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Friday, May 12, 2017 Vol. 12 No. 211

LOW OIL COST TO MUTE EFFECTS OF TAX-REFORM PACKAGE ON PRICES

BSP retains policy rates as inflation seen on target

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By Bianca Cuaresma

Tetangco Jr. on Thursday said the monetary policy-deciding body of the BSP maintained the interest rate on the overnight reverse repurchase facility at 3 percent, with

TETANGCO: “The MB’s decision is based on its assessment of manageable inflation.”

the corresponding interest rates on the overnight lending and deposit facilities also kept steady. Reserve requirement ratios were also left unchanged. “The Monetary Board’s [MB] decision is based on its assessment See “BSP,” A2

PHL must import rice soon–Piñol By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

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he chief of the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Thursday he has changed his mind, and is now urging President Duterte to allow the National Food Authority (NFA) to import rice for its buffer stock during the lean months. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol made the pronouncement following reports that rice prices have increased by as much as P100 per 50-kilogram bag. “Let the NFA do the importation now, because the harvest season has ended. The NFA is complaining that they don’t have sufficient buffer stock. If it wants to import, it should be now,” Piñol told reporters in an interview on Thursday. “I told the President that now is the best time for the NFA to import. And it should be via government to government,” he added. Citing data from the International Rice Research Institute (Irri), Piñol said the country’s rice shortfall this year could

17.62 MMT The volume of paddy rice produced by the Philippines in 2016

reach as much as 800,000 MT. “However, this is much lower than the shortfall in previous years. The Irri study showed that the trend in the rice consumption of Filipinos is declining,” Piñol said. “The Filipino family has become prosperous and, more often than not, when they eat outside, they only consume less rice,” he added. The NFA had earlier asked the interagency NFA Council (NFAC) to allow the government-to-government purchase of 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice, citing its difficulties to procure palay from farmers to boost its stockpile. The food agency said it would need an additional 490,800 MT to meet the 30-day buffer-stock requirement of the Legislative-Executive Development Ad-

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Drug users must be penalized like pushers, unless they are minors

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he Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) kept all its key monetarypolicy rates unchanged in its third policy-setting meeting of the year on Thursday—a move widely expected by markets. Inflation forecasts were also left untouched for this year and the next, as key drivers are said to have “balanced each other out”. BSP Gover nor A mando M.

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visory Council. The NFA is mandated to maintain a rice buffer stock that will last for 15 days at any given time and 30 days at the onset of the lean months. Rice harvest is significantly lower during the lean months of July to September. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that as of April 1, rice stocks held by NFA depositories reached 327,240 MT, which is sufficient for only 10 days. NFA Administrator Jason Laureano Y. Aquino had been urging the NFAC for months to approve his proposal to import rice. “It’s always better safe than sorry, especially when dealing with our people’s basic staple. If the government does not possess the right volume of stocks when the lean months come, who would provide for the needs of calamity victims?” Aquino said last month. The NFA chief had been urging the council to approve the purchase of the 250,000 MT of imported rice. The volume is part of the 500,000 MT standby authority granted by the council to the agency in 2015. Last month Duterte thumbed

down the purchase of imported rice, citing the need to protect local farmers. The NFAC and Piñol had also been lukewarm to the idea of allowing the NFA to import rice. Some members of the NFAC said they prefer the private sector to buy rice from abroad to prevent the food agency from incurring more debts due to governmentto-government importations. To boost its buffer stock and reduce its debts, Piñol asked the NFA to focus on the procurement of palay from local farmers. “In the future, if the NFA intends to increase its buffer stock, then it should buy local produce. Importing rice would only cause the NFA to be saddled with more debts,” he said. Data from the PSA showed that Philippine unmilled-rice output declined by nearly 3 percent to 17.62 million metric tons (MMT), from 18.14 MMT recorded in 2015. The DA attributed the decline in output to onslaught of strong typhoons, as well as pest infestation in some ricegrowing areas.

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza

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ntil the extent of the illegal-drugs contamination in the country was unraveled by President Duterte, who would have thought that the country’s illegal-drugs ring reached all the way up in the police and government hierarchy. With police generals, governors, mayors and legisla­tors being allegedly involved in illegal-drugs trade, I can­not imagine where the country could have been, if not for Duterte’s real hard stand against illegal drugs. And, most important, if many of our supposed protectors and pol­icy leaders are also involved in the illegal-drugs trade, to whom can we entrust our safety from the ill effects of this social menace then? Already, over 3,000 suspected drug dealers have been killed, over 6,000 individuals allegedly linked to the illegal-drugs trade arrested and more than 600,000 users have voluntarily surrendered to government authorities, sup­posedly to undergo rehabilitation. Incidentally, though, many of those who voluntarily surrendered to govern­ment authorities were back to their old illegal-drugs habits after being sent home, because of the lack of facilities to rehabilitate them. Government estimates place the number of illegal-drugs users in the country at over 3 million. Accord­ing to Duterte, this could easily rise to Continued on A2

Govt to develop Clark airport via hybrid mode By Lorenz S. Marasigan

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@lorenzmarasigan

he transportation department will no longer tap private-sector funds for the development of Clark International Airport, which was endorsed by the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) as the alternative gateway to the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Manila. This effectively trashed the two unsolicited proposals submitted by private groups for the

modernization of the facility. In a statement, the agency said the development of Clark will be under a hybrid mode of implementation, as using government funds to expand the airport will be much faster than bidding it out under the Public-Private Partnership Program. “[We] prefer that the government first develop Clark Airport, rather than risk delays in the event a bidding involving private-sector players would lead to litigation that Continued on A2

n japan 0.4372 n UK 64.6521 n HK 6.4169 n CHINA 7.2397 n singapore 35.4247 n australia 36.7878 n EU 54.3098 n SAUDI arabia 13.3224

Source: BSP (11 May 2017 )

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A2 Friday, May 12, 2017

Duterte’s economic team grilled at WEF P

By Elijah Felice E. Rosales

@alyasjah

resident Duterte’s economic team on Thursday has laid out at the World Economic Forum (WEF) the administration’s plan for the Philippines, highlighting the ambitious infrastructure projects it intends to roll out in the next six years. Speaking at a group of local and foreign reporters, the President’s economic team began their presentation with confidence, reiterating what they already unveiled during the Dutertenomics Forum mid-April. Duterte’s most trusted aides, however, had to explain at length

how the administration intends to carry out its infrastructure program. The President’s economic team was first asked about updates on the infrastructure projects being implemented by the new administration. This was raised by Adrian Monck, head of public and social management of the WEF.

Tr a n s p or t at ion S e c re t a r y Arthur P. Tugade said the administration is really focused on developing existent airports than establishing new ones, citing feasibility studies point to the former than the latter. Tugade said the administration is dead set on enhancing the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Clark International Airport. “We really want to develop the terminals at Clark International Airport and develop two state-of-the-art runways there.” He said this will be complimented by a railway project, which would lessen travel time from Clark to Manila by more than two hours. Tugade revealed there are two proposals to open new airports, which have reached their office recently: first was to establish one in Bulacan, where the propo-

nent pitched to build an airport with four runways; and second was to establish one in former US military base Sangley, where proponents aim to build not just an airport but a city, as well. Participants had also wanted to know whether or not the “massive” infrastructure effort is environment-friendly. Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar said the administration has allotted P150 billion for disastermitigation programs, which he claimed to be enough to support the Philippines should it be hit by another calamity. The administration was given the opportunity to present its so-called Dutertenomics at the WEF after organizers agreed to give the Philippines the chance to persuade international businessmen to invest in Manila’s infrastructure projects.

Govt to develop Clark airport via hybrid mode Continued from A1

would eventually place the project on hold,” the statement read. In a nutshell, hybrid deals call for the construction of infrastructure projects by the government, but their operations and maintenance components will be tendered to the private sector. “The development of the Clark International Airport now falls under the jurisdiction and responsibility of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, and remains to be one of the priority infrastructure projects of the Duterte administration,” the statement read further. The state-run asset-disposition agency targets to open the new terminal by 2019. The two parties that separately offered unsolicited proposals for the development of

Clark will soon “be informed of the new policy”. Filinvest Development Corp. and JG Summit Holdings Inc. submitted their proposals to the transportation department last year, offering to build a P187-billion airport with an initial capacity of 8 million passengers annually. Its proposal, based on the Aeroport de Paris master plan prepared for Clark in 2015, also allows the airport to expand its terminals and runways to easily accommodate traffic growth over the next 50 years. The P250-billion proposal of GMR-Megaw ide Cebu A ir port Corp., on the other hand, involves the development of the airport in six phases, leading to a total annual passenger capacity of 100 million per year. Under a 50-year development

plan, it aims to build two terminals and three runways, two of which will be independent in an 850,000-square-meter land. The plan also involves the construction of an integrated railway connection from Manila, similar to the one in Delhi, India. This unsolicited offer is at no cost to the government and will not require any subsidy, guarantee or mandatory movement of airlines from the Naia to Clark. Metro Pacif ic Investments Corp. was also readying its own unsolicited proposal, even as it waits for a public tender to take place. Parties involved in these dealings deferred comments. In a related development, the JFC has expressed support to develop Clark as the viable alternative to the Naia. According to Clark Interna-

tional Airport Corp. President Alexander S. Cauguiran, he received the support from the foreign chambers after he presented the group an update on the airport’s development. Clark Civil Aviation Complex, located within the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga, covers an area of approximately 2,367 hectares with a 3,200-meter-long runway and associated taxiways, aircraft parking apron, a passenger terminal building and related facilities. It has two runways in parallel configuration. The airport logged in a total of 6,205 international and domestic flights with 950,732 passengers for local and foreign routes in 2016. The corporation is looking to increase passenger traffic to as much as 1.5 million passengers by year-end.

