Th e F i l i p i n o–Am e r i cA n co m m u n i T y ne ws pA p e r

L A S V E G A S

june 23-29, 2016

w w w. a s i a n . c o m

We’ve got you covered from Hollywood to Broadway... and Online!

Volume 27 - no. 25 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages

3700 W. Desert Inn Road Las Vegas, NV 89102 • Tel: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879 Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEW YORk/NEW JERSEY

DATELINEUSAfrom the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

PAGE A3

PAGE A3

following the weekend’s drug-related killings, incom-ing President rodrigo Duterte warned Philippine mayors who are connected to illegal drug networks that he “will catch up” to them.

At an economic forum in Davao City on tuesday, June 21, he mentioned 32 mayors he suspects are involved in the il-legal drug trade. though he did not mention any names, he said that these mayors recently won

NAVAL DRILLS. Two US Navy carrier strike groups commenced defense exercises in the Philippine Sea on Saturday, June 18. The strike groups of two of the world’s strongest warships, USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), coordinated dual carrier flight operations and conducted defense drills, sea surveillance, replenishments at sea, defensive air combat training, long range strikes and coordinated maneuvers, among others, the US Navy 7th Fleet said. Navy photo by MC3 Nathan Burke

Duterte: ‘Zero tolerance’ on drugs and crimePH sees rise in drug killings ahead of incoming admin

by Klarize MedenillaAJPress

PAGE A2

mAnilA—A favorable decision by an international arbitral court on manila’s maritime case against Beijing is no guarantee of an eas-ing of tensions in the south China sea, a senior Us official said on wednesday, June 22.

tension is likely to persist in the region, the official said, even if the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the hague rules in favor of manila, as China has made it clear it would not honor a verdict repudiating its expansive claim in the south China sea.

reports quoting sources said China is even planning to set aside the United nations Convention on the law of the sea (UnClos).

the same official, who declined to be named, also said China is using its fishing fleets with armed escorts to bolster maritime claims in disputed territory. But the official, in a teleconference in manila with journalists from Vietnam, thailand, indonesia and Beijing, said the Us is not taking sides on the issue.

“we are expecting a ruling in the next several weeks in the ar-bitration case that’s been brought by the Philippines with respect to maritime entitlement in the south China sea… south China sea is an important maritime space for the international community. Asia is the

mAnilA —the so-called islamic state, or isis, released a video early on wednesday, June 22 in an attempt to recruit radical fighters in the Philippines and neighboring countries.

rita Katz, director of site intelligence group tracking the activities of isis, said the video targeting the Philippines was in five languages: Arabic, english, filipino, indonesian and malay.

screenshots of the video taken by the agency show filipino, indonesian and malaysian fighters urging their

ISIS releases firstpropaganda videofor Philippines

by CaMille diola Philstar.com

US: Arbitral court ruling won’t ease sea tensionsby JaiMe laude and

Pia lee-BragoPhilstar.com

most populous and economically dynamic region in the world and as such, south China sea a global significance,” the senior Us state Department official said.

As such, the state department official said the Us will sustain its role in ensuring regional peace by continuously enforcing freedom of navigation and overflight opera-tions over the south China sea and east China sea regions.

there were reports the Un court is handing down its verdict either before the end of the month or in early July.

the Us has deployed two of its carrier strike groups to the Philip-pine sea ahead of the verdict.

“our freedom of navigation program globally is in that demon-strating that the Us will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever the laws allow. so in that sense, i think that it has been successful in demonstrating in east Asia that that we will continue to uphold that policy,” the Us official said while calling on China to refrain from making provocative actions.

the arbitration case presents a good opportunity to go back to principles and to attempt to steer the conversation about the south China sea issue, the official said.

solid backingthe official added that the Philip-

Reports quoting sources said China is planning to set aside the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

In this image taken by an Iraqi Counterterrorism Service photographer on Sunday, June 19, 2016, soldiers pose with an Islamic State militant flag in Fallujah, Iraq after forces re-took the city center after two years of IS control. Thousands of civilians are fleeing Fallujah after the city was declared liberated from the Islamic State group, the United Nations said, while an Iraqi commander reported fierce clashes as elite counterterrorism forces pushed to clear out the remaining militants. Photo courtesy of Iraq Counterterrorism Service

Duterte to Amb. Goldberg:Are you with us or not?

by nestor CorralesInquirer.net

DAVAo CitY—“Are you with us or are you not with us?”

that was the question raised by President-elect rodrigo Duterte to Us Ambassador Philip goldberg during the envoy’s courtesy visit on June 13 here, he revealed on tuesday, June 21.

speaking before business ex-ecutives at the smX Convention Center, Duterte disclosed that he has asked goldberg about this concern amid our maritime dispute with China.

“Because i told goldberg, are you with us or are you not with

new YorK—miss Universe Pia wurtzbach took time off her busy schedule to take a public hiV test at new York City’s Apicha Community health Center monday, June 20 to get the word out and encourage others to get tested and know their status.

“over one million people in the United states are living with hiV and this number continues to increase each year by 50,000. one in eight people who have hiV don’t even know it yet because they don’t get themselves tested and because of that, they are not getting the right kind of care and treatment that they deserve and should have,” miss wurtzbach said.

the public test took place in advance of

Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach takes public HIV test, encourages global HIV testing

by MoMar g. VisayaAJPress

A filiPino man was arrested on wednesday, June 15 on suspicion of committing more than a dozen burglar-ies within a six-month period in las Ve-gas.

las Vegas metro Police accuse Ber-nardino santiago, 41, of a string of thefts at 17 restaurants that began in January, just six months after he had been re-leased from prison.

“it was a lot of places; he was busy,” said lVmPD detective Brad feiss in a video released by the department to You-tube. “he told us he would hit every other night, if not sometimes twice a night.”

A man resembling the suspect was

Filipino man arrested for burglaries in Las Vegas

immigrAtion activists expect to hear a ruling in favor of policies meant to pro-tect millions of undocumented residents before the supreme Court’s term ends this month.

however, they say more work will need to be done to enact comprehensive immi-gration reform.

of immediate concern are the Deferred Action for Parents of Us Citizens and law-ful Permanent residents (DAPA) program and expansions to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, both proposed by President Barack obama in 2014. the programs could protect up to 4 million people in the Us from deportation and provide work authorization for three years on a renewable basis.

the policies at issue are “temporary, but essential so that people can remain with their families here,” said marielena hin-capié, executive director of the national immigration law Center (nilC), during a panel discussion hosted by the Center for American Progress Action fund (CAPAf)

Advocates expect favorable Supreme Court ruling on immigration policies

PAGE A2PAGE A4

PAGE A2

PAGE A2

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte Philstar.com photo

us?,” he said, adding that he was ready to claim the west Philip-pine sea once the United nation’s tribunal favored the Philippine diplomatic protest.

Duterte mentioned the 1952 mu-tual Defense Agreement between the Philippine government and the United states “desiring to declare publicly and formally their sense of unity and their common determina-tion to defend themselves against external armed attack.”

this was agreed upon “so that no potential aggressor could be under the illusion that either of them stands alone in the Pacific area.”Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach

AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya

June 23-29, 2016 • LAS VeGAS ASIAn JOuRnAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678A�

From The FronT Page

because of “drug money.”“The youth are affected,” said

Duterte in his hour-long speech. “You have crossed the red line...if [we] do not do something with the situation, seven years from now this country will become [entangled in] narco politics.”

“Watch out. As long as I’m in government, I will not allow it,” Duterte added.

The former Davao mayor plans to revamp the Philippine National Police (PNP) with his tough anti-crime approach in mind. He said he will handpick “a company of policemen” whom he will give “special assignments.”

Placing particular emphasis on the Philippine youth’s impact, Duterte promised that once his plans are put into action, with enough time, “the children will have the streets back to them.”

“I have zero tolerance on drugs and criminality,” Duterte said. “I would never preside over the af-fairs of the country with a corrupt police and drugs abound destroy-ing the lives of Filipinos.”

“Corruption must stop now,” he declared. “[I really hate] corrup-tion. It makes me sick.”

Duterte also responded to criticism he received from Chito Gascon, chairman of the Com-mission on Human Rights of the Philippines, who denounced Duterte’s “deadly methods.” Duterte, who has been panned for his anti-crime tactics, said he would just ignore Gascon.

“If you know Gascon or if he is your friend, tell him I won’t follow him,” he said, adding that his administration may refuse any subpoenas issued by any investi-gating body, including the Office of the Ombudsman.

“You tell the Ombudsman to, instead, send the subpoena to Duterte,” he added.

Surge in drug-related kill-ings

Police killed 11 presumed drug dealers over the weekend, act-ing on the promise of Duterte’s

Duterte: ‘Zero tolerance’...

MORE CONVENTION. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim (left of Pres.-elect Rodrigo Duterte) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader Datu Abul Khayr Alonto (right of Duterte) shake hands. The two largest Moro groups in the country will craft a new proposal that will grant greater autonomy to Bangsamoro hoping this will finally lead to a lasting peace in strife-torn Mindanao. The “Moro convention” will allow stakeholders to provide inputs on the proposal, which will refine the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

PAGE A1 campaign to eradicate crime in the country.

Drug dealers were killed dur-ing undercover sting operations based in Manila, Laguna, Bu-lacan, Rizal, Bohol and Cebu, according to Philippine media reports on the morning of Mon-day, June 20. Many of those killed had “resisted arrest,” according to police reports.

“There was a shootout between undercover police officers and drug peddlers when the men sensed they had sold PHP500 ($10.80) worth of drugs to po-licemen,” Adriano Enong, Rizal police chief told the media.

This weekend’s toll adds to the surge of drug-related killings that have occurred since Duterte won the presidential seat on May 9. There have been more than 40 suspects killed since then in com-parison to the 39 who were killed in the previous four months.

There has been speculation that suggests that police involved in the drug trade are carrying out killings of individuals who are likely to implicate them as soon as Duterte officially takes office on June 30.

However, Ronald dela Rosa, Duterte’s choice for police chief of the Philippines, said in a radio interview that he would be able to determine if the “people were killed in rub-outs.”

Incoming Interior Secretary Ismael Sueño said that Duterte’s promise to address the crime within the six months is achiev-able, but it may not be completely eradicated.

“No, I don’t think we can eradi-cate 100 percent but we can do a considerable decrease,” Sueño said, according to Philstar.

When asked about the possible human rights violations, Sueño asserted that the incoming presi-dent “follows the rule of law.”

“He does not want to see many people being killed. He prefers dialogue,” he said.

Duterte’s tough on crime ap-proach was pivotal to his victory

at the polls, but not everyone agrees with the incoming presi-dent’s staunch position on brute force against criminals.

Catholic bishops “disturbed”The Philippine Catholic Bishops

Conference responded to the kill-ings and Duterte’s pledge on vio-lence, noting they are “disturbed” by the recent killings as well as the rise of “vigilantism” in a statement released on June 20.

The bishops’ conference, head-ed by Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan Socrates B. Villegas, called for an “appeal to human-ity” and said that outright filling “is not morally justified.”

“We must fight criminality but the impunity with which of-fenders of the law carry on with their criminal activity also points out flaws in our criminal justice system,” the bishops said in the statement.

