Exempt property in bankruptcy

ONE of the goals of bankruptcy is to allow debtor-filers to start anew.  This means that after filing bankruptcy and getting a discharge of their debts, these debtors will be in a position to move on financially. Allowing these debtors to keep certain basic assets despite a bankruptcy filing is one way of helping debtor…

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10 strategies at appeals

YOUR case was closed unagreed and have decided to bring your case before the appeals office of the IRS. You have learned the basics of the appeals process and how to prepare for the conference from my prior articles. Let me now give you 10 strategies as you meet face-to-face with the Appeals Officer: 1….

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POLL RESULT: Many Fil-Ams disagree with the Supreme Court decision to set Arroyo free for plunder charges

AFTER being on hospital arrest for almost four years, former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has been released, after the Supreme Court (SC) of the Philippines ruled that there is no sufficient evidence to convict her of plunder. However, an overwhelming majority of Filipinos in America  (78 percent), who voted in The Filipino Channel’s “Balitang…

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How to be Gerald Anderson

Being one of Philippine television’s finest actors with countless awards, endorsements and awards under his belt begs the question, “How to be Gerald Anderson?” And quite coincidentally (but with pun intended), his new movie with Bea Alonzo – and their first movie team-up is entitled, “How to be Yours.” But before we get into the…

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112 arrested in four-day ICE sweep

MORE than 100 people with prior criminal convictions may face deportation after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers performed a sweep of arrests in Southern California between Monday, July 18 and Thursday, July 21. ICE agents moved quickly to apprehend a list of 112 recently released inmates because a California law prevents police from holding…

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Section 245(i) as an alternative to DAPA

THE failure of the Supreme Court to overturn the lower’s court’s decision blocking the implementation of the President’s Executive Order providing Deferred Action to Parents of US Citizens and Legal Permanent Residents  (DAPA) dashed the hope of many undocumented parents who wish to come out of the shadows.  The implementation of DAPA would have allowed…

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The Hague ruling: PH cannot rely on US backing

HOWEVER the United States tries to goad China into accepting the ruling of the United Nation’s Permanent Court of Arbitration, in The Hague, what is certain is that the Philippines cannot rely on the Americans—or on our military alliance pact (the latest iteration of which is the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, or EDCA)—to test the…

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Being in the US military

(Part 1 of 2) Signing up  to be a soldier for a country not initially your own and be willing and able to defend  and die for its ideals, is probably the most courageous and noble act a person can do.  After all, it is undeniable that going to war carries with it the risk…

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Barrett’s esophagus and GERD

What is Barrett’s esophagus? Barrett’s esophagus is a condition where the normal cell lining (stratified squamous epithelium) of the food pipe (the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach), or a segment of it, is replaced with a different tissue similar to the lining of the intestine. The transformation is called intestinal metaplasia. This…

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Ensuring an affordable health care

Since President Johnson signed them into law on July 30, 1965,  Medicare and Medicaid have helped millions of people receive necessary health care services. These programs are some of the most integral legislation ever passed and they continue to protect Americans throughout the country. Health care is not a luxury. It is a necessity no…

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Sonata for fatherless daughters

He left me a houseful of daughters — very young, and adorable, with the world on their side. In the face of adversity, we are not permitted to ask “why me?”  You can ask but you won’t get an answer. Through the years, I’ve learned the hard way why some poems don’t rhyme, why some…

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When is the right time to appeal?

IF you do not agree of the IRS results of examination, your options are: request a meeting or telephone conference. If after the meeting or conference you still do not agree, appeal your case to the IRS Appeals Office. If you ignore and do nothing, a notice of deficiency will be issued which allows you…

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Race and law enforcement: A new escalation

The killing of Dallas police officers by sniper fire marks a new escalation of race wars here in America and signals a higher level of frustration with the unabated killing of blacks by police under questionable circumstances.  It is unimaginable anywhere else but in this country how a simple traffic stop for a broken tail…

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Post-convention match-up: Clinton vs Trump – electing a president in the era of fear and hate

THEIR political opponents from their respective parties might have conceded defeat following a long contentious primary season, but Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump would remain to be called as presumptive nominees of the Democratic and Republican parties respectively — up until they both get officially proclaimed to be their parties’ presidential nominee for the general…

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Raring

THE numbers are in his favor as it seems that majority of Filipinos are looking forward to the next six years of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s leadership and are eager to see the changes he had promised. In a Social Weather Station (SWS) poll conducted from June 24 to 27, 84 percent of 1,200 adults or…

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Aboard a floating carnival

The most  notable about one’s time during an ocean voyage is that it is so purely relative. We sailed in the lightness of an early summer,  the sky a fresh roseate, the sea quiet and calm.  The ship sailed into the open sea,  a shade of vivid indigo as the horizon narrowed and widened,  dipped and rose,…

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On choosing the better part

MY sister and I sat in my family house’s backyard porch last night to enjoy a home-cooked meal and a nice cool evening breeze.  As we ate, we chatted about my recent 25th Anniversary celebration, the relatives and friends and other guests that came to the affair, and the family reunions that followed. After dinner,…

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Do I need a premarital agreement before getting married?

IN the absence of a premarital agreement, the general community property presumption under California family code section 760 controls which provides “ ….all property, real or personal, wherever situated, acquired by a married person during the marriage while domiciled in this state is community property.”  Family Code §760.    This becomes a problem if you…

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Community property

MANY people have misconceptions or are misinformed about family law here in the United States, specifically, in the State of California.  They tend to not know their rights that deal in this area.  These include the areas of divorces, custody, child/spousal support, paternity actions, wills/trusts, property rights etc. In the years that I have practiced…

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10 Tips to prepare for IRS appeals conference

YOU are still upset from losing an IRS audit. You can either pay or fight. If you choose peace and quiet—pay. If you choose to fight—go to appeals. Let me give you 10 tips on how to prepare for the appeals conference: 1. Be organized in gathering and grouping records. An organized approach to gathering,…

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