Philippine News Today

1 April 21-27, 2022

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

www.pnewstoday.com

THE PREMIER FILIPINO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN THE U.S. SINCE 1961

Vol. 61 No. 37 April 21-27, 2022

NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST

WHO, DOH AIR WARNING: POSSIBLE COVID-19 SURGE ‘Agaton’ deaths hit 178, over 100 still missing

Cases may reach 500,000 by mid May; Duterte, orders facemask use til June 30

By ALFRED GABOT, Editor-in-Chief

MANILA – As the new corona virus cases continue to go down, the Department of Health warned that the country may see a resurgence of COVID-19 infections by middle of May following big political rallies and campaigns and almost normal activities of people where minimum public health standards are lax. Page 9

Isko’s call for Leni to withdraw backfires

By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor

MANILA – Their united front quickly broke apart even before their joint presscon ended.

Presidential bets Isko Moreno, Ping Lacson and Norberto Gonzales tried to present a picture of unity during their Easter Sunday presscon at the Manila Peninsula hotel in Makati City, but Moreno’s call for Vice President Leni

Robredo to withdraw from the race was immediately rejected by Lacson moments after the Manila mayor’s unexpected demand.

Lacson said he was blindsided

by Moreno’s statement, which the senator said was done without his knowledge or permission.

Gonzales also rejected Moreno’s call the day after Page 8

Comelec division throws out last disqualification case vs Marcos

By Claire Morales True

MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division has dismissed the last pending disqualification case against presidential candidate former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos for lack of merit.

The case against Marcos was filed by the group Pudno nga Ilokano represented by former Comelec Chairman Christian Monsod.

Marcos immediately lauded the decision coming before the May 9 elections, say- Page 8

COMMITMENT. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (right) shakes hands with US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Aus�n III at the Pentagon in Washington DC as Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez looks on.

US reaffirms ‘ironclad’ commitment to PHL amid row in South China Sea WASHINGTON – For the second time, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and his US counterpart, Lloyd J. Austin III met at the Pentagon in Washington DC on April 19 (Philippine time) in another bilateral meeting on enhancing the two nations’ alliance.

Reports from Washington indicated that during the meeting, Austin affirmed anew his country’s commitment to Philippine security under the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty amid new tensions in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea due to incursions by China in the Philippine exclu-

sive economic zone and continental shelf.

In a statement, the U.S. Defense Department reiterated that America’s commitment to Philippine security is “ironclad,” and that the two countries’ mutual defense treaty commitments extend to Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft in the South China Sea. In 2016, the United Nationsbacked arbitration court invalidated Beijing’s expansive claims in the South China Sea. Austin and Lorenzana affirmed the vital importance of ensuring peace and stability in the South China Sea,Page 10

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda BAYBAY CITY, Leyte – The fatalities in the landslides and floods that hit Leyte, Samar and the Visayas triggered by tropical depression Agaton soared to 178 with over 100 still missing as authorities abandoned the search and rescue operations.

This as the partial cost of damage to public infrastructures was estimated by the Department of Public Works and Highways at P1.45 billion while agricultural losses was placed at P2.3 billion by the Department of Agriculture.

Agaton battered Leyte and Samar provinces and other areas in the Visayas on April 10 before it left the country triggering massive floods and landslides brought about by rains bigger than those of typhoon “Ondoy” that killed at least 76 persons while over 140 people were missing at press time.

Of the reported missing persons after the landslide, 73 are in Baybay City and 55 in Abuyog town.

The death toll from the landslides in Baybay City and Abuyog in Leyte alone climbed to 170 as of April 17 as responders stopped retrieval operations two weeks afPage 8 ter the tragedy.

Isko, Ping, Gonzales not backing out of prexy race for Leni

Adaza fearless forecast: Robredo will be elected president VIEWS & COMMENTS

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What to do if you lost your Green Card

Gloria Sevilla dies in Bay area, industry mourns

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3 April 21-27, 2022

 NATIONAL NEWS

Duterte vetoes proposed phone SIM card registration law MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has vetoed a bill enacted by Congress seeking the mandatory registration of SIM cards of mobile phone users.

Acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said Duterte did not agree with the provision of the proposed SIM Card Registration Act which includes social media platforms as part of the requirements.

Some groups and netizens welcomed the President’s veto but many like Senate President Vicente Sotto III were displeased about the decision.

“Tuloy ang mga bombings and blackmail and scams using prepaid sims,” the vice presidential candidate said in a tweet to emphasize his disapproval.

Ratified by Congress in February, the consolidated Senate Bill No. 2395 and House Bill No. 5793 aims to mandate all public telecommunications entities to require the registration of SIM cards as a prerequisite to their sale and activation.

The bill also requires social media networks to get real names and phone numbers of users upon creation of their accounts.

The proposed law aims to combat

telecom fraud and eradicate phone-aided terrorism and criminal activities, officials have said.

The provision ordering the mandatory registration of social media accounts prompted Duterte to veto the measure, Andanar said.

“The President has decided to veto the consolidated Senate Bill No. 2395/ House Bill No. 5793, which seeks to mandate the registration of all SIM cards and social media accounts, with the purpose of deterring electronic communication-aided crimes,” he said.

While Duterte lauded the Congress’ efforts in finding ways to address the increasing incidence of cybercrimes and offenses related to information and communications technology (ICT), he was “constrained to disagree with the inclusion of social media in the measure, without providing proper guidelines and definitions,” Andanar said.

The President, he said, expressed concern that the contentious provision “may give rise to a situation of dangerous state intrusion and surveillance threatening many constitutionally protected rights.”

“It is incumbent upon the Office of the President to ensure that any statute is consistent with the demands of

the Constitution, such as those which guarantee individual privacy and free speech,” Andanar said.

Duterte sought a “more thorough” review of the proposal to mandate social media registration, he added.

“Prior versions only mandated the registration of SIM cards. The President similarly found that certain aspects of state intrusion, or the regulation thereof, have not been duly defined, discussed, or threshed out in the enrolled bill, with regard to social media registration,” Andanar said. “The President noted that the inclusion of social media providers in the registration requirement was not part of the original version of the bill and needs a more thorough study.”

He expressed hope that despite Duterte’s decision to veto the SIM Card Registration bill, lawmakers would continue crafting measures that would create a “safe and secure online environment” for the Filipino people.

“This notwithstanding, we ask Congress not to lose heart in passing effective and strengthened measures that offer our citizens a safe and secure online environment, provided that the same would stand judicial scrutiny,” Andanar said. n February, the Senate and the House

of Representatives ratified the bicameral conference committee report on contrasting provisions of the proposed SIM Card Registration Act. Under the measure, Public Telecommunications Entities (PTEs) must require the registration of SIM cards for collection in a centralized database as a pre-requisite to the sale and activation of SIM cards.

The bill has a provision that states, “All social media account providers shall require (the) real name and phone number (of a user) upon creation of account.”

It penalizes those who sign up for social media accounts using fictitious identities with a fine of P200,000 and a jail term of up to six years or both.

Direct sellers will require the enduser to present their valid identification with a photo along with an accomplished control-numbered registration form provided by the respective PTE. A person who wants to purchase a SIM card but cannot personally register for a valid reason may opt to authorize another person to buy, given that there is a Special Power of Attorney and proper identification of the principal buyer and representative

PHL has highest number of baptisms in 2020: Papal Nuncio MANILA – The Catholic church in the Philippines has recorded the highest number of baptisms of more than 1.6 million in 2020.

“I am glad to share that the Philippines has the highest number of baptisms

in 2020 compared to other places in the world,” Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles John Brown said in an interview over Church-run Radio Veritas.

Brown said the achievement is “a living testament” of faith in the 500 years of Catholicism in the country.

The figure was based on the data gathered by the Apostolic Nunciature from the Statistical Yearbook of the Church 2020.

The country is followed

by Mexico with 1,537,710; Brazil with 1,126,152 while 1,533,666 are from Europa consisting of some 50 nations Brown released the figures coinciding with the celebration of Easter Sunday, the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In Pope Francis’ message at the 500 Year of Christianity (YOC) celebration, he thanked the Filipinos for being “smugglers of faith” in various parts of the world through overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

The pope first extended the granting of plenary indulgence in the Philippines until Dec. 31, 2022 in gratitude for the 500 Years of Christianity.

 METRO NEWS

April 21-27, 2022

5 NCR cities log zero new Covid cases on April 19 MANILA — Five cities in Metro Manila have not recorded new COVID-19 infections as of April 19.

This was disclosed by OCTA Research fellow Guido David citing data from the Department of Health showing zero new cases in the cities of Malabon, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Pasig, and Valenzuela as of April 19.

Of all cities in the National Capital Region, Pasay City reported the highest number of additional cases at 24. This was followed by Taguig with 10 cases, then Manila with nine.

Quezon City logged seven, Caloocan has six, Makati has four, Parañaque has

three, followed by Las Piñas with two cases.

David said NCR is still the region with the highest average daily attack rate of 0.60, still below 1, which is under a very low risk category.

David said NCR tops the list of provinces or regions with the most number of new infections with 69. It is followed by Davao del Sur with 14 cases, then Cavite with 11.

As for the average daily attack rate (ADAR) or the percentage of an at-risk population that contracts a disease during a specified time interval, the NCR logged the highest at 0.60. South Cotabato was

second with 0.46; Bataan, third with 0.45; Iloilo, fourth with 0.34; and Cavite, fifth with 0.30.

“While NCR had the highest ADAR of 0.60, this is still below 1 or very low risk. In January, the NCR ADAR exceeded 100,” David said.

He said in a tv interview that he is seeing a slight uptick in Mindanao areas like South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat, but the numbers are not yet a cause of concern.

“The increase itself may be noticeable but the actual number of cases in these areas are still very little,” he said. “We still consider them very low risk as of this time.”

PNP official linked to ‘e-sabong’ group, grilled at Senate hearing PASAY CITY – The Senate has questioned the connection between National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) Regional Drug Enforcement Unit chief, Lt. Col. Ryan Jay Orapa, and the Pitmaster Group, a licensed electronic sabong (online cockfighting) company previously linked to the Lucky 8 Star Quest Inc. of businessman Atong Ang.

Before the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs ended its probe Monday on the missing persons allegedly involved in e-sabong, chairman Senator Ronald dela Rosa said they received information that Orapa’s wife is a shareholder of POV Security Agency, Inc. which has an existing contract with the Pitmaster Group.

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“Hindi kaya ito’y reward ni Atong Ang sayo, sayong mga pabor na binigay mo sa kanya, ‘yung pagbigay sayo ng kontrata (Is it Atong Ang’s reward for favors you did for him, that you were given the contract)?” dela Rosa asked Orapa.

Orapa denied the allegations.

“No, your honor. This is a legitimate business, your honor. You have to apply or bid for such a contract to be rewarded or awarded to you. So, such allegation na sinasabing reward, hindi po, your honor,” Orapa answered.

Dela Rosa questioned Orapa after finding out during the hearing that POV Security Agency, Inc. took over serving Pitmaster group in February this year, about a month after the last person linked to esabong went missing.

“Kaya ako, with my malicious mind, forgive me if I’m malicious dahil dati rin akong pulis. Marunong din akong magisip. Naisip ko tuloy na baka reward ‘to ni Atong Ang sayo dahil sa mga pabor na binigay mo, whatever services na binigay mo sa kanya. ‘Yun lang yung sa akin ha.

Don’t get offended. Pareho tayong pulis.

Nakakaintindi ka how a policeman thinks (That’s why me, with my malicious mind, forgive me if I’m malicious because I’m also a former policeman. I know how to think. That’s why I thought that maybe this is a reward of Atong Ang for you because of whatever services that you gave him.

That’s all. Don’t get offended),” dela Rosa said.

When asked about the existing rules of the Philippine National Police regarding the matter, PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos said their relatives are allowed to have businesses as long as they are legitimate.

“Sa amin naman po ay napapayagan ‘yung amin pong asawa o kamag-anak as long as legitimate po ‘yung business at ang iniiwasan nga po namin dun ay magamit ‘yung maaaring impluwensya ng isang pulis doon sa negosyo (For us, we allow our spouses or relatives as long as the businesses are legitimate and we are careful that our policemen might use their influence on that business),” Carlos said.

4

Plan to return to old name of Manila airport revived

PASAY CITY – A plan to rename the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) back to its original name, Manila International Airport (MIA), has been revived.

But Malacanang said the proposal requires “congressional action.”

Duterte Youth Rep. Ducielle Cardema filed House Bill 10822 seeking to revert the airport’s name to MIA to make is “easier” for travelers to locate the country’s international gateway and give Filipinos a “sense of pride”.

“There has to be a Congressional action to repeal Republic Act (RA) No. 6639 which renamed MIA to NAIA,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, also acting presidential spokesperson, said in an online Palace press briefing.

Andanar issued a statement as he acknowledged that the Supreme Court (SC) in 2020 junked a petition seeking to nullify RA 6639 that renames MIA to NAIA. “It can be remembered that the Supreme Court in 2020 already junked a petition to nullify the said law,” he said.

Cardema, in the bill he filed on April 11, said naming the country’s airport as NAIA is a “self-serving and highly-politicized act.”

She made the remarks, as she noted that the airport was named NAIA in 1987 during the time of then president Corazon Aquino, the wife of Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., who was assassinated on Aug. 21, 1983 at the Manila airport.

In September 2020, the SC dismissed for lack of merit the petition of lawyer Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon questioning the validity of RA 6639.

Gadon, in his petition, said former Benigno Aquino Jr. is not among the “pantheon” of declared official heroes of the country.

He added that the change in the name of the airport had been undertaken sans sufficient consultation with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and its precedent agency.

Gadon also claimed that the minimum number of years required after a death of a person before he can be honored with naming a public place after him was not observed

5 April 21-27, 2022

 PROVINCIAL NEWS

102 poll areas of concern in BARMM bared; 2 Lanao del Sur towns under Comelec control MARAWI CITY – The Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) said election watchdogs and security forces are prepared to ensure the upcoming May 9 national and local elections will be safe and peaceful.

Two Lanao del Sur towns, meanwhile, have been placed under Commission on Elections (Comelec) control since March.

“As for the Municipality of Malabang which witnessed a spate of killings recently, it has been declared under Comelec control pursuant to CBFSC Resolution No. 1 dated March 25, 2022 together with Tubaran which has a history of election-related violence, both in Lanao del Sur,” Comelec Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan said.

MILG Minister Naguib Sinarimbo said BARMM’s Regional Commission on Elections, in coordination with the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines, will deploy personnel in hotspots such as Malabang municipality in Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao province.

“So far, iyong mga citizens’ movement na watchdog ng Comelec (Commission on Elections) ay active din ho, including the general populace. So, inaasahan ho natin na overall, tama naman po iyong paghahanda and then iyong mga kababayan natin ay handa na para doon sa elections natin sa May 9 (So far, the citizens’ movement watchdog of the Comelec is active, including the general public. So we expect that overall, we have the right preparations and our constituents are also ready for the May 9 elections),” Sinarimbo said.

Pope Francis reappoints Valles as member of Vatican DAVAO CITY – Davao archbishop Romulo Valles will be serving another five years as member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDW) of the Vatican after he was recently reappointed to the post by Pope Francis.

In an article posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the former CBCP president received his reappointment on March 29 and was only made public by the archdiocese on April 18.

It said the reappointment was conveyed by the Vatican’s Secretariat of State to Archbishop Arthur Roche, prefect of the Vatican department, on March 18.

In his letter to Roche, Valles said he was surprised at

being given another chance to serve in the dicastery.

He added that “it is a joy to serve the Church in this manner” and to represent the Philippines in the dicastery, after accepting his reappointment.

It was in October 2016 when Valles along with 26 other bishops was appointed by the Holy Father as members of the CDW. He also served as chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Liturgy from 2001 to 2009.

The Vatican office handles matters regarding the liturgical dimensions of Church life, particularly in matters of fostering and safeguarding the discipline and proper celebration of the liturgy.

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

April 21-27, 2022

Isko, Ping, Gonzales not backing out of prexy race for Leni

ON WITH THE RACE. Presiden�al candidates Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso (2nd from le�), Panfilo “Ping” Lacson (2nd from right), and Norberto Gonzales (center) vow to con�nue their bid for the country’s top post.

MAKATI CITY – Presidential candidates Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, Panfilo “Ping’ Lacson”, and Norberto Gonzales have assured the voters that they will never withdraw from the electoral race despite alleged attempts to lure them to quit and make the “ultimate sacrifice”.

“Ang message namin is wag kayong maniwala sa mga disinformation na may magwi-withdraw na isa sa amin, yun ang core message. I emphasize nobody will withdraw. Huwag na nating bilhin yung kanilang propaganda na may magwiwithdraw sa amin (Our message is, do not believe in disinformation that somebody from among us will withdraw, that’s the core message. Let us not buy their propaganda that one of us will withdraw),” Lacson said in a press briefing at the Peninsula Manila Hotel in Makati City.

This was seconded by Domagoso by saying, “Simula ngayon hanggang May 9, tuloy ang laban namin (From this day until May 9, we will continue the fight)”.

During the press conference, all the

three candidates said they were urged to withdraw from their presidential bid as an “ultimate sacrifice” in favor of Vice President Leni Robredo.

They claimed that they were directly told by people from the Robredo camp to withdraw their candidacy in order to beat former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. who remains to be the frontrunner in the surveys.

“Vice President Leni Robredo talked to me twice to unite under her. That’s not unification. Withdrawing our candidacies is out of the question,” Lacson said.

He clarified that he is not sure whether Robredo has knowledge of these attempts but emphasized that the people who talked to him were from the Vice President’s camp.

Lacson named former Quezon City Mayor Jun Simon and Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez as among those who asked that he back out of the elections.

This is apart from the twin “unification” talks with Robredo herself before

the filing of her candidacy.

Despite all the negative implications against the lone female presidential contender, the three candidates stressed that they are not against her.

“This press conference is not all about Vice President Leni Robredo. This is also about (Ferdinand) Marcos (Jr.). I cannot believe that more than 50 percent of Filipinos are still Marcos loyalists. I think they just don’t like VP Robredo. We want to remind Filipinos that there are other candidates like us,” Lacson said, adding that the coming May election seemed to be focused only on the two candidates who are topping the surveys.

He emphasized to the media that the press conference was not anti-Leni. “Dun nyo kasi dinadala ‘yung tanong. ‘Yung iba kasi ‘pag nagtanong, parang may karga na eh (You are leading the questions towards that angle. Some of you ask questions that are malicious,” he chided some newsmen.

Gonzales agreed with Lacson that the press conference may seem to be against the Vice President but it is not, despite the fact that they were all offered to quit the race by some individuals from her camp.

The three candidates said they are offering themselves as another option to the Filipino people, especially those who are fed up with the war of political “colors”.

They added that they joined the presidential race to offer true service and solutions to the country’s woes, and not for any personal interests.

Domagoso added that it is for the love of the country and the Filipino people.

“Mahal lang nila nga sarili nila, hindi nila mahal ang bansa at ang Pilipino.

