TikTok star sentenced to life in prison for killing Fil-Am wife
Ali Abulaban was sentenced Friday, Sept. 6 to two consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole
sAN DIeGo
– A social media personality
who fatally shot his filipino American wife and another man inside an east Village high-rise apartment was sentenced friday, september 6 to two consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 50 years to life.
Ali Abulaban, 32 — who was known in online circles as a content creator dubbed “JinnKid” — was convicted in may of two counts of first-degree murder for the oct. 21, 2021, shooting deaths of Ana Abulaban, 28, and rayburn Cardenas Barron, 29.
Both victims were shot on a couch inside the Abulabans’ 35th-floor unit at the spire san Diego apartments.
During the murder trial, which spanned nearly a month and included three days of testimony from Abulaban, Deputy District Attorney taren Brast argued Abulaban was
Breast cancer rises among Asian American and Pacific Islander women
Chr I st INA Kashiwada was traveling for work during the summer of 2018 when she noticed a small, itchy lump in her left breast.
she thought little of it at first. she did routine self-checks and kept up with medical appointments. But a relative urged her to get a mammogram. she took the advice and learned she had stage 3 breast cancer, a revelation that stunned her.
“I’m 36 years old, right?” said Kashiwada, a civil engineer in sacramento, California. “No one’s thinking about cancer.”
About 11,000 Asian American and Pacific Islander women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 and about 1,500 died. the latest federal data shows the rate of new breast cancer diagnoses in Asian American and Pacific Islander women — a group that once had relatively low rates of diagnosis — is rising much faster than that of many other racial and ethnic groups. the trend is especially sharp among young women such as Kashiwada.
About 55 of every 100,000 Asian American and Pacific Islander women under 50 were
‘PH trial first for Quiboloy before extradition’
mANILA — there is no request from the U.s. for the extradition of Apollo Quiboloy, but even if one were to be sent, the alleged sex abuser and human trafficker and leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KoJC) would be made to undergo trial first in the Philippines before such request can be granted, President ferdinand marcos Jr. said on monday, september 9. the extradition request is not yet there,” marcos told reporters in taguig City, adding that Quiboloy would first have to deal with several criminal
complaints he is facing in the Philippines.
Quiboloy is on the f ederal Bureau of Investigation’s wanted list for sex trafficking, fraud and money laundering.
“We will have to look at that,” m arcos said, referring to a U.s. request for extradition. “But for the moment, we are not looking at extradition. What we are looking at are the cases and complaints filed in the Philippines and he needs to face them first,” he said.
“What has been done is that we have implemented and enforced an arrest warrant that was issued by the court. And therefore it is now in the court’s hands, it is no longer in the executive,” the
WA sh ING to N – U. s s enators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Pete ricketts (r-Neb.) have denounced the “escalating” Chinese aggression in the West Philippine sea as they introduced a resolution celebrating the 73rd anniversary of the signing of the mutual Defense treaty (mDt) between the United states and the Philippines. the resolution reaffirms U.s. commitment to defending the Philippines under the treaty
“particularly in the wake of persistent and escalating aggression” by China in the West Philippine sea, the senators said in a joint statement released this week.
“Chinese harassment against f ilipinos simply trying to uphold their territorial sovereignty threatens global trade and security and could result in wider conflict,” said senator Coons.
by JeAn mAngAluz Philstar.com
m ANILA — t he collective temper of the s enate flared anew on m onday, s eptember 9 upon former Bamban, tarlac mayor Alice Guo’s insistence on her Philippine identity, despite being presented with her alleged Chinese passport. Guo and sen. risa hontiveros, the Chair of the Committee on Women, Children, f amily relations and Gender equality, faced off for the first time in three months since the former mayor’s disappearance. faced with the simple question
of who she was, Guo immediately invoked her right to selfincrimination.
hindi ko kino-confirm at may kaso na po sa aking sinampa, sasagutin ko po sa korte,” Guo said.
(i do not confirm it and there is already a case filed against me, i will answer it in court.)
Guo maintained her identity throughout the more than fivehour long hearing. however, hontiveros said that Guo was not incriminating herself because she was not the one who filed for her late birth certification. she also said that this right does
president said.
Justice secretary Jesus Crispin remulla also said Quiboloy “may have to face the music here” even if the U.s. can be expected to file a request for the religious leader’s extradition.
“he made it very difficult for the police to find him, he also caused suffering to the country. he should be tried here,” remulla said in filipino. h e added he would instruct prosecutors to prepare all the evidence against the controversial religious sect leader and his co-accused so they could ask for a continuous trial. But he would discuss with executive secretary u PAGE 2
seNAtor Imee marcos warned on monday, september 9 some members of the house of representatives that impeaching Vice President sara Duterte would be seen as a direct challenge to the 32 million filipinos who elected her to become the country’s second top leader. senator marcos slammed hor members who are “eager” to file an impeachment case against Vice President Duterte. “Let this serve as a reminder that you’re playing with democracy.”
“Are you challenging the 32 million [who voted for Duterte in the 2022 vice presidential elections]?” senator marcos said. or are you looking for trouble to divide the nation amid the many problems at present?” the senator added in her post on X (formerly twitter). furthermore, “these steps disrespected the nation’s decision and the results of the [2022] elections — a rejection of the voice of the people and their right to choose their leader.”
But makabayan bloc lawmakers disagreed with senator marcos.
“Impeachment is a constitutional mechanism for the
o n m onday, s eptember 9, the “Naturalized and r eady to Vote!” tour hit Las Vegas to share new survey findings about the expanding community of
‘I am Alice’: Guo insists on Philippine...
not shield her from answering legitimate questions from the senate.
“Identity questions are within the purview of the committee. the senate has a right to know: who are we talking to?” hontiveros said in a mix of english and filipino.
Guo insisted that she is Alice Guo, but confirmed that her parents are Guo Jian Zhong and Lin Wen Yi. Guo admitted that Zhong is Chinese while separate bank documents show that Yi is also Chinese.
t he National Bureau of Investigation has previously confirmed that Guo’s fingerprints matched with a certain Chinese national named “Guo hua Ping”.
NBI Director Director Jaime santiago, who was present in the
hearing, stood by the agency’s results, saying that fingerprints never lie.
Guo, who is known to have a history of being inconsistent with her answers and her stances, said that she does not know how this happened.
If this was not enough, hontiveros presented to Guo her alleged Chinese passport and asked her if this was her.
“I am Alice Guo,” Guo said.
“No! that is not my question to you!” hontiveros said.
Guo had three default answers for most of the senators’ questions: either she does not know or remember, she invoked her right to self-incrimination, and her life was under threat.
the senators had little patience for Guo after waiting three months
Imee slams plan to impeach...
people against abuse by high government officials, and an essential part of our democratic processes to ensure that leaders remain accountable to the people they serve,” house Deputy minority Leader and ACt teachers
Partylist rep. france Castro said, on August 30, Castro said there was a basis for impeachment.
echoing Castro, Gabriela Women’s Partylist rep. Arlene Brosas said that there was enough basis to pursue an impeachment case against the vice president.
An impeachment move is not an affront to the voice of the people but a just and proper process to ensure accountability of the elected officials, Brosas said in filipino. n Sen. Imee Marcos
for the chance to question her again over her alleged ties to PoGos.
“Nakakapikon ka na! ( You are frustrating! )” said s enate President Pro tempore Jinggoy estrada.
the typically even-tempered hontiveros was also visibly irate, saying that she was getting impatient.
Guo was cited in contempt for supposedly lying to the committee.
t he s enate is currently vying to keep her in their detention, with s enate m ajority Leader francis tolentino pointing out lapses in the case filed against her. however, she still remains in police custody while the senate coordinates with the tarlac court that issued an arrest warrant for Guo. n
‘PH trial first for Quiboloy before...
Lucas Bersamin a possible U. s . request for Quiboloy’s extradition.
In a separate statement, the Department of Justice said Quiboloy would be tried first in the Philippines and if convicted, would be made to serve his sentence in the country before getting extradited on U. s
request. Quiboloy is detained at the PNP Custodial facility in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
Quiboloy is facing charges for violation of section 5(b) and s ection 10(a) of r epublic Act 7610 or the special Protection of Children Against Abuse, exploitation and Discrimination Act.
he is also facing a non-bailable qualified human trafficking charge under s ection 4(a) of republic Act 9208, as amended, before a Pasig City court. No choice m eanwhile, m arcos belied the claim of Quiboloy’s camp that he surrendered and was not arrested.
“ t hat’s not what happened. What did happen was he had to surrender because he had no choice as police were closing in on him,” marcos said.
“I am thinking he would not have surfaced if we did not really pursue him,” he added. to his credit, he said his followers were ready to die for him and he did not want it to happen. s o to his credit... he was still displaying a modicum of leadership to his followers,” he said.
marcos said he was glad that the manhunt for Quiboloy was over.
While Quiboloy’s rights would be respected, he would not receive any special treatment, the president added.
“It is really with some relief that I can say that at least this part, this phase of that operation, is now over. And we now leave mr. Quiboloy to the judiciary, to the judicial system.”
Quiboloy’s lawyers Israelito torreon and ferdinand topacio insisted their client surrendered.
“this is to inform the filipino people that Pastor Apollo Quiboloy decided to surrender to the Philippine National Police and Armed f orces of the Philippines because he does not want the lawless violence to continue to happen in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound and he could not bear to witness a second longer the sufferings that his flock was experiencing for many days,” torreon said.
he said Quiboloy decided to make “the ultimate sacrifice” by surrendering himself to the PNP and AfP even if he has the right to await the result of further legal action by his lawyers.
topacio, for his part, said that Quiboloy voluntarily surrendered to the Intelligence service of the Armed forces.
“ h e was not arrested, especially not by the Philippine National Police under the DILG. therefore, it is epal to the highest level for secretary Abalos to be seemingly taking credit for the non-existent arrest,” topacio said, referring to Interior secretary Benhur Abalos.
‘Kwentong kutsero’
But Abalos laughed off the claim of Quiboloy’s lawyers, calling it ridiculous.
“You were already outside the KoJC compound and you would again enter just to surrender?
t hat’s kwentong kutsero ( tall tale),” he said at a briefing on monday.
“he was arrested inside (the KoJC). (Police) went inside and when they (arresting officers and Quiboloy) were about to leave, the police were ordered to allow them to pass so that they could get out. that’s what happened. t hey (Quiboloy’s followers) were just laying the basis that he surrendered. Just as what I already said, it was purely kwentong kutsero . We should not believe this,” Abalos said.
At the same time, Abalos warned that criminal charges would be filed against those who delayed the arrest of Quiboloy.
“Let me remind you of PD 1829
on the obstruction of justice. Any person knowingly, willfully obstructs, impedes or frustrates or delays the apprehension of suspects and the investigation and prosecution of a criminal, harboring, concealing or facilitating the escape and giving false and fabricated information to mislead or prevent the law enforcement agencies from apprehending offender,” Abalos said. h e also said he would look into reports that mughshots of Quiboloy were blurred. “I will look into it. I was not aware that his mugshots were blurred,” Abalos said in an interview with the stAr r eps. Joel Chua of m anila’s third district and r aul Angelo Bongalon of Ako Bicol partylist said former President r odrigo Duterte can be sued for harboring a fugitive and for obstruction of justice.
