VOL. XXIII, NO. 51 LOS ANGELES THE LEADING SOURCE OF NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR FILIPINO-AMERICANSJanuary 23 - 29, 2016

See ENTERTAINMENT, page 16

Emotional; Ara

surprises Cristine

LOS ANGELES

MANILA, Jan 19 (Mabuhay) – Grace Poe on Tuesday said she is confi dent that the Supreme Court (SC) will rule in her favor.

“Matibay ang pananalig natin na kakatigan tayo ng batas sa ipinaglalaban nating karapatan ng mga inaban-donang bata. Hindi ko kasi matanggap ang sinasabi ng ilan na ang isang foundling ay ituturing na stateless o walang nasyonalidad pagkapanganak. Responsibilidad ng batas na proteksyunan ang karapatan ng mga mahina at walang la-ban,” Poe said.

GRACE POE’S MY SISTER’ GRACE POE’S MY SISTER’ – BONGBONG– BONGBONG

MANILA, Jan 21 (Mabuhay) – Sena-tor Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has only one word to describe Senator Grace Poe: “sister.”

“Wala. Pinaninindigan ko na e (I am already standing by it),” Marcos said in jest when he played “fast-talk” during a weekly forum at the Senate on Thurs-day.

An urban legend that Poe is an illegit-imate child of the senator’s father and namesake, the late President Ferdinand Marcos with former actress Rosemarie Sonora, has become a running joke for the two lawmakers until Sonora’s own daughter, actress Sheryl Cruz, did not fi nd the joke funny.

Poe confi dent SC will rule in her favor

MANILA, Jan 21 (Mabuhay) – Borrowing the famous “hugot” (heart-tugging) line of “walang forever,” President Benigno Aquino III on Thursday urged Filipino citizens to reject corrupt candidates.

Aquino made this appeal in a speech delivered by Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. to an audience of Filipino youth organizations that have been awarded for their outstanding contributions to na-tion-building and development.

“Ngayong taon, haharap pong muli ang sambayanan sa isang sangang-daan kung saan pipili tayo ng mga susunod na pinuno ng bayan. Kumpiyansa akong pipiliin ng ating mga boss ang tapat, malinis, marangal at walang dudang magtutuloy ng daang matuwid,” said Aquino.

B e v e r l y H i l l s , U n i t -ed States | AFP | Tuesday 1/19/2016 – Manny Pacquiao said he is looking forward to swapping the boxing ring for the political arena on Tuesday as the countdown began to-wards his farewell fi ght with long-time American rival Tim-othy Bradley in April.

Pacquiao, whose last bout was the money-spinning ‘Fight

Aquino: ‘Walang forever para sa kurap’

Pacquiao eyes fond farewell, looks forward to politics

See FAREWELL, page 8

See BONGBONG, page 8

See POE CONFIDENT, page 8

See WALANG FOREVER, page 8

2 Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016 Balita

ment can be emotionally depressing. If you have lost your job, or simply cannot cope, because debts have grown to the point where you have to choose who gets paid this month, and who doesn’t, then you need to consid-er the benefi ts of fi ling a bankruptcy.

Q: Will a bankruptcy stop collec-tion agencies from calling me?

A: Yes, fi ling a bankruptcy pro-tects you from creditor harassment, and provides peace of mind. Credi-tors will not contact you if you fi led bankruptcy and have an attorney representing you. Otherwise they risk being cited for contempt of fed-eral court, something they will not risk. Another reason to consider a bankruptcy now, even if you do not have assets to protect, is that after a bankruptcy, you can immediately begin the process of repairing your credit. This usually takes between 6 to 12 months, so an early start will get you there faster.

Q: I have just received a summons from a creditor. Is it too late to fi le a bankruptcy?

A: No. When you fi le for bankrupt-cy, an automatic stay goes into effect immediately stopping any lawsuit filed against you and any action against your property by a creditor, collection agency or government entity.

This can be very important, Es-pecially if you are at risk of being evicted or foreclosed on, being found in contempt for failure to pay child support or losing such basic resources as utility services, welfare or unem-ployment

Here is how the bankruptcy fi ling affects some common emergencies:

Utility disconnections. If you’re behind on a utility bill and the com-pany is threatening to disconnect your water, electric, gas or telephone service, the automatic stay will pre-vent the disconnection for at least 20 days. Bankruptcy will also discharge the past due debts for utility service. Although the amount of a utility bill itself rarely justifi es a bankruptcy fi ling, preventing electrical service cutoff might be justifi cation enough.

Q: Will fi ling a bankruptcy stop the foreclosure on my home?

A:If your home mortgage is being foreclosed on, the automatic stay temporarily stops the proceedings, but the creditor will often be able to proceed with the foreclosure sooner or later. If you are facing foreclosure and wish to save your home, Chapter 13 bankruptcy is the appropriate

remedy because it provides for a re-payment plan on the arrears.

Q: Can a bankruptcy stop an eviction?

A: No, under the new rules, a bankruptcy will not stop a court or-dered eviction, but it will prevent a landlord from seeking to evict you, at least for a while, perhaps just enough time to fi nd somewhere else to live. However, don’t fi le for bankruptcy solely because you’re being evicted. You’ll probably be better off looking for a new place to live or fi ghting the eviction in Municipal court instead. Remember, the main idea behind bankruptcy is to discharge debt.

Q: Will bankruptcy protect me; I’m behind in my child support pay-ments?

A: If you owe child support or ali-mony, bankruptcy will not interrupt your obligation to make current pay-ments. And while the automatic stay will temporarily stop proceedings to collect back support you owe, usual-ly the bankruptcy court will permit collection to go forward if the creditor requests it. In any event, these debts will survive bankruptcy intact and will have to be paid once the case is closed. Chapter 13, however, lets you pay the back support as part of the repayment plan.

Q: A creditor is garnishing my wages. Will bankruptcy help me?

A: Yes. Although no more than 25% of your wages may be taken to satisfy a court judgment (up to 65% for child support and alimony), many people fi le for bankruptcy to protect their income. For some people, any loss of income is devastating. Your employer may also get angry at the expense and hassle of facilitating a succession of garnishments and take it out on their employees.

Although federal law prohibits you from being fi red for one garnish-ment, an employer can fi re you for multiple garnishments. Filing for bankruptcy stops garnishments dead in their tracks. Not only will you take home a full salary, but you also can discharge the debt in bankruptcy.

So if you have too many debts, and cannot manage, call the Law offi ces of Paul M. Allen for an appointment. Consultations are free, but by ap-pointment only. Lets discuss your options. We turn complex problems into simple solutions, even under the new bankruptcy rules.

Call us now at 818-552-4500. We have three convenient locations: Glendale, La Palma and Cerritos.

Creditors are harassing me!Attorney Paul Allen answers ques-

tions on creditor harassment and bankruptcy protection.

Q: Creditors are harassing me - but I lost my job, and cannot pay. How do I stop them calling?

A: If you cannot pay your bills, creditors will take steps to collect. That’s natural, but continued harass-

N e w Y o r k , U n i t e d States | AFP | Thursday 1/21/2016 – Prominent actors, writers and thinkers joined a “Stop Hate Dump Trump” campaign to denounce the billionaire Republican presidential frontrunner, saying he is a threat to the United States.

Actors Harry Belafonte, Kerry Washington and Jane Fonda, fi lm-maker Jonathan Demme and intel-lectual Noam Chomsky are among those lending their support to the drive to prevent Donald Trump get-ting into the White House.

“We are offering Americans a chance to be heard and engage in action, as Trump’s campaign gains momentum even as he increases his hateful and divisive rhetoric,” said playwright Eve Ensler, one of three cofounders.

“We also intend to put the media

and political institutions on notice that they are accountable for normal-izing Trump’s extremism by treating it as entertainment, by giving it inor-dinate and unequal air time and by refusing to investigate, interrogate or condemn it appropriately.”

Trump announced his bid for the White House last June, dominating the news cycle of the presidential race ever since with insults slamming Mexicans and illegal immigrants, and a call for a ban on Muslims en-tering the United States.

The website said it united people as diverse as worker movement lead-ers, actors, teachers, farmers, stu-dents, poets and heads of companies.

“We believe Trump is a grave threat to democracy, freedom, human rights, equality and the welfare of our country and all our people,” the campaign said.

US celebrities back ‘Dump Trump’ campaign

3Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016

MANILA, Jan 21 (Mabuhay) – The Social Security System (SSS) is studying a proposal to increase the pension of its retirees by as much as P1,000 in lieu of the P2,000 hike vetoed by President Benigno Aquino III. SSS Chief Actuary and Senior Vice President George Ongkeko Jr. said results of the study may be out by February.

“We’re already conducting actu-arial studies on the implications of implementing a pension increase of P500, P1,000 especially with [the state] of the market right now.

That’s the critical part,” he said in a press conference Thursday.

Ongkeko said among the factors that must be considered in study-ing the proposed pension hike are its impacts on SSS’ fund life.

“Say we’re going to implement a pension increase of P500 or P1,000, we’re studying what kind of re-structuring [of our asset mix] we would have to do, what we would have to liquidate,” he said.

It is also crucial for the SSS to determine if it could implement the proposed P1,000 hike, Ongkeko

said.House Speaker Feliciano Bel-

monte Jr., a former head of the Government Service Insurance System, earlier said the SSS could hike the monthly pension received by its retired members by P1,000 without needing Congress’ ap-proval.

However, he said the passage of House Bill 6112 giving the SSS board the authority to raise its members’ contribution was essential to enable the agency to recover the money to be allocated

for increasing the pension.The measure had been passed by

the House but was not approved by the Senate.

In vetoing the pension hike bill passed by Congress, Aquino said the pension fund will incur an an-nual defi cit of anywhere between P16 billion to P26 billion since an additional P2,000 allocated per retiree would mean a total payout of P56 billion every year.

He said the SSS’ annual invest-ment income only ranges from P30 billion to P40 billion.(MNS)

SSS studying proposed P1,000 pension hike

MANILA, Jan 21 (Mabuhay) – Senator and vice presidential aspi-rant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. scored the Social Security System (SSS) management on Thursday for supposedly being ineffi cient.

“We have to fi nd better people. I don’t think they’re doing a good job. What I’m saying is we replace them with people who are better managing the funds,” he told reporters at the Kapihan sa Senado forum.

Pres. Benigno Aquino III vetoed the P2,000 pension hike of 2.15 million SSS retirees last week. The Palace defended this, saying that it would have affected the stability of the institution and eventually lead to bankruptcy, as the 33 million active numbers outnumber the retirees.

“Ang SSS hindi pondo ng govern-ment that belongs to workers. It’s a private fund that should be managed better,” Marcos said.

He scored the management for being ineffi cient and said that it was in a better shape in previous years.

“They’re not doing their jobs well. Ang P2,000 hindi nila kaya suportah-an. Maghanap dapat; I’m sure mas

may magagaling,” he said.“In previous years, SSS was much

better run. I’m sure nandyan pa [ang] marurunong magpatakbo ng pondo. Marami sa private sector na compe-tent, quite experienced. I don’t think that is the problem,” he added.

Marcos also pointed out that that those appointed in the government are usually politically motivated.

“Everything is political in this ad-ministration; that’s why we’ve seen this not only in SSS, but other depart-ments. People who are running very large organizations have been clearly shown to be incompetent. Hindi nila kaya ang trabaho nila; ang daming nadadamay,” he lamented.

“Parang loyalty reward ginawa sa positions sa government. Hindi nilalagyan ng taong na sa palagay na pinakamagaling na magpaktakbo,” he said. The Senate drafted a resolu-tion to override the veto, and Marcos was one of the signatories.

“That’s a clear expression that we feel that the P2,000 pension should be given. It is unfortunate and disap-pointing that the President chose to veto,” he said.(MNS)

MANILA, Jan 21 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno S. Aquino III on Wednesday enjoined the participants of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Tourism Forum (ATF) 2016 to work together and share experiences to enhance the region’s tourism sector.

Like the Philippines, tourism is also a major industry in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam, which lead the pack when it comes to attracting tourists, President Aquino said during the opening of the ATF 2016 at the Philippine International Convention Center.

“We belong to a region that holds vast potentials in terms of tourism,” he said, noting that 2014 saw tourist arrivals in ASEAN reaching 105.1 million, a staggering 42.4 percent increase from 73.8 million tourist arrivals in 2010.

Of those 105.1 million visitors, he said, 49.22 million came from within the ASEAN itself.

“The strong interest that our peoples had in visiting each other’s countries highlights a potential to accelerate the growth of intra-ASEAN tourism, which redounds to all our benefi ts; not only does it contribute to our respective growth agendas, it also fosters greater understanding and strengthens the ties that bind our people,” the President told the forum participants.

