Philippine News Today by Philippine News Today

1 May 5-11, 2022

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

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

Vol. 61 No. 39 May 5-11, 2022

NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST

‘IGLESIA’ BACKS MARCOS; BISHOPS GO FOR ROBREDO Candidates in last-ditch drives to win voters in May 9 elections

Comelec all set for polls; int’l observers arrive

Upside

By ALFRED GABOT, Editor-in-Chief

By Claire Morales True, Managing Editor

MANILA – As former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte solidiﬁed further their frontrunning status for the top two posts of the country, Catholic bishops and Protestant church leaders endorsed Vice President Maria Leonor Leni Robredo for president along with runningmate Sen. Francis Pangilinan. Page 9 Voter educator Lyn Mayoralgo ﬁlls in the blanks le� out in history textbooks. Courtesy Lyn Mayoralgo.

Kakampinks show best of Filipinos By Cherie M. Querol Moreno

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Leni Robredo meet Iglesia ni Cristo Execu�ve Minister Eduardo Manalo.

Expert questions misleading survey showing likely Marcos win By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor

MANILA – Suspicions that Pulse Asia’s surveys that indicate a likely victory for Ferdinand Marcos Jr next week were based on false readings resurfaced last week. Numerous ﬂaws were pointed out in the Pulse Asia surveys, which meant that the results were

not a clear reﬂection of the prefer-

ences of the electorate. SC upholds anti-terrorism Speciﬁcally, the youth were law with finality, petitions junked underrepresented in the surveys,

while middle aged voters represented a higher percentage than their actual voting strength. It should be noted that the Robredo campaign has Page 8

IEWERS of videos from the Philippines ﬂooding social media these past weeks cannot but be moved by the images of a proud people coming together on the 11th hour of the national elections. The soulful wail of famous soprano Regine Velasquez rings in the River Maya anthem “Liwanag Sa Dilim” (Light in Darkness) opening to a torrent of pink sweeping into Makati City and Pasay City, as marchers exchange smiles, happy to belong, to believe that all the virtues they value will prevail, if each does their part, like showing up at this

rally – over 500,000-strong. Like them, multitudes arose in Cebu, Pampanga, Pasig and beyond. Undaunted by unexplained street closures, they boarded bancas (paddle boats) and rafts to catch a historic moment. They endure the heat and exhaustion, hunger and thirst, but willingly pass along bottles of water that had traveled from up front, knowing their turn will come after those who may need it most. They stand their ground to be rewarded by performers of every generation who volunteer to cheer the throngs, together declaring their choicePage 11

MANILA – All is in readiness for the May 9 national, senatorial, congressional and local elections despite several kinks like disenfranchising thousands of voters whose names were removed in master list of voters or were tagged as “deactivated” and the late arrival of ballots and voting machines in some overseas posts. This as President Rodrigo Duterte assured anew an orderly conduct of the elections as he named Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdia as head of his transition commit- Page 8

Duterte warns China could hit PHL, Taiwan MANILA – As the war between Ukraine and Russia escalate, President Rodrigo Duterte warned that China might attack the Philippines due to the presence of United States troops in the Philippines. Duterte later asked Filipinos to pray that the conﬂict between Russia and Ukraine will not lead to a nuclear war. Page 8

President stops e-sabong operations

Ex-Transportation Sec Mineta passes away VIEWS & COMMENTS

SHOWBIZ

You may need a waiver of inadmissibility

‘Crazy Rich Asians’ producer eyes PHL for sequel ﬁlming

By A�y. Lozano

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Page 16

SPORTS

Kai Sotto set to join NBA draft Page 21

P10

PESO-DOLLAR RATE

$1.00= P52.29 May 5, 2022 1:30am

Page 8

3 May 5-11, 2022

 NATIONAL NEWS

Pacquiao overtakes Isko Moreno for No. 3 in Pulse Asia survey survey result. The surprise development in the Pulse Asia survey result from April 15 to 20, however, was Senator Manny Pacquiao overtaking Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso for the No. 3 spot. Pacquiao placed third with a 7 percent preference score, higher than his 6 percent rating in March, while Domagoso was down to 4 percent from 8 percent in March. The survey that used face-to-face interviews with 2,400 adults showed Marcos getting a 56 percent preference rating, followed by Robredo at 23 percent. Pacquiao was campaigning at his birthplace in Kibawe, Bukidnon and could not be reached for comment. Sen. Manny Pacquiao supporters in Bulacan Among the events during the survey period was the MANILA – Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. re- Easter Sunday press conference on April 17 at a Makati tained his overwhelming lead over Vice President Leni City ﬁve-star hotel attended by Domagoso and fellow Robredo in the presidential race, according to a latest

presidential aspirants Senator Panﬁlo Lacson and Norberto Gonzales, and vice presidential bets Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Dr. Willie Ong. Pacquiao was supposed to attend the press conference straight from General Santos City but encountered airport delays. In the press conference, the candidates vowed to ﬁght all forms of electoral sabotage while Domagoso repeatedly asked Robredo to withdraw after the Vice President also asked him and Lacson to back out. The rest of the candidates garnered a single-digit score – Lacson, 2 percent; Ernesto Abella and Faisal Mangondato, 1 percent; Leody de Guzman, 0.3 percent; and Norberto Gonzales and Jose Montemayor, 0.1 percent. Pacquiao previously said pre-election surveys won’t bother him and his focus will remain on reaching poor Filipinos to whom he dedicates his candidacy.

DENR probe on illegal activities in Rizal watershed ordered MANILA – Malacañang has directed a task force in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to investigate alleged illegal activities within the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape (UMRBPL) in Baras town in Rizal province. This, after environmentalists and concerned citizens asked the government to cancel quarrying agreements within the 26,126-hectare UMRBPL over concerns that these activities could worsen the extent

of ﬂooding in low-lying reaches of the Upper Marikina Watershed, including the cities and communities of Metro Manila and Rizal Province. Acting presidential spokesperson and Communications secretary Martin Andanar acknowledged the need for the government to protect the country’s natural resources. “Safeguarding the environment and natural resources is an important component in our sustainable development,” he said. He expressed concern over reports of

Senatorial, party-list winners may be declared May 16

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is likely to proclaim the winners of the senatorial and party-list race a week after the May 9 polls. Commissioner George Garcia said that the canvassing of results of the 12 winning senators and a still undetermined number of party-list groups may end by May 15. “We can already proclaim the senators or party-list winners at the latest May 16,” he said. The Comelec en banc will sit as the National Board of Canvassers. Garcia is certain though that the winners in the local elections will be known hours after the voting precincts have closed. “On May 9, we can only proclaim the mayor and vice mayor. Early the following day, we can next proclaim the congressman, governor, vice governor, and Sangguniang Panlalawigan,” he said. The campaign period will end on May 7. On election day, the voting period will be from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

alleged development activities, which include resort expansion, in the Marikina Watershed. “We urge the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force to look into the matter and ﬁle the necessary charges against violators of environmental law,” he added. In a joint letter to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and acting Environment chief Jim Sampulna, over 30 environment and educa-

tion leaders said the DENR has not issued a formal cancellation of Mineral Production Sharing agreements despite pronouncements of former Environment secretary Roy Cimatu, who resigned in February. “The imperative to put environmental conservation ﬁrst and to work with diﬀerent sectors to protect and restore the Upper Marikina Watershed and the Masungi landscape is clear. Quarrying must be stopped. Conservation must proceed,” the letter read.

 METRO NEWS

May 5-11, 2022

SC favors Taguig in land dispute, Makati mayor said row ain’t over

Mayor Abby Binay

MAKATI CITY - The Supreme Court has ruled that Fort Bonifacio is part of Taguig City. Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, however, said the issue not yet over as she vowed to her constituents in the so-called

Enlisted Men’s Barrios (EMBO) that she will continue to fight for the right of the city in connection with the seven territories declared by the Supreme Court as belonging to Taguig City. “Lalaban po tayo. Hindi ako papayag. Inalagaan ko kayo. Hindi pa tapos ang laban. (We will fight. I will not concede. I take good care of you. The fight is not yet over, we fight),” said the daughter of former vice president Jejomar Binay in one of her sorties at the EMBO to the delight of the residents. The lady mayor said that initially, Taguig City wanted only the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) and then they included the EMBO. “If you will vote for my father Jejomar Binay for the Senate, please do not vote for Alan Cayetano. There is no free shoes, things and other perks in Taguig City. We will fight for you,” she said. The High Tribunal had ruled that the city government of Taguig is the rightful

3 children, 5 others perish in UP village ﬁre

owner of Fort Bonifacio, which includes the posh BGC financial and lifestyle district. The ruling denied the petition for review on certiorari filed by Makati City questioning the ruling of the Court of Appeals that junked with finality its bid to acquire territorial jurisdiction over Fort Bonifacio. In a 53-page decision dated 1 December 2021 which was released only recently, the Supreme Court reinstated with modification the verdict of the lower court. The case arose from Taguig’s territorial dispute with Makati over the areas comprising the EMBO and the entire Fort Bonifacio, headquarters of the Philippine Army. The ruling was penned by Associate Justice Ricardo Rosario and concurred in by Associate Justices Marvic Leonen, Rosmari Carandang, Rodil Zalameda and Jose Midas Marquez.

QUEZON CITY – Three children were among the eight killed in a fire that ravaged Village A and Village B in Barangay UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City on May 2. City Social Services Director Fe Macale said that the local government will shoulder the funeral expenses of the victims and will provide food and financial assistance to the affected families. The victims were evacuated to the UP Advincula Hall. “Ang instruction sa amin ni Mayor (Joy Belmonte) ay ibigay ‘yung lahat ng mga pangangailangan ng ating mga nasunugan (The mayor’s instruction is to give all the needs of the fire victims),” Macale said. The three minors who died were aged 10, 8, and 3; three are senior citizens aged 79, 69, and 65; and the other two were 57 and 32 years old. An additional report from the Bureau of Fire Protection said three others sustained injuries. The incident was reported at 5:20 a.m. and declared out by 7 a.m. As of the 2:35 p.m. report, some 134 families or 459 individuals were affected try’s richest city and local government Mayor Maria Josefina “Joy” Belmonte by the fi re. unit with a total asset of P452.333 billion, reported. The BFP placed the damage at Belmonte, who is leading the mayorPHP150,000. alty race, attributed her city’s success to reform-oriented governance. She said the city’s method of governance has improved the quality of life of its residents and boosted its economy. “Talking more about good governance, it’s about spending the money of the people more prudently, properly, effectively and conveniently. The money should be spent on projects directly needPASAY CITY – A plan to rename ed by the people, it’s like making the best the Ninoy Aquino International Airport of every peso,” said Belmonte. The lady mayor said the city’s rev- (NAIA) back to its original name, Manila enue collection dramatically increased International Airport (MIA), has been reeven during the height of the Covid-19 vived. But Malacanang said the proposal repandemic. “I would just like to stress that most quires “congressional action.” Duterte Youth Rep. Ducielle Cardema LGUs had their revenue collections defi led House Bill 10822 seeking to revert creased, which was understandable because we were under a pandemic, but the airport’s name to MIA to make is not Quezon City. Our collections have “easier” for travelers to locate the counincreased and this is surprising, but again try’s international gateway and give Filithis is the testament of what good gover- pinos a “sense of pride”. “There has to be a Congressional acnance can do,” she said. Belmonte said that her first executive tion to repeal Republic Act (RA) No. 6639 order when she became mayor in 2019 which renamed MIA to NAIA,” Commuwas the creation of an internal audit ser- nications Secretary Martin Andanar, also acting presidential spokesperson, said in vice. “Through this, we have internal con- an online Palace press briefing. Andanar issued a statement as he actrols and proper paper trails as we see how knowledged that the Supreme Court (SC) the money goes and spent, we can easily trace transactions thereby effectively get- in 2020 junked a petition seeking to nullify RA 6639 that renames MIA to NAIA. ting rid of corruption,” the mayor said. “It can be remembered that the SuBelmonte reported that the city’s preme Court in 2020 already junked a funds were properly spent based on the programs or agenda submitted by con- petition to nullify the said law,” he said. Cardema, in the bill he filed on April cerned sectors like solo parents, senior citizens, youth, tricycle operators and 11, said naming the country’s airport as drivers through constant consultation NAIA is a “self-serving and highly-politicized act.” with the city government.

QC richest city despite pandemic – Belmonte QUEZON CITY -- The Quezon City government has soared anew as the coun-

Plan to return to old name of Manila airport revived

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408.286.9360 408.286.9311

5 May 5-11, 2022

 PROVINCIAL NEWS

Sultan Kudarat guv bet disqualiﬁed by Comelec, appeals case to SC COTABATO CITY – The candidacy of Sultan Kudarat gubernatorial candidate Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu will continue despite the Commission on Elections (Comelec) decision to cancel his certiﬁcate of candidacy (COC). Lawyer Cyrus Torreña, speaking for Datu Pax Ali, said in a PNA report the latter’s candidacy will push through while a petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) before the Supreme Court is pending. “We were not that surprised by the Comelec en banc decision,” said Torreña, the legal counsel of Datu Pax Ali and concurrent provincial administrator of Maguindanao Governor Bai Mariam Mangudadatu. “It’s too early to celebrate on their part,” he said of the petitioners, one of whom was Sultan Kudarat gubernatorial aspirant Sharifa Akeel-Mangudadatu.

“Our lawyers have already prepared a draft petition since February 2 for ﬁling before the highest court because we had anticipated this decision,” he said. Akeel-Mangudadatu said the decision that favored her petition was “an Eid’l Fitr gift for me.” Akeel-Mangudadatu said it was clear that her rival in the gubernatorial race was not a resident of the province, therefore, was disqualiﬁed. The Comelec en banc’s decision Monday upheld a Comelec division resolution canceling the COC of Mangudadatu since he remained as mayor of Datu Abdullah Sangki in neighboring Maguindanao province. While the camp of Mayor Pax Ali is yet to receive copies of the Comelec resolution, Torreña said they were puzzled why the decision was released on May 2, only three working days before the election.

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY – A petition to disqualify former Palawan governor Mario Joel Reyes, who is running for the same position in the upcoming polls, has been filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec). In their petition filed on April 28, a copy of which was released on Tuesday, Nasir Miranda and Mohammad Asgali urged the Comelec to disqualify Reyes from running for Palawan governor anew for being a convicted criminal. “The disqualification from public office imposed on (the) respondent is clear and undeniable. The disqualification of the respondent as a gubernatorial candidate of

the province of Palawan for the 2022 National and Local Elections is necessarily called for,” the petitioners said. “Wherefore, premises considered, it is respectfully prayed of the Honorable Commission that respondent Mario Joel T. Reyes be declared disqualiﬁed to run for any elective position.” The petitioners said Reyes should be barred from running as he is known to be a fugitive from justice after ﬂeeing the country in 2012 after he was charged with the murder of broadcaster Gerry Ortega. “Given the foregoing timeline of events, (the) respondent must be in the process of serving his sentence, or at the very least, still in detention,” they added.

DQ case ﬁled vs. former Palawan governor

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

May 5-11, 2022

Metro Manila, other areas remain under Alert Level 1

MANILA – More areas in the country have been placed under the lowest alert level 1 status from May 3 to 15. Earlier, amid fears of a possible surge in COVID-19 infections after the May 9 elections, the government has retained the Alert Level 1 classiﬁcation on the National Capital Region (NCR) until May 15, 2022. In a statement citing the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said also placed under Alert Level 1 from May 1 to 15 in Luzon are: Cordillera Administrative Region: Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and Baguio City; Region I: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, and Dagupan City; Region II: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, and City of Santiago; Region III: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Angeles City, and Olongapo City; Region IV-A: Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Lucena City; Region IV-B: Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, and Puerto Princesa

City; Region V: Albay, Catanduanes, Naga City For the Visayas: Region VI: Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo Province, Bacolod City, and Iloilo City; Region VII: Siquijor, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City; Region VIII: Biliran, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Ormoc City, and Tacloban City For Mindanao: Region IX: Zamboanga City; Region X: Camiguin, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City, and Iligan City; Region XI: Davao City; CARAGA: Surigao del Sur and Butuan City. Meanwhile, the following component cities and municipalities are also under Alert Level 1 from May 1 to 15, 2022. For Luzon: Tublay, Benguet; Candelaria, Quezon; Dolores, Quezon; and San Antonio, Quezon; Cagayancillo, Palawan; and Caramoan, Pili, and Tigaon, Camarines Sur; and Capalonga, Camarines Norte. For the Visayas: Candoni, Negros Occidental and Tobias Fornier (Dao), Antique; Amlan (Ayuquitan), Negros Oriental and Duero, Bohol; and Mata-

lom, Leyte. For Mindanao: Jose Dalman (Ponot) and Labason, Zamboanga del Norte; Molave and Ramon Magsaysay (Liargo) Zamboanga del Sur; and Buug, Zamboanga Sibugay; Tudela, Misamis Occidental; Baroy, Lanao del Norte; Lala, Lanao del Norte; and Tubod, Lanao del Norte; Caraga, Davao Oriental; City of Koronadal, South Cotabato; Arakan, North Cotabato; and Lebak, Sultan Kudarat; Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte; Santa Josefa, Agusan del Sur; Libjo (Albor), Dinagat Islands; and General Luna, Surigao del Norte; Bngsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: South Upi, Maguindanao and Turtle Islands, Tawi-Tawi Under Alert Level 1, intrazonal and interzonal travel shall be allowed without regard to age and comorbidities. All establishments, persons, or activities, are allowed to operate, work, or be undertaken at full on-site or venue/ seating capacity provided it is consistent with minimum public health standards. President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said the country will not deescalate to Alert Level 0.

