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Sen. Grace Poe finally announces presidential run DATELINE USA by Maila
from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA
15 GOP candidates face off in 2nd debate
sImI Valley, Calif.—fIfteeN republican presidential candidates took the stage on Wednesday, sept. 16 in a two-segment debate hosted by CNN at the ronald reagan Presidential Library’s Air force one Pavilion. the afternoon kicked off with secondtier candidates south Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, Pennsylvania senator rick santorum and former New York Governor PAGE A3
ager Inquirer.net
“I Am Grace Poe. A filipino. A daughter, wife and mother. And with God’s grace, I offer myself for the country’s highest calling as your President.” With those words delivered in filipino and interrupted by thunderous chanting of her name, Poe finally ended all
speculations and formally declared on Wednesday, sept. 16 that she will run for president in 2016. Poe became the third politician to formally announce a presidential bid, after Vice President Jejomar Binay and former Interior secretary mar roxas. “When my father ran for the presidency, he was ridiculed; his
inexperience was scoffed at and his citizenship questioned. Yet he bravely faced the challenge and the opportunity to help change the lives of his fellow filipinos for the better,” she said in filipino when she faced the jam-packed Bahay ng Alumni , in the University of the Philippines in Quezon City. she was referring to her father,
actor fernando Poe Jr. (fPJ), who ran but lost to former President and now Pampanga representative Gloria macapagal-Arroyo in the 2004 presidential race. “his integrity, courage and goodness have become both my guide and inspiration. my mother also gave me sound advice. she said, ‘my child, amidst the loud noise of politics, never
Mayweather concludes boxing career with 49-0 unbeaten record by allysOn
UNDEFEATED. Floyd Mayweather Jr. throws a punch at Andre Berto during their welterweight title fight on Saturday, Sept. 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Mayweather won via a unanimous decision and improved his unblemished record to 49-0. AJPress photo by Robert Macabagdal
US denies soldier killed in Mamasapano Pacquiao is OK with no the Us embassy in manila on tuesday, sept. 15 denied claims that an American serviceman was killed in the tragic mamapasano raid on Jan. 25.
escObar
AJPress
Fil-Am among jail deputies charged for death of inmate
three correctional officers at a santa Clara County jail were charged on tuesday, sept. 8 with the murder of a mentally ill inmate who was found dead in his cell in late August. the District Attorney’s office filed charges against 28-year-old fil-Am Jereh Catbagan Lubrin, from san Jose, California, matthew farris, 27, and rafael rodriguez, 27, who were suspected of murderPAGE A4
ever lose yourself.’” this time, Poe was referring to her adoptive mother, veteran actress susan roces. “my life is an open book. Who would’ve thought that a foundling would ever become senator? I thank you for giving me that opportunity,” she said. Abandoned by her biological PAGE A2
“there were no Us service member casualties,” Us embassy spokesman Kurt hoyer said in an e-mail. PAGE A2
US FLYING AMBULANCE. US military personnel help carry wounded members of the police Special Action Force to a helicopter on Jan. 25 for transport to a hospital in Camp Siongco from the Shariff Aguak provincial police command in Maguindanao province. Inquirer.net photo Ferdinand Cabrera
rematch with Mayweather by
Oliver Teves Philstar.com
mANILA—manny Pacquiao doubts he will have a rematch with floyd mayweather because the American says he’s retiring. And besides, boxing is not his priority these days. mayweather beat Pacquiao in boxing’s richest fight in may, Manny Pacquiao AJPress photo and after he defeated by Robert Macabagdal Andre Berto last week for the 49th win of his undefeated career, he said he will retire. “Boxing is not my focus because I can only fight next year, to give my shoulder a rest,” Pacquiao told said on Wednesday, sept. 16. Pacquiao was still rehabilitating the right rotator PAGE A2
After 19 illustrious years in the ring, floyd “money” mayweather Jr. has ended his boxing career. his win on saturday, sept. 12 over former two-time champion Andre Berto--with a 12-round unanimous decision--at the Las Vegas mGm Grand Garden Arena was the finishing touch. mayweather’s perfect 49-0 record now matches that of late heavyweight champion rocky marciano. “You gotta know when to go. I’ve had a great career,” mayweather told showtime’s Jim Gray after the fight. “I’m knocking at the door;
I’m close to 40 years old. I’m leaving the sport with all my faculties; I’m still sharp and smart. I’ve accomplished everything in this sport--there’s nothing else to accomplish.” “I’ve been in this sport 19 years, been a world champion 18 years, broke all the records. there’s nothing else to prove in the sport of boxing,” he added, on his pro career that began in 1996, with 26 Kos. the $32 million mayweather earned over the weekend was only pocket change, compared to the amount he earned after his last fight, the “fight of the Century” against manny PacPAGE A2
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From The FronT Page
Sen. Grace Poe finally announces...
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parents in September 1968 in a church in Iloilo, Poe was adopted by FPJ and Roces. She topped the senatorial race when she first ran in 2013. “Don’t ever forget that Filipinos are a very able race. We are loving, creative and resourceful. We can achieve whatever we want for this nation if we work hard, be vigilant, and make sure we have an honest person to guide us through our journey,� she said. “We should stick together, because one person cannot bring about this change. Anyone who promises he alone can do it is already lying.� “I hope you will join me in crafting a bright and meaningful future for our motherland, the Philippines,� she further said. Before announcing her presidential bid, Poe enumerated at least 20 platforms of government that she would like to do for the country and the Filipino people. Among them, she said, is to continue the government’s fight against corruption and immediately pass the proposed Freedom of Information Bill.
“No one man or group holds a monopoly on “Tuwid na Daan.� President Aquino has done much to curb corruption and I am thankful that it has restored the people’s faith in an honest leader,� Poe said. “It is only right to continue the fight against corruption. We will hold the corrupt accountable, whether they be friend or foe. This should be the crusade of every Filipino, not just one person or party.� To strengthen transparency in government, he senator said, she would push for the passage of the Freedom of Information bill at the soonest possible time. Poe also promised to lower the tax rates in the country, which she said is the highest in the world. “People know what their needs are and they have a right to choose how to spend their hard-earned money. But if government lowers taxes, we should reciprocate by paying the right taxes. And this I guarantee: Every peso you pay will be returned to you in fast and quality service.� “Filipinos need no longer kill
fellow Filipinos. With peace, real progress can touch all corners of the country,� she said.� “To our Moro brothers, your culture and heroism were the inspiration for many of my father’s films. After a long and hard history, it is time that you are given equal opportunities and genuine assistance.� The senator likewise pressed the country’s claim over the disputed West Philippine Sea. She said: “The West Philippine Sea is ours. We will protect our right through peaceful means, and according to international law. We will beef up our Coast Guard and armed forces so that we need not be intimidated by other countries.� Included in the senator’s wish list was to address the worsening traffic condition in the country, which she described as “OA.� “OA na ang trapik! Sa airport man o sa kalsada, inuubos nito hindi lamang ang oras natin, kundi pati ang pasensya. Inaagaw nito ang panahon na sana ay para sa trabaho o makapiling natin ang ating pamilya’t mahal sa buhay,� she said.
HELLO TO A NEW DAWN. Sen. Grace Poe waves to supporters shortly after declaring her intention to seek the presidency in 2016. The muchanticipated but predictable announcement on Wednesday at Ang Bahay ng Alumni inside the UP Diliman campus capped months of speculation about the senator’s plans. The ruling Liberal Party had been courting her as running mate for its presidential bet, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas. Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez
To address the problem, Poe saw the need to build more roads and trains not only in Metro Manila but all over the Philippines. “We should ensure that our train project is awarded to a contractor
with strong capability and track record in long-term maintenance. We should clean our drainage systems. We should provide coats and boots for the people who manage our traffic,� she said. “We should remove all colorum
and illegally parked vehicles. We should implement staggered office hours. No roadwork should be left unfinished. We should immediately fire contractors who don’t stick to the approved timetable,� the senator added.
Mayweather concludes boxing career with... Pacquiao is OK with no rematch with... PAGE A1 quiao. The May 2nd match was also one of the most expensive sports events in boxing history, with a record US Pay-Per-View revenue of $400 million. “Money doesn’t make me. I make money,� Mayweather said on Saturday night. “I don’t want to rank myself, but I am the best at boxing.� His last and 26th title fight against Berto proved tricky, with Mayweather using his usual defensive tactics (sharp jabs, quick counter punches) to frustrate and weaken his opponent. By the later rounds, Mayweather was both talking to and taunting Berto (whose career is 30-4), who kept throwing missed punches. “I pushed [Floyd] to the limit,�
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cuff that was injured before the fight, and had surgery for afterwards. As a congressman, he said he was focused on building homes for the homeless in his southern home province of Sarangani. “I’m OK. Whether there is a second (bout with Mayweather), it’s not a problem,� he said. “I heard he has retired, so it doesn’t matter.� For his next fight, he said he will take on any other contender, “because I do not choose my op“I don’t want to rank myself, but I am the best at boxing,� Mayweather said following his victory over Berto. AJPress photo by Robert Macabagdal ponents.� Berto said flatly. “But he was just In the final seconds of the fight, better. I was in great shape but it Mayweather did a victory lap was difficult to fight him. He was around the ring, as a crowd of really, really slippery.� thousands stood and cheered. PAGE A1 Mayweather’s final scores were Hoyer was reacting to reports 120-108, 118-110 and 117-111, the San Jose Mercury News re- attributed to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) suggestported. Member : American Institute of Certified Public Accountant (AICPA) After receiving much criticism ing that American soldiers were Licensed in : California and Nevada for fighting defensively in his win involved in the botched raid in CPA WITH OVER 15 YEARS OF EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE after the Pacquiao match, as well Maguindanao province in which as recent controversy over his 44 Special Action Force (SAF) welterweight title and doping al- commandos were massacred. !! GET YOUR TAXES DONE PROPERLY !! A video footage of the recovery legations, Mayweather promised !! USE A PROFESSIONAL TO PREPARE YOUR INCOME TAX RETURN !! of the fatalities in the raid pur!! AVOID EXPENSIVE I.R.S. AUDITS / PENALTIES !! fans a fair, action-packed fight. Thanking his fans and support- portedly showed a “Caucasian� Your Tax fees can be taken out of your tax refund automatically. ers, he said he “wouldn’t be able among the fatalities. At least 18 Ask about our “FEE COLLECT� program. Moro rebels were likewise killed :H DUH XS WR GDWH RQ DOO ODZV )RUHFORVXUHV DQG 'HEW )RUJLYHQHVV 5HQWDO 3URSHUWLHV 3HQVLRQ ,5$ )RUHLJQ ,QFRPH to do it without them.� DQG $VVHWV 5HSRUWLQJ )$7&$ DQG ),1&(1 6DPH 6H[ 0DUULDJH )LOLQJV 2%$0$ &$5( HWF “Experience played a big part in the SAF operation to take out in this fight,’’ he added. �I want to Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli Business Services: ‡ 7D[ 3UHSDUDWLRQ 3ODQQLQJ 3UREOHPV ‡ &RPSLODWLRQ ‡ ,56 5HSUHVHQWDWLRQ ‡ (QWLW\ 6HOHFWLRQ DQG 5HVWUXFWXULQJ thank my entire team, my family, bin Hir, alias “Marwan.� ‡ $FFRXQW 6HUYLFHV ‡ 4XLFNERRNV $FFRXQWLQJ 6RIWZDUH KHOS DVVLVWDQFH ‡ 3D\UROO ‡ 6PDOO %XVLQHVV $FFRXQWLQJ “The operation was planned ‡ %RRNNHHSLQJ :ULWH XSV ‡ 1HZ %XVLQHVV )RUPDWLRQ ‡ 1RQ 3URILW 2UJDQL]DWLRQV ‡ ,QFRUSRUDWLRQ DQG //& FUHDWLRQ and all of Haiti that is watching.� Though many boxing fans be- and executed by Philippine auIndividual Services: ‡ 7D[ 5HWXUQ 3UHSDUDWLRQ ‡ 7D[ 3ODQQLQJ ‡ 7D[ 3UREOHPV lieve Mayweather will soon return thorities,� Hoyer said. “The US ‡ ,56 $XGLW DQG 5HSUHVHQWDWLRQ ‡ 1RQ )LOHG 5HWXUQV ‡ %DFN 7D[HV ‡ 3D\UROO 7D[ 3UREOHPV ‡ ,56 /LHQ /HYLHV 6HL]XUHV :DJH *DUQLVKPHQWV ‡ 2IIHU ,Q &RPSURPLVH ‡ %DQNUXSWF\ ‡ ,QQRFHQW 6SRXVH 5HOLHI to the ring, the 38-year-old said he government consults regularly had plenty of money, and that “his with Philippine security forces health is more important� than on issues of mutual interest,� he A . E . PA U L E , C PA , LT D . said, adding that questions about chasing records. 1771 East Flamingo Road Suite - 200A Las Vegas, Nevada 89119 the operation should be directed “My 49-0 record is a part of Phone: 702.220.4510 / Fax: 702.220.4785 boxing. Records are made to be to the Philippine government. WWW.AEPAULECPA.COM Earlier speculations about the broken. Hopefully someday we $GHOLQD (OL]DEHWK “Beth� Paule, CPA US participation in Mamasacan find the next Floyd May!! CPA WITH 15 PLUS YEARS OF EXTENSIVE, MULTI-FACETED EXPERIENCE!! pano were fueled by sightings weather.�
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Pacquiao also said he was waiting to see if US boxing authorities will sanction Mayweather for taking an IV drip after the weigh-in for their fight in Las Vegas. Punishment seemed unlikely, as Mayweather has been supported by the US Anti-Doping Agency, to which he disclosed the infusion beforehand. The USADA said it contained no prohibited substances. Pacquiao’s camp was critical of anti-doping authorities who did not allow him to take medication for his rotator cuff injury before the fight.
On Mayweather’s IV, he said: “What I want to know and clarify is if he committed an offense, how will the rules be applied?� Regarding the Philippines general election in May 2016, Pacquiao refused to disclose his plans. He told reporters he will soon announce whether he will run for re-election or governor of his province, or seek a seat in the Senate. He is expected to make his announcement, and the presidential candidate he will support, before the Oct. 16 deadline for filing of candidacy papers.
