DOF: Exempting millions from income tax a 'big Christmas gift' to Filipinos
Philstar - 2017-12-19
MANILA, Philippines --The signing into law of a comprehensive tax reform bill, expected to raise billions of pesos to fund ambitious government programs, is a big Christmas gift to Filipinos as it would usher in a "real positive change" for the ...

Duterte warns courts from interfering in entry of third telecom player
Philstar - 2017-12-19
Duterte earlier threatened incumbent providers PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. with new competition from China if they do not shape up. Last year, PLDT and Globe together agreed to buy conglomerate San Miguel Corp. out of the sector for $1.5 billion ...

Right institutions, wrong leaders
Inquirer Opinion - 2017-12-19
In reality, many impoverished provinces are virtually subsidized by the national government because the internal revenue allotments they receive are more than their own revenue collections. What has been detrimental to the provinces is the deeply ...

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alisterpaine.com - 2017-12-19
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Citizen tax planning
BusinessWorld Online - 2017-12-18
It will be a merrier Christmas as well for our small businesses, as the TRAIN offers an optional flat 8% tax based on gross sales or receipts in lieu of business and income taxes. Part of the tax package is an administrative reform to allow annual and ...

May risks Brexit row over trade and migration during transition
Business Mirror - 2017-12-18
"During this period we intend to register new arrivals from the EU as preparation for our future immigration system," May will say, according to her office. "And we will prepare for our future independent trade policy by negotiating--and where ...

New system to sniff out fugitives, terrorists - Immigration chief
Philippine Daily Inquirer - 2017-12-18
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has implemented a new biometrics system in a bid to detect and stop the entry of undesirable aliens to the country. Called the Border Control Information System (BCIS), the biometrics-based technology is used in processing ...

More tax reforms seen in 1st quarter of 2018
Inquirer - 2017-12-18
Congress is expected to pass by the first quarter of 2018 a so-called tax reform package "1B," which will contain tax amnesty as well as other tax administration measures that were excluded in the bicameral-approved first package. Finance Secretary ...

DOLE urged to probe foreign-backed recruitment firms using 'illegal agents'
Rappler - 2017-12-18
Migration consultant Emmanuel Geslani urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to look into the proliferation of local recruitment agencies that act as dummies for foreign agencies.

Sereno to House: Impeach me now
Philippine Daily Inquirer - 2017-12-18
People can only conclude that this is all part of the propaganda to make it appear that Chief Justice Sereno is losing support among her colleagues [on] the Supreme Court," Salumbides said. Three of the justices on the 15-member tribunal--Associate ...

Major revamp at Court of Appeals
Philippine Daily Inquirer - 2017-12-17
Newly appointed Court of Appeals (CA) Presiding Justice Romeo Barza has implemented a major shake-up in the appeals courts with the designation of new chairs for its 17 divisions. Barza issued Office Order No. 1-17 a few days after President Rodrigo ...

How can CJ Sereno beat impeachment?
Inquirer Opinion - 2017-12-17
First, what some dismiss as administrative infighting was cast by De Castro and other justices as a pattern of Sereno acting unilaterally, without Supreme Court consensus. Inquirer columnist Joel Butuyan argued last Oct. 9 that such a "string of betrayal ...

Palace open to argue merits of tax-reform measure with critics
Business Mirror - 2017-12-17
With confidence, Malacañang has told critics of the tax-reform bill to bring the matter to the Supreme Court (SC) if they want to. The Palace was also smug enough to say SC justices will certainly side with the government. In a radio interview over the ...

Stiff competition among recruiters of Filipino maids
Business Mirror - 2017-12-17
Citing Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) figures, Geslani said demand remains very strong in the Middle East. The top ME destinations are Saudi Arabia, with 107,298 job openings; followed by Kuwait, 57,726; and Qatar with 27,877. There was a ...

Coal tax to help PHL meet emission targets-group
Business Mirror - 2017-12-17
The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) said the approval of the tax hike on coal will allow the Philippines to inch closer to achieving environmental sustainability, as it will help correct market outcomes and inject a degree of parity in ...

With TRAIN approval, infra-buildup program good to go
Business Mirror - 2017-12-17
such as a mandatory fuel marking and monitoring program and a system enabling the Bureau of Internal Revenue to check in real time the financial submissions of the large taxpaying public, mostly corporations.

CA affirms indictment of arms suppliers involved in sale of guns used in Maguindanao massacre
Business Mirror - 2017-12-17
THE Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed the resolution issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ), which ordered the indictment of four officers of a firearm manufacturing company for the unlawful sale of ammunitions that were used in the killing of 58 ...