He further pointed out that ASEAN integration has made the regional grouping a more attractive destination for visitors from other parts of the world, and the entire region should capitalize on this.

The ASEAN, he said, can invite tourists from North America, South America and Europe.

“All our countries can attract tourists from these markets, at the same time, I submit, would it not be a more attractive value pack proposition to present tours that cover more, if not all, ASEAN countries in one sweep?”

ASEAN members can enhance regional tourism by working together, says Aquino

Marcos: SSS not doing a good job

4 Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016 Balita

MANILA, Jan 21 (Mabuhay) – The Commission on Elections has upload-ed eight names in its certifi ed list of presidential candidates.

As earlier announced by the Comelec, the name of Senator Grace Poe remained on the list posted on the poll body’s website despite twin rulings by the en banc disqualifying her from the presidential elections.

Poe has since questioned the cancellation of her certificate of candidacy for president before the Supreme Court. Her petition is now the subject of oral arguments before the high tribunal.

On the other hand, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte also made the list despite disqualifi cation cases pending before the Comelec.

There are two new names on the list apart from those that were earlier reported. These are Mel Mendoza of the PMP and Dante Valencia, an independent.

Also in the list were Vice Presi-dent Jejomar Binay of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago of the People’s Reform Party, Mar Roxas of the ruling Liberal Party, and OFW party-list Representative Roy Señeres.

The Comelec also uploaded the six names in its list of vice presidential candidates.

They are Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who’s listed as an indepen-dent; Senator Francis Escudero, also an independent; Senator Gregorio

Honasan of UNA; Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., independent; Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo, LP; and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, independent.

Cayetano, Marcos and Trillanes are all members of the Nacionalista Party but are all running as inde-pendents after the NP opted not to endorse any of them.

Earlier, Comelec chair Andres Bautista said the list was likely fi nal.

Meanwhile, 52 names are cur-rently in the list for senator, and 120 groups are in the list for party-list.

The poll body said the lists are initial “and subject to editing.” Re-quests for corrections will eventually be forwarded to the Comelec law department.

MANILA, Jan 21 (Mabuhay) – The public net satisfaction rating on the Aquino administration improved by two-percentage points to +39 in the last quarter of 2015 compared to the +37 score in the previous quarter, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) sur-vey showed.

The survey conducted from Decem-ber 5 to 8, 2015 showed 61 percent of the 1,200 respondents were satisfi ed with the overall performance of the Aquino government, while 16 percent were undecided, and the remaining 23 percent were dissatisfi ed.

SWS classifies net satisfaction ratings of +70 and above, “excellent”; +50 to +69, “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”, +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 to -69, “very bad”; -70 and below, “execrable.”

In a statement, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said the SWS survey “prods (the) gov-ernment to intensify efforts to fully implement the reform and develop-ment programs that promote the well being of our people.” “Attainment of the goal to achieve inclusive growth requires sustained dedication and perseverance,” Coloma noted.

On specifi c issues, the respondents rated the government “good” on four issues, namely, helping the poor, for-eign relations, promoting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers, and defending the country’s territorial rights.

It was a “moderate” +18 on the issue of restoring peace to Mindanao, while it was a “very bad” -57 score on the government’s efforts to resolve the Maguindanao massacre case, a 10-point drop from the -47 in the third quarter of 2015.

President Benigno S. Aquino III is received by DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr, head of International Tourism Organizations, and by members of the diplomatic corps upon arrival at the Philippine International Convention Center for the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Tourism Forum. (MNS photo)

SWS: Satisfaction with Aquino admin improves slightly in Q4 2015

Comelec uploads 8 names in certifi ed list of presidential bets

When then President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law at Independence, Missouri in 1965, the American public received a gift that spelled their healthcare up to this day. To a very large extent, Medicare has been responsible in adding more years to an American’s life, as well as adding more life to his/her years.

Originally, Medicare had only Parts A and B. As many very well know by now, Part A takes care of hospital, skilled nursing facility, home health and hospice bills. Part B pays for doctor’s visit, laboratory, durable medical equipment, and some drugs expenses.

In 1998, in answer to the clam-or of Medicare members for more choices, Part C was enacted into law. For members to have more choices, Congress allowed private companies to offer the plan to members. Today, Part C is better known as the Medi-care Advantage Plan.

In 2006, President George W. Bush signed Part D into law. Part D takes care of a member’s prescription medication. Just like Part C, Part D is offered by private companies using formularies and tier systems.

An American turning 65 is eligible to join Medicare. If he/she has made at least 40 quarters of contribution, he/she gets Part A premium-free for life.

Joining Part B is an option. If employed, he/she must coordinate with Human Resources if he/she en-joys “creditable” coverage under an employer or union-sponsored health plan, whereby he/she may postpone getting/paying for Part B until the plan terminates. The same is true for Part D.

Medicare has undergone transfor-mation over the years. And with its current challenges, it is certain it will undergo more transformations in the years ahead.

Major breakthroughs have recent-ly occurred in the fi eld of healthcare.

Innovations in detecting and treatment of diseases certainly con-tributed in prolonging the lives of Americans, “adding more years to his/her life”.

Emphasis on preventions thru wellness programs and the like certainly improved his/her quality of life, “adding more life to his/her years”.

Medicare has been at the front and center, in and all through the years.

At this point in time, with all its faults, Medicare is regarded by many members as their lifeline to pro-longed life and better health. Witness the time not so long ago when some legislators wanted to tamper with

Medicare?Their response: “Hands off my

Medicare”.About the author: Leo Monsalud

has been helping Medicare members choose the right Medicare plan for them for about 7 years now. He holds CA license # 0G55218 as well as a Non-Resident license for Nevada. He may be reached at 323-535-7373 or e-mail at: leo.balita@gmail.com.

Medicare – A gift from the past

5Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016

MANILA, Jan 19 (Mabuhay) – Amid the disqualifi cation cases she is facing, the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) said Sen. Grace Poe “re-mains to be a top choice of the party” for the 2016 presidential elections.

“A lot of members would want the party to support senator Grace Poe,” Quezon Rep. and NPC spokesman Mark Envarga said in a press conference.

However, Envarga said the party has yet to issue a party stand on whom to support for president in May.

“The party is bent on supporting only one presidential candidate,” he said, adding that NPC would release its party stand before February 9.

He said NPC will form an executive committee to decide on the party’s presidential bet.

The executive committee, Envarga said, will be composed of 15 mem-bers. “We are very much highly after the platform of a presidential candidate,” he said.

Envarga said that the economic platform and integrity of the candidate will be greatly signifi cant for the party.

He said that the part is in a diffi cult decision because of their members’ “personal choice.”

MANILA, Jan 19 (Mabuhay) – Admitting that he lacked the funds necessary to fl ood the airwaves with his campaign advertisements, Sen-ator Gregorio Honasan on Tuesday said that he was relying on his net-work of organizations to instead come up with an “effective groundwork” across the country.

Honasan is running for vice pres-ident as the running mate of opposi-tion standard bearer Vice President Jejomar Binay.

“I am already (active in the cam-paign) but I don’t have the where-withal to be visible and audible, ang mahal ng infomercial ngayon,” Honasan said at a news forum in Quezon City.

“I wage an effective ground war that allows me to fall back on my strengths and weaknesses which I have harnessed in the last four national elections, modesty aside, unbeaten,” he added.

Honasan said he would be tapping the Philippine Guardians Brother-hood Inc., his fraternity brothers in the Alpha Sigma, and his links with retired military and police offi cers. He said he was also relying on his relatives and friends in and out of the country.

“‘Yung mga botante ko nung apat na eleksyon, nitong huli 13 million ako, hindi ko sinasabing yung 13 million boboto ulit sa akin (pero) yun ang iniikutan ko ngayon. Iyon ang ki-no-consolidate ko ngayon hoping that they will see me fi t to run and to sit as vice president of the Philippines,” Honasan said.

Honasan said he is also hoping that opposition Vice President Je-jomar Binay’s supporters across the country would also back him during the campaign on election day.

“Magsasama kami when neces-sary. I think for the 90 days, most of the time, we will be together hoping na yung political base niya mailipat sa akin,” Honasan said.

The senator is lagging in the sur-veys. In the recent Social Weather

Stations survey, Honasan placed fi fth with eight percentage points, the same rating he got in December.

Binay, on the other hand, has regained the top spot among presi-dential candidates.

“Ako naman yung contribution ko sa kanya, ibinigay ko na yung fi rst installment by agreeing to run as his running mate. kung tumakbo siya mag-isa e ewan ko kung ano ang nangyari,” the senator said.

Asked on Binay’s strong showing in the surveys, Honasan said it is not surprising because the Vice President was very diligent in their sorties.

“Hindi naman phenomenon ito, nakita ko siya close up, ang sipag. Ang sterotype na pulitiko ay naghi-hintay na lapitan ng tao, VP looks for people. He enters markets, men’s room, tricycle, taxi. Kinakamayan niya kahit yung mga nagtitinda ng isda, alam naman nila kung na-ghe-hesitate kang kamayan sila e,” she said.

He added that he is totally depen-dent on the campaign machinery of United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

On his campaign expenses, the senator said he let UNA manage and fund it.

“Noong kumbinsihin ako ng parti-do ko, I suppose sagot nila yun ‘di ba so I don’t bother to check kung mag-kano ba. They convince me ‘di ba, so they fund me because that is one of the requirements,” Honasan said.

“I asked them, hindi ako handa e, they must give me the moral support, the wherewithal to wage a nation-wide campaign,” he added.

He said he was surprised when the report came out that his televi-sion advertisement with Binay has already reached P43,579,752.

“I was even surprised na ganun na pala raw ang ginastos sa info-mercials. Let the party explain it becauseI was nominated and chosen by the party. I’m sure they did it without violating laws, regulations,” Honasan said. (MNS)

MANILA, Jan 20 (Mabuhay) – Malacañang on Wednesday denied the claims of widows of two Special Action Force (SAF) commandos that their family have yet to receive the fi nancial assistance promised to them by the government.

In a statement sent by Communi-cations Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr., he said all mandatory benefi ts had been released by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) as of April last year.

Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos earlier raised the complaints of Virgie Viernes and Merlyn Gamu-tan that they have yet to receive the aid pledged by the government.

Marcos said such complaints justify the reopening of the Senate investigation on the Mamasapano incident. Coloma said the Viernes family, which includes the victim’s wife, parents and sister, received a total of P1.3 million; while the Gamutan family, which includes the victim’s wife, father, in-laws, and niece, got 2.6 million.

He said all concerned government agencies have acted on the requests from the kin of the SAF 44 upon the directive of President Benigno

Aquino III.“The government has given exten-

sive assistance to the families of the members of the PNP SAF who were killed in action on January 25, 2015 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao,” said Coloma.

“Contrary to published reports, the families of the late Police Senior Inspector Joey Gamutan and Police Offi cer 1 Oliebeth Viernes have re-ceived all the mandatory benefi ts. Moreover, members of their imme-diate family and other relatives have also been assisted with respect to their individual requests,” he said.

Both amounts cover the PNP Special Financial Assistance, com-mutation of accumulated leave cred-its, PNP monthly and back-earned pensions, NAPOLCOM burial and gratuity assistance, NAPOLCOM monthly and back-earned pensions, Public Safety Mutual Benefi t Fund, Inc, and the fi nancial assistance from the President’s Social Fund amount-ing to PhP250,000.00 per family.

Forty-four members of the SAF were killed during a police opera-tion in Mamasapano, Maguindan-ao, which was meant to neutralize high-profi le terrorist Zulkifl i bin Hir alias Marwan.

Honasan relying on personal networks to mount ‘ground campaign’

Palace denies SAF 44 widows’ allegations of neglect

Poe ‘remains top choice’ of NPC amid DQ cases: spokesman

6 Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016 Balita

tory was humming along. Orders for his garments were pouring in. He never did have enough capital to operate his business so at fi rst he relied on credit cards. When that was not enough, he was able to get several small business loans from commercial banks. When that was not enough, he got a hard money high interest loan of $200K. Unfortunately, he also personally guaranteed each and every loan that the company got. Lately, the

business has not been able to pay the debts on time, and he’s been getting a lot of collection letters and phone calls. Several letters threatened lawsuits.

I asked him if the business was still profitable. He said no. It’s been losing 4 to 5K a month. He said just to continue operating and meet payroll, he had to get a HELOC against his residence for $80K last month. It looks like his back is against the wall. To make

matters worse, two material sup-pliers have fi led lawsuits abroad against him and the business to collect $60K each of invoices that have not been paid for six months. I then proposed a Chapter 11 only if he thought that the business could later on turn a profi t if re-organized. He said he didn’t want to do the business anymore and wanted a peaceful life now that he was 65. He wanted to close the business.

