THE Philippine Constitution defines plunder “as taking undue advantage of official position, authority, relationship, connection or influence to unjustly enrich himself or themselves, at the expense and to the damage and prejudice of the Filipino people and the Republic of the Philippines.” According to Article 2 of the Philippine Republic Act No. 7080 or the…
WHEN it comes to the territorial row, China does not want the United Nations (UN) to intervene and demands that the Philippines should resolve the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea dispute with China alone, through bilateral talks. Should the Philippines just go with what China wants? President Benigno S. Aquino III remains undaunted with the…
ALTHOUGH attorneys take an oath upon admission to the bar to zealously advocate on behalf of their clients, I have heard an overwhelming number of stories in which potential clients depict their attorneys’ actions and statements in meetings as completely adverse to their cause. Instead of listening with empathy and compassion to a prospective client’s…
Gliding across the sea and passing by the picturesque St. Paul Mountain Range, its rolling terrain of lush forest and beautiful karst formations seem like a teaser to a movie as one journeys to the well-renowned Underground River (formerly known as the St. Paul Subterranean River) from the coastal town of Sabang. Excitement fills the…
LOS ANGELES – Filipinos cried ‘foul’ over the supposed inaccuracies of the Hollywood biopic, Cesar Chavez that premiered in Los Angeles . Directed by Diego Luna, the film tells the story of the heroic rise of United Farm Workers (UFW) movement leader, Cesar Chavez. Filipino protesters pointed out that there was a lack of representation of Filipino…
LOS ANGELES – The groundswell movement, urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to grant full Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to the Philippines, has become bigger and stronger. Recently, key politicians in the United States expressed their support for granting TPS to the Philippines, which is still recovering from the devastation caused by Super Typhoon…
One day, someone dear to you is going to get her heart broken. I dread it because she’ll be in such pain and I’ll be powerless to ease it. Everyone goes through this. It is inevitable, unless you never really care about another person and I don’t wish that for anyone. You think of streets…
YOU should have received Form W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement) from your employer by now. If you did not, here are 10 tips to help you file: 1. Employers have until January 31 to furnish your W-2. 2. If you have not yet received your Form W-2, ask your employer when the W-2 was mailed….
(Unfair does not mean Unlawful) Q: I WORKED in a company for more than 10 years. A new supervisor was recently transferred to my department. This person and I do not get along. Last week, our human resources director informed me that the company was letting me go and gave me my last paycheck. I…
WHEN people are going through financial difficulty and are unable to pay their bills, their first reaction is often to ignore their debts and avoid contact with creditors. They think that by doing this, somehow the creditors will simply give up and go away. Then one day the problem blows up in their face. Then…
ON MARCH 27, after 17 years of tumult and unrest, the Philippine government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) inked a historic pact for lasting peace in Mindanao through the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). “Today, we celebrate the shared victory of the Filipino and Bangsamoro people. This is a fitting solution to the…
FILIPINOS in California are still in a state of shock and disbelief, after waking up to the news last Wednesday. After a series of raids in the Bay Area and Sacramento, California State Senator Leland Yee was arrested on March 26 for being implicated in an alleged corruption conspiracy, which involves arms trafficking and fraud…
THOSE of you who are waiting for a Freedom of Information Bill crafted to your full satisfaction should not hold your breath. You folks will pass out from lack of air circulating in your system and it still won’t happen. But Congress could pass a bill that will give the citizenry access to the business…
BEVERAGE LOBBY GROUP SAYS LOS ANGELES – According to a state-wide lobby group opposing the so-called ‘soda tax’ bill introduced in the State Legislature, consumer education and smaller serving sizes are more sensible solutions to the obesity epidemic instead of adding a penny-per-ounce tax on all sugary drinks sold in California. These sugary drinks include…
BURBANK – Women from all walks of life were honored on Tuesday, March 25, by Soroptimist International of The Verdugos (SITV) for being role models and trailblazers for women everywhere. Young and old, students and professionals, survivors and advocates — these women were recognized for their work towards the betterment of society. “March is International…
With its vivid communication of reality, a photograph is a powerful tapestry, which tells a story. Images of people and events are captured in the split second that they happened. Pictures speak a thousand words and deliver the complete message — bringing reality to life in a very special way. Photographers take pictures because they…
IN challenging and difficult times, how can we maintain peace? What we can we do to keep our minds sane and our spirits high? “We’ll just have to keep hoping that it will get better,” we would say. “We’ll just have to trust God,” we would add. Perhaps the drink from the bucket that the…
Dance, an art form that generally involves body locomotion in rhythmic beat induced by music, is as old and varied as many cultures. Considered a form of expression or even non-verbal communication, dance may be classified from functional movement such as folk or regional dances to virtuoso techniques such as ballet and related classical styles….
