Manila Standard - 2016 August 6 - Saturday

POWER OUTAGES HIT LUZON; SITUATION ‘VERY ALARMING’

By Alena Mae S. Flores POWER interruptions hit various parts of Luzon on Friday as the grid plunged into red alert status due to power supply deficiency.

In an advisory, the Manila Electric Co. noted that power interruptions stretched for three hours from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in portions of Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, and Quezon City in Metro Manila.

Portions of Rizal and other areas of Metro Manila, including Makati, Marikina, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, and Taguig, also experienced power outages from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) placed the Luzon power grid under red alert status from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday due to “insufficient power supply from generating plants.”

NGCP said a yellow alert warning would take effect at 6 p.m. until 12 midnight. Next page

RCBC PAYS P1-B FINE OVER BANK CYBER HEIST BUSINESS B1

Rody et al can’t touch cash bond yet–court THE Court of Appeals has turned down the plea of President Rodrigo Duterte and five other Davao City officials to release the P300,000 cash bond that they posted in 2010 to stop the Office of the Ombudsman from implementing its order suspending them for six months for simple misconduct.

The court’s Special Former Special Eleventh Division said Duterte, then the mayor of Davao City, and his co-respondents would have to wait until the Supreme Court had ruled with finality on their case.

“There is no showing whether the Supreme Court has rendered a decision,” the court ruled.

Duterte, along with Davao city engineer Jose Gestuveo Jr., city administrator Wendell Avisado, city drainage maintenance unit chief retired Col. Yusop Jimlani, legal officer IV Elmer B. Raño, and city legal officer Melchor V. Quitain sought the release of their Next page

VOL. XXX • NO. 175 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016 • WWW.THESTANDARD.COM.PH • EDITORIAL@THESTANDARD.COM.PH

RED ALERT. A lineman fixes power connection in Manila on Friday, Aug. 5, 2015 following a two-five hour power outages that struck many parts of Luzon, prompting Energy officials to declare a red alert and look into the supply situation amid dwindling reserves. Danny Pata

Duterte: Kill all the ‘narco-pols’

By John Paolo Bencito

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday issued a ‘shoot-to-kill’ order against 27 narco-politicians and police officers tagged as illegal drug protectors.

Two of the mayors and a former mayor in the group surrendered to Philippine National Police Chief Rolando dela Rosa, after the President threatened to shoot them if they resisted arrest.

In an interview at the wake of a slain police chief in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, Duterte threatened to kill the narco-politicians for “what they’ve done to the Philippines.”

“My order is to shoot to kill [the 27 narco-politicians.] I don’t mind about human rights [groups]. Believe me. I don’t give a sh*t what they say. This war against drugs, we have a crises,” he added.

He said it didn’t matter if they were governors or mayors.

“I will not hesitate to kill you,” he said, addressing them directly.

Duterte had first issued a

“shoot on sight” order against Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. of Albuera, Leyte, and his son Kerwin because of their alleged drug ties.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said Duterte’s statement on narco-politicians was in line with maintaining and protecting the peace.

“He has given due and ample notice that the clear and present danger of drugs engulfing the nation will be addressed and law enforcers will neutralize those who resist or endanger the lives of arresting officers,” he said.

In his speech at Camp Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz, Duterte reiterated the need to cut off the apparatuses

that support big-time drug cartels, currently based in China and Mexico.

“There will be no letup in cutting off the apparatus that link these drug lords and their lieutenants,” Duterte said.

“I don’t mind these human rights, I have a problem to solve and that is the drug problem in our country,” he added.

On Friday, two mayors and one former mayor surrendered.

Maguing, Lanao del Sur Mayor Mamaulan Abinal Molok and former Marantao, Lanao del Sur Mayor Muhammad Ali Abo Abinal admitted to selling drugs and vowed to change their ways.

Ampatuan town Mayor Rasul Sangki also surrendered. Next page

SC clears Satur, 2 other NDF men to join Oslo

By Rey E. Requejo

PEACE DOVES. Farmers and members of religious groups release doves in Quezon City to call for the resumption of the peace talks between the government and communist rebels. Manny Palmero

THE Supreme Court has confirmed the grant of provisional liberty to former Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Saturnino Ocampo and two others to allow them to join the peace talks between the government and the Communist Party of the PhilippinesNational Democratic Front in Oslo, Norway later this month.

During its en banc session on Tuesday, the Court also approved the provisional release of Randall Echanis and Vicente Ladlad, both CPP-NDF consultants in the negotiations with the government, but imposed several conditions.

The high court’s action came after justices deliberated on the motion for intervention filed by the government through the Office of the Solicitor General seeking provisional liberty for 11 other communist lead-

ers so that they could participate in the peace process.

The Court said the provisional liberty for Ocampo, Echanis and Ladlad was valid for up to six months, or as soon as the peace negotiations are terminated.

“Once their participation ceases or the peace negotiations are terminated, their respective bonds shall be deemed automatically canceled,” the tribunal said.

The high court said the provisional liberty of the three key CPP-NDF leaders would continue to be secured by the cash bond in the amount of P100,000 already posted with the SC’s Office of the Clerk of Court.

The three CPP-NDF leaders were also required to provide the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 32, and all parties with complete contact information, both in the Philippines and in Norway.

Next page

Council to ensure Cha-Cha works out

By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez on Friday assured the public that the proposed changes to the Constitution through a Constituent Assembly would advance the interests of the Filipino people.

In an interview on the ANC news channel, Alvarez said he was amenable to barring those appointed to a Constitutional Commission from benefitting from the changes they proposed.

“I agree with you totally,” when the TV host Teodoro Locsin suggested such restrictions. Next page

Plan B if fish cages destroyed AGRICULTURE Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Friday his department must come up with a back-up plan to ensure enough supply of fish in Metro Manila once the dismantling of the fish pens in Laguna de Bay starts.

The fish pens of Laguna de Bay are the sources of 36 percent of the fish requirements of Metro Manila and their dismantling will have an adverse effect on the supply and price of fish, Next page Piñol said.

Passports made Test under way for Aedes-Zika link less costly soon THE Department of Foreign Affairs plans to provide cheaper passports and is now negotiating with a state-owned printing firm to lower their production cost by as much as P280, a source said Friday.

APO Production

Unit is the agency that secured the contract from the department to print electronic passports last year.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. reportedly sought an informal review of the agreement Next page

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THE Department of Health said Thursday it is testing some Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes to see if the Zika virus could be transmitted in the country.

The department made the statement even as the United States started a clinical trial of a candidate vaccine against the disease.

The US will evaluate the vaccine’s “safety and ability to generate an immune system re-

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sponse in participants,” according to the National Institutes of Health that launched the test.

“In Florida, they catch mosquitoes to see if they have the virus in their own mosquitoes.

We also do it here,” said Health department spokesman Eric Tayag said.

“That’s why we will know if there are cases already,” he said. Zika is spread mostly through mosquito bites when people travel to countries that

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have the virus. Other methods of transmission include sexual intercourse, pregnancy and blood transfusion.

“They [the experts] are looking at the potential of [transmission] through blood because it will affect blood donation,” Tayag said.

Earlier, the Health department cleared Filipino athletes to travel to Brazil for the 2016 Rio Olympics despite the threat of Zika.

Next page

ANTI-DENGUE. Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan and the city’s Health department launch an intensified campaign to rid all communities of trash and garbage pile which are known breeding ground of dengue-causing mosquitoes. Andrew Rabulan

Missed your copy of Manila Standard Today? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circ@manilastandardtoday.com

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News

Joma told: Get elected to be respected P truce at 8 p.m. last week but it was overtaken by the President’s retraction.

Duterte lifted the ceasefire after the CPP failed to comply with his 5 p.m. deadline on Saturday July 30.

The President said that while the CPP has the tactical advantage in the mountains, government forces “cannot be vanquished.”

“They brag as if they have already gained power,” Duterte said.

He assured government soldiers that he will not forsake them.

The government is scheduled to resume its peace talks with the communist rebels on August 20 in Oslo, Norway.

Speaking before troops at the Camp Peralta in Capiz, Duterte scored his mentor who called him a butangero or thug after he lifted the government’s unilateral ceasefire with the CPP. “Sison is fooling people and dur-

ing interviews he drools,” Duterte said of his former mentor.

“He talks as if he knows governance when he has never captured a village, he attacks like a bandit yet he cannot win an election,” the President said.

“The Communists are speaking like they are a force to reckon with even they cannot even occupy a barangay,” he added.

In a television interview last Saturday, Sison slammed the President for being “ill-tempered” and for acting like a bully and treating the communists like his personal servants.

“Duterte is too quarrelsome and he is too confrontational. If he does not want peace, then so be it,” Sison said via phone patch from Utrecht.

“That [unilateral ceasefire] is hollow, empty. It does not mean anything,” he added, saying the CPP was poised to announce a reciprocal

Duterte...

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Filipino.

Dela Rosa said both Molok and Abinal have already stopped trading in illegal drugs and vowed to support Duterte’s anti-drugs campaign.

Molok also said that he would convince his constituents involved in drugs to surrender.

Asked if they would be filing cases against them, Dela Rosa said the CIDG has yet to evaluate the gravity of their involvement in illegal drugs.

Dela Rosa said he expected more mayors to surrender as the PNP continued its campaign against illegal drugs.

Dela Rosa also issued an ultimatum to suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, son of Mayor Rolando Espinosa of Albuera Leyte, saying his family would be kicked out of the official PNP chief’s residence if he did not surrender.

The mayor, his partner, and their daughter were asked to stay inside the PNP chief’s official residence for security reasons.

“I am giving him until tonight. If nothing happens then tomorrow morn-

ing I will tell them to vacate and ship themselves out,” Dela Rosa said, saying he was fed up with the smell of cigarettes inside the PNP “White House.”

“My son’s room is a mess. The father, his partner and their daughter are chainsmokers. The room has gotten smelly. When my son arrives from Davao, he will complain that his room has gotten that foul smell,” Dela Rosa said.

In an earlier interview, De la Rosa said he does not want to spend for the Espinosa family’s hotel accommodation while staying in Manila.

“I have to be human because his wife and daughter were there. I can’t keep him in jail because there’s no case against him,” he said.

On Thursday, Julito Prak, the alleged right hand man of the younger Espinosa was brought to a government hospital in Cebu City before he was declared dead on arrival by physicians after a buy-bust operation.

Agents said Prak was tasked to transport illegal drugs from Cebu to Leyte, the base of Kerwin Espinosa,

dubbed as the biggest drug lord in Eastern Visayas.

In Leyte, two of Espinosa’s bodyguards linked the Abuera mayor to the illegal activities of his son Kerwin.

Jose Antepuesto and Marcelino Adorco, right hand men of the older Espinosa, admitted to the Leyte Police Provincial Office the mayor’s involvement in the drug trade, contrary to his statements to the PNP chief that he was not involved in the drug activities of his son.

Antepuesto said further that the Espinosas weren’t rich at the start and that they didn’t have any other businesses to explain their immense wealth.

Antepuesto and Adorco were among Espinosa’s men caught in the buy-bust operations in the province, where more than 1.9 million worth of shabu was seized on July 28.

Espinosa’s men who were caught during the operations were slapped with charges of illegal possession of firearms in the local prosecutor’s office after they were caught carrying highpowered arms.

SC clears...

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sis’ cash bond can only be reinstated by the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 32 “upon a justifiable cause.”

It noted that Baylosis had failed to appear before the court to face the charges against him.

In its motion for intervention, Solicitor General Jose Calida argued that Baylosis’ attendance and participation as consultant to the NDF Panel is crucial to the success of the peace negotiations.

The OSG also told the high court that President Rodrigo Duterte had already ordered the temporary release of the said individuals pursuant to the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig) dated Feb. 24, 1995 between the GRP and NDF panels and for them to be given safe conduct passes to travel to Oslo, Norway.

The chief state lawyer sought the tribunal’s suspension of its own rules in order to grant them temporary and conditional liberty.

But the Supreme Court said it has no jurisdiction to rule on the plea considering their pending criminal cases before various trial courts in different parts of the country.

“To grant temporary and conditional liberty to these personalities may have the inadvertent but irremediable effect of preempting the trial courts’ own determinations in the

exercise of their original jurisdiction to try the cases before them,” it said.

The SC said request for provisional liberty of the said individuals should be filed before the trial courts where they are facing criminal charges.

The tribunal also directed the concerned trial courts to immediately act on such a motion “in view of the grave importance of peace to the Filipino people.”

Records showed that last February 2014, the SC gave the Manila RTC the go-signal to hear and resolve with dispatch the 15 counts of murder charges that were filed against Ocampo, Echanis, Baylosis and Ladlad.

Voting 15-0, the high court did not give weight to the argument of the petitioners that the case should be dismissed on the basis of the socalled “political offense doctrine.”

However, the Court allowed Ocampo to remain in provision liberty under the previous cash bond he posted until the termination of the proceedings before the RTC of Manila.

It also allowed Echanis, Baylosis and Ladlad to remain on temporary liberty under the same bail granted by the Court until the termination of the criminal case or until their role in the peace negotiation with the government is terminated.

With John Paolo Bencito and Sandy Araneta

fish pens.”

Pil said while the order to dismantle was directed at Environment Secretary Regina Lopez, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources would be actively involved because of the order’s impact on the fish supply in Metro Manila.

A-BFAR must come up with a back-up plan to ensure that during the period of the dismantling of the fish pens, fish from other parts of the countryespecially bangus and

tilapiawould be able to fill up the requirements of Metro Manila consumers, Pil said.

He said the DENR plans to implement a massive reforestation program around the lake and make sure that Laguna de Bay no longer becomes the “septic tank” of the communities around it and a dumping pit of industrial waste of the companies in the periphery of the lake.

The municipalities around the lake will be required to put up water

treatment facilities so that the waste water from the communities will be clean before it flows into the lake or the DA, a program will be designed to ensure that those involved in the fish pen operations now will have an option on how to go on with their business without crowding the lake with fish pens while the small fishermen are given the opportunity to enjoy the bounty of a rehabilitated Laguna de Bay, Pil said.

Anna Leah E. Gonzales

change.

“Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend,” said Pimentel, quoting the late Chinese leader Mao Zedung.

Pimentel said he respects the views of every senator on the issue of Charter Change and federalism.

“I have my own views on this, but the last thing I want to do is impose my own views on others,” he said.

“My job as Senate President is to allow every view to be heard, so that we--and the people themselves--can weigh all the arguments and make an informed choice when the time comes for them to vote for the ratification of a new Constitution,” he added.

Alvarez said he supported President Duterte’s call for retaining the position of President in a federal, parliamentary setup to ensure that the people still have a say in the election of the country’s top leader.

“The President wants the Filipino people to directly elect their own leaders. You cannot take that away from them. And with a federal parliamentary setup you have a prime minister who may be removed by a vote of no-confidence but still you have a president holding the country together,” Alvarez said.

He also said that in delineating new political subdivisions of the country to create several states un-

der the federal system, framers of the Charter must ensure each state has enough economic or natural resources to sustain itself.

“I think when we divide the country into several states, we must agree on a formula. A formula that [will allow us to be] sure that a particular state can survive economically,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez said a federal system of government is largely aimed at doing away with excessive control of the central government and to empower each state to manage its own economy and create opportunities for its people.

House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas said Congress was committed to serve and protect the people’s interest in Charter Change.

“No one will fool around in Congress regarding Charter change as the three-fourth vote required to make a proposed amendment or revision is hard to achieve,” Fariñas said.

He pointed out that people will reject in a plebiscite any amendment that will serve and protect personal interests of congressmen and not the Filipino people.

“More so, if the output of Congress is foolish, the people will naturally reject it in the plebiscite,” he said.

But Fariñas said he favored lifting of term limits, noting that political dynasties are an offshoot of limited time of elected public officials to serve.

“The term limits in the Constitution are problematic. There are term limits, but the Constitution prohibits political dynasty. But the root of political dynasty is the term limits.

When you are not eligible for reelection anymore, people will clamor for someone related to you for the continuity of service, so you will field your wife, or son or daughter,” Fariñas said.

“That’s the reality. I have been here in politics since the 1980s.

When your term is up, people will ask you, Sir, please have your wife run for office so there’s continuity.

They are your patrons.

That’s because they know you and you have helped them,” Fariñas added.

But Kabayan party-list Rep. Harry Roque said the lifting of term limits was a major objective of the Charter Change initiative, and said choosing a Constituent Assembly to achieve this rather than an elected Constitutional Convention was seen as an effort to railroad the process.

So far, the two chambers of Congress have called for a Constitutional Convention to review the Constitution. Under Resolution of

By John Paolo Bencito

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday said his former professor, Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison must first win an election to gain his respect.

“They were really involved. That’s why they surrendered,” Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa presented Abinal Mulok and Muhammad Ali Abinal to the media while Sangki yielded at the office of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

“They surrendered to me after receiving information that they are on the watch list of the President and that they are included among 23 mayors linked to the illegal drug trade,” Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa said Abinal and Molok were involved in the distribution of illegal drugs in Quiapo, Cavite and Caloocan.

He said they surrendered because they feared for their lives.

“We came here to support the program of our beloved President Rodrigo Duterte and chief PNP General Bato, and to admit that in 2001 and 2002, we were involved in drugs,” Abinal said in

Rody...

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bonds after the appellate courte reversed with finality the Ombudsman’s decision dated April 21, 2010, and its order issued on May 6, 2010, suspending the petitioners for six months due to simple misconduct for the summary demolition of a canal-cover project funded by the national government in Davao City.

The court instead exonerated them from administrative liability in connection with the summary demolition of the project.

Duterte’s camp said the P2million Nograles Park was demolished because it had worsened the flooding in the area.

But in ordering their suspension, the Ombudsman held that they failed to exercise prudence to ensure that the proper procedure in the demolition was complied.

Earlier, to stay the execution of the Ombudsman’s suspension order, the court granted the petitioners’ motion for the issuance of a temporary restraining order, but ordered them to post a P100,000 cash bond each.

On Aug. 4, 2010, the court indefinitely stopped the enforcement of the Ombudsman’s suspension order through the issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction, but directed the petitioners to post a cash bond in the sum of P200,000.

The appellate court noted that its Jan. 28, 2011 decision ordering the dismissal of the complaint against the petitioners was elevated to the high court by the Ombudsman.

It noted that the high court’s Third Division issued a resolution dated July 21, 2014, giving due course to the petition and required the parties to submit their respective memorandums within 30 days from notice. Rey E. Requejo

During the peace negotiations, the Court also ordered the three communist leaders to report to the Philippine Embassy in Norway whenever required.

“Considering the risks of escape from the criminal jurisdiction of Philippine courts that would be occasioned by the envisioned travel of petitioners Echanis and Ladlad to Oslo, Norway, conditions must be additionally imposed to ensure minimization of such risks,” the justices said.

However, the Court rejected the appeal of the government to also grant provisional liberty to Rafael Baylosis, another NDF consultant for the peace process and other prominent CPP-NDF personalities identified as Tirso Alcantara, Alex Birondo, Winona Birondo, Maria Concepcion Bocala, Reynante Gamara, Allan Jazmines, Ma. Loida Magpatoc, Adelberto Silva, and Benito Tiamzon and Wilma Tiamzon.

In the case of Baylosis, the tribunal even forfeited the P100,000 cash bond that he posted on Feb. 1, 2012 in connection with the 15 counts of murder charges that were filed against him, Ocampo, Echanis and Ladlad.

The high tribunal said that Baylo-

Passports...

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Alvarez had earlier proposed organizing a Constitutional Commission of legal experts, academics and sectoral representatives to draft amendments to the Constitution that Congress, organized as a Constituent Assembly, could discuss.

This “council of wise men” of 20 to 25 experts would provide Congress with “competent guidance” in the drafting of the new Charter, Alvarez said.

On Thursday, President Rodrigo Duterte assured the public that he would ensure the integrity of the Charter Change exercise, and warned lawmakers not to mess with the Constitution or he would shut down Congress and have its members arrested.

At the moment, Alvarez said, the Senate has yet to agree on Charter Change through a constituent assembly.

“If they can’t be with us and with the President in calling for a Constituent Assembly, then we will be wasting our time,” Alvarez said. “I hope we will be together in finding ways how to do it rather than finding ways how not to do it.”

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III on Friday said he listen to all the arguments about Charter

with APO to ensure the “speedy processing” of passports. He then decided that Foreign Affairs will continue to work with the printing firm.

The deal that granted APO the authority to print the electronic passports through a new integrated system was signed on Oct. 5 last year by then Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and then Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. APO is said to have been the only government printer that expressed willingness to print the e-passports. The other two are the National Printing Office and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

But Foreign Affairs said the Duterte administration’s plan to extend the validity of passports to 10 years would certainly stop the production of cheaper passports.

“It stands to reason that the cost will expectedly increase as more pages have to be added,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said in a text message.

Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

Plan...

From A1 President Rodrigo Duterte earlier ordered the fish pens dismantled and to bring back the polluted area in its pristine state.

“The fish pens are owned by big politicians: governors and mayors and police and army generals,” Duterte said on Thursday.

“All that is left for the small fishermen are the spaces in between the

Council...

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OUT OF THE WOODWORK. Lanao del Sur Mayor Mamaulan

Abinal Molok of Maguing (left) and former mayor Muhammad Ali Abinal of Marantaor, both included in the illegal drug watch list, surrender to PNP Chief Ronaldo dela Rosa at Camp Crame on Friday.

Francisco Tuyay

Power...

From A1 Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said the agency is already looking at the possible violations by the power utilities given the recent spate of yellow and red alert statuses issued by NGCP in the past few days.

Cusi said these debilitating power interruptions were in total violation of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act. ”We have already requested the ERC [Energy Regulatory Commission] to investigate these persistent power brownouts and to take appropriate actions, pursuant to their mandate to regulate industry players,” said Cusi.

Cusi described the power supply situation as “very alarming” as around 3,075 megawatts of power capacity went offline on Friday.

Of the capacity that went offline, 1,225 MW were unplanned while 1,850 MW were planned or maintenance outages. A total of 14 power plants went offline, seven of which were planned.

Among the power plants that had unplanned outages were Calaca 2 (300MW), Pagbilao 2 (382MW), Malaya 1 (300MW), SLTEC-( 122MW), Makban Unit 1 (55MW), Limay 5 (60MW) and Lafarge- (6MW).

Those on planned outage were Ilijan Block B (600MW), SLPGC(150MW), Kalayaan 1 (180MW), Kalayaan 2 (180MW), Bacman 2 (55MW), San Gabriel(430MW), Sta. Rita module 20 (255MW).

In North Luzon, one hour power interruptions were noted in Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative, La Union Electric Cooperative, Nueva Vizcaya Electric Cooperative, Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative, Isabela I Electric Cooperative, and Cagayan II Electric Cooperative.

In Central Luzon, one- to twohour power interruptions were experienced by consumers of Pampanga Electric Cooperative I, II and III, Peninsula Electric

Cooperative-Balanga, Pampanga Rural Electric Cooperative, San Fernando Light and Power Co. and Nueva Ecija I Electric Cooperative.

In South Luzon, two-hour power interruptions were experienced by consumers of Quezon Electric Cooperative I and II. As this developed, the consumer group Citizen Watch urged the ERC to investigate what it described as the “suspicious” trend of simultaneous outages.

“Last week, nine power plants in Luzon simultaneously shut down for emergency maintenance and several others operated on limited capacity, triggering a sharp increase in the prices of electricity and rolling outages across the region,” said Wilford Wong, Citizen Watch secretary-general.

The group noted that the closures immediately affected the spot market, where prices surged following thinning supply.

“We are alarmed over this latest round of power plant inefficiencies,” Wong said, citing similarly suspicious outages and shutdowns in November 2013 that drastically affected supply and consequently drove up rates, to the disadvantage of consumers who bear the brunt of the increase.

“We reiterate our call for a strict audit of the operational fitness of all existing power plants, which can serve as an accurate base of what is really the actual and dependable capacity in the grid,” he said.

“The information we need is not theoretical or on paper but the actual figures, which can be described as stable and reliable.”

Wong warned that a scenario similar to the regular blackouts in the 1990s could be in the offing if these efficiencies are not addressed.

With John Paolo Bencito, PNA

Test...

From A1

Brazil is one of countries where the virus is transmitted, and that has discouraged some athletes from going to Rio de Janeiro to compete.

The Health department, however, provided the Filipino athletes with some protection.

“We gave them self-protective tools like insect repellents,” Tayag said.

“We want them to bring the gold medals.”

Cathrine Mae V. Gonzales

Both Houses No. 1, delegates to the convention will be elected by January next year, to propose amendments to the Constitution.

The resolution disqualifies members of the Congress at the time of the adoption of the resolution to become a candidate for election as delegate to the convention.

It also prohibits candidates in the May 2016 elections to qualify as a candidate for election as delegate to the Convention.

“The proposed review of the 29year old Constitution will be the ‘top priority’ of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes and laws which I chair,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon.

“We will take up all the proposed measures and resolutions calling for the review of the Constitution as soon as the organization of the Senate is finalized and completed,” Drilon said.

Drilon said he considers the revision of the Constitution “a delicate task” that needs the active involvement of all stakeholders.

“We will hear from all stakeholders and experts to discuss the best mode of amending our Constitution. The committee will do its best to come up with the most appropriate and beneficial strategy,” Drilon added.

News IN BRIEF Plane makes emergency landing A GULF Air flight bound for Bahrain was forced to return to Ninoy Aquino International Airport Friday afternoon due to technical glitch of the plane.