The problem of course is that he had personally guaranteed all the debts of the business. This means that pretty soon, all of the creditors of the business will be suing him to collect on his personal guaranty. We added up the busi-ness debts that he guaranteed and came out with a total of $500K! Client was personally on the hook for half a million for the debts of business.

After analyzing his fi nancials and assets, fortunately for client, I told him that he could do a Chap-ter 7 to wipe out the $500K with-out any risk of losing his house and all of his personal assets. Since he was 65, his homestead exemption is $175K. With the $80K HELOC he got last month, his equity in the house was $150K, which is well within the exemption amount. But he can’t get rid of the $80K of HELOC since that’s a voluntary mortgage on his house.

He asked if he could go into busi-ness again after the bankruptcy? I said “Yes, certainly.” He would be debt free once the discharge is entered, and his credit score will increase every year.

Client 2: Coffee ShopClient presents himself as a

relatively new businessperson. He bought a retail outlet in a mall serving “Boba drinks” and other desserts. He started only two years ago. He got a 2nd mortgage from his house of $40K to buy the improvements and equipment from the previous owner. He also signed a new lease with landlord for 5 years at $3K a month. Unfor-tunately, gross receipts were just a little over $3K a month. Therefore, buying the business was a very bad decision. To continue operat-ing for 2 years, he borrowed $80K of credit card debt.

He hasn’t paid the rent for two months and has just received a let-ter from the landlord saying that if he does not update the rent by Oct. 30, landlord will fi le a lawsuit for eviction and demand the entire balance of the rent of $108K.

He asks if landlord can do this? Of course he can. Since client breached the contract, landlord can accelerate the rent for the next 3 years and demand payment of the entire balance of $108K! So, with the lease balance of $108K, plus credit card debt of $80K, client needs to wipe out $188K of unsecured debt to get his fresh start in life without accumulated

debt. He decides that Chapter 7 will provide him the relief from the consequences of a bad busi-ness decision. I assured him that it was the right thing to do. After all, Walt Disney fi led for Chapter 7 bankruptcy when his fi rst business venture failed. So, I said, you’re in good company because Disney is so successful now worldwide and does billions of $ of business yearly despite the fact that Mr. Disney also fi led for Chapter 7 relief at the start of his business career. It gave him the fresh start that he needed and it will give client the fresh start without accumulated debt that he needs.

Client 3: Health Care Facil-ity

Client presents herself as the owner-operator of 3 health care facilities with 12 employees. The make a long story short, the busi-ness has been losing patients. In addition, Medicare demands a reimbursement for overpayment of $150K. She’s also borrowed last resort high interest loans for $100K for payroll, and has been looking for investors for new money to continue operating. I suggested a Chapter 11 reorgani-zation because the facilities had equity of about $300K altogether and they do have some interested investors who have the funds to put in but need a little more time and convincing. Chapter 11 is the ideal solution.

Even if you don’t have a busi-ness, you may have racked up credit card and other debt over the years. If you’re stuck in the mini-mum monthly payment mode, you will never pay them off. So, now is the time to seriously consider a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 to give you a fresh start without accumu-lated debt. You owe it to yourself and your family to put yourself in fi rm fi nancial footing now for future prosperity by getting rid of accumulated debt now. Call my offi ce for an appointment and I will interview you personally.

“BE STRONG AND COURA-GEOUS. DO NOT BE AFRAID OR TERRIFIED BECAUSE OF THEM, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD GOES WITH YOU; HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.” DEUTERONO-MY 31:6

Lawrence Bautista Yang is a graduate of Georgetown Univer-sity Law Center and has been in Law practice for thirty years. He specializes in Bankruptcy, Busi-ness and Civil Litigation and has handled more than fi ve thousand successful bankruptcy cases in California. He speaks Tagalog and looks forward to discussing your case with you personally. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S Fremont Ave, MAILSTOP 58, Building A-1 SUITE 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803 OR at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789.

Business owners seeks Bankruptcy reliefClient 1: Garment FactoryClient presents himself as a

businessperson, who has been in the garment business since 2002. He has a factory with ten employ-ees where he pays his sewers a little over the minimum wage. When business was good, his fac-

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8 Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016 BalitaLOS ANGELES

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Poe was found in a church in Iloilo and was later adopted by the late Fernando Poe Jr. and veteran actress Susan Roces. Her being a foundling is now one of the subjects of the dis-qualifi cation cases fi led against her in a bid to stop her from joining the May 2016 presidential race.

Senator Marcos also described in one word other presidential bets: “brilliant” for his presidential run-ning mate, Senator Miriam Defen-sor-Santiago, “friend” for both former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, and “rising” for Vice presidential Jejomar Binay, who topped the lat-est presidential survey of the Social Weather Stations.

He also has one word for his rivals in the vice presidential race:

For Poe’s running mate, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero: “son of my friend”; Roxas’s running mate, Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo: “candidate”;

Duterte’s running mate, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano: “partymate”;

Binay’s running mate, Sena-tor Gringo Honasan: “matapang (brave)”; and

Independent candidate, Sen. Anto-nio Trillanes IV: “matapang.”

Asked to describe President Be-nigno Aquino III, Marcos said: “He’s retiring”

He described Edsa revolution as “history,” the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law as “dead,” and the May 2016 elections as “critical.”

The senator’s one-word description for his father and mother, Ilocos Norte Representative Imelda Marcos, was “idol.”

Asked to described himself, Sen-ator Marcos said: “Brilliant, mabait, mahusay, matalino, perfect. Sino pa ang magtataas ng bangko nu’n kung hindi ako.”

(I am brilliant, nice, good, smart, perfect. Who else would praise me but myself?) (MNS)

BONGBONGFrom page 12

POE CONFIDENTFrom page 12

FAREWELLFrom page 12

WALANG FOREVERFrom page 12

The senator issued the statement hours before the start of the oral ar-guments on her petition before the SC against the Commission on Elec-tions’ (Comelec) cancellation of her certifi cate of candidacy for president.

In the statement, Poe reiterated that based on international laws, an abandoned child of unknown parents should be recognized as a natural-born citizen of the country where it was found.

Poe, who was found at a church in Jaro, Iloilo as an infant, said that her

accusers should prove in court that her parents are not Filipinos.

“Ang isang bagong panganak na sanggol na inabandona at natagpuan sa Pilipinas ay isang natural na Pili-pino. Kung may makakapagpatunay na ang batang ito ay may dugong banyaga, nasa kabilang kampo na po ang responsibilidad na patunayan ang bagay na ito. Wala po sa ampon ang ‘burden of proof’ o magbigay pruweba na ang kaniyang mga ma-gulang ay hindi Pilipino,” she said.(MNS)

of the Century’ with Floyd May-weather last May, insisted he will hang up his gloves for good after the third and final installment of his rivalry with Bradley.

The 37-year-old eight-division world champion is planning to run for a seat in the Philippines senate later this year after already serving as a representative in the Asian country’s congress.

“I’m so happy to be hanging up my gloves after this fi ght,” Pacquiao told a press conference at the luxury Beverly Hills Hotel.

“I’m sure I will feel sad but that’s life. You can’t keep on fi ghting all the time. But it’s time I think.

“I started out in boxing because I wanted to help my family, my moth-er. Now I’m ending my boxing career because I want to help my country-men, the Filipino people. I’m ending because I want to serve the people.”

Bradley’s WBO welterweight ti-tle will be on the line in the April 9 bout at Las Vegas’s MGM Grand in what is the third meeting of the two fi ghters.

Bradley, (33-1-1, 13 KOs), won a highly controversial split decision against Pacquiao in their fi rst meet-

ing in 2012. Pacquiao then won their 2014

rematch in Las Vegas with a com-fortable unanimous decision to end Bradley’s undefeated record.

The Filipino slugger (57-6-2, 38 KOs) said he is anticipating a stern-er challenge from Bradley in their decisive bout.

“I chose Bradley again because he’s different from before,” Pacquiao said.

“He’s improved a lot.” Bradley meanwhile also warned

fans to expect a different fi ght to the previous two bouts.

“I’ve heard that Manny Pacquiao chose me because he knows me,” Bradley said.

“I think it’s different now. I honest-ly do. “I think this will be a different fi ght than the fi rst two altercations. That’s all I can tell you. It’s going to be a great fi ght – he wants it really badly and so do I.”

“Ang mensahe natin: Walang forever para sa kurap at sa ating pa-ghihirap. Simple lang ang pangarap ko, ang ipamana sa mga susunod na henerasyon ang isang bansang hindi hamak na mas maunlad, mas mapayapa at mas matatag kaysa sa ating dinatnan,” he added.

Aquino had earlier endorsed his party mate, former Interior Secre-tary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, as his successor in 2016. Other candidates fi ghting for the presidency are Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senators Grace Poe and Miriam Defensor San-tiago, and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

Meanwhile, the President praised the awardees of the annual Ten Ac-complished Youth Organizations or TAYO. The TAYO is organized by the National Youth Commission and the offi ce of Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV.

He said they serve as the inspira-tion of the Filipino youth today.

“Imbes na magreklamo, tumam-bay lang o asikasuhin ang sarili, walang atubili kayong tumutulong sa inyong kapwa, lipunan at sa buong bansa,” said Aquino.

“Sa mga gaya ninyong kabataan, talagang sumusulong at umaarang-kada ang ating bayan,” he added.

The TAYO winners recognized were:

USJ-R School of Law Advocacy and Community Enrichment

I am Making A Difference (M.A.D.)Tanay MountaineersKanlaon Theater GuildEnvironment and Climate Change

Research Institute of the De La Salle Araneta University

Keep Hope AliveYouth Sports Advocacy project of

Quezon CityBayugan National Comprehensive

High SchoolTobog Youth OrganizationUP Academic League of Chemical

Engineering Students. (MNS)

MANILA, Jan 19 (Mabuhay) – The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has awarded four improvement contracts for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) with a combined value of P142.37 million.

The department on Tuesday said the “... improvement projects aim to provide passengers a better commut-ing experience and enhanced system reliability.”

Innovalite Electrical Enterprise has bagged a P2.10-million contract to provide Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) stations with industrial fans for ventilation. The ventilation

equipment will be installed at the platforms and concourses.

“The fans will be installed within 90 calendar days from issuance of the Notice to Proceed (NTP),” the depart-ment said. The contract for new trac-tion motors that will replace worn out rotational spares was awarded to Ad Lib-YongJi Joint Venture for P79.86 million.

“These motors should have the same performance specifi cations as the current ones and should be deliv-ered within 300 calendar days from issuance of NTP,” the DOTC said.

The MRT-3 is also acquiring a new multi-purpose road-rail vehicle

for the maintenance of the overhead catenary system.

The Joint Venture of Kempal Con-struction and Supply Corporation and Maquinaria del Eo, the winning bidder for the P46.39-million con-tract, will deliver the maintenance equipment within 330 calendar days from issuance of NTP.

A separate contract worth P14.02 million was awarded to Lead Core Technology System Inc.

The supply contract covers the batteries for uninterrupted power supply to the MRT-3 signaling sys-tem. The DOTC said 180 units for each station and the depot should be delivered next March. (MNS)

4 fi rms bag MRT-3 contracts valued at P142.37 million

9Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016

petition submitted to the USCIS between April 1-7, 2016, or it will likely be too late.

As background, there are 65,000 H-1B visas available each fi scal year (October 1 to September 30), plus another 20,000 H-1B visas for those who have attained a US Master’s degree or higher. For fi s-cal years 2007 and 2008, the visa cap was reached on the very fi rst day of fi ling on April 1.

To avoid the deluge of petitions, the USCIS altered the fi ling policy starting in fi scal year 2009. The policy, which continues to today, is that if more than 65,000 petitions are received within the fi rst 5 busi-ness days starting on April 1, the USCIS will only accept petitions fi led within the fi rst 5 business days for consideration in a random lottery. Only those chosen in the lottery will be processed for a de-cision on the merits, while those not chosen in the lottery and those fi led after the fi ling window will be

Due to the downturn in the US economy starting in fiscal year 2009, the USCIS did not need to resort to the lottery system and continued to accept H-1B peti-tions for many months after April 1. The lottery system was once again implemented starting in

2013, when the USCIS received about 124,000 H-1B visa petitions that were subjected to the lottery. The USCIS received about 172,500 visa petitions in 2014 and approx-imately 233,000 in 2015.

