Manila Standard - 2017 September 6 - Wednesday

US ACCUSES NOKOR OF ‘BEGGING FOR WAR’

(Story on A6)

PET orders retrieval of ballot boxes in VP race

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court, acting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal, has ordered the retrieval of ballot boxes in three pilot provinces—Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental—for the recounting of votes as sought by losing vice presidential candidate

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The PET also approved the decryption and printing of ballot images in the three provinces.

But the tribunal deferred action on Marcos’ request to conduct a technical and forensic examination of all ballots from the provinces of Basilan, Maguindanao, and

Lanao del Sur. Marcos, a former senator, originally wanted ballot boxes to be retrieved in 22 provinces and five highly urbanized cities for the vote recount.

At the same time, PET dismissed the first question raised by Marcos in his electoral protest against Vice

President Leni Robredo that assailed the integrity of the automated election system used during the 2016 national elections.

With the ruling, the PET effectively limited the poll protest of Marcos against Robredo to disputed votes for Robredo.

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Caloocan cops earn ‘Best Police Station’ tag

By Jun David THE Caloocan police have been given the Best City Police Station award despite the killing of two teenagers, Kian delos Santos, 17, and Carl Arnaiz, 19, in the government’s anti-drug campaign.

“Let us not generalize. In fairness to the local police force, they really worked hard to keep the city peaceful from street crimes,” said Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan.

Malapitan said the crime rate drastically declined since he took over in 2013.

It was then that dimly lit and dark areas in the city where lighted, police and barangay outposts in crimeprone areas were built and close circuit television cameras were installed, he added.

The city government also supported the local police by issuing mobile cars,

SANCTION ON PYONGYANG. Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya (left) speaks with US Ambassador Nikki Haley (right) and Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi (center) after a UN Security Council emergency meeting over North Korea’s latest nuclear test on Sept. 4 at the UN headquarters in New York. Washington will present a new UN sanctions resolution to punish Pyongyang for its sixth nuclear test and aims to put it to a vote in a week. AFP

Poe: Arnaiz’s death a case of ‘overkill’ S

ENATOR Grace Poe on Tuesday said the killing of 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz was “overkill,” after autopsy findings showed he was probably dragged, beaten and handcuffed before he was shot dead by Caloocan City police on Aug. 18.

Poe, vice chairman of the Senate committee on public order, said during the resumption of hearings on the government’s war on drugs that the responding police used excessive and lethal force in the Arnaiz case.

In separate testimony, Dr. Erwin Erfe of the Public Attorney’s Office and Chief Insp. Jocelyn Cruz of the Northern Police District crime laboratory, told the senators that Arnaiz suffered five gunshot wounds, had handcuff marks on his

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No shortcut to impeach CJ Sereno SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez said Tuesday the House of Representatives will not automatically transmit to the Senate the impeachment case filed against Supreme Court chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, which has gained enough endorsements in the House.

He made the statement even as the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption said Tuesday President Rodrigo Duterte had nothing to do with its filing of an impeachment complaint against Sereno.

Dante Jimenez, the group’s founding chairman, said Duterte was not behind the complaint.

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HOT SEAT. Caloocan City policemen PO1 Jeffrey Perez (left) and PO1 Ricky Arquilita testify Tuesaday during a hearing of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs on the killing of former UP student Carl Angelo Arnaiz. Ey Acasio

PNP, PAO chiefs deny ‘kill drug suspects’ policy

By Macon R. Araneta

PNP CHIEF DELA ROSA

PHILIPPINE National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa on Tuesday denied that it was state policy to kill drug suspects.

Dela Rosa spoke after Senator Risa Hontiveros said during a hearing of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs that the PNP should not be used as a killing machine by higher authorities in the wake of the killing of two teenagers, Kian delos Santos, 17, and Carl Arnaiz, 19, in anti-drug operations.

“I don’t believe that some of the policemen were

PAO CHIEF ACOSTA

merely [killing in] bloodlust,” said Hontiveros. She said there was a policy dictating a culture of killing.

“There’s madness....Our enemies are big, not just one or two policemen but a bigger policy that allows killing in the name of war on drugs,” Hontiveros said.

She added that she was not referring to Dela Rosa, but to “a higher official.”

But Dela Rosa said President Rodrigo Duterte has not ordered the police to kill drug suspects.

“You are referring to the President,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

wrists, had contusions on both eyes, which were swollen, and had abrasions on his back, indicating he may have been dragged.

Erfe said Arnaiz was on his knees when shot, while Cruz said the boy was in a lying position facing up when he was killed, based on the trajectory of the gunshot wounds.

“Almost all of the gunshot wounds were going upwards which would indicate that possibly the assailant Next page

‘Kian did not fire a gun, no shootout happened’ A WITNESS in the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos said that contrary to police accounts, the teenager did not fire a weapon before he was shot dead on Aug. 16.

Identified only as “MC,” the witness pointed to Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares and Police Officer 1 Jeremias Pereda as the men she saw with Delos Santos moments before he was shot dead.

“There was no shootout.

They [the police] fired on the way down,” she said in Filipino during Tuesday’s Senate hearing of the committee on public safety and dangerous drugs.

She said she was on her way to buy rice and cigarettes when she saw the two police officers dragging away another person that she would later learn was Delos Santos.

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Graft court orders Misuari’s House allots P1k budget for energy agency arrest over ‘textbook scam’

By Maricel V. Cruz FORMER Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor Nur Misuari has been ordered arrested by the Sandiganbayan over the so-called “textbook scam” involving P115.2 million in educational materials.

The anti-graft court Third Division, in a resolution, found probable cause to hold Misuari on trial and his

co-accused for the allegedly anomalous purchase of educational materials in 2000 and 2001.

This developed as former vice president Jejomar Binay and his son, dismissed Makati mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr., will be facing trial at the Sandiganbayan in connection with the alleged overpriced Makati car park building when he was Next page

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THE House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a 1,000-peso budget for the Energy Regulatory Commission for 2018, an amount that practically closes down the agency.

It happened after Rep. Celso Lobregat moved to sponsor only P1,000 for the ERC during the plenary deliberations on the 2018 national budget, and Rep. Lito Atienza, a member of the mi-

nority, seconded his motion.

“I am here to sponsor the budget of the ERC and we are sponsoring the budget of P1,000 for the ERC for the year 2018,” Lobregat said.

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US grants additional $15m for Marawi rehab

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

nance emergency relief and recovery assistance for the communities affected by the THE United States has made ongoing conflict in Marawi a fresh donation of $14.3 City, Lanao del Sur and the million or P730 million to fi- surrounding areas, an offifacebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

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cial said Tuesday.

In a round-table discussion with selected reporters, US ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim also Next page

MASKED WITNESS. An unidentified witness in the Kian delos Santos killing, tagged only as ‘MC,’ testifies Tuesday at the resumption of the hearing conducted by the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs. Ey Acasio

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China: Sandy Cay issue ‘now resolved’

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

C

HINA says the issue on Sandy Cay, a strip of sandbars in the disputed West Philippine Sea, has been “resolved” through diplomatic channels.

In a diplomatic reception on Monday evening, Chinese ambassador to Manila Zhao Jianhua said that people should not “worry,” reacting to Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio warning that such action of deploying Chinese Navy, Coast Guard ships and a flotilla of paramilitary fishing forces near the strip was tantamount to an “invasion.”

“The issue has been success-

fully addressed through diplomatic channels...don’t worry,” Zhao said.

“Don’t worry,” Zhao told journalists at a diplomatic reception Monday evening.

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano disagreed with Carpio’s pronouncements and declared without elaborating that the issue had been resolved quietly and diplomatically by the Philippines

US in talks with PH on Balangiga bells

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan THE United States government is holding talks with the Philippines for the immediate return of three Balangiga bells—war booty taken by the American soldiers from Eastern Samar in 1901, Washington’s envoy to Manila said on Tuesday.

In a round table discussion with selected journalists, US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said that although it was very difficult to predict the exact date, he gave assurances that the American government was “deeply committed” to returning the bells in the “not-sodistant future.”

“There is an ongoing effort, ongoing discussion within the US government and with the Philippine government to try to facilitate the return of these bells as quickly as possible,” Kim said.

“I believe it’s the right thing to do and I really do hope that we’ll be able to return the bells soon,” he added.

The issue on Balangiga bells came into light when President Rodrigo Duterte again criticized the American govenrment in his two-hour long 2nd State of the Nation Address, in front of 1,500 dignitaries, diplomats, and guests, where Kim was also present.

“Give us back those Balangiga bells. They are ours,” Duterte demanded.

“They belong to the Philippines. They are part of our national heritage...” he added.

The Balangiga bells are three church bells taken by the US Army from the town church of Balangiga in Eastern Samar as war trophies after reprisals following the Balangiga massacre in 1901 during the PhilippineAmerican War.

No...

From A1 He also slammed political analyst Ramon Casiple of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms who claimed the VACC was identified with the ruling Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan.

“Let me correct you, sir. The only connection we have is our advocacy against crime, illegal drugs and corruption,” Jimenez said.

“So please refrain from doing that, professor Casiple, because we are not a political unit.”

Alvarez said the House committee on justice must conduct thorough hearings on the Sereno complaint, along with the other impeachment cases, to find out if there was enough evidence to pin her down as well as the others.

“We can do the automatic transmittal of the impeachment

House...

From A1 He did not explain his motion, but the ERC earned the ire of lawmakers after its officials failed to submit documents in relation to the House’s probe into the ERC’s allegedly questionable approval of the power supply contracts signed by power distributor Manila Electric Co. The joint House committees on good government and public

Kim said he was hopeful that Washington could soon return the three church bells, adding there were some issues that needed to be resolved to facilitate the bells’ return.

“I believe it’s the right thing to do and I really do hope that we’ll be able to return the bells soon,” Kim said.

“We know that these bells are emotionally and historically important matter for the Filipino people. We want to return them,” he assured.

Kim said he was not aware yet when the bells could be returned or whether all three bells would be returned at once.

The American envoy also admitted the return of the Balangiga bells was “not a very simple matter.”

He noted that as much as the bells were important to the Filipinos in Samar, it was also as important to the Americans who fought in that war more than 100 years ago.

“But it’s actually not a very simple matter. Just as the bells are emotionally important, historically important matter for the Filipino people I think they also hold a special meaning to those who fought – I mean – the veterans associations,” Kim said, replying to questions what were the obstacles being encountered in facilitating the return of the bells.

Currently, Kim said, the US government was working with Veterans associations back home to come up with the right solution to address the matter.

“We’ll have to work with them to try to come up with the right or the best solution for the return of the bells,” he said.

“But I’m cautiously optimistic that we will be able to see some progress in that not too distant future,” he added.

complaint if we wish to do so,” Alvarez told reporters.

“But we won’t do it. We want thorough hearings on the impeachment complaints to find out if there is enough evidence or there is none, whether it can stand trial in an impeachment court.”

A creeping impeachment was adopted in the 15th Congress in 2011 during the impeachment of Chief justice Renato Corona, when 188 lawmakers signed as endorsers to the complaint even before it reached the House committee on justice for hearings.

The complaint―having obtained the required one-third of the signatures of the total House members―was then transmitted to the Senate for trial.

Corona was impeached in 2012 for failing to truthfully disclose his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth. He died of a heart attack on April 29, 2016 at the age of 67. Maricel V. Cruz and Rio N. Araja accountability and on energy had been probing the alleged “sweetheart deals” between Meralco and its sister companies, and the ERC’s role in allowing Meralco to approve those.

The ERC proposed a P365million budget for next year but the Budget Department approved only P350.9 million.

Presiding Speaker and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro approved Lobregat’s motion after he heard no objections from the other lawmakers. Maricel V. Cruz

and China.

Zhao backed Cayetano’s remarks but also did not elaborate on the touchy issue.

President Rodrigo Duterte also said he was assured by China, through Zhao, that it would not invade the sandbars.

Cayetano confirmed the talks through diplomatic channels but refused to divulge the details.

He also disagreed with Carpio’s remark.

Zhao also said Chinese President Xi Jinping was set to make an official visit to the Philippines next year while Chinese Premier Li Keqiang would still be the one representing his country to attend the Asean summit in November, where the Philippines is the current chairman.

“Ever since President Duterte

took office, our relationship has dramatically improved. Relations and cooperation have entered a new era, so we need to continue to properly handle the disputes that we have,” Zhao said.

Zhao said Li’s visit to the Philippines was the first time in about 10 years.

He also noted it was also the first time for Xi to visit the Philippines.

“President Duterte has been to China twice and it’s time for our president to come,” Zhao said.

The date of Xi’s visit is still being finalized, but Zhao said “definitely he will (make the visit).”

“It is going to be hugely significant, it’s going to be very, very fruitful,” Zhao said of Xi’s

Poe:...

From A could be in standing position and victim Carl was in a lower position compared to the assailant,” Cruz said.

She also said that if Arnaiz had tried to fight back, he would have had difficulty doing so.

“Based on the body of the victim, there were multiple gunshot wounds and there were other injuries noted. It means the victim wasn’t able to fight back easily,” Cruz said.

Crime Laboratory deputy director for administration Senior Supt. Ligaya Sim, meanwhile, said Arnaiz tested positive for gunpowder nitrates, indicating he had fired a gun.

The 19-year-old went out to buy a late night snack on Aug. 17 with his friend in Cainta, Rizal, but did not return for 10 days. He was found by his parents in a Caloocan City morgue on Aug. 28.

Police said the boy hailed a taxi in Navotas and declared a hold-up in Caloocan, a place that his parents said he had not visited. Police said Arnaiz opened fire against them, prompting them to fire

‘Kian...

From A1 She said the policemen were in a hurry and she followed them to where they dragged him near a pig sty where they shot him, about three houses from where she lived.

“I hid behind the gate,” she continued in Filipino. “I saw there were three of them, but I could only identify two of them because the third had his back to me. There’s a light from our house and I could see them.

They pushed Kian to the side of the pig sty and I could hear Kian say, ‘Sir, huwag po [Sir, please don’t],” she said.

Graft...

From A1 still a mayor of Makati City.

The Sandiganbayan Third Division, in a resolution promulgated Aug. 31 and released to media Tuesday, found probable cause to hold the two Binays on trial for malversation, graft and falsification of public documents over the alleged rigging of the procurement of the 11-storey Makati City Parking building.

The court set Binays’ arraignment on Sept. 29.

“After a careful evaluation of the records of the present

PNP,...

From A1 “Even if I die where I’m sitting, there is no state policy to kill. If you can prove that, your honor, I will return to Davao and step down from my post.”

Dela Rosa asked Hontiveros not to condition the public into believing that the police have been ordered to kill.

“Let us not precondition the minds of Filipinos to believe that their police have been ordered to keep killing. How can I defend this agency if the peo-

PET...

From A1 The vice president’s camp cited as basis for the latest plea the various manifestations of Marcos asking the tribunal to direct the Comelec to retain custody of said Vote Counting Machines because he intends to subject them to “technical examination, forensic investigation, verification and analysis” which the PET granted when it issued a Precautionary Protection Order on June 12, 2016 directing Comelec

Philippine visit.

According to Duterte, China was only patrolling the area, contrary to Carpio’s claim that Chinese vessels have occupied the strip.

“China assured me that they will not build anything there,” Duterte told journalists last month.

“I called the Ambassador, he said, ‘We will assure you that we are not building anything there,’” Duterte said, referring to Zhao.

Initially, the Sandy Cay incident, the latest issue in the disputed West Philippine Sea to emerge between China and the Philippines, appeared poised to spoil the improved relations between the Asian neighbors under Duterte and Xi.

back in a shootout at 3:30 a.m. of Aug. 18. They said he had packs of marijuana and shabu in his possession.

The policemen involved in the killing, Police Officers 1 Jeffrey Perez and Ricky Arquilita, have already been relieved from their posts pending an investigation into the incident.

The taxi driver, Tomas Bagcal, who said he was robbed, executed an affidavit on Aug. 18 that lacked important details, such as the plate number of his taxi, and he failed to identify the alleged robber who took his wallet. He later executed a supplemental affidavit on Aug. 29 that identified Arnaiz as the suspect in the purported robbery.

Poe, noting some questionable details on both affidavits, said the taxi driver should be invited to the next hearing.

She also moved to invite the parents of Arnaiz, who have been provisionally accepted into the Justice Department’s Witness Protection Program.

At the hearing, PO2 Rodolfo Bautista, the chief investigator of Caloocan City Police Station, admitted that he failed to indicate the plate number and name of the taxi allegedly that Arnaiz allegedly robbed.

“That was my fault,” Bautista said in

But Cayetano later spoke in public amid growing speculations about the incident and gave assurances the issue has been resolved diplomatically.

Cayetano and other officials have not divulged any details of what actually transpired at Sandy Cay. A recent wire news report, quoting Philippine security sources, said that China has actually suspected that the Philippines has plotted to occupy the sandbars, which lies within Pagasa Island’s 12 nautical mile territorial waters.

China deployed three navy vessels, coast guard ships and a flotilla of fishing boats to Sandy Cay in mid-August after it spotted Filipino fishermen, on board boats, set a foothold on the sand-

Filipino. “We asked PO1 [Jeffrey] Perez to contact the taxi driver, who came back.”

He said the driver’s license, plate number and address were on file.

At the same hearing, PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa said they knew nothing about the whereabouts of Arnaiz’s companion, 14-year-old Reynaldo de Guzman, who has been missing three weeks.

The hearing was part of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs’ investigation into the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos who, like Arnaiz, was shot dead after allegedly engaging policemen in a shootout.

In Delos Santos’ case, the police account was contradicted by CCTV footage, eyewitnesses and autopsy results that showed he had not fired a weapon before he was gunned down.

Also on Tuesday, Justice Undersecretary Erickson Balmes said Carl’s parents Carlito and Eva Arnaiz, were provisionally covered by the WPP on orders of Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II. On Monday, Aguirre ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct a parallel probe into Arnaiz’s death.

Accompanied by PAO chief Persida

In her sworn statement, a copy of which was provided to the press, MC said Kian’s face was covered while he was being dragged by the policemen.

“I saw three men. The two were on each side and the third was covering his face with a tshirt while they were dragging him,” she said.

“There were two more men that seemed to be following them. All of them were in civilian clothes,” she said.

Although they were not in uniform, she recognized the men as police officers who had been arresting drug addicts and pushers in their area.

MC identified Oares as the man who shot Delos Santos.

“After I saw his photo on the news and at the hearing in the Senate, I recognized the face of the man in green who fired his gun at Kian. I knew it was PO3 Arnel Oares,” she said.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa admitted Tuesday that the police operation that led to Kian’s death was overkill.

“Based on forensic report, it was really an overkill,” he said during a separate Senate hearing on the budget of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, meanwhile, said another witness, identified only as Choleng, has been given provi-

cases, this Court finds the existence of probable cause in each of the cases for the issuance of warrants of arrest against all the accused including accusedmovants, and to hold them for trial,” the anti-graft court said.

The anti-graft court said the alleged “simulated public bidding” involving the design and construction of the Phase I, II and III of the Makati City Hall Parking Building “could not have been made without the participation of the accused.”

It also sees no need for the issuance of arrest warrants against the accused as they have already posted bail for tempo-

rary liberty.

“Finally, in view of the voluntary surrender and the posting of bail bond for the temporary liberty of all the accused, the Court need not issue warrants for their arrest,” the court said.

Misuari’s co-accused include former Department of Education ARMM executives Director Leovigilda Cinches, supply officer Sittie Aisa Usman, accountant Alladin Usi, chief accountant Pangalian Maniri, and CoA auditor Nader Macagaan.

The prosecutors also filed charges against suppliers Lolita Sambeli of White Orchids and Cristeta Ramirez of CPR Publishing.

ple’s minds are closed?” he said.

Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Rueda Acosta denied Hontiveros’ claim that she saw a pattern in the killing of drug suspects.

“There has been no pronouncement by the PAO about such a pattern. There is no government policy to kill mercilessly,” she said in Filipino.

She said the Revised Penal Code provided that police officers could use force if their lives were threatened in the course of going after suspects.

“That’s why we have 80,000 clients in jail, because they were

arrested by the police. We also have many clients who are police,” she said.

“There’s a similarity in the cases of Kian and Carl. They’re both teenagers, both of their mothers work abroad, they both work in sari-sari stores, both look decent but were tagged as drug suspects. We never spoke of a pattern. I’m hurt by that because I work in the government,” Acosta added.

But Hontiveros pointed to a radio interview where Acosta said there was a pattern in the Arnaiz case that followed that of Kian.

to preserve and safeguard said equipment.”

“The same request and reason for retention of these VCMs was reiterated by Marcos’ lawyer George Garcia during the preliminary conference at the PET on July 11, 2017”, Macalintal added.

“Thus, we asked the PET to immediately resolve our earlier and pending clarification whether Marcos should be held liable for the P2 Billion cost of the retention of said VCMs by the Comelec or a resolution be issued directing Marcos to deposit the said amount,” the law-

yer pointed out.

Marcos filed the protest on June 29 last year, claiming that the camp of Robredo cheated in the automated polls in May also year. He sought annulment of about a million votes cast in three provinces, Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Maguindanao.

In his protest, Marcos contested the results in a total of 132,446 precincts in 39,221 clustered precincts covering 27 provinces and cities.

In his preliminary conference brief, Marcos also sought the recount in Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental.

bars, the report said.

The report quoted a senior Philippine diplomat as saying that China “is concerned that we will build.”

China insists “indisputable” and “historical” claim over virtually the entire South China Sea. Some parts of waters that fall within Manila’s exclusive economic zone had been renamed West Philippine Sea by the Philippine government.

China’s aggressive actions and growing military presence in the potentially oil-rich waters, where Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims, have sparked concerns among many countries, such as the US, Japan and Australia.

Acosta, the victim’s parents had gone to the Justice Department to seek assistance for the immediate investigation of their son’s killing.

Acosta said they are still gathering more evidence before filing a case against the policemen involved in the operation.

She said initial investigation and forensic analysis contradicted the claim of policemen that Arnaiz was killed in a shootout because there were signs he was tortured and dragged.

She said they are preparing the filing of murder charges against the two policemen before the DOJ. Malacañang on Tuesday assured the public of an impartial probe into Carl’s death.

“We assure the public that there will be no whitewash and there will be a thorough investigation and will be made accountable before our laws,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said.

United States Ambassador to Manila Sung Kim called on all relevant authorities to investigate the killing of Arnaiz and to punish those involved once proved that they committed wrongdoing. Rey E. Requejo, John Paolo Bencito and Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

sional coverage under the Witness Protection Program upon the request of the PAO. “The witness has been provisionally accepted in WPP pending assessment of her application for full coverage. She is now in a safe house,” Aguirre said in a text message.

In her affidavit, Choleng said she saw the police officers fetch Kian from his house and carry him down to a basketball court.

“I saw the policemen carrying Kian. One of them was holding Kian’s neck with his arms,” her affidavit said.

Choleng said she even confronted the policemen after learning that Kian was shot dead.

US...

From A1 said American forces will conduct a training program with the Armed Forces of the Philippines on neutralizing improvised explosive devices.

“The most urgent challenge is the conflict in Marawi. We all look forward to the end of the fighting and suffering,” said Kim who has been in Manila for nine months.

“The United States is deeply committed to this partnership and remains ready to support our friend and ally as we face the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

Of the P750 million, P153 million will go to USAID’s office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance to deliver critical supplies such as safe drinking water, hygiene kits, shelter materials for the evacuation centers and for the programs to protect displaced women and children.

The the rest of the money or P577 million will finance the recovery, stabilization and rehabilitation of Marawi and its

Caloocan...

From A1

logistical support and other equipment that would help curb criminality.

The award was given by the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the National Capital Region Police Office on Aug. 22, six days after Delos Santos was killed by policemen during an anti-drug operation.

The mayor expressed his dismay at the killing of Delos Santos and Arnaiz.

“It is very saddening on my part the two consecutive incidents involving Kian and

“Why did you kill the kid?

You shouldn’t have killed him.

You should have jailed him instead,” she recalled telling the police.

The eyewitness account was supported by CCTV footage in the area operated by the barangay.

A forensic exam conducted by the PAO also indicated that Kian sustained two gunshot wounds in his head and one at the back and that he was shot while lying face down.

The PAO submitted these pieces of evidence to support the murder and torture charges against the policemen, citing the clear presence of the element of treachery. Rey E. Requejo surrounding areas.

“This money will focus on restoring basic public services including health care, water and electricity, jump-starting livelihood and promoting community reconciliation,” Kim said.

The P730 million adds to the assistance provided by USAID, including the 12,000 water containers and the nearly 100,000 chlorine tablets to help bring safe drinking water to the families in the evacuation centers, as well as the 6,500 desks for temporary schools and psychosocial support for affected teachers and students.

The US Public Affairs Section will also be providing P22 million for educational and informational programs that will bring together students and women leaders to explore innovative ways to address the challenges facing Marawi’s residents.

Tuesday was the first time Kim conducted a round-table discussion with reporters in Manila since he was appointed by former US President Barrack Obama last year.

Carl Angelo which served as a strong blow and stain on the reputation this leadership has earned for more four years,” Malapitan said in Filipino.

“This is not the kind of peace and order rule that I established as local chief.

However, let the justice process prevail and those responsible for the death of Kian and Carl Angelo suffer the consequences of the law for what they have committed,” he added.

He vowed that peace and order will prevail in the streets of Caloocan and victims of abusive policemen will be given justice.

News IN BRIEF MMDA, mall owners set meet THE Metro Manila Development Authority is set to meet mall owners and operators to discuss measures to effectively address the anticipated traffic problems during the peak buying months.

MMDA assistant general manager for planning Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. said the agency, led by its chairman Danilo Lim, invited the mall owners and operators to his office to assist the MMDA to further improve its preparations of appropriate traffic engineering and enforcement during the holiday season.