“Duterte, serving as the administrator of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound where Quiboloy was apprehended, cannot simply distance himself from this troubling situation,” Chua, chairman of the h ouse committee on good government and public accountability, said.
“his (Duterte’s) role within the KoJC compound places him at the center of this unfolding scandal, and the public deserves clear answers about his involvement,” Chua added, noting that Quiboloy’s own t V network s onshine m edia Network International designated Duterte as “caretaker.”
“the former president can – I think – fit in the definition of an accomplice,” Bongalon pointed out.
“Being a lawyer also means being an officer of the court,” he said of the former president. “simply put, he should not be one who should be instrumental in the violation of the country’s laws.” Probe on Sara, Bato?
h e hinted that Duterte’s daughter, Vice President sara, along with their close friend sen. ronald “Bato” dela rosa, may also be investigated, and even charged, for obstruction of justice for trying to divert policemen’s attention from serving the arrest warrant against Quiboloy.
“Let us remember that the VP herself declared that the good pastor has already left the country. And now with Quiboloy’s arrest, what does that make of her? Did she or did she not protect him and obstruct the administration of justice by diverting police’s attention?” Bongalon asked.
“No false god is above the law,” said h ouse Deputy m ajority Leader Jude Acidre, as he urged authorities to make sure Quiboloy is made to account for his alleged transgressions.
t hese are very serious charges that, if proven, can’t go unpunished unless we live in a society devoid of rules and respect. No man is above the law, and no false god is above the law,” said Acidre, referring to the cases of sexual and human trafficking against the K o JC founder and leader.
In a statement, Caritas Philippines president Kidapawan Bishop Colin Jose Bagaforo said that while they commend the PNP and the AfP for Quiboloy’s arrest, he said he hoped there was no secret agreement with the religious leader.
“We hope there were no underthe-table deals, particularly with the Department of the Interior and Local Government. t ransparency is essential, and the process must remain uncompromised.” (With reports from Daphne Galvez, Bella cariaso, Delon Porcalla, Evelyn Macairan)
Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Apollo Quiboloy (left) and his co-accused in a sexual abuse complaint are presented by PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil and Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos at Camp Crame. Philstar.com photo by Miguel de Guzman
Survey: 98% of naturalized citizens in swing...
Americans (NPNA) and conducted and analyzed by the University of California s an Diego’s U. s Immigration Policy Center. It is part of a series of research studies designed to understand voting behaviors and attitudes of naturalized voters.
Nicole m elaku, executive director of NPNA, shared the results at the tour stop held at a coworking space in the spring Valley area of Las Vegas. As of sept. 9, about 3.5 million immigrants became citizens, which means that naturalized voters comprise 10% of the entire United states voting public.
“[Immigrant voters] have the potential to play an outsized role in key states this November,” melaku said. “What is clear from the polling is that naturalized Americans are paying close attention to this election.”
According to the poll, 76% of survey participants said that they will “definitely vote” and about 22% said that they will “probably vote”—a 98% pledge to cast a ballot in November.
t he survey participants included 2,678 naturalized citizens who are registered to vote in the following swing states (plus California): Arizona, florida, Georgia, michigan, Nevada, and texas. the survey also found that 87%
of its participants said they voted in 2020, a year which saw the highest voter turnout since 1900, according to Pew research Center.
“With just 56 days remaining before the election, we encourage all who are eligible for citizenship to naturalize, and all who are newly-naturalized to register to vote—not only to strengthen our democracy, but to ensure our communities' voices and priorities are heard at the polls,” melaku said.
s ince 2020, the s ilver s tate alone saw a 41,368 increase in naturalized Nevadans, and more than a quarter of those new Americans are from Asian countries.
According to citizenship data, 8,193 immigrants came from the Philippines, which had the largest share of new Nevadans from Asia and the second largest share overall.
“When we activate our communities, these numbers have a true impact during the presidential election,” said Vida Lin, founder of the Asian Community Development Council (ACDC), an Asian American advocacy group that provides immigration assistance.
Lin added that in 2020, President Joe Biden won the election by 33,500 votes, highlighting the impact that naturalized voters can have in electoral contests.
ACDC’s Director of f amily s ervices e delweiss s olano, who was recently naturalized, first moved to the U.s. from the Philippines in 2013.
“It was a sacrifice that I had to make, to leave everything that was familiar, but I was also greeted with a promise and opportunity,” she said at monday’s event.
through her work with ACDC and collaborating with other immigrant advocacy groups, she realized the civic duty of voting.
“When we vote, we have the opportunity to change and advocate for better policies on immigration, language access, health care, and education to further advance equity, inclusion and diversity,” said solano.
In 2023, she was eligible to apply for citizenship, and on Jan. 5 of this year, she became a U.s citizen.
“Being an American citizen is so much more than clutching that small U.s. flag that I waved during my naturalization ceremony,” solano said. “It is about serving a bigger purpose, to have my voice finally be heard, to express my opinion on the candidate that I will vote for, who reflects my values and represents the interests of my community, to help build a democracy that represents, protects and works for people like me– who look like me, who look like us.” n
Missing Fil-Am nurse found dead, neighbor faces murder charges
Family and friends started to worry when Melissa Jubane did not show up for her morning shift at the hospital
by mary Villegas Inquirer.net
A fILIPIN o American nurse
from oregon, who went missing after returning home from her hawaii wedding, was found dead s aturday. h er neighbor was arrested and charged with murder, police said. on sept. 4, 2024, 32-year-old melissa Jubane, a nurse at st. Vincent h ospital in s outhwest Portland, failed to show up for her morning shift and was reported missing.
s he had just returned from hale’iwa in oahu, where she got married to Bryan Llantero last August 24.
After not hearing from Jubane for days, her family, friends and co-workers started to worry and reported her to the police as missing.
In a f acebook post, the Beaverton Police Department confirmed receiving a welfare check request at around 10:18 a.m. after several unsuccessful attempts to reach the fil-Am nurse.
Arriving at her residence at sW 160th Avenue in Portland, the police officers conducted a search but Jubane was nowhere to be
found. there were no signs of foul play inside her unit, the police said. the police officers and family members continued to reach out to her, but her phone stayed off.
A review of her credit card and bank records showed no clues either.
Jubane’s husband had last contacted her around 6 p.m. on the day she failed to report to work, according to KhoN. h er sudden disappearance after their wedding drew more questions among family and friends.
A public facebook group, “find melissa Jubane case Discussion and Updates,” was set up on Aug. 26 to help search for the fil-Am nurse. By 3:12 p.m. on sept. 4, she was officially entered into the national law enforcement systems as a missing individual.
Investigators later identified a possible suspect, 27-year-old Bryce Johnathan schubert, her neighbor.
schubert, who was also a nurse and a former Providence Portland medical Center employee from september 2022 to october 2023, was arrested after investigators found evidence linking him to
Jubane’s disappearance. schubert has been charged with murder.
“While we acknowledge the significant community interest and concern, we must withhold further details to preserve the integrity of the investigation,” the Beaverton Police Department said in a facebook update.
Community mourns following the news of Jubanes’ death, there was an outpouring of love from colleagues, friends and the health care community. many have placed flowers near her apartment.
s he was just very, very sweet, very kind,” said h alina Brant-Zawadzki, one of Jubane’s former professors, recalling her compassion and service as a student nurse.
t o commemorate her legacy, the o regon Nurses Association organized a vigil on sept. 10 at the ridgewood View Park in Portland. t he Beaverton Police Department is gathering more evidence and has urged the public to come forward with any information related to the case. the department can be reached at (503) 526-2280. n
HOLIDAYS
Kathleen Tubal, a registered nurse and member of SEIU-Nevada 1107, speaks on Monday, September 9 at the “Naturalized and Ready to Vote!” kickoff event.
Macabagdal
TikTok star sentenced to life in prison for killing...
enraged that his wife sought to leave him and planned on killing her and any man she was with. she told jurors Abulaban “was so possessive and controlling of Ana that if he could not have her, no one could and she couldn’t live. And any man she was with could not live either. this case was all about power and control until the very end.”
Ali Abulaban and his defense attorney, Jodi Green, sought a voluntary manslaughter conviction and claimed that after months of suspecting his wife was cheating, Abulaban was overcome with emotion upon seeing her on the couch with another man and opened fire on the pair without any control over his faculties.
the defense’s case also involved arguments that Abulaban suffered from undiagnosed mental health issues, a mounting cocaine addiction, and that he grew up in an abusive home, all of which the defense argued played a role in how he handled relationships as an adult and his emotional response to the downfall of his marriage.
Ali Abulaban and Green reiterated in court at friday’s sentencing hearing that they believed the killings were committed in the heat of passion.
Green told san Diego superior Court Judge Jeffrey fraser her client “is fundamentally stunted emotionally” due to those issues, which “left this imprint that formed him into the person that he is.”
Abulaban apologized to the victims’ family members in attendance, saying, “I am so incredibly sorry to each and every one of you that have been affected by this. I cannot imagine the pain that I have caused your families.”
But regarding the trial’s outcome, he said it was “truly unfortunate that despite the compelling evidence that this was a crime of passion, somehow the jury still landed on this verdict and they certainly wasted no time in doing so.”
Along with first-degree murder, jurors found special-circumstance allegations of committing multiple murders true, plus allegations of using a gun in the killings. the special circumstance allegations ensured friday’s sentence would be life without parole, but Green requested that the judge run the life without parole terms concurrently, rather than consecutively. she also asked fraser to strike the gun enhancements.
fraser denied those requests and called the jury’s decision “the only verdict a reasonable person could come up with.”
t he judge also excoriated Abulaban, calling him “a very selfish person” and questioned whether he was truly remorseful towards the victims.
“I know he’s sorry about the consequences of going to prison for the rest of his life. But I can’t say that I think he’s sorry for killing these two innocent human beings,” fraser said.
one of several victim impact statements delivered during the hearing came from Ana’s father, ron miller, who said he and Ana’s mother still wonder what they could have done differently to stop what happened.
“I don’t consider him a man,” he said of Abulaban. “A man wouldn’t do this. I want him to rot in prison.”
Ana’s sister, hermae sartin, said “her absence has left a hole in my heart that can never be filled” and said Ana was “the most loving, patient, gentle, and forgiving person and this person took her away from us. he was the one who was supposed to protect his wife and child.”
Barron’s mother said in a statement read by the prosecutor that her son was “full of light with a whole life ahead of him.”
Barron’s sister, Jordana Barron, said rayburn was the youngest of five siblings and her “baby brother and best friend.” she said he had hoped to raise his own family someday, but “all that was robbed from him.”
According to the prosecution, Ali Abulaban was controlling and violent toward his wife throughout their relationship. outside of the shooting, jurors heard about multiple incidents of domestic violence in the months leading up to the killings, some of which Abulaban admitted to committing during his testimony. though they were still married at the time of the shooting, Brast told jurors that due to her husband’s abusive behavior, Ana Abulaban considered their relationship over, was seeking a divorce, and had booted Abulaban from their apartment.