US denies soldier killed in... of a US-contracted, noncombat Evergreen Bell helicopter immediately after the encounter. Assisted in evacuation Referring to this, Hoyer said, “At the request of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, contract personnel serving in JSOTFP (Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines) responded to assist in the evacuation of casualties after the firefight.� The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier said that US involvement in Mamasapano was well within the framework of its Visiting Forces Agreement with the Philippines. A Senate inquiry previously issued a report which contradicted the statements of the DFA and the US Embassy. The Senate report which came out in March after an inquiry said the operations were not 100-percent planned and implemented by Filipinos. “The testimonies of various resource persons, particularly during the executive hearings, provide indications that the US had significant participation in Oplan Exodus,� the executive summary of the Senate report said, referring to the Mamasapano operation. ‘Alternative version’ Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Tuesday said government investigators were continuing to look into the “alternative version� of the Mamasapano debacle, but she declined to elaborate if probers had established US involvement in the operation. “If it’s [American involvement in] actual combat [you are inquiring about], that’s different, that’s questionable, but I don’t want to be making comments because the reporting [by you in the media] might again take a different course,� De Lima told reporters. She said what she remembered from the investigation was that the Americans were involved in intelligence-sharing and medi-
cal evacuation. “If it’s only that, there’s nothing being violated, especially since we’re partners with the US in our fight versus terrorism,� she said. Mestizo? Asked about the supposed video of the Caucasian killed in the clash, she replied, “Is he really Caucasian? If that video is authentic, the question is, is he really Caucasian? He can be a mestizo Filipino.� De Lima declined to release further details on the video and American involvement, saying she did not want to “exacerbate the situation,� following a negative reaction by police officers and other politicians on the “alternative version.� The justice secretary, however, also defended President Aquino’s decision to include the “alternative version� in the ongoing investigation. “As explained by the President, we just want to make sure we have the complete facts. Is that really the real version? There’s nothing bad in looking into other information and leads. The so called alternative version, is it true? Maybe not. Or maybe some of it matches the real truth that [our team of investigators] have established,� she said. The joint team from the National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of JusticeNational Prosecution Service earlier recommended the filing of a complex case of direct assault with murder and robbery against MILF fighters and other armed groups for the massacre of the SAF men. De Lima indicated that government investigators would not use the MILF report on the incident because it was not supported by affidavits and other documentation. The MILF report claimed that the target of the police operation, Marwan, was PAGE A3
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15 GOP candidates face off in... PAGE A1 George Pataki, all of whom have been at the bottom of the polls. Though Donald Trump was not onstage during the first segment, he was still a prominent point of discussion, as moderator Jake Tapper asked Jindal about his recent comments targeting Trump. “Let’s stop treating Donald Trump like a Republican,” Jindal retorted. “He’s not a conservative.” Pataki later chimed in to complain that there were other issues to discuss -- given it’s an “important election” -- yet the opening questions were about the real-estate mogul and Republican frontrunner. “I will vote for the Republican nominee but let me say this flat out, Donald Trump is unfit to be President of the United States or the Republican party’s nominee,” he said. The four candidates tackled the issue of deportation and what the United States should do with the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country. Graham and Santorum said America needs a rational immigration system because of its declining workforce, noting that American workers are the most affected. “We’re not going to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants here illegally, but we’ll start with felons, and off they go. And, as to the rest, you can stay, but you got to learn our language,” Graham said. Graham also added that “in my world Hispanics are Americans,” noting that Republican candidates could target Hispanic voters next year. “[I]mmigration without assimilation is invasion,” Jindal said. “We need to insist the people who come here come here legally, learn English, adopt our values, roll up their sleeves and get to work. We do need to secure the border.” Hours before the debate, immigration advocates bearing signs and oversized papier mache caricature heads of Trump, Rubio and Walker flocked to the entrance of the Reagan Library to protest the Republican candidates’ stances on not granting citizenship to illegal immigrants. Candidates also shared their positions on minimum wage, with Santorum proposing a 50-cent per hour increase throughout a threeyear period.
“How are we gonna win if 90 percent of Americans don’t think we care about them and their chance to rise in America?” Santorum said. However, Graham countered that a federal increase in the minimum wage would be detrimental to businesses. The remaining 11 candidates (former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, neurosurgeon Ben Carson, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Ohio Governor John Kasich, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, businessman Donald Trump and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker) took to the stage at 5pm PST. Each candidate was positioned on stage based on their rankings in recent polls. A day before the debate, a CBS/ New York Times poll indicated that non-politicians Trump and Carson have the most support with 27 percent and 23 percent, respectively, of Republican voters backing the candidates. Trailing behind are presidential hopefuls are Bush, Huckabee and Rubio, all of whom have received 6 percent of support from Republican primary voters, according to the same poll. In Wednesday’s debate, CNN sought to capture the GOP candidates’ combative spirit through inperson engagement and on camera, the New York Times reported, as opposed to the first debate, which was hosted by Fox News. In the first such encounter among Republican candidates, the Times reported that Fox relied much on three experienced moderators to pose challenging questions that led candidates to deliver prepared answers and sparse memorable moments on stage. “My goal is more about: Let’s draw the contrasts between the candidates, and have them fight it out over these policies, over who has the best approach to Putin, over who has the best approach to taxes, over who believes what over immigration reform,” said Tapper, CNN’s chief Washington correspondent, who moderated Wednesday’s debate. “Have them lay it all out so voters can see it.” Tapper was joined in the questioning by CNN chief political correspondent Dana Bash and Salem Radio Network talk show host
Hugh Hewitt. Analysts expected a showdown between Trump and Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, during the second round of the debate, as Wednesday would be the first time Trump would come faceto-face on live television with Fiorina after he insulted her “face.” As election season continues, the RNC is planning to engage more Filipino-American communities in Nevada and other battleground states. On Wednesday, it hosted a debate watch party with Fil-Am Mayor Ron Falconi of Brunswick, Ohio and the local community. “The Republican National Committee (RNC) continues to lay the groundwork for our eventual nominee by engaging and having a strong presence with our Filipino communities across the country. Unlike the DNC, the RNC has staff and volunteers listening to the concerns of Filipinos and encouraging them to get involved with the Republican Leadership Initiative in an effort to take back the White House in 2016,” Ninio Fetalvo, RNC APA Press Secretary, told the Asian Journal on Wednesday. Ahead of the debate, the Democratic National Committee took to a conference call on Tuesday, Sept. 15 to discuss how the Republican presidential candidates’ policies do not benefit the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Reps. Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and Mike Honda, both from California, brought up candidates’ positions on immigration, education, the economy and others pertinent to AAPIs. Chu specifically pointed out how Trump and Rubio and Walker support building a 1,900-mile fence along the southern US border, that Trump is in favor of mass deportation, and that Carson has backed the use of drones on American soil to secure the border. She also spoke about how Bush has called for a crackdown on visa overstays, which Chu called a “coded attack on AAPI immigrants.” “The ultimate irony here is that conservative champion Ronald Reagan primed legislation giving legal status to up to three million undocumented immigrants. With policies like that, Ronald Reagan would most likely be in the happy hour debate if he was a candidate in this cycle. It’s just another inPAGE A4
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Study: Older AAPIs rely on social security as primary source of income OLDER Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) count on social security during retirement as a source of income, a new AARP Public Policy Institute report revealed. The fact sheet, entitled “Social Security: Who’s Counting On It,” surveyed how Social Security impacts Americans; in 2014, approximately 59 million received benefits from the government program. For AAPIs, in particular, 65 percent of individuals ages 65 and older receive benefits, while 28 percent rely on it as their primary source of family income. Only 9 percent of older AAPIs rely on Social Security as their only source of family income. In comparison to other minority groups, 50 percent of American Americans and 44 percent of Hispanics count Social Security as a primary source of family income. “Following the 80th anniversary of Social Security last month, it is a lifeline for many AAPIs that helps keep them and their families out of poverty,” said Daphne Kwok, AARP Vice President of Multicultural Leadership, Asian American and Pacific Islander Audience in a statement. “AARP works to strengthen Social Security because the vast majority of Americans of all ages believe it is important to provide financial security for everyone.” As recent immigrants, AAPIs have lower median Social Security incomes according to an AARP report issued last year. Therefore, they are less likely than African Americans, Hispanics, and whites to depend on Social Security for 50 percent or more of their family income. Older minorities are less likely than whites to have family income other than Social Security. A little more than half (53.4 percent) of AAPIs age 65 and older own have income from assets, but only a quarter (24.4 percent) have income from pensions and retirement savings.
Older Minorities Depend on Social Security to Provide a Significant Share of Family Income (Source: AARP Public Policy Institute’s tabulations of US Census Bureau, “Current Population Survey,” March 2014)
As a whole, 86 percent of Americans ages 65 and older count Social Security as a source of family income. The reliance on the program increases with age: about 34 percent of people ages 65-69 depend on Social Security for 50 percent or more of their family income, compared with 59 percent of people ages 80 and over. A key finding includes the dependence of women on Social Security because on average, they live longer and earn less than men do. Social Security income kept roughly 33 percent of older Americans, about 14.7 million people, out of poverty in 2013. The poor (income below poverty line) and the near-poor (income between 100 and 150 percent of the poverty line) rely on Social Security for
a significant share of their family income. The report also found that Social Security is funded with $2.8 trillion in reserves, and the estimated value is expected to reach $2.9 trillion by 2020. However, the trust funds’ reserves will begin to be drawn down in order to pay full benefits. The reserves are projected to be depleted by 2034 at this current rate if there is no legislative change. “The sooner policy makers agree on how to achieve longterm solvency, the less drastic any changes would need to be. Any changes to the program should be made gradually — so that people can plan for their futures — and should protect those in or near retirement,” the report stated. (AJPress)
US denies soldier killed in... PAGE A2
killed by his aides and not by the lawmen. “We were furnished the MILF report but what I noticed there is that while there were factual observations and narrations there’s no supporting testimony—who
the witnesses are who provided those accounts,” she said. Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto on Tuesday appealed to those in possession of photos and videos about the Mamasapano encounter to release these to authorities.
“As far as I know, there are pictures, GoPro [videos], videos not just from the drone but also from the ground. As much as possible, these should be brought out so that we could put an end to the issue,” Recto told reporters. PAGE A4
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15 GOP candidates face off... US denies... Fil-Am among jail deputies charged for... PAGE A3
dication of how extreme the Republican party has become,” Chu said. The GOP candidates’ stances on the the economy -- with Trump in support of maintaining the federal minimum wage at $7.25 per hour and other Republican hopefuls saying there shouldn’t be a minimum wage -- would not be well-received among middle-class Americans, according to Chu. “That line of thinking won’t
be popular with middle-class working Americans who’ve seen their wages remain stagnant for decades, while the richest have seen their income skyrocket,” she said. Despite the fact Trump is ahead in the polls, Honda said that was OK with him. “If Trump is leading, it’s fine with me. Any of our candidates can beat any of those candidates hands down without even trying,” he said. (Christina M. Oriel and Agnes Constante/AJPress)
PAGE A3 He said he would support the reopening of the Senate investigation into the massacre. “If there’s anything new they could show us, we’re always open to look into that,” he said. House leaders on Tuesday said the video purportedly of the Caucasian man was not sufficient to reopen the congressional inquiry into the massacre. No basis “We need strong evidence and witnesses, but so far, there’s not enough to support an ‘alternative version’,” of the events, said Negros Occidental Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer, chair of the House public order and safety committee. “We cannot just reopen the Mamasapano probe based on flimsy evidence. It must be supported by evidence, and I mean strong evidence,” he said in a phone interview. In April, Ferrer’s committee launched a probe on the Mamasapano fiasco jointly with the House peace, reconciliation and unity committee chaired by Basilan Rep. Jim Hataman-Salliman. The panel convened only twice, but never released a committee report to the public. Ferrer said he circulated a draft committee report among core members on May 13 after the investigation was terminated. “It has not been finalized because we need more discussion on it,” Ferrer said. (Niña Calleja and Jerome Aning/Inquirer.net)
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ing 31-year-old Michael Tyree. “Michael Tyree was not protected by those correctional officers who were supposed to protect him,” Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen told press. “Instead, they killed him and we have now charged them with murder.” Court documents reveal that Lubrin, Farris and Rodriguez reported finding Tyree unresponsive, naked and covered in feces and vomit in his cell after midnight on Aug. 27. They tried to revive him, Sheriff Laurie Smith told the Los Angeles Times. However, an investigation found that the three beat Tyree to death on Aug. 26. Earlier that night, a jail nurse told Lubrin that Tyree pocketed his prescription medicine instead of swallowing it. Lubrin then confronted Tyree to take his pills. Documents show that later on in the evening that Lubrin and Farris conducted a routine search of the cells, while the inmates were participating in “program time” in the common areas. Rodriguez joined the two officers to confront inmate Juan Villa. They allegedly hit Villa in the head and twisted his arms, according to the investigative report prepared by Sergeant Marc Carrasco. The three also face assault charges for this encounter. They then continued their search of other cells, including Tyree’s. Lubrin and Farris alleg-
USa
edly entered Tyree’s one-man cell while Rodriguez waited outside the door. Carrasco’s report stated that Tyree reportedly asked “Do I have to get up?” and was ordered to get up by Farris. “Inmate Tyree’s distinctive voice could be heard screaming, ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Stop,’” Carrasco detailed. “Screaming could be heard throughout the pod for several minutes and was accompanied by the sounds of thumping, wall banging and what sounded like blows to a person’s body. At some point during the screaming period, Officer Rodriguez closed the door so that it was open a small amount.” Tyree died “within minutes to no more than one hour,” the report said, after the incident with the officers left him with wounds on his eye, chin and cheek; bruises above his left ear; and injuries on his upper arms, legs, back and hips. The injury on Tyree’s lower left back ruptured his spleen and liver and caused internal bleeding, Carrasco stated. “The officers then left Inmate Tyree’s cell continuing their searches. They did not call for medical assistance for Inmate Tyree,” the report said. After midnight, Lubrin went back to the cell for the routine welfare check and radioed, “man down” upon finding Tyree’s body. Tyree was subsequently pronounced dead at 12:35 am. An attorney for Tyree’s family said he was schizophrenic and had battled mental illness most of his adult life, according to an NBC report. He was reportedly going to enter a residential treatment program at the Momentum Crisis Residential Treatment Center, a nonprofit for substance abuse, after serving his five-day sentence for petty theft and drug possession. The death of Tyree — who was housed in a special wing of the jail reserved for inmates in protective custody or with special needs — has reopened the debate about how jails treat mentally ill inmates. “This is a tragic sad heartbreaking event,” family attorney Paula Canny said. “And that Michael Tyree, even though he was an inmate in jail, he was a person of value and inmates are to be respected. Michael was somebody’s brother, somebody’s son, somebody’s cousin, somebody’s nephew.” Since the arrest on Sept. 3,
Fil-Am Jereh Lubrin, 28, was one of three Santa Clara County deputies charged on Tuesday, Sept. 8 for the murder of an inmate. Credit: Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office
Lubrin’s family and friends have stood by him, describing him as a loving and caring individual. “He likes his job, and he works well with his sergeant and all of the good people there,” Lubrin’s father Dwight told the San Jose Mercury News. The report also said Lubrin told his father that “something had happened with an inmate” at the jail and told his mother, Julieta, “don’t worry. I didn’t do anything.” Lubrin was hired as a correctional officer at the Santa Clara County Main Jail in 2012, a step in his dream of being in law enforcement. Lubrin was inspired by his grandfather, according to Dwight, who was a second lieutenant in the Philippine Army. “He looked up to my dad,’’ Dwight said. Rodriguez told the Mercury News that he was inside Tyree’s cell for the search that night, but never had physical contact with Tyree. “It sucks being in here for something I didn’t do,” Rodriguez said. Lubrin, Farris and Rodriguez are scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 18. If convicted, they could face life in prison. “These men violated the law, human dignity, and the job that they were sworn to do,” District Attorney Rosen said in a statement. “They may have thought that their violence, enacted late at night in the obscurity of a jail cell and against a helpless and mentally ill inmate, was invisible. Today we see it for all of its brutality. Mr. Tyree was not invisible. His death was not invisible. We will see that there is justice.” (Christina M. Oriel/AJPress) Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority 340 North 11th Street Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Phone (702) 922-6060
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D ateline PhiliPPines Palace: Aquino admin already PH, South Korea sign accord on delivering on Poe’s promises by Louis
Bacani Philstar.com
MANILA—Following Sen. Grace Poe’s declaration of her 2016 candidacy, Malacañang claimed on Wednesday, Sept. 16 that the Aquino administration has already been delivering on the promises of the presidential aspirant. “All the aspirations that have been enunciated have been implemented or in the process of being implemented,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement. In her speech, Poe listed down the 20 goals she would attain if elected president. Lacierda did not express ill will toward Poe, who declined to be the running mate of Manuel Roxas II, the administration’s presidential bet. “We wish Sen. Grace Poe all the
by agnes
constante AJPress
IN 2014, a report by the Association of Southeast Nations ranked the Philippines the second shortest race in the region: the average Filipino male stood at 5 feet and 3.7 inches, and the average Filipino female was at 4 feet and 11 inches. While Filipinos’ shorter stature has typically been assumed to be attributed to genetics, a recent Save the Children study has found that shortness could be due to other factors. In a report by Save the Children, “Sizing Up: The Stunting and Child Malnutrition Problem in the Philippines,” the non-governmental organization states that one in three Filipinos endures stunted growth, a characteristic of chronic malnutrition. “The assumption has always been that Filipinos are just genetically short but what we actually see now are generations of stunted and malnourished children,” said Dr. Amado Parawan, Save the Children’s Health and Nutrition advisor.
