La midweek edition march 8 10, 2017

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

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T h e F i l i p i n o –A m e r i c A n c o m m u n i T y n e w s pA p e r

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

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DATELINE

USA

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

GOPs introduce Obamacare replacement

Lawmakers vow more affordable, accessible health care, while critics say that bill would make many Americans uninsured rePUBLICANs in the house of representatives announced new legislation on monday, march 6 to repeal and replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as “obamacare.”

Called the American health Care Act, it is part of President Donald trump’s campaign promise to get rid of obamacare and replace it with a new system designed along conservative lines. the new bill will affect about 20 million people who directly purchase their own private health plans from a provider and more than 70 million low-income people who are covered by medicaid.

As GoP members call it a “necessary fix,” many Democratic legislators and consumer health advocates have voiced their dismay and concerns over the new health bill. one major fear that millions of Americans — about half who still have health care through their employers — will lose coverage and/or be affected by the certain rules concerning employer-based plans. If the trump administra-

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Pres. Trump releases revised travel ban executive order Iraq removed from the list of banned countries

by Klarize

MeDenilla AJPress

After a federal court shut down his controversial travel ban last month, President Donald trump on monday, march 6 signed a new executive order that will impose a 90-day travel ban from six muslim-majority nations: Iran, Libya, somalia, sudan, syria and Yemen.

the much narrower travel ban, executive order 13780, also includes a 120-day suspension of the refugee program, which also will not accept more than 50,000 refugees per year. the obama administration had set the limit at 110,000 per year.

“Under these authorities, I determined that, for a brief period of 90 days, while existing screening and vetting procedures were under re-

view, the entry into the United states of certain [individuals] from the seven identified countries — each afflicted by terrorism in a manner that compromised the ability of the United states to rely on normal decision-making procedures about travel to the United states — would be detrimental to the interests of the United states,” read the executive order, which was released on monday.

IN its annual report on human rights, the United states state Department took note of the “sharp increase” of killings and police impunity in the Philippines in connection with President rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war against illegal drugs. released on friday, march 3, the report cited more than 6,000 suspected drug dealers and users killed both by the police and unknown vigilantes since Duterte took office in July of last year. since then, he has vowed to fulfill his campaign promise to eliminate illegal drug activities in the country within six months. the report also mentioned the killing of Albuera mayor rolando espinosa in his prison cell by Philippine National Police (PNP) officers during the execution of a search warrant on November 5, 2016. “there were numerous reports that the PNP committed arbitrary or unlawful killings in connection with a government-directed

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PH House passes death penalty bill during final reading

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

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US State Dept. human rights report cites Duterte’s drug war

Notably, Iraq was removed as one of the previously-banned countries, the executive order calling the country a “special case”, acknowledging the Islamic state’s (Is) influence in the region but trusting the “cooperative relationship” between U.s. military forces and the Iraqi government.

“Nevertheless, the close cooperative relationship between the United

DAVAO DEATH SQUAD INQUIRY. Retired SPO3 Arthur Lascañas, the self-proclaimed member of the Davao Death Squad, testifies at the Senate inquiry headed by Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday, March 6 at the Plenary Hall of the Senate Building in Pasay City. Lascañas faced the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, which, for six hours, mainly probed his knowledge of the DDS, the existence of which he had denied under oath last year. He claims that the president, then mayor, and his son took part in killings in Davao City. Lascañas also said that Philippine National Police Director General Ronald Dela Rosa, then Davao City police chief, was aware of the DDS operations but had no actual involvement in them.

Senate photo by Avito Dalan

the Philippine house of representatives approved the bill which seeks the reimposition of the death penalty in the country on its third and final reading on tuesday, march 7.

With 217 affirmative and 54 negative votes, the majority approved house Bill 4727, or the measure restoring capital punishment for crimes related to illegal drugs. there was only one abstention, which came from Cebu representative rodrigo Abellanosa. though recognizing the independence of the legislative branch, Philippine President rodrigo Duterte questioned why rape and plunder were excluded in the list of crimes punishable by death during the second reading of the bill last week.

Duterte noted that rape is still one of the most hei-

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Lascañas admits to killing ‘almost 200’ people for death squad

by AJPress

ALLeGeD Davao Death squad (DDs) leader and retired sPo3 Arturo Lascañas has claimed that he killed ‘almost 200’ individuals under the orders of Philippine President rodrigo Duterte, who was then the city’s mayor.

During the hearing of the senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs on

monday, march 6, senator Grace Poe asked Lascañas about the number of people he personally killed.

“Kung sa DDs lang po, start with 1989, sabihin nalang natin almost 200 (With the DDS, starting 1989, it’s almost 200),” the former policeman answered.

Lascañas testified that the DDs was responsible for the deaths of Duterte’s critics, citing part-time radio commentator Davao City director felicisimo Cunanan, Jr.,

broadcaster Jun Pala, and a certain fred sotto, among others. he recounted that he was paid by Duterte up to P50,000 for each killing, depending on the target. he added that he also received P100,000 a month as an allowance for taking part in the squad’s operations. “to my understanding, po, is contract killing po ito (to my understanding, it is contract

ong and is seen to be making sexual advances toward the lead character, U.s. secretary of state elizabeth mcCord (played by téa Leoni), during a private meeting to discuss an Asia-Pacific territory treaty. the meeting’s setting is suggested to be inside malacañang, as several items, such as a Philippine flag and seal of the office of the President, are shown in the clip.

In response to the inappropriate move, mcCord punches Andrada in the face and blood-

ies his nose. she then tells her husband (played by tim Daly), “I clobbered a world leader instead of saving a major regional agreement.” the episode, which is slated to air on sunday, march 12, has prompted the Philippine embassy in Washington to respond.

In a statement dated monday, march 6, the embassy called on CBs Corporation to take “necessary corrective actions,” following a “highly

Senator Leila de Lima and Janet Napoles

Janet Napoles accuses De Lima of extortion over American TV show slammed for ‘highly negative’ portrayal of PH president illegal detention case u PAGE A3

by ChriStina

M. oriel anD Dana SioSon AJPress

AN upcoming episode of American television series “madam secretary” includes the depiction of a filipino president – and filipino officials in the U.s. and the Philippines are not too pleased with it. the trailer for the episode entitled “Break in Diplomacy” shows fictional Philippine PresA screenshot of the “Madam Secretary” episode, which will air on ident Datu Andrada (played by Sunday, March 12.

Photo courtesy of CBS Joel de la fuente) clad in a bar-

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by Dana

SioSon AJPress

ALLeGeD pork barrel scam mastermind Janet LimNapoles has accused senator Leila de Lima of extorting money from her in 2013, when the latter was still the justice secretary.

In a chance interview at the sandiganbayan on monday, march 6, Napoles said that she never detained her cousin and principal scam whistleblower, Benhur Luy. “Wala naman po talagang illegal detention na nangyari... Ito po ay extortion lamang. Dismissed na po ang kaso na ito sa DoJ (Department of Justice) noon pa (There’s no illegal detention that ever happened.

This is all about extortion. This case has long been dismissed by the DoJ),” Napoles told reporters after

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A MARCH 8-10, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front Page

Pres. Trump releases revised travel ban…

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States and the democratically elected Iraqi government, the strong United States diplomatic presence in Iraq, the significant presence of United States forces in Iraq, and Iraq’s commitment to combat ISIS justify different treatment for Iraq,” the order read.

The original travel ban affected all immigrants — including permanent residents of the U.S. — from the banned countries. The revised order exempts those who currently hold visas and those who held visas at the time the first ban was imposed.

As it stands the ban only applies to “foreign nationals of the designated countries who are outside the United States on the effective date of this order, did not have a valid visa at 5:00 p.m., eastern standard time on January 27, 2017 and do not have a valid visa on the effective date of this order.”

Another change in the revised order states that allows current

visa holders who would’ve been affected by the previous order to apply for waivers. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found the previous ban unconstitutional because it violated the right to due process; in other words, the ban didn’t give sufficient time for those affected by the ban to respond or seek legal assistance.

The administration argues that this executive order — called “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” — will effectively keep out individuals who may pose a threat to the country.

However, critics argue that the statistics don’t support the claims the administration is making regarding the supposed national security risk of refugees and individuals from these nations.

As the Asian Journal previously reported, a recent study by bipartisan think tank New America showed that 84 percent jihadist terrorist attacks that transpired on American soil compared to those of non-residents and in-

dividuals of unknown statuses, who comprise 16 percent of all jihadist terrorist attacks.

Former 2016 presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) expressed his contempt for the travel ban — which has been commonly referred to as a “Muslim ban” — in a statement released on Monday, calling the order “racist” and ineffective in maintaining national security.

“This ban is a racist and antiIslamic attempt to divide us up.

A president who respected our traditions of religious freedom would not have resorted to hateful, anti-Islamic rhetoric to justify a ban on travel from six mostly Muslim countries,” Sanders wrote. “This isn’t about keeping America safe. A president responsible for keeping our citizens safe would not hand over ideological ammunition to terrorists seeking new recruits to kill Americans.”

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) also condemned the travel ban for wrongly targeting “the most

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DEMOGRAPHIC DIVIDEND. Young workers look at job postings on a bulletin board at the ‘Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan’ job fair in Marikina City on Saturday, March 4, organized by the Labor and Trade departments. The Philippine economy is said to be reaping the rewards of a youthful and vibrant workforce, but experts say the government needs to invest more on young people’s education and health.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Mike De Juan

PH House passes death penalty bill…

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nous crimes that should merit the heaviest penalty.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez responded by saying that another bill for rape and plunder could be filed after the present bill — which focuses on drug-related crimes — becomes law.

In the revised and approved version of the bill, crimes punishable by death include the following: importation of dangerous drugs and/or controlled precursors and essential chemicals; sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution and transportation of dangerous drugs and/or controlled precursor and essential chemicals; and maintenance of a den, dive or resort where any dangerous drug is used or sold in any form.

Also included were: manufacturing dangerous drugs and/or controlled precursors and essential chemical; qualifying aggravating circumstances in the commission of a crime by an offender under the influence of dangerous drugs; criminal liability of a public officer or employee for misappropriation, misapplication or failure to account for the confiscated, seized and/or surrendered dangerous drugs; and criminal liability for planting evidence.

Among the modes of capital punishment were hanging, firing squad, and lethal injection.

The approved bill, however,

states that capital punishment will not be imposed on convicted individuals below 18 or more than 70 years of age at the time the crime was committed.

Palace welcomes, CBCP laments bill approval Malacañang on Tuesday welcomed the House’s passage of the death penalty bill, which it said, “underlines the Duterte administration’s goal to reduce illegal drug-related criminality.”

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella remarked that the death penalty’s “strong deterrent effects” can “protect innocent lives.”

Abella’s statement added that the bill’s “punitive aspect” ensures that criminals “recompense grievous loss.”

Malacañang also expressed its hope that the Senate would also approve the death penalty next, “considering that it is a vital tool in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs and criminality.”

On the other hand, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) lamented that Congress “has given its consent for the State to kill.”

CBCP president and LingayenDagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas also called on to the “Catholic lawyers, judges and jurists to allow the gentleness of the Gospel of Life to illumine their reading and application of the law, so that their service to

society as teachers and agents of the law and of justice may bring life.”

“We, your bishops, are overcome with grief but we are not defeated nor shall we be silenced,” Villegas added.

Pangilinan vows to stop bill at Senate In a statement, Liberal Party (LP) President and Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan maintained that death penalty is “cruel, degrading, and inhuman.”

“We commit to stopping the death penalty in the Senate,” Pangilinan said.

Apart from Pangilinan, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Senators Benigno Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV and Leila de Lima were among the LP senators who have previously expressed opposition to the death penalty bill.

“We are saddened that the minority in the House was not given the chance to debate the bill in full. Without the benefit of a full debate, we are now in the dark as to the compelling reasons that merit a constitutional return of the death penalty,” Pangilinan said.

Others who also openly stated their opposition to the death penalty bill were Senate Majority Leader Ralph Recto, Akbayan Representative Sen. Risa Hontiveros, and Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Richard Gordon and Antonio Trillanes IV. n

American TV show slammed for ‘highly…

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negative depiction” of the supposed Philippine president.

The “highly negative portrayal” of the Filipino president not only casts doubt on the respectability of the Office of the Philippine President but also “denigrates the way our nation navigates foreign affairs,” the embassy wrote.

Though the show is a work of fiction, the plot lines tend to draw parallels to current events.

“It is, therefore, inevitable that its depiction of world leaders will have an impact on how its audience views the real personages and the countries they represent,” the statement added.

Leading up to the president election last year, then-candidate Duterte came under fire for joking about the gang-rape of an Australian missionary in the late 80s while he was mayor of Davao City.

His remark, loosely translated in English, suggested that he “should have been first.” He was also criticized for catcalling a female journalist and for groping females on the campaign trail.

As president, he has also been vocal about distancing the Philippines from its decades-long alliance with the United States in favor of a more independent foreign policy. He had made a string of anti-U.S. remarks during former President Barack Obama’s term for the administration’s concern for the extrajudicial killings and human rights violations associated with the Philippine government’s war on drugs.

The embassy’s statement went on to allege that the portrayal “tarnishes the Philippines’ longstanding advocacy for women’s rights and gender equality.”

On the embassy’s Facebook page, some netizens wrote that the depiction was mild compared to the reality.

“If you don’t wanna be embarrassed, then how about not being embarrassing? Have you looked at our president and the things his administration has done to the country? That portrayal was too kind. That complaint was lodged so swiftly. How about complaining against China encroaching on our territories?” one commenter said. “And please do not drag the name of the Filipino people into

Fictional PH President Datu Andrada

Photo courtesy of CBS

it as your bargaining chip. It’s such a transparent attempt to elicit sympathy. Your only real concern here is your need to save face. And that’s just pathetic.”

Another commented, “Um, you do know that our president remains unapologetic for his misogynistic remarks and actions, right? There is no respectability in the office left for the show to tarnish.”

Asked if Duterte found the trailer insulting, Philippine Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said: “Well, they engage in something that they would like to -- It’s their business. It’s their craft.

You cannot deny them their craft. Their taste, perhaps.”

He also told reporters on Tuesday, March 7 that the CBS show is “confusing their images.”

“I think they are projecting something that they really would like to say about their own situation,” the spokesperson said. “Really, I think they should use a fictional U.S. president.” n

Lascañas admits to killing ‘almost…

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killing),” Lascañas said.

The cop also claimed that Duterte commanded the squad to bomb Davao mosques in 1993 to retaliate the bombing of San Pedro Cathedral, as well as the murder of a dance instructor to avenge Duterte’s sister.

Lascañas’ revelations contradict his former testimony during a Senate probe on the extrajudicial killings (EJK) last year in which he dismissed the existence of the DDS, saying the claims were mere “media hype.”

His denial came after selfconfessed hitman Edgar Mato-

bato testified last October that Duterte directed the group to carry out the killings in Davao City. Matobato pointed out that Lascañas was the supposed “team leader” of the death squad, which the latter then denied.

Lascañas explained that he previously gave a false testimony under the orders of Sonny Buenaventura to “deny everything.”

The cop added that he fears for the lives of his family.

However, he said he decided to recant his earlier testimony after experiencing a “spiritual renewal.”

“Hindi ko kayang dalhin sa libingan ko itong dark evil secrets ng buhay (I can’t carry these dark, evil secrets in my grave)… yung utos ni mayor (mayor’s orders)…his campaign against criminality and drugs,” Lascañas remarked.

During the hearing on Monday, Senator Manny Pacquiao moved to cite Lascañas in contempt for latter’s recanting of a previous testimony.

