I have been elated about the recent appointments of Filipino Americans — Ninio Joseph Fetalvo as assistant press secretary, Kelly Ilagan as deputy associate director for presidential personnel, and Joyce Meyer as deputy assistant to the president and House deputy director of legislative affairs — into the administration of President Donald J. Trump. I am…
So, it appears that Donald J. Trump has selected Noel Francisco as the new solicitor general, and apparently, Mr. Francisco is Filipino American. If he is confirmed, he would become the highest-ranking Filipino American in the U.S. government. Some Filipino Americans might view this is as a win, but here is the thing. A Filipino…
“I WILL make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” — Genesis 12:1-4 You will be one of the blessing! This is one of good news of this Sunday Scripture Readings on the Second Sunday of Lent. It sounds offbeat…
Q: I WORK in the service industry and I often receive performance bonuses on top of my hourly rate. I also work a lot of hours (50 to 60 hours!) per week. My friend recently saw my paystub and said my overtime pay is wrong because it doesn’t include my bonus. Is this right? How…
“ In the United States, the law gives rights to foreign nationals. Some of these rights include due process and appeals. This is why you can fight your case and this is why ICE cannot simply throw you outside of the U.S.” QUESTION: I committed a crime and have my green card. With Trump, I…
(Part 2 of 3) 6. YOU first receive a contact letter advising you that your return has been selected for examination. It spells out the preliminary areas for audit. You are required to contact the IRS office within 10 days. An appointment is made and you or your rep proceeds to the nearest IRS office….
YOU want to help your children go to college and if you’re like most parents, you would do anything to help them get a good education. At some point, you may be asked to co-sign your child student’s loans. That may be fine but my question is: Do you really understand what you are getting…
To Kababayans who are undocumented immigrants or those who have been overstaying and working illegally in the United States, please beware. I know many of you have been experiencing sleepless nights worrying about deportation and having the Trump administration tear your families apart with the new guidelines. However, know that there are unscrupulous people out…
LOS ANGELES – Health officials from Los Angeles County, Long Beach, Pasadena, and Orange County, unveiled new survey findings regarding the availability and marketing of tobacco, alcohol, and food products in local corner stores and food markets across the Los Angeles region. The survey results found that stores located near schools still promoted and sold…
LENT is the season when words and teachings of Christ are presented in a thousand pulpits across the nation — self-righteously, mournfully, nasally, coldly, feebly, flamboyantly, blandly, and violently. Ministers give the gospel, its full beauty and power, and thousands of people derived guidance and comfort, listening to them, validating a deep need for spiritual…
Immigration policy and enforcement continues to evolve undergoing a large shift and uncertainty abounds. Undocumented immigrants fear ICE knocking at their door and those with lawful immigration status, but who are not yet U.S. citizens, are also uncertain. Concern is understandable, and in times like this it is of the utmost importance that you have…
WHILE colon cancer rates have been going down among the elderly (55 and older) since the 1980s, they are increasing among those in their 20s and 30s. This was the recent alarming finding of a US cancer registry, which reviewed nearly half a million color-rectal cancers diagnosed between 1974 and 2013, published in the Journal…
WHAT is happening? On January 27, 2017, the President signed the Executive Order entitled “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States” (Executive Order 13769) This Executive Order issued a 90-day travel ban on immigrants and non-immigrants from designated countries, a 120-day ban on U.S. refugee program, and an indefinite suspension of…
Assemblymember and Calif. 34th Congressional District candidate Jimmy Gomez shares his reasons and passion in continuing to serve his constituents On Tuesday, April 4, the special primary in California’s 34th Congressional District is one to watch, as it is considered the first congressional race since last November’s general election. It’s a crowded field with 23…
WE discussed previously the requirement for consistent basis reporting between the person receiving the property and the decedent’s estate. Applicability of filing requirements for US Citizens for transfer certificate. 1. Citizen of the US including with dual citizenship upon death and died after December 31, 1976. 2. Part A. Decedent’s worldwide estate exceeds the unified…
IN January 2017, The New Republic, a liberal US magazine, ran an article by journalist Sean Williams entitled, “Rodrigo Duterte’s Army of Online Trolls”: “Since Rodrigo Duterte was elected president of the Philippines last June, he has waged a brutal crackdown on drug dealers and addicts. Nearly 4,000 people have been killed by government forces…Duterte’s authoritarian rhetoric has elicited…
AMID the growing support for a bipartisan and independent investigation to find out if there was/is collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign before, during and after the 2016 presidential elections, President Donald Trump woke up on the early morning of Saturday, March 4 to fire a barrage of tweets to accuse his predecessor, President…
DESPITE her predicament, a defiant Senator Leila De Lima denounced the recent move by government prosecutors to prohibit all parties from discussing the senator’s cases in public. “I refuse to be gagged. Gagging me would be a violation of my rights. They cannot continue violating my rights. I shall continue to speak up on issues…
As the saying goes, “time flies when you’re having fun.” In that case, Rey and Nora Diego’s marriage of 51 years flew by like a blur. They both still yearn for each other’s company, treat each other as best friends, and both are grateful that they’ve spent almost every day of these 51 years together….