protecting classified military info
torial dispute with China. South Korea will help the Philippines reinforce its military by THE Philippines and South Ko- sending two fighter jets to it in rea on Monday, Sept. 14, signed the later part of this year. Evena five-year accord that regulates tually, it will deliver a total of 12 and safeguard exchanges of clas- fighter jets to the Philippines. sified military data regarding regional security. The accord, signed by Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and South Korean Defense Minister Han Minkoo, would allow the Philippine government to be more informed about what happens on the Korean Peninsula, which would faPresident Benigno Aquino III administers the oath of office to then Movie and Television Review cilitate the protection of Filipinos and Classification Board Chair Grace Poe-Llamanzares in February 2012. working in the area. ning on the platform of Daang best,” he said. Nearly 50,000 Filipinos work On Poe’s statement that there no Matuwid or of continuity of the and reside in South Korea, acsingle group can continue “Daang reforms President Aquino has cording to the Associated Press. Matuwid,” Lacierda pointed out undertaken,” he said. In a statement, the Philippine “They are running on a cam- defense department said that that the senator is running on a paign of ‘Bagong Umaga’ or the “safety and repatriation of different campaign. “What is clear is we’re run- change,” Lacierda added. Filipinos residing in the Republic of Korea will be the Philippines’ paramount concern when such contingency erupts between the two Koreas.” While the Philippine military has traditionally relied on the United States for military support, Because the lack of height is ditionally, the Philippines is it has looked to other countries, considered a racial trait, Par- among the 14 countries from such as South Korea, to boost its awan said it is not perceived as forces with the intensifying terriPAGE A7 a serious concern. “Stunting is more than just being short, it impacts children’s future because it hinders physical and mental growth,” Parawan said. While there has been a decline in the number of child deaths in the Philippines, the slow and varying rates at which child malnutrition and stunting is curbed affects efforts to alleviate poverty. It is also likely to hold back economic growth. In a World Bank study, it was found that each 1 percent loss in adult height due to stunting equates to a 1.4 percent decrease in economic activity, Rappler reported. Throughout the last 20 years, stunting in the Philippines has only decreased by 9 percent from 39 percent in 1993 to 30 percent in 2013, according to the National Nutrition Survey in 2013; from 2011 to 2013, the improvement was at 0.3 percent, Rappler reported. Ad-
Study: Filipino ‘shortness’ not only genetic, reflects generations of malnutrition and stunting
A
by agnes
constante AJPress
On Monday, Han also said that countries directly involved in the South China Sea dispute, referred to as the West Philippine Sea by the Philippines, should abide by the Declaration of Conduct of PAGE A7
A
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OpiniOn
Election season AS early as now, Filipinos are encouraged to exercise their right to vote and do so prudently in next year’s elections. With a number of high profile politicians involved in controversies recently, political reform in the Philippines is hounded by higher a public expectation, making next year’s polls even more crucial. Filipinos must realize the power that belongs to them, which is to choose the leaders they think will represent their interests. They must do so by exercise the right of suffrage with tenacity and good cheer. Because of such pressure, every vote (from the estimated 54 million registered Filipino voters) has become more precious than ever. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) attempts to capture two million more qualified voters into the system until the deadline of December 15 this year. However, with less than eight months before the 2016 national and local elections, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed that only three in four Filipinos are eligible to vote. As much as 46.6 million Filipino voters are at risk of disenfranchisement after the recent SWS poll showed that only 76 percent of 1,200 respondents are registered voters and have had their biometrics digitally recorded. It was also revealed in the June survey that 16 percent of the respondents—equivalent to 9.7 million—are registered voters but have not yet submitted their biometric data.Meanwhile, eight percent of the respondents, or 4.7 million Filipinos, are not yet registered voters. The Comelec refuted these figures from SWS
and clarified that based on its own records, voters who do not have biometrics data have gone down to 3.1 million. It added that regardless of SWS’ questionable results, the Comelec records are the official data that would used for next year’s polls. The voter registration is set to end on Oct. 31, and there are still 3,130,377 votes to be accounted for. Meanwhile, to up the ante for next year’s polls, the Comelec is also pushing for the the conduct of debates for all candidates in the 2016 polls. Sen. Loren Legarda, chairman of the Senate committee on finance, said the voters deserve to know the candidates’ stand on various issues and that holding debates is one of the best ways to bring the platforms of candidates to the electorate. Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, chairman the Senate committee on electoral reforms, supported the initiative and said there are already proposed laws to make debates among candidates mandatory. The Comelec also aims to get Filipino citizens abroad interested to vote in 2016 by presidential candidates for their specific plans for overseas Filipino workers and disseminate copies of these plans to embassies abroad. There are eight million potential voters abroad, but only but only 1.2 million have registered so far. “Sooner or later, maybe not only the candidates, also our people will come to realize that the OFW vote could be a game changer, not only in the senatorial but even in the presidential elections,” Comelec commissioner Arthur Lim said. Lim added that the Comelec is working closely with the Dept. of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to attract
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Editorial
Philstar.com photo
more overseas absentee voters to register and participate. The Comelec is also encouraging the Filipino youth, which accounts for at least 37 percent of the 2016 electorate, to register and vote. ManilaComelec Chairman Andres Bautista said today’s youth “unlike generations past, have access to high technology and a wealth of information. More importantly, young people, still have the energy and idealism to effect positive change in the country.” The election fever brings a feeling of obligation
towards the citizens and those who aspire for positions in the government. Future leaders depend heir success to the citizens of the nation and may serve as their motivation to work for the people and the common good. To weed out the traditional politicians (trapos) from actual leaders, the Filipino electorate must use this opportunity to educate themselves and create sensible demands for greater social or economic equality. This will force politicians to campaign toward some of their requests to make their votes count. (AJPress)
Title II threatens minority populations, small businesses some ISPs showing EArLIEr this year, a decline of as much the Federal Commu- Commentary as 29 percent, comnications Commission pared to this time (FCC) voted along last year. party lines to reclassify Typically, these Internet Service Procompanies spend viders (ISPs) as public billions every year utilities and to reguto expand and enlate the Internet under Bill imada hance network inoutdated Title II regulations. The negative effects of these frastructure, in order to meet consumer burdensome regulations are quickly demand, deliver new innovations, and materializing. There are now clear indi- remain competitive. Those billions concations that Title II harms broadband in- stitute economic growth, and they crevestment and innovation, which in turn ate jobs and bring important benefits harms many diverse communities and to consumers and businesses. This decline means that both those who depend small businesses across the country. Our country’s largest ISPs just issued on the Internet the most and those who their second quarter S.E.C filings, and struggle to get access will be negatively these filings made it clear that the FCC’s affected as broadband providers and Open Internet Order has already had a tech companies continue to react to detrimental effect on investment, with heavy regulation.
These falling investment numbers offer a warning about this new regulatory environment, and that’s a warning we cannot afford to ignore. There is much at stake, including economic growth, jobs, and opportunity for minority populations – particularly the Asian American community. recent Pew research shows that Asian Americans are enthusiastic users of the Internet and rely on broadband more so than other groups. When it comes to broadband adoption, 97 percent of English-speaking Asian Americans use the Internet compared to 78 percent of blacks, 81 percent of Hispanics, and 85 percent of Whites. Embracing policies like Title II will only lead to the deterioration of a resource that has become indispensable to so many people. The Internet is an essential tool especially for those who live in remote areas
where educational and professional opportunities may not be as widely available as in other parts of the country. Broadband is an important resource for people in rural areas to excel through online education and career development programs. When overbearing regulations threaten access to Internet innovations, those who rely on that access the most also stand to lose the most. Having the latest broadband technology is also necessary for small businesses to connect with new markets and offer modern customer services. In California, there are over 600,000 Asian Pacific Islander-owned businesses. These businesses generate over $181 billion in annual revenue, employ over 910,135 people, and have an annual payroll of $26 billion. Heavy federal regulations place a huge burden on our tech start-
ups and entrepreneurs. Other businesses throughout the country will also suffer if burdensome regulations continue to make it more difficult to benefit from modern broadband services. These early signs of trouble caused by Title II regulations should not be taken lightly. It’s not too late to heed those warnings and correct course, thereby securing a future of innovation, possibilities, and continued investment, not only for the benefit of our Asian Pacific Islander communities and businesses but for our overall economy and for all Americans. *** Bill Imada is the Chairman and Chief Connectivity Officer of the IW Group, Inc. Imada is also a Board Member of the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, and Co-Founder/Board Member of the Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship.
Celebrating immigrants’ Where has Sen. Grace Poe Llamanzares’ contributions on Constitution Week sense of honor and shame gone? Commentary
leon rodriguez THIS week we celebrate Constitution Week, a time to reflect on the uniquely American idea that citizenship in this country is a matter of commitment and conscience. Constitution Week focuses largely on September 17, “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day” – a recognition of naturalized American citizens and an opportunity for them to express their pride in their citizenship. We also celebrate the Constitution and the rights and responsibilities it bestows in all of us. At US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Constitution Week is an opportunity to celebrate the way in which the Constitution set the foundation for welcoming new Americans – those who have chosen to subscribe to our civic ideals of “liberty and justice for all” and have committed themselves to join “we the people” in our pursuit of “a more perfect union.” Our celebration includes administering special naturalization ceremonies across the nation, highlighting the connection between the Constitution and the honor, privilege, and responsibility of becoming a U.S. citizen through naturalization.
