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Volume 23 - No. 27 • 2 Sections - 16 Pages

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july 8-14, 2016

SURPRISE DRUG TEST. Quezon City policemen line up during a surprise drug test as part of the continuing efforts of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s administration to rid the national police force of drug users. ManilaTimes.net photo by Mike De Juan

Duterte appoints Robredo housing chief

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Bahay Pangarap Duterte’s official residence

by Klarize Medenilla and eric anthony licas

AJPress

SECOND MEETING. President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo chat when the latter paid the Chief Executive a courtesy call in Malacañang on Monday, July 4. The two officials met for the first time during the turnover of police command in Camp Crame last week. Malacañang photo by King Rodriguez

President rodrigo duterte has appoint-ed Vice President Leonor “Leni” robredo as chief of the housing and Urban development Coordinating Council (hUdCC), martin An-danar, presidential communications secre-tary, confirmed on thursday, July 7.

robredo thanked the president for the ap-pointment and opportunity to help marginal-ized filipinos.

“mas paglilingkuran natin ang ating mga

The Pres. Duterte effect:Thousands of drugpushers, users surrenderThree of 5 PNP “narco generals”

now in Napolcom custody by eric anthony licas

AJPress

President rodrigo duterte’s promise of a bloody war on drugs convinced thousands of self-confessed drug pushers and users to surrender to police, and has led to accusations of corruption at the highest levels of law enforcement.

during a televised speech on tuesday, July 5, duterte accused three high-ranking police officials and two retired police generals of contributing to the “deterioration of law and order” by aiding Philippine drug cartels.

national Capital region Police office (nCrPo) Chief Joel Pagdilao, Western Visayas regional director Chief supt. Bernardo diaz and Quezon City Police district (QCPd) director Chief supt.

Marcos camp confident of winning cybercrime case

by JaiMe r. PilaPil and JoMar canlasManilaTimes.net

the camp of former senator ferdinand “Bongbong” marcos Jr. on monday, July 4 expressed confidence it would win a cy-bercrime complaint it brought

before the manila Prosecutor’s office against personnel of the Commission on elections (Comelec) and vote-counting

by catherine ValenteManilaTimes.net

JUst like his predecessor, Benigno Aquino 3rd, President rodrigo “rody” duterte chose Bahay Pangarap as his official residence.

duterte’s top aide, Christopher Go, said duterte will move in next week.

the Bahay Pangarap is located at the head-quarters of the Presidential security Group (PsG) across the Pasig river from malaca-ñang Palace, the office of the President.

DREAM HOUSE. Despite initial reservations, President Duterte has decided to take up official residence at Bahay Pangarap (top), where then President Benigno Aquino III used to live. Inquirer.net photo

Built in the 1930s, Bahay Pangarap was de-signed by architect Juan Arellano. it already underwent a number of renovations, with the recent one led by architect Conrad onglao in 2008.

the house was used by former presidents Gloria macapagal-Arroyo to welcome special guests. it has a swimming pool and a gar-den.

duterte earlier said he will not be living in malacañang because he believes it is haunted by ghosts.

PAsAdenA, Calif.—the California nurs-es Association (CnA) and huntington hos-pital have reached an agreement in the case of two Asian American nurses who were terminated by the hospital last year for al-legedly trying to unionize.

Under the settlement agreement an-nounced in early June, the hospital has agreed to rescind the terminations of Al-lysha Almada shin and Vicki Lin and pay them full back pay.

Almada shin received $26,701.00 in back

Fil-Am nurse reaches settlement after being terminated from hospital

Allysha Alamada Shin (right) is joined by another nurse in celebration of the settlement reached between the CNA and Huntington Hospital. Almada Shin was terminated by the hospital for trying to unionize. AJPress photo by Christina M. Oriel

by christina M. orielAJPress

pay, while Lin received $28,520.00. Both amounts shown in the agreement are be-fore taxes.

At a press conference in front of the hos-pital’s emergency department on Wednes-day, June 29, rep. Judy Chu, nurses and community leaders applauded the settle-ment.

“it definitely brings justification for what...my co-worker, Vicki, [and i] have been going through for the past nine or more months. it serves as a reminder that our fight is just, our fight is right. it’s a huge victory for all of us,” Almada shin, a 28-

VICTORY IS NEAR. Jonathan de la Cruz (left) signs documents during continuation of preliminary investigation of complaint filed by his group against personnel of the Commission on Elections and Smartmatic. ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan

Transgender troops now allowed to openly serve in military

trAnsGender troops can now enlist and serve openly in the military, the Pentagon re-cently announced.

the announcement came as a surprise after top officials voiced concerns about medical, housing and uniform issues for transgender in-dividuals.

the policy change removes one of the last military restrictions based on sex or gender identity.

Carter said that the move was a way to be all inclusive of the U.s. population to recruit as many qualified troops for a stronger military.

“We don’t want barriers unrelated to a per-son’s qualifications to serve preventing us from recruiting or retaining the soldier, sailor, air-man or marine who can best accomplish the mission,” defense secretary Ash Carter said in a press conference on thursday, June 30. “We have to have access to 100 percent of America’s population for our all-volunteer force to be able to recruit from among them the most highly qualified and to retain them.”

the move is considered a win for LGBt rights,

FBI finds Clinton ‘extremely careless’ in use of private server

Does not recommend criminal charges

fBi. director, James B. Comey said tuesday, July 5 that the organization would not recom-mend criminal charges for hillary Clinton’s handling of classified emails.

in a statement, Comey said presumptive democratic presidential nominee hillary Clin-ton was “extremely careless” for using a per-sonal, nongovernment email address, which she routed through a server in her Chappaqua, nY home.

According to the New York Times, she sent or received about two dozen emails marked “top-secret,” the highest level of classification, through that address.

“there is evidence to support a conclusion [that Clinton] should have know that an unclas-sified system was no place for that conversa-tion,” Comey said.

however to warrant a criminal charge, Comey said there needed to be evidence that Clinton intentionally sent or received classified information, which the fBi did not find.

“our judgment is that no reasonable pros-ecutor would bring such a case,” Comey said.

on friday, July 1, Attorney General Loretta

kababayang walang tahanan at maipagpatu-loy natin ang ating pangakong itulak ang kaunlaran at kaginhawaan para sa ating mga kapus palad na kababayan (i can serve our countrymen who are homeless and i can continue my promise to push for progress and improvement of the lives of our under-privileged countrymen),” she said in the statement.

Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre ii also confirmed robredo’s appointment during a press briefing. he also said the vice presi-dent was asked to attend the first cabinet

meeting on monday, July 11.historically, the vice president is usually

assigned a leading position in the president’s cabinet. robredo joins the likes of former Philippine vice presidents who have held the head positions in the hUdCC like Jejomar Bi-nay under former President Benigno Aquino, iii and noli de Castro from President Gloria macapagal Arroyo’s administration.

“many of the Cabinet members are happy (about) the development. At last the Vice President is no longer an elected officer

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july 8-14, 2016 • OC/IE ASIAN jOuRNAl http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797A�

Duterte appoints Robredo...

From the Front Page

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without a Cabinet post,” Aguirre said.

In May, Robredo had told re-porters she would prefer a job in the anti-poverty cluster. She looked forward to the position partly because providing housing for “marginalized” Filipinos was a priority for her late husband, former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo.

The appointment comes as a

surprise given that Duterte was first hesitant to assign Robredo a cabinet position. He referred to his friendship with former Secre-tary Ferdinand “Bongbong” Mar-cos, Jr. who narrowly lost the VP race to Robredo. Marcos filed a protest over Robredo’s victory.

Since her victory, Duterte had been “non-committal” about ap-pointing Robredo a cabinet posi-tion.

However, the two have gotten

friendlier since their meetings at Camp Aguinaldo for the change of command ceremony of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday, July 1 and at Malacanang on Monday, July 4.

“The past two meetings be-tween the two are very ami-able,” Aguirre told GMA News. “I believe that was the key for the president to offer her a position and for the vice president to ac-cept it.”

Marcos camp confident of winning...machine provider Smartmatic, af-ter the respondents failed to prove that they were not responsible for the “hash code” change at the height of the transmission of votes during the May 9 polls.

At the Manila Prosecutor’s Of-fice, complainant Jonathan de la Cruz, a former representative of Abakada party-list, noted that law-yers of Smartmatic and Comelec

He said the next hearing was set on July 15 at 1:30 p.m.

“If Smartmatic and Comelec will not submit any rejoinder, the case is deemed submitted for decision,” said Anna Liza Logan, lawyer of the Marcos camp.

City Prosecutor Recto Macapa-gal directed the Smartmatic legal team to submit again the affidavit of one of the respondents, Mau-ricio Herrera, who had left the country for Panama.

The affidavit of Herrera was only sworn to before a lawyer but the fiscal said it must be sworn to before a consul for it to be valid.

Other respondents in the cyber-crime case, aside from Herrera, are Marlon Garcia, Elie Moreno and Neil Banugued of Smartmatic, and Rouie Penalba, Nelson Her-rera and Frances Mae Gonzales of the Comelec.

Manila prosecutors are conduct-ing a preliminary investigation of the cybercrime complaint that is separate from the election protest filed last week by Marcos to con-test the proclamation of the Lib-eral Party’s Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo as Vice President.

If the complaint is found with merit, it will be elevated to the Regional Trial Court and the re-spondents will be arrested.

De la Cruz submitted a con-solidated reply-affidavit along with documents and news articles con-taining reports of how the script of the Comelec transparency server was changed, and statements issued thereafter by individuals like Garcia.

He noted that no less than Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon had admitted that Smart-matic and Comelec personnel “should have asked permission from the en banc” before changing the script.

The seven individuals are ac-cused of cybercrime offenses as provided under Section 4(a), (3) and (4) of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

De la Cruz informed Macapagal on Monday that two related cases had also been filed before the Comelec and the Supreme Court (SC), sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET).

The Marcos camp is urging the Comelec to audit the Automated Elections System to reveal if the servers were used to manipulate the election results in favor of Robredo.

assailed instead his competence to testify by saying he had no personal knowledge of the change in script in a computer server that processed election results.

“I am a complainant not just because I am an adviser of Marcos during the campaign period but also in my capacity as represen-tative of Abakada party-list,” de la Cruz told reporters after the hearing.

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ORIENTATION. Senator Koko Pimentel, the incoming Senate President of the 17th Congress, attends an orientation at the Recto Room, Monday, July 4. Pimentel was briefed by the Office of the Senate Secretary on the functions of the different departments and bureaus involved in the daily workings of the legislative branch. Also in photo are Pimentel’s Chief-of-Staff, Atty. Lutgardo Barbo (center), and Atty. Arnel Jose Bañas (right), Deputy Secretary for Admin and Finance. Senate photo by Romeo Bugante

FBI finds Clinton ‘extremely careless’ in...Lynch said she would accept the FBI’s recommendation, accord-ing to various media reports. Lynch has triggered controversy after meeting with former Presi-dent Bill Clinton at the Phoenix airport.

“We are pleased that the career officials handling this case have determined that no further action by the department is appropriate,” Clinton’s spokesman Brian Fallon said in a statement on Tuesday. “As the secretary has long said, it was a mistake to use her personal email, and she would not do it again. We are glad that this mat-ter is now resolved.”

Many Republicans viewed Comey’s statement differently.

“The system is rigged,” pre-sumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump tweeted. “As usual, bad judgment!”

In a statement, Republican Na-tional Committee Chair Reince Priebus added, “The [FBI] con-firms what we’ve long known: Hillary Clinton has spent the last 16 months looking into cameras deliberately lying to the American people.”

The investigation had lasted for a year, in which the FBI poured over servers, emails and inter-viewed dozens of people, accord-ing to the Times.

