2026 - the Year of the Fire Horse - the Year of Velocity

2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, which translates into the Year of Velocity. On the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, I fasted without drinking water or eating food for an entire day. During that time, I was reading the Holy Scripture, and I felt like the Lord told me to proclaim this verse:

“But the LORD is still in the city; he does what is right and never what is wrong. Every morning without fail, he brings justice to his people. And yet the unrighteous people there keep on doing wrong and are not ashamed.” (Zephaniah 3:5.)

Horses represent movement, power, work, loyalty, and kindness. In Revelation, horses are agents of divine judgment. The red one, in particular, represents war. Given the verse I was given, I believe this is the year that God will act and grant judgment accordingly and swiftly.

* * *

The Year of the Snake, 2025, as predicted, was a difficult year. It started with a crisis. My father’s nursing home burned down; thankfully, he lived. It entered with attempting to resolve a crisis, where it appears that fraudsters dangerously staged a car crash - where the car spun out and hit the freeway rails. The aftermath was ugly.

Then, in the middle of 2025, I had great difficulty in one of my cases. Finally, the last season of the year, from Fall into Winter, ended with a personal crisis, which finally resolved on Christmas Day.

* * *

This year, I exposed a car crash that appears to have been an orchestrated fraud ring. Unfortunately, even after exposing them, this seems to have made little impact on the suspects.

I made a lot of progress on my main quiet title action case, which I will be writing more about this year.

The stepmother in my family’s life filed a conservatorship to try to take my father away from me, even though we had a three-year elder abuse restraining order against her. I was able to defeat the conservatorship in August of this year.

 * * *

Last year, I did my best to bring “the utter darkness into the light.”

In 2026, I’ll be writing more on my father’s case and the evils of elder abuse in our Los Angeles community. I just need some time. Sorry, I haven’t written as much in 2025. 

As you can see, 2025 was the year of getting repeatedly and venomously bitten. But on the flip side, it was also the year that grace and the antidote to these problems surfaced and purified.

2025 came with the Eaton Fires, the Pasadena car crash and its aftermath, the summary judgment erroneously granted in my father’s case, and a personal crisis, all of which were challenging. But I persevered.

How? I can’t even tell you, and I didn’t even know I had that in me. I believe my faith lit the path during the darkest times of 2025.

The Year of the Snake has ended. Thank God. I welcome the Year of the Horse, which in my life has been a prosperous symbol. I predict both velocity and justice for this year.

OpEd – Air New Zealand’s Plummeting Share Prices Spotlights its Problems with Customer Service

 

On November 30, 2020 – Air New Zealand was trading at $1.16 USD per share. About five years later, it’s at $0.585. It’s lost almost half its value.  No wonder; recently, Forsyth Barr analysts downgraded their profit forecasts for the national airline and now says the company is either loss-making, or at best, made a 'small' profit in the second half of the 2025 financial year.

Even in April of this year, Air NZ tried to downplay its losses by stating that the price “is down 33% over five years [more like 50%], but the total shareholder return is 30% once you include the dividend. That's better than the market which returned 24% over the same time.” In other words: better you lost only half your money, instead of all your money.

In stark contrast, during November of 2020, Singapore Air sold at $6.82 per share. Now, it’s at $10.21 a share, an almost 50% return in the black. What’s happening?

The exiting CEO of Air NZ, Greg Foran, wants to blame its technology and machines. On April 17, 2025 – Foran told Aviation A2Z, “A major factor in the reduced earnings forecast is ongoing engine reliability issues.” This tells you how off the mark he is.

Just as the company fudged the numbers about its stock losses, nothing could be further from the truth regarding Air NZ’s main problem: its terrible customer service.

In March and April of this year, I had the pleasure of flying on Singapore Airlines. I could not find an airline ticket. I contacted the executive office, who worked tirelessly, called me back three times, and found me the flight I needed.

Knowing the importance of the trip, Singapore Air gave me the best service on the airline. And when I departed from Singapore to Auckland, an employee from Singapore Air fixed a glitch in my e-visa issue by calling New Zealand Immigration and working it out with them for over 20 minutes.