Abulaban testified that his wife had not made it clear whether they might reconcile and Green argued to jurors that though Ana stated many times that she wanted to leave her husband, she repeatedly took him back, giving him “breadcrumbs of hope.” o n the morning of o ct. 21,
Abulaban drove to the apartment while his wife was out, vandalized the unit, and hid his daughter’s iPad, which was transmitting audio via the messaging application Discord.
Abulaban testified that Ana had accused him of cheating with a woman who lived in their building, something he denied on the stand. he stated that he set up the iPad in order to catch Ana in the act of “doing the same things she’s accusing me of doing.”
While listening to the app, Abulaban heard his wife and Barron talking and sped over to the spire apartments. Camera footage inside the apartment building shows Abulaban take the elevator up to the 35th floor, then sprint down the hallway towards the apartment just after the elevator doors open.
According to the prosecutor, multiple audio recordings of the shooting capture gunshots about one second after Abulaban entered the apartment.
During his testimony, Abulaban said that when he saw his wife and Barron on the couch, “Before I could stop myself, I snapped.” he said that the next thing he knew, “I’m shooting and I can’t stop.”
After the shooting, he took a picture of the bodies and sent the picture to his mother. he testified that did not remember taking the picture, but said he later called 911 to get his wife and Barron medical attention because he wasn’t certain whether they were dead.
Abulaban then picked up his 5-year-old daughter from her school and testified that while in the car with his daughter, he told her, “I hurt m ommy.” h e was arrested by police a short time later following a traffic stop.
A Gofundme was launched after Ana marie Abulaban was killed in 2021 to raise funds to help bring her mother from the Philippines “so she may escort Ana marie back to her childhood home.”
“As we reel from the pain of this senseless tragedy, we are thankful for the kindness from both those that knew her and from compassionate strangers,” the Gofundme page stated. the funds raised will not only assist with the financial burden of this brutal chapter in her life but will also assist her daughter in her long journey forward toward healing. Losing a loved one is never easy. Losing a daughter, a sister, a mother in such a violent manner is unfathomable. ” (with cNS report)
he said the U.s. is committed to strengthening the U. s .Philippines alliance and pledged to “stand with our f ilipino partners in their efforts to defend their territorial sovereignty and maintain a free and open IndoPacific.”
s enator r icketts said this commitment is more important than ever given China’s “increased harassment and intimidation of our allies and partners in the south China sea.”
senators Coons and ricketts are both members of the senate
foreign relations Committee. t he Philippine government has recently conveyed to China its “complaint and displeasure” over the ramming by the China Coast Guard of Philippine vessel BrP teresa magbanua at escoda (sabina) shoal on Aug. 31. It was the fifth incident of Chinese harassment to be recorded in only a month. other incidents included the blocking of a resupply mission to the teresa magbanua five days earlier. the resolution urges President Joe Biden to take “appropriate and necessary actions in response
to escalatory P r C behavior to restore deterrence and help the Philippines defend itself.” t he resolution reaffirms that Article IV of the m utual Defense t reaty extends to armed attacks on the armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft of the Philippines, including the Philippine Coast Guard, anywhere in the south China sea. It considers China’s aggression in the Philippines’ internationallyrecognized exclusive economic zone to be direct assaults on its sovereignty and territorial integrity. (inquirer.net)
Breast
rises among Asian American... Two US senators denounce ‘escalating’...
diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, surpassing the rate for Black and hispanic women and on par with the rate for white women, according to ageadjusted data from the National Institutes of h ealth. ( h ispanic people can be of any race or combination of races but are grouped separately in this data.)
the rate of new breast cancer cases among Asian American and Pacific Islander women under 50 grew by about 52% from 2000 through 2021. rates for AAPI women 50 to 64 grew 33% and rates for AAPI women 65 and older grew by 43% during that period. By comparison, the rate for women of all ages, races, and ethnicities grew by 3%.
r esearchers have picked up on this trend and are racing to find out why it is occuring within this ethnically diverse group.
t hey suspect the answer is complex, ranging from cultural shifts to pressure-filled lifestyles — yet they concede it remains a mystery and difficult for patients and their families to discuss because of cultural differences.
h elen Chew, director of the Clinical Breast Cancer Program at UC Davis h ealth, said the Asian American diaspora is so broad and diverse that simple explanations for the increase in breast cancer aren’t obvious.
“It’s a real trend,” Chew said, adding that “it is just difficult to tease out exactly why it is. Is it because we’re seeing an influx of people who have less access to care? Is it because of many things culturally where they may not want to come in if they see something on their breast?” there’s urgency to solve this mystery because it’s costing lives.
While women in most ethnic and racial groups are experiencing sharp declines in breast cancer death rates, about 12 of every 100,000 Asian American and Pacific Islander women of any age died from breast cancer in 2023, essentially the same death rate as in 2000, according to age-adjusted, provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. t he breast cancer death rate among all women during that period dropped 30%.
t he CDC does not break out breast cancer death rates for many different groups of Asian American women, such as those of Chinese or Korean descent. It has, though, begun distinguishing between Asian American women and Pacific Islander women.
Nearly 9,000 Asian American women died from breast cancer from 2018 through 2023, compared with about 500 Native h awaiian and Pacific Islander women. h owever, breast cancer death rates were 116% higher among Native hawaiian and Pacific Islander women than among Asian American women during that period. rates of pancreatic, thyroid, colon, and endometrial cancer, along with non- h odgkin lymphoma rates, have also
recently risen significantly among Asian American and Pacific Islander women under 50, NIh data show. Yet breast cancer is much more common among young AAPI women than any of those other types of cancer — especially concerning because young women are more likely to face more aggressive forms of the disease, with high mortality rates.
“We’re seeing somewhere almost around a 4% per-year increase,” said scarlett Gomez, a professor and epidemiologist at the University of California-san francisco’s helen Diller family Comprehensive Cancer Center. “We’re seeing even more than the 4% per-year increase in Asian/Pacific Islander women less than age 50.” Gomez is a lead investigator on a large study exploring the causes of cancer in Asian Americans. she said there is not yet enough research to know what is causing the recent spike in breast cancer. t he answer may involve multiple risk factors over a long period of time.
“one of the hypotheses that we’re exploring there is the role of stress,” she said. “We’re asking all sorts of questions about different sources of stress, different coping styles throughout the lifetime.”
It’s likely not just that there’s more screening. “We looked at trends by stage at diagnosis and we are seeing similar rates of increase across all stages of disease,” Gomez said.
Veronica s etiawan, a professor and epidemiologist at the Keck school of medicine of the University of s outhern California, said the trend may be related to Asian immigrants adopting some lifestyles that put them at higher risk. s etiawan is a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed a few years ago at the age of 49.
“Asian women, American women, they become more westernized so they have their puberty younger now — having earlier age at [the first menstrual cycle] is associated with increased risk,” said setiawan, who is working with Gomez on the cancer study.
m aybe giving birth later, we delay childbearing, we don’t breastfeed — those are all associated with breast cancer risks.”
moon Chen, a professor at the University of California-Davis and an expert on cancer health disparities, added that only a tiny fraction of NIh funding is devoted to researching cancer among Asian Americans. Whatever its cause, the trend has created years of anguish for many patients.
Kashiwada underwent a mastectomy following her breast cancer diagnosis. During surgery, doctors at UC Davis h ealth discovered the cancer had spread to lymph nodes in her underarm. s he underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy and 20 sessions of radiation treatment. t hroughout her treatments,
Kashiwada kept her ordeal a secret from her grandmother, who had helped raise her. her grandmother never knew about the diagnosis. “I didn’t want her to worry about me or add stress to her,” Kashiwada said. “ s he just would probably never sleep if she knew that was happening. It was very important to me to protect her.”
Kashiwada moved in with her parents. her mom took a leave from work to help take care of her.
Kashiwada’s two young children, who were 3 and 6 at the time, stayed with their dad so she could focus on her recovery.
“ t he kids would come over after school,” she said. “my dad would pick them up and bring them over to see me almost every day while their dad was at work.”
Kashiwada spent months regaining strength after the radiation treatments. s he returned to work but with a doctor’s instruction to avoid lifting heavy objects.
Kashiwada had her final reconstructive surgery a few weeks before covid lockdowns began in 2020. But her treatment was not finished. her doctors had told her that estrogen fed her cancer, so they gave her medicine to put her through early menopause. the treatment was not as effective as they had hoped. her doctor performed surgery in 2021 to remove her ovaries.
m ore recently, she was diagnosed with osteopenia and will start injections to stop bone loss.
Kashiwada said she has moved past many of the negative emotions she felt about her illness and wants other young women, including Asian American women like her, to be aware of their elevated risk.
“No matter how healthy you think you are, or you’re exercising, or whatever you’re doing, eating well, which is all the things I was doing — I would say it does not make you invincible or immune,” she said.
“Not to say that you should be afraid of everything, but just be very in tune with your body and what your body’s telling you.”
(Phillip reese/KFF Health News) Phillip r eese is a data reporting specialist and an associate professor of journalism at c alifornia State UniversitySacramento.
This article was produced by KFF Health News, which publishes california Healthline, an editorially independent service of the california Health care Foundation. Supplemental support comes from the Asian American Journalists Association-Los Angeles through The california Endowment.
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.
‘FIESTA
Dateline PhiliPPines
Marcos rallies nations vs weapons of mass destruction
by Helen FloRes Philstar.com
mANILA — President ferdinand
marcos Jr. called on nations on
monday, september 9 to strength-
en collaboration in controlling the export of strategic goods or items that can have both civilian and military applications, to ensure these do not become weapons of mass destruction.
speaking at the Philippine strategic trade management summit in taguig City, marcos said emerging technologies – both in civilian and military fields – pose challenges in trade management.
“the rapid pace of advancement demands us to be more agile, more responsible and it requires us to address both the speed and dual-use nature of these new technologies,” marcos said.
t his summit is not merely about managing trade; it is also about mitigating risks, promoting stability and confidence in our regulatory regimes and ensuring that the tools of our progress do not become weapons of our destruction,” he said.
the summit is an annual export control forum focusing on regulatory updates and best practices for the implementation of strategic trade management (stm) systems.
It also serves as a platform to discuss counter-proliferation challenges, such as emerging technology, intangible technology
Nancy
transfer, transit and transshipment and sanctions.
Around 300 delegates from various local and international organizations attended the forum at shangri-La the fort in taguig City. Among those who attended the summit were trade secretary ma. Cristina Aldeguer-roque, foreign Affairs secretary enrique manalo and U.s. Ambassador maryKay Carlson.
Apart from representatives from member states of the Association of southeast Asian Nations, this year’s stm summit was also attended by partners from the U.s., Japan, europe and Africa, marcos said. this demonstrates our faith in the power of collaboration to improve and secure our global supply chains as well as to open our doors for trade to flourish, for wealth to grow and for people to prosper,” he said. the Philippines, marcos said, has launched a strategic investment plan focused on developing key industries.
