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Founded in 1986
Founding Publisher/Editor:
Lito A. Gajilan
Columnists:
Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel
Joseph G. Lariosa
Gani P. Tolentino
Ted L. Reyes
Atty. Reuben S. Seguritan
Photographers:
Butch Gata
Sheryl Garcia
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not reflect the opinion of the paper nor that of the publisher
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For the past 20 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
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To tell us what you think about Filipino Express Online or to comment on the stories published here, E-mail us at Filexpress@aol.com
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IN an historic moment, Barack Obama finally sees himself on top of American politics. He is the first African-American to be nominated by a major political party for the highest position in the land. In a dramatic Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, the democrats lifted Mr. Obama to a place the late reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. saw only in his dreams. Mr. Obama is one step closer to becoming an American president– the first colored man to even have a chance to be one.
Can he win? Can he convince the American public that his new politics can bring Americans a better life? Can he persuade ardent republicans that he is the right choice and not Senator John McCain of Arizona? Perhaps he can. However, John McCain is a different animal. He is a moderate. He is sometimes as progressive in his ideas as any democrat alive, yet still make a case about choosing life.
McCain has many dimensions in his game. He can win republicans easily and still give Mr. Obama a run for his money in getting democrat votes. Senator John McCain is not a push over. After all, he is not ‘Dubya.’ However, in an American society that has seen a sudden burst of young people interested in political affairs, McCain could face elimination from Mr. Obama. In the youth sector, Mr. Obama is King Barack. He is untouchable, immovable, and almost deity-like in the eyes of the young. To them, McCain is nothing but a song ready to fade out. It is promising for King Barack, but if you look at the big picture, the youth could be the only thing that the king has and nothing else. It is his lifeboat– a strong lifeboat, though.
On the other hand, Senator McCain has the votes of the elderly. It is almost certain that king Barack will not get anything from Americans over the age of 50. These ripened members of society that are still somehow stuck to the notion that people of color carry price tags around their necks will never give the king anything– not even prayers. So democrats should not even bother to count votes fromstates where the majority of the demographic consists of baby boomers and senior citizens.
There are so many issues that both candidates can address well. Both have sound programs concerning social welfare, national security, economics and immigration. Nevertheless, we all know Americans place a heavy price on morals and color– no matter how much everybody denies it.
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REQUIREMENTS FOR AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT
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Editor’s Note: REUBEN S. SEGURITAN has been practicing law for over 30 years. For further information, you may call him at 212 695 5281 or log on to his website at www.seguritan.com
An Affidavit of Support is required in all family-based immigrant visa and adjustment of status applications.
The purpose of this form is to establish that the sponsored immigrant will not be a public charge in the U.S. Being a public charge is a ground of inadmissibility as a lawful permanent resident.
The sponsor executing the affidavit must be a U.S. citizen, national or lawful permanent resident; at least 18 years of age; and has principal residence in the U.S. or its territories.
The sponsor must provide proof that he or she has an annual income of at least 125 percent of the Federal poverty income level. In satisfying the 125% rule, the size of the sponsor’s family must be taken into consideration.
The federal poverty line is based on the guidelines issued by the Office of Management and Budget, which is published annually by the Department of Health and Human Services. The 2008 Poverty Guidelines set forth the 125% of poverty income level for the 48 contiguous states of the U.S. at $17,500 per year for a family of two and graduated up to $44,500.00 per year for a family of eight. $4,500 must be added for each additional household member beyond eight to meet the threshold. For Alaska and Hawaii, the 125% threshold is higher at $21,875 and $20,125, respectively, for a family of two with graduated increases per additional household member.
The household members that must be counted in determining the family unit size and household income include the sponsor, his/her spouse, his/her unmarried and unemancipated children under 21, the persons that the sponsor claimed as dependents on his/her most recent federal income tax return, the intending immigrant and his/her accompanying derivative family members, if any, and all other aliens for whom the sponsor issued an affidavit of support which has not yet terminated.
While more household members require that a higher income must be shown, the sponsor can also include the incomes of the household members in satisfying the 125% poverty threshold and not just his/her own income and assets. For this purpose, an I-864A Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member has to be executed by the household member.
Unlike the main sponsor, the household members need not be U.S. citizens, nationals, or green card holders. They just have to be at least 18 years old and residing at the address of the sponsor.
