Manila Standard - 2017 February 18 - Saturday

Graft case eyed vs Gina

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Mine owners slam Environment chief for ‘abuse of power’

By Christine F. Herrera

T DENR SECRETARY REGINA LOPEZ

HE 23 mining companies that were ordered shut down vowed Friday to seek a temporary restraining order and sue Environment Secretary Regina Lopez for graft and corruption and grave abuse of power.

The mine owners, who requested anonymity for fear of more reprisals from Lopez, said they were still trying to decide if they would file a class suit or individual complaints.

Mine owners whose operations were not ordered closed expressed support for the 75 whose mineral production sharing agreements (MPSAs) were terminated. They said they feared that at the rate Lopez was arbitrarily shuttering mining operations, they could suffer the same fate soon.

The miners, members of the Philippine corruption charges because Lopez commitChamber of Mines, gathered at the Manila ted grave abuse of discretion by shutting Golf and Country Club to assess the situa- down their operations without due process. tion and discuss how to avert more casual“She did not care about the findings of ties from their ranks. the Mines and Geosciences Bureau that “We have decided to go to court. We are we were compliant. The MGB’s audit filing for a TRO, prohibiting Secretary Lo- report did not say anything about closing pez from enforcing the closure order with down the mine operations. She said she XPERIENCE•XCELLENCE•XCITEMENT the end in view of fighting it out until she did not care that the MGB’s recommendalifts the closure order,” said one owner of a tion was in contrast with hers and that the mining company. decision rests with her. She is close-minded.

They said they were also filing graft and Next page

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VOL. XXXI • NO. 8 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

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Leila slapped with 3 drug raps

By Rey E. Requejo THE Justice Department has filed three criminal cases against Senator Leila de Lima before a Muntinlupa City regional trial court for her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison.

In three separate complaints, the Justice Department accused De Lima of violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which penalizes the sale and trade of illegal drugs, and for violating Section 28 of RA 9165, which pertains to criminal liability of government officials and employees.

In the first complaint, De Lima’s co-accused include her former lover and bodyguard Ronnie Dayan and Rafael Ragos, former director of the Bureau of Corrections and deputy director of intelligence of the National Bureau of Investigation. Next page

SENATOR LEILA DE LIMA

PH, Russia defense De Lima MOU in the offing lashes at

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY―National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said Thursday a Memorandum of Understanding on security cooperation between the Philippines and Russia was on the way.

In a press conference in Davao City a day after the meeting of President Rodrigo Duterte and Russian Federation Secretary Nikolay P. Putrushev, Esperon said the MOU was expected to be signed when Duterte visit Russia.

The Philippines and Russia will ensure cooperation on the fields of security and intelligence, defense and the military, law enforcement, terrorism and transitional crimes, and in enforcing maritime laws and combating illegal drugs.

“Although we talked a lot on the bilateral talks yesterday [Thursday], everything is put on hold until the MOU is signed, but certainly there are many things that we can do now even without the agreements,” Esperon said.

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4,076 bodies pile up amid raging drug war

WARM HOSPITALITY. President Rodrigo Duterte welcomes Thursday the Russian Federation Security

Council delegates led by Secretary Nikolay Patrushev at the Presidential Guest House in Panacan, Davao City for three days and bilateral meetings with the National Security Council of the Philippines.

SHADOWY assassins have killed scores of poor victims in the Philippines after President Rodrigo Duterte officially ordered police to withdraw from his deadly drug war, a rights monitor said Friday.

Duterte pulled police from the crackdown on Jan. 31 after a brutal seven-month campaign that left 2,555 drug suspects dead at the hands of law enforcers, with 3,930 other people murdered in unexplained circumstances.

The latest police tally given to AFP on Friday showed there were 4,076 “murder cases under investigation” on Feb. 13.

This was 146 more than the end of January, which rights groups said showed extrajudicial killings had slowed but were nevertheless continuing in the drug war.

“The targets are still the same, as far as we are concerned: people linked to drugs and who live Next page

‘vindictive policy’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and John Paolo Bencito SENATOR Leila de Lima on Friday said she has long prepared herself to be the first political prisoner under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

De Lima said this was so because the criminal charges filed against her were politically motivated, and aimed at silencing her vocal opposition to the administration’s support of extrajudicial killings in its war on illegal drugs.

“Perhaps my looming imprisonment based on false charges filed against me by the DoJ, while Janet Lim Napoles’s release is being supported by the Office of the Solicitor General, is the wakeup call that our country needs.”

“Change has, indeed, come, and it has come to devour our sense of justice and morality— where right is turned to wrong, and wrong is made right,” she added.

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Du30 fires back, tags Trillanes bandit

By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has called Senator Antonio Trillanes IV a bandit for using his office to secure fees from retainers.

“It is known in the Senate that Trillanes uses his office to ask for retainers and that this has become a lucrative business for him,” Duterte said in a recorded statement sent to reporters on Thursday night.

He made the statement following Trillanes’ accusations that he amassed P211 million illegally, and that he had more than P2 billion in his bank accounts.

He vowed to resign “immediately” should Trillanes succeed in proving that he had P2 billion.

He played down the claims of the “ignorant” Trillanes as he defended his common-law wife and his daughter from his allegations, saying they had the means to make money on their own.

“If Trillanes can prove his allegation that I have amassed P2 billion illegally, or if that bank account under my name has a total deposit at one time of even just half a billion, I will resign as President immediately,” Duterte said.

“This is actually an old and rehashed issue. I have answered this allegation before I became President. The people have already spoken. They have placed me in the office with 16 million Next page votes.”

Rise up vs Reds, Lorenzana urges people

By Francisco Tuyay DEFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Friday urged the public to rise up against the New People’s Army whom he described as the true enemies of the people as a result of its extortion activities and terror attacks.

He made the call after communist rebels attacked a military convoy in Davao City, killing two soldiers and wounding 10 others.

Two rebels were also killed.

“They rely on treachery and guile to trick the innocent into joining their misguided cause

and killing those who oppose them, Lorenzana said.

“I am one with the President in condemning the atrocities committed by the NPA and in rightfully labeling them as terrorists. I call on the Filipino people to rise up against these criminals and terrorists.”

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MINIKIN ARTWORK. Carlito Romanilla, 53, puts on the map his handmade teensy cars made from aluminum wires sold at prices ranging from P2,000 to P30,000 at his workshop in Manila’s Sta. Cruz district.

Norman Cruz

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

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Lawyer-environmentalist killed

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FILILPINO lawyer who specialized in investigating crimes against the environment has been ambushed and shot dead, police said on Friday.

In a report, the police said that Mia Manuelita MascariñasGreen, who was driving a van, with her children and a nanny in the vehicle, was shot dead by four motorcycle-riding gunmen near her home in Bohol.

Mascariñas-Green was pronounced dead at a hospital but her children were unharmed, regional police spokesman Senior Insp. Reslin Abella said.

Mascariñas-Green’s murder deepened concerns that the Philippines is becoming one of the world’s most dangerous places for environmental campaigners, with more than 100 killed over the past 15 years.

“The victim is a known environmental lawyer. Investigators are checking whether the attack had any link to the cases she had handled in relation to environ-

Graft...

have had signed the MPSA deal with them had they not complied with the strict requirements to operate a mine.

Yet Lopez, without any legal basis, arbitrarily issued closure orders left and right without giving the mining companies the chance to contest the alleged violations they have committed, they said.

Miners said the entire country has 30 million hectares of land and some nine million hectares were identified to be rich in mineral ores.

“Of the nine million hectares, only 300,000 hectares are now being mined,” they said.

“But Lopez is making it appear that we are wreaking havoc on the environment. She makes it her advocacy to make us appear as monsters,” a mine owner said.

Lopez was misleading the public by displaying an inchthick document that purportedly contained the violations committed by the mining companies every time she held a press conference.

“Those documents that she was displaying on television during her press conferences contained nothing but a bluff. It was pure bluff. We never got those documents. So up until now, we don’t know what she was talking about.

We were never furnished with those documents,” one mining company executive said.

One of the miners also dared Lopez to name names and make public the identity of those who purportedly bribed her to withdraw her closure order.

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She does not know what she’s doing, she does not know her job.

She does not deserve to be the Environment secretary. She is not qualified to do the job,” the mine owner said.

“We likewise wrote to the President asking him to intervene and make sense of the situation considering the adverse impact of Lopez’s unilateral decision on the economy.

“We also made our position clear to the members of the powerful Commission on Appointments that we strongly oppose Lopez’s confirmation because of her penchant for doing illegal acts.

“Now, we go to court,” a mining executive told reporters.

The mining companies said that not one of the 75 MPSA holders was officially told of the violations committed that merited the shutting down of operations.

Another mine owner said that on Feb, 13, the MGB issued a certification that they were being given the go-signal to proceed with their exploration as their MPSA was valid.

“At 10 a.m. the following day, Feb. 14, on Valentine’s Day, we heard the news that our company was among those she issued a closure order,” the mining company official said. “Where is she basing her decision? She could not show us any audit report.”

The mine owners explained that the government could not

Du30...

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Duterte made his statement even as Malacañang on Friday described as “very dramatic” Trillanes’ claim that Duterte knew about the extortion mess at the Bureau of Immigration.

“His accusations are very dramatic,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a radio interview.

“I don’t know if we [will] dignify that with any comment.”

Duterte told Trillanes, who had also vowed to resign if his accusations proved wrong, to prove his allegations in the proper forum.

“I would advise Trillanes to go to court and file the proper case against me and advise him further to stop opening his mouth when he has nothing to

Rise...

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Lorenzana made his statement even as four soldiers and two communist rebels were killed while 11 soldiers were wounded in two clashes in Marawi City and in the outskirts of Davao City on Thursday.

In Northern Samar, soldiers killed a communist rebel during a brief firefight and found an improvised explosive device and three cellular phones.

The NPA on Friday denied the claim by the military that it launched attacks against a relief operation being aided by soldiers in Surigao del Norte on Tuesday.

“The reports coming from the AFP are highly dubious,” the Communist Party of the Philippines said in a statement.

The Duterte administration restarted the peace talks with the communists in the hope of gaining lasting peace,

say anyway,” Duterte said.

Trillanes on Thursday also challenged Duterte to disclose his bank transactions from 2011 to 2015, but this time he included Duterte’s ex-wife Elizabeth Zimmerman, his partner Honeylet and his children.

Duterte defended his common-law wife Cielito “Honeylet” Avanceña who, he said, worked hard for her money.

“You know, Trillanes, Honeylet started her doughnut business 18 years ago,” Duterte said.

“She supplies meat to five malls here in Davao. She supplies them with pork. That’s how that woman got so much money. She’s patient unlike you―you’re ambitious.”

Duterte said his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara, “is a lawyer by profession” who, he said, makes money by offering her services. With PNA but President Rodrigo Duterte soon terminated the talks after the rebels killed two soldiers in Davao City recently.

He then ordered the arrest of several prominent communist leaders, including the Tiamzon couple Benito and Wilma, following the scrapping of the Joint Safety Immunity Guarantee covering their temporary liberty.

Lorenzana called on the public to resist the communists taking refuge in their communities and to inform the military about their presence.

“We must intensify our fight against all forms of oppression and exploitation, but we must open our eyes wide to see who our real enemies are,” Lorenzana said.

“We must frustrate them at every turn by denying them a foothold in our communities and by reporting all illegal and criminal activities to the proper authorities.” With Mel Caspe and John Paolo Bencito

mental issues,” Abella said.

“They now have the identity of at least one of the perpetrators and a hot pursuit operation is ongoing,” she added without naming the suspect.

Abella said police were at the moment unaware if MascariñasGreen had been threatened previously in relation to her work.

Her children are twins, aged two, and a 10-year-old daughter, according to local media reports.

Her death brings to 112 the number of environmental campaigners murdered in the Philippines over the past 15 years, according to Filipino environment monitor Kalikasan.

This includes 12 since President

Rodrigo Duterte took office seven months ago, Kalikasan said.

“Most of these cases remain unresolved as the government continues to ignore the threat against environmental defenders,” Clemente Bautista, its national coordinator, said.

“What this means is that the perpetrators are emboldened to do it again and again because no one ever gets caught,” Greenpeace Southeast Asia executive director Yeb Sano, said.

Sano said the killing highlighted the culture of impunity in the Philippines, where powerful figures abuse a corrupt political and justice system to literally get

away with murder.

“Those who cause environmental destruction are resorting to savage measures and deplorable acts to stop communities and people who are standing up to protect our imperilled environment,” Sano said.

Environmental monitor Global Witness separately lists 88 killings of environmental activists and workers in the Philippines between 2010 and 2015.

The attacks spiked with 33 dead in 2015, ranking the Philippines as the second most dangerous country in the world for environmental campaigners behind Brazil. AFP

ASSASIN’S VICTIM. This photo taken on Feb. 17, 2017 shows the dead body of a man killed by unidentified gunman lying in a street in Manila. Shadowy assassins have killed scores of poor victims in the Philippines after President Rodrigo Duterte officially ordered police to withdraw from his deadly drug war, a rights monitor said. AFP

Leila...

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In the second complaint, her co-accused are Franklin Bucayu, former BuCor director, and Jose Adrian Dera alias Jad De Vera, a nephew and close-in security of De Lima.

In the third complaint, the coaccused were De Lima’s former security aides Dayan, Dera, and Joenel Sanchez; Bucayu and his staff and alleged bagman Col. Wilfredo Elli, and Jaybee Sebastian, an inmate at the NBP. In a press conference, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said prosecutors dismissed the complaints against former Justice undersecretary Francisco Baraan III for insufficiency of evidence.

Aguirre also denied that the filing of the case against De Lima is politically motivated, saying the prosecutors resolved the complaints against her on the merits of the case.

No arrest warrant has yet been issued against De Lima because the case will be raffled off on Monday afternoon.

The Justice Department junked the complaints against high-profile Bilibid inmates Herbert Colanggo, Engelberto Durano, Vicente Sy, Jojo Baligad and Wu Tuan Yuan, also known as Peter Co, since they will be used as prosecution witnesses.

The Justice Department also recommended to the Office of the Ombudsman the prosecution of De Lima for the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees; and the Act

4,076...

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in poor neighborhoods,” Wilnor Papa, campaign official for the Philippine branch of Amnesty International, told AFP. Papa said unknown assailants were now killing between nine and 10 people daily. This compared with about 30 people a day being killed by police and unknown assailants when officers were still leading the crackdown.

In one new shooting incident covered by an AFP photographer, police found four men shot dead inside a shanty in northern Manila before dawn on Thursday, in a scene very similar to those covered at the height of the drug war.

Witnesses said unknown suspects broke into the house and started shooting, while three

Punishing the Receiving and Giving of Gifts of Public Officials and Employees; and direct bribery and indirect bribery under the Revised Penal Code.

In the same resolution, prosecutors ordered the further investigation of the alleged extortion activities of pastor Danilo Rico inside the NBP; Dera’s alleged kidnapping of Peter Co’s niece Sally in March 2016; and the illegal drug activities committed by self-confessed drug lord Roland “Kerwin” Espinosa.

The resolution, dated Feb. 14, was approved by Prosecutor General Victor Sepulveda and was signed by the members of the DoJ panel composed of Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong, Assistant State Prosecutor Editha Fernandez, and Senior Assistant City Prosecutors Alexander Ramos, Leilia Llanes and Evangeline ViudezCanobas.

The cases stemmed from the complaints lodged by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, former National Bureau of Investigation deputy directors Reynaldo Esmeralda and Ruel Lasala, and and high-profile NBP inmate Jaybee Sebastian.

Sebastian had testified before an inquiry in the House of Representatives that he gave the senator millions of pesos in drug payoffs when she was still Justice secretary.

The Muntinlupa City RTC is expected to determine the existence of probable cause for the issuance of a warrant of arrest against De Lima.

The filing of charges against De Lima came after the Court of Appeals denied the appeal of De Lima to stop the DoJ from resolving the drug trafficking

complaints filed against her, in connection with her alleged involvement in illegal drug trade inside the national penitentiary.

In a decision written by Associate Justice Nina Antonio Valenzuela, the CA’s Special Six Division denied the plea of the senator for the issuance of an injunction against the Justice Department, saying she failed to show proof to justify issuance of a temporary restraining order.

Associate Justices Romeo Barza and Edwin Sorongon concurred with the ruling.

Nonetheless, the CA directed the Justice Department to file its comment on De Lima’s petition within 10 days from the receipt of the resolution.

In Davao City, President Rodrigo Duterte said he is confident the state has a strong case against De Lima.

“She has to face the music,” Duterte said in a chance interview after visiting the families of soldiers who were killed in action in Panacan, Davao City.

“It took them months to develop the case. The Filipinos knew all about her. The Filipinos knew that’s her style,” he added.

Earlier, Kabayan party-list Rep. Harry Roque chided the Justice Department for taking so long to file drug trafficking charges against De Lima.

“I want to file a resolution to look into the delay in the filing of cases against Senator De Lima. She really has to be jailed soonest less she wreaks further havoc on Philippine society,” Roque said.

“The DoJ should prove that there are no sacred cows, even if that cow is a former secretary of the DoJ itself,” he added. With Maricel V. Cruz

other men were shot dead in separate incidents elsewhere in the same district that night, local police told AFP. Duterte ordered all police at the end of January to stop prosecuting his drug war as he sought to cleanse the force of widespread corruption.

This came after anti-drug officers kidnapped a South Korean businessman then murdered him inside the national police headquarters as part of an extortion racket, according to an official investigation.

But Duterte promised the war would continue and more addicts, as well as traffickers, would be killed as he sought to eradicate drugs in society.

Amnesty issued a report this month accusing police of systemic human rights abuses in the drug war, including shooting

dead defenseless people, paying assassins to murder addicts and stealing from those they killed.

It also said police were being paid by their superiors to kill.

Duterte has since ordered the much smaller Drug Enforcement Agency to lead the drug crackdown, with the support of the military.

Derrick Carreon, spokesman for the 1,791-member drug agency, told AFP there had been far fewer killings by authorities since it took charge, without giving figures. “[But] there is no point in comparing these figures because the police is a much larger organization, capable of conducting more operations,” Carreon said, adding the military had mostly acted as observers so far.

The national police force has 160,000 officers. AFP

De Lima...

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If the loss of her freedom is the price she has to pay for standing up against the butchery of the Duterte regime, De Lima said it is a price she is willing to pay.

“But they are mistaken if they think my fight ends here.

It has only begun,” she said.

De Lima said her ordeal was the result of the kind of vindictive politics that she has come to expect from the Duterte administration.

“Despite these fascist methods employed by this fascist regime, we will continue to fight this battle and wage our own war for human rights and democracy. In the end, justice will prevail and we will be vindicated,” she said.

On Friday, the Justice department filed criminal charges against her with the regional trial court in Muntinlupa.

She said her lawyers are already on top of the situation and will be filing the corresponding motions as soon as the cases are raffled to a specific branch.

De Lima was accused of receiving drug money from high profile prisoners inside the New Bilibid Prison when she was Justice secretary. She allegedly used the money to bankroll her senatorial bid in the last elections.

In the Palace, the chief presidential legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, said De Lima could suffer the same fate that she had consigned former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo to when she was still Justice secretary.

“If it’s proven that she was involved in drugs, she will be jailed. Then she can get a taste of what she did to Arroyo,” Panelo said.

At the time, De Lima filed charges against Arroyo over the alleged misuse of P366 million in intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. While Arroyo was detained for almost five years in a military hospital, the state never proved the case against her, and she was released in July 2016 after the Supreme Court acquitted her on corruption charges.

It was De Lima who initially barred Arroyo from leaving the country in 2011 to seek medical treatment, despite a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court.

Panelo said De Lima should welcome the opportunity to prove that she is not guilty.

Also on Friday, De Lima failed to to secure from the Court of Appeals a stay order that would have stopped the Justice department from deciding on the criminal complaints against her.

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He said the MOU was crafted during the visit of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. last December.

He said that during several occasions when the leaders of the two countries met, the leaders were already reviewing things to come up with the MOU and including economic cooperation.

“Earlier we exported many products to Russia, to Vladivostok,” Esperon said.

“We have an $85-million two-way trade right now and the dialogue between President Duterte and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin in Apec about the volume of $2.5 billion in agricultural products and other things that can go with the trade.”

Esperon said there were no talks yet on joint military exercises.

“I would say that the military cooperation will be more on schooling, technical exchange, information exchange and intelligence exchange,” Esperon said.

He said the Philippins’ intelligence community could learn from KGB. He also said there were also talks on securing Russian firearms for the military and navy.

“We are entertaining all offers as you may have noted, the Armed Forces of the Philippines is in continuous buildup for a credible defense capability. We are doing multi-sourcing now,” Esperon said.

News IN BRIEF PPI warns vs extortionists THE Philippine Press Institute (PPI) has issued a statement warning the public against people using the Institute’s name or pretending to be its employees whose motive is to be able to extort.

The Institute, also known as the national association of newspapers, has asked the public to report to the PPI Secretariat “any such blatant, malicious and evil efforts to malign the 64-year-old organization or use its name for their own interests by making hapless and innocenet victims fall into their traps.”

Ariel Sebellino, PPI executive director, said “No such things came from our office in Intramuros. These are fake—and coming from posers and charlatans.

“Victims, would-be victims, and the public in general are warned not to cooperate with these [fake] people or groups by [not] giving in to their absurd claims and demands.”

Sebellino said: “We [the active and regular Members, Board, and Secretariat] remain the true and authentic Philippine Press Institute whose lone office is at Room 206, Banco Filipino Condominium, Aduana Street, Intramuros, Manila with telephone numbers 5279632, 5274478, and 5273390 (fax) and e-mail address.ppressinstitute@ gmail.com

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Ang claims P60m, not P50m, paid for release of workers

By Macon Araneta

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USINESSMAN Charlie “Atong” Ang, a business partner of gaming mogul Jack Lam, has said a total P60 million, and not P50 million, had been paid for the release of over 1,000 undocumented Chinese workers at Fontana Leisure Park and Casino in Pampanga.

Testifying for the first time at the resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing on the P50-million bribery at the Bureau of Immigration, Ang revealed former BI Associate Commissioner Al Argosino and Michael Robles demanded P100 million but P60 million had only been released through former police official Wenceslao “Wally” Sombero Jr. He complained before the

committee chaired by Senator Richard Gordon that P60 million was already released to Sombero, but still no release was made.

“Sir, P60 [million] or P50 [million]?” Senator Francis Escudero asked.

“They gave P50 million and then, they asked [for] another P50 [million], saying it’s lacking. It was a Sunday then, so they can’t be released [the

additional P50 million]. So Mr. Sombero got only P10 million.

They went to Fontana, they checked but no releases yet,” he added.

Ang said the two former immigration officials told him the initial P50 million was not enough to bail out the Chinese workers, so they were asking for another P50 million.

The former police officer handed the P50 million to Argosino and Robles during a meeting at a restaurant in the City of Dreams in Parañaque City last Nov. 27.

Alex Yu, a representative of Lam, told the hearing he gave Sombero the additional P10 million.

Sombero admitted receiving the money at 11 p.m. of Nov. 26 or before he met with Argosino and Robles.

He said he would give it to the former immigration officials as

part of the P50-million balance.

But Sombero said he changed his mind and later told Yu to first hold the P10 million since the Chinese workers have not yet been released.

Sombero said he was told by Yu to keep the money as they could use it for legal fees to be needed for the release of Lam’s workers.

When Escudero asked if the money was with him, Sombero answered it’s still intact. He noted he did not intentionally keep the P10 million.

Ang also divulged the arrested Chinese workers were being asked to pay up to P3 million just to get back their passports.

He also sought the help of the senators and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre for the workers of Next Games Outsourcing Inc. who, he said, were being demanded to pay from P150,000

to P3 million to repossess their passports.

“I would also ask the help of the [Justice] Secretary and the Immigration. Those arrested from us, in the Next Games, they were being asked P150,000 to P3 million to get back their passports,” said Ang, who was a co-accussed of former President Joseph Estrada in an earlier plunder case.

“They confiscated so many passports; there were 600 which they want to be redeemed…The corruption is taking place in the lower level of the bureau. That’s the problem. We are asking for your help,” he said.

Before Gordon wrapped up the nearly nine-hour hearing, he raised the possibility if Lam could come over to the Philippines.

Raymund Fortun, a lawyer of Lam, said the gaming tycoon had no plan of coming back to the Philippines.

Ombudsman sacks 13 govt officials THE Office of the Ombudsman ordered on Friday the dismissal from the service of 13 government officials in the P224-million pork barrel fund scam involving former Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. for grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and dishonesty.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales ordered the dismissal of director III Richard Cambe, Revilla’s former chief of staff; Dennis Cunanan, ex-Technology Resource Center director general; Marivic Jover, exTRC chief accountant; Consuelo Lilian Espiritu, exTRC budget officer; Gondelina Amata, National Livelihood Development Corp. president; Gregoria Buenaventura; Emmanuel Alexis Sevidal NLDC director IV; Sofia Cruz, NLDC project development officer IV; Chita Jalandoni NLDC director IV; Ofelia Ordoñez, NLDC chief budget specialist; Evelyn Sucgang; Victor Roman Cacal, National Agribusiness Corp.’s general services supervisor, and Rhodora Mendoza NabCor’s administrative and finance head.

The order carries the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office and forfeiture of all retirement benefits.