It is therefore anticipated that the visa cap will once again be reached within the fi rst 5 business days, which is April 1-7, 2016. The USCIS would consequently conduct another lottery for H-1B petitions. For this reason, inter-ested applicants should proceed now with preparations for fi ling the H-1B visa petition.

To qualify for an H-1B visa, the petitioning company must be able to prove the following require-ments: (1) the position that the immigrant will fi ll is a “specialty occupation”, and (2) the immigrant meets the requirements for the specialty occupation.

In other words, the company must prove that the position of-fered is a professional position that mandates an individual with at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a specifi c fi eld, and that the individual sponsored has that particular type of bachelor’s degree or work experience equiv-alence.

The process to apply for an

H-1B visa involves several steps before a petition can be submitted to the USCIS. An initial step in the process involves verifi cation of the sponsor’s federal employer identifi cation number (FEIN) with the Department of Labor (DOL), which can take a week or more.

Another pre-fi ling requirement is notifi cation of the Labor Condi-tion Application (LCA) that will be fi led with the DOL. The noti-fi cation must be provided to the union’s bargaining representative or, if none, by posting the notice of fi ling for 10 consecutive days or emailing it to certain required employees of the sponsoring com-pany.

Once the FEIN has been ver-ifi ed, and the notice of fi ling the LCA has been conducted, the LCA must then be electronically fi led with the DOL. The processing of the LCA typically takes about one week, but usually lengthens as April approaches. Only after the DOL has certifi ed the LCA may the H-1B petition be filed with the USCIS.

Sponsors need to proceed with these preliminary requirements now so that they are prepared to fi le the H-1B petition with the USCIS during the anticipated short fi ling.

The H-1B visa allows the in-dividual to work in the US for

an initial period of up to 3 years. The H-1B visa can thereafter be extended for another 3 years, and then at either 1 year or 3 year intervals provided certain require-ments are met. While working in the US as an H-1B visa holder, the individual can then undertake the steps necessary to obtain lawful permanent residency. Moreover, the spouse and unmarried chil-dren under age 21 are eligible to obtain an H-4 dependent visa in order to live in the US with the H-1B visa holder. Also, certain H-4 spouses are eligible to obtain a work permit.

This opportunity happen during a very short period just once per year. So, those interested in ob-taining an H-1B visa must ensure that they are diligent in timely preparing the petition.

For further information, please schedule an appointment with an attorney at Aquino & Loew, Certifi ed Immigration Law Spe-cialists; (888) 797-1140 or (626) 799-3089; info@aquinoloew.com. Please also visit Aquino & Loew at www.aquinoloew.com, watch us on Kababayan Today every 1st Tues-day, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter, and read about us on Yelp. Aquino & Loew also handles family law and criminal matters. Providing Personalized Service Nationwide & Abroad Since 1996.

April Deadline for H-1B VisasThe United States Citizenship

and Immigration Service (USCIS) will once again begin accepting petitions forH-1B working visas on April 1, 2016. Petitions may be submitted for employment to commence on or after October 1, 2016. It is imperative that interested applicants have their

WASHINGTON, D.C. – OCA- Asian Pacifi c American Advocates applauds the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the cases chal-lenging the President’s executive actions on immigration, DACA and DAPA.

Today’s announcement by the Supreme Courts follows months of protracted legal battles over the President’s executive actions and years of obstruction in Con-gress. The President’s programs, DACA and DAPA, would allow

certain undocumented individuals brought to this country as children and the parents of US citizens and lawful permanent residents to remain in the country legally, allowing them to step out of the shadows and offering them relief from deportation. While immi-grant advocacy groups quickly embraced both programs, anti-im-migrant groups challenged the programs in court, resulting in a preliminary injunction in a Texas district court last February.

Asians in Orange applaud decision to hear case on immigration executive action

10 Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016 Balita

After the Mass last Sunday, the Southern California Sinulog Dance Company performed some of their dances, directed and choreographed by Dr. Luke Rey Arong.

In another part of town, media colleague Lydia Solis, attended the Batangas City Santo Niño Devo-tees, USA celebration and fi esta on January 16th with a Holy Mass and a procession at the St. Christopher Catholic Church in West Covina.

Likewise, the Filipino Ministry at All Souls Catholic Church in Al-hambra, sponsored a nine-day Santo Niño novena, which will end up this Saturday, January 23rd.

Finally, the other church this au-

thor was aware of in celebrating the Santo Niño feast was the St. Mariana de Rivera Catholic Church in Pico Rivera, whose Parish Priest is Father Larry Revilla.

Filipino parishioners were served with an array of Pinoy dishes, includ-ing lechon, attended by Santo Niño devotees such as Serry and Zeny Sabocor.

Indeed the Feast of the Santo Niño or Child Jesus is worth celebrating each year not only to symbolize the Filipinos’ acceptance of Roman Ca-tholicism but also to make us feel that through the spirit of Santo Niño, there is always “a child in each and every one of us.”

Various southland Catholic devotees celebrate the Feast of Santo NiñoHistorically, the Feast of Santo

Niño or Child Jesus was known to be celebrated on the third Sunday of January. It commemorates the discovery of the image of Santo Niño, left behind by the survivors of Magel-lan’s expedition led by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi on April 28, 1565. One of Legaspi’s men named Juan Camus, discovered the image of Santo Niño inside a wooden box beside other pa-gan idols of the natives of Cebu. Upon discovery, the natives of Cebu cele-brated by dancing the “Sinulog,” a Cebuano word coined in from “sulog,” which Cebuanos said meant “like water current movement,” describing the forward-backward movement of the dance, along with the beat of the drums. The dance movement sym-bolizes the water current or “sulog,” of what was then known as Cebu’s Pahima River.

Apparently, according to Cebuano folklore and tales, the Santo Niño image was the baptismal gift of the Portuguese conquistador, Ferdinand Magellan to Hara Amihan (Human-ay) of Zebu, (now known as Cebu), when he arrived in Mactan on April 7, 1521. He didn’t live long enough after he introduced Christianity to the natives, because he died during battle with the natives’ leader named Lapu-Lapu.

Further, according to historical accounts, the Zebu natives already danced the Sinulog in honor of their pagan and animist idols, even long before Magellan’s arrival. Today, the Santo Niño image, which is believed to be miraculous, is housed at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño in downtown Cebu City.

Annually, various Filipino Minis-tries here in the Southland celebrate

the Feast of Santo Niño. This year, several Catholic Churches that have active Filipino Ministries sponsored nine-day novenas, culminating on its feast.

One of the largest Santo Niño cel-ebration was held at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in downtown LA, sponsored by the Santo Niño Cruza-da USA lead by its President, Romy Esturas, who thanked everyone in making their event a success.

The original group of Santo Niño devotees was fi rst organized at then former St. Vibiana’s Cathedral, on January 10, 1988, under its name, Cruzada de Santo Niño which was eventually changed to its present name, Santo Niño Cruzada USA.

Santo Nino or Child Jesus.

Shown at the Sto. Nino feast of St. Mariana de Rivera Catholic Church in Pico Rivera were Fr. Larry Revilla, Zena and Serry Sabocor and seminarian Brian Lazaro.

Southern California Sinulog Dance Company performed at the Cathedral.

11Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016 LOS ANGELES

MANILA, Jan 20 (Mabuhay) – The plunder trial of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles and Gigi Reyes began Wednesday at the Sandiganbayan, with Napoles’ property custodian fi rst to testify.

The two women’s plunder case on their alleged involvement in Senator Juan Ponce Enrile’s alleged P172 million kickbacks is the fi rst pork barrel case to move on to the trial phase since the scandal broke out in 2013.

Marina Sula, property custodian of Janet Lim Napoles Corporation who became president of Masaga-nang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foun-dation Inc. (MAMFI), was the fi rst witness to testify in the trial.

In Wednesday’s hearing, Sula narrated how she helped Napoles come up with names of fake non-gov-ernment organizations (NGOs) used in funneling money from lawmakers’ pork barrel.

She said Napoles instructed her and another employee, Merlina

Sunas, to produce a list of possible names of NGOs.

She claimed to have registered at least 20 fake NGOs at the Secu-rities and Exchanges Commission, and opened bank accounts for each organization. During the direct examination, Sula identified the incorporators of the NGOs involved in Enrile’s case as house helpers and drivers of Napoles, while two are relatives of Sunas who had no knowl-edge that they would be registered as NGO offi cials.

MANILA, Jan 19 (Mabuhay) – Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II on Tuesday described as ridiculous the graft complaint filed against him in connection with his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.

“It is ridiculous dahil ‘yung hal-agang imputed to me, I could have passed the hat to my closest friends [and] I could have gotten more,” Honasan, who is running for vice president in the May elections, told reporters at the Pandesal Forum in Kamuning Bakery. It was the fi rst time Honasan gave a statement regarding his inclusion in the third batch of complaints fi led by the Na-tional Bureau of Investigation (NBI) with the Offi ce of the Ombudsman in August 2015 in connection with the scam.

The NBI said Honasan and eight other incumbent and former gov-

ernment offi cials were guilty of al-locating their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), more com-monly known as pork barrel, to the fake foundations allegedly owned by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the supposed brains behind the scam.

According to the NBI, Honasan received P1.75 million in kickbacks.

The senator said he will not risk his profession and name for such a measly amount. “Do you think I will risk 17 years of being a soldier, seven years as a rebel, and 18 years as a senator, the name that my grandfa-ther and father passed on to me for that amount?” he said. He added: “The worst part is buti kung trial by publicity ako lang, e yung mga anak ko.” Honasan, who will run alongside Vice President Jejomar Binay, said he believes there was no due process in the fi ling of the complaint.

“That’s not even due process, the information was transmitted to the Ombudsman and that’s where we’re at,” he said.

Aside from the senator, also charged were his representatives Michael Benjamin, Anthony Dequi-na, Valentino Limchu, and Manuel Jarmin. The fi rst batch of offi cials tagged by the NBI in the pork barrel scam in 2013 included Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. The three are now facing charges, including plunder, before the Sandiganbayan.

The second batch of PDAF cases, meanwhile, was filed by the DOJ before the Offi ce of the Ombudsman in mid-2014 against fi ve former mem-bers of the House of Representatives. The Ombudsman fi led the case before the Sandiganbayan in February last year.(MNS)

It was also mentioned in the hear-ing that Napoles had at least three helpers in each of her six units in Pacifi c Plaza, her 4 units in South Garden, and her 3 houses in Alabang village. Sula will continue her testi-mony in Thursday’s hearing.

Meanwhile, Napoles questioned the court’s schedule of her trials, asking why she needs to appear in every hearing which was set twice a week, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Napoles’ lawyer Atty. Stephen Da-vid said Napoles is wondering why the court seems eager to expedite the trial, compared to other cases which are usually heard once a week, or even less. (MNS)

Plunder trial of Napoles, Reyes begins

Honasan says graft complaint fi led against him ‘ridiculous’

12 Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016 Balita

There seems to be a miscon-ception in the general public that you can only obtain a divorce in California if your spouse will sign the divorce papers. I get this question a lot from our family law clients. The fact is that California is a no fault state and you do not need your spouse’s signature in order to get a divorce. What is more important is being able to properly serve your spouse with the divorce petition and satisfy the jurisdictional requirement of the Court by showing that either you or your spouse resided in the State for at least 6 months prior to fi ling the petition and in the County for 3 months prior to fi ling the petition.

When you fi le a divorce petition, you have to serve your spouse with

the summons and petition. Your spouse then has 30 days to fi le a response after being served with a divorce petition. If your spouse fails to fi le and serve you with a response, you can fi le a request for default against your spouse after 30 days. You can also fi le a proposed judgment for the court to approve. The default procedure can be done even if there are issues of property division, custody, visi-tation, and support. However, the Court will still review your pro-

posed judgment and property di-vision to make sure it conforms to the policy towards equal division of community property. Meaning, you have to propose a division of community property that is pretty much equal between the spouses. If your proposed property division is one sided such as distributing all community property to you and giving all the community debts to your spouse, the Court would probably not grant your judgment. The Court would probably set a hearing for you to explain why this is an equal division of community property.

The only time you may need your spouse’s signature is if your spouse fi les a response to your di-vorce petition. This is called “con-testing” the divorce. If your di-vorce is contested by your spouse, you can resolve the case either by “settlement” or by “trial.” Howev-er, you do not have to settle all the issues in the case at once. Under the concept of divisible divorce, you can settle some of the issues and set the other issues which you and your spouse cannot agree on for trial. Our offi ce try to resolve cases through settlement because it is more cost effective and the parties are usually happier with the outcome.

