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NATIONAL
page 12
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taxpayer No tycoon
among Top 10 on
Forbes list page 10
VOL. 1. ISSUE 12
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APRIL 18, 2013- APRIL 24, 2013
Boston Bombing: Act of Terror
FREE
PROUD MEMBER
responsible for this despicable crime.”
President Barack Obama branded
the attack an act of terrorism but said
officials don’t know “whether it was
planned and executed by a terrorist organization, foreign or domestic, or was
the act of a malevolent individual.”
Scores of victims remained in hospitals, many with grievous injuries, a day
after the twin explosions near the marathon’s finish line killed three people,
wounded more than 170 and reawakened fears of terrorism. A 9-year-old
girl and 10-year-old boy were among
17 victims listed in critical condition.
Heightening jitters in Washington, where security already had been
tightened after the bombing, a letter
addressed to a senator and poisoned
with ricin or a similarly toxic substance was intercepted at a mail facility outside the capital, lawmakers said.
F
EDERAL agents zeroed in Tuesday on
how the Boston Marathon bombing was
carried out — with a piece of circuit board,
kitchen pressure cookers packed with explosives, nails and other lethal shrapnel — but
said they still didn’t know who did it and why.
An intelligence bulletin issued to law
enforcement and released late Tuesday included a picture of a mangled
pressure cooker and a torn black back
pack the FBI said were part of a bomb.
A person close to the investigation pre-
viously told Associated Press the bombs
consisted of explosives put in 1.6-gallon
pressure cookers, one with shards of metal and ball bearings, the other with nails.
The FBI and other law enforcement agencies repeatedly pleaded for members of the
public to come forward with photos, videos or
anything suspicious they might have seen or
heard. “The range of suspects and motives remains wide open,” Richard DesLauriers, FBI
agent in charge in Boston, said at a news conference. He vowed to “go to the ends of the
Earth to identify the subject or subjects who are
Senate bill puts 11 million
immigrants to legal status
A
bipartisan Senate bill on immigration
would put the 11 million immigrants
in the country illegally on a 13-year path to
U.S. citizenship that would cost $2,000 in
fines and more than that in fees, and would
begin only once steps have been taken to
secure the border, according to an outline
of the measure released Monday.
The sweeping legislation, which could
be released by Wednesday, also would remake the nation’s inefficient legal immigration system, creating new immigration
opportunities for tens of thousands of highand low-skilled workers, as well as a new
“merit visa” aimed at people with talents
to bring to the U.S. as well as employment
or family ties.
Employers would face tough new requirements to check the legal status of all workers. The bill would institute a fundamental
shift in an immigration system long focused on family ties, placing more importance on prospec(Cont. on Page 15)
tive immigrants’
There was no immediate indication the episode was related to the Boston attack. Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid said the letter was sent to Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, of Mississippi.
Officials found that the bombs in Boston consisted of explosives put in ordinary 1.6-gallon
pressure cookers, one with shards of metal
and ball bearings, the other with nails, according to a person close to the investigation who
spoke on condition of
(Cont. on Page 5)
INSIDE POST
Japan carmakers recall
3.4 million vehicles for
airbag flaw - page 2
Dedon Island: Back to the
land that time forgot
- page 13
USD to PHP Rate
$1.00 = P41.23
as of April 17, 2013
Analysis: Beijing to US on NKorea talk with Pyongyang
mbedded within Chinese leaders’ con- ing to side against its prickly communist
E
voluted, yet vague statements to Wash- ally Pyongyang.
ington about North Korea is a simple mesBut while neither side offered
sage: Talk with Pyongyang.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s weekend discussions with officials in
Beijing offered up the usual encouraging
but familiarly noncommittal language on
North Korea, emphasizing Beijing’s desire
to strike a balance between easing tensions
on the Korean Peninsula while not appear-
details of their exchanges, Beijing is communicating its strong desire for some form
of direct contact between the U.S. and
North Korea as a means of defusing the
ongoing crisis over North Korea’s nuclear
threats that have prompted a massive show
of force by the U.S.
(Cont. on Page 7)
and South Korea.
NATIONAL
PAGE 2
April 18, 2013 - April 24, 2013
The San Francisco Post
Times Up: US, China ties to nuke-free NKorea
C
ALLOUSED by threats from North A constructive partnership that is based on
Korea, the U.S. and China agreed Sat- mutual interest benefits everybody in the
urday to rid the bellicose nation of nuclear world.”
weapons in a test of whether the world
Kerry met with the new Chinese leaders
powers can shelve years of rivalry and to discuss a range of issues, most notably
discord, and unite in fostering
global stability.
Beyond this latest attempt to
restrain North Korea, the burgeoning nuclear crisis has so
frustrated the U.S. and China
that they are forming a new and
tentative bond with the potential to carry over into areas that
have vexed them for decades.
But they will need to overcome the longstanding prickly
relations between Beijing’s
communist government and
Washington’s free-market de- South Korean reports say North Korea has moved a second
mocracy. The two are econom- missile and loaded it onto a mobile launch vehicle.
ic competitors, and China is far
more reluctant than the U.S. to intervene in the persistent and increasingly pitched
international military conflicts.
threats that North Korea has issued against
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sat- the U.S., South Korea and Japan the over
urday described a “synergy” between the the past several months.
two countries to achieve worldwide secuNorth Korea appears to be readying a misrity and economic stability.
sile test, in what the U.S. says would be its
“We have a stake in China’s success. And third since December, and there are varyfrankly, China has a stake in the success ing opinions in Washington as to whether
of the United States,” Kerry told reporters the North is able to develop and launch
in the Chinese capital. “And that became nuclear-tipped missiles.
clear in all of our conversations here today.
One U.S. intelligence assessment sug-
Pope tells priests:
practice what you preach
R
OME – Pope Francis told priests on Sunday to practice what they preach, saying the church’s credibility
was on the line.
During a Mass to formally take possession of one of the
Vatican basilicas in Rome, Francis said ordinary Catholics
need to
“see in
our actions
w h a t
t h e y
h e a r
f r o m
o u r
lips.”
Francis has
made
himself
an example
of
a
m o r e
humble
a n d
frugal
church
by refusing
many of
the trappings
of the
papacy,
living in
the Vatican hotel rather than
the Apostolic
P a l ace and
wearing
a simple
white
cassock
of the papacy rather than fancy vestments and capes for
formal occasions that his predecessors wore.
“Inconsistency on the part of pastors and the faithful between what they say and what they do, between word and
manner of life, is undermining the church’s credibility,”
he said.
Toward that end, Francis on Saturday took the first step
toward following through on calls from cardinals that the
Vatican be more responsive to the needs of the church
on the ground, creating a group of eight cardinals from
around the globe to advise him on running the church and
gested North Korea had the capacity to put
“China is firmly committed to upholding
a nuclear warhead on a missile, even if any peace and stability and advancing the desuch weapon would have low reliability.
nuclearization process on the Korean penKerry and the Chinese foreign policy chief, insula,” Yang told reporters. “We maintain
State Councilor Yang Jiechi, said the two that the issue should be handled and renations would work together to create a solved peacefully through dialogue. ... To
nuclear-free
properly address the Korean
Korean peninnuclear issue serves the intersula, effectively
ests of all parties.”
forcing North
But Kerry made clear that
Korea to give
the U.S. would keep close
up its arsenal.
watch on how China continThe reclusive
ues to deal with North Korea
North Korean
“to make sure that this is not
government and
rhetoric, but that it is real poliits young leadcy that is being implemented.”
er, Kim Jong
North Korea was but one issue
Un, are more
that was high on the priority
likely to listen
list of discussions, Kerry said.
to China, its
China and the U.S. have the
main economic
two most powerful economies
and diplomatic
and are two of the largest enpartner and lifeergy users. They agreed to
line to the out- Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, poses hold high-level talks on cliU.S. Secretary of State John Kerry
side world, than with
before their meeting at the Great Hall of mate change and to ease busianyone else.
the People in Beijing Saturday, April 13, ness investment cooperation.
Yang, through 2013.
Kerry also raised the posan interpreter,
sibility of scaling back Amerdescribed Chiica’s military presence in the
na’s stance on North Korea as “clear cut” Asia-Pacific region once the Korean nuand called for resuming the six-nation talks clear crisis is resolved. Beijing has been
that fell apart four years ago and are aimed disgruntled about U.S. missile defense sysat ending the nuclear threat.
tems in China’s backyard. AP
Japan carmakers recall 3.4 million vehicles for airbag flaw
A
FTER a few weeks of vehicle
recalls from other Asian and
U.S carmakers, this time- four Japanese automakers, including Toyota
Motor Corp and Nissan Motor Co,
are recalling 3.4 million vehicles
sold around the world because airbags supplied by Takata Corp are at
risk of catching fire or injuring passengers.
The move announced on
Thursday is the largest recall ever
for airbags made by Takata, the
world’s second-largest supplier
of airbags and seatbelts. Shares of
Takata, which first learned of the
issue in October 2011, tumbled almost 10 percent in Tokyo trading.
The recall, also including vehicles from Honda Motor
Co Ltd and Mazda Motor Corp,
is the largest since Toyota pulled
back more than 7 million vehicles
in October to repair faulty power
window switches. The scale of the
recent safety actions underscores
the risk of huge global supply chain
problems as automakers increasingly rely on a handful of suppliers
for common or similar parts to cut
costs, analysts have said.
Toyota, Honda and Nissan
said there were no reports of injuries or deaths because of the defective airbags, which affect more than
1.3 million vehicles in the United
States.
Airbags are flexible fabric envelopes that inflate rapidly to cushion
occupants in an accident. T h e y
were rolled out broadly in the mid1980s and early 1990s, and are now
required in most developed countries, with many vehicles offering
multiple airbags.
However, U.S. requirements were changed in the late
1990s to lower the explosive force
of airbag deployment after injuries
caused by early generations of the
technology.
In the current Takata recall, the airbag for the front passenger seat may not inflate correctly
because of a manufacturing defect
in the propellant used in the airbag
inflator, the companies said. As a
result, there is a risk of fires start-
reforming the Vatican bureaucracy.
The cardinals, from North and South America, Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia, include prelates with whom the
former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio has long collaborated, including Cardinal Sean O’Malley, a Franciscan Capuchin monk who knows Bergoglio well and visited him
in Buenos Aires. Other members include representatives
of regional bishops’ conferences, including Cardinal Os-
ing or of passengers being injured
by metal fragments shooting up toward the windshield or down into
the passenger foot well.
The recall covers some
of the top-selling Japanese cars,
including Toyota’s Camry and Corolla, and rivals like the Nissan
Maxima and Honda Civic. All of
the vehicles in question were manufactured in or after 2000. None of
the affected Camrys were sold in
the United States.
The recall is not welcome
news for Toyota, which took a hit to
its reputation after it recalled nearly
19 million vehicles globally from
late 2009 to early 2011 due to unintended acceleration claims.
“The huge recall is expected to generate a good deal of
unwelcome attention, particularly
for Toyota, as it strives to rebuild
its reputation for quality in North
America,” IHS Automotive analyst
Paul Newton said in a report. Yoko
Kubota and Ben Klayman, Reuters
wald Gracias of Mumbai, India, who is the head of the
Asian bishops’ conference.
The secretary of the group, Monsignor Marcello Semeraro, bishop of Albano, Italy, said Sunday the broad geographic distribution of the advisers was aimed at “enriching and amplifying the forms of communion in the highest
echelons of the church institutions.” AP/Inquirer.net
World’s Best Burgers,
Pizza, Sandwiches
Picked in Awards
T
HE hunt is on for the world’s
finest burgers, pizzas and
other everyday treats as the
nominees are announced today
for a new set of awards that honor humble foods rather than the
peaks of gastronomy.
Chowzter World’s Seven Tastiest Fast Feasts Awards is backed
by the Coca-Cola Co. It also
seeks to identify the best fried
chicken, tacos, dumplings &
empanadas, curry and sandwiches. The 12 nominees in
each category stretch from Caracas to Beijing, not to mention
Royal China and Lucky Chip in
London.
nnWriters, restaurateurs and
chefs -- including Giles Coren,
Russell Norman and Pierre
Koffmann -- have agreed to
present prizes at the inaugural award ceremony in London
on April 28. The winners have
been selected from about 5,000
contenders selected by a team of
food bloggers from more than
30 cities.
