THIS IS HOW NAOMI ONG and ROXLEE ONG played their tricks on us. As narrated by Mae Bentia, the victim and now one of the victims’ advocates. MARCH 2. 2019 – in a BIRTHDAY party. The couple NAOMI and ROXLEE ONG introduced themselves to me. Naomi says “DI BA IKAW SI MAE? Yes, I am. Hey, I know… Read More »
Back in the homeland, SSS means Social Security System (Paseguruhan ng Kapanatagang Panlipunan.) Lately, the state-run insurance agency warned that it would lose projected income unless it raises the amount of contributions of its members – workers in the private formal and informal sectors, including those overseas. The warning comes amid congressional hearings on two – House Bill… Read More »
On an essential trip (with face mask and physical distancing naturally) to the local dollar store, I was pleasantly surprised when – voila! – I came across shelves full of spring gardening stuff. This was a welcome signal for the coming warmer months, and it is only January! At first the thought that came to mind was that… Read More »
As I am writing this column, President Donald Trump has only two days left in his presidency. Then he will go into retirement. It must be hard for him to accept that he would be a one-term president being defeated by President-elect Joe Biden by a stunning eight million votes! Yet he claims that he was cheated. He… Read More »
With a 21-gun salute, a color guard, marching band, and red carpet, ex-President Donald Trump bade good-bye to a handful of his followers at the tarmac of Joint Base Andrews at about 10 am on January 20, 2020. Two hours later President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. took his oath of office at the Capitol. But peaceful transition came… Read More »
Marissa Odi Gonzales has been arrested recently as reported by Detective Ruth Moran for scamming multiple victims for more that $100,000. As of press time. she has been released, and a virtual court hearing has been set. Marissa Odi Gonzalez was the subject of this rally that was held in front of her restaurant, The Chelsea Place at… Read More »
As we bid the year 2020 goodbye with a sigh of relief knowing that 2021 can’t be worse than 2020, my apprehension remains the same. With more than 20 million cases of COVID-19 and more than 350,000 deaths and adding 3,000 every day to the death toll, I wonder when will this plague ever end? For one thing,… Read More »
In three days, three events occurred that changed the political landscape of the U.S. for the next two or four years, or perhaps, for decades to come. On January 5, the state of Georgia – long a Republican bastion – elected two Democrats to replace two Republican senators. Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff defeated Republicans Kelly Loeffler… Read More »
The ongoing saga down south in the USA has kept me sleep-deprived from following all the “shenanigans” or as president-elect Biden says “malarkey” (love it! So quaint. I mean, of course the word “malarkey” and not the shocking riot). I never imagined there would come a day when my attention would be riveted on the goings-on in the… Read More »
Once again, President Donald J. Trump played the game of “chicken” when he held up the $900 billion COVID relief stimulus bill by demanding that direct payments to the people be increased to $2,000 per person. Speaker Pelosi responded that she would go along with the $2,000 direct payment wanted by Trump. But the Republican majority in the… Read More »