LA Midweek Edition -- July 13 -- 15, 2016

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Volume 26 - No. 56 • 3 Sections - 22 Pages

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International tribunal sides with PH in case against China by eric

Filipino-American community members in New York rallied outside the United Nations headquarters on Tuesday, July 12, hailing the Philippines’ victory over its case against China. The UN Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Netherlands ruled that Beijing has no legal basis to assert sovereignty over most of the South China Sea. Photo by Troi Santos

DATELINE

USA

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

Sanders officially endorses Clinton for president

After a tempestuous primary season, sen.

Bernie sanders (D-Vermont) has officially endorsed hillary Clinton to secure her position as the sole Democratic presidential candidate. sanders and Clinton held a joint rally on the morning of tuesday, July 12 in Portsmouth, New hampshire, a city and state that sanders had won during the primaries by wide margins. sanders opened up the speech celebrating the progress of his own campaign -- his “political revolution” -- touting the 1,900 delegates he garnered during the primaries, which he said was “far more than almost anyone thought we could win.” he then went on to voice his support for Clinton’s presidential ticket, assuring that she is far more suited for the presidency than presumptive republican presidential nominee

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Asian Americans support Black Lives Matter, respond to recent shootings

IN the wake of the shootings of two black men that reignited the conversation on racial profiling by law enforcement, Asian Americans are standing in solidarity with the Black Lives matter (BLm) movement.

BLm was formed in 2013 in response to the wave of police shootings of black individuals across the United states. the movement regularly organizes protests around police shootings of black individuals and speak on broad issues like racial profiling and inequality. the movement has been received with mixed reactions. some have hailed it as a modern day civil rights organization. others have panned it as a racist organization, like former NYC mayor rudy Giuliani, who accused BLm of “isolating” blacks.

New York City-based ethnographer Christina Xu wanted to respond to negative reactions

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anthony licas AJPress

IN a huge victory for the Philippines, the UN Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the hague, Netherlands ruled that Beijing has no legal basis to assert sovereignty over most of the south China sea. the landmark ruling issued on tuesday, July 12 found that China’s claims violate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the sea (UNCLos) and that the country has no historic right over the resources and territories, despite the centuries-old maps and guides it presented.

Chinese activity within and near the Philippines’ exclusive economic Zone (eeZ) ille-

gally interfered with the island nation’s petroleum exploration and fishing operations, the PCA concluded. sovereign rights over Panganiban (mischief) reef, Ayungin (second thomas) shoal and recto (reed) Bank were awarded to the Philippines. the PCA ruling also defines the contested scarborough shoal as a common traditional fishing ground that no country may claim exclusive right over. A standoff at the shoal between the Philippine and Chinese navies and China’s violation of a subsequent truce prompted former President Benigno Aquino III’s administration to file a complaint with the PCA in 2013. the five-judge panel also unanimously found that China

aggravated the dispute, and said the construction of a large artificial island on top of mischief reef caused irreparable harm to its ecosystem.

“It’s an overwhelming victory.

We won on every significant point,” said Paul s. reichler, the Philippines’ chief counsel in the case. the decision was welcomed

by Philippine officials, as well as filipinos throughout the United states. “the Philippines strongly affirms its respect for this milestone decision as an important contribution to ongoing efforts in addressing disputes in the south China sea,” said Philippine foreign secretary Perfecto

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Ex-PDEA chief discloses Aquino PH police chief aware of 23 ‘drug’ mayors denounces violence as drug killings rise

by Joseph

alMer B. pedraJas AJPress

foLLoWING the President rodrigo Duterte’s earlier revelations, former Philippine Drug enforcement Agency (PDeA) Director General Dionisio santiago claimed on monday, July 11 that former President Benigno Aquino III had known the 23 mayors protecting illegal drug syndicates, but explained that the government lost the cases filed against these officials.

In a news conference at Aristocrat restaurant in manila, santiago disFormer Philippine Drug Enforcement closed that during Aquino’s term, AquiAgency (PDEA) Director General no and his executive secretary Paquito ochoa were given a list of local governDionisio Santiago

ments linked to drug syndicates. “they [Aquino and ochoa] knew these individuals. We provided them with the list like Amante, Alcala, Asistio, Ablan, Cuenca and soon,” added santiago, who also served as former Armed forces of the Philippines (AfP) chief of staff.

According to him, the government lost the cases against the alleged drug protectors after either the prosecutors or the judge dumped the charges.

Although santiago did not drop first names, he believes that these officials have already been on Duterte’s list of drug lords. on friday, July 8, Philippine Na-

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40 Muslim extremists killed by PH Philippines to troops in first week of Duterte admin create drug rehab program by eric

anthony licas AJPress

PhILIPPINe military forces engaged in counterterrorism efforts in mindanao killed a total of 40 Abu sayyaf Group (AsG) extremists during the first week of President rodrigo Duterte’s administration, a military spokesperson announced on monday, July 11. major filemon tan of the Armed forces of the Philippines Western mindanao Command told the Asso-

ciated Press that 22 militants have been killed, and 16 wounded in sulu since Philippine troops launched their offensive last week. Another 18 AsG fighters were killed, and nine more wounded in the province of Basilan, near the town of tipo tipo. so far, only one filipino soldier has died in combat since the military began its campaign against hostage-taking AsG militias operating in the predominantly muslim southern Philippines.

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

As a part of the new administration’s push to wipe out the illegal drug trade, there are plans to institute rehabilitation programs for tens of thousands of drug addicts in the Philippines, according to Presidential spokesperson ernesto Abella.

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by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

PhILIPPINe National Police (PNP) Director General ronald “Bato” Dela rosa has spoken out against the increased violence and execution of criminals advocated

by President rodrigo Duterte. “the PNP does not condone vigilantism. I, personally, will be vigilant against vigilantism,” he said at a weekly press briefing at Camp Crame on monday, July 11.

PNP Director General Ronald According to “Bato” Dela Rosa a PNP report, 103 drug-related suspects were killed over a ten-day period from the day Duterte was inaugurated. Police said that they were killed for resisting arrest.

Despite his disapproval of the administration’s decisions, Dela rosa expressed support for the policemen involved in the capture and persecution of the suspects. on the other hand, PNP solicitor General Jose

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Pacquiao planning Senate leave to prepare for next fight — Arum

by Bong lozada Inquirer.net

It’s been only a couple of months since his induction to the Philippine senate, but manny Pacquiao is already reportedly planning to take a leave of absence for another go in the boxing ring. top rank Ceo Bob Arum told Boxingscene.com that Pacquiao is looking for another opponent for a possible return fight and is working with senate President franklin Drilon to figure out how to can go on a break to train. “he is going to fight. I don’t know what the date is. he is working with the Presi-

dent of the Philippine senate for an appropriate date where he can leave the Philippines for two or three weeks to prepare for a fight,” said Arum.

Pacquiao announced back in April he would be retiring from boxing, after a unanimous decision win over timothy Bradley, to focus on his political career. this recent string of events looks as if his retirement was written on sand.

As per Boxingscene.com, Adrien Broner was originally slated as Pacquiao’s opponent but the American asked for a price both Arum and Al haymon can’t afford.

“I was dealing with Al haymon on mak-

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Inquirer.net photo

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A JULY 13-15, 2016 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front Page

International tribunal sides with PH in…

PAGE A1 t

Yasay from Manila in response to the ruling. However, he also recommended that “all those concerned to exercise restraint and sobriety.”

Though the tribunal’s decision is final and legally binding for both countries, it has no means to enforce its ruling.

Chinese officials have denied the tribunal’s authority on the matter and had refused to participate in the court’s proceedings.

They claim the Philippines violated international law by bringing forth its case without directly consulting China.

“China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea shall under no circumstances be affected by those awards,” China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement responding to Tuesday’s decision. “China opposes and will never accept any claim or action based on those awards.”

China defines its area of sovereignty according to a “nine-dash

line,” which encompasses most of the South China Sea. The demarcation conflicts with territorial and resource claims asserted by the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

Jonathan London, Leiden University professor of Asian political economy, told the Associated Press the ruling will give involved countries, as well as those concerned with Beijing’s actions “something to point to and to rally around.”

Japan, Vietnam, and the United States have issued comments in support of The Hague’s decision.

In a statement released by spokesman John Kirby on Tuesday, the U.S. State Department called the ruling an “important contribution to the shared goal of a peaceful resolution” and expressed “hope and expectation that both parties will comply with their obligations.”

Though the Philippines has historically been a close ally of the U.S., the latter has not sided

with any particular country. Officials in Washington have asserted freedom of navigation in the region, which the U.S. has been expressing through joint naval patrols with the Philippines, earning criticism from Chinese officials.

Ben Cardin, a top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the U.S. should “fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows.”

Most of the 70 countries that support China are outside the Pacific Rim, however, a bloc of smaller Southeast Asian countries have been stifling efforts to mobilize unified opposition to Beijing’s claims.

China would prefer to hash out disputes between individual countries separately in bilateral talks in which the regional powerhouse might be able to exert greater influence.

In May, Philstar reported that President Rodrigo Duterte told

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OATH TAKING. Vice President Leni Robredo is sworn in by President Duterte as the chairperson of Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) on Tuesday, July 12. Her oath taking is witnessed by her three daughters, Aika, Tricia and Jillian Robredo.

The oath taking ceremony was held after Duterte called a Cabinet meeting following the ruling of the United Nation’s arbitration court favoring the Philippines’ case against China over the South China Sea. Photo from the Office of the Vice President

PH police chief denounces violence…

PAGE A1 t

Calida expressed his support for Duterte’s crusade against illegal drugs at the same conference.

He also assured that the administration was continuing to support the PNP, adding “we will not allow anybody to derail the efforts of the PNP against illegal drugs.”

“Huwag kayong matakot (Do

not be afraid),” he said.

The president’s controversial tactics used in the war against drugs have received criticisms by many individuals and organizations. The Roman Catholic Church have previously denounced the rise in killings since Duterte’s victory.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)

spoke on the recent 100 killings in a statement urging its members and followers to continue to stand up for what is “morally wrong.”

“We will stand for and defend every person’s life and dignity,” said Archbishop Socrates Villegas. “We will shield the weak from harm. We will protect the confused form error.” n

Ex-PDEA chief discloses Aquino…

PAGE A1 t

tional Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa warned that the president has a list of 23 mayors involved in drug trafficking, which will be divulged only when the evidence is sufficient.

“The president has the list of these local executives involved in illegal drugs. I can’t reveal their identities, only the President can make public their names,” Dela Rosa said.

When these mayors were identified, they will face filed charges at the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); the court will handle the case if found guilty and they can be dismissed from their posts afterward.

Meanwhile, Lucena City May-

or Roderick Alcala denied his link to any illegal drugs after being accused of taking over a relative’s operations in the Quezon province.

Consequently, he said that he is planning to file appropriate charges against the publication that accused him of such.

Mayors’ and vice-mayors’ relatives surrender In response to Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs, relatives of high officials in various towns and cities surrendered to the police authorities – adding to the thousands of self-confessed drug users and pushers who have been surrendering since the president took office.

The son of newly-elected Mayor Vincent Unite of Ballesteros,

Cagayan went to the police to admit that he was once involved with drugs.

King Unite signed a memorandum of undertaking to cooperate with the police to identify other drug syndicates.

Contrary to the statements of political opponents, Police Sr. Insp. Stanley Banan clarified that the younger Unite is a user and not a pusher.

Meanwhile in Caloocan City, Vice Mayor Macario Asistio III surrendered his own brother, Luisito Jr., after the city police informed him that Luisito Jr. was associated with top drug personalities.

Elias Deleña, a municipal councilor and relative of the Presentacion town mayor, also surrendered herself. n

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From the Front Page

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • JULY 13-15, 2016

A

Philippines to create drug rehab…

PAGE A1 t

There are no specific details on the plans yet, but the administration plans to set up rehab centers in all 18 regions of the Philippines, Abella said in a press briefing at Malacanang on Tuesday, July 12.

According to Gulf News, since Duterte’s victory in the May 9 election, hundreds of drug addicts all over the country have surrendered to authorities in fear of getting injured or killed in sting operations that police have been carrying out.

Since his inauguration on June 30, at least 103 suspects involved in the illegal drug trade have been killed by police.

The government’s call to implement more rehabilitation programs and resources comes after over 1000 suspected drug users in Quezon City surrendered to police on June 22-24, according to Former Deputy Director for Operations Sr. Supt. Joselito Esquivel, Jr. of the Quezon City Police District.

“Talagang dumagdagsa yung nagsu-surrender sa station levels

(There really were a lot that have surrendered at all station levels),” Esquivel, Jr. said in a Manila Bulletin report.

Those that turned themselves in were promised amnesty as well as rehabilitation, counseling and livelihood training.

Each suspected drug user had to take a drug test, submit their profile for records and asked to sign a sworn statement promising to withdraw from the illegal drug trade.

Duterte has also voiced con-

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Sanders officially endorses Clinton for…

PAGE A1 t

Donald Trump.

Despite his previous statement in April when he deemed Clinton HOUSE BLESSING. President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, July 12 led the blessing ceremony of his official residence, the Bahay Pangarap, unqualified for the presidency, in Malacanang. Photos sent to the media showed Duterte holding a candle while two priests led the blessing. On Tuesday, Presidential Sanders said on Tuesday that her spokesman Ernesto Abella said Duterte spent his first night at the Bahay Pangarap on Monday, July 11. Photo courtesy of Christopher Go stances and plans on a myriad of issues, like immigration and the economy, will lead the country in the right direction.

