050124 - Southern California Midweek Edition

Exposed to Agent Orange at US bases, veterans face cancer without VA compensation

AS a young GI at Fort Ord in Monterey County, California, Dean Osborn spent much of his time in the oceanside woodlands, training on soil and guzzling water from streams and aquifers now known to be contaminated with cancer-causing pollutants.

“They were marching the snot out of us,” he said, recalling his year and a half stationed on the base, from 1979 to 1980. He also remembers, not so fondly, the poison oak pervasive across the 28,000-acre installation that closed in 1994. He went on sick call at least three times because of the overwhelmingly itchy rash.

Mounting evidence shows that as far back as the 1950s, in an effort to kill the ubiquitous poison oak and other weeds at the Army base, the military experimented with and sprayed the powerful herbicide combination known colloquially as Agent Orange.

SACRAMENTO – California is taking unprecedented action to strategically harness the equivalent of more than half of its land to fight the climate crisis.

As called for by Governor Gavin Newsom’s California Climate Commitment, the state unveiled 81 targets for nature-based solutions this week that will help California achieve its world-leading climate goals, including reaching carbon neutrality by 2045.

Nature-based solutions support the ability of lands to absorb more carbon than they release – a critical tool in the state’s climate arsenal. Since 2020, the Newsom Administration has invested approximately $9.6 billion in naturebased solutions that combat the effects of climate change.

What the targets call for by 2045:

• 33.5 million acres managed to reduce wildfire risk, mostly through beneficial fire

carbon storage, and

MANILA — House of Representatives

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said committees will invite past administration officials to shed light on the supposed gentleman’s agreement entered by then president Rodrigo Duterte with China, amid contradicting statements.

Romualdez, in a briefing on Monday, April 29, was asked if the House will find time to hold the hearings on the gentleman’s agreement — supposedly meant to maintain the status quo

on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) — before Congress goes on a sine-die adjournment by May 24.

Romualdez said the House leadership, including the committees that will tackle the issue, have already discussed this, adding that they will try to “ferret out the truth” during the incoming hearings.

“Yes, we have already discussed this amongst the House leadership and with the committee chairmen involved, so we’ll try to ferret out the truth with what really happened, because our President (Ferdinand Marcos Jr.) said he was horrified, so are we because

MANILA — The arrest of Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Pastor Apollo Quiboloy is now in the hands of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said. Zubiri, who signed the warrant of arrest against Quiboloy on the recommendation of Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chair of the

Senate committee on women and children, said that the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSSA) has properly coordinated with law enforcement agencies for Quiboloy’s arrest.

“We have issued the warrant of arrest, we’ve conducted, I believe, OSSA chief Gen. Roberto Ancan (has) conducted coordinations with the PNP and the NBI,” Zubiri added.

The Senate president signed the warrant of arrest against

Monday, April 29, Romualdez was asked about fears from observers and analysts that the trilateral meet with the United States and Japan will only attract a more aggressive response from China, since the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue was a key topic.

According to the Speaker, a lot of topics were discussed when President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., U.S. President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio met.

“The trilateral agreement is not just about the West Philippine Sea. The trilateral agreement just affirmed  PAGE 2

MANILA — Congress resumed session on Monday, April 29 with House leaders seeking an investigation into a deepfake video showing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. allegedly issuing an order to soldiers to act against a foreign country.

Allies of the chief executive want this issue to be included in the chamber’s order of business, where a committee hearing may be conducted.

“This matter involves national security and the malicious dissemination of fabricated information,” Senior Deputy

Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. said. “Agencies like the DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) and its Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center should promptly conduct an inquiry.”

“We should not allow this to happen again. We should not tolerate criminally minded persons to wreak havoc on our national security and to give our people fake information,” the congressman from Pampanga’s third district said. He added that the person or persons responsible for the deepfake should be prosecuted.

Gonzalez’s colleague, House

Poll: Pinoys trust United States...

Following the U.S. were Canada (69 percent), Australia (65 percent), Japan (59 percent), United Kingdom (58 percent), Singapore (55 percent), Taiwan (54 percent) and Hong Kong (52 percent).

Obtaining less than 50 percent were the Netherlands (48 percent), United Arab Emirates (47 percent), Saudi Arabia (40 percent), Qatar (40 percent), Kuwait (39 percent), Israel (39 percent) and Russia (26 percent).

Respondents were asked which country the Philippines should align with amid the conflict in the West Philippine Sea, with 43 percent answering the US and three percent saying China. Some 40 percent said the Philippines should align neither with the U.S. nor China, while 15

percent said they were not sure.

“The survey results regarding the preferred alignment of the Philippines in the context of the South China Sea dispute offer a revealing glimpse into public opinion on this significant international issue,” said Oculum chief statistician Joseph Mercado.

“The low level of trust in China and a relatively high level of distrust could be attributed to geopolitical tensions, economic competition, territorial disputes, or concerns over political and human rights issues,” he added. Oculum’s non-commissioned survey had 3,000 respondents and a two percent margin of error.

Philippine-China dialogue

Despite Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri hopes the Marcos administration

can hold a dialogue with China to de-escalate tensions.

“Under this administration, maybe we should improve our diplomacy with neighboring country China. In other words, to talk to them bilaterally as well as to come up with a code of conduct. A code of conduct is very important so as not to escalate, to increase the tensions here in our West Philippine Sea,” Zubiri said in a radio interview on Sunday, April 28.

While he acknowledged that China does not seem to be listening, Zubiri maintained the Philippines should “exert all efforts to have a dialogue with them.”

“With the actions they are taking, our fellow Filipinos could die. For example, the Coast Guard, our fisherfolk or the Armed Forces and the Navy,” he added. g

PH-US-Japan summit not just about...

the bilateral arrangements between the Philippines to the US, and the Philippines to Japan. And the stronger relations are consolidated, and with respect to the West Philippine Sea issue, of course the Philippines’ stand on the areas disputed by China will be strengthened,” Romualdez told reporters at the House complex.

“Japan and the U.S. are

standing steadfast behind our national sovereignty and territorial integrity. But the huge part of the trilateral meeting is what I mentioned earlier in my speech, the economic security being pursued by the Philippines,” he explained. Romualdez said that the trilateral summit jives with President Marcos’ goal of attracting more investments into the Philippines, and hopefully

create more jobs and boost the economy.

“It is in these kinds of arrangements (that we look) to strengthen the economy, with the growth story of the Philippines and the policies of President […] Marcos Jr. where he invites the investors, all businesspeople, all big businesses to invest in the Philippines to improve the economy, create more jobs, and increase the revenue of the country,” he said.

“So, it is based on that understanding, in the long run it will really help us not just security wise but economically,” he added.

After the historic trilateral summit last April 12 in Washington, D.C., China expressed its opposition to a “stoking bloc confrontation” in the WPS — referring to the Philippines-US-Japan alliance. Philippine and American officials, however, have maintained that the summit is not aimed at China’s aggressive actions over the WPS.

Before Marcos went to the U.S., the Department of Foreign Affairs said that despite the rising tensions, the summit is not directed at any nation. g

House to summon Duterte admin...

it is disappointing that they had a gentleman’s agreement — although some say it’s true, some say it does not exist. So we should know what the truth is because that is what China is invoking,” he said. “Past officials […] we’ll start with the past officials, because they are responsible for executing agreements […] maybe their Foreign Affairs officials, the executive secretary, to ask if there was an executive order. And those who said that there was a gentleman’s agreement — because there is a former press secretary who said it exists, and another said it does not,” Romualdez added.

Romualdez said it seems officials of the past administration have tricked China and are now playing tricks on each other.

“So ano ba talaga? Nabubudolbudol na naman — binudol na nga nila ‘yong Tsina, ngayon nagbubudulan sila d’yan sa loob ng dating gabinete,” he noted. (So what is the truth? It’s another deceitful scheme — they tricked China, and now those inside the former Cabinet are tricking themselves.)

It was Duterte’s former presidential spokesperson, lawyer Harry Roque, who confirmed to reporters last March 27 that

Roque mentioned this when asked why China has been aggressive when Philippine vessels conduct resupply missions to troops stationed in BRP Sierra Madre, a Navy ship deliberately ran aground Ayungin Shoal.

The former spokesperson surmised that China may have been acting this way because the Philippines is no longer maintaining the agreement, although he himself admitted that the deal was non-binding and cannot apply under President Marcos’ term.

Roque’s claim, however, was eventually

According to Marcos, Duterte and his past officials should clarify matters because it would explain why friends from China have been irritated with the Philippines’ actions over the WPS. g

by Phil Galewitz KFF

PRIVATE Medicaid health plans lost millions of members in the past year as pandemic protections that prohibited states from dropping anyone from the government program expired.

But despite Medicaid’s unwinding, as it’s known, at least two of the five largest publicly traded companies selling plans have continued to increase revenue from the program, according to their latest earnings reports.

“It’s a very interesting paradox,” said Andy Schneider, a research professor at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, of plans’ Medicaid revenue increasing despite enrollment drops.

Medicaid, the state-federal health program for lowincome and disabled people, is administered by states. But most people enrolled in the program get their health care through insurers contracted by states, including UnitedHealthcare, Centene, and Molina.

The companies persuaded states to pay them more money per Medicaid enrollee under the assumption that younger and healthier people were dropping out — presumably for Obamacare coverage or employer-based health insurance, or because they didn’t see the need to get coverage — leaving behind an older and sicker population to cover, their executives have told investors.

Several of the companies reported that states have made midyear and retrospective changes in their payments to plans to account for the worsening health status of members.

In an earnings call with analysts on April 25, Molina Healthcare CEO Joe Zubretsky said 19 states increased their payment rates this year to adjust for sicker Medicaid enrollees.

“States have been very responsive,” Zubretsky said.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the way our state customers

have responded to having rates be commensurate with normal cost trends and trends that have been influenced by the acuity shift.”

Health plans have faced much uncertainty during the Medicaid unwinding, as states began reassessing enrollees’ eligibility and dropping those deemed no longer qualified or who lost coverage because of procedural errors. Before the unwinding, plans said they expected the overall risk profile of their members to go up because those remaining in the program would be sicker.

UnitedHealthcare, Centene, and Molina had Medicaid revenue increases ranging from 3% to 18% in 2023, according to KFF. The two other large Medicaid insurers, Elevance and CVS Health, do not break out Medicaid-specific revenue.

The Medicaid enrollment of the five companies collectively declined by about 10% from the end of March 2023 through the end of December 2023, from 44.2 million people to 39.9 million, KFF data shows.

In the first quarter of 2024, UnitedHealth’s Medicaid revenue rose to $20.5 billion, up from $18.8 billion in the same quarter of 2023.

