Philippine News Today

1 February 18-24, 2021

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

www.pnewstoday.com

THE PREMIER FILIPINO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN THE U.S. SINCE 1961

Vol. 60 No. 28 February 18-24, 2021

NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST

LENI VS MARCOS RETURN BOUT IN MAY 2022 POLLS?

Vice President can capitalize on protest win

By ALFRED GABOT Editor in Chief

MANILA/SAN FRANCISCO – It appears there could be a return bout in the May 9, 2022 national elections for Vice President Leonor “Leni” Robredo and former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The possibility surfaced following the dismissal by the Supreme Court, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, of Marcos election protest against Robredo nearly five years after it was filed in 2016. In his protest, Marcos claimed he was cheated in the May VP Leni Lobredo and former Senator Bongbong Marcos 2016 election allegedly marred with fraud for vice president but Robredo, a lawyer and former congresswoman of Camarines Sur, Page 9 denied it and stood her ground.

SMC’s Ang admits catching Covid; PHL cases, deaths up

Ramon S. Ang

By Claire Morales True MANILA — Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines have climbed to 553,424 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 1,184 newly confirmed infections.

Among the latest reported to have been infected with the virus were San Miguel Corporation president and COO Ramon S. Ang, Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto Rubiano, Kalinga Governor Ferdinand Tubban, Ginatilan Mayor Dean Michael Singco and Oslob Mayor Jose Tumulak both in Cebu. Page 8

PET junks Marcos poll protest vs. Robredo

By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor MANILA – The Supreme ing the results of the vice presiCourt (SC), sitting as the Presi- dential race in the 2016 national dential Electoral Tribunal (PET), polls. has dismissed the electoral pro“Out of 15 members of the test filed by former senator Fer- tribunal who were present in todinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. day’s meeting, seven members against Vice President Ma. Le- fully concurred in the dismissal onor “Leni” Robredo, contest- while eight concurred Page 8

PHL consulate online appointment system in LA crashes, envoy acts WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES – Members of the Filipino community expressed their concern and dismay as the online appointment system of the Philippine Consulate General in Los

Angeles crashed due to unusually high web traffic over the President’s Day weekend.

The Consulate, in a statement sent to Philippine News Today, said it immediately Page 8

Review of 2 more PHL-US defense pacts eyed MANILA – Malacañang floated anew the possibility of reviewing the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States (US), stressing that both failed to prevent the entry of Chinese forces in disputed territories in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The plan is apart from terminating the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

In a press briefing from Davao City, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said US troops did not intervene in maritime disputes despite the MDT it signed with Page 8

Govt mulls entire PHL under relaxed quarantine

Certificates of candidacy filing set October VIEWS & COMMENTS

SHOWBIZ

SPORTS

The law that welcomed many Filipinos in the U.S.

Heart’s revelation: she auditioned for role in ‘Crazy Rich Asians’

FilAm Wesley So tops world’s no. 1 anew, rules tourney

Page 13 By A�y. Liangco

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P6

PESO-DOLLAR RATE

$1.00= P48.37

as of Febuary 18, 2020 12:518 am

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 NATIONAL NEWS

February 18-24, 2021

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Duterte mulls relaxing quarantine rules in entire PHL MANILA – Good news to those wanting less restrictive quarantine rules in the country amid the pandemic.

President Rodrigo Duterte is now studying the proposal to place the entire country under the most relaxed modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) starting March 1, 2021 to address the rise in hunger and poverty, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the possibility surfaced after Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua proposed a shift to MGCQ status to balance health and economy in a televised meeting with Duterte and other top officials on Monday night.

Chua also proposed to gradually allow persons between five to 70-years-old out of their houses as part of further reopening the economy. Currently, only persons between 15 and 65 years old are permitted to leave their homes.

The NEDA chief’s recommendation includes the further expansion of public transportation from 50 percent to 75 percent subject to the observance of proper health protocols.

“Pinag-aaralang mabuti ng Pangulo ang rekomendasyon na ito at ang sabi nga niya nais niyang ito ay mapag-usapan sa susunod na Cabinet meeting sa 22 ng buwang ito (The President is thoroughly studying this recommendation and he said he wants to bring this up during the Cabinet meeting on Feb. 22),” Roque said in a press briefing from Davao City.

Citing a study prepared by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Roque said prolonged lockdowns in the country caused 23.7 million more people to go hungry, 4.5 million more to fall into poverty, and 2.7 million to lose their jobs.

He said the study also showed that there were some 480,338 Filipinos dying due to non-Covid-19 related causes.

To allay concerns over a possible spike in Covid-19 cases once quarantine statuses ease, Roque cited survey results released by OCTA Research Group which showed that 93 percent of 600 respondents from Metro Manila wear a face mask to curb the risk of getting infected with the virus.

“Dahil mas matimbang na nga po yung paghihirap natin dahil sa non-Covid-related activities at dahil napatunayan naman ng mga Pilipino sa isang survey po ng OCTA Research 93 percent po ang sumusunod sa pagsusuot ng mask sa ating mga kababayan e pinapakita natin na panahon na po siguro talaga na isalba naman natin ang ating mga kababayan sa pagkagutom at sa pagkahirap eto po ay dahilan sa mga ibang bagay at hindi lang Covid (Because we can see that there are more Filipinos suffering due to non-Covid-related activities and because a survey conducted by OCTA showed that 93 percent of Filipinos wear face masks, perhaps it’s really time to save our citizens from hunger and poverty due to other causes not just Covid),” he said.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte talks to the people a�er holding a mee�ng with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infec�ous Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Arcadia Ac�ve Lifestyle Center in Ma�na, Davao City on February 15, 2021.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) earlier allowed persons as young as 10 years old to go out in public places with their parents in a bid to boost consumer spending and business activity.

However, Duterte recalled the order amid the threat of the new and more in-

fectious coronavirus variant.

Metro Manila has been under general community quarantine (GCQ) since August last year. Other areas under GCQ are Cordillera Administrative Region, Batangas, Tacloban City, Iligan City, Davao del Norte, Davao City, and Lanao del Sur. The rest of the country has stayed under the least restrictive MGCQ this month.

36 police officers, men dismissed

QUEZON CITY – The National Police Commission (Napolcom) has dismissed from the service 36 police officers due to administrative cases.

In a media statement, Napolcom vice chair Vitaliano Aguirre II said these police officers were among those facing cases that were tackled during the commission’s first en banc meeting held on February 11.

Aside from those dismissed, 18 police officers were demoted, 10 were suspended

ranging from 20 days to six months while three were reprimanded.

Earlier, Aguirre cited the need for the agency to be more responsive in shaping a better police force of the country.

“To repay President Duterte’s continuing trust in me, I intend to fully execute his marching orders for a better Napolcom, and consequently, a better police force, to the full extent of the authority granted to me under the law,” he said.

Also present during the en banc deliberation were Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen Debold Sinas, ex-officio commissioner of the Napolcom, the other members of the Napolcom En Banc which include Commissioners Felizardo Serapio Jr., Zenonida Brosas, and Job Mangente.

Also discussed in the en banc meeting were three policy issuances for the PNP such as proposed amendments to the implementing rules and regulations of Re-

public Act 9708, such as the use of PNP clearance as a requirement for promotion instead of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance; procedures and guidelines for the conduct of termination proceedings of PNP uniformed personnel in temporary status and a proposed amendment to Napolcom Memorandum Circular 94-017 (Adopting Uniform Criteria in Determining When a Crime is Considered Solved).

Task force vs. corruption logs over 200 complaints Notary Public & Real Estate Broker

*Commissioned Notary Public and licensed Real Estate Broker (BRE#00635976) in California since 1981. Author, Columnist, and Member, National Notary Association (NNA)

MANILA – The Task Force Against Corruption (TFAC) has received over 200 complaints with “large number” involving local government units (LGUs). Justice secretary Menardo Guevarra reported.

Guevarra said of the 208 complaints, only 148 pertain to actual corruption cases with 69 of these have been evaluated by the task force.

He said 40 cases were referred to other member agencies of the task force for comment, further investigation, or case build-up with one case set to be filed with the Office of the Ombudsman.

“The complaints involve a wide range of national government agencies, several government-owned or -controlled corpora-

tions, and a large number of local government units,” he said.

Guevarra said the complaints involve alleged violations of the anti-graft law, procurement law, Commission on Audit rules, and social amelioration programs.

He said there are also cases of overpricing, ghost projects, unfinished projects, kickbacks and commissions, bribery, extortion, smuggling, fake land titles, falsified free patents, and other fraudulent, corrupt, or illegal acts committed by public officials and private persons alike.

The DOJ earlier said it will be prioritizing reported irregularities involving a minimum threshold of P1 billion in public funds, among other criteria.

 METRO NEWS

February 18-24, 2021

Muntinlupa court junks De Lima, Dayan bid to dismiss drug raps MUNTINLUPA CITY – A Muntinlupa court has dismissed the demurrer to evidence filed by counsels of detained Senator Leila de Lima and her former aide Ronnie Dayan seeking to dismiss the drug charges against them.

In an omnibus order, Muntinlupa RTC Branch 205 Judge Liezel Aquiatan also denied the grant of bail for de Lima and Dayan in Criminal Case No. 17-165.

“The separate demurrers to evidence of accused Leila de Lima and Ronnie Dayan are both denied. The petition for bail filed by accused de Lima and Dayan

are likewise denied,” Aquiatan said.

A demurrer challenges the legal sufficiency of a charge based on the evidence so far presented and seeks the outright dismissal of the complaint.

Aquiatan set the initial reception of evidence of the defense on March 5.

The case filed by prosecutors alleged that from November 2012 to December 2012, de Lima, who was then secretary of justice conspired with then DOJ employee Dayan to use mobile phones in drug trading and receiving money to fund her senatorial campaign.

City Garden hotel in Makati allowed to operate again

MAKATI CITY – After the Department of Tourism fined and revoked its authority to operate, the controversial City Garden Grand Hotel in Makati City will now be allowed to operate again.

This as the DOT reduced to two months the suspension of the hotel following the latter’s appeal on behalf of its pandemic-hit employees.

The hotel, where flight attendant Christine Dacera was discovered dead after a New Year’s Eve party, was earlier found liable for “gross and evident bad

faith in dealing with clients/fraudulent solicitation of business or making false, deceptive, or misleading claims or statements for the purpose of soliciting business” after it accommodated guests for leisure purposes despite being a quarantine facility.

Penalties initially imposed were the suspension of its DOT accreditation for six months, a P10,000 fine, and the revocation of its certificate of authority to operate.

Based on a briefer provided by Tour-

ism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, the penalties now are modified as follows: a. Suspension of DOT Accreditation for a period of two months; and b. A fine of P10,000.

Romulo-Puyat said the appeal was submitted on Jan. 27, asking the DOT to “reverse and set aside the Office of Tourism Standards and Regulation (OTSR) findings, and penalties imposed, or, in the alternative downgrade and reduce them” in consideration of its employees.

Pasay mayor tests positive for Covid-19

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PASAY CITY – Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano is the latest official with confirmed coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

The mayor confirmed the news but assured that she was still running the city government as her condition continues to improve.

She said she tested positive for Covid-19 after undergoing swab test.

Rubiano said she decided to undergo swab testing after experiencing some Covid-19 symptoms.

At press time, Pasay City has recorded a total of 7,137 confirmed cases as of Feb. 8. Of this number, 6,873 have recovered while 80 are active cases. The death toll is at 184.

“Sa resulta, nakita na ako ay nagpositibo sa nasabing sakit (Based on the result, I was found positive for the disease),” she said in a Facebook post.

Rubiano is now in isolation.

“Kasalukuyang isinasagawa na rin ang Covid-19 protocols ng lungsod on contact tracing sa maaaring naging source ng sakit at gayundin sa aking mga nakasalamuha upang maiwasan ang tuluyan pang pagkalat nito (The city’s Covid-19 protocols on contact tracing are currently being implemented on the possible source of the disease as well as those I have contacted, to prevent further spread of the disease),” she added.

5 February 18-24, 2021 Palawan plebiscite drive on, Comelec neutral

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) assured that it will implement the decision of the people of Palawan regarding the proposed division of their province into three provinces through a plebiscite next month.

The Palawan plebiscite period started last week and will run until March 20, which means a gun ban is already in effect in the province. The campaign period for the referendum will run until March 11, 2021.

Republic Act 11259, calls for the creation of Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur through a plebiscite, Comelec chair Sheriff Abas said.

“We would like to assure everyone that the Comelec will be nonpartisan in this plebiscite. We will implement whatever decision of the voters with respect to the plebiscite, whether they will ratify or reject the partition of the province of Palawan,” Comelec Commissioner Antonio Kho said.

He said the Comelec will have no position with regards to the plebiscite.

“I would like to assure everyone that the Comelec, in holding this plebiscite, will be nonpartisan. We have no position whether we agree or disagree with this plebiscite. We will just implement the decision of the voters,” Kho said.

 PROVINCIAL NEWS

Taal, Mayon, Kanlaon volcanoes acting up; Taal islanders evacuated

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda TAGAYTAY CITY/CANLAON CITY – Mt. Kanlaon, one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines, has increased its activity, prompting the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to warn of possible eruption while Mayon Volcano in Albay and Taal volcano in Batangas were reported also to be acting up.

The Phivolcs officials advised people living near Taal volcano, Mt. Kanlaon and Mayon Volcano to be vigilant due to the increased volcanic activity even as Batangas authorities started evacuating people residing in the Taal island.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the evacuation on Taal island, which was supposed to be a no man’s land, was a precautionary move. officials said.

“This order is a precautionary measure done in line with the recent activities of the volcano pero hindi ‘nag-aalburuto’ ang Taal [but an eruption is not imminent],” the

NDRRMC said.

The Coast Guard also said its Batangas personnel as well as police and disaster management officers were deployed using five boats to fetch residents on the island.

On February 16, the Phivolcs reported 98 tremor episodes in Taal Volcano lasting five to 12 minutes. It also found weak emission of white steam-laden plumes that rose five meters high. Phivolcs said the volcano remains under Alert Level 1, which means sudden phreatic or steam-driven eruptions, volcanic earthquakes, minor ashfall, and lethal expulsions of gas can occur and threaten the island.

More volcanic earthquakes were detected in Mt. Mayon since last month due to rainwater coming in contact with the deposited magma at the upper chamber of the volcano.

In Batangas, seismic activity and changes in Taal Volcano’s main crater lake have been observed while the volcano is under alert level 1 (abnormal).

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

February 18-24, 2021

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Improved NAIA runway, expanded Terminal 2 inaugurated MANILA – The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) inaugurated on February 16 the improved runway 13/31 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), as well as the expanded NAIA Terminal 2.

More than P400 million was spent for the runway upgrade, while over P500 million was allocated for the Terminal 2 expansion.

“It only took more than a year to upgrade the runway. Because of the pandemic, fewer flights, and less people, the work was finished faster,” MIAA Media Affairs Division head Jess Martinez said.

Martinez said the overlay and rehabilitation of the runway included putting of cement, as asphalt was previously used for the runway. The additional taxiway was also opened.

A taxiway would save time in terms of aircraft movements per hour because the aircraft would not need to wait or traverse the whole length of the runway, and just take the taxiway to exit, he noted.

All domestic and international flights could use this taxiway, although limited to the Airbus A321 and below types of aircraft, Martinez said.

He also pointed out that runway overlays should be done every three to four years.

With the recent upgrade, the next repair or upgrading maybe after six years, he said.

Meanwhile, an additional 2,800 square meters was used for the expansion of NAIA Terminal 2.

The expansion was mainly for the arrival and conveyor area, lobby, and check-in in the departure area.

NAIA RUNWAY INAUGURATION. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (le�), Execu�ve Secretary Salvador Medialdea (2nd from le�), Tourism Secretary Bernade�e Romulo-Puyat (2nd from right), and Transporta�on Secretary Arthur Tugade (right), lead the inaugura�on and commissioning of the repair and overlay of the newly-constructed taxiway of the NAIA Terminal 2.

Certificates of candidacy filing for 2022 polls set Oct. 1-8 MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has set the one-week filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COC) for all elective positions for the May 9, 2022 National and Local Elections to October 1 to 8 this year.

Under Comelec Resolution 10695 made public over the weekend, the poll body has also set the campaign period for candidates in national positions (President, Vice-President, Senator, and partylist groups) from Feb. 8, 2022 to May 7, 2022.

The Comelec also set that for candidates in local elective positions (members of House of Representatives and regional, provincial, city, and municipal officials), campaigning begins only on March 25, 2022 but also ends on May 7, 2022.

However, campaigning is prohibited during Maundy Thursday and Good Friday on April 14 and 15 next year, respectively.

The election period begins on Jan. 9, 2022 and ends on June 8, 2022, during which the gun ban is in effect. This means bearing, carrying, or transporting firearms or other deadly weapons is prohibited unless authorized in writing by the Comelec.

Also prohibited are: the use of security or bodyguards by candidates unless authorized in writing by the Comelec; organization or maintenance of reaction forces, strike forces, or similar forces; alteration of the territory of a precinct or establishment of a new precinct; transfer or movement of officers and employees in the civil service; and suspension of elective local officials.

Under the overseas absentee voting system. overseas voters may cast their votes in Philippine embassies, consulates, and other posts for one month, from April 10 to May 9 next year.

Campaigning abroad, however, is prohibited during this period.

On the other hand, local absentee voters have three days to vote on April 27 to

29, 2022.

The last day for filing an application to be a local absentee voter is on March 7, 2022.

