The Filipino Press: August 5-11, 2022

Decision Criminal Court interest

MANILA -- Not rejoining the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a prerogative of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and has the support of the Office of the Solicitor General.

As chief architect of the country’s foreign policy, it is Marcos’ decision to determine what international organizations the Philippines may join, according to Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday.

“I suppose the President’s primary consideration is always the best interests of our country, with utmost regard for our national sovereignty,” Guevarra said in a statement.

The Philippines withdrew membership from the ICC in 2018 under President Rodrigo Duterte.

On Monday, Marcos declared “the Philippines has no intention of rejoining the ICC,” shortly after a meeting that discussed investigation on illegal drugs operations.

The ICC will reopen its probe and asked the country to submit its comment by September 8.

“Considering the importance of the ICC case not only to the individuals named in the complaint but also to the country as a sovereign state, the President's legal team should indeed give this matter their most serious and careful consideration,” Guevarra said.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said it is poring over investigations of the previous administration regarding the campaign against illegal drugs.

“I’m collating reports on the investigations assigned by then-DOJ Secretary Guevarra,” Remulla said in a text message.

In October last year, the DOJ released information on an initial batch of 52 cases it is reviewing as part of the government’s policy of transparency on the anti-illegal drugs campaign.

The matrix included docket numbers, names of deceased suspects,

places and dates of the incidents, and the review panel’s summary of observations.Amongthe 52 cases, the most number of deaths in a single incident involved an operation in Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte on July 29,

SAN DIEGO, CA -- A $975,000 federal grant has been awarded to the San Diego Community College District to expand a program that provides free online textbooks and resources to students, saving them the cost of buying expensive books for their classes.

The Community Funding Project grant came through the support of Rep. Scott Peters, who sought the funds.

“Lower costs for textbooks help community college students deal with one less burden as they pursue their academic goals,”

said Rep. Peters. “With rising costs of tuition and textbooks, programs that expand affordability encourage students who need the most support. I thank San Diego Community College District for this work and hope to see more programs like this one in many other

Thedistricts.”grantmoney will be used to develop more zero-textbookcost courses, which use digital materials that are free to students.

Textbook prices, which have risen more than 800% since 1978, can be a prohibitive cost for many

students, who on average spend about $1,200 a year for textbooks.

“The cost of buying textbooks can often be more than our students are paying to take classes at our colleges,” said Carlos O. Cortez, chancellor of the San Diego Community College District.

“Offering more zero-textbookcost classes is part of our district’s commitment to making sure all students have access to education.”

Almost 1,200 classes with free or low-cost textbooks were offered at the district’s four colleges in fall 2020. About 370 faculty members are teaching such classes, with workshops and presentations being held to train additional faculty members.Thegrant will expand previous projects from faculty, staff, and the bookstore to develop zerocost textbook courses. Last year, students at San Diego City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges were able to save over $3 million in educational costs. In addition, educational materials created through this grant will be labeled with a Creative Commons license, which means that colleges and students statewide will have free access to them.Mathematics currently has the most zero-textbook-cost courses, although numerous other areas, including psychology, business, history and English, offer such classes. In fall 2021, students in zero-textbook-cost classes had a 2% higher success rate than other classes.

2016 that resulted in the death of three persons.According to the police version, the suspects on board a vehicle refused to stop at a checkpoint and opened fire on the officers.

The DOJ review panel noted that

according to the medico-legal report, the victims appeared to have been shot at close range.

The Philippine National PoliceInternal Affairs Service ordered the dismissal from the service of those involved.

The DOJ previously said the disclosure was meant to assure the families and loved ones of the deceased that the suspects and the circumstances of each death are undergoing a determination of possible criminal liabilities.

Guevarra: Marcos legal team should give ICC probe ‘serious, careful consideration’

Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said the legal team of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. should give the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into the former President Rodrigo Duterte administration's war on drugs their “most serious and careful

consideration.”“Considering the importance of the ICC case not only to the individuals named in the complaint but also to the country as a sovereign state, the President’s legal team should indeed give this matter their most serious and careful consideration,” Guevarra said.

He added that it was also Marcos’ prerogative to determine the international organizations the country may join after the President thumbed down proposals for the country to rejoin the ICC.

“I suppose the President’s primary consideration is always the best interests of our country, with utmost regard for our national sovereignty,” saidInGuevarra.anorder dated July 14, the ICC gave the Philippines until September 8, 2022 to provide any observations on

MANILA -- Several studies have revealed that the country has become one of the world’s largest sources of online child sexual exploitation and abuse cases with a rapid increase in cyber tip reports, aggravated by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19)

pandemic.With Republic Act 11930 or the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) Law, which lapsed into law last July 30, several child rights groups such as the Child Rights Network (CRN) said this marks the dawn of safer online spaces for children.

The CRN said the two new laws signaled a victory for all child advocates and champions pushing for a landmark legislation that would protect Filipino children and erase the country's image as one of the most dangerous places for children to access the "Itinternet.is our fervent wish for Filipino children to safely navigate the virtual space without fear. RA 11930 symbolizes the break of dawn heralding a future where no more children are harmed, abused, and victimized through the Internet," CRN convenor Romeo Dongeto said in a statement on Thursday.

Data from the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children showed the rapid increase of OSAEC cases in the country during the pandemic, noting a 209-percent increase in cyber tip reports for the Philippines, with 1,294,750 cyber tips in 2020 as compared to 418,422 cyber tips in 2019.

A risk assessment report released by

the Philippine Anti-Money Laundering Council in 2020 showed that there had been a significant rise in the suspicious financial transactions reported related to the OSAEC in 2020.

From the 597 suspicious transaction reports recorded in May 2019, the figures swelled to 5,634 in May 2020.

“With children staying more in their homes, online platforms became a basic need for them to continue their education and maintain a sense of normalcy. Coupled with economic difficulties, this situation made it easier for OSAEC perpetrators to prey on children,” the CRN said.

The new law, Dongeto said, holistically responds to the advocates' longstanding call for stronger online child safety regulations and makes cyberspace safe for children.

With RA 11930 in place, law enforcement authorities can now swiftly pursue violators of the OSAEC Law and effectively tear the veil of anonymity that hides their nefarious acts in Thecyberspace.newlaw enables the government to work in tandem with the private sector by not only blocking child sexual abuse or exploitation materials but also ensuring that technological or other practical safeguards are in place to prevent or detect recruitment and trafficking.

"Essentially, RA 11930 plugs fundamental loopholes in existing laws and regulations concerning OSAEC by providing clear definitions that succinctly consider the oftenephemeral quality of OSAEC committed through the viewing or live-streaming of online content that

does not need the offender to do any act of downloading or retaining any form of child sexual abuse materials," DongetoMeanwhile,said. private individuals, especially parents, hailed the passage of the law, which they say is very timely, especially in this digital age.

