Manila Standard - 2017 February 25 - Saturday

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VOL. XXXI • NO. 15 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

A NNI VE RSA RY

XPERIENCE•XCELLENCE•XCITEMENT

De Lima in detention Munti court sends her to PNP Custodial Center over drug trafficking raps

By Joel E. Zurbano and Francisco Tuyay

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MUNTINLUPA City court judge on Friday ordered the detention of Senator Leila de Lima at the Philippine National Police-Custodial Center in Camp Crame where two former senators—Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr.—are also being held for their alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.

EMOTIONAL BUT TRUCULENT. Senator Leila de Lima, a former human rights commissioner and one of President Rodrigo Duterte’s most vocal critics, waves to her supporters after appearing at a court in Muntinlupa City Friday after her arrest, but has vowed to keep campaigning against killings and ‘repression.’ Her mug shot (inset) at Camp Crame following her arrest at the Senate. AFP

Madrigal, Naguiat tagged in bribe try

By Maricel V. Cruz, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Roy Tomandao

JAMBY MADRIGAL

JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II named former senator Jamby Madrigal and Biñan City Rep. Marlyn Alonte-Naguiat as the ones who offered P100 million to high-profile inmates to re-

cant their testimony against Senator Leila de Lima, a charge that both immediately denied.

Madrigal called Aguirre’s allegation “malicious and baseless” while Naguiat said she was ready to take a lie detector test to show she had nothing to do with any bribery attempt.

De Lima dismissed Aguirre’s

accusation as “preposterous.”

In a TV interview Thursday, Aguirre said the inmates were supposed to retract their statements against De Lima before the People Power anniversary on Saturday because they wanted to attract more people to the Edsa gathering.

He added that the wife of Noel

Martinez, one of the inmates who implicated De Lima, told him about the bribe offer, which he said the inmates rejected.

Aguirre said the bribe offer was made specifically to the eight inmates currently being held at the Armed Forces of the Philippines custodial center in Camp Aguinaldo.

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Sara calls bishops’ group ‘hypocrites’

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera and John Paolo Bencito DAVAO CITY—Coming to the defense of her father, presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio slammed Archbishop Socrates Villegas for calling the Dutertes ‘pimps of Edsa’ and accusing them of trying to prostitute the meaning of the Edsa People Power revolt.

“Unfortunately for you Archbishop Villegas, this is not a biased commentary on your letter to the dead because I am not a fan of President Duterte.

But you are truly, madly, deeply worse than a hundred President Dutertes,” she said in her statement Friday.

The mayor, who kept silent over continued attacks on Duterte, said she was disturbed by the letter of Villegas to the late Cardinal Sin criticizing the Dutertes.

“Since 1986 and until seven months ago, I remember that our nation has been hounded by corruption, crime, territorial war of gangs and drug

Noy, LP men worry over Leila’s safety

By Macon RamosAraneta and John Paolo Bencito

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20,000 mining workers lose jobs

By Lance Baconguis, John Paolo Bencito and Rio N. Araja BUTUAN CITY―No alternative livelihood is in place yet for the workers who are likely to lose their jobs as a result of the order to close 14 mining sites in the Caraga Region, Labor officials said on Friday.

Evelyn R. Ramos, the Labor department’s regional director for Caraga, of the Department of Labor and Employment said the mining sites recently ordered closed by Environment Secretary Regina Lopez “directly and indirectly” were employing a total of 20,589 workers.

She said they had yet to hatch a plan to give the affected workers an alternative livelihood after the Next page mines were closed.

Members of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group arrested De Lima at the Senate Friday morning in connection with the drug charges filed against her by the Justice department.

Judge Juanita Guerrero of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204, who ordered the detention, was the same judge that De Lima questioned when she was still Justice secretary, for releasing two suspected members of the “Alabang Boys” drug syndicate and convicted killer Rolito Go. The other courts handling separate drug-related charges filed against De Lima gave state prosecutors until the first week of March to answer the defendant’s motion to dismiss the case, which her defense lawyers argued should be handled by the Office of the Ombudsman.

The state prosecutors earlier filed a motion asking the courts to reset the hearing for March 3, saying they cannot attend the proceedings because of an early commitment to attend a seminar.

De Lima’s lawyers insisted the cases should be investigated by the Office of the Ombudsman because she was the Justice secretary when the alleged crimes were committed.

The Ombudsman’s mandate is to investigate charges against government officials who are then prosecuted in the Sandiganbayan if evidence warrants it. Next page

APEC FLEET. Asian Carmakers Corp. president Maricar Parco explains to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea III features of some 200

units of BMW cars—P3.5 million to P5.5 million apiece—the ACC will lend to the Philippine government ‘for free’ to serve world leaders and dignitaries who will be attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in the Philippines later this year. Malacañang Photo

Duterte acts to mollify Chinese trade team

By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said Friday he will try to smooth Beijing’s ruffled feathers after the abrupt

cancellation of the visit of a Chinese official here to finalize about 40 joint projects worth billions of dollars that were agreed during Duterte’s state visit to China

in October last year.

“Maybe what China understood was that [Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto] Yasay talked too much. Their Secretary of Commerce, who

was supposed to be here today, canceled his trip,” Duterte said at the turnover of drug rehabilitation facilities at the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte.

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SBMA orders ‘intruders’ to vacate theme park

By Butch Gunio SUBIC FREEPORT AREA―The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority on Friday ordered the security guards

of the new management of Ocean Adventure to vacate the theme park following their forcible entry.

“SBMA will not tolerate such act and will strictly

enforce all lawful security procedures in the Freeport,” SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma said in a statement.

“The security agency that provided the guards involved

in the incident has been directed to vacate the Ocean Adventure facility and to immediately cease and desist from any and all operations within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.” Next page

FORMER President Benigno Aquino III was worried about the safety of his former Justice secretary, Senator Leila de Lima, who was arrested over drug charges, Senator Francis Pangilinan said Friday.

The former president also called De Lima, a close friend, Thursday night while the senator was at her Senate office before surrendering Friday morning.

Pangilinan said Aquino also called him at the Senate to check on De Lima’s situation.

“We talked this morning. Of course, he was concerned about the safety of Senator Leila. His concern was her safety and security,” said Pangilinan.

Pangilinan said De Lima was “composed” after her arrest, but her blood pressure was slightly elevated.

Pangilinan and Dinagat Island Rep. Arlene Bag-ao accompanied De Lima at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame where the police Next page

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Port builder sees bright prospects in cargo trade PROSPECTS are bright for the country’s port industry on the back of projected increase in operations and cargo volume as well as on the proposed mega-harbor solutions in Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao, according to a major port developer.

Businessman Reghis M. Romero II, owner and operator of Harbour Centre Port Terminal Inc. in Manila, said the elimination of barriers to investments and tariffs among member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the robust trade with China will spur domestic port activities as well.

“The tariff reduction on goods flowing between Asean and China could be expected to balloon to unprecedented levels in the wake of Southeast Asia’s economic integration,” Romero said in his speech during yesterday’s opening of the 9th Philippine Ports and Shipping 2017, a biennial ports, shipping, and transport logistics business-tobusiness exhibition and conference.

“The increase in port operations and cargo volume will come, not only from the rise in trade volume between Asean and China, but also within the Asean itself and the other regions and sub-regions of the world,” he added, noting that Asean-China trade with the rest of the world has reached $4.3 trillion, accounting for about 13.3 percent of global trade.

Romero recalled that in 2012, incoming vessels measured around 100 meters only and at anyone time, the Harbour Centre Port Terminal can accommodate four to five vessels simultaneously with a stay time to unload of just three days.

But in 2015, he said incoming vessels were now measuring 180 to 220 meters, with an average stay time of 18 days to unload.

As a long-term solution, Romero cited the 50-hectare Harbour Centre expansion project sealed between Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and Philippine Reclamation Authority. The project, estimated to cost almost P7.4 billion, will add another 20 hectares with a kilometer-long berthing facility to Harbour Centre Port Terminal to enable it to accommodate the fast increasing volume and size of vessels and cargos at the port.

The Mega Harbour Port and Development Inc. has embarked on port city reclamation and development projects in central and southern Philippines in respond to the growing demand.

The Davao project, with its proximity to East Asia countries, will be a corridor for trade and commerce between the Philippines and the rest of the Asean Economic Community, he said.

On the other hand, the Cebu International Container and Bulk Terminal is an 85-hectare reclamation project consisting of a 1,200-meter-long berth, 1,000-meter access road, 25-hectare container yard, and a 50-hectare industrial park.

The project will help mitigate the container traffic in Cebu City, whose port can no longer be expanded because of geographic limitations.

“The three-port reclamation and modernization projects in Manila, Cebu and Davao will form the backbone of the national port network that we intend to build across the archipelago. This vision is consistent with President Rodrigo Duterte’s policy agenda on increasing the country’s global competitiveness and ease of doing business, and on accelerating annual infrastructure spending with public-private partnerships playing a key role,” Romero said.

20,000...

From A1 Ramos made her statement even as the latest survey by the polling firm Social Weather Stations in the last quarter of 2016 found that adult joblessness was now at 25.1 percent or 11.2-million people compared with the 18.4 percent or 8.2-million people recorded in September of the same year.

SWS said the fourth-quarter adult joblessness rate was the worst since the 27 percent recorded in December 2014.

Meanwhile, the Environment department said Friday it followed due process in its decision to order the closure of the operation of 23 mining firms and the suspension of five other mining firms.

“The mere fact that the mining companies replied to the DENR’s audit findings means that they acknowledged that due process was observed,” Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Maria Paz Luna said in a statement.

Lopez earlier said her department would create a plan with other government agencies to provide alternative jobs for the affected mine workers.

SC reraffles Dichaves case T

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

HE Supreme Court has ordered the Sandiganbayan to reraffle immediately the plunder case against Jaime Dichaves, a businessman accused of helping Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada to amass ill-gotten wealth when he was still president.

Dichaves case, preparatory to its fullblown trial by the anti-graft court.

In its resolution, the SC directed the Sandiganbayan “to reraffle Criminal Case No. 26558 with respect to accused Jaime Dichaves and Yolanda Ricaforte among the regular divisions of the Sandiganbayan.”

This is in connection with its earlier resolution ordering the Sandiganbayan to proceed with the trial of Dichaves for plunder for allegedly conspiring with Estrada to amass illgotten wealth.

In a 23-page decision penned by Justice Mario Victor Marvic Leonen, the SC’s second division affirmed the March 14, 2012 joint resolution and Feb. 4, 2013 order of the Office of the Ombudsman which found probable cause to charge Dichaves with the crime.

The High Court acted on the letter of Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang who proposed a reconstitution of the court’s special division to handle the trial of Dichaves.

In her letter, Cabotaje-Tang suggested the special division on Dichaves case be composed of Associate Justice Rafael Lagos, as chair-

man, with Associate Justices Oscar Herrera Jr. and Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta as members.

Cabotaje-Tang also proposed that Associate Justices Sarah Jane Fernandez and Michael Frederick Musngi be designated as alternate members.

On Feb. 14 resolution, however, the SC denied Cabotaje-Tang’s suggestion and ordered a re-raffle of the

De Lima...

From A1

De Lima’s co-accused and former lover Dayan was arrested at his home in Urbiztondo, Pangasinan at 7 p.m.

Thursday, two hours after the Muntinlupa court issued an arrest warrant against him and the senator.

Dayan, escorted by police operatives from the Urbiztondo Police Station underwent booking procedures and a medical examination before being taken to the Muntinlupa RTC the following day.

In Camp Aguinaldo, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. dismissed a potential destabilization plot against the Duterte administration with the arrest of De Lima.

Esperon also laughed off reports of anti-Duterte groups trooping to the streets to protest the arrest of De Lima.

“I don’t think there should be anything to worry about. This is a weekend of celebration, this is a happy celebration of peaceful transformation,” said Esperon of the Feb. 25 commemoration of the Edsa People Power uprising that ousted the dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986l “It’s ridiculous if they will defend a secretary who benefitted from narcotics in the Philippines. Is that what they are fighting for? asked Esperon.

He assured the public that both the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines are on top of the situation.

Esperon joined the key players of the Edsa revolt, former President Fidel Ramos, ex-Senate president and defense minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Gregorio Honasan at a simple ceremony to mark the occasion.

Asked to comment on charges that De Lima was a political prisoner, Enrile said: “There’s no such thing as a political prisoner. You are a prisoner, period.”

Enrile was detained in the same custodial center when De Lima was Justice secretary, for his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam but was later acquitted.

De Lima issued a statement upon her arrest, which she called “an appalling sign of the return of a powerhungry, morally bankrupt and abusive government.”

“As we expected, the Department of Justice filed criminal cases against me based on manufactured stories accusing me of involvement in the drug trade,” she said.

She questioned the use of convicted drug lords as state witnesses against her, and referred to Duterte’s use of Fetanyl, an addictive pain killer.

“As reward for testifying against me, this administration, through the Department of Justice restored the privileges of these inmates—the very same privileges that I put an end to during my term as the secretary of Justice,” she said.

“Their revolting plan: Convicted criminals become state witnesses so

they can be exonerated from their crimes. They are not the heroes that this administration is forcing us to believe.

“Where else in the world have you seen drug lords turned into state witnesses? All they have ever done is to follow the badly-written script of this administration to pin me down with baseless accusations for their personal gain.

She accused her successor, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II of coddling prisoners in exchange for their testimony while Solicitor General Jose Calida sought the acquittal of convicted kidnapper and the indicted mastermind of the pork barrel scam, Janet Lim Napoles.

“From the very beginning, I knew that this regime would not seek true justice. The filing of criminal cases against me is only the fulfillment of Mr. Duterte’s fixation for revenge against me, because of my investigation of the Davao Death Squad when I was then the Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights.

“The Filipino people know your style, Mr. President. To put the rule of law in your hands, silence your critics, and destroy those who will go against your caprices,” she said, tying the 7,000 deaths under his war on illegal drugs to the more than 1,000 killed when he was mayor of Davao City.

“Truth is, even though he has killed over 1,000 in Davao and over 7,000 throughout the Philippines with his death squads and rogue police, he has yet to pay for it under the law,” she said.

“But perhaps now he can be made accountable for his horrible crime against humanity,” she added, referring to the recent testimony of a former policeman who claimed to be a member of Duterte’s Davao Death Squad.

“I speak before you with honor and integrity as my only defense. As former human rights chairperson and Justice secretary, I can look everyone straight in the eye and say: My track record as a public servant has never been tarnished by any wrongdoing, except until now based on manufactured lies. I have never used and will never use my position for my personal interest.

“I am innocent. I have never betrayed and I will never betray the trust of my country and the Filipino people.”

She ended her statement with a call to action by “people of conscience everywhere... to remain vigilant and continue to fight, so that true justice and respect for human rights prevail.”

“Let us not allow this administration to continue violating our Constitution, disrespecting our laws, and taking the lives of our countrymen….

Let us fight for our rights, let us fight for justice, let us fight for democracy.”

“As much as possible, the bilateral relations between the two countries ... and trade and commerce between the two countries [should] greatly improve.”

Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng was scheduled to arrive in Manila on Thursday with a large delegation, only to inform their Philippine counterparts on Wednesday afternoon they would not be coming due to “urgent domestic concerns.”

But in a press conference in Beijing, China took offense at the pronouncements made by Yasay about the “grave concerns” by the Asean foreign ministers on Beijing’s move to militarize man-made islands, which was something “baffling and

regrettable.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Yasay’s remarks were not consistent with Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s stand during his visit to Beijing in October 2016.

“As we have noted, Mr. Yasay’s recent remarks apparently deviate from the consensus of the two leaders,” Geng said in Beijing on Thursday.

“China finds them baffling and regrettable. We hope that Mr. Yasay can follow the consensus reached by the two leaders and the shared desire of the regional countries, exercise prudence and make concrete efforts to uphold China-Philippine relations and regional peace and stability.”

One of the lawyers, Teddy Rigoroso, said the state lacked evidence to prove the allegation that De Lima was involved in the illegal drug trade. He added that a motions to quash has yet to be resolved by the court.

“Under the Constitution, the judge is required to personally go over the records of the case before determining whether to issue a warrant of arrest or not,” Rigoroso said.

Before her arrest, De Lima spent Thursday night at the Senate. On Friday, she underwent booking procedures at the CIDG headquarters before she was brought to Muntinlupa and was presented to the court for the return of her warrant.

The senator’s co-accused in the drug-related charges, her former bodyguard-driver Ronnie Dayan and former Bureau of Corrections chief Rafael Ragos also underwent the same same procedures.

At present, there are 25 inmates detained at the PNP Custodial Center including former senators Estrada and Revilla, who were charged for plunder for their alleged involvement in the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam.

De Lima was escorted by several police officers in a convoy from Camp Crame on her way to Muntinlupa. Members of the PNP Special Weapons and Tactics also provided security for her outside the building.

Members of the media were not allowed to enter the building.

De Lima, a harsh critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, was taken to the custodial center aboard a white coaster escorted by CIDG director Chief Supt. Roel Obusan at 2 p.m.

Sources said she was put either in the cell vacated by Senator Juan Ponce Enrile or the one that held communists leaders Benito Tiamzon and his wife Wilma.

De Lima’s cell is only meters away from the detention rooms of Estrada and Revilla.

A source said there is no air-conditioning in the room, which has an electric fan and its own comfort room.

De Lima is the only female inmate among the 25 detained at the custodial center.

“We will make sure she’s safe in our custody,” said PNP spokesman Sr. Supt Dionardo Carlos.

A few hours before De Lima was taken to her cell, the senator underwent the booking procedure, having her mugshots and fingerprints taken, and undergoing a medical exam.

De Lima stayed at the conference room of the CIDG office accompanied by Senator Francis Pangilinan and her lawyer for hours after taking lunch.

PNP Chief Ronald Dela Rosa was not in Camp Crame at the time.

Duterte...

From A1 “If the reason is misunderstanding, I will not deviate from my word of honor. It’s important for me that there will be a time in my presidency that I will raise the issue of the arbitral judgment with China, but not now.”

Duterte likewise defended Yasay over the “misunderstandings” with Chinese officials on the disputed waters in the South China Sea. “I think the problem is that Secretary Yasay was misunderstood by the Chinese government. But let me assure everybody ... that we will talk as friends, and we cannot go to war because we cannot afford it.

SBMA...

From A1 Seventy armed men allegedly stormed the Ocean Adventure facility on the night of Feb. 13 to pave the way for the new management of Subic Bay Marine Exploratorium Inc. to take over.

The incident was said to have been the result of an intra-corporate dispute that was not resolved by the Regional Trial Court of Olongapo.

“The actions taken by the new SBMEI management headed by Mr. Scott Sharpe on the evening of Feb. 13 created this irregular situation of the sudden takeover of a new security agency to man the Ocean Adventure facility with the presence of the PNP without prior coordination with the

SBMA,” Eisma said.

“The SBMA Law Enforcement Department shall provide the necessary presence outside the perimeter of the Ocean Adventure facility to ensure that peace and order is maintained.”

The SBMA and the Labor Department are now coordinating to ensure the safety and welfare of the employees of SBMEI while the intra-corporate dispute is resolved.

“We reiterate that while the SBMA has no intention to involve itself in intra-corporate disputes, we will act accordingly to ensure peace and order and the rule of law within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone,” Eisma said.

“As of the moment we are waiting for the judicial disposition of the intra-corporate dispute, which is not under the jurisdiction of the SBMA.”

Sara...

From A1 lords, extrajudicial killings, narco politics, terrorism, protracted rebellion, abuse of power in government, political bickering and the entry of foreign mafias,” she said.

“It surely did not start when President Duterte took office,” she added.

“When your friend failed as a President, I cannot remember you calling it the rape of Edsa. You just swept it under your glitzy rugs and you moved on, back to business— back to acting as if you can save us all from hell,” she said.

The mayor reminded Villegas that President Duterte won the presidency precisely because “you ignored what was wrong with this world. All

The SC also lifted the temporary restraining order it earlier issued preventing the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan from proceeding with the plunder case.

“This Court finds no reason to violate the policy of non-interference in the exercise of the Ombudsman’s constitutionally mandated powers.

The Ombudsman’s ruling must be respected,” the SC ruled.

Dichaves was accused of helping Estrada amass wealth through profit and commissions when Estrada was still president.

Although he had denied the accusation, he left the country before Estrada was removed from Malacañang in 2001, thus, was never arraigned and prosecuted.

Dichaves claimed he was the owner of the controversial "Jose

Noy, LP...

From A1 brought her after she was arrested on illegal drug charges.

While CIDG members were taking De Lima’s mugshot and fingerprints during the booking procedure, Bag-ao said De Lima kept shaking her head.

“She could not understand why she needed to do that, because what is she guilty of?” Bag-ao said.

“You can see on her face the indignation, as if she were saying, ‘I would do this as part of the process’ even if she did not believe she needed to do that,” Bag-ao said.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, another Duterte critic, said the primary objective of the arrest was to send a chilling message to the political opposition and critics that they could be next.

“Well, the effect to me is exactly the opposite. I am now motivated more than ever to expose him for being a plunderer and mass murderer that he truly is,” said Trillanes who had revived his allegations that the President has P2.2 billion in illgotten welqth.

Trillanes also called Duterte a mass murderer.

LIberal Party member Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV lamented that despite the absence of a paper trail, De Lima had to be detained.

He said the convicted criminals who testified against De Lima were even rewarded and afforded special privileges.

“It is condemnable that the administration railroads rules and processes for political vendetta,” he said.

He noted that the President is now fulfilling his promise to destroy De Lima. He said the arrest of their colleague and party mate was political persecution at its worst.

“We really feel that this is political persecution and this is a way to stamp out dissent in the country. A way to stamp out critics,” he said.

Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros said the arrest was “a travesty” of the country’s justice system.

She warned that this set a dangerous precedent for the government to arrest and incarcerate individuals that it perceives as its enemies, on the basis only of mere allegations and without due process.

Independent Senator Francis Escudero said he was saddened by re-

Madrigal,...

From A1

Velarde" accounts, where Estrada allegedly deposited the commissions he got in the purchase of Belle Corp. shares by the Government Service Insurance System and the Social Security System.

Estrada was also accused of signing as Jose Velarde in those accounts.

On Sept. 12, 2007, Estrada was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of plunder with a ruling that he was the real and beneficial owner of the "Jose Velarde" account.

Six weeks later, then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo pardoned Estrada.

After Estrada’s conviction and pardon, Dichaves resurfaced and sought reinvestigation of his case.

After the reinvestigation, the Ombudsman reaffirmed its ruling that Dichaves was liable for plunder.

cent events.

“I know Senator De Lima to be a fighter and a courageous person who will not let this dampen her spirits. I pray that truth and justice will prevail in her case—whomsoever its face may look favorably upon—and likewise pray for her children as she faces perhaps the toughest battle in her life,” he said.

“I will continue to work with her as a Senator, her incarceration notwithstanding, in crafting meaningful legislation and shedding light on the crimes and shortcomings of abusive and corrupt officials in government,” Escudero added.

The Palace portrayed De Lima’s arrest as the “triumph of the rule of law.”

“The arrest of Senator De Lima shows that the law is enforced regardless of who is the subject of a warrant of arrest whether the person is holding a high position in the government or has an ordinary status in society,” Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

“The majesty of the law shines triumphantly when a senator of a republic is arrested and detained on account of a criminal charge. Such is the working of a democracy,” he added.

The Palace also denied it was targeting Duterte’s top critic, even though the President vowed “to destroy her in public” last year.

It’s not political persecution,” Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said.

At the same time, Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella appealed to the Church to have faith in the country’s judicial system amid criticism of De Lima’s arrest.

“The court has established probable cause therefore, let us keep our faith in the judicial system. The moral arc is long but it always bends towards justice,” Abella said.

Abella made the remark in response to the call of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president Archbishop Socrates Villegas “for justice, not vengeance” following De Lima’s arrest.

“The Muntinlupa RTC has now acted on the case of Senator Leila de Lima. The senator will be treated with fairness and accorded due process. She will have the opportunity to defend herself and prove her innocence,” Duterte’s spokesperson said.

He said the offer was repeated on Thursday morning through former police officer and convicted kidnapper Clarence Dongail.

“In both instances, the inmates said no,” Aguirre said.

He said he could gather the eight inmates to confirm the bribe attempt, saying it was made using the common mobile phone in the area.

Aguirre said he would file a complaint against Madrigal and Naguiat, calling what they did “illegal” and “immoral.”

Naguiat on Friday denied that she and Madrigal tried to bribe the inmates.

“I didn’t call them. I don’t know where they got this,” Naguiat told a radio interview in Filipino.

She said she knew Madrigal from politics, but not on a personal level.

The congresswoman said she was open to taking a lie-detector test and challenged Aguirre to produce the person who said she had tried to bribe the inmates.

She said that while she was with the Liberal Party when she ran for her seat in Congress, she later joined PDP Laban after she won.

Interviewed over ANC, De Lima said she doesn’t know where Aguirre’s allegations came from.

LP president Senator Francis Pangilinan dismissed as “false and pure nonsense” allegations that their party was involved in the bribery attempt.

The allegations, Pangilinan said, are ridiculous and meant to divert the attention to the erroneous and unlawful filing of charges against De Lima.

He slammed the alleged report about LP involvement in the bribe attempt as a “garbage” and “foolishness.”

“That’s stupidity. That information is garbage,” he said.

Madrigal demanded an apology from Aguirre II for dragging her name into the alleged bribery attempt.

“Aguirre’s accusation was not only baseless, malicious, [and] without foundation in fact or logic but also a great disservice to the administration he claims to serve,” Madrigal said.

you desired was to put into power a leader who walks and talks like you—someone who is definitely not Rodrigo Duterte.”

“You are deeply worse than a hundred President Dutertes,” Sara said in her statement, which was released to the press Friday.

She emphasized it was wrong accusing the President of defacing the memory of Edsa, recalling how her father woke her up on the night of Feb. 25, 1986, to bring her to San Pedro Cathedral.

She said she remembered her father telling her and her brother: “Remember this night. Never forget this.”

“I have a memory of myself standing on the stairs of the San Pedro church bell tower, listening to the incessant ringing of the bells.

I did not understand what was happening, but I surmised that it must be something very important because my father had to get me out of bed to watch cheering and partying adults on the streets,” she recalled.

Now, she said, she can say that the celebration of the 1986 Edsa revolution is important but only to commemorate what the people did for the country at a certain period of its history.

“I find it hard to understand why this bloodless revolution has become the standard definition of freedom for our country and this standard is forced down our throats by a certain group of individuals who think they are better than everyone else. These are the elite and their friends, including Archbishop Villegas,” she said.With PNA

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

IN BRIEF DoLE readies plans for miners THE Department of Labor and Employment vowed to extend livelihood assistance to thousands of mine workers who will be affected by the closure of 23 mining firms by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

“We have already taken proactive measures to address the potential massive displacement of workers with the closure and suspension of 23 mining firms in the country. First if providing them livelihood assistance,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said.

Bello met with regional labor officials to map out action plans and prepare assistance packages for thousands of mine workers expected to be unemployed following the DENR decision.

“These mining firms employ hundreds and thousands of workers. DoLE will provide assistance to those who will be displaced,” Bello said.

Bello said he has deployed labor staff to the 14 mining companies in the area affected by the closure to do assessment on the ground. The affected mining firms would submit transition/ and action plans and proposals to DoLE provincial offices.

In Caraga, Labor Regional Director Evelyn Ramos said there is need to be prepared for the effect of the closure and suspension of operations of the mining areas, as it would also impact on other businesses and employment in the region.

She said the regional office is checking the status of the mining operations and determining the exact number of workers to be affected and their profiles for appropriate DoLE intervention.

Ramos said the transition plan and other data would still be useful if and when the closure or suspension order does not take effect since the mining sector is faced with the off- season dilemma where workers are forced to go on leave and look for alternative sources of income. Vito Barcelo

Customs backs excise tax hike THE Bureau of Customs said it fully supports the proposed bill in Congress to restructure the system for excise tax on brandnew automobiles.

