Businessmirror august 28, 2016

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Sunday, August 28, 2016 Vol. 11 No. 323

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PHL current account close to deficit By Bianca Cuaresma

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@BcuaresmaBM

HIS year the country’s currentaccount surplus is under threat to fall in the deficit territory this week, after years of consistently providing surpluses to support the local currency, economists warned.

Pinoys support Duterte’s deadly war on drugs

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N the day he was sworn into office, President Duterte went to a Manila slum and exhorted residents who knew any drug addicts to “go ahead and kill them yourself, as getting their parents to do it would be too painful.” Two months later, nearly 2,000 suspected drug pushers and users lay dead, as morgues continue to fill up. Faced with criticism of his actions by rights activists, international bodies and outspoken Filipinos, including the top judge, Mr. Duterte has stuck to his guns and threatened to declare martial law if the Supreme Court meddles in his work. A sur vey early last month showed President Duterte has the support of nearly 91 percent of Filipinos. The independent poll was done during his first week in office,

In separate reports, economists from HSBC and ING Bank Manila welcomed a plausible scenario of the country’s current account sinking into the deficit territory due to the weak external demand affect-

ing the country’s trade numbers. The current account has been the biggest and most stable components of the country’s balance of payments (BOP), the summary of the Philippines’s transactions with

the rest of the world. This component is usually buoyed by the strong inf lows from overseas Filipino workers’ remittances and the revenues from the business-process outsourcing (BPO) sector. The export and import numbers of the country is also part of the country’s current account. In the first quarter of the year, however, poor trade numbers of the country caused a sharp decline in the country’s current core component of the BoP. The two powerhouse dollargenerating sectors for the Philippine economy were also not enough to cover the country’s weak trade numbers due to the flat remittances growth during the period. “ With ex ports falling, imports climbing and the growth of remittances f latlining, the See “Current account,” A2

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ARTuro T. VALDEZ, undersecretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, points to the flattened mountains of Claver, Surigao del Norte. Soil from the flattened mountains are loaded to waiting Chinese cargo ships for shipment to China. During his inspection on August 26, 300,000 metric tons of dug soil were still piled at the foothills, while a still undetermined volume was also stacked at the other side of the mountain. MANUEL CAYON

God of compassion, Your help is near for those who call upon You. In trust we pray. God, come to our aid. Fashion our hearts to reflect Your wisdom, truth and mercy. Transform our ways of public communication to reflect honesty, authenticity and goodness. Advance dialogue and understanding between Christians, Muslims, Jews and other religions. May Your word instruct our hearts and guide our actions in love and wisdom. May we be inspired to live Jesus in our hearts forever. Amen! Give Us This Day, Committee on Divine Worship Shared by Luisa M. Lacson

ALEXANDER Cauguiran (right), newly appointed Clark International Airport president and CEO, and Airport Operations Manager Hilarion Nacpil inspect the Clark passenger terminal, which has a 4.5-million annual passenger capacity. LEO VILLACARLOS By Joey Pavia | Correspondent

Continued on A2

TRANSFORM OUR WAYS

AIRPORT C.E.O.WANTS NEW CLARK TERMINAL

LARK FREEPORT—The new president and CEO of the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) is pushing for the construction of a French-designed terminal at the ClarkInternational Airport (CIA), in anticipation of more passenger volume and aviation activities under the administration of President Duterte. Former Angeles City Councilor Alexander Cauguiran, who was designated officer in charge of the CIA on August 19, said he will pursue the construction of the low-cost carrier (LCC) passenger terminal building (PTB) designed by the French firm Aéroport de Paris. “President Duterte’s order to the airline companies to transfer flights from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport [Naia] to Clark is firm. It is final, knowing his style in leadership. We are anticipating growth and we must prepare for it,” said Cauguiran, who was a former CIAC executive vice president for five years beginning 2006. Mr. Duterte was vocal in his desire to tap the CIA to decongest the Naia in Metro Manila, which had a record-breaking annual passenger traffic of 36,618,601 in 2015. The CIA had less than 1 million passengers on the same year. “The design is free and is modular. We can extend it, that’s why I like it,” said Cauguiran, who toured the BusinessMirror at the existing terminal, which can accommodate 4.5 million passengers annually. Continued on A2

DENR stops soil export to China by Surigao mining company By Manuel T. Cayon

Mindanao Bureau Chief @awimailbox

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LAVER, Surigao del Norte—The Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), backed by battle-clad soldiers and the police, nailed on Friday two signs “reemphasizing the suspension order” against a nickel-mining operation

PESO exchange rates n US 46.4890

owned by Rep. Prospero A. Pichay Jr. of the First District of Surigao del Sur. The two 1.5-meter by 4-meter signs read: “Notice to the Public: The mining operation of Claver Mineral Development Corp. [CMDC] is hereby suspended.” The signage was placed at the side of the entrance to the company’s field operation here near the mountain barangay of Cagdianao in the boundary with Surigao del Sur. There was no resistance from

the guards, who witnessed it. Environment Undersecretary Arturo T. Valdez said the putting up of the signs “only reemphasizes the authority of the government and to announce that the task force is ready to enforce the order.” He said the company operation was suspended in 2012 over environmental issues, including siltation of the bay of Claver. Environment Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez also announced early

this month the DENR was suspending the operation of CMDC, after an audit found it to have erred on environmental protection. The company claimed, however, ​it is a “responsible mining company that sets and upholds the highest ethical standards and business practices, focusing toward local community development and maintaining environmental and ecological balance.” CMDC was established in 1995,

taking over from the Shenzou Mining Group Corp. of China. The regional Mines and Geosciences Bureau said there are 26 mining operations in the Surigao mountains, and the flattening of its mountains to ship the soil to China has generated public uproar. Photographs show copper orange-colored mountains made dusty by incessant diggings by several hundred bulldozers and trucks transporting them to barges,

n japan 0.4625 n UK 61.3329 n HK 5.9948 n CHINA 6.9794 n singapore 34.3625 n australia 35.4014 n EU 52.4721 n SAUDI arabia 12.4007

See “DENR,” A2

Source: BSP (26 August 2016 )

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Sunday, August 28, 2016

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Pinoys support Duterte’s deadly war on drugs Continued from A1

and no new surveys have come out since then. National Police chief Ronald M. dela Rosa told a Senate hearing this week that police have recorded more than 1,900 dead, including 756 suspected drug dealers and users, who were gunned down after they resisted arrest. More than 1,000 other deaths are under investigation, and some of them may not be drug-related, he said. Jayeel Cornelio, a doctor of sociology and director of Ateneo de Manila University’s Development Studies Program, said he suspects only a few of President Duterte’s supporters are disillusioned by the killings and his rhetoric, because voters trust his campaign promise to crush drug criminals. They also find resonance in his cursing and no-holds-barred comments. Mr. Duterte’s death threats against criminals, his promise to battle corruption, his antiestablishment rhetoric and gutter humor have enamored Filipinos living on the margins of society. He overwhelmingly won the election, mirroring public exasperation over the social ills he condemns. Socioconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia has said the killings “may be a necessary evil in the pursuit of a greater good,” a sentiment echoed by a deluge of comments by President Duterte supporters in social media deriding his critics and defending the brutal war on drugs. “The killings are OK, so there will be less criminals, drug pushers and drug addicts in our society,”

said Rex Alisoso, a 25-year-old cleaner in Manila. He said people have gotten used to the way Mr. Duterte talks and voted for him, knowing his ways. Kim Labasan, a Manila shopkeeper, said she does not like President Duterte’s constant swearing, his “stepping on too many toes,” and his decision to allow late dictator Ferdinand Marcos to be buried in the Heroes’ Cemetery. But she supports the antidrug war despite the rising death toll because, she said, she has personally seen the effects of drugs. Addicts in her hometown north of Manila have ended up with “poisoned brains” and even robbed her family’s home. “A battle of moralities is being waged right now by this administration. Before, if you were a humanrights advocate, you were a hero of the country. Now, you are seen as someone who can destroy the country,” Cornelio said. He said Mr. Duterte fosters “penal populism”—identifying a particular enemy, a criminal, and then hunting him down to death. Because the results are visible, tangible and people feel it, “it becomes more important than many other things to the ordinary person. President Duterte has said drugs were destroying the country. In his State of the Nation Address last month, he said “human rights cannot be used as a shield or an excuse to destroy the country.” He also lashed out at US Ambassador Philip Goldberg, calling him gay in derogatory terms, after he criticized Mr. Duterte’s rape

comments during the presidential campaign. He threatened to pull the Philippines out of the United Nations because of UN comments condemning extrajudicial killings, saying he did not “give a shit” about the consequences. The following day, Foreign Secretary Perfecto R. Yasay Jr. said the Philippines was not leaving the UN and President Duterte made the comment only because he was tired, angry and frustrated. Phelim Kine, Human Rights Watch’s deputy Asia director, said Mr. Duterte “is streamrolling the rule of law and its advocates both at home and abroad.” The killings suggest his aggressive rhetoric advocating extrajudicial solutions to criminality has found a receptive audience, Kine said. “His supporters are cheering him on, but wait till one of them is killed,” said Ferdie Monasterio, a driver of a ride-sharing company who doesn’t support President Duterte. “He is no different from [former President Ferdinand E.] Marcos and it looks like he wants to establish a dictatorship. Cornelio said the death toll is not the clincher in turning public sentiment against Mr. Duterte, because a lot of people look at them as justified killings. He said President Dutere’s first year in office will be crucial since he promised quick action. “I think the threshold has to do with the delivery of the promises,” he said. “Are changes going to happen sooner or later? If they don’t then, people will start getting disillusioned.” AP

