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DATELINE USA from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

Obama signs bill awarding Congressional Gold Medal to Filipino World War II vets

de c e mbe r 2 2 - 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

Duterte: ‘US a land of hypocrisy’

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

reiterated several times its concern over the alleged spate of extrajudicial killings PresIDeNt rodrigo Duterte on related to the Philippine government’s monday, December 19, hit the United intensified campaign against illegal states anew, calling it a “land of hypoc- drugs. risy” for its criticism of the Philippine records from the Philippine National government’s deadly crackdown on il- Police (PNP) show that around 6,000 legal drugs. people have been killed in the campaign for the past previous months since from July 1 to December 12—with 2,000 Duterte took office, the United states has people slain during legitimate police op-

erations while the remaining 4,000 were killed in extrajudicial or vigilante-style killings, most reportedly conducted by unknown suspects.

“America is a land of hypocrisy. there are 40,000 Americans killed every year, drug-related,” Duterte said in a speech before a group of exemplary government employees.

At the same time, the president also

PresIDeNt Barack obama has signed into law a bill recognizing the sacrifices and contributions of over 260,000 filipinos and filipino Americans who fought alongside allied forces during world war II. the legislation approved on thursday, December 15 awards the Congressional Gold medal—the nation’s highest civilian honor—to veterans whose service had been largely dismissed by prior acts of Congress. “the filipino veterans of world war II overcame many challenges in their PAGE A2

PNP chief seeks forgiveness for drug war deaths

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

Fil-Am activists urge release of political prisoners in PH more than a dozen filipino-American activists rallied outside the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles on monday, December 19, calling for the release of hundreds of political prisoners affiliated with leftist rebels. the protest was sponsored by the southern California chapter of Bagong Alyansang makabayan (BAYAN), which identifies itself as the information bureau of the Philippine National Democratic movement.

Participants in the rally say President rodrigo Duterte has failed to fulfill earlier pledges to free 400 members of the National Democratic front of the Philippines (NDfP). “why is taking so long to fulfill these PAGE A3

AFP ANNIVERSARY. President Rodrigo Duterte reviews the troops aboard a military jeep during the 81st anniversary rites of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday, Dec. 21 in Camp Aguinaldo. In his speech, Duterte urged members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) to leave their arms and come down to celebrate Christmas with their families.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez

Duterte to Pacquiao: ‘I think you will become president too’

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

BoXING champion and senator manny Pacquiao could become one day a president of the country too, according to Philippine President rodrigo Duterte. speaking at Pacquiao’s 38th birthday celebration on saturday, December 17, Duterte called the senator “president-to-be.”

“I asked permission from president-to-be manny Pacquiao.

Ako, nagbitaw na ako ng salita, oo, klaro na ’yan (i already said my piece. it’s clear),” Duterte said in a speech in General santos City.

“Look. Ito ha. man, magpulitiko ka man, magiging presidente ka rin, tingin ko eh, totoo.

(Manny, you are a politician and i think you will also become a president),” he added.

Pacquiao previously admitted that he has considered running for president.

In an earlier interview with Agence france-Presse, the senator said he has thought of aiming for the top political position in the country when he retires from

reiterated that the country could survive even without the help of the U.s., following the millennium Challenge Corporation’s (mCC) decision to reportedly withhold its $434-million financial assistance to the Philippines. earlier this week, the mCC, a U.s. poverty reduction agency, said that it has “deferred a vote on the re-selecPAGE A2

Senator Manny Pacquiao

his boxing career.

Duterte then gave the senator advice to: “sundan mo lang ang linya mo at ganun lang ang ugali mo – ’yang style mo, stay humble. mababa lang (Follow your path and retain your style. Stay humble).” this, however, was not the first time Duterte mentioned the idea of Pacquiao becoming a president.

Senate photo

Last month, during their meeting at malacañang, Duterte reportedly raised senator’s hand and said, “for president na ’to ha. (This one is for president).”

Pacquiao, while still maintaining boxing career, had served two terms as a member of the house of representatives before winning a senatorial post in the recent may 2016 national elections. n

DAYs before Christmas, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General ronald “Bato” Dela rosa asked the public for their prayers and forgiveness for deaths related to the Philippine government’s intensified campaign against illegal drugs.

PNP Chief Ronald Dela Rosa speaking before police officers and their families on monday, December 19, Dela rosa also asked for their tolerance and understanding if the killings continue.

“I would like to ask everyone, ang hinihingi kong gift sa iyo ay pagdasal niyo kami, ang inyong mahal sa buhay, ang inyong kapulisan, na sana patawarin kami ni Lord dahil dito sa mga namamatay sa war on drugs (the gift i’m asking for is that you pray for us, for your loved ones, for the police force, that the Lord forgive us for those who were killed in the war on drugs),” Dela PAGE A2

James Taylor cancels Manila concert over PH drug war

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

AwArD-winning American singer-songwriter James taylor announced his decision to cancel his upcoming concert in manila next year due to the reported extrajudicial killings related to the Philippine administration’s war on drugs. on his facebook and twitter accounts, taylor said that he has to make a “political stand.”

“It saddens me to cancel our concert there. I don’t think of my music as being particularly political but sometimes one is called upon to make a political stand,” he wrote. taylor’s concert in manila, scheduled in february 2017, was supposed to be the last leg of his Asia-Pacific tour.

In his post, taylor said that “for a sovereign nation to prosecute and punish, under the law, those responsible for the illegal trade in drugs is, of course, understandable, Taylor said his music is not political, but that “sometimes one is PAGE A2 called upon to make a political stand.”

Electoral College officially declares Trump presidency

by Klarize

MeDenilla AJPress

PresIDeNt-elect Donald trump on monday, December 19, has received the necessary 270 votes in the electoral College, officially securing the presidency. each state’s electors convened in their respective states to officially cast their ballots. when all the votes were counted, trump

received 304, while Democratic presidential candidate hillary Clinton received 227. when the initial votes came in on election Day on November 8, trump had won 306 electoral votes while Clinton won 232.

In texas, there were 10 electors who ended up voting for a candidate other than who they were expected to vote for: eight PAGE A2

President-elect Donald Trump

A

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Duterte: ‘US a land of...

PAGE A1 tion of the Philippines for compact development, subject to a further review of concerns around rule of law and civil liberties.�

After a $434-million package in 2011, MCC said it has withheld its second aid due to “significant concerns around rule of law and civil liberties.�

On the other hand, the country could lose more foreign assistance if Duterte continues to impose conditions on Agnes Callamard, a United Nations (UN) special rapporteur seeking to conduct an investigation in the country on the

extrajudicial killings linked to the drug war, according to Ramon Casiple, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines (UP).

Last August, Callamard lambasted Duterte for reportedly giving the Filipino people the “license to kill� drug suspects in the country.

This has prompted the president to invite her to come to the Philippines and investigate. However, her visit comes with the following conditions: she should have a public debate with Duterte, who in turn should be able to ask

From The FronT Page the UN special rapporteur his own questions, and she should take an oath to “confirm her intention to be truthful.�

Callamard, however, said in a statement that these conditions set by the Philippines were “inconsistent with the Special Rapporteur Code of Conduct and Terms of Reference for country visits.�

Casiple noted that former President Ferdinand Marcos blocked a UN fact-finding investigation in relation to the assassination of former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. in 1983, which resulted in the cutting of some foreign aid and the downgrading of the Philippines’ credit ratings. n

PNP chief seeks forgiveness...

PAGE A1

Rosa said during the opening of PNP’s Christmas party for Camp Crame-based officers and their family in Quezon City.

Since President Rodrigo Duterte took office, records from the PNP show that around 6,000 people have been killed from July 1 to December 12 in relation to the government’s policy on narcotics. The crackdown was Duterte’s main campaign promise during the presidential election.

Dela Rosa, however, reiterated that of the 6,000 recorded deaths, only over 2,000 were killed in police operations while the remaining were “deaths under investigation� or vigilante-style killings. “Meaning, maraming nakisakay sa ating war on drugs, maraming sumabay. ‘Yan dapat ang ma-address natin and we are working on that (This means that there are many who rode on our war on drugs; many went along at the same time. That’s what we need to address),� he added.

The PNP chief also noted that although Duterte hates seeing his fellow countrymen dying, the president “loves peace-loving Filipinos so much� that he would rather have the government kill drug personalities to save innocent people.

Even with the international and local criticism, the government will not back down from its anti-illegal drugs campaign. “Prangkahan tayo (Let’s be frank). While I am begging for forgiveness for what is happening right now, I am also begging your indulgence to please understand if the killings will continue, but we will not stop our war on drugs,� he said.

He then added, “Hangga’t

nandyan ‘yung problema (While the problem exists), we will continue confronting that problem.

Hindi po mahihinto ito (This will not stop). We cannot guarantee you na walang mamamatay dahil (that nobody will die because) in every action, there is a corresponding reaction.�

Meanwhile, the latest survey from Social Weather Stations (SWS) – conducted from December 3 to 6 – showed that 8 out of 10 Filipinos were worried that they, or someone they know, might fall victim to extrajudicial killings in connection with the administration’s war on drugs.

Despite the worry, the same survey also revealed that Duterte garnered a “very good� net satisfaction rating.

According to the poll, Duterte scored a +63 net satisfaction, just a one point down compared to the previous survey conducted last September.

UN: Duterte killings ‘constitute murder’ Following Duterte’s earlier confession that he had ‘personally’ killed drug suspects before, the United Nations (UN) on Tuesday, December 20, asked the Philippine authorities to probe the president for his claims.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (CHR) Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein called on Philippine authorities to “demonstrate their commitment to upholding the rule of law and their independence from the executive by launching a murder investigation.� “Such acts directly contravene the rights enshrined in Article III of the Philippine Constitution.

The killings described by President Duterte also violate international law, including the right to life, freedom from violence

APPOINTED. Cesar Montano on Tuesday, Dec. 20 has been officially sworn in as the new Department of Tourism’s (DOT) Tourism Promotions Board Chief Operating Officer. Montano took his oath of office before Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo. Teo received Montano’s appointment paper on December 7. The actor was appointed to the post by President Rodrigo Duterte. Montano will handle domestic and international marketing and promotion of the Philippines as a major global tourism destination.

Inquirer.net photo

James Taylor cancels Manila concert...

PAGE A1

NETTED. Chief Superintendent Melvin Ramon Buenafe, Bicol police director, said the drugs could be part of at least three tons of cocaine reportedly dumped off the coast of Samar in 2009 or a shabu laboratory dismantled in Catanduanes recently.

Philstar.com photo by Jorge Hallare

and force, due process and fair trial, equal protection before the law, and innocence until proven guilty. As a government official, if he encouraged others to follow his example, he may also have committed incitement to violence,� Al Hussein said.

He pointed out that it’s “unthinkable for any functioning judicial system not to launch investigative and judicial proceedings when someone has openly admitted being a killer.�

Last week, Duterte claimed that he had killed drug suspects when he was still the mayor of Davao City. “I know it because—I am not trying to pull my own chair—in Davao I used to do it personally. Just to show to the [policemen] that if I can do it, why can’t you?â€? Duterte said in a speech on Monday night, December 12, in MalacaĂąang. n

Electoral College officially declares...

PAGE A1 who were supposed to vote for Clinton and two were supposed to vote for Trump.

As expected, all 55 electors from California, a staunch blue state, voted for Clinton.

In a ceremony in the state Assembly chambers, the electors cast their votes. The mood around the chambers was “muted, even a bit glum�, as reported

by the Los Angeles Times. “Today’s solemnity and formality reminds us that in our nation, American greatness and American independence, rests on a foundation of law,� Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Cordova), who lead the ceremony, said in the chambers.

Flaw in the system?

Although Trump won more electoral votes, he still trails Clin-

ton in the popular vote (individual vote) by about 3 million votes as of press time, which raised concerns over the validity of the Electoral College.

Lawmakers — including Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and former Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Bernie Sanders (IVt.) — have proposed eliminating the Electoral College entirely and rely on the popular vote to

even commendable.� “[B]ut recent reports from the Philippines of summary executions of suspected offenders without trial or judicial process are deeply concerning and unacceptable to anyone who loves the rule of law,� he remarked.

He then apologized to the Filipinos for “any inconvenience or disappointment� his decision may have caused.

Taylor, however, clarified that his performances in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand will push through.

Following the announcement of concert cancellation in the Philippines, Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano said in a statement that the artist’s remark “only shows international perception about our country particularly on the war against drugs.� “The rising deaths are alarming and cannot be denied. This perception is also shared at home as 8 out of 10 Filipinos in one of the surveys are worried that they or their friends will fall victims to EJK (extrajudicial killings),� Alejano added.

Since President Rodrigo Duterte took office, records from the Philippine National Police (PNP) show that around 6,000 people have been killed in the campaign from July 1 to December 12. Of that number, 2,000 people were select a president. “If the Electoral College had selected any other person than Trump, then I would’ve believed it had proven its value as a safeguard to protect American citizens from someone unfit to lead us as our President,� New Yorkbased Filipino-American activist Steven Raga told the Asian Journal in an email. “And even though it does not necessarily mean the current system in place could not do so PAGE A4

CANCELLED. A clothing vendor (left) pedals his bicycle past a billboard promoting a planned concert by U.S. singer James Taylor in Manila on December 21, 2016. Grammy award-winning singer James Taylor said on December 21 he has cancelled a February 2017 concert in the Philippines in protest at the alleged extrajudicial killings in President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal drug war.

Philstar.com photo

slain during legitimate police operations while the remaining 4,000 were killed in extrajudicial or vigilante-style killings, most reportedly conducted by unknown suspects.

The war on drugs, which has been among Duterte’s main campaign promises during the presidential election last May, has earned the administration condemnation from both local and international human rights groups, such as the United Nations (UN) and Amnesty International (AI).