The proposed adjustment in the excise tax on automobiles is included in the tax reform package that the Department of Finance submitted to the Congress. The BoC said the excise tax of imported cars will likely increase.

Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon said he remains solid in supporting DoF in this proposal.

The DoF said that this proposal would make up for the estimated P139 billion in revenues that would be lost from the planned reductions in personal income tax rates.

Moreover, DoF said it does not expect car sales to dampen as a result of the additional excise because take-home pay of car buyers will increase significantly with the lowering of personal income tax. Vito Barcelo

31 YEARS AFTER. Former President Fidel Ramos (middle), former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile (2nd from left), Senate President Aquilino Koko Pimentel III (2nd from right) and Executive Secretary Salvador Medealdea (left) link arms while singing the People Power hymn during the 31st anniversary celebration of the Edsa People Power Revolution at Camp Agunaldo on Friday.

Navy foils Abu’s piracy try

By Francisco Tuyay

N

AVAL forces foiled an attempt

by Abu Sayyaf to intercept a Panamanian-flagged vessel that was transiting waters off Tawi-Tawi province, Naval Forces Western Mindanao reported Friday.

NFWM commander Rear Admiral Rene Medina said m/v Dong Hae Star was cruising the Sulu Sea enroute from China to Indonesia around 10 a.m.

Thursday when suspicious black-colored speedboats with

armed men started pursuing the merchant vessel off Pearl Bank.

The Dong Hae Star then transmitted a distress call to Littoral Monitoring Station in Bongao, Sulu prompting secu-

rity forces to dispatch vessels to aid the merchant vessel.

The dispatched naval vessels arrived at the area on time and scared the pirates, who scampered to the open sea.

“According to the MV, the suspicious speedboats desist from chasing them and immediately maneuvered to open sea upon sighting responding navy patrolling ships,” Medina said.

The incident prompted Medina to deploy additional vessels to the Joint Task Forces Tawi-Tawi and Sulu for interdiction and support law enforcement operations in the area.

After the foiled attack, m/v Dong Star proceeded its destination while LMS Bongao continued to monitor their progress.

The interception try at the commercial vessel came a week after suspected ASG bandits forcibly snatched six of 17 Vietnamese sailors from m/v Giang Hai 05 while cruising 17 miles off Pearl Bank in Tawi-Tawi.

Shortly after the abduction, the bandits, upon seeing responding navy vessels, speed-off leaving a sailor dead while 10 others were rescued.

“The AFP condemns the abduction perpetrated by these criminal groups who continuously compromise the peace and

Neri: ERC rules attack consumers

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan BAYAN Muna chairman Neri Colmenares expressed concern over the implications of the Supreme Court temporary restraining order against Energy Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy regulations on retail competition and open access (RCOA).

“We are particularly alarmed that the SC TRO has the effect of preventing many power consumers from having a choice of where their electricity will come from, and at what price,” said Colmenares, a former senior Deputy Minority Leader in the House of Representatives.

On Tuesday, the SC temporarily barred the government from implementing new regulations that compel big consumers to enter into a power-supply deal with any of the retail electricity suppliers accredited by the DoE and the ERC by Feb. 26.

SC Spokesman Theodore O. Te said the court issued a TRO stopping the implementation of DoE Circular DC-2015-06-0010 and ERC Resolution 5, Series of 2016; Article I, Sections 2 and 3 thereof; ERC Resolution 10, Series of 2016; ERC Resolution 11, Series of 2016; and ERC Resolution 28, Series of 2016.

“Delaying or stopping open access works in favor of big distributors such as Meralco, who incidentally, also owns power generation companies,” Colmenares noted.

“We call on the people to protest in the streets against this continued attack on consumers rights. We will also determine whether it will be compelling for us to intervene in this surprising legal development in order to safeguard the rights of power consumers,” he said.

“We also urge ERC to investigate reports that Meralco is pressuring its customers to rescind contracts with their suppliers in light

of the TRO. We ask the ERC to investigate this reported actions of Meralco as this could further stifle any chance of competition especially since the SC has not yet decided on the merits of the case,” he added.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said on Thursday the Energy department is dutybound to implement RCOA, a key provision of Republic Act 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reformt Act of 2001, despite the Supreme Court TRO. Cusi said consumers should have the freedom of choice as to which power provider they prefer to deal with.

“The spirit of the RCOA is giving the consumers the freedom of choice which would result in higher productivity for them. And the power of choice can only be maximized when there is a level playing field for all suppliers,” Cusi said.

Fishers still gaffed by poverty—group

WETLANDS EXHIBIT. Senator Cynthia Villar was joined by Senators Nancy Binay and Loren Legarda in opening the ‘Wetland Wonders of the Philippines’ exhibit at the Senate which showcases seven Philippine ‘wetlands of international importance.’ The ceremony was also attended by Department of Environment and Natural Resources director Lourdes Wagan and Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Eco-Tourism Area focal leader Rey Aguinaldo. Lino Santos

DESPITE the Fisheries Code of 1998 that was meant to empower them, fishermen are still trapped in the net of extreme poverty, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas said on the 19th anniversary of the law.

Pamalakaya held a protest at Mendiola, Manila on Friday with hundreds of fishermen from different provinces in Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon expressing their outrage at the Fisheries Code’s failure to uplift their impoverished lives.

“Now is the high time for the government to assess and sum up what significant help this fishing law has done to the fishing sector for 19 years. Even the government can’t deny and hide the prevailing poverty among the fisherfolk sector,” Pamalakaya chairperson Fernando Hicap said.

Government data through the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that highest poverty incidence manifests in the fishing sector, with 39.2-percent poverty rate or two out of five fisherfolk strive with P52 and below per day.

“How unfortunate that despite being an archipelagic country endowed with abundant marine resources, the sector that supposed to savor the wealth is the one who suffers from chronic hunger and poverty,” Hicap said.

Pamalakaya said the Fisheries Code of 1998 has opened the flood gates for liberalization of our fishing waters through import-dependent and exportoriented fishing production while our country and the Filipino people suffer from food insecurity and hunger for decades without end.

order in Western Mindanao,” Medina lamented.

Despite the all-out offensives by the military to neutralize and decimate the Abu Sayyaf, kidnapping incidents continue to persist.

Meanwhile, elements of the JTF-Sulu recovered a high-powered firearm and various war materiel during continuing operations in the outskirts of Indanan town.

Maj. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. commander of Western Mindanao Command, said that the recovery clearly showed that the Abu Sayyaf terrorists are now trying to evade pursuing troops by hiding their guns.

Child protection measure proposed

By Maricel V. Cruz LAWMAKERS have pushed for the passage of a measure seeking to protect children in situations of armed conflict.

Former Speaker and Quezon City Rep. Feliciano Belmonte Jr., author of House Bill 13, stressed the need for Congress to enact the measure as this would provide children in armed conflict situations protection from all forms of abuse, violence, neglect, discrimination, and other conditions.

Belmonte said the country has a long history of armed conflict, where children have been victims of human rights violations, internal displacement, and even recruited by armed groups to serve as messengers, spies, and soldiers for the armed groups.

Belmonte said the protection of children from armed conflict is an important aspect of a comprehensive strategy to resolve conflict and should be a priority not only by the international community but by the State, especially when it is experiencing armed conflict.

“Children are the most affected sector in the armed conflicts, experiencing the loss of access to food, water, sanitation, health, education, and other basic services and worse, many of them become victims of killing, rape, and other forms of sexual violence and abduction,” Belmonte said.

He noted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, of which the Philippines is a signatory of, obliges the country to ensure that children’s rights are respected, protected, and fulfilled.

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Opinion

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Truth of the matter

S

ENATOR Leila de Lima is finally in detention, but not before a flurry of press conferences, speculation and drama.

After a court issued a warrant for her arrest Thursday, the senator requested that she be allowed to go home, say goodbye to her family, pack her belongings and spend one final night as a free woman.

She would come back the following day, she promised.

Eventually her request was granted, even as her other request—that her mugshots not be released—was not.

She maintains, however, that it is an honor to be de-

tained as the first political prisoner of the Duterte administration. The senator is facing charges of receiving money from the thriving drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison when she was Justice secretary.

Filipinos are divided on the issue of De Lima’s arrest. Some hail it as some sort of karmic triumph, recalling how De Lima defied the Supreme Court, a little over four years ago, when

she stopped an ailing Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from seeking treatment abroad.

De Lima is also the subject of ridicule for her admission of her years-long relationship with her married driver and bodyguard. The admission elicited some of the most abominable hearings at the House of Representatives, with lawmakers delving into the details of the affair rather than how it facilitated the drug trade in the maximum security compound.

On the other hand, De Lima is portrayed as something short of a martyr, made an example of the fate that befalls those

who dare speak out against the President. Many say they are aghast at the hasty order of the court, especially since charges against her stem from the statements of criminals, convicted of deeds involving moral turpitude.

Indeed the past several days have been a circus again, reminiscent of the circuses that accompanied the misfortune of big names who suddenly find themselves charged, arrested and jailed.

The senator has declared the truth will come out in due time, but we know our justice system enough to predict that the case would drag on for

years, just as previous cases involving high-profile personalities have been protracted. In time, De Lima will adjust to a new routine as detainee, while the rest of us will be regaled with the next big scandal.

In the meantime, how does all this help in the fight against illegal drugs?

We cannot even tell how much of the case is founded on probable cause and how much is driven by sheer politics. It would be unfortunate in the case of the latter, because that would mean we’ve been had again by people who promise change but work toward keeping things exactly as they are.

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

De Lima’s cheap theatrics

nesses have come out to corroborate the statements of these inmates. If what these prisoners say are true, there must be others, more credible than they are, who knew about De Lima’s alleged crimes.

Also, despite Secretary Aguirre’s denials, other officials have said that Aguirre himself approved privileges for his witnesses. It is, therefore, not surprising for these men to say everything the DoJ secretary wants them to say. If Aguirre is able to do grant them privileges, what else have been promised to these convicted criminals? If they truly have become state witnesses, what will happen to the sentences they are supposed to be serving?

This is a very dangerous game the DoJ is playing.

The timing of De Lima’s arrest is also highly suspect. We know how slow our courts are. Yet, in De Lima’s case, no time was wasted, it seems. Why? A few days back, SPO3 Arthur Lascañas, one of those mentioned

by Matobato in his testimony as part of the DDS, resurfaced. Lascanas belied Matobato’s statements when he was summoned to the Senate to testify. However,

THE Department of Justice will lodge criminal cases against Senator Leila De Lima for her alleged role in the narcotics trade and related anomalies inside the national penitentiary when she was Justice secretary under ex-President Benigno Aquino III. As Justice secretary, De Lima had full control and supervision over the national penitentiary. It was during her watch as DoJ chief when the news media exposed that certain favored drug lords detained in the national penitentiary were given extraordinarily special treatment: Consisting of air-conditioned quarters and special toilets, and unlimited access to catered food, liquor, gambling paraphernalia, television sets, mobile telephones, and computers. The drug lords also had with them high-powered firearms, dangerous drugs, and large sums of money.

From all indications, therefore, a lucrative drug trade was taking place inside the national penitentiary.

Under existing rules, prison cells must be subjected to regular inspections to prevent prisoners from keeping drugs, firearms, electronic equipment, and contraband. Obviously, those inspections either never took place, or were sham inspections.

Owing to their bulk and the noise they create when in use, prison officials are bound to notice the presence of air-conditioners anywhere inside the penitentiary. Obviously, prison officials knew of the air-conditioning units used by the drug lords.

Since television sets also make a lot of noise, and considering that catered food is delivered by outsiders, it is impossible for prison officials not to know that the drug lords in their custody had access to television sets and restaurant food.

In sum, the drug trade inside the national penitentiary and the favored treatment afforded to the drug lords detained there could not have taken place without the knowledge and consent of prison officials. The fact that the drug trade existed and the special treatment actually took place are, by themselves, anomalies plain and simple, with prison officials involved in the racket.

As Justice secretary, De Lima was expected to make periodic, and even surprise inspections of the prisons. If De Lima did her job properly, the drug trade and the special treatment of the drug lords would not have escaped her notice. The fact that these anomalies took place is already a clear indication that De Lima neglected her responsibilities as the DoJ chief. It’s either that, or

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Turn to A5

Silencing dissent POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO AGAIN, I say that I am no fan of Senator Leila De Lima. That she is as clean as claimed is difficult to ascertain.

After all, one cannot deny that drug trafficking inside the New Bilibid Prison happened while she was secretary of the Department of Justice. It was also during her watch when privileges to prominent NBP inmates were “discovered.”

As DoJ secretary, she also defied the Supreme Court order allowing then-detained former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to leave the country and get treatment for her serious health problem.

I also would not be surprised if she gave favors to her former bodyguard and ex-boyfriend Ronnie Dayan using her powers as DoJ head.

Everything considered, De Lima may have, at one point or another, abused the political powers she had especially during the time of former President Noynoy Aquino.

De Lima’s cases are now in court.

Despite everything, I would like to believe that the court will do its work according to its mandate and not according to the dictates of interested parties.

There are many questions surrounding the senator’s cases.

The chronology of events leading to her arrest and imprisonment reeks of political vendetta. More importantly, it puts into question how our public institutions function, or malfunction. After all, the feisty senator is considered as the foremost critic of this administration, and the President, Rodrigo Duterte.

De Lima is behind bars in relation with one of the three charges against her, all on illegal drug trade inside the NBP the proceeds of which were allegedly turned over to her to fund her 2016 senatorial bid.

It will be remembered that before becoming a senator, de Lima investigated then-mayor, now President Rodrigo Duterte over the existence of the Davao Death Squad that he reportedly used to murder suspected criminals in Davao City. It will also be remembered that very early on after President Duterte assumed power, he has issued strongly worded threats against a woman official that he later named to be Senator De Lima.

It was also this senator who started the senate investigation on extra judicial killings in relation with this administration’s “war on drugs.” She was later kicked out as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice by Duterte’s allies in the Senate and replaced by Senator Richard Gordon.

De Lima was also responsible for the appearance of Edgar Mato-

Where is the people’s welfare in this equation. bato, a self-confessed hitman who testified during Senate hearings on EJKs. Matobato admitted to killing people as part of the dreaded DDS, and pointed to then-Mayor Duterte as the leader of the death squad.

Duterte supposedly ordered the killings that Matobato took part in.

Duterte’s displeasure with, or perhaps the better term is hatred of,

De Lima is public knowledge. He has mocked, insulted, and called the senator all sorts of names in his speeches as he threatened her downfall. For their part, his allies led by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II followed his lead and created a circus around De Lima’s former relationship with Dayan. For weeks these men were threatening to make the alleged sex video of the two public. All these were happening while the senator was being investigated for her alleged participation in drug trafficking inside NBP. De Lima was made the laughingstock of powerful men.

The cases against the senator were solely built around the testimonies of convicted drug lords serving their sentences in NBP. These big time inmates are said to have turned state witnesses against De Lima.

DoJ Secretary Aguirre should do better than this if he is out to prove that De Lima is guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

Will the court find convicted criminals’ testimonies credible?

As a non-lawyer, it is difficult to believe these convicts because they have been convicted of major crimes such as drug trafficking and murder. No other independent wit-

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Opinion

IT IS insane to allow the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs to proceed with its investigation into the claims of retired police official Arturo Lascañas. He said President Rodrigo Duterte had ordered the killing of criminals and the bombing of a mosque in Davao City while mayor.

This has never before happened in the illustrious history of our Senate. While Senate President protempore Franklin Drilon, Benigno Aquino IV, Leila de Lima, Francis Escudero, Risa Honteveros, Ralph Recto, Francis Pangilinan, Joel Villanueva, Sonny Angara and Antonio Trillanes have their interest in wanting to confirm the involvement of the President, the decision of the Senate reminds us that we elected crackpots who disguise themselves as honorable. Allowing the testimony made by a selfconfessed serial killer is a complete mockery of the legislative hearing.

The conduct of the 10 senators to allow Lascañas to narrate his lies is an insult to these hypocrites who are rather quick in asserting that their duty is to seek the “truth.” It was most stupid, because instead of advising their witness to face the necessary criminal charges, the 10 senators opted to allow their mad dog to use the forum to make a mockery of the intelligence of the Filipino people.

The senators, who all belong to the Liberal Party, know that their witness would only make a litany of their prevarications against the President. Their motive was to grandstand, conscious that our local peddlers of fake news would swallow them hook, line and sinker.

Yes, a lying serial killer has the right to narrate the crimes he committed, including his right to name his accomplices, but that should come as his defense if charges had already been filed against him.

What these selfconfessed serial killers (Matobato and Lascañas) brought by Senators De Lima and Trillanes did is an admission against self-interest.

Nonetheless, they still have to prove in court the crimes they committed to validly implicate persons they want to drag with them to hell. An investigation such as this can never proceed because it seems to be pointing the blame on others, and not in proving the crimes they openly admitted to have committed.

But looking at it, the 10 loonies in the Senate appear to be more interested in investigating the President.

They surmise they could collaterally implicate the President in the string of liquidation cases without him being charged and summoned in court. As lawyers, they should have known it that they cannot allow their quislings to freely open their mouth as if to narrate a fiction story. The senators cannot even say their testimony is in aid of legislation vital to provide solution to a legislative problem.

These loonies in the Senate should have urged their new witness to testify about the existence of the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS) as narrated first by another self-confessed murderer by the name of Edgar Matobato. But how could that be when no charge has been filed against him? Despite that, senators Trillanes and De Lima purposely failed to file criminal charges against him so that a warrant of arrest could be issued,

and use his testimony to point at the President as the one who ordered him to kill alleged targets.

But as it is, the two mad dogs, Matobato and Lascañas, cannot qualify as state witnesses to be placed under the witness protection plan. No charges have been filed against them. There has never been any claim that their lives are in danger. It was they who created their own predicament— definitely, people they implicated will not sit idly after hearing their admissions.

The decision of Senator Richard Gordon to discontinue the committee investigation is right.

He does not want his committee turned into a circus by self-confessed murderers. The 10 loonies are purposely seeking to disregard the proper venue that could hear their allegations.

What is clear is that Senators De Lima and Trillanes are coddling them because of their political value in discrediting the President. Even if their sole objective is to destroy the credibility of President Duterte, there are rules that guide all of us on how to present our gripes against the President. If this disgraceful retired member of the police force is truly determined to bring out the crimes he committed upon orders of the President, the senators, particularly Trillanes and De Lima, should have asked him if he is prepared to be charged in court.

Such is a legitimate because it is a precondition to validate his allegations in implicating the President as the so-called “brains.”

To recall, their coach, Senator Trillanes, was jailed for more than five years for that botched munity of his so-called Magdalo soldiers. It was his alliance with the corrupt Noynoy Aquino government that saved the day for him. This is the same Trillanes who has been maligning the President by his presentation of fake bank records to allegedly expose the so-called bank accounts of the President in a privilege speech he made in the Senate.

However, before closing, he made a clown of himself. He demanded that President Duterte admit to said bank accounts. Common sense tells us that if truly he had with him the records of the bank, he should have distributed copies of them to his colleagues so they could initiate the proper impeachment proceedings in the House. Alas, instead of doing so, he challenged the President to confirm his alleged exposé entertaining the thought that the President is stupid like him.

In the case of Senator De Lima, she remains arrogant and defiant, hallucinating that she now stands as martyr after being exposed of having liaison with her driver who took advantage of their cozy relationship to serve as courier between her and the drug lords. This uncanny relationship between De Lima and the drug lords happened while she was the secretary of Justice and the drug lords were serving their sentence at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa.

In the end, it is these miserable members of the Senate that are the ones pelting the Senate with their own excrement. Their desecration of the institution is most unparalleled and nauseating.

Silencing...

De Lima is an elected senator of the country. Yet, the non-bailable cases she faces seem to have been concocted using convicted criminals because she crossed the president. They want to silence her.

If this is the case and our government institutions can be used to serve just one particular interest, where is people’s welfare in this equation? If political vendetta can be the motive in imprisoning a political opponent, where is justice?

If they can do this to an elected official, what can they do to ordinary critics of this administration?

The De Lima case is not just about the senator. It is about our democracy. If dissent is silenced, where is democracy?

Gordon’s decision to discontinue the hearings is right.

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when he faced the media this time, he confirmed, in more ways than one, Matobato’s assertions about the existence of the DDS, and then Mayor Duterte’s role in it.

Lascañas worked closely with then Mayor Duterte as senior noncommissioned police officer in Davao City. He said the he was blindly loyal to Duterte and he killed as ordered. He alleged that they received anywhere from P20,000.00 to P100,000.00 for each kill.

Lascañas is due to appear in the Senate when the investigation on EJKs and DDS reopens. Is this the reason for the timing of De Lima’s arrest? Was the DoJ preventing any more harm that the senator’s presence and questioning of Lascanas can bring?

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Lawyers, heroes

BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN

Defacing the Senate

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017

WHEN we celebrate the 1986 People Power, I remember the contemporary heroes of our country. I have honored human rights icons Jose W. Diokno and Haydee Yorac. Three years ago, I also recognized a development worker and philanthropist, Lawrence Ong for his work with the Aetas. This year, I ask for the indulgence of my readers as I will praise a group to whom I have belonged for 27 years: human rights lawyers and environmental lawyers. They are my Edsa heroes for 2017.

I start with the lawyers from the Center for International Law (Centerlaw) who filed the first case, a petition for a Writ of Amparo, challenging the tokhang practice of the Philippine National Police. After succeeding in getting the Supreme Court to issue a temporary protection order to protect complainants whose family members were killed by identified police personnel (there was one survivor, Efren Morillo who is the main complainant), a three panel division of Court of Appeals Justices went into action and 15 days after the case was filed, and on the same day it was heard, the panel issued a decision giving permanent protection to the complainants.

I salute all the lawyers in the Morillo case, including the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals justices who acted with urgency on this petition and the lawyers of the Office of the Solicitor General who did not oppose the issuance of order. But most of all I salute the lawyers of Centerlaw, especially Tin Antonio and Gil Anthony Aquino, who led the team that handled this case. Atty. Joel Butuyan is very clear that, while he was Centerlaw’s president, “complete credit goes to these young lawyers.”

Hopefully, the light is at the

end of the tunnel and we can soon halt tokhang through directed legal actions. This week, for example, the Supreme Court issued another Writ of Amparo against policemen that were harassing the widow of a victim of an extrajudicial killing. I am confident that her lawyers, led by my colleague in UP and DLSU Law, Professor Chato Olivas, would also be able to obtain a permanent protection order for their client.

Unlike the lawyers of Centerlaw, Dean Chel Diokno and Attorneys Arno Sanidad and Alex Padilla are not neophyte lawyers.

They are veteran and prominent lawyers, the best in the Philippine bar, with a lot to lose when they take on politically difficult cases. But these members of the Free Legal Assistance Group were asked to represent SPO3 Arturo Lascañas who claims that he was part of the Davao Death Squad (DDS) and has implicated President Rodrigo Duterte in hundreds of extrajudicial killings allegedly committed in Davao City when the latter was its mayor.

I cannot vouch for Lascañas but I will definitely stand anytime and anywhere with Diokno, Sanidad, Padilla, and FLAG (I have been a member since 1990, joining it immediately after passing the bar).

These are individuals you would want with you in a foxhole during a battle: brilliant, exceptionally skillful, and completely trustworthy. I salute them for their courage in taking on this controversial client.

I salute also Senator Leila de Lima. She is not perfect and has made many mistakes, including inconsistency on human rights issues when she was Justice secretary, but she is being persecuted because of her opposition to the administration. I salute her for her courage.

She will surely be vindicated.

Finally, I reserve my last tribute and the most felt for Mia Mascariñas Green, the environmental lawyer who was assassinated in the island of Bohol a week ago.

I knew Mia when she was a young lawyer and a volunteer of the Environmental Legal As-

sistance Center (ELAC) which I serve as board member. I also met her in the late 1990s during trainings my team in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources conducted on appropriate dispute resolution of environmental cases I was already an undersecretary at that time, but I paid attention to young lawyers who had the potential to excel as environmental advocates and you could see that in Mia even in those days.

And Mia did not disappoint.

She stayed in her beloved Bohol and served nature and people competently and passionately; in her province, she was described as “a woman who touched everyone’s lives.” According to Judge Raul Barbarona, also a colleague of ours in ELAC and who knew Mia since they were student-activists at the Divine Word College (now known as Holy Name University) in the 1980s: “She applied what she learned in college, the principles of active non-violence, authentic Christian humanism.”

Mia was ambushed by several gunmen while she was driving her Toyota Innova. The perpetrators killed her in front of her 10-year-old daughter and two-year-old twins and the children’s nanny. Truly evil men, “they even bullied the kids and the yaya,” said Supt. Nicomedes Olaivar, Tagbilaran City police chief as quoted in a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “They made faces and then laughed at them,” Olaivar also said, The Alternative Law Groups Inc. and ELAC, describes Mia as “a dedicated environmental lawyer, an alternative lawyer in pursuit of public interest, respect for human rights, and promotion of social justice for more than 10 years.” They condemned what happened to Mia: “No one deserves to be killed especially as how Attorney Mia was coldbloodedly gunned down. Nobody should be killed most especially so because of one’s advocacy and beliefs . . . We are, now, more than ever, encouraged and emboldened to advocate for what is right, rath-

er than being shakened by such cowardly acts against our peaceful community.”

The family of Mia, led by her husband Steve Green, himself an environmental advocate who has made our country his home, expressed the hope that Mia legacy “will forever inspire the community of people who fondly call and remember her as ‘Atty. Mia,’ the very fair lady who would always be on call at any time of day or night to help out with any situation. They promised that Mia’s children—Zoe, Eli and Zia— “will be raised to remember their mother as a very strong, principled and fair leader, and a great role model.”

For me, Mia’s death is one death too many, and we think if we want to make her death really meaningful, we want this to be the last death among alternative and environmental lawyers, the last death in fact among lawyers, indeed the last such kind of death in our sad and bloody land.

While there is a debate about the meaning of Edsa, its most enduring message has always been clear to me: there are moments in our lives, in the history of this country, that we are all called to be heroic, to stand up to be counted for great causes, no matter the risk and cost. And so for 2017, to celebrate 31 years of the people revolution, I recognize: Tin Antonio, Gil Anthony Aquino, Joel Butuyan, the Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, CA Justices Apolinario Bruselas, Danton Bueser and Renato Francisco, Assistant Solicitor General Herman Cimafranca, Chato Olivas, Dean Chel Diokno, Arno Sanidad, Alex Padilla, and Leila de Lima—including all their colleagues who collaborate and work with them. And above all, I hail Mia Mascariñas Green: now that’s an honorable, heroic life.

Thank you compañeros and compañeras! You are all my heroes!

Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

MAIL MATTERS Lopez projects attest to her credibility and adherence to principles THIS refers to the article “Lopez accused of fund misuse” published on Feb. 21, 2017 in your paper.

Even before President Rodrigo Duterte appointed her to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Secretary Gina Lopez already accomplished several projects that will prove her credibility and adherence to her core principles on integrity, social justice, and the common good. Notable among her projects are the Ugong Rock and the Ihawig River and Firefly River Watching, both in Palawan province, and the La Mesa Eco Park in Quezon City.

Through the ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI), where she previously served as the managing director, Lopez invested P1 million out of her own pocket in a poor community, which has a great rock formation known as the Ugong Rock in Brgy.

Tagabinet in Puerto Princesa City.

Near Palawan’s famous Underground River, Ugong Rock is now considered as one of the most visited ecotourism sites in the province.

It is dubbed as the country’s “last ecological frontier.”

The community, with 98 percent women, and only two have graduated from college, is now earning between P9,000 and P18,000 monthly for its members. Its gross income breached the P30-million mark on its seventh year of implementation.

Community members were also able to raise their own poultry farm as another source of livelihood. It is from this farm where Secretary Lopez fondly calls “OPM (Original Pilipino Music) ducks” can be found. These ducks are called as such because they lay eggs whenever they hear songs from the country’s best musicians.

