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Volume 10 – Issue 24 • 16 Pages

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JUNE 10-16, 2016

DATELINEUSAfrom the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

Hillary Clinton claimed the Democratic presidential nomination on Tuesday, June 7 after decisive victories in the California, New Jersey and New Mexico primaries. The former first lady has become the first woman to capture a major party nomination for president. Photo from Hillaryclinton.com

BrooKLYN, NY—former state Department secretary hill-ary rodham Clinton made his-tory tuesday, June 7, when she clinched the Democratic presi-dential nomination after posting decisive victories in the California, New Jersey and New mexico pri-maries, becoming the first woman to lead a major presidential party

Clinton makes history, clinches Democratic Party nomination

ticket in the United states.“tonight caps an amazing jour-

ney – a long, long journey. We all owe so much to those who came before, and tonight belongs to all of you,” she said, addressing her supporters who trooped to the Brooklyn Navy Yard to witness history happen.

“thanks to you, we’ve reached a milestone, the first time in our nation’s history that a woman will be a major party’s nominee,” Clin-

ton told the audience. “tonight’s victory is not about one person. It belongs to generations of women and men who struggled and sacri-ficed and made this moment pos-sible.”

the jubilant audience, com-posed of thousands of Clinton supporters waved American flags and chanted “hillary!” as the for-mer first lady made her way to the podium.

sCAmmers defraud mem-bers of the ethnic communi-ties across the United states every day by selling worthless products and fake services for everything from immigration, housing and health, debt col-lection, jobs and education.

During the recent tax sea-son, scams involving impos-tor Irs and Us Department of treasury officials experi-enced a spike. Consumers and potential victims are told that they owe back taxes, and are then threatened with the prospect of being arrested or being charged with a felony unless they pay-up immedi-ately.

A lot of these scams now happen online and through mobile phones via calls from weird and unknown area codes to unsolic-ited text messages. from a legitimate look-ing but fake email from your primary bank asking you to change your password to yet another email sent by the company you use to send money to relatives back in the Phil-ippines. A quick and cursory click later and you have given these con artists your bank

account number and passwords.New America media (NAm) and the

federal trade Commission (ftC) arranged a briefing with members of the community media and invited law enforcement officials, community advocates and consumers to dis-cuss the types of fraud that are on the rise, what people can do to protect themselves and the importance of reporting these scams to the authorities.

the camp of senator ferdinand “Bongbong” r. marcos, Jr. on tuesday, June 7 bared that it will file an election protest, alleging that the Com-mission on elections (Comelec) used a fourth server to manipulate the national elections held last may.

Atty. Jose Amor Amorado, head of the BBm le-gal team and Abakada rep. Jonathan Dela Cruz, political adviser of marcos, told reporters that there was a “fourth server,” kept secret from the public by smartmatic and Comelec.

“this was never disclosed. this is the fourth server and therefore it should have been subject-ed to source code review also and everything else. But this was not disclosed to the public. this is in violation of the law,” de la Cruz said.

earlier on tuesday, there was a preliminary in-

Bongbong Marcos camp alleges Comelec used of secret server

Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr.

by AJPress

Panel urges victims to report scams and frauds to authoritiesMost common scams targeting immigrant communities bared

Sandy Close (right), New America Media executive director, welcomes the panelists and guests who attended an ethnic media briefing on spotting and avoiding scams in our communities. AJPress Photo by Momar G. Visaya

DAVAo CItY—Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose ma. sison’s home-coming remains a “ticklish” issue as he may be arrested while on his way because he has been labeled as a terrorist by the United states (Us), a negotiator of the National Democratic front of the Philip-pines (NDfP) said.

NDfP negotiator and spokes-man fidel Agcaoili said sison’s arrest can spoil the peace talks between the incoming Duterte ad-ministration and the communists.

“You know, Joma’s (sison’s

US may order Joma Sison’sarrest while on his way to PH, NDFP negotiator says

nickname) coming home is a very ticklish issue. the Us has again come up with statement putting the CPP and the NPA (New Peo-ple’s Army) in the terrorist list,” Agcaoili said in a press conference at the Ateneo de Davao Wednes-day night.

“the Us can become a spoiler through its control of the Interpol,” he added.

Agcaoili said there is no direct flight from the Netherlands to the Philippines so sison would have a stopover in taiwan if he flies via the royal Dutch Airlines.

“they might present a warrant against him in taipei and every-

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by MoMAr G. VisAyAAJPress

by Alexis roMeroPhilstar.com

oBAmA administration officials voiced concerns over territorial disputes between China and five other countries, restrictions to foreign investment in Chinese industries and overproduction from that country’s industrial sector at the Us-China strategic and economic Dialogue in Beijing.

on monday, June 6, Us treasury secre-tary Jacob Lew called on leaders in the Peo-ple’s republic of China (PrC) to reduce its output of steel and other industrial goods. he said Chinese overcapacity is having a “distorting and damaging effect on global markets.” A glut of supply has weakened the market value of steel, according to CNBC.

the Us Department of Commerce has in-stituted tariffs on steel in response to excess global supply. Chinese finance minister, Lou Jiwei, referred to concerns regarding China’s overcapacity as “hype” and said his country was “confronting the issue square-ly,” the Wall street Journal reported.

Lew also pushed for progress on a poten-

US, China officials discuss sea disputes

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by MoMAr G. VisAyAAJPress

seNAtors mazie K. hirono (D-hI), harry reid (D-NV), and tim Kaine (D-VA) joined filipino World War II veterans and commu-nity advocates to announce the implemen-tation of a long-awaited program to reunite the aging veterans with their children and families. U.s. Citizenship and Immigration service (UsCIs) Chief of staff Juliet Choi pro-vided more details on how the veterans can apply for parole under the new policy. UsCIs began to accept applications on Wednesday, June 8.

senator Charles e. schumer said thurs-day, June 9 that the Department of home-land security (Dhs) U.s. Citizenship and

Senate Democrats announce implementation of program to reunite Filipino WWIIveterans with families

DHS will finally allow certainveteran family members to come to the US expeditiously, ahead of visa

PhILIPPINe President-elect rodrigo Duterte — who has been under fire for the past week for seemingly justifying the killing of journalists — has since back-tracked from his comments, ac-cording to a statement released on Wednesday, June 8.

since uttering the controversial remarks, the 71-year-old incom-ing president has been criticized by local and international groups, including United Nations (UN) ex-perts earlier this week.

UN special rapporteur on sum-mary executions Cristof heyns

Duterte: I do not condone killing of journalists

by ChristinA M. orielAJPress

called the remarks “irresponsible in the extreme, and unbecoming of any leader.”

“A message of this nature amounts to incitement to violence and killing, in a nation already ranked as the second-deadliest country for journalists,” he added.

estimates show that 174 jour-nalists have been murdered in the Philippines since President ferdinand marcos stepped down three decades ago; seventy seven of those murders have been com-mitted since 1992.

one of the deadliest incidents was in 2009 when 58 individu-als, including 32 journalists, were

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte Inquirer.net photo

JUNE 10-16, 2016 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426A�

From the Front Page

In her victory speech, the pre-sumptive nominee talked about her mother, Dorothy Rodham who had an auspicious date of birth al-most a hundred years ago. That date was June 4, 1919, the exact day that the United States Senate then passed the 19th constitution-al amendment giving women the right to vote.

Call for unity“We all know this has been a

tough fight, but the Democratic Party is a family. And now, it’s time to restore the ties that bind us together,” Clinton said.

Clinton’s win was also eight years to the day after she con-ceded the 2008 Democratic presi-dential primary to Barack Obama, with a speech in which Clinton famously declared that her sup-porters helped put “18 million cracks” in the “glass ceiling.” She recalled that concession speech Tuesday evening.

“It may be hard to see tonight, but we are all standing under a glass ceiling right now. But don’t worry, we’re not smashing this one,” she said.

Filipino-American supportFilipino-American leaders led

by Loida Nicolas Lewis were pres-ent that evening, along with Dr. Angie Cruz, Joe Ramos, Marilyn Abalos, Jerry Sibal and Edwin Jos-ue. Filipino-American Democratic Club of New York president Aries de la Cruz also attended with his mother Tess and Juliet Payabyab.

“Hillary has been with us from

Clinton makes history…

vestigation into the Marcos camp’s complaint alleging that Comelec and Smartmatic personnel violat-ed the Cyber Crime Law.

The Marcos camp now seeks to file the electoral protest just a few days before incoming President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice Presi-dent Leni Robredo officially take office.

“The target date for the filing of the electoral protest is June 28—a day before the June 29 deadline. Yes, definitely we will file an elec-tion protest. The truth has to come out – one way or another,” Amo-rado said.

Amorado explained that the protest will seek a recount of the votes in some areas including the

setting aside of the election results in areas where there are clear indi-cations of election fraud and ma-nipulation.

Dela Cruz asserted that they are filing the election protest because they owe it to those who voted for Marcos and to the entire Filipino people to find out what really hap-pened in the May 2016 elections.

“We believe that we have enough evidence to show that there was massive rigging and manipulation of votes,” he said.

Amorado and Dela Cruz cited that the results of their initial find-ings indicated that between 9:00 p.m. to 10:10 p.m. on May 9, the transmitted election results showed that Marcos lost in 1,689 precincts, many of which are con-

sidered bailiwicks of the senator, mostly in the provinces of Leyte, Samar, Pangasinan and other ar-eas in Region II.

Amorado pointed out that in-stead of being transmitted directly to the Municipal Board of Can-vassing servers, the Comelec serv-er and the Transparency server, the results were instead coursed through a “4th Server or the so-called “Queue Server.”

This “4th server” was not di-vulged to the public and was never subjected to a source code review as what transpired with the other servers used in the elections, according to Dela Cruz. Amorado added that there were no watchers allowed in the

Bongbong Marcos camp alleges…PAGE A1 t

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thing’s kaput that is an issue that has to be discussed seriously,” Ag-caoili said.

“There has to be some guaran-tees from the Dutch government and Norwegian government in-cluding the US government to respect the sovereignty of the Fili-pino people in their desire to pur-sue just and lasting peace and al-low professor Sison to come home without interference,” he added.

Agcaoili said he is not sure whether US would agree to such request because “it has always been a bullying agent.”

Resumption of peace talksSison, a former social science

and English professor, founded the CPP on Dec. 26, 1968. He was

US may order Sison’s arrest while on…PAGE A1 t

Jose Maria Sison

jailed during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos but was freed by then President Corazon Aquino in 1986.

Sison, who has been on self-ex-

ile in the Netherlands since 1987, has said he is open to returning to the Philippines after President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, his former student, assumes office.

“There is a far greater chance than ever before for producing the comprehensive agreements at a faster rate to the mutual sat-isfaction of both parties and most importantly to the satisfaction of the people who need and demand the reforms,” he said in a video message played in an academic forum at the Ateneo de Davao last Wednesday.

Duterte has promised to provide Sison a safe conduct pass once he assumes the presidency.

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IT’S official: President Barack Obama has formally endorsed Hillary Clinton as the most qualified candidate to be his successor.

In a video released online on Thursday, June 9, the presi-dent threw his support behind the presumptive Democratic nominee, saying “I don’t think there’s ever been someone so qualified to hold this office.”

Clinton, who ran against Obama in 2008 and later served as secretary of state, made his-tory as the first woman to cap-ture a major party nomination for president, following her vic-tory in four out of six primary contests on Tuesday, June 7.

“I want those of you who have been with me since the beginning of this incredible journey to be the first to know that I’m with her,” Obama said. “I am fired up. And I can’t wait to get out there and campaign with Hillary.”

Obama is scheduled to cam-paign with Clinton in Green Bay, Wisconsin next week, the Clinton campaign announced.

In an interview with Bloom-berg Politics, which was timed with the release of the presi-dent’s video, Clinton welcomed

Obama endorses Hillary Clinton for president

by Christina M. OrielAJPress Obama’s endorsement.

“I want to be out there with him and have a chance to cam-paign with him,” she said. “It just means so much to have a strong, substantive endorse-ment from the president. Obvi-ously I value his opinion a great deal personally.”

In response to the support, presumptive Republican nomi-nee Donald Trump tweeted: “Obama just endorsed Crooked Hillary. He wants four more years of Obama — but nobody else does!”

Republican National Com-mittee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement that Clinton “has telegraphed this entire campaign,” arguing that “she is running to give Presi-dent Obama’s failed policies a third term.”

Clinton’s opponent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders met with Obama on Thursday morn-ing and said he would contin-ue his bid for the presidency through the District of Colum-bia primary this coming Tues-day, June 14.

“I look forward to meeting with [Clinton] in the near future to see how we can work togeth-er to defeat Donald Trump,” Sanders told reporters after the meeting with Obama.

Aries de la Cruz, president of the Filipino-American Democratic Club of New York. AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya

Hillary Clinton with former Pres. Bill Clinton AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya

way back, since 1998. She is the only one who came to a Filipino gathering, a NaFFAA conference in New York. She knows us, she knows our problems. Anytime we need her endorsement, she’s there for us,” community leader Loida Lewis said.

“My mom told Hillary that her son helped start the Filipino-American Democratic Club and Hillary looked me into my eyes, shook my hand and thanked me,” said the younger Dela Cruz. They were near the front of the stage when Bill and Hill-ary went around to greet their supporters.

He also described the feeling as incredible and phenomenal, spe-cially for someone like him who moved to the United States when he was only seven years old.

For his mother, Tess, the mes-sage that resonated was exempli-

fied by the short video that the Clinton campaign showed on the widescreen before the pre-sumptive nominee delivered her speech.

“This means that girls can run for president, and they can be-come president of the United States in the future,” Dela Cruz said.

Sanders campaign“I would like to congratulate

Sen. Sanders for an extraordinary campaign,” Clinton said, acknowl-edging the Vermont senator’s ca-reer in public service fighting for progressive causes. “Let there be no mistake, Sen. Sanders, his campaign and the vigorous de-bate that we had about how to

raise incomes, reduce inequal-ity, increase upward mobility has been very good for the Democrat-ic Party and America.”

Three hours later, Sanders him-self delivered a speech in Santa Monica, California.