“In the event of separation from the service, the penalty is convertible to a fine equivalent to respondent’s salary for one year,” the Ombudsman said.

DISMANTLING DECRIED. Fisherfolk from Laguna de Bay rail Friday against the dismantling of fishpens in the freshwater lake and call on the Duterte administration to rehabilitate the lake to give small fishermen a chance to gear up for their livelihood. Manny Palmero

Police integrity needed, says Lacson

By Macon Ramos-Araneta INTEGRITY will be a key weapon, especially of law enforcers, in their ongoing efforts to combat the illegal drug trade, Senator Panfilo Lacson said.

Lacson also called on all sectors of society to do their part in complementing the anti-drug efforts of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and other law enforcement bodies.

“Unless law enforcers act with integrity—that is, with highest ethical standards and respect [for] the rule of law at all times—change, no matter how much work you put into it, will remain elusive,” he said at the PDEA’s destruction of seized illegal drugs here.

He added: “Hence, if we intend to remain committed to this cause, we should also fortify parallel efforts to ensure this is not the battle of the PDEA alone or of the PNP alone, but more so by all of us. “We should

all work together to eliminate this menace by all means necessary, but with proper regard to and complete respect for the individual rights of all concerned, whether they be the one enforcing the law or the one to whom the law is being enforced,” he added.

Lacson said credibility involved a person doing what he or she said, especially under unguarded and tempting circumstances.

“If a man is truthful and upright in public, but renounces those standards in private, then he lacks credibility because he has no integrity,” he pointed out.

“In the same manner, a PDEA agent or any public servant who is trustworthy before the media and cameras, but forsakes his code of morals and implements double standards when no one is around, is not worthy of the public’s veneration,” he said.

On the other hand, Lacson reiterated the need for law enforcement agencies not to let “a few bad apples” undermine

their efforts.

“An arduous challenge remains: We should not let a few bad apples spoil the whole bunch. We should fight tooth and nail to break the grip of erring officers within all law enforcement agencies to win back the confidence of the public in our institutions,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lacson said law enforcement agencies could mount an information campaign to let the public, especially the youth, realize the far-reaching effects of drug abuse.

He also said the public should be aware of their individual responsibilities in helping end the problem of illegal drugs.

On Thursday, Lacson was the guest at the PDEA ceremony where more than P400 million worth of illegal drugs including shabu, cocaine, ketamine, marijuana, ephedrine, ecstasy, and expired medicines were destroyed by thermal decomposition.

Higher pay for BIR personnel sought

By Maricel V Cruz

GLASS SALUTE. Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon shares a toast with Japanese Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa during a ceremony Thursday for the former’s acceptance of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun conferred by Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez has filed a bill seeking to provide better pay and incentives to employees of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

House Bill 4973, filed last Feb. 6, was seen as timely as barely a week later reports came out that many employees of the BIR were leaving the agency because of “starvation wage.”

It seeks to remove BIR from the coverage of RA 6758 or the “Salary Standardization Law.” Alvarez said his bill was meant not just to increase wages and benefits of BIR employees for its own sake but, more importantly, to eliminate corruption and professionalize

the ranks of revenue officials and employees.

Alvarez noted that systemic corruption was a perennial issue that hounded the BIR and many cases had been filed against erring officials of the revenue agency.

“However, for true reform to happen corruption should be addressed at its roots— low salaries and the lack of incentives that target the need of BIR personnel. If wages are too low for revenuers to support themselves and their dependents, the more likely they are to engage in corrupt behavior,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez noted that recruiting and retaining high-performing employees was a major challenge for tax authorities.

Absentee voting proposed

By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez on Friday proposed that senior citizens and persons with disabilities be allowed to vote under the local absentee voting system.

Alvarez noted that despite the passage of Republic Act 10366, authorizing the Commission on Elections to put up accessible polling places exclusively for PWDs and senior citizens, many people still failed or were discouraged to vote because of their mobility limitations or their physical and health conditions.

“At present, there is no law granting PWDs and senior citizens the privilege to vote under local absentee voting,” Alvarez noted.

In filing House Bill 5019, Alvarez said he wanted to ensure senior citizens and PWDs, who are unable to vote in their registered precincts during election day on account of their physical and health conditions, could cast their votes as local absentee voters in places other than where they were registered, subject to the rules and regulations issued by the Comelec.

“The State must ensure that they are able to exercise their right to vote in a comfortable manner and with greater accessibility,” Alvarez said.

The bill seeks to amend Republic Act 10380, or “An Act Providing for Local Absentee Voting for Media,” to extend the right to vote under the local absentee voting system to PWDs and senior citizens.

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Opinion

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Fertile minds

T

HE government’s lawyer is of the opinion that Janet Lim Napoles who is now at the Correctional Institute for Women, serving a 40-year sentence for illegally detaining her nephew, must be acquitted.

Solicitor General Jose Calida said Wednesday he had reviewed the merits of the case against Napoles, the alleged mastermind behind the pork barrel scam, and became convinced that Makati Judge Elmo Alameda erred in convicting her.

The evidence, the transcript of records, would show instances that would support her acquittal, he said. For instance, the nephew, Benhur

Luy, was not restrained and was in fact able to see his family three times during his supposed captivity.

“It is up to the justices of the CA to assess the weight of our pleading... modesty aside, the OSG is considered as the 16th justice of the Supreme Court because we are partners with the judiciary,” Calida added.

It is his duty to see to it that justice is served to everybody, Calida said, notwithstanding

the personalities involved in the case. He says he is duty bound to state the facts and not send an innocent person to the gallows.

Calida, however, denied that he was acting upon instructions of President Rodrigo Duterte and said those who believed so had fertile minds. “It is fiction,” he said, noting that the illegal detention case was in no way connected to the immensely bigger pork barrel scandal.

Numerous government officials from various political parties were named by Luy and other witnesses as having benefitted from Napoles’ elaborate scheme.

The presidential legal coun-

sel, Salvador Panelo, says the Palace supports Calida’s move unless independent entities can show he is wrong even as he insisted that the President leaves its departments alone.

We have to admit to having fertile minds, as well.

When Filipinos hear “Napoles,” the first thing that comes to mind is not “illegal detention” but “pork barrel.”

We recall her evasive way of answering questions, saying she does not recall even the most basic or obvious events or circumstances. We recall being aghast at claims she was “friends” with many—too many, it seems—public officials that all of them are scared

at the prospect of her naming names. We remember her demeanor at the trial.

We are not sorry for our active imagination. While the plunder cases have yet to be resolved, Napoles has come to stand for impunity, audacity and entitlement—the enabler of greed among those who profess to serve the people but in reality serve only themselves.

And since the solicitor general is the government’s lawyer, what he does is what the government stands for. Shall we really allow this government to tell us that Napoles is an aggrieved party? Shall we not, instead, protest and retch at this ignominy?

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

The interference of the clergy

Audacity I HAVE to say that I am in awe at what Secretary Gina Lopez, with the full support of President Rodrigo Duterte, is doing to make the country confront hard choices over mining.

I write this as a legal and policy scholar and practitioner, with 30 years of experience dealing with mining issues in the Philippines and in the world. Lopez and Duterte have been bold; they are visionaries, taking immense political risks.

They have reframed the discussion on mining in the most fundamental way—not about economics, but about sustainable development; not about profits, but about social and environmental justice.

The recent decisions of Secretary Lopez—first, to suspend and close several mining operations, and then last Tuesday, as

her Valentine’s Day gift to the Filipino people, to cancel 75 mining agreements (actually she has sent them “show cause” letters, a first step towards a decision as required by due process), has changed, overnight, the landscape of mining governance in the Philippines.

In my view, assuming that due process and an adherence to good science were followed in making them, these decisions bring us closer to responsible mining.

Although most environmental activists believe that is no such thing as “responsible mining”—“never has been, never will be,” I respectfully disagree. I have always believed that with decisive action by the government and hard work by all stakeholders, and especially the mining industry, responsible mining is possible.

For me, responsible mining can be defined simply as compliance with the laws on mining where existing regulations are enough to safeguard the health

of the environment and human communities. We have these in the Mining Act of 1995 although there is a problem of proper implementation of these programs.

ippines’ manual—Compliance and Beyond: A Guidebook on Corporate Social Responsibility for the Philippine Mining Industry. In this comprehensive and excellent resource book, COMP provides specific suggestions on how to adhere to responsible mining at every With decisive stage of the mining cycle.

These include the following action by the principles: (1) Protect the engovernment and vironment as a paramount consideration in all stages of minhard work by all ing and conduct activities in a manner that will contribute to stakeholders, and the broader goals of sustainespecially the able development; (2) Protect the rights of affected commumining industry, nities, including the rights of responsible indigenous cultural communities. Engage in adequate and mining is timely communication and consultation with them and possible. work for the improvement of the quality of their lives during and even after the life of the mine; (3) Safeguard the health The best practices in min- and safety of mineworkers, ing are summarized well by the local population, host and imChamber of Mines of the Phil- pact communities, and address

foreseeable health- and safetyrelated impacts associated with mining over its full life cycle. (4) Maintain a competent workforce that is committed to responsible mining and whose welfare is advanced. (5) Make sure that affected communities benefit from mining through employment, whenever possible. (6) Respect, protect, and promote human rights of those affected by mining and promote human rights-sensitive security arrangements; and, (7) Adopt responsible corporate governance and management principles that nurture trust and promote company integrity by developing effective self-regulatory practices and management systems and employing business practices that are ethical, transparent and accountable.

A precondition for responsible mining is the identification of no-go areas. Despite provisions in the law that identify areas closed to mining, field im-

THE word war is on between President Rodrigo Duterte and the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. Reacting to the sharp criticism the Church has repeatedly directed against him, President Duterte’s reprisal was just as sharp—he called Church leaders pretentious and opportunistic hypocrites.

From all indications, it is a word war the Church is bound to lose.

Unlike cardinals and bishops, President Duterte is not a religious figure who must maintain a holy image. Duterte has always been known for his colorful language, something which has enamoured him with Filipinos exasperated with nonsense leaders like many of those who made up the administration of his predecessor, ex-President Benigno Aquino III. Many Filipinos believe that crooks and scalawags in the government deserve the harsh words Duterte uses against them. Duterte’s supporters add that crooks will only listen to the language of someone they fear, and the president meets that criterion.

Moreover, Duterte has nothing to hide from the public.

His private life has always been an open book, and he has been vocal and candid about his views and ideas.

On the other hand, Church leaders are expected to maintain an image of piety and virtue. However, when one disobeys the Constitution and does not practice what he preaches, one will have great difficulty in projecting piety and virtue.

More specifically, the Constitution mandates the separation of church and state. This means the Church should not meddle in the worldly affairs of the government. To borrow the words of Jesus Christ, the Church is expected “to render unto Caesar the things that belong to Caesar, and to render unto God those that belong to God.” There are very good reasons why the Church should not meddle in secular matters.

During the Spanish colonial period, the Spanish friars were the political bosses in

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Opinion BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN

Old fogies never die WE DO not know whether cause the perpetrators assumed senility, stupidity or both is that his violent death could catching up on Fidel Ramos. trigger an avalanche of adverse Raising the issues again about public reaction that would lead the alleged ill-gotten wealth to the downfall of the Marcos and the assassination of former government.

Senator Benigno Aquino, This theory, which in fact Jr. have been rendered passé happened, is more logical than principally because of the gross what Ramos is insinuating. As incompetence of those who president, he had all the resourcwere supposed to bring out the es at his disposal to carry out a truth and have been hooting thorough investigation. Instead, justice on our behalf. he is doing a childish game of It was an indication that finger pointing. His failure to something is terribly wrong solve the case during his adminwith the man who failed to pre- istration undeniably speaks of vent the commission of that an- the gravity of his incompetence; ticipated murder of Ninoy. His that for him, to open his mouth incompetence is incomparable now on this issue could all the when he started blaming others more make him appear ridicufor what happened. In fact, he is lous and stupid. the only President who layered On the issue of ill-gotten his incompetence with inepti- wealth, the case has been lying tude when he failed to solve the there for more than 30 years, double murder case during his and the PCGG which was creterm despite the holler of protest ated to purposely recover them against his election due to mas- continues to hang on. It seems sive fraud. that he wants to apply the same To begin with, no person in naive formula by demanding his right mind would confess from Imelda Marcos to tell all to a crime he did not commit. about their so-called “hidden More so if there is no evidence wealth.” What is evident is that linking him. It is not only a vio- the PCGG or presidential-goodlation of his fundamental right for-nothing commission conto remain silent, but also of his tinues to flaunt its powers even right to be presumed innocent. if it has legally ceased to exist It is the duty of the prosecutors after the effectivity of the 1987 to independently gather, col- Constitution because the man lect and present the evidence in named Fidel Ramos extended court where the person stands as its lease of life by creating the accused so to give him the op- Sequestered Assets Disposition portunity to rebut all the allega- Authority in December, 1993 tions against him. but exercising the same powers In his nonsensical ranting, and functions as the PCGG. Ramos is asking the former first Ramos should ask himself lady Imelda Marcos to tell the why the presidential-goodtruth about the f o r- n o t h i n g assassination com m ission of Ninoy Aquimanaged to no.

Indeed, recover a tosuch is symptal of P170 They just keep tomatic that he billion of the could no longer on ranting. alleged illdistinguish his gotten wealth left from his yet failed to right hand. As make a sinthe chief of the gle conviction defunct Philippine Constabu- against any of the Marcoses or lary, his principal duty was their alleged cronies. He must to prevent the assassination. bear in mind that the issue no Ramos cannot coyly point the longer revolves on the recovery blame for his failure to some- of the alleged ill-gotten wealth, body else, more so if the person but on his credibility. He even he is accusing is his sworn po- failed to justify why the PCGG litical enemy. convicted the money (just to get Logic will tell that if only hold of it), and not the alleged Ramos diligently did his job in owners of the deposit to justify preventing the assassination, the connection between the illehe would not now be asking gal acts they committed and the Rep. Imelda Marcos to confess sequestration of their deposits. in what many could see as his Even if we give it that there clever ploy to whitewash his is validity in the claim of Raineptitude. For one, how did mos about the alleged ill-gotten Galman manage to penetrate wealth, time has lapsed that all the restricted area at the Manila cases involving their recovery International Airport to kill Ni- should now be dismissed for noy, who himself was gunned failure to prosecute. This prodown, is a question Ramos, as hibition stems from the timethe chief of PC, alone can an- honored principle known as swer. “estoppel by laches,” that the Ramos compounded his stu- government can be prevented pidity when he became presi- from pursuing a case due to its dent. Identifying who assassi- own negligence or failure to nated Ninoy was a formidable prosecute the case for such an task. Instead, he allowed all the unreasonable period of time. agencies of the government to Ramos should instead answer carry out the investigation while what happened to the proceeds he, as the top cop then, was hav- in the sale of Fort Bonifacio, the ing his sweet time chomping his PEA-Amari deal, the billions of pesos wasted for that flop Cenunlighted cigar.

The sequence of events in tennial Expo and the privatizarelation to this career indicates tion of many government assets that as chief of PC, his duty which all took place under his was to prevent the commission all-but sloganeering administraof the crime. When he became tion. While it may be preposterpresident, his duty revolved in ous to say that the funds evapoidentifying the killer and the rated, he cannot deny that his mastermind so they could be administration accomplished brought to court. Alas on both nothing to justify his braggadocounts, Ramos miserably failed. cio in disposing of those prime We emphasize this because properties reserved for our solpeople know that Galman did diers and their families. The lonot personally know or was an quacious Cold War warrior only acquaintance of Ninoy, or much exposed himself unnecessarily more had a personal grudge as a dud, or to say it in the veragainst the former senator. nacular–mintis!

What the people now believe rpkapunan@gmail.com is that Ninoy was murdered be-

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

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The spectacle of Trump acting presidential

By Jonathan Bernstein DONALD Trump’s first presidential press conference today was ... something else. He ranted, he raved; he denied he was ranting and raving, which is even more bizarre than actually ranting and raving. He bragged again about his (unimpressive, flukish) 306 electoral votes. He repeatedly brought up, unsolicited, his election opponent and repeated his campaign points against her, something essentially unheard of among post-election, let alone sworn-into-office, presidents (they might, as Trump did, dwell on problems they inherited, but personal campaign attacks are normally immediately forgotten the second the networks call the election).

He got major and minor factual things totally wrong.

Then there was the bit about how a “nuclear holocaust would be like no other.” And the bit in which he awkwardly (to say the least) asked a black reporter to set up a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus for him.

He gave incredibly convoluted answers about press leaks, news stories, and his firing of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn—apparently we are to believe that the leaks were accurate, the news stories about them were not (something about the tone of reporters), and Flynn had to go because he didn’t give an accurate answer to Vice President Michael Pence about something that didn’t matter because Flynn didn’t do anything wrong anyway. No, none of that makes sense.

Or, as British pundit Alex Massie put it: “None of us have seen anything like this before.”

So what’s going on here (and by the way, Trump does deserve credit for holding a proper and wide-ranging press conference; it’s slightly late compared with other presidents, but add the bilateral opportunities and he’s at or ahead of the pace recent presidents have set)?

For one thing, we’re seeing something that isn’t new, but that we haven’t seen since Ronald Reagan: A president who has his own version of facts, a version which his staff can’t or won’t get him to give up, and so they have to clean up after him.

That actually happened earlier today when UN Ambassador Nikki Haley corrected what the president said in his last press appearance, reassuring everyone that the United States still supported a two-state solution in the the Middle East.

The difference between Trump and Reagan is that Reagan had clear overall policy preferences, which everyone in his administration was well aware of, so when he got things wrong in public it didn’t really lead to all that much internal confusion (and Reagan during most of his presidency had a solid White House staff structure available to translate for him). What does Trump really believe, if anything, on Russia and Israel and China? No one, including the State Department and other foreign policy and national security portions of the executive branch, has any idea. He keeps talking about “a deal” as if foreign policy was a one-time negotiation over a TV

The interference...

From A4

their designated territories, and the civil and military authorities kowtowed to them in fear. The friars meddled in the affairs of government, thus creating stagnation, favoritism, and political patronage in every aspect of the government.

With their political power came abuse.

The friars enriched themselves from the compulsory “donations” of churchgoers, and sired children by many women, all despite their vows of poverty and celibacy.

They were foul-mouthed, too.

The separation of Church and State, mandated by the American colonial authorities in the Philippines at the onset of the twentieth century, put an end to clergy interference in secular affairs.

To compensate for the prohibition against religious meddling in the government, the Constitution exempts the Church from all forms of taxation as far as its religious activities are concerned. Thus, the Church is exempted from paying income taxes, real estate taxes, and customs duties for any religious activity.

Being exempted from paying taxes, the Church is expected to refrain from criticizing the government. Why so?

The government finances its operations from money paid by taxpayers. Since taxpayers fund the operations of the government, it logically follows that taxpayers have the inherent right to criticize the way the government operates, or more specifi-

Audacity From A4

plementation has been beset by conflicts. There is no clear-cut policy for example, on mining in island ecosystems that are most vulnerable to environmental and social impact. The obvious rule should be that watersheds should be off limits to all extractive industries and activities that impairs and diminishes the watershed’s ability to provide water, biodiversity, climate and other ecosystem services.

But the debate has become legal, with the industry insisting that only proclaimed watersheds are no-go areas. There is even an assertion, and both Secretary Lopez and her detractors have said this, that the whole Philippines is a watershed. Such a conclusion can be justified to ban all mining in the whole country but the same can also be used to justify mining everywhere.

Most ecologists and watershed experts I know reject such a notion. We can actually look at specific places and conclude that this is a watershed and that mining should not be allowed here because of its environmen-

contract or bankruptcy procedure. Foreign policy isn’t like that.

As far as Trump himself? It’s a dangerous game to read into the president’s moods and motivations and body language, but he’s practically begging everyone to try. The striking thing about today’s appearance was that Trump began with an uninspired reading of a prepared statement, but then really picked up steam during a (very long) back and forth with the press corps. It’s hard not to imagine that this is how Trump always imagined the presidency. Indeed, it’s hard not to imagine that Trump believes that the portions of the presidency that are for show, the meetings with CEOs and the Oval Office photos with foreign leaders and the press conferences, are the essential core of the job. Not, for example, carefully reading briefing papers in order to figure out what tough questions to ask those who are briefing him, or dealing with the details of policy choices.

Granted, that’s all speculative and could easily be wrong.

What is clear, however, is Trump is nowhere closer to demonstrating even vaguely adequate levels of knowledge of public policy and how the government works than he was during the campaign, which makes him a very dangerous man in the presidency.

Speaking of speculation: A lot of people are going to tell you either that today’s wild press conference was a horror show that will destroy him with voters, or that no matter what the press thinks this was the Trump that people like and

cally, how the government spends taxpayer money. In other words, the right of the critic to speak up against the government emanates from the critic’s obligation, one enforceable by law, to pay taxes. Ergo, exemption from taxes means the absence of the right to criticize the government.

Since the Church does not pay taxes, it has no right to criticize the government in the same way that the taxpayer do.

So far, the Church has had the best of both worlds. It criticizes the government even if it does not contribute to the funds the government needs for its operations. Putting it another way, the Church wants to exercise the right enjoyed by a taxpayer, without complying with the taxpayer’s concommitant obligation to pay taxes. As stated in a previous essay under this column, that’s duplicity and rank opportunism on the part of the Church, which is supposed to preach virtues in the first place.

Likewise, Church leaders do not practice what they preach.

When Carlos Celdran, a famous heritage tour guide in old Manila, had had enough of the Church’s interference in the affairs of the government, entered the Manila Cathedral, and displayed a placard bearing the phrase “Padre Damaso” (the sex-starved villain in Jose Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere”) for all to see, Church leaders immediately filed a criminal case against him. Celdran was subsequently convicted by the trial court.

Later on, when Pope Francis was set to come to Manila, Luis Cardinal Tagle began publicly preaching about the need

tal impact on such a resource.

This is my understanding of the rationale for the closure and show cause orders against several mining operations and the 75 mining agreements. President Duterte has rightly confirmed that there should be no mining in watersheds and I support him and Secretary Lopez on this.

I have also proposed many times that there must be a total respect for the letter and spirit of the NIPAS law (on protected areas) and the special environmental law for Palawan that declare areas closed to mining.

There must also be respect for the right of local governments to close areas within their territorial jurisdiction to mining operations as a precautionary measure, in the absence of credible information on impacts and acceptable risk, or a policy preference. Small island ecosystems should be excluded from mining as, they support small communities as special cases for environment and development, being ecologically fragile and vulnerable. Agriculture and sustainable tourism should be preferred over mining.

I have also emphasized that

the reason he won the election.

Try to ignore all of that. Single presidential appearances (in midday, when normal people are at work or otherwise occupied) don’t change anything. In fact, even multiple presidential appearances don’t do much; for the most part, those who don’t like Trump won’t like what they learn of today’s press conference, and those who do like him will like it.

Given that he’s unpopular (at record lows for a new president, but only modestly unpopular overall), more people likely will dislike than like what they see. Long-term change will happen based on events.

It won’t matter what kinds of nonsense Trump gives about the jobs situation he inherited or about what he’s doing about it; what will matter is whether the job market stays strong, gets stronger, or reverses. The same with every other area of policy. And it won’t matter whether or not Trump calls his White House a “fine tuned machine”; what will matter is whether it remains factionalized and each faction runs to the press with stories about their rivals and the president, or not. It will matter whether he sheds staff every few weeks.

And it will matter whether the scandals fizzle out or grow larger.

This part of the presidency?

He can do some damage when he gets his own policies wrong, and he can probably remind some on-the-fence voters what they like about him, but it’s the substance of the presidency which matters. For the former reality star, this was just more show business. Bloomberg

for Filipinos to be more forgiving towards their fellow Filipinos. When critics scored Tagle for preaching forgiveness while Church officials actively pursued the criminal case against Celdran, Tagle offered a flimsy excuse—he claimed that the Church had already forgiven Celdran, but the People of the Philippines decided to pursue the criminal case against the outspoken tour guide.

As every lawyer knows, the criminal case against Celdran would not have ripened into a conviction if the Church did not actively pursue it. In other words, Tagle’s explanation was a deception, plain and simple. By resorting to deceit, Tagle revealed how lowly he thought of the intelligence of the average Filipino. This is one reason why many Catholics pray that Tagle will never become Pope.

To repeat, Church leaders have taken a vow of poverty. Despite this vow, many of them travel around the metropolis in luxury vehicles. Clergy in the countryside preach against gambling, but they have no qualms about accepting donations from organized gambling.

Although the Church openly opposes contraceptives, it does not seem willing to provide shelters for the additional children who will roam the streets of Metropolitan Manila in search for alms—children who will be born to poor couples who were denied access to contraceptives, thanks to the Church.

It’s time for the Padre Damasos of today to obey the Constitution by putting an end to their meddling in government affairs.

responsible mining has to respect the decision of local stakeholders, especially indigenous peoples. The right of IPs and local communities to Free and Prior Informed Consent, which includes the right to say “no” should be respected and not taken as a provisional decision subject to negotiation until communities finally say “yes.”

It is also important that smallscale mining should be held to the same high standards imposed on the big mining companies. In the first place, most small-scale mining activity today already employs tools and machines similar to those used by the big companies.

Their financiers with deep pockets must be held accountable for compliance with environmental, social and economic laws. Artisanal and the truly poor small-scale miners must however be given preference.

Finally, the government must review and impose a better revenue-sharing policy. Mineral resources are non-renewable national economy and the benefits to the country and to local communities must be tangible and definite.

