fight the further spread of the deadly virus at the height of the pandemic, the Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce (COFACC) in collaboration with the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Inc. successfully launched a humanitarian campaign to raise funds needed to purchase vaccines/testing kits, and facial masks.

The extended effort was borne from a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in August 2021 between the 2 U.S. donor organizations and the recipient private organizations in the Philippines, specifically PCCI, ECOP and PHILEXPORT.

After the culmination of this SAVE LIVES campaign in mid 2022, the delivery was painstakingly arranged to be brought to the Philippines.

The beneficiaries, which are underprivileged employees

in the provincial areas, have received last Oct. 18, 2022 the total donations valued at Php3,000,000 in cash and in kind. The donations were comprised of about 17,000 pcs of medical grade N95 Facial donated by COFACC’s community partner organization

Celeste leaves for Miss...

PAGE B1

Now that the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) is under Thai billionaire Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, she will be hosting the unveiling of the new Mouawad crown, “Force for Good,” which will be the new emblem of the “Beautifully Confident” winner of Miss Universe. Fred Mouawad, fourth generation Mouawad co-guardian, will also be present at Icon Siam in Bangkok, Thailand. Celeste is whispering to the universe her excitement to actually make it hers. “I cannot wait to see it because I need to manifest, I need to know how it looks!” she said.

Whatever color the new Mouawad crown will be, Celeste assured her fans, “My outfit won’t change. I know what I’m going to wear regardless of the crown. Hopefully, it will fit. I’m excited about my gown and walk and I really hope you, guys, like it.”

Celeste won’t have any problems making friends in the competition. In fact, she has been in touch already with some of the girls and has a preference for a roommate.

“I got to know some of the candidates. I would say Miss Italy because we’ve been talking a lot through Instagram,” she said. No insecurities on Celeste’s end because she is certain about her purpose in Miss Universe. “That’s true, I know there are a lot of beautiful women and smart women out there, but what will make you stand out is who you are,” she added.

She is just sad though that her hopes to meet Steve Harvey won’t come true because the famous host is no longer returning to the pageant. There are talks that it is going to be all women at the helm of this year’s Miss Universe pageant. “I was very excited to meet him, but I know the host is going to be a woman. So, I am excited about that,”

Partially disabled employees are protected against employers’ physical requirements unrelated to actual job duties

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights

Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr

YEARS ago, my firm represented an employee who was fired after he got a permanent partial disability due to a workplace injury. The employer reasoned that he was a potential “liability” because he could not fully meet all the physical requirements of his sales job, even though the employee had never been asked to perform those supposed physical requirements in his many years at the company. A recent case from the California Court of Appeal reminds us of the protections provided to employees against using arbitrary physical job requirements to discriminate against persons with disability limitations that are seen as damaged goods by an employer.

In Price v. Victor Valley Union High School District (2022) 85 Cal. App. 5th 231, Plaintiff La Vonya Price suffered from a partial disability due to a prior stroke.. Despite limitations to her mobility and strength, Ms. Price had worked as a part-time substitute education aide with the school district. As the parttime position did not require her to take or pass a physical examination, she did not initially disclose her physical limitations to her employer. After several years in the

she said.

part-time position, Ms. Price then applied for a full-time position as a para-educator and the school district hired her, contingent on the district requirement that she take and pass a physical examination.

During the examination, Ms. Price disclosed her medical history and the limitations she had due to her stroke. The medical examiner concluded that Ms. Price had balance and strength deficits that made her a “fall risk,” and that she would not be suitable for the position. The school district then rescinded their offer to hire Ms. Price for the full-time para-educator position. They also terminated and informed her that she would not be considered for any future positions with the school district. Ms. Price testified that when she met with a school district representative to ask for an explanation, she was told that she was a “liability.”

The Court of Appeal ruled that a reasonable jury could conclude that Ms. Price suffered unlawful disability discrimination in this instance.

The court rejected the employer’s contention that Ms. Price’s physical limitations absolutely prevented her from performing the essential functions of her job, noting that she had successfully performed the same essential functions for the school district. The Court of Appeal further ruled that evidence that the school district had considered Ms. Price “a liability” in making their determination could

Everything is all set — physically, emotionally and mentally — for our candidate to get the fifth Miss Universe crown for the Philippines. With her looks already close to perfection, Celeste had this to say: “I’m really not perfect. When I say relatability, I don’t talk about the way I look physically. I talk about the challenges (I’ve been) through to be here because sometimes we just see a perfect life. Like on social media, every single life is so perfect, no mistakes, no struggles and no challenges, but I was not afraid to talk about the

support a finding that the school district discriminated against Ms. Price due to her disability.

