Manila Standard - 2017 August 05 - Saturday

VOL. XXXI • NO. 172 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

House sponsor needed to push draft Moro law THE draft Bangsamoro Basic Law crafted by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front-led Bangsamoro Transition Commission, which is pending in Congress, is in need of a sponsor to push for its enactment, Malacañang said Friday.

The Palace made the statement even as Moro National Liberation Front chairman Nur Misuari reiterated his commitment to further participate in the peace process.

“The draft bill has been submitted to Congress [but it needs] congressional sponsorship,” Senior Deputy Executive Secretary

Parojinog brother on watchlist

By Rey E. Requejo THE Justice Department on Friday ordered the Bureau of Immigration to include in its lookout bulletin order Councilor Ricardo “Arthur” Parojinog, who was able to evade arrest during the raid that led to the death of 15 people, including Ozamiz Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog.

In a memorandum, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II also required the BI to coordinate with the National Bureau of Investigation to obtain additional information on Parojinog, the brother of the slain mayor, including other known aliases, a recent photo, and a copy of his passport.

Aguirre also required the prosecutor general to regularly update the BI on the status of complaints and cases filed against the Parojinogs.

Aguirre issued his order after the councilor was not at home when the police searched his house, where they found guns and ammunition.

A person subject of an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order can still leave the country but must get clearance from the Justice Department.

On Thursday, the department indicted the two children of the slain mayor, who were arrested after Sunday’s bloody raid.

Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog-Echavez and her brother Reynaldo Jr. were charged with violating drug and Next page firearms laws.

Menardo Guevarra told reporters in a chance interview.

Misuari, who met with Duterte Thursday night, “reiterated the commitment of the MNLF to participate in very peaceful means in the determination of the Bangsamoro,” Guevarra said.

Misuari likewise vowed to “cooperate with the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs, criminality and terrorism in Mindanao,” the Palace said in a statement.

FRIENDSHIP FISTS. President Rodrigo Duterte does his signature pose during a photo opportunity with Moro National Liberation Front chairman Nur While the MILF-led BTC had Misuari on the sidelines of their meeting in Malacañang on Thursday—a similar pose handed out by the Presidential Photo Office every time the two Next page

meet. Malacañang Photo

‘Free tuition’ signed into law costs P16b

By John Paolo Bencito and Macon Ramos-Araneta

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017, which provides free tuition for students enrolled in state universities and colleges, Malacañang said Friday.

NO, YOU DON’T. Teachers from the militant Alliance of Concerned Teachers as well as parent and student organizations appeal to

President Rodrigo Duterte Friday, during their news conference at the UP Diliman campus, not to veto Senate Bill 1304 and House Bill 5633 or the Free Education Act, transmitted to Malacañang for signature last July 5. Manny Palmero

Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the President signed the bill providing “mandatory P16 billion funding” for free tuitions yearly in SUCs Thursday night, over the objections of his economic managers, who said it might be too costly for the government.

“There had been a lot of discussions and study about the bill because of its heavy budgetary implication first and foremost but free tertiary education in state universities and colleges is a very strong pillar or cornerstone of the President’s social development policy,” Guevarra told reporters during the Bangon Marawi forum at the Conrad Hotel. “[We] weighed everything and came to the conclusion that the long-term benefits that will be derived from a well-developed tertiary education on the part of the citizenry will definitely outweigh any short-term budgetary challenges.

If there’s a will, there’s a way,” he added.

The bill provides only for free tuition; students Next page

Asean urged to isolate NoKor over missile tests US seeks to restore

By Sara Susanne D. robust ties with PH Fabunan THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations is considering downgrading its ties with North Korea after the United States asked the 10-member bloc to iso-

late Pyongyang over its continuous missile tests in the region.

This year’s Asean chairman, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, also warned the North Korean government that it will suspend talks with them if Pyongyang continue to test its missiles.

“You will not get us to talk about your security if you just continue [testing] those missiles,” Cayetano warned.

“We are studying how we can downgrade [ties] because we don’t have much engagement with them,” he said, adding that

foreign ministers were expected to discuss the issue Friday night.

Cayetano said the Asean foreign ministers were in constant communication with other regional partners, including United States, South Korea, and Japan.

Next page

Miners get Rody’s two cents worth

By John Paolo Bencito THE mining companies should follow environment laws if they want to continue their businesses, President Rodrigo Duterte said as he met with the leaders of the mining industry on Thursday night.

“The President essentially said that for as long as mining groups follow the rules on mining and keep environmental laws in mind, then there will be no problem and they can continue with their operations,” Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra said.

He echoed Duterte’s pronouncements during the Bangon Next page

By Francisco Tuyay THE United States is set to reestablish a more robust partnership with the Philippines that cracked following the criticism by former US President Barack Obama of the Duterte administration’s bloody campaign against illegal drugs.

“It’s one of our very important and oldest friends and partners in the region, and we are looking forward to being able to furnish

the relationship and restore those bonds of friendship,” US Acting Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton said during a press briefing at the White House Wednesday.

The United States’ reestablishment of a healthy relationship with the Philippines was discussed during a press briefing at the White House relating to the forthcoming visit of US State Department Secretary Rex Tillerson to Manila.

Next page

DoF chief’s consultant, brod killed in ambush

By Julito G. Rada and Rey E. Requejo

PORT CALL. ARMCuauhtémoc, a Brick Barc sailing ship of the Mexican Navy (Armada de Mexico), docks at

Manila’s South Harbor Friday, marking the first time a Mexican navy ship visits the Philippines. The ship is in the country until Aug. 8 for a goodwill visit. Norman Cruz

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FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III on Friday called on the authorities to go after the killers of his communications consultant Michael Marasigan and his brother.

Dominguez said he was shocked and expressed deep sadness over the death of Marasigan who, according to police reports,

was killed by two gunmen on a motorbike in San Juan City Thursday night.

Marasigan’s brother Christopher, who was driving the car he had been riding, also died in the incident.

Marasigan was a former editor of Business Day who later became BusinessWorld’s first online editor.

He was also an independent Next page

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US role crucial in SE Asia—envoy

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HILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte sees the US military as essential to reining in China in Southeast Asia, according to his new envoy to Washington D.C.

Jose Manuel Romualdez, who will take up the position before President Donald Trump’s visit to Manila in November, said in an interview that the Philippines would object to further Chinese efforts to strengthen its position in the South China Sea. China opposes any role for the US in resolving territorial disputes in the waters among the six claimants.

“The role they play is just to make sure that China just doesn’t do what

they want to do,” Romualdez said on Thursday in Manila, referring to the US military. “If China continues with its path of building and building, President Duterte will not agree to that.”

The comments reflect a shift in rhetoric since Duterte famously announced last year that he wanted to “cut the cord” with Washington on a trip to Beijing.

Over the past two months, the US has provided vital assistance to

Philippine forces battling Islamic State-linked militants near Duterte’s hometown on the southern island of Mindanao, including two brand-new single-engine Cessna 208B surveillance planes.

Duterte’s foreign policy positions were still evolving from the US-centric stance of his predecessors, Romualdez said. The Philippine president is scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during a visit to Manila this weekend to attend a regional meeting of top diplomats, he said.

Alliance ‘Strong’ “Our military of course, is very much tied to the US, so that alliance remains strong and good,” Romualdez said, adding

that the US remained the Philippines’s strongest partner in fighting terrorism.

Since taking office last year, Duterte has advocated closer ties with China as part of a more a independent foreign policy for the Philippines. He has ignored an international court ruling dashing China’s regional maritime claims in a case brought by his predecessor, helping him to secure $24 billion in loan and investment pledges from Beijing.

The Philippines’s policy of being a “friend to all and enemy to none” allowed it to benefit from all alliances, Romualdez said, adding that his country was only pursuing what was in its best interests.

“The main thing that we need to do is to make sure that our relationship with them is on an even keel,” Romualdez said. “By that I mean that our relationship doesn’t go too far away from where we are today or too far away to the other side.”

A former media executive and columnist with the Philippine Star newspaper, Romualdez said he wants to engage US lawmakers in order to clarify Duterte’s bloody war on drugs, and invite American investors to participate in the Philippines’ $170-billion infrastructure program. His appointment is still awaiting confirmation by the Philippine congress. Bloomberg

THE government has asked various courts to cancel the bail bonds and instead order the arrest of consultants of the National Democratic Front facing criminal cases following the termination of the backchannel talks with communist insurgents.

Solicitor General Jose Calida on Friday revealed that they asked several courts to order the arrest of NDF consultants who were conditionally released to allow them to join in peace talks between the government and the NDF. Calida said that the conditional release granted them by the courts was for the sole purpose of the peace negotiations, including backchannel talks that the Duterte administration had canceled after the New People’s Army attacked government troops in several provinces.

The chief state lawyer cited the Supreme Court resolution dated Aug. 2, 2016, which allowed the provisional liberty of NDF personalities Satur Ocampo, Randall Echanis and Vicente Ladlad.

Asean...

From A1 “We feel as strongly as they feel that this testing of missiles does nothing but destabilize the region and also creates an atmosphere that’s not conducive to resuming talks,” Cayetano added.

Cayetano said President Rodrigo Duterte asked him to “explore a peacemaking role” with North Korea amid the increasing tension.

Cayetano said the Philippines would try to get the North Koreans to talk in any forum or oneon-one sessions, even though this seemed unlikely.

“North Korea does not want to stop so there seems to be no opening for peacemaking or for talks,” he added.

The Asean Regional Forum is expected to tackle the North Korean missile tests Monday, when the Asean ministers and 17 regional partners meet.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho will attend the Asean Regional Forum on Monday and he is set to arrive on Sunday midnight.

Parojinog...

From A1

“One of the conditions provide that once the peace negotiations are terminated, their bonds are deemed automatically canceled,” Calida said.

“Since all judicial decisions form part of the law of the land, the courts can now issue recommitment orders as these NDF consultants are similarly situated to Echanis and Ladlad,” he said.

Calida said President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration that the CPP-NPA rebels are enemies of the state “signifies that any peace negotiations with them… must officially end.”

Twenty-one NDFP consultants, accused of various criminal cases pending before different trial courts in the country, were granted conditional release by the trial courts to enable them to participate in the peace negotiations in Oslo, Norway.

Records showed that among the NDF consultants who have been released on bail were CPPNew People’s Army leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, who are both facing multiple murder and kidnapping charges before the Manila and Quezon City regional trial courts.

North Korea launched its second intercontinental ballistic missile test last week, which deepened fears over its nuclear strike capabilities.

Instability in the Korean Peninsula has long worried the Philippines due to the large presence of Filipino workers there, numbering at least 57,000.

An escalation of conflict could also affect 200,000 Filipinos in Japan.

The United States has said that it will press the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its dialogue partners, who will gather in Manila for their annual security meeting on Monday, called the Asean Regional Forum, to downgrade ties with North Korea in a bid to isolate it.

Washington also said that it is considering asking the Asean to suspend North Korea’s membership in the forum – a move rejected by a former top official of the Asean.

United States Secretary Rex Tillerson is set to arrive Saturday to participate in the Asean-led meeting. bloody raid was “deeply disturbing.”

She noted that serious accusations are being leveled against the police who participated in the operation.

If these prove true, Hontiveros said, what happened in Ozamiz was not a legitimate police operation but a statesanctioned massacre. She said it would carry the elements and blueprint of the extrajudicial killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. “I call on my fellow senators to uncover the truth behind this bloody incident. It is vital that there be a fair and independent investigation,” she said.

She said that while the Parojinogs might be part of the illegal drug trade as the government charges, the rule of law cannot be disregarded or sidestepped. With Macon Ramos-

The siblings opted not to answer the charges in preliminary investigation and instead sought the immediate dismissal of the complaint due to legal flaws in the operation conducted by police.

Their lawyers, led by Ferdinand Topacio, asked why the raid was conducted at 2:30 a.m. when rules require that search warrants be served during daytime.

The lawyers also argued that the vice mayor should be released for failure of the PNP to file the complaint within the 36-hour period prescribed by law to file charges from time of arrest.

Also on Friday, opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros said the testimony of a purported witness who survived the Araneta

From A1

submitted its version of the bill in July, Misuari’s MNLF has yet to prepare its draft and submit it to Duterte.

Duterte had earlier vowed to support the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law as long as it remained faithful to the Constitution.

The submission of the new BBL to President Rodrigo Duterte will be the end of the MILF’s active role in its formulation of the new bill, as all stakeholders would have to wait for the discussions in Congress, which the MILF expects to be finished around the first quarter of 2018. John Paolo Bencito

DoF...

From A1

Arrest NDF consultants, SolGen asks trial courts

By Rey E. Requejo

House...

TANGO RIDERS. Filipino youths react on the Tango ride near the venue of the Asean Regional Forum meeting in Manila on Aug. 4, 2017. Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were arriving in Manila ahead of a series of meetings with their counterparts from the US and China, among others. AFP

‘Free...

From A1 enrolled in state universities or colleges must still pay miscellaneous fees, Guevarra said.

Both houses of Congress ratified the final version of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act in May, providing full tuition subsidy for students in 112 SUCs, local universities and colleges, and state-run technical-vocational schools. The bill was submitted for President Duterte’s signature on July 5 and was endorsed as an “enrolled” bill.

Unlike the 2017 budget, the proposed 2018 national budget does not have the P8 billion allocated for free higher education in SUCs. Guevarra said that a “reallocation” maybe done by Congress to fund the new bill.

Subsidies for higher education would also be taken from the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFast), he added.

“As to the subsidy for related educational expenses, that is something to be processed by the UniFAST board which is supposed to have a system of priority. In other words, the bottom 20 percent will be prioritized in terms of subsidy for educationalrelated expenses,” Guevarra said.

Economic managers earlier said that subsidizing tuition in SUCs will be too costly, adding that the government cannot afford the budget requirements of the tuition bill.

“It was not in the 2018 budget of the President. In the absence of any law, we cannot appropriate money for free tuition,” Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said during the House committee on appropriations hearing earlier this week.

CHED Commissioner Prospero de Vera, however, dismissed the claim of the DBM that it would be difficult to absorb the P100 billion budget allocation to foot the free college education of SUCs students.

By CHED’s appreciation, the bill, if enacted into law, would only need a P34.1-billion budget.

“Based on our estimate, the four core parts of the law, if implemented,

US...

From A1 The US will be discussing with Philippine political and military leaders the ISIS threat to the Asean region, particularly in the Philippines given the messy security situation in Marawi City.

Tillerson is expected to arrive in Manila today to coincide with the opening of the Asean Regional Forum hosted by the Philippines, and where he is scheduled to participate.

He will also attend the East Asia Summit Ministerial, the US-Asean

would entail an additional budget of P34.1 billion, and not P100 billion,” De Vera said.

Senators thanked the President for signing the bill into law and vowed to find ways to fund the free tuition, even though there is no allocation in the 2018 spending plan.

“The challenge for me as chair of finance, is to provide the funds since it’s not in the national expenditure program. But we will find a way,” said Senator Loren Legarda, chairman of the panel.

“I urge the Commission on Higher Education to work on the immediate implementation of the law so that it becomes effective in the next school year. Moreover, the Department of Budget and Management, being the agency that crafts the budget, should be part of the committee that will draft the implementing rules and regulations of the law,” she added.

Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, principal sponsor and co-author of the law in the Senate, assured the public that they would find the P25 billion needed to implement the law.

“We will just realign funds from other agencies. The P25 billion needed to cover tuition expenses is not too big anyway,” said Senator JV Ejercito, one of the principal authors of the measure.

He said the new law was an investment in the country’s most precious resource, its people.

Senator Panfilo Lacson said while there is no free tuition provision under the 2018 national budget, they will have to “scour the pig pen” again and cut the pork to fund it.

Lacson said that in signing the free college education law, Duterte showed where his heart really is.

“Obviously, he went against the advice of his economic managers.

God bless the Philippines and its deserving students who can’t afford higher education,” Lacson said.

Senator Miguel Zubiri said funding tuition in local universities and colleges and state-run technical-vocational schools nationwide would address the needs of students from the low- and middle-income brackets.

“Free education is truly the great equalizer of opportunities for a better future of the youth, rich or poor,”

he said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto admitted that the challenge now is how to fund the measure, effective next year, because budget delayed is education denied.

But Recto said he is confident that the 2018 proposed national budget has enough budget space to accommodate the more important mandates of the new law.

He said it would be wise to heed some of the reservations of the economic managers, as to the cost of fully implementing the law, as it covers not only SUCs but other tertiary education institutions like local government-run colleges and tech-voc public schools.

“We should be open to a phased implementation that should begin with free tuition,” said Recto. He said this occupies a place among landmark social legislation. If a teacher affects eternity, so does a president who removes obstacles to learning, he said.

“By signing the law, he is in effect lecturing the nation that we should not just build, build, build for the sake of our future, but also teach, teach, teach our youth,” said Recto.

Senator Francis Escudero said the law would be one of the lasting legacies of President Duterte.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said it was “a great day for the Philippine educational system.”

Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo welcomed the passage of the free tuition law, which incorporated her bill creating a Student Loan Board for college students enrolled in private schools.

The chairman of the committee on appropriations, Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, said his committee would allot the necessary funding to cover the new law.

He added that there is plenty of room for tweaking the Palace’s proposed P3.77-trillion national budget for 2018 so that the government’s free college education program can be fully implemented.

Diokno, however, warned that the population of students enrolled in state universities and colleges should not keep rising or funding the free tuition law would be a problem. With Maricel V. Cruz

Ministerial and the Lower Mekong Initiative Ministerial.

Thornton said he was looking forward to his trip to Manila not just for multilateral diplomacy, “but there will be a chance to have a very good, robust bilateral program with the Philippines while we’re there on the margins of the ministerial meeting.”

It’s not clear, however, whether Tillerson will have a chance to meet with Duterte, and a Palace official said he had no information about it.

Said Thornton: “I think you can be sure that we will be raising all of the relevant issues that we have in the bilateral alliance relationship

with the Philippines. We have a lot of things to talk about, obviously.

“But certainly, we will be talking about governance, about human rights issues and about how we can increase our economic and other kinds of people-to-people engagement with the Philippines.”

Thornton said the IS threats to the Philippines and its neighbors would definitely be discussed.

“The Philippines is right now grappling with a very difficult situation down in the Southern Island of Mindanao with the ISIS takeover of one of the cities down there,” Thornton said.

producer for the Living Asia channel and the creator of ourphilippines.tv.

“I am both saddened and shocked,” Dominguez said.

“My deepest condolences go to the family of Mike and his brother Christopher.”

Dominguez made his statement even as Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Friday ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct a parallel probe into the killings.

“I have signed a Department Order instructing the NBI to conduct a parallel investigation into the August 3, 2017 gun attack that killed former media man Michael D. Marasigan and his brother, businessman Christopher D. Marasigan, in San Juan City,” Aguirre said in a statement.

Dominguez said he had known Mike for over 30 years.

“I and his peers held him in very high regard for his skills and thorough professionalism,” Dominguez said.

“Mike, who always had a kind word for everyone he met, was a highly respected journalist and public relations man.

As my communications consultant, he was always prompt, thorough and very good at what he did, which was to assist the DoF in relaying its key messages and programs to the public.”

Dominguez later on Friday said he was in contact with Police Superintendent Romulo Sapitula of the Eastern Police District and two other police generals. He said he asked them to “prioritize the investigation on the incident.”

Miners...

From A1 Marawi Forum at the Conrad Hotel on Friday.

In his dialogue with mining officials, Duterte told the miners how unsustainable mining practices was doing more damage to the surrounding communities due to the destruction of natural resources, such as the muddying of fishing grounds that force fishermen to fish further away and the smaller fishermen unable to make a living.

“You are depriving the people of their livelihood,” Duterte said.

He likewise stressed that every Filipino deserved a piece of the country’s bounty but lamented the number of Filipinos who had died due to unsafe and incorrect mining practices, as well as from the malicious actions of a few mining companies.

Duterte said ”the first spadeful from virgin soil” was already a miniscule form of environmental pollution, but stopping mining was not good for the country as billions of pesos in mining taxed would be forfeited and mining jobs lost.

He said the mining laws were meant to preserve the country. ”I can only implement mining laws to see to it that the environment is amply protected,” he said.

In his second State of the Nation Address, Duterte warned the mining companies that he would tax them “to death” unless they restored the “virginity” of the exploited areas.

He said he would use the revenues from mining taxes to help the host communities that were left “in agony.”

“You have to come up with a substitute, either spend to restore the virginity of the source or I will tax you to death,” Duterte said.

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SC asked to bolster case vs Sereno GROUPS seeking the impeachment of Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno on Friday asked the Supreme Court to release pertinent records to substantiate their complaint filed against her before the House of Representatives.

In a two-page letter, the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and the Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution Inc. asked for certified copies of at least seven documents of the SC that will prove the allegations in their impeachment complaint filed last Wednesday.

The letter signed by VACC founding chairman Dante Jimenez and VPCI president was addressed to the full Court, through SC clerk of court Felipa Anama.

The request was expected to test the clout of Sereno among her colleagues in the 15-member Court, which should decide on the matter collegially.

Among the documents requested by the two groups is the Memorandum of Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo - De Castro questioning Sereno’s orders which lacked necessary approval of the collegial court as provided under the rules, including the appointment of a Philippine Judicial Academy official and provision for travel allowances of her staff.

De Castro’s internal memorandum, which was reported in the media earlier, specifically assailed the appointment of Brenda Jay Mendoza as Philja chief of office for the Philippine Mediation Center, which she said violated their Administrative Order No. 33-2008 that required the appointment for the post to be approved by the SC collegially.

The female magistrate also questioned Sereno’s grant of foreign travel allowance to members of her staff without required approval from the full court.

According to her, the Chief Justice’s staff members were being given travel allowances even when their trips abroad were on “official time,” which should not involve expenditure of public funds.

Lastly, De Castro has questioned the “long delay” in the appointment in vacant key positions in SC pending before Sereno’s office, “which is prejudicial to the best interest of service.”

The VACC and VPCI also sought the SC records involving the SC’s revocation of Sereno’s order in 2012 to reopen a regional constitutional administrative office in Cebu without the collegial approval of the Court.

Likewise, they asked for Sereno’s memorandum for appointment of lawyer Solomon Lumba as her staff head and the subsequent letter of Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio withdrawing his signature in the said appointment over an internal issue.

NUKE-FREE ZONE. Asean ministers pose for a family photo before the start of the meeting of the executive committee of the ‘Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone’ ahead of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers meeting in Manila on Aug. 4, 2017. From left: Malaysia Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister Kyaw Tin, Thailand Permanent Secretary Busaya Mathelin, Vietnam Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung, Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Brunei Foreign Minister Lim Jock Seng.

‘Binay denied due process’

By Joel E. Zurbano

T

HE Office of the Ombudsman denied Jejomar Binay the right to answer all allegations against him in connection with the P1.3-billion Science High School building project in Makati City, the camp of the former vice president said on Friday.

Binay’s spokesperson Joey Salgado claimed that the Ombudsman failed to ask the former vice president for his side on the case, disregarding due process and violating his Constitutional rights.

Salgado said they will make an appeal for reinvestigation of the case.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales ordered the filing of multiple counts of graft and falsification charges against Binay and his son former Makati City mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. for allegedly conspiring to rig the

procurement processes of the school building located along Kalayaan Avenue in Makati City.

The Makati Science Building project for a 10-story building with a four-story dormitory was completed merely as a 10-story building, the Ombudsman said.

“In her haste to indict [the former vice president], the Ombudsman committed the unforgivable act of denying him his right to answer the allegations against him,” said Salgado.

He pointed out that the Ombudsman conducted a

preliminary investigation against former Binay during his term as vice president despite a Constitutional prohibition. He noted that even after the vice president’s term expired in July 2016, the said agency did not bother to get his official reply to the allegations.

This shows “hypocrisy” on the part of the Ombudsman, who had earlier called for respect for human rights and due process for victims of alleged extrajudicial killings, Salgado said.

“The Ombudsman cannot claim to speak for rights and due process when she herself observes them selectively,” he added.

Salgado said the “hasty indictment” also shows that the Ombudsman is still bent on persecuting the former vice president and his family, which began during the previous administration.

“This only proves our point: That even after the Liberal Party has ended its reign, the Ombudsman continues to

pursue the game plan against VP Binay contained in the yellow playbook,” he added.

Salgado also stressed that the resolutions issued by the Ombudsman on Thursday did not find any evidence of alleged overpricing in the construction of the Science High School.

“The indictments merely found alleged violations in the bidding process. These allegations, however, have been answered extensively by former mayor Junjun Binay but the Ombudsman chose to disregard them,” he stressed.

In two separate Resolutions approved last Tuesday (Aug. 1), Morales indicted Binay, Sr. with four counts of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019) and three counts of falsification of public documents.

Binay Jr. is also set to face four counts of violation of Section 3(e) of RA 3019 and three counts of falsification.

Also indicted were Bids

Customs justifies hiring of PBA players Health EMBATTLED Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon defended the appointment of athletes in the bureau, among them former Philippine Basketball Association players who receive a salary of P50,000 a month.

In a statement, Faeldon said these players are not BoC employees because they were hired under contract of services.

Thus, their services shall not be considered as part of government service under the bureau, Faeldon said. The contract stated that there is no ‘employer-employee’ relationship between them.

Also, these athletes cannot perform functions that fall within the job description reserved for regular employees.

Faeldon said that apart from sports development activities, the athletes also perform other tasks, such as support services or clerical works at the offices

where they are assigned.