Dear Atty Gurfinkel: My American Citizen sister would like to petition me, but it would take many, many years to get a green card through a family petition. She also has a very successful business and would like to petition me as her employee through an employment based petition. Is there anything wrong or illegal…
As this year’s H-1B filing season comes to a close, employers not able to submit their applications on time or those whose cases are not chosen in the H-1B lottery will be looking for other options. The B-1 visa is commonly considered as a possible alternative, but this category does not cover typical employment scenarios….
Edmund Gerald “Jerry” Brown Jr., born on April 7, 1938; heads the list of prominent personalities celebrating their birthdays for the month of April. Brown is currently the 39th Governor of the Golden State of California since 2011, and was also Governor from 1975 to 1983. Before being Governor, he served in numerous State…
Cholesterol and saturated fats have killed more people around the world than all the battles and wars combined. In the United States alone, more than half a million people succumb to heart attack and stroke each year. This does not even include the morbidities and disabilities caused by the blockages of arteries in the abdomen…
SAN FRANCISCO—It came as a shock to many when the news broke out early morning of March 25 that State Sen. Leland Yee was arrested on public corruption charges made by the FBI. The senator’s office in Sacramento and home in San Francisco were among the locations searched. Authorities said that the 65-year-old senator solicited…
DESPITE some hiccups caused by natural disasters in the final quarter of last year, the Philippine economy remains as one of the fastest-growing in Asia. It was a remarkable turnout, with the Philippines finishing at 7.2 percent overall for 2013, just a little behind China’s 7.7 percent. Now that those threats are behind us, and…
“In Balitang America’s daily online poll Isyu Ngayon, 80 percent of viewers believe that Casquejo is a fool and that what he did was careless — a crime that could get him a year’s sentence in jail. On the other hand, 20 percent of the voters described Casquejo’s act as amazing. Not many people have…
THE 5th amendment to the United States Constitution states that no person may be compelled to testify against himself. Hence a person may refuse to answer a question on the grounds that it might incriminate himself. Our discussion involves questioning in a bankruptcy proceeding where a debtor refuses to answer invoking the 5th. Several years…
IN accordance with the US Supreme Court’s 2011 decision in Judulang v. Holder, the BIA issued a decision on February 28, 2014 that makes Section 212(c) relief available to thousands or immigrants who were ordered deported or are presently deportable for criminal convictions. The decision, Matter of Abdelghany, abolishes the so-called “comparable grounds” rule that…
It’s a wonder that the Philippines never runs out of interesting places to see. The profound natural resources and immaculate geographical beauty of this archipelagic island is home to a multitude of marine life and continue to gain popularity for having fantastic dive sites. Plunge deep into the wonders of the Philippine seas and be…
California law on the nature of spouses’ rights and obligations with respect to management and control of community property has evolved over the last thirty years from less stringent “good faith” standards to heightened “confidential duty” and “fiduciary duty’ standards. Under current law, the duties owed between spouses in transactions between themselves are the same…
Spring has sprung. It is upon us in a scent that grows deeper, dizzying, improbable. It is too heady, too provocative to be diminished. Seeping through open windows, under doors, as you slip out of a doorway or slide out of a car. There it is—a scent that dominates the air, your bed clothes. It’s…