To move this forward, Con-

gress should revisit the mining law and passed an entirely new act that take into account the new landscape that Secretary Lopez has ushered in.

In an interview with an American journalist last week, I was asked whether I thought Lopez was nuts. The journalist referred to one of the videos of Secretary Lopez where she waxed poetic about nature.

I said if she were, then President Duterte would even be crazier. The truth is both the Secretary and the President are sui generis, one of a kind. Indeed, I have always thought that the Duterte decision to appoint Lopez was a stroke of genius; her latest actions conclusively prove that this was a correct impression.

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POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO Ms. Angsioco’s column will resume next week.

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

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IN BRIEF Rody to join PMA reunion for 1st time BAGUIO CITY—For the first time, President Rodrigo Duterte will be the guest of honor and speaker during the alumni homecoming of the Philippine Military Academy here on Saturday which is also the time a president will attend the annual event after more than a decade.

The President is an adopted member of the PMA “Dimasupil” Class of 1967, which adopted him as early as 1994 while still mayor of Davao City.

PMA spokesperson Lt. Col. Rey Balido said the last president to attend the PMA Alumni Homecoming was former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo back in 2004, when she also served as guest of honor.

In the same event, Duterte will also be one of the few to be formally adopted as an honorary member of the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association Incorporated. John Paolo Bencito

News

DoJ insists on NBI probe

By Rey E. Requejo

D

ESPITE the call of the victim’s wife for the National Bureau of Investigation to back off the case, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II insisted on Friday the agency will continue its investigation of the abduction and killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo.

“They will not withdraw from the case because they already have leads that they need to pursue,” Aguirre said, even after Jee’s wife Choi Kyungjin urged President Rodrigo Duterte to order the NBI off the case because some NBI men were implicated in the kidnap-slay.

“I do not trust the NBI to carry out an impartial investigation,” Choi said in her one-page letter to Duterte following the allegation of police colonel Rafael Dumlao that

some NBI agents were involved in the Jee’s abduction and murder.

She said she would prefer that the Philippine National Police’s Anti-Kidnapping Group be the sole agency to handle the investigation instead of a joint PNP-NBI probe.

“With the news that several high-ranking NBI personnel might also be involved...I am afraid that this will only further delay the speedy resolution you promised,” Choi said.

But Aguirre said the NBI decided to continue the probe because the agency had already conducted an in-depth investigation “would be able to strengthen the case.”

But even prosecutors of the Department of Justice are confused over the parallel investigations of the NBI and Philippine National Police.

During a hearing of the case Thursday, the prosecutors, led by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera, were baffled at separate motions filed by PNP’s Anti-Kidnapping and the NBI seeking differing extensions of the deadline to submit evidence.

The PNP-AKG sought an additional 15 days, while the NBI sought a 20 extension to submit additional documents related to the case.

“How joint is this task force? If this were really a task force, we would be receiving one motion for

extension [but] we received two asking for extension with different periods. So, is there really a joint task force to speak of,” Navera asked.

NBI laywer Niño Martinez said: “We still have conflicting views.

As far as I know, we do not have a written order. We only have a special order issued by the [NBI] director.”

Martinez was referring to the special order dated Feb. 3 issued

by NBI Director Dante Gierran assigning 15 agents to conduct special missions on Jee’s case.

The PNP-AKG agreed with the NBI that there is no formal order creating the task force. But noted that both agencies are coordinating to fast-track the case.

“The court is not looking at the NBI and the PNP. Can you imagine how are we going to explain the April 19 deadline when you still have to coordinate,” Navera

Police put up Korean desks

USS Louisville calls on Subic THE Los Angeles-class submarine USS Louisville arrived in Subic Bay on Monday to strengthen its “community and military connections” with the Philippines.

The United States Embassy to Manila said in a statement, the Louisville crew will participate in a series of community service projects and sporting events during their visit in the Philippine soil.

“The Los Angeles-class submarine USS Louisville [SSN 724] arrived in Subic Bay for a brief port call that highlights the strong community and military connections between the Philippines and the United States,” the embassy stated.

Aside from the said community activities, the ship will also use the stop to conduct some minor maintenance with the assistance of Filipino companies.

The US Embassy noted that the Philippines is a long-standing treaty ally of the US with a history of partnership of more than 70 years.

“The American and Philippine militaries have worked closely together on areas of mutual interest such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter terrorism, cybersecurity and maritime security,” the embassy added.

The embassy said Louisville is forward-deployed to the US 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

Sara D. Fabunan

PAL cancels 100 flights PHILIPPINE Airlines on Friday announced the cancellation of at least 100 domestic flights affected by the scheduled maintenance and upgrading of one of the radars used by the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The cancellation, according to PAL spokesperson Ma. Cielo Villanuna, was made in pursuant to the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines last week in connection with the repair of Tagaytay Radar beginning March 6 until March 11.

Villaluna said 16 domestic flight schedules were canceled on March 6 while 18 others on March 7 and another 18 on March 8. She added 48 flights were also canceled from March 9 to 11.

Most of those canceled are flights to and from Manila, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Tacloban and Masbate.

The PAL management stated that affected passengers may avail of the following options without penalties: rebook their tickets within 30 days from original date of departure without penalty provided within ticket validity; or refund their ticket in full; or reroute to the next alternative nearest point within PAL’s network.

CAAP Deputy Director General for Operations Capt. Manuel Antonio Tamayo said that coordination with Manila International Airport Authority and airlines operating at the Naia have been put in place and advisory on the revise flight schedules during the duration of the repair period will be coordinated with passengers through their respective airline carriers. Joel E. Zurbano

said.

“My point is you are not just operating within your investigative world. We are dealing with the court who has given us 60 days so let us act fast,” the prosecutor stressed.

The Pampanga court gave the DOJ 60 days to finish a reinvestigation on the case after accused Senior Police Officer 3 Ricky Sta. Isabel, SPO4 Roy Villegas and Ramon Yalung sought a reinvestigation saying they were deprived of their constitutional right to due process after the DoJ filed the non-bailable case before the court without giving them the opportunity to file their counter-affidavit in a preliminary investigation.

The DoJ panel of prosecutor only gave the PNP and the NBI up to Monday, Feb. 20 to submit all documents and evidence on the case. Submission of counteraffidavit is on March 2.

By Francisco Tuyay

VARYING COLORS. Originally black and gold, the 40-foot Lion’s Head landmark on Kennon Road in Benguet province has been repainted tan

ahead of the annual summer influx of visitors from the lowlands. While the temperature in Baguio City was at 7.3°Celsius Wednesday, forecasters predict warmer weather with the waning of the northeast monsoon. PNA

3,000 volunteers to help direct MM traffic

By Joel E. Zurbano MORE than 3,000 volunteers from the private sector will be deployed to augment the existing 2,368 personnel of the Metro Manila Development Authority in managing traffic in the National Capital Region.

The first batch of volunteers composed of 50 personnel from two private agencies—Pureforce Rescue Corp. and Civil Defense Action Group (CDAG) —are now under training on basic traffic management and set to complete the program on Monday.

The MMDA will deputize these volunteers and will be given traffic violation tickets upon

deployment to their respective areas of assignment.

“Part of their training is assess their character. First, these are not walk-in volunteers but are already members of a sociocivic organization that has been helping out in rescue in terms of incidents like fire,” said MMDA acting chairman Thomas Orbos.

He added “their leaders will still assess them if they do not fit the kind of character that we need it. They would selfregulate.”

CDAG, headed by Johnny Yu, is an umbrella organization of registered volunteer and rescue units in the Philippines and accredited by the Office of the Civil Defense and the Depart-

ment of National Defense while Pureforce, owned by Jomerito Soliman, is a first responder operations company which integrates computer-aided dispatch and other state-of-the-art incident management technology.

The partnership was made possible through the help and coordination of Charlon Ynot, a fire volunteer himself.

The MMDA has agreed with the private sectors to provide the volunteers transport and traffic management seminars, trainings and administer qualifying examinations.

The method covers topics such as fundamentals of traffic management, traffic direction, control, and supervision, traffic

law enforcement, basics of road safety, traffic accident investigation, road incident management, traffic engineering, and administrative rules and regulations.

“We have to do it in stages.

We have to prepare them,” Orbos said.

The agency will also provide volunteers with legal and medical assistance in the course of their performance of their official duties and functions.

On the other hand, the two private groups will recommend the volunteers and will provide the MMDA all available equipment, technology and other resources and assets for the purpose of transport and traffic management.

TO PREVENT a repetition of the kidnapping and killing Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo, Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa ordered the creation of police help desks in seven strategic areas to help Korean nationals residing in the country.

Dela Rosa said the PNP has already created seven police desks for Koreans in coordination with the Korean National Police Agency but three to seven more will be put up in Cebu, Boracay, Angeles City, Davao City, Subic and Baguio City.

“We are really shamed by this case. If something similar happens again, I don’t know what will happen to me. There will probably be no need for me to resign. The President will probably just say, “leave because nothing is happening,” Dela Rosa said after meeting with Koreans in Angeles City.

“I will do my best to ensure it will not happen again,” Dela Rosa said after meeting with Korean Ambassador Kim Jae-shin, Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda, Angeles City Mayor Ed Pamintuan and other police officials, the report said.

Meanwhile, Pineda in recent talks with Dela Rosa vowed to hire more Korean language interpreters for the Korean community.

Dela Rosa assured the safety of South Koreans while in the country. There are about 20,000 Koreans in Pampanga province and 90,000 in the whole country.

“We give them reassurance, by all means, that they will be safe here in our country,” said Dela Rosa.

Jee was taken from his home in Angeles City by members of the PNP-Anti-Illegal Drugs Group in October on the pretext of drug charges and was brought to Camp Crame in Quezon City where he was supposedly killed by the policemen who brought him.

In a separate incident last year, three Koreans in the same subdivision as Jee were robbed by members of the Angeles City police.

Pagasa: Weather to warm up soon

LIVELIHOOD AID. Senator Cynthia A. Villar distributed household packages for resale to seven overseas

Filipino workers who were recently repatriated to the country following abuses by their foreign employers.

From left to right are: Warren P. Nemenzo, Aiza S. Antonio, Valentina P. Lopez, Blas Ople Policy Center president Toots Ople, Villar, Cheryl Caganda, Darazel Nicolas, Jane A. Reyes and Vergilio Ursaiz. Lino Santos

BAGUIO City may well be heading towards less chilly days and the temperature in the mountain city will likely begin warming this week with waning of the northeast monsoon that brings cold winds from Siberia, the state weather bureau said Friday.

“The peak of the prevailing northeast monsoon is over so there’s vague chance for Baguio’s temperature to still dip below the 7.3°C record-low there on Wednesday [Feb. 15],” said weather forecaster Benison Estareja of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

Such temperature is Baguio’s lowest for the year, Estareja noted, adding that the northeast monsoon, locally called “amihan,” starts over Siberia as cold, dry air mass which gathers moisture while moving south towards the Philippines from October to March.

“Amihan” is characterized by widespread cloudiness with rains or showers, Pagasa noted.

Latest available data indicate a pattern of warming temperature in Baguio City, the Philippines’ summer capital.

“Temperature there rose to 8.0°C this Thursday (Feb. 17) from the record-low recorded Wednesday,” Estareja said.

He noted Thursday’s temperature is normal in Baguio around this time of the year due to cold winds blowing not only from Siberia but from mainland China as well. “Those areas are experiencing winter at present,” he said.

Pagasa weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio also said the agency’s monitoring shows Baguio’s temperature this Friday climbed further to 12.0°C. “Baguio may experience further warming possibly in the next three days,” he said. “The amihan isn’t that strong in Northern Luzon.”

Strong to gale-force winds associated with “amihan” may affect eastern seaboards of southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. PNA

Sports

A7

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Gloomy weather looms but PH Le Tour cyclists unfazed

By Peter Atencio

L

EGAZPI, Albay—The weather forecast for today sounds gloomy. But it is not expected to dampen the spirits of Team 7-Eleven Roadbike Philippines, the Philippine national team and the rest of the 15 participants of the eighth edition of the Le Tour de Filipinas hits the road this morning Cloudy skies, with moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms are predicted.

This weather condition is expected to be experienced over the Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas and is expected to hide the majestic Mayon Volcano from view at the early morning gun start at Le-

gazpi Blvd. here.

Three experienced Filipino riders led by 7-Eleven’s Mark Galedo and Rustom Lim, and Team Philippines’ George Oconer will spearhead the local riders’ bid against 13 foreign squads in what is considered as one of Asia Tour’s most sought-after races.

Team 7-Eleven Road Bike Philippines will start its bid to get a good result after placing second last year to Vino 4ever SKO of Kazakhstan.

“Kahit last-minute changes, lalaban pa rin sila. Training nila ito para sa Southeast Asian Games. Pero, sana magtulungan sila,” said team manager Bong Sual.

With the Kazakhs’ absence this year, podium-finishing Team Terrenganu of Malaysia and Bridgestone Anchor of Japan will make an effort to improve on their thirdand fourth-place finishes last year during the seventh edition.

The 164.49-km Stage 1 over rolling and mostly descending terrain, will be flagged off by Legaspi City Mayor Noel Rosal and PhilCycling

Chairman Bert Lina at the city’s Embarcadero promenade area.

The race ends in Sorsogon in front of the capitol building, with a 300-meter steep climb at the 105.8-km mark providing a challenge in the King of the Mountain portion.

The last-minute inclusion of Galedo and Lim of Team 7-Eleven replacing Nelson and Bonijoe Martin is expected to boost the Philippines’ bid after they have The Martin brothers will join 7-Eleven’s other team that will compete in the Tour de Langkawi, with Jesse Ewart and Josh Berry.

Galedo and Lim will be joined

by Edgar Nieto and Arjay Peralta.

The Herald Sun Tour, a fivestage International Cycling Union

(UCI) Category 2.1 race in Australia since 1952, gave Galedo and Lim some experience after they raced against the likes of former Tour de France champion Chris Froome, who lost his bid to OricaScott’s Damien Howson.

On the other hand, the hastilyformed Team Pilipinas Go For Gold squad, led by Oconer may have been formed on short notice, but will be in top fighting form.

Team manager Norberto Oconer said the national squad was able to test the routes, but their practice runs in the mountainous roads of Jala Jala, Rizal still got them ready.

Suiting up for the nationals are John Mier, Jerry Aquino, Boots Cayubit and Mervin Corpuz.

Llamas, Milliam target twin wins TRACY Llamas and Alexa Milliam try to live up to the hype as they seek victories in two divisions in the Palawan PawnshopPalawan Express Pera Padala Iloilo regional tennis tournament, which got under way yesterday at the Ultra Tennis Club.

Llamas is the top seed in the girls’ 16- and 18-and-under classes but the La Carlota star expects a tough outing against the likes of Averille Sacapano, Kiana De Asis and Avril Suace in this Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop headed by president and CEO Bobby Castro and presented

by Slazenger.

The 12-year-old Milliam, on the other hand, is the player to beat in her age group with the other La Carlota ace also out to claim the 14-U title against Suace, Abigail Sacapano and Ann Cocoy.

A wide-open race, however, is seen in the 10-unisex side of the fifth leg of the 58-stage circuit backed by new sponsor Asiatraders Corp. with Giovani Dimate, Derrick Guillano, Feonne Suace and Louchela Estember headlining the cast.

“After a series of events in Mindanao to kick off this year’s circuit, the chase for top honors and ranking points shifts to Visayas with the region’s leading and rising players taking center stage for the next four weeks,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/ CEO Bobby Castro.

Karl Baran, Lorenzo Legaspi, Matthew Flores and Alfrancis Andrade banner the boys’ 18-U cast while Troy Llamas, Jann Guillano, Nikhel Nowlakha and Chrysler Gazo Jr. are the players’ to beat in the 16-U side of the event, the first of four legs in the Visayas as in many weeks.

Keen competition is also seen in the boys’ 14-U section with Nikhel Nowlakha, Khenz Justiniani, Jann Guillano and Pete Rodriguez leading the cast and in the 12-U class headed by Justiniani, Kerwin De Asis, Benedict Santiago and Aiz Pacheco.

Meanwhile, the three-day Tennis Teachers/Coaches Conference and free clinic that drew a huge field in Cagayan de Oro recently will also be held in Gen. Santos City on April 19-25 held in cooperation with the Macs Crankit Tennis Academy of Australia (MCTA) and the National Tennis Coaches Association of the Philippines (NTCAP). For details, call Bobby Mangunay, the PPS-PEPP sports program development director at 0915-4046464.

PSA AWARDEES. For two consecutive years, the Philippine Sailing Association, skippered by veteran sailor Judes Echauz (second from left), was honored for defending its title last year during the annual Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night at the Le Pavillon in Pasay, Monday night. Standard Insurance VP Cristy Defensor (third from right) received the trophy in behalf of top Filipina traithlete Monica Torres, who is presently training abroad.

Joining the celebration are Standard Insurance Stephen Tan, team manager and tactician; national head coach Medy Fidel; grinder Franco Hilario, holding the trophy; helmsman Ridgely Blladares; and bowman Teodorico Asejo. At right, the PSA also presented a citation to Pru Life UK for its contribution to Philippine football at the grassroots level. For the last two years, the company has sponsored a nationwide series of football clinics and pocket tournaments in provincial areas to help discover young football talents. Last year, the Football For A Better Life, backed by Pru Life, attracted more than 10,000 young players in its football clinics.

Shown here is the PSA’s Mr. Football Misagh Bahadoran, who is also Pru Life’s Ambassador for Football, receiving the award in behalf of Pru Life from Inquirer’s Cedelf Tupas.

THE ICTSI Philippine Kitaboarding Tour Season 4 heads to Boracay, Malay Aklan this weekend with a stellar international field bracing for a spirited battle for top honors in various divisions at the Bolabog Beach.

The organizing Philippine Kiteboarding Association is expecting around 100 competitors in five classifications, including the men’s and women’s Masters, the Juniors and the Novice.

The event, serving as the penultimate leg of the four-stage circuit, also serves as part of the buildup of the country’s top riders gearing up for the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina next year.

Early leg winners Ken Nacor, Doque Delos Santos and Red Bull ace Christian Tio banner the star-studded roster in the threeday event firing off tomorrow till Sunday that also drew the participation of top riders from Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and Slovakia.

Meanwhile, Solar Sports will telecast the event with the thrilling action can be viewed live on Facebook live streaming (www. facebook.com/pkatours/).

Registration will be held at Boracay Beach Resort tomorrow (Friday) from morning till 4 p.m. to be followed by a Sunset welcome party at the Sur Beach Resort from 4:30 p.m. to 7 pm.

Meanwhile, the tour, sponsored

by Cabrinha, Solar Sports, My Life On Board, Hiyas Press Inc., Municipality of Malay, Aklan, Your Lokal Shop, Bolabog Beach Resort, Boracay Beach Resort, Sup Tours Philippines, Smoke Resto, Sur Beach Resort Boracay, Hoy Panga, Sun Zapper, Supremo 4k, Valhalla Bistro Boracay, and Trangko, Kasbah Flavors of Morocco and Monterey Meatshop, will wind up in Cagbalete Island in Quezon on March 3-5.

The circuit kicked off late last year in Cuyo, Palawan with German Kathrin Bogwardt and Boracay’s Nacor leading the winners, who included Ming Juan (novice) Atte Kappel (Hangtime), Tio (freestyle), Aussie Ali Dudfield (freestyle). Bantayan, Cebu hosted the second leg last month with Tio, De los Santos and Juan also scoring repeat victories in their respective divisions.

Do-or-die games in UNTV Cup THE PNP Responders desire to win just once more so that, for the fourth time, they will attempt to clinch a championship in the league of public servants.

The Responders, however, admitted this will not be easy as they will play two-time champion Judiciary Magis in a do-or-die game at the UNTV Cup Season 5 Semifinals on Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Pasig City Sports Center.

“Mag-a-adjust kami kasi definitely mag-a-adjust din sila. Dadagdagan pa namin ‘yung depensa at mag-iiba kami ng adjustment sa kanila,”

Games Sunday

(Pasig City Sports Center) 3 p.m. Judiciary Magis vs.

PNP Responders 5 p.m. BOC Transformers vs Malacañang Kamao

PNP Responders Head Coach Ernie Sta. Cruz said.

Last Sunday, the Responders took a 25-point win against the Magis, 92-67.

The Judiciary Magis are gearing up to match PNP’s speed.

“Nagawa naman kaya lang sobrang pagod na rin, kailangan resistensya pa rin. Siguro dapat ma-control namin ‘yung

fast break at shooting nila. Kailangang talunin para makabalik kami sa finals,” Judiciary Magis’ Joey Yabut said.

In the second game, the BOC Transformers will try to bounce back against the Malacañang Kamao, which handed them a 99-88 beating last Sunday.

“Kung paano kami magkaroon ng good start sa game, ‘yun ang kulang namin. So titingnan namin kung ano ang solusyon diyan, hopefully, macorrect naming ‘yun,” BOC PNP Responders’ Harold Sta. Cruz (12) tries to penetrate the defense by Transformers Head Coach Judiciary Magis’ Vincent John Puno (10) during their semifinal game in the UNTV Cup Season 5.

Kenneth Duremdes said.

Stakeholders push for new leadership in tennis A MUCH-NEEDED change in Philippine tennis loomed after Philta president Salvador “Buddy” Andrada announced that he would step down as the association’s president with tennis stakeholders expressing hopes for and guaranteeing the sport’s renaissance.

“We thank Mr. Andrada for his decision to step down and thus pave the way for an orderly transition in Philta’s leadership. Consistent with our company’s mission to advance sports development

in our country, we fully support Jean Henri Lhuillier’s crusade in uplifting the state of tennis in the Philippines,” said Bobby Castro, president and CEO of Palawan Pawnshop, which organizes the country’s biggest age-groupers for years with more than 50 tournaments on tap each season.

“I know Jean Henri and you cannot find someone with more enthusiasm and passion for tennis. He’s selfless, humble, approachable, has contributed tens of millions to the

game, and whose only objective is for the upliftment of Philippine tennis,” said John Pages, a former regional vice-president of Philta who has helped organized 5 Davis Cup ties in Cebu City.

Philippine Sports Commission chaimarn William “Butch” Ramirez has previously described Lhuillier as a genuine lover and supporter of tennis.

Palawan Pawnshop together with Cebuana Lhuillier had earlier withdrawn their support to the

Philta program and announced a unified ranking system. Since then, organizers and sponsors of several other tournaments have also announced withdrawal from Philta calendar such as Tru-Flex National Age Group and Toby’s Youth Sports Foundation and Wilson Sports along with the BMEG-sponsored tournaments, the Henry Sr. Memorial Age Group, Dunlop/Slazengersupported tournaments as well as those supported by Babolat. All of them have expressed support also to

Surging Wizards rout Pacers, 111-98; Bulls edge Celtics WASHINGTON—With a host of scoring threats, the Washington Wizards have become one of the NBA’s hottest teams, showing their scoring depth Thursday in a 111-98 rout of struggling Indiana.

Otto Porter Jr had 25 points and eight rebounds, Markieff Morris added 21 points and seven rebounds, all-star John Wall con-

Top riders clash in kiteboard 4th season

tributed 20 points and 12 assists while Bradley Beal had 19 points as the Wizards led all the way.

“We have a lot of threats and it’s hard to key on any one guy,” Beal said. “We are enjoying this.

Winning like this is fun.

“We are playing with a lot of energy and we don’t care who is scoring or anything like that. We enjoy playing for each other.”

The Wizards improved to 3421, shooting 51.8 percent from the floor in inflicting the Pacers’ sixth loss in a row.

“We have been looking real good for the last few months,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. “I think we are in a good spot, but I think the thing I love about this group is that they are not satisfied.

“We know we have a lot of work ahead of us. A tough part of our schedule is coming up.

We are going to go into it with the right focus and challenge.

“We’re not going to win all of them, but we have to stick together when we don’t,” he said.

“Our guys have done that.”

The Wizards—who currently force the most opponent

turnovers per game, averaging 15.6—rank third in the Eastern Conference after their ninth victory in 10 games.

“We are looking at the big picture,” Morris said. “We still have a lot of season to go.”

“We have to make sure guys are working out over the AllStar break. We just have to stay ready.” AFP

Lhuillier’s leadership and his vision to advance the development of tennis in the Philippines.

“Jean Henri Lhuiller has been a selfless supporter of Philippine Tennis for many years and we believe he has the sport’s best interest in mind. We hope the situation right now is resolved as soon as possible so that we can focus on tennis and our players, said John Christopher Tan, vice president of Asiatraders Corp.

(Dunlop/Slazenger).”

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

Sports

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

A8

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

Angelo Que reacts after scoring an eagle on No. 2

TNT aims for seat in finals; SMB attempts to stay alive TNT KaTropa is back in the driver’s seat after taking a vital 101-94 triumph in Game ESTINATION finals. TNT KaTropa 5 Thursday night over the wants no more of the semifinals as it Beermen.

Tropang Texters coach Nash hopes to wrap things up and punch the Racela described the crucial win first ticket to the finals of the 2017 Philippine and went further in hoping that Basketball Association Philippine Cup. his team can carry all the positives from into Game 6 to close Leading the series, 3-2, the champion San Miguel Beer in out the series.

“We need one more game. We Tropang Texters are looking to Game 6 today at 5 p.m. at the finish off their best-of-seven Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay made counter adjustments and they worked. Hopefully, they semis clash against defending City.