A liquor ban will be in effect from May 8 to 9 next year, where selling, furnishing, offering, buying, serving, or taking intoxicating liquor is prohibited.

Campaigning is prohibited on the eve of Election Day and Election Day itself.

Also banned are the acts of giving or accepting free transportation, food or drinks, or things of value; and soliciting votes or undertaking any propaganda for or against a candidate or any political party in the polling place or within 30 meters of the area.

Also not allowed are the opening of booths or stalls for the sale of merchandise or refreshments within a 30-meter radius from the polling place; and the holding of fairs, cockfights, boxing, horse races, or similar sports.

Meanwhile, over 1.3 million would be voters have so far filed their applications for registration for the May 2022 national and local elections, according to the Comelec.

Latest data from the poll body’s Election Records and Statistics Department (ERSD) showed that a total of 1,339,346 applications have been processed nationwide as of Feb. 4.

The Comelec is looking to register some 4 million new voters during the nationwide voter registration that resumed on Sept. 1, 2020 and will run until Sept.

30, 2021.

The Comelec said close to 700 Filipinos abroad have registered for the test run of internet voting.

“As per OFOV (Office for Overseas Voting), overall figure is 697 as of Feb. 14, 2021,” it said.

The poll body also reminded foreign and domestic observers who are interested in covering the March 13, 2021 Palawan plebiscite that they can now secure accreditation from the Comelec.

From Feb. 8 to 15, 2021, foreign and domestic observers with official addresses in the National Capital Region may submit their applications for accreditation with the head of the Education and Information Department (EID); for observers residing in other provinces within Region 4-B (Mimaropa) with the Regional Election Director of Region 4-B; and for domestic observers residing within the province of Palawan, with the Provincial Election Supervisor (PES) of Palawan.

It said applicants must submit a duly accomplished application form; two recent 1.5”x1.5” colored photographs of the applicant; if foreigner or foreign group, organization or committee or association organization, endorsement issued by the ambassador or consul of the applicant’s home country; and terms of reference or

similar document, explaining the purposes of the election observation mission.

Upon approval of the application, Accredited Observer Passes will be issued, which will grant access and other privileges relating to the conduct of the plebiscite. The passes may be confiscated and the accreditation revoked for violation of the guidelines for accreditation.

The Comelec said observers or monitors must have a bonafide intention to participate in the conduct of the plebiscite and must be free from any political, economic or other conflicts of interests that would interfere with conducting observations/monitoring impartially.

They are also expected to strictly adhere to the code of conduct and refrain from engaging in any of the prohibited acts laid down in the guidelines, it added

Comelec begins bidding for May 2022 polls software MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has allocated over P400 million for the procurement of software to be used for the automated elections in May 2022.

In an invitation to bid, the Comelec set P452,522,321.43 as Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the purchase of Automated Elections System (AES) Software for the election management System (EMS), vote counting machines (VCMs) and consolidation and canvassing system (CCS).

It said a complete set of bidding documents may be acquired by interested bidders at the Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) Secretariat Office for P50,000 or downloaded from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the Comelec website with the applicable fee

to be paid later on.

The pre-bid conference is set on Wednesday at 10 a.m., online via Microsoft Teams.

The deadline for the submission of bids is on Jan. 20, 2021, at 9 a.m. at the Bureau of the Treasury (BTR) Convention Hall of the Palacio del Gobernador Building in Intramuros, Manila.

The opening of bids is set on the same day at 10 a.m. at the same venue.

It also reminded that only Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least 60 percent interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, are allowed to participate in the bidding.

The Comelec added that the bidding will be done through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion.

7 February 18-24, 2021

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

‘Run, Sara, Run’ tarp banners sprout in Davao, Metro Manila

MANILA – Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio continued to remain coy on a possible presidential run even as tarpaulins urging her to run have sprouted in Metro Manila, Davao and elsewhere.

Caught by surprise, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said she finds nothing

“Advertisements or posters of potential candidates are not violations because it is not election period. Will revisit the rules @COMELEC,” Guanzon said.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said although the tarpaulins promote the electoral win of a possible candidate, it will “fall short” of the legal definition of campaigning.

“Those tarpaulins do seek to promote the electoral win of Mayor (Sara) Duterte, but she herself isn’t a candidate yet. This means that although many would consider it a form of campaigning, it would actually fall short of the legal definition of campaigning, let along premature campaigning,” Jimenez said.

“Therefore, there appears to be no violation of election laws or campaign rules.

Anyone, in fact, can do the same thing,” he added.

The campaign period for national positions for the May 9, 2022 polls will start from Feb. 8 to May 7, 2022. Filing of certificates of candidacy has been set to October `1 to 8 this year.

Sara earlier thanked the individuals wrong with tarpaulins bearing oversized letters urging presidential daughter to run behind the “Run, Sara, Run”campaign that is also circulating in social media. for president in 2022.

Guanzon, however, said she will revisit the Comelec rules after “Sara, Run, Sara” tarpaulins sprouted in different areas not only in Davao City but also in Metro Manila.

Duterte inks FIST bill into law MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has signed Republic Act (RA) 11523 or the Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer (FIST) Act in a bid to keep the financial sector stable amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, Malacañang announced on Wednesday.

“We consider the enactment of RA 11523 timely and thank both Houses of Congress for the passage of this law, which has been certified urgent by the Chief Executive and has been considered by our Economic Team as one of the measures

that would help us recover in the aftermath of (the) Covid-19 pandemic,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.

The FIST Act is among Duterte’s priority legislation touted as his administration’s stimulus measures to help the Philippine economy recover from the pandemic shock.

The new law allows banks and financial institutions to outsource the management of their non-performing assets (NPAs) and non-performing loans (NPLs) to asset management firms that are similar to special purpose vehicles (SPV).

DOTr ready for 75% capacity in public transport MANDALUYONG CITY – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it is ready to implement a proposal from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to increase the passenger capacity of public transport vehicles from 50 percent to 75 percent.

In a statement, the DOTr said the proposal will be implemented once approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) “and as directed by the Cabinet.”

“We leave the NEDA proposal to the evaluation of the IATF being the primary agency tasked to formulate plans and rules during this period of the pandemic as the country moves forward towards the new normal,” the DOTr said.

Regardless of the decision of the IATFEID and the Cabinet on the increase in passenger capacity, the DOTr said strict health protocols will be “observed and enforced” in public transport vehicles and facilities such as terminals to prevent transmission of Covid-19.

She said she would only run for president in 2034 if the opposition would agree to support her.

“I understand where they are coming from. I, too, am anxious where we are going as a nation. I am always grateful that I have their trust and confidence. I am pleading to them to please allow me to run for President in 2034, if at that time there is something I can do to help the country,” she said.

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo earlier said Sara has the qualities to replace her father as he pitches for the possible tandem of Sara and her father in the 2022 national elections.

“Kitang-kita ko ‘yung qualities mo, Mayor Sara. Kaya regardless of whether you’re the daughter or not, ikaw ang napusuan ko (I have seen all your qualities, Mayor Sara. That’s why regardless of whether you’re the daughter [of the President] or not, I want you [to be his successor]),” Panelo said during his commentary show “Counterpoint” on Jan. 27.

On Jan. 14, Duterte said he does not want his daughter to run for president in 2022 because presidency is an unsuitable job for a woman.

February 18-24, 2021

Review...

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the Philippines.

He was specifically referring to how the country lost the Mischief Reef (Panganiban Reef) in 1995 and Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and how China continues to build artificial islands in disputed territories despite the existing MDT. “Sa akin po, panahon na talaga dapat pag-isipan kung talagang meron ba tayong nakikita diyan sa Mutual Defense Treaty dahil at least tatlong beses na nagkaroon ng dahilan para sila’y tulungan tayo, hindi naman tayo natulungan (I think it’s really time to rethink whether we need the Mutual Defense Treaty because there were three instances where the US could help us but didn’t),” he said.

To prevent the US from converting Subic into a military base as earlier bared by Duterte, Roque also floated the need to review the EDCA. Duterte formally notified the US about its intent to revoke the VFA in February 2020.

“Sa tingin ko po, kung gusto na matigil ito ng ating Presidente, kinakailangan balikan muli at pagisipan niya kung bukod sa VFA e dapat na rin tayo magbitiw dito sa tinatawag na EDCA dahil ‘yan po talaga ngayon ang legal na basehan para manatili dito sa ating bayan ang kasundaluhan at equipment ng mga Amerikano (I think that if the President wants to stop this from happening, there is a need to review and rethink not just the VFA, but also the EDCA because that is the legal basis for the presence of US troops

SMC’s...

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Aside from Singco and Tumulak, the other Cebu mayors who had tested positive for Covid-19 were Sun Shimura of Daanbantayan, Marlon Garcia of Barili, Danilo Diamante of Tuburan, Antonio Pintor of Asturias, Michael Angelo Sestoso of Alcoy, Mayor Lakambini Reluya of San Fernando, Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr. of Talisay City and Junard Chan of Lapu-Lapu City, two of whom died.

Ang later said he was found positive of Covid thrice in 2020 Cases in Region 7, Caraga and Valenzuela, Pasay, Malabon, Pasig, Makati, Navotas, Las Piñas, and Manila continue to increase.

This developed as the government is in a frenzy pre-

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and equipment in our country),” he added.

However, Roque clarified that Duterte himself has not yet made any indication to scrap the MDT and EDCA while seeking “compensation” from the US government for utilizing the country’s military bases.

“Wala namang indication si Presidente (The President has not made any indication) but he’s just saying na yan ang realidad ngayon (that’s the reality now) and that’s the context by which he was demanding for payment because our military bases are really being utilized by the Americans for prepositioning their troops and equipment,” he said.

Currently, he said there have not been any moves from the US government to offer compensation to extend the validity of the VFA. “If they ask for what our demand is they will give it. But right now I think it’s premature because there’s no offer, there’s no inquiry so far,” he said.

He said the compensation being sought by Duterte is “generic”. “What’s important is the President said they have to pay,” Roque said.

Roque brushed aside the challenge made by former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario to seek P230 billion worth of damages from China for its massive destruction of the WPS instead of demanding payment from the US. “Itong mga ginawa ng Tsina ay nangyari po lahat ‘yan sa administrasyon ng Pangulong Aquino at kung meron pong dapat pananagutan sana talagang

gumawa po ng hakbang yung gobyerno ni Presidente Aquino nung sila’y nakaupo pa para magkaroon ng katarungan ang ating bayan (What China is doing now happened during the administration of President Aquino and if there is anyone who should be held accountable, I wish the former administration did something to seek justice for our country),” he said.

Del Rosario, who led the Philippines’ arbitral tribunal victory against China in 2016, described Duterte’s remarks seeking payment from the US as “unfortunate”.

“It is incomprehensible that when partners help each other against a common enemy, one party is asking his partner to pay. This is the gist of the President’s unfortunate position on the VFA. On the other hand, China owes Filipinos more than P230 billion in damages for undertaking the most devastating marine destruction in the West Philippine Sea, which will eventually cause a food crisis among Filipinos in the near future. In this case, when will President Duterte demand China to pay?” he said.

Signed in 1998, the VFA allows American forces to enter the Philippines without passport and visa to allow them to participate in joint military drills in the host country.

The MDT seeks to step up the defense and security cooperation between the US and Philippine troops, while EDCA aims to enhance military ties in maritime security and domain.

paring for the acquisition and arrival of Covid vaccines as indemnification agreements were signed with Pfizer and AstraZeneca, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said.

The government has allotted P500 million for the indemnification fund. It will be used to compensate people who will develop serious side effects of a COVID-19 vaccine.

More than 180,000 healthcare workers have been included so far in the government’s master list for the Covid-19 vaccination rollout, he said.

Other developments: 1.

Two clustered clinics in Cebu City registered 52.46 percent Covid-19 positivity rate in the first two weeks of February 2021. City Councilor Joel Garganera, deputy chief implementer of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), said the rate is not a good sign as Cebu City only had a positivity rate of 3.36 percent in the month of September 2020.

2.

Only three individuals who had contracted the B.1.1.7 variant of the novel coronavirus are considered active cases. As of February 14, DOH Epidemiology Bureau Director Alethea De Guzman said 40 of the 44 cases in the Philippines have recovered. Of the 44 cases,

15 are returning overseas Filipino workers (OFW). De Guzman said the three active cases were identified as a returning overseas Filipino (ROF) from the United Arab Emirates, a 20-year-old female from Sabangan in Mountain Province, and a 37-year-old male from Impasugong, Bukidnon Meanwhile, only 3 out of 10 individuals in Metro Manila are willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The DOH also reported 271 additional recovered patients, bringing the total number of recoveries to 512,033, or 92.5% of the total cases.

The death toll rose by 53 to 11,577.

The country expects the arrival of its initial supply of COVID-19 vaccines this month, to be administered first to health workers.

Since the start of the pandemic, 109.5 million people worldwide have been infected by the COVID-19 virus, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus dashboard. Of those, 2.4 million have died and almost 61.6 million have recovered. Almost 45.5 million people are currently infected with COVID-19.

PET...

(From page 1)

PHL...

(From page 1)

in the result,” SC spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka said.

Hosaka added that the tribunal’s decision on PET Case No. 005 which Marcos filed against Robredo will be uploaded in the high court’s website once it becomes available.

In a statement, Marcos spokesman Victor Rodriguez declined to comment in the meantime, citing that they have yet to receive an official copy of the ruling.

“We shall issue our statement on the matter as soon requested the web hosting service provider to increase the capacity of the server to accommodate the high volume of website visitors. But still the thousands of hits on the site continues to slow down access.

The Consulate has taken steps to address the surge in demand for consular services. It increased the number of daily appointment slots to 70 for passport issuance (from 40 per day) and to 22 for dual citizenship (from 16) for the months of March and April 2021. Slots for consular notarization remain at 20 per day. This is the maximum number of people that the Consulate can accommodate with the health safety protocols currently in place to con-

as we have established the facts based on official document or pronouncement coming from the PET,” Rodriguez said.

Last November, the PET turned down motions filed

by Marcos and solicitor-general Jose Calida seeking the recusal of Associate Justice Marvic Leonen from the election protest case.

Marcos is contesting the results of the elections and his defeat by Robredo by a margin of 263,473 votes in the 2016 vice presidential race. tain the pandemic.

The Consulate said it is responding to emails and phone calls and posting updates on its social media pages to allay the concerns of the community.

“We assure the public that the issues being experienced by our Consulate in Los Angeles are temporary.

The Consulate is working tirelessly to restore the website and the online appointment system to their full capacity as soon as possible,” Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the Philippine Embassy and Consulates General in the United States have been in close coordination, exchanging best practices and finding solutions to common problems.

9 February 18-24, 2021 Leni...

 NATIONAL NEWS (From page 1)

Political pundits said Robredo could capitalize on her poll protest victory to gain ground if she will aspire for the presidency.

Before her poll protest victory, Robredo was urged by several sectors, along with the opposition, to run for president in 2022 while Marcos was being egged by his supporters to run also for president.

Other possible presidential candidates are Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao, Senator Mary Grace Poe, former Senator Francis Escudero, Senate President Vicente Sotto, former Senate President and Speaker Manuel Villar Jr. and business tycoon Ramon S. Ang, president and COO of the San Miguel Corporation group of companies.

Bouyed by her victory, Robredo hinted at running while the lawyer of Marcos claimed the name-sake son of late President Ferdinand E. Marcos is definitely running in 2022, but did not reveal what position it would be.

In San Francisco, Chicago and New York, Filipino American and Filipino leaders headed by lawyerbusinesswoman Loida Nicolas Lewis, a friend of US Democratic President Joseph Biden, were reported to be ready again to extend support to Robredo just in the 2016 elections.

As the political cauldron in the Philippines starts to heat up, the

Commission on Elections (Comelec) set the deadline for the filing of certificate of candidacy (COC) for president, vice president, senators and local positions to October 1 to 8, 2021.

The Comelec, while registering voters, including overseas Filipinos, has also started to find better or new ways to ensure that all voters can exercise the sanctity of the ballot like internet voting, advance voting, extending voting hours and opening more polling precincts to comply with social distancing rules.

In the past months, Robredo was demurred when asked if she would seek the presidency in 2022, saying she has to attend to more pressing needs of the country like helping the citizens fight Covid-19 and assist those who have been rendered jobless and lost their livelihood amid the pandemic.

But in a press conference following the announcement by the PET of its decision, Robredo, in what her followers hinted that she would run for President, said that it is not President Rodrigo Duterte, who had turned an ardent critic of the number two official of the land, who decides “if she is qualified” but the people themselves.

“Hindi naman siya (Duterte) ang magde-decision kung qualified ako o hindi pero yung taumbayan ung magde-desisyon,” said Robredo. ‘”Yong sa akin lang, makakabuti sa ating lahat kung nakikinig. Pag nakikinig sa mungkahi, nakikinig sa pagpansin sa ibang mga polisiya (It is not

Prelate prods youth to register for May 2022 polls MANILA – A Catholic prelate urged Filipinos, particularly the youth, to register to be able to participate in the May 2022 national and local elections.

“Our message is that everyone should be registered especially the youth and those who have not voted twice so that they can vote and that they can be counted,” Manila Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo said in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) news website.

At the same time, the Manila auxiliary

bishop asked voters to scrutinize those who will be running in next year’s elections.

“They (voters) should be discerning.

It is good that names are starting to arise, they should start their research on them Who are these people? What have they accomplished? What can they contribute to the country? As early as now, people should be talking about it,” Pabillo added.