California law is clear that persons with disabilities should receive a fair chance to be contributing members of the workforce. The fact that a person has some physical limitations cannot be used as an excuse to deprive them of that fair chance based on physical tests or job requirements that may not even be part of their actual work tasks. Our employee client in a separate and prior case availed of this fundamental protection and successfully litigated his unlawful termination and disability discrimination claim.

* * *

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

* * * The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw.com. [For more than 25 years, C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine for 11 years, and is a past Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas.] (Advertising Supplement)

reason why I came here as Miss Philippines, it’s about what is inside my heart, my experiences.”

The Miss Universe competition has this schedule as of writing: Jan. 3, 4 and 5 will be for arrivals, registration and fittings for the opening number apparel; Jan. 6, orientation day; Jan. 11, preliminary competition; Jan. 12, national costume competition; Jan. 14, live telecast of final show; and Jan. 15, departure.

The Miss Universe pageant will be held at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. g

In the photo, officially turning over the Save Lives donations of COFACC were Sr. Vice President Ellen Samson (2nd from right) and Sr. Director for International Relations Lorenzo Formoso (left most). Receiving the donations on behalf of the recipient organizations were PCCI Chairman Benjamin Co (3rd from right), PCCI Vice Chairman & Pres. of ECOP Sergio Ortiz-Luis (4th from right), and PCCI President George Barcelon (Ist from right).

- One La Salle Alumni SOCAL. The Save Lives Campaign has inspired Filipino American Chambers of Commerce all over the United States. During this effort, COFACC has now grown from 24 member organizations to 32 as of this writing, President Gerry Palon reports. g

Removing the conditions of your permanent residence without your petitioning spouse’s participation

A PERSON who obtains his/ her green card via marriage to a U.S. citizen spouse, and who is married for less than 2 years has conditional permanent resident status. A conditional permanent resident has a green card that is valid for 2 years.

In order to continue to have permanent resident status after 2 years, the conditional permanent resident and his/ her US citizen spouse must file an I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence during the 90 days before the expiration of the green card. 8 CFR 216.4(a)(1)

But what if things don’t work out with the U.S. citizen spouse after getting married, and the conditional permanent resident can no longer get the participation of his/her U.S. citizen spouse in filing the I-751 petition? In such a case, the conditional permanent resident may seek an I-751 waiver of the joint filing requirement. In order to qualify for an I-751 waiver of the joint filing requirement, the conditional permanent resident must show that the marriage upon which his/her status was based was: 1) entered into in good faith, and 2) terminated. 8 CFR 216.5(a)(1)(ii)

With respect to the required showing that the marriage was entered into in good faith, the conditional permanent resident must show that his/her marriage was not a “sham.” A marriage is considered a “sham” if, when

they married, the couple did not intend to establish a life together. An intent to obtain something other than or in addition to love and companionship (such as a green card) from that life does not make a marriage a sham. Matter of Soltan, A76 888 125 (BIA 2001). Documents such as joint bank and credit card statements, and photos that demonstrate that the marriage was entered in good faith should be presented.

Also, in order to qualify for an I-751 waiver of the joint filing requirement, the conditional permanent resident must show that the marriage was terminated. By “terminated,” the USCIS requires a valid, formal divorce judgment. An I-751 waiver of the joint filing requirement cannot be approved in cases where the conditional permanent resident is legally separated or in divorce proceedings that are still pending. Also, once the marriage is terminated, the conditional resident may file the I-751 petition immediately, and does not have to wait until the normal 90 days before the expiration of the conditional green card.

It is worth noting that if the

conditional permanent resident and his/her U.S. Citizen spouse live in California, a valid divorce judgment must be obtained in the California courts. I have had numerous Californiaresident clients in the past who have obtained a “quick” divorce judgment in Nevada only to face USCIS scrutiny after presenting the Nevada divorce judgment in support of an I-751 waiver request (since one must be a Nevada resident to obtain a divorce in Nevada). The assistance of an experienced attorney in handling the divorce as well as the I-751 waiver request is accordingly recommended.

* * *

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

* * *

Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada.

Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philippine American Bar Association (PABA).

LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: 323639-0277. Email: info@dtanlaw.com (Advertising Supplement)

Why Bea couldn’t stop...

PAGE B2

me and said, ‘See? I just wanted you to see it for yourself.’”

We told Bea how her characters become more compelling to watch when we see their darker side. “We all have a dark side,” she said. “We have good and bad traits because every individual is complex. And when these characters [go through the emotional wringer], that’s when the darker aspects of their personality are magnified.”

