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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 26 - No. 59 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages

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Fil-Am Republicans ready for a Donald Trump presidency

Also published in: • Orange County/Inland Empire • Northern California • Las Vegas • New York/ New Jersey

by ChRiSTina

m. oRiel

AJPress

CLeVeLAND — the four-day republican National Convention came to a close on thursday night, July 21, with Donald J. trump “humbly and gracefully” accepting the party’s nomination for president. the 70-year-old real estate billionaire and tV personality delivered a speech that clocked in at 1 hour and 16 minutes, laying out his plans on issues like immi-

gration, national security and job creation.

“People who work hard but no longer have a voice — I am your voice,” trump said, promising to repair Americans’ faith in government leadership. over a year after controversially announcing his candidacy, trump was formally named the party’s nominee on tuesday night, July 19, during a roll call vote. he secured 1,725 of the votes, defying odds that he would not succeed in the race that was

USA

DATELINE US Sec. of State John Kerry to visit Duterte

once crowded with 16 other candidates. for 83-year-old emmanuel tipon, an immigration attorney from honolulu, hawaii, trump’s campaign slogan of “make America Great Again” has resonated with him. “many years ago, America was great. When I came here in the 1960s, it was a country you looked up to. It was peaceful, there was no divisiveness,” he said. “But the America today

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The four-day Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio ended on Thursday, July 21, with Donald J. Trump formally accepting the party’s nomination. After his speech, he was joined on stage by family members and his vice presidential pick, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Trump’s nomination defied odds that he would not rise to the top of the Republican Party’s ticket.

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AJPress photo by Christina M. Oriel

Former Pres. Arroyo free at last

by Reina

TolenTino ManilaTimes.net

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

Us Department of state secretary John Kerry will visit the Philippines from July 26 to 27 as part of his southeast Asian swing to call on Philippine President rodrigo Duterte and foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. to discuss a wide range of cooperation with the new administration. expected in the State secretary John Kerry discussions is the peaceful settlement of disputes in the south China sea following the arbitration award that favored the Philippines’ sovereign rights over strategic waters

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Filipino charged with sexual battery in Glendale PoLICe in Glendale, California charged 28year-old Jose Paolo Baroma with two counts of misdemeanor sexual battery on Wednesday, July 20, for allegedly groping the buttocks of underage students on two separate occasions at Glendale high school. surveillance footage recorded at the school from tuesday, July 12, and friday, July 15, show a man resembling Baroma sneaking up behind victims and fondling them. the man in the video is subsequently seen running away and into the passenger side of a white BmW. After interviewing the suspect, officers believe he acted alone and did not have a getaway driver, according to the Los Angeles Times. two separate people called in with information that led officers to Baroma, who is described as filipino, after images from the video were released to the public. he has no prior criminal record, according to sgt. rob-

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former President and incumbent Pampanga rep. Gloria macapagal-Arroyo left her detention cell at the Veterans memorial medical Center (VmmC) in Quezon City around 6 p.m. on thursday, July 21, free at last after four years in a hospital cell.

Arroyo evaded media personnel waiting for her vehicle to get out of the Veterans’ hospital, and went straight to her home in La Vista subdivision, also in Quezon City. “she felt really, really happy and really Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s convoy arrives at her La Vista Homes village in Quezon City from the Veterans Memorial Medical Center.

Photo by Bob Dungo relieved,” her defense lawyer Laurence Ar-

Aquino slams Arroyo acquittal by auRea

CaliCa Philstar.com

mANILA, Philippines — former president Benigno Aquino III questioned yesterday the supreme Court’s decision to clear his predecessor, Gloria macapagal-Arroyo of the plunder charges filed against her in relation to the Philippine Charity sweepstakes office (PCso) case, saying it was sending the wrong message to the people.

In a statement, Aquino said republic Act No. 1169 or the PCso Charter clearly stated that the agency’s funds could not be reallocated. In the case of Arroyo, the PCso funds were transferred directly to her office while she was president based on a report submitted to the Com-

mission on Audit.

“Now I ask: by ordering the release and exoneration of mrs. Arroyo, what is the supreme Court saying: that nothing anomalous transpired? that no crime happened? that no one should be held to account? that the funds were used properly?” Aquino argued in a statement.

“What is the recourse now of the filipino people, when it is clear that a substantial amount of public funds did not go to the intended services, which would have alleviated the suffering of many of our countrymen?”

Aquino said. the sC ordered the release of Arroyo after it dismissed the charges against her for insufficiency of evidence. Arroyo was charged with plun-

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SioSon AJPress

It seems former eight-division champion manny Pacquiao isn’t about to give up his fighting career just yet.

After a brief rest from the boxing world, Pacquiao will fight inside the ring once again on November 5, according to his long-time boxing promoter Bob Arum.

With a career record of 58 wins and 66 fights, Arum earlier announced that Pacquiao’s boxing career will resume on october 29 but the date was

later ruled out.

Dismissing the possibility of fighting Danny Garcia, Arum revealed that World Boxing organization (WBo) light welterweight champion terence Crawford, World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Viktor Postol and WBo welterweight titleholder Jessie Vargas were the possible contenders to fight Pacquiao.

“A lot of it depends on if manny wants to go down to 140. If he decides to go to 140 and Crawford wins, that could be the fight, but if he says no, says, ‘Because of the senate, I’m not going to be able to get down to 140

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Complaints vs Aquino’s ‘Oplan Exodus’ remain under evaluation

by JoSeph

In a statement, former president Benigno Aquino III said Republic Act No. 1169 or the PCSO Charter clearly stated that the agency’s funds could not be reallocated. In the case of his predecessor, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the PCSO funds were transferred directly to her office while she was president based on a report submitted to the Commission on Audit.

STAR/File photo

Pacquiao’s return to boxing ring set on Nov. 5

by Dana

royo (not related) told reporters. the former president was acquitted by the supreme Court en banc on tuesday, July 19 of plunder charges filed against her by the government of ex-President Benigno s. Aquino 3rd in connection with the alleged misuse of P366 million in intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity sweepstakes office.

Arroyo’s camp said she came out of the VmmC with her family except her husband, former first Gentleman mike Arroyo, who is abroad. the former President went ahead of her lawyers.

comfortably,’ then he’ll fight against Vargas,” Arum told LA Times.

Last April, Pacquiao earlier announced his retirement from his boxing career after winning a 12-round unanimous decision against timothy Bradley Jr. to focus on his political career. he was elected last may as part of the Philippine senate and made it clear that if ever he decided to fight again, he will assure that it will never affect his responsibilities in the government.

Arum said that senate President

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almeR B. peDRaJaS AJPress

omBUDsmAN Conchita Carpiomorales said in a press conference on Wednesday, July 20, that her office is still evaluating the complaints filed against former President Benigno s.

Aquino III. Under the recommendation of former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima, the Aquino administration went through with “oplan exodus” last year in order to capture international terrorist Zulkifli Abdhi (also known as marwan). the botched operation resulted in the deaths 44 special Action force (sAf) troops. morales said that evaluating the raps may take time before being legitimately investigated because of their complexity. “they are under evaluation first before they go under investigation. Not every tom, Dick and harry can file a case and expect that the case should be given due course,” she added.

A day after Aquino left office on June 30, Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) accompanied the parents of the slain sAf troops in filing

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A JULY 23-26, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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

From the Front Page

Fil-Am Republicans ready for a Donald…

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is no longer the America that I came to.”

Tipon was among a handful of Filipino Americans from across the country at the convention this week who said that a Trump presidency would signal a new chapter and restore Republican ideals in the country.

“It’s exciting to be here and I’m relieved that it’s finally over

because it’s been a long road to [the nomination],” said Lei Ann Gleaves, a Fil-Am Trump delegate from Franklin, Tennessee.

Aaron Del Mar, a Fil-Am delegate from Illinois, added, “This is history in the making...This is going to be the first step of the path to victory in November.”

In addition, Trump’s appeal comes from his success as a businessman and his unfiltered

speak.

“Filipino Americans are excited to see someone who has managed a business and will be able to fix the economy as it relates to them,” Ninio Fetalvo, Asian Pacific American press secretary at the RNC, said. “Fil-Ams on a daily basis are worried about jobs and having access to quality education for their children.”

The Fil-Ams the Asian Journal spoke to shared that the Republican principles go hand in hand with those of the Filipino culture: the importance of family, hard work, religion, self-reliance and individual responsibility.

Brunswick, Ohio Mayor Ron Falconi shared that, “Being a Filipino and a Republican is a natural fit. The Republican Party has been nothing but welcoming to me.”

For Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, who is Filipino on his father’s side, identifying as a Republican goes back to the idea of the ‘American Dream,’ which many Filipinos strive for when they move to the United States.

“I think Donald Trump gives Filipino Americans the greatest chance for success. My father, who came from the Philippines, has always believed in the Republican principles of success, self-reliance and hard work.

Donald Trump really embodies those. People don’t realize that Donald Trump has had business successes and failures, and has picked himself back up each time,” Reyes said. “Again, that captures and reflects the spirit of the Fil-Am community. It’s important for Filipino Americans to realize that the decision for

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Pacquiao’s…

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Franklin Drilon gave him permission to train once the country’s budget is settled in mid-October.

“He would train in the Philippines and leave on the 16th to come to the U.S., train for two weeks and then come to Vegas,” Philippine Star quoted Arum.

“The only issue is getting an arena for the fight.”

MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and the Tomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas were considered to host the event, according to Arum. n

GMA SUPPORTERS. upporters of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo gather outside the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City on Wednesday, July 20 to await her release. he Supreme Court on Tuesday, July 19 acquitted Arroyo, now a Pampanga representative, of plunder, but her release papers are yet to be issued.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez

Former Pres. Arroyo free at…

PAGE A1 t The former president was also planning to undergo an executive check-up and spend Thursday night at St. Luke’s Medical Center at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

The former president was escorted by the Philippine National Police’s Police Security and Protection Group, which is tasked to secure VIPs. Seeking medical opinion abroad is also an option for Arroyo, who has cervical spondylosis, a condition of wear and tear affecting spinal disks in the neck.

“I think that’s an option for her because over the course of the

PAGE A1 t

four years we’ve been regularly discussing that option to seek medical treatment abroad,” the lawyer Arroyo said.

‘At peace’ The former leader is reported to be planning to attend the State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday.

The former First Gentleman’s spokesman, Ferdinand Topacio, told reporters outside the VMMC that Arroyo is raring to go back to Congress for legislative work.

Asked if Arroyo harbors ill feelings or anger toward her successor, Aquino, who put her in jail, Topacio replied: “Not that I’ve discerned from our conversation earlier. It seems she is at peace

with herself. I think she’s happy that the ordeal is over and what I hear from her is all about work.”

Topacio also said Arroyo took “in stride” the two-day wait for her release from detention because of the delay in the release of the full text of the Supreme Court ruling.

Former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, an Arroyo appointee forced to resign by the Aquino administration in 2011, said in a statement on Thursday that the SC ruling acquitting Arroyo meant that the former President “is free of charges.”

“We are a nation governed by the rule of law, subject of the law and must have respect for the rule of law,” Gutierrez said. n

another plunder case arising from her alleged involvement in the misuse of PCSO intelligence funds amounting to more than P50 million from 2004 to 2007.

Based on its Charter, Aquino said the PCSO “shall be the principal government agency for raising and providing for funds for health programs, medical assistance and service, and the charities of national character”

and “from the gross receipts from the sale of sweepstakes tickets, whether for sweepstakes races, lotteries, or similar activities, shall be deducted the printing cost of such tickets, which in no case shall exceed two percent of such gross receipts to arrive at the net receipts.”

The net receipts shall be allocated as follows: 55 percent as

Aquino slams Arroyo…

der for allegedly misusing P366 million in PCSO funds during her term, which ended in 2010.

While there are criticisms that the Aquino administration failed to build a strong case against Arroyo, the Office of the Ombudsman said it was studying several options to challenge the SC decision: appeal and seek a reversal of the ruling and possibly file

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From the Front page

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JULY 23-26, 2016

A

Fil-Am Republicans ready for a Donald…

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president sets the tone for the country.”

These similarities are what FilAm Republicans are hoping to convey to others in their respective communities leading up to November.

“Certainly, there are not a whole lot of us who are active in the party. But I feel very blessed to be part of the Republican Party,” Del Mar said. “More Filipinos and Asians, in general, need to get involved more heavily in politics. We have a strong voice and really strong issues, but we need to take the next step toward having a positive future.”

Gleaves said it’s about fixing “the reception problem that the Republicans have with Asians,” while Tipon said it’s about challenging “why so many Filipinos are Democrats.”

“I ask ‘why?’ And they say, ‘to get welfare.’ You mean to tell me, you came to this country to get welfare? Why don’t you work?

Who is going to pay for your welfare? People like me who are still working even though I’m 83 years old. I’m working hard and paying taxes so I can support these people — that’s not fair,” Tipon said.

Immigration matters When it came to immigration, Trump on Thursday vowed to “build a great border wall to stop illegal immigration” and bring back a “lawful” system, to which the audience erupted in applause and led passionate chants of “USA!” and “Build the Wall!”

“My plan is the exact opposite of the radical and dangerous immigration policy of Hillary Clinton. Americans want relief from

uncontrolled immigration. Which is what we have now. Communities want relief. Yet Hillary Clinton is proposing mass amnesty, mass immigration, and mass lawlessness,” he said in his speech.

The GOP nominee’s views on immigration struck a chord with Fil-Am Republicans, who agree that individuals should wait in line and come to the country through legal means.

“Anti-immigrant notions are coming from the left,” Falconi said, asserting “it’s absolutely not true” that the Republican Party is against immigrants.

Fetalvo called it a “shame” that many Filipinos are still waiting for a visa to come to the U.S. “[T]he process is not fair to the people actually waiting in line and trying to do it the right way, similar to how my parents did,” he said.

“Trump just wants to make sure that the process is done in a legal manner. There are so many issues right now with national security and obviously, you can’t automatically say that because one undocumented immigrant committed a crime that relates to [undocumented immigrants] as a whole. But if these issues exist, Mr. Trump wants to [ensure] people at home are safe.”

The Fil-Ams interviewed also said that under Trump, the much-needed, comprehensive immigration reform that many Filipinos families are waiting for will come.

Reyes, whose state was among the 26 that sued the Obama administration, said the president’s executive order on immigration “wasn’t the right avenue.”

Under President Barack

Obama’s plans, which were revealed in November 2014, up to 5 million undocumented immigrants could have been saved from deportation.

Last month, the Supreme Court arrived at a deadlocked 4-4 verdict on the case, leaving the decision to implement Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to the next administration.

The current administration, however, has asked the high court to rehear the case. If the Court accepts the petition, arguments will begin as soon as a ninth justice is sworn in.

“This is a country built because of immigration. My father has contributed much to the country because of his Filipino culture,” the Utah attorney general said.

“But there is a reason why we have laws in place and nobody should be above the law. So I ask [Filipinos] to be patient and let us work with Congress. I’m frustrated too. All of our frustration doesn’t allow us to go above the law and allow us to do things we want to do the wrong way.”

“True immigration reform would allow Filipinos — those who want to be Filipino Americans — a chance to come forward and go through the process right,” he added.

RNC outreach At an Asian Pacific American National Forum on Wednesday, July 20, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Republicans from across the country spoke about why they support the GOP nominee and how to engage their

FOR HELENA. Senate President Franklin Drilon delivers his eulogy during necrological rites for former senator Helena Benitez whose ashes were brought to the Senate Tuesday, July 19. Benitez died last week at the age of 102.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Bob Dungo

Complaints vs Aquino’s ‘Oplan Exodus’…

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complaints against him, Purisima and ex-SAF commander Getulio Napeñas.

The first complaint was filed

by Erlinda Allaga, mother of PO3 Robert Allaga, and Warlito Mejia, father of PO2 Ephraim Mejia.

The second complaint was filed by Julie Faustino Danao, mother of PO2 Walner Danao; Celestino Kiangan, father of PO2 Noble Kiangan; and Felecitas Nacino, mother of PO2 Nicky Nacino.

Allaga and Mejia stated that, “Aquino’s criminal negligence consisted of planning Oplan Exodus with gross and inexcusable negligence and thereafter apu PAGE A4 proved the operation knowing it

Filipino charged…

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Donald Trump with his family at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

Contributed photo by Emmanuel Tippon

ert William of the Glendale Police Department.

Officers arrested Baroma at his residence in Glendale at about 4:40 p.m. on Wednesday.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department records show that he was booked at the Glendale Police department and released at 11:30 p.m. after posting a $50,000 bail.

He is scheduled to appear at the Glendale Municipal Courthouse on the morning of Friday, July 22. If convicted, Baroma could spend up to two years behind bars, and face as much as $4,000 in fines. (By Eric Anthony Licas/AJPress)

was flawed.”

On the other hand, Morales had earlier cleared Aquino from taking accountability over the said issue as he had supposedly ordered the police officials to only take necessary actions.

Morales added that Purisima and Napeñas should instead take responsibility as they abused their power and committed graft.

The Ombudsman emphasized that Purisima was liable for usurpation because he still actively involved in the planning stage of Oplan Exodus, although he was

already suspended from his position that time.

She followed that Napeñas was also at fault after following Purisima’s orders and being the latter’s cohort instead of reporting to the then PNP officer-incharge Leonardo Espina.

Aquino had also blamed Napeñas for disobeying his orders to coordinate with the military and police about the pursuit of the operation.

Meanwhile, Napeñas said that Purisima disobeyed his orders to coordinate with Espina. n

US Sec. of State John Kerry to…

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in South China Sea and junked China’s nine-dash-line claim.

The US official will attend Asean high level meetings in Vientienne, Laos from July 25 to 26 where he is expected to raise issues on sea disputes in South China Sea and denuclearization issues of the Korean Peninsula.

“At these Asean meetings the Secretary will discuss the region’s security architecture and shared transnational challenges including maritime security, Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported fishing, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and the South China Sea,” said a statement of the US Department of State on Wednesday.

Secretary Kerry is attending the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) in Laos where Asean members and key regional powers Austra-

lia, EU, China and Japan gather to discuss security challenges in the region including rising tensions in South China Sea. Also in Laos, secretary Kerry will also attend East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting, the Asean-US Ministerial Meeting and the Lower Mekong Initiative Ministerial Meeting.

Prior to the Asean trip, secretary Kerry will travel to Vienna, Austria on July 22 to join EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and the US Delegation in Vienna for the first day of high-level talks at the Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol.

Kerry will also travel to Paris meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss ongoing efforts to advance a two state solution. (Estrella Torres / Inquirer.net)

A JULY 23-26, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front page

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Aquino slams Arroyo…

fund for the payment of prizes; 30 percent for contributions to the charity fund; and 15 percent for contributions to the operating expenses and capital expenditures of the office.

“Might I emphasize: this is written in the actual charter of the PCSO. Nowhere does it state that the funds of the agency charged to manage sweepstakes and provide charity can be reallocated for actions related to ‘bomb threat, kidnapping, destabilization and terrorism’ or for ‘bilateral and security relation,’” Aquino said.

The President said these were the purposes stated in the accomplishment report forwarded by then PCSO general manager Rosario Uriarte and budget and account manager Benigno Aguas to the COA to justify the transferring of additional funds from PCSO to the Office of the President during the time of Arroyo.

“In total, P365 million was released by PCSO over the course of (three) years, with P244.5 million, as stated in the report of Mr. Aguas, transferred to the Office of the President. The overwhelming bulk of the funds, at 66.9 percent, were used for activities not sanctioned by the Charter of the PCSO,” Aquino said.

No influence While Aquino believed in the strength of the case filed against Arroyo, he belied an accusation that he was using his influence to have his predecessor convicted

before he would step down from office on June 30.

In the first place, Aquino said there was no more vacancy in the SC that he could fill and offer as reward to a Sandiganbayan justice who would convict Arroyo.

Also, Aquino said the Ombudsman had just submitted additional evidence to the SC on June 1 as requested by the high court itself since it would rule on the petition of Arroyo to have her case junked.

“We didn’t expect this to come out this soon. And so when we learned today that the Supreme Court reversed the denial by the Sandiganbayan of the demurrer to evidence, we were surprised and disappointed to say the least,” Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales said.

Morales said among the additional evidence submitted were 600 pieces of documentary evidence and 46 transcripts of stenographic notes on relevant Sandiganbayan hearings on the case.

Aquino said the last one he had to appoint to the SC was the replacement of associate justice Martin Villarama Jr., who decided to retire early in January of this year rather than April.

He said the list of the Judicial and Bar Council did not include a Sandiganbayan justice but only then justice secretary Benjamin Alfredo Caguioa, three Court of Appeals justices and former COA chairperson Maria Gracia PulidoTan. Aquino named Caguioa as

his last appointee to the SC. A former official of the Aquino administration said everything had been set for the conviction of Arroyo by the First Division of the anti-graft court and that Aquino was even set to appoint a Sandiganbayan magistrate to the SC as a reward for it.

But the vacancies in the SC will only occur in December when associate justices Jose Perez and Arturo Brion retire.

Imprisonment “Reviewing RA 1169 and the actions approved by Mrs. Arroyo, one may wonder: were such acts allowable under the law? To answer this question, we can actually glean the spirit of the law in the same Charter, which has penalties for those who utilize PCSO funds beyond what is enumerated,” the former president said.

