041824 - Las Vegas Edition

Fil-Am community leaders applaud ‘ironclad’ US-PH alliance

LOS ANGELES – Filipino American community leaders thanked Pres. Joe Biden for “reaffirming the ironclad alliance” between the United States and the Philippines at the recently concluded trilateral summit at the White House. Biden hosted the first ever trilateral meeting between the U.S., Philippines and Japan, welcoming Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to the White House on April 11.

“We are very pleased the summit goals were realized in advancing a trilateral partnership that is built on friendship, win-win economic relations and the commitment to human rights and democratic values with a shared vision

FDA announces recall of heart pumps linked to deaths and injuries

A PAIR of heart devices linked to hundreds of injuries and at least 14 deaths has received the FDA’s most serious recall, the agency announced on Monday, April 15.

The recall comes years after surgeons say they first noticed problems with the HeartMate II and HeartMate 3, manufactured by Thoratec Corp., a subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories. The devices are not currently being removed from the market. In an emailed response, Abbott said it had communicated the risk to customers this year.

The delayed action raises questions for some safety advocates about how and when issues with approved medical devices should be reported. The heart devices in question have been associated with thousands of reports of patients’ injuries and deaths, as described in a KFF Health News investigation late last year.

“Why doesn’t the public know?” said Sanket Dhruva, a cardiologist and an expert in medical device safety and regulation at the University of

BONGBONG Marcos is among Time's 100 most influential in 2024

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People for 2024.

expressed “serious concern” over Beijing’s action in the South China Sea, criticizing its behavior as “dangerous and aggressive.”

Philippine and Chinese vessels have had a series of confrontations in recent months that included the use of water cannons.

The Chinese foreign ministry slammed the  PAGE 2

Campbell summarized Marcos’ history in the piece, mentioning the plunder of people’s money and massive human rights violations during his father’s regime.

In an article published on Wednesday, April 17, the renowned magazine recognized Marcos’ attempt to rehabilitate the name of his dictator father and namesake, Ferdinand Marcos Sr. “Bongbong’s desire to

Marcos hits ‘secret deal’ anew: ‘I’m rescinding it’

by KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING, MELVIN GASCON Inquirer.net

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he was rescinding any supposed “gentleman’s agreement” that his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, made with China involving the conflicting territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea.

Despite this, leaders of the House of Representatives said they would “consider calls” to start an inquiry into that verbal pact between Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping once Congress resumes its regular sessions on April 29.

On April 11, Duterte and the Chinese government separately admitted that he had made a “gentleman’s agreement” not

to repair and reinforce the dilapidated World War II-era warship BRP Sierra Madre, which has been serving as a Philippine military outpost at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, off Palawan province, since it was grounded there in 1999.

But President Marcos, during a question-and-answer session at the 50th anniversary of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines on Monday, April 15 said his administration was not bound by such a deal, as no document had ever been issued to make it legal and 

rehabilitate the Marcos name has resulted in other shifts. He brought technocrats back into government, steadied the post-pandemic economy, and elevated the Philippines on the world stage,” Time’s news correspondent Charlie Campbell wrote. Time also lauded Marcos’ stance against China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea and his work to bolster the Philippines’ relationship with the United States amid the territorial dispute. The President, however, could not escape his family’s infamy, as

“For Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos to make history, he first needed to rewrite his nation’s. His dictator father plundered billions of dollars from state coffers and stood accused of grievous humanrights violations until his ouster in 1986,” wrote Campbell.

“Bongbong’s rise to the Philippine presidency in 2022 was owed to whitewashing this  PAGE 4 President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Malacañang photo

MANILA — Aside from tourist destinations and attractions, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Philippines should be known for the “love” shared by Filipinos with travelers.

“I must tell you, for somebody who talks to many other nationalities from around the world, what really brings the travelers here are certainly the beautiful sites, the fun activities, the great facilities. But the most important part is the heart of the Filipino, that we show the love of the Filipino, that we show even strangers we have never met before and will no longer meet after they have come here,” he said. “(Filipinos would) show the world we have long been ready to love them back,” he added.

It was seemingly another nod to the “Love the Philippines” campaign of the Department of Tourism (DOT) launched in late June 2023.

The president declared his support for Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco despite criticisms of the promotional video for the campaign, which used stock footage shot in other countries.

Marcos attended the awarding ceremony of the DOT’s Tourism Champions Challenge on Monday, April 15, over a year after its launch on April 5, 2023.

The local government units (LGUs) of Ambaguio in Nueva Vizcaya, Tubigon in Bohol and Isabela City in Basilan emerged as “tourism champions.”

They were followed by Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro, Badian in Cebu and Davao City in Davao del Sur in second place.

MANILA — The arrest order issued by the Senate against Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy is

Pastor Apollo Quiboloy Photo from Quiboloy official Facebook page

Marcos hits ‘secret deal’ anew: ‘I’m rescinding...

binding. “I’ve said that before, when this first came up a few months ago… It turns out the Chinese are insisting that there is a secret agreement, and perhaps there is, and I said, I don’t know anything about the secret agreement. Should there be such a secret agreement, I am now rescinding it,” he said. Marcos made the assertion amid the insistence of China on the existence of a supposed agreement, but the details of which were never disclosed or clarified by either party on both ends of the deal.

“Is there a document that is signed? I’d love to see it. It does not affect the Philippines,” Marcos said. “So, I’ve rescinded it, if indeed it exists.”

On Aug. 7 last year, the Chinese Foreign Ministry claimed that the Philippines made a promise “years ago” to remove Sierra Madre from Ayungin. The ministry also said that the Philippines “must not send construction materials meant for repairing and reinforcing the ‘grounded’ military vessel on a large scale.”

China has become increasingly aggressive in the West Philippine Sea, especially whenever the Philippine Coast Guard leads rotation and resupply missions to Ayungin. The Chinese embassy to the Philippines later revealed that they resorted to such tactics because it was irked that the Marcos administration did not adhere to the agreement.

Cautious President Marcos said he had been cautious about giving public pronouncements on the issue because of the supposed lack of clarity surrounding it.

“It has always been vague— we are so far from getting to the truth… ,” Marcos said. Duterte earlier said the agreement with China was aimed at preventing an armed confrontation between Filipinos and Chinese over their maritime dispute in the South China Sea. The former president described the deal as a “status quo” agreement where only food and water were allowed to be brought to troops stationed at Sierra

Madre. Marcos declined to speculate on the supposed liability of Duterte if indeed he entered into a covert deal with China, as he was dismayed at how former officials had been giving varying versions of the issue.

“We still have to find out what [the agreement] is all about. I’ve talked to… former officials of the previous administration who could have possibly been involved in this discussion, and, I have to tell you—I haven’t gotten a straight answer out of anyone,” he said.

“One party says there’s no agreement; another says ‘there was talk but it’s only status quo.’ The other one, will say, ‘there was an agreement,’” Marcos said.

The president said the insistence of China to assert its supposed stake on the deal had led him to believe the existence of the “secret” agreement.

“I do not think the Chinese government—I don’t think Beijing—will just make up, just out of nowhere say, ‘there was a secret agreement,’ when there was no such thing,” he said.

But he also wondered what were the terms of the deal, and what the Philippine side had agreed to compromise.

“Why is there not one shred of evidence that can show that this agreement exists?” he said.

Marcos said he was also puzzled that no one from the Duterte administration had informed him about such deal involving the West Philippine Sea.

“I hear one thing, and another thing, and another thing, and another thing, it’s all full of ‘palusot’ (excuses), in other words. I don’t know how to translate that in English,” he said.

House probe

According to House Majority Leader and Zamboanga Rep. Jose Manuel Dalipe, the planned inquiry at the lower chamber is “aimed at guaranteeing transparency and protecting national interests… [as] protecting our national territory and marine resources are of utmost importance.”

Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales Rep. Jay Khonghun said this was also driven by “mounting demand

for clarity” over the agreement.

ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro has called on Congress to investigate the details of the agreement and find out if it can be considered an act of treason.

Last week, Khonghun, whose province covers a section of the West Philippine Sea, also started calling for an investigation as this was “not just about conflicting narratives; it’s about upholding integrity and accountability.”

“We cannot allow uncertainty to cloud our national interests. The Filipino people deserve clarity and honesty from our leaders,” he added.

‘Constitutionally void’

House Deputy Majority Leader and Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gonzales II maintained that whatever pact was made would have been “constitutionally void” as this would be “tantamount to the surrender of our country’s sovereign rights over our exclusive economic zone.”

“Such an agreement will be equivalent to a new national policy, which must be enshrined in a treaty to be submitted to the Senate for ratification before it can take effect,” added Gonzales, who is chair of the House special committee on the West Philippine Sea.

In the Senate, Majority Leader Joel Villanueva on Tuesday, April 16 said the Philippines should have a “unified stand” in tackling the West Philippine Sea issue as he lamented that even some government officials were parroting China’s propaganda.

“Unfortunately, and I would say this with all humility, it’s sad that Filipinos have been issuing conflicting remarks. It’s like we don’t have a baseline truth,” Villanueva said at the Kapihan sa Senado media forum.

He reiterated that there should be no debate over the country’s ownership of Ayungin and Panatag (Scarborough) shoals.

The issue, he said, had already been settled when the Philippines secured a landmark arbitral court victory in 2016 that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea. g

Bolinao in Pangasinan, Silago in Southern Leyte and Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte were in third place. San Jose in Romblon, Victorias City in Negros Occidental and Tagum City in Davao del Norte were in fourth place.