Molina on April 24 reported nearly $7.5 billion in Medicaid revenue in the first quarter of 2024, up from $6.3 billion in the same quarter a year earlier.

On April 26, Centene reported that its Medicaid enrollment fell 18.5% to 13.3 million in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the same period a year ago. The company’s Medicaid revenue dipped 3% to $22.2 billion.

Unlike UnitedHealthcare, whose Medicaid enrollment fell to 7.7 million in March 2024 from 8.4 million a year prior, Molina’s Medicaid enrollment rose in the first quarter of 2024 to 5.1 million from 4.8 million in March 2023. Molina’s enrollment jump last year was partly a result of its having bought a Medicaid plan in Wisconsin and gained a new Medicaid contract in Iowa, the company said in its earnings news release.

Molina added 1 million

members because states were prohibited from terminating Medicaid coverage during the pandemic. The company has lost 550,000 of those people during the unwinding and expects to lose an additional 50,000 by June.

About 90% of Molina Medicaid members have gone through the redetermination process, Zubretsky said.

The corporate giants also offset the enrollment losses by getting more Medicaid money from states, which they use to pass on higher payments to certain facilities or providers, Schneider said. By holding the money temporarily, the companies can count these “directed payments” as revenue.

Medicaid health plans were big winners during the pandemic after the federal government prohibited states from dropping people from the program, leading to a surge in enrollment to about 93 million Americans.

States made efforts to limit health plans’ profits by clawing back some payments above certain thresholds, said Elizabeth Hinton, an associate director at KFF.

But once the prohibition on dropping Medicaid enrollees was lifted last spring, the plans faced uncertainty. It was unclear how many people would lose coverage or when it would happen. Since the unwinding began, more than 20 million people have been dropped from the rolls.

Medicaid enrollees’ health care costs were lower during the pandemic, and some states decided to exclude pandemicera cost data as they considered how to set payment rates for 2024. That provided yet another win for the Medicaid health plans.

Most states are expected to complete their Medicaid unwinding processes this year.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces indepth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

California to harness more than half of its land...

water supply protection

• 7.6 million acres conserved with protections

• 3.4 million acres of croplands managed to boost healthy soils, drought resilience, and belowground biodiversity

• 4.2 million trees planted to protect California communities from the climate crisis, remove carbon and increase access to nature where it’s needed most

• 2.7 million acres of shrublands and chaparral managed for carbon storage, resilience, and habitat connectivity

• 1.6 million acres of grasslands managed to restore

native grasslands and protect biodiversity

• 1.5 million acres of sparsely vegetated lands (deserts, beaches, etc.) to protect fragile ecosystems

Why California is setting these targets:

• For the first time, California’s 2022 Scoping Plan analyzed the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced and absorbed by California’s lands and found that California’s lands currently emit more than they absorb.

• This shift from carbon sink to carbon emitter is largely due to historic land use decisions, including disconnection from beneficial land management

practices utilized by California Native American tribes, and the accelerating impacts of climate change.

• Modeling suggests that aggressive near-term efforts to increase climate action on California’s lands will put this sector on the path to course correction.

The 2022 Scoping Plan set a numeric goal for California’s lands to contribute as much as possible to achieving carbon neutrality by 2045: no more than 4 percent additional carbon stock losses below 2014 levels from California’s lands by 2045. (Inquirer.net)

PAUNAWA SA PAMPUBLIKONG KOMENTO

LAYUNIN NG DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DBE) FEDERAL FISCAL YEARS (FFY) 2025 -2027

Ang anunsyong ito ay magsisilbing paunawa ng Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) sa tuwing ikatlong taon ng Pangkalahatang Layunin na 31% para sa Federal Transit Administration (FTA) – para sa mga kontratang tinutulungan. Ang pangkalahatang layunin ay para sa tatlong taon mula sa Federal Fiscal Years (FFY) 2025 – 2027 (FFY25 – FFY27) simula Oktubre 1, 2024 - Setyembre 30, 2027. Plano ng Metro na makamit ang pangkalahatang layunin nito sa DBE sa pamamagitan ng paggamit ng neutral na lahi at kasarian (race-neutral) na mga hakbang at lahi at kamalayan ng kasarian (raceconscious) na mga hakbang. Inaasahan ng Metro na makamit ang 3% ng pangkalahatang layunin nito sa paggamit ng mga hakbang na neutral sa lahi, at 28% ng pangkalahatang layunin nito sa paggamit ng mga hakbang na may kamalayan sa lahi. Ang kabuuang layunin ay ipinapakita bilang porsyento ng mga pondo ng FTA sa mga Metro Project na gagastusin para sa tuwing ikatlong taong layunin. Ang pamamaraan ng layunin na ginamit ay alinsunod sa U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) DBE Program Final Rule, 49 Code ng Federal Regulation, Part 26. Ang tuwing ikatlong taong pangkalahatang layunin ay ginawa upang makamit ang isang "patas na opportunidad" para sa mga DBE na lumahok sa Metro sa mga oportunidad sa pagkontrata na tinutulungan ng FTA. 30-ARAW NA PAMPUBLIKONG KOMENTO Ang iminungkahing pangkalahatang layunin at pamamaraan ng layunin ng DBE ay naka-post sa website ng Metro para sa pagsusuri. Tatanggap ang Metro ng mga pampublikong komento sa loob ng 30 araw simula Abril 19, 2024 at magtatapos sa Mayo 20, 2024. Tatanggapin ang mga pampublikong komento sa pamamagitan ng email sa: LAMetroGandM@bbcresearch.com or GoalComment@metro.net

Upang tingnan ang Ulat ng Layunin at Pamamaraan ng Layunin sa website ng Metro, bisitahin ang: http://media.metro.net/uploads/Metro_Connect/Overall%20DBE%20Goal%20FFY2025FFY2027.pdf

Upang suriin ang 2023 Final Metro Disparity Study, bisitahin ang: https://www.metro.net/about/ metro-disparity-study/ MGA PAMPUBLIKONG PAGDINIG

Ang Pampublikong Pagdinig nang Personal ay gaganapin sa Biyernes, Mayo 3, 2024 10:00 a.m.

– 11:30 a.m. sa Metro Headquarters, Board Room, 3rd Floor, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Ang bayad sa paradahan ay $8.00. Makakakuha ng mga akomodasyon at pagsasalin para sa ADA sa pamamagitan ng pagtawag sa (213) 922-4600 sa pagitan ng 8 a.m. at 5 p.m., Lunes hanggang Biyernes nang hindi bababa sa 72 oras na mas maaga. Ang Pampublikong Pagdinig na Virtual ay gaganapin sa Lunes, Mayo 6, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Link ng Mga Team: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/join-a-meeting Meeting ID: 212261816710 | Passcode: fgoRaF Iba pang mga paraan upang magbigay ng mga komento: Ang mga hindi makadadalo sa mga pagdinig ay maaaring magsumite ng mga nakasulat na komento hanggang 5:00 p.m. nang Mayo 20, 2024, ang pagsasara ng pampublikong komento. Isumite ang lahat ng nakasulat na komento sa elektronikong paraan sa pamamagitan ng email na may "Pampublikong Komento sa Pangkalahatang Layunin ng DBE" bilang subject, sa GoalComment@ metro.net o ang mga komento ay maaaring

11-year-old Fil-Am chess prodigy bags gold in world championship

by Hans Carbonilla Inquirer.net

BRIMMING with skill and strategy at a very young age, 11-year-old Filipino American chess prodigy has emerged victorious at the World Cadet Rapid and Blitz Championships 2024 in Durres, Albania.

Competing in the Rapid Girls 12 and under category, Megan Althea Obrero Paragua showcased her strategic prowess, culminating in a thrilling 66-move victory in the final showdown.

Employing the Catalan Opening with the black pieces, the fifth-grade pupil at Columbia Grammar Preparatory School in New York City, outmaneuvered her opponent, the 35th seed Vietnamese Hong Ha My Nguyen, in a display of tactical brilliance.

Guided by her mentor Sophia Rhode, she exhibited focus and determination, securing victory in all five rounds leading up to the final clash.

According to PhilBoxing. com, the chess player’s strategic acumen was on full display as she triumphed over formidable opponents, including players from Turkmenistan for the first round, Poland for the second round, Kazakhstan for the third round and Vietnam for both the

fourth and fifth rounds.

After a six-match winning streak, the young prodigy experienced a draw against Thai Hoang An Tong of Vietnam in the sixth round. However, her resilience was evident as she swiftly rebounded from the draw to clinch decisive victories in the subsequent rounds against Nika Venskaya of Russia in the seventh round and Varvara Matskevich of Poland in the eighth round, respectively. In the ninth and tenth rounds, Paragua shared points with Daliya Diaskyzy of Kazakhstan and Anastasiya Aleks Barabash

of Russia before ultimately triumphing over Nguyen in the final round.

She secured the gold medal with 9.5 points, comprising eight wins and three draws. Last year, Paragua nabbed the Woman Fide Master title (WFM) at the XXXIII Pan-American Youth Chess Festival 2023 Standard competition in Chicago.

As the top player of the Empire Chess Training School of Chess in the USA, the WFM sets her sights on further challenges, primed to compete in the upcoming 2024 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in July. g

BALLET LEGACY. Eva Estrella Damian, founding president of the Association of Ballet Academies Philippines, and niece Elline show the former’s old photo at Vella C. Damian School of Ballet, Inc. in Lourdes, Quezon City on Monday, April 29. The 85-year-old Vella still teaches young dancers at the very place where she nurtured her passion since she was 15. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

Megan Paragua secured the gold medal with 9.5 points, comprising eight wins and three draws. Photo from

Dateline PhiliPPines

PH targets big-spender tourists from US

THE Philippines aims to attract about 15 percent more visitors from the United States, seeing the highly valuable market as a big contributor to the full recovery of the tourism sector.

In 2023, more than 1.4 million visitors from the U.S. arrived in the Philippines, generating P35 billion in revenues — the highest among the country's top tourist markets.

"This is 215 percent higher than the tourism receipts from South Korea, so this is how important the American market [is]. While the arrivals are fewer, the contribution is bigger," Philippine Tourism Director-Attache in New York Francisco Hilario Lardizabal said over the weekend.

Data from the Department of Tourism (DoT) showed that visitor receipts in 2023 reached P482.54 billion, with the U.S. as

the top spending market, followed by Australia with P17.74 billion, South Korea with P16.41 billion, Canada with P15.85 billion, China with P12.24 billion, and Japan with P10.02 billion.

In a briefing with visiting Filipino journalists on April 26, the official said the Americans tend to spend more and stay longer in a destination.

