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2. government

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SHOWBIZ
Liza Soberano bags lead
role in ‘The Bet’ - page 13
VOL. 2 ISSUE 50
VIEW US ONLINE: WWW.SF-POST.COM
OCT 9, 2014 - OCT 15, 2014
FREE
Batangas Farm Complex linked
to Binay
World’s largest
passenger plane,
piloted by
Filipino, lands
at NAIA
ANILA—Vice President Jejomar Binay
M
could be using companies headed by a
former supplier of the Makati government and
staffed by his daughter’s law partners to front
for him as owners of a sprawling farm in Batangas, senators said Wednesday.
While Binay claimed to have divested of any
interest in the 350-hectare farm in Rosario town,
he had ties with Sunchamp president, FilipinoChinese businessman Anto- (Cont. on Page 15 )
nio Tony Tiu,
M
ANILA, Philippines—The
world’s largest passenger
jet piloted by a Filipino captain
landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport 3 (Naia) on
Tuesday night.
The Airbus A380 of the Emirates airline from Dubai was piloted by Franklin Desiderio.
President Benigno Aquino III
welcomed the arrival of the jumbo jet with a water cannon salute.
The Airbus A380 has a capacity
of 500 passengers.
With two full-length decks
measuring a total of 6,000 square
feet, the A380 is 50 percent bigger than the Boeing 747 and is
widely considered as the solution
to the common problems of rising number of plane passengers
and congested tarmacs.
Aquino also inspected the terminal’s facilities including check-in
counters, x-ray machines, security areas, terminal fee windows,
and pre-departure areas after a US
website tagged Naia anew as one
of the worst airports in the world.
Email: California
power regulator
sought donation
The 350-hectare property allegedly owned by the Binay family. PHOTO
from the Office of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV
Ebola patient
Thomas Eric Duncan
dies at Dallas hospital
ALLAS — The first person
to be diagnosed with Ebola
D
in the United States died early
Wednesday, officials with Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital
announced.
“It is with profound sadness
and heartfelt disappointment
that we must inform you of the
death of Thomas Eric Duncan
this morning at 7:51 a.m.,” the
hospital said in a written statement. “Mr. Duncan succumbed
to an insidious disease, Ebola.”
The Liberian citizen, who recently traveled from West Africa to Dallas to reunite with
a long-lost son and the teen’s
mother, had been in isolation at
Texas Health Presbyterian since
Sept.
28.
(Cont. on Page 2)
S
AN FRANCISCO (AP) -
California’s largest utility released an email Monday saying the state’s top
regulator privately asked
the company to donate more
than $1 million to support
an environmental ballot
initiative, and a separate
$100,000 to a celebration
of the utility commission’s
100th anniversary.
Pacific Gas & Electric
Co. also said prosecutors
have informed the utility
that federal authorities are
investigating the legality of
five years of back-channel
communications between
PG&E and the utility commission.
The U.S. attorney’s office
said it would have no comment.
The email is the latest in
a series released by the utility and others that allegedly
show PG&E executives privately negotiating (Cont. on Page 15 )
New Effort to Help Struggling Taxpayers
Get a Fresh Start
ASHINGTON — In its latW
est effort to help struggling
taxpayers, the Internal Revenue
ties.
The goal is to help individuals
and small businesses meet their
Service today announced a series tax obligations, without adding
of new steps to help people get a unnecessary burden to taxpayers.
fresh start with their tax liabili- Specifically, the IRS is announcing new policies and programs
to help taxpayers pay back taxes
and avoid tax liens.
“We are making fundamental
changes to our lien system and
other collection tools that will
help taxpayers and
(Cont. on Page 6)
give
How to Discharge IRS Tax Debts in Bankruptcy
Story on
page 7
TRENDING
Next in line:
Janella Salvador -page 13
The San Francisco Post
NATIONAL
Colorado Supreme Court, Suthers clear way for same-sex licenses
PAGE 2
Oct 9, 2014 - Oct 15, 2014
The Colorado Supreme Court lifted injunctions against
three county clerks on Tuesday, and Colorado Attorney
General John Suthers gave the order for all county clerks
to begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses.
The court’s actions clear the way for clerks in Denver,
Boulder and Adams counties to begin issuing the same-sex
marriage licenses. Less than an hour after the order was issued, Suthers gave all 64 county clerks the order to begin
issuing same-sex marriage licenses.
“There are no remaining legal requirements that prevent
same-sex couples from legally marrying in Colorado,”
Suthers said in a statement. “Beginning today, Colorado’s
64 county clerks are legally required to issue licenses to
same-sex couples who request them.”
The Supreme Court also has lifted a stay and dismissed
an appeal in the state case challenging Colorado’s voterapproved ban on gay marriage. Because of that decision
by the high court, Adams County District Court Judge C.
Scott Crabtree’s ruling that Colorado’s ban is unconstitutional stands.
Shortly before noon, the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the stay in a federal lawsuit filed by six Denver
couples. By lifting the stay, the ruling by a federal judge
that Colorado’s ban is unconstitutional is also allowed to
stand.
Within minutes after the Colorado Supreme Court handed
(Cont. on page 1... EBOLA PATIENT)
t was not immediately known what
would happen to his body, which
could remain contagious for several
days. Guidelines from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention call
for the remains to be immediately
shrouded in plastic and double-bagged
in leak-proof bags at the hospital, then
promptly cremated
or buried in an
airtight
casket.
Duncan’s
down its orders, Boulder and
finally been given the legal
Denver county clerks angreen light to stand with
nounced their offices would
every loving couple,” Johnresume issuing same-sex
son said in a statement. “I
marriage licenses.
am humbled to carry on her
“This is a wonderful day
torch and continue the legfor Colorado and especially
acy of standing on the right
for couples and their families
side of history, and behind
who have been denied this
every Colorado family.
fundamental right for far too
Equality at last wins.”
long,” Boulder County Clerk
Clerk offices across the
and Recorder Hillary Hall
metro area remained relasaid in a statement.
tively quiet Tuesday mornSuthers filed joint motions
ing. In Denver and Boulder
with the clerks to the Supreme
offices, members of the
Court Monday night, asking
media outnumbered couthem to lift the injunction and
ples applying for marriage
dismiss the case. The court David Lane, left, and Mari Newman, both attorneys represent- licenses.
granted the requests around ing a group of same sex couples seeking to get married in ColoHall started issuing samerado, joke with one of their clients, Kate Burns, after they attend sex marriage licenses in
9:30 Tuesday morning.
Denver Clerk and Recorder a press conference in front of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals Boulder on June 25, hours
Debra Johnson, a long-time in Denver, October 06, 2014.
after the U.S. 10th Circuit
advocate for same-sex marCourt of Appeals overriage, said she was happy Suthers was standing with the turned Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage. Hall ignored
clerks and Colorado’s same-sex couples.
several deadlines and request from Suthers to stop issuing
“After decades of patience, Colorado’s state capitol has the licenses this summer.
quarantine for more than a week because
they were living in the same apartment
with him. On Tuesday, Duncan’s son
Karsiah travelled from West Texas to try
and see his father for the first time in
16 years.
“My thoughts are with the family
and friends of Thomas Eric Duncan at
this time, especially his fiancée, Louise, their son, Karsiah, and all those
w h o
loved
him,”
Dallas
County
Judge
C l a y
Jenkins
said in
d e a t h
a writcomes
ten statefour days
men t.
after his
“ W e
condiare also
tion was
thinking
downof
the
graded
dedicated
from sehospital
rious to
staff who
critical.
assisted
Over the Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan in 2011.
Mr. Dunweekend,
can daily
he
had
while he
begun receiving brincidofovir, an experi- fought this terrible disease. We offer
mental antiviral drug that recently gained prayers of comfort and peace to everyone
emergency approval from the Food and impacted by his passing.”
Drug Administration.
Duncan, 42, is the first person known
“He fought courageously in this battle,” to die of Ebola in the United States. The
the hospital said in a statement. “Our pro- virus, which is spread through direct confessionals, the doctors and nurses in the tact with bodily fluids, has killed more
unit, as well as the entire Texas Health than 3,400 people in West Africa in 2014,
Presbyterian Hospital Dallas community, the World Health Organization estimates.
are also grieving his passing. We have ofDuncan’s illness and treatment sparked
fered the family our support and condo- controversy. He arrived in Dallas on
lences at this difficult time.”
Sept. 20 from Liberia, one of the areas hit
Louise Troh, Duncan’s fiancée, and hardest by the outbreak.
three of her family members have been in
Pot, immigration trip up governor,
Senate candidates in Denver debates
Colorado voters were “reckless” for legal- doesn’t support amnesty-style solutions
izing retail marijuana, Gov. John Hick- — said Monday he did not support reenlooper said Monday, during a pair of quiring people in the United States who
debates marked by candidates who dealt are here illegally to go back to their home
with uneasy positions and pivots. “I’m countries before re-entering legally.
not
say“I don’t
ing it was
think that’s
reckless
necessary
because
at all in the
I’ll
get
era we live
quoted evin today,”
erywhere,
he said.
but if it was
That,
up to me, I
h o w e v e r,
wouldn’t
conflicts
have done
with what
it, right?”
Beauprez
Gov. John Hickenlooper, right, gestures while his ophe
said Colorado
on
ponent, Republican candidate for governor Bob Beauprez, left, wrote
d u r i n g waits for his turn to speak, during a debate moderated by Politico his
blog,
the
Den- reporter Manu Raju, center, in Denver, Monday Oct. 6, 2014.
A Line of
ver Metro
Sight,
in
Chamber of
2007, when
Commerce debates. “I opposed it from he called sending immigrants home a
the very beginning. Oh, what the hell, I’ll “cleansing process.”
say it was reckless.”
Gardner said Monday he supports the
The lunchtime debates between Hick- DREAM Act, federal legislation that
enlooper and his gubernatorial challeng- would grant permanent residency to
er Bob Beauprez, and later Sen. Mark qualified children of immigrants here ilUdall and his Senate challenger Rep. legally for the purpose of attending colCory Gardner, were meant to focus on lege or joining the military, as part of imeconomic issues.
migration reform.
The governor explained that he believed
He also was asked whether he believed
Coloradans lacked enough data about in “a pathway to citizenship.”
health effects in voting for retail pot, and
“I believe some form of work status is
suggested other states should take heed.
going to be the ultimate solution that we
Questions regarding immigration re- come to,” said Gardner, who has long
form played a big role in both debates, held he doesn’t support providing amwhich saw both Republicans pivot from nesty to those here illegally. “I believe
past hard-line stances.
earned status is going to be eligible to be
Beauprez — who has long said he part of the solution.”
Twitter sues FBI, DOJ to release
NSA request info
NEW YORK (AP) — Twitter is suing the FBI and the Department of Justice to be able to release more information about
government surveillance of its users.
Twitter Inc. filed a lawsuit Tuesday in a California federal
court to publish its full “transparency report,” which documents government requests for user information. The published report does not include the exact number of national
security requests because Twitter, along with other Internet
companies, has been prohibited from disclosing that information, even if no requests were received.
The San Francisco-based social media company said in a
blog post that it believes it’s entitled under the First Amendment to “respond to our users’ concerns and to the statements of U.S. government officials by providing information about the scope of U.S. government surveillance.”
Spokespeople for the FBI and DOJ weren’t immediately
available for comment.
The U.S. government has been able to access phone networks and high-speed Internet traffic for years to catch
suspected criminals and terrorists. The FBI also has started
pushing technology companies like Google, Skype and others to guarantee access to their data streams and grab emails,
video chats, pictures and more. The technology companies
say they turn over information only if required by court order, and in the interest of transparency with their customers,
want to share information about the government’s activities.
THEFT OF FREE NEWSPAPER IS A CRIME IN THIS STATE.
WORLD BRIEF
The San Francisco Post
Official: U.S. won’t shift campaign to save
Syria town besieged by ISIS
MURSITPINAR, Turkey -- The Islamic State of Iraq
and Syria (ISIS) is about to capture the Syrian border
town of Kobani, Turkey’s president said Tuesday, as
outgunned Kurdish forces struggled to repel the extremists with limited aid from U.S.-led coalition airstrikes.
A Pentagon official told CBS News national security
correspondent David Martin that the U.S. is not shifting its air campaign in an effort to save Kobani. The
official said the embattled town is one of many in Syria and Iraq which are under attack by ISIS. What sets
it apart is not its plight but its location on the Turkish
border, which makes it possible for the world to watch.
“Kobani is horrible but right now there’s a lot of horrible in Iraq and Syria,” the official said. “Kobani is
not unique.”
ISIS fighters using tanks and heavy weapons looted
from captured army bases in Iraq and Syria have been
pounding Kurdish forces in Kobani for days. Since the
extremists’ offensive began in mid-September, more
than 400 people have been killed in the fighting, activists said.
The beleaguered Kurdish militiamen defending Kobani received some support overnight and Tuesday
from the American-led coalition, which carried out
six airstrikes against ISIS militants around the town,
destroying four armed vehicles, damaging a tank and
killing fighters, the U.S. military said.
Much of Kobani’s population -- an estimated 160,000
people -- have already fled into Turkey and are living
in jam-packed refugee camps.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the coalition air campaign launched last month would not be
enough to halt ISIS’ advance and called for greater cooperation with the Syrian opposition, which is fighting
both the extremists and forces loyal to Syrian Presi-
dent Bashar Assad.