Socorro in Oriental Mindoro, town of Panay in Capiz and San Agustin in Surigao del Sur placed fifth. First place winners would receive grants worth P20 million each; second place, P15 million; third, P10 million; fourth, P8 million; fifth, P7 million. The LGUs will receive their grants from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), a DOTattached agency. Marcos also surprised the

winners after announcing that TIEZA added a P5-million fund to each winner. The Tourism Champions Challenge called on LGUs to submit proposals containing “innovative tourism infrastructure projects that aim to foster sustainability, inclusivity and resilience in tourism development,” Frasco said. “(The proposals should also) enhance local destinations and communities and provide added economic opportunity for our communities nationwide,” she added. The DOT selected 15 winners from 98 proposals submitted by 90 LGUs nationwide, she noted. g Philstar.com file photo

Nearly 1 in 4 adults dumped from Medicaid are now uninsured, survey finds

a quarter of adults disenrolled from Medicaid in the past year say they are now uninsured, according to a survey released Friday that details how tens of millions of Americans struggled to retain coverage in the government insurance program for low-income people after pandemic-era protections began expiring last spring. The first national survey of adults whose Medicaid eligibility was reviewed during the unwinding found nearly half of people who lost their government coverage signed back up weeks or months later — suggesting they should never have been dropped in the first place.

While 23% reported being uninsured, an additional 28% found other coverage — through an employer, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplace, or health care for members of the military, the survey by KFF found.

“Twenty-three percent is a striking number especially when you think about the number of people who lost Medicaid coverage,” said Chima Ndumele, an associate professor of health policy at the Yale University School of Public Health.

Going without insurance even for a short period of time can lead people to delay seeking care and leave them at financial risk when they do.

Seven in 10 adults who were disenrolled during the unwinding process say they became uninsured at least temporarily when they lost their Medicaid coverage. Adrienne Hamar, 49, of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, said she struggled to enroll in an Affordable Care Act marketplace plan this winter after the state informed her that she and her two children no longer qualified for Medicaid. They had been enrolled since 2020. She said phone lines were busy at the state’s marketplace and she couldn’t complete the process online. Hamar, who works as a home health aide, and her children were uninsured in March. But since April 1, they’ve been enrolled in a marketplace plan that, with the help of government

subsidies, costs $50 a month for the family. “I was very relieved,” she said. Unsure of their insurance status, Hamar said, her 23-yearold daughter delayed getting a dental checkup. Hamar’s struggles were common, the survey found.

Of adults enrolled in Medicaid before the unwinding, about 35% who tried to renew their coverage described the process as difficult, and about 48% said it was at least somewhat stressful.

About 56% of those disenrolled say they skipped or delayed care or prescriptions while attempting to renew their Medicaid coverage. “People’s current insurance status is likely to be very much in flux, and we would expect at least some of the people who say they are currently uninsured to reenroll in Medicaid — many say they are still trying — or enroll in other coverage within a short period of time,” said Jennifer Tolbert, a co-author of the KFF report and the director of KFF’s State Health Reform and Data Program.

The survey didn’t include children, and the KFF researchers said their findings therefore couldn’t be extrapolated to determine how the Medicaid unwinding has affected the overall U.S. uninsured rate, which hit a record low of 7.7% in early 2023. Nearly half of enrollees in Medicaid and the related Children’s Health Insurance Program are children.

The unwinding, in which states are reassessing eligibility for Medicaid among millions of Americans who enrolled before or during the pandemic and dropping those who no longer qualify or did not complete the renewal process, won’t be completed until later this year.

Enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP grew to a record of nearly 94.5 million in April of last year, three years after the federal government prohibited states from cutting people from their rolls during the covid-19 public health emergency.

Nationally, states have disenrolled about 20 million people from Medicaid in the past year, most of them for procedural reasons such as failure to submit required paperwork. That

number is expected to grow, as states have a few more months to redetermine enrollees’ eligibility.

Among adults who had Medicaid prior to the start of the unwinding, 83% retained their coverage or reenrolled, while 8% found other insurance and 8% were uninsured. The share left uninsured was larger in states that have not expanded Medicaid under the ACA (17%) than in states that have (6%).

Forty states have expanded Medicaid to cover everyone with an income under 138% of the federal poverty rate, or $31,200 for a family of four this year.

The KFF survey found that nearly 1 in 3 disenrolled adults discovered only when they sought health care — such as going to a doctor or a pharmacy — that they had been dropped from Medicaid.

Indira Navas of Miami found out that her 6-year-old son, Andres, had been disenrolled from Florida’s Medicaid program when she took him to a doctor appointment in March. She had scheduled Andres’ appointment months in advance and is frustrated that he remains uninsured and his therapy for anxiety and hyperactivity has been disrupted.

Navas said the state could not explain why her 12-yearold daughter, Camila, remained covered by Medicaid even though the children live in the same household with their parents. “It doesn’t make sense that they would cover one of my children and not the other,” she said.

Kate McEvoy, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, said the sheer volume of millions of people being redetermined for eligibility has overwhelmed some state call centers trying to support enrollees.

She said states have tried many ways to communicate with enrollees, including through public outreach campaigns, text, email, and apps. “Until the moment your coverage is at stake, it’s hard to penetrate people’s busy lives,” she said.

The KFF survey, of 1,227 adults who had Medicaid coverage in early 2023 prior to u PAGE 4

Agreement (EDCA).

by the U.S., Philippines, Japan and Australia in the West Philippine Sea. “The monthlong Balikatan military exercises of 11,000 visiting American troops and 5,000 Filipino soldiers starting on April 22 will further deter the Chinese government from unwise aggressive actions,” the statement said.

The leaders also applauded the Philippines Enhanced Resilience Act (PERA Act), a bipartisan bill introduced by two prominent senators to provide the Philippines with $2.5 billion to boost its defenses against increased aggression by China in the West Philippine Sea. Sponsored by Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee) and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), the bill authorizes $500 million a year in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grant assistance to the Philippines over the five fiscal years to 2029. “As the United States and the Philippines face growing challenges to security and prosperity in the West Philippines Sea and the wider Indo-Pacific, it’s critical for our two nations to deepen cooperation and raise our decades-long alliance to even greater heights,” Sen. Hagerty said in a statement.

Social costs

However, the Fil-Am leaders have raised concerns over the “social costs” of increasing the number of U.S. bases and American troops in the Philippines under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation

“We reiterate our call for the Biden Administration and the Pentagon to consider the rights and welfare of the children who are likely to be abandoned by their American military fathers,” the USFGG and NaFFAA leaders said. “They should be provided for in the EDCA terms of engagement.”

Meanwhile, Fil-Am activists held rallies throughout the U.S. assailing the trilateral meeting at the White House.

Holding a “national day of action” on April 11, the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)-U.S. held rallies in Washington D.C., Portland, Seattle, Honolulu, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Joining the rallies were members of the Malaya Movement, International League of People’s Struggles and the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines.

“The Biden Administration had once again invited Marcos to the White House to continue to deepen its stronghold over the Philippines under the guise of ‘ironclad alliances,’” Anakbayan USA said in a statement. (Nimfa U. Rueda/ Inquirer.net)

FDA announces recall of heart pumps...

California-San Francisco. Though some surgeons may have been aware of issues, others, particularly those who do not implant the device frequently, may have been in the dark. “And their patients are suffering adverse events,” he said.

The recall involves a pair of mechanical pumps that help the heart pump blood when it can’t do so on its own. The devices, small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, are implanted in patients with endstage heart failure who are waiting for a transplant or as a permanent solution when a transplant is not an option. The recall affects nearly 14,000 devices.

Amanda Hils, an FDA press officer, said the agency is working with Abbott to investigate the reported injuries and deaths and determine if further action is needed.

“To date, the number of deaths reported appears consistent with the adverse events observed in the initial clinical trial,” Hils said in an email.

According to the FDA’s recall notice, the devices can cause buildup of “biological material” that reduces their ability to help the heart circulate blood and keep patients alive. The buildup accumulates gradually and can appear two years or more after a device is implanted in a patient’s chest.

Doctors were advised to watch out for “low-flow alarms” on the devices and, if they do diagnose the obstruction, to either monitor the patient or perform surgery to implant a stent, release the blockage, or replace the pump. “Rates of outflow obstruction are low,” Abbott spokesperson Justin Paquette said in an email, adding that patients whose devices are functioning normally “have no reason for concern.”

A review of the FDA device database shows at least 130 reports related to HeartMate II or 3 that mention the complication reported by regulators. The earliest such report filed with the FDA dates to at least 2020, according to a KFF Health News review of the database.

Monday’s alert is the second

Class 1 recall of a HeartMate device this year.

In January, Abbott issued an urgent “correction letter” to hospitals about a separate issue in which the HeartMate 3 unintentionally starts and stops due to the pump’s communication system, which cardiologists use to assess patients’ status. The FDA alerted the public in March.

In February, Abbott issued another urgent letter to hospitals about the blockage problem, asking them to inform physicians, complete and return an acknowledgment form, and pay attention to low-flow alarms on the device’s monitor that may indicate an obstruction. The company said in the letter that it is working on “a design solution” to prevent the blockages.

A study published in 2022 in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery reported the obstruction in about 3% of cases, though the incidence rate was higher the longer a patient had the device.

The only other Class 1 recall issued for the HeartMate 3 was in May 2018, when the company issued corrective action notices to hospitals and physicians warning that the graft line that carries blood from the pump to the aorta could twist and stop blood flow.