Kasi kung mahal natin ang ating bansa at ang Pilipino, igagalang mo ang resulta ng eleksyon (They only love themselves, not the country nor the Filipinos. Because if you love the country and its people, you will respect the election result),” he said.

There were recent reports of Lacson and Domagoso supporters shifting to Robredo, who they say, has a higher chance of defeating Marcos in the coming election.

PNP to look into election sabotage claims CAMP CRAME, Quezon City – The Philippine National Police (PNP) will investigate the alleged plan to sabotage the upcoming May 9 elections as claimed by presidential candidates.

PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos said during a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City they would coordinate with presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo Lacson over claims of election sabotage.

“We will get the details from Sen. Lacson to check on it. So far for the monitoring of the election, there have been no major reports of that nature. So we will get it from Sen. Ping,” Carlos said.

Earlier, Lacson, along with fellow presidential bets Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and former

National Security adviser Norberto Gonzales, confirmed he has received reports of election sabotage but are still validating them.

Police would also look into claims that presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo allegedly issued a statement saying there would be chaos if she loses the elections.

“For us, we do not see anything that would hamper or derail the election up to May 9,” Carlos said, as he ordered Lt. Gen Vicente Danao, chief of the PNP Directorial Staff, to join the investigation.

“On top of that, huwag kayo mag alala, nakahanda naman kami (Don’t worry, we are ready),” Carlos added.

He said he had ordered all personnel to make sure the elections would not be disrupted, warning rebel groups against wreaking havoc on May 9.

At the same briefing, PNP Directorate for Operations director Maj. Gen. Valeriano de Leon said the municipalities of Tubatan and Malabang in Lanao del Sur are now under the control of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) due to the reported threats weeks leading to the polls.

He said they already had a discussion with Comelec chairperson Saidamen Pangarungan on this matter.

The Special Action Force has been deployed in Tubaran and Malabang, he added.

6

Ex-mayor Villegas’ daughter passes away

SAN FRANCISCO - Maria Teresa “Baby” Villegas, daughter of the late Manila Mayor Antonio J. Villegas and long-time resident of the Bay Area, died in her sleep on April 19, her brother Tony Villegas announced.

In his Facebook post, Tony Villegas said “With heavy heart, I announce the demise of my eldest sister this Tuesday morning 4/19/2022.”

She was found alone and lifeless in her place in Millbrae, California when a friend visited after she did not respond to phone calls, said Tony as he called for prayers for her peaceful repose.

She attended Maryknoll elementary and high school. She graduated with BS in Business Administration degree from Notre Dame De Namur University in the 1970s.

Thereafter, she worked as Executive Assistant to the Vice President and General Manager of Marriott Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. In mid-1990s, she moved to Manila and worked as International Affairs and Cultural Director for then Mayor Alfredo Lim. She served as member of the Board of Regents of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod of Manila (Manila City University), first free-tuition university in Asia.

She is survived by her son Ean and his family in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Let’s finish the race, Lacson tells fellow candidates

MAKATICITY – Sen. Panfilo Lacson does not intend to ask any of his fellow presidential candidates to withdraw from the May 9 and hopes they will do the same.

In an interview after a press conference at The Peninsula Manila Hotel in Makati City, Lacson distanced himself from the “Leni withdraw” call of rival and outgoing Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso.

He said withdrawing is a personal decision.

Domagoso and Lacson narrated anew previous attempts from the camp of Vice President Leni Robredo to make them back out and unite to support their fellow candidate.

“We have to clarify, kaming dalawa ni Senate President (and running mate Vicente Sotto III), ang message namin sa presscon na ito, we are not asking anybody to withdraw. Ayaw din namin na mananawagan sila na mag-withdraw kami in the same manner (We have to clarify, I and the Senate President, our message in this press conference is we are not asking anybody to withdraw. We also do not want anybody to call for our withdrawal in the same manner),” he said.

Domagoso’s running mate, Dr. Willie Ong, and former National Security adviser and Defense secretary Norberto Gonzales also joined the media event that reiterated their common stand to fight electoral sabotage.

7 April 21-27, 2022

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

Sara ‘truly grateful’ for Cebu’s support

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte has nothing but gratitude for the massive support she has been receiving from millions of Filipinos backing her vice-presidential bid.

In her speech before supporters from different parallel groups, Duterte thanked all individuals and organized groups for sharing her causes and aspirations for the country.

“We do not know what will happen

but I will always be truly grateful sa inyohang pagtabang ug pagsuporta kanako (for your help and support) especially sa akong kandidatura karong (my candidacy) 2022 elections,” Duterte said.

Duterte, who has been consistently topping pre-election preference surveys, said the Filipinos’ support has fueled her desire to carry the people’s aspirations forward.

“Ang inyong hugot nga suporta dili

mabayran og kwarta (your support is priceless). I always say as a politician and a candidate, I am truly lucky nga daghan kaayo mo nga (you are many) parallel groups ang naga-tabang sa akoa (who help me),” she expressed.

Twenty-one days before May 9 polls, Duterte said her camp is both hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

“Hapit na mahuman ang kampanya.

Duol na ang eleksyon (Election is near).

We don’t know what will happen during the elections and the counting but, of course, Lakas-CMD and HNP are preparing for the worst,” Duterte added.

During campaign sorties, Duterte met with several support groups, individuals, and organizations that told her about their hopes and dreams, believing that the Davao City mayor can help fulfill.

Before the campaign started, Duterte led a month-long country-loop caravan to personally deliver her message of unity and patriotism.

Duterte said the ride made her personally assess the living conditions of Filipinos and the development endeavors undertaken by the local government units (LGUs).

“Kung ikaw makasuroy, makakita gyud ka ug disparity sa development sa

area. Makit-an nimo nga unequal ang growth and development especially sa countryside. Naay areas nga it’s either kulang ang pag-push sa growth and development or dili gyud siya priority para sa mga LGUs and local officials nila (There is disparity in development in many areas. Growth and development seem to be not LGU officials priority)” Duterte recalled.

“I am happy that I was able to do that because nakita nako ang mga areas nga nanginahanglan ug pagtutok sa gobyerno kay ulahi gyud sila compared to major area (These areas should be the focus of development),”she added.

Meanwhile, Duterte’s supporters believe that victory is near.

Angelica Anne Racho, convenor of the BBM-Sara Volunteer Action Center, is confident that Duterte will win the race.

“It’s a no-brainer, wala na’y lain (there’s nobody else). Siya na jud. (She is the one). Si Inday daghan ug matabangan. Tarong gyud (She can help many because of her dedication). Look at Davao. Unta mabuhat sa tibuok Pilipinas (It is hoped that she will do it in the whole country). That’s the only hope na naa ta, (that we have),” Racho said.

Duterte assures clean polls, prays for better next admin CALOOCAN CITY – President Rodrigo Duterte expressed optimism that the next administration will be “much better” in addressing the problems that continue to confront the country.

At the same time, Duterte assured anew a credible and peaceful election on May 9 at a campaign rally in Caloocan City.

Duterte said he also hopes that his campaign against illegal drugs and communist insurgency would be continued by his successor.

He ensured that the fight against drug offenders and communist rebels would be relentless until he steps down from office on June 30.

“I hope and I pray that the next administration will be better than mine on all aspects. Dinadasal ko iyan para sa kababayan, para sa inyo (I am praying that for my fellow countrymen),” Duterte said during his visit to Tropical Storm Agaton’s victims staying at the Pontevedra Elementary School evacuation center in Pontevedra, Capiz.

Despite his strained relationship with the communist movement due to the rebels’ killing spree while peace talks were ongoing, Duterte is hopeful the next president would also make an effort to “reconnect” with the communist movement.

“Hindi kayo maghinto, mag-away talaga tayo (We will fight each other if you do not stop). But we were friends.

We were friends. Were na kasi tapos na (because it’s all in the past). But I hope that whoever comes in next after me, they would try to reconnect and I pray that it (peace talks) would succeed,” Duterte

said.

Duterte also renewed his call to communist insurgents to surrender and reintegrate into mainstream society, reassuring them that they would get assistance from the government.

“I hope that we would find peace with the communists. Ayokong makipag-away sa inyo (I do not want to fight you),” he said. “You know, you can fight 53 years in the making. You want another 53 years?

And you think you can win a barangay (village) or a city? Not in a million years.

Mabuti pa bumaba na lang kayo (It’s better for you to just surrender).”

The peace negotiations between the national government and the Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) political wing, National Democratic Front (NDF), have been intermittent since 1986.

Duterte held a series of peace talks with the NDF but decided to terminate the negotiations following the relentless attacks of the CPPs armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), against government troops and civilians.

He formally ended the peace dialogue with the NDF through Proclamation 360 inked on Nov. 23, 2017, followed by the Dec. 5, 2017 signing of Proclamation 273 which declared the CPP-NPA as a terror group.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

The Anti-Terrorism Council also formally designated the NDF as a terrorist organization on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and inseparable part” of the CPP-NPA that was created in April 1973.

SAI RAM ASTROLOGER & PSYCHIC MISS DEVI SHAMALA

 NATIONAL NEWS Comelec...

(From page 1)

ing “it’s a good development and we’re happy that it happened before the upcoming elections.”

Marcos’ camp said it is now time to work for clean and honest elections as it welcomed the dismissal of the disqualification case against the former senator.

“The Commission on Elections has affirmed and settled the last petition for disqualification: Presidential frontrunner Bongbong Marcos possesses all the qualifications needed to aspire for, campaign and serve as president of the Republic of the Philippines,” lawyer Vic Rodriguez, Marcos’ spokesperson, said in a statement.

Rodriguez said elections should be settled through the ballots, and not through the “abuse” of judicial processes like the filing of “nuisance petitions” for disqualification.

“It is now time for every peace-loving Filipino to work for a clean, honest, credible and fair elections, and allow the people to speak, their voices heard and votes genuinely counted,” he said.

In a 29-page decision, the Division composed of Presiding Commissioner Socorro Inting and members, Commissioners Aimee Ferolino and Aimee TorrefrancaNeri, cleared the presidential frontrunner of all cases at its level.

“Wherefore, premises considered, the instant Petition is hereby denied for lack of merit,” the decision stated.

The First Division found no moral turpitude in the case, as argued by petitioners based on Marcos’ tax evasion convictions.

“Nonetheless, we find it more prudent to make our own assessment to remove all doubts and finally resolve the controversy. An assiduous study of the records and

Agaton...

(From page 1)

The Baybay City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office alone recorded 110 deaths.

The Baybay City office said recovered remains were from the villages of Kantagnos with 50 bodies, Mailhi (21), Bunga (17), Can-ipa (5), San Agustin (3), Maypatag (2), Pangasugan (VSU) (2), Palhi (2). One body each came from the following villages: Candadam, Zone 21, Caridad, Igang, Sto. Rosario, Gacat, Apid, and Inopacan.

In Abuyog town, of the 54 landslide deaths, 51 bodies were retrieved in the coastal village of Pilar. Other victims

$50m...

(From page 1)

April 21-27, 2022

8

relevant jurisprudence yields to a conclusion that there is no moral turpitude in this case,” the ruling stated.

“If failure to file income tax return is considered alone, it would appear that it is not inherently wrong.

This is supported by the fact that the filing of income tax return is only an obligation created by law and the omission to do so is only considered as wrong because the law penalized it,” it added.

The case stemmed on the conviction of Marcos for failure to file his income tax returns (ITRs) from 1982 to 1985.

The other petitions to declare Marcos as nuisance, to cancel certificate of candidacy and to disqualify three consolidated cases had been dismissed but petitioners filed motion for reconsiderations that are now pending before the Comelec en banc.

In Cebu City, Marcos vowed to improve internet connectivity and make data service cheaper for the Filipinos.

“Kailagan po natin na maipagpatuloy ang sinikulan ni Pangulong (Rodrigo) Duterte na ‘Build, Buld, Build’ infrastructure program. At palawakin po naitn ito, isasama natin dyan ang digital infrastructure, yun pong ating internet, para itoy bumilis, para itoy lumawak, para itoy maging mas mura (We need to pursue the Build, Buld, Build infrastructure program initiated by President (Rodrigo) Duterte. And let’s expand it, we’ll include the digital infrastructure, that is our internet, so that it can speed up, so that it can expand, so that it can be much cheaper),” Marcos said during a grand rally.

He said he will also look into the country’s high cost of electricity and pledged to find ways to make it affordable to Filipinos.

Marcos and his running mate, Davao City Mayor

Sara Z. Duterte graced the jampacked festival-like unity rally at the Filinvest field of the South Road Properties in Cebu that was attended by more than a hundred thousand Cebuanos.

He thanked the people for making Cebu the hatching ground for unity that the Filipino people need to embrace and move forward amid the devastating effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic on the country’s economy.

“Huwag po natin kakalimutan itong araw na ito dito sa Cebu City, dito sa lalawigan ng Cebu. Huwag natin kalimutan sa araw na ito, sa gabing ito, halos tayoy sumumpa na maipagpatuloy natin ang kilusang pagkakaisa (Let us not forget this day here in Cebu City, here in the province of Cebu. Let us not forget that today, tonight, we swear that we can go further with our movement for unity),” Marcos said.

He underscored the need for Filipinos to unite in pursuing economic programs in order to recover from the pandemic that rendered many people jobless or livelihood and businesses lost to many lockdowns.

The tourism sector in Cebu, he said, should enjoy patronage among the domestic travelers.

Duterte bolstered Marcos’ pledges saying the UniTeam is pushing for three socio-economic agendas if ever they get elected in the May 9 elections.

“Una, ang pabgbalik sa trabaho ug negosyo nga nawala tungod sa pandemya (First, the restoration of jobs and businesses lost due to the pandemic),” she said as what people need now is money in their pocket and food on the table.

With the success of the government’s vaccination rollout, Duterte said there should never be lockdowns affecting jobs and businesses.

were found in Bahay and Tib-o villages.

The storm o destroyed many houses, roads, bridges and schoolbuildings along with agricultural crops and livestock worth several billions of pesos, according to local officials and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

On April 15, President Rodrigo Duterte conducted an aerial inspection of Baybay City, and visited some landslide victims.

Duterte also met with officials of concerned government agencies and local government units to assess the damage and visited the one-stop center for indigent patients, the Malasakit Center, at the Western Leyte Provincial Hospital.

Duterte promised that the government would provide emergency food and shelter assistance to “Agaton” victims.

Senator Manny Pacquiao, meanwhile, called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to suspend rules that hinder candidates from helping disaster victims, such as residents of Eastern Visayas affected by Tropical Depression Agaton.

Some 13 helicopters and aircraft of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) were mobilized for the ongoing humanitarian

assistance and disaster relief efforts in parts of the Visayas battered by Tropical Depression Agaton.

Air Force spokesperson Col. Maynard Mariano said four S-70i Black Hawk combat utility helicopters, another four Bell 412 choppers, one W-3A Sokol rescue helicopter, two C-295 medium transport aircraft, and two NC-212i light transport aircraft.

Mariano said these resources are deployed to transport relief goods and personnel, as well as conduct rapid damage assessment needs analysis.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Eastern Visayas has released 25,548 family food packs (FFPs) as an initial assistance to victims of Tropical Depression Agaton.

Earlier, Baybay City Mayor Jose Carlos Cari placed the city under a state of calamity. Later, the entire Leyte province and several areas in the Visayas were also placed under a state of calamity due to extensive damages in their areas.

On April 14, rescuers have retrieved the remains of 53 people killed by landslides in Baybay City and the town of Abuyog also in Leyte.

Isko...

(From page 1)

the presscon, publicly apologizing to Robredo.

“If you meet the vice president, tell her I’m sorry,” Gonzales told reporters on Monday, Apr 18, adding “I wasn’t comfortable there. Wala sa usapan (it was never discussed).”

Even Moreno appeared to backtrack on his call by saying it was not planned, and he may have been caught up in the moment. He clarified in a media interview that his call for Robredo to withdraw was his and his alone.

A fourth presidential bet, Senator Manny Pacquiao, was supposed to attend the presscon according to Moreno, but the boxer-turned-politician failed to show up.

A source close to Pacquiao told Philippine News Today that their camp was against joining the presscon as there was no clear reason for holding the media event.

Pacquiao, the source said, “had no intention” of attending the presscon.

Moreno said Pacquiao had to leave for General Santos City but was on a plane headed for the presscon. In fact, reliable sources said that Pacquiao was not out of town and had no plan to issue a statement stating that he also

wanted to Robredo to withdraw.

Pacquiao’s running mate, Lito Atienza, quoted the senator as asking, “Why should I go there?” adding that what was told them and what was said during the event were two different things, with an obviously questionable agenda.

Social media was buzzing with comments, mostly making fun of the ill-fated presscon and belittling Moreno’s call for the second placer in most surveys – Robredo -- to give way to any of the trio in attendance, who are all faring poorly in the surveys.

Moreno appeared to be the worst hit among the trio after more members of his Aksyon Demokratiko issued a statement lambasting his call, then announcing that they were leaving the party.

A group of Islamic leaders who had earlier pledged to support Moreno also switched sides on Monday, saying they were now supporting Robredo’s presidential bid.

Meanwhile, Robredo’s camp is planning a rally on Saturday, Apr. 23 at the reclamation area in Pasay City, near the Mall of Asia. The rally will coincide with the vice president’s 57th birthday. An estimated crowd of 500,000 is expected.

9 April 21-27, 2022 WHO...

(From page 1)

Active COVID-19 cases could reach up to 500,000 by May if Filipinos become more complacent and ignore minimum public health standards, said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said.

Duque said that aside from complacency in health protocols, a surge could likely happen with waning immunity, when people refuse to get vaccinated or get their booster shot, or when new subvariants enter the country.

The World Health Organization (WHO), already noting spikes in cases in some countries, supported the DOH warning.

The independent OCTA Research, meanwhile, allayed fears of increase in COVID cases, saying that at present “we’re not looking any increase in cases.”

But OCTA Research the situation “could change very quickly so that’s why we monitoring the numbers very closely and we advise the public to continue wearing masks and getting boosters and getting vaccines.”

“We are informing the public that if we continue not to observe MPHS, our updated projection shows active cases may reach 500,000 in the entire country,” Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire said in a press briefing.

The new projection was higher than the 300,000 cases anticipated last week, she said.

Secretary Duque earlier said a grad-

ual rise in COVID-19 cases in 14 areas under Alert Level 1 has been noted.

In a related development, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion reminded Filipinos to get their booster shots in order not to waste the 27 million doses of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines that will expire this July.

During a Laging Handa briefing, Concepcion said the vaccines that are set to expire are worth P40 billion.

In a briefing for President Rodrigo Duterte, Duque said based on data from April 12 to 18, the National Capital Region recorded highest number of cases at 606, followed by Calabarzon (Region IV-A) with 226 cases and Central Luzon (Region III) with 181 cases.

The three areas with the highest number of cases during the same period were Cavite with 101 cases, Manila with 92 cases and Quezon City with 82 cases.