Her other project is the Iwahig River and Firefly Watching, also in Puerto Princesa, where the community earns P10, 000 a week with just a boat ride for tourists who want to see the beauty of the majestic river. As a result, the project won gold at the Pacific Asia Travel Awards. The community’s gross income surged to over P32 million on its sixth year of operation.

Secretary Lopez was able to increase the number of tourists in Palawan because of these projects, making the province as one of the best internationally-recognized ecotourism spots in the world.

The La Mesa Eco Park, which is dubbed as “the pre-nuptial capital of the Philippines,” is also one of her centerpiece projects because of her successful reforestation efforts, making it a haven to the endemic animals that were introduced to the sanctuary. The eco-park is a favorite destination for more than 200 schools for educational nature and adventure trips, and serves as a temporary solace for people who

would want to take a breath of fresh air and escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

The reforestation of the eco-park and the entire La Mesa Watershed was hailed by no less than the United Nations as a gold standard in Asia, having been planted with hundreds of thousands of endemic species of trees that were initially sourced from Sierra Madre and then raised within the park’s nurseries. This will serve as a model site for the National Greening Program, where barren areas will be transformed into productive ecological and economic zones.

With the project being a success, generating more than P20 million annually, Secretary Lopez assures everyone that the profit shares of the La Mesa Eco Park have been properly distributed to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and the local government of Quezon City.

The AFI was able to raise P300 million without asking for anything in return. It also reports to the MWSS and the QC government four times a year to ensure transparency in all its transactions within the eco-park. Secretary Lopez only asked for a share from the profit to run the foundation to pay for administrative costs, and not a return from the money she had invested.

On the issue of the Pasig River and the recycling equipment that

has been rendered junk by the Commission on Audit, Secretary Lopez was not in charge of overseeing the operation of these machines. The local government units (LGUs) have jurisdiction over the property where the machines operate. As head of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, her role was limited to procuring the equipment and ensuring that public money is not wasted. Currently, these equipment are under the care and maintenance of the concerned LGUs that are near the Pasig River.

Through ecotourism and taking care of the environment, the communities helped by Secretary Lopez were able to raise money to send the children of their members to college. While Secretary Lopez is taking care of the environment and providing livelihood, she is also “teaching people how to fish” instead of “giving them fish,” veering away the communities from mendicancy, and toward productivity.

The public can rest assured that everything Secretary Lopez has done and will continue to do are for the truth, service, integrity and the common good.

De Lima’s...

Since then, De Lima had been repeatedly on the defensive.

De Lima denies any involvement in the drug trade inside the national penitentiary, and insists that President Rodrigo Duterte wants to discredit her through the DoJ. She also repeatedly brands the President as a butcher on account of the numerous deaths so far registered in the president’s all-out campaign against illegal drugs.

Despite her protestations against President Duterte, however, De Lima has not given any satisfactory explanation as to how and why the drug trade in the national penitentiary took place under her watch as Justice secretary. If she is innocent as she professes to be, then De Lima must go beyond mere denials.

De Lima has been capitalizing on the hollow tirades hurled by the Liberal Party led by the purported Vice President of the Philippines, Leni Robredo, in an obvious attempt to divert public attention away from her.

A desperate De Lima has also enlisted the help of women’s groups

and church leaders who have no love lost for President Duterte. Just last week, De Lima joined a march sponsored by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, a group that is staunchly opposed to the President.

De Lima’s formula is obvious —by styling herself as Duterte’s enemy, she expects the President’s critics to be her strategic allies.

The discredited politicians remaining in the LP have also taken De Lima’s side. That move is obviously politically motivated, and solely designed to protect one of their own. Besides, considering the corruption and incompetence associated with the LP during the administration of ex-President Aquino III, these LP politicians supporting De Lima are hardly paragons of virtue.

Since De Lima appears to be resigned to the prospect of detention, she has resorted to another tactic —she has labeled herself the first “political prisoner” of the Duterte administration.

What hogwash!

A political

prisoner is a person detained, usually in a military stockade, by a regime, for certain “political offenses” under the penal laws, such as treason, rebellion, sedition, and coup attempts. On the other hand, one who is incarcerated for “nonpolitical” crimes like involvement in the dangerous drugs trade is an ordinary detention prisoner.

Evidently, De Lima has resorted to cheap theatrics by styling herself as a 21st century version of ex-Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., who was detained at Fort Bonifacio at the height of the authoritarian government under President Ferdinand Marcos.

De Lima ought to be told that she is not even a close approximation of Ninoy Aquino. Ninoy was incarcerated for his opposition to martial law. Unlike Ninoy, however, De Lima will be facing criminal raps for her alleged role in a lucrative drug trade which took place under her own nose.

Moreover, and unlike De Lima, Ninoy did not have any romantic affair with his driver.

From A4

De Lima was well aware of, and was involved in, this scandalous irregularity.

According to Vitaliano Aguirre II, the incumbent Justice secretary, the DoJ has evidence linking De Lima to the drug trade in the national penitentiary, and that De Lima received large sums of money from the detained drug lords for allowing the drug trade to operate there, and for the special treatment the drug lords were getting during their detention.

The DoJ also linked De Lima’s erstwhile driver to the racket, alleging that De Lima got her bribe money from the drug lords through her driver.

When the news media revealed that De Lima had romantic ties with her driver, De Lima was, at first, equivocal on the matter.

Later on, De Lima admitted the existence of the affair, but added that the romance was no more.

MA. SABRINA R. CRUZ Director Strategic Communication and Initiatives Services Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City

II. ABSTRACT OF THE PSA AND OTHER RELATED INFORMATION 16.1 Term and Effectivity. This Agreement shall take effect on the date of signing (“Execution Date”) and shall remain in force and effect until 12:00 MN of December 25, 2018 (“Contract Term”), subject to extension of the Contract Term as may be agreed upon by the Parties. In the event that BUYER intends to extend the Agreement, it shall notify SELLER no later than June 25, 2018. SELLER shall supply BUYER beginning 12:00 AM of 26 December 2016 or the date of receipt of ERC final approval (“Supply Effective Date”).

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF THE POWER SUPPLY AGREEMENT (PSA) BETWEEN BILIRAN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (BILECO) AND SAN MIGUEL ENERGY CORPORATION (SMEC), WITH PRAYER FOR THE ISSUANCE OF PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY,

16.2 Security Deposit. BUYER shall provide a Security Deposit to SELLER equivalent to one hundred percent (100%) of the estimated average monthly power bill during the first Contract Year and shall be updated annually based on Contracted Capacity and Associated Energy of the BUYER subject to adjustments as may be necessary. Each update shall be executed at least one (1) week prior to the beginning of the ensuing Contract Year provided that all documents required from SELLER to enable BUYER to establish the Security Deposit shall be made available at least three (3) months prior to the beginning of the ensuing Contract Year. The updated Security Deposit shall be similarly calculated based on the next twelve (12) months of the ensuing Contract Year.

ERC CASE NO. 2016 -211 RC BILIRAN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (BILECO) AND SAN MIGUEL ENERGY CORPORATION (SMEC), Applicants. x----------------------------------------------------x

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Additional Security. BUYER also offers a second fund in favor of SELLER and established by RENAGMEC Power Corporation. This will serve as an additional security for the amounts payable by BUYER to SELLER. If the Security Deposit of BUYER is insufficient for the amount payable

by BUYER to SELLER, SELLER shall draw the balance from the RENAGMEC Security Fund subject to guidelines to be agreed upon by the Parties.

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on 29 December 2016, Biliran Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BILECO) and San Miguel Energy Corporation (SMEC) filed an Application seeking the Commission’s approval of the Power Supply Agreement (PSA) entered into by both parties on 27 April 2016.

BILECO and SMEC alleged the following in their Application:

16.3 Contracted Capacity. Beginning Supply Effective Date, SELLER shall make available to BUYER, and BUYER shall take and accept the Contracted Capacity specified in Annex I at the Contract Price specified in Annex II. The quantities specified in Annex I shall not be changed by either Party except in cases provided for in this Agreement. The Contracted Capacity shall be sourced from the Facility or from other electricity generators, including the WESM, provided that, if the Contracted Capacity is sourced from other electricity generators, any difference between the Line Rental incurred if sourced from other generating facilities and Line Rental incurred if sourced from the Facility, shall be for the account of the SELLER.

Applicants, BILIRAN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (BILECO) and SAN MIGUEL ENERGY CORPORATION (SMEC), by and through the undersigned counsels, unto this Honorable Commission, most respectfully aver and state: That1.

2.

3.

Applicant BILECO is a non-stock, non-profit electric cooperative, duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Philippines, with principal office address at Caraycaray, Naval, Biliran. It is authorized to distribute and provide electricity services to its member-consumers in the Naval, Almeria, Biliran, Kawayan, Culaba, Caibiran, Cabucgayan, actually the whole Province of Biliran, except Maripipi (collectively, the “Franchise Area”). It has been authorized to file the instant Application as per Board Resolution, a copy of which is attached as Annex “A”;

5.

Certificate of Compliance (COC). On 11 April 2014, the Honorable Commission issued a COC registered under the name of Team Sual for its 1,294 MW Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant;

6.

The following pertinent documents evidencing the registration of BILECO and SMEC are appended hereto, as follows:

8.

16.4 Replacement Power During Outages. The SELLER shall guarantee supply and provide BUYER with Replacement Power sourced from other generating facilities or third parties, including the WESM, during Scheduled Outage and Forced Outage of the Plant or Facility.

The BUYER shall pay the SELLER a Replacement Power Charge for the total energy consumed that is associated with the Forced Outage of the Plant in every Billing Period as specified in Annex II; provided that the total number of cumulative hours of Forced Outage does not exceed seven hundred twenty (720) Equivalent Hours in a Contract Year.

If the cumulative number of Equivalent Hours of Forced Outage of the Plant in a Contract Year exceeds seven hundred twenty (720) Equivalent Hours, the Replacement Power Charge for the energy associated with Forced Outage in excess of seven hundred twenty (720) Equivalent Hours shall be zero.

16.5 Adjustments in Contracted Capacity. BUYER may apply in writing for an increase in the Contracted Capacity and SELLER may approve such an increase in writing, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.

Any approved increase shall be subject to the availability of capacity and the technical constraints of the Plant, the transmission lines, substations and other facilities, at the same Contract Price as provided for in this Agreement and under similar terms and conditions that the Parties may agree upon.

By and pursuant to Sections 23, 25, 43 (u), and 45 (b) of Republic Act No. 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA Law), its Implementing Rules and Regulations, and other pertinent rules and regulations, the instant Application for the approval of the Power Supply Agreement (PSA) executed by and between Applicants BILECO and SMEC on 27 April 2016 is herein respectfully filed.

BUYER shall be allowed a reduction in its Contracted Capacity only upon prior written consent of SELLER, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The BUYER shall apply in writing to the SELLER for a reduction of the Contracted Capacity, and SELLER shall, within thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of the BUYER’s application, inform the BUYER of its decision. Upon approval of the request for reduction in Contracted Capacity, the other Region 8 ECs may opt to assume the quantity of reduction in BUYER’s Contracted Capacity, and shall be responsible for said BUYER’s obligations to SELLER. Any Contracted Capacity not assumed by the other Region 8 ECs shall be sold to the WESM. SELLER shall sell the reduction in Contracted Capacity and Associated Energy to the WESM and any positive difference between the Total Monthly Charge (if such energy was sold to BUYER) and the sales from WESM associated with such energy, shall be for the account of the BUYER.

The aggregated uncontracted baseload demand of Region 8 from the years 2015 to 2018 is continually increasing as shown in the table below: Contract Duration Aggregated Baseload Dec. 26, 2014 - Dec. 25, 2015 65 MW Dec. 26, 2015 - Dec. 25, 2016 78 MW Dec. 26, 2016 - Dec. 25, 2017 83 MW Dec. 26, 2017 - Dec. 25, 2018 93 MW

10. Meanwhile, the contracts of most of the Electric Cooperatives (ECs) in Region 8 with the National Power Corporation-Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (NPC-PSALM) expired on 25 December 2014; 11. On 07 November 2013, the eleven (11) electric cooperatives of Region 8 composed of Don Orestes Romualdez Electric Cooperative, Inc. (DORELCO), Leyte II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (LEYECO II), Leyte III Electric Cooperative, Inc. (LEYECO III), Leyte IV Electric Cooperative, Inc. (LEYECO IV), Leyte V Electric Cooperative, Inc. (LEYECO V), Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SOLECO), Biliran Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BILECO), Northern Samar Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NORSAMELCO), Samar I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SAMELCO I), Samar II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SAMELCO II), and Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ESAMELCO) (collectively, the “Region 8 ECs”), participated in the bidding for PSALM’s 200 strips of energy from the Unified Leyte Geothermal Power Plant. Unfortunately, they lost in said bidding;

BUYER shall be allowed to reduce its Contracted Capacity on account of the implementation of Retail Competition and Open Access (“RCOA”), (a) any of its large end-users with a monthly peak demand of 750 kW or higher ceases to engage in business or becomes a Contestable Customer under RCOA or (b) any of its large end-users cease to engage in business or become Contestable Customers due to further reduction of the threshold for contestability under RCOA; provided that, in case of (a) or (b) hereof, there is a proportionate reduction of bilateral contract quantities among all of BUYER’s power suppliers.

16.6 Capacity Fees and Energy Fees. Beginning Supply Effective Date and subject to the terms and conditions of this PSA, BUYER shall pay the Capacity Fees and Energy Fees as provided for in Annex II.

12. Even more unfortunate, typhoon Yolanda hit the region on 08 November 2013 stalling any efforts to contract additional power supply and shifting the focus instead on the massive restoration efforts in the area; 13. Thus, the Region 8 ECs decided to bid out their power supply requirements for the period 2015 - 2018. Sometime in the middle of 2014, the Region 8 ECs conducted a Joint Power Supply Planning. Later, the Region 8 ECs decided, through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), to conduct a joint procurement of their short-term aggregated baseload requirement, specifically, their power supply requirements beginning 26 December 2015 until 25 December 2018.

From September 2014 to December 2014, the competitive bidding for the region’s power requirements was held; 14. For such purpose, a Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) was created to conduct the Region 8 Joint Competitive Power Supply Procurement (“R8 JCPSP”) as follows: 14.1 The Region 8 ECs prepared their respective least-cost power supply plans and their aggregated baseload demands for competitive bidding; 14.2 The competitive tender was published and announced in the coverage areas of the Region 8 ECs. In addition, prospective bidders (Generation Companies, IPP Administrators and Wholesale Aggregators whose names are listed on the Department of Energy (DOE) website) were invited; 14.3 The capacity offered by the winning bidder/s was allocated among the eleven (11) Region 8 ECs in proportion to their declared demands.

A bidder was allowed to offer to supply capacity that is less than or equal to the aggregated baseload requirement in any or all of the contract years in increments of 1 MW. In the event that some winning bidders offered less than 11 MW, the loads were optimally allocated in such a way that the blended price of generation resulting from the R8 JCPSP transaction is almost the same for all ECs. In the event multiple bidders who collectively satisfy the total baseload demand of R8 ECs are declared winners for any contract year, all winning bidders entered into individual PSAs with each of the 11 ECs; 14.4 The bidders who signified their intention to join by buying the bid documents, attended pre-bid conferences where they gave their comments and sought clarification on the bidding requirements and process. The BAC issued bid bulletins and the Final Instruction to Bidders; 14.5 The process followed the 2-envelope system - the legal requirements and proof of financial and technical capability in the first, and the commercial offer in the second. Bids were evaluated based on an Evaluation Framework and Evaluation Methodology released to the Bidders; 14.6 After evaluating the bids of each supplier, on 14 November 2014, the BAC declared Applicant SMEC as a winning bidder for a total of 83MW and 93MW for Contract Years 2017 and 2018; 14.7 On 25 April 2016, SMEC and the Region 8 ECs commenced the final negotiations for the other commercial and technical terms and conditions of the PSA; 15. Accordingly, on 27 April 2016, BILECO and SMEC executed the subject PSA, providing the terms and conditions for the supply of 2MW baseload power to BILECO for 2017 and the same amount of baseload power for 2018, which will assure the adequate and reliable supply of power to BILECO’s franchise area. A copy of the PSA is attached as Annex “L”.

In relation thereof, any adjustment in the contracted capacity will be governed by the provisions of Article 7 (Adjustments in Contracted Capacity) of the PSA”;

Dec. 26, 2016- Dec. 25, 2017 Dec. 26, 2017- Dec. 25, 2018

Exchange of Contracted Capacities among Region 8 ECs. In order to maximize capacity utilization, Region 8 ECs may exchange quantities of their Contracted Capacities in accordance with the Nomination Protocol.

Upon notice by BUYER, SELLER shall deliver to other Region 8 ECs the Contracted Capacity or a portion thereof not utilized by BUYER; provided that BUYER shall still be responsible for the settlement and payment of the Contracted Capacities.

Documents/Information BILECO’s Articles of Incorporation List of BILECO’s Board Members BILECO’s By-laws BILECO’s Certificate of Registration BILECO’s Certificate of Franchise SMEC’s Articles of Incorporation SMEC’s Certificate of Registration issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) H-1 SMEC’s information related to the ultimate parent company, its subsidiaries and all its affiliates I SMEC’s Latest General Information Sheet (GIS) J SMEC’s Certificate of Registration with the BOI K ECC issued by the DENR for the the Sual Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant Applicants may be served with orders, notices and other legal processes of this Honorable Commission through the address of the undersigned counsel;

Contract Year 2015 2016 2017 2018

CY 2017 CY2018

Contracted Capacity (kW) 2,000 2,000

Unutilized Capacity. The unutilized capacity of BUYER may be made available for utilization by other Region 8 ECs or sold to the WESM in accordance with the Nomination Protocol.

I. STATEMENT OF FACTS 9.

Duration

Capacity Utilization Factor. BUYER shall purchase the Contracted Capacity and pay for the Contracted Capacity from seventy percent (70%) to one hundred percent (100%) Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF), computed per Billing Period, in accordance with Annex II.

Annex “C” C-1 “D” “E” “F” G H

7.

Contract Year

BUYER shall maintain a minimum hourly nomination of at least fifty percent (50%) of the Contracted Capacity for the duration of the Agreement.

Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC). On 8 November 1994, the Department of Environment and Resources (DENR) issued an ECC with Reference No. 9406-003-206 to Pangasinan Electric Corporation (PEC) for the 1,200 MW Sual Coal-fired Power Project located at Sitios Bangayao, Buyog and Pao of Barangay Pangascasan, Sual, Pangasinan covering 280 hectares land area; Board of Investments (BOI) Certificate. On 26 January 2011, the Power Plant Project was registered with the BOI which issued Certificate of Registration No. 2011-024;

Total number of hours in the Billing Period.

EHFO

The sum of the duration, in Equivalent Hours, of Forced Outages in the Billing Period.

EHFM

The sum of the duration, in Equivalent Hours, of outages or reduced delivery of energy due to Force Majeure in the Billing Period.

LCRCUF

Local component of Capital Recovery Fee at CUF from 70% up to 100%, in PHP/kWh.

LFOMCUF

Local component of Fixed O&M Fee at CUF from 70% up to 100% in PHP/kWh.

FCRCUF

Foreign component of Capital Recovery Fee at CUF from 70% up to 100%, in USD/kWh.

PHCPIn-1

Philippine Consumer Price Index of the calendar month within which the start of the current Billing Period occurs, for All Income Households – All Items (2006=100), as published by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) (or its substitute or replacement agency, as the case may be) (http://www.census.gov.ph/business/price-indices/ cpi-index).

PHCPI0

Base Philippine Consumer Price Index for the month of September 2014 for All Income Households – All Items (2006=100), as published by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) (or its substitute or replacement agency, as the case may be). PHCPI0 = 140.90.

PHCPIFO

Base Philippine Consumer Price Index for the month of March 2016 for All Income Households – All Items (2006=100), as published by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) (or its substitute or replacement agency, as the case may be). PHCPIFO = 142.60.

USCPIn-1

US Consumer Price Index, All Items, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (2010=100) for the calendar month within which the start of the current Billing Period occurs. (http:// www.bls.gov/cpi/#tables)

USCPI0

US Consumer Price Index, All Items, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (2010=100) for the month of September 2014. USCPI0 = 109.20

FOREXn-1

Monthly Average of daily Philippine Peso (PHP) vs. US Dollar (USD) Reference Foreign Exchange Rate as published by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for the calendar month within which the start of the current Billing Period occurs. (http://www.bsp.gov.ph/statistics/ keystat/day99.htm)

LVOM

Local component of Variable O&M in PHP/kWh.

FFC

Foreign Fuel Cost component of Energy Fee in USD/ kWh.

FVOM

Foreign component of Variable O&M in USD/kWh.

FPIn-1

GlobalCoal Newcastle index for the calendar month within which the start of the current Billing Period occurs. (https:// www.globalcoal.com/ClientZone/coalMarketReport/)

FPI0

Base Fuel Price Index posted (GlobalCoal Newcastle Index) for the month of September 2014. FPI0 = USD66.37/MT.

BUYER’s Contracted Capacity shall be as follows:

Applicant SMEC is a domestic corporation organized and existing under the Philippine Laws, with office address at the 2nd Floor, 808 Building, Meralco Avenue corner Gen. Lim Street, Barangay San Antonio, Pasig City.

It is the Independent Power Producer (IPP) Administrator of the 1,000 Net Contracted Capacity of the Sual Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant located in Barangay Pangascasan, Sual, Pangasinan. It has been authorized to file the instant Application as per Board Resolution, a copy of which is attached as Annex “B”;

4.

HT

16. The following are the salient features of the PSA:

The Total Monthly Charge, before taxes, for a Billing Period shall be computed according to the following: Total Monthly Charge = Capacity Charge + Energy Charge +- Replacement Power Charge 1. Capacity Charge Capacity Charge = max{(QACTUAL - QFO), Q@70%CUF} = Capacity FeeCUF QFO = EHFO * CC CUF = max {70%

QACTUAL – QFO } Q@70%CUF = 0.7 * CC * [HT – EHFO – EHFM ) CC[HT–EHFO–EHFM]

Capacity Fee = (LCRCUF + LFOMCUF * Capacity FeeCUF =

USCPIn-1 PHCPIn-1 + FCRCUF * FOREXn-1* ) PHCPIo USCPIo

Capacity Fee100% LRCCUF = CUF

LRC100% CUF

FCR100% LFOM100% FCRCUF = CUF CUF Note: Qfo - o for energy associated with Forced Outage in excess of 720 Equivalent Hours.

LFOMCUF =

2.

Energy Charge

Energy Charge = (QACTUAL - QFO ) * Energy Fee FPIn-1 USCPIn-1 PHCPIn-1 + FFC * FOREXn-1 * + FVOM * FOREXn-1 * PHCPI0 FPI0 USCPI0 Note: QFO = 0 for energy associated with Forced Outage in excess of 720 Equivalent Hours.

Energy Fee = LVOM *

3.

4. Schedule of Capacity Fees and Energy Fees for CY 2017

C.U.F. 100% 99% 98% 97% 96% 95% 94% 93% 92% 91% 90% 89% 88% 87% 86% 85% 84% 83% 82% 81% 80% 79% 78% 77% 76% 75% 74% 73% 72% 71% 70% Energy Fee

Energy Fee Price Components for CY 2017 Local Component (PHP/kWh) Foreign Components (USD/kWh) Variable Variable O&M (LVOM) Fuel (FFC) O&M (FVOM) 0.0083

0.0382

0.0015

5. Schedule of Capacity Fees and Energy Fees for CY 2018

C.U.F. 100% 99% 98% 97% 96% 95% 94% 93% 92% 91% 90% 89% 88% 87% 86% 85% 84% 83% 82% 81% 80% 79% 78% 77% 76% 75% 74% 73% 72% 71% 70%

Replacement Power Charge

PHCPIn-1 PHCPIFO Note: QFO = 0 and therefore Replacement Power Charge = 0, for energy associated with Forced Outage in excess of 720 Equivalent Hours.

Capacity Fee Price Components for CY 2017 Foreign Component Local Components (PHP/kWh) (USD/kWh) Fixed O&M Capital Recovery Capital Recovery (FOMCUF) (FCRCUF) (LCRCUF) 1.4605 0.1457 0.0151 1.4753 0.1472 0.0152 1.4903 0.1487 0.0154 1.5057 0.1502 0.0156 1.5214 0.1518 0.0157 1-5374 0.1534 0.0159 1-5537 0.1550 0.0161 1.5704 0.1567 0.0162 1.5875 0.1584 0.0164 1.6050 0.1601 0.0166 1.6228 0.1619 0.0168 1.6410 0.1637 0.0170 1.6597 0.1656 0.0172 1.6787 0.1675 0.0173 1.6983 0.1695 0.0175 1.7182 0.1714 0.0178 1.7387 0.1735 0.0180 1.7596 0.1756 0.0182 1.7811 0.1777 0.0184 1.8031 0.1799 0.0186 1.8256 0.1822 0.0189 1.8487 0.1845 0.0191 1.8724 0.1868 0.0194 1.8968 0.1893 0.0196 1.9217 0.1918 0.0199 1.9473 0.1943 0.0201 1.9737 0.1969 0.0204 2.0007 0.1996 0.0207 2.0285 0.2024 0.0210 2.0571 0.2053 0.0213 2.0864 0.2082 0.0216

Replacement Power Charge = QFO * RPBASE *

Energy Fee

Capacity Fee Price Components for CY 2018 Foreign Component Local Components (PHP/kWh) (USD/kWh) Fixed O&M Capital Recovery Capital Recovery (FOMCUF) (FCRCUF) (LCRCUF) 1.4869 0.1457 0.0154 1.5019 0.1472 0.0156 1.5173 0.1487 0.0158 1.5329 0.1502 0.0159 1.5489 0.1518 0.0161 1.5652 0.1534 0.0163 1.5818 0.1550 0.0164 1.5988 0.1567 0.0166 1.6162 0.1584 0.0168 1.6340 0.1601 0.0170 1.6521 0.1619 0.0172 1.6707 0.1637 0.0173 1.6897 0.1656 0.0175 1.7091 0.1675 0.0177 1.7290 0.1695 0.0180 1.7493 0.1714 0.0182 1.7701 0.1735 0.0184 1.7915 0.1756 0.0186 1.8133 0.1777 0.0188 1.8357 0.1799 0.0191 1.8586 0.1822 0.0193 1.8822 0.1845 0.0195 1.9063 0.1868 0.0198 1.9311 0.1893 0.0201 1-9565 0.1918 0.0203 1.9826 0.1943 0.0206 2.0093 0.1969 0.0209 2.0369 0.1996 0.0212 2.0652 0.2024 0.0214 2.0942 0.2053 0.0217 2.1242 0.2082 0.0221 Energy Fee Price Components for CY 2018 Local Component (PHP/kWh) Foreign Components (USD/kWh) Variable Variable O&M (LVOM) Fuel (FFC) O&M (FVOM) 0.0083 0.0381 0.0015

ADVANTAGE OF THE GENERATION RATE AND IMPACT ON BILECO’S RETAIL RATES

Where, Total Monthly Charge

Amount to be paid by BUYER to SELLER in a Billing Period, in PHP, to which VAT and other applicable taxes will be applied.

Capacity Charge

Monthly payment for capacity and fixed costs, in PHP.

Energy Charge

Monthly payment for fuel and variable costs, in PHP.

Monthly payment for Replacement Power procured by Replacement Power SELLER for the BUYER during Plant Forced Outages, Charge in PHP. RPBASE

Replacement Power Fee (Base = March 2016) at PhP5.5000/kWh.

QACTUAL

Total actual energy delivered by SELLER to the BUYER, in kWh

Q@70%CUF

Energy supplied by SELLER to BUYER if dispatched at 70% CUF, in kWh

QFO

Total Energy supplied by SELLER to the BUYER during Plant Forced Outage for the Billing Period, in kWh

CUF

Capacity Utilization Factor, in percent (%).

CC

Contracted Capacity, in kW.

