the trump administration’s plan to deport millions of immigrants living in the country without permission is falling far short of its initial goals in its first few weeks.
But there has been an increase in immigration raids in multiple cities, including Los Angeles and miami, since trump took office.
After trump’s inauguration, rumors of Immigration and Customs enforcement agents roaming the streets or showing up at churches and schools have spread on social media and messaging apps, sending waves of panic in immigrant communities from coast to coast.
When I share my research on the effects of U.s. immigration policies, I find that most people intuitively understand how being
First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer resigns amid NY City Hall shakeup
NeW York City’s first Deputy mayor maria torres-springer announced her resignation on monday, feb. 17, stepping down alongside Deputy mayor for operations meera Joshi, Deputy mayor for health and human services
Anne Williams-Isom, and Deputy mayor for Public safety Chauncey Parker. the abrupt departures mark a significant shift within mayor eric Adams’ administration amid a turbulent political climate.
the resignations follow the Department of Justice’s recent motion to dismiss federal bribery charges against mayor Adams, a move that has sparked allegations of a political quid pro quo. Governor Kathy hochul has convened key leaders to discuss the city’s leadership crisis and potential actions regarding mayor Adams’ tenure.
In a letter addressed to her colleagues, torres-springer expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve New Yorkers, emphasizing that public service has always been an “act of love.” she cited the “extraordinary events of the last few weeks”
the Potomac river in that city last January 29.
malabed was awarded the medalya ng Katapatan sa Paglilingkod (Distinguished Service Medal) and medalya ng Katangi-tanging Gawa (outstanding Achievement Medal) by PNP Chief Gen. rommel marbil. the PNP Public Information office told INQUIrer net in a Viber message that malabed’s remains arrived in Camp Crame in Quezon City at around 10:35 a.m. on friday, february 21. malabed’s remains were brought back to the Philippines at around 7:45 a.m. on friday and received foyer honors at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). n
mANILA — former President rodrigo Duterte is among the legal counsel representing his daughter, Vice President sara Duterte, in her supreme Court petition seeking to block her impeachment.
Based on a copy of the petition, Vice President Duterte’s father-in-law, lawyer Lucas Carpio Jr., also joins former President Duterte and lawyers from the fortun, Narvasa, and salazar law firm in blocking her impeachment.
Vice President Duterte filed the petition for certiorari and prohibition with the urgent application for a temporary restraining order and writ of preliminary injunction on tuesday, february 18. the petition sought the sC to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the senate from proceeding with the impeachment trial and to further “desist from doing any and all acts relative and pursuant thereto.” It also sought the sC to issue a final injunction, which would nullify and set
NeArLY 4 out of 10 filipinos have identified themselves as supporters of President ferdinand marcos Jr., with most of them coming from Luzon.
Nearly 4 out of 10 consider themselves as supporters of former President rodrigo Duterte, a survey conducted by oCtA research showed.
In its Tugon ng Masa survey conducted from Jan. 25-31, 36 percent of respondents said that they consider themselves as pro-marcos or supporters of the administration.
oCtA said that the figure, while statistically unchanged from the August 2024 survey,
was down by 2 percentage points.
Broken down by area, marcos support remained high in the National Capital region and the Visayas with 39 percent and 37 percent support, respectively, while Balanced Luzon was the highest at 47 percent. meanwhile, only 1 in 10 individuals in mindanao, or nearly 9 percent, said that they are pro-marcos. support for the administration, according to oCtA, have been steadily increasing since the march 2024 survey, with shifts in marcos support observed in Balanced Luzon and Class ABC respondents.
By socioeconomic class,
mANILA — Leaders of the Catholic Church are asking the filipino faithful to pray for the speedy recovery of Pope francis, who’s been in a rome hospital since last week for pneumonia.
Cardinals Jose Advincula and Pablo Virgilio David are leading vigil prayers in the Archdiocese of manila and Diocese of Kalookan, respectively.
“may I ask for your prayers for his healing and recovery during this challenging time?” said David, president of the Catholic
Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
“Let us storm heaven with our supplications. Let us accompany Pope francis with our loving prayers and entrust him to the Lord’s healing hand as well as his doctors, nurses, and medical professionals,” Advincula said in a circular on thursday, february 20.
According to an update from the Vatican, the 88-year-old pope was in “stationary” condition following his double pneumonia diagnosis. (inquirer.net)
US stands with PH, condemns...
state Department spokesman tammy Bruce said a Chinese helicopter came within three meters of a Philippine Bureau of fisheries and resources (BfAr) plane conducting routine overflight, "endangering the safety of the aircraft and its crew."
Bruce said the tuesday, february 18 incident followed China's "separate unsafe and unprofessional maneuver on february 11 that endangered an Australian aircraft that was conducting a routine maritime patrol in the south China sea."
reckless Chinese actions such as these are a threat to navigation and overflight in the south China sea, and we will continue to support our allies and partners to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific," she said.
"We call on China to refrain from coercive actions and settle its disputes peacefully in accordance with international law," Bruce said.
the National maritime Council (NmC) on tuesday said the Philippine government was "deeply disturbed by the unprofessional and reckless flight maneuvers" of a PLAN's helicopter that flew as close
as three meters above a BfAr aircraft conducting a routine maritime domain awareness flight over Bajo de masinloc on february 18. the Chinese embassy in manila said the Chinese Navy helicopter's response to the alleged intrusion of a Philippine aircraft over a disputed shoal in the south China sea was "necessary, legitimate and professional."
Bajo de masinloc is also called
scarborough shoal and Panatag shoal. China claims it and calls it huangyan Dao.
In a statement on Wednesday, february 19, the embassy said, "huangyan Dao is China's inherent territory." the NmC said it would file a "formal diplomatic protest on this grave incident." the Department of foreign Affairs has yet to confirm whether the government has filed the protest. n
Rodrigo Duterte among lawyers in SC...
aside the fourth impeachment complaint filed against the vice president on february 5.
the house of representatives impeached her on the same day with 215 lawmakers singing the complaint.
her petition is on top of a similar petition filed by a group of mindanao lawyers on tuesday, february 18. n
Four out of 10 Filipinos back Marcos...
marcos supporters mostly came from Class ABC at 42 percent, followed by Class D at 36 percent, while the lowest is from Class e at 29 percent. meanwhile, 18 percent said that they consider themselves allies of the Dutertes, including Vice President sara Duterte and her father, former President rodrigo Duterte. the figure is also statistically unchanged from the August survey given the margin of error, but it is a 3-percent increase from August. mindanao had the highest support at 63 percent, while
Duterte support was lowest in the National Capital region and Balanced Luzon, at just 5 and 2 percent, respectively, while 12 percent of Visayas respondents identify themselves as proDuterte.
oCtA, however, noted a significant increase of proDuterte support among socioeconomic Class e, with a 19-percent jump from the August survey from 21 percent to 41 percent, while Class D had only 16 percent support and 9 percent from Class ABC. this surge [in Class e] indicates a strong resurgence of pro-Duterte support in the first
quarter of 2025, reversing the previously observed downward trend," oCtA said. meanwhile, 8 percent said that they support the opposition, such as the Liberal Party and former Vice President Leni robredo, with the highest backing coming from the Visayas at 12 percent and Class ABC at 10 percent. twenty-six percent of the respondents said that they are politically independent, while 12 percent were not sure of their political preference. the survey, which had 1,200 respondents answering face-toface, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent. n
First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer resigns...
as a key factor in her decision, though she did not specify further. however, the timing of her departure coincides with ongoing controversies surrounding mayor Adams’ leadership and recent legal challenges.
“serving as Deputy mayors has been the greatest honor and privilege of our lives,” she wrote in a joint statement with Joshi and Williams-Isom. “We have worked each day with the singular mission of improving the lives of New Yorkers and strengthening the physical foundation of the city we love.”
torres-springer, who played a pivotal role in economic development and housing policy, expressed pride in the initiatives she helped spearhead during her tenure.
Acknowledging the difficulty of her decision to step down, torres-springer expressed hope that others would see it as one also made out of love. she and her fellow departing deputy mayors have assured mayor Adams that they will do everything possible to ensure a smooth transition, with further details on their departures to be shared in the coming days.
she also conveyed her immense pride and gratitude for the work accomplished alongside her colleagues. While noting that the list of achievements is extensive, she emphasized that their collective success was only possible because of the brilliance, integrity, and dedication of those who serve the city each day.
“Due to the extraordinary events of the last few weeks
and to stay faithful to the oaths we swore to New Yorkers and our families, we have come to the difficult decision to step down from our roles,” the joint statement further read. “While our time in this administration will come to a close, our support for the incredible public servants across the administration with whom we have stood shoulder to shoulder and our championing of this great city and all it stands for will never cease.”
“I am disappointed to see them go, but given the current challenges, I understand their decision and wish them nothing but success in the future,” mayor Adams said in a statement. “But let me be crystal clear: New York City will keep moving forward, just as it does every day. All deputy mayors will remain in their roles for the time being to ensure a seamless transition.
the people of New York City remain, without question, our top priority.
“I am solely beholden to the 8.3 million New Yorkers I represent, and I will always put this city first — as I always have.” maria torres-springer, Anne Williams-Isom, meera Joshi, and Chauncey Parker are extraordinary public servants who have been vital to our work reshaping New York City,” the mayor’s office also said in the statement. “together, we’ve broken housing records, created the most jobs in the city’s history, provided for hundreds of thousands of longtime New Yorkers and migrants, built unprecedented public spaces, and made our city safer at every level. New Yorkers owe them an enormous debt of gratitude for their service to our city.” (AJPress)
by Selen OzturK Ethnic Media Services
the abrupt shutdown of UsAID-funded projects has sent shockwaves through the global health community, with experts warning of severe consequences for disease research, vaccine development, and international health security.
founded in 1961 by President John f. Kennedy, the Us Agency for International Development has played a pivotal role in combating infectious diseases such as hIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. It has provided life-saving medical treatments in regions that would otherwise struggle to access them. the agency’s abrupt closure by the trump Administration’s new Department of Government efficiency has left numerous projects in limbo, including essential funding for vaccine research and long-term studies aimed at preventing future pandemics.
several lawsuits have been filed and lower court judges have issued temporary injunctions halting the scrapping of funding and programs. In 2023, the Us spent $71.9 billion on foreign aid, about 1.2% of its annual budget.
Soft power
“the Us had a great outreach program. We touched a lot of people around the world through UsAID,” said Dr. Benjamin Neuman, Professor of Biology and former Chief Virologist of the Global health research Complex at texas A&m University.