“We invited them to hold a meeting within the month to have proper coordination because we cannot simply impose a policy without cooperating with mall owners. Dialogue is very important,” said Garcia.

Garcia said they will also ask shopping center operators to hold mall sales on a Saturday and Sunday to prevent monstrous traffic during Friday, especially when it falls on a payday.

“If it falls on payday Friday, we’re expecting heavy traffic in their areas, so we need to cooperate with the mall owners,” he said.

Shopping malls and similar commercial establishments are traffic generators during the holidays, according to MMDA. Joel E. Zurbano

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Immunity for Marcos wealth sought

By John Paolo Bencito and Maricel V. Cruz

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said that he wants Congress to pass a law giving immunity to the Marcoses, should negotiations proceed with the return of alleged ill-gotten wealth that they stole from the government.

“Etong mga Marcos, hindi ‘to papayag na isauli nila yung pera tapos kulungin mo sila… so I said, they have to craft a law for that and that is immunity,” the President said at the sidelines of Metrobank’s 55th Founding Anniversary.

The President insisted that the Marcoses aren’t fools to proceed at talks returning alleged ill-gotten wealth from government coffers, without

the guarantee of immunity for the pending cases that they have.

“Why should you throw the Marcoses to jail? If I were them, I would rather not return the money,” Duterte said, responding to criticisms on his supposed deal with the late President’s eldest daughter, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos.

Duterte however, vowed that he would take a “neu-

tral” stand on the pending cases filed against the Marcoses, whom he earlier asked Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II to intervene.

The President likewise clarified that his suggestion will be part of a “new deal” between the government and the Marcoses, which is separate from their pending cases before the Sandiganbayan.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives would look into Duterte’s request for Congress to negotiate for the return of the alleged stolen wealth of the Marcoses, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said on Tuesday.

“We will discuss it, whether we have the power to give the President the authority to negotiate for the return [of the alleged ill-gotten wealth

of the Marcos family]. That was the first time [that the President asks Congress about the matter],” Alvarez said.

Alvarez said the House has yet to receive any communication from Malacañang on the matter.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, chairman of the House committee on good government and public accountability, said his panel is ready to conduct a hearing to determine Congress’ authority over the President’s power to negotiate for the alleged hidden wealth of the Marcos family.

“If a congressman will file a resolution to conduct an inquiry we will do so,” Pimentel said.

But Albay Rep. Edcel

Marine general heads Nolcom THE Army-dominated Northern Luzon Command based in Tarlac province has remained under the leadership of a general from the Marine Corps.

On Monday, Major General Emmanuel Buenaflor Salamat replaced former Nolcom chief and now retired Lieutenant General Romeo Tanalgo during a turnover of command ceremony.

Salamat, a member of the Philippine military Academy “Sandiwa” Class 1985, was the former commandant of the Marine Corps. Tanalgo belongs to the PMA “Matikas” Class ’83.

The change of command was led by Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Eduardo Año, also a Matikas member.

Año himself is set to mandatorily retire on October 26. He has been named Interior secretary

by President Rodrigo Duterte upon retirement but cannot immediately assume his post because of the one-year ban set

by Republic Act 6975 or the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990, which says that, “no retired or resigned military officer or police official may be appointed as Secretary within one year from the date of his retirement or resignation.”

Florante S. Solmerin

By Francisco Tuyay

FOURTH ALARM. Firefighters try to control the blaze that gutted several houses along Estrada St. in Manila on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017. The fire reached the fourth alarm. Norman Araga

A MILITANT lawmaker on Tuesday scored the decrease in the funding for PerformanceBased Bonuses given to government employees at the plenary debates Monday for the 2018 budget of the Department of Budget and Management.

Under the 2018 General Appropriations Bill, from P16 billion in the 2017 General Appropriations Act, funding for PBB will go down to P11 billion.

TEN members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and a rebel fighter from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front were killed and several others were wounded from both sides after the two rebel factions figured in intense fighting at the outskirts of Datu Salibo, Maguindanao in the past three days, the military said, quoting a report from MILF officials.

Capt. Arvin Encinas, spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the killing of the BIFF rebels were reported by the MILF whose forces directly figured in the firefight against the BIFF rebels at Sitio Gagadi, Brgy. Tee in Salibo town since Sunday.

“It was the MILF who reported the killing of BIFF members as the MILF were the ones involved in the fighting,” said Encinas, who added that they are still validating the reports.

In a report by the MILF’s

‘Small’ mulls filing case vs broker-witness Taguba DAVAO CITY—Councilor Nilo “Small” Abellera said that his team is now studying the charges that they might file against Mark Taguba for implicating him in the alleged “Davao group” that was responsible for big time smuggling here in the city.

Abellera said that they are now thinking about possible charges against Taguba but added that his legal team would like to focus first in clearing his name.

“We are now thinking about the possible charges, but for now there is no finality yet because we are still focusing on the senate hearing since first and foremost I need to clear my name first,” he said.

Abellera, who is now on his last term as a city councilor, said that he was offended by the allegations thrown against him especially because he has no knowledge about the issue that he is facing right now.

“I have no business related to import or export or

to do with the Bureau of Customs. I do not involve myself in the national agency especially if I have nothing to do with them,” Abellera said.

He said that his family is also affected because of the controversies that he is facing right now.

He said that he stands firm on his earlier statement that he has nothing to do with Taguba and the alleged smuggling in the city.

He said that he only met Taguba through alias Jack but never received P5 million from the former.

“Maybe he [Taguba] doesn’t have any evidence against me that is why we are just relying on his mere statement. If he has evidences against me, that I received money from him, then he should have presented it in the Senate hearing,” Abellera said.

Abellera also questioned the inconsistencies of the statement of Taguba “I don’t know what he can get if he changes his statement every now and then.”

ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. Antonio Tinio was referring to the decrease that was based on DBM Memorandum Circular 2017-1, or the “Guidelines for the Grant of Performance-Based Bonus for Fiscal Year 2017 under Executive Order No. 80, s. 2012 and Executive Order No. 201, s. 2016.”

The guidelines reduced the PBB starting 2017 to a range of 50 percent of the employee’s salary up to 65 percent. The benefit had ranged from a one

month salary up to two months salary of the employee per Executive Orders 80 and 201.

“Can a mere Memorandum Circular of the DBM supersede an Executive Order issued by the President? We say that it cannot. This drastic reduction of the PBB therefore has a very questionable legal basis,” Tinio said “Second, I raise this issue because this results to a diminution of a benefit already given to and relied upon by many government employees.”

Task Force Etihad to military and police authorities in Maguindanao, they identified their slain fighter as Jojo Sampayan. Two other MILF fighters were also wounded during the clash.

The fighting started after the MILF spotted a rebel contingent from the Islamic State-inspired BIFF forces under Abdul Malik massing in the perimeter of the MILF’s controlled area in Salibo town.

Reports said MILF forces under Task Force Etihad immediately positioned themselves in anticipation of the BIFF’s movement. Minutes later, fierce fighting sparked between the two sides.

While the clash was ongoing, the BIFF positions were met by military artillery fires forcing the IS-inspired forces to withdraw.

The BIFF scampered to different directions, but after a couple of hours, fighting broke anew which lasted for two hours leaving scores of dead from the BIFF side.

China wants to build theme park in PH

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera anything that has something

Plan to reduce performance-based bonus for govt employees scored

By Maricel V. Cruz

his immediate family, relatives, subordinates and close associates, whether located in the Philippines or abroad.”

“Under Executive Order No. 1, the President can also cause the investigation of the cases of graft and corruption which he may assign to the PCGG,” Lagman said.

‘Moreover, the President even on his own accord can negotiate the surrender of the ill-gotten hoard in the same manner that he can negotiate for the surrender of a high profile suspected criminal without any act of the Congress,” Lagman said.

“However, the unwritten rule in the projected negotiation must conform to transparency, accountability and no conditionality.”

Ten BIFF terrorists die after clash with MILF

Du30, Congress to discuss BBL PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte plans to meet with Congress leaders to discuss the fate of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, Malacañang said Tuesday after the administration was criticized for its apparent lack of compliance with the signed peace agreements with the rebel group as no lawmaker has sponsored the draft Moro law.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said that the President is already seeking for a meeting with Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to pave the way for the swift passage of the proposed BBL. “He’s asking to meet with the Senate president and the speaker of the House to facilitate the process,” Abella told reporters in a Palace news briefing Abella likewise said that Duterte assured the Moro Islamic Liberation Front that the BBL remains a priority of his administration, after the draft BBL was not included among the priority measures approved during the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council.

“PRRD met with the leadership of MILF yesterday to discuss, among others, their concern about social media posts critical of their handling and the progress of their BBL bill,” Abella said.

John Paolo Bencito

Lagman said President Duterte does not need any new law or authority from Congress to negotiate for the return of any or all the “hidden wealth” of the Marcoses.

“The President of the Republic has the continuing principal authority under existing law to recover the Marcos ill-gotten hoard with the assistance of the Presidential Commission on Good Government [PCGG],” Lagman said at a news conference.

Lagman said the PCGG, which was created by the late President Corazon Aquino under Executive Order 1 on Feb. 28, 1986, is “charged with the task of assisting the President” in “the recovery of all ill-gotten wealth accumulated by former President Ferdinand E. Marcos,

By Vito Barcelo

REPAIR WORKS. DPWH workers conduct road repairs along Buendia Ave., in Pasay City on Tuesday, Sept. 5, in the middle of a heavy downpour in an effort to mitigate the flooding in the metropolis brought about by Typhoon ‘Kiko’. Norman Cruz

‘CA to decide on Mariano’s fate’

By Macon R. Araneta and Bill Casas AFTER the oppositors finished with their questions, Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said the Commission on Appointments can vote today whether to approve or reject the appointment of Department of Agrarian Reform Rafael Mariano.

Sotto, chairman of the CA committee on agrarian reform said the CA will likely go into executive session after the hearing on Wednesday, scheduled at 10 a.m.

Sotto said that after the oppositors, it will be the turn of the CA members to ask questions.

It took three hours for the oppositors to raise their questions to Mariano on Tuesday.

“We’ll go into executive

session afterwards, I’m sure.

If we are satisfied, the we will vote tomorrow,” he said.

Sotto said if the powerful congressional body goes into executive session, the voting on Mariano’s nomination will be conducted through secret balloting. At least 13 votes are needed to get a majority vote on whether to approve or reject the DAR secretary’s appointment.

Asked if he is confident of getting a confirmation, Mariano said he felt that his appointment to the post last July 23, 2017, was already an expression of support from President Rodrigo Duterte.

He said he did not have apprehension or doubt when he first faced the CA for his confirmation hearing..

“If I am asked about the support of President Rordrigo Duterte, issuance of the ad interim appointment by

President Duterte, for me, it is already an expression of his continuing trust as secretary of the Agrarian Reform,” he added.

The CA last week deferred action on the nomination of Mariano after Senator Gringo Honasan moved to suspend the confirmation hearing in order to digest the issues hounding the DAR chief.

The nomination of Mariano, former Anakpawis Party-List representative and president of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, drew 19 endorsements and 10 oppositions. However, only oppositor, Maria Teresa Gallego, who represented his father, Manuel Gallego Jr., was heard in the hearing.

The commission earlier rejected the appointment of Judy Taguiwalo as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

CHINA’S major developer Landing International Development will build a multi-billion dollar theme park in the Philippines, and turn Metro Manila’s hub into a world-class Leisure and Theme Park Integrated Resort.

Yang Zhihui, chairman and executive director of Landing International Development Limited, recently met with President Rodrigo Duterte where they discussed the proposed five-year development program that includes reclaiming 147 hectares of the Manila Bay, an ambitious project to be undertaken by Landing International in the country.

The Philippines—a popular holiday destination for Chinese visitors, will be considered as the main tourism resort in the capital, with luxury hotels, a shopping center, a theme park, villas and flats, as well as gaming entertainment and other leisure and entertainment facilities.

Yang said the multibillion dollar venture is a three-phase project that is expected to generate jobs for thousands of Filipinos.

“Following our first meeting with the President in May 2017 in Hong Kong to discuss investment opportunities in the Philippines, we are pleased to share with President Duterte our vision for tourism in the country and our proposal to build an iconic branded theme park integrated resort on the Philippines that all Filipinos will be very proud of,” Yang said.

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Opinion

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

“I

Adelle Chua, Editor

Killing the youth

will kill people if they destroy our youth.”

This was the warning to drug users and pushers that President Rodrigo Duterte issued when he spoke to a group of Boy Scouts at the Palace in April.

“You drug addicts, since you’ve been identified, avoid the streets, stay in your homes because I will throw you in Manila Bay. I’ll make you fertilizer for the fish,” he said.

The recent body count in the Philippine National Police’s “one-time, bigtime” anti-drug operations in Metro Manila and Bulacan—81 dead in just four days—was a grim reminder that this President means what he says.

Unfortunately, some of the casualties

in the government’s war on drugs are the same youth that the President has vowed to protect.

Kian delos Santos, 17, a Grade 11 student, was killed Aug. 16, shot dead in a Caloocan City alley after being dragged away from his home.

Police claims that the boy shot first and that they merely returned fire in self defense are contradicted by eyewitnesses, CCTV footage that showed two policemen dragging him to where his body was later found, and autopsy findings that showed Kian could not have fired a gun before he was shot dead while he was face down on the ground.

The gun and drugs “found” on the dead boy were so obviously planted that even PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa urged police to stop planting evidence “because God is watching.”

By all accounts, the police narrative that Kian was a drug courier was also false.

A Grade 11 student at Our Lady of Lourdes College in Valenzuela, Kian had only recently told his mother, who worked in Saudi Arabia, that he wanted to save up to buy a bicycle so he would not have to walk a long distance to school.

His classmates remember him as a cheerful joker. He pawned his phone and sold t-shirts to help a classmate who had been hospitalized, yet could not afford to buy a cheap bicycle that a drug courier most certainly would have had. His dream, ironically, was to be a policeman one day, and his last words to the police who beat him was a plaintive plea he had a test in school the next day.

He died with a gunshot wound to the back and two to the head.

In this manner did the police kill the

youth.

How many more Kians are there in the PNP anti-drug campaign? The recent recovery of the body of 19-yearold Carl Arnaiz, a former student at the University of the Philippines, in a morgue in Caloocan City indicates there are more.

The Public Attorney’s Office has announced that an autopsy on Arnaiz, a valedictorian in his elementary school, showed the teenager was tortured and shackled before he was shot dead.

Will the President keep his vow and kill the people who kill the youth?

Wouldn’t that include the policemen who tortured, shot and killed Kian delos Santos, Carl Arnaiz and others like them, whose only crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time? Who will pay for snuffing out their future?

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

Is Andy Bautista guilty?

North Korea in the Senate LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte recently described Senator Antonio Trillanes as a one-man “political ISIS.” I think Senator Richard Gordon would agree with me instead of with Duterte when I say that Trillanes is really like the North Korea of the Senate, because he never follows the rules but never gets punished, either, for some still unknown reason.

The point is simple: If the Senate allows Trillanes to do whatever he wants because he knows he will never be sanctioned by his peers, how different is that supposed august body from all the other institutions that protect its members by looking the other way when they misbehave?

Gordon, Trillanes’ current accuser, has said that he is out to prove that the chamber where the Olongapo senator has served for a long time is not really an old boys’ club. This is why, Gordon said, he wants Trillanes to pay for his unparliamentary behavior, or basically for thumbing his nose at his colleagues for a long time.

“We keep accusing the police, the people at Customs and everywhere else of protecting their kabaro [co-workers],” Gordon said.

“It’s about time someone stood up to this fellow here in the Senate.”

Since the restoration of the Senate in 1987, the Senate has only officially censured two of its members after they were accused of misbehaving before the ethics committee. Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Heherson Alvarez got the equivalent of senatorial

slaps on the wrist, the former for accusing Paul Aquino (father of current senator Bam) of various unsavory dealings and the latter for

Trillanes has only himself to blame, of course, if nobody likes him in the Senate—or outside of it. interfering with a purely police matter.

But no senator has really has had the book thrown at him for misbehavior in recent times. And Trillanes,

who has developed a unique style of parliamentary trolling that he first perfected on resource persons, seems hell-bent on proving that the Senate will simply not go after one of its own even if he repeatedly trolls his own colleagues.

I already wrote last week about how Trillanes first tasted “victory” as a Senate bully when he so embarrassed Secretary Angelo Reyes that the latter decided to kill himself. But now he seems to have gone beyond mere trolling of Senate witnesses and graduated to irritating his fellow senators just to see if he can get a rise out of them.

Trillanes, of course, is not really as brave as he pretends to be. After he first clashed with Gordon last year, during the Senate investigation on the so-called Davao Death Squad, Trillanes went to visit Gordon in his office to apologize.

But Trillanes, who staged two failed coup attempts during the Arroyo years, is apparently such a creature of habit that he cannot resist doing what he does when the opportunity presents itself yet again. And since he can no longer apologize to Gordon for trolling the latter in the session hall, he delivered a speech yesterday explaining that he was not guilty of unparliamentary behavior when he called Gordon’s committee a “comite de abswelto.”

I think Trillanes has once against been spooked by the possibility of majority of his colleagues deciding to finally do something about his being a general pain in the Senate behind, which is why he had to explain himself. And over the years, Trillanes knows that he has collected an impressive list of enemies even inside the chamber who would probably enjoy nothing better

than to see him get what he deserves.

Trillanes has only himself to blame, of course, if nobody likes him in the Senate—or outside of it.

I wouldn’t be surprised if even his own colleagues in the opposition, if they didn’t have to present a united front against the Dutertefriendly majority, would vote to sanction him.

Kim Jong-un doesn’t have a lot of friends, either, outside of North Korea. And it’s not really because of that terrible haircut of his. *** Personally, I don’t believe that the Senate should impose the severest penalty of removing Trillanes from office, which it can do, if it really wants to. I think Trillanes should remain in the Senate but only after he serves a suspension or a similar penalty, not just a slap on the wrist.

ON AUG. 23, 2017, former Negros Oriental Congressman Jacinto “Jing” Paras filed an impeachment complaint at the House of Representatives.

It was endorsed by three congressmen: Deputy Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu, Abraham Tolentino of Tagaytay City, and Harry Roque of the Kabayan Party-list.

Bautista’s alleged three main crimes: 1) neglect of duty as Comelec chair resulting in leaking of private data of millions of voters before the 2016 elections, 2) neglect resulting in the hacking of the Comelec website, and 3) failure to disclose in his SALN assets, deposits and properties valued at more than P1 billion, the existence of which was discovered and revealed in sworn affidavits by his estranged wife, Patricia “Tish” Bautista.

The late Chief Justice Renato Corona was impeached by the House and found guilty by the Senate in 2012 for failure to reflect in his SALN dollar deposits which being foreign deposits were not even required to be disclosed in one’s SALN. Contacted by BizNewsAsia, Bautista texted “everything will be explained in the proper forum—not in media.”

The grounds for impeachment against Andy Bautista, per Jing Paras’s impeachment complaint, and his lawyer Ferdinand Topacio: • For grossly neglecting his duty as head of agency, in that he failed to adopt adequate safeguards in consonance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act no. 10173), to prevent the leak of personal data of millions of voters before the 2016 national and local elections to the detriment of said voters; • For betraying the public trust for grossly neglecting his duties as head of agency, in that he

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Opinion Bridging leadership THE country’s peace process negotiation is in a stalemate, and this is not good.

Our Muslim brothers and sisters recently celebrated the final rites of the annual Hajj—Eid’l Adha, or commonly called as “The Feast of the Sacrifice,” reflecting on the story of Ibrahim’s obedience to God through his willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael. Alongside this important commemoration, I hope we have pondered the need for the public and our government to return their attention and commitment toward bringing sustainable peace and security in Mindanao. Our people in the conflict zone or war-torn areas of Mindanao have sacrificed enough to continue placing their trust in our bureaucracy, pleading through prayers and hope amid a seemingly endless volatile socioeconomic environment.

After five presidential regimes and three decades, the peace process negotiation between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines started with good impressions during the early months of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. In order to accommodate the interests and hear the concerns of both parties, the negotiators opted to run through this settlement within the arrangement of multilateralism. However, the negotiation may still be far from achieving its end goal; the NDFP’s insistence on radical agrarian land reform has been the stumbling block for the government to return its bureaucratic stamina back to the negotiating table.

In the NDFP’s proposal draft, the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms, provisions for free agricultural land conveyances, to be sourced through expropriation and “confiscation” are being put forth as solutions to poverty in the countryside. In turn, the Philippine government has signified its willingness to agree to the proposal, and has even communicated a readiness to fund it. However, questions still linger with regard to the fiscal and economic viability of implementing such a plan and its legal feasibility under prevailing Philippine laws.

The utility of multilateralism in conducting negotiations concerning critical agrarian issues is a complex and delicate arrangement to pursue. Although this pushes for greater inclusivity as it tries to address the interests of all other sectors such as the indigenous people and other constituencies, this process is at high stakes as these involvements might also call for renegotiation and thus, termination of whatever progress that may have been attained.

Due to the number of times the peace process has been stalled, and with multilateralism innately requiring a more unyielding involvement of various policy perspectives, the peace process may have developed into a conglomerate of competitive bureaucratic and organizational entities, wherein decisions are done by competition, bargaining, and compromise among the various actors involved. The

North...

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The penalty should be severe enough to remind Trillanes that he has to abide by the rules of the chamber he belongs to and not act like he is its resident Kim Jongun. But it should not be so heavy that the senators will lay themselves open to the charge of suppressing dissent—even if I can think of no other senator who so richly deserves being suppressed.

No, I want Trillanes to remain in office and in the opposition because he typifies the quality of the opposition to the Duterte administra-

participating entities have differing economic and political leverages to fully comply with the demands of the multilateralism. The tension is still undeniable since there are interests that cannot be compromised in this complicated issue of contradicting ideologies.

Given this kind of negotiation arrangement, every stakeholder in the negotiation needs to be a bridging leader.

A bridging leader needs to have self-awareness in order to deepen the sense of ownership of the confronted issues and challenges. The government as a whole needs to understand the dynamics of the divisions that have been induced within the negotiation, and should identify what roles it needs to take to bridge the divides. Then, based on its systematic understanding of the induced divisions, and the scale of its bureaucratic leverages, the government needs to envision the equitable and realistic outcomes it wants to create. The outcomes should be a potential source to bring together the stakeholders for collaborative policy formulation. Bringing together the stakeholders in the negotiation is not just about the exultant exchange of professional or academic perspectives. As a bridging leader, relationships must be forged toward a common understanding and collaborative response to address the divisions. Finally, specific objectives have been identified, policies have been crafted, and mechanisms for appropriate compliance have been solidified—these, should all be done collaboratively.

To be fair, the problem on free land transfer has been gradually addressed by the current administration; with the hopes of finally ending the long-overdue government agrarian reform program, free land distribution was institutionalized under the Duterte administration’s Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022. The nationwide undertaking will cost a hefty amount of P98 billion. The amount will come on top of the roughly P72 billion in coco levy funds which Duterte promised to give back the farmers, and about P2 billion—probably rising each year—in free irrigation subsidies.

However, since the government only has a hold on publicly owned property while the NDFP demands land reforms that involve select private lands, compromises would play a big part on how this negotiation will turn out. Therefore, we cannot afford to keep the peace process in a long hiatus. This particular issue in the Caser would not only change how the local farmers earn, but it would also cause a commotion in the national agricultural system, and in the appropriate interpretation and practice of our legal system on land acquisition. The progress in this particular agreement will reflect the capability of the administration to work with different actors, be it the private or the public, without sacrificing one in favor of the other.

Jonathan Eli Libut is a research consultant at the TeaM Energy Center for Bridging Leadership of the Asian Institute of Management. tion—ill-prepared, unreasonable and arrogant in the extreme. As I said last week, if Trillanes is the best that the opposition can offer, then Duterte will have nothing to fear—even if Trillanes totally loses it and decides to stage another of his futile military uprisings.

Trillanes needs to be taught a lesson, after all, even if he appears to be the kind of politician who is so full of himself that he can no longer be expected to have the humility to learn anything. Even if he doesn’t learn manners and humility, it would still be fun to punish him, just for being the Senate’s own North Korea.

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This war won’t end

EVERYMAN

By Jonathan Eli Libut

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO WITH the resumption of police operations on behalf of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war against drugs, it is obvious that this administration believes that the drug menace is simply a peace-andorder problem.

To them, the problem can be solved by killing everybody involved in the drug trade.

But it’s not just a peaceand-order issue.

Don’t they realize that the drug menace is more pervasive and deeply rooted than they can imagine?

Their response to it only exacerbates the problem because it has yielded some consequences. My gulay, even the innocent get killed!

Duterte now tells us that despite his vow that he would end illegal drugs between three and six months, the problem would outlast his term. It is obvious that deep in his heart he knows just how serious the problem is.

Who are the people in

his inner circle who could tell him that the poor resort to drugs because they are hungry and jobless?

Just look at those children who inhale solvents. They do it to ease their hunger.

They become street children because their parents are very poor and cannot feed them.

The root cause is poverty. But it’s also a health issue. Those who resort to drugs have both psychological and physiological problems.

For many years I was involved in drug rehabilitation. I was vice president of Bob Garon’s DARE Foundation. I know for a fact that drugs as an escape because the parents may have marital problems. The father may have become a womanizer or a gambling addict.

A drug addict lives in a shell of his own making.

This is why he must be rehabilitated. So long as there is demand, there will continue to be supply.

This is the reason why I keep saying that drug addicts must be rehabilitated. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency estimates there are three or

four million.

We can expect more innocent lives lost: Just look at Kian delos Santos and Carl Arnaiz. Who would be next?

In order to prevent our country from being a narco-state, the President must ask: Why, despite the killings, does the problem

The drug menace is more than a peaceand-order problem.

of illegal drugs persist?

He must also realize that impunity is becoming institutionalized. *** With so many congressional inquiries supposedly in aid of legislation, I wonder how many laws have been enacted in connection with these probes.

