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M I D W E E K M I D W E E K

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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

Volume 27 - No. 10 • 3 Sections - 20 Pages

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Philippines halts drug war, PNP must be ‘cleansed’ Duterte orders arrest of ‘rogue’ cops

by Klarize

MeDenilla AJPress

PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa

DATELINE

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has suspended the war on drugs to prioritize the “cleansing” of “rogue” PNP officers, Director General Ronald dela Rosa announced on Monday, January 30.

“To all the rogue cops, beware!

We no longer have a war on drugs,” Dela Rosa told reporters. “We will cleanse our ranks...then maybe after that, we can resume our war on drugs. The president told us to clean the organization first.”

USA

fROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

US warned: Stop constructing ‘permanent’ arms depot in PH PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has accused the United States of building ‘permanent’ arms depot in the country.

In a televised conference on Sunday, January 29, Duterte claimed that the U.S. military is presently unloading arms in the following provinces: Palawan, Cagayan de Oro, and Pampanga.

“They’re unloading arms in the Philippines now... I’m serving notice to the armed forces of the United States. Do not do it, I will not allow it,” Duterte stressed.

The president then threatened that he would respond by repealing the Visiting forces Agreement (VfA).

“A depot by any other name is a depot. It’s a permanent structure to house arms. And I do not even know if there is a nuclear tip now that they are unloading because we don’t al-

Dela Rosa told the media that the temporary suspension of all antidrug operations – including Oplan Tokhang, a PNP project launched to warn illegal drug traffickers to stop their operations – was a result of the mishandling of the “kidnap-forransom” operation of Jee Ick-joo, a businessman from South Korea.

Ick-joo was reportedly kidnapped by police in Angeles, Pampanga on October 18, 2016, and was strangled to death at the PNP headquarters at Camp Crame.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who

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Fil-Ams join LAX protest against travel ban by eric

anthony licaS AJPress

THOUSANDS of demonstrators occupied Los Angeles International Airport and other flight hubs nationwide on Sunday, January 29, demanding the release of travelers detained as a consequence of President Donald Trump’s sweeping executive orders on immigration.

Gillian Christensen, an acting spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, told the Los Angeles Times on Sunday that Customs and Border Protection had finished processing cases regarding those who had entered the U.S. following the implementation of a 120-day travel ban affect-

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Trump to maintain Obama’s protections for LGBT workers

THE previous Obama administration’s workplace protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals will be kept under new United States President Donald Trump, the White House announced on Tuesday, January 31.

In a statement, the White House said Trump is “determined to protect the rights of all Americans, including the LGBTQ community.”

“President Trump continues to be respectful and supportive of LGBTQ rights, just as he was throughout the election,” it said.

The executive order was signed by former President Barack Obama, Trump’s predecessor, in 2014. The order bans companies that do federal work from discriminating against LGBT people.

“The president is proud to have been the first ever GOP nominee to mention the LGBTQ community in his nomination acceptance speech, pledging then to protect the

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Protesters flocked to Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday, Jan. 29.

AJPress photo by Eric Anthony Licas

SAP PASSING ON THE CROWN. Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach crowns the 2016 Miss Universe Iris Mittenaere from France on Monday, Jan. 30 at the Mall of Asia in Manila. Filipinos from all walks of life, who are huge beauty pageant fans, stayed glued to their TV as 86 candidates competed for the crown.

Inquirer.net photo

France wins the Miss Universe crown First runner-up Miss Haiti talks about Filipino heritage

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

IRIS Mittenaere from france was crowned as the 65th Miss Universe, succeeding the Philippines’ Pia Wurtzbach.

Mittenaere, a 23-year-old dental surgery student, bested the other 85 beauty queens from around the world during the coronation night on Monday, January 30 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Philippines.

This was the second time france won the title since Christiane Martel in 1953.

During the question and answer portion, top three Misses Colombia, Haiti, and france were asked: “Name something over the course of your life that you failed at, and tell us what you learned from that experience.”

Mittenaere answered, “I’ve failed several

times in my life, so I thought that I failed the first time that I went out on a casting because my name wasn’t on the list. The very next day, I found that I was in a new book.”

“So I think that when you fail, you have to be elevated, you have to try again, and keep going. If tonight, I’m not one of the winners, I will still have the great honor of being one of the three finalists,” she added, as translated by an interpreter. “So I think that I have failed before, but for me, this is a great first opportunity.”

Haiti’s Raquel Pelissier, was named first runner-up, while Colombia’s Andrea Tovar was named the second runner-up.

Pelissier, who previously shared that she has filipino blood from her mother’s side, thanked her filipino fans for their support during the pageant.

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Duterte won’t help undocumented How Trump’s immigration Filipinos in US facing deportation EO might affect the Philippines

by Klarize

by auDrey

Morallo Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — US President Donald Trump’s executive order on friday., Jan. 27, halting the US refugee program for 120 days and preventing immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries has sent shockwaves across the globe, with both leaders and ordinary citizens from several countries expressing consternation and outrage over the order.

The seven Muslim-majority countries affected by the order are Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Although the Philippines is not included in the list, this ban has taken particular

resonance among filipinos not only because of the scale of immigration to the US from the Philippines but also the pronouncement on Monday of President Ro-

MeDenilla AJPress

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte announced that his administration will not help undocumented filipinos “out of respect” for U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies.

At a news briefing at Malacañang on Monday, January 30, Duterte demonstrated support for Trump’s widely criticized executive order which calls for a temporary U.S. travel ban for refugees from seven Muslim-ma-

jority nations.

“To filipinos there (in the U.S.), you better be on the right track. If you are not allowed to stay there where you are staying, get out because if you are caught and deported, I will not lift a finger,” Duterte affirmed. “You know it is a violation of the law.”

There are more than 310,000 undocumented filipinos in the United States on the Department of Homeland Security’s list of individuals who are up for deportation. It is unclear whether they are criminal offenders.

Various fil-Am groups criticized Duterte for his decision to stay away from the issue, which they say is liable to displace fami-

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A FEBRUARY 1-3, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797

From the Front Page

Philippines halts drug war, PNP must…

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denounced the actions of the police officers involved in the Ick-joo operation, supported the decision for the PNP overhaul.

“But itong killing ng Koreano (But this killing of the Korean), the place was just incidental,” the president said in a statement released from the Presidential Office of the Press Secretary.

“Na-kidnap na nila, nakuha na nila (They kidnapped him, they took him), they could have killed, strangled him anywhere but [the fact that it happened] inside Camp Crame is really bad.”

The current investigation into the matter pinned PNP Superintendent Rafael Dumlao as the mastermind, but Duterte gathered that it is actually a conspiracy in which all those involved de-

AFTER THE STORM. Residents of the village of Sagunto in La Paz town, Agusan del Sur, clean up after flooding swept homes and structures after unrelenting rains.

Inquirer.net photo by Jeffrey Salinas

France wins the Miss Universe…

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“I was not expecting so much support and so much love when I came to the Philippines and it was something I have never seen before anywhere in the world so I’m so blessed to be here and to have experienced this amazing journey. Thank you so much, mahal ko kayo (I love you),” she told CNN Philippines.

Pelissier added that she wants to come back and revisit Cebu, Baguio, and Boracay, and learn more about the Philippines and its culture.

The pageant’s top six, meanwhile, comprised of the Philippines’ Maxine Medina, Kenya’s Mary Esther Were, and Thailand’s Chalita Suansane.

During the question and answer portion, Medina was asked what was the “most significant change” she saw in the world in the last decade.

An interpreter repeated the question in Tagalog but Medina, who was previously criticized for not being fluent in English, insisted in not using an interpreter for her reply.

“In the last 10 years of being here in the world, I saw all the people bringing in one event

like this, Miss Universe. And it’s something big to us that we are one, as one nation we are all together,” Medina answered.

The top nine included the United States of America’s Deshauna Barber, Canada’s Siera Bearchell, and Mexico’s Kristal Silva.

Brazil’s Raissa Santana, Indonesia’s Kezia Warouw, Panama’s Keity Drennan, and Peru’s Valeria Piazza also made it to the top 13.

Mittenaere said that as the new Miss Universe, her primary advocacies include dental and oral hygiene.

“I’m going to be a dentist. This is a big problem in my country, and in a lot of countries,” Mittenaere said. “So I really want to help children and adults, ‘cause this is a problem I know very well.”

Following Miss France’s coronation, Malacañang sent its congratulations to her.

“Iris brought tremendous joy to her people by representing France well on the international stage with her winning grace, regal bearing and inspiring answer. She has won not only the nod of the judges but the affection of the entire world as well,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernie Abella said in a statement.

Malacañang also congratulated Medina for representing the Philippines and making it to the top six.

“We likewise congratulate Maria Mika Maxine Medina for making it to the top six. She represented the Philippines well in the international scene,” Abella added.

Pia hands Harvey a pair of glasses During the coronation night, Mittenaere and Pelissier held hands as they waited for host Steve Harvey to announce the pageant’s winner.

But Miss Universe 2015 Wurtzbach broke the tension when she tapped Harvey on his shoulders.

Just as Harvey was about to announce the final winner, Wurtzbach handed him a pair of reading glasses.

“Thank you, Pia,” Harvey said, joined by a laughing crowd. “A year late, but thank you.”

During the last Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada, Harvey committed a gaffe when he declared Miss Colombia as Miss Universe 2015, and Wurtzbach as first runner-up.

Harvey later apologized for the mistake and announced Wurtzbach as the true winner. n

serve “equal criminal liability,” according to the statement.

The president – who has built a political career on an anti-corruption agenda – also asserted that more than 6,000 police officers are involved in the illegal drug trade. At the swearing of newly promoted military generals at Malacanang on Monday, January 30, Duterte asked the military to assist in the overhaul of the PNP. “Kung hindi ko kayo ipasok sa laro, patay ako. Walang magtingin diyan sa abusadong pulis (If I don’t put you in the picture, I am doomed. Nobody will look after the abusive policemen),” he said addressing the military. “The culture of corruption in the police is matindi (serious).”

Previously, Duterte has apologized to South Koreans and even spoke with Jee’s widow, Choi Kyung-jin, and assured her that justice will be “swiftly served.”

Amid all the allegations of corruption infiltrating throughout police ranks, Duterte took a step forward in arresting cops who don’t follow orders.

“No police in this country anywhere is allowed to enforce laws related to the drug campaign.

Kasi magamit nila ‘yan, palitan nila ‘yang warrant, palitan lang ang pangalan tapos pupunta (Because they can use and change the names in the warrant and then they proceed),” the president said, admitting that the overly violent cops may have taken advantage of the drug war to engage in misconduct. n

Fil-Ams join LAX protest against…

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ing seven predominantly Muslim countries on Friday, January 27.

Volunteer attorneys in Los Angeles announced just after midnight on Monday, January 30 that all persons held in airport detention centers that they were aware of had been released. The news came after 12 hours of protest that delayed flights and slowed traffic throughout the city’s freeway system.

“Yes, there was some disruption in people’s travel’s but it is something that needs to be heard,” LA City Councilmember Jose Huizar told the Asian Journal outside of LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal on Monday morning. He went on to say that “it’s really our president who is causing these disruptions because of his insanity.”

He said Angelenos had, by and large, voiced discontent with Trump’s actions. In the coming weeks, the LA City Council will vote on measures designed to resist several of the president’s executive orders which call for state and local agencies to enforce immigration law and the construction of a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico in addition to the travel ban.

The public debate surrounding those policies has largely centered on the Latino and Muslim communities, and Trump’s ef- Muslims gather in prayer at LAX in protest to President Donald Trump’s travel ban for 7

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Muslim-majority countries.

AJPress photos by Eric Anthony Licas

(818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 • http://www.asianjournal.com

From the Front Page

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 1-3, 2017

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Fil-Ams join LAX protest against…

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forts to tighten the nation’s borders have not directly impacted the Philippines so far. However, a number of Filipino Americans took part in Sunday’s demonstration in a show of solidarity and support for immigrant’s rights.

“This doesn’t just affect ...

Muslim Americans,” said Katie, a Filipino American who, like many other attorneys who came to the airport to volunteer legal assistance to detainees, asked that her full name be withheld for professional reasons. “When one group’s rights are affected we are all affected, especially as minorities. Nothing is guaranteed to us.”

She said the hastily implemented travel ban that resulted in the detainment of green-cardholders, as well as refugees who had been vetted to receive U.S. visas, was unconstitutional. She declined to predict the outcome of the looming legal battle over the president’s orders, but said she hoped the courts would “do the right thing.”

On the evening of Saturday, January 28, a federal court in New York granted an injunction temporarily halting the enforcement of the travel ban. However,

AJPress photos by Eric Anthony Licas

by about 3 p.m. on Sunday, at least 125 people were still in CBP custody according to Lawyers working those cases. Despite Sunday’s announcement that all of the initial detainees had been released, Christensen said she was unsure whether or not additional cases were being processed.

A small gathering of Trump supporters was dwarfed by the crowd of opponents to the President’s travel ban assembled at LAX, which grew to 6,000 and 8,000 people at its peak accord-

ing to individuals helping to coordinate protestors. Demonstrators began to block the street outside the Tom Bradley arrivals terminal sometime before sundown. By about 7 p.m. they split into two groups in order to halt traffic to the departures terminal as well.

“We’re ready to fight for what’s right … as members of the human race,” June Caparal, a psychotherapist, told the Asian Journal as he arrived on Sunday to join the mass demonstration

drigo Duterte that he would not “lift a finger” to help Filipinos in America who would be affected.

This may have caused inadvertent confusion and concern among many in the Philippines.

Here’s what the order does and doesn’t do, and how it might affect Filipinos.

According to The Atlantic, an American magazine, the executive order applies only to nonUS citizens. However, according to the magazine, the White House said that their Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) would have “discretionary authority” to question US citizens, including Filipinos who have acquired American citizenship, who will be arriving from the seven Muslim-majority countries covered by the ban.

The scope of the prohibition covers refugees waiting for resettlement in the US. In the case of refugees from Syria, they are prevented from entering the US “indefinitely.” Filipinos on any visa category can still enter the US because only citizens from the said Muslim-dominated countries are banned, so far.

Filipino green card holders are also not yet affected since only card holders from these countries traveling overseas are covered although these instances would be considered on a case-to-case basis, The Atlantic reported.