Good chemistry

Why hasn’t Bea’s potent screen partnership with John Lloyd ever progress to something romantic? “It’s still a mystery to us until now,” Bea enthused with a smile. “Maybe we just have good

chemistry. It might also have to do with the kind of values that we jointly stand for as a love team. For many viewers, perhaps ours is that kind of tandem that feels more authentic because we don’t pretend to be who we’re not—which was rare in those days.

“At the time, many love teams had to pretend that there was something romantic going on between the partners … so bawal umamin na hindi kayo! But it’s different these days.

“In our case, everybody knew that what John Lloyd and I were offering was the potent appeal of our partnership. We never banked on fake romance. People knew what to expect because we were consistent. Then, that ‘love team’ became the brand itself.” g

Senior seeks Chapter 7 relief from $60K credit cards

Debt Relief

Atty. LAwrence yAng

YOU never know what life brings. That’s why you need divine protection from the adversities that life brings us.  I told you time and again to pray the rosary and Psalm 91 for divine protection. We all need divine protection. We all know that we are all on this earth temporarily, just for a short period of time. When our time is up, then we turn back to dust. Only our skeleton remains. Death is the great equalizer. No matter how great or how wealthy you are you are no exception.

Let’s go back to the client. She is almost 80. Her income was $100,000 a year up to last year from a combination of jobs. Yeah, she was exceptional in making money up to last year when the pandemic hit. She lost three jobs so now she’s only receiving $2,000 of social security, and about $500

of pension. Of course, $2,500 a month of retirement income is good. But she owes $60,000 of credit cards that require $1,800 of minimum monthly payments to be current.

Well, that’s not good because her main income is the $2,000 of social security. That eats up almost 100% of her social security. It’s like she got robbed of her social security at retirement. You don’t have to be a scientist to know that client is in a very bad place financially. She should not be in this precarious situation at her age. It’s not good to have to use your social security to keep your credit card masters happy when your 80, or at any age, for that matter, right?

She still owns a business, which needs to be exempted in Chapter 7.  Fortunately, it passes the exemption test. She gets to keep the business. She does qualify for Chapter 7 and does not hesitate to choose Chapter 7 to wipe out her $60K of credit cards. She will get a fresh start in life at the age of 80. It’s not that bad because as the Bible says in Genesis, human life span is 120 years. So, if all

goes well and she survives this pandemic, she still has 40 years to go. She hasn’t slowed down by any means. She’s getting married again in Bali right after she gets her Chapter 7 discharge! How can she do this? That’s because she already got her second dose of Pfizer last week and no side effects. Thanks to Blessed mother Mary, God the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit!

If you need debt relief, please set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally.

* * * Disclaimer: None of the foregoing is considered legal advice for anyone. Each case is different.  There is no absolutely no attorney client relationship established by reading this article.

* * *

(Advertising Supplement)

SB19 consolidates gains...

there’s still no place like home.

“Nothing beats home… This is where we grew up and experienced everything. This is where we can clearly share the message of our WYAT concert. We’re happy performing. And we won’t trade it for anything else,” Josh said, adding that the mere presence of their fans— the A’Tins—at the homecoming concert will be more than enough to energize them amid training and hectic work schedule.

“When we see them cheering for us, it fuels us to keep moving forward and do better,” Josh said. “ Masaya na kami doon. ”

Ahead of their homecoming concert, SB19 released a single titled, “Nyebe”—a gospelinspired ballad about longing, sadness and life’s fleeting moments.

“It’s inspired by gospel music, which makes it feel calming and hopeful,” pointed out Pablo, who wrote the song two years ago during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was before Christmas and I remembered that not everyone had the privilege to really enjoy the holidays, which were supposed to be fun.”

“For others, that time was full of uncertainty. But I believe that the uncertainty and hopelessness will be replaced by hope when you find acceptance. ‘This is what I feel, but

what can I do?’ You hope and pray all these will end— matutunaw din ang nyebe ,” Pablo said. Most accomplished

In 2023, SB19 will mark its fifth year in the music industry. Looking back at how they started, the boys would never have thought that they would be in the place they’re in now as the country’s most accomplished P-pop group. “We were strangers in an industry foreign to us. ‘Will we last long? Will we get along?’ you ask yourself. But after seeing what we have achieved, you realize that it’s not something that you can actually plan. There must be hard work and trust. But I also believe in manifesting,” Stell said.

“No matter how hardworking you are, there’s still that possibility that your dreams may not come true. But with family, a great support system and friends, the self-doubt will go away,” he added.

And most importantly, it’s not individual glory they seek, but collective growth. “Instead of focusing on ourselves, we focus on each other,” Pablo said. “If we look after each other, we see better the things that we need to work on,” Pablo said. “We see to it that our communication lines are open; you have to listen to people around you who want only the best for you.” (By Allan Policarpio/Inquirer.net)

Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California.  Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South, Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803.