Hawaii Filipino Chronicle - June 27, 2020

JUNE 27, 2020  HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE  1

JUNE 27, 2020

NEWS FEATURE

Female Cadet from Isabela Tops PMA Class of 2020 WHAT’S UP, ATTORNEY?

Defang or Defund the Police

CANDID PERSPECTIVES

SF Filipino Exposes White Supremacy in the Wake of George Floyd’s Death

SPECIAL FEATURE

It’s Never Too Late to Remember Father’s Day

FEATURE

Loving Husband, Father and Provider: The Paul Tamayo Legacy

2 HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLEJUNE 27, 2020

EDITORIAL

Unjust Police Killings of Black Americans Is Everyone’s Problem, Not Just Our Black Community

O

n the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, commemorating that historic day in 1963 when hundreds of thousands held a peaceful demonstration protesting against racial discrimination and unfair treatment and wages against minorities, the National Immigration Law Center’s executive director then Marielena Hincapie said of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “We share his dream that all people – regardless of their race, gender, or immigration or economic status – be treated equally, fairly, and humanely…that all people have equal access to justice, education, government resources and economic opportunities, and are able to achieve their full potential as human beings.”

The fight to end police brutality on Black Americans in this nation is a fight for all who believe in fairness and equal treatment under the law. This is not just an African American problem. Where injustice occurs, especially injustice against a disadvantaged people, it must be an American issue, a humanity struggle for all of us to find solutions.

We are indebted to the Black community Immigrant communities and people of color owe a lot to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and African American civil rights leaders of the 1960s. The driving force of the civil rights movement were led by African Americans from which the entire nation benefited.

The overall goal of the civil rights movement of the ‘60s was to abolish racial discrimination. MLK was not just fighting for the Black community; he was fighting for all racial discrimination to end.

Immigrants are indebted to the Black community MLK and civil rights leaders fought hard for the fair treatment of immigrants and were a pivotal force in getting the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 passed. This law abolished the previous National Origins Formula. This new Act led to the equal treatment of race or nationality and abolished the old immigration system that favored entry of western European countries.

If it were not for the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, today’s immigrant communities would not be as diverse as it is today. At least for Asian immigrants, they would have been limited in number and largely only descendants of plantation workers. But this Act allowed for multiple waves of Asian immigrants to enter the U.S. after 1965.

Right to vote and ban discrimination All people of color (of course Asians included) benefitted from the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Again, it was the Black community who joined Asian and Latin communities to push for these Acts with the Black community having greater political influence then to affect change.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 officially banned discrimination in employment and public accommodations that was based on race, color, religion and/or national origin. (Just last week, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling adds sexual orientation to this list.)

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 gave every U.S. citizen, no matter his or her race, the right to vote. These two Acts basically empowered colored communities politically and economically. Again, this includes our Asian community.

Just on history alone, how African Americans paved the way for all communities of color to benefit and become more (continue on page 3)

FROM THE PUBLISHER

W

hat a turbulent year 2020 is turning out to be. We are facing unchartered territory with the COVID-19 pandemic. No one would have anticipated that. Now, the nation is rocked with massive civil unrest due to the death of George Floyd, another unarmed African American killed by police. His death has become a rallying cry for not just our Black community, but all decent Americans who want to reform our policing system.

For our cover story this issue, associate editor Edwin Quinabo goes over some of the major proposals to policing reform – use of deadly force only to be used in life and death situations, ban on chokeholds, the establishment of a National Police Misconduct Registry, racial bias training, limiting the use of military grade weapons by police, and altering qualified immunity granted to police, to name a few. Then the cover story explores some possible obstacles why a few bad apples remain on police departments, including the limited role of police commissions and self-policing of police unions. Next, data on police brutality is provided; and throughout local experts on race relations and civil rights chime in on the topic of police reform and systemic racism, including former Hawaii Civil Rights Commissioner and retired Professor Raymund Liongson and retired Professor of Ethnic Studies at UH-Manoa Jonathan Okamura. Liongon explains why this issue should matter to all of us, “Why should we care? Because we could have been George Floyd and the brutality on George Floyd dramatized the inhumanity against people of color, indigenous societies, immigrants, women, and marginalized population of which Filipinos in America may fall under. Remaining silent on the killing of Floyd is complicity to the continuing racial hatred and oppression.” Our main editorial gives us another perspective of why we should care – because frankly, we owe our Black community for making all minorities’ lives better from civil rights, to voting rights, and equality in immigration to this country (post 1965). Martin Luther King, Jr. and civil rights leaders fought for minorities. Now, we, and the world, want to correct long overdue injustice.

Staying on the topic of racism, HFC columnist Emil Guillermo writes about Filipinos’ solidarity with Black Lives Matter and highlights an incident of James Juanillo, a Filipino American in San Francisco, as well as the post George Floyd killing of another Black American Rayshard Brooks. It’s almost inconceivable that amidst all the hypersensitivity against police brutality, yet another Black man is shot to death.

Also in this issue, we have an article on the upcoming 2020 election, which started out and was supposed to be the main news cycle issue of the year. HFC columnist Elpidio Estioko predicts the outcome of the presidential race will be determined by how the COVID-19 pandemic was and is being handled. Read his article entitled “The Crowing (Corona-ing) of the Next US President.”

Lastly, HFC columnist Carlota Ader features Paul Tamayo, a retired multi-awarded Senior Chief with the U.S. Coast Guard. Tamayo served in the Coast Guard for 35-years and now works for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Be sure to read our other interesting articles and news, including the newly lifted 14-day Quarantine for Inter-island travel. Before booking a flight, find out what some of the restrictions are that includes among others signing a mandatory interisland travel health form. The website to download the form is in the article.

Thank you for supporting your community newspaper. Until next issue, warmest Aloha and Mabuhay!

Publisher & Executive Editor Charlie Y. Sonido, M.D.

Publisher & Managing Editor

Chona A. Montesines-Sonido

Associate Editors

Edwin QuinaboDennis Galolo

Contributing Editor

Belinda Aquino, Ph.D.

Design

Junggoi Peralta

Photography Tim Llena

Administrative Assistant Lilia Capalad Shalimar Pagulayan

Editorial Assistant Jim Bea Sampaga

Columnists

Carlota Hufana Ader Elpidio R. Estioko Emil Guillermo Melissa Martin, Ph.D. J.P. Orias Pacita Saludes Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq. Charlie Sonido, M.D. Emmanuel S. Tipon, Esq.

Contributing Writers

Clement Bautista Edna Bautista, Ed.D. Teresita Bernales, Ed.D. Sheryll Bonilla, Esq. Rose Churma Serafin Colmenares Jr., Ph.D. Linda Dela Cruz Carolyn Weygan-Hildebrand Amelia Jacang, M.D. Caroline Julian Raymond Ll. Liongson, Ph.D. Federico Magdalena, Ph.D. Matthew Mettias Maita Milallos Paul Melvin Palalay, M.D. Renelaine Bontol-Pfister Seneca Moraleda-Puguan Mark Lester Ranchez Jay Valdez, Psy.D. Glenn Wakai Amado Yoro

Philippine Correspondent: Greg Garcia

Neighbor Island Correspondents: Big Island (Hilo and Kona) Grace LarsonDitas Udani Kauai Millicent Wellington Maui Christine Sabado Big Island Distributors Grace LarsonDitas Udani Kauai Distributors Amylou Aguinaldo Nestor Aguinaldo Maui Distributors

Cecille PirosRey Piros Molokai Distributor Maria Watanabe Oahu Distributors Yoshimasa Kaneko Jonathan Pagulayan

Advertising / Marketing Director Chona A. Montesines-Sonido

Account Executives Carlota Hufana Ader JP Orias

JUNE 27, 2020  HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE  3

OP-ED

Democracy is in Peril with the New Philippines’ Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020

By Edwin Quinabo

F

ilipinos around the world look to the developments unfolding in their ancestral homeland with great sadness and concern as democracy takes yet another hit at the hands of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The new Philippines’ Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 is a poorly crafted legislation, too sweeping, and purposely designed for abuse. The Act should send chills down the spine of every Filipino and must be challenged at all fronts constitutionally.

As of press time, the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 sits on the President’s desk for signing, which is expected to happen. The next move is for it to be contested at the Philippines Supreme Court.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the country’s most powerful organization of lawyers, intends to challenge the Act’s constitutional limits at the High Court.

Support is crumbling for the Anti-terrorism Act as opposition mounts from a diverse group – businesses, universi-

ties and the Catholic Church.

But with the Act already having passed both chambers of Congress and with only one obstacle left, the Supreme Court (heavily stacked by Duterte appointees), the situation looks bleak.

Why the Concern The most controversial aspect of the legislation criminalizes the “threat, planning, training, facilitating of” and “proposal” and “inciting” to terrorist activities by means of speeches, proclamations, writings, banners and emblems.

The language of the legislation is so blatantly and overly sweeping that even non-lawyers can look at it with shock and dismay, especially given the current context from which this legislation arises – at a time that press freedoms are being assaulted by a tyrannical, immoral, violent, and insecure president whose fascist tactics have brought him notoriety and shame around the globe.

How irresponsible for Filipino lawmakers to allow the Act to pass as written only to save their own political careers. Their timidity hammers down another nail in the coffin of a dying Democracy gasping

(Unjust...from page 2)

equal citizens in the U.S., we must remember this and fight for them as they’ve fought for us.

Policing Reform 2020 is turning out to be the year of revealing truths.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed our nation’s structural weaknesses in our economy and healthcare.

The death of George Floyd revealed that Dr. King Jr.’s work remains unfinished wherein the most basic of freedoms, specifically, the right to feel safe and secure from harm, is being denied to our African American community.

This finally must be changed. There must be immediate and swift accountability when police brutality occurs. In cases of obvious wrongdoing as what occurred with Mr. Floyd, action must result in immediate firing and speedy prosecution.

There needs to be an independent investigative body made up of citizens that can watch over police departments. Police Commissions’ authority should be expanded beyond the ability to hire or fire a police chief. As it is now, police unions largely have this responsibility of oversight. This is self-policing and not working, and a reason why bad apples remain on the force. The fact that police unions are powerful political entities makes it difficult to make necessary changes.

for air.

Similar to the enablers of President Donald Trump in the U.S. – these lawmakers must be voted out.