“these are all projects that are dual benefit. they’re helping someone in another country, and they are directly or indirectly, in the short or long term, really helping here.” stopping those projects right in the middle is really bad for science. there are ideas that may not ever get tested that could have become vaccines for hIV.
there are countries that could have been malaria-free a year from now that may not be,” said Neuman in an interview with ethnic media services. here are portions of the discussion: Where are the big challenges for research as USAID funding stops?
Neuman: hIV is a great big bubbling cauldron of a disease. once you get hIV, you can never be really cured of hIV. It’s still in there somewhere. You can potentially suppress it with lots of antivirals or some people will genetically suppress it at least part way, but they are still potentially infectious at some point and it’s taking years off of their lives.
The next big threat we face is avian flu. Given that we’ve now stopped monitoring avian flu in 49 countries, are we prepared?
We’ll know when it gets here, but we won’t know when it’s coming. this is why we have satellite weather radar, so that we can see the hurricane before it floods houston, destroys Puerto rico or does whatever terrible thing it’s going to do. Being prepared gives you time to come up with some kind of vaccine and just figure out what you’re going to do. If we had known Covid was coming, the Us probably could have started producing masks instead of saying, ‘oh, we’ll just import those from China and everything will be okay.’ If we’ve turned off our early warning system, there will be no early warning. the tidal wave will hit and we’ll know when we’re wet. u PAGE A4
hIV is a virus that spreads once it gets over to other countries. We think this is how it started way back before we even knew what hIV was. We’re not going to stop planes and transnational commerce just because there’s hIV in the world. these are going to continue. And so the more there is over there, eventually the more there is everywhere. HIV vaccine trials there were two vaccine trials that are really kind of neat. one was a vaccine to be given to people who are already infected. And the idea was that this might be able to build antibodies that can help protect people for longer and enable their bodies to fight hIV right where it is, which would very much limit their chances of spreading it to somebody else. so that was really cool. the other one was for people who haven’t got hIV yet. the reason why you would want to do science like this in a place like south Africa is that there’s a very high incidence of hIV. People are going to come into contact with it there, whether they like it or not. so you have a chance to do some good and you have a chance to see if your vaccine actually works. You have to partner with other countries in things like this. And it’s not jus throwing money at those countries. It’s the government funding vaccine development. And if the government doesn’t fund vaccine development, basically there are no vaccines. Can’t countries do this for themselves without USAID funding? the problems tend to creep up in countries that are still developing. take Burkina faso. the road network is not great. running water is not available everywhere. they have bigger problems and developing the next generation of hIV vaccine is not a priority. they also don’t have the sort of infrastructure that can produce nanoparticles with a particular recombinant protein on them in enough quantity to be able to put into people to make this thing work.
Maria Torres Springer AJPress file photo by Momar G. Visaya
Under Trump, press freedom under heat
by Selen OzturK
three weeks into trump’s second presidency, press freedom is in danger for newsrooms nationwide. san francisco radio station KCBs is facing a federal Communications Commission (fCC) investigation after broadcasting information about an Immigration and Customs enforcement operation; Associated Press journalists are barred from White house events after refusing to follow trump’s executive order to rename the Gulf of mexico the Gulf of America; and major media houses like ABC and CBs faced trump lawsuits even before he took office.
“What power is the fCC asserting? It appears to be a claim that reporting the news is not in the public interest if the government doesn’t like what news is being reported,” said David Loy, legal director of the first Amendment Coalition at a friday, february 14 ethnic media services briefing about recent press freedom threats. the fCC primarily regulates broadcast media like radio and television. Print and digital content is beyond its jurisdiction. the organization’s authority depends on a “public interest” standard — rooted in the radio Act of 1927 and the
Communications Act of 1934, when airwaves were scarce — requiring broadcasters to operate in a way that serves the public interest. In laws, lawsuits and regulations since then, however Congress, courts and the fCC itself have been unclear on the meaning and scope of “public interest.”
‘The process is the punishment’ In a case toeing this gray area of public interest last January, trump’s new fCC chair Brendan Carr ordered an investigation of NPr and PBs for “broadcasting underwriting announcements that cross the line into prohibited commercial advertisements.”
“It’s not the government’s business to dictate what the press reports, or how … and who is doing what on the government dime is, by definition, public business and newsworthy,” said Loy. “there’s a reason that the press is the only private institution expressly named in the Constitution, where the first Amendment guarantees its freedom.” the process is the punishment when it comes to freedom of speech,” he continued. “I think the most pernicious danger is self-censorship, and this is not just a red state or federal issue. Local officials have been threatening reporters for years,” with many recent instances in
California alone.
In may 2019, for example, san francisco police obtained a warrant to raid the home of a freelance journalist — taking a sledgehammer to his gate and seizing his computers, phones and other devices — after he refused to name a source related to the death of san francisco public defender Jeff Adachi that february.
In April 2022, a Los Angeles County sheriff gave a press conference calling for the investigation of an LA times journalist who reported on a leaked video of a deputy kneeling on the head of a handcuffed inmate for several minutes.
Last December, a san Joaquin County sheriff announced that journalists who legally obtained county superior Court documents could face criminal prosecution for having “conspired to break the law.”
“this erosion of norms and legal safeguards for journalists is part of a global trend,” said Joel simon, founding director of the Journalism Protection Initiative at the Craig Newmark Graduate school of Journalism. “there’s not a lot of examples where press freedom has declined and then rebounded … once your rights deteriorate, it’s very difficult to reclaim them.”
Press freedom violations in the U.s. are even older than u PAGE A4
IN January, during a congressional hearing on his way to becoming secretary of the Department of health and human services, robert f. Kennedy Jr. got basic details wrong about medicaid — a program he now oversees.
he said that medicaid is fully funded by the federal government (it’s not) and that many enrollees are unsatisfied with high outof-pocket costs (enrollees pay limited, if any, out-of-pocket costs).
medicaid is complex. the $880 billion-a-year state-federal program offers health coverage to millions of disabled and lowincome Americans. the program covers different services for different people in different parts of the country — and enrollees may interact with private insurance companies without “medicaid” in their names, leaving some unaware that they’re on the program at all.
Although President Donald trump promised to “love and cherish” medicaid, republicans in Congress last week announced federal budget proposals that could dramatically curtail the program. As that debate begins, here is what you need to know about medicaid.
What is Medicaid, and how is it different from Medicare? medicaid and medicare were created by the same legislation — an addition to the social security Act — that was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965.
medicaid is a government health insurance program for people with low incomes and adults and children with disabilities.
medicare, by contrast, generally covers those 65 or older. for older Americans with low incomes, medicaid covers out-ofpocket costs for medicare. such people are commonly called “dual eligibles,” because they qualify for both programs.
Who is on Medicaid?
more than 79 million people receive services from medicaid or the closely related Children’s health Insurance Program. that represents about 20% of the total population of the United states. most enrollees qualify because of
low incomes. About 40% of all children in the country are covered by medicaid or ChIP, created in 1997. Both pay for services such as routine checkups, vaccinations, and hospital stays. medicaid also covers pregnant people before and after they give birth and pays for more than 40% of all births.
medicaid also covers people with disabilities or complex medical needs and helps them afford services that allow them to live independently in community settings, outside of institutions such as nursing homes and staterun hospitals. the program serves a diverse cross section of the country.
About 40% of people under 65 who use medicaid are white, 30% are hispanic, 19% are Black, and 1% are Indigenous people. federal medicaid dollars cannot be used to cover immigrants who are in the U.s. without legal permission, though some states, as well as Washington, D.C., have used their own funds to extend medicaid coverage to such individuals. California was the first state to do so. What are the income qualifications?
eligibility generally depends on whether a person is low income, and states have different ways of defining that. for a four-adult household without dependent children, the current national median coverage level is $44,367. the Affordable Care Act, often called obamacare, which passed in 2010, allowed more people to qualify for medicaid on the basis of income. this is what is known as “medicaid expansion.” the law offered states a sizable incentive to add more people to their programs: the federal government would pitch in more money per enrollee to help cover them. the intention behind the expansion was to close gaps in health insurance programs for the millions of Americans who don’t get coverage through an employer. medicaid would cover people with extremely low incomes, and as their incomes rose, they could move to subsidized health plans sold through the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges. In 2012, the U.s supreme Court said the decision of whether to expand the program would
be left up to individual states. today, 40 states and the District of Columbia — led by Democrats and republicans alike — have opted in. In the 10 states that haven’t expanded medicaid to more low-income adults, the median earnings qualification level is $5,947 a year for a single-person household in 2025. those who make more are not eligible. Adults in those states who make too much for medicaid can also make too little to qualify for help
Under Trump, press freedom under...
the country itself, spanning landmark cases including a 1734 libel suit against a publisher by New York’s colonial governor; the 1798 sedition Act criminalizing criticism of the government, repealed two years later; and President Nixon’s far more recent Watergate breach in 1972.
‘Defending our ability to do our work’
“What makes these issues potentially more damaging now is that the institutional power of the media is greatly diminished,” said simon. “During the first trump administration, the battle was over who controls the narrative. that’s not where we are now. Now, we have to focus on defending our ability to do our work. If we don’t, we’re going to see those rights erode.”
“outside the U.s., a lot of legal harassment targeting media is not related to the production of content, but other things like tax issues, fraud allegations and workplace practices,” he explained, recommending that U.s. journalists brace themselves for the same.
Legal resources for journalists include pro bono aid through Lawyers for reporters, ProJourn and reporters Committee for freedom of the Press (rCfP),
and legal hotlines through rCfP and the first Amendment Coalition. self-censorship is not good because people will not get the news. It’s as simple as that,” said Zach Press, senior staff attorney at Lawyers for reporters at the Cyrus r. Vance Center for International Justice. “the question we should ask ourselves is: What measures do we put in place to have the confidence to do that reporting?” he added that with trump’s attacks on this confidence, Lawyers for reporters has seen an increase in “strategic lawsuits against public participation,” or sLAPPs; these are lawsuits brought by people and entities to dissuade negative publicity by forcing the critics accused to spend extensive time and money on defense.
the good news?
In recent years, many states have adopted anti-sLAPP laws, almost all involving fee shifting — meaning that if, for example, a court dismisses a case or rules against the suing plaintiff, that plaintiff must pay the defendant’s lawyer fees and possibly even more in damages.
Adopting states include Virginia in 2017; Colorado, Virginia and texas in 2019; New York in 2020; Washington
in 2021; Kentucky and Arizona in 2022; Pennsylvania and minnesota in 2024; and ohio last January.
“It’s a very strong deterrent,” said Press of the laws. “If the plaintiff knows they’ll be on the hook for a claim they just wanted to raise to shame a journalist, maybe they’ll think twice about it.”