GOING FOR THE RECORD The Jolly brand of canned vegetables vies for the first World Record for the “Largest Serving of Sautéed Mushrooms” during History Con 2016 held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. Youth participants from Jolly University and chef-students from the Center for Culinary Arts Manila join in cooking 342 kilos of sautéed mushrooms. ALYSA SALEN

AIRPORT C.E.O. WANTS NEW CLARK TERMINAL Continued from A1

“The previous administration under [former] President [Benigno S.] Aquino [III] reduced the capacity from 8 million passengers annually to 3 million. We want it restored to its original annual capacity,” Cauguiran said. Under Aquino, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) approved the construction of the LCC-PTB, but the planned project failed to take off, due to disagreement over its design. The design was a grant from the French government and it was coursed through the then-Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), headed by Joseph Emilio A. Abaya. In his first State of the Nation Address (Sona), President Duterte said other international and domestic flights at the Naia should be transferred to the CIA in Pampanga, 80 kilometers north of Metro Manila. Aquino failed to categorically mention his desire to increase flights at Clark in all of his six Sonas. Annual passenger volume at the CIA declined in the last three years of Aquino, whose hometown—Concepcion, Tarlac — is at least 12 km away from Clark. In 2012 the CIA reached a milestone when it surpassed the 1-million mark. It had a total of 1,315,757 passengers (300,438 domestic passengers), based on a report from Hilarion Ritchie Nacpil, airport operations manager. The following year it had 1,200, 592 passengers, with 215,173 of them domestic travellers. In 2014 the total number of passengers suffered a huge decline, dropping to 877,757. Domestic passengers went down to 90,948 due to the departure of AirAsia Philippines, which earlier established a hub in Clark. It previously offered local flights to Kalibo (Boracay),

Davao City and Puerto Princesa in Palawan. In 2015 the total number of passengers dropped further, registering 868,528. The number of domestic passengers last year suffered its biggest drop of 41,824, compared to the record in the last five years. In 2011 there were 42,118 local passengers and 725,023 international passengers. The lone domestic flight at the CIA is the Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) flight to Cebu. The Clark-Cebu route is serviced three times a week. The Gokongwei-owned firm, the first Filipino-owned airline to offer regular flights at Clark, also offers flights to Hong Kong, Singapore and Macau. Other airlines operating at the CIA are Qatar Airways, Emirates, Asiana Airlines, Dragonair, Tiger Air and Jin Air. Cauguiran said Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade had met representatives of CEB, Philippine Airlines (PAL), AirAsia and other airlines “at least two times” since President Duterte delivered his Sona. Sources at the CIA said regular domestic f lights to Tacloban City “will likely start a few months from now.” When asked to comment, Cauguiran said: “I am not authorized to make any announcements, considering the negotiations are ongoing.” Cauguiran said PAL had started to scout for an office at the CIA. “We will give them all the necessary considerations just to make them transfer flights to Clark from the Naia,” he said. The CIA has at least 16 flights daily, but no flights in the whole afternoon every day. Gilda Padua of the Greater Clark Visitors Bureau (GCVB) said: “The increase of local and international flights for Clark Airport is a significant move that will create positive economic and social impact to the Greater Clark community and the North. There will be huge

opportunities to hope for trade, investment and tourism.” “This has been our clamor in the travel industry for many years now. I hope that if new routes push through, there will be cooperative marketing activities among the airports, airlines, LGUs [local government units] and stakeholders as these uphold and sustain future undertakings of the aviation and tourism industries,” added Padua, editor in chief GCVB’s Greater Clark Visitors Guide. Sogo Hotel Sector Head Mhar de Jesus, who handles three branches in Pampanga, said: “we have been regularly receiving clients who rest in our hotels before going to the Clark airport.” “More flights at Clark mean more income for us,” added de Jesus, whose Dau branch is a few kilometers away from the Clark main gate. Department of Tourism Central Luzon Director Ronnie P. Tiotuico said: “Right now, we are host to more than 30,000 inbound passengers and tourists through Clark airport, or close to 500,000 warm bodies, all traveling to various destinations in Pampanga and the rest of Central Luzon. “This translates to dollars and cents when the visitor spending pattern is considered. Visitors in the country spend about P4,000 a day for food, hotel, transport and goods. They usually stay four days in the region. The gross amount would translate to a substantial contrbution to our local economy. Tourism means more jobs, more business for our local and foreign investors,” he said. The CIA is part of the Clark Civil Aviation Complex, which is at least 2,367 hectares. The airport has a 3.2-km parallel runway built by the US military until they pulled out in 1991 due to the termination of the US Bases Agreement and the subsequent eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991.

Current account . . .

DENR . . .

current-account surplus, which has long supported the peso, is beginning to narrow,” HSBC said. “The government’s plan to significantly increase expenditure on infrastructure products should also keep import growth elevated, weighing further on the current-account surplus,” it added. ING Bank of Manila economist Tim Condon forecasts a $15-billion to $16-billion negative swing in the customs-basis trade deficit this year, based on current trends. “Low single-digit remittances growth and low double-digit growth of business-processing operations inflows would narrow that figure by around $4 billion,” Condon said. “Eleven-billion dollars to $12-billion negative swing in such cold money inflows would swing the current-account surplus, $8.4 billion in 2015, to deficit,” he added. The current account registered a surplus of $477 million, which is equivalent to 0.6 percent of GDP in the first quarter of 2016. This is lower than the $2.2-billion surplus—or 3.2 percent of GDP—posted in the first quarter of 2015.

which transfer them to Chinese cargo ships waiting off shore. Valdez said 27 Chinese cargo ships were waiting for their soil loads on that Friday alone. The local Coast Guard said that, for many years, several ships were regularly seen at the bay, and could reach as many as 50 at the peak season of hauling mountain soil. The regional DENR said the local mining capabilities were unable to process the soil ores dug at deeper depths and had to be transported to China for further processing. Valdez said the fate of the unabated practice of Chinese cargo ships would depend on the outcome of the national audit of all mining companies, which would be decided by September. So far, they have not received any threat in the course of their auditing and described the posture of the mining companies as “cooperative.” “Our work may be small, but it is like a wallop. What we would do in six years would surely have a deep and far-ranging impact for the next generation,” he said.

Continued from A1

Continued from A1

NewsSunday BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Dionisio L. Pelayo

Duterte to Sereno: No anarchy under my watch

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RESIDENT Duterte on Friday night reminded Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno that police officers may effect an arrest even without a warrant. This was in response to Sereno’s statement to the contrary.

Speaking during the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Mindanao Command at the Naval Station Felix Apolinario in Davao City, Duterte said: “Madame Chief Justice, you are again wrong when you said, ‘Do not allow yourself to be arrested without a warrant.” Duterte added that it will be because of this line of thinking that the country will, indeed, fall into a state of anarchy. “I will not allow this to happen. There will be no anarchy under my watch.’” He cited several instances when an arrest can be made even without a warrant, such as when a person is committing a crime in the presence of the one who arrests him; when a crime is about to be committed or when a crime is, in fact, has been committed and the person who makes the arrest has direct knowledge that the person to be arrested

has committed the criminal act. The Duterte administration’s campaign has drawn much criticism not only from the Chief Justice but also from some senators and other personalities. The so-called extrajudicial killings have also been the subject of a protest held in front of the Philippine Embassy in New York. Since the time he was mayor of Davao City, Duterte has always been vocal about his stand on illegal drugs. Now that he is the President, he warns the public that the war against illegal drugs will persist up to his last day in office. Despite the negative view of some local and foreign observers, a large majority of the public have not spoken against the violence upon suspected drug-syndicate members, pushers and protectors. For the first time in decades, the extent of the damage wrought by the drug cartels

duterte

sereno

are being revealed and acted upon. “At no other time have the streets of Manila been free of crime.” Duterte proudly declared. Duterte also dispelled rumors that he will impose martial law or use

the military and police to enforce a dictatorship. “They [police and military] are loyal to the Constitution and not to me. Sila ang unang papatay sa akin [They will be the first ones to kill me] if I don’t do my job well.” PNA

They [police and military] are loyal to the Constitution and not to me. Sila ang unang papatay sa akin [They will be the first ones to kill me] if I don’t do my job well.”—Duterte

Sunday, August 28, 2016 A3

Nationwide manhunt for illegal recruiters urged

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N advocate for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) and other government agencies have called on law enforcers to intensify the manhunt for illegal recruiters, particularly those with standing warrants of arrest. In a news briefing, Susan Ople of the Blas Ople Policy Center made the call, along with the departments of Justice (DOJ), Interior and Local Government and Labor and Employment (DOLE) officials. “Kailangan po magkaisa tayo at magtulungan para matakot naman sila. At sila naman ay mahiya at managot sa kanilang ginagawa [We need to unite and help one another to put fear and shame into these illegal recruiters and make them answer for their deeds],” she said. Ople particularly wants the arrest of two illegal recruiters who have preyed on at least 200 workers, mostly from Davao City. The victims, she said, pointed to a certain Osmando Nivero Habilag of Biwas, Tanza, Cavite, owner of Bantayog Travel and Tours, and a certain Alejandro Navarro Jr., owner of Pads Travel Consultancy, as their illegal recruiters. Ople said Nivero Habilag and Navarro use the social media to post announcements for jobs in Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Japan, and collect from their

victims a processing fee ranging from P70,000 to P300,000. Any information on the whereabouts of the two that could lead to their arrest should be forwarded to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) or the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, she said. “While these illegal recruiters travel in their air-conditioned sport-utility vehicles, their victims suffer mental and emotional anguish, hide from [money] lenders and commute from one agency to another to seek justice,” the daughter of the late Labor Secretary Blas Ople said. She also lamented that many of Nivero’s victims are based in Davao City, because he was able to enter and post on a Facebook account created by a group of butchers based in the city. “After collecting the money, he would then tell his victims that Pads Travel Consultancy, which is owned by his cousin, Alejandro Navarro Jr., is processing their papers,” she said. Ople noted an increase in the number of victims of illegal recruiters owing to the social media and a low rate of convictions for those involved in the crime. The POEA earlier reported that it was able to obtain 31 convictions out of more than 700 cases filed at the DOJ in the past five years. PNA

SundayV

Busine

A4 Sunday, August 28, 2016 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

UN must be at forefront of fight for civic rights

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By Burkhard Gnärig | Inter Press Service

ERLIN—The United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 provides the foundation for citizens’ rights to participate in shaping their communities.

