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Can creditors go after your Social Security Income in bankruptcy? YOUR REFUND IS WAITING! FILE YOUR 2014 TAX NOW! Read full article on page 6. See TaxSaversPro ad on page 4 for more details. ENTERTAINMENT Marian Rivera is pregnant- page 13 FREE Trillanes: I’ve witnesses against 2MCA justices VOL. 3 ISSUE 25 VIEW US ONLINE: WWW.FILAMPOST.COM Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday alleged that Court of Appeals Justices Jose Reyes Jr. (inset left) and Francisco Acosta received a P25-million bribe each to stop the Office of the Ombudsman’s suspension of Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. on corruption charges. Trillanes photo from PDI file; Photos of Associate Justices Reyes and Acosta from ca.judiciary.gov.ph Napoles gets life sentence M ANILA, Philippines– was rescued by National “This is God’s jus- Bureau of Investigation tice.” agents, was “credible and Benhur Luy sent this text cohesive.” The court also asked Namessage to the Inquirer poles to pay P50,000 as an after the Makati Regional award of civil indemnity to Trial Court (RTC) on TuesLuy who “suffered anxiday found Janet Lim-Naety and fright a result of poles and her brother Rey- his detention”asand another nald “Jojo” Lim guilty of P50,000 for moral damillegally detaining him and ages. sentenced them to life imNapoles also is facing prisonment, or a jail term plunder charges in connecof up to 40 years. tion with the alleged P10In a 26-page decision, billion racket involving the RTC Branch 150 Judge diversion of congressional Elmo Alameda said Luy’s Priority Development Asnarration of events before sistance Fund (PDAF), or and during his detention pork barrel, to ghost projfrom Dec. 19, 2012, to ects and bogus nongovernMarch 22, 2013, when he ment (Cont. on Page 6 ) ANILA, Philippines–Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV says evidence on alleged corruption in the judiciary is forthcoming. He said in a news conference Wednesday it was up to his informants to decide if they want to turn their world upside down and testify that two Court of Appeals justices allegedly received P25 million each in bribes to stop the suspension of Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. APR 16, 2015 - APR 22, 2015 The senator said he might conduct an executive session to allow his informants relay what they know about the alleged payoff behind closed doors, or have them face individual senators privately. As for the strength of his evidence, he acknowledged that there were usually no paper trail or receipts in bribery, but said he could cite the justices’ previous decisions. (Cont. on Page 6 ) NBI: Magsino killing, killer caught on CCTV recorded the actual shooting of former Inquirer correspondent Melinda “Mei” Magsino which is shown on picture. “The footage showed that the suspect was waiting for Magsino at a street corner near her rented apartment,” Calabarzon NBI head Constantino Joson said. He said Magsino could be seen in the CCTV as she emerged from her rented ANILA, Philippines– apartment and how she was The National Bureau shot in the nape by a gunof Investigation has a copy man whose face was not of closed-circuit televi- covered. sion (CCTV) footage that Joson said (Cont. on Page 2 ) M Download our FREE FIL-AM POST app at iTunes and Google Play Store. See full ad on page 6 PAGE 2 Apr 16, 2015 - Apr 22, 2015 NEWS ROUND-UP Abubakar Esmael is new BIFF chair Abubakar Esmael is the new chair of Daily Inquirer. He did not name the politithe breakaway Moro rebel group, the cians. Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters He said the BIFF’s struggle for indepen(BIFF), after the death of its founding lead- dence would continue despite Kato’s death. er, Ustadz Ameril Umra Kato, on Tuesday. “The BIFF is now stronger than ever even Officials with our leader’s of the BIFF death and the arvoted for rest of some our Esmael as colleagues,” he Kato’s sucsaid. cessor. “We are just Abu Mishere, mergri Mama, ing with the speaking Bangsamoro for the people. We will BIFF, said continue our Esmael got guerrilla attacks a unaniagainst the milimous vote tary, just wait from rank- Emeril Umra Kato (seated) is interviewed by the media in when we strike ing BIFF Maguindanao in this 2011 photo. The new Bangsamoro Is- back,” he said in officers. lamic Freedom Fighters chair, Abubakar Esmael, is said to be Filipino. Mama said the man wearing a BIFF shirt carrying an Armalite rifle near The Armed the voting Kato in many photos taken of the late BIFF founder. Forces of the was done Philippines and through a the Moro Islamphone call because the BIFF leaders were ic Liberation Front now believe that the far away from each other and could not set Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement a meeting in one place immediately. He (BIFM), the political organization founded refused to name the BIFF officers who par- by Kato, and its armed wing, the BIFF, will ticipated in the voting. slowly break down after the death of Kato. “He (Esmael) is very quiet, very Islamic Ustadz Ameril Umra Kato died due to carand commands respect not only from our diac arrest in Guindulungan town in Magumembers but also from political leaders