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…
Recently, the country was once again hit by a calamity. Typhoon Trami, officially named as Maring in the Philippines, was intensified by the southwest monsoon (habagat). The typhoon paralyzed the metropolis, drenched its nearby provinces, destroyed a highway, left damages in crop production, and wiped the homes of many Filipinos. But just like last year’s…
It was during the presidency of Ronald Reagan that “deniability” became a buzz word in international media. The US Congress attempted to hold Reagan directly accountable for the Iran-Contra scandal, an under-the-table arms-for-hostage deal between the US and Iran, coursed through Israel, that involved a diversion of funds – also under-the-table – for the Contra…
INA 204(c) bars the approval of a subsequent immigrant petition for an alien who had tried to obtain benefits under a first petition which was based on a fraudulent marriage. If during the processing of the subsequent petition, the first husband told USCIS that his marriage to the alien was fraudulent may USCIS deny the…
The celebration of “Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa (National Language Month)” is ongoing for the whole month of August, with the theme, “Wika natin ang tuwid na daan.” (Our language is the straight path). The Commission on the Filipino Language, in cooperation with the Department of Education, will spearhead the celebration which aims to encourage various government…
“ENOUGH with politicians pocketing people’s taxes, while the rest of the country are suffering from the devastation of the floods,” Los Angeles- based Fil-Am community leader Art Garcia said in a press statement, voicing out the sentiments of many Filipinos all over the world about another scandal, which has rocked our kababayans’ confidence in public officials….
THREE days before the scheduled ‘A Million People’s March’ of protest in Luneta [which calls for the abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), more popularly known as “the pork barrel”] and solidarity rallies in key cities in the Philippines and the United States, President Benigno S. Aquino III finally decided that it was…
Ultramarathoner Ben Gaetos Even the wind felt like a flamethrower was going through your face, he said. Despite the extreme circumstances, the 56-year-old, Manila born Gaetos finished “the world’s toughest foot race,” the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon last month, in 44 hours and 8 minutes. Gaetos, an Eagle Rock resident, said he’s the first Filipino to…
GOLIATH was a Philistine giant who was 9 feet tall. The Philistine army had gathered for war against Israel. The two armies faced each other. Israel’s army was led by King Saul who was Israel’s first king but his life turned to tragedy because he did not trust God, my God, the God of Moses…
LET’S discuss reasons why you should consider filing, even you are not required to: 1. You expect a refund. You have credits that can generate a refund – from taxes withheld from your paycheck, estimated tax payments, or a prior-year overpayments applied to this year. 2. You may qualify for Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)…
Q. I AM thinking of filing a wage claim against my former employer for unpaid overtime hours and breaks I was not provided. Some of my fellow employees, who suffered as I did, wanted to file with me but they are afraid. They think if they complain, they’ll be fired. I understand their fears and…
THE new rules to streamline the mortgage application process might come into effect after this summer. By the end of August, regulators will release a “softer” version of rules overseeing how banks finance mortgages. The Dodd-Frank financial reform bill tasked regulators with writing rules that would force Wall Street to keep some skin in the…
IT WAS eight o’clock on a quiet night in the municipality of Izalco in Sonsonate, El Salvador. The parish priest, Padre Napo and his vicar, Padre Jorge, invited me to come to a meeting with members of their parish pastoral council. I didn’t know what to expect with this encounter. All I knew was that…
LOS ANGELES – Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) spokesman Art Garcia for years stood side-by-side with former congressman Bob Filner, fighting for equity for Filipino World War II veterans. Filner had a once sterling reputation as a champion of civil rights and proponent for Filipino veterans seeking veteran benefits. Now, seeing the 70-year-old Filner…
Just like any holiday or traditional event, the fiesta brings forth a festive atmosphere and a nostalgic longing for every bit of sentimental things back home. Fiesta in America diminishes, if not totally eradicates, that lingering homesickness with the enormous influx of talents, exhibitors of native and home-made food products, and related items all gathered…
Just like any holiday or traditional event, the fiesta brings forth a festive atmosphere and a nostalgic longing for every bit of sentimental things back home. Fiesta in America diminishes, if not totally eradicates, that lingering homesickness with the enormous influx of talents, exhibitors of native and home-made food products, and related items all gathered…
When the green card holder naturalizes, the F-2A petition automatically converts from F-2A (spouse/minor child of green card holder) to “immediate relative” (spouse/parent/child of US citizen). Petitions by US citizens of immediate relatives (spouse, minor child, parents) allow only one beneficiary per petition. Dear Atty. Gurfinkel: While I was still an immigrant, I filed…
HEAVY favorite Megan Lynn Young from Olongapo City bested 24 other candidates in the 2013 Miss World Philippines pageant last August 18 at the Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City. She took home the coveted title, P1 million worth of management contract from the pageant organizer, plus gifts and services from the contest’s sponsors….