“It’s the first time that serious foodies have systematically attempted to find the tastiest, locally sourced and freshly
prepared dishes in the world,”
Chowzter founder and chief executive Jeffrey Merrihue said in
a telephone interview.
(Richard Vines is the chief food
critic for Muse, the arts and leisure section of Bloomberg
News. He is U.K. and Ireland
chairman of the World’s 50 Best
Restaurants awards. Opinions
expressed are his own.)
Muse highlights include John
Mariani on wine, Jeremy Gerard
and Philip Boroff on theater and
Mike Di Paola on preservation.
To contact the writer on the story: Richard Vines, Bloomberg
BUSINESS
The San Francisco Post
The Dangers of Debt Settlement or
Debt Consolidation
n a published thousands of dollars to debt settlement
ISmart
article
in companies but they have not reached any
Money, settlement. This made them to decide to
Debt
Settlement: A costly
escape, it enumerates the dangers of debt settlement or debt
consolidation.
After verifying
the information
published from
by:
other
sources
Atty. Crispin C. Lozano and corroborating the information with my
personal experience I summarized the various findings as follows:
1. Many creditors will escalate collection
efforts once they know that a debtor is in
debt settlement. They will send the account to a collection agency who will file
a lawsuit to recover any money. When the
creditor takes legal action, the debt settlement companies will likely drop the account because they have to right to give legal advice or to represent a debtor in court.
2. High fees. Debt settlement companies’
charges vary. Some charge a flat fee of
$5000 or more. Others charge about 15%
to 18% of the total debt. On the other hand
some charge about 25% of the savings. In
the final analysis, sometimes it becomes
more expensive than paying the creditors’
directly.
3. Any debt forgiven must be reported to
the IRS as income. If your forgiven debt is
$100,000 the federal income tax and state
tax could be a staggering $50,000.
4. Some debt settlement companies do not
do anything during the first two or more
years of your contract. They are accumulating the monthly payments you are sending to their escrow account before starting
negotiation. Meantime they are withdrawing their fees.
5. High dropout rates. Many consumers
drop out of the contract before the company reaches a settlement with creditors.
I have many bankruptcy clients who paid
file bankruptcy.
uestion: Can I file bankruptcy while in
the process of debt settlement?
Q
A
Feature Post
No poultry contact in some
Chinese bird flu cases : WHO
The World Health Organization said on
Wednesday that a number of people who
have tested positive for a new strain of
bird flu in China appear to have had no
nswer: If you are in debt settlement
you can still file bankruptcy. Bankruptcy can cancel any contract you made
on debt settlement without any problem.
Filing bankruptcy could take between
three to six months to process. Once the
case is filed, no creditors will make a collection call or file a case in court because
you are protected by the automatic stay of
the court.
Q
uestion: What are the advantages of
filing bankruptcy over entering into
debt settlement?
nswer: By filing bankruptcy, you can
eliminate all unsecured debts that cannot be eliminated in debt settlement. No
creditors can sue you anymore or hold
you personally liable on all your unsecured debts. Attorney’s fees are cheaper
than fees for debt settlement. If you file
bankruptcy, there will be no more garnishment, no long period of negotiation and no
reporting of income to the IRS. After your
discharge from bankruptcy you can start
fresh and begin building your credit which
you can improve within one to two years.
In debt settlement, you need to be late on
payments for about six months before negotiation with creditors can start and you
cannot build your credit until all debts are
settled which may take years.
A
Note: This is not a legal advice.
Bankruptcy Basics
1.If you are being sued by your creditors,
most money judgment can be eliminated in
bankruptcy.
2.Collection actions continue and you can
be sued if you are in debt settlement.
(cont. on page 15)
INCOME TAX CORNER: HOW TO
MINIMIZE IRS TAX AUDITS
eceiving a guarded secret; but the goal is in reality is
R
letter from geared to screen for returns that could put
the IRS that you more money by collecting more taxes for
are being audited the government Treasury. A tax expert,
is one of the most Robert G. Nath, the author of “The Unofdreaded
letter ficial Guide to Dealing with the IRS” adthat a taxpayer vised “ not to draw more attention to your
can receive. On return than you need to” by not standing
the average, the out in the crowd is fairly safe.
IRS examined
The following categories are more likely
about 1% of all to trigger a red flag for DIF: higher inindividual tax re- comes, income other than basic wages
turns during the like contract payments, unreported income
by:
fiscal year 2012. (note: the IRS compiles all 1099s and W-2s
Alvin C. Maglan, CPA
Most of individ- and other types of reported income like inual tax returns vestment returns), home based businesses,
reporting higher noncash charitable deductions, excessive
adjusted gross incomes were usually the business auto mileage, large business meal
subject of such examinations.
and entertainment deductions, losses from
Likewise, those with lower income that are an activity that could be viewed as a hobby
eligible for earned income credit (EITC) rather than a business and large casualty
and filers reporting less that $25,000 in in- losses.
come and claiming this tax credit are also
As a taxpayer, you should claim your deexamined more frequently.
ductions and expenses so long as they are
Those claiming confusing tax breaks such legitimate and you have documentations.
as the first-time homebuyer credit, small Having good records to support your tax
business like a partnership or Schedule C return entries will also help. The groundfiling reporting self-employment income work you put into preparing your return,
are usually scrutinized as well.
together with the asIt pays in the long run to be
sistance of qualified
extra careful in the preparation
tax professionals, if
of one’s tax return to minimize As a taxpayer, you should claim need be, will help
the chances of your return be- your deductions and expenses pay off in an audit
ing examined and audited by so long as they are legitimate situation. And even
and you have documentations.
the IRS.
if you are audited,
There are several other ways
you have the right to
a return can be selected for
contest audits at evaudit, the foremost of which is via the ery level of the process.
agency’s computer based scoring system
known as Discriminant Information Func- What do you need to know as a Self-Emtion (DIF). The IRS evaluates tax returns ployed?
based on formulas and DIF is based on 1. Self-employment income can include indeductions, credits and exemptions with come for part-time work out of your home.
norms for taxpayers in each of the income Which could include income in addition to
tax brackets. The actual scoring formula your regular job.
to pick up tax returns for audit is a closely
(cont. on page 15)
PAGE 3
April 18, 2013 - April 24, 2013
contact with poultry, adding to the mystery about a virus that has killed 17 people
to date.
Chinese authorities have slaughtered
thousands of birds and closed some live
poultry markets to try to slow the rate
of human infection, but many questions
remain unsolved, including whether the
H7N9 strain is being transmitted between
people.
WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl confirmed that “there are people who have
no history of contact with poultry”, after a
top Chinese scientist was quoted as saying
this applied to about 40 percent of those
infected.
“This is one of the puzzles still (to) be solved and
therefore argues for a wide
investigation net,” Hartl
said in emailed comments.
Hartl an international team
of experts going to China
soon would include in
their investigation the possibility that the virus can
be spread between people,
although there was “no
evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission”.
“It might be because of
dust at the wet markets,
it could be another animal source beside
poultry, it could also be human-to-human
transmission,” he said by telephone.
Wendy Barclay, an influenza expert at
Imperial College London, said it could
be hard to reveal or rule out exposure to
poultry - or to wild birds, which could also
be a possible source of infection:
“The incubation time might be quite
long, so visiting a market even 14 days
before might have resulted in infection.”
Hartl said two new suspected cases of
possible human-to-human transmission
were being investigated.
The first is a couple in Shanghai who
tested positive, Hartl said, adding that the
wife had died and husband was still sick.
A seven-year-old girl in Beijing was the
first case in the capital at the weekend and
the boy next door has also tested positive,
but is not showing symptoms, he said.
NUMBERS TO RISE
The WHO had previously
reported two suspected family “clusters”, but the first
turned out to be a false alarm
and the second was inconclusive.
China has warned that the
number of infections, 82 so
far, could rise. Most of the
cases and 11 of the deaths
have been in the commercial
capital Shanghai.
China reported three new
outbreaks to the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) this week,
bringing the total number of locations to
11, the OIE said.
Poultry markets remain the focus of investigation by China and the U.N.’s Food and
Agriculture Organization.
But Zeng Guang, chief scientist in charge
of epidemiology at the China Disease Prevention and Control Centre (CDPCC),
said about 40 percent of human victims
had no clear history of poultry exposure,
the Beijing News reported.
The centre declined to comment on state
media reports saying only 10 of the 77
cases known by Tuesday had had contact
with poultry.
A study published last week showed the
H7N9 strain was a so-called “triple reassortant” virus with a mixture of genes
from three other flu strains found in birds
in Asia. One of those three strains is
thought to have come from a brambling,
a type of small wild bird.
“We can’t rule out that this ... has passed
through poultry but then been reintroduced to a wild bird population from
which some spread to humans might be
occurring,” Barclay said.
China’s poultry sector has recorded losses of more than $1.6 billion since reports
of the strain emerged two weeks ago.
Stephanie Nebehay and Sui-Lee Wee, Reuters
PAGE 4
April 18, 2013 - April 24, 2013
EDITORIAL
The San Francisco Post
Palace: US bases to return only in cases
of ‘war,’ ‘emergency’
M
ConGen. Paynor to Bay area
Filams: ‘Register to Vote’
By Rose Garcia
P
HILIPPINE Consul General in San 2013, which coincides with the closing of
Francisco, Marciano A. Paynor, Jr., on the election period in the Philippines (7:00
Thursday announced
PM May 13,
that the registration for
2013, PhilipOverseas Voters has
pine time).
started April 13, 2013.
“Our
kabaPaynor also called on
bayans
are
registered voters to
once
again
participate by voting in
given this opthe May 2013 elections
portunity
to
for Philippine Senatoparticipate in a
rial and Party List Elecmajor political
tions.
exercise in the
The Philippine ComPhilippines. We
mission on Elections
call on all regis(COMELEC) has betered Overseas
gun mailing the ballot
Voters to exerpackets directly to regcise their right
istered voters abroad.
to vote and take
Registered voters are
an active part
encouraged to carefully
in selecting our
go over the instructions
country’s leadon accomplishing the
ers,”
Paynor
ballots and mail them
said.
to the Philippine ConConsul Gensulate General in San
eral Paynor
Francisco as soon as Consul Gen. Marciano Paynor of SF also added that
possible.
upon represenAll accomplished baltations
made
lots should be received by the Philippine by the Global Filipino Diaspora Council,
Consulate before 4:00 AM of May 13, COMELEC has allowed registered voters who failed to vote during the 2007 and
2010 elections to vote this year.
Under the current COMELEC guidelines, these voters should manifest their
Distributed weekly in Northern California
intention to vote for the 2013 elections by
presenting themselves at the Philippine
1290 B Street, Suite 203,
Consulate General and signing the voters
Hayward, CA 94541
Tel # 510-885-8827, Fax # 510-538-7115
list. They are allowed to manifest their [email protected]
tention to vote until 4:00 AM of May 13,
2013.#
Teresita Estanislao
Editor-in-Chief & CEO
Alvin Maglan
Press Relations Officer
Inquirer.Net
Content Syndication Partner
SF FilAm News, LLC
Publisher of San Francisco Post &
SF Filam Post
The San Francisco Post will be happy to hear from you.
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will conform in all respects to all applicable laws, including but not
limited to, all licensing requirements of federal, state or local licensing authorities.
M
ANILA, Philippines–The United
States government on Wednesday
thanked President Benigno Aquino and
the Filipino people for
denouncing the Boston Marathon bombing, which US President
Barack Obama has described as an “act of terrorism.”
“On behalf of the Ambassador of the US Embassy, I would like to express our profound thanks
to President Aquino for
his condemnation of the
tragic attacks in Boston,
as well as the expression of solidarity and
sadness from the Department of Foreign
Affairs and from many, many individual
Filipino citizens,” Charge de Affaires
Brian Goldbeck said in his remarks at the
closing ceremonies of the 2013 Balikatan
Exercises held at Camp Aguinaldo.
“It’s part of our shared oneness (not only)
as two countries, but
as people together
in democratic values,” he added.
Three people, including an eightyear-old boy, were
killed while more
than a hundred were
injured in the twin
explosions in Boston on Monday.