in indanao on Tuesday. the province,” Mama told the Philippine U.S. economy still on track for best year since 2005 The U.S. economy should manage growth of 3% or more in 2015 despite a poor start to the year, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday. Official data for the first quarter will be released April 29, and forecasters are marking down their numbers due to weak spending by consumers and businesses. The IMF cut its forecast for U.S. GDP growth in 2015 to 3.1%, from 3.6% in January. But that’s still much better than 2014, when the economy grew by 2.4%. Low oil prices should begin to feed through to consumer spending, the IMF said, and even a gradual rise in interest rates and the strong dollar shouldn’t prevent the U.S. from turning in its best performance since 2005. “For the U.S. the strong dollar is good but it slows down spending,” said Olivier Blanchard, chief economist at the IMF. “But the U.S. has the tools to respond to it if the economy were to slow down. They could ... increase interest rates later, or may be able to use fiscal [stimulus].” The flip side of a strong dollar is a weak euro and yen, which have lost about 25% and 10% of their value respectively since the start of 2014. That should support the tentative recoveries in Europe and Japan. The IMF raised its forecast for eurozone growth to 1.5%, compared with 1.2% in January, and for Japan to 1%. Central banks in both economies are pumping vast quantities of cheap money into their banking systems to stimulate demand. At 3.5%, the IMF’s global growth projection is unchanged since its last update and just a shade stronger than 2014. High levels of debt -- public, household, or corporate -- continue to act as a brake on the world economy. “Financial crises leave long scars,” said Blanchard. “In most countries there is one of these things that is not right, there is a level of debt that is too high.” Advanced economies will make up for slower growth in most of the major emerging markets. China’s growth will slow to 6.8% from 7.4% last year. But India should power ahead with growth of 7.5% in 2015, according to the IMF. FIL-AM POST SF Bay Area care home must pay $101K in back wages to 14 workers SAN FRANCISCO – A care home with three assisted living facilities in Hayward, across the bay from here, must fork over $101,000 in back wages and damages to 14 caregivers for violating the fair labor law. The Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division found that the three Escueta Care Home facilities at 1873 West Street, 1889 West Street and 23571 Ronald Lane, in Hayward violated the Fair Labor Standards Act. The care home failed to pay time-and-onehalf for hours worked beyond 40 hours in a workweek. Instead, Escueta Care Home paid the caregivers straight time for all their hours, in violation of the law. Investigators from the Wage and Hour Division’s San Jose Area Office established that 14 caregivers working at the three different locations were owed $50,666 in unpaid overtime wages and an additional $50,666 in damages. Escueta Care Home has agreed to pay all the back wages due and the assessed damages. “We continue to see widespread violations in an industry where unscrupulous employers are cheating their workers of their basic employment rights,” said Susana Blanco, the division’s district director in San Francisco. These employees, who provide care to the most vulnerable, the elderly and the ill, deserve better. The Wage Hour Division will continue to assist both employers and employees and will not hesitate to enforce the workers’ rights to receive legally mandated compensation for all of the hours they work,” Blanco added. Sugar: Poison for Your Heart When I was growing up, families ate their meals together, dining on plates of fresh food. Candy and sweets were doled out only occasionally as a special treat. Those days are gone. Today, people eat desserts with almost every meal. They also grab candy bars when they’re hungry, and wash down most of their food with sweetened soft drinks. As a result, sugar consumption has gone through the roof. And that’s a recipe for disaster. Today, we’re fatter than ever before in this country, more of us are getting diabetes, and we’re grappling with an ever-growing array of dangerous chronic diseases. What’s the culprit? For years, government health officials have pointed the finger at cholesterol and saturated fat, with nary a word about sugar. This is about to change. Government officials are preparing a report that will come down hard on our country’s sugar consumption. Three Ways Sugar Wrecks Your Heart Simply put, sugar is a carbohydrate. There are many different types of specialty sugars, such as those for baking, cooking, decorating, and other specific purposes. But all of them are basically different forms of glucose, a substance that occurs naturally in plants and fruits. There is a well-rooted myth that refined sugar — the kind you keep in your sugar bowl — is the worst type, and that there is something inherently better about raw sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup, and others. But it’s not true. Sugar is sugar. And all sugar is a source of empty calories. The best that can be said for those other forms