Lea Alim Agustin, an elementary school teacher handling Grade 1 students mostly between the age of 7 and 8 years old, who are very vulnerable to online sexual predators, said the law will give them peace of mind.“As a mother and educator as well, I acknowledge that modern technology is a great tool for learning and seeking knowledge, but with its broad spectrum, there are so many things in the online world that children will not easily understand, therefore, there should be rules in using it. I believe that OSAEC law can help protect our kids, especially against online sexual abuse,” she said.

Jovenal Villano, a former educator and a father to a two-year-old child, believes in the importance and timely passage of the OSAEC Law.

“I think OSAEC is very essential in our society, especially in the current trend and world of technology today. Since students, children or minors are exposed to the internet almost everyday for their online classes, research, and social media, they are really an easy target of those abusers. That's why I think this law is very important to be implemented and imposed in order to minimize or control if not totally eliminate the acts of these abusers,” Villano said. (MNS)

OATH-TAKING. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administers the oath of office to the new deputy and assistant presidential legal counsels in a ceremony at the Reception Hall in Malacañan Palace on Tuesday (Aug. 2, 2022). The new deputy presidential legal counsel is lawyer Joseph Sagandoy. (MNS photo)

By Francine Maigue

The sunshine burst through my bedroom window, as I boxed up my winter coats and boots this past week. Packing up things that I no longer need brought so much space and satisfaction, on both a physical and emotional level. I pondered, "What other aspects of my life can I free up and de-clutter?" This year's spring cleaning will leave no stone unturned.

1. Things that no longer fit Examples: Clothes. Decor. Fears/

Excuses.When you look around your space, your life...do you see who you are and who you want to be...or do you you see someone you once were or someone you tried to be without success/fulfillment?

Embrace who you are, where you are, what you look like, how you feel... It's when we allow ourselves to really stand and move beyond our past and accept our present that we can satisfactorily plan for our future. Your life should accurately

represent you, your values, your goals... You may grow out of your clothes' size and style. You may find the colors of your home less inspiring than you once did. You may come to figure out that the fears and excuses you've told yourself and others (the very ones that have kept you from exploring the world and your greatest potential) aren't really your own. Free yourself to build a life and space that fits, illustrates, and celebrates you.

2. Negative relationships Examples: Toxic friends. Bad influences. Exploiters.

Bitter Betty. Debbie Downer. "Just one more" Jim. Exploiters. (When they use you, they don't deserve a fun name.)

Real friends take joy in your success. Real friends care to help you be your best and won't judge you at your worst. Anyone who abuses your time, talent, and network needs a hard lesson in mutual respect. Free yourself up for relationships that inspire you to grow, allow

you to shine, give you a chance to reciprocate kindness & compassion.

3. Unhealthy habits

Examples: Junk food. Complacency. Holding grudges. You and I know better. 'nough said.

4. Time suckers

Examples: Loquacious people. Social media stalking. Inefficient systems.When you've only got 24 hours each day to live your fullest life, you've got to ask yourself, "Is this really how I want to spend my time?"

Sometimes, you need to interject in folks' one-way conversations. (Zzzzz...) It's important to decipher whether you're getting updated on what's going on in the lives of family and friends or if you're lurking around social media profiles for prolonged periods of time. (Ew.) Explore faster, more effective ways doing some things. Free yourself up for more productivity.

5. Things you settle for

Examples: Situations that bring you little joy and overwhelming amounts of stress and anxiety.

Know your worth, my friends. We must be humble enough to appreciate all the people and opportunities that come into our lives...but...remember, you are responsible for your own happiness. Choose how you spend your time, talent, and energy.

The choice to challenge yourself belongs to you.

The choice to say, "No," to people and things belongs to you.

The choice to live life to its fullest (whatever that may mean to you) belongs to you.

Free yourself to say, "No," when you are overwhelmed.

Free yourself to say, "Yes," when you are ready to grow.

What does YOUR spring cleaning look like, Care do do it Anytime , my pampered friends?

12 Regional Mayors and Deputy Mayors Convened August 1st at SD Rescue Mission to Discuss Regional Approach to Homelessness

The San Diego Rescue Mission and the Lucky Duck Foundation hosted their first Mayoral Symposium to discuss a regional approach to homelessness on August 1, 2022 at the San Diego Rescue Mission in Downtown San Diego. The two-hour closed-door symposium was held as part of an effort to identify, brainstorm, and explore strategic ways the public and private sectors can together develop a regional approach addressing homelessness countywide. Attendees above left to right: Imperial Beach Mayor Pro Tempore Jack Fisher; Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall; San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones; Oceanside Deputy Mayor Ryan Keim; El Cajon Deputy Mayor Michelle Metschel; San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria; Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear; National City Mayor Alejandra Sotelo Solis; La Mesa Mayor Mark Arapostathis; Chula Vista Mayor Mary Casillas Salas; the San Diego Rescue Mission CEO Donnie Dee; the Lucky Duck Foundation CEO Drew Moser; and Del Mar Deputy Mayor Tracy Martinez. Not pictured Lemon Grove Mayor Raquel Vasquez.

Now is Not the Time to Drop Our Guard on Covid, Experts Say

Health experts say that even as more people are vaccinated and boosted, the corona virus is here to stay. And they warn that future variants will likely keep medical practitioners and researchers on their toes as they work to keep both infections and the severity of infections down.

Their message to the public is, don’t let your guard down.

“COVID is going to be with us for the foreseeable future,” said Dr. William Schaffner, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “We’re struggling to figure out how we can keep this virus down and minimize its damage, and still at the same time enjoy a reasonably normal life.”

Schaffner was among a panel of speakers for a July 29 media briefing organized by Ethnic Media Services on the latest Covid variant, and the mounting questions around the pandemic and vaccine efficacy.

COVID 19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations are once again on the rise in the US. More than two-thirds of Americans have tested positive for COVID, including President Joe Biden, who again tested positive for the second time in a case of Covid rebound. The BA5 subvariant of Omicron is now responsible for more than 78% of infections in the country, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).But public health experts say the figures could represent a severe undercount, with many people failing to report positive results from at-home tests.Shaffner stressed that updated vaccines will continue to be an essential part of the broader strategy. “We need more durable, long-term protection against a broader array of different variants, the ones we know and the ones we don’t know yet,” he said. “We would like vaccines that abort and prevent the actual infection at the surface of the mucous membranes, not just vaccines that protect against serious disease.”

Nasal vaccines, which can be administered via a spray or dropper, are gaining more attention among clinical researchers and could offer another route to increasing vaccination rates. The NovaVax vaccine, recently authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was licensed for an initial two-dose series, but not yet for a booster.

But Dr. Ben Neuman, professor of biology and chief virologist of the Global Health Research Complex at Texas A&M University, has his doubts.

“NovaVax vaccine is fine, but it’s about two years too late,” he said, adding the drug does not replicate the virus as effectively as other vaccines. “NovaVax has this very delicate spike protein that is transported and protected

very carefully; a little bit survives to go into your body… With the mRNA vaccine, you get perfect pristine spikes exactly the way nature intended.”

