Manila Standard - 2017 August 21 - Monday by Manila Standard

Cardinal seeks end to ‘waste of human lives’ THE head of the Catholic Church in the Philippines called Sunday for an end to the “waste of human lives” following a brutal week in President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war in which a 17-yearold boy was among dozens killed.

Police raids dubbed “One Time Big Time” saw at least 76 people shot dead, authorities said, as rights groups and lawmakers condemned the operation as an alarming “killing spree” in Duterte’s ﬂagship campaign.

On Sunday, the highest-ranking Church ofﬁcial expressed concern about the increase in the number of deaths. “We knock on the consciences of those who kill even the helpless, especially those who cover their faces with bonnets,

to stop wasting human lives,” Manila Cardinal Luis Tagle said in a statement read in Sunday Masses in the capital. “The illegal drug problem should not be reduced to a political or criminal issue. Next page

VOL. XXXI • NO. 188 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

GRIEVING MOM. Lorenza delos Santos

OUTRAGE. Relatives and supporters of victims of extrajudicial killings hold portraits of relatives allegedly killed during anti-drug raids by police, during a protest in Manila. Police shot dead 25 drug suspects in another round of anti-drug raids on Aug. 17, 2017. During the 14 months Duterte has been in power, police have conﬁrmed killing more than 3,500 people ofﬁcially termed ‘drug personalities.’ AFP

‘Kian a drug courier’ Drug slays prompt caucus of senators By Macon R. Araneta SENATORS met Sunday night to discuss whether to investigate the spate of killings, after a 17-year-old Grade 11 student was shot dead in an intensified police campaign on illegal drugs. In an interview on radio dzBB, Senator Panfilo Lacson said the committee on public order and dangerous drugs will accede to the majority’s wishes, even though he had wanted to give the Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Service and the Justice Department the opportunity to conduct their own investigation first. Lacson said the meeting Sun-

day was held upon the initiative of Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III. “He suggested we meet to get a sense of the majority on what to do amid the renewed spate of killings. And this was highlighted following the death of a 17-year-old, and what actually happened was seen on CCTV,” Lacson said. Lacson also said they would review the ﬁndings of the Senate justice committee headed by Senator Richard Gordon, which had earlier stated that the drug-related killings were not state-sponsored. Last week, a total of 81 drug suspects were killed by police in Bulacan, Manila and the

PNP chief cites info from Caloocan; victim’s kin protest

HILIPPINE National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa on Sunday sought to discredit Grade 11 student Kian Loyd delos Santos, who was shot dead in a police operation in Caloocan City last week, saying he bought drugs for his father and some uncles.

Under ﬁre for the death of the 17-year-old, Dela Rosa cited information from the police chief of Caloocan City, who was sacked

Saturday over the shooting, after CCTV footage showed the boy being dragged into an alley where he was told to hold a gun then

Customs head consistent on bribe list, says Lacson SENATOR Panfilo Lacson said Sunday that officials at the Bureau of Customs have been providing him names of officials receiving bribes and that Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon is consistently in the lists given him. Lacson also told radio dzBB that he had the names of bagmen and the amounts being received by Customs officials. Even “players” outside the bureau have been giving him information on the “tara” system in which importers pay bribes for each container van that goes through Customs, Lacson said. “With a little bit of exaggeration, it looks like Nic Faeldon is

the only one who is not giving me a list,” he said in Filipino. Lacson said that he might reveal the information in a privilege speech on Wednesday but said the list would have to be carefully vetted. Hearings before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee revealed that P6.4 billion worth of shabu had slipped past Customs in May only to be found in a warehouse in Valenzuela City. The House is holding its own inquiry into the drug shipment. A businessman who is being accused of being the middleman in the drug shipment denied the allegations, saying he was set up Next page by a friend.

shot dead. Dela Rosa added that Delos Santos’ father, Saldy, was known to be a neighborhood tough, which was why residents in their barangay were afraid to speak against him. Saldy denied the police accusations, however. “They are capable of fabricating stories. They are capable of destroying the lives of upright citizens,” he told ABS-CBN News in Filipino.

Dela Rosa, on the other hand, said he was dismayed that the teenager was killed, but insisted that the operation was legitimate, based on the information that Kian was the source of drugs in the neighborhood. He said Kian was a victim of his father, and could have turned his life around had he lived. The PNP Internal Affairs Service is investigating the case, and the city’s police chief, Sr. Supt.

WRECK OF WARSHIP. This July 10, 1945, photo released by the US Navy shows the Portlandclass heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis at anchor off the Mare Island Navy Yard, in Northern California following its ﬁnal overhaul. Researchers announced on Aug. 19, 2017, they discovered wreckage of the Indianapolis, 72 years after the World War II cruiser was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. The wreckage was found in the Philippine Sea 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles) below the surface, according to philanthropist Paul Allen, who headed the civilian research crew that located the ship. The ship was hit in the ﬁnal days of World War II just after completing a secret mission delivering parts of the atomic bomb used on Hiroshima. (Full story on A2) AFP

PNP told: Justify P1-b war budget

THE Court of Appeals ruled with ﬁnality and upheld the conviction of United States Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton and

sentencing him to 10 years in prison for killing Filipino transgender Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude in Olongapo City in 2014. The court denied the motion for reconsideration ﬁled by Pemberton

THE Philippine National Police must justify the P1-billion request for is “tokhang” operations, said Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto. ‘‘Where does the PNP get its ﬁnancial ammo for the conduct of tokhang, of both the legal and the lethal kind?” Recto said Sunday. For 2018, the administration is asking for P900 million for the implementation of its Oplan Tokhang anti-drug campaign, which was renamed Oplan Double Barrel Reloaded. “In the House and in the Senate, Next page

Marawi’s ex-mayor cleared By Bill Casas

Pemberton loses petition; court afﬁrms 10-year jail sentence By Rey E. Requejo

through his lawyer Rowena GarciaFlores seeking to reverse its April 3, 2017 decision that found him guilty beyond reasonable doubt of committing homicide. The court also rejected the par-

tial motion for reconsideration of the Ofﬁce of the Solicitor General, which had insisted that Pemberton was not entitled to be given full credit for the time he had spent under preventive imprisonment

as he did not voluntarily agree in writing to abide by the same rules imposed on convicted prisoners. In his appeal, Pemberton sought the reversal of his conviction and Next page

PRESIDENTIAL Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza said Sunday he recommended to the Defense Department to give “clearance to travel” to former Marawi City mayor Omar Solitario, who has a standing arrest order over his alleged links to the illegal drugs trade. “Even before Marawi erupted, Next page

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MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

US warship’s wreckage found W ASHINGTON―Researchers announced Saturday they have discovered the wreckage of the lost warship the USS Indianapolis, and 72 years after the World War II cruiser was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. The wreckage was found in the Philippine Sea 5.5 kilometers below the surface, according to philanthropist and Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, who headed the civilian research crew that located the ship. The ship was hit in the ﬁnal days of World War II just after completing a secret mission delivering parts of the atomic bomb used in Hiroshima. The vessel sank in just 12 minutes, meaning it was unable to

send a distress signal or deploy life-saving equipment, according to the history division of the US Navy. Some 800 of the ship’s 1,196 sailors and marines initially survived the maritime disaster, but only 316 ultimately lived after enduring several days in shark-infested waters where they also faced risks of dehydration and drowning. Of those survivors, 22 are still alive today, the US Navy said. “To be able to honor the brave

men of the USS Indianapolis and their families through the discovery of a ship that played such a signiﬁcant role in ending World War II is truly humbling,” said Allen. “As Americans, we all owe a debt of gratitude to the crew for their courage, persistence and sacriﬁce in the face of horrendous circumstances.” “While our search for the rest of the wreckage will continue, I hope everyone connected to this historic ship will feel some measure of closure at this discovery so long in coming.” Allen posted several photos of the wreckage on his Twitter account, including images of the ship’s anchor and bell. Before it was struck, the USS Indianapolis was advancing towards the Philippines to deliver atomic bomb parts to Tinian island.

‘Kian..

Saldy said he has sought help from Vice President Leni Robredo, who visited the wake of his son, and said he was ready to testify at any investigation into his son’s killing. “I will ﬁght for my son, they abused him,” he said in Filipino. “My son wanted to be a policeman. He idolized them, but they killed him.” Also on Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon asked Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre to ﬁre a Caloocan City prosecutor for his manifest partiality and personal prejudices against Delos Santos, who was killed in a

police operation. Drilon, a former Justice secretary, said he was furious upon learning that Darwin Cañete of the Caloocan City Prosecutor’s Ofﬁce had questioned Delos Santos’ innocence and publicly defended the Caloocan police. Cañete told a newspaper interview that it was “too far-fetched” to believe that Kian was “totally innocent” and that the police had planted drugs on him. “I am not saying they did not kill the kid. The [police] should be held accountable if ever it’s a proven EJK [extrajudicial killing]. But making the kid super inno-

cent? I am not buying it,” Cañete was quoted as saying. With his prejudiced statements against Delos Santos, Drilon said Cañete “cannot be trusted” to fulﬁll his duties to investigate and prosecute the policemen responsible for the 17-year-old’s death. Drilon said Aguirre “should immediately remove Mr. Cañete from the case for manifest partiality and hostility towards the victim.” Drilon said that Cañete may have also violated the Code of Conduct of Prosecutors, which mandates prosecutors to conduct

“If the President is so tolerant and defends the cops right away, then of course, they will become reckless,” Lacson said in Filipino. The senator also said he was aware of rumors of a police “quota” system in the campaign against illegal drugs, which rewarded policemen to take down more drug suspects. Such a system, he added, would make police “over-eager” and “create a scenario to score.” Earlier, the minority bloc in the Senate called for solidarity against senseless killings such as that of Delos Santos. Shocked by the death of an innocent teenager in Caloocan City, Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV said the government should rethink its strategy, saying the poor and helpless are casualties in this war while those involved in big drug cases are accorded due process. “We cannot tolerate the alarming police impunity in the country. We need to investigate these killings of alleged drug suspects including a Grade 11 student in po-

lice operations,” Senator Franklin Drilon said. Drilon earlier questioned Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre at the 2018 budget hearing for their failure to investigate extrajudicial killings, with only 37 of about 4,000 deaths related to the antidrug campaign being investigated. Senator Francis Pangilinan said he was enraged that the poor are marked as targets in the anti-drug campaign while more than P6 billion worth of shabu can slip past the Bureau of Customs unnoticed. “The root of the problem was seen in the smuggling of shabu through the BOC by a syndicate that was in cahoots with Customs personnel,” Pangilinan said in Filipino. Hontiveros urged the government to stop the extrajudicial killings, saying the Duterte administration cannot kill its way out of the drug problem. “We refuse to accept these killings as normal,” she said. Detained Senator Leila de Lima also criticized Duterte for praising the deadly Bulacan raids, which

killed 32 people. “Those are clear words of a deranged mind. If you say that it’s good to kill 32 people a day—that’s a deranged mind,” she said. Senator Nancy Binay expressed her outrage over the deaths of several minors in the administration’s ongoing war against illegal drugs. “The deaths of these children are extremely enraging and brought me a heavy heart. And like every parent, I fear for the safety of my children. Kian could have been my son or daughter, or any policeman’s child for that matter,” she added. Children are paying the price of fumbled police operations, she said. Since last year, the antidrug campaign has claimed the lives of 5-year-old Danica May Garcia; 5-year-old Francisco Manosca; Kristine Joy Sailog, 12; Emmanuel Lorica, 17; and many others. Binay, a mother of four, said that no amount of apologies would bring back the children to their parents. With Rio N. Araja, Bill Casas and Rey E. Requejo

From A1

Chito Bersaluna and the three policemen involved in Delos Santos’ death have been relieved. In an interview with radio dzMM, Saldy said his family and witnesses received threats after they said Kian was dragged by policemen, given a gun and told to run before he was shot dead. “My enemies are powerful. We are just simple folk,” he told dzMM in Filipino. “They can kill a minor, what more us?”

Drug... From A1

Camanava area. Thirty-two of those were killed in Bulacan over a 24-hour period. On Thursday night, 34 drug suspects were also killed by Manila policemen. Twenty-four were killed by Camanava policemen, including 17-year-old Kian delos Santos. Lacson said the Senate investigation would zero in on CCTV footage that showed Delos Santos being dragged to an alley where he was shot dead by policemen. Senator Risa Hontiveros said they have in their custody some of the witnesses in the killing of Kian after coordinating with the victim’s parents. Lacson said it was possible that the latest police killing spree was the result of Duterte’s declaration that he would protect police involved in drug-related shootings—including Supt. Marvin Marcos, who led a police raid that killed a mayor who was in jail.

Marawi’s... From A1

former Mayor Omar Solitario contacted me about possible incidents involving the Mautes as his brother, also former mayor Pre Salic, was a relative by affinity of the Mautes in Lanao, Dureza said. He made his statement even as the police in Ozamiz City arrested a town mayor in Lanao del Norte for illegal possession of firearms. A News TV Live report identified the official as Lorenzo Manigos of Kolambugan in Lanao del Norte. The report said two 9mm pistols, two .45 pistols and three grenades were seized from Manigos and his two bodyguards, and that the firearms had expired licenses. Dureza said Solitario had volunteered to help the OPAPP [Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process], then provided support in putting back in operation a local radio station to advise listeners how to counter violent extremism. He even published a small book on how to deal with violent extremism. “I also arranged a Davao meeting with the President where he offered help. After the meeting, I got him on a consultancy arrangement with OPAPP,” Dureza said. “When Marawi erupted, he was sending me timely situation updates and asked if he could initiate talks with the Mautes. After consulting others, I advised him to first refrain from dealing with them as the situation was still

ﬂuid, and consistent with government policy that we cannot undertake peace talks with plain terrorists. “Subsequently, when his name was included in the arrest orders pursuant to the declaration of martial law, I revoked his consultancy arrangement with OPAPP. He later informed me that he left Marawi City and stayed in a safe sanctuary outside the city but he kept in touch, making suggestions on how to deal with the developing incidents. He was distressed why his name was included in the list. “At one time, when the President was in Cagayan de Oro monitoring Marawi, I arranged his phone call with the President. The President told him over the phone that he instead should talk to me. So I continued handling him. “Later on, I was informed that there was an arrangement for him to meet with National Defense Secretary [Delﬁn] Lorenzana to discuss how he could help the government. Since his name was still on the arrest order and in order to enable him to meet with the Defense secretary in Iligan City or in Marawi, I recommended that a clearance from the SND be issued to allow him to safely travel to meet the SND for the purpose considering there were AFP checkpoints and his name was on the arrest list. ‘‘I talked with Secretary Lorenzana and I was told that a clearance for him was being issued, including his two sons [the latter two not being included in my representations as I did not know them and their activities].

PNP... From A1

the budget hearings will provide an opportunity for oversight, which could answer a very critical question: What are the sources of funds for this nationwide operation?” Recto said. Before Congress will reload the anti-drug campaign with funds, it must ask the Philippine National Police how the plan will be carried out, Recto said. “It should not write a blank check,” he said. The administration is asking for a P20-billion increase in the PNP budget for next year, to P131.5 billion. “What is this budget for? What are the targets?” Recto asked. He also said he would ask the PNP Internal Affair Service how it would use the P731-million budget for next year. “The IAS is the tripwire of abuses and the whistleblower of

Customs... From A1

Kenneth Dong’s lawyers said that their client is not involved in any illegal drug activities and is a legitimate businessman. “To show that he has a clear conscience, he immediately cut his business trip from Singapore and China and went back to the country after his name was dragged into the controversial shipment,” his lawyer, Carla Frias, said. Frias also said Dong did not

But four days after completing that mission, on July 30, 1945, it was spotted by a Japanese submarine that fired six torpedoes at the vessel. The Indianapolis burst into flames when one hit a magazine near the fuel bunker and another struck the ship’s bow. Others have searched for the Indianapolis in the past, but the wreckage location long eluded researchers. But last year Richard Hulver, a historian with the Naval History and Heritage Command, identified a naval landing craft that had documented a sighting of the vessel hours before it was hit. The research team then developed an estimated position, which covered a vast 600 square miles of open ocean. The Navy called the ship’s discovery “significant” given the

“depth of the water in which the ship was lost.” Allen recently acquired and retrofitted the 250-foot R/V Petrel research vessel, which has equipment capable of diving 19,685 feet deep. His team is surveying the full site and plans to give a live tour of the wreckage in the coming weeks. Since the sunken ship is a war grave, it is protected by US law from being disturbed. The search vessel’s crew has been working in collaboration with Navy authorities and is developing plans to honor the survivors still living as well as the families of the deceased. “Even in the worst defeats and disasters there is valor and sacrifice that deserves to never be forgotten,” said Sam Cox, the Naval history command’s director. AFP themselves in the highest ethical standards of fairness, dignity, impartiality, and integrity with a view to preserving and enhancing public confidence in the prosecution service. Drilon said he would suggest to Aguirre that Cañete be re-assigned to other post like in DOJ proper “where he can reacquaint himself with the basics of due process and respect for the rule of law.” “The administration of justice in the country is better served without the likes of Cañete who are the reason why the public does not trust our justice system,” he said. Macon Ramos-Araneta

bad deeds. Is it doing its job?” Recto said. Recto also said there was a need to review the PNP budget for damage done to private property and injury and death of civilians in police operations. “I expect that the review of the events on that fateful night in Caloocan which led to the death of a young man will be pursued on many fronts,” said Recto, referring to the killing of 17-yearold Kian Loyd delos Santos in a police operation in Caloocan City. In the House, Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles said the Delos Santos killing must not trigger a slash in the PNP budget for 2018 since this would impede the war on drugs. While he joined calls to seek justice for the Delos Santos family, he said the government campaign against illegal drugs must not be jeopardized by the acts of abusive and irresponsible policemen. Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rio N. Araja know Richard Chen personally and admitted that he only knew Manny Li and Mark Taguba. “Our client also would like to [make it] clear that Manny Li only introduced him to Chen who owns the Hong Fei forwarding company in the Philippines and China and insisted that he did not know him before,” the lawyer said. “Dong would like to reiterate that there is not true that he is the middleman of the shipment seized by customs and he is not involved in the drug shipment,” Frias added. Vito Barcelo

Cardinal... From A1

It is a humanitarian concern that affects all of us.” Duterte, 72, launched an unprecedented crackdown on illegal narcotics after winning the presidency last year on a promise to kill tens of thousands of criminals. The Church, one of the nation’s oldest and most influential institutions, had been among the few voices denouncing the deaths as polls showed Duterte continued to enjoy widespread popularity. During the 14 months Duterte has been in power, police have confirmed killing more than 3,500 people—insisting they acted in self-defense. More than 2,000 other people have been killed in drug-related crimes and thousands more murdered in unexplained circumstances, according to police data. The numbers saw a sudden increase this week, with Duterte praising officers who shot dead 32 people in Bulacan province as he urged for more. Following Duterte’s call, at least 44 people were killed in various cities, including a 17-yearold boy whose death on Thursday sparked a national furor. Relatives of Kian delos Santos released CCTV footage of the boy being dragged away by two officers as they questioned a police report that he shot at them first. In Sunday’s statement, Tagle

Pemberton... From A1

insisted that he did not kill Laude, and that the latter was alive when he left him inside their motel room. The American soldier stressed that the wounds he inﬂicted on Laude were in self-defense while they were ﬁghting after he discovered that the victim was a transgender. Pemberton said the appellate court ‘‘cherry-picked the evidence presented in court in order to sustain his conviction and completely ignored the defense evidence. He said the appellate court should have given weight to his voluntary surrender as a mitigating circumstance, as well as to the evidence he presented to prove that he never intended to kill Laude. But the appellate court ruled that the arguments presented by Pemberton and the OSG were mere ‘‘rehash of the issues already discussed in its April 3, 2017 decision.

‘Isang’ raises storm signal 1 A LOW-PRESSURE over extreme Northern Luzon developed into a tropical depression named “Isang” on Sunday, prompting the weather bureau to raise Storm Signal No.1 over the Batanes and Babuyan Group of Islands. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Isang was estimated 714 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes, on Sunday and packing maximum sustained winds of up to 55 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 65 kph. The storm was moving westnorthwest at 19 kph. Moderate to occasionally heavy rain is expected within the 300-kilometer diameter of the tropical depression, and that may trigger flash floods and landslides over extreme Northern Luzon. ‘‘Isang’’ is projected to be closest to the Batanes Group of Islands Monday or Tuesday, and is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Wednesday. The storm could enhance the southwest monsoon, and especially over the western section of Luzon and the Visayas in the coming days. Rio N. Araja, with PNA called for nine days of prayer for people who have died in the drug war. “Those with sorrowful hearts and awakened consciences may come to your pastors to tell your stories and we will document them for the wider society,” he said. The Catholic Church has been a central figure in some of the Philippines’ most tumultuous political events, including the 1986 “People Power” revolution that overthrew dictator Ferdinand Marcos. The Church had initially declined to criticize Duterte’s drug war but as the death toll of mostly poor people mounted, it began last year a campaign to stop the killings. Church groups have sheltered witnesses and provided financial and emotional support for families of those slain. In response, Duterte had launched a broadside against priests and bishops whom he accused of “hypocrisy.” On Sunday, the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines joined Tagle in denouncing the deaths, calling on the faithful to ring church bells daily in solidarity with the victims. “The sound of the bells is a wake-up call for a nation that no longer knows how to condole with the bereaved, that is cowardly to call out evil. The sound of the bells is a call to stop consenting to the killings!” Archbishop Socrates Villegas said in a statement. ‘‘With respect to Pemberton’s motion, we maintain our ruling that his invocation of self-defense is an admission of the killing and of its authorship, the court ruled. “Pemberton’s contention that he was only raising complete and incomplete self-defense in the physical injuries he inflicted upon Jerry Serdoncillo y Laude alias ‘Jennifer’ [Laude] is bereft of rhyme or reason as the former was not charged for any physical injuries but of homicide, the court ruled. The court noted that, in justifying the circumstance of self-defense, Pemberton was merely trying to exnonerate himself or reduce his penalty from the charge of homicide. “Consequently, we reiterate that self-defense when invoked as a justifying circumstance implied the admission by the accused that he committed the criminal act, the court said. It said Pemberton’s claim of self-defense could not be given weight due to his failure to prove that he was attacked by Laude, and that his life was in peril on the night of the incident.

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017

9 bets for CA, Sandiganbayan T By Rey E. Requejo

HE Judicial and Bar Council has endorsed to President Rodrigo Duterte the nomination of nine aspirants for two vacancies in the Court of Appeals and Sandiganbayan. The vacancies arose from the promotion to the Supreme Court of Associate Justices Noel Tijam and Samuel Martires earlier this year. The two separate shortlists were transmitted by the seven-

man council chaired by Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno after deliberating on the nominees during its session on Friday. Four nominees have been shortlisted for the CA vacancy,

namely: Judges Ma. Cristina Cruz-Mangrobang of Manila regional trial court and Angelene Mary Quimpo-Sale of Quezon City RTC and lawyers Merianthe Pacita Zuraek and Walter Ong, brother of dismissed Sandiganbayan Justice Gregory Ong. On the other hand, there are five nominees in the shortlist for the Sandiganbayan for Martires’ post. They are Judges Maryann Corpus-Mañalac of the Makati RTC, Kevin Narce Vivero of Antipolo RTC, Olivia EscubioSamar of Malolos RTC and

Rosanna Fe Romero-Maglaya of Quezon City RTC; and lawyer Josephine Capio Caranzo. Mañalac is the judge who ordered Sunvar Realty Development Corporation of the Rufino and Prieto families last week to vacate the Mile-Long property in Makati City. Martires and Tijam were appointed by Duterte to the SC in March to replace Associate Justices Jose Perez and Arturo Brion, respectively, who both retired from the judiciary in December. There are two more vacancies in

Digong allocates P10.2b for BRT

the CA and Sandiganbayan following the recent promotions of CA Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr. and Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Alexander Gesmundo to the SC. Reyes and Gesmundo took the posts vacated by retired SC Associate Justices Bienvenido Reyes last July and Jose Mendoza earlier this month. With the completion of vacancies in the SC, the membership of its three divisions has been reorganized. The first division has Sereno as chairman, Associate Justice Ter-

esita Leonardo De Castro as working chairman and Associate Justices Mariano Del Castillo, Francis Jardeleza and Tijam as members. Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio chairs the second division with Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Estela PerlasBernabe, Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa and Reyes as members. The third division is composed of Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco as chairman and Associate Justices Lucas Bersamin, Marvic Leonen, Martires and Gesmundo as members.

COLOR OF THE DAY. Yellow santan flowers in

full bloom adorn the bronze monument of the late Senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr. on the eve of his 34th death anniversary at the intersection of Bonifacio Drive and Padre Burgos St. at Manila’s Rizal Park. Ey Acasio

By Rio N. Araja PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has allocated P10.2 billion in 2018 to develop the country’s first-ever bus rapid transit projects in Metro Manila and Cebu. “The BRT Line 2 along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue is getting P3.09 billion, while Line 1 along Quezon Avenue-España Boulevard will have P1.76 billion,” Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr. said. On the other hand, Cebu’s BRT project has a P5.37-billion budget allocation. Campos urged the Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy to adopt environment-friendly and low gas emission buses for the projects. “Our cities deserve a breath of fresh air so we definitely do not want the usual 100-percent diesel buses running through our BRT lines,” he said. Campos is the author of the proposed Electric, Hybrid and Alternative Fuel Vehicles Incentives Act. “Hybrid buses with battery-powered electric motors and smaller diesel engines, or possibly even buses running on cleaner fuel should be deployed preferably,” he said. He said a BRT bus must have free high-speed Internet connectivity, digital security cameras and a public address system. Once completed, BRT Line 2 will move 1.6 million to two million commuters daily while Line 1 could serve 300,000 train commuters a day.