He reminded that voters should register now since the Sept. 30, 2021 deadline set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will no longer be extended.

PNP beefs up Covid-19 vaccine info drive among cops CAMP CRAME, Quezon City – The Philippine National Police (PNP) has strengthened its information campaign to convince all of its personnel to get inoculated with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines.

Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, PNP deputy chief for administration and concurrent Administrative Support for Covid-19 Task Force (ASCOTF) head, said that this would be made through the use of PNP Covid-19 Data (CODA), an application exclusive to all PNP personnel, wherein videos and fact sheets from the Department of Health (DOH) and other health experts explaining the benefits of vaccina-

tion are regularly posted to educate both uniformed and civilian personnel on how the vaccine works and protects against Covid-19 infection.

“Some of our personnel are really hesitant to avail of the Covid-19 vaccine and we attribute it to the deluge of information that they would read or see especially in the social media. But as our health experts always say, vaccination far outweighs the potential risks and claims of danger So what we do now is to persuade them or convince them to be vaccinated. But we would like to clarify that we are not forcing them, we are just trying to explain everything to them,” Eleazar told reporters.

up to him [Duterte] to decide whether I am qualified or not. It is up to the public. For me, it is important if everyone listens to the plight and concerns on policies.),” she added.

Duterte had claimed several times that Robredo can’t be the country’s chief executive because of how she was acting and she is a woman.

Various leaders like Sen. Francis Pangilinan, president of the opposition Liberal Party, Sen. Richard Gordon, Reps. Sarah Elago and Carlos Zarate welcomed the ruling, which they said should have come “much sooner.”

Malacañang, meanwhile, said it respects the PET’s decision. “‘Yan ay desisyon ng kataas-taasang hukuman (That is the decision of the Supreme Court). We respect that and we respect also that the camp of Senator Bongbong Marcos has a further remedy of moving for reconsideration,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.

The camp of former Senator Marcos confirmed he will definitely run in the 2022 national elections, but as to what position – president, vice president or senator – was not disclosed.

Lawyer Vic Rodriguez, spokesman of Marcos said: “He (Marcos) will be definitely running for 2022,” adding, “We will be making an announcement as to his plans for 2022.”

It was gathered that Marcos can still appeal the PET’s decision but Rodriguez did not disclose if the for-

mer senator will appeal.

Robredo’s legal counsel, Romy Macalintal, claimed it would be “very hard” to overturn the clear decision by the court’s 15-member en banc, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

“Para sa akin game over na ito, kasi unanimous ‘yan eh — very, very hard to overturn a 15-member en banc na voting unanimously to dismiss the case,” Macalintal said.

In another statement, Rodriguez, however, said the Supreme Court, sitting as PET, has yet to decide on Marcos third cause of action which is the annulment of election results from Mindanao because of alleged terrorism and voter intimidation.

Rodriguez said what the High Tribunal dismissed was their second cause of action which is the manual recount and judicial revision.

“Based on the official pronouncement made by the Presidential Electoral Tribunal today, the court unanimously voted to dismiss our second cause of action which is the manual recount and judicial revision,” he said in a statement.

“However, as to the issue on how to proceed with our third cause of action which is the annulment of votes in Mindanao, the Tribunal (PET) has yet to decide on the matter,” Rodriguez added.

He had insisted the case must proceed to the third cause of action independently of the results of the recount.

11 February 18-24, 2021

 OPINION Cooking up goodness First of 2 Parts

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Upside

EAVE it to the French to fancy up something as basic as taking a bite to eat. But expect Filipinos to elevate the same act into a noble exercise.

The Gallic soup vendor whose name now translates to “baker” allegedly referenced the Bible with his 1765 marketing ploy that ultimately coined the term “restaurant,” from the original “bouillons res- CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO taurants” or “restorative broths.” Monsieur Boulanger, the soupmeister, earned street cred for his product that kept folks coming to “restaurare,” Latin for “renew.”

Restaurants, sadly, have taken the brunt of financial losses resulting from the pandemic. Some 100,000 or 1 in 6 restaurants in this country have closed down as of September, according to the National Restaurant Association. Unemployment was pegged at 3 million with sales decline by $240 billion projected by December. At this writing Covid19 has killed over 452,000 Americans, including many FilAms - mostly health care workers.

In their response to the current calamity, however, San Francisco Bay Area EDITORIAL FilAm purveyors of comestibles are harkening back to the root definition of “restaurant.”

Justice will come for Trump eventually Last spring, Kultivate Labs in San Francisco spearheaded Filipinos Feed the Frontlines (FFF), a campaign to unite the local community to address the inooner or later, justice will come for private citizen Donald J. Trump. creasingly deadly impact of the coronavirus. True to the credo of the nonprofit It didn’t happen over the weekend, but we all saw it coming. The founded by Desi Danganan to stimulate business and arts in the heart of the majority of the 50 Republicans in the Senate had made it clear even before the former president’s impeachment trial began that they had no city’s Filipino American district, the drive coalesced “like-minded individuals and organizations banding together to provide meals to heal our community.” intention of convicting him.

“In 278 days we’ve raised $149,236 from 1312 donors to feed frontline The 43 senators of the GOP had their own reasons for acquitting Trump, but most analysts say that they did so for one of two reasons. health workers and scientists, and communities battling covid-19,” its dediOne is that they remain deathly afraid of the one-term president who was cated page announced the purse at press time. Their initial goal was to serve voted out of office by the majority of the electorate in last year’s election. Or 100,000 meals from donations, all tax-deductible; 9,846 carepacks so far have two, they were still counting on the followers of the ex-president to vote for gone to the frontlines. The organization welcomes donations of money, food them when their own re-election time comes. and merchandise to sell with proceeds cycling back to the fund.

As for acting as independent jurors, which they were sworn to do, it is clear that they had no intention of doing so. They were so ready to make a mockery Even as their fellow vendors or their own businesses shuttered or revamped of the impeachment trial that three of their own were seen meeting with Trump’s service to outdoor dining and then takeout or delivery-only with the shifting defense team. government mandate, FFF participants looked past their own struggles to supAnywhere else, this would have been tantamount to jury tampering. The Republicans knew it, but they turned a blind eye to the actions of their peers just port the most vulnerable in the South of Market and Excelsior Districts. Those areas have high concentrations of Filipinos residents and workers. the same.

S

Bravo to them.

Yes, we are being sarcastic, because what we witnessed was unspeakably shameless.

If there was one bright spot to the impeachment trial, it was that seven out of the 50 Republican senators voted based on the evidence presented by the prosecution.

They joined the 10 Republican congressmen who voted to impeach their party mate.

Indeed, the GOP is not necessarily a lost cause. There were also the large number of Republican state officials, particularly from the battleground states, who refused to overturn the results of the election in their states despite orders from the 45th president that they do so.

There has been much talk lately about the Republican Party splintering into two separate political parties, with one to be headed by Trump, ostensibly to be called the Patriots Party.

The party of Abraham Lincoln cannot survive in its present state and they know it. For one, most of the big donors now want nothing to do with Trump and his toxic influence. Those who continue to support Trump know they face a public backlash, and their businesses will suffer because of it.

The one thing they cannot afford is for more than half of the people to boycott their products or services.

And here is where Trump will face true justice, or karma if you will. His brand is damaged beyond repair, and his business empire will disintegrate sooner or later.

Then there are the massive loans he has from various banks, most of which will fall due starting next year. He has no means of paying those loans, which means some of his precious properties will be lost to foreclosure.

Trump also faces other cases in states like New York and Georgia. There is a very real possibility that he will lose more than one criminal case, and end up behind bars.

He may have achieved another empty victory in his impeachment case last week, but his luck will run out eventually. As Lincoln said, you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.

(Continued on page 27)

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 OPINION

Lessons from Philippine Presidents

‘Subic base daw ng Kano’ Health & Wealth

ast month, Alejandro A. Santoyo, Jr., one of our neighbors in San Francisco, called Mobile Signing Services (MSS) asking for help and assistance in the notarization and apostille and or authentication of Affidavit of Loss on the original copy of the CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRA- ART GABOT MADLAING TION of a vehicle he owned in the Philippines; and Special Power of Attorney (SPA) for the follow up and signing of ROC and Deed of Sale with Commonwealth Insurance Company covering the vehicle; and receiving check from the insurance company.

Since we are close neighbors, Mr. Santoyo, Jr. walked to my home-office for the drafting of the Affidavit and SPA. When he arrived, I asked Mr. Santoyo, Jr. how he was able to contact me.

“You were referred to me by the Philippine Consulate. In fact, you are the only commissioned Notary Public accredited by the Philippine Consulate General who is based in San Francisco,” Mr. Santoyo, Jr”. explained.

“I also read regularly your column in the weekly Philippine News Today. Your column is very informative and helpful. You are doing a great service to every individual, couples, families and the community,” he affirmed.

He, then, gave me a copy of the LIST OF NOTARIES PUBLIC ACCREDITED WITH PCG FRANCISCO. In going over the list, I found out that there are 21 Notaries Public accredited by the Philippine Consulate General in Northern California based in the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Sacramento, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Yuba and San Francisco. As pointed out by Mr. Santoyo, Jr., I’m the only Notary Public accredited by the Philippine Consul General in the City and County of San Francisco.

The PCG in San Francisco has jurisdiction not only Northern California but the following states; Alaska, Idaho. Oregon, Washington State, Northern Nevada, Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.

In the PCG list given to me by Mr. Santoyo, Jr., there are two accredited Notaries Public in Alaska covering the counties of Anchorage and Kodak. In Colorado, there is one accredited Notary Public covering the county of Denver. In Oregon, there are two accredited Notaries Public covering the counties of Multnomah and Salem. In Washington State, there are eight accredited Notaries Public covering the counties of Bellevue, King, Kirkland, Pierce, Seattle and Vancouver.

I am surprised that despite the series of announcements I discussed in my column in the weekly Philippine News today, there are still many who assumed that the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco still issue Authentication Certificate (red ribbon) for Affidavits, Special Power of Attorney (SPA) and other notarized documents needed in the Philippines. I would like, therefore, to share some excerpts of the Special Notice from the Legal Section of the Philippine Consulate on the Accession of the Philippines to the Apostille Convention, as follows: “The Philippine Consulate shall no longer issue Certification Certificates (red ribbon) for documents notarized or apostilled in the states under its jurisdiction namely: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington State, Northern Nevada, Colorado, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and Northern California.

If you notarized documents before 14 May, 2019, the Philippine Consulate will (1) still accept it for authentication (or red ribbon) or (2) you may advice the applicant to secure an Apostille. On the other hand, if you notarized documents from 14 May, 2019 onwards, we will no longer authenticate said documents. The applicant should forward it to the issuing State/Authority for the issuance of Apostille Certificate.

Please note that Apostilled documents no longer need additional authentication by the Philippine Consulate General.

Once apostilled, it already has legal validity and can be sent to the Philippines for use.

MSS is still committed and continue to assist and help old and new clients, particularly the elderly, veterans and those physically handicapped, in the notarization and apostille follow up of notarized Affidavits, Special Power of Attorney (SPA) and other documents needed in the Philippines.

For immediate help and assistance, just write or contact: MOBILE SIGNING SERVICES, (Continue on page 27)

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igong (President Rodrigo Duterte) said the United States is slowly converting Subic into a military base.

This is false. There is no US base in Subic.

In fact, Subic is not part of the five local military MANNY MOGATO bases which US has access under EDCA. Subic is a free port facility. The navy used a small portion at Alava pier to homeport the ex-USS Hamilton coast guard cutter and the two brand-new frigates bought from South Korea because it has deep harbor.

US ships visit Subic for a shorter period. There are no arms storage nor depot for US military anywhere in the country.

The US has bases in Japan, South Korea, Germany and elsewhere but these are not colonies and it is not paying for the use of the facilties.

The host countries even pay for the bases to share the burden of keeping a secure and stable region.

US presence serves as a deterrence against any adventurism by any power although China has been showing aggressive behavior in the region.

Duterte’s basis for asking larger share in US military assistance is a hypothetical conflict between US and China, which has zero chance of happening.

There could be an accident that may lead to a limited conflict but not a full blown war, which could be destructive to both countries’ economies.

After getring criticism he was trying to extort money from the US for use of EDCA bases and troop presence under VFA, Duterte said he was only asking for military equipment to stand on equal footing with China.

Again he must be dreaming, the Philippines cannot and will not be able to match China’s air and naval power.

No country in the region, not even ASEAN countries if they combine their military can match China’s might.

What the Philippine military aims to do is develop a modest credible defense capability to protect its national interests bintetest and left any external forces with a bloody nose if they attempt to cross the line.

The US has been assisting the Philippines upgrade its defense cspabilities. In fact, it has been getting the lion’s share in US military aid in terms of training and equipment in the whole of East Asia and Pacific area.

The Philippines has only the one ally in the world - the US. It is not a perfect ally and looks only after its interests but it is better than having none.

An alliance is build on mutual trust, shared history and democratic values.

Putting a price tag on the alliance is predatory.

Nasa kultura siguro natin ang mang-isa at manglamang sa kapwa. Tama ba Harry Roque?

(Editor’s Note: The writer is only the second Filipino Pulitzer Prize winner, the first being Carlos P. Romulo. He was formerly with the Reuters where he was a co-winner of the coveted prize. He is now a co-host on TV 5.)

12

“People get the government they deserve.”

-Joseph de Maistre

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his is the fourth part of the series on lessons from Philippine Presidents – from Corazon Cojuangco Aquino to Fidel Valdez Ramos. The quote from diplomat lawyer Joseph de Maistre is highly descriptive of the reign of Philippine Presidents or of any presidency of any country in the world..

Presidency: In normal HOMOBONO A. ADAZA times, Cory Aquino could never be President. Why? She has none of the qualifications but all of disqualifications of a President of the country. But times were abnormal - Ferdinand Marcos was President for six years and a de facto dictator for fifteen years – a total of twenty-one years rule. That is unconstitutional because a President can only have a total of eight years under the Constitution.

On top of that, one of the leading contenders for the presidency against Marcos was Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr., husband of Cory Aquino, was assassinated at the Manila International Airport (MIA), now the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) upon arrival from the States where he was in exile.

If Ninoy was not assassinated in 1983 and Cory was not the wife of Ninoy, Cory Aquino would never have become President. She was President by accident. It was destiny at work.

Historical forces: The top Opposition contender for the presidency in the 1986 snap election was Senator Salvador “Doy” Laurel of Batangas. He was the Chairman of the United Democratic Opposition (UNIDO), a coalition of all national and regional Opposition parties. As the youngest national Opposition leader then being the head of the Mindanao Alliance (MA), the first regional Opposition party organized and the first to respond to the Marcos challenge in the first parliamentary elections in 1978 and one of two Opposition governors elected in the first local elections in 1980, the other one being Joey Laurel of Batangas, I played a pivotal role in placating Doy Laurel to run as Cory’s Vice-President. The details are all narrated in my book, LEADERS FROM MARCOS TO ARROYO. Bad beginning: I was head of the Opposition committee which negotiated with Defense Minister Juan “Johnny” Ponce Enrile to establish the Cory Aquino administration..

These were the agreements entered into by the Opposition and Enrile – that Cory Aquino would be President, Doy VicePresident, Enrile Defense Minister and General Fidel Ramos Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines; that only five members of the Cabinet would only be appointed by Cory – National Defense, Local Government, Justice, Finance and Foreign Affairs while the rest will be agreed upon by the Opposition and Enrile groups; and the Batasan Pambansa will be retained.

Except for the first, the rest were dishonored. While we agreed on five cabinet ministers to be appointed by Cory, MP Ramon Mitra and members of the Cory crowd had the rest of the Cabinet already assigned to Cory people. The Batasang Pambansa was abolished. The reason for the abolition was total control of the government by terminating the Marcos influence and decapitating the UNIDO leadership and dismantling its national organization.

Even the agreement of Cory and the UNIDO leadership that Cory would only be a ceremonial President and the government would be run by Doy Laurel as Prime Minister together with his Cabinet was also dishonored and violated. This dishonorable approach was orchestrated by the Cory boys led by the late Joker Arroyo and Cory’s brother, Jose “Peping” Cojuangco.

Agenda: The clear purpose of dishonoring and breaking agreements was power consolidation. Total power is control of government. Control means money for the Cory boys. So, Cory and his boys declared a revolutionary government – without vision, goals and objectives for the country. Cory and his band started to have a grand time – enjoying unrestricted power. Cory removed all elective officials associated with the Marcos and his government.

In my conversation with (Continue on page 27)

Diliman Way

PHL Consulate recommends MSS

ANALYSIS

L

February 18-24, 2021

13 February 18-24, 2021

 OPINION

I

Offline

t is quite noticeable that the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is somewhat lost where its relations with the administration of President Joe Biden is concerned.

Statements from Duterte himself, as well as his spokesman, have been few and far between. His Foreign Affairs secretary Teddyboy Locsin has BETING DOLOR taken a less gingerly approach, but leans towards seeking friendly relations with the new US president, if it is at all possible.

The reason is this: Duterte is unsure if Joe Biden wants to maintain friendly relations with him and his despotic regime.

Duterte had generally sound relations with former President Donald Trump, and the two even discussed visiting each other’s country sometime. Those visits never took place, as the US president was focused on getting reelected all throughout his sole four-year term.

Duterte, meanwhile, was reportedly not bent on traveling long distances, and in the last year or two has been visibly avoiding public appearances, letting his Cabinet do most of the talking for him on whatever issue is at hand.

With less than two years left in his single six-year term, and with constant reports that he is physically in bad shape, Duterte may want nothing more than to coast his way to retirement.