“We have developed policies that require individuals and entities engaging in stm-covered activities to register and to receive authorization to deliver their services,” he said. the country has also implemented programs to educate not only the border control and import/ export officers in fulfilling their responsibilities but also stakehold-
ers to properly comply with the Philippines’ rules and regulations. the Philippines is also conducting post-authorization audits, compliance checks and compliance consultations through monitoring and inspection activities, he added.
“But the work does not end there – we will continue to upgrade industry standards, modernize regulations and further establish linkages through various trade and investment frameworks,” he said.
marcos emphasized strategic trade management is more than just a bureaucratic exercise but “upholding the rule of law, protecting our people and contributing to global peace and security.”
he cited the Philippines’ improved ranking in the latest Peddling Peril Index, which indicates that the country is on the right track in strategic trade management.
“however, there is much work to be done. As the first Asian republic, the Philippines has always stood for principles over power,” marcos said.
As one of the original framers of the United Nations Charter, marcos said the Philippines’ commitment to peace and stability has been unwavering.
today, as we pursue a non-permanent seat on the UN security Council for 2027 to 2028, we are doubling down on that same commitment,” the chief executive said. n
Binay: Ready to serve Makati
by Francis Earl cuEto ManilaTimes.net
seN. Nancy Binay appears to be gearing up for a mayoral bid in makati City, as indicated by her latest social media post. on sunday, september 8, Binay posted on facebook: "ready to serve..." with a hashtag #makati2025. the post had a photo of her holding a heart-shaped sign with "100%" written on it, probably signaling her full commitment. speculation about her candidacy has been swirling for months.
In August, Binay said that she will "most likely" run for mayor of makati. earlier, she said that she was waiting for a sign. Binay's candidacy has the full support of her family, including her father, former vice president Jejomar Binay, who also served as makati mayor for decades. her last term as a senator will end in 2025. her sister, makati mayor Abigail Binay, earlier said she may run for mayor of taguig City.
Ex-President Duterte files complaints vs Abalos, Marbil over KJC raid
by JoHn eRic mendozA Inquirer.net
mANILA — former President r odrigo Duterte has filed a malicious mischief complaint against Interior s ecretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General r ommel m arbil, and other police officials over the operation in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) compound in Davao City.
Duterte is the new administrator of KJC properties. m alicious mischief is filed when there is a destruction of property. the cases against Abalos and PNP officials were lodged at the regional trial Court Branch 15 in Davao City. on August 24, around 2,000 members of the PNP raided the 30-hectare KJC compound to serve the arrest warrant against fugitive KJC leader Apollo Quiboloy. the police dug an underground tunnel in the basement of Jose m aria College, one of the structures inside the KJC compound.
Quiboloy, Jackielyn roy, Ingrid Canada, Cresente Canada, and s ylvia Cements were already arrested inside the KJC compound on sunday, september 8. they were later detained at the PNP custodial center on sunday night, and were presented to a press conference on m onday afternoon, september 9.
Quiboloy and the five coaccused face child abuse cases before the Davao City court. o ne of them has been under the custody of authorities since July.
Quiboloy also has a standing arrest warrant for human trafficking issued by a Pasig City court. n
Sen. Nancy Binay ManilaTimes.net file photo
Apollo Quiboloy and Rodrigo Duterte Inquirer.net file photos
MEANINGFUL DAY. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. visits the
OPiniOn Features
True reckoning for Duterte drug war
Barely a month old, the House of representatives quad committee has hit the ground running, assembling witnesses and gathering testimonies that cast new light into the brutal drug war of the past administration.
And its labors appear to be bearing fruit. Although criticized by some as a political witch hunt, the panel has arguably accomplished in weeks what law enforcers and prosecutors failed to do in six years under the shadow of former President rodrigo Duterte at the peak of his power. the inquiry’s latest bombshell: one of Duterte’s trusted police officers allegedly forced a Davao prison warden to go along with a plot to murder three Chinese drug trafficking convicts in 2016. Police Col. Gerardo Padilla, former officer in charge of the Davao Prison and Penal farm in Panabo City, Davao del Norte, testified on Wednesday, september 4 that he was “subjected to intense pressure” by royina Garma, then a police colonel heading the Central Visayas regional command of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police.
‘Cooperate or else’
Garma, who went on to lead the Cebu City police before being tapped as general manager of the Philippine Charity sweepstakes office in June 2019, allegedly told Padilla to “not question (the operation) whether you like it or not” and to “cooperate or you will be sorry” in the sinister conspiracy against Chu Kin tung, Li Lang Yang, and Wong meng Pin.
At the time, the official story reported by Davao authorities was that the three prisoners were stabbed dead by two filipino inmates in an altercation on Aug. 16, 2016.
In making the fresh allegations, Padilla recanted his earlier testimony, reasoning that he had withheld information in fear of his life and that of his family. the former warden, however, stopped short of throwing any direct accusations against Duterte himself, a manifest illustration of the former president’s potent hold over his former subordinates.
IN four days, the administration of President ferdinand marcos Jr. made two major and sensational arrests.
one, Alice Guo, aka Guo hua Ping, accused of various crimes like lying before Congress under oath, human trafficking, tax evasion, money laundering, graft and corruption.
two, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, who has proclaimed generational divinity for himself and been accused of child abuse, sex trafficking, sexual abuse of minors, as well as federal grand jury charges in California of conspiracy, sex trafficking of children and sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion. U.s federal agents have been looking for him since November 2021. says the U.s state Department: h uman trafficking is both a grave crime and a human rights abuse. It compromises national and economic security,
WheN sara Duterte and ferdinand marcos Jr. joined forces ahead of the 2022 elections, which ultimately sealed the fate of that historic race, a bizarre torrent of monickers and iconographies burst onto the scene. for the supporters of the “Uniteam,” the tandem represented an unbeatable coalition between the “tiger of the North” (marcos Jr.) and the “ e agle of Davao” (sara Duterte). thus, the birth of a surreal cottage industry of posters, memes, and billboards drenched in self-aggrandizing zoological fantasies. for critics, the so-called “Uniteam” was nothing less than a coalition of brats, namely the alliance of convenience between
Padilla said he had felt “pressured” because he knew Garma had the backing of the higher-ups.
“By intense pressure, you meant that there was a bigger person behind Garma’s instructions?”
manila rep. Bienvenido Abante pressed him. “Is that ‘big person’… our former president?”
Padilla’s reply was immediate: “I’m not implicating him.”
Emboldened lawmakers still, the testimony had succeeded in giving renewed attention to an eight-year-old cold case that would otherwise never have been brought to light were it not for the breakdown of the marcosDuterte alliance.
more than anything else, it was this feud that allowed lawmakers to grow a spine and challenge the formerly untouchable former president by investigating the serious crimes allegedly committed with impunity under his watch, motivated by the impulse to please the new chief executive.
o f course, whether the joint h ouse panel–comprising the committees on dangerous drugs; public order and safety; human rights; and public accounts–would be able to establish that such crimes were done with Duterte’s imprimatur is a question that won’t be answered anytime soon.
But as a start, it is an encouraging one, and the hope is that the emergence of new whistleblowers creates a ripple effect so that more eyewitnesses will surface to reveal what they know.
Last month, for instance, the committee learned from the former drug war “poster boy,” Police Lt. Col. Jovie espenido, former police chief of Albuera, Leyte, that Duterte’s closest associates allegedly ordered police officers to use “all means necessary” to eradicate drug suspects and to reward the deed under a so-called “quota and reward system.”
undermines the rule of law and harms the well-being of individuals and communities everywhere. It is a crime of exploitation.” Life imprisonment and/or $1.5-million fine is maximum penalty for human trafficking.
o n tuesday, s ept. 3, 2024, Alice Guo, 34, was seized by Indonesian authorities in the Indonesian city of tangerang, near Jakarta. o n s ept. 5, at 4 a.m., Guo was turned over to the Philippine arresting party composed of Interior and Local Government s ecretary Benhur Abalos and Philippine National Police chief r ommel m arbil who, using a private plane, flew the fugitive to manila where she was read her rights, processed, handcuffed, fingerprinted and made to wear an orange detainee uniform. the long arm of the law finally caught up with Guo. At 6 p.m., s unday, s ept. 8, Quiboloy was arrested, after a 15-day siege by a 2,300-strong arresting PNP force at the sprawling Davao worship compound of the self-appointed son of God. Whether it was divine
the untested and unproven offspring of two notorious filipino strongmen. o n her part, s ara Duterte had no relevant experience beyond local government politics. she simply lacked the audacity and eloquence for national leadership, which would require a certain effortless pizzazz in dealing with global statesmen. she also seemed like a poor copy of her dad—an already problematic original—in wit and spontaneity. As for ferdinand marcos Jr., he had all the glamour and eloquence of his parents, thanks to his exposure to the global elite throughout decades at the pinnacle of national power.
But the namesake son neither have the gravitas and academic credentials of his dad nor the spontaneous charm of his notorious mom, who dazzled world leaders—from m ao Zedong
Not a court of law
It is important to note that the quad committee’s findings, much like the discoveries of s enate blue ribbon investigations, are only as good as their legal outcome. the committee, after all, is a congressional body and not a court of law, and no Philippine judge to date has attempted to bring Duterte and his subordinates to justice for the alleged crimes raised during the inquiry. t hat brings us to the touchy issue of the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor’s investigation of drug war killings. While we hope that the result of the quad committee’s findings is the prosecution of all those culpable in the drug war in Philippine courts, any criminal charges arising
from them should not preclude the ICC prosecutor from pursuing a separate and independent inquiry. We applaud the house quad committee members for their newfound zeal in digging up Duterteera skeletons, but ultimately, their actions serve interests that are more political than legal, however those interests may coincide with the quest for justice for the thousands killed in the drug war. In the end, the true reckoning for the war on drugs waged by Duterte and his lieutenants won’t be made before a panel of lawmakers but before the eyes of the law. If that’s unrealistic for local courts in today’s legal and political climate, then an international tribunal must be allowed to take on the task instead. (inquirer.net)
inspiration or deux ex machina, only the devil can truly relate the circumstances of Quiboloy’s capture by force of arms.
Now, I want President marcos Jr. to execute another kind of arrest. t his is arresting the unbated rise in prices of prime commodities, particularly food, and the atrocious interest rates slapped by the Bangko sentral on hapless money users in the past four years. t here is no fine nor prison penalty for B s P people unilaterally raising interest rates to their heart’s desire. the 91-day t-bill rate has risen more than five-fold, from 1.1 pct in 2021 to 5.61 by 2024. they call rising interest rates a stability measure, although the effect has been one of political instability which cannot be measured by monetary aggregates. t he more useful aggregate is solid stone which hungry small folks use when they start storming the palace looking for something to eat or someone to blame. there is also no penalty for unabated inflation.
But the rewards for arrest are huge and are something for
and f idel Castro to m uammar Ghadaffi—throughout her unforgettably decadent reign as the Philippines’ de facto queen. the tandem ended up winning the greatest share of votes in more than half a century of presidential elections in the country. And then came the inevitable political divorce. A very ugly one at that. It didn’t take long before former “Uniteam” aficionados turned on each other with gusto. the most notorious propagandists ended up turning on their former patrons with exquisite brutality. some went so far as accusing the incumbent of being a “drug addict” (“Polvoron Boy”) and, in a zoological reversal, ended up branding now President m arcos as a kitten (“ Kuting ”) rather than a t iger (“ Tigre ”).