“Kobani is about to fall,” Erdogan told Syrian refugees in the Turkish town of Gaziantep, near the border.
“We asked for three things: one, for a no-fly zone to be
created; two, for a secure zone parallel to the region to
be declared; and for the moderate opposition in Syria
and Iraq to be trained and equipped.”
Turkish tanks and other ground forces have been stationed along the border within a few hundred yards
of the fighting in Kobani - also known as Ayn Arab but have not intervened. Just days ago, Turkey said it
wouldn’t let Kobani fall.
Syrian Kurds, however, have scoffed at the rhetoric
coming out of Ankara. They say that not only are the
Turks not helping, they are actively hindering the defense of Kobani by preventing Kurdish militiamen in
Turkey from crossing the border into the town to help
in the fight.
“We are besieged by Turkey, it is not something
new,” said Ismet Sheikh Hassan, the Kurdish defense
chief for the Kobani region.
Despite Erdogan’s dire assessment, Kurdish forces
managed to push ISIS militants out of most of the eastern part of Kobani on Monday, hours after the extremists stormed into neighborhoods on the edge of town,
according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights.
The Kurds may have been helped by a round of airstrikes late Monday against ISIS positions. Two more
rounds followed Tuesday morning, when journalists
on the Turkish side of the border heard the sound of
warplanes before large plumes of smoke billowed just
west of Kobani.
Those strikes helped slow ISIS’ shelling of Kobani,
Hassan said.
Dozens killed as ISIS, Kurds clash
in Kobani
BEIRUT -- Kurdish forces defending jihadists and 19 Kurds were killed
a Syrian town near the Turkish bor- in the battles, making it one of the
der clashed with militants from the deadliest days since the latest round
Islamic State
of fighting
of Iraq and
began three
Syria (ISIS)
weeks ago.
on Monday afISIS apter repelling a
peared
to
wide-ranging
be making
jihadist assault
advances
the day before
in at least
in battles that
some of the
left
dozens
hotspots
dead on both
around the
sides.
town,
reWhile the
portedly
Kurds remain
raising their
army tanks take up position on the Turkish-Syrian border near the southeastern flag on a
in control of Turkish
town of Suruc, across the border from Kobani, Syria, Oct. 6, 2014.
the town of
building afKobani,
an
ter clashes
Associated Press journalist on the in the eastern part of Kobani.
Turkish side of the border saw two
The assault has forced some 160,000
black banners with Arabic writing - Syrians to flee and strained Kurdish
one raised over a building and another forces, who have struggled to push
from a nearby hill - at the eastern back the jihadists despite being aided
entrance on Monday, suggesting that by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes.
On the Turkish side of the border, at
ISIS fighters may have regrouped and least
14 Turkish army tanks took up
broken through the Kurdish perim- defensive positions on a hilltop near
eter.
Kobani. Heavy bombardment could
The Britain-based Syrian Observato- be heard down below as plumes of
ry for Human Rights and a statement smoke rose from the town.
A shell from the fighting struck a
from the Kurdish force known as the
People’s Protection Units, or YPK, house and a small grocery store across
said more than 45 fighters on both the border in Turkey, but no one was
sides were killed Sunday near the wounded. At least four people were
in a similar incident on Suntown of Kobani, including a Kurdish injured
day.
female fighter who blew herself up,
Syrian Kurdish forces have long
killing several jihadists.
been among the most effective adKobani and surrounding areas have versaries of the ISIS group, keeping
been under attack since mid-Septem- it out of their enclave in northeastern
ber, with ISIS militants capturing doz- Syria even as the extremists routed
the armed forces of both Syria and
ens of nearby Kurdish villages.
The YPK said in a statement that there neighboring Iraq in recent months.
But in recent weeks the overstretched
were 50 points of clashes around KoKurds
have struggled to counter the
bani on Sunday, adding that 74 ISIS
jihadists,
who have looted heavy arms
fighters as well as 15 Kurdish gunmen
and
vehicles
from captured Syrian
were killed. The Observatory said 27
and Iraqi army bases.
Vladimir Putin
celebrates 62nd
birthday in the
wilderness
MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is celebrating his 62nd birthday
in the wilderness of Siberia
as supporters from across
Russia create tributes in his
honor.
Putin celebrated his birthday
Tuesday in the Siberian forest
some “300-400 kilometers
from the nearest populated
area,” his press secretary told
Russian news media.
Putin has often brandished
his tough-guy image with
widely publicized wilderness
romps during which he hunts,
fishes or rides horses - often
while shirtless.
In Grozny, the capital of
Chechnya, thousands carried
a 600-meter-long Russian
flag through the streets. Others dressed in the red, white
and blue of the Russian tricolor walked through the
streets as an enormous human
flag, many of them holding
portraits of the Russian leader
over their heads. Ramzan
Kadyrov, Chechnya’s president, wrote on his official
Instagram account that there
were 100,000 participants.
Russian news websites published photographs from a
one-day exhibition in Moscow
titled “The 12 Labors of Vladimir Putin,” in which Putin is
depicted as Hercules - battling
Western nations disguised as
serpents and monsters or taming an ox bearing the symbol
of Crimea, the Ukrainian region annexed by Russia in
March.
Warning shots traded by warships from 2 Koreas
SEOUL, South Korea - Warships
from the rival Koreas exchanged
warning shots Tuesday after a
North Korean ship briefly violated
the disputed western sea boundary,
a South Korean defense official
said.
The shots were fired into the sea
and there have been no reports of
injuries and damage to the ships
of either side, the official said on
condition of anonymity, citing office policy.
Such exchanges are not uncommon at the sea boundary, the scene
of several deadly maritime skir-
mishes between the Koreas in recent years. But the latest incident
happened three days after a group
of high-profile North Korean officials made a surprise visit to
South Korea and agreed to resume
senior-level talks.
South Korean President Park
Geun-hye on Monday stressed the
need to hold high-level talks on
a regular basis, saying she hopes
North Korea would show how sincere it is about improving ties.
The South Korean official said the
North Korean ship was in South
Korea-controlled waters for about
10 minutes before it retreated to
its waters. He said a South Korea
navy ship first broadcast a warning
and then fired warning shots before
the North Korean ship fired back at
waters near the South Korean ship.
PAGE 3
Oct 9, 2014 - Oct 15, 2014
The end of the Hong Kong
protests?
HONG KONG -- Crowds of onstrators, once again snarlprotesters who filled Hong ing traffic and angering many
Kong’s streets with demands commuters.
One young
for more
democprotester sleepr a c y
ily brushed his
thinned
teeth as rush
dramatihour
began,
c a l l y
while a sleeping
demonTu e s day after
strator leaned
student
back in a nylon
chair nearby,
leaders
and the
his mouth open
and his eyegovernm e n t
glasses askew.
agreed to Two women walk over makeshift stairs at a road barricade blocking a
Despite the
hold talks main road into the pro-democracy protest site, Oct. 7, 2014
dwindling
in the innumbers of activists on the
creasingly frustrated city.
streets, protest leaders insisted
Just a couple of days after tens the movement was far from
of thousands of demonstrators defeated, and vowed to walk
thronged the city’s streets, only away from negotiations if the
a few hundred protesters were police used force to clear away
scattered across the three main the remaining demonstrators.
protest areas for much of the
”It is true democracy we’re
day. But the six-lane highway looking for!” one of the demthat cuts through the heart of onstrators cried into portable
Hong Kong’s business district loudspeaker, as the group
remained blocked by dem- shouted her down.
PAGE 4
Oct 9, 2014 - Oct 15, 2014
OPINION
The San Francisco Post
Binay has become
the ‘Artful Dodger’
F
Editorial
A
s if the lack of trains to ferry commuters through the length of the Metro Rail Transit
3 on Edsa is not enough, the government is also apparently finding it very difficult to
maintain the facility—thus the frequent breakdowns and service cutoffs. Last August, one
train even overshot the tracks at the Taft Avenue station, injuring at least 38 passengers.
This series of unfortunate events involving the MRT3 has prompted a Senate inquiry,
and at the hearing last week finger-pointing was expectedly the name of the game. A
private shareholder in Metro Rail Transit Holdings blamed the government’s failure to
renew the original maintenance contractor for the current MRT3 woes. But the head of
the Department of Transportation and Communications claimed that the fault lay with the
private owners.
Senators at the hearing were told that the termination of Sumitomo Corp. as original
maintenance contractor in 2012 was a key factor in the MRT3’s sorry state.
Sumitomo designed, built and maintained the MRT3 system under the principle of a
“single point of responsibility,” which supposedly meant that the Japanese firm guaranteed 20 trains “running at any given point in time.” When the government terminated
the contract with Sumitomo in October 2012, the DOTC effectively lost the single point
of responsibility that has now led to the squabble over who was at fault, the Senate subcommittee on transportation was told. But Transportation Secretary Joseph E.A. Abaya
defended the contract termination, claiming that Sumitomo had raised its price from $1.4
million to $2 million a month but refused to guarantee its work of maintaining the system.
Even the current maintenance operator washed its hands of the blame. At the Senate
hearing, the representative of Autre Porte Technique Global Inc. argued that it should not
be blamed for the MRT3’s defects because the transit system’s problems—trains stopping
in mid-track, losing communication with base due to radio traffic interference, running
with doors open, and overshooting the stations, or smoke emitting from a train while it is
running—were not linked to maintenance but to engineering issues that fell on the shoulders of the operations department, which is
the DOTC.
We share the exasperation of Sen. Grace Poe,
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who chairs the Senate subcommittee hearing
the MRT3 issue. She rightly criticized both the
maintenance provider and the DOTC, noting the
existence of other, more competent, companies
that could do a better job. “I don’t understand
why this is happening,” she lamented. We likewise cannot agree that “maintenance” should be
limited to wiping the trains clean or sweeping the
floors of the stations. In the invitation to bid for
the maintenance contract, the DOTC specified
that the service provider should be able to maintain “safe running conditions with on-time and
reliable performance … while still effectively
maintaining cost at a minimum level.”
Of course, this government takeover is
not certain to result in an improved MRT3
because additional trains and a competent
service provider are what it badly, urgently, needs. The riding public should not be
made to endure the inefficiencies of the
government and the maintenance firm that
it hired to keep the MRT3 system in shape.
Taxpayers deserve better service.
or somebody who
claims to be
innocent
of
the corruption
charges leveled
against
him and his
wife and son,
Vice President
Jejomar
Binay certainly
is acting like a
As I See It
guilty person.
by Neal H. Cruz
An innocent
person
will
want to confront his accusers so that he can clear himself quickly, but Binay keeps dodging and
evading them. He refuses to defend himself before the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee investigating the charges against
him, although he has been politely invited
several times by the senators.
He defends himself by delivering speeches but refuses to answer questions from
reporters and hides behind his two mouthpieces who issue statements in his stead.
When questioned by reporters, his answers
are evasive: “I will answer that at the right
time and at the right forum.” Asked why
he does not defend himself in the Senate committee, he replies: “Magtatrabaho
muna ako (I will attend to my work first).”
He conveniently goes out of town to give
relief supplies to evacuees or land titles to
former squatters at the same time that he is
supposed to be appearing before the Senate.
In another speech before squatters last
Wednesday, he said of his accusers, “Hindi
ko sila uurungan, lalaban tayo (I won’t run
away from them, we will fight),” making
sure he puts the people in his corner to gain
their sympathy.
Yet that is exactly what he is doing, running away. He is not fighting, he is dodging, evading and hiding. He has become
the Filipino version of the Artful Dodger.
The latest gambit of his camp is to question the jurisdiction of the Senate blue
ribbon committee. The Ombudsman is already investigating the case, his camp says,
and therefore the Senate has no jurisdiction
over it and should stop its investigation. If
the Senate doesn’t do that, Binay’s camp
threatens to take the case all the way up to
the Supreme Court.
One does not have to be a lawyer to
see that Binay is desperately clutching at
straws to prevent the Senate and the people
from knowing the truth of what the Binays
have been accused of doing in Makati.
They obviously want to use the notoriously
slow legal system to delay the unfolding of the
truth. As witness the case against his wife Elenita, also for overpricing—in her case, of hospital
supplies when she was mayor of Makati. The
case is already decades-old in the Sandiganbayan and there is still no end in sight.
Can’t the same
standard be used
in Makati?
My
attention
was
recently
caught by a news
report that on
Sept. 22 the Sandiganbayan (SB) found Zenaida Maamo
guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violating Sec. 3 (h) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt
Practices Act, and that it had sentenced her
to a prison term of six years and one month
(minimum) to 10 years (maximum), plus
perpetual disqualification from public office.
What was her crime? As mayor of Liloan,
Southern Leyte, Maamo hosted in 1995 a
visit by President Fidel Ramos. She contracted out the catering for the affair to
seven eateries, one of which apparently
belonged to her. The bill for everything
amounted to some P87,000 (50 persons, 3
meals a day x 5 days, and 350 persons, 2
meals x 2 days). The amount that went to
her eatery was P43,000. I repeat: P43,000.