He may or may not push his daughter Sara to run for president as insurance against being arrested and convicted by the International Criminal Court for a variety of crimes he has committed.

But while he remains president, the elephant in the room must be addressed. What does he do about the Biden administration?

It would have been simpler for Duterte had his friend Trump won. The former US president had turned a blind eye to all the serious crimes committed by the Duterte regime, including but not limited to the mass murder of tens of thousands of suspected drug pushers and users, his regime’s nonstop assault on press freedom, and imprisoning his top critic, a duly elected senator in the person of Leila de Lima.

Incidentally, the Duterte regime’s case against the opposition senator has been collapsing under the weight of the false testimonies of witnesses against de Lima either being retracted or dismissed outright by the court.

The main reason that Duterte is unable to face Joe Biden is not because of the Philippine president’s pro-China policy.

It is his having cursed former President Barack Obama, who had made it clear that he was against the brutal drug war of the Duterte regime.

Yes, he used his favourite cuss phrase “putang ina mo” or “you son of a bitch” to refer to Obama.

It was totally uncalled for, of course. But he never bothered to retract his statement or to apologize to the highly respected Obama.

And since Joe Biden was Obama’s vice president for eight years, it is safe to say that the 46th POTUS is not expected to look too kindly at the crass, vulgar, obnoxious Philippine president.

Even if he had not said those ugly words, it is a truism that US presidents who are Democrats generally do not support leaders of other countries who have little respect for democratic ideals compared to Republicans.

Look back at how a US president like Jimmy Carter kept a safe distance from Ferdinand Marcos, unlike Ronald Reagan who openly tolerated the Philippine dictator’s excesses and wrongdoing.

The story if often told as to why this is the case. A Cabinet secretary under Reagan supposedly said, “Yes, Marcos is a son of a bitch, but he is our son of a bitch.”

It’s a little more complicated these days.

Thus, while Duterte was Trump’s son of a bitch of sorts, the psychotic Philippine president is even more of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s lapdog.

Just as Trump was unreasonably afraid of Russia’s Vladimir Putin, so too is Duterte inexplicably terrified of crossing Xi. In one of his many visits to China, Duterte was even seen marching behind Xi, much to the dismay of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

(Continue on page 27)

V

P Kamala Harris’ support of the Minnesota Freedom Fund is not equivalent to former President Donald Trump’s speech at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 that preceded a deadly rush on the building that housed Congress.

There are a lot of readers of this paper who are delighted that a local has ascended to the executive branch of our government.

Nevertheless, a tweet in support of the Minnesota Freedom Fund has lingering relevance since it reveals the Vice-President’s sentiments on mob violence, crime, and law and order. This initial call for donations disseminated in a tweet on June 1, 2020 was used by conservative PACs as political fodder but quickly dispelled by liberal media. Since then, the repercussions of the Minnesota Freedom Fund’s bail program continue to develop.

The backstory: the Minnesota Freedom Fund has existed since 2016 to provide bail assistance to those arrested who do not have the adequate funds for their own release. It is a non-profit that, until last year, typically raised about $100,000 per year to help those too poor to pay for bail. “We believe that wealth should never determine who is kept in jail. That’s what the money bail system does. It puts a price on freedom that only a few can afford,” says the mission statement on their website.

Then, on May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed. In addition to sparking violent riots, donations throughout the country came pouring in. At one point, a Gofundme campaign to support the surviving family of Mr. Floyd was one of the most successful in history. Among the beneficiaries of this countrywide munificence was the Minnesota Freedom Fund, helped presumably by Ms. Harris’ June 1, 2020 tweet which read, “If you’re able to, chip in now to the @MNFreedomFund to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota.” Over a short period of time, the Minnesota Freedom Fund received inflows exceeding $30 million. At one point, the fund had to pause accepting donations (oh the problems some of us face in this world!) and redirect potential donors to other non-profits. With a monthly goal of raising $5000 and a single full-time employee, the non-profit had understandable growing pains.

Since the summer, some notable criminals have been bailed out by the Minnesota Freedom Fund, including one repeat offender from rural Minnesota who was recently arrested again on drug charges, a woman charged with murder, and a convicted rapist. One of the bail recipients shot at members of a SWAT team during the May riots.

A representative of the fund was quoted in the press as saying that they do not discriminate on charges since their objective is to fight the system of unfairly jailing the poor while they await trial. I repeat, although Ms. Harris implored her Twitter followers to bail out protesters, the Minnesota Freedom Fund does not discriminate based on the charges. It would be important for donors to this fund to know that.

I do not agree with the defense of the violent riots that happened after George Floyd died nor do I agree with the attack on the Capitol. I also think Lindsey Graham’s talk of impeachment is overblown. Nevertheless, the person who promoted the Minnesota Freedom Fund on June 1, 2020 is now next in line to be President of the United States. It would be important to know all that we can about her so that we can understand what decisions she would make if, during a hypothetical Harris Administration, law and order were pitted once again against criminal rights. For that reason alone, this issue needs more scrutiny.

The law that welcomed many Filipinos in the U.S.

T

he Biden administration plans to reform the broken immigration system by unveiling a legislation that aims to provide a pathway to citizenship to the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. This is timely and a bright measure as well not only to address the issue of undocumented immigration ATTY. JOJO LIANGCO but also addressing the fact that the U.S. needs workers in very important sectors of the economy and these sectors rely on undocumented immigrants who work without getting employment benefits that are due to them as workers in this country. *** Speaking about immigration reforms and laws that benefit the U.S. and its economy, fifty-six years ago, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It became law on October 3, 1965. This law aside from broadly amending the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, is also credited for “dramatically altering” the demographic landscape and cultural fiber of the U.S. The law abolished the National Origins Quota System that was present in the past immigration policy and laws of the U.S. (a policy that favored the admission of immigrants from northern Europe and Latin America while blocking and restricting the arrival of immigrants from Asia, southern and eastern Europe, and Africa). For Filipinos, “exclusion policies” and the quota system of immigration did not really work to discriminate or block their immigration in the U.S. during the first half of the 20th century because the migration of Filipinos earlier was connected to the colonial past of the Philippines.

The U.S. took control of the Philippines after the Spanish-American War when the Philippines was purchased and bought from Spain and the U.S. made it a territory and a colony. Filipinos were then classified as U.S. nationals and they provided an easy alternative and access for plantation owners in Hawaii and California or wherever there was a need for a “steady supply” of workers and farm laborers. Because there was the Chinese Exclusion Act that banned the migration of Chinese workers, including restrictive quotas imposed against workers coming from Japan and Korea, hiring Filipinos who were not covered by restrictive quota policies pertaining to national origins became the ready answer and the solution for the demand for workers and farm laborers.

But in 1934 this all changed after the Tydings-McDuffie Act (officially called as the “Philippine Independence Act”) was signed and enacted. Filipinos were once again covered by the restrictive and strict immigration policies and quota of the U.S. *** The Tydings-McDuffie Act provided for self-government in the Philippines and for Philippine independence from the U.S. after a period of ten years. Filipinos including those who were already living and staying in the U.S. were reclassified as “aliens” for the purpose of migration to the U.S. through the Act. A quota of 50 immigrants per year was then established for Filipinos and it was only after the INA of 1965 was passed and became law that this quota was increased.

The INA of 1965 then set a different tone and compared to earlier exclusion laws, it was far more sympathetic and liberal as it made family-based immigration the basis for this country’s immigration policy. The law also established a preference system for people with special occupational and employment skills to become permanent residents in the U.S. Because more Filipinos were able to immigrate to the U.S., according to the Migration Policy Institute, for the past 50 years, Filipino immigrants from the Philippines have grown modestly from just over one percent of the overall U.S. foreign-born population. Filipinos are now one of the largest immigrant groups in this country.

The strong Filipino presence and numbers these days can be attributed and credited to laws like the INA of 1965 because the law opened the doors to many immigrant families and professionals. The law did not only change the demographic landscape and cultural fiber of the U.S. but also the (Continue on page 27) make-up and establishment

Immigrant’s Story

How does Duterte approach the Biden administration?

Not Kamalagate, but Let me get this part out of the way….

 IMMIGRATIONS Tax credit for 2020 income tax return

F

iling income tax is one of the best way to get a refund for your overpaid taxes. It is also a way to claim any unpaid stimulus check. In addition, tax credit will allow families with children to get some money depending on the income of the parents. One major distinction that you’ll see throughout this discussion is that some tax credits are refundable, while others are nonrefundable. A refundable tax credit can be paid to the taxpayer, even if they have no tax liability. For example, if a taxpayer owes $1,000 in federal income tax in 2020 and has a $3,000 refundable tax credit, that additional $2,000 can be paid to them in the form of a tax refund. On the other hand, a non-refundable credit can be used to reduce tax liability to zero, but not beyond that point.

There is a long list of tax credits Americans could potentially qualify for, but many are very specialized and uncommon. On the other hand, there are some tax credits that millions of Americans qualify for, and here are eight of them: Child Tax Credit, Credit for other dependents, Child and Dependent Care Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), The Retirement Contribution Savings Credit (Saver’s Credit), American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC), Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC), The 2020 Child Tax Credit.

The Child Tax Credit is available to taxpayers who have children who are under age 17 at the end of the tax year. For 2020, this means that any children who reach their 17th birthday prior to January 1, 2021 are not eligible for the credit.

The credit is worth $2,000 per qualifying child, and households with qualifying children can claim the Child Tax Credit for every child who qualifies with no upper limit. For example, if you have three children ages 14, 12, and 9, you can take the credit for each of them – a total of $6,000. A family with six qualifying children could get $12,000 in credits.

The Child Tax Credit is an example of a partially refundable tax credit. If the taxpayer has zero tax liability in a given year, as much as $1,400 of the Child Tax Credit can still be given to them.

Like many tax credits, the Child Tax Credit is income-restricted, although the limitations have become much more generous in recent years as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Above certain levels of adjusted gross income, or AGI, the credit begins to phase out – meaning that it is reduced – and if the taxpayer’s AGI is greater than an even higher threshold, the credit disappears entirely.

Assuming that you’re a married couple filing a joint tax return, and that you have qualifying children. If your adjusted gross income is $150,000 in 2020, you’re well below the phase-out threshold, and you’d be entitled to the full Child Tax Credit. If your AGI is $425,000, you’re in the middle of the two thresholds, and would therefore be entitled to some of the credit. And if your AGI is $500,000 for the year, you’d be in excess of the upper threshold for your filing status and wouldn’t be allowed to claim the Child Tax Credit at all for the 2020 tax year.

Credit for other dependents The Child Tax Credit is a big help to many parents, but what if your child is 17? What if you have kids in college who you support? Or what if you have an aging parent who lives with you?

The point is that the Child Tax Credit doesn’t provide relief to everyone with dependents. That’s where the Credit for Other Dependents comes in. This was created as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and is a nonrefundable credit that is worth as much as $500 for each qualifying dependent.

For families in need of financial help, filing income tax as soon as possible will help them get a refund at the earliest possible time.

Note: This is not a legal advice and presented for information only.

You need to discuss your individual situation with an Attorney or a CPA. SUCCESS STORIES 1. For the month of January 2021, we received from USCIS approvals of two relative petitions, one fiancée visa petition and one removal of condition on residence petition.

2. For the month of November and December 2020, we received approvals of four K-1 Fiancé visa, five green card applications and one I-601 Hardship waiver.

3. For the month of October 2020, we received from USCIS seven approvals of Family petitions, and one Removal of Condition on residence.

If you have immigration problems the Law Offices of Crispin C. Lozano can help you find a solution before your problem gets worse which could lead to deportation and family separation.

Chris Caday Lozano, Esq. is an active member of the State Bar of California, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and San Francisco Trial Lawyers. He practices immigration law, bankruptcy and personal injury law since June 1999. His contact phone is 1-877-456-9266, email: info@CCLlaw.net

February 18-24, 2021

14

Bangko Sentral: Dollar reserves reach $108B MANILA - The country’s dollar reserves remained sufficient in January, despite a slight reduction from the December 2020 figure, preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

The latest gross international reserves (GIR) of $108.8 billion was slightly lower than the $110.12 billion posted month-ago.

Still, the BSP recognized the current GIR to be more than adequate, shielding the local economy against external shocks.

“This level is equivalent to around

“Moreover, it is also about 9.4 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 5.1 times based on residual maturity,” it added.

According to the central bank, the lower GIR in January mirrors the outflows from the foreign currency withdrawals of the national government from the BSP to pay its foreign obligations.

Likewise, the so-called revaluation adjustments from the BSP’s gold holdings, which saw a price decline in the international market, contributed to the lower reserves.

“These outflows were partly offset, however, by the inflows from the BSP’s 11.6 months’ worth of imports of goods foreign exchange operations and inand payments of services and primary come from its investments abroad,” it income,” it said. said.

BIR steps up tax collection, sets P2 trillion goal in 2021 QUEZON CITY – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) aims to increase its collection by 7.23 percent to P2.08 trillion this year by improving tax compliance among all taxpayers, strengthening its budget management system, speeding up its recruitment and promotion of employees, expanding its computerization efforts, and further intensifying its enforcement activities.

In his report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, BIR Commissioner Caesar Dulay said its enforcement activities include the Oplan Kandado program, Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) program, and tax audits, among others.

Dulay said under the Oplan Kandado program, 209 establishments were padlocked for tax law violations, which led to the collection of P607.87 million in taxes in 2020.

Its Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) program led to the filing of 157 cases before the Department of Justice (DOJ) with aggregate tax liabilities of P7.45 billion, and another 24 cases filed with the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) with total estimated liabilities of P753.75 million, he said.

Dulay said the BIR also plans to roll out its Enhanced Internal Revenue Stamp Integrated System (IRSIS) in the first quarter of this year to further step up its campaign against cigarette smuggling.

The nationwide rollout of the Internal Revenue Integrated System (IRIS), which

will serve as the BIR’s central tool and repository to process taxpayers’ information, is expected in the fourth quarter of 2021, along with the pilot implementation of its Electronic Invoicing System, he said.

The Online Registration & Update System (ORUS), which is a web-based system that will provide an end-to-end process for registration and updating of taxpayer registration information, is due for implementation in the fourth quarter, he added.

By the first quarter of this year, Dulay said the BIR expects its collection performance dashboard to be up and running.

This will enable the central office to check the collection performance of each collecting office/Revenue Region of the BIR against the assigned goal, compare it with the previous year and classify it by type of collection, he said.

Dulay said the BIR will also allow taxpayers to book online appointments with revenue officers regarding tax-related concerns starting this year.

He said the bureau is targeting to complete its in-house developed OneTime Transaction (ONETT) tracking system this year to allow it to monitor the ONETT transactions from the date the taxpayer secured the services of the revenue officers for the computation of the tax due up to the time of securing the Electronic Certificates Authorizing Registration (eCARs).

 ENTERTAINMENT

February 18-24, 2021

16

James Reid’s project with Nancy McDonie of Momoland canceled James Reid’s Soulmate Project, his supposed series with Nancy McDonie of Momoland, will no longer push through.

Reid revealed this himself in “Hangout with James Reid” via TaxWhizPH’s Kumu channel. The clip was reposted on February 8, on the Instagram fan accounts of JaDine, the moniker of his love team with Nadine Lustre, wrote columnist Rey Pineda.

In the Kumu session, James was asked to give an update about The Soulmate Project.

James’ short answer was “Soulmate... I won’t be doing Soulmate,” then he shook his head. James did not provide any explanation, the columnist added.

It was on October 4, 2019, when ABS-CBN held a story conference and announced that James and Nancy will be paired in a project. Excited fans quickly dubbed James and Nancy’s tandem as JaNcy. James, for his

part, asked the fans to stop creating “love-team names” because, according to him, he already has JaDine.

Following the report, James, Nadine and Dreamscape Entertainment chose to keep mum. Weeks later, when James was asked about Soulmate at a press conference, he refused to give details. He said, with a smile, “I can’t say too much about that right now, I’m sorry.”

On January 13, ABS-CBN released an omnibus plug for its 2020 offerings, confirming that the project will push through under the name The Soulmate Project, and that James and Nancy are top-billing the project. ABS-CBN and Dreamscape Entertainment have yet to announce when The Soulmate Project will air. On February 3, 2020, James and Nancy did a look test for the series.

Unfortunately, the production for interview with ABS-CBN News, Anall TV shows was halted because of toinette said she would want to wait the Covid-19 pandemic. In a recent for the filming restrictions to be lifted before pushing through with the project.

She explained, “The Soulmate Project is set not in a pandemic. It’s not meant to be shot during the pandemic na 70 people lang iyong puwede

sa set. Ayoko siyang i-revise, i-scale down just to fit the safety protocols.

Feeling ko magiging iba iyong kalalabasan kapag ipilit natin sa ganun.”

The Soulmate Project was still included in Dreamscape Entertainment’s December 2020 omnibus plug for its 2021 offerings, but will it still be James playing the male lead?

Fil-Am film ‘Lingua Francal’ filmaker signs with CAA

LOS ANGELES - Filipino American filmmaker Isabel Sandoval, who produced, wrote, directed, starred and edited “Lingua Franca”, which has made Rotten Tomatoes’ updated Top 200 Films of 2020 (joined by another FilAm film, “Yellow Rose” helmed

by Diane Paragas), has signed with the prestigious Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

The multi-awarded “Lingua Franca”, simply put, is a story of an undocumented Filipina trans caregiver in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach who is

trying to pursue marriage to get a green card. But there is nothing simple in the narrative which goes way beyond your regular romantic indie drama.