The athletes were also contracted because their qualifications matched their role as Technical Assistant for personnel development under the Bureau’s special activities, Faeldon added.

“In their own field of expertise, they are icons. So when they stand up there, wearing the uniform of the bureau, people will listen, even at least... for a while,” Faeldon said in a press conference.

The BoC came under fire at Congress for hiring athletes to the agency in September last year.

Among the players hired by the BoC were retired PBA stars Kenneth Duremdes and Marlou Aquino are still with the office, earning a salary of P50,000 a month.

Aside from Duremdes and Aquino, the BoC also hired volleyball star Alyssa Valdez,

all of whom were appointed to the Office of the Commissioner.

Another retired PBA player, EJ Feihl, and a number of volleyball players were also appointed to the Intelligence Group.

“The BOC is known as one of the most corrupt government agencies for more than a century,” the commissioner said. “We must change this perception by convincing the public and encouraging our employees to help reform the agency. We need these players to do that.”

Likewise, the athletes do office works under the supervision of lawyer Roy Lawagan, head of the BOC committee for special activities which organizes various personnel development activities such as fun run, basketball clinic in this bureau.

Vito Barcelo

Stiffer penalty imposed on hospital deposit law

By John Paolo Bencito STRICTER penalties will be imposed on hospitals that refuse patients and demand deposits or advanced payments before administering initial medical treatment.

That was the gist of the anti-hospital deposit signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday.

Republic Act No. 10932, which amends Batas Pambansa Bilang 702 and Republic Act. No. 8344, provides higher penalties for any medical practitioner, hospital employee or medical clinic who will be found guilty of asking deposits or advance payments before treating patients in emergency cases.

and Awards Committee (BAC) Chairpersons Marjorie De Veyra and Eleno Mendoza, Jr.; BAC members Pio Kenneth Dasal, Lorenza Amores, Ulysess Orienza, Gerardo San Gabriel and Mario Badillo; BAC Secretariat members Giovanni Condes, Manolito Uyaco, Norman Flores and Ralph Liberato; Rodel Nayve of the BAC Technical Working Group; city accountants Leonila Querijero, Cecilio Lim III and Raydes Pestaño; and city cashier Nelia Barlis.

Criminal charges were also slapped against contractors Virginia Garcia of Infiniti Architectural Works, together with Efren Canlas and Julius Ramos of Hilmarc’s Construction Corp.

Ombudsman records showed that on Sept. 26, 2007, then mayor Binay Sr. entered into a P17.37 million Architectural & Engineering (A & E) consultancy services contract with Infiniti for the design of the Makati Science Building.

Despite the “no balance billing” policy of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. for the benefit of indigents, there still have been reports of private hospitals rejecting patients on account of the patients’ inability to pay for the hospital deposit.

Those who would be found guilty will be punished by imprisonment of not less than six months and one day but not more than two years and four months, or a fine of not less than P100,000, but not more than P300,000.00 or both.

The Health department may likewise revoke the health facility’s license to operate if found guilty of violating the act in three repeated instances, the new law stressed.

ON THE BALL. Former PBA player Kenneth Duremdes (left), Technical Assistant for Special Activities at the Bureau of Customs, testifies during the House public hearing on the appointment of professional basketball and volleyball players in the BoC. With him are Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon (right) and his chief of staff lawyer Mandy Therese Anderson. Norman Cruz

controls FDA, says DoJ ONLY the secretary of the Department of Health has the authority to institute a revamp, reshuffle, transfer, detail and reassign directors and assistant directors of center and field offices of the Food and Drug Administration, according to the Department of Justice.

In a legal opinion released recently, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II stressed that only the DoH secretary who has the power to effect reassignments, among others, of various officials who have previously been appointed pursuant to Republic Act (RA) No. 9711, otherwise known as the “Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009.”

Aguirre rendered the opinion sought earlier by Director General and Health Undersecretary Nela Charade G. Puno, head of the FDA. The DoJ chief cited Section 8 of RA 9711, which provides that “the FDA shall review its staffing pattern and position titles subject to the approval of the Secretary of Health.”

However, Aguirre emphasized that the FDA is merely empowered to review its staffing pattern, but clearly, it is the DoH chief who shall approve the same.

“This department is of the view that the power to appoint entails the power to reshuffle, transfer, detail, or reassign those appointed by the appointing authority,” Aguirre said, in his legal opinion.

A4

Opinion

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Respecting choices

W

E LAUD the resoluteness of the Duterte administration in implementing a nationwide smoking ban. Executive Order 26 was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on May 16; it took effect July 23.

This is a measure unthink- was reaping the effects of

able during the previous his life choices.

administration. How could, after all, former President Benigno Aquino III lead by example when he himself struggled to stem his urge to smoke even when he was in the middle of public appearances? His frequent coughing reminded us he

That harm is caused to the smoker and the people around him has long been established. Packets of cigarettes contain image and text warnings of the danger of smoking. Statistical and anecdotal evidence support the conclusion that smoking

is dangerous.

That cigarettes continue to be sold to the public, however, tells us that ultimately, the decision to smoke or not lies with the individual.

These same individuals find themselves at a loss during these initial days of the ban. Many continue to smoke where they have been used to doing it, especially when there is little or no chance that authorities would spot and penalize them. Those however who have no choice but move

in public places – roads, buildings and other establishments – have to struggle with where they can satiate their urge to smoke.

Not all establishments have been prompt in designating smoking areas.

The unintended effect is that smokers have to go around for longer hours without their fix and minimize their consumption, or just violate the law altogether. The first may be an ultimate good; the second, an aberration.

The order does not say

smoking is prohibited absolutely. That would be a curtailment of rights and an intrusion into free will. What it does say is that there are places where you can smoke and there are places where you can’t.

The sooner these places are established, the clearer the message would be: One is always free to choose a lifestyle, so long as others are not harmed or threatened. Most definitely, one should never make a mockery of the law, regardless of who, if anyone, is looking.

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

Peace talks with Reds are useless

Where there exist family planning programs, these are not enough because not all methods are available. There were also many times when women were told that the Barangay Health Centers had no contraceptives in stock.

Women also reported that in many of their BHCs, while they were told that the services are free, they were required to give donations the amounts of which are fixed depending on the family planning method they want and need. Such amounts of “donation” vary from one BHC to another. Thus, the women felt that while the supplies are supposed to be free, poor women are actually required to pay for them. For poor women, fifty, or a hundred pesos is a lot. It can already buy rice for their families. This “donation” system serves as a strong deterrent

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte did right when he decided against conducting any further peace talks with the communist New People’s Army.

About a month ago, President Duterte had had enough of the underhanded communist attacks on troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and decided to continue the armed fight against the Reds. When the communists started feeling the onslaught of the AFP offensive, they sought a resumption of peace talks with the government. Banners and placards in pocket rallies organized by left-leaning groups in Metropolitan Manila demanded— “resume peace talks!”

When President Duterte reopened the possibility of resuming peace talks, the NPA retorted with new attacks against government soldiers.

As a result, the President cancelled further negotiations with the Reds, and denounced the NPA and its leader, Jose Ma. Sison, in his recent State of the Nation Address.

The President’s speech said it all. Communism in the Philippines has a failed leadership because its leader is very ill in his comfortable sanctuary in Utrecht in the Netherlands, and he survives only because of the free medical attention he gets there, courtesy of the Dutch taxpayers.

Truth to tell, pursuing any negotiations with the NPA is useless. History itself confirms this.

In 1986, right after then President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino seized power, Aquino ordered the release of Sison, who was detained back then in a military stockade during the remaining decade of the administration of ex-President Ferdinand Marcos. After that, Aquino directed a veteran Palawan politician, Ramon Mitra Jr., to spearhead peace talks with the NPA. From what Aquino’s publicists disseminated through television several weeks later, the NPA leadership agreed to talk peace with government representatives. A television news clip even showed Mitra and communist representative

Turn to A5

Turn to A5

Listening to poor women POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO THE past weeks I have spent mostly with community women in activities related with the implementation of the Reproductive Health Law and how it affects them. Listening to their stories makes me realize even more how full implementation of the law is necessary for their and their families’ well-being.

I am no stranger to being with community women. Many times I have said that I get my high from them because they give me and my colleagues inspiration to go on with our work of dealing with the systemic inequality women suffer. The strength of these women never fails to amaze me. Their capacity to handle difficulties some-

times makes me feel insignificant for they live much harsher, more difficult lives. Yet, their humor, their capacity for laughter and have fun never fails to lift me up even if we mostly discuss problems, be it personal, or the search for world peace.

I have grown old with the leaders of these community women. We have been together for more than 30 years, longer than some marriages I know.

Yet, we continue to learn from each other. We know that the work never ends.

They were with us during the almost 15 years of journey that led to what we now know as the RH law. They rejoiced with us when the law at last passed the difficult hurdle in Congress.

From then until now, they, and their families remain waiting for its full implementation.

In recent activities with them, I was tasked to discuss with the

women the many benefits the law is supposed to bring them, their families, and their communities as a whole. Many were surprised that this one law is supposed to provide various RH-related programs especially to the economically-challenged.

It is always a learning and inspiring experience.

The women expressed grave concern on why they know nothing about the programs that are supposed to be implemented in their local government units (LGUs).

Where non-govern-

ment organizations (NGOs) are active, the women said that if not for these NGOs, they would not have any access to RH programs.

Two major concerns were emphasized: modern family planning, and sexuality and RH education for the youth. On the first, all of the women from various LGUs said that efforts to educate them on modern family planning are at best very weak, in many areas, there is none. They underscored the need for education because not many among their friends and neighbors know the benefits of family planning. On the contrary, many have fears because of the misconceptions that abound about contraceptives.

The fear of so-called side effects of contraceptives is real. This should be countered with evidence-based and scientific information.

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

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Opinion

JOSE Luis Marti “Chito” Gascon should go back to school to know the exact definition of human rights and examine the role of the Commission on Human Rights where he stands as chairman. By knowing both, he would realize that the issue has become political than judicial. In fact, it was only recently when the country ratified our membership with the International Criminal Court (ICC) where we stupidly committed ourselves to surrender any of our accused leaders to be tried by the European-based ICC for alleged war crimes.

To date, the ICC has yet to delineate the fine distinction between war crimes and human rights violations. Worse, it is doubtful whether individuals or front organizations can directly bring their case before the international tribunal without the approval of the UN Security Council. Worse, to allow the ICC, which is made up mostly of countries that committed the greatest barbarity, plunder, exploitation, mass murder, and have enslaved the people in the continents of Africa and Latin America, would be the height of folly in human civilization.

We would be licensing the most ruthless imperialist powers to set aside the sovereignty that guarantees the freedom and independence of states today.

Nonetheless, to secure international support, the CHR invited European meddlers disguised as rapporteurs to make a slanted report of alleged violation of human rights in the Philippines without Chairman Gascon, who incidentally is a lawyer, raising reser vat ions.

Anybody can be accused of violating human rights, but as far as our laws are concerned, they can only be charged for other offenses. They can be charged for homicide, serious physical injuries, illegal or arbitrary detention, illegal search and violation of domicile much that we have yet to enact a law on that.

The trouble with Gascon and his cabal foreign stooge is that they insist on using that term because charging our law enforcement authorities and soldiers would automatically give political color to their objective. That, then, would give them a license to destroy the credibility of the Duterte administration.

By attributing all acts as committed by the state, they thought it as wise to label them as human rights violators. The highly partisan CHR gives so much political value to its cause that it has become the most effective proxy propagandist of the US and the monopolists. It has become the most effective tool of the yellow oligarchy, the doubledealing militant Left, the obscurantist clerics, and the mainstream media to pounce on the elected leader resentful to their policies, just like what they did to Marcos. In fact, Gascon, like Senator De Lima, is so ecstatic because his yellow horde would be able to get their much-needed recognition to destroy President Duterte and hopefully install their bogus vice-president.

They would not mind if in their desperate attempt to regain power, they would be plunging the country to possible civil war. The thrust is to interpret the defensive act of the state, as “state-sponsored crimes.”

By their idiotic incorporation of human rights provisions in our Constitution, they, in effect, opened the floodgates to openly slander our government which these idiots swore as allegedly “free” and “democratic.” It never crossed their mind that most of today’s cases of hu-

man rights violation are tailored to harass, discredit and bring down governments unwilling to bow down to the pressure of the US and the monopolists.

This explains why the Commission on Human Rights and all non-governmental organizations pretending to hold aloft that banner enjoy the enormous funding from foreign NGOs and intelligence agencies. Their assignment is to pressure the government to persuade or dissuade its policies according to the wishes of their funder.

This soft approach is no different from the US Military Assistance Agreement—that to get our badly needed arms, we have to act and behave according to what they want us to do. That means our own lawenforcing authorities, including our Armed Forced, now have a “fifth column” jostling to push them to the ravine. This explains why up to now, Gascon and his cabal of hypocrites have not filed a single case against the communist rebels, the Muslim secessionist, and even against the Islamic terrorists. Curiously enough, the same local mongrels crying human rights violations remain silent if it happens that the head of government is living up to his role as their property custodian and interrogator. Thus, any violence which would constitute a violation of human rights is either ignored or they just look the other way as if nothing happened. The glaring instance was the Mamasapano massacre that happened during the lackluster Noynoy Aquino administration.

The siege in Marawi City is another instance which these mongrels are also trying to exploit. President Duterte blew his top and threatened to abolish the CHR because he felt the CHR wanted to encroach on his duty by doing the most demoralizing job of investigating the members of the police and the Armed Forces that were sent to restore order in that besieged city. The President reacted because the CHR considers it as an act of human rights violation when the civilians were ordered to vacate their houses to clear the area for military operations.

Even assuming that many civilians were killed, injured and displaced, their houses burned or destroyed because of the firefight that lasted for several days, nonetheless the CHR should have focused on who initiated the violence, and not on how to preserve human rights. If these idiots focused on that issue, logic will tell them that the act constituting the violation began on those who initiated the violence.

That is where human rights violation began, and not on how the government reacted.

The imposition of martial law was only a reaction. By itself, it can never constitute a violation of human rights. Gascon should have known it better that the violence inflicted by the government was an exempting circumstance designed to restore order, not to retaliate. If an act of self-defense is accepted in criminal law, how much more to a legitimate force doing its sacred duty of defending the people and restoring order to preserve human lives? Maybe the President is right that it is high time for us to abolish the CHR. It has become a wayward commission so jaundiced in its perception that it could not comprehend that the right of the state to defend itself is far more superior that only by its existence can it proceed to uphold human rights.

The highly partisan CHR gives so much political value to its cause.

rpkapunan@gmail.com

A5

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Impeachment as a fool’s errand

BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN

Gascon should review his role

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017

A “FOOL’S ERRAND” is defined as attempt to do something that has no chance of success.

That is an accurate description of the two reported plans, one by the group Volunteers against Crime and Corruption and the other by lawyer Larry Gadon, to have Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno impeached.

Aside from the procedural infirmities of these complaints—the complainants have absolutely no personal knowledge of the facts they are alleging, those charges are also not based on the facts.

Moreover, many of the grounds mentioned, even if proven true, do not rise to what the constitution consider as impeachable.

In my view, it would be very difficult for these complaints to garner the required vote of one-fifth of the House of Representatives to send these complaints to the Senate for trial.

And for the latter, I cannot see a scenario where two thirds of the upper chamber, 16 votes out of the current 23 members, would vote guilty and remove the Chief Justice from office.

Let’s look at the charges contained in the VACC impeachment complaint. Four of the five charges are allegations that the Chief Justice have culpably violated the Constitution, while the fifth charge is for betrayal of public trust.

It is easy to dispose of all these five charges. A close examination of them would show that they involved administrative decisions Chief Justice Sereno made that are all within her powers, through direct grant or delegated by the Supreme Court en banc, as the principal administrator of our courts. They are also old issues, recycled for the purpose these impeachment charges, and have been resolved already by the Supreme Court sitting en banc. This is true for the charge that the Chief Justice created the new Judiciary Decentralized Office (JDO) and reopening the Regional Court Administration Office (RCAO)

Peace...

From A4

Satur Ocampo embracing each other in ceremonies at the Club Filipino. That was, however, all there was to it—an agreement to negotiate peace under terms to be decided upon later on.

Nothing truly fruitful happened after that. Eventually, Sison fled to Utrecht and launched his communist revolution in the Philippines from the luxurious comfort and safety of exile in the Netherlands.

With its leadership enjoying a luxurious exile abroad, and with communism fast losing adherents and supporters worldwide mainly because of the collapse of the unlamented Soviet Union and its satellites in eastern Europe in 1989, the NPA has been reduced to a countryside bandit organization that survives only from the so-called revolutionary taxes its armed thugs collect by force and intimidation in NPA strongholds. In essence, the NPA is no different from the kidnap-for-ransom Abu Sayyaf group.

Peace talks with communists, whether local or foreign, will get nowhere because of commu-

Listening...

From A4

for poor women in accessing a government program that is supposed to be free.

In many other communities, women said that their LGU officials are anti-RH and therefore, family planning is almost non-existent. Other women expressed dismay on the very slow implementation of the law. The women took time relating to each other how “unfelt” the RH law is in their communities.

These barriers, coupled with the legal challenges the RH law

in Western Visayas without authority by the Court en banc and the allegation regarding the appointment of Professor Solomon Lumba of the UP College of Law as her judicial head at some point.

The charge that Chief Justice Sereno culpably violated the Constitution “for appointing Attorney Brenda Jay Mendoza as Philippine Mediation Center Office chief by mere memorandum which was not referred to the court en banc for its consideration” is without basis. It has been established that he process of appointment of Mendoza has been the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA), bested other applicants, was recommended by PHILJA to the Chief Justice, and was appointed by the three most senior Justices as properly delegated by the rules of the Court.

For sure, also, Mendoza is most qualified to be chief of office for the Philippine Mediation Center.

I have known this lawyer since we were in the UP College of Law together in the early 1990s.

She worked with me in the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center and followed me into the Department of Environment and Natural resources where she led our appropriate dispute resolution capacity building program.

Since then, she has mastered world-class skills of consensus building, negotiation, and mediation and is one of the top practitioners of appropriate dispute resolution in the country.

Finally, representatives voting for impeaching the Chief Justice would look very silly if they accept the propositions that “for granting to members of her staff travel allowances for foreign travel charged to the Supreme Court funds without court en banc approval” and “sitting on the applications for the posts of Supreme Court Deputy Clerk of Court and Chief Attorney which have been vacant for 3 years and 8 months and the two positions for Assistant Court Administrator which have been vacant for 4 years and 6 months” are respectively a culpable violation of the Constitution and a betrayal of public trust.

Aside from not being factually correct, these acts do not rise to

what would be considered as grounds for impeachment.

Culpable violation of the Constitution means a specific constitutional provision was intentionally transgressed upon by the impeachable official. Betrayal of public trust, even if it has a broader scope, implies a seriousness that rises to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors that are also grounds for impeachment. Mistakes of judgements, especially on administrative matters and management decisions, do not rise to being impeachable. Those mistakes of judgments have not even been committed by the Chief Justice.

As for the Gadon complaint, as reported by media, they are all innuendos bereft of factual and legal basis. The allegation that the Chief Justice was untruthful for supposedly excluding in her initial statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) the lawyer’s fees she received in the Piatco case and that she has not paid taxes for those fees has long been answered. There is absolutely no truth to this charge.

Chief Justice Sereno, at that time a private practitioner, served the country well. She was compensated professionally by the Philippine government and all the payments to her have been duly reported to the authorities.

The charge that Chief Justice Sereno manipulated judicial appointments, the alleged exclusion of Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza from the shortlist given to President Aquino in 2014, is laughable. The proceedings of the Judicial and Bar Council are public and transparent and records will show what happened in that case. I was supportive of Justice Jardeleza in that instance as I saw the debate regarding his actions on the South China Sea as a policy disagreement. However, it was important to have that threshed out in the process. Eventually, the Supreme Court did reverse the decision of the Judicial and Bar Council but that was based not on the acts of the Chief Justice but on the flaws in the JBC rules in voting for who should be included in the short list.

If buying vehicles for public use, flying business class, and the quality of hotels you stay

in are from now on going to be impeachable offense, we will be seeing many more of these cases in the years to come. In that case, we should perhaps establish a permanent impeachment tribunal so that the legislature can do the job we voted them to do.

Finally, there is absolutely no basis for the charge that Sereno obstructed justice by ordering the Muntinlupa City judges not to issue warrants of arrest “on drug charges against Sen. Leila de Lima.”

I would also advise representatives who are considering to endorse the impeachment complaints against Chief Justice Sereno to look at the backgrounds of the private complaints.

I like the VACC as I think they have played a critical gadfly role in our dysfunctional criminal justice system. I personally respect VACC leader Dante Jimenez and appreciate the passion of his advocacy. Unfortunately, this case against Sereno will damage VACC because it will be seen as vindictive and coercive of the judiciary, damaging the capacity of the latter to be independent. Such independence is the one thing anti-crime and anti-corruption crusaders want to preserve in our justice system. Otherwise, rich and powerful criminals will always get away with atrocities.

As for Gadon, a quick Google search of the man’s background should be sufficient for legislators to decide the seriousness of his impeachment complaint. I suggest that our representatives particularly look at Gadon’s political positions, for example on how to attain peace in Mindanao, when he ran for senator in 2015.

Impeaching Chief Justice Sereno is a fool’s errand. The President is not a fool and that is why he has rightly distanced himself from these complaints. Congressman Rudy Fariñas, a ruthless but brilliant tactician, is not a fool and so far, is rightly not supporting these efforts.

Our representatives are duly warned: fools attract fools, and only fools will endorse these complaints.

nism’s Godless ideology, and its opportunistic nature.

Take a look at Russian history. Czar Nicholas II was hated by the Russian people for his weak and careless leadership.

The communist Bolsheviks led

by Vladimir Lenin let the anticommunist White Russians do all the work in toppling the czar.

When the czar was ousted, the communists undermined the White Russians’ efforts to establish a democracy. After the communists seized power, they relegated the ailing Lenin to the wings, and installed a totalitarian government under the brutal dictator Joseph Stalin. When Stalin started butchering his own people just to remain in power, the Russian common folk realized that they were better off under the czar.

At the dawn of World War II in Europe, Stalin made a pact with Nazi Germany’s Adolf Hitler. Together Stalin and Hitler divided Poland between themselves and triggered the war in Europe. In June 1941, Nazi Germany breached its alliance with the Soviet Union and invaded the latter. Stalin turned to the western allies for help, and joined the war against Nazi Germany.

As the tide of the war turned

against Nazi Germany, and when Soviet troops were just meters away from Poland, Stalin urged Polish resistance fighters to liberate their land from enemy troops. The Polish resistance did that, and succeeded. Days later, when Nazi soldiers returned and brutally regained the temporarily liberated territory, the same Soviet troops simply watched and waited for the Nazis to butcher the Poles, before entering the Poland to fight the Nazis.

After the war ended in 1945, Stalin installed communist governments in the eastern European countries his Red Army “liberated” from the Nazis. By agreement of the victors of war, Germany was divided into two —democratic West Germany, and communist East Germany.

Although Berlin, the German capital, was located inside East Germany, it was divided into West Berlin, which belonged to West Germany, and East Berlin, which was part of East Germany.

Even after war’s end, Stalin coveted West Berlin. In 1948, Soviet troops imposed a blockade around West Berlin and laid siege to the city in the hope of starving its people into submission to Soviet authority and slavery. Fortunately, the United

States and Great Britain resorted to the famous “Berlin Airlift,” by which food supplies were sent by air to West Berlin, thus saving the city, its people, and its freedom.

Being a communist country, the Soviet Union had no tolerance for western-style democracy and freedom. Hungary and Poland provide examples.

In October 1956, the people of Hungary overthrew their communist government and replaced it with a democracy. At first, Moscow promised that Soviet troops stationed in Hungary will be pulled out. Instead of complying with that promise, Moscow launched a surprise attack on Hungary. Soon after Soviet tanks massacred the Hungarian freedom fighters, Moscow reinstated a communist government in the country.

After Poland experimented with “socialism with a human face” by restoring fundamental freedoms to its citizens in April 1968, the Soviet Union invaded Poland and reinstated its communist government by brutal force.

History teaches that a deal with communists is no deal at all. At best, it is pact with the devil’s representatives on earth.

has had and still has to face, explain the generally weak family planning program that exists in the country.

The other major concern was RH and sexuality education for adolescents and youth.

This, based on the law, has to be implemented in schools and through non-formal educational system for those who do not attend schools.

All the participants (and there were more than a hundred) saw teenage pregnancy as a major problem. They spoke of girls as young as 10 years old getting pregnant and giving birth.

The women spoke about the desperation of families of these girls. They understood that those girls’ future are put in peril.

The women found no excuse in the Department of Education’s failure to implement this important provision of the law in the almost five years that the law is supposed to be in effect.

Because many of the women are without the knowledge and capacity to educate their sons and daughters themselves, they said that this RH education is crucial to prevent girls from getting pregnant. If our young people are to become more responsible

in expressing their sexuality, they must be educated.

These women from poor communities know what their problems are, what are needed to address these, and are willing to work so other women and young people are able to access the benefits of the RH law.

Listening to community women is always a learning and inspiring experience. Government should listen to them more.

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

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

Alleged involvement in illegal activities of 1,122 cops watched

By Francisco Tuyay

T

HE Counter-Intelligence Task Force, the PNP’s branch tasked to pin down erring policemen, is monitoring the supposed involvement of over a thousand police in extortion activities within and outside of their assigned posts.