Not only does this bill puts gasoline on the fire on the war already waged by Duterte on the Philippine press, allowing for more arrests and imprisonment of Filipino journalists, but the language of the bill puts demonstrators and even internet critics of the government at peril.

The Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said the broad definition of “terrorism” in the bill “paves the road for possible abuse.”

It gives power to arrest and detain government critics under the guise of fighting terrorism.

It is “a human rights disaster in the making,” states Human Rights Watch.

CHR further states that previously sanctioned exercises of free speech guaranteed in the Constitution could be tagged as terrorist expressions.

It’s overreach, plain and simple; and undermines the spirit of freedom in the Philippines that has taken years to reverse since that country’s last dictator, President Ferdinand

Marcos.

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) Chairman Peter Murphy said, “We are appalled that the Philippine government is giving priority to repressive legislation but remains bungling in addressing the pandemic. We have seen too many deaths both from the virus and the violence President Duterte has unleashed against his people.

“The proposed anti-terrorism bill is the last piece of the puzzle of the Duterte government’s martial law. President Duterte has repeatedly denied the existence of martial law during the pandemic, however, the rising number of activists and civilians being jailed, harassed, and killed says otherwise.”

The Act also curtails the right to due process. It legalizes warrantless arrests, detention for up to 30 days of suspected terrorists, and even wiretapping and other surveillance for extended periods of time, according to Murphy.

Convicted terrorists (so broadly defined that it could be almost anyone speaking badly about the government) could face a shocking life in prison without parole.

Senator Francis Pangilinan

said, “Under the current authoritarian bent [administration], this will be open to abuse. In the context of what is happening in the country today...clearly, the direction is more towards repression.”

Track Record for Abuse The President has already shown sinister abuse in his drug war killings. The United Nations latest report found Duterte’s drug war since his election in 2016 is estimated to be three times higher than the government’s official figure of 8,663 killed.

Supreme Court must save the day It is true that the Philippines has a decades-long problem with terrorism in Southern Philippines, the reason why such a bill reportedly was needed. But the Anti-terrorism Bill as written is too broad and undermines the Philippines Constitution.

The reported “threat” of terrorism in the country must be weighed with precision.

The Act just goes too far. It sets up legalized abuse for Duterte to exact revenge onto his political, media, even individual critics. This is practically the last stand to fight for democracy-loving Filipinos.

To justices of the Philippines Supreme Court, know that Filipinos around the globe are counting on you to save The way data is collected on police brutality is completely voluntary Democracy in our mother land. and inadequate. There must be a national data system tracking wrongful Do the right thing and rule this complaints filed against police. This data should be transparent for all cit- Act to be unconstitutional if it izens to see and police commissions. Again, police commissions duties is signed by the President. should be expanded to review complaints and to weed out bad cops.

On the ground with regard to enforcement: ban chokeholds; body cams should be turned on each time officers engage in police work; military grade weapons should not be handed down to police departments; and the use of deadly force must be limited to only life and death situations. The killing of unarmed civilians must stop.

On recruiting -- something not addressed by politicians and policing reforms currently on the table – there must be a battery of psychological tests that can identify applicants with racist or overly aggressive inclinations.

Clearly, the vast majority of police officers are appreciated and do an excellent job. But the few bad apples show that there is systemic deficiencies. Police Departments are big on fraternity and brotherhood, that is important for field work. But when bad cops are proven to be bad cops, that’s when fraternity must end.

Policing reform is not a Black Lives Matter versus policemen issue. It’s ultimately about public safety and stopping brutality. If policemen have issue with that, then they ought to change professions.

4 HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLEJUNE 27, 2020

COVER STORY

THE NATION LOOKING AT POLICING REFORM, SYSTEMIC RACISM AND RACE RELATIONS

By Edwin Quinabo

N

o one imagined there could be news so big, urgent and alarming to replace the coronavirus’ 24/7 news cycle. But it did on May 25, 2020 when an unarmed black man George Floyd was killed by police. The video of Floyd’s death was so graphic, devoid of humanness when a white police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes that something clicked in the minds of millions.

Tens of thousands from all walks of life, all colors, joined in solidarity to call for an end to police brutality against America’s black community. From Minneapolis (where George died), east to NYC and Washington, D.C., down south Raymund Liongson, PhD, former Hawaii Civil Rights Commissioner and retired professor, University of Hawaii-Leeward CC, said “There is no question about the need for sweeping reforms in policing particularly as it relates to racial and ethnic diversity.”

Liongson suggests a few needed reforms could include checks-and-balances of police power, transparency in police investigations, and continuing police training toward de-escalation, racial equality, human dignity, and compassion.

“Other groups demand ‘defunding the police,’ and we need to have robust conversations to clarify this reform proposal,” he said.

Jonathan Okamura, a retired professor with the Department of Ethnic Studies at UH-Manoa told the Filipino Chronicle, he agrees that police procedures are necessary as long as people are being killed while in police custody.

“George Floyd is just the most recent victim of police brutality against African Americans and joins the continuously growing list of unarmed Black men and women who have recently lost their

in Atlanta, and out west to L.A. -- loud chants, “No Justice, No Peace,” and “Black Lives Matter” rocked the streets for two weeks.

The protests, so large, uncontrolled, were reminiscent of the turbulent 1960s when the country rallied against the Vietnam War and pushed to pass civil rights legislations. And 50 years later, the work that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. started, remains unfinished.

Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd in 2020 alone represent the ongoing struggle. Add to this list Rayshard Brooks, another black man fatally shot by police just days after Floyd was buried.

Political analysts say it’s unconscionable that at a time of hypersensitivity over po-

lives in encounters with the police. Since his killing, changes already have begun with several local governments prohibiting their police departments from using chokeholds when arresting suspects,” he said.

But Okamura believes changes to policing is only a start. He says the entire criminal justice system, including the courts and prisons needs to transform its practices and policies to ensure racial justice for people of color.

Police Reforms Proposed House Majority Steny Hoyer said Democrats are aiming to bring their policing reform packages to the House Floor for a vote during the week of June 22.

The package, called Justice in Policing Act was put together by the Congressional Black Caucus, House Judiciary Committee Democrats and Sens. Kamala Harris and Cory Booker.

“The Justice in Policing Act establishes a bold, transformative vision of policing in America,” said Representative Karen Bass of California, the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus. “Never

again should the world be subjected to witnessing what we saw on the streets in Minneapolis, the slow murder of an individual by a uniformed police officer.”

The Act is the most expansive federal intervention into law enforcement proposing significant changes. A few of the changes proposed: • Establish a new set of restrictions on law enforcement officers to prevent them from using deadly force except as a last resort.

• Ban police chokeholds.

• Establish a National Police Misconduct Registry to track police misconducts and require law enforcement agencies to report data on the use of force.

• Require all uniformed federal officers to wear body cameras and mandate that state and local agencies use federal funds to ensure their use.

• Incentivize state and local governments to conduct racial bias training for officers. Some federal grants would be conditioned on these trainings made available.

lice brutality, yet another black unarmed black man is shot and killed.

Has the day of reckoning arrived? -- a time for serious policing reforms to be implemented. Activists are demanding change, but also realize Americans of all races must rally together to make it happen.

• Limit the transfer of military weaponry to state and local departments and ban “no knock” warrants” in federal drug cases that allow police officers to enter residences without warning.

• The most contentious feature of the bill is altering what’s known as qualified immunity, which shields police officers from being held legally liable for damages sought by citizens whose constitutional rights are found to have been violated.

Currently, prosecutors must prove that an officer “willfully” violated an individual’s constitutional rights.

The change proposed would lower that standard, to actions undertaken with “reckless disregard” for the individual’s rights.

What the legislation doesn’t include is the defunding of police departments as many protestors have been calling for.

When asked about the defunding movement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “We want to work with our

police departments. There are many who take pride in their work, and we want to be able to make sure that the focus is on them.”

Hawaii and policing reform Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell also does not support defunding of the Honolulu Police Department but actually has plans to increase HPD’s budget. He said some of that money would go to body cams. The mayor also said he supports more transparency at HPD. As many police departments are being pressured to implement reform, two Honolulu Police Commission members Steven Levinson and Loretta Sheehan resigned. The two have been vocal critics of the system. Levinson said the commission has no power over policy. “We don’t have any power at all. It’s ultimately up to the chief. The chief has a monopoly over those kinds of powers. That’s the way the city charter’s written.”

The mayor nominated two replacements – former state Attorney General Doug Chin and YMCA President and (continue on page 5)

JUNE 27, 2020  HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE  5

COVER STORY (from page 4)

CEO Michael Broderick, a family court judge. Both nominees support more transparency of HPD, including around officers accused of misconducts and a review of policies on chokeholds and shooting at moving cars.

“I think if there’s any lesson that we’ve learned it’s how important transparency matters to be able to hold people accountable,” Chin said. “It’s been a very difficult time but I know that through everything that has been happening there is what I believe a sea change.”

The commission has the power to hire, evaluate, and fire the police chief. Some critics say the Commission’s role should be expanded and truly be an independent oversight body over HPD.

Police Unions Police commissions are just one limited oversight body. But civil rights activists say police unions are part of the problem of police brutality.

As most unions, police unions are designed to protect their members. Activists claim there can be a conflict of interest here between protecting citizens and protecting bad cops. The same standards of unions of protecting members should not apply to police unions because they are entrusted with life and death matters, and where an error or abuse occurs, it could have deadly consequence.

Recognizing a shift in perception of police unions, Richard Trumka, who heads the nation’s largest federation of labor organizations AFLCIO (that includes a few police unions) said its board has adopted a set of recommendations aimed at addressing “America’s long history of racism and police violence against black people.”

Reforms AFL-CIO supports include banning chokeholds, expanding use of body cameras, ending racial profiling, demilitarizing police forces, limiting no-knock warrants, and creating a more community-centric policing culture. The reforms almost mirror the Democrats’ Justice in Policing Act. The powerful American

Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) President Lee Saunders said, “No union contract is or should be construed as a shield for misconduct or criminal behavior.”

Civil rights activists complain that police unions’ political clout (besides their membership) stems from their political endorsements. Candidates for political office from state House members, City Council members to governor actively seek police union endorsements.

This 2020 election cycle, the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO) has endorsed former media General Manager Rick Blangiardi for Honolulu mayor.