No one was hurt as the Manila-Bahrain flight GF 154, with 207 passengers, made an emergency call while airborne around 1:10 p.m. and returned safely at the Bay 7 of Naia Terminal 1 about 20 minutes after, according to the Manila International Airport Authority.

The MIAA said the plane departed Naia Terminal 1 around 12:30 p.m. and was in the air for about an hour when a smoke from the left engine was electronically detected. The three pilots managed to land the plane safely at Runway 0624 of the airport facility.

Joel Zurbano

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Ludicrous, solon says of break in legislation

By Maricel V. Cruz

A

N OPPOSITION leader in the House of Representatives frowned on the statement of Majority Leader Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas of Ilocos Norte that Charter Change may force the lower chamber to defer the task of legislating new laws.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said Fariñas, being the majority floor leader, must push for the passage of the Palacebacked priority measures, not

just Cha-Cha. “The call of Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas for Congress to stop making laws in anticipation of Charter Change

is ludicrous,” Lagman said.

“As Majority Leader, it is the duty of Fariñas to push for the enactment of the President’s legislative agenda yet he is proposing that the administration bills be consigned to the back-burner pending amendments to the Constitution,” Lagman said in a statement.

Lagman said that each lawmaker has their own priority measures that should be attended to by Congress as part of its legislative mandate.

“Members of the House have their own priority bills of national significance which should

not be hanged at the gallows of a suspended legislative process,” Lagman said.

Fariñas earlier said that amending the Constitution is a gargantuan task and Congress may stop passing laws to give way to the tedious process of revising the 1987 Constitution that may take three years.

“The legislation may stop because we are revising the Constitution,” Fariñas told reporters, adding that some measures, like a new death penalty law, may even be swept aside while Congress is considering a new Constitution.

But Reps. Fred Castro of Capiz, Albee Benitez of Negros Occidental, Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte and Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar, in separate interviews with the Manila Standard defended Fariñas.

“I think the Majority Leader should not be literally taken,” Castro said.

“There are legislative works like the priority legislation of the President that will have to be taken into consideration as they are necessitated to implement and push forward the urgent programs of the administration,” he said.

Cops: QC car thefts decrease AFTER being tagged as the country’s carjacking capital, the Quezon City police claimed the high incidence of car thefts in the city has dropped by 90 percent in the first semester of 2016.

Sr. Supt. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, QCPD director, attributed the decrease to their intensified anti-crime efforts, adding there were only four reported incidents in the first semester of this year, down by 90 percent compared to 11 reported incidents in 2014.

The city was tagged as the car theft capital due to the large number of stolen vehicles reported way back in 2000.

The decline in car theft and carjacking incidents and other crimes in the city was a result of coordinated and continuous peace and order efforts by police and the city government throughout the city’s 142 barangays. Rio N. Araja

Probe set over Pinay mule to HK AIRPORT authorities are investigating the case of a Filipina who was able to leave the country with 720 grams of suspected cocaine and flew to Hong Kong where she was arrested and criminally charged for drug trafficking.

Manila International Airport Authority general manager Eddie Monreal ordered a probe of officials at the security checks at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminals 2 and 3 after the 37-year-old Filipina working as a telephone operator at Hong Kong was able to fly out with the contraband.

“We are trying to establish what flight and what time she departed and who are the personnel on duty that day and time,” Monreal said, adding that MIAA started its investigation with the airline companies to find out where the still unnamed Filipina took her flight to Hong Kong. Joel E. Zurbano

EMERGENCY LANDING. Airport incident probers examine

the engine of an Airbus A330 after it spewed smoke an hour after taking off the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Friday. No one was hurt in the incident. Eric Apolonio

Trouble brewing in Sulu, priest reports

By Vito Barcelo A CATHOLIC missionary priest called on the government to help ease the tension between Christians and Muslims in Jolo that was caused by some minor misunderstandings but has grown into an issue that is driving a number of Christians to leave and evacuate the island of Sulu.

Italian priest Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra PIME of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement said local and national government officials should do more to pacify Christians and Muslims in the capital of Sulu province.

D’Ambra decried the worsening persecution of Christians in Jolo, Sulu, saying that, “the beautiful relationship among Christians and Muslims in Jolo is no longer a reality there. Many Christian Chinese have left and many other Christians are planning to leave if they have a chance.”

“Many live now in fear in Jolo and this is what the bad elements, who claim to perpetuate violence in the name of Islam, like. The Christians are afraid to talk, afraid also to go to the church even if there are military watching the cathedral in the center of the city,” he said, following the recent murder of a Christian in Jolo and the

rumored plan to neutralize or kidnap several others.

D’Ambra also expressed alarm as rebels find reasons to also kill Muslims they considered as infidels.

“The situation is also alarming for good Muslims because today the bad elements find reasons to kill also the Muslims, saying that some are “kafir” [infidel] like the other Christians. They forget the great tradition of Islam to respect Christians as people of the book,” the priest added.

The priest said no solution has been implemented by local officials except to point fingers at other authorities.

Conflicting orders confuse BI personnel A DEPARTMENT of Justice order superseding all personnel order issued by Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente has created confusion among employees of the bureau, an immigration official said Friday.

An immigration official, who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution, said 30

out of the 50 personnel orders Morente issued last week to reorganize the BI has been superseded by another order signed by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, transferring the officers to other posts.

Under the department order, the bureau’s Travel Control and Enforcement Unit (TCEU) and the Border Monitoring and Se-

curity Unit (BMSU) which were then under the office of the commissioner are now under the Port Operations Division (POD).

The BI employees said they are now in a sticky situation because it was not yet clear who are the designated proper authorities to sign significant documents which started to pile up since last week. Vito Barcelo

Tech company cites PH economic growth

STREET VENDORS. Hawkers around the Divisoria Market staged a ‘die-in’ protest outside the market

after city hall announced It would demolish obstructions built by the vendors to the detriment of traffic at Raon Street in nearby Quiapo, Manila. Danny Pata

GLOBAL technology firm 3M is confident that the economy will further accelerate under the Duterte administration, spurring the firm to put up its first Global Service Center in Asia-Pacific at Taguig City.

At the launch of the facility at Bonifacio High Street, 3M executive vice president for international operations Hak Cheol Shin said the new facility is the first of two major investments the global firm will be making in the Philippines.

“We chose Manila as our third GSC facility in the world because of the Philippines’ strategic advantages, which includes a well-qualified workforce and service center expertise,” Shin said.

“With Manila at the very center of Asia-Pacific we will be able to partner with our two other GSCs to provide a truly 24/7 global service,” he added.

The Philippine GSC will be responsible for critical processes in finance, sourcing and procurement and human resources. It will also provide IT support for quality, reporting, analytics security and database management.

“With this move, the global firm expects to become the world’s leading science and manufacturing growth company and a provider of services at the global level,” says Reggie Pulumbarit, general manager of 3M GSC in the Philippines.

DAR chief backs new land reform

By Rio N. Araja SECRETARY Rafael Mariano of the Department of Agrarian Reform vowed on Friday to back the right of farmers to own the land they are tilling by supporting a new land reform law that will allow the government to acquire more lands for distribution for free or at least cost.

He said he is determined to support the passage of House Bill 555, or the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill, refiled by Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao.

He said the effort is in line with the present administration’s thrust and policy direction to protect the rights and welfare and ensure the security of tenure of farmers without depriving the landowners of their right to due process of law and to just compensation.

“The control of agrarian reform lands must always be in the hands of the farmer-beneficiaries of the program,” he added.

Records showed 4,726,604 hectares had been acquired and distributed to 2,970,644 agrarian reform beneficiaries.

But there is insufficient data if those lands still remained in the hands of the farmers and the conditions of farmer beneficiaries.

Despite the extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, the land acquisition and distribution balance is 621,000 hectares.

“There is an urgent need to review and retool the existing agrarian reform program to protect the rights and welfare of farmers and ensure food security,” Mariano said.

GARB, if passed, should also consider the coverage of lands previously exempted or excluded from agrarian reform coverage, he noted.

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Opinion

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

Reasonable doubt

EDITORIAL

C

HARTER Change has always been a divisive issue. The July survey of Pulse Asia showed that those divisions continue.

The survey, based on face-toface interviews with 1,200 respondents nationwide, showed that 44 percent of Filipinos still do not support moves to amend the Constitution. A smaller 37 percent said they believe the Constitution should be amended, while 19 percent said they were undecided.

But opposition to Charter Change has actually declined from a high 49 percent in a similar survey two years ago.

These numbers gain significance against the backdrop of President Rodrigo Duterte’s

determined campaign to amend the Constitution to replace today’s unitary, presidential form of government with a federal, parliamentary system.

Mr. Duterte ascended to the presidency by winning 38 percent of the popular vote. This may not sound like very much of a plurality, but in the fractured multi-party system of Philippine politics, Mr. Duterte was among the most popular presidential candidates in history, with 16,601,997 votes, surpassing his immediate predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, who won with 15,208,678 votes in 2010, and Joseph Estrada, who won with 10,722,295 votes in 1998.

Opposition to Charter

Change will drop further, perhaps, as Mr. Duterte lends his popularity to an information campaign to support his plan to move the country toward a federal system where far-flung provinces will no longer suffer the neglect of imperial Manila.

Still, the push to amend the Constitution will be an uphill battle, and the administration cannot afford too many missteps.

When Mr. Duterte took office, he declared his preference for a Constitutional Convention with elected delegates who would propose amendments to the Charter. This mode, one of three allowed by the Constitution, is widely regarded as the most representative approach

to making amendments—but also the most expensive, given the cost of an election.

Mr. Duterte’s preference was reflected in a resolution filed in the House by his ally, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

It was Alvarez, however, who quickly corrected himself and declared that a Constituent Assembly made up of senators and congressmen, was now the preferred mode of amending the Constitution, because it was cheaper and more practical.

There is not much public trust in Congress, however, and those who oppose Charter Change have found yet another reason to object to it. We are, after all, talking about a group of politicians who cannot even put the

national good over their own parochial interests when it comes to enforcing a constitutional ban on political dynasties. Are we then to trust these same lawmakers, who could just as well remove the bothersome provision on political dynasties or tinker with their own term limits?

Speaker Alvarez’s call for the creation of a Constitutional Commission—composed of constitutional law experts as well as representatives from non-governmental organizations, the academe and other sectors of society—is a step in the right direction in addressing the reasonable doubt about Congress’ ability to draft a new Charter that is good for all, not just for themselves.

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

Duterte and Alvarez on federalism

POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO I WONDER how many mothers (and fathers) worry as much as I do because of all the killings happening daily. Let me say that as a mother, it has not been my practice to constantly ask my kids how they are doing, or strictly monitor their whereabouts. I trusted, and still trust that they have enough sense not to get involved in anything foolish and/or irresponsible. I felt secure that for as long as they do no harm to others, no one is going to harm them.

Not anymore. All these killings are making me scared for my kids.

Nowadays, I find myself worrying (maybe more than I should) about what could go wrong. Whenever I read, or hear about someone getting killed, my heart would skip a bit. What if one of my children happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time? Because really, at the rate people are mur-

With the way things are, we all have reason to fear because anyone can be labeled as a drug pusher.

And ah, collateral damage.

Someone said that in a war, collateral damage cannot be prevented. But how do we know who died as collateral damage?

All of them are dead and will never be able to tell their stories. What about the innocent?

They got killed, labeled as menace of society without even being given the chance to defend themselves! Is this the justice we want?

Remember that scholar from a poor family who was killed alongside a suspected drug dealer? My heart bled for his mother whose grief I could fully understand. What about that young woman, who was liked by everyone who knew her but repeatedly shot in a jeepney on her way to work? People

AFTER President Corazon Aquino relinquished power in 1992, some of the presidents who came after her made tacit attempts to amend the 1987 Constitution. Their efforts were nipped in the bud by an electorate suspicious that the proponents of the amendments wanted Charter Change only to perpetuate themselves in power by eliminating term limits enshrined in the fundamental law.

The existing Constitution is, admittedly, an imperfect document. It is a disappointing blue print for a government that was born out of the high expectations of the Filipino people after the 1986 Edsa Revolution. For instance, the Aquino charter allows a multi-party electoral system but fails to mandate a run-off election. That omission allows a president to be elected on a mere plurality. Consequently, political division among the people ensues for years following the election. There are many other disturbing oversights in the charter.

Despite the imperfection of the current constitution, the people have repeatedly demonstrated their collective reluctance to charter amendments initiated in the past. Their reluctance emanates mainly from the way many government officials of past administrations have either brazenly abused power, or have haughtily reneged on their campaign pledge to work for the public interest.

In other words, unless a president and his political allies are really determined to seek serious charter change, amending or revising the existing Constitution will remain a pipe dream.

From all current indications, however, it looks like President Rodrigo Duterte and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez are determined to give the 1987 Constitution not only a revision but a complete overhaul. Duterte and Alvarez have openly expressed their intention to replace the existing unitary government with a federal set-up, and with some features of a parliamentary system thrown in. More specifically, the grand plan is to reorganize the different provinces in the country into at least 12 states based on, more or less, the existing regional templates.

Under a unitary government, every aspect of running the nation needs the approval of the central government in the national capital. This is expected since local government units, despite their autonomy, still spend public money disbursed and audited by the national government. In a federal system, however, each state government

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Killing the heart dered, nobody knows who can be next.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs has already claimed hundreds of lives. Depending on your source and the period covered, the counts range from more than 400 to more than 700 deaths. The big majority of deaths are in the hands of the police. And the story line is consistent, police comes to make an arrest, suspect resists, and the police are left with no choice but to shoot.

In a country where death penalty is not allowed, it seems that killing has become a pastime for some.

True, not all killings were done by the PNP. But the President’s public support for the killings has emboldened people and groups. How easy is it now to murder someone who may or may not have anything to do with drugs and just label the victim as a drug pusher?

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We have learned to just turn away and say ‘tough luck.’ ” Anyone with a gun can just decide that someone has to die.

Cardboard justice—some call this as such because a piece of cardboard saying that someone is a drug dealer—is all that’s needed to make it appear that the murder is justified.

And then come news reports saying that the President has given the shoot to kill order against politicians involved in the illegal drugs trade and drug lords. Is this even legal here?

I’m afraid that these murders will continue. Our country is fast becoming the killing fields.

Benjamin Philip G. Romualdez Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Anita F. Grefal Maan Ilustre Edgar M. Valmorida

There is a reason why I do not use the term extra-judicial killings to describe these deaths.

EJK assumes that there is judicious killing. Since we do not have death penalty here, what is happening is murder, plain and simple.

Make no mistake about it: I stand for the eradication of the drug menace. I believe that we, the people will feel secure if the incidence of illegal drugs is minimized. But the war as it is waged does not make people feel that sense of security. On the contrary, people are scared —scared for their lives, for their loved ones. Friends from other countries who were scheduled to come have canceled their trips. Several of my friends are seriously thinking of leaving the country for good to keep their families safe.

What some say that people have nothing to fear for as long as they do no crime is untrue.

Chairman Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager Advertising and Marketing Head Circulation Manager

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Managing Editor Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors Francis Lagniton News Editor Emil P. Jurado

Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Opinion BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN

Nationalism as we interpret it NOW that we are confronted with a problem over our claim in the South China Sea, our politicians all of a sudden invoke the abstract political elixir of nationalism to unite our people.

They see the value of nationalism as essential to advance a specific policy they equate as in pursuit of our national interest.

This is often the case because many could hardly distinguish nationalism from patriotism or much more about the rudiments of what constitute our national interest.

To begin with, nationalism came about after the signing of the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 which gave rise to the formation of nation-states. That historic treaty formalized the conduct of international relations among nations. From thereon, the concept of territoriality, sovereignty and independence became a prerequisite to the recognition of states. This means that states must possess the essential characteristics of having their own people, a defined territory, and must be sovereign and independent. Having the same racial, cultural identify and even religious beliefs was often used to galvanize people to form their own nation-state.

The significance of the Treaty of Westphalia was only superseded after 307 years when the leaders of the then Non-Aligned countries, namely: China, Indonesia, India, then Yugoslavia and Egypt, meet in Bandung, Indonesia in 1955 to enunciate the now famous five principles in the conduct of international relations. Being at the height of the Cold War, nationalism became the ideological cornerstone of the members to disassociate themselves from the so-called Free World and from the Socialist bloc. The Five principles are: 1) Mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty; 2) Non-aggression; 3) Non-interference in each other’s internal affairs; 4) Equality and mutual benefit; and 5) Peaceful co-existence.

Much that the primordial concern of every state is to secure its own survival, vis-à-vis independence, nationalism became the most convenient mode to unite the people. The problem, however, is that the concept of nationalism has evolved not only to the idea of safeguarding their territory, independence and sovereignty, but to one of economic survival. The old practice of closing one’s door to economic intercourse called autarky only goaded other states to embark on a much aggressive economic policy called imperialism until it was tamed by the costly bruise of war that lead to globalization focusing on the elimination of tariff barriers. Some observed that globalization has already reached its peak, with many now reverting to the old practice of bilateral rather than multilateral trade agreements where the principle of “most favorednation clause” causing much debilitation to the economies of the rich countries.

When Adolf Hitler became the Chancellor, he not only sought to unite the remaining German nations by annexing territories from East Prussia to Ukraine where there were sizeable German minorities, but sought to purify the race by the deportation, internment and even extermination of Jews in Europe. Nationalism was at its worst because Hitler sought not only to emphasize on the superiority of the Aryan race, but used it as an instrument to wage war.

Nationalism that makes war as an instrument of national policy is called jingoism. Many countries today try to tone down nationalism fearing that blind nationalism could trigger social unrest. It tends to generate of national hysteria for often it is used by demagogues to justify the suppression of political opposition, often branding them as traitors, or to wage war against countries that annexed a portion of their territory or an excuse to commit aggression in defense of protecting their own people in countries where they are being discriminated. In other words,

nationalism has become the easiest way to confuse people on their ability to comprehend the necessity of going to war.

Whether the country is waging as defensive or just war or has chosen to commit aggression in pursuit of its national interest, many believe that once that condition has been set into motion, people have little or no choice but to support that cause.

It is the condition of war that heightens one to be patriotic.

This is why patriotism is not just confined to the soldiers, but to the entire population. The Soviets during World War II called their defense of the Motherland against the invading German army “a Great Patriotic War,” as so with the Chinese in their campaign to drive out the Japanese imperial army.

Many can distinguish nationalism from patriotism.”

Nationalism is defined as love of what the country stands.

The state need not necessarily at war, but citizens nonetheless must exhibit a degree of identification with its culture, history, language and aspirations that galvanized them as one nation.

In patriotism, there is less room for the citizens to deny or even denounce it.

To abnegate on his duty could make him a traitor. On the other hand, nationalism have a much wider room for interpretation. It is in those gray areas where demagogues take advantage to realign their concept of nationalism to pursue their own selfish interest or of the interest of other states that props up their government.

Imminent American author on international relations Hans J. Morgenthau, defined national interest as “the interest of a nation as a whole held to be an independent entity separate from the interest of subordinate areas or groups and also of other nations or supranational groups.” It is to the French, d’ etat or reason of the state. This has to be emphasized because our concept of nationalism is totally different from what others understood as in pursuit of their national interest. Because of our misguided exhortation of nationalism, unconsciously we incorporated as our own the interest of other states. It is for this why those who might disagree with the path chosen by the lackluster Noynoy Aquino administration cannot be branded as unpatriotic or less nationalistic.

What the Noynoy administration did to unilaterally file a case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration cannot be said as in pursuit of our national interest because he has consistently treated US policy in the Philippines and in wider perspective as integral in securing our own interest. For instance, when the Noynoy administration insisted in negotiating with China on a multilateral basis, China’s objection was clear that it would not allow any party to speak on our behalf or for us to speak in their behalf. Second, to allow third parties to participate in the negotiations, like the US, would give it the status of having a preference to secure its unauthorized right to regularly patrol the South China Sea invoking the freedom of navigation which China consider as out of the issue.

Taken together the two items cannot be considered in pursuit of our national interest because China could sense they we are in fact defending US interest now embedded as part of our national interest. The pronouncement that the US will not come to our defense in case war erupts between China and the Philippines is indicative that its policy is wholly circumscribe to its national interest, and to none others. rpkapunan@gmail.com

EAGLE EYES TONY LA VIÑA DISAGREEING with the dismissal by the majority of the plunder case against former President Arroyo and coaccused, four justices are in agreement on the existence of conspiracy, saying that the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office fund releases diverted to the Office of the President would not have been possible without GMA’s approval. The dissenters include Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, Associate Justices Marvic Leonen and Benjamin Caguioa with Associate Justice Estela PerlasBernabe concurring in part and dissenting in part.

Chief Justice Sereno, in her straightforward dissenting opinion, opines that there existed a conspiracy among GMA, PCSO Budget Officer Benigno Aguas, and PCSO general manager Rosario Uriarte. According to her, conspiracy was sufficiently established through repeated approvals of GMA on the additional confidential intelligence funds requests in the course of three years. Sereno believes that “the prosecution has successfully established the conspiracy scheme through the various irregularities in the CIF disbursement.

These irregularities or red flags clearly spell a conspiracy to commit plunder when the amounts involved and the processes of requesting, approval, and liquidating the amounts are holistically considered.”

Sereno draws attention to the testimony of witness Aleta Tolentino who disclosed that there were several irregularities in the CIF requests and disbursements within three years of GMA’s

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016

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The dissent on the Arroyo PCSO case term. Red flags were clearly apparent in the approval, disbursement and liquidation of the CIF funds, including, among others, missing funds and their apparent misuse. Moreover, the prosecution adduced enough evidence to show that the final destination of the amount was linked to GMA and her Office as admitted by a co-conspirator. In other words, GMA had an indispensable role in the scheme of things.

In disagreeing with the ponencia, Sereno further says that GMA had control, not only over the PCSO, but also over the intelligence funds, as clearly mandated

by Letter of Instruction No. 1282 which sheds light on the role of the President when it comes to the expenditure of intelligence funds.

She points out the existence of ample evidence to show that Uriarte gained material possession of the amounts through cash advances facilitated by the repeated and unqualified approval of the requests by GMA who through the Office of the President used a large portion of the amount received as cash advance.

Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, for his part, also agrees with Sereno on the existence of conspiracy. His dissent is anchored on the premise that GMA, as a highly intelligent and experienced President, was aware that “the power to increase the allocation and, therefore, disbursement of additional CIF of the PCSO) was hers alone.” She was aware that this power was discretionary on her part. She did not have to approve any request for increase if it was not properly supported by adequate funds and the enumeration of specific activities.”

Further, he states that GMA,

as president, was also aware of her duty under the Constitution and our laws that all the financial controls supported by audit observations be complied with to ensure that all funds be disbursed in a regular manner and for legitimate purposes. She knew that it was her duty to scrutinize requests for increases in these funds. Besides, increases in the allocation of CIF of PCSO were made possible only with the approval of GMA as President. He also postulates, contrary to the majority opinion, that there is no need for a “main plunderer.”

Based on his interpretation, Section 2 of the Plunder Law does not require plunder to be centralized, whether in terms of its planning and execution, or in terms of its benefits.

Citing the evidence presented by the prosecution, Leonen notes that the prosecution has adequately demonstrated - through former President Arroyo’s handwritten notations- that she personally approved PCSO General Manager Rosario C. Uriarte’s “requests for the allocation, release and use of additional [Confidential and Intelligence Fund.]” Moreover, the prosecution, he adds, was able to present evidence to show that Arroyo personally approved the release of additional CIF to the PCSO on several occasions from 2008 to 2010 by handwriting the notation “OK, GMA.” These releases, as the evidence would prove, were in excess of amounts initially allocated as such CIF and were facilitated despite PCSO’s having had to operate under a deficit. Furthermore, the prosecution has shown that Uriarte, despite not having been designated as a special disbursing

officer, withdrew from the CIF solely on the strength of GMA’s approval. GMA’s culpability is further shown, according to Leonen, by the fact that officers from the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the National Bureau of Investigation gave testimonies to the effect that no intelligence activities were conducted by PCSO with their cooperation, contrary to Uriarte ‘s claims.

Even assuming, Leonen insists, the accused could not be convicted of plunder, there is still sufficient evidence to convict them with malversation of public funds, as penalized by Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code. Hence, trial on this score should still proceed for reception of evidence.

I am not in a position to replace the judgment of the Ombudsman in filing and prosecuting this case nor replace the judgment of the majority or dissenting Justices. I must say though that I am inclined to side with former President Arroyo on this case given that most of her co-accused have been acquitted earlier. It seems to me that the weakest evidence is against the Arroyo and it does not stand to reason for her to be convicted while the case of conspiracy against her colleagues in conspiracy with her is not proven. For this reason, in my view, the greater injustice here was committed against the former president who had to suffer years in hospital detention only to be cleared of wrong doing. This could have been prevented if she was granted bail, the denial of which added to the injustice.

Facebook: Dean Tony La Vina Twitter: tonylavs

Can China save the Olympics?

By Adam Minter WHEN the Olympic torch was lit Friday in Rio de Janeiro, there were 416 Chinese athletes in attendance, the largest contingent the country has ever sent abroad.

It’s a hopeful symbol amid an unprecedented whirlwind of doping and corruption charges.

And it seems like a pretty apt metaphor.

For three decades, China has embraced the Olympics as a proxy for national greatness.

Winning more medals—and China wins a lot of them— seemed to equate with its rising status in the world. It even seemed to boost racial selfconfidence: In 2004, hurdler Liu Xiang told the press that his unexpected gold medal proved that “athletes with yellow skin can run as fast as those with black and white skins.”