“We beg our prosecutors and judges to remain firm in their con-secration to justice, for there is no greater insult to the Creator than to use the gifts of intelligence, discernment and one’s success at legal studies for ends contrary to builds the Body of Christ and contributes the building of the Kingdom of God,” the statement read.

On Tuesday, June 21 an anti-crime and corruption advocacy group called Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption denounced the killings, noting that the num-ber of killed suspects over the weekend was “alarming”, accord-ing to GMA News.

Spokesman for the group Ar-senio Evangelista told radio sta-tion dzBB that law enforcement should keep suspects that are lower-ranked in the cartels alive to gain information about their leaders.

“[Law enforcement officials] seem to want to cut off the [drug] trail...It’s saddening...What we want to really know is the head [of the networks]...from local govern-ment units to the law enforcers,” Evangelista said.

countrymen to join their ranks in Syria. But for those who could not reach the Middle East, the group also gave them an alternative.

“If you can’t get to Syria, ‘join the muhajideen in the Philip-pines’,” the terror network said, as quoted by Katz on her Twitter account.

Describing the content of the video, deep web monitor Vocativ said the ISIS has appointed a leader in the Philippines by the name of Abdallah al-Filipini, a representative of the self-dubbed caliphate.

The release of the video did not surprise Katz, who noted that the Islamic State has also released an infographic claiming the presence of its network in the Philippines.

In the graphic released earlier this month, ISIS claimed to have 10 fighting battalions in five dif-ferent locations in the country. It also claimed that ISIS followers mostly in Basilan have killed 289 people since April 2015.

ISIS releases first propaganda...PAGE A1 Security officials in the Philip-

pines denied the presence of ISIS fighters in the Philippines, but noted that several radical groups such as the Abu Sayyaf have pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Islamic State’s self-appointed caliph.

Last week, the Abu Sayyaf beheaded its second Canadian hostage, Robert Hall, after its de-mands for ransom were not met by the Philippines and Canadian governments. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ameri-can President Barack Obama and President Benigno Aquino III condemned the execution of Hall, but insisted that ransom will not be settled with extremist groups.

Security forces have intensi-fied operations against the Abu Sayyaf following the beheading. On Tuesday afternoon, three Abu Sayyaf fighters were killed while 16 soldiers were hurt in a clash in Sulu.

US Attorney General Loretta

Lynch said Tuesday that counter-ing jihadist propaganda continues to be a challenge for the govern-ment.

“How do we break that chain? How do we counter this extremist ideology that’s online, knowing that the internet has to remain free and open? What can we get out there that’s a counter-mes-sage to that?” she said in an interview with the Associated Press. Her statement came amid investigations of a recent mas-sacre on a nightclub in Orlando by a gunman allegedly inspired by the ISIS.

Meanwhile, air strikes in Syria targeted the Islamic State’s de facto capital of Raqqa on Wednes-day, killing at least 18 civilians, including two children, according to activists. The barrage, blamed on the Russian and Syrian air force, came as government forces sought to recover from losses suf-fered in a stalled offensive on the extremist-held city. (With reports from Associated Press)

But the incoming President said the agreement is somewhat vague.

“I’ll give you an example. The law of the sea of nations gives us the exclusive right over 200 nauti-

Duterte to Amb. Goldberg: Are you with us...PAGE A1

US: Arbitral court ruling won’t...PAGE A1

pines will have the solid backing of the international community in ex-ploring ways of convincing Beijing to abide by the court ruling.

“I would say that our secu-rity commitment to the Philip-pines under the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) is ironclad. We take anything that concerns Philippine security very seriously and we will be working with all our partners

in the region to analyze the ruling and to respond to anything that may happen after that,” the US official said.

The official also expressed con-cern over China’s tactics of sending Coast Guard ships to escort its fleet of fishing vessels in disputed waters.

“It’s a disturbing trend to see Chi-nese fishing vessels accompanied by its Coast Guard vessel to assert

cal miles. If I go there using that privilege of mine, would that be an attack against China or an offense against China?” he said.

He reiterated his earlier pro-nouncements that the Philippines would not go to war with China.

“I will not go to war because of the Scarborough Shoal lang,” he said.

The Scarborough shoal is one of the disputed areas over the gas-rich West Philippine Sea.

Duterte said he would wait for

the decision of the United Nations International Tribunal on the Law of the Seas (itlos) before finalizing the government’s move.

“I’ve repeatedly said we will wait for the arbitral judgement. Then I will decide,” he said.

a claim that is not legitimate,” the official said.

The comments came after Indo-nesian warships fired warning shots and detained a Chinese-flagged fishing boat and seven crew near the Natuna Islands in the South China Sea last week, in actions slammed by Beijing.

Unlike several other countries in the region, Indonesia has no overlapping claims with China to islets or reefs in the sea, but Beijing’s claim to fishing rights near the Natunas appears to overlap with Jakarta’s exclusive economic zone.

Last week’s incident was only the latest in a series of skirmishes between the two countries since Jakarta launched a crackdown on illegal fishing in 2014.

In March, Chinese coast uards rammed a Chinese boat detained near the Natunas and helped it escape as the Indonesians towed the vessel to shore.

And last month, the Indonesian navy opened fire on a Chinese trawler near the islands and seized the vessel.

Following last week’s confronta-tion, the commander of the Indo-nesian navy’s western fleet said the fishing vessel incursions were “structured,” indicating Beijing had “given its blessing.”

“China protested because it thinks this area is theirs,” com-mander Achmad Taufiqoerroch-man told reporters.

“Actually the (fish) stealing is just a ruse to stake its claim,” he added.

China has undertaken land rec-lamation works in the Spratly Is-lands, one of the South China Sea’s main archipelagoes which are also claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Beijing praises allyChina, meanwhile, praised its

ASEAN ally Cambodia for siding with Beijing on the South China Sea row.

“We highly commend and ap-preciate Prime Minister Hun Sen’s remarks at the commencement of Cambodia’s academy of gover-nance,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a press conference in Beijing.

The Cambodian leader has voiced his country’s rejection of arbitration as means of settling the maritime dispute.

Chinese pressure was blamed for ASEAN’S retraction of a state-ment sounding alarm over Beijing’s island building in the South China Sea.

The original document, released

by ASEAN member Malaysia and described as a joint statement from the bloc, warned that developments in the hotly contested South China Sea could “undermine peace, secu-rity and stability.”

“China will not accept any so-lution imposed upon it nor any unilateral resort to a third party dispute settlement procedure,” Hua said. “China remains committed to resolving relevant disputes through negotiation with sovereign states directly concerned on the basis of respecting historical facts and in accordance with international law,” she said.

The Chinese foreign ministry also accused the Western media of turn-ing a “blind eye” to the support by nations for Beijing’s position.

“It is no news to us that some western media sometimes call white black. But we know now that they also have problems with doing simple math,” Hua said, referring to media reports that only eight coun-tries back China’s position.

China’s top newspaper, for its part, has strongly criticized the US deployment of carriers to interna-tional waters near the Philippines.

The US carriers John C. Stennis and Ronald Reagan began joint operations in seas east of the Phil-ippines at the weekend in a show of strength.

“The US picked the wrong target in playing this trick on China,” the People’s Daily, the official newspa-per of the ruling Communist Party, said in a commentary.

It was published under the pen name “Zhong Sheng,” a Chinese-language homonym for the phrase “voice of China” that is often used to express the paper’s views on foreign policy.

“Behind this misjudgment is Washington’s anxiety and arro-gance, and it is the true expression of its hegemonic nature,” the paper added.

The US Navy chief said on Mon-day the deployment was a signal of the US commitment to regional security, adding that he hoped it would deter any attempts to desta-bilize the region.

The US Pacific Command (PA-COM) said the carriers started their dual operations on Satur-day, including air defense drills, sea surveillance, defensive air combat training and long-range strikes.

PACOM said the US last con-ducted a dual carrier operation in the Western Pacific in 2014. Two carriers operated in the South China Sea and East China Sea in 2012. (With reports from AP)

? TAX ? TAX ? TAX ?!! GET YOUR TAXES DONE PROPERLY !!

!! USE A PROFESSIONAL TO PREPARE YOUR INCOME TAX RETURN !!!! AVOID EXPENSIVE I.R.S. AUDITS / PENALTIES !!

Your Tax fees can be taken out of your tax refund automatically.Ask about our “FEE COLLECT” program.

A . E . P A U L E , C P A , L T D .1771 East Flamingo Road Suite - 200A Las Vegas, Nevada 89119

Phone: 702.220.4510 / Fax: 702.220.4785

!! CPA WITH 15 PLUS YEARS OF EXTENSIVE, MULTI-FACETED EXPERIENCE!!

Business Services:

Individual Services:

W W W . A E P A U L E C P A . C O M“Beth” Paule, CPA

CPA WITH OVER 15 YEARS OF EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE

A E PAULE, CPA, LTDMember : American Institute of Certified Public Accountant (AICPA)

Licensed in : California and Nevada

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com A�LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 23-29, 2016

Dateline USa

caught on security footage at-tempting to crack open a safe and carrying stolen equipment out of a smashed window pane in a video released by LVMPD. The thief would also break through doors and climb up to rooftops to gain access to

Filipino man arrested...PAGE A1 money and equipment, accord-

ing to sources for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Feiss said the suspect would spend his loot on gambling and drugs.

“I think he would have kept going until he got caught,” said Feiss, who thanked patrol offi-cers for work that helped detec-

seeking trade resources for the Philippines.

Cuisia, Bensurto said, was the day-to-day face of Philippine in-terests in the US Congress where the envoy would go “office by (congressional) office to explain the Philippines’ views on key is-sues. “That’s what it takes to win allies for the Philippines” among

US lawmakers, he said.“Next to Foreign Affairs Sec-

retary Albert del Rosario, Am-bassador Cuisia was responsible for making the US more active in the West Philippine Sea issue,” said Bensurto, the country’s foremost legal expert on the territorial conflict with China. (Inquirer.net)

Fil-Ams bid farewell to outgoing Amb. Cuisia

Filipino Americans listening to Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia at the farewell reception for him at the Philippine Consulate.

Ambassador Jose Luis Cuisia Jr. bidding goodbye to the Filipino community in the San Francisco Bay Area. Behind him is Deputy Consul Jaime Ramon Ascalon and to his left is Consul General Henry S. Bensurto Jr. Inquirer.net photos by Rodel Rodis

Early in the day, Ambassador Cuisia was hosted by the World Affairs Council at a luncheon. He is seen here with Susan Siskel, executive VP and COO of Asia Foundation. Inquirer.net photo by Esther Chavez

SAN FRANCISCO—Members of the Filipino community bid a warm goodbye to outgoing Philippine Ambassador to the US Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. at a farewell reception for him June 20 at the Kalayaan Hall, Philip-pince Center here.

A similar farewell last week feted the popular Cuisia in Wash-ington, DC, where he reportedly has been dubbed a “rock star” by colleagues in the international diplomatic corps and by “Philip-pinists” in the US capital.