A Ewa Beach voter, who wished to remain anonymous, said SHOPO has no business making political endorsements. “All candidates shouldn’t be seeking SHOPO’s endorsements.” She said Blangiardi, as a news GM should have been sensitive to the current situation around the country and refused the endorsement to set an example.

“We know the majority of cops are good cops. But police unions ought to be non-political and have a different way of operating than other unions.

SHOPO’s political endorsements corrupt the system.

Their primary role should be relegated to pay and benefits bargaining. The idea of the police, basically policing themselves, doesn’t make me feel comfortable. And if a mayor, for example, has been endorsed by SHOPO, that makes it more complicating.”

SHOPO represents about 3,500 officers.

Patricio Abinales, professor at the School of Pacific and Asian Studies, UH-Manoa, supports policing reform.

“Chokeholds for one should be banned. I do not agree however that that police should be abolished because of this.

There is a lot of talk about bad eggs but very little on the good things people in uniform do.”

Data on police brutality Data on the use of force by police officers presents difficulties for researchers because law enforcement agencies vol-

untarily report these statistics, which is why activists say a national data base system must be established. Besides data being voluntary, it is also not impartial because police agencies are reporting on themselves.

Dr. Matthew Miller, a violence researcher and professor of health sciences and epidemiology at Northwestern University, co-authored a study on civilians who were shot and killed by police officers between 2014 and 2015.

He found that of the roughly 1,000 people shot to death by police officers each year, Black Americans were twice as likely to be shot and killed by police officers, compared with their representation in the population.

The Washington Post’s Fatal Force Project found similar results since 2015.

In another study with data taken from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Violent Death Reporting System, Black Americans were three times more likely to be shot and killed by police officers during interactions where the victim appeared to pose little or no threat to officers.

Systemic Racism Social Science academics say while banning neck restraints and other policing reforms help, they do not address structural problems, cultural problems that devalue people of color.

Professor Okamura explains the theory of systemic racism was introduced by sociologist Joe Feagin of Texas A&M University in the mid2000s to account for how Whites in America have maintained their large-scale oppression of non-Whites over the centuries.

“As a system, Feagin, who blames Whites for systemic racism, argues that it consists of four primary components that work together to maintain racial hierarchy and inequality: discriminatory practices of Whites; racial stereotypes and representations by them; resources and power held

by Whites; and maintenance of material inequalities by White-controlled institutions, such as universities,” he said.

“Why should we care [of the killing of George Floyd]? Because we could have been George Floyd and the brutality on George Floyd dramatized the inhumanity against people of color, indigenous societies, immigrants, women, and marginalized population of which Filipinos in America may fall under. Remaining silent on the killing of Floyd is complicity to the continuing racial hatred and oppression.”

— Raymund Liongson, PhD,

Former Hawaii Civil Rights Commissioner, Retired Professor, University of Hawaii-Leeward CC “As I tell my students, in Hawai‘i systemic racism is not only sustained by Whites because Japanese Americans also contribute to it, and Filipinos have been subject to systemic racism since their arrival as plantation laborers.

At present, it is evident against Filipinos in the institutionalized discrimination they encounter in employment and education, racist stereotyping of them through joke telling, and their persisting lower socioeconomic status, including severe underrepresentation as students and faculty at UH Mānoa,” Okamura said.

Professor Liongson agrees that systemic racism goes beyond policing. “It is demonstrated in many other various ways – from apathy to discrimination to overt violence like

assault and homicide. It seeps into all dimensions of our social lives – from the educational system to the workplace to our day-to-day affairs.”

He adds, “the litany of reports on police brutality against black and colored people is more than about few bad apples. It mirrors a system of racial hatred and prejudice that is rooted on the refusal to accept the dignity of people who look differently. Such system has established a rite of violence that has been sadly accepted as a social norm.”

The meter on discrimination perceptions have moved from 2015 up to the present.

In 2015, in the wake of unrest in Ferguson, Mo., just half of Americans said they believed racial discrimination to be (continue on page 6)

6 HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLEJUNE 27, 2020

OPINION

The South China Sea is Facing ADIZ Threat from China

By John Hoang, Esq.

T

he South China Sea with ADIZ The situation in the South China Sea area continues to be tense with “threats” because China would announce the establishment of an “air defense identification zone” (ADIZ) in the South China Sea. On May 5, Taiwanese media quoted Taiwan’s Defense Minister Yen Te-fa as saying Beijing was preparing to establish an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the South China Sea. Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense stated that although China had announced that it would establish an ADIZ in the South China Sea, Beijing had not officially announced it. The Philippines ADIZ is currently the only designated airspace in this disputed area.

Recently, the South China Morning Post on May 31, citing a military source of the

People’s Liberation Army (PLA), revealed that Beijing was planning to establish an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in the South China Sea since 2010. In the same year, China said it was considering announcing similar airspace control measures in the East China Sea, a move that has received widespread criticism.

Some officials in the Chinese military said that plans to control airspace over the South China Sea - one of the world’s most fierce disputed maritime routes, had been prepared for a decade.

The South China Morning Post reported that according to an unnamed source from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), ADIZ was proposed in the South China Sea including the Pratas Islands, and Paracels, and Spratly Islands. Plans for the area have been around for a long time, such as the ADIZ plan for the East China Sea - which Beijing said it considered in 2010 and announced in 2013. The source said that more Chinese authorities are waiting for a suitable time to

the establishment of ADIZ, China cannot have a legal basis if it declares an ADIZ on the South China Sea area, which is a subject of many countries involved.

What is ADIZ? The Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) is simply understood as the range of airspace assigned by a country and requires all vehicles flying over this area to be identified, and be controlled by that country. ADIZ is not synonymous with national airspace, but due to national requirements, it is regarded as a coexistence zone with the national security and defense area.

ADIZ can be considered as a product of the Cold War era and is still maintained today. In addition to the US, India, Japan, Norway, Pakistan, Korea, the United Kingdom, China and Taiwan have established ADIZ. Currently, there is no international agreement or institution governing this issue, which states are not explic-

itly prohibited or permitted by law to establish such an ADIZ. Therefore, the countries that set up ADIZ mainly rely on their own arguments to explain their establishment.

It should also be added that ADIZs may include areas and ranges that lie outside the airspace of nations (which may cover the airspace above exclusive economic zones), and they cannot be used to justify the expansion of airspace.

Similar to the principle of “The land dominates the sea” in the law of the sea, the scope of the ADIZ must have a logical link to the territory of the claimant state. This means that a country cannot automatically claim that an international airspace is under its control if there is no basis to prove its sovereignty over the territories below it. For the same reason, such ADIZs cannot be established in disputed territories because they will create tensions and conflicts of territorial sovereignty between the countries concerned.

That means that although there is no clear regulation on

Race relations: better or worse?

Professor Liongson said he was inclined to think race relations in the U.S. has improved because of advances in the 1960s with the Civil Rights movement. He cites reforms in segregation, voting rights, education and work opportunities as examples. “But discrimination and hate crimes stemming from racial diversity continue to resurface, many of them brutally committed by law enforcers. The discrimination and killings of blacks and people of color are a stark reminder of the wide and oppressive racial divide that is still very much alive in America.”

Professor Okamura agrees that race relations has gotten worse. “Whether one takes a longer historical perspective from the 1960s or a much shorter one since the Trump presidency, race relations in America have clearly worsened. The Sixties, a period of tremendous political

and cultural changes, brought forth the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act in 1965, and the Fair Housing Act three years later, all of which prohibited racial discrimination and benefited racial and ethnic minorities.

However, well before Trump became president starting with the White backlash in the subsequent decade, these laws were no longer being fully enforced, and changes were initiated that have reduced their efficacy, such as in voting. As the racist-in-chief, Trump has sought to divide America along racial lines and is seeking re-election by blowing his racist dog whistle at his dwindling base of noncollege educated Whites. He has demonstrated no interest in bringing together people of differing race, and his administration has been primarily about making America White again, as is evident in his anti-immigration and anti-immigrant policies.”

Why should we all care of the killing of George Floyd?

Professor Liongon said George’s killing highlights the destructiveness of hatred and unregulated power particularly in the hands of those who are supposed to uphold human dignity and preserve human life.

“Why should we care?

Because we could have been George Floyd and the brutality on George Floyd dramatized the inhumanity against people of color, indigenous societies, immigrants, women, and marginalized population of which Filipinos in America may fall under. Remaining silent on the killing of Floyd is complicity to the continuing racial hatred and oppression.”

Is it as protestors say, “silence is complicity?” Is it time for a united front finally to end abusive policing and systemic racism against the African American community, which ultimately would benefit all people of color?

announce ADIZ in the South China Sea. Although Beijing may have been discreet about this issue, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense on May 4 announced that it was aware of mainland China plans.

Purposes of declaring ADIZ of China Initially, ADIZ under the Cold War only applied to military aircraft. In these cases, ADIZ is used as an early warning “mechanism”. This was the original purpose of ADIZ when the US first created it during the Cold War to reduce the risk of a sudden Soviet attack in the air.

But in the case of ADIZ in the East China Sea area in 2013, China was obliged to apply to civil aircraft. Thus, beyond the military field, China’s ADIZ can also be a means for Beijing to implement the following legal, strategic and political purposes: • In legal terms, ADIZ can be considered as a no-entry zone, meaning the establishment of ADIZ can provide a legal basis for foreign aircraft to fly into (continue on page 8)

(COVER STORY: The Nation....from page 5)

a “big problem,” according to a Monmouth University polling. Compare that to the recent 2020 Monmouth University polling after the death of Floyd, more than 75% of

Americans say discrimination is a big problem and 57% understand that African Americans are more likely to suffer from police violence than other demographic groups.

JUNE 27, 2020  HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE  7

WHAT’S UP, ATTORNEY?

Defang the Police or Defund the Police?

By Atty. Emmanuel S. Tipon

I

s there any similarity between a policeman and a vampire?

“Yes,” according to a Filipino observer, “they are monsters. They have fangs.”

“A policeman and a vampire are different,” said a second observer, “a vampire kills his victim by biting the victim’s neck; a policeman kills his victim by pressing his knee on the victim’s neck.”

“A vampire victimizes beautiful white women; a policeman victimizes ugly black men,” chimed in a third observer.