Pacquiao, however, withdrew after Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Senator Risa Hontiveros objected to his motion. n

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From the Front Page

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 8-10, 2017

A

Janet Napoles accuses De Lima of extortion…

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her pre-trial for graft and plunder charges.

When asked who extorted money from her, Napoles named De Lima.

Napoles, however, refused to disclose more names, as well as the amount of money allegedly extorted by the senator.

The Justice Department, under then-Justice Secretary De Lima, earlier dismissed the serious illegal detention complaint against Napoles in June 2013.

The department, however, later reversed its initial decision following a motion for reconsideration filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), under then-Director Nonnatus Rojas.

In 2014, Napoles was sentenced to reclusion perpetua, or an imprisonment term of 21 to 40 years. Judge Elmo Alameda of the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) convicted Napoles guilty of detaining Luy from December

2012 to March 2013.

Napoles is now under the custody of Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.

For her part, De Lima denied the allegations, stressing that “not everything that comes from a polluted source, especially a convicted criminal serving a prison sentence, with nothing to lose and who will do anything to get out of prison, is worth reacting to.”

The senator claimed that Napoles “has the propensity to lie,” tagging the latter as the alleged mastermind of the Priority Defense Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.

“When asked who among the senators and congressmen were her clients, she asked it depends on whom we wanted implicated.

That is when I knew that Napoles is a liar and will lie and say anything to save herself and keep the money she stole from the

government,” De Lima said.

Last month, Solicitor General Jose Calida recommended the acquittal of Napoles, claiming that the RTC wrongly convicted her as guilty in her serious illegal detention case.

According to Calida, Luy’s behavior during the three months supposedly in detention “belies the fact that he was actually detained or deprived of his liberty.”

De Lima described the solicitor general’s move as “questionable and suspicious,” pointing out that the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is seemingly “bent on taking the side of every EJK PROBE RESUMES. Senators led by Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson (extreme left), chair of the Senate Committee on Public Order and high-profile crook and scoundrel Dangerous Drugs, take turns in fielding questions to retired Senior Police Officer 3 Arturo Lascañas on his alleged involvement with the the past administration was able Davao Death Squad during a hearing on Monday, March 6. Also in photo (from left to right) are Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente to jail.”

Sotto III and Senators Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, Alan Peter Cayetano, and Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao. Senate photo by Albert Calvelo The senator, who is also one of the fiercest critics of Duterte, is detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center over drug-related charges filed to have health coverage. The Obama law, however, would be against her by present Justice PAGE A1 t new bill would repeal the unpop- retained. Among them are popular tion decides to replace or repeal Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II. n the ACA, benefits such as lifetime ular fines on people who don’t consumer protections such as inlimits, pre-existing conditions, carry health insurance. Howev- surance safeguard for people with birth control and others could er, it does allow insurance com- pre-existing medical problems, panies to impose a 30 percent and parents’ keeping their young disappear.

However, Obamacare is “rap- surcharge to anyone who buys adult children on their insurance idly collapsing,” said House and lapses on their coverage of until they are 26 years old.

Speaker Paul Ryan in a statement two months or more.

Voices of concern from both • Replace income-based sub- sides given to CNN. “The American Health Care sidies with tax credits based The House Energy and ComAct is a plan to drive down costs, more on age and would be ad- merce Committee and the Ways encourage competition, and give justed annually for inflation. and Means Committee are ex• Bar federal funding for pected to take up the measure at every American access to quality, affordable health insurance. It Planned Parenthood. hearings on Wednesday, March • Phase out expanded funding 8, setting the stage for proposprotects young adults, patients with pre-existing conditions, and for newly eligible Medicaid re- als to be merged into a final bill provides a stable transition so cipients. It would end the high- next week by the House Budthat no one has the rug pull out er federal match for expansion get Committee. But apart from beneficiaries starting 2020. from under them,” Ryan said.

Democratic legislators, signifi• Eliminate tax deductions for cant numbers of moderate ReHighlights of the new health care bill: What’s new and employers who provide insur- publicans have voiced their conance. what’s not cerns that the legislation could • Reduce federal funds for cer- leave too many people without As proposed, the new health tain state and local public health coverage. care bill would: • Wipe out ACA’s individual programs.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) took to Some provisions in the mandate requiring all Americans u PAGE A4

GOPs introduce Obamacare…

Pres. Trump releases revised travel ban…

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vulnerable and voiceless in our society — refugees and immigrants.”

“Make no mistake: this ban does not keep us safe,” Harris wrote in an email urging her supporters to co-sponsor a bill she authored to guarantee legal assistance for refugees targeted by the Trump administration.

“It puts American lives at risk while isolating the Muslim community at a time when we need to address the threat of homegrown extremism,” she added. “No matter the changes, this executive action remains immoral and fundamentally un-American.”

Legal and civil rights organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles (Advancing Justice - LA), which has been strongly against Trump’s immigration policies, denounced the “The latest executive order is just as dangerous and unconstitutional as the administration’s first attempt at implementing a Muslim ban,” Christopher Lapinig, Skadden Fellow at Advancing Justice - LA, told the Asian Journal. “After federal courts across the country roundly rejected the first travel ban, the administration has made small tweaks to the ban’s provisions, hoping that this iteration will survive judicial review. I am hopeful that the courts will see through

US State Dept. human rights report cites…

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campaign against illegal drugs.

President Donald Trump Killings of activists, judicial offithis ruse and strike down the ongoing efforts to eliminate vul- cials, local government leaders, nerabilities that radical Islamist and journalists by unknown asnew order as illegal.”

However, the Trump adminis- terrorists can and will exploit for sailants and antigovernment intration affirms its stance that the destructive ends,” Tillerson said surgents continued,” the report executive order is necessary for in a speech on Monday. “The said.

Apart from the extrajudicial State Department will coordinate the nation’s security.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with other federal agencies and killings, the U.S. State Departbelieves that the ban “will bolster implement these temporary re- ment also cited other human the security of the United States strictions in an orderly manner. rights problems in the PhilipOur embassies and consulates pines, including: official corrupand her allies.”

“To our allies and partners around the world will play an im- tion and abuse of power; torture around the world: Please under- portant role in making sure our and abuse of prisoners and detainees by security forces; secustand this order is part of our nation is as secure it can be.” n

rity force harassment of political activists, including threats of violence against human rights activists; warrantless arrests; and lengthy pretrial detentions, among others.

Regarding the freedom of the press in the Philippines, the State Department said that “the independent media” was capable of airing “a wide variety of views without restriction.”

The report, however, claimed that Filipino journalists “faced harassment and threats of violence, including from politicians

and government authorities critical of their reporting.”

“In April then candidate Duterte drew widespread criticism after he told the media that journalists should enjoy no special protections and could be ‘assassinated’ if they were ‘corrupt’ and took money from politicians,” it said.

Sought for comments, Malacañang said that Duterte “has ordered the appropriate law enforcement institutions to take decisive legal steps to ensure ac-

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A MARCH 8-10, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

Dateline USa

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Filipino among 18 awardees of Society of Foreign Consuls

by Jeannette

andrade Inquirer.net

A FILIPINO advocate of women empowerment was among 18 awardees recognized by the Society of Foreign Consuls (SOFC) in New York for the observance of International Women’s Day. Analisa Leonor Balares, Womensphere chief executive office, chief innovation officer and founder, was recognized for her

work in capacitating women in leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship as well as in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics).

Balares received on March 2 the recognition at the Bohemian Hall of the consulate general of the Czech Republic from Colombian consul general and SOFC president Isabel Nieto and SOFC vice president Theresa Dizon De Vega.

Balares was bestowed the honor for producing over 50 Womensphere conferences and events in America and Europe and initiating the New Champions Womensphere Incubator Network.

The 17 other awardees hail from Algeria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bulgaria, Columbia, Georgia, Haiti, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kazhakastan, Kosovo, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovak Republic and Turkey. n

US-made sniper rifles due for delivery

by Jaime Laude Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is now awaiting the delivery of sniper rifles from the United States to give more teeth to its ongoing campaign against homegrown terrorist groups.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed 60 Barrett sniper rifles are due for delivery to the AFP, most of them going to elite military units.

Lorenzana, who is also working to acquire Russian-made sniper rifles for the AFP, said the purchase of these weapons from Moscow has to go through procurement processes.

“It is already due for delivery

by May as those which we may acquire from Russia has to go through various procurement stages,” Lorenzana said.

Army chief Lt. Gen. Glorioso Miranda earlier said they would be having an additional inventory of Barrett sniper rifles that the previous administration has

purchased from the US for more than P30 million.

He also said the rifles are due to arrive soon and will be given to the troops to enhance their fighting capability against terrorists.

A Barrett is a .50 caliber sniper rifle that has an effective range of 1,800 meters and can take out targets behind cover and immobilize moving trucks and vehicles.

Officials stressed the troops would gain tactical advantage over the rebels by having this rifle.

Also, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has been given a new weapon, the BRP Malapasuca, in its anti-piracy campaign in Southern Mindanao.

PCG officer-in-charge Commodore Joel Garcia also urged Congress to support their proposal to install search and rescue (SAR) and radar station near the Sibutu Passage, the area prone to sea piracy attacks.

The PCG stressed the need to beef up security in there following 13 piracy attacks in the last

six months.

On the other hand, a warship from New Zealand is due to arrive in Manila next month.

The scheduled arrival of HMNZS Te Kaha, a frigate, early next month was made known Sunday

by New Zealand Secretary of Defense Helene Quilter.

Quilter visited the AFP main headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo and called on Secretary Lorenzana and Armed Forces chief Gen. Eduardo Año.

The New Zealand embassy said Quilter’s visit reflects the commitment of both countries to progress the bilateral defense relationship.

Quilter’s visit centered mostly on discussions over contemporary challenges as well as regional security architecture.

Also discussed during Quilter’s visit was New Zealand and the Philippines’ co-chairmanship of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Cyber Security from 2017 to 2020. (With Evelyn Macairan)

US State Dept. human rights report cites…

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countability.”

“We will arrest, investigate, prosecute and punish the scalawags in uniform, while also pursuing reform in these institutions so that they can more effectively conduct this noble crusade,” Philippine Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

Abella also stressed that deaths perpetrated by vigilantes should “not be confused with the government’s war on illegal drugs” and that the Duterte administration has been consistent

with condemning extrajudicial killings and is “firmly committed to upholding human rights.”

“The [Philippine] government will not shirk from its duty to protect the Filipino people, and ensure that they have a secure, peaceful and bountiful future.

We hope the international community will support us in this effort,” he added.

In several instances last year, Duterte lambasted the U.S. under former President Barack Obama for the latter’s alleged interference with the Philippine government’s crackdown against

illegal drugs.

Duterte’s fiery speeches, however, have seemingly toned down when new U.S. President Donald Trump assumed office in January.

“He [Trump] understood the way we are handling it and I said that there’s nothing wrong in protecting a country. It was a bit very encouraging in the sense that I supposed that what he really wanted to say was that, ‘we would be the last to interfere in the affairs of your own country,’” Duterte previously said in December. (AJPress)

PROUD GRANDPA President Rodrigo Duterte is photographed with his new grandson Marko Digong, nicknamed ‘Stonefish,’ at the Davao Doctors’ Hospital. Stonefish is the third child of Duterte’s daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio, the mayor of Davao City.

Malacañang photo

Post office branch named in honor of slain Fil-Am San Diego police officer SAN FRANCISCO — A post office in Chula Vista, California was named in honor of a Filipino American San Diego police officer who was shot and killed during a pedestrian stop last summer.

The post office at 830 Kuhn Drive in Chula Vista became the Jonathan “J.D.” De Guzman Post Office Building during a morning ceremony.

Rep. Susan Davis, D-San Diego proposed the name change, and then-President Barack Obama signed it into law.

San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman told the crowd, San Diego Police Officer Jonathan “JD” De which included the slain officer’s Guzman. SDPD

family members, that De Guzman would be remembered for “the sacrifice he made for our city and for our country and for our community that he loved so dearly,” De Guzman was shot five times on July 28 during a late-night pedestrian stop. His partner, Officer Wade Irwin, also was seriously wounded but was able to return fire, critically wounding their alleged assailant, ex-convict Jesse Michael Gomez.

Gomez, 56, has recovered and remains jailed on $5 million bail while awaiting trial. He could face the death penalty if convicted. (Inquirer.net)

Los Angeles County finds e-Success in managing specialist care by anna

Gorman California Healthline

AN electronic program launched in 2012 by Los Angeles County’s health care system has reduced wait times for specialty care and eliminated the need for some safety-net patients to see specialists at all, according to a new study in the journal Health Affairs.

The program, eConsult, allows primary care doctors to get specialists’ advice for their patients and expedite referrals for those who need in-person appointments. About a quarter of the requests included in the study were resolved without patients needing to see an advanced-care doctor, though there was variation among the specialties.

“It completely changed how specialty care was delivered in a safety net system,” said Michael Barnett, an assistant professor of health policy and management at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and lead author of the study.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services provides care for about 670,000 patients each year in a system that includes four hospitals, 19 health centers and dozens of community providers. The system serves a low-income population — mostly uninsured or covered by MediCal — who traditionally have had difficulty getting access to specialty care.

The eConsult system handles over 17,000 requests each month. About 4,500 providers from more than 400 clinics use the system, according to the county. In 2016, the program served about 130,000 patients.

One of the major benefits of the eConsult system is that it centralizes requests for care from specialists such as cardiologists, neurologists or gynecologists, Barnett said.

Primary care doctors using eConsult have access to a secure, web-based portal to make requests for assistance from specialists. A specialist “reviewer”

responds and helps the primary care physician decide how best to manage the patient’s condition.

That may mean giving advice, suggesting a specific treatment or recommending the patient see a specialist. If a patient needs a visit right away, the system allows for an expedited appointment.

In many cases, primary care doctors can resolve clinical issues with their patients simply by having a conversation, Barnett said. “Many referrals are for issues that could be resolved pretty easily if a primary care doctor could get a specialist’s attention,” he said.

That means those patients wouldn’t need to take another day off work, figure out transportation across town and wait to see a specialist, said Paul Giboney, director of specialty care for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Instead, the care could be delivered in the offices of their primary care doctors.

About 30 percent of patients who needed a face-to-face visit with a specialist in 2015 were able to get one within 30 days, up from 24 percent in 2014.

Difficulty getting appointments with specialists is a challenge for low-income patients across the United States. Without timely access, patients may get sicker and turn to the emergency room for care.

That was happening on a large scale in L.A. County before the implementation of the eConsult program. Some patients had to wait more than nine months for an appointment with a urologist or a gastroenterologist, for example, the study said.

The eConsult program started as an experiment to reduce the backlog, but Giboney said the county’s public health care system is now using it “day in and day out.”

Despite the size and complexity of the Los Angeles County health care system, the eConsult program works efficiently, sug-

gesting that “specialty access is not an intractable problem,” the study said.

Giboney said the results show that electronic conversations between primary care doctors and specialists can improve the way business is done.

“Within a day, the specialist is already engaged and adding something to the patient’s care,” he said. “We are a public system that is delivering a speed of specialty care that is really unmatched.”

Since eConsult was rolled out in L.A. County, Giboney said he has talked to providers from Colorado, Illinois and Connecticut about starting similar programs.

Despite the efficiency of the system, Barnett said, there is still room for improvement on the wait times. The average amount of time it took for a patient to see a specialist in 2015 was still 52 days, though it had dropped about 17 percent from 63 days in 2014.

Patients who needed ear, nose and throat doctors and those who had kidney problems, cancer or blood diseases saw the most dramatic reductions in waiting time.