The PNP, on its part, said in a statement that it respects Taylor’s decision. “The PNP respects the artist’s

decision. However, we cannot fault him for basing such decision on incorrect information about our country’s peace and order situation,� PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos told reporters.

Carlos said that coming to the Philippines will be “a firsthand opportunity to prove for himself that there is no alarming EJKs (extrajudicial killings) happening in the country.� “At the end of the day, it is a loss for him to experience the warmth and hospitality of the music-loving Filipino audience and also earn his purse from the concert,� Carlos added. n

Obama signs bill awarding...

PAGE A1 fight for compensation, family reunification, and verification of wartime service,� said Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), one of the lead sponsors of the legislation, in a statement published on Thursday.

The Rescission Act of 1946 barred Filipino soldiers from receiving veterans’ benefits awarded by measures enacted by the U.S. government after the end of WWII. It also officially labeled their contributions as inactive service, according to the Filipino American National Historical Society.

In 2009, a portion of the federal economic stimulus package gave surviving Filipino veterans a one-time lump sum of $15,000 for citizens and $9,000 for non-citizens. “After enduring 75 years of injustice and humiliation, our Filipino World War II veterans regained their honor and dignity,� Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Ret.), the chairman of the Filipino Veterans Recognition Project (FilVetREP), said in a statement released on Thursday.

Decades after their service ended, fewer than 18,000 Filipino veterans are still alive to personally celebrate the acknowledgment of their sacrifices.

â€œâ€Ś[T]his recognition is a testament to each and every one of our Filipino WWII veterans who earned and deserve their place amongst our greatest generation,â€? Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) said in a statement. “To our Filipino veterans, their families, and all who worked so hard to make today a reality, maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.â€?

The pair of companion bills submitted to Congress in June of 2015 and eventually signed into law on Thursday was introduced by Hirono in the Senate and Gabbard in the House of Representatives. The Senate version won unanimous approval on Wednesday, July 13. Its counterpart passed in the House on Wednesday, November 30. “We welcome this terrific news and extend our appreciation anew to all the advocates and supporters of the bill at the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate,â€? said Minister Patrick Chuasoto, ChargĂŠ d’Affaires ad interim of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, in a statement. “This gold medal is a fitting tribute to our veterans’ sacrifice, courage, and strength. From ordinary civilians to defenders of free nations, these men and women deserve our deepest PAGE A4

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Lawmakers, community groups rally in LA against Trump’s anti-immigration proposals

by Eric

GLAMMED UP JEEPNEY. Children walk past a colorfully hand-painted jeepney designed by students of the Mapua Institute of Technology, during the 6th Pinoy Ultimate Jeepney design competition at Resorts World Manila in Pasay City.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Bob Dungo Jr.

Fil-Am activists urge release...

PAGE A2 promises?” Bayan USA’s Secretary-General, Nikole Cababa asked of the Philippine government on Monday. “[Duterte] has every power to grant general amnesty.”

Duterte had referred to himself as a leftist president in the past. He has also vowed to make progress on efforts to end hostilities between the government and communist revolutionaries.

A major breakthrough took place this past August when members of the Duterte administration sat down with representatives from the NDFP and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPA) for the reopening of official peace negotiations in Oslo, Norway.

So far, 19 jailed NDFP members have been released so that they could serve as consultants during peace talks. On Tuesday, December 20, government peace panel chair, Silvestre Bello III, announced the scheduled release of 20 additional political prisoners.

“There are still hundreds left in prison who are in there for trumped up charges,” said Terrie Cervas, the secretary general of Gabriela USA, an

organization that advocates for the empowerment of Filipino women and other progressive goals. “[Inmates] include women, even children and the sick and elderly.”

Cababa and Cervas listed severe overcrowding and a lack of vital medical services as some of the harsh conditions encountered by jailed NDFP members.

They said some activists who were arrested while they were pregnant like Miradel Torres and Andrea Rosal were denied adequate prenatal care before giving birth while they were in custody. Torres was separated from her baby not long after giving birth, while Rosal’s child was not breathing at the time of delivery and died shortly afterward due to respiratory complications, according to Cababa.

Dr. Geneve Rivera-Reyes — a doctor from the non-profit organization Health Action For Human Rights (HAHR) who cared for Rosal during her incarceration — said the physical strain Rosal faced in prison may have contributed to the newborn’s death, according to a release from the Filipino activist group Karapatan.

Duterte had denied a request from the NDFP for the release of 130 prisoners on Thursday, December 8, saying he had given “too much too soon,” to the communists.

In light of that statement, protesters are urging Duterte to live up to prior commitments, rather than hold the freedom of political prisoners as a bargaining chip in future negotiations.

Peace talks are scheduled to continue in January, however, some NDFP leaders are calling for the release of their remaining colleagues as a prerequisite to further deliberations, according to Cababa.

“The ball is really in the court of President Duterte,” Cababa told the Asian Journal. “He really has to make some positive steps and show that he really cares about peace, that he really cares about everyday Filipinos.”

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have been in conflict with the armed wing of the NDFP, the New People’s Army, for over four decades.

Communist rebels have been pushing for increased independence from Western powers and sweeping political and economic reforms in addition to the release of its members.

(Eric Anthony Licas/AJPress)

Anthony LicAs AJPress

LOS ANGELES — Roughly 2,000 demonstrators gathered in Pershing Square on Sunday, December 18, before marching to the steps of City Hall, where lawmakers and community leaders pledged to resist proposals by President-elect Donald Trump.

Immigration was the most prominent topic discussed at Sunday’s rally, which coincided with International Migrants Day. At the event, demonstrators, lawmakers and community leaders spoke out in support of the rights of undocumented residents, especially those who may face a greater risk of deportation under the incoming presidential administration.

“We will not go back to the days when we persecuted [people] because of religion or discriminated against [people] because of the color of their skin or their legal status,” California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León told people in attendance of Sunday’s demonstration. “That’s not America, and that’s certainly not California.”

He and other elected officials stood behind state legislation — introduced during the first session of California’s recentlyelected Legislature on Monday, December 5 — designed to challenge Trump’s hardline stance on immigration. Among those bills were one that would provide free legal counsel to people facing deportation hearings and another that would improve legal services for undocumented immigrants involved in criminal proceedings.

Other proposals submitted earlier this month include legislation that would make it more

difficult for the federal government to fund a border wall between California and Mexico and establish a Muslim registry.

Another bill would effectively end the state’s use of private facilities to house undocumented immigrants.

In addition, a bill introduced by de León would prevent U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from utilizing any state or local resources.

“We are either resistors or collaborators, and the city of Los Angeles will not collaborate with Donald Trump’s administration,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember Gil Cedillo on the steps of City Hall on Sunday.

Cedillo and other lawmakers applauded policy decisions from state and local institutions that would protect undocumented immigrants from being singled out and deported.

A week after Trump won the presidency, California State University (CSU) Chancellor Timothy White said the institution he heads would not take part in federal efforts to identify and deport any of its students.

During a Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, November 16, White said the CSU “will not enter into agreements with state or local law enforcement agencies, Homeland Security or any other federal department for the enforcement of federal immigration law.”

University of California (UC) President Janet Napolitano followed suit with similar commitments outlined in a statement released on Wednesday, November 30.

Los Angeles Police Chief Glenn Beck announced on Monday, November 14, that his

Obama signs bill awarding...

PAGE A2 respect and gratitude.”

Another bill resubmitted to Congress in May, the Filipino Veterans Fairness Act, would officially recognize the active service of those Filipinos who took part in allied military operations. It would also give them full access to programs and benefits administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Both Gabbard and Hirono said they would work with FilVetREP to organize Congressional Gold Medal ceremonies.

The signing of this bill comes after a series of actions earlier this year to give some recognition and benefits to the Filipino veterans.

The California State Board of Education recently approved curriculum changes

department would continue to honor a 1979 special order that prevents officers from stopping and questioning Angelenos strictly for immigration purposes.

“This is truly a Filipino issue,” Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) Executive Director Aquilina Versoza told the Asian Journal following Sunday’s march. “The policies that the federal administration will be taking are really going to affect us, and our community doesn’t realize how big the impact will be.”

She said that Trump’s positions on issues like the environment, worker’s rights, and education, in addition to immigration, could mean significant changes for Filipinos. Moving forward, Versoza and PWC hope to foster discourse and awareness at the local level to bolster political engagement within the community.

Sunday’s march also drew representatives of organized labor and the environmental movement, in addition to supporters of immigrant, LGBTQ and workers rights. Ian Kamus, a community organizer at PWC, said the organization’s presence at the event illustrated the wide scope of concerns felt by many Americans in the face of Trump’s impending leadership.

“We know that we need to stand together today as never before,” Stewart Kwoh, executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles, told demonstrators at the beginning of Sunday’s rally. “We will mobilize, we will stand together, we will be in the courts together and we will be in the hallowed halls of legislature to stand up for justice.”

of the state’s high schools to incorporate more information about Filipinos’ roles in the war in Grade 11 U.S. History lesson plans.

In the summer, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) rolled out a new family-based immigration program for Filipino WWII veterans and their families called the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program. (Eric Anthony icas/ AJPress)

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LA introduces fund for immigrant rights The city looking to combat Trump’s deportation threat

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

PASTORES-A-BELEN. Dancers wearing colorful dresses perform the Pastores Bicol at Peñaranda Park in honor of the biblical shepherds who sang the first Christmas Carols.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Rhaydz Barcia

Electoral College officially declares...

PAGE A2 in the future, the results from yesterday’s vote leaves me unconfident in utilizing the Electoral College for future elections and am open to its possible dissolution,” Raga added.

Singing a similar tune to those who fear a Trump presidency, Raga added that the system did not work in the interests of the American majority. Of the upcoming administration, Raga envisioned an apocalyptic future with lesser opportunities for “people of color, women, and those of certain religious backgrounds.”

Despite wide disapproval of the results, Trump’s camp still believes it won the election fair and square, and celebrated the reality television star’s incoming administration.

Trump’s running mate Vice President-elect Mike Pence tweeted in response to the results, congratulating his partner’s win.

“Congratulations to @RealDonaldTrump; officially elected President of the United States today by the Electoral College!,” he tweeted just after the results were in, adding that he is “honored” and “humbled” to become the country’s next vice president.

The Republican National Com-

mittee (RNC) also celebrated its candidate’s win and a Republican leadership in the White House.

“This historic election is now officially over and I look forward to President-elect Trump taking the oath of office in January,” RNC Co-Chair Sharon Day said in a statement released on Monday.

“Our unified Republican government will hit the ground running next year so we can deliver real change and make America great again.”

Day added: “For the good of the country, Democrats must stop their cynical attempts to undermine the legitimacy of this election, which Donald Trump won decisively in the Electoral College with more votes than any Republican since 1988.”

Bipartisan support for Russian hack probe Back in October, the government announced that it was “confident” that Russia was responsible for a hack of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which resulted in the release of thousands of emails.

Those emails revealed damaging information about the Democratic Party as well as its presidential nominee, Clinton.

In a turn of events, the CIA revealed earlier this month that the Russian hacks were orchestrated to sway the election in Trump’s

favor, mainly by producing and distributing “fake news” aimed to defame Clinton.

Although the RNC finds the allegations nonsensical, the proposed investigation on the hack has received resounding support from Democrats and Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

This is the sign of a possible unraveling of the world order that was established after World War II, which has made one of the most peaceful periods in the history of the world,” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said on CNN on Sunday, December 18. “We’re starting to see the strains and the unraveling of it, and that is because of the absolute failure of American leadership.”

“This is serious business,” the 2008 Republican presidential nominee added. “If they’re able to harm the electoral process, they may destroy democracy, which is based on free and fair elections.”

At the meeting of the electors on Monday, after the votes were collected, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) urged the investigation into the alleged hack.

“I move that as an Electoral College, we do not normalize this election. We do not accept Russian interference in our election,” Pelosi announced, the electors applauding in agreement. n

IN conjunction with city officials and philanthropists, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the installation of a $10 million fund dedicated to assisting the city’s undocumented immigrants facing deportation.

The announcement comes amid the historic election of President-elect Donald Trump, who has proposed stringent immigration plans, including deporting millions of undocumented immigrants.

If passed by the city, starting early next year, the LA Justice Fund will challenge proposed policies from both the White House and the Republican-controlled Congress.

“People who have built their lives in America have rights, and they deserve all of the protections that our legal system provides,” Garcetti said in a statement released on Monday, December 19. “The LA Justice Fund will reach out to people who are American by every measure except the papers they hold — our family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.

They are part of our community, and we will fight for them.”

The reserve is a collaboration of the City of LA, the County of LA, the California Community Foundation, the Weingart Foundation and the California Endowment. The government will provide $5 million with the other $5 million coming from private foundations.

According to the city, the LA Justice Fund is one of the first programs that allocates local taxpayer money into providing legal services for the city’s undocumented community.

Garcetti stated in a press conference that the fund will help “law-abiding” immigrants, but clarified that the those with a criminal history would not be denied help.

As many of the city’s undocumented immigrants fear for their future in the midst of the election, the City of LA has reassured the community that its lawmakers will maintain itself “as a welcoming and inclusive city.”

Soon after the election, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) announced that it will uphold Special Order #40, which restricts officers from conducting investigations solely based on a person’s immigration status.

The city’s efforts to provide protections and offer legal help to migrants who can’t afford attorneys matches similar endeavors at the state level.

On Monday, December 5, several members of the state Legislature announced a series of bills dedicated to challenging Trump’s immigration promises and protecting the rights of undocumented immigrants.

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) and Senate Leader Pro-Tempore Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) have initiated resolutions that urge

the president-elect to retract on his promise for mass deportations of millions of undocumented immigrants.