“Fuera de los buenos,” (Except the good), I excepted.

“Es como si todo lo bueno fuera tragado por lo malo,” (Like all that is good, they have been gulped down by the bad), said the first observer, showing off his Spanish.

“If so, what do you propose,” I asked.

“Defund the police,” he quickly replied.

“That will not eliminate their fangs, why not just defang the police,” I suggested.

“I will bring a crucifix and garlic, vampires are afraid of them,” said a fourth observer.

GOOD PEOPLE MUST BE PROTECTED The good people need to be protected from the bad people. Who will protect them?

People have lost faith in the police who are believed to be monsters and racists.

Violent protests against police brutality started with the death of George Floyd who was shown on social media with a policeman pressing his knee on George’s neck as he cried “I can’t breathe”. [It is a safe bet that the policeman will be acquitted. He will say he was praying.]

The protests have escalated with the shooting in the back of a black man Rayshard

Brooks while running away from Atlanta policeman. He was sleeping in his car on the driveway of a Wendy’s restaurant blocking customers when two policemen tried to arrest him. Protesters burned Wendy’s whose employee had called the police. [The police shooter should have listened to the advice of Presidential candidate Joe Biden “Shoot them in the leg.”].

START WITH A CLEAN SLATE Cities should start with a clean slate by creating an entirely new department to protect the good people. Whatever they are going to call it, they should avoid using the word “police” which has become a dirty 6-letter word. A department to protect the people cannot consist of “the good, the bad, and the ugly” like the current police departments. They must consist of only the good.

FACTORS People to be recruited must be interviewed to determine the following: • Attitude The most important factor in employing a protector of the good people is attitude. Is the person caring or cocky? compassionate or confrontational? helpful or hateful? Does he shoot first and ask questions later or ask questions first and shoot later?

• Background What is the person’s family background? Does he come from a home where his parents are frequently quarreling or committing domestic abuse?

Are his parents racists or white supremacists? Was he beaten by his parents when he was a child? In school was he a bully or a victim of bullying? Is he married to a bitchy wife who subdues him into meekness such that he has become a USA (Under the saya always).

What kind of neighborhood did the person grow up? What kind of friends did he have and currently have? What is his scholastic level and ability? Does the person have bad habits? Does the person take

drugs? Does the person have a criminal background, including traffic violations?

• Motive What is the person’s motive in wanting to be a protector of the people? Did he apply with the military and fail to meet physical and mental requirements? Policeman are derisively called “flatfoot” because they are generally believed to have flat feet which is a disqualification for military service. Is he a bully at home or in school and wants to continue bullying people. Is he a meek husband of a misbegotten wife who wants to get back at her by confronting easily terrified people?

• Experience What is the person’s experience in protecting and helping people? Can he document it?

• Training The person must be thoroughly trained in the art of protecting people. He must be taught about maximum tolerance and stand your ground when in the right. The person should be taught when to use force and what force is reasonable.

MAYOR MUST BE THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE PEOPLE PROTECTION UNIT The Chief of the People Protection Department must be appointed by the Mayor and the Chief must report to the Mayor. The Mayor must be held responsible for the Department. Get rid of toothless and unnecessary Police Commissions.

TRANSPARENCY Complaints against staff members of the People Protection Department must be made public and prosecuted with vigor.

NO UNION Employees of the People Protection Department must not be allowed to form a union.

WHAT TO DO WITH EXISTING POLICE DEPARTMENTS? Keep current police units but control them very well until the People Protection De-

partment is adequately staffed and operational. There must be an agency to protect the good people even though imperfect until the new People Protection Department is ready.

EXPERIENCE WITH THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY I was in London during the April 29, 2011 wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. I told a Bobbie (policeman) guarding the Westminster Abbey churchyard that I was from Hawaii and would like to take pictures for my newspaper the Philippine News. “Hawaii,” he exclaimed, “sure,” and he motioned me forward. He did not ask for credentials or frisk me for weapons.

I was in the Philippines driving behind a funeral procession. A policeman stopped me, asking “Kasama ka ba sa patay? (Are you with the funeral?) “Hindi” (No). He motioned for me to park on the side. He asked for my license which I handed with a P500 peso bill with the picture of Ninoy Aquino. “Mahina ang abogado mo,” (Your lawyer is weak) he said. “Si Ninoy Aquino yan, ka klase ko sa U.P. Magaling siya” (That is Ninoy Aquino, he was my classmate at U.P. He was bright). “Mahina,” said the cop.

I handed another P500 peso

bill. “Mahina pa rin,” he said.

“Wala na akong pera,” (I have no more money), I told him.

Balikbayan ka yata, sigue na nga. (I think you are a Filipino returnee, go ahead).

I was driving on Kaiulani Ave. and stopped at Ala Wai Blvd. Suddenly a police car came up behind me and stopped. In about a minute the police car flashed its red light.

I did not move forward. A short while later the police car sounded its siren. I still did not move because there was heavy traffic.

When the traffic condition permitted, I moved forward and made a left turn and stopped.

A policewoman came out and approached me. I handed my license, insurance card, and business card. “So you are a lawyer, eh, old men should no longer be driving,” she said sarcastically after looking at my birth date.

She handed me back my papers.

“Good looking women should not talk like that,” I remarked. ATTY. TIPON has a Master of Laws degree from Yale Law School and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Philippines. He is co-author of the best-seller “Winning

by Knowing Your Election Laws” published by Rex Publishing. He writes columns for Filipino-American newspapers and co-hosts “The Tipon Report,” Honolulu’s most witty and useful radio show. He practices law in Honolulu, Hawaii, focusing on immigration and other federal laws. Tel. 808-225-2645.

E-mail: filamlaw@yahoo.com

8 HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLEJUNE 27, 2020

SPECIAL FEATURE

Remembering Father’s Day

By Jim Bea Sampaga

J

ust because the official holiday passed, it doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate Father’s Day. In fact, it can be even more memorable to skip tradition and the calendar for once and take your Dad out for a special celebration out of the blue – a day of giving appreciation he wouldn’t expect like a surprise “Dad”day party.

There are many reasons why some people couldn’t celebrate Father’s Day on June 21st. Some were bogged down at work, yes, even on a Sunday. Some couldn’t celebrate as they’ve wanted to because of social distance restrictions during the pandemic. Some of us are far away from our families, living in a different city or country from our dad.

Hugging itself this year couldn’t be as close or tight (for dad’s health safety) if he happen to be an essential worker. And of course, visiting our grandfathers in a care

FISH PESA

home was out of the question.

Traveling is restricted so we can’t visit our Lolos and Tatays overseas, especially those in the Philippines. What could’ve been a fun Father’s Day summer celebration in the Philippines turned into an online holiday greeting session via online video call.

Every day, we are thankful for the men who gave our lives a start. Our grandfathers guided our parents. Our Dads taught us to be strong and to be the best version of ourselves.

Even though the holiday already passed by, it’s never too late to celebrate Father’s

(OPINION: The South China....from page 5)

certain areas.

In addition, ADIZ can be used with the function of expressing sovereignty.

Although ADIZ is not a territorial claim, it can be used to exercise some form of sovereignty and manage airspace over a territory.

The acceptance or submission of the foreign aircraft may then be interpreted as an acknowledgment that the country possessing ADIZ is exercising sovereignty over a territory.

• Regarding strategy: ADIZ will be used by China as a “card” to bargain with other countries, especially ASEAN countries that have direct interests in the South China Sea. ADIZ will help China gain more position in the “chess board” with other countries.

• Politically, ADIZ will be a means for Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party to use to show deter-

mination, enforcement capacity, and ability to cope with reactions of countries in the region and around the world especially in the context of China’s internal political turmoil, when Beijing is under the impact of the US-China trade war and the COVID-19 pandemic. Chinese leaders want to use ADIZ as a means convenient to placate domestic discontent.

In addition, ADIZ is also a message that Beijing wants to express with the function of preventing other countries from doing things that Beijing does not want.

What does ASEAN need to do?

Declaring the establishment of ADIZ in the South China Sea will increase tensions with the United States and may damage relations between Beijing and neighboring South-

Day. There are many ways we can celebrate in our own way. We can binge-watch our Dads’ favorite movies on Netflix. They have Filipino movies on Netflix now as well so we can watch classic Filipino movies with our Tatays. Buying our Dads some gifts will definitely brighten up their day.

But nothing will beat a family-style salu-salo. Just like how the saying goes, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Paired with our Dads’ favorite cold beer (or wine!), here’s a healthy meal for you and your family to enjoy!

This simple and healthy Filipino dish will definitely make you feel comfortable and warm inside. “Pesa” means boiled fish with spices, specifically with pepper and ginger. For this fish pesa recipe, it calls for a lapu-lapu or opah fish as its main ingredient. However, it’s totally up to you to use whatever fish you’d like as long as it’s a medium-sized fish.

How about making fish pesa with your Dad’s favorite medium-sized fish?

Ingredients: 1 medium-sized fish (Lapu-lapu or Opah), sliced 10 slices of ginger, peeled 1 small onion, sliced 5 heads of native pechay and/or 1 small head of cabbage, quartered 2 pieces of potatoes, cubed 4 stalks of spring onions, cut into 3-inch lengths 8 cups of rice water 1 tablespoon peppercorn Fish sauce and salt to taste Procedure: In a medium saucepan, combine rice water, onion, ginger, and seasonings. Bring to boil. Add vegetables and fish. Cook for a few minutes or until vegetables are halfway done. Add fish sauce and salt to taste. Cook for five more minutes. Serve hot. Enjoy with rice.

east Asian countries. China na declares an ADIZ, it will be China Sea.” Perhaps, Vietnam, has sought to build closer ties extremely detrimental to most as the rotating Chair of ASEA, with its Southeast Asian neigh- ASEAN countries. If in 2013, needs to persistently reiterate bors in recent years, but China when China declared ADIZ in this view and persuade ASEAN risks jeopardizing those rela- the East China Sea area, coun- countries to agree with this contionships if Beijing declares to tries like Japan and the United tent.

