California divorce, domestic violence, and US immigration laws
CALIFORNIA Divorce – “No Fault.” California is a no-fault divorce state. A party filing for divorce does not need the consent of the other in order to file a Petition for Dissolution (Divorce) or, in some instances, to get a judgment of divorce. What needs to happen is that the other party (your soon-to-be ex-spouse)…
USCIS could waive marital interviews on petitions to remove conditions (Form I-751)
STARTING on December 10, 2018, the USCIS could waive (or not require) an interview for a married couple seeking to remove conditions on a conditional green card. Generally, when a U.S. citizen petitions a spouse for a green card, and the spouse receives their green card within two years of the date of marriage, they…
Aging: An equalizer
Last February 28, 2018, my wife, Farida, and I arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport from Manila, following our two medical missions in the Philippines. While waiting at the lounge for our flight back to Las Vegas, we received a call from our friend, Lynn Santos, a nurse, who relayed to us the sad…
Dengvaxia ban likely to stay — DOH
THE Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday, December 11, said that the agency does not see Dengvaxia being used anytime soon despite its one-year ban coming to an end. DOH Undersecretary Eric Domingo, in an interview, noted that the one-year suspension of the marketing license of Dengvaxia will likely get an extension after December 29….
Former PNP chief promotes anti-illegal drug drive and senatorial bid in Las Vegas
Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and senatorial candidate Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Monday, December 10, visited Filipino-Americans in Las Vegas, Nevada to promote his personal advocacy to campaign against the proliferation of illegal drugs as well as talk about his senatorial bid. “I am roaming around, propagating my personal advocacy which is the…
SWS: 3 in 5 Filipinos believe US will defend PH
According to a Social Weather Stations survey released Wednesday, three in five Filipinos believe that the United States’ defense commitment to the Philippines is strong. The survey showed 61 percent believe the U.S. will defend the country, with 31 percent answering strongly believe, and 30 percent somewhat believe. Meanwhile, 9 percent said they do not…
AD-10’s History Making Moment: Rochelle Nguyen and Nadia Hojjat
Las Vegas, NV – The following is a joint statement from One APIA Nevada Vice Chair Sanje Sedera and South Asia Young Professionals Alliance Founder Reuben D’Silva regarding the vacancies and candidates in Nevada’s 10th Assembly District: In Nevada, Asian Pacific Islander Americans played a decisive and vital role in the sweeping victories Democrats saw…
Filipina reporter Maria Ressa lands TIME’s ‘Person of the Year’ cover
ON Tuesday, Dec. 11, TIME Magazine has released its yearly “Person of the Year” issue, and the magazine has chosen “The Guardians” — journalists who have been persecuted for their work. Among the journalists given a black-and-white cover included Maria Ressa, chief executive of Philippine news site Rappler; whose consistent, formidable reporting on the extrajudicial…
Filipina-American newcomer H.E.R. nabs 5 Grammy noms, including Album of the Year
THE Recording Academy announced the nominations for the 61st Grammy Awards and 21-year-old R&B singer Gabi Wilson — known by her stage name H.E.R. — received five nominations, including Album of the Year. Wilson — who is half-Filipina, half-African American — was also nominated for Best New Artist, Best R&B Performance (for the song “Best…
Feed2Succeed: How three high school students found a way to feed young students in the Philippines
“I think that LA can kind of be like a bubble sometimes. We don’t really realize how the world is,” said Caroline Raquel, a Filipina-American junior at the University of Pennsylvania. “Luckily, LA is really diverse and I’m very lucky to have grown up in LA, but I think keeping an awareness is something that…
An overview of the T Visa for trafficking victims
IN this week’s column, we will address T nonimmigrant status, commonly known as the “T Visa.” This temporary immigration status may be available to human trafficking victims who are willing to assist law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of their traffickers. Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery, in which traffickers may lure…
Taking the time to just be this Christmas
“…Lose the remote control. Break free of your electronic leashes for a little while. Take the time to just be yourself…” IT’S that time of year again. And every year, whether we like it or not, we all go through the same rituals. This is a time of winnowing and thinning, just like the fall season when we…
Comelec sets longer voting hours for 2019 elections
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has extended the period of casting votes for the May 13, 2019 elections by an hour, making it end at 6 p.m. instead of the usual 5 p.m. As reported by the PNA, the decision is contained in the 49-page Comelec Resolution No. 10460 or the General Instructions for the…
Sorry President Trump: Journalists you call “Enemy of the People” and Special Counsel Robert Mueller beat you in TIME’s ‘Person of the Year’
PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s response to reporters last November when asked about who should be Person of the Year: “Trump…I can’t imagine anybody else other than Trump, can you imagine anybody else other than Trump?” His bubble of self-aggrandizing must have painfully burst when the very people he has been denigrating, demonizing and undermining have been…
Palace to continue anti-crime drive amid flak from critics
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, December 9, promised to continue his campaign against illegal drugs, crime, corruption, terrorism and insurgency campaign despite being labeled as the “biggest threat to human rights” by activists and human rights group. Presidential Human Rights Committee and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea issued a statement on the 70th anniversary of…
House OKs expanded VAWC bill
The House of Representatives on Monday, December 10, approved on third and final reading the Expanded Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children (E-VAWC), a measure that criminalizes electronic violence and involves the use of information and communication technology. With 207 affirmative votes, lawmakers unanimously approved House Bill 8655, which seeks to amend Republic Act 9262…
Need health insurance? The deadline is Dec. 15
The woman arrived at the University of South Florida’s navigator office in Tampa a few weeks ago with a 40-page document describing a short-term health insurance plan she was considering. She was uncomfortable with what the broker had said about the coverage, she told Jodi Ray, a health insurance navigator who helps people enroll in…
Sandiganbayan sets 2019 trial for Enrile plunder case
THE plunder trial of former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile for allegedly receiving P172.8 million in kickbacks from projects funded by his office’s pork barrel will finally start in 2019 by the Sandiganbayan Third Division. It is set to begin on February 19, 2019 by the anti-graft court’s third division. Due to the Supreme Court granting…
Duterte warns 2019 poll bets: ‘Do not intimidate, let them choose who they want’
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, December 10, warned all candidates for the 2019 midterm elections not to intimidate Filipino voters into voting for them or their allies regardless of their political affiliations to the president. “Ke kasama kita sa gobyerno, kasama kita sa partido o kalaban kita sa politika (Whether you’re a colleague in…
Duterte urges martial law extension until end of 2019
PHIlIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte urged the two legislative chambers — the Senate and the House of Representatives — to extend martial law in Mindanao until the end of 2019. In a letter addressed to Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo dated December 6, Duterte noted that it is still necessary…
Fil-Am restaurants Ma’am Sir, LASA make LA Times’ ‘101 Restaurants We Love’ list
AS the end of 2018 approaches, expect to see a lot of ‘best of’ lists. One such roundup that Angelenos, in particular, look forward to is the Los Angeles Times’ ranking of the city’s top 101 restaurants. With the passing of Jonathan Gold this summer — whose annual 101 list became a bucket list of…
FilVetREP’s Jon Melegrito wins AARP Asian American & Pacific Islander Hero Award
AARP celebrated its 2018 Asian American & Pacific Islander Hero Award winner Jon Melegrito of Kensington, Maryland for his volunteer work with the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP) on Wednesday, December 5 in Washington, DC. Melegrito is the son of a Filipino World War II Veteran. From civil rights to the anti-apartheid movement,…
Mueller filings reveal Trump associates lied and conspired to mislead and obstruct Russian investigation
PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s train has been getting all the more derailed by the events of the recent week, and based on what has been happening under his leadership in the past two years, we may be in for a more exasperating bumpy ride ahead. First, the stock market has plummeted several times this week, erasing…
Fostering Filipino children & the ‘bayanihan’ spirit
“When I think of 600 to 800 abused and neglected foster kids of Asian descent who need a home that meets their culture, that’s a lot of kids that need help.” – Connie Chung Joe The month of December is a time for family, for tradition, and for precious moments spent with loved ones; however,…
Rescinding removal/ deportation order to allow for adjustment of status
“A motion to reopen the removal/deportation proceedings and rescind the removal/deportation order can be filed in Immigration Court.If the motion to reopen the proceedings and rescind the removal/deportation order is successful, the alien can pursue whatever relief from removal/deportation that is available to him/her.” WE have all heard the popular saying, “Timing is everything.” Unfortunately, this saying…
How will filing bankruptcy change your life?
“While bankruptcy is not for everyone, millions upon millions of people who have no way of getting out of debt have found it to be the BEST thing that they ever did in their lives!” ONE of the common questions that I’m asked by people consulting with me about their debt problems is: “How will filing…