Manila Standard - 2017 October 3 - Tuesday

LAS VEGAS SHOOTING: 50 KILLED, 200 HURT WRONG MUSICAL CLEF.

VOL. XXXI • NO. 231 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

People run for their lives from the Route 91 Harvest country music festival (left) after an apparent gunfire was heard Monday in Las Vegas, Nevada, leaving at least 50 people dead and more than 200 injured. One person (below middle) lies on the ground covered with blood. Vegas police (right below) guard the streets outside Route 91, with the thus far unidentified active shooter around the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino reported shot dead by police.

AFP

LOS ANGELES—A gunman killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 200 others when he opened fire on a country music concert in Las Vegas Sunday in the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.

Police said the gunman, a 64-year-old local resident named as Stephen Paddock, had been killed after a SWAT team responded to reports of multiple gunfire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay, a hotel-casino next to the concert venue.

Revelers screamed and fled in panic as a steady stream of automatic gunfire rang out at the venue shortly after 10:00 p.m. local time (1 p.m. Monday, Manila time), footage captured on smart phones showed.

“We are looking at in excess of 50 individuals dead and of 200 individuals in-

jured at this point,” Las Vegas Metro Police Sheriff Joseph Lombardo told a pre-dawn press conference on Monday in the Nevada gambling hub.

“Obviously this is a tragic incident and one that we have never experienced.”

Lombardo said police and FBI were still looking into Paddock’s background but they had “located numerous firearms within the room that he occupied” in the hotel.

Police said that Paddock had opened fire on the crowds below from the 32nd floor of the giant hotel located on the famous Las Vegas Strip.

Paddock’s female companion, who had earlier been named as a person of interest by police, is believed to have been located, Lombardo added. Next page

‘Ombudsman in extort try’ Estrada tags investigator in failed bid to downgrade case from plunder

Sereno, on wellness leave, rejects quit call

By Rey E. Requejo CHIEF Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno has turned down President Duterte’s challenge for her to resign with him, and said the impeachment case filed against her by his allies was weak, her spokesperson said Monday.

“The chief justice will not resign because she has done nothing unlawful, illegal and impeachable,” lawyer Josa Deinla said, in an interview.

“What she wants is to

continue performing her duties as chief justice of Supreme Court,” Deinla added.

Sereno’s camp issued the statement in response to Duterte’s call for her and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales to resign with him in his speech during the oathtaking of new members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in Davao last Saturday.

President Duterte accused the chief justice of being corrupt, while he said the Ombudsman was prac-

ticing selective justice.

But Sereno’s camp did not address the President’s allegation that she is corrupt and that she was part of a plot to oust him.

It was the second time the chief justice rejected a call for her resignation. Lawyer Larry Gadon earlier also called for her resignation while facing impeachment charges.

Sereno is currently on a month-long wellness leave from the Court. She is set to report back to work on Oct. 23.

Next page

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta

F

ORMER senator Jinggoy Estrada said Monday that an investigator from the Office of the Ombudsman had tried to extort money from him in 2013 to downgrade the charges against him from plunder to graft.

Lawyer Larry Gadon

Aguirre charges Hontiveros with wiretapping

By Rey E. Requejo JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Monday sought the criminal prosecution and ouster from the Senate of Senator Risa Hontiveros, for making public a photo of a text exchange on his phone that was taken surreptitiously.

Aguirre said Hontiveros violated the Anti-Wiretapping Law when she and her

co-conspirators recorded the text messages on his phone with Negros Oriental Rep. Jacinto Paras, “without being authorized by all the parties to a private communication.”

The complaint named other unidentified individuals as respondents.

Paras also filed a similar complaint against Hontiveros before the Office of the Ombudsman earlier, citing the same allegation.

In the text exchange, Aguirre had urged Paras to speed up the filing of cases against Hontiveros.

Aguirre said he filed the complaint before the National Prosecution Service instead of the Ombudsman because Hontiveros’ offenses were “not in the performance of her official duties.”

Nonetheless, the Justice secretary assured Hontiveros of fairness despite the pros-

ecutor’s office being under his department.

After filing the criminal complaint, Aguirre also filed a complaint before the Senate ethics committee against Hontiveros, seeking her ouster because her acts were “unethical and very unbecoming of a public servant.”

He asked the Senate to either suspend or expel Hontiveros, noting that she and Next page

Cabbie tags two cops in Arnaiz slay TAXI driver Tomas Bagcal and a witness identified only as “Joe Daniel” on Monday identified Police Officer 1 Jeffrey Perez and Police Officer 1 Ricky Arquilita as the cops who shot 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz to death.

During the resumption of the Senate public order committee hearing on the death of teenagers, Bagcal said it was “Jeffrey” and “Ricky” who shot Arnaiz even after he repeatedly appealed to the Caloocan cops that he was just “turning over” the two teenagers who tried to rob him.

Bagcal later on identified Next page

“It wasn’t done directly, but through an emissary,” Estrada said in Filipino.

“They were asking me for money, but I didn’t agree because my conscience is clean.”

Estrada was one of three opposition senators who were charged with plunder over the alleged misuse of their Priority Development

Assistance Fund or pork barrel. He is out on bail.

“They offered to lower the charge from plunder to graft, but I said go ahead with the case. I’ve got nothing to hide,” he said.

Estrada refused to say who the investigator was and said he would not initiate proceedings against the person.

Next page Jinggoy Estrada

Bato frets over media focus on Kian PHILIPPINE National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Monday took media to task for focusing on the killing of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos and other teenagers in the war on drugs, saying it might cause people to rebel against the authorities.

“Why do you keep coming back to Kian?” Dela Rosa said in Filipino in Camp Bagong Diwa. “It’s like you’re arousing the sen-

timent of the people to rebel against the government because the police did wrong.”

Dela Rosa also complained that media did not publicize to the same extent the losses among police.

“You don’t write about the positive. Or if a cop gets stabbed in Caloocan, you don’t cover that very much, but keep going back to Kian…. What’s behind it?”

Dela Rosa also reminded officers to be more careful

as they might be recorded on CCTV or on smart phones, and the media would blow up footage that showed police in a negative light.

He again went back to Delos Santos, who was seen being dragged away by two policemen on CCTV footage.

“Almost every day, it’s on the news,” he said about the Kian delos Santos case.

“I’m not questioning you.

That’s your work, in search Next page

Only the poor drug pushers 10 men try get killed, says SWS survey anti-terror ploy,

NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS. US geneticists Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W.

Young have been awarded the Nobel Medicine Prize Monday for shedding light on the internal biological clock that governs the wake-sleep cycles of most living things. Hall, 72, Rosbash, 73, and Young, 68, ‘were able to peek inside our biological clock and elucidate its inner workings,’ said the Nobel Assembly. AFP

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THREE out of five Filipinos believe that only the poor drug pushers are being killed in the government’s bloody drug war, the latest Social Weather Stations survey revealed Monday.

In the latest survey fielded among 1,200 respondents, some 60 percent agreed that only those who were economically-disadvantaged were being killed as a result of the President’s drug war, with 33 percent saying they

“strongly agree” while 27 percent said they “somewhat agree.”

Indecision, meanwhile, is at 17 percent.

Another 23 percent disagreed with the survey question, with 12 percent saying they “somewhat disagree” and 11 percent expressed “strongly disagree” with the statement.

Across geographical regions, the highest proportion Next page

held at camp

By Francisco Tuyay TEN civilian members of an anti-terror group, armed with several firearms who were attempting to enter the premises of Camp Aguinaldo, were held for questioning early dawn Monday.

Col. Edgard Arevalo, head of the AFP’s Public Affairs Office, said the 10 Next page

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PH-US military drills get under way US AND Philippine troops launched new joint counter-terrorism exercises on Monday, days after President Rodrigo Duterte, a fierce critic of Washington, reversed course in favor of pursuing one of Asia’s oldest military alliances.

Duterte vowed last week to be “friendly” with the United States, in contrast to comments he made a year ago calling joint military exercises a “humiliation” and threatening to sever defense ties forged after World War II. The week-long joint operation—another turnaround from Duterte’s initial stand— involves live-fire training, rescues in combat situations, and mass-casualty situations aboard ships, according to the American side.

The US Embassy said the drills “will increase overall US and Philippine readiness, improve bilateral responsiveness to crises in the region, and further reinforce our illustrious decades-long alliance,” in a statement on Monday. “[The operation] perpetuates a long and lasting partnership founded firmly on common heritage between freedom-loving countries,” said Philippine Marines spokeswoman Capt. Maria Rowena Dalmacio.

About 900 US troops are taking part in the training, to be held in various locations in the northern Philippine region of Luzon, including the former US military base of Clark. The Filipino side did not disclose its numbers.

Duterte, 72, had sought to loosen his nation’s alliance with the United States since assuming the presidency last year as he looked to forge stronger relations with China and Russia. AFP

Sereno,...

From A1 The chief justice is facing an impeachment complaint before the House.

Gadon’s impeachment complaint accused Sereno of culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust over alleged undisclosed assets in her statement of asset, liabilities and net worth and extravagant spending of judicial funds by purchasing a P5-million Toyota Land Cruiser and traveling on first-class flights.

The complainant also cited as basis Sereno’s order in 2012 to reopen a regional constitutional administrative office in Cebu without the collegial approval of the Court, which was later on revoked by the Court.

In a statement, Sereno said the complaint against her was weak.

“While clearly intended as a smokescreen to hide the weakness of his case, complainant’s side comments only served to highlight one crucial fact—the complainant does not have ‘sufficient grounds for impeachment against the Chief Justice,” it said in a rejoinder to lawyer Larry Gadon’s recent reply on his impeachment complaint against Sereno filed at the House of Representatives Monday.

At the same time, Sereno will not resign as her counsels said the chief justice will answer all the allegations leveled against her by Gadon.

The Sereno camp said Gadon’s allegations “may not be impeachable offenses.”

Sereno’s predecessor, Renato Corona, was ousted by impeachment because he failed to list all his assets in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth in a move instigated by then President Benigo Aquino III.

Bato...

From A1 for truth, in search for whatever. That’s your job,” he told journalists. “But I’m just saying we’re being hit.”

Dela Rosa said police must win the “battle of perception”

CBCP offers help to ‘killer-cops’

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

S

OME policemen allegedly linked to illegal drugs have sought the help of the Catholic Church and have said they are willing to expose all they know about the wave of drugrelated killings in the country, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said Monday.

related killings at the hands of policemen, including those of teenagers Kian Delos Santos and Carl Angelo Arnaiz.

Tacorda claims that Senior Supt. Jesus Martirez, then Catanduanes police chief, instructed him and another subordinate in July 2016 to deliver an “accomplishment of five to 10 deaths of drug personalities.”

“He [Martirez] later on admitted to us that he will be relieved from his post if there is no ‘death of drug personalities’ that will be delivered in his area,” says Tacorda’s affidavit.

• A policeman from Catanduanes who resigned after claiming that some policemen were allegedly being paid to kill drug suspects has recant-

ed his statement, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Monday.

Lacson, chairman of the Senate public order committee investigating the recent killing of young victims in the government’s war against illegal drugs, said former Police Officer I Vincent Tacorda was invited to the hearing in connection with his affidavit dated May 10, 2017 but opted not to attend.

He claims in his affidavit the extrajudicial killing of drug suspects and the planting of evidence by policemen. He said he was ordered to deliver an “accomplishment of five to 10 deaths of drug suspects.”

Villegas said the church is willing to provide sanctuary to the policemen, including their families if necessary, but

“Some law enforcers have come forward confidentially to us, their spiritual leaders, to seek sanctuary, succor and protection,” CBCP president and Dagupan-Pangasinan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said in a statement.

“They have expressed their desire to come out in the open about their participation in extrajudicial killings and sum-

mary executions. Their consciences are troubling them.

• In other developments: Senator Antonio Trillanes on Monday presented the affidavit of Vincent Tacorda, a former policeman who was allegedly ordered by his boss to kill drug suspects.

Trillanes presented Tacorda’s statement during the resumption of the alleged drug-

‘Ombudsman...

From A1

irrelevant.”

On Friday, Duterte accused Morales and her office of illegally obtaining evidence against him, and said he would not cooperate with the Ombudsman’s investigation of his alleged ill-gotten wealth.

“I will not obey the Ombudsman because she is corrupt and she is holding illegally obtained evidence,” the President said.

Questioning the manner in which the Office of the Ombudsman obtained his bank records, Duterte said that documents could be obtained only when there is a pending case in court.

Morales said she was unfazed by Duterte’s threats.

“The Office has already stated its position, to abide by its constitutional duty. No need to add more,” she said in a statement sent to the press.

Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang, who announced the investigation, said the Ombudsman “ob-

served confidentiality” in its investigation.

Trillanes accused the President of having hidden wealth of up to P2.4 billion in his bank accounts.

Carandang said Morales gave him the authorization to act on Trillanes’ complaint, and that he had already requested the AntiMoney Laundering Council for a final validation on the bank transactions of the Dutertes, including those of Duterte’s common-law-wife Honey Avancena and their daughter Kitty. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Monday challenged Duterte to just file an impeachment complaint against Morales if he has any evidence against her instead of engaging in a word war.

“The rhetoric and the word war between the President and the Ombudsman and the chief justice [Lourdes Sereno]… will only lead us to nowhere,” Drilon said in a statement.

“We must keep in mind that

the Constitution has enough safeguards to discipline and go after erring officials,” he added.

If he is in possession of any evidence against Morales, Drilon said the President should initiate the filing of an impeachment case.

“We should apply and follow the Constitution and the rule of law,” said Drilon even noting that the power to investigate and prosecute impeachable officers “exclusively lies in Congress.”

Opposition Liberal Party senators expressed alarm over Duterte’s attacks and threats against insitutions such as the Ombudsman, Supreme Court, and the Commission on Human Rights.

“These attacks on our democratic institutions are alarming and unproductive. Independent and unbiased institutions should not be attacked but encouraged,” said Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV. With John Paolo Bencito

pop, pop,” Monique Dekerf told CNN. “You’d think for a moment okay, we’re fine, there’s no more gunfire, then it starts again.”

Her sister Rachel said it sounded like “the shots were coming from the right side ... it sounded like they were right beside us too ... it was right there.”

Best-selling country singer Jason Aldean was on stage and near the end of his concert when the shooting began.

“We were watching the concert having a great time, then we heard what sounded like firecrackers,” witness Joe Pitz told the local Las Vegas Sun news outlet.

“I guess it was an automatic weapon going off but it literally sounded like firecrackers.

“Then soon enough there

was commotion on the Mandalay Bay side of the stage.

They were motioning for medics to come and safety people to come and Jason Aldean ran off the stage.

“Everybody in the vicinity went down. I don’t know if they were ducking or if they were but it was chaos.”

Although the final toll has yet to be confirmed, it is already the deadliest shooting in the United States.

The previous deadliest shooting came in June 2016 when 49 people were killed at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

It was also the latest in a series of recent deadly attacks at concert venues.

Twenty-two people were killed while leaving an Ariana

Grande concert in the northern English city of Manchester in May when a suicide bomber detonated a nail bomb in the foyer.

Ninety people were killed in November 2015 at the Bataclan venue in Paris during a concert by the US band the Eagles of Death Metal.

A shocked Aldean told his fans on Instagram that he and his band was safe.

“Tonight has been beyond horrific,” the singer wrote.

“I still don’t know what to say ... My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved tonight.

“It hurts my heart that this would happen to anyone who was just coming out to enjoy what should have been a fun night.” AFP

and sending private text messages on his phone when the so-called “media member” strategically positioned himself in a location with a complete vantage point to deliberately and covertly take, shoot, intercept and capture an image of his phone.

He said his photo was taken without his knowledge and consent and with the intention of intercepting and capturing his private measages.

“Contrary to the claim of Senator Risa Hontiveros in her privilege speech, it was targeted. I was singled out, It was premeditated,” he said.

He noted that the precise timing of taking or shooting of the photograph, the accuracy and

detail of the image taken, and strategically chosen vantage point all indicate that the photographer intentionally focused his camera to capture his private text messages.

With intent to maliciously use the text messages, Aguirre sais Hontiveros illegally acquired his photographs and his phone’s screen showing an accurate and detailed image of his private text messages.

“Senator Risa Hontiveros, a public servant who is accountable to a higher yardstick of proper decorum and of lawful conduct, in evident bad faith, disregarded the patent illegality of the photographs and its contents when [she] accepted and took possession of the same,”

argued Aguirre.

The Senate minority bloc said the filing of charges against Hontiveros is a clear case of political harassment and intimidation.

It noted that this is part of the continuing attempt by the administration and its allies to silence the political opposition, including other colleagues, Senators Leila de Lima and Antonio Trillanes IV, and independent institutions like the Supreme Court, the Ombudsman, and the Commission on Human Rights.

Aguirre’s exposed text conversation proves that the filing of charges against Hontiveros had been long planned, the minority bloc said.

persons held for interrogation were members of the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty, whom he cited as a group against terrorism.

Arevalo said the group was led by one Danie Pagalan, the group’s supposed intelligence chief, along with their members: Alvin Simhabon, Rolando Mahusay, alias Kumander Melody, Dioscoro Danis, James Iwayan, Butch Galimba, Rico Giducos, Ramil Perata, Rundy Pderes and Pascua Dizon, alias Kumander Haslim.

He said the 10, on board a private van, were stopped by a security personnel at Gate 6 after noticing that the occupants were all wearing black t-shirts with identical logos and design.

“What caught the attention of the duty personnel at the gate is that all the occupants of the said vehicle are all wearing back tshirts with identical logos and design,” Arevalo said.

“When they were asked by the duty guard if they are soldiers, they said they were not.

Then they were asked if they were carrying guns and outrightly they said yes,” Arevalo added.

But when requested to present their authority to possess firearms or exemption from the Commission on Elections the group failed to show pertinent documents showing legality for them to carry firearms.

Shortly thereafter, the 10 were taken into custody by security guards manning the gate.

Recovered from them were 5 pistols consisting 2 homemade cal. 45 and 3 ca. 9mm and 7 magazines with 47 ca .99mm and 26 ca. 45 ammunitions, and identification cards of still unknown authority and source.

Arevalo said the 10 were on their way to the Office of Defense Secretary Defin Lor-

enzana purportedly to present their letter requesting accreditation.

However, upon verification at the office of Lorenzana relating to the group’s claim, it turned out that the civilian anti-terror group had no prior appointment with the said office.

Arevalo said the 10 persons were turned over to the PNP Station for proper disposition.

“We commend the guards on duty under the leadership of Col. John Dominic Pulido, the Camp Commander, for their vigilance and appropriate action taken as required under the circumstances,” Arevalo said.

against other groups out to demolish their image.

The parents of Kian on Monday asked the Justice department to reject the appeal of the Caloocan policemen to dismiss the complaint against them, saying the respondents should be prosecuted for killing their son on Aug. 16.

In a reply to a counter-affidavit filed by suspects Chief Inspector Amor Cerillo, Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares, and Police Officers 1 Jeremiah Pereda and Jerwin Cruz of Caloocan City police community precinct 7, Saldy and Lorenza Santos said the autopsy report showed that Kian’s body was shot at close range, disprov-

ing the police claim that there was a shootout.

“Physical evidence speaks for itself. The foregoing wounds belie the claim of the... respondents that there was a shootout,” read the pleading filed through the Public Attorney’s Office.

Among the wounds sustained

by Kian was a near-contact gunshot in his left ear.

Kian’s parents also said the evidence sumitted, including testimony of witnesses, were sufficient to establish probable cause on the charges of murder, torture, planting of evidence and violation of domicile. Rey E. Requejo

“Back then, people were brainwashed by the previous administration that we were thieves and we didn’t stand a chance. Now, it’s slowly coming out that we were selected,” Estrada said.

Estrada said he did not report the incident to Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales because she had already made up her mind about his guilt.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier threatened to investigate the Office of the Ombudsman on allegations of corruption and partiality, after the independent agency announced a probe of his family’s bank transactions, based on a complaint filed by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. Estrada has denied pocketing P183.79 million from his pork barrel allocations from 2004 to 2010, saying the evidence against him is “immaterial and

Las Vegas...

From A1 Thousands of fans were attending the concert next to the Mandalay Bay, which was part of a three-day country music festival known as Route 91.

Donald Trump was briefed on the “horrific tragedy,” the White House said, and the US president took to Twitter to offer his “warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families.”

Witnesses told how Paddock opened fire with an initial long burst, and then appeared to reload as he continued his spree.

“We heard [what] sounded like a glass breaking, so you looked around to see what’s going on and then heard a pop,

Aguirre...

From A1 her cohorts conspired to take a photo of his text conversation.

“It was premeditated in the sense that they were really watching my cellphone,” Aguirre said in Filipino.

Aguirre said Hontiveros violated his constitutional right to privacy and also the Anti-Wiretapping Act. He also rejected Hontiveros’ claim that the photo was taken inadvertently.

He argued it was apparent that during a Senate hearing on public order and dangerous drugs on Sept. 5, while he was engaged in composing

10 men...

From A1

they must be able to present evidence to their allegations.

With the help of independent volunteer lawyers, he said, “we will look prudently into the sincerity of their motives and the veracity of their stories.”

The archbishop said the Church will not induce the policemen to speak or make any allegations if they wish to testify in any investigations.

“Within the bounds of Church and civil laws, we express our willingness to grant them accommodation, shelter and protection. The hospitality, comfort and acceptance that they seek from the Church will be attended to,” the prelate said.

“If their preference is to stay with us in the Church, they will not be turned over

to the State under its own witness protection program,” Villegas said in a statement.

“In the areas of pastoral counseling and values formation, the Archdiocese of Lingayen, Dagupan will be the loving teacher and mother of our law enforcers. Let us be guardian angels for one another.”

In a previous statement, Villegas threw his support behind two self-confessed Davao Death Squad members, Edgar Motabato and retired police officer Arturo Lascañas.

Motabato and Lascañas have implicated President Rodrigo Duterte in the DDS, a vigilante group that allegedly killed hundreds of suspected criminals in Davao City where the chief executive was once mayor.

Duterte not buying Trillanes' closed bank

By John Paolo Bencito and Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s claim that the alleged Singapore bank accounts of opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV were closed online is “unverified,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said Monday.

He made the statement even as Trillanes said Duterte was swindled when he paid a huge amount for Trillanes’ fake offshore bank accounts. He renewed his call to the Chief Executive to sign a waiver on the bank secrecy law.

Trillanes said the “swindler,” who was a contact of Duterte’s middleman, introduced himself as a US federal agent who had access to such records and documents.

He said the bank documents, which the senator stressed were all “bogus,” were sold to the middleman.

“So they’re getting information about the alleged bank accounts from a swindler,” said Trillanes who vowed to reveal today, Tuesday, in a privilege speech further details on the matter.

He said he would also name the swindler who had been selling fabricated information to Duterte’s camp.

Following Duterte’s revelation that Trillanes had terminated his account with the Singapore-based DBS bank online on Sept.

8, the bank in several tweets to netizens said a bank account could only be closed by either going to its home branch or submitting a closure authorization form.

Responding to those claims, Abella said Duterte’s claims and the response of DBS were both untrue.

“You know, that’s also unverified. All of these things have to be verified clearly,” Abella said.

In an interview over state-run PTV4, Duterte claimed that Trillanes had made sure he had closed his bank account before his visit to Singapore.