Filipinos holding dual citizenship could still breathe a sigh of relief because the order targets only those from the mentioned countries holding dual citizenship with another country. However, CBP personnel can question people not from the banned countries who hold dual citizenship based on their discretion.

This does not mean that the Philippines will not be affected in the future especially in light of reports indicating that the ban is likely to be extended to other countries and Trump’s statements when he was still campaigning for the US presidency.

During the campaign, thencandidate Trump promised that he would suspend immigration from states with a proven history of terrorism against the US and its allies. In August last year, Trump was criticized by Filipinos and Filipino-Americans after he pro-

Duterte won’t help undocumented Filipinos…

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lies across the nation.

“It’s a shame that Duterte would not ‘lift a finger’ to help Filipino migrants who are in need,” Joanna Concepcion, executive director of the Filipino Migrant u PAGE A4 Center, told Inquirer. “What will Duterte do for the families who are depending on (the undocumented Filipinos’) remittances?”

Some organizations have suspiposed a ban on immigration from cions about Duterte’s high regard the Philippines which he included for the Trump administration, like in his list of terrorist havens.

Chair of Bayan USA Bernadette The Philippine inclusion in Ellorin, who echoed Concepcion’s Trump’s list of terrorist havens argument concerning Filipinos in seems to have a basis especially if the U.S. providing for their famithe US State Department’s annual lies in the motherland. report on global terrorist activity “What is there to respect about is to be believed. In the report, the Philippines, specifically the Of the 2.73 million visas issued, southern areas of the country, was named as a terrorist activ- more than 235,000 were issued ity haven together with Somalia, to the Philippines, the second Mali, Libya, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, highest number among those on Indonesia, Malaysia, Afghanistan, the list. These people are on top of the 3.5 million Filipino immiPakistan and Yemen.

If this happens, the Philippines grants already living in the US in will be significantly affected es- 2013, according to the Migration pecially in terms of immigration Policy Institute.

If Filipinos are barred from enand overseas Filipinos workers tering the US, this will have seri(OFWs) remittances.

According to an analysis by ous repercussions on the PhilipCNN, a total of more than 2.73 pine economy especially on the million nonimmigrant and im- remittances of our countrymen migrant visas were issued by the working abroad. Latest data from US State Department to citizens the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas of countries that were either la- showed that from January to Nobeled “terrorist safe havens” vember 2016, $8.06 billion was re(the category of the Philippines), mitted by Filipinos in the US, a fig“state sponsors of terror,” “na- ure that is 5.3 percent higher than tions where terror networks are the amount during the same peribased and operate” or “countries od the previous year. This number might not include money coming with active terror cells.”

How Trump’s immigration EO might…

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SCARF FASHION. Amina Ameroding of Marawi CIty sells hijab at the Islamic Center in Quiapo, Manila as Muslim communities celebrate World Hijab Day on Wednesday, February 1.

Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez

abuse of executive power of the rich over undocumented workers in the US?” Ellorin told Inquirer, adding that so many undocumented Filipinos are “living in the shadows and in fear of a repressive Trump administration that has called Filipinos ‘animals’ and from a ‘terrorist’ nation.”

Pattern of respect Previously, Duterte and Trump expressed respect for one another as world leaders when Trump was elected on November 8.

According to Duterte, the new U.S. president expressed support and respect for Duterte’s violent crackdown on illegal drugs during a phone call on December 3, 2016. Trump even intimated that

from Filipinos who came to the US illegally. They are estimated to be numbering up to 300,000, based on Malacañang speculations.

The number of Filipinos who might not be allowed to enter the US should a policy be enacted and the ban’s impact on the amount of money sent home by Filipinos seriously warrant the government’s attention on this matter. Considering the impact of this on the economy, which is heavily reliant on remittances, as well as on the lives of Filipinos both in the US and in the Philippines, the government should have measures and programs in place to address the possible ramifications of Trump’s executive order. Simply stating that it “won’t lift a finger” is not enough. n

he thinks that the Duterte administration is handling the situation “the right way.”

“You know, Trump said, ‘I will not interfere in the affairs of other countries.’ Now, if he has policies to protect his country, I’ll understand because when he said we will not interfere in [your] anti-drug war, you’re doing it right. As a matter of fact, my country is also facing the same serious problem,” Duterte said at a press conference on the evening of Sunday, January 29.

“So out of respect, I can only answer him in the manner that he as told me. I will not interfere.”

As the Asian Journal previously reported, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar affirmed the administration’s decision to respect U.S. policies and promised not to intervene, even if it does mean turning away Filipinos facing deportation.

“I can tell you right now that that our president cares for any Filipino, not only in the Philippines, but around the world -- he cares for them,” Andanar said at a press conference in Los Angeles on Monday, January 23.

Andanar added: “If you’re asking me what our policy is right now, we have to respect the new administration [because] they are still in transition. We have to wait and see which policies they will push forward, which policies they announced during the campaign...we respect the political and democratic process here in the U.S. and as I mentioned, non-interference.” n

A FEBRUARY 1-3, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

Dateline USa

http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797

Demand for popular shortterm insurance plans could surge if health law is relaxed

by MIchelle

andrews Kaiser Health News

SHORT-term health plans have been around for decades, bridging coverage gaps for people who are between jobs or have recently graduated from school, among other things.

After the health law passed, some people gravitated toward them because they were willing to trade comprehensive coverage for a cheaper sticker price — even if it meant paying a tax penalty for not having the comprehensive coverage required in the law. Sales increased.

Now, as Republicans look for ways to weaken the health law’s coverage requirements and explore the possibility of not enforcing the requirement that people have health insurance, short-term plans may be poised to grow even more. If that happens, consumer advocates warn it could be bad for consumers.

As their name suggests, short-term plans provide coverage for a limited period of time, often six months or less.

They generally don’t cover such things as preexisting conditions, maternity services or prescription drugs. The policies typically have maximum coverage limits of about $1 million.

Insurers can turn people down if they’re sick and may decide not to renew someone’s policy.

All of these practices are prohibited in plans that qualify as individual insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Precisely because of these limitations, however, the premiums are typically a lot cheaper than those for ACA-compliant coverage. In the fourth quarter of 2016, the average monthly premium a shopper would pay for a short-term plan sold through online insurance vendor ehealth.com was $124, compared with $393 for someone who bought a regular Obamacare plan and didn’t qualify for premium subsidies.

When the health law passed, insurers increasingly began offering short-term plans that

stretched the definition of “short,” sometimes providing coverage for as long as 364 days.

“Carriers were exploiting a loophole in the law that defined a health insurance plan as one that was 365 days,” said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms. “If they were shorter they didn’t have to comply with ACA protections.”

Short-term plans serve a tiny but growing proportion of the roughly 22 million people who have coverage on the individual market. At the end of 2013, before the health law’s major reforms took effect, there were approximately 108,800 people covered by these policies, which earned premiums of $97.5 million, according to figures from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Two years later, roughly 148,100 people had short-term plans and premium earnings have grown to $160.5 million.

Some insurers have taken notice. Online health insurance vendor Health Insurance Innovations launched Agile Health Insurance in the spring of 2015 to focus on sales of short-term plans. In the third quarter 2016, Agile sold 21,000 short-term policies.

“These short-term plans are not regulated like Obamacare plans, so carriers have a lot of flexibility in benefits and pricing,” said Sam Gibbs, Agile’s executive director. “It’s almost like the old individual market before the ACA.” And that’s just the problem, said some policy experts.

“To many consumers it looks like health insurance, except it’s cheaper,” said Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation. But the plans don’t protect people when unforeseen events occur such as a car accident or a cancer diagnosis. With a short-term plan, if you get sick or you’re in the hospital when your plan comes up for renewal, “it won’t be re-

newed,” Pollitz said. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the foundation.)

Not all insurers embrace widespread sale of short-term plans. “The big health insurance companies are really mixed on this,” said Timothy Jost, emeritus professor at Washington and Lee University School of Law and an expert on the health law. “They see this as a seriously destabilizing force in the market, this crap coverage.”

Last October, the Obama administration issued a final rule that would make it more difficult for consumers to buy short-term plans to substitute for regular Obamacare plans.

The regulation, which takes effect April 1, said short-term plans must be less than three months in duration. People can request a renewal of the policies, but insurers can turn them down. The policies and related materials also have to prominently display a warning that they don’t satisfy the law’s requirement that people have health insurance.

Some hope that the rule may be changed or rescinded by the Trump administration or overturned by the new Congress under the little-used Congressional Review Act. Neither option can happen at the stroke of a pen, however.

Health insurance brokers and agents are one group that would like to continue to sell longer term short-term plans.

“Our folks do a lot of business with short-term plans,” said Marcy Buckner, vice president of government affairs at the National Association of Health Underwriters, an industry group.

The regulation is one that the group will request that the Trump administration rescind.

“In most areas [a short-term plan] is cheaper, and it’s some consumers’ way of saying, ‘I don’t need all of those things,’” said Buckner.

Please visit khn.org/columnists to send comments or ideas for future topics for the Insuring Your Health column. n

SPECIAL GUESTS. China’s Ambassador to Manila Zhao Jianhua meets Russian Ambassador Igor Khovaev during celebrations to mark the Chinese new year in Binondo, Manila on Saturday, Jan. 28. Also in photo is Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Roger Rañada

Romualdez declines post as envoy to US

by IrIs

Gonzales Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — For health reasons, The STAR columnist Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez had to decline his appointment as ambassador to the United States.

“I love my country but I have to take care of my health,” he said.

He has cited eye problems.

Last December, Romualdez accepted President Duterte’s offer to be the next ambassador to the US. In early January, however, Romualdez had to undergo emergency operation in his left eye due to a detached retina. This condition can be serious if not properly treated and would require special medical attention.

Upon the advice of his doctor, Romualdez will have to avoid traveling by air for a minimum of six months as air pressure could permanently damage his eye.

Romualdez has already informed the President of the situation through a letter to Presidential Management Staff head Christopher Go on Monday. He also explained the matter to Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. last Friday.

Initially appointed Special Envoy to the US, Romualdez has offered to continue working in that capacity.

With the new Trump administration, Duterte would have to name a new ambassador sooner than later.

It has been seven months since the Philippines had an ambassa-

Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez

dor in Washington.

Industry sources said businessman and Special Envoy to the US Jose E.B. Antonio, a business partner of US President Donald Trump, has expressed interest in the position. The STAR tried to get his comment but was unable to reach him as of press time.

Foreign affairs insiders said Malacañang is carefully weighing the matter because of potential conflict of interest if Antonio becomes the ambassador.

Antonio is the founder, chairman and CEO of Century Properties Group (CPG), which is a business partner of Trump. The company is behind Trump Tower in Manila, which is licensed under the Trump Organization.

The US media has put Trump’s businesses in the spotlight for possible conflict of interest.

US-based Bloomberg has raised such conflict of interest questions on Trump’s global business interests, including CPG’s Trump Tower. CPG paid

as much as $5 million to use the Trump name, according to Bloomberg, citing the financial disclosure Trump filed with the Federal Election Commission in May. Trump has at least 10 similar deals around the world but the US president maintained there’s nothing wrong with such connections.

CPG launched the Trump Tower in 2012. It has over 250 units for residential use and an expected sales value of P6 billion, making it one of the most expensive and luxurious real estate projects in the country.

Aside from Antonio, sources said Yasay himself is also interested in the position.

Yasay is expected to end his term as foreign affairs chief this year, supposedly to pursue studies in the US. Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Duterte’s runningmate in last May’s election, is set to take over the foreign affairs top post. n

claimed that the arms depots will serve as the U.S. troops’ supply line against China’s missiles in a possible shooting war related to the South China Sea dispute.

“Those missiles are very near the Philippines. They will hit Cagayan, Palawan and Basa. So? I am not stupid to allow that to happen. You may be our friend but don’t include us in your fight. You place us all in danger,” Duterte said.

Last week, the U.S., under the new administration of President Donald Trump, has vowed to prevent China from claiming ‘international territories’ along the contested waters in the South China Sea. “Don’t drag the Philippines because I will not allow it. You will kill the Filipinos. How can we fight back? You place us all in danger,” Duterte added.

But the U.S., for its part, denied the Philippine president’s accusations.

“No such arms depots exist and there are no plans to build any,” U.S. Embassy spokesperson Molly Koscina said in a statement on Tuesday, January 31.

Koscina also took note that

EDCA “does not provide for permanent U.S. bases in the Philippines.”

“The United States has no intention to re-open military bases in the Philippines. The United States and the Philippines have been allies for many decades, and the United States respects the sovereignty of the Philippines. Our defense cooperation has always been provided at the request of various Philippine administrations,” she added.

U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, meanwhile, said that Duterte was told the wrong information about the arms depot.

“I think perhaps some misinformation was given to the president and that’s why he made the statement expressing concerns about possible weapons depot.

The fact is we are not building a weapons depot anywhere in the Philippines,” Kim said.

The ambassador added that the U.S. projects being pursued this year “have to do with things like disaster relief and humanitarian assistance” and “not at all related to any weapons.” (Dana Sioson / AJPress)

US warned: Stop constructing ‘permanent’…

PAGE A1 t

low that,” Duterte argued.

The VFA, a treaty ratified by both countries in 1999, states that the U.S. forces are not allowed to build permanent structures anywhere in the Philippines.

Duterte took note that the U.S. is violating the VFA by allegedly constructing permanent depots.

“It’s not allowed by the treaty.

You do that and I will consider a review and maybe ultimately, abrogation, since it is an executive order. (I will) abrogate the treaty altogether,” he warned.

Duterte made the remarks following the reports that the U.S. is set to start constructing and upgrading facilities on its military bases in the Philippines this year.

The construction, according to the Philippine Department of National Defense (DND), is part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) both signed by the Philippines and U.S. in 2014. EDCA allows U.S. forces to be deployed in Philippine territory temporarily for maritime security, and humanitarian and disaster response operations.

At the same time, Duterte

Trump to maintain Obama’s protections…

PAGE A1 t

community from violence and oppression,” the statement further read.

The White House issued the statement on the day Trump has said he would announce his candidate to fill the vacant seat on the Supreme Court.

However, some LGBTQ-rights groups are still weary about Trump’s commitment to their cause.