of sugar is that you can safely use them in smaller amounts. So if you want something sweet, they are better than refined sugar. But watch your portions. Sugar Damages Your Brain Sugar harms not only your heart, it may also be poison for your brain. Researchers are learning that sugar clouds thinking not only in the short term, but in the long term as well. For instance, they found that people age 70 and older who consumed excess sugar had four times the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to dementia. But those who ate a balanced, healthy diet were at significantly lesser risk according to the study which was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. This leads, of course, to the big question: Is sugar helping to fuel the Alzheimer’s disease epidemic? Unfortunately, we don’t know the answer yet. But there is reason for concern. What if you just sprinkle a little sugar on your cereal, or maybe add some to your tea or coffee? What’s the harm in that? Quite a lot, it turns out. -Dr. C. Crandall (Cont. from page 1... NBI: MAGSINO) that at this time they could still not establish the motive of the killing but he said what is certain was the killer was a hired gun. Joson said the personal belongings of Magsino were given to the NBI by her family. He said the NBI had interviewed witnesses of the shooting but most of them declined to give an official statement. Joson said Magsino’s family maintained that she was killed because of her exposés on alleged irregularities in the local government of Bauan town in Batangas rather than the love triangle angle being floated by people who could have something to do with her death. The NBI has started the forensic examination of the cell phone and laptop of Magsino, according to the bureau’s computer division head. “We are retrieving deleted messages and calls for investigators to analyze the data,” NBI-Cybercrime head agent Ronald Aguto Jr. told the Inquirer. Aguto said that based on the contents of the cell phone and the laptop, investigators could determine who could be the mastermind of the journalist’s death. “It would give investigators an idea of her activities that could provide leads,” Aguto said. At the Senate, Sen. Ralph Recto on Wednesday urged the government to create a fund for information that would lead to the capture of the killers of Magsino, adding that he was donating P100,000 to the fund. Recto, who is married to Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos, joined those who had condemned Magsino’s killing and called on law enforcers to immediately bring justice for her death. The government should also end the impunity surrounding the killings of journalists, he said. Magsino, 40, was shot dead a few meters from her apartment in Batangas City on Monday. Police are looking at several possible motives for the killing. WANTED PARALEGAL -One Year experience in Employment Based Petition -One Year experience in writing legal briefs Salary commensurate with experience. Send resume to: [email protected] IMMIGRATION FIL-AM POST PAGE 3 Apr 16, 2015 - Apr 22, 2015 Aliens in removal proceedings or has been deported may qualify for DACA O n June 6, 2014, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the renewal process for hundreds of thousands of young non-citizens who received a grant of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Renewal of DACA ensures current DACA holders will continue to be safe from deportation for another two-year period. In addition, they will continue to have work authorization and to be eligible to receive a social security number, and, in nearly every state, a driver’s license. Q. Does this process apply to me if I am currently in removal proceedings, have a final removal order, or have a voluntary departure order? A. This process is open to any individual who can demonstrate he or she meets the guidelines for consideration, including those who have never been in removal proceedings as well as those in removal proceedings, with a final order, or with a voluntary departure order (as long as they are not in immigration detention). If you are not in immigration detention and want to affirmatively request consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals, you must submit your request to USCIS – not ICE – pursuant to the procedures outlined below. If you are currently in immigration detention and believe you meet the guidelines you should not request consideration of deferred action from USCIS but should identify yourself to your detention officer or contact the ICE Office of the Public Advocate through the Office’s hotline at 1-888-351-4024. Q: What is deferred action? A: Deferred action is a discretionary determination to defer a removal action of an individual as an act of prosecutorial discretion. For purposes of future inadmissibility based upon unlawful presence, an individual whose case has been deferred is not considered to be unlawfully present during the period in which deferred action is in effect. An individual who has received deferred action is authorized by DHS to be present in the United States, and is therefore considered by DHS to be lawfully present during the period deferred action is in effect. However, deferred action does