The wait to see an ear, nose and throat specialist, for example, dropped from 72 to 44 days.

Wait times increased in only one of the dozen specialties examined: Patients had to wait on average 75 days in 2015 to see a podiatrist, up from 65 the previous year.

Barnett said the next step is to study the impact of the program on quality of care.

Giboney said he isn’t satisfied with the wait times either, despite the reduction, but he noted that sometimes doctors want patients to wait a few weeks to see if a treatment is working before going to see a specialist.

“It is not always about reducing the wait time,” Giboney said.

“It’s about delivering the right specialty care at the right time.”

(This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation.)

GOPs introduce Obamacare…

PAGE A3 t

on Twitter on Tuesday, saying that the proposed bill would not pass, dismissing it as “Obamacare Lite.”

“The House leadership plan is Obamacare Lite. It will not pass,” he tweeted. “Conserv a[t]ives are not going to take it. #FullRepeal.”

Four other GOP senators — Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Rob Portman of Ohio, Cory Gardner of Colorado and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — also said they won’t support the bill. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the senators said that the new plan lacks stability for people enrolled in expanded Medicaid and has no flexibility for states.

Joining Rand in questioning the new bill are Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), calling the proposed leg-

islation as “a step in the wrong direction.” Lee also is objecting the refundable tax credits, adding that there are no definite numbers on how many people would actually use it.

“We don’t know how much it will cost, and we don’t know if this bill will make health care more affordable for Americans,” he said in a report by SFGate.

On the Democratic side, Reps.

Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Richard Neal (D-Mass) (who are ranking members of two committees that will consider the bill) said in a joint statement that the GOP bill would “rip health care away from millions of Americans.” They also said that it would not provide full care for working families and seniors, and would only put insurance companies back in charge of health care decisions.

The new health bill would cut

more than 20 taxes enacted under the ACA. Although this would save taxpayer nearly $600 billion over the next decade, the bulk of it would go to the wealthy.

About 20 million Americans gained health care coverage (many for the first time) since ACA was launched in 2010. In California, the uninsured rate dropped by half— from 16.4 percent in 2013 to 8.6 percent in 2015, mostly due to enrollment gains among low-income individuals.

Since close to 5 million Californians have relied on federal subsidies through Medi-Cal or in private plans through Covered California, the new health plan proposal to repeal Medicaid expansion would force the state to bear more of the costs or limit their eligibility, according to Sacramento Bee. (AJPress, with reports from the Associated Press)

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A

Dateline PhiliPPines

Yasay admits to having US naturalization certificate

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

FOLLOWING questions about his United States citizenship, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. admitted he previously received a naturalization certificate.

“I did not only have a U.S. passport, I had a naturalization certificate which I all returned to the authorities,” Yasay confirmed during an interview at the Senate on Tuesday, March 7.

Last month, however, Yasay denied that he became a U.S. citizen.

Under oath, he also claimed that he “never held any American passport.”

“When I had applied for naturalization, at that time my application for naturalization was given due course…I was not qualified because at that time I already had

plans to abandon my permanent residency in the U.S. to return to the Philippines. This was in November 1986,” Yasay said during his confirmation hearing at the Commission on Appointments’ (CA) committee on foreign affairs on February 22.

According to Yasay, the U.S. government had rendered him “not qualified to become a U.S. citizen” in January 1987.

“On that basis, I have never acquired legal status as a U.S. citizen and I have issued the necessary affidavits for this purpose, admitting my disqualification that I submitted early on to the American authorities,” he added.

But in an interview with ANC on Monday, March 6, Yasay was asked if he never had an American passport, to which the foreign secretary replied: “I had an American passport, but that has already been returned together with my

naturalization certificate.”

Yasay, however, maintained on Tuesday that he “did not lie” in his testimony before the CA. He stressed that all supporting documents that he submitted to the commission are consistent with his statements.

“I just would like to assure everyone I have never lied in my testimony. I will continue and reiterate the same statement that I have made. I would hope everyone would be fair and not accusing me of lying because I never lied,” Yasay added.

The CA, under the chairmanship of Senator Panfilo Lacson, was scheduled to deliberate on Yasay’s confirmation on Wednesday, March 8.

The commission earlier warned that Yasay may be held liable for perjury if it is proven that he lied under oath by claiming he was never an American citizen. n

Marcos camp cries foul over protest case delay

by Jomar

CanlaS

ManilaTimes.net

THE election protest of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. against Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo has been stalled for five months, and the former accused the latter on Monday of resorting to delaying tactics to prevent the “truth” that the May 2016 vice presidential race was rigged.

Robredo is opposing Marcos’ motion to hold a preliminary conference on the case at the Supreme Court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), despite rules mandating such after the filing of the last pleading on September 9, 2016.

“To date, more than five (5) months have lapsed since the filing of the Answer Ad Cautelam to the Counter-Protest, the last pleading in this case. It thus behooves this Honorable Tribunal to immediately schedule the conduct of the Preliminary Conference in this case as mandated by its own Rules of Procedure,” the Marcos camp said in a 10-page reply to Robredo’s opposition to a preliminary conference.

MINED OUT. Photo shows the open-pit mining area of Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corp. in Bataraza, Palawan. Rio Tuba has recorded a “disturbance rate” of 15 to 17 hectares out of Palawan’s 1.5 million hectares per year in its 38 years of operation. The miner spends P800,000 to P1 million per hectare in rehabilitating a mined-out area through soil amelioration (re-contouring or ground levelling, matting with top soil, staking, hole digging) to improve fertility; use of large planting materials; use of native species for planting (20 to 25 species); and implementation of agro-aqua-forestry farming systems trials. Moreover, it employs indigenous peoples and women.

ManilaTimes.net photo

Senate OKs expanded maternity leave bill

by JefferSon

antiporDa ManilaTimes.net

THE Senate on Monday, March 6 approved on third and final reading a bill expanding the maternity leave to at least four months.

Twenty-two senators approved Senate Bill 1305 or the Expanded Maternity Leave Act authored by Senator Risa Risa Hontiveros..

The bill seeks to amend Republic Act (RA) 1161 or the Social Security Act of 1997, which grants a 60-day (for normal childbirth) to 78-day (for caesarean) maternity leave for employees in the private sector.

Under SB1305, working mothers will have 120 days maternity leave regardless of whether the birth is normal or caesarean.

Solo parents meanwhile get 150 days of maternity leave.

The proposed law also assures security of tenure for those who will avail of the maternity leave.

The bill was co-authored by Senators Sonny Angara, Francis Pangilinan, Loren Legarda, Nancy Binay, Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Trillanes 4th. n

Abad liable over DAP – Ombudsman by ma.

reina leanne tolentino

stemmed from Abad’s issuance of National Budget Circular (NBC) No. 541 which pave the way for THE Office of the Ombudsman the enforcement of DAP. Abad can appeal the Ombudshas found basis to file a complaint against former Budget Secretary man’s decision that found probFlorencio “Butch” Abad for vio- able cause to file a complaint at lation of Article 239 (Usurpation the Sandiganbayan by filing a of Legislative Powers) of the Re- motion for reconsideration.

The Ombudsman said that by vised Penal Code in connection 5 MONTHS Lawyer Vic Rodriguez files a response before the Supreme Court on behalf of former with the implementation of the issuing the circular, Abad “unsenator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. Photo by Rene H. Dilan Disbursement Acceleration Pro- lawfully encroached” on the powers of Congress by effectiveDuring the election protest of since the Supreme Court itself gram (DAP). former Interior secretary Manuel had ruled that in election cases, The Ombudsman, however, ly modifying the 2012 General Roxas 2nd following the 2010 such proceedings could move in- cleared former President Be- Appropriations Act’s (GAA) provice presidential race, it took the dependently of each other. nigno Aquino 3rd and former visions on savings.

“NBC No. 541 provided the PET only two months after the “In a long line of decided cases, Budget Undersecretary Mario case was filed to schedule a pre- the Supreme Court has held that Relampagos from any account- principal bases for the withdrawal liminary conference, it noted. in an election protest, different ability in the implementation of of unobligated allotments which The Marcos camp said Robre- causes of action can proceed in- the P72-billion program from were declared as savings and used to fund PAPs (programs, do’s argument that pending is- dependently of each other. This 2011 to 2013. sues needed to be resolved first is because the sovereign will of In a statement, the Office of the activities and projects) under the by the tribunal was misleading u PAGE A7 Ombudsman said the complaint DAP. The issuance of this circuManilaTimes.net

lar is an act of usurpation. This is contrary to law,” Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said.

The withdrawal of unobligated allotments of agencies with low levels of obligations as of June 30, 2012 was authorized, the Ombudsman said.

The Ombudsman’s office also found Abad administratively liable for simple misconduct and ordered his three-month suspension, which is convertible to a fine equivalent to his salary for three months considering that he is no longer in the service.

Abad said he respects the Ombudsman’s decision.

“I respect the Ombudsman’s decision, and welcome the fact that her office has dropped the graft, corruption, and technical

u PAGE A7

A MARCH 8-10, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

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OpiniOn

Features

Exonerated

DESPITE her predicament, a defiant Senator Leila De Lima denounced the recent move by government prosecutors to prohibit all parties from discussing the senator’s cases in public.

“I refuse to be gagged. Gagging me would be a violation of my rights. They cannot continue violating my rights. I shall continue to speak up on issues that matter,” De Lima said in a handwritten letter from her detention cell.

De Lima was thrown behind bars at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame for her alleged violation of several provisions of the Comprehensive Dangerous Act of 2002 for the narcotics trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). The former justice secretary is accused of receiving money from drug lords who had been conducting drug trafficking at the national penitentiary.

Believing these are dubious charges as a plot to silence critics of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, De Lima vowed that not even a gag order can silence her.

“Such reinforces my belief that the things being done to me, especially my detention, are primarily aimed at stifling my criticisms against this murderous and vindictive President. I repeat—I cannot be silenced,” she added.

As soon as she took a stand against the alleged rising cases of extra-judicial killings in the country, De Lima put a target on her back. She knew it—that being jailed for it was the ultimate price she had to pay.

“While I’m psychologically prepared for this, my whole being cries out for truth and justice. My heart also bleeds for all other victims of injusticethose who were falsely accused and now cramped in severely congested jails,” De Lima said in an earlier letter she wrote to her family, De Lima reached out to her loved ones and supporters.

The embattled senator has amassed political enemies since she was assigned as justice secretary in the previous administration. Now that they have managed to put her behind bars, others are resurfacing as if to add another nail in her coffin.

On Monday, March 6, Janet Lim-Napoles, the mastermind behind the multibillion Philippine Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel scam, accused De Lima of attempting to extort money from her in exchange for not re-opening the serious illegal detention case she was facing.

Napoles maintained that she never detained her

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

second cousin and former right-hand man Benhur Luy, the government’s star witness in the pork scam cases.

Napoles is currently detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City while facing multiple plunder and graft cases in connection with her alleged involvement in the pork bar-

rel scam.

They say the truth will set anyone free. Will De Lima’s “truth” afford her the constitutional freedom she deserves or will it bury her with further legal consequences? To help preserve the structure our constitution, let us allow due process to take its course. (AJPress)

Trump accuses Obama of wiretapping him during the election without any evidence: Another conspiracy theory to deflect issues?

AMID the growing support for a bipartisan and independent investigation to find out if there was/ is collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign before, during and after the 2016 presidential elections, President Donald Trump woke up on the early morning of Saturday, March 4 to fire a barrage of tweets to accuse his predecessor, President Barack Obama, of wiretapping his phone in the Trump Tower.

Trump tweeted at 6:35 a.m. EST: “Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!”

At 7:04 a.m. EST, he followed with this bombastic tweet: “How low has President Obama gone to tap my phones during the very sacred election process.

This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!”

Even his own cabinet and White House staff were blindsided by these tweets, unable to explain any basis for these toxic accusations against Pres.

Obama. Sources from the White House, however, revealed that they had not seen Trump be this angry and frustrated following the releases of news reports exposing more of people in Trump camp who had met with the top Russian Ambassador secretly, before, during and after the election. Those individuals include National Security Adviser Mi-

IN January 2017, The New Republic, a Street liberal US magazine, ran an article by jour- Talk nalist Sean Williams entitled, “Rodrigo Duterte’s Army of Online Trolls”: “Since Rodrigo GreG B. MacaBenta Duterte was elected president of the Philippines last June, he has waged a brutal crackdown on drug dealers and addicts. Nearly 4,000 people have been killed by government forces…Duterte’s authoritarian rhetoric has elicited sharp condemnations from human rights advocates and foreign leaders. But there’s another front in his war on drugs that has escaped international attention.”

This front, according to Williams, is manned by “a vast and effective ‘keyboard army’ that Duterte and his backers have mobilized to silence dissenters and create the illusion that he enjoys widespread public support.”

Williams added: “Each day, hundreds of thousands of supporters—both paid and unpaid—take to social media to proselytize Duterte’s deadly gospel.

They rotate through topics like corruption, drug abuse, and U.S. interference, and post links to hastily cobbled-together, hyper-partisan web sites at all hours of the day and night.”

Williams mentioned Nic Gabunada, social media manager of the Duterte presidential campaign, as the key man behind the online propaganda effort. In an interview with Rappler in June last year, Gabunada spoke freely about his role, but in a deservedly positive vein, mainly because of the significant contribution that his group’s work had made to the success of Duterte’s candidacy.

It is in this context that I would like

chael Flynn who has resigned; his Attorney General Jeff Sessions The Fil-Am (one of Trump’s surrogates during the campaign) who lied under Perspective oath about his two meetings with the Russian Ambassador; his own son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, among others.

All of the recent exposes were Gel SantoS-reloS deemed to have grabbed the headlines from what Trump thought was his victorious moment delivering a “Presidential” speech to the joint session of Congress on February 28.

Press Secretary Sean Spicer and other White House staff had been defending the president, saying that there should be a congressional investigation on this wiretapping as the Russian alleged interference in the U.S. election was being investigated, even though they themselves could not substantiate Trump’s accusations against Obama.

The media, Democrats, and even some moderate Republicans have been demanding for the president’s basis before any taxpayer-funded investigations are done, especially in the light of FBI Director James Comey asking the Department of Justice to publicly reject Trump’s allegations that Obama ordered then President-elect Trump to be

wiretapped, and U.S. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes saying he had seen no evidence to support Trump’s allegations.

Obama’s former spokesperson Josh Earnest likewise refuted Trump’s claim, arguing that the president has no authority to unilaterally order wiretapping of any private citizen. The courts, however, may give such order if there is probable cause that such private citizen may be involved in a crime.

Trump reportedly got the information of such alleged wiretapping by Obama from the alt-right Breitbart News, yet he did not consult the FBI and U.S. intelligence about this.

If there is indeed real evidence to back up his accusations against Obama, why wouldn’t Trump release it? His tweets declaratively state that such wiretapping, in fact, happened, but where is his proof? As political experts explain, Trump is the president and he has the authority to declassify records to prove his allegations so long as the declassification of such record would not compromise national security.

Could this be another chapter of Trump’s grow-

ing list of conspiracy theories which had not been substantiated and proven to be true? He had started the “birther” conspiracy theory that Obama was not born in Hawaii but in Kenya and was therefore not eligible to be President of the United States.

He stated as a fact that there was massive cheating during the 2016 election and that about 3 million “illegals,” voted which would explain why he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton.

Trump also said he believes Obama has been orchestrating all the protest rallies against him to deligitimize his presidency. He had also been spreading the accusation that mainstream news media that are critical of him and his policies are “fake news” and are out there to undermine his Presidency, etc.