He said that despite the strug-gles, he and his team will bring the fight to Washington, D.C. for the last primary next week and on to Philadelphia, where the Demo-cratic Party will be holding its convention.

“Sanders is a fighter. He has to say that. In a way, because his so-cialist stance has hit full national attention, for him, that is already a win. But he’s not going to win, it will be Hillary,” Lewis said. n

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 10-16, 2016 A�From the Front Page

WET AND WILD. Thousands of supporters of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte brave the downpour during the thanksgiving party at Crocodile Park in Davao City’s Ma-a District last Saturday, June 4. Duterte repeated his program to push hard against crime, particularly drug trafficking, and corruption in government agencies. Inquirer.net photo by Edwin Bacasmas

“It is an epidemic and the per-petrators are targeting the most vulnerable in our communities,” said NAM executive director Sandy Close. “Information is the best defense for people not to be victimized. We’re all vulnerable to being scammed.”

Terrell McSweeny, FTC com-missioner, said that a lot of scams and fraudulent activities are un-derreported, sometimes unde-tected. These scams range from impostor scams, debt collection, debt relief, mortgage modifica-tions and student loans.

Due to a variety of reasons – ranging from fear or shame, or even their immigration status, people are reluctant to report these scams when they get vic-timized.

McSweeny encourages people who have been victimized by scammers to come out.

“You should tell your story, come out and report it. It is very challenging and very hard to talk about being defrauded but your story might help other people to avoid being defrauded and vic-timized as well,” she said.

Jane Azia, chief of the Bureau of Consumer Fraud and Protec-tion under the New York Attorney General’s office, echoed this sen-timent.

“People should not be embar-rassed about being victimized as we’re all vulnerable. File a com-plaint if you believe you have been victimized,” she said.

She also warned people to be

wary and always be on the look-out.

“Do not trust someone just be-cause they are part of your com-munity or they speak the same lan-guage,” Azia said. “Do not blindly trust, learn how to say no and don’t sign any contract easily.”

And for people who owe the In-ternal Revenue Service?

“If you owe the government money, they will send you a let-ter but they will not call you or threaten you with deportation,” she said.

The US Department of Treasury and IRS have posted warnings on their websites about phone sams by operators using their agen-cies’ names. Neither of them will contact consumers by phone to demand money or threaten legal action.

Next time you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from one of these agencies, de-manding money or threatening legal action, do not engage in a conversation with the caller and hang up the phone.

Top ScamsAccording to the FTC, 10.8%

of US adults are victimized by scams.

William Efron, FTC’s director for its Northeast Regional office, explained that FTC maintains a national database which includes all these fraud complaints.

In 2015, FTC received 1.2 mil-lion complaints about fraud and where victims lost an estimated $765 million.

For scams in New York region,

Panel urges victims to report scams…top on the list is debt collection, with more than 25,000 New York-ers filing complaints, which has led to the cracking down on these unlawful debt collectors who use abusive tactics.

Among the other scams New Yorkers reported are impostor scams, telephone and mobile ser-vices, banks and lenders, shop-at-home and catalog sales.

Camille Mackler, director of legal initiatives at New York Im-migration Coalition, cited numer-ous reasons why members of the immigrant communities do not

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tial bilateral investment treaty be-tween China and America, some-thing which both countries have recognized as a goal, according to WSJ. The deal is currently stalled on a “negative list,” which names Chinese industries that would re-main barred to foreign investors. There are currently 40 sectors identified on that list; American officials would like to see that number reduced.

US Secretary of State John Ker-ry restated the administration’s preference for a peaceful resolu-tion of tensions in the South China Sea. The PRC has asserted sover-eignty in the region and built arti-ficial islands and military bases in areas claimed by the Philippines and four other southeast asian

countries. Kerry urged officials in Beijing to avoid unilateral actions and submit to diplomacy and the rule of law on Monday at the S&ED, according to USA today.

Chinese military development and naval patrols at Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands have pushed Filipinos off of fish-ing grounds, trade routes and un-tapped oil deposits. In 2013, the administration of Philippine Pres-ident Benigno S. Aquino III filed complaint against China to the United Nations’ Permanent Court of Arbitration. The Philippine gov-ernment cited the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in its arguments to the Hague. The UNCLOS states that nations retain jurisdiction over open waters extending 12 nauti-

cal miles from their borders.Chinese officials deny the Phil-

ippines’ legal standing to make a complaint, and did not submit arguments to the UN. They say the issue of territorial sovereignty is beyond the scope of the UN-CLOS, and say the Philippines’ petition violates international law, according to China Daily. Chinese leaders say they will not honor a verdict issued by the Hague that does not honor their claims, RT news reported.

In May, two Chinese fighter jets provided unrequested escort of a US patrol plane flying in the region. According to USA Today, that incident suggests that China might consider imposing an air defense zone over the South Chi-

US, China officials discuss sea…

so-called “4th Servers.”Amorado said they have already

asked the Comelec to preserve and secure any and all servers, as well as other related IT equipment used in the elections.

Meanwhile, during the prelimi-nary investigation, Smartmatic asked for ten more days to file their answer to the complaint filed.

Amorado explained that respon-dents charged for the violation of the Cybercrime Law now pending before the Manila Prosecutors’ Of-fice face possible jail sentences of six to 12 years if found guilty.

Charged for the violation of Section 4(a) of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 or R.A. 10175 were Smartmatic person-nel Marlon Garcia, a Venezuelan

national and head of the technical support team; Elie Moreno, an Is-raeli national and project director; Neil Banigued and Mauricio Her-rera both members of the Techni-cal Support Team and Comelec IT experts led by Rouie Peñalba, Nelson Herrera and Frances Mae Gonzalez who are all assigned at the Information Technology De-partment (ITD).

“Our main allegation is that in the night of May 9, 2016 during the time when the transmission was already in progress, they opened the system and introduced the new script without permission from the owner of the system, which is Comelec,” said Amorado.

Earlier, the camp of Marcos said that shortly after the suspicious introduction of the new script the

senator’s lead over his closest ri-val, Leni Robredo, in the vice pres-idential race began dropping until he was eventually overtaken.

The Church-based election watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) also urged the Comelec to look into the allegations of poll fraud.

“For the credibility of the elec-tions, all protests and claims ac-companied by evidence should be looked into seriously,” PPCRV Chairperson Henrietta de Villa said in a statement. “So Comelec must investigate. Claimants of cheat-ing must have hard and strong evidence to back their claims. If proven guilty, cheaters must be punished heavily and swiftly. [The] PPCRV stands on the side of the truth and the law.” n

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Immigration Services (USCIS) will allow certain Filipino World War II veteran family members who are beneficiaries of approved family-based immigrant visa petitions an opportunity to seek a discretionary grant of parole, on a case-by-case basis.

According to DHS, this mea-sure would allow approved family members to come to the United States while they wait for their visa to become available.

“This effort to ease family reuni-fication is long overdue, but it is the right thing to do for the heroic Filipino WWII veterans who aided America in our hour of need. Our Filipino WWII veterans fought selflessly and valiantly for America and for that, we owe them a debt of gratitude,” said Schumer. “This measure reunites Filipino veter-ans and their family members with their loved ones abroad by expedi-tiously allowing them to come to the United States.”

In 1941, Filipinos in the United States began to enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces, and formed the First and Second Filipino Infan-try Regiments. Today, nearly 18,000 of the 300,000 Filipino sol-diers who fought in World War II are living in the United States and the Philippines. Their courageous contribution attests to the Allied victory in the Pacific.

Filipino veterans were granted citizenship in recognition of their service to the United States during World War II. Many of their chil-dren, however, were not. Due to backlogs in the U.S. immigration system, it can take more than 20 years for immigration applications to be reviewed.

The brave Filipinos who sup-ported the U.S. during World War II consisted of soldiers, scouts and guerrillas whose persistence and commitment to the country made

Senate Democrats announce...them invaluable members of the Armed Forces. Filipino soldiers participated in a myriad of mili-tary operations, including infantry combat, intelligence, sabotage, demolition, and reconnaissance.

“The Filipino American Demo-cratic Club of New York is proud to support our Senator, Charles E. Schumer as he announces this landmark and historic policy for Filipino WWII Veterans, finally al-lowing them to be reunited with their loved ones from abroad,” said Aries Dela Cruz, president of the Filipino American Democratic Club of New York.

Under the USCIS Filipino World War II Veterans Parole (FWVP) Policy, Filipino veterans whose service has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense, or their surviving spouses, may apply to bring their children to the United States. The policy will allow families, some of whom have been waiting decades, to be together in the United States while their appli-cations are processed.

“This is an example of what hap-pens when our community comes together to demand action for our Filipino WWII veterans,” Dela Cruz added. “Our club is proud to have endorsed Senator Schumer for the New York Congressional Primary on June 28 because he under-stands the needs and concerns of our community, and we call on all Filipino Americans to support our efforts to re-elect him to the United States Senate.”

The policy will go into effect for applications submitted beginning June 8th. Schumer says that pro-spective applicants should contact his office with any questions or concerns throughout the applica-tion process. Eligible individuals are encouraged to request parole under the program within the next five years. Details can be found at http://www.uscis.gov/fwvp. (Momar G. Visaya/AJPress)

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Duterte: I do not condone...killed in Maguindanao during a politically-motivated attack against Esmael Mangudadatu, who was a mayoral candidate for the town of Buluan. Several members of the Ampatuan family have been ac-cused of the mass murder plot.

Meanwhile, Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expres-sion David Kaye argued that the incoming president’s statement “can be understood as a permis-

sive signal to potential killers that the murder of journalists is accept-able in certain circumstances and would not be punished.”

These statements come after a press conference on Tuesday, May 31, where a reporter asked Duterte how he would handle the problem of journalists being murdered in the country.

He responded by saying, “Just because you are a journalist, you

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JUNE 10-16, 2016 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426A� Dateline USa

First Lady Michelle Obama hugs two students as they get ready to eat a meal they prepared following the spring harvest of the White House Kitchen Garden on Monday, June 6, 2016. White House photo by Amanda Lucidon

ing Duterte administration and NDFP will meet in Oslo, Norway to tackle the agenda for the resump-tion of the peace negotiations next month.

The Duterte administration would be represented by incom-ing peace adviser Jesus Dureza, incoming labor secretary Silvestre Bello and former Pangasinan Rep. Hernani Braganza. The NDFP,

meanwhile, will be represented by Sison, Agcaoili, chief negotia-tor Luis Jalandoni, Julie de Lima-Sison, Connie Ledesma and two lawyers.

Formal negotiations between the Philippine government and the NDFP collapsed in 2013 af-ter negotiators failed to reach an agreement on jailed rebel lead-ers.

NDFP said the rebels should be

freed because the government is a signatory of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guaran-tees (JASIG), which prohibits the arrest and detention of peace con-sultants.

Government negotiators, how-ever, rejected the demand, saying the identities of rebels who are supposedly performing duties for the NDFP peace panel cannot be validated. n

US may order Sison’s arrest while on…PAGE A2 t

na Sea, a move John Kerry said would be a “provocative and de-stabilizing act.” The two countries are currently “developing rules of behavior,” with respect to ship to ship encounters in the sea, ac-cording to a statement from the US State Department.

At the close of the meeting Chi-nese and American officials had agreed to intensify dialogue on Asia-Pacific concerns and work to enhance cooperation at multi-lateral talks. Both sides said they would “promote international law, including the UN Charter,” ac-cording to the state department’s statement.

However, military leaders from the PRC have struck a defiant tone on the matter in the past.

““We do not make trouble, but we have no fear of trouble,” said PRC Admiral Sun Jianguo at a major security summit held in Singapore on Sunday. He added “China will not … allow any in-fringement on its sovereignty and security interest,” and ac-cused other countries of causing “chaos” in the South China Sea, according to CNBC.

Both the American and Chi-nese governments condemned nuclear weapons testing con-ducted by the Democratic Peo-ple’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), according to a statement issued by the US Department of State. The two major powers reaffirmed their cooperative commitments to combat the proliferation of nuclear testing, terrorism and

cybercrime.With only a few months re-

maining in the current adminis-tration’s tenure, members of the president’s cabinet are expected to focus on foreign investment, the glut of industrial goods, cli-mate change and other matters in which compromises will be easier to negotiate, according to CNBC. The thornier topics of Chi-nese currency volatility and terri-torial claims in the South China Sea will likely be inherited by the next presidential administration. US officials were in Beijing from June 5 until June 7 before trav-eling to a similar event in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on June 8, and Jeddah Saudi Arabia on June 9. (Eric Anthony Licas / AJPress)

US, China officials discuss territorial…PAGE A3 t

NEW YORK, NY — The Center for the Study of Asian Ameri-can Health (CSAAH), located at NYU Langone Medical Center, is now entering the second year grant awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prevent cardiovascular disease in Asian Americans liv-ing in the New York/ New Jersey metropolitan area by increasing access to healthy foods and cul-turally tailored health coaching efforts to improve high blood pressure management.

CSAAH, funded as a compre-hensive site, have launched the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health for Asian Americans (REACH FAR) pro-gram in March 2015. Key part-ners include: UNITED SIKHS, Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Inc.; Kalusugan Coalition, the Dia-betes Research, Education, and Action for Minorities (DREAM) Coalition; the Asian & Pacific Is-lander American Health Forum; APartnership; and the NYC De-partment of Health and Mental Hygiene.

As part of the REACH FAR Grant, Kalusugan Coalition have sub-partnered with well estab-lished multi-sector including the Philippine Nurses Association of New York, Inc, a Filipino-Ameri-can professional nursing organi-zation, faith-based organizations (Bayanihan Seventh Day Adven-tist, Elmhurst Baptist Church, Ye-shua Worldwide Ministries), local

Kalusugan Coalition Year partners with NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health in fighting high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease

Program aims to improve health and reduce health disparitiesrestaurants (Payag Restaurant, Tito Rad’s Grill Restaurant and Kabayan Restaurant) and local and state governmental agencies.