Marine Lt. Gen.
Terry Robling, US
Exercise Director of the 2013 Balikatan
Exercises, said that he and the American
troops here were “very, very saddened to
hear the news on the Boston bombing.” By
Nikko Dizon PDI
Palace says to zap BOC only Biazon’s proposal
General Counsel
Rose Paquette
US thanks PH for condemning
Boston run bombings
Customs’ abolition just plain talk
Crispin C. Lozano
Advertising/Communication
Manager
ANILA, Philippines — Malacañang Naval Base 21 years ago, ending nearly
said on Sunday the possible return of a century of US military presence in the
United States military bases to the coun- country, when Mt. Pinatubo exploded. The
try as stated by Defense Secretary Voltaire American bases were shut down for good
Gazmin was a
when the Philip“mere scenario
pine Senate voted
in case of an exto strike down a
treme emergennew basing agreecy” arising from
ment forged by the
the Korean crisis.
Philippine and US
“The secretary
governments
at
was
talking
the time.
about a scenario
But even with
and that is part
the abrogation
of his job as secof the Philipretary of national
pine-US military
defense to look
bases agreement,
at all possible
American
soloutcomes, espediers continue to
cially in matters
be perennial visirelated to nators to the country
tional defense,”
with a 62-year-old
said deputy press
Mutual Defense
s p o k e s p e r s o n Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin
Treaty (MDT) still
Abigail Valte in
in place. Under the
an interview over
MDT, the PhilipdzRB radio.
pines and the US forged a Visiting Forces
Last Friday, when asked about the immi- Agreement, that provides the protocol for
nent threat of a nuclear strike by North the annual war games and other training
Korea on South Korea, Gazmin said: “In programs, now known as the “Balikatan”
case of extreme emergency, then there are exercises, involving US and Philippine
extreme measures to be undertaken. Maybe military forces.
this (return of US bases) is one of them.”
This weekend, the Armed Forces of the
“This is not about the present situation.
Philippines invited students and relatives
This is only in case of extreme emer- of its soldiers to observe aspects of the
gency like… a possible war. That was the Balikatan exercises, which are ongoing.
context of Secretary Gazmin’s reply,” said
“The gesture is one of the innovations of
Valte.
this year’s Balikatan and forms part of an
In the same interview, Gazmin said he effort to immerse the youth and give them
was fully aware of the Constitution’s the opportunity to interact with Balikatan
ban on nuclear weapons. The Americans participants,” the AFP said in a statement.
abandoned Clark Air Force Base and Subic By Gil Cabacungan Philippine Daily Inquirer
T
he abolition of the Bureau of
Customs is just a “suggestion” from Commissioner Rozzano Rufino Biazon and only a
part of his “initial discussions”
with President Benigno Aquino
III, Malacañang said on Saturday.
Abolishing the bureau is just
one of the possibilities being
considered in the search for
ways to improve customs service, Strategic Communications
Secretary Ricky Carandang and
deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.
“It’s just one of many ideas
being discussed to improve collections. The fact that it’s being
discussed at all shows you how
serious we are taking the need
to improve collections, not necessarily the idea of abolition,”
Carandang said in a text message to the Inquirer.
“ From what I understand from
Commissioner Biazon, that was
one of his suggestions. But allow us to say that these discussions were initial, and [abolishing the bureau is] just one of the
many possibilities that are being
discussed to improve customs simple reorganization will not
performance,” Valte said.
work. Only a top-down cleansIn a roundtable discussion with ing can end corruption in the
Inquirer editors and reporters agency once and for all, he said.
on Thursday night, Biazon said Biazon got the idea from his
he had discussed with President observation of good practices
Aquino the
abolition of
the customs
bureau and
replacing it
with a professional
institution
run by completely new
officers and
employees
who would
be paid high
to
shield
them from
temptations.
He said any BOC Commissioner Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon
less stringent measure may not suffice to stamp in other countries that have sucout corruption in the customs cessfully cleaned up their cusbureau, as corruption was so toms services.
deeply entrenched in the culture Peru example
and system at the agency.
“One concept done by other
In such an environment, a countries is a complete overhaul
[of their customs departments]
through abolition. We might
have to do that,” Biazon said.
He cited the example of Peru,
which, to defeat corruption and
smuggling, abolished its customs department, established a
new one, adopted strict qualifications for hiring, and gave the
new staff higher salaries so they
would ignore overtures to break
the rules in exchange for money.
Independent senatorial candidate Teodoro Casiño found
Biazon’s idea a “foolish, kneejerk response” to corruption
and smuggling that reportedly
continues despite the Aquino
administration’s emphasis on
transparency and good government.
“It’s like saying we should
abolish and privatize Congress
or Malacañang for failing to
stop corruption. In the first
place, the smugglers are all
from the private sector so it is
like asking vampires to run the
blood bank,” Casiño said in a
statement. With reports from DJ Yap
and Norman Bordadora
The San Francisco Post
NEWS AROUND
THE BAY
One-eyed elderly man
missing
sible a Ford Thunderbird.
Though the suspect claimed to have a gun,
A one-eyed, 75-year-old man in a wheel- no one saw it, police said. No one was inchair who hasn’t been seen since Saturday jured.
Philip said the suspect is a black man
afternoon is missing, police said Sunday.
Robert Archambault is a patient at the about 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet
Burlingame Long Term Care Center and tall with a thin build. He wore a black nylon jacket
was last
with a horis e e n
zontal white
t h e r e
and
gray
around
stripe across
2 : 3 0
the
chest
p.m. Satand black
u r d a y.
nylon pants
Authoriwith a white
ties are
stripe down
c o n the leg, as
cerned
well as a
because
shoes and a
he has
wristwatch
numerthat
were
o u s
white. The
health
Alto police say this man robbed the Provident Credit Union suspect had
c o n d i - Palo
on El Camino Real in Palo Alto on April 13, 2013. (Palo Alto Police) eyeglasses,
tions,
a
black
which
baseball cap
without treatment, can be life threatening,
said
Burlingame police Sgt. Dean Wil- and a black backpack.
Police have arrested a suspect, Hunter D.
liams. Archambault suffers from diabetes,
kidney disease and circulatory problems. Thompson, 32, of San Jose, in the JanuHe has gray hair, is about 5 feet 8 inches ary 9 robbery of the same Provident credit
union.
tall, weighs 150 pounds, police said.
For information to Archambault’s whereDispute victim too focused on
abouts, please call Burlingame police at
650-777-4100.
boobs
A man whose car was rammed during a
parking dispute in the Upper Haight on
Bank robbed twice in three
Tuesday certainly got a good look at the
months
other driver, as he reportedly had a lot to
Finding strong evidence that Silicon ValA say about the suspect’s breasts.
man used a note which said he had a gun
Police were called to Haight and Cole
Saturday morning to hold up a bank that streets just after 5 p.m. about the parking
was robbed at gunpoint just three months dispute. The victim said the suspect fled
ago, police said.
after striking his car with hers.
Investigators released a picture Sunday
When describing the victim to police,
of the robber who walked into the Provi- however, the victim’s focus went south of
dent Credit Union at 2390 El Camino Real her face.
around 9:05 a.m. and passed the note to a
“The victim was able to describe the
clerk that demanded cash, Palo Alto police suspect as having a low cut dress,” Park
Detective Sgt. Brian Philip said. After the Station Police Capt. Greg Corrales said,
clerk handed over the money the suspect adding he was also “able to give a detailed
ran from the bank and may have gotten description of the suspect’s cleavage.”
away in a silver of grey two-door car, pos(Cont. from Page 1...FBI ZEROES IN)
anonymity because the probe was still going on. The bombs were stuffed into black
duffel bags and left on the ground, the person said.
DesLauriers confirmed that investigators had found pieces of black nylon from
a bag or backpack and fragments of BBs
and nails, possibly contained in a pressure
cooker. He said the items were sent to the
FBI laboratory at Quantico, Va., for analysis.
The FBI said it
is looking at what
Boston television
station WHDH
said are photos
sent by a viewer
that show the
scene right before and after the
bombs went off.
The photo shows
something next to
a mailbox that appears to be a bag,
but it’s unclear
what the significance is.
“We’re taking
a look at hundreds of photos,
and that’s one
of them,” FBI
spokesman Jason
Pack said.
Investigators
said they haven’t
determined what
was used to set off
the explosives. Pressure cooker explosives
have been used in international terrorism
and have been recommended for lone-wolf
operatives by al-Qaida’s branch in Yemen.
But information on how to make the
bombs is readily found online, and U.S.
officials said Americans should not rush to
judgment in linking the attack to overseas
terrorists.
DesLauriers said there had been no claim
of responsibility for the attack. He urged
people to come forward with anything suspicious, such as hearing someone express
an interest in explosives or a desire to attack the marathon, seeing someone carry-
ing a dark heavy bag at the race or hearing
mysterious explosions recently.
“Someone knows who did this,” the FBI
agent said. The bombs exploded 10 or more
seconds apart, tearing off victims’ limbs
and spattering streets with blood, instantly
turning the festive race into a hellish scene
of confusion, horror and heroics.
The blasts killed 8-year-old Martin Richard, of Boston and 29-year-old Krystle
Campbell, of Medford. The Shenyang
Evening News,
a state-run Chinese newspaper,
identified
the
third victim as
Lu Lingzi. She
was a graduate
student at Boston University.
Doctors who
treated
the
wounded corroborated
reports that the
bombs
were
packed
with
shrapnel intended to cause mayhem.
“We’ve removed BBs, and
we’ve removed
nails from kids.
One of the sickest things for
me was just to
see nails sticking out of a little
girl’s body,” said
Dr. David Mooney, director of the trauma
center at Boston Children’s Hospital.
At Massachusetts General Hospital, all
four amputations performed there were
above the knee, with no hope of saving
more of the legs, said Dr. George Velmahos, chief of trauma surgery.”It wasn’t a
hard decision to make,” he said. “We just
completed the ugly job that the bomb did.”
Obama plans to visit Boston on Thursday
to attend an interfaith service in honor of
the victims. He has traveled four times to
cities reeling from mass violence, most recently in December after the schoolhouse
shooting in Newtown, Conn.
California’s dormant death
penalty system faces another
legal test
Now more than seven years since the last
execution in California, the state this week
will try again to revive its dormant death
penalty system in an appeals court considering the latest legal tangle over San Quentin’s lethal injection procedures.
In a hearing Tuesday, the 1st District
Court of Appeal will review a Marin County judge’s 2011 order stopping executions
because prison officials failed to comply
with administrative rules in revising California’s three-drug execution method. The
Brown administration appealed the ruling,
likely assuring the state will not execute
anyone this year on its 734-inmate death
row.
Even as the appeal proceeds, prison officials continue to craft a new execution
procedure that would rely on a single drug
to put condemned killers to death, similar
PAGE 5
April 18, 2013 - April 24, 2013
to methods other states such as Arizona,
Washington and Ohio set up to short-circuit
challenges to the three-drug procedures. A
prison spokeswoman said last week there
is no timetable for adopting a single-drug
method. But California appears a long way
from resolving a morass of state and federal legal battles over lethal injection.
City Launches Daly City iHelp –
A New Service Request App
The City of Daly City is pleased to announce the launch of Daly City iHelp, an
innovative citizen’s service request and
civic engagement tool, allowing residents
to easily interact and stay connected with
their local government. Daly City iHelp is
a free mobile device application (app) and
is available in the Apple and Google app
stores for immediate download. Through
this new service residents can access important City information, report issues,
and track requests online and via mobile
devices.
Rep. Swalwell Co-Sponsors Filipino
Veterans Fairness Act
W
ASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday,
Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA-15) joined
Members of the Congressional Asian
Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) to
introduce the Filipino Veterans Fairness
Act.
More than 200,000 Filipinos fought
with the United States during World War
II, and over half were killed. As citizens
of a commonwealth of the U.S. before
and during the war, Filipinos were legally
American nationals, and were promised
the same benefits afforded to members of
the U.S. military.
In 1946, however, Congress passed the
Rescission Act, which stripped Filipino
veterans of these promised benefits. The
Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2013,
introduced by Congresswoman Jackie
Speier in the House and Senator Brian
Schatz in the U.S. Senate, seeks to make
all Filipino veterans fully eligible for the
benefits that they were promised, and that
U.S veterans already receive.
