Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Thursday, October 11 announced that he will be President Rodrigo Duterte’s next spokesman after Malacañang spokesman Harry Roque Jr. took an indefinite leave of absence. The chief legal counsel answered affirmatively when asked if he would replace Roque, who is reportedly vying for a Senate post in the midterm…
A Philippine lawmaker on Thursday, October 11, revealed that House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has “readily agreed” to bring back the vice president as the first successor to the presidency in the draft federal constitution. Cebu City First District Representative Raul del Mar said that he urged the House speaker to put back the vice president…
Three Philippine islands nabbed the top spots as Asia’s Best Islands voted by readers of international travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler for its 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards. Ranking first is the teardrop-shaped island of Siargao, “home to more than 15 separate surf breaks, including the legendary Cloud 9, which counts Kelly Slater and Anthony Kiedis…
SAN FRANCISCO — President Trump announced his intent Wednesday, October 10 to nominate Patrick J. Bumatay to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. If confirmed, Patrick will be the first Filipino-American judge to ever serve on a federal appeals court, the second openly LGBT federal circuit court judge, and the second Filipino-American…
A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Wednesday, October 10, revealed that almost six in every 10 Filipinos or are in favor of the revival of capital punishment for heinous crimes. The SWS survey conducted among 2,000 Filipino adults nationwide from March 22 to 27 showed that 59 percent of respondents agreed that the…
A new World Bank research released today provides policymakers a compelling evidence that delivering better outcomes in children’s health and learning can significantly boost the incomes of people — and of countries — with returns far into the future. Launched today at the World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings is the Human Capital Index. It measures the…
A survey from the Social Weather Stations (SWS) concluded that there is an increase in the number of Filipino families claiming that they are poor from the 48 percent in June to 52 percent at the most recent. More than a million Filipino families joined the ranks of the poor in the self-rated nationwide poll….
Several people have consulted with me, asking whether the approval letter they received was genuine. While the notice has the opening sentence, “welcome to the United States of America,” which is how an adjustment of status approval notice typically starts, these approval notices are fake and people should be careful that they are also not…
In June 28, 2018, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued an Updated Guidance for the Referral of Cases and Issuance of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens Policy Memorandum (PM). Beginning October 1, 2018, USCIS will take an incremental approach to implement this memo. In simple terms: USCIS will…
In this era of health consciousness, people, in general, are seeking ways to live healthier and maximize longevity through prevention. This was one of the reasons why I wrote the book, “Let’s Stop ‘Killing’ Our Children,” a primer on healthy lifestyle and disease prevention at the cellular (DNA-telomere) level pre-emptively and proactively to protect damages…
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. has officially declared that the war is over between the Philippine military and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). “I can now declare that the war between the Armed Forces and the MILF is finally over,” Galvez said as reported by The Manila Times….
Malacanañg on Tuesday, October 9, said President Rodrigo Duterte has tested negative for cancer. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, Duterte’s top aide, made the statement amid the clamor for the president to publicly reveal the state of his health as required by the Constitution. “Sorry to disappoint his critics. the president is very healthy and in…
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has arrested a previously convicted master forger for allegedly falsifying documents once again. Dubbed as the “golden hand,” Manuel Bala has already served time in prison after being convicted in 2000 for violating Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code. Bala was arrested by operatives of the NBI’s Anti-Organized…
REIGNING World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao on Sunday, October 7, said that he has no interest in fighting Irish mixed martial artist Conor McGregor in a boxing match. “Hindi dapat nangyari yun tapos na ang laban at naghihintay na lang ng decision (I think it shouldn’t have happened anymore since the fight…
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte revealed on Tuesday, October 9, that Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano is eyeing an elective position in the May 2019 elections. “Alan Peter Cayetano is also running and (Guiling) Mamondiong at TESDA is also running,” Duterte said in a Palace press conference as reported by Rappler. The…
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque at a press briefing assured China that the Philippines will not be joining the military exercises the United States is planning to conduct in the South China Sea. According to Roque, the naval drills, which will coincide with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Manila visit next month, were discussed at a meeting…
TORONTO 10 October 2018 — A Filipino-Canadian soldier delivered a speech about how he triumphed over his disability during a dinner lauding persons with disabilities, as the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa expressed its support in advancing the welfare of persons with disabilities during a dinner held in held in Etobicoke, Ontario on 22 September 2018.In…
The journalist and activist explores the meaning of home, internal identity struggles and the power of speaking up in new memoir “Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen” Two things happened to Jose Antonio Vargas after Donald J. Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States of America. First, he found himself without…
Generally, in California, property acquired by a spouse prior to marriage is considered separate property under family code section 770 while those acquired after marriage are considered community assets under family code section 760. How do you characterize real property purchased prior to marriage but with the mortgage principal paid down using community income or…
(Part 3) 1. Amusement, recreation, and entertainment are now non-deductible under the new act. Businesses may still claim 50% deduction on meals if 1) provided to potential customer or client 2) not extravagant 3) the employer or employee is present 4) purchased separately from entertainment events. You may rely on Notice 2018-76 until the Department…
Client is 58. He is not divorced but separated for 20 years. His income is good. He nets about $7K to $8K a month. He lives by himself and does not even own a car. He goes carpooling with a relative to go to work. His rent is $800 a month. So, he doesn’t really…
In this week’s column, we address the Violence Against Women Act, commonly known as VAWA. VAWA is a federal law that allows victims of domestic violence to obtain lawful permanent residence (a green card) without the help of their abusers. Typically, a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR) submits an application “petitioning” for…
” I build my house of sticks. I build my house of twigs. With a hey-diddle-diddle, I play on the fiddle. And dance all kinds of jigs” — Fiddler Pig (The first 5 tips came out in last week’s issue. Here’s the second installment of 5 more.) 6. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify. Know the difference between needs and wants. Use…
The confirmation process of Justice Brett Kavanaugh just all the more highlighted how divided and angry this nation has been, especially in the last two years. If you are happy where the country is right now, or whether you have serious concerns how the democratic process has increasingly been hijacked, then do NOT fall into…