“Trump talks a big game on his support for LGBTQ people, yet he has filled his cabinet with people who have literally spent

their careers working to demonize us and limit our rights,” Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement a few hours after Trump signed the order.

Griffin pointed out that Trump chose Indiana Governor Mike Pence, who opposes gay marriage, as his vice president.

“Claiming ally status for not overturning the progress of your predecessor is a rather low bar,” Griffin said.

He stressed that Trump “has done nothing but undermine equality since he set foot in the

White House.”

The Log Cabin Republicans, on the other hand, praised Trump’s decision.

“Donald Trump campaigned promising to be a ‘real friend’ to the LGBT community, and now President Trump is delivering on that commitment,” Gregory Angelo, president of the Republican LGBT advocacy group, said.

He also claimed that the Log Cabin Republicans “is proud to have directly lobbied for this important preservation of LGBT equality in the federal workforce.” (Dana Sioson / AJPress)

Fil-Ams join LAX protest against…

PAGE A3 t at the airport. “Who knows, we might be next.”

Later, sometime after 9 p.m., protesters worked out an arrangement with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in order to avoid a complete dispersal order. Demonstrators agreed to occupy intersections every 30 minutes for 15-minute intervals, partially restoring the flow of traffic.

LAPD First Assistant Chief of

Operations Michel Moore said that only two arrests were made that evening and described the large-scale protest as mostly peaceful during a brief interview with the Asian Journal.

People coming and going to the airport on their own business expressed surprise and frustration toward the disorder caused by the vocal and dramatic response to the president’s orders. However, many of those travelers also said that

they stood behind the reasons that motivated people around the country to engage in civil disobedience.

John Jimena, a Fil-Am nurse, drove through two hours of traffic from Panorama to pick up his relatives from the airport.

“I’m shocked, and actually kind of happy,” Jimena told the Asian Journal. “This is not right.

America was built on immigrants and that’s what makes this country great.” n

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A

Dateline PhiliPPines

Duterte taps China vs pirates in Sulu sea

by Christina

Mendez

Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — In a bid to stop the expansion of extremism and piracy in the southern seas, President Duterte has requested China to patrol the areas in international waters leading to Malacca Strait and the Sulu Sea. “I also asked China if they can patrol the international waters without necessarily intruding into the territorial waters of the country. We would be glad if we have their presence,” Duterte said in a speech before newly promoted generals led by Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Eduardo Año at Malacañangon Monday, Jan. 30.

This developed as a special emissary of the Indonesian government flew in Monday night to seek clarification on a kidnapping incident.

Duterte stressed the Islamic State (IS) problem should be contained.

“I cannot allow (it), they are not only killing…it has nothing to do with Moro and Christians. They are just killing everybody. They are kidnapping Indonesians. There is a report of kidnapping there and a special emissary was sent by the Central Government of Jakarta who flew in last night,” he said.

Duterte said he told the top Indonesian official that the Philippines and Indonesia have agreed to address the security concerns in the high seas bordering the two countries, as well as Malaysia.

“I just remind them about this understanding, put it into practice. Allow more ships (to enter the area),” Duterte said.

He was referring to the trilateral maritime agreement between the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia on joint air patrols in the problem areas.

It was at this juncture that Duterte revealed that he has FIERY SHOW. A fire-eater entertains crowds gathered Saturday, Jan. 28 at Binondo’s Chinatown in Manila to celebrate the Chinese new asked for China’s help if Philipyear.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Roger Rañada pine forces, with their meager resources, are unable to address the problem.

Duterte said ships of the Chibery also hit a new record low at year from 0.6 percent in 2015, nese coast guard could come in by helen Flores without treading into the counPhilstar.com 3.4 percent (2.1 million families) the SWS said.

Violent crime remained steady try’s territorial zones, keeping in the last three months, down 1.2 MANILA, Philippines — Fewer points from September’s 4.6 per- at 0.7 percent in December, with in mind the arbitration ruling 2016’s annual average at 0.8 per- against China.

Filipinos fell victim to common cent (2.8 million families).

The 2016 annual victimization cent compared to 0.7 percent in crimes in the last quarter of 2016, according to a Social Weather by street robbery was at 5.7 per- 2015.

The fourth quarter poll also cent, less than a point above the Stations (SWS) survey. found 52 percent of the responThe common crime victimiza- record low 4.8 percent in 2015.

The SWS said about 1.8 per- dents saying they feared the tion rate hit a new record low at 4.9 percent (around 3.1 million cent or an estimated 1.1 million presence of drug addicts in their families) in December from 6.8 Filipinos said they were victim- neighborhood, down four percent percent (about 4.2 million fami- ized by home break-ins, slightly from September’s 56 percent.

Those who feared home robbelow the 2.2 percent (1.4 millies) in September 2016.

The SWS poll showed that the lion) recorded in September. bery was at 63 percent, from the number of Filipinos who claimed This was also the lowest since third quarter’s 62 percent.

Those who feared that streets they were victims of crime in September 2015’s 1.6 percent.

However, the average burglary were not safe at night was at 54 2016 was at 8.2 percent, up from victimization rate in 2016 was at percent in December, from the 6.8 percent in 2015.

Property crime in the fourth 2.8 percent, slightly above the previous 53 percent.

The poll, fielded from Dec. 3 quarter also fell to a record low 2.3 percent in 2015.

The survey showed more Filipi- to 6, used face-to-face interviews 4.5 percent from the previous 6.4 nos or 0.5 percent (115,000 fami- with 1,500 adults nationwide. percent.

“Victimization by common The average crime against lies) claimed they were robbed of property for 2016 was also at a a motor vehicle, higher than the crimes reported in the survey is record low 5.5 percent from 6.2 0.2 percent (57,000) in the previ- much higher than the number of crimes actually reported to ous quarter. percent in 2015.

Annual reading of car theft vic- police,” the SWS noted. (With The number of Filipinos who claimed to be victims of street rob- tims averaged 0.4 percent last Christina Mendez)

SWS: Number of Pinoy crime victims falls

No condoms in schools–DepEd by tina

santos Inquirer.net

THE Department of Health (DOH) will no longer push through with its plan to distribute condoms in schools following the Department of Education’s (DepEd) decision to block the DOH initiative.

“The recommendation to involve schools to provide services to improve condom access is not anymore a primary consideration after DOH and DepEd agreed to take a different path but which shall still complement each other’s prerogatives,” said Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial.

According to Ubial, the DepEd will focus on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) information and education where appropriate, while the DOH will work with other partners to ensure information is linked to service provision including but not limited to condom access.

On Monday, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones finally made a decision that the DepEd will not be involved in the DOH condom distribution program.

Briones also cited the agency’s responsibilities, based on an executive order and a Supreme Court decision, to enhance gender sensitivity and reproductive health education.

“We will follow the Unesco guidelines on reproductive health, including the requirements of the Constitution and the law… obviously what we’re allowed to do is to improve the curriculum. Nothing within the school premises because right now you have the health centers who are already tasked with that

Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial

function… ‘Yung consequence ng premarital sex, the dangers involved but not the distribution,” Briones said.

The DepEd also promised to improve and develop sex education in the country that is covered by the human rights frameworks, as well as the safety of the students with age-appropriate and developmental reproductive health education that will start in Grade 1.

Ubial, on the other hand, said the DOH respected the decision of the DepEd. “We respect the DepEd decision. The DOH totally supports DepEd’s stance to develop and roll out age-appropriate reproductive health education in public schools, at the same time raising HIV awareness among at risk

and vulnerable population, now increasingly affecting the youth,” Ubial said.

“This is an essential component of the DOH’s HIV comprehensive prevention and control program focusing on abstinence, condom use, early HIV testing, peer counseling, antiretroviral treatment and ending stigmatization and discrimination. Improving condom access is critical to reverse current HIV trends,” she said.

The distribution of condoms will continue to take place in health centers now that the DepEd has made a decision.

“Health Center pa rin, health services like condom access and use. We are talking with NYC (National Youth Commission) and other sectors for peer distribution,” Ubial said. n

“I also asked China if they can patrol the international waters without necessarily intruding into the territorial waters of the country. We would be glad if we have their presence,” Duterte said in a speech before newly promoted generals led by Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Eduardo Año at Malacañang on Monday, Jan. 30. File photo

He said Beijing could deploy its coast guard cutters, not its “gray ships” or naval assets.

He cited Beijing’s assistance to Somalia at the height of piracy in the area.

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said the President could just be expressing his serious concerns on the continuing kidnapping activities in Mindanao.

Esperon added there was also an Indonesian who was injured during a military operation in Butig, Lanao del Sur, the known lair of the extremist Maute Group.

“Terrorism is an international concern, that’s what he meant.

If he may have mentioned one country, all countries are also concerned on terrorism,” Esperon said.

Impeding trade Duterte expressed concern that the piracy and kidnapping incidents in Sulu Sea and Malacca Strait have impeded trade operations in the area.

He made the statement following reports that some international cargo ships have opted to look for other sea routes despite added expense.

Duterte said if the route is closed due to the high incidence of kidnapping cases, the flow of goods would be hampered and become very costly to international traders.

“Either they go up to the north,

and if they’re headed for Mexico, down south, or here where it would be nearer, which would mean higher costs, higher rate, higher insurance, it adds up to the goods and the services there, governs the world, it’s always goods and services,” Duterte said.

With Duterte asking for Beijing’s help, observers noted he also allowed China to implement its Maritime Silk Road that includes the Malacca Strait as one of its stops.

Chinese President Xi Jinping had announced that his country wanted to revive not just the traditional Silk Road’s land route, but also a maritime route.

Reports said most of China’s trade and about 80 percent of its energy needs pass through the Malacca Strait.

Before Duterte’s pivot to China, there had been so much resistance against Beijing’s expansion operations in many areas in the South China Sea. Alsa Masa style Duterte has also considered giving firearms to locals to empower them in fighting against militants, a strategy similar to the old Alsa Masa group.

The Alsa Masa was established as a vigilante group in 1984 to combat communist insurgency in Davao City.

Duterte revealed authorities have gathered reports that Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon had joined forces with the Maute group in the quest to become the head of IS in the Philippines.

“And there is the Maute, and from what we gather, Hapilon was chosen to lead,” he added.

Duterte, who has expressed serious concern about the IS propagation in the country even in his meetings with the diplomatic community, pointed out the need to contain the fighting in Southern Philippines.

“I told (Defense Secretary) Delfin, General Lorenzana, and all, that we have to contain the fighting. We cannot afford to allow it to spread. Or else, I’ll be forced to arm everybody,” he said.

But he cautioned that the Alsa Masa ended up using the arms given to them “against civilians for depredations, holdup, all of it.” n

A FEBRUARY 1-3, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

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OpiniOn

Features

The purge

IN recent months, when the Philippine government ushered in a new leadership under President Rodrigo Duterte, members of the police seemed to be invincible. Because they’re the government’s first line of defense—and offense—against the war it waged on illegal drugs and criminality, the police managed to remain unscathed, despite mounting poor public perception and criticisms over some officers’ alleged abuse of power and violation of human rights.

The country saw a wave of drugsrelated killings since July last year.

More than 7,669 deaths have been linked to the administration’s war on drugs, but only 2,555 alleged drug personalities were killed during police operations, which the officers involved say were all in self-defense. The other deaths are classified as investigated, or under investigation.

The president defended the spate of drug-related killings and even admitted to personally killing suspects when he was still the mayor of Davao City.

“In Davao, I used to do it personally, just to show to the (police) that if I can do it, why can’t you?”

Duterte said in December last year.

However, Duterte maintained that he is not condoning extrajudicial killings, saying that his directive to police authorities was to hunt for drug suspects and “arrest them if it’s possible, but if they offer a violent resistance…then kill them.”

In October last year, a police van rammed into a crowd of anti-U.S. protesters who were calling for an end to American military presence in the Philippines. The van barreled back and forth into the crowd of demonstrators, scattering them like bowling pins and running over on a few of them.

Duterte did not justify the police officer’s actions over the violent dispersal and maintained that he did not want any of the police officers nor the mili-

tants hurt.

“I’m not justifying it. Just maybe he was under stress. They might gang up on him, hurt him. So he acted by instinct, self-preservation,” he said. A total of 50 protesters and 34 police officer were injured during the encounter.

In November, Albuera, Leyte Mayor and alleged drug lord Rolando Espinosa Sr. was killed in an alleged “firefight” with the operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Northern Leyte (CIDG8) while being detained at the Baybay, Leyte Sub-Provincial Jail after being charged with possession of illegal drugs and unlicensed firearms.

CIDG operatives went to the prison to serve him a search warrant when the encounter occurred but Espinosa allegedly resisted the arrest after which the firefight ensured. Espinosa and Raul Yap, another detainee, were killed during the encounter.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) inquiry called the incident a police rubout and recommended the filing of murder and perjury charges against the CIDG officers.

Duterte vowed to protect the CIDG officers, saying he was more inclined to believe the police than the testimony of criminals.

“I will not allow these guys to go to prison, even if the NBI says it was murder. After all, the NBI is

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

under me, the Department of Justice,” he said.

On Sunday, Jan. 29, Duterte had a sudden change of heart when he ordered the halt on the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s drug war and demanded a cleansing of the police force instead.

“The culture of corruption in the police is deep.

Even generals are into it,” he said in a meeting with military generals at Malacañang on Tuesday, Jan. 31. He ordered for some members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to go after police scalawags. the order came in the wake of the kidnapping for ransom and murder of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo inside the police headquarters in Campe Crame, Quezon City.

PNP Chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa confirmed this directive saying that the cleansing of the organization comes after a series of scandals involving police officers.

After what seemed like a string of criminal incidents wherein policemen are involved as perpetrators, the very organization bound by law to uphold the law and protect the citizenry from criminality is hounded by bad cops. It is a betrayal of trust and a degradation of peace and security.

The PNP is now tasked to not just ensure the public’s safety and purge misfits from the streets, it must do so within its ranks. This calls for strong and effective civilian oversight of the police. (AJPress)

Gallup Poll: Trump plummets to historic low eight days Into his presidency SUPPORTERS of President Donald Trump chastise his critics and non-supporters for not being on board the “Trump train” even after he won the majority vote of the Electoral College, which catapulted him to the United States’ highest office.

