CA upholds Devanadera's misconduct conviction, orders her to pay P760,000

 News
Mar 202014
 
CA upholds Devanadera's misconduct conviction, orders her to pay P760,000

The Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of former Justice secretary Agnes Devanadera of misconduct in connection with the attorney’s fees she received from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in 2007. In a 23-page decision, the CA’s Sixth Division “partially granted” a March 4, 2010 decision and a February 10, 2012 review by the Office of the Ombudsman finding Devanadera guilty of simple misconduct, simple neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of duty. The CA, in its ruling penned by Associate Justice Romeo Barza, affirmed the Ombudsman rulings but said they were “subject to modifications.” Among the modifications was the penalty imposed on Devanadera, who, aside from being a former Justice secretary, also served as Solicitor General during the Arroyo administration. “In lieu of the penalty of one year without pay, she is ordered to pay a fine equivalent to her salary as government corporate counsel for six months,” the CA said. The CA also ordered Devanadera to “restitute to the Office of Government Corporate Council trust liability account” an amount of P760,000. The Ombudsman had convicted Devanadera and her former head executive assistant Rolando Faller in connection with an agreement with the GSIS to handle the extrajudicial foreclosure of delinquent real estate loans in 2007. In exchange, the Chief Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) would get special assessment fees for its help. The two officials allegedly received various amounts from the special assessment fee that the GSIS had put up, including P500,000 for Devanadera Read More …

Sto. Tomas Batangas Association of Southern California celebrated their Annual Town Fiesta

 Entertainment
Mar 122014
 
Sto. Tomas Batangas Association of Southern California celebrated their Annual Town Fiesta

Sto. Tomas Batangas Association of Southern California The Sto. Tomas Batangas Association of Southern California celebrated their Annual Town Fiesta last March 9, 2014 at Bill Blevins Park in Rowland Heights, CA. An upcoming big event will be on July 19, the 32nd Anniversary & Coronation of Ofie Villanueva, Mrs. Sto. Tomas 2014 at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills. For inquiries about the association please contact Willie Manacsa at 747-202-035 or Ofie Villanueva at 626-960-8407.   

Pioneer L.A. Fil-Am Press Club (est. 1978) to sponsor Creative Writing Workshop

 Entertainment
Feb 182014
 
Pioneer L.A. Fil-Am Press Club (est. 1978) to sponsor Creative Writing Workshop

Peter Bacho The Filipino American Press Club of Los Angeles, Inc., (FAPCLA) (established 1978), Inc.  will sponsor a two-day Creative Writing Workshop on March 21-22nd, at the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC), Histor4ic Filipino  Town, 153 Glendale Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90026.  This will provide an opportunity to present the seminar for writers, both from professional circles and student aspirants who wish to expand their writing skills.   FAPCLA (est. 1978) was formed by former news reporters and writers from the Philippines who had immigrated to this country in the early 70s. Professor Peter Bacho, Filipino American author, winner of multi awards, will conduct the workshop: first segment is scheduled on March 21, (“Meet and Greet” and Intro to the Workshop) at the PWC Assembly hall, from 5:00 P.M.   The Pilipino Workers Center has been dedicated to the renowned labor leader, Larry Itliong Village, Historic Filipino Town. The second segment starts at 8:30 A.M. on March 22nd, same venue. The two-day workshop is supported by the PWC, Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) under the leadership of Joel F. Jacinto, executive officer; and the Echo Park Public Library, Joselyn G. Rosenthal, president. Fellows/ participants  are asked to send in their  $25 pre-payment/reservation  by the deadline date of  February 28, 2014, FAPCLA, Inc (est 1978).  Bacho’s books will be on sale at the PWC during the event. Interested parties are asked to write Cecile C. Ochoa, Chair, Creative Writing Project, 6739 Goodland Avenue, North Hollywood, CA 91606; phone number: (818) 203-3137; e-mail address:  cdochoa@aol.com; Evelyn A. Read More …