Section 8 of the PCSO Charter states: “The following shall be punished by imprisonment of not less than one month and not more than three years… Any officer or employee of a hospital or other charitable or hygienic institution or organization who uses funds obtained from the Office under this Act for purposes other than those herein authorized.”

“Second, in a normal corporate setting, a financial officer who does not know how to prepare a budget is either fired or, at least, demoted,” Aquino said, adding this was because any company that was forced to source additional funds, due to incorrect budgeting, would either: lose the expected profit, precisely because a portion of it would be allocated to cover the required amount or suddenly borrow at an interest and thus use its earnings to pay the loan.

“In another instance: when a company has a manager who forces the firm to incur losses or to borrow with interest, only to have what is borrowed left unused, such inept managerial practice is severely penalized.

In the case of the PCSO funds, instead of penalizing those who failed to prepare the right budget, it seems that Mrs. Arroyo actually supported and encouraged poor managerial performance, to the extent that transfers were repeatedly allowed,” Aquino said.

Aquino said any unforeseen event would perhaps make the request for additional funds understandable.

“However, such a practice was tolerated for (three) years, to the

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INVASION. An MMDA ferry maneuvers around thick water hyacinth that occupies majority of the Pasig river along Ayala bridge in Manila, on Monday, July 18. Water hyacinth spreads quickly in any weather condition in the Philippines, especially in dirty water, clogging many water ways.

Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez

112 arrested in four-day ICE sweep ICE agents moved quickly to apprehend a list of 112 recently released inmates because a CaliMORE than 100 people with fornia law prevents police from prior criminal convictions may holding them past the end of face deportation after Immigra- their sentences for immigration tion and Customs Enforcement authorities.

(ICE) officers performed a sweep However, California law enof arrests in Southern California forcement agencies are permitbetween Monday, July 18 and ted to hand those guilty of feloThursday, July 21. nies over to ICE without releasing

by Eric

Anthony LicAs AJPress

them, and many police departments notify federal agents when a non-citizen convicted of a crime leaves custody.

“Hopefully, we get there in time,” David Marin, the Deputy Field Office Director for ICE’s office in Southern California, told the Press-Enterprise. “Every single one of these persons came

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Fil-Am Republicans ready for a Donald…

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communities.

Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus said that the party has “come a long way” in terms of reaching out to AAPIs. “That’s something a competent party should always do.

Unfortunately, for many years, we were just a party that would show up once every four years, three months before an election,” he said. “We couldn’t figure out why our percentage of the vote of AAPI voters kept going lower and lower and lower.”

The RNC has revamped its outreach efforts in the past three years, after seeing that it should continually interact with AAPI communities — not just every

four years or during a midterm election. In 2015, the party launched the Republican Leadership Initiative (RLI), an effort to train millennial and minority voters and spread the party’s values on the grassroots level.

“We’re excited to see Filipino Americans involved with the Republican Party,” Fetalvo said.

“For me, that’s very personal, because as a Filipino American growing up, I didn’t see many people involved in politics.”

Alan Cobb, the Trump campaign’s director of coalitions, announced that the campaign will launch an Asian American advisory committee.

“We’re going to have vigorous Asian American outreach all across the country, but particu-

larly in battleground states,” he told the forum attendees.

Leading up to November, both parties are looking for ways to capture the votes of AAPIs, which “have the potential to be “the margin of victory in critical swing votes during the next six presidential election cycles,” according to 2015 study released

by UCLA and the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies.

On the Democratic side, the party’s four-day convention will begin in Philadelphia on Monday, July 25.

Speakers for the event include President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and several Hollywood celebrities. n

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Dateline USa

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A

Turkey crackdown toll hits 50,000 following failed coup

state-run news agency Anadolu, the government has widened its net to include those employed in TURKEY has now fired, sus- the education sector.

Anadolu reported that at least pended and detained about 50,000 people accused of disloy- 21,000 teachers from private alty to President Recep Tayyip schools have had their licenses Erdogan following the failed revoked, 15,200 personnel from coup attempt by a faction in the the Education Ministry have been Turkish military on Friday, July suspended and are being investigated, while over 2,700 judges 15, according to BBC News.

“We are witnessing a crack- and prosecutors are pending down of exceptional propor- detention and over 1,500 deans tions in Turkey at the moment,” have been asked to resign.

At least 118 generals and adAndrew Gardner, researcher for Amnesty International, told mirals have been detained and the government has eliminated CNN. Journalists, police and judges a third of the general-ranked in have been arrested on the grounds the military, according to a CNN of betrayal. According to Turkey’s report.

by KLArizE

MEdEniLLA AJPress

IN SOLIDARITY WITH FRANCE. French Ambassador Thierry Mathou lights a candle at the foot of a replica of the Eiffel Tower to honor the victims of the truck attack in Nice, France during a vigil at the Alliance Francaise de Manille in Makati on Monday, July 18. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier said that no Filipino was reported injured when armed men drove a truck at full speed through a crowd gathered to watch the fireworks display for Bastille Day, the French Independence Day. Philstar.com photo by Miguel De Guzman

2.4 M gallons of raw sewage pours into LA River, contaminate beaches Beachgoers barred from waters off of Long Beach, parts of Seal Beach

by Eric

Anthony LicAs AJPress

A SEWAGE leak that began on Monday, July 18 sent 2.4 millions gallons of wastewater into the Los Angeles River, prompting the closure of beaches in two Southern California cities ahead of a projected heatwave.

Swimmers, surfers and divers will be barred from waters off the coast of Long Beach and parts of Seal Beach until at least Thursday, July 21, after raw sewage overflowed from an aging sewer line near 6th St. and Mission Road in Boyle Heights, according to the LA Times.

Much of the foul-smelling water spilled into the LA River and, from there, made it’s way to the Southern California shoreline.

Untreated waste gushed into the streets until the underground line was finally fixed on Tuesday, July 19.

“It’s a lot of sewage to consider. This is a fairly large spill.” the Manager of Long Beach’s Bureau of Environmental Health (BEH), Nelson Kerr, told the LA Times.

A portion of a 5-foot sewer pipe collapsed, creating a clog that pushed wastewater aboveground. Maintenance crews man-

aged to repair the 87-year-old pipe late Monday night, but it split open again on Tuesday.

Now, a bypass line has been installed which diverts water around the broken pipe.

“This happening is just a part of the maintenance system,” Assistant Director of Los Angeles Sanitation, Adel Hagekhalil told the LA Times. “Something grows old, you have to repair it or replace it.”

Sanitation workers managed to catch about 750,000 gallons of waste before it reached the river, and officials haven’t received any reports of waste on the shoreline.

The beach closure in the City of Long Beach ordered by the City’s acting health officer, Dr. Mauro Torno, will remain in place until health officials record two consecutive days of clean water samples. Samples taken on Wednesday, July 20, by BEH did not exhibit drastic levels of bacteria, according to the Associated Press.

However, Kerr told the LA Times harmful bacteria and possibly viruses may still be in the water. Officials warned potential beachgoers on Tuesday that they risk eye, ear, or throat infections by swimming in contaminated

US warship visits Manila to boost military, community relations

THE USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) arrived in Manila last Wednesday for a routine port call and to underscore military and community relations with the Philippines.

The visit of the Arleigh Burkeclass guided-missile destroyer will highlight the “strong historic, community, and military connections between the Philippines and the United States,” the US Embassy said in a statement.

“This port visit is an opportunity to experience another culture and act as ambassadors to the Philippines. The importance of our presence here, both at sea and in port, cannot be overstated,” said Lt. Jg. Ben Sleister, Curtis Wilbur’s assistant damage control officer.

During the visit, the sailors of Curtis Wilbur, some of whom

are Filipino-Americans, will participate in community relations projects and sporting events.

Curtis Wilbur and Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5 are on patrol in the 7th Fleet area in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific.

In 2014, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement was signed by the Philippines and the US allowing the latter to rotate troops in the Philippines and build and operate facilities on Philippine bases, for both forces.

The Philippines is a longstanding treaty ally of the United States and became a major non-NATO ally in 2003. For 70 years, Philippines has been partners with the American military in combating counter terrorism and transnational crime. (Kirsten Jamilla, Inquirer.net)

thiS Week in RevieW US NBA moves All-Star Game from North Carolina because of transgender bathroom laws THE National Basketball Association announced Thursday, July 21 that the upcoming All-Star game in February 2017 will not be in Charlotte, North Carolina as previously planned. This decision comes in response to a law passed in March that forces transgender people to use bathrooms corresponding with their birth gender. “While we recognize that the NBA cannot choose the law in every city, state and country in which we do business, we do not believe we can successfully host our All-Star festivities in Charlotte in the climate created by the current law,” a statement by the league said. The Charlotte Hornets, the local team, and the NBA are talking to state lawmakers about changing the law in with the hope of hosting the event in 2019, according to the New York Times. n

Southwest Airlines computer glitch disrupts thousands of flights Southwest Airlines experienced a computer malfunction on Wednesday, July 20, causing the cancellation of about 1,850 flights nationwide. The system-wide technology failure took Southwest’s website offline for several hours, which delayed flights for the next few days. According to USA Today, the airline canceled 700 flights Wednesday, 900 Thursday and 250 Friday. This comes during peak travel season for Southwest, which operates about 3,900 daily flights, hundreds of which suffered additional delays. n

Los Angeles crime increases in 2016

The Los Angeles Police Department released statistics Friday, July 22, showing that violent crime in the first half of 2016 increased 16 percent from the same time span last year. It also showed that property crime increased by 3.8 percent, the number of shooting victims by 1.3 percent and overall crime by 6.3 percent. Also in the statistics, 79 percent of residents “agreed or strongly agreed that officers treat residents in a fair and courteous manner” and 73 percent of residents “somewhat or strongly approve of the job that LAPD is doing”. n

waters.

The Orange County Health Care Agency also decided to restrict access to the waterfront in Seal Beach from the mouth of the San Gabriel River to Anaheim Bay. The closures come amidst predictions of a triple digit heat wave expected to scorch Southern California through the weekend, peaking on Saturday, July 23. n

Twenty-four radio and television companies who have had their licenses revoked on accusations of being linked to Fethullah Gulen, who has been accused of organizing the coup and is living in the U.S. on a selfimposed exile. Erdogan, who has had a shaky relationship with Gulen, has urged the U.S. to extradite Gulen.

“I urge the US government to reject any effort to abuse the extradition process to carry out political vendettas,” Turkish government spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said in a statement.

The crackdown began as soon as the coup subsided, and many

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At least 84 dead in Syria from US-led airstrikes Kurdish and Arab military forces called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

ACCORDING to reports, UnitIt’s unclear whether the aired States-led air strikes targeting strikes were conducted by the areas in Syria occupied by the coalition, but the U.S. military reIslamic State (ISIS) have killed leased a statement on Tuesday, scores of civilians on Tuesday, July 19 that said American warJuly 19. planes conducted 18 airstrikes in The Syrian Observatory for Hu- the last 24 hours around Manbij. man Rights reported that at least The city is considered an essen56 civilians died, including 11 tial supply stop between Raqqa children. The Syrian Institute for and Turkey and has seen an upJustice based in Turkey said that surge of violence since military a total of at least 85 people died, forces entered the city in June. saying that the strikes wiped out A separate statement said that entire families. the SDF had secured the ISIS The air strikes occurred in the headquarters in Manbij. city of Manbij in northern Syria.

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter They are believed to be conduct- said that the coalition will investied by a U.S.-backed coalition of gate the deaths of the dozens of

by KLArizE

MEdEniLLA AJPress

civilians mistaken for jihadists.

“I want to say that we’re aware of the reports of civilian casualties that may be related to recent coalition airstrikes near Manbij city in Syria, which is one of the last junctions connecting Raqqa to the outside world,” Carter said at a press conference in Washington. “Being scrupulously careful to avoid civilian casualties and being transparent about this issue is a reflection of the civilized nature of this coalition.”

The attack has been considered the deadliest attack since the U.S. began its campaign to eliminate ISIS. Since June, coalition airstrikes have left more than 100 civilians dead, according to a CNN report. n

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Hundreds of CA recycling centers underpaid, shut down Legislators say a massive overhaul of the subsidy program is needed, but no plan proposed

by Eric

Anthony LicAs AJPress

OVER 450 out of an estimated 2,100 recycling centers in California went out of business over the past year because state subsidies supporting their operation failed to keep up with rapid decreases in the price of recyclables.

The declining number of recycling centers throughout the state has also led to hundreds of layoffs according to the Associated Press. In addition, some Californians must go further out of their way to redeem a mandatory deposit for the purchase of bottles and cans, which some fear will reduce the amount of recyclables the state manages to collect.

“The extent that consumers give up and put containers in trash or recycling bins, those are people who were denied the opportunity to get their refund,” said the President of the nonprofit Container Recycling Institute, Susan Collins. “We know that is affecting consumers to the tune

of tens of millions of dollars.”

Legislators and recycling advocates say California’s recycling program will need a major overhaul, but lawmakers are yet to agree on a plan to halt future closures. Last month, California’s Senate declined to vote on a band-aid measure approved by the State Assembly aimed at keeping collection centers open.

An agreement between Senate leaders and Gov. Jerry Brown addresses concerns by businesses affected by the closures, but provides no succour to recyclers at risk of going out of business.

Most of the 10 states that collect mandatory deposits for recyclables give centers a fixed handling fee, but California and Hawaii employ payment formulas based on a variety of factors including market value, and the volume of material collected.

Calculations built into the program to account for changes in the cost of glass, aluminium and plastic have failed to adequately compensate center operators, according to Collins. She said

112 arrested in four-day…

PAGE A4 t

here legally or illegally, and they committed a crime.”

The targets of the ICE sweep were either associated with gang activity, had multiple misdemeanor convictions, or were found guilty of at least one serious misdemeanor like a DUI, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The criminal records of some of those arrested list convictions for burglary, sexual offenses against minors, assault with a deadly weapon, and at least one instance of attempted murder against a peace officer.

“What keeps me up at night, other than keeping these officers safe, is that we will not be able to get to these individuals

in time,” said Marin. “Is that person going to commit some other crime?”

ICE agents arrested 56 people in Los Angeles County, 16 in San Bernardino and 13 in Orange County. The remaining 27 arrests took place in Riverside, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties.

Only one individual arrested during the sweep came from the Philippines. The other convicts had migrated from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Egypt, Tonga, Azerbaijan and the UK. Those arrested who have pending deportation orders will be sent to their home countries immediately, while the rest will have to make their cases before an immigration judge. n

the state has underpaid recycling centers by over $50 million.

So far, early statistics suggest the wave of closures has not significantly decreased the total volume of recyclables collected, but recycling rates did fall by one percent in the second half of 2015, according to the AP. Advocates expect that decline to continue into 2016, especially in rural areas that don’t provide curbside pickup.

The Executive Director of Californians Against Waste, Mark Murray, said a lack of access to recycling centers could sour public opinion towards California’s recycling program, which generates 2 out of every 11 beverage containers recycled in the US. “If regular California consumers find it too difficult and inconvenient to redeem and recycle their containers, they may begin to view the program as a tax,” said Murray.”Why am I paying this CRV (California Redemption Value) tax at the grocery store without a path for me to conveniently get my money back?” n

ENDANGERED. The world’s gentle giant is now officially endangered, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said.

The whale shark, also known as “butanding” in the Philippines was included on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species. The group said the status change can be attributed to the growing human pressures. In the Philippines alone, whale sharks are used to propel the tourism industry.

Several killed in Munich shooting

by KLArizE

MEdEniLLA AJPress

AT least nine people were killed and several others were wounded in a shooting rampage that occurred at a shopping center in Munich, Germany on the evening of Friday, July 22, the Munich police confirmed, as of press time.

Munich police are following eyewitness accounts that said there were at least three armed suspects for the attack at Olympia-Einkaufszentrum mall, which officials are treating as a suspected terrorist attack, according to a statement released by Munich police.

Of the nine dead, one may possibly one of the shooters, according to the Associated Press.

“We are categorizing this as a terrorist attack only in our response of freeing up the largest possible force to handle the situation,” a spokesperson for the Former President Aquino police told the media.

The shooting began around 5:50 p.m. at a McDonald’s restaurant across the street from the mall, police spokeswoman ClauPAGE A4 t extent that the letters of request dia Küntzel said in a conference.

An eyewitness told CNN that issued by Mrs. Uriarte to Mrs. Arroyo appeared to be very for- her son saw one of the gunmen loading up a firearm in the Mcmatted,” Aquino said.

“I wonder: what kind of su- Donald’s bathroom.

“That’s where he loaded his perior espouses such practice?

How does one justify mismanagement to such a degree? With Mrs. Arroyo giving acquiescence and approval, doesn’t this make PAGE A5 t her also accountable?” Aquino are speaking out against it.

Amnesty International urged asked.

When they came into office, the government not to “arbiAquino said the board he ap- trarily restrict the freedom of pointed to the PCSO, in one of expression,” after authorities their earlier meetings, put for- seized press credentials of 34 ward this problem: a number of journalists.

Turkey’s state-run broadcast hospitals did not accept PCSO promissory notes and guarantee station TRT, which first broke letters, due to the long-standing news of the coup, lost 370 staff members. arrears from the agency.

“Turkey’s people are still reel“Case in point: data covering 2003 to 2010 show that P71.39 ing from the shocking events of million was needed for 1,920 the weekend and it is vital that cases that had guarantee let- press freedom and the unhinters. One cannot help but think: dered circulation of information if P365 million was used for its are protected, rather than stiintended purpose, how many of fled,” Gardner said.

The failed coup attempt left at our countrymen could have been afforded the basic and necessary least 290 people dead and over service that they deserve?” Aqui- 1,400 wounded.

On Wednesday, July 20, Erdono pointed out. n

Aquino…

weapon,” the eyewitness who only went by Lauretta told CNN over the phone. “I hear like an alarm and boom, boom, boom…

And he’s still killing the children.

The children were sitting to ear.

They can’t run.”

Lauretta added that she heard the gunman say, “Allahu Akbar,” or God is great.

“I know this because I’m Muslim. I hear this, and I only cry,” she said.

Another eyewitness, Lynn Stein, told CNN that she heard six of seven gunshots inside the mall where she works.

“People were very confused, and they were running and they were screaming,” she said.

The attack prompted the city to shut down public transportation and traffic. Several major roads in the usually bustling Munich were empty as Munich police cited eyewitness reports of at least three shooters. As the operation was still unfolding, Munich asked the public to seize sharing videos or images on the internet of the attack or victims.

“Don’t help the perpetrators!!!” they warned on Twitter.

A video of a man opening fire outside a McDonald’s restaurant has been circulating social media as the shooting transpired. Another video showed a shooter - it

was unclear whether it was the same one - firing a gun on top of a parking garage.

No suspects are in custody yet, as of press time. The shooters are still on the run.

The shooting occurred days after an ISIS-inspired teenager wielding an ax went on a stabbing rampage on a train in Germany on Monday, July 18.

President Barack Obama was briefed on the attack and expressed support for Munich.

“We don’t yet know exactly what’s happening there, but obviously, our hearts go out to those who may have been injured,” he said before speaking at a meeting at the White House. “It’s still an active situation, and Germany is one of our closest allies, and so we are going to pledge all of the support that they may need in dealing with these circumstances.”

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump also released a statement following the shooting.

“Our prayers are with all those affected by the horrible attacks in Munich. This cannot continue.

The rise of terrorism threatens the way of life for all civilized people, and we must do everything in our power to keep it from our shores,” the statement said. n

Turkey crackdown toll hits 50,000…

7/26/16

gan declared a three-month state of emergency to allow the government to write legislation and restrict citizens’ rights without challenge from parliament and constitutional court.

Erdogan assured that daily life will not be affected by the state of emergency and that the government is only investigating the root of the issue. He added that it will, in fact, preserve democracy and the rights of the people.

Other nations have expressed criticism over the president’s purge of accused renegades, citing his increasingly authoritarian ways.

French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Marc Ayrault urged Erdogan to respect the law, insisting that mass sacking of in-

dividuals accused of disloyalty does not represent a democracy.

“We had to condemn the coup in Turkey, this is the least we could do,” Jean-Marc Ayrault told France 3 TV channel on Sunday, July 17. “[But] we want the rule of law to function fully, this is no carte blanche for Erdogan,” Ayrault said.

However, Erdogan has been adamant about his plans and told the French foreign minister to “mind his own business.”

U.S. President Barack Obama, however, expressed words of support to the Turkish president.

According to a New York Times report, Obama and Erdogan exchanged phone calls in the aftermath of the coup in which Obama applauded the Turkish president’s “resilience.” n

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Dateline PDuterte hiliPPines expected to detail

A

socio-economic agenda in SONA

ees.

“Policemen are looking forward to this increase given their MANILA, Philippines — Sen- role of fulfilling the President’s ate President Franklin Drilon is anti-criminality campaign,” Drilexpecting President Duterte to on said. provide details on how he would On traffic problem, the senator fulfill his 10-point socio-econom- wants to know the specific powic agenda in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 25.

Drilon, who is expected to step down as Senate president when the 17th Congress opens plenary sessions on Monday, said he wanted to know how the President intends to improve the social protection programs like the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or the conditional cash transfer.