In the wake of the attack, security was
stepped up around the White House and
across the country. Police massed at federal
buildings and transit centers in the nation’s
capital, critical response teams deployed in
New York City and security officers with
bomb-sniffing dogs spread through Chicago’s Union Station.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said that the stepped-up security
was a precaution and that there was no evidence the bombings were part of a wider
plot.
Pressure cooker explosives have been
used in Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan, according to a July 2010 intelligence
report by the FBI and the Department of
Homeland Security. One of the three devices used in the May 2010 Times Square
attempted bombing was a pressure cooker,
the report said.
“Placed carefully, such devices provide
little or no indication of an impending attack,” the report said. The Pakistani Taliban, which claimed responsibility for the
2010 attempt in Times Square, has denied
any part in the Boston Marathon attack.
“I am proud to co-sponsor the Filipino
Veterans Fair Act to ensure Filipino veterans receive the benefits they earned
fighting for our country,” said Swalwell. “Hundreds of thousands of Filipino
bravely fought in defense of the United
States and our freedoms in WWII. They
and their families deserve the benefits
promised to them decades ago.”
The introduction of Filipino Veterans
Fairness Act coincides with the 71st anniversary of Bataan Day. The fall of
Bataan marked the largest surrender in
American military history since the Civil
War’s Battle of Harper’s Ferry, but it also
delayed the momentum of the Japanese
invasion of the Pacific and prevented a
complete takeover by the Axis forces.
About 63,000 Filipino and 12,000
American soldiers were forced to march
60 miles to reach their prison camps.
Some 15,000 died during what is known
as the Bataan Death March.
Al-Qaida’s branch in Yemen gave a detailed description of how to make a bomb
using a pressure cooker in a 2010 issue of
Inspire, its English-language online publication aimed at would-be terrorists acting
alone.
In a chapter titled “Make a bomb in the
kitchen of your mom,” it says “the pressurized cooker is the most effective method”
for making a simple bomb, and it provides
directions. The tightly sealed pot makes
easier-to-obtain but weaker explosives
faster and stronger, amplifying the blast
and the carnage.
Naser Jason Abdo, a former U.S. soldier,
was sentenced to life in prison last year
after being convicted of planning to use a
pair of bombs made from pressure cookers in an attack on a Texas restaurant frequented by soldiers from Fort Hood. He
was found with the Inspire article.
Investigators in the Boston bombing
also are combing surveillance tapes from
businesses around the finish line and asking travelers at Logan Airport to share any
photos or video that might help. AP
PAGE 6
April 18, 2013 - April 24, 2013
FINANCE
The San Francisco Post
Falling commodities give Dow worst day of the year
W
orries about an economic slowdown in China fueled a
steep drop in commodity prices Monday, spooking investors and giving the stock market its worst day of the year.
The trigger for the sell-off came from China, where the world’s
second-largest economy expanded 7.7 percent in the
first three months of the
year, well below forecasts
of 8 percent or better. That
news pummeled copper,
oil and other commodities.
Shares of oil and mining
companies fared the worst
because China is a huge importer of their products.
The decline came after a
pile of negative economic
reports. In addition to the
concerns about China, a separate report showed weak manufacturing in the Northeast, and
a home builders’ survey indicated housing activity isn’t going
to be strong, either, said Steven Ricchiuto, chief economist for
Mizuho Securities.
The market began tumbling hours before reports emerged of
two bombs exploding in the packed streets near the finish line of
the Boston Marathon. The attack that killed two people and injured more than 100 was just one more thing to worry investors.
The pullback disrupted, at least for the moment, the phenomenal
rally that has sent the Dow Jones industrial average up 13 percent
STOCK MARKET
and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index up 11 percent in 2013.
Both indexes marked record highs only last Wednesday. But the
market’s exceptional performance has fueled widespread speculation about an inevitable retreat.
Concerns that Cyprus and other troubled
European countries may sell gold to raise
cash have also weighed on prices for precious metals, said Dan Greenhaus, chief
global strategist at the brokerage BTIG.
The Dow tumbled 265.86 points to close
at 14,599.20, a decline of 1.8 percent. Caterpillar, a maker of heavy equipment used
by miners, led the index lower, falling 3 percent to $82.27. The S&P 500 index slumped
36.48 points to 1,552.37, a loss of 2.3 percent.
The S&P was led by Freeport-McMoRan
Copper & Gold, which fell 8 percent to
$29.27. Analysts at Citigroup placed a “sell”
rating on the mining giant on the expectation that copper prices
will continue sliding.
The Nasdaq composite fell 78.46 points, or 2.4 percent, to
3,216.49.
It was the biggest drop for the stock market since Nov. 7 - Election Day - last year.
Of the 10 industry groups in the S&P 500, materials and energy
stocks fared the worst, losing 4 percent. Indexes of small companies and transportation stocks, which are more vulnerable to
swings in the economy, also fell 4 percent.
As of Wednesday, April 17, 2013
DOW
14618.59
-138.19
NASDAQ
3204.67
-59.96
S& P
1552.01
-22.56
OIL
86.73
+0.03%
GOLD
1370.10
-0.84%
US 10 YEAR NOTE
US 30 YEAR NOTE
1.70%
2.89%
Crude oil prices hit their lowest level since mid-December, sliding $2.58 to finish at $88.71 in New York trading. And gold fell
$140, plunging below $1,400 an ounce for the first time in two
years as a sell-off in metals continued from last week. Gold has
now slumped $203 an ounce over the past two days.
Frank Fantozzi, CEO of Planned Financial Services, a wealth
management firm, says people had bought gold since the financial crisis on the belief that it was safe place to keep money. But
now that the metal has slid 20 percent this year, they’re jumping
out.” AP
TECHNOLOGY
Apple and Time Warner Will Put a TV
In The Palm Of Your Hand
W
ith a mobile smart device in the
hands of about 50 percent of Americans, cable operators have been forced the
rethink the fundamentals of the television
business. The industry evolved assuming
one basic tenant: when people watch TV,
they are at home. But with every Internetconnected device sold, this becomes less
and less true.
Already, would-be at-home television watchers can use Netflix (remotely,
or use any number of services to access
specific on-demand content. Companies
like Aereo, run by billionaire Barry Diller,
even hijack local broadcast content and allow customers to watch it on their mobile
devices — much to the chagrin of companies like News Corp. which has sued the
startup.
What has been missing is an hon-
The TWC iPad app allows for live streaming of TV programs to your iPad. It
is the first app amongst cable or satellite companies to live stream TV while
competitors’ apps only can turn your iPad into a giant TV remote. TWC views
the resulting crash of their app as a good sign of demand.
est-to-goodness
live TV experience on a mobile device. To
date, it has been
exceedingly difficult for people
to duplicate the
at-home viewing experience
while out and
about.
Fortunately, America’s top cable
companies have
been quick to
identify this desire.
Time Warner
Cable, the sec-
ond-largest cable operation in the U.S., is
one of the companies leading the TV-everywhere charge. Beginning on Wednesday, it will make up to 11 live national
news, sports, and entertainment channels
available outside the home on Apple mobile devices. Customers will be able to
watch live television on their iPad, iPhone,
and even iPod touch through Time Warner’s TWC TV app.
Customers will also be able to
watch some on-demand content from networks owned by Viacom. After a brief
legal spat over mobile-device broadcasting rights, Viacom and Time Warner have
settled their differences and now have a legal framework in place to rebroadcast certain programs from networks like Comedy
Central, MTV, and Nickelodeon.
HEALTH
Brain scans show what pain looks like
W
ASHINGTON—Scientists
said Wednesday they have
figured out how to recognize pain
in brain scans, possibly paving
the way for future tests that could
accurately gauge its severity.
“Right now, there’s no clinically
acceptable way to measure pain
and other emotions other than to
ask a person how they feel,” said
Tor Wager, lead author of the pa-
per, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
For the study, magnetic resonance imaging brain scans were
performed on 114 volunteers as
heat was applied to the left forearm, ranging from warm to hot.
Researchers thought they would
find a unique pain signature in
each individual, since pain is
measured differently among peo-
ple and some are more sensitive
than others.
However, they were surprised to
find that the signals they found in
the brain were transferable across
different people, allowing scientists to predict how much pain a
person was feeling with 90-100
percent accuracy.
“We found a pattern across multiple systems in the brain that is diagnostic of
h o w
much
pain
people
f e e l
in response
t
o
painf u l
heat,”
Wager
said.
A
subset
of participants
w h o
h a d
r e cently
gone
We encourage all writers to
contribute/submit your original
news features/articles.
Be a part of
our team.
Email us at [email protected]
spurned lover is similar to a person experiencing
physical pain, this
study found that the
heat-pain signature
was absent in the
lovelorn people.
Researchers also
found that the
brain signatures for
pain decreased in
patients who had
been
pretreated
with painkillers.
While the technology is not yet
widely available,
researchers hope
that in the coming
years it could lead
to the development
of the first objective tests of pain,
The X-ray scan of a wounded anti-regime demand perhaps help
onstrator shows a bullet lodged in his brain while
study and alleviate
he is nursed at the intensive care unit at a hospichronic pain.
tal in the eastern city of Tobruk on February 25,
The research was
2011. Scientists said Wednesday, April 10, 2013,
led
by Wager, an
they have figured out how to recognize pain in
associate profesbrain scans, possibly paving the way for future
sor of psychology
tests that could accurately gauge its severity.
and neuroscience
AFP PHOTO/MARCO LONGARI
at University of
Colorado at Boulder, along with coland were still heartbroken were leagues from New York University, Johns Hopkins University and
shown an image of their ex.
Although past studies have sug- the University of Michigan.
gested that the brain activity of a
through
a
romantic
breakup
The San Francisco Post
PAGE 7
April 18, 2013 - April 24, 2013
IMMIGRATION
When may a Petition Continue if the Petitioner Died?
It is important to
know that
a petition
may continue despite the
death of
the petiPATH TO
tioner unIMMIGRATION
der certain
by:
circumAtty. Crispin C. Lozano
stances.
This benefit came
into law
under Public Law 111-83 signed by President Obama and was incorporated in the
Immigration & Nationality Act Section
204 (l). Under this new law, an alien may
continue the processing of a family based
petition if the alien seeking benefit:
A. Resided in the United States at the time
of death of the “qualifying relative” or petitioner.
B. Continues to reside in the United States
from the time of death of the “qualifying
relative” or petitioner continuously up to
the time of decision on the pending petition.
C. Is at least one of the following in a family based petition:
1. The Beneficiary of a pending or approved immediate relative
visa
petition.
2. The Beneficiary of a pending or approved family based
petition including the Principal and any
derivative
Beneficiaries.
Is an Affidavit of Support Required
for a Family Based petition?
Yes, an Affidavit of Support is required
from another individual who qualifies as a
“ Substitute Sponsor.”
Who can qualify as Substitute Spon-
sor?
An individual may
qualify as a Substitute Sponsor if
she or he is related
as spouse, parent,
mother-in-law, father-in-law, sibling,
child at least 18
years of age, son,
daughter, son-inlaw, daughter-inlaw, sister-in-law,
b r o t h e r - i n - l a w,
grandparent, and
grandchild.
Does the Surviving Relative
need to be physically present in
the US?
Yes. One of the
most
important
condition of this
new law is that it
only
applies to
those surviving relatives who reside in
the United States at
the time of death of
the qualifying relative and continuously reside in the
United States up to
the present.
What should I
do if I believe I
am qualified for
this immigration
benefit?
IMMIGRATION
PROBLEMS
1. On January 25, 2013, we received an approval from the Immigration Court for an adjustment of status for an alien who
originally entered as a Philippine Government Official under
A2 visa.
2. On November 30, 2012, we received an approval from Immigration Court of waiver for use of different name upon entry
to the U.S. and adjustment of status.
3. On October 25, 2012, we received an approval of green card from the Immigration Court based
on Cancellation of Removal of a client under the Violence against Women Act. She originally entered under a Fiancée visa but the marriage did not worked and she ended up filing a self petition.
4. On October 23, 2012, we received an approval of green card for a client whose petitioner has
already died. She took care of her petitioner father before he died 10 years ago. She thought this
will never be possible until the new law came into effect.