“It is no secret that Hillary ClinPAGE A1 t Hall, along with Kjartan Sek- ippine government. ton and I disagree on a number On Monday, July 11, Sutiyoso, kingstad of Norway and Filipina “You’ve never heard me say of issues. That’s what this camhead of Indonesian intelligence Marites Flor, from a Samal Island that they are criminals,” the paign has been about. That’s agency Badan Intelijen Negara resort on September 21 last year, president said on Friday, July 8 what democracy is about,” Sand(BIN), said the ASG was sus- the Asian Journal previously re- during the Hariraya Eid al-Fitr pected in the kidnapping of three ported. celebration in Davao. “They were Indonesian fishermen over the Hall’s severed head was found driven to desperation.” weekend. Twenty-four Indone- in Sulu last June 13 and the ASG However, this weekend’s sians have been taken as hostag- released a video depicting Rids- kidnappings suggest that ASG es in a series of ASG attacks this del’s beheading on April 26. Flor members were unmoved by year, straining relations between was released on Friday, June 24 the president’s appeal. Amidst Jakarta and Manila, according to as a gesture of goodwill, accord- mounting pressure from the ABC News. ing to the Philippine Star, while Philippines’ neighbors to halt In June, Indonesian Foreign Sekkingstad remains in ASG cus- attacks based out of Mindanao, Minister Retno Marsudi an- tody.

Armed Forces of the Philippines nounced that the country would ASG spokesperson Abu Raami (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Ricardo halt coal exports — which are had taunted President Duterte in Visaya told Inquirer he had been critical to the Philippine power a statement released following given the order to prioritize hosgrid — until there is “a guar- Hall’s execution. tage rescues while exterminating antee for security from the “Para kay Duterte, ang bagong the ASG. The AP reported that government.” The three most Presidente (This is for Duterte, thousands of troops with artillery recent kidnapped fishermen the new President),” Raami said and air support have been mobihave been released, but Indone- in June. “Ito ay alamin mo kung lized against the estimated 400 sian officials deny having paid a ano gagawin namin sa Canadian strong ASG. ransom.

(This is for you to know what we “As much as possible, we The ASG beheaded two Cana- will do to the Canadian).” will add more troops and more dians this year after officials deDuterte had called upon the resources, more augmentaclined to pay $6.4 million (P300 ASG to cease kidnappings in the tion—meaning all resources will million) in ransom for each of region and expressed sympathy be poured here,” said Visaya. their lives. The extremists kid- for Mindanaoans frustrated by “This is what President Duterte napped John Ridsdel and Robert “failed promises” from the Phil- wants.” n

40 Muslim extremists killed by PH…

ers said standing next to Clinton, who received 389 more delegates than Sanders.

“Secretary Clinton has won the Democratic nominating process, and I congratulate her for that,” Sanders said. “She will be the Democratic nominee for president, and I intend to do everything I can to make certain she will be the next president of the United States.”

Sanders has not formally suspended his campaign due to “procedural reasons” related to

the Democratic National Convention later this month. Although the two are not particularly close, Sanders and Clinton have a history of fighting on the same side.

In the 1990s, Sanders, as a congressman, backed Clinton’s health reform plan.

Both had overlapped two years in the Senate while Clinton was a New York senator. In the Senate, both served on the Health Committee where they co-authored legislation including the

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SAMA-SAMA NATING IPAGDIWANG ANG DASH

MULA HULYO 1 HANGGANG DISYEMBRE 31, 2016!

Pacquiao planning Senate leave to…

PAGE A1 t

ing that fight, Al tried but Broner was asking for crazy money that nobody can afford so he is out and Manny is looking for another opponent,” said Arum.

Top Rank has made a pencil reservation for October 15 at

Mandalay Bay Events Center for Pacquiao’s possible return.

Arum added Pacquiao has to train in the Philippines before he goes to the States if a fight pushes through.

“In any event he is going to have to do most of his prepa-

ration in the Philippines—you know after he sits in the Senate—so it is going to be an interesting thing but definitely he is looking to comeback and the question is how can we arrange it,” said Arum in the Boxingscene.com report. n

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A JULY 13-15, 2016 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

Dateline USa

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US to maintain ‘increased’ presence in Philippines – Kenney we want to support the Philippines. We want to be your friend, your partner,” Kenney said. “Our MANILA — The United States goal is to work with President will keep an “increased” presDuterte and his team. That’s why ence in the Philippines “not President Obama phoned him only in military terms,” visiting right away.”

US State Department Counselor The US, she said, wants Duterte Kristie Kenney said on Tuesday, and the country to continue to be July 12. successful. “We’re here to see In an interview on ANC’s how we can work together,” she “Headstart,” Kenney – former added.

US ambassador to the PhilipShe met with Philippine govpines – said there is much the US ernment officials, civil society and the Philippines can achieve groups, and Young Southeast as partners and “you will not see Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) us stepping back.” innovators, entrepreneurs, and “Our commitment to the Philipother “movers” working to adpines is ironclad. We will respect vance social-entrepreneurship, our treaty alliance in every way,” technology innovation, and the US State Dept Counselor Kristie Kenney Kenney said. She said the US will smart cities movement in the continue to visit ports, conduct foreign policy team. country. humanitarian activities, and help Kenney is the first high-level Kenney will be in Rangoon and in community development.

Washington official to meet with Naypyitaw, Myanmar from July The State Department offi- Duterte administration represen- 12 to 14, to meet with her govcial said Secretary of State John tatives since his June 30 inaugu- ernment counterparts, civil sociKerry had asked her to meet with ration. ety representatives, and YSEALI members of President Duterte’s “I want to tell him (Duterte) that alumni. n

by Pia Lee-Brago Philstar.com

Asian Americans support Black Lives Matter…

PAGE A1 t

to the police shootings of black individuals, particularly those of Asian Americans. She started a Google Doc page and allowed contributors from all over the country to share research, perspectives and thoughts in a collective open letter.

“In fact, let’s draft letters in

our native languages to our parents and our communities. Get it passed around WhatsApp, WeChat, LINE, etc,” Wu tweeted on Thursday, July 7 to launch the letter.

She started the Google Doc at 11 a.m. that day, and hundreds of Asian Americans contributed to the letter. Filipino Pulitzer Prize-

winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas assisted in editing the final drafts of the letter.

“Mom, Dad, Uncle, Auntie, Grandfather, Grandmother: We need to talk,” the letter opens up. “You may not have grown up around people who are Black, but I have. Black people are a fundamental part of my life: they are my friends, my classmates and teammates, my roommates, my family. Today, I’m scared for them.”

The letter encourages Asian Americans everywhere to empathize with the movement to stand up to racial inequality in America. The writers reference the nation’s history of black and Asian persecution to encourage solidarity between the two communities together today.

“Black people have been beaten, jailed, even killed fighting for many of the rights that Asian Americans enjoy today,” the letter said. “We owe them so much in return. We are all fighting against the same unfair system that prefers we compete against each other.”

The letter has been translated -- and is continuing to be translated -- in multiple languages.

The letter came in the wake of the shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, who were

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SETTING SAIL. The coastal town of Subic in Zambales province hosts about 2,000 fishermen, many of whom have been frequenting the disputed Scarborough Shoal to earn a living. Fishermen geared up on Tuesday, July 12 for a return trip to the disputed Scarborough Shoal, saying they were now armed with a favorable ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

Inquirer.net photo by Allan Macatuno

Filipina in Vallejo, Calif. kidnapped for ransom, still missing SAN FRANCISCO – Police arrested four suspects in the kidnapping for ransom of a Filipina American resident of Vallejo, California more than a week ago. The 57-year-old victim remains missing, according to police.

Elvira Babb was last seen around 3 p.m. June 29 at the Sea Food City market in Vallejo. She lived on Daniels Avenue in Vallejo. Her dog was found dead inside her vacant home.

A kidnapper texted the victim’s son, John Babb, 36, of San Francisco, demanding a ransom of around $100,000 or his mother would be killed.

The texter also threatened to kill the victim if John Babb went to the police.

Several law enforcement agencies are helping with the investigation, including the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, the Fairfield Police Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the FBI and the US Marshals.

Police arrested Emmanuel Espinoza, 26, of Stockton Friday night, July 8, in Sacramento, but he has not cooperated in locating the victim. Espinoza has a previous arrest record for drug and robbery related offenses.

Missing kidnap victim, Elvira Babb, was last seen June 29.

The same night, police also arrested Jalon Brown 32, and Larry Young, 23, both of Sacramento, and Lovely Rauzol, 27, of Vallejo. Rauzol has a previous arrest for prostitution. (Inquirer.net)

Sanders officially endorses Clinton for…

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successful “Sanders-Clinton amendment,” which guaranteed training for “green collar jobs” in renewable energy technologies.

In 2006, Clinton donated $10,000 to a political action committee (PAC) to help get Sanders elected to the Senate. In 2009, Sanders voiced his support for President Barack Obama’s appointment of Clinton as secretary of state, calling her “one of the brightest people in Congress.”

The Sanders and Clinton teams are undergoing discussions on Sanders’ role in the Democratic presidential campaign.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) responded to the endorsement, suggesting that Sanders, a firm critic of “Establishment” politics, has “sold out” by supporting Clinton, who is considered an eminent Establishment politician.

“This hollow display of leftwing solidarity flies in the face of Bernie Sanders’ months-long crusade against Hillary Clinton’s judgment, character, and fitness to serve as president,” RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement released on Tuesday.

“Voters won’t forget Sanders’ blistering criticisms of Clinton’s paid speeches to Wall Street banks, her reliance on big-money special interests to fund her campaign, or her support for overseas military interventions.

While Sanders may have pushed the Democrat Party even further to the extreme left, his supporters must rightly be wondering if their candidate has all of a sudden sold out to the same rigged system he so strongly campaigned against.”

Trump took to Twitter to voice his opinion on the endorsement, which parallelled the RNC’s statement suggesting Sanders had abandoned his principles as an anti-Establishment leader.

“Bernie Sanders, who has lost most of his leverage, has totally sold out to Crooked Hillary Clinton. He will endorse her today - fans angry!” Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning.

Sanders’ campaign responded with a tweet of its own.

“Big talk from the same guy who was too afraid to debate Bernie in California,” the Sanders camp tweeted to Trump.

Following the endorsement, Sanders’ campaign team sent

out an email to Sanders supporters assuring Clinton’s suitability for the presidency.

The tension that had culminated between the two caused a divide in the Democratic Party between progressives and Establishment Democrats, but Sanders assured supporters that his decision was the right one.

“Today, I endorsed Hillary Clinton to be our next president,” Sanders said in the email.

“I know that some of you will be disappointed with that decision.

But I believe that, at this moment, our country, our values, and our common vision for a transformed America, are best served by the defeat of Donald Trump and the election of Hillary Clinton.”

The endorsement represents the final solidifying of the Democratic Party during this election cycle.

On the Republican side, Trump has yet to receive endorsements from several of his primary challengers like former Republican presidential nominees Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Gov. John Kasich of Ohio and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. (By Klarize Medenilla / AJPress)

International tribunal sides with PH in…

PAGE A2 t US President Barack Obama he would be willing to engage in bilateral talks with China if the PCA decision fails to de-escalate tension in the region.

On Tuesday morning, about 50 Filipino-American community members in New York organized a rally outside the United Nations headquarters and carried placards urging China to “not be a rogue state” and proclaiming that the “West Philippine Sea belongs to Filipinos.”

“We as Filipinos are peace loving,” Filipino philanthropist and community leader Loida Nicolas Lewis said outside the UN. “The Chinese have all the warships. All we have is worship.”

In Los Angeles, Fil-Ams held similar signs outside the Chinese Consulate.

“It’s a victory for the Filipino people. We are vindicated and a proof that a small nation can win over a big nation by reason,” Arturo P. Garcia of the Alliance Philippines said.

China’s official response to Tuesday’s ruling makes an immediate resolution of tensions unlikely, but Reichler said that added international pressure could erode the defiant stance China has taken.

“What China may ultimately do in six months, or a year or two years, may be different than what it says on July 12 or July 13,” Reichler told the AP. “I think a lot will depend on the reaction to the award (ruling) of the international community as a whole, particularly China’s neighbors.”

Though Tuesday’s decision

Loida Nicolas Lewis, philanthropist and community leader.

comes as a blow to China, the military and economic powerhouse still wields significant leverage in the region, and Duterte has publicly committed to avoiding armed conflict between the

Photo by Troi Santos

two countries. The exact nature of future negotiations between the Philippines, China and other potential claimants remains uncertain. (With reports from Momar G. Visaya / AJPress)

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A

Dateline PhiliPPines

Traffic gridlock fixed in 100 days – Palace

the second Cabinet meeting on Monday, July 11.

“Secretary Tugade made a preEVEN if the President is not sentation on Monday, and already given without emergency pow- they have a menu of changes ers, Malacañang is confident which could very positively imthat the horrendous traffic jams pact the rate of flow – traffic flow, in Metro Manila can be solved soon, very soon,” Abella said. within 100 days under President “I’m sure within the next 100 Rodrigo Duterte. days, we’re going to see results.