Senior Supt. Chuiquito Malayo, commander of the CITF, said they were extensively and continuously validating reports of alleged complicity of 1,122 police in illegal activities, mostly extortion.

So far, 41 personnel and 15 civilians had been arrested

for extortion over the last six months since the creation of CITF last January.

Malayo said the alleged involvement of policemen in extortion activities was based on 1,180 police-related concerns out of the 7,049 reports and complaints received through

its Short Messaging System hot line 0998 6702286 and 0995 7958569.

Among those identified were 1,122 police personnel—249 officers and 873 non-officers— allegedly involved in different forms of irregularities, Malayo said.

Of the total, Malayo said 641 personnel were cited in the SMS as having been involved in three most prevalent violations, either as protector of illegal activities relating to illegal drugs and extortion.

He said an extensive and indepth validation of SMS reports tagged 385 personnel from the

National Capital Region Police Office, 147 from the Calabarzon and 141 from Central Luzon.

The SMS reports received stemmed from alleged violations and complaints against PNP personnel as protector of illegal activities, drug use and trafficking, extortion, illegal gambling, “hulidap,” physical injuries, illegal logging, unexplained wealth, kidnapping, smuggling, gunrunning and other anomalies.

Since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office in July last year, several dozen erring policemen were dismissed from the service for their involvement

in various offenses, particularly in illegal drugs, and extortion, while nearly 1,000 more PNP personnel faced administrative charges.

In Metro Manila alone, 46 policemen were dismissed, 63 others suspended while four police officers were demoted.

NCRPO director Oscar Albayalde warned erring policemen to stop their illegal activities or face dismissal.

He emphasized that his office had zero tolerance against erring cops or “bad eggs’ while continuing his review of 896 cases against policemen facing administrative cases.

Morales indicts ex-mayor for graft

By Rio Araja OMBUDSMAN Conchita Carpio Morales indicted on Friday ex-Naga City Mayor Valdemar Chiong of Cebu for graft, grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty.

Chiong was also perpetually barred from public service.

The charges stemmed from Chiong’s unlawful issuance of a mayor’s permit to Petronas Energy Philippines, a wholesaler of liquefied petroleum gas.

On April 7, 2014, the city government issued Petronas a business permit despite failure to present a fire safety inspection certificate.

In his defense, Chiong said he only issued a conditional mayor’s permit as he had to act and use his discretion in addressing Petronas’ pending application pursuant to his power.

“Chiong deliberately violated the specific requirement of Section 5 (g) of Republic Act No. 9514 (Fire Code) and in doing so, he gave unwarranted benefits, advantage, or preference to Petronas. This clearly shows gross inexcusable negligence and constituted grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty on his part in the performance of his duties and responsibilities as a mayor,” the resolution read.

“His allegation that the mayor’s permit issued is ‘conditional’ anyway does not negate the grave misconduct and the existence of probable cause against him because the issuance of a conditional business permit under Department of Interior and Local Government Memorandum Circular No. 2011-15 is allowed ‘where the only lacking clearances are those of Social Security System, Philippine Health Insurance and Pag-IBIG.’”

WELCOME WALK. Thousands of incoming freshmen enter the campus—kind of a rite of passage—of the Pontifical University in Sampaloc, Manila on Friday through the UST Arch of the Centuries which marks the start of their college education in the school founded by the Dominicans in 1611. Norman Cruz

Rules for 10-year passport pushed

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Sonny Angara urged the Department of Foreign Affairs Friday not to delay the issuance of the Implementing Rules and Regulations to implement R.A. 10928, or the Amendments to the Philippine Passport Law, that extends the validity of Philippine passports from five to 10 years.

“I am calling on my good friend, Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, to place a ‘Do not delay sign’ on the rollout of the 10-year Philippine passport,” said Angara.

“The earlier it can be introduced, the better for millions of overseas Filipino workers and those who travel abroad on budget tours,” he added.

He cited the crucial role of the Foreign Affairs department in drafting the law’s IRR. The new passport law, coauthored by Angara in the Upper Chamber, effectively amends R.A. 8239 or the Philippine Passport Act of 1996.

He noted that an average of 250,000 Filipinos apply every month for new passports or renew theirs, based on a recent DFA report that they process around 3 million applications a year.

“If the passport with a longer validity can be introduced six months ahead of schedule, then that would be 1.5 million Filipinos benefitting early because of the new law,” Angara said.

He stressed that if it would be delayed for six months, then almost 1.5 million eould be affected.

The senator suggested that to expedite things, the DFA could use for now the current 44-page passport.

“They can just use those with nany pages later. Not all of our countrymen need thick passport,” said the vice chairman of the Senate finance committee.

Angara issued this reminder “out of the fear that red tape will delay the release of the 10-year valid passport if the DFA will decide to study first if they will have to introduce a new series that would include more pages.”

“But knowing Secretary Alan, who by the way championed the measure when he was the Senate foreign relations committee chair, he wouldn’t want the implementation to be delayed, too,” he stressed.

Poe: LTFRB must act on Uber, Grab applications SENATOR Grace Poe said Friday the country’s transport regulator should immediately act on pending applications of technology-enabled transport services such as Uber and Grab for the welfare of the commuting public.

Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public services, conducted a hearing on ride-hailing or ride-sharing services to work on policies that would embrace innovation in the public transportation sector.

The senator said she would work toward crafting a policy that would govern Uber and Grab, but vowed that the impending legal framework will consider public welfare and the common good.

“The public must be given more choices when it comes to transportation in the absence of improvements in the sector. We will craft laws that

will ensure fair treatment. You can call the taxi anywhere, their flag down rate will be fixed,” she said.

“Now if they will have an app that it can enter into a contract, so there will be price competition. If you call them ahead of time similar to the app of Grab and Uber, this will benefit a greater number of the riding public. We have to support them. We need to adapt to balance what is right and fair,” she said.

The lawmaker stressed that Uber and Grab—which have an ongoing spat with the country’s transport regulator, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board —were here to stay.

She said her committee would call for technical working group discussions and work toward crafting legislation that would spell out the status or “identity” of transport network vehicle services, including

the allowable and reasonable number of registered cars for an owner, and the extent of their tax liability.

Poe then called on the LTFRB to act on pending applications of Uber and Grab units with complete documents and come out with a decision on fare hike applications of regular taxis—which have been put on freeze for eight years despite inflationary and cost of living adjustments—by September.

She said tech-based transport firms should not accredit new applications pending the resolution of issues surrounding TNVS. Poe cited Article 1732 of the Civil Code which defines common carriers as “persons, corporations, firms or associations engaged in the business of carrying or transporting passengers or goods or both, by land, water, or air for compensation, offering their services to the public.”

She added the absence of a franchise was not a requisite for the incurring liability under the Civil Code provisions governing common carriers.

“If we want to move forward and craft legislation that is fair to all, then we should be forthright, respectful of the process and respectful to each other.

Let’s respect each other, but we will be watching,” Poe said.

Lawyer Aileen Lizada, LTFRB board member and spokesperson, said the main issue was the issuance of franchise to TNVS units.

She said had Uber and Grab done their own policing in allowing units with franchises or provisional authority to operate, they would not have tightened their grip on TNVS and the public would not have had a hard time in booking their services.

The Philippines, in 2015, was

considered the first country in the world to recognize ride-hailing services when the government issued nationwide regulations for companies such as Uber and Grab.

But that was overturned by the LTFRB when it issued a moratorium on the acceptance of new member drivers last year.

Poe likewise called on transport franchise holders to improve their services and the LTFRB to tighten the noose against abusive practices of public transport drivers like price fixing and overpricing, refusing riders, and colorum units, among others.

A total 66,890 Uber units and 52,393 Grab units were accredited by the transport network companies, but not even half of those figures were given the authority to operate by the LTFRB. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Role of academe emphasized

TRAFFIC SIGN. Members of the Metro Manila Development Authority Traffic Engineering Division install

Friday a ‘No Loading and Unloading’ sign for buses along Edsa near Kamuning Road. Implementation is now in the hands of traffic cops. Manny Palmero

SCHOOL administrators and representatives from 30 partner-organizations of industries met recently to ensure an effective linkage between the two groups to help students land jobs in the local and international setting.

Industries represented were business, accountancy, nutrition and dietetics as well as tourism and hospitality.

The event was hosted by Our Lady of Fatima University’s College of Business and Accountancy and the College of Hospitality and Institutional Management.

Jesse Rebustillo and Andre Alip, Ad-Board chairmen of the CBA and CHIM, respectively,

saw a need to review and improve current curricula, making sure these were calibrated to industry needs and aligned with developing strengths in demand in the global workplace.

“There is a need for academe to catch up what with all the apps we have right now,” Rebustillo told the attendees.

OLFU president Dr. Caroline Marian S. Enriquez echoed Rebustillo’s sentiments when she said there was a need to match industry expectations versus curriculum deliverables.

“Now, more than ever, we see the important role of educational institutions in nation building. Yusuf in 2007 wrote

that universities act as an important driver of economic development and can catch up through their role in education and technology absorption, adaptation and diffusion,” said Enriquez.

Penny Bongato, executive director of the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines, stressed the need to “develop an entrepreneurial mindset,” to keep in step with global counterparts.

Bongato said: “The academe must step-up its efforts in mastering the latest developments in digital technology such as robotics, machine learning engines, python programming language, and more.”

Sports

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Premier volley semis under way

A

LYSSA Valdez returns to action as Creamline takes on BaliPure today while Pocari Sweat battles Hair Fairy Air Force at the start of the semifinals of the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.

Larong Volleyball ng Pilipinas, Inc. has given Valdez the green light to suit up for the Cool Smashers, giving the fancied team an extra boost as their try to extend their unbeaten run after sweeping the single round elims.

But the Water Defenders are ready not only to neutralize Val-

for the final berths in the midseason conference of the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by Mikasa and Asics.

The four teams are actually in for a grueling weekend with back-to-back games with Game 2 slated tomorrow. Both matches will be shown live on ABS-CBN dez’s power but also the rest of Sports + Action Channel and via the Cool Smashers, who proved livestream at www.sports.abstheir worth in the absence of the cbn.com/livestream/pvl. two-time MVP in their last three Valdez joined the Creamline matches in the elims. practice upon arrival from Japan Gametime is at 4 p.m. with following a 17-day training trip the Lady Warriors and the Lady with the national team with the Jet Spikers facing off at 6:30 p.m. former three-time UAAP MVP in a pair of best-of-three playoffs expected to be in top-form as she

Games today

10 a.m.- Megabuilders vs Air Force (m) 1 pm.- Cignal vs Sta. Elena (m) 4 p.m.- Creamline vs Bali Pure (w) 6:30 p.m.- Pocari Sweat vs Hair Fairy Air Force (w)

goes up against Grethcel Soltones, Risa Sato and Aiko Urdas.

Backing Valdez are Pau Soriano, Rosemari Vargas, Aurea Racraquin, Ivy Remulla and former Ateneo ace setter Julia Morado.

The second-seeded defending champion Pocari Sweat, on the other hand, steps up its drive for a return trip to the finals as it clashes with No. 3 Hair Fairy Air Force.

“The Final Four is a different

stage. We have to really work harder and play more aggressive if we want to win,” said Pocari coach Rico de Guzman, who will be pinning his hopes again on Myla Pablo, Jeanette Panaga and Maricar Nepomuceno and setter Gyzelle Sy. Air Force, meanwhile, will be led by Iari Yongco, Jocemer Tapic, Mary Ann Pantino and veteran Joy Cases and playmaker Wendy Semana.

In men’s play, No. 1 Cignal takes on No. 4 Sta. Elena at 1 p.m. while No. 2 Mega Builders tangles with No. 3 and reigning titlist Air Force at 10 a.m.

Bolt out to defend 100m title LONDON—Usain Bolt kicks off the defense of his world 100m on Friday in his swansong season, the first step to bringing down the curtain on his glitteraing career.

Bolt, dubbed an “extraordinary competitor” by IAAF president Sebastian Coe, will take to the track in London as favourite for the blue riband event, having won eight individual finals at the past four worlds as well as in four 4x100m relay finals.

The 30-year-old Jamaican has only suffered one hiccup: when he false started in the 100m final in Daegu in 2011.

“That’s not going to happen this time,” joked Bolt, who also has eight Olympic golds to his name.

“If I show up at a championships I’m fully confident.”

Coe heaped praise on the Jamaican on Thursday, but said he remained optimistic for track and field in the post-Bolt era.

“You won’t be particularly surprised when I say I’m sad he’s going,” said Coe, who won two Olympic 1500m gold medals for Britain.

“I’m an athletics fan, I take my federation hat off, the guy has been a sensation.

“He’s connected in a way that few, in or out of their sport, have connected. I can’t think of someone who’s connected that way really since Muhammad Ali.” Coe added: “There’s no conjecture, he’s the best sprinter of all time, the record books show that.

“But what we’re going to miss is not so much the fact that it’s unlikely for the forseeable future that someone’s going to win three Olympic titles in a row in the 100 and 200, relay, or a sackful of world medals, or world records, it’s just that the guy has a personality.

“When we’re sitting here with the slightly pre-packaged sports stars that have to look left or right to be able to answer a question most of the time and are nervous, he has a view, he has an opinion and that’s what we’ll miss.” AFP

Stephen Curry reacts as he misses a putt on the seventeenth green during round one of the Ellie Mae Classic at TCP Stonebrae in Hayward, Californ. AFP

Aboitiz Invitational golf in full swing THE annual Aboitiz Invitational, which for seven consecutive years has served as the kick-off leg of the Philippine Golf Tour Asia and placed Philippine golf on the international stage, lands this year on the challenging fairways of Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club in Carmona, Cavite on August 15 to 18.

More than a hundred golfers, including an interesting mix of leading Asian players and local top guns and rising stars will challenge each other for the coveted $100,000-priced title. Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. stages the sporting event in collaboration with

Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. “We are looking forward to working with PGTI again, with whom we share a strong relationship with. Aboitiz is honored to stage this sporting event that continues to bring out the best in our athletes,” said AEV President and CEO Erramon I. Aboitiz.

Aboitiz opened the tournament back in 2010.

Last year, Filipino golf champ Jay Bayron celebrated a thrilling victory over Malaysian golfer Gavin Green at WackWack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City.

Bayron is gunning for a third

Aboitiz crown as the veteran Davaoeno shotmaker also ruled the kickoff leg of what has become a revered championship in 2011 at the Cebu Country Club.

Elmer Salvador, also from Davao, topped the next two editions, also in Cebu, before another Davaoeño and current local Order of Merit leader Tony Lascuña reigned at Riviera in 2014.

In one of his rare local appearances, the Japan PGA Tour-based Juvic Pagunsan dominated the elite international field at Southwoods in 2015.

PGTI chairman and president Ricky Razon, the man behind this

regional circuit, has expressed enthusiasm over PGTA’s role in helping produce more local players to the world stage.

“The PGTA should serve as a great platform for budding golfers to hone their talent and skills and advance their careers. We are happy to do our part in helping these players,” said Razon.

Meanwhile, PGTI is putting up the PGTA Qualifying School on Aug. 9-12 at the Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac, with the top 80 after 36 holes advancing to the final two rounds, and the top 60 (plus ties) gaining cards for the new PGTA.

Vince is 53, but fights like he’s 20

By Robbie Pangilinan EIGHT-TIME Muay Thai World Champion Vince Soberano is 53 years old, but he fights like he is in his 20s.

The gym owner, author, TUF coach, and all-around martial arts entrepreneur is in tiptop shape after over 100 fights since his first one in 1978.

The past two years, Vince has been busy establishing his own brand of Black Tiger Muay Thai and MMA system. He also authored 50: Fit and Fighting, martial arts memoir-guide where he detailed his fitness and nutrition formula. Vince is a star in his own right, appearing as a

cage fighter in Jackie Chan’s Police Story 2013 and acting as coach on The Ultimate Fighter: China.

Asked about his secret potion, Vince casually says, “Malunggay.” That’s right, the humble malunggay, a true wonder food, has kept and is keeping this fighter fighting in his 50s.

Vince has been taking Malungai LifeOil capsules for five years now. Malungai LifeOil is the world’s first and only product developed from pure moringa oleifera (malunggay) seeds and leaves. The potent gel capsule is all-natural and is packed with vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, and phytochemicals. Being

in oil form makes it easier for the body to absorb it.

LifeOil has high levels of chlorophyll that may cleanse the organs, delivers oxygen to all the tissues, and encourages the growth of good aerobic intestinal bacteria. It is extremely alkalizing which makes the body more resistant to disease. The chlorophyll in LifeOil may also help fight heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, dengue fever, kidney failure, perinatal conditions and other health problems.

Vince is a retailer of LifeOil in China through his MMA gyms.

“I intend to attach LifeOil

Soberano

to MMA, so that athletes, students and fans will always relate LifeOil not just to normal people but to high-level athletes and fighters as well,” says Vince.

Fight like Vince. Get your Malungai

LifeOil now at all Mercury Drug outlets and other leading drug stores nationwide. For more information, visit www. malungailifeoil.ph/ or call Manila Nature’s Link at 5317395.

Laurente, Pangga post unanimous wins in Asian slugfest PUERTO PRINCESA—With the hometown crowd cheering, Batang Pinoy and Palarong Pambansa standouts Criz Russu Laurente and John Vincent Pangga claimed unanimous decision victories over fancied opponents on opening day of the ASBC Asian Junior Boxing Championships at the City Coliseum Wednesday.

Brief but lively opening ceremonies featuring local groups entertained the foreign guests followed by short welcome remarks by PSC Commissioner Ramon Fernandez and ASBC vice president Yousuf Ali Al Kazim.

Laurente, youngest of a boxing brood from

General Santos City (father Cristino is a coach, mother Rosalinda is an ABAP national referee-judge and brothers Criz Sander and Criztian Pitt are bemedaled national boxers), faced a much taller Cai Yujun in the preliminaries of the 48 kg light flyweight class.

Despite the vaunted reputation of Chinese boxers, it was obvious that Laurente had the advantage in skill and guile. The judges returned a 5-0 verdict for the Gensan lad.

CDO Mayor Oscar Moreno’s protege Pangga, on the other hand, had Uzbekistan’s Amirbek Ibodullayev as his opponent in the flyweight. 50 kg. Weight limit

The Uzbek was favored as he had just annexed his country’s national junior championships. Uzbekistan is regarded as the top world boxing superpower, having ruled the Rio Olympics and the last World Championships in April this year.

Pangga wowed the crowd with clever counter-punching and movement around the ring, peppering his opponent with crisp straights and hooks.

The unassuming Pangga dealt Uzbekistan its only loss on opening day (5 other Uzbeks won; they have entries in all 13 weight categories here).

ABAP president Ricky Vargas, in transit from a business trip to the US, closely monitored the event by phone with secretarygeneral Ed Picson.

“Great start by our fresh recruits from the ABAP grassroots program. We are underdogs here, but let’s hope our boys can draw inspiration from crowd support and that they can end well”, Vargas said.

The Philippines is represented by 2 other boxers, Kenneth de la Pena and Norlan Petecio, who both drew a bye.

Coaches are Ronald Chavez, Elmer Pamisa and Romeo Brin.

Curry fires 74 in golf debut LOS ANGELES—NBA star Stephen Curry got off to a rocky start but then held his own Thursday in his professional golf debut, shooting a four-over 74 in the first round of the Web.com Tour’s Ellie Mae Classic.

The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, who in June helped the Golden State Warriors to their second NBA title in three seasons, is playing the event on a sponsor’s exemption.

Curry stood 11 strokes back of the leader Nicholas Thompson but managed to make three birdies and several difficult shots on the challenging Stonebrae course in Hayward, California.

Curry got off to a inauspicious start as he began his round on the back nine. His drive at the 10th hole landed in the cupholder of a golf cart sitting left of the fairway and he scrambled to make bogey on the hole.

“My first shot on the tour was in the cup, not in the right cup,” Curry joked.

“That was probably a first on the tour. There was a golf cart just left of my target on hole number one. It went right in the cup holder. Not an ideal way to start, having to calling a rules official over, but I settled in after that.”

Curry finished with three birdies, five bogeys, one double bogey and nine pars. He hit eight of 18 fairways while needing 27 putts and posted a better score than eight players in the morning session.

“It was a day of firsts for everything,” Curry said. “First opportunity to play with these guys, first tee shot was crazy, first par I made trying to settle in and then obviously the first birdie was a really cool moment.”

Curry said he was nervous on the first tee and compared it to the pressure of a NBA contest.

“The feeling is the same,” he said. “The adrenaline rush is there but you have a whole lot more time to think about what is going on. The best guys out here are able to master those thoughts for five hours. AFP

Neymar vows glory for PSG PARIS—Brazilian superstar Neymar was expected in the French capital early Friday, promising to bring glory to Paris Saint-Germain after signing a world record transfer deal with the ambitious Qatari-owned club.

The 25-year-old forward doubled the previous record fee with his 222 million euro ($264 million) move from Barcelona and will earn a reported 30 million euros ($35.5 million) a year under the new deal.

“I am extremely happy to join Paris SaintGermain,” Neymar said late Thursday.

“Since I arrived in Europe, the club has always been one of the most competitive and most ambitious. And the biggest challenge, what most motivated me to join my new teammates is to help the club to conquer the titles that their fans want.

“Paris Saint-Germain’s ambition attracted me to the club, along with the passion and the energy this brings. I played four seasons in Europe and I feel ready to take the challenge.

“From today, I will do everything I can to help my new teammates, to open up new horizons for my club and to bring happiness to its millions of supporters around the world.”

PSG said that Neymar will appear at a press conference at the club’s Parc des Princes at 1130GMT on Friday.

He will then be presented to fans at the same ground at 1345GMT on Saturday before the season-opening Ligue 1 fixture against promoted Amiens.

PSG wasted no time in pressing Neymar’s commercial value by announcing that shirts bearing his name will be on sale from 10h00 am (0800 GMT) Friday at the club’s megastore on the city’s iconic Champs Elysees.

Football legend Pele congratulated Neymar on his move, telling his successor in the famed Brazilian number 10 shirt: “Good luck for your new challenge”.

“Paris is a beautiful city and one of my favorites in the world,” three-time World Cup winner Pele wrote on Twitter. AFP

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

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

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017

Sports

Pirates notch 6th straight triumph Games Tuesday

(The Arena in San Juan) 12 noon EAC vs Arellano (jrs) 2 p.m. EAC vs Arellano (srs) 4 p.m. Mapua vs CSB(srs) 6 p.m. Mapua vs LSGH (jrs)

By Peter Atencio

TNT’s Michael Craig is foiled by Alaska’s Calvin Abueva in a PBA Commissioner’s Cup game won by the Texters, 107-106.

TNT bucks loss of import, edges Alaska, 107 to 106

By Jeric Lopez

N

O import in the clutch, no problem.

TNT KaTropa pulled of an astounding rally down the stretch to prolong Alaska’s misery and take a thrilling 107-106 win that put the Texters back on track in the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Before flying to Lebanon today to be a part of the national team in the FIBA Asia Cup, RR Pogoy first took care of business for his mother team, pouring in 25 points, highlighted by seven

triples on only eight attempts as his scoring down the stretch lifted the Tropang Texters when they needed it the most.

TNT import Michael Craig was solid with a huge 29 points and 19 rebounds before fouling out with just a little over five minutes left, leaving the locals to carry the fight.

And they did.

Down, 95-82, with under six minutes left, TNT KaTropa, led

by Pogoy, came up with a 17-4 blitz to even the count at 99-all with 2:19 remaining after the rising rookie’s lay-up. It was a back-and-forth exchange the rest of the way.

Five straight points from veterans Ranidel De Ocampo and Jayson Castro gave TNT a

Wesley bounces back; Frayna tumbles FILIPINO grandmaster Wesley So bounced back from a firstround loss to Maxime Vachier Lagrave with a 42-move win over Ian Nepomniachtchi in the second round of the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, Missouri.

So, who dropped to no. 3 in the FIDE rankings, won in 39 moves of an English Opening.

Analysts said Nepomniachtchi proved no match for So, who scored his first victory with black pieces and after he won a pawn and reaching a rook endgame.

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand is in the lead after he played out another draw with Peter Svidler of Russia.

In the first round, So took a 43move setback to Lagrave in their Guioco Piano game.

In this game, So’s mistake was opening up the center, allowing his opponent’s pieces to attack the weakened the support for the king.

Vachier-Lagrave then used his light square bishop to capture the b7 pawn, and forced So to resign.

Meanwhile, Janelle Mae Frayna suffered her second straight defeat, this time against Latvian Linda Kruminda to slide out of the top 20 after seven rounds of the Women’s International Open in Erfurt, Germany Thursday night.

The loss came a day after Frayna, 21, fell to fourth seed and fellow Woman Grandmaster Evgeniya Doluhanova of Ukraine that sent her outside the top 10.

The pair of stinging setbacks kept country’s Olympiad top board player stranded with a score of 3.5 points, which was good for 25th to 34th spots. Peter Atencio

107-103 edge with under a minute left, but Buck Henton’s triple kept Alaska in it and made it 107103, with 35.8 ticks left in favor of the Texters.

After a Castro miss with 10 seconds left, Alaska had one final chance to steal the game, but Henton’s floater down the lane went astray as time expired.