In that situation, the parties may avoid the cost and uncer-tainty of going to trial by execut-ing what is called a stipulated judgment which is in essence an agreement as to all the issues in the divorce case.

For issues which you and your spouse cannot agree on, you will have to go through the litigation process which involves obtaining discovery, exchanging declara-

tions of disclosures, and preparing the case for trial. Ultimately, you will obtain your divorce at trial in addition to adjudication of the distribution of community assets and debts amongst other issues. It is in the best interest of the party to retain the representation of competent counsel who will assert his or her rights under the family code.

Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intend-ed as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specifi c facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offi ces of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC. This article is not a solicitation.

Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certifi ed Family Law Special-ist. He was President of the Phil-ippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a gradu-ate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has exten-sive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KEN-NETH REYES, APLC is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.

The cost of a college education has spiraled out of control for most families. In the last 10 years, stu-dent loan debt has sharply risen from $240 billion to $1 trillion dollars. Almost 60% of this debt is held by households with less than $8500 in net worth. This makes sense because if these families had suffi cient fi nancial resources to send their children to college, they wouldn’t be borrowing so much to begin with, right? Are you or someone you know in this situation?

Unfortunately, a lot of people are not aware of their options in dealing with student loans that they cannot afford to pay back. So in this article, I will discuss the ba-sic information you need to know before you can move on to the next step of fi nding a resolution.

First of all, you need to know whether your student loans are federal or private.

I fi nd that a lot of people are confused and don’t know the an-swer to that question. Perhaps they have several loans and at the time they got them, they didn’t really know the difference and didn’t really care as long as they got the money they needed to pay for college. But this is an import-ant question for you to answer because depending on the type of student loans you have, the rem-edies or options will vary. If you can’t answer this question, one

way to fi nd out is to go to www.nslds.ed.gov , the Department of Education’s database which lists all federal loans. If it’s not there, it’s most likely a private loan.

The second thing you need to fi gure out is whether or not you are in current, delinquent or default status. Again, this not only helps you determine which options are available but if for instance you are already in default status, that means that the entire loan amount is now due and the creditor can now take enforced collection ac-tion such as a wage garnishment or even take your tax refund (if your loan is a federal loan). If it’s a private loan, the creditor fi rst needs to obtain a court judgment to do any of the above. However, if it’s a federal loan, they can do what’s called an administrative wage garnishment in the absence of a court order although they have to give you 30 days’ notice.

These days, as the awareness grows regarding the severity of the student loan problem nationally, you will see a lot of companies advertising everywhere – on the

Can I obtain a divorce if my spouse refuse to sign?

Struggling with student loans? Here’s what you need to know

See BULAON, page 13

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internet, on TV, on the radio and in the mail – and a lot of them are misleading the public with claims promising “student loan debt forgiveness” or “new govern-ment programs to eliminate your student loans”. While yes, there are ways to sometimes eliminate student loans or have them forgiv-en, it is not as easy as they make it sound. Of course, you can do some research yourself without paying anyone but you can also go hire a debt relief attorney who can review your case and advise regarding legal and non-legal options.

If you need help in making your

student loan debt more affordable, call my offi ce at 866-477-7772 to schedule a free confi dential con-sultation. Since 1998, I have rep-resented more than 5,000 clients in bankruptcy. Let me help you get out of debt once and for all. I have offi ces in Los Angeles, Pasadena, Cerritos and Valencia.

(None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specifi c situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped over 5,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evalu-ation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offi ces at TOLL FREE 1-866-477-7772).

The Supreme Court should act immediately on the disqualifi ca-tion case against presidential bet, Senator Grace Poe Llamanzares, to avert possible political unrest in the Philippines.

With little time left before the final printing of the ballots for the May 16 elections, the Su-preme Court, known for taking its time in deciding high profi le cases, appears to be unperturbed from a possible scenario wherein a disqualifi ed presidential candi-date could win in the elections.This will provoke a sense of frus-tration and anger among the peo-ple, particularly the supporters of Grace Poe, in the event she wins and later on disqualified by the Supreme Court before she could be sworn into office.This could also spark a series of street demonstrations and public indignations all over the country, and as a result, might compel the government or Congress to declare that there was a failure of election.Who would then be the duly elected president? Is it going to be the duly elected Vice President?What happens when the losing presidential candidate in second place files a protest contend-ing that he should be the one who should be installed as pres-ident since the winning candi-date’s election was declared null and void by the Supreme Court.To avoid all these possible scenar-ios, the Supreme Court Justices should heed the advice of the Com-mission on Elections (Comelec) to speed the completion of all oral arguments so that the disqualifi -cation case of Llamanzares would be decided before the scheduled printing of ballots and avoid what could be an ugly scenario in case the lady senator wins and then gets disqualifi ed.

The Comelec warned that should the Supreme Court fail to resolve the case against Grace Poe by February 1, the senator’s name will be included in the offi cial bal-lots for presidential candidates.The Comelec, according to Chair-man Andres Bautista’s state-ment, is now in the process of completing the list of candidates in preparation for the printing of the offi cial ballots next month.I fi nd it ridiculous as to why the Supreme Court is allowing the Comelec to include the name of Grace Poe in the ballot, given that she may eventually be disquali-fi ed to run for president because of her natural-born citizenship issue and residency requirement

since she also used to be US citizen – this particular issue alone is a whole story in itself. Unless there is some sinister scheme being plotted by President Aquino and his allies, with the concurrence of colluding justices who may interpret the constitu-tional requirements for individ-uals running for public offi ce the way her detractors would want it, Grace Poe still cannot be counted out.

I’m afraid that the entire mem-bers of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno, a known stooge of the President, may be persuaded or even con-vinced by Malacañang to grant a favorable ruling on the petition of Grace Poe to reverse two previous Comelec rulings nullifying her certifi cate of candidacy based on her questionable citizenship issue and residency requirement. And if this happens, then she may well be the “candidate” as Mar Roxas continues to struggle in the polls.

Disqualification cases were filed separately against Grace Poe by four individuals – for-mer Senator Francisco “Kit” Ta-tad, lawyer Estrella Elampa-ro, professor Antonio Conteras and law dean Amado Valdez. As of this writing, Grace Poe’s popularity is again on the up-swing by portraying herself as a helpless abandoned daughter who is being prevented from run-ning for president simply because of her being declared stateless.As of now, her only chance of pursuing her lofty presiden-tial ambition is in the hands of Supreme Court Justices.It should be noted however that there were previous rulings hand-ed down the high court nullifying the election of a town Mayor in Mindanao after he was found to be still using his American passport even after he “gave up” his American citizenship.Another town executive also in Mindanao was also ordered re-moved by the Supreme Court after he failed to satisfy the court that he was able to meet the residen-cy requirements prior to filing of his certificate of candidacy.There is little time for the Su-preme Court to decide on the mer-

its of the case. I hope these justices will make their decisions based on what is clearly stipulated in the Constitution. They should not let their emotions cloud their judg-ment and be swayed by what other people are saying for them to ad-vance their own political agenda.I know the President must be having sleepless nights since his anointed one, Mar Roxas, is still running second to the last among fi ve presidential aspirants, and seemingly has no hope of win-ning the race. Ergo, make Grace Poe his alternative presidential candidate if only to escape pros-ecution and persecution from his political enemies once he steps down from his Malacañang Palace.If it happens, then it is up to the millions of Filipino voters to subvert the evil plan to pre-

vent an “alien” from becoming a President of the Philippines.The case against Grace Poe is not being a Filipino citizen. It is a case of not being a natural born Filipino citizen.

BULAONFrom page 12

Time is running out

14 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016 Balita

OPINIONMANILA, Jan 19 (Mabuhay) – House leaders will

try to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law during their sessions in the next three weeks but even Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. seems at a loss how to get his colleagues to attend the session.

In an interview, Belmonte said President Benigno Aquino III continues to push for the passage of the BBL and even mentioned it to several lawmakers during his fi nal Vin d’Honneur for the diplomatic community.

“Magdadasal na lang ako tuwing umaga dito. Magda-dasal ako. Aside from the usual, we have been sending text. We have texted everybody,” the Speaker said when asked about the quorum.

Belmonte said that despite the upcoming campaign season, he still believes the House coalition can work together.

“Our coalition is still a very good coalition. We’re still in very good terms with one another. I hope to ask them at least sandali na lang ito, 9 working days, kung pwede pagbigyan natin,” he said.

“BBL, as you know, the president is still pushing for it. In fact during the Vin d’honneur, he talked to several congressmen, including myself, and several of the vice chairmen who are there… He talked to them about continuing. Ako defi nitely I’d like to take advantage and continue. What I cannot guarantee is matatapos namin ng ganun-ganun lang.”

The BBL is just one of the many bills Belmonte hopes Congress can pass in the next three weeks before the start of the formal campaign period for the 2016 elec-tions. Other bills in the pipeline are the proposed Sal-ary Standardization Law 4, which was just passed by the Senate and is up for reconciliation with the House version at the bicameral conference committee.

“Iyung SSL 4, the House status we approved it on 3rd reading. Senate status is they approved it on 3rd read-ing. May deperensiya ng konti. We’re trying to resolve that. In the interest of employees we’re determined to see the bill pass both houses,” he said.

Other bills include the amendments to the Build-Op-erate-Transfer Law, the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, the amendments to the Philippine Desposit Insurance Corporation, the Agricultural Competi-tiveness Enhancement Fund, the establishment of a voluntary student loan program by private banks, the establishment of a coco levy trust fund as well as the national ID system.

“The national ID system, it has been approved on 3rd reading in the House. Sa senate naman according to Senate President Franklin Drilon mukhang may pag-asa pa rin,” Belmonte said.

Asked about the freedom of information bill, Bel-monte said, “FOI andiyan pa rin iyan, wala lang sa listahan .” (MNS)

By Kerry SheridanMiami, United States | AFP | Wednesday

1/20/2016 – Blistering heat blanketed the Earth last year like never before, making 2015 by far the hottest year in modern times and raising new concerns about the acceler-ating pace of climate change.

Not only was 2015 the warmest worldwide since 1880, it shattered the previous record held in 2014 by the widest margin ever observed, said the report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“During 2015, the average temperature across global land and ocean surfaces was 1.62 Fahrenheit (0.90 Celsius) above the 20th century average,” said the NOAA report.

“This was the highest among all years in the 1880-2015 record.”

Compared to 2014, last year was 0.29 Fahrenheit (0.13 Celsius) warmer, the “largest margin by which the annual global temperature record has been broken.”

The US space agency NASA, which mon-itors global climate using a fl eet of satellites and weather stations, confi rmed that last year broke records for heat in contemporary times.

NASA said that the temperature changes are largely driven by increased carbon diox-ide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere.

“Climate change is the challenge of our generation,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.

“Today’s announcement not only under-scores how critical NASA’s Earth observation program is, it is a key data point that should make policymakers stand up and take no-tice—now is the time to act on climate.”

Planet-wide heat Last year marked the fourth time a global

temperature record has been set this century.Moreover, the latest finding adds to a

steady rise in heat across land and sea surfac-es that have seen records repeatedly broken over the years.

“Since 1997, which at the time was the warmest year on record, 16 of the subsequent 18 years have been warmer than that year,”

said the NOAA report.Last year alone, 10 months had record high

temperatures for their respective months.The heat was felt worldwide, with unprec-

edented warmth covering much of Central America and the northern half of South America.

Hot temperatures were observed in parts of northern, southern and eastern Europe as well as western Asia and a large section of east-central Siberia.

Regions of eastern and southern Africa experienced more scorching days than ever, as did large parts of the northeastern and equatorial Pacifi c boosted by the El Nino weather phenomenon.

But according to Tom Karl, director of NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, new heat records would have been set even without El Nino, which leads to warmer waters in the equatorial Pacifi c.

“We would have likely had a record even without El Nino, but El Nino pushed it way over the top,” Karl told reporters.

More warming ahead NOAA’s announcement came against a

backdrop of the recently completed Paris climate talks, at which the goal of capping global warming at two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels was enshrined.

Many scientists say the planet is already about halfway to that milestone, with no sign of slowing down.

As a result, melting ice sheets and warm-ing oceans will lead to rising seas in the coming years. Rain will become heavier and some storms more severe as the globe heats up, and cold snaps may become rarer.

“This trend will continue,” said Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA’s Goddard Insti-tute for Space Studies.

Because of the strong El Nino infl uence at the beginning of this year, “2016 is expected to be an exceptionally warm year and perhaps even another record,” he told reporters.

According to Astrid Caldas, climate scien-tist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, the news of 2015’s record was no surprise, but the year-over-year jump merits attention.