For the investigation, Clinton’s lawyers turned over 55,000 pag-es of email to the State Depart-ment, but withheld many that she

claimed to be personal, regarding matters such as yoga classes and her daughter’s wedding.

Three days before Comey made his statement, FBI investigators interviewed Clinton -- a sign that the investigation was winding down.

The FBI investigation un-earthed additional work-related emails that Clinton failed to turn over, some of which contained classified information. However, there is no evidence those were withheld intentionally.

Comey’s statement came just hours before Clinton’s first joint campaign appearance with Presi-dent Barack Obama in North Carolina. (By Cybele Zhang / AJ-Press)

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OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL • JULy 8-14, 2016(818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 • http://www.asianjournal.com A�Dateline USa

SEIZED. PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs members and its chief Senior Supt. Albert Ferro, and a Special Action Force operative do the signature pose of President Duterte after recovering P900-million worth of illegal drugs in Claveria, Cagayan province. Inquirer.net photo by Julliane Love De Jesus

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The Pres. Duterte effect:Thousands of drug...Edgardo Tinio have all been re-lieved of their posts, according to Duterte.

The new president also lodged accusations against Vicente Loot, former PNP general and current mayor of Daanbantayan, Cebu, and former PNP Deputy Director, Gen. Marcelo Garbo Jr.

“Imbestigahan ninyo ito at ‘wag ninyo akong bigyan ng zarzuela (Investigate this and don’t give me a farce),” Duterte said.

Loot, Diaz, and Tinio have pub-licly denied the president’s allega-tions. They say the president is misinformed, and has potentially biased future proceedings by pub-licly shaming them.

“Because of that statement, I will be tried by publicity,” Loot told ABS-CBN News. “I hope I will be given a chance to face my accuser... and clear my name.”

Pagdilao, Diaz, and Tinio met privately with Duterte’s newly appointed Director General of the PNP, Ronald Dela Rosa on Wednesday, July 6 before being turned over to the National Police Commission (Napolcom). He said the accused were given a chance to tell him their side of the story, and have pledged to cooperate with the investigations against them. Dela Rosa described their meeting as “purely intimate and personal.”

“All other details sa aming usapan, sa’min na lang ‘yun. Basta malungkot sila (All other details that we spoke of are ours only. They are sad [about what is going on]),” said Dela Rosa on

Wednesday. He added that, “Kung meron man (evidence), they’re all classified [documents] …hindi ko puwedeng i-divulge (if there is also evidence, they’re all classified documents. I am not allowed to divulge [that information]). ”

Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno told the Philippines News Agency that the recently sacked PNP officials will receive a fair trial. Napolcom undertook the investigation of all five generals suspected of work-ing for drug dealers, but only has jurisdiction over active police officers.

During Tuesday’s speech, Duterte warned officials and citizens to not get involved with the drug trade, or else they face being killed.

“I’ve been warning everybody. Do not destroy my country be-cause I will kill you. Do not destroy the youth of my country because I will kill you,” he said.

Duterte’s vow to end drugs is also slated to reach the class-rooms.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones revealed on Monday, July 4 that drug education will be strengthened and taught to stu-dents, as early as the age of 10.

“I think what needs to be added are [pointers] on how children would know that they are be-ing drawn in, how they should say no, and how and where to report if they are offered illegal drugs,” Briones said, according to Inquirer.

The new president — dubbed “The Punisher” — campaigned

largely on a promise to eradicate crime in the Philippines within his first six months in office. Since his landslide victory in May, law enforcement agencies through-out the country have ramped up operations, especially against drug-related crimes.

Those who don’t surrender risk losing their lives. The president has called upon citizens to shoot suspected drug dealers that re-sist arrest, and has promised legal protection to police who kill criminals in the line of duty. Duterte has also offered boun-ties to cops for killing drug lords, while cautioning members of the police force that they are not be-yond scrutiny.

“Oo, attainable ‘yan; kaya ‘yan. Hindi kaya kung hindi tayo kikilos at ang komunidad hindi tutulong (Yes, it is attainable, we can do it. It is only not attainable if we do not move and if the com-munity will not help),” said Dela Rosa to reporters on Tuesday, May 31.

As the former director of the Davao City Police Office, Dela Rosa was credited with reducing the circulation of illegal drugs in the city by 60 percent, accord-ing to Philstar. However, human rights groups allege that Dela Rosa has connections to the “death squads” responsible for the vigilante murders of more than 1,400 people since 1998, Reuters reported.

“As far as I know, wala akong death squad. During my time, le-gitimate operations ang ginagawa

Transgender troops now allowed to openly...but the change will not happen overnight.

According to Carter, the Pen-tagon will create a training hand-book, establish new medical con-duct and provide assistance for changing a troop’s gender in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment Sys-tem (DEERS) by Oct. 1.

By that date, the military will be required to provide “medically necessary” care to transgender service members.

According to a RAND Corp study commissioned by the Pen-tagon, there are between 1,320 and 6,630 transgender troops in the active-duty force, and of those troops, up to 140 would need hor-mone treatment and up to 130 would seek gender reassignment surgery.

RAND Corp. also indicated that

Fil-Am nurse reaches settlement...year-old Filipina-American told the Asian Journal.

The two nurses, who worked in the hospital’s intensive care unit, were terminated in August of last year after spearheading a union organizing drive under the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU). They also publicly spoke about deteriorating conditions, short staffing and inadequate supplies at the hospital.

Registered nurses at the hos-pital began organizing with CNA/NNU in May 2014, but many voted against representa-tion in April 2015 after they were allegedly intimidated by hospital officials.

The union filed an unfair labor practice charge with the Nation-al Labor Relations Board (NLRB) challenging the dismissal of Al-mada Shin and Lin, which the la-bor board responded to last Jan-uary by siding with the nurses.

According to a release from the CNA, an administrative law judge for the NLRB was sched-uled to review the objections to the 2015 election as well as un-fair labor practice charges on June 6, but the settlement was reached just a few days before that.

Lin, who was not present at Wednesday’s event, said her ter-

mination was “completely wrong, unjust, and illegal,” according to a statement read aloud by Alma-da Shin.

“What happened to me is the perfect example of why nurses [at Huntington] need to stand together and not allow this hos-pital’s administration to continue to devalue their nurses,” the statement said.

Though she was given her job back, Almada Shin declined to return to Huntington and chose to stay at her current position at Keck Hospital of USC, a CNA-represented facility.

“I actually opted to not go back to work at Huntington. The main reason is because they are not organized right now, I don’t feel safe working there,” the Fil-Am nurse told the Asian Jour-nal. “The anti-union movement within the hospital [and] the anti-union harassment [are] still very strong, so I just don’t want to subject myself and put myself through that.”

The hospital has also agreed to hold a new union election for the registered nurses this October and set aside the results of the election last year. Almada Shin said she will continue helping nurses at the hospital unionize.

“When you silence the voices of nurses, patients ultimately suf-fer,” she said.

In a statement emailed to the Asian Journal, Huntington Hos-pital’s Chief Operating Officer James Noble said the election last year “rejecting union rep-resentation was lawful,” but the settlement is in the hospital’s “best interest.”

“We have the best nurses in the world and we continue to re-spect all of their rights, including their right to be represented by a union, should they so choose,” Noble said.

Since being terminated, Al-mada Shin has been vocal about advocating for nurses’ rights.

In October, she attended the White House Summit on Work-er Voice, where she spoke to President Barack Obama about her situation. She also spoke at a press conference alongside Democratic presidential candi-date Bernie Sanders and met with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

“I definitely want to encourage all of my Filipino brothers, sisters, aunties and uncles out there that you need to stand up for your-self, have a voice and be strong because this isn’t just about you — it’s about all of us together,” Almada Shin said. “This is about your children being at the hospi-tal, growing up and being nurses themselves and in health care.”

the move is estimated to leave a “minimal” impact on the military’s readiness and budget, and the new healthcare accommodations represent “an exceedingly small proportion” of the Department of Defense’s (DOD) overall medical expenses.

The projected costs for each troop’s healthcare would be as much as $50,000, according to an official from the DOD anonymously told USA Today (DOD officials are not authorized to speak publicly). The official also added that alter-ing shower facilities and sleeping quarters may be expected to cost $10 million, but it is difficult to project.

The U.S. is the 19th country to allow transgender individuals to openly serve in the military.

In February, the Department of Defense removed barriers to allow

women who meet physical stan-dards to serve in frontline combat roles. In 2011, the DOD repealed the controversial Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy that required gay and lesbian troops to conceal their sex-ual orientation to avoid discharge from the military.

“This is a historic day and for me satisfied a promise I made to a group of transgender soldiers I met two years ago,” former Pen-tagon personnel chief Brad Carson told USA Today.

Carson played a major role in the construction of the plan, and said that the move was “hard-fought and overdue.”

“I’m proud to have pushed this reform and I salute the contribu-tions transgender service mem-bers have made and will make in the future to our nation. (Klarize Medenilla / AJ Press)

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july 8-14, 2016 • OC/IE ASIAN jOuRNAl http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797A� Dateline USa

FLYING HIGH. The Philippine Air Force (PAF) showcased its assets during the celebration of its 69th anniversary on Tuesday, July 5. About 11 T-41 primary trainer aircraft and nine SF-260 basic trainer aircraft formed a “69” figure to mark the PAF’s anniversary. The PAF also demonstrated its capabilities in a simulated operation as part of its anniversary ceremonies attended by President Rodrigo Duterte at the Clark Air Base in Pampanga.

IN November, Californians will vote whether to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

The measure, called the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA), was drawn up by grassroots coalition Let’s Get It Right led by former Facebook President Sean Parker.

Promising hefty regulation and restrictions, the measure would allow Californians aged 21 years or older to purchase up to an ounce of marijuana or edibles at licensed dispensaries and would be allowed to grow up to six plants for personal use.

Notably, if the bill is passed, it would decriminalize possession of less than 1 oz. of marijuana, a prevalent criminal offense. In 2014, there were over 600,000 arrests made on marijuana pos-session; possession alone makes up for 88 percent of marijuana law violations, according to the Drug Policy Alliance.

The issue comes to ballot af-ter activists and supporters gar-nered enough signatures to call for a vote, according a press re-lease from California Secretary of State Alex Padilla.

AUMA has received over a hundred endorsements from elected officials, non-profit or-ganizations, public safety orga-nizations and individuals and community leaders.

“Our current marijuana laws have undermined many of the things conservatives hold dear - individual freedom, limited government and the right to

Californians to vote on marijuana legalizationby Klarize Medenilla

AJPressprivacy,” U.S. Rep. Dana Rohra-bacher (R-California, 48th Dis-trict), said in a statement. “This measure is a necessary reform which will end the failed sys-tem of marijuana prohibition in our state, provide California law enforcement the resources it needs to redouble its focus on serious crimes while providing a policy blueprint for other states to follow.”

The measure is projected to raise as much as $1 billion per year and reduce costs for police, courts, jails and prisons by tens of millions, state officials say. Per the initiative, most of the proceeds would be allocated to regulatory costs, research, envi-ronmental measures and youth drug prevention and treatment programs.

According to Let’s Get It Right, the measure would en-act the “strictest” protection for children.

“Today marks a fresh start for California, as we prepare to replace the costly, harmful and ineffective system of prohibition with a safe, legal and respon-sible adult-use marijuana sys-tem that gets it right and com-pletely pays off,” Jason Kinney, a spokesman for AUMA, said in a statement.

Marijuana use would be pro-hibited in areas where tobacco use is off-limits, such as restau-rants and bars.

Although supporters are re-joicing in the possibility of le-galized marijuana, the initiative is still opposed by those who see the negative effects of the drug.