Neuman noted that to date there have been 15 mutations of the Omicron variant, including the newer BA.5 and BA2.75 subvariants, for which the current vaccines appear less effective.

“We are still vaccinating against the 2019 virus and it is now late 2022,” he said. “We have a problem.”

Nearly a third of Americans remain unvaccinated, while a majority of Covid-related deaths are occurring among people 65 and over, including those who have been vaccinated.

Speakers stressed that masks continue to play a critical role in slowing the spread of the virus, particularly for those who are at high risk because of age or underlying conditions.

Currently no state mandates mask wearing in public, though several states

still require mask wearing in high risk settings, including hospitals and longterm care facilities.

In April, a federal judge struck down the Biden administration’s mask requirement for public transit, airlines and transportation hubs. The Justice Department is expected to appeal the ruling.Meanwhile, one-third of Americans have managed to avoid being infected by the virus altogether. According to Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, associate dean for Regional Campuses at the University of California, San Francisco, four factors help explain this trend.

Some people may be genetically disposed to having higher resistance to the virus, said Chin-Hong, something doctors saw during the early years of the HIV/AIDS crisis. These individuals could play a role in future research on

See COVID-19 9

WEAREVERYONE,SAFESTAYYOURMASK,WASHHANDSOFTEN

PBBM practices 'good housekeeping’ in vetoing bills

MANILA -- Malacañang on Wednesday denied that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has gone on a “bill-vetoing spree” after the Chief Executive vetoed five measures in his first month in office.

Senator Francis Escudero earlier dubbed Marcos' decision to veto five measures as a "bill-vetoing spree" and urged him to appoint a "high-caliber Cabinet member" as head of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office.

In a Palace press briefing, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said Marcos exercised his power to veto these five bills as part of the legislative process.“Hindi po nagkaroon ng veto spree ang ating Pangulo (The President did not go on a veto spree). Forty-one bills lapsed into law and only five were vetoed. Hindi kasama ‘dun sa 41 (The five bills are not part of the 41), so it’s not a spree. Tino-tono lang naman ng ating Pangulo ‘dun sa mga sistema yung mga batas natin (The President is only fine-tuning them as part of the legislative process),” she said.

On his first day in office on July 1, Marcos vetoed a bill that sought to establish a special economic zone in San Miguel Corp.'s Bulacan Airport City, noting its "substantial fiscal risks."

Marcos on July 22 also vetoed a measure that would have given the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) wider reach, citing “the excessive remuneration to be given the OGCC lawyers.”

On July 27, he vetoed a bill expanding the franchise area of the Davao Light and Power Co. in Davao del Norte “due to its susceptibility to infringe on the franchise coverage area of the North Davao Electric Cooperative.”ThePresident vetoed two bills on July 29 – a bill proposing tax exemptions to the honoraria, allowances, and other benefits given to election workers because it “runs counter to the objective of the government’s Comprehensive Tax Reform Program” and a bill creating the Philippine Transportation Safety Board (PTSB) because its proposed creation “is likely to create functional duplication, confusion as to authority, ineffectiveness, and deficiency in the performance of the responsibilities” as they are already being carried out by different agencies.

Cruz-Angeles pointed out that Marcos is practicing “good housekeeping” by vetoing the bill allowing tax breaks for poll workers because they could cause either potential revenue losses or unnecessary government

“Lalong-laloexpenses.nayung mga batas that involves some kind of tax break or tax benefits ito-tono mo dun sa ating polisiya of tax reform. Hindi natin tinatanggalan ng benepisyo ang mga poll workers natin. Ang ginagawa po natin ay inaayos yung sistema without discounting the possibility na puwede pa rin sila bigyan ng ayuda (Especially those bills that involve some kind of tax break or tax benefits, they should be fine-tuned to our tax reform policy. We are not removing benefits from our poll workers. What we are doing is fixing the system without discounting the possibility that they can still be given aid),” she said.

She said providing election workers with assistance through the government’s targeted cash transfer (TCT) program rather than giving tax exemptions would simplify the tax payment procedures.

“Ang sinasabi ng ating Pangulo, magbigay tayo ng form of ayuda sa ating

mga poll workers. That way maayos yung sistema ng pangongolekta ng buwis pero matutulungan pa rin natin sila (The President is saying let's give a form of assistance to our poll workers. That way the tax collection system would be organized but we would still be able to help them),” she added.

PBBM forms team to look into LGUs’ prudent use of add’l IRA President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said he formed a team headed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to look into issues of devolution and decentralization of the functions of the local and national governments arising from the implementation of the Mandanas-Garcia ruling.

Speaking during the gathering of the League of Cities of the Philippines in Malacañang, Marcos narrated that he already had extensive discussions with Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas and the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo on the devolution issue, when he was chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government.

The original concept, he said, was to use the additional internal revenue allotment (IRA) for the 4th, 5th, and 6th class provinces or local government units (LGUs) and provide assistance to provinces that operate hospitals but don’t have funds.

The remainder of the IRA would be given according to the provisions of the Local Government Code that varies depending on the LGUs, he said.

However, there are difficulties in applying the ruling to some cities, and the decision-making was left at the discretion of local chief executives on how to apportion the money that is appropriated, according to the President.“Butwe are still continuing to look at it. Ang akin kasing tinitingnan is ano ba talaga ‘yung --- what belongs to local government and what does not belong to local government,” he said.

“Also, some of the functions that have been given to local governments, kung minsan hindi lang nagagawa dahil wala tayong bagong item, wala tayong bagong pondo, wala naman tayong training sa kung ano man ‘yun,” he said.

One example is the land use plan, he said, wherein several LGUs face difficulty in implementation because of the lack of money and qualified personnel, adding that the work could be given to the national government.

School building repairs Marcos said another contentious issue is the repair of school buildings.

“I was talking to Inday Sara the other day. Sabi ko, ‘paano gagawin natin kasi hindi pa maliwanag ‘yung repair of school buildings sino gagawa, sino magbabayad?’ And so, we were talking with Inday. And she said may budget ng konti ang DepEd but it’s not going to be enough,” he noted.

“So, sabi ko why don’t we give the materials or the funding to the LGU.

Kaya naman natin administration kung school building lang naman, simple lang naman eh. Kung magtatayo --- we can also send assistance.”

These things have to be worked out, he said, adding that funding sources must also be identified.

The President suggested, however, that the national government could provide additional allocation to the local governments that are mandated by law to conduct school building repairs.The Mandanas-Garcia ruling fully transfers or devolves the delivery of basic services to LGUs, stemming from a 2013 petition made by Governor

Mandanas and former Bataan governor Enrique Garcia, Jr., together with other local elective officials, before the Supreme Court on LGU shares of the IRA.