The Tropang Texters improved to 2-1, while the long dry spell of Alaska continues as it lost its 12th straight, dating back to last conference, the worst streak in franchise history. It fell to 0-4 for the conference at the bottom of the pack with Kia. Alaska established the game’s first double-digit lead after scoring the first bucket in the second half to take a 49-38 lead just seconds

into the third and kept it until that TNT rally in the waning minutes to steal the game.

Henton’s career game produced game-highs 42 points and 22 rebounds along with four assists, but they all went to naught as woes for the Aces continued.

After a one-game absence, Alaska star Calvin Abueva returned to action and contributed 19 points and 11 rebounds for his team.

Sonny Thoss, this time around, was the one who missed the game for Alaska due to knee issues.

Action continues today as an intriguing duel takes place between undefeated league-leader NLEX (4-0) and surging defending champion Barangay Ginebra (21) at 5 p.m. at the Calasiao Sports

Complex in Pangasinan.

Something’s got to give as a winning streak will be snapped.

The Road Warriors are armed with a four-game winning run and are shooting for their fifth straight, while the Gin Kings are on a twogame winning streak and shooting for their third in a row.

The scores: TNT 107—Craig 28, Pogoy 25, Castro 23, Rosario 15, De Ocampo 7, Williams 4, Garcia 3, Tautuaa 2, Carey 0, Hernandez 0, Semerad 0.

ALASKA 106—Henton 42, Abueva 19, Manuel 13, Banchero 12, Casio 6, Baclao 4, Enciso 4, Magat 2, Hontiveros 2, Racal 2, Exciminiano 0.

Quarterscores: 17-20, 38-47, 71-80, 107-106.

THE Lyceum Pirates took awhile to get their rhythm going.

But when they did in the third period, Jayvee Marcelino took charge during two decisive moments and led the Pirates to a 76-58 blasting of the University of Perpetual Help Altas Friday at The Arena in San Juan.

Jaymar Perez had a game-high 19 points for the Pirates, who went on to post their sixth straight victory, keeping them in the solo lead of the 93rd National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament.

They are a game ahead of the defending champion San Beda Red Lions (5-1), who may be undermanned but still managed to coast to a 54-48 beating of the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers.

The Red Lions, who played with four players suffering from bum stomachs, drew 22 points from Clint Doliguez.

Robert Bolick, who was among those who were sick, made only six.

In the end, the Pirates forced the Altas to 27 turnovers, 19 of which were committed in the second half.

Assistant coach Jeff Perlas, speaking on behalf of coach Topex Robinson, said the way limit their opponent’s scoring is becoming the team’s identity.

“Coach Topex reminded them that it’s not our offense. It’s about making turnovers and making stops,” said Perlas.

Doliguez fired 12 in the second period as the Red Lions went on to grab a pivotal 28-14 spread.

The Heavy Bombers managed to threaten by three, but a triple with 1:43 to go from Doliguez kept San Beda out of trouble, 51-45.

“We missed so many free throws, we were outrebounded. But we still won our game. And that’s because of our defense,” said Red Lions’ coach Boyet Fernandez.

In the junior division, the JRU Light Bombers, behind a triple from John Amores, stunned the defending champion San Beda Red Cubs with a rare upset, 77-70.

Javine Serrano banged in 23 points to lead JRU to its first triumph in five outings. The Red Cubs, with Peter Alfaro making 22 points, trail with their 3-2 record.

Reed, Duke, elite pros to back IronKids bets REIGNING champion Tim Reed and recent Regent 5150 titlist Dimity-Lee Duke will be on hand to support the participants in the Alaska IronKids.

The two, along with the other elite pros, clash in the centerpiece event produced and organized by Sunrise Events Inc. and backed by title sponsor Cobra Energy Drink and presentor Tourism Promotions Board Philippines and Summit Natural Drinking Water, the official hydration partner.

Reed is seeking a record third straight Ironman crown, but fellow Aussie Tim Van Berkel, Mauricio Mendez of Mexico, Brent McMahon of Canada, Kiwi Cameron Brown and another Aussie ace Sam Betten, winner of the recent Regent 5150 in Subic, are raring to foil his bid along with Braden Currie, Eddie Rawles and Callum Millward of New Zealand, David Mainwaring, Alexander Polizzi and Luke Bell of Australia, Americans Brad

Williams and Iain Alexandridis, Czech Jakub Langhammer, Johan Stof berg of South Af r ica , It alian Jonathan Ciavatella and Eric Watson of Bahrain.

Duke, on the other hand, faces an uphill battle against Jacqueline Thisleton, Alise Selsmark, Kirra Seidel, Monica Juhart and Kerry Mulholland, Hungarian Anna Eberhardt, New Zealand’s Amelia Watkinson and local bet Kim Kilgroe for the women’s crown in the event supported by Asics, Gatorade, Prudential Guarantee, Philippine Airlines, Globe, Oakley, TYR and Active Network.

Other sponsors are Mactan Resort & Spa, Lapu-Lapu City, Megaworld, Sun Life Financial, David’s Salon, Intercare, Alaska, GU, Timex, DeVant, Regent, Omega Pain Killer, Sanicare, AlcoPlus, Bionic Cebu, Daylong and media partners The Philippine Star, ABS-CBN Sports + Action, AsiaTRI.com and Finisher Pix.

ProTriathletes and Alaska Ironkids participants, along with the pupils of Mactan Elem. School, join the Alaska Run Out at the Shangrila Mactan Resort and Spa in Cebu and Gatas for Breakfast program, which aims to encourage Filipino children to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle starting with a nutritious breakfast of milk.

Alaska IronKids gets going in Cebu

By Patricia Bianca Taculao

Wilfred Uytengsu (third from left), CEO of Sunrise Events Inc. is joined by Randolph Arroyo (second from left), Vice President of 2GO; Princess Galura, General Manager of Sunrise Events Inc. and Elaine Platoon (left) during the press conference kicking off IRONMAN 70.3 in Cebu. Marielle Santos

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu—After dominating their respective races in the Alaska IronKids, Tara Borlain and Juan Francisco Baniqued are no longer strangers to Alaska’s swimbike-run event.

Young triathletes Baniqued and Borlain will once again channel their energy and determination in the 2017 Alaska IronKids triathlon today in Shangri-La, Mactan.

The 14-year-old Baniqued from Biñan, Laguna is the triathlete to beat because of his two-year domination in the boys’ aged 13 to 14 category. However, this will be Baniqued’s last year to compete in the category as he turns

15 this December.

Challenging Baniqued for the top spot are Joe Bernard Sarmiento and Jose Manuel Arao, who finished at second and third places, respectively, in the previous IronKids.

Meanwhile, Borlain, who stood out in every Alaska IronKids edition, is still favored to win the competition despite the challenge of two strong competitors—Karen Andrea Manayon and Everly Jana Macalalad.

Some 360 young triathletes, including 24 teams in the relays, will participate in the Alaska IronKids that will start and end at the ShangriLa Mactan parking lot.

Participants are categorized by their age: 6 to 8 years old, 9 to 10, 11

to 12 and 13 to 14.

“Alaska IronKids aims to promote a well-balanced lifestyle for kids of today, who are used to staying indoors with TV, video game consoles and the Internet as companions.

IronKids is also the perfect venue for families to bond and for parents to demonstrate in ‘real-time’ that being healthy can also be fun,” said Alaska Milk Corporation president Wilfred Uytengsu.

Alaska IronKids Philippines is the local junior version of the international triathlon tournament, IronMan, is now on its 6th year.

The event allows the young triathletes to experience a challenging and rewarding way to get fit.

MPIC to start Mactan bridge

B2

Business

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

B1

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017

IN BRIEF Cimatu says DENR hiring 100 lawyers

Semirara allots P5b for mining equipment

By Alena Mae S. Flores SEMIRARA ISLAND, Antique—Semirara Mining and Power Corp. will spend about P5 billion on mining equipment capital expenditures this year as part of the company’s expansion and fleet modernization program.

Semirara Mining has already spent P3.5 billion in the first six months of the year, including the delivery 46 dump trucks, six hydraulic excavators and other support machinery. The company spent nearly P1 billion on equipment in the same period last year.

Semirara Mining expects the shipment of 21 more heavy equipment by the end of the year.

The company plans to increase coal production to 16 million metric tons in the next two to three years to align with the government’s push for power stability, optimal energy pricing and modernized infrastructure.

“The new dump trucks and hydraulic excavators are designed to be more fuel efficient so they will contribute to the reduction of our carbon footprint and operating costs,” said Semirara Mining president and chief operating officer Victor Consunji.

Japanese heavy equipment suppliers said fuel consumption of the new dump trucks might be reduced by as much as 14 percent compared with older models. Fuel expenses account for about 40 percent to 45 percent of Semirara Mining’s mining costs.

“This is just the start of our fleet modernization program.

We plan to continue this next year by decommissioning our aging heavy equipment and replacing them with newer models,” said Consunji.

MERALCO-SMC PARTNERSHIP. Manila Electric Co. and San Miguel Corp. Infrastructure forge a strategic alliance on infrastructure

development. The two companies discussed ways of maximizing their capabilities for the timely completion of major infrastructure projects, including the planned MRT-7 and the Bulacan Bulk Water Project. Sealing the partnership with a handshake are Meralco vice president and head of corporate business group Victor Genuino (third from left) and SMC Infrastructure chief finance officer and head of treasury Raoul Romulo. With them are (from left) Meralco network planning and project management head Roberto Isip Jr., Meralco private sector relationship management head Victor Risma IV, SMC Infrastructure technical operations head Norberto Conti, Meralco relationship manager Khristian Valdez and Meralco CBG-private sector team leader for food and beverage industry Gabriel Delfin.

Inflation rate in July slightly rose to 2.8% I

By Julito G. Rada

NFLATION in July slightly rose to 2.8 percent from the revised 2.7 percent a month ago on higher increases in water and electricity rates and fuel prices, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Friday.

The July inflation was also faster than 1.9 percent in the same month last year. This brought the average inflation in the first seven months to 3.1 percent, slightly higher than the mid-point of the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent this year.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said the July inflation confirmed the regulator’s assessment of a benign inflation conditions prevailing in the country.

“The BSP continues to see a manageable inflation outlook

over the policy horizon after taking into consideration the latest inflation reading in July. Inflation is projected to remain close to the mid-point of the national government’s target range of 2 to 4 percent in 2017 to 2019,” Espenilla said in a statement.

He said the inflation path would be supported by the strength of the domestic economy as well as negative base effects in the last four months of 2017.

He said the within-target path of inflation over the policy horizon provided the Bangko Sentral

the flexibility to assess its monetary tools to enhance further its responsiveness to the evolving requirements of the economy.

Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the July inflation was lower than the market expectations of 3 percent and well within the government’s target of 2 percent to 4 percent.

He said as the Philippines entered the lean months for rice production, it was important for the government to ensure adequate supply of rice to prevent inflationary pressures. “... Along this line, the planned government-to-private sector rice importation scheme is a step in the right direction. Congress should also act fast to amend domestic laws to end the quantitative restrictions on rice,” Pernia said.

He warned that despite slower rice inflation, dwindling stocks

could exert upward pressures on food prices in the near term.

The PSA said higher annual prices in July were registered in the indices of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (2.2 percent); transport (3.8 percent); education (2.3 percent); and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services (2.1 percent).

Slower annual growths were noted in the indices of food and nonalcoholic beverages at 3.3 percent and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house at 2.0 percent. The rest of the commodity groups retained their previous month’s rates.

DBS Bank of Singapore said the current inflation trajectory clearly put less pressure on Bangko Sentral to act on its policy rates, citing a recent comment from Espenilla that the central was not in a hurry to tighten its monetary policy stance.

Metro Pacific sees profit hitting P13.3b this year

By Jenniffer B. Austria METRO Pacific Investments Corp. expects core net income to reach P13.3 billion in 2017, nearly 10 percent higher than P12.1 billion last year after the conglomerate posted strong firsthalf earnings.

Metro Pacific said in a disclosure to the stock exchange net income in the first half of the the year climbed 17 percent to P7.8 billion from P6.6 million year-on-year on the back of an expanded presence in the power industry and strong contribution from the tollroads and hospital businesses.

The group’s power distribution and generation business accounted for ₱5.3 billion or 55 percent of income, followed by tollroads which shares ₱2 billion or 21 percent of the total.

Water distribution, production and sewerage treatment accounted for ₱1.8 billion of total revenues while the hospital group and rail, logistics systems group contributed ₱308 million and ₱104 million, respectively.

“Our earnings growth reflects our increased investment in the power sector together with strong volume growth at our tollroads and hospitals businesses,” said Metro Pacific and chief ex-

ecutive Jose Ma. K. Lim. Lim, however, said the combination of years of capital expenditures and the failure to date to implement tariff increases in the water, tollway and rail businesses would eventually drag the growth of the company’s core earnings per share.

The group’s water utility unit Maynilad Water Services Inc. last month won its arbitration claim against the Philippine government in Singapore. The company is now in discussions with the government on settling the claims.

The Finance Department earlier said it would look for funding

to settle Maynilad’s claims.

Metro Pacific’s tollways group is also in talks with the Transportation Department over foregone revenues from the non-implementation of tariff adjustments in North Luzon Expressway and Cavite Expressway, which now have a running balance of P7 billion.

Lim said the group was also in talks to invest in the logistics sector in the second half of the year.

He said the company was conducting due diligence on Air21 Express, the logistics company owned by businessman Alberto Lina. No other details were provided.

Philex wants to clarify Recto joint exploration THE exploration company of Philex Mining Corp. plans to initiate talks with the Foreign Affairs and Energy Departments following reports of a possible joint exploration between the Philippines and China in the disputed West Philippine Sea. Philex’s unit PXP Energy Corp. controls Forum Energy plc, which holds a 70 percent stake in service contract 72 that covers the Recto Bank. Recto Bank could hold more reserves than the Malampaya gas project in northwest Palawan.

“Yes, we have to initiate that but we would need a signal from government that not only will they approve it, that we can send our survey vessel and after that an oil rig to explore wells. We don’t want to be in the middle of geopolitical issue,” Philex chairman Manuel Pangilinan said.

Pangilinan said the latest pronouncements of the Philippines

and China was a positive development for the country’s oil and gas industry.

“I think it’s about time for us to engage the government, particularly (Foreign Affairs) Secretary (Alan Peter) Cayetano, whether we could actually get the government to permit us to restart the works that were postponed.

We should be doing that because all the pronouncements that appear to have been made

by China and Philippines are moving towards a positive direction,” Pangilinan said.

He said the Philippines should give assurance PXP could pursue exploratory drilling.

Pangilinan was previously in talks with China National Offshore Oil Corp., China’s stateowned company, in the hopes of diffusing tensions with China over the West Philippine Sea dispute. Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources plans to hire over a hundred lawyers to speed up the resolution of lower level cases, including land claims and disputes.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu wants each of the 140 Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices in the country to have at least one lawyer, who would attend to cases that could be readily be resolved at the community level and not at the regional or national levels.

Cimatu said assigning a fulltime lawyer in every CENRO was crucial to improving the DENR’s capability to deliver “immediate and meaningful services at the community level.”

“The CENROs are my front liners. If the DENR succeeds or fails, it is because of our CENROs,” Cimatu said.

Anna Leah E. Gonzales

Lopez pushes Asean zero tariff regime ASEAN 2017 Economic Ministers chairman and Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez again called on all Asean member countries to make an effort to open up at least 92 percent of their markets to zero tariff as part of their commitment to partially conclude the discussions on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

“What is ideal for every member is 99 percent. But we’re open to have them all level up to 92 percent so we can also advance the discussions on RCEP,” he said before he left for the Asean meet in Bangkok Wednesday.

The Philippines and several Asean members have already reached 90 percent to 92 percent product inclusion.

Lopez stressed that the creation of RCEP was imperative because of many opportunities.

He said ASEAN should aim to communicate its programs and priorities to the region’s citizens, and provide them with the right platform to know how they could contribute to economic growth.

Othel V. Campos

AirAsia PH bares more Iloilo flights THE Philippine unit of Southeast Asia’s largest budget airline said it will start operating three daily flight between Manila and Iloilo

by October 1.

“The addition of Manila–Iloilo route will further expand our domestic footprint in the Visayas region following our expansions in Cebu via the launch of international and domestic flights,” AirAsia Philippines chief executive captain Dexter Comendador said.

“AirAsia’s signature low fares, superb service and seamless connectivity here in the country and across Asean including China, Australia, India and much more will facilitate travel aspirations of our guests from Western Visayas through Iloilo’s modern airport and help stimulate demand for travel and tourism,” he said.

AirAsia is offering promo fares for the new route for as low as P999. Darwin G. Amojelar

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, August 4, 2017

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency

BEST SUPERMARKET. SM Supermarket wins the Philippine Retailers Association’s Best Supermarket

award for 2016 at the recently concluded 20th Outstanding Filipino Retailers and Shopping Centers of the Year Awards. The PRA Award is one of the most prestigious awards given to companies based on their criteria that touch on products, operations, sales and marketing, social consciousness and reputation. At the awarding rites are (from left) PRA president Paul Santos, SM Supermarket senior assistant vice president for operations Mylene Mendoza, Herson Sy, SM Supermarket president Joey Mendoza and PRA vice president Rose Ong.

Unit

US Dollar Peso

United States Dollar

1.000000

Japan

Yen

0.009089

0.4578

UK

Pound

1.314100

66.1846

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127930

6.4432

Switzerland

Franc

1.032738

52.0138

Canada

Dollar

0.794660

40.0231

Singapore

Dollar

0.736106

37.0740

Australia

Dollar

0.794800

40.0301

Bahrain

Dinar

2.654632

133.7005

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266674

13.4310

Brunei

Dollar

0.733407

36.9380

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0038

Thailand

Baht

0.030075

1.5147

UAE

Dirham 0.272301

13.7144

Euro

Euro

1.187200

59.7933

Korea

Won

0.000887

0.0447

China

Yuan

0.148865

7.4976

India

Rupee

0.015701

0.7908

Malaysia

Ringgit 0.233809

New Zealand Dollar

0.743300

Taiwan

0.033107

Dollar

50.3650

11.7758 37.4363 1.6674 Source: PDS Bridge

B2

Business

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market rallies; EDC advances

T

HE stock market rallied Friday on bargain hunting, with select blue chips leading gainers.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 56.16 points, or 0.7 percent, to 7,932.82 on total trade valued at P6.4 billion. Losers, however, beat gainers, 101 to 93, with 50 issues unchanged.

Energy Development Corp., the geothermal unit of the Lopez Group, surged 16 percent to P6.90 after announcing a foreign consortium offered to acquire up to 31.7 percent of its total outstanding voting shares, resulting in the eventual delisting of EDC. First Gen Corp., EDC’s parent firm, advanced 6.1 percent to P18.36.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., which is into power generation and distribution,

banking, flour milling and property, climbed 3.4 percent to P74.95, while PLDT Inc., the biggest telecommunications company, rose 1.2 percent to P1,630.

The beleaguered US dollar, meanwhile, struggled to recover from a fresh slump Friday triggered by a report on the probe into alleged Russian interference in the US election.

The greenback was under sustained pressure against the Japanese yen, testing 110 in afternoon forex trade, as it also fell against the euro with soft US economic data adding to negative sentiment.

Analysts warned it could go lower still with US wages data out later Friday unlikely to offer much relief.

The emboldened yen, seen as a safe haven currency, dragged down the Nikkei, which closed 0.4 percent lower. Toyota later announced upward revisions in fullyear profit as it forecast a downturn in the

yen.

Shanghai drifted lower by the close of play as Chinese stocks lost momentum after a record 2017 close on Tuesday, while Hong Kong edged higher.

Sydney stocks declined as the central bank cut its growth forecast and expressed concern over the local dollar’s strength, but Seoul clawed back some losses endured Thursday after President Moon Jae-in announced plans to raise corporate taxes.

The revelation by the Wall Street Journal that special counsel Robert Mueller has convened a grand jury to investigate Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election―a step towards possible criminal indictments―sparked a furious reaction from President Donald Trump and dented gains on Wall Street.

The Dow still edged to a record for the seventh straight day Thursday, although the tech-heavy Nasdaq retreated.

“In no small way this yen strength is related to news that broke overnight that Robert Mueller has empaneled a grand jury as he continues to look into the Russia issue―as the president called it,” said Greg McKenna, chief market strategist AxiTrader.

Stephen Innes, who heads Asia-Pacific trade at forex firm OANDA, noted: “Another toxic elixir for the greenback is brewing.”

The turmoil in Washington is casting doubt on Trump’s ability to push through an agenda aimed at boosting growth.

Traders were awaiting a key US jobs report that may provide clues on the strength of the world’s top economy and the odds of an additional Federal Reserve rate hike this year.

But Chris Weston, Australia-based chief market strategist at IG Markets, cautioned the figures were unlikely to bolster the dollar. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2017

NAME

OPEN

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 4.14 77,000 59.75 84,720 105.4 733,980 4.05 1,000 127.5 1,518,020 1.36 1,000 36.2 18,000 9.04 400 16.1 7,500 32.15 645,100 8.07 2,900 0.66 352,000 1.62 28,000 920 260 0.7 2,663,000 86.05 920,700 0.84 3,796,000 13.88 28,000 24.4 500 66.2 19,790 241 1,460 120 420 54.5 31,070 230 322,870 86.3 2,264,820 1.33 100,000

319,890 5,036,610 77,418,770 4,050 193,593,952 1,360 653,865 3,616 120,240 20,685,780 23,403 232,390 45,360 243,200 1,837,870 79,353,869.50 3,337,920 388,572 12,200 1,311,927 350,430 50,400 1,699,614 74,494,250 195,373,799.50 132,780

4,052,991 20,095,223 15,497,082 123,080 -848,645 14,778,544.00 43,860 162,559.00 50,400 411,300 48,558,060 -135,523.50 -

INDUSTRIAL 39.95 1,510,300 9.38 4,960,700 0.82 2,375,000 1.36 520,000 30 50,800 0.26 3,160,000 159.1 90 5.85 7,813,900 18.44 207,900 30 1,144,500 16.1 72,700 65.1 1,390 71 4,560 82 200 1.95 95,000 5.2 13,800 11.36 42,300 12.22 559,600 15.2 2,213,600 13.8 1,637,000 7.67 931,000 6.9 156,340,500 18.36 11,994,800 66.6 105,490 14.8 5,700 13.2 130,100 13.74 1,692,600 1.89 1,849,000 215.2 818,050 59.15 230 3.79 33,000 3.38 2,000 21 600 31.8 585,200 19.36 184,100 18.1 3,015,300 280 664,960 0.24 670,000 12.52 213,000 3.19 168,000 7.3 551,100 9.6 1,797,200 8.89 2,687,000 10.26 29,900 1.89 767,000 12.4 1,596,700 66 498,470 7.19 1,230,600 308 4,930 4.49 91,000 4.6 200,000 2.81 766,000 12.96 502,100 4.85 141,000 0.144 430,000 1.29 82,000 152.3 865,980 3.92 19,000 2.5 44,439,000 29.6 200 1.02 60,000

60,319,755 45,950,111 1,940,780 711,010 1,541,410 801,700 14,317 45,862,284 3,807,818 34,443,790 1,162,988 92,056.50 319,400 16,400 185,440 72,296 486,118 6,836,732 33,546,980 22,268,162 7,158,643 1,093,777,581 222,888,516 7,090,124 84,320 1,719,098 23,396,196 3,462,000 176,347,344 13,660 121,280 6,780 12,600 18,621,890 3,561,314 54,712,708 186,111,354 161,120 2,711,410 531,790 4,037,504 17,059,692 24,828,220 305,108 1,453,340 19,722,920 32,909,351 9,126,403 1,516,868 404,130 895,770 2,177,700 6,510,188 684,840 61,980 105,820 131,469,410 74,560 107,278,420 5,920 61,740

-30,888,175.00 11,834,214 -21,835,464 -682,754 -300,000 155,214 35,376 -264,988 3,133,778 14,599,476 2,043,650 1,435,663 -160,070,879 104,172,052 -1,774,718.50 76,940 -140,594 3,698,488 278,610 -60,470,442 -5,954,585 2,326,372.00 -1,547,148 28,563,082 9,600 282,440 1,462 5,756,460 -1,873,124.00 195,220 -428,866 -761,085 1,215,815 -1,296,680 -238,960 720,810 247,780 2,489,120 301,150 23,100 -88,808,885 43,010 1,104,910 -

HOLDING FIRMS 0.385 7,860,000 74.95 2,639,310 14.2 3,462,400 1.13 89,000 6.95 34,900 0.32 1,280,000 879 227,300 7.6 2,012,600 15.66 2,113,800 7.84 17,400 6.05 4,400 0.223 290,000 1,200 37,960 8.27 41,800 74 487,610 5.95 23,500 0.99 896,000 7.3 1,379,300 18.22 534,200 0.455 70,000 6.69 6,432,000 0.048 15,500,000 2.09 450,000 101.3 124,540 2.73 20,000 800 150,900 1.73 2,470,000 304.2 390 0.28 230,000 0.238 2,610,000 0.23 3,040,000

3,032,450 192,866,378 49,249,130 99,700 242,078 409,000 199,707,005 15,305,318 33,251,162 136,057 26,620 62,430 45,538,630 335,865 36,065,100 137,585 884,890 9,923,083 9,739,740 30,900 42,941,811 745,900 930,030 12,551,143 53,950 120,727,590 4,274,150 118,524 64,900 596,750 703,660

78,000 -131,011,478 13,920,930 138,700,450 -126,957 3,848,576 98,532 -53,750 -5,643,760 -4,919,609 -1,771,880 2,004,162 -3,990,704 -1,780,497 53,130,495 840,480 -530,340