“The dangers of marijuana

are pretty clear in terms of mo-torist safety, criminal activity and impacts on society,” Cory Salzillo, legislative director of the California State Sheriffs’ Association told CBS News LA. “We don’t believe that decrimi-nalization will upend the black market.”

California voters rejected a similar measure in 2010, Propo-sition 19, by a narrow margin of 7 percentage points. But sup-porters of the new bill say that the measure is likelier to be passed because there are more regulations at the state level “rather than letting locals dic-tate what happens, and comes after the state has approved a regulatory system for medical marijuana growing, transporta-tion and sales,” according to a Los Angeles Times report.

This time around, AUMA has more leverage because since the Proposition 19, other states in the west have legalized recre-ational use of marijuana.

“This is six years later,” Tay-lor West, director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, told the Times. “We’ve already seen legalization pass and be successful in other states. So it’s a different world in talking about this issue than it was.”

If passed, California would be the fifth state to legalize the tax-ing and regulation of marijuana, joining Alaska, Colorado, Wash-ington and Oregon. California would also be the 21st state to decriminalize the drug by elimi-nating criminal penalties for possession of small amounts for personal use.

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The Pres. Duterte effect:Thousands...ko. Napapatay namin ‘yung kala-ban through legitimate operations (As far as I know, I do not have a death squad. During my time, legitimate operations were what I did. We only killed our enemies through legitimate operations),” said Dela Rosa in May.

One of the strategies Dela Rosa employed in Davao, named Oplan Tukhang (Operation Plan tuktok-hangyo), sent officers to each home of a neighborhood to offer potential suspects a chance to turn themselves in. Dela Rosa has exported the tactic throughout the country since becoming the PNP’s Chief.

Almost 1,400 alleged criminals surrendered to the authorities in Quezon City, Taguig, Pasay and San Juan, two days after the president officially took office on June 30. In Leyte, Sarangani, Rizal and Pampanga, over 1,100 people turned themselves in to police. Prior to Duterte’s inaugu-ration, more than 200 people from Agusan del Sur and Sarangani had also submitted themselves to police custody in June.

“Sumuko kami dahil sa ba-tas ni Duterte. Natakot kami sa kapulisan baka anuhin kami. May pamilya kami kaya natakot kami (We surrendered because of Duterte’s law. We were scared of the police because they might [hurt] us. We have families that is

why we were scared),”Allan Looc, a drug user, told GMA News.

Drug-related killings have been on the rise since Duterte won the election last May. At least 45 peo-ple with suspected links to drug trafficking were killed in different operations in Bulacan. There have also been 63 drug-related deaths recorded in many parts of the country. Meanwhile, in Tondo, Manila, a man was found dead with a note saying “Drug Lord Ako (I am a Drug Lord).” Other bodies displaying similar mes-sages have turned up throughout the country.

“It’s going to be a dirty fight. It’s going to be a bloody fight. I am not apologizing for it,” said Duterte during Tuesday’s speech.

The uptick in murders commit-ted by police and incidents of ap-parent vigilantism has drawn the concern of human rights groups and the Catholic Church. In spite of the violence, supporters of the crackdown have told the general public that they have nothing to fear.

“I will assure the public that kami ay mga pulis, hindi kami kriminal, susunod kami sa police operational procedure (I will assure the public that we are policemen, not criminals, [and] we will follow police operational procedure),” said Dela Rosa.(With reports from Joseph Almer B. Pedrajas)

SWIMMER Natalie Coughlin, who is a quarter Filipino, will not appear at the 31st Olympiad this summer in Rio de Janeiro, Bra-zil.

The 33-year-old swimmer, who has represented the U.S. in three Olympic Games, failed to qualify in the 100-meter backstroke and 100-meter freestyle last week.

Natalie Coughlin � Photo�courtesy�of�USA�Swimming�� National�Team�website

12-time Olympic Medalist Natalie Coughlin does not qualify for Rio

by Cybele zhangAJPress

She pulled out of her final event, the 50-meter freestyle qualifier, in a press conference on Friday, July 1.

“It’s a difficult decision be-cause you train for so many hours to get to this meet and to hope-fully move onto the next stage, which is the Olympics,” Coughlin said in the press conference, ac-cording to the Washington Post. “That just didn’t work out for me this time, which is fine. I’m obvi-ously disappointed because I’ve been working so hard.”

The 5-foot-8 swimmer decided against competing in the 50-me-ter freestyle because she knew she would not swim her personal best. She had spent the majority of her training focusing on her other two events, according to USA Today.

“There are so many special [Olympic] moments I have had. Anything beyond that is icing on the cake in terms of legacy or anything like that,” Coughlin said.

Coughlin grew up in Vallejo, California with a half-Filipino mother. According to GMA News, her grandmother is from Cavite and Coughlin was “raised with a lot of Filipino culture.”

“Where I went to my first nine years in school, kindergarten through eighth grade, was pri-marily a Filipino school,” Cough-lin said in an interview with GMA News. “I was very much exposed to the Filipino culture.”

Over the course of her ca-reer, Coughlin has won three gold, four silver and five bronze Olympic medals, according to her official website. She is tied with retired swimmers Jenny Thompson and Dara Torres for most number of Olympic medals achieved by an American female in swimming.

This will probably be the end of Coughlin’s Olympic career, although she insists she is not retiring from swimming.

“I’m not announcing a retire-ment or anything like that; I’m just not going to the Olympics,” Coughlin said. “From there, I don’t know. Swimming has been a part of my life since I joined my first club team when I was six years old.”

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Dateline PhiliPPines

First bill in Congress seeks reinstatement of death penalty

US lauds PH for luring more FDI

EID’L FITR. Muslims wait for the break of the dawn at Quezon City Memorial Circle to say their prayers in celebration of Eid Al-Fitr. Eid Al-Fitr is observed as a national holiday to mark the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Inquirer.net photo by Raffy Lerma

by Jose KatigbaK Philstar.com

THE Philippines is becoming a more attractive destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) and the country’s growing middle class is quickly spending their disposable income in a stable po-litical environment, helping gross domestic product soar to an aver-age growth of 6.2 percent over the last six years, the US State Department said.

A report by the State depart-ment’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs on Tuesday said FDI in the Philippines reached $5.72 billion in 2015 with the ma-jority of investment inflows going to manufacturing, finance and insurance, real estate, wholesale and retail trade, and construc-tion.

Thanks in part to a large, edu-cated, English-speaking work-force, the business process out-sourcing and tourism industries have experienced tremendous

growth in recent years, with no signs of a slowdown, the report said.

The Philippines improved its investment climate under the Aquino administration, mak-ing strides in good governance, transparency and accountability, the report said.

Major international credit rat-ings agencies have upgraded the Philippines’ sovereign credit rat-ings to investment grade, citing robust economic performance, continued fiscal and debt con-solidation, and improved gover-nance.

Nevertheless improvements are needed, the report said.

The Philippines lags behind most ASEAN nations in attracting FDI because of limits on foreign ownership in many sectors of the economy.

Poor infrastructure, including high power costs and slow broad-band connections, regulatory in-consistency and corruption are major constraints to investment.

The Philippines’ complex, slow, and sometimes corrupt ju-dicial system inhibits the timely and fair resolution of commercial disputes. In addition, traffic and port congestion are a regular cost of business.

Investors report the Philippine bureaucracy can be difficult and opaque, and business registration and procedures are slow and bur-densome.

Overall, the investment climate of the Philippines has improved in recent years. If the country can maintain its reform momentum, continue to improve its infra-structure and relax foreign own-ership limitations, the prospects for investment would continue to brighten, the report said.

The report includes investment climate statements covering 170 foreign markets prepared primar-ily by US embassies and consul-ates overseas to assist US com-panies make informed decisions regarding investment in foreign markets.

by Marc Jayson cayabyabInquirer.net

DEATH penalty was the main push of the first bill filed in the 17th Congress under the Duterte administration.

Davao del Norte Rep. Pantal-eon “Bebot” Alvarez, President Rodrigo Duterte’s pick to be the next Speaker, filed a bill seeking to reinstate death penalty on hei-nous crimes through lethal injec-tion.

In House Bill 1 he authored with Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro, Alvarez said there is a need to reimpose death penalty because “the national crime rate has grown to such alarming propor-tions requiring an all-out offen-sive against all forms of felonious acts.”

“Philippine society is left with no option but to deal with certain grievous offenders in a manner commensurate to the gravity, perversity, atrociousness and re-pugnance of their crimes,” ac-cording to the bill.

The bill added that “the basic tenets of equity and justice de-mand that our penal system be one not only of reformation but corresponding retribution.”

Lethal injection according to the bill should be adopted as the method to carry out the capital punishment.

In the explanatory note, the authors said there is a need to re-impose death penalty because of the prevalence of heinous crimes and illegal drugs.

“There is no denying the scourge illicit drugs have foisted upon our society, and neither is there denying the audacity with which malefactors, whether un-

der the influence or otherwise, have perpetuated the most per-verse and atrocious crimes in the most repugnant of manners,” the authors said.

The authors said there is a need to reimpose death penalty as a retribution of justice against heinous criminals.

“The imposition of the death penalty for heinous crimes and the mode of its implementation, both subjects of repealed laws, are crucial components of an effective dispensation of both reformative and retributive jus-tice,” the authors said.

“It is thus, imperative, that this Congress, in the exercise of its mandate to take every conceiv-able step to protect the honor and dignity and the very life of each and every law-abiding Fili-pino, pass in the most expedi-tious manner such laws reimpos-ing the penalty of death for the most abhorrent of offenses and provide for its execution,” the authors added.

The bill sought to reimpose

death penalty on heinous crimes listed under Republic Act 7659, including murder, plunder, rape, kidnapping and serious illegal detention, sale, use and possession of illegal drugs, car-napping with homicide, among others.

The bill sought to reenact into the law Republic Act 8177 which designated lethal injection as a method of carrying out capital punishment.

According to the bill, all laws that are inconsistent with this measure would be repealed.

The bill would then repeal Re-public Act 9346, or the law signed by former President Gloria Ma-capagal-Arroyo in 2006 which abolished death penalty.

Alvarez filed the bill to fulfill the mandate of the Duterte ad-ministration to bring back death penalty as a deterrent to the ris-ing criminality and use of illicit drugs in the country.

Duterte had wanted Congress to bring back death penalty by hanging.

Incoming House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez during the Meet the Inquirer Multimedia interview at the Philippine Daily Inquirer office in Makati City. Inquirer.net photo by Richard Reyes

PNP probes human rights violations in anti-drugs operations

MANILA — The Philippine Na-tional Police (PNP) on Thursday, July 7 revealed that it also inves-tigates possible human rights vi-olations committed by policemen during anti-drug operations.

At least 30 drug suspects have been killed and more than 900 drug users and pushers have sur-rendered since the inauguration of President Rodrigo Duterte on June 30.

PNP spokesperson Senior Su-perintendent Dionardo Carlos

by Patricia Lourdes Viray Philstar.com

said the deaths in anti-drugs op-erations are automatically being investigated.

“Our Internal Affairs Service can immediately look into the case if they have violations. If they do not follow our operations protocol, we will make them an-swer,” Carlos said in an interview with ANC’s Headstart on Thurs-day.

Carlos added that police of-ficers found guilty of violating the law or procedures would face charges.

“The chief PNP has said that we will make sure that we pro-

tect the rights of the citizenry in police operations when there are deaths,” Carlos said.

Earlier this week, Duterte named five police generals alleg-edly involved in the illegal drug trade — former PNP deputy di-rector general Marcelo Garbo Jr., Director Joel Pagdilao, Chief Su-perintendents Bernardo Diaz and Edgardo Tinio and retired police general Vicente Loot.

PNP chief Director Gen-eral Ronald dela Rosa said the president might name more po-lice officials involved in illegal drugs.

