Historic Halalan 2016 busts apathy among Filipino voters
EIGHTY ONE PERCENT turnout among registered voters in the Philippines is a reason enough to celebrate in a country that has complained about apathy among Filipino people, who have much…
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Progress report
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) proudly announced on Monday, May 9, that of the 54.4 million registered Filipino voters, about 40 million or 81.62 percent exercised their right of suffrage….
Relief from default in divorce cases
THERE are situations in both Divorce and Child Support cases where the Summons and Petition resulted to a default against one party for failing to respond on time. In certain…
People last Sunday at the ER
All of Los Angeles County’s sufferings come through the doors of the emergency room. Accidents, shootings, heart attacks, beatings, rapes, suicides—just as gory and heart-stopping when I was covering the…
Filipino suspected of shooting wife and others arrested
A FILIPINO federal security officer suspected of fatally shooting three and wounding three others was arrested Friday, May 6, the Associated Press reported. Eulalio Tordil, 62, is linked to shooting…
Last Part: Family Feuds and Shattered Families
“It’s not the first “prominent/wealthy family” inheritance battle waged nor will it certainly be the last, but the on-going estate litigation of Potenciano ‘Nanoy’ Ilusorio’s heirs has emerged as one…
The Beautiful Life’s 8 most beautiful Fil-Ams
THESE Filipino-American beauties prove they are ‘confidently beautiful with a heart’ and with brains. Danielle Nicole Viray Dahl Aesthetic Skin Care’s endorser, Danielle is a sophomore at San Fernando Valley…
The language of the heart
“MAY the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call… – (Ephesians 1:18)” What is an “enlightened heart”? This question…
Seniors plan their golden years
One gets rid of debt, while the other attempts to collect monies lent I GOT my senior’s week last week. Two different seniors, both over 80 came to see me…
Can I file bankruptcy alone without my spouse?
FOR married couples who are contemplating bankruptcy, one of the primary concerns they have is whether or not they can file singly. Stated otherwise, if you are married, can you…
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…
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…