Among many other key provisions, it lays down that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression” (Article 19), “the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association” (Article 20) and “the right to take part in the government of his country” (Article 21). Sadly, these and other human rights have never turned into reality for a majority of the world’s population. While we have seen a strengthening of pluralism and individual rights after the fall of the Berlin Wall, we observe a negative trend more recently: People’s space to actively participate in their communities is shrinking. The—usually unrealistic—promises of protection come at the price of restrictions to people’s rights to express their opinion, organize themselves or engage in any other way, which does not support the government’s policies. Two major developments undermine our rights to participate in shaping the future of our communities, our countries and our planet. Many governments are trying to bring their digitally empowered citizens back under control. Since the beginning of the new millennium, digital technology has empowered individuals to communicate and cooperate worldwide without the intermediation of governments and other state and nonstate actors. Together with their near monopoly in informing, framing and directing the discussions and actions of their citizens, governments have lost much of their control over the individual. At present we see a wide variety of government activities— from censoring the Internet, to jailing activists—aiming to bring their citizens back under control. Many citizens are willing to trade in some of their fundamental rights on their governments’ promises of protection against terrorists, migrants or foreign competition. At the same time, we observe a dramatic increase in the number of citizens who are prepared to sacrifice some of their rights on the promise to exterminate terrorism, refuse refugees’ and migrants’ entry, or stop economic and cultural globalization. A growing number of people worldwide follow ultra-nationalist and authoritarian leaders offering national protection against the aspiration of the global community. In this situation, a growing number of actors in civil society, business, governments, political parties, UN institutions, the media, funders, schools and universities are suffering from infringements on their work and many are considering how to react. My organization, the International Civil Society Center, is working to deliver three specific contributions to the fight for civic space: First, we have been facilitating the development of a Civic Charter, which—in a concise, easily understandable document—brings together all of the major provisions framing the space for civic participation. Thus, we want to provide a common global basis for the fight for our rights. Second, we are convening an International Civic Forum with key representatives from civil society, governments, the UN, business, the media, academia, funders and other key influencers, to analyze the situation and create a basis for common activities. And third, we will embark on an exploratory journey looking at new forms of civic participation and developing prototypes for effective future action. As the initiators and owners of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations has a special role to play in the defence of civic space.

Global warming not friendly to agri A

NEW study done by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) shared to Database has revealed that global warming could create substantial economic damage in agriculture.

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By Cecilio T. Arillo

T. Anthony C. Cabangon

“Agriculture is very sensitive to climate change—even a small increase of global mean temperatures can have significant effects on regional crop yields, affecting both the profitability of agricultural production and the share of income spent on food,” lead PIK author Miodrag Stevanović said. “Our study quantifies economic impacts and analysis the role of international trade as an adaptation measure. We find that economic losses in agriculture could add up to the annual amount of roughly 0.8 percent of global GDP at the end of the century with a very restricted trade regime,” Stevanovic explained. He said as small as this percentage sounds, it actually translates to losses of $2.5 trillion and is comparably higher for regions with limited agricultural resources, with respect to growing agricultural demand, for example the Middle East, Africa and India. “In contrast, further trade liberalization in agricultural commodities could reduce financial damage

globally by 65 percent, to 0.3 percent of global GDP,” he added. Alexander Popp, PIK coauthor, further explained that: “Both global warming and free trade favor northern regions, like Europe and the United States, since producers’ gains increase as trade patterns shift northward. At the same time, southern regions, like Africa or India, could theoretically reduce climate-changerelated damages by half, through more liberalized food markets.” Arguing, Popp said: “Irrespective of our assumptions on global trade, climate change will result in reduced crop yields in many areas. At the same time, intensifying production or expanding cultivated land into previously untouched areas may come at a risk: It could lead to additional greenhouse-gas emissions through tropical deforestation or increased fertilizer use.” According to him, this could then further enhance climate-change pressure on agriculture. Researchers at PIK laboratories combined 19 different climate projections with simulations of crop growth to assess economic impacts of climate change in the agricultural sector. Researchers said, while the magnitude of damage varies with different assumptions on crop-productivity response to climate change,

carbon dioxide plant fertilization affects socioeconomic projection. The new study highlights the important role of trade as a key measure to partly reduce climate-change impacts. Hermann Lotze-Campen, PIK’s chairman of research domain Climate Impacts and Vulnerabilities, said: “The best way to avoid these risks is to limit climate change. However, for impacts that cannot be avoided, an open and diversified trade system can be an important adaptation option. “It can account for changes in global patterns of agricultural productivity and, thus, allow for reducing production costs and enhancing food security, as climate change will have an amplifying effect on the gap between developed and developing countries, and reductions in trade barriers will have to be accompanied by measures for poverty reduction and social safety nets.” If food prices increase due to climate-change impacts, households will not only have to spend more on their food consumption, but could also face risks of insufficient access to food and malnutrition, the new study said. To reach the writer, e-mail cecilio.arillo@ gmail.com

Clinton shines a light on Trump’s hatred, bigotry By Rex Huppke Chicago Tribune/TNS

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ILLARY Clinton—of all people!—has done the Republican Party a huge favor. She has thrown the GOP a lifeline, given conservatives their last, best chance to save themselves from the ruinous blathering of Donald Trump. It’s like the Grinch sitting down to carve the roast beast for the Whos down in Whoville. Who would’ve thought it? Clinton reached a hand out on Thursday by calmly delivering a speech in Nevada that called out Trump’s litany of bigoted comments, his casual wink-and-a-nod relationships with racists and hatemongers, his embrace of the bilespewing Internet trolls of the altright. She left nothing to chance, citing specific examples, naming names, recounting stories from the alt-right website Breitbart, whose head man, Stephen Bannon, is now Trump’s campaign CEO. Clinton said of Bannon: “To give

you a flavor of his work, here are a few headlines they’ve published: ‘Birth Control Makes Women Unattractive and Crazy.’ ‘Would You Rather Your Child Had Feminism or Cancer?’, ‘Gabby Giffords: The Gun Control Movement’s Human Shield’, and ‘Hoist It High And Proud: The Confederate Flag Proclaims A Glorious Heritage.’” Clinton was not being hyperbolic in her speech. Her words were grounded in facts, like those headlines. It wasn’t so much an attack as it was a demolition. And it was exactly the kind of speech a Republican should have given during the primary, one that might have kept Trump from ever getting this far. Alas, the other candidates were too cowardly, all of them. Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz never stood up to Trump until it was too late, always fearful of the zealous fringe that supported him—the very same wackos Clinton took to task. “This is what happens when you treat the National Enquirer like gospel,” she said. “It’s what happens

when you listen to the radio host Alex Jones, who claims that 9/11 and the Oklahoma City bombings were inside jobs. He said the victims of the Sandy Hook massacre were child actors and no one was actually killed there. Trump didn’t challenge those lies. He went on Jones’s show and said: ‘Your reputation is amazing. I will not let you down.’” That’s all true. And it’s all just as despicable as it sounds. The “altright” that Clinton talked about in her speech is a perverse collection of racist, misogynist, xenophobic white guys who resent America’s diversity and think viciously harassing people online transforms them from pathetically aggrieved manchildren into gods. (It doesn’t.) There are two schools of thought when it comes to handling Internet trolls or radical fringe groups: Ignore them or shine a light on them for all to see. Clinton took that latter path, and said: “This is a moment of reckoning for every Republican dismayed that the Party of Lincoln has become the Party of

Trump. It’s a moment of reckoning for all of us who love our country and believe that America is better than this.” She never said, “Vote for me.” She simply called out Trump for what he is: A reckless bigot surrounded by equally reckless and equally bigoted wretches. The Republican Party couldn’t police itself well enough to stave off the rise of this reality television clown. Now Clinton—the hated Hillary Clinton, of all people—has given Republicans of good conscience a way out. She did their dirty work for them. She gave them a reason—many reasons, in fact—to accept that Trump is unacceptable, and a chance to wash the stink of his campaign off before it clings to them forever. Not by voting for her, but by recognizing all that comes with voting for him. Clinton’s an unlikely savior for Republicans who care about the future of their party. But if a lifeline comes along when you’re drowning, you shouldn’t care too much about who’s on the other end.