Police says no ISIS presence in Davao Cityby christine c. cudis

Philstar.com

DAVAO CITY—Davao Police denied existence of the so-called Islamic State terror organization in the region and even in Mind-anao.

The city’s police director Chief Superintendent Michael John Dubria called a sudden press conference on Thursday, July 7 to clarify reports spreading that the city received threats from the international terror group.

“The information is uncon-firmed. There is no presence of ISIS here in the region and in Mindanao, not even ISIS affili-ated groups,” Dubria said.

Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte earlier said that he has ordered the police and the mili-tary to intensify intelligence monitoring to avoid possible at-tacks from the international ter-ror group.

“We are intensifying the gath-ering of information. We cannot disclose details or confirm any-thing as of yet,” Duterte said.

Dubria, however, tried to as-suage fears of those who were alarmed of the pronouncement of the vice mayor, saying the threats are not new to Davao City as ter-ror groups have always been in-terested in disrupting peace and order here.

“The city as well as the re-gion’s police always had a good coordination with the army and the marines, we are always pre-pared,” he added.

In previous reports, the Davao Police released the identities of terrorists who are operating in Mindanao as they also received information that they are going to attack during the One Love: One Nation Thanksgivng Party last June 4 at the Crocodile Park in Brgy. Maa, Diversion Road, Davao City.

“We were able to secure ev-eryone’s safety back then and thankfully, nothing bad hap-pened,” Dubria said after he admitted that they received the same kind of threats on June 4 and on Thursday.

“Sa amin naman kasi, walang not serious or serious threat, they are all threats to us and we (police) are always prepared,” he said.

Duterte, who is acting-mayor of the city until his sister Sara re-ports back for work on July 22, said that the city is facing threats from ISIS.

Dubria said that the Duterte was approached by a person who relayed the information of a pos-sible attack coming.

“Nevertheless, the police is doing their best to protect the people. The residents have noth-ing to worry about. They have to be calm but not unaware. Be vigilant, still,” Dubria ended.

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by bao NguyeN forNew america media

CommentaryIf Duterte fails, we all lose

Philstar.com photo

Still in danger

Editorial

A RECENT “ B a l i t a n g America” on-line viewer poll revealed that a large major-ity of Filipinos in America are feeling very hopeful under the Duterte presidency. Eighty-seven percent of kababayans who voted in The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast opinion poll feel the Philippines will be better off with newly sworn-in President Rodrigo Duterte stirring the country to-ward a new direction.

Many Fil-Am community leaders share the optimism, especially after Foreign Af-fairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said topping the “marching orders” he re-ceived from Pres. Duterte is to make sure that the needs of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) are “specially and ad-

equately addressed.”“We want to make sure that from the

very day, the first day that the recruit-ment processes start, up to the time that they arrive at their point of destination, we will be ready and available to help them in their needs,” Yasay said in an

ABS-CBN News report.“We know that as they go abroad,

they’ll be the subject of a lot of diffi-culties, uncertainties, and vulnerabili-ties, and the least that we can do for our overseas workers, who—in a true sense—are our economic heroes, is to make ourselves readily available for their service,” the DFA chief explained.

The Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC), a Filipino-American group based in the nation’s capital, offered their support to Duterte’s marching or-der in this statement:

“We support the call of President Duterte to provide assistance in secur-ing and protecting the rights of OFWs

from their country of origin until their final destination . We also call upon the Phil Government to revamp its existing policies on [the] deployment of Filipino workers overseas, which includes [the] elimination of recruitment agencies and for the government to undertake direct supervision and approval of employ-ment contracts with receiving coun-tries.”

MHC Executive Directors Atty. Arnedo Valera, Grace Valera and Jesse Gatchalian further stated: “The Gov-ernment among others must initiate bilateral agreements with countries employing OFWs with involved coun-tries committing to protect and uphold

the human rights and dignity of Filipino workers around the world . We also call on President Duterte to investigate and jail illegal and legal recruiters who have caused the physical,psychological and emotional abuse of Filipino workers!”

Do you share this optimism that the concerns of OFWs will finally be ad-dressed under the Duterte-Robredo ad-ministration?

* * *Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

gel SaNtoS-reloS

The Fil-Am Perspective

Fil-Ams hopeful about Duterte presidency and the plight of overseas Filipinos

Every year, millions of Filipinos go to great—and in some cases—drastic lengths by working abroad, to pursue better lives for themselves and their families.

There are an estimated 15,000,000 overseas Fili-pino workers (OFWs) across the world. On aver-age, 6,000 Filipinos leave the country each day to work abroad, an increase from only around 2,500 before 2010. At least a quarter of the country’s la-bor force has gone to work overseas.

Many of these OFWs are often compelled to work while succumbing to unfair and harsh work-ing conditions, including long hours, low pay, and human rights abuses. We’ve heard news of Pinoys who faced death row in China and the never-end-ing and horrific stories of domestic helpers in the Middle East -- all for a chance to seek greener pas-tures.

Despite the billions of pesos they bring home -- which continues to prop up the Philippine econo-my -- the nightmares of being an OFW still linger. These people who resort to severe measures are employed through illegal channels. While many of them would refuse to admit it (for fear of losing their jobs), some of these modern heroes are vic-tims of human trafficking.

The Philippines has recently been upgraded as a Tier 1 country by the 2016 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, which rated 190 nations according to their efficiency in addressing human trafficking. This is a welcome development for the Philippines

after lingering in Tier 2 status the past years.

The annual TIP report is used as a comprehensive resource by inter-national organizations, foreign gov-

ernments, and nongovernmental organizations on countries in tiers based on their compliance with the standard of the US’ Trafficking Victims Protec-tion Act (TVPA).

Freeing victims, preventing trafficking, and bringing traffickers to justice are the ultimate goals of the report and of the US Government’s anti-hu-man trafficking policy.

Tier 1 countries met minimum the standards of the American government’s “principal diplomatic tool to engage foreign governments on human traf-ficking,” which means a government “fully com-plied” with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Tier 2 nations do not fully comply but are “making significant efforts” to do so, while Tier 2 Watch List involves other negative indicators. Nations under Tier 3 neither comply nor make significant efforts.

However, the TIP report describes the Philip-pines as “a source country and, to a lesser extent, a destination and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor.”

The TIP Report also said that a significant num-ber of Filipino migrant workers are subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor—predominantly via debt bondage—in the fishing, shipping, con-struction, education, nursing and agricultural in-

“TODAY, we continue the long journey toward an America and a world where liberty and equality are not reserved for some, but ex-tended to all. Across the globe, including right here at home, millions of men, women, and children are victims of human trafficking and modern-day slavery. We remain committed to abolishing slavery in all its forms and draw strength from the courage and resolve genera-tions past.” — Pres. Barack Obama

dustries, as well as in domestic work, janitorial ser-vice, and other hospitality jobs, particularly across the Middle East, Asia and North America.

Despite continuous worldwide sanctions and ef-forts to alleviate human trafficking, business con-tinues to thrive for this repressive industry.

Stereotypically, human trafficking stories often depict victims as innocent young girls, who are seduced from their homes and forced into the sex industry. But now, cases involve men, women and children of all ages falling prey to traffickers for a

promise of better pecuniary compensation. No matter how strict the laws are implemented

or how rigorous campaigns are against human trafficking, the problem will not cease to exist if not dealt with first at home. Filipinos or anyone for that matter, seek jobs abroad due to lack of economic opportunities and the struggle to meet the basic needs.

Before apprehending perpetrators, governments should first promote and protect the basic human rights. (AJPress)

greg b. macabeNta

Street Talk

I WAS one of the most severe critics of Rodrigo Duterte as a presidential candidate. But now that he has assumed the presiden-cy, I believe he should be given ev-ery chance and every reasonable support to succeed. And, boy, will he need a lot of support!

In my own limited way, I’ve faced the challenges of a presi-dency. Obviously, those posed by an ad agency or even a national or-ganization in the United States are miniscule compared to what the chief executive of the Philippines must confront. But there are paral-lels, one of which is that, in spite of a cordon of advisers, a leader has to personally and singularly make the hard choices – the critical deci-sions – and be prepared to face the consequences, if any.

Whether you lead a company of 200 people or a country of 100 million, the harsh realities are the same: success has many fathers and failure is an orphan. Presi-dent Harry S. Truman said it more bluntly: The buck stops here.

We know that candidate Duterte had a bad habit of overpromising, over-dramatizing and putting his foot in his mouth, but, by now, he has likely undergone a reality check. In fact, he has begun to scale down his bluster and to back-track on some of his more dazzling campaign promises. At this point, I think we should grant him the benefit of faith in his sincerity and

his determination to do a good job. We should also be prepared to concede his limitations.

One cannot help recalling what the late comedian, Dolphy, said when asked why he didn’t want to run for president. Was it because he was afraid that he would lose? No, he was afraid that he would win—and would then not know what to do.

This is not to compare Duterte, as president, with the capabili-ties of Dolphy as a comedian. As a hands-on mayor of Davao City, Duterte is certainly better pre-pared to face the challenges of the presidency than Dolphy and, as we eventually found out, better, too, than Benigno S. Aquino III.

And speaking of Duterte and Aquino, there appears to be a world of difference in the charac-ter of both men—as well as many similarities. Duterte has shown that he is prepared to accept re-sponsibility for the consequences of his actions and decisions. His classic boast is that he doesn’t care if he is impeached, as long as

he believes he is doing his job. In contrast, Aquino bared a tendency to wash his hands and pass the blame on to others. Just as bad was his tendency to claim credit for policies and programs initiated by his predecessors.

Where I think Duterte and Aqui-no are the same is in their bull-headedness and their twisted per-ception of right and wrong—and that doesn’t end with Duterte’s insistence on giving Ferdinand Marcos a hero’s burial.

When a friend and former adver-tising client asked me to help in the presidential campaign of Noynoy Aquino, I told him that I was not impressed with the credentials of his candidate. I was assured that Aquino would have the support of the best advisers on every aspect of governance. I was also assured that, because of his heroic lineage, he would be the exact opposite of outgoing President Gloria Ma-capagal-Arroyo whom the media had succeeded in portraying as the epitome of corruption.

US citizenship - the giftmy parents gave memade it to the shore of Thai-land. But when the boat people spotted land, they noticed that the locals waiting ashore had weapons in their hands. It was at that moment that a group of Buddhist monks saw what was happening and took action. They waded out from the shore, formed a human chain around the boat, and brought us in to sleep on their temple floor. The next day, my mom was brought to a UN refugee camp, where I was later born.

I am lucky for a number of reasons. I was born to incredi-bly brave parents who success-fully escaped Vietnam. I was naturalized as a United States citizen when I was 12 because my parents had the foresight to understand that if they want-ed me to have all the benefits and freedoms of living in the United States, we all needed to become citizens. I became the mayor of the city in which I grew up, and now I am running for Congress to represent the hardworking people of Orange County in Washington, D.C.

My family and I benefitted immensely from my parents’ decision to become American citizens. But the benefit I value most is the right to vote.

My parents came from a country where their vote was worthless. But in America, a vote has the power to change

things. Americans can vote on everything from the president all the way down to the local school board. I served on Gar-den Grove’s school board, and then I won my mayor’s race by just 15 votes. The narrow win only underscores how impor-tant every single vote was.

The reason I choose to serve in public office is because I want to honor my parents’ sac-rifice. They fled a corrupt and oppressive government and became U.S. citizens so that I could live a freer, better life. Being able to hold government officials accountable is some-thing a lot of people take for granted, but I never will.

That’s why I’m fighting to make sure this country doesn’t turn into an oligarchy and to protect individual and civil lib-erties, so that all families can live freely and without fear of the government. I do all of that because I’m an American citi-zen and that’s my responsibil-ity to my country, and to my parents.