“Immigrants are a part of California’s history, our culture, and our society,” Rendon said in a statement. “They pay taxes, sometimes more than billionaires, and they help drive the engine that makes California the 6th largest economy in the world. With this package of legislation we are telling the next Administration and Congress: if you want to get to them, you have to go through us.”

De Leon assured Californians that the state would not resort to the inhumane immigration practices in the 1950s under President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “Operation Wetback”, which Trump previously praised.

Filipino-American Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) earlier this month proposed AB 3, which would create state-funded centers to train defense attorneys and public defenders on immigration law and the implications of criminal conviction.

“Immigration is critical for keeping alive the American dream — a dream that the United States is the land of opportunity for people from all over the world,” Bonta said at the press conference. “I’m proud to support a package of bills that protect California’s immigrant population and challenge our society to end policies profiling and discrimination based on race or religion.”

US senator: China had no right to seize drone

by Patricia lourdes Philstar.com

Viray

THE seizure of an unmanned United States oceanographic vessel in international waters shows China’s flagrant violation of the freedom of the seas, an American senator said.

“China had no right to seize this vehicle. And the United States must not stand for such outrageous conduct,” US Sen. John McCain said in a statement.

Such behavior from China fits a pattern of destabilizing behavior including bullying its neighbors and militarizing the disputed South China Sea, the senator said.

The American senator warned

that this behavior will continue unless met with a strong response from the US. “Freedom of the seas and the principles of the rules-based order are not self-enforcing.

American leadership is required in their defense. But that leadership has been sorely lacking,” McCain said.

McCain added that instead of promoting a “peaceful rise,” China has been demonstrating its willingness to use intimidation and coercion to disrupt the rules-based order in the Asia-Pacific region.

“As I have said repeatedly, we must adapt U.S. policy and strategy to reflect this reality and ensure we have the neces-

sary military forces, capabilities, and posture in the region to deter, and if necessary, defeat aggression,” the senator said.

The Chinese government said that it will give back the underwater glider after securing an “understanding” with the US government.

Last Thursday, the Chinese navy seized the drone, which was being operated by civilian contractors to conduct oceanic research.

The US government filed a formal diplomatic complaint and demanded the drone back. However, US President-elect Donald Trump said that the Chinese government can keep it. n

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D ateline PhiliPPines PH gov’t urged to file protests against China, US

by Dana

M. SioSon

AJPress

An international law expert urged Philippine government authorities to file diplomatic protests against both China and the United States for its recent “invasion� of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Last week, a Chinese naval vessel reportedly seized an underwater U.S. drone just 92.5 kilometers northwest of Subic Bay, which is within the country’s 370-km EEZ. “I urge the Philippine government to file diplomatic protests against both the United States and China for this invasion of our EEZ. This incident reveals that both China and the U.S. have acted without regard to the rights of the Philippines,� Kabayan Representative Roque said in a statement on Sunday, December 18.

Roque said that while the United States has the “freedom of navigation over the EEZ’s of other states, such acts must be exercised with ‘due regard’ for the interests of

other states.� “Similarly, the act of the Chinese submarine in retrieving the said probe is also suspicious. The Philippines maintains its sovereign claim over various features within the West Philippine Sea and it has no interest in allowing its territory to be used as a battleground between the United States and China,� he stressed.

According to Roque, the Philippines should file a diplomatic protest to “register our continuing assertion of our rights in the West Philippine Sea and claims to islands at Spratlys.� “This will also show our resolve as a country and putting flesh in our independent foreign policy,� he added.

At the same time, Roque urged President Rodrigo Duterte to “urgently consider the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) in order to protect the territorial integrity of the Philippines.�

He suggested that the Philippines can adopt a position of neutrality by abandoning the foreign agreements he cited.

However, contrary to his earlier statement, Duterte said in a speech on Monday that Philippines and China can hold bilateral explorations on the disputed waters in South China Sea. “I have this arbitral award, so I have to push it. Kung gusto ninyo (If you want), let’s just develop what’s the oil there, hati-hati nalang tayo (we can share). What will I do with the Scarborough Shoal? Swim there everyday? For what? To send my soldiers there to die? Susmaryorsep. I will just have to start with the domestic problem,� President Duterte remarked.

Last October, Duterte said he does not want to conduct any joint patrols with foreign military on the disputed waters near the South China Sea, noting that he is not empowered by the Congress to do.

SHINING, SHIMMERING, SPLENDID. It is full of lights and Santa Clauses, thus this house along Policarpio St. in Mandaluyong City draws dozens of visitors every night. The house has become a tourist attraction in the city every December.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Roger RaĂąada

China: Ties with Philippines improved since Duterte visit

by Patricia LourDeS Philstar.com

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MAnILA — The relationship between the Philippines and China significantly improved after the state visit of President Rodrigo Duterte to Beijing last October, a Chinese official said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that China appreciates the decision of Duterte to set aside the South China Sea arbitration. “China welcomes and appreciates the remarks by President Duterte, whose policy on the South China Sea arbitration meets the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples and exemplifies the increasingly deepened mutual trust and amicable relations between the two,� Hua said in a press briefing.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry official also said that Beijing is willing to work with Manila to enhance political mutual trust and to properly resolve the maritime dispute. “Bilateral mutual trust keeps building up and pragmatic coop-

Position Title:

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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands after a signing ceremony in Beijing, China last Oct. 20.

eration in various fields runs in full fledge with fruitful results,�

Hua said.

Duterte earlier said that he is willing to share oil from the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea with China despite constitutional and international law constraints on exclusive economic zones. “Kung gusto ninyo, let’s just develop what’s the oil there, hati

na lang tayo,� Duterte said in a speech at Malacaùan on Monday evening.

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OpiniOn

Features

Desensitization

DESPITE efforts by President Rodrigo Duterte to vociferously fight the drug crisis in the country, many still refuse to see its success. Whether they are guilty or not, the staggering numbers of people who have been killed cannot hide the growing level of violence and impunity in the country.

The gruesome photographs of blood-soaked corpses of alleged drugs suspects are constantly shown with headlines in various media outlets almost every day.

This shows how there is a level of desensitization to the violence among a certain segment of the population.

But waging a punitive war on drugs also has consequences. It generates human rights abuses such as abusive and inhumane punishments.

And as the number grows, so does the fear of the populace for their own lives.

While Duterte and his hard stance on drugs received high approval ratings, a majority of Filipinos are worried that they or anyone they know would fall victim to such killings.

The latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed that 8 out of 10 adult Filipinos or 78 percent of 1,500 respondents fear getting killed in the drug war.

The poll, conducted from Dec. 3 -6, also showed that 39 percent of the respondents consider the issue of extrajudicial killings as “very serious.” For 71 percent of the respondents, it

is “very important” that drug suspects are caught alive.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has asked the public for indulgence after admitting that the killings might continue. He vowed that the police will be relentless in its war on drugs.

“Andyan na tayo. Kung merong mamamatay dyan, pasensya na po dahil hindi kami humihinto sa aming trabaho. Hangga’t nandyan ‘yung problema, we will continue confronting that problem. Hindi po mahihinto ito. We cannot guarantee you na walang mamamatay dahil in every action, there is a corresponding reaction.

(We’re already here. If there are people killed, forgive us because we won’t stop doing our job.

While the problem persists, we will continue confronting that problem. This will not stop. We cannot guarantee you that there will be no more deaths because in every actions, there is a corresponding reaction,)” the police chief said.

Dela Rosa earlier has asked for forgiveness from the public on behalf of the police and the government for the killings. Dela Rosa asked

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

the public to pray for the 160,000-member police force so God would forgive them for killing people.

This brutal anti-drug crackdown is painstaking and often thankless. Perhaps what it needs

is to re-assess the problem and propose policy recommendations for a radically different approach—one that will not inflict fear among the citizenry but ignite civic participation instead.

(AJPress)

The beginnings of our Christmas tradition CHRISTMAS is my favorite season of the year because it just makes us look at what matters most in our life, be thankful for them, and yearn to spread the joy and love with others. A fitting prelude to New Year, Christmas also serves as a good time to look back to the year that was, as we look forward to the year ahead.

For us Christians, the reason for the season is the birth of Jesus, who taught us how to live the life of faith, love, charity and service that he exemplified in His own life. The “belen” and “simbang gabi” are the best illustrations of the real meaning of Christmas for many kababayans.

Christmas is also a feast that we share among family, friends, and the community, enjoying traditional food like jamon, queso de bola, kakanin, and the usual fiesta fare featuring Filipino food like embutido, menudo, morcon, lechon, buko salad, potato salad, leche flan, ube halaya, and many more.

As early as September, Filipinos start working on building that Christmas spirit by playing Christmas songs, decorating the house with a parol and Christmas tree.

Christmas is also the time of the year when we all feel generous and giving to make the dreams of our loved ones come true. We shop for gifts for the people we love, both here and back home. For most of us, it means sending balikbayan boxes as early as October to make sure our families back home will get what they wished for, especially if they have been nice rather than naughty to make it to Santa Clause’s list.

From The Stands DoMini M. toRRevillaS MANY of us ordinary folks have our heroes. Mine is Jose de Venecia Jr. I write this tribute six days before he turns 80 on Saturday, the 26th day of December 2016.

I imagine that on Monday, the Vera-Perez Gardens in San Juan City will be filled to the rafters to celebrate JDV’s natal day. For sure his guests will include foreign dignitaries from many parts of the world, who, ironically, hold him up as a prophet while to my mind, he seems half-forgotten in his own country.

JDV is best remembered as the only Speaker of the House of Representatives for five terms, or 12 years – in the 9th (1992-1955), 10th (1995-1998), 12th (20012004), 13th (2004-2008), and 14th (2008) Philippine Congress. He was president of the dominant party, LAKAS-CMD, and ran for president in the 1998 election but lost to then Vice President Joseph Estrada (who would early in his term be ousted from the presidency), finishing second in a field of 11 candidates. He was one of the 1974 TOYM awardees.

No longer involved in domestic politics, De Venecia has reached out to promote peace among leaders of other countries. He has as-

But when and how did this celebration start around the world?

The Fil-Am Here is how the History Channel Perspective explained it: The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world. Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and Gel SantoS-ReloS birth in the darkest days of winter.

Many peoples rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight.

In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January.

In recognition of the return of the sun, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days.

The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year.

The end of December was a perfect time for celebration in most areas of Europe. At that time of year, most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter. For many, it was the only time of year when they had a supply of fresh meat. In addition, most wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking.

In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden during the mid-winter holiday. Germans were terri-

fied of Oden, as they believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people, and then decide who would prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people chose to stay inside.

In Rome, where winters were not as harsh as those in the far north, Saturnalia—a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture—was celebrated. Beginning in the week leading up to the winter solstice and continuing for a full month, Saturnalia was a hedonistic time, when food and drink were plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned upside down.

For a month, slaves would become masters. Peasants were in command of the city. Business and schools were closed so that everyone could join in the fun.

Also around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honoring the children of Rome. In addition, members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun, on December 25. It was believed that Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock. For some Romans, Mithra’s birthday was the most sacred day of the year.

In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. Unfortunately, the Bible does not mention date for his

Joe de V, my hero sumed the role of statesman, respected and held in awe by heads of state. He is founding chairman and founding president of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) and the Centrist Asia Pacific Democrats International (CAPDI). ICAPP is composed of more than 300 ruling and opposition political parties in 52 Asian countries, while CAPDI is a joint political-civil society organization in the Asia Pacific.

According to De Venecia, ICAPP is a forum of political parties of Asia-Oceanian countries, which was launched in Manila Philippines in September 2000.

The objectives of the conference are to promote exchanges and cooperation between political parties from different countries in the area and with various ideologies; to enhance mutual understanding and trust among Asian countries; to promote Asia’s regional cooperation through the unique role and channel of political parties; and to create an environment for sustained peace and shared programs of development.”

On Feb. 15, 2016, some 150 parliamentarians, representing more than 40 nations, signed a resolution to form the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP). This event took place in the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea at an Inter-

national Leadership Conference.

Since the inauguration of IAPP in Seoul in February, regional chapters of IAPP have been launched in the Asian-Pacific, East African, West African, European, Central American and South American regions. A North American IAPP chapter was launched at an international leadership conference in Washington, D.C. last month.

De Venecia, with his amiable personality and remarkable intelligence, was elected president and chairman of IAPP. Among the distinguished participants in the conference were IAPP co-chair Dan Burton, former Nepal Premier Madhaw Nepal, first black woman elected to the Parliament of Canada, Rep. Jean Augustine, UPF President Thomas Walsh and Washington Times chair and publisher Thomas McDevitt.

In the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, JDV asked governments and parliaments “to combine forces to tackle the almost incredible but all too real problem of the richest one percent (1 percent) or 80 of the world’s richest individuals owning sixty percent (60 percent of the wealth of the world, or the same amount shared by 3.5 billion who occupy the bottom half of the world’s income scale.”

In the Philippines, the income and social gap is so great that like

birth (a fact Puritans later pointed out in order to deny the legitimacy of the celebration).

Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival.

First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century. By the end of the eighth century, the celebration of Christmas had spread all the way to Scandinavia.

Today, in the Greek and Russian orthodox churches, Christmas is celebrated 13 days after the 25th, which is also referred to as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day. This is the day it is believed that the three wise men finally found Jesus in the manger.

By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated. By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion.

MALIGAYANG PASKO SA INYONG LAHAT! . *** 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

Do we really need a gangster as the Philippines’ president?

Street Talk GReG B. MacaBenta Jose de Venecia

Disraeli’s Britain in the 1840s, the rich and the poor among us have become virtually ‘two nations’.”

In 2011, the richest Philippine families accounted for 76 percent of our country’s gross national income. The two riches families alone together held 6 percent of our entire economy.”