PROPERTY 5.45 336,300 1.45 2,132,000 2.29 464,000 1.02 979,000 41.9 8,121,000 3.72 2,894,000 4.76 1,103,000 5.3 118,400 0.53 19,815,000 1.24 328,000 1.52 198,000 0.193 7,670,000 0.51 456,000 48.3 931,400 0.71 6,937,000 0.155 670,000 1.87 23,057,000 1.61 14,819,000 0.99 114,000

1,822,104 3,083,400 1,023,860 997,400 340,294,640 10,757,770 5,356,790 633,081 10,547,320 401,160 301,830 1,461,740 232,570 45,748,590 4,920,660 104,400 43,153,240 24,029,290 113,260

1,307 -7,350 -94,310 35,224,135 -2,223,550 90,770 -34,650 144,380 51,000 3,073,470 -2,642,190 37,155,600 2,795,210 -

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

AG FINANCE 4.05 ASIA UNITED 59 BANK PH ISLANDS 105.5 BDO LEASING 4.05 BDO UNIBANK 127.6 BRIGHT KINDLE 1.36 CHINABANK 36.5 CITYSTATE BANK 9.04 COL FINANCIAL 16 EAST WEST BANK 32.7 FILIPINO FUND 8.07 FIRST ABACUS 0.68 IREMIT 1.62 MANULIFE 970 MEDCO HLDG 0.69 METROBANK 85.6 NTL REINSURANCE 0.9 PB BANK 13.5 PBCOM 24.4 PHIL NATL BANK 66.4 PHIL STOCK EXCH 240 PHILTRUST 120 RCBC 55 SECURITY BANK 230 UNION BANK 86.4 VANTAGE 1.33

4.19 59.75 106.2 4.05 129 1.36 36.5 9.04 16.1 32.7 8.07 0.68 1.62 970 0.7 86.9 0.94 13.88 24.4 66.4 241 120 55 232.8 86.55 1.33

4.05 59 105 4.05 127 1.36 36.2 9.04 16 31.75 8.07 0.66 1.62 920 0.69 85.6 0.84 13.5 24.4 66 240 120 54.4 229 86.25 1.32

ABOITIZ POWER 39.75 AGRINURTURE 9.15 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.83 ALSONS CONS 1.36 ASIABEST GROUP 31.1 BASIC ENERGY 0.26 BOGO MEDELLIN 159.1 CEMEX HLDG 5.98 CENTURY FOOD 18.58 CIRTEK HLDG 29.4 CNTRL AZUCARERA15 CONCEPCION 70 CONCRETE A 70 CONCRETE B 82 CROWN ASIA 1.96 DAVINCI CAPITAL 5.2 DEL MONTE 11.58 DNL INDUS 12.2 EAGLE CEMENT 14.94 EEI CORP 13.5 EMPERADOR 7.67 ENERGY DEVT 7.09 FIRST GEN 19.7 FIRST PHIL HLDG 68.9 GINEBRA 14.6 HOLCIM 13.2 INTEGRATED MICR 13.96 IONICS 1.92 JOLLIBEE 215.8 LIBERTY FLOUR 61 LMG CHEMICALS 3.62 MABUHAY VINYL 3.4 MACAY HLDG 21 MANILA WATER 31.9 MAXS GROUP 19.4 MEGAWIDE 18.02 MERALCO 280 MG HLDG 0.241 PANASONIC 12.2 PEPSI COLA 3.16 PETROENERGY 7.35 PETRON 9.4 PHIL H2O 9.6 PHINMA 10.2 PHINMA ENERGY 1.88 PHX PETROLEUM 12.1 PILIPINAS SHELL 66.05 PRYCE CORP 7.5 PUREFOODS 307 RFM CORP 4.48 ROXAS HLDG 4.5 SFA SEMICON 2.89 SHAKEYS PIZZA 13.06 SPC POWER 4.86 SWIFT FOODS 0.145 TKC METALS 1.32 UNIV ROBINA 154 VICTORIAS 3.91 VITARICH 2.28 VIVANT 29.6 VULCAN INDL 1.03

40 9.38 0.83 1.38 31.1 0.26 159.1 5.98 18.58 31 16.5 70 71 82 1.96 5.28 11.58 12.28 15.22 13.8 7.75 7.09 19.8 69 14.8 13.28 14.28 1.93 218 61 3.79 3.4 21 31.95 19.4 18.4 280.4 0.244 13.4 3.19 7.62 9.62 9.8 10.28 1.91 12.48 66.4 7.8 308 4.49 4.6 2.89 13.2 4.9 0.145 1.32 154 4.02 2.5 29.6 1.03

39.6 9.1 0.81 1.36 30 0.25 159 5.84 18.08 29.4 15 64 70 82 1.95 5.2 11.36 12.18 14.94 13.3 7.65 6.9 18.1 66.3 14.6 13.18 13.5 1.84 214.6 59.15 3.62 3.38 21 31.2 19.3 18 279.2 0.24 12.2 3.14 7.3 9.4 8.64 10.2 1.88 12.08 66 7.1 305.4 4.41 4.41 2.8 12.92 4.85 0.144 1.28 150.6 3.91 2.28 29.6 1.02

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

0.38 72.65 14.38 1.12 6.98 0.315 863 7.56 15.6 7.85 6.05 0.215 1,196 8.29 73.75 5.7 1.01 7.11 18.2 0.46 6.68 0.048 2.05 101.3 2.78 800 1.69 303.4 0.285 0.236 0.236

0.395 74.95 14.4 1.13 6.98 0.32 884 7.68 15.98 7.85 6.05 0.223 1,210 8.33 76.3 5.98 1.01 7.3 18.52 0.46 6.75 0.049 2.11 101.3 2.78 802 1.76 304.2 0.285 0.244 0.242

0.38 72.5 14.16 1.12 6.9 0.315 863 7.56 15.6 7.8 6.05 0.215 1,196 8 73.5 5.7 0.98 6.95 18 0.42 6.62 0.048 2.05 100 2.66 799.5 1.66 302.6 0.28 0.221 0.23

8990 HLDG 5.6 A BROWN 1.44 ARANETA PROP 2.25 ARTHALAND CORP 1.02 AYALA LAND 42 BELLE CORP 3.73 CEB LANDMASTERS 4.9 CEBU HLDG 5.3 CENTURY PROP 0.54 CITY AND LAND 1.19 CITYLAND DEVT 1.52 CROWN EQUITIES 0.188 CYBER BAY 0.51 DOUBLEDRAGON 48.7 EMPIRE EAST 0.73 EVER GOTESCO 0.156 FILINVEST LAND 1.87 GLOBAL ESTATE 1.65 IRC PROP 1.01

5.6 1.46 2.3 1.03 42.15 3.74 4.96 5.36 0.54 1.25 1.55 0.193 0.52 49.95 0.74 0.156 1.9 1.66 1.01

5.38 1.42 2.19 1.01 41.7 3.7 4.75 5.3 0.52 1.19 1.52 0.188 0.51 47 0.7 0.155 1.86 1.6 0.99

VOLUME

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

MEGAWORLD 4.77 MRC ALLIED 0.34 PHIL ESTATES 0.62 PHIL REALTY 0.56 PRIMEX CORP 4.78 PTFC REDEV CORP 30.4 ROBINSONS LAND 24.75 ROCKWELL 1.77 SHANG PROP 3.2 SM PRIME HLDG 33.65 STA LUCIA LAND 1 SUNTRUST HOME 0.89 VISTA LAND 5.98

4.85 0.345 0.63 0.57 4.84 30.4 24.75 1.8 3.24 34.65 1.02 0.89 5.98

4.75 0.335 0.59 0.55 4.74 30.05 24.4 1.77 3.2 33.65 1 0.89 5.92

4.81 0.335 0.59 0.55 4.74 30.05 24.55 1.78 3.24 34 1.02 0.89 5.95

43,329,000 11,020,000 25,957,000 4,128,000 822,000 500 858,900 337,000 772,000 6,675,400 1,120,000 51,000 3,282,700

208,207,100 3,729,850 15,709,720 2,278,490 3,937,930 15,165 21,093,920 601,990 2,470,500 227,182,320 1,132,520 45,390 19,517,031

-4,354,240 78,200 -606,950 683,490.00 3,762,750 -768,000 29,926,320.00 -4,203,088

2GO GROUP 23.1 ABS CBN 43.5 ACESITE HOTEL 1.87 APC GROUP 0.62 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.042 BERJAYA 5.33 BLOOMBERRY 8.97 BOULEVARD HLDG 0.075 CEBU AIR 101 DFNN INC 10.7 FAR EASTERN U 970 GLOBE TELECOM 2,050 GMA NETWORK 6.2 GOLDEN HAVEN 15.78 HARBOR STAR 2.65 IMPERIAL 3.25 INTL CONTAINER 105.5 IPM HLDG 8.5 ISLAND INFO 0.173 ISM COMM 1.34 JACKSTONES 3.07 LBC EXPRESS 15.5 LEISURE AND RES 4.4 LORENZO SHIPPNG 1.72 MACROASIA 11.72 MANILA BULLETIN 0.6 MANILA JOCKEY 2.4 MELCO RESORTS 8.7 METRO RETAIL 3.91 MLA BRDCASTING 16.4 NOW CORP 2.22 PACIFIC ONLINE 11.38 PAL HLDG 5.24 PAXYS 2.9 PHIL SEVEN CORP 169 PHILWEB 9.34 PLDT 1,635 PREMIUM LEISURE 1.57 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.43 PUREGOLD 47.1 ROBINSONS RTL 87 SBS PHIL CORP 6.1 SSI GROUP 4.56 STI HLDG 1.46 TRAVELLERS 3.47 WATERFRONT 1.4 WILCON DEPOT 8.74

24.5 43.7 1.89 0.69 0.043 5.33 9.09 0.076 102.1 10.98 970 2,050 6.21 15.78 2.65 3.28 105.9 8.6 0.173 1.39 3.07 15.5 4.43 1.74 11.94 0.6 2.4 9 3.91 16.42 2.33 11.4 5.24 2.9 169 9.34 1,648 1.6 0.435 47.2 87 6.1 4.63 1.48 3.47 1.42 8.85

23 43.3 1.81 0.61 0.042 5.32 8.83 0.073 100.5 10.6 970 2,000 6.18 15.62 2.57 3.24 103.6 8.5 0.168 1.34 2.99 15.5 4.26 1.65 11.68 0.6 2.4 8.7 3.88 16.4 2.22 11.38 5.15 2.9 169 9.11 1,615 1.57 0.415 46.5 86.95 6.05 4.45 1.45 3.42 1.34 8.67

SERVICES 23.7 496,600 43.6 206,000 1.84 486,000 0.69 46,224,000 0.042 19,500,000 5.32 4,300 8.83 9,190,400 0.075 18,200,000 102 191,640 10.8 173,600 970 110 2,018 41,270 6.19 137,900 15.78 47,800 2.57 1,962,000 3.28 63,000 103.6 2,022,250 8.6 349,000 0.17 5,230,000 1.38 450,000 3 1,405,000 15.5 500 4.26 929,000 1.66 3,456,000 11.78 987,700 0.6 3,000 2.4 1,000 8.99 3,471,900 3.91 1,360,000 16.4 2,400 2.31 2,158,000 11.4 5,700 5.15 5,000 2.9 3,000 169 130 9.32 195,700 1,630 76,210 1.6 7,706,000 0.415 1,520,000 47 3,007,200 87 2,717,770 6.05 537,600 4.63 7,982,000 1.45 32,302,000 3.42 101,000 1.39 27,006,000 8.72 2,260,800

11,826,685 8,973,190 891,430 30,710,190 824,800 22,881 82,482,402 1,342,070 19,452,123 1,849,530 106,700 83,217,330 854,701 748,734 5,098,010 204,970 213,010,611 2,990,700 885,800 613,350 4,230,570 7,750 4,013,760 5,781,240 11,663,268 1,800 2,400 30,844,970 5,306,910 39,366 4,914,030 64,886 25,993 8,700 21,970 1,805,388 124,328,515 12,271,710 637,100 140,846,285 236,422,890 3,253,195 36,531,530 46,998,040 345,770 37,415,620 19,757,026

-41,485 -224,000 43,000 -8,053,180.00 7,891,324 20,030 -106,700 -8,439,600 10,290 -14,621,927 60,400 423,760.00 661,880 2,012,054 -12,754,416.00 148,230 -34,650 -22,889 1,690 46,500 6,863,070 3,127,510 92,356,770 -154,243,428.50 3,681,930 30,677,720 -3,420 1,039,090 940,985.00

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

0.003 1.58 5.29 14.42 1.85 1.83 1.23 0.385 8.55 2.58 0.31 0.185 0.193 0.01 1.78 6.1 1.96 0.6 1.03 0.01 0.01 0.012 2.53 8.94 3.51 168.9

0.003 1.63 5.29 14.42 1.9 1.83 1.23 0.385 8.55 2.58 0.31 0.187 0.193 0.011 1.82 6.34 1.97 0.62 1.03 0.011 0.011 0.012 2.53 8.94 3.73 168.9

0.0028 1.58 5.14 14.42 1.85 1.82 1.18 0.385 8.41 2.43 0.3 0.185 0.193 0.01 1.76 6.05 1.92 0.58 1.02 0.01 0.01 0.012 2.49 8.81 3.51 166.9

MINING & OIL 0.0029 138,000,000 1.59 3,781,000 5.29 5,100 14.42 100 1.9 12,000 1.83 23,000 1.22 2,445,000 0.385 220,000 8.41 400 2.45 4,422,000 0.305 3,720,000 0.187 1,360,000 0.193 110,000 0.011 10,000,000 1.79 92,000 6.2 5,685,400 1.96 44,000 0.58 1,096,000 1.02 184,000 0.01 15,800,000 0.011 1,100,000 0.012 14,200,000 2.5 40,000 8.84 253,300 3.72 10,334,000 167.5 679,680

394,300 6,041,430 26,244 1,442 22,300 41,930 2,951,410 84,700 3,393 11,001,680 1,118,100 253,340 21,230 100,300 165,370 35,312,153 84,860 645,410 188,980 165,400 11,100 170,400 100,100 2,239,005 37,613,730 114,000,281

-514 -24,400 -108,520 -372,000 -7,768,995 -10,000 -39,956 -3,150 15,533,305

ABS HLDG PDR ALCO PREF B DD PREF FGEN PREF F FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B LR PREF PNX PREF 3B SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

44.1 106 105.5 112.5 111.1 525 5.95 1,011 1,023 1.06 113.4 77 82 78.7 78.95

44.4 106 105.5 112.5 111.1 525 5.95 1,011 1,023 1.06 113.4 77.75 82 78.7 78.95

44.1 106 105.4 112.5 111 523 5.92 1,007 1,023 1.06 113.4 77 81.5 78.7 78.6

PREFERRED 44.4 82,800 106 46,450 105.5 16,030 112.5 10 111 8,500 523 50 5.95 122,500 1,007 1,000 1,023 970 1.06 10,000 113.4 640 77.75 6,000 81.5 41,500 78.7 500 78.6 20,000

3,663,760 4,923,700 1,691,150 1,125 943,610 26,230 728,598 1,008,360 992,310 10,600 72,576 466,147.50 3,400,000 39,350 1,574,670

2,977,860 -562,285 -

LR WARRANT

2.52

2.52

2.35

WARRANTS 2.42 176,000

426,320

-

ITALPINAS PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

3.78 5.3 6.6

3.81 5.3 6.67

3.76 5.18 6.38

SME 3.78 5.21 6.45

643,560 542,617 35,539,544

-13,787,286

FIRST METRO ETF 119

120

119

6,332,126

-214,920

USD DMPL A1

10.5

10.5

157,500

-

NAME

OPEN

MS 10.5

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

13,618,911

INDUSTRIAL

262,573,434

HOLDING FIRMS PROPERTY

54,681,486 189,585,544

SERVICES

205,018,891

MINING & OIL

213,836,200

GRAND TOTAL

945,085,632

170,000 104,300 5,443,700

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 120 52,990 DDS 10.5

15,000

NIKL’s income jumps to P1.54b

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales NET profit of Nickel Asia Corp., the country’s biggest nickel producer, jumped to P1.54 billion in the first six months of 2017 from just P24 million year-on-year.

Nickel Asia said in a disclosure to the stock exchange earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization surged to P3.64 billion from P1.84 billion a year ago.

“The combined effects of the company focusing more on shipments of its higher-value saprolite ore, more particularly in the first quarter when prices were firmer, a stronger US dollar and a turnaround in profits from the company’s equity share in its investment in both the Coral Bay and Taganito processing plants, resulted to a significant improvement in earnings during the first half,” Nickel Asia said.

The company shipped 8.92 million wet metric tons of nickel ore from 8.54 million on year. The shipment consisted of 4.19 million MT of saprolite ore and 4.74 million of limonite ore, including 4.24 million MT delivered to both the Coral Bay and Taganito processing plants.

The company realized an average price of $4.40 per pound of payable nickel on its shipments of ore to the two HPAL plants from an average price of $3.92 on year.

Export sales averaged $25.88 per MT, up 42 percent from $18.24 realized during the same period last year.

“The impressive improvement in the financial results of the Coral Bay and Taganito processing plants driven by strong cobalt prices has certainly contributed to our performance in the first half,” said Nickel Asia president and chief executive officer Gerard Brimo.

MPIC to start Mactan bridge

By Darwin G. Amojelar

VALUE 1,969.47 (up) 3.92 656,744,087.93 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,159.15 (up) 133.23 2,432,517,097.44 HOLDING FIRMS 7,881.11 (up) 60.21 788,281,939.17 PROPERTY 3,757.23 (up) 19.30 SERVICES 1,658.78 (up) 1.03 1,007,654,026.67 MINING & OIL 12,816.59 (down) 12.32 1,218,942,836.687 PSEI 7,932.82 (up) 56.16 212,805,814.97 All Shares Index 4,734.38 (up) 19.81 6,360,004,791.17 Gainers: 93; Losers: 101; Unchanged: 50; Total: 244

THE tollway unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. said it expects to start the construction of the P27.9-billion road and bridge connecting Cebu City to Mactan Island via Cordova by the second half of the year.

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. said the 8.25-km Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway was expected to be completed by 2020.

MPTC president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco said the company was in talks with local banks to raise P20 billion to partially finance the Cebu Cordova Bridge project.

Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corp. last year secured the notices of award from both the city of Cebu and the municipality of Cordova for the financing, design, construction, implementation, operation and maintenance of the Cebu-Cordova Bridge tollroad subject to compliance with conditions.

MPTC will spend ₱130.5 billion in the next five years in building highways and tollroads around the Philippines.

The company said it was imperative that overdue tariff increases, now ranging between 20 percent and 48 percent on different parts of the network, be implemented to fund the projects “We are in constructive dialogue with the new administration on how to achieve this,” MPTC said.

MPTC recorded a core net income of P2.1 billion in the first six months, up 27 percent from P1.6 billon year-on-year.

Average daily vehicle entries for all three of its domestic tollways system (NLEX, CAVITEX and SCTEX) totaled 440,904 up 9 percent compared with the same period in 2016.

Home / Design

B3

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017 jdlacsamana@gmail.com

‘PAMPANGA’S BEST’ JUST GOT BETTER. The first ‘green’ hotel in Central Luzon was recently opened in San Fernando, Pampanga. Located in Barangay Dolores, the Best Western Bendix Hotel stands at the junction of MacArthur Highway and Olongapo-Gapan Road, and serves as a beacon for leisure and corporate travelers from Tarlac to the north, Subic Bay to the west, Bulacan to the south, and Cabanatuan to the east.

The establishment is the first accommodation in Pampanga to use environment-friendly systems and practices, to wit: low-emissivity glass window panels; low-flow plumbing fixtures to help conserve water; and waste water recycling technology. The hotel is owned is affiliated with the Best Western Hotels & Resorts, a global chain with several brands across over 100 countries and territories. The property is the latest Best Western hotel in the Philippines, following those located in the city of Manila, Makati, Cebu City, Boracay, Subic, and Palawan.

LEAK SOLUTIONS. Living in the Philippines, which goes through months of monsoon every year, means long days of rain. The smartest way to protect your house is to apply sealants to repair cracks and leaks. But most consumers have different standards of quality when it comes to sealants. Since they discover leaks only when they’ve started already, they think the quick drying variant is the most effective. It is not. The sealant that easily dries up and hardens like cement has a tendency to crack because it becomes brittle. Sure Seal’s “iwas crack” comes in handy. It is an all purpose “elastomeric sealant”, which has “iwas crack” technology. This slow-curing sealant is transformed into a tough, rubber-like gasket which offers reasonable motion, contraction and expansion, without cracking, or losing adhesion.

FIBER CEMENT BOARDS FOR BETTER HOMES JAMES Hardie and housing developer Axeia Development Corporation, recently conducted a home improvement and livelihood training program in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, to teach Le Moubreza homeowners how to choose the right, value-for-money materials for better home investments.

Citing budget as a key consideration in home improvement decisions, homeowners mostly buy “bare” units without ceilings or bedroom partitions, only deciding on house materials when finally moving in.

James Hardie imparted its home improvement expertise and taught program attendees how to use durable, cost-efficient finishing products like fiber cement boards instead of plywood.

Shown in photo is Renato Zagada, technical install lead for carpenters, giving hands-on tips in cutting, nailing and installing the HardieFlex Boards during the workshop.

HEFTY SALES MARK CONNOR DEBUT PROPERTY buyers recently snapped up units from Connor, Ortigas & Company’s new project in Greenhills, as it hit P3.6 billion in total sales on its launch day alone.

The 55-storey residential tower registered a total of 51% sales take up in just 10 hours during its launch event with priority customers. Thomas F. Mirasol, Ortigas & Company senior vice president, said 494 of Connor’s 970 units are now sold.

Among the 494 units sold are 184 serviced residences, or 85% of the total number up for sale. Mirasol said the strong take up shows the market’s increasing interest in homes with hotel-like service. Connor is set to rise on the intersection of Club Filipino Avenue and Eisenhower Street. It joins a new mall with a department store, revitalized bazaar, and a BPO office building in the first phase of Greenhills’ major upgrade.

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

B4

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017

HAMPER HEAVEN.

Haiko Cosnelissen’s picnic grounds on legs.

AMAZING TABLE DESIGNS

for an adventurous homebody Spruce up your home while eating, drinking or playing games

T

ABLES are an essential element of a household and great part of our everyday lives, from eating to working and from crafting to socializing.

A table is not just four legs and a board. The artists in this article ostensibly realized this, and went all out to create these masterpieces that will look good in any home. Employing unusual materials, such as rough gemstones and logs, and putting forth creative ideas, such as grass as a table top, these table designs are enough to turn even the simplest, most minimalistic space into an interesting conversation spot.

‘WATCHING THE RIVER RUN’. Listening to Loggin and Messina while having an intimate dinner on this glass river table must have been what designer Greg Klassen had in mind when he came up with this superb piece of craftsmanship.

GOING RUSTIC. John Househmand gives wood-lovers something to crow about with this unique log table.

DANCING LIGHTS.

STARING INTO OBLIVION. The ‘abyss table’ by Duffy London

The mind plays tricks on one’s line of sight with this sparkling table by John Foster

MIXING WORK WITH PLEASURE. Brainstorm with the team, and entertain them at the same time, on this functional living room table.

Century-old building in Iloilo City gets timely facelift

PAINSTAKING WORK. Using a flashlight and hand lens, a member of the DOST-FPRDI Team examines the wood used for a stair step.

SPRUCING UP THE OLD LADY. Facade of the Commission on Audit (COA) building in Iloilo City.

THE old Commission on Audit (COA) Building in Iloilo City recently got the full preservation treatment, courtesy of a DOST-

FPRDI wood ID team which identified wooden materials that can be used to restore the building, in collaboration with the Na-

tional Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).

The project identified the tree species used in the structural wooden structures and movable woodcrafts in the Old COA building.

“To come up with a feasible restoration plan, NHCP needs to know the type of materials that make up the wooden structures,” explained team Leader Dr. Ramiro P. Escobin. “One hundred thirty items consisting of 14 species were identified by the DOSTFPRDI Team with relatively high accuracy using the traditional, practical and standard methods in wood structure identification,” he added.

The NHCP is reviving the historic building, which used to be a symbol of progressive commerce in Iloilo. The edifice is now part of a national heritage zone.

LGUs

QC preparing for Payatas dump closure THE Quezon City government is preparing for the eventual closure of the Payatas landfill by the end of the year.

City Administrator Aldrin Cuña, said the landfill is already nearing its limit.

“We are preparing for its closure this year but MMDA [Metro Manila Development Authority] has to decide where we will dump our waste as we still have no designated area,” Cuña said.

Earlier this year, then-Environment secretary Gina Lopez expressed her intent to close the dump because of its proximity to the La Mesa watershed, one of the main water sources of Metro Manila.

Payatas is an engineered sanitary landfill, exclusively for the waste of Quezon City. It collects 2,800 tons of garbage a day.

The Quezon City Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department has requested the MMDA to reopen Payatas after ordering its temporary closure last July 27.

The EPWMD ordered the temporary closure owing to continuous rains. The MMDA also instructed the department to suspend the operations at Payatas.

According to Frederika Rentoy, EPWMD head, the recent heavy rains made the access roads to the landfill muddy and slippery, making it difficult for garbage trucks to safely maneuver.