Duterte ﬁnally halts e-sabong operations

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the immediate termination of e-sabong (online cockﬁghting) operations in the country. Duterte’s decision was based on the recommendation of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año to stop the operations of e-sabong. “And the recommendation of Secretary Año is to do away with e-sabong. He cited the validation report coming from all sources. So, since it’s his recommen-

dation and I agreed with it and it is good, so e-sabong will end by tonight,” he said in his taped Talk to the People. Duterte earlier directed Año to conduct a survey on the “social impact” of e-sabong on the Filipino people. His directive came in the wake of the still unresolved disappearance of some e-sabong aficionados in the country. One of the findings, Duterte cited, is that aficionados are deprived of sleep be-

cause they are getting addicted to online cockfighting. “It might not be sophisticated, but still, it is a survey,” Duterte said. “[It is] loud and very clear to me that it was working against our values.” The mounting calls for the suspension of the multibillion cockfighting industry came following a series of alleged abductions and disappearances of aficionados over the past few months. Around 23 senators have signed Resolution 996 urging the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) to suspend the license to operate of e-sabong operators and immediately stop all related activities until the cases of 31 missing cockfighting aficionados are resolved. Duterte earlier rejected calls to suspend e-sabong operations since the government is earning millions of pesos from the betting game. He instead asked Congress to regulate the operations of e-sabong by issuing a legislative franchise. Duterte eventually expressed openness to the calls to halt the operations of e-sabong due to the apparent “social problem” involving aficionados and their families. The government was able to collect around P3.69 billion from the gaming operations of eight e-sabong licensees from April to December 2021, according to the data released by Pagcor. From January to March 15, 2022, there was a collection of around P1.37 billion from the operations of seven licensees.

San Jose declared PHL’s egg basket, Catanduanes as abaca capital MANILA – As his administration and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) are under fire for abandoning the use of abaca fiber in new Philippine peso bills, President Rodrigo R. Duterte has signed two laws that recognize the significance of the abaca industry and egg industry in the Philippines. Duterte signed Republic Act No. (RA) 1170 declaring the province of Catanduanes as the Abaca Capital of the Philippines on April 15. Under the law, the state recognizes the importance of the abaca industry and its development as a driver of rural development not only because of its singular potential as a raw material that can increase the country’s export earnings tremendously and put the name of the country in the map of the world for producing the biggest volume of abaca fiber but for having provided livelihood to many small farmers in the countryside. “In recognition of its status as the country’s biggest producer of abaca and making the Philippines world-renowned as “Manila Hemp” in the fiber industry, and in support to the agricultural development of the province, it is hereby declared that Catanduanes be the Abaca Capital of the Philippines,” the law read.

Concepcion presses vaccination to avert possible COVID-19 surge MAKATI CITY - Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion said he believes that the Philippines can head oﬀ the 300,000 active Covid cases being projected by the World Health Organization by May by ramping up vaccinations, especially among the 53 million Filipinos who have yet to be boostered. This comes as the international body warned that the Philippines risks a steep rise in cases if it continues to neglect public health standards. The Department of Health (DOH) has already noted the gradual increase of Covid-19 cases in 14 areas across the country. The Philippines currently has 67 million fully vaccinated individuals, still short by 23 million from its target of 90 million. In addition, it has a little over 53 million individuals comprising seniors, teenagers aged 12 to 17, and adults who have yet to receive their booster shots. “There are around 27 million vaccines expiring in July and 53 million more in storage,” said Concepcion. “That’s more than enough for our needs,” he said. During the weekly Laging Handa public brieﬁng, Concepcion expressed concern that if people waited for Covid cases to rise before getting their boosters, it might be too late. “Why take the risk?,” he asked. “We should realize the whole implication here.”

7 May 5-11, 2022

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

AFP gets $2.3-M military equipment grant from US MANILA – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has received some $2,304,728.39 worth of assorted military equipment from the United States government. Col. Jorry Baclor, AFP public affairs office chief, said all these items arrived at the Haribon Terminal, Clark Air Base in Pampanga via a US KC-10A aircraft. “Upon its unloading, supply officers from the AFP Major Services inspected the hardware,” he added. From the US equipment grant, the Philippine Air Force received laser designation systems forward air controller, airfield operations and logistics support, Defense advanced GPS receiver, C-130 aircraft spares, and precision-guided munition tool kits. The Philippine Army, on the other hand, got the tactical network rover and various sup- MILITARY EQUIPMENT are unloaded at Clark airport port equipment while the Philippine Navy ac-

cepted various weapon support equipment. These were acquired as grants under the US Counter-Terrorism (CT) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF) Programs. Both the CT and FMF are annual grants provided by the U.S. Government to the Philippines in accordance with its continuing commitment to assist the AFP in its capability upgrade program. “The AFP continues to make great strides in strengthening our counter-terrorism capabilities with new and modern equipment such as the latest grants from the United States,” AFP chief Gen. Andres Centino said. The US government authorizes the provision of its various security assistance programs to the AFP in line with the Philippines - United States Military Assistance Agreement of 1947.

Slight uptick in COVID-19 cases in 13 areas noted, not alarming MANILA – The Department of Health reported that 13 areas outside the National Capital Region logged an increase in Covid-19 cases. These include Angeles City, Batanes, Butuan City, Catanduanes, Davao City, Eastern Samar, Ilocos Norte, Kalinga, Marinduque, Olongapo City, Quirino, Surigao del Sur, and Tarlac City. The slight uptick in Covid-19 cases may have been caused by campaign sorties, increased mobility, and non-compliance to health protocols, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said. Vergeire said the recorded increase in Covid-19 cases is not signiﬁcant as it has not overwhelmed the healthcare system. “Marami pong pwedeng dahilan ang pagtaas ng kaso, unang-una, syempre, ‘yung ating minimum public health standards. Pagkatapos nakikita natin ‘yung

mga crowding talaga (There are many possible causes of the increase in cases, ﬁrst of all, the [non-compliance to] minimum public health standards. Then, we see the crowding really) because of campaign sorties,” Vergeire said. The vacation trips during the Holy Week were also part of the contributing factors, she added. Earlier, the country’s daily average Covid-19 cases went down to 209 from April 18 to April 24 or 12 percent lower than the new infections prior to the week in review, the Department of Health (DOH) reported. In its latest case bulletin, the DOH said there are 1,456 new cases of the coronavirus in the recent week. For the same period, there were no cases added to the tally of severe and critical infections, which stood at 726. Only 16.9 percent or 479 out of the

Comelec exempts 3 gov’t subsidy programs from election ban MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has allowed the implementation of three government projects including the Fuel Subsidy Program (FSP) worth over P1 billion. In a resolution, the Commission en banc approved the petition ﬁled by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) asking to exempt from the election ban the implementation of the subsidy programs. “Wherefore, premises considered and, after due deliberation, the Commission resolved as it hereby resolves to grant the Petition exempting the following programs being implemented by the DOTR and LTFRB: Fuel Subsidy Program; Public Utility Vehicle Service Contracting Program and Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program,” the poll body said. The petitioners also submitted the speciﬁc amounts to be disbursed during the 45-day election ban period: Fuel Subsidy Program, P1,674,601,500.00; Public Utility Vehicle Service Contracting Program (SCP), P5,901,500,000.00; Public Utility Vehicle Modernization

Program (PUVMP (sad) Tsuper Iskolar Program (Social Support Component) P187,152,000.00; Entrepreneur Program (Social Support Component) P22,470,000.00; Financing Component P1,050,721,000.00. Aside from the two departments, the poll body also ordered the other agencies, entities such as the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) involved in the programs, “to individually submit a specific plan for the implementation by specifically pinpointing the beneficiaries, the when and how and likewise to provide documents or reports of previous doleouts of similar nature.” The FSP was implemented as a means to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic and the increasing fuel prices to transport service providers. It aims to guarantee the viability of public transportation and curb the possibility of a fare increase that will affect the commuting public.

2,841 intensive care unit (ICU) beds in the country are used while 16.9 percent or 4,112 out of 24,309 non-ICU beds are utilized. Meanwhile, there were 213 veriﬁed deaths recorded during the past week. About 74.98 percent of the country’s target population has been vaccinated against Covid-19. The DOH also reported that 76.35 percent of the senior citizens have been inoculated against the disease. The elderly group is composed of 8,721,357 individuals while the country’s

target population for inoculation is 80 percent (90,005,357 individuals) of the country’s entire population. As of April 22, DOH data showed 67,485,479 individuals are fully vaccinated while 12,939,274 people have received their booster shots. Earlier, OCTA Research Group fellow Dr. Guido David said the case upticks in some areas may be temporary only and not lead to a surge. David added they could be prevented through observance of proactive and preventive measures by the public.

SAI RAM ASTROLOGER & PSYCHIC MISS DEVI SHAMALA

 NATIONAL NEWS Expert...

(From page 1)

been fueled by mostly young voters volunteering and attending the vice president’s rallies. The Marcos Jr. camp, meanwhile, counts older voters as the backbone of their supporters. Romulo Virola, retired secretary-general of the National Statistical Coordination Board, pointed out what he said were flaws in Pulse Asia’s recent surveys, including underrepresentation of the youth; overrepresentation of those who did not have a college education; and disproportionate representation of socio-economic classes. Virola said Robredo could win “if the Pulse Asia survey flaws were rectified.” Pulse Asia had previously been questioned for farming out the job of conducting accurate surveys to outsiders, who may or may not have experience in the precise science that is statistics. It had also been noted that Pulse Asia surveys excluded

Duterte...

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Comelec...

(From page 1)

May 5-11, 2022

the A and B segments, who represent a small fraction of the population but who cast their votes in higher percentages. The polling ﬁrm also excluded college graduates or those who made it to college but did not graduate. Virola said the youth vote could “spring a surprise” in next week’s elections, resulting in a win for Robredo. Ronald Holmes, president of Pulse Asia, noted the criticism of their methodology, but said he stood by their results. He said their results were still “representative of the whole country.” He downplayed the massive rallies of Robredo, who has been able to bring in progressively larger and larger crowds in the run up to the election. The camp of Marcos Jr. has struggled to bring in attendees to their rallies, and has cancelled several campaign events reportedly due to the small numbers who bothered to attend. Holmes said the huge crowds only represented a fraction of the electorate.

“May ibang Pilipino magsabi that I am too tame, ano ba gusto ninyo gyerahin natin ‘to? Mapupulbos tayong lahat,” Duterte said in his speech at the inauguration of the new Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital. “And even this ruckus in Ukraine magdasal lang tayo na it will not generate into something like a nuclear warfare tapos tayo, tapos tayong lahat,” he added. “Kung lumaki ang gera between Russia and Ukraine, pag sumabog ito, naging nuclear, medyo delikado na tayo, ‘Pag nagputok ang isang, alam mo tatamaan talaga tayo,” Duterte said during a campaign rally of PDPLaban. “Bakit ako nakipagkaibigan, tutal ang Amerika nandito na rin, kung may gera tatamaan talaga tayo because nandito ang Amerikano at marami silang armas dito,” he added. they would probably hit Taiwan and the Philippines, sigu“Kung magka-leche leche ito, pag sumali ang China, rado yan. Sigurado ako kasi nandito nga sila, eh kung yung high noon on June 30. The Philippine National Police, meanwhile, readtee for the transfer of power to the next president at ied some 40,000 police officers and men for election duty while others are on alert in the so-called “hot spot” areas and those placed under Comelec control. Comelec Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan assured the nation that it’s all systems go for the May 9 elections as he briefed international election observers, many of them coming from the United States, and urged every one to uphold the integrity of the elections where some 68 million Filipinos, including 1.7 million overseas Filipinos, are qualified to vote. More than 18,000 positions from the President, (From page 1) Vice President, Senators, congressmen up to the provincial, town and city executives are up for grabs in the election, the first to be held while the country is on alert for the COVID-19 pandemic and also the first for overseas absentee voters to vote by mail, especially in the United States and Canada. The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) said expect a big turnout in this year’s elections as indicated by the attendance of thousands of people in political rallies. “Maybe around 80% or even more because of the interest in this coming elections,” said NAMFREL Chairman Augusto Lagman and PPCRV Chairperson Myla Villanueva. Despite the pandemic, the

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Unlike previous elections, the country’s other polling firm, the Social Weather Stations, did not conduct preelection surveys. Oddly enough, the figures of Pulse Asia are almost a mirror image of Google Trends, but in reverse. While Pulse Asia’s latest survey said Marcos Jr would clinch 56 percent of the vote and Robredo 23 percent, Google Trends had Robredo with 55 percent and Marcos Jr 24 percent. And while Google Trends does not present itself as a survey firm, it did predict a dominant win by Robredo over Marcos Jr. Last month, Google Trends accurately predicted the win of French President Emmanuel Macron over his opponent Marine Le Pen within a margin of error of less than two percent. Google Trends also predicted a win by Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential elections and Joe Biden over Trump in the 2020 polls. World War II walang Amerikano rito eh di walang rason ang mga Hapon na magpunta rito,” Duterte also said. At a campaign rally of the PDP-Laban, Duterte said he had been telling Chinese President Xi Jinping that the Philippines and China had no quarrel. He added, “Hindi kasi panahon ng tapang-tapangan ngayon, kasi pag tapangtapangan ka, ang masalubong mo bomba, wala tayo nyan. Ang ating armaments good only for the insurgency problem, in keeping the integrity of the Filipino land, wala tayong panlabas.” Duterte earlier warned of a Chinese “invasion” should Russian President Vladimir Putin decide to use nuclear weapons in the Ukraine conflict. Duterte said he had no choice but to allow the “unrestricted” presence of the Philippines’ treaty ally US in the country. Comelec also expects more Filipinos will exercise their right to vote on May 9. Chairman Pangarungan told the poll observers to follow the necessary guidelines imposed by the commission. “You shall have unimpeded access to the electoral process subject only to such conditions necessary for the protection of our Comelec personnel and property, as well as the protection of privileged information,” Pangarungan assured. “We ask that our monitors uphold the integrity of the elections through their compliance with our guidelines,” he added. He also expressed confidence that the poll observers will maintain their “impartiality and objectivity” throughout the electoral process.

9 May 5-11, 2022 Iglesia...

(From page 1)

The Marcos-Duterte tandem got the support of the 2.5 million strong Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) led by Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo which is known for its solid bloc voting, bolstering their quest for president and vice president of the land. The INC also endorsed most of the senatorial candidates of the Unity Team of Marcos and Duterte, namely, comebacking former senators Francis Escudero, Loren Legarda and Jose Estrada, reelectionists Win Gatchalian, Joel Villanueva and Juan Miguel Zubiri, actor Robin Padilla and former Public Works Secretary Mark Villar. Also endorsed for senator by the INC were former Vice President Jejomar Binay, former Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, and former Philippine National Police chief Guillermo Eleazar. With the INC support and those of other groups, Marcos and Duterte expressed their gratitude and aired hopes that these will carry them to a historic victory. At press time, Marcos and Duterte remain the frontrunners in the presidential and vice presidential races with over 55 percent support, compared to more than 20 percent support for Robredo and Pangilinan who said they expect to spring a surprise to victory on May 9. In Pulse Asia’s last pre-election survey from April 16-21, Marcos Jr. continued to enjoy a two-fold lead over Robredo, as their scores barely moved from the previous poll. Twenty-three percent of respondents said they would vote for Robredo if the elections were held last month, while 56 percent chose Marcos. Now third placer, Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao, the youngest candidate at 43, also said he was positive of victory with the support of the masses and the poor and needy families.

Manila Mayor Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso and Sen. Panfilo Lacson also said they will win the election judging from the thousands of people who continue to join their rallies. The presidential contenders and their tickets have started holding their “miting de avances” or grand rallies in various parts of the country in their last-ditch efforts to win the voters. In their grand rally in Ilagan City, Isabela attended by thousands of supporters, Marcos presented the leaders of several provinces in Northern Luzon to support claims that the “Solid North” of Ilocano voters remain solid for the Marcos-Duterte tandem. This was followed by a big rally in Iloilo which organized led by Rep. Janet Garin dispelled reports that Iloilo was solid for Robredo. The Marcos-Duterte Unity Team has set its final rally in Paranaque on May 7, last day of the campaign; while the Robredo-Pangilinan ticket is slated to hold their grand rally at the historic Ayala Triangle in Makati City. Both teams expect their biggest rallies on the final stretch of the campaign. Vowing to provide more services to the people, the tandem of Robredo and Pangilinan was endorsed by more than 1,000 members of the Catholic clergy composed of bishops, priests and deacons, said to be a first for the clergy to openly endorse candidates. The church leaders who belong to the group Clergy for the Moral Choice said they endorsed Robredo and Pangilinan because they were “servant leaders”, who showed compassion towards different sectors and were untainted by any anomaly. “Sa kanilang buhay, pribado man o panglipunan, ay taglay nila ang mga katangian ng tunay na pastol na handang mag-alay ng kanilang buhay para sa kawan, at hindi kailanman tatakbo, iiwas o magtatago sa mga hamong kaakibat ng kanilang paglilingkod-bayan,”

the group said in a statement. Robredo and Pangilinan earlier secured the backing of hundreds of nuns, lay leaders, and clergymen. In making the endorsement, Most Rev. Antonio Tobias said the Catholic Church was no longer tied to being “non-partisan.” The leadership of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), one of the country’s largest Protestant denominations, also officially endorsed the candidacies of Robredo and Pangilinan in the May 9 elections. In a statement dated May 1, the church’s Council of Bishops said its endorsement of Robredo and Pangilinan is a result of its “collective discernment” after “having carefully and prayerfully studied all the present options” before them. The declaration was signed by UCCP General Secretary Melzar Labuntog and 6 other bishops from all over the country, along with 14 emeritus bishops. The UCCP leadership clarified, however, that they leave the final decision to their members whether to vote for the candidates they endorsed or not. The PNP, meanwhile, said plans for security management on May 9 will stay the same, despite the retirment of PNP Chief PGen. Dionardo Carlos a day before the elections. “Concerning po doon sa mga nakalatag na seguridad ay wala pong magiging problema when it comes to continuity po ng mga inilatag nating seguridad regardless... kung mai-extend po ba ang ating Chief PNP o maglalagay po ba ng OIC come May 8,” said PNP spokesperson PCol. Jean Fajardo. “Nakalatag po iyong ating seguridad...at ito po ay magtutuloy-tuloy hanggang matapos po itong ating electoral process,” she said. The PNP has recorded 53 cases of electionrelated incidents across the country since the start of the election period on January 9.