Consul General in San Fran-cisco Henry S. Bensurto called Cuisia the “hardest working Philippine ambassador to the US” in memory. The envoy reportedly visited Filipino com-munities in 44 states while

on Monday, June 20.According to a report from

the Migration Policy Institute, of the 10 million people who live in a household with at least one DAPA eligible person, 4.3 mil-lion are children under the age of 18. Thirty-seven percent of undocumented immigrants in the country are parents of mi-nors who are US citizens, ac-cording to data from the Pew Research Center.

Hincapié said the programs put forth by the president would help those children “focus on school and not worry about their parents being taken away.”

The programs’ opponents challenge the president’s au-thority to act on immigration without congressional approval. They say the policy changes may directly impact their states and need to be vetted through the legislature.

On February 16, 2015, 26 states, led by Texas, filed an in-junction blocking the president’s orders. The decision from US District Judge Andrew Hanen of Texas came just two days ahead of the DAPA program’s sched-uled debut. The lawsuit does not affect the current form of the DACA program, which has been in effect since 2012.

The federal government ap-pealed Hanen’s ruling. Now the case has moved to the Supreme Court which will have the final say on the matter. The eight cur-rent Justices may vote to either

Advocates expect favorable Supreme Court...PAGE A1 uphold the lower court’s deci-

sion, or overrule it and clear the way for the implementation of DAPA and expanded DACA. A 4-4 split, possible due to a va-cant ninth seat, would also keep the injunction in place. Hincapié said the NILC is prepared to refile the case in the event of a tie.

“Legal scholars across the country believe the president acted with full legal authority,” said Hincapié.

At a session of oral arguments reported in April by National Public Radio, U.S. Solicitor Gen-eral Donald Verrilli suggested that the states filing the suit have no legal standing for complaint because the administration’s plans do not cause the plaintiffs actual harm. The administration also contends that matters of immigration are in the realm of federal jurisdiction and beyond state authority.

Members of Monday’s panel were confident the Supreme Court would allow DAPA and expanded DACA to go into ef-fect. However, they said the two programs are only the initial steps in reforming policies that have not kept up with America’s demographic realities.

“If my family came to the US today we wouldn’t be able to [stay],” said Hincapie, whose parents migrated legally to America from Colombia.

Panelists said those who shirk the stigma associated with their undocumented status and testify

to their experiences are critical to immigration reform efforts. Thousands of immigrants

from the 26 states in the law-suit made their presence known in the capital as the Supreme Court conducted oral arguments on the case, according to Jose Antonio Vargas, Pulitzer Prize-winning Filipino-American jour-nalist and founder of the non-profit, Define American.

His organization encourages undocumented immigrants like himself to “come out” regarding their residency status in order to challenge prevailing stereotypes held against them.

“They say we are a drain to society but…we pay billions of dollars in taxes,” said Vargas during Monday’s discussion.

He said many undocumented residents make many contribu-tions and go unnoticed in soci-ety as people’s friends, neigh-bors, and co-workers. However, Vargas admitted that undocu-mented immigrants still take on risks by being open about their status.

President and Executive Di-rector of Asian Americans Ad-vancing Justice -- AAJC (AAAJ-AAJC), Mee Moua, told the panel that Asian Americans and Pacif-ic Islanders (AAPIs) feel particu-larly apprehensive toward the topic of immigration reform.

Only 1 in 4 of the 15,000 Fili-pinos eligible for the DACA pro-gram actually applies, accord-ing to the International Business Times. Ten percent of candi-

tives connect Santiago to the burglaries.

Santiago is currently detained at the Clark County Detention Center. He is charged with vio-lating parole and possession of stolen property, drugs, and burglary tools. If convicted on all charges, he could face as many as 10 years in Nevada State Prison. (Eric Anthony Li-cas/AJPress)

dates for protected status are Asian, yet immigration reform is often framed by the media as an exclusively Latino issue, accord-ing to Moua. She said that char-acterization relegates Asians to the periphery of the debate and discourages them from speak-ing out.

According to Moua, AAPIs perceive that “there’s not a po-litical space to protect people who come out.”

The pending Supreme Court decision, as well as comments from presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, have cast doubt on the future of DAPA and expanded DACA. Moua said that uncer-tainty contributes to the reluc-tance of members of the AAPI community to publicly weigh in on the immigration debate.

“One candidate has said he would undo these programs,”

said Vargas. “We still have more work to do.”

Anti-immigrant rhetoric from Trump has earned him wide-spread disdain amongst minori-ty communities. However, Moua says an effort must be made to translate that aversion into real political action.

According to polls from AAAJ-AAJC, 62 percent of Asian Americans said they were yet

QUAKE DRILL. Members of the Bureau of Fire and Protection in Makati City use a high ladder to simulate a rescue operation in case the “Big One” strikes. Thousands participated on Wednesday, June 22 in the nationwide earthquake drill, an exercise that aims to teach what to do when a powerful quake hits Metro Manila. Camp Aguinaldo, the military’s main headquarters located in Quezon City, served as the ceremonial venue and the national command post. Inquirer.net photo by Yuji Vincent Gonzales

PAGE A4

June 23-29, 2016 • LAS VeGAS ASIAn JOuRnAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678A� Dateline USa

Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach takes public...

Rep. Dina Titus recently embarked on an official trip across Asia where she met Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar’s president, Htin Kyaw. The meeting came less than three months after Myanmar’s Parliament approved Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi as the “state counselor.” Under the country’s constitution, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi cannot become president because she has children who were born in the UK. Despite the titles, it is clear that she is the de facto leader of the country. The Congresswoman was honored and dignified to have met such an advocate for global democracy.

PAGE A1

now, six months into my reign, I realized that I had to get myself tested,” Wurtzbach told us after the test. “We’re all at risk, we’re all the same. But that risk will be reduced if you get yourself tested. It is very important.”

She also lamented about the alarming rate of HIV infections in the Philippines.

According to the UNICEF, the prevalence of HIV and AIDS in the Philippines is growing at an alarming rate and the country is one of only seven countries glob-ally where the number of new HIV cases has increased by over 25 per cent from 2001 to 2009. New infections are largely con-centrated among key populations with specific risk behaviors, such as unprotected male-to-male sex, transactional sex and intravenous drug use.

“It makes me wonder why they are not talking about it. I can’t really blame it on just one thing. Saan ba tayo nagkulang? Where are we going wrong? Why is this happening to us?,” she said.

Data from the Philippine De-partment of Health’s Epidemiol-

ogy Bureau reveal that the num-ber of individuals with HIV newly diagnosed per day rose to 22 in 2015, from just one in 2008, four in 2010, nine in 2012 and 17 in 2014.

Health Secretary Janette Garin projected a sharper increase in the number of HIV cases in the Philippines in the next seven years. “If we do not slow down our HIV epidemic, if we do not invest in preventing new HIV infections, the number of people living with HIV will reach 133,000 by 2022,” she said at the HIV Partners’ Fo-rum Summit in Manila, according to Philippine Star.

Wurtzbach then said it is about lack of education on the issue.

“People don’t know about HIV and AIDS. They do not know where to get themselves tested. They don’t know how they can acquire it. They don’t know that when they share needles, that’s a way of transferring HIV,” she elaborated. “I think and I hope that with our new administration, we can put some light into HIV. Let’s not forget about it. I don’t want to put it in the shadow.”

National HIV Testing Day on Monday, June 27 when special testing events will be held around the United States.

“It is vital to get tested at least once in your lifetime. The risk is in not knowing,” the reigning Miss Universe added.

Ending the stigma associated with testing that exists in many parts of the world is critical to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic as it is estimated that 17.1 million of the 36.9 million people living with HIV worldwide do not know they are infected.

“The most important thing about getting an HIV test today is to destigmatize the whole idea of knowing your HIV status,” said Therese Rodriguez, Apicha’s CEO. “She will hopefully inspire more people to have the courage to get themselves tested.” Rodriguez ex-plained that knowing one’s status is crucial in the process of getting the necessary help one needs.

In New York, HIV tests are provided for free by health care centers such as Apicha, which specializes in care for the LGBT community. In other states and centers, there is a sliding scale in terms of the cost of the test.

“Every government should in-vest in it (HIV testing) because it is more expensive to cure people rather than to prevent it,” Rodri-guez said.

“We are going to continue our educational work and bring resources to the issue of HIV and AIDS. The stigma has to be on the forefront of our struggle and those are the only ways for us to end the epidemic,” she added.

HIV Awareness in the Philip-pines

Upon her arrival, Miss Universe went to a pre-test counseling with a community health educator from the center. Shortly thereafter, she was given the latest form of test, which can detect a new infection within four weeks of transmission. And instead of waiting for weeks or days, the results were available a few minutes after the test was conducted.

“I volunteered to be tested because I didn’t know my status. I’m curious about the statistics in the Philippines and globally and

to be engaged by representa-tives of the Democratic party, while 74 percent are yet to hear from Republicans. Participants in Monday’s discussion hoped to build motivation amongst all ethnic groups ahead of the No-vember elections.

“Hate mongering from the right cannot be the sole strategy of the left,” said Moua.

The 2016 presidential race is especially critical because of the empty seat on the Supreme Court left vacant by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. (By Eric Licas Anthony / AJPress)

Advocatesexpect favorable Supreme Court...PAGE A3

WALK OF SHAME. Inspired by the “Walk of Shame” gimmick employed by some local chief executives, militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) on Tuesday, June 21 paraded masked men wearing the faces of President Benigno Aquino III and his Cabinet members. Former party-list representative Mong Palatino, chairman of Bayan NCR, said the protest is a reminder to the people that the Aquino administration’s “sins” should not be forgotten. Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez

THE Philippines and the United States recently led the launch of the “Global Guidelines to Protect Migrants in Countries Experiencing Conflict or Natural Disaster.”

The project, initiated by the two countries, was under the Migrants in Countries in Crisis (MICIC), ac-cording to a statement from the US Department of State.

The Philippines and the US recognized that no country is

immune to conflict or natural di-saster which led to the concep-tion of the guidelines.

The publication of the guide-lines was a result of two years of consultations with governments across the world and among private sector employees, civil society, diaspora and migrant organizations.

The guidelines seek to pro-mote saving lives and calls in migrants to get assistance in

emergencies without discrimi-nation. They also promote fos-tering respect for human rights of migrants regardless of their immigration status.

Earlier this week, the Philippines and the US formally launched the guidelines at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The guidelines will also be launched in Geneva, Switzerland on June 28. (By Patricia Lourdes Viray / Philstar.com)

US, PH launch guidelines to protect migrantsMiss Universe getting her HIV test at Apicha, a health care center that caters to the LGBT community in New York. AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com A�LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 23-29, 2016

Dateline PhiliPPinesConvicted drug lords deny plot to kill Duterte

by Patricia Lourdes Viray Philstar.com

Pacquiao declares support for Duterte during oath-taking

MANILA—High-profile con-victed drug lords detained at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City denied on Tues-day, June 21 that they have a plot to kill President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.

According to a report from The Star, members of the “Bilibid 19” asked for an investigation into the alleged plot to kill the incoming

president.The 19 high-value inmates from

the NBP said that the allegation might be used to “silence” them.

Incoming Philippine National Police Chief Supt. Ronald dela Rosa earlier revealed that drug lords detained in the NBP are raising funds to counter the P5 million offer of Duterte for killers of drug lords.