5. On September 21, 2012, we received approval of adjustment of status and waiver of misrepresentation for a client who used a different name or passport upon entry to the U.S.
6. On May 25, 2012, we received an approval from the Immigration Court for a waiver of misrepresentation for a green card holder who entered the U.S. as single but actually married at the time
of entry. The grant of waiver stopped his removal and allows him to apply for naturalization.
died.
You should consult with an experienced
immigration attorney to represent you because the USCIS is very strict in implementing the new law.
Our Law Office
has successfully get approval on numerous cases where the petitioner has already
Note: This is not a legal advice
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
wary of pushing the hardline
communist regime too far.
China says it wants a Korean
Peninsula free from nuclear weapons, but
that all sides must play a role in that.
The stakes are high for China, with a potential conflict threatening its economic
development and stability in the northeast
along its long, meandering border with
North Korea. Beijing abhors the prospect
of a pro-U.S. unified Korean state on its
border as well as internal North Korean
conflict that could spark an outflow of refugees.
China was already displeased by
Kim’s lack
of outreach
and lack of
concern for
B e i j i n g ’s
interests,
and signed
on to tighter
U.N.
sanctions
following
the North’s
latest nuclear test in
F e b r u a r y.
It’s
also
Beijing, China stepped up
customs
checks along their border, slowed some
deliveries of equipment to the North and
cracked down on suspect financial transactions by North Korean banks.
That’s had little apparent effect on Kim’s
behavior, and he seems emboldened by
China’s lack of a forceful response to past
crises and Pyongyang’s perceptions of
China’s fear of a collapse of the regime.
While North Korea’s population is starving and impoverished, the leadership gets
by on Chinese food and fuel, along with
growing investment, and imports of North
Korean iron ore and other raw materials.
Despite that, it’s not clear what, if any,
further pressure China is willing to exert,
and if Xi, Li or others offered any further
commitments, neither side was saying.
“Theoretically, there is more that China
can do, but we’re very worried that doing
so could stimulate Kim to do even more
dangerous things,” said Shi Yinhong, an
international relations expert at Renmin
University in Beijing.
“Be prudent, don’t go too far” is China’s
message to Washington and South Korea,
(Cont. from Page 1... ANALYSIS: BEIJING TO US)
“North Korea wants to talk, so why not
talk?” said Shen Dingli, a regional security expert and director of the Center for
American Studies at Shanghai’s Fudan
University. The question for
China,
Shen said, is how to make such discussions
come about, adding that China is unlikely to make such calls too explicit for fear
of putting either side in an embarrassing
quandary.
Highlighting the difficulties of getting
North Korea to talk with the U.S., the North
rebuffed last
week’s proposal by Seoul to
resolve the tensions through
dialogue.
North Korea
dismissed the
proposal as a
“crafty trick”
to
disguise
what Pyongyang calls the
South’s hostility, and said
it won’t talk
unless Seoul
abandons its
confrontational
posture.
Chinese media reports on Kerry’s Saturday talks largely downplayed North Korea,
and the Foreign Ministry’s official statements were predictably blurry. In its account of his meeting with Kerry, the ministry quoted Premier Li Keqiang as referring
only to “those who stir up trouble on the
peninsula only harm their own interests,
like moving a stone only to drop it on one’s
own foot.”
That was a near echo of President Xi Jinping’s own comment in a speech earlier
this month that “no one should be allowed
to throw the region, or even the whole
world, into chaos for selfish gains” - seen
as much as a rebuke to the U.S. and its allies as to North Korea’s young leader, Kim
Jong Un. The ministry’s account of Kerry’s
meeting with Xi didn’t mention the Korean
Peninsula even obliquely.
While China has grown more critical of
North Korea since the latter’s third nuclear
test in February, Beijing remains highly
!
d
e
v
l
so
immigration law and bankruptcy law. You
can contact him at 1-877-456-9266. Email
questions to [email protected]/.
Visit our website at www.crispinlozanolaw.com/. Disclaimer: This is not a legal
advice and you should consult an experienced Immigration Attorney about your
personal circumstances.
Shi said. AP
PAGE 8
April 18, 2013 - April 24, 2013
The San Francisco Post
You’re invited!
SMDC PROPERTY
PRESENTATION
What: Free Presentation of SMDC Properties
When: May 4, 2013 at 3pm
Where: 1290 B Street Suite 203
Hayward CA 94541
For reservation, please call (510)885-8827 or
(510) 538-7188
Crisipin Caday Lozano CA DRE Lic. # 01297744
The San Francisco Post
IMMIGRATION
SUCCESS STORIES
PAGE 9
April 18, 2013 - April 24, 2013
May 2013 Visa Bulletin for the Philippines
By Atty. Crispin C. Lozano
Family Based and Employment
Based Preferences
F1 Unmarried sons and daughters of US Citizens
June 01, 1999
F-2A Spouses and Children under 21 years of age
of lawful permanent residents
Mar. 1, 2011
F2B Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years of
age or older) of lawful permanent residents
Sept. 8, 2002
F-3 Married Sons and Daughters of US Citizens
Oct.22, 1992
F-4 Brothers and sisters of adult US Citizens
Oct. 1, 1989
Aura Mae Cruz was approved for green card based on the petition of her
spouse with the assistance of Atty. Crispin C. Lozano and
Atty. Olga Standifer.
ANOTHER SUCCESS STORY:
Miranda Factor (name withheld) was petitioned by her spouse on a K-1 visa. She
was granted a K-1 visa at the U.S. Consulate in Manila and she entered the U.S.
using that visa. When she arrived in the U.S. she discovered that her husband
was having an extramarital affair with another woman. She confronted him and
this confrontation resulted in series of fights between them until she was physically and verbally abused. When she is supposed to apply for her green card in
the U.S. her U.S. citizen spouse did not support her. They ended up in a divorce.
After the divorce Miranda found a new love of her life and they got married. Miranda could not adjust status because under the law, if you entered on a K-1 visa
and you did not adjust status based on the petition of the person who sponsored
you for K-1 visa, your adjustment will be denied. Miranda’s adjustment of status
with her new U.S. citizen spouse was denied and she was sent to removal proceedings. Miranda sought the assistance of Atty. Crispin C. Lozano with regards
to her adjustment of status while in removal proceedings. Atty. Lozano filed a
Cancellation of Removal under VAWA for her. After presenting proof of physical
and psychological abuse by her former spouse and her good moral character, she
was granted an approval for green card. Her daughter in the Philippines was
included in her approval as daughter of an abused spouse of U.S. citizen.
EB3 Skilled worker and Professionals
Sept. 15, 2006
EB3 Other Workers
Sept. 15, 2006
SHOWBIZ
PAGE 10
April 18, 2013 - April 24, 2013
Psy’s ‘Gentleman’ video reaches
10M YouTube hits
Showbiz Weekly Post
UP graduate Ariella Arida bags Bb.
Pilipinas-Universe crown
M
ANILA, Philippines—The Philippines’ three-year streak of making
it to the Miss Universe pageant’s Top 5
may be difficult to sustain but the country’s bet to this year’s competition is up to
the challenge.
“I can handle [the pressure],” Ariella Arida said in a press conference in the VIP
room of the Smart Araneta Coliseum immediately after she was proclaimed 2013
Miss Universe Philippines.
Arida beat 49 other aspirants in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant at the Big Dome
on Sunday night, aside from bagging the
Best in Swimsuit award.
The 24-year-old from Alaminos, Laguna,
told reporters the pageant pushed her to
give her best. “I used to be just an average person. I usually don’t work too hard
because I get depressed if I fail in the end.
But now, in this pageant, I really worked
hard physically, mentally and emotionally,” she told the Inquirer.
During the question-and-answer round,
Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima, a judge in the competition, asked her to name a lesson in life
that women can teach men.
“One lesson in life that women can teach
men is being sensitive, because we all
know that men are more logical when it
comes to decisions. They’re usually more
rational, straightforward. We women
use our hearts and tend to get emotional
in some of our decisions. Sensitivity is
something that we, women, can teach
men,” replied the 5-foot-7 tall chemistry
graduate from the University of the Phil-
ippines Los Baños.
Good omen
Her answer earned Arida a round of applause.
Arida, the first candidate to be called to
the Top 15, said she believed the question
was a good sign that things would turn out
in her favor.
“I felt so lucky because it was one of the
questions I practiced to answer,” she said.
Arida said some people may think her
response was a little out-of-the-box for a
science graduate. “When it comes to real
life, I tend to use my heart when making
decisions, and that’s where my answer
came from,” she said.
“I already saw chemistry as something
that’s fun and interesting when I was in
high school. So I decided to take up chemistry in college, also to challenge myself. I
knew chemistry would be a tough course
. I wanted to prove something to myself
and to make my parents proud,” she said.
Arida also participated in but failed to
win the Miss Philippines-Earth pageant
last year.
Also proclaimed winners Sunday were
Bb. Pilipinas-International Bea Rose
Santiago of Masbate and Bb. PilipinasTourism Joanna Cindy Miranda of Nueva
Ecija.
Santiago, who was also proclaimed Bb.
Avon, was an international model of the
Ford modeling agency and has traveled to
different parts of the world in the job. Her
family moved to Toronto, Canada, when
she was 14. She came back to the Philippines to try her luck in the pageant.
Marian Rivera may just be in network transition
G
MA 7 star Marian Rivera, rumored to be
transferring to rival network ABS-CBN, is “in the
process of negotiating” her
Kapuso contract, which
will expire in August, said a
source close to the actress.
“Since other networks
also know [about the contract], it’s natural for them
to send feelers. However,
this doesn’t mean Marian is
definitely leaving GMA 7.
She’s still exploring her options,” the source told the
Philippine Daily Inquirer
on Friday.
The source pointed out
that Marian’s talent manager, Popoy Caritativo, is
“friends” with TV5 executives. “Let’s not discount
the possibility that Marian and Popoy are talking with them, too,” the
source stressed. “The rumor of Marian transferring
to ABS-CBN could have
stemmed from the fact that
she is working with Ai-Ai
(de las Alas, a top Kapami-
lya actress) in a movie.”
The source was referring
to the fantasy-comedy film
“Kung Fu Divas,” which
the two actresses are coproducing with its director,
Onat Diaz.
The film is being made
by the same production
team that created “Tiktik:
The Aswang Chronicles,”
which Marian’s boyfriend,
Dingdong Dantes, produced and starred in.
“A lot can still happen
between now and August,”
the source added. “Although GMA 7 fulfilled its
end in the contract with
Marian, people around her
feel the network could have
done better.”’
Marian’s last project with
GMA 7 was the prime
time series “Temptation of
Wife,” which aired its last
episode April 5. Her romantic comedy film with
Richard Gutierrez, “My
Lady Boss,” produced by
GMA Films, was originally
scheduled for showing on
Valentine’s Day, but has
yet to be released in local
theaters. PDI
The San Francisco Post
and inspired a horde
of online tributes and
parodies, as well as
flash mobs of thousands of dancing fans
in cities such as Paris
and Milan.
Reactions to the latest electro-dance song
were mixed but video
— showing the quirky
singer’s signature selfmocking humour as
well as the new hipswiveling dance — left
more fans impressed.
“The beat is quite
South Korean pop sensation Psy catchy! I’m sitting
here shaking my hips
EOUL — “Gangnam Style” star Psy’s
side
to
side
even
though
i have no idea
new music video had been watched
more than 10 million times on YouTube what he’s saying,” said one Youtube comless than 24 hours after he unveiled his ment.
“Mark my words. This WILL be the secmuch-anticipated new dance in Seoul, the
ond
video to make it 1,000,000,000,” said
website showed Sunday.
The South Korean pop star on Saturday another commentator, while some others
performed for the first time the new hip- said “R.I.P, Harlem Shake,” in reference to
swinging dance aimed at replicating the global success
of “Gangnam Style” and its
famed horse-riding moves in
his latest single called “Gentleman”.
The video, released a day after the song hit online stores
worldwide, registered 10.7
million hits in the 15 hours
after its debut at a packed
concert in the South Korean
capital as curious fans flocked
to the video-sharing site.
It shows Psy, wearing his
signature sunglasses, dancing at various locations in
and around Seoul including a
high-end clothing store, restaurant and swimming pool.
