The fox investigates raid on the chicken coop
We’ve probably all heard the tale of the fox who raided the chicken coop and had to be hunted down by the farmer. But have you heard about the farmer agreeing to let the fox investigate the incident in order to determine whose fault it was that the chicken coop was raided and why neither…
What to do if you’re fired and asked to sign a release
AN employee may be asked to sign some documents at the time of termination. One of these documents may be a severance or separation agreement. This is a contract between an employer and an employee who is about to leave the employer’s employment. In a typical severance agreement, the employer agrees to give the employee…
Trump’s decision to end DACA to be reviewed by Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court announced on Friday, June 28 that it would be reviewing an appeal in the next term on whether the Trump administration’s ongoing plan to end protections under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is lawful. With legal arguments set to take place near the end of 2019, the highest…
Naturalization process
ANG naturalization ang proseso ng pagbigay ng US citizenship sa isang dayuhan pagkatapos niyang ipakita na kanyang nasunod lahat ng kailangan sa ilalim ng Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Ang mga sumusunod ang kailangan para sa application for naturalization: (1) ang aplikante ay may 18 taon gulang na; (2) siya ay 5 taon nang green…
Maximizing recovery in personal injury cases
UNDER Howell v. Hamilton Meats & Provisions (2011) 52 C.4th 541, the California Supreme Court ruled that persons who are injured and who are pursuing a personal injury claim cannot recover the full amount of medical bills incurred if an insurer paid a smaller, negotiated amount to the medical provider. The Court’s ruling further limited…
Lawsuit alleges Utah hotel exploited Filipino interns
A LAWSUIT was filed on Tuesday, June 25, accusing the luxury Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah of using interns from the Philippines to do menial jobs for long hours with minimal pay. Represented by Asian Americans Advancing Justice and other organizations, the four plaintiffs — namely, Jann Descanzo, Veronica Bondoc, Glen Segundino…
‘Duterte can be impeached for not defending Philippine EEZ’
FORMER Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario on Thursday, June 27, said that President Rodrigo Duterte can be impeached for violating the Constitution that mandates him to defend the Philippines’ territory. In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel, he said: “The Constitution states that the president and the military must secure the national territory, and…
Elizabeth Warren: Building a brighter future for Asian American entrepreneurs
In an exclusive OP-ED for the Asian Journal, Sen. Elizabeth Warren bares a plan for investing in AAPI and minority-owned small businesses. By Elizabeth Warren America is built on two ideas: that we are a nation of immigrants, and that if you work hard and have a good idea, you should be able to pursue…
Filipina arrested in the US for recruiting OFWs illegally
Filipina Maria Luisa Estrella Jaidi is facing a maximum of 10 years in prison after she arrested in the United States for visa fraud and illegally recruiting workers. Jaidi, who is married to a Moroccan ambassador, is originally from the Philippines but with residence in New York. She was arrested upon the filing of charges…
‘Bongga,’ ‘kilig’ among Filipino words added to Oxford dictionary
Several Filipino words have been added to the third and current edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) this month. The latest additions include loanwords like bongga (extravagant, flamboyant; impressive, stylish), halo-halo (a dessert made of mixed fruits, sweet beans, milk and shaved ice) and kilig (exhilaration or elation caused by an exciting or romantic…
Joint PH-China probe of Recto Bank incident a ‘joke,’ says ex-ASEAN official
A FORMER top official of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) called the Philippines and China’s joint investigation into the Recto Bank collision a “joke.” According to Dr. Wilfredo Villacorta, deputy secretary-general of ASEAN from 2003-2006 and former ambassador and representative to the international body, the joint probe of the two countries is strange…
Mother’s eight-month delay in filing petition causes extra 12-year wait for daughter
I RECENTLY had a consultation where a mother’s confusion and lack of understanding of immigration law resulted in her delaying filing a petition for her minor child for approximately eight months. The child “aged out” and could not qualify for benefits under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA). The child was then reclassified as an…
Just say no: Legal advice from the internet
“MY brother’s neighbor’s girlfriend’s uncle had the same exact case and it got approved and they did not use an attorney.” I’ve heard this many times to have developed a well-curated response: Nothing. A person who has set out to hear only what s/he wants to hear can hear nothing else but what s/he wants…
Health news Nazareth
The global keyboard Shalom! I wrote this column last Friday, June 21, 2019, in Nazareth, during our family tour of Israel, on the way to Galilee and Jerusalem. The use of cellphones is very popular among at least 88 percent of people in this country, one of the top tech nations in the world. The…
Love as the center of gravity
“All you need is love.” —Lennon-McCartney PAUL, aka Saul of Tarsus, lived more than two thousand years ago. He had something to say about what does matter in life. He spoke about a special kind of love that in Greek is called Agape (ah-gah-pay). Agape is unconditional love, a kind of love that has no…
Following Eddie Garcia’s death, lawmakers propose bill to protect actors at work
Party-list lawmakers in the Philippine House of Representatives will be filing a bill next month that seeks workplace safety protocols for television and movie productions to avoid accidents similar to the one that led to the death of multi-awarded veteran actor Eddie Garcia. 1-Pacman Rep. Mikee Romero, the bill’s proponent, said the proposal will be…
Trump delays ICE raids two weeks unless Congress finds solution
OVER the weekend, President Donald Trump cancelled the massive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids of undocumented immigrants that were scheduled for Sunday, June 23. Trump’s reversal came hours before the planned raids, which were scheduled in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York City and San Francisco. The raids…
Duterte apologizes to Filipino fishermen, seeks joint investigation into Recto Bank incident
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, June 24 apologized to the 22 Filipino fishermen involved in the Recto Bank event with a Chinese vessel, but downplayed it as a “maritime incident.” “Well I’m sorry but that’s how it is. It is a maritime incident. Little in the sense that there was no confrontation, there was…
Philippine Sen. Hontiveros speaks about maritime incident, political activism during visit with LA Fil-Am community
CARSON, California — Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros met with local Filipino Americans at the city’s Civic Center on Sunday, June 23 to share updates on the recent midterm elections and answer questions. Her visit came after she voiced concerns last week over the possibility of a joint Philippine-China investigation of the recent maritime mishap in…
UN rights chief closely monitoring Philippine human rights situation
THE number of deaths associated with the Philippine government’s anti-drug campaign continue to be a concern for the United Nations’ human rights body, its chief revealed at the Human Rights Council on Monday, June 24. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, in her opening statement at the 41st session of the Human…
Fil-Am model Geena Rocero rewrites Playboy’s history as its first transgender API Playmate
FIVE years ago, Filipina American model Geena Rocero made a very public confession and came out of her closet in a TED Talk in Vancouver. “The world makes you something that you’re not — but you know inside what you are,” she proclaimed. She pointed at a picture of a boy dressed in a traditional…
Possibilities for peace-making in the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula
THERE are two most difficult, complex, but not impossible opportunities for peace-making in the Korean Peninsula and in the Iran-Saudi Arabia conflict on both sides of the Persian Gulf — or Arab Gulf to the Arabs — in the Middle East. In the case of the inter-Korean and US-North Korean conflicts, the South Koreans led…
Sad reactions
THE initial reactions of Foreign Secretary Teddyboy Locsin and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana were correct. The facts were not all in yet, but both Cabinet members were ready to give our fishermen the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi joined the fray and started casting doubts on…
