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EApril D I 26-28, T I O2017 N
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Volume 27 - No. 34 • 3 Sections - 20 Pages
T H E F I L I P I N O –A M E R I C A N C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R
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Palace: ICC complaint meant to ‘shame’ Duterte will not prosper by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
THE complaint filed against Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC) will not prosper, Malacañang said on Monday, April 24. Earlier on the same day, Jude Sabio — lawyer of self-confessed hitman Edgar Matobato — asked the Pre-Trial Chamber of the ICC to investigate Duterte and several other government officials and after trial, “convict them and sentence them to [a]
DATELINE
corresponding prison sentence or life imprisonment.” In his complaint, Sabio accused Duterte of masterminding mass murders “repeatedly, unchangingly, and continuously” in the Philippines, citing the alleged murders of over 1,400 people by the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS) during his term as Davao City mayor. Matobato, Sabio’s client, testified before a Senate inquiry last year in which he confirmed the existence of the DDS. Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella denounced the
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Lawmakers, immigration experts advocate for naturalization
Community leaders stress importance of applying for citizenship AS the Trump administration continues to propose major reforms on immigration, a growing concern looms over the United States, leaving millions of undocumented immigrants unsure of their futures. Since the November 2016 election of President Donald Trump, there has been a huge uptick in naturalization inquiry among members in the undocumented community who fear Trump’s deportation promises might separate families. Amid all the worry and anxiety among undocumented immigrants, legal experts and lawmakers alike encourage all eligible undocumented immigrants to apply for citizenship. “Many people have been wondering if it’s safe to apply for citizenship. Well we’re here with a common message, which is that the
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PH-US joint exercise kicks off on May 8
BALIKATAN to focus on humanitarian exercise, counterterrorism There will be no war games during the first Balikatan exercises under the administration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. According to the United States Embassy in Manila, this year’s joint exercises between Philippine and U.S. troops will focus on humanitarian and disaster responses, and counterterrorism efforts. The exercises will officially begin on May 8 but “preliminary work” on community infrastructure projects have already commenced earlier in April. The planned activities will primarily be in Panay, Leyte, and Samar. “U.S. and Filipino service members will work together to renovate five schools and
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move to challenge the president before the ICC, describing it as a “cynical effort against the reform-oriented agenda of the Duterte administration and of the betterment of the lives of the Filipino people.” “The timing of the filing of the case is suspect — apparently meant to create negative news in the midst of the Philippines ASEAN debut; as it cannot prosper,” Abella said. According to him, the complaint is only meant to humiliate Duterte amid the preparations for the up-
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Robredo ordered to pay electoral protest fee by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
THE Philippine Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday, April 25, maintained that Vice President Leni Robredo has to pay the required fee for the proceedings of her counter-protest against former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. The court, sitting as the Presidential ElecVice President Leni Robredo toral Tribunal (PET), rejected the vice president’s motion for reconsideration of its earlier decision ordering Robredo to pay P15 million for the retrieval of contested poll materials. The PET gave Robredo five days from notice to pay the initial cash deposit of P81.46 million to proceed with his election protest against Robredo,” SC spokesperson Theodore Te said during a media briefing. In its resolution dated March 21, the SC ordered Robredo to pay P15.44 million for her counter-protest, which is payable in two parts — P8 million for the first tranche and P7.43 million for the second. The same order called for Marcos to pay P81.46 million to proceed with his election protest against Robredo. He deposited P36 million on Monday, April 17, and has to settle another P30 million on or before
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BIG DAY. Final preparations are under way at the Philippine International Convention Center for the 30th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, which the Philippines is hosting. Police authorities declared a full alert to secure the meeting of ASEAN leaders. Inquirer.net photo by Richard Reyes
AFP: No security threats for ASEAN summit by AJPRESS THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it has not received any threats for the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Metro Manila. According to AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, adequate security preparations have been made to ensure the safety of delegates during the country’s hosting of the 30th ASEAN summit scheduled this
week. “On the matter of whether there is a threat that is being seen in the holding of all these events, wala po. We don’t see any threat right now, no serious threat that is in the radar screen,” Padilla said in a press briefing on Tuesday, April 25. While no threat has been detected, Padilla assured that authorities are prepared for worstcase scenarios. “Our planning is always based on worst-case scenarios so whatever worst-case scenarios that
we anticipate that could happen, then adequate preparations and plans are laid down to meet these scenarios,” Padilla added. The 30th ASEAN summit will be held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City from April 26 to 29. It will be attended by the heads of state of the 10-member ASEAN, with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as its chair. AFP Chief of Staff General
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FVR says Paynor is best choice for PH envoy to US by AJPRESS
Former Pres. Fidel V. Ramos
FORMER Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos believes that if there is anyone who is fit to become the country’s ambassador to the United States, it would be Malacañang’s chief protocol officer Marciano Paynor Jr. Ramos made the comment in a television interview on Tuesday, April 25 when he was asked to name someone he would recommend for the post. “I know him, I’ve seen him work. He has been consul general in San Francisco. He saved me for six years. Isa pa, military yang
si Paynor (Paynor is from military). PMA (Philippine Military Academy) graduate Class 71,” Ramos told ANC’s Headstart. In August last year, President Rodrigo Duterte named Paynor as the Philippines’ new ambassador to the United States. Paynor’s deployment, however, was postponed as he was given the task to serve as the directorgeneral for operations for this year’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) National Organizing Council. Currently, the Philippine Embassy in Washington is headed by Chargé d’Affaires Patrick Ch-
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Pacquiao tells Horn: Work hard so we can entertain people by MARK
GIONGCO Inquirer.net
Manny Pacquiao
superstar. “I don’t know much about him, but I know he’s a fighter,” PacEVEN Manny Pacquiao himself quiao said in an interview with admitted he hardly knows about abc.net.au. his Australian challenger Jeff “I haven’t watched his fights Horn, who is a former school- yet, but I’m going to get his last teacher in Brisbane and unher- three fights and watch it,” he alded boxer. added. Pacquiao arrived in Australia Horn, who is nine years youngon Monday, April 24 to promote er and three and a half inches his fight against Horn, who holds taller than the eight-division a record of 16 wins, zero losses champion, stopped his previous and a draw with 11 knockouts three opponents with the last a but hasn’t really faced an op- sixth-round TKO win over Ali Fuponent that even comes close neka of South Africa last Decemto the caliber of the Filipino ring ber in Auckland.
The 38-year-old Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KOs) makes his first title defense on July 2 at Brisbane Stadium since regaining the WBO welterweight belt after a landslide victory over Jessie Vargas in November of last year. The fighting senator hopes Horn will be in tiptop shape come fight night for the two to give boxing fans a good show. “My message for him is to work hard, and make sure you’re 100 percent conditioned on July 2 so we can give a good fight, we can entertain people.” ■
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From the Front Page
Palace: ICC complaint… PAGE A1 t
coming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in the country this week. “The intent of this filing in ICC is clearly to embarrass and shame the president, and undermine the duly constituted government of the Philippines,” he added. Sabio’s complaint also referenced the alleged 7,000 individuals killed in relation to the current administration’s controversial campaign against illegal drugs. He went on to say that Duterte’s public pronouncements “express a loud and clear intention to promote, encourage, or incite the police and civilians to mass murder or violence.” Malacañang, however, maintained that the deaths “are not state-sanctioned or state-sponsored.” Abella stressed that police authorities are “conducting legitimate operations that require observance of operational protocols and those who breach
procedures are made to answer before the law.’” “The Philippine National Police (PNP) has an Internal Affairs Service (IAS) tasked to probe police accused of violating procedures. This body can suspend or dismiss PNP personnel based on violations incurred and can recommend the filing of criminal charges,” he added. Abella also questioned why Sabio filed his complaint directly before the ICC when he has not yet pursued all legal remedies in the Philippines. He noted that the ICC, as a court of last resort, will only exercise jurisdiction over a case once legal remedies in the country have been tried and exhausted. “Atty. Sabio or his client, Mr. Edgar Matobato, did not avail/ exhaust all domestic remedies allowed under the Philippine Constitution,” Abella said. Apart from Duterte, Sabio said the following individuals should also be held liable: Justice Sec-
retary Vitaliano Aguirre, PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, former Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno, National Bureau of Investigation Director Dante Gierran, and Solicitor General Jose Calida in his complaint. Sabio also included Senators Richard Gordon and Alan Peter Cayetano, Police Superintendent Edilberto Leonardo of the Manila Police District, Senior Police Officer 4 Sanson Buenaventura, Police Superintendent Royina Garma in his complaint. In a separate statement, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo dismissed the complaint as mere “black propaganda.” “Apparently, the intention is [establish a] black propaganda against the president, hoping that media worldwide would catch on it and paint the president as a murderer when, in fact, he’s only doing his constitutional duty to protect and preserve this country,” Panelo said. He added, “It will fail in making the people believe in the validity of the charge.” n
GROWING DRAGON FRUIT. Senator Cynthia Villar says Villar SIPAG is providing training course on dragon fruit production and cultivation because they want Filipino farmers to take advantage of the commercial value of dragon fruits and eventually increase their income. Villar SIPAG launches its first dragon fruit production and cultivation training at its farm school in Bacoor, Cavite. The six-month course in partnership with the Dragon Farm Trading of Bulacan would initially benefit 180 trainees. In the photo with Villar during the Dragon Fruit Production and Business Set-Up are Department of Agriculture Usec for High value crops and rural credit Evelyn Laviña and Bulacan Dragon Farm Owner Edy Marcos. Senate photo
AFP: No security threats for ASEAN…
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Eduardo Año said that authorities have covered all bases to prevent any terror activities during the event, as far as the AFP is concerned. He added, “So far we have not monitored any threat. I think we have covered (all bases). There are many developments and even the Armed Forces have many duties and responsibilities and covered everything.” According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), a total of 40,877 public servants from 21 different government agen-
cies have been mobilized for the event’s security measures. “The personnel will be deployed to provide security and assistance to delegates of the 10 ASEAN-member nations, dialogue partners, observer states, and their respective delegations,” PNP Chief Director Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa told reporters at Camp Crame. He went on to say, “We are putting our best foot forward in this historic national event. We have started preparations since last year. We have rehearsed and fine-tuned all our systems
and procedures for this event, such that we have established full back-up system that will address any unforeseen situation that may arise.” “We are not leaving anything to chance in our preparations and we have drawn contingencies for every foreseeable scenario,” he said. Emphasizing that the people’s cooperation would be crucial, Dela Rosa also appealed to the public “for their understanding and cooperation in security measures that are being implemented by the police.” n
Bernadette Sardillo, the vice president’s legal counsel, told CNN Philippines that while they plan to pay the fees, it doesn’t mean that “the election protest filed by former Sen. Marcos has any merit or legitimacy.” Under Section 33 (b) of the PET rules, protesters are required to make a cash deposit amounting P500 per contested precinct, “if they require the bringing of the contested ballot boxes and election documents to the Tribunal”.
In June of last year, Marcos filed an electoral protest against Robredo before the court. He accused the vice president of committing massive poll fraud after she won the seat only by a slim margin. Marcos questioned 39,221 clustered precincts which are composed of total 132,446 established precincts. Robredo, on the other hand, contested 8,042 clustered precincts equivalent to 31,278 established precincts. n
Robredo ordered to pay electoral…
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July 14. Robredo’s camp said it has yet to receive a copy of the ruling, but assured that it would comply with the high court’s decision. “We respect the decision of PET and would like to reiterate Vice President Leni Robredo’s willingness to comply with her obligation to pay the P8 million for her counter protest,” Robredo’s lawyer, Romulo Macalintal, said.