He said, “The two nations situation, the incredibly huge gap between the rich and the poor, still exists in many countries in Asia, Latin America, Africa and a number of cities in Europe and North America.”

He pointed out that in IAPP “We observe that inequality is an unavoidable result of market operations. Inequality is the price of capitalist dynamism. Left to itself, rapid economic growth accelerates income inequality.”

PAGE A7

FOLLOWING the postings and counter-postings on Facebook of folks whom I regard as righteous and intelligent, I have frankly begun to sense that there is a new standard of right and wrong that has emerged in the Philippines with Rodrigo Duterte’s assumption of the presidency.

Duterte has been widely criticized, not only by the local political opposition but by world leaders and international media for his bloody war on drugs. Even Senator Panfilo Lacson, who cannot be classified as “yellow” – a pejorative, that once referred mainly to the Aquinos and the Liberal Party but now includes anyone who is seen as anti-Duterte – has just “sounded the alarm…over daily killings in the country” attributed to the campaign against drugs.

Said Lacson on Twitter, “For someone like me who’s not a human rights advocate to get worried about the daily killings, something

very wrong must be going on.”

Anyone familiar with the track record of Lacson as a former chief of the Philippine National Police and as an officer of the dreaded Metrocom Intelligence and Security Group (MISG) must take his comments seriously.

And yet, supporters of Duterte, including those whom I have known to be morally and ethically straight, have deftly sidestepped the issue of the killings – now going into the thousands and counting – by pointing out the devastation caused by the drug menace and the dire consequences if Duterte were to be deposed and Vice President Leni Robredo were to assume the presidency.

Wrote one Manila columnist who apparently believes that the Philippines is a narco-state or one under the thumb of drug lords: “So let us call a spade a spade.

We are a narco-state, no quibbling there. Those in denial may probably want to embrace the ‘EJK’ argument. I won’t because no state sanctions what is deemed extra-judicial. But I do recognize that there are killings from police operations and that is murder (if there is intent) or homicide. Both crimes are in our Revised Penal Code. If there is a country waging PAGE A7

The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.

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A

PH could lose more foreign aid, analyst warns DOJ charges Sen. De Lima for

by JefferSon antiporDa ManilaTmes.net

THE Philippines is in danger of losing assistance from foreign countries and even a downgraded credit rating if President Rodrigo Duterte insists on imposing conditions on a United Nations special rapporteur seeking a probe on extrajudicial killings linked to the drug war, an analyst warned.

Ramon Casiple of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform said the refusal of the President to reconsider his decision to impose conditions on UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard was not helping the administration project a good image.

Duterte wants to challenge Callamard in a public debate on whatever her findings would be, while Callamard wants a private debriefing if she is allowed to visit the country in early 2017.

Casiple said the Philippines was not in a position to set conditions because the office of the UN rapporteur is based on a UN treaty.

“If the administration thinks that the UN will back out because of the conditions, they are mistaken because the rapporteur can still come up with a report even without coming here,” Casiple said in an interview.

The Philippines will be at a disadvantageous position as the government will not be able to air

PAGE A6

its side, he said.

The Philippine government has set three conditions before allowing Callamard to investigate: a public presentation in the Philippines of the findings of the special rapporteur, an opportunity for the President to publicly ask questions and present additional information or clarifications in the presence of the special rapporteur and the media, and that Callamard take an oath.

Callamard has rejected the conditions, noting that these were against the code of conduct and terms of reference for country visits.

“It would appear that the Philippines is not open to talk about the issue on the alleged extrajudicial killings and it will not look good for the country,” Casiple said.

How Marcos, Arroyo treated UN probes Casiple recalled that former president Ferdinand Marcos blocked a UN fact-finding investigation in the Philippines after the assassination of former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. in 1983.

As a result, some foreign aid was cut and the credit rating of the Philippines was downgraded, he said. These can happen again if Duterte insists on his conditions, Casiple said.

The deferment by the Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC) of

a new multi-year development aid package for the Philippines, Casiple said, could be followed by other countries.

Casiple also noted that former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo allowed a UN special rapporteur to conduct an investigation on summary killings in the country and while the report was negative, the Philippines was given a chance to answer and clarify some matters. No sanctions were given.

“The danger here is that if other nations with strong positions on human rights would see the behavior of the Philippine government toward the UN special rapporteur, it would be a serious problem for the country,” Casiple said.

What aid?

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto 3rd belittled the MCC aid as he questioned the motive behind the deferment of the assistance.

In a separate interview, Sotto said the amount given by the MCC to the country in previous years seemed to not have made a dent on poverty.

The country received a total of $434 million in MCC funding from 2010 to 2016.

“How much did they give us last year? Did it help the country get rich? Did it help feed our poor countrymen? Where did the aid go?” Sotto asked.

Joe de V, my hero

But inequality, though unavoidable, De Venecia pointed out, “can be mitigated, made less painful—by government activities and parliamentary action. And it is right that the states and parliaments should do so—because economic insecurity, if left to itself, will steadily erode the social order and eventually generate a backlash against the economic system as a whole.”

He submitted that “the merging and exiting governments today, in search of new platforms, systems, and structures of government might consider a synthesis of the best of socialism and capitalism.”

He pointed out that since President-elect Donald Trump’s electoral victory, “we have already noticed the beginnings of significant improvement in the deteriorating US-Russian relations and better chemistry between Philippine President Duterte and Mr. Trump (who) begins to assume office only on January 21, next year.”

De Venecia pointed out that the U.S. “has been the fulcrum of the regional power balance since the end of World War I and Pax Americana has given the Philippines and the East Asian states the breathing spell to put their houses in order, as it is the American market that has enabled them to expand their economies at the world’s fastest rate during this last

half-century.”

Let’s go to JDV’s roots. He was born in Dagupan City on Dec. 26, 1936, to Judge Jose R. de Venecia Sr., and Casimira Villamil Claveria. He graduated with a bachelor of science in journalism at the Ateneo de Manila in 1955.

Before he entered politics, JDV was in business, pioneering overseas contract work for Filipinos as one of the first Philippine prime contractors in the Middle East and North Africa in the mid-1970s. Records show that he hired 51,000 Filipinos for his companies and engaged in port operations in Saudi Arabia, agriculture in Africa, and mass housing and oil exploration in the United Arab Emirates.

His Middle East engagements led to the employment of millions of Filipinos. He conceived and implemented the historic dollarremittance program for overseas Filipino workers.

His entry into politics began with his election as congressman of the 2nd District of Pangasinan (1969 to 1972). In the first free election after the anti-Marcos EDSA Revolution, he was elected congressman in 1987.

He was reelected in 1992 and joined the newly created party Lakas Tao of President Fidel Ramos. He initiated the move to unite the National Union of Christian Democrats—a cluster of the Progressive Party of the Philippines

Do we really need a gangster...

PAGE A6 a fight against illegal drugs and has an immaculate slate in terms of the number of persons killed, please let us know. That model can be studied and probably implemented in our country, if only to stress the obvious that there is none.”

One gets the impression that, in the Philippines, there is no other option between the devil and the deep blue sea or between Duterte and Robredo.

As far as this opinion maker is concerned, killings resulting from “police operations” are happening — it is a given — but she considers them the price to be paid in the fight against illegal drugs.

The argument actually sounds reasonable if one paints a broad portrait of nameless suspects — drug lords, pushers, users — who needed to be “killed dead” like insects in the Flit commercial. But if one were to take the trouble to go through the body count and identify the fatalities, you would realize that each was a human being with families and loved ones grieving over their summary liquidation.

Indeed, it is so easy to generalize and dismiss the fatalities as part of the “just war” — unless, of course, you happen to be a relative or a dear friend of one or a couple of the victims. After all, who bothers about the hundreds liquidated

by Rambo in his movies?

Yet the columnist’s acknowledgment that there have been police killings — and some could be considered murder — appears more reasonable than the conclusion drawn by the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights and the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs after a brief inquiry chaired by Senator Dick Gordon.

The report concluded that allegations of “extra-judicial killings” attributed to the Duterte administration and, by extension, to Duterte himself, had no basis in fact. Gordon apparently drew his committee’s conclusion because of the seemingly unreliable testimony and allegations of self-confessed Davao Death Squad mem-

ber, Edgar Matobato.

This conclusion was drawn after only six Senate hearings, which had ostensibly been stymied by the withdrawal of Matobato from the hearings by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. Apparently, Gordon and his committee members gave no weight to a report by Human Rights Watch in 2009 to the effect that “there were 124 targeted killings in Davao City from 1998 to 2008 alone, during Duterte’s term as mayor.” A 103-page report included accounts of people with insider knowledge of the so-called Davao Death Squad, the victims’ families, witnesses, lawyers and local government officials.

But for some fantastic reason, the Gordon committee concluded that there was no such thing as a Davao Death Squad, based on Matobato’s inconsistencies.

I’m sure that Gordon is familiar with the term “due diligence.”

That was sorely lacking in the efforts of his committee. Knowing Gordon to be a former Procter & Gamble brand manager and an efficient public official, I can only guess that, after submitting that report, he is embarrassed when he looks at himself in the mirror in the morning.

That kind of sloppy work is not worthy of a person of his caliber.

Apparently, Gordon and his team did not even bother to recall the instances when Duterte boasted, during the presidential campaign, about personally killing some criminals while mayor of Davao City.

Worse yet, Gordon and company have not even taken note of the findings of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after a probe much more thorough than Gordon’s into the killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa and a fellow inmate, Raul Yap, inside a jail cell.

Elements of the PNP had justified the shooting of the two because they had allegedly drawn guns at the police officers who were trying to serve a search warrant on them.

In an official statement, the NBI

and the Union of Muslim Democrats—with Lakas Tao to make it a dominant party. In the same year, he was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives. He created the “Rainbow Coalition,” converging political parties that include the LDP, NPC, Lakas NUCD, and other minor parties to make a solid majority in the House. He was reelected congressman and speaker in 1995. Again, he ran and won as congressman of the 4th District of Pangasinan, and was in his fifth term when he lost the speakership.

As President Ramos’ peace envoy, he reached out to secessionist Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the RAM-SFPYOU military rebels, and the Communist Party of the Philippines. He met Libyan President Moammar Qadafi and MNLF Chair Nur Misuari that resulted in forging a peace agreement in Tripoli in 1976. His persuasion of Misuari to accept autonomy led to the signing of the peace pact on September 2, 1996. He met military rebels, and Jose Maria Sison and Luis Jalandoni in the Netherlands, and Hashim Salamat, MILF chair, in Mindanao.

As the year draws to a close, we say hello, happy birthday to my good friend JDV. In today’s parlance, my BFF. *** Email: dominitorrevillas@gmail.com

announced, “After conducting an exhaustive investigation of the incidents surrounding the killing of Mayor Espinosa and Yap, the NBI concluded that the testimonies of several witnesses had disputed the claim of an alleged shootout between the CIDG Operatives and Inmates Mayor Espinosa and Raul Yap but a ‘rub out.’’”

In other words — in case Senator Dick Gordon fails to understand the meaning of the NBI findings — the killing of Espinosa and Yap was as “extra-judicial” as a Webster dictionary could possibly define it.

And how can that killing to connected to the President of the Republic of the Philippines? Simple.

Duterte has declared his support for the accused PNP officers and has dismissed the veracity of the NBI findings.

As quoted by the media, Duterte declared in a speech in Mandaluyong City: “I will not allow these guys to go to prison, even if the NBI says it was murder. After all, the NBI is under me, the Department of Justice is under me.”

In typical Duterte-speak (where he routinely contradicts himself), he said, “But to tell you, I do not interfere. They have findings, good. File the case but I won’t leave the policemen implicated in the killing.”

And in a perversion of his oath of office, Duterte, in effect, declared that his loyalty to the country ends where his loyalty to his policemen begins: “Whatever the police say, that’s the truth for me.

The NBI said it was murder. The police said, ‘Sir, he fought back.’

I believe the police. Why would I sacrifice the police for that?”

And in his now familiar Duterte bluster (shades of riding a jet-ski to the Spratlys to confront the Chinese), Duterte declared: “As a matter of fact, I’m ready to go to jail for them, no problem.”

It may not be a problem for Rodrigo Duterte, but it certainly is for the people of the Philippines.

That’s the macho language of a gang boss rather than the president of our hapless republic.

Do we really need a gangster for a president? (gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)

disobeying House summons

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday, December 21, charged Senator Leila De Lima for disobeying the summons from the Congress and for “advising” Ronnie Dayan, her former driver and lover, to go into hiding and skip the hearings.

De Lima was charged with violating Article 150 of the Revised Penal Code or the disobedience for summons after snubbing the second hearing over the senator’s alleged involvement in illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) and failing to submit her counteraffidavit.

The senator did not also show herself during the first hearing held last December 2.

During the second hearing on Wednesday, December 21, De Lima’s lawyer, Filibon Tacardon, reiterated the senator’s appeal for a venue transfer to the Office of the Ombudsman.

“We are in the position that this honorable panel has no jurisdiction to try the cases, not only one but all

Sen. Leila De Lima

four cases. So she sent me here to inform the panel,” Tacardon said, adding that De Lima was likely to file her counter-affidavit with the Ombudsman.

De Lima’s camp also demanded to have copies of all the parties’ counter-affidavits involved in the case.

However, according to Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong, who is also the panel chair, De Lima

would no longer have another opportunity to submit her defense.

“No other pleadings shall be submitted [from here on]... these cases are now submitted for resolution,” Ong said on Wednesday during the hearing.

Ong noted that De Lima was given enough time to submit her counter-affidavit, which she refused to recognize.

Apart from De Lima, Dayan and three other respondents, which include NBP inmates Peter Co and Jojo Baligad, and former Bureau of Corrections employee Rainier Cruz, also failed to submit their affidavits.