During the dump’s closure, the city’s collected garbage was diverted to two sanitary landfills; District 1, 3, and 4’s wastes to Vitas, Tondo, and District 2, 5, and 6’s to Rodriguez, Rizal.

Rentoy, however, said it took five to eight hours for garbage trucks to return from Vitas, and the landfill in Rodriguez had requirements that the QC haulers could not comply with immediately, with the trucks needing tickets to pass into the dump.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor Roger M. Garcia, Assistant Editor jimbo.gulle@gmail.com mslocalgov@gmail.com SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017

C1

FUNDS FOR ‘OSMUN.’ The Department of Health has donated P16 million to the Ospital ng Muntinlupa to fund its medical services and projects. Pictured are Rep. Ruffy Biazon, OsMun director Dr. Edwin Dimatatac, and Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi receiving the full amount of the agency’s pledge from DoH executives on Thursday. The local government has been partnering with the national agencies and other organizations in improving social services for the city’s constituents.

470 Manila families gain land

By Bill Casas

M

ANILA Mayor Joseph Estrada is set to award land certificates to another batch of 470 families that have been illegally occupying privately owned lots in the city.

Estrada assured that more Manileños, especially the poor families, will be given lots under the “Land for the Landless” program the city government has been implementing since 2013.

“It is my happiness to help you achieve your dream of having your own lands. You’ll no longer

be called ‘squatters’ or informal settlers,” the mayor said.

Estrada also met with the beneficiaries during simple ceremonies in Barangay 215 Tondo last Tuesday.

First introduced by Estrada when he assumed office in 2013, the LLP is based on City Ten-

ants and Security Committee Resolution No. 16-A. Through expropriation, the city government buys the private properties that are distributed to qualified applicants.

Under the project, the awardees are given 20 to 30 years to pay for the lots at affordable rates.

Within two years from the awarding of the lot, the beneficiaries should occupy the area and vacate the premises not included in the award, according to Danny Isiderio, chief of the city’s Urban Settlements Office.

For 2017, Estrada set aside an initial fund of P50 million for the

expropriation of five private estates where the 470 beneficiaries have long been occupying, Isiderio said.

One such property is the 28,789-square meter estate that covers the streets of Jose Abad Santos, Solis, and Antipolo in Barangays 215 and 216 in Tondo. The landowner, Vargas Realty, Inc., wants to sell it to the city government at P1.3 billion.

“We have distributed certificates that signify that the qualified beneficiaries are actual occupants of the land undergoing expropriation proceedings, and that they will be considered legal

occupants as soon as the subject land is acquired by the city government,” Isiderio said.

Under the program, the lot awardees should have the capacity to pay and have no landholdings elsewhere. Within two years from the awarding of the lot, the beneficiaries should occupy the area and vacate the premises not included in the award.

The lot awarded cannot be sold or rented for 20 years without the written consent of the Office of the Mayor, and it should be used for residential purposes only.

Estrada awarded lots to 78 fami-

lies in September 2013; 57 in April 2014, and another 40 in February 2015, followed by 29 more families on June the same year.

In March 2016, another 65 families were given lots under the LLP, 53 of whom were at Villafojas Estate located along Villafojas Street, also in Tondo.

Urban housing has been Estrada’s top priority since being elected in 2013. He has also relocated thousands of informal settler families away from the city’s esteros and creeks in cooperation with the National Housing Authority and other concerned government agencies.

3rd Calumpang Bridge to relieve Batangas traffic ‘Taklub’ BATANGAS CITY—Mayor Beverly Dimacuha and Rep. Marvey Mariño led the recent groundbreaking of the P338-million Calumpang Bridge project, the third in the city aimed at improving traffic in the area.

A city government flagship project to be financed by a loan from the Landbank of the Philippines, this four-lane bridge is 140 meters long and 15 meters wide and spans Sitio Ferry, Barangay Kumintang Ibaba, Calumpang River and Barangay Gulod Labac.

According to engineer Ronald Litan, project manager of Frey-Fil Corp., this type of bridge is the “first and only kind in the Philippines” because it will be using the box girder super structure scheme, which is different from the usual “I girder” being employed in other bridges in the country. The box girder design can be seen in countries in Europe and the United Arab Emirates.

Joachim Enenkel, president and CEO of Frey-Fil, told Batangas residents: “This is a project to be implemented very fast, Giesel E. Arce (center) shows her medals from the China Primary Math Olympiad as she paid a courtesy call on Mrs. Teresa Magpantay (left), Principal, Basic Elementary Department of Colegio de San Juan de Letran, and associate professor Cristina M. CastroCabral, Letran vice president for Academic Affairs.

with us doing the predominantly pre-cast work, so by May next year, you will have your bridge.”

“We will introduce a technology which is proven in the Philippines but the combination of technologies is first time in the Philippines. You will see a very nice state-of-the-art bridge, which hopefully would be a trendsetter all over the Philippines,” Enenkel added.

“The Calumpang Bridge #3 is a symbol of the collective effort and success of the Batanguenos. I am extending my heart-felt gratitude to all who supported and helped in the fulfilment of this dream project,” Dimacuha said.

She also thanked the Sangguniang Panlungsod for approving and supporting this project.

Mariño said the bridge was just the beginning of more projects for the progress of the city.

There are plans after the construction of this bridge to transform the Calumpang River into a tourist attraction by putting up a park and a floating restaurant here, he said.

movie to play in Calamba

By Roy Tomandao

Inaugurating the third Calumpang bridge are (from left) Kumintang Ibaba Barangay Capt. Lorenzo Gamboa Jr., City Councilor Armando Lazarte, CPDO coordinator Januario Godoy, city administrator lawyer Narciso Macarandang, City Councilor Nestor Dimacuha, Barangay Gulod Labac Barangay Capt. Digna Fajarito, City engineer Adela Hernandez, Rep. Marvey Mariño, Mayor Beverley Rose Dimacuha, City Councilor Julian Villena, Frey-Fil president and CEO Joachim Enenkel, and project manager engineer Ronald Litan.

IN CHINA MATH OLYMPIAD

Letranite Arce wins 3 silvers, 1 bronze ANOTHER Letranite has emerged triumphant in mathematics, after Giesel E. Arce scored three silver medals and one bronze in the 2017 China Primary Math Olympiad held last July 26 to 31 at Huangzhou, China.

The Grade 4 student from Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Intramuros, Manila, did well enough in the individual comprehensive, team relay, and overall events to earn a silver medal for each category, while

settling for bronze in the individual calculation part.

A scion of the Mathematics Trainers’ Guild, Philippines, Arce was invited to participate in the Chinese competition after being selected owing to her performance in previous events.

Active in various mathematics contest, Arce also has proven herself excellent in other fields, with a credit award in English and Science in the International Competition and Assessment last November.

CALAMBA CITY, Laguna— Noted film director Brillante Mendoza pays tribute to Typhoon “Yolanda” survivors this month with his new film “Taklub,” which will be screened at the SM mall here.

“It is basically the story of survivors in the aftermath of Typhoon “Yolanda,” how they survived, how they picked up the pieces almost one year after the storm,” said Mendoza in an interview with local media.

The director is set to facilitate a film appreciation workshop for the movie on August 23, at SM City Calamba.

Headlined by superstar Nora Aunor, the star of Mendoza’s internationally acclaimed “Thy Womb,” “Taklub” also stars Julio Diaz, Lou Veloso, Ruby Ruiz and Soliman Cruz.

For Mendoza and his cast and crew, the film is “a loving tribute to the survivors.”

“Before we started filming Taklub in Tacloban, I told my cast and crew that we are going there not just to make a movie but also to pay our respects to the survivors.

We want to condole with the families of the survivors, and those who lost their homes and livelihoods,” he said.

In making a film about the typhoon survivors, Mendoza said he wants to share with the viewers what it’s really like to be among those who lost almost everything and everyone they hold dear after one of the most devastating disasters in recent history.

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LGUs

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017

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Ombudsman axes Puerto’s Bayron T HE Office of the Ombudsman has ousted Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron for the second time in his current term, as the anti-graft office set aside a joint resolution it issued last June 23, which had paved the way for the mayor’s reinstatement.

The latest decision penned by Assistant Ombudsman Jennifer Jardin-Manalili was approved by Ombudsman Conchita CarpioMorales on July 11 and granted complainant Aldrin Madreo’s Motion for Reconsideration.

In its decision, the Ombudsman declared that it “reconsiders and hereby sets aside the assailed Joint Order dated 20 March 2017 modifying the decision dated 18 November 2016 in so far as it affects respondent Bayron.”

The Ombudsman is expected to forward the ruling to the Department of the Interior and Local Government for implementation.

The Ombudsman first ordered the dismissal of Bayron on Dec. 15, 2016 after it found him administratively liable for serious dishonesty and grave misconduct.

The complaint was filed Nov. 20, 2013 by Alvin Madreo against Bayron and his son Karl for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Bayron hired his own son Karl but did not truthfully disclose this relationship in the government employment contract form.

The attestations of Bayron in the city’s employment contract that Karl, his biologiocal son “is not related within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity with the Hiring Authority by which they were able to conceal their filial relationship,” the Ombudsman said, “was a false statement in a public document.”

Bayron immediately ran to the Court of Appeals to secure a temporary restraining order. The appellate court took cognizance of Bayron’s appeal also in the

SCN FORM NO. 1 (R.A. NO. 9139)

any incurable contagious disease. The country of which I am a citizen or subject is not at war with the Philippines and grants to Filipinos the right to be naturalized citizens or subjects thereof.

001488

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON NATURALIZATION

SCN CASE NO. x------------------ x

PETITION Pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No. 9139, petitioner hereby submits a petition for naturalization to become a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines and respectfully declares: 1. My full name is ROSABEL ANN TAN LIM, but I have also been known since childhood as N/A or I have been judicially N/A . authorized to use the alias name(s) 2. My present place of residence is No. 237 CALACHUCHI ST., VILLA PERPETUA SUBD. City/Municipality of TARLAC CITY Province of TARLAC and all my former places of residence are (please indicate periods of residence) 84 WEST, 6TH AVENUE, CALOOCAN CITY FROM BIRTH TO JUNE 2008 3. I was born on DEC. 31 1994, in CALOOCAN CITY, Philippines. I have been a resident of the Philippines since birth. At present, I am a citizen or subject of CHINA. 4. My father's name is ERNESTO LIM and he was born on 18 JUNE 1944, in CHINA. He is a citizen or subject of CHINA. My mother's name is MARY ROANNA ANG TAN and she was born on 17 SEPT 1965 in CEBU CITY. She is a citizen or subject of CHINA. 5. My trade, business, profession or lawful occupation is EMPLOYEE and from which I derive an average annual income of P 398,380.00 , inclusive of bonuses, commissions and allowances. My wife's/husband's trade, business, profession or lawful occupation is N/A and from which she derives an average annual income of P N/A .

(Where the above does not apply): I am exempt from the requirement of lucrative trade or occupation and from submitting income tax returns for the past three (3) years because I am a college degree holder [please state (1) degree obtained:BSBA , (2) name of school: COLLEGE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT and (3) years graduated: 2016 who cannot practice my profession (the practice of which requires a government licensure examination) by reason of my citizenship.

6. My civil status is S, I was married on N/A in N/A. My wife's/husband's name is N/A and she/he was born on in N/A. She/he is a citizen or subject of N/A and presently resides N/A 7. I am legally separated from my spouse; my marriage was annulled, per decree of legal separation/annulment dated N/A granted by N/A. (please indicate the particular court which granted the same). I am a widower/widow and my spouse died on N/A in N/A. 8. I have NO child/children, whose names, dates and places of birth and residences are as follows:

Date of Birth

Place of Birth

9. I received my primary and secondary education from the following public schools or private educational institutions duly recognized by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), where Philippine history, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality:

Place of Dates of School Study N O R T H E R N R I Z A L CALOOCAN 2004 to 2008 YORKLIN SCHOOL CITY BAYANIHAN SCHOOL TARLAC CITY 2008 to 2012 COLLEGE OF THE HOLY TARLAC CITY 2012-2016 SPIRIT

15. Attached hereto as annexes and made part of this petition are the duplicate originals or certified photocopies of the following documents (please check the appropriate box): [ / ] a. Petitioner's birth certificate [ / ] b. Petitioner's alien certificate of registration (ACR) [ ] c. Petitioner's native-born certificate of residence (NBCR) [ ] d. Petitioner's marriage certificate, if married [ ] e. Death certificate of his/her spouse, if widowed [ ] f. Court decree annulling his/her marriage or granting legal separation, if such was the fact [ ] g. Birth certificates of petitioner's minor children [ ] h. ACRs of petitioner's minor children [ ] i. NBCRs of petitioner's minor children [ / ] j. Affidavits of financial capacity by the petitioner, duly supported by bank certifications, passbooks, stock certificates, or proof of ownership of other properties [ / ] k. Affidavits of at least two (2) credible witnesses who must be Filipino citizens of good reputation in petitioner's place of residence [ / ] l. Medical certificate from a government hospital stating that petitioner is not suffering from mental alienation or a user of prohibited drugs or otherwise a drug dependent and that he/she is not afflicted with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), or any incurable contagious disease. [ / ] m. School diploma and transcript of records of the petitioner from the school/s he or she attended in the Philippines [ ] n. Certifications stating that petitioner's minor children are enrolled in public schools or private educational institutions duly recognized by the DECS, where Philippine history, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality [ / ] o. Petitioner's income tax returns for the past three years [ / ] p. Petitioner's receipts of payment of income tax for the past three years 16. Other documents submitted by the petitioner in support of his/her petition: NBI, POLICE, PROSECUTOR, RTC, MTC AND BARANGAY CLEARANCE PRAYER WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed that petitioner be conferred Philippine citizenship pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No, 9139.

Dated at Makati City, Metro Manila, this 20 day of MARCH, 2017.

Residence

N/A

Name of School

13. It is my true and honest intention to become a citizen of the Philippines and to renounce absolutely and forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, and, particularly, to CHINA of which at this time I am a citizen or subject. I will reside continuously in the Philippines from the date of the filing of this petition up to the time of my admission to Philippine citizenship.

14. My character witnesses are ARLENE JOY P. BITARA and BENITO CHUA III both Filipino citizens, of legal age, and residing at VILORIA ST., SAN PABLO, CASTILLEJOS, ZAMBALES and 21 DON GREGORIO AVE., SAN SEBASTIAN VILLAGE, TARLAC CITY respectively, who have executed sworn statements attached hereto in support of my instant petition, together with: (a) brief biographical data about themselves; (b) detailed statements on the dates they first came to know me, the circumstances of our initial acquaintance and the reasons and extent of our continuing familiarity; and (c) the number of times they have acted as character witnesses in other petitions for naturalization.

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF ROSABEL ANN TAN LIM to be naturalized as Filipino citizen pursuant to Republic Act No. 9139.

Name

same month On Feb. 21, on orders of the DILG, Vice Mayor Luis M. Marcaida III, was sworn in as the new city mayor.

Last March 1, the CA issued a resolution directing Madreo, the Ombudsman represented

by Conchita Carpio Morales, and the DILG represented. by then-Secretary Ismael Sueno to submit their Comments on Bayron’s Petitions for Review, Supplemental Petition for Review, Application for TRO/ WPI/Status Quo Ante Order, Motion to Cite Respondents in Contempt, and Supplemental Motion to Cite Respondents in Contempt.

Despite its contrary ruling of March 20, the Office of Legal Affairs of the OMB on April 26 filed its Comment on the Petition for Review, the Supplemental Petition for Review, the Application for TRO / WPI / Status Quo Ante Order, Motion to Cite Respondents in Contempt, and Supplemental Motion to Cite Respondents in Contempt at the CA. In its comment, the Ombudsman reiterated its decision to dismiss Bayron on Dec. 15, 2016.

Highest Grade Completed ELEMENTARY HIGH SCHOOL COLLEGE

ROSABEL ANN TAN LIM Name and Signature of Petitioner Address: 237 CALACHUCHI ST., VILLA PERPETUA SUBD., TARLAC CITY Telephone Number: 0927-4319977

Right Thumbmark of Petitioner

Petitioner's signature and right thumbmark

10. I am able to read, write and speak Filipino and/or any of the following dialects of the Philippines: 11. I have enrolled my minor children of school age in the following public schools or private educational institutions duly recognized by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), where Philipine History, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality:

Name of Child N/A

Name and Place of School N/A

Date of Enrollment N/A

12. I shall never be a public charge. I am of good moral character. I believe in the principles underlying the Philippine Constitution. I have conducted myself in a proper and irreproachable manner during the entire period of my residence in the Philippines in my relations with the constituted government as well as with the community in which I am living. I mingled socially with Filipinos and have evinced a sincere desire to learn and embrace the customs, traditions and ideals of the Filipino people. I have all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications under Republic Act No. 9139.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) CITY/MUNICIPALITY OF MANILA) S.S. I, ROSABEL ANN TAN LIM of legal age and a resident of 237 CALACHUCHI ST., VILLA PERPETUA SUBD., TARLAC CITY after being duly sworn, depose and say that I am the petitioner herein, that I have read the foregoing petition and know the foregoing petition and known the contents thereof, and that the same is true of my own knowledge.

ROSABEL ANN TAN LIM Name and Signature of Petitioner

SUBCRIBED AND SWORN to before me at MANILA, this 20 day of MARCH 2017.

I am not opposed to organized government or affiliated with any association or group of persons who uphold and teach doctrines opposing all organized governments. I am not defending or teaching the necessity or propriety of violence, personal assault or assassination for the success and predominance of one's ideas. I am not a polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy.

I have not been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude. I am not suffering from mental alienation or from (MS-JULY 22, 29 & AUG. 5, 2017)

LTO IN ‘GENTRI.’ Cutting the ceremonial ribbon at the opening of the Land Transportation Office licensing office in General Trias City in Cavite are (from left) LTO Regional Director Eric Leonard Cabaldo, Mrs. Anne Ferrer, wife of GenTri Mayor Antonio Ferrer; Cheryl Prudente Basa, Irving Wu of Robinson’s Land Corp., GenTri Vice Mayor Morit Sison, and LTO Assistant Regional Director Francis Raches Jr.

Pangasinan hosts DRRM expo LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—“Be force multipliers in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management,” Gov. Amado I. Espino III said as he addressed over 300 participants of ABS-CBN’s Red Alert Emergency Expo held at the Capitol Resort Hotel here.

“Be force multipliers. If you know it, teach it to your fellow citizens,” Espino said, as he urged Pangasinenses to work together with the provincial government to help level up the DRRM capabilities of local communities.

Likewise, the governor appealed for support for his flagship program on disaster preparedness, dubbed “Aktibo at Ligtas na Pamayanan” (Safe and Active Communities), a communitybased DRRM capability enhancement

program supervised by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

Espino said the provincial government presented the new set of equipment and vehicles procured by the province during the kick-off ceremony of the national disaster resilience month in Pangasinan held on July 10, which will be utilized to level up the province’s DRRM. As a host local government unit, Espino expressed gratitude to ABS-CBN for choosing Pangasinan as the first provincial venue of the emergency expo outside Metro Manila.

ABS-CBN was led by its senior vice president Ging Reyes, who brought along a team of 150 executives and staff to ensure the success of the event.

The expo, now on its fourth year, is an educational and experiential learning exposition of ABS-CBN, which seeks to empower the listeners and viewers of ‘Red Alert sa DZMM’ and ‘Red Alert Program’ by teaching them survival and emergency response tips and disaster preparedness.

Sharing the province’s best practices in DRMM, particularly in water search and rescue, were crewmen from the PDRRMO. Other lectures conducted by ABSCBN include fire safety and fire drill, hostile environment rescue operations, Eveready “e-balde,” mobile earthquake simulator, survival Olympics.

Some 250 participants were sent by the local government unit of Lingayen, University of Pangasinan-Phinma and STI College Dagupan. Dexter A. See

Visaya graces Region 2 ‘IA’ day This year’s theme, “Strengthening Partnership for Changing Times,” NIA-IA DAY highlighted 27 IAs TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan—Ricardo R. Visaya, as Outstanding Performers and Most Outstanding Peradministrator of the National Irrigation Administration, formers in the National Irrigation System and Commuwas keynote speaker during the NIA-Irrigation Asso- nal Irrigation System Category and Project implementaciations day at the University of Cagayan Valley Grey- tion that NIA Region 2 is working on in support to the hounds Gymnasium here. food s ufficiency p rogram of t he government.

Visaya said the government extended Free Irrigation Service Fee for marginalized Greg R. Davis, Esq. - SBN 014387 farmers to alleviate their burden on farming DAVIS FAAS BLASE, PLLC 11111 North Scottsdale Road, Suite 225 expenditures and improve their living condiScottsdale, AZ 85254 Phone: 602.279.1900 tions thru increased rice production.

Fax: 602.279.1920 E-Mail: greg.davis@DFBLawyers.com “As private entities [Irrigation AsWebsite: www.DFBLawyers.com Attorney for Petitioner sociation], they can collect dues from IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF ARIZONA their members to support their own operation IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF MARICOPA and maintenance activities,” Visaya said.

In Re The Matter of: Case No.: FN2017-052576 HAZEL FERNANDEZ SHINYO, SUMMONS (Domestic Relations) Stressing rice productivity takes the efforts Petitioner, of government line agencies and the farmers vs. themselves, Visaya advised the Irrigators AsRAFAEL C. CANIEZO, Respondent sociation to use water wisely and effectively WARNING: This is an official document from the court that affects your rights. Read this carefully. If you do not understand it, contact a lawyer for help. assuring them of NIA’s assistance.

FROM THE STATE OF ARIZONA TO: Rafael C. Caniezo Altogether, let us overcome the chal1. A lawsuit has been filed against you. A copy of the lawsuit and other court papers are served on you with this “Summons”. lenge in food production, make develop2. If you do not want a judgment or order taken against you without your input, you must file an “Answer” or a “Response” in writing with the court, and pay the filing fee. If you do not file an “Answer” or “Response” ment in irrigation and modernized agriculthe other party may be given the relief requested in his/her Petition or Complaint. To file your “Answer” or “Response” take, or send, the “Answer” or “Response” to the Office of the Clerk of the Superior Court, 201 ture.

Each one is a provider and partner in West Jefferson Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85003-2205 or the Office of the Clerk of the Superior Court, 222 East Javelina Drive, Mesa, Arizona 85210-6201 or Office of the Clerk of Superior Court, 18380 North 40th Street, the success of the government.

Phoenix, AZ 85032, or Office of the Clerk of Superior Court, 14264 W. Tierra Buena Lane, Surprise, Arizona, 85374. Mail a copy of your “Response” or “Answer” to the other party at the address listed on the top of this Meanwhile, Regional Irrigation Manager Summons.

Antonio Lara expressed gratitude to NIA 3. If this “Summons” and the other court papers were served on you by a registered process server or the Sheriff, within the State of Arizona, your “Response” or “Answer” must be filed within TWENTY (20) Administrator Ricardo Visaya for having CALENDAR DAYS from the date you were served, not counting the day you were served. If this “Summons” and the other papers were served on you by a registered process server or the Sheriff outside the State of him around in the celebration among the Arizona, your Response must be flied within THIRTY (30) CALENDAR DAYS from the date you were served, not counting the day you were served. Service by a registered process server or the Sheriff is complete Irrigator’s Association across the region. when made. Service by Publication is complete thirty (30) days after the date of the first publication.

4. You can get a copy of the court papers filed in this case from the Petitioner at the address at the top of this “This is an opportune time for us to be paper, or from the Clerk of the Superior Court at the address listed in Paragraph 2 above. gathered together and have once proven 5. Requests for reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities must be made to the office of the judge or commissioner assigned to the case, at least five (5) days before your scheduled court date. that NIA and the Irrigators Association 6. Either party to this action may file in the Conciliation Court a petition invoking the jurisdiction of the Court for the purpose of preserving the marriage by effecting conciliation between the parties. have a strong and long-term affiliation.

7. The name and address of your spouse’s attorney is; “The Irrigation Development of Region 2 Greg R. Davis, Esq. - SBN 014387 will usher our efforts in sustaining the food Davis Faas Blase, PLLC 11111 North Scottsdale Road, Suite 225 production program of the government, RIM,” Scottsdale, AZ 85254 Phone: 602.279.1900 Lara said, citing the Region has a potential area SIGNED AND SEALED this date: _________________________ Clerk of the Superior Court for irrigation totaling to 472,640 hectares.

By:_________________________ Engineer Francis Yu, division manager for Deputy Clerk Cagayan-Batanes Irrigation Office said the celebration serves as an avenue for the agency Greg R. Davis, Esq. - SBN 014387 DAVIS FAAS BLASE, PLLC and the farmers and giving recognition to the 11111 North Scottsdale Road, Suite 225 Scottsdale, AZ 85254 Regional Confederation of IA’s as well to the Phone: 602.279.1900 Fax: 602.279.1920 IA Federation of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Is4 E-Mail: greg.davis@DFBLawyers.com Website: www.DFBLawyers.com abela and Cagayan Batanes IMO as the counAttorney for Petitioner IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF ARIZONA try’s backbone for economy.

IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF MARICOPA Case No.: FN2017-052576 “The challenge to enhance production efIn Re The Matter of: HAZEL FERNANDEZ SHINYO, ficiency at the lowest cost remains to be a Petitioner, ORDER FOR ALTERNATIVE SERVICE vs. stumbling block,” yet we still have a lot to RAFAEL C. CANIEZO, Respondent.

(Assigned to Hon. Jennifer Ryan-Touhill) work out together to attain adequacy, Yu said.