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May 1 is deadline to register to vote in LA RESIDENTS in the City of Los Angeles have until Monday, May 1 to register to vote in the May 16 general municipal election. To be eligible to vote, residents must be a citizen of the United States, be 18 years old by Election Day, not in prison or on parole for a felony, and reside in the City of Los Angeles. Registered voters who have moved or changed their names since the last election must reregister to vote. Voter registration is handled by the California Secretary of State. Voters can register by completing the online form at registertovote.ca.gov or going to the Office of the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (RR/ CC), 12400 Imperial Highway, Norwalk, CA 90650. Voter registration forms may also be available at the public counter of most Los Angeles City and County buildings, libraries, fire stations,
post offices, and Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offices. To locate your polling place and to view the Official Sample Ballot for the May 16, 2017 General Municipal Election (available in English and 12 Federally and City-mandated languages including Armenian, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese) visit the Los Angeles County RR/CC website at: lavote.net/LOCATOR. The Office of the City Clerk administers elections for the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), and the Los Angeles Community College District. The City’s next regularly scheduled General Municipal Election (runoff) will be May 16 for Los Angeles City Council and LAUSD races. The two city council races are in District 1 between Councilmember Gil Cedillo and commu-
nity advocate, Joe Bray-Ali, and in District 7 between Karo Torrossian and Monica Rodriguez. For the school board’s 4th District, board President Steve Zimmer is up against Nick Melvoin. In the 6th district, it’s between Imelda Padilla and Kelly Fitzpatrick-Gonez. Voters will also decide on Measure C, which proposes if LA Police Department officers facing disciplinary hearings should be allowed to choose between a three-member all-civilian Board of Rights panel (to be chosen by the City Council) to hear their case or one made of two command-level officers and a civilian member. Currently, the law provides two officers and a civilian, according to City News Service. More information about the upcoming election can be found on the City Clerk’s election website at: clerk.lacity.org/elections. n
What the deportation of first DREAMer means for Filipino DACA recipients DACA beneficiary ordered back to Mexico by immigration officials
by Klarize
Medenilla AJPress
TWO months ago, agents from the Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) went against President Donald Trump’s promise to protect undocumented youth and deported an undocumented Mexican immigrant. An officer from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection approached Juan Manuel Montes, 23, who moved to the U.S. at 9 years old, in Calexico, Calif. on February 17 and began interrogating him. He was arrested when he couldn’t produce identification or proof of his status at the time, and three hours later, was deported back to Mexico. Montes was the first arrested recipient of former President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, a landmark executive order that grants benefits and opportunities for undocumented youth. Montes’ arrest marks the first arrest made against a recipient since Trump’s entrance into office. On Tuesday, April 18 – about two months after his arrest – officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “Some people told me that they were going to deport me; others said nothing would happen,” Montes told USA TODAY.
“I thought that if I kept my nose clean nothing would happen.” Although Trump touts an iron fist approach to immigration, he has previously wavered on his plans for DACA recipients. In January, he assured that he wouldn’t revoke DACA, telling ABC News that DREAMers “shouldn’t be very worried. I do have a big heart.” Since its introduction in 2012 by former President Barack Obama, DACA has provided benefits for more than 750,000 undocumented youth in the United States. The specific benefits vary from state to state, but DACA – which is renewable every two years – guarantees work authorization and protections from deportation. Previously, DHS Secretary John Kelly and U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan have assured that the DACA program will remain intact, but Montes’ arrest puts many immigrant rights activists at an unease. Legal and civil rights organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice - LA has been vocal about its disdain for the Trump administration’s immigration policies, accusing it of “preying upon members of the undocumented community.” “Filipino DACA recipients are now more concerned and uncertain about their future in the United States due to these new
immigration policies and increase in hate crimes across the nation,” Advancing Justice - LA legal advocate Tiffany Panlilio wrote to the Asian Journal in an email. “As service providers, it is troubling to see those who have thrived under the DACA program who are now labeled as enforcement priorities due to a past order of deportation or a crime they committed years ago.” Panlilio emphasized the importance of DACA and how it has benefitted undocumented Filipino youth. Previously, Panlilio told the Asian Journal that Advancing Justice – LA has helped undocumented youth become career-minded individuals through DACA, including helping out many aspiring Filipino nurses obtain work authorization and university enrollment through the program. “DACA has positively changed the lives of many undocumented Filipinos by granting them the ability to legally work, provide for their families, pursue a higher education, and most importantly remain in the United States without fear of being separated from their families,” Panlilio added. “The DACA program continues to exist, but the new immigration policies brought forth by the new administration are allowing fear and anxiety to return to the community and force them back into the shadows.” n
Why Californians Need to Speak Out for University Research by Janet napolitano
Editor’s note: This column is one in a series written by University of California President Janet Napolitano as part of a partnership with New America Media, whose members include this publication. Science and research – essential components of the opportunity equation at the University of California – are worth fighting for. While I often focus on ensuring access to a UC education, it is equally important to speak out about the value of the research that takes place every day across our 10 campuses, at our medical centers, and our affiliated national laboratories. This is especially important when the federal government is contemplating funding cuts for scientific research and state funding is falling short of what’s needed to enroll graduate students who join faculty in research projects. Why should California families join me in speaking out? One reason is that for every dollar UC spends on research, California’s economy grows by two dollars, and companies fueled by UC research employ more than 38,000 workers across a wide range of industries, including start-up enterprises. Roughly 1,000 start-up companies have grown from UC inventions, 85 of them in 2016 alone. Graduate students matter because they work on research side-by-side with faculty. They assemble the data, question assumptions, do the math and make their own discoveries, creating nearly 600 inventions a year. UC’s 54,000 graduate students also help teach and mentor our 210,000 undergraduate students. And there is the research itself, resulting in health therapies and cures, energy-saving and energy-producing technologies, agricultural breakthroughs, and much more. In early April, I met in Sacramento with
EARTH DAY. Activists from the Kalikasan People’s Network join scientists in holding the “Philippine March for Science” that called for a climate science program in the country, as part of Saturday’s Earth Day celebrations. ManilaTimes.net photo
Lawmakers, immigration experts advocate…
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laws have not changed; you are eligible and want to be a United States citizen, this is the time to apply,” President and Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles (Advancing Justice - LA) Stewart Kwoh said at a press conference on Monday, April 24. “You should apply now because we don’t know what’s going to happen in the next few weeks, the next few months or the next year.” Also at the press conference was U.S. Representative Judy Chu (D-California), who has been an advocate for immigrant rights. “It has been about 100 days since Donald Trump was sworn in as President of the United States and in these 100 days our country has change dramatically,” Chu expressed, assuring that she and other Washington lawmakers are working hard to challenge these “harmful policies that are negatively impacting our immigrant communities.” Chu — who was the first Chinese-American woman elected to the U.S. Congress — mentioned her efforts in raising these concerns with Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, with whom she recently convened a meeting with the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). “During this meeting, we
raised our concerns about everything from President Obama’s increased enforcement and border wall to the [Trump] administration’s attack on sanctuary cities, his roundup of DREAMers as well as the uptick of aggressive actions of the ICE agents and the TSA agents at the airports,” Chu recalled. “While the secretary listened to our concerns, his answers were not comforting,” Chu lamented. The actions that the DHS has taken over in the last few months have shown us the type of the administration we are dealing with and it is not a positive sign, but nonetheless we are pushing.” There are more than 300,000 Asian immigrants in Southern California who are eligible for U.S. citizenship with more than half of them residing in the Los Angeles County. After the November 8 election, the city of Los Angeles has declared itself a sanctuary city, meaning that it will limit its cooperation with the federal government to support its undocumented immigrant community. “Empowerment begins with citizenship,” said LA Councilmember David Ryu of the 4th District, who was naturalized at 18 years old and has since remained a long-time immigrant rights activist. Ryu, the first Korean American elected into the LA City Council,
discussed the responsibilities of being a U.S. citizen, emphasizing the importance of voting and participating in the electoral process. “Naturalization is the ultimate and strongest protection against aggressive tactics from the federal government that undermine the value and importance of immigrants and their contributions to society,” Ryu said. Advancing Justice - LA has been active in expanding its services to the undocumented community in the county by hiring temporary legal staff and creating programs like the Endless Possibilities, Citizenship Now! Program to encourage Asian Americans to naturalize. “We knew our communities were motivated to naturalize for increased job opportunities, family reunification and access to benefits,” Christine Chen, citizenship project staff attorney, said at the press conference. Chen mentioned that clients calling for naturalization inquiries have doubled from about 2,700 to 5,000 at Advancing Justice - LA since the election and encourage undocumented immigrants interested in citizenship to utilize their services. To receive legal assistance from Advancing Justice - LA, individuals may call their toll-free hotline at 888-349-9695 (English) or 855-300-2552 (Tagalog). (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
Advancing Justice - LA citizenship staff attorney Christine Chen, Los Angeles Councilman David Ryu, Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and Executive Director Stewart Kwoh.
President Janet Napolitano University of California some of our best and brightest graduate students. They traveled from all 10 of our UC campuses to share with legislators their stories about how graduate students add value to research. This year, UC is asking the legislature to help us grow a critical component of UC’s ecosystem – our graduate students. We’re seeking $9 million dollars to enroll 900 additional graduate students this year. Compared to an annual state budget of more than $120 billion dollars, $9 million may not seem like a lot. Legislators, however, consider many competing priorities, so the graduate students went to the state capital to make the case that funding additional graduate enrollment will improve both research and the teaching of undergraduate students. Their voices are powerful. And so are yours. California families can make a positive difference by urging state decision makers to join UC in doing what it takes to grow research together and grow graduate students together. If we speak out – to state legislators and our congressional representatives, to our community leaders and neighbors, by phone, or in writing – we will help preserve the scientific research that benefits the communities we live in, as well as California, the nation and the world. To join with us in speaking out, check out our University of California Advocacy Network (UCAN): http://ucal.us/ucan
PH-US joint exercise kicks off on May… PAGE A1 t
conduct community medical engagements with local residents in the opening days of the 12-day military training exercise,” the embassy said. Balikatan, which literally means “shoulder to shoulder,” is considered the largest joint activity bound by the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the U.S. It focuses on “partnership, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities, Philippine capability development and military modernization.” “Balikatan is designed to meet the current challenges facing the Philippines,” U.S. Embassy press attaché Molly Koscina said. She further added, “Along with preparing the U.S. forces’ and AFP’s ability to respond to natural disasters and deliver humanitarian aid, Balikatan will also increase our militaries’ counterterrorism capabilities.” Duterte, who assumed office in
June last year, previously threatened to scrap the military games with the United States, the country’s decades-old ally. He, however, backtracked and has allowed the continuation of other military exercises and partnerships with the U.S.
This includes the Balikatan and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), a treaty that allows U.S. forces to be deployed in Philippine territory temporarily for maritime security and humanitarian and disaster response operations. (AJPress)
FVR says Paynor is best choice…
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uasoto, a career Philippine diplomat. According to Ramos, Duterte could still appoint Paynor, but that would have to be after the end of the year when Manila passes its ASEAN chairmanship to its successor. “If there is a need to put somebody else before that, now or the next two or three months because of certain things happening, by all means, we should have one,” the former president said.
He said leaving the position vacant is worrisome, citing the nearly 4 million Filipino Americans in the U.S. “But it must be a combination of a well-known leader, who is recognized at least in the U.S., who has money backing him up because it’s so expensive being there, or a career ambassador, and there are so many of them, backed up by the government in terms of extra expenses,” Ramos recommended. Paynor previously served as
protocol chief to former Presidents Ramos and Gloria Arroyo. He also served as Arroyo’s presidential assistant for state and foreign visits. Likewise, he served Philippine diplomatic posts in Israel and Cyprus, and as Consul General in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Before his foreign service career, Paynor was a military officer. He graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1971 and retired in 1983 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. n
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Del Rosario urges gov’t: Don’t wait for ‘better time’ to assert arbitral award by Patricia LourDeS Philstar.com
Viray
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines cannot wait for a supposed appropriate time in asserting the ruling of a United Nations-backed arbitral tribunal over the South China Sea, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said. “Beyond island-building and militarization, if our fishermen cannot enter Scarborough Shoal, if we cannot develop new energy resources, if the marine commons is irreparably destroyed – and if our own secretary of defense cannot fly over the West Philippine Sea without being challenged – our country must speak out and must work with our neighbors and with our friends for us to stand united in protest,” Del Rosario said. On July 12, 2016, the international arbitral tribunal ruled that China’s historic nine-dash line claim over the disputed South China Sea does not have legal basis. The Duterte administration, however, has decided to set aside the arbitral award for now and decided that the ruling will not be raised with China until an “appropriate time.” Del Rosario, who led the Philippines in filing the arbitration case against China at the international tribunal, said that the ruling should be an integral part of the Code of Conduct framework that is being finalized for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. “We cannot wait for a ‘better time’ to come—we must create that time ourselves lest that opportunity be lost forever,” Del Rosario said in a speech during a South China Sea forum organized by Stratbase ADR Institute on Tuesday. ‘More than just friendly ties’ The former Foreign Affairs secretary noted that as this year’s chair of the ASEAN, the Philippines has an opportunity to ensure that a rules-based order succeeds. The cooperation with the country’s neighbors should go beyond
NATIONAL GAMES. Department of Education Secretary Leonor M. Briones lauds the province of Antique for the successful opening ceremony of the 60th Palarong Pambansa held on Sunday, April 23, 2017 at Binirayan Sports Complex, San Jose, Antique.