President Duterte echoed the DoH warning of another COVID-19 surge as he appealed anew for people to get vaccinated and ordered the use of facemask until the end of his term on June 30.

WHO Acting Representative to the Philippines Dr. Rajendra Yadav said the possible surge of cases next in the middle of May may happen if minimum public health protocols are not observed.

In a public address, Duterte said although most Filipinos are already vaccinated and are somewhat safe from the original variant of COVID-19, the emerging new variants and recombinants may

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cause another surge in the country.

“There’s a distinct possibility that there will be another surge. Maybe not the COVID-19, the original. We’ve met the challenge with the vaccination,” he said.

The possible surge of Covid-19 cases in the middle of May, howsever, could be prevented through the administration of booster shots, said National Vaccination Operations Center chairperson Myrna Cabotaje.

Recent DOh data showed the compliance rate with health protocols is at -7 percent nationwide and -12 percent in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The 50 percent decrease in the compliance rate may result in almost half a million active infections in the NCR. DOH Undersecretary Vergeire later clarified that the possible surge in May is “a projection and not cast in stone”.

“Ibig sabihin, hindi natin alam kung ito ay mangyayari o kung ito ay hindi mangyayari. Ito ay ginagamit ng pamahalaan para ma-guide tayo sa pagpaplano, at pagprepara at mag-inform at maguide ang ating mga kababayan (We don’t know if this will happen or not. The government uses this as a guide in planning, preparation, and information of our fellowmen),” she said.

Vergeire added that a projection is based on the country’s current risk factors – crowding and mass gatherings due to upcoming national elections and partying during the holidays where wearing of masks was not observed.

The number of new Covid-19 cases continues to decline nationwide with an average daily case of 224 for the week of April 12 to 18, Vergeire said.

The recent average is 17 percent lower than last week’s 271, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online media forum.

The country’s total tally of new cases for the same week is 1,571, she said.

The intensive care unit utilization and total beds utilization nationwide remain at low risk.

As of April 17, the ICU utilization rate is 16 percent while the healthcare utilization rate is 17 percent.

The country has a total of 2,842 ICU beds – 450 are occupied while 2,392 are vacant.

The increase in Covid-19 cases in 14 areas under Alert Level 1 may be temporary upticks only, OCTA Research Group said.

“Sa ngayon, statistical, it looks like baka temporary increase lang or upticks but we have the right to change our analysis kapag makakita tayo ng additional data over the next week, pwede magbago yung pananaw naming,” said OCTA Research Group fellow Dr. Guido David.

Duque noted that the regions with the most number of new infections are the National Capital Region (NCR) with 606 cases; Region 4-A with 226 cases; and Region 3 with 181 cases.

The top areas with new cases are Cavite with 101; Manila with 92; and Quezon City with 82.

 NATIONAL NEWS

April 21-27, 2022

10

Gonzales hints at ‘communist infiltration’ in Robredo’s campaign MAKATI CITY – If alleged threats from the camp of Vice President Leni Robredo were true to sow “possible terrorist action” in the event Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wins in the May 9 elections, then communist elements may have infiltrated the campaign of the country’s No. 2 official.

Presidential aspirant and former Defense secretary Norberto Gonzales said he is still verifying if the threat indeed came from the Robredo group.

“Ang tinitingnan ko talaga kung talagang nanggaling sa Vice President iyan. Hindi niya talaga pinaniniwalaan ang resulta ng survey kaya naghahanap na sila ng other options, possibilities dito sa sinasabing possible terrorist action (What I’m really looking at is if those really came from the Vice President’s camp. She doesn’t really believe in the results of surveys so they are now searching for other options and possibilities here, on that alleged possible terrorist action),” Gonzales, also a former Na-

tional Security adviser, said during a press conference at The Peninsula Manila Hotel in Makati City with fellow candidates Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso.

“Hindi ko masasabi na walang communist element sa grupo ni (I can’t say that there’s no communist elements within the group of) Vice President. I can say, yeah, there are, there are,” he added.

He said there’s still time to verify the legitimacy of the alleged planned violence.

“Pero depende sa strategy na pinag-uusapan. Pero kung ang Vice President ay dyan nagbibigay at magsabi ng certain options, ang eksperto dyan ay ‘yung mga komunista. Hindi ko alam kung how deep ‘yung understanding pero ang komunista, iyan ang laging hinahanap niya ay ganyang klase ng operation kasi mas sanay sila dyan eh. Tingnan natin, may mga ilang weeks pa naman (But

it depends on their strategy. But if the Vice President is providing and will say certain options, the experts in that field are the communists. I don’t know how deep their understanding is but the communists are always looking for that kind of operation because they are used to it. That’s why, but I don’t know. Let’s see, there’s still how many weeks),” Gonzales said.

This is not the first time that Robredo was linked to communist terrorist groups but she had repeatedly dismissed the so-called coalition.

National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict spokesperson for Sectoral Concerns, Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Marie Badoy, previously lashed at the Robredo camp as the alleged endorsement of Communist Party of the Philippines founder, Jose Maria Sison, “is proof positive that this marriage made in the bowels of hell has been consummated

U.S....

cooperation under the US-Philippines alliance,” he said on his Facebook page.

It was the third time Lorenzana personally met with Austin – once in Manila and twice in Washington DC. The two discussed strengthening mutual defense treaty commitments, enhancing maritime cooperation, and improving interoperability in information sharing.

A statement released by the US defense department said Austin lauded Lorenzana for advancing some of the alliance’s initiatives.

“I know that our teams have been meeting frequently… over the past year, and they’ve done a great deal to advance some of the forward-looking alliance initiatives that you and I have discussed,” he said.

He added that this is a testament to the strength

of the US-Philippines alliance and friendship and Lorenzana’s leadership.

Austin pointed to the size of the joint US-Philippine Exercise Balikatan – the first since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic – as an example of the vitality of the alliance between the nations.

“Despite the pandemic, this was one of the largest of these exercises ever, including exercising a new range of capabilities,” he said. “And that just underscores our shared commitment to this alliance, and that commitment is ironclad.”

Austin said Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine points to the need for countries to stand together to defend the international, rules-based architecture that has served the world well since the end of World War II. (Jeanne Michael Penaranda)

(From page 1)

the US Defense Department added.

The two defense officials also agreed to strengthen their MDT commitments through the development of bilateral defense guidelines, enhance maritime cooperation, and improve interoperability and information sharing by exercising new capabilities.

Lorenzana and Austin also tackled the importance of acting in unison to condemn Russian aggression and stand behind Ukraine.

Lorenzana said his latest meeting with Austin is also his farewell call as he ends his term as defense chief in 72 days.

“At the Pentagon with US Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III for another bilateral meeting to discuss ways to continue to deepen

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11 April 21-27, 2022

 OPINION

S

EDITORIAL

Stop irregularities in overseas absentee voting, or else

W

ith hundreds of thousands of Filipinos based abroad who are eligible to vote, it is most disturbing that reports of irregularities have sprouted in areas where the first votes began to be cast last week, even in the US. What has been exposed thus far could well be just the tip of the iceberg.

It’s no secret that Filipinos and FilAms comprise the biggest chunk of overseas voters, somewhere in the vicinity of 200,000-plus.

Worldwide, there are said to be under around half a million Filipinos registered as overseas voters.

Considering that Leni Robredo defeated Ferdinand Marcos Jr. by a margin of just over 200,000 votes when they battled for the vice presidency in 2016, overseas Filipino voters can conceivably make the difference in this year’s presidential elections.

It is for this reason that we must express our deep concern at the irregularities that have so far come to light as we demand an explanation from the Department of Foreign Affairs as well as the Commission on Elections.

It’s one thing for pre-shaded ballots to not favor a single candidate, and quite another thing when all of them are in favor of the least qualified candidate for president, who only happens to have more funds than all the other bets combined.

We cannot be blamed for suspecting that certain parties in Philippine embassies and consulates are taking an active part in the anomaly.

Should more cases of pre-shaded ballots be exposed in the coming weeks, then under a worst-case scenario a failure of elections should be declared where the cases are proven to be rampant.

More importantly, the persons who took part in the devious plot should be exposed, charged, and imprisoned after they are convicted. We must add that this should include the winning candidate if it is proven that he (or she) took an active part in the cheating.

It is clear that many Filipinos do not appreciate the importance of fair and free elections, which are the bedrock of any democracy. Vote buying has always existed in Philippine elections since the post-World War II years.

There have even been presidents elected or re-elected as a result of massive cheating and not because they received the most number of votes. The dictator Ferdinand Marcos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo immediately come to mind.

Now there are strong indications that the son and namesake of the despicable dictator who was kicked out of the country less than four decades ago is now doing the same thing.

Much has been said of the current crop of Comelec commissioners all coming from Mindanao, and who are suspected to be beholden to Rodrigo Duterte. While the soon-to-exit president is not supportive of Marcos Jr., he is totally behind his daughter Sara, who is the vice presidential running mate of the moneyed but incompetent son of the dictator.

As such, he expects his daughter to win – with a little help from the Comelec, of course – and drag her running mate along with her.

We cannot overstate the fact that there have been irregularities in overseas voting, the extent of which is not yet clear. But we warn those behind the nefarious scheme that they are risking the wrath of a now enlightened electorate whose righteous anger could result in the direst of consequences akin to the French Revolution when heads literally rolled.

ALLICE directory in progress, dedicated to front-liners

Upside

URVIVORS of intimate partner violence stay in their abusive relationships often out of fear of their perpetrators and not knowing where to go for help. In fact, information and service agencies operate in and beyond the San Francisco Bay Area expressly to prevent and offer intervention options for families experiencing abuse. Today, more than ever, with the unprecedented health and economic impact of the pandemic and race-related strife in this country and beyond, knowledge of vital information is most critical.

For this reason, the all-volunteer nonprofit ALLICE CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO Alliance for Community Empowerment, in collaboration with the Town of Colma, is set to launch the newest edition of the A-List, a directory of service providers whose mission is to promote healthy relationships. Copies will be available in June at the Colma Town Hall and both Recreation Centers. Details will follow in subsequent announcements.

The 2022 edition is dedicated to front-liners and essential workers whose sacrifice of time with their loved ones at the beginning and height of the coronavirus pandemic enabled the public to receive assistance through the worldwide crisis. They risked their lives to save lives, fulfilling their duty to heal, give comfort and hope though the confusion and desperation, especially to survivors of intimate partner and family abuse, whose situation the emergency situation compounded through the shelter in place mandate and work shutdown.

ALLICE Resource Provider Committee chair Malou Aclan, RN, mothered the project at its inception in 2013 with then-co-chair public health nurse Jeannette Trajano. They researched, interviewed and listed pertinent area agencies that have agreed to be included in the resource guide. These organizations may have a 24-hour hotline, the gateway to information. Most have free services or sliding-scale fees for services such as counseling, legal help, education or training on domestic violence or collaborate with other community agencies to assist in addressing the survivors’ needs.

“This document is a valuable tool for individuals and families who are experiencing challenges, and it is also for people who wish to help those in troubled situations,” says Aclan, a 40 –year registered nurse who recently retired as a care manager with Kaiser Permanente in South San Francisco.

The team including Paulita Lasola Malay, Elsa Agasid, Ofie Albrecht and Blessy Valera listed the agencies according to their capacity to serve Filipino American clients. Founding president Bettina Santos Yap designed the booklet. Voltaire Yap provided the cover photo.

ALLICE 2022 president Junior Flores thanked the Town of Colma for supporting the project.

“Colma has set the tone for community responsibility by shining the light on an issue that affects everyone. If you suspect someone you know is in an abusive relationship, the A-List is a lifeline for them,” he added.

Experts define intimate partner violence is a pattern of behavior where one partner asserts power and control over the other through coercion, fear and intimidation, often including the threat or use of violence. These attacks may be(Continued on page 27)

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 OPINION

April 21-27, 2022

PerryScope

A

s book author and licensed Real Estate Broker (DRE#00635976) in California since 1981, I am delighted to announce the availability of the Third Printing of the Revised 2022 Edition of my latest book “REAL ESTATE & YOU” subtitled “Your Basic Guide ART GABOT MADLAING & Information for Successful Investing in Home, Land and Income Property,” printed and marketed by Amazon.

Projected to be a global best seller, the Foreword to the Revised 2022 Edition was written by Atty. Cesar Fumar, a licensed and practicing lawyer in California. The Third Printing copies dated May 5,2022 has 277 pages (regular price

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I have to commend hismfor his pioneering efforts in writing this book,” wrote Ronald E. Quidachay, Superior Court Judge, San Francisco, California USA. “I highly recommend “REAL ESTATE & YOU” (Revised 2022 Edition)to individuals, couples and families,” said Atty. Junas T. Sagurit, President, Asian Christian University, Bugallon, Pangasinan, Philippines.

“Very readable and easy to understand, which should be right for my ability, “wrote Bernice Bowen, Avon Lady, San Francisco, California.

“This important work by Art G. Madlaing is the first by a Filipino – and possibly by an Asian Real Estate Broker in the United States and Canada. Mr. Madlaing is highly qualified to write on his chosen subject, and I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in real estate,” echoed Oscar J. Jornacion, MBA/CPA, Publisher, California Examiner, Los Angeles, California USA. “I salute and recommend Art Madlaing for writing this book. Every Christian couple and family must read it and follow as guidebook for financial stability,” wrote Felix L. Olidan, Jr. Evangelist & Minister, WANCHAI CHURCH OF CHRIST, Wanchai, Hongkong.

“This book is excellent and must reading for First-Time Home Buyers. I personally recommend it to anyone interested in real estate,” said Josie Lewis, Mother & Grandmother who retired at the Laguna Honda Hospital in San Francisco, California USA. “This book is a must reading for anyone deciding and planning to invest in real estate anywhere in the world,” echoed Henry T. Bravo, Evangelist & Elder, SURREY CHURCH OF CHRIST, Vancouver, B.C. Canada.

“Yes, this book is understandable for folks who haven’t spent years studying real estate laws and practices, It can save you money!” wrote Patrick Andersen, Editor, Asian Week, San Francisco, California, USA “Art Madlaing’s book is very informative and beneficial to everyone especially for first-time buyers and newly-married young couples,” wrote Atty. Jack White, a star witness during the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in Washington, D.C. USA. “The concept shared by Art Madlaing in his book, particularly his updated real estate columns, are very helpful to first-time homebuyers, home sellers and prospective land investors,” confirmed Cris P. Villanueva, CPA former Vice Mayor, Vallejo, California USA. “Art Madlaing leads by example. As homeowner and land investor, he shared the concepts he had actually done and practiced. I highly recommend this book to every individual, couple and family, “ echoed Darryl Darden, retired U.S. Army Officer and former Elder, HAMPTON CHURCH OF CHRIST in Hampton Virginia, USA & WEISBADEN CHURCH OF CHRIST in Weisbaden, Germany.

“I personally recommend Art Madlaing’s book “REAL ESTATE & YOU” subtitled “Your Basic Guide for Successful Investing in Home, Land and Income Property. Every person and family must get a copy, read and follow the concepts presented for financial stability,” said Ray Santos, Owner & Consultant, Gateway Tax & Financial Services, Daly City, California USA. We commend our readers who ordered the Second Printing of “REAL ESTATE & YOU at the regular price of $15.95 per paperback copy offered by Am- (Continue on page 27)

Health & Wealth

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HEN VLADIMIR PUTIN told the entire world, “To anyone who would consider interfering from the outside - if you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history.” His message sent shock waves across Europe. And to make his point, he put Russia’s nuclear forces on “special” alert to show that PERRY DIAZ he was serious about unleashing Russia’s nuclear ballistic missiles on anyone who tried to stop what he’s doing to Ukraine.

What’s going on in Putin’s mind? In a 2018 documentary, Putin commented, “If someone decides to annihilate Russia, we have the legal right to respond. Yes, it will be a catastrophe for humanity and for the world. But I’m a citizen of Russia and its head of state. Why do we need a world without Russia in it?”

Hmm… A world without Russia? What made him think that Russia is an indispensable part of Planet Earth? Sure, it is the largest country on Earth. But a big portion of it – Siberia -- is covered with tundra where the Gulag labor camps were located. The Gulag was recognized as a major instrument of political repression in the Soviet Union. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the evil empire disbanded and the 15 Soviet Republics were dispersed and became independent nations.

One of them was Ukraine.

So who needs Russia whose declining population -700,000 to 800,000 -- are lost each year due to a high death rate, low birth rate, high rate of abortions, and a low level of immigration? You add alcoholism to the problem and what do you have?

Alcoholism is so ingrained in Russian society that most Russians don’t even realize they have a problem. According to statistics, it is the leading cause of death. And the life expectancy of men is down to 58 years old.

Russia is a dying society And here comes Putin worrying about Planet Earth without Russia? Is he threatening that if Russia isn’t treated the way he wants, everything will be destroyed? And that means that he himself will perish it if he doesn’t get what he wants.

And that’s where the nuclear button comes in.

Putin believes that having the nuclear button within his reach gives him power over the other eight billion human beings cohabiting with him on Earth. The nuclear button will trigger MAD – Mutually Assured Destruction – that would annihilate all humans on Earth, including Vladimir Putin.

The question is: If Putin chooses to press the nuclear button, would anyone in his circle try to dissuade or stop him?

Last week, Putin was seen with the Russian “nuclear football” as he attended the funeral of a politician. An aide carrying a briefcase, which contained the codes needed to authorize a nuclear attack, accompanied him. Mourners were cleared from the church as the Russian leader paid his respects to the deceased, amid fears of an assassination attempt. And who’d try to assassinate him? And that’s the problem. Putin isn’t scared of killing himself by pressing the nuclear button but is scared that somebody would assassinate him.

Nuclear football The nuclear football’s only use is to trigger the launching of nuclear missiles against the U.S. There are three briefcases filled with electronics set to alert their holders simultaneously.

Inside each is a portable terminal, linked to the command and control network for Russia’s strategic nuclear forces. One of them accompanies President Putin wherever he goes. It’s called the Cheget, which allows Putin to monitor a missile crisis, make decisions, and transmit those decisions to the military.

But there is a flaw in the system. The Russian Constitution states that if the president is incapacitated in any way, the prime minister takes over. However, the prime minister doesn’t have a nuclear briefcase at his disposal. The other two Cheget briefcases are actually held by the Defense Minister and the Chief of the General Staff, as it was during the Soviet era. The resulting ambiguity could be dangerous in the event of a nuclear crisis. In Russia today, neither of the military leaders has the constitutional or legal responsibility to make a decision about how or whether to launch a nuclear attack.

Both the U.S. and Russia main- (Continue on page 27)

“REAL ESTATE & YOU” Now Available for You

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3 bets shot themselves in the foot

t was, to say the least, a very expensive way to whine.

Three presidential candidates -- Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, Sen. Ping Lacson, and former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales – booked a banquet room at the plush Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati ostensibly to make an important announcement about the VAL ABELGAS coming elections. Actually, media advisories from Moreno and Lacson said five presidential candidates would be coming to include former Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella and Sen. Manny Pacquiao.