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Drug users must be penalized like pushers, unless they are minors Continued from A1

500,000 or more each year if the drug problem is not properly addressed with hard and drastic actions. In the Metro Manila area alone, 92 percent of its barangays are reported to be affected by the illegal-drugs problem. However, Duterte’s unrelenting anti-illegal drugs and criminality campaign has changed the game. It’s now the big-time illegal-drugs dealers and pushers who are on the run. But while the president’s ceaseless campaign against illegal drugs have already made amazing results, with our homes and streets much safer these days than prior to Duterte’s anti-illegal drugs and criminality campaign, the campaign against drug abuse could still be strengthened, if only the users will not be treated as victims, unless they are minors. Like illegal-drugs pushers, users who are of legal age are also aware that they are committing an illegal act. And if pushers are jailed for selling illegal drugs, users must also be meted the same penalty. Life is a “temet nosce”. We should know ourselves, especially in choosing be­t ween right or wrong. We have to be sure of ourselves no matter how others prefer to perceive us. True friends will like us for what we are, and not the “us” they prefer to see. Thus, justifying a drug user’s claim of being a victim with pleas of peer pressure or getting away from emotional problems would be unjust. After all, if a drug user gets high on drugs and commits murder, how can the govern­ment justify its supposedly “humane” approach of han­d ling drug users as victims of this social ill to the grieving family of the real victim. Duterte’s anti-illegal-drugs campaign has already gained substantial ground, even only in his first 60 days in office. And he’s still four months away from his campaign promise to rid the country of illegal drugs within six months of his presidency. The govern­ment’s anti-illegal-drugs campaign can gain more steam by penalizing drug users who are already of legal age just like drug pushers.

BSP. . .

Continued from A1

of manageable inflation,” Tetangco said in his statement following their May meeting. “Latest baseline forecasts continue to be within the target range [of 2 percent to 4 percent] for 2017 to 2018. Market expectations, likewise, remain anchored to the inflation target over the policy horizon. At the same time, the Monetary Board observed that inflation has remained elevated due largely to the recent increases in food prices and underlying inflation pressures,” he added. Tetangco also said the balance of risks surrounding the inflation outlook continues to be tilted toward the upside, driven mainly by the transitory impact of the proposed tax-reform program. Possible further adjustments in transportation fares and electricity rates also contribute to upside inflation pressures. BSP Managing Director Francisco Dakila Jr. also said the BSP maintained its inflation forecasts at 3.4 percent for this year and 3 percent for the year. Dakila said the Monetary Board took into account higher actual inflation numbers in March and April, as well as the reduction in the assumptions for oil prices for this year and the next. “What happened is that the two factors just balanced each other out, so the inflation outlook was maintained and consequently that was the major basis for the Monetary Board decision to hold the policy settings steady,” Dakila said.

Because of corruption in the government, the Philip­pines has become a major illegal-drugs hub in the Asean region. Coupled with its high incidence of illegal-drugs use, the country is a good market for shabu and cocaine, among other party drugs. The illegaldrugs trade is a mar­k et-driven business. So long as there are buyers, drug pushers will find ways to sell their illegal merchandise, at a much higher price, of course. And for those hooked to drugs, money is immaterial so long as they are able to satisfy their cravings. In fact, in many instances, drug us­ers commit a crime to maintain their illegal-drugs habit. Thus, if demand for illegal-drugs in the country is signifi­cantly reduced, if not eliminated, by cutting off the mar­ket, the illegal-drugs trade will not flourish. And to do this, drug users must also be penalized like drug pushers, if only to deter them from trying it. That way, the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign will not only be strengthened, but it can also save a lot of money from the cost of reha­bilitating drug users, who in the first place made a wrong choice in life. The State of Florida in the US is now grappling with an even more horrifying “flakka” designers drug outbreak. Flakka is a violent “zombie” drug that causes frightening hallucinations. Called “gravel” in the US, it is a relatively cheap drug that can be eaten, snorted or vaporized in an e-cigarette. A single dose can give a user a potent but fleeting rush—or turn them into a paranoid zombie with superhuman strength and off-the-charts vital signs. We must not take the chance for flakka to reach our shores. Duterte has successfully sent a strong message to big-time drug dealers down to small-time pushers to stop this insanity. Most of them are now on the run. The gov­ernment must also send a strong message to illegal-drugs users and those who are still not into drugs to stop and/or avoid this madness, or they will be meted the same penal­ ties applied on drug pushers. Dakila also affirmed that, amid the expected uptick in inflation due to the future implementation of the tax-reform package, the target growth of consumer prices is “no way in danger”. “So even though there might be some short-term implications of the tax-reform program, it will not cause a breach in the inf lation target band,” Dakila said. May 11’s monetary-policy meeting is the second to the last monetary-policy meeting of Tetangco as BSP chief. His last meeting as BSP governor will be on June 22. He is then scheduled to step down in July. BSP Deputy Governor for the Supervision and Examination Sector Nestor A. Espenilla Jr. will take over as BSP chief. Southeast Asia’s central banks are under pressure to take steps to curb rising prices and economists predict the BSP will raise rates next quarter, the first in the region. Espenilla has said policy will remain data dependent. “Price pressure is rising and we are getting closer to the time for interest rates to be raised,” said Eugenia Victorino, an economist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. in Singapore. “Household spending and private investment are holding up and government spending is robust. With the recovery in exports, growth is running strong on all cylinders.” The central bank targets price gains to average 2 percent to 4 percent from 2017 to 2020. Inflation held at 3.4 percent in April, matching the pace in March, which was the fastest since 2014. With Bloomberg News

Economy

A4 Friday, May 12, 2017 • Editors: Vittorio V. Vitug and Max V. de Leon

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PHL export earnings jumped 18.3% in Q1 Senator seeks ‘clear’ DOE policy on FiT perks By Lenie Lectura

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@llectura

he Joint Congressional Power Commission (JCPC) is urging the Department of Energy (DOE) to officially proclaim that it is not inclined to grant incentives, in the form of feed-in-tariff (FiT), to renewable-energy (RE) developers. “What’s important here is certainty, attracting investors…. It cannot be a verbal policy. It has to be a written policy. We have contractual agreements with the proponents and meron silang contractual agreements with their funders and in the overall scale of things, we’re attracting investors. If we cannot fulfill one contractual agreement in the power sector, how can we attract in other sectors?” Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and JCPC Cochairman Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian said. DOE Director for Renewable Energy Management Bureau Mario Marasigan assured JCPC members that he would immediately relay Gatchalian’s sentiment to Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi. Cusi has been vocal in saying that he does not want another round of FiT rate, as this will only add burden to consumers already paying high electricity rates. “What I’m saying is it’s already too much because FiT, it runs up to 20 years and it’s overburdening our

consumers. We want to bring down our electricity rates but how can we bring it down if we keep on giving FiT?” the energy chief said. FiT is a set of incentives given to RE developers for a period of 20 years to ensure the viability of their projects. RE includes wind, run-of-river hydro, solar, geothermal and biomass. “I’m not against providing incentives to developers, but it should be through a different means,” Cusi said. One proposal is to source the FiT rate from a new source of fund, which will involve the participation of the Climate Change Commission, Cusi said. Another round of FiT is being sought by RE developers, particularly by solar-power developers that failed to qualify in the second round of solar FiT equivalent to 390 megawatts (MW), which is in excess of the 500-MW FiT installation. “Given the pronouncements of the secretary, [there shall be] no more FiT,” National Renewable Energy Board (NREB) Chairman Jose Layug Jr. said. NREB is the body tasked by the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 to recommend policies, rules and standards to govern the implementation of the law, which granted fiscal and nonfiscal incentives to RE projects. Consumers are the ones who shoulder the FiT rate through the FiT-All mechanism, a separate line component in the power bills. Consumers currently pay a FiT

rate of P0.1240 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). ERC Commissioner Josefina Patricia Magpale-Asirit assured JCPC that a resolution on FiT-All rate application filed by the National Transmission Corp. (Transco) will be issued next week. Transco has been tasked to manage the FiT-All. There are two pending FiT-All applications with the ERC. One is 2017 FiT-All rate of P0.2291 per kWh and the other is a final decision on the 2016 FiT-All rate of P0.1240 per kWh. The ERC issued in February last year a provisional authority to Transco to collect from consumers a FiT-All rate of P0.1240 per kWh. The said amount is being implemented now. A final decision on this will be issued by the commission soon. We are finalizing the 2016 FiT-All rate for 2016, which was filed in December 2015. We should be coming out with an order, at the latest, on Monday,” Asirit said. She also assured members of the JCPC during a hearing on RE that “barring intervention from oppositors, a resolution on the 2017 FiT-All rate decision could be out in September this year.” “The previous resolution on FiTAll took us one year to decide. Hopefully, it will not take long this time…. For the 2017 FiT-All application, it could be out in September. For the 2016 application, a resolution will come out, at the latest, on Monday,” Asirit added.