Yet as China’s political and financial investment in the Olympics has grown, the games themselves have only become more tarnished: Revelations of widespread cheating by Russia at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi are

Duterte...

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decides matters for itself, which means leaving only the public concerns that are truly of national character (like national defense, common currency, international relations) to the attention of the federal government. This distinction, of course, is a simplistic one because, as any expert in Constitutional Law knows, there are other considerations which go beyond mere form.

Another important distinction lies between a presidential system of government and a parliamentary one. In the former, each of the three branches of government— executive, legislative and judicial —is expected to provide a system of checks and balances against the other two and, as pointed out by the original American federalists, to make sure that no single branch becomes too powerful to the prejudice of the other two.

In a parliamentary set-up, however, there is a merger of the executive and legislative branches.

Again, this is a simplistic distinc-

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said that it most probably was a case of mistaken identity. There is also the death of this other young man who only wanted to eat a local delicacy in their market but was murdered because a suspected drug pusher hitched a ride with them. This guy was

just the latest to undermine the integrity of competition that the Chinese government so esteems.

China has had its share of doping problems, of course. In the early 1990s, its women’s distance-running team set a series of astonishing world records, despite having no history of success in the sport. Their coach credited traditional elixirs made from worms and turtles, but the truth was likely more banal: Two of the runners have since claimed that they were forced to dope.

More recently, China’s recordsetting swimming performances at the 2012 London Olympics caused suspicion among competitors, coaches and commentators. This spring, a whistleblower revealed that authorities had covered up positive tests by Chinese swimmers, and were allowing a coach banned for doping to work with athletes in Tianjin.

In April, the World Anti-Doping Authority suspended China’s drug-testing lab.

For China, these aren’t just embarrassments; they’re political problems. Allegations

of doping at the 2008 Beijing games threaten to stain an event that the government has extolled as a key moment in China’s international emergence. Cheating among Olympians is especially thorny when the government is trying to clean up corruption everywhere else—from its civil service to its much-maligned soccer leagues.

And that’s actually a reason for hope. In recent years, China has gained a lot of influence over the Olympics. Last summer, Beijing won the rights to the 2022 Winter Games based largely on its ability to pay for them— even though the city is mostly snowless and has no tradition of winter sports. Chinese corporate sponsorship has likewise become an increasingly important way to fund the games. And the value of Chinese broadcast rights is growing rapidly as the country’s huge population starts to tune in.

All of which means that China isn’t powerless to stop the erosion of the Olympic brand. It could start at home, by finally making a public push to stamp

out cheating. For one thing, it could require that all athletes in its state system be covered by “biological passports” that track long-term physiological changes in the blood. Such technology should be adopted universally, but China —perhaps more than any other country—has the ability to lead the way.

That would align with President Xi Jinping’s push to improve public morality via his anti-corruption crackdown, and would be a statement of confidence in an athletic program that easily ranks among the world’s best, even without drugs. It would also be a powerful gesture if China wants to push the International Olympic Committee to make further reforms to clean up the games.

That may sound unlikely. But few countries have China’s attachment to sport as a symbol of national greatness. If nothing else, standing up against cheating would be a way to enhance its status in the world—regardless of how many athletes it sends to the medal platform.

tion because there are other considerations dealing with substance and not form. For instance, in a parliamentary set-up, an independent judiciary will be needed to check against an abusive parliament led by an abusive prime minister.

The speaker minces no words in assailing “imperial Manila” and the presidential system. He contends that under the existing system, regional growth remains stagnant because every aspect in the disbursement of public money is controlled by the central government. Alvarez also attributes the saddening economic status of the Philippines, as compared to other Asian countries, to the existing unitary system.

Alvarez cites Davao City’s past experience in infrastructure development. He says that five years ago, the city government made plans for a city railway system in anticipation of traffic congestion problems in the predictable future. Alvarez laments that the project bogged down because government bureaucrats in Manila demanded a nearly infinite

volume of documentary requirements at every stage of the approval process.

From Alvarez’ perspective, a federal system allows the state government to ascertain what is best for its constituents, and to raise the funds for its projects without the obstacles often thrown in the way by Manila. This way, Alvarez optimistically asserts, local development master plans will be easier to implement, and will result in economic prosperity.

For him, federalism has the effect of emancipating existing local government units from the meddling intrusion of the national government.

As to the parliamentary setup contemplated by Alvarez, he admits that he is for a “hybrid type” where a prime minister and a president run the government.

Specifically, the Alvarez model calls for a president in charge of national defense, foreign affairs, monetary policies, and the police establishment, and a prime minister who will attend to the rest of the concerns of the executive department, and who will ensure

that the parliament enacts the legislation needed for the effective enforcement of the law.

There is, of course, the complexity of matching a federal system patterned after the American model of presidential government (which local proponents of federalism cite) with parliamentary government, which is essentially an unfinished political experiment in Philippine constitutional history.

Supporters of the move towards federalism ought to welcome the opposition registered by constitutional experts like Father Joaquin Bernas because opposing views inevitably provide the average Filipino a holistic picture of an issue which, admittedly, will not be easy for the average Filipino to comprehend, much less resolve.

Opinion leaders in favor of or against the contemplated charter amendments have their respective versions of what is good and right, Ultimately, however, the burden will still be on the voter who will decide, through a plebiscite, how the government ought to be run for the next half-century or so.

just biding his time because he was about to start with his first employment in a ship in a matter of months. Where is justice here?

I have not even touched on the issue of human rights and how we have totally disregarded respect for law and due process.

What is most troubling for me at this point is the fact that not

a few actually approve of the carnage that is happening. Have we turned totally insensitive and uncaring for our fellow Filipinos whose lives were snuffed out just like that? What about the families of those killed? For every one of those murdered, a family is orphaned, left grieving. Yet we have learned to just turn away and say “tough luck.”

What has happened to us as a people? Where have compassion and caring for others gone?

Are these killings also killing our hearts? As a mother, I worry about my family. As a citizen, I grieve for the nation’s heart.

Bloomberg

bethangsioco@gmail.com. @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

Sports

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016 A6 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Paez, Bayron keep 1-2 post in Aboitiz Invitational golf A

MERICAN Nicolas Paez and local ace Jay Bayron stumbled with a pair of 74s in varying fashions but kept their 1-2 posts as erstwhile contender Blake Snyder tumbled down with a 77 in a punishing day in the Scores soared as the field struggled in the wind and tough pin placements although Paez and Bayron, despite their overpar cards, remained four and three strokes ahead, respectively, of their pursuers heading to the last 18 holes of what loomed to be a two-man shootout for the top $17,500 purse in this $100,000 championship sponsored by Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. Paez, who parred his last three holes late Thursday to shoot a 68 and grab a onestroke lead over Bayron and Snyder halfway through the 72-hole championship, recovered from a 38 start and a four-over card after 12 holes with birdies on Nos. 13 and 15 and saved that 74 and a 211.

The 24-year-old American was way off his timing off the tee, either hitting to the

left or right at the tight frontside.

“I was struggling a little bit after eight holes. I just told myself to move on and minimize my mistakes. But I finished fairly strong and that’s what mattered,” said Paez.

Bayron, who took charge in the first round with a 67 but dropped to joint second with a 71, regained the lead with a 36 after nine holes but hit back-to-back wild drives to start the backside and made bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11. He fought back with a birdie on No. 13 but dropped another stroke on No. 15 to match Paez’s 74 and remained a stroke adrift at 212.

But it was his spectacular par-save on No. 2, where he hit a wayward drive that landed on the ladies tee, which spiked his round.

“If there was a highlight of the day, that

was it,” said Bayron, grinning.

But the inaugural champion in Cebu in 2011 liked his chances for a second Abotiiz win although he stressed the need for solid driving and iron play to foil Paez and the rest of the pursuers.

“I believe I have a perfect chance to win.

But I need to play solid off the tee and get my iron game clicking,” said Bayron.

Tony Lascuña continued to make a charge after a disastrous opening 76, following up his second round 70 with a three-under 69 as the former three-time Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit winner moved into joint third with Swede Malcolm Kokocinski, Snyder and an equally charging Gavin Green of Malaysia at 215.

“I think I can still make a charge. I feel good of my chances despite being 4-down,” said Lascuña, who birdied three of the last six holes to put himself in contention in the 18th leg of the ADT and 11th of the PGT backed by Custom Clubmakers, adidas, KZG, Summit Mineral Water, Srixon, Pac-

sports, TaylorMade, Sharp and Champion.

Kokocinski, who strung up a pair of 72s, gunned down three birdies at the front to move within two off the pace but bogeyed Nos. 11 and 12 and settled for a 71 while Snyder sputtered at the finish, fumbling with four straight bogeys from No. 14 to limp with a 77.

Green, who ruled the Manila Southwoods ADT last April but fell 10 shots off Paez after 36 holes, charged back with four birdies after 11 holes, reeled back with a bogey on the next but birdied the next two to seize solo third at two-under overall.

But the Malaysian ace shotmaker holed out with a bogey on the 18th and settled for a 68, still the day’s best, for joint third.

Thai Poom Saksansin shot a 69 to join compatriot Suradit Yongcharoenchai, who made a 71, and Indonesian George Gandranata and American Micah Shin, who both matched par, and another Thai Rattanon Wannasrichan, who groped for a 73, at 216. AFP

ROX Bike Fair lures 1,500 enthusiasts THEY say you can’t buy happiness, but you can buy a bike and that’s pretty close. This year, R.O.X. (Recreational Outdoor eXchange) is bringing a whole lot of happiness to the people by bringing back the hugely successful R.O.X. Bike Fair, which began last July 15 and will end Aug. 15.

What started as a small bike out attended by 200 people in 2012, has grown to be a wellattended event, with a crowd of about 1,500 this year. Large bike organizations and outdoor enthusiasts are excited to be part of a comprehensive, fun and truly memorable bike event that will be talked about long after the last pedal has been pushed.

While many people love taking their bikes out in Manila, there are more and more groups in different regions in the Philippines who appreciate a good bike out. Nuvali, Baguio, Cagayan De Oro and Davao are the destinations to go to during the Bike Fair. The scenic routes are absolutely stunning and worth the trip to get there.

To get people ready for the bike rides ahead, your favorite outdoor brands in R.O.X. are rolling out discounts and promos for two weeks. Good gear is a good investment and for serious cyclists who want to maximize their performance as well as stay safe on the road, this is the perfect opportunity to stock up on essentials that they need for their hobby.

Of course when you get your new gear, you might not have room for your old ones. Aside from the ongoing bike sale, R.O.X. is also having a donation drive for used gear that you will not need. Old helmets, gloves, pads, jerseys, and other equipment are collected for the beneficiaries of the R.O.X. Bike for a Cause 2016 which will be held on August 14, 2016 at the CDC Parade Grounds in Clark, Pampanga. For those who don’t have old bike gear but still want to help out, you can buy bicycle equipment in the store and donate them instead.

Since 2013, the R.O.X. Bike for a Cause has been a major event that the team has worked on. In cooperation with Bikes for the Philippines, they have been able to give out bike racks and hundreds of bicycles to well deserving schools. Sometimes, the students in these schools walk for hours regardless of the weather condition just to get to class and it takes its toll on their studies and quality of life.

The Concepcion Integrated School in Pampanga has been the recipient of this initiative, and it has changed the lives of the students more than we can ever imagine. The chosen students are trained how to maintain their bicycles and how to be safe on the road. It is a responsibility and an honor to be a beneficiary, something that they will carry for the rest of their lives.

Asian Beach Games’ outfitter. Philippine Olympic Committee selected BO Athletics by SM as the official outfitter of the Philippine delegation to the 2016 Asian Beach Games in Danang, Vietnam. Signing the agreement are POC president Jose Cojuangco, Jr. and SM senior vice president Jeffrey Lo, witnessed by (seated from left) Karen Caballero, Chef de Mission and SM assistant vice president Marielle Ardiante (standing), Gina Calaguaz, Dave Carter, Deputy CDM, POC chairman Tom Carrasco, Jr. and SM SAVP Silvester Bayle.

Gatorade ups intensity with Fierce INTENSITY has taken on a new look.

The world’s no. 1 sports drink recently unleashed Gatorade Fierce— its latest product line-up composed of an exciting new flavor, Green Apple, bundled with the popular Tropical Fruit and Grape flavors.

“Fierce continues to pack the scientifically proven hydration benefits of Gatorade,” Pepsico Philippines Marketing Manager for Hydration Tony Atayde said. “The Fierce range is specially designed for intense athletes who know and love Gatorade but are looking for a bold, more intense flavor.”

Gatorade Fierce was earlier launched in the US with NBA star Paul

George. For its local debut, PBA’s very own The Beast, Alaska Aces’ Calvin Abueva joins Gatorade’s growing roster of top caliber athletes and sports superstars. The former San Sebastian Stag and PBA Rookie of the Year is known for his all-around intensity on court which helped Alaska finish with the best cumulative record during the 2012-2013 season.

Atayde added: “Proper hydration is a fundamental part of winning and staying on top of your game. Our Gatorade Fierce line is an integral part of bringing a wide variety of flavor options to athletes all over the country that know, to rehydrate, replenish and refuel, nothing beats Gatorade.” Abueva

Ouschan stuns Pagulayan in semis, rips Van Boening for title

By Ronnie Nathanielsz THE Philippines’ last hope in Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan failed to roar and was blasted by Austria’s Albin Ouschan, 11-3, at the Al Arabi Sports Club in Doha, Qatar.

Ouschan then drubbed American superstar Shane Van Boening, 13-6, in the finals.

“Coming into today’s semifinals and finals at the World 9-ball Championship, just about everything in his personal and

professional pool playing life was going just about perfect,” said World Pool Association press officer Ted Lerner, referring to Ouschan. “But even he couldn’t have imagined the dream day he just conjured up on the way to winning pool’s most prestigious prize.”

After first blowing out Pagulayan, who is representing Canada, because local pool officials failed to look after, Ouschan came back to put an “emphatic and somewhat

shocking 13-6 drubbing on Van Boening to capture his first WPA World 9-ball championship in front of over 400 people at the Al Arabi Sports Club in Doha.

Lerner who has lived in Angeles City, Pampanga for many years said: “The victory was all the more sweet for the 25-yearold Austrian because just two years ago, he placed second to the Netherland’s Niels Feijen in this very same arena. Ouschan took that loss hard, but true to his disciplined and

hard working nature, he sucked up the pain of defeat and came back better for it. “ Over the last two years, Ouschan took his game to new heights, including winning the brutally tough China Open in 2015, a successful stint on the winning European Mosconi Cup team, and wins and high finishes in many European events. And he had a baby with his girlfriend and Lerner reports “found a peace of mind that he had never known.”

Phoenix slalom 9th leg on Sunday at Robinsons Antipolo REV up and gear up for the ninth leg of the RACE Motorsports Club 2016 PHOENIX National Slalom Series on Sunday, to be held for the second time at the Robinsons Antipolo parking lot, where the drivers can experience the thrills and fun in running flat out without gutters.

Considered the grassroots of motorsports, the slalom event, powered by Phoenix Premium 98 and Phoenix Accelerate fully synthetic oil, will start at 8 a.m. for the registration.

A free slalom clinic will be held from 9 to 10 a.m.

The open and unlimited prac- Potchi Paikot of Jav Speed Racing team, Cabanatuan. tice runs also start at 8 a.m. and given only one official practice will receive 4 liters (1 gallon) will last until 10 a.m., while of- run regardless of how many of Phoenix Accelerate Fully ficial practice sessions begin at classes or cars entered.

Synthetic Oil. The eighth leg 11 a.m., with each participant Each participating driver winners will get their awards

and prizes, too.

Contenders must use the specified Federal Tyres for at least nine or 75% of the series and possess the Automobile Association of the Philippines Clubman license. Points will also be accumulated.

All drivers will be charged an additional P300 per leg for the AAP Clubman License.

The National Slalom event is affiliated with the Automobile Association of the Philippines and FIA, and is the longestrunning national motorsports discipline in the country.

Expected to participate are the series champions, headed by Milo, Noel and Estefano Rivera of Tough Gear, the 2015 National Slalom Champions, Dr. Peewee Mendiola of Team Big

Chill, AF Racing Team, Orthodox Racing, Team Comet and a lot more.

The 2016 National Slalom Grand Series Series is presented by Phoenix Premium 98 and Phoenix Accelerate fully synthetic oil, with major sponsors Federal Tyres, Outlast Battery and Robinsons Antipolo, and with support from Starbright Body Kits, Auto Transporter, Aeromed and media partners Stoplight TV, C! Magazine, Auto Industriya, Ride and Drive Philippines, Targa Pilipinas and Power Wheels Magazine.

For details, contact organizer Bing Bang Dulce at tel. nos. 928-6951,0922-8165344 or 0917-8119337; e-mail racemotorsportsclub@yahoo.com; or the event’s Facebook page.

Players, fans to have fun at PBA fair ARE you a basketball aficionado who wants to mingle with your favorite PBA players?

Head over to Gateway Food Park at Araneta Center today (Saturday) at 4 p.m. and enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the Philippine Basketball Association All-Star Basketball Fair!

Get a chance to rock with PBA’s hottest stars, Terrence Romeo, the Semerad Twins, James Yap, and other hardcourt heartthrobs who are slated to join the fun during the Rockeoke with PBA stars.

Be there early and have your basketball souvenirs and paraphernalia signed by your favorite PBA stars.

Of course, the fair wouldn’t be complete without entertainment from some of the country’s most popular artists!

Get ready to groove with the Sexbomb Next Gen Dancers at 6 p.m. and be serenaded by talented singer Duncan Ramos of South Border at 7 p.m.

Also, don’t miss out on the PBA All-Star Game on Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

For tickets, visit www.ticketnet.ph or call 911-5555.

To know more about upcoming events at Araneta Center, follow its social media accounts atwww.facebook.com/AranetaCenter on Facebook, @AranetaCenter on Twitter, and @thearanetacenter on Instagram.

Steffen is woman to beat

By Reuel Vidal MACTAN—Can anyone beat Caroline “Xena-Warrior Princess” Steffen?

That’s the difficult question for other competitors of the 2016 Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines after they saw the Swiss athlete rule the past three editions of this race held these past five years in this tourism capital of the Philippines.

She won the Cobra Ironman races from 2013 to 2015 and there seems no end in sight for her dominance.

This past year, she won the 2016 VNG 70.3 in Vietnam and the 2016 Century Tuna Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay and seems poised to add the 2016 Cobra Ironman 70.3 to be held Sunday, at the Shangri-La Mactan.

A former member of the national swimming team in Switzerland, Steffen took up triathlon in 2009 and bagged fourth place in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Florida. A few months later, she won the Ironman 70.3 in Geelong, Australia, February, 2010.

She’s been traveling the world and competing ever since. But she says she practically feels like the Philippines is a second home because of the hospitable people and the warm welcome she receives every time she visits the country.

Sarah Crowley and Radka Vodickova will most likely provide Steffen the biggest challenge this time around.

Crowley is based in Brisbane, Australia. She won first place in PRO 2016 ironman 70.3 Taiwayn and was the Open Champion of the 21st Anniversary Byron Bay Triathlon.

Vodickova is a Czech professional triathlete, who at one time was ranked no. 1 in her sport.

She won first place in the 2016 Ironman 70.3 Putrajaya, Malaysia and was a fighting second to Steffen in the 2016 Century Tuna Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay. Crowley and Vodickova present the most credible challenge to Steffen. They have the ability to stop her from annexing a fourth consecutive Cobra Ironman 70.3 crown.

Sports

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Rio ready for Olympic carnival R

IO DE JANEIRO—The carnival capital of Rio de Janeiro will host a glittering Olympics opening ceremony party on Friday, hoping to draw a line under a turbulent seven-year build-up dogged by recession, drugs scandals, crime and infrastructure stumbles.

The iconic Maracana Stadium will host a pulsating gathering for more than 70,000 fans, 10,400 athletes and dozens of world leaders as the first Olympics to be staged in South America gets under way.

The ceremony in the teeming Brazilian city sets off two weeks of sporting excellence and drama featuring the likes of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps that wraps up

on August 21.

Yet the giddy euphoria that invariably accompanies the opening of an Olympic Games has been notably absent as Brazil grapples with a tanking economy and a grim litany of social problems.

Organizers hope the bright lights and thumping rhythms of Friday’s samba spectacular at the Maracana can brighten the mood

throughout the nation.

“I hope the opening ceremony can be a kind of anti-depressant for Brazil,” said one of the show’s creative directors, the acclaimed “City of God” film-maker Fernando Meirelles.

The ceremony would craft a message of tolerance and care for the environment to a troubled planet, Meirelles said.

“The world is very tense,” the director added, citing the rise of US presidential contender Donald Trump and Britain’s recent shock decision to leave the European Union. “The whole world feels this tension.”

Friday’s opening will light the touchpaper for 17 days of sporting

drama played out against some of Rio’s most iconic landmarks.

Jamaican sprint king Bolt will compete under the gaze of the Christ the Redeemer statue, sailors and swimmers will duel near Sugarloaf Mountain while the golden sands of Copacabana will host beach volleyball.

Trouble-plagued build-up But the party will kick-off after the most trouble-plagued build-up to an Olympics in history, with a biting recession, double-digit unemployment, soaring crime and a public health crisis caused by the Zika virus just a few of the social problems ravaging the city.

A political crisis led to the impeachment of President Dilma

Rousseff, meaning the Brazilian leader will miss Friday’s ceremony. Interim president Michel Temer will take Rousseff’s place, but could face a hostile reception from the crowd.

Brazilian media reports say that music will be turned up as soon as he finishes speaking to mask any booing from protesters.

“In a way the Olympics is good for Brazil to help us develop, but the country is very sad, full of violence and unemployment,” Carlos Roberto, 56, a dockyard worker told AFP as the Olympic flame passed through the city.

Anticipation for the sporting battles has been eclipsed by the fallout from the Russian doping scandal

Lariba’s sparmate is now her foe

Phelps aims to go out on a high note RIO DE JANEIRO—Once again Michael Phelps leads the mighty United States into battle in the Olympic competition pool, where traditional rivals Australia are just one country with the Americans in their sights.

Phelps, whose record 22 Olympic medals include 18 gold, caps his career with a fifth Games appearance in Rio. But just as he’s far from invulnerable at 31, so the United States could find itself hardpressed to match their 2012 haul of 16 gold medals, nine silver and six bronze.

Australia, in particular, are aiming to rebound from a shocking London Games—their first since 1976 without an individual gold.

Australian coach Jacco Verhaeren, however, said the 2016 squad’s mission has nothing to do with atonement.

“I don’t think we’re here to make up for any disappointment,” he said. “Nobody is busy with what happened or what might happen.”

Australia’s Cate Campbell arrives in Rio on a high after breaking the long-standing women’s 100m freestyle world record in July, while Cameron McEvoy is a gold medal contender in the men’s 50m and 100m free.

“It’s always special to stand up against the Americans,” said McEvoy. “That mutual respect gets the adrenaline pumping.”

But swimmers from around the globe are set to challenge the twin powerhouses when eight days of competition kicks off on Saturday.

China will be keen to at least maintain the second place in the swimming medals table they achieved for the first time in London with five golds.

Sun Yang, looking to defend his 2012 gold in the 400m and 1,500m freestyles, heads a Chinese squad that also includes Ning Zetao, 2015 world champion in the men’s 100m free and Ye Shiwen, reigning champion and world recordholder in the women’s 400m individual medley. AFP

US swimmer Michael Phelps holds a press conference in Rio de Janeiro, two days prior the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Phelps will carry the United States flag at the opening ceremony for the Olympics in Rio, the US Olympic Committee said. AFP

NBA stars want to spark unity RIO DE JANEIRO—An Olympic crown for the US team of NBA stars means more this time around for Carmelo Anthony, who sees a gold medal quest as something Americans can unite behind.

The 32-year-old forward for the New York Knicks hopes a nation divided over politicsand the killings of unarmed black men and white police officers can come together just like NBA rivals did in less than three weeks for the Rio Games.

“There’s so much going on back home in our country, to show we are united no matter what’s going on, I think that’s important,” Anthony said Thursday.

“This is the best way we can go out and show the world that we’re united through all the turmoil.”

Anthony could become the first man in Olympic history to win three basketball gold med-

als, having gone from a bench spot on the 2004 US team that settled for bronze in Athens to a stalwart in golden efforts at Beijing and London and now a senior leader for a team with almost no Olympic experience.

“My goal is to help lead this team to a gold medal and enjoy the process and the journey,” Anthony said. “For me it’s always about winning the gold medal and for my teammates to take in this moment and enjoy it.”

But there is pressure as well.

US teams are 130-5 in the Olympics, failing to win the gold medal on only three occasions in 17 attempts.

The five defeats include a controversial last gasp loss to the Soviet Union in 1972, 1988 to the Soviets to spark creation of the original NBA “Dream Team”, and three times in 2004.

“I remember losing that first game to Puerto Rico. After that

it was a downhill snowball effect,” Anthony said.

That led USA Basketball to create a national team program with NBA talent and Mike Krzyzewski as coach. They got their first test at the 2006 World Championship in Japan and lost a semi-final to Greece.

“I know that bottom feeling is the worst,” Anthony said. “And I never want to experience it again.”

But since “Coach K” took over, the US team is 80-1 overall and since 2006 has won two world and Olympic titles. With Krzyzewski retiring after Rio, that just adds to the US pressure to give him a triumphant sendoff.