Through the REACH FAR Grant Project, Kalusugan Coalition to-gether with its sub-partners will implement several key strate-gies to fight high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease in Filipino-American communities. These strategies include working closely with: 1. Faith-based orga-nizations to improve nutrition of its members by serving healthier foods during communal meals; 2. Filipino-American restaurants to offer healthy menu options to its customers; 3.Promoting million hearts initiative in partnership with community organization; and 4. The NYC Department of Health to offer health coaching efforts in faith-based organi-zations to improve high blood pressure management among its Filipino-American congregants. The scope of this particular proj-ect will be in the Filipino Ameri-can Community in the Borough of Queens in New York City, New York.

“This REACH FAR project will advance the Million Hearts® initiative in Asian American communities particularly in the Filipino-American community by promoting culturally and linguistically meaningful ways of increasing access to healthy foods and beverages and health-care services” said Dr. Nadia Is-lam, Principal Investigator of the

REACH FAR Project. “Working with a diverse range of stake-holders - community partners, governmental agencies, faith-based organizations, and local businesses - will be crucial to ensuring the changes we imple-ment are relevant and sustain-able.”

The Racial and Ethnic Ap-proaches to Community Health (REACH) award is part of a U.S. Department of Health and Hu-man Services (HHS) initiative to support public health efforts to reduce chronic diseases to pro-mote healthier lifestyles, reduce health disparities, and control health care spending. Overall, HHS awarded $35 million in new grant awards to 49 local agen-cies and organizations. REACH, a CDC program that began in 1999, focuses on racial and eth-nic communities experiencing health disparities. Seventeen or-ganizations are receiving funds for basic implementation activi-ties; 32 additional organizations are receiving funds as compre-hensive sites to immediately ex-pand their scope of work to im-prove health and reduce health disparities. REACH is financed in part by the Prevention and Public Health Fund of the Afford-able Care Act.

To learn more about the Center for the Study of Asian American Health’s prevention and wellness projects, visit http://asian-health.med.nyu.edu/, and interact with us on Facebook, and Twitter. n

THE United States cooperates with efforts by the Philippine gov-ernment to fight crime and protect its citizens against such threats but the measures have to be carried out within the bounds of law, a US Embassy official in Manila said.

The official made the state-ment when asked for comments on incoming President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-crime drive, in-cluding his call on the public to make citizen’s arrests when faced particularly with drug traffickers caught in the act and to shoot them if they fight back and resist arrest.

Earlier, the former crime-crush-ing mayor of Davao City said in a nationally televised speech: “If he fights, and he fights to the death, you can kill him… Do it yourself if you have the gun…you have my support.”

In a text message to The Ma-nila Times on Wednesday, Emma Nagy, press attaché of the US Em-bassy in Manila, said, “The rule of law is fundamental to the peace and prosperity of any country.”

US ENVOY’S COMMENT ON DUTERTE ‘KILL’ ORDER

US backs anti-crime drive, but ‘within law’“The United States cooperates

with all Philippine law enforce-ment agencies to protect Philip-pine citizens against criminal threats, including drug smuggling, trafficking in persons, financial crimes and trademark violations,” she added.

Other embassies sought for comment gave no response.

The United Nations earlier slammed the tough-talking politi-cian for supposedly instigating deadly violence, especially against journalists, when he justified the killing of media men who did “anything wrong.”

UN Special Rapporteur on sum-mary executions Christof Heyns said Duterte’s recent remarks are “irresponsible in the extreme, and unbecoming of any leader.”

UN Special Rapporteur on free-dom of expression David Kaye said, “Justifying the killing of journalists on the basis of how they conduct their professional activities can be understood as a permissive signal to potential killers that the murder of journalists is acceptable in cer-tain circumstances and would not be punished.”

A report from US-based Com-

mittee to Protect Journalists stated that the Philippines, where at least 75 journalists have been killed since 1992, is the second-deadli-est country for journalists.

In a separate statement, Kurt Hoyer, spokesman for the US Em-bassy in Manila, said Washington will defend press freedom.

“The United States values an open and free press and we will continue to speak out regularly to defend the rights of the press. Our position on the protection of jour-nalists and the rule of law is very clear,” he added.

British Ambassador to Manila Asif Ahmad said the United King-dom is “totally committed to the elimination and condemnation” of the killing of journalists.

“There is a huge responsibility for any office holder to show re-spect for the office that they hold and respect for the people that they have the privilege to govern for,” he added in an interview.

“As President Duterte, we ex-pect (of him) a different tone be-cause everything he says will be on behalf of the nation. This is not an issue where he is speaking per-sonally,” Ahmad said. n

by Michael Joe T. DelizoManilaTimes.net

are not exempted from assassi-nation if you are a son of a b*tch. Freedom of expression cannot help you if you have done some-thing wrong.”

He went on to say that freedom of expression does not protect a journalist if he or she criticizes a person’s character.

Responding to the special rap-porteurs on Wednesday, June 8, Duterte said “go home and get some sleep,” alleging that they were “anchored on the wrong premise.”

“I never said that killing journal-ists is justified because they are involved in corruption,” he said. “What I said is that you don’t have to be a journalist to be the subject of an assassination.”

As president, Duterte noted that it is his duty to “uphold and enforce the law” and be “protec-tive of the rights of journalists, and for that matter of any citizen, of the Republic.”

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also weighed in on the con-troversy.

In a statement released on the UN’s website on Wednesday, Ban

PAGE A3 t

Duterte: I do not condone... cept bribes, those who serve as a “mouthpiece of vested interests” and those who accept “money from illegal sources…whose greed is unlimited.”

He also criticized the UN for not solving “the Middle East carnage” and its supposed inability to “lift a finger in Africa.”

‘No ambush interviews’ Known for his unfiltered speak,

Duterte said he would no longer grant interviews until his term ends to avoid criticism and “wrong statements.”

“If there are interviews, there will be many mistakes, there will be many criticisms. So no inter-view, no criticism, no wrong state-ments, no nothing,” he said when interviewed in Davao on Monday, June 6.

The incoming president later clarified his comments, saying he meant no more “ambush inter-views.

“It was not an interview. An am-bush to which I replied that I will not allow interviews anymore now or in the future. That will be the drill until the last day of my term of office,” he said.

Duterte, who led Davao as may-or for over two decades, will be sworn into the presidency on June 30.

reiterated his commitment to “de-fend the rights of journalists and to do everything possible, publicly and privately, to ensure that jour-nalists have the freedom to work.”

Ban said he was “extremely disturbed” by the former Davao mayor’s remarks.

“I unequivocally condemn his apparent endorsement of extraju-dicial killing, which is illegal and a breach of fundamental rights and freedoms. Such comments are of particular concern in light of on-going impunity for serious cases of violence against journalists in the Philippines,” the secretary-general said. “I will also continue to stand up for the rights of jour-nalists and their defenders to be represented here at the United Nations.”

Despite calls to apologize last week, Duterte instead dared the media to boycott him.

“Don’t threaten me, boycott, boycott!” he said, adding “I do not care if no one is covering me. Do not threaten me, I said I’m ready to lose the presidency, my honor or my life. Just do not f— with me.”

He described three kinds of journalists — those who do not ac-

Kalusugan Coalition Board Members at the Philippine Independence Day Parade in NY last Sunday, June 5.

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 10-16, 2016 A�

Dateline PhiliPPines

MANILA—The Senate failed to resolve the controversy sur-rounding the $81 million stolen by hackers from the Bangladesh Bank account at the New York Federal Reserve Bank.

Citing time constraints, Sen-ate President Franklin Drilon said the plenary failed to discuss the committee report made by Blue Ribbon chairman Sen. Teo-fisto Guingona III on the money laundering activity involving the amount stolen from the foreign banks.

Guingona filed a committee re-port but this was not presented during plenary session before Congress adjourned last Mon-day.

The report was accepted by the Senate Bills and Index sec-tion, which means it would likely end up at the Senate archives.

“The problem is these were filed after we adjourned and end-ed the 16th Congress. So that’s the technical problem. There is no more session to which these could be referred, but we re-ceived the reports,” Drilon said in a weekly media forum in Ma-nila.

Drilon said the incoming 17th Congress can choose to reopen the probe.

Drilon, however, explained the contents of the Senate Blue Ribbon report are not binding on the new batch of lawmakers who will comprise the 17th Congress which opens on July 25.

“No, they can not pull it out. It has to go through another hear-ing. In other words the 17th Con-gress cannot adopt that report. It has to be re-filed, a new resolu-tion would have to be filed, we

No Senate resolution of $81-M Bangladesh bank heist

by Christina MendezPhilstar.com

have to go through hearings,” Drilon said.

“Of course, in the hearings, you can adopt the testimonies of the resource persons and call for additional resource persons if the committee wishes to do it. But the technical problem is that there was no more Senate when it was filed,” he added.

Drilon said the money-laun-dering issue is considered “unre-solved” at the Senate “because of lack of time.”

In the same forum, Drilon said the proposals to amend or review the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) are among the priorities he wants to push in the next Con-gress.

“We will also review and amend the Anti-Money Laundering Act. There were bills on the last days of our session on the amendment of the AMLA, particularly on the inclusion of casinos. We will take that up when we come back. That is an item that will be on our

front burner,” Drilon said.Drilon added he is also open

to look into the calls to reimpose the death penalty due to loop-holes in the justice system. But he maintained his stand against the death penalty.

“I am against the re-imposi-tion of the death penalty, but I am willing to listen. We are will-ing to listen to both sides of the spectrum,” he said.

“Personally I am against it be-cause basically, I see an imper-fect justice system where errors can be committed. When you send an innocent man into the death chamber that is a mistake that cannot be corrected. That is my position,” he added.

He also vowed to push for the amendments to the Juvenile De-linquency Act, the possible shift to federal form of government and the institutionalization of the Pan-tawid Pampamilya Program, as well as the adjustment of the in-come tax brackets for workers. n

MANILA—After over a week of confinement due to pneu-monia, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago was discharged from the Makati Medical Center on Tuesday afternoon, a statement released by the senator’s office said.

Santiago contracted pneu-

Miriam Santiago discharged from hospitalmonia due to complications brought by her stage 4 lung cancer.

While under confinement, she thanked her support-ers for praying for her speedy recovery. She said she is re-thinking her political life.

“I was buoyed by the Face-

book messages. I fully intend to recover, and I am rethinking the political life. It is very soul-devas-tating,” the senator said.

Santiago is on her last term as senator. She ran but lost to pres-ident-elect Rodrigo Duterte in the May presidential elections. (Christina Mendez/Philstar.com)

FROM his lofty status at second place in 2015, Manny Pacquiao plunged to No. 63 in Forbes’ list of highest paid athletes for this year.

Pacquiao owed his high ranking last year to his megabuck show-down with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May last year, which ended up as boxing’s richest fight ever. The Filipino lost that fight, and an in-jured shoulder forced him to sit out the rest of 2015.

“Pacquiao’s fight with Floyd Mayweather in May 2015 set ev-ery financial record in the history of boxing, including PPV buys (4.6 million), gate ($73 million) and total revenue ($600 million), and rewarded him with a $125 million payday,” Forbes wrote in its entry on Pacquiao.

For this year, however, Pac-quiao fought only once – defeat-ing Timothy Bradley in April – be-fore announcing his retirement.

MANILA—The alleged exces-sive phone and Internet bills of members of President Aquino’s communications group as de-clared by the Commission on Audit (COA) are justifiable under the circumstances, a Palace offi-cial said.

Outgoing Presidential Com-munications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. defended the expenses incurred by the News and Information Bu-reau (NIB), which is under his di-rect control and supervision.

“The NIB responded to the audit observation. It needed ev-erything that could be used to connect to the Internet in order to perform its mandate of dis-seminating correct and timely information to the public and concerned government officials,” Coloma said in Filipino.

State auditors discovered in 2015 nearly a million expenses attributable to the NIB – which handles the administration’s news coverage and media rela-tions concerns.

The COA warned that such un-checked spending might violate auditing rules and regulations.

State auditors said the NIB spent too much on mobile phone and Internet subscriptions last year. Although they admitted there was no written policy on the issuance and utilization of postpaid plans and prepaid mo-

Palace defends news bureau’s ‘excessive’ phone, Internet bills

by delon PorCallaPhilstar.com

bile allowances, this indicated lapses on internal control.

“Analysis of all paid disburse-ment vouchers related to these transactions amounting to P939,350.45 in 2015 showed that NIB had 34 postpaid plans grant-ed to its officials and employees and allowed reimbursement of prepaid mobile allowances to its field employees assigned in the Philippine News Agency,” the COA report said.

It said the postpaid plans var-ied from P1,000 to P3,500 per month, with one plan worth P5,000 per month. Scrutiny of the statement of accounts showed the actual utilization of several postpaid plans exceeded the ap-proved plan per month.

“These were still allowed and paid by NIB despite the absence of required justification by the end-users,” state auditors said.

The audit team said there was no ceiling for the reimburse-ments made for the mobile al-lowances of employees and only official receipts, regardless of the amount, were required to sup-port the reimbursements.

“Since the NIB does not have written policy on the issuance and utilization of postpaid plans and prepaid mobile allowances, this privilege is subject to abuse and might result in the incur-rence of unnecessary expenses,” the COA report said.

State auditors said the agency should strengthen its control over postpaid plans and prepaid

mobile allowances by establish-ing written policies to be dis-seminated to all end-users for guidance and compliance.

As for last year’s Internet ex-penses, “the COA report said the NIB spent P1.79 million by sub-scribing to numerous Internet connections that may result to incurrence of unnecessary ex-penses prohibited in COA Circu-lar No. 2012-003 dated Oct. 29, 2012.”

Records showed the agency actually subscribed to three In-ternet service providers (ISPs), holding 49 different accounts with monthly plans ranging from P999 to P25,000.

The NIB told the audit team that the Internet subscriptions were allowed because of the necessity for uninterrupted and faster connections for its opera-tions.

State auditors opined that while the acquisition of separate accounts might have been the immediate solution at the time of necessity, proper planning and consultation with ISPs would likely result in finding a service package that is sufficient for the agency’s needs at a fraction of the cost.

“We recommended that man-agement evaluate the cost-effec-tiveness of all Internet subscrip-tions to optimize the limited resources of NIB and ensure that no unnecessary expenses will be incurred,” the audit team said. n

Pacquiao plummets to No. 63 in Forbes’ list of top paid athletes

by dino MaragayPhilstar.com

Manny Pacquiao

Forbes noted that Pacquiao took home a total of $25 million for this year, including $24 million in sal-ary and $2.5 million in endorse-ments.