These ceremonies have special meaning to me. My parents and grandparents were refugees from Cuba. And as a young boy, I watched as my parents studied for, and took, their citizenship test. Before they took the Oath of Allegiance, I did not fully appreciate what citizenship truly meant. But seeing how proud they were to naturalize made it clear to me, even then, that they were fulfilling a life-long dream – for them and for me. As a public servant for most of my professional career, I have often taken oaths to support and defend the Constitution. But as Director of USCIS, one of my highest privileges is to administer the Oath of Allegiance – the same oath my parents took – at a naturalization ceremony and welcoming new citizens to the promise and hope of America. Today, the United States has almost 9 million lawful residents who are eligible to apply for US citizenship. I encourage each of them to step forward and complete their journey in becoming an American citizen. And I pledge that at each step of the way, USCIS will be there to help, expanding our ability to reach as many audiences and communities as possible. We have already partnered with the US Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency to expand services to agricultural and rural communities. This week, naturalization applicants can start using credit cards to
pay fees. Also this week, we will launch the next phase of our Citizenship Public Education and Awareness Campaign, with new online test preparation tools. We are also announcing new award recipients under our Citizenship and Integration Grant Program to help build community capacity to prepare immigrants for citizenship. Each new American citizen brings a unique set of skills and experiences which they can use to improve our communities and our nation. And each of them can help renew our shared hope that unlimited possibilities are available to everyone who embraces the opportunities that this country offers under its Constitution. On that first Constitution Day in 1787, Benjamin Franklin emerged from the Constitutional Convention and was asked what kind of government had been created. “A republic,” Franklin replied, “if you can keep it.” That is the challenge on this Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. But I am fully confident that “we the people,” if we are faithful to ourselves and to each other, will “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity” that we ordained and established by our Constitution. (New America Media) ***
Opinion
Francisco TaTad
THIS question has to be asked in light of Mrs. Llamanzares’s completely crass effort to promote herself as a possible presidential candidate, despite the clear language of the Constitution that renders her ineligible to seek the presidency or the vice presidency or even to remain in the Senate, where she was “elected” in 2013 after making false claims about her citizenship and residency. She is now facing a disqualification suit before the Senate Electoral Tribunal for making those false claims, and the case is set for oral arguments at the Supreme Court on September 21. She has submitted to the SET some documents in her defense, including two certificates of live birth, in an effort to show that she is a natural-born Filipino, who has resided in the country for six years and six months immediately preceding the election – longer than the two years required of senatorial candidates. Both certificates are spurious, and tend to support the posiLeón Rodríguez is Director of the U.S. tion of the petitioner rather than Citizenship and Immigration Services. He that of the defense. Thus, during spoke last week in Dallas at the national the preliminary conference at United for Citizenship conference organized the Supreme Court last Friday by the New Americans Campaign. (Sept. 11), petitioner rizalito Da-
vid, through counsel Manuelito Luna, adopted the same certificates as part of his evidence, to the visible chagrin and consternation of the defense. Justice Antonio Carpio, who chairs the SET, suggested that petitioner drop the residency issue and concentrate on the citizenship issue instead. And David agreed. The conscript media saw this as round One for Mrs. Llamanzares, but this is rather naive. She has not won any round at all; to the contrary, Carpio’s suggestion may have brought the play closer to “sudden death.” In a sense, the residency issue is already subsumed in the citizenship issue. Unless the Court declares Mrs. Llamanzares a natural-born citizen, in spite of the Constitution and the circumstances of her birth, which show her to have been stateless at birth, there would be no need to raise the residency or any other issue to oust her from office. Once the Court declares she is not a natural-born citizen – or even a legally naturalized Filipino – it would not matter anymore how long she has been in the country. The first certificate of live birth, dated Nov. 27, 1968, shows that Mary Grace was born a foundling, and found in the parish church of Jaro, Iloilo on Sept. 3, 1968 at 9:30 am by Edgardo Militar who later put her in the custody of Emiliano Militar of Sta Isabel Street, Jaro. But the typewritten document contains
so many handwritten alterations, which render it void and worthless. It identifies the child as Mary Grace Natividad Contreras Militar, without indicating how she got her surname “Contreras Militar,” but this name is bracketed (as if for deletion) and on top of it is written “Sonora Poe.” Its most fatal flaw is a handwritten note of seven short lines on its upper right hand saying the child was “adopted by the spouses ronald Allan Poe and Jesusa Sonora Poe as per Court Order, Municipal Court, San Juan, rizal, by Judge Alfredo Gorgonio dated May 13, 1974, under Special Proclamation No. 138.” The order itself is legally questionable because adoption cases normally belong to the jurisdiction of the regional trial court, rather than to the municipal court. But the more important issue is, how did a legal document dated Nov. 27, 1968 manage to take cognizance of an adoption decision, which purportedly took place six years later? This appears to be conclusive proof that the certificate was manufactured on or after May 13, 1974, and is therefore null and void ab initio. It has no legal value; it cannot be the source or proof of any claim that Mrs. Llamanzares was born a Filipino or became a naturalborn Filipino after her birth. One is either a natural-born Filipino or not upon birth; nobody becomes a natural-born Filipino after birth. The second certificate of live PAGE A7
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Dateline PhiliPPines
Where has Sen. Grace Poe Llamanzares’... PAGE A5 birth is no less invalid than the first. Dated May 4, 2006, or 38 years after Mrs. Llamanzares was born, it was executed by Mrs. Jesusa Sonora Poe, her adoptive mother, who identifies the child no longer as Mary Grace Natividad Militar but rather as Mary Grace Sonora Poe, allegedly born to herself (Jesusa) and to her husband Ronald Allan Poe in Jaro, Iloilo City on Sept. 3, 1968, several months before they were married on Dec. 25, 1968 in Valenzuela, Bulacan. No medical or legal evidence exists to show that Mrs. Poe ever conceived and delivered a child during her marriage to the famous actor Fernando Poe, Jr. who died on Dec. 13, 2004. All the known facts about Mrs. Llamanzares’ birth, including public statements made by Mrs. Poe and Mrs. Llamanzares herself, con-
tradict this false claim. And yet in her 2006 petition for “reacquisition” of her nonexistent Philippine citizenship, and her certificate of candidacy for the Senate in 2013, Mrs. Llamanzares repeats her false claim that she is a natural-born citizen, born to the spouses Ronald and Jesusa Poe in Jaro, Iloilo on Sept. 3, 1968. And so far she has gotten away with it! How many times must someone tell a brazen lie before he or she is stopped repeating it and profiting from it? Or does Mrs. Llamanzares believe in the Nazi propaganda dictum that a lie repeated consistently ultimately becomes a truth? If she has not read the Constitution, Mrs. Llamanzares has enough lawyer friends, beginning with her apparent gray eminence Sen. Francis Escudero, to tell her what the Con-
stitution says. It says no person may be elected President, Vice President, Senator or Congressman unless he is, among other things, a natural-born citizen of the Philippines – meaning, “a citizen of the Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to acquire or perfect his citizenship.” The Constitution means exactly what it says, and there is only one way of understanding it – the way the people, who are the real authors of the document, understand it. It is pure conceit for Mrs. Llamanzares’ swaggering financiers and legal supporters to boast that the Constitution could be interpreted any which way they would like to interpret it, and that with their power and money they could make the Court dance to their wicked tune. This is an obscenity and there is no basis for it. On Aug. 18,
PH, South Korea sign accord on protecting... PAGE A5
Parties in the South China Sea, Inquirer reported. He added: “I also look forward to the speedy conclusion of the code of conduct concerning the South China Sea.” The Philippines is among claimants in the disputed territory, along with Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan. China claims nearly the entire region, while the other countries have overlapping claims. The South China Sea, referred to as the West Philippine Sea by the Philippines, sees more than $5 trillion worth of trade pass
through annually, Philstar reported. The disputed area is also crucial to South Korea, as approximately 90 percent of Seoul’s petroleum and 30 percent of its trade go through the waterway, the AP reported. “It is my stance that the relevant nations regarding this area and this situation should solve this situation based on mutual respect toward each other’s sovereignty… and mutual understanding of each nation’s perspective,” Han said during a press conference at Camp Aguinaldo, according to Philstar.
Han called the security situation in the area an “Asian paradox” and that although Asia has experienced stronger economic ties, additional effort is necessary to improve security cooperation in the region. “Asia, especially East Asia, is an area which attracts the eyes of the world. And to give an assessment of that region of Asia, the security in Asia is such that economic cooperation has been deepening for some time now, but the security operation has not been up to speed. We call this phenomenon the Asia paradox,” Han said.
Study: Filipino ‘shortness’ not only genetic... PAGE A5 which 80 percent of the world’s stunted children come, according to the publication. “We have not done so much to correct or end stunting,” Parawan said. “We should prioritize chronic child malnutrition because stunting is one of its forms.” nutrition survey indicates that households in rural and urban environments, as well as those who live in disaster-prone areas are at a higher risk of malnutrition – especially stunting. The first 1,000 days of a child – from conception until its second birthday – is a critical time period in preventing stunting,
according to the Save the Children report. Studies have revealed that children who failed to reach optimum growth within that window are at increased risk of impaired cognitive development, which results in a negative impact on their performance in school, among other areas, according to the report. “Malnutrition has adversely affected labor force and productivity later in life,” said Assistant Secretary of Health Gerardo Bayugo, according to Rappler. “All these point to the same direction that if you care for this country, we must invest in the health and nutrition of our children because they are the future
of the Philippines.” In response to malnutrition in the Philippines, Save the Children launched a campaign called Lahat Dapat (No Child Left Behind) that urges the government and public to increase its efforts in addressing the issue: a campaign video states that 1.5 Filipino children go to bed hungry every night after going through the whole day without eating. “If we’re going to solve the problem, everybody will have to work. We have to get our acts together and involve all partners, all sectors to solve the problem of child malnutrition,” Bayugo said, according to Rappler.
2015, the Supreme Court unseated a popularly elected town mayor in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte for having failed to comply with the requirements of his reacquisition of citizenship, after having been a citizen of the United States. This is the case of Rommel Arnado, a former natural-born citizen, who became an American because of naturalization, relinquished his US citizenship, and on July 10, 2008 took an oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines, pursuant to RA 9225, or the Dual Citizenship Law of 2003. However he used his US passport to travel at least twice to the US after taking his oath of allegiance. The Court interpreted this use of the US passport as an act of recanting his renunciation of his US citizenship. Except for the fact that Mrs. Llamanzares was never a natural-born Filipino who became a US citizen after 2003, and therefore not qualified to benefit from the Dual Citizenship Law, the Arnado case is virtually on all fours with that of Mrs. Llamanzares; she continued to use her US passport until 2009 after she took her oath of allegiance to the Philippine government in 2006. But even without going into this,
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • SEptEmbER 17-23, 2015 her not being a former naturalborn Filipino disqualifies her from being covered by RA 9225, and her false claim that she is natural-born renders her “reacquired citizenship” null and void. The dire implications of this must have dawned on Mrs. Llamanzares and her defense counsel during the preliminary conference that they decided to appeal to popular passion rather than to the law. She has therefore decided to launch her candidacy, based on her alleged (but unverified) popularity. On Monday, the first full page ad on the Philippine Daily Inquirer, costing at least P400,000, launched the socalled “ALL4GP MOVEMENT” (All for Grace Poe Movement) with the image of Mrs. Llamanzares standing beside FPJ and the following text: “Kami ay nagbuklod upang ipaglaban ang katuparan ng ating mga pangarap. Salamat FPJ, sa iyong anak nanatiling buhay ang aming pagasa para sa bagong umaga! Ikaw at Ako, anuman ang Lahi, sama-sama para sa Ganap na Pagbabago!” (We have banded together to fight for the fulfillment of our dreams. Thank you FPJ, in your
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offspring lives our hope for a new tomorrow. You and I, whatever our race, all together for real change!”) The Llamanzares camp is expected to make some announcements today. But the central message is out – you and I, whatever our race, and whatever the Constitution says, should stand together for Grace Poe. All the fortune tellers, fengshui dabblers and soothsayers have been mobilized to predict Mrs. Llamanzares’ unstoppable “victory,” just as about a year ago they started predicting the presidency of Alan Peter Cayetano. Assuming pigs will finally fly, and the whole Court is bought to pronounce Mrs. Llamanzares as a natural-born citizen, this could be the first time the country will have a president with no clear nationality, but with an American husband and American children º an American family. There was a time within memory when even the most shameless politicians would have hesitated and said, “nakahihiya!” (So shameful!) to attempt anything like this. But all that is gone. In this time of Grace Poe Llamanzares, honor is something you feed to the dogs. (fstatad@gmail. com)
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Journal ‘Arrow’ and ‘Avenger’ actors to visit Manila Pinoy film makes it to Iraq’s int’l film festival AsiAPOP Comicon Manila 2015 (APCC Manila), Asia’s biggest pop culture gathering slated from sept. 17 to 20 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, has just gotten hotter with two Hollywood actors confirming their attendance. Adding to the headliners of this mega event are American actor and model Colton Haynes, best known for his role as Roy Harper/Arsenal in the TV series, “Arrow,” and Paul Bettany, who is Vision, the android superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Haynes who is also Jackson Whittemore in MTV’s “Teen Wolf,” most recently filmed alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the action-packed film, “san Andreas.” No stranger to the world of television werewolves, Colton also starred as Brett Crezski, the town’s football star and resident werewolf on ABC’s 2010 series “The Gates.” in his young acting career, Haynes was able to garner several notable television roles. He has appeared as one of the stars of showtime’s controversial miniseries “Look,” in addition to guest starring roles on “Privileged,” “Pushing Daisies,” and “Melrose Place.” He has also been the face for campaigns by fashion brand, Diesel. Haynes currently
American actor Colton Haynes is Arsenal in the TV series, ‘Arrow’
resides in Los Angeles. On the other hand, Bettany first made waves in films like “A Knight’s Tale,” “A Beautiful Mind, Wimbledon,” “The Da Vinci Code,” and “Dogville.” But he became a hit became a hit when he voiced J.A.R.V.i.s., Tony stark’s artificial intelligence system in the “iron Man” movies. He was then given his superhero role as “Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron” this year. in 2016, he will reprise this role in “Captain America: Civil War.” “They [Marvel] have a rule that you’re not allowed to play more than one character in the Marvel
the recent Gwangju international Film Festival in south Korea. The only entry from southeast Asia, “Children’s show” is the story of two young brothers who are forced to take part in semi-legal boxing matches to support themselves and their grandmother. Directed by Roderick Cabrido, the film is in contention for the Yilmaz Guney Award for Best international Feature-Length Film and for the New Talent Award for the Best First or second interna-
universe. so, they broke the rules. They bent the rules slightly for me because Joss really wanted to bring the Vision into the film world, and he really wanted me to do it,” he said. As one of the notable English actors to date, Bettany has been bestowed several awards including supporting Actor of the Year from the London Film Critics’ Circle for the film, A Knight’s Tale; Best actor from Evening standard British Film Award for the Heart MANiLA—Gab Valenciano took of Me; and Best British Actor for Wimbledon, to name a few. (Ma- to social media to open up on why he left the Philippines and the local nilaTimes.net) show business. in a Facebook post on sunday, sept. 13 the 27-year-old artist, who left the Philippines to move to the United states in 2013 to study, said since she is one of the wild- he was “secretly hiding under an card nominees for the said umbrella of depression for a good category. four years, drowning in an industry The final nominee for the last i was never really accepted in and spot in the category will be an- masking it by going out almost nounced tonight. every night and making the worst James is also happy about the decisions in life.” success of their first TV series “On Gab added that while he will the Wings of Love.” never forget his roots, he feels that “i’m so happy for the show, i “i don’t owe it a thing.” mean, every night nagte-trending “The entertainment industry in kami sa Twitter worldwide. i’m so the Philippines made me feel like happy, i couldn’t ask for a better one of the most worthless artists in TV show,” he said. the history of artists, and i’m sure He thanks their fans who con- many more can empathize but can’t tinually support the show. speak out,” he said.
The dancer-artist son of veteran singer Gary Valenciano also urged other artists to “take their craft to the next level by thinking global.” “We are Filipinos. One of the most creative, hard-working, intelligent and talented races in the world. Don’t think, do. i am writing this specifically for those people who feel like they are being taken for granted. The underdogs. You feel like the fire burning in you is dying because your passion isn’t fueled up or supported by your very own country and countrymen. You deserve so much more and the only way to heal yourself is by making life-changing decisions. step out of your comfort zone,” he said. Gab, who was an established artist and dancer before leaving for the country, gained popularity as a YouTube artist. He was also cited in Beyonce’s MTV Video
English actor Paul Bettany is Vision, the android superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
James Reid happy over MTV EMA nomination by
Joyce Jimenez
internationally after getting a nod from the MTV European Music MANiLA—James Reid feels Awards. grateful to represent the country The ABs-CBN actor is nominated in southeast Asian act category, where he willl compete with other Asian artists. “so many blessings!” he exclaimed in an interview on saturday after his performance at the Candy Fair 2015. “i’m really proud to represent the Philippines internationally.” The Kapamilya star hopes that his leading lady Nadine Lustre will also be nominated James Reid Philstar.com
tional Feature Length Film. The film previously won the special Jury Prize, Grand Jury Award for Best screenplay and Fantastic Cinema Emerging Filmmaker Award for Cabrido at the Fantastic Cinema Festival of the Film society of Little Rock in Arkansas and the special Jury Prize in the Orient Express section at the 35th Oporto international Film Festival in Portugal. “We hope that “Children’s show” would open the door for the participation of more Filipino films in Duhok and in the other film festivals in iraq in the future,” said Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Elmer G. Cato. Chargé d’Affaires Cato joined producer Joseph israel Laban during the opening ceremonies attended by Kurdistan Autonomous Region Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and other officials on september 09. He also attended the first For the first time in decades, Philippine cinema made its presence felt in Iraq with the screening with members of the participation of an award-winning Filipino entry at the 3rd Duhok International Film Festival Filipino Community in Duhok at the Mazi Mall Plus on september that is being held in the country’s northern autonomous Kurdistan region. Facebook/Children’s Show Film 10. (Philstar.com) MANiLA—For the first time in decades, Philippine cinema made its presence felt in iraq with the participation of an award-winning Filipino entry at the 3rd Duhok international Film Festival that is being held in the country’s northern autonomous Kurdistan region. The Philippine Embassy in Baghdad said the Philippines made its debut in the iraqi film festival with its entry, “Children’s show,” the Grand Prize winner at
Gab Valenciano: PH showbiz made me feel worthless
Gab Valenciano: “The entertainment industry in the Philippines made me feel like one of the most worthless artists in the history of artists.”