Presidential spokesman Ernes- Already there seems to be some, to Abella said several proposals right?” he added. to ease the traffic problem were He said there are also “techpresented by Transportation nical adjustments being done” Secretary Arthur Tugade during to “increase incrementally the

by Catherine

S. Valente ManilaTimes.net

number of passengers and the number of trips.”

Tugade earlier said the administration will ask Congress to give emergency powers to Duterte to allow him to solve the Metro Manila traffic crisis.

But the proposal was not discussed during the Cabinet meeting.

The proposed “special powers” will allow the government to open private subdivisions to traffic and do away with public bidding for certain projects. n

PH to benefit from population of young people

by Sheila

CriSoStomo Philstar.com

MASS SURRENDER. More than 500 people said to be engaged in the sale and use of illegal drugs in this city surrendered to police here on Saturday, July 9, vowing to stop their activities and mend their lives. Superintendent Barnard Dasugo, Batangas City police chief, attributed the mass surrender to their house-to-house visits on suspected drug users and peddlers in various barangays in the city under the police’s Oplan Tokhang program.

Asian Americans support Black Lives Matter…

PAGE A4 t

shot and killed by police officers just one day apart.

On July 5, Sterling, 37, was selling CDs outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

When police officers discovered he had a gun on his person, Sterling was shot multiple times at point-blank range. Louisiana is one of 31 states that permits open carry of firearms.

Several bystanders had filmed the encounter and the shooting.

One day later, 32-year-old Castile, a nutrition services supervi-

sor in Minnesota, was stopped by police for a broken rear light.

When reaching for his license and registration, Castile told the officer he had a licensed concealed weapon in the car. As he put his hands up, the police shot him four times.

Castile’s girlfriend Diamond Reynolds and her 4-year-old daughter were in the car. Reynolds live-streamed the aftermath of the shooting on Facebook.

Legal and civil rights organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice has also come out in sup-

port for BLM in the wake of the killings of Sterling and Castile.

“As the nation’s leading legal and civil rights voice rooted in Asian American communities, we stand together with communities of color in the fight to end systemic police brutality,” the organization said in a statement.

“As the facts of each case surface, we ask the U.S. Department of Justice to not only investigate the fatal shooting of Mr. Sterling but also to investigate the shooting and death of Mr. Castile.” (By Klarize Medenilla / AJPress)

Philippines to create drug rehab…

PAGE A3 t

cerns over elected officials’ involvement in illegal drug activities.

The illegal drug trade in the Philippines has historically been an issue, but the trade has expanded in recent years to take down narcotic networks which include approximately 200 gov-

ernment officials, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

“The president plans to issue a memorandum to barangay captains (village officials) and mayors,” Abella said.

According to Abella, the administration plans to conduct investigations of officials in areas

with high prevalence of drug-related problems.

In a media briefing in April, Duterte promised to rid the country of its drug problem within three to six months of taking the presidency.

“I will raise the level of the drug threat into a national security issue,” he said. n

MANILA — The Philippines stands to benefit from its large population of young people, but to realize the demographic dividends, teenage girls must have access to quality education and youth-friendly health services as they prepare for working age, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said on Monday, July 11.

According to UNFPA country representative Klaus Beck, adolescent girls aged 10-19 currently make up 10 percent of the Philippines’ 100 million population.

“They hold enormous opportunity to transform the future of the Philippines but this can only happen if they have the right information and skills and are healthy and empowered to make informed decisions in life,” he said.

He issued the statement as World Population Day was celebrated on Monday.

Beck underscored the need to take action, citing a study spearheaded by the National Economic and Development Authority and supported by UNFPA, called the “Demographic Sweet Spot and Dividend in the Philippines: The Window of Opportunity is Closing Fast.”

The study showed the “high probability that the Philippines will miss the rare opportunity of additional economic growth.”

This is due to the relatively high fertility rate, or the average number of children by women, especially the poorest, and the relatively high unemployment rate, particularly among the youth sector.

Students and volunteers take a selfie after placing their pledges on the commitment wall during the observance of World Population Day with the theme ‘Investing in Teenage Girls’ at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila yesterday.

Photo by Miguel De Guzman

Philippine celebration World Population Day was commemorated at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila with the participation of some 2,000 teenage girls.

The event was spearheaded by the Commission on Population.

Health Undersecretary Gerardo Bayugo said there is a need to combine the efforts of the government and non-governmental organizations to address the rising teenage pregnancy in the country.

“We need to inspire our teen-

age girls… They need special care. Not only because they are the future. They will give life and nurture the future of our country,” Bayugo said.

This year’s event was highlighted by the launching of the “BABAEnihan” campaign which seeks national attention to issues that affect the future of young women.

It is a call for stakeholders to work together to expand opportunities for girls through investments in their education, health,

GSFF 4FPVM $JUZ UPVS

u PAGE A7

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OpiniOn

Features

War on drugs

A FORMER agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reported that the illegal drug trade in the country is thriving, and has become a P200-billion “industry.”

An even more alarming report is that the Philippines has turned into a global hub for the distribution and increased production of illegal drugs for international syndicates.

According to the PDEA, 20.51 percent or 8,629 barangays (villages) out of the 42,065 nationwide are plagued with the drug-related cases.

Metro Manila has the highest rate of being drugaffected with 92.10 percent of the region’s barangays involved. Methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, and marijuana remain the most abused illegal drugs in the country.

PDEA Director General Arturo Cacdac Jr. revealed that barangays are considered slightly affected if there are identified drug users in the community but no known drug pushers or traffickers are operating in the area while moderately affected if at least a suspected drug pusher or trafficker is operating in the barangay. A barangay is seriously affected if at least a drug laboratory, den, dive or resort is suspected to exist in the community.

Perhaps this is why Pres. Rodrigo Duterte stayed true to his word that when elected, he would launch a bloody war on drugs.

In recent weeks, the nation saw a spike in drugrelated killings. Reports show that there have been more than 100 reported cases of drug-related killings in less than a month.

Amid this intensified anti-drug campaign, there

has also been a spate of surrenders from thousands of drug users and peddlers across the country. They have pledged to not do or sell drugs again and cooperate with the government’s drive against drugs.

While the government is gaining momentum in its campaign against drugs, some senators have questioned its efficacy and raised concerns over the rising number of extrajudicial killings.

“We have to look into that in aid of legislation.

The killings are on the rise, and there are just telltale signs of summary executions in a number of them,” said Sen. Leila De Lima, who was the former chair of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights (CHR).

Sen. Franklin Drilon echoed De Lima’s sentiments and agreed to conduct the Senate inquiry.

“While we laud and support the campaign against illegal drugs of the Philippine National Police, the Senate cannot sit idly on allegations of extrajudicial killings that saw a spike in recent months,” Drilon said.

Even Vice Pres. Leni Robredo agrees. She encouraged authorities “to look into these cases. If there is really culpability, then justice requires that appropriate cases be filed and that those proven to be accountable be punished.”

“While we are one with the fight against drugs, we are concerned with the growing culture of vigi-

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

lantism and violence. We hope that the war is not done at the expense of the innocent and defenseless,” Robredo said.

Recognizing the rampancy of the drug problem in the country is only the first step. Instead of inflicting fear among the citizenry, the national gov-

ernment must initiate a cohesive effort in dealing with the drug problem.

Engaging in an all-out war against drugs is beyond the power of the government alone. This campaign can only be deemed successful with the engagement of the public. (AJPress)

Fil-Am leaders speak up on the Philippines’ victory over China in UN tribunal decision KUDOS to former Philippine Pres. Benigno Aquino III, for- The Fil-Am mer DFA Sec. Albert del Rosario and the whole team which, Perspective on behalf of the Filipino people, filed, argued, and won the case against China before the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal.

The court found China’s Gel SantoS-ReloS claims illegal in its territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), an area rich in seafood and other resources.

As ABS-CBN News reported, this landmark ruling was the first case against China’s expansive claims, which has sparked international alarm and prompted the United States to send warships on “freedom of navigation” patrols.

Kababayans in the United States gave their allout support to the Philippine government in this fight, with Fil-Ams in the East Coast spearheading protest rallies against China’s “bullying” and intrusion in the West Philippines Sea. Manny rallies and five years after, these Fil-Ams are back, but this time it was to celebrate the victory of the Philippines with the tribunal decision that favored the Philippines.

“The rule of law. The United Nations has fulfilled its existence, not war but peace through the rule of law, so this is the triumph of the Philippines because we have followed the regular process of settling disputes,” said US Pinoys for Good Governance Chairman Loida Nicolas Lewis in a report

by The Filipino Channel’s “Balitang America” New York Correspondent Don Tagala.

Bobby del Rosario, the son former DFA Sec. Albert del Rosario, was among those who celebrated this victory in front of the United Nations in New York.

“I’m gonna quote a couple of words from what my father said: China’s a great superpower, and to be a great superpower you have to follow the laws and the rules of the land…and International Law is a great equalizer,” del Rosario said in the report.

Fil-Am leaders, however, acknowledge that this victory is just a moral and legal victory, which cannot be enforced against China. The biggest question and challenge remains: will China now exit the disputed area and leave the West Philippine sea to the Philippines, pursuant to the provisions United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) that were upheld by the tribunal ruling?

China boycotted the hearings at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and has repeatedly vowed to ignore the ruling, saying its armed forces would defend its sovereignty and maritime interests.

After the ruling was announced, Cui Tiankai — Beijing’s Ambassador to the U.S. — said the tribunal’s decision denying China’s claims in the South China Sea will “intensify conflict and even

Filipinos in Los Angeles also organized a rally outside the Chinese Consulate hailing The Hague’s ruling in favor of the Philippines .

Photo courtesy of Art Garcia

confrontation,” as reported by Reuters.

The Chinese ambassador, however, also said that Beijing remains committed to negotiations with other parties in disputes over the South China Sea waters that have some of the world’s most promising oil and gas fields and fishing areas.

The Philippines’ newly sworn-in President Rodrigo Duterte had said that he was seeking a “soft landing” with China after the decision. ABS-CBN News reported that Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said he would seek negotiations with Beijing, mindful that the tribunal had no pow-

ers to enforce its decision.

In response to the reaction of the Duterte administration to the UN tribunal ruling, Fil-Am community leader Loida Nicolas Lewis further said on Balitang America, “Para sa akin…We negotiate according to our constitution. We keep 60 percent, you [China] get 40 percent. If they don’t want to accept that, then they are a rogue state. Because it is very clear from the tribunal we have 100 percent ownership, but that doesn’t mean we cannot share 40 percent.”

According to Balitang America Correspondent Don Tagala, the US Pinoys for Good Governance are amenable to President Duterte’s negotiation with China, but with pre-conditions.

How do you think the Duterte administration should handle the negotiation with China?

Kababayans in the United States gave their allout support to the Philippine government in this fight, with Fil-Ams in the East Coast spearheading protest rallies against China’s “bullying” and intrusion in the West Philippines Sea. Many rallies and five years after, these Fil-Ams are back, but this time it was to celebrate the victory of the Philippines with the tribunal decision that favored the Philippines. *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www. facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

The death penalty and state monopoly of violence I WAS developing a column on “due Opinion process of law,” built around the prizefight being promoted (by the Inquirer) between the fiscalizer (Sen. Leila de Lima) and Yen Makabenta The Punisher (President Rodrigo Duterte), when I realized that the boxing imagery would cheapen the more fundamental issues involved in the depressing spectacle of state-sanctioned killings in the country today.

I thought it would be more useful if I examined instead the underlying clash between the right of criminal suspects to due process and the right of society to protect itself and its members.

While doing research on this weighty subject, I was startled to find strong and persuasive literature in support of both sides.

Daniel Webster’s noble summation, “Due process of law is that which hears before it condemns, which proceeds upon inquiry, and renders judgment only after trial,” stands out as a banner for due process, in addition to the Bill of Rights in the Constitution.

On the other side, there is also much persuasive literature and equally explicit constitutional provisions that argue eloquently for the assertion of state responsibility to suppress the lawless.

Conventional thinking presumes that

this debate was settled long ago in favor of the rights of suspects to due process over the rights of society to protect itself.

The advent of Duterte is a reminder that the debate is far from settled. There is a strong current of opinion in this country in favor of a hard-line policy against crime, especially the illegal drugs trade.

Duterte conducting a class on public policy I think what is happening is this: President Duterte is conducting a class in public policy in which we the citizens are the students.

The subject is not the illegal drugs trade, but two critical and related topics: 1. The moral argument or rationale for capital punishment and the execution of criminals.

2. The state’s monopoly of violence, which seeks to crush lawless elements (organized crime, terrorism, insurgency) in the country.

These are fields of study and research in political science, criminology and police science, and sociology.

To take the topics in sequence, this is what DU30 appears to be telling us.

Why the death penalty is necessary Like other government executives before him, Duterte believes that the death

penalty “affirms life.” By failing to execute murderers or stop drug lords, we signal a lessened regard for the value of the lives of victims. People who oppose the death penalty are like the neighbors of a teenage murder victim, who heard her cries for help but did nothing. They are like the neighbors who looked away while the drug pusher plied their ugly trade and ruined the lives of people.

This is the standard “moral defense” of death as punishment. Even if executions don’t deter violent crime or the drugs trade any more effectively than imprisonment, the death penalty is still required as the only means society has of doing justice in response to the worst of crimes.

One former mayor of New York City, Edward Koch, fully endorses this view of the death penalty. He has authored a famous article, “Death and justice: How capital punishment affirms life,” which lays out his argument cogently and persuasively.