Everybody, including this writer, waited with anticipation as the advisories hinted of “unity” among the five. The preevent news stories that appeared reflected that anticipation.

One story started with “In what could be a first in Philippine politics…”

Perhaps, the five realized they need to unite to prevent a return of the Marcoses in Malacanang and decided to withdraw in favor of maybe Vice President Leni Robredo, who is the highest ranked in surveys behind Ferdinand Marcos Jr., or maybe in favor of Moreno.

It was a dud, after all.

In the first place, there was no “unity” as only three of them appeared. Pacquiao and Abella didn’t attend, which in hindsight, was one of the best decisions they have ever made.

In the second place, Moreno, Lacson and Gonzales merely announced they were not backing down and they would continue their respective campaigns.

But in so doing, they also decided to gang up on Robredo, who they said has been asking them to withdraw in her favor to defeat Marcos. Moreno, the biggest whiner, complained that Robredo’s camp has been asking him to sacrifice and withdraw in Robredo’s favor. The Manila mayor then said Robredo should withdraw instead.

“I’m calling for Leni to withdraw kasi (because) whatever [she’s] doing is not effective against the Marcos. Withdraw, come and join us,” he said.

Gonzales, a member of the Arroyo Cabinet, ignited the fire when he said that surveys have shown a big gap between No. 1 (Marcos) and No. 2 (Robredo) and this could be because people don’t like No. 2 and that they want a new contender to challenge Marcos. He said, “I think it’s better if we could put aside number two and look at options three, four, five, six. Maybe the right candidate our people are looking for to go against number one would be among those… because it seems like they don’t want the current number two to challenge number one.”

If the people wanted any of those behind Robredo, they should have been up there above her and below Marcos.

Where’s the logic in Gonzales’ claims? Also, the three candidates doubted the credibility of the surveys – with Moreno even saying they have evidence of fraud – and yet they are basing their conclusions on the “tainted” surveys. Where’s the consistency there?

A joint press conference that was expected to show the dignity of these candidates, turned out to be the exact opposite – three politicians who are trailing miserably in surveys stooping low to gang up on the lone female candidate. This is exactly what the headline of Rappler.com stated: “Male survey laggards hit lone female presidential bet Robredo.”

The latest Pulse Asia survey, which they doubted and yet used as basis for their call to cast aside Robredo, showed Marcos with a 56% voter preference, followed by Robredo, 24%; Moreno, 8%; Pacquiao, 6%; Lacson, 2%; Faisal Mangondato, 1%; Abella, 0.1%; Jose Montemayor Jr., 0.05%; Leody de Guzman, 0.02%; and Gonzales, 0%.

How can someone who has 0% voter preference lead the call to boot out Robredo? If he were not a candidate, perhaps his call would be more acceptable to some people.

But obviously, whatever Moreno, Lacson and Gonzales had hoped to gain from the press conference backfired. Days after the “undue and unnecessary” event, social media was filled with messages from people who said they or somebody close to them were supporters of Moreno but were now voting for Robredo.

Even Lacson, who was credited with organizing the press event along with Moreno, had to distance himself from More(Continue on page 27) no’s call for Robredo to withdraw,

On Distant Shore

Does the world need Putin?

12

13 April 21-27, 2022

Offline

he presidential candidates who are 99.999 percent sure to lose held a joint presscon on Easter Sunday of all days and it was clear that the main purpose of the news event was to undermine the candidacy of Vice President Leni Robredo.

To a much lesser extent, there were some potshots taken at Ferdinand Marcos BETING DOLOR Jr, but these were negligible.

Senator Ping Lacson did say that he found it incredible that more than 50 percent of the Filipino people are Marcos loyalists, given the experience the country had in the martial law years.

In short, Lacson cast doubt on the surveys that showed Marcos Jr as a sure winner because they really are hard to believe. Impossible, even.

Sorry to say that Isko Moreno treated Marcos Jr with kid gloves, often referring to him by his title of “former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr” in the many times he mentioned to son and namesake of the former dictator by name.

He could easily have said “Mr. Marcos” or even “Bongbong,” but no. It was always “former senator” followed by the full name.

It was clear as day that the candidates were throwing everything including the kitchen sink at Robredo, and it only goes to show that the “lesser” presidential bets have all but given up the fight, but want to be perceived as going down fighting.

It also indicates that Robredo’s momentum has reached a stage that she is now seen as the probable winner.

It was also apparent that the media practitioners present were ill-prepared for the presscon, asking questions that only sophomore journalism students would ask.

The candidates did stress that they had no intention of withdrawing, and would remain in the running to the very end.

So are they to be admired for their bravery, or should they be mocked for their stupidity?

In truth, the Easter Sunday presscon was nothing more than an exercise in futility.

It was former National Security adviser Norberto Gonzalez who compared the presidential race to a basketball game, when in fact he should have compared it to a boxing match.

Gonzalez said that the game was not yet over, but it was equivalent to the last two minutes.

So what was he expecting, his team to score 10 three pointers in a two minute span? Pretty silly of him, huh?

An analogy to a boxing match would have been better, with the underdog still in a position to land a knockout punch seconds before the end of the fight.

His failed logic that it may be better if the Number 2 candidate – meaning Robredo – was replaced with someone lower in the totem pole made absolutely no sense.

Moreno had been using a skewed version of this logic by pointing out that he was the preferred second choice of the electorate should Robredo or Marcos Jr. withdraw. As if this would ever happen.

The candidates were insistent that it was not a two-person race, that the electorate had other choices – meaning any of them.

The only thing they achieved was to leave a bad taste in the mouth. Ganging up on a woman who was not present was most ungentlemanly of all of them.

They figuratively stabbed her in the back, and gave her no chance to defend herself against their vile accusations.

One can only conclude that their impending defeat is too much for their fragile egos to handle.

The weak presidential bets couldn’t even get their messaging straight. While Moreno idiotically called on Robredo to withdraw, Lacson made it clear that his camp was not asking anybody to back off.

In the end, it can only be said that the presscon was held to lift their sagging spirits.

They should now tell the public who paid for the presscon, held at one of the high-end hotels in Makati City.

As one wag put it, that money would have been better spent in extending much-needed assistance to the victims of last week’s storm down south.

Very incidentally, the Office (Continue on page 27)

Fearless forecast – VP Leni Robredo will be elected President

The benefits of running for public office and losing

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he professed and declared objective of any candidate is to help and improve the situation of their constituencies. The personal benefits he knows and that may have mainly propelled him to run for office are either subdued or intentionally buried in his public pronouncements.

Winning in the election is the ultimate objective and reward of campaigning for that ATTY MANUEL B QUINTAL public office. Losing in the election, however, has its benefits while necessarily resulting in frustration. It also has its financial benefits. The losing candidates become publicly known, which can be a significant capital in the next election.

Like Archimedes, who was overcome with ecstasy when he discovered the idea of buoyancy, an acquaintance of mine came up with what he considered an excellent idea to earn money. He found the idea after listening to a political debate.

He will be campaigning for public office, maybe a national office, in the Philippines after the May 9, 2022 election, even if he knows that he will probably not win. He plans to start campaigning for some candidates now. He may earn some extra bucks from the candidate’s political party or group or the candidate himself. That way, he will meet more prospective voters and be known. He will have better chances of getting more donations for his future campaign by being publicly known.

It may turn out to be a financially profitable venture, win or lose. Chances are it will.

Part of campaign contributions given to support a candidate’s pursuit of public office in the Philippines may ultimately redound to the personal benefit of the candidate, win or lose.

In the Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 222022 issued on February 21, 2022, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) reminded individual candidates, political parties/party-list groups, and campaign contributors about complying with the requirement under prior BIR regulations, including registration with the BIR, issue of official receipts, and withholding taxes. I will deal only with the candidates as they may directly reap the financial benefits of the campaign donations entrusted to them.

“Winning in the election is the ultimate objective and reward of campaigning for that public office. Losing in the election, however, has its benefits while necessarily resulting in frustration. It also has its financial benefits.”

Such regulations require individual candidates to submit (a) the required BIR registration form, (b) any identification issued by an authorized government body, and (c) Certificate of Candidacy from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).

My acquaintance is more concerned with what he will get after the election, not so much about the requirements of registration and the others, including reporting. He understands that he can only financially benefit if he complies with the legal requirements.

How can he personally benefit from the proceeds of the campaign contributions? Per the cited RMC, the campaign contributions are not considered income of the candidate for income tax purposes of the candidate because they were given “not for the personal expenditure/enrichment of the concerned candidate, but to utilize such contributions for his/her campaign.” It follows, thus, that if the contributions are spent before and after the campaign period, they are not tax-exempt.

They are the candidate’s income that must be reported and for which the candidate must pay the corresponding income tax.

It is where the candidate, winner or loser, personally benefits. Several years back, a candidate elected to office ordered the return of surplus campaign contributions to the donors.

In response to questioning as reported in a daily newspaper in the Philippines, a candidate who lost in the 2016 elections admitted that he decided to keep (instead of returning to the donors) the excess campaign funds of 50 million pesos, reported it as income and paid the BIR 9.7 million pesos in income taxes.

“Would it not be better to distribute surplus campaign donations to non-profits promoting and advancing government social functions? Or, maybe make them part of the public (Continue on page 27) funds for public benefits?”

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“Trust no future however pleasant Let the dead past bury its dead Act, act in the living present Heart within and God oe’rhead.”

-From A Psalm of Life

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

am not an opinion survey expert. I have been out of electoral politics for several decades now. But I am a keen observer of political developments in this country – both electoral and non-electoral. I have written a lot of books on Philippine politics – published domestically and a number published abroad Getting tired is not one of my habits or inclination. HOMOBONO A. ADAZA I have done battle under the most difficult circumstances – during the most written about Marcos de jure dictatorship under martial law. Despite lack of money and organizational support, I got elected as one of two Opposition provincial governors out of seventy-three provincial governors in the country, under the banner of my political party, the Mindanao Alliance (MA).

MA was the first regional political party organized in the Philippines in response to the challenge of President Marcos in 1977 to the Opposition to participate in the first national legislative election in 1978 since the declaration of martial law. Leaders of the national Opposition parties initially decided to boycott the elections – men like former President Diosdado Macapagal, Senators Salavador and Sotero Laurel, Lorenzo Tañada, Benigno Aquino, Jr., Eva Estrada Kalaw and Speaker Jose B. Laurel, Jr on the theory that participation in the elections would legitimize Marcos. All of them former holders of public office - for reasons that their terms have expired or they were abolished by the declaration of martial law.

Misamis Oriental: It is understandable why the province of Misamis Oriental was the first to respond to the Marcos challenge. The province elected one of the most brilliant Congressman, Senator and Vice-President rolled into one – Emmanuel Neri Pelaez, brilliant, handsome and articulate.

Had he beaten Ferdinand Marcos in the 1965 Nacionalista Party convention, the country would have avoided the blight of martial law and the country would have been a thousand times better. But that is the name of the game – delegates, many of whom were money oriented, decided on who should be the presidential nominee and Marcos was it.

Misamis Oriental was one of the few provinces in the country which voted for Senator Claro M. Recto for President – probably the most qualified candidate at that time and probably at any other time. It also voted outstanding trial lawyer Fausto Dugenio as the lone congressman in the country who got elected under the banner of Recto and Tañada’s Nationalist Citizen’s Party (NCP). Two Vice-Presidents come from Misamis Oriental, Pelaez and Teofisto Guingona.

No wonder it organized the first Opposition party against Marcos and it elected the only Opposition Provincial Governor from Mindanao and the Visayas in the first election of local officials during martial law in 1980/ Witness: The preceding discussion is necessary for the purpose of qualifying the witness. In law, when a trial lawyer presents a witness in court who is an expert, he must let the witness detail his qualifications before the court will allow him to continue testifying on the subject matter on which he is to testify. This is known as qualifying a witness I have to do this as there are a lot of young bloggers who speak with authority on the history of this country and argue with bravado why a presidential candidate will be elected President as he is way ahead in the polls.They continue blabbering even if they have neither the resume or experience on the subject. In plain and simple language, they are incompetent to speak on the matter to the point if ignorance and stupidity.

These enrage me having been a practicing trial lawyer for more than forty years, taught Political and Constitutional Law, held positions of Provincial Governor, Member of Parliament, Commissioner of Immigration and Deportation, yet I don’t harangue people, unlike these bloggers who bombard (Continue on page 27) people with their incompe-

Diliman Way

A ridiculously useless Easter Sunday presscon

MindSparks

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 OPINION

 BUSINESS | IMMIGRATIONS What to do if you lost your Green Card

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reen cards are important especially when traveling abroad and applying for citizenship.

There are certain issues about replacing green card which we will discuss.

1. Lost green card. The person who lost his green card may file to renew their USCIS-issued green card that have expired or replace ones that have been lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed, or that contain an error. If you need to apply for naturalization and you believe you qualify except you lost your green card you may discuss this matter with an immigration attorney.

The person who lost green card may complete and properly file an Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Form I-90) with USCIS, with appropriate fees (if required), in accordance with the Form I-90 instructions.

What happen if the green card is lost while outside the U.S.?

A Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) who is temporarily outside the United States for less than 1 year and who is not in possession of a valid green card (for example, it was lost, stolen, or destroyed) may properly file an Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation) (Form I-131A) to request documentation to demonstrate to an airline or other transportation carrier that he or she is authorized to travel to the United States. This transportation letter does not replace the green card. LPRs must still complete and properly file Form I-90 to obtain a replacement of the green card upon arrival to the U.S. 2. What happen if the Reentry permit is lost?

If inside the United States, complete and properly file an Application for Travel Document (Form I-131) with USCIS, with appropriate fees.

An LPR who is temporarily outside the United States for less than 2 years and who is not in possession of a valid green card (for example, it was lost, stolen, or destroyed) may properly file an Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation) (Form I-131A) to request documentation to demonstrate to an airline or other transportation carrier that he or she is authorized to travel to the United States.

The transportation letter does not replace the reentry permit. LPRs must complete and properly file Form I-131 upon reentry into the United States to obtain a replacement reentry permit.

3. What happen if the Advance Parole document is lost?

If inside the United States, complete and properly file an Application for Travel Document (Form I-131) with USCIS, with appropriate fees.

There is no process to seek a replacement advance parole document, including a combo card (employment and travel authorization documented on a single card), outside the United States. In cases where an advance parole document was lost, stolen, or destroyed while overseas, requestors should contact the closest USCIS international office or U.S. embassy or consulate.

Please note that in general, if a requestor applies for advance parole while in the United States, and departs the United States before the advance parole document is issued, the requestor may be found inadmissible to the United States upon return, or even if admitted, may be found to have abandoned his or her application.

Note: This is not a legal advice and presented for information only.

Immigration News update Immigrant Visa (IV): The Embassy continues to have a significant backlog of all categories of immigrant visas. We are using a tiered approach to triage immigrant visa applications, based on the category of immigrant visa, as we resume and expand processing. While we schedule limited appointments within all four priority tiers every month, the following lists the main categories of immigrant visas in priority order: • Tier One: Immediate relative intercountry adoption visas, age-out cases (cases where the applicant will soon no longer qualify due to their age), and certain Special Immigrant Visas (SQ and SI for Afghan and Iraqi nationals working with the U.S. government) • Tier Two: Immediate relative visas; fiancé(e) visas; and returning resident visas • Tier Three: Family preference immigrant visas and SE Special Immigrant Visas for certain employees of the U.S. government abroad • Tier Four: All other immigrant visas, including employment preference and Diversity Visas Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV): The Embassy continues to prioritize travelers with urgent (i.e., matter of life and death) travel needs, foreign diplomats, and certain mission-critical categories of travelers, such as students and exchange visitors (F-1, M-1, and J-1) and temporary employment visas (H-1B, H-2B, and L nonimmigrants). Visa appointments and processing for B1/B2 (Business/Tourist) remain suspended, with the exception of interview waiver renewals.

The DHS issued a new guideline for the arrest and deportation of undocumented immigrants. The guidelines focused on national security. crimes and border security as the government priority.

Success Stories (Continue on page 27)

April 21-27, 2022

14

PHL, US trade execs meet in Washington, tackle ways to cement economic ties WASHINGTON – Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez met with United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai in Washington D.C. and discussed ways to further cement economic ties between the two countries.

In a statement sent to Manila, the DTI said Lopez is currently leading the Philippine trade delegation to the US to discuss trade and investment is- PH-US TIES. Department of Trade and Industry Secresues, sectoral and industry tary Ramon Lopez (right) and United States Trade Repcooperation, and the direc- resenta�ve Ambassador Katherine Tai (le�) meet in tion of Philippine-US eco- Washington D.C. and discuss trade and investment �es between the two countries. Lopez is currently leading nomic ties in the future.

During the meeting a trade delega�on in the US. with the USTR official, Lopez expressed the countors to allow greater foreign equity partry’s interest to be part of the US-led In- ticipation and attract more players and do-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) create more jobs while enhancing compe—an initiative of the Biden administra- tition that will lead to better services and tion to boost the economic engagement more affordable costs for the people,” he of the US with Indo-Pacific countries. added.

“In terms of the objectives of the IPEF, The Philippine trade chief cited opadvancing resilience, inclusiveness, and portunities for US-based companies eyecompetitiveness are aligned with the ing to expand in the country.

Philippines’ offensive interests,” the DTI These include investments in data chief said. centers and renewable energy, processing Among the Philippines’ interest in and packaging of seafood products from joining the IPEF include trade, promo- Alaska for re-export in other countries, tion and development of micro, small and promoting improved access for coal, elecmedium enterprises (MSMEs), digital tric vehicles, corn, and chipping potatoes. economy, supply chain resiliency, enviDuring the meeting, Lopez said the ronmental sustainability, and investment Philippines-US Trade and Investment in infrastructure.

Framework Agreement (TIFA) has beMoreover, with the passage of three come a vital role in addressing economic key economic bills, Lopez expects that issues between the two countries. the Philippines can invite more American The US was the country’s third largfirms to invest in the country. est trading partner in 2021 with total trade “We pursued major economic policy amounting to US$19.6 billion. reforms, such as the amendments to the The US was also the fifth largest Retail Trade Law and the Foreign Invest- source of foreign investments with a total ment Act, including the Public Service value of US$77.64 million in the previAct that essentially liberalized key sec- ous year

PHL pharma industry seen to hit P216-B in 2024

MAKATI CITY – Trade Undersecretary and Board of Investments (BOI) Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo said the country’s pharmaceutical industry is expected to grow up to P216 billion by 2024, as it continues to be an attractive market for pharmaceutical firms.

“The Philippine health expenditure is on the rise, with consumer health expenditure growing with double-digit growth in the last three years with an average growth of 11 percent,” Rodolfo said in a statement.

He said the BOI, as the country’s lead investment promotion agency, vows to support the roadmap of the Philippine Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) to strengthen the local sector and increase the country’s pharmaceutical exports.

Multinational companies currently

share over half of pharmaceutical sales in the country at 56.5 percent.