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By Cai U. Ordinario

@cuo_bm

espite global uncertainties, the country’s export earnings grew 18.3 percent in the first quarter, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). In March this year exports increased 21 percent to $5.579 billion, from $4.611 billion posted in the same month a year ago. Exports in March were mainly driven by sales of manufactured goods at 16.5-percent growth, total agro-based products at 33.6-percent growth, and mineral products at 94.2-percent growth. “These figures support our view that the Philippines will be the fastest-growing economy among the Asean-5 this year,” National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Officer in Charge and Undersecretary Rolando G. Tungpalan said. But the increase in the country’s exports, however, further widened the country’s trade deficit to $6.54 billion in the first quarter of 2017, the PSA said. The country’s trade deficit widened to $2.302 billion in March 2017. In terms of growth, the country’s

$6.54B

The country’s trade deficit in the first quarter, notwithstanding the increase in export earnings in the same period, according to the PSA balance of trade in goods (BOT-G) grew 19.2 percent in the first three months of the year and 31.8 percent in March 2017. However, the Neda said despite this, total trade in the first quarter of the year remained robust. “Philippine trade during the first quarter of this year has been robust, growing a solid 18.5 percent. We are really optimistic that we can sustain this momentum in the coming months,” Tungpalan said. The countr y’s total export

earnings from the top 10 exports reached $4.666 billion, or 83.6 percent of the total exports, and grew by 33.3 percent in March 2017. Electronic products remained the country’s top export with total receipts of $2.802 billion. It accounted for 50.2 percent of the total exports revenue in March 2017. Exports of this commodity increased by 19 percent from $2.356 billion registered in March 2016. Components/Devices (Semiconductors), having the biggest share of 36.3 percent among electronic products, increased by 23.2 percent to $2.026 billion in March 2017, from $1.645 billion in March 2016. Total export receipts from the country’s top 10 markets in March 2017 reached $4.379 billion, or 78.5 percent share of the total. PSA data showed the country’s top export market was the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. It accounted for 14.5 percent to total exports, with export receipts valued at $809.93 million in March 2017. It recorded an increase of 20.4 percent from $672.85 million in same month last year. Neda also said export performance was also supported by the sharp increase in receipts from Hong Kong, which increased 38.9 percent; China, 38.9 percent; South Korea, 7.3 percent; Taiwan, 17.5 percent; the US, 20.4 percent; and EU, 56.2 percent.

PPA begins switch to renewable energy By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

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he Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) plans to switch from using traditional energy to renewable sources for all of the terminals that it controls nationwide, as it aims to reduce its carbon emissions in the next twoand-a-half decades. PPA Assistant General Manager for Operations Hector E. Miole said his group is pursuing a project, dubbed as Green Port, to help the government in fighting environmental issues hounding the country. “Our international shipping counterparts have already agreed to reduce carbon emissions by a certain percentage in the next decade or so and it is only fitting to do the same in our ports,” he said. The project is in accordance with the 25-year port development road map adopted by Philippine port stakeholders in a summit held in April this year, which will be submitted to the President later this year. “The initial outlay might be overwhelming, but its long-term effect to the financial aspect and environmental conservation outweighs all of that,” Miole said. This is also a commitment of the PPA to the AmBisyon Natin 2040 program adopted by the current administration.

Initially, the port regulator will replace all its existing fluorescent, incandescent lamps and bulbs with light-emitting diode lights in its corporate office building by the middle of this month. It is, likewise, making an inventory of all streetlights from the South Harbor Expanded Port Zone, the access roads going to its control tower, as well as the offices at the North and South Harbors. The agency is looking at forging a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine National Oil Co.-Renewable Corp. (PNOC-RC) in enforcing this endeavor. Under the proposed agreement, PNOC-RC will provide technical expertise, review and design for the best kind of renewable-energy sources, which will be used by the PPA in bidding out the said project. The result of the review is expected to be operational in six months upon signing of the agreement. The port regulator, for its part, will determine the initial ports that will undergo the same “greening” project. Initially, the PNOC-RC is offering a guaranteed 100-kilowatt solar panel to be installed at the PPA Head Office, which is enough to cover at least a third of the agency’s lighting requirements. The facility, however, will still be connected to the current electric grid system to source out the remaining power requirement of the office.

In 2007 then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Administrative Order 183 directing all government offices and facilities to use energy-efficient lighting systems to contribute to the realization of energy savings, as well as pollution prevention and overall environmental improvement. Four years later, the International Maritime Organization adopted mandatory energy-efficiency measures for an entire industry sector with a suite of technical and operational requirements for new and existing vessels that came in force in 2013. By 2025, all new ships built will be 30 percent more energy efficient than those built in 2014. In the last three years, the Permanent International Association of Navigational Congresses, where PPA is member, as well as the Japan Overseas Port Cooperation Association, recommended to the Filipino port authority the adoption of disasterresilient ports considering climate change and make it environmentfriendly by using sustainable sources of energy. Aside from the greening project, the 25-year Development Roadmap also includes plans for cruise shipping, industrial ports/zoning management, long-term infrastructure development, interconnectivity and supply-chain development.

Group slams QC-RD ‘inaction’ on land case

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he Quezon City-Registry of Deeds (QC-RD) has been questioned for allegedly setting aside Court decisions issued three years ago on a controversial land case. The reported “inaction” of the QCRD of the Courts’ decision in favor of a transfer of land title followed by a writ issued by a lower court ordering the transfer may have placed the QC-RD in “bad light”. The case being referred to is the one involving plaintiff Adez Realty and several defendants, including the QC-RD. Rather than complying with the writ, the QC-RD allegedly submitted the decided case to the Land Registration Authority (LRA) for “consultation” on a case already settled by the Courts. “The Court order[s] become use-

less if [these] can only be ignored by the Registry of Deeds…. Is QC-RD protecting certain interests so it may be playing blind [of the Court decisions],” Art Fontanilla of the Malayang Lipunan Movement said. Fontanilla charged that the QC-RD allegedly sat on the court decisions for three years and subsequently ignored Court orders on the transfer of title. “This is tantamount to obstruction of justice and disrespect to the Court of law,” he added. “[The] LRA legal services [department]…should reject outright the move of QC-RD for an [official consultation] to avoid any suspicion of connivance,” he added. Meanwhile, former lawmaker Omar Fajardo of the ruling PDPLaban also slammed the QC-RD’s alleged inaction over the case. “The

President [Duterte] reiterates time and time again that he does not tolerate any form of corruption in all the government agencies during his term and he is dead serious about it,” Fajardo said. “And the President should not be taken for a fool, he knows damn well of the irregularities happening in both LRA and the RDs all over the country,” he added. “Remember, when justice is delayed, justice is denied, and in this case is already decided upon…for implementation a long time ago. There lingers a strong scent of corruption,” Fajarado said. “PDP-Laban will not allow the administration of President Duterte to be tainted with such, we will definitely expose and punish those corrupt public officials as per President Duterte’s orders,” he added.

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Editor: Jennifer A. Ng • Friday, May 12, 2017

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Rice inventory declined by 20.35%–PSA By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

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@jearcalas

he country’s rice inventory as of April 1 declined by 20.35 percent to 2.68 million metric tons (MMT), from 3.36 MMT recorded a year ago, according to the latest report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Despite the decline in stocks, the PSA said the total rice inventory during the period is equivalent to the riceconsumption requirement of Filipinos for 79 days. “Stocks in the households would be good for 42 days, those in commercial warehouses for 27 days, and those in depositories of the National Food Authority [NFA] for 10 days,” the PSA said in its monthly report, titled “Rice and Corn Stocks Inventory February 2017”, published on May 11. Of the rice inventory as of April 1, the PSA said 53.86 percent were with the households, 33.91 percent were in commercial warehouses and 12.23 percent were in NFA depositories. Almost 76 percent of NFA stocks consisted of imported rice. PSA data showed that NFA stocks during the period reached 327,240 metric tons (MT), while comme rc i a l w a re hou s e s a c -

counted for 907,360 MT. Household s accou nted for 1.44 MMT. “Year-on-year, rice stocks in the households increased b y 18 . 0 9 p e rc e nt ,” t he report read. “However, stocks in commerc i a l wa rehou ses a nd in NFA depositor ies de creased by 9.77 percent and 71.12 percent, respectively,” it added. On a monthly basis, rice stocks in households and commercial warehouses were higher compared with their levels in March. The PSA said stocks in the households rose by 25.05 percent, while stocks held in commercial warehouses grew 44.73 percent. However, rice stocks in NFA depositories declined by 17.57 percent. Data from the PSA showed that the total rice inventory as of April 1 was nearly 23 percent higher than the 2.18 MMT posted in March.

‘NPA attacks, erratic policies to kill PHL banana industry’

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nreliable government policies that disregard established practices and contracts, extreme weather phenomena and the continuing attacks of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Mindanao threaten the banana industry. Industry players and workers in the banana sector also warned the Philippines could be overtaken by other banana exporters if these concerns are not resolved soon. “We used to be the world’s second-largest banana producer and exporter next to Ecuador. But today, the Philippines has been edged out by Costa Rica,” said Antero Sison Jr., president of Marsman Estate Plantation Inc. (Mepi). “Ironically, this could be the best time for us to recover because of the increasing demand from large markets, like China, but unpredictable state policies are pulling the industry down,” Sison added. The country’s export earnings from banana plunged to $440 million in 2015, from $1.1 billion in 2014. “We can learn to cope with extreme weather phenomena, like El Niño and the La Niña, by applying and developing climate-resilient technologies,” Sison said. “But no technological application can be developed against the inconsistency of the policies of the Department of Agrarian Reform [DAR],” he added. Banana growers lamented the supposed attempts by DAR officials to scuttle legitimate and valid agribusiness venture deals between banana-plantation developers and agrarian-reform beneficiaries (ARBs). They said this is in “blatant disregard” of President Duterte’s policy of honoring all contractual obligations of the government. “DAR officials, whether deliberate or not, have been contributing to the decline of the banana industry,” said Hernando Rivero, a member of the Davao Marsman Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development Cooperative (Damarbdevco). The Damarbdevco has forged an agribusiness venture agreement with Mepi, which donated

the land cultivated by members of the cooperative. Agribusiness-venture agreements (AVAs) between cooperatives formed by ARBs and bananaplantation developers are among the most successful partnerships in the agriculture sector. The AVAs have enabled banana growers to earn more than farmers planting rice or other crops. Sison said the DAR appears to be unconcerned over the plight of banana ARBs when its head, Secretary Rafael Mariano, ordered a blanket review of all AVAs or leaseback agreements despite these deals already upheld as legal, fair and aboveboard by government authorities and the courts. The DAR has been after the cancellation of the AVA between Mepi and Damarbdevco. “It saddens us to think the DAR doesn’t care whether our ARBs and other workers in our plantation lose their jobs. Their officials are indifferent to their plight, and couldn’t care less if our farmers and their families go hungry,” Sison said.