However, the Code of Conestablish ADIZ. in the South States directly challenged this statement by flying aircraft into duct may be a mere document, China Sea. Such a statement this area without Chinese perexisting on paper and not imwould seriously damage China’s relations with Southeast mission. However, with its air plemented in practice, unless Asian nations, which, to date, potential, it is difficult for ASE- Southeast Asian countries can have largely been implicitly AN countries to challenge Chi- find alternatives to China is in accepting Chinese aggression na similarly if China declares the economic field and rebalancing its position to gain a stronger and provocations, including ADIZ in the South China Sea. Therefore, a common position in the negotiations. land reclamation and miliASEAN stance (if it can be imIt is also important that tarization of maritime features. plemented rather than just on ASEAN uses the levers it holds, However, if China declares to establish the ADIZ, it will be paper) along with the Code of such as ASEAN’s relations forced to choose, not between Conduct will play an important with other powers, to counter the US and China but between role to prevent any escalation. China’s aggressive behavior in In the past, Vietnam has the South China Sea. its economic relationship with clearly expressed its attitude China and its own sovereignty.

Malaysia, Philippines, when it proposed a content in ATTY. JOHN HOANG is the National Youth Movement for Vietnam, and Brunei are among the Draft Code of Conduct in West Philippine Sea ( NYMWPS) the ASEAN countries directly the South China Sea (COC) Vietnam Country Chair and Coninvolved in the South China as “no country can unilateral- sultant who is an expert in InterSea dispute. Countries like In- ly declare ADIZ in the South national law and Law of the Sea. donesia and Singapore are also Any opinions, advice, or statements contained in this article are those of greatly affected by tensions in the writer and/or the organization represented, and do not necessarily rethe East Sea. Therefore, if Chi- flect the opinions of the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle’s editorial board.

JUNE 27, 2020  HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE  9

FEATURE

Female cadet from Isabela Tops PMA Class of 2020

By Jim Bea Sampaga

C

adet First Class Gemalyn Deocares Sugui was supposed to join the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 2015 after passing its entrance examinations. She decided to postpone her PMA enrollment to finish her degree in BS Management Economics from the University of the Philippines-Baguio (UP Baguio).

“I decided to finish my bachelor’s degree before entering the PMA since my parents already sacrificed a lot for me to graduate and I don’t want to waste their sacrifices,” said Sugui, who’s from Isabela province.

In 2016, she finally joined PMA where she graduated as a topnotcher of its Masidlawin Class of 2020. Sugui is the sixth female cadet topnotcher in PMA history. Four more female cadets also place in the top 10 of their class.

“I feel pressured to be the

topnotcher of my class because I did not aim to be the class valedictorian,” said the 25-year-old Sugui. “My only goal is to graduate from the Academy, I did not expect to be the class valedictorian.”

Sugui is the second UP Baguio alumna to become a PMA topnotcher. Navy Lieutenant Arlene dela Cruz was the first female PMA topnotcher when she graduated in 1999. Dela Cruz also received her degree in BS Mathematics from UP Baguio. She sadly passed away in 2008 due to a road accident.

As one of the 23 women in her class with 196 members, Sugui admits it’s difficult to keep up with their male counterparts especially when it comes to PMA’s physical training. But that didn’t discourage her.

When it comes to their other training such as Character Development, Military Training and academics, Sugui and her female classmates can definitely keep with their male classmates.

“The hardest thing I faced with while I’m in the Academy was when I first stepped into the hallowed grounds of Borromeo Field and changed my civilian antiques to military ways during the New Cadet Battalion,” said Sugui.

Although being at the top of her class was a surprise for her, she excelled in her classes because of her love for her family and country. “I was motivated by my family and my dream of serving the country. I want to improve our way of life since my father is a farmer and my mother is a public school teacher,” Sugui said. “I want to give back for their sacrifices.”

The PMA Class of 2020 wasn’t able to celebrate their graduation ceremony alongside family members and loved ones as the event will be closed to the public in accordance with the physical distancing rules to limit the spread of COVID-19.

“The graduation ceremony was bittersweet. It’s heartbreaking to not have my

family during our graduation because they have looked forward to attending this momentous event,” said Sugui. “But the PMA authorities managed to provide us a simple graduation while observing social distancing and other health protocols to avoid Cadet First Class Gemalyn Deocares Sugui COVID-19.”

Sugui graduated with soldiers to protect the people multiple awards such as and secure the sovereignty of the Presidential Saber, the the Philippines,” she said.

When asked about her Achievement Award for message to current and future Academic Excellence, the JUSMAG Award, the Philip- PMA students, Sugui encourpine Army Saber, the Span- ages everyone to always do ish Armed Forces Award, the the right thing.

“It is never easy to live Social Sciences Plaque, the Management Plaque, and the your life in the Academy but always remember that in reRule of Law Award.

Sugui will be joining the ality, there is no such thing Philippine Army after gradu- as easy life to live,” she said. ation. “I look forward that the “The future lies in your hands.

Army will produce high stan- Remember that you will reap dards and well-disciplined what you sow.”

HAWAII-FILIPINO NEWS

Legislation Aims To Create First National Forest for Hawaii

U

.S. Representatives Ed Case and Tulsi Gabbard introduced House H.R. 7045, a measure to pursue the creation of Hawaii’s first=ever National Forest.

Hawai‘i National Forest Study Act would identify parcels of land that could later be incorporated into a National Forest. A 2014 survey iden-

tified 9,975 endemic species in Hawai‘i, many of which are reliant on Hawaii’s fragile ecosystem to survive. However, since the onset of human arrival, Hawai‘i has lost almost half of its native forest cover.

“Hawai‘i is the most isolated island chain and one of the most ecologically diverse places in the world,” said

Case.

“Within our constrained borders, we have ten of the thirteen world cliU.S. Reps. Ed Case and Tulsi Gabbard mate zones, and ecosystems ranging from the and endangered natural treadeserts to the tropics where sures are the only tropical plants and animals that found rainforests of any state. Yet their way to Hawai‘i evolved we are one of the very few like nowhere else. states in our nation which has “Among our truly unique not recognized its special for-

es involved household contact in separate households.

This bring the total number of reported cases to 505 in the state; and 423 cases released from isolation. DOH reports 17 deaths occurred in the state due to COVID-19 Incoming travelers up The Hawaii Tourism Authority reported a total of

1,769 people arrived in Hawaii, including 397 visitors and 543 returning residents.

There was a total of 20 arriving flights as of Monday, June 15, 2020.

The mandatory 14-day self-quarantine for interisland travelers was lifted on June 17, 2020 (see article in this issue).

DOH Reports Four New Cases of COVID-19

T

he State Department of Health (DOH) released its update on COVID-19 cases as of June 16, 2020, with four new cases reported. All four cases were diagnosed on Oahu, but the residency of one case is still under investigation. Two cas-

est resources with a National Forest designation.”

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said, “Hawai‘i’s forests are critical parts of our island ecosystems, home to the oldest living ancestors of this place – the flora and fauna that have so much to teach us about how to live sustainably. Our forests protect us from runoff, recharge our aquifers, provide habitat for native species, and connect us spiritually to this ‘āina. We must explore every avenue to protect them.” 

10 HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLEJUNE 27, 2020

JUNE 27, 2020  HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE  11

12 HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLEJUNE 27, 2020

AS I SEE IT

The Crowning (corona-ing) of the Next US President

By Elpidio R. Estioko

W

hether we like it or not, the election of the next US president is dictated by the events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, corona will crown the next president of the United States!

From personal affairs to the US economy, COVID-19 has heavily affected all aspects of our lives. It caused public and private companies to either close or maintain a skeleton workforce for essential staff to keep the companies functioning.

As of today, according to the CDC, the number of people in the United States who died from COVID-19 surpassed 100,000 (105,873 to be exact) and the total cases of COVID-19 is 1,826,082 with 538,569 recovered from the virus. Because of these, all eyes and efforts of the government and other institutions are geared towards defeating, if not mitigating, the pandemic.

It led to unemployment of millions of employees (about 6.6 million lost their jobs according to the article written

by Patricia Cohen and Tiffany Hsu published in New York Times) especially those who belong to small and medium-sized institutions.

The US economy is down, no doubt about it!

How about the 2020 elec-

tions? Is it affected by the pandemic? I would say, yes! The political landscape definitely is affected heavily and intertwined with the November 2020 presidential election. Already in some primaries, voters’ lives were compromised by voting, caucuses had been postponed. There are moves of postponing the November election, although the US Constitution doesn’t allow it unless something drastic will happen.

On November 3, 2020, the presidential vote is due to take place, which date was set by federal law and President Donald Trump has no power to delay it alone. That would require legislation enacted by Congress and signed by the president which outcome still remains remote… although many unthinkable events have happened lately.

According to the article The Economy and the Election

by Amy Walter, “For as long as I’ve covered politics, the conventional wisdom has been that presidents win re-election in good economic times and they lose when the economy stinks. Ronald Reagan won re-election when the economy was booming. Jimmy Carter lost when we sunk into economic ‘malaise.’”

Apparently, I would say that the single-most factor is the economy which has historically been one of the key drivers of election victories and is now being dictated by the pandemic.

There is a relationship between economic conditions

Former VP Joe Biden

and how Americans vote in national elections, according to research. Political scientist Seth Masket’s work “shows that growth in real disposable income per capita is a good indicator to watch. Stronger growth in real income is linked to fewer seats lost by the president’s party in the House of Representatives, since midterm elections almost always punish the party in power.”

Economic conditions have historically been among the best indicators of presidential elections, and models based on those patterns suggest that Mr. Trump would be favored to win re-election… but the unpredictable occurred: the COVID-19 pandemic came and this may bring the economy down through Election Day. Political life in America was fundamentally transformed by the pandemic affecting how candidates communicate with voters, raise money from donors and confront their opponents. Incumbents at every level, starting with Mr. Trump, will be judged on how they prepared

for and managed the country through a crisis that has turned the life of nearly every voter upside down.

“This is the question that is going to dominate the election: How did you perform in the great crisis?” said Representative Tom Cole, Republican of Oklahoma.

The duration of the election season itself is likely to be shortened significantly. Trump is now very eager to return to normal, so the economy allegedly will rebound considering that his re-election is very much dependent on the robust economy as he was experiencing before the pandemic occurred.

With Joe Biden now the presumptive Democratic nominee for the 2020 presidential race, concerns are being raised about how the pandemic could affect the election. “We’re already seeing some effects with campaign events being canceled and trying to navigate the Wisconsin primaries while also trying to socially distance,” writes Matt Bennett.