The case against her was brought by her
successor, Tomas Tan. (Aha! It was politics!) Presumably, he filed charges at the
Office of the Ombudsman (OO) soon after
he took over. (Pity she didn’t have a son or
husband to succeed her; then there would
have been no problem.) But the information was filed with the SB only in 2005
(end April), or 10 years after the misdeed.
And the SB took another nine years to resolve the case. Thus is justice dispensed in
the Philippines.
I bring this case up so it can be compared
with the cases I mentioned last week in this
column, brought against the former mayor
of Makati early on in his reign—1994.
Charges were filed by the OO against
Jejomar Binay in 1994, although the complaints were brought way back in 1987.
The Maamo case is similar in that the OO
took about the same time between the filing of the complaint against her and the actual charge before the SB.
The reaction by the accused to the OO’s
charges, however, seem to be totally different. Whereas Maamo made no effort to
demur—lawyers are expensive, after all—
Binay immediately asked the SB to quash
the information against him, saying that his
right to due process had been violated by
the long delay of the OO. When that didn’t
succeed, he moved for reconsideration,
and when that didn’t succeed, he ran to the
Supreme Court for succor. The high court
found in his favor, and ordered the SB to
dot its i’s and cross its t’s.
After the SB did just that, and still finding no reason to quash and still suspending
him, Binay came up with another delaying
tactic: He claimed that the SB had no jurisdiction over him, and that the proper court
was the Regional Trial Court. The SB denied him, so he ran to the Supreme Court
again for a temporary restraining order.
The high court again found in his favor.
Get Real
by Solita Monsod
Sue Marcoses for keeping 156 paintings,
lawmakers urge
MANILA, Philippines–Militant lawmak- Rep. Imelda Marcos and Ilocos Norte
ers in interviews with the Inquirer Sunday Gov. Imee Marcos.
called on the Aquino administration to turn
“The Marcoses should have the good
the screws on the Marcoses for refusing to sense to just surrender the paintings to the
turn over 156 artworks,
including paintings of
Van Gogh, Monet and
Michelangelo that were
allegedly part of their
ill-gotten wealth.
“I think we should end
this kid gloves’ treatment of the Marcoses. If
the government wants to
confiscate those paintings, it can do it and use
the law to do it,” said
Akbayan Rep. Walden
Bello.
file photo taken on June 7, 2007 shows former first lady Imelda
The Presidential Com- This
Marcos is seen in her apartment in Manila with a gallery of paintmission on Good Gov- ings including a Picasso, seen at upper right.
ernment (PCGG) announced on Friday that
in a series of raids, agents of the National government,” Ridon said.
Bureau of Investigation had seized 15
Skirting a lawful order does not bode well
paintings from the Marcos residences.
for the presidential ambitions of the famKabataan Rep. Terry Ridon told the ily,” he said, referring to Senator Marcos’
Inquirer that the PCGG should be bold avowed interest in running for President
enough to file contempt charges against or Vice President in the 2016 elections.
Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Ilocos Norte
Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said:
“It has been decades since the former dictator had been ousted from power but we
barely skimmed the surface of his ill-gotten wealth and his family is again creeping into power. The government should go
all out in retrieving the Marcos loot.”
PCGG Chair Andres Bautista on Sunday
said it was only now that the government
was acting on the Supreme Court’s 2003
ruling in favor of the government’s forfeiture of the Marcos family’s estimated
ill-gotten wealth of $10 billion, including $658 million in Swiss bank deposits,
priceless artworks and prime properties
abroad.
He said the decision was penned by then
Justice Renato Corona who computed the
Marcos family’s wealth at only $304,000
with anything above that considered disproportionate to the late Ferdinand Marcos’ salary as President from 1965 to
1986.
The raids were carried out last week after
the Sandiganbayan ruled that eight paintings owned by Imelda were purchased using money stolen from the government.
“At least now we are acting on it and we
want to convey a strong message that we
have not forgotten about the Marcoses,”
Bautista said.
HOMELAND
The San Francisco Post
Senate subcommittee junks Binay challenge anew
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate blue ribbon subcommittee junked anew the jurisdictional challenges
filed before its ongoing investigation on the Makati City
Hall 2 parking building “for lack of merit.”
Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, chairman of the
subcommittee, immediately ruled on the issue when the
body resumed its hearing Wednesday morning.
Pimentel said the jurisdictional challenges raised by
Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay and other
individuals “are all denied for lack of merit.”
The senator maintained that the panel has jurisdiction
over “all legislative matters relating to, including investigation of, malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance in
office by officers and employees of the government, its
branches, agencies, subdivisions and instrumentalities.”
He also pointed out that the mayor never raised any
challenge to the jurisdiction of the subcommittee when
he first appeared before it last August 20, 2014.
Binay even “made” all department heads of the city
government attend the past hearings of the subcommittee, said the senator.
“The jurisdictional challenge should have been brought
at the earliest opportunity, as in fact according to the
Rules of the Blue Ribbon Committee, a jurisdictional
challenge must be raised and resolved before proceeding
with the inquiry,” Pimentel said.
“It is also the personal opinion of the chairman of this
subcommittee that the jurisdictional challenge may only
be raised by a member of the committee. It cannot be
raised by a resource person and certainly not by any department head who is not even the subject of any investigation of malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance,”
he added.
The body had earlier junked the same petition filed by
Mayor Binay, but his camp appealed the decision before
the main blue ribbon committee being headed by Senator
Teofisto Guingona III.
BIR, other agencies to check
PNP chief’s lifestyle
MANILA, Philippines–Bureau of
“A house is also a mansion, a
Internal Revenue (BIR) Commis- mansion is also a house. At the end
sioner Kim Henares on Tuesday of the day it will be tackled by the
said a lifestyle check on Philip- lifestyle check. I’d rather not make
pine National Police
Director General Alan
Purisima and other
members of the police force would commence soon.
Henares said the
PNP, Department of
the Interior and Local
Government, National
Police Commission
(Napolcom), Office
of the Ombudsman
and the BIR had been
tasked to conduct a Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima: Under scrutiny;
comparison of a po- (inset) his house in Nueva Ecija.
liceman’s salary with
his assets.
“This is more efficient because any conclusion now because some
say I won’t be objective,”
we will work on the documenta- might
said.
tion or evidence,” Henares said. Henares
Also on Tuesday, the Office of
“The Ombudsman and the BIR the Ombudsman confirmed it had
will help the PNP, Napolcom and started a lifestyle check on PurisiDILG in the investigation so we ma, who is facing questions about
his assets, including a 4.7-hectare
will just have a single probe.”
Henares added: “We’re just final- property in Nueva Ecija province.
The task includes checking on
izing our memorandum of agreement and the memorandum circu- Purisima’s family as well, according to Cyril Ramos, Deputy Omlar that will show how serious the budsman
for military and other
DILG, Napolcom and PNP want to law enforcement offices.
make the process as transparent as
The lifestyle check will delve into
possible.”
Purisima’s statement of assets, liHenares does not see any conflict abilities and net worth (SALN),
in the ongoing debate on Purisi- Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Moma’s property.
rales said.
Floods submerge Metro
roads
MANILA, Philippines—A thunderstorm
on Tuesday afternoon caused flash floods
which led to heavy traffic in many areas
in Metro Manila, a perennial problem
which the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) attributed to
improper garbage disposal and a flawed
drainage system.
The MMDA flood control team said that
the sudden downpour left impassable to
all types of vehicles several roads, including the South Superhighway-Osmeña/
Buendia in Makati City, due to knee-deep
floodwaters. The Pasong Tamo tunnel on
Edsa Magallanes was almost half-flooded.
MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino also
cited this reason during a forum at the
Sofitel Philippine Plaza on Tuesday. According to him, the flood problem in the
metropolis can be attributed to the undercapacity of the drainage system.
At the same time, he reiterated that the
improper disposal of garbage was another
contributing factor.
MANILA, Philippines – Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo seeks to strengthen the rights of airline passengers and impose liabilities on airlines following
unreasonable denial of boarding, loss or damage of
baggage, delays or cancellation of flights and injuries or death.
The House of Representatives committee on higher and technical education chairman has filed Bill
No. 5069, the “Airline Passenger Bill of Rights
Act,” in line with his pro-consumer advocacy.
Romulo said he himself, “like other passengers,
has already experienced having his flight delayed
for several hours and on some occasions even can-
sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala).
In a phone interview, Aguas confirmed that
his village received P3.5 million for a twostory building, which the Department of
Public Works and Highways (DPWH) built
near a covered court.
“I did not handle or receive a centavo or a
piece of nail from that project. My constituents were the ones who benefited from having a barangay (village) office,” Aguas said.
Aguas was the barangay captain handpicked
by Aquino to hold the Bible at his inauguration on June 30, 2010. Though present at
the rite and clad in a barong tagalog that the
Palace had made for him, Aguas just stood
in the sidelines.
Luy drops bombshells vs Estrada
MANILA, Philippines–Sen. Jinggoy Estrada,
who is accused of embezzling P183 million
of his pork barrel allotments, once phoned
businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles to complain that his “commission” from a project
was short by P10,000, whistle-blower Benhur Luy told the Sandiganbayan on Tuesday.
It was but one of the bombshells that Luy
dropped on his return to the witness stand
against Estrada, sending the detained senator’s lawyers scrambling for legal remedies
to block the testimony.
Looking confident and relaxed as in his previous court appearances, Luy narrated how
Estrada purportedly collected his kickbacks
from the elaborate scheme that Napoles allegedly drew up to funnel some P10 billion
in Priority Development Assistance Fund
(PDAF) allocations of lawmakers to her spurious nongovernment organizations (NGOs).
“Estrada’s commissions were collected by
his middlemen or his representatives. [Napoles] made the payments either in cash or
in checks,” he told the Sandiganbayan Fifth
Division, which is hearing Estrada’s bail pe-
NAIA is world’s No. 1 again
MANILA,
Philippines–
Ninoy Aquino International
Airport (Naia) again topped
the list of the 10 worst airports in the world for “its
rundown facilities, impolite personnel and staff, and
long wait times,” according
to a US
website.
The
country’s
main international gateway has
been earning
the
dubious
tag since
2011. Airport officials dis- NAIA
missed the
latest article as “rehashed.”
In “10 of the Worst Airports in the World” on US
website wallstcheatsheet.
com, the Naia topped the
list over such airports as
Charles de Gaulle in Paris,
Los Angeles International
and Bergamo Orio al Serio
in Italy.
Citing the American news
cable channel CNBC, the
article said the Manila airport struggled to cram 32
million travelers into a facility built to handle way
too few passengers.
“Travelers complained
about the airport’s rundown facilities, impolite
staff and officials, and long
wait times,” writer Kirsten
Klahn said.
“That shouldn’t come as a
shock, though, considering
it only has a capacity for six
million passengers,” Klahn
said.
Klahn made mention of the
travel blog, “The Guide
to Sleeping in Airports”
(www.sleepinginairports.
net), which ranked the Naia
in 2011 and 2013 as the
worst according to travelers based on comfort, conveniences, cleanliness and
customer service.
But the latest article noted
the country’s plan to build a
new airport, which it hoped
would be “up and running
in five years.”
Officials of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), the government
agency that runs the four
Naia terminals, were unaffected by the online article.
Rep. Romulo : Rights of Airline Passengers Strengthened
Village chief close to Aquino is DAP recipient
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—President
Benigno Aquino III had approved the release of P3.5 million under the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) to a village chief in Hacienda Luisita, a group of
farmworkers said, citing a report from the
Department of Budget and Management
(DBM).
The money was released to Edgardo Aguas,
village chief of Central in Tarlac City, three
months before the Senate impeached Chief
Justice Renato Corona following the Supreme Court’s order to distribute the sugar estate’s 4,500 hectares to at least 6,000
farmworkers, said Florida Sibayan, chair of
the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid
PAGE 5
Oct 9, 2014 - Oct 15, 2014
tition.
He said the senator even asked Napoles to
make a fund transfer to a bank account registered under the name of Juana Ng, who the
witness claimed is a friend of Estrada’s.
“[Estrada] once called Madam to complain
that P10,000 was missing from the bundles
of money we sent as his commission. That
was sometime in 2011 or 2012,” Luy said.
He said he was able to hear Estrada’s conversation with Napoles who put him on his
speaker phone. He said he was familiar with
the senator’s voice since he had heard him
deliver speeches in the Senate and during
parties hosted by Napoles.
“After the phone call, Madam left our office while she was laughing a lot (tawa nang
tawa),” he continued.
Luy also claimed Estrada signed a letter
endorsing Napoles’ NGOs as recipients of
his PDAF while the lawmaker was presiding
over a plenary session in the Senate. “I think
he was still the Senate [President] Pro Tempore at the time,” he said.
celled. During said instances, all passengers were
not well attended much more apprised of their
rights,” he said.
Based on Romulo’s personal experience, he feels
that airline companies should be forthright to all
passengers with respect not only to the terms and
conditions of their services, but also the possible relief that passengers are entitled to in case of delays
or cancellation of flights.
The bill’s explanatory note states: “Honesty is the
best policy and Time is gold are two popular sayings that best encapsulate the manner by which air
carriers should deal with its passengers.”