Palace studies conditions of US grant By Bill Casas THE Duterte administration on Sunday welcomed the possibility of fresh assistance from the United States Millennium Challenge Corp. but said the government’s economic managers are studying the conditions set for the package. “We acknowledge and welcome the decision of the United States MCC to extend assistance to the Philippines after the first grant ended in May 2016,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said. “This is a recognition of the efforts of the Duterte administration – through its 10-point socio-economic agenda—to

continue and maintain macroeconomic policies while investing in human capital development in health and educational systems and improving social protection programs to protect the poor.” But Abella said the government will have to study the conditions set by the MCC. “While we are happy with this new development, our economic managers would study the conditions set by the MCC if these are aligned with the President’s priority agenda,” the Palace official said. The US MCC will still have to decide on the Philippines’ eligibility to receive fresh grants after the country qualified as

a candidate due to its income level, which falls under the lowincome category as classified by the World Bank. US Embassy press attache Molly Koscina on Friday, however, clarified that being a “candidate country” does not automatically mean it is eligible to receive a second MCC grant. “It is important to note that being a candidate country does not necessarily mean a country is eligible for MCC assistance. The MCC Board of Directors has not made a decision on the Philippines’ eligibility for a second compact,” she said. Candidate countries listed by the MCC are chosen based on

their per capita income levels and their eligibility to receive assistance under US laws. The first MCC grant, amounting to $434 million, came into force in May 2011 and ended in May 2016. Last December, the MCC deferred a vote on the re-selection of the Philippines for compact development “subject to a further review of concerns around rule of law and civil liberties.” According to the MCC website, countries can only qualify for the grant if they “demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance, investments in its people, and economic freedom.”

‘Ninoy’s legacy of patriotism must continue’ By Bill Casas PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte urged Filipinos to strengthen the legacy of the late Senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr. by promoting solidarity and patriotism “especially in these troubling times.” “I join the Filipino people in commemorating the 34th death anniversary of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. Through his words of wisdom, let us ref lect on his life and realize that, indeed, the Filipino is worth dying for,” the President said on Sunday. Duterte described the late senator, who was a journalist before he became a politician, as having effected “positive and meaningful changes in our society.” “Throughout his career, he fought for what was right and just. Up until the very end of his life, he inspired a peaceful revolution that resulted to the liberties we enjoy today,” he said. “Even at a time when hope was lost, he remained steadfast in his struggle to restore democracy through non-violent means. His deeds have taught us that we should always aspire for the common good—even if one must go against the grain—and do what is necessary,” the President added.

NEVER FORGOTTEN. Senator Grace Poe touches the tomb of her father, the late Fernando Poe Jr., after lighting candles during a short ceremony commemorating his 78th birthday at the Manila North Cemetery. Norman Cruz

‘Don’t force our hands on tax bill’ By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Joel Villanueva has cautioned the administration’s economic managers against having the hands of lawmakers tied into approving its pet tax reform measure. Based on the projection presented by the economic managers, Villanueva said the government expects an additional revenue of around P413 billion in 2018, which is also the expected increase in tax collection for the same year. “This suggests that 99.9 percent of the projected increase in our revenues for next year will be sourced from the additional taxes we expect to collect,” he said. “The P413-billion increase could mark the biggest jump in tax collection, in nominal terms, in our country’s history,” the senator added. Meanwhile, next year’s projected disbursement is at P3.36 trillion, which translates into an increase of P455 billion from this year’s programmed disbursement at P2.9 trillion. Villanueva said the only logical conclusion is that the bulk of the P413-billion additional taxes the government expects to collect in 2018 will depend on the shape of the tax reform package that Congress will pass this year. The Department of Finance estimates that at least P133.8 billion in additional revenues will be collected once the proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) is passed. “At the most ‘optimistic’ outcome of the TRAIN, you would still be P240 billion short of the targeted P413 billion additional revenue. How does the DOF plan to generate this additional money?” Villanueva said.

Opinion

MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017

EDITORIAL

From words to bullets

F THERE were ever an appropriate occasion for a display of the President’s now-famous profane anger, it is the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos on Aug. 16, at the hands of trigger-happy police. In a spot report, Caloocan City police on an anti-drug sweep said the Grade 11 student opened fire at them first, “so they were compelled to return fire.” But witnesses and CCTV footage tell a different story. CCTV footage showed Kian, in fact, was dragged

Adelle Chua, Editor

by two men—not in uniform—from one alley to another where he was told to run with a gun—then shot when he did so. The teenager was found dead with a gun in his left hand—a telling detail, since the boy was righthanded. In a statement Saturday, Malacañang condemned

what it called Delos Santos’ “deeply regrettable” death, reminding law enforcement authorities “to be wary of the reckless exercise of power and authority.” This was in stark contrast to Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella’s initial statement on Friday that the boy’s killing was a “happily isolated” case in the Philippine National Police “onetime, big-time” anti-crime operations that have killed at least 69 drug suspects in Bulacan, Caloocan and Manila last week. Authorities said the police chief of Caloocan City

and the three policemen implicated in Delos Santos’ killing have been relieved “to pave the way for an impartial investigation.” Senators, too, have moved to begin their own inquiry into the teenager’s death—although we question the effectiveness of such investigations. After all, didn’t the President reinstate a police raiding team that the senators concluded had murdered a city mayor in his jail cell in a sub-provincial jail? So far, we have not heard directly from the bristly President Rodrigo Duterte,

who last week congratulated police for killing 32 drug suspects in a day, saying if they could do that every day, we would be rid of what ails the country. Before the President rushes to defend the Caloocan police involved, he should acknowledge, even if only to himself, that 17-year-old Kian was not a mayor implicated in the illegal drug trade. He was, by all accounts, a boy who helped his father run a small sari-sari store. Before the President promises to exonerate or pardon the Caloocan policemen, he ought to consider

that the words that ﬂy from his mouth end up as bullets in a dead, drug-free 17-yearold boy, who by his own father’s account, had aspired to be a policeman. We do not doubt the President’s courage. We hope that he now displays that courage by admitting the police have stepped over the line and to let them face the full consequences under the law. And we hope he shows the same compassion to the Delos Santos family that he has shown to the families of soldiers and law enforcers killed in the line of duty.

Resignation

from Nietzsche. It is far more malevolent, something more devastating on the individual soul as destructive as it is of the nation’s spirit. It cannot be the same as the detestable lust of the Roman mob for blood at the arena, that made them applaud gladiators bludgeoning each other to death or wild animals tearing condemned persons or being set afire as human torches. Several centuries have passed since, and moral consciousness has evolved. It is nothing less than a repudiation of what we have already realized to be human and humane. It is turning our backs on centuries of social and cultural evolution. Not even the post-modern posture of refusing as definitive the morality of the past will wash the stain from the bloodied hands of Kian’s murderers. The present spate of killing goes by one

MILLENNIALS, I observed, have this knack of using just three action words to summarize life’s occurrences, probably borne out of social media’s requirement for brevity or its users’ seven-second attention span. “Nagmahal, nasaktan, nagabroad” is a common example of this trend, which tells of a love cherished and lost, leading the jilted lover to seek solace in a place far, far away. To keep up with the times, let me put things in Taipei’s headlines the same way. Nag-brownout, Nag-resign, Nilibre ang kuryente. Last Tuesday, Taiwan suffered a massive power blackout affecting close to 7 million households on the island at a time when temperatures were unusually hot. State-owned firms in charge of the island’s power supply said human error caused a twominute delay in the supply of fuel to its Datan township power station causing all six generators to collapse in Taoyuan and shutting down the full capacity of the power plant. That cut off some 4.35 million kilowatts from the country’s power supply. The voltage reduction further affected a power plant in Taichung, resulting in a total shortage of 4.65 million kilowatts countrywide. The blackout was reportedly the most severe since the strong 1999 earthquake. Local media reported minimal impact on industries including some of the world’s leading technology manufacturers such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker and a major supplier to Apple Inc. Public transportation system remained largely intact though, with only a few Taiwan Railways Administration stations reporting disruption in its operations. The Taiwan High Speed Rail, airports and national highways reported no impact upon their operations at all. Rotational one-hour brownouts were implemented as power supply was restored to original levels the following morning. I slept soundly through the whole episode, then woke up to headlines announcing the resignation of Economic Affairs Minister Chih-Kung Lee, a good friend of mine, as

Turn to A5

Kian’s mother grieves KIAN was a now-grieving mother’s son, and she is inconsolable in her grief. Even the mother of an executed criminal has every right to grieve, and Kian was no criminal at all. His executioners suspected that he was one, and executed him like they had convicted him of being one. Because of this, the whole nation should be grieving with Kian’s mother at how far down the road of remorselessness and cruelty we have gone. What shocks me more are the attempts to justify Kian’s murder. The mere refusal to concede, in the very least, that something wrong, something immoral, took place is itself an affront to our supposedly evolved moral sense. It is a perverse undoing of what centuries of refinement in moral sensibility and thought have brought forth. It is nothing less than the return of barbarity donning the habiliments of

“collateral damage” and going by the pretense of a “response to exigent circumstances.” No, no exigent circumstance is good enough an excuse for the murder of Kian. Even if Kian had been espied with a bulging sachet of shabu or a brick of cocaine in his hand, it would still have been morally wrong and legally a crime to shoot him to death. It would have been necessary to apprehend him, to prosecute and to try him and, on the strength of the evidence, to either convict or acquit him. When an offender is caught in flagrante delicto… in the act, that might seem like a useless ceremony, but the ceremony is called “due process” and it is not only a constitutionally vested right. It is a human right: a claim a person can make against one who wields force on the ground of

What shocks me more are the attempts to justify Kian’s murder.

reasonability. Due process is a demand of right reason. The refusal to grant due process is the refusal to abide by reason. And it is therefore the height of unreason when someone like Kian is shot dead while doing nothing criminal nor even slightly suspicious! “Due process” is what establishes the necessary distance between the offense and its punishment—not only so that guilt or innocence may be determined,

but so that there might be distinguished just sanction from vengeance or reprisal. It cannot be “a more perfect society” that is not outraged at Kian’s death: made to hold a firearm and told to fire it, so that he could be fired upon in a manner so cruelly and diabolically calculated. If “responsibility for the Other” is something that binds me, ab initio or ex natura and not because I am thoughtful and kind but because I am a subject, then it must call for a total rewiring of conscience to resign ourselves to the treatment of others, the way Kian was dispatched. It is more than the “lax conscience” of which Medieval moralists wrote when they reflected on the apparent insensitivity of the consciences of some to what were clearly immoral acts or omissions. It is even more than the “resentiment” that Scheler took over

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher 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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Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

Opinion

MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017

Inured WHO was it who said that the greater peril in society is when our citizenry gets used to the abuses of our law enforcement authorities? Sadly, this is what is happening in the daily spate of killing of drug suspects. This has been happening with impunity since Day One, and people have become inured to it. Listening to President Rodrigo Duterte and chief henchman Philippine National Police Director General Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa explain away the death of drug suspects “because they resisted and fired first giving our police operations team no choice but to fire back and defend themselves” has become standard operating procedure. It has become an all-too-familiar story that the credibility of the police is strained to the limit. At the scene of the socalled encounters, lifeless victims are sprawled on the ground with an unlicensed .38 caliber paltik beside their hands. Have other police agencies like the National Bureau of Investigation ever questioned whether these loose firearms were fired by the suspect? Or,

were these paltik the same ones recovered from other victims in earlier encounters? Vice President Leni Robredo, whether you think she would make a strong leader or not, has urged the people to speak out against police abuses and extrajudicial killings of suspects. At least she and the Commission on Human Rights have expressed their alarm at how the police in the bloody war on drugs are enforcing the law. Like other citizens of the country, we think President Duterte needs all the support in breaking the backs of the drug cartels and saving many young lives who have fallen to addiction. Drug users, it has been traced by experts on crime, contribute widely to the rampant criminality in this country. The recent massacre of a family in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan and other incidences of robbery and rape committed on young women, housewives and mothers can also be traced to

the perpetrators who were high on drugs when they committed the crime. Arresting these criminal suspects you say would overcrowd our national penitentiary? Other concerned government agencies believe rehabilitation centers may be the answer. This is being done by other civilized countries in the world. Saving these young felons from themselves is a primary concern. Penal incarceration with hardened criminals would only contribute to the turnstile prison system that spawns recidivists. The Department of the Interior and Local Government has a key role in the war on illegal drugs. Its silence on the issue leaves one to think their acquiescence is consent to the manner suspects are gunned down. The killing of the Parojinog political family in Ozamiz was not met with protests by the people. Fourteen people were felled by a volley of police bullets. This is the highest number

of casualties in a single police operation. The Parojinogs which included the patriarch mayor, his wife and brother are known to have started their political power from membership in the notorious Kuratong Baleleng kidnap-for-ransom and robbery gang. The Parojinogs built up their political power base. But people are wondering why the government seems to be soft on the case of P6.2-billion smuggled shipment of shabu from China. Obviously, this a slap on the face of government and its much ballyhooed war on drugs. The drugs are smuggled from China with the conspiracy of our Bureau of Customs officials. It can be considered an act of war and economic sabotage by an external power. Why Duterte still retained retired General Nicanor Faeldon as Customs commissioner is a mystery to many. Digong has fired other Cabinet officials on what he claimed as merely the “whiff of corruption.” Well, the stink of the smuggled shabu shipment is more than a whiff of corruption. The stench reaches all the way to the high heavens.

Sustaining development, power, and carbon footprints THE Paris climate accord, adopted in 2015, in many ways represents the culmination of a global effort to address climate change. Under the deal, each of the 196 countries had to declare its plans and targets in curbing greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. For its part, the Philippines ratified the agreement early this year and pledged to reduce by 70 percent its carbon emissions by 2030. This is despite the fact that the country contributes very little to global warming and is “blameless in stratosphere” with a carbon footprint that is dwarfed by industrial giants like the United States and China. In 2014, the country’s emissions totaled just one metric ton per capita. For perspective, that’s even less than the emissions of countries like Congo or Angola and is considerably microscopic vis-à-vis Singapore, which emitted 8.6 metric tons. Moreover, at 35 percent, the ratio of renewables in the country’s energy mix is already higher than most of the world’s top polluters. Industry, in particular, has always bemoaned decisions that

demonstrate minimal understanding of this f undamental reality. While there should be no debate on the need for all industries to use the most efficient technologies that minimize pollution, the loud propaganda of some environmentalists at times renders the discussion in black and white: that is, between saving the planet versus development. This is clearest in the case of the power sector. Despite government projections that the country’s growth in the next 10, 20 years hinges on stable and affordable electricity, some groups are single-minded in blocking key development projects like urgently needed coalfed power plants. This opposition not only ignores the profile of the Philippines as an insignificant greenhouse gas emitter, it also overlooks existing safeguards and legislation, such as environmental laws and the Clean Air Act, as well as newly available technologies that exceed compliance to emissions standards. As in many issues in the Phil-

Resignation From A4 an offshoot of the incident. His vice minister, Shen Jong-chin, likewise offered to resign but was prevailed upon to stay and oversee the ministry in an acting capacity. Minister Lee was a staunch advocate of de-commissioning Taiwan’s nuclear power plants, and assured everyone that power supply would not be affected by the frenzied move towards “green” energy. So when the outage occurred, he immediately resigned. Would something like that ever happen back in the homeland, where nobody ever resigns even for very compelling reasons? Even if rank incompetence is quite obvious? Even if hands are caught in the cookie jar? Even if remaining in position would cause damage to the institution? Ah, but that is the Philippines, where it’s more fun clinging to public position. There is more. Even President Tsai Ing-wen, describing electricity supply as a national security issue, apologized on her Facebook page for the blackout. She immediately asked relevant government departments “to quickly explain why a single event could cause such large damage across the country’s electricity system.” But it didn’t stop there. On Thursday, newspapers reported that victims of Tuesday’s island-wide blackout would receive one day of free electricity as compensation, according to an announcement by state utility Taiwan

Kian’s... From A4

ippines, the issue is more the need for better enforcements of regulations than any blatantly political intervention. Among the long-term strategic directions identified by the Department of Energy, foremost are “Ensure energy security” and “Expand energy access.” These were revealed in a recent forum organized by think tank Stratbase ADR Institute (ADRi) and consumer group Citizen Watch. Called “Energizing Economic Growth: The Role of Energy in the Philippine Economy,” the discussion put into proper perspective the current power supply situation and growing energy demand in the context of the government’s ambitious development agenda. In particular, economist Raul Fabella stressed the crucial role of the manufacturing sector in this growth and the strategic impact of adequate baseload capacity. The relationship between manufacturing growth and poverty reduction had long been established. A larger manufacturing sector results in higher

Power Corporation. A total of 4.38 million households will receive one free day of electricity worth an estimated NT$270 million (US$8.8 million) while 1.54 million households which also suffered from the outage will receive compensation amounting to a total of NT$90 million (US$2.9 million). Can you believe that? Would poor consumers in the Philippines ever be so compensated for blackouts, or lousy internet service, or weeks and weeks of failed sky cable service? Not in your life. I am truly amazed at the great lengths the Taiwanese government would undertake to appease its citizens. Back in the homeland, consumers have suffered, continue to suffer, and will suffer more from poor public utilities, whether state-owned and operated, or “privatized” to buccaneers wearing the masks of big businessmen whom the president calls “oligarchs.” So, we just resign ourselves to poor service. *** Thirty-four years ago, a man who had suffered seven years and seven months of imprisonment, then exiled through a medical furlough abroad, decided to come back to the motherland. He, too, had resigned himself to his fate in another manner of speaking. In a letter to me dated Feb. 21, 1983 from San Francisco, he wrote: “A man may die as a dictatorship will surely die, but an institution lives on.” He told Doy Laurel, who hand-carried Ni-

poverty reduction than a larger services sector, the current profile of the domestic economy. The cases of China and, more recently, Vietnam attest to this credible development trajectory, a route that the Philippines can be on its way to following. Thus, while being party to the Paris climate accord, there is a need to clarify the conditionalities that go with the idealistic 70 percent reduction. Because a robust manufacturing sector inevitably requires a reliable energy supply, a key recommendation presented in the paper by Dr. Fabella, is to focus more on demand-side management, such as prioritizing less carbon-dependent modes of transportation and increasing the efficiency of energy use. To lower the price of power, shift additional charges, like the Feed-in-Tariff, from manufacturing and industry toward services and the state treasury. If possible, negotiate for the FIT bill to be bankrolled by the global climate fund. Finally, create a truly single market for electricity in the Philippines and, instead of continuous intervention from the government, let the market be the guide on the suitable fuel mix.

noy’s letter to me after their fateful meeting in San Francisco, that he intended to come home that year and talk to their Upsilonian “brod” Ferdinand Marcos to convince him to restore democracy after more than a decade of authoritarian rule. But that conversation never happened. On Aug. 21, 1983, a bullet entered his cranium in the tarmac of our international airport. Today marks the 34th anniversary of that dastardly murder. A generation and a half have passed; a millennium in fact was marked halfway from that historic event in 2000. We pause to commemorate that event when Ninoy Aquino’s resignation to fate galvanized an entire people to action. And then again we ask ourselves, what have become of us, and what has become of the nation for whose sake he returned, and died, after 34 years? Was it worth it? “The Filipino is worth dying for,” he wrote. And in the rage that followed, we said, “Hindi ka nag-iisa, Ninoy.” Yet, has the return of democracy and individual liberties, under the framework of a Constitution written by the assigns of Ninoy’s widow, Cory, really improved the lot of the ordinary man? Look at our neighboring countries. Compare the last 34 years, or better yet, the last half-century which started with Marcos and ended with Ninoy’s son, and the same time frame for China, Singapore, and South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and even war-torn Vietnam. And weep.

philosophy after the Holocaust should take its bearings away from the crematoria and the gas chambers of Auschwitz, what terrifies me most is that we seem to have chosen to retrace our dangerously and destructively grand narrative: steps to the dreadful camps where human beings that some people are irreparably loathsome that were marked out as “unsalvageable,” suitable their extermination is the only option. If all only for destruction!

Lawyers’ ethics THE struggle to become a lawyer is real. Yet, not a few lawyers squander the privilege of being a lawyer by committing acts that cost them their license to practice law. Consider what one has to go through to become a lawyer. First, after hurdling a four-year course, the journey to finish a law degree in at least four years begins. Some take it for as long as seven to eight years; others, even longer. Then a six-month review ensues. Finally comes the most grueling licensure exam in the country, the bar exams. Thousands have to take the bar exam several times before they finally take their oath as lawyers. It is therefore unsettling, to say the least, how some lawyers brazenly commit acts that merit their suspension or even disbarment. In one recently decided case for example, a notary public notarized a deed of absolute sale fully knowing that his notarial commission had expired. He was permanently barred from becoming a notary public again and suspended from law practice for two years. In another recent case, a lawyer desiring ardently to help her male client obtain a declaration of nullity of marriage advised him that it would be best if the wife were the one to file the petition to ensure that she would not oppose it. What made the situation utterly wrong was that, upon payment by the husband of her fees, she made the petition as lawyer for the It is one of wife; forged the signature of her supposed the noblest client; and then filed and most it. She even obtained a residence certificate challenging for the wife from a place she never lived at. professions. The wife filed a disbarment case against her. The Supreme Court reminded her as well as all other lawyers that a lawyer shall not do any falsehood, nor consent to the doing of any in Court; nor shall he mislead or allow the Court to be misled by any means. She was disbarred. Generally, the three most common grounds why lawyers get either suspended or disbarred are: women (with respect to male lawyers); greed for money; and gross negligence and incompetence. There are other grounds, of course, for which lawyers are sanctioned such as the use of foul and gutter language in pleadings submitted to the courts and disrespect for the courts as shown by a refusal or failure to comply with orders. Not a few male lawyers have been disbarred for committing bigamy, concubinage or adultery—committed with a married woman. In these cases the Supreme Court said that “A lawyer shall not engage in unlawful, immoral or deceitful conduct and shall at all times uphold the integrity of the bar.” The Supreme Court added that the commission of such offenses by lawyers exhibit a deplorable lack of degree of morality because they make a mockery of the institution of marriage. In another case, this time involving money, a lawyer who was entrusted by his client with the sale of his real estate property did not remit to his client the proceeds of the sale. When sued by his client and ordered by the court to return to his client the proceeds of the sale, he ignored the court’s order, resulting in his disbarment. The Supreme Court said that the highly fiduciary nature of a lawyer-client relationship imposes upon the lawyer the duty to account for the money or property collected or received for or from his client. In several cases, lawyers failed in their duty to their clients, that is, they failed to do what was incumbent upon them. Some missed numerous deadlines for the filing of required pleadings; others filed wrong pleadings; still another kept filing motions for extension of time to file the needed submission only to fail in filing any. The Supreme Court stressed that, as embodied in the Code of Professional Responsibility, a lawyer shall serve his client with competence and diligence. He shall not neglect a legal matter entrusted to him and his negligence in connection with it shall render him liable. The practice of law commands such a high degree of responsibility, integrity and morality that it is considered as one of the most challenging and noble professions of all time. Yet, because many lawyers do not take their oath as lawyers seriously, there has been a proliferation of jokes that insult and denigrate lawyers and their profession. There has also been a spate of scandals and wrongdoings involving lawyers not only in recent events but in the past many years. This should make law schools rethink the way they teach law students. What should the thrust of their curriculum be? Is emphasis given more to producing lawyers that will succeed in prominence and financial standing? Do law schools make students understand that the profession they have chosen to pursue demands of them uprightness, fairness, a sense of justice and utmost sense of responsibility to society, the courts and their clients? As for those who have been disbarred or suspended from the practice of law, should not their mentors and their parents ask themselves where they went wrong? Email: ritalindaj@gmail.com Visit: www.jimenolaw.com.ph

“Weep not for me, but for yourselves and for your children.” This is what the suffering Jesus, on his way to crucifixion, told the women of Jerusalem. Kian could very well be telling us that now for it is the path that leads to our self-destruction that this trail of corpses marks. When pictures found their way on social media of Kian

in a body-bag, atop a morgue table, what I saw was the picture of a morally bankrupt nation. Why should we not grieve with Kian’s mother? rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@outlook.com

News

MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017

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ELVIS WANNABE. This photo taken shows Jun Espinosa of the Philippines, an impersonator of US music legend Elvis Presley, performing during the ﬁnals of the ﬁrst annual Elvis Asia contest in Manila, as part of the 40th death anniversary celebration of the icon of popular culture. AFP

With P137b at stake, DSWD head must be fast learner—Recto By Macon Araneta

ENATE President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto on Sunday said the next permanent head of the Department of Social Welfare and Development must be “a quick study” who must not only grip the reins of a big-budgeted agency fast, but also expertly defend before Congress its proposed P137.5-billion budget for 2018.

