LOS ANGELES – A US federal jury on Monday convicted three Filipinos of smuggling high-powered military and assault weapons including rocket launchers, machine guns, and other deadly explosives from the Philippines into the United States. A federal jury in the US District Court found the three Philippine nationals: Sergio Syjuco, 26; Cesar Ubaldo, 27; and…
FILING Chapter 13 bankruptcy is often a last resort for people in foreclosure when no other options exist. A lot of homeowners usually put off making this decision for a long time until they find themselves backed into a corner with no way out. Most of the time they’ll attempt to do a loan modification…
QUESTION: I have heard that there is going to be immigration reform. Can you shed some light on the subject and what we might expect? Answer: Conservatives have tended to oppose immigration reform and amnesty for undocumented workers. Prominent Republicans, however, have recently come out in support of massive immigration overhauls. We could speculate as…
IF YOU search for the name of Dr. Francisca Tolete Velcek on the Internet, one of the most impressive things you will find is an icon of Castle Connolly. In the medical world, to be on the Top Doctor List of Castle Connolly is like winning in the Oscars. A proud Ilocana and pediatric surgeon,…
There are times when a person is arrested and charged with a crime. In some cases they may have actually committed the crime, or it could be that they are completely innocent, wrongfully accused, or were arrested because of some misunderstanding or miscommunication. They want to fight the charges to prove their innocence. The person…
Something odd was happening. Faced with popular protest and revolt in the army, President Marcos left Malacañang Palace in a US Airforce Huey helicopter on the evening of February 25, 1986. Camp Crame was the center of army revolt. I wish I could remember it all better, without weakening the adequacy or vitality of the…
THE current influx of media attention on immigration issues is very exciting. One cannot help but be hopeful and optimistic that some type of immigration reform is on the horizon. For example, President Obama unveiled his proposed legislation last week, which would lead to the substantial overhauling of the immigration system. The proposed legislation has…
Q: MY boss at work would slap or touch my buttocks, make comments about my breasts, or other parts of my body, and tell me to wear shorter skirts. He uses vulgar language and has called me “stupid bitch” a number of times. I’d like to file a sexual harassment claim but, unfortunately, I have…
CERRITOS – Two Filipino-Americans are vying for the City Council of Cerritos in the March 5 local election. Current City Planning Commissioner Frank Aurelio Yokoyama and retired Social Worker Alejandro Estella are running for the first time, to fill two open slots. Other candidates include re-electionist Carol Chen, ABC School Board Member James Kang,…
LOS ANGELES – With at least two Filipino-Americans running for LA City Council seats, kababayans are highly encouraged to come out and vote in the coming LA City Primary Nominating Elections on Tuesday, March 5. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC), together with the LA City Clerk Election Division, the Korean Resource Center,…
THIS fiscal cliff legislation includes lots of tax changes; accordingly, I summarized the provisions for simple reading. Last week’s Part A dealt with individuals while this week’s Part B deals with business. Business depreciation and cost recovery provisions 50% Bonus Depreciation extended The Act extends the 50% first-year bonus depreciation for an additional year to…
Homeowners Bill of Rights IN JULY, California enacted the major pieces of legislation, which were introduced by Attorney General Kamala Harris. These provision, which will take effect January 1, 2013, will incorporate many of the provisions of the National Mortgage Settlement into California law and specifically will: 1) eliminate “dual tracking” of foreclosures during loan…
ON TUESDAY, March 5, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities are urged to exercise their right to vote for the 2013 Primary Municipal Elections in the City of Los Angeles. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) is advocating for these communities’ active participation in the municipal elections, through the Your Vote Matters!…
MANY people have the mistaken belief that back due income taxes cannot be discharged in bankruptcy because a debt owed to the Federal and State government cannot be wiped out. That belief is wrong. Since 1966, bankruptcy law allows the discharge of debt to the IRS. However, there are rules that must be followed to…
LOS ANGELES – A historic four Asian Americans are vying for a seat in the LA City Council — a place they have not had representation since the mid-1980s and early 1990s. Korean Americans John Choi and Emile Mack; and Filipino-American Alex De Ocampo, are among the 12 competitors aiming to replace mayoral candidate Eric…