By Jeric Lopez

D

will continue to work in this next game,” said Racela.

This is TNT KaTropa’s first chance to make the finals in the last two years.

The last time the Tropang Texters were in the finals was back in 2015, when they won the Commissioner’s Cup, their last title.

Now, another win will give them the chance to aim for another championship in the finale.

On the other hand, the Beer-

Subic-Bora race lures 15 yachts

Mighty vs Egyptians

SOME 15 yachts from Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines are expected to see action in the 8th Standard Insurance Subic Bay to Boracay Race and the Boracay Cup Regatta from Feb. 17 to 24, under the auspices of the Philippine Sailing Association the Asian Yachting Grand Prix.

In this year’s regatta event, the racing class I (IRC I) of big boats of 75-footers and above will participated in by defending champion and powerhouse Centennial III, skippered by Judes Echauz who will be facing perennial rival Hong Kong’s Jelik of magnate Frank Pong.

Built in 2002, the 52-foot schooner Centennial III, a firstgeneration TP52-class yacht, topped the 200-mile voyage from Subic Bay to Boracay and placed second last year in the race backed by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Watercraft Venture Corp., the Lighthouse Marina Resort, and organized by the Subic Sailing Club.

Also Centennial III’s looming challenger is another Hong Kong’s 100-foot Scallywag, formerly known as Ragamuffin 100 that was recently bought by Malaysian-born Seng Huang Leng.

Scallywag will be a very dangerous team in the cruising class 1 as it tallied a record-breaking 18 hours and 16:34 in the race from Subic to Boracay last year.

Likewise, Scallywag 100, the biggest boat participant, is the record holder of the Subic to Boracay set in 2015 with 14 hours and 23:17.

The other local challengers are Excel 53 Karakoa skippered by businessman Ray Ordoveza, Geoff Hill’s Smith 72 Custom Antipodes and regular campaigner Black Baza captained by Anthony Root and Steve Manning.

DUBAI—Mighty Sports-Philippines has beaten Egypt’s national team in last year’s Jones Cup, but Bo Perasol, head of the delegation, warned the apparel specialists not to take the Egyptians lightly when they clash today in the Dubai International Basketball Tournament here.

“We beat Egypt in Taiwan last year, but we have seven imports then so we have to take extra good care of the business in manning the shaded lane,” said Perasol, the architect of the team’s 8-game sweep of Jones Cup. “They are also tall and tough.”

Game time is set at 9 p.m. with the Egyptians out to avenge their 80-61 defeat to Mighty Sports in Jones Cup last year.

Perasol recalled that the Egyptians gave them hellish moments before then imports Hamady N’Diaye, Al Thornton and Dewarick Spencer connived in a telling breakaway to start the payoff period.

“We took control of the game, but it was only in the fourth that we managed to pull away,” said Perasol.

Game Today (Al Ahli gym)

9 p.m. – Mighty Sports-PH vs Egypt

Out to win their second international title, Mighty Sports, backed

by Rain or Shine and Scratch It, was playing host Al Ahli at presstime.

After Egypt, Mighty Sports faces Segese on the 20th, takes a break on the 21st before facing Homenetmen and Al Riyado on the 22nd and 23rd. Their final elimination game will be against Ball Above All on the 24th with the one-game final set the following day between the top two teams.

Though Mighty Sports has only four imports now, including naturalized Marcus Douthit, Perasol said they are solid with 7’3” Hasheem Thabeet manning the post and NBA veterans Dominic McGuire and Justin Brownlee out to provide firepower.

Mighty Sports head coach Charles Tiu said it is paramount that local talents like Chris Tiu, Kiefer Ravena, JC Intal, Ryan Arana, Willie Miller and Jeron Teng make their outside shots.

“If they make their outside shots, that will lessen the burden on our imports,” said Tiu. “We can’t rely much on them because we have to play almost everyday. That’s why it is important that our local players will contribute.”

men will look to stave off elimination and continue their title defense as they are on the brink for the first time this season.

A win for San Miguel will extend the series as a winner-takeall Game 7 will be set for Monday in the event that happens.

Meanwhile, Barangay Ginebra and Star, who are currently tied at 2-2 in their own semis duel, are in a dog fight in Game 5 of their affair as both teams seek to gain the upperhand.

Go for Gold daredevil Jonel Carcueva was part of that group that checked in with identical clockings of 4:30:39, along with fellow Go for Gold bets Bryant Sepnio and Jigo Mendoza and Ilocos Sur’s Ryan Serapio.

Lampawog said he was just thankful to get his first stage win.

“I’m just happy I got to experience winning a stage as well as helping my team,” said Lampawog, a proud son of Villasis, Pangasinan, in Filipino.

The biggest gainer though was the 31-year-old Morales, who zoomed to the top from third spot

MORONG, Bataan—Angelo Que turned the Anvaya Cove Golf and Sports Club course upside down in the absence of the wind—and despite another late-hole mishap—shooting two eagles on his way to a six-under 66 and a whopping seven-stroke lead over Toru Nakajima in the third round of the ICTSI Anvaya Cove Invitational here yesterday.

Like in the first two rounds where he lost steam after fiery starts, the 34-year-old Que holed out with a bogey on No. 18 that, however, hardly mattered to his blistering surge on a course he tamed with power hits, superb iron game and solid putting, posting a lead so huge that it could be virtually over even before he hacks his first shot in today’s final round.

“All I need is watch out for Nakajima. Even if the rest would score low, I wouldn’t mind since they’re too far behind to contend,” said the 34-year-old Que, who assembled an 11-under 205 total to move 18 holes away from nailing his second Anvaya crown worth P650,000 in only the third staging of the P3.5 million event sponsored by ICTSI. “Overcoming a sevenstroke deficit is a difficult task,” said Nakajima, who failed to match Que’s scorching birdie-eagle surge in the early going and conceded the crown to the power-hitting Filipino with a 212 aggregate in the kickoff leg of this year’s Philippine Golf Tour.

Que, who grabbed a onestroke lead over the Japanese halfway through the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. Thursday, actually dropped to joint lead with Nakajima with a bogey on the first hole. But the former Philippine Open winner went five-under in the next four holes, spiked by a 40-foot eagle putt on the drivable par-4 332yard No. 3. He made the turn at 32, eagled the par-5 No. 10 from 20 feet after a 7-iron second shot from 160 yards, then birdied the next before settling for a run of pars and holing out with a missed green bogey.

But shooting two eagles in one round isn’t new to Que, who beat Tony Lascuña by three here in 2015 on a nine-under total, saying he has made the feat more than 10 times in his 14year career, that included three Asian Tour titles.

Soltones, Eroa try to rebound

PSA HONORS ASIAN KARTING CHAMP. The Philippine Sportswriters Association recently honored Jacob Ang with a citation during its annual awards night for outstanding athletes and sports personalities at the Le Pavilion in Pasay City. The country’s oldest media organization composed of sports editors and sportswriters from newspapers and tabloids recognized the 15-year-old karter, son of San Miguel Corporation president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang, for his first win in the 2016 Asian Karting Open Championship in Macau. In the said event, Ang bested top karters from Macau, Hong Kong and China.

Morales snatches solo lead in Ronda PH UNISAN, Quezon--Navy-Standard Insurance’s Jay Lampawog claimed his very first lap victory by topping Stage 8, even as teammate Jan Paul Morales finished second to snatch the solo lead from another Navyman Rudy Roque in the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2017 in this scenic seaside town here.

Lampawog, 19, showed impressive sprint skills as he ruled the 187-km stage in four hours, 29 minutes and 29 seconds, beating a six-man chase pack headed by eventual second and third placers Morales and Bike Extrme’s Jaybop Pagnanawon.

2 eagles put Que ahead by 7 shots

after posting his second straight podium finish.

After eight stages, Morales has an aggregate time of 28:55:16, less than two minutes ahead of Roque, who got stranded in the peloton and skidded to second with a total time of 28:57:09.

Navy’s Ronald Lomotos is at No. 3 with 28:59:30.

“It was a team effort, I would not have done it without the support of my team,” said Morales, who is seeking to become the first back-to-back winner of this annual event considered the biggest cycling race in the country today.

For Lampawog, he barged into the Top 10 for the time with 29:04:33.

The biggest gainer though was Carcueva, a 21-year-old rookie from Menganilla, Cebu who leapfrogged from No. 10 the day before to No. 4 with 29:00:19, or just around five minutes off the pace.

Kinetix Lab-Army was bumped off from No. 4 to No. 5 with 29:00:24.

Rounding up the Top 10 were Go for Gold’s Ryan Sepnio (29:02:08) and Elmer Navarro (29:02:15), RC Cola-NCR’s Leonel Dimaano (29:02:22) and Go for Gold’s Ismael Grospe Jr. (29:04:20).

SAN Sebastian’s Grethcel Soltones and Alyssa Eroa try to accomplish what their team failed to accomplish in indoor volleyball as the two shoot for a four-peat feat in the 92nd NCAA beach volleyball competitions set Feb. 22 to 26 at the Lighthouse Marina in Subic Bay. Soltones, the MVP in indoor volleyball, and Eroa, one of the best liberos in the country today, will backstop the same squad that beat San Beda’s Viray twins Maria Jeziela and Maria Nieza, 14-21, 21-9, 15-6, in last year’s finals.

It was the Lady Stags’ third straight championship and a league-best six overall.

And now they’re going for more.

“Grethcel (Soltones) and Alyssa (Eroa) will play,” said San Sebastian coach Roger Gorayeb, a multi-titled coach in both indoor and beach.

The duo will have Daureen Santos as a reserve.

San Sebastian hopes to win in beach volley to soothe the pain of blowing a thrice-to-beat finals advantage to eventual indoor winner Arellano University.

And Soltones is expected to give everything she has to make up for it.

“We’ll go for it,” said Soltones.

San Sebastian, however, is expected to face tough opposition again as it battles a vastly improved field, headed by the talented Viray twins, who swept their way into finals and came a set away from winning it all.

Soltones and Eroa decided to spoil the Viray’s title bid and won it with a thrilling comefrom-behind three-set win.

Cirtek clinches three new contracts B2

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

B1

Peso sinks to 10-year low of 50 to $1

By Julito G. Rada

T

HE peso fell to more than 10-year low against the greenback on Friday, driven by the uncertainty in the external market, especially the looming interest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve next month.

The peso lost P0.03 to close at 50 flat to a dollar from 49.97 a day ago. It was its weakest level since 50.12 to a greenback on Nov. 16, 2006. Total volume turnover reached $480 million, higher than $376 million Thursday.

The peso opened Friday’s trading three centavos stronger at 49.94 before touching the

50-a-dollar level.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said in a text message despite the market uncertainty brought about a March US Fed interest rate hike, there was higher demand from corporates Friday.

“This drove the peso to touch 50 to a dollar level. We continue

to see negative market sentiment dominating the strong Philippine market fundamentals. We should see market reacting to news that OFW remittances remain resilient and growth prospects remain very positive at the back of strong consumption investment and public expenditures,” Guinigundo said.

He said the peso in real terms remained competitive and that the Bangko Sentral was monitoring pressure from a weak exchange rate, although the exchange rate pass-through to domestic inflation dropped in recent years.

Guinigundo added there was no substitute to constant monitoring and surveillance for any pos-

sible risks in the horizon.

ING Bank senior economist Joey Cuyegkeng said the demand for US dollar throughout the week had pressured the peso “leaving some traders to cover shorts before the weekend.”

“Philippine specific factors such as recent political developments may have contributed but it is not likely to have been quite significant,” he said.

Cuyegkeng said the peso could remain under pressure although seasonal inflows in March could provide some strength. He said retaining the 50 resistance early next week would be important.

“We are reviewing our forecast for end Q1 and for the rest of the

year. We had expected the peso to trade around 49.70 and within the range of 49.50 to 50.00 in the first quarter... ,” Cuyegkeng said.

The peso posted its strongest level this year at 49.46 to a greenback on Jan. 5, as uncertainties caused by the recent unexpected victory of US President-elect Donald Trump and the US Fed’s next moves eased.

The peso closed 2016 at 49.72.

But economists from First Metro Investment Corp. and University of Asia & the Pacific said in a recent briefing the peso would remain under pressure as the US economy continued to gain traction, leading to the strengthening of the US dollar.

PCCI supports tax bill in Congress

BETTER CREDIT. Credit Information Corp. recognizes Home Credit Philippines as one of the prime movers to submit credit data.

CIC cited Home Credit’s quick compliance with the requirement to submit the basic credit data of its borrowers. CIC, a governmentowned and –controlled corporation created by law in 2008, is mandated to build a comprehensive, complete, accurate and reliable credit information system.

Securities and Exchange Commission chairperson and CIC ex-officio chair Teresita Herbosa (left) and CIC president and chief executive officer Jaime Garchitorena (right) award the plaque of recognition to Home Credit CEO Annica Witschard.

PH, Mexico eye trade, peso pacts THE Philippine and Mexican governments have agreed to explore free trade and currency agreements to further strengthen bilateral ties and facilitate economic deals between the two countries, the Finance Department said Friday.

The department said in a statement Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Mexican Ambassador to Manila Julio Camarena Villasenor discussed the possible agreements during a recent meeting, along with Mexico’s concerns regarding double taxation and visa arrangements for nationals visiting the Philippines.

Dominguez offered the possibility of a currency agreement with Mexico, while Camarena proposed talks on a free trade deal with the Philippines, which, he said, was welcomed by Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez during their earlier meeting last year. Julito G. Rada

RCBC says profit fell 24% to P3.86b RIZAL Commercial Banking Corp., the ninth-largest lender in terms of assets, said net income in 2016 declined 24 percent to P3.86 billion from P5.1 billion a year ago.

The bank in a statement Friday said the full-year performance translated into a return on equity of 6.4 percent and return on assets of 0.77 percent.

RCBC president and chief executive Gil Buenaventura said 2016 was a very challenging year in the history of RCBC. “But through it all, the bank emerged stronger and more resilient, having tested to its full capability all its resources. Now more than ever, RCBC is betterequipped, having instituted stronger measures and controls to protect the interests of all its clients,” Buenaventura said.

Net interest income reached P15.7 billion and accounted for 69 percent of total gross income amounting to P22.81 billion. Julito G. Rada

By Othel V. Campos THE Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the largest business organization in the country, supported the tax reform measures aimed at lowering personal income taxes and broadening the tax base.

PCCI president George Barcelon said the tax reform package pending in Congress as a whole would have a positive impact on the economy.

Lowering personal income tax, he said, would increase the disposable income, spurring savings and consumption, which in turn leads to higher production.

A welcome cycle could ensue, he said, where higher consumption and production would lead to a rise in tax collection.

Barcelon said it was high time the country reduces the personal, as well as corporate, income taxes to make them comparable with those enjoyed by citizens of neighboring Southeast Asian countries. The Philippines has the highest tax rates in Southeast Asia.

He said inflation had pushed many low-income earners into progressively higher tax brackets. He said the personal income tax brackets should be adjusted for inflation at once to promote fairness, social justice and competition.

The PCCI also welcomed offsetting measures aimed to increase the levy on consumption.

Barcelon said the country’s competitiveness would be furthered bolstered if spending in public health, education, social protection and infrastructure were at par with those of Asian neighbors.

He said government needed higher revenues to finance the planned higher spending on infrastructure and social services.

The PCCI said the current tax regime was a burden, especially to small and medium enterprises. It said tax forms had become too complex, making compliance extremely difficult for small businessmen without the help of accountants.

IN BRIEF

INNOVATIVE MALL. SM CDO Downtown Premier, set to open in May this year, will redefine lifestyle shopping in Cagayan de Oro City. As the first premier mall development in the city, the 177,743 square-meter mall will bring in an eclectic mix of fresh dining concepts and new styles with its fashionable range of contemporary global brands. Centrally located along C.M. Recto Avenue, it will have five floors of retail, dining and entertainment options. The fifth level will have a Sky Park with al fresco dining and entertainment, and the Sky Hall, an 800-seater events venue. It will also have eight floors of prime office spaces in the BPO Tower. In addition, the mall will have sustainability features, including a rainwater catchment system for flood prevention.

PSE COMPOSITE INDEX Closing February 17, 2017

8000 7600 7200

Megaworld to double Iloilo space inventory

By Alena Mae S. Flores ILOILO CITY—Megaworld Corp., the country’s largest office developer and lessor, is doubling office space inventory in the Iloilo Business Park here to 100,000 square meters by 2020 on the back of strong demand.

Megaworld expects to provide 100,000 square meters of office spaces to serve around 40,000 workers, mostly in the business process outsourcing sector, from the current 45,000 square meters of office inventory in four office towers.

The four office towers are One Global, Two Global, One Techno Place, Three Techno Place and Richmonde Tower, which has al-

ready been leased out.

“During the last three years, we have experienced a spike in the demand for office spaces in Iloilo Business Park. Thus, we expedited the construction of our first four towers and we have decided to build more to meet the demand,” said Megaworld senior vice president Jericho Go. “Here in Iloilo Business Park, we are aggressively expanding our office space inventory as we experience a remarkable spike in the demand for office spaces inside the townships in the last three years,” he said.

The Iloilo Business Park currently hosts around 15,000 office workers from five BPO companies based in the 72-hectare

township in Mandurriao, which has been positioned to be Iloilo City’s central business district.

These companies include StarTek, Transcom, Reed Elsevier, WNS and IQor. Of the seven BPO firms, two are set to set up office this year which the company did not disclose for confidentiality reasons.

“We continue to see a bright prospect in Iloilo’s BPO industry. Several companies, most of them are first-timers in Iloilo, want to come in and expand here,” Go said.

He said BPO companies were keen on expanding to Iloilo due to the highly skilled and trainability of work force and availability of infrastructure.

Megaworld will also open an-

other two new office towers— Two Techno Place and Festive Walk Office Tower this year.

The Two Techno Place is a five-level office building with an estimated leasable area of around 10,000 square meters. The tower is expected generate around 3,000 jobs once completed.

Festive Walk Office Tower, meanwhile, is a four-level office building with around 12,000 square meters of leasable spaces.

The tower upon completion will create around 4,000 jobs.

Megaworld last year mapped out the ‘Visayas BPO Triangle’ that focuses on expanding office developments in three townships in the Visayas, especially The Mactan Newtown in Cebu City.

ABS-CBN sues website for pirating TV movies

By Darwin G. Amojelar ABS-CBN Corp. said Friday it a filed a suit in US Federal District Court against kissasian. com for damages of over $8 million pertaining to kissasian’s infringement of trademarks and registered copyrights of 27 of its television shows and movies.

ABS-CBN this week also won an amended default judgment of nearly $11 million against 11 online streaming websites that the company said regularly showcased pirated versions of its programming.

“We are stepping up our antipiracy enforcement in 2017.

These pirate sites often victimize our fans when they access these sites and are later attacked by malware which steals their financial and personal data,” ABS-CBN assistant vice president for global anti-piracy Elisha Lawrence said.

“We are going after every pirate wherever they live and operate. We arrested and sued numerous pirates last year and we plan to quadruple that effort this year,” Lawrence added.

US District Judge William Dimitrouleas, in an amended default judgment, ordered the defendants to pay at least $1 million each in statutory damages.

6800 6400 6000

7,244.79 38.46

PESO-DOLLAR RATE

Closing FEBRUARY 17, 2017 45.00 46.50 48.00 49.50

CLOSE

51.00

HIGH P49.940 LOW P50.000 AVERAGE P49.986 VOLUME 480.000M

P471.00-P690.00 LPG/11-kg tank P39.80-P48.90 Unleaded Gasoline P27.90-P33.80 Diesel

OPRICES IL TODAY

P28.50-P36.85 Kerosene P20.75-P21.75 Auto LPG Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, February 17, 2017

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

49.9250

Japan

Yen

0.008832

0.4409

UK

Pound

1.248800

62.3463

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128883

6.4345

Switzerland

Franc

1.003210

50.0853

Canada

Dollar

0.764818

38.1835

Singapore

Dollar

0.705965

35.2453

Australia

Dollar

0.769200

38.4023

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652520

132.4271

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266716

13.3158

Brunei

Dollar

0.703482

35.1213

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.028582

1.4270

UAE

Dirham

0.272294

13.5943

Euro

Euro

1.067600

53.2999

Korea

Won

0.000876

0.0437

China

Yuan

0.145900

7.2841

India

Rupee

0.014912

0.7445

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.224669

11.2166

New Zealand

Dollar

0.721700

36.0309

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032534

1.6243 Source: PDS Bridge

B2

Business

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks retreat; PLDT declines T HE stock market retreated Friday as investors cashed out following a healthy runup since last week, and after Wall Street’s Trump-fueled surge finally came to an end.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index dropped 38.46 points, or 0.5 percent, to 7,244.79 on a value turnover of nearly P7 billion. Losers edged gainers, 99 to 93, with 48 issues unchanged.

PLDT Inc., the biggest telecommunications company, fell 2.7 percent to P1,455, while International Container Terminal Services Inc., the largest port operator, declined 2.1 percent to P75.40.

Alliance Global Group Inc.

of tycoon Andrew Tan lost 1.2 percent to P12.82, while Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. slipped 1.1 percent to P73.

Equity markets around the world are sharply higher since the US president last Thursday pledged a “phenomenal” tax reform package soon, raising hopes he would press on with plans to fire up the US economy.

The remarks were the spark for all three main Wall Street indices to hit record highs for five

successive days, with help also coming from Federal Reserve boss Janet Yellen’s upbeat assessment of the outlook for the US and hints at a March interest rate hike.

However, analysts said despite the bright week for markets there remained a lot of uncertainty, particularly with Trump’s first weeks in office engulfed in controversies, most recently over his relationship with Russia.

“The current political landscape is unlikely to change soon, nor will the debates surrounding tax, fiscal and Fed policies,” said Stephen Innes, senior trader at forex firm OANDA. “As such we should expect the

markets to come under renewed pressure and to be severely tested in the weeks to come,” he said in a commentary.

Hong Kong stocks fell 0.3 percent in the afternoon while Shanghai shed 0.9 percent by the close.

Sydney eased 0.2 percent and Seoul dropped 0.1 percent, while Tokyo lost 0.6 percent.

But Singapore rallied 0.4 percent following data that showed the city-state’s economy grew at its fastest pace in five years during October-December.

The dollar was also struggling to break out against its major peers despite Yellen’s comments this week to Congress that the

economy continued to improve and left open the chance of a March rate hike.

The greenback climbed around three percent from its levels just before Trump’s tax comments―to flirt with the 115 yen mark Thursday. But it retreated in New York and was sitting at 113.34 yen in early Asia trade.

In company news, Seoul-listed Samsung Electronics sank 0.6 percent following news that the heir to the tech giant had been arrested as part of a probe into corruption and influence-peddling that caused South Korea President Park Geun-Hye to be impeached.

