Sexually harassed employee forced to quit, wins wrongful termination case
MS. Olivares worked as a dental assistant for Colton Dental Group (CDG) which is owned by dentist, Sam Dason. In May 2011, Dason told Olivares that employees from his San…
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Wealth or debt: What are you accumulating for your future?
DON’T let this happen to you! A client of mine said he never saw it coming. Everything he ever wanted in life, he always purchased on credit. The “pre-approved” credit…
12 divorce tax tips
1. YOUR legal marital status is determined as of December 31 of each year. Even if you were married for the previous 364 days if you were divorced on the…
The consequences of a Duterte presidency
“MABUHAY ang NPA!” Rodrigo Duterte has exhorted in his speeches. And Jose Maria Sison, Communist Party of the Philippines and New People’s Army founder has acknowledged Duterte’s promise that if…
Roxas should step out of Aquino’s shadow and be his own man
I COULD not believe my ears when I heard Pres. Benigno Aquino III say in a television interview that he is working on an alliance among presidential candidates so they…
On mothers, motherhood and beyond
The most demanding view of motherhood is this romanticized notion: that no woman is complete or fulfilled unless she has kids. In addition to this, the world’s view about motherhood…
Report: 2 million California households hire domestic workers
Employment standards needed AMID a rising demand for domestic work and an unprecedented elder boom, a new report from the UCLA Labor Center has found that an estimated 2 million…
California raises smoking age to 21
CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday, May 4, signed into law a package of bills that changes the state’s legal smoking age from 18 to 21, among other new regulations….
Relief from removal/ deportation because notice sent to old address
MANY people were ordered removed/deported “in absentia” (in their absence) because they did not appear at their removal hearing. However, if they were not properly notified of the hearing date,…
PAFCOM crowns beauty queens in ‘Panagbenga’-themed gala
The Philippine-American Friendship Committee, Inc. (PAFCOM), a Jersey City-based socio-civic service-oriented organization, has long journeyed and rousingly established its dedicated advocacy of providing community service and assistance programs which enormously…
Black propaganda in Philippine politics
Political jousts in this country are eternally exciting, entertaining, somehow also enlightening and, from the point of view of those who become objects of vicious black propaganda attacks, absolutely infuriating….
Do you have bad breath?
As a common presumption goes, “one isolated incident of bad breath, like a first-time thief who is caught, permanently tarnishes the reputation, and the condemnation sticks for life.” What is…
Deguito denies money laundering raps
MANILA—Former Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) branch manager Maia Santos-Deguito denied on Monday, May 2 the money laundering charges filed against her in connection with the $80.9 million stolen by…
Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
The United States has always been a nation of immigrants. At every turn in our history, we have become stronger and closer by recognizing the richness in each of our…
The elite’s desperate push for the hopeless Mr. Roxas
The last failure of the economic elite–and their surrogates in the media and civil society– was the one involving Mrs. Arroyo. They wanted her out of power right after the…
Debt relief exclusion for rental properties
WE talked about tax consequences of short sales, foreclosures, and abandonments of homes. Let us now talk about tax consequences of cancelled debt on qualified real property – including rental…
With Roxas and Robredo surging in polls, can Duterte lead be overtaken?
DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte may have had the most challenging week of his campaign, just a week before the all-important presidential election in the Philippines, following allegations made by…
Public Interest
THESE last few days leading up to May 9—the Philippine national elections—are critical. This moment is intense as aspiring leaders are rushing to mount campaigns that will boost in public…
Family Feuds and Shattered Families
I had a wonderful time exchanging notes with the participants of my Family Business Talk last Friday at the Holiday Inn in Makati. It was a sold out event with…
Paba Calls On Authorities To Investigate Fatal Police Shooting Of Fil-Am Carson Resident
Los Angeles, CA – The Philippine American Bar Association (PABA) is saddened by the December 2015 fatal shooting of Mharloun Saycon, a Filipino-American resident of Carson. PABA, which serves the…
Words of wisdom from the most important woman in my life
I was told on numerous occasions that everybody eventually turns into their parents when they grow old. I believe that now to be true as I see so much of…
The Holy Spirit in the church…and the world
A LONGTIME theology professor of St. John’s Seminary once gave a homily that struck me. He said that in his forty years of teaching the dogmas of the Catholic Church…
Will business bankruptcy affect owners of the business?
CLIENT and husband are the only stockholders of an S corporation that has been doing well for the last 15 years. In fact, it’s still doing well and had a…
Protecting employees against workplace violence
YOWAN Yang worked for ActioNet as an information technology technician. ActioNet is a contractor providing technical support to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Cy Tymony was another technician who worked…
Grounds for annulling a marriage
MOST couples that want out of a marriage in California usually file for Divorce. There are circumstances though that allow a couple to have their marriage “voided” rather than “dissolved.” …
Right 1095 to avoid tax penalty
ANALOGOUS to taxpayers showing their earning statements with W2 or 1099, this year taxpayers are asked to show 1095s as their health insurance statements. Without proof of health insurance, they…
How to spot an IRS fraud audit
IT started with a dreaded letter from the IRS. Your tax return has been selected for examination. Lately, the agent has been asking about cash transactions, safety deposit box, foreign…
Get out of debt without filing for bankruptcy?
BEING in debt and doing nothing about it can have more serious consequences than you think. First of all, it can impact your financial future. Uncontrolled debt can deprive you…
Is Duterte unstoppable, or will Binay or Roxas spring a surprise?
The surveys FOR the most prudent of reasons, I have never accepted as gospel truth the claims of the paid propaganda surveys on the alleged standing of our national candidates….
The Filipino Channel hosts town hall on the Philippine presidential election
THERE are less than nine days left before you either go to a Philippine Consulate/Embassy, or mail your absentee voter’s ballot to cast your vote on the next president, vice…