Voices

essMirror

opinion@businessmirror.com.ph • Sunday, August 28, 2016 A5

Yellen wisely keeps the Fed on a steady course T

HERE was much speculation that Federal Reserve (the Fed) Chairman Janet Yellen would use her speech to central bankers and economists gathered at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Friday to announce a major policy initiative. Some even suggested she might add to growing talk about an expansion of the Fed’s tool kit, along with a change in objectives.

Bloomberg View

By Mohamed A. El-Erian

Instead, she made no major announcements and produced no major surprises. Yellen limited her remarks to familiar issues. She noted improvements in the economic situation, particularly “the continued solid performance of the labor market and outlook for economic activity and inflation,” which strengthen the case for a Fed rate hike. She reiterated that what the Fed will end up doing remains data dependent. And she signaled that its existing tool kit continues to be appropriate. There are four good reasons for Yellen to remain cautious and measured. Inclination: While her predecessor, Ben Bernanke, used Jackson Hole to signal major policy initiatives, including the pivot to a second round of quantitative easing in 2010, Yellen has tended to play

down the gathering. She is not the first Fed chairman to do so: Alan Greenspan was inclined to take a similar approach and Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, decided not to attend the symposium. Ability: Given the recent protracted period of unbalanced policy stances that have relied excessively on unconventional monetary measures, there seems to be a growing consensus, both within the Fed and outside, that central banks are less able to deliver macroeconomic outcomes. Because of the structural headwinds facing the US economy, expanding the Fed’s tool box is less important than the need to convince other government agencies to step up to their policy responsibilities. That includes adopting progrowth structural reforms and a more balanced demand management-

policy stance, including increased infrastructure investment. International environment: Because the US economy has been a relative outperformer in the advanced world, the Fed has been able to observe the experience of some of its peers that have ventured even deeper into unconventional policies—including via negative policy rates and by specifying a broader set of market products for their largescale asset purchases. This is particularly the case of the Bank of Japan, which has combined negative nominal rates with equity purchases. And the result is less than encouraging so far, highlighting not just the limited benefits of such approaches, but also the notable risk of collateral damage and unintended consequences. All of which puts the credibility of central banks at risk.

Political risks: Some proposals for changes to the Fed’s approach have important political dimensions. This is especially true of those involving a higher inflation target, as San Francisco Fed President John Williams suggested last week. But given the risk that it could lose some of its autonomy, the Fed should be very wary of becoming a political football in Congress. In sum, Yellen did the right thing. And rather than expect her to do more in the future, those who care about the well-being of the global economy should be working a lot harder to shift the spotlight away from central banks and toward other government agencies. Without such a shift, advanced economies will continue to struggle to promote higher inclusive growth, contain inequality and encourage genuine financial stability.

Disgusted by anti-Catholic rhetoric of campaign T

By Christine Flowers | Philadelphia Daily News (TNS)

HEY told me not to overreact. Read the comments “in context,” they said. And, after all, Christine, you’re an immigration lawyer; you have a tendency to blow these things out of proportion. Chill, lady. Go say a rosary and call us in the morning. That’s pretty much the reaction I got when I posted Stephen Bannon’s comments on Facebook. In case you don’t know what comments I’m referring to, let me help you with a few choice tidbits, this: “I understand why Catholics want as many Hispanics in this country as possible, because the church is dying in this country, right? If it was not for the Hispanics.” And this: “[Paul Ryan] is rubbing his social justice Catholicism in my nose every second.” And this: “That Whore of Babylon stuff, who’s to say it’s not really true?” Okay, okay, he didn’t say the last one. He might have thought it, but he didn’t say it. Still, I wouldn’t put it past Donald Trump’s new campaign chief executive to say something along those lines, and still get thunderous applause from Trump supporters, even Catholic ones. On my own Facebook page, after posting a link to Bannon’s comments, some of my virtual friends fired back about the pedophilia scandal and sanctuary cities, as if there was a direct correlation between Ban-

non’s rather racist implications and the very real problem of weak or fluid borders. There isn’t, my friends. You can legitimately have concerns about the interplay between unemployment, criminal justice, national security and the broken immigration system without plunging deeply into the oozing La Brea Tar Pits of bigotry known as “the national discussion on political pandering.” In fact, I’m all for a real discussion about sanctuary cities, because I generally oppose any system that allows criminals, regardless of their immigration status, to slip through the hands of our police and prosecutors. Call it “sanctuary city,” call it “political correctness,” call it whatever you want, the safety of those living in this country must trump every other consideration. Every other. But I won’t allow slurs against my faith to be justified by irrelevant and off-point debates about illegal immigration. Bannon basically said my church was in the business of supporting illegal immigration so that it could pad its numbers and add money to the weekly collection plate. He knew exactly what he was doing when he conflated “immigrant” with “Hispanic,” puckering up for that highpitched dog whistle that identifies all “undesirable foreigners” as papists. The man is not only offensive. He’s

wrong. While most Mexicans, Central and South Americans and other Latinos self-define as Catholics, a very large minority are evangelical Christians, or belong to one of the other Protestant denominations. This is something that’s been lost on Bannon, who presumably whispers in Trump’s ears. And I’m thinking that’s because it’s an easy thing to slam the Catholic Church these days, which has been living through a rather dark period. What? You hadn’t noticed? Well, let me fill you in. Over the past 15 or so years, my church has been picked apart by jackals in the media and turned into some kind of finishing school for pedophiles. While there is a problem and it is being addressed, you would think that the Roman collar is similar to a gang tattoo, indicating that the person wearing it is engaged in criminal activity. I’m sick of it, and I’m used to dealing with that attitude from liberals who never saw a vestibule they didn’t want to refurbish as a transgender bathroom. I’ve dealt with the rants of prochoice Catholics who’ve added abortion to the list of sacraments and who see absolutely nothing immoral or evil in allowing “other people” to choose infanticide. Yes, I said infanticide. Sorry if that upsets you. Actually, I’m not.

But as much as I’m repulsed by the left-wing haters, I’m equally disturbed by those on the right, who cloak their anti-Catholicism behind this law-and-order rhetoric, this affinity for walls, this sympathy for young, white women from California killed by brown men from Honduras. I’m not saying we should welcome criminal aliens into our midst. I am saying we can’t be dishonest and try to lay the blame for that criminality on an organization that exists to do God’s work, even where it stumbles mightily. Bannon is just another example of what I like to call “the backdoor bigots.” They don’t actually come out and say they hate the church, because even though anti-Catholicism is the last acceptable prejudice, it still doesn’t fly in polite company. Instead, then, of actually coming out and calling Mother Teresa the sister of Miss Babylon, they will point to some negative societal influence or occurrence and then deftly tie the church to it. Liberals of the “they’re all pedophiles” ilk, the former Catholics and the “recovering Catholics” and the rest of the motley crew, will point to homophobia and sex abuse (in the case of priests, usually samesex abuse) and policies that allegedly hurt and disenfranchise women to undermine the good that the church has done and will continue to do.

The greatest private social network of charity across the nation is supported by the Roman Catholic church, including schools, hospitals, women’s shelters, crisis pregnancy clinics, orphanages and a host of other institutions that exist to be “their brother’s keeper.” But for the left, this pales in comparison with the fact that this church stands in the way of social engineering, which upsets their secular apple cart (and we all know what happens when you mess around with apples). But the brother and sisters on the right are equally adept at their delegitimization tactics, and Bannon is Exhibit A. It’s ingenious, really. Take someone who is already persona non grata in society, a Catholic. Conflate him with someone who is even less desirable, an immigrant. Push it a little further, and make that immigrant “illegal.” Add water, stir and you have the perfect souffle of blame. People who think the church is a den of pedophiles and hates women will likely vote for Hillary in the fall. People who think the church hides criminal aliens behind the altar will gravitate toward Trump. Once again, I’m reminded why I’m disgusted by both sides. And once again, I’m reminded why Al Smith lost that presidential race, and John F. Kennedy needed to assure the Houston pastors that he wasn’t in the pope’s pocket. The times, they’re not a-changing.

Believe it or not, women are doing better I

By Betsey Stevenson | Bloomberg View

T’S easy to get the impression, as the US celebrates the 45th annual Women’s Equality Day today, that the march toward equality has slowed to a crawl. Allow me to disagree. True, the usual statistics tell a story of stalled progress. Women’s labor-force participation stands at less than 57 percent, down from a peak of 60 percent in the late 1990s. The rapid improvements in the gender wage gap that occurred in the 1980s and early 1990s show little sign of returning. And mothers— particularly the large number who are single—still shoulder most of the burden of child-rearing. A deeper look, however, suggests more fundamental change in women’s experiences as equals at home and in the workplace. Despite slow progress in earnings on average, more women are out-earning their husbands. Men, for their part, are increasingly recognizing the importance of making a contribution at home: They are now more likely than women to say work is interfering with their family life, and are increasingly seeking out employers that offer paternity leave and workplace flexibility. Although stay-at-home dads

and breadwinner wives are still minorities, their growing presence is changing people’s expectations about the appropriate roles for men and women. Fewer people of both genders believe that it’s better for a man to work and a woman to tend the home, or that having a working mom somehow hurts children. In the workplace, women are more likely to be in positions of leadership. They are now the majority of workers in management, professional and related occupations—which shouldn’t come as a surprise, given their dominance in higher education. Glass ceilings are breaking, and not only in the presidential race: In 2015, 28 percent of all CEOs were women, up from 23 percent in 2008. Females own 38 percent of all businesses, compared with 29 percent in 2007. Socially, men and women are becoming more aware of gender bias, a crucial step toward making it less prevalent. As of 2014 roughly four in five women agreed that an equally qualified woman would be passed over for a promotion in favor of a man, up from just one in two in 2006. And the tide in attitudes keeps turning: A more recent poll found that the majority of younger

respondents believe that women make better managers. Changing attitudes are translating into better behavior. For instance, fewer women are reporting sexism or being sexually harassed at work compared with a decade ago. When harassment does occur, women are better equipped to speak out. Back in 1991, when Anita Hill accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of harassment, she was ridiculed and he was defended. In the past couple years, similar harassment cases have led to the ouster of Roger Ailes at Fox News and faculty members at Caltech and