New report says immigrants fiscally burden Canada

 News
Oct 252013
 
New report says immigrants fiscally burden Canada

Academic Herbert Grubel. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO TORONTO, Canada – A recently released report by the Fraser Institute implied that immigrants are costing Canadian taxpayers Canadian $20 billion a year. It also calls for an end to sponsorships of parents and grandparents of immigrants and that Canadian immigration selection require employment by the private sector rather than the government. At the center of the controversial report is Economics Professor Emeritus at Simon Fraser University Herbert Grubel, who wrote Canada’s Immigration Selection Policies in which he noted that immigrants who arrived since 1986 earned less and paid less taxes than the benefits they received from the government. Unlike the US, Canada’s points system of selecting principal immigrants has remained largely unchanged since the 1960s. Candidates’ work experience, education, language competency and other factors give them higher points and more likely acceptance for immigration to Canada. In 2011 about 30 percent of Canada’s immigrants were selected this way. But with spouses and under-age children coming with them, their number rose to about 63 percent. Grubel recommended stopping the “fiscal drain” by abandoning the points system, replacing it with pre-arranged work contracts as the main criterion to immigrate to Canada. Early this month, Grubel was quoted by The Philippine Reporter: “Instead of relying on university certificates assessed by civil servants who are in turn instructed by politicians, I would like to see accepted as landed (the Canadian term for citizenship status) immigrants only people who have a job offer from a Canadian employer.” But the Read More …

For Thanksgiving, Colina Salon is giving back with glamorous discounts

 Entertainment
Oct 182013
 
For Thanksgiving, Colina Salon is giving back with glamorous discounts

15-50 % off on beauty treatments & products  Marlou Colina with Peaches and Herb COLINA Salon is enjoying a banner year, thanks to the support of its loyal clients. First, it has expanded with three salons running in 2013, the latest in Rancho Cucamunga. All its major promos – Bonanza Savers, Colors of Spring and Summer Sizzlers—were wildly popular. So were the breakthrough products it introduced to the market: Colina Cosmetics and MC Hair Care. And last month (Sept. 8), Colina Salon mounted Make-up 101, a one-day seminar-workshop at the Doubletree Hotel Norwalk that was by all accounts a runaway success. Colina Salon was very visible in the community, as a sponsor of the year’s most successful live events so far: Fides Ecclesiae, a musical based on the lives of Saints Pedro Calungsod and Kateri Tekakwitha in February at Pantages Theater; Side A Live at The Grove of Anaheim on April 21; “For Da Laffs,” on June 28 at Alex Theater in Glendale and June 29 at Pala Casino in San Diego; and Stylistics with Peaches & Herb live at Pala Casino-Palomar Starlight Theater on October 5. All these were in no small part to the credit of CEO and founder Marlou Colina, who himself made major inroads into Hollywood this year: styling for the family of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein  at the Oscars, and Hunger Games star Dakota Hood at this spring’s GLAAD Awards. But the humble Marlou gives all the glory to their clients, whose loyal patronage inspires him and his tea to Read More …

Autism Speaks to Host Inclusion Events to Support Local Autism Community

 Entertainment
Sep 172013
 
Autism Speaks to Host Inclusion Events to Support Local Autism Community

IRVINE, CA—To raise awareness for autism, Autism Speaks will host multiple disability-friendly events, including the 10th anniversary Orange County Walk Now for Autism Speaks on November 16 in Irvine. Upcoming events include: • Electronic Recycling Fundraiser for Autism Speaks September 21, 2013, 10am to 2:30pm Parking lot behind Bourbon Street, 114 E. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton Recycle Your City’s “E-Waste for Autism” program accepts items including cell phones, VCRs and computers, and a portion of each item donated will benefit Autism Speaks. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153255154740565&set=a.273769905564.316189.155649165564&type=1&theater • Orange County Walk Now for Autism Speaks Kick-Off September 21, 2013, 11am to 1:30pm Historic Fullerton Ballroom, 2nd Floor, 114 E. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton With a California surf theme, event speakers include: o Izzy Paskowitz, co-founder of Surfers Healing, father to a son with autism, and author of “Scratching the Horizon” o Brian Gutierrez, California State Councilmember for the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, will present a special recognition to Paskowitz, Executive Director of Southern California Autism Speaks Matthew Asner, Senior Director of Field Development for Autism Speaks Southern California Pam Eisenberg, and OC Autism Walk Publicist Jess Block, for their service to the autism community. Recognition from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and a California Congressional Award will also be presented. o David Sharif, 16, with autism, whose speech on autism was created into “My Name is David,” a claymation video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_O0vRTkaaY. • 10th Anniversary Orange County Walk Now for Autism Speaks November 16, 2013, 9am Orange County Great Park, El Toro Field, 6990 Marine Read More …