‘Extortion’

H ernani P. Ge ronimo, spokesman of Lapanday Foods Corp. (LFC), said the review of AVAs may have “emboldened” the communist insurgents to continue with their attacks against banana plantations. “The attack launched by this lawless armed group last April 29 against two of LFC’s packaging plants and a farm in Davao City also displaced allied businesses that relied on the operations of our packaging plants,” Geronimo said. “It also deprived Davao City and the national government of taxes that contribute to the wellbeing of the nation,” he added. Geronimo said the NPA appears to be mocking Duterte, because many of the atrocities were committed in his home city of Davao. “The attack on our plants will affect the export capability of the Davao region, as pointed out by the National Economic and Development Authority, since Lapanday is one of the biggest producers of Cavendish bananas in Davao,” Geronimo added. Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

The government periodically monitors rice inventory to determine whether it would need to import the staple to boost local stocks. During the period, PSA data showed that total corn-stock inventory tripled to 1.146 MMT, from last year’s record of 365,110 MT. The corn-stock inventory

as of April 1 was also 6.35 percent higher than the 1.078 MMT recorded in March. The PSA said the bulk of cornstock inventory in April, or 88.08 percent, was in commercial warehouses, while households accounted for 11.37 percent. NFA depositories accounted for only 0.55 percent.

Corn stocks in commercial warehouses amounted to 1.01 MMT, 130,390 MT in households and 6,270 MT in NFA warehouses. “Corn stocks in all sectors increased compared with their levels the previous year. Stocks in the households grew by 14.47 percent, in commercial ware-

houses by 302.88 percent and in NFA depositories by 1,211.09 percent,” the report read. “Compared with the previous month, corn stocks in all sectors grew. Stocks in the households were up by 4.59 percent, in commercial warehouses by 6.50 percent and in NFA depositories by 21.01 percent,” it added.

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Friday, May 12, 2017

The World BusinessMirror

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion • www.businessmirror.com.ph

Sense of crisis deepens as Trump defends FBI firing

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ASHINGTON—President Donald J. Trump’s abrupt dismissal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director roiled Washington on Wednesday and deepened the sense of crisis swirling around the White House, as Republican leaders came to the president’s defense, and Trump lashed out at Democrats and other critics, calling them hypocrites.

On Capitol Hill, at least a halfdozen Republicans broke with their leadership to express concern or dismay about the firing of James B. Comey, who was four years into a decadelong appointment as the bureau’s director. Still, they stopped well short of joining Democrats’ call for a special prosecutor to lead the continuing investigation of Russian contacts with Trump’s aides. At the White House, Trump shrugged off accusations of presidential interference in a counterintelligence investigation. He hosted a surreal and awkwardly timed meeting in the Oval Office with Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, and Sergey I. Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States.

Kislyak’s private meetings with Trump’s aides are a key part of the sprawling investigation. White House officials denied US reporters permission to witness the Oval Office meeting or take photographs, but Russian state media quickly published images taken by their official photographer of a beaming Trump shaking hands with the envoys. The pictures quickly spread on Twitter. Stunned by the sudden loss of their leader, agents at the FBI struggled throughout the day to absorb the meaning of Comey’s dismissal, which the White House announced on Tuesday evening. Veteran agents and other FBI employees described a dark mood throughout the bureau, where morale was already low from months

President Donald J. Trump talks about his firing of FBI Director James Comey to reporters while meeting with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington, on May 10. Earlier via Twitter, Trump accused Democrats of hypocrisy for criticizing the dismissal of a man they, too, had assailed. Doug Mills/The New York Times

of being pummeled over dueling investigations surrounding the 2016 presidential election. Trump is weighing going to the FBI headquarters in Washington on Friday as a show of his commitment to the bureau, an official said, although he is not expected to discuss the Russia investigation. The president and his allies expressed no regrets over Comey’s removal, insisting that FBI agents had been clamoring for it. Trump’s decision, they said, was unrelated to Comey’s oversight of the investigation into Russian meddling and possible connections to Trump’s advisers. In a Wednesday e-mail to FBI agents, Comey said he would not dwell on the reasons for his firing or how it was carried out.

“I have long believed that a president can fire an FBI director for any reason, or for no reason at all,” Comey wrote in the e-mail, which a law-enforcement official read to The New York Times on condition of anonymity. “I have said to you before that, in times of turbulence, the American people should see the FBI as a rock of competence, honesty and independence,” Comey wrote. He added, “It is very hard to leave a group of people who are committed only to doing the right thing.” Top Justice Department officials were hurrying to install an interim director to run the FBI while a permanent replacement for Comey is chosen. Among those under consideration for the temporary role were several career law-enforcement officials, including Andrew McCabe, who was named acting director upon Comey’s firing. White House officials refused to comment on reports that, days before he was fired, Comey had asked the Justice Department for a significant increase in resources for the Russia investigation. Democrats cited news of Comey’s request as an added reason to be suspicious about the president’s motive for firing him. “Was this really about something else?” Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Senate Democratic leader, asked in remarks on the Senate floor. “Nothing less is at stake than the American people’s faith in our criminal justice system and the integrity of the executive branch of our government,” Schumer said. Outrage over Comey’s f iring was a political turnabout for many Democrats who had previously expressed anger and frustration at his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private e-mail server when she was secretary of state. It was that investigation that Trump cited as the reason for dismissing Comey. Days before last fall’s election, Comey announced that the FBI was examining newly found emails potentially related to the investigation. “I do not have confidence in him any longer,” Schumer said at the time. “I am asking that he step down,” Rep. Steve Cohen, Democrat-Tennessee, said. M a ny D e mo c r at s , i nc lu d ing Clinton, have since placed

much of the blame for her loss on Comey’s actions. On Wednesday, in a series of visceral posts on Twitter, Trump seized on those earlier comments to highlight Comey’s “scandals”. He also suggested that Sen. Richard Blumenthal be investigated— moments after the Connecticut Democrat appeared on television to condemn the president’s action. “Watching Sen. Richard Blumenthal speak of Comey is a joke,” Trump wrote. “‘Richie’ devised one of the greatest military frauds in US history.”

10 The number of years of a Federal Bureau of Investigation director’s term; James B. Comey is in his fourth year

For years, “as a pol in Conne c t ic ut , Blu me nt h a l wou ld ta lk of his great braver y and conquests in Vietnam—except he wa s ne ver t here,” Tr u mp added. W hen “caught, he cr ied like a baby and beg ged for forgiveness...and now he is judge & jur y. He shou ld be the one who is investigated for his acts.” The president was referring to a 2010 article in The Times that said Blumenthal had presented himself as a Vietnam veteran during his first Senate campaign when he had served in Marine Reserves at home and never gone to war. The story did not say that Blumenthal boasted of bravery or conquests. Republican leaders echoed Trump’s Twitter attacks on Democrats throughout the day. At one point, the president wrote that his adversaries were pretending to be aggrieved by Comey’s firing. “Phony hy pocrites!” Trump wrote, signaling the growing frustration inside the White House about the backlash. S e n . M it c h Mc C on ne l l of Kentucky, who as majority leader w ields vast power over the focus of the Senate, defended Tr u mp’s dec i sion. Ma ny top Republicans agreed. Sen. Richard M. Burr, Republican-North Carolina, chairman of the Intelligence Committee, stopped short of directly criticizing the president. But his committee announced that it had issued its first subpoena to demand records from Michael T. Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser, in connection with his e-mails, phone calls, meetings and financial dealings with Russians. It was an aggressive new tack for what had been a slow-moving inquiry. The maelstrom is sure to sap the Senate’s time and energy, detracting from a Republican

agenda that includes a budget, health care, tax overhaul and infrastructure. “Today we’ll no doubt hear calls for a new investigation,” McConnell said on the Senate floor as most Democrats looked on. He predicted that such a move could “only serve to impede the current work being done”. In the House, the Republican chairman of the Oversight and Reform Committee asked the Justice Department’s inspector general to review Comey’s firing. The chairman, Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, said the review would be included in an internal Justice inquiry into the FBI disclosure of its investigation of Clinton’s e-mails before the election. Despite their concerns about Comey’s actions last year, Democrats said his dismissal evoked the days of President Richard M. Nixon, who ordered the firing of the special prosecutor looking into the Watergate case. They called for the appointment of a special counsel to lead the Russia inquiry. Democrats exerted as much pressure as they could on their Republican colleagues on Wednesday, using procedural moves available to the minority to block or delay hearings on Russia, cyber security, presidential nominees and several other matters. W hen Sen. Susa n Col l ins, Republ ican-Ma ine, asked for unanimous consent to permit a scheduled meeting of the Special Committee on Aging, Schumer objected.Collins, clearly angry, said: “This makes no sense whatsoever. This is an example of the dysfunction of the Senate.” For months, Republican lawmakers have been left to defend, sometimes haltingly, presidential behavior they often strain to understand or support. But even some of Trump’s most vocal defenders questioned the timing of the firing. “It surely would have been simpler and cleaner to do so in January,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, Republican-Texas, who defended Comey’s removal nonetheless. White House officials said that Trump had been considering firing Comey since the day he was elected president. B ut a lt h o u g h Tr u m p h a d lost confidence in Comey, the Justice Depar tment ’s recommendation to fire him was not ordered by the president, said a W hite House spokesman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Sanders said Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, had acted on his own when he recommended to Trump during a meeting on Monday that Comey be dismissed. At that meeting, the president directed Rosenstein to put the recommendation into writing, Sanders said. After meeting with the Russian officials, Trump said he fired Comey because “he wasn’t doing a good job”. “Very simply—he was not doing a good job,” Trump said. Asked whether the furor over the firing had affected his meeting with Lavrov, Trump said, “Not at all.” New York Times News Service