TAX CORNER
PAGE 6
Oct 9, 2014 - Oct 15, 2014
What to do if You Get a Notice
from the IRS
TAX CONSEQUENCES OF
401(K) DISTRIBUTIONS
recent
A
court case
ruling relating to 401(k)
retirement
savings plan
revealed the
court’s posiby: Alvin C. Maglan, CPA tion regarding hardship
not serving as
an excuse for
early distribution and loan repayments
being subject to penalty.
David Matthews worked for a defense
contractor from 2003 until 2010. During that time, he participated in the
company’s 401(k) retirement savings
plan. During his employment, Mr.
Matthews borrowed $36,278 from his
401(k) account. In 2011, after losing
his job, he requested a distribution of
$128,140 from his 401 (k) plan account He understood that the loan
would be repaid before he could receive a distribution from the account.
The employer applied $36,278 of his
accrued plan benefits to offset his outstanding loan. After the transaction,
Mr. Matthews had $66,629 remaining
in his 401(k) account, which he rolled
to an IRA and promptly requested a
distribution of $55,000.
The employee was 49 years old in
2011. He explained that he did not
want to apply for unemployment compensation after losing his job because
he did not want to become a “burden
on society” and that he was compelled
to withdraw funds from his retirement
to pay the mortgage and support his
family. The IRS conceded that Mr.
Matthews withdrew funds from his re-
tirement accounts to alleviate economic hardship, but does that matter when
considering the sec. 72 (t) penalty?
As a general rule, if a taxpayer receives a distribution from a qualified
retirement plan before attaining the age
of 55-1/2, sec. 72(t) imposes an additional tax equal to 10% of the portion
of the distribution which is includible
in the taxpayer’s gross income. Mr.
Matthews maintained that he should
be excused from the additional tax prescribed because he was obliged to take
the distributions under consideration
to alleviate economic hardship. The
court found no authority in the Code,
the legislative history, or case law for
general financial hardship exception to
the imposition of the 10% additional
tax on early distributions.
Loan repayment is also subject to penalty. The employee argued also that since
he did not actually receive the $36,278 that
was applied to offset his outstanding loan,
the additional 10% tax should not be applied in respect to that amount. The court
disagreed. An actual distribution may occur in accordance with Reg. sec. 72(p)-1,
Q&A-13 and (b) , in the event of a plan
loan offset applies to a deemed distribution
under sec 72(p) in the same manner as an
actual distribution.
While a 401(k) loan may seem like
a good idea at the time, but if the client loses his job, the loan balance must
be paid off. If paid from the plan as a
“plan loan offset,” the payoff is deemed
distribution subject to income tax and
the sec. 72(t) penalty, if applicable.
Al Maglan is a CPA licensed in California
and Nevada. You can contact him @ 510
432 7438 for yout tax problems. You may
e-mail tax questions at amaglan@aol.
com or taxsaverspro@gmail.com.
Shulman said. “People will have
a better chance to stay current on
their taxes and keep their financial
house in order. We all benefit if that happens.”
This is another in a series of steps to
help struggling taxpayers. In 2008, the
IRS announced lien relief for people trying to refinance or sell a home. In 2009,
the IRS added new flexibility for taxpayers facing payment or collection problems. And last year, the IRS held about
1,000 special open houses to help small
businesses and individuals resolve tax issues with the Agency.
Today’s announcement comes after a
review of collection operations which
Shulman launched last year, as well as
input from the Internal Revenue Service
Advisory Council and the National Taxpayer Advocate.
The IRS will significantly increase the
dollar thresholds when liens are generally filed. The new dollar amount is in
keeping with inflationary changes since
the number was last revised. Currently,
liens are automatically filed at certain
dollar levels for people with past-due
balances.
(Cont. from page 1... NEW EFFORT TO HELP)
them a fresh start,” IRS Commissioner
Doug Shulman said. “These steps are
good for people facing tough times, and
they reflect a responsible approach for
the tax system.”
Today’s announcement centers on the
IRS making important changes to its lien
filing practices that will lessen the negative impact on taxpayers. The changes
include:
•Significantly increasing the dollar
threshold when liens are generally issued, resulting in fewer tax liens.
•Making it easier for taxpayers to obtain lien withdrawals after paying a tax
bill.
•Withdrawing liens in most cases where
a taxpayer enters into a Direct Debit Installment Agreement.
•Creating easier access to Installment
Agreements for more struggling small
businesses.
•Expanding a streamlined Offer in Compromise program to cover more taxpayers.
“These steps are in the best interest
of both taxpayers and the tax system,”
The San Francisco Post
E
tices. Here’s what you should
do if you receive a notice from the
ach year the IRS mails millions of
no
IRS:
Don’t ignore it. You can respond
to most IRS notices quickly and easily. And it’s important that you reply
promptly.
IRS notices usually deal with a specific issue about your tax return or tax
account. For example, it may say the
IRS has corrected an error on your tax
return. Or it may ask you for more information.
Read it carefully and follow the instructions about what you need to do.
If it says that the IRS corrected your
tax return, review the information in
the notice and compare it to your tax
return.
If you agree, you don’t need to reply
unless a payment is due.
If you don’t agree, it’s important that
you respond to the IRS. Write a letter that explains why you don’t agree.
Make sure to include information and
any documents you want the IRS to
consider. Include the bottom tear-off
portion of the notice with your letter.
Mail your reply to the IRS at the address shown in the lower left part of
the notice. Allow at least 30 days for a
response from the IRS.
You can handle most notices without calling or visiting the IRS. If you
do have questions, call the phone
number in the upper right corner of
the notice. Make sure you have a copy
of your tax return and the notice with
you when you call.
Keep copies of any notices you get
from the IRS.
Don’t fall for phone and phishing
email scams that use the IRS as a lure.
The IRS first contacts people about
unpaid taxes by mail – not by phone.
The IRS does not contact taxpayers
by email, text or social media about
their tax return or tax account.
For more info, contact our office
at 510 432 7438 for yout tax problems. You may e-mail tax questions at
amaglan@aol.com or taxsaverspro@
gmail.com.
IRS UPDATE: Update on Expired
Federal Tax Provisions
T
he industry is awaiting on Congress
to act on federal tax provisions that
expired at the
end of 2013.
The earliest
any extender
legislation
will be taken
up by Congress is after
the election
in November.
Once again,
it
appears
that any extension
of
these provisions will not
take
place
until late December.
Right now
it appears that a two year extension is
on the table but it is not clear that all
of the expired provisions will be extended. So we will have to wait and
see what Congress does include in any
extender bill that is passed in December.
With that in mind, below is a list of
the some of the provisions that have
either expired or have significantly
changed for tax year 2014.
Provisions no longer applicable for
tax year 2014 returns:
- $250 Educator Expense Deduction –
Form 1040, line 23
- Tuition and Fees Deduction – Form
8917
- Itemized Deduction for Sales Tax
- 50% Bonus Depreciation
- Exclusion of gain from income for
foreclosed home mortgage debt (Form
982)
- 15 year straight line depreciation allowed for qualified leasehold restaurant and retail improvements
- Tax-free distributions from IRAs for
charitable purposes
- Nonbusiness energy property tax
credit on Form 5695
- Contributions of capital gain real
property made for conservation purposes (50% limitation applies instead
of 30% limitation)
Also note that the following Section
179 Expense provisions have been reduced as follows for 2014:
- Maximum Section 179 Deduction
amount: $25,000
- Maximum Cost before Section 179:
$200,000
- Qualified Real Property category is
eliminated
- Stay tuned for more information on
which provisions will be extended and
what impact the lateness of any extender legislation passage will have on
the start of the 2015 filing season.
Expired Individual Provisions Not
Applicable for Tax Year 2014
The following individual provisions
expired at the end of 2013 and are not
applicable for 2014 federal returns
(unless Congress extends them):
•Educator Expense Deduction – Form
1040, line 23
•Tuition and Fees Deduction - Form
8917
•Itemized Deduction for Sales Tax –
Schedule A, line 5
•Mortgage Insurance Premiums continue to be deductible as qualified residence interest
•Exclusion of gain from income of
foreclosed home mortgage debt (Form
982)
•Increased Section 179 Expense Deduction Amounts
◦Maximum Deduction: $500,000
◦Maximum cost before the limit is reduced: $2,000,000
Maximum Section 179 Deduction for
2014 is $25,000.
•Qualified Real Property category for
Section 179 Expense Deduction
◦Maximum deduction: $250,000
◦Qualified property includes: leasehold improvements, restaurant property, and retail property
•50% bonus depreciation on qualifying property
•Tax-free distributions from IRAs for
charitable purposes
•Nonbusiness Energy Property Credit
– Form 5695, Part I
•Contributions of capital gain real
property made for conservation purposes (50% limitation applies instead
of 30% limitation).
Oct 9, 2014 - Oct 15, 2014
BANKRUPTCY
How to Discharge IRS Tax Debts
Stockton’s Bankruptcy
in Bankruptcy
- A Long Term Home Run
RS Tax Relief in
ing the whole payment
By Atty. Crispin C. Lozano plan.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Klein erties including a sports arena. Stockton IBankruptcy
As we all know, tax
In addition, bankruptPAGE 7
The San Francisco Post
is having his Andy Warhol moment. Were
it not for ISIS and the Ebola virus, all we
would be hearing about on these pages
and on FoxNews is Judge Klein’s ruling
in Stockton, California. In a
case likely
to be heard
before the
Supreme
Court
of
the United
States,
if
Judge
Klein’s ruling is confirmed and
employee
pensions
are not sacrosanct in City and State bankruptcies,
many cities in California that are insolvent today because of long term bad decision making will bite the bullet and declare bankruptcy. When these cities exit
bankruptcy, they will be able to focus on
representing their citizens and providing
effective city services at appropriate levels rather than the levels in place because
of fiscal issues threatening these cities.
Municipal bankruptcies would result
in cities becoming more efficient and
perhaps representing their voters more
ably and more responsibly. In the process, current municipal pension holders
will be sadly harmed, but the result will
be that future municipal employees will
become watchdogs against profligate
spending.
What happened in Stockton? The City
of Stockton determined that bad times
would never come and built a new City
Hall as well as other ‘necessary’ city prop-
also paid more than competitive wages
and promised unusually rich pensions
and other wonderful lifetime perquisites
to its employees. The political process
was
‘just
the political
process’ and
future liabilities were not
adequately
considered
although
there were
likely rosy
financial
projections
provided by
City employees and well
paid outside
consultants.
And then the dreaded tomorrow came
and the ice cream cone melted. The City
of Stockton could not pay its obligations.
Like every other financial nightmare, be
it a business, a professional athlete with
no understanding that his/her career is
shorter than those great first year earnings, or just an irresponsible or unlucky
citizen, there are going to be financial
victims in any bankruptcy. Such is Stockton. The bondholders want to be paid, the
pensioners want to be paid, the current
employees want to be paid etc. etc. etc.
What the bankruptcy judge is saying is
that everyone, not just the vendors and
bondholders, will need to take a haircut.
Obviously, there is some pain going to
be felt by the current and former employees. The same thing happens in the private sector. Unfortunate, but that is the
way it is sometimes.
Apple says surprised by GT’s
bankruptcy filing
Apple Inc said on Wednesday it was surprised by supplier GT Advanced Technologies Inc’s bankruptcy filing this week, and
is now considering its next steps.
GT Advanced, slated to supply scratchresistant sapphire displays from a new
Arizona factory Apple is helping bankroll,
filed for bankruptcy on Monday but has offered little explanation as to why.
In the iPhone maker’s first public response,
it said it was working with Arizona officials on its next moves.
“We are focused on preserving jobs in Arizona following GT’s surprising decision
and we will continue to work with state
and local officials as we consider our next
steps,” spokesman Chris Gaither said.
GT’s first Chapter 11 bankruptcy court
hearing is set for Thursday. The New
Hampshire-based company has said it will
then explain what led to Monday’s surprise bankruptcy filing that wiped out 90
percent of the sapphire supplier’s market
value.
Until the hearing, industry insiders and
Wall Street analysts have been left to
speculate as to what triggered the move.
Apple’s supply chain is said to be one of
the best-run in the consumer electronics
business.
GT’s shares had more than doubled in
the nine months between November’s announcement of the new Arizona plant and
the launch of Apple’s new large-screen
iPhones on Sept. 9. Investors had hoped
GT would replicate Corning Inc’s success
with Gorilla Glass.
Shares of GT were up 30 percent at $1.57
on Wednesday morning. On Monday
morning, the shares opened at $11.06.
debts can spiral out of control and lead
to an IRS tax lien, wage garnishment,
or even property seizure. Most people
mistakenly believe that taxes are never
dischargeable in a bankruptcy. This
myth is absolutely wrong! Although
there are certain criteria that must be
met, bankruptcy relief is often the best
way to solve a serious tax problem and
stop IRS collection activity. The filing
of a bankruptcy case automatically and
immediately stays (stops) IRS bank
account levies and wage garnishments,
and enables the taxpayer to either obtain a discharge or reorganize his or
her tax liabilities.
Remember, the IRS is not just any
creditor and has the ultimate power
to do things other creditors can only
dream of. However, if you hire a lawyer before the situation gets worse,
there are options and possible solutions available.
Each type of bankruptcy treats IRS
tax debt differently. The two most
common forms of bankruptcy important to getting rid of or repaying IRS
tax debts are Chapter 7 and Chapter
13.