“My hope is that our ASEAN neighbors share the pride of what a Member State like ours can accomplish, and see in the ruling an opportunity for all of the Southeast Asian region,” former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario said. US DoD photo/File
friendly ties, Del Rosario said. “Moreover, we must not accept the position that China’s South China Sea build-up is a fait accompli (something that has happened and can no longer be reversed) that renders us helpless,” the former top diplomat said. Del Rosario recalled that in 2002, ASEAN and China committed to a non-binding agreement over how claimant countries should behave in the South China Sea. China, however, failed to exercise self-restraint from activities that would escalate disputes in the region, Del Rosario said. “In 2017, as in 2012, the greatest immediate source of regional uncertainty has been China’s unlawful efforts to expand its footprint throughout the South China Sea,” Del Rosario said. The ASEAN should unite in countering China by promoting rule of law and strengthening multilateralism in support if the law, the former secretary added. “ASEAN and the international
community as a whole should utilize the principles in the arbitral ruling to move diplomatic engagement forward,” Del Rosario said. Opportunity for international community Del Rosario expressed hope that ASEAN countries would see the arbitral ruling as an opportunity for the whole region, given that many countries have expressed support of the arbitration. “The European Union, the United States, ASEAN members, Japan, Australia and other countries have shared our emphasis on the need to use peaceful means and give due respect for the rule of law,” Del Rosario said. The Group of Seven advanced economies had also reiterated its strong opposition to China’s militarization and called for all parties to comply with their obligations under international law. “Our region cannot promote the rule of law while ignoring the law as it stands,” Del Rosario said. n
Pia.gov.ph photo
Ombudsman laments the dismissal of Arroyo’s plunder case by Dana
SioSon AJPress
“MILLIONS were stolen, but no one stole them.” This is what Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said after the Supreme Court (SC) upheld its dismissal of the corruption case against former Philippine President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In a television interview on Monday, April 24, Morales lamented how nobody was held accountable for the supposed misuse of P366-million intelligence fund from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). “There are a lot of cases involving amounts in the millions which are stolen, but no one stole it. Millions were stolen, but no one stole them,” Morales told CNN Philippines. While Morales acknowledged
the court’s final say, she, however, maintained that the prosecution has found sufficient evidence against Arroyo, as far as the Sandiganbayan is concerned. “What can we do? That’s what the Supreme Court said. But of course, the Sandiganbayan that tried the case believed the evidence sufficed,” Morales said. In 2012, the Office of the Ombudsman lodged a plunder case against Arroyo, accusing her of using millions of charity funds for her personal gain from 2008 to 2010 while she was still the country’s president. The high court dismissed the case in July 2016 and granted Arroyo’s petition for demurrer to evidence. With a vote of 11-4, the SC affirmed Arroyo’s acquittal with finality last week and denied the People’s motion for reconsideration due to the insufficiency
of evidence. Following the clearing of her name, Arroyo described her acquittal as “truly a vindication.” “We can now move forward and take stock of what remains to be done to help this current administration achieve its goals of giving a better life to all Filipinos,” Arroyo told reporters during a chance interview on Thursday, April 20, adding that “I feel fortunate that I was given the chance to clear my name.” In a separate vote of 10-5, the SC also dismissed the plunder case against former PCSO budget and accounts manager Benigno B. Aguas. The Sandiganbayan earlier acquitted former members of the PCSO board of directors, Manuel Morato, Raymundo Roquero and Jose Taruc, as well as Commission on Audit (COA) officials Reynaldo Villar and Nilda Plaras. n
A APRIL 26-28, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
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Excursion
WITH bilateral relations between China and the Philippines blossoming in multiple fronts, the territorial dispute in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea is an issue the two countries cannot simply dance around anymore. Over the weekend, Beijing protested the visit by Manila’s defense and military chiefs to Pag-Asa, or Thitu Island, a disputed area in the South China Sea. The Philippine contingent was carried off by an Air Force C-130 transport plane on Friday, April 21 to assert the country’s claim to the disputed area where China is believed to have added missiles on man-made islands. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang expressed China’s displeasure over the high-profile Philippine visits to the island, saying China was “gravely concerned about and dissatisfied” by the island visits and adding that China “has lodged representations with the Philippine side.” Manila maintains that it owns the territory, which is part of an island municipality under its western province of Palawan and is where some Filipino troops and villagers have lived for decades. “The visit of the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to Pag-asa Island is part of the efforts to improve the safety, welfare, livelihood of Filipinos residing and living in the municipality of Kalayaan, which is part of the province of Palawan,” said Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella. Malacañang earlier confirmed that representatives from the two countries have set up a meeting in May to craft a bilateral mechanism on how
to “properly handle” maritime disputes. The scheme aims to forge mutual trust and maritime cooperation, and to further avoid misunderstandings and provocations over the issue. President Rodrigo Duterte is set to visit China next month for the “One Belt, One Road” summit upon the invitation of President Xi Jinping. China will also host a meeting in May with members of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to discuss the completion of a framework on the Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which mandates selfrestraint and non-militarization in the contested waters. The Asian powerhouse claims the largest swathe of the strategic waters and has been increasingly assertive in pressing its ownership over the disputed areas against its smaller neighbors such as the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. The sea has played a major role in globalization. But it has also provided an access for actions of oppression, drug trafficking, illegal immigration, smuggling, and other illegal activities. Because of the many opportunities (and dangers) that lie in the sea, countries invest on their maritime forces to man the waters surrounding their nations not only to establish peace and security, but also protect their sovereignty. (AJPress)
THE centerpiece of this administration is not some flimsy program doling out money to the poor. It is a robust, muscular infrastructure program that seeks to invest $160 billion in new roads, ports, railways and, yes, a subway. There is a reason why building infra is an investment rather than an expense. The facilities continue yielding economic values long after they were built. The impressive edifices built by ancient civilizations – the Angkor Wat, for one – continue to yield economic returns for their societies as tourist attractions. A road built where there was none before yields economic values for as long as they are there. For nearly three decades, as we struggled with our foreign debt and suffered through the “structural reform” programs imposed on us by our creditors, we under-invested in infra. That is the reason why our neighboring economies, who had invested nearly double what we did on a per capita GDP basis year after year, are galloping ahead with more efficient logistics than what we have. While they invested five to seven percent of their GDP in new infra, we spent barely two percent – much of that on small and inconsequential projects and some of that lost to corruption. Not only were the projects small, they were very much delayed. It is eight years now since the “loop” between the MRT-3 and the LRT-1 was closed and still we do not have a common station. The monument to the ineptitude of the Noynoy administration has to be the LRT-2 extension: after so many years of delay the rail is now built.
But someone along the line forgot to bid out the station; First and so the rail is idle unless we want commuters to rappel Person down where a terminal should be. The legacy of the years from Cory Aquino to Noynoy Aquino is a yawning infrastructure gap. Alex MAgno Our airports are antiquated. Our ports are decrepit. Our rail system basically died a few years ago. This is the reason why everything seems congested and internal trade is hampered by high transport costs. Inefficient domestic transport pushes up the costs of food, especially as we become a highly urbanized country. High food costs, in turn, push up poverty rates. High-grade infrastructure, therefore, is not for the rich. It is ultimately for the poor. About 30 percent of our domestically produced food is lost to spillage and spoilage. This is because we have a poor domestic shipping system. If we cut what is lost to spillage and spoilage, we can bring down food costs by at least 30 percent. When Noynoy took office in 2010, he immediately cancelled two foreign-assisted projects: a French-assisted port modernization program and a Belgian-assisted project that would have dredged the Laguna de Bay to reduce flooding in the metropolis and created a circumferential road that would have eased traffic. That was tragic.
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
DuterteNomics
Noynoy thought the port program was too expensive because it was to use telescopic piers. But that was necessary to enable use of the port independent of the tide. The Belgians, for their part, went to arbitration court to seek compensation. We are now about to pay a billion pesos to them without a bucket of mud dredged. Stupidity is one reason for our backwardness. DuterteNomics The economic managers of the present administration held what they called a “DuterteNomics Forum” last week where they unveiled the programmed infrastructure program. This program includes about 164 big-ticket infra projects. The number may increase if a more reasonable public-private partnership program evolves. Budget Secretary Ben Diokno promised the next six years will be the Golden Age of Infrastructure. Trillions will be invested in bringing up our logistics backbone to par. The infra program alone will create a million jobs each year and will stimulate a high GDP growth rate that will help soak up poverty incidence. The importance of building a modern logistics backbone cannot be understated. We are an archipelagic country. If our logistics network remains weak, regional economic disparities will widen. Entire islands will be left out of the national economic mainstream. The inefficiencies of moving goods and people will discourage investments.
For as long as we neglect the infra gap, we can never have a truly inclusive economy. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez says this is the opportune time to break out from the old mold of moderate and iniquitous growth. Our fiscal house is in order. The debt burden has been worked down. Our banks are awash with cash. We have friends, such as China and Japan, ready and willing to help us build the logistics systems we need. The Finance Secretary stressed, however, that the comprehensive tax reform package presented before Congress must be passed at the soonest. This will provide government a more robust revenue flow and reduce the risk of runaway deficits as we pursue an expansionary public spending regime. The Duterte economic program involved an audacious breakout strategy, bringing our economy to a higher growth plane. If we manage to grow the economy by 7 percent or better through the medium term, we will achieve high middle-income status by 2022 and bring down the poverty rate to only 14 percent. We are coming from behind. We have to run faster. At the moment, for instance, Vietnam’s per capita consumption of steel is double ours. That is an important indicator of how vigorously our neighbor is pursuing its infrastructure build-up. The program is an exciting one. Hopefully things happen fast. If only there was a way to recover from the six years of Noynoying. (Philstar.com)
To decriminalize drugs is to legalize shabu MADAM Vice President, what are you Analysis smoking? Seriously, you thought this is a bright idea, one that you will be best remembered for? This is your way of battling the scourge? Did you MA. lourdes TiquiA read thoroughly Portugal’s Law 30/2000? Do you know we have ratified and are signatories to the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, as amended by the 1972 Protocol, and the 1971 Single Convention on Psychotropic Substances? Was there CSW done when you decided to merely drop Portugal as a “better” way of battling the menace? What is to decriminalize? What drugs would Robredo want decriminalized under RA 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs of 2002? She said decriminalizing does not mean possessing drugs for personal use would become legal, but rather, it would be considered an administrative violation punishable by fines or community service. What the Vice President wants repealed is a 15-year-old law which is only now being strongly implemented by government. When one decrimi-
nalizes, it legalizes use; it will no longer a crime to possess, trade and manufacture illegal drugs, right? We become a narco state since now abuse in use is a health issue and not a crime. Context and perspective are important in referring to certain models or case studies in battling the scourge of illegal drugs. It is very important in using the Mexico model as a failed process of battling illegal drugs, according to the Vice President. She forgot to check the nature of operations and influence of drug use and the drug industry in Mexico and the Philippines, which are two different things. When Robredo keeps referring to failed battles in Mexico and other Latin American countries, she fails to understand the industry itself. Now she comes up with an off-the-cuff remark citing Portugal as “triumphant” in decriminalizing personal possession of all drugs in 2001. “What did Portugal do? Portugal found a system to combat drugs that was peaceful and orderly. They reformed their laws; they strengthened
rehabilitation [of addicts]; they fixed their institutions responsible for rehabilitating,” she said. Ergo, Duterte’s plan and program are not peaceful and orderly. And viola, reforming our laws and strengthening rehabilitation, fixing institutions responsible for rehabilitating are not being done. Clearly, that is false. Rehabilitation facilities are being constructed. Oplan Tokhang has been stopped, corrected and reloaded. Rehabilitation programs are rolling out. Again, what the Vice President forgot to mention are the trade-offs for Portugal. “Portugal decriminalized all drugs in 2001, and is used as the shining example of what all nations should do. It has the lowest percentage of drug-overdose deaths in Europe. But here again, it is all a trade-off. In 1995, eight percent of Portuguese teenagers had tried recreational drugs. By 2011, that percentage had gone to 16 percent and with children under 13, it was the highest in Europe. Even while touting the benefits of decriminalization, the Portuguese government says the 40percent increase in homicides since 2001 is related to drug use, and HIV transmission related to intravenous drug use is among Europe’s highest.