Dela Rosa claimed that there is a plot to make him and Duterte

as the target of the inmates. He added that the bounties were raised from P10 million to P50 million.

The incoming PNP chief, how-ever, challenged the drug lords to a “war.”

“Bring it on, really. Bring it on. O, mas malaki P50 million. Okay, you come. Bring it on anytime — any time of the day, any place,” Dela Rosa said in an interview with ANC’s Headstart.

MANILA—The world boxing champion and now incoming Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao on Wednesday, June 22 took his oath of office at the Sarangani Provincial Gymnasium, Sarangani province.

During his oath, Pacquiao, who said he is not only representing lo-cals of Sarangani but also the Min-danaoans, declared his support to fellow Mindanaoan, President-elect Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte was also present to witness the ceremony.

“This is a different fight now but I know I am not alone… I will not do it alone. We will tap all the avail-able resources. We will utilize all the networks and maximize all part-nership. This afternoon, I declare my wholehearted support to our president Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” Pacquiao said in his televised oath-taking.

Pacquiao also urged the public to support Duterte.

Pacquiao also said that as he takes his journey to the Senate,

by rosette adeL Philstar.com

he will uphold his asset “common sense” to do what’s right for the good of the public.

“As champions, we are solution providers. As solution providers, we will uphold the common sense. Common sense is sound judgment and right action in practical mat-ters,” the neophyte senator said

Meanwhile, Duterte who also delivered a speech in Pacquiao’s oath-taking and recognized his

“years of friendship” with the sena-tor. He said Pacquiao urged him to run last year but he declined.

Pacquiao ran under the United Nationalist Alliance and supported Duterte’s rival Vice President Je-jomar Binay. Duterte, however, continued to support Pacquiao’s senatorial bid and even endorsed him during his miting de avance, even if the latter was not on his senatorial slate.

Palace, Binay pay tribute to Maceda

MANILA—Malacañang on Tuesday, June 21 offered condo-lences the family of former Senate President Ernesto Maceda.

“We extend our condolences to his bereaved family and join his bereaved family in fervent prayers for his eternal repose,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Her-minio Coloma Jr. said in a state-ment.

Coloma said Maceda distin-guished himself as a “legislator, Cabinet member and ambassador through more than five decades of dedicated public service.”

Meanwhile, Vice President Jejomar Binay said he was “deep-ly saddened by the death of Maceda.” He recognized the late senator’s service to the nation.

“Manong Ernie served the nation in various capacities and lived through historic moments in our nation’s history, mostly as

an active participant but never as a spectator. Manong Ernie will be sorely missed by his family, his friends in government and poli-tics, and those who valued and ap-preciated his work for the nation,” Binay said in a statement.

81-year-old Maceda passed away on Monday evening due to multiple organ failure.

by rosette adeL Philstar.com

Former Senate President Ernesto Maceda died due to health complications.

Manny Pacquiao AJPress photo by Robert Macabagdal

Overview:Under the general direction of the Housing Programs Director the incumbent will supervise, assign, review and monitor work of staff responsible for providing Section 8 programs to participants and ensure compliance with all related Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations and agency policies. The duties listed below illustrate the various types of work

the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment in association with this position.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED:

HOW TO APPLY:The Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority invites applicants for the HCV Super-visor. For position description and application details, visit www.snvrha.org, or by calling 702-922-1636 EEO/AA Disability Employer

Position Title: Housing Choice Voucher Supervisor

All Candidates

Announcement No.:16-018Ext

DEPARTMENT:Housing Programs

SALARY RANGE:$51,577 - $82,454 per annum

OPENING DATE:Tuesday, June 21, 2016

CLOSING DATE:Tuesday, July 12, 2016

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITYSouthern Nevada Regional Housing Authority

340 North 11th Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101Phone (702) 922-6060

june 23-29, 2016 • LAS VeGAS ASIAn jOuRnAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678A�

ASIAN JOURNAL PUBLITIONS, INC. publishes the Los Angeles Asian Journal, published twice a week; the Orange County and Inland Empire Asian Journal, Northern lifornia Asian Journal, Las Vegas Asian Journal and the New York / New Jersey Asian Journal which are published once a week and distributed to Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange Counties, Northern lifornia, Las Vegas and New York and New Jersey respectively.Articles published in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Letters to the Editor are welcome. Letters must contain complete name and return address. The materials, however, are subject to editing and revisions.Contributions and advertising deadlines are every Mondays and Thursdays. For advertising rates and other informations, please ll the L.A. office at (213) 250-9797 or the Las Vegas Sales Office at (702) 792-6678 or send us an email at info@asianjournalinc.com

Asian journal Publitions, Inc. (“AjPI”) reserves the right to refuse to publish, in its sole and absolute discretion, any advertising and advertorial material submitted for publition by client. (“Client’s Material”)Submission of an advertisement or advertorial to an AjPI sales representative does not constitute a commitment by AjPI to publish a Client’s Material. AjPI has the option to correctly classify any Client’s Material and to delete objectionable words or phrases.Client represents and warrants that a Client’s Material does not and will not contain any language or material which is libelous, slanderous or defamatory or invades any rights of privacy or publicity; does not and will not violate or infringe upon, or give rise to any adverse claim with respect to any common law or other right whatsoever (including, without limitation, any copyright, trademark, service mark or contract right) of any person or entity, or violate any other applible law; and is not the subject of any litigation or claim that might give rise to any litigation.Publition of a Client’s Material does not constitute an agreement to continue publition.Client agrees and covenants to indemnify AjPI and its officers against any and all loss, liability, damage, expenses, cost, charges, claims, actions, uses of action, recoveries, judgments, penalties, including outside attorneys’ fees (individually and collectively “Claims”) which AjPI may suffer by reason of (1) Client’s breach of any of the representations, warranties and agreements herein or (2) any Claims by any third party relating in any way to Client’s Material.AjPI will not be liable for failure to publish any Client’s Material as requested or for more than one incorrect insertion of a Client’s Material. In the event of an error, or omission in printing or publition of a Client’s Material, AjPI shall be limited to an adjustment for the space occupied by the error, with maximum liability being ncellation of the cost of the first incorrect advertisement or republition of the correct advertisement.under no circumstances shall Asian Publitions, Inc. be liable for consequential damages of any kind.

ADVeRTISInG AnD ADVeRTORIAL POLICIeS

The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.

ROGER LAGMAY ORIELPublisher & Chairman of the Board

CORA MACABAGDAL-ORIELPresident

MOMAR G. VISAYAExecutive Editor

ELIZABETH HILARIO SISONChief Financial Officer

ROBERT MACABAGDALVice President & General Manager

Las Vegas Asian Journal

Main Office:1210 S. Brand Blvd Glendale, CA 91204Tels: (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 Fax: (818) 502-0858 • (213) 481-0854e-mail: info@asianjournalinc.comhttp://www.asianjournal.com

Manila Office:2/F D&e Fort Palm Springs Cond.30th St., Cor. 1st Ave., Bonifacio Global City, TaguigTel.: (632) 856-4921 • 856-0397 • Fax: (632) 856-1661

Las Vegas Sales Office:3700 W. Desert Inn RoadLas Vegas, nevada 89102Tel.: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879

new York office:133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, nY 11354Tel.: (212) 655-5426 • Fax (213) 481-0854

new jersey office:449 Hoboken Ave.,jersey City, nj 07306Tel.: (212) 655-5426. • Fax (213) 481-0854

northern California:1001 Bayhill Drive, Suite 200,San Bruno, CA 94066Tel.: (650) 616-4150 • Fax: (650) 616-4152

OpiniOn Features

German P. Palabyab Advertising and Business

Development Director

WHEN talking of building infrastruc-ture or seeing the re-sults of development programs, the six years of a presiden-tial term is not that long. It is over too soon. Because every new administration wants to start from scratch, a president realizes too late he or she has little to show for the six years in power.

The one big attraction of Mr. Duterte is his statement during the campaign that he doesn’t mind borrowing good projects and ideas from the previous administrations. Sanay naman daw si-yang kumopya nung estudyante siya.

Hopefully, his Cabinet members bear this in mind when they start working on projects left over from previous ad-ministrations. The one big fault of the Aquino watch is P-Noy’s reluctance to have anything to do with Arroyo proj-ects even if there are already significant sunk costs or ongoing contracts.

Sure, for the obviously anomalous contracts, the new administration must do what it must do for good governance. But ordering new feasibility studies on top of dozens of feasibility studies on the same project would be a foolish waste of time, money and other public resources.

One of the first things the new regime must do is take an inventory of pending projects and note in what stages these projects are. Then, establish new time-lines for decision making and imple-mentation with firm delivery dates. Un-less this is done, they will find out the bureaucracy is good in pretending to be

busy even if they have no idea or intention to deliver anything soon.

Take the DOTC. The new Manila airport had been talked about and studied a lot for decades. JICA was asked last year by DOTC to prepare a new study, again. It is

time to make decisions because:• We need an airport to cover Ma-

nila and south of Manila to replace or supplement NAIA. Our main industrial zones are in Calabarzon. Clark is too far specially for those exporting or getting raw materials by air daily or just in time inventory systems.

There had been so many studies on where to locate the new Manila interna-tional airport. Sites in and along Laguna de Bay (Talim Island, Taguig shoreline, Bulacan) as well as Sangley and even Lipa have been mentioned and studied.

The first decision the Duterte admin-istration should do within the next three months is where to locate this airport. Everything starts with this decision. General Aviation cannot be relocated to Sangley as planned if Sangley will be selected as the site of the new Manila International Airport.

• We also need to develop Clark to serve provinces north of Manila and incidentally, supplement NAIA while the new one is being developed. Clark needs a decent terminal to handle in-creased international traffic. Clark needs a second runway because the current second runway is designed for fighter jets and not in compliance with ICAO separation rules for commercial jets.

With Clark Green City, the Ayala township development in Porac and in-creased importance of the Subic port, the Clark airport will be busier before we realize it.

Clark will need a fast train to Metro Manila and the only ROW available is the PNR ROW that is now programmed for a slow commuter train from Caloo-can to Malolos. Indeed, this proposal of Japan needs to be re-evaluated to fit Clark’s need for a fast train and we should do this re-evaluation and make a decision fast.

In the meantime, the new adminis-tration should proceed with the stalled public bidding for what a PPP Center press release called the “P74.56-bil-lion ($1.65 billion) NAIA Development project seen to transform the Philip-pines’ main international gateway into a world-class modern airport facility. The winning bidder of the airport proj-ect will upgrade the existing NAIA ter-minals to increase capacity.

“The concessionaire will also handle the operations and maintenance cover-ing both landside and airside aspects — except air traffic services — to in-crease operational efficiency and im-prove quality of services.”

The lesson in Cebu Mactan tells us private management of airports will serve the public interest.

There is also a pending public bid-ding for the operations and mainte-nance of a number of domestic airports (Davao, Bacolod, Iloilo, Bohol, Cagayan de Oro). Everything was ready for the public bidding and the potential bid-ders have done their computations. But DOTC held the bidding back.

USec. Timmy Limcaoco claims they

are waiting for legal opinions from the Solicitor General and the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel as if DOTC didn’t have enough lawyers.