Rodolfo added the country is making significant developments in herbal medicine, which is expected to support the growth of the local pharmaceutical sector.

With the availability of nature-based active pharmaceutical ingredients, such as lagundi and sambong, the industry is now developing herbal drugs for Covid-19 and dengue. “(T)he BOI wants to home in on the research and development and supply chain development of the priority herbal plants as well as establish and maintain a cohesive policy environment for the development of the industry,” the agency said.

The BOI added the growth of local manufacturing of herbal drugs will also generate income and job opportunities for Filipinos.

 ENTERTAINMENT

April 21-27, 2022

16

Queen of Visayan Movies’ Gloria Sevilla dies in Oakland Long-time San Francisco Bay Area resident film actress Gloria Sevilla, dubbed as “Queen of Visayan Movies,” died in her sleep in Oakland, California on April 16, 2022.

Sevilla, a native of Sibonga, Cebu, was 90 years old.

Her death was announced on Facebook by relatives and event host and veteran broadcaster Sam Costanilla.

Several actors and the movie industry immediately mourned the passing of Sevilla, a Filipino movie icon.

Sevilla migrated to San Francisco when her second husband, the late Amado Cortez, whose real name was Arsenio Ruiz Padilla, assumed as Philippine Consul General in San Francisco. Sevilla’s first husband, actor Mat Ranillo Jr., regarded as King of Visayan Movies, with whom she had five children, died years before marrying Cortez, a fellow actor.

Having starred in most of the Visayan-made films produced in 1950s and 1960s, Sevilla earned the title “Queen of Visayan Movies.”

Some of the Visayan films under her belt included “Leonora,” “Pailub Lang (Be Humble),” “Gloria Akong

Anak (My Child Gloria),” “Badlis sa Kinabuhi (Destiny),” and “Gimingaw Ako (Longing for Someone).”

For her superb acting in “Badlis sa Kinabuhi” in 1969, she won her very first Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (Famas) Awards best actress plum. She repeated the feat four years later with her role in “Gimingaw Ako.” Sevilla also won her first Famas best supporting actress for her role in the 1962 film “Madugong Paghihiganti (Bloody Revenge).”

She is also best remembered for her sensitive portrayals in the 1962 film “Madugong Paghihiganti” where she won Famas best supporting actress; “Minsa’y Isang GamuGamo,” “Boy Golden,” ”Banaue,” “Ito Ang Pilipino” and “Maestra.”

The actress remained active on television before the pandemic, appearing in various character roles in “Be Careful With My Heart,” “Nathaniel,” “Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw,” “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” and “Asintado.”

A talent scout discovered Sevilla when she was only 14. She was chosen to play her very first film role

* Stockroom Clerk (Auditing/Kitting) * Receiving Inspection * Assembler : Hardware / Cable / Manual Load * SMD Operator / Process Technician / SMD Programmer * Driver (with clean DMV Record) * 2nd Operation

Medical & Dental Insurance, Life Insurance, Vacation & Sick Leave

as Princess Tirana in 1951, according to an article written by Dr. Romy R. Protacio and published on Asian Journal USA last November.

Sevilla, born on January 31, 1932, also starred in several Filipino-language films and television dramas.

Ranillo Jr. died in a plane crash in 1969.

Several actors and the movie industry immediately mourned the passing of Sevilla, a Filipino movie icon.

Sevilla migrated to San Francisco when her second husband, the late Amado Cortez, whose real name was Arsenio Ruiz Padilla, assumed as Philippine Consul General in San Francisco during the administration of President Joseph Estrada.

Sevilla’s first husband, actor Mat Ranillo Jr. with whom she had five children, died years before marrying Cortez, a fellow actor.

Having starred in most of the Visayanmade films produced in 1950s and 1960s, Sevilla earned the title “Queen of Visayan Movies.”

Some of the Visayan films under her belt included “Leonora,” “Pailub Lang (Be Humble),” “Gloria Akong Anak (My Child Gloria),” “Badlis sa Kinabuhi (Destiny),” and “Gimingaw Ako (Longing for Someone).”

For her superb acting in “Badlis sa Kinabuhi” in 1969, she won her very first Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (Famas) Awards best actress plum. She repeated the feat four years later with her role in “Gimingaw Ako.” Sevilla also won her first Famas best supporting actress for her role in the 1962 film “Madugong Paghihiganti (Bloody Revenge).”

A talent scout discovered Sevilla when she was only 14. She was chosen to play her very first film role as Princess Tirana in 1951, according to an article written by Dr. Romy R. Protacio and published on Asian Journal USA last November.

Sevilla, born on January 31, 1932, also starred in several Filipino-lan-

guage films and television dramas.

Ranillo Jr. died in a plane crash in 1969.

In 2019, the Gawad Urian honored Sevilla with a lifetime achievement award for her contribution to Philippine cinema.

She marked her 90th birthday last year with a virtual party with Balik Samahan, an esteemed group of veteran performer and lifelong friends.

“We shall miss her,” close friend Pempe Oreta told ABS-CBN News.

“It’s a blessing she passed on quietly on the eve of Easter Sunday.”

In a media statement released late Sunday through Suzette, the Sevilla family said, “We will cherish the love of friends fans who supported her from her younger days as the inimitable Queen of Visayan Cinema as well as her critically-recognized and awarded performances in mainstream films and television drama.

The Ranillo-Cortez family appreciates the prayers offered for Gloria while awaiting the funeral arrangements to be held in the U.S. and in the Philippines.”

17 April 21-27, 2022

 ENTERTAINMENT

SC throws out Ronnie Ricketts’ appeal in graft raps The Supreme Court (SC) dismissed for lack of merit a petition filed by actor and former Optical Media Board (OMB) chairperson and chief executive officer Ronald “Ronnie” Ricketts seeking the dismissal of graft charges against him before the Sandiganbayan.

The charges stemmed from Ricketts’ alleged failure to charge those arrested for possession of pirated digital video discs (DVDs) and video compact discs (VCDs) during a raid in Quiapo, Manila in 2010.

In a resolution promulgated in November and shared online Tuesday, the Court’s First Division affirmed the 2017 resolutions of Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division that denied Ricketts’ motion for leave of court to file a demurrer to evidence.

A demurrer seeks the dismissal of a case by questioning the sufficiency of the evidence presented to support the charges.

Following the decision of the Sandiganbayan to deny the motion for leave to file a demurrer, the SC ruled that Ricketts’ proper recourse is to appeal whatever the eventual judgment will be.

“Hence, where the demurrer (filed by the accused) to evidence is denied (by the court), should the judgment be rendered against him, the proper remedy is to appeal the same, raising his defenses and objects for review before the appel-

late court,” the SC said.

In dismissing Ricketts’ petition, the Court ruled that there was nothing from the instant petition that would validate the accused’s claim that the Sandiganbayan gravely abused its discretion or acted beyond its jurisdiction in denying his motion and the demurrer itself.

It stressed that there was no showing that the Sandiganbayan’s finding on the sufficiency of the evidence of the prosecution was made without legal or evidentiary basis, or that the same was reached in a capricious or whimsical exercise of judgment that could warrant the issuance of the extraordinary writ of certiorari.

On May 27, 2010, upon Ricketts’ instructions, a team of OMB raiding agents seized 127 boxes and two sacks of pirated DVDs and VCDs as well as one video recording unit at an establishment along Carlos Palanca Street in Quiapo.

Three Chinese nationals were arrested.

The confiscated materials were brought to the OMB office but purportedly upon the instruction of Ricketts, 121 of the 127 boxes of the pirated materials were hauled out of the OMB premises and loaded into a vehicle marked “Sky High Marketing”.

No charges were filed by the OMB against any person or entity.

On July 18, 2019, the Field Investi-

Derek Ramsay reconnects with former schoolmate he helped vs attackers

Derek Ramsay is grateful to have reconnected with a former schoolmate he had saved from attackers back when he was studying in England.

The actor showed his conversation with his schoolmate Chuck Waite, on his Instagram page yesterday, April 19.

They met at Cheltenham College, a day and boarding school in Cotswolds, England.

According to Waite, he was being as-

saulted by about eight to 10 people with hockey sticks when Ramsay came to his rescue. He thanked Ramsay for standing up against his attackers.

“Hey Derek, not sure if you remember me from Cheltenham College but we were in the same house, Boyne,” Waite told Ramsay. “You helped me out a lot and stood up for me when I got attacked by [eight to 10] people with hockey sticks in the courtyard. Long time ago of course, but sending thanks all the same.”

Waite also recalled how Ramsay had been kind toward him at a time when he felt he was “small and afraid.”

“It has stuck with me all these years.

And now I’m a dad I respect it even more. Have an awesome day and chat soon!” he added.

Meanwhile, Ramsay expressed happiness over Waite reaching out and reconnecting with him.

“This made my day. Great to reconnect with you @chuckwaite and glad to hear you are doing well,” he said.

Ramsay’s wife, actress Ellen Adarna, appeared to be amused by the actor’s kind act and jokingly called him “my pitbull.”

Ramsay was also commended by singer Ogie Alcasid and news anchor Cheryl Cosim, who called him a “good soul.”

gation Office of the Office of the Ombudsman filed a complaint before the Sandiganbayan against Ricketts and other co-accused for allegedly giving unwarranted benefits, advantages, or preference to Sky High Marketing Corporation, by releasing and reloading into the corporation’s vehicle the confiscated items.

These comprised the pieces of evidence that could support the case that should have been filed and by not suing the violators of Republic Act 9239 or the

OMB Act of 2003, caused damage and prejudice to the government.

The law regulates the mastering, manufacturing, replication, importation and exportation, distribution and sale of optical and magnetic media, and other media storage devices.

“All told, the denial of petitioner’s motion for leave to file demurrer to evidence and the demurrer itself was made by the Sandiganbayan in the due exercise of its jurisdiction,” the SC said.

 ENTERTAINMENT

April 21-27, 2022

18

Aliw foundation’s ‘Musical Journey’ makes history

Joey Albert

Jam Morales

Gerphil Flores

KelFRVR

SACRAMENTO Aliw Awards Foundation’s “A Musical Journey ” at the Guild Theater in Sacramento, California on April 30, 2022 marks the second project of the foundation in the United States after four decades.

In 1982, the foundation brought Aliw International to the US mainland and Hawaii for shows at San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose and Hilo (Hawaii). The departure of the cast which included then 9-year-old Lea Salonga, Bert Marcelo, Diomedes Maturan, Florante, Gloria Manila and Emi Munji merited front- page coverage in the Manila Bul-

letin, the most widely circulated national newspaper in the Philippines. .

This year, “ A Musical Journey” features 2015 Entertainer of the Year and Asia’s Got Talent 2nd runner-up Gerphil Flores and 2019 Best Filipino Artist Abroad Joey Albert with special guests Jam Morales and FilAm artist Kelfrvr.

The show will be held in support of the American Cancer Society and the artists impacted by the pandemic.

The concert’s organizers have striven to put up a unique world-class show, which is guaranteed to delight its audience, music lovers and contribu-

tors to this concert for a cause, who will travel through time via the music of the Eighties to the present.

Co- Presentor of the event is One World Institute and Media Partner is ABS-CBN’s The Filipino Channel. Executive Producer is Birdie Reyes III , Aliw Trustee and Host-Producer of “aALIWin Kita,” the weekly Sunday FB live show aired at 7-9 A.M. on the US East Coast, 4-6 AM on the US West Coast and 7-9 P.M. in the Philippines and ASIA. Production and Marketing Manager is Yasmin Assad.

The concert is sponsored by Wah

Sing Mongolian Hot Pot & BBQ and Wah Sing Chinese Restaurant in Vacaville, County Square Market in Vacaville, Teriyaki Station atbp in Folsom, Kusina at Lumpia in Natomas, Beyond Tea in Suisun, Elizabeth Williams of Keller Williams Realty, AARP Sacramento, Homehealth Inc., Persimmon , Mahalo2All, Tancinco Law office and KUIC. Interested ticket buyers from April 13 to 22, 2022 may contact aliw.info or 707-631-0120 to avail of up to 20% discounts on their tickets.

Ticket holders will participate in a raffle for cash and prizes during the event.

Nadine is back for good in acting, admits new romance Actress Nadine Lustre said her upcoming film “Greed” under Viva Films will just be the start of her series of film projects as she promised her fans that she’s back for good in the acting scene after years of hiatus to pursue music.

The multi-hyphenated star dubbed as Philippines multimedia princess told press in a virtual media conference Thursday evening, March 10, that she is now confident and more happy with the direction she’s taking as an actress.

“Iba ang experience when doing music, iba din pag acting. I’m happy that my

projects involve other genres now at hindi na puro drama and rom-com. I wanted to show the other side of me as an actress.

So, ngayon tuloy-tuloy na ang acting kasi namiss ko rin siya,” she said.

Nadine’s last movie was Indak in 2019.

“Greed” – Nadine’s comeback film is directed by multi-awarded director Yam Laranas.

“I really wanted to work with Direk Yam. He likes thinking out of the box and he’s very adventurous in his scripts.

He does everything for art,” the actress

shared.

Nadine’s new acting piece, Greed, is a dark suspense thriller set in a remote village. She plays the role of a countryside woman who dreams of a better life with her partner played by co-star Diego Loyzaga. The couple finally has the chance to free themselves from the hardships of life and start anew as they win the biggest prize in the lottery. Not wanting anyone to know about this great news, the couple decides to keep it a secret until they have moved to a different town. But a former neighbor (Epy Quizon) learns about their dumb luck and tries to steal it from them. What follows after is a nightmare of a hunt fueled by dark intentions and selfishness.

“Greed” is Nadine Lustre’s first Vivamax Original movie. “Greed” is now available on Vivamax Plus on March 16 while its world premiere via Vivamax was held last April 8.

Nadine, who is based in Siargao, is now happily in a relationship with businessman Christophe Bariou.

Nadine said in an interview that it was easy for them to spend time together as the two of them share a lot of common interests.

The actress, who spoke about their relationship in an interview with Monster RX93.1, stated that the one thing she loves about her dynamics with Christophe is that they just never stop talking.

“We always have something to talk

about. It’s funny how in sync we are. We like the same things. [We’re like] two peas in a pod,” she said. “We talk about a lot of stupid stuff. He loves memes, I love memes. He likes watching funny videos, I love watching funny videos. I learn a lot from him and with him... It’s just always fun hanging out with him.”

Nadine revealed that her boyfriend didn’t know who she was when they first met. She said that her romance with Christophe has never been a secret since it first came out in August last year.

“We’re always hanging out. People are always taking photos. I mean, it’s understandable because they’ve never seen me with someone else so it’s kind of weird that I’m hanging out with this other dude so I get it. There’s really no intention of hiding it in the first place,” she said.

 REAL ESTATE

April 21-27, 2022

Newsom and Cabinet members discuss California’s homelessness crisis, solutions

OAKLAND – Governor Gavin Newsom took his Cabinet members to visit an encampment in Oakland to discuss the inhumane living conditions too many Californians face. Since his first day in office, the Governor has made addressing homelessness a top priority for the administration.

Governor Newsom’s multibillion-dollar plan to tackle homelessness is an all-government effort to rapidly provide housing and connections to behavioral and physical health supportive services to individuals experiencing homelessness, while also cleaning up the state’s highway off-ramps and encampments.

“Encampments across our state are constant re-

minders of the broken dreams of struggling Californians and their loved ones, making them a stubborn, painful issue that we must tackle with empathy,” said Governor Newsom. “Homelessness affects us all and California is taking an all-hands approach to tackle this challenge from every angle.”

The Governor and his Cabinet members walked the Oakland encampment and spoke directly with people experiencing homelessness. The visit was followed by a Cabinet meeting to discuss the strategies all state agencies can employ to tackle the homelessness crisis.

Governor Newsom’s multibillion-dollar homeless housing investments will provide more than 55,000 new housing units and treatment slots in the coming years. Building on last year’s historic $12 billion investment to help get the most vulnerable people off the streets, the California Blueprint proposes an additional $2 billion investment in behavioral health housing and encampment rehousing strategies, creating a total $14 billion package to confront the homelessness crisis.

Earlier this year, the Governor announced $50 million in grants through the California Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council’s Encampment Resolution Grant Program, which was created in partnership with the Legislature. The grants will serve 19 communities throughout California to provide shelter or housing for 1,401 individuals currently experiencing homelessness in encampments.

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20

How to get rid of your credit card debts

C

redit card companies made it so easy for us to use the cards but we are stuck with having to struggle to make more than the minimum payment to actually pay down the debts.

1. Find a payment strategy or two Pay more than minimum Credit card issuers give you a handy monthly minimum payment, generally 2% to 3% of the balance, to make sure you’re making timely payments. However, banks make money off the interest they charge each pay period, so the longer it takes you to pay, the more money they make.

Debt snowball The snowball method of paying down your debt uses your sense of accomplishment as motivation. You prioritize your loans by amount, focusing on the smallest one first. When you’ve paid off that loan, you roll that payment into the amount you’re contributing toward your next smallest loan, and so on. Like a snowball rolling down a hill, you’ll gradually make bigger and bigger payments, ultimately eliminating your debt.

Debt avalanche Similar to the snowball approach, an avalanche approach swaps your priorities. Instead of paying off the card with the lowest balance first, you pay off the card with the highest interest. It tends to be a faster, and cheaper, method than snowballing.

Automate Automating your payments is an easy way to make sure your debts are being paid so you avoid racking up additional costs in late fees. If you’re practicing a debt snowball or debt avalanche approach, however, you will have to be a little more hands on to make sure you’re contributing exactly what you want to each account.

2. Consider debt consolidation If your credit is good but your debt payments feel overwhelming, consider consolidating them into one account.

That way, you only have to make one payment each month to chip away at the balance.

0% balance transfer credit card It might seem counterintuitive to apply for a credit card when your main goal is to get out of credit card debt, but 0% balance transfer cards can help save you money in the long run. Find a card that offers a long 0% introductory period — preferably 15 to 18 months — and transfer all of your outstanding credit card debt to that one account. You’ll have one simple payment each month, and you won’t pay interest.

If you apply for this, remember your goal is to pay the loan off before the end of the term. By getting a 0% rate you will avoid all the interest being charged by the previous credit card company.

Personal loans Similarly, you can take out a fixed-rate debt consolidation loan to pay off your debt. Though you will have to pay interest, interest rates for personal loans tend to be lower than for credit cards, which can still help you save some extra cash.

Use a debt consolidation calculator to estimate your savings.

3. Work with your creditors Reach out to your creditors to explain your situation. A credit card issuer may be willing to negotiate payment terms or offer a hardship program, especially if you’re a longtime customer with a good track record of payments.

If your issuer offers a hardship program, it may provide relief when circumstances beyond your control like unemployment or illness impact your ability to manage payments.

Whether you negotiate with your issuer or accept the terms of a hardship program, either option could lead to more affordable interest rates or waived fees, depending on the issuer.

These small changes might be just enough to help you get a handle on your debt, and the worst that can happen is they say no.

