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Duterte invites UN, EU probers PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday invited the United Nations and the European Union to come to the Philippines and investigate the alleged summary killing of drug suspects in the country. ”I am inviting United Nations [Secretary General] Ban Ki-moon, I am inviting the EU,” Duterte said during the inauguration of Filinvest Development Corp.’s Misamis Power Plant in Misamis Oriental.

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FLY HIGH. An advertising agency

releases Thursday a blimp—among the weird coinages of airmen—high in the sky of Metro Manila showing its support for President Rodrigo Duterte at the Rajah Soliman on the bayside Roxas Blvd. Danny Pata

‘Leila, hang yourself’ Rody’s advise for screwing the nation

CONTINUING HEARING. Self-confessed killer

Edgar Matobato testifies at the resumption of the hearing of the Senate Committee on Justice, chaired by Senator Richard Gordon (far right) allegedly perpetrated by the feared Davao Death Squad during the incumbency of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Gordon took over from Senator Leila de Lima (middle), the erstwhile chairman of the committee. Lino Santos

By John Paolo Bencito

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House widens probe of narc-tainted prisons De Lima

By Christine F. Herrera clarifies drug oplan

By Macon RamosAraneta SENATOR Leila de Lima denied Thursday testimony by a high-ranking police officer that she, along with other former government officials, preempted a raid on the New Bilibid Prison that was aimed at isolating drug lords operating there.

In his testimony Wednesday, deputy chief for operations at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Benjamin Magalong, said De Lima had scrubbed Oplan Cronus so she Next page

TWO days after marathon hearings and despite the vehement denial of Senator Leila de Lima, lawmakers said they were convinced the illegal drug trade thrived with the imprimatur of public officials inside and outside the National Bilibid Prison during De Lima’s

stint as Justice secretary.

For this reason, the lawmakers decided to expand their probe to cover all penal colonies and correctional facilities where they believe the illegal drug trade also exists.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said testimony from Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Deputy Chief for

Operations Director Benjamin Magalong made his case versus De Lima an airtight case.

“Over these two days, we have been regaled with accounts over how inmates, with the collusion of some public officials, have been able to operate the illegal drug trade. Through testimonies and videos, we have been given the in-

side story on the ways of the illegal drug business that has thrived inside the NBP,” said Misamis Occidental Rep. Henry Oaminal, vice chairman of the House committee on justice in charge of correctional reforms.

“Our concern is on how we can eliminatethisdastardlyphenomenon Next page

Senators question Matobato’s credibility

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz SENATORS said Thursday they found several loopholes in the testimony of Edgar Matobato, the self-confessed assassin of the Davao Death Squad (DDS), who alleged that President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the killings of about 1,000 suspected criminals and

personal enemies when he was Davao City mayor.

The senators, Duterte’s allies in the Senate, questioned the credibility of Matobato for giving conflicting statements. They claimed the witness, who was presented by Senator Leila de Lima on Sept. 15, contradicted his own testimony.

They noted several instances when Mato-

bato failed to reconcile his Sept. 15 statements before the Senate justice committee, then chaired by De Lima, to his present testimony.

After being accused of using the Justice committee for her own personal interest—to get back at Duterte, the former Justice secretary was ousted as chairman of the justice committee and replaced by Senator Richard Next page Gordon.

Extra powers put on hold

By Macon R. Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz CONGRESS held off on approving measures granting President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to solve the traffic gridlock in Metro Manila after lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction at the details offered by the Department of

Transportation.

“They only gave a picture of the possible effect if the emergency powers proposal is not granted.

But they still did not identify where they intend to put the train stations especially in Mindanao and in areas across Central Luzon,” said Senator Grace Poe, Next page

NPA to keep arms after talks DAVAO CITY—The National Democratic Front wants the communist New People’s Army and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to be integrated at the end of the peace negotiations, an official said Thursday.

Porferio Tuna Jr., an NDF consultant, said at the end of peace talks they hoped that the NPA would serve as guards in the hinterlands and be integrated with the AFP. Next page

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TRANSPORT CRISIS. Senator Grace Poe, chairman of the Committee on Public Service, pitches questions

Thursday at Transportation Secretary Arturo Tugade at the public hearing of the body looking at possible solutions to address the nerve-wracking transportation trauma. Lino Santos

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte scored his nemesis Senator Leila de Lima for pursuing a Senate investigation on his alleged involvement with the Davao Death Squad, even though she cannot present strong evidence linking him to the extrajudicial killings in his city.

‘This is my advice to de Lima, you beter hang yourself because I have in my hands (the sex video). I’m already viewing it,” he said.

“De Lima, she was seven years as chairman of the Human Rights. She kept on accusing me, but she never filed a case. As secretary of Justice, she was building a name at my expense to become popular. So Next page

PH turns to China for help PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he would be running to China to resolve the ongoing territorial row in the South China Sea because the United States would not die for the Filipinos.

Just days after admitting he could not lose American support, Duterte said the country’s top strategic ally would not help in any way should the times get rough.

“I do not expect the United States to die for us, so we will just have to navigate our way around here,” Duterte said during the inauguration of Filinvest Development Corp.’s Misamis Power Plant.

“I’m willing to talk. I’m going to China because I will present the problem to them.”

China has not stopped its building activities in the South China Sea even if a UN-backed arbitral tribunal has rejected its claims to most of the area.

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Rody’s mouth gains ear of Russia, China

By John Paolo Bencito

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday denied that his “mouth” put the country in bad light in the international scene.

Duterte made local and against drugs. international headlines by After all, the 71-year-old cursing foreign critics, including leader said, Russia and China, Pope Francis and US President are willing to talk with him.

Barack Obama, of his war In a privilege speech, Senator

ASG frees Indonesian hostage to Nur's camp MALACAÑANG welcomed the release of an Indonesian hostage victim to members of the Moro National Liberation Front on Thursday.

Indonesian national Herman Bin Manggak, who was held captive by the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf, was turned over to the MNLF led

by Nur Misuari and the Joint Task Force Sulu around 11 a.m.

This was confirmed by Secretary Jesus Dureza of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process who said MNLF Misuari broke the news to him.

“Now, it looks like we have slowly torn down the walls of impunity of the bad guys,” he added.

“I was at the Manila airport lounge at about 8 p.m. of September 21 waiting for my night flight to Davao when I got a call from Misuari from Indanan, Sulu informing me that another Indonesian kidnap victim was recovered. Earlier, security forces saved a 71-year-old businesswoman, Martina Yi, abducted in Zamboanga Norte,” Dureza posted on his Facebook page.

“The government’s focused

military operations on the Abu Sayyaf is gaining headway and this successful operation is a collaboration between military units and the police, aided by the civilians,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar told a Palace press briefing.

Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command spokesman Maj. Filemon Tan said the freed victim was taken to Camp Teodulfo Bautista Station Hospital for medical treatment and debriefing before he was turned over to the authorities.

Tan said the victim was abducted by Abu Sayyaf elements off the waters of Sandakan, Sabah on August 3.

Over the weekend, three Indonesian kidnap victims were also released to the MNLF in Sulu: Lorens Koten, 34; Thedorus Kopong, 42; and Emanuel Arakain, 46. They allegedly paid a P10-million ransom.

The release of the three Indonesian nationals came shortly after Norwegian hostage Kjartan Sekkingstad was also freed by the Abu Sayyaf to the MNLF amidst rumors of a P30-million ransom.

Senators...

ness replied in Filipino, “I don’t know, sir, who ordered it.”

Cayetano said in the last hearing, Matobato made it appear that Duterte had ordered the killing.

“Now he changed the statement.

So it was not Mayor Duterte who ordered the killing?” Cayetano asked the witness.

“I don’t know, sir,” Matobato responded.

Cayetano also questioned Matobato’s account of the murder of a NBI agent, whom he identified only as “Amisola.” In his previous testimony, Matobato said the victim was apprehended by a certain Major Pabo after the former’s vehicle was blocking their way during an operation in Barangay Matina.

Matobato claimed that a gunfight ensued between Amisola and Pabo’s team consisting of around 30 people, but it allegedly took them a long time to kill Amisola that Duterte had to “finish him off” using two Uzi magazines.

Matobato in response said they had a hard time shooting Amisola since he was hiding under a pickup truck and was also shooting back at them. He also changed his previous statement that around 30 people were involved in the shootout.

“The inconsistencies [in Matobato’s statements] are just glaring.

I will just let the people and this committee decide for themselves,” the senator said. With John Paolo Bencito and Sandy Araneta

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Senator Alan Peter Cayetano questioned the credibility of Matobato’s previous testimony associating Duterte with the suspected vigilante killings in Davao City when he was the mayor there.

Quetioning the witness, Cayetano read part of Matobato’s previous affidavit regarding his alleged involvement in the DDS. But when asked by the senator, Matobato said he has not executed or submitted a formal affidavit to the government.

This was contrary to a report by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that Matobato already submitted a sworn statement on Sept. 4, 2014, when he was placed under the Justice Department’s Witness Protection Program (WPP) and was referred to the bureau by then Justice secretary De Lima.

“Just an observation, the witness tends to change his testimony.

There is no affidavit, there is an affidavit… The witness [also] has a tendency to point to President Duterte. But upon questioning, [it would turn out these are just] assumptions,” Cayetano stated.

Cayetano also asked Matobato to recount how he supposedly killed suspected terrorist Sali Makdum under the orders of Duterte himself. Cayetano asked Matobato who ordered them to kill Makdum, to which the wit-

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chairperson of the Senate committee on public services.

“Since these details are not yet clear so the technical working group would follow so the questions would be more particular,” he also said.

“What we are asking is for transparency, especially in the crafting of contracts and identifying details so we can also monitor these projects,” Poe added.

When pressed anew if she was satisfied with the details given by the DOTr, Poe said she remained dissatisfied as she found the submission “lacking in details.”

“We really need to know the scope of this emergency power. For example, this need to be clarified if, under a single traffic authority, to what extent the cooperation will be with the local government,” she said.

The House’s transportation committee, meantime, approved the creation of a technical working group or subcommittee that will draw up the substitute bill to the 10 bills seeking to grant President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to solve the traffic gridlock in Metro Manila.

The committee, led by Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento, approved the motion raised by Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr. of Cagayan de Oro City seeking to create the technical working group during the panel’s second hearing on the traffic problem.

“It has been moved and seconded that we create a TWG that will harmonize and consolidate all the proposals and come up with a substitute bill for consideration by the mother committee and then for consideration in the plenary debate,” Sarmiento said.

Lawmakers have grilled Highway Patrol Group officials who have demanded “special authority” from Congress to solve Metro Manila’s traffic woes.

Leila de Lima blamed Duterte for the Philippines’ bad image in the global media, after his ally Senator Alan Peter Cayetano exclaimed that it was De Lima’s Senate probe that was bringing the country down.

“The problem of this country and this administration is the extrajudicial killing of more than 3,000 of our countrymen in the past three months, or more than a thousand per month,” De

Lima said.

“In addition, the President’s mouth, which does not hesitate to curse [United Nations] officials, the Pope, US President [Barack] Obama, and [UN] SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-Moon,” she added.

Duterte dared global credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s to leave the country after it said that the Philippines will get no rating upgrade in the

next two years because of his unpredictability and uncertainty over his domestic and foreign policies.

“Leave now and we will start on our own,” he said.

“These credit agencies who gave a BB plus rating, I do not care about you,” he said.

He also cursed the European Union for failing to respond to the migrant crisis.

“EU? Fuck you. You pretended

to be imbued with humanity, now there are many people who are dying in the high seas,” Duterte said.

“Do not keep complaining about my mouth because my mouth is not the problem. It cannot bring down a country. But it can raise a generation of rightthinking Filipinos,” Duterte told the men of the Police Regional Office 10 at Camp Vicente Alagar, Cagayan de Oro.

'Leila...

politics.”

“These were just used by the opposition as a political tool against me. No problem,” he said.

Duterte has repeatedly accused the senator of having a sex video with her long time driver-bodyguard, Ronnie Palisoc Dayan and called her an adulterer.

Duterte also said that Dayan collected drug money for De Lima inside the national penitentiary, now a subject of an ongoing House investigation with all witnesses linking her to the illegal drug trade.

De Lima has repeatedly denied making a sex video, adding that the President is trying to manufacture evidence against her.

But Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Thursday declared that there is sufficient basis to file criminal cases against De Lima for her involvement in the proliferation of illegal drugs trade in the New Bilibid Prison.

“Based on testimonial evidence of witnesses presented [in the

House of Representatives inquiry] so far, we can already have a very sufficient case,” Aguirre said.

“We can actually file a case in court at this point because we have enough evidence already,” he added.

Aguirre said De Lima could be charged with violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. He said if probable cause is established upon preliminary investigation, cases could be filed against the senator for which there is no bail.

He added that should the prosecutors prove the charges in court, De Lima could face life imprisonment.

Aguirre cited statements of highprofile inmates led by robbery and carnapping convict Herbert Colangco, who said that they gave millions of pesos in payola to De Lima and that fellow high-profile inmate Jaybee Sebastian tapped them to sell drugs from prison to raise funds for De Lima’s senatorial campaign last May.

Aguirre said the testimony of Director Benjamin Magalong, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) that De Lima staged a raid to protect Sebastian was equally damning.

The DoJ chief, a litigation lawyer, said they are now working on gathering additional documentary evidence further strengthen the case against De Lima.

“We still need documentary evidence like bank records. That’s why we’re asking for assistance of the AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council),” he said.

The AMLC has forwarded to the DoJ several documents, but Aguirre said there are still additional documents needed for the probe.

He acknowledged that it might be difficult to find a paper trail to De Lima, however.

Aguirre also denied De Lima’s claim that Marine Lt. Colonel Ferdinand Marcelino, who faced drug charges before the DoJ, was being coerced to testify against her.

drugs and criminalities, regardless who gets hurt in the process. Para ito sa bayan! (This is for the country!)” the Speaker said.

“It is also not a stretch of logic to deduce that if the illegal drug trade is able to exist inside the NBP, it also exists in other correctional facilities that fall under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology as well as our local governments,” Oaminal said.

“Thus, the subcommittee on correctional reforms will call for further investigations to discover how far and how deeply the blight of illegal drugs has spread in our prisons,” Oaminal said.

All witnesses--represented accordingly by their respective counsels–--implicated De Lima in the proliferation of drug trade in the NBP. Before the House hearings, De Lima was repeatedly identified by President Rodrigo Duterte in various speeches as part of the matrix of people involved in the illegal drug trade.

During the hearing, the DoJ presented nine witnesses--drug lord Herbert Colanggo, Rodolfo Magleo, Rafael Ragos, Jovencio Ablen Jr., Noel Martinez, Jaime Patcho, Jojo Baligad, Froilan Trestiza, and Hans Anton Tan. They were accorded immunity and placed under the Witness Protection Program (WPP) upon their request that was duly approved by Alvarez.

The witnesses also testified that drug lord Jaybee Sebastian forced other inmates to raise funds for De Lima’s 2016 senatorial bid and how those who cooperated in the drug syndicate were given “special privileges” and those who did not, were transferred to other penal colonies.

They also said De Lima and some Bureau of Corrections officials allegedly maneuvered the transfer of certain inmates, also known as the Bilibid 19, to the NBI detention center for non-cooperation and to favor Sebastian to control the drug trade after the competitors had been isolated.

They also noted De Lima’s constant presence in the NBP, particularly at Sebastian’s “kubol” or hut, which allegedly rendered Sebastian “invincible” to both the inmates and NBP personnel, and made his word the law.

The testimony was corroborated when Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas of Ilocos Norte summoned Magalong to shed light on how a raid that the police had planned was scrubbed in favor of one executed by the Justice Department and the NBI to protect Sebastian.

But House Deputy Minority Leader Harry Roque called the committee’s attention to criticism that the House investigation was a case of political persecution that targeted President Rodrigo Duterte’s enemy, De Lima.

Umali, however, denied the suggestion, or suggestions that the hearing were being directed by the Justice secretary, saying there was a precedent for having a Cabinet official question witnesses at a congressional hearing.

tice secretary said she was contemplating the filing of charges against her detractors for violating her safety and privacy.

On Tuesday, a witness testifying before the House revealed De Lima’s personal contact information and her address, putting her in jeopardy, she said. Since then, she has been bombarded with hateful and threatening messages, she said, and has had to temporarily leave her house for safety reasons.

“I’m a subject of persecution and I am no longer safe. I don’t feel safe. The truth is I’m not safe!” De Lima said.

“Can I rely on regular authorities in government? Can I rely now on the PNP for my security? Can I rely now on the NBI for my security?

I’m referring to them as institutions. Can I rely on the AFP as an institution? You probably know the answer to that,” she said.

De Lima read and showed the media some of the messages she had received. Most of them were obscene.

She dismissed suggestions that she resign, but refused to speak further on the accusations about her, saying this might just infuriate “them” more—referring to her detractors.

She also revealed that Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino, who has been charged in connection with illegal drugs, is being pressured by some groups to speak against her.

She showed the media two text messages from Marcelino, which she said was forwarded to her by their common friend.

The first message, which De Lima said was sent July 19, read: “Mistah, good PM. Mistah, I just want to thank you for all of your help and efforts for me during my time in jail. I can never thank you enough, mistah. I can’t move freely or go out right now because a lot of people are out to butcher me. I can’t go to Senator LD either, because they are making up fabricated stories about us. There are also some groups who

are trying to convince me to speak against her. But rest assured that I will not be used by them, mistah, not only because I really appreciate it and forever indebted sa inyo ni ma’am (to you and ma’am), but because the people deserve no less than the truth and justice. With my little knowledge and brief encounter with her, I never doubted whatsoever her integrity, mistah. I also want to thank her personally, when everything settles down. Take care always and thank you very much again, mistah.”

A second message from Marcelino, this one on Sept. 5, read: “Mistah, pressures against me are mounting, and they would even reopen my case. But rest assured that I will never give in to them, mistah. Please tell Senator L to keep faith and be strong.”

According to De Lima, she had received clearance from both the common acquaintance and Marcelino to disclose these messages.

would also cross-examine the foreign investigators. ”After they have asked me questions, I will also ask each one of them [questions] in an open forum. You can use the Senate or Folk Arts [Theater]. Just watch how I will beat those fools. ”My first question to the rapporteur: I killed thousands? So what was the name of the first victim? What happened, where,

for what reason, how was it done?

And what time was it?”

Duterte said he would also ask the American rapporteurs and representatives of the EU “about their own sins against the black people” and for bombing Iraq and Syria that killed innocent civilians and children. ”[The] Middle East is a destroyed part of the planet, and that’s why I’m cursing,” Duterte said. PNA

NDF’s peace negotiators agreed in principle to revitalize the Joint Monitoring Committee for the implementation of the comprehensive agreement on respect for human rights and international humanitarian law.

Hernani Braganza, former Agrarian Reform secretary and a member of the government peace panel, said the panel members met Tuesday and Wednesday at

the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Taguig City in a meeting facilitated

by Special Envoy to the Peace Process Elizabeth Slattum.

“This is another breakthrough in the peace process,” Braganza said.

“The peace panels, through their committees and sub-committees, are holding talks in the Philippines, not only in Oslo, to [speed up] the peace negotiations.” PNA

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what now? Look, she was not only screwing her driver, she was screwing the nation,” Duterte said in his speech during the inauguration of the Misamis Power Plant.

“That bitch, look at her at the Senate, she even brought a witness, that Matobato, now she’s bringing him up against me,” he added.

Duterte also adviced De Lima, whom he earlier called “a porn actress” to hang herself, as her sex escapades placed the country in great danger.

“This is the first time that I have seen a woman, whose face made rounds in social media, smiling while being f****d. P***** i**, if that was my mother, I would shoot her. That is a lesson to be learned,” Duterte said.

Duterte said De Lima was using the Senate investigation for her personal vendetta against him and said the investigation was “mere

House...

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of unscrupulous individuals and groups taking over a government institution and treating it as their fiefdom,” Oaminal said.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, principal author of House Resolution 105 that sought the probe on proliferation of drugs during the stint of De Lima as Department of Justice chief, said the House will leave it up to the DoJ under Aguirre to file appropriate charges against those accountable for the thriving of the drug trade inside the maximum security sector in NBP. “It pains [me] to know when a colleague in government service [is] in trouble, but we have to stop this drug menace for the future of our next generation,” Alvarez said on reported threats and bashing received by De Lima as a result of the ongoing House probe.

“My mission is to help President Duterte win our war against illegal

De Lima...

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could protect one of the drug lords there that was raising money for her senatorial campaign.

One day after Magalong’s testimony before the House committee on justice, De Lima said, as she acknowledged that the raid planned by the CIDG and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency was halted, but said these were due to “personnel-related issues.”

She said even before Oplan Cronus was halted, the Justice Department already had a separate raid planned. Then Bureau of Corrections chief Franklin Bucayu wanted their own operation, and wanted the Justice Department and agents from the National Bureau of Investigation to lead the raid.

She personally supervised the raid, De Lima added.

At the same time, the former Jus-

Duterte...

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“Send the best lawyers of your town and also the rapporteurs to come to the Philippines. I will write them a letter to invite them for an investigation.”

But Duterte said that, “in keeping with the time-honored principle of the right to be heard,” he

NPA...

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“We are looking that at the end of the peace negotiations, the NPA will remain armed, they could guard the different industries in the hinterlands and integrate with the AFP,” Tuna said.

He made his statement even as the Philippine government and the

PH...

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Duterte said he and China would be bargaining in good faith in pursuing their claims.

He said the Philippines and China used to have good relations, but that changed when his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, won the presidency.

“When Aquino stepped in and cornered them, China became furious. They are really mad at him,” Duterte said.

During the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Manila signed a Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking with Beijing and Hanoi. The three countries agreed to conduct joint explorations in that area of the disputed South China Sea, which is well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

John Paolo Bencito

News

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

IN BRIEF New storm expected A TROPICAL depression east of the country may intensify and enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility either Saturday evening or early Sunday, threatening Northern Luzon.

“That depression will probably enter PAR as a storm already,” Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration weather forecasting chief Robert Sawi said Thursday during a forum in Metro Manila.

He said Pagasa will name the weather system ‘Helen’ once it is inside the PAR. Sawi urged communities concerned to prepare accordingly as Pagasa forecasts ‘Helen’ to head towards Northern Luzon on Sunday and affect the area beginning Monday.

In its tropical cyclone information released Thursday afternoon, Pagasa located the tropical depression at some 1,645 km. east of Mindanao.

The depression packs maximum sustained winds of 55 kph and is moving westwards at 35 kph, the bureau said.

Sawi said ‘Helen’ will almost cross Northern Luzon heading eastwards by Tuesday and be near the PAR border around evening of that day.

Pagasa expects ‘Helen’ to exit PAR by Wednesday, he added.

PNA

Burqa rule supported DAVAO CITY—A Muslim councilor of Davao City expressed all-out support for the local government decision to check the faces of Muslim women wearing burqa and niqab.

Councilor Halila Sudagar believes that the move is necessary as she also downplays insinuations that it is discriminatory against Muslims or disrespectful of their religion.

The policy, proposed by security officials to Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte following the September 2 blast that killed 15 people and wounded 69 others, also discourages wearing other garments that cover the faces such as balaclavas, sunglasses, caps, masks or even paints.

Muslim women wearing niqab or burqa will be asked by authorities to show their faces when they are in public places such as malls and parks.

Pearl Gajunera

REHABILITATION DISCUSSION. Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez (left) questions Dr. Alfonso Villaroman, health program officer of the Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Bicutan, Taguig, over the current situation in government rehabilitation centers. Ver Noveno

Solons tackle cost of rehab facilities poused his position, referring to the data from the 2015 United Nations World Drug Report “that only 0.6 percent to one percent of these individuals who surrender require in-patient care in our treatment and rehabilitation centers.”

“The required medical intervention for the remaining 99 percent may be introduced by outpatient facilities. Given the huge number of surrendering individuals, it is essential that these outpatient facilities be present in the district or provincial levels so they can immediately avail of required medical interventions,” Reyes said.

For his part, Barbers welcomed Reyes’ proposal, which he described “is worthy of Congress’ support.”

“But of course family members and friends’ support as well as the community are crucial to the success of the communitybased programs,” Barbers said.

By Maricel V. Cruz

L

AWMAKERS have considered a proposed measure seeking to institutionalize community-based programs aimed at treating recovering drug dependents, acknowledging that operations of drug rehabilitation centers in the country would be costly.

At a hearing Thursday of the House committee on dangerous drugs, chaired by Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez backed the recommendation of Dangerous Drugs Board Secretary Benjamin Reyes, a medical doctor, to establish and maintain outpatient drug treatment and rehabilitation facilities.

“We should institutionalize the comprehensive communitybased programs to help our re-

covering drug dependents where concerned people will monitor their progress,” Romualdez said during the hearing where she sponsored House Bill 345 seeking to establish a drug rehabilitation center to be known as the Palo Drug Rehabilitation.

Romualdez, wife of House Independent Bloc leader and exLeyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, threw her support for the institutionalization of communitybased programs.

This developed as Reyes es-

Barbers also urged the national government to fund the community-based programs in line with the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

During the hearing, Health Assistant Secretary Elmer Punzalan, under the DoH Office for Special Concerns, told the panel upon questioning of Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop that the P3-billion allocation under next year’s P3.35 -trillion General Appropriations Bill 2017 was not enough to address the drug problem.

Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) vice president Francisco Soria Jr. himself said the PhilHealth is craftikng an order giving a recovering drug dependent P10,000 under its detoxification program.