De Lima was also facing charges for allegedly violating the following: Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act; Revised Penal Code, R.A. 3019 or Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; Presidential Decree 46 or Act Punishing the Receiving and Giving of Gifts of Public Officials and Employees; and R.A. 6713 or Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

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Puerto Rican model crowned Miss World 2016 Coleen Garcia, Billy Crawford now engaged PH bet Catriona Gray makes it to Top 5

by Arlo

Custodio ManilaTimes.net

Nineteen-year-old stephanie Del Valle of Puerto Rico was crowned Miss World 2016 in glittering rites held at the MGM National Harbor in oxon Hill, Maryland, UsA on sunday, Dec. 18 she was crowned by 2015’s year’s titleholder, Mireia Lalaguna of spain. Named First Runner-Up was Miss Dominican Republic Yaritza Miguelina Reyes Ramirez, while Miss Indonesia Natasha Mannuela was second Runner-Up. Miss Philippines Catriona Gray finished in the Top 5, along with Miss kenya Evelyn Njambi.

Gray was included in the “fast track” winners for garnering the most number of likes for her introductory video online.

For the Question and Answer portion, Del Valle was asked by Miss World 1975 Wilnelia Lady Forsyth of Puerto Rico what she

would change about the world if given the opportunity. she replied, “If I have the opportunity to change something about the world, I think what I would do is send a message of how important it is to change exclusion for acceptance to promote and provide justice for others, and the importance of

Looks like noontime show “It’s showtime” is ending the year with a bang as two more of its hosts got engaged.

Celebrity couple Coleen Garcia and Billy Crawford, tagged by netizens as “BiCol,” will walk the aisle after Billy popped the question on Tuesday, Dec. 20.

Director Gino santos, who worked with Coleen in various projects, such as on independent film “#Y,” steamy drama movie “Ex With Benefits” and romance flick “Love me tomorrow,” shared the news on Instagram and sent his congratulatory message to the newly engaged couple.

The director was also able to helping those in need. Thank capture Billy’s proposal as well as Coleen’s engagement ring. you.”

Gray, on the other hand, The two have a ten-year age received her question from gap and have been together for the outgoing Miss World, who almost three years now.

He said Billy prepared for asked, “Which qualities do you think it will take to wear my the engagement for more than a year. crown?”

The “It’s showtime” couple’s The Fil-Aussie model anPAGE B2 engagement came after their

Mocha Uson appointed as MMFF ambassador

by PAtriCiA lourdes Philstar.com

VirAy

sINGER-ACTREss Mocha Uson has been appointed as ambassador of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) this year.

Uson said that she will use social media to help promote the entries of the MMFF. Uson noted that the government and the public had failed to support Filipino filmmakers before.

“Ngunit ngayong may opportunity na po na suportahan, sinusuportahan na po sila ng gobyerno kailangan pong tangkilikin din ang mga films dito sa MMFF ng masang Pilipino at tutulong po ako sa social media at sa mga ibang paraan para po hikayatin ang ating mga kababayan,” Uson said.

The singer-actress, who is a known supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte, admitted that

conflicts have arisen in social media due to various issues.

The newly appointed MMFF ambassador said that Metropolitan Manila Development Authority General Manager Thomas “Tim” orbos himself reached out to her to support the film fest.

“Alam naman po natin na napag-iwanan na ang industriya ng Filipino films ng ibang bansa at ang layunin po ng MMFF ngayon ay itaas ang kalidad ng pelikula na pwede po nating ipagmalaki sa ibang bansa,” Uson said.

Uson stressed that change has also come for the Filipino film industry.

“Ngayong taon na po ang pagbabago at kailangan din po natin ng pagbabago sa film industry po natin,” Uson said.

The eight finalists for this year’s MMFF are Ted Boborol’s “Vince

Singer-actress Mocha Uson poses with presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella for a photo prior to a press briefing at Malacañang regarding the Metro Manila Film Festival.

and kath and James”, Jun Robles Lana’s “Die Beautiful”, Erik Matti’s “seklusyon”, Arturo san Agustin and Real Florido’s “kabisera”, Baby Ruth Villarama’s “sunday Beauty Queens”, Marlon Rivera’s “Ang Babae sa septic Tank 2:

#ForeverIsNotEnough”, Alvin Yapan’s “oro” and Avid Liongoren’s “saving sally”. orbos earlier said that the reform in this year’s selection process is a “change for the better.”

“It’s Showtime” alumni Coleen Garcia and Billy Crawford just got engaged.

colleague Anne Curtis made headlines after she and fiancé Erwan Heussaff recently announced their engagement during a trip to the United states in November.

Coleen left the noontime show in January to focus on her other projects while Billy remained to be one of the show’s hosts. The

actress, however, denied that she will marry Billy this year.

In April 2016, Billy said he got the blessing of Coleen’s father for the proposal. The actress, meanwhile, said there’s no rush to getting married.

The couple has not released any official on their engagement yet. (Philstar.com)

Features

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Fil-Am actor Jose Llana leads diverse cast of ‘The King and I’ National tour at Hollywood Pantages Theatre until January 21

By Christina

M. Oriel

AJPress

RodgeRs and Hammerstein’s “The King and I” prevails as a timeless musical production that has undergone several revivals since it first premiered in 1951.

Based on the novel “Anna and the King of siam,” the story follows British schoolteacher Anna Leonowens who was hired to teach the children of King Mongkut of siam in the 1860s. While casting a light on political and gender issues, the musical lives on in American culture for its catchy songs, such as “I Whistle a Happy Tune,” “getting to Know You,” and “shall We dance.”

Though the storyline may be predictable and well-known, the current national tour of the musical is a must-see with its lineup of talent, strong cast rapport, and stunning set displays and lighting.

For the Filipino-American community in Los Angeles in particular, it’s a treat to see a handful of Fil-Am actors on the Pantages Theatre stage, such as Jose Llana in the title role of the King and Joan Almedilla as Lady Thiang, the King’s head wife. They star alongside Laura Michelle Kelly as the lovable Anna.

It’s a full-circle moment for Llana to mark his return to “The King and I,” two decades after a previous revival of it launched

Laura Michelle Kelly as Anna with the Royal Children

his career. As a college freshman, Llana — who was born in the Philippines and grew up in Virginia — auditioned for and landed the role of Lun Tha (Tuptim’s young lover), in the 1996 production that starred Lou diamond Phillips as the King and donna Murphy as Anna.

“I think Lou diamond Phillips and donna Murphy will always be mentors for me, and people that

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showed me what it looks like to be a leader in a company and how to be a good person and professional in the theater industry,” Llana reflected during his interview with the Asian Journal, days before the national tour came to Los Angeles on december 13. since his first shot on Broadway, Llana’s extensive résumé has included “Rent,” “Flower drum song” and “The 25th Annual Putnam County spelling Bee.” Recently, he portrayed late Philippine President and dictator Ferdinand Marcos in david Byrne’s off-Broadway rock musical “Here Lies Love.”

“What was different about [“Here Lies Love”] was that you were actually playing Filipinos.

You know we were talking about a time in Filipino history that a lot of people don’t like to talk about. That could not be more relevant now, especially now recently with Marcos being given a hero’s burial. But I think what’s important when Filipinos see other Filipinos performing, the more we all get to together remind each other where we come from,” Llana said.

Becoming King For the current revival of “The King and I,” director Bartlett sher eyed Llana in 2015 to replace Ken Watanabe for the royal role during its remaining run on Broadway and eventually in the national tour, which kicked off

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Jose Llana as The King in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I.

this fall.

Before Llana officially joined the cast, the musical — which was housed at The Vivian Beaumont Theater of the Lincoln Center in New York — had just won four Tony Awards in 2015: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Kelli o’Hara as Anne), Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Ruthie Ann Miles as Lady Thiang), and Best Costume design (Catherine Zuber).

Llana said succeeding Watanabe was similar to “wearing [his] father’s shoes” and required three weeks of intense rehearsals. “[sher] wanted to get into the heart of what it meant as a ruler for my character, as the King to try and protect his country but at the same time protect his culture.

And whatever decade you’re talking about, that’s always a constant struggle for anybody,” Llana said, noting that this revival really hones in on the “political message.”

The director praised Llana’s “superb” portrayal of the King on Broadway that he “begged” the Fil-Am actor to join the touring company. “[Llana] brings such joy and virility and strength to the King,” sher said in a statement. “And he is one of Broadway’s great talents.”

Llana’s thoughtful command of the role is evident throughout the show, while simultaneously slipping in moments of humor and compassion. In “A Puzzlement,” the audience observes the King grappling with his identity and capacity as a leader, while iconic number “shall We dance” catches the King in an unguarded moment that paints him with a tinge of humanity.

Fil-Am ensemble Though Llana is not the first Asian American to assume the role of the King, representing the community and bringing that diversity shows how much theater has progressed.

“I think the biggest shift in the last 10 years has been that the Asian American community and the theater community, in general now, will not stand for someone putting on yellowface,” he said. “It’s a lot less tolerated now — that’s a huge deal for us, as Asian Americans, that there is a part of us and we can actually be cast in it.”

But, he said, there is a lot more to be done in terms of making sure writers of color are given the resources and opportunities to write their own stories.

“What’s incredible is that diversity is thankfully finding its way into contemporary stories…and it gives us as actors of color opportunities to be part of the stories,” he said.

In addition to Llana and Almedilla, this national tour of “The

Photos by Matthew Murphy

Manna Nichols and Kavin Panmeechao as Tuptim and Lun Tha, respectively.

King and I” boasts a cast of FilAms in prominent roles: Brian Rivera as Karalahome; Lamae Caparas, Marie gutierrez, Michael Lomeka and Rommel Pierre o’Choa in the ensemble; and Almedilla’s son CJ Uy, Jaden and Kayla Amistad, and Adriana and Amaya Braganza as royal children.

“I could not be more excited,” Llana remarked. “It’s a really great, strong Pinoy company.” of her role as Lady Thiang, Almedilla told the Asian Journal that her interpretation is less “submissive” and more of a “strong woman who means business” and has the King’s best interests in mind. In a “pivotal moment,” she wows the crowd with her emotional, yet forceful rendition of “something Wonderful.”

Though the King and Lady Thiang don’t share big scenes together, both Almedilla and Llana noted a “mutual understanding” of one another to make the audience aware of the subtleties in the characters’ relationship.

After Los Angeles, the production will be touring until next August across the United states, including stops in Philadelphia,

Boston, Chicago and Washington, dC. With frequent performances, Llana said devoting “quiet time” each night is an important reminder.

“I don’t sing as much as I normally do in this show because the King role is not necessarily a huge singing role, but I yell a lot and I speak a lot in the show. It’s very much a three-hour show.

Both Laura and I have to really watch our stamina and make sure we can give a full-throttle show at the end of the week as well as the first show of the week. When you’re on the road, the traveling is hard, and when we’re staying in each city, we can pretty much just focus on the show without all the outside influences coming in,” he said.

“The King and I” is at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre until January 21 from Tuesdays-Sundays with select Monday performances. There are no evening performances on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve and no performances on Christmas Day. For more information, please visit www.

TheKingAndITour.com or HollywoodPantages.com.

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swered, “I think, first of all, it takes bravery. To be a Miss World is to carry a burning torch.

It is like action carried out by one to illuminate the lives of many.

And I would dedicate my whole self, my love for the arts and my voice to try to uplift, empower and educate people. And it would be my greatest honor and duty to hold this torch high enough so that all the world could fee and see its light. Thank you.”

The non-win of gray did not sit well with beauty pageant aficionados in the Philippines and around the world who expressed on social media that on beauty and intelligence alone, she is far better than the Top 3 winners. gray’s trainer, Jonas gaffud, however, posted on Facebook early Monday that Filipinos should be proud of the country’s bet Top 5 finish.

“Hey c’mon Philippines. If we won, no hatred on Facebook right? But we did not. Let’s be

Named First Runner-Up was Miss Dominican Republic Yaritza Miguelina Reyes Ramirez, while Miss Indonesia Natasha Mannuela was Second Runner-Up. Miss Philippines Catriona Gray finished in the Top 5, along with Miss Kenya Evelyn Njambi.

proud as Filipinos and pageant fans of our girl Catriona gray.

For us she will be always our Miss World. But there are other families, friends and fans who root for their girl as well. I exchanged pleasantries with an older guy who was so proud of Miss Puerto Rico and he told me, he’s the Father. I was touched by

how happy he was for his daughter. Remember this: We are not alone in this world. There are others.” gaffud ended his post with the hashtag #beasport.

Miss World 2013 Megan Young of the Philippines hosted the event, her third year in a row since 2014 when she relinquished her crown.

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Anne Curtis finally engaged! 2017’s first new soap to star Ian Veneracion and Bea Alonzo

by Iza IglesIas ManilaTimes.net

AFTeR six long years of being together, ABS-CBN host-actress Anne Curtis and restaurateur-food blogger erwan heussaff are officially engaged.

The couple hinted on the good news via their respective instagram accounts. Thirty-one year old Curtis posted a photo of her and heussaff locked in a kiss with the caption “Je t’aime mon amour,” which is French for “i love you my dear.”

Meanwhile, Solenn heusaff’s little brother captioned his post with the invitation, “Check out our latest video on Youtube, link in the bio. highlights of our pretty amazing New York and Connecticut trip with this lovely lady. She’s a keeper.” And there, the revelation was made public in a six-minute video [posted both on Facebook and YouTube]initially showing the couple on the said US holiday in November.

The latter part of the video went on to show Curtis and heussaff’s adventures since 2010, and finally by the 5:45 mark, the video finds the pair quietly sitting in the woods.