Against sLAPP and other threats, he encouraged journalists to make their work as factually, digitally and legally bulletproof as possible through extensive editorial fact-checking; media liability insurance; encrypted messaging apps like signal and telegram; and — especially for nonprofits, which comprise many local media — updated tax and employment filings. through actions like these, “press freedom begins at home,” added Loy. “I can’t guarantee that the fCC or any other arm of government will not attempt to abuse its power, but autocracy depends on acquiescence.”
“Ignore your rights and they will go away. the best way to stand up to a bully is to fight a bully,” he continued. “Yes, there are risks … but the press should not allow those risks to prevent it from fulfilling its function: to report the news.” n
Deportation fears create ripple effects for...
deported can upend someone’s life.
In fact, research shows that deportation, and the risk of deportation, impacts more than just the person who is deported.
Deporting immigrants often separates individuals from their families, exiles them to countries that don’t feel like home, and leaves them poor, with few job prospects.
Immigrants who are deported also face social stigmas that lead to further isolation and mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety and risk of suicide.
A family matter
Immigrants in the country without permission tend to belong to mixed-immigrationstatus families, meaning that at least one family member has legal permission to be in the country or has citizenship.
In some cases, mixed-status families feel pressure to leave the U.s. together if one family member is deported.
researchers call this phenomenon “de facto deportation.” It frequently affects young, U.s.-born children whose parents are deported.
Legal scholars argue that deporting the parents of these young U.s. citizens violates these children’s citizenship rights. though these children are citizens, their parents’ deportations push them out of the country and away from the lives they would have had in the U.s
In other cases, families separate when a mother, father or other adult guardian is deported. this is especially true for immigrants who are deported to dangerous places. families are also likely to separate if a family member requires specialized medical care for a disability or chronic illness.
But it is not just actual deportations that cause harm.
The fear of deportation even when immigrants do not face an immediate risk of deportation, the way they live their lives is shaped by the threat of removal.
In hostile political climates, including the current moment in the U.s., immigrants feel the risk of deportation acutely. some researchers call the fear of deportation “deportability.” this feeling has a chilling effect, discouraging immigrants from
the everyday activities they would otherwise do.
so far, immigrants’ fear is likely disproportionate to the risk of deportation. But the threat looms so large that immigrants and their families have upended their lives.
Business owners, teachers and religious leaders across the country have noticed immigrants’ glaring absence in neighborhoods that are usually bustling and now feel deserted. In some cases, immigrants are keeping their children home from school. others avoid going to doctor’s appointments or delay going to the hospital.
hostility toward immigrants also has a chilling effect on cultural expression.
research shows that Latino immigrants who fear deportation or anti-immigrant prejudice feel coerced to assimilate. they avoid speaking spanish or their Indigenous language, like Quechua or Náhuatl, in public, and may even hesitate to teach it to their own children. similarly, it can feel dangerous to play music or partake in cultural traditions.
Spillover effects research has also found that the threat of deportation makes immigrants hesitant to report dangerous conditions at work. since immigrants are overrepresented in dangerous industries, like construction and meatpacking, this can lead to a higher risk of being injured or even dying on the job.
Because local law enforcement agencies increasingly cooperate with federal immigration authorities, immigrants may also avoid going to the police – even when they are victims of violent crimes. even in cities where local law enforcement agencies refuse to work closely with ICe, the perception that they might be creates fear in immigrant communities and leads people to underutilize public programs and services.
People who have permission to be in the country are also afraid the fear of immigration enforcement can also extend to a person who speaks a foreign language, is a person of color, or otherwise seems like they might be in the country without permission.
Perhaps the most striking example of this consists of recent reports that Native American
citizens living in southwest states like Arizona have been increasingly questioned by ICe. In response, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren has advised people to carry proof of their U.s. citizenship. Nonwhite U.s. citizens’ fears of being deported are not unprecedented.
In the 1950s, many U.s citizens of mexican ancestry were deported under President Dwight eisenhower’s mass deportation operation. trump credits eisenhower’s program, officially called “operation Wetback,” after the racist slur, for inspiring his current mass deportation plans.
more than half a century later, the U.s. Government Accountability office reported that between 2015 and 2020, ICe likely arrested 674 U.s. citizens, detaining 121 and deporting 70 of them.
A sense of despair Not surprisingly, antiimmigrant policies and threats can elicit feelings of hopelessness among immigrants. the fear of deportation can lead to significant mental health problems for immigrants and their loved ones, ranging from conditions like anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder to a loss of trust in others and social isolation. Children experience fear and confusion about the future of their lives and that of their families.
hopelessness can lead to immigrants leaving the country on their own accord. this can happen because immigrants see no future for themselves in the U.s similarly, immigrants who are detained by government authorities may agree to voluntary departure orders rather than fighting to remain in the country. some consequences of the fear of deportation and anti-immigrant hostility are easy to see, like when children miss school. others – delaying doctor’s appointments, going hungry instead of going to the food bank, tolerating abuse instead of seeking help – are harder to observe, and their negative effects may not be evident for years. (inquirer.net)
Kristina Fullerton rico, research Fellow, center for racial Justice, Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan.
U SAID shutdown puts the health of...
Dr. Neuman, skeptics would say that diseases like Ebola or malaria don’t directly affect Americans, so why should we invest in them via USAID?
Look at the last ebola outbreak. It didn’t directly
impact Americans for about a month. then people were on planes, they came over to texas, they came to other places, other countries, and then all of a sudden you have ebola here. Viruses don’t understand international
borders. If it starts one place, the virus is going to replicate in humans. And so wherever humans go and wherever humans meet other humans, that is where these viruses and these diseases are going to spread. n
Republicans are eyeing cuts to Medicaid...
buying plans on the Affordable Care Act exchanges, leaving some unable to afford coverage.
An estimated 1.5 million fall into this coverage gap. Where does the money to pay for it come from?
the federal government pays most of the cost of medicaid by matching a portion of what states spend.
Currently, the federal government matches at least 50% of state spending and offers states more money for some services and enrollees — for instance, for children and pregnant women.
Less wealthy states — determined by considering residents’ per capita incomes — receive a higher match, translating to a higher percentage of federal dollars. In mississippi, for instance, the federal government picks up 77% of the cost of medicaid.
states also receive a 90% match from the federal government for enrollees eligible for medicaid under the ACA’s expansion.
there is no limit on how much states can spend on the program, and hundreds of billions of federal dollars flow into states each year.
In 2023, states spent about 15% of their own budgets on medicaid.
What does that money pay for?
federal law requires all state medicaid programs to cover certain services, including emergency medical transportation, X-rays and lab work, family planning, and medication-assisted treatment for people with opioid use disorder. the program also covers many nursing and home health services, though federal law allows those benefits to be clawed back after an enrollee’s death.
Beyond that, states have the flexibility to choose the services their medicaid programs cover. All states cover prescription drugs, and most cover eyeglasses, some dental care, and physical therapy. medicaid covers more mental
health and long-term care services than any other type of insurance, public or private. What is Medicaid called in my state?
medicaid programs can go by many different names, even within the same state, in part because most states use private insurance companies to run them. this can be confusing for consumers who may not realize they are actually enrolled in medicaid. In New York, for instance, medicaid plans are offered by major companies, such as Anthem Blue Cross Blue shield and Unitedhealthcare — and some you may not have heard of, such as Amida Care and metroPlushealth. In Wisconsin, enrollees may be in BadgerCare Plus; in Connecticut, husky health; in texas, stAr; and in California, medi-Cal. How does Medicaid affect hospitals and doctors in my state?
medicaid generally pays health care providers such as doctors and hospitals less money for services than medicare or private insurance does. But it can be more money than they’d get caring for people who are uninsured — and without medicaid, many more Americans would be uninsured. Like states, providers and hospitals have come to rely on this money and express concerns
that even phasing it out over time would require major adjustments. What’s going to happen to Medicaid?
It’s not clear. republicans in Washington are again pushing for major changes, which could take the form of cuts to federal funding. that could reduce the number of people who qualify, the services available, or both. A similar push focused on repealing and replacing obamacare in 2017, during trump’s first term, was unsuccessful.
Perhaps one of the biggest obstacles to changing medicaid is its popularity: 77% of Americans — and majorities of Democrats, independents, and republicans — view the program favorably. At the heart of it all are key questions about the role of government in people’s health: how big should the U.s. medical insurance safety net be? Who deserves government assistance? And how will enrollees, states, providers, and the health care system at large absorb major changes to medicaid, even if a rollout were staggered?
KFF Health News is a
Dateline PhiliPPines
Chinese embassy: US ambassador ‘disregarding facts’ about Philippine aircraft encounter
by ChriStina Chi Philstar.com
mANILA — the Chinese embassy in manila accused United states Ambassador maryKay Carlson on thursday, february 20, of "disregarding facts" and spreading "misleading narratives" about its military helicopter's close encounter with a Philippine aircraft over scarborough shoal earlier this week. the U.s. ambassador, disregarding the facts and distorting the truth, has unjustly accused China of its lawful maritime rights protection activities while disseminating misleading narratives," the embassy said in a statement. the statement comes after Carlson condemned a midaerial encounter where a Chinese military helicopter flew dangerously close within three meters of a Philippine aircraft during the latter's routine maritime patrol over scarborough shoal on tuesday, february 18.
During this encounter, filipino pilots of the Bureau of fisheries and Aquatic resources' Cessna plane issued a radio challenge to the People's Liberation Army Navy helicopter, urging it to keep its distance. the U.s. diplomat called on China to "refrain from coercive actions" and settle disputes peacefully under international law. the incident in the airspace above scarborough shoal — a feature within the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone — was tagged by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) as one of China's "most dangerous" actions yet in the contested waterways.
PCG spokesperson Jay tarriela on Wednesday, february 19 explained that the Chinese helicopter's propeller wash nearly destabilized the BfAr plane carrying Coast Guard personnel and journalists. the Chinese embassy, however, has alluded to the incident as being "staged."
Beijing also maintains that its
forces were conducting lawful operations when Philippine aircraft entered its "territorial airspace" without permission.
"Any rhetoric or actions that embolden the Philippines to pursue its illegitimate territorial claims through provocations and staged incidents are bound to be in vain," the Chinese embassy added.
the latest diplomatic exchange comes amid heightened tensions in the disputed waterways. Just last week, Australia condemned China for what it called an "unsafe and unprofessional" encounter where Chinese forces reportedly deployed flares near an Australian patrol aircraft in the south China sea.