Even as they hail him for churning executive orders one after another to build the border wall, temporarily ban refugee immigration from seven majority-Muslim countries, plans to repeal Obamacare, deregulate financial institutions and give more tax breaks to the wealthy, appoint billionaires in his administration, etc., there has been no honeymoon stage for those who disapprove of him and his vision and plans for America.

Millions protested on the streets across the United States and around the world on the second day of his presidency, in airports after his “Muslim”

IT took a brutal murder of a South Demand Korean business and Supply executive to make President Duterte finally realize that a PNP clean up must happen for his anti Boo ChanCo drug war to succeed.

We have been saying that the criminals in police uniform will simply take advantage of the drug war to victimize people. That’s exactly what is happening.

The country’s honor was tarnished by this gruesome murder. It showed the deterioration of our values as a people to have allowed members of our police force to descend to this level of depravity.

The Korean Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines aptly summarized their pain and their challenge to us: “In South Korea, we strongly protect the welfare and respect almost 50,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFW); we expect and hope the Philippine authorities… assure the safety and welfare of Koreans in the Philippines.”

Oo nga naman. How would we feel if the situation was reversed and our OFWs are being abused and killed in Korea by their police in their police headquarters?

Our President and the PNP chief ignored very visible signs of trouble. Two police officers, graduates of the PNPA, were caught red handed in Mindoro after they killed a local anti crime crusader. One of them was awarded as an outstanding officer just weeks before by no less than the PNP chief.

Drug suspects, a father and son, were killed in police custody in Pasay City.

A tricycle driver pretended to be dead as police officers in Malate fired shots at him after days in captivity. Of course

vealed Trump garnered only a travel ban, and many more are dismal 45 percent approval and expected as people exercise their The Fil-Am 45 percent disapproval. Data First Amendment right to voice show he is the first elected U.S. out their opposition of the direc- Perspective president to start out with a job tion Trump is stirring the America approval rating below 50 perinto. cent in the history of Gallup surHis supporters contend that veys, which date back to Dwight Trump was just fulfilling his camD. Eisenhower in 1953. paign promise to the American Gel SantoS-ReloS By comparison, Gallup Poll people and that the rule of the voters who elected Trump into the highest post has the following approval ratings for his immeof the land should be respected as a mandate for diate predecessors: Barack Obama 68% Trump to move forward — an argument that can Bill Clinton 58% be debunked by the fact that Trump did NOT win George W. Bush 57% the vote of more Americans, having lost the popGeorge H.W. Bush 51% ular vote to Democratic candidate nominee HillRonald Reagan 51% ary Clinton by nearly three million votes.

And in just eight days into his term, a majority In the onset of his presidency, Gallup Poll re-

of those surveyed by Gallup Poll said they do not approve of Trump’s performance as president.

Polling data showed it took the following days for his immediate predecessors to reach the below-majority approval rating: Reagan: 727 Bush I: 1336 Clinton: 573 Bush II: 1205 Obama: 936 WHAT should Trump do to win the support of most Americans moving forward? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos

At last… a PNP clean up

we have read the headlines of how a mayor was killed while in jail in Leyte.

And Sen. Ping Lacson showed CCTV recording of police officers planting shabu in an office they subsequently raided. Sen. Lacson said they also extorted money from the owner of the office.

What happened to the Korean executive was not a rare case. The PNP announced removing seven police officers from the Angeles PNP for victimizing South Koreans here to play golf by kidnapping them and extorting money from them.

Surely, Bato must have known all a good number of men under his command are criminals. It should have been obvious that removing the criminals in their ranks is a top priority.

And let us stop calling these criminals in uniform scalawags. Here is how Google defines the word: scal·a·wag - a person who behaves badly but in an amusingly mischievous rather than harmful way. There is nothing amusing or harmless about these criminals in uniform.

While we welcome President Duterte’s order to clean up the PNP, we can only ask, why only now? But at least, President Duterte eventually listened. One lost Korean life did what more than seven thousand Filipino lives failed to do… convince PDutz the rot eating up the PNP is untenable.

It was his fault. He kept on saying that he believes his police officers, right or wrong and that no police officer will go to jail or if they do, he will go to jail with them. The rogues in uniform took that as a carte blanche to do anything, even criminal acts like kidnapping, extortion

and murder.

It is not enough to suspend the criminals in uniform because that means they are still roam around freely and get salaries funded by the taxpayers they victimize. Neither should they be reassigned to Mindanao because Mindanao deserves better.

They have to speed up resolution of cases now pending in the PNP Internal Affairs office. I understand that the unit has an overload of cases and needs help. They should ask respected former officers like Gen. Benjie Magalong to help clear the cases.

Still, the President’s order to clean up the PNP is a confidence builder.

Depending on how they carry it out, it will bring back the public’s trust. I am sure that this will also go a long way to encourage investments assuming the drive is credibly executed.

In the meantime, we should put up a marker in that PNP parking lot near the PNP chief’s official residence where the Korean was strangled. It will remind the men and women of the PNP, most of whom I want to believe are trustworthy, that evil lurks in their midst and they must fight it.

Bicol airport Albay Rep. Joey Salceda posted an observation on Facebook that reinforces my fear that the bureaucracy will kill the plans of the Duterte administration to build build build. Let us hear it from Reo. Joey who is complaining about how DOTr is mishandling the Bicol International Airport project.

“I bumped into Usec Bobby Lim (from Daraga) and I asked him why they allowed the SARO to lapse without awarding especially since the President visited last December 2nd week. Phase 2B covering the passenger terminal building (PTB) was funded by two SAROs (P1.4bn and P400m) which were

bid out in one.

“The P400m expired so the DOTr decided to rebid which will postpone the construction by another six months.

They knew all along that the P400m SARO will be expiring and should have sought GPPB / DBM assistance.

“But for some heavenly reason, they merrily allowed the SARO to lapse.

This forced the failure of bidding which would undermine the President’s commitment to deliver the completed international airport in three years.

“I have met Secretary Art Tugade so many times in official functions and as many times he promised me decisive action on the Bicol International Airport in Daraga.

“It has been 12 years since the airport became a line item in the GAA (budget) in 2005 when I was the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations - it was for the finalization of the FSDE and consequent years under PGMA for ROWA (right of way acquisition).

“Albay province supervised the acquisition of the lot for a mere P28/sqm.

The Aquino administration froze the project for review for three years. After our repeated follow up that after three years it was approved for P4.7 billion funding. But then it took them all of the rest of the term without awarding the project.

“The DOTr has always ended up with almost 90 percent of their SAROs lapsing. What evil spirits are there inside the DOTr that despite the change in top management and the presidential admonition and instruction to finish it in three years that still the gross incompetence is insidious, ingrained, inbred and virtually intentional?”

I agree with Rep. Joey that the failure of DOTr to build that airport is holding back the economic development of the entire Bicol region. I am sure the DOTr

bureaucrats will have a litany of excuses as always. But over 12 years to build a regional airport is simply horrible. They have built large international airports abroad in less time.

When asked about Rep. Joey’s complaint, Secretary Art replied: “there is misunderstanding on Rep. Salceda’s account. There is no delay.” Hmmm… I think that means Secretary Art is taking personal responsibility and guarantees meeting the three-year deadline.

Today is the first day of February 2017. Seven months into the Duterte administration, we have yet to see infrastructure projects being implemented out there in the field and not in some bureaucrat’s desk.

DOTr’s Tugade and DPWH’s Mark Villar may end up with clean records, as in no projects delivered. I can understand why Villar will play it safe the way Mar Roxas did. No projects, no scandal.

Villar will supposedly run for senator in the mid-term election in 2019 so he has to be careful. But he may be too careful for his own good. Where are those bridges across Pasig River and the flyovers in Katipunan to relieve traffic congestion?

As for Tugade, being DOTr Secretary is his swan song. It caps a good career of a self made man. It cannot end up in failure just because some bureaucrats under him allowed a SARO or two to lapse out of negligence or simply out of habit.

The golden age of infrastructure must start to happen and not just in press releases or power point presentations.

Otherwise, what differentiates Villar and Tugade from Mar Roxas and Jun Abaya? *** Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is bchanco@gmail.com.

Follow him on Twitter @boochanco

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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 1-3, 2017

A

Robredo faces Duterte at LEDAC meeting, pushes for bills President, VP meet for first time since Robredo quit Cabinet over politics, policy differences

by DJ

Yap Inquirer.net

MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo expressed her thoughts to President Duterte on policy issues and sought clarifications about the administration’s legislative priorities on Monday night, January 30, in their first encounter in Malacaùang since she quit his Cabinet in 2016.

At the invitation of the Palace, Robredo participated in the first Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) with Mr. Duterte and leaders of Congress, including Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

Her spokesperson Georgina Hernandez, in a statement, said the Vice President’s attendance had been mandatory. “As a mandated member of LEDAC, Vice President Leni Robredo attended yesterday’s meeting to perform her legal duty to provide policy advice to the President,� she said on Tuesday.

Photographs of the meeting provided by the Office of the Vice President showed Robredo seated between Pimentel and Alvarez and right across Mr. Duterte.

Without giving details, Hernandez said the Vice President raised a number of “clarifications� about certain proposed bills prioritized by the Duterte administration, and pushed some legislative measures, including

Vice President Leonor “Leni� Robredo. I

those on food security, freedom of information, anti-discrimination, and land use.

In the past, Robredo has expressed misgivings about some of Mr. Duterte’s legislative priorities, including proposals to restore the death penalty for heinous crimes and to lower the age of criminal responsibility.

Robredo, the interim chair of the Liberal Party, resigned her post as chair of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council in December after President Duterte sent word to her staff that he did not want her attending Cabinet meetings due to their policy and political differences.

Hernandez said the LEDAC meeting focused on “determining and recommending socioeconomic development goals as well as integrating priority legislative agenda with the national

nquirer.net file photo / Nino Jesus Orbeta

development plan.� “VP Leni assures our people that she remains fully committed to protect their interests and will continue to engage the administration on important policy issues,� the spokesperson said. “Aside from the clarifications she raised in yesterday’s meeting regarding some of the proposed bills, our Office will submit in writing more detailed comments, including pushing for some measures which she considers to be most important for national development,� Hernandez said on Tuesday.

These include the National Food Security Bill, the Freedom of Information Bill, the People Empowerment Bill, the Land Use Bill, the On-site In-city or Near-city Bill, the Department of Housing Bill, the Urban Development and Housing Act amendments on eviction, and the Anti-Discrimination Bill. n

Pinoy worker beaten to death in Kuwait

by William

B. Depasupil ManilaTimes.net

THE Labor department is investigating the death of a Filipino household service worker in Kuwait believed to have been mauled to death by her employer.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd identified the victim as Amy Capuling Santiago.

Bello ordered the labor attachĂŠ in Kuwait, Angelita Narvaez, to closely monitor the case of Santiago who was rushed to the Farwaniya Hospital on January 25. “I am truly disheartened that such tragedies happen. I assure the family of Santiago that we will provide all the necessary as-

sistance they need,� the Labor chief said.

He said the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Kuwait will provide legal assistance to the family of Santiago in Concepcion, Tarlac to obtain justice for her death.

Bello also directed the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to ensure that the necessary assistance will be extended to Santiago’s family.

He said Santiago’s family will receive a P200,000 death insurance and a burial assistance of P20,000. Santiago’s dependents will be provided educational and livelihood assistance.

According to reports from the Assistance to Nationals Unit (ATNU) of the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait, records of the Abdullah Al Mubarak Police Directorate General of Criminal Evidence showed old and fresh bruises on various parts of Santiago’s body, mostly on her back. The remains of the victim were referred to the Forensic Department on Jan 26 for further investigation to ascertain the cause of her death.

Meanwhile, police authorities arrested Santiago’s male employer while his wife surrendered at the Abdullah Al Mubarak Police station. The two are now detained and are being investigated by the Kuwaiti police. n

NEW FILIPINO. Maher Mohammed Al Raee takes his oath as a Filipino citizen before Las Piùas Judge Ismael Duldulao, becoming only the seventh Palestinian to be granted the nationality status under the Philippines’ stringent naturalization laws.

Inquirer.net photo by Joan Bondoc

Ex-PNP chief Purisima posts bail on Mamasapano case alleged involvement in the Jan. mediately left court premises af25, 2015 Mamasapano incident ter posting bail, refusing to speak that left over 60 people, includ- to reporters.

The ombudsman ordered Puriing 44 SAF troopers, dead.

MANILA, Philippines — ForPurisima, who also faces in an- sima’s dismissal from the PNP in mer Philippine National Police other Sandiganbayan division a June 2015 for grave misconduct, (PNP) chief Alan Purisima yestergraft case relating to the “anoma- serious dishonesty and grave day posted P20,000 bail before lous� courier service deal for the abuse of authority because of the the Sandiganbayan for violating delivery of firearms licenses, im- courier service deal. n the anti-graft law and usurping official functions – a new set of charges relating to the 2015 Mamasapano massacre.

His co-accused, former PNP Special Action Force (SAF) director Getulio NapeĂąas, is yet to post bail as of press time.

Purisima posted bail before the court’s Fourth Division decided on whether there is sufficient ground to order his and Napeùas’ arrest and hold them on trial.

Accompanied by his lawyer, Purisima appeared before the anti-graft court at around 8:30 a.m. to pay and go through court procedure for gaining temporary freedom.

The Office of the Ombudsman charged him last week with violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and usurping official functions under Article 177 of the Re- Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima yesterday, Jan. 30, posted P20,000 bail before the Sandiganbayan for violating the anti-graft law and usurping official functions vised Penal Code.

Philstar.com/File Both cases stemmed from his – a new set of charges relating to the 2015 Mamasapano massacre. by elizaBeth

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BUSINESSJ& COMMUNITY ournal

B

President Donald Trump

PH gets Trump card, pulls in ‘hot money’

by Ben

O. de Vera Inquirer.net

INVESTORS’ bargain-hunting in emerging markets amid uncertainty in U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s economic policy attracted more “hot money” to the Philippines during the first two weeks of January.

The latest Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data showed that as of Jan. 13, foreign portfolio investment posted a net inflow of $24.15 million as $378.88million hot money exceeded the $354.73-million outflow.

The net inflow recorded in the first two weeks of 2017 reversed the $40.92-million net outflow a year ago.

