Even as the Obama Administration has espoused some more lenient policies toward persons who have violated their immigration status in the US, such as prosecutorial discretion, USCIS over the past several years seems to have increased the rate of denial of applications for adjustment of status. With the denial of these applications, particularly employment-based adjustment…
In 2005, the late Samuel Ong, then deputy director of the NBI, blew the whistle on the Hello Garci phone calls that resulted in the “election” of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the sinking of Ronnie Poe’s presidential hopes. For that, Ong was charged with sedition, instead of being praised. It was for that reason that I…
By this time, Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao would already be prepped and psyched for his rematch fight with Timothy Bradley at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Amid put-downs made by his opponent Bradley (who said that Manny no longer has the “killer instinct”), the good-natured Filipino boxing champ took the high road and viewed Bradley’s…
Three senators believed to have been key players in the multi-billion pork barrel scam in the Philippines have already been charged with plunder. One of them, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, is in the United States for medical reasons. Estrada sat down with Balitang America’s LA Correspondent Steve Angeles for an exclusive interview, and talked about what…
Now that it’s summer in the Philippines, everybody’s looking for a way to beat the heat. And apart from the exciting getaways and road trips, there’s this one treat everybody just can’t get enough of – the halo-halo. Halo-halo, in its English translation means mix-mix and rightly so. Others usually describe it as a fruit…
On Saturday, April 12, my husband and I became a lolo and lola. It’s a milestone that we’ve been looking forward to, after our daughter Misty got married in 2012. When that day finally came, however, our excitement was eclipsed by fear and anxiety because it came too soon. Misty was only 24 weeks and…
“THE best place to make a pilgrimage is not even a church. The best place to go is your conscience and allow the voice of right and wrong to prevail.” – Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President The days making up this week hold a deep meaning to Filipino…
It is the art of entertaining oneself with the brains of other men. I dedicate a considerable portion of my time with other people — reading their thoughts and their hearts, dreaming away my life in others’ speculations, as I lose myself in another man’s mind. When I cannot think, books think for me. I…
“ May we never lose patience and hope in any painful period of waiting. May God strengthen us in every dark moment of life!” IT’S been five weeks since Malaysia Airlines 370 was reported missing and, still, it has not been found despite massive search of several countries. Families have been grieving almost endlessly, and at…
During the question and answer portion of Binibining Pilipinas 2014, Miss Universe 2013 Gabriela Isler asked candidate #25 Mary Jean “MJ” Lastimosa: For you, what is the greatest advantage of being a woman? Answering Isler’s question with confidence, Lastimosa said: “The greatest advantage of being a woman is being able to compose ourselves. Just like…
Can anyone imagine how it would be like to interact with the Lord, who knows your every thought and word, even before you speak? How do I attempt to clear away the cobwebs of formalism and tradition, to take a fresh look at who Christ is, and what he is saying to me, through my…
A criminal conviction for domestic violence might affect an alien’s eligibility for immigration relief or benefit. This conviction might qualify as a ground for inadmissibility under crime involving moral turpitude (CIMT). It might also qualify as a ground for deportability under aggravated felony or domestic violence. Grounds for inadmissibility disqualify an alien who is trying to enter the US from getting a visa or admission. Grounds for deportability make an alien who has already been admitted into the US susceptible to removal.
Red-faced and feeling contrite, I erred last Sunday. I rant against mediocrity and plead so ardently for an intelligent performance about real people, who say coherent things to each other. I ought to salute artists, who gear up for concerts and dig up personal inspiration inside themselves, to motivate them to perform their very best….