The boxer is now a member of the Philippine senate after a suc-cessful run in the May elections.

“Manny Pacquiao says he is retired ‘as of now’ after his April bout with Timothy Bradley where

he banked a $20 million purse plus his cut of Filipino TV mon-ey,” Forbes continued.

“He’s earned $500 million dur-ing this career from purses, pay-per-view and endorsements. Pac-quiao was elected to the Filipino Senate in May after first being elected to the House of Represen-tatives,” it added.

MANILA—Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III vowed that the Senate would still be inde-pendent although the majority had agreed to support the leg-islative agenda of the new ad-ministration.

“We want president (Rodrigo) Duterte to succeed in his agen-da,” Pimentel said, adding that he will also lead the chamber in pursuing efforts to shift the form of government and help the incoming president in the campaign against crime.

Except for senator-elect Joel Villanueva who is abroad, re-elected Sen. Vicente Sotto III said the members of the emerg-ing majority have signed a res-olution signifying support for Pimentel.

Pimentel said the agreement contained the reasons they have banded for a common goal for the country.

Pimentel said he is “now ex-cited to be the orchestra con-ductor” at the Senate.

If Pimentel becomes Senate president, it will be the first time that a father and son have been elected to the post. The senator is the son of former senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr., who was Senate president from 2000 to 2001 during the 11th

Congress.Although Senate President

Franklin Drilon said the agree-ment is virtually cast in stone, Pimentel hopes that his col-leagues will keep their support until the 17th Congress starts on July 25.

Speaking at the weekly Ka-pihan sa Manila Bay hosted by The STAR associate editor Mar-ichu Villanueva, Drilon revealed Pimentel now has the support of 17 senators, excluding Sens. Alan Cayetano, Cynthia Villar and Joseph Victor Ejercito, and senators-elect Richard Gordon and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Senator-elect and boxing champ Manny Pacquiao, who had early signified support for Cayetano, had jumped to Pi-mentel’s camp. According to Pi-mentel, Pacquiao had explained to his colleagues his change of heart.

Drilon announced the un-precedented alliance after the senators reached an agreement to support Pimentel, leaving another Duterte ally –Cayetano – out in the cold.

As part of the agreement, Drilon will not contest the Sen-ate presidency. Drilon will slide down to Senate president pro-tempore, replacing Sen. Ralph

Recto, while Sotto will regain his post as majority leader.

Drilon is bringing with him the entire LP bloc and some allies, including Sens. Recto, Bam Aquino, Leila de Lima, Vil-lanueva, Francis Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros of Akbayan.

Asked why they chose to sup-port Pimentel, the lone mem-ber of PDP-Laban that fielded Duterte as president, Drilon said they were united in sup-porting the legislative agenda of the new administration.

“We did not bow. Those are provocative adjectives. We de-cided on Koko. He is very quali-fied. We want to show support, in general, for the legislative agenda of the Duterte admin-istration, as we recognized that they have the mandate of the people,” he said.

Extending hand of coopera-tion

Pimentel said he is ready to extend his hand of friendship and cooperation to Cayetano and his team, including Zubiri with whom he figured in an election protest in the past.

In separate interviews, Pi-mentel and Drilon noted that Cayetano could be chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon com-

Senate to remain independent, Koko vowsuPAGE A7

uPAGE A7

report their cases.“For some, there is shame and

fear in coming forward and for others, even if they want to, they don’t know where to go and they don’t see a benefit in reporting,” Mackler said. “One’s immigra-tion status is not relevant in these cases, we just want to catch the perpetrators.”

For those who are harassed by debt collection agencies, Nancy Schindler, associate commission-er of Legal and Regulatory Com-pliance Division at the New York City Department of Consumer Af-

fairs, offers the following tip.“Check (through DCA) if they

are licensed. Debt collection agen-cies should be licensed by the DCA, along with second-hand auto dealers, employment agencies, immigration service providers, tax preparers,” Schindler said.

If they are not listed as licensed, you can report it directly to the DCA. And even if they are listed and you feel that they have gone out of bounds in harassing you, then report the case to the FTC.

Claire Rosenzweig, President and CEO, Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York,

issued a warning to job-seekers to be wary of employment scams, where scam artist attempts to convince the victim that he must pay money as a requirement of employment.

“So far in 2016, nearly 10 per-cent of submissions to BBB’s on-line Scam Tracker tool filed by metro New Yorkers, claim t have been targeted by fake offers of employment,” said Rosenzweig. “Never pay money to an “employ-er” to get a job. Legitimate offers of employment do not require that you pay money for training classes, or anything else.” n

Panel urges victims to report scams…PAGE A3 t

Citing time constraints, Senate President Franklin Drilon said the plenary failed to discuss the committee report made by Blue Ribbon chairman Sen. Teofisto Guingona III on the money laundering activity involving the amount stolen from the foreign banks. Senate photo

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OpiniOn Features

Many emerging markets have already “emerged.” Now that it is no longer the “Sick Man of Asia,” it is high time for the Philippines to experience this and become an integral player in the world economy as well. The country is a good option for its low start-up costs for new businesses, desirable workforce, and geographical proximity to other Asian markets. Foreign investments are more than welcome in the country.

The Philippines’ standing in the International Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) for 2016 has seen a minor setback after falling to 42nd place from 41st last year. This drop comes despite being hailed as the one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

The annual report measures four broad factors in measuring competitiveness—economic per-formance, government efficiency, business effi-ciency and infrastructure. It uses economic data from various international and national sources, as well as an opinion survey in generating over 300 criteria to assess and rank the competitive-ness of nations.

The WCY also suggested that the incoming ad-ministration under President-elect Rodrigo Duterte address these challenges to improve the country’s competitiveness landscape: Secure businesses and communities from conflicts and calamities; Sustain governance reforms at all levels and across administrations; Enhance infra-structure, human capital, and cooperation to re-

duce transaction costs; Develop a competitive business environment to benefit from ASEAN integra-tion and Foster shared prosperity through entrepreneurship and de-

cent employment.Under a new management, with Pres.-elect

Duterte at the helm, the Philippine economy is poised to emerge as an economic prospect and attractive business destination. His economic team is set to meet this month to assess current government forecasts.

Incoming Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said that the incoming government is consider-ing lowering the economic growth targets for the country in the next three years.

“Public spending, especially for public infra-structure, does not affect economic growth in-stantaneously. There is usually a lag. “Second half growth rate will be slower...as the impact of election spending fades. Agricultural sector and exports would continue to be weak,” Diokno re-vealed.

To avoid an economic regression, the incom-ing government should address issues such as weak institutions, poverty and corruption con-tinue to dissuade investors and make exporting in the country challenging.

Breaking through to the next level is all about meeting and exceeding expectations. As auspi-cious as it is. The Philippine economy should no longer settle for minor improvements and find ways to being consistently good rather than great just once in a while. (AJPress) Philstar.com photo

Minor hiccup

Editorial

SEVERAL emerging markets in the world have experienced excep-tional economic strides. These nations are mostly highly export-driv-en with strong inflows of capital and investment and well-capitalized banking institutions.

DONE mocking his opponents in the presi-dential race, The Digong is now using almost every forum to vent his ire on the Church. He has accused the Church of basically two things, hypocrisy and irrelevance, and, the Church, shocked by the audacity of The Digong, has come out with nothing but guarded, timid re-sponses. Never in the history of the Church, dating back to the early years of the Spanish reign, has the institution found itself bombard-ed and helpless.

The minor reason is this. For the first time in the country’s modern history, the elected Pres-ident is not someone the Church and its hier-archy knows. The populist choice in 1998 was Erap Estrada. But despite Erap’s acting back-ground and tough guy image, he was trained by the Jesuits, and the men he named to the Cabinet and important government posts were insiders webbed to the centers of political and economic power. And webbed to the power centers of the Church.

The Digong is a real tough guy whose rise to power was based on narratives he was un-apologetic about—killing criminals, the sum-mary execution of drug dealers and his zero tolerance (whatever means of containing them was OK) toward people involved in the business of crime. All Old Testament narratives of rage, death and fury. His favorite verb is “ kill.” His favorite expression is “galit ako.” The men he named to important posts, who will soon as-

sume frontline and Cabinet-rank positions, have very tan-gential if not zero links to the Church.

His campaign manager and longtime aide was a former priest-turned-rebel, who, dis-gusted by the irrelevance of the official Church in address-ing the plight of those iden-tified in The Sermon on the Mount, dropped his homilies, went underground and carried a gun.

There is nothing, virtually nothing, in the in-stitutional memory of The Digong in which he collaborated with the official Church to tame the excesses of Davao City and govern it ac-cording to his dictum. His colorful personal life and his openness with his many affairs were, in a sense, an open challenge on the basic teach-ings of the Church.

But, as I said, that is just the minor reason. There is a bigger one.

The Church and its intellectuals and theo-reticians cannot counter the message of The Digong. Which is to basically serve the con-stituencies specified in The Sermon on the Mount: the weak, the humble, the afraid and the persecuted, though through methods de-cried in the Ten Commandments. The people (like my neighbors and I) who have nowhere to go and turn to during times of trouble, perse-

cution and scarcity. The Church cannot even invoke that there is another way forward, a Chris-tian way, a civil one and a Godly one. Because there is none.

When, really, was the last time the Church stood for the downtrodden? Reviewing the Church’s high-profile involve-ment in the public affairs, the

most prominent image that comes to mind is this—Cardinal Tagle tearing up after reading the sordid affairs of the Napoles scam. The ac-companying article said that Cardinal Tagle was shocked to see a scandal of that magnitude, at least P10 billion in a SARO-for-cash exchange.

The pork scam was pure and unalloyed evil. It was also unprecedented in the history of a historically compromised Congress. From the part of the cardinal, condemning the pork scam was a moral imperative. After that, many hoped that Cardinal Tagle would use his great and awesome moral authority to indict and con-demn the greatest evil of our time—the control of 40 or so families of the nation’s wealth and our vastly unequal society.

Even Pope Francis has said that inequality “is the defining issue of our time.” In the Phil-ippine context, it skews everything to favor the economic elite. It sucks up GDP gains to further fatten the already immense wealth of these 40 or so families. It is at the root of all things that

cripple the mobility of the sectors below.By refusing to take on the greatest evil of our

time, Cardinal Tagle just collaborated with the efforts of the Aquino administration to paint “corruption” as the only and true evil, the root of the national malaise. With the Church and the so-called “civil society” behind Mr. Aquino, his administration used “corruption” as a wag-the-dog narrative to divert national attention from what Mr. Aquino was really doing—serv-ing the top 1 percent and leaving the 99 per-cent to fend for themselves.

Mr. Aquino raised GDP growth, got credit up-grades and created a class of dollar billionaires that are now classified as “those-who-can-buy-a-small-country-rich.” The understated poverty level of 20-plus percent never moved. In some dying areas of Mindanao, the poverty level was 84 percent, and the ARMM had worse literacy and poverty rates than Idi Amin-wrecked Ugan-da.

Through all these and the unapologetic ser-vice of Mr. Aquino to his true masters—the top 1 percent—the Church was a mute spectator, and, in a sense, an abettor.

So now, as The Digong mocks and taunts the Church for its hypocrisy and irrelevance, he finds no public rebuke and sanction. The Church failed to follow a timeless Church dic-tum—you reap what you sow—and its failings are now haunting the institution. (ManiaTimes.net)

The Church is now haunted by its many failings

Marlen ronquillo

Opinion

CHINA reneged on leaving Scarborough Shoal. That’s Noynoy Aquino’s alibi for los-ing the traditional Fili-pino fishing ground to the militarist neighbor in June 2012. Suppos-edly the United States had brokered a simul-taneous withdrawal of Chinese and Philippine armed vessels. But after the Philippines dutifully departed, China stayed, and that’s that.

Five accusers think otherwise. In a treason rap they implead PNoy for sending Sen. Antonio Trillanes as backchannel to Beijing. Evidence in-dicates that Trillanes gave vital in-formation that emboldened China to grab the shoal. Too, that the senator belittled the US-inspired deal, over-ruled knowledgeable Philippine dip-lomats, and did things on his own without telling PNoy. (See Gotcha, 25 May 2016,http://www.philstar.com/opinion/2016/05/25/1586768/treason-raps-filed-vs...)

“What should we have done there?” PNoy now says about the standoff be-tween one Philippine vessel accost-ing and six Chinese ships defending

Hainanese poachers inside the horseshoe-shaped shoal. “If we engage in hostilities, can we win? Obvi-ously not. But even in that aspect, are we endangering lives un-necessarily?”

PNoy makes no mention of Trillanes’ backchanneling. Why? Answers may lie in the docu-ment.

Cited in the treason charge is “Brady Notes: Aug. 17, 2012,” named after then-Philippine Ambassador to Bei-jing, Sonia Brady. The document im-plies that PNoy amateurishly had side-lined his own foreign secretary, thus letting a megalomaniac with a sinister agenda give away Scarborough.

The “Brady Notes” state that Trillanes believed “there was never any negotiation between the Chinese and the Americans, just a meeting with Kurt Campbell.” For him, Camp-bell, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, “was not a negotiator.”

Trillanes believed he was the sole negotiator. The document states: “The arrangement being looked at by the

senator was one side would leave first then the other side then the next, etc. They were talking about the manner of evacuating the Scarborough. He then received a call from PNoy, saying why are the Chinese still there when there was an agreement for simultaneous withdrawal.”

It so happened that the Chinese ships stayed to claim Scarborough as theirs. Occupation, as they say, is 90 percent of any territorial claim. (See full text inhttp://www.rappler.com/na-tion/12700-enrile,-trillanes-fight-over-china)

* * *In the aftermath of China’s invasion,

Manila filed an arbitration case before the United Nations. The Philippines is seeking a ruling that the UN Con-vention on the Law of the Sea gives it rights over Scarborough. The shoal is 123 miles from Luzon, within the Phil-ippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone, but 900 miles from China’s southernmost Hainan island-province. China claims the shoal by “historic right,” which the UNCLOS forbids. The arbitral tribunal in The Hague is expected to decide in a few weeks in favor of the Philippines.