In the Philippines, Lardizabal said the majority, or 55 percent, of inbound travelers from the U.S. are former Filipinos whose main travel motivation is to visit friends and relatives.

"Filipinos from the U.S. do go around the Philippines and stay longer in the Philippines, and mind you, they also spend a lot. Apart from the money they spend on travel, they sometimes also give out money to their relatives," he shared.

Presenting the country's planned promotion efforts for the entire year, Lardizabal is confident the Philippines will achieve 15 percent more of the 2023 arrival figure.

He said the DoT is taking a multipronged approach to entice the market by forging partnerships, conducting more training for travel agents, joining B2B (business-tobusiness) travel trade events, and organizing curated familiarization tours. Before the pandemic, most U.S. travelers to the Philippines were baby boomers, or those in the age bracket of 60 to 78, and Generation X, or those ages 44 to 59.

Citing a 2022 study, Lardizabal said majority of U.S. travelers "showing interest in the Philippines" now are millennials or those born between 1981 and 1996. (PNA)

131 LGUs in state of calamity due to El Niño

MANILA

— Over a hundred local government units have declared a state of calamity over El Niño-induced droughts and extreme heat.

Among the LGUs that are under a state of calamity are Occidental Mindoro, Antique, Sultan Kudarat, Basilan, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao Del Norte and South Cotabato, said Task Force El Niño spokesperson and Presidential Communications Office Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama on Tuesday, April 30. Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Reduction and Management Act defines a state of

calamity as a "condition involving mass casualty and/or major damages to property, disruption of means of livelihoods, roads and normal way of life of people in the affected areas as a result of the occurrence of natural or humaninduced hazard."

A locality that declares a state of calamity allows its officials access to 5% of their Quick Response Fund.

On Monday, April 29, at least 36 areas were tagged as areas with a "dangerous" heat index classification, with indices ranging from 42°C to 47°C. Over the weekend, the heat

index in Iba, Zambales reached 53°C under the “extreme danger” classification, the first time the said classification was recorded this year.

State weather agency PAGASA said this week that El Niño could be on its way out, with the transition period starting by the end of May until July.

Afterward, the country will be transition to La Niña.

But despite the "weakning" of El Niño, the state weather bureau warned that hotter temperatures are likely to be recorded in May based on previous data. (Cristina Chi/Philstar.com)

House leaders: Probe deepfake...

PAGE 1

Deputy Speaker David Suarez, also shared his view, suggesting that investigating agencies should give the House a periodic report on the progress of their investigations.

Suarez said the agencies could tap private sector experts

in their probe. “It should not be difficult for them to identify the origin of the deepfake and those behind it. I suspect this bogus material originated from somewhere in the south of the country,” the Quezon congressman said. He urged the recipients of the

president’s directive not to listen to impostors and fabricators.

“I trust that they will heed instructions issued only through official lines of communication and from the chain of command.

I believe in the professionalism and patriotism of our soldiers.” he said. g

Quiboloy’s arrest in the hands of...

PAGE 1

Quiboloy to force the latter to attend a Senate investigation into allegations of his abuses against his former members.

Quiboloy has denied the accusation. He and his associates have been charged with child abuse and sexual abuse offenses,

with cases filed in the Davao City court. He is also facing a non-bailable human trafficking case before a Pasig City court.

“(Quiboloy’s arrest) is now in the hands of the PNP and the NBI; it is no longer in our hands. The OSSA can’t do

it, I explained it to Sen. Risa Hontiveros. That’s not the OSSA’s job,” Zubiri said. He explained that OSSA’s job is to protect the Senate and the senators, and to serve warrants or subpoenas, “but we don’t have hunter teams, we don’t have that in the Senate.” g

Exposed to Agent Orange at US...

PAGE 1

While the U.S. military used the herbicide to defoliate the dense jungles of Vietnam and adjoining countries, it was contaminating the land and waters of coastal California with the same chemicals, according to documents.

The Defense Department has publicly acknowledged that during the Vietnam War era it stored Agent Orange at the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Mississippi, and the former Kelly Air Force Base in Texas, and tested it at Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base.

According to the Government Accountability Office, however, the Pentagon’s list of sites where herbicides were tested went more than a decade without being updated and lacked specificity. GAO analysts described the list in 2018 as “inaccurate and incomplete.”

Fort Ord was not included. It is among about four dozen bases that the government has excluded but where Pat Elder, an environmental activist, said he has documented the use or storage of Agent Orange.

According to a 1956 article in the journal The Military Engineer, the use of Agent Orange herbicides at Fort Ord led to a “drastic reduction in trainee dermatitis casualties.”

“In training areas, such as Fort Ord, where poison oak has been extremely troublesome to military personnel, a wellorganized chemical war has been waged against this woody plant pest,” the article noted.

Other documents, including a report by an Army agronomist as well as documents related to hazardous material cleanups, point to the use of Agent Orange at the sprawling base that 1.5 million service members cycled through from 1917 to 1994.

‘The most toxic chemical’ Agent Orange is a 50-50 mixture of two ingredients, known as 2,4D and 2,4,5-T. Herbicides with the same chemical structure slightly modified were available off the shelf, sold commercially in massive amounts, and used at practically every base in the U.S., said Gerson Smoger, a lawyer who argued before the Supreme Court for Vietnam veterans to have the right to sue Agent Orange manufacturers. The combo was also used by farmers, forest workers, and other civilians across the country.

The chemical 2,4,5T contains the dioxin 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzop-dioxin or TCDD, a known carcinogen linked to several cancers, chronic conditions, and birth defects. A recent Brown University study tied Agent Orange exposure to brain tissue damage similar to that caused by Alzheimer’s. Acknowledging its harm to human health, the Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of 2,4,5T in the U.S. in 1979. Still, the other weed killer, 2,4-D is sold off-the-shelf today.

“The bottom line is TCDD is the most toxic chemical that man has ever made,” Smoger said.

For years, the Department of Veteran Affairs has provided vets who served in Vietnam disability compensation for diseases considered to be connected to exposure to Agent Orange for military use from 1962 to 1975.

Decades after Osborn’s military service, the 68-year-old veteran, who never served in Vietnam, has battled one health crisis after another: a spot on his left lung and kidney, hypothyroidism, and prostate cancer, an illness that has been tied to Agent Orange exposure.

He says many of his old buddies from Fort Ord are sick as well.

“Now we have cancers that we didn’t deserve,” Osborn said.

The VA considers prostate cancer a “presumptive condition” for Agent Orange disability compensation, acknowledging that those who served in specific locations were likely exposed and that their illnesses are tied to their military service. The

designation expedites affected veterans’ claims.

But when Osborn requested his benefits, he was denied. The letter said the cancer was “more likely due to your age,” not military service.

“This didn’t happen because of my age. This is happening because we were stationed in the places that were being sprayed and contaminated,” he said.

Studies show that diseases caused by environmental factors can take years to emerge. And to make things more perplexing for veterans stationed at Fort Ord, contamination from other harmful chemicals, like the industrial cleaner trichloroethylene, have been well documented on the former base, landing it on the EPA’s Superfund site list in 1990.

“We typically expect to see the effect years down the line,” said Lawrence Liu, a doctor at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center who has studied Agent Orange. “Carcinogens have additive effects.”

In February, the VA proposed a rule that for the first time would allow compensation to veterans for Agent Orange exposure at 17 U.S. bases in a dozen states where the herbicide was tested, used, or stored.

Fort Ord is not on that list either, because the VA’s list is based on the Defense Department’s 2019 update.

“It’s a very tricky question,” Smoger said, emphasizing how widely the herbicides were used both at military bases and by civilians for similar purposes. “On one hand, we were service. We were exposed. On the other hand, why are you different from the people across the road that are privately using it?”

The VA says that it based its proposed rule on information provided by the Defense Department.

“DoD’s review found no documentation of herbicide use, testing or storage at Fort Ord. Therefore, VA does not have sufficient evidence to extend a presumption of exposure to herbicides based on service at Fort Ord at this time,” VA press secretary Terrence Hayes said in an email.

The documentation Yet environmental activist Elder, with help from toxic and remediation specialist Denise Trabbic-Pointer and former VA physician Kyle Horton, compiled seven documents showing otherwise. They include a journal article, the agronomist report, and cleanup-related documents as recent as 1995 — all pointing to widespread herbicide use and experimentation as well as lasting contamination at the base.

Though the documents do not call the herbicide by its colorful nickname, they routinely cite the combination of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T. A “hazardous waste minimization assessment” dated 1991 reported 80,000 pounds of herbicides used annually at Fort Ord. It separately lists 2,4,5-T as a product for which “substitutions are necessary to minimize the environmental impacts.”

The poison oak “control program” started in 1951, according to a report by Army agronomist Floyd Otter, four years before the U.S. deepened its involvement in Vietnam. Otter detailed the use of these chemicals alone and in combination with diesel oil or other compounds, at rates generally between “one to two gallons of liquid herbicide” per acre.

“In conclusion, we are fairly well satisfied with the methods,” Otter wrote, noting he was interested in “any way in which costs can be lowered or quicker kill obtained.”

“What’s most compelling about Fort Ord is it was actually used for the same purpose it was used for in Vietnam — to kill plants — not just storing it,” said Julie Akey, a former Army linguist who worked at the base in the 1990s and later developed the rare blood cancer multiple myeloma.

Akey, who also worked with Elder, runs a Facebook group and keeps a list of people stationed on the base who later were diagnosed with cancer and other illnesses. So far, she has tallied more than 1,400 former Fort Ord residents who became sick.

Elder’s findings have galvanized the group to speak up during a public comment period for the VA’s proposed rule. Of 546 comments, 67 are from veterans and others urging the inclusion of Fort Ord. Hundreds of others have written in regarding the use of Agent Orange and other chemicals at their bases.

While the herbicide itself sticks around for only a short time, the contaminant TCDD can linger in sediment for decades, said Kenneth Olson, a professor emeritus of soil science at the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign.

A 1995 report from the Army’s Sacramento Corps of Engineers, which documented chemicals detected in the soil at Fort Ord, found levels of TCDD at 3.5 parts per trillion, more than double the remediation goal at the time of 1.2 ppt. Olson calls the evidence convincing.

“It clearly supports the fact that 2,4,5-T with unknown amounts of dioxin TCDD was applied on the Fort Ord grounds and border fences,” Olson said. “Some military and civilian personnel would have been exposed.”

The Department of Defense has described the Agent Orange used in Vietnam as a “tactical herbicide,” more concentrated than what was commercially available in the U.S. But Olson said his research suggests that even if the grounds maintenance crew used commercial versions of 2,4,5-T, which was available in the federal supply catalog, the soldiers would have been exposed to the dioxin TCDD. The half dozen veterans who spoke with KFF Health News said they want the military to take responsibility.