COULD IT ALSO BE that this is Trump’s clever scheming ploy to deflect the focus on the alleged Russia-Trump camp collusion, which is now under investigation, and to rally his base and keep their loyalty by once again making the narrative against the first black president of the United States? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos

Unsolicited advice to the Duterte trolls

to offer this unsolicited advice to whoever is now masterminding the activities of the army of trolls, as well as the Chief Communicator of the Duterte government.

To set the issue in perspective, I think that their efforts may have already become counter-productive, at worst, or have not been “positively productive”, at best.

I am using the term “positively productive” advisedly because they might be of the belief that this army of online guerillas has been delivering “positive results” in the sense of overwhelming the opposition, intimidating critics and institutionalizing The Fear of Duterte among the citizenry.

But creating enemies and an instilling an atmosphere of fear does nothing for Duterte’s legacy. At the end of his term, do they really want Duterte to be remembered as The Butcher, and little else?

On a recent trip to Manila, I had occasion to talk to a friend who was one of the creative brain trusts of the Duterte presidential campaign, Greg Garcia, retired chairman and chief creative director of the ad agency, Hemisphere-Leo Buernett. Greg is now the chairman of the Bases Conversion and Devclopment Authority (BCDA).

BCDA, as described in official literature, is the “government instrumentality mandated to transform former US military bases into alternative productive civilian use.” This refers, specifically to Clark Air Force Base and Subic Bay Naval Base, although the BCDA’s scope of authority and operations has been expanded to include facilities of

the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The facilities over which the BCDA has management oversight and authority are the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, the Clark Freeport Zone, the Clark Tourism and Business Complex, the John Hay Special Economic Zone, the Poro Point Freeport Zone, the Atmanda Eco Park in Morong Bataan and Fort Bonifacio and Villamor Airbase, sections of which are now more impressively known as Bonifacio Global City and Newport City, respectively.

It was during the incumbency of President Corazon Aquino that the BCDA was established by virtue of Republic Act 7227, following the closure of Clark Field and Subic as US military bases. Throughout the tenure of Aquino and Presidents Fidel V. Ramos, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III, the BCDA has undertaken its mandate at a relatively steady pace.

The most dramatic and impressive conversion was that of the Subic Bay Naval Base into the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, administered by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, chaired by now-Senator Dick Gordon. This was during the Ramos presidency. What made it dramatic was the fact that Subic was taken over by the Philippine government in the wake of the devastation caused by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, and the heroic efforts of Gordon and a corps of volunteers to literally rebuild it, like the Phoenix, from the ashes.

The Clark Field conversion was undertaken with much less fanfare, although this facility may have suffered the brunt of the volcanic catastrophe.

During the tenure of Arroyo, the development of Clark went into full throttle and the airfield became known as the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, with plans for using it as an alter-

native to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. But the achievements were overshadowed by Arroyo’s continuing struggle with accusations of massive corruption in her government, On the other hand, Gordon was not only a visionary and a dynamic manager, he was also a super salesman. He thus generated a great deal of awareness and support for Subic.

In the course of my conversation with Greg Garcia in Manila, he enthusiastically described an ambitious and impressive development program for the BCDA properties. Even while he knew me to be a relatively harsh critic of the Duterte administration, Greg offered to make a presentation to me of the government’s plans for BCDA. Just as enthusiastically, I accepted the offer. I also promised to write about the plans in a positive light. Unfortunately, the demise of an elder brother and an overseas trip of Greg prevented the presentation. But I still hope that it can be scheduled on my next trip to Manila.

But whether or not I write about BCDA and what it plans to deliver to the country, I am confident that Greg will be more than capable of getting the positive word out. After all, he is one of the most accomplished practitioners in the advertising and communications industry.

The point I’m making is that there must be other developments in the Duterte government that one can feel upbeat about, aside from the BCDA. I understand that there are certain cabinet heads and bureau chiefs who are performing excellently. They certainly deserve to be portrayed in the most enthusiastic and positive manner to the public, and not just in the Philippines but overseas, as well.

Social media, with its international reach and coverage, would be the per-

fect vehicle for delivering the message that President Rodrigo Duterte isn’t just a mass murderer – that he is a visionary and a doer, a president who produces concrete benefits for his people, a leader who delivers on what he promises and one who can motivate the bureaucracy into doing their job for the public good.

Indeed, the Filipino is easy to please.

Concrete results, when promised and delivered, have a tremendous impact on a government’s image. I recall how then Philippine National Police Director General Ping Lacson captured the imagination of the country after he instilled discipline among policemen and virtually put a stop to their petty extortion activities. People were so impressed, they considered Lacson fit to be president.

I also recall how Louie Morales, another ad industry friend and colleague, posted on Facebook a photo of his newly-acquired plastic driver’s license (no longer just paper). There was genuine joy on his face. After six years of the Aquino administration where car plates and licenses were more difficult to secure than a visa to the US, Louie had reason to feel good.

This is where Duterte’s army of trolls can be put to effective and truly productive use. Properly guided by a knowledgeable communications manager and supported by what Gabunada refers to as online “influencers,” these trolls can build a legacy for Duterte and his government worth being proud of.

The only caveat is that the trolls and Duterte’s propagandists should resist the temptation to exaggerate and overpromise – a cardinal sin that most politicians seem to be guilty of.

That caveat applies to President Duterte, as well. (gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)

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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 8-10, 2017

A

Duterte orders arrest of Mighty Corp. owner

by Audrey

MorAllo Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the arrest of the owner of Mighty Corporation following reports that someone had tried to bribe the president, Salvador Panelo, the chief presidential legal counsel, said on Tuesday.

Panelo said that the president ordered the arrest of Alexander Wongchuking for charges of economic sabotage.

The STAR reported that the president of the cigarette company showed up at the office of the National Bureau of Investigation to deny accusations that cigarettes seized from their warehouses in Pampanga last week were fake.

Only courts can issue arrest warrants.

Bureaus consolidating evidence for tax case Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said that the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs are already consolidating evidence for submission to the Department of Justice in preparation for the filing of an “air-tight” tax evasion case and other charges against Mighty Corp.

“The government needs to first establish strong evidence to pin down this cigarette manufacturer on such charges,” the Finance chief said.

He added: “We must make sure the charges stick not only to haul the guilty parties, including their possible cohorts in the government, into jail but to send a clear message to big-time tax dodgers that the Duterte admin-

PAGE A5 t

Alexander Wongchuking, owner of Mighty Corporation, presents himself to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Tuesday.

The Star/Evelyn Macairan

istration is dead set on putting an end to their nefarious activities and sending all of them behind bars.”

Dominguez issued the statement a week after he called on the BIR and the BOC to file as soon as possible appropriate charges against persons and companies that own the P2.2 billion in smuggled and counterfeit products seized in a series of raids.

These products included cigarettes, shoes and clothes.

Among the confiscated items were cigarette brands manufactured by Mighty Corp. with fake tax stamps. These cigarettes were confiscated by Customs operatives in raids in Pampanga, General Santos City and Zamboanga.

“They (BOC and BIR) should speed up their investigations and also look into the possible involvement of bureaucrats acting as protectors of these large-scale

tax evasion attempts,” he said.

Palace mum on details Early on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella declined to comment on whether it was Mighty Corp. that made the supposed offer.

“I don’t have any opinions regarding the matter. Some things were discussed in the cabinet and it’s best to leave it there for the moment,” said in a press briefing.

The spokesperson also declined to divulge information on the alleged attempt to bribe the president.

When asked if it was true that he “berated” lawmakers from Mindanao for allegedly making the offer on behalf of the owner of a company, Abella clarified that he did not berate the politicians and simply informed them of the attempt.

Abella said that the public should just wait for the DOJ to do its job. n

Abad liable over DAP…

malversation charges against me. It is as I have always said: although the DAP was ruled as partly unconstitutional, the Supreme Court itself acknowledged that the program helped boost the country’s economy when it was most needed. The Ombudsman’s decision also affirms the truth that I did not personally benefit from implementing the DAP. I never used public funds for my own gain, and I never will,” he said in a statement.

“I am consulting my legal advisers on the appropriate course of action following this development. As always, I look forward to the quick and fair resolution of

was declared partly unconstitutional by the Supreme Court (SC) in July 2014.

The Ombudsman’s office recalled that the SC declared unconstitutional the withdrawal of unobligated allotments from the implementing agencies, and the declaration of the withdrawn unobligated allotments and unreleased appropriations as savings prior to the end of the fiscal year without complying with the statutory definition of savings under Florencio “Butch” Abad the GAA. this matter,” he added.

The High Court also declared DAP, a stimulus package under unconstitutional the transfer the Aquino administration that of the savings of the Executive aimed to fast-track public spend- branch to augment other offices’ ing and push economic growth, appropriations. n

TOKHANG 2.0. The head of the new Drug Enforcement Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Sr. Supt. Graciano Jaylo (center), talks to the press after being introduced by PNP Chief Ronald de la Rosa (left). The PNP on Monday re-launched its drug war under ‘Oplan Tokhang Part 2’ and ‘Oplan Double Barrel Reloaded.’

ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez

Marcos camp cries foul over protest case…

PAGE A5 t

the people is the core issue in an election protest. Thus, the purpose of a preliminary conference is precisely to avoid unnecessary delays and speed up the process so that the people’s voice will be heard,” Marcos lawyer George Garcia stressed.

Garcia said the preliminary conference will tackle issues such as the unused secure digital or SD cards found to have data, diagnostics and shutting down of the server at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) warehouse in Santa Rosa, Laguna and other procedural matters.

“The conduct of the Preliminary Conference cannot be stifled by the pending incidents in this case. To rule otherwise will open the floodgates to abuses by incumbent protestees who will conveniently file flimsy and dilatory motions in order to drag the proceedings in an election protest. Protracted delays in the resolution of electoral contest cases will only benefit protestees like Robredo – at the expense of the electorate,” Garcia said.

“If Robredo has nothing to hide, why does she keep trying to delay the proceedings? What is there to fear about a simple preliminary conference?” he added.

Garcia also accused the Robredo camp of raising issues that were either moot and academic or were not prejudicial to the conduct of the preliminary conference.

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

For instance, Robredo raised Marcos’ previous opposition to the stripping of vote-counting machines, an issue that has become moot and academic because the stripping and backup had already commenced.

“By not taking care of the servers and other hardware in its Santa Rosa, Laguna warehouse, the Comelec was grossly remiss in its duty to protect the public interest.

Why should protestant Marcos be punished for this?” he said.

Marcos, who lost the vice presidential race by only 263,473 votes, accused Robredo of benefiting from “massive electoral fraud, anomalies and irregularities” such as preshading of ballots, pre-loaded SD cards, misreading of ballots, malfunction “abnormally high” unaccounted votes or “undervotes.”

Protest ‘faulty’ Robredo on Monday again asked the Supreme Court to dismiss what her camp described as

a faulty election protest lodged

by Marcos.

Lawyer Romulo Macalintal, in a 22-page motion for reconsideration on the Supreme Court’s decision finding Marcos’ protest sufficient in form and substance, argued that the case should be dismissed. The former senator, he pointed out, is questioning poll results in 662 municipalities and component cities and 2,537 clustered precincts from five highly urbanized cities, but made a detailed accusation of fraud in only 57 municipalities using affidavits of various individuals, some of whom have backed out or denied executing the affidavits.

Macalintal cited Myra Nacalaban Laude of Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu who denied signing an affidavit supporting Marcos’ claim of poll fraud. Moreover, witnesses of the Marcos camp were fake based on verification efforts by Robredo supporters, he said.

“Marcos did not specifically point to poll irregularities in said 662 municipalities and component cities. He only presented affidavits concerning 57 municipalities and component cities. What is it, really?” Macalintal said.

PET rules require “detailed specification of the acts or omissions complained of showing the electoral frauds, anomalies, or irregularities in the protested precincts,” the Robredo camp said. (With a report from Llanesca T. Panti)

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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 8-10, 2017

BUSINESSJ& COMMUNITY ournal

B

Tax reform to shield PH from global slowdown - DOF

by Mayvelin

U. caraballo The Manila Times

The Department of Financeproposed comprehensive tax reform package (CTRP) is seen making the Philippines immune from the adverse impact of slower global growth.

This was the response of government economic managers when asked during a hearing on Monday by the House Committee on Ways and Means on tax reform how the CTRP would help the Philippines

cope with the impact of the economic slowdown in China.

Agence France-Presse reported that China has warned that its economy faces severe challenges, signaling a further deceleration as it trimmed the 2017 GDP growth target to “around 6.5 percent.”

The economy is already growing at its slowest rate in more than a quarter of a century and the latest target is lower than the 6.5 percent to 7 percent set last year. Fullyear growth in 2016 came in at 6.7 percent, the weakest since 1990, it added.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd said the Philippines is not as reliance to exports compared with Indonesia, Vietnam and China, that is why the gov-

ASEAN sets joint program for cruise tourism

u PAGE B2

Fitch’s BMI cuts PH political risk score

by Mayvelin

U. caraballo The Manila Times

BMI Research has downgraded the short-term political risk index score for the Philippines to reflect the heightened risk of political instability in the country, the unit of the Fitch Group said in a report Monday.

Over the coming quarters, more political infighting and uncertainty in the Philippines are also expected, BMI said.

“The ‘policy-making process’ and ‘security/external threats’ components have been lowered to reflect the growing divisions within the government, disagree-

ment between the government and the Catholic Church, as well as Duterte’s non-adherence to established inter-governmental commitments,” it explained.

As a result, the Philippines’ short-term political risk index score was downgraded to 63.5 (out of 100) from 64.6, the report said.

D e v e l o p m e n t s BMI believes the arrest of Sen. Leila de Lima on drugrelated charges on February 24 and the four other senators who were purged from their respective positions on February 27, are likely to raise the risk of po-

u PAGE B2

by Mary

Grace Padin Philippine Star

They highlighted the potential of the industry, which is projected to grow with 4.5 million passengers in 2035 as compared to 450,000 last year.

“In support, they (the ministers) agreed to develop a Joint Declaration on Cruise Tourism as part of the cruise workplans under the ASEAN Tourism Competitiveness Committee,” the statement read.

The ministers said the joint declaration would lay out the principles that would spur port and destination development in Southeast Asia, as well as encourage industry players to participate in this undertaking.

MANILA, Philippines Recognizing the potential of cruise as a driver of tourism growth, the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed to develop a joint plan to collectively position the region as a major cruise destination.

In a joint statement, the respective tourism ministers of ASEAN states reiterated their commitment to advance the cruise industry in the region.

Cruise tourism is on the top of the association’s priorities this year in terms of product development.

In relation to this, Singapore, as the ASEAN lead coordinator for cruise development, organized an inaugural cruise dialogue attended by government officials, industry stakeholders and potential investors.

Aside from cruise development, the tourism ministers have also agreed to put measures to enhance the capability and mobility of tourism professionals in the region.

They agreed to craft a work plan for

u PAGE B2

Philippines keeps off IPR violators’ list (BOC-IPRD) chief Czae de Guzman recently announced that for 2015 and 2016, the PhilipMANILA, Philippines - The pines has managed to keep Bureau of Customs said the Phil- off the Special 301 Report of ippines has not been included in the Office of the United States the list of countries with rampant Trade Representative (USTR).

De Guzman said “if a country intellectual property rights violations for two consecutive years. is in the list, it means there is a Bureau of Customs-Intellec- proliferation of counterfeit” prodtual Property Rights Division ucts in that particular country. by evelyn

Macairan Philippine Star

During their recent meeting with an envoy from the US Embassy, they were informed the Philippines was again not mentioned in the Special 301 Report and the BOC was recognized for being number one in terms of enforcement against IPR violations, followed by the National Bureau of Investigation.