China cement giant sees big chance in paving new Silk Road

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hina National Building Material (CNBM) Group, the nation’s biggest cement maker, aims to capitalize on a surge in business opportunities from President Xi Jinping’s “Belt and Road” initiative as projects spur an infrastructure boom in the region, according to its chairman, Song Zhiping. “If you want to get rich, build a road first,” Song said in a Bloomberg Television interview on Saturday in Zhuzhou, Hunan province, referring to the expected buildout in the Belt and Road countries. “If you want to build a road, you need cement.” Song made the comments days before hundreds of leaders and executives gather in Beijing for the Belt and Road Forum

on International Cooperation starting on Sunday. The summit seeks to bolster Xi’s vision of reviving ancient trade routes connecting China with the rest of Asia and Europe. Countries along the routes accounted for 16 percent of the global economy and about a fifth of global trade last year, according to a report by the official State Information Center think tank. Song said CNBM already has built 312 large production lines in countries along the Belt and Road path over the past 10 years, and it will keep looking for opportunities, mainly through acquisitions, to expand its reach. “And we would also like to accelerate the pace” of

takeovers, he said, without citing specifics. As part of an overhaul of China’s stateowned enterprises, CNBM was combined in August with China National Materials Group Corp., also known as Sinoma, and Song said the merger has been going well. Th e co m b i n e d ce m e nt c a p a c i t y amounted to 516 million tons, representing as much as 19 percent of the national total, with capacity scattered throughout China, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. The chairman expects cement prices to stabilize as the world’s second-largest economy presses ahead with overcapacity reduction in some of its smokestack industries including cement, coal, and steel. Bloomberg News

The World

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion • www.businessmirror.com.ph

Friday, May 12, 2017

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Wage hike to split Japan

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t’s not making headlines yet, but wages in Japan are rising the fastest in decades, in a shift that’s poised to divide the nation’s companies—and their stocks—into winners and losers, according to Morgan Stanley. The firm expects wage growth to accelerate to 2.8 percent by the end of next year, with higher hourly earnings canceling out fewer working hours and slower employment growth. While wage reflation means companies have to pay more in salaries, it also leads to stronger demand and revenue gains. Inflation, spurred by wages, will be “the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle to fall into place” for Japan’s economy, said Jonathan Garner, chief Asia and emerging-market equity strategist at Morgan Stanley Asia Ltd. in Hong Kong, in a May 5 phone interview. Compensation levels are already climbing, with a broad gauge showing a 2.2-percent jump in 2016 that followed two years of near-2 percent gains—the strongest trend since the 1990s. Hourly pay rates have yet to show that strength, as seen in a release on Tuesday showing a 0.4 percent drop in March. Garner and his colleagues in April published a study on how wage increases will shake out across corporate Japan, concluding that there will be more winners than losers. He reiterated the findings of the report in an interview on Friday, when he maintained a 1,770 target for the Topix

index for late-2017. The gauge was at 1,584 on Thursday.

Main winners from wage reflation R e al estate, as rents increase and higher inf lation ex pectations lif t property prices. Nonlife insurance will benefit, as retail consumption and housing investments pick up. Commercia l and professiona l serv ices, particularly companies that of fer st a f f i ng a nd employ ment assist a nce. Med ia, as cor porate adver tising r ises in anticipation of higher consumer spend ing. Sof t ware and ser v ices, w ith consu mer spend i ng boost i ng ea r nings of business-to -consumer ecommerce players. Consumer-focused sectors with low salary bills as a percentage of revenue are best positioned. Logistics and some health-care companies will be most negatively impacted, the report said. “On the whole, it’s going to turn out to be a relatively good story,” Garner said in the recent interview. The yen, in a global inflationary environment, will slip to 125 per dollar by June 2018 from about 114 now, Morgan Stanley said.

A tight labor market, with unemployment at 2.8 percent in March, suggests bigger paychecks are coming, particularly as a worker shortage becomes more acute. Household names from Panasonic Corp. to Toyota Motor Corp. announced wage increases in March. Over the past four decades, when wage inflation and economic growth accelerated at a similar pace, it led to gains in the Topix in each of the next two years, the report said. “More sectors have positive than have negative correlation between operating profits and rising wages historically,” it said. “Only the general-purpose machinery sector has meaningful negative correlation.”

Most positively impacted stocks Insurance: Tokio Marine Holdings Inc., MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings Inc., Sompo Holdings Inc., Dai-ichi Life Holdings Inc. Real estate: Nippon Building Fund Inc., Japan Real Estate Investment Corp., Japan Retail Fund Investment Corp., Nippon Prologis REIT Inc., Japan Hotel REIT Investment Corp., Japan Excellent Inc., Mitsubishi Estate Co., Mitsui Fudosan Co. Diversified financials: Aiful Corp., Nomura Holdings Inc. Tech hardware: Canon Inc. Consumer durables: Panasonic Corp. Commercial and professional services: Recruit Holdings Co. Software and services: Yahoo Japan Corp. Media: Dentsu Inc. Retailing: Rakuten Inc.

Bloomberg News

The World A8 Friday, May 12, 2017

BusinessMirror

Germany targets N. Korea’s Berlin hostel for sanctions

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hancellor Angela Merkel’s government is working on sanctions against a hostel in the German capital run by North Korea in response to the country’s nuclear threats.

The new measures, drawn up by the Chancellery and three other ministries, aims to stop North Korea from operating the hostel and congress center on its embassy’s premises in eastern Berlin as a source of foreign currency, the German Foreign Ministry said. Located right next to the North Korean embassy, the Cityhostel Berlin is popular among travelers looking for inexpensive accommodations in the city center. Rooms at the 435-bed hostel start at €17 ($18.50) a night. The facility’s web site cites its vicinity to the German parliament and the Brandenburg Gate, as well as amenities, including free Wi-fi, rental bikes and a 24-hour front desk, as its chief selling points. “It goes without saying that we will participate in raising the pressure on North Korea through sanctions,” Martin Schaefer, a German foreign ministry spokesman, said in Berlin on Wednesday. “It is therefore important that sources of finance for the North Korean regime are shut off as quickly as possible, also in Germany, and we are doing that now.” Reining in North Korea’s regime has proven to be a vexing problem

briefs

Officials from Arctic nations meet amid drilling concerns

FAIRBANKS, Alaska—High-level officials from the world’s eight Arctic nations will meet in Alaska, amid concerns about the future of the sensitive region after President Donald J. Trump called for more oil drilling and development. Among those expected to attend the meeting of the Arctic Council beginning on Thursday in Fairbanks are US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who met on Wednesday with Trump and Tillerson in Washington. No formal discussions were set in Alaska, but key issues, such as climate change, development and drilling, will provide a backdrop as the chairmanship of the council passes from the US to Finland. “We are unsure what the Trump administration thinks about the Arctic region in general, about the Arctic Council in particular and about its role,” said Victoria Herrmann, president of The Arctic Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based group that provides research to shape Arctic policy. AP

Senate intel panel subpoenas Michael Flynn documents

WASHINGTON—The Senate intelligence committee has subpoenaed former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn for documents related to the panel’s investigation into Russia’s election meddling. Sen. Richard Burr, the Republican chairman, and Sen. Mark Warner, the committee’s Democratic vice chairman, issued a joint statement on Wednesday, saying the panel decided to issue the subpoena after Flynn, through his lawyer, declined to cooperate with an April 28 request to turn over the documents. Flynn and other associates of President Donald J. Trump have received similar requests from the committee in recent weeks. Flynn was fired by Trump after less than one month on the job. The White House said Flynn misled Vice President

for policy makers. The US House last week passed legislation that would expand economic and human-rights sanctions against North Korea, as President Donald J. Trump’s administration pledges to consider all options to thwart leader Kim Jong Un’s nuclear threats. Trump has also attempted to enlist China, North Korea’s neighbor and chief trade partner, in the effort. Ger many’s proposed sanct ions would conform with a United Nations Secur it y Council resolution from November 2016, which says that member-states should keep North Korea from using property on their territories for purposes other than diplomatic or consular activities. Sout h Korea n President Moon Jae-in, of f icia l ly swor n in on Wed nesd ay, pledged to pu sh for peace w ith Nor th Korea in his first remarks after ta k ing office. Underscoring his challenge, Sky News on Tuesday reported North Korea’s UK Ambassador Choe Il as saying the country will proceed with a further nuclear tests at a time of Kim’s choosing—repeating a common threat from the country’s diplomats. Bloomberg News Mike Pence and other top officials about his communications during the presidential transition with Russia’s ambassador to the US. AP