By Jérôme CartillierWashington, United States | AFP | Tues-

day 1/19/2016 – In one year, Barack Obama will leave 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. So what will life be like for America’s first black president after two terms at the White House?

Former presidents rarely remain in Wash-ington after living and working in the US capital’s oldest public building.

Jimmy Carter headed home to Georgia, and Ronald Reagan went back to California.

Bill Clinton built a new life in New York, where he created his foundation and where his wife Hillary – the Democratic front-run-ner vying to succeed Obama – launched her political career as a senator.

No one yet knows where the Obamas will head on January 20, 2017, when the next president is sworn in on Capitol Hill.

Every time someone close to them shows interest in a lavish property in Palm Springs or Honolulu, the press speculates about a veiled investment for the First Couple. But so far, no dice. Nothing concrete has emerged.

The Obamas are attached to Chicago – the president launched his political career there as a community organizer and celebrated his landmark 2008 election win. Obama’s presidential library and foundation will also be based in the Windy City.

“All the strands of my life came together and I really became a man when I moved to Chicago,” Obama said last year when he made the announcement about the library site.

“That’s where I met my wife. That’s where my children were born,” he explained.

But so far, there is no clear sign that Chi-cago is the family’s next destination.

“Chicago probably seems a bit too small for them now,” said Peter Slevin, a professor at Northwestern University in the Chicago suburbs and the author of “Michelle Obama: A Life.”

The only hint given by the US president? He has said that family will be his priority.

“They – and Michelle – have made a lot of sacrifi ces on behalf of my cockamamie ideas, the running for offi ce and things,” Obama told ABC in 2013, referring to his daughters.

In early 2017, Malia – the Obamas’ old-er daughter – will be at university. Sasha, now at the private Sidwell Friends school in Washington, will have more than half of her high school studies ahead of her.

Perhaps the Big Apple? -Slevin says that like Clinton, Obama could

settle down in the Big Apple.“Their friends are expecting the Obamas

to live in Washington and then surely move to New York,” he told AFP.

As time runs out for BBL, Belmonte prays for quorum Planet shatters warming

records, 2015 hottest ‘by far’

What is in store for Obama after the White House?

15Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016

ENTERTAINMENTThe talent manager of Valeen

Montenegro has denied accusations that the actress is the third party in the marriage of singer-actress Ciara Sotto and Jojo Oconer.

Montenegro’s manager Olive de Jesus said the allegations thrown at her talent are “not true.” She also dismissed rumors claiming that Mon-tenegro was only able to appear in a number of APT Entertainment-pro-duced shows because of her involve-ment with Oconer, who is said to be a close friend of company executive Mike Tuviera.

In her text message, De Jesus claimed that businessman Andrew de Real was the one that recommended Montenegro to APT Entertainment, paving her way to appear on noon-time show “Sunday PinaSaya.”

Last Friday, Ciara announced on Instagram that she has decided to leave her husband and go back to the

house of her parents, Senator Vicente Sotto II and Helen Gamboa.

The singer-actress has yet to reveal the exact reason for her split with Oconer, but she has been hinting that a third party might be involved. Sotto married Oconer in 2010. She gave birth to their fi rst child, Vincezo Xose, last year. (MNS)

Showbiz couple Sen. Vicente Sotto III and Helen Gamboa have asked the public to respect the privacy of their daughter, Ciara Sotto, after the latter has left her husband Jojo Oconer.

The power couple remained tight-lipped with Ciara’s decision to leave her marital home.

The couple confi rmed however that their youngest child is back in the fam-ily’s house with their grandson, Crixus, in tow.

“We’d rather leave it to her, leave it to her discretion kung ano ang gusto niyang ipaalam sa publiko about her relation-ship, her marriage. Nasa kanya na,” the senator said.

He added: “Hindi namin ‘ika nga’y gustong isapubliko ang aming pag-uusap at ang sinasabi niya sa amin.”

Gamboa also said that their daughter wants to keep her privacy for the time being.

The senator added that they respect all the decisions of Ciara.“At the moment, we’re leaving it up to her muna. Diskarte niya

‘yun. Hayaan niyo muna kung ano ang feel niya, kung ano ang diskarte niya.”

In an Instagram post, Ciara confi rmed that she returned to her parents’ house.

“The truth is painful, but it is what it is. I know the Lored will strenghten me after this. I prefer to keep my privacy at this time and I would appreaciate the public respecting this,” she wrote.

The singer-actress did not reveal the reason behind her leaving Oconer but posted cryptic messages on the social media about in-fi delity.

Ciara and Oconer married in a lavish wedding ceremony in 2010.(MNS)

An emotional Zanjoe Marudo con-fi rmed reports that he has called it quits with actress Bea Alonzo.

The 33-year-old “Tubig at Langis” star was nearly brought to tears after he admitted that he had broken up with Alonzo.

“Wala naman madaling way so kailangan talagang pagdaanan,” Marudo replied when asked on how he is coping with his failed relation-ship. Marudo and Alonzo have been together for more than fi ve years. The latter fi rst confi rmed that she was in a relationship with Marudo back in October 2011.

In a recent interview, Alonzo ad-mitted that the problems in her rela-tionship with Marudo had stemmed

from a lack of time for each other. She was quoted as saying that she

does not have a “perfect relationship” with the actor. (MNS)

Estranged couple Claudine Bar-retto and Raymart Santiago have decided to put on hold their plans to get an annulment.

Barretto revealed that said she and Santiago are currently trying to work on being good parents to their kids.

“Napag-usapan namin na i-stop na lahat-lahat ng mga kaso and mag-co-parenting na lang kami sa pagpapalaki ng mga anak namin. Now, mayroon na kaming naayos na foundation, strong foundation ni Raymart na sobrang solid kami talaga when it comes to our kids,” she said.

She said she feels that the legal cases will only ruin whatever they have built for their kids.

“Kapag nag-jump po kami sa annulment, mabubuwag ulit ‘yung foundation na ‘yon kasi mag-uung-katan na naman. So wala, ayaw na muna namin total wala naman siyang girlfriend, wala naman akong boyfriend at hindi na rin naman kami magkakabalikan, so okay na lang din,” she said.

“Sabi niya, stop muna natin, huwag muna tayong mag-annul-ment kasi yung kids ngayon lang nila nai-enjoy kami ulit together, paminsan-minsan like sa school or kumakain sa labas,” she added.

Reports about the celebrity cou-ple’s separation first surfaced in

July 2013.In June 2014, they appeared

to have patched things up when Barretto posted a photo of her with Santiago and their kids. This, after they reached an agreement concern-ing their children through a judicial dispute resolution.

Last December, the celebrity couple set their differences aside to celebrate Christmas with their chil-dren. (MNS)

Did husband cheat on Ciara Sotto with Valeen?

Valeen Montenegro

Senator Sotto, wife tight-lipped on Ciara’s marital woes

Ciara Sotto

Emotional Zanjoe confi rms breakup with Bea

Zanjoe Marudo and Bea Alonzo

Claudine, Raymart halt annulment plans

Raymart Santiago and Claudine Barretto

16 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016 Balita

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The new Tucson off ers a fresh, sporty exterior and appealing interior design while making overall fuel effi ciency a top priority, with signifi cantly enhanced fuel economy ratings over the previous model.

Small SUV awarded for its outstanding styling and versatility

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Jan. 15, 2016 – Hyundai’s award-win-ning 2016 Tucson continues to im-press automotive journalists around the country, being named a winner in AAA’s Top Vehicle Picks for 2016. Taking home the award in the small SUV category, the Tucson received praise for its design, versatility and incredible value proposition.“The 2016 Tucson represents a mas-sive step forward for Hyundai in the small SUV category,” said Jim Prueter, automotive journalist, AAA.

“The car ’s design is guar-anteed to turn heads, and with a massive selection of standard equipment, the vehicle delivers excellent value to customers.”

Top Picks are announced in the January/February issue of High-roads magazine. The list aims to help guide consumers shopping for their next ride.

To be eligible for list consideration, Top Picks must be available for sale to the public no later than January 2016 and fall under a base-price cap of $70,000. Vehicles selected for the list are reviewed by AAA Ari-zona auto expert Jim Prueter, who has provided reviews and advice about cars for more than 20 years.“Hyundai’s commitment to delivering style, convenience and safety is at the center of our product lineup,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president, corpo-rate and product planning, Hyundai Motor America.

“Tucson gives growing families a selection of powertrains to fit their lifestyle, with the versatili-ty that all families require, while

knowing that safety and conve-nience have been added in tandem.”The all-new 2016 Hyundai Tucson offers bold, athletic exterior styling, a pair of fuel-effi cient drivetrains and a roomy, well-appointed interior. It is engineered with advanced safety features, including a Lane Departure Warning system, Blind Spot Detec-tion, Rear Cross-Traffi c Alert, Lane Change Assist, Backup Warning Sensors and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB). The 2016 Tucson also earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS’s) 2016 TOP SAFETY PICK+ designation.

And if you would like to check out why Hyundai is among the best selling cars, call our kababayans Jun Milan or Jay Trinidad, Filipino Sales & Leasing professionals at Win Hyundai of Carson at 1-888-718-7473. Better yet, drive down to Win Hyundai and feel the luxury of Sonata fi rst-hand. Win Hyundai is conveniently located at 3462 N Peck Road, CA 91731 in San Gabriel Valley and at 2201 East 223rd St. in Carson, CA 90810. For Win Chevrolet call Freddy Salangit at 1888-484-3809 or visit him at 2201 . 223rd St., Carson 90810.

2016 Hyundai Tucson named to AAA’S 2016 Top Picks List

Our Filipino Sales and Leasing team Freddy Salangit, Jun Milan and Jay Trinidad

Ground-up redesign was developed and is built in North America; Second NACOTY win for the model after 2006 Civic win a decade ago

DETROIT, Jan 11, 2016 – The all-new 2016 Honda Civic has earned the prestigious 2016 North American Car of the Year Award. This win for the Civic is the second for the model in the award’s history, following a win for the 2006 Civic a decade ago when it shared the stage with the 2006 Rid-geline, winner of that year’s Truck of the Year award. In total, eleven Honda models have been named “fi nalists” for NACOTY awards since their inception in 1994, the most of any brand outside of the Detroit Big 3 automakers. “The all-new Civic was developed and is built in North Amer-ica, making this North American Car of the Year win even sweeter,” said Jeff Conrad, Honda Division senior vice president and general manager. “Civic is a cornerstone of the Honda lineup, and we’re delighted that the automotive press has recognized the new levels of styling, performance, advanced technology, safety and val-ue that characterize the new Civic.”

The North American Car of the Year Award is given by a group of 53 international automotive journalists. The award is unique because instead of being given by a single publication, radio or television station, it is given by automotive journalists from the United States and Canada. Presented each year at the opening of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, it recognizes the most outstanding car of the year based on factors including innovation, design, safety performance, handling, driver satisfaction and value.

Truly all-new, the 2016 Civic features a new vehicle architecture; sporty and sophisticated new interior

2015 NACOTY winning 2016 Honda Civic Sedan

2016 Honda Civic wins ‘North American Car of the Year’ Award

and exterior styling; a more spacious and high-quality cabin; two advanced new engines; and a host of new avail-able premium features and technolo-gies, including the fi rst application of both Apple CarPlay®1 and Android Auto™2 in a compact car sold any-where in the world.

Further, with the addition of Honda Sensing™ safety and driv-er-assistive technologies and the fi rst application of Honda turbo engine technology to Civic, the 2016 Civic offers buyers a wider range of options than ever before.

With vehicle development led by Honda R&D Americas, Inc. and Civic

Sedan and Coupe production in In-diana and Ontario, Canada, the new 10th-generation Civic fi rmly has its roots in North America. The majority of Civics sold in the United States will be produced and assembled using domestic and globally sourced parts in the United States and Canada.

The Civic 5-door, set to debut in the near future, will be produced at Honda’s Swindon Plant in the United Kingdom.

wAlthough a Honda is a Honda wherever you see one, Filipinos flock to Carson Honda because of the friendly Filipino staff at the dealership and of course because of

the service our kababayans provide. One of them, Rohmer Manalese, has even earned the “Best in Customer Satisfaction,”an honor he keeps con-sistently, along with the three other Filipino sales staff in the persons of Ricky Agagas, and Terzo Pallen, all of whom are veterans in the car sales industry.

“We have a great staff and this is a great dealership,” Carson Honda General Manager Krisztian Kratky said. “We have a friendly atmo-sphere.” Carson Honda is located at 1435 E. 223rd Street, Carson, CA 90745. They can be reached toll free at 1-800- 503-2321.