Bizarrely, former President rodrigo Duterte has echoed similar statements, thus exposing major political realignments within a
the soul, especially if you are a politician, a pro-poor politician. Arrest is a french word meaning to stop or stay. so arrest the rise in prices of food. Arrest the high interest rate regime of the BsP.
In the first half of 2024, the average farmgate prices of the following major crops showed hefty price increases: palay, up 35 percent to P24.74 per kilo; banana 15.3 percent, coconut 17 percent, pineapple 68 percent, coffee 46 percent, tobacco 8.6 percent, abaca 10 percent, tomato 37 percent, potato 2.3 percent, calamansi 8.8 percent and cacao 10 percent. Production of palay, banana, mango, sugar, onion and mongo declined in the first half. In livestock, hogs 8.8 percent, cattle 9.1 percent, carabao 5.6 percent, goat 13.2 percent and dairy 7.5 percent, all showed large price increases despite higher production. h ow important is food and agriculture? f armers and fishermen are the poorest filipinos. their poverty incidence is 30 percent, double the national average. Yes, agriculture employs 10 million f ilipinos. t he food shortage is 25 percent of demand.
tempestuous landscape. so far, however, “team Kuting” has proven itself as far more formidable than its former ally, which will likely be redubbed as “team itik,” since the self-styled venerable eagle has looked as vulnerable as a baby duck. By all indications, the Dutertes and their proxies have devastatingly underestimated the incumbent. mr. marcos may not be a tiger himself, but he clearly surrounds himself with capable ones. earlier this year, one of those tigers told me that the president is not going to be a sitting duck. If anything, he will strike back—at the moment of his choosing. And that political moment seems to be arriving, at last.
t he “repatriation” of Bamban’s former Chinese m ayor Alice Guo was clearly headline-grabbing news, but the Apollo Quiboloy “surrender” may be the real clincher. After
the shortage is covered mainly by imports, worth P1.14 trillion a year. Production is hampered by huge harvest losses, 14.5 percent in rice, 16 percent in fisheries, 20 percent in fruits and vegetables, 26 percent in mongo and 32 percent in onion. food needed to feed the hungry – numbering 15 million – is simply wasted.
Inflation is high because of low production or no production of food, which has been half of the inflation rate in the past two years. Yet, BsP keeps imposing high interest rates to solve the inflation problem when it should be focusing on production.
According to e conomic Planning s ecretary Arsi Balisacan, high interest rates cut our economic growth by half percent. And reduced food production. You need money to produce food and if that money is very expensive you don’t produce food instead. so instead of enjoying 6 percent GDP growth we should have had 6.5 percent, the best in Asia. A half percent missed economic growth rate to me means P250 billion worth of lost production and 100,000 jobs that should have been created. Laments sec Arsi:
weeks of tense standoff, Brig. Gen. Nicolas torre III ably salami-sliced Quiboloy’s gigantic compound until the de facto fugitive was forced to come out of hiding. In the process, torre defied all odds, including constant pressure from Davao’s political and legal establishment, and deftly avoided both violence and fatigue until the enemy blinked.
In retrospect, this should have come as totally unsurprising. As General torre told me during the first night of siege: “We are under great pressure [to see this through].” Quiboloy’s arrest marks a milestone on many levels, especially for justice, thanks to the tireless efforts of the likes of sen. risa hontiveros, who single-handedly exposed all alleged abuses within the controversial pastor’s sect. most fundamentally, it broke a major psychological barrier, namely the impunity of the
“ o ur growth performance could have been even more impactful on all f ilipinos if not for the high inflation and interest rates that the country experienced in the last two years. Considering the lagged effect of interest rate hikes that the BsP carried out in response to the high inflation in 2022 and early 2023, we estimate that economic growth could have been over half a percentage point higher in 2023 if such rate hikes did not materialize. m ore importantly, with slower increases in food prices, our efforts could have reduced the poverty incidence to around 13 to 14 percent in 2023 – instead of the actual reported figure of 15.5 percent – if inflation had been within target during the year. this would have translated to an even higher reduction in the number of poor people by 4.4 million instead of the actual reported 2.5 million between 2021 and 2023.”(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.
* * * Email: biznewsasia@gmail.com
Duterte-Quiboloy joint kingdom in Davao. As one of mr. marcos’ tigers recently told me, there are currently more than 200 legislators who are open to backing impeachment proceedings against the vice president based on a myriad of charges. Another admitted that the International Criminal Court has been communicating with them ahead of a potential issuance of a warrant of arrest. In many ways, this month may end up as the most consequential one in mr. marcos’ presidency. Will he decisively strike at the Dutertes, or risk confronting their vengeance in the future? (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.
* * * rheydarian@inquirer.com.ph
VP Sara accuses House leaders of meddling with DepEd classroom budget
by cRistinA cHi Philstar.com
m ANILA — Vice President
sara Duterte has accused house speaker martin romualdez and the chairperson of the powerful house appropriations committee of manipulating the Department of education’s budget for classroom construction over the past two years.
In a video interview released by the office of the Vice President on tuesday, september 10, Duterte said the house of representatives inflated Deped’s budget for classroom construction beyond its requested sum in 2023 and 2024. this, she claimed, allowed romualdez and rep. elizaldy Co (Ako Bicol) to control billions in additional funds. the oVP sent Duterte’s video to reporters on the same day the lower chamber resumed its deliberations on the oVP’s proposed 2025 budget.
Unlike the previous hearing on August 27, where the vice president had heated exchanges with lawmakers, Duterte did not face the appropriations panel this time, saying in a letter that she “[defers] entirely to the discretion and judgment” of the committee on the oVP’s proposed budget.
DepEd irregularities
In the nine-minute video — a continuation of another video the oVP sent on monday, september
9 — Duterte detailed her concerns about the alleged irregular insertions in the budget of Deped, which she led before her resignation on July 19.
Duterte recalled being approached by house members who asked for a portion of Deped’s proposed P5 billion outlay for classroom construction in the 2023 budget.
“I was taken aback when they asked, ‘how much of that is ours? how much do we get?’” Duterte said in mixed english and filipino.
Duterte said she refused the lawmakers’ requests to give Deped a free hand to construct new classrooms based on its backlog.
“so, sinabihan ko ‘yung isang congressman, ‘ s abihan ninyo
si m artin r omualdez na hindi pwedeng chop-chopin ang classroom construction na 5 billion’ (i instructed one congressman, ‘Tell Martin romualdez that we cannot allow the P5 billion for classroom
construction to be split up’),” the vice president said. Because she did not agree to the lawmakers’ demands, Duterte alleged that Deped’s proposed P5 billion funds for classrooms were bumped up to P15 billion, with the additional P10 billion being placed under the “control” of romualdez and Co. Philstar.com has reached out to romualdez and Co for comment and will update this story with their response.
the vice president said house leaders did the same in the 2024 budget, where an initial P19 billion allocation for classroom construction was raised to P24 billion. this time, the additional P5 billion was allegedly taken from the funds allocated for classroom repairs.
“so, what was left for repairs for the poor classrooms is just 1 billion,” Duterte said. for the 2024 budget, Duterte said house leaders attached a list specifying where the P17 billion for classroom construction would go even though the department did not approve this.
“You can see that on paper. When we went to the senate, the senators saw this. they asked the Department of education, ‘Is it true or not that the list of 17 billion for classroom construction came from you?’” Duterte added. romualdez and Co’s alleged insertions in the Deped budget led Duterte to resign and also fueled her decision to forego the question-and-answer portion of the house appropriations committee’s deliberations of the oVP’s budget.
“that is one of the reasons why I resigned from the Department of
education. I will not allow them to do the same thing next year and hold me accountable for their actions,” Duterte said. that’s why I’m saying, ‘Why are we still having a Q&A session where you attack me? In the end, only two people control the budget,’” she added.
on monday, Duterte justified her stonewalling of the house appropriations committee’s deliberations of the oVP’s proposed budget, arguing that the lawmakers who faced her were simply not used to “tough responses.”
the vice president also said the budget hearing of the oVP was being used by “certain lawmakers” to launch political attacks against her.
the August 27 hearing where Duterte repeatedly traded insults with lawmakers and refused to coherently answer their queries, especially on her use of confidential funds, is a marked departure from previous years’ house deliberations of the oVP budget.
In 2022 and 2023, Duterte enjoyed the privilege of having the oVP budget hearing terminated within minutes due to h ouse lawmakers’ “courtesy” to her. motions to end the budget hearing early were usually met with objections from the three-member makabayan bloc. however, since the start of the year, Duterte and her father, former President rodrigo Duterte, have publicly feuded with President ferdinand marcos Jr. and other administration allies over issues related to Charter change and the president’s foreign policy. this marked the breakup of the Uniteam alliance that swept sara and marcos to power in 2022. n
mANILA — At least 207 Chinese
vessels were spotted crowding the West Philippine sea last week, breaking the previous week's record-high even after a powerful storm swept through the area.
According to the Philippine Navy's monitoring from september 3 to 9, which an official presented on tuesday, september 10, four more Chinese vessels were spotted in the nine features of the West Philippine sea compared to the previous week. the increase marks China's largest show of force in the disputed waters this year.
rear Admiral roy Vincent trinidad, the Philippine Navy spokesman for the West Philippine sea, noted that around 68 or a third of the Chinese vessels were concentrated near or within escoda (sabina) shoal a feature 75 nautical miles from Palawan and deep within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
the numbers do no mean there is something suspicious," trinidad said.
"In the first place, even only one ship, their presence is already illegal within the exclusive economic zone. It just so happens that because of our extra attention giuven to sabina shoal, the maritime militia numbers have also increased focusing on sabina shoal," he added.
Philippine Coast Guard vessel BrP teresa magbanua has been stationed at escoda shoal since April amid reports of Chinese reclamation activities in the area. Beijing
has called on the Philippines to remove the vessel, saying its presence is an affront to its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.
sabina and escoda have been under our attention for the past good number of months because of the reported increase of crushed corals... We have to determine if this is man-made or by force of nature. hence, the extra patrols given by the AfP (Armed forces of the Philippines), the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Bureau of fisheries and Aquatic resources," trinidad said.
the number of Chinese ships deployed so far in the West Philippine sea, which is part of the broader south China sea, is within the "force projection capability of south sea fleet, the CCG, and the maritime militia," the Navy official added.
super typhoon Yagi (formerly tropical storm enteng), believed
to be Asia's strongest storm this year, landed in China's hainan province on september 6 after passing through the northern part of the Philippines, where it left 16 people dead.