The SC affirmed the ruling in 2018, giving the LGUs a just share of all national taxes collected and not only from the Bureau of Internal Revenue effectiveLGUs2022.gettheir IRA from 40 percent of national internal revenue taxes collected by the BIR. With the SC ruling, LGUs are projected to increase the IRA by 27.61 percent.

Marcos also said he hopes LGUs support the rightsizing thrust of the administration to attain efficiency.

“Alam naman natin the bureaucracy kung minsan becomes inflated, becomes bloated and that’s what we mean by rightsizing, when I talked about rightsizing,” he said. “Ang ibig sabihin lang naman nu’n ay lahat ng tao, lahat ng staff niyo kailangan niyo talaga. Eh baka may matira diyan 15, 30 pero huwag na natin damihan. Let’s make them as streamlined as possible.”

Digitalization will also play a very important part, he said, noting some of the cities have already taken the initiative and already started their implementation.

New law boosts PH’s chance as top creative industry hub in Asia

DAGUPAN CITY -- Pangasinan fourth district Representative Christopher de Venecia, principal author of Republic Act 11904 or the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act, said the new law will help the creative industry sector grow and set the country as number one creative economy in Asia.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, De Venecia, who is also the chairman of the House special committee on creative industries and performing arts, said with the new law, the Philippine creative industries will develop into something that is globally competitive.

“This is a sector that has managed to survive and even thrive on its own, but with institutionalized support from the state, it will really help the creative industry sector grow and accelerate to the point where we want it to be, which is by 2030, the Philippines will be the number one creative economy in all of Asia,” he said.

RA 11904, which lapsed into law on July 27, mandates the promotion and development of Philippine creative industries by protecting and strengthening the rights and capacities of creative firms, artists, artisans, creators, workers, indigenous cultural communities, content providers, and other stakeholders in the creative industries.DeVenecia said the law also calls for the formation of the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council, under the auspices of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).“This council will be created to guarantee the long-term development of the creative industries so that those who belong to it can reap the continuing creation of industry jobs and provide incentives to encourage and sustain Filipino excellence in creative industries,” he said.

The law will likewise provide centralized state support to creative industries, unlike the current system where state support is sporadic, he added.

RA 11904 defines the creative industries as “trades involving persons, whether natural or juridical,

the planned reopening of the probe.

The ICC also instructed the Victims Participation and Reparations Section (VPRS) to coordinate with victims and their legal representatives, and collect their views by September 8, 2022.

ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan requested that the investigation into the Duterte administration's war on drugs be resumed after the Philippine government was unable to demonstrate that it investigated or was looking into nationals or others connected with the series of killings linked to the drug war.

Government records indicate that over 6,000 supposed drug suspects were killed in police operations since Duterte assumed office on June 30, 2016.However, several human rights groups estimated the death toll to be between 12,000-30,000.

Last November 2021, the ICC suspended its investigation in response to the Philippine government's request to defer the investigation. (MNS)

Duterte: If I should go to prison, I should go to Muntinlupa President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday reiterated his position that the International Criminal Court had no jurisdiction in the Philippines.

At an interview at the Heritage Park where he paid his respects to the late former President Fidel V. Ramos, Duterte said, “I am a Filipino. If I will be prosecuted it will be a prosecutor who is a Filipino."

"If I will be judged, it will be a Filipino judge. And if I should go to prison, I should go to Muntinlupa. Nobody but nobody else can sa akin. It

has to be our or within our jurisdiction,” Duterte

“Wala,said.matanda na ako. I've no qualms about going to prison. I’m 77, 80. Ano makuha nila sa akin? I can read to death there inside. So many books to read," he added.

"During the six years that I was, well, attending to the affairs of the nation. Marami akong hindi nagawa, kaya gagawin ko na. Wala akong problema d'yan sa ICC, ICC personally,” Duterte said.

The Duterte administration was of the position that the Rome Statute which created the ICC was never published in the Official Gazette.

Asked for comment on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s decision not to rejoin the ICC, Duterte said “I would rather not comment on it actually. I am a civilian, I cannot say anything about it. Tahimik lang muna ako (I'll keep quiet at this time).”

Marcos said on Monday that the Philippines had no intention of rejoining the ICC.

Marcos last week met the members of the administration's legal team to discuss the ICC's investigation of the killings blamed on the war on drugs under Duterte's administration.

Duterte in March 2018 announced that the Philippines was withdrawing from the ICC, which was then looking into whether it had jurisdiction to probe allegations of state sanctioned killings in his war on drugs.

He cited “baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks” against him and his administration and the alleged attempt of the ICC prosecutor to place him under the tribunal’s jurisdiction.

The ICC in September 2021 authorized the start of the ICC

prosecutor's investigation into the killings.InNovember 2021, the ICC prosecutor temporarily suspended the investigation after the Philippines requested the tribunal to defer to its government's investigation of its nationals.The Philippines in its communication to the ICC cited the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) referral to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of 52 cases where the Philippine National Police-Internal Affairs Service found administrative liability on the part of the concerned personnel.

The Duterte administration said then that the ICC had no jurisdiction over the Philippine government despite its request for the Hague-based court to defer its probe into the alleged crimes againstThenhumanity.actingpresidential spokesman

Karlo Nograles said in November 2021 that while the ICC had no jurisdiction over the Philippines, “this, however, does not preclude the government from communicating with the ICC."

ICC Chief Prosecutor Khan in June 2022 requested to resume the investigation into the war on drugs of the Duterte administration.

He said that the Philippine government was unable to demonstrate that it investigated or was looking into nationals or others connected with the series of killings linked to the drug war.

The ICC in July 2022 invited the Philippines to provide observations on the prosecutor's request to reopen the investigation into the killings.

The ICC gave the Philippines until September 8, 2022 to provide any observations on the planned reopening of the probe. (MNS)

ANIME GALORE. A woman and her son take a selfie with several anime characters on display at the Block

Atrium, SM North City-North Edsa in Quezon City on Tuesday (August 3, 2022). The "Animezing" display will

BRIDEGROOMS OF DEATH: FIGHTING FILIPINOS IN THE SPANISH FOREIGN LEGION AND AS SUCH WARRIORS IN THE PHILIPINES WHO ARE CONSIDERED AS ITS VERY OWN “FOREIGN LEGION”

SAN DIEGO, CA -- The phenomenon of foreign fighters, in which volunteers leave their homes and intervene in a clash taking place in an overseas location, is hardly new.

Today, many non-Ukranians want to fight for Ukraine variously for ideological, personal or political reasons.After Russia launched its largescale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022; many countries quickly responded by imposing sanctions on Russia and by sending weapons to help Ukraine defend itself.But so far, the US and its NATO allies have said they will not send troops.Nonetheless, many nonUkrainians want to fight for a variety of reasons, as I have indicated above whether ideological, personal or political.Totake advantage of that support, Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky has set up the International Legion of Defense of Ukraine for those who wish to volunteer – including American citizens.While this particular effort may be new, the concept of a foreign legion – a military force comprised of volunteers from foreign countries – is more than 190 years old.