The story line features the
singer teasing and playing
practical jokes on women, HEARD: Apl.de.ap, asked about his coaching style
such as pulling their chairs on ABS-CBN’s coming talent search “The Voice of
away as they are about to sit, the Philippines”: “Definitely truthful. [I’ll give] constructive criticism. And…you know, Imma give you a
before meeting his match.
It was the video of “Gang- little swag, you know what I’m sayin’? And I will also
nam Style”, and in particular share my life experiences; what I’ve been through
Psy’s signature horse-riding in the music industry, and how hard it is to make it.
dance, that pushed him to That’s what I would give to my [future] team.” Allan
global stardom last year after Policarpio
it was posted on YouTube and
turned into a viral sensation.
A satire on the luxury lifestyle of Seoul’s upscale Gangnam district, another viral hit that swept the world reit has become the most-watched YouTube cently.
“Gentleman” contains more English lyrvideo of all time, registering more than 1.5
ics
than “Gangnam Style” in a clear nod to
billion views since it debuted last July.
The song topped charts around the world, the singer’s newfound global audience. PDI
S
Kris Aquino 2011 top taxpayer
No tycoon among Top 10 on Forbes list
A
quino: No. 1, P49.9
million. Show-business
personality
Kris
Aquino, the youngest sister of President Aquino,
has earned another distinction—being No. 1 on the
Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) list of Top 500
individual taxpayers.
Kris, 42, who has numerous product endorsements
and three TV shows, paid
P49.87 million in taxes for
2011, according to the list
the BIR posted on its website.
Businessmen, other celebrities and politicians also
made it to the BIR’s roster
of top individual taxpayers.
Kris was followed by
Sunpower Philippines vice
president Gregory Deane
Reichow (P38.2 million)
and former Philippine
Ambassador to the UN
Lauro Liboon Baja Jr.
(P34.26 million). Tan: No.
35, P10.8 millionPLDT
chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan was the fourthlargest taxpayer (P25.99
million) while Aurelio
Montinola III, president
and CEO of Bank of the
Philippine Islands, came
in fifth (P24.47 million).
Gerardo Ablaza, Manila
Water president, paid
P22.65 million and was
ranked sixth, while Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Philippe Lhuillier was
seventh (P21.65 million).
Kris Aquino
They were followed by
Victor M. Angeles, who
paid P21.2 million. PDI
SOCIETY &
POLITICS
The San Francisco Post
PAGE 11
April 18, 2013 - April 24, 2013
A case wide open
S
ympathies to the families
of the three victims (two
identified as Martin Richard and Kristyle Campbell
while the other was said to
be a Chinese national) who
died in the gruesome Boston bombings during the
finish line of the marathon
as we hope for better recoveries to at least, 170 persons
reportedly injured in the
process.
RULE OF THUMB
***
By
As perpetrators of the crime
Rose G. Paquette
remain on the loose, raw
data are still being collated
to determine the real cause of the blasts while authorities
have yet to establish the suspects’ motives. Recovered at
the scene were a pressure cooker and a backpack while
sharp nails and metals apparently hit
innocent bystanders during the explosion. The metal
shrapnels were said
to have embedded
in the skin of the
victims who were
commonly hit in the
legs.
***
As speculations
grew, police could
not theorize any
motive(s) of the
bombing as combined elements led by the FBI and the
police are still gathering data for investigation. For any
information that may help shed light into the probe, everyone (who may have taken photographic or digital evidence, or may have knowledge of the incident) can call
1-800-494-TIPS.
***
I came across Gil Rivera. His name rings a bell to famous Filipino celebrities who comes in San Francisco to
have custom-made suits
and barongs. In particular, the icon of Philippine
Comedy- the late, multiawarded Dolphy was
among the avid patron of
Pioneer’s.
***
Gil had been Dolphy’s
tailor since the Sampaguita days with most of the
actors and actresses such
as Romeo Vasquez and
Panchito belonging to the
same company.
***
Existing in San
Francisco since 1989,
Pioneer’s- with its original shop in Manila, is
specializing
in
tailoring and altercationsthe
cheapest we have
in town. It is lo- The VHSAAA (Villamor High School Alumni Association of America) held it’s Execucated in Mission tive Board Meeting in Vallejo, CA presided by current president Joji Isla and attended by
St. fronting Safe- Board members Fe Hocson-Mangoba, Julie Villareal, Cecilia Uyan, Zennie McClintock,
Teresita Estanislao-Lozano, Evelyn Dulce del Villar, Carlos Unas and other members of
way.
*** the association.
Pioneer’s used
to supply suits
the movie stars from the past where he wound up making
to the The Men’s Wearhouse and have been up to his livelihood out of. Gil is really a pioneer in the industry.
now, coming up with tailored-fit Barong Tagalog
made of the native husi, as well as long gowns for (Note: The topics and postings on this column are the writer’s
the likes of Sarah Geronimo, Sha-Sha Padilla, and own, independent opinion and don’t necessarily reflect the publiAmalia Fuentes.
cation’s position or that of any other organization she is involved
***
with. Rose Garcia-Paquette is an AB Journalism graduate of the
Every time Dolphy was around town, he never missed
the chance to visit Gil in his shop. It’s good to know Gil University of Santo Tomas, Manila, and had been a Political Inand Beck Rivera are around when you needed them most formation Officer of then Senator & Vice President Teofisto T.
Guingona, Jr. She was a veteran Reporter of the Journal Group
.
***
While I was at his shop a few days ago, I was in awe when of Publication’s People’s Journal and had been Head of the MeI saw Gil’s memorabilia, tons of framed pictures taken dia Relations for Ayala-based Martin & Associates, Inc., PR
during the visits of celebrities in Pioneer’s. For each pho- outfi. For information, please e-mail to: [email protected]
tographs, he was reminiscent of how long he had known with Tel. No. 510.885.8827 & Fax No. 510.538.7115)
Back home: Relearning old ways
Election Watchdog
By Monsy C. Gomez
emember two watchdog NAMFREL and the Parish
R
the fa- Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting
ack in the ’80s when ed. The kids’ dolls also in- to be Filipinized all over
mous or may- (PPCRV) merged and named former Am- Bthe Marcos regime herited a lot of our sweaters again. Having been away
be infamous bassador to the Vatican Henrietta de Villa was near its end, we de- because we shrunk many of for some 27 years, we had
Operation
Quick Count
or OQC by
NAMFREL.
For
some
reason, and
despite the
presence of
LET’S HAVE COFFEE
the former,
By
Philippine
Don Augusto Orozco
elections has
always been
marred by cheating, vote buying, vote padding (dagdag-bawas) etc.
Last week, Civic groups assailed the
Commission on Elections (Comelec) citizens arm and the new watchdog on the
block, Parish
Pastoral
Council for
Responsible Voting
(PPCRV), for
its complicity in several
irregularities
in the 2010
elections that
voted President Aquino
into office.
In a manifesto,
the
groups said
that PPCRV chose to turn a blind eye to
questions raised on the automated polls,
including the absence of a system to verify
the results.
The manifesto was signed among groups
Bansa Ko Mahal Ko, Demokratiko Sosyalistang Kabataang Pilipino, EarthSavers Movement, Filipino Migrant Workers
Group, Global Filipino Nation, Konsensyang Pilipino, Kontrang Pandaraya, Movement for Integrity, Honesty and Transparency in the 2010 Elections, Pulsong
Sambayanng Pilipino, Tanggulang Demokrasya.
NAMFREL’s operation quick count was
criticized for alleged trending in favor of
particular candidates and now PPCRV
is now being alleged to be a Poll Fraud
Agent. Do we really need a watchdog?
Remember in 2009, The boards of the
as chair.
And as the saying goes, it could be another
case of “The Same Dog With A Different
Collar!” Maybe it is better to say Let’s
Have Coffee and have a Hotdog.
Where to vote: San Francisco Post public
service
On May 13, 2013, the midterm general
election will be held nationwide. To accommodate our kababayans from all over
the world, embassies, consulate offices as
well as MECO (Manila Economic and Cultural Office)-Consular Affairs will also be
utilized to give way to Filipino voters who
are residing outside the Philippines.
Here in the Bay Area, those who wish
to cast their vote
may do so from
April 13 to May
13, 2013 at the
Philippine Consulate
General
located at 447
Sutter St, San
Francisco
CA
94108.
For everyone
who had previously cast their
votes from the
Philippines, the
Commission on
Elections
confirmed that “indelible ink” is no longer
being used for overseas absentee voting
(OAV) in over 227 Philippine posts.
It may have been noted that election laws
require the use of a silver nitrate solution
to stain the cuticle of voters’ index fingers
after dropping their ballots.
The COMELEC have altogether dropped
the
indelible
ink as the stain
will only remain
for 20 days and
overseas voting
will last for 30
days. That necessitates non use of
the indelible ink.
cided to move our family
to the United States. People
Power was then gaining
ground, with constant demonstrations around the city.
Yellow confetti frequently
rained down from buildings
and protesters,
fleeing
from
riot police and
tear gas, often
sought refuge
in my husband’s office in
Ayala Avenue.
Life in those
days was exciting, but uncertain,
and
volatile.
So
we packed our
belongings and
moved to Los
Angeles. Our
family of four
crowded in a
tiny bedroom at a friend’s
townhouse. The kids were
three and six at that time;
so it was like a big camping
party for them.
I guess the term for us
then was FOB (fresh off
the boat). In the early days,
most of our clothes, including my husband’s underwear and socks, were pink.
We had not yet learned to
sort out the coloreds from
the whites, as we did our
laundry, so everything fad-
them in the dryer.
Shopping gauntlet
Shopping here is another
new experience.
How
many people does it take
to ring up a sale? Back in
the US, we had become
used to going to the register, having our items pass
through a scanner, paying
for them, and then bagging
them ourselves. But here,
there is the lady who will
take the merchandise from
you, who will hand it over
to another lady, who will
write a manual receipt, and
then pass it on to yet another lady in the assembly line
to ring up.
All those stories said,
we realize that we need
forgotten the little nuances
so typical in our culture.
We had become American
and fiercely independent,
forgetting that once upon a
time we were just like everybody here at home.
Feeling
special
again
We are
still very
glad we
made the
decision
to come
b a c k .
Aside
f r o m
the fact
that this
country
boasts of
the best
senior
p e r k s
ever, it is nice to live in a
place where you are treated
with respect and made to
feel special. Even if the
decision we made to return
was for our parents, they
are not the only ones benefitting from our move. Our
lives have come full circle
and we are so happy to be
back, to enjoy that unique
and quintessential quality
of life, so familiar to most
Filipinos, for the rest of our
years. PDI
SPORTS &
MOTORING
PAGE 12
April 18, 2013 - April 24, 2013
Cuban foe outclasses Donaire
EW YORK CITY—Firing stiff jabs
“He’s an excellent fighter but one shot just
and showing lightning-quick reflexes, can’t win a fight,” Rigondeaux later said.
Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux outclassed Rigondeaux banged a nifty left that inNonito Donaire Jr. on Saturday night for flicted a gruesome welt under the Filipia stunning unanimous decision victory to no’s right eye early in the last round and
unify their world super bantamweight titles Donaire, who had stopped his last two
at the jampacked Radio City Music Hall rivals, was reduced to protecting it from
here.
more punishment for the rest of the round.
The shifty, counDonaire,
terpunching Cuwhose reban, a bemedaled
cord fell
former
amateur
to 31-2
champion, domiwith 20
nated the “Filipino
knockFlash” despite goo u t s ,
ing down briefly
later adin the 10th round
mitted
and picked up
commitDonaire’s World
ting basic
Boxing Organizamistakes
tion (WBO) title to
that he
go with his World
vowed to
Boxing Associacorrect
tion (WBA) crown
w h e n
while
stretchhe goes
ing his unbeaten
“back
Guillermo Rigondeaux, left, lands a punch on Nonito Donaire dur- to
streak to 12.
the
Judges Julie ing a junior featherweight title boxing match at Radio City Music drawing
in New York Sunday, April 14, 2013. Rigondeaux won on a
Lederman scored Hall
board.”
unanimous twelve round decision. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
it 116-111, Tom
“I apolSchreck 115-112 and John Stewart 114- ogize for not giving you what you want.