Even Dr. Joao Goulao, the chief architect of Portugal’s decriminalization policy, has said: “It’s very difficult to identify a causal link between decriminalization by itself and the positive tendencies we have seen.” There is no simple or easy solution to the rampant drug-abuse problem. And looking for “simple and easy” solution may cause greater harm (Business Mirror editorial, August 25, 2015). One gram of heroin, two grams of cocaine, 25 grams of marijuana leaves or five grams of hashish are the drug quantities one can legally purchase and possess in Portugal, carrying them through the streets of Lisbon. Ecstasy, and amphetamines—including speed and meth— can also be possessed in amounts up to one gram. That’s roughly enough of each of these drugs to last 10 days. Will Robredo also recommend these for the Philippines? These are the amounts listed in a table appended to Portugal’s Law 30/2000. Goulão participated in creating this law, which has put his country at the forefront of experimental approaches to drug control. The substances listed in the Law 30/2000 table are still illegal in Portugal but using these drugs
is nothing more than a misdemeanor, much the same as a parking violation. Pinto Coelho is a doctor ho has run rehab centers and written books on addiction. He is opposed to Goulão’s policy. Coelho’s greatest concern is that his country has given up on the idea of a drug-free world. How is it possible to keep young people away from drugs, when everyone knows exactly how many pills can legally be carried around? He still believes deterrents are the best form of prevention and that cold turkey withdrawal is the best treatment method. He is also fighting the extensive methadone program Portugal began as part of its drug policy reform, which now provides tens of thousands of heroin addicts with this substitute drug. The unintended consequences of a simple and easy solution. So, let us go into the details, Madam Vice President. What provisions do you want decriminalized in Republic Act 9165? Importation, sale and trading, manufacture, cultivation, unnecessary and unlawful prescription, disposition of confiscated, seized or surrendered dangerous drugs? It is so easy to decriminalize but the devil is in the details. So, are you ready for a zombie state? (ManilaTimes.net)
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Dateline PhiliPPines
LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 26-28, 2017
A
SWS poll: Number of Pinoy crime victims up by catherine
s. Valente ManilaTimes.net
MORE Filipinos fell victim to common crimes in the first quarter of 2017, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. The poll conducted from March 25 to 28 showed that 6.8 percent of the respondents were victims of common crimes, up from the 4.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016. Those who lost property to street robbery, burglars or car thieves were up 6.3 percent or an estimated 1.4 million families. The figure was 1.8 points higher than the 4.5 percent in December 2016. There was a slight drop in the number of victims of physical violence — 0.7 percent or 155,000 families — compared with the 166,000 families in December. The SWS said there were more crimes reported in its survey than to the police.
Families victimized by street robbers were up by two points, from 3.3 percent in December last year to 5.3 percent, while those who said burglars broke into their homes were 1.9 percent or 435,000 higher than the 1.8 percent recorded last year. Car theft also rose to 3.4 percent in Metro Manila, the highest since the 3.5 percent reported in September 2014. Families robbed of personal property outside their homes also increased by 5.3 points in Metro Manila to 12 percent compared with 6.7 percent in December, the survey said. “This is the highest since 13.7 percent in April 2016,” SWS said. Meanwhile, fear of crimes fell by seven points from 63 percent in December 2016 to 56 percent in March. SWS reported that 50 percent of the respondents agreed that “people are usually afraid to walk in the street at night because it is
not safe” in their neighborhood, down four points from the 54 percent in December last year. Fear of unsafe streets fell in the Visayas and Mindanao by 11 and nine points, respectively. The number of respondents who said there are “many” drug addicts in their neighborhoods was at a steady “high” of 52 percent. Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella attributed the increase in crime incidents to the suspension of the administration’s war on drugs. Abella said the SWS survey “validates earlier reports showing an increase in crime after the Philippine National Police (PNP) suspended Oplan Tokhang and Project Double Barrel last January.” “The temporary suspension of police anti-drug operations proved to be a window of opportunity for illegal drug violators to engage in burglary and car theft,” he added. n
DOJ appeals ruling on De Lima cases by Marlon
raMos Inquirer.net
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Sunday, April 23 said it had sought a reversal of the decision of a Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) rejecting its motion to merge the three drug trafficking cases it filed against detained Sen. Leila de Lima. “While we respect the [ruling of the] court, we have filed a motion for reconsideration of its decision,” Justice Undersecretary Erickson Balmes said in a text message. He said Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II had directed Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong, head of the DOJ panel of prosecutors handling the drug charges against De Lima, to ask Muntinlupa RTC Judge Juanita Guerrero to rescind her March 30 ruling. Ong is a Lex Talionis fraternity brother of Aguirre and President Duterte, who had vowed to put De Lima—the most vocal critic of his brutal war on drugs—behind bars for her supposed role in the narcotics trade when she was still the justice secretary. Guerrero, who had acquitted the so-called “Alabang Boys” of drug trafficking charges in 2011 due to technicality, had ordered De Lima’s arrest on Feb. 24.
CONQUERING TANON STRAIT. In the pursuit of drumming up interest in the ongoing voter registration being conducted by the Commission on Elections, Election Officer Ingemar Macarine of Tubigon, Bohol on April 18, 2017 successfully crossed Tañon Strait in a record time of 11 hours and 21 minutes. The pioneering swim traversed the 24.65-km distance between Silliman Beach, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental and Tambisan Port, San Juan, Siquijor. Triathlete and environmental lawyer Macarine braved the choppy seas nonstop and unassisted, declaring it to be his most difficult swim to date. This round of voter registration will end on April 29, 2017, Friday. The COMELEC has no plans to extend the period beyond the set deadline. Comelec photo
Supreme Court: Construction of Torre de Manila can resume by Yuji
Sen. Leila de Lima
In throwing out the DOJ motion, the judge said there was no reason to consolidate the three separate drug charges against the senator since they involved distinct circumstances. Ong had petitioned Guerrero to hold just one trial for De Lima to maximize the use of government resources in prosecuting the different cases. “Justice and expediency demand that it is more practical and will serve the ends of justice to consolidate all three cases in the said branch to avoid unnecessary costs and to prevent the issuance of conflicting resolutions, orders and decisions,” read Ong’s motion. The criminal complaints against De Lima, who had described them
Marianne Bermudez / inquirer file photo
as an offshoot of Mr. Duterte’s “lust for vengeance,” had been raffled off to Guerrero, Judge Amelia Fabros-Corpuz of Muntinlupa RTC Branch 205 and Judge Patria Manalastas-de Leon of Muntinlupa RTC Branch 206. The DOJ had indicted De Lima for trading and selling illegal drugs as defined under Section 5 of Republic Act No. 9165, better known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. But the Office of the Solicitor General practically contradicted the DOJ’s position when it said the senator should have been primarily charged with “conspiracy to engage in illegal drug trading” as mentioned in Section 26(b) of the law according to De Lima’s lawyers. n
Vincent Gonzales Inquirer.net
THE Supreme Court on Tuesday, April 25 gave the green light to resume the construction of the controversial Torre de Manila condominium, which mars the view of the Rizal Monument in Luneta. Voting 9-6, the high tribunal in a session in Baguio City junked the petition by the Order of the Knights of Rizal in September 2014 to stop the construction of the 49-storey condominium by DMCI Project Developer Inc., dubbed as the “national photobomber.” In a media briefer, the SC Public Information Office said the petition was dismissed because “the Court has no jurisdiction over the subject matter,” “the petitioners have no standing to sue,” and “they stand to suffer no injury.” “Furthermore, the Court also found that there is now law that prohibits the construction of the
Torre de Manila.
challenged Torre de Manila. As a consequence of the judgment rendered today, the TRO (temporary restraining order) issued by the Court is lifted,” it added. Those who voted to allow the construction were Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Justices Antonio Carpio, Marvic Leonen, Presbitero Velasco Jr., Bienvenido Reyes, Noel Tijam, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, Mariano Del Castillo and Lucas Bersa-
Marianne Bermudez / inquirer file photo
min. Carpio wrote the majority decision. Those who voted against the construction were Associate Justices Francis Jardeleza, Samuel Martires, Teresita De Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Jose Mendoza and Alfredo Caguioa. The SC issued a TRO on June 16, 2015, stopping the construction of the high-rise structure onTaft Avenue. (With reports from Marlon Ramos)
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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 26-28, 2017
BUSINESSJ& COMMUNITY OURNAL
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PH expected to improve ease of doing business by IRIS
GONZALES Philstar.com
The NCC’s immediate goal is for the country to be part of the top third of the rankings, placMANILA, Philippines - The ing from anywhere between Philippines is expected to post 58th and 63rd. “For the ease of doing busian improvement in the World Bank’s “Doing Business” report ness, we are targeting from a this year but will likely fall short rank of 99, we want to reach of cracking the top third of the about a level of 58 to 63 by reglobal rankings, Trade Secre- ally cutting down the burden, the number of steps, and the tary Ramon Lopez said. Lopez, who co-chairs the Na- number of days in starting a tional Competitiveness Council business,” Lopez said. “This, however, will not be (NCC), said the country can expect a modest two to five notch- attained this year yet as the es improvement in the ease of reforms of shortening the prodoing business survey this year cess of starting a business are after ranking 99th in last year’s ongoing. But we can expect edition. u PAGE B2
PAL to deploy 2 B777s on flights to London, US by IRIS
GONZALES Philstar.com
TWO Boeing 777–300 ER units, slated for delivery in December, will be deployed on Philippine Airlines flights to London and the US. “The Boeing aircraft will serve the Manila–London route, a move designed to primarily enhance the total passenger travel experience and inflight service delivery. While we already have eight triple 7s serving the West Coast, the incoming units will also augment other trans-pacific flights”, PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Jaime J. Bautista said Monday. “The Boeing 777 is our flagship aircraft for long-haul operations. With its range and operational capability, the flag carrier will be at par with other full service carriers along the route. We will also increase capacity as the aircraft will have a 370seating capacity on a two–class configuration (42 on business and 328 on economy) as compared to the 254-seating capaci-
ty of the A340,” Bautista added. The acquisition of the carrier’s 9th and 10th B777s is based on a long-term lease agreement with Intrepid Aviation. During the 2016 delivery of PAL’s 7th and 8th B777, Intrepid president and chief commercial officer Doug Winter said, “Intrepid and Philippine Airlines have enjoyed a strong partnership dating back to 2013. The Philippines is currently one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia and the airline has been enjoying a strong, profitable growth trajectory over the past few years.” PAL aims to be the country’s full-service five star airline in five years. The journey towards reaching this goal is the implementation of flagship initiatives such as fleet modernization which includes the acquisition of six brand new Airbus A3350s for delivery starting mid-2018 and the reconfiguration of eight monoclass Airbus A330s to triclass lay-out by mid July. ■
Philippines aims to be top FDI destination in Southeast Asia by RICHARD
MERCURIO Philstar.com
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is embarking on necessary reforms aimed at creating a business environment that is more conducive to investments as it targets to become a foreign direct investment (FDI) powerhouse in the region. “Definitely we will have a stronger posi-
tion as one of the most preferred FDI destinations in the region, with huge and relevant infrastructure spending and trade and investment reforms,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez told The STAR. Lopez, who frequently meets and deals with foreign investors through trade and investment roadshows abroad, said the country is capable of posting the third highest FDI inflow level among Southeast Asian econo-
mies prior to the end of President Duterte’s six-year term.“(We can become) one of the best, maybe top three to five in the region in three to five years,” Lopez said. Lopez said the expected influx of foreign investments into the country would mostly hinge on the Duterte administration’s infrastructure spending program. The government has committed to ramp
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Expanded maternity leave good for business fects on small-scale businesses. Citing a 2007 experience of American technology company SEN. Risa Hontiveros on Mon- Google, she said that it was able day tried to allay fears that an to reduce its female turnover rate expanded maternity leave law by 50 percent by increasing its would be harmful to businesses paid maternity leave from 12 to that could not afford to give their 18 weeks. She said that among its advanwomen workers additional paid tages was that it contributes to maternity leave days. Hontiveros, chair of the Sen- addressing unemployment and ate Committee on Women, said increasing workers’ benefits and that many international studies improves employee retention and showed that paid parental leaves decreases the turnover rate. Moreover, it also increases have no significant negative efby MAYVELIN
U. CARABALLO ManilaTimes.net
productivity and allows businesses of all sizes to save money on costly employee replacement costs such as the training of new recruits. “Ultimately, it is beneficial to the economy,” Hontiveros said. The neophyte senator pointed out that many other companies in different parts of the world have adopted better maternity leave policies. She noted that reports showed that the Philippines is lagging behind other countries in Asia
in terms of maternity leave duration. However, with the passage of the Expanded Maternity Leave law of 2017 in third and final reading under her leadership, she is confident that the policy would be a “real win-win solution” for both workers and employers. “We have nothing to fear and everything to gain from a progressive maternity leave policy. I am confident that small and
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B APRIL 26-28, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA I NEARLY had a vehicular accident quite recently. Operative word: Nearly. I was minding my business at a traffic stop when the vehicle before me decided to back up because her car was caught in the crosswalk. I then noticed that her white back lights indicating that she had left her car in reverse gear was on. Instinctively I knew it was an accident waiting to happen. I was ready with just my senses, reflexes and an annoying horn to blast the danger away. But full disclosure and credit go to my Guardian Angels for the countless times of full protection. It is like being in tune with God’s cosmic script and being on the same page, all the time. When the lights turned green, true enough, she stepped on the gas and was doing a fast re-
Barrister’s Corner
Business news
Mindfulness as a survival skill in today’s tech crazy world “Be present. It is the only thing that matters.” - Ways of the Peaceful Warrior verse headed to the front of my car. I pounded on my horn and let out the screechiest, loudest, longest honk, enough to scare the daylights out of her. And NO 3-fingered salute. It’s not something I want to give or receive in tenuous situations. Besides, my mother and the nuns who taught me will be aghast. She braked about a hairline away from my car grille — and then froze. She didn’t know what to do and held up the lane longer. I had to hand signal her to go. The cars behind us were blasting away with their horns at being kept waiting, unaware that a chain collision that could involve them, has just been averted. Whew! That was a close call. Imagine the hours that would have been lost never to return again if a crash did occur and you are left to tussle with insur-
http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797
Debt Relief Atty. lAwrence yAng
ance matters. I don’t know whether she was a young, new driver, on the phone or just preoccupied with something. But when you are behind the wheel, it requires all of the neurons in your brains and all your senses to be engaged in just that one activity. Without it, you can do damage not only to yourself but sadly, to others as well, within your immediate physical orbit. I kept 3 car lengths as following distance until she turned left onto another street. These are, indeed, the best of times. These are the worst of times as well. Charles Dickens could have said these words just as fittingly to apply to this crazy world we live in today. I would like to plead the case for mindfulness for everyone at all times and in all places.