“The PhilHealth Board had just approved the drug detoxification package to the amount of P10,000 per patient. The circular is not yet out, it will be out soon,” Soria told lawmakers

Palace downplays intl fears of uncertainty

By John Paolo Bencito MALACAÑANG on Thursday downplayed concerns raised by global credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s the country won’t likely have a rating upgrade in the next two years, citing President Rodrigo Duterte’s unpredictability and uncertainty over his domestic and

foreign policies.

“On Standard & Poor’s assessment to maintain the country’s BBB investment grade ratings, we welcome S&P’s decision as it gives government greater resolve to make our economy’s growth robust, sustainable, and inclusive,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar told

a Palace briefing.

But Andanar stressed the President’s war on drugs was not the reason for any economic slowdown.

“Any hiccups to slow down growth will depend on the overall performance of global economy,” he said.

“The fundamentals of the economy are solid and strong. We are the fastest

growing economy in the second quarter of 2016 and we shall seize this economic momentum to bring about inclusive development to our people.”

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, meanwhile, defended Duterte from views of critics that his rising unpredictability was bringing a lot of risks to the economy.

No error in Zubiri charges —Carpio THE Office of the Ombudsman reasserted Thursday its order to suspend Bukidnon Gov. Jose Ma. Zubiri Jr. for grave abuse of authority.

Mary Rawnsle Lopez, acting director for public information and media relations bureau, replying to a reporter’s question regarding Zubiri’s challenge the Ombudsman ordered him suspended “clearly by mistake,” referred to the “last paragraph of page 5 of the decision.”

“There is an explanation on page 5,” she told the Manila Standard.

Zubiri had said he was not the sitting governor in January 2013 when the alleged offense was committed, since he was just the vice governor, stressing then governor Alex Calingasan as the one responsible.

While he is urging the Ombudsman to “immediately” review its order, Zubiri said he would file a petition for a temporary restraining order with the Court of Appeals to stop Morales’ suspension order.

But the Ombudsman said “Complainant’s Application for Leave had two signatories, i.e., OIC-HRMO Dedicatoria and respondent Zubiri. Dedicatoria had already signed the document. Respondent Zubiri refused to sign on the ground that he was not the approving authority at the time it was filed in June 2013.

Manila

Former SC magistrate happier as Ombudsman OMBUDSMAN Conchita Carpio Morales has admitted being lonelier working at the Supreme Court, where she was associate justice before she was plucked out of retirement to become the country’s graft buster, than at her present office.

But she stressed her enjoyment working alone as a graft-buster.

“The job [Ombudsman] earned me a lot of awards, please pardon my immodesty,” she said, adding she was awarded a doctorate in law from her alma mater, the University of the Philippines, another doctorate from the Ateneo de Manila University and the 2016 Ramon Magsaysay Award because of her hard work at the Office of the Ombudsman.

“As I said, this position of mine made me a late bloomer,” the Paoay, Ilocos Norteborn graft buster, who studied at the Paoay North Institute, said.

At the Supreme Court, “we are 15 there,” she said, adding “anyone who prepares a ponencia [an assigned essay on the court’s ruling] will always be faced with many dissenting opinions.”

“What you thought of [as] a very good job, turns out to be [not] because of dissenting opinions.”

She said she would reap praises for a decision she had drafted, but “the following

day, there are dissenting opinions.”

“Is that not hypocrisy?” she asked.

She said she lived a low-key life, and that she never used any Supreme Court-issued vehicles with license plate no. 9, “unlike the other justices as well as those who have already retired who flaunt using such vehicles.”

According to Morales, she arrives at her office as early as 6:06 a.m. every day “because of the volume of work.”

“If I come [in] late, I would not be able to take part in consultations and attend to emergency problems. Nothing will happen,” she said.

But she was dismayed by the Court of Appeals’ issuance of temporary restraining orders and reversal of her decisions on cases resolved against politicians.

Because of the declaration of two paragraphs of Section 14 of the Ombudsman Act as unconstitutional, “they [politicians] do nothing but seek and seek TROs and go to the CA,” she rued.

“As newspaper reports show, the court issues TROs, then after a few weeks or months, it issues reversal or modification whereas there are cases that are very urgent.

It resolves cases that easy while many cases which are even more important remained dormant for years.” Rio Araja

Standard

TODAY

The Philippine National Police (PNP) lauded the Wong Chu King Foundation (WCKF) for its unparalleled support and contribution during the 21st kick-off ceremony of the Police Community Relations Month with the theme “Matatag na Ugnayan, Ligtas na Pamayanan.” WCKF, represented by Mr. Jayson T. Lasmarias, received a plaque of recognition at the Cagayan Police Provincial Office, Camp Tirso H. Gador, Tuguegarao City. In 1st photo are (L-R) Mr. Jayson T. Lasmarias, DILG Provincial Director Engr. Corazon D. Toribio, DPDO PSUPT. Roberto M. Bucad, Chief PCR PSUPT. Rodrigo B. Soriano, Admin. Officer PSINSP Efren C. Barsabal. In 2nd photo (with co-awardees) CPPO Ladies Link Press, Ms. Lhars Barsabal, Phil. Dental Association-Cagayan, Dr. Milagros Enrile, standing dentist of PDA Cagayan.

A4

Opinion

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Contentious ‘endoc’ issue

E

NDING the controversial end-ofcontract system employed by many companies to cut down on operating cost is one of the changes promised

by President Duterte during his presidential campaign. Stopping altogether the scheme, often called endocs, however, will be a ticklish matter.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez stirred a hornet’s nest last week when he proposed a winwin solution to the endoc practice. He suggested service providers could hire workers as regulars to receive full benefits such as leave credits and 13th month pay, as well as retirement, social security and health insurance plans. Companies or those that tapped

the service providers to do some jobs in their offices or factories, meanwhile, will have the flexibility to either directly hire the workers as regular employees or have some of them outsourced elsewhere for seasonal factors.

Data show that 5,150 registered contractors and subcontractors have deployed over 416,000 workers to not less than 26,000 principals as of June 2016.

Lopez’s solution, though, may eventually eliminate the existence of service providers and worsen the unemployment problem.

Employers Confederation of the Philippines president Donald Dee warned that service providers could not take the full responsibility of providing for the entire compensation of a workforce tapped by a principal or clientcompany because of limited resources.

The only way service providers or manpower agencies could afford to give the complete compensation package, according to Dee, was to increase their service fees to 30 to 40 percent, “which will only render their services and perhaps, even existence, uncompetitive.”

Employers do not favor the removal of the end-of-contract system and offered to compromise on certain aspects of the Lopez’s proposal. Dee also cautioned the issue could potentially be blown out of proportions by militant labor groups, if not handled properly.

Workers deserve decent salaries and are entitled to rightful benefits as well as security of tenure as stated in labor laws. The government and employers should make sure that endocs or other arrangements adhere to the basic labor law to prevent another form of modern-day slavery.

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO

Contradiction

Don’t mess with Dick LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES NOBODY messes with Dick Gordon. And now the Senate plotters are in a world of pain.

By now, even Senators Leila de Lima, Antonio Trillanes and Franklin Drilon must realize that their star witness Edgar Matobato has bombed big time in the Senate. And with Senator Richard Gordon firmly at the helm of the committee that those three attempted to hijack and convert into an anti-Duterte soap box, it’s likely that none of the other witnesses they have in the pipeline will come forward anymore.

And it won’t be because the other witnesses that the DDS (for Drilon, De Lima and Sonny, as Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has christened the collec-

tive) may have lined up would be browbeaten, threatened or deliberately confused, even if they’re practically illiterate like Matobato. That’s what De Lima and Trillanes tried to imply, by the way, during the destruction of Matobato’s testimony upon questioning by Cayetano.

But the key, really, to the discrediting of Matobato was Gordon, who made sure that none of the senators on either side was able to use the justice committee to push their individual agendas. Not just Cayetano (who was admonished several times by the new chairman for arguing with the witness and employing other lawyerly tricks) but also De Lima and Trillanes (who attempted valiantly to coach the witness and to practically plead for clemency for him because of his supposed educational handicap).

Of course, I’ve always believed that Matobato’s testimo-

ny was full of holes. De Lima was just too biased a chairman and Trillanes too industrious a timekeeper and microphoneminder to allow the entire country to come to that conclusion, as well.

Gordon is the new head of the Senate justice committee. Don’t push your luck.

But the Senate DDS went over the line, which is why the chamber revolted and forced De Lima to step down. And because Gordon is Gordon, he would never allow the proceed-

ings to go on the path that the three discoverers of Matobato had laid out for him.

Drilon, ever the wily politician, had already distanced himself from the disaster area that was Matobato, opting not to make his substantial presence at yesterday’s continuation of the witness’ testimony. But because De Lima and Trillanes are not as astute as Drilon, they still tried to steer the hearing in the direction they favored—and failed miserably because Gordon was watching the proceedings like a Subic hawk.

(At one point, Trillanes even attempted his usual off-mike antics, drawing the ire of Senator Panfilo Lacson this time.

But Trillanes, being a bully, realized his mistake right away and sought to calm down Lacson, whom he had accused of trying to “confuse” the witness; I’m guessing Trillanes is not scared of Cayetano, but he sure

as hell won’t pick a fight with Lacson.)

Stick a fork in Matobato, I said last week; he’s done. The Senate DDS should try again and call another witness who may—or may not—fare better.

But Sheriff Dick Gordon is in the house—or the new head of the Senate committee, really.

Don’t push your luck. *** “I don’t feel safe,” Leila de Lima announced yesterday, in a plaintive call for protection from those who (in her mind, anyway) are out to do her harm.

Earlier, De Lima lamented that since her cellular phone number has been made public by the convicts who testified in the House against her, she has been receiving thousands of text messages that accuse her of the vilest things and call her the ugliest of names.

I’m sorry, Senator Leila, Turn to A5

IT WAS not a clarification of what was earlier said by the President. It was a contradiction when President Rodrigo Duterte said the Philippines needs the United States to defend us in our territorial dispute in the South China Sea. This, after Duterte said he wanted US Special Forces out of Mindanao because they might be targeted by the notorious Abu Sayyaf Group. His own Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana says otherwise— that the few US Special Forces with their technical equipment are needed to help track the movevement of the notorious ASG group in the jungles of Sulu and Basilan.

Perfecto Yasay Jr., Duterte’s Foreign secretary, in a posturing speech at a Washington forum, told US officials America should no longer treat Filipinos as their “little brown brothers, adding “mutual respect between sovereign states and allies” must be observed.

Which is which ? Please clarify whether we want “big brother” on our side against the big bully in our backyard or whether we can go it alone as a sovereign state to defend ourselves against our neighbor across the pond who shows no respect for our maritime boundaries. Obviously, we are an ant compared to the firebreathing Chinese dragon.

For someone who expects the help of a friend, President Duterte—who has gained a reputation for his expletives called US President Barack Obama a “son of a bitch” and his ambassador to Manila as gay—is talking from both sides of a mealy mouth guaranteed to make the Philippines lose friends and gain enemies.

He also called United Nations Secretary-General Ban Kimoon a fool and threatened to pull the Philippines out of the UN. Duterte now is taking on the European Union which is a source of foreign investments.

This is the last thing the country needs at a time when we are locked in a bitter territorial dispute with an aggressive China. Our victory at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is meaningless to the Chinese who, at the outset, declared they won’t be bound by the UN tribunal decision.

Instead, they have stepped up the building of their military installations on man-made islands from the shoals, reefs and rocks in the South China Sea. Again, we ask. Whatever Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher can be accessed at: thestandard.com.ph

Benjamin Philip G. Romualdez Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida

ManilaStandard

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.thestandard. com.ph; e-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

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Opinion Preparing for North Korea’s inevitable collapse

By Eli Lake LET’S be honest. The world would be a better place if a revolutionary tribunal in the near future sent North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and his henchmen to the gallows. Kim’s subjects are so malnourished that North Koreans are notably shorter than their South Korean cousins.

The state’s gulags are so large, you can see them from space.

Survivors of those camps have testified that fellow prisoners withered away from starvation.

The UN high commissioner for human rights has acknowledged the horror. A 2014 report from that office says that inside of North Korea “crimes against humanity” have been committed as a result of the state’s policy. These include “extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape, forced abortions and other sexual violence, persecution on political, religious, racial and gender grounds, the forcible transfer of populations, the enforced disappearance of persons and the inhumane act of knowingly causing prolonged starvation.”

Crimes against humanity generally cost a regime its legitimacy, if not its sovereignty.

And yet most national security professionals would regard the collapse of the North Korean slave state as a calamity. The reason for this is simple: all the nuclear weapons and material. A 2015 study from the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies estimated North Korea possessed 10 to 16 nuclear weapons, and will possess 20 to 100 such weapons by 2020. This says nothing of the highly enriched nuclear fuel the state has produced or the mobile rockets and longer-range missiles to launch the warheads.

Trying to secure all this after a chaotic collapse or overthrow of the Kim regime would be a nightmare. General Raymond Thomas, who heads US Special Operations Command, called a regime collapse in North Korea a “worst case scenario,” at a conference hosted last week by the Institute for the Study of War. “In the event of the implosion of the region, we’d have the loose nuke dilemma on an industrial scale,” the general said, describing it as a “vertical track meet between the Chinese and the South Koreans in terms of securing the nukes.”

In this sense, North Korea’s nukes are the Kim family’s insurance policy. Since the Clinton administration, the US and the international community have been willing to extend the life of the regime in exchange for (ultimately broken) promises about its reactors and enrichment facilities. And while the US has also placed sanctions on North Korea at times, in the end the goal of US policy has been regime preservation.

Secretary of State John Kerry summed up this approach earlier this month. “We have made overture after overture to the

Don’t...

From A4 about the hate you’ve been getting. Now, will you please explain why convicted gang leaders in the New Bilibid Prison know your personal phone number?

I’m serious: Why would the personal phone number of De Lima be known to people like Jaybee Sebastian and Herbert Colanggo, people whom she was supposed to be tormenting as justice secretary? Does De Lima feel a lot safer if her phone number was known only to gangsters and other people that she was not supposed to have anything to do with?

De Lima’s public declaration of persecution reminded me of a campaign ad that she had made last March. In the ad, De Lima was in a prison much like Bilibid, seated at a

dictator of North Korea,” he said, after the regime’s fifth nuclear test. “We have made it very clear to him that we’re prepared to talk about peace, about peace on the peninsula, about food assistance, about normal relationship with the world, about a nonaggression pact—I mean a host of different ingredients—if he will simply acknowledge he is prepared to come to the table and talk about denuclearization and his responsibilities to the world—not to us, to the whole world.”

The problem with this approach is that it’s a sucker’s bet.

If Kim “will simply acknowledge” he’s ready to talk, the international community will lavish him with material support and unearned recognition.

A far better use of American diplomacy is to quietly push China and South Korea to begin planning with the US for the day the North Korean regime falls.

It’s a long shot. General Thomas acknowledged last week that there are no channels between the US and China on special operations. And the US has good reasons to mistrust China, an aggressive cyber adversary that is unilaterally claiming territory through militarized artificial islands. What’s more, China and North Korea share an ideological attachment as two of the five remaining communist states on the planet.

That said, North Korea is a time bomb for China as well as for the US Beijing is worried about refugees coming over its border, and loose nukes would be as much a danger to China as to America’s East Asian allies.

This year Beijing supported UN sanctions against North Korea at the UN Security Council.

None of this is to say the US or North Korea’s neighbors can or should topple the Kim regime. Popular uprisings are impossible to predict, and the hard work of persuading people to stop obeying their oppressors is best left to outside groups and not governments.

But North Korea’s rickety tyranny won’t last forever.

Even the most imposing dictatorships prove in the end to be hollow. Today, many North Koreans are gaining access to the outside world, including through smuggled USB sticks with South Korean soap operas and other illegal bits of outside culture.

The liberation of these people should not have to open a nuclear Pandora’s box. Today the US helps to prop up an open-air prison to protect the world from an apocalyptic arsenal built by its wardens. It’s past time for the US to begin planning for the day when it’s no longer obliged to honor this foul bargain. Bloomberg

PENSEES FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO Fr. Aquino’s column will resume Monday.

table in the semi-darkness.

A man comes out of a nearby jail cell—a convict, presumably—and opens a briefcase in front of De Lima. The case is full of money, and De Lima reaches out for it.

But De Lima is actually hiding a pair of handcuffs, which she, in a quick, ninjalike move, clamps onto the wrist of the convict offering her cash. Presumably, the convict remains in jail—the handcuffs are the clue—but the ad doesn’t tell us what happened to the money.

Of course, the convicts to whom De Lima has given her cellphone number now say that, yes, they stayed in jail and, yes, De Lima kept the cash they offered her, as well.

No wonder De Lima is so afraid of people knowing what only convicts knew about her before.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Destroying De Lima VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre brought witnesses against his predecessor, now Senator Leila de Lima, during the Sept. 20 and Sept. 21 hearings of the House Justice Committee.

Only in the Philippines could hardened criminals and racketeers of all types dress decently, be escorted by fully armed hooded SWAT teams to the august halls of Congress, face the congressmen eye to eye, exchange banter and laughter with them, denounce a former secretary of Justice (De Lima), and feel not much guilt for the effort.

As secretary of Justice, De Lima had overall supervision over the New Bilibid Prisons or National Penitentiary in suburban Muntinlupa City, 22 kms south of Manila.

Executing affidavits testifying to the truth of their allegations, six con-men appeared before the House on Sept. 20.

They took turns relating nefarious activities allegedly perpetrated by De Lima and her “partners” in crime. In the process, they managed to destroy De Lima and possibly lay the foundation for her eventual prosecution and possibly ouster from the 24-member Senate itself.

De Lima’s possible misdeeds—corruption, abuse of power, and naked political ambition that blindsided her and relegated her to the wrong side of morality and history, perhaps irretrievably.

Rodolfo T. Magleo, 54, is a former police chief inspector (major). He has been at the National Penitentiary’s Maximum Security Compound since 2004. He chairs the Kalasag Organization of former police-

men who are imprisoned and are helping in the maintenance of peace and order.

He told the congressmen that during De Lima’s stint as secretary of Justice, the MSC became known as “Little Las Vegas” “because of rampant proliferation of drugs (shabu, marijuana, ecstasy pills), gambling (online cockfighting, dice, cards, cara y cruz, and billiards), concerts attended by popular singers and celebrities (Mocha Girls, Rufa Mae Quinto, Ethel Booba, Sharon Cuneta), and prostitutes (they were referred to as ‘tilapia’).” “Almost 80 percent of the inmates had cellphones and gadgets,” said Magleo.

More disturbingly, during De Lima’s time as DoJ secretary, related Magleo, the MSC became notorious as the Drug Trade Center of the Philippines “because it covered the sale of drugs in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao by foreign drug lord inmates (Chinese, Malaysian, Hongkong, Taiwanese and African nationals) as well as Filipino drug lord inmates supplying shabu to the local market.”

So huge was the illegal drugs trade that it ran into billions.

One drug lord alone, inside the NBP, a certain Peter Co, had collectibles in 2012 alone of about P1 billion.

Magleo recalled he met secretary De Lima and her driver, Ronnie Palisoc Dayan, in mid2011, together with three other leader-inmates: Benny Cabreles of Genuine Ilocano Group, Froilan Trestiza of Batang City Jail (BCJ) group, and Joseph Mostrales, the mayor (leader) of the Genuine Ilocano Group. They were summoned to the Batang City Jail Park inside the MSC. In that meeting, according to Magleo, De Lima asked the support of the four inmate leaders “to maintain peace and order inside the Bilibid compound.” De Lima instructed Ronnie Dayan to list down their cell phone

numbers so they could be contacted readily.

De Lima introduced her driver, Dayan, as a Philippine Army captain and a native of Urbiztondo, Pangasinan where Ilocano is also spoken.

Dayan reportedly told the four prisoner leaders De Lima was running for senator in the 2013 elections. “I am lucky to be the bodyguard of a senator,” Dayan was supposed to have told the inmates, and that “I was asked to run for mayor of Urbiztondo

by De Lima who will finance my candidacy.”

Magleo pretended to be envious of Dayan. “You are indeed, lucky, bro. Can I be your bodyguard when I am released from jail?” he told his fellow Pangalatok. To which Dayan replied: “We Panggalatok are macho. That’s our only capital in this life.”

“Yes, I have to be macho too,” the former police inspector retorted, “so that when I get out of this place, I could find a woman who could finance my candidacy as baranggay chairman.”

The grizzled men let out loud guffaws. The meeting lasted for an hour. Soon after, the inmates were free to use their cellphones inside the MSC. Their joy was short-lived, however. Magleo said he and his fellow partner-leaders were dethroned as leaders after they failed to meet their P50,000 a week quota demanded by Dayan.

One prisoner was able to cough up P100,000 in weekly quota and thus became the commander of the gang. Accordingly, Dayan began collecting huge amounts from prison inmate commanders Gerry Pepino of Batman, Froilan Trestiza of BCJ, JB Sebastian of Commando group, and Noel Martinez of GIs. De Lima’s aide allegedly collected the amounts through personal visits at the penitentiary and through deposits in BDO bank.

Just before Christmas in De-

cember 2014, the inmate leaders got their shock of their life. A group of drug lords called Bilibid 19 were suddenly removed from the Bilibid and transferred to the National Bureau of Investigation headquarters in Manila.

Magleo wasn’t surprised about the move, he said, because three days before the relocation, JB Sebastian had told him about the plan. The latter warned Magleo that anyone who did not cooperate with him would be removed from the MSC. Involved in the scheme to get rid of uncooperative Chinese and Filipino inmate-leaders were a former police superintendent Rafael Cardenio of PMA Class 1982 and ex-PSI Lorieman Manrique who was serving as Cardenio’s escort.

The motive was pecuniary.

Removing rival drug lords would give Sebastian a sort of monopoly of the lucrative drug trade inside the penitentiary.

They could take advantage of their closeness to (Prisons Director) Bucayo and secretary De Lima.

Bucayo and De Lima knew that JB financed bureau affairs and owned the canteen at the Visiting Hall. BJ also bought the computer units and renovated the E-Dalaw facility. All this information, Magleo claimed, were told to him in confidence

by BJ himself.

The removal of BJ’s rival drug lords from the Bilibid 19 elicited surprise and comments among the inmates and in media. They wondered why BJ was left alone to lord it over at the MSC. Magleo warned BJ about the talk. “You could be in danger,” he told BJ. The latter was unfazed. “I am guarded by a platoon of PNP personnel from the PAOCC (Presidential AntiOrganized Crime Commission) requested by ex-Supt. Rafael Cardeno.” biznewsasia@gmail.com

No to savings and loan association FILIPINO PENSIONER HORACE TEMPLO JUST recently, the Social Security System chief actuary publicly disclosed that the increase in contribution rate to 17 percent is a prerequisite to the pension increase of P2,000, emphasizing that “every P500 pension increase requires a 1.5 contribution rate increase” or P5 of additional contribution every day.

Unnecessarily, he explained that SSS would have been in favor of the pension increase had this pre-requisite been made part of its approval.

The SSS official knew, in fact, that the Social Security Law allowed the SSS to implement both increases in contributions and pensions if only President Benigno Aquino III had been convinced to approve them.

Each of these increases, however, was even opposed by its employer-dominated policymaking board, the Social Security Commission, and never recommended to PNoy. Such opposition was again reiterated by one of its former employer-commissioners who spoke recently as president of an exporters’ association that the P2,000 pension increase “should not come from the increased contributions of both employers and employees, as both are already burdened by too many deductions.”

He must be kidding. Contrary to his statement, he could have

Contradiction...

From A4 happened to former President Fidel V. Ramos’ back channel mission to repair relations with Beijing? Nothing has been heard about the mission since FVR left a month ago. Was the mission a failure which would explain the stony silence on the matter from Malacañang? Normally, success would have been trumpeted by the Palace if not Ramos himself. Foreign observers cannot find rhyme or reason why Manila should be the one to initiate a policy of appeasement with Beijing which is clearly the aggressor in extending

easily verified that they have one of the lowest social security deductions in the world.

And by continuing to compute pensions based on the same low salary cap of P16,000, demands for regular P2,000 pension adjustments would never stop.

For too long now, the SSS has been collecting contributions as if they were dues to be paid willingly and voluntarily by club members who merely lose pension and loan privileges if they do not contribute.

For instance, SSS wouldn’t increase pensions at least once every four years, contrary to the social security law, because it would trigger a corresponding contribution increase that would have displeased workers and employers.

Thus, SSS is ending up prioritizing the interests of active members over those of disabled, retired and deceased members.

Looking back, pioneer SSS officials refused to use “members” in referring to workers or individuals whom the original Social Security Act of 1954 applied.

For them—lawyer Johnny Descalzo, for example—they were “covered employees” of a mandatory national social security program, and not “members” of a voluntary association or club.

And while the law did not define “contributions,” it used contributions that were remitted to SSS to define “premiums.”

The SSS program is now funded by such contributions, and while the SS Law didn’t consider them taxes, those that

“an employer refuses or neglects to pay… shall be collected by the SSS in the same manner as taxes are made collectible under the National Internal Revenue Code.”

But SSS officials and employees never collected unpaid contributions as taxes.

Perhaps they don’t know how to collect them in the same manner that Bureau of Internal Revenue taxmen collect their taxes.

But with SSS now encountering severe funding problems, they must learn it in compelling delinquent employers to pay their unpaid obligations.

They need not employ an SSS version of General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s Oplan Tokhang, but by using this authority, they would be more efficient collecting contributions than by merely airing educational and informational campaigns via paid advertisements.