“We know the task at hand and we know how serious it is,” Anthony said. “We control our own destiny. We expect to win but I don’t want to say what the odds are to win.”

All the lofty goals in the world collapse if the US doesn’t win gold.

“We all realize individual performances don’t matter unless we win and we want to take the gold medal back to the USA,” US guard Klay Thompson said. “As long as we play with focus, we should be in a great position.”

‘Every team is a threat’ Kyrie Irving, who helped the Cleveland Cavaliers win their first NBA crown in June, will take no one for granted.

“Every team is a threat,” he said. “If anything gets hard, we should be able to withstand it. I know we will be ready for it.

“You realize the history, the work that has come before you.

We have a duty to the USA.” Former NBA Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant knows that this year’s US team could lose and nothing is guaranteed. AFP

Djokovic, Murray, Serena lead history charge in Rio RIO DE JANEIRO—Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Serena Williams lead a charge for Olympics history from Saturday which will help lift the gloom caused by a raft of pullouts from the Rio tournament.

World number one Djokovic can complete the Golden Slam by adding a maiden gold medal to a sweep of the four majors he achieved at the French Open in June.

Defending champions Murray and Serena Williams, the injuryhit Rafael Nadal and Venus Williams are all in a position to become the first players to win more than one singles gold since tennis returned to the Games in 1988.

Top seed Djokovic appears to have the toughest task when he faces Juan Martin del Potro in his opener on Saturday.

The Serb was defeated by the giant Argentine in straight sets in the bronze medal match four years ago.

Djokovic has an 11-3 record

that has divided the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The IOC’s decision not to impose a blanket ban on Russia following revelations of a state-sponsored doping program opened the door to legal turmoil that left the precise make-up of the Russian team in limbo.

On Thursday, the IOC confirmed the Russian team would be made up of 271 athletes, with 118 eliminated because of the drug scandal.

Russian Olympic Committee president Alexander Zhukov said the team was “probably the cleanest in Rio” because of all the tests and checks they have undergone. AFP

against Del Potro, although the two have not met for three years.

Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, comes into Rio with a world ranking of 145 having been as high as four in 2011 before his career was almost ended by four wrist operations.

“This match is going to be completely different. My game is not as good as I played four years ago,” said Del Potro.

Djokovic said he never had any intention of pulling out of Rio where five of the world’s top 10 —Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Milos Raonic, Tomas Berdych and Dominic Thiem—will be missing.

“It’s my number one goal. It would mean the world to me to crown my career with gold, it would rank as one of my highest achievements,” said Djokovic.

Murray, too, always intended to play even though he has not set foot on a tennis court competitively since winning a second Wimbledon in July.

- Grand Slam breakthrough His Olympics victory in 2012 set the foundation for his eventual Grand Slam breakthrough.

After downing Federer for gold, he went on to become the first British man to win a Grand Slam singles title in 76 years when he triumphed at the US Open.

The 29-year-old has backed that up with the 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon titles.

“It was great winning Wimbledon but time to move on now and focus on this event and the next few months,” said the Scot.

Murray, who is Britain’s flagbearer at Friday’s opening ceremony, starts his campaign on Sunday against gritty Viktor Troicki of Serbia.

Nadal, the 2008 champion in Beijing, had to sit out the 2012 Games with a knee injury—a withdrawal which also meant he had to cede flag-bearing duties.

The Spaniard will get a second opportunity on Friday to lead his

RIO DE JANEIRO—Ian Lariba of the Philippines said she was not bothered by a sudden change in opponent, adding that she’s ready to take on anybody in the singles’ event of women’s table tennis in this Rio Olympics.

Lariba, the first table tennis player from the Philippines to compete in the Summer Games, had set her sights on Adriana Diaz of Puerto Rico because that was the name that was given her the day after she arrived here last July 23.

Instead of Diaz, the 21-year-old Lariba will face Han Xing of Congo, ranked No. 125 in the world. Here in Rio, the two table tennis players have practiced against each other, not knowing that they’d end up as foes when action begins Aug. 6.

Lariba, ranked No. 297 in the world, said there must have been a reshuffle in the draw, but added that the change will not affect her focus.

“Either it was reshuffled or it was a system error in the previous draw. But it’s fine with me because it’s beyond my control anyway,” said the soft-spoken Filipina.

The student of De La Salle University, who hails from Cagayan de Oro, learned of the change just three days before the opening ceremony, and went on with her training.

“My new opponent is from Congo and is actually naturalized. She’s Chinese. She’s my sparring partner here because like me, she’s the only entry for table tennis for her country. Small world,” said Lariba over breakfast Thursday.

“It’s okay having her as training partner but in the actual match everything will change,” added Lariba, who must have familiarized herself with Xing after a few days of them hitting balls and exchanging kills in practice.

Pirates surprise Knights, 75-72

By Peter Atencio REYMAR Caduyac’s steady hands at the free throw line and Lyceum’s solid defense in the final 12.6 seconds led to the Pirates’ 75-72 upset of the defending champion Letran Knights Friday at the Arena in San Juan.

The 19-year-old rookie came into the picture right after the Pirates wasted a 13-point advantage as they went on to post their fourth win in nine games at the end of the first round of the 92nd National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament.

Rey Nambatac tallied a game-high 22 points, including 10 in the final period as he tried to bail the Knights out of trouble.

His triple in the remaining 12.9 ticks to go put Letran close, 72-73.

The Pirates finished the first round in fifth place, while the Knights are in third with their 5-3 slate.

Meanwhile, the San Beda Red Lions endured 32 turnovers and got past the San Sebastian Stags, 87-77, to stretch their winning run to eight.

The Stags absorbed their eighth straight loss.

LOTTO RESULTS Serbia’s Novak Djokovic drinks water during a training session at the Olympic Tennis Center in Rio de Janeiro, ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. AFP

team into the opening ceremony before facing Argentina’s Federico Delbonis in the first round.

Nadal, a 14-time Grand Slam title winner, admitted his best medal chance may be in the doubles where he is playing with Marc Lopez and mixed with

Garbine Muguruza.

Serena Williams, fresh from a seventh Wimbledon title which took her level with Steffi Graf’s Open era record of 22 majors, won her first Olympic singles gold in London and then teamed up with Venus for the doubles title. AFP

6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 4 DIGITS 00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

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

A8

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016

Sports

PH athletes’ goal: End 20-year medal drought R

IO DE JANEIRO—The mission is simple —end an Olympic-medal drought that has lasted 20 long years.

Filipino athletes numbering a lucky 13 embark on that quest as the Rio Olympics begin today with the pomp and pageantry only seen once every four years.

The task will be daunting as more than 10,000 of the best athletes from all over the planet will be eyeing medals in 28 Olympic sports.

The Filipino athletes, led by three-time Olympians Marestella Torres of track and field and Hidilyn Diaz of weightlifting, have gone through the eye of the needle just to get here.

“The crop of 13 athletes we have are well prepared and there’s nothing more we can ask of these people. They are here because they are the best in the Philippines,” said Filipino chef-de-mission Jose Romasanta on the eve of the opening ceremony.

The historic Maracana Stadium, which was built to host the 1950 World Cup, will be the venue of the opening ceremony Friday night.

There will be songs and dances from over 5,000 volunteers.

It will be a typical Brazilian party.

The Games will commence amid threats on security, political instability and the dreaded Zika virus, which has forced some of the biggest names in golf and a few other sports to withdraw their participation.

A Filipino golfer, Angelo Que, was one of those who pulled out.

Romasanta, however, said the

rest of the Filipinos who qualified for this year’s Olympics, are here to carry on, and join the thousands and thousands of athletes and officials from 206 countries and the Refugee Olympic Team in the world’s biggest sporting event.

“Everything else is the least of the concern of our athletes. Their concern is being able to further improve and enhance their competitiveness until game time,” he said.

“They are not really concerned about or distracted by other things except focus on what they need to do. That’s what they are eagerly anticipating,” said the vice president of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Aside from Torres and Diaz, others carrying the fight for the Philippines are boxers Rogen Ladon and Charly Suarez, swimmers Jasmine Alkhaldi and Jessie Khing Lacuna, track and field’s Eric Cray and Mary Joy Tabal, another weightlifter, Neestor Colonia, and taekwondo jin Kirstie Elaine Alora, judoka Kodo Nakano, golfer Miguel Tabuena and table tennis’ Ian Lariba.

Cray and Nakano are arriving in Rio just hours before the opening ceremony that is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. and expected to last late in the evening. Tabuena is flying in Saturday.

Then, three of them, Lariba, Lacuna and Suarez, will kick off the Philippine campaign the following day, when they see action and hope to stay alive.

Indian college students, their faces painted with emblem of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics, pose in Chennai in an event to wish the Indian contingent good luck ahead of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. AFP

IronMan off to meaningful start

By Reuel Vidal

The Borlain sisters, from left: Samantha, Tara and Cheska lead the run out of Alaska IronKids and Cobra IronMan participants from Shangri-La Mactan to the Mactan Elementary School.

MACTAN—The 2016 Alaska IronKids Triathlon Cebu was off to a meaningful start with the run out of the participating children as well as the competitors of the 2016 Cobra IronMan Asia Pacific from Mactan ShangriLa to the Mactan Elementary School at 7 a.m. Friday.

The run out was in support of the Alaska Milk advocacy for better nutrition for children.

Mactan Elementary School Principal Julieto Rosales, all the teachers and Grade 1 and Grade 3 students welcomed the participants who were given a rousing applause when they arrived from their run from Mactan Shangri-La. Mactan Elementary School has a population of close to 4,000 stu-

dents handled by 79 teachers.

Alaska Milk Marketing Director Blen Fernando thanked the school officials for the warm welcome even as she explained the importance of proper nutrition and starting the day right with exercise and a nutritious breakfast.

The teachers and students of the school presented a play which explained the nutrients derived from a nutritious breakfast which included milk.

Another group of teachers and students performed a dance number to the tune of “Alaska Gatas for Breakfast.” The morning ended with a milk toast and a healthy nutritious breakfast.

The 2016 Alaska IronKids Triathlon Cebu is the culmination of a year-long calendar of

triathlon activities for young boys and girls who are six to 14 years old.

More than just a race, it is a venue for families to bond in a shared activity, giving the parents a chance to show their children that being physically fit and healthy is more fun. It also fosters the importance of starting the day right with a combination of exercise and proper nutrition.

The Alaska IronKids Triathlon Cebu encourages children to drop their video game consoles, cellphones, stop watching TV inside their living rooms and encourage them to swim, bike and run outdoors to play. It provides boys and girls, six (6) to fourteen (14) years old, another year-long calendar of fun and exciting races.

Suarez battles Euro champ

By Ronnie Nathanielsz VETERAN Philippine hopeful Charly Suarez faces a tough battle in his opening bout against European lightweight champion Joe Cordina of Wales, a 24-yearold, 5’10” banger on Sunday morning (Manila time).

The arena will be the newly built Pavilion of the Riocentro exhibition and convention center in the Barra da Tijuca region of Rio de Janeiro with a capacity of 9,000.

Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines executive director Ed Picson informed his president Ricky Vargas that “our boy is tough and is also well-prepared and trained. With prayers and a little luck, I think he’ll be fine.”

Cordina won gold at the European Championships in Bulgaria.

The lightweight, who won the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games last year, beat Georgia’s Otar Eranosyan on points.

BBC Sport reported that Cordina had to battle against a tenacious opponent in Eranyosan, who was constantly looking to box at close quarters. But Cordina was able to counter the Georgian’s advances to win gold on a unanimous decision.

In a post-fight interview, Cordina told BBC Sport: “I think I deserved the win. He wasn’t landing clean shots on me. The last three months I’ve been working my backside off and now I’m reaping the rewards with this gold medal.”

Cordina was Britain’s only gold medalist in Bulgaria. He followed up his Commonwealth Games’ bronze medal in Glasgow last year by beating Eranosyan, 3-0, in the finals.

Among his five victims on his way to gold in Bulgaria was former world champion no. 1 seed Domenico Valentino, beaten by technical knockout in Round 1.

The final against Eranosyan was a tougher test, but he came through it.

“The first two rounds were very tough, but I thought I started to bring it back,” added the Cardiff boxer, who trains under Tony Borg at the St Joseph’s gym in Newport.

“The third round I thought I got the better of him because I felt he wasn’t landing clean shots on me. I thought I was landing the cleaner shots.

“I’m glad I got the win and I thought I fully deserved it.”

The 27-year-old Suarez from Panabo City punched his way to Rio when he stopped China’s Shan Jun after the second round to enter the finals of the AsianOceanic Olympic qualifiers at the Tangshan Sports Center in Qian’An, China last March 31.

He has trained diligently since then at the ABAP training center in Baguio and also during a training stint in the United States working with ABAP consultant “Dodong” Donaire, trainer/father of five division world champion Nonito Donaire in Las Vegas at the Top Rank Gym.

Romeo keeps 3-pt shootout title Jazul was likewise on fire right from the first round, scoring 22, to make it in the fiTERRENCE Romeo had another personal nal phase. showcase as he retained his Three-Point Unlike the first round, Canaleta and Jazul Shootout crown to kick off the 2016 All- were unable to fully find their touch.

Star Weekend festivities of the Philippine James Yap, Jeff Chan, Alex Cabagnot, Basketball Association with Jayjay Helterbrand, Almond Game Sunday a bang at the Smart Araneta Vosotros, Garvo Lanete, Si(Smart Araneta Coliseum) Coliseum Friday. mon Enciso, Troy Rosario and 5 p.m. - North All-Stars vs. South All-Stars The GlobalPort superstar Jared Dillinger were the others bested challengers Nino Canawho tried to dethrone Romeo. leta of Mahindra and RJ Jazul of Alaska as In the Obstacle Challenge, Rain or Shine’s he scored 20 points in the final round to take Maverick Ahanmisi was crowned the new home his second straight Three-Point Contest champion after he clocked in the best time crown and show that his shooting is legit. in the final round, 32.95 seconds.

Canaleta and Jazul only managed 17 points, The cast of the final round was composed apiece, in the last round, allowing Romeo, of Ahanmisi, Carlo Lastimosa (34.11), Mark who is also set to start for the North All-Stars Cruz (36.9), Mark Barroca (45.23), Paolo in the All-Star Game tomorrow, to continue Taha (46.11), and Scottie Thompson (49.38). his reign as the king from beyond the arc.

Defending champion Jeric Fortuna was The three snipers advanced after impres- ousted right away in the first round by Lastsive runs in the opening round. imosa as each of the 12 competitors battled In the first round, Romeo already re- one-on-one against another protagonist with minded everyone why he’s the defending the faster player getting a ticket in the finals. champion as he scorched hot with 24 points, Other participants were Chris Banchero, but Canaleta did one better, sizzling for 25 Chris Newsome, Emman Monfort, Brian points to lead the pack.

Heruela and Jai Reyes.

By Jeric Lopez

Turkey eyes increased bilateral trade with PH

B3

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016

B1

Forex reserves in July hit new high

PSe comPoSite index Closing August 5, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

7,970.35 8.22

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing AUGUST 5, 2016 48.00

NEW MB MEMBER. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III (center) takes his oath of office Friday before Bangko Sentralng Pilipinas

Governor Amando Tetangco, Jr. (fifth from left) as President Duterte’s designated Cabinet member representative to the Monetary Board, the central bank’s policy-making body. Dominguez completes the seven-member MB, headed by Tetangco as chairman. Also at the oath-taking ceremony are (from left) members Juan de Zuniga Jr, Felipe Medalla, Alfredo Antonio, Valentin Araneta and Armando Suratos.

RCBC pays P1-b fine after bank cyber heist

By Julito G. Rada

46.00 45.00

P46.900

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P46.900 LOW P47.020 AVERAGE P46.959 VOLUME 399.900M

P400-P640.00 LPG/11-kg tank P34.15-P41.20 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P24.35-P27.75 Diesel P28.50-P36.85 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, August 5, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.0140

Japan

Yen

0.009881

0.4645

UK

Pound

1.311200

61.6448

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128931

6.0616

Switzerland

Franc

1.027116

48.2888

Canada

Dollar

0.768344

36.1229

Singapore

Dollar

0.745379

35.0432

Australia

Dollar

0.762700

35.8576

Bahrain

Dinar

2.651746

124.6692

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266667

12.5371

Brunei

Dollar

0.742611

34.9131

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000076

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.028630

1.3460

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

12.8013

Euro

Euro

1.113200

52.3360

Korea

Won

0.000899

0.0423

China

Yuan

0.150543

7.0776

India

Rupee

0.014963

0.7035

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.246975

11.6113

New Zealand

Dollar

0.717100

33.7137

Taiwan

Dollar

0.031581

1.4847 Source: PDS Bridge

T

HE Monetary Board, the policy-setting body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, fined Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. P1 billion for its involvement in the $81-million bank heist that rocked the country’s financial system in February this year.

“Monetary Board approved the imposition of supervisory enforcement action on RCBC to pay the amount of P1.0 billion, in connection with the special examination conducted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas relating to the Bangladesh Bank cyber heist,” the board said in a statement released late Friday afternoon.

The board said it was the “largest amount ever” approved as part of its supervisory en-

forcement actions on a supervised financial institution.

The $81 million was believed stolen by cyber thieves from the account of Bangladesh Bank in the Federal Reserve in New York and entered the local financial system through a branch of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. on Jupiter Street in Makati City earlier this year.

The dirty money ended up later in local casinos and laundered by a number of individuals.

“This affirms the BSP’s strong commitment to ensure the stability of the country’s financial system through strong and effective regulation of BSFIs (Bangko Sentral supervised financial institutions),” the Monetary Board said.

The regulator said it recognized RCBC’s efforts in instituting changes to strengthen its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing risk management system and governance culture.

RCBC said in a statement Friday it would comply with the Monetary Board by paying P1 billion to Bangko Sentral.

“This amount shall be paid in two equal tranches over a oneyear period, P500 million upon approval by the Monetary Board and P500 million one year after,” RCBC said.

RCBC’s president and chief

executive officer Gil Buenaventura said “while the payment involves a large amount, RCBC believes that this is part of increasing regulatory oversight and restrictions and we will comply with the MB Resolution.”

“With this payment, RCBC affirms its continued viability and determination to fulfill its firm commitment against money laundering, terrorism and other transnational crimes to ensure the stability of the banking system,” Buenaventura said.

He said RCBC already made provisions for the payment. Buenaventura added that “together with the payment of this amount, RCBC is instituting changes in its AML system and processes, making it among the most prepared in terms of thwarting money laundering attempts in the Philippines and the region.”

Inflation rate in July unchaged at 1.9%—PSA

By Gabrielle H. Binaday HEADLINE inflation in July was unchanged at 1.9 percent from June due to slower increases in food prices, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Friday.

The National Economic and Development Authority predicted inflation would be manageable for the rest of the year.

“The steady inflation in July is due to slower increases in food prices, which were able to offset higher electricity charges,” said Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia.

Core inflation, which excludes

selected volatile food and energy prices, alo remained stable at 1.9 percent in July.

The July inflation rate was within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas forecast of 1.5 percent to 2.4 percent and the median market expectations of 1.9 percent.

“The manageable inflation trend in the first seven months of 2016 is expected to continue for the rest of the year considering the expanding productive capacity of the domestic economy, persistently low oil prices, solid private household consumption and investment, buoyant business and consumer sentiment,

and adequate credit and domestic liquidity,” said Pernia, who is also Neda director-general.

The headline inflation in the first seven months of 2016 averaged at 1.4 percent, or below the low end of the government’s inflation target of 2.0 percent to 4.0 percent.

“We are thus expecting fullyear inflation to average at around 1.98 percent,” Pernia added.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said inflation would remain manageable in the coming months despite the risks to the outlook

this year, particularly the weaker global economy.

“Inflation for July at 1.9 percent is within our forecast range of 1.5 to 2.4 percent for the month. This supports our view that monthly inflation will creep to within target range, with full year average just at or slightly below the lower bound for 2016,” Tetangco said in a text message.

“The risks to the inflation outlook remain broadly the same— weaker global growth outlook counterbalanced by steady domestic aggregate demand,” Tetangco said. With Julito G. Rada

Aussie’s P60-b investment lifts Subic free port’s status

By Othel V. Campos SUBIC Bay Freeport may become one of the top premier global ports with the establishment of a P60-billion project by an Australian company, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority said Friday.

SBMA chairman Robert Garcia said the Asian Institute of Aviation would occupy seven hectares of land near the Subic Bay International Airport and build hangars and food processing stations for its intermodal logistics business.

“The business model of the company is to export from Australia to China, Japan, and other Asian countries, via airplanes,” Garcia said.

The company will import meat, seafood and other agricul-

tural products from Australia by plane or by ship for processing and customized packaging based on customer specifications in the Subic free port.

Garcia said AIA would be joined by another Australian firm, which will buy into the company for the new operations.

The Australian partner has been doing the processing in Australia, but with the high cost of operations in that country, it has turned to the Philippines to save on costs.

“They will ship out by air since they have seven jets. They will also ship out via seaport, and their volume for the seaport is 60 containers per month,” said Garcia citing intermodal operations would maximize company logistics.

MEDAL FOR LOPEZ. Ambassador Manuel Lopez (second from left) receives the Philippines Japan Society medal of merit from PJS president Francis Laurel and PJS vice president Gerard Sanvictores (rightmost). At left is the Ambassador’s wife, Maritess Lopez. Lopez received the medal during the 38th Philippines-Japan Friendship Dinner and Awards Night on July 29, 2016. The medal is the highest award the society confers upon Filipino and Japanese nationals who have significantly contributed to nationbuilding in terms of the promotion of friendship and stronger relations between the two countries. He served as the country’s Ambassador to Japan from January 2011 to June 30, 2016.

THE country’s gross international reserves in July reached a record-high of $85.491 billion due mainly to the foreign exchange operations of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and revaluation adjustments in gold holdings as the price of the precious metal increased in the international market.

The July figure surpassed the previous all-time high of $85.284 billion recorded a month ago. They were above the Bangko Sentral’s target of $82.7 billion this year.

Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. in a statement Friday income generated from investments abroad, as well as net foreign currency deposits by the national government also contributed to the higher reserves.

“These were partially offset by payments made by the national government for its maturing foreign exchange obligations,” Tetangco said.

Data showed the amount of Bangko Sentral’s gold holdings in July rose to $8.505 billion from $8.336 billion a month ago. Foreign investments increased to $73.322 billion from $73.295 billion in June.

Tetangco said the end-July reserves level could cover 10.5 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and income. The reserves were equivalent to 6 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity, and 4.3 times based on residual maturity. Julito G. Rada

IN BRIEF Ford sales jumped to record in July

FORD Philippines on Friday said automotive sales in July jumped 61 percent to a record 2,748 units.

Ford’s year-to-date sales also surged 61 percent to 19,517 units, making the it one of the fastest growing automotive brands in the Philippines in 2016.

“Our big three Ford nameplates continue to drive record sales this year, attracting customers across the country who appreciate the value, quality and safety that our global Ford vehicles deliver,” said managing director Lance Mosley.

The record monthly sales was led by the strong demand for the EcoSport, Ranger and Everest.

The EcoSportcompact SUV remained one of Ford’s topselling brands in the Philippines. Othel V. Campos

Ayala, MPIC pick beep card partner AF PAYMENTS Inc., a consortium led by Ayala Corp and Metro Pacific Investments Corp., said on Friday it teamed up with Froehlich Tours, one of the premium point-to-point (P2P) bus systems in the metro, to accept payment through beep card.

“This is the first time that we’re implementing the beep system for a premium P2P bus line. We hope that commuters enjoy the convenience using beep card and the comfort of Froehlich Tours’ modern bus fleet,” said AF Payments president and chief executive Peter Mahe.

Beep card is a tap-and-go payment system accepted in all three elevated railways (LRT 1, LRT 2, and MRT 3) and select bus lines.

The partnership covers the routes Trinoma to Glorietta 5 and vice-versa, and SM North EDSA to SM Megamall and vice-versa.

Darwin G. Amojelar

B2

Business

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market retreats; Max’s climbs S

tocks retreated amid thin trading Friday, after blue-chip companies announced slower-than-expected profit growth in the first half and as global investors digest news about Bank of England’s policy easing.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, shed 8 points, or 0.1 percent, to close at 7,970.35 Friday. Despite the loss, the bellwether was still up 14.6 percent since the start of the year.

The broader all-share index gained 10 points, or 0.2 percent, to settle at 4,740.95, on a value turnover of P6.6 billion. Advancers outnumbered gainers, 102 to 84, while 47 issues were unchanged.

Ten of the 20 most active

stocks ended in the green, led by restaurant chain operator Max’s Group Inc. which climbed 7.9 percent to P31.30 and poultry producer Vitarich Corp. which advanced 6 percent to P1.60.

Chemical company D&L Industries Inc. gained 5.4 percent to P10.54, while property developer Megaworld Corp. rose 2.6 percent to P5.19.

Meanwhile, most Asian markets rose Friday while the pound was steady after the Bank of England announced a post-

Brexit interest rate cut and surprise stimulus, as traders awaited the release of key US jobs data.

Regional investors pressed on with Thursday’s rally after the British central bank met expectations by cutting borrowing costs for the first time in seven years, to a record low of 0.25 percent.

While the move had been widely tipped, BoE policymakers also unveiled an emergency package worth up to £170 billion ($223 billion), including £60 billion for more bond-buying, or quantitative easing (QE).