As of December 2016, the area developed BASED UPON Petitioner’s Motion for Alternative Service good cause appearing and notice having been given, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED allowing Petitioner to serve Respondent RAFAEL C. CANIEZO, as follows: for irrigation is 292,859.41 hectares. The By posting a true and correct copy of the documents at Respondent’s place of residence, in a conspicuous remaining area for development is 179,781 place, mailing a .copy to Respondent at Respondent’s known physical address and emailing a copy to Respondent’s email address. hectares which gives us 61.96 percent irriBy serving the documents by publication. gation development rate. The programmed DONE IN OPEN COURT this date: _________ , 2017. area for development from CY 2017- 2021 per our irrigation development plan is 1.54

Hon. Jennifer Ryan-Touhill MARICOPA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT percent or 7,270 hectares.

By Jessica M. Bacud

(MS-JUL. 29/AUG. 5/12/19, 2017)

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017

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Rooftop hives in hopes to save bees

SUNSET IN SICILY. People enjoy the sunset in the fishermen’s village of Marzamemi in southern Sicily on August 3, 2017. AFP

Woman jailed for her lover’s suicide NEW YORK―A judge on Thursday sentenced a 20-yearold Massachusetts woman to two and a half years, with 15 months to be served behind bars, for encouraging her teenage boyfriend to make good on plans to kill himself.

A tearful Michelle Carter stood with hands clasped and eyes cast down to hear her fate over the death of Conrad Roy, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning in July 2014.

In an extraordinary case seen as breaking new ground in a state with no law against encouraging suicide, Carter swapped hundreds of text messages with Roy, repeatedly urging him to follow through on his plan to kill himself and conceal it from his parents.

The defense argued that Carter, who was 17 years old at the time, was racked with depressive disorders, on antidepressants and suffered from eating disorders, all of which swayed her judgment.

She had faced up to 20 years in prison at her sentencing in a juvenile court in Taunton, south of Boston.

But Judge Lawrence Moniz, who convicted Carter of involuntary manslaughter in June, said it was important to balance punishment and rehabilitation for her role in Roy’s death in his pickup truck in a parking lot.

Moniz said that after 15 months behind bars, the balance of her sentence would be suspended until August 1, 2022. The sentence was stayed pending expected appeals.

Roy’s father, also named Conrad Roy, accused Carter of exploiting his son’s battle with depression for her own selfaggrandizement.

“How could Michelle Carter behave so viciously and encourage my son to end his life?

Where was her humanity?” he asked.

“I pray that his death will save lives one day,” Roy’s mother said in a statement read out by the prosecution, calling for changes in the law to guard against other families enduring the same torment.

The prosecution had recommended a sentence of between seven and 12 years, accusing Carter of deliberately engineering Roy’s death in a bid to seek attention and sympathy.

“Her actions killed Conrad Roy. She ended his life to better her own,” the prosecutor told the court.

“She has not accepted responsibility,” she said. “She has shown no remorse.” AFP

Aussie PM downplays leaked telephone call S YDNEY―Australia’s prime minister Friday sought to downplay an unflattering account of a controversial refugee swap deal that emerged in a leaked transcript of a bad-tempered phone call with US President Donald Trump.

The Washington Post published the full details Thursday of the private calls between Trump and his Australian and Mexican counterparts, sparking fury about the leak from the US administration.

The acrimonious exchange between Trump and Malcolm Turnbull saw the American billionaire balk at a “dumb deal” made by the Obama administration to accept the refugees sent

by Australia to remote Pacific island detention camps.

But the transcript also exposed key inconsistencies between the Australian government’s comments to the public on the deal,

and undermined official assertions it was not set up as a swap to take refugees from the US. “We will take anyone that you want us to take,” Turnbull told Trump during the call, adding: “The only people that we do not take are people who come by boat.

“We would rather take a not very attractive guy that helps you out than to take a Nobel Peace Prize winner that comes by boat.”

Turnbull Friday described the call as “frank and courteous” and defended what he told Trump, telling reporters “the nature of our relationship with the

United States in this area is one of mutual assistance.

“So we help the Americans, they help us,” he said.

He also played down his remarks that the Americans could take as few refugees as they wanted, even though the deal was meant to help transfer hundreds off Manus island in Papua New Guinea before the closure of the camp there in October.

A PNG Supreme Court ruling declaring that holding people on Manus was unconstitutional has meant Canberra is keen to remove the refugees ahead of it shutting.

Australia sends asylum-seekers who try to enter the country by boat to camps on Nauru and Manus, with even those found to be refugees barred from resettling in Australia.

The widely-criticized policy was adopted following a sharp upsurge in the number of asylumseekers arriving by boat. Canberra defends its position, which

includes turning boats back, saying it has prevented deaths at sea.

“It does not oblige you to take one person that you do not want,” Turnbull told Trump during the call, in remarks criticized by refugee advocates as the Australian leader going through the motions.

Turnbull said Friday the deal “has always been subject to American vetting procedures, that’s always been part of the arrangement”.

The Human Rights Law Center said it showed Turnbull was “totally preoccupied with maintaining [its] facade”.

“The conversation makes it clear that Prime Minister Turnbull is rolling the dice with people’s lives and mental health,” Amnesty International added.

Trump after the phone call grudgingly agreed to honor what he has called a “dumb deal”, although it remains unclear how many Washington will accept.

AFP

PARIS―To check the beehives he has set up on the roof of the sprawling Monnaie de Paris on the banks of the River Seine, Audric de Campeau slips on a harness over tan-colored trousers.

The beekeeper then hooks his leg harness to a metal cable anchored to the roof’s edge, running the length of the entire structure.

“It’s not dangerous, but my insurance insists on it,” he says.

Elegantly dressed in a tweed jacket, pink shirt and straw hat customized with a protective net, he steps carefully between the rafters to reach the three beehives he set on the flat side of the roof.

From there, the 34-year-old will head to the roof of the neighboring Institut de France, another historic building with a majestic domed center.

He will don the same leg harness on the rooftop of the Boucheron fine jewelry boutique overlooking the Place Vendome square, on the other side of the Seine, before making his way to his three beehives.

In the distance, the Eiffel Tower rises far above the slanted Parisian rooftops.

“I’m lucky, my office is in the sky,” he says, smiling, adding that he does have “to climb a lot of stairs”.

De Campeau is an urban beekeeper, and his beehives sit atop monuments and office buildings and on rooftop terraces.

The French capital boasts more than 700 beehives, according to 2015 figures, most located on rooftops such as those of the haute cuisine Tour d’Argent restaurant, the Grand Palais and the Musee d’Orsay.

More and more companies, including AFP, are also adding beehives to the tops of their office buildings.

Beehives have long sat on the roof of the Paris Opera, and the Luxembourg Gardens has had beehives since 1856.

Urban rooftops are one of the ways the city is fighting against the “worrying” decline in the bee population, a trend France recognized early on despite its elevated use of pesticides.

The country is one of Europe’s leading users of pesticides.

The more pesticides are used, the more pests develop resistance to them, which leads to even more intensive use of pesticides. AFP

Cheeky postcards sent to most-wanted men THE HAGUE―European police forces are sending a series of cheeky “wish you were here” postcards this summer in a bid to track down 21 of the continent’s most wanted criminals.

“Dear Artur, Belgian fries are the best and we know you miss them. Come back to enjoy them―we’ll have a nice surprise in store for you,” says one postcard from the Belgian police.

Complete with a cartoon of the Manneken Pis, a bunch of fries and a glass of beer, the card is addressed to Artur Nawrocki, who is on the run after being convicted of drugs trafficking by a Brussels court in 2014.

The summer postcard campaign by the European police agency, Europol, was unveiled Friday as part of its ongoing initiative to hunt down Europe’s most wanted criminals.

“Cher Farouk, You must know that life is best in la douce France.

We hope you will return to us soon,” says the card from the French police, adding in French “we miss you!”

The picture shows the Eiffel Tower, a man in striped T-shirt and neck-scarf brandishing a baguette next to a croissant and a bottle of red wine, and is addressed to Farouk Hachi.

He was sentenced in absentia in 2009 to 20 years in jail for several violent, armed bank robberies and is believed to have lived in

France, Belgium and The Netherlands.

Behind the humorous campaign though is a serious aim to drive people to the Europol website in the hope of tracking down criminals wanted for serious, violent crimes or sexual offenses.

“While most of us are enjoying a well-deserved summer break, criminals are not taking time off from crime,” Europol said in a statement.

“Holiday destinations have proven to be popular hiding places for criminals on the run.”

Since the launch of the “most wanted” list on www.eumostwanted.eu in January 2016, a total of 36 people have been found and arrested―11 of them as a direct result of information passed to Europol.

After a similar “advent calendar” campaign, three people were arrested, one of them a Brit who was recognized as a server in an Amsterdam bar, Europol press officer Tine Hollevoet told AFP. “Dutch people saw the advent calendar, they went to the website, noticed the fugitive, and recognized him as somebody working in the sports bar. Two days later he was arrested,” she said.

“And that’s exactly what we want with this campaign.”

Even criminals like to go on holiday where “life is good... good weather, beaches, good food,” she added. AFP

WAR’S CHILDREN. This picture taken on August 2, 2017, shows children of Islamic State group fighters living in the Libyan Red Crescent headquarters in Misrata, a town halfway between Sirte and Tripoli. Traumatized by war, their jihadist parents either killed or missing, 28 children have found solace in each other at a Red Crescent center in the Libyan city of Misrata. Whether they’re jumping up and down on mattresses or playing in the yard, the boys and girls stick together, like siblings, the older ones looking out for the little ones. AFP

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

C4

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017

World

IS directed foiled plot to bomb airplane SYDNEY―A man instructed by the Islamic State to bring down an Etihad Airways flight tried to use an unsuspecting passenger to carry a bomb on board, with a second poisonous gas plot also in the works, Australian police alleged Friday.

The improvised device, using “high military-grade explosive”, was due to be smuggled onto a July 15 service from Sydney, but the attempt was aborted before they reached security.

Two men―Khaled Khayat and Mahmoud Khayat―have been charged with terrorism offenses and were refused bail on Friday, with a third still being questioned.

Police claim one of them planted the bomb in the passenger’s luggage. Local reports said the luggage belonged to the man’s own, innocent, brother.

“We will be alleging the person who was to carry the IED had no idea they were carrying an IED,” said Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Michael Phelan.

“There is a little bit of conjecture as to why it didn’t go ahead.

It didn’t get past the check-in.”

Police are working on the theory that it was called off because the device may have been too heavy.

Authorities also foiled a second alleged plot involving a “chemical dispersion device”, designed to release hydrogen sulphide, but this was in the early stages.

Hydrogen sulphide is highly toxic, and often fatal to people exposed to it.

“Not only have we stopped the IED that was believed to go on the plane but we have also completely disrupted the intended chemical dispersion device,” said Phelan.

The second plan was hatched after the first one failed, police alleged, and was not necessarily targeted at a plane.

“They were talking about crowded closed spaces, you know, potentially public transport, and so on,” Phelan said, but added that they “got nowhere near making one”.

The plot was orchestrated by “a senior member of the Islamic State” based overseas.

Communications with the extremist group began in April and they sent components and propellants through international cargo from Turkey to the men, police said. AFP

RITUALS. Indian Hindu women perform rituals during prayers and offeringd to the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi, also known as ‘Varalakshmi Vratham’, at a temple in Hyderabad on August 4, 2017. The Varalaxmi Vratam is celebrated by married women in order to invoke the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi for their husbands and family members. AFP

Venezuela’s currency sinking at high speed C ARACAS―Venezuela’s money, the bolivar, is sinking faster and faster under an intensifying political and economic crisis that has left citizens destitute and increasingly desperate.

Its depreciation accelerated this week, after a disputed vote electing an all-powerful “Constituent Assembly” filled with allies of President Nicolas Maduro, which the opposition and dozens of countries have called illegitimate.

On Thursday alone, the bolivar slumped nearly 15 percent on the black market, to be worth 17,000 to one US dollar.

In a year, the currency has lost 94 percent.

The decline has been dizzying―yet largely ignored by the government, which uses an official rate fixed weekly that is currently 2,870 to the dollar.

Ordinary Venezuelans, however, refer only to the black market rate they have access to, which

pert, Asdrubal Oliveros of the Ecoanalitica firm, told AFP. But Zabala―who is considered comparatively well-off―and other Venezuelans struggling with their evaporating money said they now spent all they earned on food.

A kilo of rice, for instance, costs they call the “dolar negro,” or 17,000 bolivares.

The crisis biting into Venezuela “black dollar.”

“Every time the black dollar since 2014 came from a slide in goes up, you’re poorer,” resign- the global prices for oil―the exedly said Juan Zabala, an execu- ports of which account for 96 pertive in a reinsurance business in cent of its revenues.

The government has sought to Caracas.

His salary is 800,000 bolivares monopolize dollars in the counper month. On Thursday, that was try through strict currency conworth $47 at the parallel rate. A trols that have been in place for the past 14 years. Access to them year ago, it was $200.

The inexorable dive of the have become restricted for the primoney was one of the most-dis- vate sector, with the consequence cussed signs of the “uncertainty” that food, medicines and basic created by the appointment of items―all imported―have bethe Constituent Assembly, which come scarce.

According to the International starts work Friday.

As a result, those Venezuelans Monetary Fund, inflation in Venwho are able to are hoarding dollars. ezuela is expected to soar above “People are protecting the little 700 percent this year.

In June, Maduro tried to clamp they have left,” an economics ex-

down on the black market trade in dollars through the auctions of greenbacks at the weekly fixed rate, known as Dicom. There is also another official rate, of 10 bolivars per dollar, reserved for food and medicine imports.

“Things are going up in price faster than salaries,” noted Zabala, who spends 10 percent of his income on diabetes treatment, when he can.

Maduro has vowed that a new constitution the Constituent Assembly is tasked with writing will wean Venezuela off its oil dependence and restart industry, which is operating at only 30 percent of capacity.

But the president, who links the “black dollar” with an “economic war” allegedly waged by the opposition in collaboration with the US, has not given details on what would be implemented.

On Thursday, Maduro promised “speculators” setting their prices in line with “the terrorist criminal dollar in Miami” would go to jail. AFP

Trump China sanctions tipped to be supported

LAUNCHING. Amelia Champion attends PUMA Hosts CAMP PUMA to launch their newest women’s collection, Velvet Rope, at the Goya Studios on August 3, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. AFP

WASHINGTON―The sanctions that President Donald Trump is poised to slap on China for stealing intellectual property from US firms should earn broad support, allowing him to rebuild a power base in Congress sapped by the recent battle over health care.

The administration is expected very soon to announce actions against China for failing to protect industrial and trade secrets of US companies, a move that has the backing of Democrats.

Even trade experts, who have opposed many of Trump’s trade actions so far and disputed his data, agree something must be done about China. But they worry about the consequences, especially retaliation by Beijing.

US companies have long complained about Chinese rules that force them to share intellectual property, leading to rampant theft of information with little impediment or enforcement.

“China is home to widespread infringing activity, including trade secret theft, rampant online piracy and counterfeiting, and high levels of physical pirated and counterfeit exports to markets around the globe,” the US

Trade Representative said in its annual report on IP issues published in April.

In addition, “China imposes requirements that US firms develop their IP in China or transfer their IP to Chinese entities as a condition to accessing the Chinese market.”

But companies like Apple and Google find it hard to challenge Beijing for fear of losing access to the world’s second-largest economy.

During the presidential campaign Trump vowed to hit China with a 45 percent tariff on all imported goods to address the trade deficit with the country, which totaled $309 billion last year.

But since he took office the administration has dialed back the fiery rhetoric and tried for cooperation, including trade talks last month re-branded as the USChina Comprehensive Economic Dialogue or CED. But with little to show from those efforts, and no help from China in containing North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, Trump has launched unilateral actions to address the unfair trade in aluminum, steel and now IP. AFP

Trump’s recess choices blocked WASHINGTON―The US Senate adjourned Thursday, leaving Donald Trump deprived of any major legislative victory heading into summer break, as lawmakers also blocked the president from making socalled recess appointments during the rest period.

The move, by unanimous consent of the 100 senators, serves as a check on Trump as he mulls over firing his Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Trump has considered replacing his embattled top law enforcement official amid the broadening investigations into the allegations that his aides coordinated with Russia to tilt last year’s election in his favor.

The president has strongly criticized Sessions for recusing himself from the probe, and speculation swirled over whether Trump would ram through a replacement during the break, without Senate confirmation.

But that avenue closed Thursday when Senator Lisa Murkowski, adjourning the Senate for the day, locked in nine “pro forma” sessions over the next month.

Such sessions typically last a minute or two, with no business conducted. Holding them keeps the Senate open during the vacation period, denying the president recess appointment opportunities.

The House of Representatives adjourned for its break last week.

As summer-bound US lawmakers exit Washington, the numbers are telling: with Trump in office seven months, and his Republican Party controlling all three branches of government, Congress has passed zero pieces of major legislation.

The Republicans’ overpromised effort to repeal and replace Barack Obama’s health care reforms collapsed in embarrassing shambles.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had hoped to triumph on a health bill last month, leaving time to accomplish other goals including raising the US debt ceiling and working on budget bills for fiscal year 2018.

But the health care fiasco sucked up weeks of debate time, and its cascading effect stalled other legislation. AFP

Life

By Honor Blanco Cabie

O

N A sprawling plain of Colorado’s city not far from what has been described as “America’s Mountain” is an Air Force Base which hosts the state’s oldest aviation museum.

It is the site of Colorado Springs’ first municipal airfield, built between 1928 and 1941, with the original airfield remaining in the sun and snow of this 38th state which joined the US of A in 1876, precisely the centennial of the nation.

At the Museum, visitors are taken on a tour of American World War II era aviation where officials, under Docent Guided Tours, say visitors, properly screened by authorities, “can touch, see and learn about America’s heroes.”

The Air Force Base, where three museums anchor the Museum complex, which includes an airpark and Medal of Honor Memorial, is named after 1st Lt. Edward J. Peterson, a World War II Army Air Forces pilot and native son of Colorado.

The Museum attracts annually more than 20,000 military and civilian visitors from across the United States and foreign countries, including of late from the Philippines, like retired bank executive Joey Quinto from Dagupan City in Pangasinan and the parents-inlaw from Metro Manila of just retired Air Force M/Sgt. Crisanto Quinto.

“We showcase our rich civil aviation history and significant highlights from Air Force Space Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command, and our military heritage,” said tour guide Jack Mogel, a 70-year-old retired World War II Air Force navigator with the rank of major.

“Everything you see here has something to do with World War II,” he said, while briefing his visitors through the Terminal, the City Hangar, the Medal of Honor Memorial, and the Museum, which has Static Displays.

At the Terminal, visitors go through a history of early civilian aviation, and the life story of Peterson, a water fountain theater and a museum shop.

The City Hangar displays an air defense history, a missile warning history, an ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missiles) history, missile procedures trainer, Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center history, and a P-47 Thunderbolt.

At the Medal of Honor Memorial, visitors were told about the origins of the Medal and the exploits of the US Air Force fighters.

The visitors were also guided during a tour of the Warning Star, an airborne early warning and control aircraft from the 1950s through the 1970s.

They also experienced stepping inside an ICBM launch control center, America’s nuclear defense for more than 60 years, feasting their eyes on the different gadgets including an old model of a red telephone operators used for direct access to the President, their commander-in-chief.

They learned during the tour how the Thunderbolt changed from being a premier World War II dive bomber to America’s first generation Cold

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com

TRAVEL AND LEISURE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017

D1

MUSEUM ATTRACTIONS. A Warning Star aircraft, on display at the sprawling Peterson Air and Space Museum Complex in the heart of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

COLORADO’S PETERSON AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

Where history meets the Satellite Age War interceptor.

The Static Displays include the F86L Sabre, F-89J Scorpion, F-94C Starfire, T-33A Shooting Star, MIM23 Hawk, EB-57E Canberra, MIM14 Nike Hercules, EC-12IT Warning Star, MIM-3 Nike Ajax, CF-100 Canuck MK. 5, CF-101B Voodoo, CF-188 Hornet, F-15A Eagle, F-106A Delta Dart, and F-4C Phantom.

Mogel described to his guests the duties of, among others, a capsule officer, search radar crew, radio operators, the flight navigator inside the 16-seater EC12IT Warning Star who, among a list of functions, updated each signal every five minutes with those at the back.

“The flight engineer could control everything, the engine from start to shutdown,” Mogel said.

The Home Front exhibits cover the activities of the civilians in an America immersed totally in World War II, following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1942.

Here, visitors learn of life’s difficulties on the home front during the war, with the sacrifices forming a significant

A missile, another museum attraction at the Peterson Air and Space Museum Complex

part of the war effort.

Officials say typically women were mobilized to unprecedented levels, with the success in mobilizing economic output a key factor on the outcome of the war, which also swept across the Philippines when Japanese imperial troops occupied the country.

The Philippines was eventually liberated from the clutches of Japanese imperialism when Gen. of the Army Douglas MacArthur and his Allied troops waded at Palo Beach in October 1944 and at Dagupan Beach in January 1945.

Officials say there were technical leaps made between 1939 and 1945, as the engineers from the countries at war “entered in a fierce competition to create heavier, faster and more agile military aircraft.”

World War II aircraft evolved, Mogel said, throughout the war, and later aircraft were different from those flown early during the Pacific theater, but pointed out that even by today’s standards “the later aircraft used in World War II featured impressive performance.”

The tour happened a few days before Turn to D2

Delta One Suite and Delta Premium Select on sale DELTA is selling its Delta One suites and Delta Premium Select fare.

The new Delta Premium Select cabin and the Delta One suite product enhancement will debut on Delta’s first Airbus A350, due to enter service in Fall 2017 with its first flight taking place on Oct. 30, from Detroit (DTW) to Narita (NRT). Delta will be the first U.S. airline to take delivery of the A350, which provides better fuel efficiency and customer-friendly features designed to improve the flying experience.

In addition to the DTW-NRT flight, Delta Premium Select will be sold on select flights from DTW to Incheon (ICN) for flights scheduled Nov. 16 and beyond, as well as on select flights from DTW to Beijing (PEK) for flights scheduled Jan. 17, 2018, and beyond.

These enhancements are part of the airline’s multi-billion dollar investment in the customer experience that includes a cabin modernization program featuring new seats, seatback entertainment systems with free entertainment, high-capacity overhead bins, access to Wi-Fi on nearly all flights, free Main Cabin meals on select flights, upgraded free Main Cabin snacks, chef-curated meals in Delta One, a seasonal wine program, an Alessi-designed collection of serviceware in Delta One and First Class, and more.

Delta has also made significant investments in the customer experience on the ground, in addition to plans to add nearly 250 new aircraft to its fleet in coming years. These include new Delta Sky Club locations in Denver, Atlanta, and Seattle; Club renovations in Nashville, Dallas, Newark, and Minneapolis-St. Paul; airport enhancement programs in Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York and Salt Lake City; and the testing and implementation of

an enhanced boarding process in Atlanta.

Designed with an emphasis on exceptional customer comfort and privacy, the Delta One suite will offer each customer a private space accessed by a sliding door with thoughtfully designed personal stowage areas, an advanced in-flight entertainment system and premium trim and finishes to create an unparalleled business class experience with a comfortable, residential feel.

In addition to the existing Delta One service and full flat-bed seats with direct aisle access that have been part of the Delta offering for over eight years, the Delta One suite will feature: a full-height door at every suite; sliding privacy dividers between center suites; in-suite, customizable ambient lighting; dedicated

Delta One Suite offers flyers a private space accessed by a sliding door

Seats in Delta Premium Select have adjustable leg rests and head rests

Unparalleled business class experience can be enjoyed in Delta One Suite

stowage compartments for shoes, headphones and laptops; contemporary design featuring premium trim and finishes; memory foamenhanced comfort cushion; an 18-inch, high resolution in-flight entertainment monitor, among the largest in its class; and a universal power outlet and high-powered USB port at every seat.

Delta One service also includes the features Delta customers have grown to expect, such as chef-curated meals, wine pairings by Delta’s Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson, Westin Heavenly InFlight Bedding, noise-canceling LSTN headphones, TUMI amenity kits featuring Kiehl’s Since 1851 premium skincare, and in-flight loungewear on select flights.

Delta Premium Select will feature more personal space with up to

38 inches of pitch, up to 19 inches of width and up to seven inches of recline. Delta Premium Select seats will also offer adjustable leg rests and head rests, Westin Heavenly In-Flight Blanket and pillow; TUMI amenity kit featuring Malin+Goetz Travel Essentials; noisecanceling LSTN headphones Pre-departure beverage service followed by fresh, seasonal menu selections presented with Alessi serviceware designed exclusively for Delta; an up to 13.3-inch, high resolution in-flight entertainment screen that is among the largest in its class, allowing customers to stay entertained with Delta Studio’s industry-leading library of complimentary movies, shows and games, and noise-cancelling headphones; in-seat power ports for large and small devices and convenient storage to keep them within reach; Sky Priority service, which includes faster check-in, accelerated security, premium boarding and expedited baggage service.

In 2014, Delta began introducing differentiated experiences for customers through a well-defined range of options, allowing customers to tailor travel to their specific needs. All cabin experiences offer a high level of service and Delta’s unmatched operational reliability.

The long-range Airbus A350 will continue Delta’s optimization of its Pacific network, operating primarily on long-range routes between the U.S. and Asia. The jets are expected to generate a 20 percent improvement in operating cost per seat compared to the Boeing 747-400 aircraft they will replace.