He concluded the article with these words: “The death of anyone—even a convicted killer—diminishes us all. But we are diminished even more by a justice system that fails to function. It is an illusion to let ourselves believe that doing away with capital punishment moves the murderer’s deed from our conscience. The rights of society are paramount…

“It is hard to imagine anything worse than being murdered while neighbors do nothing. But something worse ex-

ists. When those same neighbors shrink back from justly punishing the murderer, the victim dies twice.”

Duterte’s thinking with respect to illegal drugs is similar to this. He shares the frustration and anger of people who see that the Aquino government did nothing to combat the drug menace. So what if the death penalty doesn’t work as a deterrent? At least it gives citizens the satisfaction of knowing that we got one or two of the sons of bitches.

State monopoly of violence The other powerful argument focuses on the state’s monopoly of legitimate physical force in society.

State monopoly of violence is the concept that the state alone has the right to use or authorize the use of physical force. It is widely regarded as a defining characteristic of the modern state.

In his lecture “Politics as a Vocation” (1918), the German sociologist Max Weber defines the state as a “human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory.”

The concept does not imply that the state is the only actor actually using violence but, rather, that it is the only actor that can legitimately authorize its use. The state can grant another actor the right to use violence without losing its monopoly, as long as it remains the only source of the right to use violence.

The monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force, also known as the mo-

nopoly on violence, is a core concept of modern public law.

This monopoly is limited to a certain geographical area. A necessary condition of statehood is the retention of such a monopoly.

De Lima vs Duterte Because government has failed miserably to solve the great problems of national life, Duterte is taking us back to the basics of governance to find the wellsprings for effective government.

In law enforcement, his government is searching for the right policy mix that will enable it to overcome the threat posed by organized crime, repel the threat of Islamist terrorism, and negotiate lasting peace with insurgents.

At the moment, the public eye is riveted more on the responsibility of government than on the rights of criminal suspects.

The safety of society comes first. The court process can wait. This is one big reason why the death toll is high and mounting.

The balance will tilt when Congress debates the issue and conducts its promised inquiries into the killings.

“I am watching you,” Sen. De Lima has warned the President.

No doubt, the President is watching her in turn.

This is going to be one hell of a prizefight, when Sen. Manny Pacquiao also gets into the ring. (yenmakabenta@yahoo.com)

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A

Duterte preparing ‘explosive’ SONA

by Joel

m. sy egCo ManilaTimes.net

YOU haven’t seen (or heard) anything yet.

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to deliver the most explosive State of the Nation Address (SONA) that the country will ever hear, administration sources said.

In his first SONA, scheduled on July 25, the President is expected to drop a number of bombshells, including the identities of all local government officials, members of the media and other personalities believed to be involved in illegal drugs.

“We expect it to be a no-holds barred type of speech. Already, he is gathering up all the information he [needs]. You want to know the real state of the nation?

We will hear it from him that day,” a highly placed administration source, who spoke on condition that he not be named, said.

“We saw it during the anniversary of the [Philippine] Air Force.

We were all caught off-guard,” the source added.

He was referring to the Air Force anniversary rites on July 4, when Duterte accused five police officials of protecting illegal drug traffickers.

In his speech during the event at Clark Air Base in Pampanga,

the President named two former and three active officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) as the top five coddlers of illegal drug rings: retired deputy director general Marcelo Garbo Jr., retired chief superintendent Vicente Loot, Director Joel Pagdilao, Chief Supt. Bernardo Diaz and Chief Supt. Edgardo Tinio.

All five have vehemently denied the President’s accusation.

Subsequently, the PNP chief, Director General Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa, claimed that other police officers with the rank of senior superintendent down to Police Officer 1 were on a list held by the President.

De la Rosa also claimed a number of media personalities were involved in illegal drugs as users, pushers or protectors of drug traders.

Duterte has set a six-month deadline to crack down on illegal drugs, criminality and graft and corruption, a key campaign pledge that helped sweep him to power.

The President may already be “itching” to release the names of the individuals to publicly humiliate them, but doing so will be “anti-climactic,” The Manila Times source said.

“Where else and when would be the best time for him to do

this? The SONA is just a few days away,” the source added.

But Duterte may still opt to release the names of the drug personalities in his “drug matrix” anytime he wishes, before or after the SONA, the source said.

The Manila Times called Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar to verify the information but the official said he still had no idea on the contents of the President’s speech.

Former military chief Dionisio Santiago, a former head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency who ran for senator under Duterte’s ticket, said he does not know when Duterte would make public the names of personalities linked to drugs.

“To be honest, I have no idea,” he said in a text message.

The annual SONA is held every fourth Monday of July, coinciding with the regular opening of Congress. There, the President also submits the general appropriations bill to the legislature for scrutiny.

Besides the state of “narcopolitics” in the country, Duterte is also anticipated to disclose his administration’s plans for the country’s future.

Cabinet officials have been asked to submit their plans of action based on the Duterte administration’s agenda. n

avendaño Inquirer.net

MANILA — Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV has revived his proposal for Congress to grant an increase in the monthly pension of Social Security System (SSS) members.

After former President Aquino vetoed the bill passed by Congress hiking the SSS pension last January, Trillanes refiled his measure through Senate bill No. 91, to be tackled in the new 17th Congress which will open sessions on July 25.

Under SBN 91, all SSS pensioners shall receive an acrossthe-board increase of P2,000 regardless of the date of effectivity of their retirement.

“We had the opportunity to provide relief to our pensioners last Congress by passing a legislation that would increase their monthly pension. The measure,

Answer Marcos poll protest, VP told

allegations of Marcos that there was massive cheating during the May 2016 elections.

THE SUPREME Court (SC) en The case was raffled off to Asbanc, sitting as the Presidential sociate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Electoral Tribunal, has ordered Caguioa, who has ties to both Vice President Maria Leonor parties.

“Leni” Robredo to answer the Caguioa is a classmate of forelection protest filed by former mer President Benigno Aquino senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” 3rd, Robredo’s Liberal Party Marcos Jr. mate, from elementary to colDuring deliberations on Tues- lege. He was also a classmate of day, July 12, the magistrates the former senator’s wife, Liza agreed to require Robredo to file Araneta-Marcos, at the Ateneo her comment, where she is ex- de Manila University College of compromised” if the pensions of pected to present her defenses Law. Aquino has a huge stake in the two million pensioners and their and arguments to dispute the dependents were increased.

In his bill, Trillanes pointed out the need to raise the pension of SSS members since it had been also joined the call for more in19 years since the last SSS pen- PAGE A5 t vestments in the education and sion increase was implemented and wellbeing.

Beck said this year’s theme health of teenage girls, saying through Republic Act 8282.

He bewailed the fact that the about investing in adolescent that women “are the hope for our cost of living expenses had con- girls is particularly relevant and nation’s transformation.”

“Embrace the soft power of urgent because teenage girls are siderably increased over time.

“However, the meager amount among the marginalized sectors your femininity. There is strength Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. of monthly pension of our SSS of society in terms of accessing in being a girl. You are the hope however, was not signed into pensioners, who are old and social services that respond to for our nation’s transformation,” Robredo said in a speech, read law. With this re-filed measure, mostly suffering from various their real needs.

He added that based on a new by her eldest daughter Aika at we hope to finally provide sup- medical conditions, has become port to our pensioners through inadequate to support their study of the UNFPA, adolescent the World Population Day celthis long overdue increase in monthly food sustenance and fertility has gone down in all ebration in Manila.

Robredo skipped the World their pension,” Trillanes said in a maintenance medicines,” the countries in the Asia-Pacific region, except for the Philippines. Population Day celebration to atsenator said. statement.

Among the Filipino girls aged tend her first Cabinet meeting in “Moreover, pensioners who Six months ago, then President Aquino vetoed the mea- retired after the effectivity of RA 15-19, about one in 10 has given Malacañang.

Meanwhile, the Department of sure as Palace spokespersons 8282 are even more struggling birth.

Instruments for transforma- Education (DepEd) also enjoined had said he was worried that the because they are receiving smallschools and community leaders “stability of the entire SSS ben- er amounts of monthly pension,” tion Vice President Leni Robredo to make sure that female stuefit system” would be “seriously Trillanes added. n

Trillanes re-files bill seeking pension increase for SSS members

by Christine

BASILAN CENTER. Officials launched on Friday the construction of a new, colossal provincial government center in Barangay Santa Clara in Lamitan City in the island province of Basilan. The P250 million worth project shall be bankrolled by the executive department of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

by Jomar

Canlas ManilaTimes.net

case, having drafted Robredo to run against Marcos. The former President’s sister, actress Kris Aquino, was Robredo’s top campaigner and financier.

Robredo won against Marcos with a margin of 263,473 votes.

Marcos is questioning the accuracy of the poll results and is asking for a probe of reported irregularities during the polls through a judicial revision or recount of the ballots and the examination, system audit and verification of the voter’s receipts, election returns and related election documents. n

PH to benefit from population of young…

dents are given an education that will empower them.

“Let us grow young females whose rights, needs, well-being, and potentials are not compromised or violated. Let us take strides to allow our young women to lead and have a voice that’s heard,” the agency said in a statement.

DepEd noted that despite the world’s achievements in gender equality, teenage girls remain vulnerable and compromised by social and economic disparities.

In many parts of the world, girls are deemed, even forced, by their community and their families to be ready for marriage and childbirth, DepEd said. (With Helen Flores)

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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • JULY 13-15, 2016

BUSINESSJ& COMMUNITY ournal

B

Smart spending P1-B to boost Wi-Fi service by lOuella

d. desIderIO Philstar.com

Smart is currently working on the upgrade of the Wi-Fi public hotspots in the four terminals MANILA — The wireless sub- of the Ninoy Aquino Internasidiary of PLDT Inc. is spending tional Airport in Pasay City; as P1 billion to expand the cover- well as in the Francisco Bangoy age of its Wi-Fi service in trans- International Airport in Davao; port hubs, government offices Iloilo International Airport; Baas well as business establish- colod-Silay International Airments in the country this year. port in Negros Occidental; and Smart Communications Inc. Dumaguete-Sibulan Airport in said the P1 billion budget for Negros Oriental. the Wi-Fi service program is Apart from the airports, part of the P43 billion capital Smart Wi-Fi is also being made expenditures earmarked for available to passengers waitthis year. u PAGE B2

by rIchmOnd

s. mercurIO

Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippines remains the world’s top call center destination despite growing challenge from other countries, the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) said.

“The Philippines continues to be the most preferred offshore destination worldwide.

Despite the challenges, the preference is still the Philippines for voice, as a compel-

Foreign investment in PH reaches record high of $2.2-B

by Ben

O. de Vera

Inquirer.net

MANILA — Net inflows of job-generating foreign direct investments (FDI) jumped to the highest-ever monthly figure of $2.2 billion in April as the Philippines’ economic star shone in the region and attracted greater investor interest, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Monday, July 11.

Data showed net FDI inflows

last April surged from $364 million a month ago and $382 million a year ago, which BSP said was “reflective of the favorable investment climate as the economy continued to post strong growth and show even better growth potentials.”

The Philippine economy grew by a better-than-expected 6.9 percent in the first quarter, with full-year growth expected to be within a “conservative”

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ling value proposition differentiated from any other market out there,” CCAP president Benedict Hernandez said.

According to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), countries such as Vietnam, Turkey, Egypt and Canada are emerging to give the Philippines’ voice services a run for its money.

CCAP, however, said the local industry’s sustained growth in terms of employees and revenue continued to tighten the country’s grip as the global leader in the voice seg-

ment.

By 2017, the Philippine information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) sector is projected to be the country’s largest source of income.

From 525,000 employees in 2010 and $8.9 billion in revenue, the industry is expected to generate 1.3 million jobs and over $25 billion in revenue this year.

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines remains the world’s top call center destination

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Future franchise favorites? Funeral homes, drug rehab centers

by IrIs

GOnzales Philstar.com

MANILA — Three new industries are expected to emerge under the Duterte administration — funeral homes, drug rehabilitation and drug testing centers and retirement businesses.

This is according to the country’s franchise industry experts.

In a press briefing Thursday, July 7, Samie Lim, chairman emeritus of the Philippine Franchise Association said the group has been receiving inquiries from funeral companies on the possibility of franchising.

“We’ve been getting inquiries,” he said.

Other industries seen emerging are in drug rehabilitation and drug testing given the Duterte administration’s fight against drug use.

Alan Escalona, president and CEO of Fruit Magic, said drug rehabilitation can be a lucrative business because drug use can be a very deep problem and it takes time and effort to rehabilitate a user.

“The history of a drug rehab dates back during the Marcos era. There are only a few people

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B JULY 13-15, 2016 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

Business news

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Despite growing global competition…

PAGE B1 t

despite growing challenge from other countries, the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) said.

“The Philippines continues to be the most preferred offshore destination worldwide. Despite the challenges, the preference is still the Philippines for voice, as a compelling value proposition differentiated from any other market out there,” CCAP president Benedict Hernandez said.

According to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), countries such as Vietnam, Turkey, Egypt and Canada are emerging to give the Philippines’ voice services a run for its money.

CCAP, however, said the local industry’s sustained growth in terms of employees and revenue

continued to tighten the country’s grip as the global leader in the voice segment.

By 2017, the Philippine information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) sector is projected to be the coun-

try’s largest source of income.