BUSINESS debts with reorganization under bankruptcy law. Argentina filed for sovereign bankruptcy in 2000. It could not pay back even the interest on its loans and bondholders were left holding the bag. Greece is has been under bankruptcy reorganization for the last 3 years. I was in Athens last year and I could feel the depression of the people there. The city has no vitality because it has too much debt; same thing happening to debtors with too much debt. They have no vitality because their income goes mostly to debt service. They are debt slaves who practically work for nothing because they have lost the ability to save money and cannot be productive. If you are a debt slaves, get rid of your debt ball and chain now with a Chapter 7 discharge. Who knows, you u PAGE B3 might become the next Walt Disney, Milton Hershey or Donald Trump. Pick your choice of who
FOR most people, being served with divorce papers by your spouse is probably one of the biggest surprises in your life. The spouse in the receiving end of the divorce sometimes are not offered any explanation for the divorce petition by their spouse. You may start getting upset about how this can happen to you and start doing things that are going to be seriously detrimental to your divorce case later on in the proceeding. Here are seven things you should not do. Do not confront your spouse and commit domestic violence Many spouse feel very angry and upset upon receiving the divorce papers. You may start blaming your spouse and attacking your spouse. You may even yell, threaten, scream, or even physically assault your spouse. This type of confrontation is called “domestic violence.” You may be arrested criminally if your spouse calls law enforcement. Your spouse may also file a domestic violence restraining order against you. Either one would compromise your ability to seek custody
you want to be. You can become the next billionaire or the next president of the USA with your fresh start. Second client is 58. His is going through a divorce. Wife filed for divorce after 10 years of marriage, and now asks for alimony or spousal support. Why 10 years, you might wonder. Well, in California, after 10 years of marriage, if you make less than your spouse, you are legally entitled to ask for spousal support. So, you see a lot of divorces filed by the spouse making the lesser income once the 10-year qualification has been reached. Your spouse is not as dumb as you think. Or, you may not be as smart as you think. In this case, client makes about $100K a year in his profession, while his younger wife makes $20K a year. This means that wife can and surely will ask for $1600 spousal support. Now, where did all the love go to? It all went to alimony. So think twice and thrice before you make the big
jump. If you do make the jump, make sure your clock yourself and if you are the higher income spouse, if you think you made a mistake, better end the marriage before you reach your 10 year mark. Otherwise, you will be on the hook for alimony. Client had a previous Chapter 7 discharge in 2012. He now owes $50K of credit card debt. I guess he used these cards to pay for travelling the globe with his younger wife. Wife is 10 years younger. Whatever the reasons are, his situation now is he only has one amount of $1600. He can use this to pay alimony or pay the minimum on $50K of credit cards. Either way, it’s not a pretty sight because instead of saving $1600 a month, he’s paying that out to a person who no longer is his wife. Between paying alimony and credit cards, the choice is clear. He has to pay alimony. Client is however fortunate that the current value of his house does not exceed the balance of
“Not to mention the solid foundation in the country such as managerial and skilled manpower resources, strong consumer base, demographic dividend, and growth momentum that improves our investment potential,” he said. The Philippines in the past has been regarded as among the laggards in the region in terms of FDI inflows. According to the Joint Foreign Chambers in the Philippines, net FDI in the Philippines was behind Singapore ($67.4 billion), Indonesia ($25.7 billion), Thailand ($11.8 billion), Malaysia
($10.5 billion) and Vietnam ($6.6 billion) in 2014 despite reaching a record level of $6.2 billion. Last year, the country’s net FDI jumped 40 percent to an all-time high of $7.9 billion, exceeding the full-year target of $6.7 billion. As a result, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas recently upgraded its FDI projection this year to reach a record high of $8 billion. Among the investment promotion agencies, the Board of Investments, which is chaired by Lopez, contributed 22.5 percent or $1.78 billion of the total FDIs recorded last year. n
Seven things you should not do when served with divorce Philippines aims to be top... papers by your spouse PAGE B1 t
Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes
Clients seek Chapter 7 and Chapter 20 bankruptcy relief
of your children, child support, and spousal support. It would also affect your credibility as a witness for future proceedings. In addition if you do this in front of the children, this may be looked at as domestic violence and abuse against the children. The incident may be reported to Child Protective Services for investigation. Do not run to the bank and empty out all your bank accounts or sell assets except for funds necessary retain legal representation in the divorce. If you have assets, do not run and empty out your bank accounts with the goal of securing it from your spouse. The divorce petition and summons includes certain automatic temporary restraining orders (ATROS) which prohibits transferring and encumbering assets. You will be in violation of the ATROS if you do this. Your spouse may also make a claim for breach of fiduciary duty against you. However there are certain exceptions to withdrawing funds such as funds necessary for your living expenses and funds you need to retain an attorney. Do not cut off your spouse
from any insurance policies One of the ATROS prohibits you from removing your spouse from health insurance coverage and other insurance policy. It would be a violation of ATROS to do so. You need to maintain your spouse on all existing insurance until the divorce is finalized or the status of marriage is dissolved in a bifurcated trial. Do not take off with your child and move out of state or out of the country If the child has been living in this state, California Court has jurisdiction over your child even if you leave California after being served the divorce. Your spouse can get an order from the California court to return the child to California and get sole physical custody of your child. This can be enforced through law enforcement in other states. In addition, this would also be an ATROS violation. Such a move would seriously undermine your claim for custody of the children. Do not use your child as a messenger to communicate with your spouse.
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up spending on this sector, which was appropriated a budget of P8 trillion until 2022. Measures are also underway to open up the economy and amend Constitutional provisions that hamper the entry of foreign investments. Aside from these, Lopez said the government is undertaking various promotion programs as well as forging trade agreements that increase access to other markets by using the country as a manufacturing base and gateway to other economies in the region.
u PAGE B3
PH expected to improve ease... PAGE B1 t an improvement in the rankings, nonetheless,” he said. For renewal of business permit, the government is seeking to reduce the processing period to one day, while that for new business permit will be cut to two days. According to the World Bank last year, it takes 28 days to start a business in the Philippines, compared to 21 days on average at the global level. “Overall, we plan to reduce the steps and time in business per-
mits and Bureau of Internal Revenue registration. At present it has 16 steps and we plan to reduce it to six steps. The 28 days we will cut it to eight days,” Lopez said. The “Doing Business” report is an annual publication of the World Bank reviewing the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it among economies worldwide. The Philippines climbed four notches in the Doing Business report released in October last year, from 103rd in 2015 to 99th
out of 190 economies in 2016. The Philippines has improved the transparency of building regulations. It has also made paying taxes easier by introducing an online system for filing and paying health contributions, and by allowing for online corporate income tax and VAT returns to be completed offline. Challenges, however, remain in the areas of starting a business, protecting minority investors, and enforcing contracts. n
B APRIL 26-28, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA I NEARLY had a vehicular accident quite recently. Operative word: Nearly. I was minding my business at a traffic stop when the vehicle before me decided to back up because her car was caught in the crosswalk. I then noticed that her white back lights indicating that she had left her car in reverse gear was on. Instinctively I knew it was an accident waiting to happen. I was ready with just my senses, reflexes and an annoying horn to blast the danger away. But full disclosure and credit go to my Guardian Angels for the countless times of full protection. It is like being in tune with God’s cosmic script and being on the same page, all the time. When the lights turned green, true enough, she stepped on the gas and was doing a fast re-
Barrister’s Corner
Business news
Mindfulness as a survival skill in today’s tech crazy world “Be present. It is the only thing that matters.” - Ways of the Peaceful Warrior verse headed to the front of my car. I pounded on my horn and let out the screechiest, loudest, longest honk, enough to scare the daylights out of her. And NO 3-fingered salute. It’s not something I want to give or receive in tenuous situations. Besides, my mother and the nuns who taught me will be aghast. She braked about a hairline away from my car grille — and then froze. She didn’t know what to do and held up the lane longer. I had to hand signal her to go. The cars behind us were blasting away with their horns at being kept waiting, unaware that a chain collision that could involve them, has just been averted. Whew! That was a close call. Imagine the hours that would have been lost never to return again if a crash did occur and you are left to tussle with insur-
http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797
Debt Relief Atty. lAwrence yAng
ance matters. I don’t know whether she was a young, new driver, on the phone or just preoccupied with something. But when you are behind the wheel, it requires all of the neurons in your brains and all your senses to be engaged in just that one activity. Without it, you can do damage not only to yourself but sadly, to others as well, within your immediate physical orbit. I kept 3 car lengths as following distance until she turned left onto another street. These are, indeed, the best of times. These are the worst of times as well. Charles Dickens could have said these words just as fittingly to apply to this crazy world we live in today. I would like to plead the case for mindfulness for everyone at all times and in all places.
BUSINESS debts with reorganization under bankruptcy law. Argentina filed for sovereign bankruptcy in 2000. It could not pay back even the interest on its loans and bondholders were left holding the bag. Greece is has been under bankruptcy reorganization for the last 3 years. I was in Athens last year and I could feel the depression of the people there. The city has no vitality because it has too much debt; same thing happening to debtors with too much debt. They have no vitality because their income goes mostly to debt service. They are debt slaves who practically work for nothing because they have lost the ability to save money and cannot be productive. If you are a debt slaves, get rid of your debt ball and chain now with a Chapter 7 discharge. Who knows, you u PAGE B3 might become the next Walt Disney, Milton Hershey or Donald Trump. Pick your choice of who
FOR most people, being served with divorce papers by your spouse is probably one of the biggest surprises in your life. The spouse in the receiving end of the divorce sometimes are not offered any explanation for the divorce petition by their spouse. You may start getting upset about how this can happen to you and start doing things that are going to be seriously detrimental to your divorce case later on in the proceeding. Here are seven things you should not do. Do not confront your spouse and commit domestic violence Many spouse feel very angry and upset upon receiving the divorce papers. You may start blaming your spouse and attacking your spouse. You may even yell, threaten, scream, or even physically assault your spouse. This type of confrontation is called “domestic violence.” You may be arrested criminally if your spouse calls law enforcement. Your spouse may also file a domestic violence restraining order against you. Either one would compromise your ability to seek custody
you want to be. You can become the next billionaire or the next president of the USA with your fresh start. Second client is 58. His is going through a divorce. Wife filed for divorce after 10 years of marriage, and now asks for alimony or spousal support. Why 10 years, you might wonder. Well, in California, after 10 years of marriage, if you make less than your spouse, you are legally entitled to ask for spousal support. So, you see a lot of divorces filed by the spouse making the lesser income once the 10-year qualification has been reached. Your spouse is not as dumb as you think. Or, you may not be as smart as you think. In this case, client makes about $100K a year in his profession, while his younger wife makes $20K a year. This means that wife can and surely will ask for $1600 spousal support. Now, where did all the love go to? It all went to alimony. So think twice and thrice before you make the big
jump. If you do make the jump, make sure your clock yourself and if you are the higher income spouse, if you think you made a mistake, better end the marriage before you reach your 10 year mark. Otherwise, you will be on the hook for alimony. Client had a previous Chapter 7 discharge in 2012. He now owes $50K of credit card debt. I guess he used these cards to pay for travelling the globe with his younger wife. Wife is 10 years younger. Whatever the reasons are, his situation now is he only has one amount of $1600. He can use this to pay alimony or pay the minimum on $50K of credit cards. Either way, it’s not a pretty sight because instead of saving $1600 a month, he’s paying that out to a person who no longer is his wife. Between paying alimony and credit cards, the choice is clear. He has to pay alimony. Client is however fortunate that the current value of his house does not exceed the balance of
“Not to mention the solid foundation in the country such as managerial and skilled manpower resources, strong consumer base, demographic dividend, and growth momentum that improves our investment potential,” he said. The Philippines in the past has been regarded as among the laggards in the region in terms of FDI inflows. According to the Joint Foreign Chambers in the Philippines, net FDI in the Philippines was behind Singapore ($67.4 billion), Indonesia ($25.7 billion), Thailand ($11.8 billion), Malaysia
($10.5 billion) and Vietnam ($6.6 billion) in 2014 despite reaching a record level of $6.2 billion. Last year, the country’s net FDI jumped 40 percent to an all-time high of $7.9 billion, exceeding the full-year target of $6.7 billion. As a result, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas recently upgraded its FDI projection this year to reach a record high of $8 billion. Among the investment promotion agencies, the Board of Investments, which is chaired by Lopez, contributed 22.5 percent or $1.78 billion of the total FDIs recorded last year. n
Seven things you should not do when served with divorce Philippines aims to be top... papers by your spouse PAGE B1 t
Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes
Clients seek Chapter 7 and Chapter 20 bankruptcy relief
of your children, child support, and spousal support. It would also affect your credibility as a witness for future proceedings. In addition if you do this in front of the children, this may be looked at as domestic violence and abuse against the children. The incident may be reported to Child Protective Services for investigation. Do not run to the bank and empty out all your bank accounts or sell assets except for funds necessary retain legal representation in the divorce. If you have assets, do not run and empty out your bank accounts with the goal of securing it from your spouse. The divorce petition and summons includes certain automatic temporary restraining orders (ATROS) which prohibits transferring and encumbering assets. You will be in violation of the ATROS if you do this. Your spouse may also make a claim for breach of fiduciary duty against you. However there are certain exceptions to withdrawing funds such as funds necessary for your living expenses and funds you need to retain an attorney. Do not cut off your spouse
from any insurance policies One of the ATROS prohibits you from removing your spouse from health insurance coverage and other insurance policy. It would be a violation of ATROS to do so. You need to maintain your spouse on all existing insurance until the divorce is finalized or the status of marriage is dissolved in a bifurcated trial. Do not take off with your child and move out of state or out of the country If the child has been living in this state, California Court has jurisdiction over your child even if you leave California after being served the divorce. Your spouse can get an order from the California court to return the child to California and get sole physical custody of your child. This can be enforced through law enforcement in other states. In addition, this would also be an ATROS violation. Such a move would seriously undermine your claim for custody of the children. Do not use your child as a messenger to communicate with your spouse.