“He terminated it online on September 8, 2017, past 10 p.m., then left for Singapore after that to show his waiver of the bank teller in Singapore that he has no account,” Duterte said.

Cabbie...

From A1 the victims as Arnaiz and 14-year-old Reynaldo de Guzman.

Asked by Senator Grace Poe if the cops who shot Arnaiz were present in the hearing, Bagcal said: “Si Jeffrey and Ricky po.”

Meanwhile, “Joe Daniel” said Monday he was threatened with detention at the Senate if he were to testify in the probe on the deaths in the government’s war on drugs.

“Joe Daniel” said he met Arnaiz’s eyes when the 19-year-old was about to be shot, but he withheld this information in his affidavit because he was afraid.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the public order and dangerous drugs committee, asked him who he was scared of, and he said in Filipino: “Dun sa naghatid sa akin, sa nagsundo...Ide-detain daw po ako sa Senado pag nag-witness.”

He could not identify who he was referring to but said the person was riding a motorcycle.

Lacson then asked him to describe further this person who made the threat, adding in jest that it should be this person detained.

The witness earlier told the senators that he personally witnessed Arnaiz being shot by two policemen, identified as PO1 Jeffrey Perez and Ricky Arquilita.

Only...

From A1 of those who agreed that only poor drug pushers were killed came from Metro Manila with 75 percent; followed by Mindanao with 59 percent; Balance Luzon with 58 percent and the Visayas with 53 percent.

Also in the same survey, 74 percent or 3 out of 4 agreed that President Rodrigo Duterte should first expose his list of drug personalities and charge them in court, while 12

According to Bagcal, the two teenagers tried to rob him on Aug. 18.

One of the teenagers held a knife under his ear. He said he was able to get help from a tricycle driver who noticed a commotion inside the vehicle.

With the help of the tricycle driver, Bagcal said he brought the two teenagers to the nearby police station.

Bagcal said he, along with a certain “Sir Lakay” whom he later on identified as “Mr. Raras,” went to C3 road. The said cop, according to him, stayed inside the vehicle when Arnaiz was shot to death by Perez and Arquilita.

He said he did not hear Arnaiz say anything before he was shot dead, but he also saw the victim raising his hands.

“Joe Daniel” said during the hearing that he saw one of the teenagers shot to death.

He said he heard several gunshots, and saw the cops get an item wrapped in a white cloth, which they placed near the victim.

The witness said he just happened to be in the area when the incident happened.

Arnaiz’s parents found him in the morgue on Aug. 28, 10 days after he had gone missing.

A body dumped in a creek in Gapan, Nueva Ecija a few days later was identified as De Guzman who was Arnaiz’s last known companion.

A DNA result conducted by the Philippine National Police, however, said that the body was not De Guzman’s. percent disagreed and 14 percent were undecided.

Across geographical regions, agreement that President Duterte should make his list of drug personalities public and charge those in the list in court was highest in Metro Manila at 82 percent; followed by Balance Luzon at 75 percent; Mindanao at 71 percent and the Visayas at 69 percent.

The survey, conducted from June 23-26 has sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages. John Paolo Bencito

News Reverse ruling on QC curfew, SC asked YOUTH group asks SC to reverse its decision declaring as constitutional imposition of curfew for minors in QC The Supreme Court has been asked to reverse its earlier decision allowing an ordinance on the imposition of curfew for minors in Quezon City.

In a motion for reconsideration, the Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan appealed to the SC to overturn its Aug. 8 decision declaring Ordinance No. SP 2301-2014 passed by the Quezon City Council imposing curfew for minors in the city as constitutional.

The petitioner argued that the curfew ordinance, which is closely similar to that of the cities of Manila and Navotas that the SC declared unconstitutional, encourages arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement and infringes on the constitutional rights of minors and parents alike.

In its appeal, the group said the tribunal may have “overlooked and misappreciated” some of the arguments they raised.

Rey E. Requejo

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Ex-DA secretary Alcala, aide charged with graft

By Rio N. Araja

T

HE Office of the Ombudsman has perpetually barred former secretary Proceso Alcala of the Department of Agriculture from government service for alleged misuse of funds.

In two separate decisions, the Ombudsman found Alcala guilty of grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Alcala was meted the penalty of dismissal from the service, but due to his separation from the service, “the penalty is convertible to a fine equivalent to respondent’s salary for one year.”

In the first case, Alcala was found culpable for the misuse

of P13.5 million for the construction of the Quezon Corn Trading and Processing Center.

On Sept. 27, 2012, Isa Akong Magsasaka Foundation Inc. applied for an accreditation with the agriculture department “in order to be part of the project implementation that will help the farmers in Quezon province.”

On Nov. 5 on that same year, Alcala certified the foundation complied with

the requirements of the Commission on Audit with regards to the accreditation and award to nongovernment organizations for the implementation of DAfunded projects.

Bautista Ella, the foundation’s president, and Alcala entered into a memorandum of agreement on Feb. 11, 2013.

Under the arrangement, DA undertook to provide financial support through a fund transfer of P15 million for the establishment of QCTPC. A certain Laureano Arnulfo Mañalac issued two official receipts from the foundation to acknowledge the receipt of the funds.

Field investigation office showed Alcala authorized the DA to transfer the P13.5 million for the construction of the center at a private lot

belonging to Ella.

Additionally, the probe uncovered that Mañalac was Alcala’s head executive assistant, who concealed his interest in the foundation as one of its incorporators and his relationship to Ella, his father-in-law.

Mañalac was also the program director of the AgriPinoy Trading Center-Project Management Office.

“Since Mañalac was an incorporator of the foundation and given his functions as program director of the APTC program, the foundation would have been automatically disqualified from being granted any public funds from the program.

Alcala’s claim that Mañalac resigned on 01 October 2012 is of no moment. When the foundation applied for accreditation, Mañalac was still Alcala’s head executive

assistant and was the program director of the APTC program,” the decision read.

“Under the circumstances, respondent had a direct hand over the APTC program.

As project management committee chair, [Alcala] had the duty to review APTC project proposals, such as the foundation’s proposal, and decide whether the proposals should be supported. He likewise had the duty to approve or disapprove the recommended recipient/ partner association. Thus, he could not claim that he merely relied in good faith on the actions of his subordinates.”

The anti-graft court also held Alcala culpable “for not doing anything, to investigate any material violation of the MoA and build a case for the proper legal action that DA could institute against the foundation.”

SK, Bgy filing of candidacy starts Oct. 5 THE Commission on Elections said Monday that the filing of certificates of candidacy for the barangay and Sangguniang elections will be held on Oct. 5 to 11, 2017 as President Rodrigo Duterte has yet to receive and sign a bill postponing the local elections next year.

“With no law passed yet postponing the October 23 barangay and SK polls, candidates can file their candidacy on Thursday, October 5, as the gun ban commenced last October 1,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said.

The House of Representatives has approved the postponement of the October 2017 barangay elections to May 2018, but the Senate wants a postponement until October 2018.

“We have to issue the advisory to the public as we have to wait for President Duterte to sign the law postponing the elections,” the Comelec official said.

Vito Barcelo

Panel formed to probe Castillo hazing THE Department of Justice on Monday formed a panel of prosecutors to investigate and resolve the criminal charges against 18 individuals tagged in the fatal hazing of University of Sto. Tomas law freshman Horacio Castillo III. In Office Order 1865, Acting Prosecutor General Jorge Catalan Jr. designated Asst.

State Prosecutor Susan Villanueva as head of the panel with Associate Prosecutor Attorneys Wendell Bendoval and Honey Rose Delgado as members.

The panel is mandated to conduct preliminary investigation on the charges filed by the Manila Police District against primary suspect John Paul Solano and other members of the Aegis Juris Fraternity.

The first hearing is set for tomorrow, Oct. 4.

Solano was charged with murder, violations of Republic Act 8049 or Anti-hazing law, perjury, obstruction of justice and robbery. Rey E. Requejo

RETRAINING. Some 1,024 Caloocan policemen gets a briefing from PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa at the start of their retraining and reorientation program at the NCRPO in Camp Bagong Diwa Taguig City, after they were relieved from their posts following a string of killings of minors in the area. Norman Cruz

PH oil firms raise pump prices by as much as P0.55/l

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE country’s oil firms raised pump prices by as much as P0.55 per liter effective 6 a.m. Tuesday amid increased global demand for oil products.

PTT Philippines, Seaoil Philippines, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Eastern Petroleum Philippines and Flying V issued separate advisories of the oil price hike.

The oil firms raised diesel and kerosene prices by P0.55 per liter and gasoline by P0.25 per liter.

“Seaoil will adjust its pump prices per liter effective 6 a.m. Oct. 3 as follows: gasoline, P0.25 increase, diesel, P0.55 increase and kerosene, P0.55 increase. This is to reflect movements in the international petroleum market,” Seaoil said.

The Energy department attributed the latest increase to the release of information from the International Energy Administration of higher demand outside the US. It also noted that Asian gasoline market slightly strengthened following

higher crude prices.

“Oil climbed as investors considered the potential fallout from the independence referendum in the oil rich Kurdish region in Iraq,” it said.

Last Sept. 26, the oil firms raised the prices of diesel and kerosene by P0.45 per liter and P0.65 per liter but did not adjust gasoline prices.

Oil players also raised the price of cooking gas by as much P4.90 per kilo on Saturday to reflect the higher contract price of liquefied

petroleum gas in the world market.

The increase represents higher LPG prices for consumers amounting to P53.90 per 11-kilo tank, used primarily by households.

“Petron will increase the prices of LPG by P4.90 per kilo [VAT inclusive] effective 12:01 a.m. Oct. 1,” Petron said.

Rival Isla Petroleum which sells the Solane brand of LPG also raised prices by P4.38 per kilo (VAT exclusive) effective 6 a.m. Oct. 1.

Petron said it is also increasing its auto LPG prices

by P2.75 per liter at the same time.

“This is to reflect movements in the international contract prices for the month of October,” Petron said.

Last Sept. 1, oil firms also raised LPG prices by P2.74 per kilo or P30 per 11-kilo tank.

The oil firms adjust LPG prices every first day of the month while they adjust pump prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene every week.

Palace blasts NPA attacks, rejects renewal of talks

By John Paolo Bencito RECENT attacks by communist rebels against state forces only showed that they have “lost their sense of nation-building,” Malacañang said Monday.

“The New People’s Army’s attacks in Sarangani, South Cotabato, Surigao del Sur, Palawan and Masbate fuels the public’s doubt about the talks with the group,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said.

“The government will undertake appropriate steps to deal decisively with these forces that seem to have lost their sense of nation-building,” he added.

Malacañang cited various

attacks against state forces by communist rebels, including the ones in which they disarmed officials involved in counterinsurgency programs in Sarangani and South Cotabato.

Abella likewise said that the communists abducted a tribe leader and a Cafgu member in Surigao del Sur and ambushed a military convoy in Palawa. They likewise killed a policeman in Masbate.

Last Friday, Duterte rejected the possibility of resuming peace talks with communists, taking a step back from his recent statement expressing openness to the revival of negotiations.

HONORED. Former senator Dominador Aytona is honored with a necrological services at the Senate, with Senate President Koko Pimentel and Senator Cynthia Villar in attendance.

Lino Santos

Shelters ready for Marawi City ‘bakwits’ ByJohnPaoloBencito THE Office of Civil Defense on Monday said that it expects a complete turnover of transitional shelters to displaced residents from Marawi City before Christmas.

“Definitely,” said Office of Civil Defense Assistant Secretary Kristoffer James Purisima, who added that the continuous construction of transitional shelters is “on target” to be finished as soon as possible.

“Basta may matapos ng significant number of transitional shelters, ita-transfer na natin sila palabas ng evacuation centers papunta doon sa transitional shelter site,” said Purisima.

The National Housing Authority is expected to finish the first portion of the project, which include 1,500 transitional shelters within the time allotted, Purisima added.

He said that the relief assistance to internally displaced people continues and will not stop even if the fighting ends.

“We’re prepared to stretch our resources and to augment our resources as needed,” said Purisima.

“Hindi tayo titigil kahit tumagal pa o malapit ng matapos ang kaguluhan sa Marawi ‘no. Hindi natin ito tinitingnan basta patuloy ang ating focus sa ating mga IDPs,” he added.

Purisima made the assurance as President Rodrigo Duterte inaugurated what was described as a “green community” for IDPs of Marawi City, most of whom have been living in tents in different evacuation centers since May. Dubbed “Bahay Pagasa,” the project was initiated by the Tarlac Heritage Foundation which collaborated with government and private individuals following the President’s call for help to rebuild and restore Marawi back to its former glory.

Faeldon wants complaint vs Ping in another committee

By Macon Araneta FORMER Customs commissioner Nicolas Faeldon wants to move his complaint against Senator Panfilo Lacson from the Senate ethics committee to the Senate Committee of the Whole.

Faeldon said “the transfer is not only the most appropriate but in fact necessary under the circumstances to prevent an impending miscarriage of justice.”

He noted that the “holding in abeyance” of his complaint to coerce him to appear at the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing into the P6.4-billion shipment of shabu that slipped past the Bureau of Customs under his watch, was contrary to the provisions of the Senate Ethics committee.

Ethics committee chairperson Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto said they had decided to hold in abeyance Faeldon’s complaint as he continously failed to recognize the jurisdiction of the Senate.

After attending the first hearing, Faeldon snubbed the Blue Ribbon’s succeeding summons to appear in the hearing, and opted to be jailed at the Senate detention facility on contempt charges.

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Opinion

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Wading through

T

HE World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have committed to help improve Metro Manila’s flood management system.

The organizations will each contribute more than $200 million— P10.56 billion—for the project, while the government will provide the $415.2 million (P21.13 billion) for the $500-million project.

This is part of the 25year implementation of

the Metro Manila Flood Management Master Plan.

This segment, expected to be completed in 2024, will include the modernization of 36 existing pumping stations, construction of 20 new ones, and improvement of sup-

porting infrastructure along critical waterways in Manila, Pasay, Taguig, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Pasig, Valenzuela, Quezon City and Caloocan.

“When floods occur, the capacity of people to earn a living is constrained, and many can fall back into poverty” according to Mara Warwick, WB country director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines,

and Thailand.

Many of the existing stations were built in the 1970s and have deteriorated over time.

The situation is made worse by the clogging of the waterways by solid waste discarded by communities around waterways.

“This project is a great fit for our first investment in the Philippines,” AIIB’s Director General for Investment Operations

Supee Teravaninthorn said.

The Department of Public Works and Highways and the Metro Manila Development Authority will tap local government units and shelter agencies as they implement the project.

It is high time flood management became a primary concern.

Flooding endangers lives and property. It halts productivity, dis-

rupts progress and erases whatever gains the community has created. The project should transcend political turfs, terms or affiliations. After all, flooding knows no territorial boundaries.

The investment should be accompanied by an information and education campaign by the implementors so everybody will realize the stakes are high, and personal.

TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

Making heads or tails IF PEOPLE are confused about what is happening to President Duterte when he challenged Chiefa Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales to resign with him, so am I. Take this survey, for instance, that says majority of Filipinos did not agree that those who were killed by the police in the war against illegal drugs really

The survey findings just defy logic.

scribed his own colleagues as “the Seven Deadly Sens.”

One of the Dayao-administered sites is dedicated to Aquino and carries his name —a happy coincidence, if you can believe it.)

Naturally, Sotto and his fellow maligned senators took issue with the blog’s broadsides. The Senate majority, in retaliation, passed its own resolution condemning the killings of minors which pointedly excluded the LP senators.

But more than that, Sotto convinced Senator Grace Poe, head of the chamber’s committee on media, to begin an investigation into the proliferation of anti-administration anonymous blog sites like Silent No More. Poe’s investigation starts tomorrow, Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the mainstream media outlets have

fought back, or were even drug dealers in the first place.

If those findings are true, how come President Duterte remains popular among the people?

It defies logic! Political observers think they do not make sense at all.

Let me try. Perhaps the people are able to separate President Duterte as a person and a leader of the nation from his brutal war on drugs. In this case, Filipinos believe that he is still preventing the country from becoming a narcostate.

The reason, my gulay, that people think those killed did not fight back or were not really drug pushers is that they believe it is the fault of the police, not President Duterte. This is why he remains popular among the people.

I think he should pause and rethink his war on illegal drugs. Sooner or later, people will believe it is his fault, no longer the police’s. The President has to be convinced that this is more than just a peace and order problem. This is also about poverty. This is also about health.

No less than 39 countries worldwide, members of the United Nations, have

Turn to A5

Turn to A5

Anonymous no more LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES SO THAT’S why they’re always anonymous. They either worked for the previous administration or are working for it still.

The revelation over the weekend by pro-Duterte bloggers RJ Nieto (Thinking Pinoy), Sass Rogando Sasot and VOVPH that one former Aquino-era communications expert is the owner and administrator of a brace of critical and anonymous Web sites is not at all surprising. What’s more alarming is the fact that mainstream media, which is by and large critical of President Rodrigo Duterte, hasn’t picked up on this earth-shaking report.

According to the story, published by the Thinking

Pinoy Web site last Friday and which has gone viral since then, a certain Cocoy Dayao, said to be a consultant of the Malacañangbased Presidential Communications Operations Office from 2012 to 2016, is listed by online resources as the owner of sites known to be constantly and uniformly critical of the administration. Dayao is also the beneficiary of the Google AdSense revenues that are paid by the giant search-engine pioneer for the privilege of placing ads in sites that have enough traffic.

In his online profiles, Dayao describes himself as the chief technical officer of an outfit called Lab Rats Digital Consulting, a Lipa City, Batangas-based single proprietorship. (The journalist Jay Sonza later identified him by his full name, Edward Mojares Dayao,

whom Sonza said was a for- never identified themselves mer Quezon City resident publicly, unlike the prowhose mother hails from Duterte blogs which are Lipa City, where Dayao is published by known social also reportedly living at pre- media denizens like Mocha sent.)

Uson, Nieto and Sasot.

According to the report, The blogs in question Dayao is the owner/ad- and Dayao’s involvement in ministrator/ them would we b m a s t e r probably of about a never have dozen anonbeen made Apparently, ymous sites, public, had i n c l u d i n g fake news only the Senate Silent No happens when not gotten More, Pinoy administration into the act.

Ako Blog, This was C h a n g e officials and after Silent Scam m i ng, pro-Duterte No More B a c k r o o m bloggers open attacked a Politics, Progroup of Pinoy and their mouths seven senaM a d a m e to speak. tors whom Claudia, to the site said name just the refused to most promico-sign a resnent of these “yellow” sites. olution authored by Senator The sites are all anonymous, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, meaning their owners have the head of the opposition

Liberal Party, last week which called for the condemnation of the killing of minors in the ongoing campaign against illegal drugs

by Duterte.

In a previous column, I already discussed the Pangilinan resolution, which the seven senators said they never saw, the reason why they could not possibly have signed it. But in an apparently well-coordinated propaganda attack, the Silent No More blog immediately criticized the non-signing senators, calling them “dogs” of the administration and detailing their alleged sins individually. To name just one, Senate Majority Leader Vicente Tito Sotto was described as a “rapist” and a “plagiarist” by the anonymous site.

(LP Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, apparently also a part of the plot, de-

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From A4

expressed concern about the big number of those already killed.

President Duterte must be mad to not realize that so long as there is demand for illegal drugs, there will always be supply. *** Another confusing development is the ongoing war of words that he has picked with Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and her deputy. He made this threat should she proceed with the investigation into his and his family’s alleged unexplained wealth.

The President is a lawyer. He knows only too well that the Ombudsman enjoys a mandate from the Constitution to investigate, motu propio (by itself) any complaints against persons of authority.

So why is the President threatening her?

If indeed the accusations are lies, why should Mr. Duterte react negatively? This just makes his critics think he is hiding something.

The President even threatened to form his own commission to investigate the Office of the Ombudsman for corruption.

Does he mean this, or is he just resorting to hyperbole again? If it is the latter, however, he must realize that anything that comes out of the mouth of the President is open to interpretation.

The complaints against the President may not even be enough to oust him. But public perception is something else.

All public officials, especially a president, must be beyond reproach. I believe Mr. Duterte can surmount the challenges he is facing, but he must also acknowledge that public perception has a way of eroding one’s credibility.

This is important now, because this is a time we need a leader we can all believe in. *** Retired Chief Justice Renato Puno, one of the stalwarts in the push for a federal system of government, argued that the government, before turning the Philippines into a federal state, must first enact an anti-dynasty law to lessen the chances of political and economic monopoly in the provinces.

No doubt about it, with a federal form of government, regions and provinces will be ruled by dynasties—unless there is a law that would prevent them from doing so.

There is need to define a political dynasty—this particular problem has become more complicated because the 1987 Constitution does not define it. But then, Congress is ruled by political dynasties. He added that this is sine qua non (without which) in amending the Constitution.

Another problem of federalism supporters is preventing the regionalization of the Philippines. It must be noted that when you read history, culture and traditions of different regions countrywide, their roots are based on tribalism. How do you solve this problem? How can you lump them in one region? *** There is one thing happening in connection with the war on illegal drugs. It’s the fact that more and more members of the clergy are denouncing the violation of human rights by the police.

People in some places now go to priests for assistance when police start raiding their communities.

Despite claims by the police that their war on illegal drugs is succeeding because the crime rate is going down, this concern of people against human rights violations should be of concern to Malacañang. The people are losing their faith in the police and the justice system under the Duterte administration and this can develop to something else. *** There is a move at the House of Representatives to abolish the Bureau of Customs because of unending complaints of corruption. It appears that despite all attempts to overhaul the system, and whoever sits as Customs commissioner, corruption continues.

The problem of the bill seeking to abolish the bureau is that it will create more layers of corruption. This will not end the smuggling and the “tara” system.

The plan, for instance, is for the Bureau of Internal Revenue to take over the collection of Customs duties and revenue. My gulay, that would worsen the corruption at BIR. Why not simply privatize everything? I am sure that there are many in the private sector just waiting for the bidding.

Customs privatization is already being done in other countries. Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, former finance secretary and Customs commissioner under the Marcos regime, said corruption can only be stopped by abolishing the bureau and privatizing it.

President Duterte should take Enrile’s advice.

Anonymous...

From A4

maintained a stoic silence on the outing of Dayao, whom Thinking Pinoy said is probably just working for the true owners of the Yellow sites. This is the same media, as far as I can recall, that has repeatedly attacked Duterte, his officials and his online supporters for allegedly propagating fake news and for virulently attacking opposition figures and the previous administration.

Apparently, fake news—like Duterte’s well-publicized mistake in identifying ABS-CBN owner Gabby Lopez as the actor Gabby Concepcion—and scurrilous opinion only happen when administration officials like Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre and pro-Duterte bloggers and social media personalities open their mouths to speak. When anonymous Aquino- and LP-associated senators and sites do it, it’s not even worth mentioning.

I don’t know why the mainstream press is acting like the unmasking of the Dayao blogs is a non-story. I only know that, if it continues to act this way, the mainstream media runs the risk not only of declaring itself firmly on the side of the LP, but also of eroding what’s left of its credibility. *** On a purely personal note, I’d like to condole with the family and friends of legendary broadcaster Jose “Joe” Taruc Jr., who died last Saturday at the age of 70. Joe Taruc was my boss for three years at dzRH, where I worked as his news director.

Joe is that rarest of broadcasters who worked very hard at his craft while not calling attention to himself. He will be sorely missed by people who still remember broadcasters as journalists of the first water, unlike the shallow “news celebrities” of today.