Then came my experience with Air New Zealand. Although I had enough miles on a partner airline, Air New Zealand was not releasing any mileage tickets. When I contacted the executive office, they ignored my request. I had to complain to its mileage network program called Star Alliance. Even then, Air NZ said they couldn’t help me to find any mileage tickets, since it wouldn’t be fair to other customers. (In Air NZ’s mind everything is fair, when everyone gets bad customer service.)

Eventually, I was lucky to find a mileage ticket, but was then overcharged for my luggage from Wellington to Auckland. When I complained to the executive office again, not only did I get a sarcastic response from the executive assistant, I was told by the Chair of the Board that there was nothing they could do to fix the problem. They were being fair (again).

In December of 2024, native Kiwi, Grant Evans experienced similar types of problems. In short, saving “nickels and dimes”, instead of keeping their word to their customers. I thanked the chair and knew this company was not worth investing in. When I checked the sinking stock price, it only confirmed what my heart already knew. Air NZ was a dying business.

To be fair, Air NZ is blessed with hardworking and hospitable staff. The problem is with its leadership, its business objective of nickeling and diming customers, bait switching, and its broken trust with its customers. Like Gulf Air, who hired Singaporean CEO, Dr. Jeffrey Goh (a non native to Bahrain) it’s time for Air NZ to find new and more diverse and global leadership, who understand that businesses make money by serving their customers, not treating them like EFTPOS cards.

Biometric Evidence Key to Understanding CHP-Facilitated Auto Insurance Fraud

Biometric evidence that Raymundo Mendietamorante (“Raymundo”), accused professional car crasher and insurance fraudster, has facial features amazingly similar to those of Captain Mariano Santiago (“Santiago”) of the California Highway Patrol, Altadena Station. An international biometric expert, who wishes to remain anonymous, suggests that Raymundo is most likely the father of Santiago. In fact, after further investigation, it appears that at least one of Raymundo’s grandsons, may be Santiago’s son, suggesting that this this is one family auto insurance fraud ring.

On September 26, 2024 – Raymundo rear ended Arambula’s car and then smashed into the passenger side of Arambula’s car. The second impact caused Arambula’s red Toyota Prius to spin out and hit the freeway guardrail. At the time of the crash - Raymundo stated he was a Lyft Driver. His passenger Aldrin Garcia stated that he was a nurse, taking a paid ride to see his client.

Around 10 minutes after the crash, a bandit tow company picked up Arambula's car and charged him $1,700 for four days of towing. Officer Eric Voss appeared to know the driver of the tow truck and instructed the driver to tow both crashed cars.

Suspecting all was not right, the Legal Lens conducted an investigation. It found that a former employee, Vinny Smith, said that Raymundo works for Cyrus Towing, to "call" in cars. 

Also, this was not Raymundo's first car spin out. Another witness named Elias Hernandez stated that after making a lane change, that Raymundo collided into his car, spinning it out in similar manner to Arambula's.  Cyrus Towing then towed and impounded his car, later holding it for ransom.

Also, after examining the driver's license of both Garcia and Raymundo - Arambula discovered that both parties lived in the same unit in a trailer park located in Huntington Beach, discrediting that Garcia was a passenger for a Lyft ride. Furthermore, Arambula gathered evidence that Raymundo rear ended Arambula and that it was not a sideswipe.

On or around the October 14, 2024, Arambula met with Eric Voss and Sargeant Xavier Bejar and presented the new evidence. Initially, Bejar stated that a collision expert would be present at the meeting. No collision expert was present.

Arambula showed that the crack on Raymundo’s headlight is almost identical to the indentation left on Arambula’s rear bumper. 

Nonetheless, on or around Dec. 3, 2024 - the reviewing officer, Officer R. Bivins affirmed the result without making any changes. Shortly thereafter, Arambula requested another review of the report from Captain Santiago and requested a collision expert to investigate the matter. Santiago denied both requests.

Now, with the at fault report, both Aldrin Garcia and Raymundo hired attorneys. In June of 2025, Raymundo was paid out $20,000 and Garcia, $10,000. 