Recto said the budget hearings will serve as some sort of a conﬁrmation hearing that will test the capability and preparedness of the next DSWD head. It will be the appointee’s ﬁrst oral quiz. “When you’re asking for billions of pesos, it is a kind of work that is non-delegatable. It’s not something

that you can assign to an underling so that you can avoid the hot seat,” Recto said. The DSWD’s proposed budget of P137.5 billion is P9.5 billion bigger than this year’s, “so Judy Taguiwalo’s replacement must be able to convince the House and the Senate that the agency de-

serves that increase.” The senator was referring to the activist UP academic who was rejected by the Commission on Appointments more than one year after she was named to the post by President Rodrigo Duterte. Bulk of DSWD’s budget will go to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the cash transfer program which has a budget of P89.4 billion next year, an P11.3 billion bump from this year’s P78.1 billion. Because the number of beneficiaries for both years will be flat at 4.4 million families, Recto said, “syempre may magtatanong dyan kung bakit ganoon din karami ang mga beneficiaries subalit tumaas naman ng mahigit P11 bilyon ang pondo.” “Another sure question will be—

Why are you reducing by P1 billion the funding for the supplementary feeding program for children?’” Recto said. According to the senator, DSWD’s budget for meals for undernourished kids will go down from P4.42 billion this year to P3.42 billion under the 2018 budget Malacañang has submitted to Congress. Recto said the next DSWD chief must be able “to hit the ground running and not spend the ﬁrst months on training wheels because the agency has many programs, a 2017 budget of P128 billion, and clientele base of P29 million.” “If tradition is to be followed, there’s a high bar to be met in choosing the head of an agency that helps those who have fallen through the cracks of society,” Recto said.

But DSWD’s expanded mandate has put the qualification standard a notch higher, Recto said. “The magnitude of programs leaves no room for an OJT to take over Judy Taguiwalo’s seat.” “One in five Filipinos today is a recipient of DWSD assistance. In all, 28.29 million Filipinos are regular beneficiaries of its welfare and development programs,” Recto said. “Through its mega-billion cash transfer programs, DSWD, in effect, maintains the country’s biggest payroll. For 2017, 4.4 million families or about 19.36 million individuals are enrolled in 4Ps,” Recto said. He also cited the “almost three million senior citizens who receive P500 a month under the Social Pension for Indigents Program.”

EO to give Health control of sale of anti-TB drugs HEALTH Secretary Paulyn Ubial has announced that President Rodrigo Duterte has promised to sign an executive order that would make the Department of Health the sole distributor of drugs to combat tuberculosis to ensure that those afﬂicted with the disease get full treatment. She said the President “has the political will [to sign the EO]. And if it will help the patients with tuberculosis, the President has the political will to do it.” “The executive order that we’re asking the

President to sign is really something bold in terms of ensuring that no drugs will be available in the private sector,” said Ubial. She said thd EO would be one of the Duterte administration’s responses to the results of the 2016 National Tuberculosis Prevalence Survey, which was released on Thursday. The 2016 National Tuberculosis Prevalence Survey results reveal that the number of new TB cases was reported at 554 per 100,000 populations is way above the WHO estimate of 322 per 100,000 populations in 2015. This means that around 1 million

Filipinos are infected with TB and many of them are unaware of their health condition. The survey further revealed that 41 percent (46,689 from 106 cluster barangays) interviewed with symptoms suggestive of PTB did not take action while 40 percent did self-medication. Only 19 percent consulted a healthcare worker. Primary reasons for the poor health seeking behavior included: perceived trivial nature of symptoms and costs related to work-day lost, travel, and medications. he TB registry for 2016 reﬂected only one-

third of the estimated prevalence of smear-positive pulmonary TB cases, suggesting under-notification to the national TB program. Related to this finding, the study has shown the use of Xpert (rapid diagnostic test) as a better diagnostic tool than culture. By using the WHO-recommended rapid sensitive diagnostic tool, an additional 51 percent of cases were identified. Dr Gundo Weiler, WHO Country Representative to the Philippines, said the results of the TB survey are sobering - putting the Philippines amongst the most affected countries globally.

BIODIVERSITY ICONS. Hyundai Asia Resources Inc.,through its corporate social responsibility arm, HARI Foundation celebrated 50 years of ASEAN by honoring the 2017 ASEAN Biodiversity Heroes with the Hyundai Icon for Biodiversity. At the awards ceremony held Aug. 7, 2017 at New World Manila Bay Hotel were: (from left) ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Vongthep Arthakaivalvatee; Eyad Samhan (Brunei Darussalam); Sophea Chhin (Cambodia); Alex Waisimon (Indonesia); Nitsavanh Louangkhot Pravongviengkham (Lao PDR); Prof. Zakri Abdul Hamid (Malaysia); HFI President Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo; HFI Chairman Richard Lee; Dr. Maung Maung Kyi (Myanmar); Dr. Angel C. Alcala (Philippines); Prof. Leo Tan Wee Hin (Singapore); Dr. Nonn Panitvong (Thailand); Dr. Dang Huy Huynh (Vietnam); ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity Executive Director Atty. Roberto Oliva; and EU Climate Change and Environment Counsellor at the EU Delegation to Indonesia Michael Bucki. The ASEAN Biodiversity Heroes, a program designed to recognize outstanding individuals who have contributed signiﬁcantly to biodiversity conservation and advocacy in their respective countries, was one of the highlights of the observance of 50 years of ASEAN in this year’s host country, the Philippines. The 10 Heroes, representing each of the 10 ASEAN Member States, were cited for their extraordinary success in biodiversity conservation in their respective countries in an awards ceremony held on August 7, 2017, at New World Manila Bay Hotel. They are: Eyad Samhan (Brunei Darussalam), Sophea Chhin (Cambodia), Alex Waisimon (Indonesia), Nitsavanh Louangkhot Pravongviengkham (Lao PDR), Prof. Zakri Abdul Hamid (Malaysia), Dr. Maung Maung Kyi (Myanmar), Dr. Angel C. Alcala (Philippines), Prof. Leo Tan Wee Hin (Singapore), Dr. Nonn Panitvong (Thailand), and Prof. Dang Huy Huynh (Viet Nam).

NUEVA Ecija Rep. Estrellita Suansing batted on Sunday for the regulation of commercial advertisements of sugar sweetened beverages in radio, television and even cable television. Such commercial regulations must be within 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. from Mondays to Fridays, and 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. during Saturdays and Sundays, she said. Suansing is a health advocate and House committee on ecology chairperson. “Parents must closely monitor their children in their consumption of sugar sweetened beverages and must encourage them to eat healthy meals,” she said. As far as the government is concerned, she said, airing of advertisements of such food products must be regulated to lessen the children’s exposure to sugar that could trigger several diseases, such as diabetes mellitus. Suansing ﬁled House Bill No. 5957 or “An Act Regulating the Airing of Advertisements of Sugar Sweetened Beverages and Providing Penalties for Violation Thereof.” The bill, if passed, shall penalized any person or entity operating a radio, television and cable television or any person or entity engaged in the sale, manufacture or distribution of sugar sweetened beverages of P100,000 to P250,000 violating the measure for the ﬁrst offense, P250,000 to P500,000 for the second offense and automatic revocation of business permit for the third offense. Rio Araja

IN BRIEF LRT Line 2 downgrades operations OPERATIONS of the LRT Line 2 will be limited from Santolan to Cubao Stations and vice versa starting 4:30 a.m., according to the Light Rail Transit Authority. In an advisory Sunday, the LRTA said that the downgraded operations will give way to the ongoing repair of the power cables, signaling and telecommunications fiber optics system that were damaged by Saturday night’s fire. It said that a fire broke out at 9:57 p.m. near the Pureza station due to a burnt junction box of the overhead catenary wire that supply 1,500 volts DC to the train. “The exposed cables were possibly affected by the downpour and lightning that cascaded to the junction box,” the advisory added. Maintenance Team is working double time to restore full operations the soonest possible time, it said.

Drivers’ academy launched WITH the goal of producing more competent and professional drivers in the public transport sector, the Department of Transportation through the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board simultaneously launched on Aug. 17, the nationwide PUV Drivers’ Academy. Under the directive of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III said the agency will be giving free training seminars to PUV drivers nationwide. “This is not just a launch, but a start of one of the major programs of the agency, which aims to upgrade the competence, skills, and enhance the character of our public utility drivers,” Delgra said. He said the four core modules of the training—anger management; road courtesy; terms and conditions of CPCs (certificates of public convenience); and traffic rules and regulations—have been crafted by the LTFRB and the Land Transportation Offic, with the help of curriculum experts from the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and Dela Salle University.

Sports

MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Nguyen wins ONE featherweight title

UALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – It was the mother of all upsets. Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Australia completed his journey through ONE Championship’s featherweight ranks by upsetting previously-unbeaten Russian champion Marat “Cobra” Gafurov via knockout in the second round to clinch the ONE Featherweight World Championship at ONE: Quest for Greatness at the iconic Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Gafurov dominated the ﬁrst round with his magniﬁcent grappling, but Nguyen found his groove in the second frame as he tore apart his Russian foe with his striking. Recognizing an opening, Nguyen countered Gafurov’s jab with an overhand right that knocked out his opponent. Nguyen’s remarkable conquest of Gafurov earned him the “GoDad-

dy Knockout of the Night” award. “I just want to dedicate this ﬁght. Not only to Malaysia for being so welcoming and having such a beautiful country. This is for my dad. He was my inspiration for the whole camp when I mentally broke. (He and) the boys kept me together. I’ve got a deadly overhand right, but it’s not my only

weapon. Thank you to Marat for giving me the opportunity,” said Nguyen. In the co-main event of the evening, former world title challenger Ev “E.T.” Ting of Malaysia placed his name back in the winner’s column by overwhelming Japanese veteran and former ONE Welterweight World Champion Nobutatsu Suzuki to win by devastating technical knockout. The 22-year-old Agilan “The Alligator” Thani of Malaysia authored one of the most dominant performances of the night, placing himself back on the winning track with a unanimous decision victory over Sherif “The Shark” Mohamed of Egypt. Filipino knockout artist Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon completed yet another scintillating ﬁnish, his second in a row, by defeating Australian submission specialist Reece “Lightning” McLaren by knockout.

In a clash of high-caliber ﬂyweights, Malaysia’s Gianni Subba captured a hard-earned victory in front of a jubilant hometown crowd by routing Japan’s Riku “The Outsider” Shibuya. “Mighty” May Ooi of Singapore scored a major victory in her ONE Championship debut by submitting Malaysian female martial arts superstar Ann “Athena” Osman in the ﬁrst round. Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke of Thailand brushed off a lackluster start to topple Robin “The Ilonggo” Catalan of the Philippines via secondround technical knockout. Christian “The Warrior” Lee of Singapore exhibited stellar form, proving himself a top featherweight contender in ONE Championship by scoring an impressive submission over Malaysia’s Keanu Subba.

Tabal assumes new role in KL KUALA LUMPUR – After winning the gold medal in the women’s marathon event of the 29th Southeast Asian Games, Mary Joy Tabal will be staying in this bustling Malaysian capital to play a new role – cheerleader. Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (Patafa) president Philip Ella Juico said the petite Cebuana runner agreed to stay behind to cheer her teammates, who will see action in various athletics events starting Tuesday. Juico, the former Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman, said agreeing to support and bond with her teammates in this very crucial period is such a good gesture, especially since she’s training in Cebu and abroad most of the time. The PSC stands to pay for the athletes’ accommodation two days before and one day after the SEA Games, Asian Games and other major international tournaments. But in Tabal’s case, the federation agreed to shoulder her accom-

modation for the rest of the week so that she can spend some quality time with foreign-based and Manila-based teammates. “It’s good that she agreed to stay here. At least she can get to cheer her teammates and spend some quality time with them,” said Juico, who is looking to surpass their ﬁve goldmedal production two years ago in Singapore. Tabal, the four-time MILO Marathon champion, had a rocky relationship with Patafa. She quit the federation shortly after winning the silver medal in the Singapore SEA Games in 2015 so she can move her training back to Cebu. She sought reinstatement last year after qualifying in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, but opted to quit again after having some disagreements with top federation officials over her training program. Finally, she’s back. And with a shiny gold medal hanging on her neck, it appears that the wounds of the past were ﬁnally healed.

Martin Nguyen falls to his knees in gratitude after winning the ONE Featherweight World Championship against Marat Gafurov at ONE: Quest for Greatness at Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ONE Championship

PH squad targets SEA Games tennis crown KUALA LUMPUR—The Philippine national tennis team will be playing without Filipino-American star Treat Huey, but it still remains conﬁdent that it would come up with a good performance in the 29th Southeast Asian Games Monday at the National Tennis Centre Sports Complex here. Coaches Salvador Cuarto and Czarina Mae Arevalo said the can

duplicate their runner-up ﬁnish in the previous edition of the biennial meet in Singapore two years ago. Francis Casey Alcantara and Jeson Patrombon will compete in the men’s singles set at 12 noon before seeing action in the doubles competition at 4 pm. Meanwhile, Filipino-German Katharina Lehnert and Anna Clarice Patrimonio start their campaign in

the singles set at 10 am before competing in the doubles set together with the tandem of Denise Dy and Khim Iglupas at 2 pm. Also playing for the country in the men’s cast are Fil-Am Ruben Gonzales and Albert Lim. “We’re ready and raring to go and I’m very optimistic that we can surpass out second-place ﬁnish in Singapore in 2015,” said Cuarto, who

started guiding the Nationals in the 2007 biennial meet in Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand. The 28-year-old Dy of San Jose, California is on her sixth SEA Games stint and had already collected two gold, four silver and eight bronze medals while the 23-year-old Lehnert is on her second participation with two silver and a bronze.

Fornillos lifts La Salle Greenies past Light Bombers Crawford KOs By Peter Atencio CAGAYAN DE ORO standout Inand Fornillos is making heads turn lately. His steady game in the third quarter led the La Salle Greenhills Greenies to a 76-55 smashing of the Jose Rizal University Light Bombers. The 18-year-old Fornillos, who transferred from University of Santo Tomas, banged in 11 of 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds. His efforts contributed to the Greenies’ sixth triumph in eight games at the Arena in San Juan. This helped in the Greenies’ bid to get back on the winning track in the 93rd National Collegiate Athletic Association junior basketball tournament. After suffering two consecutive losses, the Greenies moved up the standings to gain a share of second spot with the San Beda Red Cubs. “Binigay namin lahat

nung third quarter. Sabi ni coach, gising na kami after two straight losses,” said Fornillos. With the game close, 32-31, at halftime, Fornillos made his presence felt with his hustle plays in the shaded lane. He struck twice during a 10-0 run, and the Greenies went on to enjoy a 42-31 spread with 7:38 left. Joshua Marcos and Sidney Mosqueda shot 11 points for the Greenies, with Marcos’ three-point play in remaining 6:35 widening their lead to 12, 45-33. Tristan Tolentino hit 10 points for JRU, which took its sixth loss against a win. “A win is a win. After back to back losses, we really needed this one,” said LSGH coach Marvin Bienvenida. The Greenies had earlier absorbed stinging losses in the hands of the defending champion Mapua Red Robins and the San Sebastian Staglets.

Indongo to win undisputed title

La Salle Greenhills player Inand Fornillos (0) slashes to the hoop unopposed during a game against the Jose Rizal University Light Bombers. Peter Atencio

Dent United and Hungry Panda lead LGR Hoops tournament DENT United, Hungry Panda, and Mackay Lions made good impression at the start of the LGR Hoops Season 4 just recently even as Master Siomai and DBBB07 struck hard in the Neophyte Division of this event held simultaneously in three different venues – Titan Love Court, North Greenhills and Cloverleaf Court.

RM Bautista and Errol Lopez led Dent United’s big second half to pull off a come from behind victory over George Plateria, 56-52. The hot-shooting Bautista scattered 18 points while Lopez added 11 as Dent United was able to come back from a 35-24 half time deﬁcit. Dent United held George

Plateria to only six points in the third period to complete its comeback and led the opening day winners in this event sponsored by Titan, NBA Store, Gatorade, BTV, Golds Gym, Zarks Burger, Bugsy’s, Kartilya, SYF and Ybalai. Hungry Panda and Mackay Lions fashioned out similar onesided victories over their rivals to

join Dent United in the win column of the Novice Division. Playing with only eight men, six players ﬁnished with six points or more for Hungry Panda, which demolished Manila Spartans, 6050. Hungry Panda was led by Alo Revereza, who ﬁnished with 13 points and eight boards. JK Gonzales added 12 markers on top of eight rebounds.

Hungry Panda survived the sizzling shooting display of Gus Jaleco, who ﬁnished with 18 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc. Mackay Lions blasted Stallions, 89-67. So overpowering was Mackay Lions that it drew double-digit productions from six players.

LOS ANGELES—American Terence Crawford became the first undisputed boxing champion in over a decade by knocking out previously unbeaten Julius Indongo in the third round of their super lightweight fight on Saturday. Crawford became the first fighter in 11 years to hold all four titles by winning the scheduled 12-round contest between the two previously unbeaten boxers at the sold out Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. “I feel great. I feel like I hardly even fought,” Crawford said. The 29-year-old Crawford added the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association 140-pound titles to his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization belts, joining Bernard Hopkins and Jermain Taylor as the only four belt champions in modern boxing history. Crawford used his superior hand speed and power to dominate every round as he knocked underdog Indongo down for the first time in the second round with a left to the side of the head. He ended the fight just one round later by flooring the former Olympian with a body shot. Crawford missed with a right hook but then came back with a left to the upper chest that sent Indongo crumbling to the canvas. “It feels like a dream come true. Belts matter,” said Crawford, who improved to 32-0 with 23 knockouts. “I am the one who wants to be labelled the champ at 140.”

LOTTO RESULTS 6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

P0 M+ P0 M

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

MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017

Clark will be available for 2019 SEA Games By Peter Atencio SPORTS facilities that will be put up inside the Clark Green City will be made available for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. Newly designated organizing committee chairman Allan Peter Cayetano said this will be possible within the next two years, since a certain area of Clark Field in Pampanga is high in the priority list of the Duterte administration in terms of development. “We have to meet and see what’s doable,” said Cayetano. Not only are they thinking of holding some of the games inside the new Clark Green City in Pampanga, the Philippines Arena in Bulacan, and some facilities in Zambales are also being considered. Cayetano said the momentum of development which is going to happen in Clark Field will make things possible for the country as host. “With the hosting of the Games, the momentum(of development) will push this,” said Cayetano. Forty sports disciplines that were featured in the 2005 SEA Games will also most likely be featured in the 2019 SEA Games when the Philippines hosts it again two years from now. POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. said this is what he is now pushing in the ongoing SEA Games Federation Council meetings. They will happy to know that we will be hosting it again. And they will not be anxious to know what are the events (that will be played,” said Cojuangco. In the 23rd edition of the Games, organizers back then put in the highest number of sporting events in the entire history SEA Games at that time.

2017 SEA Games Medal Tally

Malaysia Singapore Thailand Indonesia Vietnam Myanmar Philippines Laos Brunei Cambodia Timor Leste

13 6 3 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 0

10 5 4 4 3 1 2 1 0 0 0

8 7 3 6 1 0 2 1 4 3 0

Sports

Mario Fernandez of the Philippines connects with a straight to the face of Maung Nge of Myanmar. Fernandez stopped Maung in the ﬁrst round of their bantamweight preliminaries in the boxing competition of the 29th Southeast Asian Games at the MITEC Hall 8 in Kuala Lumpur.

Bautista, Fernandez lead local boxers to hot start K

UALA LUMPUR – Reigning champion Ian Clark Bautista survived a boisterous home crowd and a gritty Abdul Salam B. Kasim of Malaysia to score a unanimous decision victory and advance to the semiﬁnals of the ﬂyweight division of the 29th Southeast Asian Games Sunday at the MITEC Hall 8 here.

The 22-year old pride of Binalbagan, Negros Occidental had a strong start, pouncing hard on the head and body of the hometown bet to claim the win and be assured of at least a bronze medal. Also emerging victorious was Mario Fernandez, who stopped Maung Nge of Myanmar in the ﬁrst round of the bantamweight preliminaries.

Bautista said he went for the knockdown, knowing that he is competing in a hostile territory. But the Malaysian was simply tough. “Ninenerbyos po ako kapag nagsisigawan na ang mga tao. Pero mas natakot ako kasi baka maiba ang desisyon ng mga judges kaya pinilit kong pabagsakin sya. Kaya lang matibay talaga,” said Bautista

who fell short in the Aiba World Olympic Qualifier in Baku, Azerbaijan last year. National coaches Pat Gaspi and Elias Recaido were elated over Bautista’s victory, but remain cautious over the toughness of the field. “Medyo nanggigil sa second round kaya napapasukan sya,” Recaido said. “Plano talaga namin is tapusin na nung first round dahil baka makuhanan kami ng hometown (decision). Mabuti na lang at convincing naman ang panalo.” Meanwhile, the quest for gold in triathlon kicks off as reigning Southeast Asian Games champions Nikko Huelgas and Ma. Claire Adorna shift their campaign to a higher gear Monday at the Water Sports Complex in nearby Putrajaya City.

Huelgas and Adorna are heavily favored to deliver a pair of mints following remarkable performances in the World Cup, Asian Championships and Subic International competitions. And with Kim Mangrobang and John Chicano competing with them, coach Rick Reyes expect the national triathletes to come up with a 1-2 ﬁnish in the men’s and women’s divisions. “We don’t see anybody threatening us,” Reyes said. Reyes based his expectation on their previous performance in elite tournaments. Mangrobang placed 19th in the Tiszaujvaros ITU (International Triathlon Union) Triathlon World Cup in Hungary last June 22.

PH swimmers falter against world-class competition

GlobalPort turns back Kia Picanto challenge, 102-90 ALL’S well that ends well. Just weeks after a heated exchange with GlobalPort Batang Pier head coach Franz Pumaren star point guard Stanley Pringle led his team to a 102-90 victory over Kia Picanto in the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup Sunday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. Pringle orchestrated his team’s attack while import Murphy Holloway did a little of everything else to tow the Batang Pier to victory. Holloway ﬁnished with 29 points, 18 boards, three assists, and three blocks. He then put an exclamation point with a rim-rattling dunk to punctuate the Batang Pier win. Kia cut the GlobalPort lead to six points inside the last minute but couldn’t execute at crunch time to suf-

fer their seventh consecutive loss. “The three-week layoff was hard. We were sluggish in a way that we were rushing things. And it’s so hard playing Kia. The way they’re playing is stress-free,” said GlobalPort head coach Franz Pumaren. With the victory Globalport (2 wins, 2 losses) climbed into a tie at seventh place with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (2-2). Leading the standings are the unbeaten Star Hotshots (3-0). Trailing them are the Meralco Bolts (5-1), Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (31), the NLEX Road Warriors (5-2), the San Miguel Beermen (2-1) and the TNT KaTropa (2-1). The other teams include the Blackwater Elite (2-3), the Phoenix Petroleum Fuelmasters (2-4), the Alaska

Aces (0-4) and Kia (0-7). The Batang Pier thus climbed out of the bottom half of the standings. But the Picanto, who have yet to show a win in seven outings, are in danger of being the ﬁrst team to be eliminated in the season-ending conference. New Batang Pier forward Mac Baracael had an auspicious debut in a GlobalPort uniform following the threeteam trade among the Batang Pier, Phoenix and NLEX which saw Cyrus Baguio going to NLEX and Dylan Ababou going to Phoenix. Baracael chipped in 13 points and could give the Batang Pier the needed help going into the homestretch of the elimination round. Additionally the Batang Pier will also see the return of national team player Terrence Romeo.

GlobalPort Batang Pier point guard Stanley Pringle (3) protects the basketball against a pair of Kia Picanto defenders, from left: Mark Yee and LA Revilla. GlobalPort beat Kia, 102-90. PBA photo

Frayna rules female field in Brugse Meesters International Chess Tournament WOMEN’S grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna won the best Female title in the Brugse Meesters International Chess Tournament in Brugge Belgium. She was tied from 8th to 13th places with 150 participants from 17 different countries. Frayna ﬁnished by scoring 5 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss with a total of 6.5 points

out 9 rounds against all male opponents. In round 3, she drew against GM Vladimir Epishin, who is the former coach of Anataloy Karpov. Then, she lost to GM Atilla Czebe of Hungary in round 7 and drew her ﬁnal round against GM Alexandre Dgebuadze of Belgium in an overwhelming winning position.