The Senate and the House must look into why there is abuse of power among all the branches of government. And how come such probes have not resulted in the enactment of laws?

The investigations just turn into political circuses in aid of the agenda of the politicians who conduct them.

I say stop the coverage of these hearings! Because of television, what is being investigated becomes the news of the day whether or not it is indeed newsworthy! *** I must congratulate the Metrobank Foundation for its annual awards for outstanding Filipinos, teachers and policemen.

For outstanding teachers, Metrobank chairman George Ty made me a member of the panel of judges headed by thenSupreme Court Justice Art Panganiban. I readily accepted because I used to be a teacher myself. I taught English, literature and history at Ateneo High School.

Many of my students have become successful in their own fields. I must

say I share their success since I somehow touched their lives when they were teens.

Despite everything that is happening now, there are still many members of the police force who go beyond what is expected of them. *** It’s the wedding of the year!

That’s what the media say about the Paris wedding of Vicki Belo and Hayden Kho, with their 27-year age gap. Reports have it that the wedding cost millions: The ceremony itself, the wardrobe, plane fare and hotel accommodations in fivestar hotels in Paris, and a world cruise for the bride and groom.

I really don’t care how the rich and affluent burn their money.

For a Third World country like the Philippines, this is a lot! I wonder what foreigners must think of us.

I’m writing this not because I envy the rich, but because I believe there must be a limit to conspicuous consumption and arrogant display of wealth.

On the brink?

SO I SEE LITO BANAYO MEDIA and our legislators are too focused on local scandals and crime stories that little attention is drawn to what is transpiring within our part of the world, specifically, the fact that any miscalculation by the parties most concerned could push the entire world into the brink of a full-scale war.

Last Sunday, North Korea under its boy-king Kim Jong Un successfully conducted its sixth nuclear test. The head of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization which monitors and verifies seismic and nuclear activity around the globe says that North Korea’s test triggered one of the biggest tremors ever recorded by their monitoring system.

“It is a clear indication that the nuclear weapons program of North Korea is reaching a completely different level”, said the Vienna-based organization. NORSAR, a Norwaybased group also monitoring nuclear tests, estimated an explosive yield of 120 kilotons, or 120,000 tons of

Is Andy...

From A4

failed to promptly act on the hacking of the Comelec website as well as declined to assume direct control and supervision of the task force created after the incident; and • For betraying the public trust for his statement pending investigation that the script tweak was merely cosmetic which was in effect an exoneration of those responsible for it.

• For betraying the public trust and/or committed culpable violation of the Constitution for failing to disclose in his statement the truth about his assets, liabilities and net worth as required by the Constitution and existing law.

Bautista’s wife Patricia Paz “Tish” Bautista discovered several passbooks as well as bank and real property documents under her husband’s name and some of his relatives that were not included in his 2016 SALN.

TNT, even as South Korea estimated the explosion as having just 50 kilotons of TNT power.

Whichever, the threat from North Korea is a clear and present danger to world peace.

And it happened just as North Korea’s only global ally, and its economic lifeline, China, was hosting the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit of emerging economies (already a misnomer because for one, China is now the second largest economy in the world).

President Xi Jinping remained stoic, or at least maintained equanimity during the summit despite the clear provocation of its rogue neighbor and ally. A communiqué issued at the end of the summit expressed deep concern though, and called for peaceful settlement, even as Japan, over whose Hokkaido an earlier missile flew, and South Korea, were upset beyond words.

From Washington however, President Donald Trump chided South Korea and its newly-elected leader, President Moon Jae-in, who previously pressed for negotiations with Pyongyang which the American

president considers “too soft a stance” toward the North.

Recall that the irascible Trump weeks back threatened Kim Jong-un and North Korea with “fire and fury like nothing the world has ever seen before.”

Monday’s tweet from the Donald alarmed not only South Korean leaders, but the whole world as well.

What we are seeing are two unpredictable, even seemingly insane leaders, one of the most powerful military power, the other of a hermit kingdom with absolutely no scruples, holding the triggers to an unstable powder keg.

“South Korea is finding, as I have told them, that their talk of appeasement with North Korea will not work; they only understand one thing!” Trump tweeted.

Russia’s Putin warned against bellicose threats, saying that negotiations are needed to calm Kim JongUn, rather than threats, a direct reference to Trump.

Xi is most certainly displeased with the “hydrogen bomb” test unleashed

by North Korea and at a most inauspicious date, his BRICS summit, but characteristically made a silent show of imperturbability.

His government has been

pressing its neighbor not to stage further nuclear testing, but the boy-king will not listen, as he eagerly taunts its South, Japan and the US of A with his “toys.”

The US Ambassador to the United Nations called for the “strongest sanctions” against the rogue state, but what would get Kim to stop, nobody really knows. Certainly not an increasingly toothless UN Security Council. Nobody, it seems can read the unreadable.

If war should erupt, whether through a preemptive strike from the US or if North Korea were to strike first, the result would be catastrophic. First in terms of thousands upon thousands of lives lost in South Korea and likely Japan as well. Second, the impact on the world economy could be disastrous.

Hardly any nation on earth, which trades with Japan and South Korea, will escape an economic fallout beyond words to describe.

Last month, Kim threatened to send four missiles to the waters off Guam, which is American territory. The Americans responded with joint naval and military exercises in South Korea. Kim gave his Sunday explosion to show

he would not be threatened.

To be sure, the US antimissile defense system THAAD, could shoot down short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles while still on the air, taking down a nuclear missile without detonating it.

But still the anti-missile defense mechanism would emit radiation, and the effects would pose enormous risks.

But then again, North Korea would likely pull the trigger against South Korea and Japan, two of the world’s largest economies with huge populations. Japan already experienced a nuclear holocaust in Hiroshima and Japan, decided upon by a rational American president as the final solution to end a protracted war.

But now, we are looking at a not-too-rational American president, facing an insane boy-king.

What can the Philippines and Filipinos do?

I heard an analyst say that as Asean chair, our President could exercise his persuasive influence over the 10-country association to join the negotiations for peace and the appeal for calm and sobriety.

Frankly, I think all we can do is pray.

The Comelec chief declared a net worth of only P176.3 million in his SALN. Mrs. Bautista suspected that her husband might have amassed nearly P1 billion worth of ill-gotten wealth.

Patricia mentioned other deposits and assets of Chairman Bautista not in his SALN. They include: • 35 Luzon Development Bank (LDB) passbooks with a total balance of P329,220,962 ; • A foreign currency account with Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.

RCBC) with $12,778.30, or P640,959.53 (at P50.16 [as of Aug. 4] to $1.00); • An RCBC peso account with P257,931.60 • An HSBC account with HK$948,358.97 or P6.10 million (at P6.43 to HK$1.00) ; • A condominium unit in One Bonifacio High Street at Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig City; • A condo unit in The District in San Francisco, California, USA.

Mrs. Bautista also discovered other assets not declared in her husband’s SALN to wit: • Bauman Enterprises Ltd., a company established in the British Virgin Islands on Sept. 29, 2010; • A trustee company that Bautista set up with Bank of Singapore; • Mantova International Ltd., established in Brunei Darussalam on April 26, 2011; • Mega Achieve Inc., established in Anguilla, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean, on July 15, 2014.

In a related development, former Biliran Congressman Glenn Chong has asked the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate Commission on Elections Senior Commissioner Christian Robert Lim for graft and corruption and serious misconduct for unduly favoring Smartmatic in the conduct of the country’s elections.

In a 19-page affidavitcomplaint, Chong, a lawyer, said the investigation

is preparatory to an impeachment complaint that will be filed against Lim for alleged betrayal of public trust.

A verified complaint for impeachment is warranted in accordance with Section 22 of RA 6770 or the Ombudsman Act of 1989 which says “the Ombudsman has power to investigate any serious misconduct in office allegedly committed by officials removable by impeachment, for the purpose of filing a verified complaint for impeachment, if warranted.

This is the reason why I am filing this affidavit-complaint,” Chong said.

Chong alleged that Lim had committed serious misconduct for allegedly having conspired with Smartmatic in violating election laws and rules.

The former solon said such misconduct had already been established in the case of Pabillo, et. al. vs. Comelec when the Supreme Court found Comelec, through then Acting Chairman Lim, to have

committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess in jurisdiction when it entered into a P240-million diagnostics contract with Smartmatic through negotiation instead of public bidding.

As established in that case, Lim, then chairman of the Comelec Steering Committee, actively pushed and negotiated privately with Smartmatic for the reuse of the PCOS machines for the 2016 elections when he knew beforehand that the machines had serious and widespread accuracy problems in the 2013 elections.

“Lim was fully aware of the accuracy and ‘digital lines’ problems and their magnitude early on, yet, over a period of more than one year, he actively sought to downplay these problems and proceeded to negotiate privately with Smartmatic for the reuse of the same severely problematic PCOS machines,” Chong said. biznewsasia@gmail.com

A6

World

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

Suspected land mines maiming Rohingya

COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh―Two Rohingya children―one of whom lost a leg―were injured by an apparent land mine blast as they tried to flee unrest in Myanmar on Tuesday, a Bangladesh border official said.

The incident came after a Rohingya woman had a leg blown off in the same area on Monday, raising fears that the border area had been deliberately mined.

“They stepped onto some sort of explosives this morning and one of them lost his leg,” border guard commander Manzurul Hasan Khan told AFP on Tuesday of the two children.

It is not known what caused the blast, which he said was well inside Myanmar territory, but Khan said he believed it was a land mine.

Khan said a Rohingya woman had been brought to the border on Monday after losing half her leg in a blast, hours after guards heard a loud explosion from the Myanmar side.

Khan said many Rohingya were also entering Bangladesh with bullet wounds, although it was impossible to say how these were sustained as media access to the worsthit parts of Myanmar’s neighboring Rakhine state is limited.

All three have been taken to hospitals in Cox’s Bazar, the nearest city to the border, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya―a stateless Muslim minority in mainly Buddhist Myanmar―have taken shelter in camps.

The victims were among around 90,000 Rohingya who have abandoned their homes in Rakhine for Bangladesh since a fresh outbreak of fighting in the state on August 25. AFP

‘North Korea begging for war’ U NITED NATIONS― The US has accused North Korea of “begging for war” and pushed for the “strongest possible measures” on Pyongyang following its sixth and most powerful nuclear test.

SHOW OF FORCE. This handout photo taken on September 5, 2017 and provided by the South Korean Defense Ministry in Seoul shows South Korean Navy vessels taking part in a naval drill off the east coast of South Korea. South Korea’s Navy said on September 5 it had conducted massive live-fire drills in the East Sea in a show of its resolve to retaliate against North Korea’s provocations. AFP

South Korea holds live-fire drills in warning to North SEOUL―South Korea’s navy held major live-fire drills Tuesday to warn the North against any provocations at sea, it said, two days after Pyongyang’s biggest nuclear test to date.

The drills, conducted in the East Sea (Sea of Japan), involved the 2,500-ton frigate Gangwon, a 1,000-ton patrol ship and 400-ton guided-missile vessels, among others, the Navy said in a statement.

“If the enemy launches a provocation above water or under water, we will immediately hit back to bury them at sea,” Captain Choi Youngchan, commander of the 13th Maritime Battle Group, said in a statement.

North Korea on Sunday triggered global alarm with by far its most powerful atomic test to date, claiming it was a hydrogen bomb that could be mounted onto a long-range missile.

On Monday the South’s military launched a volley of ballistic missiles simulating an attack on the North’s nuclear test site.

US President Donald Trump and South Korea’s leader Moon Jae-In agreed during a phone call late Monday to remove limits on the payload of the South’s missiles, fixed at 500 kilograms according to a 2001 bilateral agreement.

Trump also said he was

willing to approve the sale of “many billions of dollars’ worth of military weapons and equipment from the United States by South Korea”, according to a statement released by the White House.

Tensions have mounted on the Korean peninsula following a series of missile launches by the North, including two intercontinental ballistic missiles that apparently brought much of the US mainland into range. AFP

As world powers scrambled to react to the latest grave step in the North’s rogue weapons program, South Korea launched major livefire naval drills to warn its isolated neighbor against any provocations at sea Tuesday morning local time.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that Washington will present a new sanctions resolution to be negotiated in the coming days, with a view to voting on it next Monday.

“Only the strongest sanctions will enable us to resolve this problem through diplomacy,” Haley told the meeting Monday called by the United States, Britain, France, Japan and South Korea.

North Korea on Sunday triggered global alarm when it detonated what it described as a hydrogen bomb designed for a long-range missile.

The underground blast had a yield of between 50 and 100 kilotons, or on average more than five times more powerful than the bomb detonated over Hiroshima, UN political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman told the council.

Declaring that “enough is enough,” Haley said the incremental sanctions imposed on Pyongyang since 2006 had failed.

Leader Kim Jong-Un’s “abusive use of missiles and his nuclear threats show that he is begging for war,” she said.

“War is never something the United States wants and we don’t want it now, but our country’s patience is not unlimited,” she said.

Haley did not spell out what measures Washington was seeking, but diplomats said they could target oil supplies to North Korea―potentially dealing a major blow to the economy.

New sanctions could also seek to curb tourism to the country and ban North Korean laborers sent abroad.

The draft text was expected to be presented to the 14 other council members on Tuesday as the United States sought to respond quickly to reports that North Korea was preparing another missile launch.

Pyongyang in July fired two intercontinental ballistic missiles that apparently brought much of the US mainland into range and Seoul has said it could be planning another test.

At the UN, China’s ambassador Liu Jieyi warned that the crisis was worsening and emphasized the need for dialogue and a diplomatic solution.

“China will never allow chaos and war on the [Korean] peninsula,” he asserted. AFP

HRW: China blocking activists

Opposition leader charged with treason PHNOM PENH―A Cambodian court on Tuesday charged opposition leader Kem Sokha with treason and espionage over an alleged conspiracy with unnamed foreigners, as strongman premier Hun Sen intensifies his assault on his political enemies.

Opponents of Hun Sen, as well as NGOs and the critical press, have increasingly been smothered by court cases and threats before a crucial general election next year.

Kem Sokha, 64, a veteran opposition politician who has formally led the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) since March, is accused of conniving in a “secret plan” with foreign entities which began in 1993, according to a court statement.

It said evidence of a conspiracy was substantial enough to charge him under the penal code section for “treason and espionage”, which carries up to 30 years in jail.

Kem Sokha was arrested early Sunday in a swoop by

hundreds of security force members at his home in the Cambodian capital.

Hours later Hun Sen― Asia’s longest-serving leader―accused the politician of being in cahoots with the United States.

“Behind his (Kem Sokha’s) hand it is still the same, it is America,” he said, in a typically bombastic speech.

To back up his claims, Hun Sen cited a publicly available 2013 speech by the opposition politician given in Australia in which he said he had received US help to build a pro-democracy movement inside Cambodia.

A report on the speech featured on the pro-government Fresh News website shortly before the arrest.

Washington has yet to address the espionage allegation but the State Department said the charges against Kem Sokha “appear to be politically motivated”.

It added that his arrest followed “a number of troubling recent steps” against

civil society and the free media that threatened to undermine the credibility of next year’s elections.

UN rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said he was “seriously concerned” by the arrest, adding it “appears to have been carried out with no respect for due process guarantees, including respect for his parliamentary immunity”.

Kem Sokha’s surprise detention raises the political temperature in Cambodia.

The CNRP had been widely tipped to perform strongly in the 2018 polls, buoyed by the youth vote in a country where many are tired of rampant corruption, inequality and the dwindling respect for human rights.

In February the CNRP’s then-leader Sam Rainsy stepped down after a fresh welter of legal cases against him threatened the party with a ban from politics.

He already lives in France to avoid convictions in Cambodia, which he says are politically motivated. AFP

PREMIERE. Actress Micaela Ramazzoti attends the premiere of the movie ‘Una Famiglia’ presented in competition at the 74th Venice Film Festival on September 4 at Venice Lido. AFP

Debt, sanctions and despair: Venezuela’s oil sector is in agony CARACAS―After decades of being Venezuela’s cash cow, the state oil company PDVSA is a ragged shadow of its former self: overburdened, underfed, and in hock to Russian and Chinese creditors.

The woes of the group, whose full name is Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., look set to worsen because of the US sanctions imposed last month restricting its access

to credit.

Oil production keeps declining and much of what is exported goes to repay billions of dollars in loans.

That puts the government of President Nicolas Maduro in a very tight spot.

It relies on PDVSA’s export income for 96 percent of foreign earnings, and to pay for many social programs.

Reduced oil revenues

means “there is a real chance of default,” said Tamas Varga, an analyst at the London-based PVM Oil Associates.

Venezuela faces additional problems in the form of US sanctions.

In July, Washington imposed direct sanctions on PDVSA’s financial chief, Simon Zerpa, making it illegal for US individuals or companies to do business

with him.

In August, President Donald Trump ratcheted up the pressure with broader sanctions against any new PDVSA bonds and the ability of its US subsidiary Citgo to repatriate cash.

The aim is to “deny the Maduro dictatorship a critical source of financing to maintain its illegitimate rule,” the White House said.

What the measures do is effectively cut off PDVSA’s option of restructuring its debts through a new bond issue.

Maduro railed that they amounted to a financial and economic blockade, as the ratings agency Fitch downgraded Venezuela and warned default was now likelier.

The country has to make $3.8 billion in debt pay-

ments in October and November, while its foreign currency reserves have sunk to under $10 billion.

Another complication, whose effects are yet to be fully felt, came with Hurricane Harvey in Texas. The storm ripped through a part of the United States that is home to a third of American refining capacity―some of it geared to handling Venezuelan crude. AFP

G E N E VA ― H u m a n Rights Watch on Tuesday accused Beijing of sabotaging United Nations efforts to promote rights and slammed the world body for often capitulating to Chinese pressure.

“China engages with the UN on human rights but often with the goal of aggressively silencing criticism and eroding access for the activists who work on China,” HRW chief Kenneth Roth said in a statement.

He acknowledged that China was far from the only country misbehaving at the United Nations.

“But its Security Council membership, global influence, and fierce crackdown on civil society at home make it a model of bad faith that challenges the integrity of the UN rights system,” he warned.

His comments came as the organization launched a new report detailing Chinese efforts to harass independent activists, mainly from China, who attempt to participate in UN human rights forums.

Chinese officials, for instance, routinely photograph and film activists on UN premises, in violation of UN rules, and bar Chinese activists from traveling to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, HRW pointed out. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

Manila

Standard

TODAY

Lady Chiefs, Red Spikers dispute PVL lead Games today

8 a.m.- SBC vs Ateneo (men’s) 10 a.m.- FEU vs NU (men’s) 4 p.m.- AU vs San Beda (women’s) 6:30 p.m.- JRU vs SSC-R (women’s)

ARELLANO U and San Beda tangle today (Wednesday) for the Group B lead even as Jose Rizal U and San Sebastian try to get back on track in Group A play of the Premier Volleyball League Collegiate Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.

The Lady Chiefs and the Red Spikers kicked off their respective campaigns in the seasonending conference organized

by Sports Vision with emphatic victories with the former sweeping the St. Benilde Lady Blazers, 25-20, 25-22, 25-17.

San Beda, on the other hand, blasted Technological Institute of the Philippines, 25-13, 25-18, 25-27, 25-13, over the weekend.

Those wins guarantee a slambang showdown at 4 p.m. with both teams eager to score another victory for the momentum needed in a short single round robin elims where the top two from each side of six squads advancing to the crossover semis.

That also makes the 6:30 p.m. duel between JRU and SSC doubly important after the two teams dropped their respective opening games and are hardpressed to post a win and stay in the semis hunt in the tournament backed by Mikasa and Asics.

The Lady Bombers and the Lady Stags bowed to the fancied Ateneo Lady Eagles and Far Eastern U Lady Tams in similar 0-3 defeats although the latter are slightly favored over the former owing to their stronger roster and showing against the FEU side.

Meanwhile, the women’s matches can be viewed live via streaming on www.sports.abscbn/livestream/pvl.

PAL ladies’ golf set Sept. 19

M

ANILA Southwoods-Masters will have a proverbial bull’s-eye in its back starting Sept. 19 when the 12th PAL Ladies Interclub tees off in Cebu City as the squad shoots to rule the prestigious event for the seventh straight year.

The tree-lined Cebu Country Club, the venue of so many huge professional and amateur events in the past, will host the 72-hole tournament regarded as the unofficial club championship of the country.

SW-Masters will be without

JENNY ORTUOSTE THE Alab Pilipinas team pulled out of the Merlion Cup 2017 because of a conflicting schedule, said the event organizers, and were replaced by a different team.

The Merlion Cup, to be held in Singapore on Sept. 20 to 24 at the OCBC Arena, is organized by the Basketball Association of Singapore and features the top teams from around the region.

The Philippines will now be represented by the NLEX-SCTEX team with former Philippine Basketball Association star player Jojo Lastimosa as their head coach.

Comprising the team are players from the PBA’s NLEX Road Warriors and PBA D-League’s Cignal HD Hawkeyes. The Road Warriors were recently promoted to join the PBA after winning the D-League a record six times, while the Hawkeyes are the current top team in the D-League.

Because the change of team is fairly recent, there is no announcement yet that I know of regarding the roster of players that will be sent to Singapore next month.

The Filipino contingent will face Indonesia D-League’s Satria Muda Pertamina Jakarta, the Singapore Slingers, Adelaide 36ers, Jeonju KCC Egis, Taiwan’s Yulon Luxgen Dinos, and the defending champion Shanghai Sharks. *** Congratulations to the Bagatsing Family on yet another successful staging of the annual Mayor Ramon D. Bagatsing Racing Festival!

Held last weekend (Sep. 2-3) at San Lazaro Leisure Park, the event drew highprofile sponsors for each race as well as celebrity guests. The guest of honor was Indian Ambassador Jaideep Mazumdar.

On Saturday, Diamond’s DIGITS Best won the 1,500-meter Fundador Cup (Division I).

2nd Niccole Girl, 3rd GuaDIGITS temala, 4th Niccole Angel.

On Sunday, More or EZ2 Less won the Solaire Re-

Sofia Chabon, Mikhaela Fortuna and Bernice Ilas will carry the fight for SW-Masters.

Last year, the tournament was called off after 54 holes with fog and rain rendering the Camp John Hay layout in Baguio unplayable.

And SW-Masters wants to put that behind this year.

“Of course, the players feel that they have some unfinished business,” Southwoods golf director Jerome Delariarte said.

“The players are very motivated to win No. 7, and they know

CEREMONIAL TOSS. Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez City leads the ceremonial toss formally kicking off the 2017 Inter-

Department Mayor Olivarez Sports Festival Saturday at the city’s Sports Complex. He is joined by Paranaque Rep. Eric Olivarez, Vice Mayor Rico Golez, Councilor Binky Favis and Youth and Sports Development Office head Alexander Dandan.

Aces all primed up for PGTA Splendido duel

Lascuña

THE country’s top guns brace for a big rebound from the crack international field as they gear up for another fierce duel in the PGT Asia Tour second leg—the ICTSI Splendido Classic—which fires off tomorrow at Taal Splendido Golf Club in Tagaytay.

The Filipinos dominated the region’s newest circuit’s kickoff leg at Manila Southwoods last month with Miguel Tabuena and Angelo Que posting a 1-2 finish in the Aboitiz Invitational and Indonesian Ian Andrew ending

sort and Casino Cup (Div. II).

Malaya took the Philracom Cup (Div. I) in a photo finish against Messi (2nd), 3rd Blue Berry, 4th Manalig Ka. Time: 1:52.4 (10’-24’25’-24’-27’), distance 1,750 meters.

The Resorts World Manila Challenge of Champions Cup, which pitted the 2016 set against the 2017 lineup, was won by Bite My Dust. 2nd Underwood, 3rd Adios Reality, 4th Pinagtipunan. Time: 1:51.8 (10-2324’-26’-27’), distance 1,750 meters. *** Also on Sunday, the 1,300-meter Philracom 1st leg Juvenile Fillies and Colts race was won by El Debarge. 2nd The Barrister, 3rd Probinsiyano, 4th Hot to Trot.

Time: 1:22.6 (7-23-24-28’).

This being a race for 2YO, it was perhaps unavoidable that several of the competitors got entangled amongst themselves. RG Fernandez, rider of Hot to Trot, restrained his mount at the tres-octavo (3/8 mile mark), claming that he almost fell off after El Debarge (with JA Guce) tried to veer out, though Guce was able control his mount.

Meanwhile, Golden Velvet (JB Cordova) raced wide during the course of the race, in fear, claimed the rider, of JB Hernandez’s mount Aphrodisiac. The Manila Jockey Club Board of Stewards issued verbal warnings on El Debarge and Golden Velvet, instructing their respective trainers to better train their horses.

These incidents are all par for the course with juveniles, who are still under training. it’ll be interesting to see how they straighten out and learn to race properly with time and experience.

up far third.

With the troika skipping this week’s event to honor previous commitments abroad, veterans Tony Lascuña, Jay Bayron and Elmer Salvador and young gun Clyde Mondilla hope to carry the cudgels for the hosts against the expected charge from at least 48 foreign players vying in the $100,000 event sponsored by ICTSI. “We’ll try to make it two-inrow. We have the so-called homecourt edge but anything can hap-

pen at Splendido, especially if the wind come into play,” said Lascuña, winner of two legs on the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour but who struggled to finish ninth at Aboitiz Invitational.

He rued his bout with arthritis that slowed down his charge at Southwoods but the reigning PGT Order of Merit winner and current leader said he’s 100 percent ready this week and expects to contend for the crown in the 72-hole championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

that this year will be a tougher challenge because of the arrival of Pradera, and of course, with rival Cebu CC still there.”

Tournament sponsors are Primax Broadcasting Network, Mareco Broadcasting Network, Fox Sports, Asian Air Safari, Travelife Magazine, People Asia, Tourism Promotions Board, Bombardier, PLDT and Mastercard.