Incoming foreign secretary Perfecto

Yasay expects China to ignore the rul-ing. He says there would be no other option but bilateral talks.

If that’s his view, then he had bet-ter beware. The Philippines has tried bilateral talks with China many times before, to no avail. Beijing’s commu-nist leaders use bilateral talks only to divert attention from militarist de-signs.

Yasay humbly says he has yet to study the history of the South China Sea dispute. That is the best approach, instead of naiveté or power trip.

He would find out that China as far back as 1989 had planned to grab the entire South China Sea. The then-vice chief of the People’s Liberation Army-Navy unveiled a defense strategy of building a virtual Great Wall along the Pacific Ocean. That defense perimeter consists of two “island chains.” The first extends west of Japan in the East China Sea down to western Philippines in the South China Sea. The second is from the southern tip of Japan down to Papua New Guinea, east of the Philip-pines.

Based on that plan China in 1995 grabbed Mischief Reef, off Palawan, also within the Philippine EEZ and far away from Hainan. Manila tried bilat-

eral talks to make Beijing stop building supposed “fishermen’s shelters against typhoons.” Beijing protracted the talks over the monsoon season, when Phil-ippine Navy ships couldn’t patrol the reef. When the weather cleared, what emerged on Mischief were concrete fortifications, artillery pieces, military communications facilities, a heliport, and a naval base. From there China has since been attempting to grab Sa-bina Shoal, closer to Palawan.

Yasay also must understand the nu-ances of China’s system. The Commu-nist Party is above the state. It first in-stalls a secretary general, then makes him President of the People’s Repub-lic, and ultimately the chairman of the mighty Central Military Commission. That way the communists control the People’s Liberation Army directly as well as through the government.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs is a communist apparatchik from the elite Politburo. But unlike high military commissars, he is not a member of the Standing Committee, much more the seven-man Executive Committee. In effect, Chinese diplomacy is subor-dinate to the military. For China bilat-eral talks can serve as military tactics. (Philstar.com)

Yasay must avoid mistakes of Aquino, Trillanes ‘treason’

Jarius Bondoc

Gotcha

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 10-16, 2016 A�Dateline PhiliPPines

DANGER ZONE. Soldiers patrol the village of Anoling in Camalig town, Albay province, one of the communities inside the 6-km radius permanent danger zone of Mayon Volcano. A party-list lawmaker pushed for schools within the danger zone to be relocated to ensure the safety of students. Inquirer.net photo by Mark Alvic Esplana

Forbes also stressed how Pacquiao’s recent controversial stance on same-sex relations af-fected his endorsements, with Nike among the biggest backers to sever ties with him.

“He was once a marketing dar-ling with companies like Nike, Foot Locker, Hewlett-Packard and Nestle, but companies avoid-ed the eight division world champ after his 2016 comments compar-ing gay people to animals,” the financial media firm said.

For his part, Mayweather, who topped the list last year, dropped to No. 16 with $44 million in earn-ings. He retired after fighting An-dre Berto in September last year.

Football superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi fin-ished at first and second place with total earnings of $88 million and $81.4 million, respectively.

Rounding up the top 10 are NBA superstar LeBron James (No. 3, $77.2 million), tennis star Roger Federer (No. 4, $67.8 million), NBA’s Kevin Durant (No. 5, $56.2 million), Serbian World No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic (No. 6, $55.8 million), NFL star Cam Newton (No. 7, $53.1 million), golfers Phil Mickelson (No. 8, $52.9 million) and Jordan Spieth (No. 9, $52.8 million), and recently retired NBA star Kobe Bryant (No. 10 $50 million). n

Pacquiao plummets to…PAGE A5 t

mittee since no senator has ex-pressed interest.

Pimentel was quick to de-fend the possibility of an ally of Duterte heading the Blue Rib-bon, which conducts inquiries into abuses in government.

“Why, did you ask that same question when Sen. Teofisto Guingona III was appointed to the Blue Ribbon? He was a member of the Liberal Party,” he asked, adding that being a Duterte ally would not be a hin-drance for a senator to do his job as head of the Blue Ribbon committee. Guingona failed in his re-election bid.

Pimentel added that there was no compromise on prin-

ciples following the coalition with other political parties in order for him to bag the Senate presidency.

“There might be compromis-es in terms of first preferences of senators (on committee chairmanships)… just to come up with this super coalition,” Pimentel said. “In terms of principles, there were no com-promises.”

Initially, Pimentel said the Senate finance committee will likely be retained by Sen. Loren Legarda, while returning sena-tor Panfilo Lacson would be heading the committee on pub-lic order and dangerous drugs. (Christina Mendez, Alexis Romero/Philstar.com)

Senate to remain independent...PAGE A5 t

Ernest Bower

AN expert from US-based think tank has stated that the United States government will be closely watching every move by Presi-dent-elect Rodrigo Duterte, espe-cially during his first 100 days in office.

Furthermore, Duterte’s re-sponse to the upcoming ruling of a United Nations tribunal court on the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China over South China Sea will be monitored as well.

Ernest Bower, a nonresident senior adviser for the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Stud-ies said that the relationship be-tween the United States and Phil-ippines were strengthened during Pres. Benigno Aquino III’s admin-istration.

“It is ironic that we are watch-ing because if you ask leaders in Washington right now, they would say the US-Philippine rela-tionship is at a high point,” Bower said.

Observation periodBower noted that it is a wait-

and-see period for the country until Duterte assumes his position on June 30.

Bower was a speaker at a symposium on “Asia-Pacific Per-spectives on Implementing the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA),” which was held at National Defense College of the Philippines at Camp Agui-naldo in Quezon City on Tuesday, June 7.

EDCA’s importance on the US-Philippines ties remains high, especially to address China’s pursuit of nearly all reefs and ar-tificial islands in the South China

US to strictly monitor Duterte administrationif China proceeds in the construc-tion of an artificial island on Scar-borough Shoal.

Sun insisted that the patrols in the South China Sea were a dis-play of “military muscles” while stressing that China was being forced to accept and honor the tribunal’s ruling.

“China firmly opposes such be-havior. We do not make trouble, but we have no fear of trouble,” Sun said.

China has claimed almost ev-ery reef and artificial islands in the South China Sea, despite protests from neighboring countries like thePhilippines and Vietnam. The Scarborough Shoal is one of the contested territories, wherein China was reported to construct an outpost,230 kilometers off the coast of Zambales province, and is part of the Philippines’’ exclu-sive economic zone (EEZ).

During his visit to Mongolia, US Secretary of State John Kerry issued a warning against Bei-jing on setting up an air defense identification zone over the dis-puted waters, stating it would be a “provocative and destabilizing act.”

Admiral Sun however, reiter-ated that China wants to solve the dispute with the Philippines bilat-erally and said that the country is open to communication with in-coming President Duterte.

“China has the patience and wisdom to settle any disputes through dialogue. We also believe the related countries have the wis-dom and patience to make peace. I’ve always believed that shaking hands is better than clenching fists.” Sun said. (Ian Jamotillo/ AJPress)

THE Commission on Elec-tions (Comelec) has extended the deadline for the submission of the campaign expenses and funding sources of local and na-tional candidates until Wednes-day, June 8.

Among the presidential can-didates, only Mar Roxas failed to submit his Statement of Contri-butions and Expenditure (SOCE), which could cost him a fine of P10,000 or P30,000. Liberal Party (LP) Spokesperson Barry Gutier-rez said that Roxas has asked the poll body for a 14-day extension to file his SOCE.

Grace Poe, who placed third in the presidential race, was the biggest spender among the candi-dates with P510,845,262.56, with campaign contributions reach-ing at P511,950,000. Poe is fol-lowed by Jejomar Binay, Rodrigo Duterte, and Miriam Santiago, who spent the least with only P74,652,689.87.

For the vice presidential bets, Vice Pres.-elect Leni Ro-bredo has the most spend-ing with P418,664,130.60; with P423,163,737.34 in contributions. She was fol-lowed by Chiz Escudero, with P321,014,827.64.

Poe, Robredo among top campaign spenders, Comelec says

Grace Poe Leni Robredo

Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista pointed out that the accu-racy and truthfulness of the infor-mation is more important than de-claring what the candidates spent for their campaigns.

“The mere filing of SOCE does not mean that the information is correct. It’s a formal requirement and if it’s already posted then we will give you that certificate of for-mal compliance. But the numbers can still be altered.” Bautista said.

The SOCE not only includes the declaration of campaign spending, but mandates candidates to file sources of contributions involving the donor’s personal details and

Sea. EDCA allows US troops to build facilities for equipment stor-age and intensify humanitarian security and disaster response operations, in addition to giving broad access to Philippine mili-tary bases.

Not afraid of US interventionMeanwhile, China remains re-

mained unabated despite the ap-parent intervention of the United States.

A day after US Defense Secre-tary Ashton Carter issued a warn-ing over a Chinese construction on Scarborough Shoal, China said it is not afraid of “trouble” over its claim in the waters of South China Sea.

“The South China Sea issue has become overheated because of the provocations of certain countries for their own selfish in-terests,” China’s Adm. Sun Jian-guo said in a security summit in Singapore.

Carter, on the other hand, presented a stronger bilateral security cooperation with China to prevent collateral damage but declined to elaborate over what “actions” Washington might take

contributed amount as well. It also sets spending limits for candi-dates and political parties — with the President and Vice President allowed to spend P10 per regis-tered voter. (AJPress)

Enrile: Old politicians fade awayTHE last session day at

the Senate saw nine sena-tors bowing out, including minority leader Juan Ponce Enrile who served as a leg-islator for 27 years.

Enrile, the oldest sena-tor, served four terms in the Senate. He was also a congressman for three years.

“I would like to thank all of my colleagues and all those people that worked with me and beg their for-bearance and understand-ing if in the heat of debate, I somehow helped them unwittingly or displeased them,” the veteran law-maker said.

Enrile, 92, noted that he tried his best to serve

the people.“Like what McArthur said, old soldiers never die, they just fade

away. I would say today, my last appearance in this chamber, old politicians never die, they will just fade away. My head was bloodied but never bowed,” he said.

Enrile was among the nine outgoing senators who were commended by the chamber during its last session.

The others were Senators Pia Cayetano, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Teofisto Guingona III, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Sergio Osmeña III, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Lito Lapid.

by Jeff AntipordAManilaTimes.net

Saying that “old politicians never die, they will just fade away,” Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile thanks his colleagues during his valedictory speech, Monday, June 6. Senate photo by Joe Arazas

JUNE 10-16, 2016 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426A�

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PhiliPPine indePendenceas history tells it

On June 12, 1898, General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the Philippines’ independence from Spanish colonial rule and established a provincial government that he eventually headed. However, prior to his proclamation, Aguinaldo was in exile and only made arrangements with United States authorities to return to his country and assist them with their fight against Spain.

Spain colonized the Philippines in the 16th century and was opposed by Filipino priests, as Spaniards dominated the Roman Catholic churches in the islands. By the late 19th century, many Filipinos — not just the plain folk but middle-class citizens as well — began calling for independence.

The Katipunan and Aguinaldo’s exile

A secret revolutionary society was formed in Manila in 1892 called “Katipunan.” Many immediately joined in, and when the Spanish discovered the group’s plans for rebellion in 1896, the Katipunan was forced to fight them prematurely. In 1897, Aguinaldo became leader of the rebellion.

Many Filipinos see Aguinaldo as an important figure in Philippine history. However, some see him as a sell out when he went into exile in Hong Kong. With the Katipunan rebels unprepared for its battle against the Spanish, Aguinaldo negotiated an agreement with the colonizers in exchange for financial

compensation and a promise of reform in the Philippines. When he and his generals departed, the Philippine Revolution temporarily ended.

The Spanish-American WarSpain was also trying to take

over Cuba that time and in April 1898, the Spanish-American War started. The US won a series of victories against Spain, including when Commodore George Dewey led the annihilation of the Spanish Pacific fleet at the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898.

When Aguinaldo came out of exile, he rallied his revolutionaries and began liberating towns. Thinking that the country has achieved its complete freedom from colonizers, he proclaimed Philippine independence on June 12.

Also, the Spanish commander who was surrounded in Manila by both the Filipino rebels and Dewey’s squadron, demanded two conditions for his surrender: First, the US will advance into the capital and make it look like a battle, and second, under no conditions were the Filipino rebels be allowed into the city.

So, the mock Battle of Manila was stage, and the Americans kept their promise to keep the rebels out of the city.

From one colonizer to another

So while the Americans occupied Manila and discussed peace negotiations with Spain, Aguinaldo organized the Malolos revolutionary assembly in

September. In January 1899, The first democratic constitution in Asia was drew up and a government was formed wherein Aguinaldo was President.

The Philippine Insurrection began in February 4, when Filipino rebels and US troops fought inside American lines in Manila. Two days later, after 300 years of Spanish colonial rule, the Philippines became a US territory — in exchange for $20 million as compensation to the Spanish.

The war against the USThere was a new war

afoot — this time with the US. Aguinaldo formally launched a new revolt, but Americans proved to be a strong opponent that the rebels were consistently defeated.

Many of the rebels turned into guerillas, and in spite of many anti-imperialists in US like William Jennings, who was opposed to the annexation of the Philippines, the war continued.

In 1901, Aguinaldo was captured by Gen. Frederick Funston and his group. The Filipino rebel leader took an oath of allegiance to the US and called for an end to the rebellion, but many still fought on.

In 1902, the Philippines was taken over by an American civil government, ending the Philippine Insurrection. At the end, there were more Americans who died trying to suppress the Philippines, more than that the number killed in the

Spanish-American War. This is incomparable of course to the Filipinos who died in both wars — over 20,000 rebels and an unknown number of civilians.

The most striking fact about the Philippines’ fight for complete independence was it was never fully achieved until 1946.

In 1935, Manuel L. Quezon was elected the country’s first president and the Commonwealth of the Philippines was established (with US approval, of course). Full independence was granted to the Republic of the Philippines by the US on July 4, 1946 — which is also known in the country as Philippine-American Friendship Day. (AJPress)

Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo led the fight against the Spanish.