113 for Rigondeaux, who inflicted a first In the last two rounds, I got stupid and I
loss on Donaire in 12 years and ended his got carried away. I have much respect for
rival’s 30-bout winning run.
Rigondeaux and the beautiful boxing [lesAfter the fight, Rigondeaux, his face un- son] he gave me,” he said.
blemished, rubbed it in by saying through Donaire’s mistake
an interpreter: “I told you I will do my job
Donaire said he wanted a rematch and
and I did it. I made him look bad and I acknowledged that he was under “a lot of
looked great.”
pressure” going into the fight.
Donaire’s defeat came on the heels of a
Aside from receiving the 2012 Fighter of
sixth-round knockout suffered by Manny the Year award from the Boxing Writers
Pacquiao last December in the hands of Association of America just days before
Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in their the fight, Donaire has a baby coming in
fourth fight and Brian Viloria’s loss of his July, which prompted him to clear his fight
WBO and WBA flyweight titles to Juan Es- schedule until after September. He also has
trada, also of Mexico, in Macau last week. a new house in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao, Donaire and Viloria are considHe said he gave it all against the Cuban
ered the Big 3 of Philippine boxing.
but also admitted he didn’t study RigonBiggest moment
deaux’s tape. “It was one mistake that I did.
Donaire’s biggest moment came midway I never studied his fights.”
in the 10th when he floored Rigondeaux
The General Santos City-born Donaire
with a left hook to the face. But the Cuban also revealed he was bothered by a shoulquickly got back to his feet and resumed der injury for the past few weeks and that
fighting after the mandatory eight-count, as he would have it corrected by surgery as
if nothing had happened.
soon as possible.
Ford and GM Brag About This
Weeks Car Sales Data
N
With Kobe out, will Lakers lose its steam?
L
egendary player, Kobe with an injured left leg,
Bryant pushed his fray- eventually leaving with
ing body and his Los Ange- 3:06 to play in the Lakers’
les Lakers teammates relentlessly
through the second half of a vital
game until he felt
a searing pain in
his left heel.
Bryant’s Achilles’ tendon apparently is torn. His
season likely is
over.
And though the
Lakers held on
to beat Golden
State,
Bryant
thinks they’ll have LeBron calls Kobe’s season-ending injury ‘sad’
to continue their
playoff chase without their 118-116 win over the Warleader.
riors on Friday night.
Bryant scored 34 points
Bryant hyperextended his
while playing much of the left knee early in the half,
second half in obvious pain but didn’t come out while
the Lakers chased a victory
that kept them one game
ahead of Utah for the eighth
playoff spot in the
Western Conference.
Bryant then hurt
himself seriously on
a relatively innocent
drive to the hoop,
altering the Lakers’
season and possibly
changing NBA history.
“I made a move
that I’ve made a million times, and it just
popped,” he said solemnly while leaning
on crutches in the
Lakers’ locker room.
Bryant called it the
most disappointing injury
of his career “by far.” “We
worked so hard to put ourselves in position and control our fate,” he said. AP
The San Fancisco Post
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The San Francisco Post
F
ord and General Motors were big winners when reports of March auto sales
were announced this week. The auto industry as a
whole
had its
b e s t
month
since
M a y
2007,
giving
a n a lysts
s u bstantial
reason
to believe
the worst is over for car makers — and that
a period of strong growth may be ahead.
Detroit’s top-two automakers has reason
to thump their chests following the news.
GM posted a 6 percent increase when compared to March 2012, selling more cars
than in any March since 2008. As CEO
Dan Akerson noted in a CNBC “Squawk
Box” segment Thursday, much of GM’s
success is tied to its small cars sales. Furthermore, truck sales have outperformed
expectations, owing to a rise in construction projects across the U.S.
This factor helped push Ford sales up 6
percent against last year March figures.
The star on Ford’s team is the F-Series
pickup truck, a line that’s pushing Ford to
compete with GM and even beat the Detroit rival in the pickup category. In fact,
Ford had a chance to perform even better
in March but was held in check by poor
Lincoln sales. Lincoln execs predict a better April.
Even Chrysler came up big in March,
putting up a 5 percent increase year-overyear that included a whopping 24 percent
increase in its popular Ram Truck line.
Though many analysts were cautious
about expecting more increases in sales,
it appears the consumer confidence levels are overcoming the
hesitations about the U.S.
economy. A slight uptick
in actual prices paid by
consumers (following all
discounts) reflects a willingness to pay higher prices to get the cars in their
possession now.
The auto industry hopes
the reemergence of consumers following the
extended
recession-era
drought will continue
pushing sales in the coming months. Worries about
the effects of
the increased
payroll
tax are
countered
by an
a p parent
c o n sumer
desire
to own
efficient,
better
p e r forming vehicles. Toyota, the world’s current leading automaker, reported a modest
1 percent increase over last March’s sales,
while Volkswagen saw a 3.1 percent hike.
For Volkswagen, the decision to build a
Chattanooga, Tennessee plant is already
starting to pay off in the U.S. market. Eric
Schaal, WSCS
How will U.S. Automakers React to Obama’s
Invitation to Japan?
T
he Obama administration said on Friday that
Japan is allowed to join
11-nation free-trade talks
called the Trans-Pacific
Partnership. The partnership’s goal is creating a
free-trade zone that would
would include 40 percent
of the world’s economy.
sociation that represents
Detroit’s “Big Three” automakers
(NYSE:GM)
(NYSE:F)(NYSE:TM)–
said, “It is stunning that
the U.S. government would
endorse a trade policy that
puts the industry at a competitive disadvantage and
comes at the cost of Ameri-
nounced that this ceiling
will be raised to 5,000 vehicles annually. In response
to this, U.S. Rep. Levin
said a “unilateral low-volume increase of 3,000 cars
is a meaningless gesture by
the Japanese, given all of
the other obstacles to U.S.
exports in their market. In-
U.S. automakers and the
United Auto Workers union
are both strongly opposed
to Japan’s entry to the talks,
according to Detroit News.
Japan is the third-largest
economy in the world.
According to U.S. Rep.
Sander Levin, D-Royal
Oak, Michigan, Japanese
automakers sold 5.3 million vehicles in the US in
2012–almost 40 percent
of total U.S. auto sales.
U.S. automakers only sold
13,367 vehicles in Japan
during the same year. Only
six percent of auto sales in
Japan are imports.
The reaction of the U.S.
automotive industry since
Japan was invited to join
free-trade talks has been
swift. The president of
the American Automotive
Policy Council–a trade as-
can auto job.” The United
Automotive Workers union
said, “There absolutely
should be no phase-out of
any passenger car, light
truck and auto parts tariffs
until there is concrete, measurable progress on these
critical economic issues.”
Japanese automakers are
quick to point out that they
build vehicles in the U.S.
while U.S. automakers do
not build vehicles in Japan.
They also do not think U.S.
automakers are providing
vehicles that fit Japanese
preferences.
Currently
however, U.S. automakers
are only allowed to export
up to 2,000 vehicles per vehicle type to Japan annually
under a “Preferential Handling Procedure” import
fast-track plan.
On Friday, Japan an-
deed, the impenetrability
from those obstacles is reflected in the fact that U.S.
automakers have not even
been fully utilizing the existing quota.”
The Japan Daily Press noted that Alan Mulally–CEO
of Ford Motor Co. called
Japan the most “closed
automobile market in the
world,” last month when
questioned by reporters
on the possibility of Japan
joining the Trans-Pacific
Partnership. He went on
to say that, “They [Japan]
should open up their market, they should restructure
their industry, and that’s
why we’re encouraging the
people negotiating the free
trade agreements that they
deal with that.” Mont Cessna,
WSCS
PAGE 13
TRAVEL &
April 18, 2013 - April 24, 2013
PROPERTY GUIDE
Dedon Island: Back to the land that What Buyers Really Want In A Home
time forgot
by Phoebe Chongchua
The San Francisco Post
D
edon Island Resort in Siargao, Surigao
del Norte, is all about the essence of
travel. It’s all about spontaneity, childlike
The villas stood out for their swooping,
multitiered thatch roof lines associated
with Thai and Balinese architecture. Rambeau himself
trained the
local folk to
deliver refined service.
Dedon Island, Sirgao del Norte
openness to new experiences, and bringing
home happy memories.
“You come on a holiday and see things
you’ve never learned as opposed to same
old, same old … You come here and learn
something new, you go away and reminisce that you learned to do this when you
were staying at Dedon,” says Sean Hartley,
the adventure manager.
This new beach getaway in the southeastern border of Siargao is formerly the
Pansukian Resort, owned by French businessman Nicolas Rambeau. Pioneer staffer
and resort supervisor Erlinda
Escosura has been working in the property since the beginning.
Twenty years ago, Rambeau built a vacation cottage on the beach. Then he put up
four more cottages to invite his friends. In
no time the sprawl evolved into a nine-villa
resort.
Although
it was under
the
radar,
the resort attracted upscale clients
such as the
Zobels, the
Aboitizes,
the Lopezes,
even
former President Gloria
MacapagalArroyo, and
well-heeled
foreigners.
The Dedon style is about comfort and
contentment, and embracing the genuine
hospitality that comes with the island lifestyle. “The Dedon look is luxury in natural
surroundings,” says Hartley.
Visitors explore the various coves and inlets and are mesmerized by the sculptural
coral formations, monkeys playing around
and the variety of sea creatures. The water
is so clear that you could actually see the
bottom.
“It is taking you back to the land that time
forgot—the undisturbed, natural beauty.
Here, you can sit on the islands and see
nobody. You hear the sea and listen to the
birds,” says Hartley. “We’ve got the gadgets that follow us around. We can take
you away from that, and bring you back to
yourself. The rest of the world is going on,
but it can go on without you.” PDI
Carnival cruise group expanding in
Asia
The Carnival Freedom
S
INGAPORE — Carnival, the world’s
largest cruise group, unveiled its Asian
expansion plans on Tuesday, predicting the
regional market for leisure voyages will
grow dramatically within the decade.
Southeast Asia in particular will be a key
focus, the company said as it announced
that one of its brands, Princess Cruises,
will operate from Singapore by next year
to provide short-haul leisure trips.
“Carnival is really investing a lot in Asia,
we are trying to stimulate the demand of
the market. Today it’s a bit quiet as cruising is not well known,” Pier Luigi Foschi,
chairman and chief executive of Carnival
Asia, told Agence France-Presse.
“Southeast Asia is a key market to develop cruising because it is a year-round experience. The seas are typically calm and the
surroundings are beautiful, particularly for
short-haul cruises.”
Carnival’s brands include Carnival Cruise
Lines, Holland America Line, Princess
Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa
Cruises, Cunard, Ibero Cruises, P&O
Cruises in Australia, and P&O Cruises in
Britain.
Foschi, speaking on the sidelines of a
press conference, cited industry forecasts
that cruise liners will see a total of seven
million passengers a year by 2020 in Asia,
up from just above one million now.
The Sapphire Princess will be deployed to
Singapore from November 2014 to February 2015.
The luxury liner, which can carry 2,670
passengers, will bring travellers from Singapore to cities and exotic destinations in
countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Carnival already has a presence in China through its Costa Cruises brand, while
Princess Cruises is setting up shop in Japan
this month.
“As cruise lines are being deployed into
the market, the market starts to develop.
Slowly at first, but then they reach a critical mass,” Alan Buckelew, chief executive
and president of Princess Cruises.
“Our ships move to where we believe the
demand is strongest.”
Singapore, a regional aviation hub, has
also taken steps to gain a bigger slice of the
growing cruise travel market.
In October, it opened a new cruise terminal capable of berthing the world’s biggest
luxury liners. PDI
S
ize matters, according to the
recent survey by
The National Association Of Homebuilders.
It seems
buyers
are now
seeking
homes
that are
approximately
2,000
square
f e e t ,
but the
problem
is half
of U.S.
homes
are nearly 40 years old and
don’t have many of
the amenities buyers want.
Capture more
FREE leads with
Craigslist
NAHB says that
only about onethird of the current
homes on the market have 2,000 or
more square feet
of livable space.
NAHB writes on its
website, “Existing
homes, on the other
hand, are more like-
home and continue
on to find the home
that meets their
square footage requirements? Well,
ly to be under 1,600
- or even under
1,200 - square feet,
a size relatively
few buyers say they
want.”