From 525,000 employees in 2010 and $8.9 billion in revenue, the industry is expected to generate 1.3 million jobs and over $25 billion in revenue this year. n

Future franchise favorites? Funeral homes…

PAGE B1 t

who are very patient (in running a drug rehab) so it can be a very lucrative business. Drug is a very deep issue,” he said.

“It can be a very good business but it’s 24/7 work. If rehab centers can be put up as a jumpstart then it’s possible. Possible cure for drugs is really really very difficult and the chances of being rehabilitated is low,” Escalona explained.

He said drug testing will also be done more often now given Duterte’s crackdown on drugs.

“There are only few authorized drug testing centers in the Philippines now. Many are asking now if these (centers) are franchising.

They are looking into it because there are so many inquiries,” Escalona said.

Another industry that can also emerge is retirement centres for the aged.

He said that when Duterte is able to fulfill his promise that he would resolve the peace and order situation in the country, many of the elderly population would be comfortable retiring even in urban cities in Metro Manila.

In addition to the three industries, Lim said some companies in Davao may also expand in Metro Manila to enable other people to experience the taste of life in Davao such as its cuisine. n

Foreign investment in PH reaches record…

PAGE B1 t

6-7 percent, a range still better than most forecasts for its ASEAN neighbors.

The average economic growth of 6.2 percent in the first five years of the previous Aquino administration was also the fastest since the late 1970s, such that Aquino’s economic managers had declared that the Philippines was no longer Asia’s sick man, but now a rising star in the region.

In a statement, the BSP said net inflows were posted across all FDI components at the start of the second quarter.

According to the BSP, the bulk of the net inflows in April was made of debt instruments—overseas-based parent firms’ lending to their affiliates in the country in order to finance existing operations as well as expansion, which hit $1.3 billion, up 371.6 percent year-on-year.

Net equity capital placements, meanwhile, reached $825 million

or 3,199.3-percent higher yearon-year, as gross equity capital placements rose 2044.1 percent year-on-year to $839 million, outpacing withdrawals that the BSP said “remained low” and dropped 6.3 percent year-onyear to $13 million.

The top sources of equity capital placements last April were Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Taiwan and the United States.

The industries that received the most amount of FDI that month included administrative and support service activities, financial and insurance, manufacturing, real estate, as well as wholesale and retail trade.

Reinvestment of foreign investors’ earnings, however, declined 8.5 percent year-on-year to $74 million.

At the end of the first four months, net inflows of FDI climbed 183.6 percent year-onyear to almost $3.5 billion.

“In particular, non-residents’

investments in debt instruments [as of end-April] more than doubled to $1.9 billion from $687 million last year. Net equity capital placements also grew by 372.6 percent to $1.3 billion from $279 million. This was due mainly to the $1.4-billion gross equity capital placements, which is four times the previous year’s level of $369 million,” the BSP explained.

The top five sources of equity capital placements during the January to April period were Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Spain and the US, from where investments were poured mostly into the accommodation and food service, construction, financial and insurance, manufacturing as well as real estate sectors.

End-of-April reinvestment of earnings also slid 4.1 percent year-on-year to $255 million.

The BSP expects FDI inflows to hit $6.3 billion by yearend and exceed the last year’s $5.7 billion. n

Photo courtesy of escapemanila.com

Smart spending P1-B to boost Wi-Fi… PAGE B1 t

ing at the terminals of bus companies including Alps, Five Star Bus, Isarog Bus, Jam Liner, Philtranco, and Victory Liner.

Smart is expanding the Wi-Fi service to cover more public areas like city halls, schools, malls, restaurants, and coffee shops.

“Over the past months, we have aggressively broadened the Smart Wi-Fi footprint through our key partnerships with government institutions and business establishments, consequently improving internet access and coverage nationwide,” Eric Alberto, executive vice president at PLDT

What’s New

and Smart said.

He said the Wi-Fi rollout is in line with the telco’s efforts to provide customers a seamless digital experience.

Apart from providing internet connectivity to more people, Smart Wi-Fi is also seen to support the operations of small and medium enterprises and institutions.

“With more people using Wi-Fi provided by establishments they patronize, Wi-Fi connectivity has been proven to contribute to business growth,” Alberto said.

Through Smart’s Wi-Fi service, users could enjoy free con-

nectivity for an initial number of minutes.

Those looking to continue their use of the internet beyond the free minutes could purchase credits from Smart.

Smart’s Wi-Fi service is supported by PLDT’s fixed and wireless networks, with the most extensive fiber optic footprint spanning over 100,000 kilometers.

Amid growing demand for faster, more reliable and affordable internet connectivity, PLDT is implementing a three-year network expansion program to provide customers better services. n

Basics of IRS appeals process

court trials. Here are some basics on the appeals process: 1. Go to appeals if an IRS agent with an attitude had just put you Arlene Al-os, through a treadmill. If you feel CPA, MBA that there were errors in the handling of your case or that you AFTER an audit of your tax weren’t adequately represented returns by the IRS and you dis- in the audit, go to appeals. It’s agree with the determination, cheaper, faster, and more equiyou have the option to either ac- table. You go before an expericept the assessment and settle enced Appeals Officer who has a the tax you owe by signing the broader mind and a better underagreement form or request an standing than the agent who put appeals conference by writing you through a ringer.

2. You practically have a nice a protest to Appeals Office. The appeals process is an adminis- advantage. The Appeals Officer trative means to resolve your acts like a mediator. Another adproblems without resorting to vantage that you have: your op-

ponent is not there. It is just you and the Appeals Officer. It frees your senses as a result, from adversarial feelings against the previous agent creating an air that is conducive to settlement.

3. Your objective is to settle and resolve. And your chance to settle increases if a broadminded tax veteran can see it your way.

4. An Appeals Officer in most cases is a CPA, lawyer, or both, who may find critical issues that may have been overlooked by the previous agent. If this is your case, stay away from appeals.

5. After the audit of your returns, you receive a notice from

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Community Journal

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Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA

Tales of entitlement

“…I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled…”

-Tiger Woods

(Part 1 of 2)

SoME stories are cautionary tales. if we approach our own lives with a smidgen of humility, stories do teach and show us the way. in 2010, these stories illustrated supreme ego and an overblown sense of personal entitlement.

What do Tiger, Amy and Joe have in common? Yup, you guessed it. All three of them felt entitled.

Amy Bishop of Alabama gunned down a number of his colleagues. Joe Stack chose the murder suicide route. The last sad tale is that of the once-upona-time golf legend,Tiger Woods. it looks like in the postcript to Tiger’s Tale, big, bad karma will have the last say on the remainder of his life story. on February 2010, Amy Bishop, a Harvard-trained neuroscientist killed 3 of her colleagues with a 9 mm gun in cold blood and wounded three others, in a faculty meeting in the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).

Bishop’s rampage may have been motivated by the fact that she was denied tenure and will have to look for work elsewhere by the end of the spring semester of that year. She is married with 4 kids and appears to be the sole family provider. With her action, she decimated half the Biology Department and two of the wounded, were hit in the head.

She went target shooting at the range prior to this.

The second story is that of the pilot Joe Stack who flew and rammed his small Piper cherokee plane in an irS office that houses close to 200 irS staff in Austin, Texas, causing a huge explosion and a massive fire, killing himself and another person and injuring 2 others in the process. He torched his own home before taking off from a nearby airport, leaving his second wife and daughter homeless and to pick up the pieces in tears. He had a massive bone to pick with the taxman.

And who has not heard of Tiger Woods’ blazing fall from grace?

Amy Bishop felt entitled. So did Joe Stack. Tiger Woods himself admitted, “i felt that i had worked hard my entire life and

deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. i felt i was entitled…”

Let’s go over the stories.

Amy Bishop, who was perceived as a brilliant inventor and scientist but a social oddball strongly, obsessively felt entitled to be given tenure at UAH. She had a secret, troubled past beginning with the death of her own 18 year old brother whom she shot in the heart 24 years ago with a shotgun, a case that was ruled accidental in Braintree, Massachusetts.

Well past the statute of limitation, that case was never logged in the national database because she was never charged in that incident. in hindsight police officials now believe there was probable cause to charge her for what she did after the incident when she held a man at gunpoint in a nearby dealership demanding a get-away car and holding officers in a stand-off. There are talks that because her mother, who had some clout, intervened and that there were some slip-ups in the chain of command, Bishop was effectively exonerated and nothing more was heard of this case until now. This important piece of information could have prevented the university from hiring her in the first place.

Her husband, who appears delusional as she is, paints a pleasant picture of her as a mother and wife, in stark contrast from those who felt she was aloof and arrogant in her perceived superiority. She herself said she was arrogant because she is superior.

She frequently mentioned Harvard in class and that she was a cousin of the author John irving who wrote “The cider House rules” and “The World According to garp.”

Former neighbors in Massachusetts sighed in relief and held a pizza party when her family moved to Alabama. She and her husband had called the cops on their neighbors in excess of a dozen times over perceived slights to the point that the cops felt they could not do enough for them. She prevented the ice

cream truck from coming to their street because her children were lactose intolerant. nor did she want her children to play with her neighborhood kids.

Students at the UAH petitioned that she be removed from the classroom since she taught by reading from the textbook, didn’t make eye contact and was just plain ineffective in a classroom setting. There are other troubling incidents in her past life, such as, when she punched a woman at the local iHoP all because of a child booster seat while ranting profanities, raving and screaming, “i am Dr. Amy Bishop.” She and her husband were among those investigated but never charged in a mail bombing incident of Professor Paul rosenberg of Harvard. it appears the professor was giving her a negative review of her postdoctoral work. That case remains unresolved. no one could have predicted that Amy Bishop’s very vocal ranting and internal raging over something she felt entitled to would result in tragedy. Her appeal for tenure was denied last october. Sadly, one of her victims, the Biology Department head, Dr. gopi Podila, a wellliked academic who immigrated from india, and who supported her appeal for tenure and even dismissed the students’ petition against her, was the first Amy Bishop shot dead. The other 2 are Dr. Maria ragland Davis and Dr. Adriel Johnson, all in their early fifties and by all accounts, great human beings. She fired repeatedly at her friend, Dr. Debra Moriarity despite her pleas for mercy but the gun jammed and her friend lived to tell the gruesome details of the carnage. on April 2011, the Alabama Madison county District Attorney robert Broussard said during a court proceeding that he would seek the death penalty for Amy Bishop. (Conclusion next week) ***

B

Business owner chooses Chapter 7 for $250k personal guaranties on business loans

Debt Relief Atty. lAwrence yAng cLiEnT is 45. He is actually a medical professional in his country of origin. it would have been great for him if he could practice his profession here. Unfortunately, his professional license is not recognized here. He is required to study another two years here in california to complete his professional degree, and thereafter pass the licensing board. Since client already has a family with a wife and two kids aged 6 and 7, he believes his priority is to make money to support his family, and not to study further to get his professional degree and qualify for a license to practice his profession here. His wife is a teacher and makes about $4K a month. client decided to set up a business. He set up a trucking business with a business partner. They established a c-corporation with each owning 50%.

The corporation purchased three trucks with installment financing provided by a bank, and leased two trucks. client and partner both drove two trucks, and they hired three drivers for the other three. Each truck was generating about $100K a year of gross receipt. on their first year, gross receipts was about half a million $, less operating expenses of $480K. considering that each partner got paid a salary of $2K a month which was part of operating expenses, plus the net profit of $20K and the end of the first year of operations, client’s trucking business was ok, but not that great. Business was able to pay all installment and lease payments and all expenses on time.

The problem came about when one of the trucks got into a serious rear end accident out of state. Their truck rear-ended a car on the freeway that stopped all of a sudden. it caused a chain collision of six cars with drivers and passengers suffering a lot of physical injuries. client’s insurance carrier had limited liability, which was insufficient to pay for all damages. So now, the injured parties are suing the business

Senior files same for $55k credit cards for $$700K for injuries caused not covered by insurance. Their own driver was badly injured, and could no longer drive. The business started losing money, and could not pay the banks and the leases. Eventually, the truck that caused the accident was returned to the leasing company.

Subsequently, the other truck was also returned to the leasing company. Each truck had a lease return deficiency of $40K each. Unfortunately, client personally guaranteed the leases, so the leasing companies have now sent a demand to client for $80K of lease deficiencies. To make matters worse, the banks have also sent a demand letter to client for $140K to call on his personal guaranty on the bank loans for the purchase of three trucks, which are now also seriously delinquent.

What did i say many times before? Do not sign personal guaranties for business loans because you will be on the hook if the business cannot pay the loans. if you own a house, why risk your house with a personal guaranty for a business loan? in any event, client is now about to face lawsuits to collect on his personal guaranty for $220K! it doesn’t even end at $220K. The business itself will be facing lawsuits arising from the accident for $700K. Fortunately for client, even though he owns a house, the equity in the house is only $60K, well within the homestead exemption of $100K. So client opts for chapter 7 to wipe out the $220K, keep his house and all his assets, to start life again without lawsuits. He can be productive again. Maybe he might even be able to go back to school and get his professional degree and license. in two years, with his degree and professional license, client should have no difficulty making $250K gross a year.