Tax Debts in Chapter 7
Some tax debts are dischargeable
through Chapter 7 bankruptcy. If taxes are more than three years old and
you filed tax returns related to them
more than two years ago, the likely
outcome is that you will not have to
pay them. Tax obligations that are not
dischargeable under Chapter 7 include
taxes less than three years old, business taxes, sales taxes, and payroll
taxes. In Chapter 7, non-exempt assets are liquidated; any of the leftover
IRS tax debts are then discharged unless specific IRS specifications are still
not met. If this criteria is not met, the
entire IRS tax debt needs to be repaid
in whole after the whole bankruptcy
process is done. Recent IRS tax debt,
meaning not older than three years is
not dischargeable.
Tax Debts in Chapter 13
If you are not qualified to file for a
Chapter 7 or have decided that Chapter
13 is your best option, non-dischargeable tax debts can be included in your
repayment plan. Chapter 13 is the most
common of the important tax relief
bankruptcy tactics, with some of the
IRS tax debt being forgiven. Assets
typically don’t need to end up being
liquidated; with your income financ-
cy’s automatic stay applies to the IRS
as well, meaning all collection efforts
pending against you will be stopped.
Filing for Chapter 13 will also accomplish two other very important things:
Penalties that the IRS has tacked on
your tax debt will be discharged,
AND, no new penalties or interest will
accumulate while you are in Chapter
13. In short, you may pay considerably less money to the IRS by going
through bankruptcy than you would if
had tried to work out a debt settlement
agreement with them on your own.
Note: This is not a legal advice. You
should seek the advice of your attorney about your specific case.
Bankruptcy Basics
1. Bankruptcy will actually improve
your credit within one year because
your unsecured debts are discharged.
Although the bankruptcy will be in
your records for 10 years, not filing
bankruptcy will make your credit even
worse until most your debts are paid.
2. If you are being sued by your creditors, most money judgment can be
eliminated in bankruptcy.
3. Collection actions continue and you
can be sued if you are in debt settlement.
4. Chapter 7 will eliminate all unsecured debts. If you are near retirement
age, you must eliminate most of your
debts.
5. Bankruptcy will stop foreclosure actions. If your trustee sale date is 10
days before, you can still file for bankruptcy.
6. If your salary is being garnished,
you have a court case about debts or
you are being harassed by creditors,
bankruptcy can stop garnishment,
court cases, harassing creditors and
eliminate the debt.
7. Bankruptcy is cheaper, faster and
safer than debt settlement which has
no guaranteed success.
8. Preserve your health, eliminate
stress and live a happy life by eliminating your debts which is the root of
all problems.
Crispin Caday Lozano is an active
member of the State Bar of California,
the American Immigration Lawyers
Association and the National Association of Consumers Bankruptcy Attorneys. He specializes in immigration
law and bankruptcy law.
The bankruptcy trap in student-loan debt
A
S a bankruptcy attorney in Seattle, I
get to see the issues affecting the economic well-being of Washington families.
Unfortunately, coming ’round the bend is
the crisis of student-loan debt owed to private lenders.
The bank lobby, in 2005, pushed through
the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and
Consumer Protection Act, which made
private student-loan debt essentially nondischargeable in bankruptcy. Before 2005,
only federal student loans were difficult to
get discharged.
The change potentially means a lifetime
of indentured servitude for some American
families or, at least, severe economic hardship for those who can’t find a job straight
out of school. Families affected can end up
giving all their money to the private lenders and debt collectors, or take jobs in the
underground economy to avoid garnishment.
The cycle I’ve witnessed works like this:
A student gets a private student loan cosigned by a parent or grandparent. The student graduates with a degree but is unable
to find a job.
The interest on the loan begins to pile up
and the banks begin tacking on late fees.
Then the student and parents are declared
in default and legal fees are tacked on, on
top of the interest and late fees. The fees
and interest are
capitalized and
the student and
parent are put on
a payment plan
that, if they are
lucky,
covers
the interest because the loan is
now two to three
times its original size. (This
happens
less
frequently with
federal student
loans because
they are regulated, and the payments are
based on income.)
Most concerning, this debt is not dischargeable in bankruptcy and it is hardly
ever forgiven.
When the foreclosure crisis hit, underlying mortgage debt was dischargeable in
bankruptcy and through foreclosure. Thus,
families were able to start again after they
lost their home.
With student loans, that is not the case.
In most circumstances, students can’t get
the debt discharged.
There is no start
again. Worst of all,
banks and debt collectors can get a lien
on the student’s or
parent’s home, garnish their wages and
garnish their bank
accounts.
This issue is affecting people of
all ages, including
seniors who often
co-sign on student
loans. In a recent report, Bloomberg Businessweek analyzed
data collected by the Federal Reserve Bank
of New York and found student-loan debt
is growing faster for seniors than for any
other age group. Since 2005, the percentage of student loan debt held by persons
over 50 has tripled. And while they only
hold 17 percent of the total debt, these are
communities that should be looking toward retirement — instead they are stuck
in the student-loan debt cycle.
Student-loan debt affects everyone, even
those who don’t take out student loans. If
people who take out student loans are unable to repay, they wind up in a debt cycle
that prevents them from spending money in
other areas of the economy. Because they
are no longer contributing to the economy
as a whole, through the purchase of homes
and other goods, economic growth slows.
Congress must restore the bankruptcy
laws to what they were before 2005. The
prior law forced private lenders to be more
responsible because there was the threat
that the debt could be discharged. It also
forced private lenders to try and work with
borrowers to find solutions that don’t force
people into bankruptcy.
Borrowers have a duty to be careful in the
loans they take out.
But there also need to be checks and balances. In 2005, those checks and balances
for the student-loan lending market were
stripped. It’s time to restore them.
Sam Leonard is a bankruptcy and debt defense attorney at Leen and O’Sullivan in Seattle.
PAGE 8
Oct 9, 2014 - Oct 15, 2014
The San Francisco Post
The San Francisco Post
IMMIGRATION
PAGE 9
Oct 9, 2014 - Oct 15, 2014
False testimony is a bar to good moral character in
naturalization application
W
e will discuss false testimony and
other conditional bars to good moral
character in this article.
Q: Does false testimony constitute bar to
good moral character?
A: An applicant who gives false testimony
to obtain any immigration benefit during
the statutory period cannot establish good
moral character (GMC). False testimony
occurs when the applicant deliberately
intends to deceive the U.S. Government
while under oath in order to obtain an immigration benefit. This holds true regardless of whether the information provided in
the false testimony would have impacted
the applicant’s eligibility. The statute does
not require that the benefit be obtained,
only that the false testimony is given in an
attempt to obtain the benefit.
Q: What other acts constitute false testimony?
A: While the most common occurrence
of false testimony is failure to disclose a
criminal or other adverse record, false
testimony can occur in other areas. False
testimony may include, but is not limited
to, facts about lawful admission, absences,
residence, marital status or infidelity, employment, organizational membership, or
tax filing information.
Q: What are the elements that constitute
false testimony?
A: There are three elements of false testimony established by the Supreme Court
that must exist for a naturalization application to be denied on false testimony
grounds, namely:
1.Oral Statements - The “testimony” must
be oral. False statements in a written application and falsified documents, whether
or not under oath, do not constitute “testimony.” However, false information provided orally under oath to an officer in a
question-and-answer statement relating to
a written application is “testimony.” The
oral statement must also be an affirmative misrepresentation. The Court makes
it clear that there is no “false testimony”
if facts are merely concealed, to include
incomplete but otherwise truthful answers.
2.Oath -- The oral statement must be made
under oath in order to constitute false testimony. Oral statements to officers that are
not under oath do not constitute false testimony.
3.Subjective Intent to Obtain an Immigration Benefit -- The applicant must be providing the false testimony in order to obtain
an immigration benefit. False testimony for
any other reason does not preclude the applicant from establishing GMC.
BIA has also determined By Atty. Crispin C. Lozano 3. On September 9, 2014,
that a single act of solicitwe received an approval
ing prostitution on one’s
from Immigration Court
own behalf is not the same as procurement. of adjustment of status for a client who was
previously denied an asylum.
Q: Does smuggling a person constitute a 4. On September 8, 2014, we received an
conditional bar?
approval from USCIS of Form I-601A proA: An applicant is prohibited from estab- visional waiver for two clients.
lishing GMC if he or she is or was involved 5. On September 5, 2014, we received an
in the smuggling of a person or persons by approval from USCIS for Fiancée visa
encouraging, inducing, assisting, abetting based on same sex petition.
or aiding any alien to enter or try to enter 6. On September 4, 2014, we received an
the United States in violation of law during approval of DACA for a client who has
the statutory period.
problem in her birth certificate.
7. On August 28, 2014, we received an
Q: Is there an exception to this?
approval of green card based on spousal
A: This bar to GMC does not apply in cer- abuse.
tain cases where the applicant was involved 8. On August 25, 2014, we received an
in the smuggling of his or her spouse, par- approval of green card based on same sex
ent, son, or daughter (and no other individual) to enter the United States in violation
of law before May 5, 1988.
Q: What if I practice polygamy?
A: An applicant who has practiced or is
practicing polygamy during the statutory period is precluded from establishing
GMC. Polygamy is the custom of having
more than one spouse at the same time.
The officer should review documents in the
file and any documents the applicant brings
to the interview for information about the
applicant’s marital history, to include any
visa petitions or applications, marriage and
divorce certificates, and birth certificates of
children.
Q: Is gambling also included?
A: An applicant who has been convicted
of committing two or more gambling offenses or who derives his or her income
principally from illegal gambling activities
during the statutory period is precluded
from establishing GMC.[31] The gambling
offenses must have been committed within
the statutory period.
Q: Can my habitual drinking bar me from
GMC?
A: An applicant who is or was a habitual
drunkard during the statutory period is
precluded from establishing GMC. Certain documents may reveal habitual drunkenness, to include divorce decrees, employment records, and arrest records. In
addition, termination of employment, unexplained periods of unemployment, and
arrests or multiple convictions for public
intoxication or driving under the influence
may be indicators that the applicant is or
was a habitual drunkard.
Note: This is not a legal advice.
SUCCESS STORIES
Q: Does prostitution constitute a conditional bar?
A: An applicant may not establish GMC
if he or she has engaged in prostitution,
procured or attempted to procure or to
import prostitutes or persons for the purpose of prostitution, or received proceeds
from prostitution during the statutory period. The BIA has held that to “engage in”
prostitution, one must have engaged in a
regular pattern of behavior or conduct. The
1. On October 7, 2014, we received an approval from the U.S. Embassy in Manila
an immigrant visa for a client who entered
the US without inspection under the Provisional Waiver Program.
2. On September 26, 2014, we received an
approval from the Immigration Court for
waiver of misrepresentation for a client
who entered as single but actually married
at the time of entry to the U.S.
marriage with big age difference.
9. On August 1, 2014, we received an approval of waiver of joint filing of I-751
based on spousal abuse. With the approval
she was granted permanent residence.
10. On July 21. 2014, we received an approval of green card based on marriage that
was initially denied due to inconsistencies
in interview response.
Crispin Caday Lozano is an active member of the State Bar
of California, the American Immigration Lawyers Association
and the National Association of Consumers Bankruptcy Attorneys. He specializes in immigration law and bankruptcy law.
He earned his Juris Doctor at Western State University College
of Law in Fullerton, California. He is also a Certified Public
Accountant, a Real Estate Broker and a Bachelor of Business
Administration Cum Laude graduate. He has offices in San
Francisco, Hayward, San Jose, and Cerritos, California. You
can contact him at 1-877-456-9266. Email questions to crispinlozano@gmail.com/. Visit our website at www.crispinlozanolaw.com.
PAGE 10
Oct 9, 2014 - Oct 15, 2014
IMMIGRATION
Border Patrol agent allegedly concealed
immigrants, authorities say
LAREDO, Texas – A Laredo-based Border Patrol
agent has been charged
with conspiring to harbor
and conceal illegal immigrants.
U.S. Attorney Kenneth
Magidson says 35-year-old
Roberto Cantu Rodriguez
was arrested Thursday at
work. Rodriguez was appearing Friday before a
federal magistrate judge in
Laredo.
According to the twocount indictment returned
Wednesday,
Rodriguez
conspired with others for
about a year beginning in
June 2013 to conceal illegal immigrants. He’s also accused of
misprision -- having knowledge of a
felony and concealing that knowledge.
Conviction on the conspiracy charge
2014 Visa Fee Changes
O
n August 28, 2014, the Bureau of Consular Affairs announced a number of
changes to the fees for U.S. consular services effective September 12, 2014.
Many consular services are provided on a fee-for-service basis. These services
are reviewed annually to more accurately reflect the costs of providing these
services.
Q: What are the new Non-immigrant Visa Processing fees?
Nonimmigrant Visa Processing Fees
Type of Visa
Previous Fee
New Fee
Treaty Investor and Trader visas (E)
Fiancé(e) visas (K)
Border Crossing Card (under age 15)
$270
$240
$15
$205
$265
$16
Q: What are the new Immigrant Visa Processing fees?
carries up to 10 years in prison. A misprision conviction could get him a
three-year sentence. Both charges also
carry possible fines of up to $250,000.