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For advertising, call (818) 552-4503 402 • Fax (818) 550-For advertising, call (818) 552-4503 402 • Fax (818) 550-7635 • email: advertising@balita.com

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COMMUNITYPetitioners to pay $4,000 more for

each working visa applicationThe Consolidated Appropriations

Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-113), signed into law by President Obama on December 18, 2015, increases fees for certain H-1B and L-1 petitioners. These petitioners must submit an additional fee of $4,000 for certain H-1B petitions and $4,500 for cer-tain L-1A and L-1B petitions post-marked on or after December 18, 2015. The additional fees apply to petitioners who employ 50 or more employees in the United States, with more than 50 percent of those employees in H-1B or L (including L-1A and L-1B) nonimmigrant sta-tus. These petitioners must submit the additional fees with an H-1B or L-1 petition fi led:

Initially to grant status to a

nonimmigrant described in sub-paragraph (H)(i)(b) or (L) of section 101(a)(15) of the Immigration and Nationality Act; or

To obtain authorization for a non-immigrant in such status to change employers. This fee is in addition to the base processing fee, Fraud Pre-vention and Detection Fee, Ameri-can Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 fee (when required), as well as the premium processing fee, if applicable. Public Law 114-113 fees will remain effec-tive through September 30, 2025.

USCIS is in the process of re-vising Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker and Form I-129S, Nonimmigrant Petition Based on Blanket L Petition to reflect the provisions of Public Law 114-113. Petitioners should

continue to complete Item Num-bers 1.d. and 1.d.1 of Section 1 of the H-1B and H-1B1 Data Col-lection and Filing Fee Exemption Supplement (Page 19 of Form I-129) and Item Numbers 4.a. and 4.b. of the L Classification Supplement (Page 22 of Form I-129).

USCIS may begin rejecting pe-titions received on or after Feb. 11, 2016 that do not complete Item Numbers 1.d. and 1.d.1 ofSection 1 of the H-1B and H-1B1 Data Col-lection and Filing Fee Exemption Supplement and Item Numbers 4.a. and 4.b. of the L Classifi cation Supplement, or include the addi-tional Public Law 114-113 fee, if applicable. During the 30 day peri-od immediately following this web alert, USCIS may issue a Request for Evidence (RFE) to determine

whether the additional fee applies to the petition.

To avoid an RFE, petitioners should complete the questions on the Form I-129 noted in the paragraph above and submit the applicable fee when required. Because an RFE will be issued for the fee, rather than a rejection for the omission of the fee, USCIS will maintain the original fi ling date as the receipt date.

Petitioners should wait to respond to the RFE before sending in the ad-ditional fee or an explanation of why the new fee does not apply.

If you previously submitted a petition with the additional fee and believe the fee was not required, please contact the National Cus-tomer Service Center at 800-375-5283 (TDD for the deaf and hard of hearing: 800-767-1833).

Los Angeles, January 20, 2016 – The Philippine Consulate General informs its clients that USPS, has increased their rates for mailing of passports and documents and will be take effect on 25 January 2016.

The new rates will be as follows:$ 23 for USPS Priority Mail Express

$ 7 for USPS regular mailClients may opt to provide a

self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) providing therein his/h

Meanwhile, the Philippine Con-sulate General in Los Angeles also announced that it will close on Febru-ary 15, 2016 (President’s Day) and on February 16 2016 (for Administrative Matters).

Regular consular operations will resume on February 17, 2016.

New law increases H-1B and L-1 petition fees

Consulate raises mailing fees for passports, other documents

The busy holiday season was made extra special with the activation of Box A Smile, LBC’s Christmas Gift- Giving activity during which smiles were delivered to 3,000 underprivi-leged children in various communi-ties. With the invaluable assistance of Project Pearls, the Box A Smile gift-giving events were a success, drawing volunteers both from the LBC & Project Pearls communities.

Project Pearls, a volunteer,

non-government agency headed by Melissa Villa, gathered children in the various communities of Help-ing Land/Newland, Tondo, Manila, Lubusang Alyansa ng Katutubong Aeta ng Sambales (LAKAS) in Bot-olan, Zambales, and relocated resi-dents of Ulingan now in Barangay Batia, Bu-lacan.

A total of 3,000 chil-dren were treated to a Christmas party with games and prizes, lots of dancing and singing, and of course, food and drinks.

With these events, an overwhelming sense of community and ca-maraderie was felt throughout, in keeping

with the spirit of giving, the true spir-it of the holiday season. Over 3,000

donor participants from the US were engaged, and co-sponsors likewise provided much-needed assistance for the events.

“Box A Smile gave me a chance to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Seeing all those kids and the joy on their facesas we not only gave them gifts, but also played with them and showed them kindness, was heartwarming and moving.

It was a good reminder that this is how Christmas, and everyday for that matter, should be. A time to share, and spread joy and peace.” -- NENA L. WUTHRICH, Executive Director, LBC Foundation

Box A Smile delivered smiles to 3,000 children over the holiday season

To enhance the festive at-mosphere at the property, Pechanga lets players become even luckier with the “Lucky Red Envelopes” promotion this February. On Tuesdays and Thursdays in February from 1:00p.m. to 9:00p.m.,

Pechanga Club Card hold-ers can swipe their member card at kiosks across from the Pechanga Box Offi ce for a chance to win up to $1,000 in Easyplay®. For more infor-mation, please call 1-877-711-2946 or visit www.Pechanga.com.

Lucky Lion Dance Performance Lunar New Year is a period many

Asian cultures celebrate with their families and friends. In celebration of the 2016 Year of the Monkey, Pechanga invites everyone to join the fun and festivities with a won-derful performance by the Lucky Lion Dancers on Saturday, February 6, starting at 3:00p.m. Traditional fi recrackers begin popping in the hotel valet area which then awakens the “lions.” The lion dancers work their way throughout the casino fl oor. Pechanga Resort & Casino ex-ecutives will follow the lion dancers and pass out lucky red envelope to guests along the way.

These series of Lunar New Year promotions and activities will bring endless joy to all the guests. Pechan-ga will continue our effort to promote more Asian events for our valuable guests and patrons.

Starting Feb. 1 through Feb. 29, Pechanga guests can enjoy and take photos in front of traditional New Year décor situated throughout the resort. Décor items include red lanterns, cherry blossom trees, tall plants and trees with red envelopes affi xed to the branches and more.

Many foods such as fi sh, chicken and tofu are considered to bring good luck for the New Year. Blazing Noo-dles and Bamboo at Pechanga fea-ture two family-style dining specials to usher in the Year of the Monkey.

For $59, diners can feast on a whole lobster prepared stir-fried with fresh ginger, scallions and oyster sauce or deep fried with salt and pepper. A meal to certainly share, the lobster special weighs in

over two and one-half pounds. Being served whole fi sh is also considered auspicious for Lunar New Year. Bamboo and Blazing Noodles also feature a whole striped sea bass for $48. Guests can choose how they want the two and one-half pound fi sh prepared – steamed with special soy sauce and ginger and scallion on top, or deep fried with Szechuan Sauce, green and red bell pepper, mush-rooms and hot and sour spicy sauce. These dining specials are available every day at Blazing

Noodles and on Feb. 8 and 9 from 11:00a.m. to 2:00a.m. at Bamboo.

About Pechanga Resort & Casino Pechanga Resort & Casino offers

one of the largest and most expan-sive resort/casino experiences any-where in the United States. Voted the Number One casino in America by readers of USA TODAY and rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort & Casino provides an unparalleled getaway. Offering more than 3,400 of the hottest slots, table games, world-class entertainment, 517 hotel rooms, dining, spa and champion-ship golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort & Casino features a destination that meets and exceeds the needs of its guests and the com-munity.

Pechanga Resort & Casino is owned and operated by the Pechan-ga Band of Luiseño Indians. For more information, call toll free 1-888-PECHANGA or visit www.Pechanga.com. Follow Pechanga Resort & Casino on Facebook and on Twitter @PechangaCasino. Pechan-ga Resort & Casino is open 24-hours. Guests must be 21 and older to enter the casino.

Celebrate the auspicious Lunar New Year of the Monkey with Lucky Red Envelopes

23Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016

er, I have to be fair and acknowledge the advantages, which is the fact that this will eliminate the “Bait and Switch” tactics of dishonest lenders and brokers. This new TRID how-ever mostly affects the traditional conventional fi nancing, if you are out to get a Hard Money Loan and any type of non QM (Qualifi ed Mortgage) type loan, you are still in danger of being gouged.

TRID stands for:TILA (Truth In Lending Act)RESPA (Real Estate Settlement

Procedures Act)IntegratedDisclosure and it went into effect October

1, 2015.And the Real Estate Settlement

Procedures Act “…requires that lenders provide greater amounts of information to prospective borrowers at certain points in the loan settle-ment process.”

Because of all the confusion with the current TILA and RESPA, they are being married, sort of, into a new form called TRID. In the past, the HUD-1 statement has been given to the two parties to a contract one day in advance.

The problem with that is some-times that one-day notice came at the very end of the day before closing, or even the day of closing, giving the buyer very little time to read and decipher everything on the page.

Changes to Mortgage ClosingsUnder TRID. With the housing

crisis and mortgage catastrophe came new regulations to make sure buyers understand what they are getting themselves into. The old forms were cumbersome and confus-ing. Closing offi cers sometimes had diffi culty explaining them to buyers.

So the forms have been merged. The old Good Faith Estimate and initial Truth In Lending disclosures are now combined into the Loan Es-timate, which was designed to help buyers understand the costs and risks of their new mortgage.

The HUD-1 and final Truth In Lending disclosures have been com-bined into the Closing Disclosure, which details the costs associated with closing the transaction.

New Timelines might be delayed due to this:

But the biggest change, the one that can affect you as a buyer or seller, is the new timeline. Lenders are now required to give the buyer these documents at certain times throughout the process, and if they do not, the closing must be pushed back.

The new Loan Estimate must be delivered no later than 3 business days after the loan application is submitted.

However, the Closing Disclosure is the big potential wrench in the plan. The Closing Disclosure must be pro-vided at least 3 days before closing, and those 3 days are non-negotiable. The closing date must be pushed back to accommodate those 3 days.

ExceptionsAs with any government program,

there are exceptions to these rules. They only apply to real estate trans-actions that are being funded by lenders who are considered creditors. If you make less than 5 loans in a

year, you are not bound to these new regulations. They also don’t apply to HELOCs, reverse mortgages or loans secured by mobile homes or dwellings not attached to real property.

The waiting period can be waived, but only in dire financial circum-stances, such as an imminent fore-closure. The borrowers must provide the lender with a dated written state-ment describing the emergency and specifi cally amending or waiving the waiting period. The statement must be signed by all parties to the con-tract on the buyer’s side. The waiver may not be a pre-printed statement from the lender.

How Does This Affect Investors?So these new rules and procedures

mainly affect retail buyers. Why should investors care? For buy-and-hold investors, this won’t be much of a change. It will have the most effect on fl ippers, who typically sell their fl ips to those retail buyers.

There are very specific circum-stances that can change the loan terms, which would require a new Closing Disclosure be given to the buyer, which comes with its own 3-day review period. If this happens more than 3 days before closing, your deal will probably go through as planned. But if this happens less than 3 days before closing, your deal gets thrown off.

Delayed DeadlineThese new disclosures were orig-

inally set to take effect August 1, 2015, but feedback from the lending institutions has pushed the new deadline to October 1, 2015. Keep these dates in mind if you have properties on the market or coming to the market soon. Closing before October 1 could help your deal go more smoothly. For properties that are closing in the fi rst few weeks or even months of these new changes, you could experience some delays while the closing companies work out the bugs.

If you do come across a delayed closing due to these new rules, con-sider writing an Amend/Extend to change the date of closing. While this delay may eat up a few days, it is better than trying to fi nd a new buyer. However, I would not ever recommend allowing the buyer to oc-cupy your home before closing. Even for just a day. T

here are so many things that can go wrong with this, I couldn’t even begin to list them all.

As the lending institutions and closing companies work through these new loan disclosures, expect some initial problems. But patience and understanding can go a long way to saving your deal.

Since the new TRID came about we adopted to different measures to speed up the process, however some older borrowers are having a tougher time dealing with online E signing options.

Thanks for the inquiry, please call Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance for your mortgage and real estate needs. Call Ken at 562-508-7048 or write to kennethgo@verizon.net. BRE #01021223 NMLS 238636.

Leave me a comment about your experiences with this new TRID closings.