“As of now, her live rating is 2300 after the ﬁve tournaments here in Europe, and before her European Campaign she had a rating of 2235. We do hope that the last event in Italy,will give her plus rating,” said coach Jayson Gonzales. Frayna plans to reach an ELO rating of 2400 before the end of the year. Gonzales added that this should be her

goal as well as getting an ofﬁcial International Master title. So far, she has already earned her three International Master Norms. “This will become history. The ﬁrst Filipina to do so,” Gonzales said. Gonzales believes that Frayna is on the right track and more so within the time table of her goals. Peter Atencio

TAIPEI—Filipino swimmers fell by the wayside one after the other in the face of worldclass opposition at the start of competitions in the 29th Summer Universiade at the National Taiwan Sport University Arena here. Roger Giron (50m butterfly), Drew Bennett Magbag (100m breaststroke), Alliah Saliendra (50m butterfly), Isabella Olivares (200m backstroke) and Ryan Anthony Dimayuga (100m backstroke) all caved in against the elite field and failed to advance. Dimayuga, who timed 1:10.68, was 2.01 seconds behind heat winner Daniil Latt from Estonia, while Olivares (2:30.11) was 3.48 behind top heat performer Erica Wing Sze Lau of Hong Kong. Salendra, on the other hand, was 6.5 seconds behind 50m butterfly winner Jannat Firdosse Bique of Mozambique with her 38.05. “The swimmers we are bringing here in the Universiade are PASA swimmers that went out of the association, hoping to experience this world-class event,” said Philippine Swimming League president Susan Papa, who lamented that some swimmers were not allowed by their mother schools to join the Taipei Universiade. Riera U. Mallari

New power plants add 237 MW B3

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017

Govt shutting down 50 dumpsites By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

he government will shut down more than 50 illegal dumpsites across the country before the end of 2017, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said over the weekend. “We target to close down more than 50 illegal dumpsites by December as a part of our intensiﬁed enforcement of Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000,” Cimatu said. Cimatu issued the statement

following the Environment Department’s decision to deny the request of the Quezon City government to reopen the Payatas sanitary landﬁll until December this year, citing serious environmental violations and susceptibility to trash slide.

He said a number of local government units were still maintaining open dumpsites, which are prohibited under RA 9003. Cimatu said aside from closing down the dumpsites, the DENR would also press charges against LGU executives who allowed the continued operation of open dumpsites in their localities. “RA 9003 gives prime importance to the roles of LGUs in managing solid wastes. They are primarily responsible for the law’s implementation, not the DENR,” Cimatu said.

“The DENR’s role is limited to monitoring the compliance of LGUs with the law,” he said. Cimatu said the DENR would shut down all open dumpsites that posed serious public health threats and adverse environmental impacts. He said the agency planned to close a total of 500 illegal dumpsites before the term of President Rodrigo Duterte ends in 2022. “All our decisions at the DENR are taken with focus on the protection of the environ-

ment and the welfare of the general public,” Cimatu said. RA 9003 mandates all agencies and LGUs to adopt a systematic, comprehensive and ecological solid waste management program to ensure the protection of public health and environment. It directs LGUs to utilize environmentally sound methods; set targets and guidelines for solid waste avoidance and reduction; and ensure proper segregation, collection, transport and storage of solid waste.

DPWH spending P160b to ease traffic By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Public Works Department said it is on track toward resolving the traffic woes in Metro Manila in three years as it is spending over P160 billion next year alone for traffic decongestion program. “We are on our way. This year, we are spending P160.8 billion for traffic decongestion. It’s a big investment of the government for infrastructure projects,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said. The agency’s traffic decongestion program involves the implementation of high standard highways/expressways; construction and widening of national roads and brides; construction of by-passes/diversion roads; and construction of flyovers, interchanges and underpasses. “Once these projects are completed, the landscape not only in Metro Manila but nationwide would be changed,” Villar said. A study by Japan International Cooperation Agency showed that traffic congestion was costing the economy P2.4 billion in terms of lost productivity a day. Without intervention, Jica estimated that traffic costs would increase to P6 billion a day. The Public Works Department also budgeted P18.8 billion for convergence and rural road development, P95.9 billion for integrated and seamless transport system and P104.4 billion for livable, sustainable and resilient communities. The agency has a budget of P643.25 billion in 2018, higher than this year’s P467.66 billon.

IN BRIEF Employers worried over pending bills THE Employers Confederation of the Philippines expressed concerns over certain provisions of 25 measures pending at the House of Representatives that tackle the issues of contractualization and security of tenure. Ecop’s technical working committee recently met to ﬁrm up the association’s position over “questionable or objectionable prescriptions” in some of these House bills pending deliberation before the House committee on labor and employment. Ecop said it was currently drafting an “employer’s version” of the bill on contractualization and security of tenure to be submitted to the committee upon the request of committee chair Randolph Ting. The organization listed at least 10 provisions contained in these bills that it claimed contradicted “fundamental legal principles governing these two issues.” Among these bills is House Bill No. 55 prohibiting the principal from engaging subcontracted employees in excess of 20 percent of the principal’s total workforce. The group objected to the bill as constituting “undue interference in management prerogative and best business judgment to contract or outsource jobs based on its constitutional right and freedom to contract.” Othel V. Campos

NGCP plays big role in WESM Mindanao

PRICE OF SOLAR. Solar Philippines assembles a team of Filipinos experienced in solar manufacturing at world-class standards, after a US

solar company shut down its two factories in the Philippines last year. Solar Philippines, a company led by president Leandro Leviste, recently submitted a bid to supply 85 megawatts to Manila Electric Co. for P3.50 per kilowatt-hour. “It should be the lowest true cost of generation in Philippine history,” said Leviste.

Balance of payments deficit widens to $1.38b By Julito G. Rada THE country’s balance of payments registered a deficit of $678 million in July, the largest in three months, as foreign fund outflows continued to exceed inflows. Data from the Central Bank showed that the July deficit was also a reversal of the $215-million surplus booked a year ago. This brought the balance of payments position in the first seven months to a deficit of $1.384 billion, a turnaround from the $848-million surplus in the same period last year. “The higher deficit was attributed to foreign exchange operations of the BSP and to payments

made by the national government for its maturing foreign exchange obligations during the review month,” Bangko Sentral said in a statement. Outﬂows for the month, however, were partially tempered by net foreign currency deposits of the national government and Bangko Sentral’s income from investments abroad. “BSP’s foreign exchange operations remained driven by increasing market demand for FX largely to ﬁnance capital goods imports,” it said. Bangko Sentral said it was expecting that the recovery of merchandise exports and higher-than-expected overseas re-

mittances and business process outsourcing revenues would mitigate the current account and the overall balance of payments deficits this year. Bangko Sentral expects the balance of payments to post a $500-million shortfall this year, a revision of the previous estimate of a $1-billion surplus. BoP summarizes the country’s economic transactions with the rest of the world, with a deficit indicating that foreign exchange payments exceed inflows. A BoP deficit affects the value of the peso against the US dollar and eats into the country’s gross international reserves. Bangko Sentral Governor

Nestor Espenilla Jr. said the shortfall in current account― one of the main components of the balance of payments―was expected to “persist” due to increasing imports amid the expanding economy. “The recent reversal of the current account to deﬁcit is attributed to higher imports of capital goods as well as raw materials and intermediate goods and consumer products. This broadbased import mix reﬂects sustained expansion in the domestic economy,” Espenilla said. “This trend is expected to persist as investment growth accelerates in line with the expansion of the economy,” he said.

Nomura sees 6.9% growth in H2 JAPANESE financial holdings firm Nomura kept its 2017 growth forecast for the Philippines at 6.7 percent, saying economic expansion is expected to accelerate in the second half from the 6.4-percent growth in the first semester. Nomura said in a report over the weekend the gross domestic product growth would likely reach 6.9 percent in July to December, faster than the 6.4-percent in expansion in January to June. “We reiterate our 2017 GDP growth forecast of 6.7 percent, implying a pickup in growth to 6.9 percent in the second half from 6.4 percent in the first half. We continue to expect government spending to accelerate given the administration’s strong push to implement public sector infrastructure projects and avoid past problems of underspending,” Nomura said. “More progress on infrastructure projects should continue to crowd in private investment. Buoyant sentiment, resilient remittances, low inflation and falling unemployment should also support a further pickup in household consumption,” it said. Second-quarter growth slightly picked

up to 6.5 percent from 6.4 percent in the first quarter, on the sustained strength of the industry sector and marked recovery of the agriculture sector. This brought the first semester GDP growth to 6.45 percent, near the lower end of the Duterte administration’s target range of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent this year. Nomura said on quarter-on-quarter seasonally adjusted basis, the economy experienced a more significant pickup in momentum, accelerating to 1.7 percent in the second quarter from 1.3 percent in the first quarter. “This validates our view that the slowdown in the first quarter was unsustainable... In particular, private consumption growth edged higher to 5.9 percent y-o-y from 5.8 percent, driven by spending on food and utilities, while non-discretionary durables, particularly transport, also grew faster, “ it said. “Government spending picked up more sharply, reflecting a reversal of unfavorable base effects from the previous quarter owing to last year’s elections, as we expected, but also the administration’s efforts to improve disbursements,” it said. Julito G. Rada

MARAWI SCHOOL REPAIR. GMA Kapuso Foundation Inc., the socio-civic arm of GMA Network, is teaming up with the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry Inc. to rehabilitate schools in war-torn Marawi City. FFCCCII committed to donate 10 classrooms in support of GMAKF’s Rebuild Marawi Project. Shown are GMA Network Inc. chairman and chief executive Felipe Gozon (right) and FFCCCII president Domingo Yap.

NATIONAL Grid Corporation of the Philippines paved the way for the successful launching of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market in Mindanao― a milestone for the Mindanao grid. The Mindanao grid suffered rotating blackouts in recent years due to generation deficiency. However, the entry of large generators significantly increased supply, now creating a surplus and prompting the extension of WESM operations to Mindanao. With NGCP’s support, WESM Mindanao was officially launched in June. “From its inception to its launch, we are very proud to be a part of this major development in Mindanao power operations. In line with our mandate to provide the best transmission services, we are always eager to support initiatives which will improve the grid’s power situation,” NGCP said. NGCP’s biggest and most crucial contribution is the development of the Interim Mindanao Dispatch Protocol. This was implemented during the transitory period in preparation for the start of WESM’s commercial operations in Mindanao.

PSALM to repair 982-MW hydro plant By Alena Mae S. Flores STATE-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. expects to start the rehabilitation of the 982-megawatt Agus-Pulangi hydroelectric power plants in Mindanao next year. PSALM officer-in-charge Lourdes Alzona said the government was looking at rehabilitating the facility, before its privatization to generate more investor interest and higher value for the project. “There’s the oversupply, and then the condition of the plant. To improve the value, rehabilitate first. What is being looked at now is what type of rehab and when will it be completed,” Alzona said. The official said PSALM was identifying several options for the repair. “Because there is oversupply [in Mindanao], let’s take advantage… until next year. We should rehab. We hope to start [next year]. It will take time not only months, depending on what is being rehabilitated. We cannot do it [all units] simultaneously,” Alzona said. PSALM manages the assets and liabilities of National Power Corp. as mandated by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001.

Business

MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market likely to move sideways By Jenniffer B. Austria

TOCKS are expected to trade sideways this week, as the market enters the ‘ghost month’ in China’s trading and as investors wait for the next catalyst that could push prices upward. There will be no trading on Aug. 21, a non-working holiday which is celebrated in honor of the late senator Benigno Aquino. Online brokerage ﬁrm 2TradeAsia.com said the market could trade on thin volume, with the start of the Chinese ghost month which would end Sept. 19. The depreciation of the peso against the

dollar could also force investors to look for alternative assets such as precious and base metals and select commodities given the near-term view of higher raw material prices, analysts said. “Steer clear of stocks that have no adequate forex hedge. Aim for those with incremental earnings per share on dollarbased receipts,” 2TradeAsia.com said. The 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange index gained 1.1 percent over last week’s ﬁve-day market trading to close at P8,016.73 on Aug. 18, while the all-share index also rose 1.1 percent to 4,734.84, on the back of strong second-quarter growth. The government last week reported that the gross domestic product expanded 6.5 percent year-on-year in April to June, slightly higher than analysts’ expectation of 6.4-percent growth.

All major sub-indices ended in the green, led by industrial which climbed 2.5 percent, mining and oil which advanced 2.1 percent and property which rose 1.6 percent. Foreign investors were net buyers by P915 million, while average daily turnover rose to P6.8 billion from the previous week’s average of P6.2 billion. Top gainers last week were PXP Energy Corp. which jumped 20.3 percent to P3.90, Bloomberry Resorts Corp. which climbed 9.2 percent to P9.83 and Jollibee Foods Corp. which went up 8.7 percent to P235. Heavy losers included Robinsons Land Corp. which declined 6.5 percent to P22.85, Philippine National Bank which dipped 3.1 percent to P61 and ABS-CBN Corp. which went down 2.4 percent to P41.75.

NLEX to expand Subic Expressway By Darwin G. Amojelar NLEX Corp. is spending over P2 billion to expand the Subic Freeport Expressway to accommodate growing vehicle trafﬁc, a top executive said over the weekend. NLEX president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco said SFEx or the Tipo section of the SubicClark-Tarlac Expressway to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority would be expanded from 1x1 lane to 2x2 lanes in each direction. “We are spending over P2 billion

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS WEEKLY STOCKS REVIEW STOCKS

AUGUST 14-18, 2017 Close Volume

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. First Abacus I-Remit Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp. PB Bank Phil Bank of Comm Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank Philippine trust Co. PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

4.55 59.5 130.20 105.00 35.2 3.96 1.30 15.96 32.5 8.10 0.68 1.65 915.00 0.690 87.8 0.96 13.2 25.50 61.00 88.2 112 239 53 256 1800.00 86.40 1.38

1,289,000 278,120 8,202,440 2,379,550 513,000 31,000 678,000 40,700 5,235,700 300 30,000 13,000 560 4,674,000 16,321,650 8,651,000 160,400 85,800 360,150 830 610 3,040 1,799,390 4,684,860 5,275 1,484,300 601,000

Aboitiz Power Corp. Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons. Asiabest Group Basic Energy Corp. Bogo Medelin C. Azuc De Tarlac Cemex Holdings Century Food Chemphil Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Concepcion Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Eagle Cement Emperador Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) EEI Euro-Med Lab First Gen Corp. First Holdings ‘A’ Ginebra San Miguel Inc. Holcim Philippines Inc. Integ. Micro-Electronics Ionics Inc Jollibee Foods Corp. Liberty Flour LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl Macay Holdings Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide Mla. Elect. Co À’ MG Holdings Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. Petron Corporation Petroenergy Res. Corp. Phil H2O Pilipinas Shell Phinma Corporation Phinma Energy Phoenix Petroleum Phils. Pryce Corp. À’ RFM Corporation Roxas and Co. Roxas Holdings San Miguel ‘Pure Foods À’ SFA Semicon Shakeys Pizza SPC Power Corp. Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp. Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp. Vivant Corp. Vulcan Ind’l.

39.5 9.16 0.82 1.37 24 0.244 159 26.80 5.68 16.8 180 70 32.5 64 1.97 5.42 11.24 10.000 15.1 7.24 6.90 13.30 1.75 17.1 67.1 14.50 12.56 13.2 1.840 235.20 63.45 3.6 3.53 23.00 31.6 18.6 17.96 277.40 0.250 10.68 2.9 9.53 7.32 8.02 65.4 10.02 1.80 12.00 7.06 4.28 2 4.25 312 2.54 12.56 4.58 0.146 1.28 150 3.82 2.07 32.80 1.00

4,214,700 7,816,400 3,155,000 3,091,000 261,400 10,860,000 8,680 879,900 13,743,800 3,437,300 280 1,720 2,928,400 1,658,420 400,000 762,400 345,800 34,694,200 4,792,800 2,264,600 94,949,900 6,096,400 45,000 9,368,200 127,250 148,200 328,200 12,042,800 2,752,000 6,472,760 2,000 190,000 173,000 23,400 6,668,500 2,213,100 13,727,500 1,293,330 201,910,000 676,400 28,011,000 6,440,600 3,691,700 399,300 583,950 242,600 2,782,000 7,529,900 919,900 11,217,000 62,000 300,225,290 56,650 5,628,000 2,815,600 594,000 2,170,000 538,000 8,310,540 8,000 102,785,000 8,800 2,010,000

Abacus Cons. À’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anglo Holdings A Anscor À’ ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp À’ BHI Holdings Inc. Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings F&J Prince ‘A’ Filinvest Dev. Corp. Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Jolliville Holdings Keppel Holdings À’ Lopez Holdings Corp. Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. LT Group Mabuhay Holdings À’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. Pacifica À’ Prime Media Hldg Prime Orion San Miguel Corp À’ Seafront À’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. South China Res. Inc. Transgrid Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.365 73.20 13.60 1.15 7.02 0.310 0.320 900 1011.00 7.61 15.60 6.39 7.75 0.203 1145 7.93 69.50 5 5.42 7 0.91 17.34 0.420 6.7 0.0440 0.940 2.070 99.35 2.78 828.00 1.59 0.87 19.01 302.600 0.2900 0.2010 0.233

16,690,000 2,434,570 22,248,300 227,000 158,000 3,930,000 949,000 1,280,030 15 6,467,600 36,472,400 9,200 25,700 1,580,000 550,060 47,200 4,552,920 73,000 300 8,454,700 4,705,000 11,770,600 390,000 72,203,800 136,000,000 2,000 1,716,000 413,620 87,000 1,149,900 3,662,000 18,000 10 44,000 2,680,000 4,560,000 12,590,000

8990 HLDG Anchor Land Holdings Inc. A. Brown Co., Inc. Araneta Prop À’ Arthaland Corp. Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. À’ Cebu Holdings CEB Landmasters Cebu Prop. À’ Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. À’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp. Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport À’

5.370 6.78 1.28 2.260 0.920 42.950 3.55 5.32 5.02 5.97 0.520 1.34 1.530 0.255 0.495 43.8 0.700 0.160 1.64 1.86 0.97

1,117,800 8,300 25,717,000 611,000 20,590,000 31,251,900 12,675,000 51,800 26,277,200 100 126,422,000 15,201,000 3,123,000 689,440,000 9,283,000 1,589,100 4,340,000 10,220,000 91,803,000 112,624,000 722,000

Value FINANCIAL 5,541,190.00 16,543,501.00 1,204,113,860.00 250,307,868.00 18,139,620.00 122,160.00 885,430.00 654,616.00 169,468,535.00 2,430.00 19,980.00 22,500.00 514,550.00 3,207,720.00 1,416,280,656.50 7,994,230.00 2,117,214.00 2,180,305.00 22,094,244.50 74,454.50 69,205.00 731,442.00 91,180,062.00 1,210,377,106.00 9,181,415.00 128,087,179.00 824,840.00 INDUSTRIAL 165,581,845.00 70,878,078.00 2,575,010.00 4,376,680.00 6,511,590.00 2,585,420.00 1,264,704.00 19,649,668.00 78,382,634.00 57,503,196.00 50,856.00 120,824.00 92,268,220.00 106,137,848.00 779,530.00 4,116,228.00 3,897,388.00 352,592,595.00 72,175,560.00 16,463,493.00 653,910,890.00 79,663,936.00 78,320.00 160,745,534.00 8,592,670.00 2,090,710.00 4,155,108.00 157,534,428.00 4,908,210.00 1,492,739,402.00 126,890.00 666,840.00 585,580.00 531,610.00 210,596,955.00 40,269,972.00 251,570,332.00 359,072,382.00 55,611,990.00 7,639,318.00 83,159,450.00 61,831,195.00 27,357,144.00 2,928,012.00 38,088,636.50 2,438,354.00 4,961,120.00 90,542,916.00 6,414,613.00 48,108,690.00 124,060.00 954,500.00 17,527,218.00 13,958,100.00 35,214,578.00 2,722,760.00 315,380.00 655,530.00 1,220,766,521.00 30,610.00 207,403,780.00 276,845.00 2,014,450.00 HOLDING FIRMS 5,936,500.00 179,328,429.00 303,216,400.00 247,700.00 1,106,120.00 1,202,000.00 346,850.00 1,151,133,745.00 15,165.00 48,397,895.00 574,864,684.00 55,028.00 197,111.00 311,930.00 692,421,630.00 364,138.00 323,005,326.50 371,522.00 1,624.00 58,225,954.00 4,265,090.00 207,611,920.00 165,000.00 478,996,147.00 6,130,600.00 1,880.00 3,595,690.00 41,360,193.00 229,210.00 954,365,005.00 5,817,720.00 15,660.00 1,901.00 13,272,478.00 751,100.00 922,450.00 2,827,270.00 PROPERTY 6,004,339.00 56,274.00 33,689,890.00 1,344,410.00 18,927,830.00 1,330,332,525.00 45,383,280.00 274,169.00 132,621,846.00 597.00 64,744,915.00 20,318,460.00 4,783,800.00 162,279,920.00 4,617,215.00 71,384,410.00 3,021,120.00 1,543,470.00 153,685,290.00 209,528,650.00 704,010.00

AUGUST 7-11, 2017 Close Volume Value 4.13 59.7 129.30 104.90 35.5 3.94 1.30 16.1 31.3

96,000 163,490 14,310,280 2,404,660 889,600 82,000 672,800 58,600 6,386,200

390,610.00 9,757,976.50 1,860,646,341.00 252,977,811.00 31,991,035.00 323,810.00 9,603,835.00 941,656.00 200,723,230.00

0.65 1.7 900.00 0.680 85.5 0.84 13.2 24.35 63.00 91 110 240 50 252 1650.00 86.50 1.31

1,225,000 62,000 720 9,788,000 16,666,950 3,618,000 49,400 5,900 261,320 300 1,870 22,600 1,338,120 4,443,520 605 912,720 455,000

800,060.00 106,240.00 657,455.00 6,748,230.00 729,245,444.50 3,066,100.00 652,458.00 145,330.00 16,794,183.50 27,200.00 205,910.00 5,443,608.00 68,968,974.50 1,091,435,758.00 1,026,825.00 78,847,373.00 605,570.00

39.5 8.8 0.82 1.36 26 0.229 156 17.00 5.71 16.38

8,146,900 9,674,700 15,041,000 1,667,000 421,400 32,770,000 440 639,100 12,931,800 16,673,900

320,650,595.00 87,294,120.00 12,401,860.00 2,270,020.00 11,629,695.00 7,964,520.00 77,433.00 11,236,646.00 74,720,698.00 277,825,876.00

72 31.35 65 1.96 5.5 11.3 10.260 15 7.09 6.82 12.30 1.77 17.46 67.95 14.88 12.88 11.88 1.730 216.40 63.50 3.7 3.3 23.00 31.35 18 18.02 277.00 0.228 10.86 3.08 9.59 7.24 7.69 65 10.22 1.76 12.00 7.1 4.40 2.01 4.2 315 2.46 12.66 4.5 0.147 1.13 143 3.83 2.04 26.55 1.01

2,280 4,233,600 1,139,410 3,498,000 2,004,500 534,800 70,205,900 6,404,000 8,614,300 135,632,500 10,822,100 17,000 6,055,900 248,570 113,100 303,600 20,893,900 6,643,000 3,567,610 1,870 332,000 418,000 45,700 3,686,700 3,833,800 17,153,400 1,117,490 11,510,000 1,589,900 2,560,000 30,714,600 1,628,600 2,003,400 1,314,410 33,400 5,068,000 11,650,400 1,439,200 9,807,000 6,000 119,000 282,970 10,766,000 6,578,200 1,002,000 5,270,000 1,300,000 13,537,090 45,000 143,662,000 1,100 754,000

160,925.00 129,905,440.00 75,568,174.00 6,933,420.00 10,851,567.00 6,071,584.00 755,669,728.00 96,101,054.00 61,158,836.00 933,216,301.00 143,087,140.00 28,850.00 108,038,626.00 16,994,004.00 1,674,768.00 3,963,122.00 262,562,800.00 11,748,860.00 774,960,668.00 111,150.00 1,254,950.00 1,405,370.00 1,027,030.00 115,257,120.00 72,342,830.00 308,997,290.00 310,543,890.00 2,705,040.00 20,349,806.00 7,967,680.00 300,064,430.00 11,739,031.00 16,461,494.00 85,739,011.50 338,290.00 9,245,370.00 141,387,754.00 10,238,181.00 43,002,430.00 12,230.00 517,650.00 87,940,806.00 27,977,550.00 82,456,280.00 4,670,940.00 754,590.00 1,581,460.00 1,965,858,167.00 174,200.00 333,243,380.00 29,215.00 763,370.00

0.360 73.00 13.52 1.16 6.90 0.305 0.310 882 1011.00 7.4 15.68 5.95 7.80 0.200 1145 7.53 69.50 5.5 5.41 6.7 0.94 17.5 0.430 6.59 0.0420 0.930 2.090 101.60 2.63 829.50 1.63 0.87

41,660,000 2,473,670 20,459,200 237,000 183,600 5,040,000 1,270,000 1,108,200 15 7,418,500 21,819,900 31,700 22,400 1,660,000 387,905 181,000 5,837,380 108,200 7,600 7,299,600 8,479,000 10,270,800 1,990,000 63,071,200 117,700,000 339,000 5,668,000 384,420 111,000 1,290,120 6,431,000 37,000

15,443,400.00 182,847,023.50 283,824,974.00 266,530.00 1,273,975.00 1,577,700.00 399,550.00 979,427,790.00 15,165.00 55,406,790.00 342,076,200.00 190,445.00 173,018.00 342,920.00 459,637,175.00 1,407,396.00 419,013,518.50 633,586.00 41,605.00 51,323,831.00 8,167,270.00 182,552,424.00 881,650.00 420,998,070.00 5,171,500.00 323,210.00 11,665,620.00 38,775,066.50 291,430.00 1,059,347,295.00 10,724,010.00 32,190.00