not confer lawful status upon an individual, nor does it excuse any previous or subsequent periods of unlawful presence. Q: What is DACA? A: On June 15, 2012, the Secretary of Homeland Security announced that certain people who came to the By Atty. Crispin C. Lozano bassy. The alien subseUnited States as children quently get a green card and meet several key guidelines may re- from a petition by her mother. She could quest consideration of deferred action for a not naturalize unless a waiver of misrepreperiod of two years, subject to renewal, and sentation is granted. With the waiver she is would then be eligible for work authoriza- now qualified for naturalization. tion. 3. On March 10, 2015, we received an apIndividuals who can demonstrate through proval from USCIS for an adjustment of verifiable documentation that they meet status for SAME SEX MARRIAGE. these guidelines will be considered for de- 4. On February 18, 2015, we received an ferred action. Determinations will be made approval by USCIS of green card based on on a case-by-case basis under the DACA self petition by an abused spouse. Her miguidelines. nor children are now qualified to immigrate based on this approval. Q uestion: Is there an age requirement for DACA renewal? nswer: No one with DACA will be too old to renew – indeed, as previously explained, it is impossible to age-out of the DACA program. A Q: Are all DACA recipients eligible to renew? A: USCIS has made clear that individuals who initially qualified for DACA will be eligible to renew unless they engaged in certain criminal activity, departed the country without the government’s permission, or stopped residing in the United States. Q: If the recipient has stopped going to school, will he still be eligible for renewal? A: Individuals enrolled in school at the time of their initial application will not be disqualified if they had to stop attending to see to other life responsibilities. Q: Can those seeking DACA grant for the first time still apply? A: Despite the excitement around renewal, the 1.15 million potential DACA applicants who have not yet filed an initial application should not mistakenly conclude that the application period has ended. Indeed, the agency continues to accept roughly 10,000 new applications each month. Initial registration remains open. SUCCESS STORIES 1. On April 10, 2015, we received an approval of immigrant visa for a client who originally confessed marriage is for immigration benefits only but later on had a serious relationship with petitioner. 2. On March 30, 2015, we received an approval from the Immigration Judge for a waiver of misrepresentation involving marriage fraud that happened at the U.S. Em- 5. On February 10, 2015, we receive an approval of green card for a client who entered without inspection. We first sought an advance parole with USCIS so that she can travel to her country legally and come back to the U.S. 6. On January 20, 2015, we received an approval of immigrant visa under the Provisional Waiver program for a seaman client. She successfully arrived to the U.S. without problem. 7. On January 7, 2015, we received an approval of adjustment of status from USCIS for a client who entered without inspection but reentered on a parole visa. Parole visa became the basis of legal entry to allow for adjustment of status. 8. On January 5, 2015, we received two approvals of I-601A waiver under the Provisional Waiver Program. 9. On December 17, 2014, we received an approval from USCIS of a green card under the Violence against Women Act. 10. On December 16, 2014, we received an approval of DACA for an alien who has a final order of removal. 11. On December 11, 2014, we received an approval of immigrant visa for an alien who entered the U.S. as a seaman under Provisional Waiver Program. OPINION Is Mohagher Iqbal a Malaysian? ow can you trust Ferrrer drew snickers when she produced a peso bill H anybody hiding bearing the signature of President Joseph Ejercito Esbehind an alias? Alias trada, which she said is an alias. And Senate President Mohagher Iqbal refuses to reveal his real name to senators who would have to pass the controversial Bangsamoro Basic Law. If the BBL is so important to him, why As I See It doesn’t he show sinceriby Neal H. Cruz ty and tell the truth about his name to the senators? If you are concluding a contract with somebody, would you trust him if he uses an alias? Iqbal said that is his revolutionary nom de guerre for security reasons. But how can the alias provide him with security when everybody knows how he looks like, considering that his pictures and video clips appear almost daily in newspapers and on television? Some observers suspect the reason is that he is not really a Filipino but a Malaysian, and telling the senators his real name would reveal that. Iqbal said he carries a Filipino passport. If true, then his real name must be on the passport because the government does not issue passports to people using an alias and in fact goes to great lengths to determine the passport holder’s identity. Since Iqbal will surely not show his passport, why does the Senate not subpoena the records of the Department of Foreign Affairs, where his true name should be? What is shocking is that the two