Arrest or Detention of a
U.S. Citizen Abroad
One of the highest priorities of the Department of State and U.S. embassies
and consulates abroad is to provide assistance to U.S. citizens incarcerated
abroad.
The Department of State is committed
to ensuring fair and humane treatment
for U.S. citizens imprisoned overseas.
We stand ready to assist incarcerated
citizens and their families within the
limits of our authority in accordance
with international law, domestic and
foreign law.
While in a foreign country, a U.S.
citizen is subject to that country’s laws
and regulations which sometimes differ
significantly from those in the United
States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under
U.S. law. As our Country Specific Information for each country explains,
penalties for breaking the law can be
more severe than in the United States
for similar offenses. Persons violating
the law, even unknowingly, may be ex-
The San Francisco Post
pelled, fined, arrested, or imprisoned.
If arrested abroad, a citizen must go
through the foreign legal process for
being charged or indicted, prosecuted,
possibly convicted and sentenced, and
for any appeals process. Within this
framework, U.S. consular officers provide a wide variety of services to U.S.
citizens arrested abroad and their families.
We monitor conditions in foreign
prisons and may protest allegations of
abuse against U.S. citizen prisoners
when requested to do so by the prisoner. We work with prison officials to
ensure treatment consistent with internationally recognized standards and to
ensure that U.S. citizens are afforded
due process under local laws and international standards.
For more country-specific information, we encourage you to visit the
Country Specific Information page for
the traveling you are planning to visit.
Immigrant Visa Processing Fees
Type of Visa
Immediate Relative and Family
Preference Applications
Employment-Based Applications
Special Immigrant Visa Applicants
(except for Diversity Visa applicants)
Determining Returning Resident Status
Waiver of Two-Year Residency
Requirement
Affidavit of Support Review
(only when reviewed domestically)
Previous Fee
New Fee
$230
$405
$325
$345
$220
$275
$205
$180
$215
$120
$88
$120
Q: What are the new fees for administrative service fees, such as renunciation of
citizenship?
Citizens’ and Administrative Processing Services
Type of Service
Administrative Processing of Formal
Renunciation of U.S. Citizenship
Charge for Consular Time (for fee services
performed outside of normal business
hours or away from the office)
Previous Fee
New Fee
$450
$2,350
$231
$135
Q: When do the new processing fees go into effect?
The new fees will take effect on September 12, 2014, 15 days after the
day the interim final rule was published in the Federal Register.
Q: What if I already paid my fee for an appointment after September 12?
- Applicants will be charged the fee in effect on the day of payment. Fees for
American Citizens Services are paid directly to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate
on the date the service is delivered. Fees cannot be paid in advance.
- For immigrant visa fees, the fee charged to an applicant will be the fee printed
on the fee bill the applicant receives from the National Visa Center. Receipts for
Immigrant Visa application processing remain valid for one year.
- Nonimmigrant visa fees are generally paid in advance of the appointment
through a bank contracted to provide fee collection services. Applicants using
such a service will pay the application fee valid on the date they make that payment, with receipts valid for one year. For categories in which fees are increasing, receipts for payments made prior to the fee changes will be accepted for 90
days after the fee takes effect, or through December 11, 2014; after that date, applicants will pay the balance of the fee when they appear for their appointment.
- In those countries where nonimmigrant visa fees are paid directly to the U.S.
Embassy or Consulate, applicants will pay the fee valid on the date of their appointment. Nonimmigrant visa application fee receipts remain valid for one
year.
- In categories where fees are declining, no refunds will be available for those
who paid prior to the effective date; however, these receipts are valid for one
year from the date of issuance.
Q: Why does the Department not issue refunds? I overpaid, and want my money
back.
- Application fees are assessed based on the day of payment. Therefore, no refunds will be given. However, receipts for payments made before the fee change
will continue to be valid for one year from the date of issuance.
Oct 9, 2014 - Oct 15, 2014
AROUND TOWN
Water district moves forward to expand recycled water with
city of Sunnyvale
PAGE 11
The San Francisco Post
S
AN JOSE— On Tuesday, Sept. 23,
the water district board authorized its
chief executive officer to negotiate and
execute five agreements with the city
of Sunnyvale, California Water Service
Company (Cal Water), and Apple Inc.
The agreements will enable the water
district to forge significant partnerships
to advance recycled water as a drought
proof supply in Sunnyvale.
“This partnership between Sunnyvale,
Cal Water and Apple is a momentous
milestone that will allow the west side of
Santa Clara County to expand its recycled water programs and help the water
district take a step closer in meeting our
goal to increase recycled water from 5
percent to 10 percent by 2025,” said the
water district’s chief executive officer,
Beau Goldie. “This increase will help
us weather multiyear droughts in the future.”
In 2013, the water board authorized the
CEO to approve a cost-sharing agreement with Sunnyvale on the planning and
design of the Wolfe Road Facilities to
expand recycled water in Sunnyvale and
West Santa Clara County for non-potable
reuse (NPR) The additional five Wolfe
Road Facilities agreements between the
water district and partners include: two
agreements with Sunnyvale—water supply and construction cost-sharing agreements; two agreements with Apple—
funding and dedication agreements;
and one agreement with Cal Water—a
wholesaler-retailer agreement. In addition, draft terms are being developed for
a future Long-Term Recycled Water Integration Agreement with Sunnyvale.
“As a member of the recycled water
committee, I want to thank district and
city of Sunnyvale staff for their tremendous hard work, the council members
who are on the joint committee, and for
the cooperation from Apple and CalWater,” said water district board member
Linda LeZotte. “This took such a collaborative effort to make this happen, and it
needs to happen.”
Construction of the Wolfe Road Facilities will expand non-potable recycled water use by serving the new Apple campus
in Cupertino, as well as other potential
customers in the Wolfe Road area. The
water district will serve as a recycled water wholesaler in that system. Construction of the Wolfe Road Facilities also
helps establish a framework for potential
potable reuse, including indirect potable
reuse (IPR) projects in Sunnyvale and
the west side of Santa Clara County. One
of the most promising alternatives is for
the water district to partner with Sunnyvale to cost-share on the upgrade of their
Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP)
and develop an option to use most of the
recycled water produced by Sunnyvale
(approximately 10 million gallons per
day) for future potable reuse.
The total cost of the project, including planning, design and construction, is
estimated at $17.5 million. Through the
cost-sharing agreement, contributions
from Apple, Cal Water, and the city of
Sunnyvale are $4.8 million, $1.5 million
and $2.1 million respectively. The water
district and the city of Sunnyvale jointly
applied for and received a $2.5 million
grant for the project from the California
Department of Water Resources. The
Pinoy Pride. Azenith Smith of KTVU News was recently the Keynote Speaker of the Philippine American Press Club Plaridel Awards
held in South San Francisco. Here she poses with winners of the Plaridel Awards, which is for excellence for Filipino American Journalism held last Ocotber 2.
October Birthday Celebrants. Milpitas Mayor Jose “Joe” Esteves led all October celebrants in the
rendition of Happy Birthday number in his birthday bash held in Park Victoria, Milpitas. On his
left are brothers Francis and Rafael, children of lovely couple Benjie and Luz Fernandez. Francis
birthday was on the 10th while Francis was on the 11th.
water district’s cost-share portion for the
total project is estimated at $6.6 million.
The water district is currently developing an overarching recycled water
master plan for the entire county which
will incorporate individual master planning efforts by the four recycled water
producers in the county. Completing the
Wolfe Road Facilities and planning for
the potential expansion of recycled water
for potable reuse in Sunnyvale is a key
component of the recycled water master
planning effort and will help the water
district reach the board’s recycled water
policy and goals.
Other ongoing master planning efforts
include the South Bay Water Recycling
Master Plan encompassing the cities of
San Jose, Milpitas, and Santa Clara; the
South County Recycled Water Master
Plan Update (where the water district
serves as wholesaler) covering the cities
of Gilroy, Morgan Hill and an unincorporated portion of the county; and a recycled water plan in the city of Palo Alto
where the water district has recently initiated communications with Palo Alto to
form a joint recycled water policy committee.
2 INC BROTHERS. Two brothers (Iglesia Ni Cristo) in the
National Football League meeting for the first time. Brother
Koa Misi, Linebacker #55 of the Miami Dolphins with Brother
Marcus Padilla, Senior Producer/Editor of the Oakland Raiders meet up on week 4 match-up held at Wembley Stadium in
London.
HAPPY ELLENBERG FAMILY. Susan Slater Ellenberg, teacher and educator poses with her family from left Molly, husband Steve, Naava Gabriela and Zach. Susan is currently a candidate for
the San Jose Unified School District Board of Trustees ( District 2) and is appealing to the Filipino
American community for support in her candidacy. Good luck Susan.
ARE YOU CELEBRATING YOUR BIRTHDAY, ANNIVERSARY,
GRADUATION OR BUSINESS GRAND OPENING?
SF Post can cover an exclusive feature of your event!
Call us at
1-855-454-7678
or email us at advertise@sf-post.com to learn more.
REAL ESTATE
PAGE 12
Oct 9, 2014 - Oct 15, 2014
4 Things to Check When You Buy
a House in Fall
Buying a house in the offseason
can be a great idea, as homes
are a bit cheaper, sellers may
be more inclined to sell and
there’s less competition from
droves
of buyers.
That’s
not the
o n l y
advantage for
those
looking
to buy
a house
in the
f all:
if you
know
w h a t
to look
for, you
can actually use the fall season
as a litmus test to help you spot
potential problems and pluses
on your prospective home.
1. Leaves, Leaves Everywhere
Shopping for a home during
the autumn is an easy way to
see how impressive your home
will look for years to come.
Those turning leaves can make
a day at home that much more
relaxing.
Of course, leaves can also
bring a number of issues.
If the property is full of trees,
expect the yard to need heavy
cleanup. Leaf cleanup can be
difficult and time-consuming
labor, so decide whether or not
you want to pay for it or do it
yourself.
2. Fireplaces
Nothing’s cozier than a night
next to a crackling fire when
the cold creeps in.
To ensure the cold isn’t creeping down the chimney, check
the fireplace. Open and close
the damper, checking for drafts
each time. A little draft is fine,
but a large draft means you
may need a new damper.
The San Francisco Post
Investors still like rentals: Where they’re buying
With home prices still rising and
fewer distressed properties coming
to market, some claim the singlefamily rental trade is over. Investors will hold the homes they have
and securitize the assets in order to
leverage their investments, but they
won’t buy any more.
“There is very little institutional
buying at the present time, as prices
have increased to the point where the
returns on new investment are insufficient,” wrote Laurie Goodman of
the Urban Institute in a recent report.
She even went so far as to predict a
$20 billion cap on the single-family
rental securitization market.
Laurie Hawkes, president and COO
of Scottsdale, Arizona-based Ameri-
3. Insulation and
Heating
Fall is
w i n d y.
That’s
good,
because
it will be
easier to
check for
bad insulation.
When
t o u r ing the
home,
pass your
hand over windows, electrical
outlets, doors and baseboards Hi Leonard — I will retire in the
to check for leaks. Make note next few years with a little over $1
of any rattling windows, which
million. I fear the stock market at
can indicate a loose seal.
this time. Will property rentals be a
good way for income in my retired
4. Watching the Rain
Take a walk around the prop- years? If yes, is it better to buy the
erty when it’s raining and check property with cash and have no debt
for spouts of water shooting and have rental income? Robert W.,
out where they shouldn’t be.
Buffalo, NY
This means a gutter problem,
Hi Robert — You’ve got some
which could lead to flooding good questions and significant deif water pools on the ground.
Make note of where the water cisions herein, and you need some
is gushing and check the base- expert guidance. A good fee-only
ment’s interior for signs of certified financial analyst (CFA) or
certified financial planner (CFP)
leaks.
The Telltale Signs for Next should be able to walk you through
Summer
options on what you can do with
Don’t forget problems that that million, and what income you
creep up in winter will likely can expect based on the risk you are
happen again in the summer.
By checking for leaks, drafts willing to take with your portfolio.
and other issues now, you’ll be This will help you determine whethsaving yourself potential repair er rental real estate, which generally
costs—and high utility bills— has much higher risk than a well-diin the hottest months of the versified portfolio of stocks, should
year, too.
be part of your portfolio.
can Residential Properties (ARPI),
a single-family rental REIT with
roughly 9,000 homes, firmly disagrees.
“The buying is not over,” said
Hawkes. “The math may not work
in markets such as Arizona and California, but it’s no different than any
other asset class where some heat
up faster than others and then you
move on.”
American Residential may not be
buying in Phoenix anymore, but it
is spending about $100 million per
quarter (roughly 800 homes) in
markets like Charlotte, North Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee.
We see far more opportunity to
buy than we have capital,” added
Hawkes.
One thing that all agree upon is
that smaller and individual investors are increasingly entering the
single-family market. While rental
returns are falling slightly for properties purchased today, due to higher home prices, they are still well
in the positive.
“The single-family rental market
is still strong, with returns averaging 9 percent in the 586 counties
analyzed,” said Daren Blomquist,
vice president at RealtyTrac.
“Even so, the market is softening,
with those same 586 counties averaging a nearly 10 percent return
a year ago.”