On the week of Jan. 9-13 alone, a $83.44-million net

u PAGE B2

Manila’s biggest casino complex readies formal opening in February by daxim

by mary

Grace Philstar.com

Padin

MANILA, Philippines — The government is aiming to accelerate infrastructure development this year through reforms in the procurement and implementation of projects, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

In a statement, the DBM said the improved set of implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 9184 or the Procurement Law

u PAGE B2

PAL launching 7 new routes

L, Lucas

Inquirer.net

by LOueLLa

d. desideriO Philstar.com

AFTER several months of delay, Okada Manila is set to formally open its doors next month to make the $2-billion development the biggest integrated casino resort in the country.

In an interview with the Inquirer, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. chair Andrea Domingo said the sprawling casino hotel complex—owned by Japanese gaming tycoon Kazuo

next six years the Golden Age of Infrastructure achievable,” Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said.

The government has allocated a total of P847.2 billion for nationwide infrastructure projects this year, up 13.8 percent from a year ago. The amount also accounted for about 25 percent of this year’s budget.

Under the General Appropriations Act approved by President Duterte last December, the bulk, or P349.1 billion of the infrastruc-

would help expedite the launch and completion of infrastructure programs in the pipeline.

Reforms in the execution of projects, such as the introduction of geo-tagging for improved project monitoring and allowing non-stop construction work to hasten project completion, will also be implemented.

“The bold reforms, the pipeline of projects, the hardworking and assertive administration, and the participative citizenry – these will make the dream of making the

MANILA, Philippines — Following the launch of the Clark to Cebu service on Tuesday, January 31, Philippine Airlines (PAL) is set to offer seven new routes outside of Manila within the first quarter, in support of efforts to decongest the country’s main international gateway.

“We are introducing new domestic routes to allow travelers

Okada—is slated to have its full opening on Feb. 17.

This comes after the third casino resort in the Pagcor Entertainment City complex

u PAGE B2

to reach their desired destinations without the need to transit in Manila. Passengers get to experience the unique PAL brand of service even on short flights,” PAL president Jaime Bautista said.

PAL’s Clark to Cebu service which departed at 7 a.m. yesterday, will be made available daily starting March 26.

On Feb.1, PAL will begin offering the three times weekly Clark

u PAGE B3

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Business news

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Anti-money laundering council head quits Low morale at agency following Duterte tirades

by Daxim

l, lucas

Inquirer.net

JULIA Bacay-Abad has resigned as executive director of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), an expected fallout from President Duterte’s frequent tirades against the agency.

No reason has been given thus far and only the most senior levels of the bureaucracy are aware of the high-profile departure, but the Inquirer has confirmed the resignation, which was submitted just before the weekend, with the highest echelons of the government’s economic team.

Inquirer sources said it would not be a surprise if the real reason for her departure—apart from the standard “health and family� line—would have something to do with the rumored low morale at the agency, which takes a hit every time the President castigated its officials—though unnamed—during his speeches.

Abad’s departure comes at an awkward time since AMLC is now, more than ever, saddled with an increasingly heavy work-

Julia Bacay-Abad

load in the wake of last year’s $81-million Bangladesh moneylaundering caper—the biggest cyberheist case to hit Philippine shores.

It goes without saying, of course, that that incident was not AMLC’s finest hour since the illicit funds was able to enter the local financial system (due in no small measure to Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.’s role in the transaction) and the very same

funds slipped through the fingers of authorities.

Cases were filed against some suspects and these remain still pending in court.

Nowadays, AMLC is also swamped with more suspicious transaction reports from banks and financial institutions, which have tightened processes—afraid of regulatory sanctions—in the wake of the money laundering

u PAGE B3

Ayala to open 11 new malls in next 2 years

by Doris

Dumlao-abaDilla Inquirer.net

PROPERTY giant Ayala Land Inc. is scaling up its shopping mall business with the opening of 11 new shopping malls this year and next, targeting to breach the two-million-square-meter leasable footprint by end-2018.

After the recent opening of the group’s newest shopping center, Ayala Malls 30th along Meralco Avenue in Pasig City earlier this month, six more malls are set to open in Luzon this year. “We will end the year with over 1.8 million sq m of owned and managed leasable spaces,� said Rowena Tomeldan, head of Ayala Malls group. “Total cost of these projects is P16 billion, disbursed over a period of three years,� she said.

Next to open this year is Ayala Malls Vertis, a 40,000-sq m upscale shopping mall near the Trinoma area. This is set to open by

April this year.

Other Ayala retail hubs set to open this year are: Ayala Malls Marikina Heights, a 13,000-sq m community center, which will open in May; Ayala Malls Southvale, a 6,000sq m strip center, which will open in the fourth quarter of this year; Ayala Malls Cloverleaf, a 39,000-sq m mall in Balintawak, Quezon City, which will open by October; Ayala Malls Feliz, a 79,000-sq m mall along Marcos Highway, Cainta, which will open this November, and One Bonifacio, 21,000-sq m retail center undertaken by Fort Bonifacio Development Corp., a joint venture between Ayala Land and the Campos family’s Evergreen Holdings.

Tomeldan added that four new malls were under development and targeted for opening in 2018. Two of the malls will be in the Visayas and two in Metro

Manila. “By the end of 2018, Ayala Malls’ total leasable area will be two million sq m,â€? she said. “Expansion in 2018 will be in Bacolod, Cebu, Makati and in the Bay Area in ParaĂąaque.â€?

The new mall in Makati will rise at Circuit Makati, the estate where the former Santa Ana racetrack used to operate.

In the Bay area, the new Ayala mall will rise at the Aseana City complex adjacent to Pagcor Entertainment City, riding on the vast tourism potential of the future Las Vegas-style gaming strip along Manila Bay. For this project, the group leased from the Wenceslao group a 9.2-hectare property for 45 years.

In Cebu, the new Ayala mall will rise along the Cebu IT Park.

As of end-2016, there were 45 Ayala Malls in operation, creating about 100,000 jobs, including those in anchor stores like Landmark and Rustan’s. n

PH gets Trump card, pulls in‌ PAGE B1 t

"Foreign Relations: Coming Together"Â

inflow was registered as the $277.13-million inflow surpassed the $193.69-million outflow.

The net inflow of hot money during the second week also reversed and even exceeded the $59.29-million net outflow in the preceding week. “The net inflow in the second week of January was most likely a result of bargain-hunting among foreign investors after local stocks fell drastically in the last quarter of 2016 amid rate hike concerns and political noise in the Philippines and the US. The upbeat prospects of the Philippine economy this year also attracted more investment flows into the country,� Land Bank of the Philippines market economist Guian Angelo S. Dumalagan said.

The ascent of billionaire Trump to the world’s most powerful pedestal, after leading a highly divisive elections in the US, did little to ease the uncertainties of an already jittery market, he said.

“In some aspects, it even made things more hazy. Until now, the new US administration disclosed few operational details about its plans to reduce taxes and increase infrastructure spending, fueling doubts about the feasibility of these proposals and feeding speculations of a delay in their implementation,� he said. These plans would, in effect, influence monetary policies around the world, he added.

Trump favors protectionism to grow the US’ economy, one that analysts said would completely derail pacts to bring down trade barriers.

As such, “foreign players reverted their attention to the emerging markets, with most emerging market stock indices rising mainly on bargain-hunting and renewed risk on sentiment,� an economist at a leading bank added.

The much-awaited press conference of Trump last Jan. 11 had plenty of fireworks—with the US chief mostly sparring with media over fake news instead of dis-

closing details of his economic agenda. The market has been waiting for his banner plans on tax cuts and a tougher stance on trade pacts but little was mentioned, disappointing investors, the economist added.

With investors doubting his economic agenda and how fast he could implement the spending package he promised before he came onboard, expectations for a rapid rise in US Treasury yields were scaled back, the economist said.

Foreign portfolio investments are in the form of placements in publicly listed shares, government and private sector IOUs, and deposit certificates.

Portfolio investments are considered short-term bets— hence called hot money—because these placements may be pulled out quickly.

BSP projects portfolio investment to yield a net outflow of $900 million this year, however.

Last year ended with a net inflow of hot money worth $353.59 million. n

PH gov’t speeds up spending‌

PAGE B1 t

ture budget was allotted to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of Agriculture, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and other government agencies and local government units.

More than P125 billion was also granted to the Department of Education for the construction and repair of basic education facilities, primary school buildings and technical-vocational laboratories.

According to the DBM, the

biggest chunk of budget for road construction this year went to the road network services with P216.9 billion, 33.4 percent higher than the 2016 allocation.

More than P31.1 billion was allocated for Mindanao Logistics Infrastructure Network project, which will provide highways and bridges across Mindanao to connect cities and provinces to ports and production areas.

Other major road projects in 2017 include the P1.5 billion UPMiriam-Ateneo Viaduct in Katipunan Ave., Quezon City and the

P1.2 billion road widening project in the General Luis-KaybigaPolo-Novaliches Road, among others.

The government has also allotted a total of P12.3 billion for the construction and maintenance of access roads to tourist destinations.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr), for its part, will spearhead the construction of bus transport systems that are envisioned to provide efficient, comfortable and inexpensive transportation to commuters in Metro Manila and Cebu. n

Manila’s biggest casino complex‌

PAGE B1 t

&OR TICKETS OR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT

PSSTFAMILY GMAIL COM OR PSSTFAMILY WEBS COM

on the edge of Manila Bay held a “preview� event last Dec. 21, followed by a “soft opening� of a small section of its gaming floor a week later on Dec. 30—both meant to avoid having to pay the regulator a P100-million penalty for missing a yearend opening deadline.

Once opened, the 44-hectare Okada Manila is set to become the largest integrated entertainment resort in the country that will occupy a total floor area of 34,321 square meters, housing more than 500 table games and 3,000 electronic gaming machines. It houses a Y-shaped hotel of two wings offering a total of 993 rooms.

With several industry play-

ers fighting for market share in Asia’s highly competitive casino landscape, Okada Manila is already being touted by its operator as a game changer.

Okada Manila president Steve Wolstenholme said the integrated resort has the potential to compete with other gaming giants across the region.

Okada Manila features a dancing fountain comparable to the Dubai Fountain and the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas; Asia’s first nightclub and indoor beach club enclosed in a dome; a high-end retail area; a worldclass 3,000-square-meter spa facility, and several food and beverage outlets.

The luxury resort has already contributed to local job genera-

tion by employing 22,000 workers to construct and develop the first phase. It is expected to hire 8,000 personnel to operate the casino, food and beverage, and hotel and leisure facilities for the first phase of development alone.

Earlier, Okada said he expected his integrated resort to be profitable in its first year of operations and give a return on his investment in three to five years as the country seeks a larger share of Asia’s gaming and tourism revenue.

Okada built his fortune during the 1980s manufacturing slot machines and Japanese pachinko machines. He is now worth $1.77 billion, according to Forbes magazine. n

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Laughter and the art of seduction

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAgLAyA DO you remember the last time you laughed uncontrollably, the peals and spasms of your laughter so unrestrained, they led others to raise their brows and wonder if you’ve gone off your rocker or inhaled some laughing gas?

Or perhaps, you have laughed uproariously with others. There you are — your shoulders shaking, your eyes in tears, holding your sides, grasping your stomach trying hard not to wet your pants, while you convulse with laughter while others around you are doing likewise, rolling around in fits of laughter over some hilarious situation or a well delivered joke. I’m not talking about the manic laughter of depraved, sick minds. Or laughter and derision that makes fun of others. I’m referring to natural laughter set off by the innate humor in situations and jokes that make light of the human condition without costing anyone else shame and humiliation.

Laughter has often been called the best medicine. And for good reason. The scientific explanation is that laughter releases a natural substance called endorphin in the brain that reduces pain and affects emotions positively. The more you laugh, the better you feel.

There’s something sexy and seductive about laughter that attracts women to men who can tell a joke with great panache or show a sense of humor. Men don’t know this but women find irresistible the one who can make them laugh so uproariously and so often. Why is it so?

My best guess is that women feel connected when they laugh.

That feeling of being connected is important to women. Among girlfriends and buddies, shared laughter is the bond that seals friendships and makes them last.

If she’s smart, the young, un-

“A man, who makes a woman laugh, is one who instinctively knows the first thing about the lifelong art of seduction through the funny bone.” attached woman of today would do well to choose a mate who has a good sense of humor on top of everything else she thinks makes a good match for her.

Life is tough enough. Humor makes it bearable. Humor hints at a man’s intelligence and ability to handle situations. Humor cracks open women’s defense mechanisms.

What accounts for the flourishing phenomenon of humorous chick lit and chick flicks, written by women for women?

Could it be that women have had it with men’s interpretations of what women really want? Could it be that women want to clear the air about certain matters like humor, sex, talk and the art of seduction? With few exceptions, I skip and ignore the reviews of most male critics of the romantic comedy film genre because these are so far off the mark.

In most regular, heterosexual men’s view, sex is the one connection they need with women and naturally, logically, they assume that the same is true for women. Thus, you see too many tawdry and cheap sex scenes depicted from the male point of view in films of the, “…slam, bam, thank you ma’am” variety that leave women in the audience seething and thinking that men, in general, could be insensitive, Neanderthal brutes who still have a long way to go when it comes to sex. Of course, that is not to say that women are not entirely blameless. Desperate, needy women emulate slut behavior in the hope of making a connection with a man they fancy themselves in love with — any man— anyone in fact, with a functioning equipment.

But for discriminating, monogamous women with healthy self-esteem however, sex is merely one of the ways they connect with their mates. Women discover that without making that connection, no matter how tenuous, sex is, sadly, no more than a function of rutting animals. Conversation, no matter how lame or inane is important for women. Shared laughter and fun, with or without the sex, are the means by which true, lasting connection can happen between men and women.

Making a connection is many a woman’s reason for being. Without that connection, a woman’s relationship can flatline disastrously and quick, emergency resuscitation is needed for that relationship to survive. When relationships die, both men and women try to seek, re-create and find that connection elsewhere — with someone else — a sticky, sorry state of affairs that could have been prevented if laughter ruled the roost in the first place.

In highly evolved stages of man-woman relations that grow over time, words are completely unnecessary. Just a knowing look across a crowded room between two connected individuals is enough to make both smile or burst in shared laughter — the highest rung a man and a woman in love can aspire to.