The FDA recall notice issued Monday includes additional guidance for physicians to diagnose the blockage using an algorithm to detect obstructions and, if needed, a CT angiogram to verify the cause.

At present, the HeartMate 3, which was first approved by the FDA in 2017, is the only medical option for many patients with end-stage heart failure and who do not qualify for a transplant. The HeartMate 3 has supplanted the HeartMate II, which received FDA approval in 2008.

If the new recall leads to the device being removed from the market, end-stage heart failure patients could have no options, said Francis Pagani, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the University of Michigan who also oversees a proprietary database of HeartMate II and HeartMate 3 implants.

If that happens, “we are in

trouble,” Pagani said. “It would be devastating to the patients to not have this option. It’s not a perfect option — no pump ever is — but this is as good as it’s ever been.”

It’s not known precisely how many patients have received a HeartMate II or HeartMate 3 implant. That information is proprietary. The FDA recall notices show worldwide distribution of more than 22,000 HeartMate 3 devices and more than 2,200 of the HeartMate II.

The blockage complication may have gone unreported to the public for so long partly because physicians are not required to report adverse events to federal regulators, said Madris Kinard, a former FDA medical device official and founder of Device Events, a company that makes FDA device data more user-friendly for hospitals, law firms, and investors.

Only device manufacturers, device importers, and hospitals are required by law to report device-related injuries, deaths, and significant malfunctions to the FDA.

“If this is something physicians were aware of, but they weren’t mandated to report to the FDA,” Kinard said, “at what point does that communication between those two groups need to happen?” Dhruva, the cardiologist, said he is looking for transparency from Abbott about what the company is doing to address the problem so he can have more thorough conversations with patients considering a HeartMate device.

“We’re going to expect to have some data saying, ‘Hey we created this fix, and this fix works, and it doesn’t cause a new problem.’ That’s what I want to know,” he said. “There’s just a ton more that I feel in the dark about, to be honest, and I’m sure that patients and their families do as well. (Daniel Chang and Holly K. Hacker/KFF Health News) KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

Nearly 1 in 4 adults dumped from...

the start of the unwinding on April 1, 2023, was conducted between Feb. 15, 2024, and March 11, 2024. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 4 percentage points. KFF Health News correspondent Daniel Chang contributed to this article. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-

depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

call centers in Florida and other states; Speridian Technologies, a New Mexico-based limited liability company that owns and controls TrueCoverage; and Number One Prospecting, doing business as Minerva Marketing, which is also a lead-generating company. The lawsuit also names two people: Brandon Bowsky, founder and CEO of Minerva; and Matthew Herman, CEO of Enhance Health. Attempts to reach the companies for comment were unsuccessful.

According to the lawsuit, the call centers had access to policyholder accounts through “enhanced direct enrollment” platforms, including one called Benefitalign, owned by Speridian. Such private sector platforms, which must be approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, streamline enrollment by integrating with the federal ACA marketplace, called healthcare. gov. The ones included in this case were not open to the public, but only to those call center agencies granted permission by the platforms.

by collecting names of people responding to online and social media ads claiming to offer monthly subsidies to help with rent or groceries. Those calls were recorded, the suit alleges, and the callers’ information obtained by TrueCoverage and Enhance Health.

The companies knew people were calling on the promise “of cash benefits that do not exist,” the lawsuit said. Instead, call center agents were encouraged to be “vague” about the money mentioned in the ads, which was actually the subsidies paid by the government to insurers toward the ACA plans.

The effort targeted people with low enough incomes to qualify for large subsidies that fully offset the monthly cost of their premium, the lawsuit alleges. The push began after March 2022, when a special enrollment period for low-income people became available, opening up a year-round opportunity to enroll in an ACA plan.

or had duplicative policies.

“We allege there was a plan that targeted the poorest of Americans into enrolling in health insurance through deceptive ads and unauthorized switching,” to gain compensation for the signups or capture the commissions that would have been paid to legitimate insurance agents, said Jason Doss, one of two lawyers who filed the case following a four-month investigation.

Doss and Jason Kellogg, the other lawyer on the case, which was filed on behalf of several affected policyholders and agents, are seeking class action status. KFF Health News has in recent weeks reported on similar concerns raised by consumers and insurance agents.

Named as defendants are TrueCoverage and Enhance Health, which operate insurance

One of the plaintiffs, Texas resident Conswallo Turner, signed up for ACA coverage in December through an agent she knew, and expected it to go into effect on Jan. 1, according to the lawsuit. Not long after, Turner saw an ad on Facebook promising a monthly cash card to help with household expenses.

She called the number on the ad and provided her name, date of birth, and state, the lawsuit says. Armed with that information, sales agents then changed her ACA coverage and the agent listed on it five times in just a few weeks, dropping coverage of her son along with way, all without her consent.

She ended up with a higherdeductible plan along with medical bills for her now-uninsured son, the lawsuit alleges. Her actual agent also lost the commission.

The lawsuit contains similar stories from other plaintiffs. The routine worked, it alleges,

The suit asserts that those involved did not meet the privacy and security rules required for participation in the ACA marketplace. The lawsuit also alleges violations of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO.

“Health insurance is important for people to have, but it’s also important to be sold properly,” said Doss, who said both consumers and legitimate agents can suffer when it’s not. “It’s not a victimless crime to get zero-dollar health insurance if you don’t qualify for it and it ends up causing you tax or other problems down the road,” he said. “Unfortunately, there’s so much fraud that legitimate agents who are really trying to help people are also being pushed out.” KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

‘Apollo Quiboloy arrest warrant...

the issuance of the TRO,” she said. The Senate issued the arrest order against Quiboloy over his refusal to appear before the chamber’s committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality – chaired by Hontiveros – to answer allegations of human trafficking, rape, sexual abuse and violence leveled against him and his sect by former members.

In his petition before the SC, Quiboloy sought a TRO to stop the Senate from implementing the arrest order as well as from demanding the KOJC leader’s attendance at Senate hearings. Quiboloy’s counsel argued the Senate inquiry violates the preacher’s constitutional rights to due process and against selfincrimination, adding that the proceedings “do not serve any legislative purpose” and that the Senate probe was tantamount to usurpation of judicial functions. The Senate hearings were also

“unjust,” as the chamber had already concluded that Quiboloy was guilty of the crimes attributed to him.

In a separate statement, Hontiveros said she is ready to comply with the directive of the SC and submit a comment on Quiboloy’s petition.

“While we have yet to receive and read the order, we certainly will comply with the directive of the SC, cognizant of the principle of separation of powers and with only the highest respect for our institutions,” she noted.

“I am hopeful that this principle will serve as a guide for us all, including for fugitive Quiboloy,” she added.

Drilon also stressed that the ruling respects the authority of the Senate to issue an arrest order against Quiboloy, which is necessary

Face the music Former Senate President Franklin Drilon said Quiboloy should face the music and heed directives for him to appear before the Senate following the SC’s refusal to grant a TRO. Drilon emphasized the significance of the SC’s refusal to grant a TRO to Quiboloy, saying it reinforces the constitutional authority of the Senate to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation. “Quiboloy should accord due respect to the ruling of the Supreme Court and the processes of the Senate, as upheld by the SC,” he said.

Dateline PhiliPPines

First lady speaks out vs Sara: ‘She’s a bad shot to me’

by Catherine S. Valente ManilaTimes.net

MANILA — "She's a bad shot to me." This was how First Lady Marie Louise "Liza" Araneta-Marcos described her relationship with Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio. In a teaser video for "TUNE in kay Tunying," Araneta-Marcos said that she was "always kind" to DuterteCarpio but she had crossed the line.

"Bad shot na yan sa akin (She's a bad shot to me). I mean, for me, nasaktan ako (I was hurt) because my husband will do everything to protect you," Araneta-Marcos said, referring to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The first lady admitted that she was hurt when Duterte-Caprio attended a prayer rally in her hometown Davao City, where her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, publicly accused President Marcos of being a "drug addict."

"You ran together, right?

Together we will rise again then

you will go to the rally, calling your president 'bangag, ' right? You're going to laugh, is that right? Even Leni never did that," she said, referring to former Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo.

Former President Duterte — and brothers — Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte and Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte — have been critical of Marcos since the president expressed the possibility of rejoining the International Criminal Court that is due to hand down a judgment on the Duterte patriarch's bloody war on drugs campaign.

The Dutertes have been staging rallies in their hometown of Davao City, too, to protest the economic Charter Change, which they claimed was a step toward a term extension for the president. Former President Duterte also accused Marcos of using illegal drugs. Marcos, in response to Duterte's verbal assault, said he thought "it's the fentanyl" speaking.

The former president, the chief architect of the war on drugs that claimed thousands of lives, admitted using fentanyl as a pain killer.

Duterte in March also slammed Marcos over his travels abroad, which the president shrugged off.

But Vice President Duterte, who was Marcos' running mate in the May 2022 elections, remained mum amid all the tension.

Last week, Marcos described his relations with Duterte-Carpio as "complicated" but said it has not changed.

"I have the most contact with Inday Sara and how we were with each other during the campaign, after the election, it hasn't really changed," the president said, referring to the vice president. Marcos also said the vice president chose to focus on her job amid all the controversies.

"She says, 'No, I'll just work. Don't worry about it. I'll just work and work and work and work.' That's her attitude," he added. g

PH, US lawmakers embrace ‘balut diplomacy’ in Washington

a

D.C. where the Filipino delegation was surprised when the American lawmaker offered them beer and Philippine popular street food balut”. Bera’s offer of beer and balut, basically boiled duck egg, served as a symbolic display of camaraderie and cooperation between the U.S. and the Philippines.