Real Estate Q&A: Retirement Investments &
Condo Insurance
After an education from a financial adviser,
if real estate is
part of the plan,
that’s where my
guidance could
help. So to your
questions:
Will property
rentals provide
good retirement
income?
The
answer is probably not. Most real
estate investors who have cash flow
properties bought them decades
ago, and now they are starting to
pay off. But in general, don’t expect
cash flow for a long time.
Should I buy with cash instead of
debt? Having a significant amount
of money tied up in property during
retirement is probably not a good
idea. What if you need the money,
your tenants stop paying rent, the
property is destroyed or you need
long-term care? Owning dirt won’t
pay the bills! It’s much easier to obtain cash from liquid assets when in
need.
By the way, congratulations on
having over $1 million saved!
Real estate investor and Zillow Blog
contributor Leonard Baron answers
questions from readers regarding buying, selling and investing. Have a question? Send it to Leonard@ProfessorBaron.com
SPORTS
Pacquiao prepares ‘non-stop assault’ on
bigger, taller Algieri
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines
— World eight-division boxing champion
and Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao has been training for a 12-round nonstop offensive against undefeated American boxer Chris Algieri.
Pacquiao will be defending his World
Boxing Organization (WBO) Welterweight
crown against a 5’11 Algieri on November
23 at Venetian Hotel in Macau, China.
“We are training him for more head movements, more punching combinations and a
non-stop assault. We expect a bigger and
taller Algieri to run around the ring. We
should be ready for that. But, just in case,
Algieri decides to mix it up then much better. The fight would end earlier,” assistant
trainer and coach Robert “Buboy” Fernandez said in an interview.
Fernandez added that they have been devising a game plan to limit the movement
of Algieri inside the ring.
“We will employ non-stop pressure. Our
fighting congressman will chase him wherever he goes. Then try to throw three to five
punching combinations to the head and
body,” Fernandez bared.
Fernandez has been enduring pain on both
wrists brought about by the strong punches
unleashed by Pacquiao during mitt’s session.
“There was no fracture but the doctor
advised me to take a rest for two weeks.
I can’t do that at this stage when we’re in
the thick of training for the Algieri fight.
No matter what would happen, the training
should continue,” Fernandez said.
When asked to rate the current conditioning of Pacquiao, Fernandez said: “The way
I see it, he’s 88 percent ready at this stage.
It’s still a long way to go. My job is to prepare him for a more heavy training when
Coach Freddie Roach arrives.”
Roach is slated to arrive here Wednesday (October 8).
Pacquiao’s first
sparring session
was scheduled on
Friday.
Canadian matchmaker and financial adviser Michael Koncz said
Roach would be
bringing
along
with him two
sparring mates for
Pacquiao.
“We are not taking Algieri lightly.
The guy is not a one-dimensional fighter.
He has the ability to adjust to an opponent’s
fighting style,” Koncz said in an interview.
Koncz, however, praised Pacquiao for
keeping himself in shape even without a
fight.
“Manny Pacquiao is different from other
fighters. He stays in shape even if there’s
no fight and his level of enthusiasm remains high even at this stage of his boxing
career,” Koncz said.
According to him, the Filipino boxing
legend is already in tremendous condition
several weeks before the scheduled fight.
“His focus is great and even much better
than what I had observed two years ago,”
he said.
Pacquiao has been suffering from a stiff
shoulder since last week after his conditioning coach Justin Fortune included plyometrics in his training.
“That is a normal effect of plyometrics.
After two to three days, muscle stiffness
would be gone,” Fortune said.
UAAP Finals: FEU takes Game 1 vs NU, 75-70
MANILA, Philippines – The Far Eastern
University Tamaraws seized game one of
their best of three Finals series against the
National University
Bulldogs, 75-70, at
the Mall of Asia Arena
Saturday.
Mike Tolomia topscored for the Tamaraws with 15 points
although it was Roger
Pogoy who helped pad
the FEU lead to 10,
60-50, by scoring 10
of his 14 points, in that
decisive third quarter.
With the win, the
Tamaraws move closer to regaining the
title they last won nine
years ago.
When asked in a
post-game conference
what the Tamaraws did to pull away from
the Bulldogs at the start of the second quarter, Coach Nash Racela said they just “went
back to their strengths”.
“Against NU, we had to go back to our
strengths,” said Racela whose team beat
defending champion La Salle twice in the
semi-finals enroute to the Finals.
Pogoy said he was left open every time
Tolomia and Mac Belo were guarded and
considered it a “blessing” that he could convert those shots.
Meanwhile, Alfred Aroga topscored for
NU with 17
while Gelo Alolino, the hero
in NU’s do-ordie match with
Ateneo, had
12.
The Bulldogs, who are
making their
Finals appearance after 44
years, are expected to make
adjustments
when they face
the Tamaraws
in Game 2 of
the Finals at
3:30 p.m. on
Wednesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The scores:
FEU (75) – Tolomia 15, Pogoy 14, Inigo
12, Belo 8, Hargrove 8, Jose 8, Dennison 5,
Tamsi 3, Cruz 2, Ru.Escoto 0.
NU (70) – Aroga 17, Alolino 14, Rosario 12,
Khobuntin 9, Celda 7, Javelona 3, Beteyene
3, Alejandro 3, Diputado 2, Neypes 0, Perez
0.
SHOWBIZ
The San Francisco Post
PAGE 3
Oct 9, 2014 - Oct 15, 2014
Fil-Am gets standing ovation from ‘The Voice’ coaches
Liza Soberano bags lead role in ‘The Bet’
MANILA, Philippines—From the same California city which brought Jessica Sanchez to
the world, a new Filipino-American singer is
raring to make headlines on the world stage.
MANILA – Young actress Liza Soberano that this is the first time for him to do a
has finally landed a lead role in the upcom- youth-oriented love story.
ing Star Cinema movie “The Bet,” which is
“Hindi pa ako nakakagawa ng love story
based on the Wattpad book.
na movie na youth-oriented ‘yung dating.
Soberano admitted that there came a
point when she got worried about being
typecast as the third wheel just like her
past roles in her previous television and
movie projects.
“A lot of people were telling me na baka
ma-typecast ako na third wheel but I’m
finally happy na nabigyan ako ng sarili
kong movie,” she told ABS-CBN News
on Wednesday.
Soberano said she is also happy to be
paired with Enrique Gil, who was also her
co-star in the movie “She’s The One.”
“I’m really happy and honored na pinili
ako because coming from ‘Got To Believe,’ I feel like I jumped to the movie
kaagad with him. It makes me kind of
nervous and sometimes I feel like I don’t
know kung bakit ako pinili but it makes
me also think na I must be doing something right. It also makes me feel special,”
she said.
Asked if she still gets shy around Gil, Liza Soberano
the young actress said: “Okay naman, we
are friends. We’ve worked together and we We really concentrate sa teens lang talaga.
have the same handler so we kind of know It’s nice to try it. Gusto rin namin na after
each other really well. Pero I still need to years and years kapag binalikan, like if si
hang out with him more to get used to it.”
Aga (Muhlach) and Yayo (Aguila), ‘BagIn “The Bet,” Gil plays the role of Drake, ets’ yun. Ito naman if Enrique and Liza, uy
who gets into a betting game with his best ‘The Bet’ yun. Gusto namin yun ilabas. It’s
friend, which involves courting the unsus- a teen movie that people are going to repecting Sophia (Soberano). When Sophia member,” he said.
finally falls for him, Drake should tell her
“The Bet” is slated to be released in thethat everything was just a game.
aters within the year.
Equally excited as Soberano, Gil noted
5.
Pharell Williams, the music producer and artist behind the hit song “Happy,” was the first
to woo Trinidad to join his team, stating that
he has always waited for
someone like Trinidad to
work with.
“I’ve never thought that I
would find something that
I usually look for from my
own label. Like I’ve been
dreaming for an artist like
you all my career,” Williams said.
Williams even kneeled on
his chair while persuading
Trinidad to be on his team.
Country music superstar
Blake
Shelton, meanwhile,
Katriz Trinidad. SCREENGRAB from The Voice YouTube Account
said that Trinidad was “born
to be a star”.
Fifteen-year-old Filipino-American Katriz
He also added that Trinidad deserved to win
Trinidad had three out of four coaches turned “The Voice.”
their chairs during her blind audition in the
For her part, singer-songwriter Gwen Stefani
Emmy award-winning United States reality said that the Fil-Am teenager was an “almost
singing show “The Voice.”
perfect singer”.
Katriz Trinidad, who hailed from Chula Vista,
Stefani added that it was “mind blowing” to
California, got a standing ovation from Blake hear the voice of the young contestant.
Shelton, Pharell Williams, and Gwen Stefani
In the end, Trinidad chose Williams to be her
for her rendition of Etta James’ song “At Last.” coach.
The only coach who did not turn his chair for
Trinidad appeared on the fourth episode of the
Trinidad was Adam Levine of the band Maroon said singing show.
Dolphy grandson nabbed anew for
drugs–report
MANILA, Philippines – A grandchild
of the late Comedy King Rodolfo “Dolphy” Quizon was arrested Tuesday in
Lumban, Laguna during a buy-bust operation, a radio report said.
Rocco Quizon III and his wife Raquel
Alcantara was arrested by police in an entrapment operation, the report said.
It said the police, through an asset, transacted with Quizon through text messages.
The asset agreed to buy fives sachets of
“shabu” or methamphetamine hydrochloride worth P6,000 but Quizon only
brought a sample worth P500.
Police also seized from Quizon III various drug praphernalia.
In 2010, Quizon III was also arrested
and jailed for illegal drugs while in 2009,
he was charged with illegal posssesion of
firearms and attempted murder for shooting a friend but he was able to post bail.
Next in line
For many children of entertainment stars,
joining show biz is like entering the family business. The offspring of the Zobels
SALVADOR. Strong and deep roots in show business
and Chinoy taipans become businessmen,
while the youngest products of the Padilla,
De Leon, Quizon and Ilagan clans become
stellar performers—it’s as simple as that!
For proof positive, we only need to take
a look at today’s list of young stars—Julia
Barretto, Daniel Padilla, Janine Gutierrez,
Janella Salvador and Andi Eigenmann all
have strong and deep roots in show business. And the list keeps getting longer by
the year, as stellar babies become child
stars, then tween sensations, then teen
faves—while “unrelated” hopefuls have to
work much harder in order to get noticed!
Why, Zion, the love child of Richard Gutierrez and Sarah Lahbati, may just be a wee
babe, but he’s already the lovely apple of
everybody’s eye —and stardom, or at least
similarly profitable baby product endorsements, are sure to follow!
Much more imminently, some young
chips off the old show biz block are already lining up their first portrayals: For
instance, Niño Muhlach’s 4-year-old scion
and lookalike, Alonzo, has gotten a number
of producers really interested, like the MZet people, who have tapped him to play
his “introducing” film role in the sequel to
Vic Sotto and Ryzza Mae Dizon’s MMFF
hit, “My Big Bossing’s Adventures.”
For his part, Piolo Pascual’s teen son, Iñigo, has already “gone show biz” locally, as
well, with an introductory film role already
in the offing.
On the other hand, being “relatively connected” to the biz isn’t a sure-fire ticket to
stellar success, as some stars’ nonplussed
scions have sadly discovered.
For instance, with his looks and “intense”
projection, it looked like Renz Fernandez, the son of Lorna Tolentino and action “prince” Rudy Fernandez, was sure
to become an action-drama star himself.
Unfortunately, the once popular action film
format self-destructed some years ago, so
Renz is still trying to find his alternative
entry point to stardom!
Filipinos in Talents Tokyo
Five Filipinos made it to Talents Tokyo din. Each participant will have the oppor2014 to be
tunity to present
held during
his or her project
the 15th Tofor analysis by a
kyo FILMex
panel of industry
from Nov. 24
experts. Hannah
to 29. AttendEspia’s
second
ing the “filmfilm “Learning to
maker cultivaBuild a Fire” was
tion project”
chosen for the
are directors
Next Masters SupGiancarlo
port Program ProjAbrahan,
ect Development
Siege LedesFund, while Franma and Chuck HANNAH Espia (left) and Alemberg Ang
cis Xavier Pasion
Gutierrez,
received the Interand producers
national Promotion
Alemberg Ang and Armi Rae Cacanin- Fund for “Bwaya.” Bayani San Diego Jr.
Women’s groups accept Coco Martin’s
personal apology
Coco Martin
Kapamilya actor Coco Martin has personally apologized to the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) and women’s
rights group Gabriela amid the backlash
he received for appearing in clothing brand
Bench’s“The Naked Truth” fashion show
with a female model on a leash.
Former Gabriela representative Liza Maza,
who described the show as a“degrading
and dehumanizing portrayal of women,”
accepted the apology and expressed appreciation for Coco’s recognition of women’s
rights.
“In relation to Coco, hindi naman siya
yung main na may pinaka may responsible sa segment na iyon. Mas yung management ng Bench at yung production. Sa
tingin namin, si Coco may participation,
pero hindi siya yung mainly responsible.
Napakaganda na gestiure iyon na akuin mo
at mag-apologize ka doon sa iyong participation.”
CW Chair Emmeline Versoza also accepted Coco’s apology and invited him to help
in her pro-women campaigns.