17. BILECO, together with the other Region 8 ECs, needs to address the insufficiency of its power supply due to the increasing demand within its franchise area and the expiration of its contract with NPC-PSALM; 18. Currently, BILECO receives a total of 5MW from its existing suppliers, out of its peak requirement of 6.67MW. With an annual average growth rate of 3.78%, BILECO forecasts that its peak demand from 26 December 2017 to 25 December 2018 will be 7.504MW; 19. The additional supply from SMEC will significantly augment the supply deficiency of BILECO and will decrease the adverse effects thereof by providing a stable and adequate source of electricity; 20. Among the alternative suppliers capable of providing additional energy to BILECO and the rest of the Region 8 ECs, SMEC’s rates proved to be more reasonable and competitive. While SMEC’s offer is primarily intended for its base load requirements, the Capacity Factor Pricing under the PSA provides flexibility in the DUs’ utilization of the Contracted Capacity; 21. BILECO simulated a rate impact analysis, the details of which are provided in Annex “M”, which ultimately resulted in a PhP0.6947/kWh decrease with the execution of the PSA with SMEC, to wit:

Power Forecasted 2017 Supplier Quantity (kWh) GMCP

21,343,857.69

2017 Average Rate ((P/ kWh)

Amount (Php)

Percent Share (%)

Resulting Capacity Factor (%)

104,599,843.36

56.64%

81%

4.9007

100%

4.1452

SMEC

17,520,000.00

72,623,904.00

46.49%

WESM

(1,180,843.25)

(6,747,184.21)

-3.13%

TOTAL

37,683,014.44

170,476,563.14

100%

Weighted Average Rate (kWh) 4.5240

5.7193

Generation Mix without SMEC 2017 Power Forecasted 2017 Supplier Quantity (kWh)

Amount (Php)

Percent Share (%)

Resulting 2017 Average Weighted Capacity Factor Rate ((P/ Average Rate (96) kWh) (kWh)

GMCP

21,343,857.69

104,599,843.36

56.64%

81%

SMEC

0

0

0

0

WESM

16,399,156.75

87,527,098.31

43.36%

TOTAL

37,683,014.44

192,126,941.67

100%

4.9007 0

5.0985

5.3569 Generation Rate Impact -0.5745

Note/Assumptions: 1.

Analysis and simulations is based on Coop’s forecasted 2017 hourly load profile.

2.

SMEC price is based on the proposal to the bidding, assuming 100% Load Factor.

3.

GMCP rate is based on (i) Capacity Fee at Resulting Capacity Factor; (ii) November 14 coal and shipping price; (iii) February 2015-January 2016 average FOREX; (iv) PPD not included.

4.

WESM Price is based on 2015 prices of Ex-Ante and Ex-Post Price at Nodal Point.

22. In addition to the lower generation cost of the power supply from SMEC, BILECO is also entitled to a Prompt Payment Discount (PPD), if conditions are met, equivalent to three percent (3%) of the total of the Capacity and Energy Charges and a Collection Efficiency Discount, again if conditions are met, equivalent to: Collection Efficiency Levels

Discount, PhP/kWh

Below 65%

None

66% to 75%

0.05

76% to 85%

0.10

86% to 99%

0.15

96% and above

0.20

23. In compliance with Rule 20 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure relative to the submission of supporting documents and information for the approval of the PSA and the rate structure embodied therein, Applicants BILECO and SMEC attach the following documents to form integral parts hereof: Annex

Documents/Information

N and series

Details of the PSA: a. Executive Summary b. Sources of Funds/Financial Plans ■ Debt/Equity Ratio ■ Project Cost ■ Computation of Return on Investment (ROI)/Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) ■ Certification from the Bank/Lending Institution specifying the principal amortization, term and interest during the cooperation period of the loan agreement C. Purchased Power Rate ■ Breakdown of the base prices ■ Sample Computation of Power Rates with the supporting documents on the assumptions taken ■ Rate Impact Study/Simulation ■ Statement of impact on the overall rates of BILECO once the contract is approved ■ Basis/Rationale of indexation and level of indexation d. Cash Flow ■ Initial Costs ■ Breakdown of Operating and Maintenance expenses ■ Minimum Energy Off-take (MEOT)

O P, P-1 and P-2

Details of the Power Rate Calculations and Financial Model (Confidential) Contracts for the Supply, Construction and Supervision for the Power Plant (Confidential)

Q

Details of the Fuel Procurement Process (Confidential)

R

Transmission Service Agreement (TSA) between NGCP and BILECO, if applicable

Documents/Information

S

Relevant technical and economic characteristics of the generation capacity, installed capacity, mode of operation, and dependable capacity

T U and series

OF ANNEXES “O”, “P”, and “U” 30. Under Rule 4 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, a party to any proceeding before the Honorable Commission may request that certain information not be disclosed and be treated as confidential, by describing with particularity the information to be treated as confidential, specifying the ground for the claim of confidential treatment of the information and, if applicable, specifying the period during which the information must not be disclosed; 31. Applicant SMEC respectfully moves for the confidential treatment of Annexes “O” and “P”. “P-1” and “P-2”” hereof, consisting of SMEC’s Sources of Funds and Financial Plans with Cost Assumptions. These annexes, exclusively owned by Applicant SMEC, contain information which are considered part of its business and trade secrets. As such, SMEC has the sole proprietary interest and will be unduly prejudiced should they be disclosed to the public; 32. These annexes contain numbers, data, formula, methodology, and calculations involving valuable and sensitive commercial, financial information reflecting SMEC’s business operations and financial trade secrets. Therefore, SMEC’s confidential, proprietary, and private information included in the aforesaid annexes should be protected from public dissemination. Otherwise, such information can be illegally and unfairly utilized by business competitors who may use the same for their own private gain and to the irreparable prejudice of SMEC. Negotiations with prospective customers may also be affected; 33. Similarly, applicant BILECO humbly requests for the confidential treatment of Annexes “U and series” hereof, consisting of the MOA among Region 8 ECs, e-mails confirming participation of interested suppliers in the bidding, Information Memorandum, Final Instructions to Bidders, Bid Forms, Bid Evaluation Slips, Comparison of Bids, and Notice of Award, respectively.

These annexes show the individual offers of the bidders which participated in the R8 JCPSP. The Region 8 ECs, BILECO included, are bound by their undertaking to secure and keep in confidence the offers and the proposed terms of supply, so as not to prejudice or pre-empt any future CSPs in which these bidders will participate. Otherwise, BILECO and the rest of the Region 8 ECs may be held liable for damages for breach of confidentiality, and eventually, risk their good relations with the suppliers concerned; 34. Accordingly, it is respectfully submitted that Annex “O”. Annex “P” and series and Annexes “U” and series, must be accorded confidential treatment. As such, they are to be used exclusively by the Honorable Commission and for the sole purpose of evaluating this Application, thereby protecting these data from unnecessary public disclosure; 35. In accordance with Section l(b), Rule 4 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, Applicants BILECO and SMEC submit one (1) copy each of Annex “O”, Annex “P” and series and Annexes “U” and series in sealed envelopes, with the envelope and each page of the documents stamped with the word “Confidential”.

V. PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY 36. All the foregoing allegations are re-pleaded by reference in support of herein Prayer for the issuance of Provisional Authority to implement the subject PSA; 37. BILECO and SMEC pray for the issuance of a Provisional Authority or interim relief prior to final decision pursuant to Rule 14 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, to wit: “Section 3. Action on the Motion. - Motions for provisional authority or interim relief may be acted upon with or without hearing. The Commission shall act on the motion on the basis of the allegations of the application or petition and supporting documents and other evidences that applicant or petitioner has submitted and the comments or opposition filed by any interested person, if there be any.”

38. In recognition of the fact that a substantial amount of time is customarily needed to evaluate the documents submitted to support the approval of herein Application, Applicants BILECO and SMEC seek the kind consideration of the Honorable Commission to approve the instant Application, immediately, albeit, provisionally; 39. Owing to the short term of the contract, which is only for a period of two (2) years, a Provisional Authority is all the more imperative to allow the timely delivery of energy by SMEC to BILECO, which is set to start on 26 December 2016 at 12:00 A.M. in order to avoid their exposure to the WESM; 40. The additional power from SMEC is needed to curtail any power interruptions that may be experienced by BILECO’s member-consumers due to inadequate power supply in the Region; 41. To further support the Prayer for Provisional Authority, an affidavit emphasizing the necessity thereof is attached hereto as Annex “CC”, to form an integral part hereof; and 42. Finally, the following annexes are attached in compliance with the additional requirements of the Technical Working Group for write-ups on subject documents/information: Annex DD

Costs analysis of the proposed pricing provisions of the PSA Details of the Competitive Selection Process (CSP) undertaken by leading to the selection of SMEC as its supplier, including invitations to participate and submit proposals, Terms of Reference (TOR), proposals and/or tender offers received by R8 JCPSP, Joint Bids and Awards Committee (JBAC) Evaluation Report; R8 JCPSP’s Board Resolution confirming the said JBAC Evaluation Report, and the Notice of Award to SMEC (Confidential)

Documents/Information SMEC Shareholders Agreement

DD-1

Renewable Energy Service/Operating Contract from the Department of Energy

DD-2

Certificate of Registration or Certificate of Confirmation of Commerciality by an RE Developer and after due confirmation by the DOE

DD-3

Explanation on the non-applicability of potential cost of ancillary services

DD-4

Consistency/inconsistency of the Sual Coal Fired Power Station with the DOE’s PDP

DD-5

SMEC as an IPPA project

DD-6

Explanation on the non-applicability of the MEOT provision on the SMEC contract

DD-7

Status of the ECs' Transition Supply Contract with the NPC/ PSALM

DD-8

Non-applicability to electric cooperatives of document showing list of board of directors and board members related to the ultimate parent company, its subsidiaries and all its affiliates

DD-9

Write-up on SMEC's IPPA Agreement

V and series

Details of the interconnection facility of the Sual Coal Fired Thermal Power Plant

W and series

BILECO’s latest Distribution Development Plan (DDP)

X and series

BILECO’s Load Forecast Projections, Power Demand and Supply Scenario and Average Daily Load Curve

1.

Y

BILECO’s Demand Side Management (DSM) Program that could be implemented by EC if approved by the Honorable Commission

Pending hearing, ISSUE an Order provisionally approving the Joint Application and the PSC thereby authorizing BILECO and SMEC to immediately implement the rate structures therein;

2.

ISSUE an Order treating Annexes “O”, “P”, “P-1”, and “P-2”, and “U and series”, and all the information contained therein as confidential, directing their non-disclosure to persons other than the officers and staff of the Honorable Commission, continuously protecting the said information from public disclosure by maintaining the same separate and apart from the records of the case, and ensuring that these are not divulged to unauthorized persons, pursuant to Rule 4 of its Rules of Practice and Procedure; and

3.

After due notice and hearing, ISSUE a Decision approving the Joint Application and the PSC between BILECO and SMEC, and authorizing BILECO to charge and collect the fees therein from its member-consumers.

Z

SMEC’s latest Audited Financial Statements (AFS), Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Statement of Cash Flows and Operating Expenses for the Power Plant and General Administrative Expenses

Z-1

Certification from the engine manufacturer or SMEC of the net heat rate in liters per kWh

Z-2

Updated Certificate of Compliance from the Energy Regulatory Commission 25. Furthermore, applicants BILECO and SMEC are reserving their right to submit other documents, either in the course of the hearing or as may be required by this Honorable Commission.

26. The Joint Application is consistent and in accordance with Section 2 of Republic Act No. 9136, or EPIRA, declaring as a policy of the State, among others, “to ensure the quality, reliability, security and affordability of the supply of electric power;” and Section 23 thereof, that “To achieve economies of scale in utility operations, distribution utilities may, after due notice and public hearing, pursue structural and operational reforms such as but not limited to, joint actions between or among the distribution utilities, subject to the guidelines issued by the ERC (which) . . . shall result in improved efficiencies, reliability of service, reduction of costs and compliance to the performance standards prescribed in the IRR of this Act” and that all distribution utilities shall have the obligation to supply electricity in the least-cost manner to its captive market subject to the collection of retail rate duly approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission;” 27. The Joint Application is likewise consistent with DOE Department Circular No. DC2015-06-0008 which mandates all distribution utilities to undergo Competitive Selection Process (CSP) in securing Power Supply Agreements (PSAs) which will ensure security and certainty of electricity prices of electric power to end-users in the long term, as well as with ERC Resolution No. 13, series of 2015, which requires that “PSA shall be awarded to the winning Generation Company following a successful transparent and competitive selection process ... A CSP is successful if the DU receives at least two (2) qualified bids from entities with which the DU is not prohibited from entering into a contract for power supply in accordance with Rule 11, Section 5 (b) of the EPIRA IRR.” 28. The PSA with SMEC was made to ensure the continuous supply of power to EC and due to the former’s competitive pricing structure and other favorable terms of its contract, which will redound to the benefit of the latter and its end-consumers in terms of reliable and affordable power supply; III. COMPLIANCE WITH PRE-FILING REQUIREMENTS 29. Applicants manifest compliance with the pre-filing requirements mandated under the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the EPIRA and Rule 6 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, to be established by the following: 29.1 Certifications acknowledging receipt of the Application with annexes to be issued by the Legislative Bodies of Pasig City, Municipality of Naval, and the Province of Biliran, to be appended as Annexes “AA”, “AA-1” and “AA-2”, respectively; 29.2 Notarized Affidavit of Publication stating that the Application was published in a newspaper of general circulation within BILECO’s Franchise Area, to be appended herein as Annex “BB”; and

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

IV. MOTION FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT

24. Further, in compliance with Article VI, Sections 1 and 2 of the Honorable Commission’s Guidelines for the Recovery of Costs for the Generation Component of the Distribution Utilities’ (DU) Rates, copies of the foregoing are, likewise, attached to the Joint Application as annexes and made integral parts hereof: Annex

A7

29.3 Complete newspaper issue where the Application was published, to be appended herein as Annex “BB-i”. and the relevant page thereof where the Application appears, as Annex “BB-2”;

Generation Mix with SMEC 2017

Prayer WHEREFORE, the foregoing premises considered, the Joint Applicants Biliran Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BILECO) and San Miguel Energy Corporation (SMEC) most respectfully pray that the Honorable Commission:

Other reliefs just and equitable under the premises are, likewise, prayed for.

The Commission has set the Application for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, expository presentation, Pre-trial Conference, and presentation of evidence on 15 March 2017 at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 P.M.), at BILECO’s principal office at Caraycaray, Naval, Biliran.

All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the instant case may become a party by filing with the Commission a verified Petition to Intervene at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case and stating the following: 1)

The petitioner’s name and address;

2)

The nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and

3)

A statement of the relief desired.

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file their Opposition or Comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before Applicants rest their case, subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 Rules of Practice and Procedure. No particular form of Opposition or Comment is required, but the document, letter, or writing should contain the following: 1)

The name and address of such person;

2)

A concise statement of the Opposition or Comment; and

3)

The grounds relied upon.

All such persons who wish to have a copy of the Application may request from Applicants that they be furnished with the same, prior to the date of the initial hearing.

Applicants are hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the Application and its attachments, subject to the reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the standard office hours.

WITNESS, the Honorable Chairman JOSE VICENTE B. SALAZAR, and the Honorable Commissioners ALFREDO J. NON, GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC, JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT, and GERONIMO D. STA. ANA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 15th day of February 2017 in Pasig City.

ATTY. NATHAN J. MARASIGAN Chief of Staff Office of the Chairman and CEO Standard – Feb. 25, 2017 & Mar. 4, 2017

Que chases 2nd Solaire Open title

A

NGELO Que hopes to ride the momentum of his runaway triumph at Anvaya last week although he would be heading to next week’s $400,000 Solaire Philippine Open with a different approach given the makeup of The Country Club layout, refurbished to world-class standard.

“I’m pretty excited about the Philippine Open,” said Que, who romped off with a nine-stroke win over Japanese Toru Nakajima at the ICTSI Anvaya Cove Invitational last week, making him one of the marked players in the country’s premier championship set March 2-5.

“The (Anvaya) win was a big confidence-boost but I’ll be playing with a different mindset at TCC because it’s long,” said Que, a three-time winner on the Asian Tour, including the Philippine Open at Wack Wack in 2008.

TCC’s length could indeed be daunting, even for some of the region’s long-hitters, including Que. And with the wind expected to come into play in all four days, the battle for the top $72,000 purse in the 99th staging of the blue-ribbon event sponsored by Solaire Resort and Casino and held in cooperation with Meralco and PLDT may well turn out to be a survival of the fittest.

The way it did in the recent TCC Invitational, where 2015 Phl Open champion Miguel Tabuena rallied to edge Juvic Pagunsan by one with a staggering 13-over 301 total.

TCC’s length is pegged at 7,652 yards and could measure up to 7,735 with the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. opting to use three Tiger tees (farther from the Championship tees) on

Nos. 9, 11 and 16.

Still, Que likes his chances, citing their recent stint at the TCC Invitational with the foreign bets expected to get the feel – or the wrath – of the course in their practice round early next week.

“My chances are pretty good since we played there before. The foreign challenge could try it out and let’s see,” said Que, who placed fourth at the Razon Cup, five strokes behind Tabuena at 306.

The foreign challenge also looks formidable with former Phl Open champions Marcus Both (2014) of Australia, Singaporean Mardan Mamat (2012) and Taiwanese Yeh Chang-ting (1993) headlining the cast, along with 2013 Solaire Open champion at Wack Wack Lin Wen Tang of Chinese Taipei and Asian Development Tour-PGT leg winners Arie Irawan and Gavin Green of Malaysia and Thai Ittiphat Buranatanyarat.

Though the 72-hole championship, which used to be the kickoff leg of the Asian Tour, won’t be part of the region’s premier circuit this year, the PGTI has lured a stellar international cast with the likes of Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh, Pachara Khongwatmai, Jazz Janewattananon, Panuphol Pittayarat and Rattanon Wannasrichan of Thailand and Brazilian Adilson Da Silva, among the Top 25 in the early AT Order of Merit ranking, in the fold.

Le Tour could extend to Visayas region

By Peter Atencio NEXT year, the ninth edition of the Le Tour de Filipinas road cycling races could extend to five days and into the Visayas.

There are clamors to expand the numbers of days and the inclusion of more routes that will need to be discussed.

Chief organizer Donna May Lina said this after Tuesday’s awarding ceremonies at the Queen Margarette Hotel in Lucena City, Quezon.

“We will have to ask for permission from UCI and access to do that because people have been clamoring for five days,” said Lina.

UCI, the world governing body for cycling, will have to study if a five-day race is possible because the LTDF is usually held

right before the Le Tour de Langkawi in Malaysia.

Lina said the races next year will have routes in the Visayas region and there are plans to have the finish line located away from urban areas.

She added that traffic was a challenge in the last day for the race, which took riders from Daet to Lucena.

As heavy traffic greeted riders in Lucena, Korean rider Park Sang Hong was first to reach the finish in the 4th and final stage, while Australian Jai Crawford won the overall crown.

Whitehouse, who was tightly watched all throughout and held the yellow jersey in the first three days, finished at 14th, and was behind by 2:28 in the stage.

Overall, he settled for second, and trailed Crawford by 28 seconds.

Elorde brothers defend boxing crowns tonight ALL roads lead to the Elorde Sports Center in Sucat Road Paranaque tonight, Saturday, Feb. 25 when the Elorde Brothers risk their World Boxing Organization crowns in a promotion dubbed “Boxing Kontra Droga “ by Johnny Elorde Management International in cooperation with the Rotary Club of Manila Premier.

Grandsons of the great “Flash” Elorde, Juan Martin “Bai” Elorde will defend his WBO Oriental Lightweight title against top contender Aekkawee Kaewmanee of Thailand while younger brother Juan Miguel “The Boss” Elorde will risk his crown against Erick Deztroyer of Jakata, Indonesia.

Both Elordes are rated no. 8 and no. 3 respectively in the WBO world rankings and wins tonight will boost their chances for a possible world title fight.

Bai Elorde holds a record of 23 fights with 21wins (eight by ko), one loss and one draw against 23 fights of Aekkawee with16 wins (six by ko) seven losses. Mig Elorde has 23 fights, with 22 wins (11 by ko) and one loss while opponent Erick Deztroyer has 13 fights winning eight with four losses and one draw.

Another encounter for the Philippine featherweight championship will 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ also be held in the supporting mainer between champion Randy Braga DIGITS 00-00-00-00 and Landy Cris Leon.

Japanese Kenta Ide DIGITS 00-00-00 will face Jerwin Mejes in a scheduled eight round bout at 135 lbs. First bell EZ2 00-00 sounds at exactly 5 p.m.

LOTTO RESULTS

6/45 4 3 2

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

A8

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017

Sports

B

By Peter Atencio

ORACAY— Centennial III remained on track for a third straight title in the Subic Bay to Boracay Race- Boracay Cup Regatta as it continued to hold sway with two races left in the event now on its 8th year.

There was no let-up for the defending champion, which earlier won the 210 nauticalmile Subic Bay to Boracay, as its all-Filipino crew led by sailor master Judes Echauz, kept the no. 1 ranking after four races had been completed Friday at this worldfamous island paradise.

A strong finish in the final day of the race that forms part of the Asian Yachting Grand Prix season would make Centennial the first-ever boat in the history of the meet to win three consecutive titles.

The event ends by holding a long race around the island measuring 30 nautical miles.

“The sailors’ crew work were tested (Thursday) during the windward/leeward races. Scattered rain showers with 18-20 knots of wind from the North East made the race more interesting,” said Jun Avecilla, chairman of the organizing committee here.

“The race continues tomorrow with a mixture of passage races around neighboring islands.”

A long shot of preventing Centennial III from completing history is Great Britain’s Antipodes, captained by Geof Hill, which currently occupies second place.

Karakoa, bannered by veteran sailor Ray Ordoveza, is currently at third spot, followed at no. 4 by Jelik, the one-time champion, which lost to Centennial III in the Subic Bay to Boracay race last week.

In the IRC Racing Class

FEU grabs hoop crown

Centennial III nears third straight crown Centennial III slices through the waters off Boracay as it remained on track for a third straight title in the Subic Bay to Boracay Race-Boracay Cup Regatta as it continued to hold sway with two races left in the event.

2, Sabad of Bobby Benares grabbed the no. 1 spot from Black Baza of Anthony Root and Steve Manning, and Ramrod of Peter Sorensen.

Michael Brinkers’ Bella Uno meanwhile took first place in the Cruising Class Race 2 of the annual regatta grand prix sanctioned by the

Philippine Sailing Association and backed by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Watercraft Venture Corp., Seawind Boracay Resort, the

Lighthouse Manila Resort and Subic Sailing Club.

At second place behind Bella Uno is Mermaid of Xiong Ting.

Luisita extends lead at PAL Interclub golf tourney DAVAO CITY—Luisita looked on its way to clinching its 16th Philippine Airlines Senior Interclub golf team championship Friday after holding off Del Monte at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf Club.

The Tarlac-based squad pooled 151 points to build a 14-point lead over Del Monte going into the final round at the Apo Golf and Country Club Saturday.

Benjie Sumulong and rookie Chito Laureta each carded 51 points while Raffy Garcia added 49 for Luisita which opted to sit out its top guns for the finale.

“We went to our steady players today so that we have a strong team tomorrow,” said Luisita non-playing captain Jeric Hechanova.

Luisita will have Eddie Bagtas, Rodel Mangulabnan, Jingy Tuason and Alan Alegre for the final round.

“It will be very hard for Del Monte to get five points from each of our three players so we are very confident,” Hechanova added.

After three rounds, Luisita has totalled 455, Del Monte 441, Canlubang 433 and Eagle Ridge 411.

Del Monte outscored Luisita by a single point, but still faced a formidable task of overcoming a big deficit.

Raul Minoza, a former pro and younger brother of Frankie, led Del Monte with 53 points while Yoyong Velez and Titing Callo chipped in 50 and 49, respectively.

A day after posting 162 points, defending champion Canlubang faded with 147 points and found itself staring at a 22-point deficit.

Abe Avena, playing for the second straight day, carded 52 points, but got little support from his teammates.

Spain-based Mike Preysler added 49 and Mari Hechanova settled for 46 for Canlubang.

Eagle Ridge remained in fourth spot following a 143. Scorers were Seong Song 52, Tong Wha Lee 46 and Jie Sik Oh 45.

The 70th PAL Interclub Platinum sponsors are Mareco Broadcasting Network, A&E Networks Asia, RMN Networks, The Manila Standard, Fox Networks Group, Rolls-Royce, TV5, MasterCard, TFC and Business Mirror.

Major sponsors include Asian Air Safari, Airbus, Primax Broadcasting Network and Sabre Airline Solutions while Corporate sponsors are Baron Travel Corporation, Boeing, MX3, GE Aviation, Bombo Radyo Philippines, Asia Brewery,

Tanduay Distillers, Sabre Airline Solutions and Tourism Promotions Board.

The donors are Shangri-La at The Fort, Trinity Insurance and Eton Properties.

Partial results: Championship Luisita 455 (145-159-151), Del Monte 441 (143-146-152), Canlubang 433 (124162-147), Eagle Ridge 411 (131-137-143) Aviator Manila Southwoods 380 (125-126129), Alta Vista 374 (126-129-119), Riviera 372 (130-125-117), Rancho Palos 357 (134-111-112), Guinhalaran 354 (114-126-114), Fil Am Hawaii 350 (117114-119), Camp Evangelista 346 (115108-123), Zamboanga 344 (120-125-99), Lanang 338 (108-124-106), Team Coral Ocean Point 325 (106-106-113), South Bay 319 (112-99-108), Forest Hills 310 (109-112-89), Bay City GC Alameda 306 (96-101-109), Taotaomona Guam 299 (90-112-97), Bacolod 293 (102-104-87), Vancouver 285 (100-100-85) IAGC San Diego 284 (85-103-96) SF Heritage 281 (100-98-83), Club Filipino Cebu 279 (10097-82), Cotabato 277 (91-97-89), Canphil 276 (99-66-111), PGA Qatar 275 (88-9493), Greenhills West 217 (44-77-121) EZ Par 191 (62-76-53)

Luisita’s Benjie Sumulong reads the green with care at hole 11 of the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country in Davao City.

The Tarlac-based squad built a 14-point lead over Del Monte in the 16th PAL Senior Interclub tournament.

Huang hopes to upset Lee at ONE: Warrior Kingdom

Jenny Huang (right) presses her right leg against the throat of Team Lakay’s April Osenio en route to a submissin victory by gogoplata in the second round at ONE: Age of Domination last December. ONE Championship

JENNY Huang has been very busy the past year as she disposed of three opponents. The 26-year-old grappler of Chinese Taipei executed slick submissions to tally victory against quality opponents in ONE Championship to hike her flawless record to 5-0.

Huang is set to challenge inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee for her coveted title in the main event of ONE: Warrior Kingdom on Saturday night, March 11 at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand and she intends to upset the odds and beat the favored Lee. “The champion Angela Lee is a wellrounded fighter, so it is an honor to have an opportunity to fight against her. But nothing is impossible,” said Huang.

With the title bout set, Huang decided to make some important life changes. The atomweight left her longtime gym, Martial Armour in her native Chinese Taipei, and relocated to China to be part of Tianjin Top Team, which features fellow ONE competitors Li Kai Wen, Xie Bin, and Ma Jia Wen. The Taiwan native said she made the jump for two reasons.

“First, Tianjin Top Team has good training systems. I came to learn many martial arts, and train with the many great pro MMA fighters. Second, it is sad about the environment in my hometown. A few people have made the MMA business like Game of Thrones. It is not easy to be a pro MMA fighter there,” said Huang.

It was not an easy decision to pack

her bags and move to Northeastern China. Huang believes the sacrifices she is making will prove to be worthwhile because she wants to return to Chinese Taipei as a World Champion, and most importantly, make her family proud. More specifically, her parents.

She has always had a difficult time obtaining her mother and father’s approval when it came to her martial arts pursuits.