Even the intending immigrant can add his/her income to satisfy the 125 percent requirement. In this case, there is no need to execute the I-864A form unless the intending immigrant has a derivative spouse or child who will be immigrating with him/her. Proof of residence with the sponsor must be provided except when the intending immigrant is the spouse of the sponsor.
The proof of income must be from a lawful employment in the U.S. or a lawful source that will “continue to be available to the intending immigrant after he/she acquires permanent resident status.” Moreover, the immigration regulation now stresses current income or “reasonably expected income” over prior reported income in the tax returns.
The sponsor cannot rely on Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), food stamps and state child health insurance program as sources of income but may include retirement benefits, unemployment compensation, workers’ compensation or other similar benefits. In fact, reliance on social security welfare benefits will trigger the public charge ground for disqualification of the intending immigrant as lawful permanent resident.
Lastly, if the cumulative household income is still not enough to meet the 125% poverty threshold, then a joint sponsor can execute an additional I-864 Affidavit of Support to meet the financial requirements.
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THE SPIRIT OF BATAAN LIVES ON!
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CHICAGO, Illinois (JGLi) – Those memorializing the heroism of a group of young American soldiers who sacrificed their lives during World War II in the Philippines will again be rekindling the heroism of these soldiers at its annual celebration on the second Sunday, Sept. 14, at the suburban Village of Maywood, Illinois. The ceremony is not just some bunch of ningas-cogon (fleeting fancy). This ceremony has been observed during the last 66 years since 1942.
The group has come to be known as Maywood Bataan Day Organization, which marks its Bataan Day, every second Sunday of September by an Act of U.S. Congress.
Because of attrition, members of this group will naturally be dwindling. Previously, some of its returning veterans used to join the celebration.
It is very likely that in the next two decades, nobody from the survivors will be around to commemorate the event.
Some of the second-generation children of the returning veterans and children of those soldiers who did not make it back alive might be there to carry the tradition on. But the enthusiasm in keeping up with the tradition could be a challenge.
That is why, the MBDO is now getting the Filipino American community involved to get this event going.
SPRINKLING OF PINOYS
At the start of its celebration, some of the sprinkling area Filipino old-timers, who were already in the Chicago area before World War II, were attending the celebration, whom I think, were just “marginal” guests, meaning they were not really taking a leading role in the program.
Lourdes Ceballos, a Filipino American director of MBDO, who came to Chicago after World War II, said among those who used to attend this annual ritual were the Filipino pensionados (Filipino government scholars who did not return to the Philippines).
Ms. Ceballos of the EasiMedia News Agency quoted Ms. Estrella R. Alamar, a second-generation daughter of a Filipino oldtimer, as saying that those who used to join the celebration were Filipino oldtimers, who enlisted in the U.S. Army and Navy during World War II.
They formed part of an annual parade of the event that is joined in by the American Bataan veterans themselves, their families and friends. Among those who used to attend the ritual were the “Yoyo” pioneers Sotero Parpanan, Selmo Saladino and Fred Urian, Carmelito Llapitan, one of the founders of the Filipino American Community of Greater Chicago, the late Alfredo and Mary Acierto, Paz Saladino, Connie Santos, Pompeya Alabado and other FACC officers, who became members of the Am Vets and the American Legion Post 509.
In 1996, a Filipino American, Justo Alamar, Estrella’s husband, took a leading role of MBDO when he became its president. He also became commander of the American Legion Post 509 and then of the 6th District, American Legion, Illinois. After his death in March 1998, Estrella took his place as member of the Board of Directors. She is also the president of the Filipino American Historical Society of Chicago, a vice-president of the Bagumbayan Association and recently was awarded recognition by the Chicago Lions’ Club.
MORE PINOY INVOLVEMENT
This year, Filipino American community member, Ellen Balmadrid will lead the singing of the national anthems while another Filipino American member, the Rev. Telly Yague, will deliver the invocation, according to MBDO Vice-President Edwin Walker IV. The keynote speaker is Stephen E. Gibson, son of the late Lt. Emmett F. Gibson, one of the 80 young men from Maywood who served in the Philippines during World War II. Preceding the program at 3 p.m., a half-hour concert will be rendered by the Proviso East High School Band.
Col. Richard McMahon, MBDO president, is inviting everyone to this event at the Maywood Veterans Memorial Park at the corner of 1st Ave. and Oak St. in Maywood, Illinois.
There will be a reception in the Library after the Memorial Service. A map of the location is available at http://mbdo.org.