government representatives in the peace talks, Secretary Ging Deles and Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, are helping Iqbal hide his identity. Who are they really representing, the Philippine government or the MILF? Franklin Drilon said two senators, Jinggoy Estrada (real name: Jose Pimentel Ejercito Jr.) and Bong Revilla (real name: Jose Marie Mortel Bautista) are using aliases. But it is different with show biz people. It is standard practice among them to use names that would be more attractive to moviegoers. They are known by those names everywhere but they sign their true names on documents. Unlike Iqbal, however, they are not hiding their true identity. They just want their screen names to be more attractive to fans. This is true also with Hollywood stars. In the case of President Joseph Estrada, he just added Estrada to his real surname of Ejercito, and he is known by that name everywhere. In fact, he is better known by his nickname “Erap.” He is not hiding behind an alias. Iqbal, on the other hand, is hiding his real name and signs official documents with his alias. Which puts in doubt the legality and validity of the documents he signed because there is a law that prohibits signing official documents with an alias. And certainly, using an alias in such an important document as the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro does not inspire trust. But that does not bother our peace negotiators Deles and Ferrer. They should be the first to demand the true identities of their counterparts in the MILF, but they conspire to hide these identities instead. It turns out that not only is Iqbal using an alias but most of the MILF peace panelists and our representatives also know it but did not do anything about it. Our representatives have revealed their true colors. They are really on the side of the MILF. Isn’t it time that they were replaced with others more trustworthy? 12. 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. 13. 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. 14. On September 9, 2014, we received an approval from Immigration Court of adjustment of status for a client who was previously denied an asylum. 15. On September 8, 2014, we received an approval from USCIS of Form I-601A provisional waiver for two clients. 16. On September 5, 2014, we received an approval from USCIS for Fiancée visa based on same sex petition. 17. On September 4, 2014, we received an approval of DACA for a client who has problem in her birth certificate. 18. On August 28, 2014, we received an approval of green card based on spousal abuse. 19. On August 25, 2014, we received an approval of green card based on same sex marriage with big age difference. 20. 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. 21. 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 1-877456-9266. Email questions to [email protected]/. Visit our website at www.crispinlozanolaw.com. PAGE 4 Apr 16, 2015 - Apr 22, 2015 FIL-AM POST FIL-AM POST PAGE 5 Apr 16, 2015 - Apr 22, 2015 PAGE 6 Apr 16, 2015 - Apr 22, 2015 FINANCE CORNER BANKRUPTCY TAX Q & A IRS FBAR Reference Guide Part 1 T he Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) gave the Department of Treasury authority to collect inforby: Alvin C. Maglan, CPA mation from United States persons who have financial interests in or signature authority over financial accounts maintained with financial institutions located outside of the United States. This provision of the BSA requires that a FinCEN Form 114, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) be filed if the aggregate maximum values of the foreign financial accounts exceed $10,000 at any time during the calendar year. FinCEN Form 114 supersedes Treasury Form TD F 90-22.1 and is available online only through the BSA E-Filing System. In April, 2003, the Financial Crimes and Enforcement Network (FinCEN) delegated enforcement authority regarding the FBAR to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS is now responsible for: - Investigating possible civil violations; - Assessing and collecting civil penalties; and - Issuing administrative rulings. Purpose of the FBAR Overseas financial accounts are maintained by U.S. persons for a variety of legitimate reasons, including convenience and access. The FBAR is required because foreign financial institutions may not be subject to the same reporting requirements as domestic financial institutions. The FBAR is also a tool used by the United States government to identify persons who may be using foreign financial accounts to circumvent United States law. Information contained in FBARs can be used to identify or trace funds used for illicit purposes or to identify unreported income maintained or generated abroad. Who Must File the FBAR? A United States person must file an FBAR if that person has a financial interest in or signature authority over any financial account(s) outside of the United States and the aggregate maximum value of the account(s) exceeds $10,000 at any time during the calendar year. Who is a United States Person? A “United States person” means: - A citizen or resident of the United States; - An entity created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United