Music Awards nomination for Best Choreography earlier this year. (Philstar.com)
Chorrrrizo!
It’s that time of year again. Chorizo Breakfast Burritos are back at McDonald’s. With authentic, zesty Chorizo, warm scrambled eggs, melted cheddar cheese and veggies wrapped in a warm flour tortilla.
Prices and participation may vary. Price of single item posted on menuboard. ©2015 McDonald’s
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Kris Aquino to leave ‘Aquino & Abunda Tonight’ Piolo Pascual to colleagues: Be responsible Queen of All Media Kris Aquino on Wednesday, Sept. 16 announced that she will be leaving the nightly ABS-CBn entertainment talk show “Aquino & Abunda Tonight” she is cohosting with talent manager Boy Abunda. In an Instagram post, Aquino said that she will be back on the show Monday for her finale week. “I missed him. I shall be back on Monday next week for my finale week on @aatofficial,” wrote Aquino, who has been missing from the show for nearly a month now after being hospitalized. The actress narrowly escaped stroke after her blood pressure Kris Aquino and Boy Abunda shot up to 200/110 last month. “Congratulations Boy #BoyMeanwhile, Aquino also hinted AbundaTonight,” she wrote in the that Abunda will be keeping the same Instagram post. show under a new name. Aquino will soon be seen in the
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movie “etiquette for Mistresses” with Claudine Barretto, Kim Chiu, Cheena Crab and Iza Calzado. (Inquirer.net)
Martin Nievera: I’m lowering the bar by AllAn
PolicArPio Inquirer.net
TheSe days, Martin nievera sings for the sheer pleasure of it. In his 33 years in the industry, Martin has packed numerous venues, sold thousands of records, and has had his share of glorious highs and dire lows—been there, done that, so he says. And as far as he’s concerned, he has nothing left to prove. “I’m not worried anymore about being no. 2 or being last. The best thing about falling on your face is the getting up. Throughout my career, I’ve learned to simply brush the dirt off my knees…I don’t think about being the next hitmaker or coming up with a song better than so and so,” he said at a press conference. What about the thirst for competition? It’s still there, Martin said. not against young, upcoming artists, however, but against time, and ultimately, himself. “What I ask myself is, ‘how much longer can I keep this up,’” said the balladeer, whose philosophy in life is that there’s no such thing as a big or small gig. “Whether I’m performing in a theater, before a crowd of 500 or in a show overseas, I attack
Martin Nievera attacks each show as if it were his last. Inquirer.net photo by Edwin Bacasmas
each gig as if it were my last,” said Martin, who’s known for his gab and his spontaneity onstage as much as for his vocal chops. Catalogue of hits On Sept. 18, the 53-year-old balladeer will headline a concert dubbed “Martin, home at The Theatre,” at Solaire Resorts and Casino. The one-night show also includes the ABS-CBn Philharmonic Orchestra and will shine the spotlight on Martin’s catalogue of well-loved songs. It will be his first time to perform solo at the 1,760-seater lyric theater. Martin admitted that he’s a little pressured.
There’s a sense of stiffness at such swanky places, he said, which makes him feel like a child at a grownup party. neither is he a tuxedo-and-tie kind of guy. “I’m lowering the bar,” Martin quipped. “I want to promote fun; I want the audience to be just as comfortable. I’ll be myself and not pretend I’m some big star. It’s the image I want to keep because it helps me keep my sanity.” The concert likewise reunites Martin with longtime collaborator and musical director, composer-arranger Louie Ocampo. “We have so many memories together. Working with him is like being with a brother…There’s no tension whatsoever,” he said of the musician, who gave him some of his signature hits like “Kahit Isang Saglit,” “You Are My Song” and “I’ll Be There (For You).” Meanwhile, Louie, who also attended the press conference, related that while the two of them had not been as active together lately, performing with Martin was always a “blessing.” “What I love about being in a show with Martin is that even if we’re doing a song we’ve done thousands of times, he will always do it differently. I think he can even hold a show without singing at all,” Louie said.
MAnILA—“Be responsible.” That is Piolo Pascual’s advice to younger stars on how to avoid getting themselves in sticky situations. The 38-year-old actor was asked on the sidelines of the presscon for his new indie film “Silong” opposite Rhian Ramos about handling himself in public, following fellow Kapamilya artist enrique Gil’s televised apology over his reported alcohol-induced misbehavior during a flight to London for an “ASAP” show. Piolo was also part of the recent “ASAP” London show, but he wasn’t privy to what exactly happened (“I wasn’t there”). Saying that actors are human beings first and “not saints” who are expected not to drink or go out, he nevertheless learned through the years to avert situations that can potentially cast them in a bad light by being very aware of the repercussions of their actions. Piolo said, “Be responsible. At the end of the day, you have to know your limitations. You can be happy, and you can be intoxicated as long as you know you’re not out of your wits and you’re responsible enough to, of course, face the media or social media wherein they can record everything and anything that you do. It’s a given: everything now is magnified, everything can be videotaped easily with the CCTV and cameras on (mobile) phones. So, you just have to be a responsible person.” Meanwhile, while in London, Piolo was photographed for the first time with ex-girlfriend KC Concepcion, a development that went viral on social media and thrilled fans. “It was at an after-party for “ASAP” on a boat rented by (ABS-CBn big boss) Sir Gabby Lopez on River Thames. I guess nagkaroon ng chance (to bond). I was there and getting a drink at the bar, one thing led to another. Although things like that you hope would be kept from the public eye, but it came out, made people happy, so that’s it. At the end of the day, I’m just happy that everyone is happy about it.” The picture was probably more of an addendum to the already “improving” ties between the ex-couple since their much-pub-
Piolo on his role in “Silong:” ‘By far, this is, I should say, the most twisted character I’ve done.’
licized break-up in 2011. Piolo revealed that long before the photo was taken, the icy relationship, so to speak, has somewhat thawed to the point that whenever they would meet, they were civil towards each other. “I guess it (the photo) was just magnified on social media because Kristina (KC’s real name) and I are actually OK even before London. ever since her lola (elaine Cuneta) passed (early this year), we kind of broke the ice already when I sent my condolences and then when we would see each other, we were OK. Maybe (this time) we just had the chance to talk lengthily, we had the time to talk about the past, asked each other how are you, this and that. It was a happy moment, ang sarap kasi it was a thorn off your chest. Showbiz is a very small circle, we work in the same station, hindi naman pwedeng hindi kayo magpansinan, but I guess it was just the first time we got to bond,” Piolo said. Meantime, Piolo is busy promoting “Silong.” Produced under SQ Film Laboratories and Black Mamba Pictures, and released by Star Cinema, the romantic-thriller -— which was the closing film of this year’s Cinemalaya Film Festival -— was co-directed by singer-turned-filmmaker Jeffrey hidalgo and Roy Sevilla ho (who was also a former editor at this paper’s sister publication The Freeman.) “By far, I should say this is the most twisted character I’ve done,” Piolo described his character, Miguel Castro, a doctor still grieving over the death of his wife. he meets a badly bruised woman named Valerie (Rhian) on a deserted road and tries to nurse her back to health.
It’s not hard to notice that Piolo, who was last seen on the big screen via “The Break-up Playlist” with Sarah Geronimo, has been increasingly starring in indies. he is also part of the next opus of Lav Diaz, known for critically-acclaimed, marathon-length films. According to Piolo, he’s not doing indies because he wants to shed off his rom-com leading-man image or take a break from the mainstream fare. he said, “This movie came to me about two years ago… it was an opportunity that I just couldn’t pass. There’s no conscious effort on my part to do anything different because my job as an actor is to do roles that will really be a challenge. I’m just happy and content that even if I am under an exclusive contract with ABS-CBn, I’m allowed to do (indie) roles that I really want to do, out of the box, just to give me the chance to diversify, career-wise. “And it’s hard to do something like this because more often than not, hindi nakikita ng maraming tao ang ginagawa mo, especially with indie films. That’s why I want to put (it) out there, in our community, because there’s a lot of great concepts in indie films that people don’t get to watch… I guess what’s good about doing indies is you kind of have that playing field wherein you cannot necessarily experiment, but you can cross the line as to how far you wanna go. here, there’s probably more freedom to move around. I’m not saying that doing rom-coms (will) always (put you) in a box. But doing indies is really interesting because there are more concepts you can play around with. I have so much fun doing indies.”
Goodbye, Startalk; Hello, #CelebriTV ricky lo Philstar.com
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SO simple, so light-hearted. When “Startalk (The Showbiz Authority)” bade farewell on its 20th-anniversary episode last Saturday, Sept. 12, there were no tears (maybe not on air, hehehe!!!), no sad faces, no whatmight-have-beens, no ifs or buts, but only light (pained?) laughter. Tempo columnist Ronald Constantino was right. Right after the telecast, I got a text message from him: I like Startalk’s farewell episode. So simple, so light-hearted.
Along with hosts Joey de Leon, Lolit Solis, Butch Francisco and heart evangelista, I said my farewell piece…short but sweet: The guys at Startalk have become like family to me. I will miss all of you. The host who lasted the longest (over-staying?) was Lolit who opened the show (with Boy Abunda and Kris Aquino) and ended it with a new set of cohosts (Butch for 16 years, Joey for 10 years, me for seven years and heart for two years). Others who came and went included Dawn Zulueta, Rosanna Roces and Lorna Tolentino.
how nice and generous of Boy to participate in the final episode even only on video. For several minutes, he held back tears, his voice quivering just a bit, a lump in his throat quelled. Thank you, Boy, for sharing precious time with us. “And,” added Lolit, “for contributing to our annual Christmas party fund without fail!” Boy recognized where he came from, no wonder he enjoys such good karma! (how does the good old Filipino saying go again? Yes, ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan.) Joey was in his element. Asked
what he would miss about Startalk, he joked, “The giveaways!” That is, the weekly supply of siopao, chocolate cookies, the beauty soap, the pansit and the whitening lotion from Dr. Vicki Belo; and other products (Pauleen Luna’s Placenta, etc.) from supporters whose products Lolit recites like a lengthening litany from a kodigo week after week. heart didn’t stay long enough on the show but she confessed that Startalk was the only show where she has found real friends, adding that she used to be afraid of some of the hosts (Lolit, was that you?) but her (unfounded)
Their last ‘family picture’ together: The Startalk guys flash their sweetest smiles for posterity after the airing of the 20-year-old show’s farewell episode last Saturday, Sept. 12. On Saturday, Sept. 19, the replacement show, called #CelebriTV, will take a bow with (below, from left) Ai-Ai delas Alas, Joey de Leon and Lolit Solis as main hosts.
fears vanished after she came to know us better. how nice of heart to lead a prayer after the show, thanking God for the blessings and wishing good luck for everyone, never mind if some of the staff will be assigned to other shows and others maybe flourishing in other pastures. Oh yes, it’s indeed goodbye, Startalk…for now. On Saturday, Sept. 19, same time, same channel, the new
show #CelebriTV will take a bow. You might miss some of the hosts but old reliables Joey and Lolit will still be around as main hosts together with Ai-Ai delas Alas. It will still be showbiz-oriented but presented with a comic touch. enough said for the time being. I won’t preempt the producers by divulging more details which will be discussed this afternoon during the new show’s press launch. Stay tuned for #CelebriTV.