He said he wants to hear Duterte’s plans to finance the proposed increase in the minimum monthly salary of policemen to P50,000 and the pension of Social Security System retirby Marvin

Sy

Philstar.com

INTRUSION. China flew its nuclear-capable bomber over the Scarborough Shoal a few days after the arbitration court issued its decision on the South China Sea dispute last week. The China’s State Council Information Office posted on Twitter last Friday the photos of the bomber, the H-6K, flying over the contested shoal. The photo release comes after the much-awaited ruling in The Hague, Netherlands last week. The tribunal said that China’s nine-dash claims had no legal basis. Screengrab from China’s State Council Information Office Twitter page

Average 10 people killed daily in war on drugs

by CeCille

Suerte Philstar.com

Felipe

MANILA, Philippines – In the 20 days since President Duterte took office, about 10 drug personalities were killed daily all over the country.

Records of the Philippine National Police (PNP) show that 207 suspected drug pushers and users were killed from July 1 to 20.

PNP records also show that 2,789 drug pushers and users were arrested while 114,833 surrendered during Duterte’s first 20 days in office.

Police conducted 61,806 house visitations to warn drug suspects.

PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Friday, July 22 led the Special Action Force to the New Bilibid Prison to crack down on drug lords dictating the

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ers that the President wants Congress to grant him.

He filed Senate Bill 11 or the Transportation Crisis Act, which seeks to grant emergency powers to the President to resolve the traffic problem in Metro Manila

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OpiniOn

Features

Long suffering

SHE’S suffered enough, supporters of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said, after the Supreme Court cleared her of plunder in connection with the alleged misuse of P366 million in intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. The SC had earlier stopped the Sandiganbayan from trying the PCSO case.

As of late yesterday afternoon, Arroyo was still undergoing processing for her release from the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, where she has been held without bail for four years while being tried by the Sandiganbayan.

The “hospital arrest” was allowed by the anti-graft court because of the health problems suffered by Arroyo.

Her legal woes are not yet over. The Office of the Ombudsman has announced plans to file another plunder complaint related to the PCSO funds.

This is apart from appealing the SC ruling, which cleared Arroyo even before the Sandiganbayan had ruled on the case. Legal circles are discussing the impact of this trend in adjudication.

Citing insufficiency of evidence, the SC had overturned the Sandiganbayan’s rejection of Arroyo’s demurrer to evidence or petition to dismiss the case before the trial is over. The SC decision prompted justice secretary-turned-senator Leila de Lima to comment that the SC has assumed the

role of trier of facts.

Legal experts will have to sort this out, but it certainly sped up the litigation. The normal process, as far as laymen are concerned, is for a case to go through a trial court, and then to the Court of Appeals before going to the SC. Ousted president Joseph Estrada was held for six years before he was convicted of plunder by the Sandiganbayan.

Arroyo’s legal team, led by former solicitor general Estelito Mendoza, argued for a way to speed up the resolution of the case.

If the process can be speeded up, the SC should find other ways of resolving cases faster throughout the judiciary. Even those who can’t afford the services of Estelito Mendoza should be able to enjoy quicker adjudication of their cases. If even a former president and incumbent member of Congress can languish in detention for four years, think of the much longer wait for ordinary defendants. They have also suffered enough. (Philstar.com)

Guest Editorial

Philstar.com photo

POLL RESULT: Many Fil-Ams disagree with the Supreme Court decision to set Arroyo free for plunder charges AFTER being on hospital arrest for almost four years, former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has been released, after the Supreme Court (SC) of the Philippines ruled that there is no sufficient evidence to convict her of plunder.

However, an overwhelming majority of Filipinos in America (78 percent), who voted in The Filipino Channel’s “Balitang America” viewers online poll disagree with the ruling.

Even former President Benigno Aquino III — Arroyo’s successor and under whose term the plunder charges against her were filed before the Sandiganbayan — questioned the highest court’s ruling.

As ABS-CBN News reported, Aquino raised questions on the SC’s decision “to grant her petition for a demurrer to evidence in connection with her case involving nearly P366 million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) funds.”

The highest court of the land ruled in an 114 vote that “there was no sufficient evidence to

P365 million transferred to sustain Arroyo’s indictment for Arroyo’s office was used for plunder and prove the existence The Fil-Am its intended purpose. of a conspiracy among the for“Now I ask: By ordering the mer president and PCSO officials, Perspective release and exoneration of Mrs. adding that the Sandiganbayan Arroyo, what is the Supreme was guilty of grave abuse of disCourt saying: That nothing cretion.” anomalous transpired? That no Driven by his campaign promise crime happened? That no one of steering the Philippine govern- Gel SantoS-ReloS should be held to account? That ment toward “Daang Matuwid” by making even the big fishes in government pay for the funds were used properly?

“What is the recourse now of the Filipino peotheir abuse of power and corruption while in public office, Aquino scrutinized the rationale behind the ple, when it is clear that a substantial amount of public funds did not go to the intended services, SC decision that would set his predecessor free.

Aquino contended that nowhere in the PCSO’s which would have alleviated the suffering of many Charter is it stated that the agency’s funds can be of our countrymen?” Aquino said, as quoted by reallocated for actions related to “bomb threat, ABS-CBN News.

This writer opines that Arroyo’s legal defense kidnapping, destabilization and terrorism” or for was strengthened by the 2015 ruling of the Unit“bilateral and security relation.”

The former president pondered on how many ed Nations High Commission on Human Rights Filipinos could have been afforded the basic Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. This inand necessary service that they deserve if the cluded the recommendation for compensation

after finding that Arroyo’s human rights were violated and that she was the victim of political persecution. The fact that actor George Clooney’s wife Amal Clooney represented Arroyo could have also helped put a global spotlight on this case.

Arroyo’s counsel Lorenzo Gadon said in an ABS-CBN News report that Arroyo should go after the people who got her in this predicament in the first place.

Now that she is free, Rep. Gloria MacapagalArroyo looks forward to going back to work and completing her term as representative of the Second District of Pampanga.

Do you agree with the Supreme Court’s ruling that orders the release of Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and clears her of plunder? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www. facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

Reclaiming Spratlys won’t happen in our lifetime LAST July 12 my wife and I joined a Street demonstration outside the Chinese consulate Talk in San Francisco to add to the loud voices demanding that China vacate the areas in the GreG B. MacaBenta South China Sea over which the Philippines has “sovereign rights,” based on the decision handed down that day by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague.

The demonstration was organized

by US Pinoys for Good Governance, a national organization in America that was among the very first to protest China’s occupation of areas in the Spratlys claimed by the Philippines, based on the provisions of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The July 12 demonstration was a symbolic serving of an eviction notice on China.

The PCA decision, based on a suit filed by the Philippine government, dismissed as lacking in merit China’s supposedly historic rights over the contested territory. According to USPGG, the basis of that claim, expressed as a “nine-dot-line” encompassing most of the South China Sea, is as valid as if the descendants of Genghis Khan were to claim sovereignty over territories that once constituted the Mongol Empire.

To be blunt about it, the PCA, in effect, told China to stuff its nine-dotline thesis up its behind. Doubtless, that decision made China lose face – something that Asians place a lot of importance on – and it gave us, the demonstrators, a great deal of psychic pleasure.

According to those who claim deeper insights on the controversy, that’s about all that the Philippines can hope to achieve in the wake of the PCA decision. The skeptics have scoffed at the Philippines’ mice-like attempts to contend with the gigantic Chinese dragon, asserting that the millions of dollars paid to the international lawyers to

argue the Philippine case could have been put to much better use. They have echoed the Chinese line that the PCA decision was written on a useless scrap of paper which Beijing will never honor and no country is capable of enforcing anyway, much less the Philippines.

According to the skeptics, our puny military would be blown away by the Chinese in a day. But those who subscribe to Pinoy machismo insist that it’s better to go down fighting than to allow invaders to trample our sacred shores, to paraphrase the original English lyrics of the Philippine national anthem The Tagalog lyrics are even more explicit: “Aming ligaya na pag may mangaapi ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo.”

Of course, some of that machismo is based on the hope that, when push comes to shove, the United States will come to the aid of its long-time ally and cut off the tail of the dragon. They are basing this hope on treaties and public declarations of firm support by American officialdom.

At this, the skeptics – specifically those on the Left – are quick to point out America will not necessarily defend the Philippines unless its own interests are jeopardized. They also point out, quite rightly, that China has been – and will continue to be – very careful in treading lightly around US economic, political and military interests, so as not to unduly upset Uncle Sam. In fact, they point out that America has also been tiptoeing around China’s interests and has been careful not to knock off the chip on China’s shoulder.

For this reason, US and Chinese military brass have been in constant “consultations” to make sure that no one pulls a trigger unnecessarily.

On the other hand, the US has ostensibly been using the Philippines

to keep China off balance, embarrass it before the international community and continue to make it lose face, while claiming to maintain a neutral position on the dispute. Apparently China also thinks so, having accused the US of manipulating the PCA in deciding against China.

Those who consider themselves pragmatists insist that the most realistic approach to the problem is to agree – or offer – to exploit the oil and natural gas resources of the area, using Chinese funds and technology. Our country could thus derive benefits from them, rather than none at all. It’s the classic half-a-loaf approach. They believe that this is a win-win approach.

However, those who oppose this approach characterize it as lying back and enjoying rape if it is inevitable.

The new government of President Rodrigo Duterte, on the other hand, has swung from resolute self-righteousness (We will not give up an inch of Philippine territory) to downright pragmatism (War with China is out of the question; no way we could win) to being conciliatory (Let’s not gloat over our PCA victory and let’s not make China lose face), to being practical (Why not join hands to develop the area?).

In sum, the Philippine government is unsure of how to handle the situation.

Newly-designated Solicitor General Jose Calida tried to state with a straight face that the government is in “in consultation with experts” to determine “the right response at the right time.”

One pundit described the position of the Duterte government as follows: “We will not stand for it. We will not take it sitting down. And we will not take it lying down.”

Duterte’s plan to send former President Fidel V. Ramos to China as a friendly emissary to find a way around the dispute has been described by the same pundits as “giving the impression of doing something while actually doing nothing.” They also warn that Ramos will end up being a scape goat,

for failing to gain any concessions from the Chinese, while Duterte will be able to rightly say that “he tried.”

Some months ago, while representatives of the Aquino government, led by then Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, were still arguing its case before the PCA, a group of us in San Francisco managed to get the insights of Consul General Henry Bensurto, Jr. on the dispute with China. Prior to his posting in San Francisco, Bensurto was part of the Philippine team that filed the arbitration case against China. He was Assistant Secretary of the West Philippine Sea Center (WPSC) in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Secretary-General of the Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs Secretariat (CMOAS), a coordinating body on the Law of the Sea and other maritime concerns.

Like a seasoned diplomat, Bensurto declined to make a definitive statement about the status of the dispute before the arbitral tribunal and any insights that he shared with us on the options of the Philippine government were considered off the record.

But this much we gathered, not necessarily from what Bensurto revealed to us as from what we deduced, based on his insights and ours: 1. US interests are being threatened by China’s aggressiveness in the Spratlys. American involvement, while ostensibly in aid of its ally, the Philippines, as well as other affected friendly Asian nations, will mainly be in order to protect US interests. This is a reality that the Philippines must face. It won’t be for love of Little Brown Brother that America will go to war with China – if it has to - but for Yankee economic, political and military interests. But the Philippines has benefited from having America standing by it – whatever the psudo-nationalists and the Leftists say.

Do they think that China would even bother to humor us with an offer of joint exploration if this were not the case?

2. Neither the US nor China is particularly eager to pull the trigger. It’s a colossal game of chicken. China must dutifully rattle its sabers (or lose more face than it already has lost) but it will apply the tactic that has been variously described as the “cabbage approach” and the “salami-slicing approach,” namely to subtly and progressively assert its dominance of the South China Sea, until the US feels really threatened. And then, like a sly fox, China will back off and bide its time. Biding its time is what China has been doing in reclaiming its territories. First Hong Kong. And, eventually, Taiwan. But the end game, if the US and China can help it, will not be war but a détente similar to that arranged between North and South Korea to end the Korean War. Before that happens, the Philippines must watch out for its own interests.

3. The wise thing for the Philippine government to do is not to show its hand. It must sound publicly conciliatory while remaining firm in its position. In the process, allow China to save face, but never be under any illusion that this will gain any concessions from the Chinese. On the other hand, the Philippines should try to extract whatever benefits it can out of a détente with China, fully aware that we are dealing with a sly fox – nay, a snake.

4. In this regard, the Philippines must also learn to play the waiting game, as well as its own version of the salami-slicing approach. From this perspective, significant gains have already been made in the efforts of the Philippines to assert its sovereignty over its part of the Spratlys. But while patriotic Pinoys may want to commemorate the July 12 PCA “triumph” by annually staging a demonstration outside Chinese embassies and consulates around the world, we should be prepared to teach our children and grandchildren to keep the torch burning.

I I don’t think we can evict the Chinese bully in our lifetime. (gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JULY 23-26, 2016

A

PH rejects bilateral talks with China outside court ruling

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

The Philippines turned down proposals from China to hold bilateral negotiations outside international tribunal’s ruling last week over the West Philippine (South China) Sea dispute. The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The hague concluded last week that China’s territorial claims concerning the “ninedash line� has no legal basis.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay told ABS-CBN that he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the Asia-euFETED. Navy and Marine personnel who recently came home after being deployed in Ayungin Shoal in the South China Sea were awarded rope meeting in Mongolia last with the Military Merit Medal in Palawan on Friday, for their sacrifices in securing the country’s sovereignty.

Western Command photo weekend. he said that they informally discussed the possibilities of having bilateral talks regard- Pres. Rodrigo Duterte and Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay ing the disputed territories. disregard of the arbitration rul- continues to insist on the tribuhowever, he rejected the offer nal’s ruling. ing,� Yasay told ANC. which was made of sliced fried Barrios, or Junelie Otero BarriPAGE A7 t “They said that if you will insist “I told him that this is someos in real life, has started rehears- bananas coated with batter, after Wang insisted that the triand other urban areas. bunal’s decision last week should on the ruling and discussing it thing that was not consistent with Duterte prefers the sliced bahe also filed a bill calling for ing the “Lupang hinirang� at the be disregarded and not be men- our constitution and our national along those lines, then we might the convening of a constitutional house plenary hall, according to nanas fried simply and rolled in tioned during the talk. be headed for a confrontation but interest.� convention to propose amend- house deputy secretary general sugar. “They had asked us also to Yasay also mentioned that I really honestly feel that this is A confirmed reservation for the for legislative operations Artemio ments to the Constitution.

SONA menu showed no mention open ourselves for bilateral ne- Wang warned him of possible something that they had to make “We would like to hear his Adasa Jr. u PAGE A10 She originally sang the of banana fritters although it had gotiations but outside of and in confrontations if the Philippines views on this. We also filed Senmonggo, pan de sal with kesong ate Bill No. 226 or the Political “Bagong Umaga� campaign Party Systems Act and Senate Bill jingle of Sen. Francis escudero puti and fresh lumpiang ubod, No. 230 or the Anti-Political Dy- when he planned to join the May which were also served during nasty Act. I expect him to touch 2010 presidential race but with- the inaugural.

Also included in the SONA on some of these items which we drew later on. escudero’s running mate menu are native chips with saltwould like to think are included in the 10-point socio-economic Grace Poe used the same cam- ed duck egg dressing, empanadiagenda that he has outlined,� paign jingle for the May 9 elec- tas, sotong goreng or calamares tossed in chili and bell pepper, tions.

Drilon said.

Barrios debuted as a solo sing- crispy triangles or chicken adobo “There’s a lot of work to do in the years ahead. As early as a er in 1997 album with Bayang flakes with mushrooms, penne month ago, we settled the lead- Makulay and was previously as- with crab fat sauce, balut pâtĂŠ ership issue in the Senate so the sociated with Bagong Lumad in profiteroles and chicken skin stability in the Senate leadership band of Filipino music icon Joey cracklings. “There’s a substantial reducwould enable us to concentrate Ayala.

Adasa said the public could ex- tion to the cost, maybe we have on the measures that we would -HǼ 3 0RUJDQ ,QV $JF\ ,QF like to push in the first year of pect a short presidential message reduced our expenses to more When you have a State FarmŽ agent, you can rest easy -HǼ 0RUJDQ $JHQW the Duterte administration,� he since Duterte will be doing away than P200,000. We also simpliknowing you have the protection you need – and that with the traditional handshaking fied the menu,� Adasa said. added.

Insurance Lic#: 0743918 While business attire will be you’re not paying too much. Now that’s Smart!

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, who with lawmakers and other VIPs 4087 Long Beach Blvd the dress code for the event, the is seen to replace Drilon as Sen- or very important persons.

Long Beach, CA 90807 GET TO A BETTER STATE™.

At least 3,000 officials includ- red carpet has been placed in ate president, expects to hear the CALL FOR A QUOTE 24/7. priority legislation of the Presi- ing ex-presidents and vice presi- the south and north wing of the dent during the SONA, including dents, senators, Cabinet secre- Batasan complex to honor the taries, congressmen, members guests. the shift to federalism.

Class suspension “I’m sure he will mention his of the diplomatic corps, goverThe Quezon City government all-out war against drugs, crime nors and mayors are expected to has suspended classes in all levattend the SONA. and corruption,� Pimentel said. els on Monday in anticipation No maruya he expressed hope that Food expenses will be minimal of heavy traffic due to the PresDuterte would mention the inand are not as expensive com- ident’s SONA. come tax reform in his SONA. “Traffic is expected to be heavy pared to previous SONAs. National anthem Duterte’s favorite comfort food in Quezon City on that day, espeBayang Barrios, a musician and singer from Bunawan in maruya or fried sliced bananas, cially in areas near the Batasang Agusan del Sur, will sing the na- which was served during his in- Pambansa where the President tional anthem during the SONA, auguration, will not be included will speak before the joint sesState Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Indemnity Company, sion of Congress,� an advisory 1101264.1 an official from the house of in the SONA menu.

Bloomington, IL Unlike the inaugural maruya, from the city government said. n Representatives said.

Duterte expected to detail‌

Street Smart.

A10 JULY 23-26, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Dateline PHiliPPineS

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Alunan could be special envoy to China if FVR turns down offer

by Camille

Diola Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte will ask former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan III to become special envoy to China if former President Fidel Ramos declines the offer. “(Alunan) knows his business,” Duterte said in his speech on Friday before troops at Camp Siongco in Maguindanao, which was streamed online.

Ramos said earlier this week that medical issues and other commitments might make him refuse to initiate diplomatic talks with China in the wake of the Philippines’ victory in its arbitration case against China. Last week, the tribunal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and based in the Hague ruled that China’s nine-dash line claim over the key trade route is baseless.

“What if I conk out (in the middle of my work)? That would paint a poor picture of our nation after all the advance publicity you’ve made (of me as special envoy),” he said at a media forum in Manila.

Still, Ramos said he will meet with Duterte this weekend to get his “mission orders” as special envoy. Ramos is expected to an-

In this photo released on March 31, 2016, senatorial candidate Rafael Alunan III and then presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte pose with clenched fists, the campaign gesture of Duterte’s camp. Alunan was Interior secretary under President Fidel Ramos. Alunan campaign/Released

nounce his decision whether to take the job after the meeting.

Alunan surprised Harvard-educated Alunan, who was defeated in the senatorial race in May, has been outspoken against China’s intrusion into Philippine waters in the West Philippine Sea, part of the disputed South China Sea. Asked whether he is willing to be a high-level emissary to China, Alunan said he is not yet aware of Duterte’s plan.

“That comes as a surprise to me. I have not been advised of it

by the [Office of the President],” Alunan said in a message to PhilSONA PREPARATIONS. A worker cleans the session hall of the House of Representatives yesterday in preparation for President Duterte’s star.com. first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 25. Incoming Department of Finance spokesperson Paola Alvarez said yesterday Alunan, who was Interior secthe SONA could focus on the details of the 10-point agenda reported earlier, including the drive for constitutional change to allow a shift retary of Ramos, said the former to a federal form of government and the revival of the death penalty, although details are still not available. president is the “best” choice for Philstar.com photo by Boy Santos the position because of his deep knowledge of the culture of China and of the United States.

“Hiningi ko sa kanya kung maari akong maging taga-bitbit cations for transfer (OVF No. 1-B) abroad to the local registry. by mayen Jaymalin ng kanyang briefcase para makaMeanwhile, the Comelec reitat the Office for Overseas Voting Philstar.com front row osyoso ako sa ugnayerated that locally registered vot(OFOV), Office of the Election Ofan,” Alunan said on Facebook MANILA, Philippines – Filipi- ficer (OEO), or at the Philippine ers are not allowed to apply for following Duterte’s announcenos abroad are now allowed to embassy or consulate, the poll transfer at this time. ment. n register in the local list of voters body said.

Comelec spokesman James Jiand participate in the coming It stressed, however, that only menez said the only transfer albarangay and Sangguniang Ka- those who can vote in their resi- lowed for the barangay and SK bataan (SK) elections. dence indicated in their original elections is from overseas voting In a resolution, the Commis- application for registration can to local.

“No applications for transfer poor (55 percent) — in its first sion on Elections (Comelec) said transfer to the local registry.

“This resolution is not ap- of registration records from othsix months in office. Forty-eight it allows overseas absentee votpercent would like the new ad- ers (OAV) to transfer their regis- plicable to overseas voters, er district/city/municipality, and ministration to immediately ad- tration to local voters’ lists so as who will apply for transfer of transfer of registration records dress the problem of criminality not to deprive them of their con- registration, other than his/her within the same city/municipalstitutional right of suffrage. residence as indicated in OVF ity, shall be entertained,” the in the country.

It said overseas workers want- No. 1 or as recorded in the lo- Comelec said in a resolution.