Aside from the speaker, the Philippine delegation included Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker David “Jay-jay” Suarez, Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe, Agusan del Norte Rep. Jose “Joboy” Aquino ll, House Secretary General Reginald “Reggie” Velasco, Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez, Ambassador to Japan Mylene Garcia-Albano, and House Deputy Secretary Generals Jennifer “Jef” Baquiran, David Robert Amorin, and Sofonias “Ponyong” Gabonada Jr., and other House officials and Philippine embassy officers. Strengthening of diplomatic ties

and crucial regional matters were discussed during the meeting.

Against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions, both Romualdez and Bera emphasized the importance of fostering stability, peace, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region. Bera underscored the significance of the current geopolitical landscape, emphasizing the necessity of cooperation while respecting each other's sovereignty.

"It's an important time in the region. None of us wants conflicts. We seek cooperation but we should respect each other's sovereignty. We stand close to each other,” Bera said.

In response, Romualdez expressed his gratitude for the unwavering support of Bera and his district, reaffirming the enduring friendship between the Philippines and the U.S.

"Our gratitude and appreciation for your support, especially from your district as your home. We will not take that for granted. You are a true friend to the Philippines,” Romualdez said. Romualdez also highlighted the historic trilateral partnership between the United States, Japan, and the Philippines.

"Who could have imagined that history would once again be made—the trilateral meeting of the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines? These are times that unite us, as we look towards the future,” Romualdez said.

They also discussed enhancing defense capabilities, promoting economic opportunities, and strengthening trade relations between the two nations.

Both leaders emphasized the importance of initiatives such as the reauthorization of the Generalized System of Preferences, investments in green economies, and partnerships in global infrastructure projects. However, amidst the serious talks, the concept of "balut diplomacy" emerged as a lighthearted yet meaningful gesture of cultural exchange.

Bera, who prepared the traditional Filipino delicacy, suggested drafting a memorandum of understanding to be sent to the respective embassies, referring to it playfully as "balut diplomacy."

"We do joint partnerships, English language. Let’s draft and forward it to the Embassy. Call it balut diplomacy,” he said. (PNA)

Lawmaker calls for probe on surge of Chinese nationals near EDCA sites

on Wednesday, April 17 urged the government to investigate the suspicious influx of Chinese nationals in areas near the Philippine-U.S. Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites and other major seaports and airports in the country.

Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, said the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), as lead agencies, should be held responsible and accountable for the continuing and suspicious arrival and presence of the Chinese nationals in various parts of the country.

“Dapat lang siguro na alamin natin at imbestigahan ng BI kung ilang Chinese nationals na ba talaga ang nasa loob ng ating bansa, ano ang nature ng hawak nilang mga travel documents, at kung saan saang parte ng ating bansa sila naka-deploy (Maybe we should find out and BI should investigate as to how many Chinese nationals are actually in the country, what is the nature of the travel documents they hold, and where in which part of the country they are deployed),” Barbers said in a news release.

Barbers said he wants to know “if our DFA officials in China are diligently doing their job in approving the visa of these Chinese

nationals who are entering the country.” “Dapat din siguro alamin natin sa kanila kung ang status ng mga Chinese nationals na binigyan nila ng visa, ang bilang ng mga pumunta dito at bumalik sa China, at ilan pa ang numero ng mga naiwan pa dito (Maybe we should also determine the status of the Chinese nationals granted with visa, the number of those who arrived and who went back to China, and the number of those still in the country),” he added. Barbers said all concerned agencies should be aware of the Chinese mafia engaged in the procurement and processing of fake documents.

“The question is: What have these government agencies done to counter the tampering of their respective offices’ documents? They are all eerily quiet on this issue. Are some of the officials of said agencies in cahoots or enabled by the Chinese mafia?” Barbers asked. Barbers said based on initial information received by his office, the “fake Filipino nationals” who can’t even utter a single Filipino word, use their Filipino enablers in the buying spree of huge tracts of lands near EDCA sites, near major air and sea ports, and establish large number of warehouses and other business establishments.

“One can see those warehouses sprouting like mushrooms in Central Luzon, particularly in Pampanga and Bulacan, Bataan, Zambales, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and nearby towns in the region. Now they are slowly but surely creeping in Cagayan near where the two EDCA sites are located,” he said.

Five Philippine military installations were designated in 2016 as EDCA sites, and they include Basa Air Base in Pampanga; Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija; Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan; Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu; and Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro.

The four latest additional EDCA sites, as announced by the U.S. Defense Department, include Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana, Cagayan, Camp Melchor Aquino in Gamu, Isabela; Balabac Islands in Palawan; and Lal-Lo Airport in Cagayan. “Ang deployment at pagbili ng lupa, pagtatayo ng negosyo ng mga Chinese nationals na malapit sa EDCA sites ay dapat bigyan tuon ng mga concerned agencies sa ating bansa. Hindi ba tayo dapat magusisa at alamin bakit sila nandyan at kung ano talaga ang ginagawa nila dyan (The deployment at purchase of land, construction of businesses by Chinese nationals near EDCA sites should be given attention by the concerned agencies in the country).” Barbers said. (PNA)

MANILA – House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Wednesday, April 17 paid

courtesy call to United States Rep. Ami Bera of California's 6th District at the Capitol Hill in Washington,

MANILA – Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers

WEATHER CASUALTY. A parched farmland in Bulacan province is captured by a drone shot on Tuesday, April 16. As of mid-March, dry spell-related losses in Central Luzon where Bulacan belongs, made worse by the El Niño phenomenon, have reached P158 million. PNA photo by Joan Bondoc

Taxes and governance

IT’S tax filing month, and the government as usual launched a campaign to inform the public about meeting the deadline for filing tax returns. It would be better if a campaign can also be implemented to raise public awareness not only of the civic duty of paying the correct taxes, but also the responsibility of public officials in utilizing those taxes judiciously.

Individuals pay income tax while businessmen pay corporate, business and local taxes. Aside from these, there are hefty excise taxes on all petroleum products, liquor and tobacco, automobiles, luxury goods and mineral products as well as value-added tax on nearly all goods and services, from food and medicine to basic utilities. Look at the fine print on your utility bills to see how much goes to the government. A road tax is collected for motor vehicle registration even as many areas including Greater Manila are dotted with privately operated toll roads.

Editorial

With taxes collected for goods and services from cradle to grave, people must demand good governance and the proper utilization of public funds. Too many Filipinos, however, are unaware of how much of their basic expenses go to the government. This leads to a high tolerance or indifference to the misuse of people’s money, venality and incompetence in government.

If there is greater awareness of how much people

THE two-day trip of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Washington, D.C. was well worth it because of its historic impact in advancing efforts to promote a peaceful, open, stable and rules-based Indo-Pacific region that can help empower nations to economically grow and flourish. There is no question the president is exhausted from the many important trips he has taken, but we both agreed this trip was definitely significant and absolutely consequential because it will define the future not only of the Philippines but countries in our region as well. As the president succinctly put it, the tripartite meeting at the White House with President Biden and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is “just a beginning” as “the complex challenges of our time require concerted efforts on everyone’s part, a dedication to a common purpose and an unwavering commitment to the rules-based international order.”

PUBLIC confidence in the Marcos administration has plummeted in the first three months of 2024. The people are increasingly dissatisfied with the prevailing state of the nation, national direction and economic prospects. The trust and approval ratings of President Bongbong Marcos Jr. also reached an all-time low since the third quarter of 2023 due to concerns over inflation, corruption and perceived weak leadership.

The latest Publicus Asia survey shows that support for the incumbent government stood at 35 percent, an 11-point drop from the last quarter. PBBM garnered trust and approval ratings of 33 percent and 44 percent, respectively. The Visayas and Mindanao registered the highest distrust for the chief executive (34 percent). The disfavor for the president also rose in Mindanao (from 13 percent to 30 percent). To be fair, there was also a decrease in the trust and approval ratings of the other top officials of the country. The findings of Publicus repeat

are contributing to the national coffers, there would be greater public pressure for accountability and transparency in the way public funds are utilized. There would be greater outrage over large-scale tax evasion as well as confidential funds for civilian agencies with no involvement in public safety or national security. There would be greater pressure for government officials, especially those at the top levels, to make public their annual statements of assets, liabilities and net worth, as stipulated in the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, regardless of the prohibitions imposed by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Amid tensions with China in the West Philippine Sea, the National Security Council and the Philippine Coast Guard are reportedly planning several projects to raise public awareness on WPS issues, such as holding campus caravans, advocacy runs, regional road shows and even the printing of illustrated comics.

The proper use of people’s money is equally important, and deserves a similar intensive information campaign. Tax awareness, to include the responsibilities of both taxpayers and government officials, can be included in the high school curriculum. It’s not enough to remind the public to pay the proper taxes; people should also know where their taxes go. (Philstar.com)

White House tripartite meeting promises a bright future

He also described the partnership among the three nations as something that is “borne not out of convenience nor of expediency, but as a natural progression of deepening relations and robust cooperation… linked by a profound respect for democracy, good governance and the rule of law.”

While the meeting may just be “a beginning,” it is one that “looks ahead” – as the partners seek to “identify ways of growing” their respective economies and making them more resilient, climate proofing cities and societies, sustaining development progress and forging a peaceful world for the next generation, the president said. The summit, President Marcos noted, provides “an opportunity to define the future we want, and how we intend to achieve it, together.”