Berkeley. It’s still extremely costly for women to confront their advisors, mentors and managers, but today their actions are more likely to lead to change. To be sure, there’s still much more to be done. Legislating paid family leave would help bring US government policy more in line with a changing society—and with other developed nations. Congress also needs to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which prohibits employers from penalizing workers who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation. Businesses, for their part, must

adapt to the needs of their workers, which means instituting more family-friendly policies and making a concerted effort to reduce the pay gap. This goes beyond ensuring equal pay for equal work. Companies must seek to eliminate more subtle barriers that reduce the likelihood that a highly qualified woman or minority is hired, promoted, or given a deserved raise—a goal that a consortium called Employers for Pay Equity has come together to pursue. The more businesses do to find and share solutions, the more they and the broader economy will benefit.

A6 Sunday, August 28, 2016

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Government-NDF Oslo talks on right track–group

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By Marvyn N. Benaning | Correspondent

HE Philippine chapter of the International League of People’s Struggle (ILPS-Phils) has welcomed the decision of the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) to speed up work on the substantive agenda of the peace talks.

Natl police sacks 21 chiefs for ‘dismal performance’ in antidrugs campaign

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HE Nationa l Police has sacked 21 chiefs of police in Cagayan Valley owing to their alleged dismal performance in the ongoing campaign against illegal drugs. Chief Supt. Gilbert Sosa, acting National Police commander in Cagayan Valley, relieved 11 police commanders from Isabela, six from Cagayan, three from Nueva Vizcaya and one from Quirino province of their posts. Relieved from their posts in Isabela were Supt. Manuel Bringas of the Ilagan City police chief, Supt. Engelbert Soriano of Cauayan City, Senior Insp. Ben Bumanglag of Delfin Albano town, Senior Insp. Jonathan Binayug of Palanan, Senior Insp. Aladin Revocal of San Pablo, Senior Insp. Ignacio Layugan of Dinapigue, Senior Insp. Richard Limbo of Divilacan, Chief Insp. Edgardo Esteban of Maconacon, Chief Insp. Pilarito Malillin of San Mateo, Chief Insp. Mario Fajardo of Luna and Senior Insp. Ruby Capinpin of Roxas. Also relieved were Chief Insp. Alvin Mabazza of Alcala, Senior Insp. Antonio Palattao of Allacapan,

Senior Insp. Eugenio Catubag of Rizal, Senior Insp. Ronald Balod of Santa Praxedes, Senior Insp. Mario Maraggun of Calayan, Senior Insp. Christopher Danao of Buguey, Chief Insp. Larry Pinkihan of Kasibu, Chief Insp. Joeffrey Bulong of Ambaguio, Senior Insp. Rudil Bassit of Kayapa and Senior Insp. Alex Orbillo of Quirino. Except for Bringas and Soriano whose relieved took effect on August 23, all other officers were relieved effective August 24. Sosa said the relief of the police commanders was a part of his effort to strengthen the campaign against illegal drugs in Region 2. “We will put the best performing officers on post, so that we will meet our target and attain our mission to make Cagayan Valley a drug-free region,” Sosa said. He said there is a need to meet the six-month deadline set by President Duterte to rid the country of illegal drugs, and policemen in Region 2 should work and double their efforts in order to contribute to the attainment of the mission. Rene Acosta

The government peace panel, the NDF’s said the accelerated timetable for the reciprocal working committee (RWC) and reciprocal working groups (RWGs) require them to complete their tasks in less than a year. On Tuesday the peace talks in Oslo, Norway, lasted for less than one hour, with both the RWC and RWGs submitting their reports to the peace panels. “This is definitely on the fasttrack. More important, it is on the

right track with the substantive agenda of the talks on the line,” ILPS-Phils Chairman Elmer Labog said. Labog also noted that “hundreds of organizations and peace advocates from more than 40 countries have expressed support for the government-NDF peace talks.” The RWC on the Comprehensive Agreement on Socioeconomic Reforms (Caser) would tackle issues, such as agrarian reform, national industrialization and

independent foreign policy. In their report to the panels, the RWC on Caser of both parties agreed to “endeavor to complete work within a period of six months.” The government representatives to the RWC on Caser are led by Efren Moncupa, a human-rights lawyer and former political detainee, while his counterpart from the NDF is Juliet de Lima-Sison, a member of the NDF negotiating panel and wife of Communist Party of the Philippines founder

Jose Maria Sison. The RWGs on political and constitutional reforms, for their part, agreed to hold their first meeting, also in Oslo, in sync with the RWC on Caser in October. “The fast-track of Caser would also accelerate the process of political reforms. A year’s agreement would allow five more years for implementation under President Duterte’s term. This is beneficial to the people who all want a just and lasting peace,” Labog concluded.

DOJ sets deportation of Indonesians who posed as Pinoys By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

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HE Department of Justice has assigned 16 prosecutors to investigate the 177 Indonesians earlier caught by Immigration authorities for illegal possession of Philippine passports while attempting to leave the country for Saudi Arabia to participate in the hajj to Mecca. “We are getting their depositions-sworn statement before they are deported to Indonesia,” Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II told reporters. Aguirre said Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Theodore Villanueva would supervise the taking of the depositions of the Indonesians. The prosecutors have been tasked to determine how the said Indonesian managed to obtain Philippine passports. The Indonesians were about to board an early morning f light on August 19 for Madinah, Saudi

Arabia, when Immigration personnel stopped them, along with five Filipinos who were supposed to accompany them in their trip. Based on initial investigation, the Indonesians fraudulently secured Philippine passports in an attempt to join the hajj from September 9 to 14, using quota reserved for Filipino pilgrims by the Saudi government. Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the passengers’ real identities were discovered after they failed to speak Tagalor or any of the Philippine dialect when interviewed by Immigration authorities. Morente noted that the Indonesians could only converse in English. The Indonesians eventually confessed not being Filipinos, a nd t h at t he y pa id bet ween $6,000 to $10,000 each to their Filipino escorts who organized the pilgrimage. The Indonesians recounted that they arrived individually as tour-

ists in the past few weeks before their pilgrimage was facilitated by their escorts. Morente said the operation was conducted after the Bureau of Immigration (BI) Intelligence Division gathered information that a group of Indonesians with Philippine passports were scheduled to leave through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on August 18 and 19. Meanwhile, the BI also announced that charges of violation of the Philippine Immigration Act have been filed against 18 Taiwanese and seven Chinese who were allegedly involved in illegal drugs and cybercrime operations in Boracay and Aklan. Charged for being undesirable aliens were Taiwanese Lin Szu Wei, Hsiao Chun-Huang, Zeng Shao-Wei, Chang Chih-Chih, Fan Yu-Lung, Chen Jhih-Hong, Chou Yuan-Syun, Wu Pei-Yu, Weng Wei-Chieh, Yang Shuang-Chuan, Wu Shau-Wei, Lien Yu-Ting, Sun Chia-Hui, Wang Yung-

Chun, Jhou Tian-You, Hong GouSiou, Chou Hsi-Ao and Lo Li-Yin; and Chinese nationals Zhou Hong Hua, Zeng Hui, Han FengShuang, He Zonglong, Zhong Yuling, Wang Juan and Gong Chun. Morente disclosed that the 18 Taiwanese and seven Chinese were charged for being undesirable aliens and will undergo deportation proceedings. However, despite the deportation charges, the aliens will not be deported pending resolution of the criminal cases that were filed against them before the court. “It is only after they have served their sentences, if convicted, that we will deport and include them in our blacklist to prevent them from reentering our country,” Morente added. The suspects were arrested while inside a two-story rented house, which served as a distribution point for various types of illegal drugs and the base of operations of a cybercrime group.