So what does this
mean for sellers
whose homes might
not be in that 2,000
square-foot-sweet
spot? Will buyers just shun your
that depends.
Size, like location,
is a very important consideration.
However, both of
these areas are often open for negotiation and buyers
may consider sacrificing one aspect
in order to achieve
a more important
amenity.
For instance, if
the home is smaller than the buyers were originally
looking for but is
in an area that
has the best
school
district and the
potential for
expansion,
then suddenly
this home becomes more
appealing.
However, in
order to market a home
properly, you
have to find
out who your
target is. If
you reference
this recent survey,
then you can assume size matters.
If your home falls
short in this area,
look for other great
amenities to highlight. Make sure
you and your agent
have good marketing flyers that play
up the features of
your home.
Avoid Over Priced Jumbo Mortgage
Through a Piggyback
A jumbo mortgage is any mortgage over loan limits that are considered
average. Different lending institutions will consider different purchase
amounts in a jumbo mortgage, but in general a jumbo mortgage is anywhere between $700,000 and above. Jumbo mortgages are often found in
expensive real estate markets and carry with them their own concerns.
What Is A Piggyback Mortgage?
A piggyback mortgage is a mortgage that rides on top of another mortgage
product. This has been traditionally done either during jumbo mortgage loans
or during loans in which the consumer could not afford the deposit. A piggyback
mortgage allows a mortgage borrower to make multiple loans against the same
property. Often, the smaller of these loans will be at a larger interest rate than
the more substantial loan in order to mitigate risk. Only certain lending institutions allow or provide piggyback mortgages and this industry has become highly
regulated after the effects of the real estate crash. It may be necessary to consult
a real estate or mortgage professional if considering a piggyback mortgage loan.
GAMES &
ENTERTAINMENT
PAGE 14
April 18, 2013 - April 24, 2013
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Across
Down
7
8
10
11
12
13
17
18
22
23
24
25
1 Business outfit (7)
2 Sounded like a sheep (7)
3 Giants (5)
4 Grow in wealth (7)
5 Tiles (anag) (5)
6 Very pale faced (5)
9 Forcedto action (9)
14 Vending (7)
15 Cultivate tenderly (7)
16 Female deity (7)
19 Monastery superior (5)
20 Egg-shaped (5)
21 Small slender gulls (5)
Compel (6)
Desperate situation (6)
Inert substance (7)
Military blockade (5)
Require (4)
Secret waychers (5)
Knocks over (5)
Japanese sport (4)
Hand tool (5)
Raised upright (7)
Excursion (6)
Takes in by inhalation (6)
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.
Smoky Turkey
and Veggie
Frittata
1 tablespoon
olive oil
2 cups assorted fresh vegetables, cut into bite-size pieces
6 large eggs
3 tablespoons skim milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey breast
1 cup diced smoked Gouda (4 ounces)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 42 mins
Ingredients on sale: 4
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 325 degree F. Spray a 10-inch oven-safe nonstick skillet with
nonstick cooking spray. Add olive oil to skillet and heat over medium heat.
Add vegetables and cook 7 minutes, until tender.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Stir in
turkey and 1/2 cup of the Gouda.
3. Pour egg mixture into skillet. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes,
stirring gently halfway through cooking. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese
over top of mixture, and transfer skillet to oven. Bake at 325 degree F for
20 minutes. To serve, gently slide onto plate and cut into 4 servings. Garnish
with parsley.
4. Note: Look for fresh, assorted, cut-up vegetables for stir-frying in your
local supermarket’s produce department.
Nutrition information
Per serving: Calories 448, Total Fat 22 g, Saturated Fat 9 g, Cholesterol 450
mg, Sodium 525 mg, Carbohydrate 5 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 56 g. Percent
Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
To advertise, call (510) 885-8827
Advertise your Used Cars here!
Only $15 per issue!
The San Francisco Post
HOROSCOPE
Aries March 20 - April 18
Hasty actions will get you in trouble when the Moon conjuncts Uranus in Aries on Tuesday. Go slowly in all areas of your life. You’ll be
bursting with confidence on Wednesday. “
Taurus April 19 - May 19
A cherished wish may finally come true on Monday, Taurus. Remember to say thank you to the Universe. Your intuition will kick up
a notch on Wednesday.
Gemini May 20 - June 19
The boss could give you a promotion on Monday, and the corner
office could be part of the deal! A new friend might bounce into your
life on Wednesday.
Cancer June 20 - July 21
Persistence is the key to success on Monday. Extra effort will be required to get a job done. Search for a moment of Zen on Thursday.
Find a quiet nook in which to unwind. A former partner may ask you
for a second chance when Pluto turns retrograde in your relationship zone on Friday.
Leo July 22 - August 21
Power issues with a colleague will erupt on Tuesday. Temporarily
toss your ego aside so you can work together. Think about going
back to school when the New Moon takes place in your education
zone on Wednesday. It might be time to learn a new skill.
Virgo August 22 - September 21
Keep your options open on Monday. If you agree to an outing early
on, you’ll want to change plans later. A lover may throw a tantrum on
Wednesday. Give this person lots of space until he or she is calmer.
Libra September 22 - October 21
A rival may suddenly burst on the scene on Tuesday. Rely on your
smarts to outwit this person. You’ll be overflowing with charisma
when the Moon conjuncts your ruler Venus on Wednesday.
Scorpio October 22 - November 20
Demonstrate your leadership skills on Tuesday. Don’t be afraid to
take charge of a certain matter. Visualize achieving a goal on Thursday. Use the power of positive thinking to realize your ambitions.
Sagittarius November 21 - December 20
A loved one may try to monopolize your attention on Monday. Let
this person know that you’re on a tight schedule! Indulge in a special
treat when the Moon sextiles your ruler Jupiter on Tuesday. Be as
generous to yourself as you are to others. Evaluate your priorities
on Friday.
Capricorn December 21 - January 18
Boredom may kick in when the Moon is quincunx your ruler Saturn
on Tuesday. It might be time to start a new hobby. A relative will
ask you for a loan on Wednesday. Think carefully before writing this
person a check.
Aquarius January 19 - February 17
Your income will increase substantially on Monday. It’s possible that
you’ll have the Midas touch! Throw an impromptu party on Wednesday. It’s time to kick up your heels and dance. Don’t believe everything you hear on Saturday.
Pisces February 18 - March 19
Your head will be lost in the clouds when the Moon conjuncts Mercury in Pisces on Monday. Look both ways before crossing busy
streets. Start a new project on Wednesday. Powerful energy will
support the endeavor.
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PAGE 15
April 18, 2013 - April 24, 2013
The San Francisco Post
(Cont. from Page 3...THE DANGERS OF DEBT SETTLEMENT)
3. Chapter 7 will eliminate all unsecured
debts. If you are near retirement age, you
must eliminate most of your debts.
4.
Bankruptcy will stop foreclosure
actions. If your trustee sale date is 10 days
before, you can still file for bankruptcy.
5. 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.
6. Bankruptcy is cheaper, faster and safer
than debt settlement which has no guaranteed success.
7. Preserve your health, eliminate stress
and live a happy life by eliminating your
debts which is the root of all problems.
Note: This is not a legal advice. You should
consult a Bankruptcy Attorney about your
specific situation.
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 Realtor and a Bachelor of
Business Administration Cum Laude graduate. He has offices in Hayward, San Jose,
and Cerritos, California. You can contact
him at 1-877-456-9266. Email questions to
[email protected]/. Visit our website at www.crispinlozanolaw.com/. Follow
us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
(Cont. from Page 1...SENATE BILL PUTS 11M)
skills and employment potential.
Billions of dollars would be poured into border security,
and millions of people who’ve been waiting overseas for
years, sometimes decades, in legal immigration backlogs
would see their cases speeded up.
Overall, the changes represent the most dramatic overhaul to U.S. immigration law in more than a quarter-century, and also would usher in major shifts to the U.S. employment landscape.
“I’ve always said that Americans will be commonsense,
practical and balanced toward legal immigration and the
11 million who are here, provided that they are convinced
that there won’t be future flows of illegal immigration,
and that has been the philosophy I think that’s guided our
group,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “And as you’ll
see tomorrow we’ve put together a proposal that pretty
much does that.”
The bill is the result of months of secretive negotiations
among eight lawmakers, equally divided between the two
parties, among them Schumer and Sen. Dick Durbin, DIll., and Republicans John McCain of Arizona and Marco
Rubio of Florida.
Because of the makeup of the group, including conservatives and liberals, the legislation is a painstaking attempt to balance a focus on border security and legal enforcement sought by
Republicans in the group, with
Democratic priorities including making citizenship widely
accessible. Crafting the bill, a top priority for President
Barack Obama, was a time-consuming process of seeking
compromise and bringing together traditionally opposed
groups, such as the
Chamber of Commerce and
AFL-CIO, and the United Farm Workers and American
Farm Bureau Federation.
(Cont. from Page 3... TAX CORNER)
2. Being self-employed you file a Schedule
C, Profit or Loss for Business or Schedule
C-EZ.
3. You generally have to pay employment
tax as well as income tax. Self employment tax include social security and medicare taxes.
4. You have to make estimated tax payments.
a) If you do not have taxes witheld from
your income, you need to make estimated
tax payments. Income from self-employment, interest, dividends or capital gains
are subject to estimated taxes during the
year to avoid penalty, if you do not have
enough withheld from your wages.
b) Generally, you need to pay estimated
taxes if you owe $1,000 or more when you
filed your federal tax return. You should
also include any tax deduction and credits
that you are eligible to claim. Try to make
estimates as accurate as possible.
Its release is a major achievement
on a polarizing issue, but even harder
work lies ahead now that legislative language will become
public for other lawmakers and groups on all sides to examine and react to. The Senate Judiciary Committee will
hold hearings on the bill beginning Friday and likely move
to amend and vote on it in May, with action on the Senate floor expected later in the summer. The Republicancontrolled House also must act, and opposition from some
conservatives there is likely to be fierce.
“The Senate proposal issues an open invitation to enter
the country illegally,” Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said on
the House floor Monday. “Millions more will do so before
the border is secure. The Senate proposal will dramatically
increase illegal immigration. “
Under the bill, immigrants here illegally could gain a
provisional legal status six months after enactment as long
c) You normally make estimated tax payments four times during the year on a quarterly basis.
5. You can deduct some business expenses
for the costs you paid to run your business or your trade. You can deduct most
business expenses, but some costs must be
‘capitalized’., meaning you can deduct a
portion of the expenses each year over a
period of years.
6. You may deduct only the costs that are
both “ordinary and necessary”. An ordinary expense is one that is common and
accepted in the industry. A necessary expense is one that is helpful and appropriate
for your trade or business.
Al Maglan is a CPA licensed in California and
Nevada. You can contact him @ 510 432 7438.
You may e-mail tax questions at amaglan@aol.
com or [email protected].
as they meet certain criteria, and if the Homeland Security Department has moved forward on plans to secure the
border. They would remain in that provisional status for
10 years, able to work legally but barred from federal benefits like welfare or health care.
After 10 years they
could seek green cards conferring permanent legal status,
and three years after that they could petition for citizenship.
They would have to pay a total of $2,000 in fines along
the way, and at least hundreds more in fees, though that
number has not been determined.
People brought here illegally as youths would
have a faster path: they could get green cards in five years
and would become eligible for citizenship immediately
thereafter.
U.S. citizens would no longer be able to sponsor their
siblings for eventual U.S. citizenship, a change activist
groups have opposed. It’s one of several changes aimed
at rebalancing an immigration system that now awards
around 15 percent of green cards to people with employment ties, and the majority to people with family ties; to
one that awards 45 percent to 50 percent of green cards
based on employment ties. Green cards are visas that make
someone a lawful permanent resident and qualifies them to
apply for citizenship.
The bill changes the waiting period a green card holder
has to undergo before applying to citizenship from five
years to three years.
There would be no limit in the number of green cards
awarded to people of extraordinary ability in science, arts,
education, business or athletics, or to outstanding professors, doctors and others. A new startup visa will be created
for foreign entrepreneurs trying to come here to start their
own companies.
PAGE 16
April 18, 2013 - April 24, 2013
The San Francisco Post