Support also comes from The Filipino Channel, Asia Brewery, Alaska Corp. and Philippine National Bank.

BONIFACIO DRIVE, SOUTH HARBOR, PORT AREA, MANILA 1018, PHILIPPINES, P.O. BOX 436, MANILA, PHILIPPINES TEL. NO. (0632) 527-8356, FAX NO. (0632) 527-4855 HTTP://WWW.PPA.COM.PH

INVITATION TO BID

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF SERVERS TO BE USED FOR THE REVISED CHART OF ACCOUNTS The Philippine Ports Authority, through the Corporate Budget of the Authority for CY 2017, intends to apply the sum of P 15,000,000.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Procurement of Servers to be Used for the Revised Chart of Accounts (BAC-PGCS-07-2017). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Philippine Ports Authority now invites bids for A. Delivery to site, site inspection and preparation, setup, installation and configuration of all hardware (host server or virtual machines) and software components, project management.

Activities to include joint inventory of all hardware and software components including documentation B. Site optimization with rack installation C. Connect and configure Servers to PPA’s Enterprise Storage D. Migration of the existing application running on CentOS to Oracle Enterprise Linux E. Professional services and tools to migrate all existing applications from the existing old servers to the new blade servers F. Implementation of Hyper-V on Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Datacenter Edition. Contract Duration is Ninety (90) days from the receipt by the successful bidder of the Notice to Proceed.

Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.” Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Ports Authority Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 06 September 2017 from the address below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of Twenty Five Thousand (P25,000.00) Pesos.

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Philippine Ports Authority, provided that bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 15 September 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at the PPA Function Room, 7th Floor, PPA Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila, which shall be open to all prospective bidders.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 29 September 2017 at 9:00 a.m. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the bidding documents.

Bid opening shall be on 29 September 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at the 7th Floor, PPA Building, A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted.

For further information, please refer to:

00-00-00-00-00-00

P0 M+

00-00-00-00-00-00

P0 M

BAC Secretariat, Philippine Ports Authority 5th Floor, PPA Bldg., A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila Telephone/Fax No. 527-47-35 527-83-56 to 83 loc. 539 PPA Website: www.ppa.com.ph

0-0

FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF SERVICES FOR THE REVISION OF THE CHART OF ACCOUNTS The Philippine Ports Authority, through its Corporate Budget for CY 2017 intends to apply the sum of P25,000,000.00 Pesos being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Procurement of Services for the Revision of the Chart of Accounts (BAC-PGCS 06-2017). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at the opening of the financial proposals.

The Philippine Ports Authority now calls for the submission of eligibility documents for the following Scope of Work: A. Implement the Upgrade of PPA’s Existing Oracle eBusiness Application R12.0.6 to the Latest Version B. Provide a Test Server that will be Used Until the Delivery of the New Production Server and Migration to the Live Environment C. Change the Existing Chart of Accounts D. Conduct Technical and Functional Trainings E. Resolution of User Support Requests (USR). Eligibility documents of interested consultants must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat on or before 15 September 2017 at 9:00 a.m., at the BAC Office, 5th Floor, PPA Building, A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila. Opening of Eligibility Documents is on 15 September 2017 at 10:00 a.m. Applications for eligibility will be evaluated based on a non-discretionary “pass/ fail” criterion.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Ports Authority Bids and Awards Committee for the Procurement of Goods and Consultancy Services (BAC-PGCS) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during office hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 22 September 2017 from the address below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of P25,000.00. It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The BAC shall draw up the short list of consultants from those who have submitted Expression of Interest, including the eligibility documents, and have been determined as eligible in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184) otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act,” and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). The short list shall consist of not more than FIVE (5) prospective bidders who will be entitled to submit bids. The criteria and rating system for short listing are: 1. Applicable experience of the consultant and members in case of joint ventures, considering both the overall experiences of the firm or, in the case of new firms, the individual experiences of the principal and key staff, including the times when employed by other consultants; 2. Qualification of personnel who may be assigned to the job vis-à-vis extent and complexity of the undertaking; and 3. Current workload relative to capacity.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the IRR of RA 9184. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, cooperatives, and partnerships or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

The Philippine Ports Authority shall evaluate bids using the Quality-Cost Based Evaluation (QCBE) procedure. The weight to be allocated for the Technical Proposal is 70% while for the Financial Proposal, the weight is 30%. The criteria and rating system for the evaluation of bids shall be provided in the Instructions to Bidders.

The contract shall be completed within ONE (1) YEAR. The Philippine Ports Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariat, Philippine Ports Authority 5th Floor, PPA Bldg., A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila Telephone/Fax No. 527-47-35 527-83-56 to 83 loc. 539 PPA Website: www.ppa.com.ph •

0-0-0-0 0-0-0

KUALA LUMPUR– The 6Os of the Fil-Chinese Veterans Basketball Association turned on the heat in the third quarter and scored a massive 75-35 win over Kuching of host country in the 26th ASEAN Veterans Basketball Tournament late Monday at the MABA gym 2 here.

Responding to the challenge of coach Edster Sy, the 60s worked behind their impressive transition plays, outscoring their rivals, 27-9, to put their lead almost beyond recall, 57-26.

Former University of the East forward Julio Cruz and ex-La Salle center Kenneth Yap sparked the team’s early assault before PBA veterans Aris Franco, ex-Philippine team star Elmer Reyes and Conrad Siy put on the finishing touches.

Also delivering for the team backed by Rain or Shine’s Terry Que, Ironcon Builders’ Jimi Lim, Freego’s Eduard Tio and Johnny Chua were Davao-based former Crispa center Noli Banate, Andrew Ongteco and Danny Chia.

The win completed FCVBA’s dominant start in the annual tournament after winning its opening matches in the 65-and-above and 50-and-above divisions.

Through the heroics of Bong dela Cruz, Zotico Tan and William Lao, the 65s, outlasted Hatyai of Thailand, 445-39, Allan Caidic fired 18 points to lead the 50s to a smashing 61-37 win over Miri—also of host country Meanwhile, the 50s notched their second straight win with a 70-44 drubbing of Bangkok, Thailand—thanks to another stellar showing from Allan Caidic, Gerry Tee, Gerry Gonzales, Benet Palad, Joe Sta. Maria and Bong Tan.

BONIFACIO DRIVE, SOUTH HARBOR, PORT AREA, MANILA 1018, PHILIPPINES, P.O. BOX 436, MANILA, PHILIPPINES TEL. NO. (0632) 527-8356, FAX NO. (0632) 527-4855 HTTP://WWW.PPA.COM.PH

The Philippine Ports Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

LOTTO RESULTS 6/55 6/45 4 3 2

Pauline del Rosario, who turned pro after last year’s weathershortened conquest of the field in Baguio, but the team is still brimming with so much talent.

Host Cebu CC and newcomer Pradera Verde are the other teams in the Championship field, tipped

to crowd SW-Masters, with Crystal Faith Neri, the Gabasa sisters Irina and Junia and Mary Kim Hong bannering Cebu CC. Pradera, meanwhile, will be spearheaded by the talented Yuka Saso, a Fil-Japanese who has played for the Philippine Team several times and who is regarded as one of the finest amateurs today.

With Del Rosario making waves in the pro tour here and abroad and with another regular, Abby Arevalo in the United States on a scholarship at San Jose State,

Fil-Chinese 60s rout hosts, 75-35, in ASEAN caging

PH has new Merlion team; Bagatsing racefest a huge success THE HOARSE WHISPERER

A7

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

ADRIAN FERDINAND S. SUGAY Chairperson, PPA Head Office Bids and Awards Committee for the Procurement of Goods and Consultancy Services (HO-BAC-PGCS)

Cost of Eligibility Documents :

P 1,000.00

ADRIAN FERDINAND S. SUGAY Chairperson, PPA Head Office Bids and Awards Committee for Goods and Consultancy Services (HO-BAC-PGCS) Standard – Sept. 6, 2017

Standard – Sept. 6, 2017

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Federer targets US Open revenge

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

A8

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

Sports Switzerland’s Roger Federer returns the ball to Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber during their 2017 US Open Men’s Singles Round 4 match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on September 4, 2017. Federer won the match 6-4, 6-2, 7-5. AFP

NEW YORK—Eight years after losing to Juan Martin del Potro in the US Open final, Roger Federer locks horns again with the giant Argentine in New York still convinced he should have won the match which ended his five-year reign as champion.

Del Potro was just 20 years old when he downed the Swiss legend 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 but Federer believes that he was the dominant force in that 2009 showdown.

“The only time when he was really better, in my opinion, was the fifth set.

Obviously that was good enough to beat me that day,” said Federer on Monday after seeing off Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 to set-up Wednesday’s quarter-final with Del Potro.

“I felt like that I left that match with a lot of regrets.

Probably feels like one of those matches I would like to play over again.

“Feel like I would probably win it somehow because I should have been up maybe two sets to love.”

Earlier, Juan Martin del Potro shrugged off sick-

Bolts battle TNT KaTropa

By Jeric Lopez

H

EAVYWEIGHTS are to be unleashed as they box and jockey for better positioning in the continuing 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup.

The consistent Meralco Bolts (5-1) is looking to regain a piece of tournament lead but it would have to get through the acid test to be presented by sister team TNT KaTropa (4-3) as they re-

new their sibling rivalry at 4:15 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today.

Following that is another intense encounter as the streaking Rain or Shine Elasto painters (4-2) lock horns with surprisingly in-

consistent San Miguel Beer (3-3) at 7 p.m. in a marquee attraction.

Right from the start of the conference, the Bolts are consistently showing why they are once again a tough contender, staying in the top two and only dropping a single game to this point.

Led by reigning Best Import Allen Durham, the Bolts have experienced smooth sailing up to this point and another win will get them to the quarterfi-

two in a row before that.

Overall, they have split their last four games but now, they will try to get back on track with a complete line-up with Troy Rosario back.

Following a bad start, the Elasto Painters have suddenly surged after making key moves. They have won three straight and are one of the hottest teams in the league as they stay at fourth place.

The Painters handed erstwhile league-leader Star

Hotshots their first defeat last week with a 92-88 beating last week.

On the other hand, the Grand Slam seeking Beermen are having the opposite fate, losing their last two games after starting out with a 3-1 card.

In their last outing, San Miguel was out of sorts as Alaska handed them a 9079 rout in Pampanga last Saturday.

A win for them will allow them to tie the Painters in the standings.

Eustaquio headlines Jakarta match

Falcons favored to reach Final 4

By Peter Atencio THE Adamson Falcons have only four veterans in their roster.

But the team is one of the favorites to make it to the Final Four of the coming 80th University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament.

The Falcons have big guys like the 6’5” Dawn Ochea, 6’5” Simin Camacho, the 6’8” Pappi Sarr and 6’5” Christian Bernardo. They also have a deadly shooter in Terrence Mustre.

And there’s two newcomers, 6’6” Tyrus Hill and newcomer Jerie Pingoy.

They could make the season interesting with their presence.

“We hope to perform better than last season,” said Falcons coach Franz Pumaren.

Last season, the Falcons made it to the Final Four before they bowed to the La Salle Green Archers.

What will make Hill’s presence interesting will be his inside presence with the high-flyer in Manganti as they try to provide reinforcement to Sarr.

On the other hand, Pingoy will be playing his first game in the league after transferring from Ateneo and from Far Eastern University.

Also in the roster are Nicholas Paranada, a 5’10 point guard, and sophomore from Foothills Christian High School, 6’1 Jonathan Espeleta and West Negros University find Kobe Vizcarra.

They will be counting of Robbie Manalang, Jerrick Ahanmisi, Japeth David another Fil-Am recruit Leo Frias.

nals and allow them to tie Barangay Ginebra (6-1) at the top of the heap.

Meralco beat the Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters, 107-104, last Aug. 18 and now, it will be coming off an 17-day layoff approaching this slugfest against TNT KaTropa.

The usually consistent Tropang Texters are finding it hard to find consistency in their campaign so far, having lost to GlobalPort, 119-112, in their last game last Friday after winning

Geje Eustaquio (in red) hits Anatpong Bunrad with a left hand to the head during their fight at ONE: Dynasty of Heroes won by Eustaquio. ONE Championship

AFTER three years of competing on the undercard in his last five bouts in ONE Championship, Filipino standout Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio finds his name on the top bill of the organization’s upcoming event in Jakarta, Indonesia on September 16.

Eustaquio is set to face former flyweight kingpin Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov in the main event of ONE: Total Victory, which takes place at the Jakarta Convention Center.

The last time Eustaquio headlined a ONE Championship card was when he vied for the inaugural ONE Flyweight World Championship in a losing effort against Adriano Moraes in September, 2014.

Since losing to Moraes

three years ago, Eustaquio has won three of his last five matches, including a firstround knockout victory over Malaysian stalwart Saiful “The Vampire” Merican in January 2016 and a split decision win over Thai rival Anatpong Bunrad in their rematch last May. Eustaquio sees it as a privilege to be in the main event picture of ONE: Total Victory opposite a former champion like Akhmetov.

“I worked hard to be back in this position again. It’s truly an honor and a privilege. Thank you ONE Championship for the opportunity and the trust to headline a stacked card like this one. I will showcase my best skills in this bout and take

home the win for the Philippines,” he said.

“Kairat Akhmetov is a world-class athlete in this sport. I can’t wait to test my skills against him inside the cage. When the cage door closes, it’s time for battle. I will make sure to come well prepared for this bout.”

Along with the rest of Team Lakay, Eustaquio looks better with every cage outing as he revealed that consistent improvement has always been his key to success.

The 28-year-old Baguio City native has focused intently on his wrestling and grappling, looking to make those disciplines an area of strength against Akhmetov.

PSC to hand out cash incentives to SEA Games medalists

By Randy Caluag THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has set the distribution of cash incentives for national athletes, who produced medals in the recent 29th KL Southeast Asian Games, on Wednesday next week in a simple ceremony in Malacñang.

“In the past days, you have not heard anything from me because I salute the way you fought, the way you play. You made us proud out there,” said PSC chairman William Ramirez to the athletes,

who made a courtesy call on Monday.

The Philippines placed 6th among 11 Southeast Asian nations in the biennial with medal haul of 24 golds, 33 silves and 64 bronze. Host Malaysia took the overall plum with a total of 145 gold medals, followed by Thailand (72), Singapore (58), Vietnam (57) and Indonesia (38).

Criticisms from all fronts greeted officials of the Philippine Olympic Committee and the National Sports Associations for the dismal showing of the Philippine team but Ramirez

opted to remain silent and called on all stakeholders to “work together next time, for the benefit of the taxpaying Filipinos.”

“We have to look at where we should work together. Hindi na pwede ung kami-kami or sila-sila because the national pride is at stake here,” added Ramirez.

Meanwhile, as promised, Ramirez hastened the distribution of the cash bonuses for athletes, happening at least two weeks after the Games.

According to the revised Re-

public Act 9064, the SEA Games medalists will receive cash incentive from the government through the PSC. The gold medal will get P300,000, P150,000 for silver and P60,000 for bronze.

Leading the Filipino medalists is Fil-American Trent Anthony Beram, who achieved a golden double with his victory in the men’s 200m and 400m races and the silver in the men’s 4x100m relay.

With those victories, he will receive P600,000 plus a share in the relay victory.

Hamilton says ‘heart and passion’ led his surge to top MONZA, Italy—Lewis Hamilton attributes his surge to the top of the Formula One drivers world championship to an increased level of “heart and passion” since winning the British Grand Prix in July.

The 32-year-old Briton, whose victory in Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix lifted him three points clear of Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari, has won three of the last four races to become leader for the first time this year.

As Ferrari retreated from their home race to lick their wounds after being outclassed by a Mercedes master-class that saw Valtteri Bottas finish second, Hamilton admitted he felt he now has the momentum.

“To come through these last races—they’ve been real solid races—I think I’ve felt more heart and passion within myself,” said Hamilton, who claimed a record-breaking 69th career pole on Satur-

day and then his 59th win on Sunday.

“I’ve found more in the last three or four races. I think Silverstone was a real empowering weekend and from then it’s sparked a forest fire within me—and that’s hopefully reflected in my driving and the way I’m working with my guys.

“To be leading, whilst it’s only a couple of points, I’m grateful for it. By no means do I feel comfortable and I will apply myself the same

that I have these past three or four races.

“Earlier on in the year, it was obviously 20 points gap, or whatever, between myself and him, so now I’m going to see if we can have that feeling for a while.”

He added that his success had come after a “real constant search and battle for perfection, which is what’s been needed to overhaul the Ferraris because they’ve been exceptional all year long.” AFP Hamilton

ness to save two match points and defeat Dominic Thiem in a five-set US Open epic on Monday to book a quarter-final showdown with Federer.

Argentina’s 24th seed Del Potro claimed a heroic 1-6, 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 victory over the sixthseeded Austrian on a rocking Grandstand court, describing it as night he would remember forever.

Top seed Rafael Nadal claimed his 50th win at the US Open and will meet Russian teenager Andrey Rublev.

In the women’s event, world number one Karolina Pliskova set-up a quarterfinal date against America’s CoCo Vandeweghe.

Estonia’s world number 418 Kaia Kanepi also reached the quarter-finals, just the second qualifier to make the last eight.

But the day belonged to Del Potro, who celebrated his win, which came off a Thiem double fault, by stretching out his arms, head facing the night sky, as his legion of fans, many dressed in the light blue colors of Argentina’s famed football and Pumas rugby teams, celebrated wildly. AFP

Volcanoes regroup after SEAG

HONG KONG—The Philippine Volcanoes have regrouped from the SEA Games to notch up victories against Malaysia and Chinese Taipei at the first leg of the 2017 Asian 7s Series.

The beauty of Rugby Sevens is any team can win, at any given tournament. Two weeks after losing to Malaysia at the 29th SEA Games, the Globe PH Volcanoes went on to score 33 unanswered points against the SEA Games gold medalists to win by 33-0. Tommy Kalaw Gilbert, Joe Palabay Dawson and Vincent Amar Young were some of the outstanding performers for the Volcanoes.

Two weeks ago, the Philippine Volcanoes were fighting for backto-back Gold Medals in Kuala Lumpur at the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.

Unfortunately up to a third of the Volcanoes top line National Players were unavailable due to Japanese professional rugby commitments, resulting in a non-release to represent the country at the SEA Games.

The Asian 7s Series saw the Volcanoes send out a stronger line up and as a result secured much needed victories to set them back on the path to success.

Chiefs trounce Bombers ARELLANO University routed Jose Rizal, 3.5-.5, to clinch the fourth and last berth in the Final Four of the 93rd NCAA senior chess competition at the Lyceum of the Philippines University Auditorium over the weekend.

Don Tyrone Delos Santos, Kyz Llantada and Jeremy Lorenz Parado delivered the victories on boards one, two and four while Carlo Caranyagan split the point with Marc Kenneth Lomio on the last board to seal the win and a semis spot with 21 points after eight rounds.

The Chiefs joined defending champion San Beda, LPU and St. Benilde in the Final Four with 27, 24 and 22 points, respectively after eight rounds.

San Beda trounced San Sebastian, 3-1, to stay on top while LPU blanked Mapua, 4-0, to keep its stranglehold of the lead.

St. Benilde fell to Letran, 1.5-2.5, to slide from second to third spot.

Miners seek perks for refinery plants B3

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

B1

Pagcor rejects PAL’s offer

By Darwin G. Amojelar

S

TATE-RUN Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. said Tuesday Philippine Airlines is barred from building a new passenger terminal at the former Nayong Pilipino complex.

Pagcor said in a statement PAL’s contract with a former management of the state-run gaming corporation only included the use of the rented property as “an aircraft parking ramp/apron facility.”

“Hence, it is prohibited from using the leased premises for any other business or purpose [including the construction of a new terminal] without prior written consent from Pagcor,” it said.

PAL earlier said it submitted to the Transportation Department an unsolicited proposal to build a P20-billon passenger terminal beside its current hub at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Centennial

Terminal 2 to expand its passenger capacity.

The proposed terminal would be designed to handle 12 million to 15 million passengers per year and would have aerobridges capable of serving 12 to 17 widebodied and single aisle jets.

PAL said it expected to start the construction of the new terminal by December 2020.

Pagcor said PAL was only paying a monthly rental fee of P40 per square meter for the 10 hectares of land at the former Nayong Pilipino complex. PAL’s contract will expire on July 11, 2033.

The property was sold by Philippine Reclamation Authority to Pagcor on May 12, 2009. Pagcor said the current management’s review of the lease contract with PAL discovered that the “lessor is not yet the absolute and registered owner of the property” “Therefore, since Pagcor has no absolute authority to lease out the property, PAL does not acquire any right to the

possession of enjoyment thereof, notwithstanding the contract of lease executed between the two parties,” it said.

“The previous board caused the acceptance of P21 million as downpayment form PAL but later issued an order to Pagcor’s Treasury Department not to accept the lease payment from PAL,” Pagcor said.

Pagcor said the lease price of P40 per square meter was “grossly disadvantageous to the government.”

“The ultimate aim of Pagcor’s current management is to ensure that all dealings entered into by the agency will be advantageous to the government,” it said.

“Pagcor has already requested an opinion recommendation from the Office of the Solicitor General regarding this matter,” Pagcor said.

Meanwhile, PAL was undergoing an equity restructuring ahead of the entry of a new strategic investor.

PAL Holdings Inc. said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the country’s flag

carrier filed with Securities and Exchange Commission an application to reduce its authorized capital stock from P20 billion to P13 billion. PAL will also reduce its par value per share from P0.20 to P0.13 per share.

PAL Holdings, which controls both Philippine Airlines and PAL Express, earlier secured an approval from its board to reduce its authorized capital stock from P30 billion, divided into 30 billion common shares with a par value of P1 to P18 billion divided into 30 billion common shares with a par value of P0.60 per share, without returning any portion of the capital to stockholders.

PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista earlier said the airline was currently in talks with possible investors. “We’re hoping we can close the deal within the year,” he said.

The investor is expected to acquire up to 40 percent of the flag carrier. PAL tapped Morgan Stanley as financial advisor for the transaction.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, September 5, 2017

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency

Unit

US Dollar Peso

United States Dollar

1.000000

51.1830

Japan

Yen

0.009114

0.4665

UK

Pound

1.293200

66.1899

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127800

6.5412

Switzerland

Franc

1.043623

53.4158

Canada

Dollar

0.805477

41.2267

Singapore

Dollar

0.737137

37.7289

Australia

Dollar

0.794200

40.6495

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653083

135.7927

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266652

13.6480

Brunei

Dollar

0.734430

37.5903

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0038

Thailand

Baht

0.030147

1.5430

UAE

Dirham 0.272272

13.9357

Euro

Euro

1.189700

60.8924

Korea

Won

0.000883

0.0452

China

Yuan

0.153092

7.8357

India

Rupee

0.015616

0.7993

Malaysia

Ringgit 0.234247

New Zealand Dollar

0.716000

Taiwan

0.033250

Dollar

11.9895 36.6470 1.7018 Source: PDS Bridge

Inflation rate accelerates to 3.1%

By Julito G. Rada

PREPARATORY ASEAN MEETING. Senior trade officials from 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states gather for a two-day preparatory meeting in Pasay City to refine points of discussion and agenda items that will feed into the 49th Asean economic ministers’ meeting and related meetings to be held on Sept. 7 to 11, hosted by the Philippines, as chair of Asean 2017. Shown are senior trade officials from Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR and Asean Secretariat.

IN BRIEF 2 Bohol tourist spots get 24-hour power STATE-OWNED National Power Corp. is optimistic more local and foreign tourists will visit Bohol province after extending the services of its power plants in Balicasag Marine Sanctuary and Pamilacan Island to 24 hours.

“Our power plants which used to operate at 8 hours will start its 24-hour operations today as we switch on the additional 80 kilowatts generating sets for each,” said Napocor manager for Visayas operations Pete Lorente.

Prior to the commissioning of the additional generating sets, Balicasag Diesel Power Plant, located in Barangay Poblacion, Panglao, had a dependable capacity of 112 kW and a maximum demand of 46 kW. Pamilacan diesel power plant in Baclayon, Bohol, meanwhile, has 128 kW of dependable capacity and 55 kW maximum demand.

“With these new gensets, we now have huge reserve capacities that can accommodate additional facilities in the islands,” Lorente said in a statement.

Napocor serves approximately 500 households in both islands which are rapidly becoming the top destinations in the Philippines, along with Boracay, Palawan and Cebu. Alena Mae S. Flores

PH offers options on Asean trade deal THE goal for a partial conclusion to the trade-in goods component of the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership has prompted the Philippines, as host country to Asean 2017, to propose options to realize the objective.

Trade Secretary and Asean 2017 chairman Ramon Lopez said in an interview Tuesday the heads of Asean economies and dialogue partners were offered to either agree to liberalize at least 92 percent of their trade or agree to either the reciprocity approach or a possible 16-1 scheme.

“We need to, at least partially agree on the trade-in goods aspect of we want to move on with the negotiations. We’re hoping to end 2017 with a significant development on RCEP,” he said at the sidelines of the 2nd Asean Young Entrepreneurs Carnival held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

Nineteen meetings, so far, have been held on the RCEP but none had been close enough to reach at least a partial agreement.

Othel V. Campos

David Consunji, DMCI founder, dies THE Consunji family confirmed the passing on of its patriarch, David Consunji, fondly called as DM, founder of the DMCI Group of Companies.

DM, 95, died around noontime Monday, surrounded by close family and relatives.

A beloved husband and father, DM built landmarks and redefined cityscapes for generations of Filipinos. He transformed the local construction industry by valuing not the quick profit but the satisfaction of doing one’s work well, honestly and proudly.

His remains lie in state at the Capilla de San Francisco of Santuario de San Antonio Parish, McKinley Road, Forbes Park in Makati City, and may be viewed starting September 5 until September 8.