The 1935 American social security law—which was the model of our own legislation—uses “insured” instead of “members” because its social security programs are funded, not by contributions, but by taxes on the payroll in accordance with the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. Consequently, the tax nature of these contributions is making their collection more expedient.

In the American social security program, a Board of Trustees has been established composed mostly of key government officials with the Secretary of the Treasury as Managing Trustee. Its other members are the Secretary of Labor, Secre-

tary of Health and Human Services, Commissioner of Social Security, and two trustees who are appointed by the American President and confirmed by the Senate to serve for four years.

Their main responsibilities are essential but are limited to reporting annually to Congress the status of the social security trust funds, reviewing the policies that are being followed in managing the trust funds, and recommending changes.

Unlike the members of the Social Security Commission, they do not interfere with the day-today administration of the programs nor serve as director on any private corporate board. After all, the trust funds can only be invested in “interest-bearing obligations of the US or in obligations guaranteed as to both principal and interest by the US.” More importantly, they do not oppose contribution increases.

SSS now considers its mandate to provide meaningful pensions only optional and not obligatory, which it pursues on a best-effort basis. Thus, it seeks first the consent of contributing members before pursuing it, concentrating in activities that please them in the short term.

For instance, it continues to loan out to its members P78 billion or 19 percent of trust funds, in violation of its charter limit of ten percent.

By collecting token contributions and lending salary loans that are payable with future pensions, isn’t SSS transforming itself into a savings and loan association?

By all means, we must stop it.

its maritime boundaries.

The main US concern in the South China Sea is the freedom of navigation in international sea lanes. There is no time line when the US with its naval power in the Pacific will react if and when China crosses the line. The disputed area is seen as a flash point and it takes just a spark for this powder keg to explode. A local observer who has seen it all said China, in his view, is prepared to take acceptable losses in case of a hightech missile exchange with the US. A military setback, according to the same observer, would actually unite the Chinese people who are disgruntled by its leadership’s inclination to start a war.

Any armed confrontation in the region is not going to be the conventional ground war in which the sheer number of China’s People’s Liberation Army would have any bearing. Any flare-up in Southeast Asia will be marked by fireworks in the sky of missiles being fired from US warships already patrolling the area. Will China be able to match the US air and naval firepower?

It may be premature to talk of such a scary scenario, but it is better to brace ourselves because we are in the crossfire and the Philippines has standing Mutual Defense Treaty and an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the United

States. These two military treaties call upon the Philippines to side with the US as much as we expect America to come to our aid if attacked by a foreign power.

We know whose side North Korea will be on but Japan with its own territorial row with China on the Senkaku/Diaoyo Island has been providing patrol boats to the Philippines to strengthen its maritime borders.

China is wary of Japan which occupied it in World War II just as Japan is concern about a rising China in the region.

Let us all pray war does not happen and that the two world powers exercise utmost restraint.

A6

News

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

IN BRIEF Camzon not BI employee THE Bureau of Immigration denied Thursday that a certain “Armee Camzon” who posted photos of the travel documents of Japanese actress Maria Ozawa is not an immigration employee.

The BI said its records showed “Armee Camzon,” the supposed uploader of Ozawa’s photos, was not one of its 2,000 employees, according to BI spokesperson Atty. Antonette Mangrobang.

“The alleged Facebook user name Armee Camzon is not an employee of the bureau and could be a poseur,” the BI said, suggesting that an outsider might have been responsible for uploading Ozawa’s photographs without authorization.

“It could be the handiwork of unscrupulous persons and used the agency to discredit the bureau,” the official said.

“Anyone could claim on social media that he or she was an employee of the BI.” The 30-year-old Japanese actress complained on social media upon discovering earlier this week that her passport and ID photos were going viral on the internet.

CL cops make big busts

By Florante S. Solmerin and Romy Dizon

F

OUR drug suspects were killed while two others were arrested when drug enforcers swooped down on the hideout of the Espinosa drug syndicate in San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan Wednesday night, the day before another large shabu laboratory was discovered in Pampanga.

But Bulacan provincial police director Senior Superintendent Romeo Caramat Jr. said the gang’s leader and main target Erick Espinosa escaped during the shootout that happened at around 6:30 p.m. at the Towerville Subdivision in Barangay

Minuyan Proper.

Caramat said the four slain suspects were still unidentified at press time but the two arrested suspects were identified as Mark Anthony Lacxa, 22, a resident of Quezon City, and Rene Lloyd Sacdalan, 26, of Caloocan City,

according to CSJDM acting city police commander Superintendent Wilson Magpali.

Magpali said the raid also involved agents of the City Antiillegal Drugs Special Operative Task Group and the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency.

“Upon sensing the ongoing police operation, Espinosa fired his firearm toward the poseur buyer that resulted in a firefight between the suspects and the law enforcers,” Magpali said.

“During the cross fire, a victim, identified as Michelle Seleic, sustained a gunshot wound in her right leg and was rushed to a nearby hospital and was declared out of danger,” Magpali said.

Recovered from the slain and

arrested suspects were 3 caliber .38 revolvers, a cal .45 pistol, an improvised handgun, 6 sachets containing suspected shabu, and assorted drug paraphernalia.

In the neighboring province of Pampanga, operatives of PDEA and the Pampanga police also conducted a raid Thursday on the biggest shabu laboratory discovered so far, at the foot of Mount Arayat in Barangay Lacquios in Arayat town.

Pampanga police director Senior Supt. Rodolfo Recomojo Jr. said the shabu laboratory was surrounded by 8 to 10-feet concrete fence, with a hog farm beside it and a melting plant of plastics.

This is the second shabu labo-

Mayor cleared in land dispute

Free airport Wi-Fi ready THE Manila International Airport Authority will launch Sept.

23 its Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) access project to give passengers and stakeholders uninterruptible internet connection at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Jesus Martines, head of the MIAA Media Affairs Division, said the program will be attended

by PLDT Smart Co. officials led

by Manny Pangilinan, MIAA general manager Eddie Villanueva Monreal, Police-Aviation Security Group director Mao Aplasca, airlines executives and Department of Transportation Secretary Arturo Tugade.

The project came on the heels of the agreement of the Airport authority with PLDT Smart Communications to upgrade internet access at the country’s premier international airport.

Martinez said many arriving and departing passengers from the past were reacting the slow internet connections at the main gateway compared to airports abroad. He added the passengers are complaining of poor internet connection provided by another service provider.

Globe Telecom on February 2012 provides free Wi-Fi for passengers in four terminals of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in partnership with the Airport Authority.

It allows passengers to work online, check email or travel itineraries and surf the internet while waiting for their flights.

The Globe Telecom free Wi-Fi still available at the four Airport terminals as well as at the MIAA’s administration building.

20 Abus give up in Zambo ZAMBOANGA CITY—Twenty members of the Abu Sayyaf Group surrendered and turned over eight high-powered firearms to the government on Thursday in Basilan province, a military official announced.

Maj. Filemon Tan Jr., Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) spokesperson, said the surrenderers are led by ASG sub-leader Katatong Balaman alias Tatong.

Tan said the group of Balaman surrendered to Col. Thomas Donato Jr., Army’s 104th Infantry Brigade commander, and Mayor Gulam Hataman of Sumisip, Basilan.

The Sumisip-based Army’s 64th Infantry Battalion facilitated the surrender of Balaman’s group in a ceremony held at the town hall of Sumisip.

Tan said the group of Balaman also turned over two locally-made shotguns aside from the eight high-powered firearms.

Donato said the group of Tatong is responsible for several ambuscades and skirmishes against the government troops, particularly in Barangays Sukaten and Baiwas in the municipality of Sumisip.

“This is the result of the relentless operation we are conducting where they suffered lots of casualties. These Abu Sayyaf now fear for their lives, leading to the surrender,” Donato said. PNA

ratory overran by authorities in a span of two weeks, he noted.

Seven large hydrogenators and chromatograph machines were found inside the laboratory, which can manufacture 50 to 100 kilograms per day.

Supt. Samuel Sevilla, Arayat police chief, was conducting regular inspection of all industries specifically hog and poultry farms when he and his men discovered a shabu laboratory in nearby Barangay San Ildefonso in Magalang, Pampanga two weeks ago.

He said no one came forward to claim ownership of the property. Three shabu laboratories were found in Angeles City since March, this year.

By Rey E. Requejo

NEW ROAD. Traffic was easy on the stretch of the elevated Naia Expressway that was opened on Thursday but Parañaque City Hall said motorists should still expect traffic for four more years. Danny Pata

Road opens but traffic to persist

By Vito Barcelo THE stretch of the P20.45billion Naia Expressway was opened to vehicular traffic on Thursday but the Parañaque City government said it will take four more years for traffic to lighten up because of the various government road projects.

But Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said the last segment of the Naia Expressway, will connect Naia Terminals 1, 2, and 3 to the South Luzon Expressway before Christmas season and that should help ease congestion.

“We made a commitment to open this segment. We wanted to ensure it is fully functional right now,” Villar said. “With all systems in place, the operational segment of Naia Expressway

will effectively improve traffic flow in the airport vicinity and will cut travel time by at least 60 percent.”

“DPWH would ensure 24/7 operation in the last segment of Naia Expressway. The Duterte administration is conscious of delivering its promise. We will set deadlines and contractors would have to abide,” he added.

At the same time, the Parañaque City government advised motorists and commuters to expect monstrous traffic along major thoroughfares for four more years due to various government projects and other road repair works in the city.

Effective October 1, the city government will reimpose the unified vehicle volume reduction program (UVVRP) or the number coding scheme on all roads.

At the same time, Mayor Edwin Olivarez said he ordered all concerned offices to fully implement the existing truck ban by virtue of the city ordinance passed years ago to have immediate solution on the tremendous traffic problem in the city.

“There is an increase in the volume of traffic in Paranaque for the past five years and it is become unacceptable,” he said.

In an approved resolution dated July 4, 2006, the city council suspended the implementation of the number coding scheme after hundreds of traders near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport objected on the traffic experiment.

The businessmen, whose company are engaged in freight forwarding, trucking services and warehouse rental, complained that they will be heavily affected

and experience daily losses in earnings.

Like in the other cities in Metro Manila, the number coding scheme for private cars will be 7 in the morning up to 7 p.m. while the truck ban will be 6 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 8 p.m., Jimenez said.

City hall officials are also anticipating that the traffic in major thoroughfares in the city will be experienced by motorists until 2020 because the construction of the first phase of the Cavitex C5 Link Expressway faces delays because of the right-of-way issue.

San Miguel Corp. and the Citra group of Indonesia, operator of South Luzon Expressway have yet to sign the memorandum of agreement, while the three other signatories—Public Works Department, Transportation Department and Cavitex already signed the deal.

THE Department of Justice has contradicted the findings of the Ombudsman in holding Batangas Mayor Meynardo Sabili liable over administrative charges stemming from a land dispute.

The Ombudsman ordered the suspension of Sabili over administrative charge filed by 10 former clients, led by Oscar Camerino, last year but DoJ prosecutors have sided with the mayor and ordered Camerino’s criminal indictment over a deal involving a property in Victoria Homes in Tunasan, Muntinlupa City.

In a seven-page resolution, the Justice department found probable cause to file case for estafa against Camerino.

Preliminary investigation showed that Camerino and other owners of three parcel of lands tapped Sabili as their lawyer in their property dispute case and agreed in October 2009 “to split the disputed property with complainant after payments to other parties were made.”

It was found that the respondent even forged an agreement with Sabili in March 2010 where he gave a warranty that he “will not enter into any other contract disposing, encumbering, transferring, selling the shares of… and Meynardo Sabili … over the subject property after the execution of the agreement.”

“Despite these promises and representations on the part of respondent Oscar Camerino in favor of complainant [Sabili], which served as the basis for the complainant to participate in the above agreements, respondent Oscar Camerino still sold the land to respondent Felicidad D. Ong. Thus, there is probable cause to hold respondent Oscar Camerino liable for the crime of estafa,” read the DoJ resolution signed by Prosecution Attorney Loverhette Jeffrey Villordon and approved by Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Miguel Gudio Jr. Sabili was then elected mayor in May 2010 for his first mayoral term.

BoC chief slams fire truck imports THE Bureau of Customs has suspended several customs personnel who allowed the importation of 469 fire trucks worth P2.5 billion from China without paying proper duties and taxes and allegedly connived with officials of the Bureau of Fire Protection.

Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon also ordered an investigation in the possible connivance of BFP officials and to file charges against them.

The duties paid for the 244 units of 1,000-gallon fire trucks and 225 units of 500-gallon fire trucks were much less than the required P2.5 billion, Faeldon said in a press briefing.

The illegal transactions caused the government a loss of more than P78 million in duties and taxes with surcharges.

The alleged undervaluation of the transaction for the importation of fire trucks from China was apparently done in collusion with officials from the BFP, Faeldon said.

“We already suspended the customs personnel involved in the illegal transaction and they will be subjected for administrative investigation,” the customs chief said.

According to Faeldon, the BFP declared a value of only P760,000 for each of the 244 1,000-gallon fire trucks, and only P540,000 for each of the 225 500-gallon fire trucks it imported through the joint venture of Kolonwel Trading and Hubei Jiangnan Special Automobile Co. Ltd. However, the contract price for the 1000-gallon capacity and 500-gallon capacity fire trucks was estimated at P6,237,762.00 per fire truck while P4,690,047.00, respectively.

The BFP acted as consignee for the fire trucks, which started arriving at the Port of Manila, Manila International Container Port, and the Port of Batangas on June 20, 2015. The last shipment was made on March 16. All fire trucks had been delivered to the BFP as of March 18. Vito Barcelo

GOVERNMENT SMUGGLING. Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon urged the Depart-

ment of Justice to look into the importation of 469 undervalued fire trucks that were imported by the Bureau of Fire Protection from China. Danny Pata

Sports

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Injured Day still has eyes on prize Donaire M spars 8

IAMI—Jason Day has been careful in plotting his return from the back injury that forced him out the BMW Championship this month, but that doesn’t mean he’s lowering his sights at this week’s PGA Tour Championship.

The world number one from Australia is one of five players who go into the tournament at East Lake in Atlanta, Georgia, with a chance to claim the FedExCup playoff bonus.

Although he could finish as low as tied for third and still have a chance of capturing the prize, he said he’s treating the week as a must-win.

“It’s either winning or nothing else matters,” Day said. “That’s the mentality that I have to go into because, if I finish second, that’s great and all, but it may not win me the trophy.

“So I’ve got to go in with the mentality that I have to win.”

Day thinks a victory could also give him a shot at Player of the Year honors, an award voted on by Tour members which many believed that US Open champion Dustin Johnson wrapped up with his victory at the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick.

Both players have won three times this season, with Johnson’s trio of titles including his breakthrough major triumph at Oakmont.

“If I win four times, win the FedEx

Cup . . . I’m hoping that pushes me over the line if I win,” Day said.

“If we both finish tied fifth (at the Tour Championship), he obviously deserves it. My biggest thing is I’ve got to win, and if I win, that hopefully pushes me over the edge.”

Johnson tops the FedExCup standings, and the race for the $10 million bonus that goes with the title.

He has won three of his last nine tournaments and has finished in the top 10 in his last three Tour Championship starts —tying for 10th in 2012, finishing fifth the following year and closing with a 64 last year to tie for fifth, five shots behind winner Jordan Spieth.

American Patrick Reed is second in the standings and is one of the five players guaranteed to take home the Cup with a victory this week. He won the first playoff event, the Barclays, tied for fifth in the Deutsche Bank Championship and tied

for 13th at Crooked Stick.

Johnson and Reed are paired together on Thursday, while Day will play alongside compatriot Adam Scott, who has finished in the top 10 in all three playoff events and comes in ranked third in the playoff standings ahead of Day and England’s Paul Casey.

While the elite 30-man field will offer plenty of formidable competition, Day said his back won’t be a factor.

“The back isn’t an issue right now,” said the Aussie, who said he’s back in his rouBy Ronnie Nathanielsz tine for dealing with the annular tear of a disc in his spine, which requires keeping FIVE-DIVISION world champion Noup with specialized exercises. nito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire feels “I wasn’t able to go the gym as much, “amazing” after sparring eight rounds missed a few massage sessions with my with former WBA bantamweight chamguy,” Day said of the trouble that struck in pion Koki Kameda and flyweight Joebert Indiana. “Muscles turn off, and then my “Little Pacman” Alvarez in Las Vegas. back goes out. But I learned from it. I’m Donaire faces unbeaten Jessie Maggoing to try and get better.” AFP daleno, a 24-year-old CYAN MAGENTA YELLOWsouthpaw BLACK with a

rounds, feels good

record of 23-0 with 17 knockouts.

For the very first time, Donaire will be featured on a card in which eightdivision world champion Manny Pacquiao clashes with WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas on Nov. 5 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.

In a telephone conversation with The Manila Standard on Thursday morning, Manila Time, Donaire said: “I’m doing great. Feel amazing, feel good and ready to go,” He said he was trying to get into top shape.

“I am already ahead of schedule,” Donaire said. “The sparring was good and we’ve just been able to work. Cuban trainer Ismael Salas has been implementing things in my style so we’ve been agile and take control regardless of whether this is the beginning of camp.”

He described trainer Salas as “amazing, very smart, very intelligent and he maximizes my ability to perform.”

Salas has trained such world champions as Guillermo Rigondeaux, who beat Donaire some years ago; Yuriorkis Gamboa; Danny Green, Jorge Linares and Pacquiao’s opponent Jessie Vargas, the reigning WBO welterweight champion.

Salas replaced Nonito’s father/trainer “Dodong” Donaire, who told Manila Standard, he wanted to be with his family in San Francisco and that there were no problems between father and son.

Manila

Standard REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES TODAY

Department of Finance Department of Trade and Industry

JOINT MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 01 ,Series of 2016 TO:

Incentives Promotion Agencies, the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs, the Registered Business Entities, and Others Concerned

SUBJECT: Clarification on Certain Provisions of Joint Administrative Order No. 1-2016 dated June 23, 2016, entitled “Rules and Regulations to Implement Republic Act No. 10708, otherwise known as the “Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act (TIMTA)” 1.

Objectives

This Circular is issued to clarify certain provisions of Joint Administrative Order No. 1-2016 relating to the implementation of Republic Act No. 10708, entitled “An Act Enhancing Transparency in the Management and Accounting of Tax Incentives Administered by Investment Promotion Agencies, otherwise known as the Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act (TIMTA).

2.

Rule II Section 2 and Rule III Section 1 (b)

2.1 Only Registered Business Entities (RBEs) availing of incentives are mandated to submit the Annual Tax Incentives Report (Annex A.I and Annex A.2) to their respective Investment Promotions Agency (IPA). Thus, the following are no longer required to submit the Annual Tax Incentives Reports: 2.1.1

International organizations invoking tax treaties or international agreements to which the Philippines is a signatory;

2.1.2

Business entities registered with an IPA but are not qualified for incentives;

2.1.3

Business entities registered with an IPA that are qualified for incentives but have not availed or applied for any incentive during the taxable year;

2.1.4

Business entities registered with an IPA but arc no longer availing any incentives after their incentives entitlement period;

2.1.5

Business entities registered with an IPA that utilize special or preferential treatment by virtue of Free Trade Agreements; and

2.1.6

Regional or Area Headquarters and Regional Operating Headquarters under Book III of Executive Order No. 226, as amended by Republic Act No. 8756.

RBEs falling under Item 2.1.2 shall still be included in the Master List (Annex C of JAO 1-2016) required under Rule III Section I(a).

2.2 For purposes of reporting of incentives for taxable year 2017 and subsequent years, the RBEs shall file with their respective IPAs their Annual Tax Incentives Reports, within thirty (30) days from the statutory deadline for filing of Final Adjustment Return for Income Tax, and payment of tax due thereon, if any, such that: Year Ending

Statutory deadline for filing the Final Adjustment Return and payment of tax due thereon, if any*

Submission of Annual Tax Incentives Report to IPA**

Accounting Period

31 January 2017

15 May 2015

14 June 2017

Fiscal Year

29 February 2017***

15 June 2017

15 July 2017

31 March 2017

15 July 2017

14 August 2017

30 April 2017

15 August 2017

14 September 2017

31 May 2017

15 September 2017

15 October 2017

30 June 2017

15 October 201 7

14 November 2017 15 December 2017

31 July 2017

15 November 2017

31 August 2017

15 December 2017

14 January 2018

30 September 2017

15 January 2018

14 February 2018

31 October 201 7

15 February 2018

17 March 2018****

30 November 2017

15 March 2018

14 April 2018

31 December 2017

15 April 20178

15 May 2018

* ** *** ****

Calendar Year

Based on Section 77(B) of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended.

Applying computation of number of days under Article 13 of the New Civil Code.

2016 is a leap year, thus, this may change.

May move, if year ends on a leap year.

2.3 RBEs employing the Fiscal Year accounting period shall state in the title of their Annual Tax Incentives Report - Income-based Tax Incentives (Annex A.1) the ending date of their fiscal year.

3.

Rule IX Section 1

3.1 The period on the submission of the reports both for income-based tax incentives and value-added tax (VAT) duty exemptions covering Taxable Year 2015 required under R.A. No. 10708 and its implementing rules and regulations is amended to read as: Submission by RBEs to IPAs

Submission by IPAs to BIR of Consolidated Annual Tax Incentives Report and to the NEDA Secretariat of Aggregate Annual Tax Incentives Report

Submission of BIR to DOF

Submission

by IPA to NEDA Secretariat of Other Relevant Date or Information

From September 15, 2016 to November 15, 2016

On December 30,2016

On February 28, 2017

April 14, 2017

AUTOGRAPH SEEKERS. Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus signs autographs after her victory against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic during their women’s singles second round match at the WTA Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament in Tokyo. AFP

Mighty Sports wins opener SINGAPORE—Mighty Sports Apparel Philippines brought down powerhouse Seoul Samsung Thunders, 92-87, to jumpstart its title bid in the 2016 Merlion Cup basketball tournament Wednesday here.

The Mighty Sports squad started tentatively and needed a decisive third quarter run behind the hot shooting of former PBA import Al Thornton to hurdle its opening game in the tournament revived after 20 years of hiatus.

Two-time UAAP MVP Kiefer Ravena also rose to the occasion as he joined hands with Jones Cup MVP Dewarick Spencer and Thornton in scuttling Samsung’s determined comeback with timely shots in the last three minutes.

In that stretch, Thornton scored five points, including a booming triple, before Spen-

together at the recent PRU LIFE UK-sponsored Football For A Better Life fifth leg held Sta. Cruz, Laguna, with former Azkals skipper Chieffy Caligdong, current Azkal Ashley Flores and Little Azkal Nicolai Abalos, the last two both natives of Laguna, as they conducted the free football clinic for kids, one of the features of this grassroots, nationwide football developmental program, the other one being age group football competitions for local teams. Photo shows the three players with football coaches of Laguna. Future FFABL legs are set in Tagum, Pagadian, Baguio, Subic and ULTRA in Pasig.

3.3. For RBEs with Fiscal Year ending January 31, 2016 to July 31, 2016, the period on the submission of the reports both for income-based tax incentives and value-added tax (VAT) duty exemptions covering Taxable Year 2016 required under R.A. No. 10708 and its implementing rules and regulations are as follows: Statutory deadline for filing the Final Adjustment Return and payment of tax due thereon, if any*

Submission of Annual Tax Incentives Report to IPA**

31 January 2016

15 May 2016

15 December 2016

29 February 2016***

15 June 2016

* **

31 March 2016

15 July 2016

30 April 2016

15 August 2016

31 May 2016

15 September 2016

30 June 2016

15 October 2016

31 July 2016

15 November 2016

31 August 2016

15 December 2016

14 January 2017

30 September 2016

15 January 2017

14 February 2017

31 October 2016

15 February 2017

17 March 2017****

30 November 2016

15 March 2017

14 April 2017

Based on Section 77(B) of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended.

Applying computation of number of days under Article 13 of the New Civil Code.

For your guidance.

01 September 2016, Makati City, Philippines.

CARLOS G. DOMINGUEZ Secretary of Finance

(MS-SEPT. 23, 2016)

RAMON M. LOPEZ Secretary of Trade and Industry

Basketball League champion.

Showing the brilliance that won for himself the highest individual award in Jones Cup in Taiwan last month, Spencer had 15 points and five assists.

It was also the first-ever win for Charles Tiu as a head coach after serving as assistant on the Mighty Sports squad that won the Jones Cup. “This win is the first for this team. It’s a new group although we still have some of the guys who played in Taiwan. But it’s a new team,” Tiu said after the game. “It’s still a work in progress. The boys are slowly getting used to playing together. We’re still looking for the right combinations. But we’re getting there.”

Tiu said they struggled early in the game but found their rhythm in the second half. AFP

THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF AZKALS got

3.2. For RBEs using the calendar year method, the submission of Annual Tax Incentives Reports for taxable year 2016 to their respective IPAs shall be on 15 May 2017.

Year Ending

cer hit a floater, while Ravena banged in a buzzer-beating jumper to complete the team’s remarkable come-from-behind win.

Backed by HC Technology Pte. Ltd., Huishi International Group Co. Ltd., Cebuana Lhuillier and Scratch It, Mighty Sports fell behind by 10 points, 41-31 early in the second quarter before taking the initiative in the third frame.