Last week, the Social Weather Comelec Chairman Andres Stations also released the results ing to vote in the barangay and cal Certified List of Voters,” the Bautista said they disallowed of its nationwide trust rating SK elections may file their appli- Comelec noted.

Earlier, a number of overseas transfer of local voters because poll conducted from June 24-27 cations for transfer of registration showing that Duterte gained 84 during the period of registration voters asked the Comelec to al- it is being used to pack the balow them to transfer their regis- rangay with relatives of the canpercent trust rating while only 5 from July 15 to 30.

Applicants may file their appli- trations from the Philippine post didates. n percent had “little trust” in him for an “excellent” net trust rating of +79.

Pulse Asia President Ronnie Holmes said that based on hisby Catherine S. Valente tory most presidents obtain high ManilaTimes.net ratings during their first week in office, and usually, it is the PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte highest they can get throughout wants to deploy up to 20,000 their term.

“This is the highest numeri- more soldiers to put an end to cally (trust ratings during the terrorist attacks and kidnappings first week). It’s been high for of foreigners in Mindanao.

Meeting with top military and most presidents,” Holmes police officials at the Armed said. n Forces’ Western Mindanao headquarters in Zamboanga City, Duterte said more government troops are needed to put an end to “embarrassing” terrorism in the country.

“It started many, many years ago. It’s like we’re being slapped I’M WITH YOU. President Rodrigo Duterte poses for a group mobile phone camera photo on the face, every time there is a with health workers at Camp Navarro General Hospital in Zamboanga City on Friday. Duterte foreigner executed or a local … promised to raise salaries of the military and the police in a year.

Malacañang photo it embarrasses the country,” the (BBL) granting larger autonomy boanga City.

President said.

Meanwhile, Duterte reiterated to Muslim areas of Mindanao re“One day we’ll just have to decide and one day we’ll just have his promise to sell the presiden- mains an option, to finally bring to say, ‘we’ll finish everything.’ tial yacht BRP Ang Pangulo, al- peace to the island.

“I am ready concede BBL miWe can’t be slapped on the face though he mentioned the ship’s nus the constitutional infirmiold name, BRP Pagasa. like this every day,” he added.

The President said he plans to ties,” Duterte said.

Duterte said 10,000 to 20,000 Duterte however said he does additional troops would be need- sell the ship to rebuild the AFP ed to combat terror groups in Medical Center, also known as V. not agree with some provisions of the BBL, including the estabLuna General Hospital. various areas in Mindanao.

With the money from the lishment of a Bangsamoro po“Plus, I would need about 3,000 policemen to meet the ship’s sale, Duterte said he lice force.

The BBL implements the Comchallenges of urban terrorism. would order the construction of prehensive Agreement on the We are in a transition. The a new building.

“You will have the operative Bangsamoro, which the previous world itself is in a transition,” best medical treatment. It will Aquino administration and the he said.

Duterte said it was his first visit have everything: CT scan … I will Moro Islamic Liberation Front to a military camp, and vowed to spend money. And we will im- (MILF) signed in March 2014 as increase the pay of soldiers and prove the hospitals, whatever are part of the peace process in Minthe immediate and urgent needs danao. police in one year.

Opposition from several lawRecognizing that many people there,” he said.

“I want to assure everybody makers however prevented the want immediate changes in the country, the President pleaded in this Republic, especially those passage of the BBL during the for patience, particularly on in the government, that you term of former President Benigthe increase in pay of security have a President who will share no Aquino 3rd.

Duterte said there should be with you your problems, and of forces.

“This will take effect this year. course, the blessings that we get unified control of the police.

The President however said he Let’s take it slowly. We don’t from God and from the people of have a lot of money … remem- the Republic of the Philippines,” was willing to give authority to the Moro people particular in the ber that I entered the Presiden- he added. management of resources in the ‘Willing to concede BBL’ cy mid-stream so I have to just Later in the day at Camp Sion- proposed Bangsamoro areas. make a go of what’s available, “There’s enough land, there’s but I will prioritize you,” he told gco in Maguindanao, Duterte the military and police in Zam- said the Bangsamoro Basic Law enough oil,” he said. n

OFWs can participate in barangay, SK polls

91% of Filipinos trust Duterte - Pulse Asia by roSette

aDel

Philstar.com

MANILA — A recent Pulse Asia survey showed that 91 percent or nearly all Filipinos trust President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte.

Based on the survey, only 0.2 percent distrust Duterte while the rest could not say if they trust or distrust him.

A total of 1,200 respondents participated in the survey conducted last July 2-8 after his oath taking. The survey has a ± 3-percent error margin at the 95-percent confidence level.

Duterte got high trust ratings in all social classes: ABC (89 percent) and DE (92 percent).

Meanwhile, the poll showed that Robredo is most trusted by social class D (64 percent) compared to classes ABC (53 percent) and E (61 percent).

Meanwhile, Vice President

Maria “Leni” Robredo gained a trust rating of 62 percent. Eleven percent expressed small or no trust while 27 percent said they were undecided.

The survey also revealed that 35 percent of Filipinos trust Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno while 19 percent do not trust her. Some 42 percent of the respondents said they were undecided.

The president got the highest trust ratings among respondents from Mindanao (97 percent) while Robredo got her highest trust rating from respondents in Visayas (72 percent).

The respondents said they want the Duterte administration to focus on three economic issues — controlling increases in prices (68 percent), creating employment opportunities (56 percent) and crafting new pro-poor programs like education, health and housing for the

20,000 troops eyed to fight against terrorism

Average 10 people killed daily in war on…

PAGE A7 t

truck drivers reportedly buy trade while serving sentence in marijuana and shabu from smalltime drug pushers in roadside prison.

Earlier, Interior and Local Gov- eateries where they usually stop ernment Secretary Ismael Sueno over for a meal.

“This bad habit of truck drivordered the PNP to look out for cargo truck drivers and porters ers of taking illegal drugs to enwho reportedly take drugs to able them to drive long distances is very, very dangerous because handle long trips.

Sueno also directed local gov- as these drugs wear off, their ernment units and local police to driving ability will be impaired, watch roadside eateries as these which may lead to road acciare being used as fronts for drug dents,” he said.

“The local police and barantransactions.

He got information that some gay tanods should keep an active

watch on the possible illegal drug transactions in carinderias along the highways whose common patrons are truckers,” he added.

He also said drivers who are applying for a license to drive trucks should be subjected to regular drug tests so they would not put their own safety as well as others’ safety at risk.

“It is very challenging to drive long hours especially at night.

This is why we have to make sure that truck drivers are of sound mind and body before they start the long haul,” he added. n

PH rejects bilateral talks with China…

PAGE A9 t

on a public basis but I also said that there was room for us to talk quietly using backdoor channeling,” he said.

Still, Yasay said he was hopeful that matters will be settled peacefully.

“We have asked China to exer-

cise restraint and sobriety in this regard, that we maintain the status quo for now in terms of not taking aggressive actions... not coming out with any provocative statements.”

President Rodrigo Duterte said the Philippines would not give up its territorial rights in the West

Philippine Sea, according to reports from The STAR. The president vowed to adhere to the ruling of the international tribunal, giving the assurance during the courtesy call of a US congressional delegation last Tuesday, July 19 at Malacañang. n

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SHOWBIZ&STYLE

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Journal

‘The Filharmonic’ celebrates their Get to know Alden Richards in his own words roots with return to Los Angeles

by Cybele

THe treat for AlDub fans this Richards: In My Own Words,�

July doesn’t end with the film under Summit Books. “Imagine You & Me.�

Alden Richards has prepared another surprise for their fans as he launched his book “Alden

Zhang

AJPress

FIlIpInO-AMeRIcAn a capella group, The Filharmonic, is returning to their native los Angeles on Sunday, July 24 to perform at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre.

The six-man ensemble will appear as part of The Fil-Am collective Music Show that “highlights the importance of song in the Filipino community,� according to the event’s website. “[Our Filipino background] is very important to us,� niko Del Rey, beatboxer for The Filharmonic, told the Asian Journal. “Inherently being Filipino, music The Filharmonic is a large part of our lives in general. We try to do what we can to showcase that. One way is we’re very influenced by ‘90s hip hop music, which is a big part of Filipino culture — especially for our generation.�

This concert will benefit the Scholarship Fund of the University of the philippines Alumni Association of Greater los Angeles and philippine patrons of the Arts USA. “We’ve always been big on doing shows about Filipino culture and making sure we represent,�

The Filharmonic’s vocal bass Jules cruz said. “This show specifically is a big performance [because it is] in lA for our hometown.�

It will also include performances by The Harana Men’s chorus, Sharon Orosco, cecile Rojas Azaret and Annie nepomuceno. “We formed a few years ago [in 2013] for ‘The Sing Off’ on nBc. It was originally just me, niko and Joe [Ilagan] because we went to the same school together, Mt. San Antonio college,� The Filharmonic’s vocal bass Jules cruz said.

To prepare for the show, the group grew to six people with the additions of Barry Fortgang, VJ Rosales and Trace Gaynor. from our1ethnicity be- PM Page 1 AJ“Aside Ads 71_Layout 7/19/16 — 12:59 PAGE B2

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age gracefully

In Praise of the Oh-So-Amazing Gooseberry

Gooseberry Crisp Serves 4 Ingredients 4 ½ cups gooseberries (or substitute blueberries) 4 Tbsp. brown sugar 4 Tbsp. sugar 3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts 1 cup rolled oats 2 tsp. ground cinnamon Ÿ cup whole wheat flour Plain Greek yogurt 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed 4 Tbsp. coconut oil

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Put gooseberries and sugar in a saucepan. Cover the pan and cook over low heat until gooseberries are tender, about 10 minutes. Pour into a 9 x 12 baking dish.

2. For the crisp, place the oats, flax seed, flour and oil in a bowl and mix thoroughly with a fork.

3. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and the walnuts. Spread the entire crisp mixture evenly over the gooseberries.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

I just love berries! Not only are they sweet and delicious, but they are loaded with healthful antioxidants, vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber.

Summer is prime berry season. There are scores of recipes for all of the familiar berries and plenty of serving ideas for them. But there is another berry that’s available starting in May that’s a little different AND a nutritional powerhouse — Indian gooseberries. They are also known as amla fruit. The fruit is about the size of blueberries and looks sort of like veined, slightly hairy green grapes. They taste extremely tart, and ripened gooseberries are hard to find.

Gooseberries have been used in traditional Indian or Ayurveda medicine for centuries as well as finding their way to England and Western Europe into tasty cobblers, pies, crumbles, smoothies jams and preserves as well as cooked into sauces to accompany rich meats like roast duck and pork.

Gooseberries have some amazing properties that make them extremely valuable to a

healthy diet. Like most fruits, they are low in calories and fat and cholesterol-free.

Gooseberries are a good source of vitamin C— about 50% of the day’s requirements in one cup serving — vitamin A, manganese and dietary fiber. Since the raw berries are only available from about May through August, canned gooseberries are available year round and are acceptable substitutes. Look for fresh gooseberries in Whole Foods and your local farmers market in season or order fresh frozen ones online from Northwest Wild Foods in Burlington, WA. You can also buy red or green gooseberries at Northwest Wild Foods.

Here’s an easy recipe that teams Indian gooseberries with other power foods such as rolled oats, ground flax seed, cinnamon, walnuts and Greek yogurt. The sweet-tart of the gooseberries goes beautifully with crunchy nuttiness of the crisp while the Greek yogurt provides a creamy counterpoint. This is great for dessert or brunch.

GRACE O – Combining her passion for food and a commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle, GRACE O has created FoodTrientsŽ, a unique program for optimizing wellness and longevity. Grace O is a fusion chef and cookbook author with a mission: to introduce delicious recipes built on a foundation of anti-aging science and her 20 years in the healthcare industry.

Visit FoodTrients.com to learn more. Email us at info@FoodTrients.com

Š 2016 by FoodTrients.com

BY GRACE O

Get to know Alden Richards in his own words

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“It’s my gratitude in 120 pages, PAGE B3

B JULY 23-26, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Moonlighting

Features

The glass of fashion Isabelle Daza, Adrien Semblat to wed in Italy

By Ricky lo

by Mylah de

Philstar.com

leon

There is an endless fascination about the people who make fashion, rather than just about fashion.

Described as graceful, they can be an alluring information prose that serves as a model, but one is discussed in. Impossible to emulate and minimize, the sketching of words into vivid fashion portraits is caught in every detail. It is not even a question of degree of skill, it is their mysterious star quality.

Some have it, some equally deserving. You can’t choose over long and hard, over outstanding talent and big names in fashion like March Bohan at Christian (now he’s got his own house of fashion), Valentino, halston, Oscar de la renta, and herbert de Givenchy. The list is as long as there are designers as characters.

A personal choice may seem arbitrary, even capricious. I have given one name, but I leave to that the reader to decide which one is that.

Some are born with it, some achieve it and some have it thrust upon them. Shakespeare’s much quoted apothegm about how greatness adapts with great ease to magic! Change can make the comets of today and maybe, the meteorite of tomorrow. They could change the course and shape fash-

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

Interview with Natalie Lalonde.

ion, each in his or her own way has contributed facets of that intangible whole: fashion.

Natalie Lelonde was Southern California’s bet who won the Top Model of the World Philippines held in Melbourne, Australia last week. She romped away with all major awards – Best Long Gown, Best Cocktail, Best in Swim Suit and high Fashion. high fashion? The stage was where these glorious costumes belonged and they were not to be confused with fashion?

Domr said, “We teased and Natalie simply gave that smile [that] was contagious. I knew, it will be

IT’S a pity that Bong Daza didn’t live long enough to give away his daughter Isabelle Daza at her wedding to her French fiancé Adrien Semblat on Sept.

10 in Tuscany, Italy. Bong’s ashes were buried last Saturday, July 16. he was 65 when he died of cardiac arrest at the Makati Med ICU barely two weeks after he was found unconscious due to heart attack.

Isabelle’s wedding comes on the heels of those of her cousin Georgina Wilson to British Arthur Burnand in england last April and their friend Solenn heussaff to Argentinian Nico Bolzico in France last May. “I want our wedding to be intimate and elegant,” Isabelle Natalie Lalonde, Vic Perez and Ms. Trini P. told Funfare in an interview early Foliente. this year. “It will be a Catholic a sparkling conversation for the wedding.”

Isabelle, 27, has been going rest of that interview over an eight chorus laureate hosted by Ms. Trini steady with Adrien, 35, for six Foliente, undisputed doyenne of years. Adrien is the country manager of Adidas Philippines Los Angeles Society.

There seems to spring from Nat- who came to Manila in 2008, the alie a gamin gaiety, a provocative, same year he and Isabelle were imprudent, independence which introduced to each other by their she made in different ways. She common friend Karen Jardenli knew and had survived the mini, (who’s with Bench).

According to that Funfare story, the midi – remarking in agreement that the length of the skirt should during more than 12 years in the sport industry, Adrien developed depend on the length of the leg.

Accessories should be in com- an expertise that includes team plete harmony. When asked of her epiphany she said, “My time was ready for me, waiting, all I had to do was come on the scene.”

Lou razon’s creation, which

by Phoebe MaRquez won “Best Gown” during the Philstar.com beauty pageant in Australia, was AT 22, Julie Anne San Jose says of understated elegance, that got she’s ready for love. the judges nod.

“I am ready,” answered the She wears also soft suits now Asia’s Pop Sweetheart when asked and then. by the entertainment press wheth“Perfumes should only be ‘whiffs er she’s ready to enter the dating of gentle scents,’” she remarked. scene during a pocket presscon And why not, flung pearls over a for her latest album “Chasing the plain black sweater, wouldn’t that Light” under GMA records. be simple, but charming in fashion And despite her success, Julie sense.

Anne said she remains to be a She welcomes “subtle changes simple girl who doesn’t demand that make “progression season by much when it comes to love and season.” She feels Germany, where courtship. “Ayokong mag-set ng the search of the Top Model of the idea about a guy kasi kapag puWorld will be, will be filled with masok ka sa isang relationship, talents. importante na you get to know “There will be a continuing him first,” she said. progress to change fashion, not “I just want to be taken serionly on their tone, but also as ously, that’s all,” she stressed. echoed today, a continued torrent The approval of her family is of new ideas,” she said also one prerequisite for her to go On August 16, she will from Los into a relationship. And although Angeles to Germany to compete she admitted to her parents’ profor the search for Top Model of the tective tendencies, Julie Anne said World. her parents are not prohibiting her from having a relationship.

“Sinasabi nga po nila na nasa tamang edad na ko, naka-graduate na, nasa right timing na rin. Kung saan po ako masaya, suportahan po nila ako,” she explained.

Lately, Julie Anne is being linked to fellow Kapuso actor Benjamin Alves, who also starred in her music video for her single Naririnig Mo Ba. The two have been exchanging sweet messages on social media, such as Benjamin calling her Juliepuff and her calling him Charbender, resulting in

Isabelle Daza and fiancé Adrien Semblat: A vow ‘for better or for worse…in sickness and in health, till…’

management, retail/commercial/ marketing strategy/implementation and execution. he described himself as “passionate by sports”

who plays football and does triathlons.

Adrien said that he has found a second home in the Philippines.

“I really wanted to experience working abroad and leave my comfort zone to live in a very different, challenging and enriching life,” he was quoted in an interview with PeopleAsia in 2011. he didn’t even know where Manila was and had to find out through Google. “When I got here, I found Manila to be a pretty oppressing city with its heat, crowd, traffic and pollution. But within months, I settled in my apartment and met Filipino friends. I found them to be the nicest people on earth, very curious and helpful.

Aside from Manila, there are the most beautiful beaches…”

I’m not sure if Isabelle will not, as she claimed then, quit showbiz after the wedding.

The sweethearts have traveled the world together. Adrien proposed to Isabelle in Cappadocia, Turkey, Isabelle reported as a “scoop” by hola!

(Philippines) magazine.

“First, we rode the hot-air balloons early in the morning,” Isabelle told hola!, quoted in the Funfare story. “We went back to the Museum hotel and had breakfast. Well, I ate!!! A lot!!! Adrien didn’t. I think he was too nervous.

Then after breakfast, he popped the question to me.”

Julie Anne San Jose is ready for love

Julie Anne San Jose on going into a relationship: I just want to be taken seriously, that’s all.

fans calling their tandem Benlie.

Benjamin was also present during Julie Anne’s In Control concert at the Kia Theater last May. Julie Anne also admitted that they share the same love for poetry.

“I like him,” said Julie Anne after being prodded about her feelings for the 27-year-old actor.

“I’m not gonna hide anything, we’re good. We’re getting to know each other.”

“Marespeto po siya, sa akin at sa ibang tao, God-fearing, maintindihin,” described Julie Anne of the qualities that she likes about him.

Asked whether Benjamin is courting her, she said, “I’ll leave

it at that. We get along, I’m happy with his company and ganoon din naman siya sa akin, I believe.”

As to whether that closeness will blossom into romance, Julie Anne said that “if ever we get there, wala naman pong kelangang i-rush.”

As to what song from her latest album “Chasing the Light” she would like to dedicate to Benjamin, she chooses her latest single “Naririnig Mo Ba,” a song about faith in love and the hope of falling in love again. The said single, which topped iTunes Philippines charts upon its digital release last June, is one of the two songs that she wrote herself, the other being “Not a Game.” For this album, Julie Anne collaborated with international rapper C-Tru and local composer edmund Perlas. Julie Anne also described her album’s sound as more mature but doesn’t veer far from the genre her fans have been accustomed to. “At the same time, may flavor na tatak Pinoy,” she added.

And indeed, following her heart and her passion is what motivates Julie Anne every day. Aside from composing and performing, Julie Anne is also considering a career in the academe, admitting that she was offered a teaching stint for the subject of Philippine Theater at Angelicum College, where she recently graduated with a degree in Communication Arts. Additionally, Julie Anne plans to take her Masteral degree in Communications next year.

Luis Manzano on Vilma-Jessy meeting: She wanted to check up on us LUIS Manzano recalled the dinner he had with mom Batangas rep.

Vilma Santos, and her meeting with Jessy Mendiola.

This is in relation to the photo of Jessy and Vilma that circulated online this week.

“My mom just invited us for dinner to talk and check up on me and also to meet and check up on Jessy regarding all A photo circulating online showed Jessy Mendiola and Luis the unwarranted bashing Manzano’s mother, Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos. going her way,” said Luis

about their dinner, Philippine entertainment Portal reported.

Jessy is currently being linked to Luis, a few months after his breakup with Angel Locsin. The Kapamilya host admitted last week that he is dating Jessy.

On the other hand, the Kapamilya actress has denied that she caused the breakup of Luis and Angel, which according to reports happened January this year. (Philstar.com)

‘The Filharmonic’ celebrates...

PAGE B1 ing all Filipino, what makes The Filharmonic unique is that most a capella groups sing and snap and sway, but we try and bring a whole show,” Del rey said. “We’re always trying to up the whole performance aspect.”

Following the show, they appeared in a national tour alongside Linkin Park, Black eyed Peas and Pentatonix, an a capella group. In 2015, the group performed in the movie, “Pitch Perfect 2.”

“Because we love to sing so much, it became our careers,” Del rey said. “It was really a dream that we kept chasing.”

Currently the group is preparing for the second part of their “Get Up and Go” tour, which will start in August.

Photo by Jordan Abrantes

(The Fil-Am Collective Music Show is on Sunday, July 24 at 6:30 pm at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre. Asian Journal readers can use promo code

Get to know Alden Richards...