“Lingua Franca” at its core is about finding personal liberty, identity and dignity in the complex mise-en-scène of the times in the U.S. It is ultimately an authentic American immigrant story.

“Lingua Franca” producer, Grammy and Tony awardee Jhett Tolentino, told ABS-CBN TFC: “I’ve read hundreds of scripts. The first time I read one from Isabel Sandoval, I had to double check who wrote it. She’s that good. I love her style -- literary, not literal. She truly sets herself far apart from Filipino filmmakers I know.”

 ENTERTAINMENT

February 18-24, 2021

18

Heart Evangelista reveals she auditioned, but didn’t get role in ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Now it can told that actress Heart Evangelista had auditioned for a role in the successful movie “Crazy Rich Asians.”

The comely actress, model and first lady of Sorsogon province, herself made the revelation that she auditioned for the role of Araminta Lee on the Kevin Kwan’s movie.

In a vlog posted by dermatologist Dr. Aivee Teo, she and Heart reacted to some of their old photos, GMA News reported.

When a photo of Heart was shown beside English actress Gemma Chan who played Astrid Leong-Teo in the film, the actress recalled her audition, it was learned.

“I auditioned (for Araminta) and it was like they were in the last leg of their auditions and I got a call.

I remember I got a crew and I did a scene like from a telenovela,” she said.

Heart said that after the audition, she was informed that she was being considered for a role in the movie.

Meanwhile, former Senator Francis Escudero, now governor of Sorsogon, dedicated a birthday greeting for wife Heart as she turned 36 on February 14, Valentine’s Day. The greeting was in another billboard on Times Square in New York City.

“Sabi [noong agent from Los Angeles], ‘your presentation paused in the middle of the showing’ and they got curious about me like ‘who’s this girl?’” said Heart in the report.

“So they’re willing to take a break if [I] could send an e-mail of the [audition] so they could continue watching,” she added.

However, she said she didn’t get a callback. “Then they asked if I was available to shoot so yes, of course, then they never came back,” she said.

According to Heart, she is just thankful for the fact that she was told she was one of the choices to portray a character in the film.

“There’s always a reason for everything. Again, ayaw [ko] nang mangarap nang todo. Okay na kung ano mang ibigay,” she said on GMA News.

She added that she wasn’t vocal about it before because it was “painful” and she didn’t want to be “arrogant.”

In the film, the character Araminta, played by Sonoya Mizuno, Singapore’s most celebrated fashion icon and the heiress of a luxury hotel chain.

Meanwhile, Heart denied she and husband Gov. Chiz Escudero were not sleeping in the same bed although she admitted they don’t see each other often these days due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Of course we share the same room. Minsan minsan na nga lang kami magkasama, ’di pa kami magsheshare?” she exclaimed as GMA news reported.

She admitted though there came a time when she and Chiz didn’t see each other for a month because of their busy schedules.

Despite this, Heart said she understood the situation and she had learned to “let go” when needed.

“Ang selfish ko naman that just because I want him beside me, he has to ignore everybody na nakasalalay sa kanya so I have learned to let go,” she said.

“I’m very proud with what he does there and I totally get it and now I’m actually glad that I have more time for myself,” Heart added.

Heart also denied rumors that she has a son with an ex in Davao.

“This is definitely not true,” she said, adding that if she did, she would havve given the child the life he deserved.

“If I had a baby, I will definitely take care of them.

I’d give them everything. Everything I have, I will share or I’ll even give them more. I’ll probably even stop shopping for myself,” she told GMA News.

Rumors also has it that she is a “gold digger.”

Heart said she would never marry for money because she would be “miserable.” She would rather have someone who worked hard with her.

“I’m like a love plant. I like to feel loved, I like to be in love for me in order to survive in this crazy world,” said the actress.

“If I’m miserable and my husband is the type that’s rich but demanding like, ‘you can’t do this, you can’t do that,’ kasi binubuhay ka niya, oh my god then ‘sa’yo na lahat ’yan noh. Saksak mo sa baga mo yung Birkin na ’yan.’”

She then encouraged those who are stuck in manipulative relationships to choose themselves because, eventually, everything will turn out just fine.

“Basta nasa tama ka, ’pag umalis ka na sa bahay na ’yan, sa manipulative na mayaman, nako, you will achieve more in life because you will have all the freedom. You have your life and that’s the biggest wealth

that you could start with first and everything else will come,” she said.

“Don’t ever be with anybody who controls you. It’s such a big turn off. You have to have a backbone, girl!”

GMA News quoted her as saying.

Lani Mercado back in form after health scare Actress and Bacoor City mayor Lani Mercado underwent a procedure recently and is now out of danger but needed to slow down on her work.

Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. disclosed this with a sigh of relief after her wife’s successful operation in an undisclosed hospital.

Lani underwent an angiogram after her doctor found blockade in her heart during a check-up.

“Salamat po sa inyong mga dasal.

Lani just got out from the room, and angiogram results show no significant concerns. Though she may need to do some medication, doctors said it’s nothing to be worried about,” he wrote on Facebook on the first week of February.

A visibly relieved Mayor Lani last week joined Senator Revilla during their

Amazing Valentine’s Giveaway party, Senator Revilla, who is José Maria Mortel Bautista Jr. in real life. said the event also served as thanksgiving for Lani after a health scare.

Last Feb. 4, Lani accompanied Bong for his regu(Continue on page 19)

19 February 18-24, 2021

 ENTERTAINMENT

Coco Martin, Julia Montes living together now? together surfaced.

The rumor had persisted for years now and never ceases, according to their fans.

Reports linking Julia and Coco circulated few years ago after they did a teleserye together on ABSCBN. The speculations then grew when Julia suddenly went into showbiz and social media hiatus.

Why does the news never fade?

“Kasi, siguro, close talaga kami. Hindi lang siya naging close dahil lang sa trabaho, kasi prior nga, lagi naming sinasabi before pa, nagkasama na kami. Hindi siya yung parang after work, wala na. May comBy Jeanne Michael Penaranda munication pa rin,” Julia was quoted as saying.

The rumor became stronger when it was alleged Are Coco Martin and Julia Montes really living tothat she got pregnant and went to Germany to hide this. gether now under one roof?

Later on, allegations surfaced that she went back The poser was raised again after photos of the two to the country and gave birth at the Cardinal Santos

Lani...

(From page 16)

lar executive check-up, only to end up herself being asked to undergo certain tests, wrote columnist Ricky Lo. Bong asked posthaste for prayers on his Facebook page and was greatly relieved that there was nothing serious about Lani.

As Ricky Lo reported, Lani underwent an angiogram to check a “konting bara” in her valve. A medical procedure cleared it to smoothen the flow of blood in that valve. There was no need to do angioplasty, the doctors informed the couple.

It was reported that the senator underwent colonoscopy and endoscopy, and the results were negative.

“I’m back, back to work,” were Lani’s first words as soon as she got home, welcomed by their children.

“God is good,” seconded the senator.

It was reported that Lani is taking some medication and promises to slow down a bit, avoid stress, follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly.

On Valentine’s Day, Sen. Revilla and his wife Lani, gave their hearts away to hundreds of people who attended Kap’s Amazing Valentine’s Giveaway.

Lani herself once again opened her heart to her “one and only” by giving Bong a bouquet of roses accompanied by a dedication that made Bong cry, according to the columnist.

During the Kap’s Amazing events, Lani was her usual self, happily helping Bong conduct the parlor games with cash prizes and goodies at stake. Also on hand to entertain the people were the couple’s son Cavite Vice.

Gov. Jolo Revilla, Benjie Paras and Jimmy Santos.

“As usual, our followers and supporters didn’t fail us. In response, we also didn’t fail them. We are happy that, again, we made many people happy,” the senator wrote on his Facebook page.

Some P2 million in cash and in kind were given away during the event.

Medical Center.

Amid the speculations, the rumored couple maintained their silence regarding the issue.

Then netizens noticed that there was a feeding bottle in Coco Martin’s photo which looked the same as what was posted on the Instagram story of Julia Montes’s brother.

The rumors again was fueled by the similarities in their photos.

Julia’s photo on Instagram showed that she was leaning on a stone and the background has a plant which is the same with what was in the photo of Coco that he posted on his Lyka account.

Netizens noticed the photos and wrote: Looking at the photos, it is more likely that these were taken in the same spot outside of the house. These were posted on the Instagram fan account @cocojuls4ever.

Lately, it was alleged the Julia Montes got jealous of Coco Martin’s tandem with Yassi Pressman in the popular primetime ABS-CBN series “FPJ: Ang Probinsyano.”

After that, Yassi parted with the show.

Recently, Julia showed her support to Coco by sharing the poster of his upcoming movie “Love or Money” with Angelica Panganiban on Julia’s Instagram account.

Coco and Julia first teamed up in 2012 when they did “Walang Hanggan” Then in “Ikaw Lamang” and its sequel “Ikaw Lamang” in 2014.

 REAL ESTATE

February 18-24, 2021

Loan program for LA county small businesses available

20

At 60 do I s�ll want to own a house?

Caller: Hi Ken, I have been following your columns for many years and they are very informative and delightful. I am LOS ANGELES – The Los complementary online webinars, turning 60 and wanting to buy a home again, I am retiring in a couple more years and would like your opinion on this subAngeles County Developone-on-one financial consultaject. I sold my house in 2006 because I read your article about ment Authority (LACDA) has tions, application assistance, cashing out profits because the market was getting too hot and launched the Small Business and an evaluation of a business’ a possible melt down in the RE market is inevitable. I am reStabilization Loan Program to readiness to submit an LACDA ally grateful that I followed my instinct and sold it back then. I provide eligible businesses with loan application. have been renting at a very low price since, there are only two of us and our children are all grown already. I am very happy a competitive interest rate for Technical assistance is availnow but been getting a lot of solicitation to buy a house from loans ranging from $50,000 to able in various languages, indifferent people. Please give me your honest opinion. $3 million. cluding English, Spanish, ChiKen: Thanks so much for the message and I am so happy Businesses interested in nese (Mandarin), and Korean. that at least one person did listen to my advice back then when the entire market was ignoring applying for the Program must Since launching the webinar any signs of a huge bubble. Since both of you are retied and I feel like your retirement income have been in operation for at component of the related Biwill just eat away any possibility of both of you enjoying your retirement. I am going to suggest that you just continue to rent. Your retirement income is enough for a descent rental apartment least two years and seeking zHelp Program on January 12, but not enough for a descent home mortgage payment, you do have savings for a down payment working capital, equipment pur- 2021, 88 businesses have benbut I wanted you to keep that deposit as your emergency funds, if you deplete your savings put chases, real estate acquisition, efitted from these partnerships. in into a house and still have to pay more than half of your retirement into a mortgage. I am or refinancing of existing loans For more information on the afraid that it might be too tight for you, what if you have to fix something and keep up with the at higher interest rates. requirements to apply for the maintenance of the house? With a house you will be left with a very little spendable income and almost no emergency funds.

The Small Business StabiliSmall Business Stabilization I suggest for you to continue to rent, keep the savings and enjoy your full retirement in a zation Loan Program will start Loan Program, please visit Bizcouple of years. If my calculations are correct you can enjoy a minimum of one trip back home accepting applications and will Stabilization.lacda.org. All meto the Philippines every year with plenty of pasalubong (gifts) and at least 2-3 small weekend remain open indefinitely. The dia may contact Elisa Vasquez, trips locally. The Trump government is coming with a tax break that will benefit renters to stay Program offers technical assisLACDA Public Information as tenants, I will keep an eye and report to you once the law passes. tance from partners who offer Officer, at (626) 586-1762.

Caller: I have a home in Whittier and there is a lot of equity in the house. I got divorced and I get to keep the house and the mortgage. I am retired and only working part time therefore my total income is less than $1500 a month. I need about $40,000 to keep my property updated and make it livable. Can you help me refinance my home loan and get me some cash out?

Ken: I have been talking to this caller for about 6 months, initially I already requested her to get a line of credit from a Credit Union to fix her roof and garage because it was so bad that you can actually see the sky thru holes in the garage. I had New Funeral home with Reception Center Flower Shop mention to her prior that she will not be able to get descent Beautiful Garden Memorial Park Cremation Services financing even though she has about $350K equity in the house.

We transfer your loved ones to and from the Philippines Her actual retirement income is not enough for her to qualify for any amount. She can’t even qualify for her own existing loan.

She did get a $25K line of credit that was good prior but because she was so worried to borrow more money back then, she just opt to get $25K out, now that she realized that she needed more work on the house, she is left with no other option. She does not want to sell because she has been there for over 40 years but now she can’t take any of the equity out because she can’t qualify.

This is a very common situation now, where retired homeowners have all their equity invested in their homes but they can’t use the equity. They are struggling check to check and have no other way to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Retired homeowners are also very conservative where they don’t want to keep taking money out, they are old school investors and they still believe in savings and paying off home mortgages.

Here is a dash of this new century mentality into that thought. If that was me, I would sell the house and use the proceeds to buy smaller house cash and enjoy the rest of the money slowly. I have to assume I still have a descent retirement income and that money is to basically do longer trips and enjoy better TTT BBBBBBBBB NNN FFFFFFF HHHH RRRRRRRRR CCCCCC CCCCCCC LLLL thing in life while I can. But of course, for me easier said than done, these homeowners might have a lot of emotional attachments and memories towards this real estate hence, would not like to let go. I seriously understand, but I also see them struggling and settling for a lot less than what they deserve. We all work hard and our efforts deserve to be compensated regardless of mistakes done or mishaps, hard work is still hard work and can’t be replaced.

My advice to more mature homeowners, a house turns into a home when you live in it. You should consider other change to suit your financial needs and change is good.

Thanks for your comments and support, please feel free to call Ken Go at 1st Innovative Finance Group at 562-508-7048 or write to kennethgo@verizon.net.

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21 February 18-24, 2021

NEWS  NATIONAL SPORTS NEWS

Ang 487 taong pagkakatuklas sa Pilipinas, ipinagdiwang ni Manny

Filipino American grandmaster Wesley So has defeated for the second time Norwegian world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen again via clinical 4.5-3.5 win to rule their 8-game series in the finals of the Euro Opera Rapid of the Meltwater Champions Chess Rapid tournament.

The 27-year-old So who now campaigs for United States cashed in on all the chances given him while Carlsen just failed to capitalize on his as the latter scored 2.5-1.5 on the final day after a 2-2 draw the day before to claim his second title in the Tour plus the top prize worth US$30,000 or P1.5 million.

Deadlocked at 2 points after the first day Saturday, So scored a pivotal win with the white pieces in the first game and drew the remaining 3 matches, reprising his victory over his fancied foe in the Skilling Open finals last December during the Norwegian’s birthday.

The Cavite-born So, the world Fischer-Random champion, brought down Carlsen, the world blitz, rapid and standard king, this time on Valentine’s Day. “I’d like to apologize to Magnus for ruining his Valentine’s Day,” said So. “I would like to apologize for celebrating on camera,” said So, who was caught on video pumping both his fists in the air after drawing the fourth and last game to seal the series win.

“I’m sorry for ruining Magnus’ Valentine’s Day. It’s really unfortunate,” So said in his post-match interview with Chess24.com. “The day was just unlucky for him.

Beating Magnus in any match is a huge honor.

“It’s really a pleasure to do so, because just playing him already gives you a lot of experience. To beat him

twice is unheard of, really.”

And with two crowns and a quarterfinal finish in the Airthings Masters last month, So has now overtaken Azeri Teimour Radjabov for the Tour lead with 108 points and US$70,000 (P3.5M) earnings.

So took the lead for good after punishing Carlsen for his empty sacrificial attack.

They fought to thrilling draws in the next two before So came four moves away from checkmating Carlsen in the final game.

But So mercifully settled for a standoff knowing a draw would suffice.

Carlsen, who remained winless in the Meltwater Champions Tour that he himself helped organize, replied: “Losing to Wesley is OK, but I felt I missed a lot of chances (in the series). It’s frustrating because at some points I didn’t trust my intuition.

“Overall, there is no shame in losing to him, but we won’t certainly sleep that well.”

With his second tournament victory, So, the reigning US Open and who started playing for Uncle Sam in 2014, soared to the top of the Meltwater Champions Tour series with 108 points while boosting his earnings to $70,000 (P3.35 million).

Erstwhile leader Grandmaster Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan who lost 2.5-4.5 in the semis, was relegated to second place in the overall standings with the same number of points after salvaging third place in the competition with a 4.5-1.5 win over French GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

Marañon, Kouame near naturalization to boost football, basketball campaigns QUEZON CITY – The House of Representatives has approved separate bills filed for the naturalization of two foreign players who could bolster the Philippine men’s football and basketball teams in the near future.

The House approved the grant of Filipino citizenship to United City striker Bienve Marañon and Ateneo center Ange Kouame.

It first approved in its final reading House Bill (HB) 8631 seeking Marañon’s naturalization, with all 206 congressmen tasked to vote, giving the thumbs up.

A little later, with 210 yes votes, HB 8632, which seeks the naturalization of Kouame, made the congressional cut.

The naturalization process now shifts to the Senate where separate bills were also filed.

Senator Migz Zubiri filed Senate Bill (SB) 1391 for Marañon’s naturalization, while Senator Sonny Angara, also the chairman of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipi-

nas (SBP), filed SB 1692 in Kouame’s case.

However, Kouame’s naturalization bid is being looked at, especially with recent events.

Kouame was ruled out of the second window in Manama, Bahrain last November because HB 8632 was still pending in Congress at that time.