Population growth not cause of economic woes–legislator

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ENIOR Deput y House Minority Leader Lito Atienza on Sat u rd ay scored t he government’s economic planners for sticking to the wrong policy of past administrations by blaming the country’s economic woes on population growth. “I am very disappointed that the President’s economic planners are still in the habit of using the country’s growing population as an alibi for failure, as previous administrations have done before them,” Atienza, who represents the party-list group Buhay said. Atienza questioned the recent st atement of Soc ioeconom ic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia that the full implementation of the reproductive-health (RH) law could have helped speed up poverty reduction in the country. “The economic projections for our country are all upbeat and positive. So why is it that our economic planners are giving this administration an alibi for failure by blaming the country’s growing population for the slow alleviation of poverty in the country? Except for the Arroyo administration, why are they committing the same mistakes that other previous ad m i n ist rat ions h ave m ade? Instead of implementing genuine poverty alleviation programs, like employment generation and providing livelihood opportunities for the poor, the government is still blaming the population for the country’s poverty. It is very ironic that the country’s growing population—a big majority of which is composed of overseas workers whose billions of dollars in remittances are keeping the economy afloat—is again being conveniently used as an alibi for government’s failure to effectively address poverty. We have always

ATIENZA: “I am very disappointed that the President’s economic planners are still in the habit of using the country’s growing population as an alibi for failure, as previous administrations have done before them.”

maintained that the RH law is antilife, antifamily and antipoor. It is a population-control measure disguised as a responsible parenthood and reproductivehealth law,” Atienza said. Atienza pointed out that the country is fortunate to have a leader like President Duterte who is giving priority to the needs of the poor and is the only President to have confronted the dr ug menace frontally. “President Duterte is determined to stamp out the drug menace—90 percent of crimes are drug related— something that no other president seemed to have addressed squarely. We know that after dealing with the drug problem, the President will focus his attention on corruption. Drugs and corruption are twin diseases that cause poverty. A stable peace-and-order condition and good governance are essential if our country is to achieve progress— not population control. Instead of teaching the youth to look at pregnancy as a disease that should be treated, shouldn’t we be teaching them positive Filipinos values, such as respect and care for life, as a precious gift from God, as well as advocating a culture of life? Hindi tama na sisihin ang bilang ng tao sa kahirapan ng ating bansa. Ang kailangan natin upang umasenso ay good and effective governance,” Atienza stressed.

FAKE CIGARETTES Representatives of a big tobacco company serve a cease and desist order to a retail store owner found selling fake products in the sales outlet. Several retail outlets in Pasig and Antipolo were served warning letters by representatives from Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Inc. and a team from the National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in an effort to stop the sale of fake cigarettes discovered during surprise purchases. The stores concerned were located on Eusebio Avenue, Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City, and a mall in Antipolo. NONIE REYES

Pampanga local govt, BFAR push aquaculture production

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N an effort to promote sustainable aquaculture productivity, the local government of Pampanga and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Bfar) met with a thousand fishpond operators in a forum on Friday. The event, titled “Forum on Food Security and Sustainable Aquaculture for Fishpond Operators,” was held at the Pineda Sports Complex in Lubao, Pampanga, and was organized by the Gov. Lilia G. Pineda and the office of Lakas-Kampi Rep. Gloria MacapagalArroyo of Pampanga.

Various lectures were given on fish farming, fishpond management and good aquaculture practices. The fishpond operators heard from Bfar experts on tilapia culture and its status within the Central Luzon fish industry. An open forum also conducted. Several public officials, including Arroyo, expressed their support to the operators and wished the continued productivity of aquaculture in Pampanga. Agriculture Undersecretary for Fisheries Eduardo Gongona, concurrent Bfar director, attended the event. In his speech, Gongona empha-

sized the importance of aquaculture to the country’s overall fisheries production. “As one of the primary sources of fish in the country, aquaculture remains a top performer in the fisheries sector and provides livelihood to thousands of Filipinos,” he said. Gongona also said the national government, through the Bfar, will give its full support to fish farmers and the fisheries sector as a whole in line with the Duterte administrations’ goal of attaining food sufficiency for the entire country. He urged the sector to continuously cooperate with the

government while it works on further improving the status of the aquaculture industry. More than 90 percent (150,000 metric tons) of Pampanga’s fisheries production come from aquaculture and this accounts for nearly 4 percent of the country’s fisheries production, or over 60 percent of Region 3 or Central Luzon. As a show of support to the province, the Bfar awarded 15 fiberglass boats and 100 gill nets, which Arroyo and Pineda turned over to fishermenbeneficiaries from the coastal towns of Lubao and Sasmuan. Ashley Manabat

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Editor: Jun Lomibao • mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

Sanctions await erring players in Beda-Letran tiff

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HE National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is expected to discipline the erring players during the San BedaLetran match on Friday that nearly resulted to a free-for-all. League Commissioner Andy Jao said the technical committee will review and analyze the nearbrawl between the Red Lions and the Knights with the game already decided for the former. “[We will review] until such time makita ko ang tape. Nasira kasi recorder ng ABS-CBN. We’ll have to wait,” Jao said. The league chief said the copy they have in possession was broken and they will request the NCAA’s official television partner to provide them a better copy. With the physical match already settled for the Red Lions, things got ugly and awry in the final 7.1 seconds of the game, when Letran’s Jerrick Balanza intentionally elbowed San Beda’s Jomari Presbitero on his face during a rebound play. That incident led to an all-out skirmish, with players and members of the coaching staff of both teams trooped to the court. Cooler heads prevailed, as referees and secuiry personnel managed to pacify both teams. After a review, game officials gave Balanza an unsportsmanlike foul, while San Beda Head Coach Jamike Jarin absorbed a technical foul for entering the court. Jarin apologized after the game for the incident and promised not to do it again as the games get tighter entering the final phase of the second round of eliminations. “We apologize if we did something ungentlemanly. We will control our emotions and we will be gentleman in our next meeting,” he said. San Beda won that match, 83-71, to regain the solo lead with an 11-2 win-loss mark. Ramon Rafael Bonilla

MONDILLA BAGS TITLE

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PLAY-OFF loser the last time out, Clyde Mondilla found himself on the winning side this time, edging Orlan Sumcad despite a double-bogey in a bizarre sudden death to capture the International Container Terminal Services Inc. Riviera Classic crown on Saturday in Lipa City, Batangas. Mondilla faced another playoff meltdown after an errant drive on the par-4 18th, with Sumcad splitting the fairway on a solid hit. But as Mondilla took a drop and hit it short of the green, Sumcad crumbled under pressure, overshooting the green from just about 170 yards, the ball going out-ofbounds. He missed the green on his fourth shot and two-putted, enabling Mondilla to snatch the crown on a double-bogey finish in a weird ending to what was expected to be a shootout after the duo sizzled with low rounds in regulation. “I will never forget this win. This is so sweet, winning what seemed to be a losing stand,” Mondilla said after his great escape worth P360,000. “It also made up for my playoff loss to Jay [Bayron] at Riviera.” It was actually the rising Del Monte star’s second win in sudden death. He also foiled Jobim Carlos on the first sudden-death hole in the Manila Masters at Eastridge, then dominated the field at Calatagan for

SUPERAL STAYS IN LPGA HUNT

Superal

KINGS EYE SLOT IN QUARTERS

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ARANGAY Ginebra tries to secure a seat in the quarterfinal stage, as three other teams hope to catch the bus in the next stage in the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Kings battle the skidding Star in the main game at 6:45 p.m. right after the opening tussle between Alaska and Blackwater at 4:30 p.m. Ginebra is currently tied with San Miguel Beer for third spot with identical 5-2 win-loss slates and a win will put the Kings in a tied with the surprising Mahindra at No. 2 and, more important, a spot in the quarterfinal round. The Kings are coming off a huge 101-87 win over Rain or Shine import Justin Brownlee lead the team’s balanced attack with 31 points. “It was a tough one. Nothing comes easy with Rain or Shine,” said Ginebra Head Coach Tim Cone, who has been drawing consistent games from his guards, particularly Mark Caguioa, LA Tenorio and Sol Mercado. “LA has been consistent for us. Mark steps up.

Sunday, August 28, 2016 A7

Sol also steps up. It’s a good indication of where we want to be,” he added. While Ginebra is on a roll, the Hotshots, usually a perennial contender in any conference, have been struggling under new mentor Jason Webb. Since winning their opening game in the season-ending conference, Star has dropped its last five assignments, the last one an ugly 69-85 loss to Alaska last week in Panabo City to slide to 1-5, and is now in danger of missing the next round. The Aces and the Elite are the two other teams that are also fighting for survival, as they are carding a 2-5 and 1-6 slates, respectively. Alaska, despite a 45-point explosion from LaDontae Henton, yielded a 106-103 decision to the Beermen in the game they dominated majority of the way. Blackwater, sitting at the bottom of the standings, also tries to arrest a five-game losing skid to stay alive in the tournament. The Elite of Head Coach Leo Isaac lost to the Enforcer, 88-97, in their previous game. Joel Orellana

a back-to-back title feat in May. But he struggled in the next five tournaments, three of which was swept by Tony Lascuña and withdrew at Aboitiz Invitational on a sore back before losing to Bayron in a playoff at Riviera Classic two weeks ago. Sumcad moved threateningly close to scoring a breakthrough win when he fired a 66 to tie Mondilla, closing out with a 67, at 15-under 273 after the duo fended off a slew of rivals throughout the last 18 holes in heavy rain in the early going and scorching heat at the finish. Mondilla kept his one-stroke lead intact after matching Sumcad’s 33 at Mount Lobo, but dropped into joint lead with a bogey on the 10th of Mount Malipunyo. The duo birdied No. 12 to remain even, then Mondilla regained the lead with a birdie on No. 15. But Sumcad refused to give up and countered with a long birdie on No. 16, then matched Mondilla’s birdie on the 18th to force another playoff for the second straight tournament in the circuit. Sumcad took home P250,000 with the setback expected to toughen up the long-hitting Bacolod pro heading to the last three legs of this year’s circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. Bayron, winner of the last two legs at Aboitiz

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RINCESS Superal fumbled with two bogeys in the last seven holes and settled for a 72 at the Dinah Shore Course to stay at joint 20th after two rounds of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and Symetra Tour Qualifying School-Stage 1 at Rancho Mirage, California, on Friday. Superal, the bemedaled amateur hotshot who launched her pro bid with an impressive two-under 70 at Gary Player Course on Thursday, looked headed to matching his opening round feat, bouncing back from a bogey mishap on No. 6, with three birdies in the next four holes. But missing a birdie chance from 6 feet at the par-5 11, the top The Country Club bet stumbled with a bogey on the next and dropped another stroke on No. 15 for a 35-37 card. Still, her 142 aggregate put the 19-year-old former US Girls’ Junior champion in joint 20th in a field of 340 aspirants, eight strokes behind American Sarah Schmelzel, who