The bank had flagged a rate cut after Britain’s shock vote on June 23 to leave the European

Union, which it said would hit the country’s economy. As such, it slashed its growth outlook for next year and 2018.

The news sent sterling plunging Thursday to $1.3114 in New York, from around $1.33 earlier in Asia. In afternoon Tokyo trade Friday it was at $1.3128.

But while the pound tanked, European markets rallied, with London’s FTSE 100 adding 1.6 percent.

And the positive sentiment flowed through to Asia, where Hong Kong was up 1.3 percent in the afternoon, while Sydney closed up 0.4 percent and Seoul added 0.9 percent, Wellington put on 0.1 percent and Taipei 0.8 percent. with AFP, Bloomberg

Ayala sells stake in IQ BackOffice

By Jenniffer B. Austria CONGLOMERATE Ayala Corp. said it divested from business process outsourcing company IQ BackOffice Holdings Ltd. Ayala Corp. said in a disclosure to the stock exchange wholly-owned unit LiveIt Investments Ltd. sold its entire 82.5-percent stake in IQ BackOffice through a management buyout.

After the transaction, the management of IQ BackOffice

THE STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 0.92 890 1.01 100 30.5 75 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 0.74 625 0.225 78 17.8 58 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

AG Finance 3.72 Asia United Bank 47.65 Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 114.80 Bank of PI 102.00 China Bank 38 BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. 3.93 Bright Kindle Resources 1.65 COL Financial 16.8 Eastwest Bank 20.2 First Abacus 0.7 Manulife Fin. Corp.

580.00 MEDCO Holdings 0.650 Metrobank 93 PB Bank 14.7 Phil Bank of Comm 24.00 Phil. National Bank 63.00 Phil. Savings Bank 99 PSE Inc. 281 RCBC `A’ 32.5 Security Bank 225.6 Sun Life Financial 1459.00 Union Bank 72.95 Vantage Equities 1.51

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 89

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 40.3

20.6 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 31.8 109 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 3.95 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 0.62 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 1450 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

15.32 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 20.2 71.5 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 2.3 1.63 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 0.335 3.87 8.45 3 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 5.9 801 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

Aboitiz Power Corp.

45.4 Agrinurture Inc. 3.37 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.88 Alsons Cons.

1.99 Asiabest Group 12.58 Bogo Medelin 54 Cemex Holdings 12 Century Food 17.58 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 161 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 22.35 Concepcion 57.2 Crown Asia 2.27 Da Vinci Capital 5.94 Del Monte 12.68 DNL Industries Inc. 10.000 Emperador 7.68 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.91 EEI 9.05 First Gen Corp.

24.75 First Holdings ‘A’ 70.5 Holcim Philippines Inc. 16.44 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.59 Ionics Inc 2.400 Jollibee Foods Corp.

260.00 LMG Chemicals 1.97 Mabuhay Vinyl 4.3 Macay Holdings 28.50 Manila Water Co. Inc. 25.9 Maxs Group 29 Megawide 10.36 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 324.20 MG Holdings 0.265 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.46 Petron Corporation 10.56 Phil H2O 3.06 Phinma Corporation 11.66 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 5.98 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.68 Pryce Corp. `A’ 3.29 RFM Corporation 4.28 Roxas Holdings 3.75 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 215.4 Splash Corporation 3.04 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.164 TKC Steel Corp.

1.87 Trans-Asia Oil 2.35 Universal Robina 204.2 Victorias Milling 4.4 Vitarich Corp.

1.51 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.26

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 3.68 4.92 0.66 1455 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 9.66 0.0670 1.61 2.99 84.9 974 1.66 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.23 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 1.15 2.26 0.152 837 49.55 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 3 0.030 0.550 2.26 59.3 751 1.13 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

Abacus Cons. `A’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anglo Holdings A Anscor `A’ ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp `A’ Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings F&J Prince ‘A’ F&J Prince ‘B’ Filinvest Dev. Corp.

Forum Pacific GT Capital JG Summit Holdings Lopez Holdings Corp.

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

LT Group Mabuhay Holdings `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

MJCI Investments Inc. Pacifica `A’ Prime Orion Republic Glass ‘A’ San Miguel Corp `A’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

10.5 26.95 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 2.22 2.1 8.4 5.94 0.180 0.470 27 8.54

6.74 12 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 1.15 1.42 3.1 4.13 0.090 0.290 23 2.69

Close

8990 HLDG Anchor Land Holdings Inc. A. Brown Co., Inc. Araneta Prop `A’ Arthaland Corp.

Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ Cebu Holdings Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

Double Dragon Empire East Land Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Keppel Properties Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry Primex Corp.

0.415 75.50 15.84 1.28 6.25 0.400 0.400 895 8.08 13.00 6.97 7.01 6.93 0.221 1599 82.90 7.65 0.79 15.98 0.460 7.45 3.1 0.0350 1.920 2.65 82.00 678.00 1.26 197.000 0.3200 0.2030 0.305 7.860 6.94 1.27 2.440 0.280 40.600 3.15 5.05 0.620 1.03 1.030 0.182 0.660 55.5 0.800 1.06 1.94 4.80 5.06 0.140 0.2900 38.60 15.32

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.69 3.45 47.65 47.1 115.30 114.70 102.00 101.00 38.2 37.6 4.15 4.00 1.65 1.54 17 16.6 20.5 19.94 0.67 0.63 580.00 580.00 0.680 0.640 93 90.9 14.7 14.7 25.80 24.00 63.40 62.70 102 102 282 276.2 32.6 32.3 227 220.4 1455.00 1415.00 73.50 73.00 1.51 1.51 INDUSTRIAL 45.8 45.45 3.38 3.25 0.88 0.87 2 1.95 12.6 12.38 53.95 53.95 12.32 12.04 18.2 17.34 161 160 22.5 22 57.5 56 2.28 2.22 6.18 5.95 12.9 12.6 10.620 10.040 7.91 7.68 5.90 5.83 9.35 9.05 24.95 24.55 71.2 70.5 16.60 16.26 5.68 5.6 2.440 2.380 260.00 254.80 2.08 1.97 4.45 4.2 29.45 28.50 26.6 25.9 31.3 28.9 11.12 10.38 325.60 324.40 0.270 0.265 3.5 3.46 10.76 10.60 3.09 3.09 11.66 11.66 6.05 5.85 1.70 1.65 3.38 3.25 4.30 4.26 3.76 3.76 218 216 3.05 3.04 0.164 0.160 1.97 1.86 2.37 2.34 204.2 202.2 4.46 4.4 1.66 1.53 1.25 1.25 HOLDING FIRMS 0.420 0.395 76.35 75.00 16.08 15.84 1.29 1.21 6.47 6.47 0.425 0.400 0.425 0.400 900 888 8.39 0.01 13.06 12.98 7 6.75 7.01 7.01 6.99 6.95 0.230 0.221 1600 1589 82.90 82.05 7.65 7.6 0.82 0.78 15.96 15.86 0.460 0.460 7.45 7.35 3.1 3.1 0.0390 0.0350 1.910 1.910 2.62 2.60 82.15 81.50 684.00 677.00 1.29 1.25 200.000 196.000 0.3200 0.3150 0.2050 0.2010 0.300 0.295 PROPERTY 8.190 7.880 6.94 6.50 1.30 1.26 2.590 2.430 0.275 0.275 40.700 40.350 3.18 3.12 5.08 5.02 0.65 0.610 1.02 1.02 1.030 1.020 0.188 0.170 0.680 0.650 58.65 55.5 0.810 0.800 1.06 1.05 1.99 1.93 4.70 4.63 5.21 5.09 0.146 0.137 0.2900 0.2700 41.40 38.50 15.88 14.3

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.67 47.65 115.00 101.30 38.1 4.00 1.56 16.7 20 0.63 580.00 0.670 91.15 14.7 25.40 63.00 102 276.8 32.6 224 1415.00 73.00 1.51

-1.34 0.00 0.17 -0.69 0.26 1.78 -5.45 -0.60 -0.99 -10.00 0.00 3.08 -1.99 0.00 5.83 0.00 3.03 -1.49 0.31 -0.71 -3.02 0.07 0.00

24,000 17,100 1,069,570 956,700 428,700 20,000 101,000 39,400 1,003,700 200,000 130 2,594,000 4,499,190 56,600 29,000 80,480 10 23,200 676,800 663,770 15 57,700 28,000

45.55 3.32 0.87 1.98 12.56 53.95 12.3 18.1 160 22.4 57.5 2.22 5.98 12.9 10.540 7.79 5.89 9.24 24.7 71 16.40 5.66 2.400 255.00 2.08 4.2 28.50 26.2 31.3 11.04 324.80 0.265 3.48 10.72 3.09 11.66 6.02 1.69 3.37 4.27 3.76 216 3.04 0.162 1.91 2.36 203 4.4 1.6 1.25

0.33 -1.48 -1.14 -0.50 -0.16 -0.09 2.50 2.96 -0.62 0.22 0.52 -2.20 0.67 1.74 5.40 1.43 -0.34 2.10 -0.20 0.71 -0.24 1.25 0.00 -1.92 5.58 -2.33 0.00 1.16 7.93 6.56 0.19 0.00 0.58 1.52 0.98 0.00 0.67 0.60 2.43 -0.23 0.27 0.28 0.00 -1.22 2.14 0.43 -0.59 0.00 5.96 -0.79

512,400 1,751,000 264,000 4,156,000 1,100 100 15,027,000 4,895,600 640 9,294,800 17,330 596,000 720,800 21,400 17,492,900 1,713,800 6,036,400 911,800 1,471,500 159,850 97,900 105,600 3,109,000 450,160 16,000 136,000 10,700 397,200 5,993,700 7,053,400 113,020 370,000 6,450,000 1,841,300 1,000 2,500 733,400 391,000 8,000 734,000 10,000 1,730 347,000 3,810,000 669,000 2,029,000 1,193,510 1,728,000 78,933,000 652,000

0.415 75.45 16.00 1.29 6.47 0.405 0.410 897.5 8.3 13.00 6.99 7.01 6.99 0.230 1600 82.25 7.64 0.78 15.94 0.460 7.4 3.1 0.0380 1.910 2.60 82.10 678.00 1.29 200.000 0.3200 0.2050 0.295

0.00 -0.07 1.01 0.78 3.52 1.25 2.50 0.28 2.72 0.00 0.29 0.00 0.87 4.07 0.06 -0.78 -0.13 -1.27 -0.25 0.00 -0.67 0.00 8.57 -0.52 -1.89 0.12 0.00 2.38 1.52 0.00 0.99 -3.28

3,960,000 1,660,880 2,865,400 10,000 200 57,460,000 4,360,000 153,860 8,583,700 6,094,400 47,800 100 106,000 30,000 95,875 991,710 2,297,500 403,000 5,805,500 10,000 16,292,900 1,000 205,200,000 452,000 104,000 101,340 299,510 347,000 20,020 2,410,000 1,300,000 180,000

8.090 6.90 1.29 2.510 0.275 40.500 3.15 5.06 0.640 1.02 1.020 0.173 0.660 57.9 0.800 1.05 1.95 4.70 5.19 0.137 0.2900 41.40 15.08

2.93 -0.58 1.57 2.87 -1.79 -0.25 0.00 0.20 3.23 -0.97 -0.97 -4.95 0.00 4.32 0.00 -0.94 0.52 -2.08 2.57 -2.14 0.00 7.25 -1.57

122,600 20,800 1,182,000 2,487,000 150,000 4,604,600 461,000 109,200 11,621,000 11,000 9,000 174,350,000 16,589,000 1,294,730 2,883,000 6,228,000 28,236,000 7,000 27,263,000 58,300,000 350,000 600 703,400

766,230.00 34,328,143 41,691,344.00 -2,080,415.00 15,500.00 -131,260.00 -16,951,091.00

-242,141,760.00 -812,600.50 803,956.00 -74,600 -14,530,702.00 215,926.00 5,870,225.00 2,480,530.00 2,520.00 -10,100,172.00 -1,255,004.00 -224,000.00 -299,212

27,141,688.00 1,073,136.00 22,822,938.00 -4,079,804.00 -5,053,920.00 5,347,894.50 987,508.00 -141,680.00 69,300.00 22,006,484.00 43,525.00 -3,101,935.00 25,804,775.00 -4,356,054.00 3,173,116.00 5,300.00 1,628,540.00 657,352.00 -515,006.00 24,900.00 71,670.00 -143,220.00 16,200.00 37,600.00 654,860.00 29,905,356 5,926,800.00 -1,495,900.00 20,000.00 -54,150.00 -14,386,765.00 -265,654.00

-116,000.00 20,351,230.00 -11,376,991.00 15,544,570.00

31,629,220.00 -9,821,106.50 5,459,113.00 62,258,960.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 7.67 2720 8.41

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 4.8 1600 5.95

1.97 119.5 7 5.8 12.5 0.017

1.23 102.6 3.01 4 8.72 0.011

0.8200 2.2800 5.93

0.041 1.200 2.34

12.28 3.32 2.53 3.2 2.46 15.2

6.5 1.91 1.01 1.95 1.8 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 4 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 2.28 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 5 0.315 1.14

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 0.330 12.7 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 9.43 0.236 6.5 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

70

33

120 8.21 111 1047 78.95 84.8

101.5 5.88 101 1011 74.5 75

1.34

1

6.98

0.8900

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6

-60,550,309.00 -64,600.00 797,145.00 -46,744,955.00 -35,424.00

554,502.00 20,676.00

Close

Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

High 32.50 1.79 3.33 29.25 0.93 1.030 5.950

Low

Close

32.80 32.20 1.81 1.79 3.38 3.3 29.90 29.00 0.94 0.91 1.060 1.020 6.070 5.960 SERVICES 2GO Group’ 7.22 7.35 7.22 ABS-CBN 49.8 50.2 49.7 Acesite Hotel 1.23 1.23 1.23 APC Group, Inc. 0.600 0.600 0.580 Berjaya Phils. Inc. 5.6 5.82 5.6 Bloomberry 5.90 5.97 5.70 Boulevard Holdings 0.1030 0.1090 0.1000 Calata Corp.

2.83 2.86 2.81 Cebu Air Inc. (5J) 113.2 115.5 113.2 Centro Esc. Univ.

10 10 10 DFNN Inc. 5.35 5.45 5.27 Globe Telecom 2258 2264 2244 GMA Network Inc. 6.30 6.35 6.32 Golden Haven 16.08 16.20 15.78 Harbor Star 1.20 1.21 1.20 I.C.T.S.I. 63.95 63.95 63.25 Imperial Res. `A’ 21.60 22.30 20.10 Imperial Res. `B’ 170 181.5 166.6 IPeople Inc. `A’ 11.4 11.5 11.48 IP E-Game Ventures Inc. 0.0088 0.0091 0.0089 IPM Holdings 9.35 9.35 9.33 Island Info 0.325 0.330 0.320 ISM Communications 1.5700 1.6000 1.4800 Jackstones 3.26 3.32 3.05 LBC Express 12.5 12.3 12.2 Leisure & Resorts 6.40 6.44 6.36 Liberty Telecom 3.01 3.06 3.00 Lorenzo Shipping 1.12 1.09 1.05 Macroasia Corp.

2.50 2.50 2.50 Manila Jockey 2.07 2.02 1.99 Melco Crown 3.73 3.85 3.57 Metro Retail 5.92 5.99 5.81 NOW Corp.

3.490 3.540 3.490 Pacific Online Sys. Corp. 11.52 11.84 11.6 PAL Holdings Inc. 5.50 5.70 5.38 Paxys Inc. 2.61 2.65 2.65 Philweb.Com Inc. 8.95 9.70 9.00 PLDT Common 1950.00 1975.00 1940.00 PremiereHorizon 0.470 0.475 0.455 Premium Leisure 1.080 1.080 1.060 Puregold 47.50 47.40 47.00 Robinsons RTL 86.10 86.50 86.00 SBS Phil. Corp.

6.31 6.45 6.34 SSI Group 3.33 3.42 3.33 STI Holdings 0.620 0.620 0.610 Travellers 3.59 3.6 3.56 Waterfront Phils.

0.330 0.330 0.330 Yehey 6.500 6.700 6.390 MINING & OIL Abra Mining 0.0041 0.0042 0.0041 Apex `A’ 3.03 3.15 3.05 Atlas Cons. `A’ 4.22 4.18 4.11 Atok-Big Wedge `A’ 10.50 10.50 9.70 Basic Energy Corp.

0.221 0.221 0.221 Benguet Corp `A’ 6.4600 6.32 6.3 Century Peak Metals Hldgs0.63 0.62 0.6 Coal Asia 0.480 0.470 0.460 Dizon 8.18 8.18 8.09 Ferronickel 0.850 0.850 0.820 Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.285 0.290 0.285 Lepanto `A’ 0.223 0.231 0.218 Lepanto `B’ 0.241 0.244 0.238 Manila Mining `A’ 0.0120 0.0130 0.0110 Manila Mining `B’ 0.0130 0.0120 0.0120 Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 1.65 1.65 1.58 Nickelasia 5.63 5.55 5.39 Nihao Mineral Resources 2.85 2.86 2.8 Omico 0.5500 0.5500 0.5300 Oriental Peninsula Res. 1.0900 1.0800 1.0800 Oriental Pet. `A’ 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 Oriental Pet. `B’ 0.0120 0.0130 0.0130 Petroenergy Res. Corp. 4.13 4.13 4.12 Philex `A’ 8.77 8.76 8.30 PhilexPetroleum 3.67 3.78 3.64 Philodrill Corp. `A’ 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 Semirara Corp.

117.80 118.90 117.00 TA Petroleum 3.64 3.78 3.68 United Paragon 0.0100 0.0100 0.0099 PREFERRED ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. 49.7 50 49.5 DD Pref 105.7 105.7 105 First Gen G 119 119.5 119.5 GMA Holdings Inc. 6.09 6.06 6 MWIDE PREF 111.7 111.7 111.7 PF Pref 2 1021 1023 1023 SMC Preferred B 78 78.2 78.2 SMC Preferred C 81 81.7 81.25 SMC Preferred D 76.1 76.15 76.1 SMC Preferred E 79 80 79 SMC Preferred F 79 79 78.5 SMC Preferred G 79.9 79 79 SMC Preferred H 77.2 77.25 77.2 SMC Preferred I 77.3 77.4 77.25 Swift Pref 2.57 2.35 2.35 WARRANTS & BONDS LR Warrant 2.600 2.600 2.520 SME Alterra Capital 4.98 5.12 4.97 Makati Fin. Corp.

3.6 3.61 3.56 Italpinas 5.15 5.35 5.12 Xurpas 16.8 17 16.5 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS First Metro ETF 131.2 131.5 130.3

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

32.50 1.8 3.35 29.90 0.94 1.030 6.000

0.00 0.56 0.60 2.22 1.08 0.00 0.84

1,177,400 770,000 161,000 15,470,000 118,000 307,000 3,810,900

7.35 50 1.23 0.600 5.79 5.89 0.1030 2.83 115 10 5.45 2248 6.34 15.78 1.21 63.25 21.05 166.6 11.5 0.0089 9.35 0.325 1.5100 3.28 12.3 6.36 3.01 1.09 2.50 2 3.75 5.93 3.510 11.68 5.70 2.65 9.01 1940.00 0.465 1.070 47.20 86.00 6.35 3.34 0.620 3.56 0.330 6.450

1.80 0.40 0.00 0.00 3.39 -0.17 0.00 0.00 1.59 0.00 1.87 -0.44 0.63 -1.87 0.83 -1.09 -2.55 -2.00 0.88 1.14 0.00 0.00 -3.82 0.61 -1.60 -0.63 0.00 -2.68 0.00 -3.38 0.54 0.17 0.57 1.39 3.64 1.53 0.67 -0.51 -1.06 -0.93 -0.63 -0.12 0.63 0.30 0.00 -0.84 0.00 -0.77

44,600 86,400 3,000 652,000 5,600 4,938,200 228,250,000 2,011,000 622,400 5,000 270,800 105,420 44,100 99,800 623,000 609,040 64,500 270 1,800 21,000,000 600,500 12,510,000 11,864,000 794,000 13,900 219,800 108,000 15,000 3,000 160,000 12,683,000 16,918,000 1,541,000 37,800 301,100 30,000 2,008,700 119,005 4,320,000 8,043,000 1,016,600 715,710 255,400 10,473,000 2,481,000 240,000 1,780,000 1,200

0.0041 3.10 4.14 10.00 0.221 6.3000 0.62 0.460 8.10 0.830 0.290 0.229 0.244 0.0130 0.0120 1.58 5.45 2.85 0.5300 1.0800 0.0120 0.0130 4.13 8.76 3.75 0.0120 117.00 3.73 0.0100

0.00 2.31 -1.90 -4.76 0.00 -2.48 -1.59 -4.17 -0.98 -2.35 1.75 2.69 1.24 8.33 -7.69 -4.24 -3.20 0.00 -3.64 -0.92 0.00 8.33 0.00 -0.11 2.18 0.00 -0.68 2.47 0.00

301,000,000 273,000 368,000 16,800 40,000 2,300 879,000 1,780,000 13,600 56,530,000 3,890,000 49,410,000 2,660,000 116,800,000 400,000 1,954,000 6,787,500 517,000 1,327,000 300,000 700,000 500,000 8,000 5,515,400 3,705,000 11,100,000 261,020 73,000 76,000,000

49.9 105.7 119.5 6.01 111.7 1023 78.2 81.25 76.15 79 79 79 77.25 77.25 2.35

0.40 0.00 0.42 -1.31 0.00 0.20 0.26 0.31 0.07 0.00 0.00 -1.13 0.06 -0.06 -8.56

165,000 13,530 10 21,600 10,000 5 8,000 95,520 17,700 100,010 38,810 3,610 90,000 106,420 1,000

2.580

-0.77

164,000

4.98 3.61 5.25 16.64

0.00 0.28 1.94 -0.95

2,300,000 8,000 480,500 1,022,300

131

-0.15

4,990

1,147,440.00 -664,000.00 -783,530.00 -10,935,517.00

-4,200.00 4,934,677.00 337,300.00 -85,250.00 -8,516,484.00 559,690.00 -143,681,650.00 53,520.00 -12,914,842.00

-16,150.00 34,600.00 12,800

-14,600,830.00 20,426,543.00 136,500.00

605,899.00 -61,197,985.00 46,500.00 -5,231,190.00 19,914,500.00 -3,142,095.50 5,410,250.00 -143,270.00 -125,430.00

-4,130.00

-208,350.00 3,902,630.00 -155,020.00 -180,810.00 2,804,820.00 -11,440.00

-28,910.00 -3,467,402.00 -1,892,310.00 -2,833,777.00 -3,780.00 -1,235,640.00 -27,698.00

125,940.00 1,044.00 -2,823,806.00

-612,780.00 Err:522 66,080.00 -552,828.00 -860,300.00

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

12,227,377

INDUSTRIAL

186,885,293

HOLDING FIRMS

324,053,161

21,176,130.00

PROPERTY

358,821,891

39,877,810.00 7,890.00

SERVICES

353,394,562

7,120.00 134,000.00 5,434,590.00

201,004.00

MINING & OIL

642,928,376

GRAND TOTAL

1,883,134,008

will own 100 percent of the firm.

IQ BackOffice is engaged in finance and accounting outsourcing and human resource outsourcing.

Ayala Corp. said the transaction involved the sale of IQB’s finance and accounting operations only. This means the HRO business will remain under LiveIt. “LiveIt will retain the HRO business, which supports many of the Ayala Group companies and is considered a strategic asset,” the conglomerate said.

IQ BackOffice has operations in the US, India, Mauritius and the Philippines.

IQ BackOffice is one of the three remaining BPO assets of Ayala Corp. The two others are Integreon and Affinity Express.

Ayala Corp. has been selling its BPO assets is it plans to focus on power generation, infrastructure, education and manufacturing on top of core businesses real estate, banking, telecommunications and water utility.

Share price of Ayala Corp. gained 0.3 percent Friday to end the week at P897.50.

VALUE 1,840.21 (down) 11.57 956,626,478.589 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 12,239.21 (up) 13.45 1,728,532,581.114 HOLDING FIRMS 7,828.93 (down) 4.13 1,356,005,110.887 PROPERTY 3,647.02 (up) 38.61 1,591.97 (down) 6.10 1,066,097,682.36 SERVICES MINING & OIL 10,904.81 (down) 64.67 1,232,704,578.248 PSEI 7,970.35 (down) 8.22 202,250,032.172 All Shares Index 4,740.95 (up) 10.14 6,573,975,017.274 Gainers: 102; Losers: 84; Unchanged: 47; Total: 233

Melco reduces net loss to P1.4b MELCO Crown (Philippines) Resorts Corp., the operator and developer of integrated resort and casino City of Dreams Manila, said it reduced net losses by 71 percent in the first half to P1.42 billion from P4.9 billion a year ago, as revenues surged during the period.

Melco Crown Entertainment chairman and chief executive Lawrence Ho said in a statement the company remained confident about the domestic gaming sector.

“We believe that the Philippines gaming market will continue to show robust growth as the country’s economy rapidly expands, infrastructure continues to improve and the government retains its strong commitment to supporting domestic and international tourism,” Ho said.

The company’s financial report filed with the stock exchange showed first-half total operating revenues jumped 80 percent to P10.15 billion from P5.68 billion a year earlier.

Casino revenues in January to June rose 90 percent to P9.16 billion from P4.85 million a year ago, while revenues from hotel operations increased 60 percent to P471 million on improved occupancy.