PAGE B1

for you who never gave up on me,” he said, on why he decided to come up with a book.

Alden opens up about Maine Mendoza in the book, and they both share quotes describing their jour-

ney to stardom as a love team.

The Kapuso actor also talked about his journey in showbiz, from where and how he started down to before and after his love team with Maine came about.

“With this book, I hope to share

FILHARMANIAC for a 10% discount on tickets for the Ford Amphitheatre performance (not applicable for child or student prices). snapshots of my life before you knew me, and to divulge things about myself I’ve never revealed before,” he said about the book.

Guys can also get some dating tips from the old-fashioned, hopeless romantic Alden and what are his views about love and relationships. (Joyce Jimenez/Philstar. com)

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

Features

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JULY 23-26, 2016

B

Piolo Pascual on Judy Ann Santos: She’s a big part of my career

By Joyce Jimenez Philstar.com

Piolo Pascual said a big part of his success in showbiz is his former love team Judy Ann SantosAgoncillo.

“She’s a big part of my career,” he said about Judy Ann, in an interview on Friday, July 22. “We did a lot of movies and TV shows together. Napakalaki ng utang na loob ko kay Juday.”

He’s happy to be working with Judy Ann again even if it’s just through an endorsement, but hopes that they’ll be able to do a movie soon.

He even revealed that he “sent a material to her through direk Joyce [Bernal]. Sana magustuhan niya, e, sabi niya nagustuhan naman daw niya. So tamang timing lang.”

Meanwhile, Piolo’s son iñigo admitted recently that he’s dating GirlTrends member Kelley Day. Piolo said he has already met Kelley and he described her as “mabait na

Piolo Pascual said he has always looked forward to working again with Judy Ann SantosAgoncillo, and they’re just waiting for the right time and project.

bata and she’s very respectful, she’s responsible and sincere.”

More than the fear that his son is already courting a girl, the Pamailya actor is more excited on the new life experiences that his son will encounter.

“i’m more excited what he’s going to go through as a man,” he said. “You know, kailangan mo matutunan ang mga bagay sa buhay through your own experiences. i’m just excited for him on what it can teach him.”

The staff and crew of take a celebratory photo with host Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel, after another successful LIVE telecast of “Citizen Pinoy.” July 17 marked the second time that “Citizen Pinoy” went LIVE for East Coast and West Coast kapamilya across North America.

According to leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel, this “real-time contact allows him to be more interactive with viewers.

People get the feeling of an actual live consultation.” The next LIVE telecast happens in August. Follow and like their page on www.

Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw and on Twitter @GurfinkelLaw for more updates. Meanwhile, the encore presentation of “Citizen Pinoy LIVE” will be seen this Sunday, July 24, at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC.

Ruffa’s mysterious ailment softens Annabelle’s heart

By Ricky Lo Philstar.com

THAT “breaking news” in last Tuesday’s Funfare about Ruffa Gutierrez having “died for five minutes” sent shock waves around the world (thanks to social media). it was Ruffa’s mom Annabelle Rama herself who, her body rocked by

giant sobs, broke the sad news during the presscon for the return of the family show “it Takes Gutz To Be A Gutierrez (iTGTBAG)” for its fourth season.

Annabelle was promptly stopped by husband Eddie Gutierrez from talking further about Ruffa’s “death,” saying it was a

mere slip of the tongue as he tried to console Annabelle, since their E! Channel contract forbids them from revealing about the family activities which are exclusively chronicled on the show. Good thing Ruffa’s brother Richard was around so he rushed Ruffa to the hospital.

Welcome back to the Gutierrezes (from left): Raymond, Ruffa and daughters Venice and Lorin, Eddie Gutierrez and Annabelle Rama, and Sarah Lahbati and Richard Gutierrez. Not in picture but also on the family show “It Takes Gutz To Be A Gutierrez (ITGTBAG)” are siblings Elvis, Ritchie Paul and Elvis with his wife Alexa and their child.

Philstar.com photo by Ver Paulino

“i was swamped with frantic calls from here and abroad,” said Jun lalin, the Gutierrezes’ publicist. “They were all asking if it was true that Ruffa had died.”

According to the latest word (take note: not from the Gutierrezes), all tests turned out negative. is Ruffa a victim of kulam (witchcraft, that’s why the family is reportedly thinking of consulting an espiritista)? Since it has happened to Ruffa thrice, there must be something wrong with her. is the family seriously planning to seek a second opinion from doctors in Singapore?

But at the other day’s presscon in Marco Polo Hotel (ortigas Avenue, Pasig City), Ruffa looked none the worse, all smiles as usual, reacting good-naturedly to her mom’s rare public display of breaking down, especially when Annabelle said “Mahirap ang mawalan ng anak,” by saying, “i’m so happy that you really care for me naman pala.” You see, mother and daughter are in a love-hate relationship caused by Annabelle’s disapproval of Ruffa’s foreignerboyfriend. “i will have to be softer on her,” Annabelle told Funfare. “Ayaw ko na siyang lalong ma-stress pa.”

PAGE B4

Mr. and Mrs. Marvic “Vic/Bossing” Sotto (nee Marie Pauleen Luna)

Vic and Pauleen’s love nest

By Ricky Lo Philstar.com

HERE’S a first look at the love nest of Vic “Bossing” Sotto and Pauleen luna who have been on extended honeymoon since their “wedding of the decade” last Jan. 31.

The two-storey house, built to the tune of millions (exact amount is confidential), occupies a 1,200-square-meter lot in a barangay off Cabuyao, laguna, far from the maddening crowd and conveniently located near a golf course. Bossing is an avid golfer who has influenced his daughter

Paulina (an awarded golfer).

According to movie writer Gorgy Rula, Pauleen’s good friend, “The house is really big.”

Maybe a tad too big for the couple who is just starting to build a family. it has four bedrooms, with a huge master bedroom (i could imagine how the newlyweds can play hide-and-seek in it) with a walk-in closet and a door that opens to a terrace overlooking a swimming pool. There’s a wing with three bedrooms that are not yet occupied…reserved perhaps for the future little Vics and Pauleens?

B JULY 23-26, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Features

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

How to be Gerald Anderson Asia Aragon debuts single ‘Girls Paradise’

By Monet

Lu

Being one of Philippine television’s finest actors with countless awards, endorsements and awards under his belt begs the question, “How to be gerald Anderson?”

And quite coincidentally (but with pun intended), his new movie with Bea Alonzo – and their first movie team-up is entitled, “How to be Yours.” But before we get into the details of their movie, let’s talk about this Fil-Am hottie.

Anderson has undoubtedly Gerald Anderson mastered the art of “having it all.” Love” and “Won’t Last the Day He is a film and television actor, Without You”; Jessy Mendiola producer, brand ambassador and in their hit TV series, “Budoy”; a philanthropist. He has estab- and with Cristine Reyes in their lished himself as the sought-after teleserye, “Bukas na Lang Kita leading man of his generation Mamahalin.” His amazing perwhile at the same time dabbling formances in these and his other with socio-economic affairs. it’s films reaped a number of accomtrue what they say about having plishments such as Best Single so much experience in life – you performance by an Actor, Best also have to lot to give.

Supporting Actor, Best Actor, to Born in Subic Bay, Zambales name the least. in the Philippines, gerald RanThe young talented actor may dolph Opsima Anderson Jr. is have poured so much in his acting son to evangeline Opsima and career but he is also wasting no gerald Randy Anderson. He has a time in giving back to the comyounger brother named Kenneth munity. He has recently launched and two older sisters named Jen the gerald Anderson Foundation and Darling, from his mother’s which is a volunteer search dog first marriage. When he was unit and man-tracking unit on three years old he and his family call 24 hours a day to assist law moved to San Antonio, Texas, and enforcement and other official later moved to Missouri when he agencies. They also provide serwas six. At 14, he and his family vice, assistance and therapy dogs moved back to the Philippines in to deserving individuals. general Santos City.

According to the website: Anderson’s entry to show “The Anderson Foundation is a business was set in place through non-profit volunteer organization his connection with fellow actor, based in the Philippines whose friend and “discoverer” Joross mission is two-fold: (1) to help gamboa, whom he worked with save lives and to assist in the as the latter’s backup dancer in recovery of missing persons by provincial shows. gamboa intro- providing highly-trained canines, duced Anderson to his manager skilled personnel and specialized Jun Reyes who brought him to equipment during calamities and ABS-CBn, where the “gen-San other emergencies and (2) to Amboy” then joined “Pinoy help enrich the lives of veterans Big Brother: Teen edition.” He and persons with disabilities by was partnered up with his fel- providing them with task-trained low house mate, Kim Chiu, who service dogs that can assist them later became his “love team” for with their daily tasks.” shows, movies, and endorsein his most recent interview ments and took the Philippines with Boy Abunda, Anderson anby storm, as the next big thing nounced that he is now officially – and apparently one of the stron- a Coast guard Auxiliary Lieutengest love teams in showbiz. Fans ant, having passed all training dubbed the pair as “Kimerald.” and certifications required.

He and Kim starred in a numindeed, there is no stopping ber of hit series such as as “Sana gerald Anderson from being…

Maulit Muli” in 2006 and films well… being gerard Anderson! i’ve “Fallen For You” in 2007, He seems to have done it all “Paano na Kaya” in 2010 and “Till and still expanding his horizon.

My Heartaches end” in 2010. i am certain that i am not only The dashing actor also teamed one who’ve asked the question i up with Sarah geronimo in posted as the title of this piece. the films, “Catch Me, i’m in in the meantime, Anderson is

busy promoting his first movie with his longtime crush and rumored old flame, Bea Alonzo. This is Anderson’s second collaboration with award-winning director Dan Villegas, after their successful hit in “Always Be My Maybe” with lead actress Arci Munoz. in an interview, Anderson expressed his excitement for the project. “First time namin magsasama ni Bea which makes everything more exciting kasi you know, pangarap ko iyon.

Pangarap ko pa lang iyon nung bata ako nung pinapanood ko siya,” gerald said.

The teaser trailer of “How To Be Yours” was released Wednesday, July 6. The trailer shows niño (Anderson), being teased by his best friend about being too uptight and choosy when it comes to women.

They were strolling in Chinatown when niño saw Anj (Alonzo) for the first time. Anj is a cook whose ambition is to work in a high-end restaurant. The two fell in love and vowed to support each other but struggle found its way to their relationship as they preserve other priorities in their life while being together. “How To Be Yours” is directed by Dan Villegas and is produced by Star Cinema. in an interview, Anderson was asked how he’s able to do what he does and he said, “i love what i do and when you love what you do, you give your best.”

LOVe – That is how to be “gerald Anderson.” *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, awardwinning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration. To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

At last, Rhian yields to the 7-year ‘itch’

By Ricky Lo

Rhian Ramos to grace the cover of FHM magazine and it took, PARDOn if today’s head must that’s right, seven years for Rhian have misled you into jumping to to say yes. a wrong conclusion. The “itch” in an interview with Karl R. de is deliberately enclosed in quo- Mesa, Rhian explained why. tation marks because i refer it to “i finally said yes because of the long-standing invitation to the change of audience and the Philstar.com

FRienDS say Asia Aragon keeps her spirits and energy high, despite hardly ever having a moment to herself during the week.

The 14-year-old songstress says bouncing between school, study sessions, swim practice, and a host of other obligations while developing her singing career doesn’t phase her because she has a passion for her craft. Besides, Asia is able to manage her time almost as well as she knows how to enjoy it, and there’s always the weekend.

That’s according to her debut single and music video, “girls Paradise,” a bubbly yet driving track about relishing valuable moments of freedom amidst an enterprising girl’s busy schedule.

The song opens with lighthearted and percussive guitar and ukulele riffs that give way to hard-hitting club rhythms softened by Asia’s soulful, and occasionally playful vocals. The track is a hypnotizing mid-tempo expression of appreciation for good times and good friends that encourages young listeners to steer clear of drama and persist in working toward their futures.

The video features breezy choreography set against glittering and colorfully lit backdrops spliced with slow motion footage of Asia and her friends laughing, dancing, and just generally having a good time in front of the camera. People who know Asia say the fun-loving atmosphere depicted in the video is a true-to-life representation of her personality. “[The video] was totally Asia,” said Brianna Antillon, who attends the same high school as well as dance classes with Asia, during a publicity event celebrating the release of “girls Paradise” at the Athletic garage Dance Center in Pasadena on Saturday, July 16.

Brianna and fellow classmate Makana Herrera describe the aspiring popstar as a kind, easygoing person who is “always having a good time.”

However, her coaches and teachers say the drive and enormous potential as a performer form the core of the well-regarded teen’s persona.

“She’s a hard working lady.

There’s nothing that i ask her to do that she won’t do,”says Asia’s dance instructor and choreographer, Aukai Cain. He adds that “She’s a true talent … it’s hard to find that.”

He and Asia’s voice coach Aaron Jacobs, countless hours each week honing her talents, sometimes late into the night.

Cain says she’s committed herself to the daunting task of making a name for herself in show business because she is a “pure entertainer.” “i think she can handle it because she loves it,” said Jacobs, who told the Asian Journal he never needs to ask her twice to work on an exercise.

Asia also has the support of a network of teachers, coaches, friends and family, including her brothers Adam and Jered who provided musical accompaniment and worked the sound booth for Saturdays event, as well her parents and managers, Angeli and Jovi.

Angeli says the release of “girls Paradise” is just the beginning for Asia, who is planning to release a second track titled “Just Fly Away” sometime in August.

She’s almost finished writing her third track, “Lucky for Me”, which Angeli described as more mature in theme and should come out in September. (AJPress)

Sylvia Sanchez gets her ‘greatest’ break ACTReSS Sylvia Sanchez could not hold back her tears on Thursday night’s press conference for ABS-CBn’s newest family drama The greatest Love. After all, who would not be overwhelmed that after playing supporting roles throughout her 27-year career, she is finally topping the bill of a teleserye.

The series’ teaser trailer posted online has already earned overwhelmingly positive feedback.

And clearly, it’s just another TV project for her. “in greatest Love,” she plays gloria, a selfless mother of four who is slowly losing pieces of her memories to dementia. And before she loses her entire memory, she races against time to try to bring her children (Dimples Romana, Matt evans, Arron Villaflor, Andi eigenmann) back together.

Sylvia is definitely blessed, to say the least.

She has been prominently visible on TV since the phenomenal series “Be Careful With My Heart,” and owes it to her professionalism and love for her craft.

But “The greatest Love” is so far the most special for her, of course. “Thankful ako sa project na ‘to. ito ang pinakamagandang nangyari sa career ko.” (Erik John Salut/ManilaTimes.net)

change in content,” said Rhian, referring to the “taming” of the top men’s magazine which has been featuring celebrities in revealing stages of undress (being chosen for the cover is considered a “badge of honor,” a validation of a woman’s preferably sexy natural resources). “Because of that, i now don’t feel shy to put my body in a magazine that is read by, what i would say, the kind of readers that i now want to reach out to.”

As you must have seen, Rhian doesn’t have to bare to prove how sexy she is, allowing “the readers i want to reach out to” only have a glimpse (and how!) of what makes Rhian, according to the story’s subhead, “a dream that’s not a dream,” described by Karl as “incandescent beside a body of Sylvia Sanchez knows how good things come to those who wait. water that sits inside the territory of a French chateau.”

Commented Allan Hernandez, FHM acting editor-in-chief, “We into showbiz — “But only after expect that the new generation PAGE B3 they are done with their studies,” of soon-to-be FHM stars will feel iTgTBAg shows how the guti- said Ruffa. even more excited and empow• eddie on Ruffa and his ered to appear on the cover. They errezes have been since three will want to appear on FHM be- years ago when the show started. granddaughters: “When Ruffa Here’s how: was a kid, she was always in cause they will be the most beau• Richard and girlfriend Sarah front of the mirror mimicking her tiful and sensual they will ever be than on any other magazine Lahbati’s son Zion, introduced favorite comedienne. Sina Lorin on the show when he was barely at Venice naman, they are always cover, without even trying.”

The magazine hit the news- a year old, has grown up. “He’s in front of the camera acting and stands coinciding with Rhian’s very talkative now,” said Sarah, singing.”

• Because Annabelle and direcreturn to the Kapuso Afternoon “and he’s showing signs of being Prime via “Sinungaling Mong an action star like his dad. Mahilig tor Steven gilfeather are meetPuso,” the tele-remake of the tumalon-talon sa bed. He’s also ing all the time, according to Richard,“nag-improve ang eng1992 Maryo J. delos Reyes Regal fond of singing and sports.”

• Ruffa’s daughters Lorin, 12, lish ni Mommy at nag-improve ang classic starring Vilma Santos and Aga Muhlach, with Ricky and Venice, 11, are like any typi- Tagalog ni Steven.”

The resumption of iTgTBAg Davao now at the helm. The cal tweens who are techie and soap also stars, among others, fashion-conscious. Both plan to was delayed because the members Rafael Rosell, Kiko estrada and take up Business and entrepre- of their family were busy with their neurship but don’t discount going respective activities. it was only Jazz Ocampo.

Ruffa’s mysterious ailment...

now that they were able to arrange their schedules. incidentally, Funfare asked Ruffa how she felt about the airport bombing in Turkey that killed 36 and the coup attempt that left more than 160 casualties. “i was concerned with what’s happening in Turkey,” admitted Ruffa who lived in istanbul for a few years with her ex-husband Yilmaz Bektas. “Part of my daughters Lorin and Venice are Turkish. i reached out to the Bektas family and i was relieved that they were okay and nothing happened to them.

“You know, with what’s happening not only in Turkey but other parts of the world, we should really love one another, we should realize that life is short, so we must live life the best way we can.”

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JULY 23-26, 2016

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Entrance procession during Silver Jubilee Mass

Standing next to Fr. Rodel are Deacon Santi Gorospe, Deacon Jaime Guerrero, Fr. Raymond Reyes, Vicar for Clergy of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and Msgr. Lorenzo Miranda, former Vicar for Clergy of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, now Pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Downey, CA

Faith and Growth in God’s Love and His People

by Prosy AbArquez-DelAcruz, J.D.

Close to 600 folks gathered at St. John the Baptist in Baldwin Park, California on July 9, 2016 to witness the 25th sacerdotal ordination or Silver Jubilee of Rev. Fr. Rodel G. Balagtas, now the Vice Rector at St. John’s Seminary, faculty and Director of Pastoral Field Education. He is also an assistant professor of field education and homiletics. He graduated at St. John’s Seminary 25 years ago .

He was first assigned as associate pastor at St. Augustine Church in Culver City then, after 2 years, he was moved to St. Martha’s in Valinda where he worked for 6 years.

Then, he was assigned to St. Joseph the Worker, working there for 2 years before being assigned as Administrator Pro Tem for six months, and then, as a 12-year pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in East Hollywood.

The crowd was impressive: a multicultural assemblage of Latinos, Filipinos, Asians, Whites with few African-Americans; some have travelled from China, Vancouver, Philippines and the United States. They sang sacred hymns in English, Spanish and Tagalog.

The Immaculate Heart of Mary Children’s Choir, under the baton of IHMC’s musical director, Pete Avendaño, were sonorously sounding and tight in harmony.

They have been trained as worldclass performers, travelling to Rome to perform for Pope Francis, along with other choirs in the United States, and their latest performance, accompanied by Fr. Rodel Balagtas, to New York at the Carnegie Hall. There is no stopping them now to grace more world-class stages.

“God has worked in all of us,”

Fr. Rodel reminded those who came, “How would I have survived the ministry, despite my weaknesses?” He describes the driving force of his priesthood, “the law of God is love written in our hearts.”

He is the first to admit that he is crazy to think he can start his pastorate at the same time, his doctorate, to which he said, he owes a lot to the parishioners at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (IHMC) and his family members, his brothers and sisters, for supporting him.

Another is to start a million dollar capital campaign to renovate a century old IHMC during the time of recession, “I must be crazy to do this.”

In all these crazy and difficult undertakings to serve God, Fr. Rodel reached the finish line with much success, he completed his 12 years as a pastor at IHMC, he completed his doctorate in ministry, he completed the capital campaign and renovated the century-old church.

It kept resonating with us all how much he loves God, but also how much God loves him, through his parishioners, his fellow priests, and family members.

He recalled a recent briefing with incoming seminarians at St. John’s Seminary and how he felt genuine concern towards them, much like his belief that the Holy Spirit has rewritten much of his personal stories to be filled with God’s grace.

His Silver Jubilee mass was concelebrated by Msgr. Lo-

renzo Miranda, Fr. William “Bill” Easterling, Fr. William Leser, Fr. Raymond Reyes, Fr. Michael Gutierrez, Fr. Rizalino Carranza, Fr. Francis Mendoza, Fr. Robert Victoria, Fr. Richard Vega, Fr. Jim Bevaqua, Fr. Eugenio Cardenas, Fr. Joshua Diener, Fr. Paulo Garcia, Fr. Tony Gonzalez, Deacon Jaime Guerrero and the 3 deacons of St. John the Baptist Church, 18 in total.

Two more priests joined the reception, Fr. Rey Matunog and Fr. Ramon Valera.

A warm and loving toast was given by Msgr. Lorenzo Miranda who spoke of the mystery of priesthood and how “broken men, like them, become God’s servants, stretching the hearts of priests to give themselves to the youth and parishioners.”