WE had the pleasure of having Bishop Joseph Brennan celebrate Ash Wednesday mass at the seminary last week. In his homily, he shared a funny act he put on while working as vicar general of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. One day while he was in a jocular mood, he took the sign “Out to…
Executive Order 13768 ON January 25, 2017, President Trump issued one of his controversial executive actions on immigration, Executive Order 13768 entitled “Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States” which effectively places any undocumented individual in the United States at risk of deportation. The executive action directs the Department of Homeland Security…
SOMETIMES debtors cannot decide whether they should seek debt relief through Chapter 7 wipe out of all dischargeable debts or a consolidation and reorganization through a Chapter 13. They usually ask me what they should do in their financial situation. I know after handling thousands of bankruptcy cases in the last 30 years, debtors are…
Q: TWO years ago, I signed up with an agency to work as a nursing assistant assigned to patients in private homes. Recently, the agency asked me to sign a document stating that I am an “independent contractor” and I was now going to be a “1099 worker.” I received a W-2 before this. I…
QUESTION: I have heard that with Trump’s executive order and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo and with further items to be processed, people are being thrown out of the country left and right. I am very afraid. What can I do? Answer: First of all, it is true that Trump is creating fear…
(Part 1 of 3) WHILE audit penetration has, decreased, the quality of audits has improved. Auditors undergo specialization training. They conduct economic reality audits that involve looking at issues beyond your tax returns into how you survive with the amount of income that you report. This intrusion into the lifestyle of taxpayers has become disturbing….
THE latest Human Rights Watch (HRW) report says Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte may be held responsible for the extrajudicial killings in his war on drugs, which has claimed the lives of about 7,000 people involved in the drug trade since he took office last July. HRW says these sanctions may be considered “crimes against humanity.”…
The president wears a prestigious crown. The protocol, the linguistics, circumlocution are intimidating at first, but then becomes a second language. There is something about the aura of president that makes everyone behave in a reverential manner. Everyone, including his innermost circle, which consists of lifetime friends ceases to perceive him in high respect. This…
Robert “Bobby” Murphy named one of the youngest billionaires in the world The introduction of the smartphone in the mid-2000s and the genesis of the start-up business culture ushered in a new wave of entrepreneurs who are making billions through technological innovations. One of those billionaires is Filipino-American Robert “Bobby” Murphy, who, along with business…
The 60s and 70s gave a rapid emergence of boy bands not only in the US and European countries but in Manila, principally. Since music is said to be the universal language, then I would have to say band music, being earsplitting, crashing, and thunderous, has enormously set its trending outcry-style to effectually communicate and…
WITH the election of Donald Trump as president, and his pledge to fulfill his campaign promise of enforcing immigration laws (with news reports of immigration raids throughout the country), many people are anxious and\or terrified about their future in the US. Many of my clients have been calling asking whether they have to open the…