Last month, newly appointed U.s secretary of state marco rubio reaffirmed America's "ironclad commitment" to the Philippines during his first call with foreign Affairs secretary enrique manalo, specifically addressing what he called "China's dangerous and destabilizing actions" in the south China sea. n
PH exits dirty money watchlist
by niña Myka Pauline aRceo ManilaTimes.net
mANILA — the Philippines has officially been removed from a global dirty money watchlist after nearly four years of heightened monitoring by the Paris-based financial Action task force (fAtf).
the intergovernmental organization late on friday, february 21 commended the country for addressing antimoney laundering, counterterrorism financing and counterproliferation financing (AmL/Cft/ CPf) deficiencies identified in previous evaluations.
the Philippines has completed their action plan to resolve the identified strategic deficiencies within agreed timeframes and will no longer be subject to the fAtf's increased monitoring process," it said in a statement.
In a briefing, fAtf President elisa de Anda madrazo said the country had actively combated the risk of dirty money flowing through local casinos.
"offshore gaming operators have been closed and casino junkets are now closely scrutinized," she said.
the Philippines is expected to sustain the implementation of the reforms and importantly, to do so in a way that is consistent with the fAtf standards."
the Philippines was the only country removed by the fAtf from the so-called "grey" list, where it was placed in 2021, during its february plenary meeting.
the watchdog had kept the Philippines on the list for a third straight year in 2024, citing continued deficiencies in its AmL/ Cft systems. Inclusion in the grey list means increased monitoring by the fAtf and a commitment by the government to quickly resolve identified deficiencies.
the fAtf said the Philippines had enhanced the effectiveness of its AmL/Cft framework, having:
• Demonstrated that effective risk-based supervision of designated non-financial businesses and professions was occurring;
• Demonstrated that supervisors were using AmL/Cft controls to mitigate risks associated with casino junkets;
• Implemented new registration requirements for money or value transfer services and applied
sanctions against unregistered and illegal remittance operators;
• Enhanced and streamlined law enforcement agency access to beneficial ownership information and had taken steps to ensure that the information was accurate and up-to-date;
• Demonstrated an increase in the use of financial intelligence and an increase in money laundering investigations and prosecutions;
• Demonstrated an increase in the identification, investigation and prosecution of terrorist financing cases;
• Demonstrated that appropriate measures were taken with respect to non-profit organizations (NPos) without disrupting legitimate activity;
• Enhanced the effectiveness of the targeted financial sanctions framework for both terrorist and proliferation financing; and
• Applied cross-border measures at all main international sea/airports. the fAtf, however, still urged the country to continue to work with the Asia/Pacific Group on money Laundering to sustain the AmL/Cft improvements.
"the fAtf encourages the Philippines to continue its work in ensuring that its Cft measures are appropriately applied, particularly the identification and prosecution of tf cases, and are neither discouraging nor disrupting legitimate NPo activity," it said.
madrazo said the Philippines would again be assessed in 2027, which "will be an opportunity for the fAtf to verify that the measures are sustained and still in place."
the Philippines was previously blacklisted in 2000, resulting in economic penalties, and remained on that list until 2005 following the enactment of the Anti-money Laundering Act in 2001 and its
amendment in 2003.
In 2010, the country was placed in the grey list due to the absence of counter-terrorism financing laws and was further downgraded to the "dark grey" list in february 2012. It was upgraded back to the grey list in June 2012 and then exited in 2013 after the passage of the terrorism financing Prevention and suppression Act of 2012. It remained on a watchlist until 2017 after the Casino Law was approved. After a 2018 evaluation, however, the Philippines was once again greylisted in 2021. n
OPiniOn Features
Environmental offenders
Illegal logging, illegal mining, wildlife trafficking, the violation of protected areas such as Bohol’s Chocolate Hills – the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has a lot on its plate in its mission of protecting the environment. Climate change has brought greater urgency to the mission of the DENR.
on friday, february 21, the DeNr signed an agreement with the Department of Justice to strengthen the prosecution of environmental cases, with the DoJ extending the scope of its investigative authority to environmental crimes.
Editorial
Under the agreement, the two departments will draw up joint policies to ensure that environmental offenders will be held accountable and punished. this entails the proper gathering of evidence that will be admissible as evidence and will establish a prima facie case with reasonable certainty of conviction.
DeNr lawyers may be deputized by the DoJ as special prosecutors in wildlife and forestry cases. environmental crimes may also be linked to money laundering, the DoJ said.
the DeNr needs legal expertise in going after environmental offenders. Between 2010 and 2022, the DeNr filed 170 cases against 549 environmental violators caught in 264 wildlife enforcement operations. so far, only 42 have been convicted.
of 6,446 environmental crime cases recorded by the DeNr as of october last year, 27.2 percent are being evaluated by public prosecutors, 22.5 percent are being tried in court, 7.2 percent have
shortLY after arriving from Washington, D.C., we started off our public diplomacy engagements by taking part in a forum hosted by the U.s.Philippines society (UsPs) during the annual directors’ meeting of the bi-national board of directors co-chaired by former U.s. Director of National Intelligence Ambassador John Negroponte and Ayala Corporation head Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.
I was requested to give remarks about the Philippine perspective on the political transition currently underway in the United states. since it is my second time serving under a trump administration – having first presented my credentials as Philippine Ambassador to the U.s. in November 2017 during President Donald trump’s first term in office – I suppose I am uniquely qualified to speak on this political transition. During the presentation, I also shared the view of an analyst from the Brookings Institution who said that this transition was actually
WheN you sit down with some of the country’s tycoons and business executives, especially filipino-Chinese businessmen, you will easily notice an air of frustration over our politics and politicians. only those who are really close to President ferdinand marcos Jr., either as an adviser, a friend or as an appointed official, would say that everything’s smooth sailing. In reality though, many of our big businessmen are growing frustrated and even impatient with our dizzying political landscape – the move to tinker with our budget, glaring corruption among some of our lawmakers and that feeling of walang nangyayari” under the marcos administration. of course, our businessmen – some of them kingmakers –
been dismissed while 38.6 percent led to convictions. the DeNr has yet to conduct an honest-to-goodness crackdown on reclamation activities that are destroying marine and aquatic ecosystems. the supreme Court has found it necessary to step in and order the executive branch to preserve and protect manila Bay. In Laguna de Bay, a source of fresh water and fish for mega manila, the DeNr seems helpless in stopping the frenzied reclamation for commercial purposes particularly along the lakeside of taguig. this election season, the Commission on elections may also partner with the DeNr in cracking down on the anarchy in the display of campaign materials. Local government officials, who are mandated to enforce local anti-pollution laws and prohibitions on harming trees, are often among the biggest offenders. It would be impossible to go after all environmental offenders across the country. But the DeNr and DoJ, in coordination with other agencies and civil society groups, can conduct random operations. What’s important is for the people to see that environmental offenders can be caught, prosecuted and punished. (Philstar.com)
four years in the making. from the Philippine perspective, the appointment of Cabinet officials such as secretary of state marco rubio as well as National security Advisor mike Waltz reflects a more deliberate attempt on the part of President trump to maintain a strong U.s presence in the Indo-Pacific. It was extremely essential that we immediately connected our respective foreign Affairs secretary and Defense secretary with their U.s. counterparts, who both affirmed the “ironclad” commitment of the U.s. to the 1951 mutual Defense treaty, but we are all aware of the work that lies ahead to ensure that the alliance will continue to be enduring and that support for our military modernization and our economic transformation goals will continue.
While we are well aware that President trump favors good deals that align with his America first agenda, I see this as an opportunity for us to project branding and messaging. It is also important that our AseAN friends and allies within the region must reframe our collective interests in the Indo-Pacific as not only a
are partly to blame. they keep on supporting these politicians when candidates ask them for support.
But what if, for a change –or for a much-needed respite from politicians – they field somebody from their own ranks and support him or her instead to become the country’s president?
Would a businessman or a tycoon be an effective president of the Philippines? someone with effective management and leadership skills who can steer our rudderless ship to better shores? someone who has the brilliance to manage our resources so that our government can provide the right social services to our people? someone whose goal is no longer just about making money but building a nation for generations and generations to come?
of course it’s easy to mistrust businessmen, especially in our country where some people perceive them as just a bunch
a week of public diplomacy
good deal for the United states, but an essential deal as well.
As an independent and nonpartisan organization, the UsPs has been instrumental in fostering mutual understanding of the dynamics that underpin the longstanding relationship between the U.s. and the Philippines. the society also plays a very important role in providing continuity in the relationship, serving as a bridge that connects both nations amid political changes and transitions. the forum was very successful in providing members with deep insights into prospects for bilateral trade relations and identifying potential investment prospects, opportunities as well as challenges in light of the trump administration’s agenda. As I have reiterated on several occasions, economic diplomacy is key in building up the Philippines’ economic prosperity that in turn would bring about economic security. there is absolutely no doubt that an economically strong Philippines could potentially become a reliable and strong partner of the United states.
We hosted a welcome reception for the UsPs board
of greedy and profit-oriented oligarchs who only want to enrich themselves.
In reality though, some of the country’s tycoons care about the country and not just themselves, or at least they care more than our politicians do. Just look at how some of them helped our people during the pandemic. Imagine if they didn’t – where would we be now? they care about the future of their children and grandchildren. some of them want to leave a lasting legacy so their empires are not forgotten. In any case, a lot of them have the skills and the proven track record to run an organization effectively, perhaps even more so than some of our politicos, something that we need in our country today, We’ve had success stories when it comes to our debtstrapped utilities of decades past. When these were privatized and transferred to the hands of business executives, services improved.
of directors and members at the historic Goldenberg mansion that served as a perfect venue in celebrating the longstanding friendship between the Philippines and the United states. originally built by the eugster family in the 1870s, it later became the residence of Arthur macArthur – the American military governorgeneral of the Philippines in 1900 – following the defeat of the spanish Navy in the Battle of manila Bay in 1898. the mansion very likely became a hub of activity as the U.s established its presence in the Philippines.
Last Wednesday, february 12, I was honored to receive the Journalist of the Year –Diplomacy award during the manila overseas Press Club Grand Journalism Awards night that recognized the country’s outstanding journalists in print and broadcast media. this is only the second time in 80 years that the moPC, which is the first and oldest press club in Asia, is giving these awards. more than anything, what is more important for me is the recognition given to fellow honorees for the passion, dedication and integrity that
even tollways and airports
– though a long way from being world-class – are seeing improvements after being privatized.
After all, people with business acumen move fast and efficiently. they anticipate problems before they arise. they are creative and innovative, too. so what if, for a change, we elect a businessman as president? I’m sure many of them are qualified, perhaps even more qualified than those currently eyeing the presidency in 2028. some of them are popular and considered as folk heroes.