Beijing, through a state-run newspaper, urged the Philippines on monday, september 9, to "seriously consider the future of China-Philippines relations and work with China to push bilateral relations back on track." In 2016, a tribunal constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the sea dismissed China’s expansive maritime claims in the south China sea, including parts referred to as the West Philippine sea. China rejects the ruling and, over the years, has stepped up efforts to assert its "rights" by sending dozens of coast guard and maritime militia vessels to the disputed waters. (Philstar.com)
TRANQUIL. A small boat navigates Manila Bay under hazy skies on Tuesday, September 10. Manila’s air quality index showed “moderate” pollution level. PNA photo by Yancy Lim
VEGAS&STYLE Journal
fILIPINo fans of olivia rodrigo are in for a special treat as the filipino-American pop star is set to bring her “GUts” world tour to the Philippines. Presented by Live Nation Philippines, the much-anticipated concert marking the young hitmaker’s first show in the country, is scheduled for oct. 5 at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.
In an exciting twist, all tickets for the manila show will be sold at a flat rate of P1,500 (including taxes), giving fans a chance to enjoy the concert at an affordable price. ticket sales for the concert will begin this saturday, sept. 14 at 10 a.m. fans can purchase up to four tickets per transaction, and all tickets will be sold as “silver star tickets.” seat locations will be revealed only when tickets are picked up after sept. 28. sections will be assigned randomly, covering everything from floor seats to limited-view and upper-level sections, ensuring all fans have an equal chance at securing prime spots.
What makes this event even more meaningful is that all net
proceeds from the ticket sales will go to olivia’s “fund 4 Good.” the “fund 4 Good” is a global initiative established by olivia to support community-based nonprofits focused on empowering women and girls. Its mission includes advancing girls’ education, supporting reproductive rights, and preventing gender-based violence.
By attending the concert, filipino fans will not only experience a night of incredible music but also contribute to a worthy cause. olivia previously thrilled fans by hinting at an upcoming visit to the country in a video message pro-
moting her new single obsessed. the singer first exploded in the music world via her debut track, drivers license, released in January 2021. the song became a huge hit, topping charts around the world and breaking streaming records. following this success, she released more songs such as deja vu and good 4 u, which made her debut album, soUr, become a hit. It won her several Grammys, including Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album. she has sinne won several other awards, including American music Awards and mtV Video music Awards. (Philstar.com)
heArt evangelista extended some love to Yoda, the aspin (asong Pinoy) that was denied entry to a f ilipino restaurant because of her “breed and size.” the actress hinted at the desire to “invite” the latter for tea with her pet aspin, Panda. evangelista took to Instagram to share a photo of Panda and wrote in her caption, “Aspin society elite Pres. [Panda ongpauco escudero] sending LoVe to Yoda.” In Panda’s Instagram account, which is run by evangelista herself, she then posted another photo with the caption, “Anong walang breed???! Mas may breeding pa ako sa inyo ha. Loka mga ‘to hello sa mga kasali sa Aspin society elite. #wagako #aspinsocietyelite #presidentpanda #notodiscrimination.” evangelista replied in the comments section now using her Instagram account, “#AspinsocietyeLIte of the elite!! Go anak mind your [vocabulary], Sayang ang masters degree.” over the weekend, Balay Dako,
a restaurant in tagaytay, drew the ire of the public and its patrons after turning down a customer who wanted to dine there with her pet aspin, Yoda. the restaurant recently issued an apology, asserting that they are a “company that loves animals,” who also needs to ensure the safety of their guests.
Netizens, including the Philippine Animal Welfare society (PAWs), perceived the incident as a “discrimination” towards the native dogs.
“this incident is particularly disheartening as it underscores the
persistence of harmful stereotypes and unjust biases against our very own native dogs,” the non-profit organization said in a statement. meanwhile, evangelista previously addressed the criticism after she adorned Panda with a diamond-encrusted neckpiece from a luxury brand worth P11 million, a move that some followers claimed sent an insensitive and “tone deaf” message to the public. Panda is a pet rescued and was adopted by evangelista in 2015 after her father found it in Batangas.
How Richard Yap strikes balance as father, businessman, actor
by deni rose M. afinidad-Bernardo Philstar.com
m o N ths after their second marriage proposal, KaladKaren and her longtime beau Luke Wrightson finally said “I do” in the latter’s hometown in North Yorkshire, england.
t he actress-news anchor announced that she and Wrightson got married on s unday, s ept. 8 at r aven h all County h otel, a cliff-top wedding venue with the “best overlooking views,” in scarborough, North Yorkshire, england.
KaladKaren was a breathtaking bride in her francis Libiran tube serpentina gown with a short wedding veil, while her partner looked dapper in his white-andblack suit with a bowtie, as seen on her Instagram post on monday, sept. 9. other photos showed the couple sharing a kiss at the ceremony, walking down the aisle at the garden venue, and posing for photos.
“ t he Wrightsons. 8th of s eptember 2024. Wedding in the clouds. Luke and I dreamed of a beautiful sunny day in this fantastic cliff-top wedding venue in england. It’s supposed to have the best overlooking views in North Yorkshire,” she wrote. “on our
wedding day, ironically, the views were covered by a thick fog! It was almost zero visibility!!!!!! What a one in a million chance!” Despite the foggy weather, KaladKaren didn’t mind since she nevertheless married the love of her life, while being surrounded by their loved ones.
“Unlucky? Not at all. But marrying the love of my life surrounded by our dearest friends and families … makes me feel the luckiest woman alive! And hey, who else can say they got married in the clouds?! mr. & mrs L Wrightson,” she said. the couple received well wishes
from celebrities, drag performers, content creators, and KaladKaren’s colleagues in the comments, including s assa Gurl, Adrian Lindayag, Kylie Verzosa, m ac Igarta, Bela Padilla, enchong Dee, Karla estrada, francis Libiran, Jessy mendiola, Awra Briguela, rufa mae Quinto, Astrid mercury, and John fedellaga.
Nice Print Photography, the couple’s wedding photographer, shared more glimpses of the couple’s special day on Instagram.
“Beautiful captured moments for our newlyweds @kaladkaren and Luke Wrightson. It’s official! Congratulations and Best wishes @kaladkaren and Luke Wrightson. such a lovely, beautiful intimate wedding at raven hall County, United Kingdom,” its post read.
In a recent interview with the Philippine Daily i nquirer, KaladKaren said it was her and Wrightson’s decision to get married. she also said that apart from being an advocate for LGBtQIA+ rights, she wanted their wedding to be remembered as a celebration of their love.
KaladKaren received a second marriage proposal from Wrightson in July 2024, four years after they got engaged on their home balcony during the pandemic. the couple dated for 12 years before tying the knot.
there is no stopping richard Yap even at 57 years old.
While many people his age are keen on retirement, the actor continues his showbiz streak via the afternoon drama “Abot-Kamay na Pangarap,” alongside juggling many businesses and being dad to his kids, Ashley and Dylan. All these while looking good and youthful. how does he do it?
At the recent launch of his daughter Ashley’s first business venture, sip2Glow, richard said that apart from regularly taking the collagen drink that he is endorsing, his secret to doing it all is staying committed.
“I try to keep my promises, like if I came from a shooting, I have to come there because of my commitment to my daughter. so it's really about finding time and scheduling what you have to do,” he told Philstar.com in an interview.
“But never forget that family should always be first. family should always be first,” he stressed.
Kahit nasa bahay lang kami, we always find time to gather. Kung hindi naman, kung nasa labas kami, nagtatawagan kami, let’s say, kung nasaan s’ya, ‘o, magkape muna tayo’… We always find time to be together.”
Ashley nodded, sharing that her and her dad’s favorite bonding activity is having coffee together.
“And at night, dumadaan pa rin ako sa room ng parents ko tapos I would tell them about my day or kakamustahin ko sila… so very best friends talaga kami,” she vouched.
According to her, richard is not strict dad even when it comes to boys.
he’s not, like I said, parang best friends lang kami. I’m very open to him. Kunwari, ‘hey dad, may
ganito akong iniisip or pinagdadaanan.’ Lahat ‘yun, kinukwento ko talaga sa kanya.” for dads who also want to be best friends with their kids, her advice is, “they should really take time to talk to their kids and they really have to spend time talaga, kahit na minsan they feel like, wala lang, naglalaro lang anak nila or like gusto lang magkape, samahan n’yo spending time together really gives you an opportunity to bond. And just because lagi kayong magkasama sa house doesn’t mean na bonding na ‘yun eh. You have to talk to each other talaga and understand and support as well.” When asked by the press if he feels a certain generation gap with his kids, richard said: “Siguro music, kapag iba ‘yung music nila. Pero nakakaride din naman ako pero minsan nagtatanong ako, ‘Anong music mo?’ kasi parang ‘di ko na alam.” Ashley then quickly retorted: “Pero very bagets kasi s’ya. Very cool, nag-titiktok din ‘yan so very game s’ya sa lahat so feeling ko, hindi naman sobra (ang generation gap).”
K APAM i LYA star Alexa Ilacad and s outh Korean actor Kim Ji s oo’s upcoming family movie “mujigae” dropped its first official teaser. on monday, sept. 9, Cinema Bravo warmed the hearts of netizens by posting the 34-second teaser of “mujigae.” t he teaser shows the cast members having genuine moments with newbie child star ryrie turingan, who will play the role of mujigae, which translates to “rainbow” in english.
Ilacad’s character is seen helping the five-year-old mujigae for school, as she also hypes her up during school activities. on the other hand, Ji soo is captured giving Korean snacks to mujigae and teaching her how to ride a bicycle. Based on the short clip, m ujigae appears to be a halff ilipino and half-Korean child that is well-loved among the people around her. the film is also set to feature r ufa m ae Quinto and Lito Pimentel, among others.
Quinto first announced the movie in July after she shared clips from the film’s story
conference. Anyeong… umabot na tayo sa south Korea international movie sa isang magandang blessing na naman ito. Todo na ‘to!” she wrote in her caption at the time. m eanwhile, Ji s oo recently officially became a Kapuso last month after he signed a contract with sparkle GmA Artist Center. the Korean star’s recent career move raised eyebrows following past controversy in his home country. Ji soo recently addressed his past issues by asserting that the sexual allegations made against him were all “false.” “I’ve been able to clear up misunderstandings with the friends involved. We talked and
reconciled, and I am now focused on moving forward with my life and career,” he said in a recent interview with sports Chosun.
“many rumors have become public knowledge and established facts because of things I didn’t do. All sexual assault allegations were false, and even an apology was received,” added the actor.
Ji soo is known for starring in several Korean dramas, including s trong Girl Bong s oon” and “moonlight Lovers: scarlet heart ryeo.”
m eanwhile, Ilacad was last seen in the t V series “ PiraPirasong Paraiso” and the movie toss Coin,” where she starred alongside KD estrada, her onscreen partner.
JessY mendiola admitted she came to a point where she almost ended her marriage with Luis manzano, saying she had already informed his mom Vilma santos of her decision at the time. mendiola revealed this during her “ truth or Dare” vlog with manzano, as seen on her Youtube channel on s unday, s ept. 8. mendiola was asked to “describe the time [she] almost broke up with [her] spouse.”
“‘Yun ‘yung time na may mga tao sa paligid niya na talagang hindi okay,” mendiola recalled, with manzano adding, “Nasama ako sa issue.” mendiola noted that a certain individual, whom she did not name, even quarreled with her the day after her wedding.