The Joint Vision Statement by the three leaders underscored that as equal partners and trusted friends, they share fundamental values of freedom, democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law –believing that by working together, they can advance the

security and prosperity not only of their respective nations but the Indo-Pacific and the world.

“Our historic summit today is the culmination of decades of partnership and builds on the recent momentum of our governments’ trilateral efforts,” the statement went, outlining the goals to promote inclusive economic growth and resilience even as they expressed concern and strong opposition to “economic coercion,” underscoring the need for close coordination to deal with such coercion.

One of the key takeaways during the summit was the Luzon economic corridor that would support connectivity between Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas, with the three nations committed to accelerating coordinated investments in high impact infrastructure projects that include rail, ports modernization, clean energy and semiconductor supply chains and deployments, agribusiness and civilian port upgrades at Subic Bay.

We were pleased to note that the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is planning to put up a regional office in the

Drug allegations

the survey results of Pulse Asia, which showed the growing public distrust and disapproval of PBBM. His national ratings took a double-digit drop between December 2023 and March 2024.

In my view, the president will continue to earn public disfavor, even ire, for the failure of the government to address the soaring prices of prime commodities and essentials.

Inflation – the retail price of rice per kilo, specifically – is a problem that hits closest to the heart and gut of the average Filipino. His 2022 election promise to lower the price of rice to P20 a kilo remains that, much to the dismay and disillusionment of his supporters in the lowincome groups.

The Department of Agriculture reported that the retail price of rice rose by 36 percent on March 1, compared to the same period in 2023 (The STAR). Meanwhile, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the March 2024 rice inflation of 24.4 percent is the highest since the February 2009 record-high of 24.6 percent. The prospects get gloomier for the Filipinos. The PSA predicts the price of our staple food to rise until July (Sun Star).

Surveys upon surveys have pointed out that the public is

most worried about inflation. The issues on the West Philippine Sea and Charter change do not even figure in their top five national concerns. They clamor for affordable goods and services. They demand higher salaries and wages. They need jobs or better jobs. They want the government to end corruption and reduce poverty in the country. After almost two years in office, the Marcos administration has yet to ease their burdens. With his decreasing popularity, the President can no longer afford to be blind and deaf to the socio-economic sufferings of the Filipinos.

Weak character

The growing public perception that PBBM is a weak leader is also unsurprising. In 2021, no less than former President Rodrigo Duterte alluded to his eventual successor as weak in character and a cocaine-user. In his most recent press conference in Davao City, FPRRD said he was the first person to call national attention to the drug addiction of the chief executive. As thenDavao City mayor and former president, Digong saw evidence submitted or shown to him by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) detailing PBBM’s history of substance abuse.

Philippines to facilitate further investments across the country.

I remember mentioning this possibility as early as May 2021 when the Philippine embassy in Washington arranged a virtual forum together with the DFC and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, which drew a lot of interest from pharmaceutical companies looking at vaccine manufacturing and distribution in the Philippines.

Prior to the tripartite summit, I joined the president at the Oval Office where he met President Biden for a bilateral meeting that was candid and straightforward, with both leaders affirming their commitment to make the relationship even deeper, advancing mutual interests, strengthening economic ties and elevating the defense and security alliance between the two nations.

The atmosphere was very warm, friendly and cordial, and we were pleased to hear President Biden’s reassurance that the bilateral relationship with the Philippines remains “an absolute priority” of the United States and that they will continue to support the modernization program of

He understood why PDEA is denying the existence of real and documentary evidence. No government agency in its right mind would go head-to-head with an incumbent president. Digong’s remarks must also be related to the controversial “PDEA leaks” exposé of a social media personality and a former Marcos loyalist-turned archcritic. Political vlogger Maharlika released a series of documents – a pre-operations report, a surveillance report and a letter signed by a former Investigation Agent (IA) of the Intelligence and Investigation Service (IIS) – purporting that then-senator Marcos was on the agency’s drug watchlist. PDEA has called the documents fake. It is now mulling filing criminal charges against the erstwhile Marcos supporter. When I examined the letter, it appeared that the ex-IA confirmed that PBBM was under PDEA surveillance for alleged illicit drug use sometime in 2012. The signatory seemed to attest to the veracity of the pre-ops and surveillance documents. The agent claimed to have personally interviewed a Confidential Informant, who knows the President’s reported drug use, in front of other IIS personnel. It could only mean that the documents exist, contrary to PDEA’s denial that they cannot be found in the Plans and

the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

At a press briefing we conducted in the Philippine embassy in Washington, we mentioned that in the next five to 10 years, we are looking at an estimated $100 billion in investments from Japan and the United States, with the administration’s economic managers working hard to open up areas for potential investments such as energy, which is of course very important in sustaining growth and development, not to mention the fact that energy security is a priority of the government, obviously because our energy requirements in the next two years or so will increase.

The $100 billion is actually a modest estimate considering that the semiconductor industry alone is an $80-billion business in Southeast Asia, and if we get even just 10 to 20 percent of that pie, that’s an additional $8 to $16 billion in investments. The semiconductor industry is going to be the wave of the future, and we’re very pleased that the United States has included the Philippines as one of the seven countries it trusts

Operations Reports Management Information System. To prove the documents’ existence, the ex-IA must produce the original versions and execute a sworn statement that he was the signatory. Evidence must be related to the fact in issue to induce belief in its existence or non-existence (Revised Rules on Evidence). The “PDEA Leaks” seem to corroborate the previous and most recent statements of FPRRD concerning the illegal drug habit of PBBM. I am not saying that the documents are conclusive. The chief executive must disprove the allegations. Otherwise, his continued silence is tantamount to admitting the contents of the documents.

Sound mind

The Constitution provides that the government must inform the public of the state of health of a seriously ill President. While we have no direct knowledge of PBBM’s current health condition, the drug allegations against him constitute a grave national issue.

Perhaps, he may humbly consider undergoing a random drug test.

In proving to all Filipinos that he has passed the test or tested clean of illicit drugs, the drug issue will be settled once and for all.

I believe the public is entitled to know whether the president is in the right and sound frame of mind when deciding on national

to partner with for its goal to diversify their semiconductor supply chain under the CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) Act.

We’re also looking at forging a bilateral free trade agreement with the U.S. on cyberspace and digital technology, among others. As I told members of the media, the U.S. really has a high level of interest in making the Philippines a major investment hub for American companies. Looking out my window from the Philippine embassy in Washington, D.C., spring is now upon us but it’s cloudy.

Nonetheless, the future looks bright for the Philippines because as they say – for every cloud, there is always a silver lining, and the very successful tripartite meeting is one such silver lining. I’m confident that during President Marcos’ term, the Philippines will emerge as a stronger and more prosperous nation. (Philstar.com)

*

and foreign policy issues. In particular, his decision to ally with the United States, Japan and Australia to militarily contain China’s “encroachment” in the West Philippine Sea is only worsening the conflict in the maritime zone.

Fox News reported that the unresolved Philippine-China dispute could precipitate a World War III. A U.S.-based China expert has predicted that America will likely start a fight with China over the Philippines than Taiwan or Japan. If we become a theater of war, Filipino soldiers and civilians would go like lambs to the slaughterhouse. God forbid!

I urge PBBM to continue seeking diplomatic and peaceful solutions with China, and resist the interference of America and its Western allies. If possible, the government must maintain the verbal status quo agreement of non-military confrontation and non-expansion that the Duterte administration fostered with the Xi Jinping government. We need to avoid bloodshed and unnecessary loss of lives and properties over the WPS. (Philstar.com)

NOTICE OF EARLY VOTING FOR THE 2024 PRIMARY ELECTION

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that early voting for the June 11, 2024, Primary Election begins on May 25, Saturday, and continues through June 7, Friday. Any voter registered in Clark County is eligible to vote at any early voting location. Same-day registration will be available for persons who are eligible to vote but are not currently registered to vote. They must have a Nevada Driver’s License, Nevada Identification Card, Nevada DMV “Interim Document,” or Tribal Identification per NRS 232.006. Same-day updates of existing registration will also be available.

The early voting locations, dates, and times are listed below. All voting sites are ADA compliant. For additional information, call the Clark County Election Department at (702) 455-VOTE (8683). The TTY/TDD number is 711. Also check online at www.ClarkCountyNV. gov/vote.

All early voting sites are also mail ballot drop-off locations during the listed dates and times.

Unforeseen events or circumstances may cause changes to early voting locations or hours of operation. For updates, see our website at www.ClarkCountyNV.gov/vote or call (702) 455-VOTE (8683).

Any registered voter in Clark County may vote in-person before Election Day at any early voting site instead of voting by mail.

You may also drop off your voted mail ballot in-person at any early voting site during the specific dates and times in this schedule. In your sample ballot or online at www. ClarkCountyNV.gov/vote, see the listings for “Election Day Vote Centers…” and “Additional Mail Ballot Drop-Off Locations” for other drop-off options. You must still sign the outside of the postage-paid return envelope provided specifically for you, showing your name and address, and seal your voted ballot inside of this envelope before you deposit it in the drop box. Do not put your ballot in another voter’s return envelope.

If you decide to vote in-person instead of by mail, you will need to do one of the following:

• If you have your mail ballot, surrender it in the packet sent to you to an election official at the voting site.

• If you do not have your mail ballot but had received it in the mail, you will sign an affirmation at the voting site swearing that you have not already voted in the current election and that you understand no one may attempt to vote or vote more than once in the same election.