Invitational at Wack Wack and Riviera, failed to unleash a strong finishing kick and ended up third this time at 279, after a bogey-free 70 and pocketed P140,000. Just three behind Mondilla after 54 holes, Bayron pressed his bid early with a birdie on the second hole in second-to-last flight, but the missed sustaining his charge with flubbed birdie chances, gunning down just one more birdie on No. 12 and a slew of pars the rest of the way. Tony Lascuña, the winningest player in the season with four titles, including three straight at Forest Hills, Eagle Ridge and Bacolod, did make a final round charge, going four-under after 13 but reeled back with a bogey on No. 16 before ramming in another birdie on the next to rally to solo fourth at 280 after a 68 worth P115,000. Marvin Dumandan wilted under final-round pressure in the championship flight and stumbled with a 73, dropping to fifth, instead, at 281, while Jhonnel Ababa shot a 70 to tie Dutch Guido Van der Valk, who matched par-72, at sixth at 283. Anthony Fernando also rallied with a 68 to tie Mars Pucay, who fired a 71, at eighth at 284 while Zanieboy Gialon shot a 70 and wound up 10th at 285 in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, adidas, KZG, Summit Mineral Water, Srixon, Pacsports, TaylorMade, Sharp and Champion.

strung a pair of 67s for a 134, to lead compatriot Savannah Vilaubi and Brazilian Daniela Darquea, who both carded 7-s for 137s. “She could’ve gone lower than 70, if not for her missed birdie chances and those two late bogeys. But she’s okay and feeling good, confident of hurdling the first stage,” said Team TCC Coach Bong Lopez, who acts as Superal’s caddie in the latter’s quest for a spot in the world’s lucrative ladies tour, after a remarkable amateur career. The top 120 players after three rounds will advance to the final round to vie for 90 spots for Stage 2 set from October 20 to 23 at the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida. Filipina Symetra Tour campaigners Dottie Ardina and Mia Piccio and two-time Symetra Tour winner Clariss Guce will resume their LPGA bid in Stage 2, while Cyna Rodriguez, after failing to make the top 80 in the LPGA Money List, will vie again in Stage 3 slated from November 30 to December 4 at the LPGA international in Daytona Beach, Florida. Superal, the reigning Philippine Ladies Open champion and Hong Kong Ladies Amateur Open titlist, has been groomed as the next best Filipina player to see action in the LPGA Tour with her talent, skills and experience. Meanwhile, Regina de Guzman put herself in contention with back-to-back 72s for 144 for a share of 46th.

TORNADOES WALLOP KASETSART U

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themselves of spots in the main draw of the PCA Open-Cebuana Lhuillier Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) Tour from September 1 to 4 at the same venue. “We continue to support sports events like the PCA Open year after year as Cebuana Lhuillier Sports is committed to empower Filipino athletes. Projects like this provide a platform that allows us to discover and gauge the potential of our tennis players, while giving them the motivation to deliver their best performance,” Cebuana Lhuillier CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier said. In the men’s doubles, Arcilla and Ronard Joven will battle it out with Anasta and Marc Anthony Alcoseba after their victories in the semifinals of the tournament supported by Philippine Star, Dunlop, Whirlpool-Fujidenzo, Chris Sports, Mary Grace, Aseana City, PVL Restaurant, Maverick, Compass, Babolat, Just Jewels, Rexona, Palm Rock, Coca-Cola Femsa Philippines, Pearl Garden Hotel, Pearl Lane Hotel, Sen. Emmanuel D. Pacquiao, L&M, Broadway Motors, Stronghold Insurance and Monte.

“Today they showed that they are mentally and physically ready to fight for their cause.” Menta said Dimaculangan was also given a rest to prepare Perez for the real war ahead— the AVC tournament. “Not today,” he said. “I need our two setters to be ready for the AWCC. Together, they need all options and they need to be equally prepared. So they played two games each, so far.” He added that the sluggish start was highly expected, especially with the team waking up at 5:30 a.m. to prepare for the 8 a.m. battle. “I told the team in the dressing room to be ready, because we are expected to suffer in the first set,” Menta said. “Also, I played all-Filipino the whole game and some mechanisms had to be tuned again.” The Tornadoes will be wrapping up their campaign in the battle for 5th to 6th places against the winner between Rungsit University and Nakhon Nonthaburi, who are still competing at press time. Game will be at 10:30 a.m. (Manila time) on Sunday.

OTON Pilipinas brushed off a rusty start to roll over Kasetsart University, 17-25, 25-12, 25-23, 25-16, in the classification phase of the 2016 Sealect Tuna Thailand Volleyball League on Saturday at the Wi Sommai gymnasium in Sisaket Province, Thailand. With American imports Ariel Usher and Lindsay Stalzer resting, the local crew of Aby Marano, Maika Ortiz and EJ Laure did the damage for the Tornadoes, who are competing in this prestigious tourney as warm up for the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Asian Women’s Club Championship (AWCC) next week at the Alonte Sports Center in Biñan City. Italian Coach Fabio Menta said Usher and Stalzer, as well as starting setter Rhea Dimaculangan, were given a breather to give young players an ample exposure against topnotch Thai teams. And he liked what he saw. “Our Filipino [players] need to take responsibilities and overcome problems by themselves,” said Menta, a seasoned international mentor who called the shots for the national women’s team of Cook Islands last year.

LADY TAMS IN LAST FOUR

ARCILLA GUNs FOR NINTH PCA CROWN IGHT is apparently not enough for Johnny Arcilla, as the multiple champion lined himself up for another Philippine Columbian Association (PCA) title, after arranging a finals showdown with fellow Davis Cup veteran Patrick John Tierro in the 35th PCA Open-Cebuana Lhuillier men’s tennis tournament. Eight-time champion Arcilla gave it his all in turning back Elbert Anasta 6-4, 6-2, while Tierro went through some rough patches before overcoming Filipino-Italian Marc Reyes, 6-2, 6-4, in the semifinals on Saturday at the PCA indoor shell-clay court in Paco, Manila. They play in the finals at 2 p.m. on Sunday, with Arcilla looking to add to his burgeoning trophy case that holds the PCA crowns from 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013. Despite being the more decorated player, Arcilla will have his hands full against Tierro, the 2014 PCA champion. By making the finals, Arcilla and Tierro assured

Clyde Mondilla savors the sweet taste of an improbable victory.

Far Eastern University’s Remy Palma (center) scores against Joyce Sta. Rita (17) and Nikka Mariel Dalisay (8) of San Sebastian. NONOY LACZA

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AR Eastern University (FEU) trounced San Sebastian College, 27-25, 25-20, 25-11, to secure a berth in the semifinal round of the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Collegiate Conference on Saturday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City. Denied last Wednesday after losing to National University (NU) in five sets, 17-25, 26-24, 25-14, 18-25, 11-15, the Lady Tamaraws made sure that they will earn it this time, as Bernadeth Pons, Remy Palma and setter Kyle Negrito conspired to book the ticket to the next round. Pons led FEU with 19 points, the skipper Palma delivered 14 hits built around eight kills, four service aces and a pair of blocks, while Negrito dished out 28 excellent sets. “Kung ‘yung reason ng pagkatalo namin ay doon kami titibay walang problema, basta kailangan focus pa rin tayo sa goal natin,” said FEU Head Coach Shaq delos Santos, whose wards improved to 3-1 and tied NU on the top. “Sinabi ko sa kanila na ibalik muna nila ‘yung focus nila sa game at ‘yung dating game namin nung nag-start ‘yung V-League,” he added. The Lady Stags were led by Grethcel Soltones, who finished with 12 points. San Sebastian slipped to 2-2, but still need to win against University of the Philippines (UP) on Wednesday to force a play-off for the last semis slot. In Spikers’ Turf, NU sent University of Perpetual Help packing with a slim 25-21, 25-22, 25-22 victory in to become the first team in Group A to earn a semifinals berth. The Bulldogs finished the first round with 4-1 win-loss mark. The trio of Madz Gampong, Bryan Bagunas and Fauzi Ismail provided the big lift for NU, while playmaker Kim Dayadante paced the team with 28 excellent sets. Gampong led all scorers with 12 points on seven spikes, three blocks and a pair of service aces. Bagunas unleashed nine attacks and two blocks for 11 hits, while Ismail added 10 markers, including 12 excellent receptions.The Altas, who led Group A most of the elimination round, dropped to 3-2 to bomb out of the race for the remaining semis slot in their group, as De La Salle and FEU, currently tied at 3-1, will figure in a knockout match on Monday for the top 4 spot. Earlier, National College of Business and Arts (NCBA) upset another National Collegiate Athletic Association team in San Beda in four sets, 25-20, 23-25, 30-28, 36-34, to end its campaign on a high note. Coming off a huge win over Emilio Aguinaldo College, Jason Canlas waxed hot again for the Wildcats’ second straight win in Group B with 27 points, highlighted by 26 spikes, including nine digs. Canlas received ample help from teammates to end the campaign of NCBA with a 2-3 card. Ferdan Guanzon scattered 17 attacks and a pair of blocks for 19 points, while Darul Valenzuela and Ralph Oclima chipped in 16 and 11 markers, respectively, for NCBA. San Beda finished the tournament with 1-4 mark. Lance Agcaoili