Mayor Sara Duterte with INC Eduardo Manalo. PNP Directorate for Operations director, Maj. Gen. Valeriano de Leon, said that of the number, 10 have been validated as electionrelated incidents (ERIs). De Leon added that based on the Election Related Incidents Monitoring of the PNP from January 9 to May 2, 2022, there were 84 victims of the said ERIs. Among them include candidates themselves, government officials, and election officers. A total of 145 suspects including threat groups, civilians, uniformed personnel, and incumbent candidates were identified. In another development, various groups in Mindanao who were former supporters of different presidential candidates expressed support to the Robredo- Pangilinan tandem. These groups are the Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa (RAM), First Community Cooperatives Foundation, Mindanao Women Advocacy, and IMK Leni para sa Bayan. Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno said Pangilinan is the best candidate who could truly support a Robredo presidency. This as Presidential bet Senator Manny Pacquiao’s rank in the latest Pulse Asia survey positions him as the “dark horse” in the upcoming national polls.

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May 5-11, 2022

2 Fil-Ams elected, sworn-in as Cerritos Council members By Dan E. Nino CERRITOS, California -- Two newly-elected Filipino-American public officials were officially sworn-in on April 27 at the City of Cerritos Council Chamber. Top vote-getter Frank Aurelio Yokoyama was re-elected to his second term while Lynda Johnson was elected in her first City Council run. “My dream of becoming a City of Cerritos Council member has come through,” Johnson said in her inaugural speech. Johnson said that she was blessed for having a “Campaign Dream Team” and mentioned her boss, L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, for his full support. “I look forward to serve the city that I love. I will work as a team with my colleagues, to build consensus and make Cerritos the city we can be proud of,” she said. She was also sworn-in by Villanueva. Yokoyama, a real estate attorney, is the eldest son of a Japanese-American veteran, Tom Yokoyama. His mother, the former Chit Aurelio, is a native of Subic Bay, Zambales. Both parents are realtors. He was sworn-in by Cerritos City Clerk, Vida Barone. Johnson’s roots are from Manila and Iloilo. Her father, Sam Johnson is a re-

tired U.S. navy now based in San Jose, CA. Both U.S. born, Yokoyama and Johnson grew up in this city and claimed that they are proud products of the ABC Unified School District. “It’s pretty cool that I’m still the top vote getter,” exclaimed Councilman Yokoyama, a Harvard trained lawyer. He added: “I’ve worked hard for the Cerritos residents. I’m proud to represent Cerritos and the region with the Southern California Association of City governments.” The City of Cerritos is member of the City League of California Cities. Yokohama thanked outgoing Cerritos Mayor Grace Hu for mentoring him. In the official results, Yokoyama garnered 3,737 votes while Johnson, an L.A. Sheriff field deputy, received 3,475 from 8,932 who cast their ballots with a voter turnout of only 24.76 percent. City of Cerritos, an upscale community with a total area of 8.9 square miles, 20 miles southeast of Los Angeles has 36,079 registered voters out of a population of 50,143. Mayor Pro-tempore Chung Vo, presented outgoing City Mayor Grace Hu scrap books, memorabilia of her last five years as Council member and a symbolic key to the City Hall. Hu received several proclamations and commendations from various government entities and orga-

THE NEWLY-INSTALLED members of the Cerritos City Council, including two Filipino Americans. From le�: Councilmember Frank Aurelio Yokoyama, Councilmember Lynda Johnson, Mayorelect Chung Vo, Mayor Pro-tempore elect Bruce Barrows and Councilmember Naresh Solanki. (Photo by Phil Cunneen/courtesy of the City of Cerritos Administra�ve Services Dept.)

nizations. “You can still visit the City Hall,” Vo reminded Hu. After outgoing Cerritos Mayor Grace Hu vacated her post, a reorganization immediately took place among the newlyconstituted five City Council members. Deputy Mayor Chung Vo, a VietnameseAmerican, was voted as city mayor, 4 to 1. Only Councilman Frank Yokoyama voted “no.” Former Mayor and current Councilman Bruce Barrows was elected as mayor pro-tempore. Yokoyama again voted “no” in what political pundits described as the “lone wolf” of the City chamber. A momentary tension filled the air with hush murmurings from the motley audience. “He could have just abstained and went with the flow,” another observer was heard from behind. Indian-American former Mayor Naresh Solanki congratulated newly-elected Chung Vo whom he appointed as City Planning Commissioner. “He has qual-

ity credentials,” he said. The newly-elected mayor noted that all members of the City Council come from all cultural levels. There are four Asian-Americans with one Caucasian. He waxed poetic when Vo recalled his hard-fought battles and struggles when he arrived in the U.S. as a young refugee and his family had nothing. He thanked former Mayor Carol Chen for mentoring him. Vo, a City of Torrance Police Oﬃcer revealed, “Being mayor sounds cool. I’m not here for the title. You can still call me Chung, not a mayor. I’m a public servant to serve the people. We are one family and one city.” “As your new mayor, I’m not overshadowed with high expectations, not for personal gains or ego and to ﬁll a pocketbook. This is all about you and not about me.” Vo concluded. (denino1951@gmail.com)

WASHINGTON — The Asian American Paciﬁc Islander Victory Alliance issued a statement on the passing of former US Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta. “We mourn the passing of the Honorable Norman Mineta, the ﬁrst Asian American cabinet secretary. Sworn in as the 14th U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Mineta was the longest-serving secretary in the history of the department and oversaw the establishment of the Transportation Safety Administration,” it said. AAPI Victory Alliance Executive Director Varun Nikore issued another statement: “It is with great sadness that I lead AAPI Victory Alliance in commemorating the life and legacy of the Honorable Norman Y. Mineta. Incarcerated as a child with his family at Heart Mountain, he went on to build a distinguished

career in public service that left an indelible mark on American history.” “Beginning in 1967 when Secretary Mineta first entered politics, he committed himself to standing up for justice and advocating for civil and human rights. While in Congress, he co-founded the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and led efforts to provide compensation and an official apology to Japanese incarcerated during World War II. In an effort to allay Islamophobia after the attacks on 9/11, Secretary Mineta prohibited U.S. airlines from practicing racial profiling against Middle Eastern and Muslim passengers.” “Secretary Mineta’s political leadership and ability to work across the aisle left for us a legacy that will benefit generations to come. He will be dearly missed, and we at AAPI Victory Alliance are forever honored to consider him a cherished role model and ally.”

AAPI Victory Alliance mourn passing of Mineta

11 May 5-11, 2022

 OPINION

Kakampink...

EDITORIAL

Our motherland must elect a leader like no other

he electorate of our motherland heads to the polls next week to elect the next president, who will then serve a single term of six years. That president will inherit an economy that is in horrible shape, thanks to Rodrigo Duterte and his mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic that resulted in trillions of pesos in loans, and no clear path to settling those loans in the foreseeable future. Elect the wrong president and the Republic of the Philippines will continue on its sure road to ruin. Elect the right president, and there will at least be hope that the economy can experience some growth, resulting in more jobs created, and foreign and local investors pump-priming the economy. The fight for Malacanang is more than a competent and tested leader with a strong understanding of economics against a 64-year-old man-child who has zero understanding of what causes an economy to grow or falter. It is, at heart, a battle between good and evil. One side has been spending billions in ill-gotten wealth and currying favor from the same old politicians who have prevented poor citizens from attaining political maturity. On the other side is a people who have created a movement demanding change, real change. And they have pinned their hopes on a widow in pink, little different from what they did less than four decades ago when a widow in yellow represented their desire for a brighter future. We here in the US have a duty as well as a moral obligation to do everything to make sure that the right person wins the Philippine presidency next week. There is no room for error. Electing the son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos all but guarantees that millions of Filipinos will suffer. It is a prescription for disaster, the likes of which has never happened before. The endless abuses of the martial law regime will not only return, but will be far, far worse. The Philippines as a global laughing stock? Who can doubt that this will happen, with Filipinos living and working abroad being spat upon and insulted to their faces for electing the worst excuse of a leader imagineable. Imagine a worst-case scenario and that is what will take place, seeing that the son of the dictator has all the makings of a puppet to the crooks, swindlers, and highwaymen that he is sure to surround himself with. Double digit inflation? A worthless currency? Normally decent men and women resorting to prostitution to feed their families? A military and police which disregards human rights? Check, check, check and double check. This is not to say that a President Leni Robredo will perform miracles, suddenly turning the Philippines into a Singapore or a South Korea during her six-year term. Not when there will still be lowlifes in Congress and local government units who will do their best to make sure she fails. But at least she will work hard to make our motherland a respectable member of the community of nations, push hard for inclusive economic growth, and inspire future generations to aim high. We again implore all Filipinos and FilAms here in the US to use their moral suasion to tell all their friends and relatives back home to do the right thing. Robredo is the president our beloved motherland deserves. For our children and our childrens’ children, let Leni lead.

(From page 1)

for the next president of their beloved country. Hours pass after their trek begins, they remain on their feet, fueled by the solidarity, exhilaration. Kindness reigns. Not a moment of discord mars the joy of the assembly. And before calling the night a new day, they clean up, respectful and grateful to the cities that welcomed them. So stunning is the difference from footage of fellow Filipinos shoving each other to get their hands on bags of food at another candidate’s rally. Or of male presidential aspirants puzzlingly, conspiratorially denouncing their lone woman opponent, pressuring her to step down in their favor against the front-runner. So inspiring to hear only words of motivation instead of recrimination, to watch humility and grace rather than an exhibition of misogyny and entitlement, from the woman whose unassailable record of dedication to the underserved threatens powerful political clans’ chokehold on the nation. The best of a people truly emerges in the worst of times. With presidential bet Leni Robredo as their model, Filipinos seem to have awakened as they did when Senator Ninoy Aquino was assassinated and Cory Aquino challenged and defeated the overstaying Ferdinand Marcos in 1985. Almost 40 years later memories of the atrocities that triggered the national protest movement have faded. But what has been omitted from history textbooks and revised by Marcos regime sympathizers, survivors of martial law embrace. They take responsibility to remind many who have forgotten or by some strange reasoning believe there is a limit to avarice, that those who had emptied the national treasury could not possibly have the same designs today. Even with come P207 billion unpaid state taxes hanging over their heads. Less than 2 weeks before the May 9 elections, retired banker Lyn Mayoralgo and her husband Al have been zigzagging the country to educate the electorate, from registration and voting procedures to “various corruption schemes in government,” said the Maryknoll College 1974 alum. With the same fervor the Mayoralgos pour into their relief efforts in natural calamities, they have spent personal resources and recruiting friends to their quest. Mayoralgo connects with college batchmates on a Viber group dubbed “Halalan ‘22” where they update each other on the campaign, candidate poll ratings, alerting on which social media post is fact or false, where to meet up at sorties and how to join prayer rallies and a virtual interfaith Mass. The Maryknollers (Miriam/Maryknollers today) send and receive instant messages to and from Robredo campaign chief Bam Aquino, through his aunt Rose Valdes Garcia, also of MC74. Batchmate Bong Agcaoili Garrovillo, co-administrator of the group, also has a direct line to the campaign plus a volunteer in husband Bubuy Garrovillo of APO. Alice Ignacio Ranada shares scoops from her daughter ace political reporter Pia Ranada, bane of incumbent president Rodrigo Duterte. Batchmates from Hong Kong, Wales, Switzerland, and California regularly chime in with reports from their areas. Their batch president Menchu Genato Henson invited participation in her Zonta Club International commemorative plates fund raiser for Robredo. Former Ambassador to Berlin Millie Santa Maria Thomeczek, current board president of the MM Alumni Association, shares official advisories from foreign posts regarding dual citizens’ concerns, as well as trumpeting former(Continued on page 27)

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 OPINION

arly this year while sorting out my old files, I providentially discovered and found out old copies of my clients’ Appreciation Letters dated August 9, 1996 and August 10, 1996 For posterity, I included the Appreciation Letters in the Third Printing of my ART GABOT MADLAING book” REAL ESTATE & YOU” subtitled “Your Basic Guide & Information for Successful Investing in Home, Land and Income Property,” dated May 5, 2022 to commemorate our 48th Wedding Anniversary. Unexpectedly, AMAZON printed and marketed the Third Printing copies two weeks in advance. Last week, I personally delivered autographed copies of my updated book “REAL ESTATE & YOU” to my old clients, the couple James M. Brady and Lenilyn de Leon and her elderly mother Carmen de Leon, who are my neighbors in San Francisco, California. I requested them to share their comments and/or reviews on the Revised 2022 Edition of “REAL ESTATE & YOU’” 277 pages, subtitled “ Your Basis Guide & Information for Successful Investing in Home, Land and Income Property.”I would like to share the excerpts of the Appreciation Letter and book reviews of the couple James M. Brady and Lenilyn de Leon to our reads and the general public, as follows: “Dear Art, …As first-time buyers, we are very pleased with the professional manner in which you helped and assisted us from the initial interview, finding the right property, loan and escrow processing, final recording and transfer to our hew home. We truly appreciate your hard work, sincerity, honesty and dedication in providing us with first class service. You even went the extra-mile in helping us. You are a real PRO. Your service was not only 100% but 110% plus! You will be the first we will think of when we hear or know anyone who is buying or selling real estate. . . . .Sincerely yours, SGD. James M. Brady Lenilyn de Leon.” I would like to share also to our readers and the general public excerpts of their comments/reviews on my updated book “REAL ESTATE & YOU subtitled “Your Basic Guide & Information for Successful Investing in Home, Land and Income Property,” as follows: “As old clients, we are blessed to receive the Third Printing copy of “REAL ESTATE & YOU” (Revised 2022 Edition). We personally recommend this book to those who are planning to buy or sell real estate. You will save money and be blessed financially by following the guidelinesc presented in the book, “ wrote the couple James M. Brady and Lenilyn de Leon. Mrs. Carmen de Leon and her late husband Engineer Rufino de Leon also sent their Appreciation Letter dated August 9,1996, I would to share excerpts of their Appreciation Letter to our readers and the general public, as follows: “Dear Art, . . .Just a short note to express our profound thanks and appreciation for your hard work, sincerity and professionalism in helping and assisting our children in buying their first home in San Francisco. Your personalized service was truly 100% plus! Anyone buying or selling real estate is fortunate to have you as their Real Estate Broker. Very truly yours, . . . SGD. Rufino de Leon Carmen de Leon.” I would like to share also to our readers and the general public the excerpts of the comments and reviews of Mrs. Carmen de Leon on the Revised 2022 Edition of “REAL ESTATE & YOU” (277 pages) subtitled “Your Basic Guide & Information for Successful Investing in Home, Land and Income Property,” as follows: “My children were fortunate to have Art Madlaing as their Real Estate Broker. I am glad that Art wrote “REAL ESTATE & YOU” ( Revised 2022 Edition). Anyone who are planning to buy or sell real estate will be blessed and fortunate to order a copy and then read and follow the concepts presented in the book for financial stability,” echoed Mrs. Carmen de Leon, past President of the Tayugenians of Northern California and former active officer of the United Pangasinanes of America, Inc. (UPAI). To commemorate our 48th Wed- (Continue on page 27)