***Bao Nguyen is the mayor of Garden

Grove, Calif. and is running for US Congress.

This op-ed is part of a project by New America Media in collaboration with the national, nonpartisan network New Americans Campaign. To learn more about becoming a US citizen, go to www.newamericanscampaign.org.

I COULD list off the ways I’ve been lucky in life, but it all stems from my parents’ deci-sion to leave home and become American citizens.

The Vietnam War had ended in 1975, but five years later, the conflict was still fresh in people’s minds. The govern-ment was actively suppressing any suspected dissent. People were scrambling, trying to fig-ure out how they were going to survive in this new oppressive and corrupt system. Some peo-ple, like my mom, figured out that they couldn’t.

When my mom left her home, her family, and her friends in 1980, she was eight months pregnant with me. She, like many escapees at the time, had to make the impossible decision to leave two of her daughters behind with family. She hoped that they would one day make it over as well, but if she were to have any chance at escaping, she knew she would have to do it with only part of the family.

She boarded an overcrowded boat with dozens of other fami-lies, and the boat was set adrift into the open ocean. After three separate pirate assaults and weeks of churning aimlessly in the South China Sea, the boat PAGE A7

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PLASTIC CHAIRS DONATION. Senator Cynthia A. Villar poses with the officials and students who are beneficiaries of school chairs made from recyclable plastic wastes. The senator has been giving the sturdy and durable school chairs to public schools to help the government cope up with the problem on the lack of school chairs. Upper photo shows the senator with beneficiaries from Upper Bicutan National High School. Lower photo shows her with beneficiaries from Sucat Elementary School. Both schools are found in Paranaque City. Senate photo

Unemployed Pinoys up by 2 million in Q1 – SWSby Helen Flores

Philstar.com

MANILA—The number of un-employed Filipinos rose by nearly two million in the first quarter of the year, according to the latest survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The poll, conducted from March 30 to April 2, placed the joblessness rate at 23.9 percent (or an estimated 11.0 million adults), up by 2.5 points from 21.4 percent (9.1 million adults) recorded in December last year.

SWS said the new unemploy-ment figure was the highest since December 2014’s 27 percent.

The survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults na-tionwide and has sampling error margins of plus or minus three percentage points.

The results of the survey were

published in the newspaper Busi-nessWorld.

The jobless Filipinos were composed of 12.8 percent (or an estimated 5.9 million adults) who voluntarily left their jobs, 7.2 per-cent (3.3 million adults) who in-voluntarily lost their jobs and 3.8 percent (1.8 million adults) who were first-time job seekers.

The proportion of those who resigned or left their jobs vol-untarily rose 3.1 points from 9.6 percent in December, those retrenched fell by 0.9 of a point from eight percent, while the proportion of first-time job seek-ers slightly went up by 0.2 from 3.6 percent.

Those who were retrenched consisted of 5.6 percent whose contracts were not renewed, one percent who were laid off and 0.6 percent whose employers closed

shop.Meanwhile, the same survey

showed that net optimism on job availability in the next 12 months dropped but remained “high.”

The SWS poll found 39 per-cent of respondents saying they expected the number of available jobs in the next 12 months to in-crease, 31 percent saying it will not change and 15 percent say-ing it will decrease.

The results yielded a net op-timism score of +23 which was classified by SWS as “high.” This was a six-point drop from De-cember 2015’s “high” +29.

The SWS classifies net opti-mism on job availability score of at least +30 as “very high”; +20 to +29, “high”; +10 to +19, “fair”; +1 to +9, “mediocre”; -9 to zero, “low”; as well as -10 and down as “very low.”

Government readies freedom of information orderMANILA—If Congress refuses

to pass a Freedom of Information Act, President Duterte will order an FOI measure within the execu-tive branch.

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said they are fin-ishing the draft executive order (EO) to implement freedom of in-formation.

“We hope to finish it this week or next week,” he said. “That is the commitment of the President to us.”

The EO will cover only govern-ment offices under the executive branch.

A law is needed to require all government entities, includ-ing those in the legislature and judiciary, to release documents detailing their transactions and projects.

Andanar said the EO is in line with Duterte’s vow to promote transparency in government.

“This is a proactive stance of the Duterte administration to es-tablish very transparent executive portfolios and in keeping with the President’s promise to deliver FOI once sworn into office,” he said.

Article III, Section 7 of the Constitution recognizes the right of the people to information on

by Alexis romero Philstar.com

Speaking over state-run dzRB radio yesterday, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said they are finishing the draft executive order (EO) to implement freedom of information.

PAGE A6

I could only argue that the best advisers in the world would not necessarily agree with each oth-er and that, in a crunch, Aquino would have to make the hard deci-sions himself. But I allowed myself to be persuaded and, in fact, lent my support.

In retrospect, I believe that Aquino, as president, tried his best to live up to the high expectations of those who gave him a rousing mandate to lead the country. I be-lieve that he himself tried his best to keep his promise of clean and honest governance by applying that vow to himself. But he had no control over the culture of corrup-tion, incompetence and impunity that had become the norm – and still is the norm – in a transactional environment – an environment where mediocrity is acceptable and compromise is inevitable.

I recall that, whenever the late President Cory Aquino was de-scribed to me as being near-saint-ly in her honesty and integrity, I would draw an analogy with a housewife who kept herself me-ticulously dressed, coiffed and perfumed, but whose household was a mess and whose children were undisciplined. How could she be characterized as an ideal housewife?

To her credit, Cory appeared to be aware of her personal limita-tions, as well as her mandate as a revolutionary head of state: to restore democracy to the country.

If Duterte fails, we all...She did that. And as soon as her term was over, she did not hesitate to step down.

But I think she had a narrow perception of her mandate. She should not have left the country in a state that made it vulnerable to retrogression to its pre-People Power condition. But could she have done better? She had to cope with the “damaged culture” that American journalist James Fallows wrote about. The same culture that Noynoy Aquino had to deal and compromise with. And the very same one that Duterte must confront.

In this regard, Duterte’s atti-tude appears to be different. He is aware of the damaged culture and appears intent on repairing it, even if it means doing it over the dead bodies of those who would stand in the way. The 16 million-plus who voted him into office should be cheering him on, except for the fact that many of them have been part of the root cause of that dam-aged culture.

That includes Duterte, too. For instance, by tolerating the crimes of the NPA in his jurisdiction as mayor, in the name of ridding his city of the more traditional crimes, he bared the kind of weakness that has bedeviled president after president in our hapless country. Compromise.

And yet compromise is the bitter pill demanded by politics. Regard-less of any Utopian promises that Duterte has made, in the privacy of his presidential quarters, when

all of his Solomonic advisers are asleep, he will have to accept the fact that solving one problem of nationhood may require tolerating another problem.

There are other realities that Duterte has to deal with. During the Marcos regime, Imee Marcos aptly described Malacañang as a snake pit. It still is. Who among Duterte’s closest confidants are among the snakes? He will soon find out. One thing is certain – in dealing with the CPP-NPA, he will be dealing with scorpions.

The other reality is that, reform-ing a country is like trying to scale the steep face of a mountain. For his cabinet officials and other ap-pointees, it will be challenging, exciting and inspiring at the out-set. But soon, some will begin to tire and fall off. Others will seek short-cuts. Duterte himself, if he manages to maintain his zeal, will soon realize that he has fewer and fewer support. Msgr. Juan Her-vas, moving spirit of the Cursillo, pointed out that every organiza-tion or movement eventually has to depend on a few hardy souls to keep it alive. He described them as martyrs. Duterte will find that out before his term ends. Unfortu-nately, he may also realize that the martyrs left to scale the mountain with him are Jose Maria Sison and the CPP-NPA.

If we don’t want that to happen, then we must be willing to scale the mountain with Duterte and help him succeed. Truman was wrong. The buck does not stop with the president. If Duterte fails, we all lose. (gregmacabenta@hot-mail.com)

matters of public concern.“Access to official records, and

to documents and papers per-taining to official acts, transac-tions, or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, sub-ject to such limitations as may be provided by law,” read the provi-sion.

The public has not fully en-joyed the constitutional guaran-tee because of the absence of an enabling law.

A freedom of information bill to serve as the enabling law of the

constitutional guarantee was first filed during the 12th Congress.

However, it was repeatedly by-passed by lawmakers.

Previous reports said the FOI was opposed by some lawmak-ers who fear that it might be used against them by their enemies.

The FOI was one of the cam-paign promises of former presi-dent Benigno Aquino III, who vowed to implement a strong anti-corruption drive.

The 16th Congress, however, failed to enact the measure even if a majority of its members were Aquino’s allies.

july 8-14, 2016 • OC/IE ASIAN jOuRNAl http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797A�

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2

july 8-14, 2016 2Myla RaMos, PResident of seaRchPRos solutions

Starting small to making it big

At the Entrepreneur of the Year awards in San Jose.Myla Ramos (in front) at seven years old, with her mother Angela Espino Mendoza from Pulilan, Bulacan; father Tito “Boy” Santiago Mendoza from Marilao, Bulacan; and brothers Angelo (baby) and Ireneo Mendoza; getting ready to leave for the US.

By Malou liwanag-Bledsoe AJPress

Myla Ramos and her family: husband of 20 years, Pernell Ramos with kids Mikayla (12) and Perrin (16).

HARD work and dedication definitely pay off—and Filipino-American businesswoman Myla Ramos is living proof of it.

From humble beginnings as a housekeeper, Ramos and her company, SearchPros Solutions (with co-founders Heather Kocina and Rayna Pearson), is now one of the most successful and fastest-growing companies in the United States.

A national human resource and staffing company, SearchPros in 2010 won a 10-year, $250 million annual contract to provide labor for national technology defense and aerospace giant, Lockheed Martin Corp. In 2011, the company was named Small Business of the Year for California and Small Business Subcontractor of the Year in the district of Sacramento.

Fast forward to 2016, Ramos and SearchPros are still flying high. The company was awarded by the US Chamber of Commerce as the 2016 DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year

Ramos and her family, parents, brothers and their families.

last month and became a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year. They were also recently featured in Forbes magazine’s Women Business Leaders issue.

Working hard toward her dreams

Ramos was only seven years when she and her family

migrated to the US to follow the American dream. Growing up as an immigrant, she watched her parents struggle to make ends meet.

“I remember living in a one-bedroom flat with my grandparents, parents and my other siblings,” she shared in a past interview with the Asian Journal. “I thought to myself, I don’t want to live like this all my life. I don’t want to live just to get by. So I began working hard.”

“I got tired of being the poor immigrant,” she added. “Being in the US is a blessing. If you work hard, no one will put any labels on you. The only way to succeed is to educate myself and work hard.”

From there on, Ramos started worked in a hotel as a housekeeper while attending high school and college at San Francisco State University (SFSU). When she was promoted to Assistant General Manager, she worked 12-hour shifts from 7 am

to 7 pm and then would go to her classes after.

Her perseverance paid off and she graduated from SFSU with honors in Industrial Psychology and a minor in Business Administration.

Relationships built on success

After college, Ramos was hired by one of the top staffing agencies in the world to help open their office in San Mateo, California. Because she loved helping people, she knew it was the perfect job for her.

However, the idea of SearchPros came out on Christmas Eve in 2004. Ramos, along with co-founders Heather Kocina and Rayna Pearson were all working at the staffing agency, surrounded by contractors who were waiting to be paid. However, they found out late in the day that the checks were not coming — ruining Christmas for many.