Actually, I heard from our republic of Marites that this is something some of our businessmen are considering because many of them have become so frustrated with our political situation. they are considering the idea of supporting a fellow businessman to run for the presidency. the only question
they put into their work, especially today with the advent of other platforms that peddle fake news and spread misinformation.
having a column at the Philippine stAr – recognized as the Newspaper of the Year – is a responsibility I take very seriously because it has been an extremely effective public diplomacy platform to share our advocacies and our activities in strengthening the relationship between the United states and the Philippines. We at the Philippine embassy in Washington, D.C. are also utilizing public diplomacy to reach out to our kababayans to inform them about their rights and provide legal advice regardless of their immigration status. It’s really very unfortunate that there are groups out there that are creating panic and confusion, coming out with biased and unverified claims which, sadly, some media outlets are accommodating without verifying the whole issue or asking concerned government agencies first before putting out news reports.
During my recent engagement with students at
the American University school of International service on the topic of “Public Diplomacy and the future of U.s.-Philippine relations,” I told them that my weekly column at the Philippine stAr allows me to share insights about my work as ambassador. the rise of mass media and now social media has expanded our reach, enabling us to engage not only with our counterparts but various public audiences – making it increasingly important for diplomats to be skilled communicators and convey messages clearly, accurately and in a timely manner. on my part, I make it a point to be available for as many engagements as my schedule allows in Washington, D.C. and across the U.s., knowing that the effective use of public diplomacy can contribute greatly in further enhancing U.s.-Philippine relations. (Philstar.com)
* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
* * * Email: babeseyeview@gmail.com
is who it will be. the United states has done it, and no, I’m not even referring to President Donald trump. there were success stories in the past. for instance, there’s George Washington, considered as one of the greatest presidents in U.s. history. he was a wealthy landowner and savvy businessman before he became president. there’s also former haberdasher harry truman, ranked by historians as among the top five presidents of the U.s Jimmy Carter grew the family business successfully before being elected as president of the U.s. in 1977. this is perhaps because in the U.s., citizens were more open to having a businessman for president.
“Plenty of businessmen throughout history have sought – and won – the highest office in the U.s some feel this is a positive, bringing the business acumen and efficiency of the
private sector into the halls of state,” according to the Business News Daily. of course, having a businessman as president of the republic has its risks and it isn’t a magic pill that will make our problems go away. It can also open the door for corruption and cronyism. But these are desperate times, as seen in the current crop of politicians and candidates we have. Perhaps, it might be something we can consider instead of just voting the same trapos back into office.
Now will a nation-loving businessman capable of leading this country please stand up?
* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
* * *
Email: eyesgonzales@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.
Rodrigo duterte faces sedition rap for ‘kill senators’ quip
by Jane Bautista, Jeannette i andrade Inquirer.net
mANILA — A top police official on monday, february
17 filed a complaint of inciting sedition against former President rodrigo Duterte over his remarks suggesting the killing of senators to “create vacancies” for senatorial candidates of his political party. this developed amid calls by lawmakers from the house of representatives to have the former president investigated for his remarks at the proclamation rally of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDPLaban) on feb. 13.
maj. Gen. Nicolas torre III, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police, filed the complaint of inciting to sedition and unlawful utterances in the Department of Justice (DoJ). Under Article 142 of the revised Penal Code, inciting to sedition carries the penalty of prision correccional in its maximum period (six months and one day to six years in prison) and a fine not exceeding P400,000, whereas under Article 154, unlawful means of publication or utterances carries the penalty of arresto mayor (one month and one day to six months in prison) and a fine of up to P200,000.
the complaint — the second legal action against Duterte over his myriad “kill” remarks — will be evaluated by the National Prosecution service as to whether it has sufficient evidence to warrant a preliminary investigation.
‘Kill, kill’
torre told reporters that “I am filing this as a citizen, and as a policeman. It’s part of the PNP’s duty to ensure that we protect the public from criminal activities like this.”
“It may seem trivial, but coming from a former president, it’s not farfetched that it could be copied or taken seriously by his blind supporters,” he added.
“Because it’s already happened, right? he said to kill drug addicts, and it actually happened,” said torre, a former police chief of Davao region.
Duterte said at the proclamation rally in Club filipino: “Now, there’s many of them [candidates for senator]. What should we do? Let’s kill the senators now to create vacancies.”
Behind the former president was sen. robinhood Padilla who smiled at Duterte’s remarks, which drew laughter from the audience and later chants of “Kill, kill.”
“If we can kill around 15 senators, we can all go in. But they’d be pitiful. Yet they’re irritating — not all of them, though. talking of opportunities, the only way to do it is to use a bomb,” the former president added.
Bomb jokes are punishable by imprisonment under Presidential Decree No. 1727.
‘Just rhetoric’
Justice secretary Jesus Crispin remulla, for his part, told reporters: “the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] can look at that motu proprio. But you know, sometimes we’re used to the former president’s language. We’re accustomed to it. Not everything he says will make us jump, right?”
remulla also noted that Duterte’s remarks differed from the assassination threats by his daughter, Vice President sara Duterte, against President ferdinand marcos Jr., first Lady Liza Araneta-marcos, and speaker martin romualdez.
In her online press briefing in November last year, the vice president said her remarks were “no joke, no joke.” the NBI has recommended filing charges of grave threats and inciting to sedition against the younger Duterte.
NBI Director Jaime santiago on monday also played down the former president’s remarks,
DOTr chief stops full cashless tollway collection
by helen FlOreS Philstar.com
mANILA — Calling it
“anti-poor,” newly appointed transportation secretary Vince Dizon has suspended the implementation of full cashless collection across all tollways that was supposed to start on march 15.
speaking to Palace reporters on his first day as transportation chief, Dizon said he directed the toll regulatory Board (trB) to defer its order mandating full contactless transactions across expressways.
“there was an announcement from the trB that NLeX (North Luzon expressway) and sLeX (south Luzon expressway) will go cashless. oK, I’m telling you right now I already told trB to suspend that,” Dizon said at a press briefing, a few hours after taking his oath of office before President marcos at malacañang.
saying, “that’s just rhetoric, part of their political propaganda.”
remulla had suggested that “if the senators file a complaint themselves, the DoJ will have a reason to act on it,” as they would be the ones at risk from Duterte’s remarks.
But some senators themselves dismissed these utterances by the former president.
“I think he just said it in jest. You know [him]. he’s just playful,” sen. Jinggoy estrada said, adding that “he (Duterte) is so entertaining to watch.” Duterte’s ally, sen. ronald “Bato” dela rosa said, “It’s as if you don’t know President Duterte… It’s still a big deal to you… Don’t believe that joke. It’s a joke, clear.”
Drawing the line house lawmakers also on monday held a news conference to call for the NBI’s investigation.
“Do we allow this kind of rhetoric in the first place? Do we actually normalize this kind of talk? especially if it’s uttered in a very important event like a proclamation rally?” house Assistant majority Leader Zia Alonto Adiong said, reiterating his earlier call for such an inquiry
“We are actually trying to convey a message where, in the case of the former president, he somehow has the license and permit to say anything he [wants]. he can tell you, ‘I will kill you.’ he can tell you, ‘I will kill him,’ and then get away with it,” he added.
“Let’s draw the line. When can we actually accept things as [a] joke or as a mere, [simple] ordinary rhetoric from that of a statement that actually causes harm to individual lives? so I think that’s just the thing that I would like to drive at,” Adiong also said. he noted further that ordinary filipinos are punished for simple
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bomb jokes.
1-rider rep. ramon rodrigo Gutierrez said, “I think we have to really take [Duterte’s remarks] seriously this time.”
he expressed concern that Duterte’s followers could take his remarks as a “call to arms.”
“that’s [the] problem with words — it emboldens people to do what might be wrong,” Gutierrez said.
the lawmakers also appealed to santiago to reconsider his “unfortunate” position. n
In a statement on feb. 14, the trB – an attached agency of the Department of transportation (Dotr) – said motorists using the expressways need to have an rfID sticker on their vehicles by march 15.
the trB earlier said vehicles without a valid rfID sticker would be allowed to enter toll plazas on the condition that a sticker would be installed. however, they will be issued a temporary operator’s permit or a show cause order for violating the rfID policy.
Dizon, who replaced Jaime Bautista, stressed the need to make the system “more efficient” before going full cashless, citing a previous chaotic incident. this was tried already in the
past several years ago and we probably all remember what happened in Balintawak and other choke points on NLeX and sLeX. there were traffic jams. I guess for whatever reason, information (was) not disseminated,” he said.
“I want to first work with the two toll operators mPtC (metro Pacific tollways Corp.) and san miguel (Corp.). We will look at the system first,” the Dotr chief said.
“Is there a way to make it more efficient? Are all barriers working? Are all rfIDs working? Are they readable? the system isn’t nearly perfect, maybe it’s not time for us to suddenly go cashless,” he added.
mPtC is the operator of NLeX, while sLeX is controlled by smC.
In 2020, the Dotr required tollways to go full cashless to curb the spread of CoVID-19.
“I understand the need to regulate but the need to regulate should not result in making the lives of people difficult,” the official said.
right now, I don’t believe in it so I asked them to stop it and already sent word to the toll
operators that we’re not going cashless on march 15 and we are not going cashless for the foreseeable future,” he clarified.
Marching orders
Dizon said marcos’ clear directive to him is to make the country’s transportation system more efficient. this will involve fast-tracking the implementation of big-ticket projects, such as the metro manila subway and North-south railway as well as the development of more regional airports and agriports.
Dizon said that while big infrastructure projects are likely to take years to be completed, he would focus on “low-hanging fruits” to address the needs of the commuters such as additional capacity of trains and the use of the Pasig ferry system. he said he would also like to revisit the eDsA Greenways, a project funded by the Asian Development Bank. meanwhile, Dizon is open to privatizing the operation of the eDsA Bus Carousel to make it more efficient. n
Former President Rodrigo Duterte speaks at the proclamation rally for the senatorial candidates of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban). Inquirer.net photo
photo by Yancy Lim
North Luzon Expresseway
Photo release
Stuck in the Philippines: Mommy Connie’s journey back to the US with the guidance of US Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel on
IN 2017, Mommy Connie returned to the Philippines for a vacation and medical checkup. However, it was not until 2018 that she discovered her green card was missing. By the time it was found in 2019, it had already expired, leaving her stranded in the Philippines for an extended period, exacerbated by the global pandemic.
Concerns loomed over the potential classification of Mommy Connie’s green card as “abandoned.” The expiration of her green card posed a threat to the petition for her other daughters, a process they had been patiently awaiting for a decade.
Dianne, Mommy Connie’s daughter, undertook extensive research to find a solution. Discovering the possibility of an SB-1 visa for residents who overstayed outside the U.S., the family attempted to secure an interview at the U.S. Embassy, only to be thwarted by pandemic-related closures.