He highlighted how Fr. Rodel toiled amongst the people and unfailingly showed them his love, “The heart of God is near in those moments but also in how he helped many, listening to them and how he listens to his heart.”

“Are they listening to the law of love in their hearts,” referring to the fallen 5 policemen who were killed in Dallas, Texas by civilians?

Fr. Rodel invited us “to listen to the promptings of your heart to do good to others.”

True to his faith, love and passion for God, he launched his first book, “The Journey of a Priest’s Heart: In Celebration of My 25 Years of Ordination,” proceeds will be donated to IHMC Children’s Choir.

Two of his fellow priests

had endearing words to share about Fr. Rodel.

Fr. Raymund Reyes, Vicar for Clergy of the Archdiocese of San Francisco spoke of: “I thank God for Fr. Rodel, a priest who has committed his priestly ministry by journeying with the people entrusted to him and after 25 years as a priest, he still finds himself journeying with greater passion and love for God.” Fr. Tony Gonzalez read an excerpt from Fr. Rodel’s book, and spontaneously shared his appreciation: “Fr. Rodel lives his faith. He is refreshing, he is humble, a great priest with many accomplishments. He is always happy and always ready to help someone. I have never seen anger in him. Only joy.”

The reception was lovingly organized by Rina Bentajado and Susan Alcantara, along with their teammates, and a simple, yet elegant and flavorful catering was provided by Lem Balagot of LA Rose Café.

The program was emceed by Mike Zuñiga and Annie Nepomuceno, a program packed with cultural strengths of musicality, a cello performance from Matthew John, a choir rendition, a video collage and a dance number from his nieces, including a duet by Fr. Rodel and Mon David in Kapangpangan.

Five hours later, the reception was still going strong.

The flames of love from the community could not be extinguished that easily!

Standing by my home parish, St. John the Baptist Church, where I celebrated my Silver Jubilee Mass

Fr. Rodel standing in front of his anniversary cake donated by the Federation of Filipino Rosary Groups

Fr. Rodel enjoying the 25th Anniversary Program of music, dances and speeches

With Cora Oriel, Carina Oriel and Prosy DeLa Cruz, representing Asian Journal

Fr. Rodel’s seminary college buddy and long-time friend, Dr. Jay Teston. They both aspired for achievement in their respective vocation. Dr. Jay Teston is a former Benedictine seminarian who is now a director of an international school in China. He was a former principal of Maryland School District Fr. Rodel acknowledging the presence of his guests

With his family and relatives from Vancouver, Canada

With the presence of Fr. Rodel’s former pastors and mentors: Msgr. Bill Leser and Fr. William “Bill” Easterling

With former parishioners of IHMC

With Thea Fernandez, Mike Zuniga, Susan Alcantara and an IHMC parishioner

Rina Bentajado (sister of Fr. Rodel) and Ricky Balagtas (brother of Fr. Rodel)

Fr. Rodel with Drs. Harry and Norma Salceda and company

Belting a Kapampangan song with jazz singer Mon David, his Cabalen

Book launching of Fr. Rodel’s book, Walking With God: The Journal of a Priest’s Heart during the reception. Proceeds from the first printing of the book go to Ihmc Children’s Choir

B JULY 23-26, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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COMMUNITY Journal

Your Immigration Solution NaNcy Miller THE fight against removal from the United States on criminal grounds does not begin with the Notice to Appear in Immigration Court. Defense should begin as early as when the non-citizen is questioned by the police or the prosecutor but no later than when he is charged with a crime.

Short of dismissal or acquittal, a carefully-drafted plea agreement is essential to avoid or mitigate the adverse immigration consequences that flow from a criminal conviction. Accordingly, for non-citizens, a competent criminal defense requires knowledge of U.S. immigration law.

The United States government can deny admission or deport an alien based on a criminal conviction. This is true for a non-citizen who has held a green card for decades. Only United States citizens are shielded from removal resulting from convictions.

Typically, the government commences proceedings to remove a non-citizen on criminal grounds after the criminal conviction and confinement, or when the person applies for a benefit such as naturalization, or upon return from a trip abroad.

Competent criminal defense must include an inquiry into the defendant’s immigration status.

Fortunately, much can be done in criminal court to insulate a non-citizen from removal in the future. But for this to happen, the alien must inform the criminal defense attorney, at the start of representation, that s/he is not a citizen of the U.S. In the American criminal justice system, the vast majority of cases settle through plea agreements. Strategies and alternatives exist in negotiating with a prosecutor to devise plea agreements to avoid or mitigate immigration consequences. The rationales for the differing approaches come from what has been coined “crimmigration”—where criminal law and U.S. immigration law

Why your criminal counsel should confer with immigration counsel intersect. But it is unreasonable to expect that a criminal defense attorney, who may be expert in her field, will also be fully familiar with the United States’ labyrinthine immigration statutes and case law interpreting these statutes. Therefore, competent representation requires that they consult a knowledgeable immigration attorney to assist them in formulating a defense or a deal.

Non-citizens should be fully informed as to the immigration consequences of potential convictions or pleas. The best source of that information is an immigration attorney – not the criminal defense attorney. In fact, the non-citizen should encourage her criminal defense counsel to team with immigration counsel to achieve the best plea agreement. Ideally, the alien should be proactive and hire the immigration attorney. The criminal defense attorney will often be receptive to the idea since competent representation and zealous advocacy FILENAME requires consideration of the immigration consequences of the plea.

An effective plea agreement can defeat removal at the first stage of a removal proceeding.

If the government cannot prove a removal charge, the Immigration Judge can terminate the proceeding. Termination is appropriate if the conviction is not for a crime that results in a ground of inadmissibility or removability. Crimes involving dishonesty

(such as theft), drugs, violence or firearms are examples of crimes that may support removal from the U.S. Though the non-citizen may have committed such a crime, the one to which he pled or the sentence he was given may not result in inadmissibility or removal. The plea agreement controls and can protect the noncitizen from negative immigration consequences.

Other times the goal of the plea agreement is to preserve eligibility for relief from removal. The relief stage is the second stage of a removal proceeding. Assuming the Immigration Court concludes that the alien is removable as a result of the conviction, the non-citizen may be able to seek relief that will allow him or her to remain in the United States notwithstanding the conviction. Relief takes various forms – each of which has its own requirements and standards of eligibility. Whether the alien is eligible for any relief and, if so, what relief, and how strong a case can be made is within the purview of the immigration lawyer. This is another reason why consultation with an immigration lawyer is essential before a plea is entered into. The plea should be constructed in such a way that allows the alien to seek some relief and be able to remain in the U.S. Once a plea agreement is entered, it can be difficult, to undo.

Drafting a plea agreement to ef-

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Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon ARE you worried about your future due to having too much debt?

You’ve probably heard the saying, “The failure to plan is a plan to fail”. And yet so many of us don’t realize how we so easily neglect to plan for our financial future.

Ask a few people you know what kind of financial planning they have done for the next 5-10 years and you’ll be amazed at the responses you will get. “Oh, I can’t worry about that right now.

I have enough problems dealing with my current financial situation, let alone think about what my life would be 5-10 years from now.” Or maybe you’ll get something like, “I’ll start saving for the future at the right time. I just can’t start doing that right now.”

And then, of course, “the right time” never comes. Before you know it, years have gone by and no preparation has been done.

I think that the reason this happens is exactly what most people will tell you. If you are so wrapped up in your own financial struggle at the moment, you’ve got blinders on that stop you from seeing anything else but your present situation.

According to Maslow, man’s primary need is the need to survive. So long as you’re in survival mode, the only thing in your mind is the goal to work as hard and as many hours as you can so that you can make enough to make

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth uRSuA ReyeS MARRIAGE for many persons is the culmination of one’s life.

Getting married signifies the beginning of a new phase in life, both socially and economically.

For those persons who lack permanent residency in the United States and have married a United States citizen, marriage also presents an opportunity to obtain permanent residency. However, although the opportunity to obtain permanent residency arises in such situations, one must be

Community Journal

Do you have too much debt that you can’t plan for the future? ends. And because your ability to survive depends on your ability to produce income that will sustain your needs, you become very vulnerable to anything that threatens that security. Instead of being on the offensive, you are always on the defensive.

Have you ever watched a boxer in the ring with a good defense but has nothing else, no offensive strategy, no counterpunching ability? That means you may always be able to block the punches that life throws at you but you’ll never win the fight. The moment you let your guard down, you’d be down for the count. And it can happen in a split-second.

What you need to do is to get out of “survival mode” so that you can start taking control of your own future. No one else is looking out for you. Remember, people who succeed in their financial goals are those who make things happen, not those who wait for things to happen.

Once in a while, you have to ask yourself the following questions: Have you set financial goals for yourself and your family for the next 5-10 years? What kind of lifestyle would you like to have then? Where would you like to live? What school would you like to send your children to?

How much do you need to have in your bank account before you can start feeling a bit secure?

Only you can provide answers to these questions.

If you are currently in “survival mode” and want to get out, do you have an exit plan that

can get you back on track? Or are you just rolling the dice on your financial future hoping that “things will change somehow, sometime” for the better? Don’t leave something as important as your future to chance. You need to have a definite plan, a detailed map of where you want to go.

See, that “lucky break” you’ve been waiting for may never come. It is time to take matters in your own hands. Earl Nightingale once said that, “Luck is where preparedness meets opportunity”. Now, it’s your move.

If you have serious debt problems, perhaps you need to find out what you can do legally to wipe the slate clean and start over. Remember, our federal bankruptcy laws allow you to either eliminate or consolidate your bills when debts become unmanageable.

And while bankruptcy is not the solution to every problem and should only be resorted to when necessary, it has allowed millions of people regain control of their finances and change their lives for the better. For more information, call our office at Toll- Free 1-866-477-7772 to schedule a FREE personal consultation. We have offices in Glendale, Cerritos & Valencia. ***

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10 strategies at appeals

Tax Tips VictoR Sy, cPA, mBA

YOUR case was closed unagreed and have decided to bring your case before the appeals office of the IRS. You have learned the basics of the appeals process and how to prepare for the conference from my prior articles. Let me now give you 10 strategies as you meet face-toface with the Appeals Officer: 1. Respect the Appeals Officer.

The appeals officer is not the enemy. The officer is here to help settle your case. The new IRS gives him/her even more new authority to resolve your case.

Don’t fight him (includes her).

2. Be credible. It is the most important single element in settling your case. Be honest and forthright with him. Even the best arguments, citations, and documentation won’t be effective if you lose credibility during the conference.

3. Be reasonable. Heated arguments lead you nowhere.

Threats or ultimatums backfire and merely lead you to more trouble. This is not the time to be bullheaded. This is not the forum to be combative.

4. Be prepared to compromise.

None of the information herein is in- Remember that the purpose of tended to give legal advice for any specific the conference is to settle your situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has success- case—not to bully for a win.

5. Be subtle as you control fully helped thousands of clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation the tempo of the conference. of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Suggest, not demand, the manLaw Offices at TOLL FREE 1 (866) 477-7772. ner in which the conference is (Advertising Supplement) conducted. It is not in your best

What to do with conditional greencard status in troubled marriages aware of and comply with procedures in existence to obtain such status. Due to concerns that persons were becoming married to United States citizens merely to obtain permanent residence status, a two-step procedure under the Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments of 1986 (IMFA) was set up to ensure such status was given to those only in marriages that are bona-fide and not entered into simply for immigration purposes.

Under step one of the procedure, if a person is petitioned by his/her U.S. citizen spouse within 24 months after becom-

ing married, that person is given only conditional permanent residence. Such conditional permanent residence status lasts for two years from the date on which it is granted.

Step two of the procedure involves the removal of the conditional label to permanent residence status. Removal of the conditional label is initiated by filing an I-751 Joint Petition to Remove Condition to Permanent Residence (“Joint Petition”). The Joint Petition provides an opportunity for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) to inquire as to

the legitimacy of the marriage after conditional permanent residence is granted. Accordingly, documentation evidencing that the marriage was entered into for bona-fide reasons should be submitted as part of the Joint Petition. The Joint Petition must be filed with the USCIS service center in the 90 days immediately prior to the second anniversary of the granting of conditional permanent residence.

Typically, upon the filing of the Joint Petition, a one-year extension of the conditional permanent residence is granted. The

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interest to be pushy.

6. First address issues that are easiest to resolve and hope to establish a pattern that will carry over to the rest of the conference. Again, your objective is a quick resolution. Starting with the most complicated issue may get you stuck, unable to move on, and diminish your chances for a good resolution.

7. Present all your evidence that are in your favor. Federal rules of evidence do not apply to appeals conferences.

8. Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the government’s position. This will guide you when to attack issues, when to step back, when to extend an olive branch. Hopefully, the end game will be peaceful.

9. Help the Appeals Officer build your case so he can help back you up in his written report to his superiors. In my experience, Appeals Officers feel for taxpayers but sometimes do not have tools to help deserving taxpayers. Submit persuasive documents such as cancelled checks and thank you letters to support donations, floor plans to support your office at home, or recent tax court cases to support your side of the issues.

10. Learn how the appeals process works. Learn how to gather, research, file, and prepare adequately. Get a coach to guide you through the survival process.

When things get tough, emphasize the hazards of litigation. You can lose all the issues if you proceed to court. So can the IRS. Good day!

Additional TIPS: • Don’t be fixated on resolving case at the examination level. Have an open mind for appeals.

• Appeals Officers are realists. They are conscious of hazards of litigation. Your case could set a bad precedent for future cases if they lose. They don’t want that.

• Interject doubt in officer’s mind that IRS could lose in court.

• Help the officer help you.

Feed data to help justify arguments in your favor. Their work is reviewed by their managers so any assistance to build your case from you is welcome.

• If you owe less than$25,000, have your appeals treated as a small case for quicker disposition. Write “Small Case Request” on top of your protest letter. Small cases are often sent back to appeals for settlement even before sent to IRS lawyers (district counsels).

• Ask auditor for copy of notes and workpapers under Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation in Pasadena, California. *** He has 50 years of experience in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, FTB, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He is publishing a book on his expertise - “HOW TO AVOID OR SURVIVE IRS AUDITS.” Our readers may inquire about the book or email tax questions at vicsy@live.com.

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Exempt property in bankruptcy ONE of the an individual goals of bankcan keep are ruptcy is to alcalled “exlow debtor-filers empt properto start anew. ties”.

This means that Each state after filing bankhas its own ruptcy and getlist of exting a discharge empt properof their debts, ties.

Some these debtors states have will be in a pomore liberal sition to move exemptions on financially. than others.

Allowing these Atty. Gwendolyn Malaya-Santos To avail of debtors to keep any of these certain basic asexemptions, sets despite a bankruptcy filing is the debtor must comply with one way of helping debtor filers. the residency requirement rules.

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Community Journal

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Finding sources of Can I get a green card if I had a previous compensation for marriage petition denied based on fraud? the seriously injured

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. FIVE year-old Jane Fine* was walking along the sidewalk on Green Street with her parents, trying to peer into the shops which displayed brightly colored toys. The Fine family was taking Jane out for a frozen yogurt treat in the city’s shopping district.

While the Fine family was making their way to the yogurt shop, 20-year old Bill Lee,* was revving his old Mustang down First Street. Bill, who was recently hired as a summer techie for ABC Co.* eight blocks away, is in a rush. He needed to get to the electronics shop to pick up a computer monitor. Seeing the light go green, Bill accelerated to turn left onto Green Street.

But the roar of the Mustang was drowned out as another car from the opposing traffic collided with Bill. The other car, a beat-up Jaguar, was driven by 19-year old Sam Wells,* who was also rushing to an appointment. Both drivers lost control of their vehicles and careened onto a sidewalk.

The Fine family heard the boom of the collision. As they looked around, Mrs. Fine was the first to see the cars jump the curb and head towards them.

She tried to grab Jane but the Mustang plowed into Jane, threw her against the shop’s brick wall, and pinned her there. When paramedics arrived, Jane was dead, Mrs. Fine had a mangled right arm (which eventually had to be amputated) and Mr. Fine suffered cuts and bruises trying frantically to get to his wife and daughter. According to witnesses, the events unfolded in under ten seconds.

Mr. and Mrs. Fine came to

our office for help. One of the challenges that immediately presented itself was that both drivers, Bill and Sam, had very limited auto insurance coverage of $25,000 each. Even after both insurance companies offered the policy limits to pay for the accident, the Fine family was not made whole by this payment. (Quite frankly, the death of a person in an accident is a damage so incalculable that the task of trying to put a price tag on it seems impossible. How does one put a price on the loss of love, companionship, comfort, care, assistance, protection, affection, society, moral support and the loss of training and guidance? How should the family of the wrongful death victim be compensated?)

After a thorough investigation, our firm discovered that Bill, the Mustang driver, was, at the time of the accident, rushing to the electronics shop to buy a computer monitor in order to help his boss prepare for a presentation for company clients that day. We, thus, sued ABC Co. for the death of Jane Fine and the various resulting damages to the Fine family.

The claims of Jane Fine’s family is based on the legal doctrine called “respondeat superior,” which is Latin for “let the master answer.” It states that the employer is responsible for its employees’ actions while performed within the course or scope of their employment.

For an act to be considered within the course of employment, it must either be authorized by the employer, or closely related to an employee’s authorized

tasks or duties that an employer should still be held responsible.

The errand that Bill performed was closely related to his job as a technology staff at ABC Co. so that his acts, and the accident he caused, were in the course or scope of his employment. On the eve of trial, ABC Co. settled the case by paying a high seven-figure amount to the Fine Family.

Unexpected accidents can lead to catastrophic injuries that seriously impact the lives of victims and their families. The facts behind these events should be thoroughly investigated to determine if other persons or entities are legally responsible. This task requires extensive gathering of evidence and skilled advocacy in the courtroom. It also requires the persistence and creativity of counsel. Yes, the Fine families of this world deserve no less than our best efforts. * We have changed the names and locations of the above story to protect confidentiality, but the legal claims made are based on an actual personal injury/wrongful death case handled by our law firm. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www. joesayaslaw.com. *** C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully obtained significant recoveries for thousands of employees and consumers. He is named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is a member of the Million Dollar-Advocates Forum.

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EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program – Invest in a US business and receive a green card

SKT Immigration

eliot Krieger MANY Filipinos do not know that they can obtain a green card within 2 years by simply investing money. The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program was created in 1990 to stimulate the economy through capital investment by foreign investors and job creation. The EB-5 program continues to be popular with Asian countries. For Filipinos, the EB5 program is a great option because there are currently no wait times for Filipino nationals.

Overview of the EB-5 program Under the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, foreign investors can apply for green cards through investment in an existing or new business in the United States and creation of 10 permanent, full-time jobs. An

investor can passively invest in a pre-approved regional center (often a large hotel or resort) or directly participate in the operation of a business. The spouse and unmarried children under 21 of the investor are also eligible for green cards through the investor’s investment. Once approved, the investor and his family will receive conditional twoyear green cards, which can later be converted to a full-fledged green card.

The EB-5 program has the following basic requirements: • Minimum capital investment of $500,000; • Creation of at least 10 fulltime jobs for U.S. workers; • Source of EB-5 investment must originate from lawful sources; and

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These rules were incorporated to address the concerns that people may move to another state with more liberal exemptions before filing bankruptcy.

Some of these residency rules include the following: • The filer must be a resident of his current state for at least two (2) years before he can use that state’s exemption.

• If the filer has been a resident in his current state for more than ninety one (91) days but less than two (2) years, he must use the exemption of the state where he lived for the greater part of the 180-day period immediately prior to the two-year period preceding the filing.

• If the filer have lived in his current state for less than 91 days, he can file either in his old state (as long as he lived there for at least 91 days or wait until he has lived at least 91 days in his current state and file his petition in his current state.

California has adopted two (2) systems of exemptions. Debtors can choose either system and decide which system is most

advantageous to them. The first system is based on state law exemptions listed in the California Code of Civil Procedure section 704. The second system is a list of bankruptcy-only exemptions in California Code of Civil Procedure section 703.140 (based on the federal Bankruptcy Code exemptions).

In the first system, the exemptions include some of the following: real or personal property occupied at time of filing for bankruptcy, including mobile home, boat, stock cooperative, community apartment, planned development or condominium, up to the following limits: $75,000 if single and not disabled; $100,000 if family and no other member has homestead; $175,000 if 65 or older or if physically or mentally disabled; personal property such as motor vehicle up to $2,900, building materials to $3,050 to repair or improve home, burial plot, health aids and appliances, furnishings, clothing and food needed by the debtor.

On the other hand, some of the exemptions in the second system include the following: real

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or personal property used as a residence up to $26,800, personal property such burial plot up to $28,800, motor vehicle up to $5,350, tools, books and implements of trade up to $8,000, and jewelry up to $1,600, health aids, and wrongful death recoveries needed for support.

If you are contemplating of filing bankruptcy, it is advisable to seek the counsel of a bankruptcy lawyer to guide you on the intricacies of filing for such a petition. *** Atty. Gwendolyn Malaya-Santos is a member of the State Bar of California and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. To schedule for a free initial in-person consultation, please call Tel. Nos. (213) 284-5984 or (626) 329-8215. Atty. Santos’ office is located at 3450 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1200-105, Los Angeles, CA 90010. *** Information contained in this article does not, nor is it intended to, constitutes legal advice for any specific situation and does not create a lawyerclient relationship. It likewise does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.

We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.

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What to do with conditional greencard… extension affords the USCIS time to schedule an interview with the person seeking permanent residence, and to make a determination as to whether unconditional permanent residence will be granted for a ten-year period.