FORMATION GARY OLIVAR YESTERDAY’S headlines were all about the President’s daring the Chief Justice and the Ombudsman to resign together with him, then spill the beans about their respective bank accounts. It’s not difficult to get Duterte’s dander up, as we know by now. The IBP president even went so far as to call him “onion-skinned,” which naturally added fuel to the flames.

Of course the opposition jumped on his remarks as yet another proof that Duterte is actually a billionaire (albeit only in peso terms, apparently). Why else, after all, would he be so touchy about people poking into his personal finances?

However, the truth lies somewhere else. Let’s look at the selfevident facts, and then you, dear reader, can figure out how thick your skin would have to be to stay calm and cool if you were in the President’s shoes: It’s a fact that the AntiMoney Laundering Council has denied sending Duterte’s bank records to the Ombudsman. The denial is reportedly even posted on their website.

But Deputy Ombudsman Ar-

turo Carandang insists that the Council did send him those records. Should we believe a cousin of PNot’s trollmaster Ricky Carandang, or the governor of the Bangko Sentral who chairs the AMLC? · The AMLC also rejected the Ombudsman’s method of calculating Duterte’s “hidden wealth,” which was simply to add up all transactions in his bank accounts, whether debit or credit. If you for whatever reason deposit and then withdraw the same one thousand pesos from your bank five times in a month, you’d be accused of hiding ten thousand pesos of wealth. This is the same tack the Ombudsman used years ago to help bring down the late Chief Justice Corona. Would your accounting teacher give you a passing grade on this? · Ask any experienced lawyer if he’s ever heard of cases being “fixed” at the Ombudsman’s office, including under the current Ombudsman. If the answer is no, would you consider him knowledgeable enough to handle your legal affairs? · That paragon of yellow uprightness, PNot Aquino, also declared he was “at war” with the Ombudsman, and also refused to sign a waiver to disclose his own bank accounts,

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2017

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Kids

when he was in the Palace.

Sauce for the goose…?

So…if you dear reader were being hounded by characters like these with arguments like those, how long would you be able to maintain your composure? *** Something called the Philippine Universal Period Review Watch has crawled out from under its rock to ask the UN Human Rights Commission to kick the Philippines out of the HRC because of the “continued killings of drug suspects”. The group was apparently incensed that the HRC had unanimously accepted the country’s latest human rights report.

Not only that. This new group also had the gall to call for the termination of any financial or logistical support being extended by other countries to the AFP and the PNP. That kind of talk borders on treasonous, especially in light of our current security problems with drugs, terrorists, common criminality, and the West Philippine Sea. This group was described as “a delegation of human rights and religious leaders”, led by something called the National Union of People’s Lawyers, which sounds suspi-

ciously like one of those NDF front organizations. If this is indeed what they are, you have to ask yourself: Wouldn’t the weakening of our soldiers and policemen be convenient indeed for people affiliated with a “terrorist movement” (not our label, but the European Court of Justice’s) who’re committed to killing those same men and women in uniform? *** With Duterte, at 72, well into his dotage, he might perhaps be forgiven for becoming a little squishy when the talk turns to children. With my own first grandchild already three months in his/her mother’s womb, I know I’m starting to feel the same sentimentality myself.

This hormonal change in seniors might explain his joke the other week that Presidential daughter Inday Sara would be his choice to succeed him in the Palace, just as she’s already replaced him in the Davao mayor’s office.

Luckily for him, the negative reaction so far has been confined to the typically humorless leftists. Besides, the feisty young lady does merit a serious look at her political prospects, regardless of whose daughter she is.

Somewhat more controversial, though, were Duterte’s later remarks about the two Marcos children in politics, former Senator Bongbong and current Governor Imee, who he said shouldn’t be held responsible for the sins of their father.

That ticked off the likable curmudgeon Congressman Edcel Lagman, who harrumphed that the two young Marcoses were “culpable beneficiaries” of the family’s wealth, and that they in fact had come of age shortly after the 1972 declaration of martial law.

It’s not clear to me if Cong Edcel was expecting Bongbong and Imee, as soon as they turned eighteen, to have run out into the streets waving placards against their father and his martial law. I wouldn’t have bet my own money on something like that happening.

In our culture, we generally don’t believe that the parents’ sins should be visited on their children. Even less do we expect, let alone encourage, children to rise up against their parents, no matter how objectionable the old folks have become. Evidently Cong Edcel hasn’t seen enough teary local movies and TV soap operas to realize this.

Overview of the Sereno defense THIS is the second of a series of column based on the reply submitted by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, through counsels, to the House Committee on Justice.

While citing the Sereno reply, I am solely accountable for this series as these columns articulate my personal understanding of the Sereno defense.

Interposing the denials and affirmative defenses in her Answer to the impeachment charges filed against her.

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno belies point by point the accusations against her by Mr. Larry Gadon. In general, she contends that complainant’s charges are not only rooted on ultimate facts but are mere conclusions of law or the complainant’s personal opinions. They are baseless and/or conclusory.

For example, insofar as it alleges that the Chief Justice “failed the psychological examination administered by the Judicial and Bar Council, and that under existing policy, an applicant to any position in the judiciary with a grade of four is unfit for the job,” is, according to her, false and bereft of basis. She insisted on the absence of such provision under the Rules of the JBC. Moreover, the results of

this evaluation is strictly confidential and are used by the JBC for “evaluation purposes only.” Besides, the results of this examination are irrelevant to the proceedings as they do not constitute any of the acts alleged in the Complaint.

Sereno likewise denied that she fired the two psychiatrists who gave her poor marks. The truth of the matter, according to her, is that the psychiatrists were under short-term consultancy contracts and the decision not to renew their contracts was the decision of the JBC which is a collegial body.

The Chief Justice contests the allegation she committed acts which supposedly amount to a) culpable violation of the Constitution; b) corruption; c) other high crimes; and betrayal of public trust. Specifically, she denied having falsified any Resolution of the Supreme Court in A.M. No. 12-11-09-SC which in fact was circulated and approved by the SC en Banc and has never been specifically recalled or revoked. Neither did she falsify any temporary restraining order in G.R. No. 206844-45.

According to her, the CJ cannot possibly “falsify,” “tamper with,” or “alter” a TRO under her own authority.

Sereno also stressed as untrue the accusation that she delayed action on the resolution of applications for retirement benefits of justices and judges since, according to her, she does not have power to act unilaterally on these ap-

plications which are referred to the Special Committee on Retirement and Civil Service Benefits whose recommendations are submitted to the SC en banc for approval.

Likewise, there is no truth in the accusation that she did not declare in her Statement of Assets Liabilities and Networth certain incomes. The truth of the matter, she explained, is that she disclosed in her 2010 SALN the remainder of her fees as counsel for the Republic from 2003-2008 in two international arbitration cases. She not only paid all taxes but also truthfully disclosed in her SALN all her assets, liabilities and net worth. Clearly, the President was misinformed when he attacked Chief Justice Sereno on this issue last Sunday during his speech to the Davao chapter of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

In addition, Sereno denied and presented her affirmative defenses in a variety of allegations including, that she manipulated the shortlist of the JBC for the six vacancies in the Sandiganbayan; that she lied when she said that there were several SC Associate Justices who requested that the JBC no longer obtain the SC’s recommendees to vacancies in the judiciary. By way of defense, she belied that she manipulated any member of the JBC whose decision are independent thinkers; and

has always acted as a collegial body. She also insisted that the acquisition of the Toyota Land Cruiser (2017) was neither an illegal nor an extravagant use of public funds. Her travels cannot be indicative of an extravagant lifestyle. In fact the SC did not incur additional expense for the Presidential suite which she used in relation to the 2015 Asean Chief Justices Meeting.

The Chief Justice further denies having ordered any judge not to issue a warrants of arrest against Senator Leila de Lima who was in fact arrested and is now under detention. Sereno also stresses that she did not “instruct” the Presiding Justice and the Associate Justices of the Court of Appeals not to comply with the processes of the House of Representatives or met them to discuss the matter. Neither did she embellish her Personal Data Sheet in applying for the judiciary to overstate her credentials. As for the hiring of the Information and Communications Technology Consultant, this was done in accordance with the Government Procurement Reform Act and her compensation was not excessive.

In reminding Justices of the Court of Appeals about the Canons of Independence, Chief Justice Sereno did not betray public trust as she was just reinforcing judicial ethics. Neither did she attack

the imposition of martial law during her commencement address in Ateneo De Manila University. On the contrary, she repeatedly expressed her support and recognition of the President’s power under the Constitution to declare martial law as long as the constitutional safeguards were complied with.

Finally, on court appointments, Sereno asserted that this is a prerogative of the en banc and she has always complied with the rules of delegation that has been approved collegially, All told, Chief Justice Sereno denies having committed all the charges levelled against her. On all occasions, she has in fact zealously maintained and will always maintain the independence of the judiciary as the third branch of Government. Chief Justice Sereno, like the other targets of the President’s ire and threats in his speech in Davao—Ombudswoman Conchita Carpio-Morales, Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang, and IBP President Abdiel Dan Elijah Fajardo —is only doing her job.

All of them are nonpartisan, men and women of the highest integrity; the nation should be grateful for their courage and commitment.

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False accounts and sweeping conclusions HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA AS EXPECTED, the 45th anniversary of Proclamation No. 1081, by which President Ferdinand Marcos placed the Philippines under martial law, was met by anti-Marcos groups, the Liberal Party-Yellow Army in particular, with self-serving recollections of that day in September 1972 when the lives of many Filipinos changed abruptly.

Many so-called personal recollections of the day Marcos inaugurated “the New Society” were published in several newspapers. While they were supposed to be “eyewitness” recollections, many essays contained sweeping generalizations, and even false information passed off as facts.

A human rights lawyer during the martial law era who later served as senator allied with then President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino from 1987 to 1992 recalled in his essay published last month in another newspaper, that in early December 1972, a Bolivian madman tried to stab then First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos but was subdued. The senator even recalled a joke made by a trial court judge to the effect

that if Mrs. Marcos had been killed by the madman, the latter would have been the first hero of martial law.

That account may seem vivid and even humorous to the senator, but it is inaccurate and borders on outright falsehood.

It was not a Bolivian madman but a Filipino named Carlito Dimailig (many misspell his surname as Dimahilig) who attempted to kill Mrs. Marcos. The incident happened at an afternoon openair ceremony at the Nayong Pilipino, the present site of the new airport terminal. The Bolivian madman probably contemplated by the senator was Benjamin Mendoza y Amor, a Bolivian painter who tried to kill Pope Paul VI with a knife at the airport during the latter’s papal visit to the Philippines in November 1970.

Moreover, any attempt at murder, no matter who is attacked, is deplorable and is not a laughing matter. The senator’s account suggests that murder is laudable if committed against a Marcos. Perhaps, that is how the senator feels because of the senator’s long association with Mrs. Aquino.

There is another supposed recollection of the events of martial law written by an “eyewitness” and published in another newspaper. According to this supposed “eyewitness,” President Marcos deceived the people when he announced the

proclamation of martial law only on Sept. 23, 1972, when martial law was already in force and effect two days earlier, on Sept. 21, 1972.

The truth is while Proclamation No. 1081 was dated Sept.

21, 1972, it was made public and enforced two days later, on Sept. 23, 1972. On Sept. 21 and 22, 1972, martial law was not even felt in the country.

Somebody published an essay in another newspaper where it is inaccurately claimed that the nationalist song Bayan Ko was banned during martial law.

That song was a staple during anti-government rallies after the assassination of ex-Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. in August 1983. Supporters of the government may not have liked the song, but there is no record of any official ban against singing it in public.

Anyway, it is disappointing to note that those who brand the martial law era as a period of falsehood and deception are themselves engaged in inaccurate information dissemination.

On the other side of the divide are, of course, the pro-Corazon Aquino publicists.

Last August, an essay published in another newspaper sweepingly claimed that the 1987 Constitution was ratified by an overwhelming majority of the people at a plebiscite called for that purpose, primarily because they were awed by Aquino’s leadership.

The cited figure may be true, but the alleged reason is not.

It must be emphasized that if the voters rejected the 1987 Constitution, rejection would have meant allowing the unelected Corazon Aquino to continue running the country both as president and as the individual legislature of the nation, and at a time when every justice in the Supreme Court was her appointee. There would hardly have been any checks and balances in the government.

Rejecting the 1987 Constitution would have also meant that the people would have had to wait indefinitely, or at least another year under an Aquino dictatorship, before a new draft constitution is submitted to the people anew.

Many staunch anti-Aquino personalities even opted to ratify the 1987 Constitution than to reject it. At least, under the 1987 Constitution, the legislative power of the government will no longer be exercised by Aquino alone but by an elected Congress.

Ratify the 1987 Constitution or reject it? That wasn’t much of a choice for the people. It was more of a dilemma.

The same propagandist also lauded Aquino for not seeking re-election in 1992 even if the single-term limit under the 1987 Constitution did not apply to her, considering that she assumed power under the 1935 Constitution.

Again, that conclusion is unfounded.

The prohibition against reelection found in the 1987 Constitution explicitly refers to the president “elected” in the February 1986 special election.

Since Aquino was not officially elected (Congress did not proclaim her the winner) but seized power as president, Aquino’s supporters argued that she is not disqualified from running for reelection in 1992. If Aquino chose to run for reelection, however, it will be an acknowledgment on her part that Marcos, and not Aquino, was the genuinely elected president in February 1986. Surely, Aquino would never make such a concession, even if it meant her not running for reelection in 1992. There goes the selfsacrifice façade.

That essay also assumes that Aquino would have succeeded in getting herself reelected if she ran in 1992. After Aquino abolished the Department of Energy and transformed the country into the power outage capital of the world; after her refusal to allow land reform in Hacienda Luisita; and after the infamous Mendiola Massacre in January 1987, it is doubtful whether Aquino would have won re-election. From a practical perspective, Aquino may have decided against re-election to avoid possible, perhaps even inevitable, defeat at the ballot box.

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News

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2017 A6 Standard TODAY Manila

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

MMDA welcomes ‘one-way’ traffic

By Joel E. Zurbano

T

HE Metro Manila Development Authority on Monday welcomed the proposed “one-way-all-the-way” traffic scheme, similar to what is being used in New York City, to solve the worsening traffic situation in the metropolis.

But MMDA assistant general manager for planning Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. said the agency could not decide on the matter.

“We will endorse the proposal to the Metro Manila Council, the governing and policy-making body of MMDA. It is the MMC, whose members are Metro Manila mayors, that will decide,” said Garcia.

He added all the traffic scheme proposals made by lawmakers and local government units would be discussed by the MMDA and the MMC in close coordination with the Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (i-ACT) on Oct. 10.

“All these proposals are being studied carefully, but the MMDA cannot decide on that. We will present it to the

MMC,” said Garcia.

Meanwhile, men from the Police-Highway Patrol Group have returned to assist in managing traffic on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, particularly from P. Tuason to Connecticut, to ease road congestion in the area this Christmas season.

The Metro Manila Development Authority-Public Information Office announced this on Monday after the i-ACT agreed with the proposal of MMDA asking for additional personnel to man traffic in the area as the holiday season draws near.

“In line with the initiative to address traffic woes in the metropolis, the i-ACT start-

ed deploying personnel from the Philippine National Police’s Highway Patrol Group Monday in Edsa from P. Tuazon to Connecticut/White Plains in Quezon City,” the MMDA-PIO stated in its advisory. i-ACT is an inter-agency body composed of personnel from the Department of Transportation, MMDA, PNP-HPG, Land Transportation Office, and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board tasked to address traffic congestion in the metropolis and nearby provinces of Rizal, Cavite and Bulacan.

MMDA general manager and concurrent i-ACT chief Thomas Orbos said the deployment of HPG men head-

ed by its commander Chief Supt. Arnel Escobal was approved in close coordination with DoTr and MMDA. He added the move aimed to augment the existing MMDA traffic personnel in manning the flow of traffic in the area during the peak buying “ber months”— reference to the months of September, October, November and December.

Orbos said more than 20 HPG personnel were already deployed in the area, while 40 additional personnel were positioned in other identified chokepoints in Edsa.

“We have to make sure traffic is moving in Edsa,” Orbos said.

Samar Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento has asked the

IN BRIEF

MMDA and other government traffic managers to make three major road arteries in Metro Manila into full one-way highways.

“Our traffic situation is a multi-dimensional problem that has evolved and accrued through the years. While other countries in the region opted for tenement buildings and railway systems, we followed the American model of bungalows and highways.

So we cannot just blame one cause alone, like lack of discipline among drivers or the presence of colorum PUVs plying our roads,” Sarmiento, an engineer, said.

He explained that Edsa was built in the 1940s when the population in Metro Manila was only 1.7 million.

PAL to enforce tighter security FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines said Monday it will implement stricter security measures for its US-bound flights.

The airline advised its passengers going to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, Guam and New York to expect a different checkin setup and to be at the airport three to four hours before departure.

The move is in line with the regulatory requirements of the US Department of Homeland Security for all flights operating from the last point of departure to the United States, PAL spokeswoman Maria Cielo Villaluna said.

On Monday, PAL conducted a simulation to implement the expanded check-in procedures and heightened security measures at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for all US-bound passengers.

The airline is seeking the understanding and cooperation of passengers as it carries out this “run through” designed to ensure a seamless implementation of the additional check-in procedure sometime in the future.

In July, PAL imposed a measure subjecting all the portable electronic devices larger than a cellphone or smartphone of passengers bound for the United States to additional airport screening.

Villaluna said the electronic devices that exceed the size limit must be surrendered by passengers to the airline for additional screening at the Redundancy Screening Checkpoint. But she said necessary medical devices are exempted from additional screening.

The approximate size of a commonly available smartphone is considered to be a guideline for passengers.

Joel E. Zurbano

THE Bureau of Immigration has ordered the deportation of a Korean wanted by the authorities in Seoul for swindling a compatriot of more than P9.5 million.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente ordered the deportation of Park Petero who was arrested at his home in Santo Niño village in Angeles City by operatives of the bureau’s fugitive search unit.

Park stayed in the Philippines illegally for nearly five years to evade arrest and prosecution.

Morente said Park had been the subject of a red notice from Interpol, which was issued due to an arrest warrant that a Korean court issued against him in 2015.

“He will be deported for being an undesirable alien and for posing a risk to public safety on account of his status as a fugitive from justice,” Morente said. Vito Barcelo

‘ERC execs could face graft raps’

ROAD WORK. DPWH workers apply asphalt over a stretch of road in front of the Manila City Hall on Monday. Lino Santos

BONIFACIO DRIVE, SOUTH HARBOR, PORT AREA, MANILA 1018, PHILIPPINES, P.O. BOX 436, MANILA, PHILIPPINES TEL. NO. (0632) 527-8356, FAX NO. (0632) 527-4855 HTTP://WWW.PPA.COM.PH

INVITATION TO BID

The Philippine Ports Authority, through the Corporate Budget of the Authority for CY 2017, intends to apply the sum of P 351,191,971.85 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Proposed Extension of R.C. Pier, Port of Currimao, Currimao, Ilocos Norte (LFP NLZ No. 030-2017). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Philippine Ports Authority now invites bids for A. Construction of RC Pier Extension (Area = 3,348.00 sq. m.). Completion of the Works is required in 540 calendar days. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project.

The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.” Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, cooperatives, and partnerships or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for Engineering Projects and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 03 October 2017 from the address below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (P 50,000.00).

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Philippine Ports Authority, provided that bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 12 October 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at the PPA Function Room, 7th Floor, PPA Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila, which shall be open to all prospective bidders.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 9:00 a.m. of 25 October 2017. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the bidding documents.

Bid opening shall be on 25 October 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at the 7th Floor, PPA Building, A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidder’s representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

Required PCAB Registration: Large B – Port, Harbor and Offshore Engineering

The Philippine Ports Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to:

FOR THE PROPOSED ISABELA PORT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, PORT OF ISABELA, ISABELA CITY, BASILAN

The Philippine Ports Authority, through the Corporate Budget of the Authority for CY 2017, intends to apply the sum of P 161,432,901.75 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Coron Port Expansion Project, Port of Coron, Palawan (LFP PLW No. 031-2017). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Philippine Ports Authority, through the Corporate Budget of the Authority for CY 2017, intends to apply the sum of P 363,819,720.70 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Proposed Isabela Port Improvement Project, Port of Isabela, Isabela City, Basilan (LFP ZBA NO. 032-2017). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Philippine Ports Authority now invites bids for A. Construction of Back-up Area B. Extension of R.C. Pier. Completion of the Works is required in 390 calendar days. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project.

The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.” Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, cooperatives, and partnerships or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for Engineering Projects and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 03 October 2017 from the address below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (P 50,000.00).

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Philippine Ports Authority, provided that bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 12 October 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at the PPA Function Room, 7th Floor, PPA Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila, which shall be open to all prospective bidders.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 1:00 p.m. of 25 October 2017. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the bidding documents.

Bid opening shall be on 25 October 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at the 7th Floor, PPA Building, A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidder’s representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

•

Required PCAB Registration: Medium B – Port, Harbor and Offshore Engineering

The Philippine Ports Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to:

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.” Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, cooperatives, and partnerships or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for Engineering Projects and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 03 October 2017 from the address below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (P 50,000.00).

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Philippine Ports Authority, provided that bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 12 October at 2:00 p.m. at the PPA Function Room, 7th Floor, PPA Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila, which shall be open to all prospective bidders.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 9:00 a.m. of 26 October 2017. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the bidding documents.

Bid opening shall be on 26 October 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at the 7th Floor, PPA Building, A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidder’s representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

•

Required PCAB Registration: Large B – Port, Harbor and Offshore Engineering

The Philippine Ports Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

BAC Secretariat, Philippine Ports Authority 5th Floor, PPA Bldg., A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila Telephone/Fax No. 527-47-35 527-83-56 to 83 loc. 539

PPA Website: www.ppa.com.ph

PPA Website: www.ppa.com.ph

The Philippine Ports Authority now invites bids for A. Improvement of Existing R.C. Wharf (Area = 3,883.49 sq. m.) B. Construction of RORO Ramp and R.C. Platform (Area = 376.07 sq. m.) C. Port Lighting System. Completion of the Works is required in 660 calendar days. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

For further information, please refer to:

Telephone/Fax No. 527-47-35 527-83-56 to 83 loc. 539

Telephone/Fax No. 527-47-35 527-83-56 to 83 loc. 539

INVITATION TO BID

INVITATION TO BID

FOR THE CORON PORT EXPANSION PROJECT, PORT OF CORON, PALAWAN

BAC Secretariat, Philippine Ports Authority 5th Floor, PPA Bldg., A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila

BAC Secretariat, Philippine Ports Authority 5th Floor, PPA Bldg., A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila

ENERGY Regulatory Commission officials may be held liable for graft over their alleged preferential treatment of generation companies (gencos) linked with the Manila Electric Co., a lawmaker said on Monday.

Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate said officials of the controversy-ridden ERC could be slapped with a violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. “They can be held liable for violation of the AntiGraft Practices Act especially if the contracts are detrimental to the Filipino consumers,” Zarate, member of the Makabayan bloc, said.