Other non-casino revenues also contributed to the improved first-half performance. Food and beverage revenues hit P337.3 million while entertainment, retail and other registered revenues amounted to P188.7 million.

First-half total operating costs and expenses climbed 10 percent to P10.1 billion from P9.18 billion as gaming tax and license fees went up by 81 percent P2.52 billion, in-line with the increased gaming volume.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Business

B3

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Turkey seeks increased bilateral trade with PH item to the Philippines, comprising about 60 percent of its total export revenue in 2013.

After the Philippine Tariff Commission slapped Turkish flour with graduated increase in tariff rate, Turkey’s flour exports declined to 252 million metric tons in 2015 from 314 million MT in 2014.

The anti-dumping lobby of local flour millers against flour imports resulted in the imposition of increased tariff rate on flour imported from Turkey.

Local flour prices also declined from a high of P890 per bag in 2014 to as low as P660

By Othel V. Campos

T

HE Turkish government has expressed interest to improve bilateral trade with the Philippines after a two-year decline, following Manila’s imposition of anti-dumping duty on imported flour.

Turkish ambassador to the Philippines Esra Cankorur said Turkish exports to the Philippines had been on a decline since 2014.

“Bilateral trade [with the Philippines] has gone down since 2014 because wheat exports have significantly went

down. We need to diversify trade products. Hopefully, the interest will continue both ways,” she said.

A net producer and exporter of wheat and flour, Turkey has been exporting flour to the Philippines over the past 10 years.

Flour is Turkey’s top export

per bag currently, the lowest in ten years.

Flour millers from Turkey said the presence of Turkish flour in the local market ensured healthy competition and provided local bakers and small to mediumscale food producers a more affordable alternative.

Turkey exports mostly soft wheat flour which is used for manufacturing cereals and cereal snacks, biscuits, cookies, pastries, cakes, noodles and pasta in the Philippines.

Turkey Flour Group is currently in the Philippines to join a trade exhibition in Manila.

Turkish Flour, Yeast and Ingre-

dients chairman Turgay Unlu led Turkish delegates in the ongoing World Food Expo in Parañaque City.

The Turkish flour delegation is composed of five companies and four representatives of millers and traders from Central Anatolia.

Hosted by the US Department of Agriculture, Wofex opened on Aug. 3, 2016 at Solaire Resort and Casino.

Wofex is the Philippines’ largest annual food industry exhibition, featuring food and beverage products and the latest food processing equipment from around the world.

NGCP gets permit for Navotas substation

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Energy Regulatory Commission approved the application of National Grid Corp. of the Philippines to construct the P4.25-billion, 230-kilovolt Navotas substation project.

ERC approved the project because it was expected to redound to the benefit of consumers and would address overloading issues in the area.

ERC, in its decision, required National Grid, operator of the country’s transmission network, to conduct a competitive bidding for the purchase of major materials in the implementation of the project.

“If the proposed Manila (Navotas) 230-kV substation project is implemented with an initial capacity of 2 x 300 MVA [megavolt ampere], the transformer overloading issues at N-1 contingency can be addressed,” it said.

The regulator said amid the increasing power demand in Metro Manila, the substations serving the region suffered from spatial limitations and heavy loading conditions.

“The installation of additional transformers or development of new substations is essential in order to meet its [NGCP] transmission capacity requirements,” ERC said.

ERC said the project would provide the much needed physical space for future capacity expansion simultaneous to load growth.

It said the proposed substation project would also improve voltage regulation.

The transmission line of the substation project will be linked to the existing Marilao (Duhat) - Quezon (Balintawak) 230 kV transmission line.

ICTSI GENSAN’S AWARD. South Cotabato Integrated Port Services Inc., a subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services Inc., receives the Gold Employer of the Year Award (International) at the annual Investors in People Awards 2016 at the Old Billingsgate Market in London. Shown during the awarding ceremony are (from left) SCIPSI Billing superintendent Joel Laureto, Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom Evan Garcia, SCIPSI general manager Gabriel Munasque, Investors in People Philippines chairman Janet Webster, SCIPSI assistant finance manager Nancy Primavera and SCIPSI human resource head Rejamna Jubelag.

Liquigaz launches pilot store LIQUIGAZ Philippines Corp., one of the country’s liquefied petroleum gas suppliers, opened its pilot LPG retail store in Camarin, Caloocan City.

Liquigaz said in a statement the store opening marked the company’s strategic move to expand its retail business.

The LPG retail store caters to end-consumers, including nearby households, small businesses, and restaurants within a three to five-kilometer area.

Liquigaz said it planned to open 15 to 20 LPG retail stores within the year. Liquigaz is a 90-percentowned subsidiary of Cosco Capital Inc., the retail holding company of tycoon Lucio Co. Cosco Capital acquired 90 percent of the capital stock of Liquigaz Philippines Inc. from SHV Energy of the Netherlands in July 2014.

Under the agreement, Cosco assumed control of the LPG provider while minority partner PR Gaz Inc. retained a 10-percent stake.

“The acquisition marks Cosco’s entry into the LPG business with a strong initial presence in the upstream business. Cosco envisions a move towards the downstream retail business in the near future via either mergers and acquisitions of existing re-fillers or establishing its own re-filling network and eventually retailing LPG directly to the wider household end user market,” Cosco president Leonardo Dayao said earlier.

Cosco said Liquigaz was the second largest supplier of LPG in the country accounting for 30 percent of total market volume. It is the biggest seller of LPG in Luzon, the site of its storage facilities.

Over 60 percent of the country’s total annual LPG importation is unloaded, stored and sold from Liquigaz’s 12,500-metricton storage tanks in Mariveles, Bataan, the largest such facility in the Philippines. It is also the only supplier capable of receiving both refrigerated and pressurized LPG cargo.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Infrastructure, coordinated planning boost Bicol’s economy LEGAZPI CITY—Bicol Region’s 8.4-percent economic expansion made it the fastest growing region in the country in 2015.

Albay’ 2nd District Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, a noted economist, attributed Bicol’s economic growth performance to the accelerated infrastructure development in the region, the private sector and Bicolanos’ hard work.

Before he was elected to Congress, Salceda served as Albay governor and chaired the Bicol Regional Development Council for nine years and the Luzon Area Development Committee for six years.

Public investments in infrastructure in Bicol reached

P1.69 billion in 2015, with the widening of 52 kilometers of roads and 846 linear meters of bridges along Maharlika Highway, otherwise known as Asian Highway 26, under a cooperative scheme among Asian countries.

Salceda said there was strong contribution from planning, implementation follow-up and vigorous project monitoring by Bicol RDC which complemented the dynamic and collaborative members including local government units and non-government agencies.

He recently completed his three-term Albay governorship and was elected congressman of

OceanaGold cites mining’s contribution to community MINING is more than digging and extracting minerals from the bowels of the earth, as it helps improve lives of the people and the community where it labors and interacts.

This was pointed out by mining industry leaders as they called for a greater understanding and circumspection in addressing the issue of mining.

OceanaGold Corp. senior vice president for communications and public affairs Ramoncito Gozar said the company had 1,875 employees, of whom 97 percent were local residents at its mine site in Didipio, Nueva Vizcaya.

These workers and their families, who had no steady work and regular income before, are now in possession of increased purchasing power which benefits not only themselves but local shops of mom-and-pop variety and larger business establishments, he said.

Gozar said OceanaGold invested P6.5 million in site skills training for employees before putting them to work in areas requiring diverse competency such as underground work using UG simulator, heavy equipment fitting,

electro-technology, basic computer knowledge, light vehicle operation and emergency response knowhow.

“Training and acquiring new skills have imbued locals with greater confidence in facing challenges in today’s environment and gung-ho spirit in accepting bigger responsibility, attitudes not easily discerned, if at all, prior to the operation of OceanaGold in the area” Gozar said.

“Counting with human resources development the infrastructure projects such as roads and school facilities that OceanaGold either built or upgraded and continuously maintains benefitting its host community and neighboring towns, it can be truly said that OceanaGold is a game changer— one mining outfit that has brought significant changes in the economy, outlook and quality of life to people and community in which it lives and works,” Gozar said.

Gozar cited OceanaGold’s strict adherence to the highest and exacting mining standards observed in Australia as key to its seamless and satisfactoryresult-producing operation.

his province’s central district in May. Bicol’s recorded 2015 gross domestic product growth was almost double that of 2014, which was only of 4.3 percent, exceeding the Regional Development Plan target of 6.7 percent. It was higher by 2.6 percentage points than the national growth of 5.8 percent in the same period.

Many of Salceda’s current priorities in Congress are to support legislations designed to push completion of ongoing infrastructure projects and further accelerate the region’s progress. Among these projects are the Bicol Internation-

al Airport, which got P1.55 billion in 2015 for airside construction; the South Luzon Railways system; the Almasor (Albay-Masbate-Sorsogon) Tourism Alliance road networks; the Albay-Camarines Sur diversion road, the Guicadale (Guinobatan-CamaligDaraga-Legazpi) Econ Platform roads, the Albay-Donsol (Sorsogon) triple road links and the Albay West Coast highway.

Salceda sponsored the projects’ feasibility studies and pushed their approvals from the Provincial Development Council to RDC to the Investment Coordination Committee, to National

Economic and Development Authority Cabinet Committee, and to the Development Budget Coordination Committee.

The Philippine Statistics Authority said Bicol’s economic growth was driven by the industry sector, which accelerated from 5.3 percent in 2014 to 23.7 percent in 2015.

The services sector also grew faster from 5.4 percent in 2014 to 7.5 percent in 2015, while the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector contracted 2.3 percent in 2015 from a 1.1-percent growth in 2014.

Services contributed the biggest share to the region’s economy with 56.1 percent.

MSME SUPPORT.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez (right) chats with Vice President Leni Robredo during the 47th National Marketing Conference in Pasay City.

Lopez urged the participating CEOs to support micro, small and medium enterprises by adopting the inclusive business model, by involving communities as partner in mainstream business and allowing them to become part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ production network and supply chain.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com

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Business

The Bank of England is pictured in central London on August 3, 2016. The Bank of England slashed interest rates to a record-low 0.25 percent this week and could pump more stimulus into the economy as it battles the fallout from Britain’s vote to leave the EU, economists say. AFP

Bank of England cuts interest rates

L

ONDON―The Bank of England on Thursday slashed interest rates to a record low 0.25 percent and announced a vast stimulus package to combat economic fallout from Britain’s looming EU exit.

Policymakers voted unanimously to reduce rates by a quarter-point, the bank said in a statement after its latest meeting, cutting borrowing costs for the first time in more than seven years.

The BoE expects to trim rates again later this year to just above zero, it signaled in a statement after its monetary policy meeting.

The central bank also delivered a €170-billion ($227-billion, 200-billion-euro) stimulus package, which it added could be expanded further.

And in gloomy news, the institution axed economic forecasts for 2017 and 2018 following the June 23 Brexit referendum―in its biggest GDP forecast downgrade on record.

As part of the stimulus pack-

age, the BoE’s Monetary Policy Committee also agreed to reactivate its quantitative easing (QE) bond-buying scheme, lifting it by €60 billion to €435 billion in the first increase since 2012.

Thursday meanwhile marked the first rate reduction since March 2009, when the bank cut to the previous historic low of 0.50 percent―and launched the radical QE policy to stimulate lending and growth during the global financial crisis.

“It’s an unusual situation, it is a very large identifiable supply shock,” said BoE governor Mark Carney, in reference to the economic impact of Britain’s EU departure, which is not expected for at least two years.

“The economic outlook has

changed markedly... and (this is) consistent with the risks which the MPC saw before the vote.

“We’re living through a time of considerable uncertainty.”

The BoE will also buy €10 billion of corporate debt, while it also unveiled a new scheme worth up to €100 billion to encourage banks to lend to households and businesses. That took the total stimulus to as much as €170 billion.

“At its meeting... the MPC voted for a package of measures designed to provide additional support to growth and to achieve a sustainable return of inflation to the (2.0-percent) target,” the bank said.

Thursday’s news sent London’s FTSE 100 shares index 1.6 percent higher by close, while sterling dived against the dollar and the euro.

“Today’s announcement represents a significant policy loosening and underlines the bank’s commitment to do all it can to support economic and financial

market confidence,” said Adam Chester, head of economics at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.

Michael Hewson, chief market Analyst CMC Markets UK, said Carney had “wielded the sledgehammer,” while Scotiabank praised the policy measures as “effective,” but added “that GDP growth could still disappoint.”

Barclays, meanwhile, said that the low interest rates would be passed onto consumers, promising a mortgage rate cut of 0.25 percent.

The BoE maintained its 2.0-percent economic growth forecast for 2016.

However, it slashed the growth outlook to 0.8 percent in 2017 and 1.8 percent in 2018. That compared with prior predictions of 2.3 percent for both 2017 and 2018.

“Following the United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union, the exchange rate has fallen and the outlook for growth in the short to medium term has weakened markedly,” the bank said. AFP

REIMS, France―France’s Champagne country has little to celebrate as global warming threatens to wreak havoc on production, forcing winegrowers to take a sober look at their future.

“We are taking a very longterm view,” says Thibaut Le Mailloux of the Champagne Committee, a trade association of independent winegrowers and merchants.

Climate change has already had an effect on the champagne production cycle.

The past 20 years has seen the harvest brought forward by about two weeks; grapes are bigger and the alcohol content has risen by around one degree.

For the time being these factors help production, but they could spell disaster if, as experts predict, average global temperatures rise by up to five degrees Celsius between now and the end of the century.

“We really must start researching now as in 25 years it will be

too late,” Le Mailloux says.

The Champagne Committee is looking to develop new, more resistant grape varieties while retaining all the properties of the “King of Wines.”

Joining forces with the National Institute for Agricultural Research and a winegrowers institute in the southern region of Montpellier, they have embarked on a 15-year program to create grape varieties that will beat climate change.

The challenge is to cross grape varieties that are allowed for the production of champagne―black Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and white Chardonnay―with varieties that are naturally resistant to certain diseases such as downy or powdery mildew.

They are also looking for genes favoring late maturation, which provides natural resistance, the Champagne Committee says.

Environmental change can not only hurt harvests and degrade quality, it can also create microclimates that encourage grape-

vine diseases.

On the plus side, rising temperatures can lead to lower acidity levels.

In addition, they lessen the risk of frost damage. Champagne is France’s most northerly wineproducing area, with warm temperatures not guaranteed even in summer.

Hybrid supergrapes Hybrid grapes are not new to Champagne―or for that matter most of France’s winegrowing regions―which used hybridization as well as grafting to create varieties resistant to the phylloxera aphid that wiped out vast swathes of the country’s viticulture in the second half of the 19th century.

“We are crossing highly resistant super-genitors with our varieties,” says Arnaud Descotes, deputy technical and environmental director for the Champagne Committee.

“We start out with a cluster of grapes just starting to flower which we fertilize with pollen from the variety that interests

JAPAN’S auto industry is going back to tried-and-tested plays to ease the pain of yen strength as Toyota Motor Corp.’s prediction for a 37-percent plunge in earnings threatens to end the era of record profits.

A resurgent yen wiped almost half a trillion yen ($5 billion) off the operating income of Japan’s seven automakers in the first quarter, with Toyota alone taking a 235 billion yen hit. The industry, which accounts for about one in 10 jobs in Japan, is responding by cutting costs, dialing back expenses and turning to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for help.

Japan’s automaker association asked Abe’s reshuffled cabinet this week to take action in response to seesawing foreign exchange markets, Britain’s decision to leave the European Union and slowdowns in emerging markets.

Without the tailwinds of a weak yen boosting export profits, cost-cutting measures

by Toyota such as shutting down elevators, bathroom hand driers and air conditioning may prove futile.

“Carmakers including Toyota, Nissan and Honda are the driving force for Japan’s GDP,” Koji Endo, a Tokyo-based analyst with SBI Securities Co., said by phone. “The Japanese economy depends on the car industry a lot, so they have strong bargaining power with the Abe administration.” Bloomberg

Indonesian economy grew by 5.18% in Q2 INDONESIA’S second-quarter economic growth beat analysts’ expectations amid President Joko Widodo’s efforts to spur an economy struggling in the wake of a slowdown in China and low commodity prices.

Gross domestic product increased 5.18 percent from a year earlier, compared with a revised 4.91 percent in the first three months, the statistics bureau said in Jakarta on Friday. That exceeded the 5-percent median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of 24 economists.

Widodo, known as Jokowi, oversaw a 36-percent surge in government spending from the previous quarter as he seeks to lift growth from the slowest level since 2009. The president has embarked on an ambitious infrastructure program and launched a tax amnesty aimed at luring back billions of dollars of undeclared income back to Indonesia. The central bank has cut its benchmark rate by a percentage point this year in an attempt to revive lending.

“The outlook for Indonesia’s economy has improved in recent months, raising hopes that the economy could be on the cusp of a sustained recovery,” said Gareth Leather, senior Asia economist at Capital Economics Ltd.

Reinventing French fizz in face of climate change

By Fanny Lattach

Car firms seek Abe’s assistance

us. The first cross-breeding took place in 2015, the second in June 2016,” Descotes says.

“This is nothing to do with genetically modified crops, but hybrids obtained through technology,” he is quick to add.

The hybrid seeds―4,000 of them―will be ready in six years to be planted in experimental plots across Champagne.

The researchers hope to complete their analyses and tastings of the resulting wine by 2030, when they will be able to present the new varieties to the appellation authorities.

Throughout the program, “maintaining the champagne style is a central goal,” Le Mailloux says. “We are keeping up our tradition of innovation―but champagne will always be champagne.” AFP This file photo taken on May 27, 2016 shows a technician of the Interprofessional Committee of Champagne Wine showing an inflorescence of a hybrid vine plant from research conducted jointly by the CIVC and the National Institute of Agricultural Research, to develop grape varieties adapted to climate change and disease resistant, in Epernay, northereastern France. AFP

in London. “In particular, the passage of a number of reforms including steps to open up more industries to foreign investment as well as tax incentives to encourage more labor-intensive industries to set up in Indonesia has helped boost sentiment.”

The Jakarta Composite Index extended gains after the figures were released, rising 1 percent as of 9:57 a.m. in the city. The rupiah strengthened 0.1 percent to 13,120 a dollar, according to prices from local banks. Indonesian sovereign bonds advanced, pushing the 10-year yield down two basis points to 6.89 percent, Inter Dealer Market Association prices show.

While the data exceeded economists’ expectations and the outlook has improved, the result still remained “considerably below” the 5.8 percent average over the past decade, said Leather.

On a quarterly basis, the economy grew 4.02 percent from the previous three months.

Government spending rose 6.28 percent from a year earlier, while exports declined 2.73 percent. Investment was up 5.06 percent year-on-year while household consumption, which makes up more than half of the economy, rose 5.04 percent.

Bloomberg

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PASTORAL. A farmer carrying vegetables in a carabao-drawn crate passes by Lake Rosario Barangay Kapatagan, Digos Davao Del Sur as the majestic Mt. Apo rises behind him. Roland Jumawan

Davao sets P35-b project

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera

D

AVAO CITY—City Councilor Jimmy Dureza expressed optimism that the Philippine Reclamation Authority will approve Davao City’s multibillionpeso Mega Harbour, a pet project of former mayor of the city and now President Rodrigo Duterte.

Dureza, chairman of the committee on trade, commerce and industry, said the success of the P35-billion port and coastal development project now depends on whether the PRA will issue a reclamation permit.

Right before he assumed the presidency, Duterte entered into an agreement with Mega Harbour Port and Development for the proposed reclamation project, which was approved by

the City Council last year.

The project will develop 214 hectares of coastline into a port and residential complex. At least 70 hectares will be developed into a port that will cater to both international and domestic containers.

Duterte signed the agreement on the assurance that people living in the coastline will not be displaced. The developer even promised that the project will

provide livelihood opportunities for the residents.

The committee has undertaken massive information dissemination so the coastline residents will understand the objectives of the project.

An environmental group has opposed the project that will affect thousands of residents in the area.

EDIS executive director Mary Ann Fuertes said they were not informed about the project and

2,420 Pampanga cops promoted

By Romeo Dizon CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga— A total of 2,420 police officers were promoted on Tuesday to sustain the government campaign against illegal drugs and other crimes in the region.

Of those promoted, 203 were police superintendents and police inspectors while the rest were police officers 2, 3 and 4.

The law enforcers commissioned were mostly superintendents and police inspectors who graduated from the Philippine National Police Acad-

THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Wednesday said combined forces of the agency, the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army destroyed a total of P6.7 million worth of marijuana during an eradication operation in Maguindanao.

In a report submitted to PDEA Director General Isidro Lapeña, Regional Director Edgar Apalla of PDEA Regional Office-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA RO-ARMM) said his agents, in collaboration with teams from Matanog Municipal Police Station, Mindanao Area Police Intelligence, PNP Police Regional OfficeARMM, the Bravo Company, the 6th Infantry Battalion, the 6th Infantry Division, the Army and the local gov-

SMALLEST LAKE.

Maintenance staff cross a makeshift bridge made of bamboo over the Jamboree Lake inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City. The Jamboree lake is considered the smallest lake in the country.

Danny Pata

emy (PNPA) in different years, while those non-commissioned were undergraduates.

The newly promoted police officers will be distributed in the different provincial, cities and municipal police stations in the region.

Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino, regional director of PRO 3 who officiated the oath-taking ceremony, reminded the newly promoted officers that the promotion was not a reward for work well done but a recognition that every PNP personnel has the potential to do more.

PDEA destroys P6.7-m marijuana ernment of Matanog, Maguindanao conducted a marijuana eradication operation in Sitio Pangtoon, Barangay Sapad and Barangay Bayanga Sur, Matanog, Maguindanao that led to the discovery of the illegal hemp in a plantation site with an estimated land area of 12 hectares.

A total of 27,000 full-grown marijuana plants and 52 kilograms of dried marijuana leaves in brick form, with a total estimated market value of P6,700,000, were destroyed as a result of the operation.

Meanwhile, two suspected cultivators, identified as Naks Kanakanan and Radzak Macarimbang Maguid, managed to evade arrest after sporadic gun fire coming from different directions prevented the operatives from pursuing them. PNA

pointed out that the residents in Isla Verde will be greatly affected by it.

Fuertes also asked for a consultation so that they can present their side.

“We are very eager to know about the components of the projects. We have also asked them for a consultative meeting to have a better understanding of the multibillion-peso project,” she said.

‘Zambo stores must give Osca discounts’

By A. Perez Rimando ZAMBOANGA CITY—The Department of Trade and Industry said appropriate sanctions will be meted to local business establishments that do not give discounts to the elderly.

Depriving senior citizens of discounts violates Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, Ceferino

Rubio, chief of the city DTI Consumer Welfare and Production Division, said.

Rubio said many stores were not following the law, which took effect in October 2010.

The law, he stressed, mandates all establishments nationwide to “provide the special discount of five percent of the regular retail prices without exemption from the value-added tax of basic necessi-

ties and prime commodities.”

Rubio revealed that several elderly residents have complained to him that most department stores, allegedly claiming ignorance of the law, ignore their request for the five-percent markdown.

He advised the local elderly that “they need only to present their national Senior Citizen identification cards from the local Office of Senior Citizens

Affairs [Osca].” They are also entitled to a 20-percent discount on medicines when they present their doctor’s prescription and their booklets for discounted purchases.

The Zamboanga DTI official also received complaints that some pharmacies raise their prices and the elderly end up paying the original price of the items even “after the discount is given.”

Adopt-a-Child fattens 12 Ilocano children IN THE coastal village of Poblacion, in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, volunteer workers and private individuals join hands in promoting good nutrition among children aged zero to six years old.

Launched in 2011, the ‘Adopta-Child’ program of Barangay Poblacion continues to sponsor underweight children until their weight improves over time.

This year, Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) had identified at least 12 underweight kids in the village who are currently being adopted by some foster parents.

Every day, these children are brought to the barangay hall and given one full nutritious meal for lunch together with multivitamins, milk and other food supplements.

The program was initiated

by the village officials themselves who adopted one child each in 2011.

Over the past four years, the success of the program greatly depends on the parents who regularly bring their children to the Barangay Hall’s feeding session where the youngsters are monitored and given the routine services such as immunization and micronutrient supplementation.

By advocating proper nutrition and sponsoring feeding programs, the officials hope that they will succeed in eradicating malnutrition in the village.

The beneficiaries thanked their sponsors, especially balikbayans who sponsored underweight children every year.

They said they will continue the project until their children achieve normal weight. PNA

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LGUs

Makati prepares for ‘Big One’ O

FFICIALS of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology shared their technical expertise with some 60 employees from various offices and departments of the Makati City government during a twoday workshop at city hall on earthquake awareness and preparedness.

Makati Mayor Abby Binay lauded Phivolcs for helping enhance the city’s capability to mitigate the impact of a strong earthquake and cope with its aftermath.

The mayor also revealed plans to modernize and upgrade Makati’s disaster risk reduction

and management (DRRM) facilities and equipment.

“We need to upgrade our weather monitoring system, the CCTVs in our command center, and even our search and rescue facilities,” DRRM Office officer-in-charge Richard Raymund Rodriguez said.

During the first session of the City Council last Monday, the mayor shared her vision of Makati as a Wifi City, where the presence of fiber-optic internet connections in the city will be optimized. She said CCTVs in the different barangays can be interlinked with the command center CCTV network at the city hall so the authorities can respond faster to emergencies or even crimes.