China is behaving like Janet Lim-Napoles

 News
Sep 112013
 
China is behaving like Janet Lim-Napoles

Global Networking By Rodel Rodis 7:03 pm | Wednesday, September 11th, 2013 In two world stage events occurring simultaneously last week, China presented two starkly different faces: a big power statesman in one, and a petty barnyard bully in the other. The two faces were similar to the ones displayed by accused Pork Barrel Fixer Janet Lim-Napoles: in one acting like a regal socialite hobnobbing with Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and Sen. Bong Revilla, and in the other, behaving like a common thug when confronting subordinates like Benhur Luy who alleged that she kidnapped him last December 19, 2012 after learning of his intention to compete with her in the lucrative Pork Barrel scam business. The only difference between Napoles and China is the magnitude of their stages. For China, one world stage was the Summit of the Group of 20 (G20) top economic leaders of the world meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia on September 4-5 where China’s Pres. Xi Jinping presented his nation’s views on “ways to achieve a steady global recovery and a strong, sustainable and balanced growth”. At this Summit, Xi supported the efforts by the Summit’s host, Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin, to dissuade the US from bombing Syria. Xi warned that US military intervention in Syria would damage the world economy and jack up oil prices. Earlier, at his California Summit with Pres. Obama on June 7, 2013, Xi called on the US and China to “work together to build a new type of relations between major Read More …

De Lima gives 'threats' vs. Napoles benefit of the doubt

 News
Aug 302013
 
De Lima gives 'threats' vs. Napoles benefit of the doubt

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Friday said the government is verifying the alleged security threats on controversial trader Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged brains behind the P10-billion pork barrel scam. For the meantime, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said they are giving Napoles’s claims that her life is in danger “the benefit of the doubt.” “Even if hindi pa naba-validate, I think we can give these allegations the benefit of the doubt,” De Lima said on Friday, noting that the embattled businesswoman had formally told the Court of Appeals that there were threats to her security. She said that in a motion filed with the CA, Napoles claimed being in “grave, imminent and real danger” and receiving death threats. Napoles, currently detained at the Makati City Jail, is asking the CA to allow her transfer to a safer detention cell. “We can give this some preliminary merit na kasi possible nga namin dahil may mga ibang nadadawit ay magisip na gumawa ng masama,” De Lima said. Napoles’s lawyer Lorna Kapunan had earlier cited these threats as reason why her client chose to surrender to President Benigno Aquino III, saying he’s the only one they could trust. De Lima said the Philippine National Police is still currently verifying “credible information” that there are people who want to “silence” Napoles. De Lima’s statement came a day after she told the media that she and the National Bureau of Investigation, which is under the Department of Justice (DOJ), were unaware of any threats Read More …

Bright House Networks, ABS-CBN launch Lifestyle Network in Bakersfield, Central Florida and Tampa Bay

 Entertainment
Aug 062013
 

New channel aims to expand reach to fast-growing Filipino demographic in the U.S.    REDWOOD CITY, CA, July 31, 2013 – ABS-CBN International, the largest Filipino entertainment, news and broadcast company in the U.S., announced today the launch of Lifestyle Network on Bright House Networks.  Lifestyle Network is available to all The Filipino Channel (TFC) customers […]

Taguig to appeal CA decision on Fort Boni dispute

 News
Aug 052013
 
Taguig to appeal CA decision on Fort Boni dispute

After the Court of Appeals declared portions of Fort Bonifacio, including the upscale locale of Bonifacio Global City, as part of Makati City, the local government of Taguig City on Tuesday insisted that the disputed land is theirs. “The CA decision, with due respect, is erroneous,” Mayor Lani Cayetano said in a statement. “We will flight to make sure that the disputed land remains with Taguig,” she added. “We are confident that we will ultimately win this fight.” In a decision, the CA’s Sixth Division overturned the July 2011 ruling of the Pasig City Regional Trial Court that invalidated Presidential Proclamation Nos. 2475 and 518 that originally placed the disputed 729.15 hectares of land under the jurisdiction of Makati City. “We believe… that contrary to the findings of the lower court as between pieces of evidence presented, Taguig was not able to prove this greater weight of evidence to merit a favorable decision,” the CA said in a 37-page decision. The disputed areas consist of Enlisted Men’s Barrios (EMBO) barangays and Inner Fort barangays (which include Barangay Post Proper Northside and Barangay Post Proper Southside).   At stake in the decision were huge local tax revenues and the prestige that emanates from one of the trendiest places in the country. — Amanda Fernandez/RSJ, GMA News

 Older Entries  Newer Entries