The win pushed Mighty Sports to within a win of sweeping its three-team Group B elims. The squad is looking to annex its second straight title after a grand sweep of the Jones Cup. Thornton fired a gamehigh 35 points, while 6’11” Hamady N’Dyiaye hauled down nine boards to go with his 16 points as Mighty Sports defeated the two-time Korean

Lions, Tams boost quarterfinal bids THE San Beda-A Red Lions and the Far Eastern University Tamaraws repulsed their foes to move in contention for quarterfinal seats in the 14th Fr. Martin Division 2 Cup basketball tournament at the St. Placid gym of the San Beda College-Manila campus in Mendiola, Manila.

Cameroonian Eugene Toba unloaded 32 points for the Red Lions as they fended off the Letran-A Knights, 83-66, and earned their fifth straight win.

The Red Lions stayed on top of Group B in the senior division, while the Tams are behind in second with their 4-1 slate.

Jeremer Cabanag and Clint Doliguez contributed 18 and 15 points, respectively, for the Red Lions, who overcame a 35-36 halftime deficit.

Toba and Cabanag combined for 20 points in the third as the Red Lions went on to grab a 12-point edge, 64-52, at the end of the period.

Meanwhile, transferees Rendell Senining, Hubert Cani, Arvin Tolentino and JR Parker scored in double digits to power the Tams to an 86-74 smothering of the University of Perpetual Help-Molino Altas.

Senining, who came from National University, and Cani, who used to play for Ateneo with Tolentino, led an 8-0 uprising with their triple and drives, handing FEU a 12-point edge in the start of the fourth, 64-52.

Casimero on Viva’s Main Event THE hero’s welcome given International Boxing Federation flyweight champion Johnreil Casimero by the Games and Amusements Board will be featured on the top-rating Viva Sports’ weekly boxing show “The Main Event” this Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on Pinoy Box Office over Sky Cable with a replay on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m.

The welcome, which was unprecedented, was an innovation by newly appointed GAB chairman Abraham Mitra, son of the illustrious former speaker of the House of Representatives, the late Ramon Mitra.

Chairman Mitra, boxing division chief Dr. Nasser Cruz and GAB employees gave Casimero a rousing welcome, when he entered the office last Monday afternoon.

Music, confetti and cheers of “Cas-IMero! Cas-I Mero!” greeted the champion nicknamed “The Road Warrior.

Casimero returned after a dominating 10th-round TKO over previously unbeaten British champion Charlie Edwards.

The new GAB Chairman said President Rody Duterte was the good luck charm as besides Casimero retaining his title, Marlon Tapales won the WBO bantamweight title with a stunning 11th-round knockout of Pungluang Sor Singyu of Thailand and WBO super flyweight Jerwin Ancajas pulled off a dominating victory over Puerto Rico’s champion McJoe Arroyo.

Also on the program, Viva Sports provides a preview of Donnie Nietes’ showdown with Mexico’s No. 4-ranked flyweight Edgar Sosa in the first venture of Nietes, the longest-reigning Filipino world champion, who relinquished his light flyweight title to campaign in the 112 pound division. Ronnie Nathanielsz

LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6/42 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6 DIGITS 00-00-00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

Sports

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

A8

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Senator inspires UST Tigers

By Peter Atencio

Barangay Ginebra guard Marc Caguioa (right) protects the basketball against Alaska Aces forward Dondon Hontiveros (25). The number 3 ranked Gin Kings face off today against longtime rival No. 6 Alaska in an evenly matched tussle at 7 p.m. in the 2016 PBA Governors’ Cup.

Gin Kings battle Aces for berth in semifinals

By Jeric Lopez

B

ARANGAY Ginebra and San Miguel Beer shoot for berths in the next round when they take on separate foes at the start of the quarterfinals of the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup. The Gin Kings and the Beermen have been consistent throughout the tournament, thus, they will enjoy a twiceto-beat advantage over their respective opponents and only need to win once to advance to the semifinals.

Should they prevail, they will

The number 3 ranked Gin Kings face off against longtime rival No. 6 Alaska in an evenly matched tussle at 7 p.m. The number 2 seed Beermen are heavily favored when they take on number 7 NLEX in their 4:15 p.m. clash at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today.

face each other in a best-of-five semifinals series.

Both the Aces and the Road Warriors are looking to force a knockout game and extend their lives.

Even though Ginebra dropped its final assignment in the elimination round, it is now refocused and looking forward to the task ahead because it knows that Alaska won’t be an easy adversary to defeat.

“We’re looking at a tough game against Alaska. Everyone knows what they’re capable of,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone.

After having an uncharacteristic sluggish start in the tourna-

ment, the Aces are peaking at the right time and they will enter the playoffs with a four-game winning streak.

Even if his team is one of the league’s hottest right now, Alaska coach Alex Compton still insists the Aces need to be at their absolute best to beat Ginebra.

“Definitely, we need to play the best Alaska basketball in order for us to win and extend our lives. We’ll be facing a tough and confident Ginebra team. It will take no less than a perfect performance from us,” said Compton.

Being the defending champion

and continuing to perform at a high level, San Miguel is expected by many to have the upperhand against NLEX, especially with new returning import Elijah Millsap now re-accustomed to his squad.

Beermen coach Leo Austria reminded his wards to keep pushing hard.

“We need to continue playing with pride and with a lot of effort. In the PBA, any team has a chance,” he said.

Unlike San Miguel, NLEX has been having a rollercoaster campaign and it hopes it can gather itself in the most crucial time.

Perlas Pilipinas faces powerhouse Indonesia MALACCA, Malaysia—After breezing past its first two opponents and likely to win handily against Vietnam in its scheduled game, the tough grind begins for Perlas Pilipinas, which will face a powerhouse Indonesian squad in the SEABA Women’s Championship at the Bukit Serindit Indoor Stadium here today, Friday.

The Filipinas will square off against the Indonesians, the same team which defeated them in last year’s Southeast Asian Games, at 8 p.m.

Indonesia will be bannered by Gabriel Sofia, a 6-foot-5 center who did most of the damage against the Filipinas during their SEA Games campaign last year in Singapore.

Head coach Patrick Aquino is hoping the Philippines can carry the momentum of its huge wins over Singapore and Laos, which it defeated by a combined margin of 173 points.

Falcons display maturity

Games today (Bukit Serindit Indoor Stadium) 4 p.m. – Vietnam vs Thailand 6 p.m. – Singapore vs Laos 8 p.m. – Philippines vs Indonesia

The Blackwater Women-backed Perlas Pilipinas waltzed past Singapore, 69-43, at the start of its campaign while demolishing Laos with a whopping 147-point win, 179-32 on Wednesday. The Filipinas are expected to run roughshod over Vietnam, now being coached by Filipino mentor Jojo Castillo, who described his team as a work in progress.

For Aquino, the lopsided wins in their first two games not only gave the Philippines some security in case the team falls in a multiple team tie that needs quotient. It is also one way of boosting the confidence of the members of the squad, particularly the newcomers and relievers while allowing his stalwarts to take some breather.

KICK UP THE DIRT. Italy’s Laura Strati kicks up a spray of dirt while competing in the Long Jump contest of the ‘Fly Europe Paris’ European Athletics Circuit event in Paris on September 21. AFP

Red Robins rout Brigadiers BIG man Will Gozum provided both speed and muscle under the boards as the Malayan High School of Science Red Robins overpowered the Emilio Aguinaldo CollegeICA Brigadiers, 112-75, yesterday in the last elimination round game of the 92nd National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) junior basketball tournament at the Arena in San Juan.

The 6’6” Gozum, a transferee from the University of the Philippines Integrated School (UPIS), tallied 20 points and hauled down 11 rebounds for the Red Robins, who finished their 18-game

Games Today

(Senior games at the Arena in San Juan) 12 noon CSB vs Lyceum 2 p.m. Mapua vs Perpetual Help 4 p.m. San Beda vs Arellano

assignment with 15 wins and three losses.

This formally earned the Red Robins the no. 2 seed in the Final Four semifinals.

They are behind the top squad, the defending champion San Beda Red Cubs, who took the no. 1 with their 17-1 win-loss slate.

The 17-year-old Gozum struck with 10 points in the first period for the Red Robins, who moved ahead fol-

FORMER team member Senator Joel Villanueva said he is confident and proud of the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers.

Villanueva, now a team booster, believes that the team will make it to the Final 4 of the 79th University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament.

“When we talk about the UAAP I would always say that the Tigers will make it. They will be on the top. I have no doubt,” said Villanueva, who was part of the team that won the crown a via 14-game sweep back in 1993.

He expressed his feeling in a statement after the Growling Tigers beat the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, 83-77, last Saturday, and after visiting the Growling Tigers during practice.

Last Tuesday, Senator Villanueva, who was one of the guards of the Growling Tigers during his time at UST, spent his time boosting the morale of the new generation of UST Growling Tigers.

During his time with the Growling Tigers, coach Aric de Rosario steered the team to a 14-game sweep, and they won the championship because of it.

“I shared with them some of my insights and views. One is to always realize that there’s so much responsibility when you put on that yellow jersey, the Tigers jersey. When you have it on to your chest, it should remind you of so many responsibilities. You’re not only representing yourself, not even the entire community, but the characteristics of being a Thomasian or being a Tiger,” Villanueva said.

He also shared his personal experience as a Growling Tiger back in 1994 when De La Salle Green Archers almost grabbed the crown.

That year, the UST Growling Tigers beat La Salle by only one point during the finals Game.

Villanueva was part of the UST Growling Tigers that won the UAAP Season 56 and 57 during the years 1994-1995.

lowing 9-1 salvo off Brian Lacap’s three-point play and drive in the last 6:21.

“We could not afford to relax going to the semis. We had to play well so that the players would have confidence going to the playoffs,” said Red Robins coach Randy Alcantara.

The Arellano University Braves and the La Salle Greenhills Junior Blazers share third and fourth position with similar 13-5 win-loss records.

They will meet on Tuesday to determine which among the Red Cubs and the Red Robins will be their semis opponent.

Peter Atencio

Eala, Dizon prevail ALEXANDRIA Eala and Melanie Dizon came away with a pair of straightset victories to rule their respective divisions and nail the coveted berths in the WTA Futures Stars Tournament in Singapore next month.

Eala dominated Miles Vitaliano in the opening frame and then bucked her rival’s late charge to fashion a 6-0, 7-5, victory and clinch the Under-14 crown in the Cebuana Lhuillier Girls’ Tennis Challenge at the Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig recently.

Dizon, on the other hand, stamped her class over pre-tournament favorite Carlyn Guarde, scoring an emphatic 6-1, 6-2 romp to annex the U-16 crown and join Eala in the Singapore meet where they will slug it out against the top juniors in the Asia-Pacific region.

“I’d like to congratulate all the participants, most especially the two champions of the Cebuana Lhuillier WTA Future Stars qualifying tournament, for giving us such exciting matches. As a tennis patron, it was very inspiring to witness the talents and skills of these young tennis players,” said Philta chairman and Cebuana Lhuillier president and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier.

He added that Eala and Dizon, who bested the country’s leading and rising players in the U-14 and U-16 age groups, have what it takes to win the WTA crown.

Eala sustained her fierce form that toppled her rivals in the previous rounds, coming up with heady plays and banking on smooth, consistent returns to sweep Vitaliano in the first set.

THE Adamson Soaring Falcons are finally showing their maturity.

Adamson coach Franz Pumaren expressed this sentiment after the Soaring Falcons demolished a struggling National University Bulldogs, 64-51, last Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Their third victory in four outings put the Soaring Falcons in second behind the solo leading La Salle Green Archers, who are unbeaten after four games.

This time, it was bench player Kristian Bernardo who delivered in the final moments of the game.

Bernardo, a 6’7” sophomore, hit seven points and grabbed three rebounds in only eight minutes of action.

His putback with 3:27 left put the Falcons ahead, 53-49, and the team fought hard to preserve their lead in the ensuing play.

“We’re showing a lot of maturity and character coming into this game. People think its just Jerrick Ahanmisi, Pappi Sarr and Rob Manalang team. But this time around, I think, the bench really contributed well,” said Pumaren.

During the game, NU’s Alfred Aroga had 17 points and 13 rebounds. He was held to just six markers in the fourth period.

Sarr, on the other hand, had 13 points and 17 rebounds. He was likewise limited in the last canto producing just a single point.

With Bernardo’s game picking up in the last 10 minutes, Pumaren said his performance was a game changer indeed.

“I just played my usual game. I just focused on grabbing as many rebounds as I could. But the opportunity to score came and I just took advantage,” said Bernardo.

Peter Atencio

Semirara coal mine compliant, says Cusi

B3

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

B1

Miners decry audit process

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

T

HE Chamber of Mines of the Philippines on Thursday questioned the way the Environment Department conducted its audit of operational mines.

US TRADERS MEETING. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez (third from left) asks members of the

American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines to adopt an inclusive business model that integrates micro, small and medium enterprises into their value chains, during the group’s recent general membership meeting. The trade chief also unveils the department’s plans and programs, which are aligned with President Rodrigo Duterte’s 10-point socio-economic agenda for Philippine development.

BSP keeps rates after Fed’s move

By Julito G. Rada THE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, kept the benchmark interest rates Thursday, a day after the US Federal Reserve also maintained its policy settings.

Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said interest rates were kept at 3.5 percent for overnight lending, 3 percent for overnight borrowing and 2.5 percent for overnight deposits. The reserve requirement ratios of banks were also left unchanged.

The last time the board changed the policy rates was in September 2014.

Tetangco said the board’s decision was based on its assessment that the inflation environment remained manageable. Latest forecasts showed that average inflation was likely to settle slightly below the 2 percent to 4 percent target range in 2016 and rise toward the mid-point of the target range in 2017 and 2018.

“The Monetary Board observed that inflation is still being driven mainly by supply-side factors. Nevertheless, inflation expectations remain broadly in line with the inflation target over the policy horizon,” Tetangco said.

Inflation averaged 1.5 percent in the first eight months, below the government’s official target range of 2 percent to 4 percent.

The low inflation environment prompted the board to slightly reduce the inflation target average this year to 1.7 percent from the previous estimate of 1.8 percent.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said that in reducing the inflation forecast this year, the board took into consideration the lower inflation turnout of 1.8 percent in August from the 1.9 percent in July; the tapering impact of election-related spending; and the rainy season that will cause a moderation in some economic activities.

“We also considered the expected delay in power rate adjustments,” Guinigundo said.

The board, however, kept the previous inflation average estimates of 2.9 percent and 2.6 percent for 2017 and 2018, respectively.

TV5 fires Viva, plans to overhaul programs

By Darwin G. Amojelar TV5 Network Inc. plans a reorganization and overhaul of its programming strategy in a bid to achieve profitability by 2019, incoming TV5 president Vincent Reyes said.

“We are not only pivoting or transitioning in terms of programming, but also the strategy of the organization even the structure, everything is being done,” Reyes said.

“Basically, we are no longer going to do the telenovela, we are not going to do dramas. It’s really a concentrated effort to speak to a new audience. The ratings and the audience share might as not as big as traditional housewives–40 and above market, but hopefully we can deliver to our clients an audience,” he added.

Reyes said the network had terminated its partnership with Viva Communications, which handles the network’s entertainment programs.

“We’ve already terminated that partnership, so we are now retooling and building our capacity to produce our own

shows on TV5. Hopefully, by first quarter of 2017, (we’ll be) back with our own produced shows,” he said.

“While we are doing that, we are taking advantage of the strong US titles.”

Reyes said the network would avoid expensive talents and focus more on getting younger artists.

“We really want to be known as the home of the younger [talents], perhaps not so [famous].

If you don’t have the resources to hire the best, hire the young with opportunity to be the best,” he said.

Reyes said he was hopeful the strategies would help the network achieve its goal to post breakeven by 2019.

“Hopefully we ca achieve the goal of our chairman to post a profit by 2019,” he said.

TV5 chairman Manuel Pangilinan had said the company was targeting to break even in 2019, two years behind its original target of 2017.

Pangilinan also said TV5’s Media Center in Manduluyong was likely to be completed by November this year, after five years of construction.

“The mines audit conducted were not totally impartial,” CoMP vice president for legal and policy Ronald Recidoro said.

“Known anti-mining civil society organizations such as the Alyansa Tigil Mina and their allied grassroots organizations were included in the audit teams.

DENR Secretary Gina Lopez ordered the inclusion of third party experts in the audit teams. However, none of the CSO representatives included in the audit teams were expert in any field that may be relevant to the audit process,” Recidoro said.

CoMP said reports from mining firms stated that the CSO representatives did nothing but aired their opposition to the mining projects.

“The anti-mining CSOs who were disproportionately represented in the audit teams were allegedly harassing the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the Environmental Management Bureau representatives when they have favorable findings on the mining

project,” Recidoro said.

Recidoro also scored the lack of an expert to assess the social acceptability of the mine operations.

“We are deeply concerned that the presence of the CSO representatives opposed to largescale mining in the audit team will unduly influence results of the audit, specifically community satisfaction and social acceptability,” Recidoro said.

He said regular mine audit protocols were not observed.

“Several mining projects were even suspended prior to the start of the actual audit. Several of our members have complained that procedures to ensure fairness and transparency in the audit were absent, including the conduct of an exit audit conference where the DENR would have informed the company about initial findings,” Recidoro said.

The government has so far suspended the operations of 10 mining companies. President

Rodrigo Duterte earlier ordered the DENR to assess the mining operations in the country. he government is set to shut down 12 more mines, after an audit allegedly discovered inadequate mining practices in these sites, an Environment official said Wednesday.

Environment undersecretary and head of mining audit team Leo Jasareno said twelve mining companies were recommended for suspension after the audit.

He said Environment Secretary Regina Lopez would identify the companies Monday.

“Based on the initial review, 12 are recommended for suspension but we are still reviewing that. Remember that the process is [that] the audit team will report and then we will review,” he said.

CoMP earlier welcomed the audit, saying an impartial audit would weed out the irresponsible miners and highlight the significant contributions of responsible miners to their communities.

“But in moving forward we ask for future mine audits conducted by the DENR to be kept impartial, free from any bias, and involving only DENR personnel and acknowledged experts in the fields relevant in the review,” Recidoro said.

B2

Business

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

BDO becomes first Pera administrator

By Julito G. Rada BDO Unibank Inc., the country’s largest lender in terms of assets, became the first financial institution in the Philippines accredited as personal equity and retirement account, or Pera, administrator.

BDO said in a statement the accreditation came after hurdling stringent qualification requirements of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and Bureau of Internal Revenue.

“The trust and investments group of BDO Unibank became the first institution in the country to be accredited as PERA administrator,” it said.

Pera is a product of Republic Act 9505 which was signed into law on Aug. 22, 2008. Implementing rules and regulations were issued on Oct. 21, 2009 by various regulatory bodies.

These were further detailed by regulatory issuances byBangko Sentral and BIR, the latest of which was on July 21, 2016.

Pera is the Philippine version of similar laws covering retirement savings vehicles prevalent and long standing in more developed countries such as IRA and 401K. It establishes the legal and regulatory framework for voluntary personal retirement plans as a means to promote savings mobilization, capital market development and long-term fiscal sustainability.

It affords employers an opportunity to become agents in furthering these objectives. It provides Filipinos a means to supplement their future pension benefits from Social Security System and Government Service Insurance System.

Market advances; MPIC, Globe rally

S

TOCKS rose for a fourth day, after central banks including the US Federal Reserve indicated monetary policies will remain accommodative. while 45 issues were unchanged.

Eighteen of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led

by Globe Telecom Inc. which jumped 4.5 percent to P2,100 and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. which climbed 3.5 percent to P7.10. PLDT Inc. gained 2.3 percent to P1,756.

Meanwhile, Asian equity markets built on the previous day’s

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, climbed 86 points, or 1.1 percent, to close at 7,762.35 Thursday. This pushed up total gains to 11.7 percent this year.

The broader all-share index also advanced 32 points, or 0.7 percent, to settle at 4,603.05, on a value turnover of P8.5 billion. Advancers outnumbered losers, 109 to 66,

Japan-fueled strong performance.

With Japanese markets shut for a holiday, an MSCI index of shares elsewhere in Asia climbed for a sixth day.

US equities advanced in the last session and the dollar weakened as the Fed left rates unchanged and scaled back its projections for hikes in 2017 and beyond.

The won jumped the most since June as gains in commodity prices supported the Australian dollar.

New Zealand’s currency weakened and its bonds surged after its central bank said further policy easing is expected. Crude oil gained following a

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016

52 Weeks

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7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 10.4 0.92 2.6 890 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 75 91.5 137 80 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 6.12 0.74 1.02 625 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 58 62 88.35 52 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

AG Finance 3.47 Asia United Bank 48.3 Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 110.50 Bank of PI 105.10 China Bank 38.05 BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. 3.85 Bright Kindle Resources 1.42 COL Financial 16.66 Eastwest Bank 21 Filipino Fund Inc. 6.80 First Abacus 0.7 I-Remit Inc. 1.86 Manulife Fin. Corp.

600.00 MEDCO Holdings 1.000 Metrobank 85.8 Natl. Reinsurance Corp. 0.92 PB Bank 14 Phil Bank of Comm 23.30 Phil. National Bank 57.50 Phil. Savings Bank 95.95 Philippine trust Co. 255 PSE 272 RCBC `A’ 35.8 Security Bank 251 Sun Life Financial 1420.00 Union Bank 73.20 Vantage Equities 1.46

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 2.89 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 15 2.65 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 1450 3.28 0.315 2.18 234 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 1.06 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 10.04 2.09 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 5.9 801 1.55 0.138 1.02 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

Aboitiz Power Corp.

45.2 Agrinurture Inc. 3.25 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.97 Alsons Cons.

1.62 Asiabest Group 16.8 Bogo Medelin 52 Cemex Holdings 11.88 Century Food 16.94 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 121.9 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 24 Concepcion 56.9 Crown Asia 2.09 Da Vinci Capital 6.07 Del Monte 12.2 DNL Industries Inc. 11.700 Emperador 7.08 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.91 EEI 7.87 Euro-Med Lab 1.76 First Gen Corp.

24.95 First Holdings ‘A’ 71.9 Holcim Philippines Inc. 16.60 Integ. Micro-Electronics 6.2 Ionics Inc 2.180 Jollibee Foods Corp.

248.00 LMG Chemicals 1.95 Mabuhay Vinyl 4.38 Macay Holdings 27.85 Manila Water Co. Inc. 29.8 Maxs Group 28 Megawide 14.94 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 315.00 MG Holdings 0.260 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.2 Petron Corporation 10.46 Phinma Corporation 11.60 Phinma Energy 2.21 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 6.00 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.62 Pryce Corp. `A’ 3.52 RFM Corporation 4.19 Roxas Holdings 3.27 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 223 Splash Corporation 3.1 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.170 TKC Steel Corp.

1.71 Universal Robina 186.4 Victorias Milling 4.65 Vitarich Corp.

2.48 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.28

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 1455 7.5 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 2.99 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.225 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 837 5.3 49.55 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 0.030 1.23 0.550 2.26 59.3 1.5 751 1.13 0.93 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’ Filinvest Dev. Corp.

GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Lopez Holdings Corp.