The SBP was also keen on having an all-Filipino Gilas Men team for the third window supposedly happening this week.

However, due to the worsening coronavirus disease 2019 situation in Qatar, the country decided to cancel its hosting of a certain window bubble with the Philippines stepping in to take its place, although the window has been postponed as well.

With the final window likely to be pushed to next month, the Senate has a chance to approve Angara’s bill just in time

Outside Looking In

FilAm Wesley So crushes world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen anew, wins title

Ika 15 ng Marso taong 2008, ipinagdiwang ng bansa ang ika-487 taong pagkakatuklas ng Pilipinas.

Noong petsa ring ito sa taong 1521 nadiskubre ng Portuguese na manlalayag na si Fernando Magallanes ang bansang tinawag ng “Perlas ng Silangan.”

EDDIE G. ALINEA At lingid sa kaalaman ng marami, ginunita ng noon ay tatlong dibisyong kampeon sa boksing na si Manny Pacquiao ang isa sa mga mahahalaga at di makakalimutang pangyayaring iyon sa kasaysayan ng bansa sa malayong lugar ng Las Vegas.

Sa Las Vegas, na noon pa’y itinuturing nang kapital ng boksing sa daigdig, napiling kamtin ng Pilipino ang kanyang ika-apat na korona sa ganoon di karaming pagkakataon – ang WBC super- feagtherweight.

Ang biktima ng dalawang taon mula noon ay magiging kinatawan ng lalawigan ng Sarangani sa Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso -- ay ang magiging mahigpit niyang kaaway sa ibabaw ng ring na ang Mehikanong si Juan Manuel Marquez. Sinupil ng ating kababayan ang mapagmalaking Latino sa nagkakaisang hatol matapos ang 12 round na sagupaan.

Ang naturang pagtutuos, sa tutoo lang, ay pangalawa sa apat nilang paghaharap matapos ang kanilang unang laban apat na taon bago yun noong 2004 na ang na natapos sa tabla nang si judge Bert Clements ay nagkamaling iskoran ang unang round ng 10-7 imbes na 10-6 ayon sa 10-point scoring system na ipinatutupad sa boksing kapag ang isa sa damawang naglalaban ay mapatumba ang katunggali ng tatlong beses sa isang round.

Dahil sa maling pagkakataya ni judge Clements ng unang round, nakapag-sumite siya ng kabuuang tablang iskor na 113-113. Ang isang huwes ay nakitang nanalo si Pacquiao sa iskor na 115-110. Ang isa pa ay si Marquez ang nagwagi, 115-110.

Ganoon pa man, ang maginoong Pilipino ay tinanggap ang resulta na nagkaloob sa kanya ng pang-apat niyang korona matapos gapiin si Charchai Sasakuk ng Thailand sa walong round na, KO Lehlo Ledwaba ng Aprika, anim na round TKO, at Marco Antonio Barrera, 11 round TKO. Ang resulta ng pangalawa nilang laban ay una lamang sa dalawang laban ng ngayon ang senador nang si Pacquiao na natapos sa takdang 12 round.

Si Mehikano-Amerikanong si Antonio Margarito ay isa lamang sa dalawang nakalaban ni Manny na hindi natulog bago natapos ang 12 round makasaysayang pangongolekta niya ng kampeonato sa walong dibisyon.

Lahat ng anim pang tinalo ni Manny sa kanyang tungo sa hagdan ng tagumpay, maliban kay Marquez at Margarito ay pawang tulog nang mahubaran ng korona – Sasakul, Ledwaba, Barrera, David Diaz, Ricky Hatton at Miguel Cotto.

Naagaw ng ating si Manny ang titulo ng WBC lightweight kay David Diaz sa pamamagitan TKO (9 round), ang IBO/RING junior-welterweight kay Ricky Hatton, KO (2 round), at WBO welterweight kay Miguel Cotto, TKO (12 round).

February 18-24, 2021

22

Q: My parents are very old and not in very great health.

There are five of us children in the family. Is it necessary to have a will in case they both pass away?

A: A will is a tool or device that lets people inform the world and whoever is concerned on whom you wish to get your assets in case you die. If you die without a will, the state will decide who and what a heir gets without any regard to your wishes or their needs.

Intestacy laws differ from state to state, but in general, if you die and leave a spouse and children, your assets will be split between them. If you are a single person and have no children, the state will likely decide who among your blood relatives will inherit your estate or assets.

Anyone who creates a will may amend or make changes to it at any given time. It is a good idea to review it from time to time especially when your marital status changes or to keep the wishes up to date, ie, If the will was created when you only had 2 children and now you have 4. Also, by reviewing items in the will from time to time, you can add new assets acquired or deduct assets released by you as far as who the beneficiaries will be when you die.

A will is also useful if you have a trust. A trust is a legal tool or mechanism which lets you attach terms and conditions on how your assets will be distributed after you pass on and often this is a creative tool in minimizing gift and estate taxes which will be imposed. Trust mostly deals with specific assets such as life insurance or real properties.

We are not immune from aging or loss of mental capacity. Also, we are not immune to health crisis which may leave us unable to go about our business in life such as paying managing our finances and making important decisions. By granting someone you trust the power of attorney allows that person to go about your business better known as your “agent” or “attorney in fact” and continue to manage your affairs if you are unable to do so.

This person is empowered to sign your name and is obligated to act in your best interest at all time and in accordance with your wishes if you are incapacitated.

In many ways this topic would be best dealt with an attorney because not only are the assets involved but also the debts and liabilities by your estate.

The lists below are mostly the items which will be needed when someone dies.

For Assets: Account Statements-includes bank, brokerage and retirement accounts.

Life Insurance Policies-If any.

Beneficiary Designations-mostly investments will have a beneficiary on file.

Deeds for Real Estate-Houses and investment properties.

Automobile and Boat Titles-needs to be transferred to new legal holder.

Stocks and Bond Certificates-the original certificate will be needed.

For Liabilities: Mortgages, Property taxes and Home Owner Fees Lines of Credits, Personal Loans, Student Loans and Credit Card Bills Federal and State Income Taxes Car and Boat Loans and Storage Fees Loans against Life insurances and Retirement Accounts Utility and Cell Phone bills Based on the lists above take the assets less the liabilities will result in the amount to be divided among the children and the spouse. If there is a will, that will take precedence on any rules of court.

The business of dying is a very complicated matter and is made worst if there is no will.

My advice is to have them make a will to avoid future complications between the spouse and children.

Ating lesson, Malupit ang mabuhay, malapupit din ang mamatay.

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23 February 18-24, 2021

 COMMUNITY NEWS

As California Covid cases rise to 3.4 million, Newsom, Biden-Harris administration open vaccination sites in Los Angeles, Oakland

By Jo Erlinda Yabut LOS ANGELES/SACRAMENTO – California Governor Gavin Newsom and the Biden-Harris Administration announced the opening of the nation’s first community vaccination sites in Oakland and Los Angeles.

The two pilot sites at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum and California State University, Los Angeles opened their gates at 9:00 a.m. on February 16 as part of the wider effort to establish a series of vaccination sites nationwide to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These new sites will help us get lifesaving vaccines to some of the California communities most in need,” said Governor Newsom in a statement sent to Philippine News Today. “I thank the Biden-Harris Administration for standing with us as we continue our efforts to safely, swiftly and equitably vaccinate all Californians.”

“FEMA is proud to partner with the state of California and the Department of Defense in opening the first of these pilot community vaccination sites,” said Acting FEMA Administrator Bob Fenton. “These sites demonstrate how we can provide more opportunities for vaccination to the hardest hit communities and ensure everyone who wants a vaccine can get one.”

“Defense Secretary Austin has made clear we must move further and faster to eradicate the devastating effects of the coronavirus,” said Gen. Glen VanHerck, Commander of U.S. Northern Command. “Our military medical providers have supported California in numerous hospitals across the state and we are proud to partner with you in this state-led and federally supported Vaccination Center.”

Registration for vaccine appointments at these two sites will be available through visiting the state’s My Turn website or by calling 833-422-4255.

In Sacramento, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported that the state COVID 19 cases rose to 3,412,057 after 5,692 new confirmed cases were recorded.

As case numbers continue to rise in California, the total number of individuals who will have serious outcomes will also increase.

There have been 47,107 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic, the department reported.

As of February 15, local health departments have reported 91,767 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 383 deaths statewide.

The department also recorded 46,227,725 tests in California. This represents an increase of 263,598 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.

As of February 16, providers have reported administering a total of 6,262,781 vaccine doses statewide, the department added.

Also as of February 16, the CDC reported that 8,250,650 doses have been delivered to entities within the state, and 8,517,000 vaccine doses, which includes the first and second dose, have been shipped.

One county, Plumas moved to a less restrictive tier, from Purple (widespread) to Red (substantial). Fifty-two counties remain in Purple (widespread). Three counties, Del Norte, Mariposa and Plumas are in the Red (substantial) tier. Three counties, Alpine, Sierra and Trinity, remained in the Orange (moderate) tier.

The 7-day positivity rate is 3.5% and the 14-day positivity rate is 4.2%.

Governor Newsom launched the Safe Schools for All Hub as a one-stop shop for information about safe in-person instruction. For more information on the transparency, accountability and assistance measures related to California’s Safe Schools for All plan, visit the Safe

Schools for All Hub. The CDPH said postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect one’s self and others from COVID-19. Non-essential travelers from other states or countries are strongly discouraged from entering California and should adhere to the state’s self-quarantine procedures for 10 days, it added.

Members of the public may check their eligibility for vaccination, sign up for notifications and schedule ap-

pointments in select areas through the My Turn website.

The sites are co-run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State of California through the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). FEMA and the Department of Defense are providing resources and federal staffing support to establish these new community vaccination centers as well as operational support.

 COMMUNITY NEWS

February 18-24, 2021

24

Fil-Ams cite importance of positive parenting during COVID-19 pandemic

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Philippine Embassy in the United States, in partnership with the Filipino Family Health Initiative, Little Manila Rising, FYLPRO, and Tayo Help Desk, held a webinar entitled “The Power of Positive Parenting in Filipino Families, Helping Our Youth Thrive during COVID-19” on February 13.

“Even before the pandemic, we have likewise seen incidents of depression and suicide among teenagers, including the Filipino and Filipino-American youth here in the United States. I cannot overemphasize the need to have a platform for our community to talk about these issues and at the same time, provide families with insights, tools, and strategies on how to handle and adapt to such situations,” said Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez in his video-recorded remarks.

The webinar drew from the experiences and insights of four FilipinoAmerican parents who are part of the Incredible Years, which is “a series of interlocking, evidence-based programs for parents, children, and teachers, supported by over 30 years of research.”

The goal of the Incredible Years pro-

gram is “to prevent and treat young children’s behavior problems and promote their social, emotional, and academic competence.”

One of the parents who shared their stories is Mary Lohoury, mother to two girls and a School Social Worker for San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and a member of the Filipino Mental Health Initiative in San Francisco. Her ongoing work with her community focuses on eliminating the ongoing concerns around the high rates of suicidality ideation among Filipino students in their district.

Melissa Veluz-Abraham, a single mom to two boys, is a student advisor at the UCLA Student Organization Leadership and Engagement Office in Los Angeles, California. As an active community member for over 25 years, she has contributed as a dancer, staff, and instructor for Kayamanan Ng Lahi Philippine Folk Arts and formerly as a board member for FilAm Arts. She discussed the importance of being able to integrate the Filipino parenting methods of the previous generation and the new parenting methods and strategies she learned as an adult in the United States.

WEBINAR ON COVID-19 par�cipants include (clockwise from top right) Mary Lohoury; Couple Andre and Jocelyn ‘Joy’ Hannah Divino, Holis�c Health Director, Li�le Manila Rising; Dr. Joyce Javier, webinar moderator; Louella Cabalona, President, FYLPRO; Andre and Jocelyn “Joy” Nicdao; and Melissa Veluz-Abraham.

Nicdao from California have been nurturing their three daughters using methods taught in Incredible Years and Team Kapwa. As a volunteer at Kayamanan Ng Lahi, an organization teaching grade school children about Philippine and Philippine-American history, people, and culture, Joy continues to be an active parent and leader at her children’s elementary school on top of pursuing her career as a librarian. Andre is a credentialed secondary school teacher as well as a youth ministry coordinator at the St. Bede Catholic Church.

Dr. Joyce Javier of Clinical Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California and an attending physician at AltaMed General Pediatrics, moderated the discussion. She is currently studying the use of community and partnered participatory research to decrease mental health stigma and prevent adolescent depression and suicide among Filipino youth by partnering with parents and community stakeholders to implement and evaluate evidence-based parenting interventions.

“What I learned about the Incredible Years is that it treats the parents as experts in their child and allows them to also promote their cultural values. This is important because promoting our cultural values has been shown to increase academic achievement, improve anger control, problem solving, decrease physical aggression, and anxiety,” Dr. Javier said.

Strengthening the connection of Filipino-Americans to their Filipino cultural heritage is central to the mission of Little Manila Rising and the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO).

Little Manila Rising is a non-profit organization founded to preserve the rich history of Filipinos in Stockton, California. In the 1920s, Stockton was home to one of the largest Filipino communities outside the Philippines but unfortunately was demolished due to gentrification.

The organization now focuses its work on environmental justice, mitigation, health, immigration, youth advocacy policy, and mental health.

The Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) is a network of high-performing, next-generation leaders who advance the Philippines and the Filipino people through their advocacy and expertise in various industries. Established in 2012, through the partnership of the Philippine Embassy and the Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI), the program fosters collaborative multinational relationships between its participants and the Philippines and thus create opportunities for innovations and support the socio-economic progress of the global Filipino community.

FYLPRO’s COVID-19 Task Force developed the Tayo Help Desk that provides vital, trustworthy, and culturally relevant information to help Filipinos navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tayo’s pilot launch location is Los Angeles, California.

25 February 18-24, 2021

 COMMUNITY NEWS

Carson’s Dignity Health Sports Park to serve as Covid vaccination site CARSON, CA - Dignity Health Sports Park is serving as a large-scale COVID-19 vaccination drive-thru site from Monday, February 15, 2021 thru Friday, February 19, 2021 by appointment.

Dignity Health Sports Park located at 18400 Avalon Blvd. in Carson currently will provide the vaccine to citizens 65 and older who are eligible for vaccination. To stay up to date on coronavirus vaccination timelines, log on to http:// vaccinatelacounty.com/.

The City of Carson also offers a “no out-of-pocket cost” COVID-19 testing at the Congresswoman Juanita Millen-

der-McDonald Community Center located at 801 E. Carson Street in Carson, Mondays-Thursdays, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. by appointment. To make an appointment, log on to https://ushealthfairs.org/ carson-testing/.

“As the Carson City Council continues our fight against COVID-19 in Carson, we are proud to join forces with Dignity Health in providing COVID 19 vaccinations for our residents and others,” Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes said. “Working together with Dignity Health and many others, I am confident we will defeat this virus. Until then, help

us save lives, wear a mask, practice social distancing, build your immune system and watch out for others. My sincere thanks again to Dignity Health for stepping up to vaccinate those that have been hit hard by the pandemic.”

The City of Carson offers a variety of COVID-related services. To find out more about these services, please log on to http://covid19.carson.ca.us/ or call the Carson Resource Hotline at (310) 9521750. The hotline is available Mondays thru Thursdays, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

For more information or to make an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccina-

tion at Dignity Health Sports Park, please log on to http://myturn.ca.gov. Please bring proof of age (driver’s license, state ID, or passport).

Complimentary taxi rides to Carson residents for COVID-19 vaccinations at Dignity Health at no-cost to the riders on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 thru Friday, February 19, 2021. Rides will be free to all eligible Carson residents who have made an appointment through Dignity Health. Riders will be staying in the car throughout the entire drive-thru process.

For more information or to schedule a ride, call (877) 392-1770.

People from ethnic communities are dying disproportionately from coronavirus but are not the ones being vaccinated By: Jenny Manrique, EMS Some 55% of COVID-19 fatalities in California are Latino while AfricanAmericans in New York have the highest rates of hospitalization for coronavirus.

Yet neither state is reporting racial data about who receives vaccines.

According to the Kaiser Family Foun-

in Mississippi 17% of Blacks have been vaccinated but their infection rates reach 38%.

Colorado has vaccinated only 6% of Latinos while Latino infection rates reach 37%; in Oregon only 6% have been vaccinated while 35% have been infected, while inTexas only 16% of have received the vaccine despite representing 43% of

trenches fighting COVID and when they ask for help they are told no repeatedly,” said Dr. David M. Carlisle, president and CEO of the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

“This is the hidden face of healthcare.

These are the disparities and why people are so concerned about health care … it is unethical and inhumane.”

Carlisle said he is concerned that vaccines are being distributed to commercial pharmacies located in “areas that do not reflect the ethnic diversity” in California such as Huntington Beach, Irvin and Newport Beach while large vaccination centers like the Dodger Stadium run out of doses and have to close. “It is a failure of our public health policy.”

From le� to right: Dr. Daniel Turner-Lloveras, La�no Coali�on Against COVID-19; Adam Carbullido, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Associa�on of Asian Pacific Community Health Organiza�ons; Virginia Hendrick, Execu�ve Director of the California Condation (KFF) vaccine monitor, only 23 states in the country share vaccination data by race and ethnicity, and the persistent pattern is that Black and Hispanic people have been vaccinated at very low rates in proportion to infections and deaths from the virus.