Interment is scheduled on Saturday (September 9) at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City after the 9:30 a.m. mass. at Santuario de San Antonio.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made in DM’s honor to the UP Engineering Research and Development Foundation Inc. and Orani Suhay Foundation Inc.

INFLATION rate accelerated to a three-month high of 3.1 percent in August from 2.8 percent in July, driven by higher prices of food, transport, water, electricity and fuel, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Tuesday.

The August print was also faster than the 1.8-percent consumer price increase a year ago. Data from the PSA showed inflation averaged 3 percent in the first eight months, the midpoint of the government’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent for the whole year.

Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said inflation was still expected to remain within the government’s target, despite its acceleration for the second time in a row.

“Nonetheless, we should continue to closely monitor

upside and downside risks,” Pernia said.

Standard Chartered Bank’s economist for Asia Chidu Narayanan said the manageable inflation environment would allow the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to keep steady its policy rates steady for the rest of the year.

Narayanan shared Bangko Sentral’s view that inflation could be faster in 2018, driven by the government’s proposed tax increases.

“Based on the details, we think that BSP should still be comfortable with inflation, to keep rates on hold through this year,” Narayanan said.

DBS Bank of Singapore said that without any surge in demand-pull inflationary pressures, full-year inflation might remain around the 3-percent level.

“We reckon that it is likely to remain thereabouts in

2018 as well,” DBS said.

Bangko Sentral Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said he continued to see a manageable inflation outlook over the policy horizon, after taking into consideration the August inflation.

“The inflation path will be supported by favorable outlook for domestic economic activity with appropriate liquidity conditions and wellanchored inflation expectations,” Espenilla said.

Espenilla said the within-target path of inflation provided the BSP with the flexibility to assess its monetary tools to enhance further its responsiveness to the evolving requirements of the economy.

Food inflation rose to 3.7 percent in August from 3.4 percent in July. This was led by faster price increases in vegetables, fish, corn, flour, bread and other cereals.

Metro Pacific pursues Tagaytay expressway A UNIT of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. expects to obtain an original proponent status from the Department of Public Works and Highways for the proposed P23.7-billion Cavite-Tagaytay-Batangas Expressway project before the end of the year, a top executive said Tuesday.

“We have been in active discussion with DPWH. In fact, we are completing a few additional requirements so that they can declare it as a complete submission and after that, they will evaluate it,” MPCala Holdings Inc. president and chief executive Luigi Bautista said.

Bautista said the Public Works Department would

have 60 days to evaluate the proposed 46-kilometer expressway that would link Manila-Cavite Expressway and Cavite-Laguna Expressway in Silang, Cavite to Tagaytay City and would terminate in Nasugbu, Batangas “Towards the end of the year, we will be able to get the original proponent status for CTBex,” he said.

MPCala is also constructing the P35-billon Calax― a four-lane, 47-kilometer closed-system toll expressway connecting Cavitex and South Luzon Expressway.

The expressway will start from Cavitex in Kawit, Cavite and end at SLEx-Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.

Darwin G. Amojelar

MINING CONFERENCE. Chamber of Mines of the Philippines executive director Ronald Recidoro talks on the open pit and underground mining processes during the formal opening of Mining Philippines 2017 Conference and Exhibition in Pasay City. See story of B3. Ey Acasio

NGCP secures clearance to build P52-b Visayas-Mindanao line

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Energy Regulatory Commission granted a provisional authority to National Grid Corporation of the Philippines to implement the P52-billion Visayas-Mindanao Interconnection Project.

“The provisional approval granted to NGCP to implement the VisayasMindanao Interconnection Project will enable power supply importations among the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao grids,” ERC of-

ficer-in charge Alfredo Non said.

“For instance, the deficiency of supply in Visayas may be supplied by importing power from Luzon or Mindanao. Hence, this Visayas-Mindanao Interconnection will help address the insufficient power supply and will also help optimize the available power supply in the Philippine Grid,” Non said.

NGCP is a privately owned company in charge of operating, maintaining and developing the coun-

try’s power grid, led by majority shareholders Henry Sy Jr. and Robert Coyiuto Jr. State-run National Transmission Corp., which owns the transmission assets of the government, however, said it would file a motion asking the ERC to reconsider its decision. TransCo wants to construct the Visayas-Mindanao project by itself, using the Malampaya funds to ease the burden of consumers by not passing on the construction costs.

ERC said it gave the ap-

proval, subject to certain conditions.

The project shall be subject to optimization based on its actual use and/or implementation during the reset process for the next regulatory period.

NGCP is also required to conduct competitive bidding for the purchase of major materials in the implementation of the project and pay the permit fee.

The project involves the interconnection of Visayas and Mindanao via Cebu and Zamboanga. Converter stations in Visayas and

Mindanao will be located in Sibonga, Cebu and Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur, respectively.

The project is estimated to be completed in 46 months with an estimated cost of P51.697 billion.

The ERC said the Visayas-Mindanao interconnection project would support the government’s vision to interconnect the major grids into a single national grid which would help improve the overall power supply security in the country.

B2

Business

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Laguna Water expands service to another town

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales LAGUNA Water AAA Water Corp., a unit of Manila Water Company Inc., said it will spend P75 million to build facilities that will serve Victoria town, its new service area.

The company said the Sangguniang Bayan of Victoria, Laguna in a resolution dated Aug. 23, approved the inclusion of the municipality in the service area of Laguna Water.

Laguna Water is a joint venture company between the provincial government of Laguna and Manila Water Philippine Ventures Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Manila Water.

“The inclusion is pursuant to the amended concession agreement between Laguna Water

and PGL, which, in turn, was executed to provide clean, safe, and reliable water supply to the entire province of Laguna and to replicate the improvements in water services in the cities of Binan, Cabuyao, and Sta. Rosa,” Manila Water said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

Manila Water said the inclusion of Victoria would require the construction of a deep well and treatment facility for water supply.

Laguna Water will also lay over 14 kilometers of distribution lines. “Completion of initial phases is slated for April 2018,” said Manila Water.

Laguna Water earlier said it would spend P5 billion over the next three years to increase its coverage area in Laguna province.

Market extends gains; Jollibee, Nickel Asia up

S

TOCKS rose for a fourth day, defying the downfall of other Asian markets amid worries over North Korea’s nuclear test, as the local market caught up with large gains posted by global equities in the previous week.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, rose 14 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 8,049.35, as five of the six major sectors advanced.

The bellwether was also up 17.7 percent since the start of the year.

The heavier index, representing all shares, picked up 4 points, or 0.1 percent, to settle at 4,766.93, on a value turnover of P5.8 billion. Losers outnum-

bered gainers, 103 to 87, while 55 issues were unchanged.

Investors rushed to buy Philippine stocks after the back-toback long weekends. “We’re playing catch up,” said Luis Limlingan, managing director at brokerage house Regina Capital Development Corp.

Fourteen of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by construction firm EEI Corp. which

surged 7.5 percent to P14.30, while miner Nickel Asia Corp. climbed 4.4 percent to P7.99. Restaurant chain operator Jollibee Foods Corp. rose 2.5 percent to P244.

Meanwhile, Asian equities were mixed, the yen and gold extended gains, and Treasuries rallied as traders digested reports of North Korean plans for a ballistic missile launch on the heels of Sunday’s nuclear test.

Japanese and South Korean stocks fell while they fluctuated elsewhere as the United Nations Security Council met to discuss the threat from Pyongyang. S&P 500 Index futures inched higher before American markets reopen after

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 4.71 1,758,100 59.55 5,670 104.6 2,035,150 4.17 24,000 128.5 2,442,020 1.4 62,000 35.6 84,100 16.1 26,700 30.4 1,599,300 8.26 100 1.65 39,000 0.72 20,672,000 87.7 1,085,100 1 884,000 13.16 29,800 26 1,000 60.5 18,860 238.6 930 110 640 51.45 45,300 244.6 1,000,240 1,800 45 86.8 20,320 1.38 31,000

8,633,469 337,064 212,780,044 100,650 313,431,200 86,580 3,012,825 428,750 48,898,130 826 64,350 15,294,300 95,140,393 888,670 392,170 26,000 1,141,824.50 220,074 70,178 2,335,578.50 243,972,216 81,050 1,764,521 42,780

-86,235 307,304 -87,552,049 -76,208,501 2,022,845.00 -22,757,505 12,480 -43,846,176 -101,000 -203,985 4,331 -61,715,838 -36,000 206,690.50 -

39 8.8 0.8 1.4 20.2 0.239 120 6.03 17.44 35.95 22.2 64 74 1.92 5.35 11.34 10.54 14.98 13.32 7 6.81 16.86 67 14.36 12.06 15.18 1.76 238 59.05 4 3.25 20.4 30 19.16 16.94 269 0.231 11.32 2.97 6.8 10.2 7.1 10.1 1.81 11.7 66.2 6.75 304 4.35 4.34 2.47 12.62 4.5 0.143 1.21 150 3.75 2.22 28.05

INDUSTRIAL 40.2 2,218,400 8.9 2,604,700 0.81 571,000 1.44 1,628,000 20.35 51,800 0.24 1,180,000 137 1,060 6.05 2,043,100 17.56 204,100 36.5 531,600 23 154,900 64 775,320 84 7,060 1.93 292,000 5.4 97,600 11.36 15,700 10.56 1,137,500 15.06 1,413,900 14.3 8,951,800 7.02 1,905,500 6.85 17,643,800 16.92 3,534,500 67 31,640 14.36 5,800 12.08 129,700 15.3 883,500 1.8 1,699,000 244 1,044,220 59.4 3,050 4.26 214,000 3.47 178,000 21.9 5,600 31 1,879,100 19.16 44,200 17 3,566,500 270 271,210 0.238 820,000 11.8 11,400 2.97 1,015,000 6.85 139,700 10.42 12,406,300 7.18 27,800 10.1 8,900 1.82 558,000 11.88 755,600 66.9 141,670 6.96 142,000 314 9,090 4.35 83,000 4.34 8,000 2.52 107,000 12.78 663,800 4.5 109,000 0.143 20,000 1.23 45,000 150.1 1,183,330 3.75 1,000 2.24 9,411,000 28.5 1,100

87,395,025 23,264,941 461,480 2,337,580 1,075,470 283,020 147,360 12,448,215 3,573,902 19,452,480 3,521,580 50,005,565 560,320 561,230 526,420 180,376 12,014,024 21,286,050 126,197,244 13,366,406 120,667,574 59,744,260 2,123,697.50 83,288 1,565,808 13,557,866 3,038,470 251,021,932 180,242.50 919,940 604,130 117,600 57,785,630 848,954 60,756,062 73,152,118 190,620 131,468 3,015,620 967,471 129,331,092 198,422 89,890 1,012,900 8,983,010 9,400,282 981,966 2,822,550 361,420 34,720 268,070 8,466,182 491,400 2,860 55,150 177,645,077 3,750 21,262,650 31,260

10,617,530 436,267 -80,000 -1,207,906 1,967,282 205,090 -116,480 320,000 -27,020 -59,068 -1,953,290 11,195,468 -5,725,562 -9,587,743 -13,909,425 -8,113,650 -1,107,470 -363,526 -2,633,024 372,160 80,045,652 421,880 -354,860 -37,047,000 53,826 -48,818,346 -11,372,850 -134,280 9,977,120.00 710 -9,090 376,420 -1,955,166 6,181,239.50 -44,440 -1,121,240 274,110 34,720 409,038 22,750 32,688,536 729,430.00 -

0.355 73.5 14.14 1.09 6.95 0.31 0.305 917 7.95 15.22 7.5 1,122 8 71.8 5 5.35 0.91 6.76 17.84 0.42 6.5 0.044 2.05 98.8 815 0.86 1.49 299.8 0.28 0.197 0.229

HOLDING FIRMS 0.36 330,000 74 924,580 14.2 13,191,000 1.13 83,000 6.95 11,800 0.31 1,390,000 0.305 220,000 920 141,920 8 393,200 15.4 5,862,800 7.51 56,900 1,130 102,380 8 50,000 73.8 1,228,060 5 9,600 5.35 58,000 0.92 2,114,000 6.83 959,300 17.98 647,300 0.42 30,000 6.53 17,751,800 0.049 83,500,000 2.05 318,000 98.9 30,210 831 175,060 0.86 8,000 1.53 364,000 299.8 2,100 0.28 410,000 0.2 410,000 0.229 100,000

117,700 68,341,746 187,043,526 92,520 82,433 434,000 67,100 130,545,195 3,145,211 89,835,460 428,389 115,887,840 400,000 89,346,204 48,125 311,500 1,935,020 6,541,564 11,619,808 12,600 115,935,916 3,917,200 654,920 2,988,322.50 144,313,190 6,880 545,520 630,318 114,800 81,500 22,900

4,266,519 10,548,448 10,936,855 1,494,129 -46,924,078 -76,000 -24,446,540 32,044,263 -388,417 5,722,370 -31,521,198 352,617.50 -41,908,110 -59,900 -

385,517 7,135,530 17,363 383,310 2,675,440 247,932,830 2,958,000 19,255,360 2,278,480 394,110 3,220,280 10,061,520 922,420 4,323,480 103,020 92,070 23,433,850 46,679,890 1,298,430 36,900 268,703,310 3,160,750 12,911,380

-184,920 -195,880 17,363 9,966,740 509,800 1,076,261 -618,040 -267,880 308,825 2,167,895 2,354,090 -9,391,450 28,500 93,747,720 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

AG FINANCE ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO LEASING BDO UNIBANK BRIGHT KINDLE CHINABANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK FILIPINO FUND IREMIT MEDCO HLDG METROBANK NTL REINSURANCE PB BANK PBCOM PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PHILTRUST RCBC SECURITY BANK SUN LIFE UNION BANK VANTAGE

5.76 59.55 106 4.2 128 1.41 35.8 16.1 30.8 8.26 1.65 0.78 88.3 1.03 13.16 26 61 237 117 51.75 244.4 1,800 86.8 1.38

5.76 59.55 106 4.2 128.5 1.41 36 16.1 30.85 8.26 1.65 0.78 88.4 1.03 13.18 26 61 238.8 117 51.75 244.6 1,810 86.9 1.38

4.66 59.2 104 4.17 128 1.35 35.45 15.9 30.35 8.26 1.65 0.71 87.4 0.99 13.16 26 60.45 235.6 109 51.25 242.6 1,800 86.6 1.38

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS ASIABEST GROUP BASIC ENERGY BOGO MEDELLIN CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CROWN ASIA DAVINCI CAPITAL DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR ENERGY DEVT FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LIBERTY FLOUR LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL MACAY HLDG MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO MG HLDG PANASONIC PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHIL H2O PHINMA PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP PUREFOODS RFM CORP ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH VIVANT

39.9 9.03 0.8 1.4 21.75 0.239 142 6.11 17.5 35.95 23.5 64.5 84 1.92 5.4 11.74 10.7 15.18 13.32 7.1 6.83 16.88 68 14.36 12.08 15.6 1.8 238 59.05 4.27 3.45 20.65 31 19.2 17.5 270 0.232 11.52 2.99 6.8 10.2 7.12 10.1 1.82 11.72 66.35 6.75 308 4.38 4.34 2.54 12.64 4.55 0.143 1.23 150.1 3.75 2.26 28.05

40.2 9.03 0.81 1.46 21.75 0.241 142 6.17 17.58 37 23.5 65 86.8 1.93 5.4 11.74 10.7 15.2 14.3 7.1 6.87 16.94 68 14.36 12.08 15.6 1.83 244 59.4 4.37 3.59 21.9 31.5 19.5 17.5 270.4 0.239 11.9 2.99 6.98 10.48 7.29 10.1 1.84 12.02 66.9 7 315 4.38 4.34 2.58 12.8 4.55 0.143 1.23 150.6 3.75 2.29 28.5

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

0.355 73.85 14.2 1.09 7 0.32 0.305 926 8.03 15.44 7.6 1,144 8 73.8 5 5.39 0.92 6.95 18 0.42 6.54 0.045 2.06 99 825 0.86 1.49 301.4 0.28 0.197 0.229

0.36 74.15 14.3 1.14 7.03 0.32 0.305 926.5 8.04 15.56 7.6 1,148 8 73.8 5.05 5.39 0.94 6.95 18 0.42 6.55 0.049 2.06 99.5 831 0.86 1.53 301.4 0.28 0.207 0.229

8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CENTURY PROP CITY AND LAND CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE IRC PROP KEPPEL PROP MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES

5.5 1.19 6.68 2.44 1.07 42.6 3.68 4.98 0.52 1.33 1.49 0.232 0.51 44.25 0.69 0.152 1.87 1.55 0.96 4.1 5 0.29 0.56

5.5 1.19 6.69 2.44 1.08 42.8 3.8 5.03 0.53 1.33 1.58 0.245 0.51 44.85 0.7 0.153 1.87 1.56 0.98 4.1 5.06 0.295 0.57

5.36 1.17 6.6 2.35 1.04 42.5 3.68 4.9 0.52 1.29 1.47 0.231 0.495 44.25 0.69 0.148 1.83 1.49 0.95 4.1 4.98 0.285 0.52

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

0.52 5.58 23.2 1.81 3.18 33.9 1.02 0.89 6

0.53 5.59 23.25 1.81 3.27 34 1.02 0.89 6

0.51 5.39 22.8 1.8 3.18 33.8 1.01 0.86 5.94

0.52 5.49 23 1.8 3.26 34 1.01 0.88 6

1,834,000 1,445,700 3,115,500 13,000 15,000 7,983,700 165,000 54,000 1,157,300

951,360 7,910,258 71,644,740 23,520 47,950 271,149,070 166,920 46,960 6,912,078

1,522,937 -11,810,705 62,187,155 -2,725,984

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA DFNN INC GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN HAVEN HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER IPEOPLE IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN MANILA JOCKEY MELCO RESORTS METRO RETAIL MLA BRDCASTING NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PAXYS PHIL RACING PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRAVELLERS WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

19.4 41.15 1.68 0.56 0.041 10.84 11.4 0.074 108 9.7 10.32 7.56 2,002 6.11 17.3 2.46 3.13 104.5 12.4 8.41 0.17 1.34 3.05 15.9 4.6 1.54 10.38 0.56 2.4 9.05 4.25 20 2.36 11.06 5.11 2.87 8.25 173 10.4 1,750 1.64 0.4 48.2 91 5.93 4.76 1.48 3.44 1.32 9.25

19.68 41.15 1.71 0.57 0.042 10.84 11.6 0.076 108 9.7 10.68 8 2,010 6.12 17.4 2.6 3.13 105.3 12.4 8.43 0.174 1.36 3.07 15.9 4.6 1.57 10.64 0.6 2.45 9.1 4.28 21 2.42 11.06 5.17 2.94 8.25 173 10.7 1,755 1.68 0.4 48.55 91.5 5.93 4.76 1.49 3.49 1.32 9.52

19.24 41 1.66 0.54 0.04 10.84 11.32 0.073 107.1 9.7 10.32 7.52 1,996 6.09 17.24 2.46 3.03 103.7 11.92 8.4 0.17 1.34 3 15.4 4.57 1.49 10.38 0.56 2.38 8.98 4.21 19.52 2.35 11.04 5.11 2.86 8.25 170 10.3 1,730 1.64 0.395 47.6 91 5.93 4.53 1.46 3.44 1.21 9.2

SERVICES 19.5 41.1 1.66 0.54 0.041 10.84 11.56 0.075 107.5 9.7 10.5 7.94 2,000 6.1 17.28 2.57 3.03 104.5 12.34 8.43 0.174 1.35 3 15.88 4.6 1.5 10.6 0.6 2.4 9.08 4.28 19.58 2.38 11.04 5.17 2.86 8.25 170 10.54 1,755 1.68 0.395 48.55 91 5.93 4.6 1.47 3.49 1.24 9.2

67,700 24,400 137,000 14,905,000 24,500,000 100 11,760,000 7,080,000 560,910 400 5,866,500 170,100 17,500 248,500 124,600 2,294,000 7,000 168,630 4,500 536,500 1,650,000 76,000 44,000 1,100 314,000 1,456,000 1,565,000 69,000 33,000 2,396,900 1,193,000 3,100 556,000 5,400 9,800 10,000 5,000 685,100 3,306,800 56,950 22,518,000 300,000 1,669,000 890,030 161,700 4,177,000 5,715,000 769,000 29,026,000 8,385,100

1,320,180 1,001,495 231,930 8,219,720 1,002,500 1,084 134,850,170 522,540 60,301,087 3,880 61,950,234 1,324,014 35,031,605 1,516,124 2,153,898 5,879,300 21,490 17,594,203 54,684 4,509,960 284,740 102,170 132,640 17,424 1,441,660 2,215,980 16,484,298 39,080 79,230 21,697,149 5,074,720 61,250 1,321,910 59,644 50,102 28,870 41,250 116,472,070 34,814,606 99,044,140 37,458,230 119,250 80,722,805 81,009,567 958,881 19,310,430 8,407,790 2,670,580 36,140,750 78,831,682

-9,724 -544,500 32,430,288 47,897,699 -335,284 -429,200 -17,004,280 1,740.00 51,400 -4,696,424 12,340 -10,880 60,000 -539,608 -1,297,942 -25,680 -94,400 8,580 -241,580 4,128,938 -51,290,310 1,095,930 4,138,355 721,521 -3,505,350 6,517,450 69,200 -111,200 -17,451,829

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

0.0029 1.74 5.15 1.22 0.39 8.88 2.7 0.28 0.189 0.199 0.011 0.011 2.06 7.7 1.93 0.52 1.19 0.012 0.013 0.012 2.43 8.71 4.39 175 0.008

0.0029 1.74 5.28 1.25 0.39 9.25 2.7 0.28 0.189 0.199 0.011 0.011 2.06 8.06 1.93 0.55 1.24 0.014 0.014 0.013 2.48 8.85 4.78 175 0.008

0.0027 1.71 5.15 1.2 0.385 8.6 2.63 0.265 0.185 0.199 0.01 0.011 1.99 7.7 1.88 0.52 1.17 0.012 0.013 0.012 2.43 8.71 4.39 173.9 0.008

MINING & OIL 0.0028 324,000,000 1.72 2,769,000 5.28 843,500 1.24 940,000 0.385 100,000 8.91 33,200 2.64 8,075,000 0.275 1,330,000 0.188 7,110,000 0.199 230,000 0.011 14,100,000 0.011 11,000,000 2.03 659,000 7.99 16,098,000 1.9 327,000 0.55 150,000 1.2 1,420,000 0.014 546,200,000 0.014 17,600,000 0.013 592,600,000 2.43 30,000 8.81 323,500 4.7 14,240,000 174.4 209,070 0.008 8,000,000

905,100 4,769,940 4,436,018 1,158,230 38,850 298,384 21,383,750 354,750 1,331,830 45,770 152,700 121,000 1,326,840 128,171,644 617,730 80,240 1,715,120 7,110,800 243,300 7,697,300 73,450 2,839,467 66,364,360 36,462,862 64,000

12,300 -4,871,980 -11,000 42,822,055 144,800 -19,500 -108,533 13,458,820 5,084,819 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 ALCO PREF B DD PREF FGEN PREF F FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B LR PREF MWIDE PREF PF PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H

41 515 525 106 105.5 111.7 114.9 516 5.82 1,010 1,023 1.06 108 1,020 76.5 81 81.75 78.7

41 515 525 106 105.5 111.7 114.9 516 5.82 1,010 1,023 1.07 108 1,020 76.5 81.95 81.75 78.7

40.45 515 525 106 105.2 111.6 114.9 516 5.8 1,010 1,010 1.06 108 1,020 76.5 80.15 81.75 78.65

PREFERRED 40.45 500 515 4,160 525 850 106 680 105.4 410 111.6 440 114.9 10 516 6,000 5.82 210,400 1,010 4,985 1,011 10,710 1.06 283,000 108 1,000 1,020 10 76.5 2,370 80.5 45,000 81.75 700 78.65 4,000

20,280 2,142,400 446,250 72,080 43,164 49,145 1,149 3,096,000 1,223,930 5,034,850 10,896,210 301,880 108,000 10,200 181,305 3,633,443 57,225 314,650

0 -467,928 -181,305 -1,610,000 -

LR WARRANT

2.65

2.7

2.55

WARRANTS 2.55 185,000

477,190

-

1,414,260 6,000 582,468 13,806,966

-155,410 -102,588

419,087

18,165

NAME

MS

PROPERTY 5.46 1.18 6.69 2.36 1.05 42.8 3.78 4.9 0.53 1.29 1.58 0.242 0.495 44.8 0.7 0.153 1.85 1.49 0.98 4.1 5.06 0.285 0.53

71,300 6,039,000 2,600 162,000 2,542,000 5,814,200 792,000 3,904,500 4,371,000 305,000 2,130,000 41,910,000 1,852,000 96,600 149,000 610,000 12,687,000 30,834,000 1,365,000 9,000 53,484,000 10,930,000 23,979,000

ITALPINAS MAKATI FINANCE PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

4.35 3 5.04 5.95

4.37 3 5.07 6.16

4.24 3 4.95 5.95

FIRST METRO ETF

121.4

121.7

121

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS

SHARES

32,506,574 87,243,946 137,081,705

PROPERTY

223,596,753

SERVICES

156,544,121

MINING & OIL

1,568,663,129

GRAND TOTAL

2,208,356,119

4.32 3 5.03 6.1

SME

329,000 2,000 117,100 2,268,300

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 121.7 3,450

VALUE 1,982.61 (down) 6.42 1,022,305,084.10 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,174.14 (up) 62.41 1,424,239,935.438 HOLDING FIRMS 7,941.69 (up) 10.57 1,037,635,367.81 PROPERTY 3,781.27 (up) 7.55 SERVICES 1,735.56 (up) 5.94 1,039,966,085.73 MINING & OIL 13,586.59 (up) 91.16 1,016,493,758.69 PSEI 8,049.35 (up) 14.15 287,856,216.107 All Shares Index 4,766.93 (up) 4.94 5,844,725,533.88 Gainers: 87; Losers: 103; Unchanged: 55; Total: 245

the Labor Day holiday and European equity contracts rose. Yields on Treasuries declined.