Following the A350 debut, the Delta One suite will progressively roll out on Delta’s Boeing 777 fleet.

Life

D2

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

MERCURY RISING

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO

K

YUSHU, which literally means Nine Provinces, is one of the four major islands of Japan, and is known for its agricultural products—tobacco, soy, rice, sweet potatoes and tea.

The production of silk and porcelain are also two of the island’s main industries.

These industries match the laid-back culture prevalent in the island.

Being in the southernmost area of the country, Kyushu has a subtropical climate, meaning, it can be very hot and humid during summer, but winters are not as severe, and snow rarely falls. This climate sets it apart from the weather extremes that affect metropolitan cities of Japan, like Tokyo.

In other words, Kyushu’s relaxed, easy-going ambience and mild winters are believed to have created a positive influence on the lives of its residents, giving them attractive traits that may not be found in those residing in a large, chaotic urban environment.

As for the island’s tourism value, Kyushu has many active volcanoes and natural hot springs, to lure adventurous tourists, but for those who prefer the sun, sea and sand diversion, it has many beautiful beaches to offer. Another interesting attraction on the island is the city of Nagasaki, the second Japanese city hit by the atomic bomb in 1945.

What draws tourists to this city are the very interesting Atomic Bomb Museum and the Nagasaki Peace Park.

Fukuoka is the biggest city on the island of Kyushu. It is home to fascinating museums, large shopping malls, and the destination that is very popular among Japan’s religious, the Kushida-Jinja, an 8th-century Shinto shrine. The city is also heavily industrialized, as this is where the headquarters of the island’s Power Company is located, together with many other small enterprises that support the high-tech manufacturing, IT and logistics sectors.

Popular among tourists is the Maizuru Park, which showcases ruins of the 17th-century Fukuoka Castle, with its towers and turrets now considered as important historical pieces by the Japanese government. Remnants of a korokan, an ancient guest house for foreign diplomats, were discovered under the castle grounds, adding to the tourism significance of the park.

In the early 70s, a Tokyo-born young boy left the city for Kumamoto, near

The ‘Hiro’ of Fukuoka

The imposing façade of the Fukuoka Castle in Fukuoka’s Maizuru Park

Chef Mizumoto Masahiro, better known as Chef Hiro, preparing one of his signature dishes

The Kushida-Jinja, a very popular 8th century Shinto Shrine in Fukuoka

Fukuoka, for his elementary school education. He lived there, imbibing all the positive traits of the small-town culture and grew up to be a well-mannered, sensible teenager. He went back to Tokyo at the age of 18, but realized he preferred the calm, less stressful environment of a smaller city, so he took up residence in Fukuoka where he finished his high school education. Although he went back to Tokyo after graduation, to help run his father’s Sushi and Sashimi restaurant, something in him made him clamor for bigger and better things.

He then went back to Fukuoka and worked in the kitchen of several restaurants, to gain more skills and techniques. Fukuoka was his training ground, the place he considers the biggest influence in his career, where he spent more than one-half of his professional life. It is also where he met his wife whom he considers his no.1 fan and source of moral support.

Fast forward to the present, the young

man is Mizumoto Masahiro, and he is the chiller overnight, then slow-boiled now here in the Philippines, the proud for three hours, making it as tender as owner and chef of the metro’s newest it can ever be.

Japanese culinary destination, Kitsho But Chef Hiro’s claim-to-fame is his (which means happiness) Restaurant being the only chef in the Philippines and Sake Bar. It is also the most talked who can cook the dreaded puffer fish. about, for several reasons: The ingredi- While other chefs cook this extraordients used, including the meat, are all im- nary dish on a trial-and-error method, ported from Japan, like the scallops that Chef Hiro can guarantee a delicious the Chef brings in puffer-fish meal all directly from Hokthe time. He had to kaido. Every day, study for five years YOUR SATURDAY he himself goes to the technique used CHUCKLE the market to buy in cooking such the vegetables and dangerous food, TEACHER (on the phone): seafood fresh from after which he had You say Michael has a cold the suppliers. to secure a license. and can’t come to school Chef Hiro, as he Naturally, puffer today? Who am I speaking with, is fondly called, fish is one of Kitplease? creates his own sho’s culinary atVOICE: This is my father. version of traditractions, another tional dishes, like one being the king braised pork belly, crab, a typical which he cooks slowly for two days to Fukuoka specialty. Incidentally, the take out the fat, after which placed in restaurant celebrates its first anniversa-

ry in October, and guests will be given a 15 percent discount on all a la carte food and beverage orders. Kitsho is at the ground floor of Hotel Jen and may be reached through 795-8888 local 2312.

But what adds to the charm of Chef Hiro is his ability to speak Tagalog fluently. He speaks the language like a local, definitely much better than I can.

He arrived in the Philippines 10 years ago, but exerted a lot of effort to learn the language as fast as he could, an admirable trait of a foreigner who enjoys being a part of our local society. It paid off. Listening to him speak Tagalog betrays his Fukuoka origins.

Chef Hiro has a legion of followers, not only because they enjoy his culinary masterpieces, his amiable and kind persona is like a magnet to well-meaning friends. In a few years, he plans to apply for a retirement visa, so he could settle down here in the Philippines.

Among his commendable goals is his future project of using his own financial resources to put up a hospital for the poor, to be run by his daughter who is now finishing her medical studies in Fukuoka. He has other praiseworthy projects in mind that will certainly alleviate poverty in the country.

Where else can you find a foreigner who loves our country as much as Chef Hiro does? If you talk to any of his friends, you’ll be convinced this “Japaneseturned-Filipino” is definitely an asset to local society. The pleasant environment he enjoyed during his growing up years in Fukuoka certainly etched on Chef Hiro his philanthropic compassion. With his heart obviously in the right place, and beating for the downtrodden Filipinos, it is easy to look up to him, not only as a culinary wizard, but as the poor Filipinos’ knight in shining armour, or simply, The HIRO of Fukuoka!

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com.

Swiss-Belhotel International returns to Manila

The luxury of space and abundance of green are offered at Botanika Nature Residences in Filinvest City, Alabang

The luxury of space and an abundance of green SPACIOUS. Luxurious. Verdant. Three words that befit the Botanika Nature Residences at Filinvest City, Alabang— a fine residential masterpiece of Filigree, a new symbol of excellence in high-end real estate in the country that redefines modern luxury with wellthought out project design. With city living becoming increasingly crowded and congested, finding expansive properties in prime locations is a rare luxury only very few can offer. Thus at Botanika, space is a treat offered in abundance— from its well-planned, generously-sized units to the wide open spaces that are simply yours to savor and enjoy.

The expansiveness of the outdoors is translated indoors through Botanika’s roomy, larger-than-usual condominium units. Whether you are a young bachelor, starting a family, or an empty-nester, the choice is yours from two-to-three bedroom units, garden bi-level suites and grand penthouse flats with sizes ranging from 122sqm. to 343 sqm. Superior space planning and de-

sign for a refined lifestyle like no other.

Additionally, en suites, household staff quarters, walk-in closets for selected units, a combination of show and wet kitchens, plus usable balconies with unhindered views are but some of the premium units features that truly set Botanika apart from the rest.

What’s more, only 30 percent of Botanika’s total land area of 1.55-hectares is devoted to its low-density condominium towers, the rest is allotted towards breathing space that’s almost unheard of in other developments: fertile landscapes, greeneries, and walkways—all reminiscent of exclusive gated communities that allows for a relaxed, laidback, yet more luxurious living even in the city.

Indeed, careful planning and attention to detail went into drawing up Botanika’s master plan, with lushness of space is of paramount consideration—a combined vision of California-based Architecture International and Leandro V. Locsin Partners as architect-of-record.

Foremost among these are Botanika’s iconic leaf-shaped tower which is purposely set wide apart, allowing for natural light and ventilation to permeate.

Then, there is the tower’s unique terraced layout, assuring residents of unobstructed views of the green expanse beyond while retaining an utmost sense of privacy and exclusivity. Finally, also of note is the tropical garden that literally envelopes the buildings, including a sprawling courtyard and expansive lawns where one can enjoy a leisure stroll or a literal walk in the park.

Moreover, Botanika is located within close proximity to the exclusive Palms Country Club and is a short distance to the other establishments at Filinvest City.

And as Botanika Nature Residences is fast rising in time for its fourth quarter turn-over this 2017, residents can soon take pleasure in the sumptuousness that Botanika brings—spacious green living in a low-density vertical community that’s truly second to none.

STRENGTHENING its position as a major hospitality brand in Southeast Asia, Swiss-Belhotel International has returned to the Philippines with the launch of Valero Grand Suites by Swiss-Belhotel in the capital’s financial and business hub.

The four-star Valero Grand Suites by Swiss-Belhotel offers a sophisticated experience for leisure and business travellers, as well as those seeking long-stay accommodation. The property features a range of premium facilities including a gym and spa, restaurants and coffee shops, a rooftop swimming pool and a choice of well-equipped function rooms.

Gavin M. Faull, chairman and president of Swiss-Belhotel International, said, “The Philippines represents an important step in our multi-brand growth strategy for Southeast Asia. We are excited by the unique and varied opportunities the destination offers and we are committed to building a successful long

term presence in the country.”

Valero Grand Suites by Swiss-Belhotel offers 271 spacious, comfortable rooms ranging from 36 sq/m Premier Twin Rooms to 123 sq/m Three Bedroom Balcony Suites. With a simple yet bold design and premium amenities including comple mentary Wi-Fi access, Bluetooth speakers, work tables and LCD Televisions with cable channels, the rooms are tailor-made to suit the needs of modern “Bleisure” guests.

Located in Salcedo Village, the property is ideally situated for business and leisure travellers. It offers close proximity and convenient access to some of the city’s best attractions and shopping areas, such as the Ayala Triangle, Greenbelt and Ayala museum.

Valero Grand Suites by Swiss-Belhotel is offering an introductory rate of P3888 nett per night, including AirAsia BIG points. This promotion is valid until Aug. 31.

Where history...

A timely reminder to the visitors who read at the Peterson Air and Space Museum Complex the stories published in now defunct newspapers—framed in bulletin boards—on the war exploits of those who fell in combat and those who survived.

As Maj. Dawn Baker of the 21st Logistics Readiness Squadron said, “Memorial Day is to celebrate the freedoms these sons, daughters, mothers, aunts, uncles, friends and fathers died to defend…so that we and generations to come may continue to enjoy the freedoms and liberties that so many have fought for.”

From D1

the nation’s Memorial Day, when Americans remembered in appropriate ceremonies across the 50 states the fallen heroes who gave their all.

Alethea Smock of the 21st Space Wing asked fellow Americans: “On Memorial Day, please honor those who have given all. Thank those who continue to serve in harm’s way.

“Hug the families who have lost loved ones. And think of those who were never able to make it home.”

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017

DORAEMON

ALBERT

‘I’m Your Hero’ HAVE you ever encountered the following experiences? You have been constantly belittled and humiliated by so-called friends; your self-esteem is totally shot because of their taunts. Or you are minding your business but some kids in your neighborhood enjoy making fun of you, even physical hurting you sometimes. You try to find comfort at home but your parents don’t listen and scold you about waking up late and not cleaning your room.

Then again, maybe you are working and your officemates don’t like you; you are their favorite gossip, spreading malicious lies about you.

There are many other dark and negative situations that you may be going through at this time. But have no fear, Doraemon is here.

Doraemon is a friend and a hero.

Someone who is always there for you; defend you; take care of you; and be your good friend all the time.

Now, heroes come in various shapes and sizes.

You may be used to the usual masked caped crusader with superhuman strength.

Doraemon is different.

He may even look cute and harmless, but his heroic qualities go beyond the physical.

Doraemon is a robotic cat sent back in time from the future to help and guide a young boy named Nobita. Instead of confronting his daily difficulties, Doraemon gives Nobita some other ways to cope. In this manner, he shares valuable principles that will form Nobita’s character.

Doraemon does not just give advice. He also has some techy tricks up his sleeve, or rather his 4D pocket. He uses these gadgets to keep Nobita out of trouble, or to save him from the trouble that he started himself.

Some of these secret gadgets are: The Takecopter- place this handy propeller on top of the head and get ready to fly!

The Dokademo door, also known as the Anywhere Door, takes you where you want to go within the limits of 10 light years.

The Time Machine, Doraemon’s primary means of time travel, is like a tunnel of space time.

The Memory Bread resembles a typical, single-loaf of plain bread.

It allows the user to memorize any contents ‘printed’ on it.

The Time Cloth, or Time Kerchief, gives you the ability to advance or reverse time, depending on which two different colored sides are used.

The Big Light is a flashlight which is capable of increasing the size of any object.

The Small Light, or the Shrink Ray, is a lamp similar to a flashlight

that decreases the size of objects.

The Passloop is a devise used for passing from a solid object such as a wall.

But ultimately, what makes Doraemon popular among kids and the youth is that at the end of every adventure, he never fails to impart values of honesty, perseverance, courage, family, and respect for elders, while still lending a comic flavor to all his adventures.

Doraemon’s happy, helpful, and heroic character is being made known beyond the confines of anime and TV shows. He has been making the rounds of appearances around town, the first of which was at a trade show held at the Mind Museum early this year, where Doraemon was presented to the business sector.

This time, Doreamon continues to spread more fun and learning through metro-wide events for Elementary students. Dubbed School Adventure, this series of shows will be happening from August to September, beginning

happy to work with

KathNiel IN CHARACTER. Albert Martinez as scientist Prof T. in the primetime series "La Luna Sangre"

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ORKING with Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla is one of the reasons why award-winning actor Albert Martinez accepted the role of Prof T in ABS-CBN’s hit primetime series La Luna Sangre.

“I have been wanting to work with Kath and DJ again. I treat them like my children. They were still kids when I first worked with them and now I see them as adults who grew up to be good people,” Martinez shared.

“In Princess and I, I saw them as six-year-old kids playing around.

But now, they have reached a level of wisdom that I think is appropriate for their age. I’m also happy that they have a sense of responsibility, awareness, and respect to other people, especially the passion for their work,” he added.

3M ABS-CBN TVplus homes benefit from its emergency warning broadcast system

Aug. 2 at UNO High School and on Aug. 24 at College of the Holy Spirit.

Doraemon believes in bringing out the best in every kid. Just as he is perceived to be a hero, we are all inspired to make heroes out of each and every kid on a day of funfilled activities with Doraemon.

We aim to promote positive values to shape kids to become heroes in their own ways.

Simultaneously, Doraemon will be reaching out to the millennials and young adults with the ROADventure mall tour, from August till December; the kick-off event at SM North EDSA – The Block , Aug. 7 to 13.

Anchored on the slogan “Doraemon, I’m Your Hero,” the tour empowers millennials in the same way as Doraemon has been supportive of his friend, Nobita as we spread positive shout outs like dream bigger, stand out – speak out, and more. The event will showcase the first ever Doraemon “I’m Your Hero” van where the participants can like, shoot, post and share their photos and their unique experience during the event together with the Doraemon 16ft Inflatable. And to top it off, they will have a chance to have a photo opp with the famous robot-cat from the future himself – Doraemon!

THREE million homes recently experienced ABS-CBN TVplus’ built-in emergency warning broadcast system (EWBS) during the MMDA shake drill.

For the third straight year, ABS-CBN TVplus partnered with the Manila Metropolitan Development Authority (MMDA) and the Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (MMDRRC) to help address the safety of many Filipinos who have grown wary as a series of tremors rocked the country recently.

During the drill, the EWBS issued an alert on television sets connected to switched-on ABS-CBN TVplus units as it reminded users to “duck, cover, and hold.”

“Disaster preparedness is essential for every Filipino family this is why we take part every year in MMDA’s shake drill. With the EWBS feature of ABS-CBN TVplus, TVplus users who were watching TV on July 14 received an automatic message that popped on their screen with proper instructions on what to do during an earthquake,” Chinky Alcedo, head of ABS-CBN Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) said.

Launched on the same year ABS-CBN TVplus was introduced, the EWBS feature of ABS-CBN TVplus forms part of its public service and is the first

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, August 5, 2017

ACROSS 1 Constant change 5 Fray 10 Ship’s position 14 Bonet or Kudrow 15 Writer — Zola 16 Stonehenge builder 17 Harbinger 18 Watch winders 19 Flexible tube 20 Make angry 22 Foreordain 24 Silent 26 Judge’s garb 27 Vine crop 31 One academy 34 Discoverer’s shout 35 Like tartan 37 Send, as a payment 39 Word of honor 41 Sen. Kefauver 43 Gambler’s town 44 Ballerinas’ attire 46 Fills a pipe 48 Pa Cartwright 49 Home furnishings 51 Remote 53 Little pieces 55 He preceded Galba 56 Muffin morsels

Currently, Martinez’s role, Prof T., is a scientist who devoted his life to the world of vampires. He mysteriously surfaced and assumed leadership of the vampire-hunting group Moonchasers.

According to the actor, Prof T. was not the first role offered to him in the series.

“At first, my participation was supposed to be the father of Daniel played by Romnick Sarmienta. Unfortunately, I was busy taping the pilot episodes of another series so I had to attend to that first. Later on, they focused on the characters’ quest against the vampires. That’s why my character Prof T came to life,” he recounted.

When asked how he finds his role, he said, “I have never done this character. It is full of mystery. I like that Prof T is not a linear character but is multi-dimensional--- he is not limited and boxed. Prof T. will do everything to achieve his end goal and he is using the Moonchasers as his instrument to fulfill that goal. We also don’t know why he is doing this or which side he is really on.”

59 Kind of network 63 Rocker Jon Bon — 64 “Rocky II” loser 66 Popular beverage 67 Do a laundry chore 68 Blue Grotto isle 69 Augments 70 — shui 71 Made a choice 72 Dapper DOWN 1 Polar bear perch 2 Sketch 3 Software buyer 4 “Kubla Khan” locale 5 Favor 6 Qty. 7 Were rivals 8 Fudd or Gantry 9 Textbook division 10 Results getter 11 Trotsky’s first name 12 Ultimatum word 13 Paris season 21 “Forrest —” 23 Ski lift (hyph.)

25 Wild animal 27 Scoter 28 Self-mover’s

rental (hyph.)

29 Terra- — 30 Moreno and Hayworth 32 One-celled animal (var.)

33 Hard-hit drive 36 Fiend 38 Broadway award 40 Abasing 42 Marvelous 45 Political slant 47 King’s address 50 Wall finishing 52 Jungle squawker

54 Watchband 56 Had on 57 Home-products brand 58 Fall mo.

60 Hopped the train 61 “Hawkeye” Pierce 62 Persist 63 Peter Pan rival 65 Poet’s before

and only technology of its kind in the Philippines that warns and reminds the public to duck, head for cover and hold. The EWBS is also a technology available through the ISDBT, which is the standard chosen by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

ABS-CBN TVplus also adds to the growing list of digital properties of ABS-CBN, the country’s leading media and entertainment organization that is now rapidly transitioning into an agile digital company, with the biggest online presence among all media companies.

“Majority of Filipinos still rely on television for news and information this is why TV is still the powerful medium for information dissemination.

Since the EWBS is a builtin feature of the ABS-CBN TVplus, our Kapamilyas who are watching TV will be alerted and given safety precautions when natural calamities like earthquakes strike that will definitely help save lives,” Chinky elaborated.

The emergency warning can be triggered by the designated government agency in times of calamity and the warning message will flash on the TV screens of ABS-CBN TVplus box users who are watching ABS-CBN, S+A, CineMo, YeY, Knowledge Channel, and DZMM TeleRadyo.

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017

WOMEN IN ACTION. TV personalities Bernadette Sembrano, Angel Aquino, and Gretchen Ho lead TV Patrol Community Caravan in Antique

KAPAMILYA artists unite for MARAWI ISAH V. RED

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APAMILYA musicians and bands are coming together to support and help the victims of the armed conflict in Marawi City in a special live benefit concert

by ABS-CBN’s music portal One Music PH, 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The concert, called Awit Para sa Marawi, will gather Xian Lim, Jake Zyrus, Alexa Ilacad, Kiana Valenciano, Sam Concepcion, Maris Racal, Ylona Garcia, Kaye Cal, Volts Vallejo, and The Voice champions Jason Dy, Lyca Gairanod, Elha Nympha, and Joshua Oliveros.

It will also feature performances by BoybandPH, Ang Bandang Shirley, Jensen and The Flips, Android 18, JRoa, Sam Mangubat, Iskala, Reynan Dal Anay, RJ Dela Fuente, Young JV, and Agsunta.

Fans who want to watch Awit Para sa Marawi can get tickets that are priced at P550, inclusive of one free shirt, at Kapamilya Tickets (ktx.abs-cbn.com).

Ticket sales will go to the Marawi relief operations of Operation Sagip, the emergency humanitarian arm of ABSCBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc. To watch the concert for free, all fans have to do is create an account on www. onemusic.ph, where they can also get instant access to music playlists, charts, videos, news and features about their favorite artists. *** It’s raining stars at the birthday party of Mary Divine Sagaral Austria, realtor/ developer married to famous painter Tam

Mr.Boy Lizaso with his Models: A Lizaso’s Filipiniana Fashion/Hollywood Style

From left: Mary Divine S. Austria, Tam Austria, and Richard Hiñola

Woman of the hour Mary Divine S. Austria (second from right) with TV stars Jay Manalo, Ara Mina, and EJ Falcon

Tess Austria, Shane Austria, and Shantal Austria

P. Austria.

Divine’s star-studded natal-day celebration was held on July 16 at the Manila Polo Club in Makati.

Stars literally descended upon the illustrious club, transforming it into a celestial hub of beauties that made Manila buzzing with hysteria. And why not, the beauty guru Cory Quirino was among the guests, so was Jean Saburit.

Contemporary icons of beauty, like Aubrey Miles and Jessa Zaragosa were seen mingling with sentimental chanteuse-turned-politico Imelda Papin with other popular singers of yore, Eva Eugenio and Darius Razon, teenaged actor Andrea Briliantes stood out among other movie and TV stars in the crowd among whom, Ara Mina, Ricky Davao, Jay Manalo, and Ej Falcon.

Also spotted enjoying the crowd were fashion designer Boy Lizaso, lambada queen Becky Garcia, and artist Al Perez.

Apart form Divine Austria, husband Tam Austria and children Sistene A. Van Luan and Mike, with their respective

families, made sure the guests had a good time.

Pocholo Malilin’s Club Mwah performers did a stunning opening act, and midway through the party, Boy Lizaso presented a fashion show while Mike Austria’s band provide the necessary musical background to the event hosted by Johnny Litton. *** Angel Aquino, Gretchen Ho, and Bernadette Sembrano recently came together for an entire day of public service as they joined the nationwide community caravan of TV Patrol and helped deliver various services to Kapamilyas in Antique.

Coming from different backgrounds, th e trio found a common ground in helping other people as they take part in the caravan’s job fair, livelihood seminar, citizen journalism workshop, food distribution, and restroom and library repairs for the people in the province, which was hit hard by Typhoon Frank years ago.

Biggest indie film festival at Ayala Malls Cinemas AYALA Malls Cinemas brings the biggest independent film festival in the country closer to the audience as the 13th Cinemalaya Film Festival opens on Aug. 5 -13 at Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 1, TriNoma, Fairview Terraces, U.P. Town Center, and now reaching Pampanga audiences at MarqueeMall.

This year’s highly-anticipated Cinemalaya features an exciting lineup of nine full length feature films and 12 short films featuring talented and iconic actors in their most challenging roles yet such as Sharon Cuneta, Alfred Vargas, Jake Cuenca, Boots Anson-Roa, Yayo Aguila, Bembol Rocco, Gina Alajar, Angel Aquino, Niño Muhlach, Lou Veloso, Mon Confiado, and Ricky Davao along with up and coming talents to watch out for.

Ayala Malls Cinemas, in partnership with the Cinemalaya Foundation, has been home for the last seven years to the cinematic, and highly creative works of new and veteran Filipino filmmakers. Wholly attuned to this year’s Cinemalaya theme “See the Big Picture”, Ayala Malls Cinemas’ state-of-the-art digital screens render clear images and crisp sounds enhancing the quality of films selected for this year’s festival that provides a pleasant viewing experience.

This year’s entries in the FullLength category include Ang Guro Kong ‘Di Marunong Magbasa (My Teacher Who Doesn’t Know How to Read) by Perry Escaño, Ang Pamilyang Hindi Lumuluha (The Family that Doesn’t Weep)

by Mes De Guzman, Bagahe (The Baggage) by Zig Dulay, Baconaua

by Joseph Israel Laban, Kiko Boksingero by Thop Nazareno, Nabubulok (The Decaying) by Sonny Calvento, Requited by Nerissa Picadizo, Respeto by Alberto Monteras II and Sa Gabing Nanahimik ang mga Kuliglig (Clouds of Plague) by Iar Arondiang.

For the first time in the history of the festival, 12 films (instead of 10 in the past) have been selected to compete in the Short Film category.

“We at Ayala Malls Cinemas believe in the great talent of our Filipino filmmakers, and we want to help them reach out to a variety of audiences by making Cinemalaya available in our cinemas,” said Amir V. Precilla, general manager of Ayala Malls Cinemas.

Log on to www.sureseats. com to book tickets in advance and follow Ayala Malls Cinemas’ social pages Facebook AyalaMallsCinemas, Twitter @ ilovesureseats and Instagram @ iloveAyalaMallsCinemas for the latest updates.