Zarate, a lawyer, earlier filed House Resolution 566 which seeks a congressional probe into the supposed seven “sweetheart deals” that Meralco is applying for at the ERC. Maricel V. Cruz

BONIFACIO DRIVE, SOUTH HARBOR, PORT AREA, MANILA 1018, PHILIPPINES, P.O. BOX 436, MANILA, PHILIPPINES TEL. NO. (0632) 527-8356, FAX NO. (0632) 527-4855 HTTP://WWW.PPA.COM.PH

BONIFACIO DRIVE, SOUTH HARBOR, PORT AREA, MANILA 1018, PHILIPPINES P.O. BOX 436, MANILA, PHILIPPINES Tel. No. (0632) 527-8356, Fax. No. (0632) 527-4855 HTTP://WWW.PPA.COM.PH

FOR THE PROPOSED EXTENSION OF R.C. PIER, PORT OF CURRIMAO, CURRIMAO, ILOCOS NORTE

•

Korean to be deported

PPA Website: www.ppa.com.ph

ADRIAN FERDINAND S. SUGAY Chairperson, PPA Head Office Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects (HO-BAC-EP)

ADRIAN FERDINAND S. SUGAY Chairperson, PPA Head Office Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects (HO-BAC-EP)

ADRIAN FERDINAND S. SUGAY Chairperson, PPA Head Office Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects (HO-BAC-EP) Standard – Oct. 3, 2017

M. Standard – Oct. 3, 2017

Standard – Oct. 3, 2017

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

A7

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Presidents Cup to Americans J

ERSEY CITY—The United States polished off a 19-11 Presidents Cup win on Sunday over a battling International team whose fate was sealed over three punishing prior days.

Victory was in the bag when Daniel Berger went 3-up with three to play against South Korean Kim Si-Woo—assuring himself of at least half a point to go with the half-point gained

by Kevin Chappell against Marc Leishman in the first match of the day.

By the time Berger wrapped up his 2 & 1 victory over Kim, victories for Aussie Jason Day and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama were ir-

relevant and it was certain that US President Donald Trump would be presenting the trophy to the home side on Sunday evening.

Trump arrived at Liberty National Golf Club -- which lies in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty some 30 miles from his home at his Trump National Bedminster resort—just in time to see the Americans seal the win.

He watched for awhile from the glass-walled club-

house at the 14th green, along with US PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and former commissioner Tim Finchem.

“What a feeling,” said Berger, who was informed

by US captain Steve Stricker at the 16th that the United States had clinched it.

“This is a juggernaut of a US team,” said International captain Nick Price. “They’re an overpowering team that played some phenomenal golf. It was tough to watch, especially being on the receiving end.”

Momentum and confidence The Americans set themselves up for a stress-free

Sunday by thrashing the internationals over 18 foursomes and fourball matches —allowing them just two wins over the first three days.

The US led by 11 points overnight and needed just a point on Sunday to claim a seventh straight Cup. “They came in here riding a ton of momentum and a ton of confidence,” Stricker said of his players, who included the winners of the last three major championships. “It was about getting out of their way.”

The Internationals, who won their only title back in 1998 and played to a draw in 2003, were hoping for more

after a narrow defeat in South Korea two years ago.

In the end their only satisfaction was denying the US bid to become the first team to win every session.

The Internationals won six matches on Sunday and halved three.

“We all knew the guys were going to come out firing today to try and get a victory or to get a point for the team,” said South African Louis Oosthuizen, a 1-up winner over Patrick Reed.

“In the 18 matches before today it’s only 3.5 points, so I think everyone was anxious to get more points on the board.”

World number three Matsuyama, noticeably out-ofsorts over the first three days, produced a 3 & 1 victory over US star Justin Thomas—who out-gunned him for the PGA Championship title in August.

Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela defeated British Open champion Jordan Spieth 2 & 1—Spieth’s third singles defeat in three Presidents Cup appearances.

Among the US winners on the final day, five-time major-winner Phil Mickelson downed Canadian Adam Hadwin 2 & 1 in his 100th match for the United States in Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup play. AFP

Cuevas, Anghag pull off tennis thrillers ANDREI Cuevas and Janmarie Anghag hacked out a pair of three-set victories to share top honors in the 16-and-under division of the Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Ozamiz regional tennis tournament at the City Engineers, Naomis Gardens and SDA tennis courts in Ozamiz City yesterday.

Cuevas rallied from a set down to stun the top seeded Steven Sonsona, 4-6, 6-1, 10-4, then the Tubod, Lanao del Norte bet blasted Mark Malinis in the 18-U finals to emerge the lone double winner in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented

by Slazenger.

Anghag, on the other hand, blew an opening set lead but recovered in the tiebreak to score a 6-3, 1-6, 10-7 decision over Wyne Paglinawan. She, however, failed to match Cuevas’ feat as she fell to fellow local ace Carmenville Gervacio, 6-4, 6-0, in the 18-U championship.

Rica Labrador, of Sindagan, Zambo del Norte, scored a 6-3(ret.) win over Guia Bandolis to clinch the girls’ 14-U title while Judyann Padilla, another rising star from the host province, upended Bandolis, 4-6, 6-3, 10-6, to snatch the 12-U diadem in the five-day event hosted

by Ian Villanueva, also the OIC of the Unified Tennis Philippines for Northern Mindanao.

Eric Tangub, from Tukuran, Zambo del Sur, dominated Lex Estillore, 6-2, 6-2, to pocket the boys’ 14-U crown; Heinz Carbonilla from Maranding, Lanao del Norte, took the 12-U plum with a 6-1, 6-2 romp over Andrei Padao; while Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte’s Vinz AJ Bering routed Kale Villamar, 4-2, 4-1, to nail the 10-unisex title.

“With only one player winning 2 titles underscores the level playing field in our age-group circuit. And we take pride in giving everybody a chance to excel through our weekly tournaments in various provinces,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Anghag and Gervacio later teamed up to capture the 18-U doubles title via an 8-2 rout of Laisha Echon and Paglinawan; while siblings Judy-Ann and Carmel Padilla took the 14-U crown with an 8-5 victory over Bandolis and Angel Denopol in the tournament backed by the Unified Tennis Group, composed of Cebuana Lhuillier, PPS-PEPP, Wilson, Toby’s, BMeg, Citigreen, Babolat and TruFlex.

MARIST SCHOOL IS CAGE CHAMP. Marist School brought home the highly coveted Sportsmanship Award in the SBP Division of the 32nd SBPPasserelle twin tournament NCR finals, the country’s largest twin tournament for basketball. Organized by the country’s premier sports clinic, Basketball Efficiency Scientific Training Center, SBP-Passerelle annually gives this award for the exemplary skills of the team in playing basketball and the fair play shown by the kids’ parents, coaches and school officials. SBP-Passerelle is sponsored by MILO, in cooperation with Rain or Shine Elasto Paints, Chris Sports, and SKLZ. For more information about BEST Center’s classes and tournaments, call the hotlines 411-6260, 3723066 and 372-3065, email bestcentersports@gmail.com or follow its official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/BEST-Center-Sports-Inc/66172039922.

Top chessers ready for Shell chess grand finals FORTY-EIGHT of the country’s top young chessers, who survived the tough five-leg regional elims in the last four months, brace for a battle royale – not only for top honors in three divisions, but also for bragging rights as winners, on a national level, of the last Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship.

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation, which has sponsored the annual talent-search since 1992, is bowing out of the chess scene after 25 years, proud of its grassroots youth program that has helped boost the sport and produced world-beaters like GMs Wesley So, Mark Para-

gua and Nelson Mariano II.This makes the final tournament doubly interesting and sentimental, with the finalists all fired up for the big event set October 7 to 8 at the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia in Pasay.

NCR leg champions Cyrus Francisco of San Beda (kiddies), Francois Magpily of Gen. Pio del Pilar National High (juniors) and Dale Bernardo of Far Eastern University (seniors) head the elite cast of players that includes the other top finishers in the other regional elims in Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Davao and Cebu.

Like in the elims, the finals will be a 9-round Swiss system

tournament with the seniors champion to receive P30,000, the juniors winner P20,000 and the kiddies titlist P10,000 plus their respective trophies.

The top female player will also get P10,000 (17-20 age group), P5,000 (13-16) and P4,000 (712). The other NCR top finishers are kiddies finalists Chester Reyes, Cedric Abris and Roilanne Alonso, juniors James Erese and Julius Gonzales and seniors Jeth Morado, Darry Bernardo and Ynna Canape.

The other finalists from their respective regional elims are: (Batangas leg) Michael Concio Jr., Mark Bacojo and Daren

dela Cruz (kiddies); Stephen Pangilinan, Daniel Quizon and Kylen Joy Mordido (juniors); Jonathan Jota, Romulo Curioso, Jr. and Venice Vicente (seniors); (Cagayan de Oro leg) David Ancheta, Joseph dela Rama and Rhea Canino (kiddies); Adrian Yulo, Ronald Canino and Mary Joy Tan (juniors); Ahman Ali Azote, Emmanuel Acierto and ZsuzsaTabudlong (seniors); (Davao) Wesley Magbanua, Charliemagne Arias and Ruth Atog (kiddies); Aaron Caresosa, Kurt Placencia and Irish Yngayo (juniors); Andre Jiorgo, Gino Asuncion and DhonaYngayo (seniors);

RL turns back Sitel Alpha in LGR Corporate Division TEAM RL relied on the hot shooting pair of Pat Giron and Rhayan Cruz to turn back Sitel Alpha 2, 89-82, in the Corporate Division of the LGR Hoops Season 4 at the Titan Love Court in BGC Fort Bonifacio.

Giron finished with 27 points, including a steady 12-of-14 shooting from the foul line, while Cruz contributed 24 markers, including three triples and a perfect 5-of-5 shooting from the free throw area.

Cruz’s timely shooting was enough to earn him Best Player of the Game in this event sponsored by Bugsy’s, Rain or Shine, Titan, NBA Store, Gatorade, BTV, Golds Gym, Zarks Burger, Kartilya, SYF and Ybalai.

TDP Wolfpack blasted Asurion PH, 84-32, in another game of the Corporate Division at the Titan Love Court.

Sam Basco and Eleazar Apacible combined for 44 markers as the duo proved to be too

much to handle for their rivals. TDP Wolfpack raced to an early 3918 lead and didn’t look back.

In the Neophyte Division, Tao-Nikon scored a similar easy win over Bona-X, 6648, at the North Greenhills Gym. Three players led by Robert Barlaw scored in double figures for TaoNikon, which led from start to finish. Barlaw led the way with 18 points followed by Darwin Bautista’s 17 and Marvin Punla’s 12.

RJS Construction continued to make its mark by outplaying I Protect Saftey Shoes, 78-70, at the Cloverleaf Gym. PJ Fernandez scored 15 points to lead RJS Construction to victory.

LGR Hoops is the fastest growing recreational basketball event for people from all walks of life, drawing participation from more than 90 teams competing in different divisions.

Action heats up in the LGR Hoops Season 4 between Don Papa and Rise.

Griffins advance to Naascu semis St. Clare CollegeCOLEGIO de San Games Wednesday: Caloocan starting Lorenzo went to (San Andres Complex) Wednesday. veteran Jon Gabriel 9 a.m. -- DOMC vs SFAC (S) 10:30 a.m. -- SCC vs CdSL (S) In the other semiat crunch time to final, Group B chambring down Philippine Christian University, 84-81, in pion De Ocampo Memorial College their knockout game and advance to will play St. Francis of Assisi College.

Gabriel’s three-point play off the semis in the NAASCU Season 17 men’s basketball tournament at the Okoronkwo’s foul gave the Ironcon AMA University gym in Quezon City. Builders-backed Griffins an 83-81 Gabriel scored seven of his 13 lead with 19 seconds left.

Von Tambeling and Michael Ayopoints in the fourth quarter, including a game-changing three-point play nayon then missed consecutive gameoff a foul by Christopher Okoronkwo winning shots for PCU before Argie with 19 seconds left, to salvage the Baldevia finalized the score with a split from the free throw line. win for the Griffins.

“It was team effort, but I have to give With the win, CdSL set up a best-ofthree semifinal showdown with Group credit to Gabriel. He carried us in the A topnotcher and defending champion end,” said CdSL coach Boni Garcia.

Pumaren can now focus on Adamson COACH Franz Pumaren can now focus on his mission of turning the fortunes of the Adamson Falcons in the UAAP around.

This developed after the GlobalPort management and Pumaren have reached an agreement that allowed the manytime collegiate champion coach to go on leave so he can concentrate on his task at Adamson.

“It’s our turn to give way to Adamson’s dream of winning their second UAAP championship,” said GlobalPort Governor and AirAsia executive Erick Arejola. “Adamson allowed Franz to handle GlobalPort for a season so this time we will return the favor to them.”

The team is owned

by Rep. Mikee Romero (1Pacman).

Though the Batang Pier failed to get past the quarters under Pumaren’s watch, Arejola was still grateful to Pumaren for all the help and sacrifices he has done to the team.

“He did a great job to the team and if not for some heartbreaking losses we could have done better this conference,” added Arejola.

Aside from several nearmisses, the nagging knee injury of star player Terrence Romeo and the death of Fil-Am Stanley Pringle’s father in the middle of the ongoing conference that saw him miss two crucial games badly hurt the team’s bid.

Arejola added that Pumaren will be away for only a year.

ABS-CBN S+A to air NBA pre-season tiffs ABS-CBN S+A will air NBA preseason games starting Tuesday to ease fans and players alike back into the grind before the opening of the 72nd season of the world’s best professional basketball league this coming Oct. 18.

Starting off the festivities are the Milwaukee Bucks led by All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Dallas Mavericks, which will introduce their draft pick Dennis Smith Jr. alongside Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki tomorrow (Oct. 3) at 8:30 a.m.

LIVE on S+A and S+A HD. It will be followed by the match-ups between cross-city rivals Brooklyn and New York on Wednesday at 7:30 a.m.; while Memphis and Philadelphia check each other on Thursday (Octo. 5) at 7 a.m.

Meanwhile, defending champion Golden State Warriors will pay a visit to the Jimmy Butler-led Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 9 at 7 a.m., while Houston will get to test their Chris Paul-James Harden experiment as they fly to New York to face Kristaps Porzingis and the Knicks for their game on ‪Oct. 10, which will air at 7:30 a.m.

Fans will also get a glimpse of Lebron James’ new Cleveland Cavaliers squad with recruits Isaiah Thomas, 2011 MVP Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade when they battle Rose and Wade’s former team, the rebuilding Chicago Bulls to be led by Zach Lavine and rookie Lauri Markannen ‪on Oct. 11, at 8 a.m.

Wrapping up the preseason offerings on S+A are the Boston Celtics that will feature their new Big Three of Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford when they go up against Kemba Walker and Dwight Howard of the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 12 at 7 a.m.

The 2017-2018 “NBA Action” will also be aired beginning Friday (Oct. 6) at 11 a.m.

For more information and stories on the NBA, visit ABS-CBN’s sports hub For more information and stories on the NBA, visit ABS-CBN’s sports hub sports.abs-cbn.com and follow @ ABSCBNSports on Facebook and Twitter.

LOTTO RESULTS 6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

P0 M+ P0 M

Riera U. Mallari, Editor Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor sports@thestandard.com.ph sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

A8

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2017

Sports

Star’s Paul Lee drives into the lane against the defense of Meralco’s Kelly Nabong and Jared Dillinger in a PBA Governors’ Cup semifinal game won by the Bolts, 72-66.

Meralco tries to zero in on Gov Cup finals

By Jeric Lopez

M

OVING closer to getting back to the finals is what’s on the mind of Meralco as it shoots for a commanding 2-0 lead when it meets Star again in their best-of-five semifinals duel in the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup.

said Black. “It will be an even tougher grind for both teams as the series goes.”

After starting out f lat and trailing by 17 points early in Game 1, Meralco, just like in some of its previous victories, slowly but surely woke up and willed its way towards a come from behind 7266 victory over Star in the opening game of the series Sunday night to draw first blood.

The Bolts only scored seven points in the opening quarter and still

trailed by nine with under four minutes remaining but their stingy defense and clutch play paved way for their comeback win.

Just like Black, Star also anticipates continued struggles on the offensive end for both teams as it is clear to see what side of the floor is both teams’ main priority.

“It’s all about defense talaga sa series na ‘to,” said Star veteran forward Marc Pingris. “Sana may natutunan na kami after Game 1 para makuha na-

The Bolts are eyeing to keep their edge, while the Hotshots look to equalize when they collide in Game 2 at 7 p.m. today at the Sta. Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex in Laguna.

Meralco coach Norman Black expects the series to stay defensive-oriented just like how the opener unfolded.

“It’s once again going to be a defensive struggle.

It always is against Star,”

Players kneel after fresh call from Trump

NHA Builders, Justice Boosters, Responders win UNTV games

LOS ANGELES—NFL players protested during the US national anthem for a second straight week on Sunday, ignoring a fresh demand from President Donald Trump to stand for the playing of The StarSpangled Banner.

A week after an unprecedented wave of racially-charged protests by players, smaller-scale, scattered demonstrations were seen across the league.

Three members of the Miami Dolphins team were the first to take a knee during the anthem ahead of their team’s game against the New Orleans Saints at Wembley in London.

A handful of Buffalo Bills players could be seen kneeling for the anthem ahead of their game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Two Detroit Lions players took to one knee for the anthem before the game against the Minnesota Vikings while a group of Cleveland Browns players stood with their fists raised ahead of their showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals.

But there appeared to be no protests in several other other games, including the New England Patriots’ clash with the Carolina Panthers and the Dallas Cowboys home game with the Los Angeles Rams.

THE NHA Builders bounced back from a loss against the MalacañangPSC by crushing the PDEA Drug Busters, 111-88, in the UNTV Cup Season 6 at the Pasig City Sports Center.

The trio of Alvin Vitug, Antonio Lustestica and Waldemar Tibay combined for a total of 72 points to cripple the Drug Busters, who were led Robert Sanz (24 points), Marlon Basco (20) and Julius Perante (17).

In the other game, the defending champion PNP Responders clinched its second consecutive win—a 98-91 stopping of the DOH Health Achievers.

The consistent contributors of PNP basketball team Anton Tolentino (21

Games Sunday

(Pasig City Sports Center) 2 p.m. Malacañang vs. DOJ 3:30 p.m. NHA vs. Judiciary 5 p.m. BFP vs. Senate

points), Olan Omiping (19) and Alejandro Yanquiling (15) delivered as they beat the gritty UNTV Cup newcomer, led Leonardo Nidoy (28 pts).

Meanwhile, alongside the 120th founding anniversary celebration of the Department of Justice, the DOJ Justice Boosters celebrated with a win over the Department of Agriculture Food Masters, 86-82.

The Justice Boosters were led by Eric Mabazza, who made 27 points, while Paul Gerard Reguera and

Justine Arvie Lopez both scored 11 points.

“Sobrang lakas ng mga teams ngayon sa Season 6, so pinanuod lang namin ang first game nila, then ini-adjust lang namin ang defense especially kay Jimwell Torion. Ang offense, sumunod na lang,” said DOJ Head Coach John Agbayani Jr. On the other hand, the Food Masters vowed to bounce back in their next game.

“Kasi noong na-check nila si Jimwell, nakatayo ang ibang mga kasamahan namin. Siguro more practice pa. May mga plano pa kami sa team…gagawin namin sa practice,” DA Coach Zaldy Realubit said.

min naman ‘yung susunod na games.”

Meralco’s defense held star scoreless in the last three minutes and 44 seconds of Game 1, allowing it maneuver and snatch the win.

On the other side of the bracket, TNT KaTropa and Barangay Ginebra just started their own best-offive semis war.

The No. 2 Tropang Texters and the No.3 Gin Kings are cur rently duking it out in Game 1 of their affair, as of this report.

JRU Bombers look to boost hold on 3rd JOSE Rizal seeks to keep its stranglehold of third spot as it tackles an already-ran College of St. Benilde even as Perpetual Help hopes to breathe life to its sagging Final Four campaign as it faces defending champion San Beda today in the 93rd NCAA basketball tournament at the Filoil Arena in San Juan City.

The Bombers downed the Altas, 85-52, on a career 18-point performance

by MJ dela Virgen Friday that kept the former at No. 3 with an 8-6 record and another triumph in their 4 p.m. duel with the Blazers, who are already out of it with a 3-11 slate, would further strengthened its grip on their lofty perch.

“If we keep playing with the same intensity as we did the last time, we have a chance,” said Jose Rizal coach Vergel Meneses.

While Jose Rizal aims to keep its winning ways going, Perpetual Help desperately tries to claw its way back to Final Four contention after sliding to its ninth defeat against four victories following an embarrassing defeat to the former.

Perpetual Help takes on

Games today

(Filoil Arena, San Juan) 12 nn.- UPHSD vs San Beda (jrs) 2 p.m.- UPHSD vs San Beda (srs) 4 p.m.- CSB vs JRU (srs) 6 p.m.- CSB vs JRU (jrs)

Mapua on Oct. 5, Arellano University on Oct. 12, Emilio Aguinaldo on Oct. 19 and the postponed game against San Sebastian in a still unspecified playdate.

Altas mentor Jimwell Gican said they have no choice but to sweep their remaining games.

“All our remaining games are a must-win for us,” said Gican.

But it will be a tall order pulling the rug from under San Beda, which trounced Arellano University, 83-72, Thursday to book the second Final Four seat and a twice-to-bead advantage there with a 13-1 card.

Lyceum of the Philippines University leads the way with a pristine 15-0 mark.

If there’s anything going right for the Altas, they nearly beat the Lions in their first-round showdown before imploding in the end to suffer a 53-57 defeat on Aug. 17.

UP Lady Maroons stretch streak to 5 DEFENDING champion University of the Philippines turned back National University, 4-1, Sunday to move on the cusp of jumping straight to the women’s championship in the UAAP badminton tournament.

The Lady Maroons extended their winning streak to five behind reigning MVP Poca Alcala and Mary Ann Marañon, who won their singles’ matches at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.

The doubles’ pairs also shone, as Marañon and Lea Inlayo, and Alcala and Jessie Francisco swept the Lady Bulldogs.

UP guns for a sweep of its six elimination round ties against Adamson University at 1 p.m. on Thursday at the same Malate venue.

In other ties, De La Salle bested Ateneo, 4-1, to clinch its second Final Four berth while University of the East prevailed over University of Santo Tomas, 3-2, to end its season on a positive note.

The Lady Archers rose to 4-1, while the Lady Eagles and the Lady Bulldogs fell to 3-2, a game ahead of the 2-3 Lady Falcons.

The Lady Warriors finished at 1-5, while the Tigresses remained without a win to show in five ties.

Meanwhile, Ateneo prized center Chibueze Ikeh is slowly but surely proving his worth with the Blue Eagles in the UAAP Season 80 men’s basketball tourney.

Now playing in his third year with the team, Ikeh has emerged as one of the key cogs in the Katipunan-based five’s bid to reach the Promised Land anew, best typified by his impressive performance in the Eagles’ last two games.

For leading Ateneo to a league-best 6-0 record and for showing he has what it takes, Ikeh earned his first UAAP Press Corps Chooks-to-Go Player of the Week award.

Department of Agriculture’s Jimwell Torion drives strong to the basket to evade the defense of Department of Justice’ Paul Gerard Reguera during their elimination round game at the Pasig City Sports Center.

Lucky Hamilton fears Ferrari backlash in Japan

Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton takes pictures during a meet the fans session in Kuala Lumpur, ahead of the Malaysia Grand Prix. AFP

S E PA N G — L e w i s Hamilton rode his luck for the second race in a row to stretch his world championship lead over Sebastian Vettel but said he fears a Ferrari backlash in Japan this week.