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

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

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

0.390 78.40 16.22 1.21 6.12 0.365 0.365 860 8.39 11.98 6.39 7.98 1450 6.26 78.30 8.09 0.8 16.62 0.470 6.86 0.0350 1.190 2.010 2.70 82.50 2.27 656.50 1.26 0.97 222.000 0.3200 0.2000 0.275

10.5 26.95 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 1.44 0.201 0.69

6.74 12 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 0.79 0.083 0.415

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

Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ Century Property Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

7.380 6.78 1.29 2.640 0.285 38.750 2.91 0.590 0.170 0.600

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.72 3.49 48.5 47.9 111.40 110.50 105.90 105.00 38.1 38 3.85 3.70 1.47 1.35 16.66 16.1 21.4 21.1 6.80 6.80 0.7 0.7 1.87 1.87 630.00 620.00 4.000 0.960 87.05 86 0.92 0.92 14.04 14.04 24.00 24.00 60.00 57.50 98 97 252 240 272 270 36.15 35.8 257 247 1430.00 1415.00 73.50 73.10 1.46 1.46 INDUSTRIAL 46.1 45.2 3.35 3.2 1 0.97 1.69 1.6 16.8 16.3 52 52 12.26 11.98 17.06 16.94 118 118 24 23.6 57 56.85 2.19 2.12 6.25 6 12.3 12.06 11.960 11.740 7.10 7.07 6.00 5.90 8.00 7.90 1.76 1.76 25.75 25.1 73 71.95 16.62 16.60 6.2 6.19 2.230 2.170 250.00 247.80 1.95 1.95 4.35 4.2 28.30 26.10 29.75 29.5 29.15 28 15.34 14.94 316.80 315.00 0.260 0.260 3.21 3.18 10.46 10.26 11.60 11.60 2.23 2.20 6.01 5.99 1.59 1.53 3.76 3.48 4.20 4.19 3.48 3.4 222 221.4 3.1 3.1 0.174 0.165 1.81 1.69 188 187.5 4.69 4.6 2.52 2.39 1.22 1.21 HOLDING FIRMS 0.390 0.380 79.60 76.15 16.50 16.22 1.26 1.22 6.20 6.15 0.370 0.360 0.365 0.365 868 861.5 8.56 8.45 12.06 11.94 6.38 6.38 8.06 7.85 1482 1451 6.30 6.30 79.00 77.50 8.3 8.09 0.83 0.8 16.72 16.4 0.460 0.450 7.1 6.95 0.0350 0.0350 1.180 1.180 2.050 2.020 2.69 2.60 83.00 81.30 2.28 2.28 672.00 662.50 1.28 1.24 1.02 0.96 225.000 221.800 0.3250 0.3200 0.2070 0.2000 0.280 0.280 PROPERTY 7.550 7.350 7.00 6.80 1.34 1.29 2.900 2.700 0.285 0.275 39.300 38.750 3 2.95 0.600 0.580 0.172 0.169 0.600 0.590

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.6 48.5 110.60 105.90 38 3.70 1.45 16.1 21.15 6.80 0.7 1.87 629.00 0.970 86.7 0.92 14.04 24.00 58.40 97 245 272 35.8 255 1415.00 73.25 1.46

3.75 0.41 0.09 0.76 -0.13 -3.90 2.11 -3.36 0.71 0.00 0.00 0.54 4.83 -3.00 1.05 0.00 0.29 3.00 1.57 1.09 -3.92 0.00 0.00 1.59 -0.35 0.07 0.00

183,000 22,700 903,300 947,460 1,400 15,000 344,000 104,200 714,200 300 11,000 37,000 1,120 6,312,000 4,415,680 38,000 7,000 500 51,920 610 3,450 330 123,000 1,135,150 880 251,760 220,000

45.65 3.3 0.99 1.6 16.3 52 12.04 17 118 23.95 56.85 2.14 6.15 12.16 11.800 7.10 6.00 7.93 1.76 25.35 72.5 16.60 6.2 2.210 249.40 1.95 4.35 27.75 29.5 28.8 15.18 315.20 0.260 3.21 10.30 11.60 2.22 6.00 1.55 3.76 4.19 3.4 221.6 3.1 0.165 1.78 187.7 4.6 2.47 1.22

1.00 1.54 2.06 -1.23 -2.98 0.00 1.35 0.35 -3.20 -0.21 -0.09 2.39 1.32 -0.33 0.85 0.28 1.52 0.76 0.00 1.60 0.83 0.00 0.00 1.38 0.56 0.00 -0.68 -0.36 -1.01 2.86 1.61 0.06 0.00 0.31 -1.53 0.00 0.45 0.00 -4.32 6.82 0.00 3.98 -0.63 0.00 -2.94 4.09 0.70 -1.08 -0.40 -4.69

1,839,100 635,000 2,093,000 4,693,000 700 320 28,001,900 3,020,500 200 1,161,400 916,170 1,440,000 680,700 37,800 2,988,700 5,172,900 12,706,800 1,399,300 19,000 2,841,300 528,140 227,700 1,141,900 756,000 262,750 10,000 19,000 5,100 4,086,000 520,900 4,629,500 131,290 230,000 429,000 5,067,700 150,600 283,000 145,700 188,000 387,000 22,000 111,000 2,010 2,025,000 10,940,000 1,399,000 2,109,970 4,000 9,676,000 61,000

0.390 79.20 16.50 1.25 6.19 0.370 0.365 865 8.5 12.00 6.38 8.05 1480 6.30 79.00 8.23 0.8 16.4 0.450 7.1 0.0350 1.180 2.050 2.69 83.00 2.28 668.50 1.28 1.02 225.000 0.3200 0.2070 0.280

0.00 1.02 1.73 3.31 1.14 1.37 0.00 0.58 1.31 0.17 -0.16 0.88 2.07 0.64 0.89 1.73 0.00 -1.32 -4.26 3.50 0.00 -0.84 1.99 -0.37 0.61 0.44 1.83 1.59 5.15 1.35 0.00 3.50 1.82

290,000 1,742,460 2,330,400 22,000 4,000 1,220,000 110,000 365,450 1,871,900 12,303,400 3,000 1,293,500 263,715 100 3,594,100 9,583,500 34,000 7,496,100 150,000 47,125,600 8,300,000 20,000 159,000 51,000 116,770 1,000 392,600 72,000 80,000 8,840 154,000 2,450,000 170,000

7.400 7.00 1.31 2.800 0.280 39.000 2.98 0.580 0.170 0.600

0.27 3.24 1.55 6.06 -1.75 0.65 2.41 -1.69 0.00 0.00

302,600 22,100 1,435,000 3,672,000 330,000 9,472,000 936,000 2,469,000 8,750,000 1,341,000

838,300.00 -32,692,674 54,246,314.00 15,240.00 -1,626.00 -10,590,500.00

107,500.00 -34,482,188.00

-612,370.00

1,746,715 -199,698,102.00 141,500.00 118,468.00 38,325,215.00 52,640.00 26,730.00 -4,701,510.00 -7,176,132.00 -23,034,238.00 -102,939

-4,833,510.00 -24,987,396.00 -14,300,474.00 -679,484.00 15,327,680.00 -24,169,775.50 2,553,222.00 -3,035,174.00 -322,156.00 73,360.00 59,093,095.00 -7,483,990.00 -11,104,068.00 -1,990,960.00 1,079,470.00 -7,546,550.00 -730,800.00 11,000.00 109,536.00 58,660.00 -370,072.00 -43,000.00 -101,175,812 459,070.00

79,360,546.50 9,681,620.00

40,150.00 -17,154,015 1,199,801.00 -2,705,966.00 -400,000.00 -2,713,880.00

52 Weeks

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High Low

STOCKS

10.96 0.97 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.470 27 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

2.4 0.83 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.290 23 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

10.5 66 1.09 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 2720 8.41

1.97 35.2 0.63 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 1600 5.95

1.97 119.5 7 5.8 0.017

1.23 102.6 3.01 4 0.011

0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 1 15.2

0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 0.650 6

1.040 6.41 4 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 3 2.28 79 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 12.7 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 8.2 49.2 4.27 3.06 0.020 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9

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

70

33

515 12.28 111 1060 84.8

480 6.5 101 997 75

6.98

0.8900

-62,124,552.50 2,017,450.00 810.00 49,055,294.00 157,698,062.00

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6

-368,467.50 105,371,155.00

1,086,099.00 -7,520.00 -66,000.00 341,000.00 66,594,610.00 -719,510.00 -611,830.00

Close

Double Dragon Empire East Land Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry Primex Corp.

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

High

59.45 57.8 0.780 0.770 1.06 1.01 1.91 1.87 1.18 1.17 4.74 4.61 0.248 0.226 0.2750 0.2600 37.00 36.00 3.69 3.56 31.80 30.70 1.65 1.63 3.35 3.32 28.75 28.00 1.09 1.04 1.060 1.040 5.370 5.200 SERVICES 2GO Group’ 7.24 7.5 7.24 ABS-CBN 49 49.2 48.9 APC Group, Inc. 0.560 0.560 0.560 Berjaya Phils. Inc. 5.59 5.62 5.05 Bloomberry 5.52 5.59 5.39 Boulevard Holdings 0.0990 0.1020 0.0970 Calata Corp.

3.43 3.57 3.44 Cebu Air Inc. (5J) 118.4 120 118.2 Centro Esc. Univ.

10.1 10 10 Discovery World 2.61 2.6 2.59 DFNN Inc. 6.99 7.20 7.00 Globe Telecom 2010 2110 2010 GMA Network Inc. 6.30 6.33 6.28 Golden Haven 14.20 14.18 14.02 Harbor Star 1.71 1.94 1.70 I.C.T.S.I. 80 81.95 80 Imperial Res. `A’ 19.00 19.50 18.50 Imperial Res. `B’ 156 149.6 136 IP E-Game Ventures Inc. 0.0100 0.0100 0.0098 IPM Holdings 9.23 9.24 9.23 Island Info 0.255 0.255 0.250 ISM Communications 1.4100 1.4200 1.4000 Jackstones 3.6 4.25 3.6 Leisure & Resorts 4.47 4.55 4.35 Liberty Telecom 2.44 2.64 2.32 Manila Bulletin 0.600 0.580 0.570 Melco Crown 4.55 4.61 4.46 Metro Retail 5.58 5.85 5.53 NOW Corp.

3.810 3.950 3.710 PAL Holdings Inc. 5.63 5.62 5.62 Paxys Inc. 2.8 2.8 2.53 Phil. Seven Corp.

181.00 180.00 148.00 Philweb.Com Inc. 6.30 6.32 5.95 PLDT Common 1716.00 1765.00 1746.00 PremiereHorizon 0.420 0.420 0.415 Premium Leisure 1.060 1.060 1.040 Puregold 44.05 44.50 43.90 Robinsons RTL 79.10 80.50 79.05 SBS Phil. Corp.

5.94 6.28 5.96 SSI Group 2.96 3.08 2.95 STI Holdings 0.620 0.620 0.610 Travellers 3.4 3.4 3.38 Waterfront Phils.

0.360 0.380 0.360 Yehey 5.480 5.480 5.100 MINING & OIL Abra Mining 0.0038 0.0038 0.0038 Apex `A’ 2.89 2.90 2.80 Atlas Cons. `A’ 4.11 4.20 4.11 Benguet Corp `A’ 2.1800 2.15 2.1000 Century Peak Metals Hldgs0.58 0.59 0.58 Coal Asia 0.410 0.410 0.400 Dizon 8.46 8.48 8.22 Ferronickel 0.840 0.840 0.830 Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.270 0.275 0.270 Lepanto `A’ 0.203 0.208 0.205 Lepanto `B’ 0.227 0.216 0.215 Manila Mining `A’ 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 1.65 1.64 1.58 Nickelasia 6.38 6.63 6.35 Nihao Mineral Resources 2.92 2.95 2.9 Oriental Peninsula Res. 0.9600 0.9700 0.9600 Oriental Pet. `A’ 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 Petroenergy Res. Corp. 4.20 4.03 4.03 Philex `A’ 8.59 8.59 8.49 PhilexPetroleum 3.19 3.41 3.25 Philodrill Corp. `A’ 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 Semirara Corp.

117.00 117.00 116.00 TA Petroleum 3.18 3.17 3.12 PREFERRED ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. 49 49.4 49 DD Pref 104 105.5 104.2 GLOBE PREF P 541 541 541 Leisure and Resort 1.03 1.03 1.03 MWIDE PREF 112.6 112.6 112.4 PCOR-Preferred A 1120 1120 1120 SMC Preferred C 81 81 81 SMC Preferred D 76.1 76.5 76.4 SMC Preferred G 79 79 79 SMC Preferred H 78.2 78.2 78.1 SMC Preferred I 77.65 78 78 WARRANTS & BONDS LR Warrant 2.530 2.600 2.440 SME Alterra Capital 2.95 2.95 2.77 Italpinas 4.74 4.94 4.62 Xurpas 14 14.3 14 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS First Metro ETF 126.7 128.2 126.8

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

17,122,427

INDUSTRIAL

115,716,967

HOLDING FIRMS

103,719,325

PROPERTY

470,724,230

SERVICES

298,257,538

MINING & OIL

50,447,404

GRAND TOTAL

1,059,852,891

57.55 0.770 1.01 1.86 1.14 4.6 0.241 0.2750 36.00 3.64 31.20 1.65 3.35 27.70 1.06 1.040 5.250

Low

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

59 0.780 1.05 1.88 1.18 4.7 0.226 0.2750 37.00 3.6 30.72 1.64 3.34 28.00 1.07 1.040 5.200

2.52 1.30 3.96 1.08 3.51 2.17 -6.22 0.00 2.78 -1.10 -1.54 -0.61 -0.30 1.08 0.94 0.00 -0.95

944,990 28,000 10,781,000 15,582,000 165,000 35,244,000 333,690,000 310,000 1,900 670,000 65,615,870 134,000 68,000 15,456,000 3,994,000 333,000 22,450,400

-19,102,529.50

7.5 49 0.560 5.62 5.39 0.1000 3.51 118.5 10 2.59 7.00 2100 6.30 14.16 1.94 81.6 19.00 149.6 0.0099 9.24 0.250 1.4200 3.93 4.41 2.36 0.570 4.56 5.85 3.720 5.62 2.8 156.00 5.99 1756.00 0.415 1.050 44.00 80.00 6.15 3.01 0.620 3.38 0.370 5.300

3.59 0.00 0.00 0.54 -2.36 1.01 2.33 0.08 -0.99 -0.77 0.14 4.48 0.00 -0.28 13.45 2.00 0.00 -4.10 -1.00 0.11 -1.96 0.71 9.17 -1.34 -3.28 -5.00 0.22 4.84 -2.36 -0.18 0.00 -13.81 -4.92 2.33 -1.19 -0.94 -0.11 1.14 3.54 1.69 0.00 -0.59 2.78 -3.28

41,500 18,700 100,000 200 10,762,400 98,260,000 2,336,000 806,820 500 4,000 138,800 194,910 45,900 42,200 8,520,000 652,000 27,300 20 64,300,000 470,000 29,320,000 744,000 2,752,000 1,844,000 4,996,000 19,000 18,752,000 11,119,600 8,441,000 2,200 8,000 9,950 3,381,100 229,675 660,000 10,667,000 5,844,500 1,792,900 1,278,500 5,760,000 1,298,000 441,000 1,660,000 89,100

0.0038 2.88 4.12 2.1500 0.59 0.400 8.30 0.840 0.270 0.206 0.216 0.0110 1.59 6.51 2.92 0.9700 0.0110 4.03 8.59 3.27 0.0110 117.00 3.13

0.00 -0.35 0.24 -1.38 1.72 -2.44 -1.89 0.00 0.00 1.48 -4.85 0.00 -3.64 2.04 0.00 1.04 0.00 -4.05 0.00 2.51 -8.33 0.00 -1.57

15,000,000 82,000 341,000 55,000 275,000 220,000 15,900 2,062,000 160,000 5,940,000 200,000 400,000 989,000 13,649,500 78,000 206,000 1,200,000 3,000 850,700 2,997,000 4,400,000 827,260 76,000

49 105 541 1.03 112.4 1120 81 76.5 79 78.2 78

0.00 0.96 0.00 0.00 -0.18 0.00 0.00 0.53 0.00 0.00 0.45

22,500 31,760 1,070 5,000 17,840 500 12,260 7,400 22,700 148,700 68,200

2.440

-3.56

341,000

2.8 4.93 14.1

-5.08 4.01 0.71

2,373,000 268,000 1,203,200

-42,000.00 47,800.00 -6,452,460.00

128.2

1.18

14,390

289,366.00

-2,113,800.00 11,435,070.00 -34,287,490.00 1,563,450.00 -179,070.00

-20,900,085.00 -66,688,435.00 -32,760.00

6,338,169.00 -1,000.00 -17,462,033.00

63,926,350.00 1,416.00 278,430.00 14,661,710.50

255,000.00 -462,860 54,600.00 -24,202,390.00 -5,784,243.00 38,300.00 293,654.00 -810,508.00 1,133,210.00 -371,690.00 50,334,185.00 -1,381,972.50 -61,005.00 -5,448,590.00 -180,200.00 237,200.00

318,440.00 17,400.00 -73,700.00 21,600.00 -274,820.00 -1,806,615.00

259,382.00 1,688,440.00 14,999,144.00 -82,425.00

VALUE 1,868.25 (up) 13.16 1,035,403,618.336 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 12,013.40 (up) 73.70 1,696,549,403.765 HOLDING FIRMS 7,707.50 (up) 101.56 2,411,730,107.914 PROPERTY 3,457.21 (up) 28.17 1,548.63 (up) 26.02 1,362,816,086.92 SERVICES MINING & OIL 10,860.27 (down) 4.31 1,745,008,014.344 PSEI 7,762.35 (up) 86.93 209,890,330.10 All Shares Index 4,603.05 (up) 32.71 8,488,246,806.93 Gainers: 109; Losers: 66; Unchanged: 45; Total: 220

slide in US stockpiles.

Loose monetary policies in the US, Europe and Asia have helped drive gains in stocks, bonds and commodities this year and the latest signals from central bankers suggest the era of cheap money has further to run.

While the Fed still sees a rate hike this year, its projection for increases in 2017 was trimmed to two from three. Japan’s central bank on Wednesday pledged to overshoot its 2 percent inflation goal and took steps to limit the negative side effects of its record stimulus.

The period “of having very low developed market rates for a very long time, and investors needing yields, that is still there,” Peter Kinsella, head of emerging market economic and foreign-exchange research at Commerzbank AG, told Bloomberg TV in Hong Kong.

Speeches are due Thursday from the heads of the European Central Bank and the Bank of England, while at least seven central banks have policy reviews. Indonesia is forecast to lower interest rates and about a third of economists surveyed by Bloomberg are predicting a cut in Norway, while monetary authorities in South Africa and Turkey are seen leaving borrowing costs unchanged. France has business confidence gauges coming and a measure of consumer sentiment in the euro area is also scheduled.

With AFP, Bloomberg

ChinaBank infuses P2b into thrift bank unit

By Julito G. Rada CHINA Banking Corp., the eighth-largest lender in terms of assets, is infusing an additional P2 billion worth of capital into thrift bank subsidiary China Bank Savings Inc. to support business expansion.

ChinaBank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the capital infusion would be done in two tranches before the end of the year.

“This is to inform the exchange that our executive committee approved this afternoon, the bank’s capital infusion of P2 billion, of which P1 billion in September 2016 and another P1 billion by December 2016, to China Bank Savings, Inc. to support its business expansion,” ChinaBank said.

“This additional equity infusion brings to P6.0125 billion the total capital infused into CBSI since September 2014,” China Bank said.

ChinaBank, founded in 1920, is the country’s first privately-owned local commercial bank and now one of the largest private universal banks in the Philippines providing a full range of banking products and services to corporate, commercial and retail customers through over 500 branches nationwide, including China Bank Savings.

ChinaBank posted a consolidated net income of P3.27 billion in the first half, up 30 percent year-on-year, on sustained strength of core and fee-based businesses.

The six-month performance translated into a return on equity of 10.74 percent and a return on assets of 1.22 percent.

Net revenues before operating expenses grew 15 percent to P10.85 billion, with net interest revenues up 7 percent to P7.95 billion, driven by the 12-percent growth in loan portfolio.

Business

Vaccine for deadly dengue DATA from the World Health Organization indicates that dengue is the fastest spreading mosquito-borne viral disease, with some 40 percent of the world’s population living under the threat of dengue virus. As everyone should know by now, dengue is a deadly viral disease caused by the bite of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes (there are many mosquito types falling under this genus). With the rainy season now definitely here, mothers are worried about the proliferation of mosquitos and the possible outbreak of dengue.Contrary to common notion, dengue mosquitoes thrive in stagnant, clean water – not in dirty stagnant water such as those we see on canals or esteros. People should carefully check areas where mosquitoes could breed, such as pails and other water containers, old tires, uncovered soft-drink bottles in the yard, etc.

According to reports, the vial disease is the source of 390 million infections and the cause of over 20,000 deaths every year on a global scale. In the Philippines, more than 200,000 cases of dengue fever were reported, although health experts suspect that the number could be higher because many cases are either underreported or misdiagnosed. Data also shows that the number of dengue cases is on the rise, with 101,401 suspected dengue cases already reported as of Aug. 20 this year (higher by 16 percent compared to the same period in 2015), with 442 deaths recorded.

The Department of Health has launched an anti-dengue vaccine program early this year with Dengvaxia, the world’s first anti-dengue vaccine manufactured by a French multinational pharma. Grade 4 public school children in selected areas that have shown high cases of dengue were the initial beneficiaries with expectations that the program would be expanded later in the year until June 2017. But for some reason, the vaccination program was reportedly put on hold by the DOH that wants the vaccine subjected to further review to ascertain how effective it is in offering protection to the most common dengue serotypes in the country known as serotypes 1 and 2. Apparently, the efficacy of the aid vaccine could be affected if one has already been previously infected with the disease prior to vaccination.

No doubt dengue is a deadly global disease, with children and the elderly (especially those with poor health conditions) among the most vulnerable. One positive development is the announcement from pharmaceutical company Takeda that it has initiated the third phase of its trials to determine the efficacy of a vaccine under development for all four dengue serotypes— regardless of previous exposure to the disease.

The Japanese pharma company – which is the biggest in Asia— said it has vaccinated the first subject for Phase 3 of its Tetravalent Immunization against Dengue Efficacy Study. Approximately 20,000 healthy children between the ages of four and 16 years living in dengue-endemic countries in Latin America and Asia will be included. The study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the vaccine candidate to protect all individuals at risk for symptomatic dengue fever caused by any of the four dengue virus serotypes regardless of age and whether the individual has previously been exposed to the virus, the company reiterated.

“While vector-control efforts are important, there is still much work to be done in terms of disease prevention through vaccination. Dengue-endemic countries throughout the Asia Pacific region would benefit from a vaccine that would protect against all four types of the virus in both adults and children with an acceptable safety profile, whether or not they have been previously infected with dengue,” said Dr. Annelies WilderSmith, professor of Infectious Diseases and Director for Global Health and Vaccinology Programme at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in Singapore.

Dr. Rajeev Venkayya, president of the Global Vaccine Business Unit at Takeda, disclosed that “Initiation of this Phase 3 trial brings us closer to bringing a vaccine to market in places that need it most to help address unmet needs in dengue protection.”

According to doctors, more than half of those infected with the virus are “asymptomatic”—meaning they do not exhibit the symptoms such as high fever, profuse sweating, feeling of nausea or vomiting, pain in the joints, loss of appetite, appearance of rashes, swelling of the hands and soles of the feet, and a drop in blood pressure.

If you experience any or all of these symptoms, don’t waste your time – go visit a doctor or a hospital to get yourself checked.

••• For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@yahoo. com. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https:// www.facebook.com/happyhourmanilastandard. Cheers!

B3

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Semirara coal mine compliant, says Cusi

By Alena Mae S. Flores

T

HE Energy Department declared Semirara Mining and Power Corp. environmentally compliant after an audit of its Molave mine expansion in Caluya, Antique province.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi provided a copy of Semirara’s compliance with the environmental rules to company chairman Isidro Consunji on Sept. 21.

The report’s conclusion said “the DOE audit team verified that the mining operation of SMPC does not discharge toxic materials to the mangroves, the sulfur content of the coal if below 1 percent, there is no seaweed farm affected, and the dumping of overburden materi-

als does not affect the nearby housing communities.”

Semirara said in a disclosure to the stock exchange early this week that a report from the audit team showed the Molave expansion project was compliant with environmental laws.

Semirara said it requested for a copy of the results of the environmental audit conducted on Aug. 30 to 31.

The audit team was composed of representatives from the Environmental Management

Bureau Central Office, EMB Region 6, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office of Antique, Provincial Health Office of Antique and civil society organizations.

“In summary, the project is found to be technically sound considering that all aspects have been considered such as slope stability analysis, analyses of pumping tests of dewatering wells, GHG emission reduction program etc.,” Semirara said.

The government report, however, instructed the company to conduct a dialog with residents who had complaints against the operations of the company.

“Although there were complaints received regarding the operation of the mining project, it is recommended that a dialog

with the complainants be undertaken especially those who are not residents of the island to discuss the subject of the complaints and possible solutions,” the report said.

Semirara earlier received a show cause letter from the Environment Department which ordered the company to explain why its environmental compliance certificate should not be cancelled.

The department alleged that the company did not comply with one of the conditions provided in its ECC relative to its Molave coal mine expansion project.

The agency said there were complaints against Semirara over alleged massive clearing affecting the island ecosystem, degradation of water quality and siltation of the marine environment.

IN BRIEF Mayor lifts Roxol suspension

NEGOSYO CENTER. Villar Sipag (Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance) teams up with the Trade Department and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Las Piñas Chapter to open the Negosyo Center at Villar Sipag Compound in Las Piñas City. Senator Cynthia Villar (second from left), who also serves as Villar Sipag director, believes that having a Negosyo Center in Las Piñas City will further spur the growth of entrepreneurship and micro, small and medium enterprises. With Villar are (from left) Diwa Partylist Rep. Emmeline Aglipay-Villar, mayor Imelda Aguilar, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and PCCI-Las Piñas president Teresita Ngan Tian. Lino Santos

AC Energy projects reach 1,000 MW AC ENERGY Holdings Inc., the power arm of Ayala Corp., said Thursday its attributable capacity reached 1,000 megawatts, with the phased development of the 668-MW GNPower Dinginin project in Bataan province.

AC Energy has a 50-percent stake in GNPower Dinginin project.

AC Energy president and chief executive John Eric Francia said in a statement the company achieved the milestone through partnerships with various industry players.

“Our ability to partner has been a strong driver in rapidly growing our portfolio. We will continue to grow through partnerships and in the process have a more diversified portfolio,” he said.

The company now has a portion of seven coal, wind and solar assets five years since it entered the market in 2011.

These assets included the 604-

MW GNPower Mariveles and 668-MW GNPower Dinginin in Bataan; 244-MW South Luzon Thermal Energy in Batangas; 552-MW GNPower Kausawagan in Lanao del Norte; 81-MW North Luzon Renewables and 52-MW NorthWind Power in Ilocos Norte; and 18-MW Montesol in Bais, Negros Oriental.

Five of the plants are now operational, which collectively deliver about 1,000 MW of power to the grid. The two plants under construction GNPower Kauswagan and GNPower Dinginin will add another 1,200 MW to the grid by 2018 or 2019.

AC Energy’s attributable capacity includes GNPower Mariveles at 121 MW; South Luzon Thermal Corp.,, 122 MW; North Luzon Renewable Energy Corp., 29 MW; NorthWind Power Development Corp., 26 MW; Monte Solar Energy Inc., 14 MW; GN Power

Kausawan, 442 MW and GN Power Dinginin, 334 MW. AC Energy said in addition to investment in renewable sources such as wind and solar, it was ensuring high environmental standards in its projects by using clean coal technologies such as circulating fluidized bed and super critical technology.

The company recorded P2.1 billion in net income in 2015.

First half net income this year grew 2.9 times from a year ago.