“This needs to be immediately corrected,” said Dr. Daniel Turner-Lloveras, founding member of the Latino Coalition against COVID-19 at an Ethnic Media Services press briefing on Feb. 12. “If we are unable to measure and quantify the disparity, it is very difficult to find a solution (to the pandemic).”

According to Turner-Lloveras, the first step to achieving an equitable distribution is to ensure that all states report racial data on who receives the vaccine.

Data analyzed by KFF shows that the largest gaps between states reporting numbers by race are in Delaware where only 6% of those vaccinated are Black, although they account for 24% of the infections. In Louisiana, African Americans have received 13% of vaccinations but suffered from 34% of the infections and

cases. The KFF data shows the same vaccination gaps for Native Americans and Asian Americans.

“We need a gigantic digital patient engagement project…with virtual town halls in every neighborhood providing information in the languages people speak,” said the doctor, adding that this is the only way to achieve herd immunity and return to some kind of normalcy.

Long-standing disparities Disparities in access to healthcare are not new, but COVID-19 has exacerbated them. The health system was unprepared for a pandemic in which ethnic minorities had to resort to underfunded community health centers which are short of beds and acute medical devices.

This is the case at Martin Luther King Hospital in Los Angeles, which needed to call for reinforcements to transfer its most critical COVID patients to other hospitals for oxygenation. All too often, surrounding hospitals refused to receive MLK patients due to lack of insurance.

“MLK staff work 24 hours in the

Great Team Work with Full or Part-time long term employee(s) HIRING Experienced Caregivers for Daily and Hourly Shifts Competitive Pay + Flexible Hours

Requirements: • 3 professional references • Proof of eligibility to work in the US

 COMMUNITY NEWS

February 19-25, 2021

26

Californians have new Incentive for going electric on their next vehicle: Up to $1,500 off the price PG&E, Air Resources Board, other utilities team up to offer the California Clean Fuel Reward — a point-of-purchase price reduction for eligible vehicles

SAN FRANCISCO. — California has a new incentive for going electric. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and other electric utilities have teamed up with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to offer the California Clean Fuel Reward, a point-of-sale price reduction of up to $1,500 off the purchase or lease of any eligible, new electric vehicle (EV). Consumers can receive this instant price reduction at any participating automotive retailer.

“The goal of the program is to accelerate the number of electric vehicles on California’s roads and highways,” said CARB Vice-Chair Sandy Berg. “The instant point-of-sale price reduction of up to $1,500 will help make these ultraclean cars more affordable, especially for low-income families or those living in disadvantaged communities.”

The California Clean Fuel Reward is available to everyone in California and taking advantage of the reward is easy.

When buying or leasing an EV at an enrolled retailer in California, the retailer

will simply include the reward in the transaction at the point of sale. The customer does not need to do any paperwork after the sale to receive the reward.

Lists of enrolled retailers and eligible battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles are on cleanfuelreward.com, which will be continually updated as new retailers and EV models are added.

More than 20 cars from 15 manufacturers are eligible for the reward including 2021 models eligible to receive the full $1,500. PG&E recommends customers explore the entire list of available vehicles and rewards.

The California Clean Fuel Reward can be combined with existing post-sale federal, state and local incentives, such as the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, Clean Cars 4 All, and the Clean Vehicle Assistance Program, to potentially help customers save over $10,000 on their EV purchase.

PG&E EV Resources PG&E’s EV Savings Calculator helps customers who are considering purchas-

ing or leasing an EV to compare cars and evaluate total cost of ownership of an EV compared to gas-powered cars. The tool provides customers with a personalized recommendation that includes estimated costs, savings, and rebates or incentives of up to approximately $10,000.

Additionally, the EV Savings Calculator allows customers to explore EV rate options available to them for residential charging and find public charging stations in their area. Since launching two years ago, the tool has helped more than 350,000 users calculate their savings.

To learn more about PG&E’s support and resources for customers with EVs, visit pge.com/ev.

More Information on the California Clean Fuel Reward The California Clean Fuel Reward is funded by electric utilities participating in CARB’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Program. From its beginning in 2011, the LCFS has helped cleaner fuels displace more than 16 billion gallons of liquid petroleum fuels. The program al-

lows producers of clean fuels, such as electric utilities, to generate credits they can sell to producers with more carbonintense products. Sales of those credits fund programs such as the California Clean Fuel Reward program.

Southern California Edison is administering the program on behalf of, and in collaboration with, all participating utilities.

For more information, customers can visit cleanfuelreward.com, email info@ cleanfuelreward.com or call 1-800-8800320.

About PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 23,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.

L.A. County meets threshold to reopen Grades TK-6 Public Health reports 120 new deaths, 1,260 new Covid-19 cases

By Jo Erlinda Yabut LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has confirmed 120 new deaths and 1,260 new cases of COVID-19. The lower number of deaths and cases may reflect reporting delays over the holiday weekend.

To date, Public Health identified 1,169,550 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 19,215 deaths. There are 2,964 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 31% of these people are in the ICU. The department said the state updated the metrics that characterize the amount of transmission in a county and what restrictions must be followed to reduce transmission. L.A. County remains in the purple tier and transmission continues to be widespread, it said.

Los Angeles County’s adjusted case rate is now 20 cases per 100,000 people and our seven-day average daily test positivity rate is 7.2%. The average daily cases, adjusted case rate, and positivity rate are steadily declining after peaking in January.

LA County’s adjusted case rate has remained under 25 new cases per 100,000 people for five consecutive days, meeting the State requirements for schools to open on-site learning for grades TK through 6, the department reported.

Students in grades TK through 6 are permitted for on-site learning if the school is in full compliance with state and county directives, it said adding many of the directives are not new and very familiar to schools that re-opened under the waiver program or for services for high need students.

These include: Masking and distancing will be required for all staff and students.

Infection control happens everywhere.

Each classroom must form a stable group with fixed membership and they may not mix with other groups, meaning all onsite school activities will happen with this same cohort of students and adults. The size of the stable group is dependent on ensuring optimally 6 feet of distance between students and teachers.

Schools are required to immediately report to Public Health clusters of 3 or more positive cases of COVID-19 that have occurred within 14 days of one another.

Schools are required to complete and post the County’s school re-opening checklist that demonstrates compliance with all required safety protocols.

The state added the following additional requirements: Schools must complete a COVID-19 Safety Plan that includes establishing the CAL/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Program.

Schools are required to consult with labor, parent and community organizations regarding re-opening plans.

Schools must ensure sufficient ventilation in classrooms and shared spaces per the ASHRAE (American Society of heating, refrigerating, and air conditioning engineers) guidance on ventilation and have an appropriate professional evaluate the ventilation system in regards to the ASHRAE guidance.

Schools are required to have a testing plan that includes symptomatic testing and surveillance testing.

The Department of Public Health said it will be conducting site visits providing technical assistance to schools and helping schools manage outbreaks when they occur.

“It is understandable some parents may not currently feel comfortable sending their children back to school for onsite learning. Schools offering on campus learning opportunities should also continue to offer 100% distance learning opportunities. Please remember that it is the decision of the school district or the school as to whether they will reopen for onsite learning for grades TK through 6,” the department said in a statement sent to Philippine News Today.

The department said elementary schools in LA County fall into two groups: those that are already open for inclassroom instruction for an entire class

of students in grades TK-2 through the waiver program and those that are not open for full-grade in class instruction.

Schools already open through an approved waiver need to post their COVID Safety Plan (CSP) prior to expanding in-class instruction to students grades 3 through 6, the department said, adding there are 297 elementary schools with approved waivers.

Schools not yet open need to submit their required COVID Safety Plan for review by CDPH and LA County Public Health, along with completing the county re-opening protocol checklist. If no concerns are noted in seven working days by either the state or county health departments, they are permitted to open on day eight as long as they follow the safety requirements and protocols detailed in state and county directives.

Twelve school districts have submitted their CSPs and are currently approved for re-opening, including LAUSD. Two districts are pending review of their CSPs. One hundred and seventy-three private or charter schools have submitted their CSPs, which have been reviewed, and these schools can re-open, and seven private or charter schools have CSP s under review.

For grades 7 through 12, reopening will not be permitted until our case rate drops below 7 per 100,000 people.

27 February 18-24, 2021

Upside...

(From Page 11)

If the current Philippine president has a say on who succeeds him – and then cheats massively to make sure the chosen one wins -- then I can only have one of two mindsets.

I will either pray “God save the Philippines,” or cry “God damn you Philippines, what is wrong with your damn voters?”

Immigrant’s story...

(From Page 13)

of Filipino communities-- from the old Manilatown of San Francisco, Little Manila of Stockton, and Filipino town of Los Angeles to the thriving “newer” Filipino communities in Daly City, Vallejo, Union City, West Covina, and Carson. *** Why is immigration reform needed? Why is it timely? Many sectors in the U.S. economy rely on “underground employment” because the present immigration laws do not address their need for workers. There is also a long backlog for family-based visas and the issue of undocumented immigrants and youths who are already in the U.S. are left unaddressed by our lawmakers, particularly by Congress. There are lessons that can be learned, not to mention the benefits that the U.S. gained as a nation, after the INA of 1965 was passed. It’s about time for the present lawmakers in Congress to look back and perhaps learn from their predecessors who did their country good.

Health & Wealth IVSF co-owners Jason Angeles and Ronnie Taylor prep meals for delivery to frontliners and vulnerable folks.

Courtesy IVSF

So successful, the program is expanding statewide to Historic Filipino Town in Los Angeles County and Little Manila in Stockton, San Joaquin County.

The effort caught the eye of the New York Times, which highlighted how Danganan drew inspiration from his nurse-girlfriend’s humanitarian undertaking to rally his allies for a similar course of action.

The diverse collective includes once or currently existing brickand-mortar and popup restaurants and caterers like Mestiza and Little Skillet, Manila Bowl, IVSF and SF Chicken Box, FK Frozen Kuhsterd, Nick’s Kitchen, Ox and Tiger, Sarap Shop, Senor Sisig, JT Restaurant and Pinoy Heritage. They collaborated with UCSF, Seton and Alta Bates Hospitals, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, Stanford Hospital Patient Care, United Playaz, SomCan, West Bay Pilipino Multi-service Center, Sutter Health-Mills Peninsula and Laguna Honda to fulfill prep and delivery of 10,000 meals.

The KPIX 2020 Jefferson Awards for Public Service singled out two of the leading participants to receive the accolade. Launched by the American Institute on Public Service in 1972, the awards recognize individuals for “multiplying good,” its mantra for the power of service.

Business partners Jason Angeles and Ronnie Taylor co-own IVSF, a catering service offering a “unique culinary experience” focusing on the “4 elements, the 4 corners of the world and the 4 seasons.” They were celebrated with other honorees at the Jan. 27 virtual ceremony.

“It means a lot to me that we are recognized for the hard work our team has provided during these times and hopefully we can influence others to help the community as much as possible, as they are the backbone of our culture and way of life that we live in today,” said Marikina City-born Taylor, who lauds his father Daniel Taylor and older sister Rean for lighting his way toward the culinary road.

“We’re inspired by all the chefs that have come before us, creating a path for us to follow. Without them, there is no us,” Angeles concurred. “We didn’t donate to expect anything in return. We donate to help our Filipino community during these tough times. The Jefferson award was a pleasant surprise. Our hope is that our donations would pave the way for others to follow suit.” - Adapted from original reprinted with permission from Positivelyfilipino.com.

TO BE CONCLUDED

Offline

(From Page 13)

He may have been advised to march alongside the Chinese president, but he must have felt so inferior to Xi that he broke protocol to send the message that he, the Philippine president, is a subordinate of the Chinese leader, ergo the Philippines is also under the thumb of China.

If Duterte is expecting Biden to make nice and invite him to visit the White House before his term ends, he should be told that this is not going to happen.

So should he invite Biden to come and visit him in Malacanan Palace instead?

His administration could, but that invitation is very likely going to be rejected.

The most likely scenario is that somnambulist Rodrigo Duterte will spend his last remaining time in office realizing then regretting the countless crimes committed by him and his people in the name of his failed presidency.

As for the US, the State Department will adopt a wait-and-see attitude, letting the Filipino people either elect a sensible president in 2022 or yet another incompetent, lazy, or corrupt leader in the mold of Marcos, Estrada, Macapagal-Arroyo or Duterte.

Talk about a country in desperate need of a break.

(From Page 12)

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Diliman way

(From Page 12)

Cory at her office in the Guest House in the early weeks as President, I asked her, “Why are you removing elected public officials?

That is not right. You should only remove those who are notoriously undesirable.”

“But I already granted that power to Nene Pimentel. Can I take it back?” Cory replied.

“Of course you can and you should. You are the President Nene is only your agent.” I replied.

Cory never took it back. Nene Pimentel made a mess of the appointments of the officers-in-charge (OIC) of governors and mayors and, at times, even vice-governors, vice-mayors, provincial board members and city and town councilors. There was a lot of talk of graft and corruption in the appointments of OICs. Money changed hands. Many got filthy rich in Nene Pimentel’s DILG. Eventually, because of persistent talk of graft and corruption in DILG, Cory was compelled to relieve Nene as Secretary, transferred him to Malacañang as Presidential Assistant.

This was not the first time that Cory Aquino bumped off Nene Pimentel. The first time he got it was when Nene lost the vice-presidential berth in Cory’s ticket during the snap election. Cory had already decided to get Nene as her running on the recommendation of his inner circle led by Peping Cojuangco and Joker Arroyo. This is how it happened.

After Cory and his group decided to make Nene the running mate of Cory, Peping told me Cory was desperately looking for me on a very urgent matter. I told Peping I will just see Cory at his residence in Times Street the following morning It was Cris, Cory’s daughter, who greeted me and asked me to wait at the sala. When Cory came, she was as usual charming and engaging and said, “Bono, I have already decided on my running mate, I hope you’ll not get mad.”

“Who?” I asked “Nene Pimentel, “she answered and continued, “I told him in the presence of Peping.”

“I am not mad except that we have just lost the election. How can you defend Nene who has pending twenty-six cases of graft and corruption? Our issue of morality in government will go down the drain,” I replied.

“But Nene told me all the cases were already dismissed except one,” Cory answered.

“That’s not true. Would you like me to call the Tanodbayan,” I

replied, trying to lift the telephone receiver on the side table between us.

“There’s no need for that. Now, we really have a problem. I have to contact Nene. Ah, he is coming here for launch. I’ll tell him,” Cory concluded. The rest is history. Doy Laurel became Cory’s running mate. Nene and Joker Arroyo could not forgive me for my role in Cory’s decision..

Pursuit of the agenda: To advance the agenda of the Cory crowd, the Cory band organized a revolutionary government. The purpose was to dismantle the Marcos legal apparatus and influence as well as the control of the government by the UNIDO led by Doy Laurel.

Before the abolition of the Batasang Pambansa (Praliament), Doy assumed the position of Prime Minister. He was Prime Minister for a few days. With the abolition of the Batasan, his position of Prime Minister was abolished as a matter of course.

With the establishment of the revolutionary government and abolition of the Batasan, Cory and his band took compete control of government. But even before Cory established the revolutionary government, she organized the Presidential Commission On Good Government (PCGG). Cory, on the advice of Senator Jovito Salonga, took custody of the alleged ill-gotten wealth of Marcos and his cronies. The agency dealt with a lot of commission with nothing good coming out from it for the government. Senator Salonga whose record in public service was unblemished got tarnished as head of PCGG. Business mogul Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, considered one of the biggest Marcos crony, and I had this conversation at a lobby of a five star hotels in Los Angeles, California in 1989. It went this way: Danding – Bono, you and Cory committed a mistake by organizing PCGG. You gave us a chance to litigate. Having established a revolutionary government, all you needed to do was confiscate our properties.”

Me- Not me, Danding! It was Cory and Salonga who committed the mistake. If I became Secretary of Justice, I would have done exactly what you said. I would have confiscated all your properties, including you.

Danding – Thanks God, you did not become Secretary of Justice.

Relatives and friends: There is one interesting facet of Cory’s character – she was very generous to his family and some select friends. As head of her band she tolerated and allowed violation of laws by family members and select friends.

Before our parting of the way, I had this conversation with Cory also at her office at the guest house.

“Cory, you should ask her to return the Imelda jewels to the government, “I said, referring to the scandalous rumors in the grapevine that a Cory relative took half of the huge chunk of the Imelda jewels.

Cory did not say a word of agreement or denial Due to her silence, I did not bring to her attention anymore the case of an in-law getting back a corporation together with other corporations previously acquired by a Marcos relative which were valued in tens of millions for a song. I did not also raise the issue anymore of a media network worth billions which Cory gave to its owners for a song, too.

Graft and corruption: As the Cory administration coursed along, there was rampant graft and corruppion. In the words of the late Abul Khayr Alonto, Chairman of the Muslim Federal Party, one time Vice-Chaairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and a disappointed ardent Cory admirer and supporter, graft and corruption during Cory’s time run like this - “Before the time of Marcos, graft and corruption was under the table; during the time of Marcos, it was over the table; but during the time of Cory, it was including the table.”

What was scandalous is the crimes were committed by those who claimed they were saints when they were not even angels. Pretense is always despicable, especially by those who rose to power on the wings of high morality.

Electoral tampering: The other heinous crime the Cory government committed was tampering with the senatorial 1987 election – the first national election after Cory’s installation. As records show from the evidence gathered by individuals working in the COMELEC – the Opposition Grand Alliance for Democracy *GAD) garnered twelve out of the twenty-four seats contested, the Cory PDPLABAN got ten while two were still being fought between the two opposing groups.