After finishing second in the Malaysian Grand Prix, Hamilton was asked by reporters if Ferrari’s pace was a big concern.

“Yeah, definitely,” he said.

“We have some work to do,” he added before

flying to Japan to prepare for Sunday’s race at Suzuka.

“These next races are going to be crucial in terms of ironing out some of the creases we have with the car.”

Hamilton took his lead to 34 points after finishing behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the final running of the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang on Sunday.

But the drive of the day was from the flying Vet-

tel who carved his way from the back of the grid to finish fourth.

Hamilton’s Mercedes also struggled for raw pace in Singapore a fortnight ago.

But there he took a surprise win from fifth on the grid after avoiding the first-lap crash that took out both Ferraris and Verstappen.

“We cannot be distracted by the fact we got lucky again this weekend,” said Mercedes team principal

Toto Wolff.

“Benefiting from Ferrari’s problems shouldn’t hide that they have caught up 30 seconds this race,” he said.

“It was clear after just a few laps that both Red Bull and Ferrari had better cars than us today.”

Hamilton could be handed another break in Suzuka as Vettel may incur a grid penalty if he needs a new gearbox after a crazy post-race shunt with Lance Stroll. AFP

Tsuneishi buys power from Aboitiz B2

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

DTI: Prices stable on Christmas holidays SUPPLIERS and manufacturers assured consumers of stable supply and prices of traditional Christmas products until the end of the year.

Trade Undersecretary and consumer protection group head Teodoro Pascua said traders and manufacturers made the assurance during a meeting convened by the agency to check the price and supply situation of the so-called ‘noche buena’ products.

“It’s a good thing that as early as now, we can inform the consumers that they need not worry about the supply of ‘noche buena’ products,” Pascua said.

The Department of Trade and Industry met with the manufacturers and traders in preparation for the upcoming Yuletide season when consumer purchases are expected to rise.

Among the ‘noche buena’ products with suggested retail prices being monitored by the DTI are ham, sandwich spread, mayonnaise, pasta, macaroni, tomato sauce,fruit cocktail/mixed fruits, cream, cheese and queso de bola.

Manufacturers RFM Corp., SYSU International Inc., Dole Food Company Inc., Del Monte Philippines Inc. Century Pacific, New Zealand Creamery, Ideal Macaroni & Spaghetti Factory and Phil. Leading Infinite Logistics agreed to keep prices stable during the holidays despite the depreciation of the peso against the US dollar and the increase in prices of flour which could affect pasta and bread prices.

Several companies, however, expressed concern over the depreciating peso. Two manufacturers of ham reported a price increase of less than 5 percent on their products while a queso de bola maker confirmed a slight increase on prices.

The Trade Department said that in general, there would be no price increases until December for pasta and sauces, cheese ham and canned tuna because of strong brand competi-

B1

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2017

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Monday, October 2, 2017

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency Unit US Dollar Peso

ASEAN GRID. The Philippines highlights its role this week as host to the historic signing of an agreement integrating the power grids of Laos, Malaysia and

Thailand. Shown during the 35th Asean Energy Ministers Meeting at Conrad Hotel Manila are representatives from the three countries who signed the Energy Purchase Wheeling Agreement, the first multilateral electricity transaction in Asean that aims to advance multilateral electricity trade.

United States Dollar

1.000000

50.8300

Japan

Yen

0.008877

0.4512

UK

Pound

1.337600

67.9902

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128028

6.5077

Switzerland

Franc

1.032631

52.4886

Canada

Dollar

0.800961

40.7128

Singapore

Dollar

0.736540

37.4383

Australia

Dollar

0.783300

39.8151

Bahrain

Dinar

2.651816

134.7918

Saudi Arabia Rial

0.266660

13.5543

Brunei

Dollar

0.733837

Indonesia

Rupiah 0.000074

0.0038

Thailand

Baht

1.5255

UAE

Dirham 0.272287

13.8403

Euro

Euro

1.179400

59.9489

Korea

Won

0.000874

0.0444

China

Yuan

0.150218

7.6356

India

Rupee

0.015313

0.7784

Malaysia

Ringgit 0.237023

0.030012

New Zealand Dollar

0.721000

Taiwan

0.032988

Dollar

37.3009

12.0479 36.6484 1.6768 Source: PDS Bridge

Govt reviews Hyundai’s perks

By Othel V. Campos

T

HE government is reviewing the tax incentives received by Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. amid the delay in its car assembly operations, Trade Secretary and Board of Investments chairman Ramon Lopez said Monday.

“Based on previous communications, the car company said they have stated in their application that they are yet to start assembly of cars and would need a little more time to do that. Details of the case are still unclear and we have the BoI technical team to look into the case,” Lopez said.

Hyundai Asia Resources was supposed to start assembling vehicles in the country under the old Motor Vehicle Development Program and received tax rebates of as

much as P900 million.

Lopez said the company filed a petition with the BoI to review its car assembly registration before the government could decide with finality to revoke the accreditation under MVDP. MVDP is an older version of the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy program that offered tax rebates and income tax holiday to participants.

Lopez said Hyundai was in constant communication with the department to defend its availment of tax incentives while it had yet to start car assembly.

The Trade Department earlier recommended that Hyundai Asia Resources either refund the P900 million it got as tax rebate or lose its accreditation under MVDP. Lopez said BoI would check if Hyundai really stopped importing semi-knocked down vehicles. “We still need to verify this piece of information , if they indeed voluntarily stopped importation or not,” he said.

A site visit to the P2-billion assembly plant of Hyundai

in Sta. Rosa, Laguna in April 2017 found that the company was importing semi knocked-down units of Eon and HR 350 vans, instead of knocked-down units. SKD imports are slapped with 20-percent tariff while KD imports get 0 to 1 percent tariff.

The Trade Department asked the Bureau of Customs to determine if the case was technical smuggling.

Hyundai also faces sanctions or penalties for non-compliance to assembly commitments under the MVDP, Lopez said.

Officials of Hyundai Asia Resources claimed the production of small car Eon started in March 2017 while the assembly of commercial van H350 began in April.

Hyundai Asia Resources earlier said it planned to assemble 10,000 units of Eon and 1,000 units of H350.

Hyundai sold 3,273 units vehicles in August, up 17 percent from 2,798 units it delivered a year ago.

Sales of the Korean brand in the first eight months also increased 9 percent to 24,233 units from 22,134 units registered in the same period in 2016.

Megaworld to build P3-b FactSet Tower

MIAA spending P500m for Terminal 2

By Jenniffer B. Austria tered in McKinley West, PROPERTY developer Megaworld Corp. said Monday it won a P3billion lease contract for the regional corporate headquarters of FactSet, a global provider of integrated financial information, analytical applications and industry-leading services.

Megaworld said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the 17-story office tower would rise at McKinley West township in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig and offer 48,000 square meters of office space.

“We are enthusiastic about this long-term lease deal which we closed in New York weeks ago. FactSet’s expansive presence, which will be headquar-

IN BRIEF Amaia Land in Novaliches

AMAIA Land, a unit of Ayala Land Inc. that focuses on building affordable house and lot and condominiums in the country, is investing P1.5 billion to develop a 20-hectare property in Novaliches, Quezon City.

Amaia Land project development assistant manager Ayla Reyes said Amaia Novaliches would have several components, including condominium units, townhouse units and shophouses.

The group so far has developed Amaia Steps Novaliches, which a a four-building mid-rise condominium ideal for homeowners seeking for a compact and low maintenance space, and Amaia Series Novaliches, a four-unit and a six-unit townhouse ideal for small to growing families.

It recently started offering Amaia Square Novaliches, a 41-unit development that aims to provide convenience for unit owners to live and work in the same place where the ground floor serves as a commercial space and residential unit above.

Amaia Square Novaliches offers multi-purpose shophouse units on the ground floor, with private residential units on the upper floor. Units at being sold at P5.9 million for a two-story unit to P6.8 million for a three-storey unit. Jenniffer B. Austria

EDC management agreement

RED Vulcan Holdings Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Gen Corp., has signed a shareholders’ agreement with Philippines Energy Markets B.V., Philippines Renewable Energy Holdings Corp. and Energy Development Corp.

“The agreement sets out the agreement of the parties with respect to the management of EDC,” First Gen disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Monday.

First Gen and its subsidiary Northern Terracota Power Corp. participated in the tender offer of

demonstrates its continued confidence in the country’s growing economy,” Megaworld senior vice president Jericho Go said.

FactSet chief executive Philip Snow said the company was delighted to expand the company’s presence in the Philippines.

“The very skilled, talented, creative and hardworking FactSetters in our Manila facilities are instrumental to helping FactSet achieve our mission to solve our clients’ greatest challenges through the power of collaboration,” Snow said.

Snow, along with other FactSet executives, closed the landmark deal with Megaworld in its global headquarters in New York City a few weeks ago.

EDC’s common shares.

First Gen and Norther Terracota tendered their 992 million and 986 million shares, respectively.

“Out of the said shares, and following the implementation of the scale back announced by PREHC (the bidder), the tendered shares are 842,872,141 for First Gen and 838,244,082 shares for NTPC,” First Gen said.

PREHC is consortium of investment fund managers managed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) and Arran Investment Pte Ltd. of Singapore-based GIC which tendered an offer of P7.25 per share of EDC’s common stock.

Philippines Energy Markets B.V. is a private company under the laws of the Netherlands and is the parent company of PREHC. Alena Mae S. Flores

Priority for 8 infra projects

FILIPINO and Chinese government officials cited the need to prioritize eight infrastructure projects under cooperation initiatives that Manila will be implementing in partnership with Beijing, the Finance Department said in a statement Monday.

Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shang told the Philippine delegation led by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III in a meeting in Beijing the eight projects must be prioritized so that substantial progress would have already been made by the time Premier Li Keqiang visits Manila in November.

These projects are the Binondo-Intramuros bridge and the Estrella-Pantaleon bridge in Manila funded

by Chinese grants; the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project in Cagayan and Kalinga provinces and the New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project; two drug rehabilitation facilities; the Elevated Expressway in Davao City; and the construction of an industrial park.

Dominguez said the Philippine government was looking forward to the visit of Premier Li Keqiang to Manila for the 31st Asean Summit and Related Meetings in November as this “will further strengthen our bilateral relationship and capability to work together for mutual beneficial cooperation.” Julito G. Rada

By Darwin G. Amojelar

NEW GARDENIA PLANT. Gardenia Bakeries Philippines Inc. signs a contract of lease agreement with Phividec Industrial Authority, a government-owned and –controlled corporation for a 25-year lease contract covering 2.5 hectares of land in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental. The new plant, which will have a total capacity of 130,000 loaves and buns a day, will be under the management of Nutrimax Fresh-Baked Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gardenia International Pte. Ltd. Singapore. Signing the agreement are (front row, from left) Nutrimax Fresh-Baked chief operating officer Alvin Delos Santos, Gardenia Bakeries Philippines president Jun Umali and Phividec chief executive Franklin Quijano.

Japan’s Nomura upbeat on PH economy

By Julito G. Rada JAPANESE investment bank Nomura on Monday downplayed any negative impact of the political noise on the Philippine economy, saying the implementation of reforms and infrastructure projects will benefit the country in the long run.

This was contained in a report by Nomura after Philippine government officials held a briefing in Tokyo last week which was attended by 35 institutional investors and representatives from Japanese companies.

Filipino officials, while acknowledging the political noise and events in Marawi City, said growth stayed strong and was expected to strengthen in the second half from 6.5 percent in the second quarter.

“Overall, the key mes-

sages delivered by the authorities and the discussions with the private sector in the briefing continue to reinforce our long-held positive view on the growth outlook for the Philippines, anchored on better execution of reforms and progress on infrastructure,” Nomura said.

“As we have been arguing, the economic data is very solid despite the political noise,” it said, adding that the reforms under the Duterte administration looked more broad-based than what was likely appreciated by investors.

One of the government’s goals is to reduce the incidence of poverty from 21 percent to 14 percent of the population by 2022, when President Duterte steps down from office. Apart from improving infrastructure and other reforms,

achieving the goals would involve reducing crime rates and pursuing the illegal drug trade and maintaining peace in Mindanao, according to government officials.

The government is also in the process of significantly shortening its negative investment list. The priority sectors include manufacturing, infrastructure-related construction, education and health services, public utilities, retail trade, telecoms and public procurement.

Nomura said the reforms might not be closely followed by market participants but they could be important, including the budget process, local government capacity building, changes to the negative investment list, monitoring systems of infrastructure projects and financial market reforms.

THE Manila International Airport Authority plans to spend about P500 million to expand the capacity of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 which is being used by Philippine Airlines.

“Actually, it [rehabilitation] is in the process of detailed engineering construction,” MIAA general manager Eddie Montreal said.

“It might augment the capacity because we are planing to extend the space right in front,” he said.

Montreal said the Naia Terminal 2 rehabilitation was expected to be completed next year.

PAL operates domestic and international flights at Naia 2.

PAL earlier said it submitted an unsolicited proposal to build a P20billion passenger terminal beside its current hub at Naia Centennial Terminal 2 to expand passenger capacity.

The proposed terminal would be designed to handle 12 million to 15 million passengers a year and would have aerobridges capable of serving 12 to 17 wide-bodied and single aisle jets.

PAL said the construction of the new terminal was expected to start

by December 2020 and would be operational by July 2021.

Naia’s four terminals currently host a total of 42 million passengers a year, representing 12 million or 40 percent more than their designed capacity of 30 million.

B2

Business

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Tsuneishi buys power from Aboitiz

By Alena Mae S. Flores

T

SUNEISHI Heavy Industries, Inc. has tapped Aboitiz Power Corp. to provide power for its operations under the retail competition and open access, or RCOA regime.

Big power consumers like Tsuneishi, or those that require one megawatt or more, have the option to choose their own licensed retail electricity suppliers under the RCOA. “We chose AboitizPower because we trust them. They have a track record of being a reliable and a responsible power company,” Charlie Ombao, THI factory support department manager, said in a statement.

Aboitiz Power is the holding company for

the Aboitiz Group’s investments in power generation, distribution and retail electricity services.

Aboitiz Power has been aggressively expanding its RCOA customers by offering competitive rates and diverse source of power supply.

Tsuneishi, meanwhile, is one of the world’s leading shipbuilders of medium-sized vessels. It manufactures and ships its vessels to different parts of the world from Bamban, Cebu province.

Tsuneishi has received 15 orders that are scheduled for delivery this year. It’s presence in Balamban has spurred economic activity in the area.

From being a fourth-class municipality, Balamban became a first-class town with a total regular income of P301.9 million in the same year, according to data from the Commission on Audit.

From a few stores, more than 1,300 business permits were renewed in 2014 and 242 were issued by the local government. The

number of business permit renewals rose to 1,327 in 2015.

Tsuneishi employed 11,260 workers, including 760 direct hires. The company hired qualified residents from Buanoy and other parts of Balamban, as well as those from neighboring Toledo City.

Ombao said Tsuneishi was taking its responsibility to the community and the environment seriously.

In line with its parent company’s vision and mission, the facility in Balamban treats wastewater before discharge, segregates wastes so that only residual wastes are brought to the municipal landfill for final disposal, and complies with environment regulations and standards on the treatment and disposal of hazardous materials.

Tsuneishi also encourages employees to participate in annual tree and mangrove planting activities. The company plans to plant 2,500 indigenous tree seedlings in the uplands of Balamban and 5,000 mangrove propagules on foreshore areas every year.

AirAsia prepares public offering in PH, taps BDO

By Darwin G. Amojelar ILOILO CITY―The Philippine unit of Southeast Asia’s largest budget carrier said it will conduct an initial public offering by the middle of next year.

“BDO (Capital Investment) is working on it. Hopefully, by middle of next year,” Captain Dexter Comendador, AirAsia Philippines chief executive, told reporters.

Commendador said the company plans to raise about $250 million, with the proceeds to be allocated for the acquisition of new aircraft,

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2017

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 4.6 155,000 59.5 9,260 101.1 1,891,790 130 1,271,730 2.86 3,803,000 35.7 143,200 15.88 32,700 33.3 5,120,500 8.07 600 0.65 300,000 1.7 66,000 950 1,090 0.69 2,109,000 88.4 1,453,000 0.85 335,000 13.04 50,000 25 3,100 58.4 52,510 240 400 116 14,840 48.8 35,200 246 667,750 1,900 610 86.55 1,960 1.36 1,205,000

708,360 551,611 190,997,959 166,115,963 10,967,930 5,128,490 520,150 170,463,155 4,842 195,000 112,580 1,036,400 1,455,300 127,868,681.50 281,930 652,000 77,500 3,090,413 96,222 1,697,148 1,717,790 163,812,044 1,158,720 169,629.50 1,573,430

358,699.50 -49,756,703 -17,255,371 -2,900 -138,420 27,967,725 -55,890.00 48,619,551.50 -48,248 -1,850,056.50 81,804 125,000 341,295 -29,900,712 -18,174.50 -

42 9.75 0.75 1.39 19 0.222 110 5.07 16.9 165.2 40 20.4 65 74 1.91 6.24 11.22 10 15.1 13.42 7.1 5.49 1.65 18.8 67.7 13.94 12.38 18.22 1.83 241.6 4.3 30.65 19.9 16 282 0.227 11.2 2.96 6.8 10.4 5.8 9.81 1.76 12.12 66.5 6.52 308 4.4 4.4 2.61 13.08 4.5 0.142 1.22 151.7 3.56 2.08 0.97

INDUSTRIAL 42.25 1,662,100 10.04 2,811,700 0.78 624,000 1.4 927,000 19.82 6,400 0.222 860,000 110.5 360 5.13 15,474,500 16.98 1,388,500 165.2 90 41.5 667,800 20.45 2,800 67.7 848,460 74 140 1.94 220,000 6.4 246,700 11.8 8,300 10.04 7,065,700 15.18 57,300 13.8 291,200 7.1 1,125,300 5.51 51,577,000 1.65 1,000 18.98 820,900 67.7 85,770 14.4 2,500 12.4 309,100 18.6 1,049,900 1.88 490,000 242.6 830,970 4.77 218,000 30.9 2,998,600 20 375,100 16.1 3,763,400 285 542,340 0.227 30,000 11.6 969,000 2.98 82,000 6.81 64,400 10.4 1,000,200 6 43,100 9.81 2,300 1.77 1,039,000 12.14 279,800 66.5 746,940 6.56 10,800 309 660 4.4 41,000 4.4 46,000 2.65 568,000 13.08 146,100 4.5 3,000 0.143 150,000 1.23 106,000 152.6 1,398,720 3.56 26,000 2.1 713,000 0.98 430,000

70,259,980 27,945,519 475,790 1,295,440 124,402 191,930 42,906 79,641,769 23,582,648 14,980 27,108,360 57,245 55,151,898.50 10,755 426,260 1,577,589 94,732 71,033,602 867,140 4,048,420 8,036,932 286,279,826 1,650 15,528,372 5,819,191.50 35,508 3,832,874 19,434,610 919,130 201,611,660 1,013,600 92,697,070 7,520,646 60,591,232 154,198,768 6,840 11,537,986 244,320 440,198 10,424,280 254,930 22,682 1,841,720 3,411,178 50,512,858 70,938 203,870 183,600 202,400 1,524,740 1,921,408 13,520 21,440 129,720 213,349,427 92,670 1,496,470 418,700

-12,763,465 1,065,618 14,000 -4,520 -14,602,541 -5,813,278 4,712,595 55,119,402 195,000 -47,152,716 221,192 340,750 186,891 -121,945,251 -1,448,474 97,206.50 -1,207,810 8,855,830.00 -124,743,738 -139,100 -23,849,165 2,453,801 -23,164,692 52,501,814 -229,440 -1,795,436 -15,000 176,000 -85,940 211,886.50 9,805 -154,540 90,000 -1,336,414 -25,457,271 -42,780 -95,400 -

0.35 73.35 16.06 6.98 0.35 0.37 970 8.2 15.56 7.6 5.03 1,176 75.2 4.62 0.85 6.05 17.3 6.72 0.047 1.43 2.06 97.6 2.61 885 1.42 200 282 0.28 0.192 0.214

HOLDING FIRMS 0.355 320,000 75 1,411,350 16.4 27,545,600 6.98 11,300 0.35 6,260,000 0.37 1,680,000 980 279,740 8.2 2,077,000 15.68 9,229,700 7.85 151,600 5.03 182,400 1,206 202,025 78.1 843,490 4.62 3,000 0.87 715,000 6.2 230,900 17.9 1,128,000 6.79 12,090,100 0.049 3,900,000 1.44 468,000 2.07 47,000 97.6 271,890 2.61 107,000 897 415,290 1.44 199,000 200 30 293 6,770 0.285 30,000 0.193 860,000 0.214 140,000

112,800 105,037,197.50 451,722,158 79,085 2,245,000 630,050 273,875,695 17,447,705 144,576,174 1,177,238 918,432 242,694,290 65,434,980 13,880 617,140 1,417,398 20,074,640 82,202,390 188,500 700,570 97,080 26,575,421 279,270 372,297,800 287,350 6,000 1,980,516 8,500 165,980 30,020

37,448,663.50 -13,849,012 34,659,490 5,944,266 -47,992,474 -639,433 152,990,930 19,349,245.50 -699,819 821,892 1,603,311 4,900 57,680 -2,744,679 68,513,955 -316,000 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

AG FINANCE ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO UNIBANK BRIGHT KINDLE CHINABANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK FILIPINO FUND FIRST ABACUS IREMIT MANULIFE MEDCO HLDG METROBANK NTL REINSURANCE PB BANK PBCOM PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PHILTRUST RCBC SECURITY BANK SUN LIFE UNION BANK VANTAGE

4.54 59.3 102 131 2.97 35.4 15.92 32.6 8.07 0.65 1.74 945 0.69 87.8 0.89 13.04 25 59.2 240.6 139 49.6 243.2 1,896 86.65 1.3

4.62 59.8 102.1 131.5 2.97 36 16.08 33.75 8.07 0.65 1.74 960 0.7 88.4 0.89 13.04 25 59.2 240.6 139 49.6 247 1,900 86.65 1.38

4.53 59.2 99.9 130 2.8 35.4 15.88 32.6 8.07 0.65 1.7 945 0.69 86.9 0.83 13.04 25 58.4 240 111.5 48.75 242.2 1,896 86.45 1.29

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS ASIABEST GROUP BASIC ENERGY BOGO MEDELLIN CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CHEMPHIL CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CROWN ASIA DAVINCI CAPITAL DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR ENERGY DEVT EUROMED FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LMG CHEMICALS MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO MG HLDG PANASONIC PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHIL H2O PHINMA PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP PUREFOODS RFM CORP ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH VULCAN INDL

42.5 9.92 0.77 1.43 19.8 0.226 120 5.08 17 168 41 20.5 65 77.95 1.92 6.5 12.1 10.14 15.14 13.8 7.24 5.63 1.65 18.92 67.9 13.96 12.4 18.54 1.86 244 4.4 30.95 20.15 16.26 283 0.23 13.9 2.98 6.85 10.48 6 9.9 1.78 12.28 68 6.6 308 4.5 4.4 2.61 13.38 4.51 0.142 1.28 152 3.57 2.12 0.99