S. Korea’s Moon to send team to China amid frayed ties

SEOUL, South Korea—South Korea’s new president has told his Chinese counterpart that he plans to send a special delegation to Beijing for talks on North Korea and a contentious US missile-defense shield. President Moon Jae-in’s office says in a statement he made the remarks during a phone conversation on Thursday with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The 40-minute talks were arranged as Xi called Moon to congratulate him on his election victory this week. The statement says Xi relayed China’s opposition to the missiledefense system being installed in South Korea that it says threatens its own security. It quotes Moon as saying he’s aware of Chinese worries about the system and saying he hopes the two countries would have more understanding on each other’s positions on the system. AP

N. Korea to seek extradition of plot culprits

PYONGYANG, North Korea—A top North Korean foreign ministry official says Pyongyang will seek the extradition of anyone involved in what it says was a CIA-backed plot to kill leader Kim Jung Un last month with a biochemical poison. Han Song Ryol, the vice foreign minister, called a meeting of envoys in Pyongyang on Thursday to outline the North’s allegation that the CIA and South Korea’s intelligence agency bribed and coerced a North Korean man into joining in the assassination plot, which the North’s Ministry of State Security claims was thwarted last month. The North’s state media has been running stories about the plot since last week. The security ministry has vowed to “ferret out” anyone involved in the alleged plot, which it called “state-sponsored terrorism”. No foreign suspects have been named, however. AP

The Regions BusinessMirror

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Editor: Efleda P. Campos • Friday, May 12, 2017

SC cites DAR, Ambala for failure to distribute Hacienda Luisita land

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By Joel R. San Juan

@jrsanjuan1573

HE Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and union group Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Hacienda Luisita (Ambala) to show cause why it should not be held in contempt of court for their failure to comply with its 2011 decision mandating the total distribution of the 4,915.75-hectare Hacienda Luisita, a vast sugar land plantation owned by the family of former President Benigno S. Aquino III, to its farmer-beneficiaries.

In a resolution issued on May 3, the Court en banc gave the DAR and Ambala a nonextendible period of 10 days to submit their respective explanation. The show-cause order was issued in response to the motion filed by Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) before the SC on April 27, when it claimed Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael V. Mariano violated the SC’s decision, which directed the DAR to segregate, among other parcels, a 500-hectare lot that had already been converted into industrial land under a conversion order issued by the DAR itself. Included in this area are the 184 hectares belonging to RCBC. RCBC said the SC had already ruled the conditions of the conversion order covering the property had been complied with. On April 24 supposed farmer-workers and various militant groups staged a rally in front of RCBC properties claim-

ing rights thereto pursuant to the DAR’s revocation order. The rally later became violent against RCBC personnel and caused the destruction of its properties. The SC also ordered the DAR to comment on RCBC’s motion. “Acting on the urgent motion for the issuance of a writ of execution and/or cease and desist dated April 27, 2017, the Court resolved to require respondents Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano and Alyansa ng mga Mangagawang Bukid sa Hacienda Luisita to comment thereon and show cause why they should not be held in contempt of court for disobeying the decision dated July 5, 2011, and the resolutions dated November 22, 2011, and April 24, 2012, both within a nonextendible period of 10 days from notice hereof,” the Court ruled.

Quezon SP member wants historical sites preserved By John Bello Correspondent

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UCENA CIT Y— Concerned that cultural and historical sites and structures in the province are being threatened by the development and infrastructure work of the government, a neophyte provincial board member of Quezon has proposed the hiring of a cultural-heritage worker in every municipality of the province to protect and preserve these sites and structures. Quezon First District board member Aileen Resplandor Buan took the cudgel to preserve the Spanish-era stone arch bridges of Tayabas City, which are being threatened by the road and bridgewidening projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Buan said each cultural-site worker will monitor the province’s cultural and heritage sites and structures. Specifically, the worker needs to identify, record, protect and preserve these sites and structures from any possible harm from any government agency or the private sector. Buan made the call during her privilege speech at the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Quezon on Monday. Buan cited the revelations made by an engineer of the Second District engineering office of the DPWH that they made lapses in not following the internal department order issued by the central office about the historical sites and cultural structures while doing construction work. Buan referred to Department Order 138 issued by former Public Works Secretary Rogelio L. Singson on December 1, 2014, that said, “The DPWH, which must be responsible in undertaking major infrastructure projects, specifically in the planning, design, construc-

tion and maintenance of national roads and bridge, as they impact on heritage structures or aspects of heritage conser vation, shall consult, coordinate and work closely with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts [NCCA] in the implementation of their programs/projects.” Buan said the depar tment order stressed “the preservation of the historical sites and structures is a national concern. The relics of the past are national treasures, which must be preserved, restored and enhanced for the benefit of this and future generations.” Buan added the local offices of the DPWH may not be aware of, or just ignored the existence of Republic Act 10066 or An Act Providing for the Protection and Conservation of the National Cultural Heritage, Strengthening the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and its Affiliated Cultural Agencies. Earlier, the SP sought to summon the heads of the two local engineering district offices of the DPWH on the alleged destruction of 12 Spanish-era stone arched bridges in Tayabas City declared as national cultural treasures by the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP). Buan and her colleague, SP board member Claro Talaga Jr., deplored the road and bridge-widening project being undertaken by district engineering 1 and 2 of the DPWH, which they said ruin the historical and cultural value of the ancient bridges. Members of the Oplan Sagip Tulay, a task force group of Tayabas City government said the DPWH started work on the bridges last week of February and on March 4, they saw construction workers using jackhammers. They said some parts of the bridges were being chipped, and the abutment removed without the permission of the NMP and the NCCA.

A10 Friday, May 12, 2017 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

editorial

Is the Commission on Appointments necessary?

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E will admit that our knowledge of “preMagellan” Philippine politics is extremely limited. It consumes enough time and effort just to keep up with 2017. We cannot claim, as in Great Britain, of having an operating bar-resto or pub dating back to 1415 A.D. However, it is safe to assume that there were functioning governments here when the first “FM”—Ferdinand Magellan—entered the local political scene. Yet, if you look at the 1987 Constitution and many of our laws, you might think that the Philippine government would not be able to operate or perhaps even exist without the US. Granted that the “copy and paste” shortcut has become a necessary part of our daily lives, it may be unfortunate that we depended so much on US laws as a framework for our own. It is no secret that the original final draft of the law governing the financial markets and the stock exchange, in particular, had contradictory sections in part because of our proclivity to copy sections of the US securities law that did not apply to the Philippines. The US Constitution was conceived and adopted as the first legal framework that specifically delineated the powers, duties and responsibilities of the government with a clear and strong emphasis on the “consent of the governed”. Having waged a bitter war against the monarchy, the US founders were not going to allow a slippery slope back to authoritarian rule. There were firm divisions of power in the three separate branches of government and an equally strong system of checks and balances to keep one branch from encroaching on the powers and authority of the other two. The primary purpose, though, was to stop the head of the Executive branch from gaining too much power. Therefore, the US Senate’s constitutional role of “advice and consent” is an essential check on the president’s constitutional power to appoint Executive and Judicial branch officials, as well as entering into treaties with foreign governments. The authors of the 1987 Philippine Constitution obviously had that same concern. While not applicable to a parliamentary system when Cabinet members are usually chosen from elected members of parliament, we cannot find examples of Cabinet choices by a president having to be approved by the legislature other than in the US and the Philippines. Our research may be incomplete, but the closest similar language on Cabinet selections is “that reflects the will of the majority of the National Assembly”. But there is no vote taken about that “will”. The recent controversies regarding the decisions of the Commission on Appointments then lead to the question: Is the approval of a president’s Cabinet members a necessary function of the Legislative branch? Approval of Judicial and military appointees to limit presidential power does make more sense in our opinion. But the likelihood of politics playing a role to, perhaps, disrupt a president’s agenda through the Cabinet for his or her administration may be a Legislative overreach. This is an issue that should probably also be addressed if and when any changes to the Constitution are contemplated. Since 2005

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James Jimenez

spox

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he Commission on Elections (Comelec) isn’t just responsible for the implementation of election laws and regulations. It is also charged with the task of putting forward recommendations on how those laws and regulations ought to be amended over time. If you think about it, this particular duty makes sense, considering all the lessons that can be learned from having hands-on experience in managing elections. With more than a year having passed since the May 2016 elections, I thought now might be a good time to quickly run through some of the possible changes that have been talked about for quite a while, not just within the Comelec but also within the larger community of election stakeholders.

Automation law (Republic Act 9369, January 23, 2007)

There has been some discussion about the possibility of streamlining the canvassing procedure by allowing simultaneous canvass at all levels, i.e., city/municipal, district/ provincial and national, based on the electronically transmitted election returns. Admittedly, such a move would be a radical departure from the multitiered canvassing model that’s been in use for as long as I can remember, but then again so is automation, in general.

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The main concern with the persistence of the so-called ladderized canvassing procedure is that it was designed for a completely manual system—one in which each succeeding level of canvass literally did not have anything to base its work on until it received the result from the previous—lower—canvassing level. Automation, and electronic transmission in particular, changed all that by making precinct-level results available at all levels simultaneously, within hours after the close of voting. In other words, the provincial board of canvassers can literally start canvassing provincial-level results without having to rely on the canvass completed at the city or municipal level. More to the point, the National Board of Canvassers can even—theoretically, at least—actually conduct just one canvass for all levels, speeding the process up tremendously and making it more transparent.