303.600 0.2850 0.1950 0.225

20,410 1,810,000 8,920,000 3,120,000

6,203,688.00 516,350.00 1,871,480.00 710,820.00

5.410 6.78 1.31 2.300 0.920 41.950 3.59 5.32 4.9

1,409,000 3,700 89,616,000 190,500 24,904,000 33,250,100 10,401,000 192,200 28,594,000

7,725,568.00 25,014.00 128,796,280.00 1,458,420.00 24,093,860.00 1,415,093,870.00 37,859,760.00 1,020,369.00 138,886,310.00

0.500 1.25 1.500 0.198 0.500 44.65 0.700 0.150 1.61 1.75 0.97

152,553,000 2,188,000 787,000 300,520,000 10,112,000 937,500 10,606,000 8,700,000 98,214,000 32,509,000 3,011,000

77,260,390.00 2,673,820.00 1,188,800.00 63,058,100.00 5,098,840.00 42,865,010.00 7,429,000.00 1,332,360.00 159,821,580.00 59,758,880.00 2,906,650.00

STOCKS

AUGUST 14-18, 2017 Close Volume

AUGUST 7-11, 2017 Close Volume Value

Value

Megaworld 245,865,433,174.00 MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp. Phil. Realty `A’ Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry Primex Corp. Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Starmalls Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

4.92

213,875,500

0.275 0.5300 0.530 28.65 4.7 22.85 1.78 3.19 34.45 0.99 7.5 0.890 6.000

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Apollo Global Asian Terminals Inc. Berjaya Phils. Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ. Chelsea Discovery World DFNN Inc. FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Golden Haven Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. À’ IPeople Inc. À’ IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp. Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail NOW Corp. Pacific Online Sys. Corp. PAL Holdings Inc. Paxys Inc. Phil. Seven Corp. Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp. SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils. Wilcon Depot

20.8 41.75 1.66 0.620 0.040 11.2 5.1 9.83 0.0760 102.5 9.41 10.26 2.253 8.80 975 2048 6.15 15.90 14.50 2.44 105 3.06 12.16 8.65 0.177 1.3700 3.01 15.5 4.32 1.56 10.94 21.00 0.560 2.35 8.6 4.23 2.320 11.2 5.10 2.86 176.90 9.49 1732.00 0.400 1.600 48.00 88.90 6.00 4.22 1.400 1.95 3.46 1.240 8.900

Abra Mining Apex À’ Atlas Cons. À’ Benguet Corp À’ Benguet Corp `B’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto À’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining À’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. À’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Philex À’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. À’ Phinma Petro Semirara Corp. United Paragon

0.0028 1.66 4.90 1.8800 1.8000 1.21 0.385 8.36 2.490 0.270 0.180 0.190 0.011 1.88 6.08 1.88 0.5500 1.0900 0.0110 0.0120 8.42 3.90 0.0120 2.5200 170.00 0.0080

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ Alco Preferred B DD PREF First Gen F First Gen G FPH Pref C GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I Swift Pref

41.2 524 525 105.4 105.5 112.1 112 517 516.5 5.84 1015 1020 1.04 108 1060 1120 1015 104.5 77 81 77 79 81.9 79.9 79.5 80.3 2.39

LR Warrant

2.400

Makati Fin. Corp. Italpinas Philab Holdings Xurpas

3.03 3.82 5.2 6.02

153,890,000 129,296,300.00 76,495,000 40,354,200.00 33,633,000 16,934,670.00 300 8,595.00 8,912,000 42,937,150.00 6,894,900 163,988,850.00 997,000 1,775,450.00 169,000,660,780 391,180.00 19,663,900 680,692,650.00 3,092,000 3,092,290.00 7,300 54,750.00 587,000 505,420.00 42,862,300 255,214,935.00 SERVICES 316,200 6,566,010.00 126,500 5,314,990.00 1,004,000 1,640,820.00 51,088,000 30,249,520.00 153,600,000 6,085,000.00 1,900 20,306.00 32,600 167,728.00 90,614,600 891,368,905.00 79,120,000 5,841,730.00 2,738,180 277,072,928.00 200 1,882.00 34,084,700 342,888,181.00 22,670 35,700.00 1,759,800 15,665,802.00 430 417,450.00 97,255 198,840,230.00 1,544,900 9,519,352.00 261,500 4,163,454.00 1,100 17,780.00 5,015,000 12,115,320.00 5,339,970 556,301,268.00 248,000 764,630.00 2,000 24,480.00 1,579,200 13,717,680.00 31,940,000 5,476,120.00 369,000 495,180.00 322,000 971,500.00 24,800 380,078.00 4,530,000 18,988,680.00 48,754,000 74,935,440.00 4,847,200 52,978,362.00 80,300 1,667,044.00 158,000 88,620.00 1,671,000 3,942,960.00 24,087,300 211,455,493.00 14,770,000 60,911,320.00 6,302,000 14,905,960.00 18,000 202,230.00 26,300 134,203.00 52,000 148,750.00 89,710 15,718,704.00 4,086,200 38,705,522.00 440,970 771,009,720.00 1,450,000 579,750.00 26,424,000 41,840,350.00 13,687,000 649,138,370.00 2,396,410 208,573,483.50 1,869,900 10,824,956.00 18,883,000 78,688,610.00 136,184,000 177,784,670.00 58,000 105,660.00 2,886,000 9,823,870.00 69,733,000 85,427,280.00 47,226,400 406,136,140.00 MINING & OIL 873,000,000 2,445,000.00 35,986,000 58,194,400.00 700,700 3,444,443.00 1,704,000 3,150,030.00 83,000 131,350.00 17,293,000 20,938,000.00 3,100,000 1,190,150.00 3,300 27,719.00 15,874,000 39,222,360.00 4,320,000 1,190,700.00 12,660,000 2,277,730.00 19,600,000 4,043,910.00 15,240,000 166,700.00 1,859,000 3,418,360.00 29,018,000 170,040,985.00 68,000 125,210.00 3,102,000 1,697,190.00 4,607,000 4,947,830.00 368,800,000 4,015,200.00 74,800,000 870,600.00 4,302,400 21,386,427.00 39,021,000 143,040,980.00 142,300,000 1,689,800.00 132,000 329,850.00 3,140,770 537,942,174.00 15,100,000 128,000.00 PREFERRED 866,200 36,006,680.00 860 450,645.00 5,200 2,708,700.00 18,500 1,958,000.00 173,560 18,411,253.00 650 70,117.00 10,810 1,210,720.00 220 113,740.00 1,320 681,775.00 5,041,400 29,712,119.00 125,510 126,765,150.00 8,015 8,143,295.00 37,000 39,060.00 1,270 136,160.00 740 779,000.00 4,990 5,588,800.00 2,740 2,784,490.00 4,700 491,150.00 15,600 1,201,160.00 165,070 13,283,101.50 1,500 116,100.00 54,050 4,273,650.00 68,300 5,576,290.00 50,040 3,998,196.00 395,720 31,428,035.00 142,650 11,326,874.00 33,000 74,360.00 WARRANTS & BONDS 2,314,000 5,413,880.00 SME 4,000 12,120.00 561,000 2,134,910.00 5,160,300 25,810,271.00 18,231,000 104,326,136.00 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 99,720 12,050,665.00 DOLLAR DENONIMATED SEC. 9,400 98,916.00

First Metro ETF

121.1

USD DMPL A1

10.58

1,053,144,583.00

4.78

2 0 3 , 8 0 6 , 0 0 0

0.300 0.4650 0.475 28.65 4.6 24.45 1.78 3.23 33.85 1 7.3 0.870 5.770

494,010,000 110,099,000 37,732,000 2,100 4,272,000 5,613,400 540,000 184,000 25,018,900 5,325,000 10,700 2,018,000 23,900,800

149,156,150.00 58,863,760.00 19,110,835.00 62,465.00 19,992,950.00 137,259,585.00 966,350.00 587,960.00 855,148,770.00 5,337,970.00 78,810.00 1,749,650.00 139,473,543.00

20.9 42.8 1.68 0.570 0.040 11.3 5.25 9.00 0.0720 101 9.4 9.58 2.22 9.50 970 2022 6.14 15.88 16.00 2.25 104.6 3.15 12.56 8.69 0.165 1.3600 2.9 15.6 4.14 1.20 11.00 18.00 0.560 2.35 8.65 3.95 2.240 11.38 5.16

1,802,000 198,200 2,804,000 215,603,000 175,600,000 2,900 124,100 40,730,200 70,950,000 1,840,350 17,300 216,210,900 6,000 2,972,900 2,610 99,460 995,800 200,900 2,400 12,889,000 7,646,510 159,000 7,200 1,543,200 30,450,000 756,000 432,000 47,400 5,847,000 38,027,000 9,994,100 4,600 515,000 69,000 12,191,400 21,836,000 6,621,000 35,100 54,700

39,972,000.00 8,635,635.00 4,779,950.00 147,442,820.00 7,160,700.00 32,294.00 657,643.00 371,678,492.00 5,139,950.00 187,457,603.00 164,730.00 2,287,237,046.00 13,320.00 30,756,355.00 2,531,700.00 202,884,950.00 6,145,447.00 3,168,944.00 38,228.00 30,110,530.00 796,839,880.00 500,890.00 87,952.00 13,318,925.00 4,978,960.00 1,023,910.00 1,280,880.00 732,774.00 24,232,140.00 54,555,810.00 110,489,964.00 76,140.00 297,360.00 163,230.00 106,900,329.00 86,679,110.00 15,356,710.00 399,696.00 280,693.00

175.00 9.60 1740.00 0.400 1.590 47.10 84.40 5.89 4.10 1.380 1.95 3.4 1.200 8.080

901,400 3,974,400 545,850 9,660,000 19,087,000 8,487,400 5,015,360 965,200 28,095,000 104,763,000 25,000 1,614,000 135,344,000 22,560,000

153,468,744.00 38,007,421.00 918,530,945.00 3,902,200.00 30,355,260.00 398,807,565.00 434,476,931.50 5,617,347.00 126,247,890.00 142,295,910.00 46,250.00 5,472,130.00 172,037,090.00 186,601,235.00

0.0028 1.66 4.90 1.8100 1.8200 1.2 0.380 8.36 2.460 0.290 0.180 0.190 0.011 1.84 5.75 1.88 0.5200 1.0400 0.0100 0.0100 8.49 3.24 0.0120 2.4700 165.80 0.0080

1,897,000,000 27,804,000 2,502,900 40,000 22,000 36,461,000 4,440,000 64,800 54,418,000 16,390,000 19,637,000 1,980,000 383,600,000 997,000 26,198,800 312,000 2,557,000 1,455,000 109,600,000 11,100,000 3,467,300 19,784,000 90,300,000 89,000 3,365,630 45,000,000

5,340,700.00 45,192,580.00 12,740,094.00 73,050.00 40,400.00 45,137,560.00 1,685,700.00 544,146.00 140,620,080.00 4,750,150.00 3,952,730.00 379,690.00 3,952,200.00 1,835,850.00 157,655,496.00 590,010.00 1,341,360.00 1,486,440.00 1,108,500.00 112,000.00 30,111,504.00 69,284,630.00 1,081,600.00 221,740.00 560,590,081.00 361,000.00

42.5 516.5 520 106 106 107 112

435,700 5,310 10,240 206,820 37,780 20,140 105,160

18,808,905.00 2,740,970.00 5,276,800.00 21,932,035.00 4,151,368.00 2,155,030.00 11,679,824.00

518 5.9 1010 1010 1.06 105 1065 1120 1015 104.5 77 81 77 79 81.5 79.5 79.5 80.3 1.96

13,150 1,162,700 1,670 8,460 123,000 860 8,160 1,960 8,359 9,110 53,270 126,550 1,500 30,450 3,400 189,960 356,340 313,420 81,000

6,779,520.00 6,867,790.00 1,691,700.00 8,614,700.00 130,360.00 91,170.00 8,493,425.00 2,195,200.00 11,036,805.00 953,926.00 4,100,033.00 10,259,770.00 115,532.50 2,424,595.00 277,106.00 15,023,273.00 28,212,510.00 25,081,905.00 176,370.00

2.300

1,992,300

5,055,780.00

3.03 3.7 5 5.65

13,000 2,363,000 754,500 37,697,300

40,800.00 8,615,450.00 3,769,698.00 224,499,698.00

119.7

101,230

12,108,562.00

10.6

7,000

73,900.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Shang Properties Inc. Abra Mining Crown Equities Inc. Oriental Pet. `A’ Roxas Holdings Megaworld MG Holdings MRC Allied Ind. Apollo Global Philodrill Corp. `A’

VOLUME 169,000,660,780 873,000,000 689,440,000 368,800,000 300,225,290 213,875,500 201,910,000 153,890,000 153,600,000 142,300,000

STOCKS Jollibee Foods Corp. Metrobank Ayala Land `B’ Universal Robina Security Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Ayala Corp `A’ Megaworld SM Investments Inc. Bloomberry

VALUE 1,492,739,402.00 1,416,280,656.50 1,330,332,525.00 1,220,766,521.00 1,210,377,106.00 1,204,113,860.00 1,151,133,745.00 1,053,144,583.00 954,365,005.00 891,368,905.00

for the project but we are still calibrating that,” Franco said. Franco said the investment proposal would be submitted to the Toll Regulatory Board by October, while construction was expected to start next year. SFEx, which was constructed in time for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Subic in 1996, is now a part of SCTEx. NLEX holds the concession to manage, operate and maintain SCTEx, a 93.77-km four-lane highway, traversing the provinces of Bataan, Pampanga and Tarlac. The company reported a net income of P2.3 billion in January to June, up 17 percent from last year’s P2 billion on higher toll revenues at North Luzon Expressway and SCTEx and efficient utilization of resources covering toll operations and maintenance costs. NLEX said toll revenues increased 8 percent in the six-month period to P5.7 billion from P5.2 billion a year ago, led by the increase in traffic from both NLEx and SCTEx operations. Average daily traffic along NLEx reached 233,652 daily entries in the first half, or 7 percent higher than the same period last year, while average daily traffic at SCTEx reached 54,991 daily entries, up by 24 percent from a year earlier.

DOST taps Air21 for online deliveries THE Department of Science and Technology tapped local logistics provider Air21 for the door-to-door delivery of products of Filipino micro, small and medium scale enterprises which are showcased on the agency’s onestore.ph online and mobile shopping store. Sancho Mabborang, the Science Department’s regional director for Cagayan Valley and national program manager of the department’s onestore.ph project, said Air21 agreed to provide “socialized rates” to MSMEs for their raw materials and their deliveries to distributors and retailers in Metro Manila and other regions. “This partnership with Air21 will greatly address the challenges faced by our MSMEs in the countryside of transporting their products and also their raw materials,” Mabborang said. He said the partnership would help the DOST, in partnership with the Filipino Inventors Society Producers Cooperative, in opening more Onestore Inventrepreneur hubs in all regions across the country. Mabborang and FISPC president Francisco Pagayon met with top officials of Air21, led by vice president for operations and analytics Gloria Trinidad-Estabaya to formalize the partnership. Estabaya said the partnership was in line with the company’s move to increase its provincial operations. Estabaya said Air21 had four six-wheeler trucks going out from its Pampanga hub for distribution to northern and southern Luzon, all filled with cargo outbound, but were mostly empty when they returned inbound to the distribution hubs. Estabaya said the company aimed to fill up these inbound trucks with cargo, hopefully with the goods of MSMEs in the provinces, under the collaboration with DOST.

Business

MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

ADB offers $3.8-b loans By Julito G. Rada THE Philippine government can tap around $3.8 billion in loans and another $21.8 million in the form of non-lending programs from the Asian Development Bank to help fund its accelerated spending for infrastructure and social services, the Finance Department said over the weekend. A report by the DOF’s International Finance Group said the proposed lending pipeline under the ADB’s Country Operations Business Plan for the Philippines would focus on three priority areas. It said $1.8 billion or 47.4 percent of the proposed funds would go to infrastructure development, about $1.5 billion or 39.5 percent for education and skills development, access to finance, expanded social protection and employment opportunities for the youth and $500 million or 13.1 percent for programs on good governance and finance. The COBP will cover the period 2018 to 2020. “Program loans under the proposed lending pipeline make up 39 percent of the COBP while project loans account for 61 percent,” IFG said in a report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III at a recent DOF executive committee meeting. ADB also agreed to explore co-financing arrangements with the Japan International Cooperation Agency on the Philippines’ major infrastructure projects such as the proposed PNR Malolos-Clark Railway and the PNR Commuter South Line project. The multilateral lender agreed to help the Philippines beef up its capacity and readiness in handling and financing infrastructure projects, particularly on the construction of the country’s railways.

COTTON TRADE SHOW. Canadian Beddings, the leading manufacturer of bed linens, towels and pillow cases in the country, hold a tradeshow to launch its newest product

and its campaign, #ImCotton. The company aims to promote responsible and sustainable sourcing of cotton worldwide. Shown during the launching at I’m Hotel in Makati City are (from left) Canadian Beddings sales and marketing director Chand Daryanani, managing director Ravi Daryanani, president and founder Hiro Asandas and project development head Anvil Daryanani. Manny Palmero

New power plants add 237 MW By Alena Mae S. Flores

HE start of operations of new power plants added 237 megawatts to the country’s power grid in the ﬁrst half, according to the Energy Department.

This brought total installed capacity in the country to 21,621 MW as of end-June, which could cover the peak demand of less than 14,000 MW, data showed. The additional capacity came from the 150-megawatt Limay coal-ﬁred plant (unit 1) in Bataan, the 18-MW Mariveles solar

farm also in Bataan and the 60MW First Toledo solar farm in Cebu. Data showed the Philippines’ peak demand reached 13,683 MW, including 10,054 MW in Luzon; 1,933 MW in the Visayas; and 1,696 MW in Mindanao. The bulk of the country’s in-

stalled capacity was in the Luzon grid at 15,128 MW, followed by the Visayas at 3,352 MW and Mindanao at 3,141 MW. The country’s dependable capacity, however, was only 19,536 MW, with Luzon at 13,874 MW, the Visayas at 2,945 MW and Mindanao at 2,716 MW. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi earlier said the Philippines would require an additional capacity of 43,765 megawatts by 2040, of which 25,265 MW representing baseload requirements; 14,500 MW, mid-merit capacity; and 4,000 MW, peaking power plants.

“Hopefully, with Dutertenomics attracting the adequate level of private investments, we can reach our targeted additional power capacity by year 2040 at 43,765 MW,” he said. The Philippines’ installed capacity increased by more than 2,000 megawatts in 2016, following the commercial operations of several power plants such as the 300-MW Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp., the 450-MW San Gabriel natural gas plant, the FDC Misamis coal plant, the 150MW SMC Malita coal plant, the 135-MW Palm Concepcion coal plant and 132.5-MW He-

lios solar farm. “We are determined to achieve the ideal and dependable 70-20-10 energy mix, through massive infrastructure and development with the indispensable participation of the private sector,” Cusi said. “The quest to explore and use local or indigenous sources of energy, like renewables, fossil fuels and alternative fuels will continue as a matter of policy. And this age of rapidly developing technology, as we will even encourage the entry of clean, efﬁcient and smart technologies in the market,” the energy chief said.

Financial Technology Alliance—How should banks do it? JERRY VICTORIO

GREEN LIGHT MORE than $4.7 trillion is the potential total revenue of financial technology (fintech) startups globally, according to Goldman Sachs. Unfortunately, this revenue is expected to be captured from traditional bank’s market. Consequently, this poses a significant threat for banks if not handled properly. Adapt to change The banking industry is now facing a pivotal phase that has not been experienced for so many decades since its inception. This change was brought about by technology. Digital transformation of banks through partnership with fintech companies is one of the most viable strategy to adapt to this change. In fact, recent news about acquisition of fintech companies by a bank are just common in Europe, the US and some developed countries in Asia. For instance, BankMobile was acquired for $175 million by Flagship, a community bank in Florida, USA. In addition, BBVA, the largest bank in Spain and Mexico founded in 1857, pushed with fintech acquisition strategy by buying Openpay, a payment solution company. These are examples of banks’ strategy to create a larger digital presence and gear towards greater innovation. In the near future, I believe this will also be the scenario in the Philippines. With that in mind, there is a need for local banks to partner with fintechs to stay relevant. Currently, bank and fintech partnership does not have framework or model as a guide. The mode of engagement will follow traditional approach. From my engagement with different local fintech startups and from my action research in MBA of De La Salle University, I have developed a model on bank and fintech alliance. The framework is not a clear-cut method of engagement but rather a flexible way of dealing with the new players in the financial industry. Fintechs are new players that will require a new form of handling. By using this, I believe banks will be able to establish the factors that will lead to a successful partnership with fintechs.

Adopt the Bank and Fintech Partnership Model Banks need to enhance their internal and external performances so that it can effectively partner with fintech companies. Internal performances focus on improving the competencies of employees and internal operational processes to lay the ground for efficient alliance, while External performances emphasize the importance of strengthening the relationship with fintech companies. The model has four performance factors that ensures a high probability of successful partnership. The first two factors are Mutually Beneficial Collaboration and Quality of Alliance on the External Performance side. Mutually beneficial collaboration dictates the level of openness in sharing of strengths and resources of banks and fintechs. Benefits and disadvantages from bank and fintech startup should be agreed from the onset of the collaboration so that they can determine the mutual welfares they can seize in the partnership. Quality of Alliance, on the other hand, depends on trust and commitment from the parties involved. Loss of trust and poor management of conflict are the usual reasons for weak quality of partnership that will eventually lead to a fall out. The other two performance factors are Digitally Valuable Innovation and Digital Transformation Leadership on the Internal Performance side. Digitally valuable innovation drives the partnership of banks and fintechs in order to create a synergistic value that can improve their processes and customer interaction. Digital Transformation Leadership, on the other hand, should be practiced as an enabler of innovation. This leadership performance encompasses all levels in the organization to break the layers of bureaucracy in traditional banks. Since leadership should not be based on individual’s title, Digital transformation leadership should be imbibed by all employees as a culture and not just a corporate mandate. Address the risks The four performance factors should be the springboard of banks to foster a successful partnership with fintech startups. But there are risk factors that affect the desired alliance. The risks should be addressed in order to maximize the effects

of these performance factors. There are four risks that I observed to significantly affect bank and fintech partnerships. They were determined through my actual engagements with them and through the 2016 EY study entitled “Managing change and risk in the age of digital transformation”. The external performance side of the model has two dominant risks affecting it. The first is Vendor risk. It emanates from fintech’s minimal or lack of organizational controls to abide with regulations. The second is Reputational risk which will be affecting banks and fintechs potently in social media where a mere unhappy customer may voice out their uncensored complaints reaching multitude of audiences. Similarly, on the internal performance side of the model there are two major risks. First, Digital risk is intensified by threats in cybersecurity and technology outages that may weakened the reliability of banks to provide a secured service. Second, Compliance risk in fintech partnerships will greatly affect banks which are very keen on conforming with the rules set by regulators. The challenges and risks that banks and fintechs encounter while finding amicable and mutual collaboration should be dealt with accordingly to enhance the alliance. Forge alliances Local banks should forge alliance with fintechs even if it means charting on unfamiliar territory. They can leverage from fintech’s agile methodology and create their own internal capabilities to cope up digitally. My formulated framework on bank and fintech partnership can be a valuable tool to help in this venture. The author is a Senior Manager in a financial institution in the Philippines. He just successfully defended his research project/thesis entitled “Addressing the fintech partnership challenges of XYZ bank to increase its digital presence”. He will join the roster of graduating MBA students in the 180th commencement exercise of DLSU in October 2017. The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.

SECURITY BANK’S AWARDS. Security Bank Corp. takes home several

awards during the 16th Philippine Quill Awards held at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Newport City, Pasay. Three entries of the Bank were recognized at the awards night namely: Economic Forum from the Communication Management division; Bankers’ Bond, Security Bank’s quarterly corporate magazine, from the Communication Skills division; and “Build A School, Build A Nation: The Classrooms Project,” also from the Communication Management division.