TRID? What is TRID? TRID is an acronym of mortgage acronyms, and it is the new closing disclosures that came out of the Dodd-Frank Act, thanks to the mortgage crisis. I am informing borrowers not to be worried just prepared for more dis-closures that you probably won’t read and more time wasted on it. Howev-

Information you need to know about the new closing disclosures

The unusually shaped structure visible along the 57 Freeway stands as a monument to the seriousness City of Anaheim on dealing with the burning issue of environmental concern that has telling effects on the present and future generations. Because of its stern focus for a bet-ter and cleaner environment for the populace, the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center – also known as ARTIC for short – the California Environmental Protection Agency has conferred the city the honor of being recognized and award-ed as the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award in the Sustainable Practices, Com-munity or Facilities category. The award is the highest environmental honor that an environmental project could reap.

ARTIC is the world’s fi rst LEED Platinum-designed transit station that reduced energy consumption by 50 percent and created 5,000 new jobs.

The 67,000 square-foot transpor-tation facility which opened in late 2014 is Southern California’s newest transit hub, that provides “stress-free commuting and access to fun destinations, in a stunning, iconic setting”. It is located just next to the Angel Stadium of Anaheim and Honda Center.

ARTIC has been touted to offer thousands of Orange County com-muters access to leisure trains, bus-es and taxi service has served as a “model of sustainability from design to operation”.

The award recognizes project’s sustainability and its contributions to the region’s economy by being able to serve more than 2.400 commuters daily who use the station’s trains, buses, shuttles and taxis to get to work. On an ordinary workday, or-dinary commuters drive more than 8,000 miles which is equivalent to more than 1000 vehicles being taken off the road and prevents 31.8 metric tons of greenhouse gases from pollut-ing the air.

Aside from keeping the economy moving and traffi c and pollution-re-ducing features, local executives not-ed the critical roles ARTIC plays in the mobility of thousands employed at Orange County’s employment centers.

The transit facility also generates 20 percent of its energy from solar panels which heats and cools the hub in sustainable ways. The sun’s power is used to illuminate 70 percent of the area., Storm water is also collected and recharged back to the region’s groundwater supply.

ARTIC architectural design fea-tures heat and cool system that har-nesses sunlight through a clear roof that illuminates 70 percent of the area. Storm water is also captured and recharged back into the region’s groundwater supply.

The City of Anaheim joined 11 other awardees recognized by the Governor’s Environmental and Eco-nomic Leadership Award (GEELA). The award-giving group was estab-

lished in 1993 “to recognize environ-mental achievements of individuals, companies and organizations that use sustainable business practices to conserve energy, reduce waste or prevent pollution while contributing to the local economy”.

The other recipients included: Stanford University (Santa Clara County) for a new energy system which is 70 percent more effi cient than the previous system; Prather Ranch (Shasta County) for min-imizing waste from animal food products and creating conservation easements to protect endangered species; Sacramento Water Forum (Sacramento County) for its un-precedented effort to manage water temperature in real-time to protect incubating steelhead by partnering with the US Bureau of Reclamation resulting in 95 percent of the brood surviving; Metropolitan Water Dis-trict of Southern California (Los Angeles County) for water conser-vation education programs for pre-K through college level used by more than 300 schools; Orange County Department of Education and Or-ange County Waste and Recycling (Orange County) for a K-12 educa-tion program “Project Zero Waste” implemented in 200 schools which resulted in annual waste reduction of 400,000 pounds; REV (San Francisco County) for peer-based community learning to help organizations adopt a mindset of sustainability and im-prove effi ciency; South San Francisco Scavenger Company and Blue Line Transfer, Inc. (San Mateo County) for the dry fermentation anaerobic digestion facility, the fi rst in the na-tion to create a closed loop renewable fueling station from the processing of organics; Sonoma County Winegrape Commission (Sonoma County) for advancing the goal to make Sonoma County the fi rst fully sustainable wine region in the country by 2019; Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund (Alameda County) for its “Re-Think Disposable” source reduction program that has helped 100 busi-nesses and institutions reduce sin-gle-use disposable food and beverage packaging products by an average of 70 percent; San Diego County Re-gional Airport Authority (San Diego County) for annual enhancements of its waste reduction programs which include expansion of food composting to all concessions, and recycling of air conditioner condensation and Solana Center for Environmental Innovation (San Diego County) for its “Organics Marketplace” waste di-version program that has kept more than 16,000 tons of organic waste out of regional landfi lls which in $20 million a year in savings.

Environment is Everybody’s business: Saving Planet Earth has become everybody’s business with various sectors launching a single-minded approach to arrest the impending doom resulting from chronic disregard and disrespect to the environment. Filipino Americans in Orange County hitched to the wagon of concern through a Green-consciousness project that the local chamber of commerce implements annually. The green awareness for the FilAm group was a handiwork of civic/community leader, Atty. Linda Sarno, shown here, 4th from left, at one of the episodes of the tradeshow cum information awareness eff ort in Orange County she spearheaded.

Anaheim Accorded Highest Honor for Environmental-Friendly ARTIC Project

24 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016 Balita

FOOD & DINING

Serves: 6-8 Mint Salsa Verde 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled 2 cups loosely packed fresh

1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 3 large leeks

halved lengthwise

Position rack in lower third of oven (so roast will be in the middle) and heat to 325 F.

With food processor running, add garlic

remove top and scrape down bowl. Add

chopped. Pour in 2 tablespoons olive oil and pulse to combine. Transfer about two-thirds of paste to small bowl and cover

up. Trim fat to no more than 1/8 inch. Turn

of fat from interior, but leave the rest intact.

that holds meat together. Season lamb on both sides with 2 teaspoons salt.

Spread salsa verde paste over interior of meat to edges, rubbing into crevices. Reserve remaining salsa verde. Roll lamb up length-

piece of twine lengthwise to secure ends. Allow lamb to sit at room temperature 1-2

cover and refrig erate roast, but bring to room temperature before cooking.) Pat outside of

Trim dark green tops from leeks. Halve

and cut into 2-inch pieces. Put leeks and halved potatoes in large roasting pan. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil, season with remaining salt and toss to coat. Spread

Place lamb roast on top, seam-side down and transfer to oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meat reaches 135 F for medium-rare, about 1-1 1/2 hours.

Transfer lamb to cutting board and allow

covered with foil. (The internal temperature will increase to 145 F.) Bring reserved salsa verde to room temperature. Toss vegetables in

are tender and browned, set aside in a warm spot while meat rests. If not, return to oven to

1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices over vegetables. Stir salsa verde to incorporate oil, spoon it over meat and serve.

Spring celebrations wouldn’t be the same without one classic centerpiece: leg of lamb. Whether roasted or grilled, a leg of lamb is a tried and true addition to the

Easter or Passover table. As elegant as it is, it’s also quite simple to prepare.

For a new take on tradition, swap conventional

complements the rich taste of American lamb. Find

lamb recipe ideas at americanlamb.com.

Serves: 6-8 3 pounds boneless leg of American lamb,

salt and pepper (to taste)

1 cup shelled pistachios 1 cup fresh mint (leaves only) 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon lemon juice (to taste) 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (to taste) freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Heat oven to 350 F.

pepper; allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to grilling.

dish or pan and baking 8 to 10 minutes.

vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper and chili

Heat grill to medium-high. Grill lamb leg to medium-rare (remove from heat when thermometer reads between 130 F and 135 F), or to desired doneness. Rest

serving. Slice meat across grain into thin slices.Serve lamb with pesto, grilled vegetables and salad.

Roasted Boneless Leg of American Lamb

Boneless Leg of American Lamb

preparing the perfect roast:

one half pound of American lamb per serving.

determine doneness. Medium Rare: 145 F; Medium: 160 F.

Remove the roast from the oven when the internal temperature

desired temperature; it will reach desired doneness while it rests, allowing the meat’s juices to settle.

Carve the roast across the grain so the meat will be tender.

25Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016

26 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016 Balita

MOTORING

another vehicle.Eight of the near-misses took

place over the 53,000 miles traveled in California in 2014, while only fi ve happened as the cars logged a hefty 370,000 miles during the 2015 part of the trial, according to Urmson.

“This trend looks good,” he said.Urmson cautioned, however, that

the number could actually rise as Google self-driving cars are tested in trickier environments such as dangerous weather or traffi c.

“On our test track, we run tests that are designed to give us extra practice with rare or wacky situa-tions,” Urmson said.

Engineers also use a powerful simulator to generate scenarios and variations on circumstances.

“Thanks to all this testing, we can develop measurable confi dence in our abilities in various environ-ments,” Urmson said.

“This stands in contrast to the hazy variability we accept in ex-perienced human drivers—never mind the 16-year-olds we send onto the streets to learn amidst the rest of us.” Urmson was not ready to declare self-driving cars safer than those controlled by humans, but be-lieved Google was making progress toward getting them to market.

Drivers still needed -California Department of Motor

Vehicles offi cials last month pro-posed self-driving car regulations that would mandate that a person be able to take the wheel if needed.

California has the potential to set precedent with its rules for self-driving cars, and the proposed regulations were seen as sure to slow down the technology’s progres-sion as it heads mainstream.

Google reveals self-driving car slip-ups

The major benefi t in buying used car is you save lot of money. Not all the people can afford to purchase a new car. And you save considerable amount on car insurance and other charges as well. Many are attracted to the scheme of buying used cars whenever they see the display notice of used cars for sale.

Often we see in Sunday news-papers and magazines lot of sale is being done where you can buy even fresh cars which have not run 10,000 miles.

If you are well versed with the car and its make, model and running conditions then you can go ahead and make a deal. It has become a hobby for infl uential and rich persons to change their car frequently for sen-timental reasons. Sometimes you can see brand new cars which have been bought just one year or two years back standing in the row for sale.

During the initial years you need not have to change the brakes or check the battery and the exhaust system of the car.

The warranties for some branded cars may go up to 3 or 4 years depend-ing on the model.

Above all you need not spend for fresh insurance coverage since the owner had already taken one. You are more fortunate if the car has covered only less miles because some leading manufacturers give warranty for a few years or with thousands of miles. You have increased choices if you have read these details when

Why buying a used vehicle is worth it

buying a used car.More vehicles are there with the

dealers with lot of options in prices as well as accessories. Warranty can be transferred from the fi rst owner to you with no added charges. So you have chance for improved reli-ability in buying used cars. You can select the right car with good model, great durability with availability of warranty since you can go for lot of choices.

It is even better to buy the used cars from known persons than going for cars for sale options. The car will be defi nitely well handled by the fi rst owner and you will also have added

advantage of getting accessories also with the car you purchase. On the flip, the interest rates are higher for used cars than new cars, since it carries more risk.

Another disadvantage is unless you are tech-savvy you cannot fi nd out the condition of the car without using it. Sometimes even the car would have met with minor accident which is mostly not disclosed to the buyer.

But if you prefer a hassle-free car-buying for a used vehicle, all you have to do is drop by Cars 911, one of the leading car dealerships that specializes in pre-owned vehicles.

They have experts in all car brands and will provide you the best tips on why buying a used vehicle is worth it all, especially when you are in dire need of a vehicle ASAP as if getting one is an “emergency.” They have more than 25 banks, all of which are ready to approve!

Call now. The Cars 911 experts are waiting for you. You can reach them at (323) 222-2400. Cars 911 is located at 2244 N. San Fernando Rd., Los Angeles, CA 90065. Mention our ad here in this edition of Weekend Balita and you will be treated with utmost care. (Mikethomsun, www.articlecity.com)

Wednesday January 13 2016 (San Francisco-AFP) – Google on Tuesday said that while its self-driving cars have safely driven more than a million miles, there have been times when humans have had to take over to avoid crashing.

System “anomalies” caused driv-ers to take the wheel 272 times in California test cars in the 14 months leading up to December, Google said in a report to the California Depart-ment of Motor Vehicles.

The test period saw cars travel

more than 420,000 miles (676,000 kilometers) across the state.

There were an additional 69 oc-casions when drivers seized control from automated systems based on their own judgment calls, according to the report.

The most common cause for intervention occurred when tech-nology did not properly sense a real-world situation, the report indicated.

‘Trend looks good’Google then plays out these

situations on a simulator to reveal whether the vehicle would have hit something had the human not taken control, according to Chris Urmson, head of the Internet gi-ant’s self-driving car team.

Simulations determined that 13 of the 69 “driver-initiated disen-gagements” would have resulted in crashes if the car had been steering, the report indicated.

Two of the incidents involved traffi c cones and three were blamed on reckless driving by someone in

27Visit www.Balita.comBalita Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016

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32 Visit www.Balita.com Weekend Balita, Sat.-Fri., January 23 - 29, 2016 Balita