On the train system, the earlier agree-ment was for the Tutuban to Bicol line to subsidize the commuter line, but this was changed to bid out the two as sepa-rate projects.

That effectively kills the commuter line. Worse, Abaya’s DOTC wants to run the operations as if government has what it takes to run a train system well. The MRT-3 experience proves other-wise. Decisions should be made on this rehab plan quickly so work can get go-ing.

The other urgent projects that need more attention are the two NLEX-SLEX connector roads. The two connector roads will greatly relieve congestion, taking as much as 50 percent of traffic load on EDSA and C5. The slow mov-ing trucks will take the MPIC one which connects to the piers. The connector roads may help make the Clark airport temporarily a bearable alternative to NAIA.

Indeed, the Duterte administration should get a complete briefing from the PPP Center and ask for a list of already approved projects ready for bidding. I understand the PPP staff is already frustrated with the seeming lack of in-terest of implementing agencies in car-rying out vetted projects.

What DOTC needs is one good project manager. I am confident Sec. Tugade will be decisive, based on the meetings I have had with him. Unlike Abaya and Mar Roxas, Tugade is a self-made man who grew up from poverty to become a success in the logistics business.

I noticed in our meetings, which in-cluded representatives from the busi-ness sector and some government agencies, that Tugade is anxious to fix problems quickly. He wants timelines of deliverables, something the current DOTC officials have ignored. Tugade, with his experience in the logistics in-dustry, knows the necessity of having and meeting deadlines.

The infrastructure Cabinet mem-bers of Mr. Duterte should remember they do not have the luxury of time. People expect solutions but will un-derstand if they can see something is being done.

I am happy to note that in the case of Mr. Tugade, he started working the day after his name was announced by Mr. Duterte as the new Transportation Sec-retary. I know he has been educating himself quite extensively over the last few weeks. But because he is a senior citizen, I only hope his health is up to the punishing physical challenge.

Tugade should brush off the lethargy of the bureaucracy he is inheriting from Jun Abaya. Not everyone will be happy with the decisions he will make but the important thing is that within the next three months, he has made most of the key decisions that are necessary.

We simply cannot debate forever where to put the new airport, how to build the new railways and how to de-congest EDSA. President-elect Duterte should implement the projects the Aquino administration was too afraid to get started.

* * *Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is bchanco@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @boochanco.

Boo ChanCo

Demandand Supply

Six years not that long

IT may be less than a month away from the Republican and Democratic National Conven-tions, but the respective pre-sumptive nominees for parties -- Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton — have sharpened their attacks against each other. Polls suggest that Hill-ary Clinton is winning in the match-up this early.

According to a CNN/ORC poll released on June 21, Clinton tops Trump by a 47 percent to 42 per-cent margin in the race to the White House, with just percent 22 of registered voters saying their minds could change between now and November.

Even with added candidates in the mix, Trump continues to be in a weaker position compared to Clinton. The same poll reveals that when Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party and Jill Stein of the Green Party are included in the list of options, Clinton holds the lead at 42 percent, Trump 38 percent, Johnson 9 percent and Stein 7 percent.

The CNN/ORC poll shows Former State Sec. Clinton holding an edge over Trump on foreign policy, immigration, and trade. On the other hand, the respondents to the poll Trump is deemed to be stronger than Clinton on the economy and the fight against terrorism.

Despite the aforementioned opinions of regis-

tered voters on key issues, however, it seems Trump has much work to do to win the presidency. The poll reveals a majority say they ultimate-ly expect Clinton to prevail in No-vember: 55 percent say they think Clinton will win the presidency, only 38 percent think Trump will.

But public opinion isn’t just the hurdle he needs to surmount.

Money is very important to run an effective and strong campaign nationwide heading into the November general elections, and Trump is also way behind Clinton in this race. According to NBC news, Clinton has outraised Trump 9-1. The Democratic presumptive nominee started off the month of June with $42 million cash-on-hand, while the Republican presumptive nominee has only $1.3 million.

In a dramatic effort to infuse new energy to his campaign to be more competitive in a broader electorate come November -- Trump just fired Corey Lewandowski, his campaign manager who helped him win Republican presidential nominat-ing contests.

Trump’s critics and political opponents say the dilemma is not just his staff nor money. They con-tend that the real problem is the candidate himself — Donald Trump.

Of course, many Filipinos in America believe in

Trump and his campaign promises. But does he really have the chance to win the

votes of a broader electorate in America? What must he do to win the race to the White House?

* * *

Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

Game on for the presumptive nominees: Clinton beats Trump in new poll and in fundraising

THERE has seemingly been a string of criminal incidents where po-lice officers have instantly shot suspected drug peddlers and pushers upon encounter. Is change really coming to address criminality and the growing illegal drug trade in the Philippines? Or is this a ploy to clean up their ranks?

Shootout

It is unpleasant to see officers you expect to uphold the law and apprehend criminals, as the same people the citizenry should be afraid of. It is a betrayal of trust and a degradation of peace and security.

They are after all, in-charge of ensuring the public’s safety and purging misfits from the streets.

Incoming President Rodrigo Duterte has con-tinuously warned that he will be aggressive in addressing criminality in the country. He even insists on the return of the death penalty and the public hanging of convicted criminals.

Duterte wants capital punishment for criminals convicted in illegal drugs, gun-for-hire syndicates and those who commit “heinous crimes” like rap-ists, robbers or car thieves who kill their victims.

Since the elections in May, there have been 34 alleged drug pushers killed in a supposed shoot-out with law enforcers. The Catholic Church has commended the authorities in their strong anti-crime crusade.

However, it said that vigilante-style murders

may also be on the rise as it ex-pressed disapproval of bounties for criminals.

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Pres. and

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas reminded authorities that “to kill a suspect out-right, no matter how much surveillance work may have antecedently been done on the suspect, is not morally justified.”

“We understand the difficulties that law-en-forcers face, the daily risk to life and limb, but not only civil society but also the Church counts on them for the flourishing of a society where all en-joy the blessings of a regime under laws that are just and institutions that are fair,” Villegas said.

There was never a better time to call this world a civilized society. Because of various national and international laws existing, we are bound to live decently, based on respect for the sanctity of life, democracy and human rights.

An intensified law enforcement may only serve as a deterrent against crimes, to lessen opportu-nities for criminal elements. But the severity of

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

the string of recent crimes reported still leaves anyone vulnerable.

The situation calls for strong and effective civil-ian oversight of the police. Going on an all-out

war against crime is beyond the power of the government alone. This campaign can only be deemed successful with the engagement of the public. (AJPress)

Hillary Clinton Donald Trump

Gel SantoS-ReloS

The Fil-Am Perspective

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com A�LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 23-29, 2016

Dateline PhiliPPines

Mar Roxas submits truckload of SOCE filesMANILA—After two weeks of

delay, the camp of losing presi-dent candidate Manuel Roxas II on Wednesday, June 22 turned over his Statement on Contribu-tions and Expenses (SOCE) to the Commission on Elections, showing P478 million in total campaign expenses.

Akbayan party-list Rep. Barry Gutierrez, spokesperson for the LP-lead administration coalition during the campaign, submitted Roxas’ SOCE with 50 boxes of sup-porting documents mounted on a truck parked in front of the Comelec building in Intramuros, Manila.

Gutierrez said Roxas’s biggest contributor was his mother, Judy Roxas, who handed him P90 mil-lion.

His uncle, Araneta Group CEO Jorge Araneta, meanwhile, con-tributed P70 million while Maria Fores gave P60 million.

While Roxas himself shelled out P18 million, his aunt Ruby donated P10 million. His cousin, celebrated chef Margarita Fores,

gave P7 million.Gutierrez said 83 percent of Rox-

as’s campaign expenditure went to television advertisements.

Roxas and his colleagues in the Liberal Party on June 16 asked the Comelec to extend the origi-nal June 8 deadline to submit the SOCE to June 30.

The en banc decision to grant the motion prompted the resigna-tion of Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim from the poll body’s campaign finance office on Tuesday. He had recom-mended against accepting the late submissions. (Camille Diola/Phil-star.com)

ABS-CBN’s Lopez accepts DENR postby Janvic Mateo

Philstar.com

MANILA—Anti-mining advocate Gina Lopez has accepted the offer of president-elect Rodrigo Duterte to be the next secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“After much introspection, I de-cided to accept it,” Lopez said.

“I was surprised (because) I am not the usual choice. My stand on environment protection is clear,” she added.

Lopez was attending the presen-tation of awards for Excellence in Educational Transformation at the ABS-CBN compound when she abruptly left the venue to answer a phone call from Duterte.

“I just talked with him a few min-utes ago,” she told reporters after her conversation with Duterte.

“I told him, sir, I just want you to know that I considered your proposal, I am deeply honored. It’s such a controversial decision, but you decided to trust me... I give you my firm commitment that I will do everything I can,” Lopez added.

Lopez chairs ABS-CBN’s chari-table arm Lingkod Bayan Founda-tion and Pasig River Rehabilitation Council.

She said she was not expecting Duterte’s offer for the DENR post when she met with him on Monday in Davao City.

A staunch anti-mining advocate,

Lopez said she would seek a dia-logue with mining companies upon her assumption as environment secretary.

She said she would address climate change and air pollution as well as dynamite fishing and illegal logging.

“The first thing I want to do is clean the ranks of DENR. Those who are accepting bribes, your days are over,” she said.

The appointment of Lopez to the DENR came weeks after Duterte stressed the need for someone who can help him address the destruc-tion of the environment caused by mining.

Duterte’s aide, outgoing Mari-bojoc, Bohol Mayor Jun Evasco, expressed his interest to head the agency.

Evasco was a former member of the New People’s Army before he became chief of staff of Duterte.

Evasco will serve as secretary to the Cabinet of the incoming administration.

Duterte warns mining firmsDuterte said Lopez, whom he

described as “ardent for respon-sible mining,” met him Monday to talk about the impact of mining in some areas.

Duterte said mining companies should plant trees and wash away the chemicals they leave behind to avoid destroying the environ-ment.

“If you don’t do it, I will cancel the permit,” he said.

Duterte said there would be a comprehensive review of all mining concessions to ensure that such activities would not be harmful to the environment.

“If you are into it, be sure you have enough resources or I’ll require you to go to Canada and Australia to learn how to mine precious metals,” the incoming president said.

“When you’re spoiling the land, I’ll cancel it (permit) without hesi-tation. That’s the bottom line,” he added.

Duterte clarified that he is not against mining but companies “have to do it right” because the precious metals belong to the Fili-pino people.

“If you cannot do it right, then get out,” he said.

Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas is the second-highest spender among the 2016 presidential candidates with P487 million in poll expenditures.

Gina Lopez

500,000 Nevadans serve as family caregivers, providing assistance to an older parent or other loved one with the tasks of daily living. AARP Nevada, the Asian Community Development Center (ACDC) and Rising Asian Pacific Americans Coalition for Diversity (RAPACD) are pleased to welcome Major General Antonio “Tony” Taguba—one of the nation’s foremost advocates for caregivers and veterans—to Las Vegas for two special community events:

Wednesday, June 29 at 6:00 p.m. | Hong Kong Garden5300 Spring Mountain Road

Thursday, June 30 at 10:00 a.m. | RAPACD Cultural Center3339 W. Washington Avenue, inside historic Lorenzi Park

Free refreshments will be provided.