A man, who makes a woman laugh, is one who instinctively knows the first thing about the lifelong art of seduction through the funny bone. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

Putative spouse status as a defense to a petition for nullity of marriage

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes ALL property, real or personal, wherever situated, acquired by a married person during the marriage while domiciled in California is community property. Family Code 760. However, there are situations in which the marriage may be held to be null and void. These situations include, but are not limited to entering into a bigamous marriage, fraud and misrepresentation in entering into a marriage, etc. The legal consequences of having your marriage annulled by your spouse is that it results to you not having any community property interest on property acquired by your spouse during the marriage. A nullity may also cut off your claim for spousal support.

What options do you have if your spouse files a nullity against you? You may still have a claim to community property and support as a putative spouse. A party to a void or voidable marriage has “putative spouse” status only if he or she believed in good faith the marriage was valid. Family.Code. § 225; Marriage of Guo & Sun (2010) 186 CA4th 1491, 1493, 112 CR3d 906, 908; Marriage of Vryonis (1988) 202 CA3d 712, 721, 248 CR 807, 813. A party who has the requisite objectively reasonable “good faith” belief may be a putative spouse where any legal infirmity in formation of the marriage renders the marriage invalid. Domestic Partnership of

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Business news

Ellis & Arriaga (2008) 162 CA4th 1000, 1005, 76 CR3d 401, 404; Estate of DePasse (2002) 97 CA4th 92, 107, 118 CR2d 143, 155; see Marriage of Vryonis, supra, 202 CA3d at 718–719, 248 CR at 811–812.

A party’s “good faith” belief in the validity of the marriage is not tested by whether he or she believed a “marriage” lawfully occurred under some private, secular or spiritual set of standards. A putative spouse must have had a good faith belief in the existence of a lawful California marriage. Estate of DePasse (2002) 97 CA4th 92, 107–108, 118 CR2d 143, 156; Welch v.

State of Calif. (2000) 83 CA4th 1374, 1378–1379, 100 CR2d 430, 432–433; Marriage of Vryonis (1988) 202 CA3d 712, 723, 248 CR 807, 814–815 “Good faith” belief is tested by an objective standard based on facts that would cause a reasonable person under the circumstances to harbor a good faith belief in the existence of a valid California marriage. Domestic Partnership of Ellis & Arriaga, supra, 162 CA4th at 1005, 76 CR3d at 404; Marriage of Guo & Sun (2010) 186 CA4th 1491, 1497, 112 CR3d 906, 911; Marriage of Ramirez & Llamas (2008) 165 CA4th 751, 756, 81 CR3d 180, 183. Whether a party had an objectively reasonable “good faith” belief is a question of fact to be determined in light of all the circumstances.

Successfully proving putative spouse status or putative marriage status in court gives rise to certain property, support and attorney fees/costs rights, as well as certain other rights that ordinarily attach only between lawfully married persons.

Property that would have been community or quasi-community property had the marriage been valid is deemed “quasi-marital property” and, in a proceeding to terminate the invalid marriage, “shall” be divided between the parties as if it were community.

Family.Code. § 2251(a)(2); Marriage of Tejeda (2009) 179 CA4th 973, 983, 102 CR3d 361, 368; Quasi-marital property divided pursuant to § 2251 is also liable for the parties’ debts to the same extent as if it had been community or quasi-community property.

Family.Code. § 2252.

In addition, “temporary” and “permanent” spousal support may also be awarded in a nullity proceeding in favor of a putative spouse “in the same manner as if the marriage had not been void or voidable” Family Code Section 2254. The court may also award attorney’s fees pursuant to family code section 2030 in favor of a party found to be “innocent of fraud or wrongdoing in inducing or entering into the marriage, and free from knowledge of the then existence of any prior marriage or other

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PAL launching 7 new…

to Davao service, with the flight scheduled to depart at 10:50 a.m.

The service will be offered four times per week starting March 26.

On March 26, PAL will also launch flights from Clark to Puerto Princesa and Coron.

All of PAL’s new flights out of Clark will use the 199-seater Airbus A321 jet, while the Clark to Coron service will use the 56seater Q300 airplane.

PAL started operating flights

from Clark last Dec.16, through the Clark-Caticlan service, in response to the government’s call to airlines to use the Clark International Airport as an alternative to the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Last Jan.1, the flag carrier launched its first international flight from Clark to Incheon in South Korea.

PAL is also set to launch new flights from Cebu to Puerto Princesa, General Santos, Surigao and

Coron on March 26.

The Cebu-Puerto Princesa service will be available four times a week, while the Cebu-General Santos and Cebu-Surigao flights will be offered three times a week; and the Cebu-Coron service will be made daily.

Flights to Puerto Princesa and General Santos will use the 156seater A320 aircraft, while flights to Surigao will use the 76-seater Q400, and those to Coron will use the Q300. n

Anti-money laundering council head quits PAGE B2 t

scandal.

Most importantly, Abad’s resignation comes only months before Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. ends his term of office and his concurrent chairmanship of the three-member AMLC board.

At the same time, the AntiMoney Laundering Act is also being reviewed by Congress for

possible amendments to give the agency more teeth in going after criminals.

All these factors create a confluence of circumstances that make it more challenging to police the Philippine financial system at a time when financial crimes and malfeasance are on the rise, especially from emerging cyberthreats.

But the biggest question in the

wake of Abad’s resignation is: How will policymakers rebuild AMLC to make it more effective in its role?

President Duterte has remained upset over supposed AMLC leaks of his bank account details to opposing politicians during last year’s presidential campaign and its supposed failure to get to the bottom of the controversy in its aftermath. n

Debt Relief Atty. LAwrence yAng CLIENT is 65. She still works middle management and earns $37K yearly. Although she is married, I would say that she has some kind of money agreement with her beloved husband that arrangement works well for one side only, and that’s not her side.

She herself owes $24K of credit cards. She needs to pay at least $800 a month of minimum interest payments to keep the $24K current every month. With her monthly gross of $3K, her net take home pay is $2500, more or less. From her net pay of $2500, she has to pay 100% of the mortgage of $1600, leaving her $900 for utilities, food and monthly necessities for both herself and her husband.

Client feels overwhelmed by the burden of paying $900 a month for credit cards at her age of 65. Next year, she can retire and get full social security benefits. SS benefits of course will be about $1600 in her case, which is less than her current take home pay of $2500. If she still has to worry about $24K of credit cards next year, half her social security would have to go to card payments. This is not something she looks forward to, to say the least.

Despair and depression would be a more accurate description of how she feels right now. I tell her not to feel so bad because truthfully, she owes her creditors money only, not her enjoyment of life!

“We have strength for all things in Christ who empowers us – Ce infuses us with inner strength and we are self sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency!”

— Philippians 4:13 I wanted to say this because client was so depressed and I could see her depression clearly on her face. Please, it’s not the end of life and of the world, as we know it. We all can rely on Jesus who will help us. So, cheer up!

Together, we can solve this problem and get rid of this burden.

For the husband’s part, he gives her $1K a month as his share of all the household expenses plus the mortgage. And he doesn’t want to file bankruptcy even if he himself owes $40K of credit cards. Supposedly the $1K a month he gives her is half his take home pay. The other

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 1-3, 2017

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Senior needs Chapter 13 relief for $24K credit cards

Formerly rich seniors need Chapter 7 relief

50% he uses to pay his $40K of credit cards, which require at least $1200 a month of minimum payments. He’s still short $200.

Perhaps he drives for UBER for the extra $200?

Well, let’s just say the wall is about to break even if Mexico did pay for it. Even if POTUS used American-made cement and American citizen workers, the wall will still break under the load of too much credit card debt for this family. Can client file for bankruptcy herself to handle her $22K of credit cards? Yes. Nonfiling husband will be left to his own resources to handle his $40K of credit cards. They have $230K of equity in their house.

Her homestead exemption is $175K, so that still leaves $55K of non-exempt equity. This means that she cannot do a Chapter 7 to discharge the $24K. If she did Chapter 7, trustee would sell her house, give her $175K in cash then use the rest of the sale proceeds to pay off the $24K. Who wants to lose their house because of credit cards? Certainly not this client and none of my clients want to lose their house in a Chapter 7. She can, however, file for Chapter 13. In Chapter 13, she will pay $400 a month for 60 months. At the end of the plan, she will be fully paid, because there is no interest in Chapter 13, and the court will give her a discharge order, meaning no more credit card debt! This is $500 less than $900, which is a minimum interest payment only.

After paying $900 a month for 60 months, or $54K, she would still owe the very same $24K at the age of 70. Whereas, if she made all the Chapter 13 plan payments of $400 for 60 months, she would have paid $24K only which is all principal, and at the age of 70, she would owe ZERO credit cards. So, I hope client will feel a lot better now that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

She can look forward to a good retirement with no credit cards to bother her.

The next clients are spouses who are both 64. They have a million dollar house, which unfortunately also has a million dollar mortgage. This mortgage was taken 10 years ago with nothing down and interest only for 10 years. The problem is two months from now, 10 years

Calendar of Events across

would have been reached and the interest only portion expires.

When interest only portion expires, guess what, you have to start paying principal too. With principal payments, mortgage payment will double, from $3k to $6K. Time to let the house go.

There is minimal equity. Clients have listed the house for sale for over a million with no offers. Just some dogs sniffing around, and stray cats looking for food. No serious buyers. As POTUS would tweet out “NOT NICE!” There is a second mortgage of $150K. And credit cards of $60K. If the house is not timely sold for the right price, the right price being, at least $1.15M, then eventually the first mortgage holder will foreclose. When that happens, they will not owe anything on the $1.0M first mortgage, but they will still owe the $150K, which becomes an unsecured debt, like a credit card debt. So, if the house is not sold, clients will owe about $200K of unsecured debt.

I suggest a Chapter 7 to wipe out all debt. Let the house go if it is not sold, and go look for another residence now that is more reasonable in mortgage payments. They have two successful children who will help them purchase the new house anyway.

God blesses them with two children who care for them. What more can they ask for? Good health and children who care for them. Our God has blessed them with abundance.

Yes, I did not forget that clients were formerly rich. They had $750K of retirement funds.

But alas, they lost all of it in the stock market. I feel bad for them losing this fortune. Losing this fortune is another story. But they do have two children who are good enough to buy them a new house, so that makes up for the lost fortune. God takes care of them through their children.

“We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.”

— Psalm 33:20 *** 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.

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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 F E B R UA RY 4

TFC presents Fil-Am game changers panel in Long Beach, CA The Filipino Channel (TFC) presents “Breaking the Mold,” featuring Fil-Am game changers on Saturday, February 4 at Beach Auditorium at California State University, Long Beach. Speakers include Chef Charleen Caabay (winner of the Food Network’s “Chopped), Roslynn Alba Cobrrubias (co-founder of MyDiveo), Singer-Songwriter AJ Rafael and TV host/journalist Ginger Conejero. TFCU seeks to help Fil-Am students and groups energize Filipino pride on their campuses. The event is from 12-5 p.m. For more information and to register, please visit https://www.facebook.com/TFCUniversity.

“Quiapo” book launch in Los Angeles Come to Echo Park Library on Saturday, February 4 for a book launch and reading of “Blood, Sweat, Hope, and Quiapo: Rodallie S. Mosende’s Story” by award-winning documentary photographer Rick Rocamora. Echo Park Library is located at 1410 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90026.

F E B R UA RY 1 1

FALW to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Seal Beach, CA The Filipino Association of Leisure World will celebrate Valentine’s Day with a dinnerdance at the Clubhouse #2 at 1232 Golden Rain Road, Seal Beach, CA on February 11.

Music will be provided by The Midnight Motion Band. For other related questions, please call the president of the association, Ren Villanueva at (323) 854-6209.

F E B R UA RY 1 8

Free parenting class in Eagle Rock, CA Come to a free parenting class in Eagle Rock on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 10 a.m. It will be held at the Eagle Rock Lutheran Church at 5032 Maywood Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90041.

To RSVP, please call (323) 304-9898.

MARCH 11

CSFLU to hold dinner-dance in Brea, CA The City of San Fernando La Union Association (CSFLU) will hold its annual dinnerdance at the Embassy Suites in Brea, CA on March 11. Music will be provided by Willie Manacsa & The Midnight Motion Band. For more information, please call Vangie So, president of the association at (626) 485-3110.

APRIL 20

CAUSE’s annual gala in Los Angeles Join Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) for its annual gala on Thursday, April 20. It will be held at LA Hotel’s California Ballroom at 333 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071. The event begins at 5 p.m. with a VIP reception.

For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact kim@causeusa.org or visit www.causeusa.org.

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

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People and Events

TFCU talks kicks off 2017 university tour with ‘Breaking The Mold’ in Long Beach on Feb. 4 FOLLOWING the very enthusiastic reception from San Francisco Bay Area university students and the officers of the Philippine Consulate General of San Francisco which hosted the first talk on November 12, 2016, the team behind tfc_U Talks revealed huge plans to reach out to Filipino American university students across the U.S. in 2017.

Starting February 4, Saturday,

tfc_U Talks — a series of informative and interactive discourses and discussions organized by ABS-CBN International’s TFC that is designed to connect, inspire and empower Filipino American college students — is kicking off its year-long, monthly series with a talk called, “Breaking the Mold” that will be held at the Beach Auditorium of Cal State University, Long Beach.

Admission to the event is free.

“We started the year with the topic of ‘Breaking the Mold’ because that’s exactly what we want to achieve with our university talk series,” said Troy Espera, tfc_U Talks team lead and executive producer of BA, a daily Filipino American TV news show shown on TFC. “We live in an age and culture where personal ethnic identity, racism, media-imposed pressure and

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Putative spouse status as a defense…

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impediment to the contracting of the marriage for which a judgment of nullity is sought.”

Family Code Section 2255. *** 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) 388-1611 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.

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WE ARE

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

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

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PeoPle & events

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 1-3, 2017

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TFCU talks kicks off 2017 university tour with ‘Breaking…

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social stereotypes all conspire to turn us into something that we are not.”

Espera continues: “’Why not conform,’ they’ll say. ‘The mold is there for a reason.’ Well, guess what: Your mold doesn’t work for everyone. We hope that tfc_U Talks provides a safe, nonjudgmental, innovative, relevant and positive hub of ideas plus people-to-people connections to college students that could change the way they are perceived, the way they do things and the way they pursue their lives that make a difference in society.”

