Fil-Am named King County Superior Court judge

Fil-Am named King County Superior Court judge

Story by Bing Cardenas Branigin 
Inquirer.net
02 April 2025

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington Governor Bob Ferguson has announced his appointment of Benjamin Santos to the King County Superior Court.

Effective April 1, Santos fills the position vacated by Judge Annette Messitt, who resigned from the bench on Monday.

Santos, a Filipino American, has more than two decades of experience as a senior deputy prosecutor at the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, where he has led the Misdemeanor and Special Assault units and currently serves as assistant chief deputy in the Juvenile Division.

“Ben Santos will be an exceptional addition to the King County Superior Court bench,” Ferguson said in a statement. “He has worked to protect the rights of both victims and the accused, inside and outside the courtroom. This lifelong commitment to our justice system combined with his broad legal experience will serve Washingtonians well.”

Santos said he was “deeply honored” to be appointed by Gov. Ferguson and “to serve the people of King County and the State of Washington in this new chapter of public service.”

“Today, I stand on the shoulders of many who paved the way,” he said.

Who is Benjamin Santos?

Santos’ parents fought for Filipino cannery workers and against the Philippine dictatorship in the 1970s, shaping his sense of justice and commitment to public service.

Prior to earning his law degree, Santos advocated for marginalized residents in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District, where he helped mitigate the impacts of development projects.

Santos has prosecuted a broad range of cases. He has collaborated with partners in the justice system to address the statewide sexual assault kit backlog and explore evidence-based strategies for reducing juvenile recidivism.

Santos started his legal career as an intern with the Public Defender’s Service and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. He served as a law clerk for current Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu when she served on the King County Superior Court. Santos also worked for a year as a consultant to the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development in Washington, D.C.

Santos earned a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University, where he co-founded the Filipino American Student Association and one of the first Filipino American fraternities in the country. He earned his law degree from American University in Washington, D.C.

He lives in Seattle with his wife and two children.

Philippines listed 15 Billionaires in 2025

15 Philippine tycoons led by Villar among Forbes ‘World’s Richest People’

Inquirer.net
01 April 2025

MANILA, Philippines — Fifteen tycoons from the Philippines, led by property magnate Manuel Villar, made it to Forbes Magazine’s World’s Richest People for 2025.

Almost the same names made the cut this year, although the list from the country is a bit shorter than the 2024 roster, which had identified 16 local billionaires with net worth exceeding $1 billion.

One notable newcomer is Eusebio Tanco, whose wealth was buoyed by the surge in the valuation of online gaming firm Digiplus Interactive Corp.

Villar topped the list with an estimated net worth of $17.2 billion. Recently, the “brown taipan” announced that Golden MV Holdings Inc., the mass housing and memorial park developer that he leads, hit nearly P1 trillion in net profit in 2024 on gains from the assessment of its investment properties, the highest in Philippine history.

Ranking second is ports and casino tycoon Enrique Razon, with an estimated wealth of $10.9 billion.

San Miguel Corp. chair Ramon Ang placed third with $3.7-billion net worth, followed by Lucio Tan with $3 billion.

Sy family

All the six children of the late SM group founder Henry Sy Sr. landed on the list individually: Henry Jr. ($2.3 billion); Hans ($2.2 billion), Herbert ($2.1 billion), Harley ($1.9 billion), Teresita ($1.9 billion) and Elizabeth ($1.7 billion).

Andrew Tan had $1.6 billion credited to his name, followed by Lucio Co ($1.4 billion), Susan Co ($1.3 billion) and Tony Tan Caktiong ($1.3 billion).

Tanco rounded up the list with an estimated wealth of $1.2 billion.

The list

The 15 tycoons and their estimated net worth are as follows:

1. Manuel Villar, $17.2 billion
2. Enrique Razón Jr., $10.9 billion
3. Ramon Ang, $3.7 billion
4. Lucio Tan, $3 billion
5. Henry Sy Jr., $2.3 billion
6. Hans Sy, $2.2 billion
7. Herbert Sy, $2.1 billion
8. Harley Sy, $1.9 billion
9. Teresita Sy-Coson, $1.9 billion
10.  Elizabeth Sy, $1.7 billion
11. Andrew Tan, $1.6 billion
12. Lucio Co, $1.4 billion
13. Susan Co, $ 1.3 billion
14. Tony Tan Caktiong, $1.3 billion
15. Eusebio Tanco, $1.2 billion

Elon Musk tops global list

Forbes announced a record-breaking 3,028 billionaires with collective wealth of $16.1 trillion on its 39th annual World’s Billionaires list.