Day one of the workshop was dedicated to understanding earthquake hazards and risk assessment, and learning about the institute’s warning system and preparedness activities.

Dr. Renato Solidum, Phivolcs

director, tackled DRRM and the roles of his agency and the Department of Science and Technology in earthquake-related concerns and programs.

Other Phivolcs resource speakers on the first day included supervising science research specialist (SRS) Jeffrey Perez who facilitated map familiarization and also talked about the West Valley Fault in Makati; SRS Charmaine Villamil who discussed the earthquake hazards in Makati and Phivolcs warning tools and warning products; and information officer Melissa Mae Tamayo who lectured on family and community preparedness in “How safe

is my house?”

The second day of the workshop on Friday focused on familiarization and enhancement of earthquake sector plans and protocols. The city government invited the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to present the National Disaster Response Plan and the Metro Manila Development Authority for its Metro Oplan Yakal Plus. The Makati DRRMO also presented the Makati City Earthquake Contingency Plan.

Workshop participants included one representative each from the offices and departments, except for those directly

involved in earthquake preparedness. These are the Engineering Department, DRRMO, Office of the Building Official, and the Makati Public Safety Department, which sent two to five representatives each.

Makati is known for being the first LGU in the country to craft a risk-sensitive land use plan and corresponding zoning ordinance. These development tools earned the approval of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board in 2013.

In 2014, Solidum cited Makati as the “most prepared city in Metro Manila against geological hazards, including an earthquake.”

Caloocan relaunches drive vs dengue

By Jun David THE local government of Caloocan has launched anew a citywide campaign against waste to eradicate the breeding grounds of dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

Mayor Oscar Malapitan ordered the three-day campaign, dubbed Oplan Clean Agad, in each of the city’s 16 zones. The campaign covers: Day 1, information dissemination through door-to-door f lyer distribution and village-level lectures on dengue prevention; Day 2, cleanup proper wherein declogging of waterways like creeks and canals; emptying of cans, bottles and other receptacles of stagnant water, removal of trash and clutters; and Day 3, fogging, misting and larvaecidal treatment of canals and drainage to eliminate breeding grounds of mosquitoes.

The first cluster comprising of Zone 13 Barangays 142 to 155 eliminates waste from Friday to Sunday; the second, Zone 12 (Barangays 132-141) on Aug. 12 to 14; and the third cluster Barangays 178 on Aug. 19 to 21.

Malapitan said these zones where identif ied as prone areas for denguecar r ying mosquitoes. “Prevention is better than cure,” he said.

Malapitan added that the months of June to August register high incidence of dengue cases due to frequent rains.

The mayor believed that government funds will be better spent if the disease is prevented.

The Caloocan Health Department and its Environmental Sanitation Services regularly raise dengue awareness and promote clean environment.

BOOKISH.

The SM Foundation, Pilipinas Shell and San Roque Power Plant constructed the three-story Fidel V. Ramos Library at the University of PangasinanPHINMA campus in Dagupan City. Former President Ramos (right) inaugurates the library which houses his personal memorabilia and book collection.

A DAY’S WORK. Fishermen walk through a bridge with their nets full of fish in Barangay Bonuan in Dagupan City, Pangasinan. Christine Junio

Region 9 DoH deworms 172,037 pupils in July

By A. Perez Rimando PAGADIAN CITY—The Department of Health reported that it dewormed 172,037 public elementary and secondary students in July under the ongoing National School Deworming program in the Zamboanga Peninsula.

Dr. Sitti Nurrusssamsi Amilhassan, DOH Region 9 deworming program manager, said they are targeting 701,423 pupils in the region.

Amilhassan reported that from July 1 to 18, the DoH was able to deworm 172,037 students broken down to 31,719 in the schools division of Zamboanga del Sur;

8,642 in Pagadian City; 17,097 in Zamboanga del Norte; 4,755 in Dipolog City; 3,654 in Dapitan City; 51,502 in Zamboanga Sibugay; 53,373 in Zamboanga City; and 1,295 in Isabela City.

These children, Amilhassan said were given 400 milligrams of Albendazole chewable tablets

after they had their breakfasts.

“We want to meet our target during the conduct of the National School Deworming Month. A health worker must be present on school deworming day to monitor any adverse effects of the deworming tablets,” Amilhassan said.

Cordillera HIV-AIDS cases rise to 248

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY—Health authorities revealed that the human immunodeficiency virus-acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV-AIDS) cases in the Cordillera Administrative Region rose to 248 this year.

Geeny Anne Austria of the Cordillera office of the Department of Health (DOHCAR) said that from 1984 to April 2016, there have been 17 AIDS deaths, and 18 of the 248 reported HIV cases developed

into full-blown AIDS. Baguio City had the most number of HIV-AIDS cases with 177, followed by Benguet with 33, Abra with 27, Apayao with seven, Ifugao and Mountain Province with five each and Kalinga with four. Of the total number, 219 were males and 29 were females.

From January to April this year, no females were infected by the dreaded virus while 19 males were infected with HIVAIDS, with seven males listed down in April alone.

Austria added that victims of HIV-AIDS belong to the age group 25 to 34 with 108 cases; the age group 34 to 49 with 65 cases; the age group 15 to 24 with 63 cases; those aged 50 and above with 10 cases; and those aged 15 with two cases.

In terms of mode of transmission, she reported that homosexuals topped the list with 111 cases, followed by heterosexuals with 66 cases, bisexual with 64 cases, unknown mode of transmission with four cases, perinatal with two cases and transfu-

sion with one case.

According to Austria, there were 58 HIV-AIDS cases involving overseas Filipino workers during the 34-year reckoning period.

She claimed the increasing number of individuals affected

by HIV-AIDS through men having sex with men is considered to be alarming, thus, the need for concerned government agencies, local governments and various stakeholders to be involved in the massive information education campaign for safe sex.

Before, the office conducted the program for only one day; now it was changed to one month covering kindergarten to high school students, she said, adding that the latter were also included because many of them have anemia and low school academic performance.

Bacolod sets 23-day MassKara

THIS year’s MassKara Festival will be the longest in history, with 23 days of merry-making and festivity from Oct. 1 to 23.

Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia said the preparations for the 2016 MassKara began after he was elected as local chief executive anew during the elections in May. Eli Francis Tajanlangit, festival director and chairman of the Silver MassKara Festival Organization Inc., said access to major activities of the festival would be free.

Three festival sites have been identified—the Bacolod Public Plaza, the Bacolod City Government Center and the Tourism Strip on Lacson Street.

The festival will officially kick off on the first day of October and will end on the 23rd of that month with a grand fireworks display.

This year’s celebration will feature a new activity—the “Sadya ang MassKara with Mayor Bing”—a three-day invitational fireworks competition.

The much-awaited MassKara street dance competition open category, which will have 15 entries, will be held on Oct. 23. The arena dance presentation will be held at the Bacolod Public Plaza.

The Department of Education-led schools category street dance competition will be held on Oct. 22, with three entries from elementary and four from high schools. PNA

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Erdogan: Kerry visiting Turkey I

stanbul—Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that US State Secretary John Kerry intends to visit this month, in what would be the first trip by a top Western dignitary since a failed putsch.

Kerry’s visit, if confirmed, comes at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Ankara in the wake of the attempted military takeover on July

15.

Turkey has been furiously demanding the extradition of Pennsylvania-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom it accuses of masterminding the coup.

The government has launched a crackdown in its wake that has seen over 60,000 people within the military, judiciary, civil service and education sector dismissed, detained or put under investigation.

“I think their secretary of state is coming on the 21th (August),” Erdogan said in a live interview with state-run TRT television.

Within the next two weeks, a delegation led by Turkey’s for-

eign and justice ministers would also travel to the US to explain Gulen’s alleged involvement in the coup bid, he added.

US State Department spokesman Mark Toner declined to comment.

An Istanbul court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for Gulen, accusing him of ordering the coup aimed at ousting Erdogan.

Ankara has frequently called on the United States to extradite

the Muslim cleric, sending two sets of documents to Washington as evidence of his involvement in the putsch attempt.

Gulen strongly denies masterminding the coup and the movement he leads insists it is a charitable network promoting tolerant Islam.

Kerry said on July 18 that Turkey must present “genuine evidence” and “not allegations” against Erdogan’s former ally for

his extradition.

The crisis in Turkey has erupted at a time when the Ankara-Washington relationship is as important as ever, with the United States needing Turkish help in the battle against Islamic State militants in Syria.

US fighter jets have been using Turkey’s southern base of Incirlik as a crucial launch point for lethal raids against IS targets in neighboring Syria. AFP

UN may suspend Yemen peace talks KUWAIT City—The UN special envoy to Yemen said Thursday he plans to suspend peace talks between the country’s warring parties at the weekend but that negotiations will resume later.

Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed has been mediating the talks between President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi’s government and the Iranbacked Huthi rebels and their allies in Kuwait since April 21, without a major breakthrough.

“We plan to hold the final session (of the talks) on Saturday,” the Mauritanian diplomat said in an interview on state-run Kuwait TV. “We are working on issuing a communique that will emphasise on the main points we have achieved.”

The talks would resume later, he said, without providing a specific date or the location but he added that they could return to Kuwait. AFP

RA Form No. 10.1 (LCRO)

Republic of the Philippines Local Civil Registry Office Province: Metro Manila City or Municipality: Pasay City NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION

Thais vote on charter drafted by military BANGKOK—Thais will vote on Sunday for the first time since the army grabbed power in 2014 in a referendum on a new militarydrafted constitution.

What are Thais voting on?

A new constitution--Thailand’s 20th since absolute monarchy was abolished in the early 1930s.

This one is penned by a committee appointed by the military. Generals seized power in May 2014 after months of anti-government protests that led to the toppling of Yingluck Shinawatra’s democratically elected government.

It was the army’s 12th successful coup.

Why has Thailand had so many charters? The kingdom’s modern history has been pockmarked by coups, periods of civilian rule, counter-coups and street protests.

On one side is a militarybacked, arch-royalist Bangkok elite -- who historically favour a heavily controlled form of democracy or outright autocracy.

On the other are those pushing for a more representative political system led by the wealthy Shinawatra clan.

Thai constitutions tend to get torn up and rewritten whenever

the power balance shifts.

What does this constitution look like? The military, which has seized power twice since 2006, has promoted its work as a fix for the last decade of fractious politics, which they blame on corrupt civilian politicians.

They say the document will root out graft and make those politicians more accountable.

But critics say it will do little to heal the kingdom’s divisions and decry it as a naked attempt to further entrench the military and elite’s control over the legislature.

The most divisive clauses call for a fully-appointed senate— which could block the work of elected lawmakers—and the increased powers of courts that are already accused of political bias in favor of Thailand’s militaryallied elite.

A second question on the ballot paper will ask Thais whether the 250 appointed senators should be able to join elected lawmakers in voting for a prime minister.

Can Thais campaign against this charter? No. Former army chief turned Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha has curbed free speech. AFP

INDUSTRY. An Indian craftsman works at a workshop in New Delhi on

Thursday. Lawmakers have voted in favour of scrapping India’s jumble of federal and state taxes and introducing a single goods-and-services tax , creating a common market for the first time. AFP

China sues another activist for subversion BEIJING—A Chinese human rights activist was put on trial Friday on subversion charges, a court said—the fourth such case this week as authorities crack down on dissent.

Christian activist Gou Hongguo had gone abroad to be trained in “subverting state power,” the Second Intermediate People’s Court in the northern city of Tianjin said on a verified social media account.

He also sought to turn public opinion against the government and attempted to overthrow the socialist system, among a litany of other offences, it said.

Gou, who had protested against forced evictions, was one of more than 200 activists and lawyers detained for their involvement in cases considered sensitive by China’s ruling Communist party in the socalled “709 crackdown”—named for its main date in July 2015.

Gou’s trial was the fourth at the Tianjin court this week, and followed that of high-profile rights lawyer Zhou Shifeng, whose Fengrui law firm—known for taking on cases of dissident scholars, vic-

tims of sexual abuse and members of banned religious groups—has been at the centre of the 709 crackdown.

Zhou was on Thursday given seven years in prison for subversion.

Activist Zhai Yanmin was on Tuesday handed a three-year suspended sentence for crimes that included waving banners and shouting slogans, while Hu Shigen, a Christian campaigner who was a member of the same underground church as Guo, was jailed for seven and a half years on Wednesday.

Campaign groups have condemned the trials, and US State Department spokesman Mark Turner said the charges were “vague and apparently politically motivated.”

“It’s troubling that Chinese authorities denied these defendants access to their chosen counsel and family members as well,” he said. “We urge China to release all the lawyers and activists who were detained on July 9th, 2015, and remove restrictions on their freedom of movement and professional activities.” AFP

In compliance with Section 5 of R.A. Act No. 9048, a notice is hereby served to the public that Manuel Fermin Gomez has filed with this Office a petition for change of first name from MANOLO to MANUEL in the birth certificate of Manuel Fermin Gomez who was born on August 30, 1952 at Pasay City and whose parents are Luis Gomez and Asuncion Fermin.

Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his written opposition with this Office.

ANELDA C. FLORENTINO City Civil Registrar Pasay City

(MS-AUG. 6, 2016)

REPUBLIC OF THE PILIPPINES Department of Transportation Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Manila International Airport Authority Civil Aeronautics Board JOINT MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 2016-02 28 July 2016 FOR SUBJECT

: ALL GENERAL AVIATION OPERATORS OPERATING AT THE NINOY AQUINO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (NAIA) : RESTRICTIONS ON GENERAL AVIATION AND AERIAL WORKS TRAFFIC AT NAIA

1.0 OBJECTIVE The growing demand for air transportation and the limited airport runway infrastructure at the NAIA necessitated the government to impose aircraft movement restrictions. This restriction comes in the form of limitation in the number of aircraft movements per hour at the runway, which is currently set at forty (40).

Despite this limitation, it is observed that aircraft movement still sometimes exceeds forty (40) per hour during peak periods.

Moreover, given the limited number of runway slots that may be safely operated in and out of Manila, the government should ensure that these slots are utilized in a manner that promotes public interest and in accordance with public convenience and necessity.

Hence, in order to promote safety and efficiency in air transport services in Manila, General Aviation operations and Aerial Woks shall be prohibited during peak hours.

2.0 GUIDELINES 1. General Aviation operations1 and Aerial works2 shall be prohibited to use NAlA from 1200H to 1900H Local Time daily, except helicopter operations, medical evacuations, and aircraft on emergency.

2. Moreover, General Aviation operations and Aerial Works shall be limited to only two 2) cycles per hour from 0600H to 1200H Local Time daily.

3.0 SANCTION Violation of this Joint Administrative Circular shall be penalized in accordance with the pertinent provisions of Republic Act No. 9497, Republic Act No. 776, and Executive Order No. 778 series of 1982, as amended.

4.0 FINAL PROVISIONS 1. All previous Orders, Memoranda, and Issuances that are inconsistent herewith are superseded, amended, revoked, and/or nullified accordingly.

2. If any section(s) or any part of this Circular is declared unconstitutional by a competent authority, the remaining sections or parts thereof shall not be affected thereby.

3. This circular shall take effect thirty (30) days after its publication as required under pertinent law.

ED MONREAL General Manager Manila International Airport Authority

ANTONIO G. BUENDIA Director General Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines

CARMELO L. ARCILLA Executive Director Civil Aeronautics Board Noted by: ROBERTO C.O. LIM Undersecretary for Civil Aviation Department of Transportation

CASUALTY. A foreign tourist, wounded during a Taliban militant attack, is treated at a hospital in the western Herat province, on Thursday.

Taliban militants attacked a group of 12 American and European tourists escorted by an Afghan army convoy in the province, leaving at least seven people wounded as the insurgents step up nationwide attacks. AFP

1 2

General Aviation Operation refers to an aircraft operation of a civil aircraft for other than a commercial air transport operation or aerial work operation (R.A. 9497, Section 3).

Aerial work refers to an aircraft operation in which an aircraft is used for specialized services such as agriculture, photography, surveying, observation and patrol search and rescue, aerial advertisement (RA. 9497,Section 3) ( T S - A U G . 6 , 2 016)

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016

World

VISITOTOR. Senegal’s Foreign Minister Mankeur Ndiaye (L) is welcomed by his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida (R) at the Iikura guesthouse in Tokyo on Friday.

Ndiaye is on a three-day visit to Japan. AFP

Funds for fighting Zika virus running out—Obama WASHINGTON—Money to fight the outbreak of the mosquitoborne Zika virus in the United States is running out, US President Barack Obama said Thursday, calling the situation “critical” and urging lawmakers to act.

Obama spoke to reporters at the Pentagon, where he said the US government is taking the news of 15 cases of Zika being locally transmitted in Florida “extremely seriously.”

“As our public health experts have been warning for some time, we are now seeing the first locally transmitted cases of the Zika virus by mosquitoes in the continental United States,” Obama said.

“This was predicted and predictable.”

Obama asked Congress in February to allocate $1.9 billion for the fight against Zika, but was met with resistance by Republican lawmakers who said the funds should instead be moved from coffers previously reserved for fighting the Ebola outbreak.

“Not only did the Republican-led Congress not pass our request, they worked to cut it. Then they left for summer recess without passing any new funds for Zika,” said Obama.

“Meanwhile, the people on the front lines have been making do.

Now the money we need to fight Zika is running out.”

Without funding, Obama warned, clinical vaccine trials could be delayed.

“The situation is getting critical,” he said.

“So this is not the time for politics.”

Zika symptoms are mild in most people and go unnoticed in four out of five cases. AFP

Trump seeks refugee ban

W

ashington—Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump launched new attacks on immigrants Thursday, telling supporters that Somalis and other refugees from “terrorist nations” should be barred entry to the United States.

Trump listed several immigrants, mostly from Muslim majority countries—Afghanistan, Iraq, Morocco, Pakistan, the Philippines, Somalia, Syr-

ia, Uzbekistan and Yemen— who were arrested for conducting or threatening to carry out violent attacks, teaching bomb-making to recruits, and

otherwise supporting terror groups.

“We’re dealing with animals,” he seethed.

“We are letting people come in from terrorist nations that shouldn’t be allowed because you can’t vet them,” Trump, who has built his campaign around an anti-immigration platform, said at a rally in Portland, Maine.

“You have no idea who they are. This could be the great

Trojan horse of all time,” he said, reprising a warning that terrorists including members of the Islamic State extremist group will sneak into the United States as refugees.

“This is a practice that has to stop.”

He pointed to the Somali immigrant population as an example of the “thousands” of refugees who have flooded into Maine and other US states and caused problems.

Trump said efforts to resettle Somali refugees—many of them in Minnesota—were “having the unintended consequence of creating an enclave of immigrants with high unemployment that is both stressing the state’s... safety net and creating a rich pool of potential recruiting targets for Islamist terror groups.”

Trump caused an uproar last December when he called for a temporary ban on all Muslims

FBI sues 46 East Coast mobsters

Protests to dampen Olympics opening rites RIO DE JANEIRO—Protesters will take to Rio’s streets Friday during the Olympics opening ceremony and heckle Brazil’s unpopular acting president in the stadium, setting an angry backdrop to South America’s first Games.

With the eyes of the world on Rio, Brazilians furious over the country’s political crisis, crippling recession and what they see as an Olympics favoring the rich will seize the limelight.

Protests are scheduled in the morning outside a luxury Copacabana hotel, then later near the Maracana stadium where the Olympic torch relay will end with the lighting of the symbolic cauldron.

The protests, clashes between

riot police and demonstrators at several stages of the torch relay, and plans to boo interim President Michel Temer during the opening ceremony threaten an unusually dark mood for the city’s big party.

While numbers are not expected to go much beyond the low thousands, demonstrators’ passion will be fierce. Equally determined will be the security forces who have deployed in huge numbers in Rio and have used tear gas and stun grenades several times in recent days against small groups of protesters blocking the torch parade.

“These Olympics are a calamity,” said Manuela Trindade, a freelance journalist and teacher who was planning to take to the streets. AFP

Britons find paradise in poor Bulgaria

ALINO, Bulgaria—Every year, hordes of Britons move to Spain’s Costa del Sol or southern France in search of a sunnier, more relaxed lifestyle.

But several thousand have found their paradise in a most unlikely place—Bulgaria, the poorest member state of the European Union.

With its low living cost, the nation of seven million has become the bloc’s best-kept secret for British citizens wanting to retire or reinvent their existence.

At least 10,000 are estimated to now live here either part-time or permanently, although the actual figure could be much higher: a majority don’t register with local authorities.

Among those to call the exCommunist country home are Tina and Kevin Brassington, two university lecturers who ditched their well-paid jobs in Kent in 2011 and run a small organic farm in the heart of rural Bulgaria.

“Fancy a cuppa?” chirps Tina as she opens the green gates to the estate, set on a dusty road in the small village of Alino, 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the capital Sofia.

Behind the petite brunette, baby goats bounce around a leafy garden drenched in sunshine. Rows of vegetable beds sit amid fruit trees and flower bushes. They also have chickens, geese and pigs. AFP

entering the United States, and he has harangued his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for seeking to allow many times more refugees into the country than President Barack Obama has.

“Hillary Clinton wants to have them come in by the hundreds of thousands,” Trump warned Thursday, to a chorus of boos.

“You’re going to have problems like you’ve never seen.” AFP

PRECIOUS. Indian Bollywood actress Dia Mirza poses as she attends the Jewellers for Hope Charity dinner in Mumbai. AFP

New York—The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it leapt from the pages of a mafia novel. But fiction turned reality Thursday when prosecutors unveiled charges against 46 alleged mobsters, making dozens of arrests up and down the East Coast.

The arrests spotlight an Italian mafia purportedly alive and kicking in 21st century America, not confined to Hollywood legend, and one which prosecutors said has diversified in keeping with the times.

The defendants are accused of orchestrating a vast criminal enterprise that stretched from Massachusetts to Florida, engaging in extortion, arson, fraud, illegal gambling, firearms trafficking and assault.

They allegedly come from the ranks of the Genovese, Gambino, Lucchese and Bonanno families— New York gangs with Sicilian roots—as well as from a Philadelphia organized crime family.

The suspects span generations, from a 24-year-old millennial to an 80-year-old, and include defendants who went by colorful nicknames such as “Muscles,” “Tony the Cripple,” “Mustache Pat” and “Tugboat.”

“The indictment reads like an old-school mafia novel, where extortion, illegal gambling, arson and threats to ‘whack’ someone are carried out along with some modern-day crimes of credit card skimming,” said FBI official Diego Rodriguez.

“But the 40-plus arrests of mob associates, soldiers, capos and a boss this morning show this isn’t fiction,” he added. AFP

Life YOUTH

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016

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Editors group extends assistance to UPLB communication student 18-year-old Speech Communication student Kristine Andrea V. Nicasio (third from left) receives the scholarship from SPEED President and Manila Standard Entertainment and Lifestyle Editor Isah V. Red (fourth from left). Joining them are (from left) SPEED Assistant Secretary Geraldine Trillana, Assistant Treasurer Maricris Nicasio, Auditor Dindo Balares, and member Rohn Romulo

K

RISTINE Andrea V. Nicasio is an 18-year-old student at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. She is majoring in Communication Arts. When she graduates next year, she will have earned a bachelor’s degree.

Nicasio is a conscientious student, spending her free time reading novels and poetry, watching films, and drawing stickers.

Back in her grade school, Nicasio was an active student, participating in a lot of school activities like declamation and quiz contests and the school’s annual Ati-atihan festival.

She graduated with honors (3rd Honorable Mention) at Sto. Niño Parochial School.

At Quezon City Academy, where she attended high school, Nicasio continued to be participative, joining the school’s choir in her freshman year. She also became a part of Pabinhian, a student-teacher organization that aims to help students cope with academics.

In her sophomore year, she continued to hone her leadership skills by running for senator in the central student government— where she won, she was also part of the Bureau of Social Studies.

Apart from that, she also joined Echo, the school paper.

Nicasio was voted section mayor – a position equivalent to that of a class President, when she was a junior in high school and during her senior year In her last year, she was again voted as mayor and appointed as secretary of the Department of Health and Sanitation. And finally, she became Echo’s News Editor as well as the Bureau of Social Studies’ Director and assistant director for the Bureau of Science Studies.

She graduated with flying colors with the best mayor award in addition to the 8th Honorable Mention medal she went home with.

Nicasio took the UPCAT, the

entrance exams for students desiring to matriculate at the State University that year and she was admitted to the university system’s Los Baños academic institution, the UP Los Baños. Since she is from Quezon City, she had to stay in a dormitory in the university town.

Being away from her family has helped her become independent. She has learned how to budget her allowance, and how to manage time wisely. She has also built friendships in the university and enjoys being exposed to a lot of things.

She admits that being in UP is difficult, but she keeps her optimism by facing the challenge head on. College she says allows her to learn a lot. She is striving hard to achieve that Honor and Excellence that every UP student works for.

She is currently a Speech Communication major because she believes that she is good at speaking. In fact she bagged 2nd place at their Speech Communication 102 poetry recital entitled, Mainstream: Pop goes Poetry where she was also the event head. There, they had to perform popular songs as poems.

Nicasio is also an Honorary Member of the Himig Makiling, an all UP Academic Employees Union’s cultural group.

Just last semester, she was a part of a theatrical play entitled, Alindanaw. She was the Hair and Makeup Committee head, showing her talents in drawing and design.

She is also consistently in the university’s Honor Roll.