The other client is 62. He still works a mid level management position and grosses $60K a

year. Wife is a licensed vocational nurse and makes $36K a year. They make about $100K a year, which is good. They still have a daughter in college. They send her $1,500 a month out of state. Wife has a sister abroad with a big family and insufficient income. Wife sends sister $500 a month. Husband has $40K of credit card debt. He pays $1,200 to keep that current. Wife owes $15K of credit cards. She pays $600 of minimum payments to keep them current. So, credit card payments are almost $2K a month, just to keep them current. client says that they have been paying for these cards for ten years. They have paid $240K in ten years, and still owe the same $40K and $15K. However, client anticipates that he may just continue working for another year or so. What happens then? His income will be gone, and he will rely on social security, which is less than $2K a month. Might as well wipe out all credit cards now and save $24K this year, and another $24K next year, or save $48K in two years. Should have done it, chapter 7, wiped out all his credit cards ten years ago, and set aside $240K more in his retirement account! And now, he would have $240K cash in is retirement accounts plus, he would have perfect credit today, if he filed for chapter 7 ten years ago!

“Daniel’s Faithfulness to God Landed Him In A Lion’s Den, Where His Detractors Were Sure He Would Be Divoured. But God Sent An Angel That “Shut The Lions’ Mouths” (Daniel 6:22), And Daniel Was Miraculously Spared.”

*** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California.

Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803.

(Advertising Supplement)

People and Events

Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

Can a divorcing couple agree to pay for their adult children’s college expenses in their divorce judgment?

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes Divorcing couples with children sometimes worry about who is going to pay for their children’s college education after the divorce once their children graduates high school. They want a guarantee that their soon to be ex-spouse will share in the college expenses of their children.

This is specially the case when the other spouse has moved on with a new family. The old family becomes less of a priority. in california, there is no legal basis for a spouse to request the family court to order the other spouse to pay for their adult children’s college expenses.

However, the divorcing couple can agree to pay for their adult children’s college education as part of a marital settlement agreement. Family code section 3587; in re Marriage of rosenfeld and gross, 225 cal. App. 4th 478 (2014). Pursuant to statute and court cases, college expense payment provision in a stipulated marital settlement agreement, as incorporated into a court’s judgment, constitutes adult child support such that court had jurisdiction to modify the provision in light of the settlement’s failure to specifically provide that adult

child support was not subject to modification. in re Marriage of rosenfeld and gross, 225 cal.

App. 4th at 488 (2014). Providing for payment of adult children’s college expenses is recognized more of an “add on” to adult child support. Family code 4062(b)(1).

However, the parties may “opt out” or restrict the court’s jurisdiction to modify an adult child support order (including college expenses) but the parties must expressly and specifically state in their marital settlement agreement that any resulting adult child support order will not be subject to modification or termination by the court because the adult child support order is rooted in the parent’s contractual agreement. cal. Family code Section 3587, 3651(a).

So if you are concerned about your spouse sharing for the college tuition and expenses of your children after the divorce, you should negotiate a provision in your marital agreement that both of you will share on the college tuition and expenses of your children. in doing so, you should also think about whether you want this provision to be non-modifiable or not. in the absence of a specific provision limiting adult child support as non-modifiable

and non-terminable, the default is that child support is modifiable. Sometimes, leaving the adult child support provision as modifiable protects the spouses from unforeseen future events such as a disability or retirement which limits the earning capacity of a spouse and ability to comply with the adult child support provision in the MSA. *** 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.

(Advertising Supplement)

Basics of IRS appeals…

PAGE B2 t

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • JULY 13-15, 2016

the irS examination division asking you to agree or disagree.

They send a 30-day letter. This is your ticket to appeals.

6. Writing a protest is your initial step. Be persuasive. Focus on issues in your favor. counter arguments on matters that are not in your favor.

7. The protest will be forwarded to the original agent who will file a response. obtain a copy of that response from either the Appeals officer or through FoiA Freedom of information Act so you may prepare for rebuttal.

8. Prepare well for the conference. it is critical that all relevant information were provided to the auditor prior to appeals.

Any new information will generally result your case back to the auditor for consideration. This could cause delays in resolving your tax matters.

9. The appeals conference is

one of negotiation. Up to this point, your forum has been an informal proceeding, one of mediation. it remains as a non-docketed case.

10. if no settlement can be reached, the Appeals office sends a notice of Deficiency (also known as a 90-day letter or 150 days if addressed to you outside of the United States). Your case becomes a docketed case. The chief counsel of the irS becomes involved. it becomes more costly to defend as your case moves from informal mediation to the formal jurisdiction of a court where lawyers and cPAs fight in trial before a judge.

11. it will be classified as a small case and can remain in appeals if the deficiency is $50,000 or less; otherwise, it will be forwarded to area counsel where it will be calendared for trial in Tax court.

12. cAUTion: Do not represent yourself unless you know what

you are doing. You are no match for the experienced officers. You could be trying to save a few hundred dollars in fees only to lose thousands in potential savings of tax, interests, and penalties.

You may also use appeals for levies, liens, claims for refund, seizures, and rejections of oic (offers in compromise) or installment agreements (payment plans). it cannot be used for bankruptcy cases or fraud. in accordance with irS circular 230, this communication is not to be considered a “covered opinion” or other written tax advice and should not be relied upon for irS audit, tax dispute, or any other purpose. *** Sy Al-os Accountancy Corporation provides accounting and tax services to individuals, corporations, LLCs and business entities.

The Firm has a niche in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS and other governmental agencies.

(Advertising Supplement)

Performer Jhong Juanilo Mendiola strikes an athletic mid-leap pose onstage at the 20th annual World Competition of Performing Arts (WCOPA) held at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. He and his partner in the Iloilo dance group,Ruth Lynn Grace Lazaro, will represent team Philippines in dance categories.

Calendar of Events across

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST-EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES J U LY 1 6

UBSCI to celebrate 28th Anniversary The United Batanguenos of Southern California Inc. (UBSCI) will celebrate their 28th Anniversary & Coronation Night on July 16, 2016 at The Odyssey Restaurant - 15600 Odyssey Dr., Granada Hills. Music will be provided by Willie Manacsa & The Midnight Motion Band. For other related questions, please call Romy Elepano, Governor ( 323) 498-9333; Carmel Gonzales, Vice-Gov. (818) 785-2078 or Tony Lina, Vice-Gov. (323) 474-5877.

S E P T E M B E R 8 -1 7

42nd annual celebration in honor of Our Lady of Peñafrancia United Bicolandia Los Angeles (UBLA) invites everyone, Bicolanos, devotees and friends to come and celebrate the 42nd annual celebration in honor of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, Patroness of the Bicol Region. The festivities will start on Sept. 9, with the translacion at 5pm at the Immaculate of Mary Church (4954 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90029. A nightly novena Mass follows from Sept. 9 to Sept. 16 at 6 PM except on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 3:30 PM and Sunday, Sept. 11, at 2;30 PM and culminates on Saturday, Sept.

17, with the ninth day novena at 8am, foot & fluvial procession at 9 AM, and a Concelebrated Mass at 10 am at Lincoln Park, 3501 Valley Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90031. Main celebrant will be HE Most Rev Arturo Bastes, Bishop of Sorsogon. For details, please call Lanie Berrei (818) 281-3169 or Gene Leano (818) 439-6896.

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 & events

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(Left Top and Bottom) Filipino competitors show off some of their stage outfits at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center on July 10 during opening ceremonies for the World Competition of Performing Arts (WCOPA). The 75 member strong delegation from the Philippines will participate in a week of contests against teams from 50 countries. So Far, Team Philippines has earned a gold medal in the Group Production Number event, and Team Director Gerry Mercado (Top Middle) was named Superior National Director of the year. Filipino performer and WCOPA Hall of Fame inductee, Jed Madela (Top Right) serves as this years host.

Photos by Andy Tecson and Ding Carreon.

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The Asian Journal

MDWK

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - July 13, 2016

All boxed up:

Things you need to know about the balikbayan box by

IT could be because of colonial mentality that overseas Filipinos are just as excited to fill up and send a balikbayan box home as those receiving it back in the Philippines.

“Balikbayan” means returning to one’s country, and I guess sending balikbayan box is the Filipino way of staying connected to friends and families back home.

It’s the simple tradition of giving pasalubongs — gifts — only that it has been raised to unprecedented levels because of the sheer number of Filipinos now live and/or work overseas. In the early days, only the very rich can go abroad.

Today, there is an estimated

Malou liwanag-Bledsoe / AJPress

10 million Filipinos abroad due to their migration to the United States, Canada and Australia, and the demand for OFWs all over the What not to send Senders should keep in mind that since the shipping of a balikbayan box is consolidated, it means that one prohibited item caught will affect ALL the packages inside the container. In the past, a lot of individuals have abused the tax-free privilege by smuggling commercial items or contrabands.

For this reason, cargo companies, as well as US and Philippine Customs offices always inform senders not to send the following prohibited items:

Automobiles and motorcycles parts are prohibited inside a balikbayan box.

Any kind of guns, firearms (whether whole or in parts) and ammunition are not allowed inside a balikbayan box.

• Alcohol/alcoholic drinks • Automobile/motorcycle, parts or whole • Ceramic tableware • Cultural artifacts and pottery • Defense articles or items with military or proliferation applications • Products containing dog or cat fur, as well as animal hide • Drug paraphernalia (unless prescribed for medical conditions) • Firearms, explosives (including parts) • Cheese, Meat, fruits and vegetables (unless canned) • Pets, plants, seeds, soil • Used clothing of commercial quantity (ukay-ukay or in bales) • Pornographic materials • Fluids and perishable food items *Please check with your trusted balikbayan cargo company for other items that may not be on the list.

The Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) In May of this year, former president Benigno Aquino III signed into law the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) or Republic Act 10863

Top 5 things overseas Filipinos send back to the Philippines AS of 2014, there were around 10.5 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), a number that is only increasing. Many Filipinos living abroad ship their families back home balikbayan boxes, large cardboard boxes filled with items from the foreign country that the sender believes the recipients would enjoy.

There are many things overseas Filipinos are allowed to put in their balikbayan box, but there are a number of favorites and staple items that they include. Though there are no statistics available on what Filipinos send back home, here are five things commonly found in balikbayan boxes: (1) Food Non-perishable goods are particularly on top of the list, particularly canned goods like spam, corned beef, and Vienna sausages for the reason that they can last the long journey home.

Biscuits and chocolates are also sent, for the same reason that they contain preservatives that would avoid spoilage. One thing to note, though, that not many know that coffee —decaf or not, instant or for brewing — is prohibited.

(2) Clothes and shoes Filipinos back home are somewhat inclined to US brand names, specifically shoes and clothes.

American brands like Nike, Adidas, and Northface are some of the favorites. There is said to be a decline in sending clothing brands like Gap or Old Navy for the reason that most of these products are now mostly manufactured in Asia. Shoes, although a number of brands are already made in China, are still in demand.

On average, a pair of shoes may be slightly cheaper in the United States. Also, Filipinos abroad tend to have access to better quality clothing and shoes and can obtain them more easily at less cost than in the Philippines, especially when they buy them at outlet stores. Plus, they make great gifts for relatives.

(3) Personal and hygiene products Personal and hygiene products such as soap, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, cologne and

even perfume are also sent home. Soap and hair products aren’t very expensive in the Philippines, but most people rarely buy imported brands.

Although these are not restricted items, many cargo companies do not encourage their clients to send bottled liquids as they may break and leak, causing to damage not only to the other items where they are packed into, but also to other boxes as well. This is why that they remind Filipinos to make sure liquids are sealed tightly, so they don’t spill in transit. Bottles can be placed in resealable bags or wrapped around the opening with tape to ensure they do not leak. For bottles made of fragile material like glass, cover them with bubble wrap.

(4) Toys Like shoes and clothes, most toys in the US are made in China.

Still, young children enjoy seeing new toys when they open a balikbayan box. Be sure not to send toy guns though, for they will be confiscated by customs.

(5) Electronics Electronics like TVs, computers, cameras and game consoles are sent by overseas Filipinos to their families in the Philippines, as these tend to be cheaper in the US and have a wider selection.

Although it is not advisable to send electronic items such as big screen TVs, laptops or desk top computers; balikbayans or returning Filipinos who wish to retire in the homeland try to ship these items.

The good news is that just last May, the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) was signed by former President Benigno Aquino III, increasing the tax-exempt value of items sent by overseas Filipinos from P10,000 to P150,000.

Furthermore, Filipinos who have stayed in a foreign country for at least 10 years and are returning to the Philippines, will also be granted a tax exemption for the personal and household effects, not exceeding P350,000.

As always, cargo companies remind their clients to carefully pack fragile items, declare their cargo truthfully in their packing list and to consider paying additional insurance to cover any damages that may happen while in transit.

(AJPress) (AJPress)

in response to the growing concern of overseas Filipinos about the continued corruption and additional taxes and duties being planned by the Bureau of Customs on all balikbayan boxes.

Prior to signing R.A 10863, the existing law was outdated because it was still following the 1987 tax-exempt value of only up to P10,000 (about $200). Many lawmakers feel that it would be unfair to tax overseas Filipinos since the amount has not been adjusted according to inflation and increasing commodity rates.

With the new law in place, Filipinos can now send up to three P150,000-worth (about $3,500) of tax- and duty-free balikbayan boxes in a year, given that the goods are not in commercial quantities nor intended for barter, sale or for hire.

On top of the tax- and duty-free balikbayan boxes, Filipinos, who have stayed in a foreign country for at least 10 years and are returning to the Philippines, will also be granted tax exemption for the personal and household effects, not exceeding P350,000, they will be

bringing with them when they return to the country.