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Stage 7 of Vuelta to Van Genechten

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UEBLA DE SANABRIA, Spain—Jonas Van Genechten of Belgium sprinted to win the Spanish Vuelta’s seventh stage on Friday, after Alberto Contador crashed near the finish line. Contador’s front wheel caught on another bike in a tight pack making a turn, sending him and other riders into the temporary barrier marking the course’s final kilometer. Contador was quickly back on his bike but had several visible scratches and tears to his jersey as he slowly pedaled across the line. The seven-time grand tour winner, including three Vuelta titles, said his Tinkoff team would assess his health on Saturday morning. “I was hit by someone that likes braking a lot and crashed on my left side,” Contador said. “I took a big hit on my calf and my quad and, in general, I have extensive superficial wounds on the entire left side of my body. It hurts a lot but it seems that there’s nothing broken.” Colombian Darwin Atapuma held onto the overall lead of the grand tour, although Alejandro Valverde did chip into his advantage after picking up four bonus seconds for finishing third. Van Genechten, 29, beat a group of sprinters to claim the 158.5-km (98-mile) stage over three category-three climbs from Maceda to Puebla de Sanabria in three hours, 55 minutes and 44 seconds. Van Genechten, who rides for IAM, called his first grand tour win the biggest victory of his career. “At the Vuelta the chance for a win is very small, so we have to fight for every single

chance,” he said. “This was one of my goals.” Daniele Bennati crossed second. The day’s racing appeared relatively calm compared to the frantic sixth stage. That was until two-thirds of the way through when Astana charged to the front and set a punishing pace for over 20 km that fractured the peloton. Astana then launched Luis Leon Sanchez on a breakaway, and the Spaniard put on an impressive run with Simon Clarke tagging along in his wake to almost beat the peloton to the finish—only to be caught a few hundred meters (yards) from the end. “It was a dramatic moment because we weren’t expecting Astana’s push, nobody was,” Atapuma said about the attack that momentarily dropped BMC team leader Samuel Sanchez. “We recovered from the scare and were able to arrive without problems.” Samuel Sanchez, however, went down in the small pileup after Contador crashed. He too quickly resumed racing to complete the stage, and his BMC team said he was “relatively unscathed.” Atapuma leads Valverde by 24 seconds overall. Tour de France winner Chris Froome remained 32 seconds behind, while Nairo Quintana and Esteban Chaves are 38 seconds back. Contador stayed almost two minutes adrift. Saturday’s eighth stage is the first of three consecutive mountain stages, a 181.5km (112.7-mile) route from Villalpando finishing at the category-one La Camperona summit. The three-week race ends in Madrid on September 11.

unday, August 28, 2016 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph sports@businessmirror.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

Novak Djokovic (left) and Serena Williams are the top seeds in the US Open. AP

TOP SEEDS WILLIAMS, DJOKOVIC COMING OFF INJURIES

GETTING THERE N EW YORK—Serena Williams is “starting to feel a little better.” Novak Djokovic is “getting there.” The US Open’s top seeds in both singles brackets are coming off injuries, and neither has played since an early loss at the Olympics. Friday was the first time either had discussed the health problems that stymied them in Rio de Janeiro and forced them to withdraw from the hard-court warm-up at Cincinnati. For Williams, it’s a sore right shoulder that she revealed started bothering her almost immediately after her Wimbledon victory. She said she practiced for just two days before the Olympics and has spent little time on court since, as she undergoes physical therapy. For Djokovic, it’s a sore left wrist that he revealed he hurt in Rio a few days before his first-round Olympic loss to Juan Martin del Potro, a player who knows plenty about how that injury hinders a righty’s two-handed backhand. “I’m just hoping that on Monday, when the tournament starts, I’ll be able to get as close to the maximum of executing my backhand shot as

possible,” said Djokovic, who sounded a bit more optimistic than Williams on Friday. Williams acknowledged she’d prefer to have played more coming into the Open—she’s had just three singles matches since Wimbledon—and needs to practice more. “I’m just now starting to feel a little better,” she said. “Hopefully, just every day I will keep going higher.” It wasn’t a physical problem that burdened Djokovic during his third-round Wimbledon loss to 41st-ranked Sam Querrey, he acknowledged. Asked that day if he was 100-percent healthy, the 12-time major champ replied: “Not really. But it’s not the place and time to talk about it.” On Friday Djokovic conceded “it was some other things that I was going through privately.” He wouldn’t elaborate other than to say that now “everything is fine.” Speaking of left-wrist injuries, Rafael Nadal said his keeps getting better, but still isn’t 100 percent. Because the 14-time Grand Slam champ is a lefty, his issue is the forehand. When he first came back, he recalled, “you try to

find movements to avoid the pain.” Now he can start to hit his normal forehand again, but it “still needs time to feel that I am more confident in my wrist.” Both Djokovic and Williams face a former Grand Slam semifinalist in the first round. Williams opens her bid for a record-breaking 23rd major title against Ekaterina Makarova, who’s coming off an Olympic doubles gold medal. The Russian made two straight major semis—at the 2014 US Open, losing to Williams 6-1, 6-3, and the 2015 Australian Open. With her ranking slipping to 36th, she just missed a seed at Flushing Meadows. Doing an interview shortly after the draw was set, Djokovic joked he wasn’t “mentally ready” to see his bracket quite yet and wanted to wait until “I’m alone.” What he’ll see is a meeting with Jerzy Janowicz, a 2013 Wimbledon semifinalist who’s been ranked as high as 14th. After struggling in recent years and missing much of this season because of injuries, Janowicz is No. 228 in the world and used a protected ranking to get into the US Open. Nadal is a potential semifinal opponent for Djokovic, the defending champ, while Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka are in the other half of the

bracket. Williams could face fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska in the semis, which is also when she could potentially meet sister Venus. Australian Open champ Angelique Kerber and French Open winner Garbine Muguruza are on the other side of the draw. Earlier in the tournament, Williams could run into opponents who have eliminated her at past majors. In the third round, she could meet Ana Ivanovic, who beat her at the 2014 Australian Open. And in the fourth round, she could face Sam Stosur, who stunned her in the 2011 US Open final. Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champ, is ranked just 142nd after three left wrist surgeries. Last week, Steve Johnson, the highest-ranked US men’s player, questioned whether the US Tennis Association should award del Potro the wild card he’d need to get in because the Argentine could possibly defeat an American in the first round. That scenario won’t occur—del Petro meets countryman Diego Schwartzman in his opener. But the 19th-seeded Johnson could face the Olympic silver medalist in the second round. Between Wimbledon and the Rio Games, del Potro defeated three of the US Open’s top four seeds. AP

Russia’s luxury gifts for Olympic medalists spark dispute

Russian President Vladimir Putin poses with Russia’s Olympic synchronized swimming champions Svetlana Romashina (left) and Natalia Ishchenko at a reception, after presenting Russian awards to Olympic medalists in the Kremlin in Moscow. AP

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OSCOW—Luxury cars, apartments, even a racehorse—being an Olympic medalist in Russia can come with great material rewards, but also controversy. Under President Vladimir Putin, it’s become a tradition for Russia’s Olympic heroes to be showered with large cash sums and, sometimes, unwanted gifts. On Friday, less than 24 hours after dozens of medalists were presented with BMW cars at the Kremlin by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, an advertisement appeared online offering one of them for sale, with photographs showing the car still covered in stickers celebrating Russia’s medal haul in Rio. The advertisement offering the BMW X6 for 4.67 million rubles ($72,000) was anonymous and quickly withdrawn. It couldn’t be independently verified by The Associated Press, though Russian agency R-Sport claimed the seller was a Russian medalist who thought the car was too big and unwieldy. Figure skater Maxim Trankov, who received

a Mercedes-Benz sport-utilily vehicle for his gold medal in 2014, said few Olympians could afford to own such cars. “Has no one thought that these gift cars are not only liable for the tax on luxury items, but also aren’t cheap to run and earnings can’t cover it?” he wrote on Twitter. “I’d sell mine, too, if it came to it...or does everyone think all sports pay, as well as soccer, hockey or tennis?” Gymnast Seda Tutkhalyan said she wouldn’t be able to drive her new BMW because, at 17 years of age, she was too young to have a license. While online commenters mostly supported an athlete’s right to sell expensive Olympic gifts, many were critical of the government for a display of conspicuous consumption at the Kremlin at a time when Russia’s pension and health-care systems are under financial strain. It’s not fully clear how much the prizes have cost the Russian government. State TV channel Rossiya 24 reported that the fleet of BMWs was provided by the

Olympians’ Support Fund, which is backed by a group of Russia’s richest men, but that the accompanying cash prizes of tens of thousands of dollars per medalist came in part from the federal budget. More awards are on offer from regional governments, many of which made public displays of generosity despite financial troubles of their own. The Caucasus region of North Ossetia last month promised a free apartment for any medalists from the area, though it isn’t clear if this has happened yet. In another grand gesture, the head of the restive Dagestan region gave Olympic wrestling champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev 6 million rubles ($93,000) in cash and a racehorse at a lavish welcoming ceremony featured on local TV. Still, all may not be well for Sadulaev, who’s nicknamed the “Russian Tank” for his habit of crushing opponents on the wrestling mat. He’s already facing an allegation from a Moscow radio presenter of reckless driving in his eye-catching BMW. AP