Some years ago, a son of a recent Filipino American immigrant couple, who happened to become a ranking officer of the Illinois National Guard, was invited as a keynote speaker.
And some of the Filipino World War II veterans who came to Chicago area after World War II are also getting involved in this event.
But when I asked Ms. Cembalos if the MBDO is planning to return the favor of the involvement of the recent Filipino WW II to the MBDO event by publicizing their quest to secure their benefits before the U.S. Congress, she invoked the “non-advocacy” clause of MBDO, which could violate its non-profit status.
When I told her that the MBDO does not need to “advocate” for the benefit of Filipino World War II veterans but merely to get the word out, she told me the MBDO officers appeared “hurt” by my inquisitiveness.
GETTING AN “OPINION”
I told her that publicizing a public issue is no different from the Democratic or Republican party when they launch a “go-out-and-vote” campaign to attract voters. A political party, like MBDO, is also a non-profit club.
I suggest they get an “opinion” from the Illinois Attorney General if publicizing the quest for benefit of Filipino American World War II veterans would violate MBDO’s status as a non-profit organization or not.
If they will not attempt to get this opinion then the MBDO should go slow in getting the Filipino American community involved in the MBDO event.
Based on the esprit de corps of which the military is known for, community involvement is a two-street.
If the MBDO would still not publicize the flight of the Filipino American veterans even after learning from the Attorney General that there is no violation of its non-profit status, then MBDO’s non-publicity of the causes of the Filipino American veterans is tantamount to denial of the heroism of Filipino soldiers in Bataan and a bunch of hypocrisy.
It is no different from some sectors, which are claiming that the Holocaust, where millions of Jews were killed by the Germans during World War II, was a hoax.
Nor is it different from the complaint of Chicago-based Filipino American World War II and Bataan Death March survivor, Sgt. Joey Juachon, who claimed that he was one of those prisoners-of-war (POW’s) described in the Hollywood movie, “The Great Raid,” that only highlighted the heroic roles of the American soldiers, not the Filipino soldiers, like him. (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)
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“There has never been a good war or a bad peace.” The new widows, orphans and smoldering ruins, left by the recent Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s rampage, underscore the this adage’s truth.
Over 120,000 civilians and combatants died in Mindanao conflicts from 1970 to 2005, estimates an earlier World Bank study. Over two million became refugees within that period. Lumads ( indigenous people ) and Muslims stayed longer in evacuation centers, says an Oxfam report Their more remote homes became conflict areas.
If spooked investments were tallied, losses from Mindanao clashes could exceed P10 billion yearly, Philippine Human Development Report says. That’s small compared to the gross domestic ;product.
“But the real tragedy is armed conflicts prevent areas, such as Muslim Mindanao, from attainting their full potential, “ PHDR adds. “All estimates of lost output, based on current performance, are underestimated.”
There were 3.86 million Muslims in 2000 – up from 791,617 that the 1948 census counted, the National Statistical Office reports.. The Office of Muslim Affairs disagrees. There were 8.34 million, This “statistical genocide” stemmed from flawed undercounts, critics say.
The delayed 2007 census hasn’t released it’s tally of actual Muslim population today. Surf the Net. And you find US agencies figure total population, as of mid-July, crested at 92.6 million. Of this, 4.64 million were Muslims.
But Muslims, Christians. lumads -- all are hurt by the same weapons, subject to the same fears. . “If you prick us, do we not bleed?,” Shylock asked. “And if you wrong us, do we not revenge? “
Population growth and migration are altering Mindanao more decisively than guns. . From one fifth to a third of five major ethnic groups --:Maranao, Maguindanao, Tausug, Yakan and Iranon – live outside their provinces. Many huddle in virtual ghettoes of Metro Manila, Tanay, Baguio and Cebu. Others crossed to Sabah.
For now, there are tasks that can not be put off. We must bury the dead and treat the wounded. Some 150,000 refugees that Commanders “Bravo” and “Kato” terrorized need to be fed and sheltered. Civilians used as “human shields” by MILF’s “holy warriors” have to be accounted for.
The more grueling work is ahead. This includes: healing of trauma, rebuilding torched and pillaged villages, reopening schools, etc. Attackers and the attacked need to lower the heat, if talks are to resume.
People of goodwill welcomed the reduction in clashes after the monitored ceasefire kicked in June 2001. A Pulse Asia survey, in March 2005, found that 35 out of every 100 respondents ranked “peace” as a major aim.