u PAGE B3
up spending on this sector, which was appropriated a budget of P8 trillion until 2022. Measures are also underway to open up the economy and amend Constitutional provisions that hamper the entry of foreign investments. Aside from these, Lopez said the government is undertaking various promotion programs as well as forging trade agreements that increase access to other markets by using the country as a manufacturing base and gateway to other economies in the region.
u PAGE B3
PH expected to improve ease... PAGE B1 t an improvement in the rankings, nonetheless,” he said. For renewal of business permit, the government is seeking to reduce the processing period to one day, while that for new business permit will be cut to two days. According to the World Bank last year, it takes 28 days to start a business in the Philippines, compared to 21 days on average at the global level. “Overall, we plan to reduce the steps and time in business per-
mits and Bureau of Internal Revenue registration. At present it has 16 steps and we plan to reduce it to six steps. The 28 days we will cut it to eight days,” Lopez said. The “Doing Business” report is an annual publication of the World Bank reviewing the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it among economies worldwide. The Philippines climbed four notches in the Doing Business report released in October last year, from 103rd in 2015 to 99th
out of 190 economies in 2016. The Philippines has improved the transparency of building regulations. It has also made paying taxes easier by introducing an online system for filing and paying health contributions, and by allowing for online corporate income tax and VAT returns to be completed offline. Challenges, however, remain in the areas of starting a business, protecting minority investors, and enforcing contracts. n
BUSINESS NEWS
(818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 • http://www.asianjournal.com
What’s New ARLENE AL-OS, CPA, MBA HOW do you determine if the person visiting you either at your business or at home or calling you are not an IRS imposter? Look for two forms of credentials. IRS Knocks At Your Door -
his first mortgage. This means that Chapter 13 will allow him to strip the 2nd mortgage of $76K. The $76K was discharge in his 2012 Chapter 7, but the mortgage lien survived. Although creditor cannot legally collect on the note because it is discharged, the fact that the mortgage survived the discharge leaves creditor with the legal remedy of foreclosure, which it will not do because foreclosure will yield zero for payment of the 2nd mortgage. Chapter 13 now plus Chap-
Why It Happens And What You Need To Do When It Happens: 1. Reasons why an IRS visits you either at the places of your business or at your home: 1) to discuss taxes you owed; 2) you are being audited; 3) conducting an investigation. 2. When you are being audited, an IRS Revenue Agent auditor may visit you at your business or at your home. You will first be notified by mail with specific day
and time of the visit. The auditor may call and confirm the scheduled day and time of the visit. 3. Special Circumstances. The IRS Criminal Investigators may do a surprise visit at your business or at your home but will not demand payment. If a surprise visit does occur, look for enforcement credentials and badge. 4. Two Forms of Official Credentials: 1) pocket commission; 2) HSPD-12 card a government
ter 7 in 2012, makes this case a Chapter 20. This works only in Riverside. Fortunately for client, he lives in Riverside. So he loses his wife and has to pay alimony of $1600 but he gets to strip his 2nd mortgage and make a partial payment on his $50K credit cards over 60 months. As the 2nd mortgage is stripped, client doesn’t have to pay the mortgage because the note has been discharged in Chapter 7 previously. If you need bankruptcy relief, please call my office for an appointment and I will analyze your
case personally. “Cast all your anxiety on God because He cares for you.” — 1 Peter 5:7 *** 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 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)
wide secure form of identification. You have the right to obtain and see these credentials. 5. Some cases are now assigned to private debt collectors beginning April 2017 under Section 32102 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) for the collection of outstanding inactive collectible accounts. 6. There will be written notice to the taxpayer and representative that accounts are being transferred to private collection agencies, prior to assignment of the case to the private collectors. 7. The private collection agencies will also send a separate letter to the taxpayer and representative to confirm the transfer. The private collection agencies must follow Fair Debt Collection Practices Act provisions, courteous, and respect taxpayer rights. 8. To report a misconduct of a private debt collection: 1) report to TIGTA hotline 800-366-4484;
Divorce process is a very difficult process for the children. Children often blame themselves for the divorce of their parents. Children sometimes manifest this through their academic performance during the divorce process. Do not involve the children in your divorce case. Using the children to communicate messages to your spouse puts them in a difficult and very stressful situation. This will also affect your claim for custody of your children if you regularly involve your children in your attempt to communicate with your spouse. In addition, you should not say disparaging remarks about the other parent to your children. Do not stalk your spouse in social medias such as facebook or tweeter. Your spouse probably stopped informing you as to what is going on in his/her life at this point. You may be curious if your spouse hooked up with a third party or an old flamer. You may be curious what your spouse are telling your friends and family. Do not stalk your spouse in social media
such as facebook. Do not hack into your spouse’s e-mail. This is a crime. Your spouse can also file a domestic violence restraining order against you for stalking. Most of the evidence obtained illegally is not admissible in court anyways. If you have been unfriended by your spouse, let it be. Do not quit your job voluntarily If you think you can dodge child support and spousal support by quitting your job voluntarily, it is not going to happen. Your spouse’s lawyer will argue that there was no legitimate reason for you to leave your employment and may seek the court to impute income on you. Your spouse may seek vocational evaluation for purposes of determining your earning capacity. In addition, the amount of income you will lose by quitting is substantially more than the money you will owe in child or spousal support. Even if you are successful in dodging the support orders by quitting your job, your spouse can modify them back up the moment you go back to the work force. If you have been served with divorce papers and are
unsure how to react, seek professional help before you dig yourself deeper in the hole. *** 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 has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 3881611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. (Advertising Supplement)
or 2) write to: Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Hotline, Post Office Box 589, Ben Franklin Station Washington, DC 20044-0589. Also visit www. tigta.gov for more information. 9. List of selected Private Collection Agencies: 1) CBE, P.O. Box 2217, Waterloo, IA 50704 Tel#1-800-910-5837; 2) ConServe, P.O. Box 307, Fairport, NY 14450-0307 Tel#1-844-8534875; 3) Performant, P.O. Box 9045, Pleasanton CA 94566-9045 Tel#1-844-807-9367; 4) Pioneer, PO Box 500, Horseheads, NY 14845 Tel#1-800-448-3531. 10. Payments are always directly to the U.S. Treasury and NOT to the private collection agency. 11. Submit a request in writing to the private collection agency if you want to settle unpaid taxes and do not wish to work with the assigned private collection agency. 12. Taxpayers accounts not assigned to private collection
Calendar of Events across
Seven things you should not... PAGE B2 t
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Consumer alert tips: The IRS at your door
Clients seek Chapter 7 and Chapter 20... PAGE B2 t
LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 26-28, 2017
agencies includes declared disaster areas by the president, on installment agreement, offersin-compromise, identity theft victims, deceased, ages 18 or under, innocent spouse cases, and others identified by the IRS. 13. Most IRS impersonators will intimidate and even threaten that you will be arrested and deported if you will not comply. The scam maybe in the form of letters, e-mails, phone calls. 14. Who to contact: 1) Call 800366-4484 for the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; 2) contact Federal Trade Commission by going to FTC.Gov and using “FTC Complaint Assistant”; 3) e-mail: phishing@irs.gov *** Al-os & Associates Accountancy Corporation provides accounting and tax services to individuals, corporations, LLCs and business entities. The Firm has a niche in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS and other governmental agencies. (Advertising Supplement)
America
ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST-EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS A P R I L 27- M AY 4
33rd Annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival The 33rd Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) will be presented April 27 to – May 4 at select cinemas in the Los Angeles area. A key highlight of the annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month activities, the Festival is produced by Visual Communications, the nation’s premier Asian Pacific American media arts center, and enjoys broad support from cinema artists and audiences alike. This year, LAAPFF features over 180 films from both Asian Pacific American and Asian international artists. For over three decades, the festival has presented close to 4,000 films by Asian Pacific American and Asian international talent. A record 45 feature films and 139 shorts from over 750 submissions will be showcased throughout the eight-day fest. For more information on films and venues, please visit: http://festival.vconline.org/.
A P R I L 29
12th Annual Sikad ng Bayan bike ride in Anaheim Hills, CA The Sikad ng Bayan (Cycling for the Nation) is an annual bike ride that raises funds to build preschools for less fortunate communities at Gawad Kalinga (GK) villages in the Philippines. It is a non-competitive ride that will be held on Saturday, April 29, where cyclists traverse the Orange and Los Angeles counties. And in true Filipino fashion, this fun ride culminates in a Pinoy-style luncheon where cyclists can get together and know more about Sikad. It will be held at the Yorba Regional Park (7600 E La Palma Ave, Anaheim, CA 92807). For more information or to register please visit www.sikad.org or call Rey D. at (562) 9641445 or Robbie V. at (949) 351-8344. .
If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com
Mindfulness as a survival...
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Do you feel incomplete, naked, inept and insecure when you are not tethered electronically to your cellphone or your computer? Do you feel less of a person? Take heart. You are not alone. The advances in communication technology have created a world where we can send and receive information at breakneck speed. The thoughts, the images of anyone, from kings to paupers, from the most profound to the most profane, from the wisest to the most foolish, from the most beautiful to the most horrific, once formed, can be transmitted to billions of people around the electronically wired community. Just like the common cold, thoughts and images “go viral…” The power of a message is now measured by the number of tweets, hits and views it gets. Many are choosing to live in virtual reality rather than in the real world believing they can safely hide behind a cloak of anonymity. Disabuse yourself of the idea. No one remains anonymous for long. No one in the internet is sacrosanct. Everyone is fair game. These thoughts and images go around fast just like the weather patterns that change and swirl around the globe. And just like the weather, our cultural world is being shaped by our collective thoughts within the structure and framework of the technologically wired environment we live in today. Do we then damn technology because of the potent power it helps wield over us? Certainly NOT! It would be a big mistake to blame technology for our present woes. Just like fire and electricity and practically all of man’s tools and inventions through the ages, technology is a double-edged sword. It can enhance human
life or it can destroy just as well. The fault, dear tech user, is not in our stars but in OURSELVES. It is how we define our relationship to technology and use it in our daily lives. We can be the boss of it. Or if we lose control, we can let ourselves be obsessed by technology and all its bells and whistles. It can wreak havoc on our souls, our persona and ultimately our lives if we use it as a tool to enable a hubristic tendency among many people today who think the world revolves around them and who then count their worthiness with the number of likes they get from their posts. How do we know if technology has us wrapped around its little keypads? It is easy enough to self-diagnose this condition. Observe if you cross streets and railroad tracks with your phones tethered to your ears. Note if you like taking selfies even in dangerous places. See if you become unhinged because you forgot or lost your phone. If so, break the habit. If not, you as a specie will disappear just like the dodo bird who has become so stupid that it has foolishly lost its instinct to danger. When we are no longer mindful of our present conditions and depend on technology overly much to do the thinking for us, then we are truly in deep doodoo. People have become so preoccupied and distracted by the mind boggling possibilities presented by multitasking that is engendered by a tech-enhanced way of life, that they tend to forget what is important and what truly matters. How badly can it get? There are horror stories of mindless idiocy. Countless car accidents borne of texting while driving, are a testament to the tragic loss of mind-
fulness and by extension, common sense, among us earthlings. Witness the number of news items about overly busy working parents, juggling balls of parenthood and a career and who forget that they have babies strapped in car seats in the back of their cars leaving them to die in the heat of the sun. It is a sad commentary that while we have all the technological aids at our disposal to make our lives better, we fail to use them appropriately. How do we detox? Try going tech free at designated times or for long stretches of time without having to check your phone or your computer for messages that you feel compelled to respond to ASAP. As I have said in another article championing the cause of living mindfully in the moment, “Log off and enjoy your hot chocolate.” Unless your work involves saving lives, taking a vacation from technology may prove to offer a higher quality of life. Eventually, as we learn to synch and balance our lives with our tech tool, it will be an obedient dog serving us as its master. Think of the perks. We get to appreciate the present moment and appreciate and deeply love the people we are with right then and there. We get to “Carpe Diem” and experience JOY in real time. We get to open our eyes and our hearts to the beauty and infinite majesty of just breathing and knowing LIFE IS GOOD – so good you can feel it in your bones. Best of all, we get to reserve the eminent right to remain ESSENTIALLY HUMAN. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@asianjournalinc.com
Expanded maternity leave… PAGE B1 t medium enterprises can prosper with a fully implemented expanded maternity leave policy because in the end, it’s all about the basic needs of our working people, particularly
our women,” Hontiveros said. She, meanwhile, expressed hope that the measure’s counterpart bill in the House of Representatives, which is still waiting approval from its members, will be passed soon.