That was when Ramos, Continued on Page 6

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july 8-14 2016 3www.asianjournal.com

How Bing Loyzaga’s lifestyle change helped her regain confidence

by Christina alpadManilaTimes.net

Loyzaga’s weight journey — the actress says her confidence was at her lowest when she hit 180 lbs.

misinformed lifestyle choices, the 45-year-old actress lost control of her eating habits hitting the 180-pound mark at her heaviest. This was the same time she was depressed over her father’s worsening condition—basketball legend Caloy Loyzaga who eventually succumbed to complications of a stroke—and, while her weight gain helped her take care of him, her career suffered when producers refused to cast a heavy Bing Loyzaga.

To make things worse, the actress also acquired hypothyroidism, a condition

where the body is unable to produce enough thyroid hormones, slowing down her

metabolism all the more.Her initial solution

to curb her weight gain, as everyone

does, was minimize

her calorie intake.

“I would count my

calories per day

and eat whatever I

wanted, even if they were unhealthy. I thought

to myself, as long as they are within my calorie limit for the day, I was OK,” Loyzaga shared

with The Manila Times.When she failed to see the

results as quickly as she expected, she decided to go under the knife

and underwent liposuction—but only to experience the worst side effects.

“I’m not kidding! Yung fats, literal na tumutulo from the wound,” she recalled of her post-op shock. She also found that all the weight from the invasive procedure all came back just as quickly as she lost them.

Healthier choicesAccording to Loyzaga, she was

at her most desperate when she approached well known slimming center Marie France for help. As she consulted with in-house doctors, nutritionists, and therapists, Loyzaga began to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and made a vow to change her entire lifestyle to complement the recommended machine treatments for her problem areas.

She believes the main factor in her successful weight loss relied on healthier choices.

“Unlike before, I no longer starved myself,” Loyzaga recalled. “I learned how to prepare healthy food and in a way give my daughters a good example.”

With her nutritionist by her side, Loyzaga presented a sample of her healthy meal plan for a day.

Breakfast: Two pieces of toasted wheat bread; one scrambled egg cooked with half a cup of mashed avocado, tomatoes and basil; half a cup of mixed fruit; half a cup of low fat yogurt; and black coffee.

Lunch: Two palm-sized (equivalent to 60 grams) of baked chicken with half a cup of marble or mashed potatoes, and one cup mixed asparagus, carrots and

SHe has been despised by many for her ruthless roles on television and the movies, but in real life, Bing Loyzaga is just as vulnerable as the protagonists her onscreen characters have trampled on. Besides being emotional, one of the ’80s freshest faces in showbiz has lately suffered from a common woe in women known as “body shaming.”

Due to stress and

From Ian to Angelina: Motel heir is trans womanA MOTeL chain heir and

prominent car enthusiast created a buzz in the local fashion and automobile industries over the weekend after coming out as a transgender woman.

A report on SPOT.ph said model and host Joey Mead’s husband, Victoria Court managing director Ian King, has come out as Angelina Mead King.

Angelina posted a photo on her Instagram account showing her and Joey with the caption “Freedom.”

Angelina’s father is Archimedes King, owner of the Victoria Court chain of motels, who died in a plane crash in July last year.

The couple, married in November 2011, will reportedly release a statement soon.

Upon hearing the news, their closest friends, including former beauty queen Maggie Wilson and motoring journalist James Deakin, offered words of encouragement.

“So one of the car guys I look up to the most is now a woman,” Deakin said in a Facebook post.

“Hey, if you ain’t hurting anyone and it makes you happy, it’s all the same to me. Good luck, Ian/Angie,” he added.

Angelina’s journey as a trans woman is documented in her

second Instagram account, @hailtothe_queen_, which has been active since 2012.

She only posted a photo with Joey, whom she called her “rock and number one supporter,” on Saturday. Prior to that, she was seen posting photos of herself in various outfits. (Philstar.com)

Photo from Angelina King’s Instagram account shows her with wife Joey Mead.

Baste Duterte speaks out against stereotyping, discrimination

A FIGHTCON was recently held on July 2 in Quezon City, and there to grace the event was the president’s son, Baste Duterte.

During the event, Baste faced the crowd and gave them some inspiring message and advice about not judging people based on where they came from and how they look.

Baste, who admitted on previous interviews that he is not comfortable talking in front of the cameras, stood confidently in front of the big crowd and sent a loud and clear message – do not be judgmental and stop discrimination and stereotyping.

“Sana practisin natin na walang diskriminasyon. Alam niyo na to...walang diskriminasyon. Let’s start there...Sa totoo lang andito ko ngayon dahil anak ako ng presidente ng Pilipinas, pero otherwise I would not be here. But since I am here I am going to talk

about this,” he said.Baste went on to share a story

he has never told in public before. Recalling the first time he went to Manila to study, he said “akala

Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, son of President Rodrigo Duterte.

ng mga kaklase ko, dahil taga-Mindanao ako, Muslim na ako.”

“It’s not even bad to be a Muslim. Pero bakit may ganun silang idea na kapag taga-Mindanao, Muslim ka na?” he added.

Moreover, he also encouraged people not to judge people with tattoos and piercings.

“Hindi ibig sabihin...kapag may hikaw ka sa bibig at may tattoo ka sa katawan, addict ka na,” Baste said with certainty.

“Ganun ba yun ‘pag may tattoo ka na, may hikaw ka na, ibig sabihin adik ka o rebellious ka na? No, it’s not always ganoon. May mga adik na walang tattoo, may mga adik na walang hikaw.”

Baste ended his speech by reminding everyone that they all gathered for one cause: to say no to drugs and yes to sports.

FightCon is the first fight and conditioning convention in the Philippines. (Philstar.com)Continued on Page 4

july 8-14 2016 4www.asianjournal.com

Hmart announces winners of California Customer Appreciation Sweepstakes

Two California residence won Toyota vehicles in the Hmart Customer Appreciation Sweepstakes.

Jin Son (403XXXX1601) was selected the grand prize winner of a 2016 Toyota RAV4 XLE. Yoeurng Yang (403XXXX3078) won the first prize, a 2016 Toyota Corolla L.

A total of 381 winners were drawn at Hmart in Buena Park, CA on Monday, June 27 at 4pm.

one second prize winner received a $500 Hmart Gift Certificate; Seven third prize winners (one per store) won a CowAY Air Purifier; 21 fourth prize winners (3 per store) each won a $100 Hmart Gift Certificate; and 350 fifth prize winners (50 per store) each won a 15lb of Haru Haru Rice.

Hmart employees and managers hosted the raffle drawing on Monday and also recruited children to help select two car winners.

California Hmart customers who were smart card members and made purchase between March 26, 2016 to June 26 were eligible to enter the sweepstakes. Customers who met this requirement from seven stores – Buena Park, Diamond Bar, Irvine, Norwalk, Garden Grove, San Diego and Los Angeles – and

submitted the bottom of their shopping receipts were entered into the contest.

Hmart has a total of Eight locations in California. The Asian supermarket was established in 1982 in Queens, New York and has since expanded to 13 states in the country. � (Advertising�Supplement)

TAIPEI, Taiwan — EVA Air, a new addition to the elite ranks of the world’s 5-Star airlines, is increasing nonstop flights on its popular Paris route from four times a week to daily service on october 10, 2016. The airline will continue to serve the route on wednesday, Friday and Sunday with its EVA Hello Kitty Hand-in-Hand Jet and use modern Boeing 777-300ERs in standard livery for the other four flights. Travelers can learn more about EVA, its Hello Kitty Jets, routes, onward connections and services or book and buy tickets at www.evaair.com.

Long established as an important gateway for EVA passengers, Paris loads are consistently strong. with the planned daily service, EVA will bring its flights into Paris early in the morning, making it easy for passengers to connect onward, use the day to enjoy leisure activities or conduct business. At the same time, EVA is increasing frequencies on routes within Southeast Asia, offering business travelers from throughout France and Europe more convenient and flexible access to markets, financial centers and manufacturing hubs. In addition to Paris, EVA’s gateways in Europe are Amsterdam, London, Vienna and Istanbul.

Based on EVA’s current summer schedule, flight BR087 will depart Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) every day at 23:30 (11:30 pm) and arrive at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle International airport at 07:35 (7:35

EVA to increase Paris flights from four weekly to daily

Service boost adds more nonstop convenience, greater flexibility

am) the next day. Return flight BR088 will leave Paris at 11:20 (11:20 am) and land back in Taipei at 06:30 (6:30 am) the following day. EVA has configured all of the aircraft it will fly on this route with three comfortable cabins, Economy Class, Elite premium economy and Royal Laurel business.

EVA is frequently honored, awarded and recognized by passengers, media, industry experts and organizations worldwide. In addition to recognizing EVA as one of only eight 5-Star Airlines globally, SKYTRAX ranked it as one of the “world’s Top-10 Best Airlines” and number one for “Best Airline Cabin Cleanliness” in 2015, based on its annual quality satisfaction survey of travelers worldwide.

EVA AirEVA Air, a Star Alliance

member, was established in 1989 as Taiwan’s first privately owned international airline. It is part of the respected Evergreen Group and a sister company to global container-shipping leader Evergreen Line. It flies a fleet of close to 70 Boeing and Airbus aircraft to more than 60 international destinations throughout Asia, oceania, North America and Europe where gateways are Amsterdam, London, Paris, Vienna and Istanbul. Amsterdam, London and Vienna service is direct via Bangkok, continuing to Taipei while Paris and Istanbul flights are nonstop. From Taipei, passengers can connect on to major cities throughout Asia, including 28 destinations in China. Travelers can learn more about EVA and book, buy and reserve seats at www.evaair.com. � (Advertising�Supplement)

How Bing Loyzaga’s lifestyle change...broccoli.

Snack: A slice of wheat bread, two teaspoons peanut butter, and one medium-sized banana.

Dinner: Two palm-sized pan-seared steak fillet; two cups mixed salad greens with 2 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette; and 10 pieces of grapes.

Adding the calories from each meal, Loyzaga would meet her 1,300 daily-calorie requirement.

This diet is a “less fat, less salt, and more fiber diet,” which when combined with exercise (at least 30 minutes cardio) and non-invasive procedures, led Loyzaga to lose 37 pounds since she went on a healthy lifestyle change in December 2015.

“I also gave up drinking and partying,” Loyzaga proudly added.

Asked how she now feels, the mom-of-two happily said she never felt healthier in her entire life.

“It’s so important to me

because I still want to see my grandchildren someday. I still want to be able to play with them. I’m more conscious of my health now not just for me, but also for my family.”

She shared that her new body gave back her confidence and the happy disposition she is known for by friends and family.

“Didn’t you notice I haven’t stopped smiling since our interview?” Loyzaga beamed.

From Page 3

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july 8-14 2016 5www.asianjournal.com

Xian Lim gears up for solo concert by Jerry Donato

Philstar.com

“The feeling is high and it’s mixed emotions.” That was Xian Lim speaking about his first solo concert titled “A Date With Xian” on July 9 at the Kia Theater in a recent presscon.

Prior to it, Xian did sell tickets at the Kia booth. “It boosted my morale as ticket buyers would encourage me, saying, ‘Kaya mo yan.’ Simple gestures like that ay nagpapalakas ng loob ko, especially now that the concert date is near or the show is days away.” As Xian put it, everything now is sinking in, and he has to put up a good show for fans and showbiz watchers.

Since it’s his debut venture into the live solo performance, Xian is not spared from, you know, first-time jitters.

“Nandyan pa rin yung halong kaba na parang ‘Can I do it?’” the handsome performer said. “Nandun yung tanong na siyempre kaya ko ba? Yung requirement na kailangan ng concert. Pero ngayong papalapit na (ang concert) I can say we have a show.”

“A Date with Xian” is a wish granted for the Kapamilya star because “I’ve wanted to have a (solo) show before... When the Star events gave me the opportunity, I just grabbed it. I didn’t think twice. OK na ito, ito na yun. Kumbaga, this is it.”