Moments later, an emotional heussaff knelt down, and opened a small box of what appeared to be an engagement ring. he then told Curtis,” “i’ve never been more sure

Erwan Heussaff and Anne Curtis

of anything in my life.”

Surprised and teary-eyed, the popular actress exclaimed, “Yes!” The video has since garnered 5.2 million views and more than 385,000 likes on Facebook.

Family and friends have also gone online to congratulate the newly engaged couple starting off with Curtis’ sister Jasmine, who posted, “i am the happiest little sestra for you @annecurtissmith congratulations to you and @erwanheussaff! Never doubted

the forever everyone sees in your relationship. God may have given you the biggest challenges in life but he also showers you with the best blessings that you deserve! woot woot! what will be your wedding hashtag kaya?.”

While Curtis and her finance have yet to announce the exact date of their wedding, it really does seem like the “it’ Girls” caught the wedding bug in a major way—and everyone is simply happy for them.

While everyone is busy deciding what movie to watch come Christmas Day for the Metro Manila Film Festival, ABS-CBN turned heads last week when they presented the network’s first new teleserye for the year with no less than box-office queen Bea Alonzo and one of prime time’s most sought after leading men ian Veneracion.

Dubbed “A love to last,” the drama series depicts how difficult love can be, even for those who believe in it.

Alonzo plays Andeng Agoncillo in the soap, a bread-winner and successful events organizer. A romantic, she knows there is one man for her with whom she will fall in love and raise a family. Unfortunately, her ideal fairy tale love story was robbed of a happy ending when she caught her fiancé cheating on her just days before their wedding. She quickly picks up the pieces, and unlike others whose hearts have been badly broken, she resolves to still believe that true love will eventually come her way.

Meanwhile, Veneracion is Anton Noble 4th who thought his was happily married until his

Ian Veneracion and Bea Alonzo

wife Grace (iza Calzado) asks for an annulment. he is suddenly left with three children as he juggles his responsibilities as president and CeO of his company.

Fate brings these two souls together in the most unexpected time and place, and wills them to

Eugene Domingo awakens

by IrIsh

ChrIstIanne DIzon Philstar.com

YOU will never see eugene Domingo celebrate her anniversaries in show business on some Sunday afternoon variety show.

Though she has been around for more than two decades, she doesn’t really count her years. Perhaps it’s because the eugene Domingo we know was the product of a “very, very Filipino home,” a home where the timeless movies of Gloria Romero and Dolphy were lunchtime entertainment. (The first time eugene saw living legend Gloria Romero, her instinctive reaction was, “Colored pala siya eh. Akala ko black and white.”) in that home, tuning in to AM radio was a family habit. They listened to the baritone of Rod Navarro every morning, with eugene secretly hoping the announcer would say classes were suspended.

They passed time listening to Tiya Dely as she counselled the problematic Pinoys who sent their let-

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ters in. At night, horror radio show “Gabi ng lagim” sent chills down their spine. This was the era when local TV show choices left much to be desired. But the girl didn’t mind — she had the movies to look forward to. her mother regularly took eugene to the cinema; and not the kind we are used to, those adjacent boxes inside malls — no, sir. They watched la Aunor’s “himala” and Vilma’s “Relasyon” in those now-extinct stand-alone theaters that were also architectural beauties. “Talagang yung buong building, sine! Tsaka yung pila ng tao na bumibili ng ticket kita mo from the outside. ibang-iba talaga noon. When you say you’re going to watch a movie, it was an occasion,” the actress explains. in this environment, eugene fell in love with acting, and she quickly discovered that she was born to be an entertainer. At school, she relished being called to lead the prayer during flag ceremony. She was the mimic who could do spot-on impressions of

her teachers, the “pasikat” who volunteered to host any kind of school gathering.

Money, money, money At the time, her motivations for getting into the industry were simple. “Pera,” she recalls unflinchingly. eugene played bit roles here and there and until she became a household name by way of the very successful soap opera “Sa Dulo Ng Walang hanggan.” in it, she played the loveable Simang, the lead character’s true friend and protector. Once, during the show’s heyday, as eugene made her way to ABS-CBN, the tricycle drivers saw her and started screaming, “Simang! Simang! Simang! Simang!” They didn’t stop until she looked their way. eugene reveals it was her “Sa Dulo Ng Walang hanggan” co-star Mylene Dizon (who played antagonist Sally) who was more stoked about the public’s reception. Mylene showed up on set one time with printouts of the comments

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After a two-year hiatus from the big screen, Eugene Domingo awakens—just in time for what many say is the renaissance of the Metro Manila Film Festival. ‘Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank’ is back.

Philstar.com photo by Joseph Pascual

she saw about the two of them in the online forum Pinoyexchange. com. eugene appreciated the kind words, of course, but that wasn’t her raison d’etre. “Sa akin eh, pagdating ng cheke, i’ll get it. Spend it, save. Tapos. Pag sinabi ni Direk Wenn Deremas na, ‘Kasama ka

dito sa pelikula ni Ai Ai na Tanging ina, ha?’ ‘Sige, direk.’ Ang naiisip ko nun, ching! ching! ching! Pera!

Pera! Pera!” it was only when she took on the career-defining dual-role of Kimmy and Dora in the first “Kimmydora” film that eugene truly felt

FOR RENT

try a love to last.

Also in the cast are enchong Dee, Julia Barretto, Ronnie Alonte, JK labajo and hannah Vito. The series, which airs in January 2017, is directed by Jerry lopez Sineneng and Richard Arellano.

(ManilaTimes.net) like she was saying “yes” to showbiz. “Wag na ako, ok na ako,” she told producers when they first offered her the role. headlining her own film was a big responsibility, one she didn’t want to be put squarely on her shoulders. But the producers were adamant to a point where they allowed her to pick the writer. (She chose Chris Martinez.) in the end, their insistence paid off, with the movie turning out to be an sleeper hit, grossing P77.36M at the box office. The success put eugene on a league of her own.

But while eugene’s star rose, her predisposition to take on everything that came her way remained the same. Consider this: in one year, she found herself doing eight movies. “i think i have that record,” she says. “i said yes to everything. i wanted to be a part of everybody’s dream, i wanted to try all the roles.” This would not have been a problem if she didn’t have the work ethic she has. You see, eugene is very hands on, from the clothes to the makeup to the script, she will give her inputs. By the time she finPAGE B5

Features

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The many ways of becoming a US citizen Your Immigration Solution Atty. Devin Connolly & nAnCy Miller Being granted United States citizenship is a dream-come-true for countless people from around the world. Though the dream is the same, the paths to actually obtaining U.S. citizenship can vary greatly because there are many different ways that a person may become a U.S. citizen.

The most common way a person is granted U.S. citizenship is by birth in the U.S. or one of its territories. This automatic granting of citizenship is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and applies to almost everyone, regardless of the immigration status of the child’s parents.The next most-common way a person may obtain U.S. citizenship is through the process known as naturalization. This is how those who immigrated to the United States become citizens. it begins with the filing of an application and ends at a swearing-in ceremony. it is the steps in between that can trip many up. Some may not be eligible and not know it. Some may have unresolved issues of removability that will become apparent when they file their application. Some may be eligible but not provide the necessary documentation.

The wise applicant makes it his or her business to be educated and informed before filing for the benefit.

Most applicants for naturalization must be a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. for five years before they may apply for U.S. citizenship. However, this five-year requirement is lowered to three years if the applicant has been

residing in “marital union” with their U.S. citizen spouse for the prior three years. This is true even if the applicant did not obtain their green card through the marriage.

“Marital union” means that the parties actually resided together, so even an informal separation would disqualify an applicant from applying after only three years. in an attempt to ameliorate the delays in processing, the regulations allow the applicant to file 90 days before the three or five year period is reached.The applicant must have been physically present in the U.S. for at least half of the three or five year period. And an absence of one full-year breaks the residency and the clock must start again. each applicant for naturalization must show good moral character for the requisite period of time. Several past events in one’s life may not only preclude a person from showing good moral character and, thereby, prevent a grant of citizenship but may also cause the applicant to be placed into removal proceedings. These actions include misrepresentations made to obtain an immigration benefit or convictions for certain crimes. And CiS is entitled to look outside the prescribed period to determine the applicant’s good moral character.Some of these requirements for naturalization are eliminated for one who is applying based on military service, especially military service during a time of conflict.

A child of a U.S. citizen who is born outside the U.S. may acquire U.S. citizenship without going through naturalization if they meet certain conditions. Specifically, the child must be under the age of 18, must already be a permanent resident of the U.S., at least one of their parents must be a U.S. citizen either by birth or naturalization, and the child must be residing in the U.S. in the legal and physical custody of their U.S. citizen par-

Eugene Domingo...

PAGE B4 ished all her work, she was “burnt out.” So spent she had to hit pause and recalibrate. Her 2013 indie drama film “Barber’s Tales” also had a lot to do with her decision to step back from making movies.

The movie was warmly received abroad, from Tokyo to italy.

‘Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2’ So how do you make movies that cater to your audience without pandering to the public taste, we

ask her. “give them substance and entertainment at the same time.

That is the challenge,” eugene retorts. “And what’s an example of a film that gives both,” we counter.

A pause. She breaks into laughter.

On the 25th, her latest film shall premiere at the MMFF. it’s called “Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank 2: Forever’s not enough,” the follow-up to the 2011 Cinemalaya entry-turned-highest grossing Filipino independent film until

ent. Upon the satisfaction of the last of these four requirements, the child automatically becomes U.S. citizens and may apply for a certificate of citizenship or a U.S. passport. This provision applies to adopted children, but not to step-children of U.S. citizens. Also, this law only applies to children who were under the age of 18 on February 27, 2001. There are more complex requirements for a person that turned 18-years-old before February 27, 2001.

Finally, a person may also acquire U.S. citizenship by being born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent. Whether the child acquired U.S. citizenship at birth will be determined based on the law that it was in effect at the time of the child’s birth. This aspect of U.S. citizenship laws has changed many times over the years, so each applicant’s case is different. However, a common theme has been requiring the U.S. citizen parent to have acquired a certain amount of physical presence in the U.S. prior to the child’s birth.

The laws regarding citizenship in the United States are extremely complex. One may be a citizen and not know it. Alternatively, one may think they are going through a simple process and wind up fighting to keep their green card.

Be informed. Consult a knowledgeable and experienced immigration attorney when you start to think about citizenship. *** Reeves, Miller, Zhang & Diza Law Corporation’s offices are located in Pasadena, Irvine, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Makati City.

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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2014. While the first film satirized the making of an indie movie and “poverty porn,” this sequel satirizes the process and business of creating romantic-comedy films, which, for better or for worse, is the country’s movie genre du jour. eugene reunites with director Marlon Rivera and screenplay writer Chris Martinez, and assures us this is even better than the first. “i was laughing while reading the script,” she says. “it’s the same type of comedy. it’s solid. it’s still wild.”

why ORGANIC? Organic products meet stringent standards Healthier for you & kids Organic food tastes better Organic farming respects natural resources Avoids pesticides & are artificial-fertilizer-free Non-GMO, no synthetic pesticides, no growth-promoting antibiotics There are many, many more reasons to go Organic. But in short: You’ll leave the world a better place than when you found it

Health@Heart PhiliP S. ChuA, MD, FACS, FPCS AS the happiest season of the year — religious and secular — comes around, we present some interesting facts about Christmas.

The Philippines, most likely the country with the greatest Christmas spirit, celebrates the holiday the longest and in the most festive way. Starting from September, streets, stores and homes are already decorated in preparation for Christmas. Of the 102,250,133 population in the Philippines, about 90 percent identify as Christians — 80 percent of them Catholics. The tradition is from the influence of the Spanish colonial years, from the 16th to the 19th century.

About 30-35 million real Christmas trees are sold annually in the United States. There are 21,000 Christmas tree growers in the United States, and trees usually grow for about 15 years before they are sold. Obviously, hundreds of millions are sold around the world; not to mention the artificial trees.

Did you know that between 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was illegal in Boston, Massachusetts? Law-breakers were fined five shillings (about 27 U.S. dollars), which was a lot of money then.

Christmas is celebrated today in the greek and Russian Orthodox churches 13 days after the 25th, popularly known as the epiphany or Three Kings Day, the day the three wise men found Jesus in the manger.

Christmas celebrations were rowdy and raucous in the Middle Ages, much like today’s Mardi gras parties, except that they were destructive, “free from arrests during the season.” Definitely pagan rituals.

Christmas legally became a federal holiday in the United States on June 26, 1870. There were 69,470,686 registered Catholics in the United States (22 percent of the US population) as of 2015. The 2016 U.S. population is 324,118,787.

Dutch settlers to America changed Kris Kringle to “Sinterklass,” (we now know as Santa Claus), which was actually from St. nicholas, who was generous with gifts to a lot of people before he died. St. nick was born

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 22-28, 2016

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All about Christmas in Patara (Asia Minor) and went to Myra (now Demre in Turkey), where he became a bishop. He died on the 6th of December between A.D. 326 and 341. in 1828, Joel R. Poinsett, an American minister to Mexico, brought home the red and green plant from Mexico. That festive plant is what we know today as a Poinsettia.

As a gimmick to attract customers to Montgomery Ward department stores, writer Robert L. May invented “Rudolph, the most famous reindeer of all,” in 1939, with a poem about reindeer.

The famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting tradition was started in 1931.

The Christmas tree tradition actually started by germany in the 16th century when Christians decorated pine trees in their homes as a part of the Christmas season. The Vikings in Scandinavia considered evergreens as a special plant of the sun god, Balder.

Ever heard of Christmas Disease?