In a stroke of fate, Dianne stumbled upon Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel’s episode on his U.S. Immigration TV YouTube channel, offering hope to green card holders stuck abroad due to COVID-19.
After her initial consultation with Atty. Gurfinkel, Dianne felt that he was too expensive
Citizen Pinoy this Sunday
three other lawyers, who told her that her mother’s case was hopeless. Despite initial budget constraints, Dianne eventually retained the services of Attorney Gurfinkel in February 2023. The family decided to have Mommy Connie fly to the green card. Attorney Gurfinkel tirelessly investigated the reasons behind the repeated denials. Convinced that there was no justifiable reason for the refusals, the family made another attempt in May 2023. This time, Mommy
not only renewed her green card but also safeguarded the petition for her other daughters, providing an inspiring example of overcoming adversity in the pursuit of the American dream. Watch this success story on an encore episode of Citizen Pinoy on Sunday, February 23 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET)
Dianne (left) researched all resources available to help her Mommy Connie (right) be able to return to the U.S. despite her expired green card.
Mommy Connie (extreme left) was able to return to the U.S. on her third try, with the help of
Luis Manzano loses endorsements after filing to run as Batangas vice governor
by Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com
KAPAMILYA actor Luis Manzano revealed that he lost four endorsements after he decided to run as Batangas vice governor.
In an interview with the media during the Barako
Fest 2025 in Lipa recently, Luis said that he understands those brands because there are contracts that limit him for joining politics. “To be honest, lahat naman tayo matatanda na sa industriyang ito, sa katunayan marami sa mga endorsements
ko ang hindi na nag -renew. Agad-agad nu’ng naisipan namin na mag -file (Certificate of Candidacy), isa ‘yun sa sinabi ni Gov. Vi, one time ‘ yun , kumakain kami that time,” Luis said. “ Sabi ni Gov. Vi, ‘ Anak, alam na alam ko ang industriyang ito (kapag pumasok ka sa politika), sa maniwala ka o sa hindi, kahit ang endorsements mo mawawala.’ Sa katunayan, tatlo o apat na endorsements ko ang nag -pull out na ,” he added. Luis admitted that there’s an advantage and a disadvantage in joining politics. Sabi ko, naiintindihan ko naman ‘yun, pero ‘yung income ko , tatamaan talaga Sabi nga ni Gov. Vi, which is ramdam ko sa start pa lang , sabi niya, Anak, mabawasan ka man ng commercial, ng endorsements, e, masarap naman ang tulog mo dahil marami ka namang natutulungan na tao ’.” n
Resort Casino opens The Cove, its 4.5-acre pool oasis, February 24 for the season
PECHANGA Resort Casino gives guests the chance to make a splash, just ahead of Spring Break. The Cove, Pechanga’s 4.5-acre pool oasis and one of the largest resort pool complexes at one of the country’s biggest resort/ casinos, reopens for fun in the sun on Monday, February 24. Hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until late May. This year, pool-goers everywhere will have access to The Cove’s oasis-like environment that’s the size of five football fields. Sun, pool, waterslide and cabana enthusiasts who are not Pechanga hotel guests will find day passes, cabana and daybed rentals available. Pechanga hotel guests receive complimentary entry to The Cove each day of their stay. Guests staying in deluxe rooms receive four passes and those staying in suites received six passes. Special entry pricing of $35 per person is available for Pechanga RV and Temecula Creek Inn guests.
Day passes are $55 per person for non-Pechanga hotel guests. Day passes are available at The Cove check in area after 11 a.m. daily. Cabana and daybed reservations may be made in advance by hotel and non-hotel guests by visiting Pechanga.com/ indulge/the-cove, or by calling (888) 732-4264. Cabana and daybed rental rates vary based on day of the week and availability.
Pechanga Resort Casino’s 4.5-acre pool complex, The Cove, equals in size to five American football fields. Guests can enjoy four pools, two spas, two twisty waterslides, 27 cabanas, six oversized daybeds that skim the main pool, a swim up bar with 18 submerged seats and Baja ledges.
The main pool spans 7,500 square feet and features the swim up bar with bartenders blending up the freshest and sweetest poolside drinks.
The Cove’s main pool is a 21 and older area. The family area includes six cabanas around its perimeter and the two twisty waterslides that empty into the deep end of the 4,358 square foot pool.
Ten specialty cocktails, five refreshing margarita varieties and more tried and true libation favorites are available from The Cove’s two bars – in the lounge or the swim up bar – and from servers throughout the venue. Poolside eats include burgers, fries, nachos, wings, salads, sandwiches and, of course, hot weather delights such as popsicles and fresh fruit.
By the numbers:
• The Cove’s area equals 4.5 acres. That’s more than 5 football fields combined.
• 4 pools. The largest is the 21 & older main pool at 7,500 square feet. The family pool is Get set to make a splash!
4,358 square feet.
• 2 twisty waterslides at the family pool
• 18 underwater seats at the swim-up bar at the main pool
• 27 Cabanas & 6 Daybeds.
Since opening in 2019, The Cove has proved a popular oasis-like spot for guests celebrating birthdays and bridal showers, and of course, for those who just want to soak up the Southern California sun in style.
Inside the Cove complex, guests will also find several modern fire pits perfect for sitting by and sipping a refreshing beverage, men’s/ women’s locker and changing rooms, the walk-up Coveside Grill restaurant, luxury cabanas with personalized food and drink service, and a 26,140 square foot lush green lawn for private events.
Other important info:
•Pechanga hotel guest Cove admission –Complimentary. Number of passes depends on guest’s room type.
• Non-Hotel guest day passes – $55
• Pechanga RV and Temecula Creek Inn guest admission to The Cove – $35 day pass
Follow Pechanga Resort Casino on Instagram, Facebook and on X @PechangaCasino. (Advertising Supplement)
• Cabanas & Daybeds – Rate varies based on weekday/ weekends and on availability. For cabana and daybed reservations, and for more information on the Cove, visit Pechanga.com/indulge/thecove or call (951) 770-8457. Pechanga Resort Casino offers one of the largest and most expansive resort/casino experiences anywhere in the United States. Voted best casino/resort in the United States by readers of Condé Nast Traveler, the best casino outside of Las Vegas by Newsweek and rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort Casino provides an unparalleled getaway, whether for the day or for an extended luxury stay. Offering 5,500 of hottest slots, 152 table games, a 1,100 room and suite hotel, dining, luxury spa, and golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort Casino features a destination unrivaled anywhere in California. Pechanga Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Indians. For more information, call toll free (877) 711-2946 or visit www.Pechanga.com.
TV host Luis Manzano
ABS-CBN / Released
Jericho Rosales to portray Manuel L. Quezon in ‘Quezon’ biopic
by HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net
JERICHO Rosales will officially take the mantle of portraying the late president Manuel L. Quezon in the upcoming biopic “Quezon” scheduled for a 2025 release.
The actor’s casting was announced by the film’s production company TBA Studios in a press statement, which will mark his return to the big screen after seven years. His last film appearance was the 2018 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry “The Girl in the Orange Dress.”
“I feel so honored to be with this team. Coming to a script like this which is so potent and so entertaining, I feel so lucky and happy. Here, you will see Quezon as a person. He is not written as a hero,” Rosales said of his character.
According to the statement, “Quezon” will cover the second president’s life as a lawyer,
soldier, and how he rose to become the country’s top leader from 1935 to 1944. Without giving any key scenes away, Rosales described the late president as someone “cunning, charming, and intelligent” which makes it an exciting character for him to bring to life.
“He is cunning, he is charming, he is intelligent. Quezon is such an interesting character to play; there are so many things I can put into the role to build Quezon as a character. That adds to the pressure, but at the same time, I am very excited,” he said. Rosales was chosen for his ability to “deliver power onscreen,” according to the film’s director and co-writer Jerrold Tarog, while revealing that he, too, auditioned for the role of Gen. Antonio Luna in the 2015 film “Heneral Luna.”
The role eventually went to John Arcilla.
Meanwhile, TBA Studios president and COO Daphne Chiu praised the actor’s prowess,
noting he has an “unbelievable screen presence.”
“We are honored to welcome Jericho Rosales as he leads the cast of ‘Quezon.’ Jericho’s unbelievable screen presence has made him one of our best actors today, and we’re all looking forward to working with him and seeing how his artistry can give life to one of the country’s most charismatic yet divisive political figures,” she said.
Also joining Rosales are Benjamin Alves as the younger Quezon; Karylle as Quezon’s wife Aurora Aragon Quezon; Romnick Sarmenta as Sergio Osmeña; JC Santos as Manuel Roxas; Mon Confiado as Emilio Aguinaldo; and Cris Villanueva as the fictional Joven Hernando.
The upcoming film is part of the production company’s “Bayaniverse,” a series of films based on the lives of Filipino historical figures, including Heneral Luna” and “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral.” n by
Bianca Umali no billing issue with Nora Aunor in ‘Mananambal’
HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net
BIANCA Umali shut down reports that she had a billing issue with National Artist Nora Aunor in the poster of their upcoming film “ Mananambal ,” which premiered on February 19.
During a press conference for “ Mananambal ,” director Adolfo Alix, Jr. was asked to clarify if Umali’s team requested to have a bigger space than Aunor in the film’s poster. This prompted the younger actress to immediately shut down the rumor, pointing out that she was “shocked” to even hear such a question.
“I am shocked by the question but I would like to handle it as professionally as possible,” she began. “I believe the question is inappropriate for the event, and also, hindi ko po alam anong mararamdaman ko ( I don’t know how to feel about it ) because I do not have any idea about that. And I’m worried about how people in this room might take it, hearing it from the representative of the press.”
Umali explained that having the chance to work with Aunor is “already a blessing” in itself, saying she doesn’t want
to pass up the opportunity to learn from the award-winning actress.
“And it is an opportunity that I already knew na hindi ko po palalagpasin ( I wouldn’t let go of ),” she said. “Being with her on set was a masterclass for me and was a dream I never thought I would achieve this early in my career. Kaya po ‘yung makasama si Miss Nora ( The fact that I already worked with Miss Nora ) — that’s already enough.”
Maintaining the billing issue is “something she is not aware” of, the actress stressed that aside from sharing scenes with Aunor, sharing to the public the fruit of their hard work in “ Mananambal ” is already a win for her.
“Ako po, bilang isang actor and the love that I have for my craft and the respect I have for myself and the industry… Bonus na po ‘yun and it is a recognition [of] how I do my work,” she said.
“Pero dito sa pelikulang ‘Mananambal,’ napakatagal na panahon kong hinintay na ipalabas dahil pinaghirapan namin ang pelikulang ito.