Asked about how hands-on he is when it comes to the show’s nitty-gritty, Xian replied, “(The conceptualization) started last year. Before ‘The Story of Us’ began (taping), we were conceptualizing it. The title then was ‘Must Date Xian.’ Then (it) eventually became “A Date With Xian.” As for the list of songs, I had ideas that I wanted to do and Star Records also pitched in ideas. And also my director, whom I requested, Alco Guerrero, (was there) to help us out with the concert. When he was onboard, he got Chino David from Silent Sanctuary. They told me we would weave this concert based on how (or who) you are.”

Although the concert is

showcasing Xian’s musical talents, he will surprise everyone by going out of his comfort zone.

“Gusto kong makita nila na wala si Xian sa comfort zone,” he said. “Isa rin yan sa mga gusto kong take-away nila (the audience). Ibang-ibang Xian and he took that chance na umalis dun sa comfort zone niya… I think they haven’t seen me fully performing on stage. They usually see me in a solo number or (in a number) with other artists. This time, I’m involved in the entire show, which is roughly two hours or more. I’m out of the comfort zone. I want this (show) to be very personal. That’s why we (chose) the title ‘A Date With Xian.’ I want to bond with them. I want to have audience interaction. I want them to feel the appreciation I have for them. You know for the years they have supported me.”

Going out of Xian’s comfort zone could also mean him bringing his dancing shoes and proving that he’s more than just the piano-guitar playing guy. “Ang dami na pong dance lessons. Madami, dami na rin. I’m very excited about the dance segment. For sure, I will bring something new (another musical instruments) to surprise the fans, may mga iba akong dadalhin dito. We have a grand piano in the

middle. We’re gonna play classical music with the Philharmonic. I’m very excited about it. There will be ballad and rock (songs).”

If that seems a full detail of what fans can expect from Xian as a concert artist, it is just a sneak peek and we’ve just scratched the surface.

“(Looking at) the list of guest performers, you’ll get a feel of the concert,” he said. “There’s Abra, Morissette (Amon), Dawn Chang, Richard Poon, and of course, Kim (Chiu). The ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra is joining us.”

Concertgoers are in for an eclectic kind of entertainment—from rap to pop, dance to big-band, from mainstream to classic.

how did Xian prepare for this musical treat for fans? According to him, he began playing the keyboards in-between takes of “The Story of Us.” As soon as his primetime teleserye wrapped up, Xian went to rehearsals for his show. This was interrupted shortly when he got sick recently, but Xian is back — and ready to take this challenge and development in his career. If this becomes a success, as everyone wishes it to be, Xian will perhaps follow it up with another personal show at Smart Araneta, which is a few blocks away from Kia.

Viral: What happened to Dick Israel?WhO would think that this

frail, old man was once one of the most revered actors in the Philippines?

On July 3, photos of the unrecognizable Dick Israel, 57 circulated online after it was posted by a netizen named Sidemiod Francisco Datanam.

From being one of the most feared villain in Filipino television, Dick now looks as if his thin body was about to break.

According to reports, Dick suffered stroke in 2010, leaving half of his body paralyzed and his speech slurred.

he was also one of the victims of the fire that set hundreds of houses ablaze in Caloocan.

Dick became an icon of the ‘80s and ‘90s for his award winning performances in more than 200

Dick Israel suffered stroke in 2010, leaving half of his body paralyzed and his speech slurred.Facebook/Ikwento mo kay Delio

movies, playing mostly villain and sidekick roles. he was awarded Best Supporting Actor in 1988 for his role in “Patrolman” at the

Metro Manila Film Festival, and in 1995 for his portrayal in “Kanto Boy 2: Anak ni Totoy Guapo” at the FAMAS Awards. (Philstar.com)

Will Marian Rivera allow Zia to enter showbiz?

MARIAN Rivera wouldn’t like daughter Zia to enter showbiz at a young age.

“Siguro hanggang ganyan muna ang anak ko, kasi gusto muna namin na mabuhay siya na normal na bata,” she replied when asked about Zia eventually entering showbiz, in an interview on Tuesday. The mother and daughter are the latest endorsers of Johnson & Johnson’s newest baby product.

even if she’s a working mom, Marian said she makes sure to have time for her daughter, her husband Dingdong Dantes and of course for herself.

Aside from time management, the Kapuso actress said she was able to balance everything because she loves what she does.

“Dapat love mo ang lahat ng

by Joyce Jimenez Philstar.com ginagawa mo, especially kapag

nag-aalaga ka ng anak. Kailangan mo ng matinding pag-aalaga at pundasyon, mahabang pasensya kasi hindi biro mag-alaga ng anak,” she said.

Marian added she’s thankful for her husband’s appreciation of her efforts in taking care of their daughter. She’s breastfeeding Zia for seven months now.

“Minsan uuwi ako sa bahay may flowers ako, may card ako, may gift ako,” she related about Dingdong’s surprises for her. “So talagang na-appreciate niya. Lagi siyang may letter sa akin na, ‘you’re a super mom. ‘wag ka magbago, I love you,’ may mga gano’n siya sa akin.”

When asked about their plans of having another child, Marian replied: “Bahala na si Lord. Pero ang gusto ko ang age gap nasa two years, e.”

Marian Rivera would prefer Zia to do commercials for now to let her have a normal childhood.

Jona recounts recent ‘scary’ experience in TurkeyJONA recalled her scary

experience in Turkey, together with Amy Perez and husband Carlo Castillo.

Their flight from Madrid, Spain that was supposed to land at Istanbul Airport was diverted due to the bombing that happened there on Tuesday, June 28.

She and Amy were there for the “Maalaala Mo Kaya 25 Kakuwentong Kapamilya” event in Madrid, Spain, together with ABS-CBN executive Charo Santos-Concio.

“Sobrang naging scary po talaga. Sobrang kinabahan po kami,” she said while recalling the experience, Philippine entertainment Portal reported.

She was thankful that their flight from Madrid was delayed for an hour because if they left on time, they might have been one of the victims of the bombing.

“Andun lang po kami sa loob ng eroplano for two hours nang maka-land po kami. Kasi hindi po kami pinapapasok sa loob ng airport for safety,” she recalled, which happened after they have safely landed at Izmir Airport where their flight was diverted.

“Si Kuya Carlo ang maraming contacts sa TV5, ABS-CBN, DFA, Philippine embassy sa Turkey, kaya po naging okay din naman lahat,” she concluded. (Philstar.com)

Jona is thankful that she and her co-passengers Amy Perez and Carlo Castillo were safe from the recent bombing in Istanbul airport.

Daniel Matsunaga: ‘Working out together helps build a more alive relationship’

by mylene menDoza-Dayrit Philstar.com

WITh his good looks and herculean physique, Daniel Matsunaga rose to stardom as a successful Filipino-Brazilian model.

Today, he’s kept very busy with his leading role in the soap Be My Lady alongside real-life flame erich Gonzales which got extended until October.

he also has his restaurant business. But that doesn’t keep him from having an incredible body, which he shows off as cover of Muscle & Fitness Philippines.

here’s how he does it:

Philstar.com: How do you keep

yourself fit despite your busy schedule?

Daniel Matsunaga: It’s a lot harder for me now because we have tapings from Tuesdays to Saturdays. We even shoot in Pampanga so I just try to control my food. I try not to eat so much oil or carbs and eat more fiber, protein and work out whenever I can. I have football once a week and go to the gym three to four times per week. even when I lack sleep, I do some pushups instead to maintain.

I never expected it to be this hard. Aside from this soap opera, I have my business and all which involves a lot of meetings. I really have to find time.

What role does physical training play in your life?

It makes you feel good and it helps you with

your daily activites. You also learn to be strong with your mind or your

mentality because you condition yourself not to give up. It helps me with everything, actually. I love being an athlete

’cause I used to play professional

football as well and working out is just a

part of my life.Besides getting

a better-looking body, what other benefits do you get from working out?

health. It’s an investment for your body in the future, for you to lessen the possibility of

diseases and other illnesses. health would be the main

benefit of exercise — for your body and also your mind.

How does exercise factor in your relationship?

We work out together. Right now, erich does a lot of badminton for cardio. It was actually my first time playing badminton when I went with her. She’s trying to adjust as well. She comes with me to the gym and does work on the treadmill and I teach her to use the weights and do some ab workouts to define. We do it together because it allows us to also enjoy the rest of the day together.

Would you say that working out has had a positive effect on your relationship?

Yes of course! It makes you feel good. It makes you feel better, healthier, more positive, and more alive. A lot of people go to the gym to relieve stress and all. It really uplifts your spirit.

We all know you’re in the restaurant business. Do you have any tips for our readers on how they can choose healthy yet delicious food?

Try to eat more fiber. Like instead of eating white rice, brown rice. Instead of pork, eat lean meat, chicken breast or fish. Add salads or any kind of veggies to your diet. It’s very important to balance everything. You shouldn’t cut out carbs completely because your body needs them so you maintain energy.

What is your workout routine?When I go to the gym, I have to

do at least two hours. My goal isn’t to build muscle but to stay lean. Right now, I do A, B, C sets, but I work out every muscle every day with a different kind of exercise. I isolate all my muscles because you really have to feel the pain. I don’t really separate so much.

What’s your fitness mantra?You have to feel the pain.

july 8-14 2016 6www.asianjournal.com

Starting small to making it...

Monette

AdevA MAglAyA

ImmigrantLiving: 101 and Beyond

ONE of my favorite writers is Saint Paul, aka Saul of Tarsus, who lived about two thousand years ago.

He had something to say about what does matter in life and about a special kind of love that in Greek is called Agape (ah-gah-pay). Agape is unconditional love, a kind of love that has no agenda or motivations, a kind of love that is exemplified in God sending His only Son, a kind of love that if emulated by humans, sets us apart from all of God’s creatures, makes us a little closer to the angels and truly created in God’s own image and likeness.

But Paul didn’t start out as a defender of the Christian faith. He was, in fact, an avid persecutor feared by early Christians. He had a unique status. As a Jew and a Pharisee who was also a Roman citizen, he used everything in his power and position to quash the growth of the church persecuting the members of the then budding Christian church. Paul stood by tacitly approving the stoning of St. Stephen, the first martyr.

Paul was a young, rising brilliant star of his time eager to make his mark in the Judaic tradition and he was hot and bothered by the intensity of the love and fervency of the Apostles and early believers. This start-up movement was a threat to his career track and his Judaic core belief system. He was going to make it his life’s work to eliminate Christ’s early followers and eradicate what Christ himself has started. If murder and mayhem were the tools to get it done, he was going to use them.

But God had other plans for Paul. On his way to Damascus on a mission to arrest and persecute Christians, a blinding light struck him. He fell off his horse while Jesus’ voice is heard asking him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” This dramatic, miraculous conversion when he temporarily became blind was a critical juncture for the Christian church.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit who suffused his entire being when the scales of his blindness fell off his eyes, Paul’s teachings and writings

Staying centered in a world gone mad“In a swirling world full of illusions and artifice thatonly tend to distort and act as centrifugal forcespushing God away as the center of our lives, Paul’sdirectives make absolute sense.”

have an eternal shelf life - true today, as it was then, and will be for much of human history.

In the quiet of your soul, read the gospels, discover the exquisite beauty, range and depth of human emotions made known to God, contained in the Psalms, all 150 of them, and then read Paul. You’ll be surprised at the clarity and current relevance of many of his writings. He has a wealth of wisdom to share with anyone seeking meaning in a confusing world seemingly bent on self-immolation. In a swirling world full of illusions and artifice that only tend to distort and act as centrifugal forces pushing God away as the center of our lives, Paul’s directives make absolute sense. His words have the power to keep you centered, as they were intended to be, not on yourself, but on God. Ironically, it’s like being in the eye of the storm where there is peace while swirling forces rage about in the periphery.