Elon Musk dethroned French luxury goods titan Bernard Arnault for the top spot, as the former’s net worth grew by 75 percent to an estimated $342 billion. His jump in wealth followed big new valuations of xAI and SpaceX, and a 12-month rise in Tesla stock, despite the recent selloff.

Musk, a close ally of President Donald Trump, is the first person on the planet to reach the $300 billion mark.

On the other hand, President Trump more than doubled his net worth to an estimated $5.1 billion, due to the upswing in shares of Trump Media & Technology Group and big cash inflows from his recent crypto ventures.

“It’s another record-breaking year for the world’s richest people, despite financial uncertainty for many and geopolitical tensions on the rise,” said Chase Peterson-Withorn, Forbes Senior Editor, Wealth.

“And, from Elon Musk to Howard Lutnick and the other billionaires taking over the U.S. government, they’re growing more and more powerful.”

Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg took the No. 2 spot with an estimated net worth of $216 billion, followed by Jeff Bezos at No. 3 ($215 billion), Larry Ellison at No. 4 ($192 billion) and Bernard Arnault & family ($178 billion) rounding out the top five. – Doris Dumlao-Abadilla

PH is Destination of the Year 2025 by Routes Asia

The Philippines hailed Routes Asia 2025 Destination of the Year

The award recognises the country’s efforts to become a leading global destination

By Marga Manlapig 
Travel Daily Media Editor
April 1, 2025

The Philippines has been hailed Destination of the Year at the Routes Asia 2025 Awards recently held in Perth, Australia.

The Destination of the Year Award was personally received by DOT assistant secretary Judilyn Quiachon, director Warner Andrada, and Philippine tourism attaché for Australia and New Zealand Purificacion Suanding-Molintas.

Tourism secretary Christina Frasco said: “These awards are a testament to the strength of our partnerships with different stakeholders in the aviation and travel industry, our unwavering focus on connectivity, and our collective vision of positioning the Philippines as a premier global destination.”

The country’s recognition as Destination of the Year Winner underscores its Department of Tourism (DOT)’s strong leadership in expanding the Philippines’ air connectivity through strategic marketing, robust industry collaboration, and sustainable tourism initiatives. 

The Routes Asia Awards celebrate excellence in air service development and marketing across the Asia-Pacific region. 

Recognized as the most valuable awards in the route development community, these awards highlight collaboration between airlines, airports, and tourism authorities. 

A campaign that keeps on winning

Launched in 2023, the Department’s flagship campaign Love the Philippines fuelled traveller demand by highlighting the country’s diverse biodiversity, rich cultural heritage, and emerging destinations. 

These efforts are in keeping with the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2023–2028, which outlines enhanced connectivity as a strategic objective to improve access and inclusivity in Philippine tourism. 

As of 28th February, 46 new domestic and 47 international routes are in operation, improving access to destinations such as Siargao, Batanes, Panglao, and Coron, among others.

Pinay tennis player leaps 65 rungs from 140 to No.75 rank

Eala leaps from No. 140 to No. 75 in Women’s Tennis Association rank

Businessworld Online
March 31, 2025

ALEX EALA is officially the first ever Filipina player to barge into the world’s elite Top 100 rankings.

Ms. Eala jumped from No. 140 to now No. 75 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) list after a historic Cinderella run in the Miami Open.

The 19-year-old Filipina sensation leaped 65 rungs, jacking up her total points of 524 before the tournament to now 894 as among the sports’ top guns.

Her previous career-high was at No. 134 after a semifinal finish in Workday Canberra International in Australia. Ms. Eala started at No. 1180 in 2020 when she debuted at the pro level after reaching as high as No. 2 in the world junior rankings.

But more than that, Ms. Eala’s entry to the Top 100 formally clears the path to her long-time dream of becoming the first Filipina player in the main draw of any Grand Slam tournament.

Only the Top 100 players from the women’s pro circuit get to have direct invites to the main draws of majors like the US Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the Australian Open.

Ms. Eala only managed to play in the qualifying rounds of the said majors as a wildcard in the past, having advanced to the finals of the US Open, French Open and Wimbledon but to no avail.

The closest Slam for Ms. Eala is the Roland Garros on May 25 to June 8 in Paris, France.

The lefty wunderkind did it after a herculean semifinal finish in the Miami Open, a WTA 1000 masters just below the ranks of Grand Slam events.

There, she became the first Filipina player to beat three Grand Slam champions, two Top-5 players and the first WTA 1000 semifinalist.

Overall, she’s only the second wildcard to defeat three or more Grand Slam champions in a single tour-level event after Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) at the Wimbledon 2023 as well as the third wildcard semifinalist after Justine Henin (Belgium) in 2010 and Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) in 2018. — John Bryan Ulanday