Human rights as an election issue

he recantation by two prominent witnesses to government allegations that Sen. Leila de Lima accepted bribe money from convicted drug lords during her term as justice secretary should serve as a stark reminder to Filipinos on the importance of the human rights issue in this coming presidential elections. In their sworn affidavits, VAL ABELGAS self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa and former Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos said the statements they gave prosecutors in 2016 were “false” and were made only because of deception, intimidation and coercion by government officials. Espinosa, in his notarized counter-affidavit submitted last Thursday, April 28, stated through his counsel: “Any statement he made against the Senator are false and was the result of pressure, coercion, intimidation, and serious threats to his life and family members from the police who instructed him to implicate the Senator into the illegal drug trade.” He said he signed the affidavit on Dec. 14, 2016 implicating De Lima to illicit drug business inside the Muntinlupa prison after police officials promised him his drug charges would be dismissed and after he was threatened that he would suffer the same fate as his father, Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., who was killed by police just a few days earlier. Ragos’ affidavit was even more damning to the government case against De Lima as the former BuCor official and NBI deputy director directly implicated former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II in coercing him into “admit something that did not happen.” In his affidavit executed in September 2016, Ragos was supposed to have stated that he, along with former NBI agent Jovencio Ablen Jr., delivered a black bag containing P5 million to Ronnie Dayan, the senator’s former bodyguard, and De Lima at the latter’s residence. The money allegedly came from the NBP illegal drug trade. That same affidavit said he delivered a plastic bag containing another P5 million, also to Dayan and De Lima in the same place. He said in that affidavit that he was instructed by an “unknown person” ordering him to deliver those bags to De Lima’s residence and that the cash came from NBP inmate Wang Tuan Yuan alias Peter Co. Why the top official of the Bureau of Customs could be ordered by an “unknown person” to deliver a bag of money was never explained by him or the prosecutors. But in the affidavit he signed and notarized last Saturday, April 30, he clarified that if that claim in the 2016 affidavit were true, he would have “immediately conducted an investigation and filed a case against the responsible individuals, instead of following the instruction of an unknown caller, NBP inmate Hans Tan, to deliver a package like an ordinary messenger.” The story in the original affidavit was so incredulous and ridiculous, I cannot explain how a supposedly intelligent Aguirre, a valedictorian of his law class in San Beda that included President Rodrigo Duterte, could have concocted it and how the prosecutors didn’t even question it. In 2020, convicted drug lord Vicente Sy also recanted his testimony that De Lima was involved in the illegal drug trade in the national penitentiary. He denied having met and having given P500,000 to De Lima for her senatorial campaign as he had stated in a House judiciary hearing. Also in 2020, Anti-Money Laundering Council Artemio Baculi Jr. told the court under oath that De Lima was not involved in any suspicious transaction that would link her to the illegal drug trade. Baculi’s testimony trashed Aguirre’s claim that the DOJ had in its possession an AMLC report showing billions of pesos in drug money deposited in bank accounts allegedly belonging to De Lima. The recantation by three prominent witnesses and the denial of Aguirre’s claim by a top AMLC investigator clearly further weakened the already wobbly case filed by the Department of Justice against Duterte’s harshest critic that has kept her in jail for more than five years now, without the benefit of hearings or trial. Obviously, hearings have not been held because any defense attorney worth his salt could easily crash the government’s case that is full of holes. Can you imagine a state (Continue on page 27) agency tasked with promoting jus-

On Distant Shore

hat’s putting it lightly. I took a break from writing publicly for a while to finish a novel. Now that I lift my head to look around at the world, I am amazed at what earth-shattering news is current or pending. In our mother country, an election looms. In the United States, a leaked document out of our Supreme Court threatens to defang or nullify a 50-year-old abortion ruling. The Philippines chooses a new president on May 9, 2022. Many Yellows are beside themselves because it looks like Bong Bong Marcos is substantially ahead in the polls and this means that the struggle to overthrow a stealing, cheating, killing, puffy dictator 36 years ago has been all but forgotten. I will always think of that moment in 1986 as the best moment in Philippine history. But there have been so many moments since for the side who was so esteemed at that time to sully their good name. There was renewed graft in the administrations that followed Marcos, a press (much like the US press) that resumed its pre-Marcos mantle of shaping the narrative to its liking. There was the general pompous pock-marked sheen of anyone who was in power in the Philippines. Moreover, the structure of society has not changed in 36 years. The gap between rich and poor is incomprehensible. The overinvestment in the Capital Region was rendered more baffling by the underinvestment in All Other Regions. Glass-encrusted Manila contrasts abysmally with crumbled roads and intermittent electricity in the province. Did someone line their pockets with infrastructure funds? I just wonder if there is anything revolutionary about a Marcos Junior presidency or if he is just more of the same. I read articles by Westernized Yellows like myself who are aghast at what is happening. Maybe the truth is they are all crooked politicians and that putting a Marcos back in the presidency is just a matter of dispensing with the pretense. Leni seems like a highquality candidate. Just like the United States, the Philippines is not a place where the best candidate wins. Such is the state of leadership throughout the world. The level of criminality varies only by degree. No “side” ever represented good and right through their actions, only their rhetoric. As for the possible overturn of Roe v. Wade, well, I am just as surprised as anybody. I thought the last two conservative SCOTUS appointees would respect precedent. Instead, the conservative side of SCOTUS is making a statement on bench legislation. In fact, a D-leaning Congress could pass pro-choice legislation before the session adjourns and many of them are voted out. It’s puzzling why they don’t do that. Protesters are already assembling. The thing is, symbolic as this SCOTUS decision would be, it will be very hard to stop women from getting abortions given the changes in how abortions are done today. Fifty or more years ago, abortion was a dangerous surgical procedure. Today, it is often not a surgical procedure at all–just two pills taken one after the other or simultaneously. The abortion pill is actually a fairly mature technology, in use in Europe since 1987 and in the US since 2000. At a double dose, it is extremely effective for pregnancies up to 11 weeks. With the state and federal governments beside themselves trying to keep methamphetamines and fentanyl away from our population, how will pro-life states stop mifepristone and misoprostol pills from circulating in their streets, especially if manufacturing and distribution are legal in pro-choice states? They won’t. Abortion pills can be purchased ahead of time to be stored and used when needed. There are apparently about 26 states ready to slap restrictions on abortions if Roe v Wade is repealed. So, I suppose the stocking of abortion pills probably started just around…yesterday.

Clients Appreciation Letters and Book Reviews Health & Wealth

The quality of politicians is strained

May 5-11, 2022

13 May 5-11, 2022

 OPINION

Offline

Why Sara Duterte as Leni Robredo’s VP

ith only days away from Election Day, former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has maintained his huge lead over his opponents in the presidential race. His runningmate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, at the same time, remains the top favorite to win the vice presiden- TEDDY P. MOLINA tial election. In its coverage of the upcoming Philippine elections, the multi-awarded Wion News which is based in India reported that Marcos Jr. is on the verge of capturing the presidency. “Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is on the verge of clinching the ultimate … victory,” the news channel said in its latest report. “Winning the presidency, the 64-old is the son of (the late President Marcos). Currently, he is leading with 56% of people supporting him,” the Wion report added. As we go to the press, the same report was validated and confirmed by the independent Pulse Asia in its latest and final survey before the May 9 election. The Pulse Asia survey held April 16 to 21 among 2,400 respondents nationwide showed Marcos retained his March survey rating of 56 percent. Vice President Leni Robredo, meanwhile, got 23 percent, one point down from her rating in March. An eyebrow raiser in the survey is Sen. Manny Pacquiao who clinched the third spot at 7 percent, overtaking Manila Mayor Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso, who is now at fourth place with 4 percent as Sen. Panfilo Lacson remains at fifth place with 2 percent. In the vice presidential derby, Mayor Sara maintained the top spot at 55 percent, still 37 points higher than her closest rival Senate President Vicente Sotto III who got 18 percent. Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan stays at third place with 16 percent, while Dr. Willie Ong is at fourth place with 3 percent, followed by Manny Lopez with 1 percent, overtaking Deputy Speaker Jose Lito Atienza at fifth place. Considering its perceived detachment from the candidates, I contend that the New Delhi-based Wion, in comparison with Philippine-based news agencies, is more reliable in its reporting of our political events. We know for a fact that some sectors in the Philippine media patronize, hobnob, or are in lovey dovey mode with our own politicians and their slip shows in their reports. That’s why many may find this Wion report objective. But as I’ve said in my previous column articles, the candidates trailing Marcos Jr. and their supporters have every right to remain individually hopeful of victory. Hope springs eternal, so they say. Can VP Robredo catch up and overtake Marcos Jr.? Her supporters led by the vice president’s spokesman Barry Gutierrez said they can still catch up. Gutierrez has been emphatic in saying that the surveys conducted recently have not captured the impact of the “huge” number of people in attendance during Mrs. Robredo’s latest rallies. He cited the one held in Pasay, among others. He believes the real survey will come out on Election Day when the votes are cast and counted. Many like a renowned political analyst and researcher hold it that it is unlikely that VP Robredo can catch. During an interview at ANC’s Hot Copy program, UST Professor Edmund Tayao was asked if Mrs. Robredo “still has a chance” to catch up and win the presidency. Tayao said: “If our reference and the only reference we have is the surveys, it seems that the VP will be or have to settle for the second place.” “ The surveys have always been right in predicting the frontrunner. If this will not happen (on Monday), it will be the first time,” he explained. Given his consistent and big lead and that people, including the undecided are inclined to jump into the bandwagon to vote for the popular candidate as the election draws near, I can’t see how Bongbong’s rivals can catch up with him, much less overtake him.

“If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:” -From IF by Rudyard Kipling

y post on my fearless forecast of a VP LENI ROBREDO win in the coming May 9, 2022 elections generated a lot of reactions – overwhelmingly pro Leni, a few from Marcos fanatics and a number of those who do not agree with my prediction that Mayor Sara will be elected VicePresident. HOMOBONO A. ADAZA The comments showed the best and the worst of the Filipino – some very intelligent and knowledgeable, others fanatical and ignorant about facts and analysis, a number were unthinking and showed blind devotion to their choice but most were hopeful about the right judgment of the voters and faith in the future of this country. On the whole, reading the comments is an exhilarating experience – the appreciation as well as the disagreement and denunciation. And I love going to my usual punch line – that is the law of life and part of the game. And I feel great to be alive and part of the continuing equation and the unending reminder of Ecclesiastes that for everything there is a season. Who knows – my season may yet come with it the bloom beyond the New Horizon. Count: The political surveys get to be confusing – the paid ones which proclaim someone as the front runner giving the impression that the election for the presidency is over; the independent ones like Google which report a ﬁfty-three (53%) percent for VP Leni and forty (40%) percent of her closest rival are ignored; and the exit polls of overseas voters in many countries in the Middle East, Europe and Asia show VP LENI clobbering the other contenders by more than a mile, yet local media do not report it But we are facing an election and people are shamelessly lying for money, interest and favors with no limits. Unless one examines very well the various factors of the game, one is likely to commit tragic mistakes at the expense of the people and the country. Signs: More important than surveys are attendance in rallies and the reactions of the audiences in such rallies, the length of the motorcades and the reactions of those along the way of the motorcades, election banners displayed in residences and buildings showing the choice of those who own and live in those residences and buildings. On the whole, there is great attendance of most of the rallies of VP LENI than those of her opponents. Their reactions are very enthusiastic compared to the rallies of the other presidential contenders. Some rallies of a contender who claims to lead the pack but seen to have doctored photographs and the ones who made the claim of doctored pictures have shown evidence to prove their claim. Two rallies at least of a leading contender have shown video clips of audiences leaving before he could deliver his speech. What does this mean? That they are inspired by him? Of course, not! They were just interested to hear the singers and see the entertainment provided by the BB M movie stars. And, of course, the money that came with it. As they say, pictures say a thousand words. And these large and enthusiastic crowds say thousand words for VP Leni. The desertion from the BB M rallies also say a thousand words against Bongbong Marcos. Or in graphic Cebuano or Camiguingnon, Nabingbing si Bongbong Marcos o diba, gilaparo siya sa iyang kanhing sumusunod. In Cebuano or Camiguingnon – someone twisted BB M’s ears or he got slapped by his former followers. That is a thousand words for BB M. Endorsements: VP Leni just got smashing endorsements from BARMM and KMU These mean a terrifying blow on the BB M front in Muslim Mindanao which will have rever(Continue on page 27) berations in the rest of the Is-

Diliman Way

ne of the biggest victims of the Duterte regime is Senator Leila de Lima, Justice secretary during the administration of the late President Benigno Aquino III; not counting the tens of thousands of mostly poor young men who were summarily executed, of course. But while the suspected BETING DOLOR drug users were killed in operations that were hidden from the public, the torment that De Lima has undergone for the past five years has been played out for all to see. Her good name, reputation, and even her ability to perform her tasks as an elected senator have been ruined by Rodrigo Duterte and his top henchman, former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, who was himself forced to resign under questionable circumstances. The charges against De Lima were obviously trumped up from the start, with the government’s witnesses mostly convicts imprisoned on drug charges. They had zero credibility but the Duterte regime insisted on using them as witnesses in the absence of more valid and credible ones. Just about all the testimonies against the senator have been disregarded by the courts as based on hearsay and second hand information. Duterte himself committed a horrible crime against De Lima when he claimed that she had appeared in a sex video, which was made public. The person in the video was clearly not De Lima, as she had only a passing resemblance to the lawmaker. Unfortunately, it was her relationship with her driver/ bodyguard that proved to be her Achilles heel, almost. Unlike other parts of the world where relationships between consenting adults is no big thing, the same cannot be said of the situation in the Philippines. It was that unfortunate relationship that was used by the Duterte regime to further crush her spirits, after that driver/ bodyguard was coerced to also testify against her. But he, too, eventually retracted his statements against the senator. Duterte also announced to all that De Lima was guilty beyond reasonable doubt, which no right thinking lawyer would have done as her trials – she faced multiple drug related charges – had not even started. The reason was clear. As Justice secretary, De Lima had called for an investigation of the numerous cases of summary executions of suspected criminals in his home turf of Davao City. As such, after being elected president Duterte wanted nothing more than to punish her using all the resources at his command. Duterte ordered her incarcerated without bail, even as scores of legal experts both local and international pointed out that the president’s vindictive actions were highly irregular, illegal, and immoral. Last week, two of the most important “witnesses” against De Lima retracted their statements implicating her in the drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prisons. One was self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, said to be one of the biggest distributor of shabu in the country. The other was a former head of the Bureau of Corrections, Rafael Ragos. Both said they had been pressured into implicating De Lima, with the latter pointing to Aguirre as the mastermind. With only a few months left in his term, Duterte should no longer care what happens to De Lima. Vice President Leni Robredo has already called for the release of De Lima, so if she becomes president freeing the senator will be one of the first things the new chief executive will do. There is also a chance that President Robredo will avail of the services of De Lima, who if memory serves is a lawyer/economist like her. But if Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wins, he could very well find ways to keep her under arrest for six more years as a favor to his running mate, Sara Duterte. This would make the senator a valid political prisoner, which is no sweat off Junior’s brow, as he grew up believing that it was perfectly fine to imprison, torture, and even kill anyone who disagreed with his despicable father and mother. Sister, too. This will make De Lima an even bigger martyr than she already is. (Continue on page 27)

BBM: On the verge of election victory Breaking Through

Justice for the former Justice secretary

 BUSINESS | IMMIGRATIONS

May 5-11, 2022

You may need a waiver of inadmissibility If you entered the United States using a different name or committed a crime then you need a waiver of inadmissibility under Form I-601 so that you can process your green card. Q: What grounds of inadmissibility may be covered by a waiver? A: The following grounds of inadmissibility under the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA) are as follows: health-related grounds, criminal and related grounds, immigrant membership in a totalitarian party, misrepresentation in immigration matters, smugglers, subject to civil penalty, and unlawful presence in the U.S. for at least 180 days, beginning on or after April 1, 1997, followed by departure from the U.S. Q: How long is the validity of the waiver? A: If the waiver is granted, then, except for K-1 and K-2 nonimmigrant’s and conditional permanent residents, the grant permanently waives fraud or willful misrepresentation included in the application for purposes of any future immigration benefits application, whether immigrant or nonimmigrant. The waiver remains valid even if the person later abandons or otherwise loses LPR status. Q: If you are a conditional permanent resident, is the waiver also permanent in nature? A: For conditional permanent residents, the waiver only becomes valid indefinitely if and when the conditions are removed from his or her permanent resident status. Conversely, termination of the conditional permanent resident status also terminates the validity of the waiver. Q: Does the waiver cover all grounds of inadmissibility? A: A waiver applies only to the specific grounds of inadmissibility and related crimes, events or incidents specified in the waiver application. If, in the future, the applicant is found inadmissible for a separate incident of fraud or willful misrepresentation not already included in an approved waiver application, he or she will be required to file another waiver application. USCIS may reconsider an approval of a waiver at any time if it is determined that the decision has been made in error. Q: Are there conditions for the grant of a Waiver to K-1 or K-2 nonimmigrant visa applicants? A: If the applicant seeks a waiver to obtain a fiancé (e) visa (K-1 or K-2), the waiver’s approval is conditioned upon the K-1 nonimmigrant marrying the U.S. citizen who filed the fiancé (e) petition. The waiver becomes permanent once the K-1 marries the petitioner. Q: What happens to the waiver if the K-1 nonimmigrant does not marry the petitioner? A: In general, if the K-1 nonimmigrant does not marry the petitioner, the K-1 and K-2 (if applicable) will remain inadmissible for purposes of any application for a benefit on any basis other than the proposed marriage between the K-1 and the K nonimmigrant visa petitioner. Q: What happens if at the time of entry, the immigration officer declares the visa holder inadmissible based on documentary requirements? A: If an applicant procured an immigration benefit by fraud or willful misrepresentation, the applicant may also be inadmissible for lack of documentary requirements at the time of entry. When an applicant is granted a waiver for fraud or willful misrepresentation, inadmissibility based on lack of documentary requirements at the time of entry is also implicitly waived. Q: Can you give an example of the above? A: For example, an applicant misrepresents a material fact during the overseas nonimmigrant visa application process. The Department of State, however, grants her a visa. Later, she applies for adjustment of status. During her adjustment interview, an officer discovers her misrepresentation and finds her inadmissible for both willful misrepresentation and failure to comply with documentary requirements. The applicant then applies for a waiver of inadmissibility for willful misrepresentation. Approval of the waiver has the effect of waiving inadmissibility for willful misrepresentation and for the lack of a valid visa at the time of entry. Note: This is not a legal advice. You should consult with an immigration attorney about the specifics of your case. Immigration News The DHS issued a new guidelines for the arrest and deportation of undocumented immigrants. The guidelines focused on national security. crimes and border security as the government priority. Success Stories For the month of February 2022, we received approvals from USCIS four naturalization applications, two Fiancée visa petitions, three removal of condition on residence and four adjustment of status applications. Philippine Election Protect your votes. Report any findings of vote buying, intimidation and cheating in the reporting of votes during counting and certification. This is our final task to preserve our democracy.