Desert Breeze Community Center

8275 Spring Mountain Rd. / S. Cimarron Rd.

Galleria at Sunset Kohl’s Court, 1st Floor

1300 W. Sunset Rd., East of N. Stephanie St.

Henderson City Hall

240 S. Water St. / W. Basic Rd.

Las Vegas Athletic Club – Decatur, EVENT TENT Parking Lot, 6050 N. Decatur Blvd. / W. Tropical Pkwy.

May

June

May 25-June 6 (Sat.-Thu.) ............... 9am-7pm

June 7 (Fri.) ..................................... 9am-8pm

May 25-June 6 (Sat.-Thu.) ............... 9am-6pm

June 7 (Fri.) ..................................... 9am-7pm

May 25 and June 1 (Sat.) ................ 11am-8pm

May 26 and June 2 (Sun.) ............... 11am-6pm

May 27-31 (Mon.-Fri.) ...................... 11am-7pm

June 3-6 (Mon.-Thurs.) .................... 11am-7pm

June 7 (Fri.) ..................................... 11am-8pm

May 25 (Sat.) ................................... 8am-5pm

May 26-27 (Sun.-Mon.) .................... CLOSED

May 28-June 1 (Tue.-Sat.) ............... 8am-5pm

June 2 (Sun.) ................................... CLOSED

June 3-7 (Mon.-Fri.) ......................... 8am-5pm

May 25-June 6 (Sat.-Thu.) ............... 9am-7pm

June 2 (Sun.) .................................... 1pm-5pm June 3 (Mon.) ..................................... 10am-7pm

Mesquite Jimmie Hughes Campus, Suite 1 150 N. Yucca St., Mesquite May 26-28 (Sun.-Tue.) ....................... 9am-6pm

Moapa Valley Comm. Ctr., 320 N. Moapa Valley Blvd., Overton

Mountain Crest Community Center

4701 N. Durango Dr., South of W. Lone Mountain Rd.

Mountain Shadows Community Center 9107 Del Webb Blvd. / Crown Ridge Dr.

Paradise Recreation and Community Center

4775 S. McLeod Dr., North of E. Tropicana Ave.

Parkdale Recreation and Senior Center

3200 Ferndale St., North of E. Desert Inn Rd.

Paseo Verde

May 29 (Wed.) .................................... 9am-6pm

May 25-31 (Sat.-Fri.) .......................... 9am-6pm

May 25-27 (Sat.-Mon.) ........................ 9am-6pm

June 2-4 (Sun.-Tue.) ............................ 9am-6pm

May 31-June 1 (Fri.-Sat.) ..................... 9am-6pm

............................ 9am-6pm Rainbow Library

N. Buffalo Dr. / W. Cheyenne Ave. June 6 (Thu.) ....................................... 10am-6pm

June 7 (Fri.) ......................................... 10am-7pm Regional Transportation Commission (RTC),

June 7 (Fri.) ..................................... 9am-8pm Las Vegas Athletic Club – Rainbow, EVENT TENT Parking Lot, 1725 N. Rainbow Blvd., South of W. Lake Mead Blvd.

May 25-June 6 (Sat.-Thu.) ............... 9am-7pm

May 25-27 (Sat.-Mon.) .................... CLOSED

May 28-30 (Tue.-Thu.) .................... 8am-5pm

June 7 (Fri.) ..................................... 9am-8pm Las Vegas City Hall 495 S. Main St. / E. Clark Ave.

May 31-June 2 (Fri.-Sun.) ...............

June 7 (Fri.) .................................... CLOSED

May 25-June 6 (Sat.-Thu.) ...............

June 7 (Fri.) ..................................... 9am-8pm

May 25-June 6 (Sat.-Thu.) ............... 9am-7pm

June

Catriona Gray on ‘advocacies, pageantry business’ during Miss Universe reign

by HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net

IT’S been six years since Catriona Gray was crowned Miss Universe, and she remained proud of how it turned out.

Despite this, she recalled certain moments where she felt a “little disheartened” about not being able to balance her advocacydriven initiatives and the business aspect of pageantry. “I think I might’ve made everyone’s lives harder,” a laughing Gray said in a sitdown interview with Mega Magazine editor-in-chief Peewee Reyes-Isidro on the magazine’s YouTube channel on April 12, as she touched on the impact of her coronation in the global tilt.

When asked about “setting a standard” in pageantry, Gray recalled how there “was no such thing as a national costume” or “creating content” to showcase what a representative’s country had to offer.

“I’m so proud of how it turned out. I took a lot of risks. I did so many things that I haven’t done before or haven’t been popularized back then. Our standard has gone through the roof,” she said. Despite this, the former titleholder pointed out that representatives shouldn’t feel pressured to follow in her footsteps because one’s pageant journey “will always be about the girl.”

“The whole show that Miss Universe and other pageants is a display of a representative to represent their culture or a part of their country, getting people to know more. With that being said, I love what it has created,” she said.

Miss Universe ’employee’

The interview then touched on the three important lessons Gray took to heart during her reign. One of which is to “be present” especially with a lot of things happening at once.

“I didn’t consider myself a public figure until the moment Philippines was called. It felt overwhelming at times, I wasn’t

used to people pulling me in [different] directions and having interactions with [people]. I had to constantly tell myself to be present,” she said.

Gray appeared to be deep in thought as she opened up about being “thrown into the loop” after winning the title. This led her to explain that before winning Miss Universe, she was a leader of her team in the Philippines. But throughout her reign, she “became an employee” of the Miss Universe Organization. “[I also learned to] regain your power in a way you can only control for yourself,” she said.

“There was a reshifting. I’m not a leader, I am a follower. At first, that disheartened me a little bit because there are a lot of projects I wish I could’ve created when I won. I envisioned that I would do so much on-ground community work.”

The beauty queen then clarified that while she understood that prioritizing “profit-making events and big press type of engagements” is crucial in the “business aspect of the pageant

system,” she didn’t understand why it couldn’t be balanced with advocacy-driven “on-ground initiatives and community work.”

“My message on the night that I won, was that I am a queen of service and people. I had to say to myself that I can’t control it,” she added. “But I couldn’t control it, but I could control myself. So I channeled all my energy into planning what I wanted to do after my reign, it’s kind of regaining my power again.”

During the interview, Gray also pointed out that ending a Miss Universe reign is not the “peak” of a beauty queen since there are many “peaks” one can achieve, even if it’s not done in a “public” way.

“Many people would ask me what’s next after Mis Universe. It’s so big and it can sometimes make us feel that if I can’t reach the same public achievement, it was all it was for me. I understand the peaks come in many different shapes and forms in life, and it doesn’t have to be validated in such a public way to feel important,” she said. g

Darren Espanto admits ‘puppy love’ with Kyline Alcantara

by Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

denied that Angel and Neil have broken up.

"I get to see her naman, she's very, very happy and happily married, and Neil is taking very good care of her," Dimples said. She added that Angel and Neil are enjoying their time together away from social media.

a little

by Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

KAPAMILYA singer Darren Espanto admitted that he dated Kapuso star Kyline Alcantara in the past.

In his guesting on "Fast Talk with Boy Abunda," the show's epynomous host asked Darren what's the real

In a separate post, the Filipino descent star shared a video of her speech as she went emotional accepting her first Olivier Award. “As a little girl from Hawaii and growing up in Kentucky, coming from really humble beginnings, I always wanted to be a singer and do musicals. And I dreamed of so many roles that I wanted to do, and honestly this role, Norma Desmond, was not one of those roles,” she said, drawing laughter from the audience. “But God works in mysterious ways because it’s honestly one of the ballsiest and bravest things I have ever done.” added the singer-actress. Scherzinger won “Dancing with the Stars” in 2010. She also served as a judge on several other television talent shows, including “The SingOff” (2009–2010), “The X Factor” US (2011), “The X Factor” UK (2012–2013, 2016–2017, 2019), “Australia’s Got Talent” (2019), and “The Masked Singer” (2019). She has also appeared in the 2014 musical “Cats” and in the Disney animated film “Moana” (2016). Her television credits include “Dirty Dancing” (2017) and the television special “Annie Live!” (2021). “Sunset Boulevard” emerged as the top winner, bagging seven awards out of 11 nominations from the prestigious awarding body. Aside from Scherzinger, former “Succession” star Sarah Snook took home the main Best Actress of the night for her performance in “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”

binibiro ni Ate Vice," Darren said.

When asked how long they've been in a relationship, Darren said, "Like a year, I think. Kaya po kami very comfortable."

because she’s super muchawaited all the time. I know that... being offline and missing an act on social media has done very well," she said. "She’s so light hearted and you just feel that she’s very very happy so once na mag-decide siya at pinagdadasal natin 'yun na malapit na 'yun, I’m excited that I get to work with her but this time, we get to bond with each other, hindi lang sa personal but sa work,” she added.

IT'S taken him a little longer than his twin sister, Atasha Muhlach, to get into the family business, but the prayers of a huge and ever-growing fanbase have finally been answered. Andres Muhlach — the dashing, dreamy and oh-so down-toearth son of showbiz royalty Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzales — is officially a Viva Artist Agency talent now following his grand launch on Monday, April 15 at the Viva Cafe in Cubao, Quezon City. While it's long been announced that he is set to star in a sitcom with his dad, mom and sister (whom he calls his "best friends," bless him!), it always seemed Andres was hesitant to claim his birthright and become a star. Asked by The Manila Times Entertainment once and for all why it took him this long to give in, Andres honestly replied, "I've always been interested in [joining] this industry, seeing my dad and mom. [But] in the case of Tash, she was definitely more vocal about it, and, as for me, I'm more of the quiet type, so I kept it to myself.