For her, college is really a special place not only for the exposure she gets but it

Abante showbiz columnist Maricris Nicasio with her daughter Kristine who was chosen as the first scholar of the Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors

helps her grow to be what she is today. More especially, because she has built priceless memories in her two-year stay at UPLB. From the delicious

choco milk, amazing scenery, calm afternoons, to the hectic schedule and crazy deadlines, she loves everything in college.

“I am honored to have been

Comfy casuals for the stylish

young boys and girls THE Guess Kids 2016 collection features an assortment of lightweight clothes perfect for boys and girls who live in a tropical country. Items from the collection let free-spirited kids have fun and stay in action while maintaining comfort and style.

Guess Kids for girls offers punchy lace eyelet rompers, street-smart sleeveless hoodie and shorts set, timeless denim dresses, and whimsical plaid shirts with flowy-floral prints at the back. Basics like shorts, pants, dresses and denims all in various colors are classic pieces that are given a fun twist.

For the boys, Guess Kids serves some sporty spirit with its screen tee and short sets, mesh crew with stripe screens, and knit shorts. Color blocked shirts, printed polo shirts, and screen tops with mesh panels highlight a more updated look.

To showcase the Guess Kids lifestyle, this latest collection features an array of joyful boys and girls photographed in sunny California alongside Malibu’s breathtaking beaches. The soft sand, lush palm trees and piercing blue waters are the perfect setting for these children, enjoying their surroundings in stylish, comfortable and wearable designs.

Directed by Paul Marciano, chief creative officer for Guess?, Inc., and captured by longtime collaborator, Rus Anson, the campaign follows an energetic group of kids playing on a warm California day depicting the same sense of wonder and fun that is embodied by the Guess Kids. The children’s make-believe fantasy is brought to life using an oversizedpalm tree hut, cluster of multi-colored surfboards and a ship-wrecked sailboat as key props alongside a mixture of fashion-forward looks featured in the collection.

For more information, visit www.GUESS.com.

chosen as SPEED’s first ever scholar. Meeting SPEED members where at first intimidating, being face to face with professionals who excel in their occu-

pations. But, they are very nice and accommodating, she said.

She felt they trust her and she values that trust very well so she is inspired more than ever to study hard and make SPEED proud of her.

According to Nicasio, she feels “happy to have been given this opportunity. The scholarship will not only help me get through college but also in achieving my dreams of being a film maker someday. I thank SPEED for putting their confidence in me, please know that I will not let you down.”

Nicasio has been described by her peers as versatile and a healthy person because of her many talents and discipline in keeping a schedule. She will be a junior in the upcoming semester in August.

The Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors was formed in late last year.

Known simply as SPEED, it consists of editors from various newspapers in Metro Manila (broadsheet and tabloid) to foster camaraderie and advance entertainment journalism in the Philippines.

Currently the officers are: Isah V. Red (Manila Standard), president; Eugene Asis (People’s Journal), 1st vice president; Jojo Panaligan (Manila Bulletin), 2nd vice president: Ian Fariñas (People’s Tonight), secretary; Geraldine Trillana (Malaya), assistant secretary; Salve Asis (Pilipino Star Ngayon and Pang Masa), treasurer; Maricris Nicasio (Hataw), assistant treasurer; and Dindo Balares, (Balita) and Dondon Sermino, (Abante), auditor.

Giving financial assistance to deserving students in mass communication, communication arts, journalism, or media studies is the first project of the group.

Kristine Andrea V. Nicasio is the daughter of the group’s Maricris Valdes Nicasio.— IVR PHOTOS: SONNY ESPIRITU

Guess Kids offers a collection of lightweight and stylish apparel for children living in tropical countries

Life

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

Isha Abubakar is Pop rock/jazz performing artist and composer-arranger who also happens to be a practicing Muslim

T

The Unbearable Lightness of Being Isha Abubakar

O IMPERIAL Manila’s denizens and the majority known as Lowland Christian Filipinos in AP textbooks, Muslims are a mystery.

Even in Mindanao where 90 percent of Filipino Muslims live, they are a minority.

In Metro Manila, we lump them with pearls, DVDs and colorful malong. Sadly, most of us see Muslims as “the Other”—so different from us in religion, traditions, diets and dress.

In a world riven by terror, they are objects of fear and suspicion.

Such stereotypes highlight the singular uniqueness of the pop rock/jazz performing artist and composer-arranger Isha Abubakar. It’s unusual to see a practicing Muslim rocking in a slinky one-shoulder top to her cover of Bananarama’s “Venus”.

FRINGE

MENCHU AQUINO SARMIENTO

She laughingly calls herself “a minority within a minority.”

The Abubakars are Tausug, from Jolo and Zamboanga.

They belong to the politically prominent Rasul clan. Isha admits her family name elicits unfortunate associations with Abu Sayyaf, and Abubakar Janjalani (no relation).

T o r i Amos is t h e

major artistic influence for this self-taught musician and arranger with an AB Journalism degree from UP College of Mass Communication. During shows, her sound check is a Chaplinesque bouncing up and down the keys.

Such jokey irreverence and effervescence are unexpected with her ramp model good looks.

Isha discovered music growing up in the household of her father’s first wife, her Mommy.

Her own mother is Mama, the late Grace Baylon of Cagayan, the second wife of her Aba: Atty.

Hashim Abubakar, a Marcos era COMELEC Commissioner.

“Sobrang haba ng hair ng daddy ko.”

Isha marvels at both his wives’ absolute devotion to him, each in her

Isha won singing and song writing competitions when she was in high school

own house. Aba’s grandfather was the legendary Hadji Butu, meaning testicles in Tausug. He had 37 wives who were all satisfied.

“I was surrounded by angels,” Isha recalls her childhood with her two mothers and her beloved paternal grandmother Asia, a traditional midwife with a perfect record of no fatalities. Aba mockingly deplores her as a “decadent urbanite.” Isha points out that theoretically, Islam respects women’s rights: married women may keep on using their maiden names, work outside the home, and even initiate divorce.

Isha does not use her married name: Quebral. When Aba learned that Isha’s then boyfriend, TV and movie director Robert Quebral was with her in Baguio during the UP Creative Writing Center Workshop, he hastily arranged for a kawin, a bare bones Muslim wedding, upon their return to Quezon City. It was urgent since for a single woman to openly be with a man who was not her husband or relative, was considered jinna or a mortal sin.

The mosque in nearby Culiat was closed then so the kawin was held in the Imam’s house.

Through the grills of the sarisari store spanning the house’s front, curious passersby peered at Isha and Robert kneeling on a threadbare prayer rug. The only others present were Isha’s parents and four strangers hurriedly drafted by the Imam to be witnesses. Their reception was soft drinks and biscuits from the sari-sari store but Isha swore it was perfect.

After the kawin, Atty.

Abubakar boomed at his new son-in-law, “When you have enough money, we can have another wedding, a grand one, in Jolo with the Sultan.” Robert, looking like a wet chicken after just having been baptized Muslim in the Imam’s tiny bathroom, could only nod speechlessly. He later learned he had to provide Isha with a dowry of P50000.00 and a sheet of gold. Neither the sheet of gold nor the big grand Jolo wedding have materialized, but, meanwhile, their marriage has been blessed with Alon, 15, and Sophie, 9.

Sophie was just five-years old when she recorded the “Kukuk Song” on her mother’s independently produced album Hindi ka Nag-iIsha. Isha delights in her daughter’s musical precocity.

She was a pre-adolescent when she realized music was in her soul. Hearing “Somewhere in Time” triggered a deep desire to learn it. She repeatedly picked out the tune on Mommy’s venerated Yamaha organ.

Throughout high school at the Holy Spirit, Isha won singing and song writing competitions with Marian or other Catholic themes. Her proud Mama then prevailed upon her father to buy Isha her own piano for their Sampaloc

home so she wouldn’t have to play at their neighbor’s.

While raising her family, Isha performs as “Isha and the Look.”

In 2004, the independent British label Candid Records produced her first album Time and Again, a mix of jazz standards and her own compositions.

Aba disapproved of the provocative CD cover photo but attended her launch anyway. She sang on the album Electromagnetic Jam that went platinum. In the works, is a new album with the Sleepyheads, an indie folk punk trio.

Isha’s compositions span love’s complications (eg., May aaminin ako sa inyo, Ms. Kris Aquino: nahumaling din ako sa

pag-ibig tulad niyo….Matalino din ako, Ms. Kris Aquino; Nga lang minsan di gumagana ang utak ko.) to politics, i.e., “Lukaret” which decries the Napoles Pork Barrel corruption scandals.

She believes artists must take a stand.

In the wake of the Orlando, Florida massacre at a gay nightclub, Isha assured all her FB LGBT friends: “I am very happy to report that after a month of studying the Koran, I have yet to find the verse that says I should lash or stone you all to death.” and signed this: Isha Abubeki.

Menchu Aquino Sarmiento is an award-winning writer and a social development advocate.

LUSH Prize Young Researcher 2015 winner Bianca Marigliani

The Lush Prize 2016

SINCE 2012, the Lush Prize has been rewarding scientists around the world who have been working towards the goal of replacing animals in chemical safety testing. One of the most successful elements of the Prize has been its Young Researcher Awards, which have focussed on scientists in the early stages of their careers.

With interest in non-animal research techniques growing fast in Asia and in North and South America, the Lush Prize is rolling out two new regional Young Researcher Awards in 2016.

The Lush Prize: Young Researchers Asia awards will award £10,000.00 each to five researchers wishing to fund the next stage of a career focused on an animal-test free future.

Meanwhile, the Lush Prize: Young Researchers Americas awards will also award £10,000.00 to five young scientists in North, South and Central America.

The awards will be presented at two special events in North America and South Korea in November. The Rest of World Young Researcher awards will take place at the award ceremony in London, on 11th November – along with all the other normal categories.

Nominations can either be made by the individual themselves or by their academic

colleagues using the main website forms at: www.lushprize. org/nominate-enter/young-researcher-award/.

Lush Prize spokesperson Craig Redmond says, “We are excited to have an increased focus on supporting young researchers, particularly in Asia and Americas, this year. These young scientists need funding and encouragement to continue their careers in advancing superior, nonanimal research and we can provide the platform for that.”

Bianca Marigliani from Brazil was a 2015 Lush Prize Young Researcher winner for work on replacing animal products in alternatives research. She comments, “Winning the Lush Prize is going to help us take a step forward in the development of alternative in vitro methods that are safe and really cruelty-free, without using animals or any animalderived materials.”

Elena Kummer, a Young Researcher from Italy who was one of the 2015 winners, comments: “The prize offered me the opportunity to spend another year in the Toxicology lab and work on my very exciting project, where I am working towards understanding the extent and quality of allergic sensitization, with a view to completely replacing animals. It also provided invaluable visibility.”

Showbiz

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

A musical rendezvous with Basti Artadi CELEBRATING 25 years as the Metro’s top lifestyle destination, Shangri-La Plaza just gets better with A Musical Rendezvous with Basti Artadi , 6:30 tonight at the East Atrium, Mid-Level 2/3, East Wing.

Since the launch of his first album entitled Everybody Knows the Dice Are Loaded in 2014, Basti Artadi, along with his band The Nice Ones,

This month, catch Basti Artadi at the Shang for one unforgettable music experience. This treat also pays tribute to the 10th anniversary of the Silent Film Festival, for which the famed artist will be participating. Aside from his performance, Artadi will score the German Silent Film from the Goethe Institut Der Balletterzherzog, one of the

has been touring the city to promote the nine original tracks he had written. The vocalist definitely rocks on every kind of stage even in theater.

Basti recently finished his theatrical stint. He led the cast as St. Jimmy in American Idiot the Musical, and he has also performed in other productions such as Jesus Christ Superstar.

I

N THE latest totally relatable movie for mothers all over the world, Bad Moms, three overworked and under-appreciated moms ditch conventional responsibilities for a jolt of long overdue freedom, fun, and comedic self-indulgence when pushed beyond their limits.

The most hilarious authentic comedy of the year, Bad Moms stars Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell (voiced Anna in Frozen) and Kathryn Hahn, written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore who also penned the highly successful The Hangover film series.

Bad Moms sees Amy (Kunis), leading a seemingly perfect life - a great marriage, overachieving kids, beautiful home, stunning looks and still holding down a career. However, she’s over-worked, over committed and exhausted to the point that she’s about to snap. Fed up, she joins forces with two other moms, Kiki (Bell), a stay-at-home mom and Carla (Hahn), a single mom who all go on a quest to liberate themselves from conventional responsibilities, going on a wild un-mom like binge of freedom, fun and self-indulgence - putting them on a collision course with PTA Queen Bee Gwendolyn (Christina Applegate) and her clique of devoted perfect moms, Stacy (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Vicky (Annie Mumolo).

Kunis says, “I think people like to know they’re not alone. And I think that the second you’re like, “Oh wait,” it’s something you can poke humor at and make light of.

I think before, when my parents were raising my brother and I, everything had to look perfect.

Whether it was or wasn’t you just didn’t air your dirty laundry so to speak. And I think nowadays, if it’s going wrong I call my best friend like, “I don’t know, there’s this color coming out of her nose and I’m pretty sure she’s dying.”

It’s okay to do that now and I don’t think it necessarily was okay before. So I think this movie kind of brings light to that.”

Bad Moms” is showing in cinemas now from Pioneer Films. Check out the film’s trailer here: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ GLe9Tad6TI

Modern-day motherhood quirks

‘Bad Moms’ is a comedy film that stars Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Kathryn Hahn

Beautiful zombie

By Robbie Pangilinan SHE is probably the most beautiful zombie you will ever see.

Aspiring actress Jasmine Pichon was cast as a zombie in the movie Anino, Star Magic workshops firstever digital film in 2011, starring Jake Cuenca, Yeng Constantino, Dimples Romana, Roden Araneta, Joem Bascon and Jodi Sta. Maria. She was 13 then and until now, Anino remains her favorite project.

After Anino, Pichon dreamt of turning that bit role into a dream of playing a lead role someday, a dream that she is working on now.

Jasmine started modeling at age 5 for major brands such as Fujifilm and Mossimo, and for local designers Paulo Blanco and Robert Gallardo.

She was on the fashion ramp at the Trinity Charity Fashion Show, Likha 2013, and Spotlight Academy Fashion Show 2015. She also starred in a school

play titled New Yorker in Tondo.

“I want to be an artist because I love acting and modeling. I am inspired by my family and my dog Oreo. I want to help my parents by not depending on them financially. I also want to prove to myself and to those people who believed in me, that I am worth something, after all the efforts we spent.

I believe that God gave me abilities and talents to share it to everyone and make people happy,” says Pichon.

Early on, she faced challenges such as lack of self- esteem and confidence.

She was bullied in grade and high schools for being quiet and unsociable.

But she overcame this by joining drama clubs and workshops. She started doing VTRs in her third year in high school.

She was the first honor at the end of the school year and also got the lead role in a school play.

Besides acting, the young Pichon also likes painting and singing; she can rap and play the beatbox, too. She is

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, August 6, 2016

ACROSS 1 Bulb’s place 5 Dauntless 10 MHz part 14 Skunk’s defense 15 Potato tool 16 Browser bookmarks 17 Dressy event 18 Twice as curious 19 Break suddenly 20 Rolex rival 22 Hit the hay 24 Major constellation?

27 Blend together 28 Skier’s turn 32 Cool in manner 35 Pamplona cheer 36 Bacon on the hoof 38 Copier need 40 Hoists 42 Armstrong and Simon 44 Diner’s options 45 Royal decree 47 Musty 49 Queen beater 50 Hawke of “Gattaca” 52 Got cozy 54 Disagreeable task 56 Do business 57 Theater freebie 60 Oater

many films during the fourday film festival.

Don’t miss this chance to hear his original works brought to you by ShangriLa Plaza.

For inquiries, call 370-2597/98 or visit w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / shangrilaplazaofficialfanpage.

Follow the Shang on Instagram: @ shangrilaplazaofficial.

showdowns 64 Homilyspouting detective 65 Criticizes 68 John, in Russia 69 Dog-owner’s shout 70 Block, legally 71 Ruler before Galba 72 Aquarius’ tote 73 Given to back talk 74 Make a mouse hole DOWN 1 MGM lion 2 Mr. Sandler 3 Double agent 4 Kafka’s birthplace 5 Good buddy 6 Unburdened 7 Aussie rockers 8 Zigs or zags 9 Misprints 10 Shiitake or shaggy mane 11 Ocean flier 12 Spiky flower 13 Deadly snake 21 Tattoo sites 23 Delta material 25 Previously cut 26 March sign

28 Painted tinware 29 Slip past 30 On the up-andup 31 Socks it to ya?

33 “Kazaam” star 34 Rural sight 37 Spiral-horned antelope 39 Cursed the day 41 Tall beer glass 43 Fishtail 46 Refreshing taste 48 Mild rejoinder 51 ER workers 53 Bonding

55 57 58 59 61 62

Nacho dip Sigh of relief Not often seen Ring surfaces Squared away “Tomb Raider” — Croft 63 Deceive with charm 64 Amigo of Fidel 66 Jan. and Feb. 67 Deighton character

a swimmer and scuba diver as well, that’s why she wants to play the role of a mermaid someday.

“I’d also like to try the role of an antagonist or an extra in the set.

But getting any role in a movie or teleserye is a dream come true already,” she says.

The beautiful zombie, soon to be mermaid or kontrabida, maintains her fair skin with the help of GlutaMAX Underarm and Inner Thigh Whitening Cream. She trusts GlutaMAX, a product of YSA Skin and Body Experts SM Festival Mall branch especially formulated by YSA Skin Care expert dermatologist Isabel Lopez-Nazal.

“Be different, and don’t stop chasing your dreams. As a rising artist, you will encounter many challenges and tests along the way, but just hang on.

Always keep your faith in God and give your best in everything you do.

Every diamond has to undergo a lot of polishing to sparkle,” ends Pihcon.

Aspiring actress Jasmine Pichon

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com

D4

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016

Showbiz

Jazz Nicolas, Wally Acolala win PhilPop grand prize

Composer Wally Acolola and Itchyworm’s Jazz Nicolas (fourth and fifth from right) with PhilPop officials and performers after they clinch the top prize in the recently concluded music fest

J

AZZ Nicolas and Wally Acolala bagged the grand prize at PhilPop 2016 during the jampacked finals night at Kia Theatre in Araneta Center.

The two brought home P1 million and the much-coveted Orlina trophy. They won for their song “’Di Na Muli,” which was interpreted by Jazz’s band, Itchyworms.

Winning second was Soc Villanueva’s entry “Lahat,” interpreted by Jason Dy, and on third place were Paolo and Miguel Guico for “Tinatangi,” interpreted by Bayang Barrios and Cooky Chua featuring Benjamins.

They now join the legion of most talented songwriters held in high esteem by their peers and respected by the industry.

Villanueva and Dy also won Maynilad People’s Choice Award, getting the most number of streams for the song, “Lahat.” The Maynilad People’s Choice awardees won P100,000.00 and a customized Castrillo trophy.

“Tinatangi” by the Guico brothers won the PLDT-Smart Best Music Video. They also took home P100,000.00 plus a customized Castrillo trophy.

Apart from the top prize of P1 million, other PhilPop 2016 winners P500,000.00 for the first runner up and P250,000.00 for the second runner up. The top three winners also received trophies made by Ramon Orlina. This year, all the finalists and interpreters were awarded special trophies customized

by Ronald Castrillo.

The night was hosted by the wonder boys of Boys Night Out and Viva Films’ Bella Padilla, and featured production numbers by guest performers Ogie Alcasid, Aiza Seguerra, Donna Cruz, Andrew E., Chad Borja, Mark Bautista, Kim Molina, Jeric Medina and past PhilPop grand prize winners, Thyro Alfaro and Yumi Lacsamana. The show was aired on a delayed telecast on Tv5 on July 23.

Judges included singer-songwriter Noel Cabangon, hip-hop artist and rapper Gloc-9, actress Joanna Ampil, Maynilad COO Randolf T. Estrellado, and FILSCAP President Rico Blanco.

Now on its fifth year, and as the grand kick-off to the Linggo ng Musikang Pilipino, PhilPop continues to march on brimming with musical zeal like how it was on the day it was conceptualized and founded in 2012. The vision remains to be its singular mission, “to renew life and focus to the local music industry.” PhilPop Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan says, “We want to encourage songwriters to churn out original Filipino sound – to remind the world that Filipinos are not just great singers and performers, but also great songwriters; that Pinoy Pop deserves a spot on the world stage.”

PhilPop 2016 was co-presented by Maynilad and Meralco and sponsored by PLDT, Smart, NLEX, MetroPacific Investments, Inc., First Pacific Leadership Academy; with media and event partners IPO, TV5, NYXSYS, Magic 89.9, Pinas FM, Wish 107.5, Radio Republic, Brgy. LS 97.1, Win Radio, PBO, VIVA TV, TMC, MTV Pinoy, VIVA Records, and VIVA Live.

Pekto and Gwen Zamora relive Bentong’s love story in today’s episode of ‘Wagas,’ (left) the comedian and wife Cecile recall both their struggles and happy memories

Bentong’s

love story in ‘Wagas’ WAGAS features Bentong’s love story today with Pekto and Gwen Zamora playing the comedian and his wife.

Bentong’s love story may be as ISAH V. RED funny as his demeanor but like in the movies and on TV, it is not as happy and perfect.

He was just starting out as a set decorator when Bentong met Cecile. Back then, he did not think he would marry Cecile since it was her sister he had his eyes on. Bentong and Cecile would fall for each other in the long run. The two were married after Cecile’s parents caught Bentong sleeping inside their house. The first thing that his future parents-in-law required Bentong was to bring them three pigs.

The couple would realize that married life was no laughing matter.

While Bentong was on top of his career as a comedian, a calamity struck them, taking away everything they had. Just as he was finally getting back to his feet, having been able to buy a house, the couple was swindled. All of Bentong’s savings were gone. It came to a point that the comedian was begging for any job just to support his family.

Amid all the adversity, Bentong and Cecile proved that their love is stronger than any storm that came along their way.

Watch this funny yet heartwarming story this Saturday in Wagas, 7 p.m. tonight on GMA News TV. **** Actress Meg Imperial became the first player to win the P1-

million jackpot prize in ABS-CBN’s game show Minute to Win It, with its “Last Man Standing” edition.

Meg, who bagged the top prize on July 22, said, “I’m very thankful. I can’t believe that I won P1 million because I told myself I would just enjoy the game. It’s my first time to be invited here, and this happened.”

For her Ultimate Challenge, Meg had to complete under one minute the Office Fling challenge, which required her to use an elastic band attached to the legs of a chair to launch three folded sheets of paper on to a table.

Meg took home a total cash prize of P1070000.00 after defeating indie actor Kiko Matos in the Head-to-Head Challenge.

Meanwhile, the return of the country’s most exciting game show was warmly welcomed by viewers nationwide.

According to data from Kantar Media, its pilot episode on July 18 posted a national TV rating of 16.8 percent, higher than that of GMA’s Wowowin, which posted 12.8 percent.

As the week continued, Minute to Win It remained as the ratings leader in its timeslot and continued to beat its rival program.

A MILLION RICHER. Sexy actress Meg Imperial wins P1 million in ‘Minute to Win It’

Movies online via Sky On Demand DIGITAL-SAVVY Filipino families are up for an enriching and unique digital experience as Sky Cable, the country’s leading cable and broadband technology provider in the Philippines, is now offering access to pay-per-view offerings online via SKY On Demand on top of its strong channel lineup and movies online.

Viewing flexibility is now more convenient in the digital world as SKY On Demand, Sky Cable’s video-on-demand platform, offers Filipino families convenient access to pay-per-view content and their favorite local and foreign cable TV shows online on multiple devices anytime, anywhere in the country.

According to Sky Cable head of digital/OTT Jerome Almirante, the viewing habits of Filipinos are rapidly changing because they prefer

watching shows using different gadgets aside from TV. “With SKY On Demand, Filipino families can watch SKYcable shows online, and stream payper-view, live cable channels, and catch up episodes of popular local and foreign shows on their laptops, smartphones, and tablets,” he said.

Sky Cable’s pay-per-view options that are now readily available on SKY On Demand are fresh-offthe-cinema blockbuster releases, restored classics, award-winning indie films, live or recorded coverages of concerts, and live coverage of sports events.

SKY On Demand was launched in 2015 during Sky Cable’s 25th year, signaling the start of Sky Cable’s direction to redefine cable TV viewing among Filipinos. Its library boasts pay-per-view content, local

and foreign channels like CNN, Disney, and BTV; movies, and exclusive channels like ABS-CBN HD, ANC HD, ABS-CBN Sports + Action HD, among others. It is accessible using a SKYbroadband or SKYmobi (mobile internet) connection.

The multiscreen experience is accessible on TV via the SKY On Demand-capable HD digibox. On smartphones, families can enjoy their favorite shows by downloading the SKY On Demand app on Android and iOS, while laptops and PC users can head over to the official site (www.skyondemand.com. ph) to start streaming. The service is exclusive to all SKY postpaid subscribers that comes with a free registration.

The company aims to continue its mission of being at the forefront

of introducing innovative services that keep up with the ever-changing digital lifestyle of Filipino families and complement ABS-CBN’s strength in content production and distribution in the digital era.

“Sky Cable led many creative innovations in the past 25 years.

Our inspiration behind it all is the Filipino family because we want every Kapamilya to have the best and unique content experience that only Sky Cable can offer and no other industry player can replicate. In this way, we are living the mission of being in the service of the Filipino people,” Alan Supnet, marketing head of Sky Cable said.