“There’s been presidential elections during a time of war,

a time of recession, something like that,” said Aaron King, Political Science Program Coordinator at University of North Carolina Wilmington.

“But I think that this is certainly pretty unique.”

King says playing politics during a pandemic can be tricky. He recognized that COVID-19 already began to affect the presidential primaries before Bernie Sanders dropped out of the race. While he suggests that it’s probably too early to say how this will affect voters going to the polls, “it will depend on the current state of things as we move into the fall.”

Despite these observations, I think that the pandemic is the crowning factor that will eventually anoint the next president since COVID-19 is affecting all aspects of the electoral system.

Corona will crown the next president! ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO was a veteran journalist in the Philippines and an award-winning journalist here in the US. For feedbacks, comments… please email the author at estiokoelpidio@gmail.com).

HAWAII-FILIPINO NEWS

14-Day Quarantine for Inter-island Travel Lifted, June 16

G

ov. David Ige announced the state lifted the 14-day quarantine requirement for inter-island travelers, starting June 16.

The Dept. of Health (DOH) is directing travelers to a new website, where you can download the mandatory interisland travel and health form. All of the details about new procedures related to interisland travel can be found at: https:// health.hawaii.gov/travel/.

Governor Ige said, “I know family and friends across the state are looking forward to getting together when the interisland travel quarantine is lifted on Tuesday. Flying between islands will be a different experience. We ask for your patience as the new procedures

are implemented. Do your part to make interisland travel safe - practice physical distancing and wear your face covering.”

Governor Ige also strongly encourages people to fill in the form before they get to the airport.

Travelers may be prohibited from boarding a flight if they have an elevated temperature above 100.4 degrees, refuse to complete the mandatory form, or are actively on the 14-day (continue on page 12)

JUNE 27, 2020  HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE  13

CANDID PERSPECTIVES

By Emil Guillermo

J

ames Juanillo, a Filipino American in San Francisco just did his good deed for Black Lives Matter. It’s part of what we’re seeing all over America.

George Floyd has been laid to rest but new incidents, big and small, indicate the racial dynamic is changing in America for real.

It’s like the collective knee of a race-weary nation is on the neck of every racist in America until things change. Or until they breathe the Turnabout is fair play? In 2020, it seems to be finally happening—a modern reckoning.

The woke are getting loud and woker, and the unwoke will have a chance to evolve until our knees are too much.

We know the knee is on the neck of every police officer in America.

On Friday, a few days after Floyd’s funeral, an Atlanta police officer fatally shot 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks who was simply sleeping in his car in a restaurant parking lot before being questioned by police. He had been drinking.

But what was the crime?

Video shows things escalated only after police decided to cuff Brooks and arrest him.

Brooks resisted, ran off with an officer’s non-lethal Taser and fired wildly at the pursuing officer, but missed. The white officer, Garrett Rolfe, responded by dumping his own Taser in favor of a handgun that he

Filipino Exposes White Supremacy in SF as Things Start Changing in the Wake of George Floyd used to fatally shoot Brooks twice in the back.

If Brooks were white, would he have been allowed a courtesy call to a family member to drive him home? Was there another option than to escalate a minor situation to “shoot the black person”?

The restaurant has now been burned down. The officer has been fired. And Brooks is added to the list of Black people killed by police. Will his family get justice? The police union has already said they believe the killing is justified.

Those allied with #BLM must continue to push down on our collective knee.

From Rayshard Brooks to James Juanillo No one has to die to feel the impact of racism. Asian American allies of #BLM know that.

James Juanillo is a Filipino American who was stenciling the phrase “Black Lives Matter” on the foundation of a house in the tony Pacific Heights neighborhood in San Francisco.

That’s when Lisa Alexander and Rob Larkins, two white people out for a Sunday jog, became distressed. They leaned in.

Like all smartphone social warriors, Juanillo knew to get ready for a cellphone video.

Alexander can be seen asking Juanillo if it was his property. The assumption is that Juanillo, a Filipino, couldn’t possibly live in Pacific Heights, and therefore is

(HAWAII-FILIPINO NEWS: 14-Day....from page 10)

quarantine list preventing them from flying.

The Department of Transportation will require thermal screening at the airport for everyone traveling inter-island.

Additionally, all travelers will be required to fill out a new form asking for health-related information to assist the state in tracking and responding to new COVID-19 cases.

Health officials expect the number of new COVID-19 cases to rise once travel is re-opened. To address the rise, the State Department of Health has begun the process of training 500 new contact tracers, exceeding the recommended standards set by the Centers for Disease Control, and is exploring other screening and testing procedures.

James Juanillo

essentially tagging the property with non-permanent chalk.

Citizen’s arrest time?

Alexander’s male companion, Larkins, chimes in like a good liberal (my assumption), and even concedes Juanillo is free to express an opinion but the question remains: is Juanillo defacing private property?

That’s when Alexander apparently lies by saying she and Larkins “absolutely do know” who lives there and that’s why they’re asking.

It was all set up for Juanillo, who in fact lives in the home, to show the world yet another example of the racism that persists as white privilege in America.

The video’s been viewed more than 15 million times.

The confrontation happened earlier in the week, blew up on Twitter, and by Sunday, both Alexander and Larkins had issued public apologies.

Alexander is the CEO of LaFace Skincare. As a result of the video, at least one company has stopped doing business with LaFace. And Alexander

is now known as the second coming of the Central Park dog lady.

Rob Larkins, a managing director of Raymond James, co-directed national pensions for cities in California. It’s the definition of a “cush white job.” Who did he know to get that job? He’s been in financial services for years. According to his bio, he’s a Phi Beta Kappa Stanford grad who studied political science and likes to read about 20th Century American history. I wonder what he’s read about racism? As I write, news reports say that Larkins didn’t have the old boy network backing him up. He’s been fired.

Video exposes acceptable Racism Alexander and Larkins are examples of what my friend Rev. Madison Shockley would call a “well-meaning pure-hearted white person.”

The kind who doesn’t realize that the advantages of slavery have always remained in the form of white privilege, the attitude that preserves white advantage in America.

He probably goes even further, saying the Juanillo video is just another sign of an untreated illness that resides in white people and that impacts people of color all the time.

“We can defend ourselves in various ways, but that doesn’t stop the problem,” Rev. Madison Shockley told his congregants on Sunday via Zoom. “The problem

starts and stops with you.”

I met the Rev when we were both students at Harvard in the ‘70s when I suppose we were seen as the seed of some remedy to racism.

We’ve both changed a bit, but how about our white benefactors? Where’s the change?

To this day, put a Black man and a Filipino man next to, say, Jeffrey Epstein in his Harvard sweatshirt, and guess who the majority of Americans would say actually went to Harvard?

The Black reverend, the career ethnic journalist, or the now-dead white multi-millionaire pedophile who dropped out of Cooper Union?

As Madison would say, “We’ve got some work to do.”

But things are starting to change a little faster in the wake of George Floyd.

And it’s happening in real-time. As I write, the Supreme Court of the United States has just ruled that LGBTQ people cannot be fired from their jobs because of their sexuality or gender. It’s a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to the opinion written by a conservative, Neil Gorsuch. He joined another conservative, Chief Justice John Roberts, with the four liberal members to make a 6-3 majority against bigotry.

Things are changing faster than I thought.

EMIL​ GUILLERMO​ is a veteran journalist and commentator. He was a member of the Honolulu Advertiser editorial board. Listen to him on Apple Podcasts. Twitter @ emilamok.

14 HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLEJUNE 27, 2020

MAINLAND NEWS

Sen. Hirono Calls for Federal Standards to Protect Air Travelers During Pandemic

W

ASHINGTON, D.C.-- Senator Mazie K. Hirono has called on the Federal government to provide clear and comprehensive national standards to protect air travelers from coronavirus from the time they

enter an airport to start their air travel to their last step at their destination airport.

“The State of Hawaii is strongly impacted by air travel, as are other non-contiguous areas in the United States. In order to begin safe and incre-

mental air travel during this pandemic, appropriate procedures that protect the health and welfare of workers and the traveling public must be put in place at all airports nationwide.

Establishing clear standards is necessary to restore public

HAWAII-FILIPINO NEWS

JABSOM Opens Clinical Trial on Treatment for COVID-19

R

esearchers at the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), University of Hawaii (UH) announced that they have opened the first clinical trial in Hawaii aimed at finding an effective treatment for patients with COVID-19.

The full title of the study is “H051 Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Pilot Clinical Trial of the Safety and Efficacy of Telmisartan for the Mit-

igation of Pulmonary and Cardiac Complications in COVID-19 Patients. It is listed in the national clearinghouse for clinical trials as NCT04360551.

“We will test the hypothesis that much of the dangerous lung and heart effects of COVID-19 is caused by the virus’ ability to dysregulate the delicate balance in the hormone system in our body called the renin angiotensin system,” said Dr. Cecilia Shi-

kuma, Professor of Medicine at JABSOM and the lead investigator for this study. “Telmisartan lowers blood pressure by blocking the harmful effects of this hormone system, and we hope to find preliminary evidence that taking the drug will also prevent much of the harmful effects of the virus.”

Dr. Shikuma adds that “It is an advantage that telmisartan is already FDA approved and much of the safety concerns of this drug is already known.” 

confidence in resuming air travel in a safe manner.

I ask that your agencies work together to develop and implement cohesive federal standards and requirements on air travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Senator Hirono wrote.

The Senator sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Among a few of the standards Sen. Hirono seeks to be met are • A system for screening all passengers based on the most current science available on COVID-19 which includes the consideration of testing for COVID-19 or preclearing passengers who have very recently tested neg-

ative for COVID-19; • Procedures for maintaining proper distancing at checkpoints, in lines, in waiting areas, and other points of the travel process; • Strategies for reducing the wait times at security checkpoints which includes the consideration of opening more lanes or increasing personnel; • Requirements of personal protective equipment, cleaning, and sanitation; • Procedures for a traveler who fails to pass an initial screening; • Protections for all frontline workers who come into close or regular contact with the public or others in the airport.

Supreme Court Rejects Trump’s Attempt to End DACA, But Uncertainty Remains as to the Ultimate Fate of the Program

T

he Supreme Court rightly rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

This marks an important victory for the more than 700,000 “Dreamers” – undocumented young adults who were brought to the United States as children – whom DACA has protected from deportation since its inception in 2012.