FAMILY CAREGIVERS, JOIN GENERAL TONY TAGUBA JUNE 29 & 30

Seating is limited for these special events. Register today at aarp.org/nv or call 1-877-926-8300.

june 23-29, 2016 • LAS VeGAS ASIAn jOuRnAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678A�

IP Jasmine Rice 50lbs

$2799each

50 lbs!

Nathaniel’s Buko Pandan Salad 690g

$999each

Kapuso Nata De Coco Assorted Flavors 12oz

99¢each

Phil Island Frozen Grated Cassava 16oz

99¢each

Inday’s Best Macapuno String 12oz

$199each

Mogu Mogu Party Pack 4packs

$52for

Phil Island Frozen Shredded Young Coconut 8oz

$54for

Kapuso Kaong Assorted Flavors 12oz

$54for

Kapuso Halo Halo 12oz

$32for

Tropics Siopao Assorted Flavors 16oz

$72for

$92for

Island Pacific Sweet Rice 5lbs

San Miguel Best of the Phil Ice Cream 1.5L

$499each

Little Farm Bread (butter/garlic/pepper)100g

$52for

Suntropics Fruit Bar Assorted Flavors 4pc

$52for

Calbee Shrimp Chips XL

$199each

Nestle Purelife Water 24 Pack

$299each

UFC Refresh Coconut Water 1L

$52for

Green Fresh Coconut Juice in Glass Bottle 10.5oz

$23for

Chinese Eggplant

$12lbs for

3lbsfor 99¢

Upo Baby Bokchoy

$12lbs for

Daikon

$14lbs for

Cabbage Green

$14lbs for

Spinach

$12pcs for

$499

Mango Mexican

/box3lbs

for 99¢

Cantaloupe Papaya Mexican

69¢/lb

3lbsfor 99¢

Honey Dew

3pcsfor 99¢

White Corn

$249/lb

Pork BellyRegular

$399/lb

Beef InsideRoundChicken

Drumstick

$12lbsfor

Salmon Steak$499/lb

Round Scad(Galunggong)

$99/lb

Gasper Goo$99

/lb

$149/lb

Tilapia

“WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO TERMINATE THE SALES PROMO WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. WE ALSO RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REPLACE ITEMS WITH PRODUCTS OF APPROXIMATE VALUE. NO RAIN CHECKS. PROMO GOOD WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER COUPON OR PROMO. PRICES MAY CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. GIVEAWAYS NOT VALID FOR CUSTOMERS WITH DISCOUNT.”

M e a t Fi e s t a !

S e a fo o d Fi e s t a !

P ro d u ce Fi e s t a !

G ro ce r y Fi e s t a !

8650 W TROPICANA AVENUE, LAS VEGAS NV 89147

Sign Up!Earn

Points!June23-29!

Summer �est�!

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 23-29, 2016 B�

VEGAS&STYLEJournal

PAGE B4

LIKE THE BELOVED BLUE TANG IN ‘FINDING DORY’Pixar artist Paul Abadilla and his journey back home

by Christina alpadManilaTimes.net

In the movie “Finding Dory,” Dory—the blue tang who suffers from short term memory gap—suddenly finds herself longing for her family. As a result, she leaves behind the comfort of a familiar environment and sets on a journey to find them.

In real life, Filipino-American Pixar Studio sketch artist Paul Abadilla—who helped the huge team of animators and illustrators complete the sequel to “Find-ing nemo”—also found himself longing for his homeland, thus his excitement over his current visit to Manila.

“Like Dory who is in search of her roots, where she and her fam-ily came from, I similarly feel like I’m rediscovering tastes, sights, smells, the warm temperature and the weather here which I love. It’s getting that familiar feeling back. It feels so good to me and I feel right at home. I love it!” Abadilla enthused to The Manila Times.

But unlike Dory who cannot remember his childhood, Abadilla vividly recall his humble begin-nings in the Philippines.

Speaking in front of students and the media to promote his studio’s latest movie at Makati Diamond Residences last week, Abadilla shared he grew up in his family’s home in Alabang and his paternal grandmother’s apartment in Pandacan until they migrated to the United States of America when he was just seven years old.

He also remembers how he

Under the sea: Pixar set artist Paul Abadilla was in Manila to answer media questions on Finding Dory and hold an animation workshop in Makati. Philstar.com photo by Jun Mendoza

loved to draw and sketch even in his formative years and how the absence of toys helped him develop his hobby.

“ I a l w a y s loved to draw. I think I learned how to as soon as I was able to hold a pencil,” he l aughed . “Also, I didn’t have much toys and that’s when I turned to my school supplies, which were re-ally just there. I think, I drew naturally be-cause of that.”

From viewer to creator

L ike most children who grew up before the prevalence of smartphones and handheld gadgets, Abadilla had been fix-ated with cartoons. It wasn’t long until he realized that he wanted to make a career out of it.

“I watched a lot of cartoons and Disney movies when I was a kid. During that time, I thought that cartoons really existed like in real life,” the 32-year old artist shared.

“It wasn’t until high school when I admitted that, ‘OK it took a team of artists to create these films and cartoons’,” he contin-ued, laughing at himself.

Abadilla specifically cited watching Disney’s “Tarzan” and “Alladin” as the definitive mo-ment that he wanted to work in animation.

“I saw a possible path and career in animation—being some-how involved in animation, in some shape or form was, to me, a dream job. With that in mind, I knew I wanted to pursue that,” he wholeheartedly shared.

When he came of age, and with his parents’ full support, Abadilla decided to pursue Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation/Illustration at the San Jose State University in California.

Then came the time when he had to take on an internship program as part of his course requirement. Having been a fan all his life, he knew where to apply right away.

“When I saw films like ‘Toy Story’ and ‘Finding nemo,’ I knew there was something about Pixar Animation Studios, and I knew I wanted to work for them,” Aba-dilla narrated.

Unfortunately, his enthusiasm

Mix and Match the classics.

for $5Quarter Pounder®*with Cheese

Filet-O-Fish®

10 Pc. Chicken McNuggets®

Big Mac®

Price of single item posted on menuboard. *Weight before cooking 4.25oz. ©2016 McDonald’s

june 23-29, 2016 • LAS VeGAS ASIAn jOuRnAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678B� EntErtainmEnt

JaDine to be featured in international teen magazineby AlixAndrA CAole VilA

Philstar.com

JaDine fans rejoice! James Reid and nadine Lustre are #flyin-ghigh and landing on the pages of a widely recognized international magazine—Teen Vogue.

according to reports, the onscreen turned real-life couple will be featured in their US edi-tion and the interview was done during the Washington D.C. leg of their World Tour dubbed as “JaDine high On Love.”

The reports were confirmed by the official account of JaDine’s publicist on instagram.

The photo features a screen-shot of an email asking if the publicists can provide free passes to see one of JaDine’s concerts and to have an exclusive interview with the Team Real.

Viva artist agency which han-dles the celebrity couple also

James Reid and Nadine Lustre recently made their first movie as couple, “This Time.”

shared a snap taken during the interview.

no word yet whether when the interview will be published on the

magazine.James Reid and nadine Lustre

recently made their first movie as couple, “This Time.”

John Lloyd Cruz, LJ Reyes win big at 39th Gawad Urian

JOhn Lloyd Cruz and LJ Reyes won the best actor and actress awards at the 39th Gawad Urian.

The announcement came on Wednesday, June 22 at the Kia Theater.

John Lloyd won the honor for the film “honor Thy Father,” while LJ Reyes won best actress for the film “anino sa Likod ng Buwan.”

“i came here tonight as an actor that can honor and celebrate my pure love for cinema,” John Lloyd said in his acceptance speech.

For best director, it was Jerrold Tarog who bagged the award for the film “heneral Luna.” While the film “Taklub” by Centerstage Pro-

by JoyCe Jimenez Philstar.com ductions won as best picture.

The best supporting actor and best supporting actress went to Bernardo Bernardo for the film “imbisibol” and ana abad Santos for the film “apocalypse Child” respectively.

Below is the complete list of winners of the 39th Gawad Urian.

Best Picture: “Taklub”Best Actress: LJ Reyes (“anino

sa Likod ng Buwan”)Best Actor: John Lloyd Cruz

(“honor Thy Father”)Best Supporting Actor: Ber-

nardo Bernardo (“imbisibol”)Best Supporting Actress:

ana abad Santos (“apocalypse Child”)

Best Director: Jerrold Tarog (“heneral Luna”)

Best Editing: Jerrold Tarog (“heneral Luna”)

Best Music: Jake abella (“aRi: My Life with a King”)

Best Sound: Mikko Quizon (“heneral Luna”)

Best Production Design: Ben Payumo (“Water Lemon”)

Best Screenplay: Robby Tantingco (“ari: My Life with a King”)

Best Cinematography: Pong ignacio (“heneral Luna”)

Best Short Film: “Wawa”Best Documentary Film: “The

Crescent Rising”Natatanging Gawad Urian

award: Romy Vitug

Here are the winners of the 39th Gawad Urian. Philstar.com photo by Efigenio Toledo IV

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 23-29, 2016 B�

june 23-29, 2016 • LAS VeGAS ASIAn jOuRnAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678B� Features

By Monet Lu

It would have been like any other Sunday morning on June 12 -- one where I wake up knowing that life is good and that everything is exactly how it should be. Only, it wasn’t.

Because that morning, evil took over and life will never be the same again.

I say this with a broken and grieving heart, and I say it think-ing about the bereaved families of victims of the worst mass shooting in American history. this pain will be in my heart forever.

that Saturday night at the Pulse nightclub was supposed to be a special night for Latinos in Orlando, Florida. It was their Latino-themed night. I heard Puerto Rican drag queen Kenya Michaels was set to be one of the guests (former Ru Paul’s Drag Race contestant Yara Sofia later reported that Michaels made it out safely).

I’ve never been to this club but I know how exciting a themed night is, especially the ones dedicated to Latinos, whose culture resembles mine. I am sure there were a lot of dancing and fun times. Surrounded by families and friends in a place where they ‘believed’ they are free of judging eyes and hatred. I bet they felt safe just being themselves, but they didn’t know.

they didn’t know that was their last dance.

Officials confirmed that 49 peo-ple were dead and 53 wounded after gunman wielding an assault-type rifle and a handgun opened fire inside Pulse. I was shocked beyond belief. How could this hap-pen? How can such evil exist?

Days passed and it became evident that I am just one out of thousands of people asking the same questions. then there were stories of survivors painfully recall-ing that fateful night. they describe every horrifying detail that, I can just assume, would haunt them for eternity.

“I look over, and he shoots the girl next to me. And I’m just there laying down and I’m thinking ‘I’m next, I’m dead.’ So I don’t know how, but by the glory of God, he shoots toward my head but it hits my hand, and then he shoots me again and it hits the side of my hip. I had no reaction. I was just prepared to just stay there laying down so he

One last dance: My deepest sympathies to the victims of Orlando massacre

won’t know that I’m alive,” Angel Colon, one of the survivors told the press.