Hontiveros’ law seeks to double the number of paid maternity leave days of women to 120 days with pay and an option to extend it for another 30 days without pay. The 30 days can also be allotted to fathers and alternate caregivers.
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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 26, 2017
How Madrid Fusion Manila is putting PH on the map as a gastronomic destination in Asia by MoMar
M
Adrid Fusion Manila, the global gastronomic gathering is back for a third serving and it is larger than ever, and along with it is the more longterm goal of establishing the Philippines as an important and vibrant culinary destination in the region. Held for three days at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, Madrid Fusion this year focused on sustainability in the culinary industry as the award-winning and Michelinstarred chefs invited to deliver their talks discussed ways in which they run their respective kitchens where they showcase innovations and cutting-edge techniques in creating exquisite dishes. “The whole world now gets to see the Philippines as a culinary destination. We really want to promote the Philippines this way,” Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo told the Asian Journal. “More than just a celebration of gastronomy of the highest order, Madrid Fusion is instrumental in spreading the word that Filipino chefs are worldclass and that the Philippines is poised to be the center of gastronomy in Asia.” More than 1,400 Filipino foodies from around the world, people with passionate love for food and cooking and industry professionals gathered under one venue to celebrate yet another year of gastronomic experience and thereby giving Filipino cuisine the international prestige it deserves. This year’s delegates come from China, Hong Kong, india, indonesia, Macau, Taiwan, denmark, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. “Today, food forecasts for 2017 have predicted the Philippines as the place where the next big food trend will start,
Chef Pedro Subijana is the man behind Akelarre, a restaurant in San Sebastian, Spain that has been open since 1974 and has three Michelin stars.
and many articles have been written worldwide about how the food scene in the Philippines is heating up,” said Tourism director Verna Covar-Buensuceso earlier this year at the Madrid Fusion 2017 held at the Palacio Municipal de Congresos in Madrid. Among this year’s featured chefs for international Gastronomy Congress were 19 celebrated Filipino culinary chefs and Michelin-starred culinary chefs from Asia, Europe and the Americas led by Gert de Mangeeler (Hertog Jan, Belgium), Jordi roca and Alejandra rivas Gomez (El Celler de Can roca, Spain) and Pedro Subijana (Akelare, Spain), all of whom have three Michelin stars each, one of the toughest achievements in the restaurant industry. Two Michelin star holders Paco Perez (Miramar, Spain), Julien royer (Odette, Singapore) and Magnus Ek (Oaxen Krog & Slip, Sweden) and Simon rogan (L’Enclume, England) joined the aforementioned chefs as presenters. The half-Filipino, half-French sisters Tatiana and Katia Levha (Le Servan, France), FilipinoAmerican Sally Camacho-Mueller (Top Chef: Just desserts Season 2 runner up) and Filipino-British Josh Boutwood (The Test Kitchen, Philippines) talked about their respective journeys and how they practice sustainability in their respective kitchens. The Levha sisters talked about cooking from stem to stern and explained their enthusiasm when they learned about Madrid Fusion’s theme this year. “Sustainability is a major concern for us in the restaurant,” Tatiana, who trained in both L’Arpege and L’Astrance shared. “We choose what’s seasonal, healthy and sustainably grown. And that also applies to our wine selection.”
Filipino Chef Gene Gonzalez
#EATSMOREFUNINTHEPHILIPPINES with more than 1,400 attendees at the recently-concluded Madrid Fusion Manila 2017.
Department of Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo, Foru de Debati president Jose Carlos Capel, Tourism Promotion Board chief Cesar Montano and Spanish Ambassador Luis Calvo led the opening of Madrid Fusion Manila 2017 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.
Filipino chefs Gene Gonzalez (Café Ysabel) and robby Goco (Green Pastures), delivered the opening and closing plenaries, respectively. Gonzalez talked about the evolution of Filipino cuisine and told the audience to watch out for artisanal and Philippine-made chocolates. The past two years have been an incredible journey for the food industry with the chefs from the different parts of the world coming together, discussing their knowledge about their food and cuisine and sharing best practices that chefs from this part of the world could emulate. Madrid Fusion is divided into three components: the international Gastronomy Congress, where award-winning chefs shared their views and techniques in cooking; the international Gastronomy Expo, which featured the finest food products and gourmet food, ingredients and technologies from Asia and Spain; and Flavors of the Philippines, a monthlong festival across the country featuring the finest delicacies from every region. The expo had anchor booths from both the department of Agriculture and department of Tourism, featuring vari-
ous forms of culinary tourism, farm and agri-tourism models, along with other exhibitors involved in sustainable farming and fishing in keeping up with this year’s theme. From fine food to gourmet products and new ingredients, from equipment and services to culinary and farm tourism prime-movers, the gastronomy expo is meant to reach out to the trade and tourism buyers and decision-makers. destination and lifestyle stands showcased the culinary tourism attractions of the country, along with their respective and iconic food, beverages and ingredients. There were also “food and beverage tunnels” which became a venue for delectable tasting sessions of wines and spirits, heirloom rice and grains, fresh farm produce, artisanal chocolates, various coffee varieties and other products. Food seminars were also held throughout the three-day affair. With Madrid Fusion Manila on its third edition, the culinary industry of the Philippines is beginning to expand and grow as it serves to challenge the country’s aspiring chefs to bring out the best in their crafts and how to make Manila the center of culinary excellence in all of
Fil-Am pastry chef and Top Chef Just Desserts finalist Sally Camacho Mueller
Filipino-British Chef Josh Boutwood
Le Servan’s take on pork belly adobo
G. Visaya/AJPress
Pig’s Head Skewer with Brown rice Porridge
At the expo, various regional specialties and native Filipino ingredients were on full display.
Regional lunches: Showcasing the diversity of Filipino cuisine FOR a couple of hours, congress attendees and guests take a break to eat a carefully curated themed ad festive lunch showcasing the diversity of Filipino cuisine and the sustainability of the native ingredients. This is where seasoned Filipino chefs such as Margarita Fores, JP Anglo and Claude Tayag prepare their dishes based on a specific theme. For Day 1, it was Rice, Day 2 was Nose to Tail and Day 3 was Corn. Day 1, curated by Angelo Comsti, was all about rice. Some chefs focused on heirloom rice, grown and harvested in various provinces in the Philippines, from balatinaw of Mountain Province to the innawi of Banaue. Day 2 highlighted the nose-to-tail concept and was curated by Nina DazaPuyat, Sasha Lim-Uy Mariposa, and Idge Mendiola. The term did not just apply to the pigs and cows, it also applied to other ingredients such as the coconut and cacao. The third day, curated by Alicia Sy, focused on the flexibility of the corn. Among the unforgettable dishes we had to partake were the following – Mike Tatung Sarthou and his Tausug Junay with Utakutak, which is sticky rice cooked with pamapa (Mindanao spice) and spiced fish nuggets. Kiddo Cosio of El Union who served Dirty White Horchata made with Tinawon white rice and Bukidnon espresso. JP Anglo’s Next Generation Adobo, a nose-to-tail adobo made with chicken heart, intestine, gizzard, tail and skin. Pam Cinco (Risa Chocolate) and her A Toast to Chocolate, a nose-to-tail dish using different parts of cacao, from the white chocolate disc topped with cacao nibs to the cacao dessert wine and the white chocolate truffle with dark chocolate ganache and carabao’s milk butter. Tina Legarda (Bamba Bistro) who served Tindahan ni Maria Salad of pechay, chorizo-charred corn, kesong puti, tuyopineapple vinaigrette and pork skin crumbs. Dedet de la Fuente (Pepita’s Kitchen) and her Nilasing na Lechon with corn and guinataan mais mousse. Margarita Fores and her purple corn ukoy, seared bagaybay with chorizo cream.
Half-Filipino/French Levha Sisters of Le Servan in Paris
Asia. Madrid Fusion Manila is the first and only Asian edition of Madrid Fusion, the most important international gastronomy congress in the world, organized annually in Madrid since 2003. When it was first staged in Manila in 2015, the theme focused around the 300-year gastronomic journey between the Philippines and Spain, and the celebration of the 450th anniversary then of the Manila Galleon that opened up trade routes between Asia, Europe and the Americas. “There’s a lot of interest in the event now. We have Fil-Ams coming in from the United States and foreigners signing up for the congress. We also have the tourism buyers program and we have tour operators specializing in gastronomy and food tours from different parts of the world here,” Buensuceso added. The Tourism department is pushing culinary tourism further and they are encouraging these global tour operators to meet with their local travel
trade counterparts and develop packages to the Philippines that are centered on food and gastronomy tours. This year’s theme, according to Buensuceso, aligns well because this is also the international Year of Sustainable Tourism, one of the advocacies of the many chefs in the world and many of the chefs speaking at the congress are pushing for sustainability. “We are on the right track because we have so far generated a lot of buzz about the Philippines as a food hub and many of the publications in the world are already saying that Filipino cuisine is the next big food trend. We also have enclaves of Filipinos living abroad where Filipino restaurants are now coming out and they’re getting to be very popular so it also creates that awareness and helps build the awareness about the Philippines as a center of food and gastronomy,” Ms. Buensuceso explained. “i think all these elements are conspiring together to push the Philippines into the limelight,” she added.
Sampinit Tres Leches Cake
Pepita’s Lechon showcased their specialties: stuffed lechon
Kilawin Kambing Terrine
Kare Kare
Kinunot
AJPress photos by Momar G. Visaya
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 26, 2017
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features
Becca Godinez to debut at Catalina Jazz Club
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 26, 2017
Coco Martin on show’s success: FPJ is guiding me by RIcky lo Philstar.com
The FPJ magic lives on! At a thanksgiving party last Friday, April 21 hosted by Coco Martin at his mansion (yes, it is!) in an upscale Quezon City subdivision, Coco himself was the one most surprised when ABS-CBN executive Cory Vidanes
announced that his starrer “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” would be extended until 2018, making it the longest-running action-adventure series in Philippine Television. Cory was among the ABSCBN bigwigs at the party including Carlo Katigbak (chairman) and Deo endrinal (head of Dreamscape which is behind
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Probinsyano). “Alam mo,” Coco confided to a guest later that evening, “when I start thinking of scenes to make Probinsyano more exciting, feeling ko gina-guide ako ni FPJ.” Besides playing the legendary hero created and popularized by Da King in several movies, Coco is also part of the creative team. As soon as he comes up with an idea, Coco discusses it with directors Toto Natividad, Malu Sevilla and Abel Sanpunco. routine master is Val Iglesias. Also topbilled in the series is FPJ’s widow Susan roces, a veritable crowd-drawer even in the presence of younger actors in the cast including Michael de Mesa, Joel Torre, Jaime Fabregas, rez Cortez, Arjo Atayde, Jeric raval, Long Mejia, John Prats, Awra, Makmak and Julio Diaz (who has recovered from a brain surgery caused by a stroke, helped financially by Coco). All of them were present at the Saturday party. Launched in August 2015, Probinsyano has been topping ratings as it continues to reinvent itself by introducing a parade of characters played by big actors in the field. “The show is unbeatable,” according to a Funfare source. “how many shows na ba ang itinapat sa Probinsyano?” As they say, you can’t lick a consistent winner, especially if it’s rating over 40 percent every time, all the time, all the way. “That’s why no show would dare compete with it,” added the Funfare source. “Ang lakas-lakas! 40 percent is 40 percent!”