As for Filipinos who have lived overseas for at least five years, they would be entitled to tax- and duty-free personal and household effects amounting to P250,000, while those who have stayed abroad for less than five years could enjoy P150,000 tax-free ceiling.

As someone who has been on both the sending and receiving side, I realized that the balikbayan box is more than a piece of corrugated

box filled with clothes, canned goods and chocolates, or that whiff of the “stateside” scent — it is a symbol of the hard work, generosity and love for family.

It’s true that our families back home could probably buy most of the items in the Philippines, but I believe it the anticipation of what’s coming to their doorstep and the idea that every item has been carefully chosen and packed is what makes them appreciate it more.

Your next best destination: the Philippines • Pack lightly and wear comfortable clothes for trekking, hiking, spelunking and walking.

4. Sarangani: Tremendous serenity Location: Sarangani Province Often ignored, the province of Sarangani boasts natural tourist attractions that can be at par with Palawan in the battle of the Philippines’ most preserved sanctuaries. Beaches, falls, diving spots and corals are abundant in the area. The serenity of the place is one of the reasons why tourists flock to the area.

You can find the Small Sagada Photo by Raphael John Oriel Boracay of the South at Gumasa Beach, Glan; while scuba diving in Maasim, Tino Reef is satisfying as the locals are working hard to preserve and protect the marine life.

You could also meet the endangered pawikans, and enjoy other activities such as food trips, museum visits, paragliding and ziplining.

How to get there: From Manila, take a flight bound for General Santos City. There, you can ride a van that will take you to Sarangani.

Airfare costs around P6,000– Sarangani is one of the south’s best-kept secrets and more and more people are discovering other lovely P8,000/$143-$190. features of the province aside from its pretty beaches. Sarangani is unlike anything you have visited before, Tips: yet it has everything to love — beyond and above your usual getaway.

Philstar.com photo • Pack clothes and necessities for swimming and walking around, such as comfortable, for Sagada at Dangwa Terminal nal in Quezon City. The ticket cool clothes, sunblock and Station near St. Mary’s Church. cost is P720/$17. sandals/slippers. Don’t forget to Buses start to depart by 5 pm.

Option 2 — You can take bring a camera to take pictures Tips: a side trip to Banaue before • Respect the culture by re- of the beautiful sights! going to Sagada by bus via • Sarangani is one of the fraining from making insensitive Ohayami Bus in Manila. Ticket Philippines’ preserved paradises, comments about the natives’ from Manila to Banaue is about so maintain cleanliness by leavrituals or traditions.

P450/$11. ing no trash behind and keeping • Keep the environment Upon arriving in Banaue, the endangered sea turtles safe. safe and clean. Don’t leave take passenger jeep bound for 3. Siargao Island: Playing trash and dispose of it properly.

Bontoc then transfer to another with crystal-clear waters of • Avoid bringing outside for Sagada. There are also comfood. The locals serve food with Mindanao muter vans available in Banaue Location: Siargao Island, love. They do it the best they bound for Sagada. The fare is Surigao del Norte can. There are some restaurants about P200/$5.

Off the coast of Surigao del that charge food and drinks if Option 3 — Coming from Norte is the island of Siargao, taken from the outside.

Baguio City, take a bus bound

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The Asian Journal MDWK MAGAZINE - July 13, 2016

These places less traveled are yet to be discovered

By Joseph

Almer pedrAJAs AJPress

WITH over 7,100 distinctly beautiful islands, the Philippines has a huge variety of breathtaking destinations to offer.

Whether you are a history geek, beach bum, adventure seeker or travel hardcore, you’ve got everything. The country harbors a multitude of attractions that will make you feel like you’re in paradise. Here are the top 5 less traveled, yet jaw-dropping destinations to unleash the best out of your trip.

5. Sagada: Surviving the ridges of the Mountain Province Location: Sagada, Mountain Province, CAR The town of Sagada is one of the most adventurous destinations in the Philippines. Located behind the mountains of the Cordillera Region, Sagada can be reached by bus and takes roughly 12 hours to get there from Manila because of the bumpy and, literally, cliff-hanging roads.

Sagada is perfect for adventure seekers. It offers the Sumaguing and Lumiang Cave connection, which gives guests an adrenaline rush. Brimmed with slippery rocks, ragged surface, bats’ feces, and minor cliffs, the caves are perfect for risk takers.

However, if you are not into too much adventure, you can take an hour trek to Bomod-Ok Falls. Other options are the Hanging Coffins, a traditional way of the locals to bury the deceased, Echo Valley, watching Sagada weavers, Lake Danum, and witnessing the sunrise and sea of clouds in Kiltepan Peak.

To restore your energy, the locals also offer their famous pinikpikan, arabica coffee, yogurt and lemon pie that are perfect for the near freezing temperature.

Lately, many tourists (foreign and local) have been going to Sagada since the location has been featured more in television shows and movies. However, the difficulty of getting there still has kept the area less crowded compared to other tourist spots.

How to get there: Option 1 — Direct bus ride to Sagada at Coda Lines Termi-

Siargao

Photo by Carlo Delantar

Kalanggaman Island

Batanes

Photo by Potpot Pinili

airport, you will still need to go home of world-class waves that to General Luna, which is a 45surfers from around the world minute van ride. visit. Unlike La Union in Luzon, Tips: Siargao is less visited because of • Siargao has ATM machines its almost secluded location. at Dapa Port.

Siargao produces huge • Major mobile phone waves that will make your service providers deliver strong heart beat, while its white sand signals. beaches also add to the island’s • The Best time to go is from beauty. However, if you are July to November not into surfing, there are still 2. Leyte: Home of the most other things you can do. Other beautiful sandbars activities to do in its three main Location: Leyte, Eastern islands are kayaking, diving, fishVisayas ing, bird watching, swimming, The resiliency of the province spelunking, star gazing and of Leyte and its people is the sports. reason why you should visit this How to get there: commonly underrated destinaOption 1 — Getting to Surigao City, the capital of Surigao tion. You will be amazed by how God protected the place after del Norte, is the jump-off point Typhoon Yolanda (international to Siargao Islands if you are name: Haiyan), as well as how coming from Manila. Philippine the people bounced back from Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific the destruction.

Airlines have daily flights to this The Leyte Landing Memorial, city. A roundtrip flight is about or MacArthur Park located in P7,000-P8,000/$167-$190.

Palo, is one of the must-visit desIn Surigao, catch a multitinations. The memorial sculpcab or tricycle bound for Dapa ture represents an important Port (P250/$), to Dapa Port of piece of Philippine history when Siargao dock. At Dapa Port, General Douglas MacArthur hire a tricycle or habal-habal to came back to our shores to win take you to General Luna. From there, you can find many people our fight against the Japanese in WWII. to assist you.

One can walk on 2.16-kiloOption 2 — Siargao has its meter San Juanico Bridge that own airport and the easiest way connects Samar and Leyte and is to fly direct. However, only enjoy the picturesque islands Cebu Pacific flies there and the and islets of the Philippine archifares may be costly. From the pelago.

There three stunning lakes in Ormoc — Kasudkuran, Janagdan and Danao —which are perfect for kayaking and swimming.

Aside from its history and bodies of water, you can climb Eastern Visayas’ highest mountain, the Alto Peak.

Another spot to visit is Kalanggaman Island. Its birdlike shape and thin sandbars will make you visualize that you are walking in the water.

Photo by Christopher Glenn Tañega Continued on Page 5

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From Nagasaki to Abbot Kinney: SHUHARI Matcha Café innovates green tea flavor FASO concert taps Sylvia La Torre, Anna with opening of US flagship store Maria Perez de Tagle as special guests 4

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - July 13, 2016

The Philippines’ legendary veteran entertainer, Sylvia La Torre, and her granddaughter, Broadway performer and TV-film actress Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, will be the special guests in the August 13 concert of the Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO).

La Torre and Perez de Tagle will perform a duet and solo numbers with FASO, the only Filipino symphony orchestra outside of the Philippines. The beloved icon and her talented granddaughter singing with a full orchestra will be a landmark Filipino-American musical event.

FASO, under the baton of musical director and conductor Robert “Bob” Shroder, will also play “Peter & the Wolf,” Sergei Prokofiev’s well-loved children’s classic (to be narrated by Joan Almedilla), cherished movie and television tunes, including themes from “Stars Wars” and “harry Potter” films, Broadway favorites and Filipino music gems.

Titled “FASO Plays Prokofiev’s ‘Peter & the Wolf,’ ” the exciting concert for children and adults will be staged on Saturday, August 13, at the John Wayne Performing Arts Center at 1440 e. Broadway, Glendale, California 91205.

It will be La Torre and Perez de Tagle’s first time to collaborate musically with FASO. La Torre, a national music treasure who joined a singing contest at the age of five in 1938 in Manila, is acknowledged as the first Filipino artist to enjoy a hugely successful career in all major entertainment fields in the Philippines: radio, television, record, stage and film.

Now based in California, La Torre, known as the Queen of Kundiman and also for her fondly remembered “Ibyang” character in the pioneering days of Philippine entertainment, continues to be a dynamic performer.

Perez de Tagle debuted on Broadway in the acclaimed

Sylvia La Torre with granddaughter Anna Maria Perez de Tagle

2011 revival of “Godspell” where she earned good reviews. The singer-actress’ credits include the film version of “Fame” and the TV shows, “hannah Montana,” “Camp Rock” and “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.” With several records under her name, Perez de Tagle, whose early singing coach was her famous grandmother, has toured with Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers.

The FASO Children’s ensemble will also be spotlighted in the latest concert of FASO, which is noted for its entertaining and quality concerts. The trailblazing orchestra is comprised of volunteer musicians from various sectors of the Fil-Am community.

Festivities on August 13 begin at 4:00 p.m. with an “orchestra instrument petting zoo” and face painting in the theater lobby and food trucks in front of the theater on Broadway Street. Bring your “Star Wars”

lightsabers and “harry Potter” wands. The concert starts at 6:00 p.m.

For tickets, call Andy Tecson (323) 467-5096; Bob Shroder (818) 395-8936; and Arlene Ferrolino (213) 248-9850. Tickets are at $30, $40, $60, $75 and $100. More information at www.fasofoundation.org.

A non-profit organization, FASO is led by a board of directors dedicated to keeping FASO as a Fil-Am cultural institution for many generations to appreciate. The board is made up of Arlene Ferrolino (president), Luis Ramos (vice president), Susan Legaspi (treasurer), John Mina (secretary) and directors Charina Carrera, Claire espina, Jose Luis Garcia, Amirah May Limayo, Wendy Mazon, Ruben Nepales, Rocio Nuyda, Asuncion Ojeda, Carmelita O’Neil and edwin Raquel.

Multiple Grammy nominee David Benoit is an honorary member.

FROM green tea lattes and matcha ice cream to green tea soda, matcha aficionados can now stop in to ShUhARI Matcha Café and enjoy numerous variations of green tea at its new U.S. flagship store on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, California.

According to ShUhARI Matcha Café, “Matcha is made of Ten-cha leaves, which are Gyokuro leaves that have not been rolled into needles. Unlike whole leaf tea, which is steeped, matcha is served by whisking powdered tea in hot water. It contains a higher amount of nutrients (vitamins, amino acids, polyphenols and fiber) than other teas, and its flavor is densely rich -- almost creamy -- compared to other teas.”

With the growing popularity of matcha across the globe, the café is committed to “serving an expertly curated selection of the highest quality of Japanese green tea, creating exceptional and innovative handcrafted tea beverages and serving customers with excellence and pride.”

The name “Shuhari” refers to the process of achieving mastery in the world of tea ceremonies.

In Japanese, ShU means to savor centuries of tradition, hA means to shake things up or break the rules and RI means to achieve independence and a new sense of creativity. “[ShUhARI] very much has its routes in Nagasaki,” Mark Chapman, Marketing Manager of ShUhARI Matcha Café said.

“1856 is the year Japanese green tea was first exported to the

Consulate-General of Japan, Harry H. Horinouchi, Chairman of GREEN TEA WORLD USA, INC., Taku Maeda, and CEO of Cool Japan Fund, Inc., Nobuyuki Ota.

world from the port of Nagasaki.

In our minds, it was the starting point of a green tea revolution.

Our brand is inspired by that date and [Nagasaki].” however, it is Taku h.

Maeda’s love for green tea that has allowed for the global expansion and evolution of matcha.

Since founding Maeda-en USA, a green tea importer and distributor, in 1984, Maeda now serves as CeO of Green Tea World holding.

Cool Japan Fund, a publicprivate fund that supports the development of overseas demand for Japanese product and services, is backing ShUhARI. It is the first time the fund is supporting a company in the U.S. During the grand opening ceremony on Thursday, July 7, the Venice Beach community was

treated to games, giveaways and samples of ShUhARI’s signature green tea beverages.

“We are able to curate the best tea from Japan and bring it straight to your cup in America,” Chapman said.

With the desire to showcase the love for matcha beyond Abbot Kinney, Consul General of Japan harry h. horinouchi opened his residence to community leaders in the greater Los Angeles area on Friday, July 8, to celebrate the beginning of Japan’s green tea culture in America.

Guests were treated to a wide array of matcha drinks including lattes, sparklers and iced teas, along with curry buns and onigirazu sandwiches, a type of Japanese rice ball with fillings such as avocado and crab, chicken and pickles and tuna.

The café offers 40 varieties of tea beverages.

“We embrace the classics.