Bangko Sentral eyes 4.2% to 5% April inflation rate

MANILA – Prices of oil and its impact on power rates and some commodities are seen to push the domestic inflation rate for April 2022 between 4.2 to 5 percent. Another source of price pressure during the past month is the positive base effect, referring to the 4.5 percent inflation rate in April last year. “Higher electricity rates in Meralcoserviced areas, increased domestic petroleum prices, as well as higher meat and fish prices, are the primary sources of inflationary pressures during the month,” the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said in a statement. BSP said the positive base effects “could be offset in part by lower prices of fruits and vegetables and the broadly stable peso”. “Looking ahead, the BSP will continue to monitor emerging price developments

and possible second-round effects to help achieve its primary mandate of price stability that is conducive to balanced and sustainable growth of the economy,” the BSP added. Monetary authorities forecast an acceleration of inflation, given the upticks in the prices of oil and some commodities in the international market. BSP’s policy-making Monetary Board, during its rate-setting meet in March, hiked the central bank’s average inflation forecast this year to 4.3 percent from 3.7 percent and the 2023 forecast to 3.6 percent from 3.3 percent. The rate of price increases accelerated to 4 percent in March from the previous month’s 3 percent. Average inflation in the first quarter this year stood at 3.4 percent, still within the government’s 2-4 percent target band.

New York-based IT-BPO ﬁrm Anthem expanding in PHL

EXPANSION PLANS. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez (top second from le�) and Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo (top third from le�) discuss with Anthem, Inc. execu�ves in a virtual mee�ng the investment opportuni�es in the Philippines. Anthem, a New-Yorkbased business process outsourcing ﬁrm, is eyeing to expand its four-year old business.

MANILA – Anthem, Inc., a New Yorkbased company in the information technology and business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) specializing in healthcare services, is expanding in the Philippines. A statement said this investment plan was expressed by the company in a virtual meeting with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary and Board of Investments (BOI) Chairman Ramon Lopez, and DTI Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo. Anthem Diversified Business Group chief operating officer Rajat Puri said the firm remains optimistic with the opportunities in the Philippines as it also eyes to explore prospects in the pharmaceutical technology sector. Anthem Strategic Operations head Stella Aquino said it is looking into prospects in Iloilo as the province has a strong base of nursing talent. Legato Health Technologies, the local (Continue on page 27)

arm of Anthem, started its Philippine operations in November 2018 with investments of P950 million employing 1,000 personnel. For the past four years, the company grew its headcount to 8,000. “With the Duterte administration’s continued push for major economic reforms, supplemented by the country’s sound policies and systems in place, we are beginning to see increasing interest in many new sectors such as those related to telecommunications, broadband, interconnectivity, satellite services, and other digital infrastructure, such as data centers for hyperscalers and the corresponding renewable energy projects that are expected to serve as the source of power for these projects,” Lopez said. He added the IT-BPO industry can reap the beneﬁts of better connectivity in the country with the increasing investments in telecommunications infrastructures.

 ENTERTAINMENT

May 5-11, 2022

PHL eyed as next location for blockbuster ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ The Philippines may just be the next location for the Hollywood blockbuster “Crazy Rich Asians”. At the recent World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit, Singapore-born American novelist Kevin Kwan, who authored Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, and Rich People Problems, said he wanted his next film set in the Philippines. “It’s a country with so many amazing locations, cultures, flavors, and of course, people. This is my fourth trip [here] and it’s always a pleasure to be back,” he said in a PNA report. “It’s always surprising— I never know what will happen, but it’s always a grand adventure.” In Kwan’s trilogy, a popular sun and beach destination in the Philippines would become a significant element in Astrid’s story. Astrid is one of the main characters. Award-winning film producer Lawrence Bender, who joined Kwan on the panel, confirmed that one of the reasons why Kwan and he traveled to Manila was to “make a movie here.” “[Kevin] wrote a script, and it’s like a love letter to the Philippines,” he said. Both Kwan and Bender visited Manila upon the invitation of the Department of

Tourism (DOT) to become panel speakers for the WTTC Summit session on the impact of novels and film in boosting tourism. “In case of (bringing the spotlight to) the Philippines, absolutely… For me, it’s about showcasing cultures… telling stories that are authentic to the place, to really celebrate that place,” Kwan said. “You know, we did that with Crazy Rich Asians quite effectively. It boosted tourism [in Singapore],” he added, noting that many of the film cast was “discovering” the country like tourists as it was their first time visiting. Bender also said when film crews come to certain destinations to create their movies, the local economy also benefits from it. “Of course, what we do is we come into an area to shoot. We hire local people, we bring in people, we rent hotels. People who are employed, they pay taxes. It’s a net positive for the economy,” he said. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said she looked forward to hosting more film producers and expressed optimism about the prospects of film tourism in the country. “Film and literary works hold great potential to reach more people and show

them how rich the Philippines is in terms of breathtaking destinations and diverse cultures. We hope these will in turn encourage more travelers around the world to visit and experience our country,” she said. “Given our expansive tourism portfolio, we look forward to having more ﬁlm and TV projects shot here in the Philippines. Rest assured we have the guidelines in place to ensure their health and

safety while filming in our destinations,” she added. A number of Hollywood blockbuster films had been shot in the Philippines, including The Bourne Legacy and Avengers: Infinity War, which featured the Banaue Rice Terraces in the final scene. Apart from films, international TV shows like Survivor were shot in some parts of the country, including Caramoan Island and Palawan.

Fil-Italian beauty crowned Miss Universe PH Sylvia Celeste Rabimbi Cortesi, a 24-yearold, 5-foot-8 model representing Pasay City, bested a field of 32 finalists from all over the country to win as Miss Universe Philippines 2022 in glittering rites at the star-studded finals held at SM Mall of Asia Arena. Cortesi, who temporarily set aside her studies in order to obtain her license as a real estate broker, was crowned by her predecessor Beatriz Luigi Gomez, who was a top 5 finalist at the 70th Miss Universe Pageant held in Eilat, Israel last year. The reigning Miss Universe, Haarnaz Sandhu from India, assisted in the awarding rites aside from sitting in the panel of judges. Three former Miss Universe titlists – Pia Wurtzbach (2015), Iris Mittenaere (2016) and Demi-Leigh Tebow (2017) – hosted the 3-hour show that also featured entertainment from world-class artist headed by Bamboo. Aside from the top crown, Celeste was also adjudged as Miss Photogenic and Best in Swimsuit in addition to 2 other corporate awards. Cortesi, born in Pasay to an Italian father who was born in Venezuela and a Filipino mother from Camarines Sur, grew up in Rome and returned to the Philippines five years ago to train for the 2018 Miss Philippines Earth and eventually won the top crown, representing the Filipino community of Rome, Italy. She went on to compete for Miss Earth, the global version of the environmental advocacy-driven tilt and made it as a top 8 finalist. Celeste will now step up her training and aim for the country’s 5th Miss Universe crown to be held later this year at a still undisclosed venue.

17 May 5-11, 2022

 ENTERTAINMENT

Richard Gomez tops survey for congressman in northwest Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY – Actorturned-mayor Richard Gomez remained the top choice for congressional post in Leyte’s 4th district, according to local surveys. Gomez, who has been the mayor of Ormoc since 2016, is picked by 79.5 percent of voters in the northwestern part of Leyte province based on April’s survey. The ﬁgure is higher than the 74.8 percent preference recorded last February. His rival, former Commission on Elections commissioner Gregorio Larrazaba,l is the choice of 17.1 percent of voters last month, higher than the 15.9 percent earned two months earlier. The sample size of surveys conducted by various ﬁrms was 5,000 with an error percentage of 3 percent plus or minus.

“Despite several issues raised against me, voters did not believe. With peace and order in the core of our governance, in 2016, we’re able to ﬂip Ormoc City, once known as the drug capital of Eastern Visayas, into the safest city in the country in 2017, 2018, and 2020,” Gomez said in a statement on Tuesday. “It was also under my leadership that Ormoc enjoyed a boom, becoming the richest and most progressive city in Eastern Visayas,” he added. The congressional bid of Gomez is backed by all six incumbent town mayors in Leyte’s 4th district. Larrazabal, on the other hand, has allied with the Codillas, the clan that ruled Ormoc City for decades until 2016. Richard’s wife, Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez, is running as mayor of Ormoc City to replace him.

 ENTERTAINMENT

May 5-11, 2022

Christian Bables, Vince Rillon, Brillante Mendoza feted at Asian Film Festival Filipino films won major awards at the 19th Asian Film Festival (AFF 19) which was held onsite in Rome, Italy last April 7 to 13. The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) brought a total of five Filipino films to the AFF 19, including films by Lifetime Achievement Awardee, Brillante Mendoza. The highly-acclaimed Filipino films were chosen by the festival to be featured in this year’s showcase. Under the In Competition section are Jun Lana’s “Big Night,” Brillante Mendoza’s “Resbak,” and Erik Matti’s “On the Job: The Missing 8,” while Mendoza’s “Gensan Punch” and Daniel Palacio’s “The Brokers” participated in the Out of Competition and Newcomers’ section, respectively. Two Filipino actors, Vince Rillon for “Resbak” and Christian Bables for “Big Night!” shared the Best Actor Award while Erik Matti’s “On the Job” received Best Film. The festival described the Best Film awardee, “On the Job,” as “filmed with mastery, with unique sequence plans, and a soundtrack that often goes in line with the dramaticness of situations, this opera has an overwhelming lining and gives us a little-known portrait of this part of the east.”

Through FDCP’s Spotlight: Philippines program, the country was represented by the film “Resbak,” director Mendoza, and lead actor Rillon, in the in-person event in Italy as the festival reopened its doors as a physical event. Aside from the screening of Mendoza’s films, he was also bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award by the festival for his outstanding contributions as one of the proponents of “Philippine New Wave” in filmmaking. “We are grateful to not only be honored with these awards but by having this chance to promote these Filipino films — films that we are proud of — in established platforms such as the Asian Film Fest. This stellar line-up of masterpieces from our esteemed filmmakers are ready to take on the world. And of course, to Direk Brillante Mendoza, Direk Erik Matti, Vince Rillon, and Christian Bables who have been championing PH Cinema everywhere they go, we are extremely proud of you,” said FDCP Chair and CEO Liza Diño. “The Lifetime Achievement Award from the Asian Film Festival, a prestigious international film festival known for showcasing auteur cinema from Southeast Asian countries, is a significant achievement not just for Direk Brillante

Mendoza as a filmmaker, but also for Philippine Cinema. His valuable contributions through his films has helped the Philippines gain traction in the international scene,” Chairperson Diño added. The Asian Film Festival is considered to be the top art-house cinema in presenting Eastern Asian cinema to the world. This edition featured 30 films from eight Asian countries namely China, South Korea, Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong,

Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. The AFF 19 is just one of the many film festivals where Filipinos continue to shine. Through UniPhilippines and its Spotlight: Philippines program, the Film Development Council of the Philippines gets to support Filipino filmmakers by promoting PH cinema globally through showcasing retrospectives and highlighting significant milestones and key players of the industry.

Actor-solon Alfred Vargas gets threats as QC congress bets Arjo Atayde, Ralph Tulfo lead their final rallies By Claire Morales True Actor and outgoing congressman Alfred Vargas and his brother who is campaigning to replace him in Quezon City have received threats going into the final stretch of the campaign. The threat is in the form of a package which contained bullets which were sent to them. The Vargas brother shrugged off the threat, saying they are serious to continue the service to the people which they started when the actor-solon was a councilor who eventually became a member of the House of Representatives. Congressman Vargas for once in his nine-year term as legislator ran unopposed due to his achievements in his district and in the lower chamber of Congress. This developed as two neophyte contenders for congressional seats in Quezon City made a final pitch to voters in the first and second districts against two reelectionist lawmakers. Actor Arjo Atayde and Ralph Tulfo

are running under Mayor Joy Belmonte’s ticket, Serbisyo sa Bayan Party’s (SBP) and have the backing of the frontrunning reelectionist mayor, Vice Mayor Gian Sotto and other incumbent councilors and barangay chairmen. Earlier, Atayde donated several service vehicles to the barangays for use in their patrols and to transport patients in times of emergencies. Atayde immediately drew support of the barangays for his gesture. Reports from Quezon City noted that Atayde and (Continued on page 19)

19 May 5-11, 2022

 ENTERTAINMENT

Upbeat song by Pilipino Workers Center encourages community to get vaccinated California’s “Vaccinate ALL 58” campaign uses art and music to engage communi�es most impacted by COVID-19 LOS ANGELES – In its ongoing eﬀort to reach communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, the State of California recently partnered with 10 community-based organizations, who in turn have collaborated with artists and community members to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination and other actions that help slow the spread of COVID-19. Community partner Pilipino Workers Center of Southern California (PWC) joined with popular Filipino musicians to write and record an upbeat song that encourages listeners to protect themselves and others against COVID-19. The song, entitled “Get Vaccinated,” features a blend of both English and Tagalog. To help spread the message even further, PWC issued a social media dance challenge to the public, inviting viewers to record their own dance videos and share them on social media. Participants can follow PWC’s choreography or develop their own moves dancing to the Get Vaccinated song and then post it on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok with the hashtag #PWCGetVaccinated. They can challenge up to three friends to share their best dance moves by tagging them in the post. For additional participation details, visit the PWC Social Media Tool Kit. “This upbeat song connects with our community, especially those coping with the stress and trauma of the pandemic,” said Malou Villacisneros, external relations director, Pilipino Workers Center. “Through music and dance, we can engage with people of all ages and gender identities as we celebrate our resiliency and continue to build awareness about keeping each other safe and healthy.” Pilipino Workers Center’s project is part of a state-

Actor...

(From page 18)

Tulfo are running on anticorruption platforms in the city. The young Tulfo is the son of incumbent partylist Rep. Joyce Tulfo and broadcast journalist Raﬀy Tulfo who is leading the surveys for senatorial candidates. Both Atayde and Tulfo and going against scions of political clans who have held congressional seats for years. “Aksyon Agad” is also the tagline of QC district 1 congressional candidate and ﬁrst-time contender Arjo Atayde. Arjo and Tulfo held their miting de avances in their respective district attended by Mayor Joy Belmonte, Vice Mayor Gian Sotto, and the SBP’s city council bets for each district. At the District 1 miting de avance at Roosevelt Avenue in Barangay Del Monte by his “Team Aksyon Agad”, Atayde vowed there would be no corruption under his term, according to a report of ABS-CBN where Atayde,

his sister and mother are talents.. “Hindi ko po kukunan o gagawing negosyo ang pera ng sambayanan dito sa distrito uno. Hindi ako nakikipaglokohan. Kinabukasan ng kaban ng bayan ang aking iniisip. Hindi ako nandito para sumikat, gusto ko lang talagang mag-ambag ah,” he said. Atayde was introduced by fellow actor Joseph Marco. Senatorial aspirant Raffy Tulfo gave a video message at the SBP’s “Team Aksyon Tulfo” District 2 miting de avance the next night held at the IBP Road in Barangay Batasan Hills. Backing his son Ralph’s congressional run, the broadcaster said their family’s entry into elected office would benefit residents. “Tatlo na po ang tutulong sa inyo para gumanda ang distrito sa inyo,” Raffy said in the message. Raffy’s wife Joyce, who also appeared in the video message, is an incumbent member of Congress with the ACT-CIS party-list.

wide “Vaccinate ALL 58” COVID-19 campaign. The arts initiative is designed to raise awareness of critical actions Californians can continue to take to help slow the spread of COVID-19, with an emphasis on the importance of vaccinations and boosters. It features original works of art with empowering public health messages about protecting one another, being resilient and supporting their community. Using art to convey important public health information has been a feature of the State’s public awareness efforts. It was first launched in 2021 in partnership with The Center at Sierra Health Foundation, and features projects in Los Angeles, Oakland, Bakersfield, Sacramento, San Diego, Oxnard, Fresno and Alameda, and engages Latino, Black/African American, Asian American/Pacific Islander, and Indigenous artists and communities. The program is aligned with the State’s commitment to equity and reaching communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. “It’s inspiring to see community groups and artists, who have been at the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, working together to create powerful art. Their work is a reminder to everyone that the actions we take moving forward will create healthier outcomes for our communities. We thank them for sharing their gifts on this art project and for the work they do each day alongside their community,” said Chet P. Hewitt, president and CEO of The Center at Sierra Health Foundation. “Creative expression inspired by COVID-19 prevention measures serves as a good reminder that individual and collective actions are still needed to keep communities safe as the pandemic persists. Even as hospitalizations and infection rates decline, it’s important that

Californians remain vigilant and protect themselves and their communities from COVID-19 by getting vaccinated and boosted, and wearing a mask when it can protect them and others,” said Dr. Tomás Aragón, Director of the California Department of Public Health and State Public Health Oﬃcer. For more information on COVID-19 and the latest public health information, visit covid19.ca.gov. To ﬁnd a vaccine near you, visit MyTurn.ca.gov or call 833-422-4255. About the Musicians: Jonathan Buencamino (vocals) is a Filipino singer, musician, and lead vocalist of the Filipino pop-rock band, Introvoys. He has one of the most distinctive voices in the OPM/Pinoy Rock scene. Paco Arespacochaga (drums) is a Filipino musician, songwriter, and drummer for the Filipino pop-rock band Introvoys. He’s received numerous Gold and Multi-Platinum awards, as well as the Guillermo Mendoza Award. Melody Del Mundo (vocals) is a Filipina singer, musician, and original vocalist of the 90’s dream-pop band, Sugar Hiccup. She received an Awit Award (the Philippine equivalent of a Grammy) for best alternative recording. QT Paduano (vocals, songwriter, line producer) is a Filipina singer and lead vocalist of the band Agaw Agimat, known for its pop-punk-rock songs with messaging centered on political and social issues. Francis “Kiko” Reyes (guitar) is best known for being the guitarist for the Filipino rock band, The Dawn. He was the chief radio announcer and musical director for the rock station NU107.5 FM and uses the on-air stage name, Francis Brew.