“AC Energy has started to contribute to the country’s energy infrastructure needs and has become a significant component of Ayala’s portfolio. We will continue our significant investments in this space and expect AC Energy to be a key driver of Ayala’s growth and value in the long term,” said Ayala chairman and chief executive Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.

Alena Mae S. Flores

LA CARLOTA City mayor Luis Jalandoni III on Thursday lifted the cease and desist order he issued against Roxol Bioenergy Corp., a subsidiary of Roxas Holdings Inc. in Nagasi, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental “In a memorandum, Mayor Jalandoni noted that the lifting of the CDO, which takes effect immediately, is based on the results of the city governments unit’s inspection and verification of the mitigating measures that RBC implemented since the time of the closure up to the present,” Roxas Holdings said in a disclosure.

The mayor issued the 30-day suspension order on Sept. 9 to the bioethanol plant of Roxol because of alleged foul odor.

“The lifting order, served today [Thursday], also directed RBC to appropriately inform the Office of the City Mayor upon resumption of its operations,” it said.

The local government earlier said the order could be lifted as soon as Roxol Bioenergy demonstrated a substantial mitigation of the complained odor.

The Roxol ethanol facility, which started production in 2011, is capable of producing 30 million liters of ethanol annually. Roxas Holdings also owns another ethanol plant, San Carlos Bioenergy, in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental. Alena Mae S. Flores

PH needs P1t investments

THE Philippines needs at least P1 trillion worth of investments annually to become a middle-income economy by 2022, a Finance official said.

Newly-appointed Finance Undersecretary and chief economist Karl Kendrick Chua said the amount would be on top of the current rate of investment.

“Our estimate is to achieve our targets of higher income status and to eradicate poverty, we need to raise investments by P1 trillion every year on top of the P1 trillion that we invest. This is to bring us to the level where our neighbors have experienced when they were growing to become upper middle income country and to eradicate poverty,” Chua said in a recent hearing at the House ways and means committee.

The amount will be used to bridge the gap on key public investments in the country, he said.

Chua said for the near term, or the next three years, about P600 billion was expected to be raised equally from improved tax administration, customs administration and savings from spending.

The remaining P400 billion will be raised from tax policy or equivalent to about 2 percent of the economy.

Gabrielle H. Binaday

Big Chinese rail firm investing in PH STATE OWNED CRRC Dalian Co. Ltd. of China, one of the largest train manufacturers in the world, signed a memorandum of understanding with a Filipino company as a part of a plan to bid for rail projects and establish a rolling stock manufacturing plant in the country.

CRRC Dalian signed the MOU with Filipino company Comm Builders & Technology Philippines, a former maintenance contractor of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 and Light Rail Transit Line 1.

CRRC Dalian deputy general manager Zhou Chuanyi, Ocean Eagle Holding HK Ltd. managing director Lam Ngai who serves as CCRC’s Hong Kongbased agent/representative and CB&T president Rohel Bacar signed the MOU on Sept. 21 at the New World Manila Bay Hotel in Malate, Manila for an exclusive partnership on rail maintenance and construction projects in the Philippines.

The MOU was also signed by CGC Worldwide Inc. president Gerald Cabrera, the adviser of CRRC and Ocean Eagle.

CRRC Dalian is the same company that won the contract to supply 48 new light rail vehicles for Metro Rail Transit Line 3.

Ngai said CRRC and Ocean Eagle were keen on bidding for various big ticket rail projects offered by the Philippine government and planned to submit unsolicited proposals for new rail lines or for rehabilitation and improvement of existing ones.

“We want to intensify, increase our presence in the Philippines,” Ngai said in a statement.

Bacar said CRRC Dalian was a great choice as a technology partner. Bacar said CRRC assured him that if the joint venture partners successfully bagged one or more rail projects in the Philippines, the Chinese company would set up rolling stock manufacturing activities, transfer tech-

nology and generate jobs.

“I can only see the best and genuine technology transfer with the world’s largest manufacturer of trains by granting the host country to have its own manufacturing plants and not just providing jobs but spurring the economic activity in terms of providing mobility to our cities,” Bacar said.

“The Chinese strict mass transport safety regulations are at par with the any other standards and most importantly in the international rail industry standards,” he said.

“A manufacturing and assembly plant will be faster to respond to the urgent needs of mass transport in any city in the country following the technical studies of the masterplans for each region especially metro areas,” Bacar said.

Bacar said the Chinese railway system was among the best in the world.

Roderick T. dela Cruz

CRRC Dalian Co. Ltd. of China signs a memorandum of understanding with Filipino company Comm Builders & Technology Philippines to bid for rail projects in the Philippines. Shown sealing the agreement are (from left) CBT vice president for business development Josh Bacar, CGC Worldwide Inc. president Gerald Cabrera, CBT president Roehl Bacar, CRRC deputy general manager Zhou Chuanyi and Ocean Eagle Holding HK Ltd. managing director Lam Ngai.

PIMS highlights future mobility RAMON L. TOMELDAN EDITOR

B4

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Motoring

Volkswagen PH officials unveil the new CC luxury sedan.

Interior protection with Maxliner

GET some real protection from dirt, mud and grease with Maxliner’s custom fit 3D digital map floormats. As a known OEM supplier of bedliners for big name brands such as Toyota, Ford, Mitsubishi, Isuzu and Chevrolet, Maxliner spent a considerable amount of money, time and effort to come up with the 3D digital mapped floormats.

Unlike inexpensive and basic

universal floor mats, they’re designed to precisely fit specific vehicles, providing edgeto-edge coverage of the foot wells. They also have raised edges around their perimeters to trap and contain liquid. All of this better protects your car’s carpets from water, dirt, mud and other messy things that can get trapped into the vehicle’s carpets or spilled onto the floor. “Our products also have

patterns around the floormats that channel away fluids from your feet to a reservoir at the rear edges. Since Maxliner is an OEM supplier, our 3D digital mapped floormats are easy to install, remove and fits most cars, pick-ups and SUV’s,” explains Peter Vargas of the Outdoors Club. “Our floor mats are also designed to not move around or slip on the floor and the best thing about it is they are easy to clean,” adds Vargas.

With 200 hours spent on research development, Maxliner’s 3D digital mapped floormats are the most affordable and best designed in comparison to its nearest competitor which is double the price. It is also the floormat of choice of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) .

Mitsubishi presents the new Outlander SUV.

Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III

M

ajor players of the domestic automotive industry rolled out the red carpet for the staging of the sixth Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) held at the Word Trade Center in Pasay City.

With the key players behind the four day motorshow which started September 14 and ran up to the 18th, visitors got to see the concept cars and the latest variants soon to hit the roads.

“PIMS is proof that the automotive industry remains robust these past few years. We are excited to stage it this year as we lead Filipinos to a future of better mobility and transportation, and contribute to the country’s progress,” said CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez.

The theme of this year’s PIMS is “Steer The Future” with the tagline “CAMPI: Driving Progress, Empowering Society.” It highlights the automotive industry’s valuable contributions to the advancement of the country and its economy.

This year’s PIMS motor show gathered 17 of the top car manufacturers and distributors as they showcased their latest vehicles and automotive technologies; BAIC, BMW, Daewoo Bus, Foton, Honda, Isuzu, Jeep, KIA, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Peugeot, Suzuki, Toyota, and Volkswagen.

Last year, the automotive industry surpassed its sales target of 272,000 vehicles when CAMPI members sold a total of 288,609 units. This year, CAMPI was confident of achieving its initial target on the back of continued supply of vehicles, attractive promos, and affordable financing schemes, among other economic indicators.

Apart from showcasing the best and the latest vehicles from top brands, visitors also got thrilled by other activities such as CAMPI Brand Heritage Exhibit, car club conventions, test drives, drift box activity, car wash activity, and kiddie day care activities.

These were perfect for car enthusiasts, prospective car-buyers, automobile business owners, and anyone who wanted to be in the know with the Philippine automotive scene.

Total Philippines topbills the Philippine International Motor Show as major sponsor. Taking the centerstage are Total executives VP for Lubricants and Special Fluids Raymond Decena, VP for Design and Engineering Ariel Quizon, OEM Area Manager Blanche Arreza, Corporate Communications Manager Ana Coscolluela and VP for Corporate Affairs Olivier Jean who pose beside a Peugeot 208, inspired by the legendary 887hp 208 T16 Pikes Peak. Peugeot is one of four brands that Total services for their OEM requirements.

LGUs

VP, JV address housing backlog SAN JUAN CITY—Vice President Leni Robredo, chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), visited St. Joseph Ville, a housing project in this city, on Thursday in line with her agreement with Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito to address the problem of housing and informal settlements in the country.

Robredo and Ejercito vowed to work with local government units in building “vertical socialized housing” as a safe alternative for informal settler.

The senator, a former San Juan mayor, stressed “LGUs and city mayors should consider in-city housing because they know best which families to prioritize for resettlement and how to identify and acquire the land for vertical socialized housing.”

Ejercito, who chairs the Senate committee on urban planning, housing and resettlement, added “LGUs also oversee project implementation in cooperation with the National Housing Authority. ” He hoped the socialized housing program will be implemented in the entire country.

Robredo’s visit came nearly a year after the housing project, under an agreement between Mayor Guia Gomez and the NHA, was inaugurated by then presidential aspirant Mar Roxas, former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada and Ejercito.

At the recent Housing Solutions Congress in Pasay City, Robredo said on-site and in-city housing projects will address families who keep returning to cities after relocation to provinces. Honor Cabie

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

C1

BOUNTY. An abundant catch of Lamarang fish rewards hard-working fishermen in Infanta, Quezon. Teddy Pelaez

‘Kids collecting bets’

By Manilyn B. Ugalde

L

EGAZPI CITY—Senior citizens in this city complained that the government drive against illegal drugs merely caused local drug traders to shift to illegal gambling, Arme Santos Tan, a graduate professor of Bicol University, said.

Tan said the elderly who gather regularly in a food and coffee house at the Gaisano Mall to discuss current issues lamented that children employed as jueteng bet collectors roam the barangays carrying pens and bet ‘papelitos’ but they are never seen carrying school bags.

Tan made this statement following the visit of Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa who said the PNP will wage

war on illegal gambling after its campaign against narcotics.

The Manila Standard was unable to reach Albay Gov. Al Francis Bichara, but his spokesman Danny Garcia said the governor wants illegal gambling to be stopped since it does not contribute to the coffers of the capitol.

Illegal gambling such as jueteng is rampant in Next page

C2

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

LGUs

Manila bans illegal parking

By Sandy Araneta

M

ANILA Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada has further intensified his drive against illegal parking, which he said has become a milking cow for profiteering syndicates.

Estrada will launch his Manila-wide Mapping and No Parking Zone program to more strictly enforce the city’s policies against illegal parking.

“Illegal parking has long been a serious problem, congesting our already congested roads. It is being tolerated and has become the money-making

business of criminal syndicates that earn millions from parking fees,” he said.

The mayor said Taft Avenue, United Nations Avenue, Lawton, Mendiola, Morayta and San Miguel are used as “parking lots” by undisciplined vehicle owners.

On September 15, Estrada declared Rizal Avenue as a no-parking zone after impounding 30 illegally parked tricycles, five motorcycles, 15 light vehicles, and two “kuligligs” or motorized pedicabs.

An illegal parking fee collec-

tor was also arrested.

The revived anti-illegal parking campaign, the mayor said, will complement the ongoing road and sidewalk clearing drive of the city government.

All major roads and barangay streets are covered by the mapping to ensure that possible alternate routes are not blocked.

The Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau, headed by former city councilor Dennis Alcoreza, implements the anti-illegal parking operation.

“Illegal parking including perpendicular parking and double parking is rampant. Some make money out of this, and generally motorists that have no garages take advantage of lax enforcement of traffic ordinances.

Through citywide mapping, we will identify designated parking zones,” Alcoreza pointed out.

The objective, the MTPB chief said, is to deny the vehicle owner any excuse or alibi on why he parked in a non-designated parking area.

Alcoreza warned that viola-

tors’ vehicles will be towed or traffic citation tickets will be issued based on the provisions of the Manila Traffic Code and illegal parking regulations of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

He said they will soon clear Chinatown area of illegally parked cars.

Early last year, the city government put clamps on the wheels of illegally parked vehicles as mandated by Ordinance 8109. Their owners were fined P900.

‘Yolanda survivors still homeless’

By Mel Caspe TACLOBAN CITY—Contrary to the claims of the National Housing Authority, the government has only so far constructed 10 percent of the housing units intended for families who lost their houses due to Super Typhoon “Yolanda” or for those located in danger zones.

In a press conference on September 17, the Community of Yolanda Survivors and Partners (CYSP), an alliance of 163 community organizations, claimed that based on the report of NHA, only 20,893 of the target 120,000 housing units were built as of March of this year.

The NHA claimed that the housing units were “almost complete.”

However, it sought a P12.64-

billion budget for 2017 of which P1.3 billion was to be allocated to Yolanda-related housing projects.

“My family still lives in temporary housing,” Lita Bagunas, a leader of informal settlers from Giporlos, Eastern Samar, said.

Rina Reyes, coordinator of RIGHTS for Eastern Visayas, a non-government organization helping the “Yolanda” survivors, also said majority of the households in danger and nobuild zones in Eastern Samar are unaware of the government’s shelter reconstruction plan.

CYSP submitted a proposal to the government that includes ensuring adequate affordable, decent, safe and accessible housing with secure tenure, availability of social services, facilities and infrastructure and livelihood programs for the survivors.

NV capitol gets 3rd Red Orchid

By Brenda Jocson BAYOMBONG—For its fight for a tobacco-free environment, Nueva Vizcaya’s provincial capitol here has been awarded the most coveted Red Orchid Award form the Department of Health for the third time and is now a Hall of Famer.

Red Orchid Awards was conceptualized to combat tobacco use and to promote a tobaccofree environment. Tobacco use is the major contributor in cardio-vascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and cancer.

“The provincial capitol remains the leading local government office in our fight against smoking,” Gov.

Carlos Padilla said.

Padilla said the Hall of Fame Award in the Hospital Category was also given to Dupax town District Hospital and Kasibu town Municipal Hospital for winning the award three times.

Lieutenant Tidang Municipal Hospital in Kayapa town and Diadi Emergency Hospital in Diadi town were recognized for the second time, which makes them candidates for a Hall of Fame citation.

In the local government unit category, the municipality of Kayapa won its second award and the Municipalities of Santa Fe and Aritao won their first. The Municipality of Bayombong won the Pink Orchid Award.

MISSIONERS. The municipality of Pagsanjan in Laguna conducted a free medical and dental mission in Barangay Daang Bakal with the theme

‘Bagong Pagsanjan Una sa Lahat.’ The mission that was coordinated by the Municipal Health Office of Pagsanjan was led by Mayor Maita Ejercito and former Laguna governor ER Ejercito. Roy Tumandao

Pangasinan promotes LGU statistics

By Dexter A. See LINGAYEN—Pangasinan will honor the town or city with the most complete government statistics during the 27th National Statistics Month in October.

Gov. Amado Espino III issued Executive Order 0095A-2016 reorganizing a provincial task force in charge of the search for the Most Statistically Developed Local Government Unit, one of the highlights of the month-long celebration.

Now on its fourth year, the search recognizes the best practices and innovative strategies of LGUs in the use of statistics as a tool for local governance.

The theme of this year’s celebration is “Sustainable Development: Making Statistics Count” (Pangmatagalang Pag-unlad,

Estadistika’y may Ambag).

Statistics quiz, essay writing, oration, poster and slogan and jingle-making contests are open to secondary and tertiary school students.

Winners in division level eliminations to be conducted by six schools divisions of the Department of Education in the province—Pangasinan 1, Pangasinan II, Alaminos City, San Carlos City, Urdaneta City and Dagupan City—will advance to the provincial eliminations.

Provincial eliminations have been set on October 5 for oration at the Pangasinan Training and Development Center; on October 11 for poster and slogan making at the PTDC, statistics quiz at the Malong building conference room, jingle making at the Pangasinan

Provincial Employment Services Office (PESO) conference room and essay writing at the Palaris conference room.

Essay writing contest for provincial capitol employees is also set on October 11.

Provincial winners of various NSM contests will represent the province in the regional competition.

Other NSM activities include: information dissemination of population statistics and new civil registration laws forum on October 14 at the PTDC; coastal resource education activity by the Provincial Agriculture Office on October 19 at the West Central Elementary School in San Fabian; ISTIV Bayanihan and Green Productivity Enhancement Seminar at the CB Mall

Carp can measure water pollution—UP

‘Kids...

THE common carp, known as karpa in the local market, may help detect the magnitude of wastes in water ways.

A study by Dr. Michelle Grace Paraso of the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines, Los Baños, found carp a potential biomarker for detecting the level of pollutants in the country’s waters.

The study evaluated carp as

Albay and other Bicol provinces, so a press conference at Hotel Pepperland owned by Bichara on September 16 touched on Meredien Vista Gaming Corp., whose on-line operation called as ‘jai-teng that is similar to jueteng was granted by provincial resolutions.

Last year, a Daraga town policeman complained he was charged before the prosecutors office after arresting a jueteng bet collector who defended his work as Meredien bet collector using Meredien bet “papelitos.”

It would be recalled that Dagupan City Regional Trial Court Judge Florentino Dumlao Jr., issued on August 6 a four-page writ of preliminary injunction for Meredien Vista to cease and desist from operating jai-teng in Pangasinan. The court order was forwarded to PNP Camp Crame and the National Bureau of Investigation.

It was rumored in July that the new coordinator of the jueteng operation in Albay is a ranking capitol official who failed in his bid for the top position of the province.

The four candidates for Albay governor in the May elections are Paul Aguilar (Independent), Mar Bacuil (Independent), Jim Hernandez (Independent), and Al Francis Bichara (Nacionalista Party), who won.

The numbers game was introduced by Meredien on March 7, 2009 in Pangasinan and was expanded in other provinces such

fish biomarker to determine the contamination of Laguna de Bay in Sta. Cruz and Paete, Laguna (East Bay) and Taguig City and Muntinlupa City (West Bay).

Paraso observed that majority of the male carps she studied had shrunk testes, which meant the fish was feminized by exposure to pollutants known as estrogen, among others.

Estrogenic contaminant or

pollutant is estrogen produced through unnatural means. The contaminants develop from chemicals and cause reproductive impairment in water organisms such as fish. The reproductive conditions of carp are influenced by several factors, such as food availability, water quality, and temperature.

Paraso is an expert from the Veterinary Medicine Division of

the National Research Council of the Philippines of the Department of Science and Technology, which funded her study. It supports the government campaign for a cleaner environment, especially in coastal areas where many people live and obtain their livelihood.

The services of NRCP are posted on their website: http:// www.nrcp.dost.gov.ph.

EMPOWERED. NGCP officials briefed the media and local government representatives on the 138-kV Ormoc-Babatngon Line 2 Project on Wednesday at Sal’s Restaurant, Tacloban City. Mel Caspe

From C1

Urdaneta on October 21; and Recycling / Waste Management Workshop on October 25 to be spearheaded by the Provincial Solid Waste Management team.

PESO Pangasinan will also conduct a job fair on October 26 at its compound in Lingayen.

The public is invited to the statistical exhibit at the National Statistical Information Center at the Malong building within the Capitol Complex from October 3-30. Statistical exhibits will also be held at SM Rosales and CSI Alaminos.

The closing program of the regional NSM celebration is slated on October 27 in BSP-La Union while the provincial level culminating activity is scheduled on the following day at the Sison Auditorium. as Albay and other Bicol provinces.

On April 1, 2009, however, the Cagayan Export Processing Zone Authority (Ceza) ordered Meredien to cease and desist from operating their business game after the Office of the Government Corporate Council (OGCC) issued an opinion that it was illegal.

Meridien Vista, which is managed by Atong Ang, contested the OGCC order before the RTC in Aparri, Cagayan, which issued a writ of mandamus against the Ceza and claimed that the numbers game was being conducted outside Ceza, particularly in Pangasinan.

As a result of the Aparri mandamus against OGCC order, Meredien continued operating in many provinces including those in Bicol, in disregard of the Dagupan injunction.

Bicol PNP spokesperson Inspector Maria Luisa Calubaquib said the drive against illegal gambling resulted in the arrest of 349 persons and the filing of cases against 80 suspects from January to August 18 this year.

A petition has been filed by Anthony Ang-Angco, Alfie Soriano and Jose Millora that cited several grounds to prove Meridien’s operation was illegal. The petition referred to the Ceza order of April 1, 2009 that was based on the OGCC opinion. It mentioned that since no congressional law grants Meredien to operate gambling outside Ceza and that Meredien’s license has been revoked and not renewed, the Aparri court ordered a stop to its operation.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

World

TODAY

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Chinese premier visits Trudeau O

TTAWA—Chinese Premier Li Keqiang landed in Ottawa late Wednesday to meet with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau and press for an extradition treaty.

But even before the Chinese leader’s plane rolled up to the terminal, Trudeau faced political heat from opposition parties for even considering sending Chinese expatriates back.

Canadian opposition parties fear they could be subjected to human rights abuses and the death penalty in China.

The meeting comes barely one month after the two leaders held talks in Beijing.

Trudeau last week tasked his national security adviser with mapping out an agenda for possible cooperation on security and related matters.

Canada and China have begun discussions on an extradition treaty, Trudeau told parliament.

“We have created a dialogue,” he said.

“The benefit to Canada is having a high-level security dialogue where we can talk about issues that are important to us and issues that are important to the Chinese government.”

Tory opposition leader Rona Ambrose linked the issue of extradition to concerns

42 migrants drown, 163 rescued—police ROSETTA—A boat carrying up to 450 migrants capsized in the Mediterranean off Egypt’s north coast on Wednesday, drowning 42 people and prompting a search operation that rescued 163 passengers, officials said.

The vessel overturned off the port city of Rosetta, police and health officials said.

Five survivors, handcuffed to beds in a Rosetta hospital room, told Agence France Presse up to 450 people were on board.

“The boat sunk. My three children died,” said Badr Abdel Hamid, 28, before breaking into tears.

“We were 450 people on board. We left at 2:00 am. An hour an half later, it capsized.

Whoever knew how to swim, swam. We even abandoned the women and children,” said Ahmed Mohamed, 27.

The boat sank some 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the coast and the victims included one child, 10 women and 31 young men, a municipal official in the Mediterranean city told AFP. They were Egyptians, Eritreans, Sudanese and Syrians, said the official, Ali Abdel Sattar.

“I just wanted to reach Europe and live a decent life,” said Ahmed Gamal, 17.

The tragedy comes months after the EU’s border agency Frontex warned that growing numbers of migrants bound for Europe were turning to Egypt as a departure point for the perilous sea journey.

Smugglers often overload the boats, some of them scarcely seaworthy, with passengers who have paid for the journey.

Egypt’s Prime Minister Sharif Ismail ordered police to arrest the smugglers responsible, a cabinet statement said.

The military said in a statement that 163 passengers had been rescued so far, adding that they had stopped another boat elsewhere on the Mediterranean coast carrying 294 migrants.

With the search operating ongoing for an unknown number of people, health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed told AFP that hospitals were being prepared to receive more casualties.

More than 10,000 people have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean for Europe since 2014, according to the United Nations.

Asylum-seekers have been seeking other ways to reach Europe since March, when Balkan countries closed the popular overland route and the EU agreed a deal with Turkey to halt departures.

“Egypt is starting to become a departure country,” Frontex chief Fabrice Leggeri said in an interview with the Funke group of German regional newspapers in June.

“The number of boat crossings from Egypt to Italy has reached 1,000 (so far) this year.”

More than 300,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean so far this year from various points of departure, the UN said this week.

The number is down from 520,000 in the first nine months of 2015.

Despite the lower numbers attempting the dangerous sea crossing, fatality rates had risen, with 2016 on track to be “the deadliest year on record in the Mediterranean Sea,” said the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).

In June, a boat capsized near Sicily, drowning at least 169 migrants.

Earlier that month, a boat carrying hundreds of migrants sank off the Greek island of Crete and the bodies 104 migrants washed up on a beach in Libya. AFP

about Chinese hacking and a recent revelation that Chinese agents are active in Canada.

Trudeau shot back, saying the previous Conservative government for a decade had been “hot and cold with the world’s secondlargest economy.”

“The fact is, Canada has extraordinarily high standards for extradition treaties, and those will always be upheld with anyone around the world,” he said.

The Canadian leader ruled out any extraditions to countries where those convicted would face the death penalty.

Seeking to reassure Canadians, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion said these would be “discussions, not negotiations.”

Canadian diplomacy has been very active since Trudeau’s Liberals swept to power last year, contesting a rotating seat on the Security Council, pledging peacekeeping troops for UN missions and hosting thousands of Syrian refugees.

With China, Trudeau wants closer ties.

Manila

SCN FORM NO. 1 Standard 001383

polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy. I have not been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude. I am not suffering from mental alienation or from any incurable contagious disease. The country of which I am a citizen or subject is not at war with the Philippines and grants to Filipinos the right to be naturalized citizens or subjects thereof.

TODAY

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON NATURALIZATION IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF FRANCIS UY LU E CHUA to be naturalized as Filipino citizen pursuant to Republic Act No. 9139. x-------------------------- x

SCN CASE NO. 000628

PETITION Pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No. 9139, petitioner hereby submits a petition for naturalization to become a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines and respectfully declares: 1. My full name is FRANCIS UY LU E CHUA , but I have also been known since childhood as FRANCIS UY or I have been judicially authorized to use the alias name(s) .