Thus, there’s a call to return sheathe the swords and resume talking. “We’re not at war with the Muslim community,” the President said.. In an ABS-CBN interview, MILF chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim’ commented:: :“There’s still a chance in going back to peace…Both the military and Moro rebels should “stand down and stop the fighting….”
Commander s Bravo and Kato ( injured in a Lanao firefight ? ) were ordered to stop their attacks. Islam does not sanction the atrocities these MILF “mujahadeen” inflicted, Murad stressed. Both will comply.
Will “rouge units” obey Murad on Friday when they ignored him on Monday? And if the MILF command doesn’t hold to the foot soldiers, what is the value of it’s word in negotiations? We hope this is not, as the Inquirer noted, just “double speak”.
Those questions arise as clashes flare up in more provinces. Amidst the gunfire and wailing of victims, we need to be reminded : history is on the side of the peacemakers.. Even the more intractable conflicts, as in Northern Ireland and Aceh Indonesia, have been resolved. Jaw-jaw still beats war-war.
MILF ground commanders were frustrated over the aborted signing of the MOA on ancestral domain. “Some people opted to speak through their guns.” Murad said “They say this is the only way they will be heard.”
Many Filipinos too fume over the blackout the Arroyo administration clamped on Bangsamoro Juridical Entity. on negotiations . That turned to fury when they’ve discovered that the MOA would gut the Constitution. It jettisons, to MILF, powers that belong only to a sovereign state: conduct of foreign affairs; separate financial system and armed forces; control over natural resources, etc.
Franklin Drilon, Adel Tamano, Senator Manuel Roxas and others protested this dismembering the country. But they did not kill, burn, loot and plunder did the MILF. They sought redress through the judicial process.
Thus they’ve asked the Supreme Court to rule squarely on constitutionality of the MOA, That would not let the Palace get off the hook with a technical ruling it frantically seeks: that the issue is moot since Malacanang belatedly announced it will not sign the MOA.
Like lumads in the Cordilleras and Mindanao, Muslims have legitimate grievances. Much pivots around land or ancestral domain. Imperial Manila, like colonial Spain, neglected Muslim areas. And many Muslim leaders proved as corrupt as those in non-Muslim enclaves.
Most Filipinos will support granting autonomy and self rule. But they’ll draw the line on having a Bangsamoro Juridical Entity arise as a state within a state. Beyond this line is chaos. And there has already been enough blood spilt in the past. Tama na. Sobra Na.
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The recent 29th Olympics in Beijing has been a fascinating and unforgettable experience even for those of us who watched the events via satellite. When the Games opened on August 08 at 8 in the evening, I sat glued to the television screen on the 18th floor of Rockwell's ManansalaTower unit in Makati City as I was on a visit to the Homeland. I hardly blinked the entire four hours as I watched the mind-blowing Opening ceremonies -- the pageantry showcasing the rich history and culture of China via sound: music, drums and visuals: dances and sychronized movements choreographed with precision by a cast of thousands. The kick-off culminated in the lighting up the gigantic Olympic caldron by the host country's "flying" Olympic champion with fireworks that literally lighting up the skies. When it all ended on the 17th day, the two-hour closing program was just as impressive. London will be the next host in the Olympic calendar in 2012. But even now, it is doubtful if the Brits can equal what the Chinese have shown in this year's Olympiad. And it all paid off ($40 billion spent for infrastructures etc) for China won most of the gold -- 51 of them, 21 silvers and 28 bronze, a total of 100. Although the U.S. athletes won the most medals (110), it brought home less (36) of the gold. Over-all, Russia came in third with a total of 72 medals (23 gold) , Great Britain fourth with 47 (19 gold) and Australia was fifth with 46 (14 gold).
The biggest winning athlete was U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps who won 8 gold medals and broke the Olympic record of Mark Spitz. Phelps won six at the Athens 2004 Olympics and now has a total of 16.
I marvelled at the tiny Chinese female gymnasts but like most wondered if they were much younger than the official age requirement. Jamaica's Usain Bolt was a dashing marvel. Now, its a pity that our beloved Philippines didn't make it at all along with Pakistan and Bangladesh. But, perhaps given ample time, focus, training and support ... Pinoy athletes will still make it in the not-so-distant future. Hope springs eternal.
But, the 2008 Olympics has made it quite clear that China with its 1.3 billion people (the largest populace) is not only the world's looming economic and political power, it has emerged as the athletic superpower to beat as well.
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