The “Legion ‘etrangere,” or French Foreign Legion, is perhaps the world’s most well known – and infamous – foreign legion.

When it was created in 1831, its primary role was to fight France’s colonial wars. Since its formation, legionnaires born in more than 140 countries have fought under the French flag in a variety of conflicts throughout Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia. In recent years, the French Foreign Legion has deployed to Afghanistan and the Sahel regions of Africa.

Given their linage as an expeditionary force, legionaries are often among the first French troops sent into a dangerous environment. Yet each year, volunteers still travel to France in hopes of enlisting. For some would-be legionnaires, it’s about joining a particular conflict. For instance, before the US formally entered World War I, many Americans volunteered to become legionnaires to fight alongside the Allies.Inmany countries, including the US, citizens who swear an oath of allegiance to a foreign power risk having their citizenship stripped. The French Foreign Legion sidesteps this by requiring that legionnaires take a vow of fidelity to the Legion itself – not to the country of France.

For others, joining the French Foreign Legion is about starting a new life. A legionnaire can apply to become a French citizen after only three years of service. Additionally, anyone wounded in action is “Francais par lee sang verse,” or “French by spilled blood,” and can immediately apply for French citizenship.Legionnaires who are retired or on leave from active duty can find lodging and purpose tending to grape fields and making wine at the Legion’s own picturesque Provencal chateau.There is, however, a dark side to what may look like romantic escapism. For one, the French Foreign Legion has often acted as a vehicle for colonial conquest and occupation.Thiswas famously on full display in “The Battle of Algiers,” an evocative film about Algeria’s fight for independence and France’s efforts to suppress that struggle.

Without question, many countries have taken a page from France’s playbook by allowing foreigners to serve in their armed forces. Surely, foreign fighters have played significant roles in many other conflicts. During the American Revolution, several foreign military officers, including Tadeusz Kosciuszko, Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben and the Marquis de Lafayette, made vital contributions to the struggle for independence.Throughout the Russian Revolution, professional nonRussian troops brought valuable military expertise to the nascent RedSimilarly,Army. during Israel’s War

of Independence, World War II veterans proved so indispensable that former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion called them “the Diaspora’s most important contribution to the survival of the State.”Some countries don’t have a separate foreign legion, but nonetheless allow some foreigners to enlist. For instance, citizens of the European Union can join the Irish Defense Forces.

Subjects of the Commonwealth, most of which is former parts of the British Empire, can join the British Army. And natives of the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau can join the US military, along with foreign nationals who possess a green card.

As in France, serving in a foreign military can often help accelerate the naturalization process. Noncitizen US service members, for example, can apply to become a citizen after just one year on the job.

Moving closer to home, so to speak – Did you, my dear folks know that Spain recruited foreign soldiers to its army, forming the Foreign Regiments (“Infanteria de linea extranjera”) – such as the Regiment of Hibernia (formed in 1709 from Irishmen who fled their own country in the wake of the “Flight of the Earls” and the penal laws).However, little is known about the fact that most of Spain’s Foreign Legionaries’ were Filipinos…yes, our very own fellow “kababayans” from our beloved old homeland?

In the mid half of the 19th century, Spain’s expeditions to Morocco as well in the Canaries were mostly aided by Filipino soldiers that served in His Royal Spanish Majesty’s Guardia Civil. Filipinos joined the ranks of Spanish cavalry in overrunning forts; Filipino troopers being sent to subdue Islamic separatists in Morocco. Even in Cuba, most of the Spanish Army that was stationed in Cuba, there were battalions that were composed of Filipino fighters and officers that served in the Royal Guardia Civil. Yes, even in the Peninsular War (2 May 1808 – 17 April 1814) thousands of Filipino soldiers were conscripted into the Spanish Army to support operations.

FYI: The Peninsular War was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars in Spain. It is considered to overlap with the Spanish War of Independence.

So loyal were the Filipinos to the Spaniards that a general of the Spanish Army once opined to the Spanish King, “Your Majesty, the retention of the colonies is due to the feasibility of the Filipino soldier. 100 Filipino soldiers of the Guardia civil under the command of a Spanish officer is equivalent to any other foreign forces.” Out of Spain’s many colonies, only the Philippines remained faithful to Spain the longest - ultimately, for 400 years, a half millennia. One historian declared that the Filipino soldier was the bravest of all subjects of the King of Spain at a time when the Spanish empire was at its height.

A Spanish friar named Father Delgado and responding to criticism being labeled against the Indio stated: “On the contrary, it must be said that the Indians are those who defend us from our enemies; for, in the presidios, who are the soldiers, who sail in the war fleets, who are in the vanguard in war?

Could the Spaniards, per chance, maintain themselves alone in the country, if the Indians did not help in everything?”ThenativeFilipinos were then called Indians by the Spaniards and they also called them according to their tribes or regions.

The records of the Spaniards were full of the daring exploits of Filipino soldiers. In a letter by one Juan Grau y Monfalcon, he wrote these of the Filipinos: “Those Indians, mingled with Spaniards, serve as soldiers in war, and have proved excellent therein. Especially are the Pampanga’s valiant soldiers, who have performed and are daily, performing valiant exploits at the side of the Spanish? They were at the taking of Ternate and whenever

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ever since the very first battle in recorded history (the Egyptians hired Numidian mercenaries), and sometimes even foreign officers and generals would offer their services to aid armies who fought for causes they thought were just, such as General Horatio Gates – a British officer who served in the Colonial Army of the United States fighting against his own countrymen for a principle that he believed in – the independence of the colonies.

Jesse T. Reyes PotpourriFilipino

occasion offers; they with other companies come to guard the city of Manila.”When the British invaded Manila (1762 – 1764) they encountered stirring resistance from the Filipino defenders. Here is what the commander of the land forces of the British expedition, General William Draper wrote in his journal: “Had the skill and weapons been equal to their strength and ferocity, it might have cost us dear. Although armed chiefly with bows, arrows and lances, they advanced up to the very muzzles of our pieces, repeated their assaults, and died like wild beasts, gnawing the bayonets.”

Because of their dependence on Filipino soldiers, some Spaniards worried about the possibility of revolt. Bernardino Maldanado in his report to the king warns of this danger: “They are a people of great boldness only needing a leader whom they would recognize, and they are so many in number that it is a matter that must be feared considerably, and one of which your Majesty orders us to be fearful and watchful..”Oneof the finest compliments to the Filipino as a soldier might be the following Spanish saying regarding the people of Pampanga province: “One Spaniard and nine Pampanguenos is more than a match for ten men from any nation.”