As a child, Huang was hooked on martial arts cinema and often mimicked Jackie Chan’s fight choreography. For young Jenny, she yearned to learn something—anything—and desperately tried to make that happen. She initially attempted to practice taekwondo and attended a pair of classes with her younger

POINT guard Louell Gonzales was in foul trouble in the first half and was of little use to the Far Eastern University Baby Tamaraws’ cause for most of the game.

But he made up for his bad situation in the fourth period, sinking crucial baskets that carried the FEU Baby Tamaraws to victory to grab the 79th University Athletic Association of the Philippines Junior Basketball crown following a two-game sweep of their best-of-three finals series.

The 5’10” Gonzales knocked in 10 of 12 points in the 10 minutes of the game to lead the Baby Tams to an 81-73 subduing of the defending champion National University Bullpups.

This allowed FEU to claim their first title in four years at the Arena in San Juan.

His triple and assist to Rhon Abarrientos in the last five minutes allowed FEU to remain ahead, 66-53.

After NU forced the game’s last tie, 65-all, off Daniel Atienza’s charities, the Baby Tams wrested the upperhand again.

This time with Abarrientos hitting a trey, and teammate Jack Gloria banging in a layup of Gonzales’ pass, 70-65.

After that Gonzales made sure that the Baby Tams will never let go of the lead with a jumper of teammate Kenji Roman’s screen with 2:35 left, 72-65.

His heroics earned Gonzales the finals MVP honors, while University of the Philippines Integrated School’s Juan Gomez de Liano took home the season MVP plum.

“Buti, nakabawi siya sa foul trouble. Hindi siya makapaglaro masyado ng first quarter, second quarter at third quarter.

Nung fourth, tinanong ko ko coaching kung kaya pa dahil kailangan namin ng penetrator.

Buti, naka-catch up,” said FEU coach Allan Albano.

Abarrientos, the nephew of retired PBA great Johnny Abarrientos drilled in 13 points the Baby Tams, who were slightly ahead, 51-50, at the end of the third.

John Clemente shot a game-high 26 points for the Bullpups, who enjoyed a 4746 edge with 1:57.

Rockets humble Pelicans LOS ANGELES—The Houston Rockets shot down new-look New Orleans 129-99 on Thursday, spoiling the Pelicans debut of DeMarcus Cousins with the help of a new arrival of their own.

Big man Cousins, acquired on Monday from the Sacramento Kings in a blockbuster trade involving five players and two draft picks, teamed well with Pelicans star Anthony Davis, the two combining for 56 points and 23 rebounds.

But the Rockets forced 20 turnovers and their own new signing, guard Lou Williams, scored a game-high 27 points in the triumph.

Williams, a 12-year veteran who came to the Rockets from the Los Angeles Lakers in a trade during the All-Star break made his 25 minutes off the bench count.

He hit his first two threepointers and finished seven of 11 from long range.

Prior to the contest, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said he expected Williams to “get his feet wet” in his first game with his new teammates—and he was pleased with the splash the newcomer made.

“He’s a ball player, so I knew that he’d be OK,” D’Antoni said.

“I didn’t obviously know he was going to get 27. He just scores very easily. He’ll have a lot of room to operate.”

Meanwhile, LeBron James recorded his sixth triple-double of the season on Thursday as the Cleveland Cavaliers maintained their mastery over the New York Knicks with a 119104 NBA triumph.

James scored 18 points, pulled down 13 rebounds and handed out 15 assists for the 48th regular-season triple-double of his career. AFP

PSE says ’16 profit up 3% to P701.5m

B2

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017

B1

Pure Foods’ P5.7-b expansion okayed

By Othel V. Campos

T

HE Board of Investments approved the P5.7-billion expansion of Pure Foods Hormel Company Inc., a unit of San Miguel Pure Foods Co. Inc., under the preferred activities of the agribusiness and fishery sector of the Investment Priorities Plan.

The expansion project qualified for “commercial processing,” which entails the conversion of agricultural and fishery products or wastes into a form ready for further processing or final consumption.

The company, a joint venture between conglomerate San Miguel Corp. and Hormel Neth-

erlands Inc., has been into meat processing, especially hotdog, since 2006.

Expected to start commercial operations in December 2017, the hotdog plant will add another 61,200 metric tons per year to the current 60,000 MTPY in its plant in General Trias, Cavite.

The expansion project, once operational, will hire an additional 1,242 personnel to boost operations.

The company will use domestically-produced raw materials such as casings, meat and spices as well as imported ingredients.

As much as 98 percent of the production will be sold to the local market and the balance to the export market.

The project plans to collaborate with local farmers within the area of operations for the supply of cassava feeds for its hogs. Hogs, a major raw material in the production of hotdogs, will be raised using feeds made out of cassava.

Through the company’s cas-

sava assembler program, about 500 individual farmers will be organized into a cooperative to cultivate about 500 hectares of cassava plantation.

A hectare can cultivate around 1,000 to 1,500 metric tons of cassava. The cassava yield will be solar dried and processed into chips, which will then be supplied as feeds for the hogs.

The program features a guaranteed market with purchase agreement, floor prices, start-up technical assistance, and research and development activities to improve yield and quality.

Trade Secretary and BoI Chairman Ramon Lopez said the project was in line with the govern-

ment’s inclusive business thrust, which aims to reduce poverty, generate more jobs, and sustain inclusive growth.

The BOI, he said, was encouraging registered enterprises to adopt IB strategies that providesgoods and services and income and decent work opportunities for the low-income segment of the society within the enterprise’s supply or value chain, directly contributing to the improvement of living standards and poverty reduction.

Industry data showed the meat processing industry in the Philippines is a P300-billion market that provides jobs to around 300,000 Filipinos.

BDO says net profit rose 4.4% to P26.1b

By Julito G. Rada BDO Unibank Inc., the country’s largest lender in terms of assets, said net income in 2016 rose 4.4 percent to a record P26.1 billion from P25 billion a year ago on robust growth across all business segments.

The bank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Friday the full-year performance matched its earnings guidance for the year.

Customer loan portfolio increased 16 percent to P1.5 trillion, while total deposits rose 15 percent to P1.9 trillion on the sustained growth in the bank’s low-cost CASA (current and savings account) deposits. Net interest income climbed 15 percent to P65.6 billion, reflecting the quality growth in the loan portfolio.

Meanwhile, fee-based income grew 15 percent to P22.2 billion and insurance premium contributed P8.0 billion, as the bank’s efforts at diversifying its income stream start to bear fruit. The fee income sources compensated for the decline in trading gains to P4.8 billion.

Gross operating income settled at P107.2 billion. The bank’s operating expenses advanced 27 percent to P70.1 billion, primarily reflecting the consolidation of One Network Bank and BDO Life Insurance. Excluding these, operating expenses would have risen only by 11 percent.

The bank set aside P3.8 billion in provisions for the year even as gross nonperforming loan ratio held steady at 1.3 percent, while NPL cover remained high at 139 percent.

Metrobank’s profit drops 3% to P18.1b METROPOLITAN Bank & Trust Co., the second-largest lender in terms of assets, said net profit in 2016 fell 3 percent to P18.1 billion from P18.6 billion a year ago.

The bank, however, said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Friday net income in the fourth quarter rose 3 percent to P5.5 billion year-on-year.

“Metrobank’s 2016 performance was driven by sustained low-cost funds generation, which in turn supported the rapid expansion of commercial loans.

Last year, the bank grew its loan book faster than industry, and strategically re-positioned its balance sheet to provide a steady source of recurring income,” it said in a statement.

The bank’s current and savings account (Casa) deposits kept a high growth rate of 21 percent to reach P846 billion. Casa ratio improved to 61 percent of the total P1.4-trillion deposit base, from 56 percent a year ago, and again provided the liquidity to support loan growth.

Julito G. Rada

Energy readies new open access rules

The Board of Investments approves the registration application of Pure Foods Hormel Company Inc. as an expanding producer of processed meat under the preferred activities of the agribusiness and fishery sector of the Investment Priorities Plan. Expected to start commercial operations in December 2017, the 5.68-billion project will increase the current capacity of 60,000 metric tons per year by an additional 61,200, effectively doubling its capacity in its General Trias, Cavite plant. Trade Undersecretary Rodolfo (second from left) awards the certification of registration to Pure Foods Hormel officials led by Oscar Sañez, vice president for corporate affairs (second from right), and Virgilio Madarang, project manager (right). Joining them is BoI director for resource-based industries Nestor Arcansalin.

THE Energy Department will come out with new rules that will govern the implementation of the mandatory migration of customers with a monthly demand of 750 kilowatt-hour by June following the temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court against retail competition and open access, or RCOA. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said “those who have signed contracts can go ahead with that.”

Open access allows larges power users initially with a demand of one megawatt and above to choose their own suppliers. The department and the Energy Regulatory Commission ordered large power users choose their suppliers by February 26.

“We will leave that to the lawyers to address (the legal remedies). Those that will move are those contracts that have signed they can proceed. Those who will be delayed are those that have not signed contracts,” Cusi said. Alena Mae S. Flores

Semirara registered record net income of P12b in 2016

By Alena Mae S. Flores SEMIRARA Mining and Power Corp. a record net income of P12 billion in 2016, up 42 percent from P8.47 billion in 2015.

Semirara Mining, the country’s biggest coal mining company, attributed the strong financial results last year to higher coal and power sales.

“We delivered a solid 2016 performance despite market headwinds and operational challenges. Much of the credit goes to our people, host community, investors and government part-

ners,” said Semirara Mining president and chief operating officer Victor Consunji.

Over half of the consolidated income, or P6.6 billion, came from the power segment, with SemCalaca Power Corp. and Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp. contributing P2.9 billion and P3.7 billion, respectively.

Sem-Calaca owns the a 600 megawatt coal-fired power plant in Calaca, Batangas, which the Consunji Group acquired from the government.

Southwest Luzon, meanwhile, is a 300 MW coal-fired expan-

30,000 money lenders asked to register ABOUT 30,000 illegal money lenders have been offered the opportunity to register their business to make them officially part of the financial system.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce Philippines Inc. said the group had asked the illegal lenders to formalize their businesses with the Securities and Exchange Commission, issue invoices and receipts and start paying the proper taxes.

“We have the moral obligation to help these people. They are Indians, predominantly punjabis and the minority are the sheikhs.

But mind you, there are also Filipinos, Chinese and Korean illegal money lenders,” federation

IN BRIEF

president Rex Daryanani said during the general membership meeting held Thursday night in Pasay City.

One of the federation’s aims, he noted, was to free the Indians from the branding stigma of being called “bumbay” and “loan sharks” as a result of the “5-6” lending practice introduced by the Indians a long time ago.

He said the term 5-6 was coined because of the system lending that collects money or payment on a daily basis until the sixth day or Saturday, when the lender gets his 20 percent interest.

“That does not happen anymore. The way it works now, even with the smallest micro

entrepreneur, is if you borrow P10,000 you have to pay that in 120 days at P12,000. That is an effective rate of 5 percent per month. That is a very sound practice if you look at how a small entrepreneur will finance his business,” said Daryanani adding the lender does not penalize the borrower in case on non-payment.

The system, he added, was based purely on trust without documents.

“And while there had been issues of harassment on these people, it only become more clear that lenders with P1 million capital each means P30 billion being sucked out of the system,” said Daryanani. Othel V. Campos

sion in the same area.

Southwest Luzon started commercial operations in the second quarter of 2016, offsetting the deficiency and downtimes of the SemCalaca coal plants and resulting in total generation of 4,292 gigawatthours, up 3 percent from 4,170 GWh in the previous year.

The coal segment delivered P5.4 billion in net earnings after eliminating entries, an 86-percent increase year-on-year despite weak global prices in the first half of the year.

The composite average price of coal fell 9 percent to P1,885 per

ton from P1,943 per ton in 2015.

Semirara said the coal segment’s growth was driven by record sales of 12.8 million metric tons, up 52 percent from 8.4 million MT in 2015.

Low-grade coal supplied to Southwest Luzon more than doubled, effectively pulling down the average price of coal.

“Low-grade coal sold to own power plants more than doubled in 2016 at 1.95 million tons from 955,000 tons in 2015, thus pulling down average price,” the company said.

The Semirara board, mean-

while, approved the declaration of stock dividends amounting to P3.2 billion divided into 3.2 billion shares at the par value of P1 per share or three common shares for every one common share held from the unrestricted retained earnings of the corporation as of December 31, 2016.

The board authorized the company president to determine the record and payment date for the stock dividends.

The stock dividend declaration is subject to approval during the annual stockholders’ meeting on May 2.

RCBC AWARDS. RCBC

Treasury won awards as the Best in Fixed income and Rates Sales and Trading in 10 Categories, including credit, rates, credit derivatives and interest rate derivatives from Asia Money, one of the most respected finance publications in the world. The awards are based on the survey by Asia Money of clients who voted and chose from a roster of banks. RCBC senior executive vice president and head of Financial Advisory and Markets Group (Treasury and Wealth Management Group) Chet Luy (center) receives the awards from Asiamoney, represented

by Asiamoney editor-in-chief of Clive Horwood (right) and senior editor of GlobalCapital Asia Rashmi Kumar.

B2

Business

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks fall; Semirara declines T HE stock market retreated Friday along with the rest of Asia after US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin lowered US growth expectations.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell 76.57 points, or 1 percent, to 7,258.99 on a value turnover of P6.4 billion.

Losers beat gainers, 113 to 71, with 51 issues unchanged.

Semirara Mining and Power Corp., the biggest coal miner, tumbled 5.4 percent to P141, while JG Summit Holdings Inc. of industrialist John Gokongwei dropped 1.3 percent to P77.

Conglomerate Ayala Corp. declined 2 percent to P801, while property unit Ayala Land Inc. lost 2.4 percent to P36.05.

Asian equity markets, mean-

while, extended the previous day’s losses. Tokyo’s Nikkei ended 0.5 percent lower as the stronger yen hurt exporters, while Hong Kong was down 0.4 percent and Sydney 0.8 percent off.

Seoul fell 0.6 percent, Singapore retreated 0.5 percent and Wellington 0.4 percent but Shanghai staged a late rally to end 0.1 percent higher.

“There are those out there thinking, ‘Well, markets have had such a big runup, it’s time to take a bit of money off the table,” Shane Oliver, Sydneybased head of investment strat-

egy at AMP Capital Investors, told Bloomberg News.

“It wouldn’t surprise me to see a bit of consolidation or correction, and maybe we’re starting to see signs of that.”

The global rally fueled by US President Donald Trump is showing signs of petering out with analysts suggesting the exuberance about hoped-for spending and tax cuts may have been overdone.

That appeared evident after Mnuchin forecast three percent growth by the end of next year, warning that the effect of certain measures would take time. That compared with the four percent Trump promised on the campaign trail.

In an interview with CNBC, Mnuchin also appeared to wind back on his boss’s earlier threats

to call China a currency manipulator, easing concerns about a possible trade stand-off between the world’s top two economic powers.

Stephen Innes, senior trader at OANDA, said in a note the comments “have left investors dangling about the US administration currency policy as there appears to be a subtle shift in the Trump administration’s rhetoric.”

The comments overshadowed his promise to push through tax cuts by August, and pursue deregulation on companies and banks.

“One reason the market is reading a great deal into (Mnuchin’s) views is the proximity of the comments to President Trump’s speech before a joint session of Congress next Tuesday,” Innes added.

The dollar tumbled to 112.67 yen in New York and while it

made some inroads Friday, the unit was still well down from the levels around 113.50 yen earlier in Asia Thursday.

It remained wedged below 113 yen Friday, while the pound extended past $1.25 and the euro dallied with $1.06.

High-yielding currencies also pushed ahead, with the Australian dollar up 0.2 percent and South Korean won 0.4 percent higher.

Mexico’s peso surged more than one percent to 19.70 to the dollar, levels not seen since just after Trump’s November 8 election win as the country’s leaders stand up to the new US administration’s threats over trade, a border wall and immigration.

The peso is up 10 percent from record lows around 22 touched last month. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017

NAME

OPEN

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 3.45 24,000 48.4 15,700 95 353,410 4.24 30,000 118 1,877,390 1.3 68,000 40.35 206,200 16.1 15,100 20 113,000 7.71 2,500 1.69 11,000 0.68 4,064,000 80.3 1,539,180 0.75 317,000 14.4 9,800 25.75 100 58.65 84,460 239 1,060 120 1,250 39.15 238,500 202.6 554,280 1,780 10 79.05 76,410

80,340 758,975 33,813,758.50 128,290 221,955,820 88,400 8,340,705 243,110 2,254,958 19,273 17,990 2,787,520 123,698,815.50 236,780 140,682 2,575 4,979,251 254,412 150,339 9,368,425 112,392,910 17,800 6,041,101.50

701,075 14,336,598.50 75,254,042 -231,840 325,384 -41,200.00 86,437,940.50 21,696 2,575 -2,850,541.50 -7,614,190 -98,917,774 -17,800 445,017

43.5 5.2 0.85 1.4 18.14 0.265 9.53 16.26 165.1 23.25 14.92 60.5 91.3 2.15 6.06 11.88 12.8 7.98 6.75 5.89 1.68 21.35 73.7 16.78 6.6 1.69 201.8 7.16 3.61 27.8 30.25 26.8 15.7 288.4 0.255 6.45 3.42 8.99 3.7 11.5 2.34 7.14 1.86 78.4 4.8 265 4.95 2.83 12.06 4.24 0.146 1.47 163.9 4.42 1.68 1.07

INDUSTRIAL 43.5 893,000 5.48 2,458,600 0.85 158,000 1.4 367,000 19 1,800 0.28 12,460,000 9.62 9,994,800 16.3 3,192,400 165.6 100 23.4 140,000 14.92 37,300 60.5 10 94.95 920 2.18 246,000 6.2 11,400 11.88 1,600 12.96 4,912,100 7.98 77,600 6.8 3,835,600 5.98 19,293,700 1.68 20,000 21.55 581,100 73.7 64,320 16.78 11,900 6.75 683,000 1.71 731,000 201.8 491,280 8.17 7,936,900 3.7 11,000 28.45 1,100 30.5 397,500 27 371,200 15.9 1,964,800 290 364,390 0.26 27,980,000 6.6 19,300 3.43 6,000 9 4,908,300 3.7 3,000 11.56 2,600 2.38 1,737,000 7.15 538,000 1.93 1,625,000 78.6 958,310 4.93 63,000 266 2,480 4.95 23,000 2.89 146,000 12.1 1,775,700 4.24 3,000 0.152 2,470,000 1.5 356,000 165.1 1,683,770 4.52 9,000 1.73 5,618,000 1.08 124,000

39,060,135 13,159,232 134,840 514,110 33,110 3,468,050 96,300,694 52,036,458 16,548 3,266,330 567,356 605 84,138.50 530,830 69,904 19,024 63,637,168 622,130 25,994,463 115,309,045 33,600 12,501,740 4,740,805 200,526 4,605,066 1,245,790 99,749,798 62,432,592 39,800 30,645 12,058,105 10,091,465 31,296,604 106,412,786 7,345,050 125,956 20,530 44,206,926 11,100 30,046 4,104,990 3,846,702 3,073,740 75,328,199.50 307,710 660,362 113,850 419,720 21,609,652 12,720 368,200 533,300 278,026,207 40,470 9,787,310 132,720

2,323,475 2,205,986 -8,100 12,987,509 -34,368,768 442,556 -43,200 -3,072 24,623,690 78,573.00 -7,679,734 75,316,861 -959,575 364,325 -794,750 -322,900 -8,639,084 -1,255,490 27,800 727,630 -4,082,020 3,170,020 -5,388,582 -2,109,650 13,670 22,450,006 1,769,500 716 -218,980 3,157,352 20,936 -9,900 13,164,174 -1,490 111,286,297 -260,500 -

0.375 72.8 12.76 1.11 6.3 0.37 0.385 801 9.02 12.96 7.95 0.19 1,220 6 77 4 0.97 7.83 14.42 0.455 6.84 3.01 0.056 2 106 2.31 668 1.49 265 0.29 0.188 0.255

HOLDING FIRMS 0.38 840,000 73.15 1,180,750 12.78 5,344,600 1.17 107,000 6.35 15,000 0.375 6,410,000 0.39 60,000 801 218,500 9.2 587,300 13 14,990,200 8.09 2,000 0.19 170,000 1,235 168,375 6.05 34,400 77 1,617,020 4 6,000 0.97 14,402,000 7.9 434,500 15 6,415,000 0.455 10,000 6.88 33,350,000 3.01 10,000 0.057 246,700,000 2.01 70,000 106.8 275,410 2.5 28,000 668 404,280 1.51 303,000 267 7,570 0.29 90,000 0.188 390,000 0.255 60,000

318,700 86,374,424.50 68,371,624 124,840 95,140 2,441,650 23,150 176,583,365 5,396,615 195,708,618 15,998 32,320 207,334,510 207,334 124,851,727.50 24,000 14,375,370 3,415,586 95,358,192 4,550 229,622,570 30,100 14,327,630 140,200 29,341,920 69,430 272,278,600 458,310 2,016,976 26,400 73,550 15,300

3,537,006 12,968,518 117,515,915 2,946,170 -105,085,122 205,665 6,473,376.50 280,780 481,421 1,701,902 73,225,620 -1,079,000 9,667,965 -63,829,700 -218,720 15,300

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

AG FINANCE 3.25 ASIA UNITED 48 BANK PH ISLANDS 96 BDO LEASING 4.2 BDO UNIBANK 119 BRIGHT KINDLE 1.3 CHINABANK 40.6 COL FINANCIAL 16.1 EAST WEST BANK 20 FILIPINO FUND 7.71 IREMIT 1.63 MEDCO HLDG 0.7 METROBANK 81.4 NTL REINSURANCE 0.75 PB BANK 14.46 PBCOM 25.75 PHIL NATL BANK 59.8 PHIL STOCK EXCH 242 PHILTRUST 125 RCBC 39.05 SECURITY BANK 205 SUN LIFE 1,780 UNION BANK 79.2

3.45 48.4 96 4.35 119.2 1.3 40.75 16.1 20 7.71 1.69 0.7 81.45 0.75 14.46 25.75 59.8 243 125 39.9 205 1,780 79.2

3.25 48 94.25 4.2 117.6 1.3 40.3 16.1 19.92 7.7 1.63 0.68 80 0.74 14.22 25.75 58.55 239 116.3 39.05 200.8 1,780 79

ABOITIZ POWER 44.3 AGRINURTURE 5.21 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.86 ALSONS CONS 1.42 ASIABEST GROUP 19.58 BASIC ENERGY 0.27 CEMEX HLDG 9.77 CENTURY FOOD 16.3 CHEMPHIL 165.1 CIRTEK HLDG 23.45 CNTRL AZUCARERA15.14 CONCEPCION 60.5 CONCRETE A 91.3 CROWN ASIA 2.18 DAVINCI CAPITAL 6.2 DEL MONTE 11.88 DNL INDUS 12.82 EEI CORP 8.04 EMPERADOR 6.8 ENERGY DEVT 6 EUROMED 1.68 FIRST GEN 21.5 FIRST PHIL HLDG 73.7 HOLCIM 16.92 INTEGRATED MICR 6.61 IONICS 1.7 JOLLIBEE 203 LMG CHEMICALS 7.46 MABUHAY VINYL 3.61 MACAY HLDG 27.8 MANILA WATER 30.25 MAXS GROUP 27 MEGAWIDE 16.1 MERALCO 293 MG HLDG 0.26 PANASONIC 6.45 PEPSI COLA 3.42 PETRON 9 PHIL H2O 3.7 PHINMA 11.5 PHINMA ENERGY 2.34 PHX PETROLEUM 7.16 PHX SEMICNDCTR 1.94 PILIPINAS SHELL 78.65 PRYCE CORP 4.8 PUREFOODS 268.2 RFM CORP 4.95 ROXAS HLDG 2.83 SHAKEYS PIZZA 12.2 SPC POWER 4.24 SWIFT FOODS 0.147 TKC METALS 1.49 UNIV ROBINA 165.8 VICTORIAS 4.42 VITARICH 1.68 VULCAN INDL 1.07

44.3 5.48 0.86 1.42 19.58 0.285 9.81 16.36 166 23.45 15.3 60.5 94.95 2.18 6.2 12.04 13.1 8.1 6.83 6 1.68 21.6 73.8 17.1 6.8 1.77 204.8 8.18 3.7 28.45 30.5 27.35 16.2 293 0.275 6.68 3.43 9.03 3.7 11.58 2.38 7.16 1.94 78.95 5.08 268.2 4.95 2.95 12.28 4.24 0.152 1.52 165.8 4.52 1.79 1.08

ABACORE CAPITAL 0.385 ABOITIZ EQUITY 73.7 ALLIANCE GLOBAL 12.82 ANGLO PHIL HLDG 1.11 ANSCOR 6.35 ATN HLDG A 0.38 ATN HLDG B 0.385 AYALA CORP 816.5 COSCO CAPITAL 9.13 DMCI HLDG 13.18 FILINVEST DEV 8.09 FORUM PACIFIC 0.192 GT CAPITAL 1,237 HOUSE OF INV 6 JG SUMMIT 77.8 JOLLIVILLE HLDG 4 LODESTAR 1.02 LOPEZ HLDG 7.85 LT GROUP 14.44 MABUHAY HLDG 0.455 METRO PAC INV 6.85 MJC INVESTMENTS 3.01 PACIFICA 0.06 PRIME ORION 2 SAN MIGUEL CORP 106.8 SEAFRONT RES 2.32 SM INVESTMENTS 680 SOLID GROUP 1.49 TOP FRONTIER 268 UNIOIL HLDG 0.3 WELLEX INDUS 0.193 ZEUS HLDG 0.255

0.385 73.7 12.94 1.18 6.35 0.395 0.39 817 9.21 13.26 8.09 0.192 1,237 6.05 78 4 1.03 7.9 15 0.455 6.95 3.01 0.061 2.01 106.8 2.65 680.5 1.52 268 0.3 0.193 0.255

VOLUME

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

0.325 0.68 4.95 25 1.71 3.35 29.5 1.03 7 0.92 4.9

0.31 0.6 4.81 24.5 1.68 3.27 29.2 1 7 0.9 4.73

0.325 0.64 4.94 24.5 1.68 3.35 29.4 1.03 7 0.9 4.77

460,000 64,664,000 1,026,000 1,199,100 183,000 6,000 17,879,800 6,157,000 100 688,000 6,488,000

143,800 41,637,060 5,024,620 29,495,315 309,400 19,840 526,046,215 6,228,320 700 623,110 31,019,530

-1,540 -247,000 -21,035,880 182,263,995 -863,500 -24,289,220

2GO GROUP 8 ABS CBN 47.5 ACESITE HOTEL 1.59 APC GROUP 0.53 ASIAN TERMINALS 10.7 BERJAYA 5.16 BLOOMBERRY 7.71 BOULEVARD HLDG 0.065 CALATA CORP 2.48 CEBU AIR 93.5 CENTRO ESCOLAR 9.8 DFNN INC 8.85 DISCOVERY WORLD 2.3 GLOBE TELECOM 1,848 GMA NETWORK 6.15 GOLDEN HAVEN 16.44 HARBOR STAR 3.8 IMPERIAL 4.71 INTL CONTAINER 75.3 IP EGAME 0.0095 IPEOPLE 12.06 IPM HLDG 9.07 ISLAND INFO 0.194 ISM COMM 1.37 JACKSTONES 3.2 LEISURE AND RES 4 MACROASIA 3.25 MELCO CROWN 5.01 METRO RETAIL 3.77 NOW CORP 2.9 PACIFIC ONLINE 11.18 PAL HLDG 5.65 PAXYS 3.21 PHIL SEVEN CORP 138 PHILWEB 9.06 PLDT 1,418 PREMIUM LEISURE 1.37 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.415 PUREGOLD 46.2 ROBINSONS RTL 80.4 SBS PHIL CORP 6.17 SSI GROUP 2.46 STI HLDG 1.13 TRANSPACIFIC BR 1.71 TRAVELLERS 3.36 WATERFRONT 0.415