LOS ANGeLeS— Becca Godinez—actress, singer/songwriter, producer/director—makes a much anticipated return to the concert stage with “Me, Myself & Music” on Saturday, May 20 in hollywood. The intimate show, which highlights songs that have influenced the artist through the years, serves as Becca’s onewoman debut at the legendary Catalina Jazz Club. While Becca has performed in numerous musical concerts in recent years (“Apl.de.ap Takes You to the Philippines” at the hollywood Bowl and “Jazzmopolitan” at the Ford Amphitheater, to name a few), the Catalina engagement marks the first time in over seven years she will take the microphone as a solo artist. “After 2009, I performed with other artists – perhaps because it was safer that way,” muses Becca. “I was returning to the concert stage after an absence and not having to singularly carry a show was easier. Sharing an act allowed me the chance to stretch, to rediscover what I could do stylistically and vocally and I began to grow into the entertainer that I wanted to be. Appearing in a solo concert on that [Catalina] stage will be a feather on my cap, for sure. I like being close to the audience—to reach out and Catalina is the perfect venue for that.” “Me, Myself & Music” will
(introduced to Becca by friend Ted Benito) and her own library system she developed in the Philippines that benefit children. “I have always leaned towards advocacies for children,” explains Becca. “ChLA is a true friend to children and their health care needs. They rely on the generosity of philanthropists to support patient care and as well do research that could positively impact all children today and in the future. In the Philippines, God opened avenues that allowed me to establish four childrens’ libraries to date. All of these are located in financially depressed areas. It was my dream Becca Godinez but must confess that I did not present an eclectic mix of songs do it alone. It is a humble but successful effort. I believe any and musical genres covering everything from Brazilian jazz, to child – given equal educational opportunities – can better or contemporary pop to acapella even surpass the successes of music. There will even be some those who have been given an original music that Becca will easier lot in life.” be presenting for the first time. As special guests for the “The audience will hear my voice – my choice of songs – the evening, Becca will welcome kind of music that I have loved— the Philippine Chamber Singers (PCS), the chorale ensemble music that has influenced my under the direction of Gelo song choices and styles. There Francisco. “I love them; I love will be no frills—just five musitheir immense talents individualcians and me. I will be able to show all facets of my music and ly and as a whole and, I love the varied song styles they tackle,” all the crazy sides of me.” said Becca. “I love hearing the A portion of the concert proceeds will benefit two needy coming together of musical chords. I saw PCS perform at charities that Becca is personthe Disney Concert hall last year ally involved with—Children’s hospital Los Angeles (ChLA) Continued on Page 5
What keeps Sarah Geronimo going by Iza IglesIas ManilaTimes.net
SArAh Geronimo is no doubt one of the country’s top performers. She has proven many times that not only is she a good singer but a competent dancer as well. her contributions to music, along with her film and television work, have made her a prominent figure in pop culture. In her own way too, she has became role model for the youth and an icon among millennials. Before becoming a popular and successful performer in Asia and the Philippines’ one
and only “Popstar Princess” and “Popstar royalty,” Geronimo recalls receiving her very first music lesson from her father, Delfin. At age two, she started singing publicly at mall shows while her mother Divina would accompany her to auditions for various television programs. When she was four-yearsold, she became a part of a children’s variety show on radio Philippines Network Channel 9 titled Pen-Pen De Sarapen; Ang TV when she was seven; and NeXT was nine. But it was only on March 1, 2003, when
14-year-old Geronimo joined the singing competition Star For A Night where she won grand prize for her rendition of Celine Dion’s “To Love You More.” Since then, she has received more than 200 awards in the entertainment industry and from other organizations, including various international award-giving bodies. At her latest endorsement for throat spray solution Kamillosan M on April 21 Geronimo told The Manila Times that she is definitely the person she is today because of her soulful and powerful voice, which she makes sure she uses with heart and humility. Geronimo admitted that her voice is her “most precious possession,” which she needs to protect in order to give always give her best performance. Singers like her are prone to voice Continued on Page 5
features
The language of laughter Moonlighting
satire or caricature, in a gallery of human folly. Comedy has many faces, but if there ever was one by Mylah tongue everybody in the world could understand, it was the de leon language of laughter. It brings joy and tears, groans and chuckles, tangled up like a ball of thread after a playful kitten gets “Neither of us would ever through with it. One moment die of love, we will grieve, part it ripples joyously, only to be and separate. For we were not suddenly muted by a wistfulmeant to be tragedians. We were ness when humor turns mean meant to be comedians.” – Graand cruel. ham Green, “The Comedians” humor in the role of the I have always wanted to comforter? It is a very old pracwrite something that will make tice. When you’re hungry, sing Graham Green laugh. Much of loud, if you have a good voice. today’s laughter is tickled by If that voice is awful, sing even comic situation, punning or rep- louder and get even with God! artee. humor has its own merry In times of loss, you laugh in laws but is an end in itself. The order to give yourself the courhuman comedy is a picture of age not to grieve. You shed a people, of life and truth, that it tear or two because the human delivers so gaily with smiles, guf- comedy is no laughing matter. faws, chatter and belly laughs. It When it’s distilled with pathos, is washed down with occasional laughter achieves a balance of sighs, moans and tears. now sanity. It gives one perspective isn’t that its own justification? and a view out of chaos. Face to face with foibles and While wit is sudden and incongruities of people, comedy startling, it is also usually scornshows the nimbleness of wit that ful, as it leaps audaciously. arouses laughter. The jokes, Wicked humor is said to be the quip, the human characterslower, rarely malicious which istics exposing its vagaries and does not fly to assault the mind drolleries disguised as irony, as but laughs its way into the
heart. Satire is probing and critical, cutting through pretension with quick corrosive acid, its purpose is coldly destructive. But humor seldom analyzes. It is simply warm and sympathetic, playful, sometimes high-hearted, sometimes hilarious. Unlike the poisoned barb of satire (like Oscar Wilde), and the killing point of wit (as was Winston Churchill), humor is healing. It is not only wholesome but recreative and rejuvenating. It makes us smile, giggle, shriek or laugh incessantly. You know with the range of pigeons cooing to a lunatic having a seizure. Yet, could it be otherwise? While people can laugh easily at the absurd, the pretentious or even the mean, why are they hardly likely to be sent into gales of laughter by the sincere, the upright, the noble? Virtue is no laughing matter. Jokes work if they are funny and fresh and they could make a comedian of anybody. The laugh getter is always appreciated. But I’ve been advised to stick to my amusing little comments.
From Page 4 problems because of the extra effort they put on their throats, she said. The 28-year-old singer-actress noted that it is important not to strain her voice especially when singing. “If I know that my throat hurts, I let the specialists check it immediately. I usually find the proper placement of notes I am performing as well. Another thing is that I’m careful of the food I eat too. I can’t eat too many sweets, which is hard for me since I have a sweet tooth. I love chocolates and candies. It’s just that anything too much is never good,” Geronimo said. She, however, dismissed the common notion that singers should not drink cold beverages for they may stiffen up the vocal cords. “It is not a problem if you drink cold drinks; I just don’t do it before singing. It is a scientific fact that cold drinks are muscle relaxants. even athletes, they soak in ice-cold water. Just don’t
ever eat sweets and then take cold drinks after that because that might lead to tonsillitis,” she shared. For her fans, Geronimo seems to slay every single performance she has, especially on the ABS-CBn Sunday variety show ASAP. But she confessed there were several times that she could barely carry a tune live. “There were a lot of times that I wasn’t able to sing as well as I had hoped when I have a sore throat, not because it affects my singing voice, but it really hurts when I force it,” she intimated. “It’s also very hard for others not to notice it because, of course, people expect a lot from you and I never want to put them down,” she added. Meanwhile, Geronimo is back as a coach in The Voice Teens this season, together with Lea Salonga, Bamboo Mañalac and Sharon Cuneta. The singer-actress skipped a season of the reality singing competition for the first time last year, explaining needed time to
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 26, 2017
Aiko Melendez: It’s never late to lose weight by Maridol
rañoa-BisMark Philstar.com
When other women her age hide their figures in dark colors and loose clothes, Aiko Melendez, 41, wears a neon pink bikini and posts it on Instagram. Mixed reactions about her bold move are natural. Some liked what they saw. Others subjected the actress to body shaming. But this doesn’t faze Aiko — not when that bikini photo of hers trended many times over and got 2,000 comments, mostly positive. Aiko’s son Andre, 19, was unconvinced at first. he wondered aloud why his mom had to flaunt her bikini bod. her answer was direct to the point. “nothing. I just want to check on myself. I want to get feedback.” Andre read the comments and liked what he read. he finally told her that she really looks good, now that she lost a *** lot of weight. E-mail Mylah at moonlightingmdl@ Aiko was in seventh heaven. aol.com “Kinilig ako (I felt excited).” After all, that sexy bod didn’t happen overnight. Aiko worked out, started dancing regularly and drastically cut grow more as an artist and that being a coach felt like “role-play- down on rice. There was even a time when she limited her rice ing” for her. The mentor-coach expressed intake to only once a week. Since she worked hard to how excited she is to be back look good, Aiko maintains the on the popular talent show. discipline that gave her the “We just finished taping blind to-die-for figure she has today. auditions. So we will resume In fact, she wants to shed more the battles and sing offs in May. From there, we will start mentor- pounds to keep up with the demands of her high-profile job. ing, coaching, etcetera. every“I want to lose 20 pounds body is so good and you cannot more because TV makes you tell whose side is going to win.” Although there are some who doubt her credibility as a mentor, Geronimo said she chooses not to pay attention to From Page 4 her detractors. She pointed out she only wants to focus more on and thought…’gosh I’d like to the talents. harmonize with that talented her advice to singing young group!’” hopefuls? “Continue to sing. It is The veteran performer, who good that as early as now, they got her start in Manila in televidiscover what genre they are sion and in musical theater, will comfortable with and what type also give a musical nod to those they are really passionate about. genres as part of the evening’s It is also important that they repertoire. “There’s a big differlisten to different kinds of music ence between a concert, musical so that they will be flexible. They theater and television. Musical should think of their own identity theatre is scripted; performing rather than copy someone.”
What keeps Sarah Geronimo...
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Aiko Melendez: “I want to tell people that it’s never too late to lose weight. Someday, if I have time, I can even write a book about how I did it.”
look 10 pounds heavier.” Weight loss isn’t enough for her. She wants a sculpted body to make her feel and look a lot better. This will emphasize those curves and shape of Aiko’s swimmer arms as well. So she researched to get the right person for the job. her search ended in Dr. Claudine Roura, medical director of Contours Advanced Face and Body Sculpting Institute. Aiko felt bad that the flesh around her arms still sagged despite hours of carrying weights in the gym. Dr. Roura solved the problem via vaser lipo. Today, Aiko can wear off-shoulder clothes with confidence. Women — and men — like the new Aiko. And she feels so inspired, she vows never to stop working out to maintain her fit body. Aiko laughs as she recalls getting invites from men who ask her how much she’ll charge to be their work-out buddy. She
won’t accept the invitations, of course, but Aiko is happy that she now has a new role — that of “fitspiration.” “I want to tell people that it’s never too late to lose weight. Someday, if I have time, I can even write a book about how I did it,” she says. Does being proud of her hard-earned curves mean she’ll agree to flaunt it on the cover of men’s magazines? The usually self-assured Aiko is nervous. “now I’m sweating,” she admits. “no sexy poses on men’s magazines. I struck a deal with my son and daughter (Marthena, 10).” But she’s not closing her doors, adding that she’ll cross the bridge when she gets there. For now, the answer is no, thank you. Meantime, let’s see what Aiko will post next in this season of beaches, sand, surf and Bora bodies.
Becca Godinez to debut at Catalina Jazz... in a musical allows me to sing but it is as a fictitious character,” says Becca. “It is similar with television. I hosted several of my own TV shows in Manila, but in the end, it is also scripted in a way as to please a specifically themed hour that involves guests, dancers, interviews, etc. A solo concert is freeing. I get to choose songs that could be random, funny, crazy – a mash up of musical styles and it is my
raw heart that is offered to the audience.” *** GODinUs Music presents Becca Godinez: “Me, Myself & Music” will be on Saturday, May 20, 2017 at Catalina Jazz Club (loc. at 6725 W. Sunset Blvd., hollywood, CA 90028). tickets are available at $45. For tickets, call: (323) 466-2210 or visit: www.catalinajazzclub. com.
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 26, 2017