Group backs Immigration cards THE Commission on Audit is treading on dangerous ground in seeking to void a public-private partnership of the Bureau of Immigration for the production of alien certificate of registration identity cards, known as ACR I-Cards, according to a consumer group. Issued to foreign nationals staying in the Philippines for more than 59 days, ACR I-Cards are microchipbased identification cards with biometric security features that are being produced by Datatrail Corp. under a build-operate-transfer contract validated by the Department of Justice, the PPP Center and the National Economic and Development Authority. “While COA is the guardian of public funds, it has no vested authority to cancel a BOT contract that is 100-percent funded by private funds. Its call on the BI to take over the facilities, fixtures and equipment for the ACR I-Cards by unceremoniously voiding the contract with Datatrail

Corp. sends a cowering chill to all investors,” said Jake Silo of Consumerism and Transparency in Nation Building or Action. “The BOT law entirely vests the authority to pass upon all aspects of a BOT contract, including legalities and compliance with approval processes upon the Neda ICC,” Silo said. Silo said “the COA decision is not self executory because a BOT agreement, by law, automatically provides for an arbitration provision.” “The contract termination will proceed only after full compliance with the procedures set forth by both parties in the Arbitration provision is complied with,” he said. The COA decision will have to be enforced thru courts of law and the government will not only suffer huge ﬁnancial losses, but legal defeat, embarrassment and irreparable loss of credibility in the business community, Silo said.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017

Business

UK cranks up pressure to shift from Brexit talks

HE UK announced it’s piling pressure on the European Union to shift the focus of Brexit negotiations away from the terms of divorce and onto their future relationship. Britain will publish a ﬂurry of documents in the coming days laying out the government’s position on topics ranging from data protection to judicial cooperation. Five papers are due to be published in the week starting Monday, the Department for Exiting the European Union said in a statement on Sunday. The next round of negotiations is due to start on Aug. 29. Before talks can move on to commerce, Prime Minister Theresa May needs to convince EU leaders at an October summit that

enough progress has been made on citizens’ rights, the U.K.’s exit bill, and the border with Ireland. With the clock ticking down to the March 2019 departure date, Brexit Secretary David Davis has an added sense of urgency to try and get a discussion on trade going. While the UK insists it wants to hold trade and divorce talks in tandem, the EU has been unwavering in its stance that details of the separation must be sorted out first. Moreover, the 27 other EU nations have united behind their lead negotiator Michel Barnier in the past five months. The five upcoming papers are “all part of our work to drive the talks forward, and make sure we can show beyond doubt that we have made sufficient progress on withdrawal issues by October,” Davis said in the statement. Britain is “putting forward imaginative and creative solutions to build a deep and special partnership with our closest neighbors and allies.” On Monday, Britain plans to publish papers

on “goods on the market” and “confidentiality of documents.” The first is a response to an EU paper setting out provisions that goods made available for sale before Brexit should still be available for purchase in both the EU and U.K. after Britain’s withdrawal. Davis will say the EU proposals should extend to related services; for example, a maintenance contract that comes with the sale of an elevator. While the document will only cover a small part of the withdrawal deal, it foreshadows the fight Britain faces to ensure services are covered in a future trade deal with the EU. Services make up 80 percent of the gross value added to the British economy, compared to an EU-wide 74 percent. The data protection and judicial cooperation papers will come later in the week, along with one on proposed mechanisms for dispute resolution once the European Court of Justice no longer has jurisdiction in the UK Bloomberg

PROSTHETIC LEG. In this photograph taken on June 13, 2017, 50-year-old Rajkumar Saini (second from right), who suffered a road accident in 2004, gets his fourth prosthetic leg at the Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti non-proﬁt organization’s main branch in Jaipur. AFP

China’s solar panels shed light on N. Korea trade TRADERS from North Korea visit Yuan Huan’s shop in the Chinese border city of Dandong several times a month to place orders, bringing their own translators and wads of cash. Yuan, manager of Sangle Solar Power, said sales to North Koreans have soared in the past two years, one of the border businesses still thriving despite growing US pressure for China to limit commerce with the Stalinist regime. Since North Korea mostly relies on outdated generators, blackouts are common and solar panels are prized for their role as backup power. Berkeley-based researchers at the Nautilus Institute estimated that at the end of 2014, about two percent of North Korea’s population had acquired solar panels. And despite new United Nations sanctions further narrowing the categories of goods that can be traded with the hermit state this month, solar panels have remained off the growing blacklist. Yuan’s shop offers a window into how Chinese traders do business with North Korea, a country with few allies and whose economy relies heavily on China’s patronage. Every day, trucks ﬁlled with cargo cross the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge that connects Dandong to the North Korean city of Sinuiju. After receiving orders from North Korean customers, Yuan drops off packages at a riverside depot, and a Chinese logistics company takes care of transport across the waterway. Some of her North Korean customers place orders by phone, but most prefer to make arrangements in person, she said. “It is actually quite easy for traders to go back and forth. Some buy over 20 units at a time,” Yuan told AFP. Several North Korean solar energy research and assembly plants have begun operation in recent years, according to domestic media reports, but Chinese panels appear to remain in high demand. Last year, China exported 466,248 solar panels across the border, according to ofﬁcial

In this picture taken on July 6, 2017, a vendor sells solar panels in a shop in Dandong. At the Chinese border with North Korea, solar panel traders are shipping their products across the border by truck and boat, and greeting North Korean merchants in person at their stores in China’s border city of Dandong. AFP

ﬁgures from Beijing. China on Tuesday started banning imports of iron, iron ore and seafood from North Korea as it implements the new UN sanctions, which could cost Pyongyang $1 billion per year and were imposed after its two intercontinental ballistic missile tests. But in Dandong, where some 70 percent of trade between China and North Korea ﬂows, solar panel merchants remain unfazed. “It seems that overall, there are fewer North Korean traders coming over recently, but we’re not affected by what’s happening politically,” said Shi Zhiyong, manager of the Huang Ming Solar Power shop. “In 2009, I started seeing more North Korean traders coming to the store and their numbers have only gone up since,” Shi told AFP. Both Yuan and Shi said their best-selling items are rooftop units that provide hot water supply. These cost between 2,700 and 14,000

yuan ($400 and $2,060). The purchases by households, offices and factories show that many urban residents have adequate disposable income, Johns Hopkins University researcher Curtis Melvin told AFP. “Aside from a few high-profile cases, such as the increase in fuel prices in North Korea or temporary suspension of coal exports to China, we haven’t seen much evidence that (previous) sanctions have had a tremendously negative effect on North Korea’s economy,” Melvin added. US relations have soured as President Donald Trump has pressed Beijing to step up pressure on North Korea, complaining about their continuing trade. In the first half, trade between China and North Korea increased 10.5 percent to $2.5 billion, compared to the same period last year. AFP

With Atty. Ma. Gabriela Concepcion ;former Supreme Court Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban; UP President Danilo L. Concepcion; Court of Appeals Justice Rosmari Carandang; ALA President Avelino V. Cruz; former PEZA Director General and Ramon Magsaysay awardee Atty. Lilia B. de Lima and Dr. Samuel Bernal

THE ASEAN AND THE ALA THE first week-and-a-half of August 2017 witnessed a flurry of ASEAN activities here in Manila. Considerably so, since the Philippines is the Chairman of ASEAN 2017 with the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World”. We had the 32nd Meeting of the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting and Related Meetings, the Grand Commemorative Celebration of ASEAN@50, the 50th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and PostMinisterial Conferences, the 18th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Meeting/7th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting/24th ASEAN Regional Forum, and the first-ever ASEAN Media Forum, just to name a few. Almost every aspect of ASEAN was covered in those one-and-a-half weeks or so, from foreign policy to economic integration, from media affairs to performing arts, from human rights to breastfeeding. Of course, all these would not have been possible if not for the hard work and dedication of Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of ASEAN 2017 on behalf of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. The key to ASEAN nowadays is integration, but, for this to work, laws of each member-state must be harmonized. This is where the importance of the ASEAN Law Association or ALA comes in. This is not the first time I am writing about ALA here, being the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Legal Information of ALA Philippines. Established in 1979, it is a non-government organization that brings together all the members of the legal profession in the region. It is the only private entity recognized by ASEAN and counts top justices and lawyers as its members, including the chief justices of the respective member-states. The first and founding president was former Senate President and Executive Secretary Edgardo J. Angara Sr., while the current president is lawyer Avelino V. Cruz. Both are founding partners of the ACCRA law , the firm I joined after law school as part of its legendary Litigation Group. The ALA Governing Council will hold its Commemorative Meeting on 26-28 October 2017 here in Manila. As such, the members of the Philippine National Committee, headed by its Chairman, retired Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban, have been meeting regularly for the event. The most-recent National Committee meeting this August was hosted

by ALA-PNC Deputy SecretaryGeneral Atty. Ricardo C. Bernabe and his wife, the gracious Supreme Court Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe. The Philippine National Committee counts as its members Chief Justice Maria Lourdes A. Sereno, Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio, retired PEZA Director-General Lilia B. de Lima, UP Law Professor Myrna S. Feliciano who also edits the ALA Journal, Atty. Avelino V. Cruz, Atty. Alonzo Q. Ancheta who also serves as ALAPNC Vice-Chairman, UP President Danilo L. Concepcion, Comelec Chairman Andres D. Bautista, retired Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban, retired Chief Justice Reynato C. Puno, Past Senate President Edgardo J. Angara, and Past Senate President Franklin M. Drilon who also chairs the ALA Foundation. It is also worthy to note that just last year, some members of the Duterte Cabinet who have been active with ALA through the years, were inducted as MinisterRepresentatives of the Philippines to the ALA Governing Council, namely: Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea; Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II; Transportation Secretary Arturo Tugade; Information and Communications Technology Secretary Rodolfo Salalima; PAGCOR President and COO Alfredo C. Lim; and Solicitor General Jose C. Calida. Other ofﬁcers of the ALA Philippine National Committee, aside from those already mentioned, are: Atty. Victoria C. de los Reyes, Secretary; Atty. Regina Padilla Geraldez, Treasurer; and Atty. Victoria V. Loanzon, Assistant Secretary. The Advisory Council is composed of: Past Senate President Edgardo J. Angara; former Secretary of Justice Ricardo C. Puno; retired Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide, Jr.; Atty. Teresita C. Sison; retired Supreme Court Justice Leonardo A. Quisumbing; and Dean Bartolome S. Carale. The ALA Governing Council Commemorative Meeting in October is just one of the activities to be held in preparation for the 31st ASEAN Summit and related meetings in November of this year. We can only wish the ALA and all other ASEAN organizing efforts by the host country all the best in their preparations.

With my former Professor Supreme Court Justice Antonio T. Carpio Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sal Panelo and ALA President Avelino V. Cruz

With Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno

With Supreme Court Justices Antonio T. Carpio and Estela Bernabe

A duet number with ES Salvador Medialdea. In ALA it’s not all work.

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor Roger M. Garcia, Assistant Editor jimbo.gulle@gmail.com mslocalgov@gmail.com MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

HOSPITAL VISIT. Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito visits patients, like a young boy with his toys, and inspects the facilities of the Cagayan Valley Medical Center before joining an assembly of barangay health workers (inset) at the hospital in Tuguegarao City.

Arroceros Park developer to stay M By Bill Casas

ANILA Mayor Joseph Estrada has deferred his decision to take possession of the Arroceros Forest Park, one of the remaining forested areas in the city, from its current caretaker, Winner Foundation.

But Estrada clarified it does the 21,428-square meter land, mean that the city government a property bought by the City is abandoning its plan to recover School Board in 1993 strictly for

educational purposes. “That’s really on our part to extend,” Estrada said in response to the appeal of Winner chairman Regina Roces Paterno to extend the operation of the private environmental group at the Forest Park. Estrada reminded Paterno the city government is intent in taking back the property, which it owns under Transfer Certificate of Title No. 214097, since Winner’s contract to manage it has already expired in 2013.

“We’re here to implement the law, not to break the law,” he told Paterno and other Winner officials during a recent meeting at the City Hall. “For now, you can stay for the time being while we study how best to use that property,” Estrada said. On July 7, Estrada sent a formal demand letter to Paterno ordering Winner to vacate Arroceros Park within 30 days, “otherwise the City will be constrained to avail of the appropriate legal remedies to pro-

tect its ownership of the property.” “We will push through with our plans,” Estrada stressed. “That land was purchased to serve the students, exclusively for educational purposes such as school facilities. It cannot be used for other purposes. We cannot divert from it.” Documents released by the Office of the City Legal Office showed the City School Board of Manila bought the property for P65 million from the Land Bank of the Philip-

Navotas to build new medical hub By Jun David NAVOTAS will soon have a medical building that will offer more health services to its residents. Mayor John Rey Tiangco, together with Vice Mayor Clint Geronimo, other city officials and department heads, recently unveiled the building plans for the construction of the Navotas Medical and Wellness Center. The four-story building with deck will replace the former Navotas Emergency and Lying-in Clinic at Barangay San Jose. The services at NELIC have been temporarily transferred to the Navotas City Hall Annex. “Our people are the pillars of our city. We have to ensure that they are well-taken care of and protected at all times,” Tiangco said. “As public servants, we have the duty to provide quality ser-

vice to our fellows. Despite the challenges in our work, we should strive to serve others whole-heartedly,” he added. The NMWC will offer various health services including drug testing, community-based rehabilitation and physical therapy, animal bite treatment, clinical laboratory, and diagnostic services such as ultrasound, ECG and x-ray procedures. The center will also feature dental services, teen health services, social hygiene services, breast checkup and mammography, environmental and sanitation services, and a Health Emergency and Management System and Operation Center. Tiangco said the city government also plans to build an additional four-storey building that will increase the bed capacity of Navotas City Hospital from 50 to 100.

‘Win-win’ deal for Subic school By Butch Gunio

BULACAN TO MARAWI. Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado (left) and Provincial Administrator

Eugenio Payongayong (right) turn over a check for P4 million and six trucks containing 4,000 boxes of foodstuff (background) to Office of Civil Defense III Regional Director Edgardo J. Ollet (center) under the first phase of the ‘Tulong Bulakenyo Para sa Marawi’ on Friday in Malolos City.

Calabarzon cops discuss illegal gambling woes CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna— ”We’re not only campaigning against drugs,” Calabarzon Regional Police Director Chief Supt Ma. O Aplasca said. This was after a dialogue on illegal gambling with Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office staff and PCSO Small Town Lottery authorized agents

in the region, together with the police directors from the five provinces in the region on Thursday. The dialogue aimed to know the present state of STL operations and to solicit ideas, suggestions or proposals in coming up with a comprehensive approach on how to address illegal gambling issues

and concerns in the region. According to Aplasca, information the police gathered indicated the involvement of some local government officials and even barangay officials on the said illegal activity but they have yet to validate and determine the veracity of the information. Prior to the dialogue, five chiefs of

police were relieved from their posts for failure to address the illegal number games in their respective areas. “I am appealing for the support of the local chief executives on our anti-illegal drugs campaign so that we could address this properly,” Aplasca said. Roy Tomandao

Woman driver in Clark Freeport hit-and-run nabbed CLARK FREEPORT—Driving inside this traffic-discipline economic zone, one must follow the rules and regulations and have a valid driver’s license or face arrest, regardless of the driver’s status and gender. A 27-year-old woman found this out too late after she was nabbed by Clark security guards while trying to escape the scene of the crime on Sunday.

pines; the fund was sourced from the city’s Special Education Fund. The Deed of Sale was formally executed on Dec. 23, 1993 by former mayor Alfredo Lim and then Land Bank president Jesli Lapus. Land Bank agreed to the sale on the condition that the property will be used solely for educational, sports, and recreational and/or public service-oriented projects envisioned by the City School Board, the documents showed.

The Public Safety Division of the Clark Development Corp. identified the woman as Lalaine Ortiz, of Bagain St., Sta. Veronica, Guimba, Nueva Ecija. Initial investigation showed Ortiz was driving her white utility vehicle with plate number AMA 7809 through the intersection of Creek and Centennial roads when she hit a motorcycle with two persons on board.

However, instead of helping the victims, Ortiz fled the scene toward Gil Puyat highway, where she was arrested. It turned out she was driving without a valid driver’s license. The victims, who suffered bruises and other injuries, were identified as Michael Angelo Laxamana, 25, and Vilma Lasvinia, both from Mexico, Pampanga.

They were given first aid by paramedics who arrived a few minutes after the incident, and brought the victims to Mabalacat City hospital for further treatment. The CDC urged motorists to observe traffic rules and regulations while driving inside the Freeport because they are being monitored by several cameras spread out inside. Romeo Dizon

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT— The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority has green-lighted the takeover by a new company of the debt-ridden property previously leased out to the Lyceum of Subic Bay Inc., saying the agreement provided for a “win-win” solution for the Subic agency to collect more than P31 million in overdue rent payments and other arrears. SBMA Administrator and CEO Wilma T. Eisma said a resolution approved by the SBMA Board of Directors on Aug. 10 allowed the LSBI to assign its leasehold rights to Premium Technical Training and Facilities, Inc., which shall assume its financial obligations and continue with the development commitments under its lease. This was made possible by the withdrawal of the company from coverage of the SBMA policy granting educational institutions a 75 percent discount in rentals, which are supposed to be plowed back by the schools to scholarship programs and facilities improvement. The reassignment covered the 34,196-square meter Lyceum campus at Subic’s CubiTriboa District, which had P23 million in rentals and utility fees arrears, as well as some P16.68 million in unpaid accounts left by its previous operator, Global Daeil Subic Inc. The agreement also required LSBI to pay its debts for another school campus it operates at Subic’s Central Business District.

MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017

LGUs

Bill for forest resources pushed T

HE need to act immediately to preserve and save Philippine forests is urgent, and the quick approval of the Forest Resources Bill will play a critical role in achieving such vision. Participants to the 339th Kamayan para sa Kalikasan Forum held Friday at the Kamayan Edsa were unanimous on this conclusion after a discussion on the proposed bill at the House of Representatives. In front of a group composed of environmental organizations,

academicians and students, Haribon Foundation’s Chester Lobramonte called for support for the measure that seeks to put more teeth to the drive to protect Philippine forests from further exploitation. Citing data from the University of the Philippines 2012 study,

Lobramonte identified Mimaropa, Cagayan Valley, Caraga, and Calabarzon as among the regions that have lost the most forest cover. “Our country is known to be the best in terms of crafting laws on the environment yet we are among the worst in terms of implementing these types of laws,” noted Lobramonte. “Once passed, the FRB will have the muscle to employ action for the protection of the environment.” Spearheaded by Rep. Jesulito Manalo of Ankla Party-list, the FRB seeks to create a For-

est Management Development Agency and engage the police in forest protection. Lobramonte explained that by creating the Forest Park Rangers Command under the Philippine National Police, government can assign special police units, whose presence can be an effective deterrent against illegal loggers. “These PNP units will be deployed to work hand-in-hand with local community members in forest protection activities,” noted Lobramonte. The proposed of the Forest Management Development

Agency will have public education and engagement in advocacy and actions to protect forests have as its primary purposes. The FMDA will be under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. “Stakeholders, community members will take a direct role in policy making and monitoring duties,” said Lobramonte who also expressed optimism with the presence of “companion bills” which provide support to the FRB. Among these proposed measures are the Environmental Law

Bill and the Forest Management Authority Bill. Lobramonte pointed out that personnel who will be engaged in forest protection activities will be provided formal training before they are deployed, allaying fears that those tapped for the job might be unprepared or easily corrupted. “If we could get the immediate support of Malacanang on this measure, the better. Hopefully, the President issues an Executive Order in support of this bill so the process will be faster,” said Lobramonte. Rex Arcadio R. San Diego II

Grievance body for 4Ps in NV formed By Ben Moses Ebreo

Author Mel Velasco (third from left) hands former President Fidel V. Ramos a copy of the coffee table book about the Ramos Peace and Development Foundation, Inc. (RPDEV) during its recent launch in Makati City.

CVRC’s Aquino vies for ‘Lingkod’ TUGUEGARAO CITY—The chief of the Cagayan Valley Research Center of the Department of Agriculture was chosen by the Civil Service Commission as semi-finalist in the “Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award.” Rose Mary GazzinganAquino, who holds the rank Agricultural Center Chief III, was awarded a Certificate of Recognition and a cash reward of P20,000 by lawyer Neil S. Agustin, director IV of the CSC, during the flag raising at the compound of the DA’s Regional Field Office 2 in Tuguegarao City. After conducting regional level searches, CSC will now proceed to the search for outstanding public officials and employees at the national level. “The award aimed to inspire more employees to strive for excellence and be the ‘Lingkod Bayanis’ [civil servant heroes] that the community envisions all government workers to be,” Agustin said. “With much pride in your success and your future triumphs in the line of service excellence. Congratulations!” said a statement published o n ERRATUM D A In the RTC-QC, re: PHILIPPINE R F O SAVINGS BANK vs. ERWILO DELA CRUZ ROXAS married 2 ’ s to MA. NATIVIDAD A. ROXAS Notice of Extra-Judicial Sale of social Real Property Under Act 3135 (As amended) published on media July 31, Aug. 7 & 14, 2017, the Mortgagor/s should have read a c as: Erwilo Dela Cruz Roxas married to Ma. Natividad A. count Roxas; also as of June 7, 2017 should have read: as of July f o r 7, 2017. Lastly, the Transfer Certificate of Title No. N-004Aqui2014003461 Registry of Deedsno. Abe Quezon City should have read as: Transfer Certificate of Title Almirol No. 004-2014003461 Registry of Deeds-Quezon City and NOT as published. Our apology.

Dagupan City honors book author THE City Government of Dagupan has commended veteran author and communications specialist Melandrew T. Velasco for his body of work in documenting outstanding Filipino patriots and statesmen in a Sangguniang Panglungsod Resolution No. 723282017 dated August 9, 2017. “Melandrew T. Velasco has long had a storied career having written and published more than 23 books for different publications over a span of over 16 years,” said the resolution’s principal author, Councilor Jose Netum Tamayo. “The vigor and influence of Velasco’s pen demonstrated in all his works, serves to inspire fellow Dagupenos to highlight the value of patriotism, good

works and good service as crucial in community and nationbuilding,” said bill sponsor Councilor Maybelyn Rose dela Cruz Fernandez. Mel Velasco is better known in literary circles as the family biographer of former President Fidel V. Ramos. Since 2000, he has authored and published other books on the life stories of the former president’s family members and FVR’s organization, the Ramos Peace and Development Foundation, Inc. Velasco, a native of the island barangay of Carael West, Dagupan, earned his primary studies at Binmaley Central School, and finished with honors at the Mary Help of Christians Seminary in Binmaley. He studied at the Christ the

King Mission Seminary (SVD) in Quezon City for two years before transferring to the College of Mass Communication in the University of the Philippines, Diliman, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications, major in Journalism degree in 1985. Velasco has also authored coffee table books on various civic and religious organizations like Rotary International and Kiwanis and the Bukas Loob sa Diyos group, including select cities in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Among these are “Parañaque: From a Pueblo to a Mega City by the Bay” (published 2016), “Nueva Ecija: A New Era of Peace and Progress” (2016) and “Pasay: A Royal Kingdom’s

Evolution to Travel City” (2013). He was a contributor on the “Nadaragupan” coffee table book. Among his most recent works include “XYZ Files: Anecdotes, Issues and Controversies and Trivia of Fidel V. Ramos” (published February 2017) and “15 Years of RPDEV: A Continuing Voyage for Enduring Peace and Sustainable Development” (published April 2017). Velasco at present serves as president and CEO of Media Touchstone Ventures Inc., a publishing and public relations outfit that has for almost two decades produced landmark commemorative books and handled corporate and government accounts related to development communications.

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—Governor Carlos Padilla has formed a Provincial Advisory Committee to ensure the proper implementation of the national government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps in the province. The PAC, formed through Executive Order No. C-304-A, provides a grievance machinery for the 4Ps as the provincial government has intensified its social protection program by expanding the coverage of the program to include more benefits and beneficiaries. “This order updates and amends the previous EOs made by the previous administration so that the PAC membership can cater to more beneficiaries,” said Padilla as PAC chairman. Members of the expanded PAC are the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s chairperson on Health Committee, the provincial offices of Social Welfare and Development, Integrated Health, Planning and Development, Agriculture, Population, Nutrition, and the Office of the Governor. It also includes DSWD Staff, 4Ps Regional Focal Person and provincial link, SWD Team Leader, Sustainable Livelihood Program Coordinator, Convergence Strategy of Bottom-Up Budgeting, and officials from the Department of Education, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine Information Agency, Technical Education Skills and Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, the Philippine National Police, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, Department of Labor and Employment, and Department of Science and Technology.