42.9 10.04 0.79 1.43 19.96 0.226 120 5.27 17.1 168 41.5 20.5 67.75 77.95 1.95 6.5 12.1 10.16 15.18 14.1 7.25 5.78 1.65 19 68.5 14.4 12.5 18.6 1.9 244.8 4.78 31 20.2 16.26 285 0.23 13.9 2.98 6.85 10.5 6 9.9 1.79 12.3 68 6.69 310 4.5 4.4 2.72 13.4 4.51 0.143 1.28 152.8 3.57 2.12 0.99

ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANSCOR ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B AYALA CORP COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FJ PRINCE A GT CAPITAL JG SUMMIT JOLLIVILLE HLDG LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP METRO PAC INV PACIFICA PRIME MEDIA PRIME ORION SAN MIGUEL CORP SEAFRONT RES SM INVESTMENTS SOLID GROUP SYNERGY GRID TOP FRONTIER UNIOIL HLDG WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.355 74 16.06 7 0.36 0.38 970.5 8.48 15.56 7.83 5.03 1,178 75.6 4.63 0.88 6.05 17.56 6.72 0.049 1.58 2.06 98 2.61 885 1.45 200 282 0.28 0.194 0.215

0.355 75 16.56 7 0.37 0.38 983 8.5 15.8 7.85 5.04 1,207 78.3 4.63 0.88 6.22 17.9 6.84 0.049 1.58 2.1 98.15 2.61 903.5 1.45 200 293 0.285 0.194 0.215

8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITY AND LAND CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE IRC PROP MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP

4.99 1.11 8.6 2.4 1.04 43.7 3.76 5.14 5.32 0.52 1.35 1.48 0.234 0.47 40 0.68 0.15 2.03 1.52 0.9 5.25 0.34 0.475 0.48 6.2 25.35 1.81 3.2

4.99 1.14 9.9 2.4 1.06 43.85 3.83 5.15 5.4 0.52 1.4 1.48 0.243 0.475 41.95 0.69 0.15 2.09 1.52 0.93 5.34 0.355 0.475 0.5 6.55 26.4 1.85 3.2

4.94 1.1 8.6 2.3 1.03 43.35 3.75 5.04 5.32 0.51 1.35 1.4 0.23 0.47 39.95 0.67 0.146 2.03 1.5 0.9 5.25 0.335 0.46 0.48 6.2 25.3 1.81 3.14

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

34.9 1.04 7.45 0.87 6.4

35.4 1.06 7.45 0.88 6.4

34.75 1.03 7.45 0.87 6.35

35 1.05 7.45 0.88 6.4

10,558,200 2,711,000 11,200 66,000 1,035,100

369,658,520 2,839,510 83,440 57,630 6,601,850

-33,639,630 2,727,884

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA DFNN INC DISCOVERY WORLD FAR EASTERN U GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN HAVEN HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER IPEOPLE IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN MANILA JOCKEY MELCO RESORTS METRO RETAIL MLA BRDCASTING NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PAXYS PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRANSPACIFIC BR TRAVELLERS WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

19.86 40.6 1.72 0.56 0.042 11.54 10.7 0.072 108.5 9.1 10.28 8.3 2.14 1,000 2,054 6.02 16.52 2.42 2.84 105 11.96 8.4 0.157 1.32 3.11 15.78 4.27 1.35 15.12 0.58 3.1 7.58 4.27 18 2.34 11.1 5.05 2.86 170 9.67 1,658 1.61 0.395 52.5 98.5 5.99 4.3 1.52 2.09 3.86 1.23 8.96

20.15 40.65 1.72 0.57 0.047 11.56 10.78 0.073 109 9.2 10.28 8.39 2.19 1,000 2,060 6.05 16.8 2.47 2.96 105 11.96 8.43 0.159 1.32 3.17 15.8 4.35 1.42 15.12 0.58 3.1 7.97 4.27 18 2.41 11.1 5.12 2.86 170 9.94 1,658 1.61 0.4 53 100 6.24 4.36 1.55 2.09 4.2 1.23 8.96

19.86 40.5 1.67 0.56 0.042 10.9 10.42 0.07 107.7 8.58 9.98 7.78 2.14 1,000 2,038 6.02 16.52 2.36 2.81 103 11.96 8.4 0.157 1.32 3 15.1 4.19 1.3 14.58 0.55 2.91 7.56 4.21 18 2.34 11.1 5.05 2.86 169 9.67 1,639 1.58 0.395 52.2 97.8 5.99 4.27 1.52 1.97 3.86 1.19 8.85

SERVICES 20.1 40.65 1.7 0.57 0.045 10.9 10.48 0.073 108.2 8.58 10 7.81 2.19 1,000 2,050 6.02 16.76 2.38 2.82 104.6 11.96 8.4 0.159 1.32 3.16 15.7 4.25 1.3 14.62 0.55 3 7.83 4.21 18 2.38 11.1 5.05 2.86 170 9.72 1,639 1.58 0.4 52.5 100 6.23 4.32 1.54 2.09 4.2 1.2 8.9

80,200 27,900 177,000 2,516,000 429,600,000 5,900 4,712,100 9,340,000 107,520 8,000 1,212,600 338,200 6,000 25 19,420 380,600 40,700 779,000 25,000 968,710 32,700 264,500 1,910,000 154,000 38,000 20,300 400,000 3,168,000 4,133,100 22,000 1,328,000 6,683,200 240,000 2,600 515,000 1,400 8,400 24,000 2,340 2,542,500 84,585 2,308,000 840,000 1,251,380 1,499,280 2,019,700 409,000 3,988,000 12,000 13,755,000 13,258,000 2,440,300

1,606,519 1,132,935 299,210 1,426,740 19,389,300 65,808 49,709,708 668,100 11,622,234 72,742 12,272,286 2,710,654 13,040 25,000 39,804,090 2,294,141 677,352 1,879,360 71,320 101,321,913 391,092 2,221,890 300,720 203,280 115,350 314,306 1,696,260 4,331,500 60,854,700 12,220 3,966,310 52,203,706 1,014,050 46,800 1,231,140 15,540 42,721 68,640 397,750 24,868,253 139,391,845 3,652,470 332,400 65,754,801.50 149,025,397.50 12,471,602 1,761,840 6,126,410 24,120 56,023,090 15,943,880 21,715,225

-78,500 -12,728,176 -21,200.00 109,110 -220,412.00 -6,250 -11,944,350 -5,413,863 15,200 -952,450 -8,560 1,495,016 -343,700 14,719,460 -4,270 -20,200 -389,300 -3,890,637 -26,155,325 764,220 -1,239,261.50 -26,522,282 6,467,569 99,330 1,930,100 -4,028,980 148,750 -98,990

ABRA MINING APEX MINING ATLAS MINING ATOK BENGUET A BENGUET B CENTURY PEAK COAL ASIA HLDG DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE LEPANTO A LEPANTO B MANILA MINING A MARCVENTURES NICKEL ASIA NIHAO OMICO CORP ORNTL PENINSULA ORNTL PETROL A ORNTL PETROL B PHILODRILL PHINMA PETRO PX MINING PXP ENERGY SEMIRARA MINING UNITED PARAGON

0.0025 1.81 4.75 15 1.88 2.05 1.56 0.39 8.63 2.84 0.265 0.18 0.188 0.01 1.98 6.63 1.67 0.51 1.07 0.012 0.013 0.012 2.62 8.25 7.45 46.7 0.0077

0.0026 1.87 5 17.5 2 2.05 1.64 0.39 8.63 2.89 0.265 0.18 0.188 0.011 1.98 6.86 1.68 0.51 1.07 0.012 0.013 0.012 2.7 8.29 7.74 46.7 0.0077

0.0025 1.77 4.75 15 1.87 2 1.54 0.38 8.28 2.8 0.255 0.178 0.188 0.01 1.97 6.63 1.65 0.51 1.02 0.012 0.012 0.012 2.6 8.17 6.91 46.5 0.0076

MINING & OIL 0.0025 95,000,000 1.77 23,657,000 4.9 439,000 16.8 5,900 2 284,000 2 132,000 1.54 5,546,000 0.385 840,000 8.62 36,900 2.84 20,809,000 0.265 300,000 0.179 1,770,000 0.188 70,000 0.01 92,600,000 1.97 59,000 6.81 2,133,500 1.67 36,000 0.51 178,000 1.02 176,000 0.012 36,300,000 0.012 103,800,000 0.012 16,800,000 2.6 77,000 8.17 663,900 6.91 18,556,300 46.6 555,400 0.0076 18,000,000

238,100 42,846,050 2,138,400 95,296 567,500 264,050 8,857,760 323,500 309,895 59,269,410 76,700 315,530 13,160 929,800 116,810 14,509,276 59,850 90,780 183,040 435,600 1,248,600 201,600 205,830 5,457,625 135,757,451 25,879,360 137,100

-47,300 1,251,450 -24,230 -154,000 498,610 11,280 1,247,459 16,700 -907,627 7,038,522 -1,708,460 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 ALCO PREF B DD PREF FGEN PREF F FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2A PCOR PREF 2B PF PREF 2 PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

40.4 527 530 106.5 106 109.2 118 539 5.75 1,039 1,030 1.06 109 1,065 1,178 1,016 103.7 109.2 75.2 81 78.1 81 78.4 78.25 79.5

40.4 527 530 106.5 106.1 109.6 118 540 5.77 1,040 1,030 1.06 109 1,066 1,178 1,016 105 109.2 75.2 81 78.1 81 79.95 78.25 80

40.4 527 530 106.5 105.5 109.2 118 539 5.75 1,039 1,030 1.06 108 1,065 1,175 1,012 103.7 109.2 74.5 80.1 78.1 81 78.4 78 79.5

PREFERRED 40.4 1,000 527 1,620 530 10 106.5 10,000 106.1 27,890 109.6 2,020 118 55,990 540 4,190 5.75 159,600 1,040 4,205 1,030 400 1.06 5,000 108 5,100 1,066 2,705 1,175 20 1,012 2,040 105 2,200 109.2 1,080 74.5 17,900 80.5 155,000 78.1 50,390 81 59,400 79.95 11,010 78 1,705,570 80 6,000

40,400 853,740 5,300 1,065,000 2,957,451 221,081 6,606,820 2,261,060 917,954 4,373,170 412,000 5,300 550,900 2,880,830 23,545 2,069,980 228,790 117,936 1,344,907.50 12,525,500 3,935,459 4,811,400 868,547 133,435,727.50 479,000

-751,204 -970,080 -

LR WARRANT

2.5

2.59

2.49

WARRANTS 2.51 348,000

877,280

-

8,405,880 379,060 6,646,691

-98,140 1,737,391

883,942

-253,547

NAME

MS

PROPERTY 4.99 1.11 9.9 2.3 1.05 43.4 3.76 5.08 5.4 0.52 1.38 1.4 0.235 0.475 41.85 0.68 0.146 2.04 1.51 0.93 5.32 0.345 0.46 0.48 6.55 26.1 1.81 3.2

982,900 7,178,000 16,000 203,000 992,000 9,823,400 392,000 1,240,900 8,700 15,337,000 1,750,000 1,180,000 47,990,000 1,480,000 184,100 18,841,000 280,000 17,738,000 4,044,000 630,000 18,840,600 24,140,000 6,420,000 4,430,000 4,626,600 4,947,800 471,000 6,000

4,886,661 8,014,360 151,700 472,720 1,038,110 426,879,330 1,488,270 6,294,909 46,948 7,825,950 2,402,570 1,689,360 11,315,390 698,000 7,585,860 12,805,740 41,390 36,395,620 6,075,580 569,950 99,897,837 8,356,550 2,976,750 2,181,900 29,715,878 129,186,670 856,030 19,140

-3,473,102 19,200 -254,800 -206,533,245 215,910 -394,860 45,900 -28,000 4,200 474,040 9,500 2,342,275 -2,422,840 1,716,360.00 18,000 21,232,186 -60,400 -130,200 2,560,536 16,087,300 577,390 -

ITALPINAS PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

4.49 4.67 5.92

4.83 4.85 5.92

4.49 4.6 5.69

FIRST METRO ETF

124.9

125.4

124.8

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

18,725,254

INDUSTRIAL

111,966,668

HOLDING FIRMS

93,716,958

PROPERTY

208,630,625

SERVICES

522,529,844

MINING & OIL

439,549,826

GRAND TOTAL

1,398,134,601

4.8 4.83 5.9

SME

1,788,000 81,000 1,137,300

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 124.9 7,070

VALUE 1,976.51 (up) 15.27 850,500,512.36 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,106.52 (down) -40.36 1,709,980,755.48 HOLDING FIRMS 8,383.2 (up) 161.53 2,373,233,127.78 PROPERTY 3,887.03 (up) 36.12 1,711.28 (down) -4.88 1,193,204,648.6 SERVICES MINING & OIL 13,887.79 (down) -66.52 970,374,488.61 PSEI 8,256.28 (up) 84.85 300,566,146.083 All Shares Index 4,867.36 (up) 26.01 7,414,184,561.38 Gainers: 107; Losers: 96; Unchanged: 52; Total: 255

building, a hangar and a new headquarter in Clark.

“I’m ending the year with 26 planes by next year,” he added.

Philippines Air Asia operates a fleet of 17 aircraft with domestic and international flights out of hubs in Manila, Cebu and Kalibo.

Commendador also said the airline planned to fly to Incheon in South Korea from Clark by January or February next year.

“We are also planing to fly to Taipei, China, Kuala Lumpur from Clark,” he said.

AirAsia Philippines by November this year will be flying to Saigon in Vietnam from Manila.

The airline also launched three flights daily from Manila to Iloilo using the airline’s fleet of Airbus A320s that can accommodate up to 180 passengers.

The airline operates several flights to/from Manila, Davao, Cebu, Kalibo, Caticlan (Boracay), Tacloban, Tagbilaran (Bohol), Puerto Princesa (Palawan), Clark, and Iloilo in the Philippines with international flights to/from Shanghai, Taipei, Incheon (Seoul), Hong Kong, Macau, Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Guangzhou, Vietnam and Singapore.

Malaysia’s Air Asia, through AA International, owns 40 percent of Philippines’ Air Asia Inc., while Filipinos Marriane Hontiveros, Michael Romero, Antonio Cojuangco and Alfredo Yao hold the balance of 60 percent.

NGCP set to complete Mindanao backbone

By Alena Mae S. Flores NATIONAL Grid Corp. of the Philippines is on track to complete the reinforcement of the Mindanao transmission backbone within the first quarter of 2019, a few months ahead of the June 2019 target.

NGCP said in a statement the Mindanao 230 kiloVolt (kV) Transmission Backbone Project would address the anticipated addition of bulk power generation in the area by strengthening the existing capacity of the MatanaoToril-Bunawan and the Balo-i-Maramag-Bunawan transmission lines from 138 kV to 230 kV. The project also involves the upgrading of various key substations to accommodate the line and additional power supply.

NGCP said the transmission backbone, once in place, would accommodate renewable and conventional power plants in the northern and southern parts of Mindanao, thus, ensuring stable supply from Lanao del Norte, passing through Agusan del Sur all the way to Davao del Sur. “With the completion of the project, large generating plants such as GNPower and SMC (San Miguel Corp.) will be able to connect to the grid, mitigating the once known vulnerabilities of hydropower and maximizing the generating capability of incoming plants. This means that we can maintain the quality and reliability of power which Mindanaoans will be able to enjoy. We are excited for the projects lined up for Mindanao as this will create a solid energy corridor in the island,” NGCP said.

Business/World Bankrupt airline strands 110,000 LONDON―Monarch Airlines ceased trading Monday, triggering a move by the British government to bring home 110,000 customers stranded abroad.

The British airline and its holidays business entered administration, with KPMG appointed to oversee the financial chaos.

The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority described the situation as “the biggest ever UK airline failure,” adding that “all future holidays and flights provided by these companies have been canceled and are no longer operating”.

It added in a statement that “the government has asked the CAA to support Monarch customers currently abroad to get back to the UK at the end of their holiday at no extra cost to them”.

The government meanwhile said that it was overseeing what it said was the biggest repatriation since the end of World War II. “This is a hugely distressing situation for British holidaymakers abroad and my first priority is to help them get back to the UK,” Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said in a statement.

“That is why I have immediately ordered the country’s biggest ever peacetime repatriation to fly about 110,000 passengers who could otherwise have been left stranded abroad.”

He added: “This is an unprecedented response to an unprecedented situation.”

Affected parties used social media to get their messages across, mirroring the situation a week ago when Ryanair canceled thousands of flights as it battles to overcome a shortage of pilots. AFP

B3

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Rohingya children starving C OX’S BAZAR—The fiveyear-old Rohingya boy was so emaciated that doctors could not insert a drip into his tiny arm, one of thousands of children facing life-threatening malnutrition in overstretched Bangladeshi refugee camps.

“He said he hadn’t eaten anything in eight days.

Nothing,” said Dr SK Jahidur Rahman at a clinic run by Bangladeshi medical charity Gonoshasthaya Kendra.

The lucky ones make it to the overwhelmed clinics just in time. But some are not so fortunate, dying before help can reach them or forced to beg by the roadside.

The UN says more than 14,100 children are at risk of dying from malnutrition in wretched camps where half a million mainly Rohingya refugees depend entirely on AFTER THE REFERENDUM. Catalan president Carles Puigdemont shakes hands with workers of the Generalitat charities for survival.

(Government of Catalonia) as he arrives for a Catalan government meeting at the Generalitat in Barcelona, on October 2, 2017.

Food distribution in the Puigdemont said the region had won the right to break away from Spain after 90 percent of the voters taking part in a banned vastly overcrowded settlereferendum voted for independence, defying a sometimes violent police crackdown and fierce opposition from Madrid. AFP ments is still ad hoc and uncoordinated, the UN says, more than a month after refugees began pouring into southern Bangladesh to escape ethnic bloodshed in Myanmar.

SHAH ALAM, Malaysia― ary 13 as he waited to board Malaysia, historically one of of killing Kim alongside Huge crowds descend on Two women pleaded not a plane to Macau.

Pyongyang’s few allies. the women, although they aid deliveries and soldiers guilty Monday to murdering The women are accused The women were led into are still at large and authoriManila need to herd starving people the half-brother of North Ko- of rubbing toxic VX nerve the heavily guarded High ties have not released their Standard into bamboo pens where they rea’s leader at the start of their agent, a chemical so deadly it Court in Shah Alam, outside names. Four North Korean TODAY squat cheek by jowl under trial in Malaysia, as prosecu- is listed as a weapon of mass the capital Kuala Lumpur, in suspects fled Malaysia on the scorching sun for a meal. tors alleged they practiced for destruction, on his face. handcuffs for the start of the the day of the murder.

Many go hungry as the Cold War-style assassinaKim died an agonizing trial. Aisyah, 25, was wearing The prosecutor said that charities scramble to feed tion before carrying it out. death about 20 minutes af- a traditional Malaysian dress before the murder, Aisyah 500,000 mouths every day.

The trial heard dramatic ter the hit, which was caught and Huong, 29, a blue jumper. and Huong had carried out Children make up the testimony from a policeman on airport CCTV as the VX The murder charge was “prank simulations” that bulk of new arrivals and are who said Kim Jong-Nam rapidly shut down his central read to them in their native were “overseen by the four most vulnerable to the paucomplained of having blurred nervous system. languages and interpreters who are still free”. city of food, with 145,500 vision after the attack at Kuala The defendants―who indicated they were pleading “The prank exercises... infants under five needing Lumpur airport before col- face death by hanging if not guilty. were a preparation by all of urgent intervention to stave lapsing in a clinic as medics convicted―claim they were Opening the prosecution, them to cause the death of off malnutrition, aid agenfought to save his life. duped into believing they Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad the victim,” he said. cies say.

Indonesian Siti Aisyah were taking part in a prank said the women’s actions Defense lawyers argued the “Lots of children are and Vietnamese Doan Thi for a reality TV show. showed their “intention to charge was ambiguous due to showing all the signs of Huong, who arrived at MonThe murder sparked a row kill” and described how they the failure to identify the four hunger and malnutrition, day’s hearing handcuffed between North Korea, which had practiced for the hit be- other suspects, and urged the which is an alarming prosand in bulletproof vests, was accused of mastermind- fore carrying it out for real. court to reveal their identities. pect when they’ve just fled were arrested just days after ing the killing of Kim JongFour other suspects are Judge Azmi Ariffin refused so much horror,” said Save the killing of Kim on Febru- Un’s estranged relative, and accused in the charge sheet the request. ADP

‘Not guilty’ to murdering Kim’s half-brother

Evacuation at Vanuatu’s volcano-threatened island gathers pace SYDNEY―The mass evacuation of a volcano-threatened Vanuatu island is running ahead of schedule as a ramshackle armada of civilian boats ferries people to safety, officials said Monday.

The entire 11,000 population of Ambae, in the north of the Pacific archipelago, has been ordered to leave after the Manaro Voui volcano rumbled to life and rained rock and ash on villages last week.

The evacuation to nearby islands was scheduled for completion by this Friday, but the Red Cross said it was likely to wrap up on Wednesday.

It said villagers were exiting the island on a range of locally-commissioned boats―from barges carrying hundreds of people to smaller ferries shipping dozens at a time.

“You have got a huge range of boats that are transferring 11,000 people from Ambae to the three

surrounding islands. For a country this size it is a very big operation,” Red Cross spokesman Joe Cropp said.

“It was orderly. People realized that they need to leave, there is a lot of patience among the community.”

Most of the island’s residents have been sheltering in evacuation centers since the volcano first sent up a plume of steam and ash about a week ago.

They are leaving from three

coastal locations and the point on Ambae’s western edge had already completed its evacuation on Monday.

The Red Cross is delivering water to the island after ash from the volcano contaminated fresh supplies.

While an orderly evacuation was still a priority for those remaining, attention was now turning to the strained resources at the islands to which people were being relocated, Cropp said. AFP

Getting maximum value from free SUC education IN COMPLIANCE with the Constitutional provision mandating the State to “protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and to “take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all,” Congress recently passed a law granting this country’s students tuition-free education at all State-owned universities and colleges (SUC).

Like all acts that involve the granting of privileges on a free basis to millions of recipients, the approval of the law as greeted with skepticism, even disbelief, in many quarters. Chief among these were the committees of budget experts and economic planners.

The budget experts’ skepticism arise from the fact that the given of the tuition-free tertiary education privilege was the government of this country, which is hard-pressed to locate resources sufficient to finance the proposed P3.76 trillion national budget from 2018. With many crucial section demanding stepped-up government spending—including transportation, communication and agriculture— budget experts within and outside the government have been at a loss to determine where the estimated P19.8 billion needed for tuitionfree SUC education will be coming from. Their unease has been heightened by the presentation to Congress of a Dutere administration tax package calling for an income tax revenue loss of around

P139 billion.

Will the proposed 2018 budget be able to accommodate the tuition-fee SUC education program?

The program’s supporters in the Executive Department and in Congress insist that it can. The budget experts have their doubts.

The economic planners’ unease on the other hand, relates not to the sourcing of the funds for the financing of Congress’s tuitionfree SUC education but to the efficiency in the use of funds. They are agreed on the will to raise the enrollment rate among the lowest 20 percent of college-age Filipino, but they disagree on the most efficient use of whatever resources are made available for tuition-free, which are the object of in mind that tuition fees, which are the object of Congress’s generous gesture account for only around one-third of the total cost of tertiary education, rather than the grant of free tuition, is the best approach to the widest possible spreading of tertiary-education opportunities in the country.