8 47.6 1.59 0.54 10.98 5.25 7.71 0.066 2.49 93.95 9.8 8.85 2.4 1,869 6.15 16.68 3.8 4.8 76.15 0.0095 12.06 9.07 0.198 1.37 3.2 4 3.27 5.14 3.8 2.96 11.2 5.7 3.21 138 9.06 1,440 1.42 0.42 46.5 80.4 6.23 2.47 1.14 1.74 3.36 0.42

7.91 47.3 1.48 0.53 10.1 5.16 7.4 0.065 2.42 93.45 9.75 8.7 2.09 1,831 6.14 16.38 3.68 4.1 75.3 0.0093 12 9.06 0.19 1.36 3.2 3.97 3.1 5 3.74 2.77 11.18 5.65 3.15 138 8.95 1,400 1.37 0.415 45.95 79 6.16 2.44 1.12 1.65 3.28 0.41

SERVICES 7.91 164,200 47.35 16,200 1.48 13,000 0.54 200,000 10.68 648,700 5.16 22,900 7.4 6,172,900 0.066 6,120,000 2.42 6,642,000 93.5 55,280 9.75 5,800 8.85 134,700 2.09 21,000 1,831 107,800 6.14 55,200 16.38 79,700 3.7 1,923,000 4.2 1,441,000 75.45 1,369,520 0.0093 8,000,000 12 32,500 9.06 455,000 0.194 14,420,000 1.36 203,000 3.2 15,000 3.98 333,000 3.26 1,254,000 5.1 3,167,900 3.78 865,000 2.78 2,201,000 11.2 5,400 5.69 41,300 3.15 42,000 138 20 9 109,600 1,400 111,540 1.42 25,098,000 0.42 2,320,000 46.2 3,023,800 79.2 1,764,000 6.16 168,700 2.44 550,000 1.13 6,964,000 1.74 61,000 3.3 844,000 0.415 400,000

1,306,894 767,145 19,350 107,300 6,994,824 118,245 46,936,027 400,640 16,230,070 5,174,194 56,565 1,189,845 48,030 199,109,395 339,289 1,308,500 7,143,400 6,230,180 103,720,176 75,600 390,554 4,122,350 2,778,780 277,560 48,000 1,323,440 4,046,650 16,072,179 3,256,850 6,214,770 60,380 234,573 133,000 2,760 986,761 156,556,555 35,273,380 969,600 139,829,940 140,439,528 1,040,805 1,347,780 7,874,450 102,090 2,797,420 164,500

-1,590 -4,880,820 8,787,826 -40,097 46,370,680 10,800 55,700 -10,562,386.50 -10,169,532.00 -11,040 -5,094 88,200 2,760 116,990 -90,664,690 799,410 -20,412,060 -18,288,967 -375,750 1,673,410.00 -1,012,960 -

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

0.0032 2.08 5.75 1.83 1.95 0.47 0.46 11.18 2.42 0.25 0.186 0.195 0.011 1.82 6.57 2.39 0.46 0.93 0.011 0.012 4.19 0.014 9.35 3.18 151.9 2.86

0.0033 2.35 5.8 1.92 1.98 0.47 0.465 11.18 2.43 0.255 0.187 0.2 0.011 1.85 6.78 2.39 0.5 0.94 0.012 0.012 4.19 0.015 9.4 3.2 154.4 2.86

0.0032 2.04 5.7 1.82 1.92 0.46 0.45 10.32 2.38 0.25 0.185 0.195 0.011 1.78 6.56 2.29 0.46 0.9 0.011 0.012 4.19 0.014 9.1 3.15 141 2.85

MINING & OIL 0.0032 97,000,000 2.22 39,954,000 5.7 388,900 1.84 45,000 1.98 112,000 0.465 330,000 0.45 760,000 11.06 13,500 2.4 928,000 0.25 200,000 0.186 3,810,000 0.195 840,000 0.011 10,800,000 1.85 655,000 6.7 1,972,700 2.33 187,000 0.495 18,000 0.92 619,000 0.011 29,200,000 0.012 1,000,000 4.19 3,000 0.014 17,100,000 9.1 1,375,000 3.19 542,000 141 2,323,840 2.85 31,000

310,700 88,333,940 2,223,538 83,110 217,320 153,600 348,300 143,102 2,229,690 50,050 710,230 165,300 118,800 1,200,410 13,160,629 430,390 8,565 559,180 321,500 12,000 12,570 240,200 12,657,850 1,725,370 338,242,405 88,390

32,000 1,679,410 -556,015 -207,420 -9,200 189,720 218,370 -6,029,385 -8,668,815 127,730 -70,225,142 -

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

47.3 535 106.2 105 115.2 530 5.85 1,040 107 1,047 1,098 1,018 82.5 80.9 78 78.05

47.3 535 106.2 105 115.2 530 5.85 1,040 107 1,047 1,098 1,018 82.5 81 78 78.05

47.2 535 106 104 115.2 530 5.84 1,040 107 1,045 1,096 1,011 81.05 79.8 78 78.05

PREFERRED 47.25 137,900 535 990 106 79,240 104 782,900 115.2 3,400 530 1,340 5.84 257,500 1,040 950 107 186,400 1,045 1,200 1,096 340 1,011 500 82 39,610 79.8 62,000 78 500 78.05 2,000

6,511,530 529,650 8,399,540 81,421,610 391,680 710,200 1,504,305 988,000 19,944,800 1,254,240 372,900 506,240 3,213,769.50 5,002,700 39,000 156,100

-912,970 53,100 -1,463,425.00 101,800 -

LR WARRANT

2.13

2.2

2.13

WARRANTS 2.2 120,000

262,190

-

454,835 518,780 14,650 33,273,833

3,655,652

913,232

-360,420

NAME

OPEN

PHIL ESTATES PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

0.31 0.61 4.81 24.95 1.69 3.27 29.3 1.01 7 0.91 4.9

MS SME PHILAB HLDG ITALPINAS MAKATI FINANCE XURPAS

7.25 3.62 2.93 8.09

FIRST METRO ETF 120.2 8990 HLDG A BROWN ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE IRC PROP MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED

6.63 1.02 2.62 1.18 36.8 3.56 5.06 0.52 1.35 0.168 0.57 54.7 0.74 0.17 1.7 1 1.32 3.65 0.166

6.8 1.04 2.66 1.21 36.85 3.59 5.13 0.53 1.37 0.169 0.57 55 0.74 0.174 1.7 1 1.34 3.71 0.168

6.59 1.02 2.58 1.15 36.05 3.47 5.06 0.51 1.28 0.168 0.56 54.3 0.74 0.162 1.64 0.99 1.3 3.65 0.164

PROPERTY 6.8 197,200 1.03 288,000 2.6 128,000 1.17 12,650,000 36.05 7,782,400 3.5 2,817,000 5.13 10,100 0.51 5,345,000 1.35 165,000 0.169 750,000 0.57 2,064,000 55 233,190 0.74 1,000 0.165 4,980,000 1.65 17,908,000 0.99 345,000 1.3 421,000 3.7 17,694,000 0.164 15,580,000

1,319,988 295,830 335,740 14,898,360 282,620,630 9,908,590 51,113 2,778,720 220,190 126,070 1,167,300 12,757,736 740 821,550 29,803,070 342,070 556,300 65,333,950 2,570,510

-201,050 300,950.00 -203,474,365.00 -6,250,330 -1,317,160 5,764,113 -24,639,180 26,000 -6,565,100 -

7.4 3.7 2.93 8.18

7.17 3.58 2.93 7.96

120.8

120

TRADING SUMMARY SHARES

FINANCIAL

10,119,454

INDUSTRIAL

122,414,910

HOLDING FIRMS

334,807,698

PROPERTY

189,905,470

SERVICES

104,300,770

MINING & OIL

210,571,237

GRAND TOTAL

976,483,249

7.2 3.58 2.93 8

63,100 144,000 5,000 4,144,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 120 7,590

VALUE 1,797.46 (DOWN) 15.37 633,896,292.008 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,137.91 (DOWN) 50.96 1,323,121,549.754 HOLDING FIRMS 7,396.08 (DOWN) 71.60 1,539,422,418.91 PROPERTY 3,293.85 (DOWN) 33.44 SERVICES 1,408.15 (DOWN) 12.66 1,190,522,746.08 MINING & OIL 12,023.67 (DOWN) 355.66 1,215,209,057.7975 PSEI 7,258.99 (DOWN) 76.57 463,767,663.625 All Shares Index 4,395.08 (DOWN) 32.19 6,401,115,198.1715 Gainers:71; Losers: 113; Unchanged: 51; Total: 235

PSE says ’16 profit up 3% to P701.5m

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Philippine Stock Exchange posted a net income of P701.5 million in 2016, up 3 percent from P682.1 million in 2015, on higher operating revenues and lower expenses.

The PSE said operating revenues increased 4 percent in 2016 to P1.26 billion from P1.21 billion, while operating expenses declined 1.5 percent to P592.6 million the previous year.

Listing-related income, which accounted for 44 percent of total operating income, rose 16 percent following the initial public offerings of four companies and follow-on offerings of 39 firms.

Trading-related income dropped 2.2 percent after the value turnover in 2016 slipped fell 10 to P1.93 trillion.

Services fees from Securities Clearing Corp., a wholly-owned unit of the PSE, rose 10 percent, while revenues from data feed increased 12.5 percent as both the number of market data subscribers and income from subscription decreased.

“Our revenues were affected by the volatile markets as it kept our tradingrelated income muted. But the decline in this revenue segment was more than enough to offset the multiple offerings we had which picked up in the second half of 2016,” PSE president and chief executive Hans Sicat said.

The four IPOs last year were Cemex Holdings Philippines Inc., Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures Inc. and Golden Haven Memorial Park Inc.

Phoenix sells unit Udenna for P1b

By Alena Mae S. Flores PHOENIX Petroleum Philippines Inc. said Friday it sold wholly-owned unit Phoenix Petroterminals & Industrial Park Corp. to affiliate Udenna Development Corp. for P1 billion.

Phoenix disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange the sale followed the approval of its board of directors on September 2, 2016.

“The sale will allow the company to allocate all of its resources to fuel and thus enable to drive its aggressive growth of its core business and distribution of petroleum products nationwide,” it said.

Phoenix said it would use proceeds from the sale to pay existing debts to effectively reduce the interest-bearingdebt-to-equity ratio.

It said 95 percent of the purchase price equivalent to P950 million would be paid in cash and the balance within six months from the execution of the deed of sale.

PPIPC is a developer of and manages the Phoenix Petroterminals & Industrial Park consisting of about 94 hectares of land spanning the Barangays Salong, Puting Bato West and Lumbang Calzada in Calaca, Batangas province.

PPIPC is engaged in the business of acquiring and selling lands, buildings and improvements.

The sale covers six million shares representing 100 percent of the outstanding stocks of company at P166.667 apiece.

Home / Design

B3

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

NET GROUP TAKES THE LESS TRODDEN PATH, AND COMES OUT A WINNER

W

hile many Filipino developers remain reluctant to invest in green building technologies that they perceive as costly, a company based in Taguig City did the opposite and met with success.

Barely a decade since its founding in 1999, The Net Group (TNG)—developer and owner of seven intelligent office buildings within the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City—decided to make its future buildings green, and to “greenify” its earlier developments.

“Real estate is, by nature, a long-term business. In order to be successful in the long-term, you can’t just look at maximizing your profit today; you have to look at your impact on the environment and your partnership with the community,” said Ramon D. Rufino, TNG co-president.

Step-by-step

He admitted that the task was a daunting one, so TNG decided that the transition will have to be done step-by-step.

“When we made the commitment (to go green), we looked at so-called low-hanging fruits, things that we can do quickly while generating maximum positive impact,” he said. “This is why we decided to get renewable energy from AboitizPower.”

“We didn’t have to spend a lot on capex (capital expense) and go through lengthy technical research. We just partnered with an established leader in the power industry,” Rufino said, adding that TNG shares AboitizPower’s triple bottom line approach to achieve a balance among planet, people and profit.

TNG switched six of its buildings to Cleanergy, AboitizPower’s brand for renewable energy, in July 2013.

MORE THAN A MARKETING PITCH. In 2015, TNG’s Net Park became a finalist in the 5-Star Best Commercial High Rise Development category of the International Property Awards Regional and Global Division in London.

From design to construction to management Rufino pointed out, though, that TNG’s commitment to become sustainable does not stop at using renewable energy. He said that TNG integrated the green philosophy into all aspects of property development, from design to construction to management.

“We are happy to be part of TNG’s leadership in sustainable building designs and in ‘greenifying’ communities. We will be partners with them in looking for better solutions and in building a better future for our communities,” said AboitizPower SVP Luis Miguel Aboitiz.

The Net Lima was the first project to be certified under the BERDE (Builidng for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence) rating tool of the Philippine Green Building Council with a 4 Star rating. It included features that are designed to reduce solar heat gain and optimize natural light to achieve energy efficiency. The property also uses a system that harvests rainwater and water condensate from air conditioning units.

Net Park is currently undergoing BERDE certification and hopes to be the first project to achieve a 5-Star rating, the highest possible rating under the green building rating tool.

With a 54.5-percent gross leasable office space in Bonifacio Global City, TNG leads the real estate industry not only in terms of sustainable building design, but also with its relations with its tenants.

TEMPLES OF GLORY. Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, in cooperation with the Ortigas Foundation Inc. recently opened a photo documentation exhibit of Philippine churches, in cooperation with the Ortigas Foundation. Currently on display at Casa Candaba, one of the oldest houses in the resort, “Churches of the Philippines: our lasting links with Spain”, features over 300 churches all over the country. First exhibited in Madrid, Spain and now in the Philippines, the exhibit shows intricate architecture, distinctive styles, and historical gravitas from the different regions of the Philippines. At the ribbon cutting were (from left to right) were Atty. Ignacio R. Ortigas; Chari Montilla, Tess Acuzar and Jerry Acuzar.

PUBLIC ART. Leeroy New’s artwork at Escolta pumping station.

British Council, MMDA team up to promote more creative, liveable city THE BRITISH Council in the Philippines and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) recently launched the ‘Art for Urban Change’ partnership. The tie-up aims to contribute to more liveable and creative cities, and includes the creation of site-specific artworks on pumping stations found along Pasig River, a traveling art exhibition, and the creation of a public art advisory group.

The first work was unveiled during the partnership launch, located at a pumping station on Burke Street corner Muelle del Banco Nacional.

Leeroy New created the artwork alongside collaborator, Janno Abenoja. Pumping stations are vital in the city’s flood management as they regulate the water levels of Pasig River and sewers.

Leeroy New is an artist-designer who does large scale public art.

‘As countries around the world grapple with the complex challenges of urbanisation, the evidence is clear that culture and creativity can play an essential role in making cities more inclusive, sustainable and economically vibrant,” said Nick Thomas, British Council country director.

He added that with problems such as traffic congestion and lack of public spaces, cooperation and creative ideas on improving urban liveability are more needed than ever.

The traveling exhibition features works

MILLENNIAL LIVING. CapitaLand’s residence business unit, Ascott Limited (Ascott), recently unveiled Lyf (pronounced ‘life’), designed for millennials who want to experience destinations as locals do. Lyf is an accommodation tailored for technopreneurs, start-ups and individuals from music, media and fashion. Unlike conventional serviced apartments, the properties are managed by “Lyf Guards”, millennials who may be residents themselves, community managers, city and food guides, bar keepers and problem solvers all rolled into one. Designed to facilitate interaction between guests, each Lyf property has its own unique personality with fun and quirky design elements. They have ‘connect’ communal spaces, co-working areas that can be easily transformed into zones for workshops or social gatherings. The residence offers a range of apartment layouts from ‘big bed’ rooms (studios) to ‘two of a kind’ rooms (twin rooms) – two private rooms with a shared kitchen.

EXPLORING THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT. Nicholas Thomas, British Council country director and Julia Nebrija, assistant manager of MMDA, sign the British Council-MMDA partnership. from Rivers of the World, a project that enables young people to explore their local environment. Six art pieces created by students from Marikina and local art collective, Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan, will be displayed in selected Pasig ferry stations from November 2016 to 2017. The artworks were first shown at the Totally Thames Festival in London last September.

MAKE MINE PROSCENIUM. Megawide Construction Corporation and Rockwell Land Corporation recently topped-off the Proscenium’s Lincoln Tower in Rockwell Center, Makati City. The Lincoln and Lorraine towers are Megawide’s two ongoing projects at the Proscenium. Lincoln is a 47-storey luxury residential tower with three basement parking levels.

Lincoln is part of Rockwell Land’s five-tower development, the Proscenium, which will also include a performing arts theatre, myriad amenities, and other retail establishments. Executives from project developer Rockwell Land, infrastructure and engineering firm Megawide, and construction project management specialist Design Coordinates, Inc. attended the celebration of the new milestone. From left to right: Design Coordinates, Inc. managing director Franz Ziebert; Megawide President Edgar Saavedra; Rockwell Land senior vice president for sales and marketing Valerie Soliven; Rockwell Land CEO Nestor Padilla; Megawide chairman and CEO Michael Cosiquien’ Megawide VP for operations Albert Saringo; and Rockwell Land assistant vice president Alex Diesmos

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

B4

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017

OLD WORLD-INSPIRED. Mara Manalo makes use of artefacts and vintage pieces to convey an old world ambiance.

ART AND DECO CONTEMPORARY ELEGANCE COMBINE TO SPRUCE UP

ORTIGAS CONDO

W

hen the country’s top interior design minds are given a blank canvas to unleash their creativity on, expect a zeitgeist of unusually creative proportions. That’s exactly what happened with the recent collaboration of leading developer Robinsons Residences and Summit Media’s Real Living magazine.

INTIMATE ZEITGEIST. Angelo Siochi combines seemingly different pieces together to come up with a design that is reminiscent of a nostalgic, vintage Art Deco style.

COLOR IT BOLD. Kristine Neri-Magturo uses bold colors and adds texture into her design by using a feathered drop light. Despite the drastic elements used, everything comes together and blends well.

Six interior designers and three design teams, taking inspiration from the Art Deco era while meeting modern-day needs and matching the personalities of their envisioned clients, dressed up units at The Sapphire Bloc – Robinsons Residences’ condominium project in Ortigas Center.

The designers who were tapped included Wilmer Lopez, Mara Manalo, Erika Uichanco, Ar. Angelo Siochi, Carlo Mecate, Kristine Neri-Magturo, and design teams Carlos + Gomez Interior Design, Empire Designs, and Morfosis.

After a month, the designers brought their visions to reality.

to bring their aesthetic to life. NeriMagturo chose a deep midnight blue to add a subtle drama to her Bold and Luxe bedroom. With the addition of a velvet headboard in another striking color (emerald green), she managed to turn up the volume on the luxury while still keeping the space homey and comfortable.

A lot of the designers also chose to reinterpret Art Deco style for more contemporary living. Morfosis built on the geometric lines characteristic of Art Deco, and fused it with the preferences of their imaginary client which is an artistic Japanese dance instructor.

Combining two vastly different deBringing their aesthetic to life sign philosophies has been a challenge, Many of the designers turned to color but the team pulled it off by sticking

to an open layout accentuated by strategically-placed furniture and geometric patterns. “We wanted to go with a not-so-typical layout just to make it more interesting than putting furniture against the wall,” explained Morfosis’ Misty Floro.

Some designers used furniture to craft the type of ambiance that they want for their space. Siochi’s Nostalgic Vintage bedroom used a Harver Hill bed to anchor all the elements in, while adding unique pieces such as a ceramic stool and a geometric ottoman to maximize the space without making it too overwhelming.

From blank canvas to elegant home

For Siochi, the unit itself played a big part in the success of his mix-and-match design. “As an architect and interior designer, I was impressed with the living spaces at The Sapphire Bloc. I think the space is sophisticated, easy to dress up, and perfect for dynamic living,” he said.

Other designers chose to focus on the little details. For Manalo, she infused old-world charm to her home design and filled the room with cultural artefacts and artwork.

“I was very happy when I visited the unit because all the bare materials were

GRASPING FILIPINO HOMEOWNERS’ NEEDS. Consumer appliances maker Midea offers lifestyle options that suit the needs of homes of all shapes and sizes. From the abodes of young professionals living independently in their condominium units, to quiet spaces for families growing their nests in gated communities, to large vacation spreads in the countryside. A high-flying yuppie could settle for an induction cooker that cooks 40% faster than a conventional electric stove, complete with quick cooking options that lock in the food’s nutrients for heathier cooking. A couple with a growing family would opt do to their laundry using a Midea full auto washing machine, while bigger vacation homes in the countryside would need home solutions that make for comfortable living, complementing the tranquility of the rural surroundings. A warm shower, courtesy of a Midea water heater, may be just what the doctor ordered. These solutions are just some of Midea’s products that people who live in their own preferred and dream spaces, can avail of.

good enough to work with. We didn’t have to change as much,” she said. “Actually what I did was just to change the paint, everything else was accessories and furniture. The unit space is well-delineated and everything feels exactly where they should be,” she added.

The collaboration created nine home models that residents can take inspiration from in dressing up their own spaces. As the participating designers have proven, all it takes is to add a splash of color, pieces of furniture, and accessories to turn a blank canvas into a masterpiece.

LGUs

Abby: Guard street crossings MAYOR Abby Binay has ordered Makati City’s Public Safety Department to strictly enforce traffic regulations on pedestrian lanes, following reports from concerned citizens about motorists blatantly disregarding the safety of pedestrians.

“I have been receiving several reports from Makatizens that pedestrians are often put at risk by motorists who fail to observe the basic road courtesy of giving way to pedestrians, even those who are crossing on pedestrian lanes,” Binay said.

The mayor also cited a report from the Makati Police Department showing that last year, a total of 204 pedestrians were injured in accidents involving various types of vehicles. Of these, 13 were hitand-run victims; four-wheel vehicles were the top culprits with 117 victims, followed by motorcycles with 76 victims.

“I have asked our traffic enforcers from PSD to see to it that pedestrian lanes are not blocked by vehicles so people can cross safely to the other side of the road. Any obstruction poses danger to pedestrians because it forces them to walk outside the lane markings which are supposed to be a ‘safe zone’ for them,” Binay said.

Under Article 20, Section 105 of the Makati Traffic Code of 2003, a driver approaching a pedestrian crossing shall travel at such a speed that he or she will be able to stop the vehicle before reaching the pedestrian crossing. It also requires the driver to give way to any pedestrian who is on a pedestrian crossing, and prohibits any part of the vehicle from encroaching on a pedestrian lane at a stoplight.

Data from PSD shows Makati currently has 146 pedestrian lanes with traffic lights, 32 pedestrian lanes without traffic lights, 11 overpasses, seven underpasses, and 64 intersections along the city’s major thoroughfares.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor Roger M. Garcia, Assistant Editor jimbo.gulle@gmail.com mslocalgov@gmail.com SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017

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Erap: Stiffer fines for smokers

By Sandy Araneta

F

OLLOWING a citywide smoking ban, Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada is now pushing for heavier penalties for those violating the anti-smoking ordinance.

On Friday, Estrada said the P500 fine and two-day imprisonment mandated under City Ordinance No. 7748 seemed “no longer enough” to discourage smokers.

“We will increase the fine up to P1,000, or up to P3,000 with imprisonment. There is an imprisonment from one day up to

10 days. Light up or you’ll get lit up,” Estrada warned, as he ordered the City Council to hasten the passage of draft Ordinance No. 7812, imposing a new set of sanctions against smoking ban violators.

“This smoking ban will be imposed in all public health build-

ings, hospitals, schools, markets, and sidewalks. We will have designated places,” Estrada added.

The day before Valentine’s Day, Estrada announced the city government will enforce a citywide smoking ban based on an old ordinance passed in 2011.

City Ordinance No. 7748 prohibit smoking in all enclosed places like hospitals, schools, public buildings, shopping malls, theaters, warehouses and factories, public utility vehicles and other public conveyances operating in the city.

At city hall, employees can only smoke in three designated

areas: Arroceros, Taft Avenue and Freedom Triangle gates.

District 6 Councilor Casimiro Sison, author of draft Ordinance No. 7812, said “it’s about time” a new anti-smoking ordinance with harsher penalties is passed and implemented.

“They are always ignoring this because there are a lot of ordinances regarding the banning of smoking but never been implemented because the penalty is ignored,” Sison pointed out.

Even city hall employees, he said, have been blatantly disregarding the ban on smoking.

“When we reviewed it, we

thought of making it stricter.

Like in city hall, looking at in the windows, you can see smoke all around them,” Sison said.

Estrada, 79, has kicked the habit after he was briefly hospitalized last December due to asthma attacks. He has since started chewing sugar-free medicated lozenges.

The mayor said it has been his fervent prayer, as the father of the city, that all the 1.7 Manileños remain fit and healthy—the reason why he has been implementing a wide array of health programs and services in the city since he assumed office in 2013.

Uniform design for QC housing projects

DAY’S CATCH. Fishermen unload the day’s fresh catch of yellowfin tuna in Daliao, Toril, Davao City.

Roland Jumawan

QUEZON City has prescribed a uniform standard design in all city government housing projects under the community mortgage program.

Mayor Herbert Bautista has signed into law City Ordinance 2558-2016, which prescribes a uniform roof color and height measurement.

The City Architect’s Department, Subdivision Administration Unit and Housing and Community Development and Resettlement Department have been tasked to oversee the crafting of the Implementing Rules and Regulations.

Quezon City’s Urban Design Code and Local Building Code

provide the guidelines and framework for the regulation and control of design developments in all QC-based structures.

As provided for under the approved measure, Quezon City will adopt white as standard color of the roof of the city hall’s housing projects.

For the height regulation, structures within the CMP shall not exceed the equivalent height of 10 meters or three floors, whichever is lower, from the highest natural grade line in the property or front sidewalk (main entry) level.

For those built on sloping terrain, the height shall be based on the highest natural or front sidewalk.

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LGUs

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017

Apayao gov scolds DA, DENR staff

By Dexter A. See

K

ABUGAO, Apayao—Gov. Elias C. Bulut Jr. urged employees of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Apayao to come out of their offices and advocate the programs and projects of their agencies to improve the productivity of farmers here and preserve and protect the environment.

Speaking during the launching of the Elias K. Bulut barangay in this municipality, the governor said DA and DENR

employees must be in the field teaching the farmers how to improve their productivity, to set an example in cultivating agri-

cultural crops and spearheading environmental preservation and protection programs “to convince people to believe in the programs of government.”

“We are saddened to learn that DA and DENR officers just confine themselves to their offices, which should not be the considering they are supposed to be out there teaching our farmers how to improve their productivity by setting examples,” Bulut stressed.

“For those in the DENR offices, they must go out in the open and plant trees or conduct an inventory of old trees that need to

be replaced, facilitate the trees being cut, and replace them with new ones, to sustain our efforts to preserve and protect the environment.”

He said Apayao has sufficient land area that could be developed into plantations or demo farms through the assistance of DA workers in the province, where farmers could learn the latest farming techniques to increase their production.

Bulut said members of the New People’s Army operating in the province should also lay down their arms and go back to the mainstream society, because the

provincial government “is ready to provide them sustainable sources of income” as forest guards to help maintain the identity of the province as “the last frontier of nature in the north.”

For the DENR workers, the governor suggested they should spearhead environmental preservation and protection programs by involving the youth in reforestation activities, while teaching them how to get rid of old tress and replace them with new ones.

Bulut expressed confidence the agency employees will listen to his advice, saying there must be “visible improvements” on

From casual worker to Penro

how they handle the implementation of their programs and projects in the coming days “so that the people of the province will feel their presence.”

He said the presence of employees of national government agencies in the province “is a welcome development” as the provincial government will have easier access to their programs and projects, but there is a need for these workers “to be aggressive in cascading to the grassroots level their programs and projects that are intended to improve the living condition of people in the countryside.”