“Markets are a little bit bifurcated,” Mizuho Bank Ltd. head of economics and strategy Vishnu Varathan told Bloomberg Television. “They do realize that the tail risks are rather large, so in fact there is an adverse outcome, they are not well prepared for it, but they are also betting against that, which is exactly why they are buying the dips.”

There is a high chance North Korea will fire an ICBM missile before the Sept. 9 foundation day after the Pyongyang regime started moving such a weapon, Asia Business Daily reported Tuesday, citing unidentified intelligence officials.

North Korea was “begging for war” by testing a nuclear weapon over the weekend, the U.S. ambassador to the UN said. Nikki Haley demanded the strongest sanctions possible to bring the Kim Jong Un regime to heel.

Haley told an emergency Security Council meeting that Pyongyang was “begging for war” and called for the “strongest possible measures” against Kim Jong-Un’s regime.

Also, US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon JaeIn agreed to remove limits on the payload of the South’s missiles.

The test, which North Korea says was of a hydrogen bomb, came less than a week after it fired a rocket over Japan, while speculation mounts that it is preparing to launch another.

With Bloomberg, AFP

Globe, remittance provider team up

By Darwin G. Amojelar GLOBE Telecom Inc. said Monday it teamed up with EMQ, a financial technology startup, to expand its reach in the Philippines.

“Remittances provide a lifeline for millions of households and drive financial inclusion in the developing countries such as the Philippines, currently the third largest recipient of remittances according to the World Bank,” EMQ co-founder and chief executive Max Liu said.

“Our expansion with GCash complements our existing capabilities in the Philippines, while offering the best possible choices and flexibility for the overseas workers to send money home effortlessly within minutes,” Liu said.

Under the partnership, EMQ users can send funds to GCash account holders who in turn can use their mobile money to pay bills and make online purchases, buy load or cash out at over 12,000 Gcash partner outlets across the Philippines.

“We always strive to create the highest customer value with our innovative solutions and EMQ shares our passion,” Gcash president and chief executive Abet Tinio said.

“Our strategic partnership with EMQ would further boost mobile wallets usage and accelerate local economic growth. But most importantly, we want to ensure that Filipinos who rely on remittances from their loved ones overseas will receive their money fast and securely without any hassle” he said.

Business

B3

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

PNOC weighing options for Malampaya reserves

By Alena Mae S. Flores

BREXIT ROW. EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier (right) and Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney address a joint press conference on the Brexit at the EU headquarters in Brussels on September 4, 2017. The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator said on September 4 he did not want to “teach lessons” to the British people, apparently seeking to calm a row over the talks on Britain’s departure from the bloc. AFP

Miners seek perks for processing plants

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

T

HE government should provide assistance and incentives to encourage mining companies to establish more mineral processing plants in the country, a lawmaker said Tuesday.

“There is a groundswell of support in Congress for a measure to ban the export of raw ores as a means to compel miners to put up domestic processing plants,” Rep. Arnel Uy, chairman of the Natural Resources committee of the House of Representatives said.

“The value-add from these processing plants will contribute significantly to the economy in terms of additional taxes and employment generated,” he said during the Mining Philippines Conference held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila.

“However, we also recognize that a simple ore export ban will not work. We must also provide for the proper assistance and incentives to make investments in minerals processing more attractive and competitive, not just against others in the region, but most especially against China,” Ty added..

The Philippines is currently the world’s top supplier of nickel ore and one of the largest producers of copper and gold.

Chamber of Mines of the Philippines executive director Ronald Recidoro said the proposal to ban the export of raw ore and to put up more processing plants should be studied.

“I think everyone of us, the chamber included, ...want to see the country get more benefits from its minerals. If it means mineral processing domestically, then we are all for it. We are all Filipinos here. We want to see the country benefit from its minerals, if it means we need to process it locally, then so be it,” said Recidoro.

Recidoro noted, however, that banning the export of raw ore would simply not work.

“We need to study this. The easiest incentive to give would be a tax holiday but there should also be assistance to power cost and the cost of transporting ore from one island to another,” he said.

The mining official said the inter-island shipping rates in the country were very costly.

“Other than that, there should be improvement in the bureaucratic red tape because compared to Vietnam and other

countries, securing a permit here is very slow. So we really need to study all the factors that will make processing feasible,” Recidoro said.

“It can proceed but we just have to make sure that we remove all obstacles to competitiveness and also look at new sources of minerals,” he added.

Recidoro said the Philippines should not follow the steps of Indonesia which earlier imposed a ban on the export of ore to force mining companies to put up more processing plants.

Indonesia earlier partially lifted the ban.

“If you noticed, Indonesia has partially rolled back its ore export ban because they saw that the experiment did not work. They banned the export of ore in 2014 and not enough processing plants were put up so a large volume of their production is currently stockpiled,” said Recidoro.

“There’s pressure on them that allows the export of ore but only those companies who have put up or trying to put up processing plants were allowed. It’s creating havoc within their economy and we don’t want that to happen to us so we need to study this very carefully,” Recidoro added.

ASIAN ENTERPRISE AS AUGUST drew to a close, one of the things I had to cross out from my task list was to provide some reflections on entrepreneurship in Asia. The reflections included questions about the environment of entrepreneurship in Asia and factors or situations in Asia that either enable or pose challenges for entrepreneurial ventures. Those who posed the questions also asked whether entrepreneurial enterprises tend to aim for domestic, regional or global markets and whether there were any success stories that provided some insight into Asian enterprises.

Here are those reflections.

Growth, Status, Support Asia, while decelerating, is still the world’s growth engine. Even the dampened growth rates in most countries in Asia are far better than the growth rates expected in the rest of the world, especially in the Western developed economies.

Rapid growth is probably the greatest positive factor driving the growth of entrepreneurship in the region. However, in the developing countries, the compliance burden and weak infrastructure continue to be a challenge for entrepreneurs. A quick check of the Doing Business index will provide insight into what the weak links are in terms of creating a conducive environment for business in Asian countries. The reality, of course, is that entrepreneurs essentially balance these increased costs of doing business versus the returns available as a result of growing economies.

On the positive side, virtually everywhere in the region, the social status of entrepreneurs has increased rapidly in recent years and so have the institutions and organizations supporting them. These include media programs and companies devoted to supporting entrepreneurs as well as organizations supporting entrepreneurs, including those that feature entrepreneur-mentoring programs.

Especially, in the developing countries of Asia, the large populations of millenials, who seek more control over their time and are better versed in the tools of e-commerce, are driving entrepreneurial activity.

Context and Paths The Asian region includes two of the most highly populated countries in the world, China and India. These two, with Japan make up half of the world’s six largest economies.

Representative of the larger Asian community

of nations, these large economies exemplify the truest business fact about Asia – its diversity. The Asian economies include some of the cheapest and most expensive countries to live in—reflective of the great diversity of its domestic markets and labor force. Asian countries run the gamut from innovationdriven, highly industrialized economies such as Japan and South Korea to efficiency-driven economies such as China and Indonesia to factor-driven India.

Taking advantage of government programs, when they exist, is important for entrepreneurs.

In many countries, priority industries are supported by explicit government programs, such as temporary tax relief, governmentfinanced infrastructure or subsidized training.

These programs tend to focus on industries with export potential or those designed to create a key competitive edge for the country.

Historically, focusing on the export market is how early stage developing economies, such as China and Thailand, have fuelled growth.

In recent years, Singapore has very explicitly created a strategy for turning Singapore into a center for technology innovation as well as a hub for culture and entertainment. The 10-member group of the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations (ASEAN) also works on programs to encourage entrepreneurship in the region, including a common curriculum for teaching entrepreneurship in the ASEAN. While necessity-motivated Asian entrepreneurs tend to focus on local markets, many Asian enterprises, especially those looking to scale, tend to focus on export markets. Intra-Asia trade has become increasingly important, especially in the wake of decelerated demand from the West and accelerated Asian demand arising from increasing Asian wealth. In recent years, the availability of online platforms and global logistics solutions have allowed even smaller enterprises to create viable business models addressing micro-niches. As many economies in Asia leapt directly onto mobile platforms, many Asian business models leverage the typically high utilization of mobile technology in Asian economies.

A key concern for Asian entrepreneurs is to find the right mix of local versus international customers and to leverage the domestic factors available in the countries in which they operate.

Stories There are many Asian success stories. Here is a quick of some of the Asian success stories

that represent some of the more interesting trajectories for Asian enteprises.

Alibaba and Wechat, both from China, represent a massive change in the way entrepreneurs do and will do business in Asia and from Asia. While it is easy to dismiss Alibaba as simply the Amazon of China, it is important to remember that Alibaba has just recently bought Lazada, which gives it a strong foothold in SouthEast Asia, one of the fastest growing regions in Asia. The most exciting parts of the Wechat model (e.g. the e-commerce solutions) are, thus far, primarily confined to China. Once the company finds a way to export this model to other countries, it will create a vastly different operating platform for many entrepreneurs.

These two companies with Amazon and the social networking sites which have been widely adopted not only throughout Asia but globally represent entirely new terrain for entrepreneurs - one which enables even those with limited capital to reach to and serve a global market profitably.

In the area of design, two companies are worth mentioning. Uniqlo is presenting a take on fashion that is predicated on textile technology, something that leverages Japan’s technological strengths. CJ E&M, the Korean entertainment group, on the other hand, is leveraging Korea’s unique take on popular culture, South Korea’s technological edge, and partnering with companies across the globe creating what could be an Asian entertainment powerhouse.

CJ E&M is an example of a uniquely Asian approach to business, focusing on something distinctly Asian. By contrast, Philippine-based Potato Corner, a fast food chain specializing in flavored french fries, represents a diametrically opposite take on internationalization. Potato corner typically moves into a new market with a first mover advantage and focuses on rapid growth to dominate the market. It’s micro-franchise approach and positioning as mainstream, rather than a Philippine or regional brand, allows it to rapidly penetrate a market.

These Asian companies represent the many different ways Asian enterprises are growing their business, representing the diversity that is the Asian reality.

Readers can email Maya at integrations_ manila@yahoo.com.

Or visit her site at http://integrations.tumblr.com.

For academic publications, Maya uses her full name, Maria Elena Baltazar Herrera.

PHILIPPINE National Oil Co. may sell the government’s banked gas from the Malampaya field in northwest Palawan in the international market to provide funding for the planned liquefied natural gas project in the Philippines.

“The first option of trading the banked gas outside of the country is an offshoot of a realization that a domestic sale of the banked gas may pose some difficulty,” state-owned PNOC said in a document submitted to Congress.

The unused Malampaya natural gas, or banked gas, is stored in the Malampaya reservoir and owned

by PNOC. It was contracted, paid for by the government and reserved for future use.

The banked gas has accumulated in the past several years.

PNOC owns banked gas equivalent to 97.67 petajoules valued at around P11.9 billion and unsold to date.

The company said with the impending depletion of the Malampaya natural gas field by 2024, “it becomes imperative that PNOC extract and fully recover the remaining purchase

cost as well as optimize its potential value at the earliest time possible which should be before the end of 2024.”

PNOC, the country’s oil and gas arm, favored the utilization of its banked gas preparatory to the full development of the proposed PNOC Batangas LNG Hub Project.

PNOC is mandated to develop an integrated LNG facility but has not found an acceptable offer on a government-to-government basis. A joint venture agreement has also raised concerns from lawmakers.

PNOC said the Malampaya gas project had existing gas sales and purchase agreements until 2022.

“This would mean that PNOC’s opportunity to locally sell the banked gas may start only in 2022. 2022 maybe a bit late and may hamper the initiation of the LNG Hub Project due to delayed realization of the needed equity for the project,” it said.

PNOC conceded that international trading might be challenging because the physical transport of gas was not viable, unless it was converted into liquid state through liquefaction.

Manila

Standard

TODAY A Sure Bet for Progress in Gaming, Entertainment and Nation Building

InvItatIon to BId for Supply and delIvery of three (3) lotS varIouS ChrIStmaS food paCkageS under ITB No. PB17-062COR-08 The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is inviting all interested bidders in its forthcoming public bidding for the Supply and Delivery of Three (3) Lots Various Christmas Food Packages under ITB No. PB17-062COR-08.

Brief Description

lot no.

1 2 3

Delivery Schedule

deSCrIptIon Supply and Delivery of Regular Christmas Food Package  1,975 packs Supply and Delivery of VIP Christmas Food Package  1,694 packs Supply and Delivery of VVIP Christmas Food Package  1,338 packs

Quantity Lot 1 – Supply and 150 1st 200 2nd rd 200 3 100 4th 100 5th, th 200 6 100 7th 100 8th 200 9th 100 10th th 100 11 200 12th 100 13th 125 14th TOTAL 1,975 Lot 2 – Supply and 200 1st 200 2nd 200 3rd th 100 4 100 5th 100 6thx 150 7th 150 8thx th 200 9 194 10th TOTAL 1694 Lot 3 – Supply and 150 1st 200 2nd 200 3rd th 100 4 150 5th 150 6th 150 7th 100 8th th 138 9 TOTAL

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC):

Delivery Date Delivery of Regular Christmas Food Package Within five (5) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within eight (8) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within eleven (11) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within fourteen (14) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within seventeen (17) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within twenty (20) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within twenty-three (23) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within twenty-six (26) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within twenty-nine (29) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within thirty-two (32) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within thirty-five (35) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within thirty-eight (38) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within forty-one (41) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within forty-four (44) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Delivery of VIP Christmas Food Package Within five (5) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within eight (8) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within eleven (11) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within fourteen (14) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within seventeen (17) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within twenty (20) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within twenty-three (23) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within twenty-six (26) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within twenty-nine (29) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within thirty-two (32) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed

Delivery of VVIP Christmas Food Package Within five (5) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within eight (8) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within eleven (11) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within fourteen (14) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within seventeen (17) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within twenty (20) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within twenty-three (23) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within twenty-six (26) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed Within twenty-nine (29) calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed

1,338

The total ABC is Seventeen Million Nine Hundred Ninety-Nine Thousand Nine Hundred Pesos (PhP 17,999,900.00), VAT Exclusive, Zero-Rated Transaction.

The ABC for each of the three (3) lots are as follows: Lot No. 1 2 3

Source of Funds:

ABc VAt-excLusiVe zero-

DescriptioN

rAteD trANsActioN

Supply and Delivery of Regular Christmas Food Package Supply and Delivery of VIP Christmas Food Package Supply and Delivery of VIP Christmas Food Package

PhP 4,542 500.00 PhP 6,098,400.00 PhP 7,359,000.00

Corporate Budget for CY 2017

NOTE: Bidders may bid on one or all lots.

Bidders should have completed, within the last three (3) years before the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183.

PAGCOR will hold a Pre-Bid Conference, which shall be open to prospective bidders.

All particulars relative to Pre-Bid Conference, Detailed Evaluation of Bids, Post-Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its IRR. The schedule of bidding activities is listed, as follows: Activities 1. Issuance of the Bidding Documents 2. Pre-Bid Conference 3. Deadline for the Submission and Receipt of Bids 4. Opening and Preliminary Examination of Bids

Date, Time and Venue Sept. 06, 2017 (Wed) to Sept. 27, 2017 (Wed) Sept. 14, 2017 (Thu), 10:00 a.m.Venue: Meeting Room 1, Fifth (5th) Floor, PAGCOR House, 1330 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita, Manila Sept. 27, 2017 (Wed), 10:00 a.m.

Venue: Meeting Room 1, Fifth (5th) Floor, PAGCOR House, 1330 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita, Manila Sept. 27, 2017 (Wed), 10:00 a.m. onwards Venue: Meeting Room 1, Fifth (5th) Floor, PAGCOR House, 1330 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita, Manila

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Procurement Department (PD), acting as the BAC Secretariat, of PAGCOR and/or inspect the Bidding Documents at Room 203, Second (2nd) Floor, PAGCOR House, 1330 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita, Manila during office hours of PAGCOR from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, based on the following schedule: Approved Budget for the Contract 500,000.00 and below More than 500,000.00 up to 1 Million More than 1 Million up to 5 Million More than 5 Million up to 10 Million More than 10 Million up to 50 Million

Cost of Bidding Documents (in Philippine Pesos) 500.00 1,000.00 5,000.00 10,000.00 25,000.00

Prospective bidders may also download the Bidding Documents free of charge from the following websites: www.pagcor.ph and www.philgeps.gov.ph and may be allowed to submit bids provided that bidders shall pay the applicable fee of the Bidding Documents not later than the deadline for the submission and receipt of bids.

Prospective bidders should present to PAGCOR’s Cashier located at the Sixth (6th) Floor, PAGCOR Corporate Office, New World Manila Bay Hotel, 1588 M.H. del Pilar Street corner Pedro Gil Street, Malate, Manila either the Fee Slip which may be secured from PD or a copy of this ITB in effecting payment for the Bidding Documents.

Bidders shall bear all costs associated with the preparation and submission of his bid, and PAGCOR will in no case be responsible or liable for those costs, regardless of the conduct or outcome of the bidding process.

Bidders should note that PAGCOR will accept bids only from those that have paid the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents.

All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the venue of the bid opening. Late bids shall not be accepted.

PAGCOR assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bids.

In accordance with Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) Circular 06-2005 - Tie-Breaking Method, the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) shall use a non-discretionary and non-discriminatory measure based on sheer luck or chance, which is “DRAW LOTS,” in the event that two or more bidders have been post-qualified and determined as the bidder having the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bid (LCRB) to determine the final bidder having the LCRB, based on the following procedures: a) In alphabetical order, the bidders shall pick one rolled paper. b) The lucky bidder who would pick the paper with a “CONGRATULATIONS” remark shall be declared as the final bidder having the LCRB and recommended for award of the contract.

PAGCOR reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

Please address all communications to the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) thru PD, Room 203, Second (2nd) Floor, PAGCOR House, 1330 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita, Manila, Tel No.: 524-3911, 3366906 and/or 521-1542 local 223 or 671. (sgd.) ARNOLD FERDINAND C. SALVOSA Chairperson BiDs AND AwArDs committee (BAc) 4 (MS-SEPT. 6, 2017)

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor jimbo.gulle@gmail.com mslocalgov@gmail.com

B4

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

LGUs

Gordon bats for CL-Subic corridor

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

By Butch Gunio

‘No QC trash here’

By Bill Casas

M

ANILA Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada on Tuesday said he will not allow the Quezon City government to dump its garbage anywhere in the city.

Contrary to reports, Estrada clarified he has not given any permission to anyone to use the Vitas dump in Tondo as an alternative waste disposal site, or any other available garbage dumps in the capital city.

Quezon City is searching for a new site to of-

fload its garbage after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources shuttered the Payatas sanitary landfill within the city, citing numerous violations and pending its rehabilitation.

“Puede ba ‘yun? Wala pang permit ‘yun. Papayag

ba ‘kong tambakan kami ng basura dito? [Is that possible? Vitas does not have any facility. Am I going to allow it?]” Estrada said, reacting suggestions from various sectors to allow Quezon City to temporarily dump its excess garbage at the Vitas Marine Loading Station.

“Ano, magiging basurahan kami? [What? We’re going to be a trash bin?],” Estrada added.

Asked if Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista has talked to him about the matter, Estrada said: “No.

We don’t have an agreement.”

While he understands the situation of Quezon City, which is now facing a serious garbage crisis due to the closure of Payatas, Estrada said he needs to discuss the issue with the city council.

“Titignan namin. Pagaaralan pa namin ‘yan sa konseho [We’ll see. We will study this at the city council],” he assured.

The City of Manila uses the Vitas Marine Loading Station, originally a garbage transfer station that

sits on land owned by the National Housing Authority, as its main dumpsite.

The Payatas landfill was ordered closed by the DENR and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on July 27 owing to heavy rains that saw garbage haulers having difficulty maneuvering in the area. It is also due for permanent closure at the end of the year.

MMDA officials have suggested three alternative sites to accommodate Quezon City’s garbage: the landfills in San Mateo and

Rodriguez in Rizal province, the Vitas transfer station, and the Navotas-Tanza sanitary landfill via Manila North Harbor’s Pier 18.

Previously, then-Environment secretary Gina Lopez expressed her intent to close Payatas because of its proximity to the La Mesa watershed, one of the main sources of water in Metro Manila.

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

Makati extends dengue vaccination by 2 weeks

By Joel E. Zurbano THE city government of Makati announced on Tuesday it is extending for two more weeks the free dengue vaccination program for children aged 9 to 14.

“I’m encouraging parents of children who have yet to be vaccinated to bring their children to the health centers or allow them to be vaccinated in their respective schools,” Mayor Abigail Binay said.

The local government extended the program beginning Monday (Sept. 4) and will last until Sept. 15 in all the city’s 26 barangay health centers.

Makati Health Department officer-in-charge Bernard Sese explained that children should be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian when availing of the vaccine since they are minors.

This Saturday, all health centers will also be open from 8 a.m. to noon to ac-

commodate children whose parents cannot accompany them on weekdays.

Sese said MHD teams will also be going house to house to administer the vaccine to target recipients who are unable to go to the health center. He also assured that there will be a separate line as well as dedicated personnel assigned for anti-dengue vaccination at the health centers.

The MHD’s earlier vaccination drive ran for 11 days and covered all health centers as well as 39 public schools all over the city.

Sese said they could vaccinate close to 15,000 children.

He noted that the extension will cover defaulters as well as those who have earlier been tagged as deferred. The initial list of students was based on data from the Department of Education.

However, the MHD said they will look for children between the ages of 9 and 14 who may be at a different grade level.

SCHOOL AID. Cavite 6th District Rep. Luis ‘Jon Jon’ Ferrer IV (third from right) and Tanza Mayor Yuri Pacumio (fifth from left) stand with scores of beneficiaries of the Educational Assistance Fund of the Department of Social Welfare and Development during the recent distribution day at Tanza’s town hall.

Early childhood care, reading for preschool kids promoted

By Rio N. Araja THE Quezon City government is promoting early childhood care and reading among young children.

The City Council has passed Resolution No. 7138, introduced by District 2 Councilor Aly Medalla, to strengthen implementation of the early childhood care and

development of a curriculum in accordance with Republic Act 8980 or the Early Childhood Care Development Act. The program stressed the importance of reading readiness skills of children in public day-care centers to prepare preschool children for the formal learning system.

The measure is supported by the early childhood care

and development curriculum, which refers to “developmentally-appropriate educational objectives and practices” as well as programs and activities, well thought-out learning experiences through high-caliber learning materials, and appropriate assessment of children from age zero to four years.

It also puts emphasis on

reading readiness among children, especially in a child’s early development, and encourages day-care centers to strengthen their reading programs by providing suitable reading materials, conduciveto-learning environment, parents and guardians’ participation, and teachers willing to help children acquire good reading skills.

Meanwhile, the city council passed Resolution 7113, authored by District 2 Councilor Precious Hipolito-Castelo, giving Mayor Herbert Bautista and the Tradition Homes Project Manager’s Development Inc. the authority to set certain portions of land in Barangay Payatas as a socialized housing site.

CARD Bank marks 20 years, vows innovations

By Roy Tomandao BAY, Laguna—As it closed its second decade, CARD Bank, the banking arm of the country’s top microlender, vowed to stay relevant by using modern technology to give the public, especially indigent Filipinos and those not served by the larger financial sector, easier access to financial services.

With the theme “20 Taong Paghahatid ng Makabuluhang Serbisyo Para sa Bawat Pamilya” (20 years of bringing meaningful services to each family), CARD Bank celebrated its two decades in serving the unserved and underserved families in the country at the CARDMRI Development Institute, Inc. Bay Campus in Barangay Tranca here.

“As we continue to grow and expand, we ensure that CARD Bank is on par with

modern banking technology,” CARD Bank senior management adviser Dr. Dolores Torres said. “We continue to improve our products and services aligned with the changing needs of our members and clients.”

CARD Bank takes pride in being the first in the Philippine microfinance industry to use a core banking system.

“We are breaking the traditional banking operations and re-engineered our technology to core banking system to deliver better and stronger result of our services,” CARD MRI managing director Flordeliza L. Sarmiento said.

CARD Bank recently launched the Konek2CARD, a mobile application where users can monitor their CARD Bank Matapat ATM card, make transactions like balance inquiry and fund transfer, and view their transaction history.

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Senator Richard Gordon has called on the Subic Bay Freeport business community to support his proposal to establish an investment corridor in Central Luzon that will encourage more business and livelihood activities and spur further development in the area.

Speaking during the North Luzon Business Conference here last week, Gordon said he has filed Senate Bill No. 1325, or “An Act Creating the Regional Investment and Infrastructure Corporation of Central Luzon,” to facilitate the creation of an investment corridor in the region.

The senator explained that the proposed Regional Investment and Infrastructure Corp. aims to attract more foreign investors by way of providing for a road network system that will interconnect airports and seaports in Luzon.

He added that the proposed legislation will provide tax incentives for companies and will utilize the area to help ease the traffic currently weighing down the Metro Manila area. This will further ease the congestion of the seaports and airports in Manila, he said.

Gordon, who served as the first chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, also pointed out that Central Luzon is the only region in the country that has three airports like New York, referring to Manila, Clark and Subic.

“Central Luzon also has three seaports—Subic, Mariveles and Manila, and four if we include Batangas—which are complemented by a network of highways,” said Gordon.

He said the country needs to optimize the use of its infrastructures and pointed out that the Central Luzon area is connected by major highways: The North Luzon Expressway, the SubicClark-Tarlac Expressway, the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway, and the Olongapo-Gapan Highway.

IN BRIEF N. Vizcaya scholars gain financial aid BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—At least 15 college scholars of the provincial government here recently received financial assistance for their first semester schooling.