Other economists are convinced that grants-in-aid are a better way of going poor college-age Filipinos a chance at a decent college education. Still other economists look at a program of affordable student loans as the best approach of all. There, also, are those who favor a combination of free tuition and one of the other facilities.

The superiority or inferiority of the financing option chosen can be debated upon, but certain guidelines need to be observed if optional results are to be denied from the public funds employed for providing educational opportunities

for this country’s poor college-age students.

The first guideline has to be merit. Any program seeking to benefit a very large number of people with limited resources must ensure that only deserving individuals get to enjoy the benefit. A program such as the tuition-free SUC education must target poor and deserving, not just poor, students. Thus, only students who pass as possible the qualifying examination should be allowed to avail of the tuition-free SUC program. Students who dropout because of inability to stay the course will be a waste of resources that are scarce.

A second guidelines that needs to be served in the implementation of the tuition-free SUC education program is the student’s capacity to bear all or most of the cost of his tertiary education. The law passed by Congress, being general in scope, will encompass poor and affluent college-age students alike.

Would-be beneficiaries of the program must undergo a measures test similar to the test administered by the University of the Philippines in connection with it socialized tuition program. Hard-earned taxpayers’ money must not be spent on college-age students who worry about not being able to find parking space for their vehicles.

A third guidelines relates to a situation that should not materialize his, given the experience of numerous government programs of the same kind very well could again. I refer to program that failed because a program was funded insufficiently or on only a short-term basis. The danger in the case of the

tuition-free SUC education is that students will be forced to discontinue their SUC studies because of inability to finance the other-thantuition costs of a college education, given that the tuition fee represents only around a third of the total cost of such education. Waste of public resources would again ensure.

A final guideline for the successful implementation of the tuitionfree SUC education program relates to a structural problem that has long loser Philippine economic development. That problem is the continuing mismatch between the output of this country’s educational system and the technological requirements of its production sector. Stated simply, the Philippine educational system is not turning out all the engineers, mathematicians and engineers needed by the Philippine industries and the approval of the tuition-free SUC education program is a perfect opportunity to correct this state of affairs. A committee embodying representation from the four prevailing concerned government entities—the Commission on Higher Education, the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Budget and Management—should be created to undertake this task.

Poor Filipinos students should be given every opportunity to receive tertiary, but the government must go about it in a way that yields maximum benefit to Philippine socio-economic development.

E-mail: romero.business. class@gmail.com

the Children’s emergency health unit director Dr Unni Krishnan.

In a field clinic for infants suffering the severest malnutrition, Monura tried to soothe her gaunt 13-monthold daughter Rian Bebe, whose cheekbones jutted out below sunken eyes.

A nurse wrapped a measuring tape around her pencil-thin arm and placed her tiny frame on the scales―5.5 kilograms, less than the weight of a healthy child half her age.

Monura, who like many Rohingya uses one name, said she had little to feed her desperately hungry child on the five-day trek from Myanmar.

“Most sip a little water and walk five days,” said Dr Rahman. “They hide in the jungle, chewing wood, anything, to beat hunger.”

Many Rohingya children were already malnourished before making the perilous journey to Bangladesh, doctors say. Their health has since deteriorated further.

The Rohingya come from impoverished Rakhine , where state-imposed restrictions have ensured abysmal living standards for the persecuted Muslim community.

Their children’s immune systems are already weakened, leaving them defenseless should a disease outbreak sweep through the camps as charities fear.

Monura’s little girl, chewing on a high-calorie paste, has been rescued just in time and should make a slow recovery. AFP

Port Area, San Francisco Street, Butuan City 8600, PHILIPPINES Tel. Nos. (085) 342-5352, 342-6451, 815-3449 FAX No. (085) 815-4434 Email: pmo_nasipit@yahoo.com

INVITATION TO BID FOR THE SUPPLY, DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION, TESTING AND COMMISSIONING OF ONE (1) UNIT 600 KVA GENERATOR SET WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH (ATS) FOR TMO MASAO, PPA- PMO-AGUSAN

1.

The Philippine Ports Authority, Port Management Office of Agusan (PPA, PMO-Agusan), through the PPA Corporate Funds CY 2017 intends to apply the sum of Pesos: Nine Million (9,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for The Supply, Delivery, Installation, Testing and Commissioning of One (1) Unit 600 KVA Generator Set with Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) for TMO Masao, PPA-PMO Agusan. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The PPA, PMO-Agusan now invites bids for The Supply, Delivery, Installation, Testing and Commissioning of One (1) Unit 600 KVA Generator Set with Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) for TMO Masao, PPAPMO Agusan. The contract duration of 150 Calendar Days. Bidders should have completed contract/s with a single largest similar contract of not less than fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least Seventy percent (70%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino Citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the PPA, PMOAgusan BAC Goods and Services and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00 AM – 12:00 NN and 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders starting on September 28, 2017 until October 18, 2017 from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of 10,000 Pesos, exclusive of VAT. Address:

The Secretariat Bids and Awards Committee for Goods and Services PPA, PMO Agusan Port Area, San Francisco Street Butuan City 8600

This Office is not electronically-ready to handle documents, thus submission of bids/proposals electronically is not allowed.

5.

The PPA, PMO-Agusan will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on October 6, 2017 at 9:00 AM at the PMO Agusan Administration Bldg., Port Area, San Francisco Street, Butuan City, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

6.

Bids must be delivered to the address stated above not later than 9:00 AM of October 18, 2017. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on October 18, 2017 at 9:30 AM at the PPA PMO Agusan Administration Bldg., Port Area, San Francisco Street, Butuan City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend the activity. Late bids shall not be accepted.

7.

The PPA PMO-Agusan reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

8.

For further information, please refer to:

Ms. SHEERYL B. PEDEGLORIO General Services Officer A Head, Secretariat- Goods and Services Philippine Ports Authority, Port Management Office of Agusan Port Area, San Francisco Street, Butuan City 8600 Tel. Nos. (085) 342-6451/342-5352 Fax No. (085) 815-4434 Email Address: pmo_nasipit@yahoo.com

(MS-OCT. 3, 2017)

(Sgd.) Engr. RONALDO C. MONTERO Division Manager A, Engineering Services Division Chairperson, Goods and Service

Young Ifugaos shun work on rice terraces

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor jimbo.gulle@gmail.com mslocalgov@gmail.com

B4

By Sara Susanne S. Fabunan

tuesday, october 3, 2017

(Continued from yesterday)

LGUs Local government units

Innug, a 90-year-old Ifugao rice farmer, stands proudly in the sun at her terraced field in Hapao, Ifugao. But the spinster is emblematic of the local government’s problem of keeping the heritage of the rice terraces alive, as succeeding generations of Ifugaos have chosen to shun the terraces in favor of more modern comforts. Sara Fabunan

Erap: Manila schools to go digital in 2018

By Bill Casas

P

ublic schools in Manila will officially join the digital age next year with the acquisition of information technology equipment and the introduction of digitized methods of governance, Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada said.

With today’s increasing demand for IT professionals and computer-skilled workers, Estrada said he wants every young student in Manila to be educated and trained in a technology-driven school environment.

“Next year, a digitized system of governance, management and operations will be introduced in our school

system,” Estrada told the students and faculty members of Bacood Elementary School in Sta. Mesa during the inauguration of the new City Hall-funded covered quadrangle of the school.

“This will prepare Manila’s public schools for IT integration,” he said.

The covered quadrangle is part of the Estrada

administration’s school infrastructure projects worth a total of P264.29 million, scheduled to be completed within the year.

In addition, Estrada also pledged to provide more audio-visual IT equipment to the 33 public high schools and 73 elementary schools in Manila.

Among these are 5,100 units of LCD projectors with whiteboards, which he said have already been procured and are ready for delivery; each classroom will have one.

“We also now have 500 units of desktop computers, copiers, and TVL [technical, vocational, livelihood] tools and equipment, sound system, and tablet armchairs

for newly constructed classrooms,” Estrada added.

The digitized system of governance, on the other hand, will make classroom instructions and the management and administration of public school institutions at par with exclusive private schools using the latest and most advanced technology.

Education is one of Estrada’s priority programs.

For 2017, he has allocated more than P2 billion to the city’s Special Educational Fund to finance the construction of additional school infrastructures and other related programs.

In 2016 alone, Estrada constructed and repaired 45 school buildings in various

public elementary and secondary schools in the city totaling P2.54 billion to further improve the quality of education being given to poor students.

Of the 45 school building projects, 13 were new ones worth a total of P828.23 million; the rest were repair and rehabilitation works worth P1.72 billion, according to the Office of the City Engineer.

In 2015, the mayor also completed 44 school infrastructure projects—32 of which have been completed—with a total project cost of P1.49 billion. In two years, the city government completed 87 school building projects with total project costs of P4.03 billion.

Fish farm scammer nabbed in Batangas The head of a company that purportedly operated a fish farm at Laguna Lake was collared over the weekend by authorities after a local court issued a warrant of arrest for defrauding his investors, which included a lawyer.

Brandon T. Aviles was arrested by elements of Oplan Pagtugis of the Criminal Investigation Detection Group on Saturday afternoon in the hinterlands of Barangay Mabato in Rosario, Batangas.

Local policemen aided the CIDG in implementing the arrest warrant issued by Judge Angelito S. David of Regional Trial Court Branch 101 of Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

No bail was set for the release of Aviles, who was brought to the CIDG’s Eastern Field Office for

documentation.

The arrest stemmed from cases of estafa and syndicated estafa filed by complainants, who were induced by Aviles to invest in a company called AquaFarm, which claimed to be a fish farming business.

It turned out that AquaFarm was a scam, as it did not have a lease contract with the Laguna Lake Development Authority and was merely persuading unsuspecting investors to put in money in exchange for bigger financial gain.

Aside from Aviles, the Sta. Rosa Prosecutor’s Office also indicted his co-incorporators at AquaFarm —Raymond Encinares, Arneil D. Arenal, Gary Alfonso B. Alcasid, Rowena Alcasid, and Neil Jan Arias—for the same offense.

NEW CLASSROOMS. Mayor

Macario D. Bongaling of Candelaria, Quezon (center) leads the ribbon cutting during the turnover of three new school buildings at Barangay Masalukot 1 Elementary School, donated by Regie Licup Tantuco (left). With the mayor (in inset photo) is Bonifacio Lui, chairman of the Welfare Committee of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc., FFCCCII director Nelson Licup, and Kimson Cua, Welfare Committee director. Benjie Antioquia

Crime rate in Manila drops 38% this year The crime rate in Manila has dropped significantly by 38 percent this year, with the Manila Police District registering a marked improvement in its ability to solve crimes, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada disclosed Monday.

Estrada attributed the city police force’s continuing success to the able leadership of its director, Chief Supt. Joel Coronel, who is now leading the investigation into the alleged fraternity hazing death of Horacio Castillo III involving students of the University of Santo Tomas.

“I have always believed in our city police’s competence and dedication to protect our city from crimes and terror threats,” Estrada said.

“Slowly but surely, we are making significant and considerable gains and improvements in the peace and order situation of our beloved city,” said the mayor.

Citing a report submitted by Coronel, Estrada said index crimes in the past 12 months decreased by 38.7 percent, from a high of 5,474 cases in 2016 to only 3,393 this year.

Index crimes are crimes against persons and property such as murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, and car theft or carjacking, among others.

Most notable, Estrada said, is the reduction of street crimes such as armed robbery, holdups, and snatching.

He also reported that the MPD’s crime solution efficiency during the same period improved from 54.8 percent in 2016 to 67.5 percent this year—nearly seven out of 10 crimes have been solved by the city police force with the arrests of suspects and the filing of cases against them.

This is a remarkable improvement, the mayor said, considering that crime solution efficiency of the 4,600-strong police force averaged only 38.05 percent in 2014 to 2015, and 24.55 percent in 2013 to 2014.

It is for these reasons, Estrada pointed out, that MPD was chosen as this year’s Best Police District in Metro Manila by the National Capital Region Police Office. Bill Casas

QC, OMB sign pact to regulate biz

MPD awards 7 hero policemen

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada paid tribute to the Manila Police District by conferring merit medals to seven policemen for their outstanding performance in the city’s anti-criminality campaign.

Estrada praised MPD for being “a true champion of the people of Manila” by keeping the city and its 1.7 million residents and millions of visitors safe and secured from crimes and terror threats.

“Over the past few years, the MPD has become a true champion of the people of Manila. It has done an excellent job in the apprehension and arrest of those behind organized crimes, drug syndicates, and even groups that seek to destabilize our city,” Estrada said during the awarding ceremonies at the City Hall. Bill Casas

HAPAO, Ifugao—Traditionally, women here are the ones who “move mountains”—the ones who toil on the rice terraces, working on the cultivation, planting, weeding, and harvesting of their fields. The men repair the rice terrace walls, clean the fields before planting, and carry the bundles of harvested rice from the fields to the storage areas.

But for longtime resident Gloria Belange, since all four of her children refused to help her and husband Noel toil on the rice fields, she said they decided to hire 15 men and women to help them work on their field.

It costs the Belanges P250 to hire each woman, and P300 for each man—lower than the minimum daily wage prescribed for the Cordillera Autonomous Region, but a king’s ransom for a traditional Ifugao family that tries mightily to make ends meet.

When asked if one of her kids would take over the farm once they can no longer work on the terraces, Gloria said she is doubtful.

“I hope they would continue this,” she wished on the vernacular.

That’s why she is encouraging her granddaughter, 17-year-old Candice, who lives with Gloria, to help her in the fields after school.

“I hope all my grandchildren are inspired to farm,” Gloria added.

But Candice only smiled at her grandmother’s wish while doodling on her cellphone.

The situation of the Belanges and 90-year-old village elder Innug, a spinster

who still tills the land, is one of the concerns of the local government, where the native Ifugaos who have farmed on the rice terraces are slowly becoming extinct, and their children are being lured into the modern world and its white-collar pursuits.

Many LGUs in the Cordillera have lamented that since younger Ifugaos are exposed to modern realities, technology and urban living, they have opted to work in the city or abroad to earn more money. As a consequence, the preservation of the Banaue rice terraces—widely known as the Eighth Wonder of the World and a Unesco World Heritage site—is slowly fading into oblivion.

Tourism Promotions Board marketing specialist Albert Gadia said a law was enacted this year to enhance the protection and preservation of the Rice Terraces.

“The National Government has enacted a law on Farm Tourism for them [Ifugao tribes and their children] to embrace the importance of farming,” he said.

On March 24, 2012, Gadia said the government established Indigenous Knowledge Schools in local communities. In the Cordillera Autonomous Region, for instance, the Gohang National High School: School for the Conservation of the Ifugao Rice Terraces was founded in 2012 for indigenous students who are being taught the importance of sustainable farming and protecting and conserving the rice terraces.

This way, Gadia said, future generations will be encouraged to continue farming the rice terraces and prevent it from turning into “jungle terraces.”

(To be continued tomorrow)

By Rio N. Araja

RARE STUFFING. Mario G. Magcalas, the municipal assessor of Sta.

Cruz, Laguna and president of the Philippine Association of Municipal Assessors Inc., shows off a wall of rare stuffed animals, part of the unique dining room of his restaurant in Barangay Calumpang, Liliw, Laguna. A real estate appraiser, Magcalas says he inherited the collection from the late Dr. Klaus Welker, a German taxidermist. Roy Tomandao

QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista on Monday tapped the Optical Media Board to strengthen the regulation of activities involving optical and magnetic media, such as compact disks and digital versatile disks.

At the signing of an agreement, Bautista said there is a strong need to coordinate efforts to regulate the CD and DVD business, citing that the “city’s business and commerce have grown by leaps and bounds

over the past years.”

Under the arrangement, a clearance from the OMB is a requisite before the city government can issue a business permit to any establishment.

Anselmo Adriano, OMB chairman and chief executive officer, signed for the government agency, while Garry Domingo, Business Permit and Licensing Office head, represented the city government.

Victor Luis Padilla II, OMB executive director, signed as witness.

The agreement binds the Quezon City government

and the OMB to establish a coordinative reporting and information sharing system in areas of importation, export, acquisition, sale or distribution, possession, mastering, duplication, manufacture or replication of optical and magnetic products, parts and accessories.

Domingo, for his part, shall require establishments engaged in optical and magnetic media to secure a license or accreditation from the OMB as a condition for the grant and/or renewal of business licenses and permits.

Life

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com

travel and leisure

tuesday, october 3, 2017

C1

Showcasing

the best of Taiwan

TAIWAN OPENS ITS DOORS. New Southbound Policy is Taiwan’s initiative which calls for the development of comprehensive relations with ASEAN countries to promote economic collaboration and cultural exchanges

By Nickie Wang

T

o encourage cultural exchanges and potential business trade between Taiwan and the Philippines, a delegation of more than 170 exhibitors and vendors from Taiwan presented over 4,500 products and services to the attendees at the Taiwan Expo 2017 held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1.

The organizers invited a famous Taiwan circus group and several music artists and bands to perform live during the Expo. The performances blended Western influences with traditional Taiwanese styles.

The three-day Expo hosted eight themed pavilions: City Marketing, Inno-Tech, Health and Lifestyle, Agricultural Tech, Study in Taiwan, Culture and Tourism, General Support, and the Taiwan Association Philippines.

Spearheaded by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and the Taiwan Association, Inc. Philippines (TAP), top manufacturers and suppliers gave the event visitors a chance to experience Taiwan without having to fly across the sea.

“Through this event, we wanted to forge a deeper bond with the Philippines, particularly in economic, talent, and cultural exchanges. The showcase

of Taiwanese products and applications comes at an opportune time and amid calls for increased investments and creation of employment opportunities by presenting a bigger and better event,” TAP Secretary-General Robert Huang said during the event’s media launch in Intramuros, Manila, on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, according to James Chu, Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) deputy representative, the exhibition was designed based on current industry developments and market needs.

He underscored the Expo’s alignment with “Southbound Policy,” which aims to strengthen the Taiwanese economy and its relations with the member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), South Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

“Taiwan and the Philippines have

Officers and executives from TAITRA, TECO and TAP welcome the guests and vendors during the opening of Taiwan Expo 2017 Manila leg

very close relationship in many areas.

The Philippines is our 10th largest trading partner, and we are the 12th largest foreign investor in the Philippines,” said Chu further stating that Taiwan’s total investment in the Philippines reached $2.3 billion last year.

With this year’s theme “Experience Taiwan! Technology, Culture and Tour-

ism,” the Expo emphasized Taiwan being at the forefront of numerous innovations on green technology, agricultural technology, e-commerce service and medical technique.

Apart from a product exhibition, the event also featured other activities, such as industry forum, cultural performances, and outdoor programs held at

SM Mall of Asia. These events served as a platform for long-term and mutually beneficial relations between Taiwan and the Philippines.

“We are showcasing the best of Taiwan in this event. And we are expecting potential trade deals between the countries as it presents big business matching events,” Chu added.

At the opening of the Expo on Friday, TAITRA’s chairman James Huang officially announced that visa-free entry for Filipino tourist has been decided during an inter-agency meeting on Sept.

25. And once officially implemented, they are confident that the number of Filipino tourists visiting Taiwan would substantially increase.

Huang was also optimistic that this decision of the Taiwan government will further strengthen tourists’ ties citing that tourism business between the two countries soared to a record 70 percent to 80 percent in the past three years.

“We are hoping that the number of tourists between our two countries will double in the next three years,” he said.

Taiwan Expo 2017 is a touring exhibition. The Manila leg was preceded by the Expo staged in Indonesia in May and Vietnam in July. The Expo will then move to Malaysia in November.

By Honor Blanco Cabie

SAN FRANCISCO, California—It’s a wind-swept afternoon at the continent’s edge in the north of California – particularly at the prototypical 2.7-kilometer Golden Gate Bridge, visited by local and foreign tourists including returning Filipinos.

Many of the thousands of visitors, several in awe at the engineering works on the suspension span, visit daily the winds-whipped structure – many walking along the 343-meter span or riding their bicycles through it or just experiencing the span from a nearby viewing deck.

Construction of the span, part of the Golden Gate National Parks, which provides other beautiful places to visit around the area, was completed on May 27, 1937, eventually built with walkways on either side of the six-vehicle traffic lanes.

Officials were upbeat about the 80th anniversary of the Bridge, with appropriate ceremonies on May 27, including honors to the designers: Joseph Strauss, Irving Morrow and Charles Ellis.

The span’s main walkway is on the eastern side and is open for use by both pedestrians and bicyclists in the morning to mid-afternoon during weekdays, and for pedestrians only for the remaining daylight hours until 9 p.m. when the sun sets on the Pacific Ocean.

The western walkway is open only for bicyclists and only during the hours when they are not allowed on the eastern walkway, according to Bridge officials.

Beyond the span, some enterprising tourists enjoy the sight of migrating dolphins near sandstone cliffs where bank swallows keep their nests.

Not far from there are hectares of lupines, a genus of flowering plants in the legume family fabaceae which includes more than 200 species, with centers of diversity in North and South America.

Their dancing petals, caressed by the California sun in spring and summer, beckon hungry bees while steady winds blow onshore from a velvet horizon of water and fog, seen by some thousands during particular hours.

Golden Gate Bridge turns 80, lures foreign and local tourists

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California is celebrating its 80th anniversary with appropriate ceremonies, including honors to its designers Joseph Strauss, Irving Morrow and Charles Ellis.

Non-fictionist Christine Colasurdo has said the surrounding land is “packed with superlatives, a land that makes descriptions seem exaggerated.”

Among those visiting the area one weekend were American and Filipino returnees who spent their days off just to experience yet once more the Bridge during the weekend.

Siena Maen, a 19-year-old social work college sophomore, told Manila Standard, “I keep returning to experience the Bay; the history of the Golden Gate is important for someone who loves history.

“I am a Bay area native and this is why it is very important (for me to visit) because I feel this certain attachment.”

Another California-born, 38-year-old Caren Brough, who now works as a claim manager in Washington State, an hour away by airplane due north, herself

said: “I come here very often (because) it reminds me of home and dad.”

She was referring to her late father, a design engineer at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration who was a major in the US Air Force.

Reminded that the San Andreas Fault, a continental transform fracture that extends roughly 1,288 kilometers through California which forms the tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, said “that’s kind of scary but we live through it.”

Victoria Avalos, 39, of European and Hispanic roots, returns to the area every so often she is off her care giving chores, saying “I want to experience the beautiful view of the bridge and the city from Fort Point or just the nearby café area which provides tourists a good view of the area.”

She added: “I also like to fish under

the bridge, where I catch stripers, halibut, sturgeon and rock crabs.”

She volunteered information plans by officials to place what she called a “suicide net” under the bridge—expected to be completed in 2020—to catch suicides on their death plunge.

Jose Quinto, a 78-year-old retired bank executive from Pangasinan, himself noted the upgraded facilities, having repeatedly seen the Bridge in the past during visits to California when he was still a vice president of a private-run bank in the Philippines.

“We used to have a good view of the bridge with big telescopes and binoculars in this area which have been overtaken by other buildings, like souvenir stores and coffee shops,” he said.

Others that tourists can feast on are mounds of pillow basalt—known here as “sea stacks”—which rise from the

surf just off the Marin Coast.

These are, according to Galen Rowell, “evidence of long ago volcanic activity deep beneath the ocean floor.”

Golden Gate officials said the parks “provide glorious outdoor classrooms, with children participating in ranger-led programs, learning about birds of prey and building—and test paddling—tule boats.