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Jolina Magdangal: The learning goes on Cristine Reyes engaged to MMA fighter Ali Khatibi by Boy
ABundA Philstar.com
After 27 years in the business (she started when she was nine years old), you’d think there is nothing more you could teach Jolina Magdangal. But even she herself was surprised to discover that there’s always something new you can learn. When she first moved back to ABS-CBN after 12 years at GMA, Jolina was given two projects -— the reality singing competition “Your face Sounds familiar” and the Kapamilya Gold drama “flor de Liza.” Both projects were out of her comfort zone, which is romantic comedy. So Jolina had to learn new tricks, master the art of impersonation for “Your face Sounds familiar,” and challenge herself by doing heavy drama with crying scenes and kissing scenes (it was her first time to do that, play a mistress, lie in a casket, and also the first time for her character to die) for “flor de Liza,” which ended its run recently after seven months on the air. In short, Jolina had to learn how to stretch herself creatively to meet the demands of both shows. “You experience a different kind of pressure in (‘Your face Sounds familiar’) because it’s a competition. And when it comes to music, I go for easy-listening songs, eh ‘yung ‘Your face Sounds familiar,’ may impersonation pa na hindi patawa. In ‘flor de Liza,’ even if I’m more into romantic comedies, I was made to do drama ng bonggang-bongga ni direk (Wenn Deramas). So parehong show na bumungad sa akin sa ABS, kahit ako na-surprise ako.” ‘flor de Liza,’ in particular, was a novel experience in so many ways, says Jolina. “Dito, halos kabuuan ng show, may sakit ako. first time ko maging kabit, first time na gumawa na may sakit ako at first time ko din humiga sa kabaong. Gusto ko din kasi ma-feel kung ano ang pakiramdam na nasa loob. Parang curious din ako. So in-enjoy ko siya.” the dramatic scenes were not that easy even for an actor of her experience to execute. But direk Wenn gave her some advice on how to handle them that somehow made them easier. “’Pag may mga crying scene dati, kabado na ako kasi di ako sanay umiyak-iyak. Hindi mo na ako makakausap kasi kabadongkabado na ako. Dito, pinaramdam sa akin ni direk Wenn na ‘wag ko
SeveN months after giving birth to their first child, actress Cristine reyes announced that she is engaged with her MMA (mixed martial arts) fighter fiance Ali Khatibi. reyes shared the news through a post on her Instagram account Monday afternoon. the post was a picture of her engagement ring with the caption “engaged.” Netizens flooded the post with congratulatory messages. the couple met in March last MMA fighter Ali Khatibi and Cristine Reyes year. reyes then announced that show “ASAP” last November. 8 while the actress was on the she was pregnant after a perforShe gave birth to her daugh- seventh month of her pregnancy. mance in the ABS-CBN variety ter Amarah prematurely last feb. (Inquirer.net)
Claudia Barretto: The new girl in town by MArgAritA
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Jolina Magdangal
masyado paghandaan, baka di magmukhang natural.” What also helped her in “flor de Liza” was that she had something in common with the character. “the reason I found it easier to cry in my scenes because I was a mother (in the series), it was my first time to do a role who had a child. Being a mom myself helped at saka timing din dahil nu’ng ginagawa namin ang show, nasa kasagsagan na ako ng pagiging high sa pagka-mommy ko, masayang-masaya ako. Kumbaga, perfect timing lahat, na bumalik ako ng ABS-CBN, I was ready physically, emotionally and mentally, OK na OK na ang feeling ko.” It also helped that she was working with people she knew. “timing din na komportable ako sa mga kasama ko, like Marvin (Agustin),” she says with a laugh. “first time namin ni Marvin na may kissing scene, ha. So I would never forget this show.” Jolina was encouraged to try all these new things because she had confidence in direk Wenn. “I trusted direk kasi alam ko na gagawin niya ang mga ‘yon (the
crying scenes, kissing scene and death scene) not because he wanted the show to be controversial or to be talked about, but because they were needed in the story.” this was no problem for her because, in Jolina’s view, the willingness to dare, dream, challenge and reinvent yourself constantly is an important quality for every actor to have. “flor de Liza” was thus an opportunity to put her money where her mouth is. “that’s why I agreed to do the series because I had a lot of new things to show to the people. Same thing with “Your face Sounds familiar.” Alam kong maraming magugulat sa pwede kong magawa. Kahit 27 years na ako sa industriya, kahit ako, kahit alam ko sa sarili ko na meron pa, timing din na gusto ko pa mag-grow, na meron pa akong gustong ipakita.” Jolina’s next project will be Dreamscape entertainment’s “Written In Our Stars,” with toni Gonzaga, Sam Milby and Piolo Pascual. And like all her other projects, it will be another chance for her to stretch her wings and fly.
share of the same thing,” Claudia says diplomatically. “But girls have it harder? I feel like I have to eduMANILA—My whole day really cate myself more about feminism, consists of school,” Claudia Barbecause right now I wouldn’t have retto declares. It’s been hours after a perfect answer.” the final bell has rung, and storm Claudia’s tenacity is also evident clouds outside are looming. Unlike in the willful way she has comher classmates who are probably mandeered her professional life. at home praying for classes to Just a few weeks ago, it was said get suspended, Claudia is in a that she’d decided not to pursue studio, wrapping up a two-hour showbiz — a claim that’s not quite shoot. this is her life, mostly: a accurate. “the thing is, I’m always commitment to school, with some asked this question… but now I work when her schedule allows. feel like I have a better answer,” But only, she emphasizes, if work Claudia explains. “the thing is doesn’t get too much in the way of that if I were to enter showbiz, it her studies. wouldn’t be in the acting side of It would be easy for 15-year-old Claudia Barretto it. I think I’d get into music. I’m Philstar.com photo by JL Javier Claudia to become a foregone conreally passionate about music. I clusion. Young, pretty, with a rich thoughts misconstrued, something love to sing.” celebrity heritage — what else is that gets easier and easier with this is where Claudia’s calm there to know? She could rest on hashtags and screenshots. “this and collected facade chips off bit these laurels all her life and scoot generation is so tough on itself,” by bit, when she talks about the by with ease. Despite her young Claudia admits, as she sits cross- kind of professional singer she age, Claudia seems like a natural legged on the couch. “I think it’s wants to become someday. It will at this, a veteran even before her one of the main reasons why many have a lot of pop, she predicts. prime. She could allow herself to of us are insecure.” Nothing that requires a big voice, weep over her amnesiac boyfriend And like anyone with a smart- because she says that her musical in a primetime teleserye or host a phone and common sense, Clau- style is a bit more mellow. When noontime show with her celebrity dia’s social media presence seems taylor Swift crops up as a suggirl gang. Claudia could, but she to speak volumes about her, more gested peg, Claudia’s face lights won’t. Because she may be young, so than meeting her in person. A up like a heart eyes emoji. “taylor pretty, and born into fame, but few months ago, Claudia retweeted Swift,” she says with reverence, “is it seems that that is hardly what an Ariana Grande tweet in which my life idol. She’s so influential, makes her so special. the singer wrote a long post about it’s insane.” Claudia Barretto is full of spir- the importance of gender equality. With taylor Swift serving as her it. Ariana started it off by saying that blueprint of sorts, it’s not hard to When you speak to her, she’s “having something to say is not imagine that once Claudia is done sweet and friendly, but careful to the same as having a bad attitude.” with her academic duties, she’ll put thought into her answers. But When asked about it, Claudia be ready to get down to work. And this doesn’t seem to betray a lack chose her words carefully, paus- when one says that about Claudia, of conviction — if anything, she ing after every other beat. “I feel it’s not limited to her own celebrity: seems well-stocked with convic- like when people look at girls, ev- Claudia Barretto might just be in tions. Maybe she just doesn’t have erything is more magnified. Like, the business of building an empire. time for B.S. Maybe it’s because everything. from your shoes, to In the meantime, she’ll be more she knows how easy it is to fall your hair, to your makeup. that’s than happy to get next week’s prey to having one’s words and what I feel. But guys have their fair homework done.
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STATE VISIT. In August, Congresswoman Dina Titus joined the House Democracy Partnership, an official bipartisan congressional group that provides training and technical assistance to legislators in developing democracies, for a trip around the world. Rep. Titus traveled to Timor Leste, Indonesia, Nepal, and Kosovo and discussed energy, transparency, corruption, electoral practices, and how the legislature can provide checks on the executive.
Delegation meeting with the Women’s Caucus of the Timor-Leste Parliament
Rep. Titus visiting earthquake damage in Nepal, just outside Kathmandu
Rep. Titus with the US Ambassador to ASEAN Nina Hachigian
Rep. Titus with two female members of the Constitution Drafting Committee in the Constituent Assembly of Nepal
Locals showing Rep. Titus earthquake damage in Nepal, just outside Kathmandu
The degation with the President of Indonesia, including the US Ambassador and parts of the Indonesian Cabinet
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Rep. Titus with members of Commission I in the Indonesian House
The delegation with the Women’s Caucus of the Timor-Leste Parliament
Delegation arrives for the 70th Indonesian Independence celebration.
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Your Immigration Solution Atty. RobeRt Reeves ben LovemAn And nAncy e. miLLeR United States Citizenship and immigration Services (USCiS) and department of State (dOS) have announced a significant modification to the visa bulletin system. the change is part of President Obama’s package of administrative actions aimed at improving the immigration system. the new system allows thousands of people to file their applications for adjustment of status (green cards) with USCiS in advance of the date that their application can be approved. Allowing early filing will provide huge benefits for potential applicants who will be eligible for employment authorization, advance parole, job portability, and other benefits based on the ability to file their adjustment of status applications early.
Health@Heart PhiLiP s. chuA, md, FAcs, FPcs An open, parallel-group, multicenter randomized controlled study in Sweden (LOtUS - Long-term Usage of Acid Suppression Versus Anti-reflux Surgery) showed that drug (esomeprazole) is equally effective, if not more, than surgery for reflux, which is now relegated to the background as a last resort management. What is reflux heartburns? Reflux heartburns is a milder stage of Reflux esophagitis, which is an inflammatory condition where Hydrocholoric Acid, normally produced by the stomach to aid in the digestion of food, regurgitate (goes back up) to the lower end of the esophagus (food pipe) which is connected to the stomach. in most cases, the lower esophageal sphincter (“valve”) is incompetent (loose) and allows stomach acid and food to back up to the esophagus, a disease medically known as Gastroesophageal Reflux disease (GeRd). What medications irritate the stomach? Some of the common drugs that aggravate gastro-esophageal inflammatory disease are pain medi-
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Early filing for green cards and EADs is here effective October 1, 2015, the visa bulletin will include two separate charts for each employment and family-based visa categories. the two charts will be posted in the visa bulletin and will be labeled as “Application Final Action dates” (the date when dOS or USCiS may issue a visa or approve an adjustment of status application) and “dates for Filing Applications” (the earliest date on which an applicant may submit a visa application with dOS or adjustment application with USCiS). in practice it appears that the date for filing chart will indicate dates well in advance of the final action dates chart. For instance, on October 1, 2015 the F-1 Family Preference for the Philippines (unmarried son or daughter of U.S. citizen) date for filing will be September 1, 2005 whereas the final action date will be June 1, 2001. this means that eligible applicants with priority dates earlier than the filing date can submit their applications for
adjustment of status (if in the US) beginning on October 1, 2015 but that the application will likely not approved for several years. the filing date is well in advance of the action date for several other categories including the F2B, F2A and eB-3 categories. the beneficial effects of the addition of this new earlier date for filing chart will primarily accrue to persons inside the United States who are either maintaining lawful status or are covered by inA § 245(i) (because they are the principal or derivative beneficiary of a petition of labor certification filed earlier than January 14, 1998 or earlier than April 30, 2001 and they were physically present in the U.S. on december 20, 2000). For applicants outside the United States the date for filing chart may correspond with the date that the national Visa sends out notice that they may submit their visa applications and pay visa fees. However, they will still need to
Acid reflux heartburns cations like aspirin, ibuprofen (like Motrin, Advil, etc.) and naproxen (like Aleve); antibiotics like doxycycline and tetracycline; quinidine as a heart med; potassium chloride supplement; bisphosphonates, alendronate (Fosamax) as treatment for osteoporosis; and ethanol (as in alcoholic beverages). Why is acid reflux bad? the stomach mucosa (lining) normally produces the digestive acid and tolerates it much better than the esophagus does, which has a different cell lining that is less resistant to the acid. Reflux of stomach acid into the lower end of the esophagus, therefore, causes esophagitis (irritation, inflammation, swelling, ulceration), which, if allowed to continue untreated, could cause esophageal stricture (scarring) and narrowing, making the channel connecting the food pipe to the stomach too small for food to pass through. Chronic irritation also increases the risk for cancer of the esophagus. is this condition common? Yes, very common. Sixty percent of the adult population in the USA have some type of Gi reflux disease. Most patients complain of burning discomfort in the pit of the stomach after meals or at night, while lying down, allowing stomach acid to flow back to the esophagus. Many times the burning disappears when
the person gets up. the symptom could also be that of indigestion or “sour stomach.” People who take antacids, like Alka Seltzer, Maalox, tums, etc. could have GeRd. Most obese people have reflux. GeRd is also found among infants and children. What are the possible complications of GERD? Uncomplicated gastroesophageal reflux responds well to medical therapy, and may be tolerated for many years. However, some people on treatment may still develop complications, like esophagitis, esophageal ulcer, hemorrhage, esophageal stricture, and Barrett’s metaplasia (cell changes in the esophagus that could transform to cancer). What is the first step treatment of GERD? the initial management of patients with persisting symptoms of GeRd consists of (1) Changing diet (avoiding spices, caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, cola drinks), (2) quitting cigarette smoking, (3) avoiding tight, binding clothing, especially after a meal (4) refraining from lying down immediately after a meal, and elevating the head of the bed (with 5-6 inch blocks) will prevent by gravity from backing up to the esophagus of gastric acid and contents in the stomach, and (5) taking medication like esomepraPAGE B6
wait until their priority date is earlier than the date listed in the final action date to be eligible to receive a visa. For persons in the US, the change is extremely important and the benefit will be clear. Applicants in the US will be able to submit their adjustment applications based on the date for filing chart and then, on the basis of the pending application, they will be eligible for temporary and renewable work authorization and travel permission. Further, for employment based applicants, the ability to file an adjustment application early should lead to greater job flexibility and the ability for derivatives spouses and children to obtain employment authorization. While the new system is extremely beneficial to numerous potential applicants it does not eliminate backlogs or necessarily even reduce current wait times. What it does is provide benefits to a portion of the applicants, here in the US,
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA
who are waiting in those backlogs for the chance to become a resident. the new two chart system raises issues which have not yet been addressed by USCiS or dOS in connection with this announcement. For instance, it remains to be seen which chart will be used to determine when the visa is considered to be available for the purposes of the Child Status Protection Act. Allowing applicants to use the date for filing chart for the CSPA would be a major benefit (to applicants abroad and in the US) because the earlier a visa is considered available, the earlier the applicant can lock in their children’s ages under the CSPA. For instance, an eB-3 applicant from the Philippines with a priority date earlier than January 1, 2015 could lock in their children’s age now whereas under the prior system they might have had to wait eight or more years in order to do so.
the new visa bulletin system represents a fundamental change to the way visa and adjustment of status applicants will be treated under the law. the change may impact many aspects of a potential applicant’s case. if you or a loved one believe this new system will impact your case you should contact an experienced immigration attorney immediately to discuss the potential benefits to your case. *** Atty. Reeves has represented clients in numerous landmark immigration cases that have set new policies regarding INS action and immigrants’ rights. His offices are located in Pasadena, Irvine, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Makati City. Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration @rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com. *** The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case. (Advertising Supplement)
Mining memories of Mindoro “Take care of all your memories, for you cannot relive them.”