Manuel L. Quezon became the Philippines’ first President in 1935.

Commodore George Dewey led the annihilation of the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Manila Bay.

A painting depicting the Battle of Manila Bay. Photo from the Library of Congress

Infographics by:

2The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY JuNE 10, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine

Flags of the Philippine Revolution

The first Katipunan flag used by Andres Bonifacio, done by his wife, Gregoria de Jesus. Other Katipunan members used other variations of this flag.

Andres Bonifacio’s personal flag. Gen. Mariano Llanera’s personal flag, which Bonifacio referred to as “Bungo ni Llanera” or “Llanera’s Skull.”

Gen. Gregorio del Pilar’s personal flag, which was patterned after that of Cuba’s, which was also in revolt against Spain.

The first official Philippine flag in 1897 but was only used less than year because of the truce between Filipino leaders and Spanish authorities.

Celebrating our freedom:PH Independence DayIn the United States,

Philippine Independence Day has acquired cultural awareness after the dawn of the 21st century. This holiday is celebrated among Filipinos in America and is now a huge event for many Filipino-Americans to rekindle their origin and heritage.

Filipinos around the world come together to celebrate Philippine Independence Day and to create awareness of the Philippine culture. Several main objectives are to raise funds for charity projects in the Philippines and the United States.

In Los Angeles, hundreds of Fil-Ams paraded through the Historic Filipinotown district last Saturday, June 4 to kick off Philippine Independence Day festivities happening

throughout the entire month of June.

Last Sunday, June 5 was the Philippine Independence Council, Inc.’s (PIDCI) celebration in new York. In spite of the rain, thousands of people — both participants and spectators — walked through Madison Ave. from 36th Street to Madison Park.

This new York event is the oldest and biggest community parade and celebration of the Philippine independence outside Manila, which is now in its 34th year. The Philippine American Communities of the East Coast initiated the parade in 1972 on Madison Avenue. Today, that community celebration has become a tradition with the growing generations of Filipinos in the east coast. (AJPress)

PRIOR to the making of the official Filipino flag in Hong Kong by Mrs. Marcela de Agoncillo, there were other flags used by the Katipunan secret society and its various factions. After the Katipunan was dissolved, the Philippine army and its civil government also had their own flags to represent their groups -- some of which were for personal use.

During the Philippine Centennial celebration in 1998, a list of official flags was released. These should not be confused as the “evolution of the Philippine flag,” but instead are properly called as the “Flags of the Revolution.”

Lastly, though many of the flags have symbols and layouts that may seem to inspire the official Philippine flag today, history states that there is no direct relationship between them whatsoever.

Katipunan flagsAndres Bonifacio asked his

wife, Gregoria de Jesus, to create a flag for the Katipunan. What came out was a simple red flag bearing the society’s acronym, KKK, and became the group’s first flag. The “K” in the middle of the sun stood for “Kalayaan” or “Freedom.”

Member of the group also used other variations of the flag. As the revolution heated up, the Magdiwang faction of the Katipunan under Mariano Alvarez adopted a red flag with a white sun with the baybayin (the ancient Tagalog script) letter “ka” (for K) at the center.

Another faction, Magdalo, under Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, used a similar flag to what the Magdiwang faction had. It featured a white sun with the same baybayin letter “ka.“ The final standard design was a sun with eight rays, representing the eight provinces place under martial law by the Spaniards (Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan and

nueva Ecija), which was later used in the national flag of the Philippines

Personal flagsAmong those who had

personal flags during the revolution was Bonifacio, who was the Katipunan’s Supremo. Similar to the Katipunan’s, this flag was first unveiled on August 23, 1896

during the Cry of Pugadlawin. It was then later used during the Battle of San Juan del Monte on August 30, 1896, the first major battle of the Philippine Revolution.

General Mariano Llanera, who fought in the provinces of Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga and nueva Ecija; stepped away from the color red for his personal flag. He instead used a black flag with a white K and skull. Bonifacio called that flag as “Bungo ni Llanera” or “Llanera’s Skull.

General Pio del Pilar also has personal flag called “Bandila ng Matagumpay,” or “Flag of the Triumphants,” was also red with a white triangle. and mountain with a rising sun behind it. The flag was first used on July 11, 1895.

Another general who used a flag was Gregorio del Pilar. His flag was patterned after Cuba, which was also in revolt against Spain.

The first official Filipino flag was adopted by Katipunan military leaders on March 17, 1897 at the naic Assembly. It was a red banner, with an eighth-rayed sun and a face. It was only used for less than a year because there was truce signed between Filipino leaders and Spanish authorities on December 14-15, 1897. (AJPress)

nEW YORK – The Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) announced that dalagang Filipina (single Filipino) beauty Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, the reigning Miss Universe, will

be the Guest of Honor at the Philippine Independence Ball, Friday, June 10 at 7pm at the Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe Hotel in Teaneck, new Jersey.

Miss Universe is Guest of Honor at Independence Ball

Continued on Page 7

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach

3The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY JuNE 10, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine

Atty. MichAel

Gurfinkel, eSQ

ImmigrationCorner

Loida Nicolas Lewis with daughters Leslie Lewis and Christina Lewis Halpern during a dinner with US President Barack Obama at their Manhattan home in May 2015. Photo by Beatrice Moritz Photography

New York, NY—In their June / July 2016 Family Philanthropy Issue, “Town & Country,” the oldest continually published lifestyle and general interest magazine in the United States – recently featured men and women who grew up and continue to share wealth and influence to make the world a better place.

Alongside other American

families who have been giving for generations like the rockefellers, the kennedys and the Lauders, the Lewis family was recognized for continuing reginald F. Lewis’ legacy of generosity.

Loida Nicolas Lewis, Leslie Lewis and Christina Lewis Halpern are shown in their Fifth Avenue New York apartment, together with an article that mentioned reginald’s rise

to become the first African-American to own a billion-dollar business, when he took over TLC Beatrice International in 1994, and sold it in 2000 for a 35 percent return on investment (Irr). The article also cited his record multi-million dollar donations to Harvard Law and Virginia State, his alma mater.

Christina, who calls her father

‘Town & Country US’ features Fil-Am familyin their annual Philanthropy issue

Loida Nicolas Lewis and daughters recognized among top US familiessupporting the arts, education, communities and other charities

The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows:

FAMILY CATEGORY:

First Preference

Second Preference

Third Preference

Fourth Preference

LABOR CERTIFICATION:

Third Preference

Other Workers

Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)

(2A) Spouse and minor children (below 21 years old) of green card holder

(2B) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years old or older) of green card holder

Married sons and daughters of US Citizens.

Brothers and sisters of US Citizens.

Professional/Skilled Workers

Non-Skilled Workers

ApplicationFiling Date

Visa IssuanceDate

September1, 2005

February 1, 2005

October 15, 2015

November 15, 2014

January 1, 2006

July 1, 2005

August 1, 1995 March 1, 1994

April 1, 1993 January 1, 1993

Visa Issuance Date

January 1, 2010

January 1, 2010

February 15, 2009

February 15, 2009

Application Filing DateCITIZEN PINOY “LIVE”: “The instant feedback from viewers is the ultimate interactive show” – Atty. GurfinkelKapamilya will get to experience once more the special telecast of “Citizen Pinoy” when it went LIVE last Sunday, June 5. The encore presentation will be seen this Sunday, and viewers will see how leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel went all-out in providing answers to those who sent in their questions via phone, skype and Facebook, on the very first live telecast from TFC. It was truly an ultimate expression public service, and because of the overwhelming viewer response, we can expect more innovations for the show in the future, including more opportunities for similar LIVE telecasts. “Follow and like” us on www.Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw for more updates. Atty. Gurfinkel hopes “viewers enjoyed TFC’s first LIVE show as much as I did.” The encore presentation of “Citizen Pinoy Live” – will be seen this Sunday, JUNE 12, at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC.

“IT was really rewarding to be able to answer viewers’ questions live!” This summarizes how leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel felt after doing two back-to-back live shows for ‘Citizen Pinoy’ on Sunday, June 5, 2016. The

first live telecast was at 3:15pm (seen live at 6:15pm in the east Coast). The second live telecast was at 6:15 PM for the west Coast audiences. The studios at the TFC headquarters in redwood City, CA was abuzz with activity, as viewer questions

came in via phone, Skype and through Facebook messages and comments.

This was the first time TFC has ever broadcast a “live” show, and was in keeping with Citizen Pinoy’s goal of public service,

eACH month, the Visa office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the US), you would have to wait until it becomes current again.

Beginning last october 2015, the format of the Visa Bulletin changed, in that a new column was added, called the “Application Filing Date.” If a person’s priority date is earlier than the Application Filing Date, they can already file for adjustment of status and work authorization (provided they are otherwise eligible and USCIS indicates on its website it will use the Application Filing Date for that month). This could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than before, where they had to wait for the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance Date column) in order to both file for adjustment and be eligible for

The July 2016 priority dates

a green card. * * *

Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and

does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.comCall Toll free to schedule a consultation

for anywhere in the US: (866)—GURFINKELFour offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES

· SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

Citizen Pinoy ‘Live’ was such a huge success, so we’re bringing you an encore telecast this Sunday!

Continued on Page 5

Continued on Page 5

4The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY JuNE 10, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine

BoBBy T. yalong

On thePEP FrontPeople, Events, Places

As beauty authorities often say: “A beautiful woman has the most probability to explore every possibility but failure sets in the absence of an excellent head on her shoulders.”

Realistically, beauty isn’t all that a woman needs to be able to confront what challenges her, or strive on her own when relying mainly on her dazzling physicality. It cannot constantly be an asset either if she lacks the proper intellectual tool….for beauty could be both subjective and a depreciating asset since it fades. It only settles down to one thing: that beauty and brains are relatively indispensable.

The Filipinas have been consistently dominating the international beauty pageant scenes whereby firmly establishing their strong hold and capable supremacy in these multi-ethnic beauty competitions. Although the said pageants are more than just physical appearance laced with a purpose-sort-of-ensnaring-slogan, still, self confidence and smartness

Julee Ann Marie Bourgoin: ‘Beauty could be a blessing, an asset, and a curse…’

play the winning keys to grabbing the crown… and Philippine delegates to the field have justifiably played it in an equal footing.

Cagayan de Oro City, a first class highly urbanized metropolis in southern Philippines and capital of Misamis Oriental, has consistently contributed its own homegrown beauties to local and international beauty pageants foremost of which are: Miss Global 2nd Runner-up Catherine Almirante, 2015 Miss

Universe Pia Wurztbach, Miss Earth 2015 semi-finalist Beatrice Alvarez, and lately, its Mutya ng Pilipinas bet last year, Julee Ann Marie Bourgoin.

The only child to Cebuana Judith Nemenzo and Canadian-American Alan John Bourgoin (French: Bu-gwa), Julee was born in Bantayan Island in Cebu

Best in Long Gown awardee fashion is Julee’s passion

Julee Ann Marie N. Bourgoin

Modeling is second nature to Julee

Continued on Page 6

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5The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY JuNE 10, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine

From Page 3

Citizen Pinoy ‘Live’ was such a huge success...

by providing instantaneous, or “real time” responses to viewer questions.

Atty. Gurfinkel had a great time, seeing the outpouring of appreciation from the viewers. He was able to see their comments and receive their feedback in

“the greatest entrepreneur of all time,” is certain that if her father were alive today, he would be invested in the fastest-growing tech industry. In honor of her father’s legacy, she started All Star Code – a non-profit initiative to help young, intelligent, and driven men of color gain access to this exciting and dynamic field.

An excerpt from the article describes how the Lewis women continue in Reginald’s steps:

‘Town & Country US’ features...From Page 3

Saraza recently graduated from the prestigious Juilliard

School in New York, and is currently pursuing further studies at Yale University

in Cambridge. Licad said she started

performing with the PPO when she was an 11-year-old prodigy in the Philippines. She added that she will be performing a favorite, Rachmaninoff #2.

“The piece reminds me of the struggles, it’s like a roller coaster of emotions. I also associate it with typhoons, and call it a typhoon material,” Licad said. “It’s about what people go through in a typhoon, and then the rainbow comes out, there’s victory and joy in the end. It’s a happy ending piece.”

Previous international performances by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra have been in Tokyo (2002), Bangkok (2004), Shanghai (2010), Beijing (2011) as well as various European cities (2001). The Carnegie Hall concert aims to celebrate the Filipino spirit through music and bring pride to the multitudes of Filipinos living in both coasts of the country.

The concert will also be a fundraiser for victims of typhoon Haiyan. Philippine Disaster Relief Corporation (PDRC) plans to distribute butterfly homes in Leyte to about 240 to 300 families displaced by the typhoon and who are still living in bunkhouses to this day, according to Meily.

“Let us all enjoy the Philharmonic and Cecile for this world-class event. It’s not often that we have Cecile here in New York so I am calling on everyone, let us experience her magic,” Lewis added.

Ochanine said it took a few years for this dream project to happen because it is tough to bring a total of 90 people and all their musical instruments from Manila to New York. They had a hard time gathering enough

sponsors to shoulder the required expenses.

He also lamented the fact that a lot of people still consider classical music as elitist.

“People are so quick to spend money on pop music nowadays, which is fine. They think that classical music is elitist, but what they don’t often understand is that classical music is for everybody and ticket prices are among the cheapest,” Ochanine said. “Today, people are so caught up in the five-minute pace society where people can’t focus on a 30-minute symphony or a Rachmaninoff concerto.”

The Carnegie Hall concert is made possible in cooperation with Philippine Airlines (the official carrier of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra), Smart Infinity, Rustan Commercial Corporation, One Meralco Foundation, with the support of PLDT Smart Foundation, Federal Land, Inc., Metrobank Card Corporation, Ayala Corporation and Ayala Land, Inc.

Coordinated by Event4Good and with the help of non-profit and local organizations namely Filipino American Human Services Inc., JCI Philippine-New York, Foundation for Filipino Artists Inc., Freedom Ladder, Encore Community Services, San Lorenzo Chapel, Parktivity, UN Philippine Cultural Society, Ateneo Alumni Northeast Inc., Siliman University Alumni Association New York–New Jersey, Philippine American Chamber of Commerce New York, Alpha Phi Omega, Children’s Orchestra Society and US-Philippines Society, proceeds from the concert will go to the housing project of the PDRC.