"But, eventually, when I felt confident enough and comfortable, I talked to my parents and told them this is what I really want to do and that I want to take the opportunity [to begin] now."

More touchingly, Andres — who's clearly been raised so well along with Tasha by the doting and devoted parents Aga and Charlene turned out to be — opened up and said it was only when he was much older that he really understood and appreciated what his parents' celebrity allowed them to do.

"I didn't understand much of it when I was younger, but when I got to my teenage years, I saw how the industry can affect people's lives; how my dad can make people happy [through his shows and movies], and with me, I just want to be able to make people smile." Doesn't that just send your heart a-flutter? No wonder Andres has been given a title this early in showbiz, and has been dubbed the Prince

of Hearts. Of his new monicker, the day's most important heartthrob shyly said, "It's very flattering. It's a big thing for me and I appreciate it a lot."

A hundred percent into his showbiz venture, Andres shared that he is currently deep in various workshops under VAA, from acting to speech training. In fact, with his parents' permission, the 22-year-old has decided not to return to Madrid for his final year of Business Communication. Given his immediate commitments, they agreed it would be best for Andres to enroll in a local university to complete his degree.

As previously mentioned, Andres' first project is a sitcom with Aga, Charlene and Atasha. Titled "Da Pers Family" and slated to premiere on TV5 in May, he will play the son of a baker who has to let go of his

career as an anime artist to help in the family's bread business.

Andres told The Manila Times Entertainment, he would like to pursue his talent for dancing — obviously passed down from his mom — and laughed out loud when he said singing was still a question mark as far as he's concerned.

According to VAA — solidly represented at Andres' grand launch by Boss Vic del Rosario's very competent brood, Vincent, Veronique and Valerie, who have long taken over Viva's top management — Andres will also be part of a local food brand's advertising campaign very soon.

"We are so happy that Andres has decided to officially join showbiz and entrust his career with VAA. To his fans, we promise many major projects for Andres and that 2024 is shaping up to be an exciting year ahead of him."

Catriona Gray Photo from Instagram/@catriona_gray

Darren Espanto Photo from Instagram/@darrespanto

Dimples Romana and Angel Locsin

Photo from Instagram/@dimplesromana

LAST Thursday, April 11, the Social Security Administration published a final rule, “Expansion of the Rental Subsidy Policy for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Applicants and Recipients.” This rule provides the second of several updates to the agency’s SSI regulations that will help people receiving and applying for SSI.

“Our mission is to continue to help people access crucial benefits, including SSI,” said Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of Social Security. “Simplifying and expanding our rental subsidy policy nationwide is another common-sense solution that will improve program equality and will reduce agency time spent calculating and administering rental subsidy.” SSI provides monthly payments to adults and children with a disability or blindness, and to adults aged 65 and older, who have

income and resources. SSI benefits can help pay for basic needs like rent, food, clothing, and medicine. People applying for and receiving SSI must meet eligibility requirements, including income and resource limits. Under the final rule, beginning September 30, 2024, the agency will expand its SSI rental subsidy policy, which due to judicial decisions is currently only in place for SSI applicants and recipients residing in seven States (Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, New York, Texas, Vermont, and Wisconsin). In those states, rental assistance, such as renting at a discounted rate, was less likely to affect a person’s SSI eligibility or payment amount. This new rule extends the same advantageous policy to all SSI applicants and recipients nationwide. This may increase the benefit amount some people are eligible to receive and will allow more people to qualify

Toward the end of the interview, MJ asked Jericho if finding love was a part of his priorities this year, to which the actor immediately said, "No."

Earlier this year, it was confirmed Jericho and his wife of 10 years Kim Jones already separated. Just last week, rumors emerged that Jericho was among the individuals supposedly courting Kathryn. MJ then asked if such rumors were false, and Jericho only responded with a smile, "What rumors? I don't read social media. Sometimes I [scroll] but I'd rather not, I don't want to pollute my mind."

Prodded again by MJ about finding love in 2024, whether new or old, Jericho said it was still too early for such things. "I love my job, it's the year of rebuilding things," Jericho said, before going on to talk about his son Santino and his message for fans.

Earlier this week, talent manager and showbiz reporter Ogie Diaz claimed that Jericho and another actor Alden Richards were courting Kathryn, information he reportedly obtained from a source in the actress' camp. Ogie also claimed that between the two actors, Kathryn's family prefers Alden as he is responsible and financially stable.

this and other events and opportunities, visit www.lasvegasnevada.gov/ discover.

Alden was present at the house blessing of Kathryn and her family's new home, and even attended several of Kathryn's birthday celebrations the past few weeks.

LOVI Poe is a certified Hollywood actress now with not just one but three movies soon to show from the world's most famous film industry. She stars in "The Chelsea Cowboy," a biopic based on the life of actor, gangster, and lothario John Bindon, alongside Alex Pettyfer, Poppy Delevingne, and Charlie Creed-Miles; and an action-comedy titled "Bad Man," with William Scott, Rob Riggle, Chance Perdomo, and Andre Hyland; and has just been cast in "Prison Break" and Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." director Adam Beach's yet-to-be titled movie with Canadian actor Adam Beach.

"Couldn't be happier to share this with you guys. Really grateful for the opportunity to work with such amazing filmmakers," Poe wrote on her Instagram.

Despite these back-to-back projects abroad, the grateful Hollywood newbie proved the Philippines will always be home and important to her as Poe jetted in last week to start production her latest Regal Entertainment project, "Guilty Pleasure." Co-starring JM de Guzman and Jameson Blake, the Noreen Capili-written movie explores the complex relationships and personal struggles of three ambitious lawyers as they

navigate their way through love, betrayal, intrigue, vulnerability, and revenge. The film also sheds light on the important issues of accountability and consent.

"I will get involved with both JM and Jameson's characters. We each have different storylines, but of course, our paths will intertwine," Poe revealed at the movie's media conference.

"I'm very excited because it has a very different theme. It's something deeper, so it's more adult in such a way that we are playing lawyers here. I'm very nervous because it's something I have never done before," she admitted.

The film will be directed by Connie Macatuno, with whom Poe worked on the highly acclaimed project "Malaya." The 2020 film gave the actress a Urian nomination for Best Actress.

Considered as one of Regal's lady boss Roselle Monteverde's pet projects, "Guilty Pleasure" focuses on women's issues and is the production's highly anticipated follow-up to "Seasons" Poe's last successful outing for them.

Making the most of her time in Manila, Poe is also set to do an action-drama via director Richard Sommes' "The Untamed."

"I'm also excited to do action projects, just like my dad," she said, recalling her late father, action superstar and "King of Philippine movies," Fernando

Poe Jr.

Before then, however, her husband Monty Blencowe, a scientist and movie producer, will also fly to Manila and make a movie with his very in-demand wife.

"I still can't talk about the project," she excitedly said, "but we will definitely shoot many scenes showing beautiful sites in the Philippines."

Asked if much has changed about in her life given her Hollywood adventure, Poe humbly replied, "It's just all the traveling. I will still do projects here in the Philippines and this will always be home," she ended.

ACTOR Jericho Rosales is subtly denying rumors that he is courting Kapamilya star Kathryn Bernardo. Jericho sat down for an interview with entertainment reporter MJ Felipe where they discussed the actor's career and upcoming projects.

THE rate of throat cancer in the United States has not declined, compared to most head and neck malignancies. I suspect that the statistics could also be true when extrapolated for other countries like the Philippines since most Filipinos are westernized in their lifestyle, habits, and behaviors, etc.

The most logical explanation why cancer of the throat has not diminished has been attributed to the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a bug that causes a sexually transmitted disease. HPV is popularly known to cause genital warts and most cancers of the cervix (mouth of the womb). It has only been recently when scientists discovered and identified HPV transmission through oral sex as an etiology of throat cancer.

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston reported that its research team found “the incidence of throat cancer (in the United States) to be stagnant and even rising in some populations, defying a downward trend in other head and neck cancers linked more closely with smoking.”

The American Cancer Society reports that the greatest risk factors in head and neck cancers are smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages, 90% of them either smokers or tobaccochewers and about 80% of them also imbibed a lot of alcohol. The good news is that a trend analysis in head and neck cancers in the United States shows a decline the past twenty years, trailing a decrease in smoking prevalence, which started in the 1970s, by 10 to 15 years. The bad news is that oropharyngeal cancers (which include the tonsils, base of the tongue and soft palate, and side and back of the throat) have gone up in some populations in the United States, and probably among people in other parts of the world who practice oral sex, where HPV takes its toll.

Sample of the vaccine referred to is Gardasil, which is genetically engineered, and which blocks infection caused by two of the more than 100 types of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), strains 16 and 18. These two sexually transmitted viruses are responsible for about 70% of cervical cancers. HPV, in one form or the other, afflicts about 20 million Americans. The other strains of the virus cause painful genital warts, and sometimes, cervical cancers too.

How prevalent is cervical cancer?

In the Philippines, there are

about 7190 new cases of cervical cancer each year, with a death rate of about 4,088. Annually, more than 13,000 cervical cancer cases are diagnosed in the United States and around 4,250 of them die. However, more alarming than that is the fact that there are between 10,000 to 25,000 women walking around (not seen by physician) who have undiagnosed pre-invasive lesions in their cervix. If diagnosed early, these women could be saved. For every four survivors of breasts cancer, there are less than 3 women who survive cervical cancer, which shows how virulent cervical cancer is.