BEGINNING last weekend, new revelations on the pork barrel scam continues to pour, probably just as heavily as Typhoon Maring’s wrath , which has flooded Metro Manila. Most Filipinos expressed anger and disgust through social media. They feel betrayed, knowing that their hard-earned money has been blatantly misused by the people they put in power….
PRESIDENT Noynoy Aquino ran and won on his anti-corruption platform. While not all kababayans were happy about the way his administration pushed for plunder charges against his predecessor and now Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and for the impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona, a majority of Filipinos are still happy that the son of democracy…
Three weeks ago, the National Asian American Coalition (NAAC) was among the first, if not the very first minority organization in the nation, to protest the proposed merger of American Airlines and US Airways before the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Last week, the Department of Justice employed many of our arguments…
LIKE most people, you’ve probably heard a lot of negative things about bankruptcy and that how filing could be the worst mistake you’ll ever make in your life. And like most people, you’ve been misled! There is so much misinformation out there about bankruptcy that a lot of good, honest, hard-working people are missing out…
ONLY a little more than one year into the Obama Administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA) more than 550,00 DACA requests accepted for processing, of which over 430,000 have been approved, and 7,450 requests denied, as of July 2013. In all, the program has been considered a success, creating a legal, albeit temporary,…
Early this month, flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) announces the turnover of its domestic flights to affiliate airline, PAL Express; and welcomes the arrival of the new flagship aircraft of its single-aisle fleet – Airbus A321-200. PAL Express (formerly AirPhil Express) takes over majority of the domestic flights while PAL continues flight services to Cebu,…
“Judge not that ye be not judged.” It makes me wonder and question. What to judge can be the result of humility and compassion, but even then we must remain clear as to what it is that we withholded judgment from. If we do not condemn, is it because we know we are not fit…
He wears an uneasy crown, as the darling of the fighting world. The odyssey of foibles and fallability starts from the time they were lightweights, who labored in the anonymity of boxing vineyards — from the greatest names in the pugilistic arena, to backyards of fighters, who once were light as a cucumber in their…
EVER since a warrant was released by the Department of Justice for the arrest of businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles and her brother Reynaldo Lim, social media has been inundated with feedback by netizens. Most were angry and appalled that Napoles was able to escape the clutches of justice so quickly. The Dept. of Justice, along with…
The California Supreme Court justices’ unanimous ruling last Wednesday tossed out a legal challenge by supporters of Proposition 8, a ballot measure passed by voters in 2008, which banned same-sex marriage. This means gay marriages in California are here to stay. Advocates against gay marriages, however, are not giving up just yet. According to the…
THE situation we envision in this discussion is where you have an offer in compromise which has been accepted by the IRS then you file for bankruptcy relief. Do you owe the original amount prior to the OIC or do you owe the compromised amount accepted by the IRS? For example, you owe the IRS…
IF your mortgage loan is forgiven, you end up with income from cancellation of debt. Here are 10 tips to exclude the forgiven debt from your income. • Cancellation of debt (COD) or debt forgiveness results in taxable income; however, you may be able to exclude the income (meaning you don’t have to pay tax…