 REAL ESTATE

May 5-11, 2022

SEC approves Century Properties bond offering PASAY CITY – The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has considered favorably the public offering of Century Properties Group for P6 billion worth of fixed-rate bonds under shelf registration. In its meeting on January 25, the commission en banc resolved to render effective the registration statement filed by Century Properties for the debt securities program, subject to certain remaining requirements. The bonds may be offered in one or more tranches within three years. For the first tranche, the listed property developer will offer up to P2 billion of five-year fixed-rate bonds due 2027, with an oversubscription option of up to P1 billion. Net proceeds from the offer could amount to P2.94

billion, assuming the overallotment option is fully exercised. Proceeds will be used to partially refinance the company’s debt, fund capital expenditures for horizontal affordable housing developments, and fund general corporate requirements. Century Properties will offer the bonds comprising the first tranche at face value from February 14 to 18, in time for their listing on the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. on February 24, according to the latest timetable submitted to the SEC. The company has engaged China Bank Capital Corporation as the sole issue manager, sole lead underwriter, and sole bookrunner for the offer.

Pag-IBIG releases record P1-B housing loans in 2021 QUEZON CITY – The Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) last year ﬁnanced P100.8 billion worth of housing loans, the highest ever released by the agency in a year despite the continuing Covid-19 pandemic. Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Eduardo del Rosario, who also heads the 10-member Pag-IBIG Fund Board of

Trustees, said the in-home loan disbursements contributed to the economic recovery eﬀorts of the government. “While the country is still facing challenges caused by the pandemic, I am happy to report that Pag-IBIG released more than PHP100 billion in home loans in 2021, surpassing its best-ever ﬁgure which it achieved in 2019, before the health crisis started,” del Rosario said in a statement.

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Is this the time to consider a Reverse Mortgage to avoid paying your mortgage for Life? The numbers are worrisome. The typical 54- to 64-year-old with a 401(k) or IRA owns a median portfolio worth about $135,000 and more than a quarter of workers don’t have retirement savings accounts (mainly because their employer doesn’t offer one). Is it any surprise older Americans worry their quality of life could deteriorate during retirement? Your Social Security Income I guarantee will not be enough for you to live on down the line. So, think about what to do now while your property values is at its peak. On the other hand, the homeownership rate for households age 65 and older has risen to 81% and their median home equity is $143,500, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. With standard or inflation going up above 8%, your money will be worth less every year. Unless your have other sources of income when you retire, now is the time to evaluate what you should do before its too late. All of this raises two key questions: Could tapping that home equity through a reverse mortgage help you attain a financially secure retirement while remaining in their homes? And, if so, given today’s interest rates, is this a good time to get one? Yes, you still need to consider what rates you will be getting for the sake of your next of kin. For many retirees, home equity represents a significant portion of their wealth, many of these older Americans can — and will have to — rely on home equity to supplement their Social Security benefits. Experts Turning Favorable About Reverse Mortgages Little wonder that many retirement-research scholars and growing numbers of financial planners like the idea of some homeowners 62 and older using reverse mortgages to turn home equity into income (62 is the minimum age the U.S. government allows). Yet fewer than 1% of eligible households have taken out a reverse mortgage, according to a Brookings Institution report. Common knocks against these loans: high fees and the notion that only desperate older Americans turn to reverse mortgages, as a last resort. I use to think and suggest that a Reverse Mortgage should be your last resort however, with the equity now opening up a window for retirees to qualify due to the increase in equity. Why not! Are reverse mortgages about to go mainstream? I went from not liking them to thinking they aren’t as bad as I thought. The size of the reverse mortgage you get is determined by a formula that considers your age, the home’s value and interest rates (lately, reverse mortgage rates are hovering around 3.25% to 7% for lump sum, fixedrate loans and 2% to 5.5% for adjustable loans). Once qualified, you can take out your equity in a lump sum, a line of credit or monthly payments. Instead of making out-of-pocket repayments, the reverse mortgage gets paid off when you move out or die. (You can lose the home if you fail to keep up with property tax and insurance payments.) The reverse mortgage business has cleaned itself up quite a bit following bad press and Congressional initiatives in the 1980s. Still, scholars find homeowners aren’t convinced that a reverse mortgage is the way to turn home equity into income. Thanks for your inquiries, please contact Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance Group 562-508-7048 or write to kennethgo@verizon.net CABRE 01021223 NMLS 238636

21 May 5-11, 2022

NEWS  NATIONAL SPORTS NEWS

Kai Sotto declares for 2022 NBA Draft MANILA – Kai Sotto, seen as the future face of Philippine basketball, has entered the NBA Draft. In a statement through Instagram, the 7-foot-3 wunderkind announced that he will join the event scheduled on June 24 (Philippine Time) in Brooklyn, New York. “I have declared for the 2022 NBA Draft. Please pray for and support me during my quest to fulﬁll my ultimate dream,” Sotto said. The 19-year-old Sotto is gunning to be the ﬁrst-ever homegrown Filipino to play in the NBA. Currently, there are two Filipino-American players in the league – Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz and Jalen Green of the Houston Rockets. Sotto immediately got the support of friends and foes alike in Philippine basketball, including his former Gilas Pilipinas coach Tab Baldwin. Sotto is expected to battle long odds to be selected in a life-changing event on June 23 (June 24, Manila time). Early on, Sotto’s name was conspicously missing in a list of candidates released by the NBA. UP Fighting Maroons star rookie Carl Tamayo said in a Rappler report he wishes nothing but the best for his UAAP juniors rival-turned-friend as he embarks on the most important journey yet of his blossoming career. “Of course, I’m excited for Kai. I’m happy that our homegrown Filipino bet is really representing the country well,” he said in Filipino. “He’s always in my prayers, and I hope he achieves his dream, and hopefully, we always support him in his games once he is drafted. Let’s be happy for him, and support him.” Former star Eaglets Geo Chiu and Forthsky Padrigao – now key pieces for the future of the mighty Ateneo seniors team – also expressed nothing but happiness for their good friend now plying his craft with the big boys overseas.

“I’m really excited for him because we both know what Kai has gone through, and the difficulties he faced just so he can achieve his dreams,” said Padrigao in Filipino. “He knows we’re always here for him, and we’ll always be supporting. This is exciting because this might be the first NBA Draft we’ll all really be watching.” “Just like what Forthsky said, we’re just like the rest. We’re all excited for him, for his career,” Chiu chimed in. “We went through what he went through, and we’ve been through a lot together, so we know him very well, and what things he can still do.” Sotto just ended his first professional season with the Adelaide 36ers in Australia’s National Basketball League. Sotto played limited minutes off the bench for the Adelaide 36ers for most of the National Basketball League regular season, but he got more minutes in his past few games when the team already knew about his fate of making the playoffs. He averaged 7.5 points on 50 percent field goals in-

cluding 38 percent from long range, 4.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 0.3 steals in a little over 15 minutes a game this season. However, Sotto averaged 14 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks a night in what could be his last two games as a 36er, both ending up in wins. Sotto thanked Adelaide 36ers for ‘unforgettable’ season, saying ‘I’m a better man and a better professional because you took me under your wing.” “To the 36ers Management, my teammates, my coaching staﬀ and my agent Joel Bell, I am a better man and a better professional player than a year ago because you all took me under your wing and challenged and mentored me to live up to expectations,” he said. Sotto also took time to extend gratitude to each and everyone — from his fans, to the 36ers faithful, his mother Pamela and father Ervin, his management East West Private — for the unending support. The announcement just also came a day after Sotto won the Fans’ Most Valuable Player award in the NBL with his growing fanbase not only in Adelaide but also internationally. Before that, he went for a pro career-high 21 points in a gallant stand against the Brisbane Bullets. Questions surrounded Sotto’s future overnight when he was not listed in the early entry applicants for the draft. But the 19-year-old Sotto, who suited up for G-League Ignite before taking his talents to Australia, was declared “auto-eligible” for the draft, paving the way for him to throw his name in without any hitch. Four NBL players were part of the list namely Luke Travers of Perth Wildcats, Hugo Besson and Ousmane Dieng of New Zealand Breakers, and Tom Digbeu of Brisbane Bullets.

UNIT NO.

BEDROOM COUNT

BATH COUNT

SQUARE FEET

FLOOR #

MONTHLY HOA DUES W/O PARKING

PRICE W/O PARKING

MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE INCOME LEVEL

203

1,052

$759.57

$402,447

100% of AMI

206

722

$686.36

$352,766

100% of AMI

304

612

$662.45

$293,814

100% of AMI

312

626

$667.19

$292,897

100% of AMI

403

1,052

$759.57

$402,447

100% of AMI

May 5-11, 2022

Q: My tax preparer has been adding business losses to my return for the last 7 years so that I will get a refund instead of owing taxes even if I do not have a business. The IRS audited me and now I owe $40K in taxes. Is that my fault and do I have to pay the IRS? A: Surely you can’t believe that you don’t owe the tax that has just been assessed to you. I always tell folks that when you sign along the dotted line, you better know what you are signing or you may be in for a very big surprise. In your case it is a $40K surprise! You obviously knew you had no business losses so why was it that you agreed to include those in your return. Also, you most likely knew that you owed taxes at the end of the year and did not question the refund. From the point of the IRS you are responsible for the return regardless of who prepared it. Most tax preparation firms will pay at least the penalty and interests if they made a mistake. They will also pay the tax provided they are the ones who made the mistake. If you withheld or did not provide the information needed to prepare a correct return then the back taxes, interests and penalties are yours to pay. In your case, you perpetrated the fraud with the tax preparer. It is a crime to intentionally defraud the federal government or state for that matter. You took the tax payer’s money when you ended up with a refund rather than pay taxes. Most people think this is not a crime, but it is. If I were you, I would just start paying on it rather than fighting it. Here are some tips from the IRS in order not to end up in trouble. • Check the person’s qualifications. Make sure they have the experience to prepare an accurate return for you, not what you want him to do. • Check the preparer’s history. Find out if this preparer has been in trouble from the government before. • Find out about their service fees. Avoid preparers who charge their fees from a percentage of your refund. • Ask if they offer electronic filing. It is the age of new technology. Have them file it electronically. • Make sure the tax preparer is accessible. If you need some records from the preparer, you should be able to find them. • Provide all necessary documents to complete your return correctly. That is the key in filing a correct return. • Never sign a blank return. Don’t just sign a return and have them fill it out later. • Review the entire return before signing it. Always read before you sign. • Make sure the preparer signs the form and enters his tax identification number. This will protect you in case he makes a mistake. Be careful as there are plenty of people who will claim they know what they are doing. Don’t take their word for it when it comes to your tax returns. Don’t mess with the IRS. Ating lesson, Ang tamang buwis ay bayaran, dahil di ito matatakbuhan. If you have tax problems we have a great program that can help correct errors and have you file the amendments to an erroneous return. Fixing it is only the first step in putting order in you life when it comes to taxes. We also have a new debt restructuring program that restraints collectors from harassing you. 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. Debt Aid Consulting is the first and only Filipino debt mediation company incorporated in the US and Canada, Caribbean Islands, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines! Your Global Debt Solutions Company! Tawag na po sa 1-888-341-5234 at tutulungan po namin kayo. Itama po natin ang mali!

 COMMUNITY NEWS

By JUN NUCUM

May 5-11, 2022

Historic Battery Bluff in SF Presidio Parkway now open to the public

SAN FRANCISCO - Presidio Park visitors can now enjoy additional six acres of beautifully restored park land that features gardens, picnic tables, overlooks with sweeping views of the Golden Gate, a multi-use trail and access to military batteries with the formal opening recently of the historic Battery Bluff in the Presidio, something not seen by the public since 1936. Part of a multi-agency construction effort to replace the outdated Doyle Drive freeway with Presidio Parkway, the Battery Bluff marks a milestone as a completion of a 30+ year, multi-agency construction effort of federal, city, and state agencies to fund and deliver the Presidio Parkway that utilized a community-backed design by designer Michael Painter that fulfilled transportation needs, improved access to the Presidio, and upheld standards for a national park setting. Guest of honor at the opening San Francisco Mayor London Breed acknowledged that people come from all over the world to experience the best that San Francisco has to offer, for the sheer beauty, access to green and open space, and to visit some of the best urban parks in the country. Mayor Bredd expressed joy that everyone will now have more to look forward to and greater access to this national park with the historic renovation of Battery Bluff. “This is an amazing project a testament to Michael Paige’s legacy. As San Franciscans, we are always thinking outside the box. We are always thinking of new innovative ways to make this city more beautiful than it is,” Breed said. “We know that when we make space for all peo-

ple, we have tremendous impact on our mental health, our happiness.” Breed also acknowledged that during the pandemic many saw and realized the importance parks and open space as they were so crowded and fully used. Breed also underscored that parks are as equally important as economic recovery from the pandemic, adding “this is how we continue to beautify, support and uplift our parks, our open space.” For her part, Presidio Trust CEO Jean Fraser said she is grateful of the collaborative efforts of park officials and workers and community members working together over decades to reimagine San Francisco’s northern waterfront and create more park amenities for the enjoyment of all visitors. She said she looks forward to unveiling later this year of the Presidio Tunnel Tops. “I am excited that we are now providing more picnic benches, accessible trails, a place where families can come and have a magnificent view. We know that people want to come to the Presidio and have trouble finding for a place to bring the whole family and this is just the perfect spot,” said Fraser. “This spring we are opening two major area – the Battery Bluff, Francisco Park in a week or two and the Presidio Tunnel Tops in July. Finally we will be able to walk from Chrissy Field all the way up to the beautiful lawn of the main coast.” Fraser said that coming to the Presidio either through the Battery Bluff or one of the trails like the Chrissy Field is like coming going to a place to relax, de-stress, to enjoy the outdoors that she said she hopes people can visit as often as they

Nasa panahon pa rin tayo ng tagtuyot. Magtipid ng tubig, California. Narito kami para tumulong.

can. Built between 1899 and 1902, originally called the National Cemetery Batteries and part of the U.S. Army’s coastal defense system around the Golden Gate to protect San Francisco Bay, the four historic gun batteries Slaughter, Baldwin, Sherwood and Blaney will be on view to the public at Battery Bluff. The Trust oversaw extensive work to clean, repair, stabilize, and interpret the batteries at Battery Bluff, making them newly accessible to visitors. The entire park-making project restores 50 acres in the Presidio. Highlights are Battery Bluff and Cavalry Bowl. Designed by Page and TRC, and built by Plant Construction, it is the six acres on the tops of the western set of tunnels over the Presidio Parkway, and the adjacent ten under the raised highway, by the Park Police horse stables and the beloved Presidio Pet Cemetery. Seven acres of new tidal marsh opened at Quartermaster Reach in December of 2020, and 14 acres at Presidio Tunnel Tops over the eastern set of highway tunnels will complete the final section of the project, set to open later in 2022. The Presidio is one of America’s most visited national park sites, located within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Spanning 1,500 acres next to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio is among the most biologically diverse parks in America. Historically a home to native peoples and a military post under three flags, its facilities have been reinvented as museums, restaurants, hotels, homes, and offices. The Presidio Trust is the federal agency that stewards the Presidio, in partnership with the

sfpuc.org/SaveWater

GUEST OF HONOR San Francisco City Mayor London Breed leads the shrub-cu�ng ceremony with other dignitaries at the opening of Ba�ery Bluﬀ at the Presidio Parkway in San Francisco. National Park Service and with support from the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. The Trust sustains the Presidio by leasing homes and workplaces and oﬀering visitor amenities. Learn more at presidio.gov.

MAGBUO NG MGA KAKAYAHAN

TUMULONG SA IBA

We are in a drought. Save water, California. We’re here to help.

bawsca.org/conserve

SAN FRANCISCO City Mayor London Breed makes a point in her speech thanking coopera�on among private and public oﬃcials led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi for their eﬀorts.