What causes cervical cancer?

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV, also known as genital herpes virus) accounts for most cervical cancers. At least 50% of sexually active men and women are infected with genital HPV, especially those with multiple partners. There are about 20 million American men and women infected with HPV, many linked with abnormal pap tests, genital warts and cervical cancer. It is estimated that at least 10,000 new cases of cervical cancers are discovered annually. Between half a million to a million Americans have genital warts, transmitted thru sexual contacts. Is the cure for cervical cancer?

Better than the cure! A vaccine (Gardasil) that prevents cervical cancer, vulvar and vaginal cancer that was approved by the U.S.FDA in 2006 was found to be “effective 100%, in the short term, at blocking the cancer and lesions likely to turn to cancer” (like the pre-invasive lesions), according to Gardasil manufacturer, Merck & Co. “To have 100 percent efficacy is something that you have very rarely," Dr. Eliav Barr, Merck's head of clinical development for Gardasil, told the Associated Press. The UK’s version of the vaccine is known as Cervarix. How early should the vaccine be given? Students in grammar school, middle school and high school should be vaccinated before they become sexually active, because once they catch HPV infection, there is no cure; herpes is for life. This vaccine is a phenomenal breakthrough, and we must take advantage of it to save lives. Both girls and boys should get this cancer-preventing and life-saving vaccine because both of them could transmit and spread the HP virus. Prophylaxis Gardasil vaccination comprehensively eliminates HPV 16 and 18 associated noninvasive and invasive cervical cancer. The vaccine also cuts down infection with HPV 6 and 11, the causes of 90% of genital warts. Mothers should not get in

the way by refusing their sons to get this vital vaccine and save countless lives.

How about throat cancers?

Of the 45,000 head and neck cancers in the U.S. each year, about 10,000 of them are oropharyngeal cancers, and tongue cancers among young adults have also increased. The evident conclusion is that the cause is the HP virus.

“Over the last five years, 35% of the throat cancer patients treated at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center had no history of smoking, and that close to 90% of patients who had never smoked showed evidence of oral infection with HPV,” says Dr. Sturgis on Web MD. The researchers felt that “vaccinating only females against HPV, which is currently the policy in the United States (for 11- to 12- year-old girls, and for women up to age 26 who have not received it), could result in a missed opportunity to prevent throat cancers.” Boys should also be vaccinated to cover all bases.

Mouth, tongue, and other throat cancers could be as grave and deadly as most other forms of cancers. Now, that we have a vaccine to prevent these cancers almost 100 percent, the whole world should take advantage of this vaccine!

I do not know how to put this more seriously, more effectively, and more delicately, but medically speaking, a moratorium on unprotected oral sex is prudent. Oro-pharyngeal malignancies are a miserable cancer and could be fatal.

* * *

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

* * *

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

* * *

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health 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 Truman, President George HW Bush, Muhammad Ali, Astronaut Gus Grissom, educators, and leaders (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888. com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.

Fil-Am Jacob Batalon invites Filipinos to see ‘Tarot’

by Kristofer Purnell Philstar.com

FILIPINO

American actor Jacob Batalon, best known for starring in Marvel's "Spider-Man" films, is calling on Filipinos to see his latest movie "Tarot."

Central to the horror film's plot are a deck of tarot cards, and one supposed unspoken rule is to never use someone else's cards.

A previous trailer sees Batalon and his co-stars being pursued by the cards they received like the High Priestess, the Hermit, the Magician, and the Hanged Man.

In a promotional video for "Tarot," Batalon took note of Filipinos' love for supernatural horror and that with his new movie, a "fun scary day at the cinemas is in the cards" for everyone. "Bring all you friends, scream together, and don't miss the terror of our new horror movie 'Tarot'... Arat na!" Batalon ended.

Also starring with Batalon are Harriet Slater of "Pennyworth" fame, Avantika from "Mean Girls," Adain Bradley from "The 100," Humberly González, Alana Boden, Wolfgang Novogratz, and Larsen Thompson.

"Tarot" is based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Nicholas Adams who serves as a co-writer alongside co-director Anna Halberg. This is Halber and co-director Spenser Cohen's feature film directorial debut.

LAST April 1, word got around that young loveteam Marco Gallo and Heaven Peralejo, popularly called MarVen, are no longer together.

The couple, who got paired last year in the top-rating series, “The Rain in España,” has yet to admit the real score between them. However, some fans naturally got worried when they heard the announcement.

The loveteam immediately reversed the announcement and said it was April Fools. Good joke.

“It was just us,” shared Heaven. “We were in the middle of shooting at that time. We just realized that we might hurt some fans, so we denied it right away. There was no guilt on our part because we revealed the truth right away.” Marco added, “The original plan was to keep the announcement at bay for at least two days. But we just realized that some people might feel bad. So we told them it was April Fools.”

Whatever status the relationship of Marco and Heaven is in right now, the pair wants to keep it private, although everybody sees something special between the two.

“Whatever we post on social media, that’s for everybody,” Heaven said. “But the status itself, whatever we’re into right now, I’d rather keep it to ourselves. That’s my take.”

Who would have thought that the former “Pinoy Big Brother” teen housemates would end up as a breakout loveteam, which would have successful projects both on TV and also on the big screen?

After being paired in “The Rain in España,” the bestselling Wattpad novel created by Gwy Saludes that was turned into a widely-followed series on Viva One last year, a new loveteam was created with the instant popularity of the leads.

Although they were both introduced in “Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7” in 2016, Marco and Heaven were never paired then.

When the young stars first started taping for “The Rain in España,” they were not initially a loveteam. The success of the pilot

episode came out really surprising even for Marco and Heaven, that they were readily tagged as MarVen — a combination of their first names.

“At first, we always start as friends,” explained Marco. “But then, if you keep on working together every day, that interests the fans. Before you know it, you’re falling for your loveteam partner. You can’t help it and you just dive into it.

“And then, ‘Boom!’ How do you explain falling in love? Boom! You always just wish for a happy ending. Heaven and I are more than friends now.

“Even if we do well on our own projects, especially Heaven, everyone can tell she is doing well in her projects and I’m super proud of it. But I love it when we work together because there are no adjustments needed.

“We know each other so well. We definitely know when we need each other. When we need to do certain scenes together on the scene, she knows where and what to tap.”

Heaven described Marco as her “safety blanket” after appearing together on the streaming platform Viva One for more than a year. They were also seen in the second book-turned-series, “Safe Skies Archer.”

Heaven happily noted that their fans support their loveteam. “One of the perks of being in a loveteam, your partner knows how you move and your attitude,”

Heaven maintained. “Eventually, I know I’m going to have a project of my own and the same goes for

Marco. “Hopefully, fans of our loveteam will still continue to support us and our respective careers. If he will be paired with other artists, I will accept that. If I will become a solo artist again, I will not mind.

“Our weakness is probably when we both have topak at ayaw naming patalo sa isa’t isa.

Nangyayari ‘yun. But nagagawan namin ng paraan. We talk to each other well after being so makulit.”

Marco and Heaven will be seen next in the “Uni Love Squad” (short for “University Love Squad”) on Viva One. They will be joined by KrisshRome (Krissha Viaje and Jerome Ponce), as well as HyGab (Hyacinth Callado and Gab Pangilinan).

Apparently, the fans saw the ideal screen chemistry in Marco and Heaven. “Our chemistry just comes out naturally,” Heaven said. “We bring out the best in each other. We gained this trust and respect for each other. That was a good foundation for a partnership, a better friendship.”

Marco and Heaven are aware there will come a time when Viva Artists Agency will tell them they need to go their separate ways for the meantime. They will also welcome it and will be ready for the realization.

“I think for the two of us, that’s okay,” Heaven admitted. “Before we even became a loveteam and whatever it is that we are sharing now, we really started as good friends. So the foundation of our team, whatever happens in real life, we are here for each other.”

RICA Peralejo opened up about her past relationship with Piolo Pascual, saying they loved each other and “functioned like a couple” despite not putting any label to their romance. The celebrity mom spoke about this after show host Boy Abunda asked what she and the actor had, during their conversation on “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” on Thursday, April 11. “Hindi ko nga alam, pero we existed and functioned like a couple talaga,” Peralejo said of her relationship with Pascual. Peralejo admitted that they “entertained” the possibilities of settling down together, but that it was a mere thought and their relationship “never got to that point.”

“There were talks of like— ’di naman diretso pero parang magse-settle down together, ganyan. Pero [it was] like any other couple, gano’n lang siya— na maiisip mo na pwedeng mangyari ito, pero he never naman promised,” she clarified. “I never naman really said na I wanted this. It was just something that we entertained. It never got

to that point and we never labeled our relationship, but it was very very good naman what we had together,” she added.

Peralejo noted that even she was clueless about what relationship they had, recalling how there were “hints” but that she didn’t assume.

Despite this, Peralejo underscored that she is on good terms with Pascual and that the past is no longer an issue for them.

“I think it was very obvious that we liked each other, we loved each other, but we were like more

friends really na we just like to be together a lot,” she said. “Parang may mga hints here and there na ganito… [But] I didn’t really ride on that whenever I would hear something and whenever I would feel something,” she told Abunda. “Parang sa akin, maybe there is a possibility but let’s see. Until it’s really there, I don’t consider it serious. ”

Peralejo has been married to her pastor husband Joseph Bonifacio since 2010. They have two sons together, namely Philip and Manu.

Jacob Batalon Photo from Instagram/@lifeisaloha

Rica Peralejo and Piolo Pascual GMA photos