Global trade order in a wobble as Washington snubs status quo at World Trade Organization
BusinessWorld Online - 2017-12-17
In a letter sent to US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain said that the inclusion of "certain less conventional" tax provisions would contravene WTO rules and violate double taxation treaties. In a separate ...

Take your time, Mr. President
BusinessWorld Online - 2017-12-17
A top priority should be the line-item veto of the entire Section 42 of the bill, which increases the excise tax on cigarettes by a measly average of P1.67 per year until 2023 and has an effect of removing the dedicated funding for universal health care.

DoF preparing IRR for Philippine Tax Academy
BusinessWorld Online - 2017-12-17
All personnel of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), the Bureau of Customs (BoC), and the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) are required to undergo training programs at the academy before they can be hired, whether on contractual basis or as ...

Disney-Fox deal may create a new nerdy nirvana
Philstar - 2017-12-17
That would recreate online what the U.S. Supreme Court broke apart in the 1940s. That's when the court forced Hollywood studios to divest ownership of theater chains to keep content producers from controlling every step along the way to the consumer.

Major Hollywood media players start commission for sexual misconduct
Inquirer Entertainment - 2017-12-17
The group chose as its chair the law professor Hill, who brought the concept of sexual harassment to national consciousness in 1991 when she testified during the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas. "It is time to end the culture of ...

Confidentiality of SC deliberations
Inquirer Opinion - 2017-12-17
Furthermore, Justices Mariano C. Del Castillo, Francis H. Jardeleza, Noel G. Tijam and Andres B. Reyes Jr. and Court of Appeals Justice Remedios A. Salazar-Fernando "may testify only on administrative or non-adjudicatory matters." Moreover, Justice ...

Dumaguete may return property to owners
Philstar - 2017-12-17
Remollo also belied reports of a cheaper lot, adjacent to the Divinagracia property, for use as sanitary landfill of the city because the zonal valuation of the Bureau of Internal Revenue for the area is already placed at P500 per square meter.

DFA allows Pinoys to come home and still return to Iraq
interaksyon.com - 2017-12-16
The Embassy shall provide the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, on a regular basis, the list of Filipino workers who have applied for Balik Manggagawa coverage. In order to travel back to Iraq, Filipino workers covered by the exemption are ...

Ex-PCGG chair Sabio faces rap anew
Philstar - 2017-12-16
to rule in favor of the GSIS in a case filed by the Lopez-owned Meralco. In June of this year, the First Division of the Sandiganbayan convicted Sabio of graft in connection with the alleged anomalous car lease deals that the PCGG entered with the United ...

Fewer jobless Pinoys noted in September
Inquirer - 2017-12-16
There were fewer Filipinos without jobs in September just but optimism over the availability of jobs in the next 12 months dropped, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed. The Sept. 23-27 survey found joblessness at 18.9 percent, or an ...

U.S. welcomes steps by Thailand to improve intellectual property protection
Reuters - 2017-12-15
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Thursday welcomed "corrective actions" by Thailand to improve intellectual property protection in the Southeast Asian nation. Thailand would be moved from the "priority watch list ...

Tax hike seen making PH equities uncompetitive
Inquirer - 2017-12-15
The insertion of a 20-percent increase in the stock transaction tax in the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) program in Congress is seen to yield P1.7 billion in additional revenue yearly but the Philippine Stock Exchange is worried this ...

Thoughts on double vodka
BusinessWorld Online - 2017-12-14
Yes, you got that write: they were actually celebrating the fact that they were trained by their university to write in heavy pseudo ... If they had a teacher (and, accepting the assumption, a great teacher) that would write in such a way is unfortunate.

DFA says OFWs in Iraq can come home for Yuletide
Business Mirror - 2017-12-14
In order to travel back to Iraq, Filipino workers covered by the exemption are required to submit to the POEA a certificate of exemption from the embassy.

Dulay reshuffles 15 revenue personnel
Business Mirror - 2017-12-14
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has reassigned 15 of its personnel in a bid to address the exigencies of the revenue service. Under Revenue Travel Assignment Order 183-2017 approved on December 7, the 15 BIR personnel included former Regional Director ...

Trade groups unhappy with tax reform
Inquirer - 2017-12-14
Some of the biggest local and foreign business chambers in the country have expressed reservations about the final version of the first tax reform package, warning that some of the tax changes imposed would have a "negative impact" on both consumer ...

Martial law extension draws mixed reactions from Bukidnon folks
Mindanews - 2017-12-14
"It is also possible for the abuses to happen here," he added. Another board member, lawyer Jay Albarece of the Bukidnon first district, said he would just watch out for the Supreme Court deliberations.