The scholars were chosen as recipients of the “Pamana ti Nueva Vizcaya” scholarship program through the Nueva Vizcaya State University in this town.

Each of the scholars received P18,000 for tuition and miscellaneous fees annually, P20,000 for a laptop on their second year, P2,000 for the first year and P1,000 per year for the following years for their uniforms, and a monthly stipend of P5,000 through the scholarship program.

Governor Carlos Padilla personally gave the assistance with Vice Governor Lambert Galima Jr. and several board members present.

“It is more practicable to shoulder all of the expenses of a few scholars so that they are assured of everything they need to graduate, rather than give just meager amounts to many scholars but are not sure to graduate because of lack of money for other expenses,” Padilla said.

The scholars are enrolled in agriculture-related courses at the NVSU, which are very relevant for the province as Nueva Vizcaya is mainly agricultural, the governor added.

The scholars must attain an average academic rating of 85 percent each semester and must not have a grade lower than 80 percent.

CDO sardine fish kill puzzles BFAR officials CARD MRI Chairman Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip (right) explain how CARD Bank reached 20 years of service to the people during a press conference, together with (from left) Ronnie Fallega, CARD Bank. Inc CIO; Flordeliza Sarmiento, CARD MRI managing director; Lorenza Bañez, CARD Bank Inc. executive vice president’ Dr. Dolores Torres, CARD Bank vice president and senior adviser; and Marivic Austria, CARD Bank Inc. president and CEO. Roy Tomandao

“As we ensure to make our mobile banking effective, Konek2CARD is still being developed to provide more services like paying bills, loan payment, mobile remittances and many more,” Marivic Austria, CARD Bank Inc. president and CEO, said.

In a message by Abraham

Lorenzo from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Supervision and Examination Sector, the BSP seeks to raise the number of electronic transactions from the current 1 percent to 20 percent by 2020 through the National Retail Payment System, a policy and regulatory framework that aims

to establish a safe, reliable, and affordable retail payment in the country.

Lorenzo commended CARD MRI as one of the forefronts in financial inclusion, stating: “With an innovative business model, CARD Bank is headed towards where the banking industry aims to achieve.”

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Region 10 said it has yet to determine the cause of death of hundreds of “tamban” (sardines) that were found floating on a coastal village here.

Villagers at Sitio Baloy, Barangay Tablon said they started noticing the apparent fish kill at around 10 a.m. on Sunday.

Rudy Gamo, 53, a fisherman in the area, said they were baffled upon seeing the dead fishes, which looked like white specks on the waters.

“They were glittering, but they were not moving,” said Gamo, referring to the school of dead sardines.

Soon after, villagers said hundreds of dead fish began to wash up on the beach. People began to collect the dead fish, and some even brought styrofoam boxes for storage. PNA

Life FASHION & BEAUTY

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

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

C1

OBRA MAESTRA. The De La Salle-College of

Saint Benilde showcases the Philippine ternos and long gowns of (from left) Luz Banzon Magsaysay, Carmen Paraiso Zulueta, Delza Lazatin, and Elvira Manahan, among others made by National Artist for Fashion Design Ramon Valera in ‘Valera and the Modern’ exhibit.

HE Philippine ternos and long gowns of Former Philippine First Lady Luz Banzon Magsaysay, Nedy Tantoco, Gloria Romero, Gretchen Cojuangco, Elvira Manahan, Fe Dolor-Serrano, Delza Lazatin, Margarita Romualdez Licaros, Paz De La Fuente, and Carmen Paraiso Zulueta take center stage in Valera and the Modern exhibit.

T

Exhibit honors National Artist

Ramon Valera, the country’s very first National Artist for Fashion Design, rose to prominence due to his formal Filipiniana designs.

Inspired by Valera, the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s Fashion Design and Merchandising program students interpret his classic obra maestras.

Curated by Center for Campus Art Director Architect Gerry Torres, the much-anticipated display was launched on Aug. 31.

The opening of Valera and the Modern: An Exhibit on the Life and Work of National Artist for Fashion Design coincided with the designer’s birthday and, likewise, marked his 45th death anniversary.

Valera’s work was set against Modernism, the design paradigm in the Philippines prevalent during the Post-War period.

Examples of the scale models and old photographs of the art, architecture, interior graphics, and furniture design from the period spanning from the 1950s to 1970s are shown to situate Valera in the context of a country recovering from the war and how design was utilized in forging the identity of a newly declared nation.

Event partner Tantoco-Rustia Foundation President Zenaida Tantoco together with art patron Danny Dolor, restoration and conservation specialist Tats Manahan, family of Jose Carlos

RAMON VALERA Garcia-Campos, the designer’s niece and nephew Peching Zulueta-Gomez and Bambi Zulueta are instrumental in loaning the long gowns, and assisted in sourcing pieces owned by prominent families. Gomez and Zulueta provided family memorabilia of their uncle.

A favorite of many of the country’s elite when it came to formal Filipiniana, Ramon Valera’s name invokes the look that has been identified as being uniquely Filipino.

The exhibit likewise introduces his innovations in fashion design to the latter generation. As inspired by Valera, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s Fashion Design and Merchandising program students de-

signed and interpreted his classic terno.

The show is the first La Sallian production on Valera, an alumnus of then-De La Salle College and the recipient of the 2007 DLSAA (De La Salle Alumni Association) Distinguished Lasallian Awardee.

Valera and the Modern is on view until Oct. 14.

For inquiries and details, contact the Center for Campus Art at 230-5100 local 3849 or email campus.art@benilde.edu.ph.

Valera and the Modern is at the SDA Gallery, 12th floor of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts (SDA) Campus, 950 Pablo Ocampo Street, Malate, Manila.

Bold for the Beautiful

An off shoulder shifted dress in jersey and chiffon combination

Japanese inspired shift dress with Coppola dress

BOYET FAJARDO, the pioneering designer for plus size women, celebrates another successful season in his career with his newest collection.

A showcase of inspirational pieces for the mature, modern woman, the collection boasts a bold palette of fiery reds, grays, and black, evoking the timeless elegance of modern classics.

“For this season, my inspiration reflects my pure dedication to my craft and passion for empowering plus size/mature beauties with pieces that fit and flatter their silhouettes. As the pioneering designer who pursued and advocated for the equal rights of ‘bigger counterparts’ in fashion, nothing gives me more joy than to make women of all sizes and ages feel beautiful in their skin,” he beams.

For the discerning, well-traveled woman, A cocktail number in Abraham lace Fajardo designs versatile pieces that gracefully and flowing silk chiffon combination cling to curves, creating a flattering silhouette.

Made from a mix of chiffon, jersey, and other lightweight fabrics, the pieces feel like second skin, offering comfort and ease of movement for the wearer. “My collection is founded on a transitional style that easily brings you from day to night. The ensembles are comfortable yet elevated, so they’re appropriate for any occasion,” shares Fajardo.

From flirty cocktail dresses to statement separates for the everyday, Fajardo’s collection brims with positivity and boldness.

One of his stronger pieces in the collection is the cocktail number in Abraham lace and flowing silk chiffon combination cut in western pattern and features color coordinated tabs in flowing chiffon matched with techno printed trousers. It’s a modern juxtaposition of colors, patterns, and textures that women will love and appreciate.

When it comes to fabrics, Fajardo displays his Off shoulder captain-inspired tufts skill and craftsmanship with the use of lace, drapwith a draped techno printed skirt

ing, and embellishments that are seamlessly woven into his pieces. Fajardo creates a modern cocktail dress in Abraham lace and flowing silk chiffon that’s shows off a more structured silhouette.

Fajardo also plays with shapes, offering an array of styles that aim to highlight the different features women love most about their bodies. From off-shoulder shift dresses that help bring focus to a woman’s strong shoulders and sexy décolletage, to flowy skirts with thigh-high, peek-a-boo slits, each piece celebrates a woman’s allure without being vulgar.

“Being sexy does not mean resorting to vulgarity in design. Elegance and sensuality, which go hand-inhand, are a better means to capture a woman’s magnetism. And as you know, a woman can be sexy at any size and at any age,” e n d s Boyet.

Boyet Fajardo with his creation, off shoulder top with palazzo in Chantilly lace

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

TODAY

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT Second Judcial Region BRANCH 30 BAMBANG, NUEVA VIZCAYA Stationed at Bayombong

Official Receipt issued by DENR-EMB for processing fee, Database inspection procedural processing fee; Itemized Fees paid under Annex J-17; Attached Plumbing Plan to DENR EMB

SPS. NONIE R. SALVIEJO & EMMA SY-SALVIEJO., Plaintiffs.

April 25,2012 & June 1,2012

versus-

CIVIL CASE NO. 1152

June 27, 2012

STANDFORD MARKETING CORP.& ABIGAIL DA SILVA., Defendants.

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION WHEREAS, on December 26, 2012, the abovenamed plaintiff thru counsel filed the complaint which reads as follows:

COMPLAINT COME NOW, plaintiffs spouses Nonie R. Salviejo and Emma Sy-Salviejo, through counsel, before the Honorable Court, respectfully state:

PARTIES 1. Plaintiffs Nonie R. Salviejo and Emma Sy-Salviejo (plaintiffs) are lawful spouses of legal age, Filipino and residents of National Road, Barangay Homestead, Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya; Defendant Stanford Marketing Corporation (defendant SMCo) is a domestic corporation, duly organized and existing under the laws of the Philippines, with office address at SM Corporate Offices, Bldg. E, J. W. Diokno Boulevard, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City 1308 where it may be served with summons and other court processes through its President, Herbert T. Sy while defendant Abigail Da Silva (defendant Silva) is of legal age, Filipino and is the Senior Manager, Business Development of Defendant SMCo and holds office at the same office address as defendant SMCo and where she may be served with summons and other court process;

ALLEGATIONS COMMON TO PLAINTIFFS’ CAUSES OF ACTION ADJACENT/ADJOINING LOTS: 2.) That plaintiffs are the absolute owners of several adjacent/adjoining parcels of commercial lands, three (3) of which are abutting the National road and three are located behind and adjoining the first three (3) mentioned, all located at the business section of the municipality of Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya, (Bambang) and said parcels of land are covered by Transfer Certificates of Titles Nos. T-1577225,T-80528,T-120181,T-157326,T-156886 and T-56885; that photocopies of said titles are hereto attached as Annexes “A”,”A-1”, “A-2” “A-3”,”A-4” & “A-5”, respectively; 3.) That adjacent to and adjoining the plaintiffs’ land covered by T.C.T. No. T-120181 (“A-2”) is a commercial lot owned by Francisco Salviejo, Jr. and covered by TCT T-80530, a photocopy of which is hereto attached as Annex “A-6”; 4) That adjoining/adjacent to the land covered by TCT No. T-80530 (Annex “A-6”) is a parcel of commercial land owned by the Alay Kapwa, a multi-purpose cooperative, covered by TCT No. T-132998, a photocopy of which is hereto attached as Annex “A-7”; 5) That behind and adjacent to the lot covered by TCT No. T-157225 (Annex”A”) is a lot owned by Harrison Salviejo whose title is TCT No. 80531, a photocopy of which is hereto attached as Annex”A-8”; 6) That hereto attached as Annex “B” and make an integral part hereof is a lot plan showing the relative positions of all the lands above-described, their titles numbers and their corresponding areas;

IMPROVEMENTS: 7) That with the exception of the land covered by TCT No. T-156886 (Annex “A-4”) which is an open space, all of the other eight(8) lots are with improvements consisting of:

BUILDINGS: 7.a) two-(2) storey ancestral house built on TCT No. T-157225 (“A”) and owned by the plaintiffs who bought the respective shares of the other siblings of Nonie R. Salviejo; 7.b) a four (4) bedroom bungalow, built on the lot covered by TCT No. T-80528 (“A-1”) and owned by spouses Nonie Salviejo and Emma S. Salviejo; 7c) a two-storey building with a restaurant in front of it owned by Dr. Roger Salviejo and is built on the lot covered by TCT No. T-120181 (“A-2”) in the name of spouses Nonie Salviejo and Emma Salviejo; 7d) a one-storey old houses owned by Francisco Salviejo,Jr. and built on his land covered by TCT No.T-80530 (“A-6”); 7e) a three (3) bedroom bungalow owned by the heirs of Harrison Salviejo and built on their lot covered by TCT No. T-80531 (“A-8”) in the name of Harrison Salviejo; 7f) a warehouse owned and built by plaintiffs on the lot covered by TCT No. T-157326 (“A-3”) in the name of the plaintiffs; 7g) a one-storey Bldg. B owned by Verger Cabantac constructed on the lot covered by TCT No. T-156885 (Annex “A-5) in the name of plaintiffs) and another one-storey Blg. A owned by Delia Cabantac and constructed on the same lot (TCT No. T-15668); 7h) a warehouse with three commercial stalls for rent, built and owned by Alay Kapwa on the lot covered by TCT No. T-13998 (“A-7”) in the name of of Alay Kapwa.

COMMERCIAL STALLS 8) That plaintiffs constructed four (4) business stalls for rent adjoining their buildings on lots covered by TCT No. T-157225 (Annex “A”) and TCT No. T-80528 (Annex”A-1) abutting the National Road.

9) That Francisco Salviejo,Jr. constructed two (2) commercial stalls for rent on the space between his one (1) storey building and the National Road.

10) That the relative positions of the improvements and their respective values and/or monthly rentals are indicated in a Lot Plan with Cost of Damages, hereto attached and made an integral part hereof as Annex “C;” 11) That Alay Kapwa constructed three (3) stalls in front of their warehouse built on its lot covered

by TCT No. T-132998;

ENTRY OF DEFENDANTS SMCo AND ABIGAIL DA SILVA: 12) That defendant SMCo is the operator of Savemore markets which are established and operating in cities and selected urbanized municipalities in the country.

13) That sometime in the early part of 2011, Mayor Balgos of Bambang, accompanied and introduced to the plaintiffs, one Victor Santiago as an official and representative of defendant SMCo and who was scouting for a lot in Bambang whereat to establish a Savemore Market; that Mayor Balgos then told plaintiffs that the plaintiffs’ lands earlier identified is a suitable site and that a Savemore market in Bambang will generate employment for Bambang residents aside from boosting the economy of Bambang; 14) That Victor Santiago and a certain Louie Docot followed up that first meeting with the plaintiffs which included a site visitation of the place and Victor Santiago noted that the plaintiffs’ lands are an ideal place for a Savemore market and he told plaintiffs that defendant SMCo. would be needing an area of at least 2,000 square meters and noting that plaintiffs’ lands totals less that 2,000 square meters, he persuaded the plaintiffs to expand their area either by buying the adjacent lots or by securing special powers of attorney from the adjoining owners, empowering the plaintiffs to lease the principals’ lands to defendant SMCo because defendant SMCo wanted to deal with only one person; 15) That when told by the plaintiffs that the improvements then existing on the plaintiffs’ lands were owned by the siblings/nephew/niece of plaintiff Nonie Salviejo, Victor Santiago also persuaded the plaintiffs to acquire the improvements because all the improvements will be demolished and removed once the lease would push through; 16) That in the course of the negotiation, Victor Santiago was assigned elsewhere but before he left, he introduced to the plaintiffs, the defendant Silva as his replacement and the representative of defendant SMCo in the negotiations; 17) That apparently, defendant Silva was already briefed of the developments in the negotiation because shortly after she came in and visited the site, she formally proposed to the plaintiffs, through a document dated June 30, 2011, the interest of defendant SMCo to pursue the lease of the plaintiffs’ lands, under the terms stated therein which will be the basis for the execution of a memorandum of agreement and a lease agreement to be signed by plaintiffs and defendants, and defendant Silva got the conformity of the plaintiffs to the said document; a photocopy of said document is hereto attached as Annex “D” and made an integral part hereof; 18) That plaintiffs formally opted to lease their property under “Option A” in Annex”D” wherein plaintiffs will build the desired structure; 19) That in conjunction with Annex “D”, the defendant Silva also sought the plaintiffs’ conformity to an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement, a photocopy of which is hereto attached as Annex “E”; 20) That thereafter, plaintiffs and defendant Siva communicated with each other through emails and letters relative to the negotiations and copies of said emails/letters shall be presented and correspondingly marked as exhibits of the plaintiffs during the pre-trial; 21) That on July 27, 2011, the plaintiffs and defendants formalized their agreement for the defendants to lease the plaintiffs’ properties, under the terms and conditions set forth therein, a copy of the said formalized agreement is hereto attached and made an integral part hereof as Annex”F”; 22) That a copy of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) as well as a copy of a Lease Agreement were furnished to the plaintiffs for their study and comment and hereto attached are photocopies of the said Memorandum of Agreement and Lease Agreement as Annexes “G” & “G-l”, respectively;

a)That with the exception of: a.l) the four (4) bedroom residence owned by plaintiffs and constructed on their lot covered

by TCT No. T-80528; a.2) the four(4) stalls owned by plaintiffs and constructed in front of their buildings; and a.3) a warehouse constructed on the lot covered by TCT No. T-157326, b.) all of the other improvements particularly those constructed on: b.l.) the two-storey ancestral house co-owned by the plaintiff Nonie Salviejo and his siblings; b.2) a one-storey building with a restaurant owned by Dr. Roger Salviejo constructed on the lot covered by TCT No. T-120781; b.3) a two-storey old house and two stalls built in front of the building, owned and constructed

by Francisco Salviejo, Jr. on the lot covered by TCT No. T-80530; b.4) the one-storey building A owned by Delia Cabantac and another one-storey building B owned by Verger Cabantac, constructed on the lot covered by TCT No. T-No. T-156885; All of the foregoing improvements were subsequently paid for by the plaintiffs in the amounts respectively stated in the Lot Plan with Cost of Damages (Annex”C”):

`c.) that plaintiffs also gave a down payment to the heirs of Harrison Salviejo for the purchase of their lot and improvements covered by TCT No.T-80531 (Annex “A-8) in the amount of Php 2,000,000.00 out of the agreed purchase price of Php 3,500,000.00; d.) that as regard the land covered by TCT No. T-132998 owned by Alay Kapwa, the improvements thereon consist of a warehouse and three (3) commercial stalls in front of it with a total value of Php 2,000,000.00 and each of its three (3) stalls was being rented at Php6,000.00 per month; SECURING SPECIAL POWERS OF ATTORNEY: 24) That plaintiffs also started securing the special powers of attorney of the adjoining landowners, particularly that of Francisco Salviejo, Jr. who owns the land covered by TCT No. T-80530 (Annex”A-6”) and a copy of his special power of attorney is hereto attached as Annex”H”, and the special power of attorney of the heirs of Harrison Salviejo who own the land covered by TCT No. T-80531 (Annex A-8”), a copy of said special power of attorney of Alay Kapwa whose land is covered

by TCT No. T-132998 (Annex”A-7”) and its special power of attorney consisting of several documents are hereto attached as Annex “J”; 25) That in purchasing the improvements of the siblings of plaintiff Nonie Salviejo, the plaintiffs, as shown in Annex “C”, had spent huge amounts in the acquisition of the aforesaid improvements and in like manner, the plaintiffs also incurred expenses in securing the special powers of attorney in an approximate amount of Php 100,000.00; 26) That as an additional requirements of the defendants, the plaintiffs also contracted the services of an engineer (Engr. Rico Tiongson) who prepared the building plan of the proposed Savermore market that underwent several revisions and said engineer will be in charged in constructing the desire Savemore market and plaintiffs have paid a down payment to said Engr. Tiongson in the sum of Php 200,000.00;

SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION 27) That plaintiffs also started securing the required “security documents” enumerated in the document, (Annex “D”) as well as other documents subsequently required by the defendants and in the process plaintiffs incurred expenses in an approximate amount of Php 50,000.00 and among the documents obtained are:

January 18,2012 January 19,2012 March 23,2012 March 26,2012 April 11. 2012

April 12. 2012 April 12, 2012 April 16,2012 April 16, 2012 April 19, 2012

May 7, 2012

Certificate of Non-Coverage of NRS Building issued by DENR –EMB

K-22

BDO Savings Account No. 004960155240 of Nonie R. Salviejo or Emma S. Salviejo

K-23

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

C2

27.a. Savemore gave a final copy of the Final Agreement, dated March 19,2012 signed by both parties, superseding the formalized letter of agreement, dated July 27,2011 (Annex”F”)and wherein in said final agreement, the leased premises consists of a building floor area of at least 1,600 square meters and the parking area is 350 square meters and that the turn-over of the finished building by the plaintiffs to defendant was set on September 15,2012, a photocopy of said Final Letter of Agreement is hereto attached as Annex “L”; 27.b. That as regards the technical people (Plaintiffs and defendants’ architect and engineers), they agreed on the division of their work and the time frame of accomplishing their respective works, a copy of said division of work agreement is hereto attached as Annex”M’; 27.c.That it was also agreed by the parties that they again meet on April 28,2012 when plaintiffs are to submit all the documents not yet submitted by them; 29. That on their way out from the conference room towards the main door, defendant Silva accompanied the plaintiffs, their two (2) daughters and Engr. Rico Tiongson and the plaintiff Emma Salviejo asked defendant Silva if plaintiffs could already demolish the improvement on the lands considering that the agreed turn- over of the finished building was already set on September15, 2012 so that Engr. Rico Tiongson would have no trouble in starting the construction of the structure and in response, defendant Silva told the plaintiffs, in tagalong, “of course, yes could already start the demolition of the improvements” and she further stated that anyway you already met and talked with my “boss.”

30) That upon their return to Nueva Vizcaya, the plaintiffs and Engineer Rico Tiongson secured a demolition permit (Annex “K-6”) and started the demolition of all the improvements on the lands with the use of hired carpenters, laborers and a bulldozer and backhoe in leveling the lands and also filled up the lands with sand and gravel, spending in the process an amount of Php 500,000.00; 31) That the scheduled meeting on April 28,2012 wherein the plaintiffs were to submit the other documents not yet submitted by them, was however cancelled by the defendants; that defendant Silva however committed herself to visit the site at Bambang and the Alay Kapwa at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya on June 11, 2012 and by which time the plaintiffs will submit the documents; 32) That on June 11, 2012 when defendant Silva came to Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya, she was very happy to see the cleared site and even took pictures of it and expressed her satisfaction of what she saw; that it was then that she received all the required documents as shown by her receipt of said documents, a machine copy of which is hereto attached as Annex “N;” that she also went to the Office of Alay Kapwa at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya and appeased the Alay Kapwa people just to be patient; 33) That after the return of defendant Silva to her Manila Headquarters, the said defendant Silva continued communicating with the plaintiffs through text messages and email and the plaintiffs were able to save the text messages which shall be presented and marked as exhibits during the pre-trial of the case; 34) that the delay in the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement and the Lease Agreement was not at all attributable to the plaintiffs because as of June 11, 2012 or even earlier than that date, the plaintiffs have already completed the compliance of all that were required of them on their end, which includes the submission of all the documents and the totality of the area that was already available for the lease is 2,312 square meters, with sufficient documents of ownership and/or special power of attorney; UNILATERAL ABRUPT CANCELLATION BY DEFENDANTS OF THE LETTER OF AGREEMENT 35) That notwithstanding all of the foregoing painstaking efforts underwent by plaintiffs and the expenses incurred by them in complying with all the requirements imposed by defendants on plaintiffs as contained in the formalized letter of agreement, dated July 27, 2011 (Annex “F”) and superseded by the final letter of agreement, dated March 19, 2012 (Annex”L”) and in the process of their compliance, the plaintiffs spent huge amounts as earlier pointed out, the plaintiffs were then shocked to receive a letter, dated August 31, 2012 signed by defendant Silva and noted by EVP-Operations Jose Ronaldo Tagbo, informing the plaintiffs, “that management decided not to push through with the lease of your property due to size and market dynamics,” a copy of said letter is hereto attached as Annex”O” for ready reference; 36) That plaintiffs could not indeed understand why defendants suddenly made as a reason in not pushing through with the lease of plaintiffs’ property on the ground of property size when in fact as early as June 11, 2012, the plaintiffs’ lands including those they were authorized to lease already totaled 2,312square meters while in the final letter of agreement, dated March 19, 2012 (Annex”L”), the property to be leased by plaintiffs speaks only of a total land area of 1,950 square meters; that moreover, ”marketing dynamics” was never mentioned/discussed during the negotiation; 37) That after the plaintiffs have recovered from their state of shock, they sought the assistance of a counsel who wrote defendant Silva, the AVP for Operations, and defendant SMCo, asking for a reconsideration of defendants’ unexpected and sudden decision not to push through with the lease of the Salviejos’ property, a copy of the said letter is hereto attached as Annex ”P”; 38) That in response to the letter of the plaintiffs’ counsel, defendant Silva in a letter, dated October 25, 2012, wrote the plaintiffs’ counsel that the management’s decision “ to let go of your client’s offer to lease is final”; that a machine copy of said letter is hereto attached as Annex “Q”; 39) That plaintiffs then decided to file a case against the defendant but it took plaintiff sometime to raise the needed filing fee to file the case as they were already drained financially; 40) That plaintiffs, in incurring huge expenditures, now considered losses, relied in good faith on the clear and consistent conduct and representations of defendants that the Salviejos” property and those covered by plaintiffs’ special powers of Attorney obtained by plaintiffs by the proddings of defendants, shall be leased by defendants for the construction of the Savemore Market. Stated more concretely, the defendants: a) b) c) d) e) f) g)

NATURE/DESCRIPTION Business Clearance issued by the office of the Punong Barangay,Calaocan, Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya through Glen C. Ypear, Punong Barangay; Barangay Permit issued by Punong Barangay of Calaocan, Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya, Glen C. Ypear; Certificate on Zoning issued by the Office of The Municipal Planning & Development Coordinator, Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya by Engr. Carlito L. Alvarez, Municipal Planning & Development Coordinator/Deputy Zoning Administrator; Certificate of Annual Inspection issued by the Office of the Bldg. Official, Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya by Engr. Norberto G. Urban, Bldg. Offical, Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya; Mayor’s Business Permit Official Receipt for Mayor’s Permit, Application Fee and Demolition Permit issued By the Municipal Treasurer’s Office, Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya; Demolition Permit issued to Mr. Nonie R. Salviejo issued by the Office of the Building Official; Landbank (LBP) Certification Allowing Mortgagors/Plaintiffs to Lease TCT No. T-80528 and TCT No. T-80532 Certified true copy of TCT No. 157326 containing the annotation of a mortgage referred to in Annex G-7; Certified true Copy of TCT No. 80528 likewise, containing the annotation of a mortgage referred to in Annex G-7.