IN BRIEF EMB pushes ‘Basura’ patrollers in CagVal BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—The Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Cagayan Valley region will strengthen the Solid Waste Management Program by upgrading the skills and other capabilities of the program’s workers. Engineer Cesar Siador, EMB regional director, said a Trainors’ Training on Solid Waste Enforcement and Education Program will be conducted here from Aug. 22 to 25 to upgrade the skills and capabilities of the participants. “The SWEEP is expected to forge and develop co-ownership among the EMB other national government agencies, local government units, academe, religious sector, non-government organizations, business sector, local SWM boards and SWM committees,” he said. Ben Moses Ebreo

Orani Water holds annual tree-planting

KAWAYAN FESTIVAL. Philippine International Trading Corp. CEO and Undersecretary Dave Almarinez wears a ‘salakot’ or bamboo hat he received from Famy, Laguna Mayor Edwin Pangilinan (second from right), his wife Baby Lyn Pangilinan (right) and Famy Vice Mayor Gertrudes Andaya (left) during the 107th Foundation Day of Famy, celebrated with street dancing and costumed participants. Roy Tomandao

ORANI, Bataan—The Orani Water District conducted on Saturday its sixth annual planting activity in Tala watershed in Barangay Tala, Orani. “An additional10,000 tibig trees were planted,” said OWD general manager Benni Andres. The planting activity attracted several environment advocates from many sectors. “We are happy for the success of the event,” the general manager said. “We have already planted 60,000 trees in Tala watershed.” In celebrating its anniversary every February for the past six years, OWD has been sponsoring fun runs for a cause to raise fund for the reforestation program. “We have to protect and preserve our source of water by reforesting watershed areas,” Andres pointed out. Butch Gunio

World Taiwan’s young eye jobs in China TAIPEI―Taiwan has long seen its international allies switching allegiance to an ascendant Beijing, but now there are also fears of a brain drain of the island’s youth as they pursue careers in rival China. Cross-strait tensions have soared since China-skeptic Tsai Ing-wen took power last year, with Beijing cutting all official communication. China still sees the self-ruling island as part of its territory to be reunified, but young people in particular have increasingly developed a sense of pride in their Taiwanese identity. They have been at the forefront of anti-Beijing sentiment in recent years, famously occupying Taiwan’s parliament in protest at trade deals with China in the Sunflower Movement of 2014. However, with monthly starting salaries for college graduates unchanged at below Tw$30,000 ($1,000) since the 1990s and property and consumer prices spiraling upwards, some are now taking a more pragmatic approach. China is also wooing young Taiwanese talent in what analysts say is a “soft power” push to sway political sentiment. Katherine Wang, 33, quit kindergarten teaching in Taipei and co-launched a business in May offering a variety of courses for young Chinese women in southeastern Xiamen city, saying she feels “hopeless” about Taiwan’s economy. “I see a ray of hope in Xiamen and working there makes me happy. I want to make a name for myself and my partners and hopefully expand our business to all over China,” she explained. Wang receives free housing and office space as an incentive from the Xiamen city government, an example of the perks offered by provincial authorities, which also include generous grants. According to China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, over 6,000 Taiwanese young people are working or interning at more than 50 youth start-up bases launched since 2015. Top Chinese political and business leaders, including Premier Li Keqiang and Alibaba founder Jack Ma, have also encouraged Taiwanese youth to chase careers in China. While Wang says she has no strong political views, others who do are putting them to one side for jobs. One twenty-something has opted to work in China even though he supports Taiwanese independence -- a concept intolerable to Beijing. AFP

MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017

Thousands march in Boston B

OSTON―Thousands of anti-racism demonstrators flooded the streets of Boston Saturday, dwarfing a gathering of white nationalists in the city and triggering scuffles with police but avoiding the serious violence that marred a similar event a week earlier in Virginia.

MAKEUP FACE AWARDS. Alexys Fleming is seen at the 2017 NYX Professional Makeup FACE Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on August 19, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. AFP

A so-called “free speech” rally by far-right groups had been scheduled to run until 2 pm (1800 GMT), but a half-hour before that police escorted its participants―whose numbers appeared to be in the dozens―to safety past a throng of anti-racism protesters. Officials estimated the turnout came to about 40,000 demonstrators. Authorities said there were a total of 27 arrests, mostly for assault and battery against the police, and disorderly conduct. Aerial photos showed the latter group filling one of Boston’s main streets for several blocks, in a huge outpouring of anti-racist sentiment in this strongly Democratic northeastern city. While Boston saw no repeat of the violence that erupted last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia, isolated scuffles between police and protesters prompted Trump to weigh in, with a tweet intoning against the “many antipolice agitators in Boston.” “We did have people who came here to cause problems, but overall, I thought the men and women of our department and all the other agencies who helped us performed really well,” Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said at a press conference. He credited a police unit specially trained for crowd control for maintaining order, and keeping the two sets of protesters apart. “I thought they did a good job of moving that crowd,” Evans said. “Sometimes it doesn’t look pretty, but that’s what they’re trained for.” Saturday’s demonstration was held at a time of anguished national debate over racial relations,

which was fanned when President Donald Trump defended some participants in last week’s white nationalist and neo-Nazi rally in Virginia as “very ﬁne people.” As protesters began departing central Boston without major incident, the president followed up on his ﬁrst tweet with a more positive tone. “I want to applaud the many protesters in Boston who are speaking out against bigotry and hate,” he wrote on Twitter. “Our country will soon come together as one!” Thousands of counter-protesters had convened in two groups before the main rally, chanting “No Nazis, no KKK, no fascists in the USA!” One man held a sign that read, “Stop pretending your racism is patriotism,” and a woman’s sign said, “Muslims welcome, racists out.” “It’s time to do something,” said Katie Zipps, who traveled from Malden, north of Boston, for the counter-demonstrations, organized by an amalgam of mostly left-leaning groups. “We are out here to add an extra body to add to the numbers of those who resist.” Some local restaurants promised to donate their proceeds from Saturday’s business to left-leaning groups, and others refused to serve the white nationalists, with one posting a sign that said, “Hope you Nazis packed a lunch.” Authorities in Boston had protectively ordered a strict ban on weapons in the rally area, and ordered garbage trucks and concrete barriers placed around the venue to prevent vehicles from entering. AFP

North Korea slams coming military exercises SEOUL―North Korea warned Sunday that the United States will be “pouring gasoline on ﬁre” by conducting an annual war game in the South next week amid the heightened tensions between Pyongyang and Washington. The combative rhetoric between the two nations spiked after Pyongyang tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles last month that appeared to bring much of the US within range, sparking an intense warning by President Donald Trump that Washington could rain “ﬁre and fury” on the North.

Pyongyang then threatened to ﬁre a salvo of missiles toward the US territory of Guam―a plan that leader Kim Jong-Un last week delayed, but warned could go ahead depending on Washington’s next move. Amid the fiery volley of threats, Seoul and Washington will begin Monday the “Ulchi Freedom Guardian” joint military exercises involving tens of thousands of troops that Pyongyang views as a highly provocative rehearsal for invasion. “The joint exercise is the most explicit expression of hostility

against us, and no one can guarantee that the exercise won’t evolve into actual fighting,” said an editorial carried by the North’s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper. “The Ulchi Freedom Guardian joint military exercises will be like pouring gasoline on fire and worsen the state of the peninsula,” the paper said. Warning of an “uncontrollable phase of a nuclear war” on the peninsula, it added: “If the United States is lost in a fantasy that war on the peninsula is at somebody else’s doorstep far away from them across the Pacific, it

is far more mistaken than ever.” Seoul and Washington have said the largely computer-simulated UFG exercise, which dates back to 1976, will go ahead as planned, but did not comment on whether the drills would be scaled back in an effort to ease tensions. Around 17,500 US troops will participate in this year’s drills―a cutback from last year―according to the numbers provided by Seoul’s defense ministry. But South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported the allies were mulling scrapping an initial plan to bring in two aircraft car-

riers to the peninsula to take part in the drill. South Korea’s top military ofﬁcer said Sunday that the current security situation on the peninsula was “more serious than at any other time” amid the North’s growing nuclear and missile threats, and warned Pyongyang of merciless retaliation against any attack. “If the enemy provokes, [our military] will retaliate resolutely and strongly to make it regret bitterly,” said General Jeong Kyeong-Doo, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in his inauguration speech. AFP

Los Angeles at war over gentrification LOS ANGELES―One morning, Los Angeles businesswoman Eva Chimento was about to open her art gallery in the city’s Hispanic enclave of Boyle Heights when she found the door slightly open. While puzzled, she didn’t think much of the incident until a second occasion when she found the lock had been forced. She was later invited by a group of women calling themselves the Ovarian Psychos to a community meeting “to talk about gentrification,” but encountered hostility and verbal abuse when she stood up to talk. “It was horrible, I was insulted,” says Chimento, who believes the incidents are part of a larger pattern of harassment from community activists trying to halt an influx of affluent residents. Mihai Nicodim, a neighboring gallery owner, has had his door vandalized and his store front defaced with insulting slogans such as “fuck white art,” while exhibition openings have been met with protests. “All the while I had a Chinese artist on display. I represent a South African, local artists,” said Nicodim, who has lived in Boyle Heights for decades since arriving in the US as a penniless Romanian refugee.

The entrepreneurs are among a growing number of aggrieved in an escalating battle between the burgeoning galleries, coffee shops and other new businesses―and activists who fear their community is being threatened by a wave of gentriﬁcation. A few hundred meters from the galleries lives Irma Aguilar, who has just seen her rent jump from $1,000 to $1,800 a month and risks losing the apartment she has called home for 20 years. “What do they want us to do with art galleries? We are not going to buy paintings. Our community needs schools,” says the 43-year-old. Gentriﬁcation-a gradual process of transforming an area to appeal more to middle-class tastes―often begins with the arrival of artists and galleries in search of vast spaces with low rents. Then come the trendy shops and restaurants and, in the long term, rents soar and the original inhabitants are forced to leave. “Historically, the inner cities of Los Angeles have been working class and poor. Rich people were living in the suburbs, further out,” says urban planner and activist James Rojas. “Now, young rich people want

to move back to the city. It started in the early 2000s.” Los Angeles, which is experiencing a real estate boom and a housing and homelessness crisis, has seen its downtown sector, once a no-man’s land, become one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in the country. Boyle Heights, a few miles away, is the logical progression. Tension between the established community and newcomers was ratcheted up a few weeks ago with the opening of Weird Wave Coffee, its long counter and walls decorated with work by local artists, and a poster of Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao. Some locals weren’t exactly happy to see the place, judging it too “hipster” and ensuring it was welcomed to the neighborhood with protests and vandalized windows. “We’re not trying to gentrify the neighborhood-we couldn’t do it even if we tried―we’re just here to sell coffee,” says Jackson Defa, one of the three partners in the business. Despite its problems, Defa says he doesn’t regret having chosen Boyle Heights for his business. “After our windows were vandalized, the whole neighborhood donated money to pay for the repairs,” he reveals. AFP

ONSTAGE. Megan Walter, left, and Patrick Starrr are seen at the 2017 NYX Professional Makeup FACE Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on August 19, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017

World

RITUAL. Manggarai men perform during a Caci, a ritual whipping ﬁght, in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on August 20, 2017. AFP

Activist, comedian Gregory dead at 84 WASHINGTON―US comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory, who broke barriers as a performer in the era of segregation and challenged racism through searing humor, died Saturday night, his family said. He was 84. In a Facebook post, Christian Gregory did not give the cause of death but said his father started feeling ill on August 9, and was admitted to a hospital on August 12. He died in Washington. “A life well-lived but heavily sacrificed has definitively taken its toll,” the son said. More details were to be released in the coming days. Gregory performed in the country’s top clubs in the early 1960s and was not shy about confronting his white audiences with the realities of racism. “A Southern liberal?” he once said, according to the Washington Post. “That’s a guy that’ll lynch you from a low tree.” Or his line about trying to order at a restaurant in the segregated South and being told by the waitress, “We don’t serve colored people here.” Gregory replied, according to the New York Times, “That’s all right, I don’t eat colored people. Just bring me a whole fried chicken.” Gregory was credited with laying the groundwork for black comics who would come later, particularly Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor. Later on in the 1960s, he became a fervent front-line activist on various racial and social causes. He staged a modest write-in campaign for president in 1968 that garnered fewer than 50,000 votes. In later decades, he became known variously as a prodigious hunger striker, conspiracy theorist, diet guru and health food advocate. Prominent Americans paid tribute to Gregory late Saturday. “He taught us how to laugh. He taught us how to fight. He taught us how to live. Dick Gregory was committed to justice. I miss him already. #RIP,” civil rights activist the Reverend Jesse Jackson said. “Dick Gregory, Truth teller, make you fall on your face laughing Comedian, health man before it was cool & crazy expensive unapologetic About being black in America Dick Gregory has passed away, Condolences to his family and to us who won’t have his insight 2 lean on,” actress Whoopi Goldberg tweeted. AFP

Guide against vehicle attacks SYDNEY―Australia on Sunday released a strategy to prevent vehicle terror attacks carried out in crowded public places following the deadly assaults in Barcelona, Nice and London. The report―commissioned after 86 people were killed in the Nice truck attack last year―gives venue operators a “toolkit” to work from when addressing terrorism concerns. “As we have seen from the tragic events in Paris, London, Berlin and Barcelona, terrorists continue to target crowded places,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in a statement. “The strategy will assist owners and operators to increase the safety, protection and resilience of crowded places across Australia.” The strategy offers businesses and local governments a guide to assessing how vulnerable their sites are to attacks, including from vehicles, and how to make them safer. The suggested steps include deterrent options like fencing and closed circuit cameras, delaying approaches such as trees and statues to slow down vehicles, and quick response staff. “You can obviously have bollards, you can have seating... you can have works of art, you can have steps, planter boxes,” Turnbull added to reporters in Sydney. “At the design stage, it can be done very unobtrusively.” The report acknowledged that even the best plans might

not stop the attacks on crowded locations, but said the measures could reduce the likelihood of such assaults and their consequences. “It is a constant battle for us. It is a tragic reﬂection of our times that we need to be taking these sorts of measures,” Transport Minister Darren Chester told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation earlier Sunday. “I think inevitably there will be restrictions that may affect people as they go about their daily lives, but it is a balancing act I guess.” The attacks in Barcelona and the nearby seaside town of Cambrils left 14 people dead and hundreds injured. In Barcelona, a van sped down the popular Las Ramblas avenue, which was packed full of tourists. Three Australians were wounded while a young boy, a British-Australian dual national, reportedly remains missing after the attack. Australia is no stranger to vehicle-style attacks, with six people killed in January after a car mowed down shoppers in the heart of its second-largest city Melbourne. The attack, which was not terror-related, shocked Australians and took place near Melbourne Park where top tennis stars were playing in 2017’s opening Grand Slam. Canberra has become increasingly worried about homegrown extremism and ofﬁcials say they have prevented 13 terror attacks on home soil in the past few years. AFP

Analysts: Catalonia Spain’s fertile ground for terrorists M

ADRID-Despite its long experience in fighting terrorism, Spain failed this past week to prevent two deadly attacks in Catalonia―a key tourist magnet but also the Spanish region most vulnerable to such assaults, analysts say.

HEADING. Spain’s Queen Letizia waves as she arrives at a mass to commemorate the victims of two devastating terror attacks,

in Barcelona and Cambrils, at the Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona on August 20, 2017. A grief-stricken Barcelona prepared to commemorate the victims of the attacks as investigators scrambled to piece together the events that killed 14 people in all. Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said on August 19. that the cell behind the carnage that also injured 120 and plunged the country into shock had been ‘dismantled,’ though local authorities took a more cautious tone. AFP

Returning to a White House in disarray WASHINGTON―US President Donald Trump returns to the Oval Office Monday after a two-week vacation rife with chaos―and the dark clouds plaguing his fledgling presidency show no signs of clearing up. Seven months after taking office the real estate magnate’s approval rating has plunged to a record low. And far from striking a more unifying tone, Trump’s words and actions continue to feed the sense of a rudderless presidency, lurching from one self-generated crisis to the next. In perhaps the worst to date, he dealt a crushing blow to his own embattled administration by saying “both sides” were to blame for the bloodshed in Charlottesville, Virginia following a rally by neoNazis and white supremacists. Al Gore, a former Democratic vice president, advised Trump to “resign.” Mitt Romney, a recent Republican presidential nominee, urged the president to

“acknowledge that he was wrong” and “apologize.” Parts of the business world are now openly voicing exasperation with Trump, as the members of his own Republican party―long “off the record”―grow more audible and assertive. “The president has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful,” Republican Senator Bob Corker uttered in one chiseled phrase, capturing the growing sentiment that Trump’s unpredictability cannot sustain his four-year presidential term. With his return to Washington, number one on the president’s to-do list is tax reform. Delivering on that campaign promise would mark Trump’s ﬁrst signiﬁcant legislative achievement since his January swearing-in. His verbal attacks on top members of

Congress have cooled relations between the White House and Capitol Hill, but lawmakers with next year’s midterm elections on the mind also fear an open clash. Top Republican lawmakers Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell “recognize Trump for what he is, and there’s no love lost,” said Larry Sabato, a politics professor at the University of Virginia. “But they have to protect their members on the ballot in November 2018,” he told AFP. “They have no choice but to work with Trump, and Trump knows that and enjoys playing with them as a cat would a cornered mouse.” Friday’s ouster of Steve Bannon, Trump’s controversial former chief strategist and key campaign ally, from the White House could be seen as a turning point for an administration in turmoil. AFP

In attacks claimed by the Islamic State group, suspected jihadists killed 14 people and left 120 wounded, using vehicles to mow down pedestrians in Barcelona on Thursday and in the nearby seaside resort of Cambrils early Friday. Spain has five decades of experience of fighting against the Basque separatist group ETA, which killed over 800 people until it declared a ceasefire in 2011. But it was jolted to another dimension of terrorism in 2004 when it suffered Europe’s deadliest Islamist attack to date. During the morning rush hour of March 11 of that year, bombs packed with nails exploded on four commuter trains heading into Madrid, killing 191 people and injuring nearly 2,000. In the aftermath of the carnage, Madrid overhauled its security forces. It bolstered its police and intelligence services with new hires, recruited translators and reinforced its cooperation with neighboring France and Morocco, said Mikel Buesa, a terrorism expert at Complutense University in Madrid. Authorities also started routinely detaining suspects as a preventive measure, he added. Additionally, “self-indoctrination” over the internet with the intent of carrying out an attack became a crime in 2015, easing the process of such early detentions. Although some lawyers say the measure does not always respect human rights, it has been credited with helping to spare Spain from the terror attacks that have plagued its European neighbours. The country, with its 5,000 kilometers of coastline and long sunshine hours, has also succeeded in attracting tourists shunning turbulent destinations like Tunisia or Egypt. But the jihadist threat has risen since 2016, when Islamist websites named as a target “Al Andalus”―the name of Spanish territories governed until 1492 by Muslims better known as Moors. And experts are particularly worried about the concentration of jihadists in Catalonia, home to the biggest community of Muslims in Spain. Muslims number 1.9 million in the country of 47 million inhabitants, or about 4 percent of the population, according to the Union of Islamic Communities of Spain. Most of them are North Africans, with Moroccans topping the list. Because many are new arrivals, there has until now been less risk of radicalization than elsewhere in Europe, where disenfranchised second- or thirdgeneration immigrants have sometimes turned to extremist ideology, said Javier Zaragoza, a prosecutor and anti-terror specialist. AFP

Life

Ramekin’s well-curated dishes include TequiLime chicken served with mashed potatoes and salad on the side.

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com

FOOD

MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017

Comfort and pleasure in every Ramekin “E

VERYONE thinks this is a ramen house,” said designer and restaurateur Anton Barretto, one of the seven partners who own Ramekin, a cozy diner tucked in the relatively more quiet area of Fort Bonifacio at the Fort Victoria Condominium.

THE JOYCE OF EATING JOYCE BABE PAÑARES

“We wanted a name that would encompass any style of cooking. That is why we settled on Ramekin, a French word for a small dish used to serve a portion of the food,” he added. The menu may look daunting at first – there’s Mexican, Italian, Spanish, American, and, of course, Filipino – but every single dish is well thought of and beautifully presented. And as the bistro’s name suggests, Sisig is served with crispy wanton shells, along with mango salsa and cabbage slaw for a very Filipino taco.

most dishes are good for sharing, big enough to ask for a ramekin. “All seven of us partners sat down and discussed what are our comfort food, the ones we cannot live without,” he said. “It was a conscious choice on our part to keep the taste familiar even as we do creative presentation. Plus we wanted to keep the price point affordable – to ensure value for money for our customers,” Barretto added. For starters, there’s the 7 Layer dip (P450) made of beans, guacamole, chili, tomato salsa, chipotle sour cream, shredded iceberg lettuce, and Tex-Mex cheese, with a hefty serving of nacho chips; cheesy jalapeño nuggets (P275) with Italian bolognese sauce; and the Portobello sliders (P325) with zucchini, eggplant, roasted bell peppers and cheddar cheese. A crowd favorite is the sisig taco (P225). The sisig tastes like sisig (no over deconstruction here) and is served on a sizzling plate. You have the option to eat it on its own or pair it with rice. But the fun part is using the crispy wan-

ton shells on the side, and heaping some mango salsa and cabbage slaw for an instant Filipino taco. It is an explosion of taste and texture, yet still familiar and comforting and not intimidating at all. Ramekin also offers arugula strawberry salad (P325) for those looking for a lighter and healthier choice. It combines arugula, romaine lettuce, lollo rosso or red lettuce, fresh strawberries, bleu cheese, almond slivers, dried cranberries, cherry tomatoes and red radish with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. For their main dishes, one of the most ordered is the Angus beef salpicao (P425). Not a few VIPs (businessmen, politicians – even past presidents who just want to eat their comfort food in peace) have enjoyed the generous portion of tenderloin chunks cooked in garlic, olive oil, and soy sauce. There is also the Tequi-Lime chicken (P385), which teases your palate with its tequila-lime marinade and is served with mashed potatoes and salad on the side. Turn to D2

Jam-packed gastronomic adventure at the World Street Food Congress 2017

INTERACTIVE and educational dialogue boasting of a roster of food experts, mouthwatering cultural and heritage street food, amazing cooking demos, as well as friendly and good-natured peo-

ple—all these and more made the recently concluded World Street Food Congress 2017 (WSFC17) a huge success. Even

before its official opening, local and international hawkers, food aficionados, families and individuals were already lining up to taste over 40 of the world’s best street food from across 13 countries. Organized by KF Seetoh of Makansutra Promo and presented by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the five-day event was a celebration of global cultural and heritage street food. The event started with the World Street Food Dialogue, where industry develop experts converged, shared developments and explored opportunities in heritage and street food culture. They amaz also showcased their skills in an amazing series of food demonstrations. The dishes served during the food demos were sisig paella by Chef Sau Rosario proud owner of the popuDel Rosario, lar modern Kapampangan café—Café Phil Fleur and 25 Seeds, and WSFC17 Philippine team captain; Mango Sticky rice by Peter Lloyd, chef-owner of Sticky Mango; Thai Salad using Philippine fruits by Andy Yang, Michelin-star rated chef behind the popular New York Thai restaurant; itek tim by Malcolm Lee, head chef and owner of the first Michelinstarred Peranakan restaurant in Singapore; Xiamen-style spring roll by Chef Zhang Cong Ming and David Yip, chef, food conViat sultant, and journalist; and Viatnamese banh xeo by Mai Pham, chef-owner of Lemon Grass and Star-Ginger. International food and travel celebrity, Anthony Bourdain, Turn to D2

Bestsellers during the World Street Food Congress 2017 (clockwise) Martabak Manis San Francisco by Mr. Buying from Indonesia; Chiayi Chenjia Oyster Omelet from Taiwan; Cheese Empanada from the Philippines; and Coffee Pork Ribs Burger from Singapore.

Nobu Manila serves a selection of a la carte dishes featuring Kobe beef

Certified authentic Kobe beef in Nobu

AS ONE of the city’s trendiest dining hotspots, Nobu Manila offers the world-famous, well-marbled texture and unparalleled flavor of authentic Kobe beef as part of Nobu’s new style Japanese-Peruvian dinner menu. Nobu Manila is one of rare few restaurants in the Philippines, which serves Kobe beef with the official certification guaranteeing its authenticity. An exclusive selection of a la carte dishes highlights top-grade Kobe beef. Guests can have a taste of Kobe beef prepared as the main ingredient in the cold dishes such as new-style sashimi: thinly-sliced Japanese A5 Kobe beef, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, chives, yuzu soy sauce, seared with hot olive and sesame seed oils; tataki with ponzu: lightlyseared thinly sliced Japanese A5 Kobe beef, ponzu sauce, spicy daikon radish, ginger puree, sliced garlic and green onion; tiradito Nobu-style: thinly-sliced Japanese A5 Kobe beef, cilantro, soy salt, Peruvian chili puree with yuzu and lemon juice; nigiri: any of the mentioned selection prepared sushi style; and Tartar with Caviar: finely-minced Japanese A5 Kobe beef, wasabi soy sauce, sliced green onion and ossetra caviar. An assortment of Kobe beef hot dishes include toban-yaki: grilled Japanese A5 Kobe beef, caramelized onions, mixed mushrooms, roasted vegetables, yuzu sauce in ceramic roasting dish; flambe: lightlyseared Japanese A5 Kobe beef on hot stone, flambéed with brandy, served with black pepper teriyaki, butter ponzu and Peruvian anticucho sauces; ishi-yaki: sliced raw Japanese A5 Kobe beef, hot stones Turn to D2

Life

MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

EASY Pha-Max wheatgrass recipes G OT a picky eater? Let our nutritionist-dietitian approved lunch-box recipes inspire you to cook something deliciously hearty, homemade, and healthy. With these Wheatgrass Easy Pha-max infused recipes that help to cleanse, alkalize, and nourish the body, your kids are guaranteed to enjoy highly nutritious school meals. With carbohydrates, proteins, fatty acids, 17 amino acids, 12 vitamins, 10 minerals, more than 100 types of enzymes, chlorophyll, and phytochemicals, Easy Pha-max Wheatgrass will also help to fuel your little one’s mind and provide energy throughout the school season.

Crunchy Corn Fritters (243 kcal) Besides being rich in fiber, corn can also keep your little one stuffed and satisfied to get through their day in school. Yields: 5 servings Ingredients: 3 cups fresh corn 2/3 cup cornmeal 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/4 cup cream cheese 2 green onions, sliced 2 slices cooked bacon, chopped 2 large eggs, lightly beaten Juice of 1 lime, divided Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil Sour cream, for serving 1 Sachet of Easy Pha-max Wheatgrass Pure Directions: In a medium bowl, combine corn, cornmeal, cheddar, cream cheese, green onions, bacon,

Wheatgrass French Toast (359 kcal)

eggs, half the lime juice. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, form the mixture into small patties. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the patties until they’re golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Garnish each with sour cream and a squeeze of lime if desired.