2. My present place of residence is 221 APO STREET, BRGY. MAHARLIKA City/Municipality of QUEZON CITY, Province of NCR and all my former places of residence are (please indicate periods of residence) 1963-1979 54 SIMON ST., STA. MESA HEIGHTS, QUEZON CITY 1980-1989 176-B D. TUAZON ST., QUEZON CITY 1989-PRESENT 221APO ST., BRGY. MAHARLIKA, QUEZON CITY 3. I was born on 16 NOV. 1963, in MANILA Philippines. I have been a resident of the Philippines since birth. At present, I am a citizen or subject of TAIWAN. 4. My father's name is CHUA, TIAN SA (DECEASED) and he was born on 25 APRIL 1932, in CHINA. He is a citizen or subject of TAIWAN. My mother's name is TAN HUI HUNand she was born on 25 DECEMBER 1933 in CHINA. She is a citizen or subject of TAIWAN. 5. My trade, business, profession or lawful occupation is EMPLOYEE. and from which I derive an average annual income of P 690,000.00, inclusive of bonuses, commissions and allowances. My wife's/husband's trade, business, profession or lawful occupation is EMPLOYEE and from which she derives an average annual income of P 520,000.00.

(Where the above does not apply): I am exempt from the requirement of lucrative trade or occupation and from submitting income tax returns for the past three (3) years because I am a college degree holder [please state (1) degree obtained: N/A, (2) name of school: N/A and (3) years graduated: N/A] who cannot practice my profession (the practice of which requires a government licensure examination) by reason of my citizenship.

6. My civil status is MARRIED, I was married on 25 JUNE 1989 in SAN JUAN, METRO MANILA. My wife's/husband's name is EDWIN C. TAN and she/he was born on 8 SEPT. 1963 in MANILA. She/he is a citizen or subject of TAIWAN and presently resides 221 APO ST., BRGY. MAHARLIKA, QUEZON CITY. 7. I am legally separated from my spouse; my marriage was annulled, per decree of legal separation/annulment dated N.A. granted by N.A.. (please indicate the particular court which granted the same). I am a widower/widow and my spouse died on N.A. in N.A..

8. I have TWO (2) child/children, whose names, dates and places of birth and residences are as follows: Name

Date of Birth EUGENE FRANCIS UY TAN 12-05-95 ELAINE FRANCES UY TAN 11-03-99

Place of Residence Birth MANILA 221 APO ST., Q.C. MANILA 221 APO ST., Q.C.

9. I received my primary and secondary education from the following public schools or private educational institutions duly recognized by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), where Philippine history, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality: Name of School

“We needed to renew and deepen the relationship between the people of Canada and people of China for the long term and I think it’s safe to say we have accomplished just that,” he said at the end of his trip to Beijing.

China is Canada’s second largest trading partner after the United States, with trade exceeding Can$85 billion ($64.5 billion USD) last year.

Last month, Canada said it would apply to join the China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which has been criticized by its neighbor and closest ally, the United States.

Beijing, meanwhile, just prior to Li’s visit released a Canadian national held since 2014 on espionage charges.

After landing in Ottawa, the Chinese premier was to have a private dinner with Trudeau.

An official welcome was scheduled for Thursday morning, followed by a bilateral leaders’ meeting.

A state dinner is to be held Thursday evening at Ottawa’s Museum of History.

Li will conclude his visit Friday in Montreal, where he will participate in a trade and economic cooperation forum. AFP

Place of School

Dates of Study

LORENZO RUIZ ACADEMY MANILA 1971-1977

14. My character witnesses are MARIA FLORDELIZA VISDA VIRAY and LEONORA M. DE LOS SANTOS both Filipino citizens, of legal age, and residing at 7 NARRA AVE. PALMERA HGTS. CAINTA, RIZAL and LANCASTER NEW CITY, GEN. TRIAS, CAVITE respectively, who have executed sworn statements attached hereto in support of my instant petition, together with: (a) brief biographical data about themselves; (b) detailed statements on the dates they first came to know me, the circumstances of our initial acquaintance and the reasons and extent of our continuing familiarity; and (c) the number of times they have acted as character witnesses in other petitions for naturalization.

15. Attached hereto as annexes and made part of this petition are the duplicate originals or certified photocopies of the following documents (please check the appropriate box): [ / ] a. Petitioner's birth certificate [ / ] b. Petitioner's alien certificate of registration (ACR) [ / ] c. Petitioner's native-born certificate of residence (NBCR) [ / ] d. Petitioner's marriage certificate, if married [ ] e. Death certificate of his/her spouse, if widowed [ ] f. Court decree annulling his/her marriage or granting legal separation, if such was the fact [ / ] g. Birth certificates of petitioner's minor children [ / ] h. ACRs of petitioner's minor children [ ] i. NBCRs of petitioner's minor children [ / ] j. Affidavits of financial capacity by the petitioner, duly supported by bank certifications, passbooks, stock certificates, or proof of ownership of other properties [ / ] k. Affidavits of at least two (2) credible witnesses who must be Filipino citizens of good reputation in petitioner's place of residence [ / ] l. Medical certificate from a government hospital stating that petitioner is not suffering from mental alienation or a user of prohibited drugs or otherwise a drug dependent and that he/she is not afflicted with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), or any incurable contagious disease. [ / ] m. School diploma and transcript of records of the petitioner from the school/s he or she attended in the Philippines [ / ] n. Certifications stating that petitioner's minor children are enrolled in public schools or private educational institutions duly recognized by the DECS, where Philippine history, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality [ / ] o. Petitioner's income tax returns for the past three years [ ] p. Petitioner's receipts of payment of income tax for the past three years

26 dead, 19 lost in Indon floods JAKARTA—The death toll from devastating floods and landslides in Indonesia has risen to 26, an official said Thursday, with hopes fading for 19 others still missing.

Aid has begun pouring into Garut in the west of Indonesia’s main island of Java, where 23 people died and 18 remain missing after torrential rain and fast-rising floods swept through the region, the national disaster agency said.

Receding flood waters revealed scenes of destruction, with houses reduced to rubble and upturned cars and debris strewn throughout muddy streets.

Among the dead or missing are more than a dozen children under 12 years of age, though several have yet to be formally identified, the agency said.

Relief teams and army per-

sonnel have moved into Garut to search for those still missing, while drones are assessing the scale of destruction from the air, disaster agency head Willem Rampangilei said in a statement.

“There is plenty of food and clean water available. The community is also helping out,” Rampangilei said, adding that a disaster report had been sent to President Joko Widodo.

Temporary shelters and makeshift kitchens have been established to assist the estimated 430 people left homeless, with blankets and clothing being trucked in by emergency crews.

Elsewhere in West Java, emergency crews were still searching for one person missing in the wake of a massive landslide in Sumedang district that killed three others, disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told AFP. AFP

PMO-NEGROS OCCIDENTAL/BANAGO/BACOLOD-BREDCO PORT OF BANAGO, BACOLOD CITY TeleFax nos. (034) 441-1225; 441-1041; Email Add: ppapul@globelines.com.ph

INVITATION TO BID FOR

CYAN

1. Repair of RC Pier Structure ( Phase III ) Port of San Carlos, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental (NRP-NBB-02-16) The Philippine Ports Authority, Port Management Office-Negros Occidental /Banago/ Bacolod-BREDCO, through the Corporate Budget of the Authority for CY 2016, intends to apply the sum of P 20,803,523.66 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Repair of RC Pier Structure (Phase III), Port of San Carlos, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental (NRP-NBB-02-16). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Philippine Ports Authority, Port Management Office - Negros Occidental /Banago/ Bacolod-BREDCO now invites bids for the Repair of RC Pier Structure (Phase III), Port of San Carlos, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental (NRPNBB-02-16). Completion of the Works is required for the project is One Hundred Fifty (150) Calendar Days.

Equipment Requirements 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

unit unit unit unit unit unit unit unit unit unit unit unit unit unit

:

1- Bagger Concrete Mixer Concrete Vibrator Backhoe w/ Conc. Breaker Jack Hammer w/ Genset Dump Truck Hammer Drill Chipping Gun Paddle Mixer Epoxy Injection Machine Air Compressor Electric Grinder Bar Cutter Boom truck Welding Machine w/ Genset

-

owned owned owned owned owned owned owned owned owned owned owned owned owned owned

Required PCAB Registration

:

Medium A – Ports, Harbor & Offshore Engineering

Bidding Documents

:

P 28,000.00 inclusive of VAT

Date and Time of Pre-Bidding Conference

:

September 28, 2016; 10:00am

Date and Time of Deadline of Submission of Bids

:

October 10, 2016; 12:00nn

Date and Time of Opening of Bids

:

October 10, 2016; 2:00pm

Bidders must have an experience of having completed at least one (1) contract that is similar to the Contract to be bid, and whose value must be at least 50% of the ABC. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act” which took effect on September 2, 2009.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Philippine Ports Authority, Port Management Office – Negros Occidental/Banago/Bacolod-BREDCO and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00am – 5:00pm.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased starting September 20, 2016 by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents as mentioned above for each project inclusive of 12% VAT and must present a valid PCAB License together with the Letter of Intent.

The Philippine Ports Authority, Port Management Office – Negros Occidental /Banago /Bacolod-BREDCO will hold a PreBid Conference on the date stipulated below the corresponding project at Philippine Ports Authority, Port Management Office – Negros Occidental /Banago/Bacolod-BREDCO Conference Room, Port of Banago, Bacolod City, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before the date stipulated on each project at Philippine Ports Authority, Port Management Office – Negros Occidental/Banaao/Bacolod-BREDCO, Port of Banago, Bacolod City. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bids will be opened on the date stipulated on each project in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The Philippine Ports Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: Maylene G. Arante Philippine Ports Authority, PMO – Neg. Occ./Banago/Bacolod-BREDCO Port of Banago, Bacolod City Tel No. 034-4411225 & 4411041 Fax No. 034-4411225 (Signed) ARLYN A. CARAIG Chairperson BAC-Engineering Projects ( M S - S E P T. 2 3 , 2 016)

16. Other documents submitted by the petitioner in support of his/her petition: a) NBI CLEARANCE b) POLICE CLEARANCE c) BARANGAY CLEARANCE d) OFFICE OF THE CITY PROSECUTOR CLEARANCE e) METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURT CLEARANCE f) REGIONAL TRIAL COURT CLEARANCE PRAYER WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed that petitioner be conferred Philippine citizenship pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No, 9139.

Dated at Makati City, Metro Manila, this 9th day of AUGUST 2016.

FRANCIS UY LU E CHUA Name and Signature of Petitioner Address: 221 APO ST., BRGY. MAHARLIKA, QUEZON CITY Telephone Number: 4116187/09175204204

Highest Grade Completed PRIMARY

LORENZO RUIZ ACADEMY MANILA 1977-1981 SECONDARY UNIV. OF SANTO TOMAS MANILA 1981-1985

13. It is my true and honest intention to become a citizen of the Philippines and to renounce absolutely and forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, and, particularly, to TAIWAN of which at this time I am a citizen or subject. I will reside continuously in the Philippines from the date of the filing of this petition up to the time of my admission to Philippine citizenship.

COLLEGE

Right Thumbmark of Petitioner

10. I am able to read, write and speak Filipino and/or any of the following dialects of the Philippines: TAGALOG, ENGLISH 11. I have enrolled my minor children of school age in the following public schools or private educational institutions duly recognized by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), where Philipine History, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality: Name of Child

Name and Place of School

Date of Enrollment

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) CITY/MUNICIPALITY OF QUEZON CITY) S.S. I, FRANCIS UY LU E CHUA, of legal age and a resident of 221 APO ST., BRGY. MAHARLIKA, QUEZON CITY, after being duly sworn, depose and say that I am the petitioner herein, that I have read the foregoing petition and know the foregoing petition and known the contents thereof, and that the same is true of my own knowledge.

EUGENE FRANCIS UY TAN GRACE CHRISTIAN 2001-2012 COLLEGE, Q.C. EUGENE FRANCIS UY TAN UNIVERSITY OF SANTO 2012-PRESENT TOMAS, MLA ELAINE FRANCES UY TAN GRACE CHRISTIAN 2006-PRESENT COLLEGE, Q.C.

12. I shall never be a public charge. I am of good moral character. I believe in the principles underlying the Philippine Constitution. I have conducted myself in a proper and irreproachable manner during the entire period of my residence in the Philippines in my relations with the constituted government as well as with the community in which I am living. I mingled socially with Filipinos and have evinced a sincere desire to learn and embrace the customs, traditions and ideals of the Filipino people. I have all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications under Republic Act No. 9139.

I am not opposed to organized government or affiliated with any association or group of persons who uphold and teach doctrines opposing all organized governments. I am not defending or teaching the necessity or propriety of violence, personal assault or assassination for the success and predominance of one's ideas. I am not a

FRANCIS UY LU E CHUA Name and Signature of Petitioner SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me at QUEZON CITY this 09th day of Aug 2016.

2016 DOC. No. 07 PAGE No. 03 BOOK No. 101 SERIES OF 2016

(MS-SEPT. 9/16/23, 2016)

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(MS-SEPT. 23, 2016)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

World

Corbyn to retain Labor leadership LONDON—Leftist Jeremy Corbyn is set to be re-elected head of Britain’s opposition Labor Party on Saturday despite a power struggle with his own MPs that threatens to tear apart the historic movement.

Corbyn is expected to win out against challenger Owen Smith, who launched his bid after a parliamentary rebellion in the wake of the shock Brexit vote that critics partly blamed on Corbyn’s lackluster campaign.

The prospect has prompted some commentators to warn that Labor’s weakness in opposing the government could increase the chances of Prime Minister Theresa May opting for a “hard Brexit” that would take Britain out of Europe’s single market.

Labor members have voted by postal ballot but the result, due to be announced at the party conference in Liverpool, is unlikely to end a dispute that experts say could condemn the party to many years in opposition.

The 67-year-old veteran socialist says he has energized Britons who would not normally vote and enjoys support from older leftists as well as a younger group of anti-austerity campaigners. AFP

Requests to remove Twitter posts grow SAN FRANCISCO—Twitter saw a jump in official requests to remove posts in the first half of this year, the company said Wednesday.

Removal requests were up 13 percent, with the largest volumes coming from Turkey and Russia, which have historically led the pack asking Twitter to get rid of content, according to a transparency report released by the US-based social media firm.

The requests typically concerned content deemed illegal by local law, Twitter said.

Its report did not detail whether efforts to prevent extremists from using the platform to spread violent messages were a factor in the requests.

Overall, Twitter received 4,434 requests for content removal from governments or police agencies during the first half of this year. There were an additional 761 court orders, according to the report.

The requests targeted a total of 20,594 accounts targeted, with no action taken on 15,195 of them, Twitter said.

Officials in Turkey made 2,493 of the requests, while 1,601 came from Russia, it added. AFP

ENVOY. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) appointed actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, best known for his starring role on HBO’s Game of Thrones, as its newest Goodwill Ambassador to raise awareness and support for the Sustainable Development Goals. UNIC Manila

Violence erupts in Charlotte anew C

HARLOTTE—Violence broke out in Charlotte, North Carolina for a second night on Wednesday as police confronted a repeat of clashes ignited by the fatal police shooting of a black man.

Riot police with helmets, batons and body armor clashed with protesters and fired tear gas as several hundred people taunted them in front of a hotel in the city center, according to Agence France Presse journalists at the scene.

Meanwhile, Chicago is to hire hundreds more police officers to help it combat a murder epidemic that has claimed more than 500 lives so far this year, the highest homicide rate of any major US city.

Police chief Eddie Johnson said Wednesday that 970 additional sworn personnel will be recruited over the next two years -- the bulk of the positions being patrol officers and detectives.

Violence broke out Tuesday night after police shot to death Keith Lamont Scott, 43, in an

apartment complex parking lot earlier in the day.

It was the latest in a series of fatal police shootings of black men that have left the African American community demanding law enforcement reforms and greater accountability.

Earlier on Wednesday evening, several hundred angry protesters, mostly African American, marched to the Charlotte police headquarters.

Some chanted “No Justice! No Peace!” while others banged on the door.

A young boy held a sign saying “My life matters.”

Mike Smith, 27, a marketing manager in Charlotte, said tension has been building among the local black community. “These tensions, they popped yesterday

and this is the outcome,” he said.

“These added resources will make us better, and give us the capacity we need to address our crime problems across the city,” Chicago police chief Johnson told a news conference.

Johnson evaded questions of how the increase would be paid for in a city that has suffered chronic budget shortfalls, and recently hiked taxes and government fees to shore up its finances. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office has not yet outlined its fiscal plan.

Chicago already has a full-time police force of 12,656 sworn officers, many of whom have been asked to work overtime to increase staffing in short bursts in order to combat rising gun violence.

Johnson acknowledged that that strategy has taxed officers.

“They’re not machines. We just can’t keep pushing and pushing,” he said.

By the end of 2018, the city plans to have a police force totaling 13,535 sworn positions.

The city has already recorded more than 500 murders in 2016

-- a rate not seen since the 1990s, according to an analysis by the Chicago Tribune. (The city has not seen a force surge since the 1990s either, according to the police department.)

To make matters worse, the police department reportedly only solves about 30 to 40 percent of homicides, which are mostly fueled by gangs and the drug trade.

Meanwhile, the police department has been under scrutiny, facing a federal civil rights probe after the release of a video late last year showing a police officer fatally shooting unarmed 17-yearold Laquan McDonald. The officer who shot the teenager 16 times was charged with murder, and Johnson recommended that seven others be fired for covering up the crime.

Johnson this week implemented mandatory training to teach officers conflict de-escalation techniques, which he considers part of his strategy to increase community cooperation in solving crimes. AFP

No 2016 recall poll vs Maduro CARACAS—Venezuela’s electoral authority on Wednesday ruled out a recall referendum against President Nicolas Maduro this year, all but dashing opposition hopes to oust him at the ballot box.

Meanwhile,Venezuelan bus drivers protesting their country’s economic crisis parked their buses in the street on Wednesday, causing traffic chaos in Caracas and embarrassing President Nicolas Maduro, a former colleague.

Hundreds of drivers joined the strike, demanding better pay, more security against violent crime and spare parts for their buses.

The National Electoral Council declared in a statement after meeting with the opposition and the government that “the event could be held in the middle of the first quarter of 2017.”

The council also set the rules for the next step in the process, deciding that four million petition signatures, which represent 20 percent of voters, must be gathered over three days between October 26-28.

The opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) had hoped to hold the referendum before January 10 because it would trigger new elections if Maduro lost by then.

But if the vote is held later, his vice president would finish his term, meaning that the socialist government inspired by late leader Hugo Chavez would remain in power until 2019.

MUD leader Jesus Torrealba however remained defiant, insisting that a vote in 2016 remained the goal.

He said the opposition group was meeting to decide what specific measures it will take to pressure the electoral council.

“We are working on the strategy for our fight,” he said.

“We are quite sure of this: Millions of Venezuelans are going to mobilize and hand (Maduro) a resounding electoral defeat -- as well as political and moral defeat,” Torrealba said.

If enough signatures are not collected, the ballot would be called off.

“This is nothing but an admission from the government that it has nothing to offer the Venezuelan people at the polls.

Far from a sign of strength, it’s just the opposite,” he said.

That would extend the socialist “revolution” launched in 1999 by late president Hugo Chavez to at least 20 years.

Oil-rich Venezuela has skidded into crisis as global crude prices have plunged since mid-2014, pushing Chavez and Maduro’s socialist model to the brink.

Venezuelans spend long hours lining up outside supermarkets and pharmacies only to find bare shelves and soaring prices inside. Shortages have triggered outbreaks of looting and riots.

The country is facing its third year of deep recession this year, with inflation set to top 700 percent, according to the International Monetary Fund.

The opposition alleges the electoral authorities are in bed with Maduro -- along with the Supreme Court, which has systematically blocked opposition bills since it took control of the legislature in January.

Seeking leverage, the opposition has organized a series of protests. It estimates a million people took to the streets in the largest one on September 1. AFP

Ban, Biden meet on LGBT rights UNITED NATIONS--UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday warned countries that criminalize homosexuality they were “bucking the tide of history,” during the first UN high-level meeting on LGBT rights.

Held on the sidelines of the General Assembly, the meeting was attended by US Vice President Joe Biden and leaders from some 20 countries defending the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people worldwide.

Ban said it was an “outrage” than hundreds are killed in anti-gay violence every year and millions “live their lives in the shadow of discrimination and disapproval.”

“Several countries are bucking the tide of history with draconian new punishments for being gay

-- or even just talking about being gay,” he said.

“There is no room in our 21st century for discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.”

More than 70 countries worldwide still have laws on their books making homosexuality a crime.

In his remarks, Biden singled out Egypt, Russia and Uganda for anti-gay laws and where he said “arrests are on the rise.”

Biden, the first high-ranking US official to endorse same-sex marriage, said ensuring the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people was “the civil rights issue of our time”.

“No government, no society, no individual, no circumstance should attempt to dictate who you love,” Biden told the meeting also

attended by Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet and Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

Almost 40 countries legally recognize same-sex couples, said Ban, who also praised Mozambique, Seychelles and Nauru for decriminalizing homosexuality this year.

“I ask those who use religious or cultural arguments to deprive LGBT people of their human rights: what do you gain by making others less equal?” Ban asked.

“Is your religion or culture so weak that the only way you can sustain it is by denying others their basic rights?”

Ban himself came under fire from many UN member-states including Russia when he decided in 2015 to extend benefits to the same-sex partners of UN employees. AFP

DEMAND. Protesters hold up signs during a demonstration against police brutality in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sunday, following the shooting of Keith Lamont Scott the previous day. AFP

Life

MORNING PLAY.

Early risers will be greeted by dolphins playing in their natural habitat in Pamilacan island.

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

DESTINATIONS

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‘Bohol is still beautiful’

By Bernadette Lunas

W

HEN a 7.2-magnitude earthquake damaged, if not reduced to rubble, some of the churches, among 70,000 other structures, in the predominantly Catholic province of Bohol in Central Visayas in 2013, people were obviously taken aback.

A few weeks later then—while Boholanos were still picking up the pieces, so to speak, of their lives affected by the quake—a super typhoon pummeled the province.

“Life was really hard after Yolanda and the earthquake,” remarked our tour guide, further lamenting, “Our tourism was down right after those incidents.”

But the resiliency of Boholanos prevails, as almost three years after the disasters, the island province is getting up on its feet and recovering.

Offer a prayer

“Some of our churches were really badly damaged,” said our tour guide.

Perhaps even non-Catholics would be sad to see the severe damage on Loboc Church, which is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Philippines. But restoration efforts are currently ongoing to bring the old glory back to the coral stone, Baroque church.

Also damaged but currently being restored is the Neoclassical Baclayon church, the oldest coral stone church in the region. Declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines, Baclayon’s portico and bell tower sustained major damage.

Tourists are welcome to go inside the church. Residents of the town, on the other hand, are optimistic that just like the rest of the province and the nation, Baclayon church will officially open and stand tall again.

A visit to what was once Maribojoc church should not be missed, though.

While there is no more part of the church left, after the 2013 earthquake left the entire building in rubble, one could offer a prayer to the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus which remained standing when the church crumbled to the ground.

While restoration process is ongoing in these churches, one can visit Sta.

Many centuries-old churches in Bohol, some declared as National Cultural Treasure, sustained severe damage from the 2013 earthquake.

Bluewater Panglao offers a luxurious relaxation experience to its guests

Monica church, which features the artistic talent of Boholanos. Churchgoers and visitors will appreciate the detailed woodcarvings at the altar made by the church’s artisans.

“Part of Bohol rehabilitation program is to teach and encourage local artisans to create wood carvings such as those showcased at Sta. Monica Church,” shared our tour guide.

Eat lunch on the boat and meet

the tarsiers

About a hundred Philippine tarsiers (Carlito syrichta) live in the one-hectare sanctuary in Bohol

ACCORDING to the latest figures from Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace, Taiwan ranks second in the top 10 safest countries in the world behind Iceland. Well-known travel guide Lonely Planet featured Taitung in Taiwan on its list of the Top 10 best travel attractions in Asia in 2016. In November 2015, Taiwan has simplified the visa application process, requiring fewer documents, and now all eligible quality-tour groups can apply.

First time visitors in Bohol can enjoy a different kind of lunch at the Loboc River Cruise.

Partake of a buffet spread as the boat moves gently along the palm-fringed banks in Busay and a band serenades the guests. A stopover on a stationary bamboo balsa, where an ensemble of singing folks are gathered, invites guests to a taste of local culture and entertainment.

After a filling meal, head over to the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary where about a hundred tarsiers live in the one hectare area. Lucky guests won’t only meet Bohol’s popular primate but also the man whose dedication to the conservation of Philippine tarsiers made him the name of a new tarsier genus, Carlito Pizzaras.

“I was a [tarsier] hunter before since I was 12. We used to sell them. Now I’m

dedicated to conserve them,” Pizarras here, the peace and relaxation this place told Manila Standard. [offers],” Bluewater General Manager Rhyz Buac said in an interview.

Chase dolphins in the morning; Each of the 54 rooms in the 5.5-hectare catch fireflies at night resort has cantilevered beds designed Having breakfast on a boat while by Benji Reyes, who also designed the watching or chasing dolphins play is building and the two free-form lagoonperhaps one of the best way to spend shaped swimming pools. your morning. Waking up early is a International and local fare are availmust, though, as these friendly crea- able at Aplaya Restaurant, while Barotures can be seen in Pamilacan at 6 to to Pool Bar offers cocktails and other 7 a.m. only. drinks. Guests can let their hair down At the end of the day, visitors can go and enjoy a massage at Amuma Spa, or firefly watching along Abatan River. revel in the wonders of nature and check Guests may choose to join a cruise on out diving, snorkeling, kayaking, standa motorboat or paddle their way to the up paddle boarding and other activities mangroves that look like Christmas the resort offers. trees, thanks to the fireflies.