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2017

NAME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 3.26 29,000 48.4 18,600 95 1,383,430 4.28 1,000 116.2 3,203,730 39.5 318,600 16.18 35,400 19.96 219,100 1.69 1,000 855 60 0.69 5,965,000 79 1,457,590 0.74 358,000 14.36 8,000 25.5 15,700 60 41,090 240 110 124 560 41.75 81,700 211.2 230,460 1,800 180 79.1 68,840

90,860 900,240 131,219,200 4,280 372,461,032 12,562,440 573,472 4,356,216 1,690 51,300 4,131,780 116,148,306.50 266,100 115,320 400,285 2,456,705 26,400 68,985 3,430,465 48,720,808 324,600 5,444,134

871,200 26,799,252 142,321,481 900 -554,042 1,734,236.00 8,550 -449,500 -12,943,439.50 -105 -797,975 -17,435,026 5,043,832.50

42.8 5.1 0.85 1.39 17.5 0.275 9.21 16.28 160.1 23 14.84 56 91.5 100 2.02 6.2 12 12.7 7.95 7.07 5.82 22.15 74.65 12.2 17 6.6 1.66 203 67.85 6 3.78 27.7 29.95 26.9 15.5 286 0.27 5.75 3.42 9.11 3.59 11.36 2.37 7.05 1.65 78.6 4.79 270 4.95 2.9 12.5 4.25 0.147 1.48 160.4 4.43 1.7 1.16

INDUSTRIAL 43 2,483,400 5.23 4,062,900 0.86 352,000 1.41 477,000 19.08 6,600 0.28 23,960,000 9.22 8,611,000 16.6 1,913,400 170 80 23 551,000 14.84 12,600 58 87,960 95 190 100 10 2.12 1,826,000 6.21 133,900 12 6,300 13.02 9,617,800 8.04 953,000 7.12 2,271,100 5.84 17,497,900 22.2 435,000 75 659,810 12.2 1,200 17.04 245,200 6.6 4,184,100 1.75 2,216,000 205 198,960 71.5 220 6.34 7,249,900 3.85 58,000 28.45 1,500 30 2,746,700 26.9 155,700 16 4,637,900 287.4 259,290 0.385 281,040,000 6.98 691,700 3.45 118,000 9.15 3,096,200 3.59 3,000 11.5 24,000 2.39 1,982,000 7.1 738,000 1.85 18,448,000 78.6 87,030 4.8 197,000 270.2 10,230 5 28,000 2.99 475,000 12.68 2,242,300 4.52 11,000 0.149 1,490,000 1.52 246,000 161.1 3,606,370 4.45 1,128,000 1.73 929,000 1.16 1,000

106,732,665 21,155,143 304,830 666,190 128,032 6,803,950 80,077,764 31,466,014 12,907 12,806,650 188,604 5,091,314.50 17,770 1,000 3,831,060 835,854 75,600 125,227,796 7,625,300 16,136,187 102,127,013 9,668,225 49,324,070.50 14,640 4,176,616 28,293,760 3,900,580 40,796,436 15,761 51,839,588 226,480 42,050 82,453,085 4,194,395 73,328,500 74,477,290 102,020,800 4,652,623 406,770 28,471,156 10,770 273,144 4,741,440 5,233,088 34,807,400 6,862,416.50 945,730 2,762,238 139,840 1,426,540 28,363,684 47,750 220,770 364,540 580,709,412 5,086,050 1,592,030 1,160

-2,341,480 -16,695,398 0 -36,542,034.00 -22,363,534 -408,750 90,132 2,972,222.50 -1,000 520,070 50,405,196 -24,230 -10,788,771 -33,157,295 4,856,580 1,487,766.50 6,976 3,004,471 -12,670 -792,506 957,339 -38,349,040 -3,518,710 43,068,184 -35,134,454 -1,255,400 72,030 -7,713,712.00 -34,500 1,314,560 -577,020 -4,785,205 -24,100 -2,700,000 24,990 -2,207,182 -61,580,749 -80,700 -171,540 -

0.365 72.45 12.8 1.13 6.1 0.355 777 8.91 12.92 8.14 0.202 1,213 75 0.99 7.86 13.96 0.45 6.75 0.058 1.99 105.5 2.6 667.5 1.45 268.6 0.295 0.192 0.26

HOLDING FIRMS 0.375 5,980,000 73 1,926,640 12.82 14,973,800 1.2 416,000 6.15 36,500 0.36 34,120,000 781 218,030 8.99 1,700,000 13 8,163,400 8.14 1,900 0.21 80,000 1,220 148,420 75.25 1,040,560 1 6,440,000 7.9 149,800 14 3,407,900 0.455 700,000 6.8 40,156,800 0.06 711,220,000 1.99 103,000 107 444,870 2.62 42,000 671.5 405,650 1.48 401,000 270 3,840 0.3 2,560,000 0.192 540,000 0.26 470,000

2,201,950 140,453,288.50 192,840,778 493,080 223,815 12,167,750 170,633,930 15,291,801 106,422,368 15,466 16,240 181,109,835 78,379,133 6,473,480 1,183,184 47,770,906 319,950 273,456,338 44,386,570 205,970 47,255,667 114,280 272,379,805 586,470 1,036,548 763,200 106,170 126,000

14,600 -714,296 -1,677,452 -91,606 -45,961,070 11,346,388 -12,546,134 -67,067,165 61,308,169.50 177,676 -5,790,474 -115,911,125 1,286,200 133,240 35,161,490 7,400 -

6.58 1 2.65 1.04 36.2 3.3 0.52 1.3 0.165 0.57 55 0.71 0.153 1.78 1.01 1.33 3.71 0.173 0.32 0.69 4.83 25.2 1.68 3.35 29.75

PROPERTY 6.66 798,900 1.02 1,148,000 2.68 259,000 1.06 55,405,000 36.25 13,813,900 3.33 5,395,000 0.52 10,639,000 1.34 119,000 0.172 48,880,000 0.57 6,279,000 55.35 526,040 0.71 412,000 0.165 8,120,000 1.8 8,337,000 1.01 1,279,000 1.4 2,316,000 3.73 45,868,000 0.173 141,030,000 0.34 420,000 0.69 40,347,000 4.9 3,421,000 25.3 506,600 1.69 220,000 3.35 1,000 29.9 5,835,400

5,321,918 1,151,650 694,360 60,173,770 503,213,200 17,996,400 5,540,180 158,800 8,415,440 3,579,510 29,106,359 292,520 1,349,450 14,966,410 1,293,520 3,200,760 171,314,900 25,449,430 140,700 28,691,990 16,645,690 12,853,575 372,530 3,350 174,725,550

-2,571,768 23,260 651,990.00 134,413,980 -2,845,670 52,000 1,032,270.00 2,260,203.50 -24,150 5,781,950 -695,760 17,554,370 1,848,800 -113,150 -364,750.00 -1,985,685 -33,038,285

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

AG FINANCE 3.23 ASIA UNITED 48.4 BANK PH ISLANDS 94.95 BDO LEASING 4.28 BDO UNIBANK 114.7 CHINABANK 39.05 COL FINANCIAL 16.2 EAST WEST BANK 19.88 IREMIT 1.69 MANULIFE 855 MEDCO HLDG 0.69 METROBANK 80.9 NTL REINSURANCE 0.75 PB BANK 14.44 PBCOM 25.4 PHIL NATL BANK 59.9 PHIL STOCK EXCH 240 PHILTRUST 124.9 RCBC 41.5 SECURITY BANK 210.4 SUN LIFE 1,825 UNION BANK 79.2

3.26 48.4 95 4.28 117.4 40 16.2 19.96 1.69 855 0.71 80.9 0.75 14.44 25.5 60 240 124.9 42.25 213 1,825 79.2

3.1 48.4 93.7 4.28 114.5 39.05 16.18 19.7 1.69 855 0.68 78.75 0.74 14.36 25.4 59.6 240 123 41.5 210.4 1,800 79

ABOITIZ POWER 44 AGRINURTURE 5.24 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.88 ALSONS CONS 1.4 ASIABEST GROUP 19.86 BASIC ENERGY 0.295 CEMEX HLDG 9.36 CENTURY FOOD 16.28 CHEMPHIL 160.1 CIRTEK HLDG 23.6 CNTRL AZUCARERA14.98 CONCEPCION 57.7 CONCRETE A 95 CONCRETE B 100 CROWN ASIA 2.02 DAVINCI CAPITAL 6.25 DEL MONTE 12 DNL INDUS 12.7 EEI CORP 8.16 EMPERADOR 7.12 ENERGY DEVT 5.84 FIRST GEN 22.2 FIRST PHIL HLDG 74.8 GINEBRA 12.2 HOLCIM 17 INTEGRATED MICR 6.72 IONICS 1.7 JOLLIBEE 206.2 LIBERTY FLOUR 71.95 LMG CHEMICALS 6.76 MABUHAY VINYL 3.82 MACAY HLDG 28 MANILA WATER 29.95 MAXS GROUP 27 MEGAWIDE 15.72 MERALCO 289 MG HLDG 0.27 PANASONIC 5.75 PEPSI COLA 3.46 PETRON 9.29 PHIL H2O 3.59 PHINMA 11.5 PHINMA ENERGY 2.39 PHX PETROLEUM 7.19 PHX SEMICNDCTR 1.67 PILIPINAS SHELL 79.15 PRYCE CORP 4.82 PUREFOODS 270 RFM CORP 4.95 ROXAS HLDG 3.23 SHAKEYS PIZZA 12.6 SPC POWER 4.25 SWIFT FOODS 0.148 TKC METALS 1.52 UNIV ROBINA 160.4 VICTORIAS 4.43 VITARICH 1.74 VULCAN INDL 1.16

44 5.25 0.88 1.42 19.86 0.295 9.42 16.6 170 23.6 15.1 58 95 100 2.12 6.25 12 13.14 8.18 7.13 5.85 22.4 75 12.2 17.04 6.94 1.81 207 71.95 7.7 4.07 28.45 30.1 27 16 289.2 0.39 7.38 3.47 9.39 3.59 11.5 2.41 7.19 2.04 79.5 4.82 273 5.05 3.23 12.7 4.52 0.149 1.52 161.2 4.65 1.75 1.16

ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANGLO PHIL HLDG ANSCOR ATN HLDG A AYALA CORP COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL JG SUMMIT LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA PRIME ORION SAN MIGUEL CORP SEAFRONT RES SM INVESTMENTS SOLID GROUP TOP FRONTIER UNIOIL HLDG WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG 8990 HLDG A BROWN ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CENTURY PROP CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE IRC PROP MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG

OPEN

0.375 73.15 13 1.22 6.2 0.36 799 8.99 13.1 8.14 0.202 1,225 75.8 1.03 7.9 14.14 0.465 6.81 0.065 2.03 106 2.6 675 1.48 269 0.295 0.195 0.27 6.7 1.01 2.7 1.16 36.45 3.32 0.53 1.32 0.165 0.58 55.5 0.71 0.154 1.78 1.03 1.33 3.77 0.184 0.36 0.72 4.84 25.75 1.7 3.35 29.9

0.375 73.6 13.06 1.22 6.2 0.365 799 9.06 13.1 8.14 0.21 1,240 75.8 1.03 7.9 14.22 0.47 6.91 0.068 2.03 107 2.85 677.5 1.48 270 0.31 0.2 0.28 6.78 1.02 2.73 1.17 36.75 3.37 0.53 1.34 0.176 0.58 55.95 0.71 0.173 1.8 1.03 1.4 3.77 0.187 0.36 0.74 4.9 25.75 1.7 3.35 30.1

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

STA LUCIA LAND 1.04 SUNTRUST HOME 0.91 VISTA LAND 4.92

1.05 0.94 4.92

1.02 0.9 4.85

1.05 0.93 4.85

12,308,000 93,000 4,330,000

12,752,630 84,320 21,111,240

3,605,000 -7,289,220

2GO GROUP 8.29 ABS CBN 47.4 ACESITE HOTEL 1.45 APC GROUP 0.55 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.063 BLOOMBERRY 7.46 BOULEVARD HLDG 0.065 CALATA CORP 2.46 CEBU AIR 94.05 CENTRO ESCOLAR 9.8 DFNN INC 8.71 DISCOVERY WORLD 2.2 EASYCALL 2.93 FAR EASTERN U 972 GLOBE TELECOM 1,794 GMA NETWORK 6.2 GOLDEN HAVEN 16.48 GRAND PLAZA 16 HARBOR STAR 3.96 IMPERIAL A 17.2 INTL CONTAINER 77 IP EGAME 0.0094 IPEOPLE 12.5 IPM HLDG 9.06 ISLAND INFO 0.192 ISM COMM 1.33 JACKSTONES 3.48 LBC EXPRESS 14.12 LEISURE AND RES 3.94 MACROASIA 3.01 MELCO CROWN 5.2 METRO RETAIL 3.88 NOW CORP 2.79 PACIFIC ONLINE 11.18 PAL HLDG 5.26 PAXYS 3.15 PHIL SEVEN CORP 143.4 PHILWEB 8.9 PLDT 1,500 PREMIUM LEISURE 1.35 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.42 PUREGOLD 44.85 ROBINSONS RTL 80.7 SBS PHIL CORP 6.25 SSI GROUP 2.45 STI HLDG 1.16 TRAVELLERS 3.24 WATERFRONT 0.405

8.29 47.5 1.45 0.55 0.066 7.56 0.069 2.47 94.45 9.84 8.89 2.3 2.93 980 1,811 6.2 16.78 16 4.04 17.84 77.05 0.011 12.5 9.06 0.194 1.45 3.8 14.12 3.99 3.15 5.3 3.9 2.81 11.18 5.28 3.33 143.4 8.9 1,500 1.37 0.43 44.85 81.5 6.3 2.49 1.16 3.25 0.415

8.1 47.1 1.45 0.53 0.058 7.27 0.064 2.38 93.05 9.8 8.71 2.01 2.93 972 1,780 6.15 16.48 16 3.95 16.8 75.05 0.0094 12.02 9.06 0.19 1.33 3.26 14.1 3.92 2.99 4.85 3.84 2.75 11.16 5.15 3.15 143.4 8.66 1,451 1.24 0.42 44.5 79.75 6.25 2.44 1.14 3.23 0.405

SERVICES 8.13 44,300 47.2 10,800 1.45 46,000 0.53 85,000 0.059 395,500,000 7.32 2,301,100 0.066 42,760,000 2.39 4,190,000 93.5 353,790 9.84 3,800 8.71 80,500 2.29 179,000 2.93 2,000 980 230 1,790 55,765 6.16 70,300 16.78 52,700 16 800 3.95 2,022,000 17.34 33,600 75.4 7,767,560 0.01 137,000,000 12.02 5,900 9.06 460,000 0.193 9,340,000 1.42 855,000 3.26 843,000 14.1 6,700 3.92 843,000 3.09 1,167,000 5.1 23,010,400 3.9 3,953,000 2.78 1,299,000 11.16 12,200 5.22 9,800 3.3 131,000 143.4 300 8.79 141,500 1,455 110,590 1.28 22,766,000 0.43 2,190,000 44.5 417,800 81.45 650,640 6.25 33,300 2.47 4,026,000 1.15 20,307,000 3.25 527,000 0.415 410,000

360,011 510,380 66,700 45,670 24,255,820 16,921,543 2,869,050 10,105,530 33,166,410 37,272 706,551 378,740 5,860 225,320 100,095,505 433,459 879,324 12,800 8,056,330 578,350 596,320,576 1,370,300 73,414 4,167,600 1,788,000 1,184,460 2,979,620 94,474 3,319,210 3,571,470 118,285,797 15,328,980 3,612,680 136,356 51,012 424,680 43,020 1,246,147 161,411,370 29,741,450 935,400 18,599,815 52,834,704 208,855 9,912,790 23,362,180 1,705,690 168,400

-310,000 1,034,687 132,000 96,500 -6,631,390 234,600 -884,235 33,356,957 19,400 -1,966,470 -340,900 -16,628,128 2,793,290 9,450 -43,236 -75,796,730 -1,219,760 1,016,250 -14,326,683 -62,900 676,750 1,153,960.00 -586,950 -

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

0.0033 2.06 6 1.83 0.48 0.445 11.24 2.47 0.255 0.184 0.191 0.011 1.76 7.04 2.47 0.465 0.94 0.012 0.012 0.014 9.28 3.31 135.5 2.86 0.009

0.0033 2.06 6 1.95 0.5 0.45 11.24 2.47 0.26 0.185 0.194 0.012 1.78 7.04 2.47 0.465 0.94 0.012 0.012 0.015 9.28 3.35 137.3 2.9 0.0092

0.0033 1.99 5.9 1.82 0.45 0.44 10.02 2.37 0.25 0.183 0.19 0.011 1.72 6.95 2.35 0.46 0.94 0.011 0.012 0.014 9.07 3.23 135.4 2.85 0.009

MINING & OIL 0.0033 7,000,000 1.99 3,136,000 5.9 477,700 1.95 26,000 0.495 1,247,000 0.445 2,010,000 11 132,600 2.37 8,665,000 0.25 1,170,000 0.184 2,630,000 0.19 590,000 0.012 11,100,000 1.72 287,000 6.97 565,200 2.43 490,000 0.46 80,000 0.94 53,000 0.011 21,300,000 0.012 15,200,000 0.014 614,500,000 9.28 1,328,500 3.23 863,000 137 1,582,180 2.9 29,000 0.0092 3,000,000

23,100 6,294,180 2,821,716 47,460 589,890 900,600 1,363,100 20,669,430 293,400 483,890 112,340 123,200 503,270 3,946,273 1,154,030 36,850 49,820 234,400 182,400 8,604,800 12,245,195 2,849,000 215,708,866 83,250 27,300

101,000 11,820 8,900 -1,354,420 -379,616 140,000 52,000 38,713,813 -

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

47.95 535 540 106.8 104.5 112.8 115 506 530 5.84 1,020 1,026 1.04 1,070 1,017 107.5 120 2 77 82.7 76.35 77.2 79.8 78 78

48 535 540 108 104.5 112.8 115 506 530 5.85 1,020 1,026 1.04 1,070 1,022 107.5 120 2.3 77 82.75 76.35 77.2 80.95 78 79

47.95 535 529 106.8 104 112.8 115 505 530 5.84 1,020 1,026 1.04 1,070 1,017 107.5 120 2 77 82 76.35 76.5 79.75 78 78

PREFERRED 48 152,700 535 64,660 529 4,610 107 15,020 104 3,000 112.8 50 115 4,000 505 10,000 530 1,000 5.85 5,376,500 1,020 1,040 1,026 95 1.04 36,000 1,070 3,000 1,020 1,500 107.5 100 120 90 2.3 3,000 77 5,830 82 16,390 76.35 9,000 76.5 13,400 79.75 41,390 78 35,500 79 150

7,326,600 34,593,100 2,438,800 1,607,730 312,275 5,640 460,000 5,050,020 530,000 31,452,523 1,060,800 97,470 37,440 3,210,000 1,529,850 10,750 10,800 6,300 448,910 1,344,985 687,150 1,032,140 3,318,011 2,769,000 11,760

-1,468,800 -5,640 -5,039,900 -2,084,355 3,950

LR WARRANT

2.39

2.42

2.15

WARRANTS 2.16 1,290,000

2,828,210

-

PHILAB HLDG ITALPINAS MAKATI FINANCE XURPAS

7.94 3.69 2.95 7.78

7.95 3.7 2.95 7.78

7.5 3.65 2.95 7.64

SME 7.6 3.65 2.95 7.64

3,107,822 1,038,570 2,950 12,952,899

36,600 2,160,516

119.7

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 119.2 119.2 450

53,716

-

NAME

MS FIRST METRO ETF 119.7

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL

SHARES

14,530,821

INDUSTRIAL

419,521,725

HOLDING FIRMS

839,152,316

PROPERTY

418,141,298

SERVICES

694,338,495

MINING & OIL

698,812,309

GRAND TOTAL

3,086,867,807

401,400 283,000 1,000 1,683,100

VALUE 1,793.86 (up) 0.40 791,376,925.72 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,084.77 (down) 4.93 1,792,539,165.265 HOLDING FIRMS 7,296.60 (down) 46.14 1,688,026,147.341 PROPERTY 3,334.24 (down) 8.99 SERVICES 1,417.79 (down) 18.91 1,122,581,743.91 MINING & OIL 11,978.21 (down) 23.38 1,294,817,244.21 PSEI 7,244.79 (down) 38.46 279,385,778.8752 All Shares Index 4,388.01 (down) 13.78 6,985,887,578.72 Gainers:93; Losers: 99; Unchanged: 48; Total: 240

Globe expands 700 MHz coverage

By Darwin G. Amojelar GLOBE Telecom Inc. said Friday it is accelerating the deployment of the 700 megahertz band to increase utilization of the spectrum by over 300 percent in a bid to improve the internet experience of customers.

Globe president and chief executive Ernest Cu said the company planned to roll out within the year the LTE 700 in close to 1,800 sites, more than a three-fold increase from the 500 sites deployed last year.

“We continue to maximize the use of the previously unutilized 700 MHz because at the end of the day, our basic product is still the network,” Cu said.

“Globe has consistently delivered superior mobile services and as the country’s network of choice by smartphone users, we want to be able to stay ahead of the demand curve, taking into account our customers’ growing requirement for bandwidth-intensive content,” he added.

Globe aims to provide mobile coverage to about 95 percent of cities and municipalities in the country within a three-year period, as committed to the National Telecommunications Commission, said Cu. In addition to the LTE 700 sites, Globe is expanding coverage and increasing capacities for 1000 sites using the 2600 MHz band.

Globe gained access to the 700 MHz and obtained additional allocation in the 2600 MHz following a partial acquisition of San Miguel Corp.’s telecommunication assets. Prior to the acquisition, such spectrum assets were idle and unutilized.

Cirtek clinches three new contracts

By Jenniffer B. Austria CIRTEK Holdings Philippines Corp., a Laguna-based technology company, bagged new contracts from three global semiconductor firms.

Cirtek said in a statement wholly-owned semiconductor assembly and test unit Cirtek Electronics Corp. was chosen by Bourns to manufacture over molded package Power Transient Voltage Suppressor devices, or PTVS, and Transient Blocking Unit products, or TBU. Bourns under the supply agreement will supply the manufacturing equipment while CEC will provide dedicated space and personnel.

The arrangement is part of Bourns’ global initiative to consolidate the outsourcing of high value products to reliable and competitive business partners that can deliver at competitive price points and have the ability to quickly respond to high volume requirements if the market so demands.

TBU is a surge protection device for industrial and automotive battery, while PTVS is protection device for sensitive electronic equipment by absorbing high energy transients such as those from indirect lightning strikes “We are honored to have been selected to support Bourn’s PTVS project,” said Cirtek chairman said Jerry Liu. “Our partnership with Bourns spans more than 10 years and we appreciate their longstanding trust in our product and service quality and execution. We will continue to provide innovative and efficient solutions to support our customers’ growth and success.”

Home / Design

BREAKAWAY. Property developer Ortigas & Company is building a cycling playground, designed by bemedalled cyclist and international designer

Claudio Caluori, within its 10-hectare masterplanned mixed-use community in Bagumbayan, Quezon City. The bike playground at Circulo Verde promises wide open tranquil spaces amidst retail options for residents and visitors to enjoy. Aside from the signature asphalt pump track, the playground will also feature an outdoor trail will cater to all skill levels and all types of bicycles from mountain bikes and road bikes to BMX and Cyclocross. Shown in photo are (from left to right): Parabanne Mendoza, Fox athlete; Claudio Caluori, track designer; Jaime Ysmael, CEO of Ortigas & Company; Thomas Mirasol, SVP, Ortigas & Company; and Renee Bacani, vice president of Shopping Center Division

Taking a break in hectic Makati

B3

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

STATE OF GRACE. Real estate developer, Stateland Inc. recently launched of its newest project, San Francisco Heights at its annual conference in Pasay City. The development, which covers 23 hectares of land in Palo Alto, Calamba, Laguna, offers Mediterranean-style houses ranging from 36sqm to 83sqm, packaged within a minimum lot area of 110sqm. The conference is Stateland’s yearly event to give recognition to its marketing partners. “Through the 40 years of Stateland’s existence, we have witnessed your transformation from that of our external sellers, to business partners, and eventually, to become our dear friends,” said company president Reynaldo T. Cometa. Later, Cometa presented this year’s promotions and incentives starting from cash incentives to trips to various Asian destinations (See photo), including a trip to San Francisco, U.S.A. as the grand prize.

Many offices in the Philippines are starting to allocate space to provide employees with a place where they can create, meet, recharge, de-stress, stretch, or rest their eyes from the screen: the employee break room.

But not all offices have enough space to accommodate this welcome feature. Unless you work in the Makati CBD. The Alphaland City Club, along Ayala Avenue Extension, offers three floors that cater to all the business, lifestyle, and fitness requirements of an active corporate executive.

The Club has a fully equipped athletic complex, including indoor tennis, basketball, squash and badminton courts.

For relaxation, members can use the wellness spa with pool and jacuzzi areas. For a daily serving of leisurely but affordable meals, members can choose one of eight specialty restaurants, while allowing their children to enjoy the playground and game rooms.

“Nowhere else in Makati will anyone find all of these options in a single, exclusive club,” said City Club general manager Nic Belasco.

METRO CDO PLAN GETS DEVELOPER’S NOD. Italpinas

Development Corporation (IDC) recently threw its support behind the proposed Philippine Development Plan, of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA). The plan proposes the establishment of Metro Cagayan de Oro (CDO) as the country’s fourth economic center, alongside Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao, by 2025. Aside from Cagayan de Oro, the northern Mindanao region comprises the provinces of Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental and Camiguin. Italpinas is solidly set up in CDO through its flagship project, the seven-building mixed-use development, Primavera Residences (See photo), which has helped grow the northern Mindanao region into a metropolis and economic center.

IT’S THE AMBIENCE YOU PAY FOR. Important business talks and confidential negotiations outside the office, take on a different hue in these private, full-service function rooms.

COUNT OFF THOSE 15,000 STEPS. Ditch the tie and corporate duds for a workout in the clouds.

LAKESIDE LIVING. Ayala Land’s Nuvali was recently recognized

by the “Integrated Resource Management in Asian Cities: the Urban Nexus” project, as a quality model for urban planning and sustainable resource management. The Urban Nexus project seeks to foster sustainable urban development by embedding resource management policies at the national and global levels. The project is headed by the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) in partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, and the ICLEI Local Government for Sustainability. Nuvali is Ayala Land’s flagship eco-community and its largest development to date at 2,290 hectares, straddling the cities of Santa Rosa, Calamba and Cabuyao in Laguna.

Greenwashing...

From B4 gradually becoming more costeffective.”

Palafox feels government regulators could do something that could lessen the cost of buying these equipment.

He noted that in countries like Singapore and Dubai, green practitioners are actually given cash incentives for developing green structures.

Despite the sudden proliferation of authentic green buildings and green projects in major CBDs, Palafox said the state of the country’s green building industry is still far behind compared to the rest of the world, saying that “we are just starting in the Philippines.”

“The advocacy for green living had been long in the Philippines, but is taking a long time to take root,” he observed.

BIG PLAYER IN BAY CITY. Property developer Anchor Land Holdings, Inc. (ALHI) is preparing for the turnover of Monarch Parksuites this year. The luxury condominium is ALHI’s second finished project in the 204-hectare township Aseana City, after Solemare Parksuites. Demand for office spaces is steadily rising in the area, especially from the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector. More luxury leisure and entertainment properties like Okada Manila are coming in after Solaire Resort & Casino and City of Dreams. Recently, the NAIA Expressway was opened to the public. With myriad development projects coming in, Aseana is expected to open more job opportunities. Next to benefit from Aseana’s expected growth burst is Monarch Parksuites.

The development is ALHI’s biggest residential condominium project thus far, with more than 8,000 sqm dedicated to indoor and outdoor amenities.