Needless to say, a single-canvass model is probably easier said than done, and there will certainly be a lot of technical difficulties in perfecting the system. But then again, isn’t modernization and automation precisely about blazing a path forward with what can be done using technology not previously available?

Overseas voting law (Republic Act 10590, May 27, 2013)

And speaking of what can be done, one other idea that’s been tossed around quite a bit is the implementation of Internet-based voting for overseas Filipinos. While postal voting helps quite a bit, the biggest hurdle to voting for Filipinos abroad remains the requirement of personal appearance at the embassy or consulate in order to vote. Our compatriots either can’t take time off from their work or, sometimes, the embassy or consulate is simply too far away. In a number of cases, the post is even located in a different country altogether. Internet voting solves this problem, allowing overseas Filipino voters to cast their ballot via the Internet. In other words, they can vote at home, in an Internet café, or potentially even while in transit, using mobile data. Unfortunately, while a successful pilot test was conducted by the Comelec in 2004, that hasn’t been followed up in any significant way, simply because Internet voting isn’t provided for in the law. Might it not, therefore, be time to insert a provision authorizing the Comelec

to study and conduct a pilot test for electronic voting, as an alternative to personal voting and voting by mail? I expect millions of overseas Filipinos would agree.

Not because it is easy, but because it is hard

There are many other possible amendments, of course, that could make the electoral system fairer, more efficient and more secure. Sweeping amendments to the Omnibus Election Code, for instance, that would bring much-needed updates to Batas Pambansa Blg. 881; or definitive clarification of the legislative intent with regard to the broadcast advertising time limits contained in the Fair Elections Act (Republic Act 9006, February 12, 2001); and maybe even brand-new guidelines covering the treatment of online media, particularly social media, as a means of political campaigning. Overall, these changes, which are currently being discussed in various circles, have one common thread running through them: a recognition that there is an urgent need to bring existing laws and regulations more into step with the realities of the 21st century. Make no mistake about it, bringing these changes about will be a tough job for any Congress. But if the result is a vastly improved election system, wouldn’t the difficulty be worth it? As John F. Kennedy once said, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade, not because it is easy, but because it is hard.” If we are to reach a better future, we should not be afraid of the hard work it will require.

Concert for the benefit of Caritas Manila set on May 16

Lorenzo M. Lomibao Jr., Gerard S. Ramos Lyn B. Resurreccion, Efleda P. Campos

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Chairman of the Board & Ombudsman President VP-Finance VP Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Manager Group Circulation Manager

What’s possible

Rev. Fr. Antonio Cecilio T. Pascual

SERVANT LEADER

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he Brigham Young University Chamber Orchestra will have a concert for the benefit of Caritas Manila to be held on May 16, 7 p.m. at the Meralco Theater in Pasig City.

The benefit concert aims to gather funds for Caritas Manila to support its wide social services and development programs for the poor. Under the baton of Prof. Kory Katseanes, the BYU Chamber Orchestra consists of the finest musicians in the BYU Philharmonic. The orchestra represents BYU and the School of Music through international and national tours. Comprising approximately of 47 musicians, the orchestra is one of the most widely traveled university

orchestra, which has performed in the US, Europe and China. Also, featured in the concert is Tim Pavino, a Filipino singer who rose to fame after his stint in the Voice of the Philippines, Season 2. For tickets, call Ticket World at 891-9999 or visit it web site at www. ticketworld.com.ph. Caritas Manila is the Archdiocese of Manila’s lead social-services and development ministry. Its core programs are geared toward integral human development,

and spiritual and socioeconomic development of the poor. The projects of Caritas Manila today reflect this deep commitment to the meaning of its name—Caritas, meaning love. As Caritas Manila believes that education is the most effective developmental program for poverty reduction, its flagship program, Youth Servant Leadership and Education Program (YSLEP), expands its help to poor youth in other areas of Luzon, as well as in the Visayas and Mindanao. For over 60 years, YSLEP was able to assist more than 10,000 out-of-school youth and children of poor families to become professionals, productive citizens and servant leaders. Currently, there are more than 5,000 youth nationwide under Caritas YSLEP. Other core programs of Caritas Manila are Restorative Justice Ministry intended to the development of the prisoners and the correctional community based on the principles of Restorative Justice and Caritas

Damayan, the Preventive Health and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Program, which endeavors to make Caritas Manila partner-communities and families more resilient against threats to their health and safety. Also, to help sustain the programs, Caritas Manila continues to strengthen its stewardship program. People can support Caritas by donating in cash and in kind through Segunda Mana. Currently, it has 24 charity outlets and two longterm bazaars. Caritas et Labora, Caritas Salve Credit Cooperative and Caritas Margins were officially spun off from Caritas Manila and are now existing as distinct social enterprise institutions, still with the goal of being able to reach out and help the poor help themselves. To know more about Caritas Manila, visit www. caritas.org.ph. For your donations, call our DonorCare lines 563-9311, 564-0205, 0999-7943455, 0905-4285001 and 0929-8343857.

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Mothers make the world a better place

The path of an insult

among people who are given authorities or are mandated to think over the many socioeconomic developments in the country. As we often say it in our most hypocritical way—it happens to the best. Single-parent households do not just happen. One does not become a single mother, or single father, because one wills it. It is a long process, sometimes, with decisions afforded or denied the person. Sometimes, an act of violence accompanies the transition to one being single again if one did have a union in the first place. Many times, the violence through rape has been done even before the mother has opted to be single. There are instances when the mother herself does not even know that in a society where the male voice is favored she is going to raise alone the child she is going to give birth to. Nothing’s new, in other words. The statesman or, at least, the politician, needs to focus more about single dads or moms. In a country

where the birthrate is unattended to, what will happen to citizens who are raised by a single parent? Amid all this, a politician has cracked a joke and the world has laughed with him. Or, at least, those in the gallery. Jokes are another matter. Perhaps, a philosopher is needed to clarify matter. In this case, let’s listen to Friedrich Nietzsche who once said a joke is “an epigram about the death of feeling.” In the discourses of single moms, nowhere is there a mention of the male responsibility. That should alert women who wish to forgive the politician. The discourse on single parents or mothers is not merely about women getting pregnant or, as they say in English, “knocked up”. It is an entire universe of language that dismisses women, puts them at the margin condemned. It is a language that can easily forgive men, including, of course, comedians.

enjoy a comfortable life upon retirement. Financial resources can cover unexpected expenses, and there is room for savings. For a developing country, like the Philippines, these ambitions would seem natural, since not many people actually get to enjoy such a lifestyle. For a developed country, these might even sound modest, or perhaps even trivial. Nevertheless, it is surprising to discover that South Koreans, prosperous and secure as they already appear, would still have the same modest ambitions as Filipinos. From April 23 to 26, a research team from Ateneo de Manila University visited Seoul, South Korea, to interview experts in the areas of migration and tourism. One of the questions the researchers sought to answer was why South Koreans would even consider visiting the Philippines. A casual review of data serves to contextualize this inquiry. The CIA World Factbook shows South Korean GDP is $1.929 trillion, while Philippine GDP

is $801.9 billion. In per-capita terms, a South Korean’s income is $37,900, while a Filipino’s income is $7,700. In terms of HDI, which is composed of health, education and income indicators, South Korea registers 0.901 (very high human development), while the Philippines registers 0.682 (medium human development). In terms of the Global Competitiveness Index, South Korea ranks 26th overall, while the Philippines ranks 57th overall. South Korea is at the top 25 percent of surveyed countries, while the Philippines is closer to the middle (but still above it). Regarding infrastructure, in particular, South Korea ranks 10th overall, while the Philippines ranks 95th overall. The interviewed experts note that, despite their obvious economic advantages, South Koreans go to the Philippines for three main reasons. One, South Koreans retire early yet live long. Two, the cost of living in South Korea is higher. Three, life in South Korea seems to be more stressful. Data can corroborate such observations. With regard to the first observation, life expectancy in South Korea is 82.4 years, while in the Philippines, it is 69.2 years. However, the average retirement age in South Korea is 53 years, while the official retirement age in the Philippines is 60 years. The elderly dependency ratio in South Korea is 18.0 percent, while that in the Philippines is 7.2 percent. So, with an aging population and longer life expectancy, South Koreans have a more compelling need to secure themselves after retirement, so they find ways to augment their limited income. Many move to the Philippines to start

small businesses because the Philippines is expanding at a quicker pace (6.4 percent real GDP growth versus 2.7 percent in South Korea). Indeed, as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development notes, South Korea is experiencing a spell of slower growth and low inflation, while productivity is low due to large gaps between manufacturing and services, and between large companies and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). There are also problems in the labor market that exacerbate inequality and poverty, thus discouraging employment. With regard to the second observation, according to the Worldwide Cost of Living Report published by the EIU, Seoul is the sixth-most expensive city in the world. This could mean that a pensioner living in Seoul could stretch his income even further if he decides to move to the Philippines. Last, with regard to the third observation, according to the World Health Organization, South Korea has 24.1 suicides per 100,000 people per year (ranked sixth overall), while the Philippines has 3.8 suicides per 100,000 people per year (ranked 162nd overall). Perhaps, it is true that “It’s More Fun in the Philippines”. So, with South Koreans looking to make a living here in the Philippines, opportunities to generate more income and jobs are forthcoming. Perhaps, it would be wise to welcome these South Koreans who share the same modest aspirations in life.