Green French Omelet (432 kcal) If you’re having a hard time beause your kid is not a veggie eater, this recipe is a delicious solution. Double the fun by assembling a sleeping rice bear that’s enveloped in a classic and comforting french omelette. Yields: 1 serving Ingredients: 2 eggs 2 tbsp. water 1/8 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 1 tsp. butter 1 sachet of Easy Pha-max Wheatgrass Lemon Filling: cheese or chopped ham Directions: Beat eggs, water, salt, pepper and one sachet of Easy Pha-max Wheatgrass Lemon in small bowl until blended. Heat butter in 6- to 8-inch non-stick omelet pan or skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Tilt pan to coat bottom. Pour in egg mixture. Mixture should set immediately at edges. Gently push cooked portions from edges to-

ward the center with inverted turner so that uncooked eggs can reach the hot pan surface. Continue until cooked, tilting pan and gently moving cooked portions as needed. When top surface of eggs is thickened and no visible liquid egg remains, place filling on one side of the omelet. Fold omelet in half with turner. With a quick flip of the wrist, turn pan and invert or slide omelet onto plate. Serve immediately.

A little trick to get your kid come home with an empty lunch box? Make it fun! A smiley emoticon cut out will entice them to devour this cheery toast and will surely get them prodding for more. Yields: 1 serving Ingredients: 1 egg 3/4 cup milk 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pinch salt 2 slices of bread 1 sachet of Easy Phamax Wheatgrass Pure Directions: Soak bread slices in egg mixture for 20 second Beat together egg, milk, cinnamon, vanilla and on each side, or until thoroughly coated. Cook salt, and Easy Pha-Max Wheatgrass Pure. bread until both sides are lightly browned and Heat a lightly oiled skillet or griddle over me- crisp. Serve hot. dium heat.

Green Lemon Cookies (136 kcal per cookie) Fun and tasty meet in this cookie recipe. Because it’s enhanced with Easy Pha-Max Wheatgrass, you no longer have to worry if your kids are consuming sugary snacks that are filled with nothing but preservatives. Yields: 12 pcs. Ingredients: 1 cup flour ½ cup butter ½ cup sugar 2 sachets of Easy Pha-Max Wheatgrass with Lemon 3 tsp. lemon rind 1/2 tsp. salt Directions: Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius for 15 minutes. Combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Using a wire whisk or electric mixer, cream butter. Add dry ingredients to butter. Form a dough ball and spread using a rolling pin. Cut into desired shapes with cooking cutter. Set in ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

The difference in new Nescafé Gold Collection PEOPLE who have earned their success know what they want. They work as hard as they play and have developed a keen sense for things they deserve—and they deserve to enjoy nothing short of excellence. Offering the signature smooth tastes and enticing aromas skillfully fashioned by Nescafé’s coffee masters, the Nescafé Gold Collection introduces itself as the new icon of premium quality coffee. Indulge in a deluxe blend of the finest, handpicked Arabica and Robusta coffee beans, perfectly roasted, finely ground, combined with exquisite milk, and layered with a rich, velvety café froth. Choose from three delicious flavors and discover which one satisfies your taste: Latte Macchiato, Cappuccino, and White Espresso. Delightfully mild and milky with a creamy finish, the Latte Macchiato hits with just the right sweetness in one cup. Sip on balanced, creamy yet full-bodied flavor that the Cappuccino brings. For a more intense, richer coffee flavor with a pronounced and lingering roasted aftertaste, try the White Espresso. Immerse

Easy Pha-Max Wheatgrass is FDA-approved and comes in original, honey, and lemon flavors. It’s available in all Mercury Drugstores, S&R, Watsons, Robinsons Supermarket and other leading groceries and supermarkets nationwide.

Comfort... From D1 The most expensive dishes on the menu are the Tomahawk steak, a 750gram bone-in steak priced at P2,995, and the 300-gram Angus rib-eye steak. Both come with twice-baked mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables with a choice of béarnaise or burgundy sauce. “Most of our clients are return customers, and that makes us really happy,” said Barretto. “I think most people are creatures of habit. You’d try a new restaurant that’s offering a novelty item, but after one or two tries and three Instagram posts, you would want to go back to where you can eat your comfort food. And they come back to Ramekin,” he added. For feedback, send comments to joyce.panares@gmail.com

Jam-packed... From D1 The Nescafe Gold Collection is made of a deluxe blend of the finest and handpicked Arabica and Robusta coffee beans

yourself in a multi-sensorial experience with every cup and instantly enjoy exceptional flavor profiles on the go. Expertly crafted for those who desire a cup of coffee that fits their finer tastes, Nescafé Gold is witness to moments of

luxury. With unparalleled attention to details to ensure the gold standard in coffee, the Nescafé Gold Collection provides an elevated coffee experience like no other. It’s now available in leading supermarkets and select convenience stores.

Chippy Kada bucket list challenge THE ultimate barkada snack, Jack ‘n Jill Chippy gathers fun-loving groups of friends for a different kind of adventure with the Chippy Kada Bucket List Challenge. Taking friendships to a whole new level of enjoyment, the challenges set the stage for a one-of-a-kind “kada-bonding” experience. And with bucket listworthy monthly prizes—until December—which include a Batangas beach trip, a tour of the Corregidor Island, and a visit to Subic’s Tree Top Adventure, new and exciting barkada moments are sure to unravel. For the grand prize, the winning barkada can pick from among three unique, fun-filled adventures. The adventure-seeking barkada can

Cool in cookie rack and keep in airtight container.

enjoy an Indochina Backpacking Experience or a journey to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. While the chill and laidback barkada can opt to relax in the cozy vibe of Batanes; enjoy the beautiful beaches in Coron, Palawan; or “Eat. Laugh. Bond.” in Bali, Indonesia. For the thrill-seeking barkada, there’s an option to witness the perfect sunrise in Bagan, Myanmar, head over to Chiang Mai in Thailand, or take a Manila-Laoag-Taiwan-Hong Kong cruise. With challenges such as taking a photo of the barkada reliving an iconic pose of a Filipino hero or jamming to your barkada’s favorite OPM song, the Chippy Kada Bucket List Challenge not only rewards participants with prizes, but more importantly, gives

them opportunities to create and share priceless, unforgettable bonding moments together. To join, barkadas of three to five members must first visit and like the Chippy Facebook fan page at www. facebook.com/Chippy.ph. They must also register their group name and members’ details at www.ChippyKadaBucketList.com. Every month, Chippy will post a challenge on its Facebook page. Barkadas need only to complete one of three monthly tasks and upload their photo or video entries on the microsite. Visit the www.chippykadabucketlist. com/promo/mechanics to know more about the challenge and the full contest mechanics.

renowned Pinoy food and travel blogger of Our Awesome Planet, Anton Diaz, and the country’s very own food maven, Chef Claude Tayag were also speakers during the Food Dialogue. Filipino specialties from six destinations across the country were presented with a twist in the Food Jamboree. A wide array of international street food dishes from Germany, Mexico, USA, Thailand, Japan, India, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore were also featured. There was a long queue of patrons lining for a taste of cheese empanada and bagnet pizza from Ilocos, as well as chicken satti from Davao. Martabak, a stuffed pancake from Indonesia, and an oyster omelet from Taiwan, were also among the bestsellers. This is the second time that WSFC17 was held in Manila, which is one of the most dynamic and fastest growing gastro cities in Asia. With the success of this year’s event, Seetoh announced that WSFC will once again be held in the country next year. Truly, the Philippines secured its place as one of the leading culinary destinations in the world.

Certified... From D1 for cooking, served with truffle teriyaki, wasabi pepper, and Peruvian anticucho sauces; and ribeye yakimono: grilled Japanese A5 Kobe beef and roasted vegetables, served with truffle teriyaki, wasabi pepper, and Peruvian anticucho sauces. Kobe is produced solely in Kobe City, Hyogo prefecture, Japan. Its unmatched luxurious flavor and texture produced through a highly meticulous and arduous process makes it the world’s rarest and most sought-after cattle meat in the world. Kobe beef requires a pure lineage of Tajima-gyu breed cattle born and raised in Hyogo prefecture, which feeds on the local water and grass its entire life. It must be a bull or virgin cow, processed in a Hyogo slaughterhouse and must pass a stringent government grading exam reaching a minimum BMS (beef marble score) of six or higher. To ensure authenticity, the store or restaurant must carry the certification with the 10-digit identification number determining which particular Tajima-gyu cow it came from. Nobu Manila is open for dinner from 6 to 10 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays and 6 to 11 p.m. Fridays to Sundays. For inquiries and reservations, call (02) 800-8080 or e-mail guestservices@cod-manila.com or visit www.cityofdreamsmanila.com.

MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017

Ex-sweethearts

Lovi, Rocco remain friends

First-time GMovies users get

P50 off on participating Pista movies

ACCORDING to Lovi Poe, even if her relationship with former flame Rocco Nacino has ended, they are able to maintain their friendship. “Yes, that’s what’s good and important,” she says. “We’re okay. Despite the fact that we’ve called it quits, we still managed to become good friends. No bad blood whatsoever.” Since they broke up in mid-2016, they moved on with their respective lives. Rocco found another love in the person of fellow Kapuso talent Arianne Bautista although it was short-lived. On her part, the dusky actress is romantically involved right now with FilipinoFrench businessman Chris Johnson. “But honestly, I don’t have any idea what’s going on with Rocco’s life now. As for me, I’m generally happy with my life at present. There are times when things don’t turn out the way I want but at the end of the day, I’m happy. I can’t ask for more.” With regards to her new love life, Lovi doesn’t want to elaborate much on Chris. “It’s something that I want to keep to myself. I want this part of my life to be private.” It appears she has learned from her highprofile love affairs in the past so she wants it low-key now. “Not really. Maybe I just came to a point when I want a little privacy for my love life specially that the other person is not from showbiz.” In another development, the acclaimed Kapuso star has a new movie titled Woke Up like This opposite Vhong Navarro. “Yes, under Regal Entertainment, it is directed by Joel Ferrer. I’m excited to have reunited with Vhong on the big screen after five years. Our last screen outing together was an episode from Shake, Rattle & Roll in 2012. I hope the viewers will support our latest offering,” ends Lovi. ******** Ian Veneracion admits his elation over Sharon Cuneta’s being vocal in saying that she wants to work with him in a silver screen project in the coming days. In her recent interviews, the Megastar has only good words for the A Love to Last male lead citing his professionalism and cool work attitude. “Yes and I’m flattered and grateful for her kind words,” states Ian. “Actually, it started when I became one of her guests in her recent concert in California. I flew there on the actual day of the concert and travelled back to Manila the following day. She noticed that. “But of course, that’s a commitment I had to fulfill. I didn’t realize that the schedule would be that tight. For me, when it’s still physically possible, go! She really appreciated it and told me personally.” According to the handsome actor, the said concert meant a lot to him. “They just didn’t know how big and important the exposure I got from that concert. For one, it was the first time that I would perform before a huge audience. There I was with my guitar and Mr. Louie Ocampo was backing me up with strings and of course, my duet with her. It’s simply, ‘Wow!’ It was truly one unforgettable experience.” If ever he and Sharon will be paired in a movie together in the near future, Ian welcomes the idea with open arms. “As I’ve said earlier, it’s flattering to know that. Everybody knows that she’s so fun and light to work with. I’ll be honored to do a project with her if ever,” he avers.

N LINE with the partnership between Globe Telecom and the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) for the ﬁrst Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, more Filipinos will now be able to purchase tickets for their chosen participating movies via the GMovies app.

By downloading the GMovies app for free on Google Playstore or on the App Store, first time GMovies users get P50 off their movie ticket/s to any Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP) film by using the promo code PELIKULA. “We fully support FDCP in their major initiative of giving Filipinos this ground breaking movie festival. Through accessibility of tickets on the GMovies app, we hope to encourage moviegoers to catch all PPP films, and movies in general, through legitimate sources whether in movie houses or in authorized streaming platforms,” says Glenn Estrella, vice president for Digital Ventures, the innovator of GMovies. This effort forms part of the company’s #PlayItRight campaign that sheds light to piracy and legitimate content consumption to provide an opportunity for local movies and film-makers to grow their business and expand to more audiences. Movie fans can easily book and buy their top PPP movie picks in just these easy steps: pick the movie on the app, select the cinema, time, date and preferred seat/s, and finally choose the payment method. Users can choose among various payment options such as via credit card, claim code, GCash, bank payment, or M-Pass for Ayala Cinemas. GMovies is the Philippines’ only movie ticketing app that aggregates over 100 cinemas nationwide. Its partner

A DETECTIVE from the past and a cold case proﬁler in present time found themselves communicating through a mysterious walkie-talkie and help each other solve murder cases in South Korea’s award-winning and top-rating rating police drama in 2016, Signal, which can now be viewed online via ABS-CBN’s video-on-demand service iWant TV. Signal bagged three awards at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards including best drama and best screenplay. It also won three tvN10 Awards, namely Grand Excellence Award for Acting for Cho Jinwoong, Actress’s Award for Kim Hye Soon, Content Award for Drama, among others. It follows the story of Harry Park (Lee Jehoon), a profiler who joins a newly formed cold case squad after solving a 15-year-old murder case through the help of Jomar Lee (Cho Jin-woong), a detective from the past. Through a walkie-talkie, Harry and Jomar communicate with each other to prevent murders from happening and to capture the suspects of unsolved cases in present time. Also joining the crime-busting adventures is detective Cyril Cha (Kim Hye-soo), a woman who knows Jomar from way back. Follow the thrilling police drama series online exclusively via iWant TV alongside other Korean dramas such

Monday, August 21, 2017

50 Zen question 51 White heron 54 Places of worship 58 Elmer Fudd, e.g. 59 Cheap heat 61 Manhattan river 62 Legend 63 Up and about 64 — Mae Brown 65 Mr. Trebek 66 Lukewarm 67 Pizzazz DOWN 1 Arrogant person 2 Tibetan monk 3 Fuel cartel 4 Casual shirt 5 Least friendly 6 Skateboard jump 7 Bit of straw 8 Twilight, to a poet 9 Place to winter 10 Most unbecoming 11 Sprinkle 12 Eat sparingly 13 Humerus neighbor 21 Saute 22 Interest amt. 24 Thin material 25 Recurrently 26 Wing it (hyph.)

cinemas include Ayala Malls Cinemas, SM Cinema, Robinsons Movieworld, Theatre Mall & Promenade Greenhills Cinemas, and Power Plant Cinema. It provides notiﬁcations on ticket availabilities with exclusive movie promos and ticket discounts. It also showcases the movie trailers and reviews. Customers can also get P50 off their ﬁrst ticket to Birdshot through SMS via Globe Rewards and Globe Stores. They may avail of the discount using the promo code HARIBON through Globe Rewards and the promo code BIRDSHOT through Globe Stores. All promos are valid for a minimum of two tickets at SM Cinemas, Robinsons Movieworld, Theater Mall and Promenade Greenhills, Power Plant Cinemas, and participating Ayala Malls Cinemas (Abreeza, Ayala Center Cebu, Bonifacio High Street, Centrio, Glorietta, Greenbelt 1 and 3, Harbor

Point, Market! Market!, MarQuee, and TriNoma). Promos are valid until Aug. 22 in which Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino screens 12 chosen local films in over 790 theaters nationwide. The 12 participating films include Hamog, Pauwi Na, Bar Boys, Patay na si Hesus, Star na si Van Damme Stallone, Triptiko, 100 Tula Para Kay Stella, Paglipay, AWOL, Birdshot, Ang Manananggal sa Unit 23B, and Salvage. Birdshot, top-billed by John Arcilla is also supported by Globe Studios, the original productions arm of Globe, through a co-marketing partnership with TBA Studios. Just follow Globe Telecom on Facebook or @ enjoyGLOBE on Twitter for more updates. For the screening schedules of Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, visit its official Facebook Page www.facebook. com/fdcpppp

Award-winning Korean crime thriller on iWant TV

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Coin opening 5 Daunted 10 Language of Pakistan 14 Winemaking valley 15 Relish tray item 16 Oprah’s middle name 17 Handwriting on the wall 18 Novelist Tillie — 19 Claim on property 20 Acrobatic move 22 Ship of 1492 23 Robin’s perch 24 Sotto — 26 Mixtures of metals 29 Fondness (2 wds.) 33 Far down 34 Genetic factor 36 Prefix for “trillion” 37 Decrease gradually 38 Building wing 39 Music genre 40 Baroness Karen 42 Destines 44 Venue 45 Hotel staffers 47 Twisted 49 Corn servings

Mikhail Red's "Birdshot," topbilled by John Arcilla, Arnold Reyes, and Mary Joy Apostol, is a gripping mystery-thriller that tells the story of a young farm girl who accidentally shot a Philippine Eagle

27 Renter’s document 28 Aboveboard 29 De-ices the roads 30 Hazard 31 Take the dais 32 Sealed a package 35 Gathers grain 41 Tissue brand 42 Debate side 43 Used Brillo 44 Genuine 46 Bowler 48 Dinghy’s need

50 Army wear 51 Sundance Kid’s wife 52 Touchdown 53 Part to be played 54 Give a hand 55 Flag down 56 Is, in Madrid 57 Getz or Kenton 59 Practiced Zen 60 Use a charge card

as Doctor Stranger, Sensory Couple, and Emergency Couple by logging on to www.iwantv.com.ph and go to the Kapamilya Asianovelas section. Signal captivated Korean viewers with its riveting plot that featured cases based on real unsolved crimes that happened in Korea such as the infamous Hwaseong serial murders. According to a review written by Michelle Dong for Korean website

Soompi, “Solving real crimes in the ﬁctional world is very satisfying. But even the ﬁctional elements felt logical and authentic, which make the series even more thrilling to watch.” She further added, “Lifted on the waves of superb writing and emotionally deep characters, Signal didn’t even need ‘kisses or cringy lines to sweep hearts’ as one fan put it.” New episodes are uploaded every week on iWant TV. The award-winning Koreanovela also airs on digital television 1 p.m. Sundays on ABS-CBN TVplus’ Cine Mo (ch 3).

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017

HAT if one day, all your fan girl dreams become a reality?

Beginning tonight, GMA Network makes history once again as it proudly presents its first-ever FilipinoKorean romantic comedy series, My Korean Jagiya. Headlining this newest primetime spectacle is no other than Philippine TV’s Sweetheart Heart Evangelista-Escudero as Guadalupe Immaculada Asuncion or “Gia”. Introducing in this original masterpiece is professional Korean actor, host, former member of the well-known K-pop group U-KISS, and the newest Kapuso oppa who is undeniably swoon-worthy and is all set to melt viewers’ hearts, Alexander Lee as Kim Jun Ho. Also starring are award-winning and talented artists Janice De Belen as Aida Asuncion, Gia’s widowed aunt; Ricky Davao as Jose/Josie Asuncion, Gia’s flamboyant and colourful uncle; Iya Villania-Arellano as Kennedy Santos, Gia’s perky and cheerful best friend; Edgar Allan Guzman as Ryan Alba, Gia’s handsome playboy boyfriend; and Valeen Montenegro as Cindy, the manipulative Filipina girlfriend of Jun Ho. With the special participation of Korean stars David Kim as Kim Ji Hu, Jun Ho’s stubborn older brother; Michelle Oh as Madam Kim YeaJin, Jun Ho and Ji Hu’s authoritative but caring mother; and Jerry Lee as Manager Choi, the goal-oriented and controlling manager of Jun Ho. Joining them are Frances Makil Ignacio as Carrie, Cindy’s supporter and best friend; Myke Solomon as Kerwin, Ji Hu’s driver and assistant; Jinri Park as Hannah Lee, Jun Ho’s secret admirer and Madam Kim’s assistant; Divine Aucina as Clarissa, Gia’s shy and conservative cousin; Khane Dela Cruz as Paolo Kim, Cindy and Ji Hu’s 5-year-old son. My Korean Jagiya tells the story of Gia, a quirky, bubbly, and hopelessly romantic girl often teased that she is next in her family to become an old maid. Apart from being a Korean grade school tutor, she is the ultimate K-drama fan girl armed with determination to meet her long-time crush and Korean superstar, Kim Jun Ho, who has since fallen off the radar and stepped out of the limelight at the height of his career. When her school offers her a scholarship in Seoul, she grabs the opportunity to try and find Jun Ho, but ends up coming home disappointed. As it turns out, fate had a different plan for her when she helps a drunk Korean guy beaten by gangsters in one of Manila’s bars. After a few days, the mysterious guy comes back to thank her, and much to her surprise, it’s her dream oppa, Kim Jun Ho. Sparks fly and the two of them eventually become friends. But to Gia, Jun Ho will always mean something more. Can he find it in his heart to fall in love with her, too? Or are some dreams too good to come true? With a light and romantic theme, My Korean Jagiya is set to make viewers fall in love with the kilig-filled story of Gia and Jun Ho. The series was partly shot in South Korea’s most scenic spots used in famous K-dramas including Nami Island (Winter Sonata), Namsan Park (My Name is Kim Sam Soon), Love Padlocks at N Seoul Tower (My Love From the Star), and Daejanggeum Park, the actual set built and used for the internationally-acclaimed series Jewel In The Palace. Also, the series was shot in other popular tourist destinations in Korea like Han River Park, Cheonggyecheon Stream Park, and Seoul Land Theme Park. Seoul Film Commission and Seoul Metropolitan Government provided support and assistance to the production team of My Korean Jagiya during their entire stay in South Korea. GMA Network, known for producing ground-breaking and innovative shows, has previously produced several projects which were shot and filmed abroad including the movie I Love New York shot in different locations in New York, USA; the series Codename: Asero in Dubai; the Pinoy adaptation of the Koreanovela Full House in Prague, Czech Republic; and the afternoon series Maghihintay Pa Rin in Singapore.

‘MY KOREAN JAGIYA’ all set to charm viewers

TURNING KOREAN. Kapuso darling Heart Evangelista plays an avid K-Pop fan in GMA Network’s original series, “My Korean Jagiya.” (Inset) Evangelista with her Oppa in the series, actor and former U-KISS member, Alexander Lee.

MIGO ADECER releases ﬁrst single

STAR ON THE RISE. Teen

heartthrob and singer-actor Migo Adecer penetrates iTune PH with his debut single

Starstruck VI Ultimate Male Survivor Migo Adecer released his first single entitled “I Long to Ask You” on Aug.15 and it has maintained a spot in iTunes Philippines Top Songs chart. The Kapuso star feels proud that his debut song has received a lot of support and claims that he is finally on his way to pursuing his first love. “I’m very happy that the song has received a lot of love, especially when I’m a newcomer in the music scene. I’ve always been vocal about my passion in music and now that I’m finally doing it, I’m really happy,” Migo shares. The words to the song were written by Migo himself, with the music produced by award-winning producer Alwyn Cruz. The music video directed by Miggy Tanchangco premieres this month.

Benilde hosts film festival for professional and student directors STUDENTS, professors, enthusiasts, and professionals recently gathered at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) School of Design and Arts for CineSB7: The Main Installment, an annual film festival of the School of Design and Arts’ Digital Filmmaking Department. The three-day event had products from various colleges and universities across the metro, such as Far Eastern University (FEU), Mapua University, Trinity University of Asia (TUA), University of the Philippines Diliman (UP Diliman), De La Salle University (DLSU), and the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB). The festival likewise hosted Twenty-Quatro, a filmmaking marathon wherein participants had to produce a short movie given a time limit of 24 hours. Lakas Forum was part of the celebration, where films of veteran directors and actors were premiered to the audience. Entries were divided into three categories, namely, Maningning, recognized in local or international film festivals; Sibol, for current college or university undergraduate; and Berde, for current La Sallian

student-ﬁlmmakers. The industry is well and alive, for each bracket garnered over 20 preliminary entries. The Best Picture for the Twenty-Quatro competition was Uwi by 19J Productions of Mapua University, while Ang Ngiting ‘Di Nasilayan by Pelikula Films of DLS-CSB bagged both Second Best Picture and Audience Choice. For the Maningning category, awards were given to Santa Nena! by Tim Rone Villanueva from DLS-CSB (Gold), Nakaw by Arvin Belarmino and Noel Escondo from UP Diliman (Silver), and Ma’am La by Vince Sevillano from DLS-CSB

(Bronze). For Sibol, laurels were presented to Pua Iyam by Juan Pablo Pineda III from FEU Manila (Gold), Sa Pagkabuhay by Nicole Monta from TUA (Silver), and Akalingwan Nang Rosa by Max Canlas from UP Diliman (Bronze). For the Berde division, distinctions were conferred to Strokes of Venus by Gione Pagdanganan from DLSU Manila (Gold), Suntok Sa Buwan by Keihziah Diaz Rubina from DLS-CSB (Silver), and Sud Sa Ginhawaan by Martin Mayuga from DLS-CSB (Bronze). Digital Professor Geofferson Ting directed the festival.