Certificate of Zoning Clearance issued by the Office of the Municipal Planning & Development Coordinator. Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya through Engr. Carlito L. Alvarez MPDC/SCO/DZA: Application for Building Permit by Mr. and Mrs. Nonie Salviejo through Engineer Rico T. Tiongson Mayor’s Permit to construct commercial building issued by Atty. Flaviano D. Balgos,Jr. Municipal Mayor, Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya DTI – Certificate of Registration of NRS building; Certificate of Registration. Bureau of Internal Revenue, issued by District Revenue No. 14 by Ma. Isabel B. Utit; BIR Form-“Ask for Receipt” Sample of BIR Office Receipt of NRS Bulding, Homestead, Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya Official Receipt issued by DENR-EMB RO2, Tuguegarao City, paid by NRS Building; Order of Payment, issued by Ofelia P. Layugan for DST

ANNEX K K-1

In requiring plaintiffs to purchase certain improvements as earlier explained, to conform to their requirements: In agreeing to the hiring of the services of Engr. Rico Tiongson; In requiring defendants to securing all necessary permits, clearances and documents; In giving the go signal for the demolition of certain improvements to clear the construction site; In confirming their intentions, expressly and impliedly, to lease the property in point through several communications (email, letters and text messages),meetings and discussions; In signing the formalized agreement dated July 27, 2011 and the final agreement dated March 19, 2012; In providing plaintiffs the memorandum of agreement and lease agreement for plaintiffs’ review and comment,

gave plaintiffs all the reasons to believe that defendants were going to lease the Salviejos’ property and those covered by special powers of attorney; 41) That defendants’ one-sided actuations and their unfair and unjust treatment and dealings of the plaintiffs as earlier shown and the defendants’ sudden decision not to lease the property in point after all defendants’ representations and actuations to the contrary, the defendants have clearly acted arbitrarily and in bad faith to the extreme prejudice of plaintiffs and contrary to Articles 19,20 and 21 of the New Civil Code and for which the defendants should be held liable jointly and solidarily to pay all the financial losses of the plaintiffs as stated by them earlier in their complaint; 42) That Plaintiffs have likewise suffered sleepless nights, wounded feelings and besmirched reputation and embarrassment as a result of the sudden stoppage of the letters of agreement (Annex “D” & “F”) and for which the defendant SMCo and defendant Silva should be condemned to pay jointly and solidarily the plaintiffs, moral damages in an amount of not less than Php 1,000,000.00; 43) That moreover, as an example and a deterrent to others who ‘are as maliciously inclined as the defendants, the latter should also be condemned to pay jointly and solidarily to the plaintiffs exemplary damages in an amount of no less than Php 500,000.00; 44) That plaintiffs were forced to engage the services of their counsel whom they contracted to pay an acceptance fee of Php200,000.00 and to pay him the amount of Php5,000.00 per court hearing appearance and to eventually pay him 15% of whatever the plaintiffs could recover from the defendants.

WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is respectfully prayed that judgment be rendered against defendant SMCo and defendant Silva; 1)

To pay, jointly and solidarily, the plaintiffs, the damages suffered by them as follows; 1,a) Php 14,598,000.00-Total cost of improvements demolished; 1.b) Php 200,000.00- Advance payment to Engr. Rico Tiongson; 1.c) Php 100,000.00 – Expenses in securing Special Powers of Attorney: 1.d) Php 50,000.00 – Expenses in securing documents required by Defendants; 1.e) Php 500,000.00 – Total cost of expenses in the demolition of improvements; 1.f) Php 48,000.00 – Monthly rental of 8 stalls starting April, 2012; 1.g.) Php 50,000.00 – Monthly rental of warehouse starting April,2012; 1.h)Php 20,000.00-Monthly net income of restaurant starting April,2012; 1.i)Php 50,000.00- Miscellaneous expenses in going to and fro defendant’s office in Manila; 1.j) Php 200,000.00-Acceptance Fee of Counsel, Php 5,000.00 per court hearing appearance and 15% of what will be finally collected from the defendants.

23) That in consonance with the advice of Victor Santiago and seconded by defendant Silva, the plaintiffs purchased the improvements as follows:

January 18,2012

K-18 K-19 K-20 K-21 K-21-a

28) That on the 3rd meeting at the defendants’ office at the Mall of Asia, Pasay City on March 19, 2012, the following attended: a) On the side of defendant SMCo are: the boss of defendant Silva, defendant Silva herself and its technical people, an architect and engineer, and on the plaintiffs’ side, were the plaintiffs themselves, their two(2) daughters and their Engineer, Rico Tiongson and in the said conference, the following among others were agreed upon:

FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION PURCHASE OF IMPROVEMENTS:

January 9,2012 January 9, 2012

requirements for ECC;

Attached Letter of Emma Salviejo to DENR EMB,NV Provincial Office; Accountability Statement of Proponents, the plaintiffs to DENR EMB; Two Special Powers of Attorney executed by None Salviejo in favor of Emma Salviejo

THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION

x--------------------------------------------x

DATE OF DOC.

Life

K-17 K-17-a

2)

Ordering the defendants to pay the cost of suit.

Plaintiffs further respectfully pray for such other reliefs, just and equitable in the premises.

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, December 26, 2012.

RODOLFO Q. AGBAYANI (SGD.) Counsel for the Plaintiffs 255 Calle Real, Don Mariano Marcos Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya PTR No. 1127070/12-12-11/ Bay.N.V. IBP No. 844938/12/14/11/Bay. N.V. TIN No. 114890339 Roll No. 15785/Jan. 25,1961 VERIFICATION, OATH AND CERTIFICATION OF NON-FORUM SHOPPING That we, spouses NONIE R. SALVIEJO and EMMA SY-SALVIEJO, both of legal age, Filipino citizens and residents of National Road, Barangay Homestead, Nueva Vizcaya, after having been duly sworn to on oath, hereby depose and say: 1. That we are the plaintiffs in the foregoing complaint; 2. That we have caused the preparation of the aforesaid complaint; 3. That we have read the allegations of the said complaint and hereby certify of our own personal knowledge and based on authentic documents that the same are true and correct; 4. That we further certify that we, singly or jointly, have not heretofore commenced any action or proceeding of the same nature as the above-complaint, nor are there any, to the best of our knowledge which is pending before the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, or any other tribunal or agency in the Philippines; 5. That should we learn that a similar action is pending before the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals or any other tribunal or agency in the Philippines or elsewhere, we will promptly inform this Honorable of the said fact within five (5) days therefrom.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of December, 2012 at Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya.

NONIE R. SALVIEJO (SGD.) Postal ID No. 2065381 4/17/2015

EMMA S. SALVIEJO(SGD.) TIN No. 219-600-983-003

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO before me this 26th day of December, 2012 at Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, affiants exhibiting their valid evidence of identity written below their name and signature.

Doc. No. 4214; Page No. 47; Book No. 10; Series of 2012.

K-2

RODOLFO Q. AGBYANI (SGD.) Notary Public Until Dec. 31, 2013 PTR No. 1127070/12-12-11/ Bay.N.V. IBP No. 844938/12/14/11/Bay. N.V. TIN No. 114890339 Roll No. 15785/Jan. 25,1961

The Community Trade extraction of Wild Argan Almonds in the Cracking House.

The Body Shop’s new home with

NATURA

T

HE Body Shop has recently been acquired

by Natura Brasil, after being with L’Oreal for the past 11 years. This brings together two companies that believes the only way to be beautiful is nature’s way, and whose brand DNA is strong on ethics.

“The ethical values and expertise of Natura make it the perfect new owner of The Body Shop to ac-celerate the rejuvenation of the brand and its future expansion,” said Jeremy Schwartz,, Chairman and CEO of The Body Shop.

Natura Brasil is Brazil’s no.1 cosmetics manufacturer, and the leader in the direct sales sector. Based in Cajamar, Sao Paulo, the company employs 7,000 staff in seven countries: Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, and France.

Sustainable development has been the Natura Brasil’s guiding principle since it was founded in 1969. Everything the business had done since that time has been based on a commitment of respect for the environment and social responsibility.

It feels responsible for the environmental impact of its activities—from raw material extraction to logistics, processing, manufacturing, and packaging. And this approach has led the company to develop its environmental and sustainable policy over the past 40 years, and Natura Brasil is now recognized as the second most committed business to sustainable development in the world by the Corporate Knights Order–Global 100.

This ranking is announced each year at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The Body Shop, of course, is a British iconic brand, focusing on innovative, nature-inspired products. Founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick in Brighton, England, The Body Shop has expanded into a global leader in ethical and natural beauty, with the deep-rooted belief that business can be a force for good. It is now present in more than 60 countries around the world, through various distribution channels including more than 3,000 point of sales and e-commerce.

Almond from Brazil

Mangoes from India

Roses from an English rose farm

Babassu oil from Brazil

WHEREAS, on April 24, 2017, a Motion for Leave of Court to serve summons by publication to defendant Abigail Da Silva was filed by plaintiff thru counsel, Atty. Rodolfo Q. Agbayani; K-3 K-4 K-5

WHEREAS, on May 2, 2017, an Order was issued by the Honorable Presiding Judge Paul R. Attolba, Jr. GRANTING the motion; WHEREAS, an Order dated June 30, 2017 was issued amending in part the order dated May 2, 2017;

K-6 K-7

WHEREAS, an Order dated July 7, 2017 was released which amended the order dated June 30, 2017 and reads as follows:

K-7a K-7b

“Accordingly, let summons by publication be effected upon defendant Abigail Da Silva once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of national publication.

SO ORDERED.

K-8

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, July 7, 2017.”

K-9

PAUL R. ATTOLBA, JR. Presiding Judge

K-10 K-11 K-12 K-13 K-14

Defendant Abigail Da Silva is given sixty (60) days from the last issue of publication within which to show cause why the instant petition should not be granted in favor of the Plaintiffs.

WITNESS the Honorable Paul R. Attolba, Jr., Presiding Judge of this court, this 7th day of July, 2017 at Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya.

K-15

ATTY. CANDICE K. MAGNO-GUYGUYON Branch Clerk of Court

K-16 (MS-AUG. 23,30 & SEPT. 6, 2017)

Natura Brasil’s implementation of a dedicated program to reduce carbon footprint over five years has reduced CO2 emissions by 33 percent.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

By Bernadette Lunas

A

Marian Rivera

T 32, Marian Rivera-Dantes is still arguably one of the most beautiful faces in the country. But she admits that as age creeps up on her, she has to have an ally to help maintain her good looks.

REVEALS

“Hindi naman na ‘ko bagets, kailangan ko na rin ng makakatulong sa akin na mag-maintain [ng skin],” shared Marian.

Marriage and motherhood seem to favor her as the actress looks pretty as ever.

She reveals, however, that like many

her latest beauty secret

Kapuso primetime queen Marian Rivera is the face of Vida Nutriscience’s latest supplement

women who have given birth, several changes also happened to her. Her waistline increased, for instance.

But she became more self-conscious after giving birth to her and husband Dingdong Dantes’s first child Maria Letizia.

“Nung dalaga ako maarte na ‘ko, ngayong nanay na ko, mas naging maarte ako,” Marian said candidly.

It only made sense that Marian is the face of Vida Nutriscience’s latest line Snow Crystal White Tomato.

Snow Crystal White Tomato is the first supplement in the Philippines that harnesses the combined power of Phytofloral derived from a unique breed of white tomatoes and Kohjin LGlutathione.

The Colorless Carotenoids in every capsule of the supplement is clinically proven to whiten skin, reduce signs of aging, and increase ability of skin to defend itself against UVA and UVB. Kohjin L-Glutathione, on the other hand, helps remove free radicals and repairs skin to reveal a healthy glow from within.

Marian, now adds Snow to her beauty regimen, which includes steam, lotion, and moisturizer.

The UV-ray protection the supplement offers also allows her to

Sharing acting honors THE Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC), in its more than three decades of recognizing stars and movies in local industry, has been notorious in giving out the same award to two nominees in a specific category on its awards night.

And last Sunday, for the nth time, was no exception.

The more substantive segment of the program though was Jun Lana’s Die Beautiful being the most decorated movie of the night. The film bagged five awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Cinematography. That’s quite expected since the film has been receiving remarkable accolades here and abroad. But in the Best Actress category, audiences raised their eyebrows and plastered the big question “why” on social media.

Superstar Nora Aunor and actor-turned-politician Vilma Santos shared the top acting honors at the 33rd edition of PMPC Star Awards for Movies. Aunor and Santos were both proclaimed Best Actress winners for their roles

Top acting winners Nora Aunor, Vilma Santos and Daniel Padilla with 33rd PMPC Star Awards for Movies other winners (Photo: Star Magic)

in Kabisera and Everything About Her, respectively. Yes, they’re both great actors, so why not?

This decision to split the coveted acting plum between two legendary actors was a tricky decision. But obviously, the members of the PMPC didn’t want to offend any of the two celebrated local movie stars who both showed up at the venue. The same thing applies to the ardent supporters of the “Superstar” and the “Start for All Seasons” who, up until now, could launch a massive word war.

You see, they were uncertain on who to honor, but one thing was certain though, they didn’t want to make any bold decision to clean up their dubious credibility or at least give their award show some sense of unpredictability. It was a lost chance.

Meanwhile, in the Best Actor race, Daniel Padilla walked home with the top acting honors winning over legitimate film critics’ favorite Paolo Ballesteros (Die Beautiful). The other nominees in the Best Actor category were Tommy Abuel (Dag-

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Wednesday, September 6, 2017

ACROSS 1 Pink-slipped 6 Like the sky 10 Huck Finn’s transport 14 Bring down in status 15 Guthrie of folk music 16 Sufficient, in verse 17 Deejay’s platters 18 Platoon 19 Done, in Verdun 20 In irons 22 Sends packing 23 Bog dirt 24 Advance money 26 Emphasized 30 Harmful 31 Tai language 32 Garr of “Mr. Mom” 33 Dirty politics 37 Dull 39 Long-faced 41 Carpe —!

42 Assert 45 Uncool one 48 Barrier 49 Put on 50 In a reluctant manner 52 Tasted 56 J in JFK

57 Cool 58 Germane 62 Frees of 63 Cit.’s concern 64 Epic by Homer 66 Be a party to 67 Go-getter 68 Bottle tops 69 Snake’s warning 70 Frisky 71 Welcome DOWN 1 Craze 2 Long-billed wader 3 Imprudently impulsive 4 Make a getaway 5 Lineage 6 Jumpers 7 Handel contemporary 8 Trombone adjunct 9 Little kid 10 Gave money back 11 Ouzo flavor 12 Styles of type 13 Wring 21 Winslet or Moss 22 — hygiene 25 Weightlifter’s pride 26 “Betsy’s

Wedding” star 27 Poet — Sandburg 28 Glowing ember 29 Ross or Rigg 34 Candy-striper 35 Fanatic’s feeling 36 Oscar relative 38 Canopy supports 40 Mischief 43 Play a round 44 Flight dir.

46 Philosopher — Descartes

47 Going by car 51 Not as crisp 52 Ms. Bernhardt 53 Defense ploy 54 Styles 55 Wilt 59 At any time 60 Genial 61 Put up with 63 Mdse.

65 Summer hrs.

forego sunblock.

She says Snow helps keep her glow even if she doesn’t get enough sleep, especially now that she juggles taking care of Zia and taping for her new soap in GMA, where she plays a teacher.

“Gusto kong maging magandang ehemplo sa mga magiging nanay at sa mga takot maging nanay, na hindi dahilan ang pagkakaroon ng anak o pagaasawa para hindi mo na maalagaan ang sarili mo,” enthuses Marian.

What’s her advice to mothers who want to look and feel good?

“Take Snow.”

Snow Crystal White Tomato is available in Mercury Drugstore, Watsons, and other leading drugstores nationwide.

sin), John Lloyd Cruz (Just The 3 Of Us), Dingdong Dantes (The Unmarried Wife), JC De Vera (Best Partee Ever), Ronwaldo Martin (Pamilya Ordinaryo), Zanjoe Marudo (The Third Party), Alden Richards (Imagine You And Me), and Bembol Roco (Pauwi Na).

Sure, two or three among these actors mentioned have given better performances compared to the young actor. But they weren’t the choice of the members of PMPC. And that gives people an idea of PMPC’s benchmark when it comes to choosing the best in this art form.

There used to be a time when people believed in awards shows for movies, but overtime, people realized that most of these awards show don’t have integrity for the art of moviemaking at all.

Thus, this brings us to a separate incident when some members of the group questioned the winners in the award show staged by a different group composed of a more qualified set of members of the entertainment writing community. While that awards show endeavored to retain the integrity of movie awards, PMPC Movie Awards, with its latest edition, yet again turned it into a big joke.

C3

ABS-CBN’s ‘Bayan Mo, iPatrol Mo’ turns 10

ABS-CBN’s pioneering citizen journalism movement “Bayan Mo, iPatrol Mo” (BMPM) recently marked 10years of empowering Filipinos to become agents of change with the launch of “BIKE@10,” a fundraising bicycle event to raise funds for “Tahanang Walang Hagdanan” on Aug.28, 4 a.m. at the Quezon City Memorial Circle.

ABS-CBN Integrated News Head Ging Reyes and BMPM and News Public Service Head Rowena Paraan led a covenant signing with partner schools and organizations for this project on Aug. 8 when they also announced that BMPM already has 1 million “Bayan Patrollers” on Facebook.

This brings the total of Bayan Patrollers to 1.9 million.

“BMPM was born in 2007 and initially it was designed to be a movement to guard the vote. The spirit of vigilance and our commitment to citizen journalism continues to this day and it is one advocacy that we will continue to pursue and promote. From that movement of a few of thousands, I am very proud to share with you that BMPM has grown to over 1.9 million citizen journalists,” Reyes said.

She added that apart from

growing in number, the movement has also evolved from promoting vigilance during elections and accountability of public officials to becoming a very effective citizen journalism arm of ABSCBN’s newsgathering operations.

Moreover, as they celebrate 10 years of BMPM, they are once again innovating BMPM to serve the Filipino people better.

“Bike@10,” a 10km ride for a cause started at Liwasang Aurora, Quezon Memorial Circle. Participants, were required to donate at least 10 plastic (PET) bottles, include students and faculty from Miriam College, St. Paul University-Quezon City, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and STI College, ABS-CBN employees, and members of Rotary International District 3810.

Sales from the bottles collected will be used to buy a motorcycle with a sidecar for use of residents in Tahanang Walang Hagdan, a non-profit organization that aims to uplift the lives of the orthopedically handicapped persons.

For more information and updates on BMPM and “BIKE@10” follow tweet @ bayanmo or follow @bayanmoipatrolmo on Facebook.

ABS-CBN Integrated News head Ging Reyes (third from left) with the representatives from Bike@10 partner schools and organizations

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

Victory for Regal’s REGAL Entertainment scored a huge victory with the Vhong Navarro-Lovi Poe comedy, Woke Up Like This!

On its first day when it was released Wednesday last week, it raked in P5 million gross and after five days it posted an accumulated P36 million and a total of P60 million on its seventh day in theaters, giving Mother Lily (Lily Y. Monteverde), Regal Entertainment matriarch enough reason to throw a victory party for the movie press for giving her a blockbuster this year.

The family movie continues to draw in crowds and receive favorable notices.

“Let’s all be happy,” said Mother Lily, “it’s toxic to be keeping negative feelings.”

“I owe a lot to the movie press,” admitted Mother Lily.

“Regal won’t be where it is without the help of the movie press.”

Vhong was present with his manager, director Chito Roño, while Lovi relayed her message via a video clip (she was in Paris for the wedding of Drs. Vicki Belo and Hayden Kho last Saturday).

Cora Waddell, Yana Asistio, Raikko Mateo and the movie’s director Joel Ferrer joined in the celebration. *** Wishcovery, the first online singing competition, was launched recently. It is a program on Wish 107.5 and aims to discover singing talents who can break into the global music arena. In effect, the search makes the FM radio as the singers’ gateway to the world.

According to the station’s top management, it is their way of expressing their support for OPM (original Pilipino music), which they have been since the station began broadcasting three years ago.

The Wishcovery team, including reactors that include songwriter/record producer Jungee Marcelo, singer and vocal coach Annie Quintos, went to key cities around the country and auditioned possible contestants to the search that begins this week.

For three months, they have listened to scores of hopefuls and trimmed the number down to 20 representing a variety of genres in pop music, though most of them if not all, are trying to be clones of singers that Filipinos hear on the radio or watch on TV. The search will eliminate one singer each week until the five finalists have been chosen for the final showdown in November in a show hosted by Jay R and Kris Lawrence.

The weekly elimination will be held in the station’s Wish Bus, the first and only one in the Philippines, after being viewed on YouTube for voters to select their choices utilizing what it calls as “power viewing” as part of the criteria for judging. *** Some of the biggest names in the showbiz industry were in attendance as dentist to the stars Dr. Steve Mark Gan opened his newest state-of-theart GAOC clinic in Filinvest City, Alabang.

The impressive roster of celebrities and personalities who cleared their hectic schedules and made way to join Dr. Gan were movie blockbuster king Vic Sotto and wife Pauline Luna-Sotto, Matteo Guidicelli, Derek Ramsay, Cristine Reyes, Rico Blanco, Tippy Dos Santos, and Boys Night Out’s DJ Slick Rick. World authority on dental implant, Dr. Peter Moy also flew in from the US to grace the inauguration.

GAOC has earned a reputation of having unparalleled excellence in oral care including oral diagnostics, surgical procedures, dental implantology, and jaw reconstruction, establishing itself as the country’s leading dental clinic and one of

‘Woke Up Like this!’

Carmela V. Ariola, one of the hopefuls in Wish 107.5 online singing competition, Wishcovery.

Regal matriarch Lily Monteverde (fourth from right) with entertainment editors and other members of the movie press

the best in Southeast Asia. And now, as it expands, the newest GAOC Alabang clinic offers people living in the south its superior dental services.

With GAOC’s acumen for world-class dental treatments, top-notch customer service, and lined-up of well-trained, professional, and caring team of dentists, no wonder that GAOC, with the leadership of the innovator himself Dr. Steve Mark Gan, become the top choice in providing politicians, diplomats, socialites, and celebrities their brightest smiles.

Derek Ramsay

Cristine Reyes

*** GMA’s travel documentary campaign for Sapporo City, Japan, recently bagged two awards: Gold for Best Programme Promotion and Bronze for Best Media Solution - TV/ Online Video in the 2017 Asia Pacific Spark Awards held at the Intercontinental Singapore on Aug. 18.

To help promote the tourism of Sapporo City, GMA worked on a campaign that included two episodes of GMA News TV’s Biyahe ni Drew named “Sophisticated Sapporo” and “Countryside Sapporo”, along with various online features

in gmanetwork.com.

Biyahe ni Drew showcased Sapporo’s most prized landmarks and events such as the Sapporo Snow Festival, Ramen Alley, Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort, Mt. Moiwa, Hokkaido Ice Star Hotel, Elm Garden, and many other tourist spots that can be found in the city.

The Best Programme Promotion Award recognizes the best promotion of an individual program, franchise or special by a network or platform, while the award for Best Media Solution - TV/Online Video recognizes the most creative, innovative and effective social media campaigns from a media owner for its client. The campaign was also a finalist for the Best Engagement Strategy, which recognizes the most effective engagement and retention strategy by a media owner.

The Spark Awards recognizes the top media solutions, products and services from media owners and publishers across South Asia, Southeast Asia and ANZ. The Awards acts as the main platform for media owners to demonstrate their innovation and effectiveness to advertisers, agencies and clients.

Pedro Pascal in ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ Pedro Pascal stars in the upcoming theatrical release of Kingsman: The Golden Circle, sequel to the blockbuster action Kingsman: The Secret Service that reinvented and introduced the world to a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency’s ultra-competitive training program.

Back in their lead roles as part of the Kingsman organization are Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Mark Strong and Sophie Cookson with new cast members Channing Tatum, Halle Berry, Pascal, and Jeff Bridges who belong to the Statesman, the counterpart of Kingsman in the United States.

Directed by Matthew Vaughn, the sequel sees our heroes face a new challenge. When their headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage, their journey leads them to the discovery of an allied spy organization in the US called Statesman, dating back to the day they were both founded. In a new adventure that tests their agents’ strength and wits to the limit, these two elite secret organizations band together to defeat a ruthless common enemy, in order to save the world,

something that’s becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy.

Pedro Pascal has been making a big impact on the small screen over the last couple of years, with an eyecatching turn in Netflix’s series, Narcos (now on its 3rd season) and an eye-gouging performance as Oberyn Martell in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Now, the talented Chilean-born American actor is making an impact on the big screen with the pivotal role of Statesman’s Agent Whiskey in Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

“As Agent Whiskey in the Statesman agency, which is the US equivalent of Kingsman. The way Kingsman exists in the first movie, as a heightened cultural representation, is exactly the same for Statesman. They’re under the guise of a tailor shop; we’re under the guise of a distillery. Our agent names are based on liquors.

I’m Whiskey, Channing Tatum is Tequila, Jeff Bridges is Champ for champagne, and Halle Berry is Ginger Ale. We’re cowboys,” says Pascal of his latest role.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle opens Sept. 20 from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal (rightmost) as a Statesman secret agent in the British action spy comedy "Kingsman: The Golden Circle"