The USTR comes out with a

Special 301 Report citing the status of intellectual property rights (IPR) worldwide and its enforcement. The Philippines was first listed in 1989 and has reportedly been mentioned in the watch list report since 1994, and was only removed in 2014 as a result of the government’s sustained actions to improve the protection of IPR.

u PAGE B2

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Philippines, Russia identify key investment, trade areas

by Mayvelin

U. Caraballo The Manila Times

Philippines and Russia said they have identified key areas of economic and trade cooperation that they can strengthen ahead of President Rodrigo Duterte’s official visit to Moscow on May 25.

In a forum hosted Friday by the Management Association of the Philippines, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the possibilities for expanding Philippine-Russia economic and trade relations were in the areas of exports of food and other products; increase in tourist arrivals from Moscow and deployment of Filipino workers to Russia.

Pernia also cited waste management, aircraft engines manufacturing, grains supply, fuel and gas supply, pharmaceuticals, construction materials and metals supply as other areas of cooperation.

Providing an overview of the

Philippine-Russian economic and trade relations in his presentation, Pernia said Philippine exports to Moscow grew 1.4 percent in the first nine months of 2016 on the back of significant growth in components, semiconductors, and electronic data processing. That showed a turnaround from declines registered in previous years.

Total imports, on the other hand, shrank by nearly 50 percent due to the lower import value of crude and petroleum, as well as other crude materials, he added.

“It is a very minimal level [exports and imports]and so the room for expansion is immense and that is why we need to stimulate the interest, not only of the Filipinos, but also Russians, to engage in interactive trade and investment relations. I think the time for that is right,” he said.

In terms of tourist arrivals, Pernia said visitors from Russia slightly recovered in 2016 after registering declines in 2014 and

2015.

“Arrivals peaked in 2013 but that [segment]has not been performing better since then,” he said, noting that Russian’s share in total tourist arrivals in the Philippines was only 0.47 percent in 2016, providing a vast room for improvement.

Remittances from Filipinos in Russia grew more than 11-fold in a span of three years from 2012 to 2015. However, they declined by a slight 2.2 percent in 2016 to just below $50 million.

With these areas of opportunity open, the Philippines’ robust and high economic growth, low inflation and ample money supply provide good reason for the country to expand its relations with Russia further, Pernia added.

Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev emphasized that the political environment in his country has become much more favorable, allowing it to enhance its bilateral relations with the Philip-

ASEAN sets join program...

PAGE A1 t the implementation of the Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals spanning 2017 to 2020.

ASEAN tourism ministers also emphasized the need to improve capabilities in tourism statistics and analytics and to leverage more on digital marketing.

Senior officials of each National Tourism Organization in ASEAN were also requested to prepare a tourism investment

program, which identifies opportunities to enhance tourism infrastructure and product development in each country.

Based on preliminary figures, the whole ASEAN region is expected to receive 116 million international visitors in 2016, 6.5 percent higher than previous year’s figures.

The bulk or 43 percent, of the arrivals were contributed by intra-ASEAN travelers.

The ministers expressed con-

fidence that the region would reach its target foreign arrivals of 121 million this year driven by the enhanced connectivity within Southeast Asia.

All member states have developed a regional tourism campaign, “Visit ASEAN@50: Golden Celebration,” in celebration of ASEAN’s 50th year anniversary this 2017.

The campaign aims to present ASEAN as a single and united tourism destination. n

Philippine keeps of IPR violators... mining if one of the alleged owners of the confiscated goods is a Meanwhile, the BOC-Cus- certain James Chua. The owners toms Intelligence and Investiga- of the goods would be given 15 tion Service (CIIS) director Neil days to produce import permits Anthony Estrella and De Guz- and prove that they are regisman recently led the raid in two tered importers of the bureau. building warehouses, namely YS “If they fail to produce the Building and One Logistics Cen- permit we would continue with ter, both located in Pasay City, the seizure and the goods would and confiscated several sacks be destroyed,” Estrella said. and plastics of alleged imitations “We are not here to destroy of several brands of apparel.

The seized counterfeit cloth- their businesses. We went here ing was valued at around to implement the law and to inP200 million. These were form them that what they are found inside three floors of doing is against the law. They each of the two buildings. should pay the correct duties The BOC-CIIS is still deter- and taxes and secondly, these

PAGE A1 t

are violation of the IPR,”he said.

The BOC conducted the raid after it received intelligence information there were fake items being stored in the two buildings.

De Guzman said IPR violations have adverse effects on the economy since they are not paying the correct taxes. The fake goods are also being sold in flea markets or tiangge and the sellers do not issue receipts which is against the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s policy. This would also discourage foreign companies from putting up businesses in the country for fear of leaks in their product secrets. n

pines.

The areas of cooperation where he sees the two countries could strengthen their ties are in politics, trade and investments, security and defense, science and technology, education and culture, and tourism, energy, transport infrastructure, among others.

“It is really a chance that should not be missed,” he said.

In particullar, Khovaev said Russia has a wide array of oil and gas projects, which account for 25 percent of its gross domestic product.

“The energy sector of Russia is focused now on the Asia-Pacific region,” he said.

“Another major sector is transportation infrastructure. Russia is a transportation superpower, especially that we have a highly developed network of railways.

So Russian companies are ready to come into the Philippines and be engaged in railways projects,” he added.

Khovaev also stressed that the

President Vlademir Putin and President Rodrigo Duterte

economic and trade sanctions on Russia by other developed economies have forced it to diversify its economy and find new domestic drivers of growth, new economic partners in different regions of the world.

“Russian businesses are actively penetrating regional markets and in this respect, we consider the Philippines as a major promising partner of Russia

in the Asia-Pacific region,” he said.

“We are interested in building a long-term and reliable partnership between Russia and the Philippines. The partnership will contribute to the development of both our nations and also to regional peace, stability and sustainable development.

We have no hidden agenda,” he added. n

January tourist arrivals surge 16.5% to 631.6K

by Mayvelin

U. Caraballo The Manila Times

Foreign tourist arrivals in the Philippines in January rose 16.48 percent year-on-year to 631,639, the Department of Tourism (DoT) said on Friday.

The arrivals in the first month of 2017 generated P21.681 billion in tourism receipts, the DoT reported.

The January figure for tourist arrivals reflects an “impressive growth” from the 542,258 tourists who arrived in Jan-uary 2016, it said.

“We have to keep the momentum going now that we are in the implementation phase of the National Tourism Development Plan for 2016-2022, which aims to unleash the potentials of our tourism industry and make it more competitive,” Tourism

Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo said in a statement, referring to the impetus gained from the country’s successful hosting of the Miss Universe pageant on January 30.

She also noted a sharp increase of arrivals from China, which posted growth of 76.46percent from January last year and rising to become the third biggest market.

“We are now seeing the fruits of President Rodrigo Duterte’s reaching out to China. Doors to more economic op-portunities and people-to-people exchanges are opulently wide now more than ever that ties between Manila and Beijing have seen a new day,” Teo added.

South Korea remained the biggest visitor market with 154,367 arrivals, followed by the United States with 99,435;

China with 85,948; Japan with 51,516; and Australia with 27,826.

Also posting significant growth in visitor arrivals were Canada, 24,352; Taiwan, 21,926; United Kingdom, 15,747; Singapore, 12,000, and India with 11,805.

Data also showed an average daily expenditure of P3,659 while the average per capita expenditure for the month amounted to P38,823. Tourists stayed in the country for an average of 10.61 nights.

Korea was still the top spending market with visitor expenditure of almost P6.5 billion. The United States came in second with visitor spending of about P3.69 billion. Japan was third with P2.12 billion; Australia fourth with P1.59 billion, and Canada with P1.09 billion. n

Tax reform to shield PH from...

PAGE A1 t

ernment will use the CTRP to stimulate the local economy so that the Philippines will be “immune” from developments in the global economic arena.

“Tax reform package is our immunization against the slowdown in the world economy. We use the funds to accelerate our infrastructure, which will create jobs and will make our economy more competitive,” he said.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the Philippine economy is not export-driven but domestic-demand driven.

“With this, spending by government or by households will strengthen domestic demand and that would shield us against the unfavorable winds in the global economy,” he said.

Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno said tax reform is one of the things that the Philippines should undertake

in order to make the economy competitive and make the country an attractive place to invest in.

“Tax reform is long overdue,”he said.

The proposed CTRP will allow the government to build or improve 44,000 kilometers of national and local roads, construct more local hospitals and improve existing ones, attain 100 percent PhilHealth coverage, and achieve the ideal teacher-to-student and student-to-classroom ratios for the benefit of the country’s future workforce, Dominguez claimed.

Some P48 billion will be earmarked for targeted transfer programs for low-income groups and other vulnerable sectors to shield them from the initial impact of the CTRP, he said.

Package One of the CTRP is outlined in House Bill 4774. It seeks to lower personal income tax rates for 99 percent of the country’s taxpayers while ex-

panding the value-added tax (VAT) base and adjusting the rates for consumption taxes such as the excise tax on petroleum products and automobiles, among other revenue-enhancing measures. VAT exemptions for seniors and persons with disabilities will be retained under the bill.

“This is the tax package that will enable us to reshape our economic growth to make it more inclusive. It is the tax reform package that will bring us to the irreversible path towards being a high-income economy in one generation and bring down our poverty rate to a mere 14 percent by 2022,” Dominguez added.

“This is our economy’s golden moment. If we fail to seize it, the conjuncture of opportunities will pass us and we will betray our people. We cannot afford to lose because of indecision or because we failed to act boldly,” he added. n

Fitch’s BMI cuts PH political risk...

PAGE A1 t

litical instability in the country.

De Lima was arrested on allegations she took part in the drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison while she was the Justice secretary under the then-administration of President Benigno Aquino 3rd.

“De Lima has been a strong critic of President Duterte’s war on drugs which has resulted in more than 7,000 deaths, mostly of suspected drug users and traffickers. Earlier on, she also launched a human rights investigation into the extra judicial killings that have taken place since Duterte took office,” BMI noted.

Three days later, four other senators were stripped of their positions via a motion by Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao.

“The highest profile case was the ouster of Franklin Drilon of the Liberal Party who held the pro-tempore position (second most powerful position in the senate),” BMI said.

Senators Paolo Benigno Aquino and Francis Pangilinan were stripped of their education and agricultural committee chairmanships, respectively, while Liberal Party ally Risa Hontiveros of Akbayan was removed as head of the health committee.

“All four legislators who were removed had previously backed Senator de Lima who has been a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte’s

war on drugs,” BMI pointed out.

“Although the head of the senate Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel 3rd insisted that the shakeup was not an attempt to quell opposition dissent to the president, we believe the episode could be politically motivated, potentially leading to more political infighting and uncertainty over the coming quarters,” it added.

BMI also cited reports saying the Liberal Party senators were divided from the rest of the Senate Majority on issues such as the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes Cemetery, the investigation of corruption at the Bureau of Immigration, the reintroduction of the death penalty, and the testimony of retired Davao police officer Arthur Lascañas on the existence of the Davao Death Squad.

Political infighting BMI viewed the revamp in the senate leadership, combined with the resignation of Vice President Leonor Robredo from her cabinet position in December, are likely indicative of growing disapproval with President Duterte’s policies and approach.

“Given Duterte’s ‘strongman’ leadership style and his propensity to act out of consensus with political norms, we note that this could lead to more opposition from members and allies of the Liberal Party within the government,

potentially leading to more infighting and uncertainty, which could disrupt policy formation and enactment,” it said.

The downgrade also comes amid renewed criticism (after months of silence) from the Catholic Church, which still wields notable political influence in a country where more than 85 percent of the population is Roman Catholic.

“Although the church has less clout than in the past (due to the breakup of the Manila Archdiocese in 2003), we believe that this could still cause Duterte to lose some popular support, potentially swaying more politicians and officials to the opposition,” it said.

BMI recalled that the Roman Catholic Church in February slammed Duterte’s war on drugs in a sermon delivered during Sunday mass, marking its strongest opposition to the headline-grabbing flagship policy of the president.

It emphasized that the influence of the Catholic Church should not be underestimated, considering that it helped topple Marcos during the People Power Revolution in 1986 by appealing to public in support in favor of rebel forces.

“Additionally, the successful call for the resignation of President Joseph Estrada in January 2001 over allegations of corruption was supported by the Catholic Church,” it added. n

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Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA (Continued from last week...)

I have discovered gardening to be a quiet, solitary pursuit somewhat fit for hermits and loners — unglamorous, unexciting, backbreaking, time consuming, manual, icky, down in the dirt labor that was certainly not meant for immediate gratification.

So, why do it at all? I don’t really know. Must be borderline idiocy.

Of course, I speak only for myself.

For one thing, it teaches you the patience of Job and the virtue of humility. I have failed more than succeeded and am still working on it. But as time passed, I have been encouraged by modest results. I became synchronized with the seasons and their gentle nuances. I took baby steps and was off and running at one point I could call most plants by name these days and seem to instinctively know what to do when a problem arises. If things don’t work on my own accord, I seek help. I still am a failure with azaleas. Azaleas have been dying on my shift so I am staying away from them. I suspect it has something to do with the amount of light and too much water that has drenched the soil because of an unusually wetter, longer winter season.

I said goodbye too to a beautiful sago palm that must have suffered root rot. Farewell too to a French lavender bush that gave me so much fragrance. The garden gets a lot of shade being in a Northwest orientation so I am quite alright with the fact that I will never have roses which I would love to have but can’t. Believe me, I tried. So I just admire them in my neighbors’ gardens

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes THERE seems to be a misconception in the general public that you can only obtain a divorce in California if your spouse will sign the divorce papers. I get this question a lot from our family law clients.

The fact is that California is a no fault state and you do not need your spouse’s signature in order to get a divorce. What is more important is being able to properly serve your spouse with the divorce petition and satisfy the jurisdictional requirement of the Court by showing that either you or your spouse resided in the State for at least 6 months prior to filing the petition and in the County for 3 months prior to filing the petition.

When you file a divorce petition, you have to serve your spouse with the summons and petition. Your spouse then has 30 days to file a response after being served with a divorce petition. If your spouse fails to file and serve you with a response, you can file a request for default against your spouse after 30 days. You can also file a proposed judgment for the court to approve. The default procedure can be done even if there are issues of property division, custody, visitation, and support. However, the Court will still review your proposed judgment and property divi-

Community Journal

Tweaking the lessons learned from the garden

Arlene Al-os, CPA, MBA Second of 2 parts

WE discussed previously the requirement for consistent basis reporting between the person receiving the property and the decedent’s estate.

Applicability of filing requirements for US Citizens for transfer certificate.

1. Citizen of the US including with dual citizenship upon death and died after December 31, 1976.

2. Part A. Decedent’s worldwide estate exceeds the unified credit exemption. File 1) Estate tax return Form 706 due within 9 months from death; and 2) Report of death of an American citizen Form DS-2060 or Death certificate and other proof of US citizenship. Address where to file: Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Center, Cincinnati, OH 45999.

3. Part B. Decedent’s worldwide estate does not exceed the unified credit exemption. File 1) either Report of death of an American citizen Form DS-2060 or Death certificate and other

Calendar of Events across

Second of 2 parts

“My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece” Claude Monet, speaking of his garden At Giverny with a southeast orientation.