4. Seek help through debt relief If the total amount you owe is more than you can pay each month and you’re really struggling to get your debt under control, it may be time to take some more serious steps. Consider debt relief options, such as bankruptcy or a debt management plan.

Debt management plan Debt management plans are created with the help of a nonprofit credit counseling agen(Continue on page 27)

21 April 21-27, 2022

NEWS  NATIONAL SPORTS NEWS

Casimero replaced from Butler title fight; Jonas Sultan steps in fered a setback in his supposed defense of his title in England.

Reports from London indicated that Casimero was not allowed to defend his WBO world bantamweight title against Paul Butler after a violation of the British Boxing Board of Control’s policy on the prohibition of the use of sauna to cut weight before a fight.

Casimero, 33, was originally scheduled to defend his title against Butler on April 22 at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England.

The WBO replaced Casimero with another Filipino prizefighter Jonas Sultan in what would be a WBO interim bantamweight title fight with Butler.

“The British Boxing Board of Control have been made aware (with supporting evidence) that Mr. Casimero had made use of a sauna in close proximity to his World Boxing Organisation Championship contest on 22nd April 2022 in Liverpool,” BBBofC wrote in an official MANILA - Filipino world boxing champion John Riel Casimero has suf- document released by the World Boxing

Organization.

“As you are aware, this is against the BBBofC’s medical guidelines and therefore we cannot permit him to compete in the proposed contest on Friday. For your additional advice, Mr. Casimero has completed two check weights with BBBofC Inspectors since arriving in the UK. These check weights have shown an alarming reduction in weight of 10lbs in only three days.”

Casimero was required to tip the scale at 118 pounds for the official weigh-in.

Casimero has also been ordered by the sanctioning body to explain why he should not be stripped of the title within 48 hours.

The document stated that there had been previous resolutions that said the title would be declared vacant if Casimero “is injured, suffers an injury, refuses to fight, or is unavailable to participate, fight or engage for any reason whatsoever”.

Army reservist-boxer Suarez feted, promoted for WBA win MANILA – The Philippine Army has conferred the Meritorious Achievement Medal to reservist Charly Suarez for winning the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Asia super featherweight title last month.

Suarez, who previously held the rank of sergeant in the Army Reserve, was also promoted one rank higher to staff sergeant.

He is affiliated with the Reserve Command’s 1303rd Community Defense Center, National Capital Region Regional Community Defense Group.

“Imbued with outstanding selfdiscipline, deep sense of responsibility and dedication to duty, Staff Sgt. Suarez demonstrated exemplary com-

mitment to the performance of his duty as a reservist and a professional boxer who not only brought great pride to the Reserve Command, Philippine Army and the Philippine Army but to the Philippines as well,” the citation states.

Suarez, who competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil and won gold medals in various boxing categories of the 2009, 2011 and 2019 editions of the Southeast Asian Games, was recognized by WBA Asia as the Boxer of the Month in March 2022.

His coach, Army reservist 1st Lt. Delfin Boholst also graced the awardPhilippine Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. (right) and Staff Sergeant ing ceremony Monday.

Charly Suarez

Fil-Am NCAA star Remy Martin honors Pinoy roots in championship win NEW ORLEANS - Filipino-American National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) star player Remy Macaspac Martin paid tribute to his Pinoy roots following the University of Kansas’ victory in the 2022 United States Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Martin was instrumental in the Kansas Jayhawks’ historic comeback win over the North Carolina Tar Heels, 72-69, in the National Championship game held at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on April 4.

The Fil-Am National Champion took to Instagram to share photos of himself posing with his championship trophy and the Philippine flag draped around his shoulders.

“This Is Bigger Than Me,” Remy Martin wrote on April 6, 2022, in his first Instagram post since winning the NCAA

championship.

Martin, whose mother hails from Pampanga, had earlier expressed pride in representing Filipinos through his basketball journey. Born and raised in California, the 23-year-old guard is proud of his mixed heritage and gives back to communities in need in the Philippines.

In a previous interview with Cronkite Sports, the Fil-Am Jayhawks guard said that he hopes to make it in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and suit up for Gilas Pilipinas someday, a path taken by the NBA superstar Jordan Clarkson and rising player Caelum Harris.

Another Filipino-American basketball player, Kihei Clark, won the national championship after leading the Virginia Cavaliers to victory in 2019. (goodnewspilipinas)

April 21-27, 2022

22

Q: Can I still be sued even if I am only a co-signer?

A: Being a co-signer on a loan makes you just as responsible for the loan with the number one signer. This is a very hard situation. First of all, you did not gain anything from the purchase or the loan. You merely co-signed and the person who applied got what they wanted.

Most of the time, the person who is asking you to be a co-signer has bad credit. So that means that person do not pay his or her debts. Why should you be any different? You are only good until they get what they want.

Here’s a story. A while back a client called because she co-signed for her niece’s student loan since her sister has bad credit. School started and later the niece decided to drop out of school. When it was time to pay the loan, the niece refused to pay up because she never finished the course. And why is that the aunt’s fault? The apple did not fall far from the tree. Mother and daughter did not want to pay so the aunt ended up paying for it through my program just to save her credit standing.

People sound very good in paying back when they have not taken the loan out yet and need your help to get it. This is like taking a rock and hitting yourself in the head with it.

You, the co-signer, means you are guaranteeing the loan that your friend or relative wants to take out. So if they do not pay, you will. That’s what guaranteeing means.

No matter who is asking for you to do this, unless you are 100% certain that you will shoulder this debt if they do not pay, don’t do it. You will create enemies out of relatives and they can make you look like the bad one. The sad thing is you were minding you own business before they approached you.

So, if you or your relative do not pay, they can sue both of you for the balance plus court fees. If they win, they can garnish, levy or lien on real properties in order to get paid.

I have programs that can help you get out of debt and put you back on the road to recovery.

Ating lesson, Tumulung ka na, napasama pa!

If you need help in getting out of debt, call Debt Aid Consulting International. We do not use call centers which keeps your information safe. We have a new program that reconstruct debts for half of what you would pay our competitors. We also provide legal assistance that keeps collectors away. We take Federal Credit Unions, Payday loans and high interest personal loans in our program too. This is exclusively available for Debt Aid Consulting clients. None of our competitors provide this program. You are well protected.

We only provide Federal Trade Commission compliant programs. Go with Debt Aid Consulting!

Do not fall for marketing gimmicks saying that they have the right program for you.

Most marketing companies only have one program and will enroll you in that program whether it fits you or not. So beware!

Ben Lou at your service! I have over 35 years of financial experience. If you would like sound financial advice, call us at Debt Aid Consulting International. We do not use call centers. No one has the right to put your information at risk.

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Social Security Update

PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE DURING FINANCIAL LITERACY MONTH

By Grace Samson Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Bay Area

Financial Literacy Month is focused on educating people about the importance of planning for a secure financial future. Every April, we like to remind you that Social Security is a vital part of any financial plan. We have online tools to help you understand your potential Social Security benefits and how they fit into your financial future.

You should periodically review your Social Security Statement using your personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount. Your Statement is an easy-to-read summary of the estimated benefits you and your family could receive, including potential retirement, disability, and survivors benefits.

Our Plan for Retirement tool in your personal my Social Security account allows you to check various benefit estimate scenarios. You can compare the effect different future earnings and retirement benefit start dates have on your future benefit amount.

Please let friends and family know they can take steps to improve their financial knowledge by signing in to their secure my Social Security account. If they don’t have an account, they can easily create one at www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

23 April 21-27, 2022

 COMMUNITY NEWS

FAITH LEADERS PONDER WHETHER TO CONTINUE MASK REQUIREMENTS AFTER CALIFORNIA REMOVES MANDATE

By SUNITA SOHRABJI/EMS Associate Editor Faith leaders across the state are pondering whether to continue requiring their congregants to wear masks, after California dropped its COVID-19 mask mandates last month.

As of March 12, masks are no longer required in indoor settings in California, with exceptions for public transit, healthcare settings, long-term care facilities, jails and prisons. The California Department of Public Health now strongly recommends continuing to wear masks in indoor settings, including K-12 schools.

Rev. John Cager, senior pastor at the Ward African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, told Ethnic Media Services that his church — which has served the local community since 1902 — will continue to require masks at all its indoor services, along with proof of vaccinations. “Our church has a high percentage of seniors, an age group that is particularly vulnerable to COVID-19,” he said, noting that one out of every 100 people in the US aged 65 and older has died of COVID-19.

As of March 30, an estimated 728,616 people over age 65 had died of COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control.

“We don’t want to live in a state of perpetual fear, but we need to live in a state of perpetual awareness,” said Cager, whose church has not yet relaxed its mask requirements.

Like state health officials and other faith leaders, Cager said that his church is looking at data and the spread of the BA.2 variant to guide decisions. Some congregants have resisted, saying the restrictions are too strict, while others have embraced them, with the aim of keeping safe all families attending services. About 300 families belong to Ward AME Church, and 200 people attend services each Sunday.

Before the lockdown began on March 17, 2020, the Ward AME Church dispatched volunteers to the homes of elderly congregants to install apps and software on their smart phones and televisions to allow them to attend church services remotely. As the lockdown began, services were also live streamed on social media. Cager kept in touch with those unable to attend remotely via phone calls and mailers.

The church has also served as a pop-up clinic for vaccines and boosters. Cager said he has worked hard to assure his congregants about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines, working against a lot of misinformation, and an inherent mistrust of government prevalent in the Black community. “God gave vaccines for a reason,” he tells his members.

Pastor Anthony Kim, of the Choon Hyun Mission Church in Los Angeles, said his church is following state and county guidelines. Initially, masks were required as the church began regular services again last fall. “Our parishioners were okay with this; there was no real resistance,” said Kim. But as California lifted its mask mandates, church leaders decided to make masking optional. Kim said some members continue to wear masks, while others don’t. He encourages this as a choice for individual congregants.

Kim said he wears a mask when a congregant wears theirs but does not when others are going without. “We want to display Christ’s attitude of tolerance towards all,” said Kim, who leads the church’s Christian education program.

Many of the church’s parishioners have themselves been affected by COVID-19, Kim said. Some caught the virus themselves, while others saw family members suffer.

Others lost a job or home. He said children in his church have been deeply impacted by mental health challenges, with the loss of in-person learning, and friends. “We have been trying to help, with prayer, pastoral care, doing what God intended us to do,” he said.

“When we are going through trials, that is when our true nature shines,” said Kim. Bomi Patel, President of the Zoroastrian Association of Northern California, said the organization had to determine its own masking policy as it prepared to celebrate New Year — Nauroze — on March 20, at the Oasis restaurant in Fremont.

The Zoroastrian faith is one of the oldest in the world, originating in Persia in the 6th century BCE. The community has dwindled to fewer than 200,000 Zoroastrians worldwide. Observers celebrate the New Year on the first

day of spring.

“This was our first celebration since March of 2019,” said Patel. “We requested everyone to be vaccinated and to wear a mask.”

To be on the safe side, ZANC rented a hall with a capacity of 240, but then limited tickets to the event to just 150.

Instead of the usual 10 seats per table, each spot sat only eight, so that there was more room between seats.

Celebrants wore masks as they entered the hall, but most took them off shortly afterwards. Patel said he kept his on all evening, removing it only when he made a speech, and to eat.

The small Zoroastrian community in Northern California stayed engaged during the pandemic with online Bingo and game nights, and guest lectures via Zoom. This January, the organization re-started its Sunday school program for children to learn about the ancient faith. Masks were mandated for Sunday school, which was initially held outside, but then moved indoors.

“There was no resistance to masks,” said Patel. “Everyone just wants to keep safe.”

Visit MyTurn.ca.gov or call 833-422-4255 to schedule an appointment to get your COVID-19 vaccine or booster.

Help is available in more than 200 languages.

 COMMUNITY NEWS

April 21-27, 2022

PG&E Expands Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings Following Significant Wildfire Prevention Success During 2021 Pilot

24

Obituary

Amor 1940 B.– 2022 Araullo

Settings Automatically Turn Off Power Within One-Tenth of a Second When a Hazard on Powerline is Detected PG&E Pledges Improved Customer Outreach, Offers Portable Power and Additional Support for Schools, Hospitals and Those with Access or Functional Needs

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — With California’s growing wildfire risk, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) will expand its use of an advanced technology that quickly and automatically shuts off power within one-tenth of a second if a potential threat to the electric system, such as a tree branch falling into a powerline, is detected. Launched as a pilot in July 2021, Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) will be expanded to all distribution powerlines in high fire-threat areas this year.

As of Dec. 31, 2021, these enhanced safety settings reduced California Public Utilities Commission-reportable ignitions by 80% on EPSS-enabled circuits in High Fire-Threat Districts (HFTDs) last year. This is compared to the prior three-year average across more than 11,500 HFTD miles.

“As we strive for our goal of zero utility-caused wildfires, we recognize a critical need to deploy these enhanced safety settings on our powerlines in the areas that face the greatest threat,” said Mark Quinlan, PG&E’s Vice President of Transmission and Distribution System Operations. “In tandem with the company’s other wildfire prevention efforts for 2022, including beginning to underground 10,000 miles of electric distribution powerlines and installing more weather stations, high-definition cameras and microgrids, the expansion of these advanced safety settings will help make our system safer for our customers.”

This year, PG&E plans to expand the program across 25,500 HFTD distribution line miles within the company’s service area and in select adjacent areas. Compared to Public Safety Power Shutoffs, which are a last resort when severe weather conditions such as high winds are forecast, EPSS is effective any time when extremely dry fuels make powerline faults more likely to spark a fire.

(Watch a video of ongoing testing of the safety settings at PG&E’s Applied Technology Services lab in San Ramon.)

Enhanced Customer Support Although these new safety settings make the electric system safer, having the power turn off quickly and automatically results in customer outages. PG&E is working hard to reduce the outages and increase the resources available to affected customers. During the 2021 pilot, after optimizing the equipment and improving the efficiency of restoration processes, the average customer outage length on EPSS-enabled circuits decreased by 40%.

Additional improvements to the program in 2022

will enable a more surgical approach to minimize the frequency and duration of outages and reduce the number of customers impacted. That includes being operationally flexible during wildfire season when it comes to enabling the enhanced safety settings circuits. PG&E is also bolstering communication and engagement efforts with potentially affected customers and communities in HFTDs and nearby areas during and after service interruptions. This will include automated outage alerts with improved estimated time of restoration information. Additional communications include newsletters, webinars, letters and emails; updating the EPSS page on our website; and providing information via social media sites such as Nextdoor and Facebook.

PG&E also has resources to help customers prepare for outages and stay safe. In 2022, changes to our programs include: Increased funding and expansion of eligibility for the Generator Rebate Program, which is for customers who rely on well water, as well as for customers in our Medical Baseline Program and certain small businesses.

Removal of the low-income requirements for the Portable Battery Program, available for eligible customers in our Medical Baseline Program who live in high fire-threat areas.

The expansion of the Backup Power Transfer Meter, now being offered to all customers on EPSS-enabled circuits.

Additional actions include: Before Wildfire Season: Engineering settings on devices on powerlines to ensure wildfire mitigation benefit and improved coordination amongst devices.

Conducting preseason engagement with customers, media, agencies and additional stakeholders to proactively communicate the 2022 Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings expansion and available support. Performing system maintenance and vegetation management to make the electric system safer and improve reliability.

During Wildfire Season: Engaging customers and communities by sharing information, resources and support through multiple channels; pre-staging critical customer solutions, such as temporary generation and auto-transfer switches at schools and hospitals; informing customers when circuits return to normal settings with the onset of saturating rain. Staffing up and preparing helicopters to respond quickly to outages when they occur and establishing a robust outage review process to address outage causes and mitigate future outages.

After Wildfire Season: Sharing key program takeaways from the year via progress reports, emails, website updates and social media; and incorporating lessons learned into future program plans.

For more information, please visit pge.com/epss.

About PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.

Amor celebrates her last birthday on March 13, 2022

A

MOR B. ARAULLO of San Bruno, CA born on March 13, 1940 in Manila, Philippines passed away peacefully at her residence on April 3, 2022. She was second to the oldest in the family of 8 siblings. She suffered from pancreatic cancer for 11 months and while faced with declining health, she accepted her health challenges and faced them the same way she faced her life with amazing strength and courage. Amor was surrounded by her loved ones when she was called home. She is survived by the love of her life Bill Corpuz, children Mylene and Jover, grandchildren Darwin, Donnie, Jerico and Julian, great grandson Daniel, son in law Dandy, daughter in law Donna, granddaughter in law Heather, sisters Baby and Marilyn and brother Dennis.

Further survived by nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends. Preceded in death by her daughter Rhona, parents Dr Jose Araullo and Amparo Buenaflor, sister Charity, brothers Pepito, Dante and Melvyn, niece Peachy and her husband Chris and nephew Edmond.

In the Philippines she worked Lovely Amor in her younger years at Pascual Laboratories and at City Hall as secretary to Councilor Chito Lucero. She migrated to the US in 1978 and worked at Crescent Jewelers for many years. Although family and friends were her joy, she also enjoyed her card games, dancing, travelling and trip to the casinos. Her beloved family, relatives and friends remember her generosity, her gracious and welcoming personality, her warm smile that made everyone feel loved. She lived a fulfilling life as a mother, grandmother, sister and friend. She lived her 82 years of life to the fullest. A very precious person is gone but her love and spirit will remain forever, there will be tears of sadness and feelings of emptiness by the people whose lives she touched. Amor will be always remembered and will be deeply missed by everyone . A memorial service will be held at Duggan’s Serra Mortuary in Daly City on April 22 from 9 am to 11:30 am. Inurnment to follow at Cypress Memorial Lawn at Hillside Blvd in Daly City.

25 April 21-27, 2022

 COMMUNITY NEWS

Stop AAPI Hate and SALDEF Commemorate First Anniversary of Deadly Shooting at FedEx in Indianapolis Time for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities to reflect and heal

“On this day last year, eight Americans were killed in a senseless mass shooting in a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana. Together we remember them: Amarjeet Kaur Johal, Amarjit Sekhon, Jasvinder Kaur, Jaswinder Singh, Matthew Alexander, Samaria Blackwell, John Weisert, and Karli Smith. Of the eight, four were Sikh Americans and members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

Today is a day of healing, remembrance, and reflection for all victims of hate and mass violence. We urge you to join us and the Sikh community in simran (meditation) and seva (selfless service) as a form of acceptance and path towards healing.

Over the past few years, South Asians, including Sikh Americans, and AAPI communities in general,

have experienced a record surge in acts of hate and bias.

These recent acts, the incidents seared into our memories over the past forty years, from the murder of Vincent Chin to the mass shooting at Oak Creek, and the countless daily incidents that go unrecorded have left an indelible impression on our communities that will stay with us for years to come. We will use these memories as motivation to create a just world, free of hate and discrimination, where all are supported.