( As an actor who loves my craft and the respect I have for myself and the industry, it’s a bonus and it is a recognition of how I do my work. With the film
“Mananambal,” I waited for a long time to have this film out. It has been through a lot before it will be shown to the public. This is also the comeback film of Ms. Nora Aunor and that is all that matters.)
For his part, Alix said the alleged billing issue is “unfair” for Umali and Aunor. He also explained that the screen veteran was absent during the press conference due to health concerns.
“The idea po of billing with [any artist] for that matter, siguro alam naman po nila.
Like sa sinabi ni Bianca, Ate Guy deserves the rightful billing [since] she’s an icon in the industry. Kung ano po ‘yung nakikita niyo ngayon I think ‘yan po ang tama at nararapat,” he said.
( The idea of billing with any artist for that matter, I’m sure they are aware of it. Like Bianca said, Ate Guy deserves the rightful billing because she’s an icon in the industry. Whatever you’re seeing today, I think it is what’s right and proper to do. )
Maraming pinagdaanan ang pelikulang ito, at ipalabas at maipakita, at ito ang pagbabalik-pelikula ni Ms. Nora Aunor [and that] is all that matters,” she further added.
(From left) Bianca Umali and Nora Auno
Photos from Facebook/Viva Films
Jericho Rosales
Photo from Courtesy of TBA Studios
Zack Tabudlo signs with US record label Mercury Records, teases new music
by Patricia Dela roca Philstar.com
Mercury Records.
The 23-year-old OPM star proudly shared the exciting news on his social media platforms, expressing his
gratitude and disbelief at joining a prestigious label that houses well-known music stars Zayn Malik, Post Malone, Jeremy Zucker, Stephen Sanchez, and other artists including Morgan Wallen, Noah Kahan, Dayglow, Bo Burnham, Lord Huron, and Fil-Am artist Lyn Lapid. Zack turned sentimental in his lengthy post and reflected on his singing journey so far, writing, “After so many years
in the making, we’re finally here. It’s funny how quickly life can turn around. From being a normal kid in the Philippines writing songs in my tiny room after school, to now being signed by one of the biggest record labels in America.”
He also thanked Mercury U.S., Universal Music Group (UMG), his core team, his family, and his loyal fans for their unwavering support.
“I want to thank all of you. Thank you for all of the years of support, love and of course, for listening, crying, dancing and shouting your hearts out with the music and stories I’ve created. You all are the reason why I started my journey with music, and I truly couldn’t have done it without all of you,” penned the musician.
Regine’s ‘Reset’ keeps fans guessing
by BaBy a. Gil Philstar.com
THE ideal way to fully enjoy Regine Velasquez’s recent venture “Reset” is to watch all four shows in the concert series. That meant being present at the Samsung Theater last Feb. 14 for “Originals” and then on the 15th for “Covers,” and then again on Feb. 21 and 22 for the same titles. Why so? This is because while they have the same titles and there are similarities, the shows are not totally alike. This means that her original songs that made it to the Feb. 14 show might not make it to the Friday, Feb. 21, line-up. The same goes for the songs in the “Covers.”
And that includes the guest performers. Piolo Pascual was Regine’s Valentine’s Day singing partner. Do you think he will be there for the next “Originals” show? Not sure. Although he might.
He continued, “Big things are coming up! And I can’t wait for you guys to hear what I’ve been working on! I love you and thank you for sticking with you have the
Or maybe Regine has somebody else lined up. On the other hand though, who can be a better guest singer than Papa
P? Hard to think of a name. I think of John Lloyd Cruz, but then he doesn’t sing. Anyway, this is the kind of suspenseful guesswork that Regine’s “Reset” has generated. Not really a problem, if you have the time.
Two evenings in two weeks at the concerts. And most of all, if
pocket. But Regine has dedicated followers who refuse to miss her performances and all
were already sold-out
23-year-old OPM artist Zack Tabudlo expressed his gratitude and disbelief at joining
label, which houses well-known music stars Zayn Malik, Post Malone, Jeremy Zucker and Stephen Sanchez. STAR / File
Regine Velasquez delivers
Villarama via Regine Velasquez’s
Five benefits of establishing a revocable living trust
Barrister’s Corner
Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes
THERE is never the perfect time to think about who you would like to inherit from your estate in case you pass away or at least who among your closest friends (BFFs) and family members are even deserving of inheriting from your estate. In doing so, you should also think about which vehicle you plan to use in implementing your estate plan. One of the best vehicle in implementing your estate plan is a revocable living trust. Five major benefits of establishing a revocable living trust are:
1. Your estate can avoid the time, cost, and hassle of going through the probate court process.
If you pass away without a will (intestate) in California, one of your close family would have to file a petition in probate court to probate your estate. Your estate will be divided and distributed according to the California probate code rules of intestate succession. Even if you have a will when you pass away, your family would still need to file a petition in probate court if your estate is worth over $166,250 and go through the probate process.
This can become a circus if certain beneficiaries contest the validity of the Will or the distribution of the estate. Your estate will pay for attorney’s fees, probate referee fees, appraisers and other experts, CPA fees, etc. If people contest the case, your estate would end up paying legal fees to defend the estate in litigation. The entire process can take anywhere from 9 months to years depending on the contentiousness of the probate case. With a revocable living trust, your trustee or successor trustee if you were the initial trustee, would administer the trust and distribute the estate according to the trust document without having to open a
probate court case. If the trust is funded with all your assets, it is possible to administer and distribute the trust assets without any Court involvement at all. This process is a lot faster than going through probate.
2. Your estate is not public record.
When you file a probate case, the public has access to your probate case file. The public will know the assets of the estate including the values of those assets. If the Will is admitted into probate, the terms of the Will is open to public scrutiny.
Establishing a revocable living trust makes your estate affairs private. Strangers do not have access to the terms of your living trust. Only certain beneficiaries and possible heirs can request a copy of the revocable living trust after you pass away.
3. You can dictate who will inherit from your estate.
If you pass away without a Will, your estate will be divided and distributed in Probate Court following the rules of intestate succession in the California probate code. Certain relatives will be entitled to a share of your estate even if you feel they are not deserving. By establishing a revocable living trust, you can designate who you want to inherit from your estate. You can designate what and how much each one will received from your estate after you pass away. The assets distributed to each beneficiaries does not have to be equal. The people you designate as beneficiaries of your living trust does not even have to be close family members. You can designate anyone as a beneficiary, with certain exceptions, of your estate.
4. You can structure your estate to minimize estate taxes
If your estate is valued above the estate tax exemption, establishing a trust can allow you to divide up your estate into smaller sub trusts to minimize the overall estate tax effect on your estate. It allows you to set up a vehicle for certain charitable giving which carries tax advantage and asset protection.
5. You can choose who will administer your estate after your death When you establish a revocable trust, you can appoint someone else as trustee or you can appoint a successor trustee if you are the initial trustee. The trustee will be administering (managing) the trust after you pass away without a need to open a probate court case. This allows for continuity in operating the trust and the efficient and cost effective distribution of estate assets. If you are concerned about whether you can trust any family members as your trustee, you can appoint an institution as a professional trustee to carry out the terms of the declaration of trust. These type of trustee services are often offered by banks, financial institutions, wealth management firms, and business management firms for a reasonable fee. This minimizes conflicts within the family and prevents negligence and wrong doing by inexperienced family members.
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Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC. This article is not a solicitation.
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Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)
Health @Heart
PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS
OUR mental health is arguably more vital to our being than our physical health, although both are essential to our general wellbeing. A solid stabilizing anchor for all this is faith, a belief in a supreme spiritual almighty far greater than us or any force on earth. Whether we call it God, Allah, or Jehovah, Elohim, El Shaddai, Adonai, Budha, Abba, Brahma, Hashem, or others, each and all represent goodness, compassion, understanding, forgiveness, love of fellowmen, and peace.
Loneliness, sadness, depression, pain, and other neuro/psychological ailments are ameliorated by having a strong faith in the existence of a most powerful omnipotence in the universe. This loyalty greatly impacts our emotional balance, our general health, and inner peace.
I am not a religious extremist. I believe in God and He is my compass and GPS. I thank the Lord for every morning He grants me to wake up to and for all His graces and blessings for my entire family and friends. And that includes my longing for world peace, an elusive friend I have been praying for as long as I can remember. No saint and imperfect, I disdain bigotry and treat people, even strangers, with respect. I find all this to be beneficial to my own health and sanity.
One God While it is not realistic in our world today, it would be wonderful if all peoples around the globe believed in one single supreme almighty and lived in harmony and peace, instead of worshipping different gods and fighting each other. Each faith proclaims God represents love and peace, so why the hatred and conflict?
One religion for the world where love and compassion for all our fellowmen rules humankind would certainly be ideal, but realistically impossible. The best compromise would be various peoples with different religions living together in peaceful coexistence, with understanding and tolerance for each other. After all, we, Homo sapiens,
God is my GPS
modern man, are all relatives, having originated from ONE single family in Southern Africa around 300,000 years ago. Global peace would be a nirvana, a paragon vastly conducive to the physical and mental health of humanity.
Fanatics In spite of the religious and political divergence in the world today, there are the fanatics, extremists, zealots, religious, political, or simply power-hungry and greedy people, with blind beliefs and irrational thinking, who are the stumbling block to world peace and prosperity. The majority of all peoples, no matter their faith, Islam, Christian, Buddhist, Hindus, Sikhi, and partisan beliefs, are good and just people, who love harmony and peace.
Unfortunately, even in a democracy, a selfish and unjust minority could adversely impact, if not overpower, the majority. The rioting, flag-burning, criminals destroying businesses and public properties, killing people, in the name of free speech (in abuse), are too frequent events that devastate the mental and physical health of people and contribute to our ailments. We may not be aware of it, but all these, especially the potential for a nuclear Armageddon, are registered in our subconscious, constantly nagging our brain and bothering our immune system each and every day in our life. Our domestic problems with finances, taxes, price of eggs, gasoline, and other commodities, are nothing compared to the insults from these fanatics upon our life and the extreme fear of the prospect of a global catastrophe initiated by unthinking evil zealots. Every religion should seek world peace in earnest to make domestic tranquility around the world a reality.
RFK, Jr.’s MAHA On the home front, the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, as the 26th Secretary of Health and Human Services, is predicted to usher in a more vigilant and strict policies to root out unhealthy aspects in human health and environment in the United States. This includes healthier diet for children in schools and for the general public. Products on the market that have been vetted as healthy foods will carry an FDA healthy icon label, making it easier
for people to find and choose the healthier food items at the supermarkets.