MORO ROYALS. Sultan Cosain Umpa, HRH Rajah Mamalu II Ustadj Muhamad Linas, HRH Sultan Usman Tantao Sarangani Sr., HRH Putri Maharhanee Marieta Nor-Aisha Minadanao Adam, and His Majesty Hadji Datu Lihondo Adam, king of Maharaja Tabunaway II, raise their fists in protest and called on President Duterte to institute reforms to correct ‘historical injustices’ to the Moro people in Mindanao in a press conference in Quezon City.

Manny Palmero

By Ferdie G. Domingo BALER, Aurora—In 1981, he was hired as a casual employee of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources office here. Now, he is the top DENR official in the province.

Nicomedes Claudio, the new provincial environment and natural resources officer or Penro, is replacing Joselito Blanco, who served for 13 months.

Claudio was previously the community environment and natural resources officer or Cenro of Casiguran town.

A native of Mt. Province, Claudio first worked as a DENR casual employee for two years.

In 1983, he was permanently appointed as a forester.

Francisco Milla Jr., DENR regional director for Central Luzon, presided over the turnover of Claudio and Blanco at the DENR provincial office in Barangay Pingit here.

Claudio said he was at first apprehensive that he might not be able to sustain the DENR’s gains achieved under Blanco’s watch.

“But with your cooperation, I believe we can get the job done,” he told his colleagues.

Claudio, who served as Cenro-Casiguran on Jan. 4 last year, was replaced by Rolly Molato, previously assigned at the regional office in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga.

New Lucban bridge opened to Cagayan traffic

By Nazario A. Rodriguez Jr. River, also known as Abulug- established in 1968 by Takigami LIBERTAD, Abulug, Cagayan—The P632-million Lucban Bridge in northwest Cagayan officially opened to traffic on Friday.

Cagayan second district Rep. Baby Aline Vargas-Alfonso and key Department of Public Works and Highways regional officials led the simple ribbon-cutting ceremony at the western side approach of the one-kilometerlong structure that replaced a 49-year-old bridge.

The bridge traverses Lucban

Apayao River, and links barangays Lucban on the east and Libertad on the west. It is 15 meters upstream of the old bridge.

It connects two major highways, the Daang Maharlika in the east via Isabela Province and Tuguegarao City, and the Manila North Road in the west via Laoag City. It is the gateway to Region I and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Construction of the bridge started in March 2013 by contractors Advance Const. and Pulsar Const. The old bridge was

IN BRIEF DSWD fetes 5th ID in anniversary rites CAMP Melchor F dela Cruz, Upi, Gamu, Isabela – The Department of Social Welfare and Development, gave a “Salamat Po” Award to the 5th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army based here in a ceremony at the Global Center in Saint Paul University in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

DSWD Regional Director Ponciana P. Condoy presented the award to the 5th ID for its “remarkable contribution and steadfast partnership” with the entire Cagayan Valley region, specifically during the onslaught of Super Typhoon “Lawin.”

Col. Errol G. Gironella, assistant division commander for Reservists and Retirees Affairs, 5ID, received the award during the department’s 66th Anniversary Celebration with the theme “DSWD @ 66: May Malasakit.”

Maj. Gen. Paul. Atal, commander of 5ID, said: “Public service is a public trust. We will support the need for delivery of basic services and not betray the confidence you have bestowed. It is our duty to serve the Filipino people with utmost integrity,” Atal stressed. Jessica Bacud

Steel Construction Co. Limited of Japan, which during its inauguration was the Philippines’ seventh longest bridge.

But the deteriorating condition of the steel trusses owing to severe rust and the cracks on the concrete deck slab “necessitates its immediate replacement to sustain demands of economic activities in the area,” said Engineer Jose Tobias, chief of construction division of the DPWH regional office.

Tobias represented DPWH Regional Director Melanio C. Briosos, who was in a conference in Manila.

In a statement, Briosos said the new bridge, with a length of 825 lineal meters, consists of 12 spans with 436.90 lineal meters in total length of approaches. “It will provide convenience to the public in transporting agricultural and commercial products to major trade centers in the area and neighboring provinces,” he added.

The old bridge is now closed, will be dismantled soon, and its salvaged materials to be given to any local government unit that may request or may need it, DPWH said.

Cebu clans team up in medical venture ONE of Cebu’s top conglomerates has partnered with the homegrown Calayan Medical Group to forge a partnership called ML Calayan that aims to shake up the local medical services industry.

The M. Lhuillier Group of Companies is investing in the venture with

CMG, a family-owned firm of three generations of doctors, and has opened the first ML Calayan facial clinic at the second floor of Block 88, Oakridge Business Park, along A.S. Fortuna St. in Banilad, Mandaue, Cebu.

Soon, ML Calayan will have branches

Silang cops step up traffic enforcement SILANG, Cavite—Twenty-three motorists were meted traffic citation tickets and eight motorcycles were impounded by the Silang police and traffic management office at a checkpoint along MH Del Pilar Street here on Thursday.

The checkpoint was set up following complaints by citizens that many motorists violated traffic laws in the area, said Police Chief Insp. Lory E. Tarrazona, officer in charge of the Silang Municipal Police Station.

The motorists were booked for different violations, as the police said the checkpoint also meant to arrest potential carnapping and motor-napping attempts, detain suspected “riding in tandem” assassins and prevent potential victims of a car rental scam running rampant in the province. Benjamin Chavez

DAR CLOAs go to Bugkalot farmers BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—The Department of Agrarian Reform recently distributed land titles to at least 80 farmers in Alfonso Castañeda town.

The Certificates of Land Ownership Award were personally handed out by DAR regional director Homer Tobias and provincial agrarian reform officer Primo Lara to farmers in Barangay Lublub.

The 95 CLOAs cover more than 144 hectares of agricultural lands tilled by mostly members of the Bugkalot tribe. Tobias encouraged the beneficiaries to form themselves as Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries so they can avail of more assistance from the DAR. Ben Moses Ebreo

Rep. Vargas-Alfonso thanked all those who helped during the lobbying for funds of this project, particularly officials from the national, regional and provincial levels of the DPWH. The lawmaker recalled that right after the special elections that sent her to Congress after the death of her late father, then-Rep. Florencio L. Vargas in 2010, she went to the office of then-Public Works Secretary Jesus Singson in 2011 to ask a new bridge be built “not only for Lucban but also a similarly long bridge at Pamplona town.”

Michel Lhuillier with his wife Amparito Lhuillier and Calayan Medical Group Inc. partners Selina Sevilla and Lalen Calayan.

in key cities nationwide, said ML Group chairman Michel Lhuillier, who calls the partnership with CMG “strong” and “aiming to become one of the best.”

As a businessman, Lhuillier said one of his greatest accomplishments is “being able to help many people by providing them jobs.” Now, the ML Group is expanding its portfolio by venturing into other kinds of businesses that Lhuillier truly believes in.

“My primary advocacy is to inspire many people and to help them achieve the desires of their hearts,” says Lhuillier, adding that beauty ignites inspiration.

“I firmly believe that beauty is a necessity; I trust my new partners from the Calayan Medical Group—Lalen Calayan, Selina Sevilla, and the entire Medical team and its staff and personnel,” he said.

“Strengthening our company and expansion are our main goal right now. I would like everyone from all walks of life to experience quality beauty and wellness services without hurting their pockets,” Lhuillier added.

Lhuillier was named the top individual taxpayer in Central Visayas by the Bureau of Internal Revenue in 2014, on the strength of his flagship company, Michel J. Lhuillier Financial Services Inc., the country’s largest non-bank financial services company.

Its network includes thousands of pawnshop and financial services branches all over the country, extending Quick Cash Loans, providing insurance services, offering money remittance through its ML Kwarta Padala network, and other services.

“Hopefully, we will grow like M Lhuillier with over 2,000 branches nationwide, if the good Lord permits,” said Lalen Calayan, CMG’s Business Development manager.

World

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017

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Setback for the Great Barrier Reef S YDNEY―Australia’s plan to rescue the beleaguered Great Barrier Reef has been set back at least two decades after the fragile ecosystem suffered its worst-ever bleaching last year, experts said Friday.

The vast coral reef―which provides a tourism boon for Australia―is under pressure from agricultural run-off, the crown-of-thorns starfish, development and climate change.

Last year, swathes of coral succumbed to devastating bleaching, due to warming sea temperatures, and the reef’s caretakers have warned it faces a fresh onslaught in the coming months.

Canberra updated the UN’s

World Heritage committee on its “Reef 2050” rescue plan in December, insisting the site was “not dying” and laying out a strategy for incremental improvements to the site.

But an independent report commissioned by the committee concluded that the government had little chance of meeting its own targets in the coming years, adding that the “unprecedented” bleaching and coral die-off in 2016 was “a

game changer”.

“Given the severity of the damage and the slow trajectory of recovery, the overarching vision of the 2050 Plan... is no longer attainable for at least the next two decades,” the report said.

Last year’s bleaching killed twothirds of shallow-water corals in the north of the 2,300-kilometerlong reef, although central and southern areas escaped with less damage.

The government has pledged more than Aus$2.0 billion (US$1.5 billion) to protect the reef over the next decade, but researchers noted a lack of available funding, with many of the plan’s actions under-resourced.

The latest assessment comes after the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority warned the Queensland State government of an “elevated and imminent risk” of mass-bleaching this year, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

With heavy use of coal-fired power and a relatively small population of 24 million, Australia

is considered one of the world’s worst per capita greenhouse gas polluters.

Researchers highlighted that the government’s rescue plan does not do enough to address climate change, noting that “new coal mines pose a serious threat” to the reef’s heritage area.

While the plan has a strong focus on improving water quality, environmental groups too have been critical of the government for inactivity on global warming.

“These independent experts have given UNESCO a far more accurate assessment of progress than the rose-coloured-glasses

version released by the Australian and Queensland Governments late last year,” said World Wildlife Fund Australia head of oceans Richard Leck.

But Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg told the ABC the government had been “very successful to date” in implementing the reef’s 2050 plan.

“Climate change is the number one threat to the reef together with water quality issues,” he said, citing the government’s ratification of the Paris agreement, the world’s first universal climate pact, as part of the “broader” efforts to reduce stress on the reef. AFP

‘La La Land’ set to win big at Oscars

HONOREE. Honoree Yara Shahidi at Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. AFP

“I think (Stone) will win but if she doesn’t, it’s because she makes it look so easy and because you don’t see her putting on an accent, putting on a fake nose, all those things,” Stephen Galloway, editorin-chief of weekly trade paper The Hollywood Reporter, told AFP. “People like to see the acting.

You don’t with her. That is actually why she is so great.”

Stone also faces competition from Natalie Portman (“Jackie”), Ruth Negga (“Loving”) and Meryl Streep, 67, who earned her record-breaking 20th nomination for “Florence Foster Jenkins.”

Gosling is expected to lose out in the best actor category, however, to Casey Affleck (“Manchester by the Sea”) or Denzel Washington (“Fences”), who are seen as neckand-neck in the show’s closest race.

“I really don’t know which way best actor will go,” veteran film critic Anne Thompson, awards editor for movie blog IndieWire, told AFP. “I keep changing my mind.

And production design and costumes are also hard to call. If ‘La La Land’ wins both, it gets 10. If it wins one, it gets nine.”

Crews rolled out plastic sheeting on Wednesday to protect the red carpet and fan bleachers, with intermittent rain showers expected to hit Los Angeles on Sunday.

“La La Land” -- buoyed by a record seven Golden Globes in January -- will vie for best picture with eight films including “Arrival,” family drama “Manchester by the Sea” and “Moonlight,” the coming-of-age tale of an AfricanAmerican in Miami.

This year’s nominees reflected a push by the Academy to reward diversity after the #OscarsSoWhite controversy of the past two years that prompted calls for a boycott of the annual bash. AFP

IN BRIEF

Anti-venom saves boy from spider SYDNEY―A 10-year-old Australian boy has survived a bite from one of the world’s deadliest spiders after taking a record 12 vials of anti-venom, local media reported.

Matthew Mitchell was helping his dad clear out the back shed at their home north of Sydney when he was bitten on the finger by a funnel-web spider, that had been lurking in his shoe.

“It sort of clawed onto me and all the legs and everything crawled around my finger and I couldn’t get it off,” he told Friday’s Daily Telegraph.

His family used his shirt as a compression bandage to try and slow the venom’s spread and rushed him to hospital.

He experienced convulsions but survived after being given 12 vials of anti-venom, which local media said was an Australian record.

The funnel-web spider is among the world’s deadliest spiders. Its venom attacks the nervous system causing foaming at the mouth, muscle spasms and potentially death.

The spider was caught and taken to the Australian Reptile Park, where it will be milked as part of their program to develop anti-venom.

The 10-year-old was “as lucky as they get”, Australian Reptile Park general manager Tim Faulkner told The Telegraph.

Australia is home to a startling number of the world’s deadliest creatures, including snakes, spiders, jellyfish and octopuses.

The funnel web is particularly feared but no deaths have been recorded since the anti-venom was developed in the 1980s. AFP

HOLLYWOOD-The Hollywood awards season reaches its glittering climax at the Oscars on Sunday with “La La Land,” a starryeyed love letter to the glamor of Old Hollywood, tipped for glory.

Millions of viewers around the world will tune in for Tinseltown’s biggest night, with Damien Chazelle’s romantic musical pinning its hopes on 14 nominations, tied with “Titanic” (1997) and “All About Eve” (1950) for the most ever.

“When you mention those movies, it makes my head spin even more than it’s spinning. I’m a little speechless,” Chazelle, 32, told trade magazine Variety when the nominations were announced in January.

With voting among the Academy’s 6,000-plus members closed since Tuesday, the frenzied and at times schmaltzy campaigning that perennially marks the awards merry-go-round can no longer impact the results.

Analysts are backing “La La Land,” which stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling as an aspiring actress and a struggling jazz musician who fall in love in Los Angeles, to win most of the awards for which it is nominated.

However, it is expected to fall short of the record 11 statuettes achieved by “Ben-Hur” (1959), “Titanic” and “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” (2003).

Gold Derby, a site that collates the awards predictions of experts and members of the public, has “La La Land” as a clear favorite in 10 categories, including best film, director, actress, score and song.

Stone, who has dominated the awards season, is expected to bag her first statuette despite late momentum for France’s Golden Globe winner Isabelle Huppert, nominated for rape-revenge thriller “Elle.”

Australia sued over minors in adult jails

GRAND OPENING. Guests attend the Beauty Bar Grand Opening LA in West Hollywood, California. AFP

JAKARTA―Australia is being sued for $80 million in Jakarta over claims it held juvenile Indonesian people-smuggling suspects in adult prisons or for long periods in immigration detention, a lawyer said Friday.

The class-action lawsuit was launched Thursday at a court in the capital on behalf of 115 Indonesians allegedly detained when they were minors, said the lawyer representing them, Lisa Hiariej.

They were either held in immigration detention centers for longer than three months, or in adult jails, both situations that break Australian laws, said Hiariej.

The minors were detained when they arrived in Australia on peoplesmuggling boats between 2008 and 2012. The vessels were typically crewed by Indonesians and carried migrants from countries including Afghanistan and Iran.

“They had violated the law because they came to Australia illegally, but because they were minors they should not have been jailed in adult prisons or detained for more than three months,” she told AFP. Those arrested were not tried in court but held in jail or immigration detention and later sent back to Indonesia. The claimants are seeking Aus$103 million (US$80 million) in compensation, said the lawyer. AFP

IN BRIEF Plane returns after door not totally closed

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017

World GRAND OPENING. Guests attend the NYX Professional Makeup Store Grand Opening VIP Party at The Shops at La Cantera on February 23, 2017, in San Antonio, Texas. AFP

JAKARTA―An Indonesian passenger plane carrying 192 people from China to Bali was forced to turn back after the crew realized one of its doors was not properly closed, the airline said Friday.

It was the latest problem to hit an airline from Indonesia, which relies heavily on air transport to connect its thousands of islands but has a poor safety record and has suffered several fatal crashes in recent years.

The Boeing 737 operated

by Sriwijaya Air was 1.5 hours into the five-hour flight Thursday when its system detected that a passenger door at the front of the aircraft had not shut properly, said spokesman Agus Soedjono.

“The system did not detect this prior to the flight, but when the plane was up in the air, it was detected,” he told AFP. The plane returned to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, where it had set out from, and was checked for 30 minutes before taking off again for Denpasar, the capital of the resort island of Bali.

The plane was carrying 180 passengers and 12 crew but after it was forced to turn back, about 20 passengers decided not to continue when the aircraft set off again for Bali, he said.

No one was hurt or injured in the incident.

Sriwijaya flies to Indonesian destinations and a handful of international destinations. AFP

Police: Nerve agent killed Kim

K

UALA LUMPUR―North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un’s half brother was assassinated with a lethal nerve agent manufactured for chemical warfare and listed by the UN as a weapon of mass destruction, Malaysian police said Friday.

Releasing a preliminary toxicology report on Kim JongNam’s murder at Kuala Lumpur airport, police revealed the poison used by the assassins was

the odorless, tasteless and highly toxic nerve agent VX. North Korea has a vast chemical weapons stockpile, including VX, of up to 5,000 tons, South

Korean experts said Friday.

Traces of VX were detected on swabs of the dead man’s face and eyes, police said. Leaked CCTV footage from the February 13 murder shows the portly Kim being approached by two women who appear to push something in his face.

Just a tiny drop of the agent is enough to fatally damage a victim’s central nervous system.

One of the two women suspects who remain in custody fell ill after the brazen killing, with police saying Friday she had been vomiting.

National police chief Khalid Abu Bakar added atomic energy experts would sweep the airport’s busy terminal where the Cold War-era attack took place for traces of the toxin, the most deadly chemical agent ever developed, as well as other locations the women passed through.

Khalid added detectives would look for the source of the VX. “We are investigating how it entered the country,” Khalid Abu Bakar said.

However, he added that “if the amount of the chemical brought

in was small, it would be difficult for us to detect”.

A leading regional security expert told AFP it would not have been difficult to smuggle VX into Malaysia in a diplomatic pouch, which are not subject to regular customs checks.

North Korea has previously used the pouches “to smuggle items including contraband and items that would be subjected to scrutiny if regular travel channels were used”, said Rohan Gunaratna, the head of the Singaporebased International Center for

‘N. Korea has large weapons stockpile’

Chief ally slammed over coal SEOUL―North Korea denounced its chief ally and diplomatic protector China for “dancing to the tune of the US” after it banned coal imports in apparent punishment for a missile launch.

Beijing and Pyongyang have a relationship forged in the blood of the Korean War, but ties have begun to fray in recent years, with China increasingly exasperated by its wayward neighbor’s nuclear antics.

Last week it announced the suspension of all coal imports from the North -- a crucial foreign currency earner for Pyongyang -- for the rest of the year.

It came days after a missile launch personally overseen by leader Kim Jong-Un in what was seen as Pyongyang’s first show of force against new US President Donald Trump.

A bylined essay carried by the North’s official Korea Central News Agency slammed Beijing’s move.

It did not identify China by name, referring instead to “a neighboring country”.

“This country, styling itself a big power, is dancing to the tune of the US,” it said.

“It has unhesitatingly taken inhumane steps such as totally blocking foreign trade related to the improvement of people’s living standard,” it added.

“Righteous voices” had condemned the move, it said, while “the hostile forces are shouting ‘bravo’ over this”.

The format was unusual for KCNA, which tends not to carry editorials or commentaries of its own, preferring to reproduce those of Rodong Sinmun, the official mouthpiece of the ruling Workers’ Party. AFP

Political Violence and Terrorism Research.

Khalid has previously said the woman who ambushed Kim from behind clearly knew she was carrying out a poison attack, dismissing claims that she thought she was taking part in a TV prank.

“The lady was moving away with her hands towards the bathroom,” Khalid said earlier this week.

“She was very aware that it was toxic and that she needed to wash her hands.” AFP

CELEBRATION. From left, actors Michelle Dockery, Jessica Blair Herman and Jessica Pare attend the Cadillac Oscar Week Celebration in Los Angeles. AFP

Indian censors block release of ‘lady-oriented’ film MUMBAI―India’s censor board has refused to certify a film it describes as “lady-oriented”, sparking a furious response from the director, in the latest case to highlight fears over creative freedom in the country.

In a letter, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) told the makers of “Lipstick Under My Burkha” that it would not clear the Hindi film for general release.

“The story is lady oriented, their fantasy above (sic) life.

There are contanious (sic) sexual scenes, abusive words, audio pornography and a bit sensitive touch about one particular section of society, hence film re-

fused under guidelines (sic)...” it read.

The letter was sent last month and came to light this week after Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar tweeted about it. A copy of the letter was seen by AFP on Friday.

“Lipstick Under My Burkha” is directed by Alankrita Shrivastava and tells the secret lives of four women -- including a college student who wears a burka, and a 55-year-old who rediscovers a sex life after the death of her husband.

It won an award at the Tokyo International Film Festival last year and also aired at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in October.

Shrivastava described the CBFC’s ruling as an “assault on

women’s rights”.

“For too long the popular narrative has perpetuated patriarchy by objectifying women or minimising their role in a narrative,” she said in a statement carried by the Press Trust of India news agency on Thursday.

“So a film like ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ that challenges that dominant narrative is being attacked because it presents a female point of view. Do women not have the right of freedom of expression?,” Shrivastava added.

The filmmakers can approach the CBFC’s appeal panel and Shrivastava said she would fight the ruling.

Social media users took to Twit-

ter to mock the film board’s ruling.

One, Heena Khandelwal, told the CBFC to “grow up” while Neeraj Ghaywan, a film director, wrote: “Privileged men have an issue with sexually liberated women. ‘Cannot be issued’ is a ban.

Let’s call it that.”

India’s censors have a long history of barring movies and cutting scenes, including those deemed too racy or capable of causing religious offence, and filmmakers accuse them of intolerance.

In 2015 the CBFC blocked the release of a toned-down version of “Fifty Shades of Grey” and deemed two James Bond kissing scenes unsuitable for an Indian audience. AFP

SEOUL―North Korea has up to 5,000 tons of chemical weapons, South Korean experts said Friday, including the toxin used to assassinate its leader’s half-brother.

Traces of VX―a nerve agent listed as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations―were detected on swabs from the face and eyes of Kim Jong-Nam, who was poisoned at Kuala Lumpur’s international airport last week, Malaysian police said Friday.

Malaysian detectives are holding three people―women from Indonesia and Vietnam, and a North Korean man―but want to speak to seven others, four of whom are believed to have fled to Pyongyang.

South Korea’s defense ministry said in its 2014 Defense White Paper that the North began producing chemical weapons in the 1980s and estimated that it has about 2,500 to 5,000 tons in stock.

North Korea has chemical weapons production facilities in eight locations including the northeastern port of Chongjin and the northwestern city of Sinuiju, it said in the 2012 edition of the document.

“North Korea is believed to have a large stockpile of VX, which can easily be manufactured at low cost,” defense analyst Lee Il-Woo at the private Korea Defence Network told AFP. Developed some 100 years ago, VX can be produced at small laboratories or facilities producing pesticides, he said. AFP

Superstar Virgo is a 13-storey luxury cruise equipped with amenities such as an outdoor swimming pool, mega slide, two-level theater and mini golf course.

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017

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Life

MANILA

TRAVEL AND LEISURE

now an international cruise destination

By Nickie Wang

F

ILIPINO holidaymakers can now look forward to setting sail in style and luxury with an allencompassing cruise voyage comprising of deluxe accommodations and exceptional cruise experiences infused with a touch of warm Asian hospitality.

According to the Department of Tourism, due to the Philippines’ growing tourism sector and booming economy, a number of international cruises are expressing interest in setting dock in the country. And the first in line is the Hong Kong-based Star Cruises, a known pioneer of cruise industry in the region.

Wholly owned subsidiary of Genting Hong Kong, a leading global leisure, entertainment and hospitality corporation, Star Cruises will triple homeport its flagship SuperStar Virgo in Hong Kong, Manila and Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

The first-ever homeport deployment of SuperStar Virgo to Manila is part of a plan to increase the group’s exposure in the growing Philippine cruise tourism market.

In an interview with Manila Standard, Ang Moo Lim, president of Star Cruises, said that Manila was chosen because Filipino seafarers have been a part of the company’s DNA for the past two decades. And it has been planning to dock one of its vessels in Manila because the company recognizes Philippine’s great potential as one of Asia’s international cruise hubs.

“Star Cruises was the first major cruise line to recruit Filipinos 23 years ago for our cruise ships and now we are pleased to be the first international cruise line to welcome Filipinos on board Superstar Virgo as our guests from our homeport in Manila,” Lim said.

What took them more than two decades to finally call Manila home?

“Nearly 25 million people have enjoyed a cruise in 2016 and we are extending this opportunity for Filipinos to enjoy their time at an affordable price. It took quite a while for Star Cruises to

company also wanted to make sure that the locals would welcome their ships.

“You can imagine a cruise of this size being able to accommodate two thousand plus passengers or three thousand plus including our crew members can be a culture shock to some of the locals.

You know, it’s like three thousand people visiting your house,” Lim stated.

Hassle-free, visa-free

Superstar Virgo offers amenities such as an outdoor swimming pool, mega slide, two-level theater, mini golf course, karaoke room, gym, sauna and spa. It is equipped with 935 cabins and has 10 restaurants. It also arranges ex-

CebGo flies to Masbate

Balcony Cabins offer a generous outdoor space, a separate living area and plenty of luxurious touches, such as en suite bathrooms, mini-fridges and flat-screen televisions.

With so many restaurants and bars, SuperStar Virgo is a mecca for food lovers, while the ship’s glamourous décor and luxurious suites ensure you travel in utmost comfort.

finally call Manila as one of its homeports. I guess the stars have aligned,” Lim quipped and immediately furthered in introducing their company’s effort in turning a city into a homeport.

“We have been looking into developing the cruise industry in this region.

Our homeports have always been Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. There are other cities that we are developing to become major homeports. Most of these cities started out as ports of call and before they can become homeports we wanted to ensure that structure and facilities are in place.”

Apart from the physical structure that will cater to the requirements of huge luxury passenger vessels, Lim added that the

Onboard the Star Cruises fleet, the outdoor swimming pools as well as the Splash Pool are the dedicated areas for children to have some fun.

cursions or guided tours in each of the cities it will be making a stop in.

The 13-storey luxury cruise ship docks in the morning in each destination, allowing guests an eight to 10hour leeway for explorations. Guests will visit historical UNESCO heritage sites and chalky beaches in Ilocos, while in Kaohsiung, they will be taken to renowned Taiwanese temples, museums, eateries, and shopping spots.

Filipino passport holders need not obtain a visa for Taiwan, as such requirement is waived for those aboard the SuperStar Virgo.

Next, the ship docks at Hong Kong’s ocean terminal where guests can explore retail outlets, Cantonese food

stalls, and futuristic skyscrapers surrounding Victoria Harbor. The ship will stay at high sea for a day before returning to Manila.

“We are confident that this will bring a new kind of experience for the Filipino traveler. One thing we made sure of is the hassle-free documentation needed to ride the boat. No need for visas unless you to disembark in Taiwan for a longer stay,” Lim shared.

The travel period for the months of March to May will kick off on March 19, 24 and 29 on a 6-day/5-night cruising departing from Manila to Laoag, Kaoshiung in Taiwan and Hong Kong and back to Manila on the gala or last night of cruise. It will be homeporting in Manila until May 23.

The cruise liner executive noted that they chose the months of March to May because these are the best months of the year to ply the high seas, with fewer typhoons and tamer winds and current.

“Ensuring our passengers’ safety is our main concern. We wanted to add more dates of course but we are considering these initial dates because it’s the best time to sail in these areas,” Lim explained.

The company is giving an early bird discount for those who will book ahead starting from USD490 per person on a twin-sharing accommodation. The third and fourth members of a group are also up for a 50 percent discount of USD245 per person.

A calendar of themed entertainment constantly refreshes the onboard fun and excitement, ensuring every voyage is a brand new enjoyable experience.