— Robert Frost
(First of 2 parts)
eVeRY place i have ever been to is made significant by the images and thoughts i have of people, places and experiences that still live on in my memory. For Mindoro, it’s memories of my father, this place called naujan and sizzling hot summer days. While my father worked as ship captain plying the interisland routes and waterways and later on, the high seas on international assignments, my mother raised a big brood of seven girls and a boy practically all by herself. during school breaks, she would pack the girls off for summer vacation to our grandparents’ home in naujan, Oriental Mindoro. it was then a half day’s trip from Manila via Batangas City. i was so excited, i thought my heart would burst. time can dull memories and i wasn’t ready to let go of the past just yet. not until i’ve come full circle. i was determined to see this place one more time to rekindle the memories of glorious summers spent as a pintsized kid gamboling about like a
frisky, wet puppy, with my sisters and cousins in the beaches of Kanipisan and Aplaya. these were seaside beach towns abutting this tiny town called naujan. it was the place my father, Manolo, the eldest of a brood of siblings, were born and raised. those memories sparkle. they were happy, carefree, innocent, idyllic days of sun, sand, sea and simple pleasures. Lola would instruct Miguel, a trusted farm hand to bring us to the niyugan, or coconut plantation. Miguel would know exactly which trees to climb and with his gulok, (a tagalog term for a machete), chop off the young nuts which fell to the ground with a thud. We drank cool, clear coconut juice straight out of its shell and with a teaspoon in one hand, scraped off the sides of the young nut, called malauhog by locals. these are young coconut flesh, resembling the consistency of early stage, transparent phlegm. Alright. ewwwww. But who cares? When you’re young, unpretentious and really hun-
gry, your grumbling stomach is the boss. Calapan is the entryway from the Luzon mainland by air, land and sea to Oriental Mindoro. it enjoys a geographical proximity to the mainland and the shipping routes. it has a small pier in a cove where boats coming from Batangas docked. Calapan provides a bit of excitement that a sleepy town like naujan couldn’t muster. in recent years, an SM store in town was a definite cause for celebration. tio Oscar, my father’s youngest brother, was the town entrepreneur cum inventor who tried his hand at many things. He was short in stature but i remember him as a big kid with a pure sense of fun. He drove around town in an old, rickety opentopped, army surplus World War ii vintage weapons carrier which he used for business and leisure. He hauled huge blocks of ice coated with ipa, those rice husks used to prevent the ice from melting for the hot, dusty PAGE B8
B september 17-23, 2015 • LAs VeGAs AsIAN JOUrNAL
Naked Truth
Effective solutions to hair loss
dr. Vicki belo Hello everyone! I am so thrilled by the influx of your emails! And as I am so happy that you trust me with your concerns, I would also like to share something close to my heart. Recently, my beloved daughter Cristalle is finally engaged! As a mother I always wanted my daughter to be happy with someone who will cherish and honor her. She found the right partner in Justin. I was able to sneak a photo from behind-the-scenes of that wonderful moment when Justin proposed! Now on to our letter sender : Dear Dr. Vicki, Doc, I am a marine engineer by profession. I have been happily married for eight years and have children now. However, my wife noticed lately that I have lost hair at the upper back of my head. It has gotten thin and it looks like the eye of the storm. My wife always watches your show and has encouraged me to consult with you. I hope you can help me with this. I have also attached a photo for reference. Thanks, Enzo Hi enzo, There are many causes of hair loss among men. Some are acquired from genetic, environmental pollutants, or stress. others are caused by changes in hormones, getting scars due to surgery or
health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure. Seems like in your photo your are showing early signs of receding hair line and bald patches. What is important is you see a doctor. We have to be sure that your hair loss is nothing short of a health problem. If that’s the case, you have to get well first and we can proceed with your hair loss treatment after. Think of it this way, the soil is the scalp and the plant is the hair. When the plant is damaged, it dies and gets removed from the soil, same is your hair follicles. We have invasive and non invasive procedures for hair loss depending on the condition and severity. We have something called MesoHair, where we infuse “fertilizers” to your scalpt to enduce hairgrowth.
Acid reflux heartburns
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zole under the close supervision of your physician. Is surgery for GERD passé? While these promising findings from the clinical research at the Karolinska University Hospital in Huddinge, Sweden, and its partners in the other dedicated centers in 11 european countries, show that GeRD responds very well to medical treatment, with even lesser post-op residual symptoms than those treated with surgery (laparoscopic Anti-Reflux Surgery, lARS, fundoplication), surgery still has a role in managing resistant cases, and those with complications of chronic GeRD. So, what is the final verdict? In consonance with a caveat in medicine, positive findings
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like this one will have to be confirmed and reconfirmed by other clinical studies, before it becomes accepted as a standard convention in medical practice. This wise principle in medicine is the reason why advertised anecdotal testimonials about untested herbals and “food supplements” in the market today (claimed to have medicinal values) are considered scientifically baseless and deemed downright dangerous for the consumers. As for this wonderful news about the preference today for pills, instead of surgery, for GeRD, these cohort studies are significant enough to be accepted standard of care, since H2 blocker (acid pump inhibitor) drugs are presently an integral part of the management for GeRD anyway. Any new treatment
Immigration Corner
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Care in filling out USCIS forms
to a mistake in the filing of the Affidavit of Support? In one case, Sheryl, the alienAtty. MAriA ritA reyes-stuby spouse of a US citizen was reAnd bernAdette bretAnA quired, by way of a “Request for evidence” (RFe), to submit an ApplICATIoN forms to peti- updated Form I-693 (Record of tion a relative, obtain a green Medical examination and Vaccard, a work permit, travel cination) because the original abroad or study in the US may medical exam submitted was appear easy to fill out. The US ‘outdated’. Upon submission of Citizenship and Immigration Ser- the updated Form I-693, it was vices (USCIS) ensures that such discovered that the civil surforms can be understood and geon failed to completely fill out completed by you , who need the form, leaving blank spaces not be experts in US immigra- therein. Since a response to a tion laws. However, the best of RFe is usually deemed as the us may not know how to respond final submission by the applicant to each and every question in of the requested document, USthose forms. Human error, an CIS will not require another Form honest mistake or erroneous as- I-693 and would consider the sumptions of what to write will submitted form ‘non-compliant’ not be taken lightly by USCIS. and unable to prove admissibilFor our invasive procedure and At times, an erroneous advice ity on health-related grounds, a still the most effective means to from a notario or paralegal who justification for the denial of the address hairloss, Belo uses an are confident of their grasp of US application. In another case a nurse, linda advanced technology to automati- immigration matters, can jeopcally harvest and implant hair fol- ardize your future of remaining together with her family initially licles to the balding area without in the US. Biased as it sounds, entered the US as tourists. luckremoving the scalp. It is called it is always best to seek legal ily, they became holders of H1B the NeoGrafting. What makes it assistance from an immigration and H4 visas, petitioned by the better is that the results are natural attorney. Inadvertent mistakes US employer and their lawful looking hair re-growth, it is least made in the forms can have dire permanent residence status invasive with little to no discomfort, consequences. Such as, the de- processed. The USCIS officer minimal downtime and no linear nial of the application or impute noticed some discrepancy in scar. And it is also FDA-cleared upon an applicant fraud and linda’s immigration records. false misrepresentation that can Her employer’s initial applicaprocedure. Hope this helps you, enzo, on be a basis for removal proceed- tion for labor certification listed ings. Mistakes can prolong the the starting date of employment your problem. So let’s have more stories com- waiting time for visa availability. when she was still holding a ing in! Feel free to let me know While erroneous entries can be tourist visa. Since a tourist is about you. Send it to vicki@be- corrected by re-filing the ap- never allowed to work in the US, plication one cannot avoid the linda is asked to explain the lomed.com. huge expense of paying the fil- violation. The only reason for love, ing and legal fees twice. What it is inadvertence on the part of Dr. Belo about lost opportunities of the her employer—perhaps absentwhere drugs are found to be equal moment? What if the marriage mindedly typing a wrong date. to, or better than, surgery is a boon has soured after a year and the It will require sworn statements to medical therapeutics, a preferred applications for the green card and supporting documentation to regimen, and, obviously, better for and work permit is denied due erase the doubt that linda would all of us. Gastric ulcer used to be a surgical disease, where an operation (to cut a part of the stomach out) was necessary to manage the condition. Today, thanks to the progress in science, it is a medical disease, where effective modern drugs are the accepted mainstay of therapy.
have violated the rule not to seek employment while on a visitor’s visa. If USCIS is not convinced, the application for green cards could be denied. In a third case, US citizen Felix petitioned his minor son Gary who was then 20 years old. Felix could avail of the benefits of the Child Status protection Act (CSpA) wherein the date of the filing of the petition “freezes” the age of the child at 20 years old despite the lapse of time it takes the USCIS to adjudicate the petition. As such, upon approval of the petition, Gary’s visa will be immediately available. Unfortunately, Felix wrote a wrong birthdate (one year earlier), making the son 21 years old when the petition was filed. USCIS refused to amend the date despite the clear showing in the birth certificate and other evidence already on record that the son was then 20. USCIS totally ignored the plea to have it changed to the actual birthdate. At the time it was approved, the classification was that of a child of a US citizen, over and above 21 years old, which changes the waiting period to 13 long years! Need I say more? Take extra care in filling out those USCIS forms. *** Maria Rita Reyes-Stuby is a licensed attorney in Michigan. She is a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Law. She specializes in immigration and practices in Las Vegas, Michigan, California and other states. Bernadette Bretana, a graduate of the Ateneo Law School and Ms. Stuby are licensed attorneys in the Philippines. Please call @702-403-4704 or email her at stubylaw@aol.com or go to www. mrstubylaw.com for any questions on this article.
*** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
A HolY BApTISM IN loNG ISlAND. Beautiful baby girl peyton ellis Gatchalian was baptized in St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in West Hempstead, long Island on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015. Both families are from long Island and peyton’s grandparents are from las Vegas.
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Let’s talk about The ‘AlDub’ Fever By Monet
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A cOupLE of days ago, I overheard some of my customers talking about a certain “Yaya Dub” and “Alden” with the highest level of excitement. They were exchanging opinions about how “Lola Nidora” is getting in the way of true love, and that the “diary” will reveal so much more, and now—the latest update—is the meet up between “Yaya” and “Alden,” who (also according to them) have never met each other since the whole thing started. Just hearing them chat as though they personally know the characters is enough to get my curiosity piqued. unlike my customers, I have no clue about who these characters are. And yes, I must be living under a rock because I didn’t know the latest craze that’s been spreading like wildfire! So like the “martian-who-doesnot-know-aldub” that I am, I looked them up and I discovered that this “AlDub” Mania has spread over the philippines like an airborne disease, and people outside the philippines are following suit. To date, this TV skit-segment has reached over 4 million tweets! There is no escaping the “AlDub” fever and I’m just happy I caught on sooner than later. So, what’s in it that makes it viral? Let’s talk about the AlDub fever, shall we? When AlDub fanatics post anything AlDub-related, everyone jumps right in. And it’s hard to resist the urge to check them out. And when you start watching their skit and following them on every social media platform, that’s it – you’re hooked. Welcome to club! I’ll play skeptic and say that at first you wouldn’t really get it. You would think to yourself: “how is this weird couple flirting stupidly on screen pass as comic?” But the longer you watch Alden “Bae Alden” Richards swoon his beloved by flashing his deeper-than-deepdimples and lip syncs to every cliché love song ever written, you get stuck. Then you watch Maine “Yaya Dub” Mendoza does her signature nostril-flare and tomand-jerry smile to look wackily ugly (which is never the case-coz
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • SEptEmbER 17-23, 2015
SEptEmbER 19
Citizenship Day 2015 Alden Richards
Maine Mendoza aka Yaya Dub
she so adorable). And in the middle of them lip syncing songs and dubbing lines flawlessly, the stern and typical Lola-character played by Wally Bayola steps in and ruins their flirting session. I would bet that just by that description alone, you are sold. I was. But for the benefit of those who were like me—before I became pretty fond of them—who do not know anything about AlDub, let me give you a brief overview. AlDub became a phenomenal Filipino love team by accident. It is not one of those love teams that are products of a movie promo or a teleserye gimmick. That’s probably one of the main reasons why people are attracted to them. The moniker, “AlDub” is a combination of the names, Alden and ‘Dub—short for, “Yaya Dub.” The love team is played by Alden Richards, a Filipino matinee idol and Maine Mendoza, who is an ordinary Filipina who became an internet sensation for her “dubsmashes.” She was discovered and sought by the show’s staff to play Yaya Dub—the nanny of an “evil grandmother.” The “love team-up” started when Maine Mendoza zoned out of her character being the grumpy nanny, when Alden was seen watching her doing her act. She became conscious and next thing you know, they were being teased together, thus creating an unexpected and extraordinary chemistry on TV. This is how Eat Bulaga!’s Kalyeserye birthed the “AlDub”. AlDub can be seen in Eat Bulaga!’s Kalyeserye (a series done live in the streets). It’s the first ever street-skit that aired on
TV. The characters, despite of the scenes being impromptu, are witty and natural. Their antics are attracting more and more audiences in and out of the country. And this is where it gets even interesting; Since everything is not scripted and Lola Nidora’s scenes are filmed live in the streets, while Alden is in the studio, the two love birds have not met each other personally. Therefore contributing to the suspense and “kilig” leading to the day when they will finally meet face to face. As one critic said, “This Aldub craze started to take over the world through different social media and continued to cause commotion in everybody’s schedule for the day.” I most certainly agree. In fact writing about this had me smiling the whole time. It’s nice to see something on TV that is “organically” pleasing to watch. Out of the many things that media tried to manufacture, this one – I have to admit – they did right. Good job to the creators of AlDub. Borrowing the words of Lola Nidora, things are done right “sa tamang panahon.” Goodluck Alden and Yaya Dub! #kiligpamore *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, awardwinning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration. To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com
The Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association is having a FREE Citizenship Day event on September 19, from 10:00am to 3:00pm, to assist low-income, 18+ immigrants eligible for US citizenship with the full naturalization process. Every case will be reviewed by a legal attorney. Please call us at 407-841-8310 ext. 3123 for an appointment and any questions you may have. Thank You!
Heal the Bay Coastal Cleanup Day Heal the Bay, a volunteer-run nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the health and safety of Southland beaches and waterways, will host the 26th annual Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, Sept. 19. More than 10,000 Southland residents and volunteers will mobilize from 9am to noon at more than 50 cleanup sites, from Compton to Malibu, to help remove trash along Los Angeles County beaches and inland waterways, parks, creeks, lakes, highways and alleys. Coastal Cleanup Day participants have collected more than 1 million pounds of trash in Los Angeles County since 1990. By removing debris from beaches and inland neighborhoods, volunteers reduce blight, protect marine animals and bolster the regional economy. Join the world’s biggest single-day volunteer event! Attendees will receive hands-on education about the easy steps they can take to local watersheds and neighborhoods clean, and participants will be given a voucher for free sustainable seafood tacos at any Rubio’s restaurant while extensive supplies last. For volunteers, Cancer Treatment Centers of America will be distributing free tubes of sunscreen at all sites, and Heal the Bay will be hosting a number of community-building activities, such as a sand castle-building contest. Heal the Bay seeks volunteers of all ages and physical abilities, and no special equipment or experience is necessary. For registration information and cleanup tips, please visit www.healthebay.org/ccd. Contact Alys Arenas, (310) 451-1500, x148, aarenas@healthebay.org, or Matthew King, (310) 451-1500, x137; cell: (310) 463-6266 for more details.