The Pentagon did not respond to questions regarding the upkeep of the list or the process for adding locations. In the meantime, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry is studying potential chemical exposure among people who worked and lived on Fort Ord between 1985 and 1994. However, the agency is evaluating drinking water for contaminants such as trichloroethylene and not contamination or pollution from other chemicals such as Agent Orange or those found in firefighting foams. Other veterans are frustrated by the VA’s long process to recognize their illnesses and believe they were sickened by exposure at Fort Ord.

“Until Fort Ord is recognized by the VA as a presumptive site, it’s probably going to be a long, difficult struggle to get some kind of compensation,” said Mike Duris, a 72-year-old veteran diagnosed with prostate cancer four years ago who ultimately underwent surgery.

Like so many others, he wonders about the connection to his training at Fort Ord in the early ’70s — drinking the contaminated water and marching, crawling, and digging holes in the dirt.

“Often, where there is smoke, there’s fire,” Duris said. (Hannah Norman and Patricia Kime/KFF

An article published in California Agriculture more than a decade later includes before and after photos showing the effectiveness of chemical brush control used in a live-oak woodland at Fort Ord, again citing both chemicals in Agent Orange. The Defense Department did not respond to questions sent April 10 about the contamination or say when the Army stopped using 2,4,5-T at Fort Ord.

DRY SEASON. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. inspected a rice field in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro to assess the damage caused by the drought which is currently under a state of calamity due to El Niño. Malacañang photos

Cha-cha not among Senate priority measures – Zubiri

by CeCille Suerte Felipe Philstar.com

MANILA — The controversial Resolution of Both Houses 6 that proposes to amend the 1987 Constitution was not included in the Senate’s priority measures on the last stretch of the second regular session of the present Congress.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Monday, April 29 said the Senate subcommittee headed by Sen. Sonny Angara will still have to conduct three more hearings for RBH6 pushing for the amendment of provisions on public service, education sector and the advertising industry.

Asked whether RHB6 was included in at least 20 priority bills listed under the Common Legislative Agenda of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (CLA-LEDAC), Zubiri said no.

“These are all legislations. We still have three more hearing in Baguio City, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro.”

Angara’s committee has so far conducted four public hearings on Feb 5, 12, 20 and March 5, which tackled the general provisions of the proposal to amend specific economic clauses of the Constitution. The first four public hearings were attended by legal luminaries, business executives and representatives from the education sector.

Zubiri said he was about to meet the 23 senators in a caucus to discuss the strategies of the Senate in effective and efficient tackling of the priority measures.

When asked whether the Senate would calendar and put Cha-cha to a vote to let the public know the respective positions of each senator, Zubiri said they would

still discuss the matter in a caucus set today at the resumption of session.

Zubiri expressed confidence that the Senate will see the passage of priority bills listed under the CLA-LEDAC before the end of May when second regular session of the 19th Congress wraps up.

He added that the Senate has tabled for discussion the proposal to revive the Reserve Officers Training Corps with specialization. He said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has designed the proposed ROTC based on expertise.

“In the ROTC program, for example, those experts in computers, you will be in the anti-cyber hacking division of the reservist force. If you are engineers, they will assist the AFP engineering programs, while nursing students will be (deployed) to the medical corps,” he said.

“I’ve made a personal commitment to Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa to find out what vote. That has been pending with us for almost a year. Senator Bato is also

really struggling with that,” Zubiri added, referring to the former police chief turned senator and advocate of ROTC revival.

Zubiri said “personally, I’m in favor of it as people who are against ROTC are afraid that hazing might be brought back (but) there is a very strong antihazing law, whether you are a fraternity or organization, if you hurt a child you will go to jail.”

The military and other uniformed personnel (MUP) pension scheme was also included in the priority measures.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, chairman of the Senate committee on national defense, spearheaded an investigation into the MUP pension system.

The inquiry aimed to address the need for reform, as former finance secretary Benjamin Diokno had warned of an impending “fiscal collapse” due to the escalating annual payouts to MUP. The current year’s pension payout stands at approximately P213 billion and is projected to reach the P1-trillion mark by 2035.

The MUP pension system encompasses members of various agencies, including the police, AFP, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Public Safety College, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Corrections and National Mapping and Resource Information Authority.

Estrada emphasized that the proposed reform seeks to strike a balance between the concerns of economic managers regarding tight fiscal limitations and the constitutional mandate of the military. The reform recognizes the unique nature of the work undertaken by uniformed personnel, who constantly face significant risks to their lives. g

Ex-president Duterte, Sotto, Tulfo top senatorial poll

by Red Mendoza ManilaTimes.net

MANILA — Former President Rodrigo Duterte, former Senate President Vicente Sotto III, and ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo were among the top three choices in the first quarter Senatorial survey conducted by Oculum Research and Analytics.

According to the poll conducted from Feb. 21-29, 2024, Duterte and Sotto got 53 percent preference among respondents while Tulfo got 52 percent.

Following the three were former Manila Mayor Isko Moreno at 45 percent, former Senator Manny Pacquiao at 43 percent, and currently-sitting Senators Ronald dela Rosa, at 41 percent, and Bong Go at 40 percent.

Tied from eighth to 11th place at 35 percent were physician Willie Ong, re-electionist Sen. Imee Marcos, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, and re-electionist Sen. Pia Cayetano. In the 12th to 14th spot were Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., former Sen. Panfilo Lacson, and Sen.

Lito Lapid. According to Oculum Chief Statistician, Dr. Joseph Mercado, candidates such as Duterte Sotto, Tulfo, Moreno, and Pacquiao exhibit both high awareness scores and a strong voter preference.

"This correlation suggests that their public visibility positively influences their electoral appeal," Mercado added.

The survey had more than 3,000 respondents from 18 years old and above with a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points. g

Cyberattacks pound PH amid sea row

CYBERATTACKS against the Philippines have shot up 325 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024 as tensions rise over the country's territorial dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea (WPS), a US-based cybersecurity company said.

The company Resecurity, which has worked with Philippine authorities to trace back the source of attacks to online facilities in China and Vietnam, said the number of "malicious cyber activity" against the Philippines has almost quadrupled compared to the same period in 2023.

The company said 55 percent of malicious cyber activities were hack-and-leak, 35 percent were misinformation and influence campaigns, and 10 percent were distributed denial-of-service (DDoS).

Hack-and-leak operations include the use of cyber tools to gain access to sensitive or secret material that is then released to the public.

Misinformation and influence campaigns, on the other hand, include infiltrating social media platforms and blurring the line between fact and fiction.

A DDoS attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt the normal traffic of a targeted server, service or network by overwhelming the target or its surrounding infrastructure with a flood of internet traffic.

The recent massive spike in cyber misinformation and hacking against the Philippines coincides with rising tensions between the

country and China over the WPS.

Resecurity said 80 percent of the cyberattacks target Philippine government institutions, while 20 percent focus on educational institutions.

Shawn Loveland, Resecurity chief operating officer, said in a recent blog post that these cyberattacks aim to "discredit the government and create chaos via cyberspace, as the Philippine population also relies on digital media channels and is active on social media networks."

Loveland said the cyberattacks correlate with disinformation campaigns related to the longstanding territorial dispute between the Philippines and China over areas in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea.

Resecurity also mentioned the "audio deep fake" of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. supposedly ordering military action against China.

In February, Philippine government agencies announced they had repelled a cyberattack from hackers suspected to be based in China.

According to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), multiple government departments had been targeted in the attack.

The DICT stressed that identifying the service and the territory the attacks originated from was not an attempt to blame Beijing.

This prompted lawmakers to demand an urgent briefing on the

national security issue.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez said the revelation that hackers, suspected to be operating from China, have infiltrated the email systems and internal websites of various government agencies is a "matter of national security and public interest."

Romualdez said that as it targeted "critical domains," the incident "signifies a dire need for an immediate and comprehensive response."

China has offered to help the Philippine government following reports of cyberattacks against various email addresses and websites of government agencies, including the Philippine Coast Guard, as well as the private website of President Marcos. China expressed its willingness to help to determine and identify those behind the cyberattacks.

But Resecurity said that while some of the attacks might resemble those of hacktivists, it believes that state-backed hackers from China or possibly North Korea are really to blame. Resecurity has reported over 12 government organizations in the Philippines being targeted in the same timeframe — hallmarks of a well-organized coordinated attack by state actors rather than independent hacktivists.

"Leveraging hacktivist-related monikers allows threat actors to avoid attribution while creating the perception of homegrown social conflict online," Resecurity said. (ManilaTimes.net)

OPINION FEATURES

Cooperating with the ICC

EVEN before former senator Antonio Trillanes IV disclosed that about 50 former and incumbent police officers had been contacted by the International Criminal Court, there were already reports circulating that the ICC was proceeding with its probe of the drug killings under the watch of Rodrigo Duterte. Some of the reports emanated even from the Duterte camp.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has yet to announce whether his administration has finished “studying” the possible return of the Philippines to the ICC. In the meantime, he has maintained the stand that the ICC has no reason to conduct its probe in the Philippines, where the judicial system is fully functional.

Editorial

own efforts to ferret out the truth and render justice. The PNP has officially listed over 6,000 people, all of them mere suspects, who were killed in anti-narcotics operations during the Duterte presidency. How many of the killings were justified in the context of law enforcement, and how many can be classified as extrajudicial?

ICC probers are unlikely to be allowed to conduct a full-blown formal investigation in the Philippines. The Department of Justice and the Philippine National Police have warned PNP members in the active service of sanctions if they defy the government’s policy against giving ICC jurisdiction over the complaints arising from Duterte’s bloody campaign against illegal drugs.

The government, however, cannot stop the ICC from conducting an informal probe from outside the country, or from collecting testimonies and evidence or getting in touch through digital media with witnesses and participants in Duterte’s war on drugs, particularly those who are no longer part of the PNP.

What the government can do is to intensify its

IT may have been a surprise to some people for The Economist to write a rather positive take about the Philippines and its economy as evidenced by a recent piece titled, “Without fanfare, the Philippines is getting richer,” but not to me.

Published last Tuesday, April 23, the article noted that “things are improving. Roads are being paved, bridges built. In February the government picked a private consortium to revamp and double the capacity of Manila’s main airport. Later this year, it is expected to award contracts to modernize several regional airports, too. Manila is scheduled to have its first underground metro line by 2029.”