As organizations, we stand committed to taking action against hate, organizing our communities, and supporting victims and their families. We believe that all levels of government must invest in the impacted communities and take steps to prevent further tragedies across the country. We believe that the government has

a duty to make its services culturally and linguistically accessible to all communities. We believe that our leaders must take action to end hate, misogyny, and white supremacy. We believe that impacted, immigrant, and minority communities must be treated as equal partners to improve society.

Today, we will honor the victims, assist their families, and continue and recommit to our vow to provide care for all communities on this anniversary. Tomorrow, we will continue to tell our stories and create change for a better future. We welcome you to join us.”

We encourage any member of the Sikh community who has experienced hate to report the incident at https://stopaapihate.org/reportincident/ and at https:// saldef.org/contact/ Sara Braun, Account Executive

Fundraising Golf Tournament For St Augustine Church

Rev. Fr Raymund M. Reyes Pastor, St Augus�ne Catholic Church

Join us for a most enjoyable day of Golf and the opportunity to participate in a Fundraiser for St. Augustine Parish, SSF, and its award-winning Praise and Glorify Choir (P&G).

The Fundraising Golf Tournament is on Saturday, May 7 at the Shoreline Golf Links, 2940 N. Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View. Shotgun starts at 11.

Games before tee-off and registration begin at 9.

• $130 to play, includes Bagged Breakfast, 1 Raffle Ticket, and Dinner!

• We welcome and are thankful for donations of any amount.

• Awesome opportunities to sponsor at $500, $1000, and $2000 Praise & Glorify Choir Of St Augus�ne levels for significant benefits and marketing exposure to influential, generous, and good members of the SF Bay Area community.

All proceeds will go towards supporting the ongoing church renovation that includes the expansion of the Parish Hall, as well as to P&G Choir’s operational expenses.

Grateful for your support! God bless you. Contact Joel Faustino 650.892.6288 joelfaustino1031@yahoo.com

Nasa panahon pa rin tayo ng tagtuyot.

Magtipid ng tubig, California.

Narito kami para tumulong.

We are in a drought. Save water, California.

We’re here to help.

bawsca.org/conserve

sfpuc.org/SaveWater

 COMMUNITY NEWS

April 21-27, 2022

26

Black and Asian groups stage rally, press for redistricting healing map SAN FRANCISCO - On Wednesday afternoon, Black and Asian community leaders from Visitacion Valley. Little Hollywood, Sunnydale, Bayview, and Potrero Hill neighborhoods as well as from the Fillmore, Chinatown and other parts of the city gathered at the Visitacion Valley Greenway to rally the Redistricting Task Force to work from the “healing map” also known as “Map 7.”

Community members called on the Redistricting Task Force to pass a fair and healing redistricting map that keeps the District 10 neighborhoods whole and reflects the interests of communities of color, LGBTQ+ residents, and workingclass families across San Francisco.

“These people on this poster are three men who were killed for trying to enact voting rights in Mississippi. And that’s what redistricting is about - the voting rights of people in San Francisco. What we’re asking for is a seat at the table and to work with all D10 residents. Let’s stay together and build this district as strong as we can,” said Cheryl Thorton, Grassroots District 10 Community Advocate On April 13, 2022, San Francisco’s Redistricting Task Force voted 5-4 to reject a redistricting map that a diverse coalition of residents have strongly objected to in public meetings over multiple months.

Residents spoke to the disenfranchisement of Black, Asian and other communities of color in the redistricting process. The rejected map would have

removed the Potrero Hill neighborhood from District 10, a change that would undermine long-standing racial justice alliances and weaken Black voting power in District 10 and Latinx voting power in District 9.

Community members noted the rejected map reflected a process where developers and more resourced neighborhood interests were privileged above all others, diluting the voices of people of color and immigrant working families.

“This fight is all about our community. If you take Potrero out of D10, our voice and political representation will be weakened and we will be ostracized even more. We were not supposed to

work together across communities in District 10, but we did. That’s why they are trying to split us up,” said Uzuri Pease-Greene, a Potrero Hill Resident.

“I hope the neighborhoods that have been in district 10 can stay together and never break apart. Imagine in Chinatown, if some parts of our neighborhood were forced to move, we would be neglected. Our power should not be at the expense of another community’s power.

Our community requests the Task Force listens to the black community, and I strongly urge the Task Force to do what’s right. The map should stand with racial justice,” said Wing Hoo Leung, President of Community Tenants Associate.

“Tomorrow, The Task Force has a historic opportunity to set things right for the next seven years and ensure fair representation for all communities, especially those which have been historically marginalized. We need a map that represents the voices of the most vulnerable of SF, not exacerbate racial inequity,” said Shaw San Liu, Chinese Progressive Association.

Communities across the city recognized the need for representation, resources, and safety for all communities in the long term, and called for all to work together to win a fair map right now. “As you draw the new map, you must consider equity. We haven’t seen that in the maps that have been developed. We challenge you to bring a map that brings equity. We will support that.”, said John Ena, Samoan Community Development Center.

The community coalition of Black, Asian, Pacific Islander, Latinx, LGBTQ, and allies will hold another rally on Thursday, April 21 at 11:30am in front of City Hall ahead of the Redistricting Task Force in support of working from the “Healing Map.” The Redistricting Task Force will meet again on April 21, 2022 at 12:00 pm to continue mapping. For more information on how to participate in Thursday’s meeting, visit: https://sf.gov/ public-body/2020-census-redistrictingtask-force.

LA residents urged to get booster shots as BA.2 subvariant increases in county 1,355 new positive cases and 13 new deaths due to COVID-19 reported

LOS ANGELES - As BA.2 is now the predominant subvariant in LA County and across the world, getting boosted and following all safety measure are critical to protecting residents at elevated risk.

The BA.2 subvariant now accounts for 67% of sequenced specimens in the County for the week ending March 26.

This highly infectious subvariant has also been identified in 86% of cases across the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and it accounts for 92% of global cases.

With BA.2 now the predominant subvariant, over the past week, LA County continued to see the same pattern as last week, with cases increasing, and hospitalizations and deaths remaining stable. The average number of daily new cases reported over the last seven days increased to 1,030 compared to the 892 reported last week, an increase of 15%. The daily test positivity rate has also increased, but remains relatively low, at around 2.4%.

On April 19, the county’s Department

of Public Health reported 857 new COVID-19 cases raising the total to 2,854,567 cases.

The department also reported 12 new deaths due to COVID-19, raising the total to 31,884 deaths since the pandemic started.

Being fully vaccinated and boosted continues to offer strong protection against COVID-19, but many residents still need their first round of vaccines and boosters. As of April 10, 75% percent of residents ages 5 and older are fully vaccinated, while just 43% of residents ages 12 and older are fully vaccinated and have had at least one booster dose.

With waning immunity associated with both vaccinations and boosters, it is essential that residents be fully vaccinated, boosted, and if eligible, get a second booster. Public Health is encouraging residents to consider their personal and family’s risk when making decisions about precautions such as masking, gathering, getting tested, and getting vaccinated or

boosted.

“I send my deepest sympathies and wishes of peace and comfort to the many families who have lost a loved one due to COVID-19,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “The emergence of the BA.2 subvariant is an important reminder that the more infections we have, the more chances there are for new variants to emerge, which is another reason why it remains important to take safety precautions.” “ We should all try our best to lower the risk to ourselves, family members, neighbors, and communities from COVID-19. This is especially critical if you’re at increased risk for severe illness. Those with higher levels of risk should take more precautions, including considering always wearing a mask in indoor public settings, being strategic about attending indoor gatherings or events, especially if you don’t know other people’s vaccination status, getting tested before and after gatherings, and getting vaccinated or

boosted if you haven’t done so already,” Ferrer added.

On April 15, the Department of Public Health reported 13 additional deaths and 1,355 new positive cases of COVID-19. Of the 13 new deaths reported, two people were between the ages of 30-49, three people were between the ages of 50-64, four people were between the ages of 65-79, and three people were aged 80 years or older. Of the 13 newly reported deaths, 10 people had underlying health conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 31,852.

The Department of Public Health has reported a total of 2,850,480 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 2.4%.

There are 228 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 11,777,000 individuals, with 22% of people testing positive.

27 April 21-27, 2022

Upside...

(From Page 11)

emotional, psychological, economic, sexual as well as the obvious and visible— physical. Intimate partner violence can happen to anyone, regardless of age, income, race, ethnicity or nationality, education, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or immigration status, who enters in a relationship with someone who is abusive.

Advocates for abuse prevention call the issue a community issue best deterred through education. *** Cherie M. Querol Moreno is Executive Editor of Philippine News Today and Founder-Executive Director of ALLICE .

Offline

(From Page 13)

of the Vice President was again first to the scene of the devastation caused by Typhoon Agaton, which hit Eastern Visayas and caused more than 150 deaths as of the latest count.

While Robredo was busy making sure relief goods made their way to the victims, the camp of Marcos Jr. was equally busy releasing photos of their own still unreleased relief goods, along with another set of fake photos of assistance extended to victims of an earlier typhoon.

In the meantime, preparations are ongoing for Leni Robredo’s biggest rally to be held on her birthday. An estimated half a million are expected to attend, although no one would be surprised if a million kakampinks show up to show the world that Robredo is the only candidate worth voting for.

An area near the Mall of Asia will be the site of the rally, which should serve as the exclamation point on how the widow in pink has become the darling of the electorate.

Marcos Jr. has been getting the support and endorsements of a number of local government officials, but it should not be forgotten that those trapos are only entitled to one vote each. They cannot commit the votes of residents of their fiefdoms as votes are still cast in secret.

There is a valid report that a totally humiliated Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is insisting on holding a pro-Marcos rally in the exact same site where Leni’s true believers numbering around 220,000 showed that the former president is not the political kingpin – queenpin? – that she makes herself out to be.

To show she is still the boss in Pampanga, her fellow trapos are said to be committing on herding an even bigger crowd to meet Marcos Jr. At P500/each, the local politicos will have to shell out more than P100 million to bring in a crowd similar to the one that greeted Robredo. And while they may gather a substantial number of paid attendees, they can never hope to match the fervor, excitement, and sheer joy that was displayed on that lovely day when Kapampangans made a stand for their preferred candidate.

Incidentally, I said last week that I would write about how the cheating was being done by the formerly respectable survey firms this week, but I am still gathering more data. Also, there is growing evidence that pre-shaded ballots are being distributed to Filipinos voting abroad. All favoring Marcos Jr. and his running mate Sara Duterte, of course.

Anybody still expecting free and honest elections next month?

Funny how none of the lesser presidential bets raised the probability that massive cheating can be expected three weeks from now, huh?

Ken Go

(From Page 20)

cy. Counselors negotiate new terms with your creditors and consolidate your credit card debt. You’ll then pay the counseling agency a fixed rate each month. Your credit accounts may be closed, and you may have to forgo new ones for a period of time.

Bankruptcy Filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy wipes out unsecured debt such as credit cards, but not without consequence. Chapter 13 bankruptcy can help you restructure your debts into a payment plan over 3 to 5 years and may be best if you have assets you want to retain. It can stay on your credit report for 7 to 10 years, though your credit score is likely to bounce back in the months after filing. Some debts, such as student loans and tax debt, typically can’t be erased in bankruptcy.

Debt settlement Under debt settlement, a creditor agrees to accept less than the amount you owe. Even though it may sound like a good deal, it’s not an option for most people. Typically, you hire a debt settlement company to negotiate with your creditors on your behalf. Read more details on how debt settlement works and the risks you face.

Thanks for your inquiries, call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance Group 562-508-7048 or write to kennethgo@verizon.net CABRE 01021223 NMLS 238636

Immigrants Help

(From Page 14)

For the month of September 2021, we received approvals from USCIS four naturalization applications, two Fiancée visa petitions, three removals of condition on residence and four adjustment of status applications.

Philippine Stories 1.

This election will determine if the Philippines will keep its independence or we will be taken over by China and become slaves to communist regime. We need to unite in order to defeat the current administration or we will lose our country. There are about 3.6 million Chinese in the Philippines working on POGO. Chinese are

registered military personnel of China. Chinese are allowed to enter the Philippines without visa restrictions.

Listen to Percy Lapid (or Lapid Fire) and Waldy Carbonell on You Tube and Facebook for details and more corruption in the government.

If you have immigration problems the Law Offices of Crispin C. Lozano can help you find a solution before your problem gets worse which could lead to deportation and family separation.

Chris Caday Lozano, Esq. is an active member of the State Bar of California, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and San Francisco Trial Lawyers. He practices immigration law, bankruptcy and income tax preparation since June 1999. His contact phone is 1-877-456-9266, email: info@CCLlaw.net Website: www. crispinlozanolaw.com/

Mind Spraks

(From Page 13)

Apparently, there is no rule limiting the candidate to use the surplus funds, minus the taxes paid for it, for whatever purpose(s) he decides. It is no longer campaign funds treated as personal income after the campaign period.

In this regard, it is perhaps relevant as a way of illustration/ comparison that the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of the United States, as cited in the Congressional Research Service’s “Campaign Contributions and the Ethics of Elected Officials: Regulation Under Federal Law” (July 2016), prohibits converting campaign funds for personal use. The following are expenses for personal use: “home mortgage, rent, or utility payments; clothing purchases; noncampaign-related car expenses; country club membership; vacation; household food; tuition payments; admission to sporting events, concerts, theater, or other entertainment not associated with the campaign; and health club fees.” These expenses are undoubtedly personal.

Would it not be better to distribute surplus campaign donations to non-profits promoting and advancing government social functions?

Or, maybe make them part of the public funds for public benefits?

Until there is a change in the rules, my acquaintance or any other prospective candidate with financial profit in mind may seriously consider running. The chances of winning is a secondary consideration. It may be a reason why specific individuals have become perennial candidates.

(Manuel B. Quintal, ESQ., has practices law in New York since 1989. He is active in the community as a member, an officer, or a legal adviser of various professional, business, and not-for-profit organizations.. He is admitted to practice law in the Philippines and New York State. He has graduate degrees in Political Science and an LL.M. major in International Law.)

Health & Wealth

(From Page 12)

azon, like Mrs. Leodette Valderrama from Los Angeles, California and others. The Third Printing copies dated May 5, 2022 are now available to commemorate our 48th Wedding Anniversary. To express our appreciation to our readers and to commemorate our 48th Wedding Anniversary, we are offering autographed copies of “REAL ESTATE & YOU” at the discounted and subsidized price of only $10 (includes shipping and handling) per paperback copy for orders received on or before May 5, 2022. This Special Offer is good only in the United States.

For your autographed copies of the Third Printing of “REAL ESTATE & YOU “ just send $10 (in check or money order ) to: ART G. MADLAING, 730 Madrid Street, San Francisco, CA 94112 Tel. (650)438-3531 or (415)584-7095 or email:artmadlaing@gmail.com *ART GABOT MADLAING is accredited and commissioned Notary Public and licensed Real Estate Broker (DRE# 00635976) in California since 1981. He is founder of MOBILE SIGNING SERVICES, FITNESS FOR HUMANITY (aka FITNESS FOR CHRIST) and ACAPINOY. Art is active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California USA.

On Distant Shore

(From Page 12)

saying he didn’t see it coming. “Sinabi naman niya ‘yon. Siya lang (He actually said that. He’s the only one),” Lacson said in response to an interview with reporters after the news briefing.

Did the three candidates gain anything from the press event?

Definitely not. If ever, the event went in favor of their target, Robredo, who has never attacked any of them and who kept her composure, rightly so, after the event.

“Starting [today], there would only be 20 days left to the campaign. Let us not let our emotions get the better of us. Let’s not say hurtful words,” Robredo said. “We have a nation to fight for.”

Her spokesman, Atty. Barry Guttierez said: “Who benefits from these theatrics? What is best for the Filipino people? Perhaps, silence would have had more depth; at the very least, it would exhibit less self-entitlement, fragility and toxicity,” he added.

As I said, it was a very expensive way to whine, and Lacson wouldn’t say he footed the bill. They came to say they were united in continuing their campaigns, but ended up attacking No. 2 Robredo, instead of focusing on bringing down No. 1. What a pitiful sight of three candidates, whose voter preference ratings add up to just 10%, basically blaming Robredo for their campaigns’ failure to pick up.

One political analyst, Atty. Jun Garrido said: “What a sorry, sordid spectacle. Everybody left with a bad taste in the mouth at the amount of trash, scum and dregs spilled. Nobody gained from this spectacle, except Leni.”

Another one, UP political science professor Aries Arugay, aptly

said of Moreno’s tirades: “Domagoso (Moreno) is [becoming] desperate. His campaign has lost its footing and orientation and it is shooting in all directions, and unfortunately this time, it shot itself in the foot.”

Hear, Hear!

PerryScope...

(From Page 12)

tain nuclear-tipped missiles on alert for immediate launch. The land-based U.S. missiles can be ready to launch in four minutes.

Warning of an imminent attack would require a president to make very rapid decisions with limited information. In such an emergency, whether in the White House or the Kremlin, you’d want very precise roles for each decision-maker, without ambiguity or uncertainty.

Triple key In Russia, they use the “triple key” system where there are three briefcases called cheget – one each for the President, the Defense Minister, and the Chief of the General Staff (a position similar to the American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff). The “triple key” requires all three to input their respective launch codes; hence it keeps any one person from having ultimate authority.

The problem is that the Prime Minister, Mikhail Mishustin, who is the first in the line of succession, does not have a cheget. If Putin unexpectedly became incapacitated, who is going to have Putin’s launch code? Nobody.

The Russian Constitution clearly states, in Article 92, paragraph 3, that “In all cases when the president of the Russian Federation shall be unable to perform his duties such duties shall be temporarily performed by the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation,” also known as the Prime Minister. If the President can’t give a launch order, his successor is the Prime Minister, not the Defense Minister or the Chief of the General Staff. Yet they are the ones with the cheget briefcases.

Contrary to common assumptions, the cheget does not contain a nuclear button. Rather, it is a transmission system for permission to launch. The launch permission – which could only be made by the President or Prime Minister if the President is incapacitated -- would then be sent to the Defense Minister and Chief of General Staff and distributed by them to the proper branch of service and the weapons crews for execution.

However, the question remains: who will make the decision to launch since only the President or the Prime Minister could make it?

But if the President is incapacitated and the Prime Minister doesn’t have a cheget, how could the decision to launch be conveyed to the Defense Minister and Chief of General Staff?

World War III With Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, the prospect of World War III is imminent. So, let’s assume that Putin had made the decision to launch a nuclear attack on Ukraine. He would tell his aide who carries the nuclear football to open the briefcase.

Putin would then enter the launch code, which would transmit the order to launch to the Defense Minister and the Chief of the General Staff. Now the question is: Would they obey Putin’s order to launch a nuclear attack? If you were the Defense Minister or the Chief of General Staff, would you have the temerity to launch, knowing that you too would perish in the global nuclear conflagration should you go ahead and press the launch code? You’d probably consult with each other and ask, “Hey Comrade, should we do it?” If you were megalomaniacal like Putin, you’d probably say, “To hell with it, let’s do it!” But you’re not as crazy as Putin is. As a matter of fact, a lifelong military discipline has taught you to only obey lawful orders.