In February of 2025, the Legal Lens discovered that Cyrus Towing was preying on wildfire victims in Altadena. In fact, on February 18, 2025 - California's Department of Insurance released a press release, in which a clerk named Rosa Isela Santistevan was passing on collision reports to a Andre Angelo Reyes. Reyes would then facilitate phone calls "pretending to be from their insurance company and coordinate having [victims'] vehicle towed to a repair center that they misrepresented as approved by the insurance company.”

Then around May of 2025, Paul Cook of the Legal Lens noticed the facial resemblance of Raymundo with Captain Santiago and Aldrin Garcia. Cook also noticed the similarities amongst other defendants who have been accused of auto insurance fraud. Cook also noticed the Filipino linkage in the fraud ring.

Cook further discovered that Reyes may be an aspiring actor and that Garcia is professional skateboarder. This reveals a motive, as both professions are expensive to fund, until one breaks through.

Cook's international biometric expert confirmed that Raymundo's facial features strongly suggest that he is the father of Captain Santiago.

It appears that Raymundo is the father of Santiago, and the grandfather of Reyes and Garcia. Furthermore, the Legal Lens suspects that Santiago is the father of Reyes, and Santistevan is his mother. Diagram provided below.

If this is true, it means that this is all one family fraud business, an alliance between criminal defendants and the government. Such a relationship facilitates a coverup of an actual investigation; an honest CHP collision report; and a potential payout for everyone involved, at the harm of the victim, here Arambula.

The Legal Lens believes that Sgt. Bejar needs to be investigated as to whether he’s related to Captain Santiago as well. Arambula has been left with a damaged back; uncompensated; and marked at fault – harming his driving record. 

In today's American government, “the lie has become not just a moral category but a pillar of the State.” – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Noble Laureate.

*All parties are presumed innocent, until otherwise proven.

Baldwin Park City Council Appoints New City Manager With a History of Incompetence and Financial Mismanagement; Manuel Carrillo Suspected of Spiking Pay to Increase His Retirement Pay.

Baldwin Park City Council, after the resignation of its last City Manager, Enrique Zaldivar, appoints Manuel Carrillo, Jr. as new city manager. Carrillo has a history of incompetence and financial mismanagement. 

In May 29, 2015 - the Legal Lens accused Carrillo of laundering money through a sham nonprofit called the Baldwin Park Community Center Corporation ("BPCCC"). At the core of the allegation is that Carrillo has been allegedly laundering money through the BPCCC by running a sham event called the Santa Clothes Program. At that event, over $20,000 of gift cards would be purchased at Walmart. A few children would receive some. And the rest of those gift cards, tens of thousands of dollars worth, cannot be accounted for.

When the Legal Lens asked for him to account for the monies, he provided it a sham list of over 600 children. Many of the names have been confirmed to be non-existent, meaning those kids didn't exist.

As a result of the Legal Lens's reporting, the State of California dissolved the BPCCC. Instead, now, the City started a new nonprofit called the Baldwin Park Charitable Relief Foundation, which appears to be a slush fund for the council members. Carrillo is also a director of this nonprofit.

Also around 2014, staff revolted against Carrillo for paying them minimum wage, while he was the most overpaid parks and recreation director in Southern California. Carrillo gave a boxing coach, who worked there for around 20 years, a 40 cent raise an hour. At this revolt, staff complained that Carrillo was incompetent and uneducated.

The boxing program also protested Carrillo in 2013, which led to the program being open today. Carrillo's intention was to shut down the program and give the equipment for free to his cronies.

Others have complained that Carrillo stole from City funds when the City paid for gas, which was used for personal travel.

More recently, Carrillo has not done enough to protect the boxing program from an accused pedophile.

Cell phone records reveal that Carrillo was talking daily with disgraced Council Member Ricardo Pacheco, who has pled guilty to taking bribes.

Under Carrillo's management, both Barnes Park and Morgan Park have deteriorated. Barnes Park is notable for criminal loitering and drug activity.

Carrillo currently fails to account for where the money goes to from the parks and recreation program. Also, it appears that a lot of the grant money to parks is also accounted for.