“Kinasal kami tapos the next day, inaway-away ako nung taong ‘yon. Kaya pala galit na galit siya sakin kasi may tinatago siyang sikretong karumaldumal, na malala ,” she said. “ Do’n ko naamoy na parang, ‘May something itong taong ito. Bakit galit na galit siya na kinasal kami?'” Ayaw niya talaga patibag. inaaway niya talaga ako. As in talagang away,” she recounted. “Kulang na lang kampihan niya ‘yung mga taong ‘yon Nung sinabi ko sa kanya, nagagalit pa siya sa akin tapos hindi niya ako pinapansin.” Sinasabi niya sa akin, ‘Mali ka. Matagal ko na silang kilala. Halos
kababata ko sila, part of the family ‘— so ako, hindi ba part of the family?” she continued. mendiola also disclosed that manzano already wanted a child at the time, but that she told him that he was not ready to be a dad because he would still choose his friends over his family. “ Nagpaalam na talaga ako kay m omski no’n ,” m endiola said, referring to santos. “Sabi ko, ‘momski, hindi ko na talaga po kaya. Mahal ko po kayo pero hindi na po ako pinapakinggan ng asawa ko
by jessica ann evangelista Inquirer.net
Jessy Mendiola and Luis Manzano
Bulacan. Philstar.com photos
Evangelista with her dog
by HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net
Richard and Ashley Yap Philstar.com photo
My P.E.P. (People, Events,Places)
RogeLio consTanTino Medina
A h UG e congratulations to Biyaya Animal Care and Biyaya Animal sanctuary on its 2nd Anniversary. Its unwavering dedication to spreading love and hope to fur babies across the Philippines is inspiring. this year’s goal of providing 2,000 + free spay and neuter services to dogs and cats shows the power of compassion in action. sen. Grace Poe has been supportive of Biyaya, an organization that aims to make a positive change in companion and street animal welfare.
* * * slay model management director Cece Asuncion has created a filipina-led reality show, “manila matriarchs,” starring singer Karylle, myrza sison, Joanna Preysler- francisco and trisha Bantigue-tsao. he was in manila recently to do some shots.
t he LA-based f il-American filmmaker said to me that fashion is fickle and really not glamorous: “What goes on behind the camera is more interesting to me. I’ve learned not to take things personally and that rejection is part of life. sometimes, you’re on the receiving end of it and sometimes you’re the one who rejects. It all evens out, so enjoy the journey that is life.” on weekends, he leads a quiet life and is lucky to have a tight circle of friends that he can be “unapologetically myself with.” he likes to cook as it takes his mind away from his day-to-day worries, but most importantly, he spends time with his dog, Kenzo. I asked him what he misses about the Philippines. h e responded, “the beaches and the hospitality, however, it would be the kindness people have.” And his advocacy? “I am an advocate for shedding positive light on communities that may not have the platform to do so. I am a proud ally to the trans community and of course, to my filipino community,” he revealed. he concluded the brief interview with his personal philosophy:””When you’re in a position to help, do so.”
* * * Pet tJ was the recent cynosure during visual artist Joy rojas’ 8th solo exhibition in Artistspace in makati City. his “Japan’s Cherry Blossom,” “french riviera summer,” “Winter solace,” and “New england’s
foliage” mixed media works based on his travels in different countries have caught the attention of art enthusiasts. Likewise, his three historica filipinas” mixed media works based on Philippine history and “metanoia” series drew rave reviews.
In his latest show, rojas delves into the intrinsic nature of objects. he uses mixed-media creations, canvas-shaped pieces and sculptures.
During the Ipso facto art show at Ayala museum Annex, I saw People Asia magazine’s editor-in-chief Joanne rae ramirez, Aliw Broadcasting Corp. chairman edgard Cabangon, and former Press secretary Ignacio “toting” Bunye.
* * * through the years I’ve been doing writing as a mission. I gave up my comfortable, glamorous, social life in the U.s. and my rising journalism career in the Japan times. I’m accustomed to living simply. Perhaps, the nature of my work as a writer requires freedom from mental, emotional and physical stress and pressure. I know you will agree that the “real well of ideas” is the subconscious, which is the storehouse of facts, observations, impressions and other memories. But there comes a time when thinking becomes clogged, when errors pile up and when no significant insights occur. At this point, a writer stops for the moment and turns to something entirely different.
I was associated with the late french priest who turned filipino, fr. Pierre tritz, sJ, a mother teresa awardee and a ramon magsaysay awardee, in volunteering to the foundation for Assistance to hansenites, to help our leprosy patient brethren and to the samahan ng mga Batang Nananambakan, to help in the education of former child scavengers in tondo, manila. my life story is just a tip of the iceberg of the many interesting stories to hear from the recipients of the 2nd Philippines finest Business Awards and outstanding Achievers.
* * * mrs. Philippines 2016 Dr. fritzie Lexdy Noche graced the recent artist reception of “Batangan: Batangueño Art at its finest,” a special exhibition at museo orlina in tagaytay City from september 1 to october 30, 2024. the exhibit showcases the rich and diverse talents of 6 award-winning visual artists from Batangas (artists Lino Acasio, Jorge Banawa, Nante Carandang, Yelcast, Zorrick e nriquez and r amon o rlina),
bringing together a curated selection of paintings, sculptures, and mixed media works by the Dangal ng Batangan Awards recipients. their unique artistry reflects the region’s unique cultural heritage and artistic expression. each piece tells a story of Batangas, from its vibrant landscapes to its deep-rooted traditions, captured through the eyes of its most celebrated artists. the exhibit honors the individual achievements of these artists and highlights the collective spirit and creative potential of the Batangueño community.
* * * thanks to sam Azurel and to the Amerika Prestige Awards for the Inclusive media excellence Award to be given on November 17, 2024 in North hollywood, California. other awardees are Ludivina Lelim Nacionales, thelma Calabio, Benny Uy, roland Abante, Lourdes oliva,
sonia Bermejo, Dr. elvis mopera Verzo, Agnes Gonzalez, Yamani Caliwara, saira Bunny Paras, Gina faucher, Chef heikichi racuya Allida. Kimberly Carter, Carmen Cordero, Dr. Peter morante, and henry Bio. Guest speaker will be ricardo Brown of PBA Legend rB23.
Congrats too to some Amerika music Awards recipients on october 27 (Comm. James Baker II, Yannie rumbaoa, Joym msantiago, michael Luke, Kevin ray Amores, matt relox, David Bustamante, Dakila, Khaye rodriguez, rod Navarro Jr., Prince Capucino, Claire Isabel Wong, sam richey, Genous Band, John mirisch, hagibis UsA, sol Glass, Vynz Vs, Wala ng Iba (Live), marissa Pascual, Pedro Leguro, Jameson Juliander, madz Johnson, haven richey, heather richey, sam richey, George Umali Nalapo, henry Lopez, Yuhgirlfran,
Imelda Bosing Wood, malou Zagala toler, DJ Arnold, ricardo Brown, Prescious Cejo, Queen Corazon Ugalde Yellen, sab Baker, Didi Caneda, mekong Bistro, PhLV radio, tina Cruz, Paulette mouquet, serenity entertainment, Dr. rica silbol, Caren mempin, Jenny taimanao, Violeta martin, Jenor Zapanta maniti, Lito Nuqui, Klique, millie Cadag, renato de Jesus Jr., rhea tan, Angel Cheryll Klein, JC Garcia, romm Burlat, rose Lucier, mJ saragoza, Jane magan Chang, and Imogen Atangan) and to the event hosts Louie roa, shekinah Austria and Naiia Lajoie and director Jules Graeser.
* * * Asian t V h eritage Network News UK and Global Asia Insider-International correspondent Chino hansel Philyang, a jiu-jitsu master and a paralegal advocate, is the author of 12 books, including
the new children’s book series, “Zeno” (named after his male cat), to help kids learn valuable life skills. he is an ex-VJ of Channel V malaysia and Indonesia. he studied at the Univ. of British Columbia Canada and later at harvard Univ. in the U.s he completed his international law degree in Belgium. What is admirable in this guy is living life simply with “my belief in simplicity, sustainability, and intentional living. It’s a decision that allows me to live a life filled with purpose, contentment, and a deeper connection to what truly matters.”
* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
* * * rogeliocmedina@yahoo.com
“Manila Matriarchs” director and cast members (from left) Karylle, Myrza Sison, filmmaker Cece Asuncion, Joanna Preysler-Francisco and Trisha Bantigue-Tsao.
Amerika Prestige Awards take place on Nov. 17, 2024 in Burbank, CA.
Rina Ortiz with Sen. Grace Poe
At the recent Rojas solo art exhibition: (from left) Sharon Tan, Joy Rojas, TJ, Trisha Bunye, and Edgard Cabangon.
Glass sculptor Ramon Orlina and Mrs. Philippines 2016 Dr. Fritzie Lexdy Noche at the Museo Orlina in Tagaytay City.
Journalist-author Chino Hansel Philyang with a fan who reads Chino’s “The Book of Zeno.”
Visual artist Joy Rojas (5th from left) with his father-in-law Toting Bunye (3rd from left), wife Trisha Bunye and TJ and guests during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Photos courtesy of Rogelio Medina
Photo above shows Raymond Pedroso & PFBA awardee Salvie Paparon with kids Shawn & Sheanne, awardee Rogelio Medina, awardee Lae Manego, Mica Chely Manego, awardee Wej Cudiamat, Miller Daniolco and Nirro Marcelo (at the back).
Columbia to release GMA’s MMFF entry ‘Green Bones,’‘Gabi ng Lagim’
GmA Pictures and Columbia Pictures have entered a landmark deal to distribute the upcoming films "Green Bones" — a finalist to the upcoming metro manila f ilm festival in December — and "KmJs' Gabi ng Lagim: the movie." the contract signing took place at Columbia Pictures' Philippine office on september 5. this marks Columbia Pictures' return to distributing local films in the Philippines.
representing GmA Pictures at the signing were GmA Network senior Vice President for Programming, talent management, Worldwide and support Group and President of GmA films, lawyer Annette Gozon-Valdes, along with GmA Pictures executive Vice President and GmA Public Affairs first Vice President Nessa Valdellon.
signing for Columbia Pictures were managing Director Christopher sy and sales & operations manager Andra de erquiaga manas.
Under this agreement, Columbia Pictures will manage the local theatrical distribution of "Green Bones" and "KmJs' Gabi ng Lagim: the movie." this will be the first time in eight years that Columbia Pictures has distributed locally produced films.
"GmA Pictures is proud to announce that two of its upcoming films, 'Green Bones' and 'KmJs' Gabi ng Lagim: the movie,' will be distributed commercially by Columbia Pictures. As one of the leading film production companies in the world, Columbia Pictures has brought some of the biggest hollywood blockbusters to Philippine theaters. We are honored and grateful to have Columbia
Pictures with us as we strive to produce high-quality films. this deal ensures that these movies will reach more moviegoers," said Gozon-Valdes.