TRAVELERS will discover the “Rodeo Capital” of the Philippines as Cebgo, Cebu Pacific Air’s whollyowned subsidiary, launched its maiden flight to Masbate on Feb. 15.

Flight DG 6177 flies daily from NAIA Terminal 4 at 8:20 a.m. and returns as Flight DG 6178 at 9:50 a.m., using its new ATR-72-600 aircraft.

Masbate Vice Governor Kaye Revil said the new flight is a result of the persistent requests of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and the City Government of Masbate to Cebu Pacific’s top management to provide an air transportation alternative to the province.

“The provincial government has been pursuing tourism and has passed the Tourism Code to entice the airline to service the underserved route. The new flight will be a big boost to the tourism industry, especially the forthcoming Rodeo Festival, the country’s biggest cowboythemed event, this April,” she enthused.

She also led the recent social media campaign #CebuPacGoToMasbate to petition the carrier to fly to Masbate.

“We remain firm in bringing people together through safe, affordable, reliable and fun-filled air travel. With these additional routes, travelers will now be able to visit these destinations faster while enjoying CEB’s trademark low fares. Rest assured, we will continue expanding our network to reach more passengers in and out the Philippines,” says Cebgo president and CEO Alexander Lao. He noted that the social media campaign greatly helped CebGo management in deciding to enter the Masbate sector.

Composed of three major islands, the province is known for its cattle ranches, awesome rock formations, breath-taking viewpoints, pristine white-sand beaches and sandbars, Spanish era churches and ancestral houses, and marine sanctuaries.

From left: Department of Tourism regional director Maria Ravanilla, Masbate City Mayor Rowena Tuazon, CebGo president Alexander Lao and Vice Governor Kaye Revil at the inaugural flight ceremonies of CebGo’s flight to Masbate

Life

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

Metro tourism program pushed T

OURISM Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo led the recent Metro Manila Tourism Forum (MMTF), which tackled issues on the development of the national capital region as one of the country’s top urban destination.

The two-day event was participated in by local tourism council officers, local government executives and industry front liners and featured presentations on the best attractions and tour packages in the metropolis.

Teo, who led the keynote speakers along with international resource persons, said there is a need for the metro’s cities to continue building up their advantages and capitalize these gains to promote the development of the country’s tourism industry.

She said that there is a need for the cities to capitalize on their similarities and uniqueness through market sharing so they can offer diverse experiences to tourists.

The two-day confab is themed “ASEAN: Enhancing City Tourism Destinations towards Sustainable Development” in line with the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) observance of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

She also noted the need for the cities to reinvent themselves to create distinctions that can attract markets, especially within the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations integration.

She also said the need to take advantage of the opportunities to be created by the forthcoming opening of Manila as home port to the prestigious Star Cruises luxury liner which will take lifestyle travelers to Laoag, Kaoshiung in Taiwan and Hong Kong from March to May. Other keynote speakers in the Forum included Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) immediate past president Gregory Duffell, Travel Impact Newswire executive editor Imtiaz Muqbil, Homestay Philippines, Inc. President Rose Libongco, and TravPax Solutions Pte Ltd. President Dror Maytal.

DoT-NCR Officer-in-Charge Cathy Agustin presented the highlights of Metro Manila’s tourism products which include cultural, leisure and entertainment, and Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism.

Representatives of city government tourism offices presented their attractions and tour packages.

A unique political entity composed of 16 cities and one municipality, Metro Manila is an eclectic blend of the old and the new with its colonial-era and modern central business districts.

Valenzuela City’s People’s Park serves as an open space for residents and visitors of the city

Bambike tours in Intramuros, Manila (left) and Malabon City’s very own Pancit Malabon

Tourism secretary Wanda Teo (fourth from left) with Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista (fifth from left), International School for Sustainable Tourism President and event organizer Mina Gabor (second from left) and members of the Quezon City Council.

Showcased were Quezon City’s Maginhawa Street as art and food hub, Banawe St. Chinatown, La Loma lechon colony, Sgt. Esguerra Ave. entertainment center; Diliman’s knowledge district; and Manila’s Old Manila districts such as Intramuros, Quiapo and Binondo.

Malabon presented its talkedabout Tricycle Tours which combines history and culinary tradition, Makati its fine dining and retail lifestyle boutiques, Taguig its old town center and Bonifacio Global City,

Pasay its convention centers, shopping malls and adjunct recreational amenities, and Pasig its urban rainforest RAVE park, Capitolio restaurant row and newly-restored revolving restaurant.

Las Piñas put the spotlight to its world-famous Bamboo Organ and its historical corridor, San Juan its 1896 Philippine Revolution trail, and Mandaluyong its old and new cities.

Organized by the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) and coorganized by the Quezon City Gov-

ernment, the forum is supported by the Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board, Smart Corporation, Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise and Zone Authority, Philippine Airlines, Philippine Veterans Bank, and Petron.

Hosting next year’s MMTF is the City Government of Parañaque, which is home to bayside world-class tourist facilities such as Okada Manila, Solaire Resort and Casino, City of Dreams, Aseana City, and Resorts World Bayside.

Hyannis of the Kennedys MERCURY RISING

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO

I HAVE always been a fan of John F. Kennedy and his family, ever since he was sworn into office in 1961. I sort of hero-worshipped the guy when, as a grade school pupil, I learned from one of my subjects which tackled Current Events, that he was the youngest to become President of the United States. And, of course, two years later, I also mourned with the rest of the world, when he became the youngest to die in office.

When he was still President, I would read in magazines passed on to me by my US-based cousins that he and his family would spend their weekends, or whatever free time they had, in “Hyannis” and in “Cape Cod.” The pictures in those magazines sort of gave me a clue of what the family saw in those places, but growing up as a curious child, I

wanted to experience such lure myself.

So, when I, finally, had a stable career and had the funds to travel the world on my own, I would always design my trans-Pacific trips to include a visit to these favorite haunts of the Kennedys.

But last-minute business obligations always took me away from that direction.

Not too long ago, I was in the US East Coast to visit my siblings and realized that I had a couple of free days to spare.

I decided to, finally, see for myself the usual vacation destination of my “hero,” John F. Kennedy, and his family.

I went to the Gray Line Tours Terminal along Broadway in Manhattan and bought an overnight tour to Hyannis.

The very comfortable and interesting bus ride took approximately four hours and a half, going through quaint small towns, giving me a glimpse of fascinating “rural America.”

Hyannis is the biggest village in the town of Barnstable on Cape Cod, and the Kennedys’ vast three-house family compound is in Hyannis Port, facing Nantucket Sound, and is best seen from aboard a sightseeing cruise Steamer.

Sadly, I arrived Hyannis after the Steamer’s scheduled afternoon sailing, and since my trip back to New York the following day was earlier than its

The JFK Memorial, whose side shows the official seal of the USA

scheduled morning Tour, I had to contend myself with one of those “a-quarter-for-a-minute” telescopes mounted on the beach of Hyannis, to get a closer look at the Kennedy property.

The main house in the three-house compound was where the Kennedy patriarch (Joseph) and matriarch (Rose) lived. John lived in the second house and Robert, in the third house. The youngest of the Kennedy sons, Ted, lived with his parents in the main house.

John’s house was inherited by his daughter, Caroline, after his death, but years later, Ted, bought it from her. Ted continued to live in the main house until he died in 2009. Three years later, the main house was donated to the Edward K. Kennedy Institute for the US Senate.

Since I couldn’t get a closer look at the Kennedy property, I decided to go on a leisurely walk around the village instead and savor its charm, the same allure that has made it a sanctuary for the Kennedys. Going through the village’s Main Street, I was immediately mesmerized.

It is very peaceful, laid-back, with nary a vehicle on the road. The street is lined with quaint little shops that tell you loud and clear—you are in rural America! I stopped by an ice cream parlor which sold home-made ice cream, and on the same row is a small savings bank, a curio shop, a candy corner, and a barber shop...a scene like those I see in Hollywood movies with a rustic setting!

The people on the street were so friendly that everyone I passed by greeted me with a sincere “Good afternoon” or a “Hi, how are you doing?”

Frankly, I almost had to pinch myself, as I couldn’t believe I was in America, after being used to the frenetic pace of life in Manhattan or in any other city in the US, where pedestrians just bump into you carelessly, as they hurry on to their respective destinations.

In fact, I felt so inadequate in the face of all the saccharine greetings from those nice and courteous people on the road, I decided to continue my tour of the village on a horse-driven trolley.

It was almost like our calesa, but with

The Memorial has this photo of the Kennedys at the porch of their Hyannis Port house, overlooking Nantucket Sound

more passengers and no smell of horse’s the other one at the back, with the offipoo. It was a slow but, definitely, relax- cial seal of the USA. The structure has a ing tour of the Hyannis that the Kenne- beautiful reflecting pool with a fountain, dys loved so much. which is lit from the bottom of the pool, The beaches of Hyannis are also in- making it look like the Eternal Flame at teresting. Kalmus Beach, which is the JFK’s tomb at Arlington Cemetery. largest, is diIt was a beautivided into two ful and fulfilling sections, one for two-day visit to YOUR SATURDAY swimmers and the town that the CHUCKLE a separate area Kennedy’s have A woman asks, “If I sleep with 3 for windsurfers, always called men, everyone will call me a slut, but home. I’m sure so that “never the twain shall that, just like when a man sleeps with 10 women, meet.” them, many otheveryone will call him a real man!

That is how ers, including Why is that so?” much they look myself, would Confucius says, “When one lock after the funalso have made it can be opened by 3 different keys, lovers’ safety. our home, if given it’s a bad lock. But when one key Since the cold a choice. But the can open 10 different locks, we call autumn weather stork brought me it a Master Key!” stopped people halfway across from taking a the world, for my dip in the water, own brand of hapI opted to spend time at the John F. Ken- piness. I’m just glad I finally experienced nedy Memorial, which is on Ocean Street the town’s “magic” that has so captivated overlooking Lewis Bay, where the Presi- the Kennedys. That’s one item off my dent loved to go sailing. The Memorial bucket list. is a large rectangular stone wall with two oversized medallions made of bronze, one For feedback, I’m at on the front, with his bust profile, while bobzozobrado@gmail.com

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017

Directors, writers, actors want a dialogue with Mocha HMMM.. how true that some artists in showbiz including directors and writers are planning to invite Mocha Uson in a “heart-to-heart” talk cum lecture about her crusade in the business?

According to sources, these artists do not want to put the controversial personality in public shame as the invitation will merely encourage a “better” dialogue among parties.

“She calls herself an artist and she has this very good opportunity (as MTRCB board Member) to be a good link between our arts and what the government can do to us. We want to define and establish respect in both grounds through her vigilance and activism in the social media. Instead of looking or taking her issues or stands on showbiz stories to the negative ground and battle, why don’t we look at the more positive and beneficial side of the issue? Siguro naman ay hindi pa grabeng pumapasok sa sistema niya ang lakas niya sa gobyerno if ever such is true,” part of our sources’ statement.

Such words stemmed from Mocha’s reactions and replies to the now controversial Ipaglaban Mo episode on its being “abusive and exploitative.” ***** We feel for both Maja Salvador and Paulo Avelino, lead stars of I’m Drunk, I love You that was pitted against Star Cinema’s My Ex and Whys with Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil of LizQuen fame.

Just like the LizQuen, Maja and Paulo are also contract stars of ABS-CBN and yet, their social media posts about the fate that their movie suffered at the box-office could be sensed as somewhat complaining and feeling the “influence” of the big network’s marketing genius.

When their movie opened on the same day the LizQuen starrer posted huge success at the tills, they complained about the disparity on the number of theaters assigned to their movie.

“Yung movie nila (LizQuen) showing sa daan-daang mga sinehan nationwide and has even bookings abroad, eh yun sa amin, ni wala pang 50? Then after a day, nabawasan pa, until nabalitaan nga naming halos nasa sampung sinehan na lang ito ipinalalabas,” Maja posted in her social media account.

“Mas malala pa pala ang nangyari sa mga pelikula at mga tao sa likod nito na nagbigay parangal sa BANSA natin. Anong nangyari?,” Paulo cried as he tried to relate their film’s lackluster showing to what “maindie producers” are experiencing in terms of theater’s share. The actor asked the Film Development Council Head Liza Dino who replied, “We are working relentlessly to find solutions. Mahirap pag walang batas. Gayunpaman, ginagawan namin ng paraan.”

Whatever that means, the moviegoers have spoken and obviously chosen the formulaic merchandise of the powerful network.

Can Maja and Paulo blame the audience who trooped the cinemas, or the network’s power to promote, perhaps the timing of their showing, which also coincided with Hollywood’s release of blockbusters?

Those who have seen Maja and Paulo’s movie, all agree that it is better crafted than that of LizQuen’s, which to date has earned more than P150 million and still counting.

We can’t comment on that as we still have to see it, but we also would like to say that LizQuen’s film isn’t a bad one. Its “feel-good” quality does wonders even to people like me.

Maja and Paulo may have proven their acting mettle, what with their acting awards, but there’s no doubt that the younger tandem of LizQuen has wider audience reach who all feel the “kilig” more and better.

And we are proud to have felt such “kilig” when we saw it in a fully-filled movie house, which by the way, has moviegoers that collectively enjoy hearing and watching each’s “ahhs and ohhs” reactions inside the cinema hahahaha!

Now tell me, how do you solve such a problem? ***** Had the beautiful Sofia Andres answered the questions more intelligently, she could be hotter in the news today.

We are referring to her opinion on her “ardent suitor” Diego Loyzaga’s tirade/rant in the social media against his father Cesar Montano.

“He has big problems. He is bothered and disturbed as far as I am seeing it, but I cannot blame him for what he did. Siguro po ay umabot na sa hangganan yung pagtitiis niya. I can only speak based on what I know pero hindi ko po masasabi kung tama o mali yung ginawa niya. I also don’t know po his father dahil si Diego lang naman po ang nakakausap ko. But I wish and pray, ma-solve po nila in time and that both may find understanding and respect,” the young actress related.

Said statement she shared during the presscon of Pwera Usog, which she is the lead star.

Though Diego is not part of the Regal Films horror flick, Sofia being Diego’s reported “special girl,” has found the perfect promo blitz to stir more items as the film gets nearer to its March 8 play date.

Sayang nga naman ang mileage na malilikha ng isyu kung dededma lang siya noh?

R

ARE is the artist who dares.

In this day and age where success is gauged by the number of virtual likes and hits, it takes a great deal of courage and conviction to buck trends, shake up the status quo, and take the road less travelled.

Robin Nievera is one such artist.

Rather than riding the coattails of his famous kin, he pitched his musical tent on totally unfamiliar and shaky terrain, driven by his deep-seated yearning to find his own sound and nurture his unique musical voice.

It’s a move that has left many music fans scratching their heads in disbelief. Here is a guy who could’ve milked the same tried-and-tested pop star formula dry, but chose instead to shed himself of all the trappings of stereotype and clichéd commercial success.

Now older and wiser, Robin summons even more guts as he issues a challenge to fellow artists and musicians with his latest release aptly titled, Dare.

Following in his parents’ footsteps, Robin Nievera is already making a name for himself

Tunesmith on a dare not a marketable artist. I like doing my own thing.

With Jay, I like what he was doing. He gave me the freedom to do what I wanted and helped me in areas I wasn’t good with.”

“Jay-R is a very good producer. He knows that he wants. He has mastered the sound he wants to sing for himself. Jay and I have our own opinions about the industry, which we talk about occasionally. I am over being disappointed with everything. I want to be the one to change things.

HomeWorkZ has made me very comfortable with my career. I am working with people who feel the same way and want the same things.”

And just like Jay-R, Robin finds himself aligned with their common vision to be more proactive in creating original music.

“I think we have the same mission. Everyone needs to be more proactive if you wanna be in the music scene. It’s going to take more of that original music to make an impact. And that’s what will happen next,” he says.

As part of his marketing strategy, Robin is gearing up for a promo tour this year.

Even when he’s not busy composing or playing, Robin still finds himself surrounded by music 24/7.

“I’m a radio DJ for Wish 107.5 by day, a music video producer by night, and a singer when I can be,” he admits sheepishly.

‘Matanglawin’

rediscovers Antique’s hidden wonders AWARD-WINNING educational show host Kuya Kim Atienza goes beyond the usual #travelgoals this Sunday in Matanglawin as he indulges in the hidden wonders of Antique, from its very own terraces similar to Banaue to a local faith healer who will demonstrate how she is able to counter witchcraft.

Viewers will experience the locality of the province as Kim visits the Iraynon-Bukidnon in Bakiang and learn how it was transformed into breathtaking terraces, before dropping by the home of the faith healer Nanay Remedios.

There, he witnesses how Remedios treats kulam, with nails, stones and whatnots pulled out of her patients.

Also get a glimpse of Antique’s biodiversity and get on with the lambaklad way of fishing as Matanglawin rediscovers the hidden marvels of the province of Antique this Sunday, 10 a.m.

“Matanglawin” host Kuya Kim Atienza on ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN HD.

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Woods 55 Urban problem 57 Stressed 61 Choir selections 65 Burrito morsel 66 Perpetrator’s need 68 Tender meat 69 A Muppet 70 Poe quoted one 71 “Only Time” singer 72 Sacred snake of Eygpt 73 Masculine principle 74 Garden soil DOWN 1 Purse closer 2 Long reed 3 Oz. and tsp.

4 Twig-and-mud homes 5 Speaking rashly 6 Feel crummy 7 Mach 1 breakers 8 Pulls down 9 Sanskrit dialect 10 Alda or Ladd 11 — vase (precious porcelain) 14 Pert 15 Bill payers 20 Future turtles 22 Mukluk

influences of such artists as Dave Matthews, John Mayer and Jason Mraz with their eclectic fusion of blues, rock, folk and grassroots music, Robin’s latest work finds him experimenting with a fresh musical palette.

Robin elaborates, “I try to take a different approach with every album I make. Dare is the album that’s the easiest to listen to. I usually write my songs on a guitar, and they usually turn out to be very riff-heavy. For Dare, I wrote the songs on a keyboard first, to make my chords easier to listen and sing to. I also used a lot of Pad sounds to give some of the songs a drone-y sound.”

He adds, “I think Dare will be the ‘poppiest’ I will ever get with my music. I like music that makes me think. So, the next album I’ll do, I’m gonna go all-out with music I write my way. If I ever do a pop song/album, it will be for an artist that asks me for his/her help.”

Robin has found his kindred spirit in RnB royalty Jay-R, himself a staunch OPM crusader and record producer whose label is fast becoming the haven of tenacious indie artists.

Robin proudly beams, “I’ve been through a number of labels and teams that couldn’t live up to their promises. I totally understood why. I’m

ROBIN NIEVERA:

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Flip through 5 Ignoble 9 Cooking spray 12 Handle, slangily 13 Kudrow and Bonet 15 Melting-watch artist 16 Aardvark’s diet 17 Extreme 18 Vivacity 19 Bedevil 21 Ignoring rudely 23 Barracks offs.

25 Laird or lassie 26 Swimsuit half 29 — monster 31 Anyone home? (hyph.)

35 Job-ad letters 36 Take potshots (at) 38 Warble 39 Orpheus’ harp 41 Tackles a bone 43 Fishtail 44 Lobster orders 46 She vanted to be alone 48 Morn counterpart 49 Rains ice 51 Bloke’s streetcar 52 Wildlife refuge 53 California’s —

He explains, “My inspiration for Dare are musicians and singers who write music but are never listened to or completely ignored. Everyone wants to make it as a songwriter, but everyone says, ‘It won’t work, it’s not masa enough, or not mainstream enough.’ Or my favorite, ‘We don’t have a budget for that kind of recording.’

“The reason I produced all my songs in my bedroom is to show that you don’t need a fancy studio. You don’t need fancy chords or instruments. You just need to believe in what you write. Stop relying on what worked in other countries. Dare was meant for songwriters and producers who feel ignored and underappreciated.”

True enough, Dare’s carrier singles, “No More Light” and “Love and War,” echo his artistic struggles for the past five years.

He confesses, “It’s based on my feelings about my career as a musician/singer/producer for the past five years. I sing about how much I have struggled and if I should give up on this career.

I saw it fitting to write these singles because of the irony, that I make a comeback singing songs about my frustrations.

While his previous works betray the strong

24 Open-back shoe 26 Wallops 27 Queenly 28 Falcon’s home 30 By itself 32 Raised prices 33 Relish tray item 34 Bygone 37 Still-life subjects 40 Mercury, but not Mars 42 Validating 45 Amaze 47 Cookie man 50 Shankar’s

strings 54 Pass along 56 Judge’s prop 57 “Fernando” band 58 So-so grades 59 Bottom feeder 60 “Brava!” recipient 62 Jocular Jay 63 Pyramid builder 64 Shut with a bang 67 Obi-Wan

MILLENNIALS MEET HORROR.

Young actors Albie Casiño, Cherice Castro, Joseph Marco, Sofia Andres, Kiko Estrada, and Devon Seron star in Regal’s horror thriller “Pwera Usog”

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017

female stars power new scream film T

HREE rising female stars –Sofia Andres, Devon Seron, and Cherise Castro – propel Jason Paul Laxamana’s latest big-screen outing.

ISAH V. RED

The three ingénues consider the Regal Entertainment production as their biggest break to date. Sofia Andres, for instance, believes that Pwera Usog is a perfect vehicle to showcase her acting skills. Andres appeared prior to this film in Relaks, It’s Just Pag-ibig endearing herself to movie fans and then mesmerized TV audiences in her performance as an antagonist in Forevermore.

Pwera Usog is from the age-old Filipino superstitious belief called usog. It is believed that when a stranger gets near a child or infant that reacts rather strangely in the form of stomach pains or distress, that person carried with him usog and women in the olden days would say that the infant had been touched by someone with an evil eye or what the Spaniards call mal de ojo.

In the movie, Andres is Jane, a millennial who administers a prank channel online.

According to the film’s director, the young actress shines in the movie and is able to prove that she’s one of the stars to watch out for in the acting department.

Meanwhile, Devon Seron was seen first on TV via Pinoy Big Brother as one of the Teen Big Placers. Her last project for TV was Be My Lady and now she is regularly seen in It’s Showtime as one of the members of Girltrends.

In the movie, Seron plays the role of Luna, a street dweller who grew up with her friend Quintin (Kiko Estrada). Luna and Jane crossed path when the later created a video that made fun of her being a vagrant.

“Wala siyang arte sa katawan. Nandoon ang dedication niya upang pagbutihin ang kanyang craft. Napabilib niya ako sa role niya,” Laxamana said as he gave the actress glowing notices for pulling off such a challenging role.

Regal Baby Cherise Castro shared everything she has as a newbie actress in the movie. Regal Entertainment’s Roselle Monteverde noticed how she stood her ground along with the other performers when she saw the film.

Castro has ppeared in an episode of Ipaglaban Mo prior to embracing her role in the film.

Castro essays the role of Val, a budding cameraman who helps Jane in creating the prank video, which features a street vagrant ridiculed by many.

The film is a dream come true for Laxamana who said he was ecstatic to work with Eula Valdes, one of the senior actors in the movie.

“She’s a terrific actress!” said Laxamana, “I’ve been dreaming of working with the seasoned actress ever since. She’s a great actor and easy to work with.”

The cast of the Pwera Usog includes Joseph Marco, Albie Casino,

SAM Worthington, known for his roles in Avatar and Clash of The Titans, leads the audience in his latest exciting inspirational journey in The Shack. The movie is based on the phenomenally successful novel The Shack

by William P. Young and is a profoundly inspirational story about the resiliency of the human spirit amongst unimaginable loss, as a grieving father faces the hardest decision of his life — to forgive the unforgivable.

From all appearances, Mackenzie Phillips (Sam Worthington) seems to have a good life; three great kids, a beautiful wife, lovely home — nothing seems amiss. But, when Mack takes the kids for an overnight camping trip, what starts out as a fun getaway soon turns into a parent’s most horrifying nightmare — his youngest daughter, Missy, is abducted from their campsite and her body is never recovered.

As Mack struggles to make

Seasoned actress Eula Valdes plays an important role in the Jason Paul Laxamana helmed film

TV host and beauty guru Ricky Reyes

sense of such enormous tragedy, he descends into a “great sadness” where his life starts to unravel and all the ghosts that he thought he had buried long ago, resurface and push him to the edge of a precipice. It is at this time, at his darkest hour, that Mack receives a mysterious note in his mailbox with an invitation from God to meet at the shack—the place where Missy’s bloody dress was found. In a desperate attempt to find closure and answers to his daughter’s murder, Mack heads back into the Oregon wilderness to confront the killer or God…or both.

It is this examination into some of life’s biggest and most enigmatic questions that immediately attracted Sam Worthington to play the role of Mack. “I had a visceral reaction to the script and that compelled me to read the book,” says Worthington. “I emotionally connected with this story, especially as I have a young family and I identified with what

would happen if my family, my child was taken away from me.

I wanted to use Mack to explore these themes of life and death and who’s to blame for breaking your heart? Who’s to blame for taking away your faith? These are really big questions that I think everyone asks at some time in your life.”

“The most exciting thing I’ve heard from people that have dug into this as a film is that ‘it made me want to be a better person.’

This story gives people hope and I love that!” shares producer Brad Cummings.

Sam Worthington concludes, “We all lose a relationship or a loved one. If you look at it in a very simple way, the film offers a beautiful message that if you forgive the tragedy that hits your life, you can actually get through it. It may be extremely painful and take a long time, but forgiveness releases you, it sets you free.”

The Shack opens March 1 in cinemas from Pioneer Films.

Aiko Melendez, and Rommel Padilla. The film hits screens nationwide on March 8. *** From Hahamakin Ang Lahat, Eula Valdes migrates to primetime TV starting last Wednesday when the character of Avria rose from being a spirit to flesh. Her character will pose another challenge to the “Diwatas” of Lireo.

Avria is the last queen or in the Encantadian language ‘hara” whose spirit possessed the body of Cassiopeπa (Solenn Heussaff) in her attempt to steal the diamonds of the “diwatas”, although she only succeeded in getting one that Ether, the Bathaluman, used to revive her.

Do the fans of this series have to look forward to more actionpacked scenes among the “diwatas” and Avaria and her minions? *** Two-time UAAP champion and finals MVP Jeron Teng officially signed with the AMA Online Education for the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Development League (D-League).

With Teng in its roster of basketball standouts, the AMA OED looks to achieve a well-performing season as it returns for its second consecutive season in the league.

As the PBA D-League’s top draft pick, the collegiate basketball star feels the need to bring his best to represent one of the country’s top online schools. “I’m really looking forward to playing alongside the AMA OED this season. Representing an institution like AMA gives me a sense of pride and motivation to perform my best. I’m grateful to be given the opportunity to carry the flag for students of AMA’s online schools,” says Teng.

“We’re very happy to have Jeron join our team. The leadership and skill he exhibited during his days in collegiate basketball will certainly be an asset for the team in the upcoming season,” says Dr. Amable C. Aguiluz IX, vice chairman and CEO of AMA Education System.”

Much like in our online schools, we also aim to instill a greater sense of accountability and responsibility to the athletes we train. We are confident that Teng can boost the team’s morale and motivate his teammates to perform their best,” he adds. *** For the last Saturday of the love month, The World of Gandang Ricky Reyes (TWGRR) host and beauty expert Ricky Reyes treats couple Chester and Elsa Udsig to a day of pampering at the Golden Sunset Resort in Calatagan, Batangas.

Also, TWGG shares how the sweet and funny social media sweethearts Jon Gutierrez and Jelai Andres (JoLai) are doing today.

Meanwhile, Reyes provides solution to two problematic ladies with their unruly hair. Pamela will be given a Regold treatment while Princess will discover the beauty of the latest Cryo Hair Therapy.

Know the many benefits of Fiber Health for your well being.

Following the grand launch of “Type ng Bayan’ in Mandaluyong City, Pasig City follows suit giving free blood typing to over 2,000 Pasigueños.

Discover 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. with host Ricky Reyes on GMA News TV today.

A father’s journey to forgiveness

A scene from the inspirational drama “The Shack”