The Economist also observed how growth has been brisk since 2012 (except during the pandemic) with the economy quietly booming under a variety of regimes, and growth expected at about 6 percent under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., with the Philippines poised

EARLY this week, a fake video of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. went viral on a popular streaming platform. It showed the president purportedly directing the country’s armed forces to counter China’s aggressive moves in the South China Sea. The short video was taken down just a few days after. Not having personally seen it, I can’t say how real it looked. So-called deepfakes are actually not so difficult to spot, at least for now—provided one is prepared to take time to scrutinize key features of people’s faces, like the forehead, the lips, the eyes, the eyebrows, cheeks, ears, the nose, etc. Often, the edges of the face may be blurred. Shadows may not be there, as one might expect in a given angle of light. Eyeglasses may not show any glare or reflect too much glare. The lips may

The ICC probe includes drug killings in Davao City when Duterte alternated with his daughter, now Vice President Sara Duterte, as mayor and the Philippines was still a member of the ICC. Does the Marcos administration have the political will to investigate those complaints?

Rodrigo Duterte is being probed by the ICC for possible murder as a crime against humanity in his brutal campaign. The Philippines has a law governing crimes against humanity. But Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra has said a sufficient number of those 6,000-plus drug killings would have to be thoroughly reviewed first before the government can determine if an indictment for crimes against humanity is warranted and can stand in Philippine courts. This process, however,

is crawling along,

the ICC

Economic prosperity is our ultimate goal

to become an upper middleincome country by 2026, according to the World Bank.

Some people may be skeptical, but from the way we look at it, we are in fact on the right path to economic prosperity as outlined in the Philippine Development Plan, which serves as the country’s roadmap towards genuine socioeconomic transformation to reinvigorate job creation and accelerate poverty reduction by steering the economy back on a high-growth path.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman accurately pointed out during the Philippine Dialogue that the Philippine embassy in Washington co-organized with the Department of Finance and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank spring meetings, that our economic managers are “going above and beyond in making the country a prime investment destination” – motivated by the president’s determination to see the Philippines become a country of “new and better opportunities.”

The president himself has been tirelessly engaging with leaders and top business

not move in synchronicity with the sound.

But, with their increasing technical sophistication, artificial intelligence (AI)generated images may soon be almost impossible to detect if we merely rely on an examination of facial features and voices. Deepfakes can be as good as the ones we encounter in the real world. This is where it becomes crucial for people to develop a self-conscious awareness of how they perceive and give meaning to the images, signs, and events occurring around them. In everyday life, understanding is something that occurs almost automatically. We don’t have to see everything before we could grasp what is happening. Our minds tend to fill the gaps— and so we read more than what is actually there. It is a mental shortcut that saves precious time, but which magicians and illusionists deftly exploit in order to create an illusion. AI-generated texts and images ride upon this

executives to put the Philippines on the radar as a leading investment hub – the results of which are starting to become apparent from the latest data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showing foreign direct investment inflows reaching $907 million in January, up 89.9 percent in the same period last year.

As the president said, economic security is national security, and we are pleased to see that our friends and allies such as Japan and the United States are very supportive of the president’s economic prosperity aspirations. During the historic tripartite summit between the Philippines, Japan and the United States, President Marcos, President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed their commitment to promote enduring and inclusive economic growth and resilience.

Japan, the Philippines and the U.S. are also looking at the possibility of a trilateral free trade agreement to further enhance economic cooperation between the three nations. In the joint statement following the trilateral summit, the

three countries said they are pursuing economic projects that advance shared objectives, specifically the promotion of broad-based and sustainable economic growth, and are investing in resilient, reliable and diversified supply chains.

At the recently concluded 11th U.S.-Philippines Bilateral Strategic Dialogue in Washington, D.C. between top Philippine officials and their U.S. counterparts, one of the priorities we discussed was advancing common prosperity by exploring opportunities for further cooperation in many areas. We also exchanged views on addressing economic vulnerabilities and ways to strengthen private sector partnerships, with both countries recognizing the crucial need of mutually increasing economic growth.

During an interview with visiting Filipino reporters who are part of the Friends, Partners, Allies Program for journalists by the U.S. embassy in Manila, we shared that the revival of the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) – the oldest and largest trade program of the U.S. that provides nonreciprocal, dutyfree privileges for over 3,500

products from 199 beneficiary countries that enter the U.S. market – will most likely be approved by the U.S. Congress before the end of this year.

Aside from the Philippines, other countries are also lobbying for the revival of the trade program. The GSP reauthorization is something that we have been working on since the expiration of the Philippines’ eligibility in December 2020, but the renewal has been delayed due to several reasons, among them the COVID-19 pandemic and the speakership issue in the U.S. Congress last year. We have had several meetings with U.S. legislators for the renewal of the GSP which would actually benefit some U.S. companies that are manufacturing from the Philippines. President Marcos himself had noted that the GSP would be mutually beneficial to the U.S. and the Philippines, which could be expanded to include other products.

It is so pathetic to see these rumor warmongers invoking the fear factor, including those who manufactured a deepfake video circulating online that was made to sound like President Marcos ordering the Armed Forces of

When images become reality

perceptual habit to be able to pass off their products as though they were of real human beings, and not images constructed by machines.The blurring of the lines between appearance and reality, particularly in the age of mass media, struck the 19th century Danish philosopher and theologian Søren Kierkegaard with such alarming clarity that he wrote, against the backdrop of Europe’s revolutions: “A revolutionary age is an age of action; ours is the age of advertisement and publicity. Nothing ever happens but there is immediate publicity everywhere.”

This seems to me to be an apt description of our own age. Let us consider a few random examples from our news cycle. Pastor Apollo Quiboloy has been the object of a police manhunt for over a month now.

The House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Department of Justice have all been looking for him, and everyone says he has not left his community in Davao. Yet, despite all the

publicity, he is nowhere to be found. Former congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr., wanted for the murder of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, disappeared for more than a year until he was arrested while playing golf in Timor-Leste. A Timorese court is holding him, but the efforts of Filipino authorities to bring him home have yielded nothing.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has long been conducting its preliminary examination of the killings of thousands of drug suspects during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte terminated the country’s membership in the ICC before the latter could assert its jurisdiction over him and others who played key roles in his war on drugs. It’s almost two years now since Mr. Marcos became the country’s new president. But the Marcos administration’s cooperation with the ICC investigators remains officially in limbo. Mr. Marcos initially said he was studying the matter.

More recently he seemed more emphatic, saying he was not recognizing the ICC’s jurisdiction. Even so, ICC investigators appear to have arrived in the country and effectively established contact with former police officials. It does not take a political analyst to guess that the government’s ambivalent relationship with the ICC has become the single most critical element in the brewing conflict between the Marcoses and the Dutertes. But, except for the principals who have been issuing barbed statements, all this is just another spectacle to watch, to keep us entertained.

the Philippines to take military action against China. They are totally ignorant of what deterrence is all about and how precisely working with like-minded countries can help stop a potential major conflict. If there is any country in the world that fears a nuclear war, it is Japan. It will never forget what happened in Nagasaki and Hiroshima – wiping out those two cities in one fell swoop. No one wants a major conflict to ever happen. No one – absolutely no one, and hopefully including China – wants war. What we as a nation only seek is economic prosperity – making us strong, secure and stable, capable of standing our ground and protecting our sovereign territory. The president has vowed to continue reaching out and working with likeminded nations in deterring any potential conflict that could essentially wipe out mankind. (Philstar.com)

* * * 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.

* * * babeseyeview@gmail.com

Social media has lent itself well to this proliferation of appearances—of images that do not require validation by comparing it to an original. In a world inundated by such appearances, the question of what is real and what is fake has become increasingly irrelevant. That is why in lieu of experts, we turn to “influencers” for guidance. In our quest for leaders, we have turned to actors who perform heroic roles in the movies, rather than to those with a proven record of professional experience and competence in societal affairs. Truth has ceded its ground to what is popular. When all is said and done, what matters is the number of likes and views a post gathers. (Inquirer.net)

* * * 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.

There’s a lot of talk here and there, a lot of updates in the media, but nothing seems to happen. What appear to be the key events of our time lack substance and depth. Our days are filled with posturing and representations that stand for reality itself, while containing a measure of vagueness (and thus deniability) as to their ultimate meanings. But, in ironic acceptance of what we can’t change, no one seems to mind.

* * * public.lives@gmail.com

and risks being overtaken by

probe. Perhaps the latest developments can spur faster action in the government’s own probe. (Philstar.com)

Wednesday MAY 1, 2024

Daniel Padilla curses while singing for 29th birthday

By jAn Milo severo Philstar.com

KAPAMILYA star Daniel Padilla celebrated his 29th birthday recently and went viral anew for cursing while performing one of his song numbers.

As seen in the video of Jaix_16’s TikTok account, Daniel was seen singing his favorite song “Hinahanap? Hanap Kita” by Rivermaya.

In the song’s interlude that includes a monologue, Daniel swore while saying the lyrics telling about an old flame finding someone else.

“P*tangina may kapiling ka ng iba,” Daniel sang.

Daniel and Kathryn Bernardo announced their breakup last November.

The former couple said in separate interviews that they were fine.

Kathryn told Mega Magazine that she’s now in a better position in life.

“Now, where I am is exactly where I’m supposed to be. February for me is the new

January. Parang ’yon ’yong tapos na. I know that I’m okay. I can say I’m healed,” she said. “You have to experience all the process, all the pain, lahat. But I always make sure that when it comes to my work, nothing is affected,” she added. Kathryn also talked about forgiveness in her interview. “Ang lalim kasi ng word na forgiveness. For me, you can forgive people who deserve

it. But when I forgive you, it doesn’t mean that I have to keep you in my life. I forgive you for my peace of mind, for clarity, and for everything. But it doesn’t mean na puwede kang bumalik. It depends,” she said.

“I’ll just keep my distance; you keep your distance. We’re okay like that. I mean, kunwari, I got hurt, why would I allow you to come back? It depends. It’s a case-to-case basis,” she added.

P-pop groups BINI, G22 shine on Chinese idol show

By KAthleen A. lleMit Philstar.com

P-POP girl groups BINI and G22 showed what live vocals and powerful dancing look like in their recent appearance on the Chinese survival program “Show It All.” The two groups were invited to illustrate these important skills to the show’s contestants called stage trainees.

The stage trainees were made to watch the two Filipino girl groups perform their hit sing-and-dance songs.

G22 sang and danced “Bang,” while they impressed the trainees and EXO’s Lay Zhang with their soulful rendition of their own ballad Babalik.”

BINI equally impressed the trainees and Lay when their performed their hits “I Feel

Good” and “Karera.”