An estimated 4,000 Dreamers live in Hawai‘i.

Over 800 Hawaiʻi residents have been granted DACA status over the past 5 years.

“By shielding Dreamers from deportation and granting them permission to work, DACA gives Dreamers the opportunity to come out of

the shadows and contribute more fully to the only country many of them have ever known,” said Corey Park, The Legal Clinic Board President.

Because of DACA, Dreamers are able to work, attend school, and join the military without fear. Currently, 30,000 DACA recipients are serving as frontline medical personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many DACA recipients are now working adults with U.S-born children of their own; nearly 256,000 U.S. citizen children have at least one parent with DACA status.

“With so much uncertainty in the world today, it can be hard to stay positive when many of our Hawai‘i ‘ohana are struggling. I feel blessed for the professional

opportunities and goals I have been able to achieve, thanks to DACA,” said Liz Cortez, a legal assistant and DACA recipient from Maui.

Unfortunately, the Court’s decision does not end the threat to DACA because the Department of Homeland Security could, if it chooses, attempt to rescind the DACA program again, this time with a more thorough justification for its decision.

The Legal Clinic joins immigrant advocacy organizations in Hawai‘i and across

the nation in calling on Congress to put an end to the political games that the Trump administration is playing with the lives of an entire generation of young immigrants.

“Now more than ever Congress needs to create a permanent solution that gives us a path to citizenship and allows us to remain in this country that we love,” said Cortez.

We urge Congress to pass, and the president to sign, a law giving Dreamers a path to a more secure status without putting other immigrant com-

munities at risk. The House of Representatives has already passed H.R..6, the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019, which would allow Dreamers to apply for lawful status. However, the Senate has failed to act on H.R.6. It must do so to protect Dreamers, many of whom know no other home and have been contributing members of our community.

For more information, please visit www.thelegalclinichawaii.org and www.

HomeIsHere.us.

JUNE 27, 2020  HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE  15

FEATURE

Loving Husband, Father and Provider: The Paul Tamayo Legacy

By Carlota Ader

A

fter three-and-ahalf decades of service in the U.S. Coast Guard, Paul Tamayo is thriving once again in a new work environment, this time with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

For Tamayo, it all began when he joined the Coast Guard—the nation’s oldest continuous seagoing service.

The Coast Guard’s responsibilities include search-andrescue, maritime law enforcement, aids to navigation, ice breaking, environmental protection, port security and military readiness. Tamayo has done all of the above and more during a memorable 35-year career, retiring as Senior Chief on July 1, 1995 but not before crisscrossing the world’s major oceans and waterways on numerous missions aboard 17 different Coast Guard cutters.

He has braved extreme cold and frigid temperatures aboard the icebreaker Eastwind on a two-year (19611963) trip to Antarctica. A relic of World War II, the venerable Eastwind continued in service with the Coast Guard until she was decommissioned in 1968.

Tamayo also ventured to the Artic region aboard a second icebreaker, the Edisto, in 1968.

In general, the missions of the icebreakers included supporting scientific explorations, conducting environmental and search and rescue missions and escorting warships and other vessels through the icejammed waterways.

Realizing the value of the icebreakers, the Coast Guard is ambitiously modernizing its aging fleet to better patrol the polar regions, particularly as melting glaciers have opened up valuable shipping routes and access to resources that China and Russia are keenly interested in. Upgrading its icebreakers will ensure the U.S. has access to both polar regions and also support its economic, commercial and national security needs.

The USCG Years Tamayo was born in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, the Philippines in November 1940. He decided to enlist in the Coast Guard in 1960 at the tender age of 19. He spent six months in boot camp and advanced steward training. His first assignment was aboard the Cutter Castle Rock that traveled to Europe with 50 cadets on board for two months.

During his first 10 years, he served aboard six USCG cutters in a row, including the cutters Casco and Kukui. The Kukui, in particular, was a West Coast ship that served various long range navigation stations throughout the Pacific.

After taking some time for shore duty in Honolulu, Tamayo was assigned for several years aboard the buoy tenders Planetree and Mallow. Buoy tenders are vessels that maintain and replace navigational buoys, or aids to navigation (ATON), throughout Hawaii’s waters and the Pacific.

Out of his 35 years of service 10 years were spent on assignments in Hawaii. But he has also been assigned to Guam; Port Huron, Michigan; Traverse City, Michigan; Yorktown, Virginia; Miami, Florida; and Kodiak, Alaska.

Semper Paratus Latin for “Always Ready,” Semper Paratus is the official motto of the U.S. Coast Guard—always ready for the next mission. The Coast Guard has a unique role in the U.S. armed forces.

The Guard’s responsibilities include rescuing mariners in distress, being the first on the scene at potentially-explosive oil spills, breaking ice and preventing terrorist attacks.

And here in Hawaii, smack dab in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard is essentially the search-and-rescue team for every inch of coastline and of the waters surrounding our state. In fact, the Coast Guard’s 14th District, which includes Hawaii, has the largest area of responsibility—covering

Mr. Tamayo with President Duterte.

more than 14 million square miles of land and sea. Units are based in Hawaii, American Samoa, Saipan, Guam, Singapore and Japan—and stretches from the Hawaiian Islands and across most of the Central and Western Pacific.

During Tamayo’s assignment aboard the Cutter Rush from 1992 to 1994, he had several opportunities to put the motto Semper Paratus to good use. One incident, in particular, stood out. The Rush intercepted a suspicious vessel in waters off Hawaii. Upon boarding the old cargo vessel, the Coast Guard crew found some 500 aliens from the People’s Republic of China.

Tamayo played a key role in the planning and preparation of meals for the desperate and suffering aliens in the dangerously overcrowded boat.

“I went aboard and took charge of getting a filthy and inoperable galley clean and providing life sustaining food for the people aboard,” he said.

The Coast Guard was able to get the old ship seaworthy and steered it to shore. Looking back at the incident, Tamayo is proud of the way the Coast Guard crew managed the difficult task of enforcing the law without violating the dignity of the people they encountered.

In fact, Tamayo was recognized for meritorious service in performance of his duty as Food Service Officer in which he demonstrated ex-

ceptional leadership and managerial skills. He was loved for one particular skill set.

“I made incredibly spicy soups that were loved by the crew,” he said.

In fact, his expert culinary talents made him the man in demand for not only dinners aboard the Cutter Rush, but also at receptions held at the Fourteenth District Flag Quarters, change of command ceremonies and other gala events.

By the time he retired, Tamayo had racked up a number of awards including the Navy League Enlisted Person of the Year, Command Enlisted Advisor, two Coast Guard Commendation medals, a Coast Guard Achievement medal,

two Coast Guard Unit Commendations, three Meritorious Unit commendations, a Bicentennial Unit commendation, a Commandant’s Letter of Commendation ribbon, two National Defense Service medals, an Antartica Service medal, an Artic Service medal, a Humanitarian Service medal, a USCG Sea Service Ribbon and 10 Good Conduct medals.

One of his awards extols Tamayo for “incorporating old time Coast Guard spit and polish with today’s technology to enhance espirit de corps.”

Another reads “His dedication and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the Coast Guard.” (continue on page 16)

16 HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLEJUNE 27, 2020

(FEATURE: Loving....from page 15)

Fresh Start With USDA Not long after his retirement, Tamayo began feeling the itch to work. Perseveranda, his wife of 53 years, says her husband is a total workaholic.

“He doesn’t want to stay home because it’s boring for him,” says Perseveranda. “I cannot stop him from working. Even the kids tell him to slow down but he told us that he’s born to work.”

Four months after the end of his decorated Coast Guard career, Tamayo began another job, this time with the USDA as an Agriculture Inspector Technician. His duties include making sure that businesses comply with federal laws and regulations that govern the health, quality and safety of meat, poultry, egg products, fruits and vegetables.

For the most part, he is assigned to the airport where he conducts pre-flight inspections of passengers’ baggage.

The restrictions on the movement of fruits, plants, snails and other items are essential in preventing the spread of fruit flies and other hazardous plants, insects and diseases to and from the mainland, which

are detrimental to the state’s agriculture industry and the environment.

He has occasionally been assigned to several USDA locations on mainland.

For now, coping with the effects of the COVID-19 virus has impacted his daily routine, which no longer includes going to Starbucks for his latte.

Instead, he frequently visits grocery stores for food and household supplies, including wipes and disinfectants.

He advises the public to heed the advice of local and national health officials.

“Make sure you follow the social distancing guidelines,” he said. “And take extra precautions to keep you and your family safe and healthy, especially if you are still working and have the potential to bring it home.”

True to his workaholic nature, Tamayo keeps his inspection skills sharp by examining the various fruits in his backyard.

“At home, we have an orchard of different varieties of plants and vegetables,” he said. “So it’s just like I’m at work where I check fruits, vegetables and other products that

passengers bring with them to the airport.”

Lasting Legacy Tamayo and Perseveranda have three children, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. For all of his career and work accomplishments, Tamayo’s greatest achievement is raising his three children who are now successful in their respective fields.

All three—Apollo, Venus and Mars—are named after Roman deities, but the truth is that while Perseveranda was pregnant, she read several books about outer space and astronauts and decided to name her children accordingly.

Apollo, the eldest, was born in the Philippines during the launch of the Apollo 15 spacecraft to the moon.

“He’s lucky we did not name him Apollo 15,” she joked. “His full name is Paul Apollo but we call him Apollo at home.”

Apollo received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Hawaii-Manoa and is a licensed CPA. He currently works as a training coordina-

tor with the Hawaii Carpenters Apprenticeship & Training Fund.

He remembers his dad being a very good provider who also helped with daily household chores.

“I remember that my dad would always make sure that we had food to eat on the table,” Apollo recalls. “He cooked meals for us or took us out to eat. I also remember him keeping our house clean which has rubbed off on me. I always make sure that my own house is clean and tidy.”

Venus Melanie and Leo Mars, who are now living in Las Vegas, Nevada, recall their dad’s favorite breakfast which usually consisted of homemade pandesal with spam and scrambled eggs.

“I remember going to Coast Guard and Pangasinan community parties on the weekends,” says Venus, who works at a veterans’ hospital in Las Vegas. “He taught us to always work hard, take good care of our families, respect our elders and to treat others in the way that we want to be treated.”