Ser Percival K. Peña-Reyes is a faculty member of the Ateneo de Manila University Economics Department. Sarah Jane D. Lipura heads the Ateneo de Manila University Korean Studies Program.

produce a memo providing a rationale for the firing. To dump Comey for his handling of the Russia probe—which Trump mentioned dismissively in his letter announcing the firing—would be a grave obstruction of justice. In any event, it is likely to obstruct whatever is left of Trump’s legislative agenda. Comprehensive tax reform just got an awful lot harder, as did nearly every other challenge facing the nation, both foreign and domestic: infrastructure, health care, immigration, trade and others. Trump either has no advisers around him with the perspective and wisdom to talk him out of such an ill-fated and grossly incompetent decision—or was unwilling to listen to them. It’s hard to say which scenario is more troubling. Comey was among the few senior members of the national-security apparatus with the independence and wherewithal to ensure the Russia investigation remained on track. Now he’s been fired, and Trump’s surrogates are insisting that there’s

nothing more to say on the matter. It’s “time to move on”, said his spokesman. Actually, it’s time for Congress to get serious about performing its constitutional duties. It has two immediate responsibilities here. First, the Senate must insist that Trump replace Comey with an independent and experienced new director, one who will commit to completing any investigations into the president now underway. No cranks, cronies or close relatives. Encouragingly, several Republican senators, including Richard Burr of North Carolina and Bob Corker of Tennessee, have indicated that they understand this. They should also consider—as part of their constitutional role of providing advice and consent—sending Trump a short list of highly qualified and independent law-enforcement leaders, and informing Trump that any nominee not from the list will be judged with utmost skepticism. Next, Congress must appoint an independent commission to in-

vestigate Russia’s interference with the election and any role Trump or his associates played in it. Americans shouldn’t be left to wonder. Such a panel, modeled on the September 11 Commission, should be empowered to access classified information, hold open hearings and air its findings publicly. With the FBI potentially coming under the control of a White House ally, this will only become more urgent. Firing Comey without recognizing the obvious conflict-of-interest inherent in the decision reflects Trump’s modus operandi: refusing to release his tax returns; refusing to sufficiently distance himself from his business interests; and refusing to rein in family members who are profiting from the Trump name and connections. When elected officials refuse to be bound by the ethical practices and norms that we have come to expect of them, it’s up to the public—and their representatives—to hold them accountable. This is only the beginning.

Tito Genova Valiente

annotations

Sasha Bautista

women stepping up

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others are strong independent women who nurture and care for their kids. They carry the responsibility to watch over someone else’s life, which you can imagine is not an easy task. Every morning, they have to wake up knowing that they have to set a good example for their kids. Mothers always have to be there to support their children, never really getting days off, providing them with food, clothes, entertainment, comfort, a good education and love. Sometimes, we forget to appreciate our moms and forget that they have their own lives to take care of, too. They can’t be in a lot of places at once and they also have bad days. They have their own problems to handle on top of yours. They have their own dreams to chase on top of yours. They have their own lives to live on top of yours. They don’t have special powers and they’re just human like us, but they seem like superheroes. I think that it’s about time we try to take a step into their shoes and understand what it takes to be a mom. Maybe then, we can learn to be more considerate and less selfish in everything we do and put our mom’s hard work into use. Maybe we can try to be more understanding by allowing our moms to do things for themselves. An example of a great mother is Laurence Ligier. She’s the founder of Cameleon Association, a center where girls are brought to after being sexually abused. She came from a privileged family from France and could have done whatever she wanted, but she decided to serve and protect girls here in the Philippines, giving up the almost worriless life she had. She’s helping them to regain their trust in others and empowering them by showing them that there is still life after abuse. She is an amazing mother figure to me because she is so selfless in caring for “her children”. My Lolas (grandmothers) still work very hard even though they’re past the retirement age. They do it all for our families. Even though they are busy working, they always try to make time for me. They’re there to support me during recitals and culminating activities. They let me talk to them about my problems, and as grandmothers, they often have solutions (which usually is ice cream). My mom is one of my biggest inspirations because she teaches me to be humble and treat others well. A lot of me comes from what I learned from her, and she taught me that, sometimes, doing the right

I think that it’s about time we try to take a step into their shoes and understand what it takes to be a mom. Maybe then, we can learn to be more considerate and less selfish in everything we do and put our mom’s hard work into use. Maybe we can try to be more understanding by allowing our moms to do things for themselves. thing isn’t the easiest. When I go through rough days, she’s there to comfort me. Like all people, we fight, but she’s quick to say sorry even when it is not really her fault. She does get mad at me, but only when there’s a reason for her to. She’s not perfect like all other human beings, but she does try her best to make sure that I’m doing well. She’s always there to help and try to make me feel better. Mothers come in different packages. Some may not have their own offspring, but they are mothers to certain communities. Some are single mothers—raising their kids without a partner in life. Some are fathers, taking the role of being moms. Some may be adoptive mothers. But no matter what kind of mother, they all make this world a better place. I am fortunate to be surrounded by women who inspire me to be a better person. We all have mothers and we are blessed to have them in our lives. Mother’s Day is all about celebrating mothers and thanking them for everything they are and do. It’s also about showing them how much they mean to us. Sometimes we forget how much work, love and time our mothers give and share with us. Without our “moms”, we wouldn’t be the people we are. Sasha Bautista is 11 years old and an incoming Grade 5 student at Keys School Manila. She plays the piano and guitar, dances tap and hip-hop, and loves to bake.

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n an article reposted from the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines in 2009, some 14 million Filipinos are single parents. As early as 2002, there was already a move amending the SoloParent Welfare Act of 2000. A 2014 Report from the Philippine Commission on Women indicated the following: “Between 1970 and 2009 the number of female-headed households slightly increased. The population census and other household surveys revealed an increasing trend in the percentage of femaleheaded households: 10 percent in 1970; 11.3 percent in 1990; 12.2 percent in 1995; 13.5 percent in 2000; 15.4 percent in 2003; 16.6 in 2008; and 21.2 percent in 2009. From the final results of the 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey comes this statistics: “One out of 10 young Filipino women aged 10 to 15 is pregnant or already a mother.” In another information from the

Ser Percival K. Peña-Reyes and Sarah Jane D. Lipura

EAGLE WATCH

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N the Philippines AmBisyon Natin 2040 represents the Filipinos’ collective long-term vision for the next two decades. It describes the kind of life that Filipinos want to have and serves as an anchor for development planning. The envisioned lifestyle can be summed up as follows: strongly rooted (matatag), comfortable (maginhawa) and secure (panatag).

After Comey, justice must be served

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By Michael R. Bloomberg | Bloomberg View

f President Donald J. Trump thinks he can fire his way out of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) investigation into his campaign’s ties to Russia, he is sorely mistaken—and attempting to do so makes him look weak and fearful, undermines the rule of law, and diminishes what little prospects there were for bipartisan legislation. Given Democrats’ frequent attacks on Trump and FBI Director James Comey, only Republicans have the credibility needed to contain the damage and save Trump from himself. Now they must show they have the backbone to do it. A memo from the Justice Department laying out the rationale for Trump’s firing of Comey mostly criticized his handling of last year’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s e-mail arrangement. The memo is not the issue. The issue is why Trump now claims to find it persuasive, when it merely rehashes arguments that have been swirling for nearly a year—and contradicts Trump’s effusive praise of Comey last fall, after he revealed the FBI was reviewing more Clinton-related e-mails. After the election, and in the months

since his inauguration, Trump gave no indication that he would fire him. So what changed? Well, Comey recently confirmed the FBI was probing whether Trump’s associates had colluded with Russia in trying to sway the election. Federal prosecutors have reportedly issued grand jury subpoenas in the case. Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testified that European spy agencies had shared information about suspicious interactions between Trump’s campaign and

National Census and Statistics Office, of the 1.8 million babies born in 2008, more than 37 percent had unmarried mother. That percentage would be the equivalent of more than 600,000 babies growing in a singleparent household. Single parents—usually mothers—are common in the country, as well as in other places in the world. There are papers and papers about them. Forums and conferences and even associations have been formed around them. Exposure to the phenomenon, therefore, has either made us into experts or at least enabled us to develop an intelligent, perhaps not necessarily intellectual, approach to the matter. This is true, especially

Shared ambitions

Being strongly rooted means that Filipino families live together. There is work-life balance so that there is time to spend with family, even for members who work. People live in a high-trust society with a strong sense of community. There are opportunities for volunteer work where Filipinos get to serve the community, help others who are in need, and contribute to various causes. Being comfortable means that no one is poor or hungry. Filipino families live in comfortable homes with the desired amenities and secure tenure. Families and friends are within reach because transport is convenient and affordable, and they can take a vacation together within the country or abroad. Children receive quality education, so that they realize their full potential. Decent jobs and opportunities for entrepreneurship are available. Being secure means that Filipinos enjoy a sense of stability over their entire lifetime. They expect to live long and

Russian agents. And so on. If there are, in fact, innocent explanations for all of the above, Trump has never come close to offering one. He insists, alternately, that the episode is “a total hoax”, “a total scam” or “Fake News”. The problem is that this supposedly fake news keeps having very real consequences. It led to the resignation of Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. It led to the ouster of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. It led to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Rep. Devin Nunes both recusing themselves from investigations. It may have even been a factor in the firing of US Attorney Preet Bharara. When an elected executive fires the lead investigator in the middle of a probe into his or her activities, the implications cannot be ignored. That is especially true when the decision appears to have been reverseengineered, as seems to be the case here, with the White House recently directing the Justice Department to

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