KUMITA NG PERA

Para sa ibang inpormasyon bumisita: WWW.CACOLLEGECORPS.COM

25 May 5-11, 2022

 COMMUNITY NEWS

The San Mateo County/Silicon Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau Hosts Annual Tourism Luncheon in Celebration of 50th Anniversary, Introduces a New Name & Branding for the Destination Caroline Beteta, CEO of Visit California, Will Deliver Keynote Address Sharing Exci�ng News Regarding the Recovery of California’s Tourism Industry A�er Engaging in a Rigorous Process to Seek Feedback from the Community and Travelers, Visitor Bureau Introduces New Name for the Des�na�on— The San Francisco Peninsula—South of San Francisco, North of Expecta�ons San Mateo – The San Mateo County/Silicon Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau today is pleased to host its Annual Tourism Luncheon, returning to an in-person format at the San Mateo Marriott. A luncheon will begin the event honoring hospitality industry employees who continued to provide exceptional service during the most difficult of times with its PROPS Awards (Peninsula Recognizing Outstanding Passionate Service) recognizing “Leadership in Times of Crisis”, “Behind-The-Scenes Service”, and our “Unsung Heroes”. Caroline Beteta, President & CEO of Visit California will deliver the keynote address sharing exciting news regarding the recovery of California’s Tourism Industry. “This year’s luncheon is a ‘must be there event’. “Our tourism industry thrives on the ability to experience and enjoy destinations like San Mateo County in person. Today is a big day to we’ll celebrate the CVB’s 50 Anniversary which occurred during the pandemic and revealing our organization’s new branding identity which we are confident will define the next generation of prosperity for the region, said President and CEO John Hutar.” Today, the Bureau is also introducing a new name for the destination along with new branding. This comes after a yearslong effort designed to strategically map out a framework to position the destination for the future. This process began in early 2020 before COVID-19 upended life for all. A rigorous expert-led research process cast a wide net to ensure the Bureau heard from all stakeholders of our community. This included the Chamber of Commerce Executives, Business Leaders, Community Leaders, Meeting Planners, and Leisure Travelers to get unbiased feedback on the current name and the effectiveness of the Bureau in marketing the destination. Countless hours of interviews and over 1,800 traveler surveys produced a treasure trove of feedback—our current name is viewed as too lengthy, and the proximity to San Francisco is not well understood, among other key trends. Our new name for the destination, The San Francisco Peninsula, and its tagline—South of San Francisco, North of Expectations—directly responds to feedback. Going forward, the region will be promoted using this new name and look to continue its mission to support local tourism for its 140+ member hotels and nearly 300 tourism-related partners in San Mateo County. “It’s an exciting time for California’s travel industry as tourism continues to rebound from the pandemic, but there is still a long way to go toward full recovery,” said Caroline Beteta, President & CEO of Visit California. “California’s gateway regions were hit the hardest with the loss of meetings business and international travel, but as those sectors begin to return, our partners here in the San Francisco Peninsula will welcome them, showcasing the dynamic offerings of San Mateo County.” “I’m convinced that our branding will help catapult the region’s tourism recovery,” said Hutar. With California having reversed mask and vaccination for all sized gatherings, we welcome the return of conventions, international, corporate and leisure visitors” said Hutar. “The San Francisco Peninsula offers unparalleled beauty with offerings that appeal to everyone. This rebrand comes as San Mateo County continues to recover from the impact the pandemic had on business and leisure travel. According to Visit California Travel Impacts Report 2021, direct travel spending in San Mateo County was down over 56% from the pre-pandemic high set in 2019. And although 2021 was better than 2020, these figures show the road to a full economic recovery in the area will be arduous. “Visitors will find all of the Bay Area’s best attributes conveniently located and easily accessible here on The San Francisco Peninsula,” said Lisa Kershner, General Manager of the Marriot San Francisco Airport Waterfront, CVB Board Member and longtime San Mateo County Resident. “Visitors and Convention Attendees won’t be disappointed – there’s something amazing here for everyone to enjoy”. To learn more visit and see the exciting things The San Francisco Peninsula has to offer, visit: www.thesanfranciscopeninsula.com About The San Francisco Peninsula Steps away from the iconic San Francisco attractions, the

Peninsula oﬀers more of the bay area with unique experiences in every direction. Discover a range of outdoor activities among the coastlines, bay, and acres of redwood and natural preserves. Experience a vibrant food scene and a medley of cultures. Wander through charming towns and modern urban spaces peppered

with historical landmarks and unique attractions. Connect with like-minded professionals in engaging and inviting meeting spaces. Whether here for business or pleasure, the Peninsula never fails to exceed even the greatest expectations, leaving you wanting more.

 COMMUNITY NEWS

May 6-12, 2022

Local Students Pursuing STEM Education Invited to Apply for College Scholarships of Up to $10,000 New: PG&E Announces Expansion of STEM Scholarship Program to Include Historically Black Colleges and Universi�es Oakland, Calif. — The PG&E Corporation Foundation (Foundation) is inviting applications to the annual Better Together STEM Scholarship Program. This year, responding to a trend in applications from students admitted to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), eligibility is expanding to students planning to attend HBCUs anywhere in the United States, as well as California colleges and universities. The Foundation will provide funding for a total of $250,000 to students pursuing a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) disciplines. The program will award 20 scholarships of $10,000 each and 20 awards of $2,500 each. Better Together STEM Scholarships are designed to give the next generation of Californians an opportunity to learn and succeed in higher education and support students who have made an impact in their community or who have overcome personal challenges. “The PG&E Corporation Foundation is proud to support local students as they follow their dreams of becoming our state’s future scientists, innovators and engineers who can help build our clean energy future. We’re also excited to expand eligibility to students pursuing higher education at HBCUs. As a Howard University alumna, I’m grateful for my education that also reinforced my pride in my

background and boosted my confidence to be my full, authentic self,” said Carla Peterman, PG&E Corporation Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer, and Foundation board member. Since 2012, the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program has awarded more than $6.5 million to accomplished students based on a combined demonstration of community leadership, personal triumph, financial need and academic achievement. Deadline and criteria Interested applicants can learn more and apply here. Deadline to apply is June 3, 2022. Awards will be announced in August. Scholarships will be awarded based on academic achievement, demonstrated participation and leadership in school and community activities, and financial need. Qualifying degrees in STEM disciplines include engineering, computer science/information systems, cybersecurity, and environmental sciences. Applications are open to: High school seniors or graduates Students who have received a GED certification Current undergraduate students Non-traditional students or military veterans returning to school or pursuing their first undergraduate degree. To qualify, applicants must live or be a dependent of a resident in PG&E’s service

MAGPAREHISTRO. BUMOTO NG MAAGA. MAGBOLUNTARYO.

HUNYO 7, 2022 PAMBUONG-ESTADO NA TUWIRANG PRIMARYANG HALALAN Magsisimula ang Pagboto sa Pamamagitan ng Koreo Personal na Pagboto sa Opisina ng Tagapagrehistro ng mga Botante Bukas ang Sentro ng Pagboto

Mayo 9 Mayo 9 - Hunyo 7 Mayo 28 - Hunyo 7

www.sccvote.org

866 430-8683

area in Northern and Central California; plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study for the entire 2022-2023 academic year; and be seeking their ﬁrst undergraduate degree at an accredited four-year institution in California. PG&E Employee Resource Group Scholarships In addition to the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program, PG&E’s 10 employee resource groups (ERGs) and two engineering networking groups (ENGs) award scholarships to help oﬀset the cost of higher education. The funds are raised totally through employee donations, employee fundraising

events and Campaign for the Community, the company’s employee giving program. Since 1989, more than $5 million ERG scholarships have been received by thousands of recipients. Applications are taken in December. 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 www. pge.com/ and http://www.pge.com/about/ newsroom/.

Outgunned but far from unbowed By Maria Ronson

But the country is at a crossroads. The destiny of future generations is at stake now more than ever with so many events weighing on the world. We are also in the midst of a ﬁght of David and Goliath proportions that made me think twice about sitting on the sidelines. Joining this one Leni rally was just too beguiling an opportunity to pass. It was in Laguna, where I have settled after living overseas for 36 years. Running for President this time around is a woman sidelined and dismissed by the current administration in her current role. She also did not have as well-oiled and well-funded machine that has been analyzing data and social media trends in depth for years, crucial in winning elections in this digital era. Leni Robredo was an underdog from Day One. But her followers grew exponentially and how! In my village, Leni has a group of diehards who attend all her rallies, go door-to-

door campaigning in nearby barangays and conduct voter education sessions, among many activities, all voluntary. Grassroots campaign, this is it. Leni was not due to speak until after 7 pm, but they set oﬀ at 10:30 am, walking for over an hour in the blazing sun shouting their support for their candidate. Wearing pink, they carried a banner showing their colors so to speak and headed to a pink tent, naturally, to distribute food and water for free to those attending the rally. Gushed group core member Stella Burgos, “Never imagined myself doing this in my life. At 11 am yesterday. And people stopping their cars just to give us water, packed lunch and sandwiches.” Their tent was one of many providing delicacies. Popular was the one distributing freshly made taho (soybean curd. The man dishing out the taho insisted I take one and when I expressed surprise, he enthused, “Para Kay Leni yan!” (That’s for Leni!”). And I had just barely arrived! We swam in a sea of good vibes. I’ve not seen so much warmth, generosity and enthusiasm from such a huge gathering of people since I returned to the Philippines in 2016. *** Maria Ronson retired as AP Vice President for Sales – Asian & Paciﬁc.

Attention Athens residents. There will be a free oil filter and motor oil recycling event on May 21 at the Autozone in Athens hosted by the Los Angeles County Public Works. Organizers said they are inviting vehicle owners to bring in their used motor oil and used oil filters for recycling. “During the event, we are giving away a free motor oil filter and other oil change functional items, which includes a dual capacity filter container, towels, and fun-

nels, in exchange for every participants who bring in a used oil filter and/or used motor oil while supplies last,” the organizers said. “Receive one free new oil filter by bringing in your used oil filter,” the organizers said. “Recycling motor oil and filters helps our environment and keeps our water clean. The event will be held on May 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the AutoZone, 12726 San Pedro St., Los Angeles, CA 90061.

SEEING all the social media posts on Philippine Vice President Leni for President rallies, I had vowed never again. Felt too old, too jaded to face crowds, traﬃc and heat, and there’s the threat of Covid still lurking.

Free oil ﬁlter in exchange for used oil ﬁlter event set

27 May 5-11, 2022

Upside...

(From Page 11)

Oﬄine

(From Page 13)

envoy and MMC president Lullah del Rosario and colleague Weng Sanchez as signatories of the retired ambassadors’ statement of “full and unequivocal support” for Robredo for president. While visiting her daughters in the SF Bay Area, Manilan Susan de Leon Syquia, a counselor with the Center for Family Ministries, couriered pink totes and Maria Ronson, retired AP vice president for Asia and the Paciﬁc, sent a set of Leni cups for a classmate who is American by citizenship and forever Filipina at heart. Leni Robredo has bridged the class divide, united her countryfolk and reinvigorated Filipina sisterhood, among endless positive outcomes her supporters envision from her victory on May 9. – Adapted from original reprinted with permission from Positively Filipino.

Sadly, De Lima may no longer be senator by next year. Most surveys indicate that her chances of being reelected are quite nil, which is a shame as she has much to offer as lawmaker. But her inability to campaign and take her case to the people means one less capable senator in the next Congress, replaced by the likes of – groan! – Raffy Tulfo and has-been action star Robin Padilla, who was previously imprisoned for illegal possession of unlicensed firearams. Not mere handguns, mind you, but assault weapons intended solely for military use. To the every end of his term, she remains a victim of Rodrigo Duterte, who has again shown his misogyny by picking on the helpless opposition senator, whose situation is so unlike that of Antonio Trillanes III. Duterte is deathly afraid of the former military officer, who may still have a substantial following within the Armed Forces of the Philippines and who has shown that he is willing to give as much as he can take, which is a lot. Trillanes has a slightly better chance of returning to the Senate than De Lima, but his campaign has been hampered by a lack of funds, which holds true for most of the senate bets running under Leni Robredo. It is sad to note that Leila de Lima’s quest for justice ultimately depends on who is elected president next week, not whether she is guilty or innocent based on the evidence presented to the courts. As expected, the Duterte regime continues to insist that she is guilty based on the evidence gathered thus far. That evidence is mostly the testimonies from various personalities and little else. There is no smoking gun. He may or may not have been joking, but Rodrigo Duterte said this week that he expects his followers to join him in hell when their time comes. That may be the only truth he has ever spoken since first running then being elected president. As for Senator de Lima, she is living proof that it doesn’t pay to take your job too seriously after she tried to pin down a crooked mayor who has so much blood in his hands that he really does belong in hell.

Health & Wealth

(From Page 12)

ding Anniversary on May 5, 2022 and my upcoming 75th Birthday on August 18, 2022, I am oﬀering FREE complimentary autographed copies of the Revised 2022 Edition of “REAL ESTATE & YOU” (regular price at AMAZON is $15.95 per paperback copy plus shipping and handling). This Special Oﬀer is good only in the United States for a period between May 5, 2022 (our 48th Wedding Anniversary) and August 18, 2022 (my 75th Birthday). For your complimentary autographed copy of “REAL ESTATE& YOU,”,just send $7.00 (to cover mailing, shipping and handling) 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 the 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)

tice and the rule of law believing the words of convicted drug lords against a sitting senator and former justice secretary? It was obvious from the start that the government’s case against De Lima was based on concocted and coerced testimonies of these convicted drug lords who were apparently promised better treatment while incarcerated and pressured to tell tall tales under serious threats to their lives. And it has been very obvious from the start that this was an ultimate act of revenge and an attempt by a sitting president to silence his foremost critic and a chilling message to other crit-

ics that the same thing could happen to them. As former human rights commissioner and justice secretary under the term of President Benigno Aquino III, De Lima went to Davao City in 2015 to investigate extrajudicial killings allegedly perpetrated by the supposed Davao Death Squad, which was allegedly formed purportedly to go against drug lords in the city. As a newly elected senator at the start of Duterte’s term as president, De Lima also conducted Senate hearings to look into the extrajudicial killing of thousands of suspected drug users and pushers at the beginning of Duterte’s deadly drug war. De Lima was detained in February 2017 and has remained incarcerated since, although she continues to criticize the Duterte administration and attend Senate hearings virtually from her cell. De Lima was deprived of her human rights for her dedicated eﬀorts to protect the rights of thousands of Filipinos, especially the families of those who were murdered purportedly in the name of peace and order. For six long years, the Duterte administration has trampled on the rights of many ordinary Filipinos, suppressed the exercise of press freedom, and made direct and indirect threats to those who dared criticize his administration. Those six years were a repeat of 14 long years of repression under former President Ferdinand Marcos’ martial law. And now, heirs of those two presidents who have long histories of human rights abuses are hoping to continue their fathers’ legacy of repression. Should we let them rein in our freedoms for another six years? Or should we elect leaders who will defend our freedoms against those who wish to trample them? You have the power to make your choice correctly on Monday, May 9. It’s all up to you.

Diliman Way

(From Page 13)

land and even the whole country This is a major crack in the loud BB M machine. Is this an unmistakable sign that Mindanaoans have taken PR D seriously when he characterized Bongbong Marcos as a “weak leader; a cocaine, illegal drug user; and a spoiled son of a rich and powerful family.” This is one of the very few times that PR D is correct. In short, he characterizes BB M as unfit to be President. PR D is right. How can a weak leader, an illegal drug user, a convicted tax evader and spoiled son of a powerful and rich family be a good President and good for the country and our people? Tell that to PR D, the people and me. We will be the laughing stock of our neighbors and the whole international community if BB M gets elected President. Why the forecast: So many people characterize me as anti-Duterte. I am not anti-person. I do not like a dysfunctional President. I have no love for an unfit President. Hate? I don’t hate anyone because hate is self-destructive and no person in this planet is worthy for me to self-destruct. Moreover, I don’t suffer from stress of any kind. Like what a Newsweek columnist said, she does not suffer stress despite the pressure of numberless preoccupations, she gives stress to people. That is what I exactly do. It does not bother me a bit if people wonder why I predicted Sara will win as Vice-President. Here’s why – wherever I go, Sara is a runaway choice; it is obvious she towers above any of her contenders in terms of performance as an executive; she has character which cannot be said of most of the other vice-presidential contenders; she has a smile that even an enemy can love; she means what she says and says what she means; she is a woman of action; she is focused on her work; she is committed to the people, especially the poor and downtrodden; she has demonstrated she has a mind of her own even against the wishes of her father; she is the daughter of PR D but she is thousand times better in many levels compared to her father who happens to be President of our country. I need not say anything more. As they say, among lawyers. res ipsa loquitor - the thing speaks for itself. Why: Having witnessed and worked for the installation of Cory Aquino and GMA as President of this country and witnessed cheating in presidential elections from the snap elections and many elections later, I have lost my desire to meaningfully participate in national elections. But we are at the crossroads and the continuing dangers to the life of this country, becoming more pronounced with the PR Duterte administration, I am compelled by my duty as a citizen to contribute whatever talent and experience to urge Filipinos make the correct choice of their leader in the next six years for the good of the country and for them. After the tomfooleries of the Erap, GMA, Pnoy and the Duterte administrations, we need the touch of qualified women to return to sanity and care for the country and the people. We cannot afford the continuing drift and meandering of the country by a trial and error leadership. Otherwise, we may find ourselves in a never ending civil war or the country ending as a province of the Peoples Republic of China or back to the status of a colony of the United States of America. None of these possibilities are welcome.

Choice: We started with a fearless forecast based on our knowledge of current political events and of our experience and readings of political situations in the past here and in foreign countries. Are we correct in our analysis and forecast, only time will tell – with genuine results of a clean and honest election. Will there be one? Again, only time will tell. As a citizen, I’m going beyond forecast, I want to announce my choice – it’s VP LENI ROBREDO for President and MAYOR SARA DUTERTE for Vice-President. We need her to check LENI and some of her dangerous advisers. By the way: I am not a fun of Philippine elections considering they are still manipulated by the 3Gs – guns, gold and goons. The manipulation is even faster now with SMARTMATIC. Personally, I have nothing to gain with elections. I don’t expect anything from anyone, I met VP Leni twice – first in the House of Representatives when I was introduced to her by Congressman Douglas Hagedorn when she was still a Member of the House and the second when someone asked me to have a one and one conversation with her at her Quezon City office but which did not turn out to be a one conversation with Leni as her executive assistant present when she was already Vice-President. I have never met Mayor Sara but my friends in Mindanao told me who is she and how she works for the people and what I see and read about her in television and the newspapers. As a trial lawyer for more than forty years and as student of history and politics, and as active witness and achiever in both, my knowledge of Sara is enough to make an intelligent choice. Postscript: It really makes no difference to me personally who win the Presidency and Vice-Presidency. But if you are a citizen interested in what happens to the country and our people in the next six years, the intelligent and patriotic choice is VP LENI ROBREDO for President and Mayor Sara Duterte for Vice-President. The alternative is a catastrophe.