“We see to it that we can create an experience that’s very memorable to our Rest and relax in a luxurious resort guests,” said Buac.

After a day of discovering and redisBluewater Panglao invites everycovering Bohol, Bluewater Panglao of- one to rediscover Bohol through its fers just the right kind of respite for its package that includes three days/two tired guests. nights accommodation, countryside The premier resort is situated on tour and other amenities. Because the Panglao island, where white sand beach, resort believes that even after the dispristine water and marine sanctuaries asters that struck the province, “Bohol abound. is still beautiful.”

The Panglao branch of Bluewater Bluewater Panglao Resort is located resorts, which opened in 2011, boasts at Daurong, Danao, Panglao Island. organic yet elegant feel, with its warm Visit www.bluewater.com.ph for more Filipino concept and sophisticated fea- information. tures and amenities.

“Return guests love the atmosphere PHOTOS BY KLARA FERNANDEZ

Your next travel destination

Now is the time to visit Taiwan.

The delegation comprising of Taiwan travel business operators that the Taiwan Tourism Bureau has brought together to promote Taiwan tourism in the Philippines have 29 people from 18 units. A Taiwan tourism workshop was held at the Radison Blu Hotel in Cebu on Sept. 20 to promote cooperation between travel business operators from Taiwan and the Philippines. The second tourism workshop was at the

Edsa Shangri-La yesterday.

Information on the latest bargains were given to Filipino travel agencies at the venue to allow them to put together travel packages and create more cooperation opportunities between the two sides.

The 2016 Taiwan Travel Fair is ongoing at SM Megamall until Sunday. The Taiwan Tourism Bureau will serve up the latest travel information and a variety of fun DIY activities.

The long sandbar of Virgin Island

Four airlines from Taiwan and the Philippines and 12 travel agencies, namely Cebu Pacific Air, China Airlines, Eva Air, Philippine Airlines, Jeron Travel & Tours Corporation, Pan Pacific Travel Corporation, Canadian Travel, Horizon Travel & Tours Inc., Las Palmas Tour & Travel, Renaissance Travel & Tours Inc., Uni-Orient Travel Inc., Everbright Travel & Tours Inc., Performance Travel, Skynet Travel Corporation, Ark Travel Express,

Inc., and Goldlink Travel & Tours will provide high-quality travel products at the venue.

Anyone buying a Taiwan trip at the trade fair will receive a gift and there will be many special offers to be taken advantage of.

For more information call Kuan Chia Ling at Taiwan Tourism Bureau KL office at +60-320-706-789 or email tbrockl@taiwan.net.my.

Life

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

A premier sanctuary H

AVING been connected with the Tourism Industry for almost half a century, I can proudly say that I have been to all first class and de luxe hotels here in Metro Manila and I must declare that the runaway winner MERCURY RISING for having the biggest rooms is the

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO Oakwood Premier at the Joy-Nostalg Center in Ortigas.

The building’s façade and interiors were designed by C.Y. Lee and Partners, the same firm behind what was formerly the tallest building in the world, Taipei 101, and the hotel interiors were executed by Leandro V. Locsin & Partners with the guidance of the Oakwood Technical Group from Singapore.

The hotel has 230 rooms, spread over 23 floors of the building, with 56 studios, each of them 41 square meters in size, and the rest, being suites, are even much bigger, going as much as 182 square meters for a three-bedroom suite. Why is this an advantage? I, for

one, don’t want to have that cooped up feeling every time I stay in my hotel room. To be comfortable, guests always prefer more space and flexibility in a hotel room.

In fact, spacious accommodations is a staple in all Oakwood properties all over the world, having been the very first to offer the concept of temporary housing for relocated employees, for guests on extended business trips, or for those who prefer long, leisurely trips.

The Oakwood story is quite interesting.

Successful residential developers Howard Ruby and Bob Franks found-

ed Oakwood after realizing there was a severe lack of housing in the real estate market for people on short-term business assignments and whose requirements can’t be met by a hotel. They immediately put up easy-on-the-pocket, short-term accommodations in major cities in the US and now, in the world.

Each property is equipped with modern amenities and manned by service-oriented professionals.

The new concept easily propelled Oakwood to become the industry leader in temporary housing that it is today, and the brand is now found in more than 25,000 locations worldwide.

The fully furnished studios and suites at the Oakwood Premier in Ortigas makes it a veritable sanctuary for anybody who just wants to get away from the humdrum of everyday life and seek refuge in very comfortable and luxurious surroundings, with the comforts of home. At least, that’s how I felt when I decided to spend a relaxing weekend there.

Although it is located right in the middle of the Ortigas Business District, which makes it very convenient for

The imposing façade of Oakwood Premier at Joy Nostalg Center in Ortigas, Pasig

those who do business there and in the adjoining areas, I never felt the hustle and bustle of the busy metropolis once inside my room. It must have been the spacious accommodations or the modern furnishings or the responsive service I got from the staff that made me feel I was in my cocoon, in a different world, far away from the city. I have to tip my hat off to General Manager Meinrad Schibler, for making the hotel a gleaming example of what hospitality accommodations should be.

Of course, what would a hotel “staycation” be without a taste of its culinary offerings? The Nostalgia Dining Lounge is Oakwood Premier’s main restaurant. Its brown décor and earth tones seemed to increase my appetite for real good food.

I enjoyed the Pan Seared Macadamia

Crusted Salmon, one of the restaurant’s signature dishes, and became an instant fan of the chef’s culinary expertise, whoever he is. In fact, I decided to go back the following evening to try out the Angus Steak, and for dessert, the unique deconstructed Black Forest.

I could go on and on about this beautiful property at the Ortigas Business District but I guess it’s easier to just sum everything up in this statement— Oakwood Premier is certainly the Premier Sanctuary everyone’s inner being hankers for. It is what hospitality is all about. Treat yourself to it and, just like me, you’ll probably also end up singing, “,,,and I think to myself, what a wonderful world!”

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

YOUR FRIDAY CHUCKLE On their first year of marriage, the man speaks and the woman listens. On their second year, the woman speaks and the man listens. On their third year, they both speak and the neighbors listen.

Oakwood Premier's well-furnished and spacious 41-square meter Studio

'No place like home' — Teo reminds Fil-Ams FILIPINOS in the United States, now nearly 3.5 million, must make time to visit and rediscover their home country, Philippine Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said.

Overwhelmed by the staggering number of Filipino-Americans, Teo made the call during her four-day speaking engagements at various Filipino community events in New Jersey and San Francisco recently.

The US is the second top source market for the Philippines, accounting for 15 percent of total visitor arrivals in 2015.

Secretary Teo said US visitors are expected to grow significantly in the coming years, as the Department of Tourism (DoT) works with the travel and tour operators to entice Fil-Ams, as well as Americans, to visit the country.

Some 337,000 Fil-Ams reside in the New York and New Jersey areas, where the DoT official was invited to fiestalike gatherings.

From the East Coast, Secretary Teo flew to San Francisco and joined over 15,000 people, mostly Fil-Ams, at the Pistahan Parade and Festival 2016 at Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco.

“Undeniably many of our fellow

Filipinos experience homesickness and longing to visit our home country, reunite with relatives and friends,” Secretary Teo said.

In New Jersey, she told 500 FilAms at the People Ball, “It’ll be great if you invite your American friends and Facebook friends to come see our world-class tourist destinations and experience genuine Filipino hospitality.

Remember, there’s no place like home.”

Secretary Teo welcomed the offer of partnership with the Advancement for Rural Kids (ARK) Foundation, an organization that supports a feeding program for grade school kids, and provides new income opportunities for the rural communities. ARK Foundation volunteers are mostly young professionals and next generation Fil-Ams. “To be able to give back to the community, particularly the marginalized sector, is in fact the bottom line of our inclusive tourism program,” she stressed.

“It is important that those visiting our home country they personally witness the change that is unfolding under the Duterte administration,” the DoT chief added.

Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo (on stage) invites the Filipino-American community at the Pistahan Festival in San Francisco, USA to visit the Philippines and reunite with relatives and friends

In an interview with Fiesta in America President Fernando Mendez and Asian Journal publisher Roger Oriel, Secretary Teo said next generation of Filipinos must be encouraged to come to the Philippines and trace their roots.

She also welcomed the support of airline and travel and tourism executives, citing the vital role of flag-carrier Philippine Airlines.

During her meetings, Secretary Teo re-

affirmed the plan for Manila’s hosting of the Miss Universe pageant next January at no expense on the part of the government as to its production costs.

The DoT chief discussed partnership with the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to support local communities through infrastructure and product development to harness their unique attractions as tourism destinations.

She also talked about her advocacy for the “one town-one product” concept and the Tourism Promotions Board’s (TPB) funding support to US-based marketing and promotions of medical and Filipino cultural and culinary tourism.

Secretary Teo also said that the DoT will give priority to “underdeveloped destinations” in the Philippines and unravel best-kept secrets, such as those in Davao, Siargao and Cagayan de Oro areas. IZL

Shangri-La’s grand getaway package GUESTS can awaken their taste buds at Makati Shangri-La, Manila with The Grand Getaway: Savor the Experience, available until Oct. 6.

The gourmet holiday starts at P7,900++ for a minimum of two nights. Checking into the hotel suites allows guests to enjoy a gastronomic feast featuring a hearty breakfast buffet at Circles Event Café, plus dining credits of P2,000 at Sage Bespoke Grill and/or Sage Bar. Guests will be entitled to instant membership with Golden Circle, Shangri-La’s loyalty and rewards program that creates unforgettable experiences for members.

Golden Circle offers members exclusive privileges and benefits across 98 hotels and resorts in the world.

The package also gives guests a chance to take relaxation to a whole new level of luxury while enjoying a

Makati Shangri-La offers guests a chance to take relaxation to a whole new level of luxury with its Grand Getaway package

different level of culinary experience.

They may indulge in a gentle massage at the Spa at the Shangri-La at 20 percent discount.

Guests may then top off the experi-

ence with soul food with a free Ayala Museum ‘cultural pass,’ which will take them through historic art collections and exhibits. The pass also provides discounts at the Museum Shop, Museum

Cafe and upcoming art classes.

At the hotel, guests can discover and enjoy the art collection of Phyllis Zaballero entitled “Matisse and Bonnard: Along the Strand,” on display from Sept.

22 to Oct. 4 on the mezzanine level.

For room reservations and further information, guests may call (02) 8138888 or email reservations.SLM@ shangri-la.com.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

T

WO of GMA Network’s prized talents renewed their commitment to remain Kapuso for several years more after they renewed their contracts separately.

Philippine TV’s Sweetheart Heart Evangelista-Escudero renewed her contract with the Kapuso network on Monday.

GMA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Atty. Felipe L. Gozon, GMA President and Chief Operating Officer Gilberto R. Duavit Jr., GMA Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Felipe S. Yalong along with other officers witnessed the signing of the renewal.

Heart is very happy to renew her ties with the Kapuso Network. “To GMA, thank you so much. You gave me a second chance in everything. When I started with them, sobrang hirap ng mga pinagdaanan ko and binigyan nila ako ng pagkakataon. I really became the person I never thought I would be with their help,” she said.

Heart considers being a Kapuso the turning point of her career. “GMA really was a huge help for me. I don’t know what would have happened to me if I didn’t move [to GMA]. It was a good decision,” Heart said.

Heart recently headlined the toprating primetime series Juan Happy Love Story with Dennis Trillo. Doing

STRONGER TIES.

Stars Heart Evangelista (left) and Mark Herras sign another exclusive contract with GMA Network

Heart, Mark

remain Kapuso

the series, she said, reignited her passion and enthusiasm in her craft. “After Juan Happy Love Story, sobrang na in love ako ulit sa ginagawa ko, na-excite ako.

Sobrang na-enjoy ko yung soap kasi very refreshing siya,” she said.

Duavit has nothing but praises for Heart and he is very grateful with the actress’ renewal of contract, “We are proud to have Heart as a Kapuso talent and nagpapasalamat tayo sa patuloy niyang pagtitiwala sa GMA at sa patuloy niyang pagiging Kapuso. Heart is a versatile and professional artist, hindi lamang sa kanyang mga pagganap kundi maski sa kanyang pagpinta. Malaki ang nadadala niyang karangalan sa atin. So we’re very happy and proud,” said Duavit.

Meanwhile, Mark Herras remains a full-fledged Kapuso after renewing his exclusive contract with GMA Network, Inc. the following day.

During the contract signing, Mark said he is very happy to renew his contract with GMA-7 which he considers his home in the last 13 years, “After all these years, yung loyalty ko ay nasa GMA pa rin. Hindi magbabago yun dahil utang na loob ko sa kanila ang lahat na meron ako ngayon,” the Kapuso actor said.

Mark is considered to be one of the Kapuso Station’s homegrown and talented actors. He was discovered in the first season of the reality based artista search Starstruck in 2003 and since then, he has been featured in a variety of projects, which honed and developed his craft as an actor, host and versatile performer. At present, he top bills the top-rating Afternoon Prime drama Sa Piling Ni Nanay and the lead star of the recently concluded series Conan, My Beautician.

PEOPLE ...are talking about Alden Richards The sales numbers for the music industry are looking particularly bad but not for showbiz’s golden boy. Alden has reached another milestone in his music career as his 2015 first full-length studio titled Wish I May (GMA Records) is now a certified 8 times Platinum. The record, which was released at the height of Eat Bulaga’s ’s “Kalyeserye,” sold more than 120,000 units. We wouldn’t be surprised if the album reaches Diamond status before the year ends.

Inah de Belen The daughter of Janice de Belen and John Estrada officially joined the roster of talents managed by GMA Artist Center. And for her television debut, she is given an important assignment, and mind you, in a starring role. Will she live up to the people’s expectation? Will she join the ranks of showbiz scions able to make a name for themselves? With the initial feedback she’s receiving for her role in Oh My Mama!, it’s very likely to happen.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Friday, September 23, 2016

instrument 50 Earl “the Pearl” of the NBA 53 Keep fit 54 Troubles, to Hamlet 58 With, to monsieur 59 Beauty aid 61 Kind of roast 62 — -majeste 63 Fountain treats 64 Ms. Ferber 65 Aardvark’s diet 66 Etiquette guru 67 Fraught with meaning DOWN 1 Coup d’— 2 Turn in the kitchen 3 Shade 4 Give it a go 5 Whatchamacallit 6 Yearns for 7 Sign of healing 8 “Ben- —” 9 Piers 10 Nose stimulus 11 Prom rental 12 New driver, maybe 15 Prompts 23 Dune buggy kin

25 Musician — Scaggs 26 Frigid and temperate 27 Softens up 28 Curio 29 Type of coffee 30 Hot-tub wood 31 Overhauled 32 Elegant wrap 33 Hairpin curves 35 Dells 38 Rambles around 41 Forces 43 Kind of story 44 Shadowed

Till I Met You Is the James Reid and Nadine Lustre starrer romantic drama losing steam?

It’s easy to tell. Based on the rating data of TNS Kantar and AGB Neilsen, the primetime TV series shows an obvious decline in viewership. On the other hand, its closest rival, Descendant of the Sun, Sun which was almost banned in China early this year for having an audience of more than 400 million, was steady strong in its performance in the numbers game. It’s a tough competition indeed. But does the series still have time to level up against Alyas Robinhood?

Robinhood Enzo Pineda The actor went for a physical makeover and is now in perfectly fine form. Actually, he’s been flaunting his body literally dropping his trousers for a mass produced undergarment brand. While people understand why Enzo chose to go all out daring, talent watchers are not really that impressed. Perhaps, instead of spending hours in the gym, he might want to spend some time in acting workshops, too.

KathNiel The love team’s latest screen offering is in the running to become one of the biggest films of 2016.

Barcelona earned more than P23 million on its first day and P130 million in just five days. In comparison, AlDub’s Imagine You and Me earned P21 million on its first day and P120 million on its first week when it was released in July. Truly, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla have proven once again that their tandem is still a force to reckon with.

ACROSS 1 Is, in Segovia 5 Blight, as hopes 9 Jar 13 Hit the horn 14 Take place 16 Emmy-winning Falco 17 Dad’s sister 18 Windy City airport 19 Heavy volume 20 Twig bearer 21 Party girl 22 Dowager 24 Exec. degrees 26 Rigatoni kin 27 Camera stand 30 Talk 34 Avis rival 35 Some machines do it 36 Hardens, as glue 37 Ms. MacGraw 38 Uses hip boots 39 — and dont’s 40 Mich. neighbor 42 Mournful wail 43 Pasture entrance 45 Tall beer glass 47 Large crowds 48 Draws to a close 49 “Oom-pah”

...are not talking about

46 The Plastic — Band 47 Most immense 49 Livy’s garments 50 Actress — Powers 51 Part of the range 52 Wildlife shelter 53 Karate kin 55 Seam, in mining 56 Bottom — 57 Cinch 60 Dinny’s rider

Jennylyn Mercado The so-called “Ultimate Star” should’ve seen it coming. Her TV project with Pambansang Bae, the local adaptation of the Korean drama entitled My Love from the Star has been shelved to give way to Alden Richards’ TV series with Maine Mendoza. Obviously, the network knows how to give priority to its bigger stars.

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com

D4

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Showbiz Gabay Guro’s Chaye Cabal-Revilla

Coco endorsed as ‘Celebrity Advocate for

a Drug-Free Philippines’

THE GOOD COP. ‘FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano’ star Coco Martin visits the pupils at the Paradise Farm Elementary School as part of the series’ ongoing tour

T

HE House of Representatives has commended ABSCBN primetime series FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano for its efforts to promote crime awareness and prevention among viewers. The congressmen also endorsed Coco Martin as “Celebrity Advocate for a Drug-Free Philippines.”

Congressman Ace Barbers, chairman of House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, filed House Resolution No. 358 on Sep. 14 commending the producers, cast, and crew of the drama series for courageously presenting relevant and controversial issues like corruption, medical malpractice, narco-politics, ninja cops, sex trade, manufacture of dangerous drugs, drug couriers, and the sale of party drugs.

“FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano exposes the network of drug syndicates including the scalawags in uniform while also revealing the struggles of the white knights of law enforcement units,” said Barbers in the House resolution.

According to Barbers, the show tackles issues like homicide, illegal recruitment, extortion, robbery, kidnapping, carnapping, cybercrime, guns for hire, riding in tandem, fraud, child abuse,

The Kapamilya star personally went to the primary school in Bulacan to give out 800 pieces of school bags containing school supplies, raincoats and slippers

human trafficking, terrorism, and drug trafficking.

He also said the program promotes awareness of the modus operandi of syndicates in recruiting the pawns or abducting their next victim using their infomercial segment where crimes, penalties, and crime prevention are discussed by Coco.

“The TV series highlights the role of the family and the community, particularly the barangay official in helping law enforcements identify and apprehend the criminal elements,” he

said.

Martin was also commended for his commitment and dedication in his craft by taking on different roles, including portrayal of lead character SPO2 Ricardo Dalisay, his twin brother Ador De Leon, and the female undercover agent Paloma.

FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, which has been on the air for a year now, has received praises for teaching viewers about the consequences of crimes and imparting life lessons about family and patriotism. It revolves around the life

and struggle of Cardo while performing his duty as a member of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

The program is also the most watched program in the country, based on the national TV ratings of Kantar Media covering urban and rural homes.

In August, the program averaged 41.2 percent and topped all programs nationwide. It has also received several awards from various award-giving bodies, including Gawad Tanglaw, Anak TV Awards, and Paragala Awards.

Jodi Sta. Maria

is latest millionaire ACTRESS Jodi Sta. Maria became the newest contestant to win the P1 million jackpot prize in ABS-CBN’s top-rating game show Minute to Win It: Last Man Standing after completing her Ultimate Challenge last Monday.

“I just thought I needed to finish the game. I needed to give what was required of me.

I didn’t mind the audience. I went to Minute to Win It to play, enjoy, and experience the game.

The expectation of winning was not with me,” shared Jodi.

Jodi remained calm and focused while doing her Ultimate Challenge “Mouth to Mouth,” which tested her skill and quickness in pulling out

a paper bill in between empty bottles without toppling them.

She took home a total cash prize of P1.07 million after defeating comedian Pooh in the Head-toHead Challenge. Jodi said she would be donating her cash prize to charities and foundations she has long supported.

Minute to Win It continues to draw viewers nationwide and win in the ratings game, according to data from Kantar Media. Its episode last Monday recorded a national TV rating of 22.6 percent, compared to its rival program on GMA, Wowowin, which only garnered 17.6 percent.

Luis Manzano hosts the show weeknights before TV Patrol.

Strong debut for ‘Magpahanggang Wakas’ The Jericho Rosales, Arci Muñoz and John Estrada starrer series is creating a lot of buzz

Jodi reacts after winning P1 million jackpot prize

AUDIENCES nationwide embraced immediately the love story of Waldo and Aryann in the pilot episode of ABS-CBN’s newest primetime series Magpahanggang Wakas, scoring high in national TV ratings.

The series with Jericho Rosales and Arci Muñoz posted a national TV rating of 25.1 percent, beating rival show Alyas Robin Hood, which only got 19.3 percent, according to data from Kantar Media.

Netizens also shared their excitement for the new primetime series as the show’s official

hashtag #MWHubadNaSimula trended on Twitter.

In its first episode, viewers had a glimpse of the lives of Waldo (Jericho) and Aryann (Arci), two lovers whose relationship was put to test after he got jailed for killing his girlfriend’s rapist.

What kind of future awaits Waldo and Aryann? Will this be the end of their love story?

Magpahanggang Wakas airs after Till I Met You on ABS-CBN and on ABS-CBN HD (SkyCable ch 167).

Gabay Guro’s tribute to teacher with big showbiz names GABAY Guro’s 9th Teacher’s Tribute this year, the biggest gathering of the country’s celebrities, will not disappoint on Sept.

25 at the MOA Arena. Stellar names will give the teachers the time of their lives on this day. Expected to join the tribute are Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Gary Valenciano, Pops Fernandez, James Reid, Nadine Lustre, Lea Salonga, and Sharon Cuneta among others.

This is the day where the teachers get to let their hair loose, meet the biggest celebrities, be treated to a whole day of entertainment and huge raffle prizes beginning with house and lot and vehicles., anything to remind them of their invaluable presence in our lives.

This year’s event is made possible through the help of Perry’s Group of Companies (for the house and lot), Foton for the (Gratour Van), Intel, Devant, Motorlandia (for the Honda and Suzuki motorcyles), Ropali, Penshoppe, National Bookstore, Enchanted Kingdom, Splash, Tempra, Flanax, Bonamine, Vivalyte, Mundipharma, Gardenia, Bic, Art Attack, Microsoft, Smart Bro, Ultera, Talk N Text and 51 Talk.

Nine years ago, a small group of likeminded PLDT executives banded together over coffee for an advocacy for teachers.

With a common dream of being a catalyst of change in the lives of teachers, Gabay Guro was born and became the CSR arm under the PLDT-Smart Foundation.

What transpired after that fateful day revolutionized education-based advocacy efforts in so many levels giving birth to a holistic approach that was anchored on the now famous Gabay Guro pillars - Scholarships, Trainings, Housing and Educational Facilities, Livelihood Programs, Broadbanding and Computerization, and Teachers’ Tribute.

Gabay Guro managed to write off mediocrity since then, championing excellence and paying tribute to teachers all over the country (and nearby countries) by bringing attention to their heroic deeds and at the same time, providing them with the necessary tools to contribute to the change in the lives of their students and their families.

To this day, Gabay Guro managed to thrive on volunteerism – mostly among the ranks of the executives from PLDT and Smart.

Nine years after, Gabay Guro has over 1,100 scholars in various state colleges and universities nationwide. There are over 300 LET passers, 496 active scholars as of August, 2016 and a projected 167 graduates in 2017. Gabay Guro also celebrates the fact that 137 scholars graduated with honors – 112 cum laudes and 25 magna cum laudes. Gabay Guro has also partnered with local government units to further teacher education.

The foundation has conducted trainings for over 16,000 teachers in the course of its nine years. Today, it runs eight training programs for teachers around the country namely: Teacher’s Treasure Chest; English Proficiency Training; Computer Literacy; Emotional Intelligence; Teacher’s Armor; Leadership Training; IT Sustainability and Literacy; and Unleashing Creativity in Teaching. At the same time, Gabay Guro answers to the needs of the times by doing grassroots anti-drugs trainings in schools.

Chaye Revilla and the Gabay Guro team of visionaries with her in the foundation, were propelled by this belief: “our nation’s children depend on our nation’s teachers to lead them to the future. And this teachers’ month, Gabay Guro gives tribute to those who teach the next generation of nation-builders.”

The pinnacle of Gabay Guro’s celebration is embodied in the tribute event held every year at the MOA Arena.

Year after year, the organizers leave no stone unturned ensuring that it is in Gabay Guro where teachers get to be treated like royalty. Generosity at its finest, raffle prizes have grown to be the staggering house and lot and vehicle showcases and livelihood opportunities that they are today in every Gabay Guro tribute event.

The PLDT Gabay Guro grand tribute event is exclusive for teachers only.

Admission is free. Follow Gabay Guro on Facebook, twitter and Instagram at @ PLDTGabayGuro or visit the Gabay Guro official website gabayguro.com for more details.