Moving on, I say great armies have always relied on soldiers of fortune to bolster their numbers

Jose Ignacio Paua was a ChineseFilipino general who joined the Katipunan, a secret society that spearheaded the 1896 Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire

Now, I know our beloved old homeland the Philippines could never aspire to hire foreign mercenaries to fight its own enemies, but yet foreigners did serve under the Philippine flag during the revolts against the Spanish and the United States. One would be surprised to hear how the “Katipunan” (officially known as the Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or Kataastaasan Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Byaan was a Philippine revolutionary society founded by anti-Spanish colonialist Filipinos in Manila in 1892) had renegade Spanish officers serving under its banner, or how a Spanish officer was part of Aguinaldo’s entourage, or how we had a black American war hero who saved the lives of dozens of Filipinos.

As I have it known earlier above, before the Philippine revolts of the late 19th century, Filipino warriors were being used by Spain to fight its wars all over the world – against the Dutch, at odds with the Cubans, and even in opposition to Napoleon when he came to invade Spain. The Filipinos had earned a reputation as Spain’s bravest soldiers and the Philippines was said to be Spain’s “most loyal colony.” The seemingly indomitable Filipino spirit earned the admiration of many Spanish officers commanding Philippine regiments, and some even defected over to the side of the Katipunan when the revolution came about.

History speaks of a certain Colonel Manuel Bernal Sityar, a Spanish mestizo who had originally been in the Guardia Civil. He was the son of an Indio mother and a Spanish duke who served as a commodore in Spain’s royal navy. Sityar was the first person to suspect the existence of a revolutionary movement in the Philippines. He

reported to the Governor General of Manila that certain men were signing documents in their own blood and joining an organization whose purpose was yet unknown. The authorities in Manila, probably dismissing this as some sort of a cult, ignored Sityar’s warning. Two months later, the newly-formed Katipunan attacked the Spanish armory and the first shots of the revolution were heard. Two years later, he declared, “I have served the country of my father with blood. Now I will serve the country of my mother with blood” and joined General Emilio Aguinaldo’s army. He served as part of Aguinaldo’s entourage until the revolutionary forces surrendered. In 1900 he was knighted by the Queen of Spain and later went on to become one of the founding founders of Spain’s FederalAnotherParty.foreigner who served with distinction in the ranks of the Filipino revolutionary forces was a Chinese named Jose Ignacio Paua. A gunsmith and a martial arts expert, he joined the revolution at the very beginning in 1896. Being a gunsmith, he was responsible for putting up one of the first Filipino weapon factories in Imus, Cavite to supply the forces of the revolution. The factory employed Chinese gunsmiths and was overseen by Paua himself. This weapons factory produced and repaired all sorts of firearms for Aguinaldo and his men, ranging from “paltiks” and “lantakas” to Spanish Mausers and European field guns. He was later called to serve the revolutionaries in battle, against the forces of the Spanish Governor General Ramon Blanco. It did not matter to Paua that the enemy had rifles and all he and his men had were bolos –he charged them and reportedly “fought like a wild cat” and achieved a heroic victory. Despite the Governor General’s superior arms and numbers, the Spaniards were forced to retreat back to Manila in shame. After fighting the Spanish, Paua fought the Americans as well. His Tagalog regiment was well known for its Chinese-style martial arts training and struck fear in the hearts of the Americans whenever they encountered it. After the war, Paua retired peacefully in Albay and was once elected mayor of a town called Manito in that province. He died of cancer in 1926.

One of the stranger foreign nationals who fought for the cause of the Filipino was a man named David Fagan of the United States 24th Infantry Regiment. Now, in this day and age, an American fighting alongside a Filipino wouldn’t be much of a shock – but in those days, the United States and the Philippines were at war. Now, you have to understand that the 24th Infantry Regiment was a “colored regiment” led by white officers, and Corporal Fagan was a black man. Being a black man, he was the subject of racism in his unit and frequently had quarrels with his officers. And just like blacks, the Filipinos were being called a bunch of “niggers,” “black devils,” “jungle bunnies,” “ladrones” (Spanish for thieves) and “gugus” by the white Americans. One day Fagan decided he wasn’t going to take any more of that stuff from his officers and decided to seek out a Filipino revolutionary officer and defected. He found General Jose Alejandrino, the commanding officer of a Filipino regiment that had suffered defeat after defeat at the hands of the Americans. Fagan gladly joined up and was soon promoted from corporal straight up to captain. He fought at least eight battles against his fellow Americans, and was known for his guerilla-style method of fighting. When Aguinaldo surrendered, Fagan did not follow the example of the other Filipino officers who surrendered along with him, but instead went into

hiding. The United States colonial government put a $600 price on his head and labeled him a “bandito,” offering the reward for anyone who captured him dead or alive. One day, a Tagalog hunter approached American authorities with a sack containing the severed head of a “Negro” and some personal items –some weapons and clothing, a pair of field glasses, Fagan’s commission and a West Point class ring of one of Fagan’s former captives.

However, when the head was shown to his officers at the 24th Infantry Regiment, it was deemed to be too small, and they further added that it could be that of an indigenous Aeta. Some say that Fagan faked his death and lived up in the mountains with his Filipina wife until the war’s end.

Incidentally, during the FilipinoAmerican War in the Philippines, it is recorded that fifteen US Army soldiers – six of them Black –defected to Aguinaldo and the Filipinos – truly “a conflict of conscience” for African Americans evenInterestingly,then. there were also

Japanese military officers who aided the Filipinos in their struggle for independence. The leader of the Japanese volunteers in the Philippine-American War –Capt. Tei Hara –loaded arms and ammunition for the Filipinos but this shipment was lost in a shipwreck off the China coast on July 21, 1899.

Japanese Imperial Army Capt. Chizuno Iwamoto served as a staff officer of Aguinaldo but returned to Japan after the fall of the Malolos Republic now officially known as the First Philippine Republic.

It’s quite sad that these conscientious and courageous foreigners who have given their labor and even shed their blood on behalf of the then fledgling Philippine nation are not recognized in mainstream history classes and that their names will probably be lost forever to antiquity, so this column’s edition is dedicated to those magnificent men who truly believed that the Filipino was worth dyingFinally,for. I say it would be genuinely premature and highly risky to dismiss the importance of foreign fighters’ altogether. Their significance has never been simply a function of their numbers and clearly cannot be measured only in terms of the capabilities gained by introducing them into an arena. Their impact is often indirect and includes political, social and psychological elements that are not easily measurable. No doubt about it, policy makers will underestimate them at their own Mabuhay!peril.

Prayer to Saint Expedite

May the intercession of the glorious martyr , St Expedite, recommend us, O my God, to Thy goodness, in order that his protection may obtain for us what our own merits are powerless to do. Amen.