Immigrants Help

(From Page 14)

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/

 HEALTH NEWS

May 5-11, 2022

WHO recommends COVID-19 therapy, calls for wide distribution and transparency from originator GENEVA - The World Health Organization (WHO) made a strong recommendation for nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, sold under the name Paxlovid, for mild and moderate COVID-19 patients at highest risk of hospital admission, calling it the best therapeutic choice for highrisk patients to date. However, availability, lack of price transparency in bilateral deals made by the producer, and the need for prompt and accurate testing before administering it, are turning this life-saving medicine into a major challenge for low- and middle-income countries. Pﬁzer’s oral antiviral drug (a combination of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir tablets) is strongly recommended for patients with non-severe COVID-19 who are at highest risk of developing severe disease and hospitalization, such as unvaccinated, older, or immunosuppressed patients. This recommendation is based on new data from two randomized controlled trials involving 3078 patients. The data show that the risk of hospitalization is reduced by 85% following this treatment. In a high-risk group

(over 10% risk of hospitalization), that means 84 fewer hospitalizations per 1000 patients. WHO suggests against its use in patients at lower risk, as the beneﬁts were found to be negligible. One obstacle for low- and middle-income countries is that the medicine can only be administered while the disease is at its early stages; prompt and accurate testing is therefore essential for a successful outcome with this therapy. Data collected by FIND show that the average daily testing rate in low-income countries is as low as one-eightieth the rate in high-income countries. Improving access to early testing and diagnosis in primary health care settings will be key for the global rollout of this treatment. WHO is extremely concerned that -- as occurred with COVID-19 vaccines -- low- and middle-income countries will again be pushed to the end of the queue when it comes to accessing this treatment. Lack of transparency on the part of the originator company is making it diﬃcult for public health organizations to obtain an accurate picture of the availability of

the medicine, which countries are involved in bilateral deals and what they are paying. In addition, a licensing agreement made by Pfizer with the Medicines Patent Pool limits the number of countries that can benefit from generic production of the medicine. The originator product, sold under the name Paxlovid, will be included in the WHO prequalification list today, but generic products are not yet available from quality-assured sources. Several generic companies (many of which are covered by the licensing agreement between the Medicines Pool and Pfizer) are in discussion with WHO Prequalification but may take some time to comply with international standards so that they can supply the medicine internationally. WHO therefore strongly recommends that Pfizer make its pricing and deals more transparent and that it enlarge the geographical scope of its licence with the Medicines Patent Pool so that more generic manufacturers may start to produce the medicine and make it available faster at affordable prices.

Mysterious hepatitis Heart of Hope

The World Health Organization and the US-CDC reported last week an outbreak of a novel hepatitis in nine children, all under age 10, in a hospital in Alabama, who had severe liver injuries between October 2021 and February. The symptoms of hepatitis include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, PHILIP S. CHUA upper abdominal pains, yellowish eyes and skin discoloration. None had a compromised immune system, none had COVID-19 infection, and none tested positive for Hepatitis Virus A, B, C, D, E. All the Alabama children survived but 3 had acute liver failure and 2 had liver transplants. First reported in the UK, it is now in dozen countries, including the United States, Canada, and Japan. In the USA, North Carolina and Illinois have also reported cases. So far, nearly 200 cases and 17 liver transplants have been reported and one death, besides the death of a child in Wisconsin with this mysterious hepatitis, which is suspected to be linked to the common cold adenovirus. Children having symptoms of hepatitis should be medically evaluated without delay. Hepatitis A and B vaccines are strongly recommended for children. E. Coli in beef About 120,000 pounds of beef were recalled by the Lakeside Refrigerated Services because of probable E. Coli (fecal) contamination. The ground beef was produced from February 1 to April 8, 2022, and distributed to various retailers in the USA. The brand names involved include Thomas Farms, Marketside Butchers, SE Grocers, Tajima, Weis, and Nature’s Reserve. Those who have any of these in their freezer should discard them. Infection with E. coli could be serious, even life-threatening. Vax “killed” nurse The nurse (Tiﬀany Dover, RN) who fainted on live TV following COVID-19 vaccine in December 2020 reportedly died and the rumor swirled endlessly on social media. She actually recovered 20 minutes later and was back on TV, but the false news still continued, courtesy of the anti-vaccine conspiracy perpetrators to scare the public with this fake news and other misinformation. This discouraged people from getting the vaccines and countless numbers had gotten infected and died. Disinfo/misinformation, like political correctness, kills. NBC News, in a podcast, will feature Tiﬀany and the full story about this

conspiracy. Compared to getting COVID-19, getting the vaccines is a hundredfold safer. Keto diet and sex There is a claim that the Keto diet improves male sexual prowess by increasing testosterone levels. The Keto diet consists of super-low carbohydrates, a moderate amount of protein, and a high volume of fat. While this could help people lose weight, a 2021 study shows the Keto diet to be associated with heart scarring. As for the testosterone level, studies have been limited and the impact on sex drive inconclusive. While the three popular Erectile Dysfunction (ED) pills (Viagra, Cialis, Levitra) are safely prescribed by physicians, extreme caution should be taken with many advertised “natural/herbal libido” pills and potions for potential adverse reactions and side effects. Consultation with a physician is prudent. Caution: CBD gummies CBD (Cannabidiol Oil) gummies and other overthe-counter products with cannabinoids from Cannabis plants have been marketed for brain health, as pain reducers, and as a remedy for some common illnesses. These substances have quality and safety questions, and they could interact with prescribed medications. They can also cause uncomfortable dry mouth, reduced appetite, nausea, fatigue, and drowsiness, especially dangerous when driving or operating machines. The same with recreational marijuana, which could be addictive and has many harmful side effects that could ruin lives. Talk to your physician before taking this or any other drug or substances. Avian Flu in human The first Avian Flu (caused by AH5 or Bird Flu H5) in a human was detected in a Colorado Poultry Farm in the United States on April 29, 2022, only the second in the world. The first was detected last December on a bird farm in the United Kingdom. The CDC tracked the health of 2,500 individuals exposed to birds infected with H5N1 and found only one case of human infection in Colorado. This virus usually infects birds and not humans. The first case of H5N1 in birds was discovered in late 2021. Millions of birds have been culled in the past to control the spread of this avian killer. COVID-19 updates As of Tuesday, May 3, 2022, the 7-day daily average COVID-19 cases in the United States was 60,953 with 16,495 hospitalization and 391 deaths. The number of cases was 55 percent higher than in the previous 2 weeks. The vaccination is still low, around 66 percent of the entire US population. Almost 60 percent of peo-

ple in the United States have been infected with COVID-19. Worldwide: Total Cases - 514,254,906, deaths - 6,264,024 (39,079,097 active cases); USA: 83,170,407, deaths -1,021,089 (1,391,894 active cases); and, The Philippines: 3,686,216, deaths - 60,412 (4,125 active cases). Stats going up. Vax in RP The National COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard of the Department of Health in the Philippines reported on May 1, 2022, that the total doses administered in the country (population 111,461) was 147,935,968 (First dose: 65,719,128, Second dose: 67,971,140, and Booster: 14,245,700. About 61.9 percent of the people have been fully vaccinated and around 12 percent had their first booster shot. The second booster (4th shot) is recommended after 4 months of the last shot for people who are 50 and older, especially those with co-morbidities, and those who are immunocompromised. Still too risky! As Shanghai is in a lockdown because of severe waves of COVID-19, New York City has entered a new high, about 2500 cases a day, Los Angeles County cases shot up by 40 percent last week, and California, after months of decreasing COVID-19 cases, is now showing a nearly 30 percent increase last week with a small rise in hospitalizations. Experts fear it is headed into new waves. They attributed the increase to the loosening of restrictions on masking and distancing mandates and on vaccination verification rules, on top of emerging new subvariants of Omicron. The top four states with the highest numbers since the pandemic started are California 8,587,271, with 89,145 deaths; Texas - 6,734,179, with 86,533 deaths; Florida - 5,925,668, with 73,948 deaths; and, New York - 5,127,560, with 68,061 deaths. As long as there is a significant number of unvaccinated (34 percent in the USA), and people unmask and let their guard down prematurely, COVID-19 will continue to linger and kill more people. Getting the vaccines, masking, and distancing minimize COVID-19 and save lives. 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.com

29 May 5-11, 2022

NEWS  NATIONAL VIEWS & COMMENTS

THE HEART OF THE MOTHER By TIM PEDROSA

We all have our own heroes, people we admire and respect and those who have made an impact on our lives. Our mother is the most signiﬁcant of them all. Here’s a tribute to my mother (may she rest in peace) and to all mothers, by a grateful son. The heart of a mother is naturally loving, compassionate and caring towards her children. It starts as soon as she becomes aware of the new life in her womb. Few inches above it is a mother’s heart that extends a thread of love towards the growing child. This thread does not break even after the baby is born; even the child is far away. On Mother’s Day, we honor mothers to give thanks for their care and love. We express our gratitude to the one who embraces our pain and brushes away our tears; the one who teaches us truth, conﬁdence and courage and the one who loves us even the whole world denounces, criticizes or condemns us. While we honor mothers, we should also think of grandmothers who mothered our mothers as our mothers mothered us; as well as, our mother-in-law who mothered our spouse. We should also remember those widowers who have taken care of their children after the death of their wives. Let us also remember and honor with gratitude those who have mothered their parents in their old age. When we think of mothers, we think of a woman who was uniquely created. For God, the Father, she is His daughter. For God, the Son, she is His mother and for the

angels, she is their queen. For you and me, she is our mother and our model of virtues. As we remember great men and women in history because of their accomplishments and their character or virtues, we remember the Blessed Virgin Mary’s virtues and accomplishments. Let’s consider some of them: Mary’s faith was perfect. Faith is a gift that enables us to believe without doubt. When the sublime truth was conveyed to her by the angel, she was prompt in accepting and believing on it: “Be it done unto me according to Thy word.”Mary’s hope was as great as her faith. It surpasses that of every creature. Hope is a gift by which we firmly trust that God will give us what we need and all the means necessary to obtain them. Even when her hope was put to the most difficult tests, she rose freely and calmly accepted God’s will. Charity is a gift by which we love God above all things, and our neighbor as ourselves. Mary loves God more than all the saints combined. Her charity was also enkindled by examples set by her Son. She meditated upon the words spoken by Jesus so as to conform to Him in all things. Mary gave the greatest proof of her charity on Calvary. Greatness of sacrifice indicates strength of love. Likewise, whoever really loves God cannot help but love her neighbor. But whoever puts herself as the center of her life cannot love. We often hear the phrase, “Render to God what is due to God and render to Caesar what is due to Caesar.” The virtue of justice is to be fair to everyone. Mary gave God the honor due to Him. She was just with St. Joseph. She fulfilled every duty to her Divine Son, Jesus. She remained with Him in Nazareth, followed Him as mother and disciple in His public life; assisted Him at His death on Calvary, arranged His body in the sepulcher and accompanied Him to the mount of Ascension. Mary’s virtue of fortitude is admirable. She endured all difficulties, pain and adversity with courage and humility. She is called, Queen of Martyrs for her martyrdom was the lengthiest, most intense and most loving. She experienced every sorrow and resigned to God’s will completely. Her magnanimity was the greatest when beneath the cross she witnessed her own Son’s agony and death.. Life is never easy, but easy is what our body wants. When life seems unbearable, let’s think of the Blessed Mother’s sacrifices. Remember that there were two types of arms that held our Lord Jesus. One is the tender loving arms of the Blessed Mother; the other is the rough arms of the cross. The first one is for the love of Him, the second is for His great love for us.

Transformative Power of Easter

e heard many times of the theme of transformation of life in spiritual talks, discussions, and reflections. Rightly so because, as St. Paul puts it, we need to leave behind or cast out from us the old self and live on our new self in Christ (Romans 6:5-11). We are now in the season of Easter; I want us to see our Lord’s resurrection with His glorified body as our own glorification as well in body and soul. We all know this in REV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD fact, that in and with the Risen Lord we are now a new creation, we have been transformed. However, it seems to many of us if not to all of us, this transformation is like some sort of “declaration of independence,” we are given the document we are free and so we rejoice being free from whoever enslaving or imprisoning us but that’s it, we stop from there. We live on our lives with the lifestyle of the old self and the behavior and mentality of the old self. The transformation, therefore, has just become an idea but not an alive idea that is incarnated in the person redeemed by Christ. Dear reader, what does it mean to you personally being saved by Christ? What does it mean to you personally that Jesus rose from the dead for you? We cannot take for granted the great and infinite graces God has outpoured upon us through the merits of the Risen Lord Jesus. There is a saying: what does not kill you will make you stronger. I would like to add on top of that; whatever kills you will transform you. Our Lord Jesus died for all of us, but His dying transformed His human body of the human fallen nature making it fully now share the glory or glories of His divine nature. His body possesses now the qualities of His divinity in that even with closed doors, He can come into the midst of His apostles gathered in a room. Also, as from His dying our death is destroyed and given a new meaning; so that, since He rose again, He gave us not just an ordinary redeemed life but most importantly that this redeemed life is divinized and sanctified, it participates God’s divine and eternal life. In history, it is also true that what kills you transforms you; let us take the life and death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he championed equal treatment not only for black Americans but for everyone. His death triggered massive efforts to effect the changes in society he was advocating. Soon after his death came some change and transformation to the American society. There may be more things needed to be changed but he has done his part; thus, not only was his life’s story transformed but also many people in the U.S.A. Another example I want to cite is St. Maximilian Kolbe; he was imprisoned in Auschwitz concentration camp with other Jews by the Nazis. Then, there was a man who was supposed to be executed, he offered himself to die in place of that man. The man’s life was saved; he died. He did not only transform from a story of a priest in concentration camp but also become a martyr of the faith, a saint for God worthy of emulation of selfless love for others. These are the way heroes and heroines die and effect change and transformation; and we all are heroes and heroines in the making provided we build more the hero in us not the villain. Let us be mindful that the graces and merits of the Risen Lord are powerful to effect this change and transformation in us if we sincerely cooperate. Consequently, we are to die to sin. We must die to anything that is not of God and especially anything that is against God. Let us follow the Risen Lord’s example; He went out and left behind the empty tomb. What are your tombs, dear reader? What are the sins that continually imprison you like a tomb? We must get rid of all our tombs and live in the Risen Lord Jesus. As St. Paul said; let us crucify our sins in the Cross of Christ in order to die with Him; and then, rise again with Him to new life as a new person; a person of virtues, of righteousness, of deep prayer life, of firmness to speak the truth and live by it. Casting the old self is indeed like dying in everything that is evil and ungodly in us; so that, we take and live on the new self, a new resurrection and transformation for ourselves in and with the very grace and power of the Risen Lord. May we live out these Easter days mindful of our call to change and transform into the image of the Risen Lord Jesus. Amen.

Aﬂame The Heart

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

31 May 5-11, 2022  NATIONAL NEWS

 FOOD & TRAVELS

Recipe of the Week Adobong Okra Here is the recipe of my version of Adobong Okra. Ingredients: 250 grams okra, trimmed, cut into half diagonally 1 cup pork belly, cut into strips 1/2 head garlic, peeled, crushed 1 small size onion, peeled, chopped 1/4 cup vinegar 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/2 tsp. peppercorns, crushed 2-3 pcs. bay leaf cooking oil salt

World-renowned Palaui Island reopens after 2 years Cooking procedure: In a pan, place the pork and add 1 cup of water bring to a boil and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until pork are tender and all the liquid has evaporated and start to render fat. Add more water as necessary. Shift pork at one side and stirfry garlic and onion fragrant, stir in the pork. Pour 1/2 cup of water and add in bay leaf, peppercorn, soy sauce and vinegar. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes without stirring. Add in okra and stir cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the okra are just cooked but ﬁrm. Correct saltiness if required. Serve hot with a lot of rice.

TUGUEGARAO CITY – The worldfamous Palaui Island in Cagayan province is open again to tourists after a twoyear hiatus due to the pandemic. At the height of the health crisis in 2020, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) provided P1 million to fund the emergency employment of about 160 families in the island. Oﬃcials of the DENR, Department of Tourism, Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, local government, and other members of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) led the ribbon-cutting ceremony to signal the reopening of the 8,048-hectare Palaui Island Protected Landscape and Seascape (PIPLS) in Barangay San Vicente, Santa Ana, according to a Facebook post. The PAMB is the decision-making body of the PIPLS, a protected area legislated by virtue of Republic Act 11038, or the expanded protected areas system law. DENR Region 2 Executive Director, Gwendolyn Bambalan, said the reopening of the PIPLS will boost the economy and will help the country recover from the eﬀects of the public health emergency. “Last year, our department initiated the improvement of facilities in PIPLS with a budget of PHP4.7 million,” she

said. “With the influx of tourists, there should be an office dedicated to manage our environment and natural resources here.” Two accredited boat operators’ associations, the San Vicente Motor Banca Association and Palaui San Vicente Motor Banca Association have been ferrying tourists. The island covers 8,048 hectares with 1,008-hectare coral reefs, 472-hectare seagrasses and 102-hectare mangrove. It became famous for hosting two seasons of the reality show “Survivor USA” and for being included in the top 10 most beautiful beaches of the world by CNN, an international broadcast network. In 2019, the marine protected area (MPA) was awarded outstanding National Integrated Protected Area System-Marine Protected Area by the Para El Mar: MPA Awards and Recognition, a biennial event that showcases the country’s best performing MPAs. As required by the PAMB, a vaccination card must be presented upon registration while only trained and accredited guides will be allowed. The PIPLS is within the jurisdiction of the community environment and natural resources office of Aparri, led by forester Joselito Razon.