In cases in which documentation submitted as part of the Joint Petition clearly show that the marriage is bona-fide and not merely for immigration purposes, INS may approve a Joint Petition without an interview.

The procedure described hereinabove applies in situations where the marriage has not been terminated. Often, the Joint Petition cannot be filed or approved

because the marriage, although bona-fide when entered into, has been terminated by divorce. May aliens become threatened of falling out of status once their marriage is in trouble because the spouse often refuse to cooperate or has filed a divorce petition. In such cases there is still hope and the prospect of obtaining unconditional permanent residence status still remains. A waiver of the joint petition requirement may be sought in such cases. *** 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

Dear Attorney Tan, I recently married a US Citizen, who is my second husband.

He has filed an immigrant visa petition and green card application for me. My husband recently received from USCIS a Notice of Intent to Deny the petition that he filed on my behalf. The Notice indicated that the immigrant visa petition could not be approved since the USCIS had determined that I previously entered into a fraudulent marriage to get a green card several years ago. My ex-husband previously filed an immigrant petition on my behalf several years ago, which was denied since USCIS determined that I only married him to get a green card. My second husband and I truly love each other.

What are my options? — In Love but Out of Status Dear In Love but Out of Status, Under INA Section 204(c), a person who “attempted or conspired to enter into a marriage” in order to receive permanent resident status in the US is prohibited from obtaining USCIS approval of an immigrant visa petition. Simply stated, Section 204(c) prohibits approval of any immigrant visa petition if there has been a finding of “marriage fraud” in a prior marriage-based petition.

Based on the above law, your case seems at first glance like an “open-and-shut” case in favor of denial. However, you still have hope of getting a green card—a person can apply for and get his immigrant petition approved despite the prior finding of “marriage fraud” under certain circumstances.

You may ask, how is this possible? Isn’t Section 204(c) straightforward? Not quite. The answer lies in the fact that USCIS must independently examine the prior finding of “marriage fraud” in considering the subsequently filed immigrant visa petition. Before invoking the Sec. 204(c) bar to approval of a subsequent visa petition, USCIS must make an independent determination of fraud based upon the record, including but not limited to any evidence gathered during adjudication of the prior visa petition, but may not parrot or rely on the conclusions made by other adjudicators.

USCIS must have “substantial and probative” evidence of “marriage fraud.” Matter of Tawfik, 20 I. & N. Dec. 166, 168.

The determination is to be made by the USCIS district director while adjudicating the subsequent visa petition. Matter of Samsen, 15 I. & N. Dec. 28, 1974 WL 29995 (B.I.A. 1974). The district director should not give conclusive effect to the determinations made in the prior proceedings, but should reach his own independent conclusion based on the evidence actually before him. Matter of F-, 9 I. & N. Dec. 684 (BIA 1962).

Therefore, in cases such as yours in which the USCIS has indicated it intends to deny the subsequent immigrant visa petition due to the prior finding of “marriage fraud,” new evidence can be submitted that demonstrates that the prior finding of “marriage fraud” was incorrect—i.e., evidence that shows that the prior marriage petition was based on a bona fide marriage, or that explains that the prior denial was based on an incomplete or inaccurate assessment of the facts. In cases in which the subsequent immigrant visa petition has already been denied, this new evidence should be submitted as part of a motion to reconsider. I recommend that you seek an experienced attorney to assist you in properly presenting the law and facts to the USCIS adjudicator to address the Section 204(c) bar. *** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada. Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philipp ine American Bar Association.

LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: (323) 639-0277. Email: info@dtanlaw. com.

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Why your criminal counsel should confer…

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fectively stave off or counter a removal proceeding in the future • Investment must be at-risk. is critical. For this to happen, EB-5 Processing Timeline the non-citizen defendant must The process starts with fil- pair his criminal defense couning a petition with the USCIS to sel with immigration counsel. demonstrate that an eligible in- A non-citizen who is the focus vestment amount from a lawful of a prosecution should consult source has been invested into knowledgeable and experienced a business in the United States.

Currently, USCIS is taking approximately 16 months to adjudicate the petition. For Filipino nationals, once the petition is approved, they can immediately begin the process to obtain their two-year conditional green card, which takes approximately 6 months. 90 days before the twoconditional green card expires, the EB-5 investor and his family can file for removal of conditions in order to obtain a full-fledged green card. Each of these steps

Exempt property in…

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JULY 23-26, 2016

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, nonspecific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation.

(Advertising Supplement)

immigration and criminal defense attorneys as soon as she becomes aware that the government is interested in her. ***

Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration firms in the United States with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Manila. For more Information please call (800) 795-8009 or visit

www.rreeves.com.

Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com. *** The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case.

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Homeowner files last minute Chapter 13 without credit counseling

Debt Relief

Senior files chp 7 to discharge $35k credit cards

Atty. LAwrence yAng CLIENT is 59 and single. He has a decent job where he makes $4K a month gross. He doesn’t owe any credit card debt. He only owes 3 secured debts. He owes a mortgage on his house for $400K plus he has arrears of $83K on this mortgage. His mortgage payment is $2K a month, which means that he has not paid his mortgage for 41 months or 3 ½ years. He tells me that he has been working with a nonprofit consumer advocacy group (whatever that means) to get the bank to give him a loan modification on his mortgage. Apparently, he’s been trying to get the loan

modified since 4 years ago and received multiple prior denials.

This explains why he hasn’t paid his mortgage for 4 years. Finally, the bank sets the foreclosure sale date for July 6, 2016.

Whoever he is talking to at the non-profit consumer advocacy group tells him that he has to file a Chapter 13 to stop the foreclosure on July 6. Unfortunately, he is not told that he has to do credit counseling first before he can file for Chapter 13. On July 1, without a lawyer, he files his incomplete emergency Chapter 13 petition. The clerk looks for the credit counseling certificate and he says he doesn’t have one.

Nevertheless, the clerk accepts the incomplete petition, which doesn’t have credit counseling, and has no schedules and gives

him a list of deficiencies that have to be filed within 14 days otherwise his case will be dismissed.

So today, he ends up in my office and asks me to take over the case as his lawyer. Although I agree to help him out, I had to explain to him that he has to give a satisfactory explanation to the court why he did not do credit counseling before he filed his case. If the court believes that the facts he alleges amount to exigent circumstances, the court may let him proceed with the case. Otherwise, his case will be dismissed for lack of pre-filing credit counseling. On the other hand, if client had a disability that prevents him from taking credit counseling, he would be exempt from requirement. Although client is legally blind, that

The excessiveness of God’s mercy

To Live With Faith reverend rodeL g. BALAgtAs I’M still savoring the outpouring of love and support that my family and friends showed me when I celebrated my silver jubilee as a priest last July 9. I felt so special that day as I saw the huge number of people that came to the event— about 600 people including the 17 fellow priests and 3 deacons.

I could feel their exuberance and excitement for me, as I have served God and his people for 25 years. They were happy to be present and grateful that they have been part of my journey as a priest.

I realized then that their overwhelming care and attention are all part of God’s excessive personal love and mercy to me as his son and priest.

It’s humbling to realize this truth about me. There are times when I feel that I am not worthy to be a priest, especially when I look at my personal weaknesses. But God has been overly patient with me, loving me and showing me his tender mercy despite my sinfulness, and assuring me of his confidence in me.

Indeed, my silver jubilee is a celebration of God’s tender and excessive mercy. I’m sure my fellow priests would identify with me in this contention.

Pope Francis says that we cannot be merciful to people unless we have not experienced God’s mercy. “God’s name is Mercy,” the pope stated during a retreat he gave last June for Jubilee of Priests. “The only way to be ‘excessive’ in responding to God’s excessive mercy is to be completely open to receiving it and to sharing it with others,” he explained.

The First Reading this Sunday speaks of God’s excessive mercy. While Abraham saw his visitors walked on farther toward Sodom, he drew nearer to God and asked him: “Will you sweep away the innocent and the guilty? Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city; would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it for the sake of the fifty innocent people within? The Lord replied, “If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” Abraham then went on, “What if there are five less than fifty innocent people? Will you destroy the whole city because of those five? The Lord answered, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”

Abraham then went down to forty, thirty, twenty and ten innocent people. The Lord replied again, “For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it.”

This famous Old Testament story speaks of God’s excessive

mercy. And it’s not just the story of an ancient people. It’s our story too. God will not forsake us; he will never give up on each of us!

In these times when many countries around the world see un-mercifulness through the continuous terrorist attacks, the killings of innocent people and police officers, and the shootings of criminals without due process, we need to remind ourselves of God’s best attribute—his excessive mercy.

It’s not a coincidence that the Pope declared this year as the Year of Mercy. It’s God speaking to us that the world has to be merciful as he is.

As I look forward to many more years of service as a priest, I hope that I can continually bear the name of God and share it with others. Indeed, mercy is his name, and he has profoundly shown it to me. ***

From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (1999-2001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of ImmAaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.

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may not qualify as a disability to exempt him from the requirement to take the course because this course is also given over the phone. To be sure, many judges do not consider a foreclosure an exigent circumstance because the foreclosure process takes at least four months to complete before the house can be auctioned off in a non-judicial foreclosure proceeding.

In any event, aside from explaining why he did not do credit counseling within 14 days from filing date, client still has to do credit counseling within 30 days from filing date assuming the court agrees that he was faced with exigent circumstances that prevented him from doing creditcounseling pre-filing. As you can see, you have to go through a lot of hoops if you don’t do credit counseling pre-filing so why even get into this dire situation in the first place. Therefore, make sure you do credit counseling first before you file for bankruptcy, any

kind of bankruptcy so you don’t have this kind of problem to deal with. And avoid filing incomplete petitions. If you fail to file in one missing document, your case will be dismissed on the 15th day. So why even assume this kind of risk by filing an incomplete petition.

The other client is 70. He owes $35K of credit card debt. According to him, he is “sick” of paying for these cards. He has been paying for 20 years. He has been paying $1K a month for 20 years.

He has paid only $240K in the last 20 years! But he still owes the same $35K! But he is now 70 and living on social security, which is less than half of what his salary was. I told him that he should have filed at least ten years ago and saved $120K. And he would still have perfect credit now at 70. I mean, file at 60, at 67 credit score will be 730 and on year 10, at 70, the credit bureaus remove the fact of filing from their credit reports as required by law; but better late than never.

With Chapter 7, client will have peace of mind at 70, because all of his $35K credit cards will be discharged. Who wants to have credit card debt when you now rely on social security? With social security income, credit card payments are a big drain on your budget. Getting rid of credit card debt with Chapter 7 is like surgery to remove a cancerous growth. It has to be done as soon as possible. Otherwise, you lose the capacity to save money every month.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” — Proverbs 18:10 *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California.

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

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People and Events

St. Philomena Parish 60th anniversary fiesta celebration August 13, 2016

LET us get together as a community and celebrate the 60th Anniversary Fiesta Celebration of St. Philomena Parish! This significant occasion will be celebrated at our beautiful St. Philomena Church grounds, located at 21900 S. Main St., Carson, CA 90745 from 9am to 6pm on Saturday, August 13, 2016.

This grand parish celebration will be highlighted by a Eucharistic celebration, which will include the con-validation of marriages of our brothers and sister in conjunction with the Year of Mercy. Immediately after the Mass, a complimentary international pot-luck feast will be served, while enjoying the performances of talented entertainers from our parish and beyond.

Furthermore, there will be an exciting drawing for a chance to win a brand new 2016 Mercedes Benz CLA 250! Consolation prizes include a round trip airline ticket from LAX to any destination; a 65” flat screen HDTV, a 15.6” laptop, 3 Blu Dual SIM Smartphone, and a colored HP printer.

Visit the parish office today to pick up your tickets for a chance to win any of these prizes!

Proceeds from this celebration will go towards much needed upkeep and repairs for our church, including hearing impaired devices, uninterruptible power supply, Church lighting system, security cameras, audio-video equipment, choir sound system, motorized shades for the Parish Center, and much more. For more details, please contact the Parish Office at (310) 835-7161.

Established as a parish back in 1956 by Cardinal McIntyre, St. Philomena is the only Catholic Church in the City of Carson.

Under the capable leadership of Rev. Fr. Albert H. Avenido as the Administrator ProTem, the church celebrates Eucharistic Services on a daily basis and a total of 10 times every weekend, and also has weekly baptism and confession schedules. Moreover, the church has a wonderful parochial school administered and staffed by the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles. St. Philomena School accommodates students from Transitional Kinder all the way up to 8th Grade.

For more information, please call the Parish Office at (310) 835-7161.

About St. Philomena Parish St. Philomena Parish was established by Cardinal McIntyre in 1956, with Fr. Frederick Callahan as pastor. The first mass was held in Plasterer’s Union Hall on September 30, 1956. Significant events took place during the founding years of St. Philo-

mena: the first parish meeting was held on October 3, resulting in the creation of Men’s Council and Women’s’ council; first baptism took place on October 14; catechism classes were started; a residence at 21321 South Main Street was purchased to be used as rectory; and most noteworthy was the initiation of a $35,000 building fund drive.

On April 28, 1957, the groundbreaking for construction of the church and school buildings was held.

St. Philomena Parochial School opened its doors for the first time on September 15, 1958 with grades one to four. The Carmelite Sisters of the Sacred Heart were tapped to administer the school.

1959 was highlighted by the dedication of the church and school with a High Mass celebrated by His Eminence, James Francis Cardinal McIntyre. Fr. Callahan served as pastor until 1977. He had completed the challenging task of constructing the church, rectory, school and convent buildings.

Fr. William P. O’Toole was appointed pastor on April 15, 1978 and served as pastor until 1994.

It was during his tenure that the Staff of St. Philomena was broadened. Directors of Religious Education, Youth Ministry, Adult Education, RCIA, Confirmation and Liturgy were hired as well as a Pastoral Associate. The first group of extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers was formed in 1975.

Bereavement Ministry was also formed.

In 1983, Fr. O’Toole launched the Arise and Build building fund. More than $1,245,000 was contributed over the years. Due to prudent investment efforts by the parish and the archdiocese, the fund has grown which has enabled the parish to purchase the annex property in 1997.

In 1994, Fr. Rizalino Carranza assumed pastorship until 1999.

He created the Financial Council, a fiscal consultative group to the pastor. He also created the Pastoral Council to help discern needs and assist the pastor in the pastoral care of the parish.

Under the leadership of Fr. Riz, steps were taken to launch the building of the new church.

He formed the Church Construction Committee to assist in the design and development of the new church and the parish center. To raise funds for the construction, a Parish Development Fund Campaign was started. The ground blessing ceremony was held on April 18, 1998.

Fr. Demetrio Bugayong, who had been an associate pastor of the parish since his arrival in 1992, was installed as pastor on March 5, 2000. He presided over the construction of the new church. Fr. Dem guided the formation of Second Development Campaign to obtain additional pledges of financial support for completion of the new church and the conversion of the old church into a parish hall.

Even during the construction period, parish life and activities have not slowed down. The number of parish organizations, groups and ministries has grown to sixty-three. The Unity Workshop, organized by a team form the Pastoral Council resulted from Fr. Dem’s desire for the different ethnic groups in the parish to gain better awareness of each other’s culture in order to promote loving relationships, mutual respect and understanding among them.

It was in March 10, 2002 that the new St. Philomena church was dedicated, which is now currently under the leadership of Rev. Fr. Albert H. Avenido as the Administrator ProTem. n

EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program – Invest in…

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info@asianjournalinc.com

is complicated, requires extensive paperwork, and necessitates the guidance of an experienced EB-5 immigration attorney.

CONCLUSION Given the lengthy backlogs of other green card categories for Filipino nationals, an EB-5 visa is a good alternative. There is currently no wait time for EB-5s for Filipino nationals, and through

an EB-5 investment, the investor can apply for green cards for himself, his spouse, and unmarried children under the age of 21. As a green card holder, you are considered a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., which allows you to lawfully reside in the U.S., work in the U.S., and travel internationally with your green card. ***

Eliot Krieger is a Partner at Sullivan, Krieger, Truong, Spagnola, and Klausner, LLP. He is a former Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Department of Justice. He has a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Website: www.sullivankrieger.com Contact us at any of our offices: Long Beach + 1 (562) 597-7070 Irvine + 1 (949) 390-5270 Philippines + 63-2-788-5196 (Advertising Supplement)

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&

D

I’m tired and just want to give up and go back home!

Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ

Bangladesh Ambassador John Gomes said the Bangladesh government is confident the $15 million turned over by casino junket operator Kim Wong to the Anti Money Laundering Council (AMLC) would be returned to the Bangladesh Bank within a month.

Philstar.com photo

Bangladesh presses PH gov’t on fund recovery

is a crime committed against another country,” Bangladesh Ambassador John Gomes told MANILA—The Bangladesh participants of a roundtable government is appealing to the discussion held on Thursday, Duterte administration to speed July 21 at the Asian Institute of up the recovery of the $81 mil- Management (AIM). lion stolen by hackers that found Gomes said the Bangladesh its way to the Philippines via the government is confident the $15 Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. million turned over by casino (RCBC). junket operator Kim Wong to the “If the President is so seri- Anti Money Laundering Council ous about crime and corrup- (AMLC) would be returned to tion. I think this is an issue that the Bangladesh Bank within a should be addressed also. This PAGE D2

by Lawrence

agcaoiLi Philstar.com

Filipino-owned fastfood giant Jollibee Foods Corp. is bent on expanding its presence in China despite the heightened tensions brought about by an international arbitration committee’s ruling favoring the Philippines.

Philstar.com photo

Jollibee keen on China expansion by iris

gonzaLes Philstar.com

MANILA—Filipino-owned fastfood giant Jollibee Foods Corp. is bent on expanding its presence in China despite the heightened tensions brought about by an international arbitration committee’s ruling favoring the Philippines.

Jollbee CEO Ernestro Tanmantiong said the company was targeting to add 20 to 40 branches to its network of 400 stores in China.

“In China, we continue to target five to 10 percent growth in stores. We have more than 400 stores to date,” he said.

Tanmantiong said the group was also looking at acquisitions in China.

“We are exploring acquisitions.

Our focus is on food service,” he said.

He said the company had already acquired a commissary to support its food business.

Last January, JFC took full control of a food manufacturing facility in mainland China that services its Yonghe King, one of the well-known non-Western restaurants in China.

Yonghe King is the group’s largest business in China, with at least 321 stores and which contributes 10 percent of system-

wide sales worldwide.

Tanmantiong said JFC is unfazed by the ongoing territorial dispute involving the West Philippine Sea. In fact, the company does not see any negative impact on its operations in China.

“I think the move of the government to employ diplomacy is the best way to settle the differences.

It is the best solution,” Tanmantiong said.

Over the long-term, the company sees its overseas business accounting for half of groupwide sales.

“Our vision in the future is to achieve a 50-50 ratio of international versus Philippines. Today, it’s 80 percent Philippines and 20 percent international. We hope to achieve a 50-50 ratio but it doesn’t mean we are slowing down in the Philippines,” he said.

As of the end of April, JFC had 652 stores outside the country. It has a 50 percent interest in several joint ventures such as Highlands Coffee, Ph 24, Hotpot and a 40 percent interest in US burger giant Smashburger.

In the Philippines, it operates 2,506 restaurant outlets in the country or 930 Jollibee stores, 449 Chowking, 236 Greenwich, 373 Red Ribbon, 457 Mang Inasal and 61 Burger King stores.

Construction to see ‘Golden Age’ under Duterte admin Infrastructure spending to hit 7% of GDP, says budget secretary product (GDP) Diokno told the 6th general membership meeting ManilaTimes.net of the Financial Executives InPHILIPPINE construction will stitute of the Philippines (Finex) experience the “golden age” of in Makati City on Wednesday, the industry in the next six years July 20.

“For too long, public infraas a result of the government’s plan to ramp up investment in structure has been neglected. As hard public infrastructure, De- a result, the Philippine economy partment of Budget and Manage- is deficient in all types of inframent (DBM) Secretary Benjamin structure—roads and bridges, ports and airports, railways and Diokno said.

Infrastructure spending will urban transit systems, irrigation rise from a low 5 percent to a high systems and water systems. To of 7 percent of gross domestic PAGE D2

by MayveLin

U. carabaLLo

Business Quote of the Week “Don’t take too much advice. Most people who have a lot of advice to give — with a few exceptions — generalize whatever they did. Don’t over-analyze everything.

I myself have been guilty of over-thinking problems.

Just build things and find out if they work.”

- Ben Silbermann, founder of Pinterest

MANY Filipinos consult with me saying they are sad, lonely, and depressed over their immigration situation, and just want to give up, and go back to the Philippines. Many of them came to the US years ago, leaving behind a spouse and small children.

Because of their immigration situation, they are unable to travel back to the Philippines to visit their loved ones, or to even pray at the grave of a loved one who had passed away while they were trapped in the US. Instead, they watch their children grow up via Facetime or Skype, with conversations starting with “Mommy (or daddy), I miss you so much, when will I see you again?” Or they think of the funerals of loved ones they missed because they could not leave the US. Some of these people work two or more jobs and dutifully send money back home to their

family, to ensure their care and support. They feel emptiness and loneliness, and they feel there’s no hope in sight. They want to give up and go back to the Philippines to be with their family.

While I fully understand the torment these people are going through, I urge them not to give up, as there may be changes in law that could benefit them. Also, they should think about what life would be like if they did give up and go home: Once at home, everyone will of course hug and cry the entire night, and reminisce on how much has changed, and how much everyone has missed each other over the years. The person could not be happier. It is like a dream come true.