Megan Young looking at Hollywood, Bollywood
opportunities after Miss World reign
“Expect bigger things to happen for Megan next year.” This
is what Cory Quirino, Miss
World-Philippines
national
director, replied when asked
about what’s next for Miss
World 2013 Megan Young,
once she relinquishes her
crown by the end of the year.
Cory was interviewed by a
few members of the entertainment press, including PEP
(Philippine Entertainment Portal), at a lunch event with the
Miss World-Philippines 2014
candidates last Wednesday,
October 1, at Toki Japanese
Restaurant in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
The next Miss World pageant,
which is the 64th edition, is set
to take place this December
in London, where Megan will
crown her successor.
She is the first Filipina to be
crowned Filipina Miss World.
Cory did not hide how pleased
she is with Megan’s accomplishments while in her reign.
“Extremely beyond our expectations because we didn’t
expect Megan to address the
youth of Harvard University
a few months ago. She ad-
dressed the youth of Harvard
University, I think this was
three months ago,” she related.
Last May, Megan visited Harvard University in Massachusetts in the US and met with
the Filipino community for a
fundraising event.
Most likely, Megan will continue with her showbiz career
when her reign is over.
However, it seems like she
is widening her horizons this
time. If things go well, Megan
might try her luck in Hollywood in the US or Bollywood
in India.
Cory revealed: “I know that
she has a standing offer with
Bollywood [India’s film industry]. She has a standing offer
because the people of India approached me.
“The second she won [Miss
World] they came to me, the
license holder of Miss WorldIndia, the big boss, sent their
emissary to me. His assistant
made an offer for Bollywood
and I said, ‘She’s under contract with Miss World [Organization], so you have to negotiate with Miss World.’”
Miss World Megan Young
CLASSIFIED
PAGE 14
Oct 9, 2014 - Oct 15, 2014
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GAMES & ENTERTAINMENT
CROSSWORD
SUDOKU
To solve a Sudoku puzzle, place a number into each box
so that each row across, each column down, and each
small 3x3 square within the larger diagram (there are 9
of these) will contain every number from 1 through 9. In
other words, no number will appear more than once in any
row, column, or smaller 3x3 square. Working with the numbers already given as a guide, complete each diagram with
the missing numbers that will lead to the correct solution.
(Answers for Crossword and Sudoku on page 15)
Across
1. Some calculator readouts,
for short
5. Dries, in a way
10. Peeps
14. Cry of
anticipation
15. Public madness
16. “That’s ___!”
(debate
retort)
17. Where to get
dizzy
19. ___ With
MoistureLoc
(recalled contact
lens cleaner)
20. Compelled
21. Four o’clock
fare
23. Paves
26. Drawing-card
piles
27. 1970’s New
York Knick’s
nickname
32. Secretive org.
33. Gift getter
34. Composer
Faith
38. Sound from a
triangle
40. Lion voiced
by Liam
Neeson in “The
Chronicles of
Narnia”
42. Fifth century
pope known
as “the Great”
43. Greek
sanctuary
45. Ireland’s de
Valera
47. Andy Gump’s
wife
48. Aiming too
high
51. Wreath
54. Vehicle
pulled by a hoss
55. Lordly group
58. Watchdog
watchdog gp.
62. “Moses und
___”
63. Dental mold
66. Woke up,
with “to”
67. Yorkshire’s
largest city
68. Other, south
of the border
69. “The corn __
high...”
70. Like some
previews
71. Cowboy’s
friend
Down
1. Reluctant: Var.
2. Popular plant
“pet”
3. Kewpie,. e.g.
4. Jewish village of
Eastern
Europe, formerly
5. Autobahn auto
6. “___-di-dah!”
7. Seeing to the
problem
8. Spare, sometimes
9. Greek greens
10. Tropic of
Capricorn, for
one
11. Rachmaninoff
opera
12. Sheets
13. “The Cat in
the Hat”
author
18. “___ which will
live in
infamy”: Roosevelt
22. Grumble
24. Grounded avian
25. Feeling one
27. Shorebound
newts
28. “Hair” song
“___ Baby”
29. Ice hockey
venue
30. Like Peary’s
explorations
31. “My Cup Runneth Over”
singer
35. Oar: Comb
form
36. Nickel or copper, but not
tin
37. ___ Yang Twins
(rap duo)
39. Knee-slappers
41. Ark skipper
44. Swedish
explorer Hedin
46. University
competitions,
briefly
49. Hits the “Send”
button
50. Mint family
herb
51. Simple adding
devices
52. Grammy org.
53. Welcome smell
56. Agents under
J. Edgar
Hoover, informally
57. Fencer’s need
59. Bread for a gyro
sandwich
60. Not wrong:
Abbr.
61. “And giving
____, up the
chimney...” : Moore
64. Cereal box
letters
65. N. Pole dweller
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HOROSCOPE
Aries March 20 - April 18
The amazing thing about your nature is that,
like a good politician, you have just the right
tone of voice and catch phrase for every situation. You can put on your smile and charm
and talk your way out of just about any pickle
you get into.
Taurus April 19 - May 19
You’re apt to get the feeling that the grass is
greener on the other side of the fence today,
Taurus. Try not to get too hung up on this.
Either make the effort to go where the landscape looks richer and more fruitful or stay
where you are.
Gemini May 20 - June 19
Your mind may wander to a fantasyland
full of castles, wizards, and magic dragons
today, Gemini. You could find that you’re
putting yourself in the robes of a beautiful
or handsome figure in a tall tower who’s
waiting for the perfect mate to come along.
Cancer June 20 - July 21
Get on the fast track and use your powerful
words and creative mind to make quick decisions that are mindful yet spontaneous. If
you get in a pinch today, Cancer, don’t worry
about it. Simply relax, take a deep breath,
and let your intuition guide you to the right
path.
Leo July 22 - August 21
Start the day with some vigorous yoga
and then some meditation to help clear
your mind, Leo. Stretch your body and get
the blood flowing through all of your limbs.
Once your blood is flowing, your mind will
get moving.
Virgo August 22 - September 21
Do something for the community today,
Virgo, and really consider how your talents
and skills can best be put to work. Consider
volunteering at a school or library. Donate
blood or help the elderly.
Libra September 22 - October 21
If you’re having trouble tackling a giant
problem, Libra, don’t get discouraged or
overwhelmed. They key for you is to break
things down into smaller chunks, analyze
them, and figure out their role within the
greater whole.
Scorpio October 22 - November 20
It may seem like everyone around you is
happy and getting what they want while
you’re stuck in the trenches, Scorpio. Don’t
compare yourself to other people and make
judgments based on outside appearances.
Sagittarius November 21 - December 20
Imagination and fantasy play a big part in
your thinking today, Sagittarius, and you
shouldn’t hesitate to embrace this frame of
mind. There’s a great deal of power to be
drawn from your sense of freedom to explore and dream.
Capricorn December 21 - January 18
Engage more of your rational mind today,
Capricorn. If your mind continues on its track
into a fantasy world, you might consider enlisting the help of people who can help you
bring some discipline to your situation.
Aquarius January 19 - February 17
Suppose you were someone else for a day,
Aquarius. How would it feel to be treated the
way you normally treat other people? This
is a good time to put yourself in someone
else’s shoes and experience life through
their eyes. By doing this, you’re apt to become more conscious of your own actions
and the effect of those actions on the people
around you.
Pisces February 18 - March 19
Today your thoughts may turn to fashion and the
different ways in which you can improve your wardrobe. Don’t be afraid to create a look that reflects
your true inner spirit. Deck yourself in external splendor to illustrate the many different colors and layers
that you carry on the inside.
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AUTOMOTIVE
PAGE 15
Oct 9, 2014 - Oct 15, 2014
Claims for compensation from faulty GM ignition switch rise to 1,130
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The number
of claims of injury and death linked to a
faulty ignition switch in General Motors
cars rose 30 percent last week to 1,130,
according to a report on Monday from
the lawyer overseeing a program set up
to compensate accident victims.
Since Aug. 1, claims related to 24 deaths
and 16 injuries have been deemed eligible for compensation by the program,
which is being overseen by lawyer Kenneth Feinberg. The number of eligible
deaths is up one from last week.
Claims for less serious injuries led the
rise in claims, reaching 886 from 644.
Less serious injuries, those that require
hospitalization but did not cause permanent damage, will likely receive lower
compensation offers than will claims for
death or serious injury.
The program will
continue
to receive
applications until
Dec. 31 on
behalf
of
individuals
injured or
killed in accidents they
say
were
caused by
the switch
problem.
The switch General Motors
can
slip
out of position, stalling the vehicle and
disabling air bags. The fault led to the
tive said Peevey also said
(Cont. from page 1... EMAIL: CALIFORNIA POWER) he wanted PG&E to give
$100,000 for a then-pendwith California Public Utilities Commission officials on matters related to rate in- ing celebration of the commission’s 100th
anniversary.
creases and financial penalties.
Neither Cherry nor Peevey could be
Consumer groups and others say the
emails show too-cozy relations between reached for comment Monday. The CPUC
the utility and regulators, and the commis- said it already has commissioned a thirdsion says some of the private communica- party review of its private communications
with utilities.
tions may have violated its own rules.
PG&E eventually contributed $500,000 to
In one email released Monday, from May
2010, former PG&E vice president Brian defeat Proposition 23, which sought to reCherry describes to PG&E colleagues a peal California’s landmark climate law and
dinner he says he had just shared with com- clean energy signed by then-Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger, according to MapLight,
mission President Michael Peevey.
“Mike stated very clearly that he expects an independent group that tracks campaign
PG&E to step up big and early” to oppose spending.
A state administrative law judge has suma ballot initiative that would have suspended the state’s historic climate change law, moned PG&E to a hearing Tuesday on earCherry says in the email to another com- lier emails with top commission officials.
pany executive. “Mike said ... we need to In those emails, Peevey’s then-chief of
staff and another commissioner, Michael
spend at least $1 million.”
Later in the same dinner, Cherry said, he Florio, negotiated with Cherry on picking
“jokingly” remarked that the utility could the administrative law judge who would
spend $3 million on the ballot initiative, if hear a PG&E rate case. Peevey was copied
the utilities commission approved an unre- on at least one of those emails.
lated $26 million payment that PG&E was Florio declined to comment Monday on
seeking as a reward for its energy conser- the new email saying Peevey had pressed
PG&E for donations, or say whether
vation program.
“He said that is a deal he could live with,” Peevey should stay on as the commission’s
leader. “Not my decision to make,” Florio
Cherry said of Peevey.
In the same email, the then-PG&E execu- said.
recall of 2.6
million vehicles earlier this year.
In the initial update
after
the
p r o g r a m ’s
launch,
Feinberg’s
office
reported approving
19
death
claims,
more than
the
13
deaths the
U.S. automaker had officially acknowledged. As of Friday, a total of 165 death
claims had been submitted to the program, up from 153 previously.
GM executives have said Feinberg will
determine how many people are eligible
for compensation under the program
and that the fund has not been capped.
Under the program’s protocol, eligible
death claims will receive at least $1 million, which could increase depending
on factors such as whether the deceased
had dependants. GM has set aside $400
million to cover the compensation costs,
and said the total could rise by another
$200 million.
Feinberg’s office previously said it
has made the first cash offers to about
15 people. At least three families have
accepted settlement offers from the program.
energy company branched out into agri(Cont. from page 1... LIST OWNERS OF) tourism, Trillanes said.
When his staff searched Greenergy’s weband director Mark Subido, the senators
site, they discovered that its corporate secsaid.
The “piggery farm’’ on a supposedly retary was Subido, he said.
Subido is also a director of Earthright,
leased property in Batangas was operated
by Sunchamp Agri-Tourism Park, Binay’s the largest shareholder of Greenergy which
owns controlling interest in Sunchamp, acspokesperson had said.
Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, chair of the cording to Trillanes.
It turned out Subido is a senior partner
a sub-committee of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that is holding hearings on of the Subido Pagente Certeza Mendoza &
alleged corruption in Makati, said he will Binay Law Office, he said.
Subido is a senior partner of the vice presinvite the vice president anew to respond
ident’s daughter, Makati Rep. Abigail Bito the “serious charges.
Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mer- nay, and Claro Certeza, counsel for Makati
cado said he has proof the Batangas estate Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr., he said.
Greenergy also shares the same address
is owned by the Binay family.
In a PowerPoint presentation at the Senate of the law office on the 3rd floor of Value Point
hearing on Makati’s allegedly overpriced Executive Building, Salcedo Street, Legaspi
carpark building, Sen. Antonio Trillanes Village in Makati.
“If you look at the website, it is agri-tourism,
IV bared Binay’s ties to Tiu and Subido.
To show they were talking of the same yet it has no telephone number. It was really set
farm, Trillanes said Sunchamp’s logo of a up as part of the coverup,’’ Trillanes said.
lagoon jibed with the photos of the farm’s
lagoon presented minutes earlier by Mercado.
The senator said Tiu also set up Greenergy Holdings after supposedly purchasing
Sunchamp and became its president.
Greenergy’s major stockholders are
Earthright, Sunchamp and Three Star
Capital, proof that the originally renewable
PAGE 16
Oct 9, 2014 - Oct 15, 2014
The San Francisco Post