LIVING in the mecca of entertainment and filmmaking, it is unavoidable for Filipinos in Los Angeles to imbibe the Hollywood culture. Films (whether fictitious or based on real-life events) and award-giving events like the Oscars and Golden Globes, have become an integral part of any Angeleno’s life. Therefore, it is not surprising that Diego Luna’s…
A MAJORITY of the viewers (76 percent) of The Filipino Channel’s Balitang America, who voted in the online poll regarding the Philippines seeking the United Nations’ (UN) intervention in its standoff with China, believe that the UN’s involvement will help resolve the dispute faster and will strengthen the Philippines’ position in its territorial dispute against…
Internal complaints of illegal acts are protected CATHERINE Zulfer was employed by Playboy Enterprises, Inc. for about thirty years in various accounting positions. During the last eighteen months of her employment, Zulfer served as Playboy’s Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller and reported directly to Playboy’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO). In October 2010, the CFO…
IF YOU are in debt and are seriously considering bankruptcy as an option, I am sure a lot of thoughts are going through your mind. I just want to get out of debt and start over but how quickly can I recover from bankruptcy? What are the different types of bankruptcy available? How do I…
IN SUPPORT OF TPS FOR PH LOS ANGELES – With affirmative votes across the board, the Los Angeles City Council passed a resolution on Wednesday, April 2, to express “support of legislation and/or administrative action to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Philippine nationals to prevent their deportation while their country recovers from Super Typhoon…
LOS ANGELES – The Philippine Consulate General honors 2014 Women’s Month in support of the theme set by the Philippine Commission on Women and the Civil Service Commission at the Rizal Hall on 27 March 2014. The celebration of Women’s Month was participated by the Center for the Pacific Asian Family, Grants and Communications Manager,…
THE Pope broke another protocol. Usually, he confesses to a priest in private, but two weeks ago, he surprised everyone at St. Peter’s Basilica. He bowed down before the congregation and went to confession in public – to an ordinary priest in one of the confessional booths. People were stunned and amazed at what the…
Last Sunday, March 30, 2014 at the newly renovated and meticulously refurbished Ramada Plaza Hotel along 160 Frontage Road in Newark, New Jersey, the Pan American Concerned Citizens Action League. Inc. (PACCAL) successfully culminated the international celebration of Women’s History Month with much aplomb and pageantry via an ostentatious and heavily attended dinner-dance cum awarding…
IF the Department of Homeland Security has initiated Removal Proceedings against you, an Immigration Judge will preside over your case in Immigration Court and a government attorney will seek your removal from the US. The series of immigration hearings, collectively known as “immigration proceedings” can take several years and can include four or more court…
In this discussion, we envision a situation where a person signs a declaration before he files a bankruptcy admitting that he has defrauded someone, and that if he should file a bankruptcy later on, the admission of fraud can be used against him to defeat his bankruptcy. To illustrate, A owns a business. He convinces…
Couples have different spending habits and different philosophy in handling marital finances. Some spouses are conservative in managing their finances and stick with a budget while other spouses do not even set budgets. What is your exposure if your spouse is a shop-a-holic and runs though his/her credit card like there is no tomorrow? What…
SAN FRANCISCO—State Senator Leland Yee has signed up a new lawyer to represent him with gun trafficking and corruption charges brought to him last week. Yee on April 2, chose San Francisco attorney James Lassart to replace Paul DeMeester. DeMeester said that the change was Yee’s choice and that there was no disagreement between them….
THIRD time’s a charm they say, and it came true for Mary Jean Lastimosa. MJ, as her friends and family fondly call her, was crowned Miss Philippines Universe 2014 during the Binibining Pilipinas pageant at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City last March 30. The other winners are Bb. Pilipinas-International Mary Anne Bianca Guidotti;…
Are you pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant? Do you know someone who is pregnant? While you’re picking out tiny clothes and reading childcare books, remember the importance of your oral health! Pregnancy brings so many physical changes. You crave different things. Your hair feels different. In fact, just about everything feels different. And, your mouth is…
Although some same – sex couples, like many opposite sex couples, may think they can file and handle the case on their own, I would strongly suggest they seek the advice, assistance, and representation of an attorney. When the US Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), their ruling enabled same-sex…
Bar codes for commercial products and services are today a standard armamentarium of the business world. Its use has transformed daily transactions, inventory, record-keeping, accounting, auditing, budgeting, projections, etc. into simpler, more accurate, faster, more efficient, and time-saving endeavors. And even our smart cell phones can now read bar codes, to compare prices of various…
Average $35 credit the result of State’s program to fight climate change SAN FRANCISCO – The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and California Air Resources Board today announced that millions of California households will see a credit averaging $35 on their April electricity bills thanks to a State program to fight climate change by reducing…