Officials and public figures from across the world have expressed condemnation and shock over the tragedy. the outpouring of sympa-thies from all over the world was reassuring. Outside Los Angeles’ City Hall on Monday evening, June 13, Lady Gaga stood in solidarity alongside the grieving LGBt com-munity she has long supported, delivering a tearful speech:

“We mourn the tragic loss of these innocent, beautiful people. Let’s all today pledge an allegiance of love to them and to their families who are suffering so deeply. they are sons and daughters. they were fathers and mothers. they are all our brothers and our sisters. But tonight I will not allow my anger and outrage over this attack to over-shadow our need to honor those who are grieving truly for their lost ones; lost members of the LGBt community,” Gaga said, then read aloud the names of each victim.

Nick Jonas was also one of the thousands to pay his respects to the Orlando, Florida shooting at a vigil in NYC on Monday, June 13. the singer opened up about attending and speaking at the tribute during a radio interview with Elvis Duran.

He said, “I am so humbled, and I think more than anything I just want to speak from the heart and say that I woke up yesterday to the news and like all of you, my heart broke.”

the vigil was held at the historic Stonewall Inn, a bar that helped launch the gay civil rights move-ment in 1969. Supporters flooded the streets and held rainbow flags in solidarity with the LGBt com-munity.

Numerous reports and specula-tions kept pouring in regarding the motive of the suspect but I have but one thing to say: whether it is a ter-rorist attack or a hate crime against the LGBt community, I hope that we all remember that countless lives have been lost and ruined. this is not the time to categorize people. they are humans just like everybody else and they deserve justice and respect that they have long been fighting for. I hope the government will do everything in their power to do the right thing. I feel sorry for their families and friends. I can only wish that they will find peace through all of this.

to the families and friends of the victims, I sincerely send my deepest sympathies.

***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

The victims of the Orlando massacre wasn’t reciprocated back then and he sadly got a rejection letter fol-lowing his application. the young artist-in-the-making was not disheartened, though, and fixed his eyes on Disney Animation Studios. He eventually bagged the training he needed.

A year later, Abadilla reapplied at Pixar and—because dreams do come true—was finally accepted as a trainee.

Now if his life were a movie, this would be the part where the protagonist would have hurdled the story’s conflict, allowing the audience to breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that the resolution is just about to happen.

And yes, Abadilla gets to com-plete his training with flying colors, graduate summa cum laude from his university, and ultimately, a week later, start his actual work for Pixar. But, since real life is doesn’t necessarily have a movie’s five main parts, the promising Fil-American finds himself starting over again, facing conflicts, climaxes—sometimes anti-climaxes—denouements, and unexpected conclusions even at his dream job.

Challenge, fulfillmentAt Pixar—which by the way

employs a lot of Filipinos, who call themselves ‘PixNoys’ or Pinoy Pixarians—Abadilla is hard at work as a sketch artist.

“I am primarily a set designer so I’m responsible for designing the environments you see in our movies. My work specifically in-

Pixar artist Paul Abadilla and his journey...

WGU Nevada announces new scholarships for business programsOnline, competency-based university will grant scholarships to

undergraduate students enrolling in College of BusinessLAS VEGAS — (June 15, 2016)

Nonprofit, online WGU Nevada is now offering a new scholarship program for new students enrolling in any of its undergraduate degree programs in its College of Busi-ness. Applications are now being accepted for the Excellence in Busi-ness Scholarship, which provides up to $3,000 ($600 per six-month term, up to five terms). In addition, the $65 university application fee will be waived for those applying for the scholarship atnevada.wgu.edu/excellenceinbusiness by Au-gust 31, 2016.

to be eligible, scholarship ap-

plicants must be officially admitted into one of WGU Nevada’s under-graduate business degree pro-grams, complete the scholarship application, and be interviewed by a WGU scholarship counselor. While WGU Nevada will award multiple scholarships, recipients will be selected based on their academic records, financial need, and readiness for online study at WGU Nevada.

WGU Nevada uses an innovative approach called competency-based education, which measures learn-ing rather than time spent in class. Competency-based education is

a good fit for working business professionals because it allows them to study and learn at their own pace and advance as soon as they have mastered course materi-als. Students have 24/7 access to their course materials, and faculty members provide one-on-one sup-port. terms are six months long, and students pay a flat rate of $3,000 per term for most programs, regardless of the number of courses completed. Because WGU Nevada programs are self-paced, many students are able to accelerate their studies, finishing their degree

volves set, color and shading, and lighting designs,” he explained.

Working for the company for eight years now, Abadilla has been credited for the doing the set design in the 2008 feature animation “Brave,” his first movie; character shading design in 2013’s “Monsters University;” and color scripting in Pixar’s first indie movie “the Blue Umbrella” and first tV special “toy Story of terror.” He also did the color script of Lava, an “appetizer” shown in cinemas right before the actual screening of the 2015 movie “Inside Out,” which he also worked on.

Abadilla shared that it is chal-lenging to be in an industry where a week or a month’s worth of hard work in creating a scene can easily be reduced to mere seconds or a few frames in the final movie. “Worse,” the effort could end up in the chopping block.

these “rejections,” however, are all part of the job, telling his awe-struck audience, most of whom also aspire to enter the world of animation, that they must learn how to be resilient in order to survive.

“the challenge is to be resilient and to be adaptive to change. that’s a huge part of what we do at Pixar. We are encouraged to fail early and to fail often so that we can get to the good stuff as soon as we can,” the sketch artist said.

If one can get past that, the fulfillment is all worth it.

Outside his talk, Abadilla told The Manila Times how he first felt,

and actually continues to feel so, whenever he sees his handiwork on the big screen.

“Sometimes you are so zoomed in to the making of the movie and then all of a sudden time passes and then you see it as a whole. When that eventually happens to me, I am always in awe of the final product because everybody has brought their best into making the movie. I’m always thinking how a bunch of crazy people can make something look so beautiful. And even though I’m part of it, it’s still all magical to me, and I still find myself wondering, ‘How did they do that?’ It’s genuine excitement and amazement I feel in our every project.”

Finally, Abadilla said that, as designers, their fulfillment lies in bringing the audience into a seemingly real world, just like how he felt during his childhood.

“What’s key for us as we as do the research and exploration designs is to make sure our audi-ence believes that they are in this world,” Abadilla enthused.

As his latest work opens during his homecoming to the Philip-pines, the artist is generously taking time out of being with family and friends to share his experiences with young Filipinos. He believes that if he can do it, so can many others for he knows he comes from a talented race.

And so, as Paul Abadilla finds home again, he hasn’t come empty handed. He brings with him the magic of making dreams come true.

PAGE B6

PAGE B1

EMPLOYMENT SERVICESEMPLOYMENT

FOR RENT

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 23-29, 2016 B�

Why do you need a lawyer in immigration court?

Glutathione update

PhiliP S. Chua,MD, FaCS, FPCS

Health@Heart

atty. NaNCy Miller

Your ImmigrationSolution

One of the worst moments in an immigrant’s life is when he receives a notice to Appear in Immigration court. All his hopes and dreams for a life in this country flash before his eyes. As they begin to fade away he asks himself “Is this the end of my life in America?” “What do I do now?” The answer to the first question may very well depend on how he answers the second.

An alien receives a notice to Appear because Immigration & Customs enforcement (the prosecutorial arm of the Depart-ment of Homeland Security) has decided that the person should be removed from the United States. There are many reasons for such action. Maybe the alien

has stayed longer than his non-immigrant visa allowed. Maybe he has entered the United States without any visa at all. Maybe he misrepresented some material fact in order to obtain either a non-immigrant visa or a green card. Maybe he is a green card holder who has committed a crime. These and other reasons can result in a person being placed in removal proceedings. At that point, it can feel like the full force of the United States government is directed toward seeing to it that the person is forced to leave the U.S.

An alien who feels that way is not far from wrong. The full prosecutorial arm of the Depart-ment of Homeland Security (in the form of an assistant chief counsel) is focused on remov-ing that person. The immigra-tion judge, who answers to the Attorney General and the Chief Immigration Judge in the

Department of Justice, is there to judge the evidence placed before him. He cannot find evidence. He cannot prepare or present a case. A well-pre-sented case by an assistant chief counsel of ICe must be met by an equally-well or better pre-pared case by the alien or his representative.

It takes someone knowledge-able in immigration law to de-termine if the alien is eligible for any relief that will stop deporta-tion from happening. However, that is just the beginning. Just because a person may be eligible for relief does not mean he will get it. It is necessary to present sufficient documentary evidence and oral testimony to convince the immigration judge that the immigrant is eligible for that re-lief. That evidence must clearly convince the judge that the person meets all the elements for the relief he wants. Once he

has presented all the evidence to support statutory eligibility, he must convince the judge that she should exercise her discre-tion to grant the relief. In other words, he must present more evidence to show the judge why, despite having overstayed or lied or committed a crime, he should be given the benefit of the doubt and a second chance at a life in America.

A recent article appearing in a large metropolitan newspaper cited statistics that showed quite clearly that the majority of cases in immigration court are denied. The statistics also clearly showed that aliens who were represented by competent counsel fared far better than those who attempted to represent themselves. In fact, the article said that aliens who were represented by lawyers were five times more likely to be granted relief.

The reasons for this are ob-

vious. In addition to knowing what elements have to be met, a knowledgeable attorney also knows the most effective way to present that evidence. She knows the most persuasive evidence to prove extreme or exceptional and extremely un-usual hardship. She knows how to present evidence of rehabili-tation or good moral character. She is familiar with what is necessary to show that the alien will be persecuted in his home country. She knows how to pres-ent negative as well as positive facts. And if negative facts are out there, they must be dealt with. They must be presented by the alien in the least harmful manner before the government presents them in the way likely to cause the greatest damage. All of these hurdles must be met if an immigrant is going to be able to remain in the United States.

At first thought, it may be tempting to try to save money and represent oneself in im-migration court. However, the price of losing the case is much higher than a reasonable attorney’s fee. Don’t place your life and future in the hands of inexperience. Place those pre-cious assets in the hands of an experienced and knowledgeable immigration lawyer. Your future depends on it.

***Reeves, Miller, Zhang & Diza Law Corporation’s offices are located in Pasadena, Irvine, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Makati City. Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com.

***The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case. (Advertising Supplement)

THe glutathione craze seems to have spread to various coun-tries, including the Philippines, inspired mostly by women’s de-sire for a fairer complexion and people’s quest for the fountain of health and youth.

Knowing that any substance or drug we use, including “sim-ple” aspirin, is associated with possible adverse side-effects, the concern about the safety of long-term use of glutathione comes into question.

What is glutathione?Popularly known as GSH (and

nicknamed Glute), this sub-stance is a protein (a tripeptide) made up of three amino acids: cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine. It is normally produced by our bodies and found inside every cell, including the cells of the immune system. GSH is a detoxifying agent, an essential scavenger and neutralizer of the bad free oxygen radicals and peroxides that destroy cells. Our body glutathione is really a potent (“Master”) antioxidant that enables the cells to main-tain intracellular health and also helps repair damaged DnA.

Which foods contain gluta-thione?

This substance is found in fresh fruits, vegetables, walnuts, fish, and freshly prepared meats. Dr. Dean Jones, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and director of nutritional health sciences at emory University, stated that people who eat well probably have enough glutathione from their diet. Under normal situa-tions and in general, there is re-ally no need for any glutathione or any other food supplement.

