Death of a taxpayer part 2
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….
Read More
Unsolicited advice to the Duterte trolls
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…
Trump accuses Obama of wiretapping him during the election without any evidence: Another conspiracy theory to deflect issues?
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…
Exonerated
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…
Meet the outstanding couple for The Beautiful Life Celebration 2017: Mr. and Mrs. Reynaldo & Nora Diego
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…
Lent: Not closing off but engaging in
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…
Enhancing public safety in the interior of the United States
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…
Eligible debtors should seek BK relief
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…
Should you sign that independent contractor agreement?
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…
Can my removal be expedited?
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…
Life cycle of an audit
(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…
Is Duterte’s war on drugs a ‘crime against humanity’? Fil-Ams weigh in
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…
The making of a president
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…
Fil-Am co-founder of Snapchat worth $4 billion
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…
Parokya ni Edgar consistently nails rock band dominance
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…
What should I do if ICE comes to my home?
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…
Beating heart surgery
WHAT is OPCAB? OPCAB stands for off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery, which is the most popular minimally invasive heart bypass operation today, one that is done on a beating heart….
Tightening the screws
THE screws are tightening on both sides of the Pacific, pretty much like the garote that snuffed the lives of the Tres Martires, Padres Burgos, Gomez and Zamora. Sooner or…
Trump gives himself an ‘A’ for achievement in his first month as president: How do you rate him?
DONALD TRUMP has been the president of the United States for a little more than a month now, and when asked in a TV interview how he would rate himself,…
Legislative jungle
SOME say that a governance needs a good opposition to bring out the best in itself. Will this hold true for a government that is marred by a political rumble…
The Philippine Housing Plan Is an Epic Failure
In a CNN report written by Paolo Taruc on September 21, 2015, the Philippines emerged as one of Southeast Asia’s fastest growing economies with an average gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate…
Worries lead to nothing
“DO not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.” — (Matthew 6:34) It’s not easy to let go and allow God to take charge of our lives. “It’s easier…
Bea Alonzo: The leading lady of all time
I’ve been asked several times who my favorite actresses are. I remember that my answer would always include this young award-winning actress—who is also famous for her class and good…
Senior scammed out of $100K by Internet boyfriend, needs Chapter 7 relief
Client filed for Chapter 7 without lawyer in 2008 did not get discharge CLIENT is 65 and a widow. Wanting some male attention, I guess, she posted her picture on the…
Barter for labor: Can employees be paid ‘in-kind’?
COREPOWER Yoga (CPY) owns a chain of yoga studios throughout the country, including at least thirty-one studio locations in California, and offering yoga classes throughout the day. CPY operated…
What is meant by a ‘revocable living trust?
QUESTION: What is a ‘revocable’ Living Trust? Answer: A ‘revocable living trust’ for a single person (including a typical “survivor’s trust” that is revocable by the surviving settlor as described…
Bankruptcy: When bad things happen to good people
IF you’ve accumulated a lot of debt and something has happened in your life that’s made it difficult to pay your bills, you are not alone. After almost 18 years…
Extraordinary dining experience at FuJi Buffet & Grill
Located off the Harvey Drive exit of the 134 freeway in Glendale, California is FuJi Buffet & Grill, an all-you-can-eat fare that gives you a taste of different Asian regions—without…
Trump administration bans some critical news media: A move toward dictatorship?
As if the war that President Donald Trump has been waging against the news media is not enough — calling those news organizations critical of him and his policies “fake…
Tilting the scales of justice
THE classic symbol of justice is a lady with a blindfold holding weighing scale that are perfectly balanced. The blindfold and the balanced scales denote impartiality. One would expect that…