My journey to self-discovery has been made easier by understanding the process of nature, the seasons and the nature of things: of why a seed no matter how good cannot grow in a certain type of soil; or how a young tree cannot grow in the shadow of a mighty oak; or of how much light a plant needs to burst with flowers, of the impeccable timing and the cycle of the seasons that are in God’s perfect divine order like a well rehearsed dance or a Beethoven symphony; of why you must resist moving a plant from a place where it is growing so well to another place simply to satisfy a whim or a feng shui decorating principle; when and where to prune, of knowing when to water by sticking a finger in the soil or noting the droop of the leaves; or the merits of clay pots and plastic pots; of when to re-pot or top dress; even how to propagate.

The most important lesson perhaps is learning when to leave well enough alone and letting go; of accepting death as part of life. I make it a point to take pictures when the flowers are in full bloom, knowing that no matter how pretty they are, their beauty is fleeting.

I am left with images and memories just like the photos on the wall and in the albums recording one’s family life. Once the children leave to be on their own, you hope the memories in those photos sustain you for the long term.

The irony of it all is that the

more I know, the more I realize how little I know. I guess that is the paradox of all lifelong learning. I now appreciate more clearly the delicate balance on which our planet depends for it to sustain life — of how vastly critical it is for everyone to do their part to ensure that life continues, specially that of human life.

But I do reject the rabid, unhinged proponents of climate change (global warming, global cooling) whose real agenda is a political and economic windfall for its billionaire backers. It is sheer hubris and madness to pretend to usurp the laws of nature to push a duplicitous agenda.

One can see life’s longing for itself in the perennial grass that grows. There is great wisdom in gardening. If you dig in the garden long enough, you will find an infinite variety of the parallel laws that govern all life with unsurpassed clarity. Gardening, if you stick with it long enough, is a metaphor for human life itself.

Gardening has taught me a zen-like passive skill of enjoying quiet solitude, of observing what works and what won’t, of doing what needs to get done with very little struggle and ultimately, of accepting and of simply letting go when all I have done is all I can do. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

Can I obtain a divorce if my spouse refuses to sign? sion to make sure it conforms to the policy towards equal division of community property.

Meaning, you have to propose a division of community property that is pretty much equal between the spouses. If your proposed property division is one sided such as distributing all community property to you and giving all the community debts to your spouse, the Court would probably not grant your judgment. The Court would probably set a hearing for you to explain why this is an equal division of community property.

The only time you may need your spouse’s signature is if your spouse files a response to your divorce petition. This is called “contesting” the divorce.

If your divorce is contested by your spouse, you can resolve the case either by “settlement” or by “trial.” However, you do not have to settle all the issues in the case at once. Under the concept of divisible divorce, you can settle some of the issues and set the other issues which you and your spouse cannot agree on for trial. Our office try to resolve cases through settlement because it is more cost effective and the parties are usually happier with the outcome. In that situation, the parties may avoid the cost and uncertainty of going to trial by executing what is called a stipulated judgment which is in essence an agreement as to all

the issues in the divorce case.

For issues which you and your spouse cannot agree on, you will have to go through the litigation process which involves obtaining discovery, exchanging declarations of disclosures, and prepar ing the case for trial. Ultimately, you will obtain your divorce at trial in addition to adjudication of the distribution of community assets and debts amongst other issues. It is in the best interest of the party to retain the representation of competent counsel who will assert his or her rights under the family code. *** 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 (Advertising Supplement) is not a solicitation.

Death of a taxpayer

What’s New

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 8-10, 2017

proof of US citizenship; 2) notarized written affidavit with a) listing of worldwide assets valued at date of death and b) taxable gifts made by decedent; 3) in English, one copy of each inventory filed with domestic or foreign probate authorities; 4) in English, once copy of each death or inheritance tax return or last income tax return filed to other authorities country of residence other than US; and 5) in English, copy of decedent’s last will and testament. Include a statement with explanation if any is not available. Address where to file: Internal Revenue Service, Cincinnati, OH 45999, STOP 824G 4. Do not use Form 706 for Part B, otherwise the issuance of Transfer of Certificate will be delayed. TIP: if not required do not provide.

What to Consider in the Final income tax return of the decedent.

1. Depending on the gross income, age, and filing status, the decedent may or may not file a return.

2. Decedent’s final income tax return with refund: Generally, Form 1310 Statement of Personal Claiming Refund Due a Deceased Taxpayer must be filed if a decedent’s return is claiming a refund. Form 1310

is not required if the surviving spouse of the decedent claims the refund and is filing a joint return with the decedent. Form 1310 is not required if the certified representative is filing an original return of the decedent and have attached the certificate to the tax return.

3. The estate administrator should file final income tax return and other returns not filed for preceding years of the decedent.

4. If the decedent died on February 14, 2017 before filing the 2016 income tax returns, the representative of the decedent must file the 2016 income tax returns on April 15, 2017 and the final income tax returns from January 1, 2017 through February 14, 2017 by April 15, 2018.

5. The representative has to take into account if joint filing is most beneficial for the overall estate. And may revoke the return within one year of the filing deadline or extended due date of the return.

6. A joint return cannot be filed if the surviving spouse remarries during the decedent’s year of death under Reg.1.6013-1(d) (5). But married filing separate return.

7. Do not attach the death certificate of the decedent when filing a final return. You

B

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MARCH 9

Talk and book signing with Susan Quimpo, author of “Subversive Lives” in New York Come see Susan Quimpo, one of the authors of “Subversive Lives” on Thursday, March 9 at the 67th Street New York Public Library from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. “Subversive Lives” is a memoir by eight siblings (plus one by marriage) who dedicated themselves to the anti-Marcos resistance in the Philippines. Quimpo will talk about her personal experience during the Marcos years. A book signing will follow after the talk. The New York Public Library is located at 328 E 67th St. (between 1st and 2nd Ave.), New York, NY 10065.

M A R C H 9 -1 8

CAAMFEST35 in San Francisco & Oakland Come to the 35th anniversary of CAAMFest from March 9-19 and immerse yourself in expansive and diverse programs celebrating the best in Asian American film, music and food. The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) is a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. The annual CAAMFest is the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films. It presents approximately 125 works in San Francisco and Oakland over the course of 11 days. Tickets can be purchased online or in person. For more information, please visit http://caamfest.com.

MARCH 11

Filipino American Chamber of Commerce-SouthBay Los Angeles area hosts annual gala The Filipino American Chamber of Commerce - SouthBay Los Angeles Area will have its annual induction of board members and fundraising gala on Saturday, March 11 from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. It will be held at the Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Airport (5985 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045). Donation is $60 and a portion of the proceeds will go towards FACC-SLAA’s scholarship project. For more information, please

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

Whitney High School’s 30th annual Pilipino Culture Night in Cerritos, CA Whitney High School’s Club Kaibigan invites you to attend “Ang Ating Salaysay (Our Story),” the 30th annual Pilipino Cultural Night on Saturday, March 11. The matinee show is at 2 p.m. ($12 / ticket), with the evening performance at 6:30 p.m. ($15 / ticket). The show will be held at the high school’s Mac Auditorium (16800 Shoemaker Ave., Cerritos, CA 90703). Any questions can be directed to clubkaibigan@gmail.com.

“Walk for Wishes” in Las Vegas Powered by wish families, volunteers, donors, and friends, Walk For Wishes is a nationwide Make-A-Wish fundraiser celebrating thousands of wishes that have already been granted, while raising funds for future wishes. Proceeds from this event help fund wishes that bring life-changing joy and hope to children battling life-threatening medical conditions in our community. On Saturday, March 11, Make-A-Wish® Southern Nevada partners with Caesars Foundation to present its 16th annual Walk for Wishes. Registration opens at 7 a.m., with opening ceremonies at 8:00 a.m. The 5K Run will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the 1 mile walk at 8:35 a.m. It will be held at Town Square Las Vegas at 6605 Las Vegas Blvd.

South (northwest corner of Town Square Blvd. and North St.), Las Vegas, NV 89119.

M A R C H 1 1 -1 2

Consular outreach mission in Phoenix, AZ A team from the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles will conduct a Consular Outreach Mission in Phoenix, Arizona on March 11 and 12. It will be held at Halo Halo Kitchen (3553 W. Dunlap Ave., Phoenix, Arizona 85051) from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m by appointment and completed documents only. Please email arizona.consularoutreach@gmail.com with submissions and applications before March 3. No walk-in applicants will be accepted. The following consular services will be rendered: renewal and/or first-time applications for electronic passport ($60 processing fee + $24 mailing fee). New passports will be released to the applicant by mail twelve (12) weeks from March 15, 2017. No lost passport applications will be accepted; Applications for the retention and re-acquisition of Philippine citizenship pursuant to the Dual Citizenship Law ($50 processing fee). Oath taking will be scheduled on the same day for qualified applicants. Applicants are advised to wear appropriate clothing for the occasion; Applications for report of marriage & birth ($25 processing fee + $7 mailing fee); and registration for overseas voting for the 2019 national elections for senators and party list representatives. Fees must be paid in person at the scheduled appointment. Only cash, postal money order or cashier’s checks are accepted.

Personal checks will not be accepted. For more information, please visit http://www.philippineconsulatela.org/. A final list of all applicants will confirmed appointment schedules will be posted on the website by March 8.

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 may keep in your records, and provide if requested later.

8. Income in the final return includes up to the date of death.

Consider cash and accrual method reporting in the determination of what and what not to include.

9. If the decedent is a nonresident alien who would have filed Form 1040NR, then the same form will be filed for the final year.

10. Relief From Joint Liability. If the decedent while alive is qualified from relief of joint liability for tax, interest, and penalties of the other spouse erroneously reported on a joint return, the representative can file a request for relief from joint liability. TIP: file your personal income tax return yearly and not years later.

11. General rules for exemption and deductions applies to the final return.

12. Medical expenses paid before death is claimed on the decedent’s final return part of the itemized deductions. Medical expenses not part of the final return are claimed on the estate tax return Form 706 and are liabilities of the estate.

The decedent’s final return can also make an election by filing a statement that the expenses were not claimed on the estate tax return to claim the medical expenses within one year after death to be treated as if paid by the decedent and be claimed on the decedent’s final return.

13. NOL. Net operating loss from a net business loss on the final return may be carried back to earlier years and carryovers are lost if not used on the final return.

14. Charitable contributions not used on the final return of the decedent are lost under Reg. § 1.170A-10(d)(4)(iii)). any excess cannot be claimed on the estate tax return. But the beneficiary who inherits the property generally claims the deduction on the beneficiary personal tax return.

15. COD. Cancellation of debt income prior to death is income on decedent’s return. If COD is after date of death then reportable income under the estate.

16. The word deceased, decedent’s name and the date of death must be written on

top of page one of final income tax return Form 1040.

17. Decedent’s signature on the final return. The personal representative should generally signs the return. The surviving spouse signs the return and note in the signature area of the decent if married filing joint, filing as a surviving spouse.

If there is no representative and the decedent is not married, person in charge of the decedent’s property should sign as, personal representatives.

Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication is not intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, or a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties. *** Al-os & Associates Accountancy Corporation provides accounting and tax services to individuals, corporations, LLCs and business entities. The Firm has a niche in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS and other governmental agencies.

(Advertising Supplement)

Community Journal

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Eligible debtors should seek BK relief

Debt Relief Atty. LAwrence yAng SOMETIMES debtors cannot decide whether they should seek debt relief through Chapter 7 wipe out of all dischargeable debts or a consolidation and reorganization through a Chapter 13. They usually ask me what they should do in their financial situation. I know after handling thousands of bankruptcy cases in the last 30 years, debtors are often depressed about their lives because of the heavy burden of accumulated debt. The worse case scenario was my client many years ago who killed himself a week before we filed his case. It was unfortunate that he took his own life because he left behind a wife and two minor children and a successful professional career. He was enjoying gross income of $500K annual income from his profession but had borrowed money to set up a business that initially did well. Since the business was doing well, he borrowed more money to expand the business, including putting up his house for collateral for the business loans. When the economy slowed down, his business started losing money. He then resorted to borrowing more money to cover the business loss for 18 months. His business was losing $10K a month.

After financing losses for 18 months, he came to see me for bankruptcy relief. He looked pretty calm when I interviewed him. How many times must I say it, “YOU OWE YOUR CREDITORS MONEY, YOU DO NOT OWE THEM YOUR LIFE!” Don’t even dare think of killing yourself to get out of debt. Death does not extinguish debt. When a person dies, there is an estate of the deceased that is created in a probate case. Creditors of the deceased can file in their claims in the probate case. So, if you owe too much debt now, you should look at your financial problems objectively. You should choose the solution that best serves your needs. You should seek to protect your own interest and future. You should not succumb to the pressure of differing opinions from friends or relatives. For instance, I had one client who decided to withdraw her Chapter 7 petition because her sister did not approve of it. Client had a mountain of debt, which she absolutely had no way of paying unless she could work four jobs, and she was three months behind in her mortgage payments. Objectively speaking, the right solution for her was a Chapter 7 to wipe out $80K of credit card debt and use the money saved from not having to pay $80K of credit cards to update her house payments.

Without credit card payments, she would save $2400 a month.

She would have paid off her mortgage arrears in 3 months.

She would have obtained a fresh start without the burden of accumulated debt. Instead, she wanted to make her sister happy and chose not to protect her own interest, her own future.

She was not thinking clearly.

After 6 months she returned to me saying that she wanted to go through with her Chapter 7 case because her house was already foreclosed and she still owed the 2nd trust deed holder was still calling her to collect $50K of the 2nd mortgage even though she no longer owned the house, and the $80K of credit cards are calling her night and day.

Eligible debtors should consider the following objective reason to seek bankruptcy relief: 1. Based on debtor’s net income and expense analysis, debtor has no ability to pay off his or her unsecured debts. In other words, even if debtor’s intention is to pay off debt, realistically speaking, debtor cannot pay of debts over a reasonable period of time. This means that debtor will be locked in permanent indebtedness, a slave of debt! Therefore, correctly, debtor should find a legal way of getting out of debt as soon as possible.

Here in America, bankruptcy is the legal way of getting out of

debt and becoming productive again while you keep most if not all of your assets including your house, cars, retirement accounts etc. The right to bankruptcy is guaranteed by the constitution and even Walt Disney filed for Chapter 7 twice before Mickey Mouse and Disneyland became successful. If Mr. Disney did not obtain a fresh start twice before, we would have no Disneyland to enjoy today.

2. Too much debt destroys the household’s ability to save and invest money to secure the family’s future. If debtor makes $5,000 a month but has to pay out all of the $5,000 for monthly overhead and to make minimum payments on credit card debt of say, $30K, debtor is living a hand to mouth existence. Debtor saves nothing and invests nothing year in and year out. With accumulated debt you condemn yourself to Sisyphean existence.

I don’t mean you become a sissy. You become like SISYPHUS. In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was the king of Corinth who was punished for his deceitfulness by the Greek gods (who are of course false gods), to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it come back to hit him, repeating this action for eternity.

So your “Sisyphean existence” means a laborious and futile existence. By the time that debtor realizes that he has worked for

20 years without nothing saved and invested, it will be too late because by that time, debtor will be pushing sixty. Most people save and invest money whilst I their twenties to fifties. Debtors who have too much debt unfortunately are robbed of the ability to save and invest for decades.

Thus, a smart person who has too much debt but wants to save and invest must immediately correct the debt situation or else he or she will get old poor.

The last thing a senior wants to have at retirement is debt. If you service $30K of credit card debt for 20 years, you would have paid your credit card masters $240K and still owe the same $30K when you retire at 66. If you got rid of these cards with Chapter 7 at the age of 46, you would have invested $240K starting at $12K a year and growing at $12K a year. Properly invested, you could have $400K saved when you retire at 66 and zero debt. Even if you made the mistake of carrying these cards into retirement, you must get rid of them now because now you depend on social security, which is just enough to cover basic monthly necessities. Whether you are 40 or 60 or 70, you must get rid of credit cards now and become productive again!