LONG BEACH – College students gathered from all corners of Southern California for the 6th annual SCPASA Summit conference held at California State University at Long Beach (CSULB), on Saturday. Presented by the Southern California Pilipino American Student Alliance (SCPASA) in collaboration with the Pilipino American Coalition (PAC) and One Nation at Cal State Long…
OUR Roman Catholic Church has entered a period called “sede vacante” (the empty chair) since Benedict XVI’s retirement last Thursday. The Pope Emeritus has taken refuge at Castel Gondolfo, the palace used by popes as a summer retreat. He will be there temporarily until renovations on the monastery inside the walls of Vatican City are…
THIS week, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) started releasing undocumented immigrants being held in immigration jails around the country — days before mandatory budget cuts go into effect across the government. The White House was reportedly never consulted, but the Associated Press reported that President Obama’s spokesperson…
Kissing Disease, medically known as Infectious Mononucleosis, or Mono for short, is a viral illness that presents as fever, sore throat, enlarged neck lymph nodes, and fatigue (severe tiredness). Mono is very common, affecting children, adolescents and adults. In the United States, about half of the children population have had the infection, usually mild, before…
LOS ANGELES-Nearly 70 Pinoys gathered together on Feb. 25 at a church on Beverly Boulevard to commemorate the peaceful and bloodless revolution that overthrew a tyrannical and oppressive government. The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, in cooperation with the Overseas Filipinos for Good Governance (OFGG), hosted a mass in celebration of the 27th…
ANAHEIM-Filipino-American Bishop Oscar Solis believes Cardinal Roger Mahony should be able to vote for the new pope in the upcoming papal conclave despite the criticisms surrounding the embattled senior ecclesiastical official. “He’s still a cardinal and a bishop in good standing,” said Solis after presiding over the Filipino mass held during the Religious…
The EDSA People Power Revolution recently celebrated its 27th year last February 25. It has entered its rockstar age. But beyond the rockstar mythos, EDSA is tightrope-walking on a precarious thread. As the years roll by, those who participated in this glorious, nonviolent revolt are also moving in the timeline of humanity. What is left…
Some love it or hate it. Others write about it or repeat it. The obsession for gossip seems to be here to stay: from what we read and see, from the unholy and unchanging trinity of the subject. The reporter and the reader have stoked the human appetite for gossip, which dates back from the…
IS NOYNOY Aquino the Moses of the Philippines, leading our country to the Promised Land? Not by any measure of Charleton Heston’s walking stick. For sure, Aquino has repeatedly declared that he is intent on trekking the Straight Path towards institutional reforms. And there are indications that he is determined to do so. But the…
YES, it’s that time of year again: The H-1B visa quota (H-1B “cap”) for FY 2014 will finally open up on April 1, 2013, making 65,000 new H-1B visa numbers available for new employment beginning on October 1, 2013 as well as an additional 20,000 H-1Bs for persons who have attained a Master’s Degree or…
EVERY year, millions of Pinoys go to great and in some cases, drastic lengths to work abroad, in order to pursue better lives for themselves and their families. Many overseas Filipino workers (OFW) are often compelled to work despite unfair and harsh working conditions — enduring long hours, low pay and human rights abuses. We’ve…
DO YOU wish to support the cause of our kababayans, who will benefit from the passage of a true comprehensive immigration reform? Do you email? Are you on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media platforms? Then, there is something you can do. As we reported on The Filipino Channel’s Balitang America last Monday, high-tech leaders…
LIKE most people, you’ve worked hard and have done your best to pay all your bills on time. But in life, at one time or another, all of us get into a situation where debt can be overwhelming. Money problems can easily overlap into other areas of our lives. Many people feel hopeless and powerless…
If you listen to the news these days, you get the impression that immigration reform is inevitable. Never mind that it also felt this way in 2007 before the immigration deal collapsed. If you’re excited about these recent developments, try to understand the forces that propel and resist reform and you’ll know whether there will…
IN response to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) inquiry on the $5-million reimbursement check released to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the United Nations (UN) has denied releasing such a payment. The inquiry was requested by the House of Representatives to the DFA, following the revelations made by former government auditor Heidi…