Hopefully this more aggressive approach of RFK, Jr., will include stringent quality control of all vitamins and food supplements on the market today. There are thousands of products out there, which have not been scientifically tested and proven to be safe, effective, and as good as they claim to be. They pose potential dangers to people’s health. While the wonder drug aspirin, vitamin D3, and the prescription drugs being advertised are proven good, effective, beneficial products, the majority have not been scientifically evaluated. Does Prevagen and other neuro-drugs popularly advertised to improve brain function, which some people are interpreting to be a good to prevent Alzheimer’s, have any doubleblind, randomized, evidencebased clinical studies to prove their claim?
How many DOZEN capsules does one need to take a day of the advertised “Fruits-andVegetable” (not 3 as the Ads recommend) to equal the required daily minimum of fresh fruits and vegetables?
How about the claim that the nose clip, or dental gear, etc., being marketed as a therapy for sleep apnea? As a cardiac surgeon, I know that the pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the caused by a sagging soft palate and the tongue falling back, blocking the airway. Those gadgets sold out there are a scam! The golden standard of care for OSA is CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) to “push” the blockage wide open (like inflating balloons), to enable normal breathing and good oxygen supply.
The surgically-implanted Inspire should be more honest in its ads to clearly state it is only an alternative to CPAP for those who could not tolerate CPAP. People could misinterpret Inspire’s ads that it is better than CPAP, which is not true. It requires surgery, for one; it needs an implanted electrode to stimulate your tongue while asleep, and it does not work for all patients.
There are countless products that need scientific scrutiny and vetting to safeguard the people. After more than a century,
Florida Panthers visit the White House
HOCKEY is a popular sport that can be a favorite for many reasons, including its physical benefits (for it can help improve cardiovascular fitness, lower body strength, reaction time, and hand-eye coordination), cultural significance, and the opportunity to develop teamwork.
One of my favorite hockey teams is the Florida Panthers, a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Panthers compete in the National Hockey League as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference.
The 2024 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers was recently honored by President Trump at the White House.
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Brothers David and Vincent Isip are supporters of the train therapy (the former started it even before the COVID-19 pandemic, while the latter during the post-pandemic), an emerging intervention for coping with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia that relies on a railway travel simulator.
Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning — thinking, remembering, and reasoning — to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities.
David Isip, founder of Budget
Window Coverings, a lowvolume provider of window
treatments, in 1980 (now being continued by his son Miguel), has railways train simulator that features minimalist and artistic elements merged in an immersive experience where the perks of a train trip are emphasized.
In the case of Vincent Isip, a Contra Costa County employee in California, his loco simulator can pull 20 train cars and has a caboose, a boxy railroad car attached to the end of freight trains (cabooses are used to house the train crew and monitor the train for safety).
The number of train cars a locomotive can pull depends on the locomotive’s horsepower and the weight of the cars. He has also a vintage or classic train simulator where patience is a virtue.
To succeed, you need to wait for the right moment and use your train management skills to drag the trains from one railway to another. Imagine your thoughts and feelings as a train, and notice them without judgment. This can help you get some distance from your thoughts and feelings.
* * * February is the month of love.
I will feature different stories of love. I asked male respondents: (1) How do you define love? (2) Are you in love now with your spouse and why?
Their replies (fourth batch) are as follows:
LA-based Roderick Gutierrez of City of Hope Medical Center, who has been married to Jane Taguding-Gutierrez of Davao del Sur for 37 years and has sired four children: (1) “Love is such an ambiguous word that could be defined depending on the context on where to use it.”; (2)
“As for my wife, I could say that cherishing her for the rest of my
life would be the only definition I had and still have.”
Vallejo-based Alan and Jelynne Valentin are happily married and the couple has 5 kids: (1) “Love covers a lot of sacrifices. In the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 NIV, ‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres’.” (2) “Love looks to build each other’s up, even at the expense of self.”
Oregon-based Dale Villar Acelar, a former actor who works at Mercedes Benz of Wilsonville, is married to Megan Powers-Acelar for 7 years and they have five kids: (1) “Love is something you feel — it’s not just in your mind, but in your body and soul. It’s a force that moves through you, beyond logic or explanation. It’s that unshakable connection, the kind that doesn’t need words to be understood. When it’s real, you don’t just experience it — you live it, you become it. And I am blessed to share it with my wife.” (2) “Yes, I’m in love with my wife, Megan. She’s not just my partner—she’s my best friend, my biggest supporter, and the person who truly understands me. Love isn’t just about the good moments; it’s about choosing each other every day, through every challenge and every joy. And with her, that choice is easy. We understand each other and I am so happy God brought me to her.”
* * * I am glad that the second child of Danilo Jubay Marella, Mariano III Seldura Marella of San Carlos
City, Negros Occidental, who graduated from University of Saint La Salle with Bachelor of Physical Education, is now a Licensed Professional Teacher. Another teacher in our family!
* * * The Ferdinand E. Marcos (FEM) Memorial Stadium has been nominated for the ArchDaily 2025 Building of the Year Awards. This recognition highlights the stadium’s world-class design, innovation, and significance as a premier sports venue in Ilocos Norte.
* * * I was part of EDSA Revolt 1986 as a journalist for a foreign media outfit and I was on the corner of EDSA and Ortigas
Rogelio ConStantino MeDina
Florida Panthers hockey players with U.S. President Donald Trump and Vincent J. Viola (left, beside President Trump) in the White House. Photos collated by Rogelio C. Medina
The Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Stadium in Laoag City.
Dale and Megan Acelar, who are based in Oregon.
Mariano Marella at the Iloilo Convention Center.
Roderick and Jane Gutierrez have been married for 37 years.
Happily married couple Alan and Jelynne Valentin.
A ROAR! (Run/Ride On Against Revision) event organized by the August Twenty-One Movement in the Philippines.
David Isip’s railways train simulator with astonishing landscapes observed at slow pace.
Vincent Isip’s innovative and creative mind in building patiently a bridge for the railways train simulator with all zing and zeal.
Zack Tabudlo signs with US record label...
me in this journey. We just got started.”
Alongside the announcement, Tabudlo hinted at new music coming soon, stating, “On that
note… (I know) it’s been half a year of no music, wait till (you) see tomorrow.” Zack is known for hit songs like Binibini Pano Habang Buhay, Nangangamba, Give Me
Your Forever and Yakap, which gained widespread popularity and even caught the attention of international artists, including K-pop stars, BTS’ Jungkook and ENHYPEN’s Heeseung.
Regine’s ‘Reset’ keeps fans guessing...
days ahead of the schedule.
Besides, Regine is not known for shortchanging her audience. She appears in top form all the time, most especially wellprepared for her showstopping vocal histrionics.
I got treated to one of them, “Covers,” on Feb. 15. Truth to tell, I didn’t really care what date I went. Being familiar with the many beautiful recordings Regine made these past years, I was sure that all four evenings would be great.
I didn’t also care about the guests. In fact, it was a relief that “Reset” bore no resemblance at all to those variety shows on television. It was just Regine and her songs. One special guest Papa P and the next day a gorgeous looking and sounding Jona for a duet of Sometime, Somewhere. The song is a cover of a Basil Valdez
original composed by National Artist Ryan Cayabyab. It was a wonderful evening of “Covers,” songs that were previously recorded by other artists and which Regine decided she also wanted to record. She actually had a big selling period of cover songs some years ago with albums like “Retro,” “Covers,” “R2K” and others. The songs from these made up the evening.
Discoveries: Mrs. Gerry V, Regine’s mom, can sing. She even belts as in their duet of Abba’s Dancing Queen and Orleans’ Dance with Me. It was not only Mrs. V who was there. So was Regine’s dad, Mang Gerry, in spirit, in her emotional rendition of Dan Fogelberg’s The Leader of the Band. The young Antoinette Taus looks so much like Marian Rivera in Regine’s music video
for her cover of Carpenters’ hit One Love, where she starred with Dingdong Dantes. I missed Aerosmith’s I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing, which is one of Regine’s best covers but she pretty much did her biggest covers. On the Wings of Love, I Know I’ll Never Love This Way Again, Lost without Your Love, Wherever You Are, You Were There, Fallin’ and even danced through Hot Stuff and Call Me.
Original Filipino music was very well represented with songs by Ryan Cayabyab, Araw-Gabi; Louie Ocampo, Say That You Love Me; Gary Valenciano, Sana Maulit Muli; Trina Belamide, Shine; Nonong Pedero, Narito Ako; and even the young Lara Maige, Sa ‘yo Na Lang Ako
What no song by hubby Ogie Alcasid or friend Martin Nievera? Maybe in the next “Covers” show.
Bianca Umali no billing issue...
‘Emotional moment’
Umali also addressed the particular question in 24 Oras interview where she admitted that it was an “emotional moment,” but she knew that she had to put her feelings aside and be professional.
“I was shocked. It became an emotional moment for me at some point. But then, in my heart and my mind, I knew that the best way to handle it was to be the most professional person in the room,” she said.
The actress also reiterated that having the opportunity to be with Aunor in a film is “everything” she needs in her career.
To be working with our superstar and National Artist is already an honor. That is everything I need. Everything else that comes from it, the billing, even the award that I won, is already a bonus na lang,” she said. In May 2024, Umali bagged the Best Dramatic Actress award at the Jinseo Arigato International Film Festival for her portrayal of the film’s lead character Alma. She is set to star as Sang’gre Terra in the upcoming fantasy drama Sang’gre .” “ Mananambal ” marks Aunor’s return to the film industry after appearing in the Alix-helmed “Pieta” in 2023. She also lent her voice to the
final scene of the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival entry Isang Himala .”
SB19 to kick off ‘Simula at Wakas’ world tour at Philippine Arena
by KatHleen a lleMit Philstar.com
MANILA — P-pop group
SB19 will start its “ Simula at Wakas ” world tour at the 55,000-seater Philippine Arena in May. The P-pop group earlier announced that it will embark on a world tour to promote its upcoming album “ Simula at Wakas ,” set for release in April. The group will release the album’s single on February 28. After their kickoff concert on May 31, Pablo, Josh, Justin, Ken and Stell will fly to Taipei on June 29. They will then bring the “ Simula at Wakas ” tour to North America from July 11 to August 1, with stops in cities, such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Temecula in California;
SB19 also teased that it will be announcing more cities, including Hong Kong and Tokyo in Japan for the “ Simula at Wakas ” tour.
Advocate, newspaper columnist, and chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He was a recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, presented by then Indiana Governor, U.S. senator, and later a presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry S. Truman, President George HW Bush, Muhammad Ali, Astronaut Gus Grissom, scientists, and educators. (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday. com, and philipSchua.com; Amazon.com (“Where is My America?”); Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.
SB19 at the PPopcon 2023 concert held on July 16, 2023, at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