It's suspected that Carrillo wants a bigger pay as City Manager, so he can retire at a higher pay, which is calculated by the last three years of one's salary.

In general, the Legal Lens rates Carrillo as an "F" for City Manager.

California State Bar Suspends License of Former City Attorney, Robert Tafoya for Federal Bribery and Tax Evasion Convictions

 

On April 14, 2025 - Office of Chief Trial Counsel for the State Bar of California suspended Robert Nacionales-Tafoya's bar license after receiving his conviction of bribery and tax evasion.

Tafoya pled guilty to bribing current State Senator Susan Rubio with marijuana kickbacks. According to Tafoya, in turn, Rubio would vote to grant those who gave her bribes, a marijuana business license. Rubio apparently amassed around $230,000 in this scheme. Also, in exchange, Tafoya would keep his job as city attorney and receive additional work, if Rubio became State Senator, which happened. Rubio allegedly used her marijuana slush funds to finance her campaign race.

Around 2014, General counsel of Legal Lens, filed a bar complaint against Robert Tafoya when he misrepresented his signature in a court filing, amounting to forgery. It's similar to the same type of forgery that Cristeta Paguirigan-Summers, who was the consultant for marijuana licenses in Baldwin Park, committed and was disbarred for. (Legal Lens suspects that Cristeta was Tafoya's legal mentor.) Despite the clear and convincing evidence, the State Bar dropped the complaint against Tafoya.

The State Bar should make available all complaints that have been filed against Robert Tafoya in light of the Tom Girdardi scandal. Girardi embezzled more than $15 million. Over 40 years, the public filed more than 200 complaints against Girardi, but the bar failed to discipline Girardi over any of them. Had it done so, it's probable that victims would not have been so injured.

Hence, the public should also know how many complaints were filed against Tafoya, and in fact, all attorney complaints should be made available as a public record that could be requested by anyone.

City of Los Angeles Illegally Fines People for Parking for $93; Mayor Karen Bass, Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, and Ken Husting to Blame.

Ken Husting, 
Principal Transportation Engineer for
LADOT's Bureau of Parking Management

 To be heard on June 20th, this year, I filed a challenge to a parking ticket I illegally received for $93 from the City of Los Angeles. The problem with the ticket is that I was fined for parking in a red fire zone, when the curb is painted a dark blue grey and not red. See picture below. 

I complained to Mayor Karen Bass; Council Member Eunisses Hernandez (who is in charge of that district), and Ken Husting, the Principal Transportation Engineer for LADOT's Bureau of Parking Management. I filed two agency challenges to the ticket, but both of them said that the ticket was valid, even though the color of the paint is not red. There are no other parking signs to give notice to motorists this is an illegal area to park in.

On February 3, 2025, Husting emailed, "in my opinion there is enough to see a red curb." Clearly, this is contradicted by the picture below.

According to NBC last month, the city of Los Angeles wants to more aggressively enforce parking citations as a way to raise revenue for the City. By aggressive enforcement, it also intends to cite motorists who are not illegally parked, which is the equivalent of stealing their money.

Crosstown stated that the parking enforcement staff costs are actually costing the City more money than parking citations actually bring in. Ken Husting's salary alone, according to Transparent California, with benefits, is $308, 128.29.

The solution to this is to hold Mayor Karen Bass, who a number of people have claimed in incompetent, because she was partying in Ghana, while Los Angeles burned; along with Hernandez accountable. Currently, to pay for just the gross amount of Husting's salary, the City needs to issue 3313 tickets per year. The City needs to rethink through its parking scheme and enforcement.

A Special Thank you to Singapore Airlines and Goh Choon Phong

 

I had perhaps the best flight in my life on Singapore Airline from Los Angeles to Tokyo, Tokyto to Singapore. The airline didn't have my pajama size, and the cabin crew alerted the new crew in Tokyo to have it ready. That's what I call customer service. Also, when I had an immigration visa issue, the airlines called immigration for me to sort it out immediately.

A special thanks to CEO Goh Choon Phong, for his excellence in customer focus and service.

I look forward to flying with Singapore Airlines again soon.