Star Magic head Laurenti Dyogi was there to lend support to the agency’s prized group, BINI. Cornerstone Entertainment Vice President Jeff Vadillo also appeared in the show in support of their talent, G22.

The girl groups posted their experience appearing on the show in their respective social media accounts.

Yasser Marta reveals having romantic feelings for Claudine Barretto

By jessicA Ann evAngelistA Inquirer.net

KAPUSO artist Yasser Marta admitted that he developed “romantic feelings” for his co-star Claudine Barretto when they worked together in GMA’s “Lovers/Liars.”

The Sparkle actor sat down on the “Sarap Di Ba?” segment “Trip to the Hot Seat,” where his fellow guest, Liezel Lopez, asked Marta about his closeness with Barretto.

“Mula nung magkasama kayo sa isang soap, madalas kayong nakikitang magkasama ni Miss Claudine Barreto offcam. On a scale of 1 to 10, paano mo i-re-rate ang level ng closeness/intimacy ninyo ni Miss Claudine Barretto?” Lopez asked Marta.

The GMA artist admitted that he is super close to the 44-year-old actress, even with her two children.

“Well, sa closeness namin ni Miss Clau, 10 talaga. As in sobrang naging close kami, ginagawa namin ‘yung ‘Lovers/ Liars.’ Talagang oo,” adding that he is also friends with Barretto’s children.

Lopez then asked her follow-up question: “Nagkaroon ka ba ng feelings para sa kanya?” “I’m going to be honest,” said the 27-year-old actor.

“Totoo. Ako naman, ‘yung naramdaman ko at that moment, naging totoo ako,

gusto ko rin naman talaga si Claudine.”

“Sarap Di Ba?” hosts Carmina Villarroel and her twins Casy and Mavy Legaspi teased the Sparkle artist for being on a first-name basis with Barretto. Kahit hindi siya si Claudine, kahit naman sinong lalaki, magugustuhan pa rin po siya. Bukod sa mabait, napakalambing, napakabuti ng puso niya,” asserted Marta. Villarroel tried to verify if the feelings translated behind the camera, asking, “So nagkaroon ka ng feelings sa kanya off-cam?” Marta justified that they are both not in any relationship as of now: “Single naman po ako.

I guess, siya rin. Ako, siguro nadevelop din po ako,” he said. Barretto recently shared on Instagram that Marta gifted her with a pair of white sneakers from the high-end brand Golden Goose.

The young actor was previously in a relationship with fellow Sparkle artist Kate Valdez, while Barretto was married to Raymart Santiago for several years. Barretto said in one of her interviews last year that she has not dated anyone since her split from Santiago and that she also has no plans to remarry. Meanwhile, Santiago is rumored to be dating Jodie Sta. Maria.

Atom Araullo describes his ‘dream girl’: Passionate, kind, curious

By Anne PAsAjol Inquirer.net

WHILE still mum about the status of his love life, Atom Araullo revealed that his “dream girl” is someone who is passionate about her own thing, genuinely kind, and curious about the world.

The award-winning journalist opened up about this after he was asked by fellow journalist Pia Arcangel to describe his ideal partner, on the latter’s podcast last Wednesday, April 24.

“I think what I find attractive especially at this stage of my life, ‘yung mga tao na very passionate about something and it’s infectious; ‘yung kilala na nila ‘yung sarili nila; and people who are really kind,” he said.

“You’d get an understanding kung ano ‘yung genuine kindness e, lalo na kapag may mas edad ka na; hindi na ‘yung [mga] pakitang tao. You’d get an understanding for sino ‘yung mga may true empathy; ‘yung kahit parang masungit sa labas, nakatago ‘yung pagiging pusong mamon,” he continued.

Araullo—who confessed he never had a girlfriend during his high school and college days because of being “torpe”—added that he finds those “who’s really curious about the world” interesting.”

“Feeling ko kasi kapag gano’n, ang dami niyong pwedeng pag-usapan tapos ang dami niyong pwedeng gawin together,” he explained.

Reacting to his response, Arcangel seemingly teased Araullo: “Alam mo, Atom, I really believe that the kindest, most passionate, most curious people are journalists.”

Araullo then nodded in agreement, “Yes! Alam na…”

The two of them burst into laughter, opting

not to delve more into Araullo’s status in the romance department. It can be noted, however, that Araullo has been rumored to be dating fellow journalist Zen Hernandez. Speculations of romance between Araullo and Hernandez arose as early as June 2021 after broadcaster Pinky Webb shared a photo of them three together in Balesin.

The pair, who have yet to confirm or deny the dating speculations, have since been seen together in several instances, including Hernandez’s birthday celebration in Hong Kong last year.

‘The world is healing’: Julia Barretto says on ‘hugging photo’ with Bea Alonzo

By KAthleen A. lleMit Philstar.com

JULIA Barretto agreed that “the world is healing” when she was asked about the viral hugging video that features her and fellow actress Bea Alonzo that surfaced last month.

Julia was the latest guest of Toni Gonzaga on the latter’s online talk show, which uploaded its episode last Friday, April 26.

Gonzaga asked towards the end of their interview: “The world is healing dahil may mga hugging photos. Is the world really healing when that happened?”

“The world is healing. For me, yes,” replied the actress. She quickly added: Siyempre, I’m gonna personally speak for myself because I never wanna speak for anybody else.

“It’s a moment that, of course, bina-value ko. That’s why as much as possible, siyempre ang daming nag-a-ask sa akin, and I don’t want to go into details so much kasi ayoko naman that other people would feel like it was some ingenuine moment,” Julia explained.

She did not mention the name of Bea in her answer, but it can be recalled that in March this year, the two actresses went viral after they were captured hugging and talking to each other at the intimate birthday party for star builder and former Star Magic head Johnny Manahan.

Both of them were once under Star Magic when the latter headed ABS-CBN’s talent arm. They are now with new agencies or managers: Julia is signed with Viva Artists Agency, while Bea is handled by Shirley Kuan and is identified with GMA-7.

Siyempre, it’s a really real moment, ‘di ba?” Julia asked back. “Kasi siyempre, it was

messy. ‘Pag na-iron out ‘yun, kahit konti, it helps.” Gonzaga asked if it helped her.

Julia said it may have helped, “Yeah, maybe. To fully close it para, alam mo na, the people in the past, you were able to close that with them.”

“Hoping that it also gives them peace,” she said.

On Joshua and taking accountability

The two also talked about her past relationship with former love team and ex-boyfriend Joshua Garcia, with whom she will be reuniting in a movie to be produced by Star Cinema and Viva Films.

Julia said that theirs was a public relationship and she learned a lot from it. After that highly-publicized relationship and its subsequent breakup, Julia said that she has learned not to overshare, and to not be possessive over a person or partner.

Gonzaga described 2019 as

a noisy year for Julia, who was then only 22.

It was in 2019 when she was dragged into the much-talked about breakup between Bea and Gerald. She was alleged as the third party.

Bea said in an interview that she and Gerald did not break up, and that the actor just started not talking to her, thus, the term “ghosting” became a popular at the height of their breakup. In 2021, Julia and Gerald confirmed their relationship. They were co-stars in the 2019 movie “Between Maybes.”

In retrospect, Julia admitted she did not know how she was able to handle the issues that were thrown at her.

Julia said that she was palaban” in 2019 because she took into consideration her family and friends who were hurting for her.

She expounded on taking accountability as a result of the 2019 issues.

“Personally, I’m sure na may naging role ako in somebody else’s pain and other people’s pains in the same way that they also contributed to my pain.”

“But I think you know na okay ka na when you already acknowledge na ‘I have a role in this. Baka may shortcoming din naman talaga ako. Baka I really did something that hurt somebody.’”

“It’s sad to think na baka nakasakit talaga ako ng tao,” she said.

She said that part of her healing was taking accountability.

“I took accountability. Hindi naman pwedeng, everybody just hurt me. I’m sure there’s some people I hurt along the way,” she said. She confirmed that she was also hurt, “super, sobra,” when Gonzaga asked her how she felt at that time.

No kids for Eugene Domingo

ronnie cArrAsco

By

DOES a woman who’s fond of kids — yet doesn’t want to be a mother herself — exist in our midst? The answer is yes, it’s Eugene Domingo. Already married to Italian divorcee Danilo Bottoni, the ace comedienne doesn’t see herself conceiving a baby. In Ogie Diaz’s vlog interview, Uge as she’s fondly called admits, “Do you think I’d still want to get pregnant at my age now? I’m like a dry

ManilaTimes.net well!” Uge is quick to say that even way before marriage, raising kids has never crossed her mind. “I’m fond of kids, like my siblings’ kids as in I play with them, I spoil them...but to have one of my own, I don’t think I can raise my child well. I’d just like to get it straight, I just can’t imagine taking care of a child when I cannot even take care of myself!” Eugene clarifies. Having no one to raise is no problem with her partner, “I’m just waiting for his grandkids.”

Atom Araullo

Photo from Instagram/@atomaraullo

Daniel Padilla

ABS-CBN photo

Julia Barretto Photo from Instagram/@juliabarretto

Yasser Marta and Claudine Barretto Photo from Instagram/@itsyassermarta

David Licauco on building confidence, getting help from Barbie Forteza

FOR David Licauco, the secret to the success of “BarDa”— his onscreen partnership with Barbie Forteza—is that they both sincerely want to become better individuals, and so they help each other achieve that.

In fact, David admitted that he relied so much on Barbie during their recent “Sparkle Goes to Canada” two-city tour because she has more experience in performing onstage. “She showed her support even during the course of our training for the show. She helped me with the dance steps and lyrics to our songs. I’m not good at remembering lyrics. Often, when I listen to music, I unconsciously ignore the words and just focus on the melody. Some people are like that, too, right? I’m super appreciative of her,” David began.

The “Sparkle in Canada” shows were held in Calgary and Toronto in early April. It also featured Rayver Cruz, Julie Anne San Jose, Ruru Madrid and Bianca Umali. David, on the other hand, would give Barbie advice on how to go about establishing her own business. “I would encourage her to invest by putting up a restaurant or any kind of business that interests her. She may already be stable at the moment, but it’s ideal that she has her own business to add to what she’s earning now,” he pointed out.

This was also the reason David had to come home from Canada earlier than the rest of the group—he had to tend to his restaurant chain, Kuya Korea, which is set to open three new branches in May. “I wish I had more days in Canada. I wanted to drink wine with the group. They also watched a basketball game. I missed that. It’s just that when you’re getting older, you think of the things you are obligated to do. We’re opening Kuya Korea franchises at Araneta Center in Cubao and WCC in Shaw Boulevard soon. The third one, in SM Clark, is company-owned,” he beamed.