And an order to launch a nuclear attack would be illegal since it aims for the total annihilation of mankind.

And if I were the Russian Defense Minister or Chief of General Staff, I’d probably think that it would be best to remove Putin from power and sue for peace in Ukraine and stop this fratricidal war. Pitting brother against brother – Russians against Ukrainians – gains nothing.

At the end of the day, President Joe Biden was right when he said, “Putin can’t remain in power.” The world needs Russia but it doesn’t need Putin.

(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

Diliman Way

(From Page 13)

tence, ignorance and stupidities Presidential candidates: It is quite obvious that VP LENI ROBREDO towers above all the other presidential contenders. She is a dedicated public servant. She has an open mind to worthwhile suggestions. She cannot be intimidated by political rascals like President Duterte. Her heart goes to the poor and downtrodden. She means what she says and says what she means. She is a woman of action better than all other presidential candidates who are men.

All presidential candidates are traditional politicians just like VP Leni. So what makes the difference is the personal element. On that score she leads all of them.

Contrasts: The rest of the presidential candidates worth considering are outstanding in their lack of character. They lack dedication to their public duties but they are so dedicated to their parade of women. All of them have extra baggage from their past – Senator Ping Lacson has the Kuratong Baleleng rubout, Rosebud charge on illegal drugs, notorious record of torture and disappearances of Metrocom.

 HEALTH NEWS

April 21-27, 2022

28

Barger, key partners support caregivers of people living with dementia LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Alzheimer’s Los Angeles, L.A. Found and the L.A. County Department of Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services (WDACS) are hosting a home safety virtual presentation for caregivers of people with dementia to provide important safety information and information on the L.A. Found Project Lifesaver bracelets.

“Most people living with dementia want to remain comfortably in their homes and communities for as long as possible, so wandering and home safety are very real concerns for families,” said Supervisor Barger. “The partners providing this safety webinar and I are committed to ensuring families caring for someone living with a cognitive issue are equipped with the resources, education, and information they need and deserve.”

A critical resource is provided by L.A. Found, an or-

ganization that offers wearable tracking devices to people with a cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s or dementia. These bracelets help law enforcement locate a person who has wandered away from their home.

Alzheimer’s Los Angeles Board Member Kirk Moody, whose wife Nancy wandered away while they were at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, emphasized the importance of the program. “As a former caregiver who has lost a loved one to wandering, I cannot overemphasize the importance of the information in the webinar,” Moody said. “Alzheimer’s Los Angeles is the preeminent resource for caregivers and those with dementia in Los Angeles, and the amazing L.A. Found program is specifically designed to help prevent wandering and locating those individuals who do get lost or wander. The information presented in this webinar is lifesaving.”

Sixty percent of people with a dementia will wander at some point. There are an estimated 177,000 people living with Alzheimer’s or other dementia in Los Angeles County.

“By 2030, the number of L.A. County residents living with Alzheimer’s is expected to double,” said Dr. Laura Trejo, Executive Director for Aging and Community Services for L.A. County WDACS. “I’m grateful for the leadership of the Board of Supervisors, and our partnership with Alzheimer’s L.A., for supporting the creation and promoting L.A. Found. These free, lifesaving tracking devices provide peace of mind to families and family caregivers. Together, we are working to ensure that families have the tools and resources to keep their loved ones safe.”

Med-tip capsules worsens cial tasks.” Subjected to proper conditions, stem cells will develop into specialized tissues and organs (heart, liver, kidneys, etc). Also, stem cells are “self-sustaining and can New studies revealed replicate themselves for long periods of time.” that the popular sleep horScientists, working on mouse models, have dismone, Melatonin, worsens covered that stem cell therapy could SOMEDAY possibly attacks among asthmatic help cure many common diseases that afflict man today. patients. Melatonin is sold Some of these include stroke, spinal cord injury, heart over the counter and is an diseases, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, osteoarthritis, retinal ingredient in many sleep degeneration and blindness, rheumatoid arthritis, liver PHILIP S. CHUA aid formulas. Many of these and kidney diseases, burns, type 1 diabetes, and muscupatients, who take a sleep lar dystrophies. While the goal of stem cell research is aid that has melatonin as a component, have more severe unquestionably laudable, and its potential benefit to manepisodes because melatonin constricts the airway passage kind tremendous, the controversy centers on its efficacy making it harder for these persons to breathe. However, and safety today, ethical, moral, religious, legal, and sonatural melatonin secreted by our own body does not af- cial ramifications. fect cause any problems. Other sensitive individuals (nonBasically, the grave concerns are (1) The hype and asthmatic) could develop heart rhythm irregularity with claims are too premature and untrue; (2) Where the stems melatonin. cells will be harvested from (adult, fetus, or embryo), and Among children with asthma, eating fatty fish (3) The possible misuse and abuse of this new technology. like sardines and salmon at least two times a week has As I have stated in my talk before the Rotary Club been shown to reduce asthma symptoms. An impressive some time ago this evolving science merits more ranlung function improvement was noted after six months domized, double-blind, and voluminous clinical studies of these children started eating fish. The high Omega-3 in various medical centers around the world before it be(anti-oxidant) content of the fish is an anti-inflammatory comes a standard in medical care. It also requires a deep agent. Daily exercise also reduces asthmatic symptoms soul-searching introspection, and a serious, intense, and by more than 2.5 times compared to those who do not. thoughtful deliberation to arrive at a morally, ethically, Plant-based diet and medically sound stem cell treatment protocol that will Abundant clinical studies have shown that plant- also ensure the protection of the unborn, besides healing based diets, like the Mediterranean Diet, South Beach the sick, and at the same time preserve the dignity of huDiet, Vegetarian Diet, etc., are healthier compared to diets mankind it seeks to serve. mainly on red meat. Pork is not white meat as marketed; With its unique characteristics, stem cells can it is also red meat. Chicken is white meat. Individuals on provide the cells to replace damaged or diseased tissues plant-based diets, which are loaded with polyphenols, and with new living cells that will regenerate into healthy, antioxidants that are anti-inflammatory, have a lower risk young, normally functioning tissues, in the treatment of for metabolic and cardiovascular illnesses and cancers. conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, etc. as listed Exception: Nightshades vegetables (eggplant, potato, above, where specific parts of the organs have been dampepper, tomato) aggravate arthritis. Oatmeal, nuts, and aged and rendered “non-functioning” leading to the deabout 3-5 servings of fruits (diabetics should add these velopment of the disease. to their calorie count) are healthy. The burnt part of barOrgan donation is available today but the organ supply bequed meats could increase the risk for cancers, like that is very limited, and the procedure is expensive, arduous, of the pancreas. and usually complicated by rejections of the transplanted Stem cell Rx organ(s). This is where stem cell therapy has a great adThe building block, the foundation of every cell, vantage over. tissue, and organ in the body is the stem cell. Stem cells are However, the last word is not in yet. Anyone or any undifferentiated, with no “specific assigned task as yet.” clinic who claims otherwise, and offers stem cell therapy This has been likened to a blank computer microchip that for many other diseases, is bordering on fraud. The only could be “programmed to perform any number of spe- evidence-based clinical data showing stem-cell therapy is

Heart of Hope

Melatonin asthma

effective is in the management of blood dyscrasias, leukemia, and some lymphomas, with wonderful results.

Sedentary death Inactivity is a major “disease” that kills millions upon millions around the world. It is a mindset, a bad habit, a lack of discipline. Sedentary lifestyle (lack of exercise) is worse than many individual maladies afflicting people today, because it is a factor in most serious illnesses, like diabetes mellitus, heart attack, stroke, sexual dysfunction, osteoporosis, etc. As a matter of fact, science has shown that physical activities, regimented daily exercises, lower the incidence, not only of those diseases listed above, but of depression and suicide, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer. An active lifestyle also slows down the aging process, keeps our skin looking young(er), tones our muscles, enables us to have better metabolism and weight control, fortifies our immune system against diseases and infections, and even improves our outlook in life. Indeed, daily physical exercise also protects our mind – our entire body and being.

Professor Frank Booth, Ph.D, of the biomedical sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia, coined the term Sedentary Death Syndrome (SeDS) to dramatize the reality that “exercising is a matter of life and death.”

That’s how important, essential, physical exercise is to the human organism. It is a dreadful fact but 70% of Americans today do NOT exercise regularly. Other less healthconscious people around the world are obviously even worse. Just sitting around is a worldwide phenomenon.

The World Health Organization last year reported that “about 2 million deaths annually worldwide are attributed to sedentary lifestyles.”

One of Professor Booth’s subtitles is Dead Man Sitting. “Sitting kills more than 300,000 Americans annually…if SeDS were a real disease entity, that would make it the third leading cause of death in the United States, right after heart disease and cancer,” he stated. These inactivity-related disorders affect nearly 75% of adults and children and are projected to cost the United States $1.5 trillion over the next ten years.

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua. com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.co

29 April 21-27, 2022

NEWS  NATIONAL VIEWS & COMMENTS

HEARTACHE NO ONE CAN HEAL MEMORY NO ONE CAN STEAL

By TIM PEDROSA

DEATH LEAVES A HEARTACHE NO ONE CAN HEAL, LOVE LEAVES A MEMORY NO ONE CAN STEAL. – From an Irish headstone. OUR WOUND IS PROBABLY NOT OUR FAULT, BUT OUR HEALING IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY. To heal the wounds we need the courage to face them.

We must begin the healing where the wound was made; we need to stop touching it but we should allow the healing light to enter. I have learned that time does not heal anything but it just teaches us how to live with the pain. A million words could not bring you back, I know because I’ve tried. Neither would a million tears, I know because I’ve cried. Let us be like a tree, let the leaves drop. A broken heart heals when we allow the healing to go as deep as the wound went. Everything heals: our body heals, our heart heals, the mind heals, wounds heal. Our soul repairs itself. Our happiness is always going to come back. Bad times do not last. I have also learned that when we open our heart, we get better. Time teaches us how to live with the pain. Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us. As our sufferings mount, we soon realize that there are two ways in which we could respond to the situation: either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I do strive to follow the latter course. It’s hard to turn the page when you know someone won’t be in the next chapter but the story must go on – Thomas Wilder.

Pain is a horrible part of being human, I’ve learned that it feels like a stab wound to the heart, something I wish we could all do without, in our lives. Pain is a sudden hurt that can’t be escaped.

But then I have also learned that because of pain, I can feel the beauty, tenderness, and freedom of healing. Healing feels like the wind against our face when we are spreading our wings and flying through the air! We may not have wings growing out of our backs, but healing is the closest thing that will give us that wind against our faces. I am trying to understand why things had to happen this way. I am trying to understand His reason for causing pain. But mere understanding does not chase away the hurt. It does not call upon the sun when dark clouds have loomed over us. I pray for the rain of hope, faith and wisdom to come then if they must come and let them wash away the dust that hurts my eyes! Someday, everything will make perfect sense. For now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason. LET US LISTEN TO GOD WITH Date: April 23, 2022 (Saturday) A BROKEN Time: Rosary 9:30 am HEART. HE Holy Mass at 10:00 am IS NOT ONLY THE DOCTOR St. Gregory Catholic Church 2715 Hacienda St., San Mateo, CA 94403 WHO MENDS IT, BUT ALSO Officiating Priest: Father Mark Reburiano THE FATHER For more info, please call: WHO WIPES AWAY THE Nellie Sarmiento (415) 939-3678 TEARS. Mr. J.R.: (650) 952-8238

Easter Special: The Breakthrough of Grace

E

very Easter time we rejoice and glory in the Risen Lord Jesus: “Christ is risen, alleluia, alleluia!” Yet, many times we take for granted what does it really mean in a personal way to each one of us. You, dear reader, what does it mean to you, Jesus is risen? What insights and thoughts come to your mind and heart?

I want us to reflect on two points REV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD as a beginning to dig deeper into our own and personal way of seeing and appreciating the glory of the resurrection: First, Jesus is risen, it means, as He is both human and divine, in His human nature, He empowers our human nature to defeat all forms of evil and all forms of sin. Christ’s light broke through the darkness of this world; truly darkness cannot overcome the light. In like manner, we are now given this Good News that we cannot just surrender even in the midst of our weakness; but, we have now the power to fight and win whatever the evil one throws at us. Think now, dear reader, what are the ways you fall into darkness of sin? What are the sins you easily fall into? In this Easter Season, you and I, dear reader, must lift ourselves up, make a heartfelt decision that we will fight the good fight against sin and against the evil one. Let us be firm that sin cannot enslaved us, but that in the Risen Lord we are indeed redeemed people of God. Hence, people that are not just easily conquered by sin and forms of darkness but now ready and willing to fight it out fiercely for our divine life that Jesus has won for us. There is the breakthrough of grace and light into our life; hence, we have power in the Risen Lord to live for Him. We have power in the Risen Christ against the evil one. We have power in our Risen Jesus to be persevering in our pursuit of virtues and righteousness in daily basis. Let us hold on to this truth and translate this into practice.

Second, Jesus is risen means heaven is now open, and heaven begins here and now. There is the breakthrough of grace in our mind and heart giving us sense of purpose and direction to all our endeavors. Our earthly human endeavors have heavenly implications. The good things and good deeds we do are seeds that can blossom into abundant fruits in the heavenly life. During this Easter Season, let us build up our motivation to live in the Godoriented way. Let us imitate and listen to St. Paul, “…let us set our minds on the things above (Col. 3:1-2)...” The Risen Christ opened heaven for us; for, earthly life is only temporal; we are created for the eternal. We are created for heaven as our eternal destiny but sin deprived us of that. To sin is to lose God and the heavenly glory.

This truth must always be behind our daily endeavors and dealings. So that, we may intentionally and deliberately see to it that in everything we do or say, and the way we relate to people, we are preparing for our heavenly life. During this Easter Season, let us be encouraged in building up the sense of heaven in our actions and words. Let us multiply good deeds and shun bad deeds. Easter Season is the time where we can truly say that heaven has broken through into our earthly life that our very lives reflect already what the life of heaven is about. Our Risen Lord has taught us and showed us by way of His very life what our life must be in words and deeds, in mentality and desires.

The Risen Lord Jesus with His glorious human body showed us the reality that His divinity has divinized our human nature. His rising from the dead did not only destroyed death; but indeed also, telling us that life is more powerful than death. The forgiveness and mercy are more powerful than sin. And that, love conquers all; truly, the breakthrough of grace. Amen. Happy Easter and may the Risen Lord accompany us always in our daily endeavors to live out the blessings and merits of His Paschal Mystery!

Aflame The Heart

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

31 April 21-27, 2022  NATIONAL NEWS

 FOOD & TRAVELS

 FOOD & TRAVELS

Recipe of the Week Pinoy Pineapple Fiesta Ham Spaghetti Ingredients: 1 kilo spaghetti noodles, cooked as per package instructions 1/2 kilo Fiesta Ham, cut into slices then cut into squares 6-8 pcs. cheese hotdog, cut into thin slices 1 large can (500g) pineapple slices in heavy syrup, cut into small wedges, reserved syrup 1 large can sliced button mushrooms, drained 1/2 block cheddar cheese, grated 1 large spaghetti sauce 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce 1-2 tbsp. chili garlic in oil 1/2 head garlic, peeled, chopped 3 medium size onion, chopped 1/2 cup cornstarch salt and pepper cooking oil Cooking procedure: In a large sauce pan sauté garlic and onion until fragrant. Add in the fiesta ham and stir cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the hotdog and button mushroom and continue to stir cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add in the pineapple syrup, spaghetti sauce, sweet chili sauce, chili garlic in oil and about 2 cups of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add in the hotdogs, pineapple and grated cheddar cheese and continue to simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. Correct saltiness if required, season with pepper.

Thicken sauce with cornstarch diluted in 1/3 cup of water, cook for another minute or until the sauce thickens. Pour sauce over a platter of spaghetti noodles with grated cheddar cheese garnish.

PHL re-opens to int’l tourists MAKATI CITY – The Philippine government is fully reopening its doors to all foreign tourist, with the resumption of visa issuances by Philippine embassies and consulates.

In a statement, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said the new policy coincides with the total removal of arrival quota for unvaccinated passengers and the approval of a negative laboratory-based antigen test result taken within 24 hours from departure as an alternative option for arriving travelers.

Currently, only fully vaccinated foreign leisure travelers from visa-free countries are allowed to enter the Philippines.

“Right now, (the Philippines is) only for 157 visa-free countries but we are hoping that by April, we will be open to all foreigners,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said “Starting April 1, there will be no limit to the number of international passengers arriving in all ports of entry in the country,” it said.

At present, the initial requirement for arriving tourists is a negative RT-PCR result taken 48 hours prior to departure from point of origin.

The Inter-Agency Task Force, through Resolution 164, also allowed the entry of passport holders from Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR for a period not exceeding 14 days.

“This latest development opens the country to all fully vaccinated tourists from all countries and means the country’s tourism industry is well on its way to recovery,” Tourism Secretary RomuloPuyat said.

“We at the DOT thank our colleagues in the IATF for approving such measures that will help sustain the recovery of the sector in the coming months. We have high hopes that all of these will result in an uptick in international travelers visiting the country during the summer season,” she added.

The DOT also announced the reciprocal recognition of Covid-19 vaccination certificates of Croatia, Cyprus, and Nepal which are among the 157 visa-free countries.

Earlier, the Philippines reopened its doors to foreign leisure travelers from visa-free countries on February 10.

Based on DOT’s data as of March 9, the number of arrivals has reached 76,736.

Of this number, 43,249 are foreign tourists while 33,487 are balikbayans.

From February 10 to March 8, the DOT has recorded a total of 73,178 tourists, mostly from South Korea, the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, Vietnam, and Japan.

The official said these figures are not high compared to the pre-pandemic level but they were happy about the unexpected turn of events since projections suggest that arrivals would pick up in June or during the winter months.

“It’s not big compared to the pre-pandemic levels because pre-pandemic levels, we had about 8.28 million tourist arrivals for the whole year but we were pleasantly surprised,” she said.

Travelers from Hong Kong and Macau, meanwhile, are allowed to stay in the country without a visa for at least 14 days, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.

Nationals of Israel and Brazil may also again enter the Philippines visa-free for an initial stay of 59 days.

The said privilege was extended to citizens of the two countries under a reciprocal arrangement wherein Filipinos are also allowed entry into Israel and Brazil for 59 days without a visa.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the relaxed policy is provided in the latest resolution passed by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on Friday.

The resolution revived a Philippine foreign service circular that was in effect before the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

“This is a welcome development which expands the list of those who may enter the country visa-free,” Morente said.

“Hopefully this attracts more foreign tourists to visit the Philippines in the next few weeks, in time for the summer season,” he added.

The BI reported that in 2019, there were more than 5,000 arrivals from Hong Kong and over 3,000 from Macau SAR (Special Administrative Region).

In the same period, almost 25,000 Israelis and around 13,000 Brazilians visited the Philippines.