The FilAm speakers for tfc_U Talks’ “Breaking the Mold”, February 4, at the Beach Auditorium of Cal State University, Long Beach For February 4, the tfc_U Talks team selected three Filipino American speakers who dared to do the unexpected in their respective fields, and thus stood out and made an impact.

AJ Rafael – A native of Moreno Valley, California, AJ is a singermusician-songwriter-recording artist who is among the millions who have tried their luck

EMPLOYMENT

in “American Idol”. But while he had a good audition in 2005, he never progressed to the later stages in the competition. A year later, he started posting his videos on YouTube. To date, his videos have been viewed over 100 million times. He now has over 650,000 subscribers on the platform, over 400,000 followers on Facebook, over 183,000 followers on Twitter, over 147,000 followers on Instagram and is also blowing up Snapchat with his clips, making him a social media powerhouse. He has also released original songs, EPs and one full album that was funded on Kickstarter. AJ has toured internationally.

Roslynn Cobarrubias - With about two decades of experience in the music industry and social media arena, Roslynn’s resume is highly impressive. She is the co-Founder & CMO of mydiveo. com, a global talent discovery & video resume platform that cultivates discovery and collaboration by providing artists and creatives with a mobile portfolio to showcase their talent. Last year, engage:BDR, a leading cross-device advertising solution company, announced its acquisition of

mydiveo for US $7.4 million. Roslynn was also Senior Director of Artist Relations at Myspace Inc., a company she helped market since its early stages and helped develop for close to 10 years.

Billboard Magazine named her one of the “Top 30 Music Industry Professionals Under 30″ alongside professionals Scooter Braun (Justin Bieber’s manager) and Daniel Ek (Founder of Spotify). Roslynn was also featured in The Source Magazine “Power 30″ alongside notables Diddy & Russell Simmons with the Myspace co-founders. She has produced over 500 live events & editorial programs with artists and brands like Jay-Z, Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Drake, Miguel, AT&T and Wendy’s.

Chef Charleen Caabay – Setting up a makeshift kitchen wherever she could, Chef Charleen started her colorful culinary adventures by opening her first pop-up restaurant in October 2012, building a solid following of foodies throughout the Bay Area and beyond. Shortly after, her Kainbigan Filipino Comfort Food, opened its doors in August 2013 in Oakland, California. She has been instrumental

EMPLOYMENT

in introducing Filipino cuisine to companies such as Google, Zoosk, OkCupid and Eventbrite, to name a few. Chef Charleen also catered to such celebrities as Goapele, rapper Eve and famed poet Ursula Rucker. In December 2016, Chef Charleen became the first Filipino American female chef to win in Food Network’s “Chopped” cooking show. She plans to travel to the Philippines with family in early 2017 to explore and get inspiration for her upcoming culinary programs and special event projects featuring Filipino cuisine. This will be launched this Spring and Summer upon her return to the San Francisco Bay Area.

There are more exciting speakers lined up when tfc_U Talks travels this year to San Diego, Seattle, Honolulu, Chicago, Virginia Beach, Toronto, New York, Sacramento and San Francisco.

To join the February 4 event, register online now at http:// bit.ly/TFCUtalk2 . To receive updates on the other legs of the tfc_U Talks 2017 tour, visit https://www.facebook.com/TFCUniversity/.

(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): FilAm musician and social media powerhouse AJ Rafael; mydiveo. com co-Founder and CMO and one of Billboard Magazine’s “Top 30 Music Industry Professionals Under 30” Roslynn Cobarrubias; and the first FilAm female winner of Food Network’s “Chopped” Chef Charleen Caabay are all set to share their exciting stories at tfc_U Talks on February 4 at the Beach Auditorium of Cal State University, Long Beach, California.

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The Asian Journal

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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 1, 2017

Coolhaus co-founders Freya Estreller & Natasha Case bring architecturally-inspired, creatively-flavored frozen treats

by CHRISTINA M. ORIEL / AJPRESS

IN recent years, ice cream has gone beyond your typical vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.

Think, fried chicken and waffles, peking duck, foie gras PB&J or whiskey Lucky Charms.

At Coolhaus, a Los Angeles-based artisanal ice cream sandwich company, these are just some of the inventive, indulgent flavors customers can expect.

The concept arose some nine years ago when LA-native Natasha Case was working at Walt Disney Imagineering. Employing her architecture background, Case made ice cream sandwiches for an employee holiday bake sale. Though comprised of an ice cream scoop wedged in between two cookies, they were more than that, as she calls it: “Farchitecture” (food + architecture) creations, playing on famous architects and structures.

Realizing how much of a hit the combinations were, Case, along with Filipino-American Freya Estreller, soon transformed this hobby into a business venture.

The name Coolhaus itself plays on “Bauhaus” (an influential modernist design movement of the 1920s and 30s) and Rem Koolhaas (a famous Dutch architect and theorist). For architecture aficionados, there are sandwiches with pun-y titles, from Frank Berry (snickerdoodle cookies & strawberry ice cream) to Norman Bananas Foster (banana ice cream with butter-y rum reduction swirl).

Their big break came months later in 2009 when Case and Estreller bought a truck off of Craigslist and drove it to Indio, California to sell ice cream sandwiches at the annual Coachella Valley Music Festival, where over 100,000 people were in attendance.

“After Coachella, we went viral, so you could not ignore that there was an interest and demand for us to do this. That was an extreme example that you might not see all the time but really after that, when you’re just starting and trying to get something out there, you should be overwhelmed by the sales and not being able to keep up,” Case told the Asian Journal in a recent interview.

“That’s when you know you’ve got something…if you’re just sitting around, waiting for sales to come, it’s the exact opposite of what it should be.”

From there, the duo began driving the truck to “hip” neighborhoods in the

Freya Estreller and Natasha Case

greater Los Angeles area, such as Venice, Santa Monica and downtown.

“Especially in the early days, our customer base was the young, tech-savvy type who were food adventurers,” Case said. “They had the energy and enthusiasm to seek us out to where we might be.”

In addition to the truck sales, Coolhaus became a goto catering service for private parties and events throughout Southern California. The brand is also known for doing partnerships with fashion labels, movies, and various businesses.

“There’s no partnership or market channel that’s too outside the box for us,” Estreller said.

Like most entrepreneurs will attest to, starting off is no easy feat. Both Case and Estreller reflected that managing others was a challenge because of their young age, being 25 and 26 at the time, respectively.

“We were really young founders and some of our employees were older than us and more experienced at service and food. Why are they going to listen to you? Why are you giving authority if you don’t really have that much of a track record. I think it’s hard at first, you have to learn yourself as a manager,” Case said, adding that it’s about “social and people skills.”

Estreller added how it was important for entrepreneurs not get stuck on “analysis-paralysis” when thinking about the business idea.

“People tend to get stuck there, thinking ‘I can’t do it,’ ‘I don’t have the experience’ or ‘I don’t have the money.’ There’s a way — if you’re really passionate about it and you can figure out a low-cost way to get

to minimum viable product... there’s a way to put it out there and test it out, especially with technology these days,” she added.

Additionally, they remarked how most people thought “Coolhaus was started by guys” even though the branding is pink and silver and that the co-founders’ back stories were widely shared.

Estreller noted that being a leader and running a business as a female is inherent in her culture and upbringing.

“In Filipino culture, we have very strong women,” Estreller said, describing how she’s looked up to her mother’s dynamic, hands-on personality.

Business and life partners In addition to being business partners, Case and Estreller began a romantic relationship early on while developing the company. Now married, they both remarked how being together for most of the day helped and how their different fields of expertise complemented one another.

Case — who is now the CEO of Coolhaus — was in charge of the creative, branding and marketing aspects, while Estreller was more on the operations and logistics side.

“At least for us, it was beneficial because 24/7, we were talking about Coolhaus and that really accelerated the growth of the business in the first four years I was [in the business],” Estreller narrated.

However, being in these two types of relationships also presented some bumps in the road.

“At the year four point, I personally started to feel a little burnt out, we were fighting a lot — not only would we talk about Coolhaus, but we would fight about it. Not only was it a realization for the both us that maybe that this wasn’t as beneficial as it was before.

There was a turning point,” Estreller said.

In 2014, she moved on to launch Ludlows Cocktail Co., which sells prepackaged, allnatural craft cocktails and jello shots.

“I started my own company because I’m a masochist and that’s what entrepreneurs like us do. That’s been really helpful for our marriage,” she said.

“Coolhaus is great but I love Natasha more than my business.”

Though some ventures fall after couples/business partners end their romantic

relationships, Case and Estreller said Coolhaus has persisted because of how popular the brand is itself. As a couple, they still own a majority stake of the company.

“You have to be bigger than the brand and the brand has to be bigger than you. Luckily, Coolhaus is a brand that’s not only our faces and identities,” Case shared. “It’s bigger than just the who. Our relationship didn’t exist for the purpose of growing Coolhaus… If anything, having an Asian woman cofounder and being a same-sex couple — all these elements of diversity have only helped us.”

On occasion, however, Estreller will come on board as a consult and help with any strategic moves.

“Freya gives great feedback even if she’s not here,” Case said. “She’s an influential voice in the business.”

Added Estreller, “They call me the ‘first lady of Coolhaus’ because I have [Natasha’s] ear every night.”

Soon, the couple will be welcoming their first child and are excited about entering motherhood.

“Because we own our own businesses, we’re very blessed that we get to take the necessary time off and we’ll see — I don’t know how long we’re going to take off. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

It helped us formulate our policy on maternity leave at our companies. We started to look at it and the best practices of companies that we admire and we increased it,” Estreller said.

(Currently, Coolhaus provides two months paid maternity leave, with partial pay for the third and fourth months).

Going forward Nearing eight years in business, Coolhaus is staying relevant in the ice cream scene through consistently pushing boundaries and innovating new flavors and concepts.

“I really like that core principle of expressing yourself,” Estreller said. “No flavor or collaboration is too weird or kooky.”

Added Case, “What’s cool is that we can have an idea of something we want to do and within a few months, we can easily be selling it on the seasonal menu or just in a oneoff in the shops or the trucks.

Generally, there are a few ways this will come about: one is seeing interesting food trends or ingredients that are being used for cultural dishes.”

Another way is looking at cultural references and creating concoctions based on them. For example, recently an employee

crafted a play on ‘Netflix & Chill,” using a white cheddar popcorn-infused base and Doritos.

As of late 2016, Coolhaus had a national fleet of 10 trucks and carts in LA, New York and Dallas and two brick and mortar shops in Culver City and Pasadena, and was being sold in over 5,000 retailers in all 50 states and some areas in Asia and the Middle East. (In Manila, the brand can be found at Landers Superstore.)

For new products at retail partners, the company examines which pints, sandwiches, and bars have large social media exposure and are best-sellers at the trucks and two stores.

“We still need a Filipino line,” Estreller remarked.

“Where’s my halo-halo ice cream?”

In the past, the brand introduced ube ice cream to its lineup — way before the ingredient became so ubiquitous as it is today.

Despite all of the creative flavors, one continues to be the staple for many customers: the chocolate chip Cookie + Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream sandwich.

“Everyone loves to try — people will stand there and try five things, but they’ll always come back to the classic. You shouldn’t have vanilla shame, people will say they’re boring.

But actually, vanilla is the flavor where you have the least flavor fatigue for. It’s a scientific thing.

There’s a reason why vanilla is so popular,” Estreller said.

In the next three to five

Photo by Atisha Paulson

years, customers can expect more flavors and products and for Coolhaus to be sold at more retail locations.

“There’s so much to do with our brand. I think what’s great about it — it’s almost like a lens of how you see the world, rather than this is [simply] ice cream,” Case said. “It’s almost like, Coolhaus means to ‘express yourself through ice cream’ because we’re constantly coming out with unique, innovative products and flavors that you wouldn’t necessarily even think could meet a frozen dessert profile and keeping things exciting, playful and whimsical.”

Despite being surrounded by cookies and ice cream all day, Case said it’s taught them about moderation and balance.

“I rarely eat a whole serving, but almost every day, I eat a little ice cream and…cookies,” she said. “This kind of business is not a traditional desk job, you are on your toes all the time, so even though there are thousands of gallons of ice cream and thousands of cookies around, it’s a physical job.

You’re running around, you’re meeting and talking to people — even if you’re scooping, it’s very aerobic. I’m so not tired of cookies or ice cream, I still look forward to every time there’s a tasting.”

“Now that I’m pregnant, I’ve probably eaten more Coolhaus in these last seven months than I have in the last seven years,” Estreller joked.

Photos courtesy of Coolhaus

New film starring Derek Ramsay to shed light on Enzo Pastor’s tragic death by iza igleSiaS ManilaTimes.net

The tragic life of international car racer enzo Pastor, who was ambushed and killed en route to a race in Pampanga in 2014, is now the subject of a film by award winning director enzo Williams (“Bonifacio, Ang Unang Pangulo,” “The escort” 2016).

Chosen to star in the biopic is top dramatic actor Derek Ramsay, whose talent and popularity Williams believes will help shed light not necessarily on the case surrounding Pastor’s shocking death, but the admirable life he led.

Pastor was regarded a hero in the local racing scene, who, following an impressive debut at the 1999 Toyoto Corolla Cup went on to become a nASCAR hall of Fame Awardee. he was the first Asian to be given the honor and had a promising future in the international racing circuit until his untimely and unjust demise.

Pastor died in June 2014 from gunshot wounds from motorcycle-riding men who ambushed his truck on his way to the final leg of the that year’s Asian V8 Championship Series.

A teaser of the biopic was shown at an exclusive viewing hosted by Pastor’s family on January 24 at Privé Luxury Club in BGC on the occasion of his birthday. In attendance were members of the local racing community and select members of media. Pastor would have been 35 years old.

“Derek has been very supportive of this project from the beginning. Just like us, he believes what our son stood for, not only in the local racing community but also the world stage. We hope the movie will inspire every Filipino to achieve world renown through hard work and passion as our son had been in his chosen field,” Tom Pastor, the racer’s proud father said.

Passion Likewise, the subject’s namesake, Director enzo Williams is very passionate in filming enzo: The Life of enzo Pastor, a story which he believes will encourage viewers to believe they can be whoever they want to be.