Tickets to the Carnegie Hall concert are available through www.carnegiehall.org,

CarnegieCharge 212-247-7800 and Box Office at 57th and Seventh. Ticket prices are from $22.50 to $130.00

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra to stage a one-night only concert at Carnegie Hall

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Photo by Kiko Cabuena

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Photo by Farlet Vale

VINA Morales has filed for a motion to suspend the visitation rights of her ex-partner Cedric Lee to their daughter.

Vina went to the San Juan Regional Trial Court to file the motion to Judge Cesar Sulit of Branch 162, MJ Felipe reported in the ABS-CBN news program “TV Patrol” on Wednesday, June 8.

This was after Cedric allegedly detained their seven-year-old child for nine days, when she was on vacation in France.

She recalled her conversation with her daughter that time, and she narrated: “I called the yaya, I spoke to [my daughter] I said, ‘anak, uwi ka na, anak,’ [she said] ‘yes, mommy, I want to go home na but daddy doesn’t want me to go.’”

“Then bigla naputol ang usapan namin, ‘yon pala kinuha

niya ang cellphone, pinatay niya,” she added.

Vina’s family was able to get back the child last May 23, with the help of their legal counsel Atty. Anna Santiago.

“I had to fight for the sake of my daughter,” said Vina about filing the motion. “Alam mo ‘yong taong ayaw mang-away, hindi mahilig mang-away. Matapang ako, pero ayoko ng away.”

However, after seeing her daughter emotionally affected about what happened, the Kapamilya singer-actress said, “matututo ka lumaban.”

Meanwhile, in a statement sent by Atty. Ricardo Moreno, the legal counsel of Cedric, he said that his client would rather not comment on the motion filed against him.

Moreno noted that his client

Vina Morales on Cedric Lee: I hadto fight back for my daughter’s sake

will answer all the allegations against him “in the proper forum.”

For now, Cedric’s visitation rights were temporarily suspended, and they were given five days to respond to the motion filed against him. (Joyce Jimenez/Philstar.com)

ELMO Magalona denied that there’s conflict between him and girlfriend Janine Gutierrez after they were paired with different love teams of rival networks.

Janine is paired with Aljur Abrenica, while Elmo is paired with Janella Salvador.

“No conflicts at all. We support each other,” he said in an interview with a group of press on Tuesday.

He added that it’s all work for them, and their respective love teams shouldn’t feel awkward in doing romantic scenes for their separate projects.

He even immediately informed Janella about his relationship when they first met.

Elmo Magalona on girlfriendJanine Gutierrez: No conflicts at all

By Joyce JimenezPhilstar.com

Continued on Page 7

real time via Facebook. And he was randomly picking questions to answer on the live telecast. According to him, “The instant feedback from viewers is the ultimate interactive show.”

We look forward to bring more live telecasts in the future.

Atty. Gurfinkel’s parting words are “I hope viewers enjoyed

TFC’s first live show as much as I did.”

You may follow and like their page on Facebook for more updates. www.facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw

Be sure to catch us the encore presentation of ‘Citizen Pinoy’ Live this Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) — on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)

“Inspired by his example, his family foundation, led by his wife Loida Lewis and his daughters Leslie Lewis and Christina Lewis Halpern, continues to provide support for those schools and other leading organizations such as the Smithsonian, Teach for America in Baltimore, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, as well as other groups that promote economic and social justice.”

“For the past three years a

particular focus has been All Star Code, which provides young men of color an introduction to coding and the subtler tools required to navigate tech culture. “In 1965 my father got into a summer program that led him to Harvard Law School,” says Christina, founder and CEO of All Star Code. “So we tried to see where he’d be heading today, areas of opportunity where young black and brown boys were underrepresented.”

Vina Morales

Elmo Magalona with Janine Gutierrez

By momar G. Visaya AJPress

THE Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, the leading professional orchestra in the Philippines, will make history on June 18 when they perform at the world-renowned Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, this is the first time a Filipino orchestra will perform in the United States.

The project is spearheaded by Music Director/Principal Conductor Olivier Ochanine, who laid the groundwork for bringing the orchestra to Carnegie Hall more than three years ago.

“This is the culmination of a long period of work and we’re thrilled that we’re in the last few days into the performance,” Ochanine told us earlier this week via a Skype interview. “It means a lot for us to bridge people together through our music.”

Community and business leader Loida Nicolas Lewis, renowned pianist Cecile Licad and Butch Meily (via Skype from Manila) also joined the briefing and they encouraged Filipinos in the tri-state to come out and support the PPO on June 18.

“Consider it as your Father’s Day gifts. Bring your dads, grandfathers, husbands to see this once in a lifetime show,” Lewis said.

“Filipinos can expect to listen to and watch the best of the best. This is a once in a lifetime chance for everyone,” Ochanine said. “This is also our chance to expose Filipino talent to the world. I promise you will be leaving after the concert feeling special!”

Licad and violinist Diomedes Saraza, both first class Filipino musicians, are the featured soloists. Cecile Licad has performed with the world’s best orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, and London Symphony, among many others. Diomedes

6The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY JuNE 10, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine

By Monet Lu

I had the pleasure of meeting this fashion guru at the Golden Globe awards two years ago. he and Business Manager arsi Baltazar were there. and I-being-me, I wouldn’t pass up the rare chance of meeting them. Thanks to my friends, Janet and Ruben Nepales who invited me to the event that such an opportunity was made possible.

It was a brief but memorable chat. arsi and Francis were both very nice and casual. Francis is as jovial and accommodating as I perceived him to be. It would have been great to hang out much longer and bond with them, but we all didn’t have the luxury of time to talk all night.

It’s been two years but I will not forget meeting this very talented person. I hear a lot of wonderful things about Francis. he is truly one of Philippine’s pride glory—and guess what, he’s just getting started.

after his ascension to prominence from becoming a featured designer on “america’s Next Top Model British Invasion,” Francis continues to awe the both local and international followers. his fabulous hello Kitty Couture Collection was featured in the april 2012 episode of “aNTM” and caught the eyes of Tyra Banks herself, bringing the latter to wear Francis’ creations.

Because of his international success, clients from high society and even the biggest stars of showbiz are a fan of his creations. he designed Megan Young’s gown when he competed for Miss World in 2013, as well as Pauline Luna’s wedding gown. his latest project I heard is with GMa Fantaserye, “Encantadia” where he designed the “fairy-tale-worthy” gowns of the female lead characters.

a fusion of classic fabrics, dazzling beads, and textured accents are Francis’ trademark. he infuses a distinct and exceptional character to every garment he creates – whether for couture gowns, weddings, suits, or corporate wear – making “Francis Libiran” brand a top choice among a-listers.

a futuristic-themed fashion show was also held at the Century Mall in 2014 which featured a visual spectacle of models in geometric pieces that are almost architectural in structure. The show was titled, “Fashion of the Century,” which showcased Francis Libiran’s captivating designs. The writer wrote and I quote, “a

Meeting world- renownedfashion designer, Francis Libiran

play of electronic and projected lights added even more panache to the fashion creations, which were presented with an incredible symphony of music and light and water fountain show that matched the models’ runway choreography.”

In an article written about him by Rachelle Cruz, she wrote: “This architect-turned-fashion designer presented his 50-piece collection at the CPFW Fashion Ball at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto on June 14, during a beautiful charity gala dinner for The Kol hope Foundation for Children.”

Francis also stunned the fashion world when he made use of purely Filipino fibers such as pineapple, banana and embellishments such as mother of pearl when he launched his ‘100 Collection’ he was also the highlight in the very first Canada Philippine Fashion Week in Toronto, Canada in June 2013 held at the Roy Thomson hall.

There is no stopping this creative genius in bringing pride to our country.

In his online bio, a number of accomplishments were listed as well, such as: being voted by Metro Magazine, as their ’Metrowear Icon’ for 2013, he was also the lone representative of the Philippines in the annual fashion show in Tokyo, Japan, the Sakura Collection held at the Tokyo Tower where he perfectly executed his own rendition of Japan’s National dress, the Kimono, infused with the Philippines’ Maria Clara which became the most-

applauded collection during the festival.

The online profile also stated that a TV Special dedicated to him was aired on national television via the Lifestyle Network. Francis Libiran drew inspiration from his trip to Bangalore, India where he was captivated by the design details of the famous Bangalore Palace and the vibrant colors of its interior design.

I could go on and on about how amazing Francis Libiran is and still the adjectives would be an understatement of his fashion authority, as well as his dedication. I wish I could still get another chance to know him and learn from him, most of all. For now, I am just as honored to have met him. I was also happy to learn that he is in a very happy relationship with a lucky man named, Christian Mark. I sincerely wish for their happiness.

and in behalf of the Beauty & Fashion industry in this side of the world, I thank you, Francis Libiran for sharing your talent, making us proud to be Filipinos.

***Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning

celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration. To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

Francis Libiran

Monette

AdevA MAglAyA

ImmigrantLiving: 101 and Beyond

(Part 2 of 2)haLF a lifetime later and half

a world away, I have forgotten much about the murdered american soldier. Buried in the mists of time, his story would have remained shelved, tucked away in my memory banks and promptly forgotten until I came across an account of that incident long ago on the internet.

Written by Virgilio Lacaba, I read a long, detailed article, perhaps a reprint, on “Strange Occurrences at the UP” and like a flood, everything came rushing back as though it happened yesterday. Weeks after the session, I remember being interviewed for an article in a then popular weekly magazine, Mr. & Ms., by Neni Santa Romana Cruz, a well-known Filipino writer who also happened to be the elder sister of a good friend from St. Scholastica’s College, the kind and gentle Chona Santa Romana, who incidentally and sadly, I learned much later, was herself a tragic victim of murder and domestic foul play, sometime in the late eighties. I had left the country for america by then and lost touch.

I do remember that during the interview for the article I have had to be careful in how the story is presented because I was living, working and studying in an academic environment, which by default should place reason and scientific explanation on everything that happens in the world. Paranormal phenomenon is an entirely different ball of wax that supposedly rational beings do not normally subscribe to, something that would raise skeptical brows.

Yet I have found that life is not entirely rational, a lot of things don’t make sense and we have only begun to chip away at the great mysteries of life that lay before us. I am thus convinced that quite possibly, I am just one of the multitudes the world over who believe that there are things in the universe that are far beyond the scope of reason and known science to explain and things that are far beyond human intelligence to comprehend fully.

Quite plainly, there are things in this world that cannot be defined, completely understood and pegged in a nice, neat box. The curious case of this murdered american soldier reaching out from the grave is

The curious case of Stephen C. davis: a ghost story“…he was no more than a lonely soul whose young life was cut down so suddenly and so tragically one dark moonless night. …”

probably one of them.as a postcript decades later,

Lacaba updated the account by verifying the information about Stephen davies with the american Battle Monuments Commission (http: //www.abmc.gov/search/detailwwnew.php). Something may have been lost in the spelling and translation during the sessions, for there were two entries for Stephen davis (there was no e though in the davis) — one was Stephen E. davis, a US air Force officer who was killed in hawaii and whose remains were never recovered and a Stephen C. davis. The latter was listed as Seaman, First Class, U.S. Navy, with Service # 3759920 and that he had entered the service in California. The approximate date of death was december 15, 1945 in Manila, Philippines.

davis earned a Purple heart award posthumously. Just like the other davis in hawaii, there were no remains recovered. The name of Stephen C. davis is inscribed in one of the hemicycles on the west side in the american Cemetery near Forbes Park and what used to be Fort Bonifacio, a military camp sold to private real estate developers during the nineteen nineties and now known as The Fort in Global City.

There is absolutely no way to verify every minute detail of this cold murder case unless one is a tenacious private investigator with the mixed pedigree of a bloodhound and a bulldog. One thing that comes across clearly, at least to me, is that the ghost of Stephen C. davis, whether real or conjured by hypnotic suggestion, didn’t seem to be obsessed with vengeance or justice although he did seem knowledgeable about his killer’s whereabouts. Underneath the bone-chilling poltergeist tactics his restless soul employed to reach out from beyond the grave, he was no more than a lonely soul whose young life was cut down so suddenly and so tragically one dark moonless night. Stuck in a nebulous, nether world between the living and the world beyond,

nothing seemed to be as important to this murdered american soldier as being remembered. It didn’t matter even if the remembrance is by a motley crew of curious, total strangers.

With a sigh of relief over the realization that the spirit was neither malevolent nor malicious, Stephen C. davis would probably have to deal with an incensed group of total strangers who would gladly take turns putting their hands around his poltergeist neck and choking him, if they could, for scaring them half to death while using the rest rooms.

The ghost simply wanted to call attention to his plight, to being stuck in limbo or trapped in a dimension that defies time and space. Scaring mortals was one heck of a way to do it.

If you remember the movie “Ghost” there was one such paranormal being who was practically forced into mentoring Patrick Swayze’s character in the ways of poltergeists. The movie character is a disembodied soul trapped in one dimension. he inhabited a New York subway because he was pushed on the path of a train and died. he was stuck and could not cross over to the other side because his time had not yet come. So he spends his time morosely bent on mischief scaring the living daylights out of subway commuters.

Because his approximate death anniversary is supposedly december 15, Stephen C. davis is again reaching out from the grave one more time from another century, so that he may be remembered and included in prayers just once more until he reaches final closure and eternal rest. do pray for him if you can.

If Stephen davis’s story holds up, it is clear that to be forgotten as though one’s life didn’t matter is indeed tragic.

* * *Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

ShaRON Cuneta shows off her smaller figure.

On Monday, June 6, Sharon posted a photo of her on Facebook after losing 50 lbs.

“I feel I’ve lost about 50 lbs. now but am still not satisfied,” she said on the caption. “a little bit more to lose and I’ll be back to my pre-Miel shape!”