Christmas Diseases has nothing to do with the Christmas season. Christmas Disease is a blood disease, also known as Hemophilia B or factor iX hemophilia. it is a hereditary bleeding disorder due to a deficiency in coagulation factor iX. This condition is an X-linked recessive inheritance, affecting only males, and occurs in 1 in 100,000 male births. This illness causes spontaneous bleeding in the joints.

What is the Christmas blues? it is a form of mild depression (called Seasonal Affective Disorders, or SAD for short) that happens to some of us, normal and healthy people, during the Christmas season or other festive family occasions. empty nest syndrome — where the grown-up or married children have left home, creating an empty and lonely feeling in the parents, especially the mothers — is one such type of emotion that is magnified by family occasions like Christmas, new Year, birthdays, etc. Frequent visits from the children or family reunions during the holidays minimize these “blues” and provide a sense of parental security and happiness, especially among the elderly parents. The other common cause of this extreme sadness is a poor financial situation in life, where self-pity, panic, a sense of hopelessness and helplessness prevail, especially on a

holiday like Christmas.

How long can food be left safely at room temperature?

Different types of food have different “spoilage time.” Fresh fish, processed meat, cream-filled pastries, custards, fruits salads, noodles (pancit), food cooked with tomatoes provide good media for bacterial growth after more than six hours of exposure to room temperature, depending on how warm the ambient temperature is. Common food contaminants are Staphylococcus Aureus, e. Coli, and Amoeba, and water contaminants are (non-typhoidal) Salmonella and Shigella.

Staphylococcal Food Poisoning is due to the enterotoxins produced by the Staph bacteria. Some dishes, like adobo or paksiw, could last for even a week in room temperature without spoiling, unless contaminated by handlers.

The prudent thing to do is to refrigerate the leftovers as soon as the meal is completed. Those who do not have a refrigerator should not cover the food airtight, since this will not allow the food “to breathe” and would tend to increase the heat and pressure, leading to a much shorter “spoilage time.” if using a plastic wrap, poke a few holes on it to allow for a better ventilation. Keep the food in the refrigerator, an ice box, or in the coldest part of the house, and eat it within 24 hours.

What is Chinese Food Syndrome?

This condition could sometimes mimic a heart attack. it causes chest pains, facial pressure, and burning sensations throughout the body, sometimes with dizziness or fainting. This phenomenon is a pharmacologic reaction to monosodium glutamate (MSg or vetsin), a popular white powder food seasoning used in cooking. The symptoms are not really due to an allergic reaction and are dose-related.

Most people are not bothered

by MSg, but some react to it more severely. Although death is very rare with this syndrome, a surgeon classmate of mine, who was attending a meeting in nice, France, several years ago, had such violent a reaction after ingesting Chinese food with monosodium glutamate that he passed away within an hour thereafter. Those who develop any of the four symptoms enumerated above after eating food cooked with MSg should clearly request chefs or cooks in restauPAGE B6

Features

B DECEMBER 22-28, 2016 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL Immigration Corner Atty. MAriA ritA reyes-stuby And bernAdette bretAnA IN the early 1990’s, news travelled fast about the irony behind the label “Made in the U.S.A” attached to famous brands of clothing because it was misleading.

The apparels were not actually made in mainland U.S.A. but in Saipan, a U.S. territory, one of the 14 islands in an archipelago in the Pacific ocean also known as the “Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands” (CNMI).

Like the Philippines, Ferdinand Magellan also set foot in Saipan in 1521. As the liberator of the islands from the Japanese during World War II, the United States was assigned by the United Nations as its overseer. In the 1970’s CNMI chose to be a territory of the U.S. but the Covenant defining its integration into the United States allowed CNMI to be self-governing. Following integration, protective US quotas allowed Saipan to launch a successful garment industry, ushering an economic boom in the latter part of the 1990’s.

Due to a labor shortage, foreign workers from neighboring countries such as the Philippines, China, Thailand and Bangladesh were recruited through a “guest worker” immigration policy.

CNMI created and implemented its own labor laws as well immigration rules which did not meet the criteria applicable in the US mainland. The garment companies were said to be in connivance with the local government in violating labor standards, i.e.

CNMI (Saipan): A US territory paying foreign workers below minimum wage; imposing longer work hours without overtime pay. No one complained because they would be out of work. When the treaty guaranteeing a favored U.S. quota expired in 2005 and the garment industry started to decline, the guest workers found themselves unemployed but unwilling to go back to their home countries because they could not even repay the debts they incurred to finance the journey to Saipan. Most were forced into prostitution to survive. Others endured the abuses of not being paid and working long hours just to eat, the “guest worker” policy was ‘slavery’ of the modern times.

The stories of human abuse were not kept hidden in the island and numerous attempts were made to alert the U.S. Congress and the Office of the President of the deteriorating social and economic situation there. Progressive groups asserted and advocated for the passage of laws to take control of the situation in Saipan. But it was only on May 8, 2008 that Public Law 110-229, the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (CNRA) was passed making the Immigration and Nationality Act of the United States (INA) applicable to CNMI. CNRA’s implementation was delayed to take effect on 11/28/2009 to accommodate transitional problems. On that date, the “guest worker” policy was abolished and the INA provisions on all types of visa took over. Because of the unique situation arising from the “guest worker” policy, the U.S. Department of Home-

Calendar of Events across

land Security created “CNMIonly” visas; namely: (1) CW-1 (CNMI-for transitional workers; a special category applicable only to CNMI based-workers who cannot be categorized as H1B or other work-related visas; CW-1 is provided to accommodate the “guest workers” who are legally residing in CNMI) and, (2) E2 CNMI investors. Having any of these 2 visas is not really a relief, both will expire on December 31, 2019. Before the deadline, the visa holders should figure out on their own how to shift from a CNMI-only visa to other nonimmigrant or immigrant visas under the INA or else, they will be removed from CNMI. These foreign guest workers who are being accommodated as CW-1 visa workers have been in Saipan for 10, 15, 20 years.

On November 4, 1986, it was declared that those born on and after said date in CNMI are U.S. citizens. Many guest workers have U.S. citizen children who will remain in CNMI because it is their birthright. What about the parents? After sacrificing so much, is there justice when they are separated from their children? *** Maria Rita Reyes-Stuby is a licensed attorney in Michigan. She is a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Law. She specializes in immigration and practices in Las Vegas, Michigan, California and other states.

Bernadette Bretana, a graduate of the Ateneo Law School and Ms. Stuby are licensed attorneys in the Philippines.

Please call @702-403-4704 or email her at stubylaw@aol.com or go to www. mrstubylaw.com for any questions on this article.

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST-EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS D EC E M B E R 22-23

Simbang Gabi at St. Brendan Church in Los Angeles Everyone is invited to Simbang Gabi at St. Brendan Church in Los Angeles at 7 p.m. on both Thursday, December 22 and Friday, December 23. The church is located at 310 S. Van Ness Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90020. For more information, please call (323) 936-4656.

D EC E M B E R 29

4th Annual Rizal Day in Carson and 120th Martyrdom Anniversary of Dr. Jose P. Rizal Let us honor our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. on Thursday, December 29, through a wreath-laying ceremony in the City of Carson – home to the very first full size statue of Dr. Jose Rizal in Southern California. Unveiled in 2012, the 8 feet bronze statue (on top of a 7-foot granite pedestal) is the first and only monument to be installed in the International Sculpture Garden of the City of Carson. The 4th Annual Rizal Day in Carson and Commemoration of the 120th Martyrdom Anniversary of Dr. Jose P. Rizal is organized by the Philippine Consulate General – Los Angeles, Dr. Jose P. Rizal Monument Movement, Kalayaan Inc., Knights of Rizal, in collaboration with the City of Carson. Light refreshments will be available at 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. This one-hour program promptly starts at 9:00 a.m. The ceremony will be held at Carson International Sculpture Garden at 801 E. Carson Street, Carson, CA 90745. For more information, please call: Councilmember Elito M. Santarina (310)952-1713; Riezl Pe Benito (310)952-1743; Chito Mandap (626) 823-8752; Wilma Bautista (213) 637-3031.

D EC E M B E R 3 1

Grand Park + The Music Center in Los Angeles host New Year’s Eve celebration Los Angeles will put its mark on New Year’s Eve celebrations around the world as Angelenos join together with friends and family to share their hopes, dreams and resolutions for 2017 at the fourth annual Grand Park + The Music Center’s N.Y.E.L.A. The West Coast’s flagship New Year’s celebration will feature three stages with live music, DJs and dancing throughout the night; large scale inflatable art; and 3D digital video mapping on City Hall along with an integrated light show to count down to the new year in true L.A. style. The free family-friendly event, which attracts thousands from all over Southern California and beyond, reinforces Downtown Los Angeles as a destination for a grand-scale New Year’s Eve experience. Grand Park + The Music Center’s N.Y.E.L.A. takes place from 8:00 p.m. on December 31, 2016 to 1:00 a.m. on New Year’s Day, and will cover 90 acres from The Music Center Plaza to City Hall (Hope Street to Spring Street) and from Temple Street to 2nd Street. More than 50,000 people are expected to attend. For more information about Grand Park + The Music Center’s N.Y.E.L.A., visit grandparkla.org/nyela or musiccenter. org/nyela.

JA N UA Ry 28 , 2 0 1 7

Historic Filipinotown Scavenger Hunt Explore the cultural gems of HiFi (Historic Filipinotown) by joining the 2nd HiFi Scavenger Hunt Fundraiser on Saturday, January 28 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m! Meet Filipino-specific challenges (from a Balut eating contest to dancing Tinikling to a hip hop beat!). You may find yourself meeting a little-known community hero, tasting a Filipino food challenge or receiving your very own Filipino nickname! You will be having a blast while building your bayanihan spirit by asking your friends and family and even your Facebook fans to donate money to sponsor your Team to take this challenge. You and your team choose your own fundraising goal! Funds raised by this event will go to the programs and services of 2 HiFi community organizations, Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) and Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI) to provide vital services to families, workers and seniors in our community. Services include free or low-cost citizenship application assistance, human trafficking survivor support, civic engagement, wage theft claims assistance, cultural programs and more! Have fun, Discover Historic Filipinotown win prizes and support your community while doing it! Go to www.pwcsc.org/HiddenHiFi to sign up now. PWC is located at 153 Glendale Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026.

If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com

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Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA JOSHUA was excited with his new job at the inn. It sure beats having to herd sheep this time of the year when the cold nights chilled his bones on the hillside pasture where he tended his family’s small herd of sheep and cattle. The job fell to his younger brother this time.

Jacob, the owner of the inn was his father’s friend who had asked if Joshua could help him mind the inn for a little while as he and his wife will be going on a long journey. Jacob liked and trusted Joshua like the son he never had. The young man was a good worker and a natural who quickly picked up the ropes of the business.

Not long after, Jacob and his wife left for their journey to the town north of the country where they were born many miles away to comply with the Roman emperor Augustus’ decree that everyone be counted for the census.

Few, if any, in Israel dared disobey the mighty Roman Empire.

The inn was busy. People for miles around were on the move going back to their own hometowns. The brisk business brought by overnight travellers in their otherwise sleepy town tired him out. Yet, he felt pretty proud of himself of the work he was doing.

Today, just before sundown, he had filled the 12 modestly furnished rooms with tired and hungry travellers. He thought of meeting up with his shepherd friends in the pasture once he had turned over the inn’s affairs to the night attendant. He had heard his shepherd friends on night watch talk about an unusually bright star that has been moving in the heavens for many nights now. They said it was a spectacle to behold and he wanted to see it for himself.

The rumor buzzing around town was that the soothsayers in King Herod’s palace studying the unusual heavenly display were cowering in fear, loathe to tell the king the meaning of the unusual star. Eventually, they had to tell the king for nothing escapes him.

Herod did not suffer fools gladly.

The prophecy will come to pass. The king to rule all kings was to be born very soon within the kingdom. It was no wonder King Herod was in a vicious mood. Joshua thought the ruthless king would remove all threats to his kingship by all means fair or foul. It was bad enough he had to bow to the superior might of the Roman conquerors who had allowed him to be king within his territory.

Just as Joshua was about to lock up for the night, a couple came in. The man, visibly tired and leaning on his staff with one hand, was supporting the woman who was heavy with child with his other hand. The woman looked to be in some pain. Still, Joshua noted the stately calm, grace and

A Christmas story: The innkeeper’s untold tale ‘As he told the story of that wondrous night to Luke, Joshua carefully removed himself from the narrative.

It was to be between him and God alone.” beauty about her. There was this mysterious glow. The man asked Joshua for a room and told him his wife was about to give birth.

Alas, the last room has been let and Joshua told him so.

Joshua glanced at the woman and his heart was filled with pity.

He thought quickly of his own home for them to stay for the night but it was some distance away. He had to think and act quickly. It looks like the woman was about to give birth at any moment. Joshua had seen to his own mother at childbirth. He had helped his own father deliver some of his brothers himself.

“Maybe, I have something for you. It’s not much but it would get you through this cold night at least,” he told the couple.

“Come with me.”

Joshua gathered some blankets and sheets quickly. He gave instructions to his attendant to heat water. He then gathered food and other provisions.

He moved in haste leading the couple to an empty stable a few yards at the back of the inn.

Earlier in the day before the sun was up, he took to clearing the stable himself. He didn’t know why he did it. But now he was glad he did so. He thought the squalid stable with its walls and roof can shield this poor couple from the cold night as the woman delivers her child.

Joshua gave the man the blankets and clean sheets, the warm water and some extra oil for the lamp to burn through the night.

He set a makeshift table for the bread, fish and wine and lit the lamp in one corner.

He moved quickly as he helped the man make his wife comfortable. He could see the woman’s face etched in pain for the birth pangs seem to be stronger now.

Beads of sweat lined the woman’s brow. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to meet up with his friends tonight. Somehow he knew his place was right here where he was needed for the long night ahead.