States. The term “entity” includes but is not limited to, a corporation, partnership, and limited liability company; - A trust formed under the laws of the United States; or - An estate formed under the laws of the United States. Disregarded Entities: Entities that are United States persons and are disregarded for tax purposes may be required to file an FBAR. The federal tax treatment of an entity does not affect the entity’s requirement to file an FBAR. FBARs are required under a Bank Secrecy Act provision of Title 31 and not under any provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Financial account includes the following types of accounts: - Bank accounts such as savings accounts, checking accounts, and time deposits, - Securities accounts such as brokerage accounts and securities derivatives or other financial instruments accounts, - Commodity futures or options accounts, - Insurance policies with a cash value (such as a whole life insurance policy), - Mutual funds or similar pooled funds (i.e., a fund that is available to the general public with a regular net asset value determination and regular redemptions), - Any other accounts maintained in a foreign financial institution or with a person performing the services of a financial institution. This article will be continued on the next issue. Alvin Maglan is a CPA licensed in California. After working for SyCip, Gorres, Velayo and Company, he emigrated to California and had varied experiences as an audit manager of a regional accounting firm, an internal auditor and controller of Dole, Inc., a fortune 500 company and three decades experiences as a tax consultant for various individuals, professionals, small business firms, corporations, partnerships, and other non-profit entities. You may contact him @510 432 7438 for your tax problems. You may e-mail tax questions @ [email protected]. FIL-AM POST Can creditors go after your Social Security Income in bankruptcy? f you file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, your there are legal complications involved. Iempt, ongoing social security income are exuestion: What are exempt and nonwhich means you keep them. Social Qexempt properties? security payments you received before you nswer: Exempt property is property file for bankruptcy are also exempt, with one important exception. If you comingled (mixed) the social security money with other money, you may lose the exemption. Income from the Social Security is protected and is not included in the Means Test calculation to qualify for bankruptcy. The Ninth Circuit held that “Congress’s adoption of the BAPCPA forecloses a court’s consideration of a debtor’s Social Security income or a debtor’s payments to secured creditors as part of the inquiry into good faith under 11 U.S.C. § 1325(a).” Drummond v. Welsh (In re Welsh), No. 1260009 (9th Cir. March 25, 2013). Thus, the court in Suttice was “persuaded that Congress intended social security benefits to be protected from inclusion in a § 707(b) (3)(B) analysis, based upon § 407(a) of the Social Security Act and as shown by the Debtors’ social security income being definitively excluded from the means test of § 707(b)(2).” Therefore, while the means test was not found to have supplanted the totality of circumstance test, social security income could not be considered under the analysis. uestion: How much property can I keep if I file bankruptcy? nswer: Most personal properties are exempt from being taken by the creditors if you filebankruptcy. This includes retirement accounts and social security income. If you are filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you keep everything because you are repaying your debts. This includes your house and vehicle if you can keep up with the payments. In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, most of your assets may be protected through the California bankruptcy exemptions. uestion: What would happen to my personal property during bankruptcy process? nswer: Most personal property such as cash, bank accounts, furniture, clothes, and retirement plans can be protected by exemptions allowed by each state. Most people that file bankruptcy are allowed to keep most, if not all, of their personal property. uestion: How could I determine which exemptions apply to protect my assets? nswer: To determine which exemptions apply to your property it is best to consult a bankruptcy attorney because Q A Q A Q A A that someone can keep if he filed for bankruptcy. Non-exempt property is what can be seized and sold by creditors or the bankruptcy trustee to pay debts that are owed by the person filing bankruptcy. uestion: Can I give up or surrender my house and car in bankruptcy if I don’t want to keep it? nswer: You can surrender your house and car in either a Chapter 7 bankruptcy or Chapter 13 bankruptcy if you can no longer afford to make payments. If you are in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, surrendering your house and car will not automatically lower your Chapter 13 bankruptcy payments. You should contact your attorney to discuss what options are available to you. Q A ankruptcy Basics B 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. (1-877-456-9266. Email: crispinlozano@ gmail.com/. ) (Cont. from