How was this done? The Cory crowd padded the results of the elections in every congressional district. But why did Comelec do it? According to an authoritative source, Cory met with the Comelec commissioners a week before the election with specific instruction that she should have a majority in the new Senate – with special emphasis that former Senator and Cebu Governor Rene Espina and former Member of Parliament and Misamis Oriental Governor Homobono A. Adaza should not be in the winning circle.

Comelec did an over kill. It proclaimed twentytwo PDP-Laban winners and only two GAD winners – former Defense Scretary Johnny “Ponce” Enrile and former Mayor Joseph ”Erap” Estrada.

Other than the two, ten of us won the elections but we lost the proclaimation.

This is the most scandalous dagdag bawas (add and subtract) scheme in the history of Philippine elections.

 HEALTH NEWS

February 18-24, 2021

28

WHO okays emergency use listing for AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine GENEVA/NEW YORK/OSLO - The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) and the World Health Organization (WHO), as co-leads of the COVAX initiative for equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines, alongside key delivery partner UNICEF, welcomed reports that two versions of the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine have been given WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL).

The announcement means that two versions of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine, produced by AstraZeneca-SK Bioscience (AZ-SKBio) and the Serum Institute of India (AZ-SII), are now available for global rollout through the COVAX Facility.

Building on the early information provided in the interim distribution forecast published on 3 February 2021, COVAX will now complete the process of final Q1/Q2 allocations of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine to Facility participants. Information on these final allocations will be communicated to all participants and published online the week of February 22nd.

In order for doses to be delivered via this first allocation round, several critical pieces must be in place:

· All Facility participants must have given national regulatory authorisation for the vaccines in question, a process which can be expedited by issuing special authorisations for use based on granting of WHO EUL. · All Facility participants must have signed indemnity agreements with the manufacturers in question in order to receive doses through COVAX. The COVAX Facility is helping to facilitate the process of getting these agreements in place. In particular, COVAX is supporting AMC-eligible participants by negotiating a template indemnity agreement on their behalf – saving time and resources – and establishing a no-fault compensation mechanism and fund. · AMC-eligible economies must have submitted National Deployment and Vaccination Plans (NDVPs) through the COVID-19 Partners Platform, that have then been reviewed and validated by COVAX. In preparation for the unprecedented global rollout, COVAX partners have been working closely with all Facility participants for many months, providing support for regulatory and indemnity and liability issues as well as the submission of completed NDVPs. Throughout this

process, Facility participants have been moving at speed to ensure all preparations are in place for the first deliveries.

As participants fulfil the above criteria and finalise readiness preparations, COVAX will issue purchase orders to the manufacturer and ship and deliver doses via an iterative process. This means deliveries for this first round of allocation will take place on a rolling basis and in tranches.

Due the high number of doses available as well as the high number of countries getting ready for delivery in Q1 2021, the capacity of supplier and freight forwarders will be under considerable pressure. Shipment timelines will be impacted by logistical preparedness and delivery lead times, which may vary depending on the location of the receiving participant.

Based on this, COVAX anticipates the bulk of the first round of deliveries taking place in March, with some early shipments to those that have already fulfilled the above criteria, occurring in late February. More information related to these first deliveries will be shared in the coming days.

Lifestyle and longevity Heart of Hope

Wisdom, discipline, and lifestyle play a great role in people’s longevity. The COVID-19 pandemic is a good example.

While seniors, especially those with health issues, are more prone to get infected, a great majority of them have been so careful and vigilant, they have PHILIP S. CHUA eluded the virus, compared to careless, arrogant younger ones who were not so disciplined, got infected, many of them dying anyway, in spite of what their genetic code for lifespan was.

According to the University of Minnesota, deaths among young people, ages 25 to 44 in New York, was around 38%, as of December 17, 2020. That’s almost half of the death rate for seniors. Indeed, a healthy lifestyle impacts longevity.

COVID-19 cases worldwide is almost 110 million, with about 2.5 million deaths; USA - nearly 28.5 million cases and almost half a million deaths; and The Philippines – about 553,000 and around 12,000 deaths.

Almost 180 million doses of the anti-COVID-19 vaccines have been administered worldwide. In the USA, about 55 million, or about 11.6 percent of the US population, have received the vaccines. Around 12.6 million doses a day are being administered.

Only about a century ago, the average lifespan of American men was 46, and today it is 78.93, an added bonus of 32.93 years, according to statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Biologists have estimated that the human body has the potential to last 120 years, if not abused, and properly cared for. The “fountain of youth” appears to be a healthy lifestyle. How we live will forecast 75% of how far we can get.

There are a few “strategies” proven by scientific researches which can maximize longevity. The studies also “calculated” how many “added years” each regimen will confer upon the person who uses any of them.

While the benefits are not cumulative, the more strategies one uses, the greater the chance of enjoying a longer life.

For instance, cutting down on the use of cell phone while driving adds 45 seconds to your life for each call you do not make. According to Dr. Donald A. Redelmeier of the University of Toronto, everyday, 99 years of life are lost because of driving accidents while one driver is on the phone.

Having sex often, if possible, and live longer.

Studies revealed that there is an inversely proportional “dose-response” relationship between orgasms and heart problems. The more sex, the lesser the risk of suffering a heart malady. One study of 918 men, showed that those who had sex the most often had 50% less risk of death from heart ailment.

Cutting down on calorie intake (amount of food you eat) by one third of what you now eat, can lower cholesterol and increase your life by 2 to 3 years. Leaving the dining table less than full is a healthy practice.

A UCLA School of Public Health study shows that men who took 300 mg vitamin C or more a day, lived 5.5 year longer than those whose intake was less than 50 mg. Getting enough vitamin C from vegetables and fruits is best way of doing it.

Helping your spouse take care of your children has been found to increase longevity.

Lowering the cholesterol from 239 to 200 adds 6 months to one lifespan, and dropping a high level of 300 down to 200 gives an additional 4 years to life. This can be achieved by diet, exercise, and if needed, by cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Go to church twice a week and extend your life to 7-14 years longer, as reported in Demography.

Besides, learning abstinence from tobacco and alcohol, religion in this case also provides strong social and psychological ties and other good practices conducive to a healthier lifestyle.

A research has shown that an active social life can add nearly 10 years to life. Those with practically no friends, minimal social contacts, live 4.5 years shorter.

Among 10,000 men studied, those who have the highest level of aerobic fitness lived 8.7 years longer than those least-fit individuals.

Having regular medical check-up increases longevity by 2 to 3 years, by preventing diseases and detecting diseases in their early, curable, stages.

Eating less red meat extends life up to 9 years.

A diet of fish, soy, legumes and beans, and other vegetables, increases life expectancy by 13%. Limiting red meat to 3 ounces twice a week, if not eliminating it totally, in exchange for chicken meat, will do the trick.

Get a dog and walking him every day will add 5 years to your life. The studies at the Cooper Institute reported that men who walked briskly for 30 minutes a day, five times a week, prolong their lifespan by five years.

Those who abstained from tobacco live five years longer, compared to smokers. Alcoholic die at least 8 years sooner than disciplined imbibers or non-

drinkers.

A normal or medically-controlled blood pressure increases your longevity by five to 5.3 years. The standard normal blood pressure level, which used to be 120/80, has been lowered to about 115/70. You can cut your risk of dying by 13% in the next two decades by ignoring fast food fries/hamburger chains, as borne out by a study on 3,000 men. Also, controlling body weight to normal confers between 8 to 20 added months to longevity.

Believe it or not, a study on 7,841 men showed that those who ate 3 candy bars (dark chocolates, especially) per month, regularly, lived one year longer than those who did not. But those who ate 3 or more sweets a week had 30% increased risk of premature death.

While curiosity kills the proverbial cat, inquisitiveness among seniors has been found to increase their lifespan by five years. “Higher curiosity levels may mean better adaptation to changes, stress or challenges,” said Dr. David Larson of the National Institute of Healthcare Research.

People who have stomach aches and who availed themselves of prompt medical care to cure their ulcer add 2.3 years to their life, some saving their life from early cancer with gastro-endoscopy A study conducted by a Scottish neuropsychologist on 1000 eccentrics found that those “unencumbered by the usual stupid worries that so-called normal people obsess over, live 5 to 10 years longer.” Professional men live 2.6 years longer than average, and unskilled workers live about 4.6 shorter life than average.

Cheers! Studies from Harvard found that disciplined “men who had two to six drinks per week had a 21 to 28 percent lower risk of death from all causes than did abstainers.” I’ll drink to that.

Mr. Bartender, a glass of Oregon Pinto Noir, please.

The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Public Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and anti-graft foundation in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com

29 February 18-24, 2021

NEWS  NATIONAL VIEWS & COMMENTS

UNGRATEFUL PEOPLE

By TIM PEDROSA

There is a secret to happiness and it is gratitude. Happy people are grateful, ungrateful people cannot be happy.

We tend to think that it is being unhappy that leads people to complain, but I have learned that it is complaining that leads to people becoming unhappy. Become grateful and you will become a happier person. Some people are not loyal to their benefactors; they are only loyal to their needs. Once their needs change, so does their loyalty. We see a person’s true colors when we are no longer beneficial to their life. Some are so ungrateful and inconsiderate.

Many of us don’t mind doing favors but we hate being taken for granted. We need to stop doing things for someone who only expect but do not appreciate.

Ungrateful people breed negativity. No one gets any pleasure from giving to an ungrateful person; when we show appreciation, the object of our attention blossoms and flourishes.

Toxic people demand constant attention to satisfy their high sense of entitlement and inflated ego. Let us protect our peace, remove ourselves from the space of ungrateful people. Sometimes some people don’t learn to respect us until we are no longer around for them to disrespect us. Never put them first, if we always come last; never give all, if we only get half. Ungrateful people are generally impossible to please no matter how much you help them. Don’t let them drag you down. Stay positive and keep moving forward. Have you ever gone out of your way to help someone and then find out how ungrateful they really are? Why should we do most for people who are doing the least for us? The sad thing is, we try to help but still we are the bad one. Happiness will never come to those who don’t appreciate what they already have. Some ungrateful people will never appreciate whatever we do for them, until we cut them off completely from our life. Sometimes people don’t notice the things we do for them until we stop doing it. Some people push us to our limits but when we finally explode and fight back, we are the mean one. I will always be grateful to all those ungrateful people in my life, because they have taught me how I don’t want to be. Why is ingratitude so prevalent today? The gratitude and thankfulness exhibited in previous generations have all but disappeared! Why? And what can we do to make sure we are grateful? Selfish people lose so much in life, because even when they realize they are wrong, they don’t know how to ask for forgiveness nor show regrets. We are sometimes devoted to people who will never appreciate our value, if we constantly give them the little that they do value from us, at their convenience; and at our expense. God grant us the serenity to accept selfish ungrateful people for who they are and the courage not to become bitter and the wisdom not to let it ever happen again. As you get older and wiser, you realize that when people are given anything without having to earn it (unless they are physically or mentally utterly incapable of earning anything), they become ungrateful and lazy. They also become less happy – Dennis Prager.

As you get older and wiser, you realize that when people are given anything without having to earn it (unless they are physically or mentally utterly incapable of earning anything), they become ungrateful and lazy. They also become less happy.

Dennis Prager

Giving Up Something of Value Our Lord Jesus told us, “…If anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Mt. 16:24),” From our childhood years, and to the kids of today in their religious education program, we were encouraged to give up something during Lenten Season.

So, a kid would say, “I will give up on chocolates,” another, “I will give on ice cream,” still another venturing to something personal will say, “I will give up saying bad words.” Things or food are usually in the list of those that are being given up; whatever may be given up, this devout practice is not only for kids. The giving up on something good or of value is not only a lesson for kids to learn, it is for all of us; it is our way of following Jesus carrying our cross, and to imitate Him who gave up Himself for our salvation. We must remind ourselves too, that by giving up on something of value, kids or us adults learn REV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD to be generous; that giving, as act of love, do not have boundaries and conditions, we give from what we have, and if there will be the opportunity to offer the ultimate sacrifice of one’s life; then, that also can be given. But the sacrifice of oneself only happen, if we have accustomed ourselves to be a giver.

Thus, we are taught to give up on something of value from our childhood years; so that, we can know how to give bigger things or bigger sacrifices, not just on chocolates.

As adults, have you, dear reader, ever reflected deeply on this topic and are you practicing it? I have friends and acquaintances, who do practice this offering up or giving up on something during Lent. However, oftentimes what is given is still the same thing while still a kid, like chocolates, or sweets, or food. And come to think of it, as adults, are chocolates or sweets really the things of value in your life? Do these food stuff that you give up during Lent are in fact ways for you to make some big sacrifice for love of the Lord Jesus?

Some likes the Lenten Season as reason to lose weight, for the fact that there is a greater push not to eat sweets or high calory food, and even skip some meals for fasting. We maybe willingly fast and abstain meat as is encouraged for us during Fridays of Lent; as such we feel good and a help to our losing weight. However, of deeper thought, are you using the fasting and abstinence for your own ends or are you doing it for love of the Lord?

Which is actually the primary motive? By the way, there are only two days, Ash Wednesday and Holy Friday, that are by obligation to have fasting and abstinence, all other Fridays during Lent, we may not fast, but we are to abstain from meat, or do some other form of sacrifice when for valid reasons we cannot have abstinence. The main idea is to have some form of sacrifice, something of value to offer up, that truly expresses our sharing of Christ’s suffering for our sins.

Dear reader, we cannot take for granted what the Lord Jesus has done for us. He gave up something of greatest value to Him, He offered Himself as living sacrifice for our salvation. Giving up on something of value or being asked or encouraged by Our Mother Church to make some sacrifice should not be considered burdensome, or something of an old practice that in our time no longer make sense. Making some form of sacrifice to partake of Christ’s suffering and for atonement of our own sins will always make sense. We are bombarded in our time that people can choose how they want to live their Lenten Season, or can choose what they can offer to God. I understand that, but the human tendency to least resistance is mostly the one that wins; and so, Lent comes and goes without living it fully; that is, with personal participation to the Lord’s Paschal Mystery. Dear reader, does Lent call you to make some personal sacrifice as your way of reciprocating the love of Jesus Christ for you? Giving up on something of value is nothing compared to what our Lord has done for us, so never hesitate, we must, to find what is of value to us to make it as our sacrificial offering to Him. Maybe offer on lessening time watching television, playing your cellphone, or video games. In our giving up or saying no to something good can also be boosting our will to say no to choosing and doing the bad. Giving up something of value for love of the Lord during Lent and beyond has countless benefits to our spiritual life. Amen. You can also find this article in my website, faithexpressions.org; view us too in YouTube, Faith Expressions, for other reflections and faith formation videos.

Aflame The Heart

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

31 February 18-24, 2021  NATIONAL NEWS

 FOOD & TRAVELS

 FOOD & TRAVELS

Recipe of the Week Braised Chicken Wings with Tausi Ingredients: 1 kilo chicken wings, cut at the joints into nibbles 1/2 cup tausi, salted black beans, drained and rinsed 3-5 pcs. dried red chili 1/2-3/4 cup soy sauce 2 tsp. garlic powder 1-2 tbsp. sugar 2-3 pcs. star anise 1/4 cup cornstarch salt

Cooking procedure: In a large sauce pan place the chicken and all the other ingredients except the tausi and salt. Add in 4-6 cups of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until chicken wings are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add in the tausi and correct saltiness if required. Thicken sauce with cornstarch diluted in 1/4 cup of water and cook for another half a minute until the sauce thickens. Serve hot with a lot of rice.

INTRAMUROS: Now open for domes�c and foreign tourists

Fort Santiago, 2 other Intramuros sites reopen

MANILA – The walled city of Intramuros has reopened three of its sites – Fort Santiago, Casa Manila Museum, and Baluarte de San Diego.

In an announcement, the Intramuros Administration said only visitors aged 15 years to 65 years would be allowed inside.

“Dungeons, Museo ni Rizal, Asean Gardens, and other sites are not yet open. Only Fort Santiago, Baluarte de San Diego, and Casa Manila Museum are open until further notice,” the agency said in a Facebook post.

Regular operating hours would apply beginning February 18 – from 12 noon to 8 p.m. daily for Fort Santiago; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday for Casa Manila Museum; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday for Baluarte de San Diego.

The entrance fee for each site costs P75 for adults and P50 for students and persons with disabilities.

To prevent overcrowding, a carrying capacity would be applied where only 100 people would be allowed in Fort Santiago at a time, 15 in Casa Manila, and 100 in Baluarte de San Diego.

Guests would also be required to register their visit on Staysafe.ph app before entering any site for contact-tracing purposes.

The announcement came after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) allowed last February 12 the reopening of libraries, archives, museums, cultural centers, and limited tourist attractions, such as parks, natural sites, and historical landmarks.

The IATF assured that minimum health and safety protocols would be in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), such as the strict implementation of the “no mask, no entry” policy, physical distancing of at least one meter, and mandatory temperature and symptoms screening.

Intramuros was hailed as Asia’s leading tourist attraction in the 2020 World Travel Awards, besting world-class landmarks as India’s Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China.

Its 2020 win was the second time it secured the title after getting the award in 2016.

Tailing the Filipino destination in last year’s awards were the Angkor Temples in Cambodia, the Borobudur Temple Compounds in Indonesia, the Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, the Sengan-en and Shoko Shuseikan Museum in Japan, Victoria Peak in Hong Kong, the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Japan, and the Terracotta Warriors and The Forbidden City in China.

Beef Spareribs Adobo with Oyster Sauce