“I was recommended by [ac-

entertainment 3 Rachelle Ann Go to play lead role in West End’s ‘Hamilton’ The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 1, 2017

by Bayani

San Diego Inquirer.net

The late Enzo Pastor

tress] Vivian Velez to enzo’s family [to direct the movie], and so when she texted me, I did research on enzo’s life right away. I didn’t know him at the time but I heard about the tragedy,” recalled Williams.

“I saw that he reached the top level of racing internationally, and knowing he’s a Filipino really inspired me. So, I know that if his story inspires me, it’s sure to inspire others too,” the USschooled director told The Manila Times.

Williams further related when he met the family, he said he would do the movie not for the purpose of bringing Pastor’s killers to justice, but to show people they should strive to be the best they can like the passionate racer and dedicated family man.

“There’s no other purpose but to show his inspiring life. I’m going to finish the film moments before he passes away, and have nothing to do with the tragedy.

I’m also not doing this to discredit whoever is involved [in his murder], I am not going to pin down anybody or influence the case,” he clarified.

“The automotive community has been very supportive in helping us put the movie together.

They’re excited because to show their world will be to the public, because, somehow this is a secret world. not a lot of people know racings as a sport since it’s [admittedly]something costly to get into,” Williams continued.

First of its kind As far as Williams knows, the enzo Pastor movie will be the first movie on car racing in the Philippines. As such, the Pastors, who supported enzo throughout his successful albeit short racing

Derek Ramsay

career look forward to share the “struggles, pain and the beauty of what it takes to be a racer.”

Moreover, they would like their son remembered through the film as a sportsman who proudly carried the Philippine flag.

“When enzo died, it created a lot of confusion who he was, but I think it’s just fair for the Philippines to know how enzo had been racing for the Philippines internationally for some time. We felt the way to tap into the general public is to make an inspirational film about enzo’s life and passion,” younger brother Don Pastor further shared with The Manila Times. “honestly, it took us about a year to really decide if we wanted to do this because it’s also going to bring us a lot of pain that he’s gone. even just to see the play by play when they start shooting the film, that’s going to be hard.

But on the whole it’s going to help the public learn about this small community of Filipino racers and hopefully support it too,” he added.

According to Don, the choice of Ramsay to portray his brother is perfect.

Asked who is producing the movie, Don related they have investors already but are still in talks with other interested parties because they are adamant on coming up with a quality film.

Their aim, just like their beloved enzo, is to bring the movie to the international level.

Jr.

When the latest news on Rachelle Anne Go broke online, Lea Salonga was among the first to express her congratulations on Facebook.

Rachelle Ann had just landed the plum role of eliza hamilton in the London production of “hamilton,” and friends like Lea were naturally ecstatic.

Lea told the Inquirer: “[Director-friend] Bobby Garcia shared the news with me ages ago, so we’ve had to sit on this forever. I am so thrilled for her!”

It’s safe to assume that Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “hamilton” is one of the Tony winner’s favorite musicals. Lea recalled: “When I first heard about it, I jumped up and down like crazy. Given how big a hit that show is on Broadway and on tour, it’s very exciting.”

Lea quickly added that there’s another Filipino in the play’s London cast. “Rachelle Ann is not the only Pinoy Schuyler Sister, though.

Christine Allado, who was in ‘here Lies Love’ at the national Theatre, has been cast as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds. Lin must really love Pinoys to cast two of them in principal roles for this show.”

Playing hamilton’s wife will give Rachelle Ann the chance to sing one of the play’s loveliest show-stoppers. Lea enthused: “‘Burn.’ God, that song!”

Rachelle Ann will also get to beat-box, said Lea.

Rachelle Ann Go posted this photo of herself with ‘Hamilton’ creator LinManuel Miranda on her Twitter account.

Before joining the Founding Fathers in the West end, Rachelle Ann will reprise her role as Gigi in the restaging of “Miss Saigon” on Broadway, which begins this spring (March 2017).

According to reports, Rachelle Ann will leave “Saigon” in August to start preparing for “hamilton,” which will premiere at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London, on nov. 21.

Filipinos films named among the world’s best movies for 2016

by Bayani

San Diego Inquirer.net

Charo Santos (third from right) and Shamaine Buencamino (second from right) in “Ang Babaeng Humayo”

Jr.

FILIPIno films were mentioned as among the best movies of 2016 in a forum conducted by the British Film Institute’s Sight and Sound magazine among 163 critics and curators from all over the world.

Lav Diaz’s “Ang Babaeng humayo,” Golden Lion winner at last year’s Venice Film Festival, placed 31st on the list, garnering five votes from the panel of experts.

Also chosen by some respondents were two other Diaz films: “hele sa hiwagang hapis” (which Continued on Page 4

4

entertainment

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 1, 2017

Pia signs up with IMG

by Arlo

Custodio ManilaTimes.net

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach announced at the beginning of the 65th Miss Universe pageant on Monday, Jan. 30 that she had just signed with the New York-based talent management group iMG, and as such will continue to work with the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) even after her reign has ended.

Besides owning MUO, iMG also represents some of the world’s biggest sports stars and fashion models, among them Gigi Hadid, Lily Aldridge, Gisele Bündchen, and Ashley Graham. “it was a remarkable year. i’ve really grown as a woman. i learned so many things. This actually opened a lot of doors for me. Actually, i just signed with iMG so i am very excited about that,” she said during an exchange with host steve Harvey.

MUO President Paula shugart—who was ecstatic in thanking Filipinos for the success of the 65th Miss Universe pageant in Manila, with Mon-

day’s coronation night “the best show she had ever done”—said in a huddle with media that there are many plans for Wurtzbach “in front of the camera, and there’s also an opportunity for her to go back to school.”

Although shugart did not give out any details on Wurtzbach’s future, she said Pia will continue working “and will keep us [MUO] busy.” since her mother’s hometown Cagayan de Oro had been hit by floods recently, Wurtzbach plans to put on sale her Miss Universe wardrobe and raise funds for those affected by the calamity.

Besides pursuing her advocacy on AiDs/HiV prevention and awareness, the beauty queen also vowed to continue supporting and fighting for LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans[gender]and Queer) rights.

On January 26, Wurtzbach wrote in the Motto section of TiME Magazine, “i myself owe a lot to the LGBTQ community, many of whom are my closest friends. Without their accepting attitudes toward my own

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach

flaws and struggles, i would not be where i am today. But while we are beginning to see the seeds of change in the Catholic church, the LGBTQ community in the Philippines doesn’t yet enjoy equal rights.” she added “when my faith and secular opinions clash, but in those moments, i find comfort in an old saying: Live and let live.”

Filipinos films named among the world’s...

From Page 3

won the silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize in the Berlinale 2016) and “Ang Araw Bago ang Wakas” (which won top prizes in Oberhausen, Germany, and Zabok, Croatia, last year).

The Bangkok Post’s Kong Rithdee says of “Ang Babaeng Humayo”: “The theme is big: Humanity, guilt, crime, punishment, injustice, despair—the Filipino despair, or maybe the southeast Asian despair, drenched in [the] sweat and blood of the common man.”

Rithdee notes: “Duterte or not, senseless deaths on the street or not, Diaz never tries to catch a rabbit—he always goes for the dragon in its lair.”

But beyond the grand themes of revenge and redemption, Rithdee remarks that “in this film,

what moves us even more is the possibility of mercy, compassion, even grace, struggling to blossom like a flower in hell.”

British critic Derek Malcolm similarly praises “Humayo”: “The more i think about it, the more i admire the surprise winner of the Golden Lion at Venice. [it] is a film that lives in the memory as a moral, political and cultural statement, as well as a fine piece of filmmaking.”

Jonathan Romney, Malcolm’s colleague and compatriot, agrees: “My vote [for “Humayo”] is also a vote for an exemplary continuing adventure in filmmaking as passionate mission.”

Alexander Horwath, director of the Austrian Film Museum, also had “Humayo” on his Top 5—a list he collectively describes as “avatars of our present condi-

tion.”

Writer, blogger and teacher Jonathan Rosenbaum from the United states put Diaz’s short film “Ang Araw Bago ang Wakas” on top of his list.

Two of Diaz’s films, “Humayo” and “Hele,” made it on the list of critic Noel Vera of the Philippines. Us critic and programmer Jordan Cronk likewise chose “Hele” as part of his extended lineup of “honorable mentions.”

Two panelists picked Brillante Ma Mendoza’s “Ma’ Rosa.”

James Quandt, curator and critic from Canada, included “Ma’ Rosa” in his Top 5. French critic and academician Jean-Michel Frodon, on the other hand, included “Ma’ Rosa” as part of his extended list of Top 15 films.

(Inquirer.net)

Continued on Page 5

FASO brings back ‘Swing the Night Away’ “Swing the night Away” was such a fun, rousing success in 2014 that the Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO), the only Filipino symphony orchestra outside of the Philippines, is bringing it back on Saturday, March 18 at the Hilton glendale.

A jam-packed, enjoyable event that had guests dancing to big band gems, “Swing the night Away” drew many requests for FASO to stage it again. This time, the orchestra, under Back by popular demand: FASO’s “Swing the Night Away” on March 18 at the Hilton Glendale. the baton of musical director Photo by Rick Gavino. and conductor Robert “Bob”

Moonlighting

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 1, 2017

Shroder, will play the dancing-est music of Earth, wind & Fire, Kool & the gang and other bands and artists.

Dance instructors (Dis) will be available on the floor. guests can also just sit back, relax and enjoy the live performance of FASO which drew standing ovations and cheers in its past concerts. As in the first “Swing the night Away” in 2014, the glendale Hilton’s ballroom will again be the venue of another unforgettable evening. no host cocktails will start at 6:00 p.m. Dinner will begin

Songs that my mother taught me

ing when others accuse and holding on when you’re tempted de leon to let go. Most importantly, it is letting go when you desperately want to hold on.

She was an accomplished gardener—her orchids bloomed MY first knowledge of the in the moonlight and her roses world and about life came to me grew even in winter. through my senses. They were But her five girls were her ferdirected by my mother.

She was the first person i saw, tile field. in the soul of the human felt and depended on, on the day heart, she was perfect. in her children’s hearts, she i was born.

Everything made me wail des- had tenderly planted the seeds of perately—hunger, light and anger. love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control.

The memory of my mother She courageously protected that and her teachings were, after all, precious field from destruction what i have made my way. and uninvited strangers. i remember the day i guided when spiritual or physiher to her flight gate. it was the cal tribulations threatened her last time i saw my mother alive. brood, she worked with a bleedShe turned around, waved at us ing hand to protect the roots of and smiled blithely. She cheered life from violent storms, as she us with her mirth. struggled through seasons of She was the most beautiful growth, celebrated unharmed woman i have ever seen. growth as she weeded, watered, i missed her until i ached. i plowed and prayed. missed her steadfast faith in a when our hearts got broken loving unseen god, her complete or when our dreams fell apart, love for her family anchored on she would remind us that god the dictum “Love one another.” holds the key to real happiness. giving all, asking little and acHe is the rebuilder of dashed cepting less. There never was a hopes and shattered dreams. woman like her.

Her cheerful heart and encourShe was rich and a treasured agement were transfusions of gift from god, who taught us what real love meant: sharing the courage.

Her weekend mornings were hurts, hopes, joys and homecommeant for special things, and ings. anybody who messed with the when we grew older and divine plan placed her health went our separate ways, she and eternal happiness in great said love is about staying when it would be easier to leave, defend- danger.

by Mylah

Yet, when the grand and great grandchildren came, she found joy in Saturday and Sunday mornings, filled with scampering feet, raucous laughter and squeals of “Apong!”

She relished her home, straightened just yesterday and now strewn with toys and coloring books.

She was always a tender nurse beside the bed of a sick child; a diplomatic disciplinarian; and a mighty warrior against the force of evil which threatened her domain.

She taught us that laughter would lengthen your life span, improve your marriage and increase your humility.

She would have liked her funeral. it had decorum and dash—grief borne nobly, as were her very ways. it was full of children, laborers, lawyers and judges. it had a marvelous eyeful jumble of the mighty and the obscure, with the sounds of the day smashingly appropriate.

The tolling of the bells and her loved ones’ silent laments blended with elegiac Schubert, Toselli, Romberg, Mendelssohn, Debussy and the lugubrious songs of lost love by nicanor Abelardo and Buencamino.

She would have seen every person she had helped—the simple folks of labor, their employees, her grieving friends.

Each one bore tales and evoked her so vividly that tears splashed

features 5

at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are at $125 each (includes dinner). Ticket and sponsorship opportunities information are available through Arlene Ferrolino (213) 248-9850, Bob Shroder (818) 395-8936 and JL garcia (310) 936-2988. Tickets are also available online at http:// www.fasofoundation.org and https://www.eventbrite.com/

e/fasos-swing-the-night-awaytickets-30576915377.

FASO is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. The proceeds will be used to sustain the orchestra and to fund FASO’s education and outreach programs, including its annual summer youth music training program.

Hilton glendale is on 100 west glenoaks Boulevard, glendale, CA 91202.

/ 08 0 1 & / 21822 Main St. Carson, CA (beside St. Phelomina)

#ATERING FOR !LL /CCASSIONS

Apong and Noelle

on the red carpet and benches of the parlor. They all wept, but nobody broke down. i believe that god has a special place for her and that she and her friends are happy and singing “i Love Thee,” Schubert’s “Ave Maria,” “when i grow Too Old To Dream,” and “Ay, Ay Kalisud.”

“Come on,” she would coax me. “You sing alto, it goes like this, and i’ll sing soprano.”

She was a coloratura soprano. i’d rush to her with joy because i knew how happy it would make her as i accompanied her on the piano.

She would sing a capella, “Trees,” “indian Love Call,” “nasaan ka irog” “La golondrina,” “none But the Lonely Hearts” and “On wings of Song.”

They are the most beautiful songs i’ve ever heard.

This year, she would have been 92. ***

E-mail Mylah at moonlightingmdl@ aol.com

s 7EDDINGS s !NNIVERSARIES s "IRTHDAY 0ARTIES s "REAKFAST -EETINGS s "USINESS ,UNCHEONS s #HILDREN S 0ARTIES s 3CHOOL #ARNIVALS s 3CHOOL #A

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 1, 2017

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