This one below, if etched in many hearts and minds and lived out in our daily rounds through thoughts and more specifically in even the tiniest of actions, particularly in couples, already married or planning marriage in the foreseeable future, could remarkably bring down the alarming rate of break-ups and a whole universe of heartaches among couples and perhaps, preserve families.

These days, the very structure and integrity of the family unit are heavily assaulted from many fronts with media and the internet leading the charge at a time when the church is weakened by internal abuses and scandals. As history will bear and as written in the song, “Canticle of the Turning,” which is based on the Blessed Mother Mary’s “Magnificat,” it is when the church is at its most vulnerable when the forces of heaven align to defend it and go on the offensive.

Marriage as a bedrock institution between man and a

ernie d. delfin

The Metamorphosis

Profits for doing nothingWhat one does when he reaches his

emotional cul-de-sac

(Part 1 of 2)A few days ago was

Independence Day in the United States. It is also the day when I first saw the light of day in the Philippines many decades ago.

It was a very unusual Monday, when no else but me was in our house. When I woke up very early, I was attacked by some kind of “emotional cul-de-sac virus” that caused a metaphysical stagnation, as if injected with a powerful dose of anesthesia that numbed my spirit to do anything. I felt like a robot. Then, I just hopped into my Toyota and drove towards the ocean cruising along Pacific Coast Highway. In about 15 minutes I reached the Huntington Beach pier. But there was no more parking available, as hundreds of people have arrived for the annual Independence Day parade. So I kept driving south, and before I knew it, I was at the Balboa Island Fun Zone in Newport Beach where there were fewer people. I ordered breakfast from this quaint restaurant overlooking the bay, just several yards from the ferryboats, that transport people, bikes and cars to the other side every 15 minutes. For just a dollar fare, I rode that ferry too to go to the other side of the bay for lunch.

On this rare solitary excursion, with just my pen, journal and phone as my company, I was on my way to my “do-nothing-escapade.” The weather was quite pleasant that the seagulls and other birds in this part of Southern California were having a great time, probably mesmerized at those crazy, huge, colorful advertising banners pulled by helicopters. My mind

just flew away aimlessly with the birds’ gracious flight. After a few hours of doing nothing, the emotional-cul-de-sac that made me ephemerally and mentally paralyzed. I seem to have magically faded gradually like the silent disappearance of the early morning fog once the heat of summer sun chased them away.

Soon, I was scribbling my thoughts, manifesting that I am still human and alive. I observed that there exists an interesting and tangible harmonic convergence of local residents and out of town tourists enjoying common things like nature, the bay, the ocean and all the manmade amenities of this local island paradise. Many people are simply enjoying their strolls, playing, biking and engaging in animated conversations. And here I am, appearing like a “misplaced” tourist, sitting down just observing, watching, doing nothing except to write a few “notes to myself” in my journal.

Unlike many tourist attractions like Disneyland or Universal Studios, this relatively unknown Balboa Peninsula is a ritzy, beautiful fun place of many boats big and small, where people of color are still a distant minority. Being an Asian in the predominantly WASP crowd is like being a duhat or guayabano among a truckload of American apples. Wearing just sandals, shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, I was casually approached by a white couple and struck a conversation, by inquiring if I were a writer from Hawaii and inquired what island did I come from. Without even thinking, I instantaneously blurted

out, “the Philippine Islands.” Flummoxed by my seemingly smart-alecky-instant answer, they were speechless for a few moments. To ease the tension that engulfed them, I smiled and added, “But I now live in nearby Fountain Valley over 30 years!” I could see them regaining their composure with their instant smiles and responded, “We live just across the bay, enjoy this beautiful 4th of July in our city!” Thereafter, they left me alone to continue my metaphysical excursion in solitude.

Why is it that during a long holiday like this weekend and throughout the summer months, our culture expects that you are to be somewhere else, to be on your “vacation?” Of course, it fuels our economy, especially the tourist and entertainment industry. For instance, the popular but very expensive Newport Beach Bed & Breakfast, just a stone’s throw from the century-old Dory Fishermen Historic Wharf at the foot of Newport Beach Pier, is always sold out during the summer months when out-of-town tourists flock to Orange County where the “Happiest Place on Earth” aka Disneyland is located.

One can easily distinguish who the tourists are, as they are always taking dozens of pictures and/or selfies to send to their friends and relatives with “wish-you-were-here-too” comment, as if they take joy and pride to rub some “touristy” salt into a wound of their friends who do not leave home during their “vacations.”

(To be continued next week)* * *

Email: ernie.delfin@gmail.comWebsite: www.gkerc.org www.gk1world.com

Kocina and Pearson created a plan to build a business of their own.

“We made a decision that night to follow our big dream — start and run a business of our own, be the role models we never had, provide a better life for our families and contribute to our community,” Ramos said in an interview with the US Chamber of Commerce.

Adding that it was never “just a job,” Ramos said that SearchPros is their legacy for their families and the community.

“We didn’t get a paycheck for the first couple of years,” she said. “Every dollar we received was reinvested back to SearchPros.”

Today, SearchPros has its own corporate-owned headquarters — a far cry from the 120 square feet rental space they had when the company first started. The Citrus Heights-based business now also has 30 recruiters placing thousands of employees in 28 states and 8 countries.

And though SearchPros did not win Entrepreneur of the Year, Ramos still has a lot to be proud of.

“The winner was FitBit — and honestly I don’t even know how we got nominated in the same category since he has a $2 billion company, and this was only regional,” she shared. “We did WIN the National US Chamber of Commerce Company of the Year! That was an amazing honor and [a] prestigious award.”

Giving back and holding on to her Filipino heritage

As successful as she is now,

woman is in serious danger, as man-made laws masquerading as civil liberties, are enacted to challenge it, all in the name of political correctness. Strong family units built on love are so essential in creating strong societies from the ground up. Each generation builds upon and learns from the ones that came before it.

The passage below is a favorite among couples and wedding planners and for good reason. These words are more than the pretty, superficial veneer of rituals in weddings. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians 13, are words to live by telling us what really matters as he did then to members of the early church who were probably just as lost, confused and disconcerted as most of us probably are.

Set your hearts on the greater gifts. I will show you the way which surpasses all the others. If I speak with human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong, a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and, with full knowledge, comprehend all mysteries, if I have faith great enough to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give everything I have to feed the poor and hand over my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient; love is kind. Love is not jealous, it does not put on airs, it is not snobbish. Love is never rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not prone to anger; neither does it brood over injuries. Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the truth. There is no limit to love’s forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure.

Love never fails.… And now faith, hope and

love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

* * *Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

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42nd annual celebration in honor of Our Lady of PeñafranciaUnited Bicolandia Los Angeles (UBLA) invites everyone, Bicolanos, devotees and friends

to come and celebrate the 42nd annual celebration in honor of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, Patroness of the Bicol Region. The festivities will start on Sept. 9, with the translacion at 5pm at the Immaculate of Mary Church (4954 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90029. A nightly novena Mass follows from Sept. 9 to Sept. 16 at 6 PM except on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 3:30 PM and Sunday, Sept. 11, at 2;30 PM and culminates on Saturday, Sept. 17, with the ninth day novena at 8am, foot & fluvial procession at 9 AM, and a Concelebrated Mass at 10 am at Lincoln Park, 3501 Valley Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90031. Main celebrant will be HE Most Rev Arturo Bastes, Bishop of Sorsogon. For details, please call Lanie Berrei (818) 281-3169 or Gene Leano (818) 439-6896.

SEPTEMBER 8-17

FEU Sword FraternityAlumni International Assn. also known as SANDUGO with a Facebook page of “feusfi

(Abroad) is holding their 30th Anniversary of its founding. Its members are graduates of the FEU ROTC/WATC Advance course in Manila. Phil. . This group is based in Los Angeles, CA. The celebration/Reunion will be attended by other Frat Members from the Philippines, other States of the US, Canada, Australia and Tokyo. It will be held in the residence of one of the Founders at 1341 Montezuma Way, West Covina, CA, 91791 on July 9, 2016 start-ing at 1600H. After the 9th, Tour of Los Angeles, trip to San Diego and Las Vegas are being arranged. We are enjoining Frat members who are “Abroad” that we have no (or have changed) contact info to please get in touch to “reconnect”, or at least let us know you are still OK and/or update your data. Contact person and for more information - Frat Cmdr Romy Calderon 626 826 2745, e-mail “feusfi@gmail.com” and Brod Ted Bautista, Tel no.626 392 5024, e-mail -”samba1341@gmail.com”

JULY 9

UBSCI to celebrate 28th Anniversary The United Batanguenos of Southern California Inc. (UBSCI) will celebrate their 28th

Anniversary & Coronation Night on July 16, 2016 at The Odyssey Restaurant - 15600 Odys-sey Dr., Granada Hills. Music will be provided by Willie Manacsa & The Midnight Motion Band. For other related questions, please call Romy Elepano, Governor ( 323) 498-9333; Carmel Gonzales, Vice-Gov. (818) 785-2078 or Tony Lina, Vice-Gov. (323) 474-5877.

JULY 16

Magsingal Organization of America Annual CampingJULY 15

Members and town mates of the Magsingal Organization of America (MOA) are cor-dially invited to attend the Annual Meeting/Picnic & Camping on July 15-17, 2016 at the Brannan Island State Recreational Park in Rio Vista, CA. Group campsite costs are shoul-dered by MOA and so does for supplies, water and basic foods. For further inquiries and details, visit the Facebook page or call the following: Tereso (209) 603-8440, Lanie (209) 814-8004 or Grace (209) 817-5674.

Ramos clings to her Filipino heritage and believes in the importance of giving back to the community. Today, SearchPros supports the PCDH19 Alliance to help families affected by epilepsy, sponsored the 2015 St. Johns Program that offers shelter and self-sustainability readiness for women and children, provided resume workshops for job seekers through the Sacramento Area Human Resources Association, “adopted” a village to support typhoon relief to the Philippines, and raised money for the Women’s Empowerment Shelter.

“I am a first generation Filipina-American from Abangan Sur, Marilao, Bulacan; led by my devout Catholic grandparents in a traditional Filipino household,” she shared. “My family has always been the center the center of the universe with my extended Titas, Lolos and Lolas always in the peripheral.

“Like many immigrants, we started with humble beginnings, living with relatives and taking whatever menial jobs were available to survive. Always an outcast as a product of two worlds I struggled to find the balance of the competitive, extroverted and aggressive US tendencies and the religious, respectful, introverted Filipina way,” she said.

Realizing that these two worlds were complementary in the business world, Ramos used that to her advantage and is harvesting the fruits of her labor.

“I attribute a lot of our success because I have been able to incorporate the positive American values and the rich Filipino heritage,” she shared and then added, “I find that timing, family support, perseverance, ten years of trying and little prayer will help anyone succeed.”

Ramos taken last year in the Philippines, where they brought Christmas to a village by giving gifts for all the kids, as well as serving spaghetti and chicken to the people.

Ate Glow marries British beauATE Glow, a well known

impersonator of the former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo just tied the knot with her longtime boyfriend.

On Monday, July 4, several photos of the ceremony held in Chelsea Registry Office, London on July 2 circulated online. Photos show Ate Glow, born Rene Boy Facunla, literally glowing of happiness. For the special day, she wore a powder pink dress and a hat that made her look beautiful and fresh.

On 2014, “Renee” went through surgery to look more feminine in preparation for the wedding.

The two met in 2013 when the comedian was taking a vacation in London. (Philstar.com)Ate Glow ties the knot with her longtime boyfriend.

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