Have soundbar will travel

Joel D. Lacsamana, JoelEditor D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com jdlacsamana@gmail.com

B4

B4

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2017

TV marathons will never be the same

TODAY even the smallest audio devices pack a pu terms of audio quality and functionality.

You don’t need a dedicated “viewing room” at to enjoy a theater-like experience. Having a small room or bedroom can actually be an advantage, sinc don’t need an expensive multiple-speaker configu to experience surround sound effects.

A soundbar can give you superior sound quality out compromising space. In a regular square ro can give off really loud sound, and even deep, rum bass through a wireless subwoofer. Soundbars look sleeker too: you don’t need to have a lot of wires ru around your room.

Of course, there are some caveats to soundbars as lack of expandibility or limited input options. H er, these are disadvantages of bigger home theater speakers as well. At the end of the day, the bene space-saving, and less fuss are pretty hard to beat.

Creating your own home theater

M

ore and more people seem to be transforming their ordinary TV rooms into home theaters. This used to include a projector and a screen, which s Kermit were too expensive thefor frog most people to afford.

But now, due might say, to advancements in “It ain’t easy bein’ technology, people are green.” given more choices for a home KERMIT, it seems, is on theater to some- set up.

‘GREENWASHING’ A

GREAT SOUND QUALITY. A soundbar can dish o “NO, MR.sound PRESIDENT, WE’RE NOT superior quality without compromising space TALKING ABOUT LAUNDRY.” Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol shows his boss, President Rodrigo Duterte, how backyard, solar-powered fishponds make for sustainable homes.

besets property sector

thing in the local real estate market, If you’re one who intends to too. As developments rise claimSLEEK IS IN. At the end of the day, the benefits of s ing they have green and TV room—or turn features, your boring saving and less fuss, which a soundbar can give in sp builders ask for any a premium pricefor that matter— other room, are hard to beat. tag because buyers they theater, are intothink a home you’ll have mislead uninformed buyers simply five years have affected ALP’s apgetting an innovative, eco-friendly several things to consider first. because they are not aware of what proach to sustainable design and and energy-efficient condominium Keep in mind that the general idea construction. outthe for.” or office, the real of question “how is to a homeis,theater to watch recreate “Our customers now expect Thea most common examples of do they know?” elements found within movie green spaces and new resourcesgreenwashing are building prodtheater with home equipment. It saving technology in our develucts that claim to be biodegradable Hype vs theisreal thing through a good combination when they The practice ofofusing eco buzzelectronic components thatarea not. These products opments,” he said. “So while it is words and claiming various green have attractive glossy brochures a good time to build, we have to favorable home theater is estabfeatures to pitch a property is with eye-catching phrases, images innovate to be competitive in this lished, so that whenand youvarying watchshades a of green. They robust market.” known as “green-washing”. movie on a home theater system, But more than just the sales Many builders are taking the may even be certified by some oryou are more immersed in the exganizations that claim to be green, pitch, green buildings cost less due extra step to complete their develthan when but youactually watch on do not have the tech- to the installation of low-mainopments with a perience third party certian ordinary TV. fication from a national certifier nical capability to scientifically tenance materials that last long.

To understand homeand theSome building materials , for exevaluate rate the product. like the Philippine Green Building how aters work, take a look the “Manyatdevelopers and advertis- ample, do not require repainting Council (PhilGBC), US-based theaterand as a model.

Moviethat promote build- (eliminating building maintenance ing agencies US Leadership movie in Energy thathousing ofings and units are guilty costs).

Environmental theaters Design involve (LEED)elements MARKET FORCES AT WORK. “Green” developments in Naga and Iloilo. These developments claim an amazing experience, which “Everyone should be aware that of greenwashing,” Alcazaren pushed by the USferGreen Building to use less materials, are sturdier built, so they have higher value and reportedly do not need constant “Merely Council; the Building Research people just don’t getsaid. at home.

Pic- by providing land- greenwashing is going on and it replacement of costly materials. and attractive façades, is being advertised as a competiEstablishment Environmental As- scaping tures appear brighter and sharper, BIGGER IS NOT BETTER. Having a small living roo structures sessment Method of theseso and(BREAM) sounds resonate much are falsely claimed tive advantage,” said Alcazaren. or bedroom, can actually be an advantage, since you d “This is even more important for to be green.

With no legitimate the UK Green Building Council; louder and clearer. need an expensive multiple-speaker configuration to green certifi cation, it’s difficult to prospective homeowners, many of or the Hong KongThere Building En- major are three compoexperience surround sound effects. who make the biggest investment confirm their claims.” vironmental Assessment nents thatMethod differentiate watching of their lives based on perceptions This is where credible certifying (BEAM) of the HK Beam Society.

TV from going to the movies. NETFLIX TO YOUR HEART’S CONTENT. Advancements in technology have made home theater setups quieter, organizations, like the Phil- of “green” without even knowing There are otherFirst local,isorthe regional large sizebody of the movie thanwhat your it typical house. reallymovie means.” in as convenient they play an certifiers. Many of us simply rely GBC, should stepmore He advised buyers to take on the marketing strategies of our important role in protecting the pubfer the 3D experience in the comfort of y real estate developer to boast about lic against deceptive claims by those advertising with a grain of salt home, which requires a compatible 3D how “green” our condos are. But pretending to construct green build- “until you read up on the green player and a pair of 3D glasses. unless you have a run-down of all ings,” said Palafox in a paper sent to features that are being claimed.” the green and energy efficient fea- the Manila Standard.

Speakers and a subwoofe Green buildings on tap Based on PhilGBC’s description, tures, and can weigh how green At least five voice-matched speaker An example of a green building or energy efficient they are, will “green building” is the practice of subwoofer are needed to faithfully rec you fall into the trap of buying a designing, constructing, operating, is The Net Lima in Fort Bonifacio. wraparound excitement of movie theate “green” condo or office, just be- or reusing buildings in an ecological It incorporates designs like sun Some even choose six to seven speake shading and a full glass curtain and resource efficient manner. cause someone said it was so? subwoofer so they can hear more channe The PhilGBC is an organization wall, which reduce energy use parround sound. You can always buy a established by real estate stake- ticularly on air-conditioning and Tightening up pre-matched speaker system, but if yo Urban planning guru Paulo Al- holders that promotes and ensures fiberglass fuel storage tanks with put together your own, make sure you b cazaren feels local certifications an ecologically and economically built-in leak detection for generathe same family of speakers. and standards should be tightened sustainable manner of a structure’s tors used during power outages.

The 33-storey Zuellig buildup, and monitoring practices made design, construction and operation ing at the intersection of Makati more stringent to guide consumers in the country.

A home theater receiver “We need certifying bodies Avenue and Paseo de Roxas, on product credibility.

It’s important to have a home theater re Renowned property develop- like the PhilGBC with BERDE, makes use of materials and openjoy surround sound. A receiver acts as ment consultant Felino Palafox, and also the green eco-labeling,” erations that protect the envitrol center for audio. It’s the one that p ronment, thanks to its pollution Jr. believes government regulators Palafox said. amplifies, and sends audio signals to th prevention features, water effishould consider sweetening the pot ers. All home theater receivers can pro cient landscaping, carbon dioxHow can consumers protect for those using green technology. amplify multichannel surround sound, a ide monitoring and an indoor air themselves?

One way to do this, he said, is to stereo audio, because they have built-in A simple definition of a green quality and temperature regulalower the cost of green equipment sound decoding. and encourage players to embrace development is that it uses re- tor, among others. It is the first sources with minimal impact building in the Philippines that these technologies.

Video sources on the environment. Applied to has been awarded with a certiIf you have a high-def TV, you’ll d APPETITE. In the end, your home theater system will depend on how much you’rethe willing to spend, and how important certain areas of performance are to you. fication at Gold level under buildings, a structure saves waNext time you INVESTMENT buy a condo….. want and plenty of high-def sources.

One invariably encounters ter, energy and uses sustainable Leadership for Energy and EnSTUDIES have shown that oper to clarify what green fea- ances LED light bulbs are A Blu-ra offers the sharpest pictures possible, thou screen; second is the sound experience; and third claims about environmental fea- materials while ensuring occu- vironmental Design Core, and consumers are attracted to – tures they have included: earth-friendly, they don’t make excellent home theater sources include is picture quality.

When you go see a movie in Shell (LEED-CS) program of tures when shopping for a condo- pant well being. and will pay more for – de• Site planning was a home green. Watch for buzzprogramming, which delivers high-r theaters, the screen takes up most of your fi eld of A green building helps reduce the United States’ Green Buildminium unit, a townhouse, or a velopments marketed as en- sensitive to the environment, words such as “eco-friendly,” video and digital audio, and video game c view, and you hear dialogues, sound effects, and house. Most developers and con- utility costs because its design pro- ing Council. vironmentally friendly and minimizing tree destruction “sustainable,” and “high efwhich offer impressively crisp images a music not just from the screen, but all around you. tractors will try to entice you to vides access to natural daylight (reenergy-saving, leading to in- and managing water runoff. ficiency.” If a home listing or impact surround sound.

You also enjoy watching because you see everybuy their products because they duces electricity cost for lighting), Green technologies becoming creasing numbers of unquali• Appliances, A/C, realtor uses these to describe There are waystoyou can do cost-effective? help you live a better life, and natural ventilation (reduces electhingmarketed in great as detail.

All these elements make it a property, fi ed homes being lighting & insulation are all asknumerous for evidence Both Alcazaren and Palafox tricity cost for air-conditioning), “help save the planet.” these criteria, but of course, extremely easy to lose yourself in the world of the highly efficient. certified as energy efficient. back up the claims to avoid an you’ll als “Greenwashing is the term used and the use of water-saving tech- agree that adopting green techroomofwhere you can arrange all your equ movie—after all, you’re sitting in the dark with As more and more consum• An air filtration & issue greenwashing. to deceive people into purchasing nology (reduces water consump- nologies could be expensive, and In the end, your home theater system only one thing to look at, in the midst of a surers are becoming aware of green exchange system has been inmay add up to about 10 percent to a company’s products and services tion). pend on how you’re willing to in round sound system. living, builders and real estate stalled to regulate air quality.

Green home much certifications “Almost all Ayala luxury resi- total costs compared to using conbased on false or misleading claims how important certain areas of performan In order to build a home theater, you simply agents alike are increasingly us• The home uses nonThere are several green cerregarding their environmental ben- dential and office developments ventional designs and technology. you.

If you just want a better need to recreate these elements.

At the bare miniing the term to market proper- toxic building materials. tification programs available. entertainm “You have to be more inefits,” said Alcazaren in an interview incorporate natural ventilation and tem in yourup.TV room, a basic telev mum, you need: ties, whether or not they qualify • Water conservation Look them Under thethen Phillighting in its projects,” claimed formed.,” Alcazaren said. “Marwith the Manila Standard. and DVD player can be adequate. for green status. was considered, such as water- ippine Green Building Council “The concept of a green build- Manuel Illana, senior architect and ket forces, in a way, are doing But if you your green own home theat Here are five indicatorsAoflarge-screen saving toiletsTV and shower fix- (PhilGBC), forwant example, ing has been sweeping the country studio head of Ayala Land Premier their part as Return on Investment large screen and terrifi c acoustics, you’ll A large-screen television that’s at least 27 inches truly green homes. If the prop- tures. real estate developments are for more than a decade now, he ex- (ALP). At the launch last week of (ROI) for solar panels technoloneed to bring in a home theater expert an across is ideal.

A gorgeous picture is the central gies, for example, have been going erty you are looking doesn’t certified based on a points sysits latest development at Bonifaplained. “Since then many SET. people GETTING A Blu-ray player offers the sharpest pictures possible, though other good homegettheater sources tractor.

Whichever you decide, it’s imp focus of home theater systems and almost all of todown in recent years.

We’re cio Global called West gal- video and digital audio, and video game consoles: in the building industry follow speak Buzzwords tem that ranks a checklist of include have HDTVbeen programming, whichCity delivers high-resolution all these guidelines, try everything out ahead of time to make TVs are high-defi nition,energy-saving which offer aapplistun- requirements.

Place, he told The Standard ting there. Green technologies are trying to cash in on thecrisp movement, to the lagent, day’s builder or develWhile offer images andlery high-impact surround sound. your movies will look and sound great. ning 720p or 1080p resolution.

Some TVs also ofoffering all kinds of promises that that lifestyle changes over the past Turn to B3

How to recognize a green property

Clark airport eyes NA market

By Romeo Dizon CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga—Clark International Airport, one of the biggest aviation complexes in Asia, is eyeing the rich passengers of 23 countries in North America to increase its flights and passengers, including its cargo tonnage.

Alexander Cauguiran, president and CEO of Clark International Airport Corp., said they are currently negotiating with other air carriers to connect Clark to the rich passengers from the North American market.

North America, the world’s third largest continent, not only boasts the United States and Canada but also “dozens of possessions and territories, including the Caribbean and Central American countries, Bermuda, and Mexico,” the airport boss said.

Cauguiran said Clark is targeted a new market of foreigners and Filipino overseas workers, 3.5 million of them in the US alone.

Filipinos are the third-largest ethnic group after Chinese and Indians communities in Canada, totaling about 800,000 based on 2011 statistics provided by the Canadian National Household Survey, he added.

Filipino-Canadians are concentrated in provinces of Ontario (275,380), British Columbia (126,040), Alberta (106,035), Manitoba (59,226) and Quebec (31,495), representing 1.8 percent of Canada’s total population, Cauguiran said.

Mostly holder of bachelors and masters’ degrees and technical skills, Filipino-Canadians receive annual salaries of about $24,000, lower than most Canadians nationals’ average of $30,000 a year, he added.

Domestically, Cauguiran said local tourists from Region I to Region III and the northern Metro Manila cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela make up a “huge traveling population” of 24.2 million that use Clark as their takeoff point.

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

IPs benefit from mining CSR

By Ben Moses Ebreo

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UEZON, Nueva Vizcaya—More than 500 villagers in this town are now engaged in various livelihood opportunities with the technical and financial assistance of a mining firm.

A member of a cooperative in Barangay Runruno in Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya shows off their agricultural products during the First Runruno Trade Fair sponsored by FCF Minerals Corp. The firm has sparked entrepreneurship opportunities among the villagers who live around the gold-molybdenum mine through its corporate social responsibility program. Ben Moses Ebreo

Didipio still running after appeal to OP BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—The Didipio gold-copper mine here continues to operate after OceanaGold Philippines Inc. immediately filed an appeal with the Office of the President, which stays the execution of the suspension order from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

OceanaGold’s Melbournebased parent company, in a statement published by Perth-based Mining Weekly magazine, said it

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor Roger M. Garcia, Assistant Editor jimbo.gulle@gmail.com mslocalgov@gmail.com

received a copy of the suspension order signed by Environment Secretary Regina Lopez dated Feb. 8.

Manila Standard obtained a copy of the order, which was sent by registered mail to the president of OceanaGold Philippines as well as the directors of the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau and Environmental Management Bureau.

It was not clear how long Didipio’s operations stopped, but Standard sources, speaking on

condition of anonymity as they were not authorized by OceanaGold, said the stoppage “probably took just three hours on Tuesday [Feb. 14 or Valentine’s Day].”

“The company told shareholders that the order repeated allegations previously made by the government, citing petitions from the local government, that nearby houses had suffered damage as a result of blasting at the operations, as well as the mine’s alleged adverse impacts to the agricultural

areas in the province,” the Australian miner’s statement in Mining Weekly said.

OceanaGold was given “three months to address and fix the issues raised” in the suspension order, it added.

OceanaGold president and CEO Mick Wilkes said the Didipio operation has not violated or breached any laws, and expressed his belief the operation is a template of what is considered “responsible mining” in the Philippines. Abe Almirol

FCF Minerals Corp., a Philippine subsidiary of UK firm Metals Exploration Plc that manages the gold-molybdenum project in Barangay Runruno, introduced and exposed the villagers to various aspects of livelihood project management and development.

“This was introduced in collaboration with various agencies of the government, in order to empower communities covered by our project,” said Peter Storey, FCF general manager for operations.

The mining firm started the transformation of the villagers more than five years ago through the conduct of value formation, human resource development, and technical trainings on organizational development, business planning and preparation and cooperativism, among others.

These trainings and workshops were funded through FCF’s corporate social responsibility program and conducted in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Trade and Industry, Nueva Vizcaya State University and the Department of Education, among other organizations.

Today, the villagers—mostly members of the Kalanguya, Iugao, Kankanaey and Ibaloi tribes—organized themselves into associations and cooperatives to further legalize their identity and further pursue their organizational goals to uplift their lives.

These are the Busat Upland Farmers Association, Kinalabasa Rural Workers Association, Sitio Compound Women’s and Farmers’ Association, Atan Vegetable Growers Association, Bit-ang Women’s and Farmers Association, Malilibeg Livelihood Association, Sitio Dumaliguia Women’s Association Inc., Marangad Rural Workers Association, Dipilipig Development Association Inc., Baddang Kiphodan Association, Tayab Women’s Association and the Kabinuangan Highlanders Association.

“Our income then was only good for our daily food and we cannot send our children to school. We had a difficult life

because nobody wants to expand agricultural ventures due to our remote place, bad roads and absence of capital. It was all for our daily needs,” said Elma Tiago, 45, a BUSAT member.

Elma’s six children are now in school. Two of her children are enrolled at the PLT College in nearby Bayombong taking up criminology, while the others are still in elementary and secondary school.

“Thanks to the help of the FCF Minerals Corp. for giving us capital assistance, we were empowered to multiply its benefits,” she added.

The mining firm also developed barangay roads, which encouraged other villagers to expand their farmlands into productive use.

These community- based organizations or CBOs are now sharing their income to their members through soft microlending programs to help them in producing more agricultural products. It also provided jobs for their family members.

Recently, the company sponsored the First Runruno Trade Fair, in recognition of the CBOs as local partners for economic development of the barangay, municipality and the province in general.

The event showcased various local products of the livelihood organizations such as root crops, fruits and vegetables, native chicken, red eggs, processed meat, roasted meat and native dishes for the establishment of the “Kainan sa Barrio,” a small restaurant of the BWFAI, among others.

The event also served as a promotion and marketing event for the assisted CBOs to attract investors and market outlets.

FCF officials said the community development and livelihood programs are just but a few of the many packages of development assistance in store for the barangay and its adjacent villages in Quezon town.

‘With our community development programs, we see to it that no one gets left behind. We will fully comply with the required regulations and laws by the Philippine government in order to show our commitment to responsible mining standards and practices,” Storey added.

Unicef, Korean groups boost Davao project DAVAO CITY—Teams from the United Nations Children’s Fund or Unicef and the Korea International Cooperation Agency have arrived for a situational analysis in lumad communities in at least three areas of the city, City Health Officer Dr. Josephine Villafuerte said.

The team will be visiting Davao’s Baguio, Marilog and Paquibato Districts within the week, Villafuerte said.

Koica is the South Korean government’s international aid agency,

which also implements technical cooperation programs promoting sustainable development.

In Davao, Koica is set to fund the “First 1,000 days of Life” project for mothers and their children. The 1,000-day period starts from the first day of pregnancy until the child’s second birthday.

“Every event and nutritional need, spanning from day one of pregnancy, will be looked after through the district health cent-

ers,” Villafuerte said, adding the program aims to “primarily prevent the stunting of the body and the brain of the child.”

A child’s growth and development is rapid during the first 1,000 days of life. This is also the same period when the tissues and organs of the baby are being formed. It is said to be the “critical window of opportunity to shape long-term health.”

The city health officer said the health and nutrition of both the

mother and child will determine the child’s health and its ability to learn in school in the years after the thousand-day period.

The project also includes health education for the community, particularly for mothers, on topics such as proper sanitation and hygiene and the importance of breastfeeding.

Villafuerte said the execution of the project in lumad communities in Davao is only the initial stage, as it will eventually be implemented across the city. F. Pearl A. Gajunera

Rotary teams up with Quezon City on drug drive THE Rotary Club of Kamuning or RoCK and the Quezon City government have partnered in the war against drugs.

Leonard Lim, RoCK president, declared their support to Mayor Herbert Bautista’s continuing anti-drug campaign during the 23rd “Alay ng Rotary sa Araw ng Kabataan” arts and culture competitions held recently at the Amoranto

Sports Stadium.

“As parents, we know how dangerous drugs are to our children.

It ruins our children’s future,” Lim said. “By partnering with the city government and pulling our efforts together, we can make a bigger difference for them in this war against drugs.”

RoCK has since been working closely with Bautista in preventing

drug use among the youth. The mayor was a former club president.

“In our own little way, we want to help the city government fight the problem of drugs and teach our youth become responsible and lawabiding citizens,” Lim said.

Apart from the intensified law enforcement operations against drug suspects, the city government has launched the “Save the User” drug

treatment program for thousands of drug offenders who have surrendered to authorities.

Last Saturday, more than 10,000 students, parents, school officials and spectators participated in the 23rd Alay ng Rotary sa Araw ng Kabataan, the biggest youth program organized by RoCK to reintroduce millennials to traditional Filipino arts and culture. Rio N. Araja

TALL AND FRUITFUL. A señorita banana tree owned by ‘Aling Hileng’ of Barangay Silangan, Kabubuhayan in Nagcarlan, Laguna is now talk of the town because of its five-foot-tall fruit stalk. Roy Tomandao

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

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Tacloban mayor is new RDC chair The mayor said she was “honored and humbled” in accepting the challenge of leadACLOBAN—Mayor Cristina G. ing the policymaking body, and Romualdez, who heads Eastern vowed to boost eco-tourism programs that would promote Visayas’ only highly urbanized city, Eastern Visayas as the tourist got the Regional Development Council destination of the country. chairmanship after President Rodrigo Romualdez said the region is rich with eco-tourism wonDuterte appointed her to the post effective ders that tourist can visit, Feb. 9. such as the Canigao Island, Kalanggaman, Suhoton caves, Officials led by National the Mayor’s Office to hand the rock formation in MarEconomic and Development over a copy of Romualdez’s abut, Samar, the rapids in ParAuthority Regional Director appointment and brief the anas, Samar, Biri’s “wonders” Bonifacio Uy recently visited new chairperson of her role. in Northern Samar and many

By Mel Caspe

T

waterfalls and white sand beaches, apart from its sociocultural heritage.

“Promoting Region 8 as a tourist destination can uplift the socio-economic condition of our Waray-Waray region, particularly the island of Samar,” she said.

The mayor will also push for the development and expansion of the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport, being the busiest airport in the entire region, by upgrading its facilities from a domestic to an international airport level “that will serve the

increasing populace and traveler’s demand, having Tacloban City as the entry point to their respective destinations in any part of Eastern Visayas.”

The improvement of the DZR airport is a must to boost the region’s economy, considering Tacloban “is interconnected to the different provinces of the region,” Romualdez added.

Tacloban plans to improve by putting up a bay walk at the city’s Astrodome with a “Yolanda/Haiyan” landmark— after the storm that decimated most of the region three years

ago—along with a “Yolanda” museum and by converting 13 hectares of a northern barangay to an agri-tourism family nature park, the mayor said.

Romualdez, a first-term mayor, was nominated by other local government officials and representatives of non-government organizations in the region in their Aug. 31, 2016 RDC Meeting at the NEDA-8 office.

Other possible RDC leaders are Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez, Leyte Gov. Dominic Petilla, and Samar Gov. Sharee Ann Tan.

Open Santiago office, DFA told

WALL GOING UP? Children run along

the beach in Barangay 89-90, Payapay, San Jose, Tacloban City. The area will host the starting point of the P7.9-billion Tide Embankment Project—a 27.3-kilometer seawall to protect against storm surges—under the Department of Public Works and Highways. Locals and some activist groups, however, are opposing the project. Mel Caspe

By Brenda Jocson

IN BRIEF SSS Mariveles gets five-star CSC rating BALANGA CITY—The Social Security System Mariveles Branch has received the highest rating of five stars in the Civil Service Commission Seal of Excellence Awards.

“While we take pride in receiving the award, we are at the same time humbled that we are confronted with another challenge, to live up the expectation of the seal,” said SSS Mariveles Branch Head Jordan Herrera in guesting at the local radio station 91.1 Sikat FM. “First, 50 government agencies and frontline services in Central Luzon were picked by the CSC as excellent. Then 14 were chosen from that 50 with the highest excellent ratings, and SSS Mariveles emerged overall highest with our five-star rating,” Herrera added. Butch Gunio

Toyota dealership breaks ground in Subic

By Butch Gunio SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Toyota Subic Inc. will start construction of its P150-million multi-level showroom and service center following the groundbreaking of its 10,000-square meter facility in this premier freeport.

“If there is anything that we can help you with, don’t hesitate.

There are a lot of other business opportunities, and we hope to do more business with you,” Subic

Bay Metropolitan Authority Administrator Wilma T. Eisma told TSI during the ceremony at the Subic Gateway District, where the facility will rise.

TSI chairman Dr. David Go said he is confident that with SBMA as partner, their new endeavor in Subic “will be able to sail progressively against any tide.”

“Opening a new facility is always paved with many difficulties. Nothing really is ever easy

at the start, even with a product with key competitive advantages of quality, affordability, and worry-free ownership,” Go said.

“It is still backed up with required huge capital funding, strategic location, state-of-theart facilities, and exemplary employees,” he added.

A joint partnership between GT Capital Auto Dealership Holdings Inc. and JBT Global Holdings Inc., TSI together with its automotive mother company, Toyota Mo-

NOW OPEN.

Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan (right) leads the inauguration of the Bagong Barrio Police and Fire Station at the corner of Malolos and G. de Jesus Streets.

With Malapitan are (from left) Fire Marshal Chief Insp.

Stephen Requina, police commander Senior Supt. Chito Bersaluna, and District 1 Rep. Along Malapitan.

The station is the third for both police and firemen under Malapitan.

Jun David

Orani Water run for a cause on Feb. 25 ORANI, Bataan—The Orani Water District will celebrate its anniversary with a run for a cause on Feb. 25, dubbed the 17th Orani Water Dragon Run for the Watershed 6.

OWD will stage competitions for distances of 10 kilometers, 5 kilometers, and 3 kilometers.

The event will start at 6 a.m. in front of OWD’s office.

OWD general manager Benny Andres said funds to be raised from the event will go to the company’s reforestation project in the upland Tala watershed area. Butch Gunio

tor Philippines Corp., is expected to be fully operational on or before December this year.

Jose B. Tan Jr., president of TSI, said Toyota is the topselling brand for passenger and commercial vehicles in the country since 2002.

“Toyota holds a 40-percent share of the Philippine market as of December 2016, with a unique and distinguished dealership personality that our customers enjoy exploring,” he said.

SANTIAGO CITY, Isabela— Mayor Joseph Tan has requested the Department of Foreign Affairs to open a satellite office here to make passport processing easier for the public and residents of the north.

Tan made the appeal after the DFA’s consular office in Tuguegarao City did not push through with its planned Jan. 25 opening of its satellite office in a mall here.

Earlier, DFA regional director Florencio Franco announced that its consular office in Tuguegarao City would temporarily shut down starting Jan. 17, only to open a satellite office in Santiago.

But Cagayanos, led by the city government, opposed the move along with public and private sector leaders.

The DFA’s planned transfer was stopped when the Regional Trial Court in Tuguegarao issued a temporary restraining order preventing it.

Aside from decongesting the DFA Tuguegarao office, Tan said the Santiago satellite office will effectively bring the department’s services closer to the public, particularly those in southern Cagayan Valley and the nearby provinces in Region 3 and Cordillera.

“Once the DFA satellite office is operational in Santiago City, residents from this province, including Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya and Ifugao, will no longer [have to] travel to Tuguegarao City to apply for and renew their passports,” Tan said.

The mayor has elevated his appeal to the Cagayan Valley Regional Development Council, saying he is hopeful his proposal “will be approved for the good of residents from the region’s southern part.”

Tan said there already is office space allotted for DFA’s satellite at a mall’s third floor here, ready for occupancy.

Santiago residents said the DFA office here would be a better and more comfortable for passport applicants who will stay inside an air-conditioned mall, rather than the consular office in Tuguegarao where one has to queue on wooden benches outside the building there.

House panel approves Science for Change proposal THE House Committee on Science and Technology has approved House Bill 4581, filed by Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, which aims to boost the country’s scientific innovations and inventions, research and development towards social progress and global competitiveness.

Titled “Science for Change Program (S4CP) Act” with the theme of “Science for the People,” HB 4581 is designed to help accelerate science, technology and innovation or STI developments, and enable the country to keep up with current global technology and innovation trends.

The bill also proposes a budget

for its programs that could reach P672 billion by 2022, Salceda said.

S4CP was launched by the House science committee chaired

by Bohol Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado. When enacted, it will be implemented by the Department of Science and Technology. Legislators have called it as “a key towards higher standards of STI and global competitiveness.”

The Philippines’ total R&D budget for 2017 is P5.8 billion, but the bill proposes an estimated R&D budget starting at P21 billion next year, doubling yearly over the next five-year period, and could reach P672 billion in 2022.

Salceda said it is his privilege to

push legislation for the country’s strong STI program, one of the vital components for growth under the Duterte administration.

S4CP focuses on four core concerns: program expansion, new programs, S&T human resource development, and an accelerated Program for Capacity Building of Research and Development Institutions and Industrial Competitiveness.

Salceda said DoST will be guided over the next five years by the tagline “Science for the People” in its pursuit of R&D and S&T initiatives in 12 priority areas: • R&D to address pressing problems;

• R&D for productivity; • R&D to tap, manage and store Renewable Energy Resources; • R&D to apply new technologies across sectors; disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation; • maximized utilization of R&D results through technology transfer and/or commercialization; • accelerated R&D program for capacity building of R&D institutions; • assistance to production sector; • upgrading of facilities and improvement of S&T services; • Human Resource Development for S&T; • utilization of state universities

and colleges in the regions that do R&D and develop human resources in S&T, and; • collaboration with industry, academe and international institutions.

For a country to be industrialized, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recommends it should have 380 researchers, scientists and engineers or RSE per million population doing R&D studies, and one percent of GDP should be invested in R&D. Based on a DoST 2013 R&D survey, the Philippines has 270 RSEs per million population only, hence the need to increase the number by 110 in the coming years.

World IN BRIEF 2 Pakistanis to hang over murder SINGAPORE―Two Pakistani men face the gallows in Singapore after a court Friday found them guilty of murdering a compatriot over a gambling dispute and dismembering the body.

Street-side tissue sellers Rasheed Muhammad, 45, and Ramzan Rizwan, 28, were convicted of smothering fellow Pakistani Muhammad Noor to death in their lodging house in 2014, before hacking up the body with saws.

The 59-year-old victim’s torso and lower limbs were found stuffed in two separate luggage bags in the city-state.

Murder convictions in Singapore are punishable by death and carried out by hanging.

“As the photographs and evidence of the discarded limbs and torso show, both Rasheed and Ramzan acted in concert after the murder as they did before and during it,” High Court Judge Choo Han Teck said in his judgment.

Rasheed and Ramzan arrived in Singapore in May 2014, and sold packets of tissue paper for a living.

The dispute started after the pair sought to retrieve Sg$1,100 ($776) Ramzan had lost to the victim in a card game. AFP

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

Exiled Kim had no protector M

ACAU—Kim Jong-Nam’s modest life in Macau was a far cry from the opulence and power enjoyed by his half-brother, the supreme leader of North Korea, but he was still seen by Pyongyang as a dangerous pretender to the ruling family throne.

Cyclone kills 7 people in Mozambique MAPUTO―Cyclone Dineo killed seven people and affected 130,000 across southern Mozambique, according to a toll published late Thursday by the country’s natural disasters agency.

“More than 20,000 homes” were destroyed by “winds and very strong rain” and the search for survivors is ongoing, the National Institute of Disaster Management said in a statement.

Dineo’s impact was greatest in Inhambane, an area popular with tourists on Mozambique’s south east coast. It was struck by winds of more than 100 kilometers, torrential rain and rough seas.

Mozambique, one of the world’s poorest countries, is often battered by deadly flooding and storms.

In 2000, floods claimed at least 800 lives, and more than 100 were killed in 2015.

Scores have already died in the current rainy season, which began in October.

Dineo was downgraded to a tropical depression on Thursday and renamed “ex-Dineo. However, the South Africa Weather Service warned that it still posed the threat of heavy rainfall and flooding as it headed inland toward South Africa. AFP

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ONSTAGE. Honorary Co-Chairs Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks speak onstage during WCRF’s ‘An Unforgettable Evening’ presented

by Saks Fifth Avenue at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on February 16, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. AFP

No release of Kim’s body without DNA KUALA LUMPUR―The body of Kim Jong-Nam, the assassinated half-brother of North Korea’s leader, will not be released until his family have provided DNA samples, Malaysia said Friday, despite a request from Pyongyang.

Detectives in Kuala Lumpur are trying to get to the bottom of the cloak-anddagger murder that South Korea says was carried out by poison-wielding female agents working for their secretive northern neighbor.

Forensic specialists were Friday carrying out tests on samples from the dead man’s body to try to determine the toxin that was apparently sprayed in his face as he readied to board a plane earlier this week.

North Korean diplomats have objected to the post-mortem examination, Malaysian officials say, but Kuala Lumpur has stood firm, and said Friday

it would not release the body until procedures were complete.

“So far no family member or next of kin has come to identify or claim the body. We need a DNA sample of a family member to match the profile of the dead person,” Selangor state police chief Abdul Samah Mat told AFP. “North Korea has submitted a request to claim the body, but before we release the body we have to identify who the body belongs to,” he added.

DNA from a child, sibling—or even half-sibling—would be enough to provide a “kinship match” and confirm the identity, a Malaysian forensic investigator told AFP. Laboratory technicians working on blood and tissue samples from the autopsy would conduct tests “as soon as possible” to determine the cause of death, Dr

Cornelia Charito Siricord of the science ministry’s chemistry department told national news agency Bernama.

Police were meanwhile questioning two women—one traveling on a Vietnamese passport and the other on an Indonesian document—as well as a Malaysian man.

The drama erupted on Monday morning as Jong-Nam, the estranged elder brother of Kim Jong-Un, readied to board a plane to Macau.

Malaysian police say the chubby 45-year-old was jumped by two women who squirted some kind of liquid in his face.

Jong-Nam told staff he was suffering from a headache and was taken to the airport clinic grimacing in pain, according to Malaysian media citing CCTV footage from the airport. AFP

Friends in the Chinese gambling enclave spoke this week of a man who wined and dined in relative freedom, despite what Seoul’s spy chiefs say was a “standing order” for his execution, issued by Kim Jong-Un. His younger brother’s order was fulfilled this week, Seoul says, when Jong-Nam was murdered at an airport in Malaysia, the victim of poisonwielding female assassins sent by North Korea.

People who knew the elder Kim in Macau painted a picture of a man who often lived with little security and was not overly cautious.

“I think it was simply not in his character,” one friend told Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post, noting that Kim would stay in Macau and overseas without bodyguards.

“He had a relaxing life here. Obviously he felt he was protected by China,” the friend said.

“Macau suited his personality. He enjoyed life and the good things about it. Macau offered him security and also entertainment.”

“He was very cheerful and mingled easily,” the friend told the Post, adding Kim was involved in charity work for South Koreans.

A slightly drab apartment complex where Kim was believed to have lived was largely deserted when AFP visited this week.

Cantonese-speaking residents denied knowing a man who was educated in Europe and divided his time between Paris, China and the former Portuguese colony, and who moved freely around Asia.

His body on Friday lay in a Kuala Lumpur morgue, with Malaysian police saying they would not hand it over until a family member offered a DNA sample to positively identify it.

Kim, the first son of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, was at one time set to take the reins of power in the isolated state, groomed by his father for a third generation succession.

Exactly what changed his father’s mind is unclear, but a botched 2001 attempt to get into Japan on a fake passport—apparently to visit Disneyland—is commonly cited as the fatal blot on his copybook.

From exile he was a periodic commentator on North Korean affairs, quoted by Japanese journalist Yoji Gomi, who published a book about him in 2012, as claiming the regime would “collapse” without reform.

He had even dubbed the North’s hereditary succession a “laughing stock”, and told Gomi that Jong-Un would “not last” as leader.

In the deeply patriarchal North the first son is seen as the official heir of the family: founding father Kim Il-Sung passed the role to his first son Kim Jong-Il upon his death in 1994.

Kim Jong-Un’s status as merely the son of Kim Jong-Il’s third wife was seen as a taint on his credentials as leader, according to observers.

“The assassination, if confirmed done by the North, would be a sign of Kim Jong-Un’s paranoid personality,” Seoul lawmaker Kim Byung-Kee quoted the South’s spy chief as saying in a closeddoor briefing on Wednesday.

For Jun Byung-Kon, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, China could also have been a factor.

Beijing remains the impoverished North’s economic lifeline and sole diplomatic ally, although ties have soured following a series of nuclear and missile tests staged after Kim took the helm following the 2011 death of his father.

“Even after Kim Jong-Un took power, there was this atmosphere in China that the open-minded Kim Jong-Nam was far better suited as leader,” he said. AFP

Mother in church to avoid crackdown DENVER―Jeanette Vizguerra fled to the United States from Mexico with her family after her husband was kidnapped three times, once with a gun to his head.

Now, nearly 20 years later, she is seeking refuge again, this time in a church to avoid being deported as part of President Trump’s crackdown on immigrants living in the country illegally.

Vizguerra, 47, and her three young children, who are US citizens, are living in the basement of Denver’s First Unitarian Society Church, where she sought sanctuary late Tuesday, rightly suspecting that a stay of her deportation order would not be extended by a judge the following day.

It is uncommon for US authorities to enter places of worship, schools and hospitals to deport undocumented immigrants.

Vizguerra, who also has an older daughter, said she was prepared to stay in a makeshift bedroom at the church for as long as it takes -- even four years under Trump’s presidency -- so as not to be separated from her children.

“People on the outside think it’s hard, they say ‘how could you sacrifice so much’,” she told AFP. “But then when I look at my children, they’re healthy, they’re happy.

“I’m able to be here safely and hug them and they’re here alongside me. I’m willing to do whatever it takes. I’m willing to sacrifice what is necessary in order to be with my children.”

She and her kids live in a small room crowded with their belongings and two beds. The living space includes a kitchen and a playroom for her children, aged 12, 10 and six.

Last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested some 680 people across the United States as part of a crackdown by the new administration on the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. AFP

PROTEST. Supporters of India’s Congress Party scuffle with police personnel during a rally in Agartala, the capital of north-eastern state of Tripura, held to protest the Indian government’s recent demonetization program. AFP

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

World

Crackdown as Pakistan mourns 70 people killed SEHWAN, Pakistan―Pakistan launched a nationwide security crackdown Friday, officials said, after a bomb ripped through a crowded Sufi shrine killing at least 70 people including 20 children and wounding hundreds.

Police had cordoned off the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, a 13th century Muslim saint, early Friday as forensic investigators reached the town of Sehwan in Sindh province, some 200 kilometers northeast of the financial hub Karachi.

The centuries-old shrine’s white floor was still smeared with blood, with scattered debris including shoes, shawls, and baby bottles. At least 20 children are believed to be among the dead, the head of Sehwan’s medical facility Moeen Uddin Siddiqui said.

At 3.30 am the shrine’s caretaker stood among the carnage and defiantly rang its bell, a daily ritual that he vowed to continue, telling AFP he will “not bow down to terrorists”.

The Islamic State group (IS) has claimed the attack, which came after a series of bloody extremist assaults this week, including a powerful Taliban suicide bomb in the eastern city of Lahore which killed 13 people and wounded dozens.

The attacks have dented growing optimism in security after Pakistan’s decadelong war on militancy.

Military spokesman Asif Ghafoor said the attacks had been carried out from sanctuaries in Afghanistan and that Kabul had been asked to take action.

He also said the military had “closed” the porous border between the two countries, where Kabul and Islamabad have long accused each other of harbouring extremists.

“Scores of suspects have been arrested from different cities” in a predawn crackdown, a government official speaking anonymously told AFP. AFP

Samsung heir held in corruption investigation SEOUL―Prosecutors on Friday arrested the de facto head of South Korea’s largest conglomerate, Samsung, on bribery and other charges related to a political corruption scandal that triggered the impeachment of President Park Geun-Hye. In a fresh blow to the electronics giant’s corporate image, a district court cited new evidence in approving the arrest warrant against vice-chairman Lee Jae-Yong, who oversees the family-run conglomerate in the absence of his ailing father.

Among other allegations, Lee is accused of paying nearly $40 million in bribes to a confidante of President Park’s to secure policy favors.

“It is acknowledged that it is necessary to arrest (Lee Jae-Yong) in light of a newly added criminal charge and new evidence,” a court spokesman said in a statement.

Shares of many Samsung units took a hit on the Seoul stock market following the news, with the group’s flagship Samsung Electronics sliding 0.4 percent.

Its de-facto holdings firm, Samsung C&T, dropped two percent and another key unit, Samsung Life Insurance, fell 1.4 percent.

“We will do our best to ensure that the truth is revealed in future court proceedings,” the group said in a statement.

Lee was already being held at a detention center after appearing in court Thursday as judges deliberated whether to issue an arrest warrant. He will remain in custody as he awaits a trial likely to begin within a few months.

Prosecutors said they planned to summon him Saturday for further questioning, raising the prospect of Lee appearing in public in handcuffs—a rare sight in the nation dubbed the “Republic of Samsung” due to the group’s huge lobbying power.

Lee, the son of Samsung group boss Lee Kun-Hee, has been quizzed several times over his alleged role in the scandal. AFP

MEETING OVER SYRIA. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, right, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, second right, and other diplomats listen to German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, third from left, speaking during a meeting on Syria at the World Conference Center in Bonn, western Germany. AFP

Trump: No Russia contacts W ASHINGTON―President Donald Trump insisted Thursday that neither he nor his campaign team had contacts with Russian officials in the run-up to last year’s US election, contradicting an explosive report which he blasted as “fake news.”

Trump also defended Michael Flynn, the national security advisor whose resignation he demanded and received this week, saying Flynn “wasn’t wrong” for holding pre-inauguration phone calls with the Russian ambassador about US sanctions policy.

Instead, Trump accused members of US intelligence agencies of breaking the law by leaking information about the calls.

The new president, in the midst of a turbulent week of back-and-forth accusations about contacts with Russia and his battle with the intelligence community, addressed the concerns during an extraordinary White House press conference.

Asked whether he or anyone on his staff had engaged in contacts with Russia prior to the election, Trump proclaimed: “No, nobody that I know of.”

“I have nothing to do with Russia,” Trump said. “The whole Russia thing is a ruse.”

It was a full-throated denunciation of a bombshell report by the New York Times which said intercepted calls and phone records show Trump aides were in repeated contact with Russian intelligence officials well before the US elections.

“It’s all fake news,” Trump said, unleashing verbal assaults on the media.

Trump stressed that the Times story centered instead on inappropriate action by US intelligence agencies, as he stepped up earlier Thursday attacks in which he vowed to catch “lowlife leakers” of potentially classified information that led to the ouster of his national security advisor.

“Those are criminal leaks” by people angry about Democrat Hillary Clinton’s loss, he told reporters, as he revealed he has asked the Justice Department to investigate the disclosures.

“The people that gave out the information to the press should be ashamed of themselves.”

The Washington Post meanwhile reported that current and former US officials said Flynn denied to FBI agents that he had discussed US sanctions on Russia with Moscow’s ambassador.

Should it turn out that he discussed the sanctions, as Trump appears to believe he did, Flynn could be in legal jeopardy because lying to the FBI is a felony.

“What he did wasn’t wrong,” Trump stressed.

“I didn’t direct him” to discuss sanctions with Russia’s envoy, Trump added. “But I would have directed him because that’s his job” to talk with foreign contacts. AFP

LAUNCHING. Nina Agdal attends the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2017 Launch Event-Outside Arrivals, at the Center 415 Event Space in New York City. AFP

Scared children starve in Colombia’s ‘peace’ PIE DE PATO, Colombia―The cries of hungry babies pierce the quiet of dawn in the green jungles of northwestern Colombia.

For thousands of indigenous families displaced by war, recent peace efforts have brought no relief.

Sordid fighting over drugs and land continues. Terrified locals are starving to death.

“There is no food here,” says

John Hamilton Sagugara, a school teacher in Tasi, one of a grouping of local indigenous communities.

“Many people have diarrhea, vomiting and fever.”

With the youngest of her seven children clinging to her breast, Mariluz Dari confirms it.

Her baby has been sick for the past three weeks.

Naked children with bellies swol-

len by hunger roam the mud streets between the wooden houses.

Local authorities say two children died here last year from gastric and respiratory conditions caused by malnutrition.

Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for reaching an accord with the leftist FARC rebels to end five decades of conflict.

His government has also launched peace talks with the country’s last remaining rebel group, the leftist National Liberation Army (ELN).

But local officials here say that the ELN is still fighting against right-wing paramilitary groups -remnants of a long, many-sided conflict.

“There is a really strong presence of ELN here,” says Dayro

Palacios, an administrator in Pie de Pato, municipal capital of the surrounding district.

“They are seeking control of the drug-trafficking and that means they are constantly fighting for territory.”

The violence forced hundreds of people to abandon their homes near the Upper Baudo river in 2014 and resettled in other nearby communities. AFP

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

D1

Life TRAVEL AND LEISURE

Young Isabelanos from 15 cities and municipalities showcased their talent during the festival’s Street Dance Competition and Dance Showdown

The Queen Province

celebrates the scarecrow Text and photos: Bernadette Lunas

“I

HOPE when we get back to (our municipality) Alicia, we would see a ‘Congratulations’ banner saying we are an overall grand winner again,” Kuya Roy, an Isabela native, said in the vernacular.

Isabela’s festival pays homage to the crop protector, scarecrow or bambanti (in Ilocano).

Giant bambantis in various forms and faces were displayed at the Bambanti Village to represent Isabelanos’ resilience.

Kuya Roy was our amiable bus driver and operator when we visited Isabela during the Bambanti Festival in January. He wasn’t only saying it to make small talk as he helped carry our bags, rather he was saying it out of pride for his hometown; he even offered to take us there for a quick tour should we come back to the province.

If there were two things for which Filipinos are known, it’s our sense of community pride— which grows into a national one—and our ability to bounce back from all forms of adversity.

These two exceptional traits are the backbone of Isabela’s festival and the province.

Unbeknownst to many, the northeastern Luzon province celebrates its festival annually to showcase (and give thanks for) their bountiful harvest. And bountiful, indeed, as Isabela—an agricultural gem with vast fertile stretches of lands and hardworking residents—maintains its position as top corn producer and second biggest rice producer in the country.

“They (Governor Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy and Congressman Rodito Albano) have developed this festivity to give thanks to God. Amidst all trials and tribulations and problems Isabela has been wrought, we still give thanks for the bountiful things that we can offer from the province,” shared Isabela Vice Governor Antonio ‘Tonypet’ Albano.

For its festival, the Queen Province of the Philippines owes its gratitude to the protector of its crops:

Isabela boasts of various delicacies, such as (from left) inabraw, Roselle products and Pancit Cabagan

the scarecrow or bambanti in Ilocano, hence the scary figure serves as the face of festivities.

“The main role of a scarecrow is to ward off birds that may eat the harvest. We took it a little bit further, as we saw that the bambanti is like Christ, with its arms spread left and right, protecting the land,” explained Albano. “Here in Isabela we want to show that our figure is strong, resilient; that we will be able to rise above whatever tragedies we have.”

Standing strong, in the middle of a field, bambanti also serves as a symbol of hope, according to the vice governor. In October last year, for instance, the northern towns of Isabela were hit by category 5 typhoon Lawin, which resulted in P4.6-billion worth of losses.”

As proof of its resilience, Albano enthused, “Three months after (the calamity), we are proud to showcase Isabela as a province that has already rebounded itself.”

Although we weren’t able to confirm whether the effects of the typhoon have been truly erased, the Isabelanos who participated in the 2017 Bambanti festival proved that they really are a strong and resilient lot—not to mention creative and talented.

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The agri-tourism booths are made of eco-friendly materials and showcased each city and municipality’s products

The Miss Universe fever reached Bambanti Festival with this bambanti fashioned after the image of Pia Wurtzbach

Thirty four cities and municipalities battled it out in the major competitions of the festival that included, Bambanti Booth, Bambanti Scarecrow, Street dance Competition, Dance Showdown, Festival King and Queen, and Bboy Dance Showdown.

During the festival, the provincial capitol in Ilagan City was transformed into a Bambanti Village, where dozens of large bambantis, in various forms and faces (beauty queens, robots and farm animals), towered over small, ecofriendly cottages of each participating cities and municipalities where they presented and sold their products and hometown attractions.

Apart from corn and rice, there were mungbeans, calamansi, noodles, chips, products made from roselle flower, carabao milk and a variety of fruits and vegetables, among others.

San Agustin took home the grand prize in Best Agri-tourism Booth, while Roxas’s bambanti won the top spot in Best Giant Bambanti Icon competition.

“In each of the cottages, which are created using ecological type of materials, you will be able to buy the unique products they sell. This is our way of helping the industries in each municipality promote their products,” said Albano.

It also serves, Albano said, as a way of telling the world that people can do business in Isabela. Something that the festival has been successful in doing since its relaunch, as investments paved the way for the growth of the province’s industrial farming and renewable power production industries.

Meanwhile, the talent of young Isabelanos was showcased in the grand street dance presentation and dance showdown. Their choreographed performances, paired with their colorful props and costumes, were a visual feast to the audience, as both locals and tourists cheered for their hometown bets.

The contingent from Quirino bested the other 14 participants in Street Dance, while Alicia won first place in Dance Showdown.

The Festival King and Queen were both from Roxas, while the hip hop dancers from Santiago were awarded the Best Hip Hop Bboy Dance Crew.

Bambanti festival is relatively young and unpopular; in fact the local government continuously works hard in promoting it in the country and abroad. But if there is one thing the recent festivities have proven—with its impressive production quality, variety of activities, and peace and order—it’s that this festival for the scarecrow has the potential to trump those older and more popular Philippine festivals.

It even has the seal of approval from Aliwan Festival, which recognized it as the Best Festival Practice in 2015 and 2016.

As for Kuya Roy, he probably had a smile on his face upon arriving home, as Alicia took the fourth spot in Overall Grand Winners along with Luna (5th), Cauayan (3rd), Quirino (2nd) and Roxas (1st).

Life

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

Pushing for sustainable tourism MERCURY RISING

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO

I

N CELEBRATION of UN World Tourism Organization’s International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the Automobile Association Philippines, in cooperation with the Local Government of Quezon City and the Department of Tourism, hosted the first-ever Metro Manila Tourism Forum.

