IN a stout rebuttal of assertions made in a Philippine Daily Inquirer column by Filipino-American lawyer, Rodel Rodis, concerning the US citizenship of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and his subsequent renunciation of it, the following news item came out: “Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday blasted an opinion piece questioning his citizenship, calling it ‘fake…
A PROVISIONAL waiver can benefit certain people who are not eligible to adjust status in the U.S. These people include: • Crewmen without the benefit of section 245(i), which was a law that expired on April 30, 2001, allowing crewmen and others to still adjust status in the US if they were petitioned before that…
I wrote an article back in 1998 about Viagra, a headliner around the world then when it was first introduced that year. Two decades next year, Viagra and its competitors, Cialis and Levitra, still arouse interest globally. Sildenafil (Viagra), the wonder pill for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men, was approved by the…
It is not a good business practice to pay cash for wages. Issues when paying employees cash 1. You are exposed to income tax audits of both agencies federal and state for not reporting the wages. 2. You have the legal obligation to withhold payroll taxes and report wages. 3. There are no check stubs,…
TWO of the most common expressions that I hear from the tricycle drivers in our neighborhood in Parañaque are: “Lumilipas din ang kahihiyan!” (Shame passes!) and, “Nakakain ba ang dangal?” (Can you eat honor?). These expressions reflect a very cynical attitude that is probably understandable if one were to consider the harsh lives that the…
Faces investigation on possible collusion with Russia PRESIDENT Donald J. Trump lied. He lied to the American people. He lied to the world. And he is not owning up to it. He is not apologizing about it. In four rants on Twitter in the early morning of March 4, Trump accused President Barack Obama of…
DESPITE a recent cordial encounter during the commencement exercises of the Philippine Military Academy Salaknib Class of 2017 in Baguio City last March 12, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte and Vice Pres. Leni Robredo find themselves at odds once again over the interests of the country. On one side is the president who remains unshaken despite receiving…
Do we seriously think writing is all joy? One should realize it is also half pain, and sometimes it is pain that makes us write. Think about the atrocious solitude of a room that gradually becomes a prison, like a torture chamber. The fear of the blank page that stares at you mockingly, the torment…
Having four seasons in a year is an idea that is quite foreign to Filipinos who grew up in the Philippines. Back there, we only have the dry (summer) and wet (rainy) seasons. Then there are those, like me, who migrated outside the Philippines to a place that has more than two seasons. This change…
“IF today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” These were words that came out from my former pastor’s lips many years ago as he began his homily one Sunday mass. He kept repeating these words and expounding on them. They were words from Psalm 95; words that, I thought then, were an appeal…
RICARDO Vaquero and Robert Schaefer worked as Sales Associates for Stoneledge Furniture, a retail furniture company. Stoneledge paid sales associates on a commission basis, based on the company’s Commission Compensation Pay Agreement. If a sales associate did not earn “Minimum Pay” of at least $12.01 per hour in commissions in any pay period, Stoneledge paid…
QUESTION: I’m so afraid to open my door now. I’ve heard ICE agents are doing round-ups and just deporting people left and rights. What can I do? Answer: All people living in the United States, including undocumented immigrants, have certain U.S. Constitutional rights. If you are undocumented and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents knock…
(Part 3 of 3) 11. Your case is referred to an Automated Collection System (ACS). The ACS is a nameless, faceless computerized collection system that utilizes telephones. IRS personnel at various “call sites” have little authority to help you by way of compromise or installment but have great authority to harm you. If I may…
MOST people don’t talk about their credit card debt because they find it embarrassing. They can talk to their friends and family about everything else but when it comes to the subject of how much debt they are carrying, most people would not divulge any information. It makes them very uncomfortable. So what happens is…
PRESIDENT Donald Trump just will not stop. Republicans and Democrats on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees have said they have not seen any evidence to substantiate Trump’s accusations of wiretapping/surveillance against Pres. Barack Obama before, during and after the 2016 presidential election. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey has said it…
I WAS shocked at Vice President Leni Robredo’s video message sent to the UN Commission on Narcotics Drugs to be played at its 60th meeting today. Either this lady is so naïve, or so stupid, that she doesn’t really know the gravity of her message, which I suspect she doesn’t, since she was reading the…
Women have strategically used and relentlessly conceived various methods and schemes to break barriers and untiringly promote gender equality that they may stand at par with their male counterparts. Through the years history has remarkably generated an immense number of empowered women who were capable of changing the world’s social, industrial, political, and educational landscape…
Remembering the courage of our heroes On April 9, 1942, three months after the Bataan of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II; Filipino and American prisoners of war were forcibly transferred by the Imperial Japanese Army from Mariveles, Bataan to Camp O’Donnell in Tarlac. They marched approximately 60 miles under extreme heat,…
EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date…
YOU and I are social animals. Our two-legged and four-legged friends are also “social” creatures. They are usually in pairs or in herds. Like us, humans, these animals apparently also value, long for, and enjoy companionship. The loners among them usually do not survive long. Most obviously, social life, a sense of belonging, a comfortable…
I DON’T know of any woman who really wants to grow old. After a certain birthday, she enters into a battle with time, sometimes with a plastic surgeon by her side to strip back the years, reclaim the eyes, the chin — even her breasts and bottom of her youth. She would examine her face…
REPUBLICANS, including then candidate Donald Trump, ran on the campaign promise of repealing President Barack Obama’s signature legislative legacy — the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Republican party, a.k.a. the Grand Old Party (GOP), had been fixated on demonizing the ACA, also known as “Obamacare,” since Obama started pushing for its passing to provide health…
BILATERAL ties between the Philippines and China have begun to warm up as soon as President Rodrigo Duterte stepped into office. Following his early anti-American outbursts, Duterte vowed to carry out an independent foreign policy, one that seeks to distance Manila from Washington, but makes overtures toward Beijing. True enough, Chinese investors are lining up…
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…