She graduated from Leeward Community College and

also earned a certificate from Med-Assist School of Hawaii.

Mars graduated from UH-Manoa with a nursing degree and works as a registered nurse in Las Vegas. He remembers his dad always being there to pick him up at school whenever he wasn’t feeling well.

“I felt so proud of him when he’d show up wearing his Coast Guard uniform, like Top Gun,” he says. “Then he’d take me to McDonalds afterwards.”

Apollo says that his dad is still the glue that holds the family together. In fact, Tamayo makes it a habit to regularly visit Venus and Mars in Las Vegas.

“I think keeping our family close together, even though we live apart, is the greatest thing he has done for us,” he says.

All three siblings are forever grateful to their dad for his love and support over the years.

“Happy Father’s Day to you Dad and thank you for all that you’ve done for us and your encouragement in the endeavors that we have undertaken,” says Apollo. “We love you!”

JUNE 27, 2020  HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE  17

18 HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLEJUNE 27, 2020

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT DUTERTE

By Seneca Moraleda-Puguan demic started to invade our country, we were hopeful ear President that you would be on top of everything. But as we Duterte, H o w a r e watched you address your you, Sir? I hope countrymen in light of the you are healthy situation, our hearts sank.

We expected better from and well.

I was not able to vote in you. Must it be your age, 2016 but my husband and I or maybe your health? Or rooted for you. We heard so perhaps the people surroundmany things about you from ing you? We do not know. But our friends in Davao. We we still kept on believing and thought that you would be dif- hoping. We continued to trust ferent from the past leaders we and respect you because we had who were traditional poli- believe that we are called to ticians. We had a lot of friends honor our leaders.

But heartbreaking news, from our university who were against you but we wanted to one after another, bombarded give you a chance. Your plans our social media walls. Aside for the country were promis- from the growing number of ing. We were expectant that the COVID-19 positive cases in the Philippines would be a better Philippines, the many Filipinos place to live in with you as its not being able to receive support from the government, the leader.

As Filipinos living over- frontliners not having enough seas, we had high hopes that you personal protective equipment, will be true to the promises that POGOs still operating, and oryou uttered when you were still dinary citizens being put to jail running for presidency. As years for violating quarantine meapassed, we have seen how you sures while the rich doing the have handled the situations that same are free to do so, so many our country has faced and are more things made us pray earstill facing. You had decisions nestly for the country.

Add to all these are the that were good; you had actions ABS-CBN shutdown, the BIR that had fatal consequences.

When the COVID-19 pan- planning to tax all online sell-

D

ers, the Anti-Terror Bill and so much more. There are many moments my husband and I would cry as we pray for the Philippines. Our thoughts go out, not just for our families, but also for the many Filipino people suffering at these dark and trying times.

It must be very difficult, especially at your age, to lead a country of more than seven thousand islands and more than a hundred million people.

I understand that it’s a very difficult season, not just for our country but also for the whole world. But I hope that you will remember the promises that you have spoken before you took the oath to lead our country. I pray that you will look at the faces of the many Filipino people who voted, trusted and rooted for you.

We believed in you. We still do. And we will contin-

ue to believe and respect you; even if there are many times, we disagree with you. We will pray for you, that you will have wisdom as you make decisions. We will pray that you will lead in righteousness and justice. We pray for renewed passion for the nation and compassion towards your people. We pray for grace to wake up each day, knowing that you have been given the privilege to make a great impact to the nation you are leading. We also declare perfect health upon you.

Several Philippine Presidents have been ousted because they failed to lead the country well, and they chose to pursue their selfish ambitions before the needs of their people. This is not my wish for you. It is my prayer that you will redeem yourself, that you will prove your enemies wrong, including

those whose trust in you are waning. I hope that you will finish your term with flying colors, even if what’s before you are gloomy and dark.

President Duterte, many people think and speak ill of you. I understand them. People are hurting. People are suffering. But to speak ill of you, even if you have broken my heart many times, is the last thing I will do because I know that you love your people and you want what’s best for them.

Will you prove me right? I’m rooting for you.

A concerned citizen, Seneca, a mom of two, a Filipina who lives in South Korea Opinions, advice, or statements contained in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle editorial board and staff.

MAINLAND NEWS

Nursing Homes Poor Care Makes Residents Susceptible to COVID-19

N

ursing homes represent 0.6 percent of the U.S. population, but nursing home residents are about 40 percent of the COVID-19 deaths nationwide, according to Dr. Charlene Harrington, Gerontologist and Professor of Sociology and Nursing at the University of California San Francisco.

She adds that 63 percent of U.S. nursing homes had infection control violations.

Dr. Harrington said the public must look at the background of nursing homes. “For the last 20 years there have been serious quality of care problems. About 70 percent of nursing homes are for-profit.” She links that with poor care as owners keep staff low to make larger profit margins.

“We know that before the virus hit, three-quarters of nursing homes had inadequate staffing of registered nurses. So when the virus hit, it spread like wildfire through nursing homes,” said Harrington.

She points out a new study that shows nursing homes with low staffing, low quality of care, and large population are twice as likely to get COVID-19 virus.

She said minorities are more likely to be placed in nursing homes with the lowest staffing and poorest quality of care. Staff at nursing homes are also overrepresented by minorities and are at greatest risk because of the lack of testing and adequate PPEs. Many of them are nursing assistants who receive low pay and generally do not have sick leave. She said this is a problem because they are reluctant to stay home when they are sick, that contributes to the potential for spreading COVID-19 at nursing homes.

JUNE 27, 2020  HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE  19

COMMUNITY CALENDAR LEA SALONGA LIVE | Friday-Saturday, October 23-24, 2020; 8-10PM | Blaisdell Concert Hall, Honolulu l Filipina singer and actress Lea Salonga to serenade the Hawaii crowd in a two-night spectacular concert. Tickets $35 and up. Visit blaisdellcenter.com for more information.

MABUHI PACIFIC EXPO & SUMMIT | November 27-29, 2020 | Hawaii Convention Center l Panelists-presenters on various topics are being accepted for the Expo. For more details, visit mabuhiexpo.com.

PHILIPPINE NEWS

DOH Could Be Liable for the Death of So Many Health is playing around but these Filipinos — Leachon are lives... for every wrong deci-

By Bella Perez-Rubio Thursday, June 18, 2020

M

ANILA, Philippines — A former adviser to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases on Thursday lauded the Office of the Ombudsman’s decision to investigate Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and other officials for their response to the COVID-19 crisis.

“If it’s one of the most powerful agencies of the law that is criticizing you, this only concretizes what [I’ve] been saying that the Department of Health’s response to this crisis has been slow. Their data management is bad. Their execution of their plans is bad. This isn’t right and it is possible that they are liable for the death of many Filipinos because the data they are churning out is so late — and this data is so important,” Tony Leachon told ABS-CBN in Filipino.

Leachon further slammed the DOH for its poor management of COVID-19 data in the country, going as far as calling it “useless.”

CROSSWORD

He particularly criticized the department’s classification of fresh and late cases, saying this kind of reporting was not being done in any other country. “[If you have around 7,000 cases which are backlogged, how will the [IATF] make a decision?

Their old data cannot be used to determine quarantine intervention or any intervention because its not fresh data,” Leachon told ABSCBN in a mix of Filipino and English.

Leachon on Wednesday announced that he would no longer serve as the adviser to Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the chief implementer of the national action plan against COVID-19.

He told CNN Philippines that he believes he was asked to resign, saying Duque and presidential spokesperson Harry Roque did not like the way he publicly expressed his comments on the lapses of the DOH. “It’s as if the Department of

sion [the department] make[s], so many lives are lost,” Leachon said in Filipino.

Ombudsman Samuel Martires said he ordered the creation of two investigating teams to look into the following issues: • Delayed procurement of [Personal] Protective Equipment and other medical gears for healthcare workers • Alleged lapses and irregularities that led to death of health workers and rising deaths and infections among medical frontliners • Inaction in the release and processing of compensation for healthcare workers who were severely ill with COVID-19 and who died • Confusing and delayed reporting of COVID-19 deaths and confirmed cases The health department on Wednesday said it welcomes the investigation. “[Health] officials will will-

by Carlito Lalicon

10. Colorful parrot 11. Emphatic agreement 1. Urban haze 2. Monetary unit used in some 12. Darn, as socks 13. Concept Balkan countries 22. Flip-flop 3. Bad weather 24. Plus 4. Someone who works in a 26. Form coal mine 27. Kind of group, 5. Vegetable in chemistry 6. Be of use 28. Life-breath, life principle, 7. Bristle or life force in 8. Ditching Hindu teachings 9. Unexpended

(Sagot sa Krosword Blg. 17 | June 13, 2020)

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ingly cooperate with the authorities to ensure utmost transparency throughout the duration of the investigation and beyond,” the department said in a statement.

However, the ombudsman said that his office started the probe prior to the March 15 lockdown, but investigators “were given a runaround by some DOH officials and personnel by referring us from one department or office to another.” (www.philstar.com) 

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29. French vineyard 32. Correct, as text 1. Immaculate 33. Workplace where printing 5. Gigantic is done 9. Savory taste sensation 35. Lucky number produced by glutamates 36. Big ape 14. The muller, or crushing 37. Break

and grinding stone 38. Removing from the crate 15. Always 40. Lacquerware 16. Appointed 41. Kind of flour 17. Killer whale 42. Ancient colonnade 18. Box office take 43. Number to which another 19. Brouhaha

number (the addend) is 20. Brass added 21. Coon bear 44. Addict 23. In-box contents 45. “Come in!”

25. Prepare to swallow 26. Homeless girl who roams 46. Day care center 50. Canceled

the streets 28. Unit of subjective loudness 53. Broadcasting

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59. Dimmer 60. Combustible heap 61. Edible starchy

tuberous root of taro plants

29. Accompanied as a chaperone 30. Typeface 31. Defeat 33. Office of prior 34. Pseudonym of an actor 36. Aquatic mammal 39. They make you feel confident 40. Project 43. Anybody

44. Bind 45. Boner 46. Remove, as a hat 47. Small buffalo 48. Place to play 49. Mysterious: Var. 51. First place 52. Able to see right through (Solution will be on the next issue of the Chronicle)

JUNE 27, 2020