With the theme, “ASEAN: Enhancing City Tourism Destinations Towards Sustainable Development,” the event was a gathering of government officials, tourism officers, hotel officers, travel agents, tour operators, transport groups, officers from the academe, real estate developers, event organizers and many other stakeholders of our country’s Tourism industry.

The forum was designed to promote and enhance awareness of the latest global trends, statistics and master plans through discussions and interaction on current issues by a sterling line-up of speakers who are all outstanding practitioners in their respective fields of endeavor.

The Welcome Remarks of Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista and the Keynote Address of Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo were followed by the first Plenary Session, which discussed “Changing the Tourism Face of City Destinations for a Quality Visitor Experience.” The illustrious speakers who shared their expertise on this subject were: Imtiaz Muqbil of Travel Impact Newswire, Antonio Manila of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Oscar David Albayalde of the Philippine National Police-NCR, and Donald Patrick Lim of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation.

The second Plenary Session tackled “Enhancing City Tourism Destinations’ Competitiveness Through Improved Accessibility” and had Steve Wolstenhome of Okada Manila, Raul Ignacio of Manila North Tollways Corporation, Jose Perez de Tagle of Philippine Airlines and Maria Corazon Jorda-Apo of the Department of Tourism.

I was the moderator for the third Plenary Session, which discussed “Positioning City Tourism Destinations in the ASEAN and Local Marketplace.”

The first Metro Manila Tourism Forum gathered tourism industry stakeholders, such as (from left) Homestay Holidays President Rose Libongco, Bond Asian Ventures Chairman Gregory Duffell, the author, Department of Tourism officer Marissa Victoria Claustro and TravPax Solutions President Dror Maytal

The author with Oakwood Premier Director of Sales Jose Miguel Zozobrado and Director of Sales and Marketing Laurie Cardeno

Gregory Duffel of Bond Asian Ventures was the Keynote Speaker. He enumerated factors needed in a successful Tourism Campaign: positioning the destination, accessibility, capacity and perception of the product, emphasizing to everyone that “It’s not what you do to the product, it’s what you do to the mind of the potential customer.”

And how is a Brand strengthened?

Duffel lists these conduits: emotional, through feelings and pleasant experience; visual, through entertainment; gustatory, through culinary specialties or even street food; and digital access, meaning, connectivity. He says these complete the information that people have of the brand as these humanize and elicit beautiful sto-

ries, which will win them over because to be overtaken by the fast-paced need “Facts tell, but stories sell.” for travel information required by world Marissa Victoria Claustro, Tourism travelers these days. And, a city must alOperations Officer of the Department ways provide good connectivity so that its of Tourism discussed their National Ac- residents and visitors can easily have accommodations Standards that are now cess to any type of information anytime. in place—rating hotels, resorts, and There were many other interesting other specialized accommodations with discussions that highlighted the multi1 to 5 stars. She also shared the good dimensional facets of Sustainable Tournews that many of our de luxe hotels ism, which is the Industry’s buzzword have adopted the ASEAN Green Ho- these days. It certainly is a timely topic to tel Standards which put value on envi- “chew” on, by those of us in the industry. ronment policy, use of green products, And I hasten to add that kudos should collaboration with the community, hu- go to Former Tourism Secretary Mina man resource development, solid waste Gabor, who put this forum together. Her management, energy efficiency, waste energy is enviable. Aside from organizwater, air quality, noise pollution, and ing landmark events such as this, she has toxic chemical substances. also put up the International School of SusRose Libongco, president of Home- tainable Tourism in Subic, which not only stay Holidays and teaches students marketing veteran the standards of international of professional YOUR SATURDAY hotel chains, discompetence, but CHUCKLE cussed Tourism also provides Marketing for them opportuniMoney can’t buy happiness, but it’s Cities with these ties to network more comfortable to cry in a Ferrari key elements: best with people in than on a bicycle. features, attracthe international tions, history, culTourism Industry ture, and unique Certainly a offerings. These produce bountiful re- jewel, Mina has been keeping our indussults, mainly, economics and pride of try’s fire burning, so to speak, always place. She also specified the importance seeing to it that we are familiar with the of a good Marketing Plan which should latest global Tourism trends and are at be based on a well-crafted SWOT par with our neighbors in the ASEAN (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, community. Her tireless efforts are inThreats) Analysis. fectious as they make us go the distance The Chief Executive Officer and in pushing for the continuous growth of Founder of TravPax Solutions, Dror our industry.

Maytal, discussed a most relevant topic She definitely is the “wind beneath our of this day and age—connectivity. His wings,” as we continue to push for the suc27 years of experience in online travel cess of Sustainable Tourism in our country. system business development has convinced him that going online is mandaFor feedback, I’m at tory for travel agents, if they do not want bobzozobrado@gmail.com

CebPac’s new Philippine Sports Tourism Awards winners Visayas routes out of Cebu

FROM food to scenic spots, to its lovely and friendly people, the Visayas region has so many undiscovered treasures just waiting to be shared with the rest of the world.

The Philippines’ leading airline, Cebu Pacific, changes this by introducing three new routes to Eastern and Western Visayas to connect Cebu—the Queen City of the South—to Leyte, Samar and Panay Island.

Cebu Pacific will have daily flights between Cebu and Ormoc and Cebu and Roxas, and four times weekly (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday) between Cebu and Calbayog using ATR 72-500 aircrafts.

With the lowest all-in year-round fare, Cebu Pacific one-way flights from Cebu to Calbayog is priced at P1,927, Cebu to Ormoc at P1,591 and Cebu to Roxas at P1,983.

Aside from Cebu, the airline also operates flights out of five other strategically-placed hubs in the Philippines: Manila, Davao, Clark, Kalibo and Iloilo.

Cebu Pacific’s extensive network covers over 90 routes and 64 destinations, spanning Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and the United States.

Cebu Pacific’s 58-strong fleet is comprised of six Airbus A319, 36 Airbus A320, six Airbus A330, eight ATR 72-500, and two ATR 72-600 aircraft. Between 2016 and 2021, CEB expects delivery of two more brand new Airbus A330, 32 Airbus A321neo, and 14 ATR 72-600 aircraft.

For bookings and inquiries, guests can visit cebupacificair.com or call the reservation hotlines (+632)7020-888 or (+6332)230-8888. The latest seat sales can be found on Cebu Pacific’s official Twitter (@CebuPacificAir) and Facebook pages.

Guests may also download the Cebu Pacific official mobile app on the App Store and Google Play.

THE search for the best sports tourism efforts in the country has culminated with the first-ever Philippine Sports Tourism Awards.

Held at Resorts World Manila, the Awards recognized events, destinations, local government units, national sports associations, private companies, and event organizers who have contributed to the growth of the local sports tourism industry.

Organized by the Philippine Sports Commission, Department of Tourism (DoT), Tourism Promotions Board Philippines, and Selrahco Management, the Awards attracted hundreds of nominations from across the country but only nine programs were distinguished for their efforts to develop and promote the Philippines as a sports tourism destination.

Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga was named the Sports Tourism Destination of the Year for hosting various sports tourism events, including racing competitions, car shows, Frisbee games, and the widely attended Philippine Hot Air Balloon Fiesta that welcomes around 112,000 local and foreign visitors yearly.

The Municipality of Lubao and Sunrise Events, Inc. also took home individual trophies as Organizer of the Year in the public and private sector categories, respectively.

Both winners have held events that boosted local sports tourism as a viable industry in the Philippines.

Cebu’s Tabuelan 111 won in the Event of the Year-Domestic category, for its successful tri-event races held in celebration of the town’s fiesta. Ironman 70.3 Philippines, meanwhile, took home the award in the Event of the Year - international events category.

The Philippine Inter-Island Sailing Federation, which popularized boat races in the country, was named Sport Association of the Year. Ironman 70.3’s campaign to make Cebu a global sports tourism destination won the

Winners of the first Philippine Sports Tourism Awards (front row) with the panel of judges

Destination Marketing of the Year award.

The Philippine Rugby Football Union and Hong Kong-based civic group Pot Bellied Pigs Rugby Club’s Fat Boys 10s Rugby was hailed Charity Event of the Year 2015 for delivering medical assistance to 1000 kids annually through funds generated from annual golf and rugby tournaments.

Resorts World Manila Golf Masters, which catered to the event broadcasted to over 200 countries, took home the Event Sponsorship Award of the Year 2015. This professional golf tour is touted as the richest tournament in the Philippines, with a $1-million prize money.

The awardees were selected by a panel of judges, which included, Philippine Olympic Committee Board Member and Chairman for Women in Sports Cynthia Carrion–Norton, Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez, DoT Undersecretary Benito Bengzon, Strategic Works, Inc. director for Public Relations Mark Parlade, and Charles Lim of Selrahco Management.

The first of its kind in the ASEAN region, the Philippine Sports Tourism Awards is made possible with the support of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, Cebu Pacific, and Resorts World Manila.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

AlDub now on prime time TV

JEAN GARCIA

in Wagas’ anniversary episode

UNCONVENTIONAL FAMILY. Jean Garcia and Neil Ryan Sese play parents to children with birth defect in "Wagas"

F

OR the first time, Kapuso actress Jean Garcia graces Wagas for the first time as she stars in the second installment of the show’s 4th Anniversary Specials, playing a mother to three kids with Microcephaly.

A scene from the weekly drama anthology which is part of the program's 4th Anniversary Special

In Nueva Ecija, it is said that the Padua family has a secret. Three of the five children in the household are different. These kids are mocked because they look like monkeys – the shape of their faces, the way they talk and the way they express their emotions. Some people say that what happened to these children was a curse, although in reality, the children had a condition called Microcephaly.

Raising a family was not easy for Krising (Jean) and Bibot (Neil Ryan Sese) whose life has always been

hand to mouth. It was also difficult for them to protect their children from the ridicule of other people.

Krising’s world almost fell apart when Bibot had a stroke, leaving her alone to look after the children.

In God’s will though, they were able to go beyond other people’s judgment, facing life’s hurdles head on. What is important for them is that they are together as one family.

This is the second episode of Wagas’ 4th Anniversary Specials that shows a mother’s love for her family today on GMA News TV.

Zamboanga beauty wins Mrs. Grandma Universe 2017 FILIPINO grandmothers are not to be left behind in beauty competitions. Mrs. Grandma-Philippines Agnes Jakosalem was crowned Mrs. Grandma-Universe 2017 in Sofia, Bulgaria on Jan. 22 by the outgoing Mrs. Grandma Universe 2016 Cveteslava Gulabova of Bulgaria.

Jakosalem, a 51-year-old, mother of three children and a grandmother to a granddaughter, bested 15 grandma representatives from other countries around the world to become the first Filipina to win the Mrs. GrandmaUniverse title.

Jakosalem followed last year’s Babylyn Decena-Newfield who was named Mrs. Grandma-Universal 2016.

‘I cannot believe I won. This is the first time in my life that I competed in a beauty

THERE may be hundreds of horror movies made, but no one will beat one of the most frightening movies of all time, The Exorcist. The iconic 1973 horror film directed by William Friedkin has scared generations for its disturbing story about demonic possessions with levitating body, creepy voice changing and 360-degree head rotation.

Now, Thrill Asia’s only regional horror, thriller and suspense movie channel, is ready to scare the wits ouf of this new generation.

Thrill brings to the small screen the original The Exorcist film. More than that, it also announced the release of The Exorcist TV series.

After four decades, the ultimate horror classic is making a comeback in a new format that will be equally, if not more, intense than the movie.

The series will be based on the bestselling novel written by William Peter Blatty, who recently passed away. The

contest,” the BS MedTech graduate at Southwestern University, now into real estate business in Cebu, said after winning the eight edition of the Mrs. Grandma Universe pageant. With no experience as a contestant, Jakosalem relied solely on her confidence and pride in being a Filipino and the solid support of encouragement from her nephews and children.

Jakosalem and the other candidates competed in talent and evening gown and in an essay-writing on the theme about grandparenting, instead of the traditional question-and-answer round.

Jakosalem, a native of Zamboang del Norte, said she based her answer on the joys of co-parenting her only one granddaughter.

Words and photos by Eton Concepcion

Reigning Mrs. Grandma Universe Agnes Jakosalem flanked by beauty queens Riza Caldosa and Babylyn Decena-Newfield

The return of ‘The Exorcist’

Cable channel Trill brings the iconic horror film directed by William Friedkin to the small screen

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, February 18, 2017

ACROSS 1 To-do 5 Dazed, with “out” 10 Argue for 14 Elephant owner, maybe 15 Boxer — Griffith 16 Oprah’s middle name 17 FitzGerald’s poet 18 Cords of firewood 19 Sothern and Blyth 20 Further 22 Ouzo flavor 23 Untruths 24 Ward off 26 Ends of a loaf 28 Ready to mail 32 Sent via phone 33 High-grade coffee 34 Before now 35 Cosmetic target 36 Relish 37 Vaccines 38 DDE 39 Empowers 40 Copier powder 41 Rain drains 43 Soup alternative 44 Upper limbs 45 It may jackknife 46 Slope-backed

scavenger Daybed pillow Spore producer Watered silk Porter and stout Ark. neighbor Standish standin 59 Hockey venue 60 Official imprint 61 “The Body” Ventura 62 Sherpa’s sighting DOWN 1 Back again 2 Source of light 3 Barely open 4 Early releases?

5 Nulls 6 Drops 7 Amiable 8 Wapiti 9 Some, to Yves 10 Kenya neighbor 11 Sari sporter 12 Processes cotton 13 Failing that 21 Neither hot nor cold 22 “Diana” singer 24 Things known 25 Mountain refrain 26 Zen poem 27 Remove from 49 52 53 55 57 58

school 28 Keeps informed 29 — Davis of “The Fly” 30 Miscalculated 31 Diary opener 32 Cannes cop 33 Necessities 36 Wheat — 37 Remote 39 Norm’s wife on “Cheers” 40 Jaunty caps 42 Barbarian 43 Moon goddess

45 Tender spots 46 MD employers 47 Pair of oxen 48 “Mack the Knife” singer 49 Competes at auction 50 Nadelman or Ducommun 51 Monthly expense 53 Capt.’s superior 54 Yea, to a matador 56 Hit the slopes

brilliant novelist and filmmaker will surely be remembered for his contribution to the horror film industry and without a doubt, his legacy will live on. And to keep his memory alive, viewers of the series can expect that that the show will bring the chills his novels and films have been known for. Whether you’re a fan of the original film or a newbie to the horror genre, this series is a must-watch for all Thrill seekers.

The suspense-filled series stars Alfonso Herrera, Ben Daniels, Hannah Kasulka, and Geena Davis. You can catch the premiere of The Exorcist on Thrill premiered on Thursday.

Thrill is available on (Skycable Ch. 107, Cablelink Ch. 201, Destiny Cable Ch. 11 and Cignal Ch. 51).

For more information, you can log on to www.thrill-tv.com or www. facebook.com/WatchThrill.

FINALLY, Aldub fans and supporters will have the chance to watch Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza in a soap opera.

The two will try to put their emotions to the “new” characters they describe as “ many can relate (to) and very real.”

“This is really our gift to them. More than anything else, it’s to entertain and make these supporters and fans happy kaya po ginawa namin ito,” said the very good looking Alden in a well-attended press con for Destined To Be Yours.

The show’s main subject is the power of destiny as love will prevail against all the obstacles lovers face.

GMA 7 executives admit that it took a while for this phenomenal love team to be given a teleserye “because we waited for this kind of material and timing. Hinog na hinog na sila kaya mas maganda at masarap nang panoorin.”

Their co-stars could only agree. Janice de Belen who plays mother to Maine simply said, “Nakakatuwa silang tingnan. Very sweet.” Boots Anson-Roa who worked with almost all the love teams in showbiz added, “Theirs is exceptional.

Mararamdaman mo talaga yung maganda nilang foundation and it translates to something magical on screen. Masarap silang katrabaho.”

Destined To be Yours is expected to be among GMA 7’s best projects in years, if not the best as the said prized-love team is still very much in demand and among the most-sought after faces on TV. **** Asked if she believes in ‘destiny,” Maine answered, “I will be lying to you if it didn’t occur to me if Alden is my destiny. Had it not (been) for him, I (sic) will not be here in showbiz. I could not enjoy this. Madalas ko po talagang tinatanong kung siya nga kaya ang nakatadhana for me.”

To which Alden retorted, “The same with me po. There are times that I also ask myself kung paano nga kung si Maine pala ang destiny ko? No one can ever tell. Basta kami po, in work man or outside our work, we see to it that our friendship and special bonding (sic) is there. The more that we work together and see each other, the more that we discover things about us. And that is a good thing po kasi mas nagiging totoo kami sa isa’t-isa.”

So, Aldub fans, shall we then see more real happenings in the set as their work goes on? Or will their characters in Destined To Be Yours soon to be their real selves?

We will all see when the teleserye begins on Feb. 27 after Encantadia on the Kapuso network’s Telebabad. **** Hmmmm, a dear “ambusher” (read: spy, DPA, etc) related to us that this relatively new lady TV host who was once linked to another male TV host and actor, is the current apple of the eye of this top network executive?

Same source gushed that this network’s insiders had been long asking about the possible “backer” of this lady TV host whose rise to main “hosting” is as fast as a basketball going on three points.

Their eyebrows indeed were raised up to the roof because according to the same source, “She came from nowhere and she literally had bumped off and boxed out other ladies-in-waiting in that department.

Kung hindi makapangyarihan o influential ang backer niyan, eh kakwestyun-kuwestyun ang talent, dahil waley!”

“Mabilis umasenso. Mainstream TV hosting agad. Parang hindi man lang dumaan sa kagayang mga training o experiences na pinagdaanan ng mga mas nauna sa kanya. And yes, nakakaloka siya dahil she is so flat. Halatang walang experience sa TV hosting,” observed our source.

The last clue given to us in a question manner was this: “Have you seen her mainstream baptism of fire on TV hosting? She could not even pronounce the words correctly and she obviously was just relying on her beauty (?) and maarteng pagsasalita, when she was given this task of being a host to a segment that talks about the future of this country.”

Shoot!!!

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

From left: HOOQ executives Sheila Paul, Jeff Remigio, "Mano Po" lead stars Jean Gracia and Richard Yap, and HOOQ Country Manager Jane Cruz-Walker

Solenn Heussaff

More Pinoy content on HOOQ Hangouts is the biggest free outdoor cinema event featuring contests exclusively available on the leading video on demand service provider

L

EADING video on demand service HOOQ strives to further extend its leadership this year as it strengthens its partnerships with local production companies to deliver more local content first and exclusive to its subscribers.

Recently, it revealed it would be adding hundreds of local movies and TV series from ABSCBN, Regal, Viva, GMA as well as from independent film makers this year.

“We are very happy to announce that we are going to have titles from Regal and VIVA released in 2016 first and exclusive,” Jane Cruz-Walker, country manager

of HOOQ Philippines told Manila Standard at the latest HOOQ Hangouts held last week at the Globe Iconic Store in BGC. “We will also be adding a lot of the latest TV shows to our catalog, and of course we are very excited to release the very first series exclusively produced for VOD-Erik Matti’s On The J o b : T h e

HOOQ

Missing 8.”

OTJ the series is co-produced

by Reality Entertainment and Globe Live, and stars Bela Padilla, Christopher De Leon, Arjo Atayde, Teroy Guzman, Leo Martinez and an ensemble cast.

To give subscribers a taste of what they can expect this year, HOOQ welcomed the arrival of the Year of the Fire Rooster with a free screening of Mano Po 7: Chinoy.

Richard Yap and Jean Garcia made a surprise appearance to hangout with HOOQ fans and enjoy the outdoor screening event.

“We chose Mano Po 7 for this month’s HOOQ Hangouts not only to celebrate the Chinese New Year but also to emphasize that HOOQ will be the first to have the newest local movies after their theatrical run,” says Cruz-Walker.

Released just a week before the Metro Manila Film Festival, Mano Po 7: Chinoy features a starstudded ensemble cast led by Yap, Jessy Mendiola, Enchong Dee and Jake Cuenca.

It also stars, apart from Garcia, Eric Quizon, Kean Cipriano, Janella Salvador and Marlo Mortel. The film is fresh from it’s theatrical release in December last year.

HOOQ Hangouts, presented by Globe Live in cooperation with Samsung, is a series of outdoor screening events that showcases HOOQ’s vast library of carefully curated content.

HOOQ subscribers can now enjoy over 1,200 Filipino movies spanning almost five decades of film making, and over 4,000 hours of local television leaving other video-in-demand services way behind in terms of Filipino content.

In addition, viewers can also watch catch up episodes of the latest GMA 7 TV series including Alyas Robinhood, Someone To Watch Over Me, Meant To Be, Ika-Anim na Utos and more in the coming months.

As an added treat to its subscribers, HOOQ is holding the #HOOQTimeAnytime Hong Kong Getaway Promo.

All they have to do is take a photo of their best and most creative HOOQ moments and post them on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram. Tag HOOQ’s official accounts and use the #HOOQTimeAnytime hashtag.

Every Monday, HOOQ will choose the most deserving entries to win some awesome prizes and for the grand raffle draw the lucky winner will win a trip for 4 to Hong Kong Disneyland inclusive of a two-day pass to HK Disneyland

ISAH V. RED

including airfare, pocket money and accommodations! The Grand Prize will be picked via draw lots.

This promo is open to all active HOOQ subscribers (free and paid) who have availed of the service direct from the website or the app (standalone).

For complete details of the promo mechanics check out https://www.facebook.com/notes/ hooq/hooqtimeanytime-promomechanics HOOQ has over 10,000 movies and TV shows available for streaming or download. Globe At Home customers can get up to 6 months access to HOOQ with plans P1,299 and up, while Globe mobile customers can also get up to 6 months trial on selected prepaid and postpaid plans. You may also visit www.hooq.tv to sign up for a 7-day free trial. *** Saturday nights are bound to get outrageously and hilariously better as GMA Network launches its newest comedy-musical show, Full House Tonight, with Regine Velasquez-Alcasid who said she is ecstatic to host a comedymusical show, more so because she is performing and singing on the small screen again.

“I’m of course very excited and very thankful that GMA has given me this kind of show kasi medyo na miss ko na yung variety show.

At least dito kumakanta ako ulit, hindi lang yun, nagko-comedy rin, ‘tsaka binibigyan din naman ako ng freedom to choose the songs,” the multi-awarded artist happily shared.

This features a twist in the usual comedy show with onstage musical performances from guests, riotous stand-up comedy, improvisation, parodies, and sketches inside and outside the studio that will surely give Kapuso viewers a different kind of entertainment experience.

“It’s actually harder to make people laugh than to make them cry, so medyo may kaba kaming lahat pero it’s mostly exciting for all of us,” Regine adds. “But I’m sure the viewers will love it and have fun watching every episode.”

Adding flavor to the program are Kapuso stars Solenn Heussaff and teen idols Bianca Umali and Miguel Tanfelix, together with versatile artist Joross Gamboa.

A host of other comedians, mostly cross-dressing males, are also in the show.

Full House Tonight premieres after Magpakailanman tonight. *** What happens when you put

a fashion muse and a certified heartthrob to host a reality TV show that rewards hard-working Filipinos with a much-deserved break from their job?

Expect Saturdays to be both exciting and fun as Philippine Fashion Muse Janine Gutierrez and Kapuso actor Ken Chan host GMA News TV’s Day Off. Janine cannot help but be enthusiastic about her new project.

“I’m super happy to be one of the new hosts of Day Off! I’ve always been a fan of the show and I got excited every time they’d ask me to be a guest. Each episode is a new and exciting experience,” she says.

“In the few episodes I’ve done, I’ve met so many amazing, hardworking Filipinos and I learned so much from them.”

Hosting Day Off, meanwhile, is a dream some true for Ken. “I’m so-happy, not-just me. My family is also happy for me. As a child I have always enjoyed talking,” shares Ken. “That is why Day Off is a perfect outlet for my dream to be a host. It’s a great feeling to be trusted with such a task. I’m so blessed and thankful that I’m part of Day Off now,” he adds.

Don’t miss Day Off with new hosts Janine Gutierrez and Ken Chan every week 6:15 p.m. today and every Saturday on GMA News TV. *** The World of Gandang Ricky Reyes (TWGRR) shares the adventures of a couple that made their wedding possible against all odds. Witness the adventures and misadventures of Elsa and Chester Udsig as they fought for their happy ending.

For the so-called millennials into food parks and mobile food photography, TWGRR went to a unique food hub that gives a Lordof-the-Rings vibe plus a tutorial on how to take artistic mobile food photography.

And for all the busy moms, host Ricky Reyes together with Dr. Rene Valerio introduce new ways on how to look young and fresh all over again, a makeover to a new you.

Rediscover the Golden Sunset Resort at Calatagan Batangas perfect for unwinding and relaxation for everyone, where good food and entertainment unite.

Experience The Twist curls for naturally straight hair; try Regold for kinky hairs, SoftWave for dull hair and natural wigs for hair loss and the newest ‘Cryo Hair Treatment’ in all Gandang Ricky Reyes Salons.

Enroll at Ricky Reyes Learning Institute (RRLI) with branches in Manila, Cubao, Anonas and Fairview and be your own boss.

Tune in to The World of Gandang Ricky Reyes, 9-10 a.m. on GMA News TV today.

Joross Gamboa

Regine Velasquez host comedymusical show "Full House Tonight"

TV host and beauty guru Ricky Reyes