Just before he went back to the inn to fetch a few more things, he said to them, “I’m Joshua. Let me know if you need anything else.” The man replied, “I’m Joseph and this is Mary. Thank you.

You have done more than you can possibly know. The Lord’s light burns bright in you.” Mary looked up at Joshua and smiled through her pain. For as long as he lived, Joshua will never forget that smile.

Mary’s child was born that night. Joshua could not remember a night more filled with wonder, mystery and myriad points of light.

It was a night like no other.

Joshua’s entire being was en-

gulfed with the mystery happening before his very eyes. He remembered Mary wrapping her child gently in swaddling clothes and placing the child in a manger. The child was bathed in light. The whole stable was filled with warmth. Soft, sweet music seem to emanate from a choir of angels above the stable and a sweet heavenly fragrance wafted through the air.

Joshua’s shepherd friends came to visit the child. How could they have known? His friends told him that an angel told them about the good news. They were led to the stable where they found the child.

Filled with awe, they knelt before the child who was to be king. Later on that night, three men garbed in royal splendor and bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh travelling from afar, came to pay the child homage. They had been following the bright star hovering about the heavens for many nights leading them to that dusty town called Bethlehem.

Many years later in his old age, the memory of that night still stayed with Joshua. He had remained the innkeeper. He had struck a friendship with a man called Luke, a physician who was a regular guest at the inn.

He observed that the thoughtful, quiet Luke was always writing in rolls of papyrus in his room.

Not wanting to keep the wonders of that night to be forgotten when he passed, Joshua told the story to Luke. As he told the story of that wondrous night, Joshua carefully removed himself from the narrative. It was to be between him and God alone.

Joshua’s life was never the same again. The light of that bright night burned in his soul forever. He could not have known at the time he was witness to the unfolding of the greatest mystery on earth. *** HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY READERS!!!

Here’s my Christmas prayer to one and all.

May everyday of your life be Christmas Day. May Christmas fill your hearts and homes with the myriad points of light, love and joy! May we always remember God showed His love for us when Jesus Christ was born and lived among us more than two thousand years ago so those of us who believe may have eternal life. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

Richard loves Lucy — and his dogs, too by

Kathy Moran Philstar.com

WE all know that Richard Gomez loves Lucy Torres-Gomez, but do you know Richard’s other loves — aside from lovely daughter Juliana? Why, it’s dogs and fish.

Richard — actor, model, athlete, director, and now mayor of Ormoc City — grew up with dogs, well into his student days at UP Open University, where he graduated with an Associate in Arts in 2009 and at the University of Perpetual Help System, where he completed his master’s degree in Business Administration in 2016. Not only does he dote on his dogs, he also makes sure they are always at the top of their class.

“I’ve had dogs all my life,” shares Richard “Goma” Gomez. “My first dog was a white Poodle named Princess (laughs). That was the dog we had in the house.”

As we start this interview, 4th district of Leyte Congresswoman Lucy Torres-Gomez and the couple’s daughter Juliana join us for the pictorial.

“My next dog was a German Shepherd, which was used in my first Bench ad — I was 19 or 20 years old at the time,” he adds. “The dog was seated beside me in the ad, called ‘Man’s Best Friend.’”

A family affair: “Vanilla, my German Short-Haired Pointer, is a Philippine champion,” says Richard Gomez. “Next season, she will get enough points to be a grand champion.” Lucy and Juliana share Richard’s love for dogs.

Philstar.com photo by Joseph Viduya

There are quite a few other dogs he shares. “ He would snuggle close that have come and gone in Goma’s pag malamig.” life. He had Brutus, a Boxer, when Who Does Goma Kiss First he was about 22 years old, until he When He Comes Home? was 31. “I like dogs that are mus“Does Lucy like dogs?” we ask. cular and good-looking,” he says. “ “Yes, she does,” Goma replies.

I also like to bring them to shows. “Just not inside the house.”

Brutus was part of obedience train“When Richard arrives, the dogs ing shows.” get restless,” says Lucy. “They don’t Goma also had a Golden Re- do that for me. He kisses all of the triever named Lala and a black dogs first and then he comes inside Lab he called Coke. Add to these a and kisses me (laughs).”

Boxer and a Mini Pin, too.

Vanilla, Moritz, and Alexander “Brutus used to sleep with me,” PAGE B7

All about Christmas

PAGE B4

rants, at home, or anywhere else, not to use MSG in preparing their food. Because of this syndrome, most Chinese (and other) restaurants today no longer use MSG. If in doubt, ask the manager or waiters, and instruct them accordingly.

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, let us remember His teachings and embrace

our suffering fellowmen with compassion and care during this sacred season of sharing.

That is the best gift we can give ourselves.

Here’s wishing you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with love, good health, joy, peace and prosperity.

Visit philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.

*** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States.

Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com

EntErtainmEnt

Rhian’s journey to play Sally

by JeRRy

donAto Philstar.com

“I WAS surprised. Like (direk) Avid (Liongoren), I cried and I cried some more. I called up everyone.” This was the recollection of Rhian Ramos when she learned that her movie, “Saving Sally,” directed

by Liongoren, made it to this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) along with seven other official entries.

We can’t blame Rhian for reacting that way, given the long journey the well-put live action2D animation went through.

The movie was based on a short story written in 2002. Its initial production commenced three years after. When the first female lead star became unavailable, direk Avid and his team had to start from scratch.

Whew! What an interesting tale!

“Actually, I have the shortest (stay) from everyone,” shared Rhian of the time she spent working on “Saving Sally” during the movie’s recent presscon attended by print and broadcast media. “everyone has been a part of the movie for around 10 years... But me, six years I have been a part of this film. I shot it when I was 19. I’m 26 now. How old am I?” Co-star TJ Trinidad gave a clear timeline by telling that it was during their Zorro days when he encouraged Rhian to try out for the title role. Like everybody else involved in the movie, Rhian believes in what “Saving Sally” could offer to the moviegoers. Finally, it is ready for public appreciation.

“It was a commitment,” she said, “and I’m very happy and emotional about this film. You know, it was the first (time) that I went to audition for (a role), of my own volition — without anyone telling me to. My friend just told me about it. TJ told me about it, too. And (I was like) ‘OK, I’m going to Makati tomorrow. I’m going to them and say that I want to try out for the part.’ In GMA and ABS(-CBN) or anything mainstream, even (in) the movie industry, most of the time they just kinda give you the part, parang gusto ko ‘to, gagawin ko (ito). This was my first experience na parang ‘I want to do that. I want to make the choice to go and do this film.’ So I’m just happy that this film is finally out.”

Rhian Ramos as gadget inventor Sally: It taught me to make decisions for myself.

And it took a decade to finish “Saving Sally,” which is a success story in itself, knowing the challenges (lack of funds and resources) people behind it had to hurdle.

Direk Avid related that any animated film — made by Disney, Sony or Pixar — requires 500 people working straight for at least four years. These studios have better machines and equipment. His team pales in comparison in terms of the working force and technological access these companies can afford to have. He had only five people. They never had working money although were backed up by a few investors.

The narrative will see Rhian as Sally, a gadget inventor, whose aspiring comic book artist friend Marty (enzo Marcos) has feelings for her. Also part of the romance angle is Sally’s inconsiderate boyfriend (TJ). It is interesting to follow Marty’s fantasies interacting with reality and his ways to protect and save Sally.

How was Rhian’s audition like for the role Sally?

“There (were) two or three scenes they wanted me to try,” answered Rhian, who also auditioned for her Captain Barbell character Leah Lazaro. “I read the part, I memorized it and the final challenge was that we were given a situation where

I and enzo were sitting on a couch and it was completely ad-lib. Parang kayo na ang bahala. Ito ang sitwasyon. It put to the test kung ano yung posibleng magiging chemistry namin.”

During the screening process, direk Avid recalled that Rhian waited for her turn though the “Saving Sally” team could accommodate her ahead of everyone. They thought they could work with her because Rhian came in not as a star but as an actress.

“Without mentioning any names, a lot of girls from mainstream showbiz had already auditioned for the part and they were my friends,” Rhian said.

“They heard about it and they told me about this movie also.

I didn’t have any expectations — kung hindi nga nila nakuha, bakit ako makukuha. May iba silang hinahanap yun ang ibig sabihin. Baka nag-te-teleserye acting kami or something, hindi ko alam. It was a real surprise to me that I was able to get the part. I was happy and lucky to do it because we had so much fun doing the whole thing.”

This is true because it was quite an experience for her acting with the blue screen.

“It was new and a little closer to home because Marty and Sally are very much like the kids that I grew up with. The challenge was, how do I make it realistic after doing TV for four years?” said Rhian, who was referring to her 19-year-old self. “I wanted to be a realistic Sally in the world it (the story) is told. It’s a world where there is so much imagination and monsters exist.”

From that point in time, Rhian has matured handling interesting characters and is willing to audition for roles.

“This project taught me to make decisions for myself,” she said. “I could decide what I want. That’s also something that I’m putting into practice now in my career. I want to be able to decide what I will do next.”

Rated A by the Cinema evaluation Board and parental guidance by the MTRCB, “Saving Sally” opens on Dec. 25 in cinemas nationwide. It also stars Bodjie Pascua, Carme Sanchez, Sharmaine Centenera Buencamino and Archie Adamos.

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 22-28, 2016

B

Jasmine Curtis ‘happiest’ for newly engaged sister

by Rosette

Adel

Philstar.com

YOuNGeR sister of newly engaged actress Anne Curtis, Jasmine, on Sunday said she was overjoyed for her sister.

Jasmine took to Instagram to congratulate Anne and her fiancé erwan Heussaff over their engagement.

“I am the happiest little sestra for you @annecurtissmith. Congratulations to you and @erwanheussaff!

Never doubted the forever everyone sees in your relationship,” Jasmine wrote in her Instagram post.

While there are no details on the celebrity couple’s upcoming wedding, Jasmine also expressed excitement and is even thinking of her sister’s wedding hashtag as early as now.

Anne and erwan made headlines on Sunday, Dec. 18 after their travel

Jasmine Curtis is already excited for her sister Anne Curtis’ wedding.

video with the clip of the proposal went viral.

Anne also confirmed the engagement news on Monday after-

Richard loves Lucy...

PAGE B6 are German Shorthaired Pointers (GSP) who live in the Makati home of Richard and Lucy. Natascha, Amanda, and Adonis are in Ormoc and Alexandra is in their Greenhills home.

“How did you get into GSP?” we ask.

Goma tells us he loves going hunting in the mountains — and it came to a point where he noticed that his Labrador could not keep up with the Aspins in the area.

So, he asked around what would be a good hunting dog. He was told the GSP would be perfect. He found the best of the GSP in Romania — he got in touch with a reputable breeder there and thus, Moritz and Natascha were flown in.

“In the past, a dog was a dog was a dog,” shares Lucy. “But now, because Richard has introduced me to many dogs, I can tell by the way they stand, the way they move, if a dog is good or not.”

“More so with this breed,” adds Goma. “I have joined my dogs in the Philippine Canine Club Inc. (PCCI) dog shows (the top dog show in the country). Natascha is a Philippine Grand Champion, Hall of Famer, and Asia-Pacific Grand Champion. Moritz is a Philippine Grand Champion.”

It is the passion in Goma that makes him excel at everything he does.

As an athlete, he competed for the Philippines in fencing, shooting, rowing and volleyball. When he shows his dogs, they have to be

at the top of the circuit.

“He never does anything halfbaked,” says a proud Lucy. “every time I enter anything, I always want to be the best,” asserts Goma. “As an athlete, when I enter my dogs in the show ring and also my fish, ganun din — manalo.”

Goma recently joined the Fighting Fish shows — no, he clarifies, the fish don’t fight, they are judged for their beauty.

Goma grew up with a passion for Fighting Fish, which he would buy outside his school. So successful is Goma with his Fighting Fish that he’s been named Breeder of the Year 2016 and Grand Champion 2016 in the Beta (Fighting Fish) competition.

“The Fighting Fish are beautiful creatures,” Goma gushes. “May hinahabol na form. The breed has to conform. The breeding season is from January to February.”

Goma sources his fish from Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand.

What does he like about fish?

“He says it relaxes him,” says Lucy. “When he comes home from work, I know he has arrived because of the dogs barking. But it takes so long before he comes up to the room, and I would catch him downstairs just watching the fish swim.”

Mr. Mayor “As a mayor I want to be known as the best mayor of Ormoc City,” Goma muses.

“Richard is a workaholic, anything he sets his mind to, it’s like he

noon in her noontime show “It’s Showtime.” The couple has yet to announce details on their wedding plans. has blinders on and he has to do it.

He gives it his all.”

Goma has directed TV ads in the past — at least 10 of them — which were part of his advocacy against drugs.

In 1998, Goma was among those who formed MAD (Mamayan Ayaw sa Droga). And as an athlete on the Philippine national team, he was often tested for doping — which he passed each time.

“Ayoko uminom ng pain reliever,” Goma swears. “I know it is bawal. If there is a doping test and I drank pain reliever, I will be disqualified. And that has never happened.”

“There is a measure of comfort when we know that the truth will eventually come out,” Lucy rationalizes. “But until that happens, the process can be stressful. I am happy that if Richard’s name was maliciously dragged into this on national TV, he was also absolved on national TV.” “Maybe you should train your dogs to be drug-sniffing dogs,” I suggest.

“I will look into it,” Goma says.

“They are hunting dogs and their noses are very sensitive.”

If you could have another pet, what would it be?

“No more pets,” replies a firm Lucy. “Anak na lang.”

“Baby boy naman,” Goma chimes in. “If there is no baby boy, I will be the last Gomez in my family line.”

With their good genes, we would love for our favorite royal showbiz couple to breed more little Gomezes!

B DECEMBER 22-28, 2016 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678