When the Megstar was introduced as the new “The Voice Kids” coach in april, she announced that she’s working on her weight as preparation for her upcoming film which will be shot in august. (Joyce Jimenez/Philstar.com)

Sharon Cuneta loses 50 lbs.Julee Ann Marie Bourgoin...(under the zodiac sign aquarius) supremely endowed with the best genes from both parents. already demonstrating indications of being a potential beauty queen even during her young age, Julee had her initial taste of pageantry when her parents entered her in a baby contest but profoundly within her, all she dreamt was to be a Marine Biologist…after repeatedly watching The Little Mermaid and being acclimatized to swimming and playing along the beaches of her hometown.

But fate had it that she was to tread the path which would lead her where crowns and scepters are worn. In 2006 when she was barely Grade 1, she bagged the most coveted title of Little Miss Mambajao (her town in Camiguin) followed by Miss Teen Summer during the town fiesta when she was 14. Beauty pageants became second nature after her studies: when she was 17 and in second year college, Julee was crowned Miss Mambajao and in the same year she was honored as Miss Intramurals First-Runner-up.

her 17th summer gave her more opportunities to broaden her horizon in beauty competitions. In 2002, she reigned as Mutya ng Buahanan (Lanzones / Lansium domesticum), a prestigious title that entails the obligatory promotion of the island’s world renowned sweet tropical fruit that Camiguin has been widely identified with.

In april of 2003, the already developed beauty with a lofty height and spindleshank frame became Cagayan de Oro’s delegate to the annual Miss PRISaa (Private Schools athletic association) in Tagum City, davao where she brought home the First Runner-up title.

Julee’s unswerving visibility on the ramp and pageant stage plus her developed skills in public relations, composite projection, and self-confidence easily earned the nod of local pageant organizers to make her the region’s representative to the national selection of Mutya

From Page 4

indubitably a justifiable victory,” she said.

Normally, once being a member of the Royal Court of Beauties, the prestige that goes with the title becomes a sufficient passport to effortlessly invest in a profitable career or snatch a promotion but it was different in Julee’s case. Innately independent and adventurous, she anxiously craved for a more challenging setting…something that is challenging while capably bringing out the best in her. at that time, she found Camiguin quiet and easy… Manila, rather arrestingly different but not enough to pin her down…and the lure of New York became an ultimate option.

Notwithstanding her parents’ persuasive appeal to stay, Julee left the Philippines with an imperturbable heart strappingly armed with a magnificent obsession and a firm decision to succeed in an alien land with a Bachelor of arts in Communication degree she earned from the Liceo de Cagayan University (2014) neatly stashed under her sleeves.

Through her mom’s friend whose sister lives in Queens, New York, Julee easily got a roof over her head with a new surrounding that looked already familiar.

In a matter of just two months coupled with occasional homesickness and day-to-day undemanding adjustments, Julee feels like a true-blooded New Yorker. Strangely enough, she feels like having lived here during her past life as every nook and cranny invite familiarity.

Currently employed waiting tables in the Upper Eastside in Manhattan with another similar job waiting to start with anytime this week, Julee has only eyes keenly focused on working, saving, and broadening her knowledge through taking another course with the most in-demand employment.

“I might also consider my friends’ prodding of exploring the modeling scene although I feel I’m a bit heavy at the moment. after shedding off a few pounds and a little more training why not? after all, it was this field that actually made who I am… after having

Ng Pilipinas. although primarily, the tourism executives from Cagayan de Oro City urged her parents’ approval of her candidacy to the Miss CdO contest but Miss Jean P. Ceasar, an influential pageant coordinator, became instrumental in her joining the national search. It was dennis almazan who polished her deportment and related pageantry details before embracing her first ever major competition.

Confidently armed with dedicated focus and unyielding fortitude, Julee, together with thirty equally gorgeous girls (nine as overseas delegates) enthusiastically engaged in a neck-to-neck battle of beauty and brains within the five-week duration of the 47th edition of the contest that culminated on august 2, 2015 at the Resorts World Manila.

an early standout, it wasn’t startling when Julee was included in the Top 10 and after the grueling Q & a (Question and answer) portion, she remained standing with the rest of the best during the Top Five selection…only to feel a bit (yes, a bit…that was she said) when she ended up First Runner-up.

“Where did you think you fail or where were you short of?” I curiously queried, and she replied with an instantaneously all set answer.

“I guess, despite my brief but substantial response, the judges weren’t satisfied or completely convinced with how I answered the question: What is the one word that you can give to describe the Philippines?” Julee replied in a voice devoid of any tone of regret.

“amazing!” She blurted out. “That was the word that first came to my mind. But after having given my rationale, I thought of ‘Family’ but it was rather late. The latter could have had a much stronger bearing since I was about to say that the Philippines is home to me and my family is my home.”

“But in all fairness to the major winner, Leren Mae Magnaye Bautista, she came home from the international competition with the title, Miss Tourism Queen International 2015…it was

“That’s the first thing na sinabi ko ‘to her,” he recalled his first meeting with his new love team. “Sinabi ko sa kanya na there’s nothing to be worried about because on my part, ako na mismo nag-open and I did what I had to do na.”

From Page 5

Elmo Magalona on girlfriend...Elmo will star in the upcoming

primetime TV series “Born for You” together with Janella.

Since the Kapamilya actress was first paired with Marlo Mortel, Elmo understands that they have fans who find it hard to welcome their team up.

despite this, he chose to

remain positive and just focus on their goal which is “to serve them this very lovely story and sana ma-in love ang mga tao kila Kevin at Sam.”

“Born for You” will start airing on June 20, replacing “The Story of Us” in the aBS-CBN primetime block.

modeled in print and ramp back home,” she said.

Unbeknownst to many, even among her co-candidates, the reluctant beauty queen suffered from aIS (adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis) and had undergone a corrective surgery of her spine in 2012 (three years before Mutya Ng Pilipinas) that normalized her posture and free from possible serious medical condition. The cause was unknown since there wasn’t from any side of her family that suffered from such case and it was ruled out to be due to her wrong postural habit brought about by her height and strenuous activities.

Incidentally, what has she to say about being beautiful.

“Beauty, per se, is actually something that pleases the eyes and excites the soul. It brings an ethereal kind of feeling that brightens and enlightens everything. But not everything beautiful could be a blessing…yes, oftentimes, beauty could be an asset but there were cases when that same blessing could turn into a curse. hopefully, the beauty that I was blessed with will be an asset and far from being a curse,” the gorgeous-looking beauty elucidates in well-chosen words in a graceful attempt to prove her point.

Young, beautiful, intellectually capacitated, and gutsy, Julee ann Marie Bourgoin isn’t in a rush to get into a serious commitment.

“Not in the near future… no, not yet,” she instantly reacted when queried about her lovelife. “I want to enjoy my life as a free soul. I want to travel and explore the world. I have huge dreams I wanted to realize and take pleasure in due time. I’ve just started to establish my life…that will come even sans concentration. I have a wide open world with limitless possibilities and options,” she concluded.

For comments and suggestions, please email to: gemini0646@yahoo.com.

Photo from Karlie Kloss’s Twitter account

7The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY JuNE 10, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine

The 2016 U.P. General Alumni homecoming promises to be an affair filled with delightful entertainment and wistful memories. Graduates of the University of the Philippines, especially the Jubilarians – Diamond (Class of 1956), Golden (Class of 1966), Ruby (Class of 1976), and Silver (Class of 1991) – will converge at 3:00 p.m. on June 25, 2016, at Ang Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman campus, Quezon City, for the milestone event. The reunion is held yearly under the auspices of the UP Alumni Association (UPAA).

In line with tradition, the

homecoming will likewise honor the UPAA Distinguished Alumni Awardees, UP graduates who have made outstanding achievements in their careers while serving their communities and society in general. heading the list are Dr. David M. Consunji and Ms. Amina Rasul-Bernardo.

The Jubilarian classes will go onstage with their respective cultural presentations for the entertainment of the homecoming participants – to demonstrate that they, especially the more elderly alumni, still have “what it takes.”

Other entertainers will be in the person of highly talented

UP alumni, topbilled by Gerphil Flores, 2013 “Asia’s Got Talent” first runner-up, and the UP Street Dance, UAAP Street Dance Competition Season 78 champions.

A ticket to the 2016 UP Alumni homecoming is priced at PhP1,500.00 and entitles the holder to dinner, a complimentary copy of the 2016 UP General Alumni homecoming Yearbook, and raffle prizes. Tickets are available at the UPAA Secretariat, 2nd Floor, Ang Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman, Quezon City; telephones 920-6868 and 920-6871; mobile 0917-8372098.

eAST Coast Fil-Ams are a forgotten demographics as far as media is concerned. The concentration of TV content is mostly on the West Coast where many early Filipino-Americans had migrated.

With this in mind, a group of professionals is set to launch a reality-magazine format TV show to premiere in The Filipino Channel (TFC) on June 11 on 12:30 p.m. eST.

iAmFiLAm, produced by IQ Creative Media, will be hosted by three fresh new faces, led by Jessy Daing.

Daing, one of the executive producers, is the brains behind the program. hardworking and fiercely entrepreneurial, she has an online store Jessy Couture on Facebook where she sells authentic luxury handbags and jewelries. She currently works as an Assistant Project Manager in a NYC public benefit corporation.

Maita Lockhart is a Fil-Arab-American who grew up in Pasay City. She came to the U.S. in 1995, went to school in London in 2007, back to the Philippines in 2011, and made New York City home in 2014 when she began to work in a top accounting firm as a tax manager.

Alain echem, a singer and former member of the OPM band Frio, is the male co-host.

This Queens resident works full-time in a bank.

“The population of Filipinos on the east Coast has exponentially risen and we feel that it is the perfect time to launch this project,” said Daing in a statement. “It is important for North American Filipinos to realize that the east Coast Filipino community is as strong as the West Coast. The east (specifically New York) can be rough and tough but it is where dreams are made of and dreams can be conquered if you fight for it.”

head writer Angelito “JV” Valino Jr. said Filipinos are known for their ‘can-do’ fighting spirit and have the potential to grow and be successful anywhere in the world.

“They just need to keep their focus and motivation,” he said. “One of the main reasons we created this show is to keep them motivated and positive throughout their journey.”

The show’s director, known only as ACN, shared how the show got its start. “It began with a phone call and a crazy idea. Jessy and I were talking a couple of months ago and we started to dream that we can start a Filipino television show on the east Coast. Luckily, when the opportunity rose and east Coast was still untouched

by TFC, we immediately grabbed the opportunity.

“We formed a group of seven inexperienced people to form our crew. They were all newbies but they had talent. I knew this will be tough but I never expected it to be very hard.”

The team’s initial meetings were done digitally through Google hangout and Viber.

“I was in Manila back then, me and the team had to adjust to the time difference in every video conference we held. There were a lot of sacrifice from all of us, including the hosts, but we knew if we kept pushing we would ultimately succeed,” the director said.

executive Producers Marcos Sicat and Gerda Pelayo-Sicat helped the dream become reality. The couple and Jessy are combining their resources as they created IQ Creative Media production company.

Said Daing, “They believed in us and in our project. They knew the idea was crazy but still laid down all of their cards to help us. It was really heartwarming. They were the sail on our boat that kept us from crashing and helped us reach our intended destination.”

iAmFiLAm airs Saturdays on TFC at 12:30 p.m. eST / 9:30 a.m. PST

Joy and nostalgia await UP Reunion

Reality-magazine TV show for Fil-Ams to air on June 11

Pia won the Miss Universe title this year to the joy of her kababayan, both in her native Philippines and the ever-burgeoning Filipino diaspora.

The annual Philippine Independence Ball is the

Miss Universe is Guest of Honor...From Page 2 culminating event of this

year’s 118th anniversary commemoration of the declaration of Philippine Independence.

Climax of this year’s commemoration took place the whole day last Sunday in

the center of New York City, highlighted by three major events of the many-months, multi-event celebration – the all-day Independence Day Street Fair, the Independence Day Parade and the afternoon Cultural Festival.

INTeRNATIONAL supermodel and former Victoria’s Secret angel Karlie Kloss lashed out at Philippine Airlines (PAL) through social media on Monday, June 6 after missing her flight.

The 23-year-old didn’t go into details about her complaint, but the incident did warrant a social media tirade that went viral.

The supermodel posted on her snapchat saying, “No one flys Philippines Airlines… and now I know why.”

Posting the same photo on twitter with the caption, “@flyPAL has the WORST CUSTOMeR SeRVICe OF ALL TIMe. Most BUDGeT AIRLINe. Rude & disrespectful. Shame on You @flyPAL”

Kloss posted other several videos on Snapchat where in she talked about missing her flight and approaching PAL’s customer service – which is where the problem started.

The supermodel was not happy with the assistance given to her. “I travel international on a weekly basis and I have never had a worse customer experience than I have tonight. Thanks Philippine Airlines,” she said in a Snapchat video.

PAL took notice of her complaint and reached out to the supermodel through twitter saying, “@karliekloss hi, Karlie. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and the disappointment you felt. Please send us your ticket details.”

PAL then released a statement on Wednesday, June 8, saying the supermodel was actually late for her flight.

“Flight departure time was at 12:15 am and counters closed at 11:15 pm. Ms. Kloss arrived at 11:40

PAL clears up incident with supermodel Karlie Kloss

pm, We are sorry to hear that Ms. Karlie Kloss was unable to board our PAL flight from New York to Vancouver (PR127),” PAL shared on Tuesday, June 7.

“As a matter of policy, the PAL check-in counters at JFK (John F. Kennedy) International Airport close one hour before estimated time of departure,” it added.

PAL also stated that it has already explained their protocol to supermodel Karlie Kloss and is handling the situation accordingly.

“We are happy to note that

Ms. Kloss has gracefully responded to PAL’s initial communication. The airline has likewise sent her a formal letter stating that there was no deliberate intention to cause her any disservice,” PAL said in a statement sent to GMA News Online.

“To show the heart of the Filipino, we are extending her assistance to facilitate the refund of her unused ticket or to facilitate the rebooking of her flight. PAL will be pleased to serve Ms. Kloss’ travel needs in the future,” PAL also stated. (AJPress)

� Photo�from�Karlie�Kloss’s�Twitter�account

8The Asian Journal NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY JuNE 10, 2016

An Asian Journal Magazine