We supplicate Thee, Lord , to inspire by Thy grace all our thoughts and actions, that thou being their principle, we may, by the intercession of St. Expedite, be conducted with courage, fidelity and promptitude, at the time proper and favorable, and come to a good and happy end, through our Lord, Jesus Christ Amen

St Expedite, honored by the gratitude of those who have invoked thee at the last hour and for pressing cases, we pray thee to obtain from the all powerful goodness of God, by the intercession of Mary Immaculate, (today or such a day) the grace we solicit with all submission to the Divine Will Amen

The Japanese military attache to the Philippines (center in black) poses with US Army officers in a photo taken in Manila circa 1898

Col. Manuel Bernal Sityar, a Spanish mestizo was originally part of the Royal Armed Forces of Spain and defected to Aguinaldo's army during the struggle for Philippine

was an African American soldier who was part of the American armed forces before he defected to Aguinaldo's Filipino army

Spiritual Life

Counting our days

I just celebrated my birthday and I found this article written by Professor Claude Mariottini entitled “Counting our days”, thought-provoking and very enlightening. Hence, I decided to share it with you, my readers.

“Teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart” (Psalm 90:12).There are certain occasions of the year, especially birthdays, that compel us to count our days and realize how fast time passes by, which is in fact, the passing away of our lives. It is at this time of reflection, when we celebrate our birthday, a new year of life, that we realize another year is gone. Each new year of life compels us to number our days and as we do, we realize that the passing away of our days brings us closer to the day we will meet our Maker.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). We cannot change these two fixed days in our lives, but we surely can influence what happens between the time of birth and the time of death.

This is the reason the psalmist said that we must learn to number our days in such a way that we may gain a wiser heart. If the time between life and death is the time of our education for the future, then we must learn not to waste our precious little time and throw away the opportunities the school of life offers to us. Life is a school, the place where we train daily to face the challenges of the future.

As we count our days, we cannot be indifferent and unaffected by the fact that twelve months more of life have passed away. During the passing of those twelve months, most of us have experienced joys and sorrows that will be part of our memories until theLifeend. is ephemeral. Most of us live for seventy years or so. With good health, some of us will live to eighty or even more (Psalm 90:10).

To us who are limited by time, seventy or eighty years appear to be a vast stretch of time, but to God, a thousand years is scarcely any time at all. For a thousand years in God’s sight are but as yesterday. Time has no relation to God; it does not affect him: “ For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4). The psalmist said that to God a thousand years is like one day, like a watch of the night, a mere four hours. A thousand years or a day is all the same to God.

In God’s time our lives last from morning into evening, the psalmist prayed: “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad as long as we live” (Psalm 90:14).

By learning to rightly count the days of his life, the psalmist was asking God to enable him to take to heart the lessons which the brevity of life should teach him.

Since the school of life teaches us that life is ephemeral, we must then learn how to seek that which is eternal. We do not know whether our days will be few or many. So brief is human life that not everyone will enjoy the blessings of old age, because death can come suddenly and our lives be removed in the middle of our blossoming years, before our flower withers.

Our education in the school of life prepares us to recognize that life is a precious gift of God. So, as you celebrate your birthday today, you must remember that the sun is setting and the evening of

your life is fast approaching.

For those who have faith in their Creator, the setting of the sun will not lead them into a dark and fearful night, but into a glorious morning, into another day that will have no end. But in order for them to rightly number their days that they might become wiser, they must remember the one who created them: “Remember your creator while you are young, before the evil days come, and the years approach when you will say, ‘They no longer give me pleasure’” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

In order to gain a wise heart, we need God’s teaching, for “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). God alone can teach us the real meaning of life and the lasting values that can lead us to abundant living.

When we number our days, we realize the brevity of life, that we must give our attention to matters that last, to eternal things. Life is short and since life is short, it should be wisely spent. We do not have enough time to dissipate our precious life in things that do not last nor are we sure that we have enough days in our lives that we may postpone the times of our decision. When we gain wisdom, we discover what are the most important things in life. The Bible teaches us that the wisdom that leads to abundant living comes from

Be doers of God's word

A friend is a sky-diving, mountain-climbing, hang-gliding thrill-seeker, but in the cave he felt sheer panic. He was terrified. He tried fighting his fear, but he kept picturing his dead body moldering in the cave. Finally, he told his guide he was about to lose it, and the guide said, "Hey, close your eyes and listen to my voice. I will keep talking, calmly, and guide you through this. We will be okay. I have been here before. I will get you to the other side. But you must listen to my voice. It will not work for you to let your thoughts run wild. Just focus on my voice." He did so. What freed him from panic and fear was not trying hard to quit thinking fearful thoughts. It was listening to another voice.

What voice do you listen to when you're in the cave and it's dark, when the ceiling is low and you can't back out? The Spirit longs to flow in our minds all the time. One reason why people have found memorizing Scripture helpful is that it helps us listen to the voice of our guide when we are in the cave. We set our minds on those thoughts that equip us for life. God does not want us to live in worry or fear. He wants us to live with bold confidence in his power. "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and selfdiscipline."IntheBible, we see a pattern

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in which God rarely sends people into situations where their comfort level is high. Rather He promises to be with them in their fear. It is God's presence - not comfortable circumstances - that brings people to the best version of themselves.Paulsaidthat when we live in the flow of the Spirit, he does not make us timid, but instead gives us power and love. This is not the only place in the Bible where we see a close connection between receiving love and living in power. The apostle John makes the same association in one of the most famous statements in the Bible: "There is no fear in love... perfect love casts out fear."

When we live in the flow of the Spirit, we let the perfect love of God wash over us until our fear begins to leave. Modern science has confirmed what John wrote so many centuries ago. Love and fear are literally incompatible in our bodies. God wants to love you - and in loving you, to cast out

yourJesusfear. was facing adversity when he told his followers that if they had faith, they could command a mountain and it would be cast into the sea. When my focus is on the mountain, I am driven by my fear. When my focus is on God, however, I am made alive by my faith. But if I did not have the mountain, I would not know that faith could be in Useme. your imagination to picture being shepherded by the Lord in green pastures beside still waters. Is there any room for fear?God knows that you can stand that trial; He would not give it to you if you could not. It is His trust in you that explains the trials of life, however bitter they may be. God knows our strength, and He measures it to the last inch; and a trial was never given to any man that was greater than that man's strength, through God, to bear it.

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Today is the 19th Sunday in Ordinary time. I would like to continue my reflections on the meaning of discipleship as a loving response to the invitation of Jesus to follow him and eventually be in communion with him with the Father and the Holy Spirit. I hope you would not consider it redundant, but I have to repeat once more that this process truly demands deep knowledge of who Jesus is, his teachings and his mission. Such knowledge is so important because the demands of discipleship would be truly burdensome for those who do not accept the totality of the nature of Jesus, but truly joyful only for those know deeply know him. Self-denial and bearing one’s cross in order to follow Jesus more dearly would be a burden for non believers, but indeed a joyful experience for those who deeply believe in Him.