page 1... TRILLANES: I’VE WITNESSED) turning their backs on their old world,” he said. We can show the pattern of behavior, the The Binay camp disTROs, the frequency, the flip-flopping de- missed Trillanes’ claims as nothing more cisions, we will show all these. We will than “political striptease.” comb through their previous decisions,” A day after he filed a resolution calling on Trillanes said. the Senate to investigate Reyes and Acosta, But Trillanes stressed that the previous Trillanes said that he had “validated” the rulings of Justices Jose Reyes Jr. and Fran- information given to him—that the two cisco Acosta of the CA’s three-member justices each received P20 million for the Sixth Division could establish a pattern of CA’s decision to issue a temporary restrainwrongful behavior even if his witnesses ing order (TRO) on the 60-day suspension order of the Office of the Ombudsman on decide not to reveal their identities. “Ultimately, it’s their decision because it Binay while it conducts an investigation could change their lives. We will provide into allegations in the overpriced Makati them with all the protection that is needed. City Hall Building II. The resolution, likewise, said both Reyes But still, it’s their lives, especially if they live in that world. If you take them out, and Acosta received additional bribes of where will they go?” he said in an inter- P5 million each when they subsequently issued an injunction against the Ombudsview with reporters. Asked if his sources’ main concern was man, the Department of Justice and the retaliation from the Binay camp, he said Department of the Interior and Local Govthis was just part of it. “After that, their ernment for refusing to recognize the CA’s world would be changed. They would be TRO. (Cont. from page 1... NAPOLES GETS) organizations (NGOs). Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. are detained for their alleged involvement in the PDAF scam. Napoles, who came to the courtroom under heavy guard, held hands with her lawyer, Bruce Rivera, as the decision was read. At times she was seen conversing with her lawyer. She showed no emotion upon hearing the guilty verdict. Rivera later told reporters that he “kind of expected” the decision. “We weren’t surprised because we felt that this is not an ordinary case,” he said, noting that there was “public interest” involved. He said he planned to appeal the decision. In August 2013, Luy accused Napoles, a cousin, and her brother of illegally detaining him at Bahay ni San Jose and at the South Garden Pacific Towers in Taguig City, a Catholic retreat house in Magallanes Village, Makati City, after they reportedly found out that Luy was having separate business transactions allegedly involving the PDAF. Napoles claimed that Luy had volunteered to go on a three-month spiritual retreat and that he was not detained against his will. Alameda said in his decision that the prosecution was able to establish that Luy was illegally held captive for three months. SHOWBIZ FIL-AM POST Marian Rivera is pregnant My husband admitted he once had an affair—Vilma Santos Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto revealed on Monday her husband, Senator Ralph Recto, once had an affair with another woman. Santos-Recto, in an interview on Winnie Monsod’s “Bawal ang Pasaway” aired Monday night on GMA News TV, said the senator admitted to her about his infidelity. “Tinanong ko, totoo ba itong ganyan-gan- yan?’ Sabi niya, ‘Totoo,’ (I asked him, ‘is it true?’ And he said it was true),” she said. Santos-Recto said they had an agreement that if such problem ensued, Senator Recto should just admit about his pecadillo rather than her discovering it from other people. Santos-Recto said she has forgiven her husband, who she revealed was crying when he said sorry to her. “O, sige. Next time, be careful. I told him,” said Santos-Recto. She said she told him being married to a show-biz personality like her, people would easily recognize if he’s dating another woman and the news would easily spread and reach her. “I’d know it at once,” she said. When asked about the possibility of her husband siring an illegitimate child, SantosRecto said there could be none. “Siguro naman kung mayroon, lumabas na iyon, ‘di ba? (I think if there’s one, he or she should have come out in the open already, right?)” Santos-Recto told Monsod. Santos-Recto also recounted Recto was only 21 years old when they met. Breakup of Gerald Anderson and Maja Salvador MANILA, Philippines – Actor Gerald Anderson spoke to reporters about his relationship with Maja Salvador at a press conference for his new show Nathaniel. “We are taking a break muna sa relationship namin,” he said, as reported by Pep. “Okay kami (We are okay), we are on very good terms and nag-uusap kami together. We’re taking this step together.” The actor thanked his fans for the support, but at the same time asked for privacy regarding this matter. “I just wanna say thank you sa fans namin (to our fans) who were always there – sa friends, family namin. All we ask right now is please respect our privacy, and please respect her [Maja].” He also specified that he didn’t want to divulge any more details other than what PAGE 7 Apr 16, 2015 - Apr 22, 2015 he said. In the Tuesday, April 14 episode of Aquino and Abunda Tonight, host Boy Abunda revealed that the couple have been broken up for two months now, but decided to keep mum out of respect. “Gerald, if you’re watching, I just want you to know na ginagalang namin kayo, minahal namin kayo kasi alam namin na magkahiwalay kayo ni Maja mga 7 weeks, almost two months na.” (Gerald, if you’re watching, I just want you to know that we respect you and we love you because we know that you and Maja have been broken up for 7 weeks – almost two months now.) Boy also said that whenever Maja wants to tell her side of the story, the show will welcome her with open arms. Breakup rumors surfaced when the two reportedly went on separate vacations during the Holy Week season. Maja was in Bali with friends, while Gerald was in Subic with friend and fellow actor Rayver Cruz, according to a recent report. MANILA, Philippines – After days of being mum about the issue, Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes finally confirmed that they are having a baby. The couple announced the news in an interview with on GMA-7’s news program “24 Oras” on Monday. “Gusto namin sabi na nagbunga yung aming pagmamahalan at nabiyayaan kami ng Panginoon ng isa sa pinakamagandang regalo na pwedeng ibigay and that’s the gift of life,” Dingdong said. “Yun din ang isa sa mga dahilan kaya kami nagpursiging magpakasal; it’s too really build a family. And alam naman natin an ang pagkakaroon ng anak ay isa sa mga mahahalagang bagay para magkaroon ng isang pamilya,” he said Dingdong added, “So magmula noon, pinagdasal namin na kung ibigay sa amin, ibibigay po sa tamang panahon.” Asked if they would want a girl or a boy for their first born, Dingdong said: “With regards to the gender, kumbaga one step at a time.” “Ngayon, nagpapasalamat kami na may biyaya kami ng isang buhay. So siguro okay na kami kahit anong ibigay sa amin,” he further said. “Tuwing maguusap kami, parang sobrang emotional ko. Isa ito sa mga pangarap ko na gusto kong mangyari sa buhay ko, ang maging isang mommy. So ibinigay siya sa amin,” Marian said. The GMA-7 actor also confirmed the news in a post on his Instagram account. “We are extremely grateful because the greatest gift called life has already been bestowed upon us by God. In behalf of my wife, and our coming baby, we thank all those who prayed for, and with us. Faith really has its way of fulfilling lifelong dreams,” he said. Speculations that Marian is pregnant surfaced last week following the actress posted a photo of San Agustin Church with the caption, “Thank you Lord.” Fans of the GMA-7 star took it as a confirmation of her pregnancy. Marian and Dingdong tied the knot last December. In previous interviews after their wedding, the actress admitted being ready to having a baby. Empress Schuck confirms she is pregnant MANILA, Philippines – Actress Empress Schuck confirmed her pregnancy on the April 11 episode of Startalk. “Kasama ko yung boyfriend ko nun. Tapos may feeling na talaga ako. So I took a test, so ayun. Nalaman namin na magkakababy na kami.” she said. (I was with my boyfriend that time, and I already had a feeling [that I was pregnant]. So I took the [pregnancy] test, and there. We knew that we were going to have a baby.) She also opened up about her boyfriend. “His name is Vino. He’s a family friend, non-showbiz. We’ve been together for a year now.” Empress is 3 months pregnant. Rumors about her pregnancy have already been circulating, with social media users commenting on the issue on Empress’ various Instagram posts. Empress Schuck and her boyfriend Vno Guingona CL ASSIFIED ADS PROPERTY JOBS JOBS PH Income Properties for Sale /BO CAREGIVERS NEEDED: WANTED 1. 4 Apartment Units, House and Lot (Furnished) Greenville Subdivision, San Fernando City, Pampanga 2. 2 Story Commerical Building Hi-Way Sta. Ana Pampanga 3. 1.6 Hectares- Agricultural Land For more info, contact Eddie at (415) 349-8127 or email [email protected] Assist in personal care of elderly. $10/ hr. Send resumes: Rainbow Bright Adult Residential Facility 29 Duval Dr. South SF, CA 94080 or email [email protected] SPECIAL NEED CHILD CAREGIVER A family is looking for a child caregiver to help a physical disabled 20 months toddler in Milpitas, Ca. Help on providing home theraphy and baby’s daily life. Light House Keeping. Private room provided. Call (408)658-8898 Get the latest news from your iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets! Download our FREE FIL-AM POST app at iTunes and Google Play Store. JOBS JOBS NOW HIRING CAREGIVERS ROVING AGENTS FOR TELECOM ARE YOU LOOKING FOR EXTRA INCOME? DO YOU WANT BIG COMMISSION PLUS INCENTIVES? Preferably with experience in Telecom industry. CALL US AT 510.925.7088 NEEDED: Live-in for RCFE on Mendocino Coast $9-$10/hour based on experience plus overtime 38281 South Highway 1, Gualala, CA 95445 Call (707)884-4061 HOW TO PLACE AN AD IN FIL-AM POST: BY PHONE: BY EMAIL: 1-855-454-7678 [email protected] Please have this info ready: Company Name, Contact Person, Contact Numbers & Complete Address. Please include Company Name, Contact Person, Contact Numbers & Complete Address. Artwork should be attached. PAGE 8 Apr 16, 2015 - Apr 22, 2015 FIL-AM POST