Pressured

He recalled how pressured he felt being part of the concert tour. “I had to share the same stage and dance alongside Ruru and Rayver, who I only used to watch on ‘ASAP’ when we were younger,” he pointed out. “In terms of confidence, I’d like to think it will get better. In life, you only have to take that first step. I admit, I really felt awkward. I even asked myself, ‘What am I doing here?’ It’s a good learning experience. I’m grateful to have been part of a show like that.”

David is currently busy taping for the historical action-drama Pulang Lupa,” which also features Barbie, Alden Richards and Sanya Lopez. “We went to UP Los Baños recently to shoot. They said this was where the actual Filipino detainees stayed. It was also one of the headquarters of the Americans way back. We shot there to give the show a more realistic feel,” he revealed.

He is also busy promoting the barkada movie “G! LU,” which stars Ruru, Derek Monasterio, Enzo Pineda, Teejay Marquez and Kiko Estrada. The film was shot some five years ago, a time when,

Continued on Page 11

Heart shares why Chiz is the ‘greatest miracle’ in her life

By Boy ABundA Philstar.com

CELEBRITY couple Sen. Chiz Escudero and Heart Evangelista renewed their wedding vows at The Balesin Royal Villa in Balesin Island where they first tied the knot nine years ago. Family and friends, including Heart’s mom, were present to witness the romantic occasion.

“I was very happy that she (mom) was there. Actually, my dad was going to be there but he had a health problem a couple of months ago so he had to travel to the States and stay there to recover. He was there not physically but he was with us on the phone. He was very present. But my mom, I’m happy that she was there,” Heart shared during the couple’s recent guest appearance on “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda.”

Sen. Chiz was confident from the start that it was just a matter of time for their relationship with Heart’s parents to turn out well. They were already okay with them after a year of being married. The couple was initially planning to renew their vows in their fifth year.

I asked about their best time together and Heart replied, “Honestly, it would be the chapter that I’m living now with my husband. This is the best time ever. I feel like I’m different now. It’s not that I wasn’t appreciative before but I just see life differently now and even more, I enjoy living it with the people who matter the most.”

Chiz added, “Same. Now, in the past, in the future as

long as you are with the people you love. It doesn’t matter really if it’s yesterday, the other day, last month, last year, today, next year as long as you’re with them.”

The couple also shared about their relationship with twins Quino and Chesie.

“Nagka-first prom iyong anak kong lalaki. They’re both 16. They’re fraternal twins. Nag-first prom siya. Nag-first party late night out iyong girl ko. But I’m confident that we brought them up well and that they know their limits,” said Chiz.

Heart, on the other hand, has a very good relationship with the kids whom she first

met when they were four years old. Now, they talk about everything, including K-pop and Fashion Week.

“It’s nice because I feel like I also grew up with them. I didn’t give them the gift of life but I was there at a certain age when I was still very young.

Kumbaga, di rin ako masyado mature noong time na iyon. They taught me how to love differently in a special way. Di ko matutunan iyon sa iba. We have a good relationship,” Heart explained. Every marriage and every relationship goes through a rough patch. It could be harder for Chiz and Heart because they are both public.

Chiz made sure the kids were never involved but they were still allowed to ask questions. “They can, they do, and I will explain but at the same time protect the other one,” he related.

“In every marriage, most of us go through a rough patch but for me, it was hard because of the kids. I didn’t give them the gift of life but I’m also in a sense their second mom,” Heart added. “If one is going through a really tough time, the other one has to be strong because I don’t think we would be sitting here today if he wasn’t strong. Seriously, I’ve never met anyone, not even a friend like everybody failed me during that time, but he believed in my heart.”

Chiz said God made it easier for him. “Lesson learned is (to) be still. Know there is a God. You have to surrender.”

Can a relationship prevail if a married couple is having a difficult moment as long as their love for each other is bigger?

“Yes and no,” replied Chiz.

“Yes because basta may kahit konti doon sa isa (at) malaki iyong isa, mapupunuan iyon. No, kapag walang-wala na kahit gaano kalaki iyong isa, wala na iyon. At least kahit may maliit na buto na pagsisimulan para tumubo uli kung nawala man. Pero kung wala kahit buto, wala na iyon.” Heart declared that Chiz is her greatest miracle in life. She asked him during the interview if he would leave her a map when he is no longer around so she can navigate her life because she won’t be able to navigate it alone. “Definitely,” he replied.

One chapter closes, another one begins in Gary V’s 40-year career

By nAthAlie tomAdA Philstar.com

leaving the stage from start to finish of what he described as the “season finale” of his 40th year as a performer.

The two-night concert (April 26 and 27) was pegged to be the OPM icon’s last time at such a big venue like the Mall of

Asia (MOA) Arena. But make no mistake about it. It wasn’t his retirement or farewell concert. However, it did signal his transition to other things. The concert was divided into five

“BarDa,” or David Licauco and onscreen partner Barbie Forteza, in Canada GMA photo

Sen. Chiz Escudero was confident from the start that it was just a matter of time for their relationship with Heart Evangelista’s parents to turn out well. They were already okay with them after a year of being married. Asked about their best time together, Heart says, ‘Honestly, it would be the chapter that I’m living now with my husband. This is the best time ever.’ Photo from Instagram/@iamhearte

MANILA — Gary Valenciano was pure energy personified at his three-hour “Pure Energy: One Last Time” concert, never

Prevailing parties and attorney’s fees under California Family Code section 6344

The impact of new requirements on frivolous domestic violence restraining orders

Corner

CALIFORNIA Family Code

Section 6344 provides a mechanism for the prevailing party in a domestic violence restraining order (DVRO) proceeding to seek attorney’s fees and costs. The recent amendment to this section introduces a new requirement, stating that the DVRO must be found to be frivolous before the prevailing party can be awarded attorney’s fees. This article examines the implications of this requirement and its impact on DVRO cases in California.

California Family Code

Section 6344 allows a prevailing party in a DVRO proceeding to request attorney’s fees and costs. The purpose of this provision is to ensure that victims of domestic violence have access to legal representation and to deter frivolous or unfounded allegations of domestic violence. The section previously allowed prevailing parties to seek attorney’s fees without any requirement of proving the frivolous nature of the DVRO. Under the amended California Family Code Section 6344, a party seeking attorney’s fees must demonstrate that the DVRO was frivolous. This means that the party must show that the allegations made in the DVRO were made in bad faith or without any basis in fact. The burden of proving frivolousness lies with the party seeking

attorney’s fees. The introduction of this new requirement creates a higher threshold for prevailing parties to be awarded attorney’s fees. It aims to prevent the misuse of DVROs as a tactical or retaliatory tool in family law proceedings. By requiring proof of frivolousness, the court aims to discourage false or exaggerated allegations of domestic violence and protect the rights of the accused party.

For the party seeking attorney’s fees, it is essential to gather evidence and present a strong case demonstrating that the DVRO was frivolous. This may include providing documentation, witness testimonies, or other evidence that undermines the credibility or validity of the allegations made in the DVRO.

On the other hand, for the party defending against a claim for attorney’s fees, it is crucial to challenge the allegations and present evidence to counter the claim of frivolousness. This may involve presenting evidence of the validity of the allegations, demonstrating a genuine fear of domestic violence, or challenging the credibility of the evidence presented by the opposing party.

The court plays a critical role in determining whether a DVRO is frivolous and awarding attorney’s fees accordingly. The court will carefully evaluate the evidence and arguments presented by both parties to determine whether the allegations in the DVRO were made in bad faith or lacked a factual basis.

It is important to note that the court’s decision regarding the award of attorney’s fees

is discretionary. Even if the court finds that the DVRO was frivolous, it may still choose not to award attorney’s fees if it determines that the requesting party has sufficient financial resources to pay their own fees or if there are other equitable considerations.

Parties involved in DVRO proceedings should be prepared to present evidence and arguments to support their position regarding the frivolousness or validity of the DVRO. The court will carefully evaluate the evidence and make a discretionary decision regarding the award of attorney’s fees based on the specific circumstances of the case.

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Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice.  The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information.  This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.  The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APC.  This article is not a solicitation.

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Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Board Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH U. REYES, APC is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)

Derrick and Elle look forward to book two of ‘Makiling’

By Jerry Donato Philstar.com

MANILA — “I am super ready.”

That was the resounding response of Elle Villanueva, the lead star of GMA’s “Makiling,” which is now in its finale week, to The STAR’s inquiry regarding a possible book two for the revenge drama, during a recent virtual press conference.

Her leading man, Derrick Monasterio, chimed in with the question, “Is the production team ready for it? Because we’re ready.”

Elle added that it’s actually their wish, especially when the path leading to the conclusion became clearer.

“We don’t really want this to end because a lot of stories could be injected (in the existing ‘Makiling’ narrative and added to it),” said she.

But endings are inevitable in any form of storytelling. That includes the tale between Derrick and Elle’s characters, Alex and Amira, who, at the onset of “Makiling,” have been established to represent the voiceless and the powerless — and have a helping heart.

“We would always review each other’s (performance) every day after taping” said Elle, looking back on her and Derrick’s working routine. “We would finish our work almost at the same time. It has become our routine on our way home to make comments on our acting (or swap stories on how our day went).”

The Sparkle GMA artist shared that “Makiling” has helped them become better actors because the director Conrado Peru pushed them to go beyond what they thought they could do.

“Hopefully, we did justice to our characters because I could say we gave our 101 percent in ‘Makiling,’” said Elle. “(We’ve realized that) having the drive is important when you’re doing something. You really have to be passionate about what you do.”

Derrick, on the other hand, recalled that he was already invested in his first scene, which allowed him to get to know Alex, the character.

“Siyempre, as the show

goes by, nagkakaroon na ng layers (of course, new layers have been revealed about my character),” said he, who also took the time to watch “Makiling” and his and Elle’s performances on TV. If their schedule didn’t permit, Derrick and Elle would catch it on YouTube.

“Siguro ang technique dito is ibigay mo yung tiwala mo talaga sa tao, tiwala sa director mo, sa mga co-actors mo (perhaps the technique is to give your trust to people you’re working with, like the director and fellow actors),” shared Derrick about his craft.

“What we’ve really done is to connect with them on a personal level, off-cam, and while doing the scenes (oncam) kaya naging successful yung show (that’s why the show has become successful).” Derrick continued on by saying that all talents did collaborate, and good things came out of it, such as creating iconic scenes that kept followers engaged and entertained.

