Maniolas

Debt collectors are calling. but whose debts are they? Are you personally liable? The extent of your personal liability depends on numerous factors, some of which relate A) the State you live in, B) your current marital status, C) your tax filing status, D) if you own a business, how your business is structured, and E) whether you personally guaranteed any of these obligations. A)                Regarding the State, California is a “Community Property” state. That means that generally (There are exceptions to everything) you and your spouse share all assets and liabilities. B)                Therefore, if you are married and live in California, your assets and liabilities are equally shared. (Again, there are exceptions to this rule). C)                Unless you and your spouse file separate tax returns, a joint tax return tends to support the argument, that you do indeed live in a “community property” estate. D)                If you own a business, your personal liability will depend on how the business is legally organized. E)                 If the business is a proprietorship, meaning it is not incorporated, all business debts are considered to be personal debts. If the business is incorporated, but you have signed a personal guarantee for a business obligation, you will be held personally liable for that specific obligation. To the extent you live in a community property estate, your spouse, while not liable, cannot protect community property assets in the event of a lawsuit. Clearly, discussing all of the above issues with an attorney experienced in these issues, Read More …

Earns its 10th consecutive U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star Partner of the Year Award; most among any automaker ERLANGER, Ky.  – What do the cities of Dallas, Texas and Oakland, Calif. have in common?  A lot, according to Toyota’s engineers, despite the two cities being separated by nearly 1,700 miles with different demographics and industries. Either city could be powered for an entire year based on the amount of energy not used by Toyota’s 14 North American manufacturing plants during the past decade.  For engineers, that’s equal to nearly 11 billion kilowatt hours of energy.  And for non-engineers, that’s enough to power nearly 400,000 average U.S. households for an entire year. Toyota’s 41,000 team members’ continuous efforts to reduce energy use have resulted in Toyota’s 10th consecutive Energy Star Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. EPA for continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. Ten consecutive Energy Star Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Awards are the most by any automaker and Toyota’s accomplishments will be recognized in Washington, D.C., on April 29. During the 10-year period, total energy use has been reduced by 22 percent per vehicle produced and total CO2 emissions has been reduced by 19 percent per vehicle produced.  Total cost savings during the decade is nearly $500 million dollars. “Through continuous improvement, good collaboration and sharing best practices, we continue to stay highly motivated to identify ways to minimize our impact to the environment,” says Robin Read More …

‘It’s a return to medieval punishment,’ says Human Rights Watch President Benigno S. Aquino III listens to the message of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah in Brunei Darussalam, during the State Luncheon hosted by the President in his honor at the Rizal Hall of the Malacañan Palace last year when Sultan Bolkiah was in the country for a two-day State Visit. Brunei is host to some 21,000 Filipinos working mostly as skilled workers. (MNS photo) BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (AFP) – The sultan of oil-rich Brunei announced that tough Islamic criminal punishments would be introduced Thursday, pushing ahead with plans that have sparked rare domestic criticism of the fabulously wealthy ruler and international condemnation. “With faith and gratitude to Allah the almighty, I declare that tomorrow, Thursday May 1, 2014, will see the enforcement of sharia law phase one, to be followed by the other phases,” the absolute monarch said in a royal decree Wednesday. Plans for the sharia penalties – which will eventually include flogging, severing of limbs and death by stoning – triggered condemnation on social media sites in the tiny, sleepy sultanate earlier this year. Confusion has swirled around implementation following the unexplained postponement of an expected April 22 start date that raised questions over whether the Muslim monarch was hesitating. But 67-year-old Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah – one of the world’s wealthiest men – forged ahead, dismissing “theories” that the penal code was unjust. “Theory states that Allah’s law is cruel and unfair but Allah Read More …

Senator Jinggoy Estrada shows some documents during his privilege speech on the controversial Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) issue at the Senate on Wednesday (March 12, 2014). (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Thursday branded as part of a “sinister agenda” a report that whistleblowers in the P10-billion pork barrel fund scam are mulling getting out of the government’s Witness Protection Program. A report by The Daily Tribune, quoting an unnamed source with links to the camp of whistleblower Benhur Luy, said the whistleblowers might finally give up government protection because of the “many cancellations” of their meetings with the Justice Secretary. Last week, De Lima told reporters she was meeting with Luy and the other whistleblowers Wednesday this week to discuss recent revelations of allege scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, including a list of individuals said to be involved in the irregularity. On Wednesday, however, De Lima told reporters at CampCrame in Quezon City that the meeting was reset to Friday. “Friday morning na. Tomorrow sana (Thursday) but we released it’s a holiday,’ said De Lima told reporters at CampCrame where she attended the launching of the electronic subpoena system. On Thursday, De Lima belied the report that her scheduled meeting with Luy and the others have been repeatedly postponed. “That’s not true at all. Besides, there was only one resetting, from yesterday, Wednesday to tomorrow, Friday,” De Lima said. “So what ‘continued’ resetting is that media item talking about? For their own sinister agenda, Read More …

Pinay will be driving the Mazda Philippine #16 car easily identified by Michele’s signature butterfly Michele Marie Bumgarner Indianapolis, IN – Michele Bumgarner will compete in the Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires season with World Speed Motorsports for the 2014 season.  This will be Bumgarner’s first full season on the second step of the Mazda Road to Indy ladder.  She has six previous starts in Pro Mazda, five in 2008 and one in 2013 with a best finish of ninth in Reliant Park Houston Race last season, also run with World Speed.  Her primary sponsor is Mazda Philippines. Bumgarner stated, “I’m really very excited about the opportunity that Mazda Philippines has made possible for me.  It has been five years since I have been back in full competition mode, although the Houston event last year was a great warm-up and I have had some testing in the off-season to prepare for a return to competition, but no doubt, I have a challenge in front of me.  I believe this season for me is about getting back in the game, finding the new limits on this Pro Mazda car – as it’s different than the car I drove in ’08, and really preparing myself to move up the ladder as my skills allow me to and for sure, make it to IndyCar. I mean, this is my dream and I’m really fortunate to have a shot at it.” A native born Filipina, Bumgarner was raised in Manila.  Her American Read More …