4 Top Takeaways: Recent Trends Involving Intellectual Property in Bankruptcy
Lexology - 2017-12-14
Kilpatrick Townsend partner David Posner spoke at a recent New York State Bar Association event where he and other panelists discussed the topic "Around the Edges of IP: Complexities of IP in Bankruptcy." Mr. Posner provides four key takeaways from his ...

Deadline Approaching to Update Designated Agent Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Lexology - 2017-12-14
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) protects eligible internet platforms from secondary liability for copyright infringement under the "safe harbor" of 17 U.S.C. § 512. One condition of safe harbor protection is that any platform asserting the ...

House, Senate ratify TRAIN bill
Business Mirror - 2017-12-13
In ensuring progressive taxation, the Senator explained some taxes were raised, particularly those that affect high-income earners like the documentary stamp tax, the final tax on foreign currency deposit units, and tax on gains from shares of stocks not ...

Death and taxes
Philstar - 2017-12-13
HIDDEN AGENDA By Mary Ann LL. Reyes (The Philippine Star) | Updated December 13, 2017 - 12:00am As they say, the only thing certain in this world is death and taxes. This is especially true for those whose loved ones left property, whether real or personal ...

Antitrust body appeals telco ruling
Inquirer - 2017-12-13
The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) wants the Supreme Court to review the decision of a lower court after the latter made a mistake by deeming a controversial telco deal approved, a top official said. In a press briefing yesterday, Commissioner ...

Antitrust body appeals telco ruling
Inquirer - 2017-12-13
The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) wants the Supreme Court to review the decision of a lower court after the latter made a mistake by deeming a controversial telco deal approved, a top official said. In a press briefing yesterday, Commissioner ...

Impasse on local coal tax delays TRAIN ratification
Philippine Daily Inquirer - 2017-12-13
Senator Loren Legarda, on the other hand, argued that the congressmen had already agreed to the repeal of Presidential Decree No. 972 exempted domestic coal from any form of taxation and they should abide by the agreement. She said the House contingent ...

Immaterial defense
Philstar - 2017-12-13
The Court of Appeals (CA) affirmed his conviction but found him guilty of violating section 5 (b) instead of Section 5 (a) and thus modified his sentence to eight years and one day minimum, up to 17 years, four months and one day maximum. Raffy still ...

A husband's dilemma
Visayan Daily Star - 2017-12-13
I have been applying but no company has responded yet. The Immigration Department has informed me that I have only 3 more months left in my working visa and unless I find a permanent job, with a company to sponsor me, I will be forced to go back to the ...

DOLE open to redesigning OFW ID after getting flak for Duterte photo
Rappler - 2017-12-13
Only returning OFWs under the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration's Balik Manggagawa program can apply for the first phase. "A lot of people are applying, that's why I instructed a technical working group to fast-track their monitoring of ...

Copyright Claim from Out of the Blue
JD Supra - 2017-12-13
What is interesting about this case (aside from the fact that every successful movie seems to be based upon copyright infringement) is the case for access by defendant. Plaintiff emailed her script to a consultant whose books were edited by someone who was ...

Opposition to raise martial law issue in Supreme Court
Philippine Daily Inquirer - 2017-12-13
Opposition senators on Tuesday said that executive department officials had no legal basis for a yearlong extension of martial law in Mindanao and that it was likely their justification for it would be questioned in the Supreme Court. The military said it ...

Employees Put Intellectual Property at Risk
Baseline - 2017-12-13
Sixty-two percent of employees think it's acceptable to transfer corporate data to their personal computers, tablets, smartphones and cloud file-sharing apps. The digital age has radically transformed the nature and value of information. Although ...

Bill to extend the copyright safe harbour provisions introduced
Lexology - 2017-12-13
The safe harbour scheme was considered to be necessary as there was a perceived risk that, notwithstanding the limited ability of CSPs to control the content on their systems, CSPs could be found liable for copyright infringement by their customers.

An offense vs the Constitution
Inquirer Opinion - 2017-12-12
The Duterte administration, with its cabal of compliant enablers in the chambers of Congress and its panel of pliable interpreters in the Supreme Court, has honed this special skill to an unusual degree, and the horrifying result is that we are on the ...

Palace to address security concerns before it allows entry of China Telecom
Business Mirror - 2017-12-12
Malacañang on Tuesday vowed to look into security concerns raised over the entry of a Chinese telecommunications company intended to challenge the duopoly of local players Globe Telecom Inc. and PLDT Inc. Presidential Spokesman Harry L. Roque Jr. admitted ...