3. Re-establishment of credit can start immediately. Debtors are able to begin reestab-

lishing credit by paying their car and housing loans timely.

Debtors will be able to get new credit cards soon after they obtain discharge. There are banks that give new credit cards to debtors who have completely their bankruptcy because these debtors are actually very good credit risks. They still have good income, have no more debt, and are now more careful in their financial affairs. BK filers qualify to buy houses again on the second or third year after BK filing if they have been paying their new loans on time. Buying a new car is no problem. On the day of the discharge, you can bring your discharge order to the car dealer. You can get a car loan at higher interest.

“Whoever goes to the Lord for safety, whover remains under the protection of the Almighty, can say to Him ‘You are my defender and protector. You are my God; in You I trust.’ — Psalm 91 *** 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

What Fil-Am youth can learn from Pilipino Cultural Night Whitney High School’s Club Kaibigan to hold 30th annual show on March 11

by Christen

Bautista

CLUB Kaibigan’s annual Pilipino Cultural Night (PCN) has been in my life since 2003 when I first watched my cousin perform in it. In the following years, my family and I continued to make a tradition of watching it annually. Before experiencing the show, I had never been exposed to Filipino culture (i.e. the dances and customs) other than through food and family.

Actually being a part of this production for the past six years has been a powerful learning experience.

Every year, different dances are put into the show and I am continually stunned by how rich our history is.

This year, we, as Club Kaibigan, are

proud to present our 30th Pilipino Cultural Night. To celebrate, we will be having a focus on our alumni who have continued to guide wave after wave of Fil-Am youth through their own discoveries of what their cultural identity means to them and how they can use it to further educate themselves.

We have alumni who come back each year to help us in whatever way possible in preparation for this night.

They are the ones who become our role models and keep moving us forward, which is why we want to take this year to truly thank them. Throughout our 30 years, we have had so many alumni, and our family just keeps on growing. Their love for our culture continues to inspire new generations.

As our generations of Fil-Am youth get further and further from first-generation immigrants, they lose so much of the culture their parents and grandparents left behind. This year, we have many new participants who are second and third-generation Filipino Americans. PCN is gaining in importance because it is the first exposure they have to Filipino culture and history. We continue to hope that we can light a fire in those who come after us so that they can carry the torch and empower others to embrace our culture.

Through the years, I have found power in finding friends who share my passion for this club and culture. I have never been more proud to be a Fil-Am

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

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

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

The Asian Journal would be delighted to list your event in our Calendar of Events.

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PeoPle & events

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 8-10, 2017

What Fil-Am youth can learn…

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youth. This event has been my gateway into learning how I am affected and how I can affect the events in my community. Knowing where I have come from and how it affects my life has allowed me to understand my family on a deeper level that we never knew had an explanation. I have found friends in my journey in learning what my identity is, and for thank, I have found power.

I want to thank everyone who has made our event possible for

EMPLOYMENT

the last 30 years. It has gone through so many trials and tribulations from the prejudice and judgments of those who don’t understand. So, we thank those who pushed through because they saw the importance and need to. Their passion has carried us to where we stand today, and we hope that you can share with us a show that is the product of 30 years of determination and perseverance.

Christen Bautista is a senior at Whitney High School. She has been in Club Kaibigan for six

years and is now president for the 2016-2017 year.

Whitney High School’s Club Kaibigan will hold “Ang Ating Salaysay (Our Story),” the 30th annual Pilipino Cultural Night on Saturday, March 11. The matinee show is at 2 p.m. ($12 / ticket), with the evening performance at 6:30 p.m. ($15 / ticket). The show will be at the high school’s Mac Auditorium (16800 Shoemaker Ave., Cerritos, CA 90703).

Any questions can be directed to clubkaibigan@gmail.com. n

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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - March 8, 2017

Fighting for California’s values and people

Assemblymember and Calif. 34th Congressional District candidate Jimmy Gomez shares his reasons and passion in continuing to serve his constituents

by Christina M. Oriel / AJPress

On Tuesday, April 4, the special primary in California’s 34th Congressional District is one to watch, as it is considered the first congressional race since last november’s general election.

It’s a crowded field with 23 declared candidates in the running — one of whom is Southern California-native Jimmy Gomez, who has been the assemblymember for the state’s 51st District since 2012.

In the state Assembly, Gomez has worked on issues such as climate change, public health, education, domestic violence and sexual assault prevention, LGBTQ rights and affordable housing, among others. One of his landmark bills was one to increase paid family leave benefits for California’s residents. He also co-authored Assembly Bill 123, alongside Assemblymember Rob Bonta, which requires the State Board of Education to include the roles Filipino-Americans had in the farm worker labor movement.

Running towards the challenge: A conversation with Jimmy Gomez The 34th District — which has been represented by Xavier Becerra for 24 years before he was appointed as California’s attorney general in January — covers parts of central, east and northeast Los Angeles, such as Historic Filipinotown, Downtown, Chinatown, Eagle Rock, Highland Park and Koreatown.

(It is about 65 percent Hispanic and 19 percent Asian).

Along with Becerra’s support, Gomez has received backing from various groups, including the Pilipino American Los Angeles Democrats (PALAD), and other Democratic lawmakers like Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Senator Kamala Harris.

In a recent interview with the Asian Journal, Gomez shared his motivations for Congress and some of the issues he will champion if elected.

Asian Journal: At what point did you decide you wanted to run for Congress?

Jimmy Gomez: After the initial announcement that Xavier Becerra was being appointed to attorney general, [former California Assembly speaker] John Pérez had jumped in and I received a phone call from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti who said I should consider doing this. I actually starting having conversations with my wife Mary, my family, and some of my political allies like California Senate Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, and if he decided that he wasn’t going to run, then I would. I actually thought about it because I enjoy the job that I have now. I enjoy being able to get coffee in my neighborhood and walk around. I know that running for Congress would totally change my life. My wife pretty much said, ‘We need you more now in Congress than ever.’ In history, when you see those big challenges, you have a choice: you either run from it or run towards it. So I decided to run towards the challenge of a Trump administration and having a Republican-controlled Congress. It took me a few days and I gave it some thought as to what I could do differently and if I would be the best candidate.

AJ: What should the Filipino-American community know about your experience and background leading up to the election?

Gomez: Filipino-Americans should know that I’ve been a proven fighter of California’s values in the state Legislature. I’ve passed legislation to expand paid family leave and to encourage and direct more climate change dollars to disadvantaged communities and the communities that are most impacted by pollution so they can have clean air and water.

They should know that I will always fight for all communities.

In the legislature, I’ve worked

Paid family leave is that workers get six weeks off, either to take care of a sick family member or a newborn child. We’ve expanded it here in California Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti shares his endorsement of Gomez’s bid for Congress during a kick off of the campaign. to actually make it work for low-income individuals and immigrants to get in-state well with Assemblymember that’s an issue that most people tuition. People are concerned Rob Bonta to pass Assembly can relate to, Republicans and and we’ve actually seen that Bill 123, which recognized the know, where you have kids that Democrats. There has been Filipino contributions to the some talk on the national level are under DACA not applying farm worker movement. Most through Ivanka Trump, actually, for financial aid or applying to people don’t understand the about the issue of paid family go to schools, so there’s a real close relationship Filipinos leave. There’s some opportunity fear. There are actually 10,000 and Latinos have had over the there, but it’s really to defend less DACA applicants this year decades, especially here in the line on the ACA, which is so you’re seeing an impact.

California. I haven’t forgotten my biggest objective once I get Housing and jobs are also on that and I’m going to take that elected. their minds. with me to Washington and it AJ: If elected, what do you AJ: In terms of health care, would be my honor to reprethink should immigration legisspecifically because a lot of sent the Filipino community Filipino Americans do work in lation look like? in Congress, as it has been in Gomez: In an ideal world, the industry or benefit from the state Legislature. My first we need to go back to comgovernment programs, what Democratic club endorseprehensive immigration reform, ideas would you bring to ment actually came from the where you do have a pathway Congress?

Pilipino American Los Angeles to citizenship for the individuals Gomez: Health care is a Democrats (PALAD) and I’m who have been here for a while. really important issue for me really proud of that.

At the same time, it would have because I grew up without AJ: How has it been the appropriate workforce and health insurance. I know what balancing your current duties worker targets because one of it’s like when kids get sick and as assemblymember with the biggest criticisms of the imthe parents have to decide campaigning? migration system we have now whether to take them to the Gomez: It’s hard because is that it doesn’t leave enough doctor/emergency room and as a state assemblymember, slots for skilled and unskilled pay a bill or do they wait to you don’t get sick or vacation labor to come to the United see if they get better. Often days. You have to show up for States. That’s one of the things your floor session and show up times, they wait too long we should look at. and the kid gets even sicker. for the hearings, which causes AJ: Coming from a family That’s what happened to me me to fly back and forth a lot of immigrants, what’s your when I was about 7 years old between LA and Sacramento. message to other immigrant The government can never take and got sick with pneumonia. communities about the rhetoHealth care has always been a a day off. It’s a challenge, but ric and orders from the Trump personal issue for me and it’s I’ve enjoyed it so far and that’s actually why I worked with the administration? what you sign up for when you Gomez: First, they definitely United nurses Association of get elected.

California to teach nurses how need to know their rights and AJ: While campaigning understand that they don’t have to be the best advocates they in the 34th District, which is to open up for an Immigration can be for their patients and predominately comprised of themselves and I’ve liked work- and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Hispanic and Asian residents, agent without a court order. ing with the nurses, especially what are some of the conThat’s one of the first things we the Filipino ones. The y’re a cerns that they have brought need to make sure that undocuup in conversations with you? big part of our health care delivery system, so I’m thankful mented immigrant communities Gomez: Immigration is a knows and understands—they that they’re here. big issue, but also you have Here in California, we’re not do have rights even if they’re health care, which tends to be not citizens. Second, we have to one of the biggest issues in the going to wait until the ACA is make sure that we start—which repealed. We introduced a bill community. The individuals in the 34th Congressional District to create a single-payer system we are in the state of California—taking the steps to ensure or a public option that allows have been one of the largest people to go through the state that the local and state governbeneficiaries of the Affordable ments’ resources are not being Care Act (ACA) and the expan- for their health insurance. We used in coordination with ICE have to figure out how to pay sion of Medi-Cal, so people raids. Third, one of the things feel, and rightly so, that if there for it but we think that if some is a rollback of the ACA, they’re of the taxes that are in the ACA I think we need to push is that Trump is not just going after are repealed, we can capgoing to lose their health care undocumented immigrants. coverage. It’s very possible. The ture some of those revenues.

Another thing we’re looking at, He’s actually going after legal other issue is access to higher permanent residents (LPRs) as for me, is how do you expand education for immigrants. I well. We have to encourage paid family leave? It’s an issue expanded Assembly Bill 540, them to become citizens bethat I care about in our state. which allows [undocumented]

cause that’s the only way they will feel secure and that their rights will be completely intact for the foreseeable future. In LA County alone, there are about 700,000 LPRs that are eligible to apply for citizenship.

AJ: What are some of your priorities and big events leading up to April?

Gomez: What we’re doing is we’re starting to have community walks out of my campaign office, phone banking and community coffees throughout the district. We’ll have them in Historic Filipinotown, Koreatown, Chinatown, Boyle Heights, Downtown, and northeast LA. They’ll be small gatherings where we’ll talk to individuals about the issues that they care about and they can pretty much ask me anything.

AJ: In addition to protesting and engaging with elected officials, how can Fil-Ams and residents of CD34 continue to be civically involved and why should they vote in the election?

Gomez: We definitely have to stay involved and call out any Trump executive order, regulation or piece of legislation that tries to normalize bigotry, xenophobia and hate.

If we don’t speak up when they actually do it, then people are going to think it’s acceptable, so that’s the first thing we have to do. After that, we have to make sure that 1) if people are not citizens, they become citizens, 2) they register to vote and 3) they actually turn out to vote. In this country, the only time you really have a voice is if you vote at the ballot box.

This special election is the first congressional election since Donald Trump was elected president. We have to send a strong message that people are not going to be apathetic. We’re going to stand up for our values and we’re going to send somebody who’s going to do that in Congress so that’s why it’s important to turn out because people are looking at this district — since we are a minority-majority district — to see how we respond. If we show up in strong numbers, it’s going to send a strong message that we’re, as they said in the Obama days, fired up and ready to go.

Photos courtesy of Jimmy Gomez for Congress

James Reid takes his entertainment 3 music to a different route Robin Nievera: Tunesmith on a dare The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - March 8, 2017

by gaby

gloria Philstar.com

WHeN you see artistas at a shoot, they’re normally surrounded by their pit crew — handlers, makeup artists, and personal assistants, all working at a frantic pace so that the stars can face the cameras, pack up, and move on to their next photoshoot, taping, or guesting. This glam team is the foundation of respectable industry of show business, but they do tend to put artistas on pedestals, intimidating us common folk by creating a physical barrier between us and them.

So you’d understand why it was surreal for this author to come to this particular shoot. It was early in the afternoon at a classic-looking yellow house in Quezon City, and James Reid came in, knocking nonchalantly on the front door. He had driven himself here in a dusty sedan, and he was accompanied only by his friends and collaborators, Paulo Tiongson (@poor.taste on Instagram), and international fashion ed-

by Tinnie

esguerra Philstar.com

James Reid and his friends, Paulo Tiongson and Danyl Geneciran came to discuss something you wouldn’t expect from one of showbiz’ biggest stars: a rebranding.

itor Danyl Geneciran. That’s it — no glam squad, no team, no handlers. Zero frills, 100% chill.

James came to Supreme under a new kind of circumstance.

He didn’t ask us to promote a new movie or teleserye. He and his friends came to discuss something that you wouldn’t expect from one of showbiz’ biggest stars: a rebranding. In the publishing industry, the word “rebranding” is an ominous thing (see: Poise magazine in 13 Going on 30).

But given that James is currently at the top of his game and seemingly enjoying the benefits of his fame, our question was: Why? The emancipation of James James’ answer was Palm Dreams, a forthcoming self-produced album, in which James sings about getting away from it all. James wrore the lyrics for the songs and did the vocals.

He and Paulo, a rapper and music producer, worked on the songs on an old beaten-up laptop, in their homes in australia and the Philippines. Danyl, meanwhile, is an New York-based fashion editor who has worked with eXO’s Sehun, Naomi Campbell, Coco Rocha, and more, and he’s came on board to help

James build his image and style (hopefully, Danyl says, to the KPop star G-Dragon-like levels).

Hearing James and his collaborators talk about their new project is like a shot of adrenaline. They sound ambitious, yes, with big dreams of taking the local culture scene to the global stage. But then again, it’s James Reid we were talking about, and his massive following — combined with his talent — could actually make those dreams a reality. (We’ve heard the tracks, and they are legit.)

Here is our conversation with James, Paulo, and Danyl. We talk about their new work, their long journey towards starting a revolution in the local music industry, and the transformation of James Reid, Filipino heartthrob, into James Reid, global star.

On ‘palm dreams’ Philstar.com: What are the songs generally about?

James Reid: I’ve decided to call [the album] Palm Dreams. It’s about really escaping the city life and getting away from problems, getting away from stress and just being my paradise. and also trying to get out of something that’s so controlled.

Something that’s more liberating, I guess. and that’s the whole idea with the album. I wanted to make something that’s different from my last album. Something that Filipinos can be proud of. and I want to bring it to the international level—the sounds, Continued on Page 4

RaRe is the artist who dares.