PiLiPinO inTER-CLuB OPEn invitational Golf Tournament The 11th annual PILIPINO INTER-CLUB OPEN (PICO) is open to fellow master golfers from the tri-state area. The charity tournament will be held on Saturday, September 19, at Royce Brook Golf Club (201 Hamilton Rd, Hillsborough Township, NJ 08844). It will be a shotgun start @ 1:30 pm. Registration is $120 each player; includes golf cart and food after the game. Come early for registration, refreshments, and mini contests. Come and join the quest for individual and team honors by class. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Family Center Christian Church, and donations are 100% tax deductible. Sign-up now at http://www. spgolfclub.com/PICO. For more details, please contact Ed Badiola 908-531-7377, or Justil Cruz 973-926-1400.
uBLA: Kaaldawan of the 41st Penafrancia Fiesta 2015 Most Reverend Gerald Eugene Wilkerson, D.D., V.G., former Bishop of the San Fernando Valley Pastoral Region, will preside over a concelebrated High Mass to highlight the Kaaldawan (Feast Day) of the 41st Annual Penafrancia Fiesta on Saturday, September 19, at 10:00am, through the United Bicolandia Los Angeles (UBLA). Bicolanos are inviting all Marian devotees, Filipinos and other Catholics regardless of ethnicity, to join them in the day-long fiesta in honor of their regional patroness, Our Lady of Penafrancia, in the open air of Lincoln Park and Lake: 3529 N. Mission Road, Los Angeles, CA 90031 (corner E. Valley Blvd.) near downtown. There is a solemn Eucharist Mass schedule with music by Saint Anthony Claret Holy Rosary Choir, followed by a kaaldawan celebration including a novena, Fluvial parade of the Holy Virgin, lunch, and cultural entertainment highlighting Bicolano and Filipino culture. The 8-day novena will start on the afternoon of Friday, September 11 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Hollywood. The 2015 Penafrancia Fiesta will end on Sunday, September 27, with a fellowship ball at Montery Hill Restaurant (3700 W. Ramona Blvd., Monterey Park, CA 91754) at 5:30pm. For a full schedule, novenas, and more information, please contact UBLA President Lanie Berrei (818) 281-3169.
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Virgen De Los Remedios 59th Canonical Coronation Anniversary When: Sunday, September 20, (2:30 PM Assembly for procession) Where: Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (555 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012) Contact: Vidal Aguas, aguadelosangeles@aol.com.
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Laudato Si (Praise Be To you, O Lord) caring for our common home Laudato Si (Praise Be To You, O Lord!) is Pope Francis’ encyclical on “CARING FOR OUR COMMON HOME” which addresses the grave impact of climate change in world’s communities and ecosystems. On Thursday, September 24, Climate Scientist, Dr. Josh Fisher, from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will explain the scientific foundation of climate change, which is well-aligned with Pope Francis’ letter. The event will take place 7 to 9 PM at Holy Name of Mary Parish in San Dimas (724 E. Bonita Avenue, San Dimas, CA 91773). All are invited, and free refreshments and childcare will be provided. For more information, please contact Charlie Martinez, Director of Pastoral Ministries at charlie@hnmparish.org.
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CELEBRATE LOCAL with San Diego Restaurant Week!
A WONDERFuL WEDDiNG IN SEpTEMBER. Mr. & Mrs. Edgar Garcia’s beautiful daughter Jenina recently got married to Kenny Dolce last on sept. 5, 2015 at St.Thomas the Apostle catholic church in Long island, NY. It was a beautiful traditional Filipino wedding. The Garcia family from pampanga and the Dolce family from Italy have known each other for many years. photos by Raoul Gatchalian
This September, San Diego Restaurant Week, presented by Lexus Dealerships of San Diego, will CELEBRATE LOCAL... keepin’ it fresh - really fresh. San Diego Restaurant week returns September 20th - September 26th for ONE WEEK ONLY to “Celebrate Local” at all 180+ participating restaurants. Choose from a three-course dinner or two-course lunch deal to satisfy your cravings. NEW THIS YEAR, San Diego Restaurant Week will be partnering with Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank to provide backpacks for children in need within the San Diego community during the ALL FOR KIDS campaign. Ditch the dirty dishes and join over 150,000 fellow diners as we celebrate San Diego’s thriving culinary scene and the homegrown, local businesses that provide us with the produce and products we love! Tickets are not necessary for this delectable week of discounted dining, but reservations are recommended! Visit SanDiegoRestaurantWeek.com for more information, including a list of participating restaurants, or to make your reservations in advance!
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2nd Grand Reunion GOT (RETiRED) from Cerveza San Miguel uS CHAPTER Where: Gold Coast Casino & Hotel (4000 Flamingo Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89103) When: Sept. 25 and 26; Grand Reunion Sept. 26 at 7:00 pm For details and information, please contact Renato Umayam at 323-841-3516, Nida Matias at 818-394-9178, Greg Lacondola at 702-334-8068, or Arnold Navarro at 318-779-6254.
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Philippine Medical Association Event The Officers and Members of the Philippine Medical Association headed by President Dr. Arnel Joaquin, and Auxiliary President Divinia Encina will be holding a whole day event to be held at the Reef on the Water in Long Beach, CA on September 26. Assemblyman Rob Bonta and the Philippine Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim will participate in the discussion of the law that was passed by the State Legislature regarding full immunization of children before going to school with no exemption. There will be a Dinner Show with performances by the Tausala Polynesian Dancers. It will be a Luau event wherein all the past Presidents of the Auxiliary will be presented after their 35 years of service to the PMASC. The dinner ticket is $70.00 (if paid before August 31) and $80.00 after the due date. For dinner show reservations: please contact Noli R. Zosa, M.D. or Mrs. Nena Zosa at (562) 572- 2481.
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LA Builder Lions Club 25th Anniversary The Los Angeles Builder Lions Club will celebrate their 25th Anniversary and Annual Outstanding Parents Night on October 10, 2015 at the Almansor Court banquet hall (700 S Almansor St, Alhambra, CA 91801). Music will be provided by The Midnight Motion Band. For further questions, please call Lion Bill Menor (323) 465-0613, Lion Yoli Ramo (213) 3051332, chairpersons or Lion Tita James, co-chair at (818) 203-2325.
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Long-lost Juan Luna painting, found in Argentina, goes up for auction in Manila by CheChe V. Moral Inquirer.net
The current owner didn’t know who Luna was, and said his sister even thought of disposing the painting to turn its gilt frame into a mirror. AN 1885 painting by Juan Luna which was thought to have been lost, but turned up in Argentina, is the centerpiece of an auction of important Philippine art, fine jewelry and watches, rare auto, and other antiquities on Sept. 1920 in Kirov Lounge at Rockwell, Makati. “¿A Do… Va La Nave?” (oil on canvas, 21½” x 41”) turned up at the doorstep of Salcedo Auctions cofounder and art advisor Ramon e.S. Lerma, from an Argentinean man who inherited the piece from his grandmother, whose husband received it from his friend and business partner in the late 1950s. The giver was a man named Goar Mestre, a Cuban émigré who founded the first local TV station in the Argentine city of Cordoba with Jose Bonaldi, the grandfather of the painting’s current owner. The Bonaldi scion didn’t know who Luna was, and said his sister even thought of disposing the painting to turn its gilt frame into a mirror, according to Lerma. But seeing the inscription on the frame, the owner turned to Google and found the Makati auction house, which sold Lunas in its last two seasons. he e-mailed Lerma the pictures.
Two theories Lerma, who’s an art academic, said he knew instantly that the work was a Luna. “If you see the brushwork, you’ll know that it’s a Luna,” he said. “The colors are Luna. If you see the hem of the dress with the flowers of blue and pink and green, it’s very, very Luna.” In the auction catalog, it says that Salcedo Auctions’ specialist team had two theories as to how the Luna wound up in Cordoba. First, through Luna’s brotherin-law, Felix Pardo de Tavera, who settled in Buenos Aires with his Argentinean wife. But that is if the piece was spared; it’s widely believed that the Pardo de Tavera family destroyed all of Luna’s works in their possession following Luna’s killing of his wife Paz Pardo de Tavera, and motherin-law Juliana Gorricho. Second, it could have traveled to Cuba, where Mestre came from, through Luna’s Spanish friend, Ramón Blanco, who was governor general of the Philippines before becoming captain general of Cuba. Until its discovery, the existence of the piece was recorded only in a reproduction in a Barcelona literary journal from 1886. The painting shows seven elegantly dressed women on a boat, a young soldier and an older man sketching. It’s signed “LVNA Paris 1885,” which means it was painted a year after “Spoliarium” won the gold medal in Madrid. It is valued between P9-12 million.
“It’s a touching tribute to the country that the owner decided to sell it here,” even as he also talked to auction houses abroad, said Lerma. “It’s exceedingly rare to find a work of Luna in this condition with this kind of subject matter. And it’s in pristine condition.” The owner hand-carried the painting to Manila. Hidalgo portrait Alongside the Luna is an 1890 portrait of a little girl by his contemporary, Félix Resurreccíon hidalgo, which was discovered in Madrid. It’s valued between P6-8 million. Of the 130 artworks featured in the auction dubbed “A WellAppointed Life,” a good amount are works by Filipino masters, as well as other eminent artists: Fernando Amorsolo, Vicente Manansala, Jose Joya, BenCab, Arturo Luz, Juvenal Sansó, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, Ang Kiukok, Fernando Zobel, Lao Lianben, Mauro Malang Santos, Oscar Zalameda, among many others. In the mix are younger artists like Ronald Ventura, emmanuel Garibay, Jon Jaylo, Marina Cruz, Don Salubayba, Luis Lorenzana, to name a few. Lerma is also hoping to match, if not surpass, the sales record set by a first-edition “Noli Me Tangere” from last year’s auction, which fetched over P7 million. This time, there’s a first-edition “el Filibusterismo” with a low estimate of P1.8 million. For collectors of contemporary literature, there’s also a first-edi-
Mining memories of Mindoro
PAGE B5 trip between Calapan and the only restaurant in Naujan, which he and his wife Tia Celia, owned and operated at the time. During those days, electricity was miserly meted out from 6 in the evening till 6 in the morning — that is, — when the generators were working. The ice would chill Tio Oscar’s stash of soda in a cooler during the day and he would use the rest for the crushed ice for the best halohalo in town. It was said that his halo-halo was so scrumptiously delicious, it would entice barefoot hordes of Mangyans to come down from the mountains and give
themselves the cool treat. When Tio Oscar’s chores were done, he would then haul all of us, a ragtag band of scrawny, eager-beaver kids, off to the beach. We would bury our soda stash in the cold wet sand to chill it and rush to the sea and swim with abandon until our fingers and toes were wrinkled, our skin a few shades darker. By then we had worked up a fierce appetite. Tio Oscar’s hungry horde of kids would then mow down grilled fish either banak or banglis, tulingan, halabos na hipon and steaming rice mixed with raw eggs complimented by choppedup pajo, red eggs and tomatoes. We built black sand sculptures
which killjoy waves promptly crushed and swept back out to sea. We would kibitz and swarm about like pesky flies at the abundant haul of fishermen pulling in their nets bursting with their fresh catch of the day from the sea. Those were beautiful summer days. Life was good. Those days have ebbed and are gone forever. But pure joy still flows back with remembrance. I wanted to revisit the former site of my grandparent’s old place in the center of town where my father was born in 1912. Vicente Adeva, my Lolo was an insular (meaning island) teacher who received his civil service appointment on July 01, 1907.
From Paris to Cuba to Cordoba, now home in Manila. This Juan Luna was painted a year after the “Spoliarium” won the gold medal in Madrid. Inquirer.net photo by Alexis Corpuz
tion “harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” valued between P150,000 to P170,000. Vintage baubles At the recent first preview, fine jewelry collectors also had their fill perusing the vast assortment of estate jewels —vintage, diamonds and colorful gemstones alike. Dozens and dozens of fine watches from Swiss brands Rolex, Patek Philippe, IWC, JaegerLeCoultre, Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet and others are also on the block. There are also several rare cars, displayed around the Rockwell area, which Lerma said is “the fastest-growing segment in terms of price appreciation through time,” quoting Bloomberg News.
While “important art” remains the highlight of Salcedo Auctions’ calendar, Lerma said there has been a growing interest in what the auction house calls “Connoisseur Collection,” which includes furniture (Philippe Starck and Frank Gehry chairs, for instance), porcelain, crystals and silver, as well as international art (there are two pieces by Joan Miró). A pair of Waterford champagne flutes has the lowest estimate of all the items for sale, at P1,000 to P2,000. Most valuable Many of the art for sale are valued in the millions, but Lerma said he had “to be fair” in the valuation of the Luna. “I get asked all the time why Luna is always considered the most valuable. It’s because we see
him as someone who championed the cause of the Filipino overseas. If there’s discrimination even today, can you just imagine this indio in 19th-century europe, what sort of life he must have had? “If you see a lot of the other modern artists, they’re also gaining a lot of traction and fetching high prices,” he added. “When it comes to an estimate, there are many things to factor in, and a lot of it is what an artwork means to a society where it’s being shown. Besides Luna being an artist, he has the distinction also of being a hero.” Ultimately, whether or not one has millions to bid for this Luna, Lerma said everyone is welcome to view it and the rest of the items for sale at the ongoing public viewing at Rockwell.
One of the sepia photos my brother recovered from the old house was of Lolo who as Provincial Treasurer, and then Secretary posed with provincial officials and the American Governor General, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. The tall strapping American was appointed by President herbert hoover in 1932 as Governor General of what was then called the Philippine Islands. Papa was immensely proud of his roots and proud of being a Naujeno even when he lived in the US after retirement. While living in Glendale, California in his mid-eighties, he always looked forward to dressing to the nines in a tuxedo, and tripping the light fantastic whirling about on the dance floor
with my mother or his daughters for the Naujeno Annual Ball in some posh Los Angeles hotel, half a world away from the place he loved. he may have wanted to reconnect with a few remaining old timers, people he had common ties with while growing up. But mostly during his last years, he was simply happy and content being home with my mother. If he had the chance however, he would have wanted to visit the place where he grew up —just one more time— before sudden death on a dreary and cold winter’s day overtook him. he was 87 years old. More than a decade later, I went in his stead. It was something I had planned on doing for
some time, as a quiet tribute. For my part, I wanted to understand how such a place shaped who he is and what moved him to sail the seven seas for 40 years as a ship captain, hauling logs and cars and tons of containers from port to port— from Siberia to South Africa, from Pusan to Peru— bringing with him my mother’s keepsake, a small image of the Nuestra Senora de Antipolo, before the wanderlust gave out and he finally found home. he would have been surprised with the changes in his old hometown. (To be continued) *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com