“Lahat ng mga scenes sa Facebook (sa) sobrang konting hours pa lang, ang dami na ng views (in a few hours after uploading the scenes on Facebook, they would get many views already),” said he. The viewers, who also seem to follow the show on social media, tend to create groups that root for this team of characters or that team. Derrick was glad with the level

of engagement between the show and the fans. Through “Makiling,” Derrick and Elle are able to further show what they’re made of as a love team and as lead stars.

“I’m very lucky because of the team also,” said she.

“Pinapakinggan po nila kami (they would listen to us). In accepting this project, hindi ko rin po akalain na ganun kalalim yung role ko kasi synopsis pa lang naman po yung nababasa (I never thought how meaty this role was because initially I would just have a synopsis).”

It’s safe to say that Elle, who has shown her knack to portray a dynamic, bidakontrabida (protagonistantagonist) and handle the demands that come with it, considers “Makiling” a memorable acting journey.

As a young actress, she has definitely discovered a lot about her profession.

A piece of information from the “Makiling” team says that the show is “GMA Public Affairs’ most successful afternoon prime drama series to date” and the network’s third highest rating third-slot afternoon prime daily drama since 2017.”

From broadcast to online, “Makiling” becomes the second “most watched Kapuso program” on GMA’s YouTube channel. Week after week, its trailers would get over one million views within 24 hours on social media platforms.

Willie Revillame officially returns to TV5

By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

MANILA — TV host Willie Revillame has officially returned to TV5 for a new “joint venture.”

During the contract signing last Friday, Willie said he will work hard for his second stint with TV5.

Para lang akong OFW... kung saan ka may trabahong maayos at tanggap ka, doon mo pagbubutihan,” he said.

“No bitterness, no hatred in my heart. Marami nang nasabi na kung anu-ano, pero sa akin, natural iyon, kasama sa buhay yan,” he added.

He also thanked GMA-7 for retaining his social media accounts.

May mga desisyon ka sa buhay na, may utang na loob ka, gagawin mo. Hindi nila pinagkait sa akin ‘yung 24 million subscribers ng Facebook at YouTube, maraming salamat sa GMA,” he said.

TV5 also announced that Willie will also serve as creative director for the undisclosed joint venture.

Hindi lang ‘yung bagong programa ko ang mahalaga, even TV5, kung ano ‘yung maitutulong ko — creativity, ideas — kahit

No kids for Eugene Domingo...

From Page 8

This mindset though, as she justifies, is her choice. And she’s happy with the choice she made. She believes that it’s the freedom which she enjoys now — as in not having to worry about kids — is her ultimate goal, after all.

“Imagine if I had a child, then how much time am I going to spend considering I have Danilo and myself to think about?”

Despite her I-don’t-want-to-be-a-mother outlook, Uge welcomes close friends — who are mommies themselves — who run to her for advice.

One such long-time buddy is Pokwang, mother of two. It’s public knowledge that Pokwang’s second child Malia is sired by her erstwhile live-in partner Lee O’Brian.

Credit should be given to Uge whose pieces of sound advice to Pokwang had helped the latter’s heart to soften on Lee.

As Malia’s proudly states, Uge has a different approach to troubleshooting domestic kinks between couples.

It’s Pokwang’s turn this time to butter up Uge: “In her case, she’s not a judgmental friend. Uge simply listens, and when I’m done with my confession only then would she take the floor.”

Seated together, Uge can only nod in approval: “The repeated phrase ‘Move on, move on!’ is getting worn out. It’s easier said than done. If I may ask those who keep saying that, do we really know what Pokwang went through to be hostile toward Lee? We don’t know anything! So let Pokwang speak while we listen, it’s that simple!” It was Uge who advised Pokwang not to be

Even way before marriage, raising kids has never crossed Eugene Domingo’s mind. Photo from Instagram/@eugenedomingo_official

Derrick Monasterio and Elle Villanueva have played well their characters Alex and Amira, who represent the powerless and have a helping heart, in the GMA revenge drama, ‘Makiling.’ In the latter’s finale week, Alex and Amira might return to ‘their core’ as individuals. As its lead stars, Derrick and Elle are game to reprise their roles for the show’s possible book two.

Willie Revillame GMA Network, screenshot

walang bayad, I’m willing to do that for TV5,” Willie said. Ang pagdating ko dito, hindi para sa akin, para sa mga kababayan nating naghahanap ng saya, ligaya at pag-asa at magiging parte po ako n’yan dito sa TV5,” he added.

One chapter closes, another...

parts — Energy, Hope, Revival, Legacy and One Last Time — as he performed his hits through the years, with friends, family and frequent collaborators.

Yours truly watched Day 1 and here are my highlights and favorite moments from the show, which by the way is getting a third staging on May 10 at MOA Arena due to public demand.

Wow factor. Gary made jaws drop from the get-go by assembling at least 80 dancersperformers to be his ensemble, including his longtime dance group Maneouvres (and their children), to open the show with Shout for Joy. He emerged at the center of the massive stage to pull off his iconic jump shot. That level of energy would set the tone of “One Last Time” all the way to the encore where he sang Hataw Na and Di Bale Na Lang

“The last time I did something like this was 10 years ago for my 30th anniversary. I’ve never lost the gratitude for having been given the gift of music. Because music is the kind of energy that you cannot put in a box. It’s the kind of energy that moves the body from the outside and yet manages to move people from deep within,” he said.

Mix of guests. His roster of special performers spanned generations, genres and even home networks, from Ebe Dancel Karylle, Gloc-9, to Julie Anne San Jose, Ben&Ben, BGYO and so on!

Even the ensemble of artists who volunteered, many of whom came from theater. When they did Favor of the Lord, it felt like a full-on musical that when you come to think of it, Gary’s sheer number of hits can be worth a fulllength musical.

One favorite would be Martin’s duet with Gary in his debut song Hang On. How amazing to think that they used to be considered rivals on the concert scene.

“All this talk about Pure Energy, it started ironically with a ballad written by my good friend Tots Tolentino and I thought wouldn’t it be great for me to sing that single of mine with one of the very first people I met in the industry, without whom my journey would never be the same. He’s not my friend, he’s one of my very best friends, Martin Nievera,” Gary said.

Another highlight was when his children — Kiana and Gab – joined him in the Michael Jackson medley. “My legacy wouldn’t be complete without my family,” the proud dad said. Loads of nostalgia. His performance of the 1994 Babalilk Ka Rin brought so much nostalgia to the audience, reminding again how the song has been credited for helping bring awareness and attention to our OFWs, the modern-day heroes.

He further revisited the past with Growing Up, the theme of the ‘80s youth-oriented comedy Bagets.” And when he sang Wag Mo Na Sanang Isipin, he went to the audience and danced with fans while a visual of his old cassette tape flashed in the background.

Seamless storytelling. The concert moved along through old videos and interviews of why Gary V is a talking, walking, and dancing “miracle.” But props would have to go to the expansive stage with the giant and immersive LED screen at the center. For example, when Gary V performed Warrior is a Child, the

emotionally charged song even got more emotional and anthemic as the LED screen made it appear he was standing on flowing water with rainfall sound effects.

Quiet moments. While Gary was pure energy all throughout, he made sure the concert had its ample share of quieter moments, from I Will Be Here with Ben&Ben to Lead Me Lord, which had Gospel choir feels.

Then the entire arena hushed as Gary shared the vision that started it all for “Pure Energy: One Last Time” in 2008. But so as not to spoil the experience for those watching on May 10, let me just say that it was so personal and touching that I don’t think there was a dry eye in the audience.

“Doing things like this is never easy. What more so now in this season of my 59th or 60th year of life, nakakapagod din. But there’s a calling, a leading that is energizing me to go deeper into the spirit of uplifting and inspiring many more than ever before. And for as long as this heart beats, that’s what I’m going to be doing. I’ve given you my all… in the past 40 years, it was meant to move you right here (pointing to the heart),” he said in his final message at the concert

“This is how I wished to be remembered. I know it sounds like a drama. But it’s only a season finale, a new chapter is being written with you. But it’s not the final page of the book.

“I’m going to walk into that empty horizon and each step I’m going to take will be with energy, hope and wholeheartedly trusting Him, the source of all pure energy,” Gary promised.

He capped the night with Take Me Out of the Dark, walking into a visual of a horizon, a symbolic imagery that Gary is closing a chapter, but he’s also starting a new one.

David Licauco on building confidence...

From Page 9

David said, he first realized “that I could act a bit,” he quipped. “I wish it was shown earlier, but during the pandemic, it wasn’t a good business move to release a film. This is the perfect time for it, during the summer.”

Living their best lives

In Philip King’s “G! LU,” the boys decide to go on a sevenday trip to strengthen their friendship and live their best lives, because for one of them, these may be his last days. “We all face personal issues from family to friends, from love to gender. Nowadays, a lot of us are dealing with mental issues. It’s nice to watch a movie that will somehow validate our feelings as humans,” David explained. The film was shot in La Union with breathtaking beaches and rustic scenery as backdrop. “I hope that after seeing this movie, people will be more encouraged to go to LU,” said Enzo. “My character here is Brian. He and Ryan (Derek) are cousins who love and hate each other equally.”

“As you know, there are a lot of barkada films out there,” Derek said. The difference is that the cast are really close friends. We ad-libbed a lot here, like how friends talk to each other in real life. This film also reflects how Gen Zs are and their experiences. There are a number of conflicts here, and a major plot twist in the end.”

“A lot of people will relate to this. All of us dream of visiting LU with our friends. You will realize how beautiful this country is after watching,” said Teejay. “Aside from being a barkada movie, it also carries a coming-of-age theme.”

Playing support to the six guys are female cast members Miss Philippines Universe 2023 Michelle Dee, Katarina Rodriguez, Chanel Morales, Maureen Montagne, Sophia Senoron, Kimi Mugford and Pinky Amador.

“This movie sparked my interest in acting,” said Katarina. “If shooting all movies was this much fun and seamless, I would shoot a thousand more. So many will be able to relate to this story. I play Cathy, the

love interest of Kiko’s character

Carlos.”

It was also on the set of “G!

LU” that Katarina said she was “forced” to spend time with Kiko, until they “grew fond of each other” as, she explained, “I didn’t like Kiko the first time we met. Of all the boys, I felt

like he was kind of rude, but he’s a very good actor. We did a workshop, just him and me, because we weren’t really talking. In the end, we simply grew fond of each other. Kiko is a great coactor. He ended up helping me a lot.”

(By Marinel Cruz/Inquirer.net)

Gary Valenciano is pure energy from start to finish of ‘Pure Energy: One Last Time’ at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena. The OPM icon dubbed as the country’s Mr. Pure Energy performs a total of 26 numbers, with friends, family members and frequent collaborators also joining him on stage. Photo courtesy of Marvin Chua / Manila Genesis Entertainment