"Columbia Pictures has always been committed to the theatrical experience, and we are thrilled to partner with GmA Pictures to distribute the mmff entry 'Green Bones' as well as 'KmJs' Gabi ng Lagim: the movie.' GmA Pictures has a rich legacy of producing award-winning and commercial films, which we look forward to bringing to as wide an audience as possible," said sy. the event was also graced by "Green Bones" lead actors Dennis trillo and ruru madrid.
Directed by Zig Dulay, "Green Bones" is a gripping, inspirational drama that tells the story of a man accused of murdering his sister and niece and a relentless corrections officer driven by an unquenchable thirst for justice. It is GmA Network's official entry to the 2024 metro manila film festival. National Artist for film and Broadcast Arts ricky Lee is among the film's
screenplay writers. m eanwhile, "K m J s ' Gabi ng Lagim : the movie" is the film spin-off of the annual halloween special of "Kapuso Mo, Jessica soho," which features real-life horror-themed stories and episodes.
Columbia Pictures, owned by sony Pictures entertainment, has released some of the biggest blockbusters of the past decade, including "spider-man: No Way home," "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," "Venom," "spider-man: Across the spider-Verse," and the recently released "It ends With Us." In 2023, Columbia Pictures released "Insidious: the red Door," which became the highest-grossing film of the year and the biggest horror film of all time in the Philippines.
GmA Pictures has become a prominent player in Philippine cinema, captivating audiences locally and internationally. some of its recent films include "firefly," "the Cheating Game," and the 2024 Cinemalaya Independent film festival entry "Balota," which was produced in collaboration with GmA entertainment Group. (ManilaTimes.net)
Health @Heart
phiLip s chua, Md, Facs , Fpcs
As of the week ending August 31, 2024, 2.6 percent of all deaths in the United states were due to CoVID-19, with hospitalization of 4.6 per 100,000, 2.3 percent positive on emergency room visit, 16.3 percent positivity rate. Indeed, CoVID-19 is very much still with us.
Let’s not be complacent: t he new C o VID-19 vaccines against the prevailing KP.2 strain (derivative of the strain JN.1 early this year) and all other KP sub-strain, is now available from Pfizer, moderna, and Novavax. All the CoVID-19 boosters we received have waned, and those were against the old strains. We now need the new (september 2024) vaccines against the current KP.2 strains and sub-strains. the vaccines for Influenza and rsV (respiratory syncytial virus) are also recommended by the CDC. Discuss these 3 vaccines with your physician.
COVID-19 mental ills
New research in the United Kingdom reveals the devastating effect of C oVID-19 on mental health. t he study on “more than 18 million adults following CoVID-19 infection showed an elevated rate of mental illness, including depression and serious mental disease, for up to a year after the infection, especially among those who have not been vaccinated.” the authors noted that vaccination appeared to
COVID-19 never left
mitigate the adverse effects of C o VID-19 on mental health. Long C o VID, which confers persistent symptoms even after 3 months or a year happen mostly to unvaccinated individuals. the symptoms are debilitation and chronic. these are some of the reasons why getting the new C oVID-19 vaccine is seriously vital.
No-needle Epi
A fantastic game changer: the fDA has recently approved the first no-needle epinephrine single-dose nasal spray (NeffY) for emergency treatment of serious life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) to food, medications, insect bites, horses, etc. this new invention solves the problem of “fear of needle” among people, especially children, making them hesitate, and increasing their risk of death. this mode comes in the form of an inhaler and could be in your pocket by october 2024. epiPen (auto-self-injector is not needlefree, has a short shelf-life, and is costly). Neffy inhaler is currently available for adults and children 66 pounds and greater. the fDA is soon to approve a version for younger children.
Peanuts: Warning Concerning detailed scientific data trending cite the following reasons why we should not eat peanuts and peanut butter: (1) Aflatoxins: Peanuts and peanut butter are high in this toxin, which, according to the f DA, “is a toxic byproduct of fungal metabolism (Aspergillus family). Aflatoxin, even in moderate amounts, can cause h epatitis B, cirrhosis and may lead to the development of cancer of the liver”; (2) Phytic acid in peanuts “binds to minerals and prevents absorption of iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc”; (3) Lectins, nature’s own pesticide in peanuts, damages our gut barrier cells and cause intestinal permeability, leading to leaky gut syndrome, initiating inflammation, the first stage in the development of autoimmune and chronic disease like rheumatoid, lupus, IBs, Crohn’s, colitis, thyroiditis, etc.; (4) Protease inhibitors prevent gut enzymes from breaking down proteins into amino acids, causing elevated levels of the enzyme trypsin, which, in turn, triggers loosening of the cell tight junctions and provokes inflammation; (5) Allergies to peanuts (highly allergenic) are the fastest growing allergy in the U.s. and allergic reactions to peanuts often cause anaphylactic shock, especially in children; (6) toxic herbicides and pesticides (like Glyphosate) are often used for protecting peanuts, which causes kidney disease, high blood pressure, thyroid problems, damage to DNA, and cancers; (7) Polyunsaturated fatty acids are high in peanuts (PU f A, unhealthy omega 6), increasing the risk for coronary artery disease, chronic heart failure, and other serious health issues; (8) oxalates – peanuts have high levels of oxalates, a major factor in kidney stone formation, and
induces inflammatory bowel disease, fibromyalgia, and anemia; (9) Industrial solvents –peanut oil is commonly expelled by dousing peanuts with hexane, a petroleum-based solvent that may cause nervous system damage, respiratory pneumonitis, dizziness, etc; and (10) sugar, sodium, trans-fat, and food additives – peanut butter is loaded with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin, and contain heart-destroying hydrogenated vegetable oils, and a lot of additives.
SGLT-2 and dementia
A new study reveals a drug for diabetes t2 may aid in preventing dementia, in which memory loss is increased among diabetics. t he researchers behind the project concentrated on sodiumglucose cotransporter-2 (sGLt-2) inhibitors, which was found to reduce dementia risk compared to another drug of diabetes with a different mechanism of action. the sGLt-2 inhibitors were linked with a 35 percent lower dementia risk. the longer the person had been on sGLt-2 inhibitors, the greater the protective effect.”
Comfort foods
A comfort food is any favorite edible that confers a sense of nostalgia or sentimental, or irresistible taste to an individual. It may be a dish or a dessert or even chocolate or dried fruit. for me, one of my favorites is Chinese sweet-salty-sour, preserved plum, introduced to me as a kid by my maternal grandmother who always had a variety of them in jars. Dried California Apricot is another I enjoy. Anyway, as long as we count the calories, and eat them in moderation, comfort foods or our diet in general is medically acceptable. Not only the quality but the quantity of food we eat truly matters. Diet is everything in a person’s health, life, and longevity.
* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
* * * The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people to live a healthier lifestyle, to prevent
by
PeNDING resolution of his case — unfortunately for him — sandro m uhlach will have to contend with an indefinite period of zero showbiz work from hereon.
A number of t V program managers as well as film directors have expressed their reluctance in getting the 23-year-old actor to be part of their projects. their collective stand seems valid in the sense that they fear s andro might not be able to deliver the quality of thespic performance expected of him.
"What if there's a scene that requires intense emotions, is it not likely that sandro will lose his focus as he relives his traumatic experience?" a famed director opined. ergo, the director vowed he's not about to take the risk at the expense of the project, all the more for sandro's own good.
But isn't sandro into counseling to help him overcome the horrors in the hands of his sexual abusers?
t here's no doubt that counseling is such a big help. But we're not sure though once sandro steps out of the session," the director countered.
In particular, he cited sandro's sleepless nights even after more than a month since the incident took place, which he confessed at the senate hearing.
t he director, however, has expressed confidence that it won't take long before s andro gets himself back in acting form.
"It's just that time doesn't seem to be on his side as I speak now," he said. however, he couldn't ascertain exactly when sandro will have put everything behind him.
h e may not be a licensed shrink: "It will take a while. But as we always say of any unpleasant life experience that we encounter, this, too, shall pass.' the least that I can do is not to rush sandro. Let it happen on his own terms." If it's any consolation, he promised never to have second thoughts of casting sandro in his future assignment once he's completely out of the woods.
"I heard he's a good actor. No doubt, he inherited his father's genes!"
At the GMA and Columbia contract signing: GMA Pictures Executive Vice President Nessa Valdellon, lawyer and GMA Films President Annette Gozon-Valdes, ‘Green Bones’ lead actors Dennis Trillo and Ruru Madrid, and Columbia Pictures Managing Director Christopher Sy and Sales & Operations Manager Andra de Erquiaga Manas. GMA photo
ronniE carrasco iii ManilaTimes.net
Kyline Alcantara, Kobe Paras, Michelle Dee hit New York Fashion Week runway
by HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net
K YLIN e Alcantara, Kobe Paras, and michelle Dee proved they have what it takes to be international supermodels, after prancing on the runway for the spring/summer 2025 shows of the New York fashion Week.
Alcantara looked fierce in a black turtleneck mini-dress completed with matching black tights and silver platform heels, as seen in a clip on sparkle GmA’s Instagram page on s aturday, sept. 7. the actress graced the runway of Chris Nick Delos r eyes’ s pring/ s ummer 2025 collection.
“Kyline Alcantara brought the heat to NYfW, owning the runway in black and opening Chris Nick’s spring/summer 2025 collection with fierce energy and unmatched style,” the post read.
m eanwhile, Kobe Paras was statuesque on the runway, after he was chosen to walk the runway of milarri’s spring/summer 2025 collection. h is long hair was
pushed back in a half ponytail while donning an oversized ensemble featuring a blazer with long black lapels and trousers, as seen on one @malich53 on tiktok.
Another clip of Paras on the runway was captured by fashion content creator marc Gueco on his Instagram story. Paras also expressed his support for his rumored beau on his Instagram s tory, while sharing a glimpse of the “shining Inheritance” star on the runway. Alcantara and Paras’ budding romance has gained attention after they were seen getting cozy on multiple occasions, including the GmA Gala 2024 and a viral video where the actress sat on the baller’s lap. Despite this, both maintained that they’re “great friends,” and that Alcantara feels “different” toward Paras. from miss Universe to fashion Week m ichelle Dee, on the other hand, made a splash as the closing model for Chris Nick
Delos r eyes’ show, where a glimpse of her walk was uploaded on sparkle GmA’s Instagram on monday, sept. 9. the miss Universe Philippines 2023 titleholder was breathtaking in her black turtleneck midi dress and knee-high boots.
“the queen is serving elegance. michelle Dee stole the spotlight as she closed the show with her stunning walk for Chris Nick Delos r eyes at #NY f W,” the post read.
Dee’s runway appearance came weeks after signing with the international modeling agency o ne m anagement in August. on Instagram, Dee said her new milestone is a step towards a new chapter in her career.
“Now fast forward after several @gmanetwork shows, 2 crowns, 3 national stages, and one amazing mUPh journey — here I am with goals brighter than ever… Cheers to opening a new chapter with @ onemanagement! Can you believe this is real,” she said.
Dee is previously managed by sparkle GmA Artist Center.
From left: Kyline Alcantara, Kobe Paras, and Michelle Dee.
Photos from Instagram/@itskylinealcantara, @_kokoparas, @michelledee, @sparklegmaartistcenter, @marcgueco