Our gospel this Sunday is a continuation of the message of the gospel last Sunday which dealt with the need for us to develop the spirit of evangelical poverty that constitutes essentially in an orientation of detachment from material possessions. I my homily last Sunday, I mentioned that material possessions are important in our human existence. In fact material possessions influence greatly our cultural mentality, our world view and even our daily moral decisions that affect the way we live our faith. However, for a believer in Jesus and a disciple who wish to follow Jesus more closely material possessions are important but not really essential in life and not necessary for one’s existence. This can only happen through a long process of self-denial, honest detachment and deep faith that comes

from a long process of conversion. This long process of conversion leads into the consciousness of a more concrete way of responding to the invitation of Jesus to follow him and become his disciple. This response is known as stewardship which is the main message of the gospel reading this Sunday. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the United States has defined this response in stages. The first of these stages is the humble acceptance that everything that we are, everything that we possess comes from God. This reality we must acknowledge and truly be grateful to God. For this reason a disciple should always be a grateful person and only those who are humble could truly be grateful. The second stage in this response to the invitation of Jesus is the acceptance of how precious are the gifts that we have. They are unique and different in each person so that we have to respect the gifts of others in as much as we expect to respect our own gifts. Consequently we have to develop our gifts to the full as the development of such is expected by God so that we may be able to return joyfully the same gifts to God, the giver of the gifts that we have. This is the third stage of the

process of stewardship. This should remind us of the parable of the talents in one of the gospels. The master was truly pleased with the return of the steward who earned more and so displeased with the one who simply hid his talents in the ground. Notice the more tasks that the master entrusted to responsible steward.

The final stage in discipleship is the exercise in generosity that is expected of the disciple. Our act of returning the gifts to God could be concretely exercised when we share our talents with others. In fact the return of the developed gifts need not be directed to God himself but even institutions, such as our parish community and other charitable entities and especially to those who are truly in need. This is where the gospel regarding how to be truly a good neighbor to others comes into our consciousness. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus answered the lawyer that the good neighbor is the one who showed more compassion on the person robbed and left behind almost dead on the road.

The final note that the gospel reminds us to consider is the fact that the reckoning will happen when the master returns, but the time and manner of his return is never known so that the need for vigilance and constant preparedness is expected of the discipleship. “Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant in charge of all his property.” Let us begin to acknowledge the greatest gift that we received from God, namely, faith. Let us develop it fully, return it to God joyfully and share it with others generously.

that produce cultural, artistic, and innovative goods and services originating in human creativity, skill, and talent, and having a potential to create wealth and livelihood through the generation and utilization of intellectual property.”

It said creative industries include these domains: audiovisual media (vlogs, films, television, animatronix, broadcasts, music); digital interactive media (software and mobile apps, video games, digitalized creative content); creative services (creative research, development, and realtime artistic performances); design (fashion, toy making, footwear making, textile development, urban landscaping, jewelry making); publishing and printed media (comics, blogs, magazines, published media); performing arts (musical theater, circus, opera, puppetry); visual arts (drawings, sculptors, paintings, photographs); traditional cultural expressions (arts and crafts, gastronomy); and cultural sites (museums, cultural exhibitions).

RA 11904 is the combined version of House Bill No. 10107 and Senate Bill No. 2455 that seeks to create the Philippine Creative Industry Development Council, which will oversee efforts to improve the country’s creative industries.

In his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the workers in the creative industry are the ones who give soul to the Filipino identity and therefore need protection. (MNS) New laws give more attention to

youth:MANILA,solon Aug 4 (Mabuhay) -Senator Sonny Angara is thankful for the enactment of three new laws that will foster the development of young Filipinos as future leaders and productive members of society.

With Republic Act (RA) 11913 or the National Youth Day Act, RA 11915 or the National Music Competitions for Young Artists, and RA 11910 or the Summer Youth Camp Act recently lapsing into law, he said on Thursday the government can now implement more programs for the youth and give them the attention they deserve.

"Investing in our youth is critical to the overall growth and development of our country. Conversely, failure to do so will lead to many problems that will negate whatever gains we have already made,” Angara said in a statement.

RA 11913 declares August 12 of every year as the National Youth Day, simultaneous with the International Youth Day which was declared by the United Nations, wherein the National Youth Commission (NYC), Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority are urged to discuss career paths, Sustainable Development Goals, the preservation of the environment, gender equality, and mental health.

While these government offices are encouraged to come up with activities such as leadership training, youth empowerment, workshops, basic mass integration, and community immersion, the provincial and local youth development offices are also encouraged to prepare annual programs and activities that provide holistic

development and enrichment of the youth in their respective communities. On the other hand, RA 11915 designates the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) as the Philippine National Youth Development Program for Music which will serve as the conduit for the discovery of outstanding musical talents in the country; the development of musicians; the preservation, development, and promotion of Philippine music as an art form; and the undertaking of a continuing program of research, documentation, and publication of Philippine music for dissemination to schools and the general public.

Institutionalizing the annual Summer Youth Camps program, RA 11910 is expected to instill a sense of social responsibility, patriotism, service to others, and leadership among the youth tasking the Sangguniang Kabataan to plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate youth camps in their

areas.They are also tasked to develop modules on courses relating to issues and current events impacting the youth; communication and team building, conflict management, inclusive environment, leadership, and parliamentary procedures; writing, research, editing, illustration, and publication; public speaking; sports and fitness; mental wellness including youth pregnancy; digital skills development; entrepreneurship and livelihood skills training; and cultural awareness with the help of NYC, representatives of local educational institutions, and the Local Youth Development Office. (MNS)

therapeutics for Covid, Chin-Hong noted.Behavior could be another factor, “as some people in the same household may be taking more precautions” in terms of wearing a mask or having close contact with other people. The timing of vaccines also plays a role, as the risks of infection have fluctuated over time during the pandemic.

Finally, says Chin-Hong, some people may have been infected and just did not realize it, either because they were asymptomatic or because they were never tested.

Chin-Hong believes that wastewater inspections can help

to clarify the picture around actual infection rates. Unlike relying on tests and self-reporting, wastewater can help researchers understand the extent to which the virus is spreading within a community.“Forexample in California, the level of wastewater virus is very similar to (reported Covid levels) in January, when more people were getting tested,” explained Chin-Hong. Based on this data, current case rates would be far higher than the 130,000 daily infections now being reported.

A summer surge of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), which can cause Covid-like symptoms, could also explain why a lot of people have received negative results on their home testing kits, said Shaffner.

“The rapid tests are also less apt to give you a positive result in this BA5 era… that is why the CDC keeps focusing on hospitalizations, because they remind us that there is this important public health problem.”

Therapeutics such as PAXLOVID have proven to be effective in preventing more severe diseases, mostly among older adults. And there is a monoclonal antibody that can be given to some people who are resistant to PAXLOVID. But experts insist that vaccines remain the most essential tool to fight the virus.

“We now we have too many deaths, like 430 a day,” says Chin-Hong. “We have to manage (the virus) and we have the tools to do that right now,” he concluded.