When they wake up the following morning, they’re still in a blissful dream, being reunited once again with their family. They want to get together with their family and hug and cry some more. But the family is already used to being in the Philippines, so their family has already cried themselves out the previous night, and life is back to normal for them.

Eventually, because the bills still need to be paid, the family

may start reminding the person that they now need to find work elsewhere as soon as possible because, after all, the person had been sending money all these years for rice, food, clothing, and education of their children.

Those expenses still exist. But there may be no work available in the Philippines. And so, they may find themselves going off to Dubai, Qatar, KSA, or Europe, as an overseas worker, so they can find new work, to keep the steady stream of remittance to their family. But they are again separated from their family, and instead of being in the US, they are now in some other foreign country. In addition, by leaving the US, they may now be barred from returning for at least 10 years, because of the 3\10 year bar.

My point is that I know there are so many Filipinos in the US who are frustrated, anxious, and lonely for their family, and are just about to give up hope and go back. But you have to think about what life would be like two weeks after you return, when all the hugging and crying are over. In addition, maybe there will be changes in US immigration law that could benefit you. Or perhaps, there

could be a way NOW by which you could legalize your status, but you may not be aware of the particular immigration benefit to which you may be entitled. Before giving up and going back, at least seek the advice of an attorney who can evaluate your situation, and see if there are options available to you, or you can pray harder for changes in law after the election. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and reenactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

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GDP growth likely exceeded 7% in Q2 Aquino admin leaves over P1-trillion budget to Duterte by lawrence

agcaoili Philstar.com

by Prinz

Magtulis

Philstar.com

MANILA—The Duterte administration was left with a budget of more than P1 trillion for agencies and departments when it took over last month, showing enough funds for planned higher spending later this year.

A total of P1.02 trillion worth of notices of cash allocation (NCA) were issued to state offices in the first half, data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) showed.

The figure accounted for 49.28 percent of the P2.07 trillion budget for departments and special purpose funds primarily used for support to local governments and state-run firms. This means a total of P1.05 trillion remains intact in national coffers.

The 2016 budget is worth P3.002 trillion. The balance of P930.7 billion is in the form of automatic appropriations allocated for debt payments, pension and grants and donations.

“Compared to 2010, they really have more money left now upon taking over. They should be proactive in disposing them,” said Alvin Ang, economist at the Ateneo de Manila University.

NCA allows agencies to secure checks from the Bureau of the Treasury to pay for contracted services. Once checks are encashed, funds are deemed disbursed.

Of the P1.02 trillion NCA releases, 95.7 percent or P971.74 billion was actually converted into checks.

President Rodrigo Duterte, left, and former President Benigno Aquino III salute during the inauguration ceremony Thursday, June 30, 2016 at Malacañang Palace grounds in Manila. The Aquino administration left a budget of more than P1 trillion for agencies and departments to the Duterte administration.

Philstar.com photo

Broken down, P940.97 billion represented those redeemed as cash and spent, while P30.77 billion remained as checks as of June, data showed.

The balance of P47.33 billion remained with agencies which have not secured checks for their services.

“The problem encountered by the previous administration was more of capacity by agencies to absorb the budget. That could be one reason why there is a lot of money remaining,” Ang said by phone.

Emilio Neri Jr., lead economist at the Bank of the Philippine Islands, agreed but said there was already “big improvement” since January.

According to DBM data, NCA utilization rate was at a much slower 74 percent in the first

month of the year.

“This is positive, especially for economic growth in the second quarter. Although, we are still looking at a slowdown in the second half as the new government adjusts,” Neri said by phone.

“There could be some review of projects and line agencies may have to deal with it,” he added.

The Duterte government is targeting a higher budget deficit equivalent to 2.5 percent of economic output this year from 2 percent originally. But Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno earlier said this would likely come more from a shortfall in revenues than bigger spending since the budget had already been programmed.

“They may still encounter the same problems in budget absorption,” Ang said.

MANILA—The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth likely accelerated in the second quarter of the year, a ranking official of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.

BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said the GDP grew faster in the second quarter compared to the 6.9 percent expansion registered in the first quarter of the year amid robust consumer spending and higher investments.

“It looks like that it can be higher on the basis of the indicators that we’re seeing. All indications would point to a more robust economic growth in the second quarter of 2016,” he said.

The country’s GDP grew faster at 6.9 percent in the first quarter of the year from the revised 6.5 percent in the fourth quarter of last year amid accelerated public consumer spending, as well as increased fixed capital outlook on domestic spending.

Guinigundo also cited the impact of election-related spending.

“It should be higher than 6.9 percent because of the latest readings that we saw,” he added.

Zeno Ronald Abenoja, director of the BSP’s Department of Economic Research, said highfrequency indicators of demand continued to suggest an optimistic outlook on domestic spending.

Abenoja said vehicle sales remained brisk while the composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) stayed above the 50-point expansion threshold.

BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo

According to Abenoja the PMI stood at 55.3 in April while the volume of production index (VoPI) grew faster at 10.5 percent in April from 8.9 percent in March.

The average capacity utilization rate of the manufacturing sector also remained above 80 percent at 83.4 percent in April.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) earlier said factory output expansion would be sustained as demand typically increases in the second quarter due to the summer as well as enrollment seasons.

Vehicle sales zoomed 30.7 percent in the first two months of the second quarter while energy sales of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) grew 12.7 percent in the first two months of the year.

Based on the Q2 2016 Business Expectation Survey (BES) and Q2 2016 Consumer Expectation Survey (CES), business as well as consumer sentiments were bullish in the second and third quarters.

“Business sentiment improved while consumer sentiment was

broadly steady, supporting the view that demand conditions would remain firm moving forward amid sustained credit growth and notable improvements in employment conditions,” Abenoja said.

Guinigundo reiterated the country’s monetary policy stance remained appropriate amid the robust domestic demand as well as the benign inflation environment.

The BSP has set an inflation target of between two and four percent. Inflation averaged 1.3 percent in the first half of the year.

He pointed out the current monetary policy settings remain appropriately calibrated.

“With manageable inflation dynamics, low inflation expectations, and favorable prospects for domestic demand, the stance of monetary policy can continue to be kept steady for the near term,” he said.

The BSP has kept interest rates steady for 14 straight rate-setting meetings since October 2014.

Bangladesh presses PH gov’t...

PAGE D1 month.

A regional trial court in Manila has granted the petition for partial forfeiture involving the funds abandoned by Gao Shuhua at Wong’s Eastern Hawaii Leisure Co. Ltd. AMLC legal officer IV Arnold Frane told the forum the Bangladesh government has 15 days to file a third party claim to recover the $15 million kept in the vault of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Gomes said he also talked with Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) chief Andrea Domingo to recover another $2.75 million frozen account at the Solaire Resort and Casino.

Gomes said another team from Bangladesh is due next month and would meet with officials of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the Solicitor General.

He added the Bangladesh government is working closely with the Criminal Investigation Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the

Interpol for the recovery of the stolen funds.

Likewise, Gomes said the Bangladesh government is awaiting the results of the investigation conducted by the BSP on the banks as well as personalities involved in the money laundering scandal.

The scandal resulted in the resignation of RCBC president and CEO Lorenzo Tan as well as bank treasurer Raul Tan and the dismissal of RCBC Jupiter branch manager Maia SantosDeguito as well as customer relation manager Angela Torres.

“The president and treasurer resigned. We want to find out what is their accountability because the image of the Philippines has been damaged. The Federal Reserve Bank is upset on how a huge chunk of the money came through RCBC,” he said.

According to Gomes, he is still puzzled how the stolen funds from the Bangladesh central bank was quickly processed by RCBC through withdrawals from Feb. 9 to 13 despite the stop payment order issued by the Federal Reserve Bank on Feb. 8.

Infrastructure spending will rise from a low 5 percent to a high of 7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) Diokno told the 6th general membership meeting of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (Finex) in Makati City on Wednesday, July 20.

Inquirer.net photo

Construction to see ‘Golden...

PAGE D1

address this, we will hike infrastructure spending from a low 5 percent to a high of 7 percent of GDP,” he said.

Next year, the government plans to spend more than P890 billion for public infrastructure, he said, noting that specific infrastructure projects that will be undertaken simultaneously in all regions—developed or lagging—include small, medium and large-scale ventures.

“The next six years will be The Golden Age of Philippine construction, both public and private,” he said.

The P890 billion-plus planned spending for “pure” infrastructure represents 5.2 percent of next year’s P3.35 trillion national budget, 41 percent higher than the P631.9 billion target for this year.

Diokno explained that pure infrastructure spending excludes disbursements to other capital

outlays, which involves allocations for new buildings and purchasing airplanes, police vehicles and military goods.

However, Diokno also pointed out that it would take 10 years of “continuous buildup” of projects to address the infrastructure gap.

The country, he said, is severely handicapped by the lack of infrastructure.

“Right now, we have the MRT, LRT, LRT2, and then we have the MRT 7. Maybe, we will need three or four more lines, and then we need the PNR (Philippine National Railways) modernized,” he said.

“The airport, within the year, we have to make up our minds, we have to decide where it will be. Clark or Sangley. I think those are the option, unless someone will come up with unsolicited advice. In the meantime, there should be a dedicated highway from Clark to Makati, I think that’s possible,” he added.

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Longo Lexus offers the ultimate Longo Toyota delivers world class experience conveniences in customer amenities

We all know that the process of buying a car is not just as simple as buying a new pair of shoes at the mall. It is a long process that involves careful comparison between vehicle models, reviewing the car’s specifications with regards to the needs of the buyer, and of course, the negotiations for the financing packages and promos.

As such, it is very important for Longo Lexus that its customers are supremely comfortable and well-pampered if they are going to make that important decision of which Lexus they will drive home.

As a car dealership, there are many reasons why Longo Lexus has been an elite of Lexus dealer since 1992. One of those reasons includes the ultimate conveniences that they offer in customer amenities. As one of the leading Lexus car dealerships, Longo Lexus provides not only pre-sales conveniences, but also noteworthy post-sales services.

Longo Lexus is known for the unique amenities that they offer to dealership customers.

One of those unique amenities include an on-site Auto Club of Southern California (AAA) center. The AAA branch offers DMV services, airline, car, and hotel reservations, discounted movie and local attraction tickets, AAA membership application processing, OnBoard Teen Safe Driver Program, auto and home insurance, and more. Sign up at our AAA branch in Longo, and you’ll receive a special $13 discount off the original membership price.

Aside from from the on-site AAA branch, Longo is also the first dealership in the US to offer Verizon Wireless and Verizon Wireless Neighborhood services on-site. Offering the latest technologies in telecommunications, mobile accessories, and services, Longo’s on-site Verizon branch makes it even more convenient for customers to stay connected with the world. Our Verizon Wireless Premium Retailer is open from Monday to Friday, 7am-7pm; Saturday, from 7am to 5:30pm; and Sunday, from 8am to 4pm. Please call (888) 8115201.

While waiting for your car to come out of our premium carcare service lines or while you’re going through our wide inventory of luxurious Lexus vehicles, you can enjoy a quick bite at Sub-

way or a nice refreshing drink at Starbucks.

If you want to pamper your car, you can also shop at the Longo Lexus Parts Boutique, which carries a wide selection of genuine Lexus parts and accessories for your vehicle. M`Zkfi I\p\j With over 31,000 parts and accessories in stock, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for.

The after-sales services of a dealership is just as important as the pre-sales amenities. And it these after-sales services that make buying a vehicle at Longo Lexus a truly rewarding experience.

We offer complimentary loaner vehicles for your use while your car is in our service center. For inquiries, on our loaners, please call our coordinators at 1-800-5970813.

For your convenience, we also offer complimentary shuttle service to take you to your office, home, or even the mall—basically anywhere within a 15-mile radius—while your vehicle is being serviced.

If you don’t have time to make the drive to our dealership, our Longo Lexus Mobile Service Van and Truck can provide routine maintenance services, such as oil changes and tire rotations, right at your home or office. Appointments can be made up to 6 months in advance.

Similarly, if your service requirements need the car to be physically present at our Longo service center, we offer complimentary flatbed truck pick-up and delivery of your vehicle to and from our dealership. Our Longo Lexus Mobile Service Van and Truck, and our complimentary flatbed truch pick-up and delivery service are exclusively for cars that are purchased from Longo Lexus, and are located within 60mile radius from Longo.

Please call 1-800-597-0813 to schedule your appointment.

Also, for every service appointment, each vehicle receives a complimentary car wash in our Longo Lexus Car Spa. For our clients who wish to use other cars, aside from those among our fleet of loaner Lexus cars, they can avail of the services of our enterprise Rent-A-Car offices.

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With two branches on the Longo Premises, enterprise is ready to address all your car rental needs.

Please call (800) 969-6519 for more information.

We understand that life’s daily grind requires our customers to be always on top of everything while keeping up with an onthe-go lifestyle. Which is they are more than welcome to work at our Longo Business Center where they can work on our computer terminals, free of charge.

We also offer complimentary Wireless Internet Access (Wi-Fi) to our customers throughout the facility. This is particularly useful for our customers with mobile devices, laptops, and tablets.

While you wait for your car to come out of our service center, your kids can enjoy and have a good time at our Children Play Area, where we offer video games and other activities for the young ones.

Longo Lexus customers will also be offered complimentary use of our iPads while they are waiting for their vehicle.

For more information on our Longo Lexus Guest Services, please log on to www.longolexus.com/GuestAmenities or call (626) 539-2956.

Longo Lexus is located at 3530 North Peck Road, el Monte, CA 91731.

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BEING the premiere Toyota retailer in the nation, Longo Toyota aims to deliver a truly world-class experience to our guests on every transaction, everyday.

It all starts with our friendly and welcoming staff, a clean and modern environment, and a wide range of services to make your visit pleasant and convenient. Here are some of our key amenities at Longo Toyota: Auto Club of Southern California (AAA) In November 1999, Longo Toyota became the first automotive dealership in the US to have the Auto Club on its premises. For 14 long years, our Auto Club branch has served countless satisfied Longo customers with its wide array of services Today, our on-site branch offers DMV services, airline, car and hotel reservations, discounted movie and local attraction tickets, membership processing, OnBoard Teen Safe Driver Program, and more. Sign up at our Longo Toyota branch and get $13 off the original membership application price. Located in our new car showroom, our AAA branch is open Mondays thru Saturdays, from 11am to 7pm.

Verizon Wireless Premium Retailer Longo Lexus is the first car dealership in the US to provide Verizon Wireless and Verizon Wireless Neighborhood services on-site. Our Verizon branch offers the latest in telecommunications, mobile devices, accessories and services. We also offer complimentary cellphone charging stations for our customers.

Our Verizon retailer is located inside our parts retail center.

Our Wireless Playground is open Monday-Friday, 7am7pm; Saturday, 7am-5:30pm; and Sunday, 8-4pm. Please call (888) 623-2133 for more information.

Starbucks and Subway While waiting for your car to come out of our car-care service lines, you can enjoy a quick bite at Subway or a nice refreshing drink at Starbucks.

We offer healthy dining options with Subway’s wide variety of sandwiches, salads, and wraps.

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If you’re thirsty and you’re looking for that quick coffee fix, you can grab a refreshing Hazelnut Macchiato or a smooth Caramel Frappuccino at Starbucks. Offering only the finest coffee specialties, teas, juices, and assortment of pastries, there’s something for everybody at our on-site Starbucks branch.

Both our Subway and Starbucks branches are available for catering services.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Longo Toyota also has two Enterprise Rent-A-Car offices on its premises. One is located adjacent to the Service Drive in the Pre-Owned Vehicle Showroom, and the other is in the Collision Repair Center. Customers are welcome to utilize the Enterprise rental services, regardless of whether or not they leave their vehicle in Longo for any car service.

Complimentary Vehicle Delivery Service Longo Toyota also offer complimentary vehicle delivery service. Our delivery service is available 6 days a week, Monday thru Saturday, anywhere within a 60-mile radius of Longo Toyota.

Longo Toyota Parts and Accessories Department You can also shop at the Longo Toyota Parts and Accessories Department, which carries a wide selection of genuine Toyota parts and accessories for your vehicle. With thousands of parts and accessories in stock, we definitely have whatever it is you’re looking for. Our boutique also carries a selection of Ray-Ban and Oakley sunglasses, women’s and

men’s apparel, and so much more.

Shuttle Service For your convenience, Longo Toyota offers complimentary shuttle service while your vehicles are being serviced. Our shuttles can take you to virtually anywhere within a 15-mile radius of Longo Toyota – be it your home, work, the mall, or even the parlor! Anywhere!

An engaging stay While we understand that our customer’s time is precious, we realize that many of them may need Internet connectivity at all times. As such we are more than happy to provide FREE WiFi throughout our facility, and FREE use of our great business center. In our business center, we provide a quiet setting where our guests can work on our computers or on their own laptops.

We also provide free use of an iPad for Longo guests who are waiting for their vehicles.

Our Guest Check-in representative will be more than happy to arrange this for you.

If you decide to bring the kids to the dealership, boredom will never be a problem.

We also offer a variety of video games and DVDs just for kids so that they can also enjoy their visit to Longo Toyota.

For more information on our Longo Toyota Guest Services, please log on to http://www. longotoyota.com/dealership/ amenities.htm.

Longo Toyota is located at 3534 North Peck Road, El Monte, CA 91731. Call (800) 617-4516 to set up your appointment.

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D juLy 23-26, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN jOuRNAL

EMPLOYMENT

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JULy 23-26, 2016 D

World Bank warning: SSS assets depleted in 28 years

by Czeriza

ValenCia Philstar.com

MANILA—The Social Security System (SSS) would register a net outflow of funds in 20 years and its assets would be depleted in 28 years if crucial reforms are not carried out immediately, the World Bank (WB) said in a report.

In a recently released report titled “Philippines – Review of the social security system: considerations for strengthening sustainability and coverage,” the multilateral lending institution said the pension fund’s mediumterm financing issues could be addressed through the gradual implementation of reforms that would improve collection and coverage.

The WB said the report was undertaken at the request of the SSS to “analyze key challenges and propose reform options to improve the sustainability and expand the coverage of old age income protection for private sector workers.”

Among the recommendations made by the WB is the strengthening of the identification system and

introduction of a special instrument for informal workers.

“Administrative reforms could focus on measures to make it easier and cheaper for informal sector workers to make contributions, monitor accounts and receive payments,” it said.

To increase collection, WB said the pension fund can strengthen mobile money platforms and improve access to savings instruments particularly for small savers.

WB also proposed the gradual extension of the retirement age to 65 years and beyond in accordance with increases in life expectancy in retirement age to improve the sustainability of the fund.

It said, ultimately, reforms in the pension fund should aim to shield workers and retirees from abrupt changes in contributions and benefits.

“Like many countries worldwide, social security in the Philippines faces challenges to its sustainability in part due to a gradual aging of the population,” said WB.

Over the next 35 years, the oldage dependency ratio (those over age 60 in proportion of those who are of working age) is projected to double from about 12 percent in 2015 to 22.5 percent in 2050, the WB report said.

“Higher old age dependency ratios, coupled with little change in the relative size of the working-age population, will place increasing pressure on workingage individuals to provide support for elderly family members as well as on the country’s social security system and other old-age support programs,” said the report.

“Projections of the SSS financial flows undertaken using the Pension Reform Options Simulation Toolkit indicate that the scheme will face outflows greater than inflows in about 20 years and depletion of assets in about 28 years. At the same time, the SSS will continue to face the challenge of maintaining adequate SSS contributory benefits in the face of limited contribution histories, so that retirees have sufficient support in old age,” it added.

Investment pledges double to P186.5-B in H1 Bulk in power, transport infra projects

by riChmond

merCurio Philstar.com

MANILA—Investment pledges approved by the Board of Investments (BOI) more than doubled in the first half of the year as sustained investor confidence in the new government led to more power and transportation infrastructure projects.

BOI data released Tuesday, July 19, showed approved investments reached P186.51 billion in the first six months of 2016, a 103-percent jump from the P92.02 billion generated in the same period last year.

The investment commitments were generated from 162 projects which are expected to create some 30,207 jobs when fully operational.

With the numbers already covering the months of May and June, BOI chair and Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the triple-digit growth is indicative of continued investor confidence as the country transitions to the Duterte administration.

“Sustained impressive investment performance validates the announced economic policy direction of the new administration,” Lopez said.

EMPLOYMENT

BOI data released yesterday showed approved investments reached P186.51 billion in the first six months of 2016, a 103-percent jump from the P92.02 billion generated in the same period last year.

Philstar.com photo by Jun Acculador

According to the BOI, power generating plants and renewable energy projects took up the bulk of approved investments in the first semester, accounting for 51 percent of total.

Investment commitments in the sector alone soared 402 percent to P95.95 billion from only P19.1 billion in the same period last year.

The energy investments were generated from a total 34 power projects which are expected to provide additional capacity of 1,034 megawatts in most parts of Luzon where most industries are located.

Investment commitments in the

transportation infrastructure sector likewise surged 282 percent yearon-year to P31.9 billion, comprising 17 percent of the total investment pledges in the period.

The manufacturing sector, whose growth continues to drive the economy, contributed a total P18.61 billion in the first half, a nine percent jump from last year’s P17.14 billion.

Of the first half investment commitments, domestic sources reached P156.61 billion or 84 percent of total while the remaining 16 percent or P29.9 billion came from foreign sources.

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