Some tourists have had the fortune to see some California quail skitters which perch on fence posts in the park’s northern coastal canyons and valleys.

Walkers on the Tennessee Valley Trail often have a glimpse of gregarious birds with their black, forward-curving crowns dubbed here as topknots.

There is also the nearly five-kilometer Stinson Beach—a smooth, white crescent sandbar popular to local residents— which is one of the Golden Gate National Parks’ few “swimming” beaches.

Life

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tuesday, october 3, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

The Latest Travel Trends mercury rising By bob zozobrado

T

he Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Philippines Chapter recently hosted he biggest Travel Forum in the country. Patterned after the very popular Ted Talks in the USA, the association held the fourth edition of their annual forum, which they label as Pinoy Chikka. This year’s theme centered on the latest travel trends.

Held at the Plenary Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center, this year’s event attracted approximately 2000 Travel Industry practitioners and Tourism students from universities across the country. They were all ears when the featured speakers showed their respective videos and power point presentations, and were enthusiastic about the new information they gathered from the event.

Just like the thousands in the audience, I, too, was intently listening to what the speakers shared with us. I always look forward to Tourism Fora such as this because I get to discover important information that we don’t usually get from traditional media.

Gabby Roxas, country marketing head of Google Philippines, who talked about “How Google Powers Up Tourism,” declared that the online travel market in the Asia Pacific region is growing faster than those of the US and Europe. However, the top five “google’d” cities in the world are a good mix from the different continents—Bangkok, London, Paris, Dubai and New York.

He also shared the following interesting trivia—the daily average number

Gabby Roxas, Country Marketing Director of Google Philippines

Chef Claude Tayag, Artist, Food Writer and TV Host

Matthew Zatto, Manager, Destination Marketing for Southeast Asia of Trip Advisor

of times we use our smartphones in a er and TV host, talked about culinary with our Pampango sisig and the Ceday is 150, which made the audience tourism, and made everybody hungry buano lechon declaring it as “the best conclude that, indeed, we are captives when he showed on screen close-up pig ever!” Tayag advised our tourism of this gadget. Flights to Hong decision-makers to make our Kong are the most “google’d” in regional food the central fothe Philippines during Christcus of tourism spending, just mas, and Manila has overtaken like what Singapore has done, YOUR TUESDAY CHUCKLE Boracay as the most searched where people from all over the MAN OUTSIDE PHONE BOOTH TO MAN INSIDE: Philippine destination from world fly there just to partake Excuse me, you’ve been holding that phone for abroad, while Cebu and Palaof the country’s delicacies.

30 minutes, but you haven’t said a word! wan are fast rising.

Tayag claims there is no such MAN INSIDE: I’m talking to my wife.

But the best “revelation” thing as a national Filipino Roxas made that afternoon cuisine, only regional. He says was about this new app that is the overall Filipino taste is a now available to help one find symphony of subtle sour, salty, things, anything, under a certain price. photos of the different delicacies of the sweet, a bit bitter, mixed together in difThis certainly is a welcome develop- various regions in the country, in line ferent degrees, resulting in what we call ment especially for men who detest with his advocacy of promoting region- linamnam. the idea of having to go around several al Philippine cuisine.

To prove his point, Tayag said all we stores just to compare prices and be able Tayag mentioned the recent visit of have to do is mention green mango with to buy the cheapest one.

American chef, writer and TV host bagoong, adobo, sinigang with patis, Chef Claude Tayag, artist, food writ- Anthony Bourdain who fell in love sisig with kalamansi, kare-kare with

Unbeatable vacation deals Escapades and vacation getaways are more exciting as GetGo and its hotel partners roll out the most rewarding accommodation promos to treat GetGo members to the most memorable visits to destinations outside the Metro.

The great adventure begins by simply presenting one’s proof of GetGo membership upon booking and check-in at partner hotels, resorts, or clubs. Smart travelers, weekend warriors, and hardcore wanderers can instantly earn rewards points and avail of discounts and perks from some of the most popular establishments nationwide, making their stays in their destination of choice even more fulfilling.

Looking for diving spots? Batangas has beaches, also on nearby islands. Conveniently drive to the coast of Nasugbu, Calatagan, down to San Juan, where Amara Residences, Playa Laiya Beach Club, and Aquaria Waterpark offer a 15 percent discount until May 2018.

Take everyJuan to Palawan. Score 20 percent off deals at The Legend Palawan in Puerto Princesa until March 2018 and The Funny Lion boutique resort in Coron until May 2018.

Sun-sational escapades in the stunning islands of Visayas await you with the most exciting of lodging deals.

Fly to the porcelain-white sands of Boracay and get a relaxing stay at Boracay Tropics Resort Hotel and The District Boracay, which offers a 20 percent off until May 2018.

Bohol new world. Catch the picturesque

Chocolate Hills, the adorable tarsiers, unspoiled coastlines, and a captivating island culture. Experiencing the island’s unique way of life is made extra special with 15-20 percent discounts from Amorita Resorts, The Peacock Garden Bohol, and Momo Beach House until May 2018.

In Cebu, GetGo hotel partners make accommodations more affordable so travelers can focus on experiencing Cebu’s amazing offerings.

Whether it’s for the crowd-drawing Sinulog Festival or wading in Mactan’s clear waters, up to 30 percent discounts at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino and the Waterfront Airport Hotel & Casino in Mactan, can surely make one’s stay worth it. The Montebello Villa Hotel also has a 20 percent discount waiting for avid vacationers raring to make a big splash in Cebu.

The Sta. Monica Beach Club in Dumaguete also offers a 20 percent discount upon booking to excite visitors on the thrilling activities lined-up, such as island-hopping in nearby Siquijor, biking, relaxing and enjoying the delicious silvanas and other local treats. GetGo members who will visit the home of Mt. Apo, the Philippine Eagle, and the hidden beaches of Mindanao’s metropolis can avail of a 30 percent off from the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Davao. All promo discounts in Cebu, Dumaguete, and Davao can be availed of until May 2018.

For more points, guests can also earn two GetGo points for every P100 during stays at Go Hotels (www.gohotels.ph) and Summit Hotels and

bagoong, lechon with liver sauce, or balut with spiced vinegar and sea salt.

Any Filipino will find it music to his ears, as he starts to salivate.

Matthew Zatto, Southeast Asia manager of Trip Advisor, talked about “Tourism In The Age Of Technology.” When Stephen Kaufer founded the company in a Boston suburb in 2000, it was in response to a dearth of feedback about establishments in the accommodation industry. He just wanted an online venue for people to share their experiences in the use of these establishments.

Now, Trip Advisor has more than 500 million reviews from more than 390 million users, and such feedback can easily make or break a Tourism establishment. Travelers now check on these reviews when planning a trip; those 35 years old and above do it as early as three months before their trip, while millennials do it closer to their date of departure. Not surprising, the Americans write the most reviews on Philippine hotels.

What is noteworthy is Trip Advisor’s help for 800 Tourism Boards all over the world, including our own Department of Tourism, in branding and marketing, further increasing the company’s clout in the industry.

It’s also nice to know that, according to Zatto’s research, people are now veering away from giving material things as gifts. They now prefer to spend money on experiences, like what one gets when he travels, as a gift to loved ones, so that the memorable moments during the trip can last them a lifetime.

For those in the Travel Industry, Pinoy Chikka has been a source of new, useful information these past four years. No wonder people always look forward to it. I can hardly wait for next year’s edition.

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

Filipina academician recognized in Hospitality and Management forum

GetGo members can enjoy a relaxing break for a discount

Resorts, bringing GetGo members even closer to their dream free flights.

Not yet a member? Simply visit www.GetGo.com.ph, click JOIN, fill out the application form, and for only a P150 membership fee, have your personalized GetGo card delivered to your doorstep.

For more information on memberships and partners, visit www.getgo.com.ph, or call (02) 71-GETGO (43846). Stay updated on the latest promos by liking GetGoPH’s official pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The District in Boracay offers 20 percent discount to GetGo members who want to experience the breathtaking beauty and heart-pumping activities on the paradise island

A Filipina academician and industry practitioner has received Prix d’Excellence Vatel (Vatel Excellence Award) during the recent 11th Vatel International Convention, a weeklong seminar and workshop on hospitality and management, held in DLS-CSB Professor Lorena ‘Lhoree’ Valerio Trou-aux-Biches, receives Prix d’Excellence Vatel Mauritius.

Lorena “Lhoree” Valerio, a full-time professor at De La Salle College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) School of Hotel Restaurant and Institution Management (SHRIM), was honored with the 2017 Innovation and Research Award for her dissertation Hospitality Management Students Experiences and Views on the Integration of Facebook in Promoting Classroom Communities of Practice.

Valerio’s paper explored how Facebook can be used to supplement face-to-face courses as a means of enhancing students’ sense of society and, thus, promote classroom communities of practice.

Valerio teaches professional and major courses in Hospitality Management, Hotel Sales and Marketing, Events Management, Personality Development, and Front Office Operations. She has likewise developed modules on management and human resource at Benilde’s graduate institution.

Valerio is a facilitator, trainer, and speaker of The Philippine Society for Training and Development (PSTD) and was a former member of its Board of Trustees. She has also served under People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP), Ariva Events Management, TeamAsia, and Step Up International. She was Chairperson of the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA)’s Sponsorship and Membership Committees for two consecutive years (2006-2007), and was the former director of Sales and Marketing of three hotel properties under the Hotel La Corona Group in the Philippines.

Vatel, a worldwide network of hospitality and management institutions, has an existing partnership with DLS-CSB to offer a Double Bachelors and Masters Degree programs.

For 35 years, Vatel has prepared students for middle and higher management posts in the international hospitality and tourism industry. It has 31 schools around the world with more than 7,000 students presently enrolled its programs. It has more than 29,000 alumni in its roster, who occupy management and leadership positions in global hotels and restaurants.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2017

N

Early Christmas surprises

EGRENSE charity diva Token Lizares launched her new album on Saturday at RJ Bistro in Dusit Thani Hole in Makati.

The album is available at Astro Vision and Astro Plus nationwide, also for download on Spotify, Amazon, iTunes, and Google play.

It has five tracks of full singles and five minus-one tracks of “Ikaw ang Sagot,” Ganyan Ka Kamahal,” “One Life To Live,” and “Till The World is Gone,” also the promotional track of the album. Songwriter Vehnee Saturno penned all the songs for the charity diva, except for “Time Moves On,” which the singer herself wrote.

Meanwhile, the music video of “Till The World Is Gone” is now making waves on YouTube. Actor Al Tantay is Token’s leading man in the video that also features Kiel Alo and Ella San Andres. Miggy Tanchangco directed the music video.

Token is also set to go on mall and radio tours this month. She has had guest appearances on the radio to promote her album. “Till The World Is Gone” is played regularly on DZBB 594 and Pinas FM 95.5.

Aficionado by Joel Cruz and Ysa Skin Care Clinic are two of her most avid supporters.

Barangay LS DJs act as early Christmas Santas in the radio station's nationwide raffle draw, Pera Sorpresa

Concert producer and singer Ruby "Token" Lizares

Charity Diva’s new album

RADIO GMA is giving away early Christmas surprises to lucky winners nationwide as a whole new season of RGMA Pera Sopresa returns.

For eight weeks, the nationwide proof-of-purchase (POP) promo will draw 12 weekly winners of P1,500 from each of the 15 RGMA areas (Manila, Baguio, Dagupan, Legazpi, Lucena, Naga, Palawan, Tuguegarao, Bacolod, Cebu, Kalibo, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, and General Santos). Aside from the weekly winners, 15 bonus prize winners will get P10,000 each while six more winners will receive P5,000 each, all of which will be drawn randomly during the eight-week period.

Deadline of dropping of entries for each playing week will be every Wednesday at 6 p.m. while the raffle draw of weekly winners will be every Saturday, 10 AM, in all RGMA Stations nationwide.

All non-winning entries will qualify for the grand draw on Dec. 9 with a chance to become the next RGMA Pera Sorpresa millionaire to take home the P1 million grand prize. Five winners coming from North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and

GMA Network wins Outstanding TV and Radio awards at 1st Gawad Lasallianeta THE Kapuso once again proved it is the h o m e to the count r y ’s most outstand-

Network ing Mass Media communicators after it took home 10 major awards at the De La Salle Araneta University’s 1st Gawad Lasallianeta—including Most Outstanding TV Station for GMA-7 and Most Outstanding AM Radio Station for GMA Super Radyo DZBB. GMA-7’s primetime newscast 24 Oras won Most Outstanding News Show; while one of its anchors, Mike Enriquez, Most Outstanding Male News Anchor.

J e s s i c a Soho won Most Outstanding Female News Anchor for GMA News TV’s flagship newscast, State of the Nation with Jessica Soho.

GMA News reporter Steve Dailisan, on the other hand, was Most Outstanding Male News Correspondent.

R e p o r t e r ’ s Notebook took home the Most Outstanding Documentary Show honor.

Several programs and personalities of GMA Entertainment TV were also recognized.

I-Bilib hosted by Chris Tiu won this year’s Most Outstanding Educational Program.

Michael V. went

home with the Most Outstanding Male TV Actor for Pepito Manaloto.

De La Salle Araneta University also gave out the Zeal for Lasallian Excellence as Media Communicators to several Kapuso personalities who are alumni of Lasallian Schools: GMA News’ resident meteorologist and Unang Hirit host Nathaniel De La Salle Cruz (De Araneta University); Born to Be Wild host Doc Nielsen Donato (De La Salle Araneta University); AlDub’s other half, Phenomenal Star and Eat Maine Bulaga host Mendoza (De La SalleCollege of Saint Benilde); and Marian RiveraDantes (De La Salle University-Dasmariñas).

The awarding ceremonies were held on Sept. 19 at De La Salle Araneta University.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Tuesday, October 3, 2017

ACROSS 1 Carouse 6 Liniment target 10 Wild guess 14 Nitrous — (laughing gas) 15 Sledgehammer 16 Sledding spot 17 Punctuation mark 19 Penny — 20 Mid-Atlantic st.

21 Desiccated 22 Bordered on 24 Temporary failure 26 Unexpected hit 28 Earthenware jar 30 About, in memos (2 wds.)

31 Computer acronym 34 Mob scene 36 Twig juncture 40 Coffee dispenser 41 Amazon menace 44 1040 org.

45 Not coarse 47 Prime-time hour 48 Very light wood 50 Tel — 52 Amount carried 54 Chewy candy 57 Brief flash 60 Grads

61 Space lead-in 63 Veggie-tray item 65 Roman’s garment 66 Expository treatise 69 Walkie-talkie word 70 Tien Shan mountains (var.)

71 Gung-ho 72 Fringe benefit 73 For fear that 74 Soft leather DOWN 1 Freeway 2 Oust 3 Small pansy 4 Koch and Wynn 5 Inadvertently reveals (2 wds.)

6 Love, to Pablo 7 Cod and Canaveral 8 Bewildered response 9 — hour (last minute) 10 Hone 11 Trace of color 12 Make changes 13 Drained of resources 18 Film spool 23 Always, to the

bard 25 Luau dish 27 Vibraphonist — Hampton 29 Check in 31 — Wiedersehen 32 Hindu title 33 FOX rival 35 Fleming of spydom 37 Sunflower yield 38 Rx givers 39 Spanish “that” 42 Hostile 43 Shellfish 46 Set aside for

49 Lemon cooler 51 UPS truck 53 Human eater 54 Garlic bulb piece 55 Ice-fishing tool 56 Lhasa monks 58 Familiar saying 59 Bogged down 60 On the summit 62 Shed, as light 64 Fiery stack 67 Flamenco shout 68 Frat letter

"Super Ma'am" lead star Marian Rivera awarded with the Zeal for Lasallian Excellence as Media Communicator

Mega Manila will also get to receive P25,000 each. All prizes are tax-free.

Participating sponsors this season are Petron, Tang, Capsinesis, Sunsilk, Alaska, Mega Sardines, and Wellmade Products.

To join, just purchase any product from the participating sponsors and simply write down your name, age, address, contact number, and signature on a piece of paper and enclose it together with the required proof-ofpurchase in a white envelope. At the back of the envelope, participants must write “RGMA Pera Sorpresa”, week number, POP/brand attached, and RGMA Station that they listen to.

Participants can drop their entries in designated drop boxes located in selected Petron outlets, RGMA Stations, or via registered mail to RGMA Stations. Entries will be accepted until Dec. 1.

For additional details, tune in to Barangay FM and Super Radyo AM stations nationwide, like the promo’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ PeraSorpresaNationwidePromo, watch the Pera Sorpresa mechanics plug, or see posters and visit www. gmanetwork.com/radio.

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2017

Alexander Lee now a bona fide

KAPUSO W

HY will a Korean choose to work in the Philippines, especially if he has made a name for himself in South Korea?

There must be something in the Philippines that attract him to leave his country and settle down in Manila.

GMA Artist Center announced recently that the former U-Kiss member and now My Korean Jagiya star Alexander Lee is now part of its roster of artists.

Lee signed a contract with the in-house Kapuso network talent management team on Sept. 21, saying how how grateful he is to be part of the Kapuso family, and to have a blossoming career in the Philippines.

“I am really honored because this is really a mutual trust and I am enjoying working together with GMA people. I am really happy because you know, seven years ago I visited the country and I was just seeing GMA on TV and now finally I am here. I am a Kapuso.

It’s fate. It’s meant to be. It’s a dream come true for me.”

Alexander, at present, gives life to the character of Kim Jun Ho, a famous actor in Korea who moves to ISAH V. RED the Philippines and eventually falls in love with Gia, played by Heart Evangelista, in My Korean Jagiya. *** Good news, K-drama fans! You will see more of Alexander Lee as he’s now a full-fledged Kapuso. If the news thrilled his fans, the Korean actor is even more excited to be in the country knowing that he is now a part of the no 1. network in the Philippines.

He also said that he is willing to learn to speak Tagalog.

Meanwhile, he also mentioned that after Jun Ho and Gia’s wedding in My Korean Jagiya, the episodes would be more thrilling for the fans, and with them the Filipinos would know more about Korean culture and vice versa, the Koreans learning more about Filipinos.

And watch out for Alexander Lee’s “pasabog” in the coming episodes. It is far different from what Filipino leading men on TV have done.

That’s really intriguing, Alexander!

5 ACCLAIMED FILMS

KAPUSO NETWORK'S ULTIMATE OPPA. Former

at 1st Cinemaworld Film Festival

CINEASTES can feast on a curated line-up of award-wining movies from across the world in full high definition as the first CinemaWorld Film Festival unfolds on SKY on all Sundays of October.

The selection has racked up awards from various prestigious local film awards, international film festivals, including the Venice, Locarno and Sundance Film Festivals.

Go on a cinematic journey of culture, language and history with these five movies.

Mammal was aired on Sunday.

The sophomore feature of director Rebecca Daly about the dangerous relationship between a grieving divorcee and a troubled young man that develops with every trouble and violence they overcome.

The movie was inspired, in part, by the disappearance of a teenage girl in Sussex, a town in England. It won the Panavision Spirit Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. It also received multiple nominations at the Sundance Film Festival, The Irish Film and Television Awards, and the Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards, also nominated for performances. Rachel Griffiths won a nod for Best International Actress at the Irish Film and Television Awards. While, Barry Keoghan, who plays the troubled teen, was recognized in the Best Actor category from the same award giving body.

Road To Your Heart (Oct. 8) Jaco Smit’s movie was the highest grossing Afrikaans Narrative Feature Film of 2014. It tells of the love story between a young businessman on his way to his father’s funeral and a bohemian girl he meets along the way. Their trip takes a dark turn when a mysterious person shows up to stir trouble.

The movie, also called Pad na jou

Hart, earned more than R11 million in gross revenue in South Africa. It dominated in the Huisgenoot Tempo Awards, the awarding ceremony of South Africa’s biggest magazine. It won Afrikaans Movie of the Year, while its stars, Ivan Botha and Donnalee Roberts won Best Actor and Best Actress respectively.

Our Loved Ones (Oct.15) A family secret is at the center of Anne Emond’s second feature film.

Years after his father’s suicide, David Leblanc (Maxim Gaudette) discovers the truth about his father. He is then forced to confront the sadness of his past.

Also called Les etres chers, the movie was well received in 20 different international film festivals, including Locarno Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. Emond received the Stella Artois Jay Scott Prize in 2015 from the Toronto Film Critics Association. It is an award given to promising artists.

Maledimiele (Oct. 22) Benedetta Gargari is Sara, a beautiful

15-year old girl with a seemingly perfect life. However, pressures and anxieties lead her to develop an eating disorder, and a misadventure at a school trip threatens to expose her secrets “Maledimiele” is coined after the first phase of an eating disorder, when it first feels good. It is this struggle with the self that is at the center of this Marco Pozzi feature. The movie premiered at the 67th Venice Film Festival. It received the Special Prize at the Fiuggi Family Festival, a festival sponsored by the Fiuggi Family Festival Association and the Italian Ministry of Culture. Gargari, who gave a spectacular performance, was named Best Actress at the Annecy Italian Film Festival in 2011.

Into Paradiso (Oct. 29) This tragi-comedy stars Gianfelice Imparato and Saman Anthony as two men from different worlds who develop a strong friendship after overcoming dangerous situations. Imparato is Alfonso, a down on his luck scientist involved with the mob, while Anthony is a washed up Sri Lankan cricket star.

This was Paola Randi’s directorial debut. Despite being her first film, Randi was not afraid to be unconventional and make use of various media in the movie, such as stop motion animation and surreal video drama. The movie won Best Film at the Bimbi Belli Festival and received multiple nominations at the David di Donatello Awards and at the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists.

CinemaWorld, a high definition cable channel that presents a whole new world of entertainment beyond Hollywood, is seen on SKYcable HD channel 184 in Metro Manila, San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna and on HD channel 716 in Cebu and Davao. Subscribers can choose to add CinemaWorld on top of their basic plan via SKY Select, for only P150 per month.

U-Kiss member and "My Korean Jagiya" star Alexander Lee is now an official Kapuso after signing a co-management contract with GMA Artist Center

Padi’s Point Happy Hour Barkada Treat winners THE country’s largest bar chain, Padi’s Point, and Andy Player Whisley Cola gave an awesome treat to one very lucky barked during the grand raffle draw of the Happy Hour Barkada Treat promo.

Three mountain bikes were given away to public school teacher Aquilino “Jun” Tibong, co-teacher Lea Joy Marcelo and Division of Navotas employee Luisa Elipan.

Tibong’s raffle entry was picked out during the draw at Padi’s Point on Tomas Morato.

The promo ran from May 15 to July 15 in all branches of Padis Point during their respective Happy Hour schedules. Customers who availed of this offer were given coupons where they could write their names plus two other friends for a chance to win in the grand raffle.

Tibong, Marcelo, and Elipan are occasional visitors of different Padi’s Point branches. After a seminar at a nearby hotel, they, along with other co- teachers, went to Padi’s Point-Sky Garden SM North Edsa to unwind – and luck truly smiled at them.

“Totally unexpected at sobrang saya po namint tatlo,” and elated Tibong said after claiming his prize.

All three confirmed that with their families, they will use the bikes often as there is a plaza in their area where they can usually bike. Such will also help them get some relief from stress, being teachers responsible for hundreds of students, their job can be very demanding.

All three agreed that will definitely frequent Padi’s Point more saying there is no better place to have a good time, party and win prizes.