If you come to our café you can have a traditional cup of green tea that is steeped in teapots and served in tea cups; but, we also push the boundaries with green tea enjoyment with the sparklers and lattes,” Chapman said.

Customers are encouraged to infuse green tea into their daily experiences, savoring the calming energy and the life-balancing properties that the soothing beverage has to offer.

“Our key marketing targets Continued on Page 6

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Alden & Maine: Stronger, happier together

by Joyce Jimenez Philstar.com

MAINE Mendoza and Alden Richards preferred to remain mum about their relationship.

“Basta po masaya kami, ‘yon lang,” Maine replied when asked about their relationship, when they were revealed as the cover of YES! 100 Most Beautiful Stars on Monday, July 11.

“Masaya po kami sa relationship namin.”

Alden added, “Kumbaga what you see is what you get po.”

Since their love team started

July last year, the two have grown fond of each other and many have noticed the blossoming romance between them.

Meanwhile, the two revealed that they haven’t slept well for two days when they shot the cover of the magazine.

They were finishing their movie “Imagine You & Me” that time, which will be in cinemas on July 13.

However, they don’t seem tired on the cover since according to Maine, they are happy doing the photo shoot. “Happy

kasi tayo kaya nag-radiate ‘yong happiness natin,” she said.

Alden described being on the cover as an “opportunity of a lifetime” while Maine said that it came to her as a shock.

“Shocking talaga kasi kaka-start pa lang po ng AlDub, one year pa lang po kami pero nabigyan kami ng opportunity na maging cover ng 100 Most Beautiful,” she explained.

“For my first year in showbiz, isang malaking bagay na mapabilang dito, lalo na maging cover po,” she concluded.

Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza celebrate the first anniversary of their love team AlDub via the film “Imagine You & Me.”

Your next best destination...

From Page 3

To wrap up your day at the beach, you can savor Leyte’s Binagol and Suman Moron delicacies.

How to get there: Option 1 — To get to Ormoc, take a flight bound to Cebu, then take the fast craft to Ormoc City. Airfare may cost P4,000–P5,000/$95-$119.

Option 2 — You can also get there by flying to Tacloban City and then take a two-hour car ride to Ormoc City.

Kalanggaman Island: Fly to Tacloban City and take a three-hour bus ride at Tacloban New Bus Terminal to Palompon. Then ride a pump boat to Kalanggaman Island.

Tips: • Don’t forget to coordinate with the Palompon Ecotours Office to be more guided.

• If you are not in a hurry, take the longer bus route to

enjoy the scenery.

1. Batanes: Home away from home Location: Batanes Group of Islands, Cagayan Valley Although the northernmost province in the Philippines, Batanes’ natural beauty, culture and people can still make you feel at home.

Comprised of 10 unpopulated islands (only three are habitable), the Batanes island group is proud of its virgin, infinitely green island.

There are many things to do in Batanes that are in line with either nature or culture. You just have to choose which among the three islands to visit: Batan, Sabtang and Itbayat.

Meanwhile, the traditional Ivatan houses will give you the experience of their culture.

They are made up of limestone walls and cogon roofs, intended to strengthen the structure

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - July 13, 2016

Jimuel Pacquiao gets his first endorsement by iza iglesias ManilaTimes.net

JIMuEL Pacquiao, the eldest son of boxing legend Senator Manny Pacquiao and former Sarangani Vice Governor Jinkee Pacquiao, steps out from the shadows of his celebrity parents with his very first endorsement.

Late last week, Jimuel was launched as the newest celebrity ambassador of a spa.

“As a myself, I understand the needs of those my age.

Like our parents, we need to de-stress and recharge, but most especially we need treatments that can help us in managing our skin problems,” the Pacman’s good looking son took the spotlight said.

Even as a very privileged child to a world famous father, Jimuel is a typical teen, who is not spared from breakouts and skin problems that come with growing up. Especially so since this 15-year-old juggles an intense academic life as a Grade 10 student and varsity basketball team player.

Grateful as he is, however, for the opportunity, Jimuel clarified that he has no plans of going into showbiz.

“It feels strange since it is my first time [to do something on my own like this],” the well

and protect it against possible earthquakes.

The remarkable lion manelike wigs are the trademarks of the Ivatans. They call it Vakul, worn by farmers in the field.

While the vests worn by men are named as Kanayi, paired with Talugong, or a hat (salakot in Filipino).

How to get there: There is only one way to reach Batanes — by air. But there are at least three airlines that fly there and land in Basco Airport. Because of its location, airfare to Batanes can be expensive – from as low as P7,000/$167 to as high as P18,000/$429.

Tip: • There are many hotels and lodgings to stay when in Batanes. Hotels may cost P1,200 ($29)/night and any other regular lodgings may Jimuel Pacquiao P35–P600 (-$1-$14)/night.

rounded young man laughed.

“It was always my dad, my mom, and even my lola [in the public eye]. Honestly I just enjoy being a regular teenager, studying, playing, having crushes. But my parents told me to try new things so I’m thankful to Blue Water Day Spa. They chose me even though there are so many other famous

teens out there, but I think I represent the younger generation today. We should always have a healthy lifestyle,” he explained.

Proud parents All present to witness Jimuel’s big day were his proud parents together with his younger brother Michael. The Continued on Page 6

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - July 13, 2016

Marian Rivera to take a quick break from showbiz to prioritize Baby Zia

Moonlighting

A night at Dodgers Stadium

by Mylah de

leon

by Iza IglesIas

In describing Baby Zia, rivera said she inherited different MArIAn rivera has decided personalities from her mom and to take a break from television dad. From her, Zia is very cheerprojects to focus on being mom ful, and from Dantes, she is ver to her eldest child with husband observant.

Dingdong Dantes, the adorable “Si Zia bungisngisera siya baby Zia. eh. nakikita niyo sa mga posts Her break will begin after ko sa Instagram mahilig siya the four-week extension of her tumawa. Pag sinabi mong morning show, “Yan Ang Morn- dance, sumasayaw siya. So ing, wraps up.” ‘yun ata yung nakuha sa amin. “nag-extend ako ng four tapos hindi siya iyakin na bata weeks pero after nun sabi ko, pag pamilyar siya sa ibang ire-rest ko na muna kasi ang bagay. Observant siya eh, ‘yun hirap magka-soap. Lumalaki minana niya sa tatay niya. Yung kasi ‘yung anak ko. Sa stage na pagiging bungisngisera, yung ito, hindi ko kayang iwan. Aalis personality sa akin,” the doting ako ng bahay, tulog si Zia. Pag- mom said. uwi ko, tulog. Ang sakit sa akin Every so often, rivera said so sabi ko palakihin ko muna she and her husband also take anak ko and then after niyan time to go on dates, which siguro pwede nang sumabak sa she believes is important in a trabaho.” marriage. She proudly said that rivera also shared that Dantes is so supportive of her while she is a first time mom, and calls her “Super Mom,” as she is very hands-on when it she balances work and raising comes to nurturing her sevenZia. month old daughter, adding “Kahit na busy sa work that she never asks any assisand kay baby, lagi pa rin nag tance from her helpers at home rerequest si Dong na, ‘Are you to take care of Zia. free? Kailan? ‘Pwede ba tayong “Sabi ko nga walang umalis?’ tapos ako yung, ‘Ah susuko, walang titigil at very ok’. Parang nanliligaw ulit proud ako na seven months siya pag sasabihin niya, ‘Baka na ako nagpapa breastfeed na pwede naman kitang idate by walang formula. Seven months tomorrow sa ganitong oras.’ na ang anak ko, seven months Parang medyo may kilig kilig din akong puyat! Yun yung pa rin naman ako kahit papano totoo. Hands on ako eh. Katabi na ay naiisip pa rin ng asawa ko ko siya, wala akong yaya na, yan,” rivera excitedly shared.

‘Ate gawin mo ‘to.’ Pag nasa “Parang boyfriend-girlfriend bahay ako, ako lahat sa anak pa rin. tapos uuwi ako sa bahay ko, pati paligo, sa pag-dede, sa may flowers ako, may gift ako, pag tulog ako lahat yan–kaming may card ako. Kasi sabi niya mag asawa. Ang sarap naman hindi biro ang magpadede ng eh; priceless naman eh. Kaya seven months na pure na no kahit mapuyat ako ok lang,” the formula. So sabi niya, ‘Wow young mother enthused. you’re a Super Mom talaga.’

ManilaTimes.net

It was one of those PadresDodgers slugfests — where 43,588 people in a wave of blue collectively sent out ear splitting displays of offensive chants throughout that evening at Dodgers Stadium.

Frustrated at carrying out three straight losses into a game and not getting any further, the team struggles. For years we’ve watched them play, regardless if they are winning or losing. they go up there, grind it out, locked in every good pitch, or fighting off the good pitches of hitting Picture perfect: Marian Rivera and daughter it or driving it. It was always fun Maria Letizia “Zia” Dantes nakakatuwa kasi na-a-apreciate watching them and knowing their good offenses, they can niya. explode in any inning and put “Blessed and thankful ako up a great spot. sa nangyayari sa buhay ko kasi nandyan yung asawa ko para there stood Yasmani Gransuportahan ako, at the same dal, the catcher that hit three time biniyayaan ako ng pangihome runs (a 66-year record) noon ng anak,” she added. who lined a two run, home runs When asked if she will allow to right field in the first inning, Baby Zia to go into showbiz then hit a towering three run when she’s older, the celebshot to the center in the third. A rity mom laughed and said, punishing eight runs, eight hits, “napakamot ako ng ulo.” four homers, in 2 1/2 innings, After pausing to gather her by the seventh, amid rapturthoughts on the matter, rivera shared, “Siguro ngayon masaya ous chants, Grandal hit his third home run of the game and 12th ako na may mga malalaking of the season, at bases empty kumpanya na nagtitiwala sa shot right. It has been a source aming mag ina so ang sabi ko of many “oohs” and “aahs” mas maganda din na i-endorse from teammates and opponamin lalo na pagkasama ko nents. yung anak ko–yung totoo at It is on nights like these, pinapaniwalaan ko. Siguro hanggang ganyan na lang muna where you start wondering, ang anak ko, siyempre gusto where are their careers going? pa rin namin na mamuhay siya We see great fast hands, worknang normal na bata. Siguro ito muna ang endorsement, saka na muna yung iba.”

From Nagasaki to Abbot Kinney...

From Page 4

are millennials, heritage seekers and anyone who works. the one common thing every group has is we’re all struggling to find time… We hope through our tea everyone is able to achieve balance in their lives,” Chapman said.

Looking forward, SHUHArI hopes to eventually spread the

product of green tea and the culture that comes with it to the rest of America and the world.

“One day, [SHUHArI] will be like Starbucks,” said nobuyuki Ota, CEO of Cool Japan Fund, Inc. to celebrate SHUHArI’s connection to Japan, SHUHArI customers will have a chance

to enter to win two round-trip tickets to Japan, courtesy of All nippon Airways, one of only seven airlines to receive a 5-star rating from the airline consulting company, Skytrax. the café will announce the contest winner the week of August 7.

For more information on SHUHArI Matcha Café, visit www.shuharicafe.com.

Dodgers Stadium baseball field

ing extremely hard, aware about the strike zone real well, that the minute they get out of it can get them in trouble. Do they stick with the plan, especially among the young players? What of monstrous, meaningless home runs?

Baseball is about grateful chances, the pressure not to mess up filling gaps, and injuries without timetables. they pitch capably, if not spectacularly. they are more than sluggers homers with hitting stretched streaks who hit for power, potent offensive and their skids, they foul off in deep frustrations and aggravation, but play their best baseball all the time.

Even as their outlook remained as unsettled as ever, injuries are blows they live on — because somebody is always ready to step in. Some players are better, while others are wilder, knocking balls that zoom into the stands. this does not strike fear, as these baseball watchers are thrilled to have a ball thrown their way. Players now and then pass a ball to children at the dugout and field seats. that night, Beethoven’s

With the grandchildren at the Padres/Dodgers game

Symphony no. 5’s first quartet trumpeted a home run for the Padres.

Meanwhile, us fans will always look for action — of stolen bases on formidable sides, curb balls, slide steps players, and more. these are the signs, sights and sounds you can’t see on broadcast. ***

E-mail Mylah at moonlightingmdl@aol.com

Jimuel Pacquiao gets his first endorsement From Page 5

family expressed their full support for his endeavor, with the power Pacquiao couple sharing how their son can be very good example for the young generation.

“I can’t believe na 15 years old na si Jimuel and medyo mahiyain siya ng konti kasi syempre first time niya. Ang masasabi ko ay isa siyang masunuring bata, kung ano yung sasabihin namin sa kanya ni

Manny nag o-obey siya. Minsan sinasabi na niya yung mga crushes niya pero OK, lang yun, ganun talaga,” mom Jinkee related.

“Sa amin kasi sa pamilya before you go to bed kailangan mag-basa ng Bible kasi yun ang pinaka-foundation na ibinibigay namin sa kanila—to do what is right and walk humbly with God,” she added.

“Masaya ako at proud sa anak ko kasi parang kailan lang

batang-bata pa siya. ngayon teenager na at matatalino at may takot sa Panginoon.

I always encourage them to love others and we teach them kung paano mamuhay ng may takot sa Panginoon.

Pinapaalam naman nila sa amin kung may crush sila, bata pa naman. Pero mag-focus muna sila sa pag-aaral nila at tungkulin bilang tao,” his newly elected senator-father said.

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