In this day and age, where success is gauged by the number of virtual likes and hits, it takes a great deal of courage and conviction to buck trends, shake up the status quo and take the road less traveled.

Robin Nievera is one such artist.

Rather than riding the coattails of his famous kin, he pitched his musical tent on totally unfamiliar and shaky terrain, driven by his deep-seated yearning to find his own sound and nurture his unique musical voice.

It’s a move that has left many music fans scratching their heads in disbelief. Here is a guy who could’ve milked the same triedand-tested pop star formula dry, but chose instead to shed himself of all the trappings of stereotype and clichéd commer-

cial success.

Now older and wiser, Robin summons even more guts as he issues a challenge to fellow artists and musicians with his latest release aptly titled “Dare.”

He explains, “My inspirations for ‘Dare’ are musicians and singers who write music but are never listened to or completely ignored. everyone wants to make it as a songwriter, but everyone says, ‘That won’t work, it’s not masa enough, or not mainstream enough.’ Or my favorite, ‘We don’t have a budget for that kind of recording.’

“The reason I produced all my songs in my bedroom is to show that you don’t need a fancy studio. You don’t need fancy chords or instruments.

You just need to believe in what you write. Stop relying on what worked in other countries. ‘Dare’ was meant for songwriters and producers who feel ignored and

Now older and wiser, Robin summons even more guts as he issues a challenge to fellow artists and musicians with his latest release aptly titled “Dare.”

underappreciated.”

True enough, “Dare’s “carrier singles, “No More Light” and “Love and War,” echo his artistic struggles for the past five years.

Continued on Page 4

4

entertainment

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - March 8, 2017

Robin Nievera: Tunesmith on...

From Page 3 He confesses, “It’s based on my feelings about my career as a musician/singer/producer for the past five years. I sing about how much I have struggled and if I should give up on this career.

I saw it fitting to write these singles because of the irony, that I make a comeback singing

songs about my frustrations.”

While his previous works betray the strong influences of such artists as Dave Matthews, John Mayer and Jason Mraz with their eclectic fusion of blues, rock, folk and grassroots music, Robin’s latest work finds him experimenting with a fresh musical palette.

Robin elaborates, “I try to

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take a different approach with every album I make. “Dare” is the album that’s the easiest to listen to. I usually write my songs on a guitar, and they usually turn out to be very riff-heavy.

For “Dare,” I wrote the songs on a keyboard first, to make my chords easier to listen and sing to. I also used a lot of Pad sounds to give some of the songs a drone-y sound.”

He adds, “I think ‘Dare’ will be the ‘poppiest’ I will ever get with my music. I like music that makes me think. So, the next album I’ll do, I’m gonna go allout with music I write my way. If I ever do a pop song/album, it will be for an artist that asks me for his/her help.”

Thankfully, Robin has found his kindred spirit in R ’n B royalty Jay-R, himself a staunch OPM crusader and record producer whose label is fast becoming the haven of tenacious indie artists.

Robin says, “I’ve been through a number of labels and teams that couldn’t live up to their promises. I totally understood why. I’m not a marketable artist. I like doing my own thing.

With Jay, I like what he was doing. He gave me the freedom to do what I wanted and helped me in areas I wasn’t good with.

“Jay-R is a very good producer. He knows what he wants.

He has mastered the sound he wants to sing for himself. Jay and I have our own opinions about the industry which we talk about occasionally. I am over being disappointed with everything.

I want to be the one to change things. HomeWorkZ has made me very comfortable with my career. I am working with people who feel the same way and want the same things.”

Just like Jay-R, Robin finds himself aligned with their common vision to be more proactive in creating original music.

“I think we have the same mission. Everyone needs to be more proactive if you wanna be in the music scene. It’s going to take more of that original music to make an impact. And that’s what will happen next,” he says.

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Yen Santos on love scene with Piolo Pascual: ‘Kota na ‘ko!’

by Deni

Rose BeRnaRDo Philstar.com

Pascual ‘yun, sinong ‘di kikiligin?”

To relax her, especially for “VERY intense.” the sensitive scenes, Piolo That is how actor Piolo cracked jokes, said Santos.

Pascual described his intimate Since seeing Yen in the TV scenes with “Northern Lights” series “Pure Love” and “All of co-star Yen Santos.

Me,” Piolo had been eyeing “Very sensual si Yen. That’s her to star with him in the new also what I like about her. But movie he co-produced, “Northeverything’s done in good ern Lights.” taste,” he assured in a recent “I believe she has a very press conference for the movie. distinct appearance — very “Kotang kota na po ako! raw…Ang ganda ganda ng Tapos na po ‘yung laban!” Yen exclaimed about her first movie mukha n’ya. She really has a star quality at very pleasant ang ever, where no less than Piolo aura n’ya,” Piolo explained on handpicked her to become his why he singled out Yen among leading lady. the many pretty actresses “Wala na po akong masabi around. kasi sa unang pelikula ko, s’ya Shot in New Zealand and agad ang naka-trabaho ko, kaya Alaska, “Northern Lights” is a thank you, Lord!” shared Yen, who took four shooting days to family drama involving a desobe able to look straight at Piolo. late man, a woman, and a child and their journey toward finding “Naka-ilang takes po ako kasi nauuna ‘yung kilig!” gushed true love.

Piolo believes the movie Yen, who declared that she is is timely as there are many currently single and available. overseas Filipino workers now She admitted that she who are also longing to be their found it hard to act with Piolo. families left in the Philippines.

“S’yempre naman po, Piolo

He said he also experience such yearning whenever he has to be away from his parents to work.

Since he has seen Will Smith’s movie with his son, “In Pursuit of Happyness,” Piolo has also been wanting to do something like it.

The movie’s director, Dondon Santos, who shot the Coco Martin-starrer, “Noy,” loosely based “Northern Lights” on the relationship between Piolo and his son, Iñigo.

Piolo reportedly waived his talent fee for the big-budget flick, which is a joint venture

by Star Cinema, Regal Films and Spring Films. Production teams from New Zealand and Australia were also employed, so the movie was done “like a Hollywood film,” said Piolo.

After taking a footage of the northern lights in Alaska, he learned that it will take another 20 years for the natural phenomenon to occur, so seeing the dancing lights in the movie is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he maintained.

According to mythology, the northern lights are souls of one’s dearly departed, a story also explored in the film.

Piolo looks forward to see the northern lights in the future to do “kalokohan” with his special someone, who is rumored to be actress Shaina Magdayao.

When asked if he is in love right now, Piolo affirmed, “In love.”

After “Northern Lights,” he will co-produce a movie starring Alessandra de Rossi.

James Reid takes his music to a...

From Page 2

the image, the style, and the fashion (everything I’m wearing).

You know, bring it to the next level. Because people deserve it.

When did the idea to make the album come to you?

James: It really just started when I met Paulo. I’ve always wanted to make music and I met Paulo in 2014 and I heard he makes music and I like to sing.

I thought, let’s make an album together, and let’s make some music. I heard his sound, which is an R&B, hip-hop vibe. It’s the sound that I like. So it started a really long time ago, we made a couple of tracks that really were not to be released, they were really for fun. And I thought as I kept writing more songs, I thought, “it’s really possible.”

Then we started on some tracks.

Early this year, I got to record all of them.

What was the process of recording this album like?

James: It was funny. Paulo and I recorded on his computer.

He has a really old interface because he’s not the richest guy. So we’re just in his apartment with a sock over the microphone so it wouldn’t pop and the software was really old so you’d have to drop it to stop the cracking noise.

Paulo: Funny thing about this project is that you’d think it was a really big budget, like an extravagant, crazy thing. But I think 80% of the project was just done

by James and I shirtless with broken aircons in a one-bedroom apartment on a really dirty, broken laptop where the screen wasn’t even functioning. We’d have to plug the HDMI cable into the TV. I didn’t even have a mouse back then. You can have that type of ear and that type of sound, but if you’ve got the talent, you can make it happen.

Pretty much the whole album was made on really cheap Windows laptops with occasional guitar parts for me. And sometimes I’d take James’s voice and put it into programs so it would sound like instruments.

A lot of the electronic music scene is really DIY. There’s no big studios.

Paulo: There’s no division

between us and them. We’re the same guys doing the same thing. And what James and I wanna do is build some bridges and create infrastructure for the indie scene to make it to the world market. Because James has the spotlight. He has the capacity to make everyone drink Milo everyday. Why not use that capacity to make the Philippines prosper artistically? I mean you got good hands, put music in good hands, and let that spread, mga bes.

Seeds of disruption How did you approach your label [Viva] with the idea?

James: I just talked to boss Vic [del Rosario, Jr.] and said I wanted to make my own album with my own producer, and he said go for it. He was completely okay with it. He let me do my own thing with this album. He just has a lot of faith in me.

Did anything trigger your decision to do something different?

James: Everyone feels the same. They feel like it’s so hard for someone to make it big in the music scene and release music that’s artistic, that’s real, that’s not “manufactured” for the masa. I wanted this [album] to be something that people could relate to because it’s cool. Ever since I started making music, it’s a known fact by everyone that the industry constantly needs change.

Paulo: We’re not even just trying to educate the Filipino masa. We’re trying to let them have what they want.

James: What they deserve.

Paulo: Because when you sit down in a jeepney or something, they’re playing really nice English-speaking pop music. They’re listening to Drake, they’re listening to The Weeknd—all the stuff that apparently the market’s not ready for. But they’re absorbing it. So why not let a Filipino face carry that flag and just go, I can do what they’re doing and make it just as good, if not better and say I’m still a Filipino, I belong to you guys. So we’re just letting them have what they always needed.

Danyl, what’s this we hear about a new image for James?

Danyl Geneciran: I think 2017 is the year for change. James has a really good image and branding right now, and he has a loyal following. So, in terms of the branding and the styling, I think the way I would style him would be dressing with creativity and freedom with a hint of adventure. Dressing with individuality.

He’s doing really good music right now, and I wanna help him go beyond that. My plan is to bring this guy to Europe, to fashion week, give him a character in the fashion scene.

Like a K-Pop star. Like GDragon.

Danyl: G-Dragon is a good reference. Like A$AP Rocky, Pharell Williams.

James Reid: There’s been several times where, especially for magazine shoots where my styling has been very adventurous, like the last shoot I did with BJ [Pascual]. It was quite androgynous. I think I pulled it off.

It grabbed peoples’ attention, it hasn’t been done yet in the Philippines where they have an artist with my kind of following be that adventurous, but I like the idea of going beyond walls.

Danyl wants to bring me on an international level. Like designer brands, high fashion, but also street.

What will the fans think?

How do you think the JaDine fans will react to it?

James: I like acting, I do. A lot of it I do for the Jadine fans because they’ve done so much for me. Everything that I do is all for them. Even this music. I know they’re gonna love the music as well. I want to be true to my self.

Especially with the songs and the music videos, it’s my story. With the videos, I expect people to have positive and negative feedback. But I’m really telling the story of my life that happened in the last two, three years. The start of my year, to when I got in the love team, to when me and Nadine got together.

How did Nadine react to the album?

James: She loves it. It’s called “I Love to Love You.” A lot of the songs are actually directed at Nadine, but a lot of them were also written before then.

entertainment

What has changed in Baste Duterte’s life

by MJ

MaRfoRi ManilaTimes.net

PreSidenTiAL son Baste duterte is now more open to join showbiz.

People at the news5 studio were very entertained when presidential son Sebastian “Baste” duterte came by to do an interview with head Luchi Cruz-Valdes on reaksyon, and our show on facebook Live on the news5 features page. He was very laid back, and candid as he answered all our questions.

Baste arrived an hour earlier than the interview at 3 p.m., and he was cutting his fingernails at the conference room, chatting casually as he waited. finally on cam, Baste revealed that he is in a four-year

Baste Duterte

relationship with an old flame now, and that she’s not the mom of his offsprings, Kate necesario or actress ellen Adarna.

We also did a fast talk segment where he revealed he is more of a mama’s boy, and that he’s not sure about how he feels about the fame and attention he’s getting these days. “i don’t know how to feel about that. it’s no big deal talaga.”

He insisted nothing has changed since his father became President, except for freebies in restaurants and on the house drinks at bars.”

“Ang sarap kaya uminom ng libre,” he laughed out loud.

Baste is now focused on his upcoming show with TV5 in May called Lakbai, a reality travel show featuring places and people to spotlight. exciting!

Kris Aquino is balik-Kapuso ConfirMed: Kris Aquino is back ‘where i belong,’ as she puts it, but only with one TV special about cooking and traveling and not a regular show. Kris started her TV career at GMA 7 as co-host of the talk show “Startalk” with Lolit Solis and Boy Abunda (her current manager with whom she later transferred to the Kapamilya network).

not being a GMA contract star, Kris is a blocktimer for a two-hour show that might be aired on the network’s SnBo (Sunday night Box office) slot. She is co-managed by Antonio P. Tuviera (Mr. T.), head of APT entertainment which is not officially connected to GMA and which handles Kris’ ‘digital content.’ (Philstar. com)

Susan Roces refuses to see sister Rosemarie

by Ronnie

CaRRasCo ManilaTimes.net

iii

CoULd iT be true that Susan roces – through a gobetween – had refused to meet up with her sister, former actress rosemarie Sonora who was said to have arrived from the US recently? ever-gracious and cautious with her words, the veteran actress politely told the “mercenary” it would be best for her younger sister not to see her instead.

At the risk of being presumptuous, Vignettes could only surmise Ms. roces’ [valid] reason for her refusal. first of all, how many times has Ms. Sonora reportedly been in town but never to spend a single day to visit her elder sister, or at the very least give the latter a phone call?

Wasn’t there also a flurry of

Susan Roces and Rosemarie Sonora

headlines at the height of 2016’s national campaign period when Ms. Sonora took an emergency Manila-bound flight, supposedly planning to hold a press con to prove she’s not the mother of then-presidential candidate Grace Poe, whose biological roots became one of the issues raised against her?

Moreover, where was Ms. Sonora when her elder sister needed her around so badly?

did Ms. Sonora ever lift a finger to “silence” her daughter Sheryl Cruz who openly questioned Sen. Grace’s qualifications to become the next president?

All these could well be running in Ms. roces’ mind. As such, Vignettes could cannot heap the blame on Ms. roces as it was her younger sister who defied the famous truism that blood is thicker than water.

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Jim Paredes gives Mocha a rest

by Ronnie

CaRRasCo ManilaTimes.net

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for a fleeting moment over the week, showbiz’s focus was deflected from MTrCB board member Mocha Uson and toward Apo Hiking Society member Jim Paredes.

The viral video showing Paredes’ near-hysterics as he angrily—if not in all blatant cockiness—turned to a group of seven barong Tagalog-clad young males who had gone to the 31st edsa People Power celebration in Quezon City to support President duterte must be a sigh of relief for Mocha.

Why? Because firstly, she was spared the flak as a hot topic in showbiz from weeks before; and secondly, she found a multitude of pro-duterte allies in Paredes’ bashers, in and outside the celluloid world.

Having repeatedly seen the

Jim Paredes

video ourselves, we couldn’t help but squawk in disgust over Paredes’ unspeakable lack of respect for one’s political stand in a manner too unbecoming of a respected, reputably schooled artist. [To begin with, didn’t the pro-duterte rallyists realize beforehand the imminent peril once they dared set foot on a “foreign territory?”].

Mocha Uson

Says a celebrity-turnedduterte appointee, “Just who does Mr. Paredes think he is? for his information, not because he took part in the peaceful revolt in edSA 31 years ago means he owns the national highway. edSA belongs to the filipino people, and not to Jim Paredes alone!”

Loud and clear.