What conditions can lower GSH?

Low levels or deficiency of glutathione have been seen in people with diabetes, high blood pressure, HIV/AIDS, low sperm count, cataract, among smokers, and those with cancer. However, most of these individuals, except those who are unable to eat properly and are emaciated be-cause of their illness, will still not have glutathione deficiency.

Who should take glutathi-one?

Scientifically speaking, only those with proven glutathione deficiency by blood tests should receive glutathione supplement. Oral glutathione pills are de-stroyed by gastric juices in the stomach and are not absorbed. Hence, the pill form of glutathi-one is useless. However, there is

some evidence in newer studies that seems to suggest otherwise. This substance can also be given by intravenous injection. It also comes in an aerosol nasal spray, but its effectiveness and the practicality of its applica-tion in adequately boosting the blood level of glutathione for those with deficiency are still uncertain. Liposomal encapsu-lation Technology (LeT) allows encapsulated medication to slip through the stomach and into the small intestine for effective absorption but it is an expensive option.

What happens if GSH is used by healthy persons?

Healthy people, with no evi-dence of deficiency of glutathi-one, as we intimated earlier, do not need glutathione supple-ment. The glutathione-derived from food will, as a rule, be enough for them to maintain healthy cells, unless they abuse themselves by smoking, exces-sive alcohol intake, using illegal drugs, etc. When healthy in-dividuals use glutathione any-way, intravenously or by nasal aerosol, their body will not have any added protection or benefit. They will just be wasting money and subjecting themselves to yet undefined potential health risks associated with long-term use of the exogenous (laboratory-

produced) glutathione. Is GSH whitening skin cream

safe?In the market today, there

are dozens of bleaching or whitening products for the skin. One of them is glutathi-one facial cream/lotion, and the others are facial soaps with glutathione as a bleach-ing/whitening agent. While any substance applied to the skin is absorbed by the body into the bloodstream (like dermal medication patches), we have not found any information on the adverse side-effects of GSH in these cosmetics for the skin. People allergic to milk protein and organ transplant patients are advised against using any form of glutathione.

How does GSH whiten the skin?

One side effect of topically (locally) applied glutathione as a cosmetic

is that it slows down the pro-duction of melanin (a protein manufactured by melanocytes in our skin that gives the skin the brown color). As a result, there will be less melanin pigment and the skin becomes whiter. While this particular side effect of topi-cal glutathione on the complex-ion is good, factual information is not available for the safety of chronic use of glutathione, even as a skin bleaching agent.

Does GSH cure autism, Par-kinson or cancer?

Commercial ads claim glu-tathione is effective in the treatment and cure of autism, Alzheimer’s, male infertility, Parkinson, and even cancer. Unfortunately, there is no sci-entific evidence to support these claims. Some people consider GSH and the other cure-all “food supplements” as scams and the snake oils of the present.

Does GSH have any role in cancer therapy?

There is no scientific evidence that glutathione prevents, cures, or aggravates any form of can-cer. In one study, women with ovarian cancer were intrave-nously given glutathione while undergoing chemotherapy and “not only had fewer side effects from the chemotherapy but also had better overall survival rates.”

Are drug makers liable for bad effects of their products?

Unless it can be proven that the drug manufacturer had lied to or hid vital safety information from the US Food and Drug Ad-ministration when it applied for the drug approval and patent, or neglected to appropriately apprise the FDA of any life- or health-threatening complica-tions caused by the drug after its wide circulation and clini-cal use, the manufacturer, in general, cannot be held legally liable for the side-effects of its product. As long as the company acted in earnest, in good faith,

and had complied with all the rules, regulations, and stringent criteria of the FDA, it is may not be held liable. This is especially true when the manufacturer voluntarily withdraws the drug from the market upon discovery of the danger.

In reality, though, more often than not, the issue becomes convoluted and much more complex, as greedy ambulance chasers come to the picture. This is especially common in large cities in the United States, where lawyers advertise on giant billboards and on TV commer-cials egging people on to sue healthcare providers for drug or surgical complications, “totally free legal service if you lose.”

A time-honored sage advice perhaps older than civilization itself: Caveat emptor! Let the buyer beware!

Please visit philipSchua.com email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

***Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac

Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

june 23-29, 2016 • LAS VeGAS ASIAn jOuRnAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678B� Features

Summerlin hosts the valley’s largest 4th of July paradeMore than 35,000 expected to attend

The entire Las Vegas valley is invited to celebrate Independence Day at the 22nd annual Summerlin Council Patriotic Parade, Southern Nevada’s largest and most colorful Fourth of July parade. This year, Senator Dean Heller and Lt. Gover-nor Mark Hutchison will kick off the procession. Parade grand marshals are Brigadier General Jeannie M. Leavitt, 57th Wing Commander, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada and Chief Master Sergeant Shawn L. Drinkard, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 57th Wing, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. More than 35,000 people are expected to at-tend the parade.

The parade features more than 70 entries, including traditional floats, Macy’s-style giant inflat-able balloons, American military heroes, bands, musical groups and a variety of kids’ favorite storybook and cartoon characters. More than 2,500 people are par-ticipating in the parade and more than 500 volunteers from dozens of local schools and community groups are assisting with parade operations.

This year, several new entries are added to the parade roster, including “Avengers: America’s Mighty Heroes,” “The Fourth Awakens—Tribute to Star Wars,” “Pac Man Fever,” “Dream Big with the Princesses” and “Ferris Bueller’s Independence Day Off.” More than 16,000 cubic feet of helium will be used for more than 25 giant inflatables.

Returning to the parade include fan favorites “Aladdin’s Magic Carpet” float featuring characters riding a flying carpet; “The Great-est Generation” push-float; “Fro-zen Fun” float complete with live characters and snow; “Monsters University” push-float; Neon City Garrison Star Wars costuming club; Danza Del Carrizo Native American performing group; the Palo Verde and Spring Valley High School marching bands; and “A Salute to the Military” float featur-ing service men and women from Nellis Air Force Base. Members of the American Legion, Marine Corps League and the Military Order of the Purple Heart will also participate in the festivities.

The parade is organized by The Summerlin Council, the non-profit arm of the Summerlin Community Association dedicated to the social, educational and recreational en-richment of residents. The parade is open to the public. Everyone is encouraged to arrive early, bring water and wear sunscreen.

Title Sponsor is The Howard Hughes Corporation/Summerlin. Premier Sponsor is QI Security Services. Major sponsors include Children’s Medical Center at Sum-merlin Hospital; Station Casinos; City of Las Vegas Parks and Rec-reation; Realty One Group; Design Works Custom Painting, Inc.; Par 3 Landscape and Maintenance; Southwest Medical; The Alexander Dawson School; and Downtown Summerlin.

WGU Nevada announces new...sooner, which saves them both time and money. As a result, the aver-age time to complete a bachelor’s degree at WGU Nevada is less than three years.

WGU NevadaWGU Nevada is an online,

nonprofit, competency-based university established to expand Nevadans’ access to higher educa-tion throughout the state. Formed through a partnership between the state of Nevada and nation-ally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Nevada is open to all qualified Nevada residents. The university offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate de-gree programs in the high-demand career fields of business, K–12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing.

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commis-

sion on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). WGU’s Teachers Col-lege programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and its nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)*.

In addition to WGU Nevada, there are five other WGU state-based, state-endorsed universities: WGU Indiana, established in June 2010; WGU Washington, estab-lished in April 2011; WGU Texas, established in August 2011; WGU Missouri, established in Febru-ary 2013; and WGU Tennessee, established in July 2013. For more information, visit the WGU Nevada website, nevada.wgu.edu, or call 877-214-7005.

*Western Governors University offers nursing programs that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 5380, Washington, DC 20036, 202-877-6791).

PAGE B4

99 Ranch Alhambra unveils new Seafood Department with ‘Asian Food Festival’

TO celebrate the opening of the new Seafood Department in 99 Ranch Market’s Alhambra loca-tion, the store held an “Asian Food Festival” on June 11 and 12.

The new Seafood Department itself “not only provides fresh sea-food, but also allows customers to choose fish, lobsters, crabs, and other live seafood right in front of the aquarium,” according to a press release. Additionally, the store’s Asian kitchen allows for customers to purchase prepared Asian cuisine.

The festival hosted a balloon artist who created animal balloons, a photo booth where participants could win goodie bags, and a give-away for two boxes with a year of free Mandarin TV service from Damai. The event also included a demonstration by celebrity chef, Ray Shao. Shao’s recipes can be found below.

The store itself intends to pro-vide shoppers with “ethnic grocer-ies reminding [them of] the taste of [their] hometown” and “freshly picked fruits and vegetables” at

“competitive prices” with a “pleas-ant shopping experience”, 99 Ranch wrote in a press release.

The Alhambra location is locat-

ed at 345 E. Main Street, Alhambra, CA 91801 and is open Monday to Sunday from 9 AM to 10 PM. (AJPress)

Dry Fried Noodles with Butter LobsterIngredIents:

• Fresh Lobster• Dry Fried NoodlesSeasoning• Butter

1. Cut and clean lobster. 2. Add Shaoxing rice wine,

coat with potato starch and deep fry.

3. Cook dry fried noodles in boiling water, drain.

4. Add lobster and cook.

• Onion• Salt• Chicken Powder• Potato Starch

Coral Shrimp in Two Styles IngredIents:

• 2 lbs. Coral Shrimp• Crispy Rice• Vermicelli• Salted Yolk• Sliced Shallots• Sliced Ginger• Deep-Fried Mashed Garlic

Seasoning• Shaoxing Rice Wine• White Pepper• Corn Starch• White Sugar• Chicken Powder• Sweet Soy Sauce

shrImp Body: Coral shrImp and CrIspy rICe Covered wIth salted egg yolk

1. Remove shrimp heads, cut off tails and clean.

2. Cut back of shrimp and dip into salt, shaoxing rice wine,

white pepper and egg yolk. Coat shrimp with cornstarch and deep fry in half of the oil.

3. Cook salted yolk in butter

with white sugar and chicken powder, place over shrimps.

4. Deep fry crispy rice and mix with shrimps.

shrImp head: steamed vermICellI wIth deep-FrIed mashed garlIC

1. Place shrimp heads and fried mashed garlic over vermicelli. Add Shaoxing rice

wine, salt and chicken powder. Steam for 5 minutes.

2. Add sweet soy sauce,

sliced shallot and sliced gin-ger. Pour hot oil onto shrimp head.

Broiled Fish with Sichuan Pepper SauceIngredIents:

• Fresh Fish• Bell Pepper (Section)• Sprouts• Chinese Celery• Chicken Broth

1. Slice fish. Dip in proper amount of salt, white pepper,

egg white and potato starch.2. Boil sprouts and chinese

celery, place into bowl. Boil fish, place on top of vegetables.

2. Warm chicken broth and pour over fish.

3. Heat sichuan pepper oil. Stir-fry bell pepper and sichuan pepper. Place over fish.

Seasoning• Salt• White Pepper• Egg White• Potato Starch• Sichuan Pepper

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 23-29, 2016 B�

june 23-29, 2016 • LAS VeGAS ASIAn jOuRnAL http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678B