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PH now drug rings’ ‘client’ Duterte says 14k, Bamboo Triad controlling trade in shabu traffic

By John Paolo Bencito

VOL. XXXI • NO. 225 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

WO international drug syndicates have turned the Philippines into their “client state” for large-scale drug trafﬁcking activities in Southeast Asia and the Americas, President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday.

Solons move to ban hazing, criminalize it By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon RamosAraneta LAWMAKERS on Tuesday said there was a need to enact a law that will criminalize all forms of hazing following the death of University of Sto. Tomas (UST) freshman law student Horacio Castillo III in initiation rites. The recommendation came as the House subcommittee on prosecutorial reforms began deliberations on a revised anti-hazing law. House Bill 3467, authored by Bagong Henerasyon Party-List Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy, prohibits hazing and previously regulated initiation rites of fraternities, sororities, and other similar organizations.

The Anti-Hazing Law of 1995 regulates hazing, whereas the new bill would prohibit all forms of it, Herrera-Dy said during a hearing of the committee on justice headed by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Rey Umali. Umali emphasized the need for Congress to pass a law to strengthen the current AntiHazing Law. “We hope that this bill will address many ailments of the existing law towards making the law more strict and difficult to violate,” Umali said. Herrera-Dy’s bill also expands the definition of hazing to include not just physical but also psychological injuries inflicted on students seeking membership to a fraternity or sorority or similar organizations. Next page

BEFORE PHILCONSA. President Rodrigo Duterte speaks Tuesday before the Philippine Constitution Association, which is supportive of the administration’s federalism initiative. Philconsa, the oldest association of lawyers in the country, is celebrating its 56th anniversary and reaffirmed its commitment to defend and protect the 1987 Constitution amid perceived destabilization threats. Also in picture are Philconsa president Martin Romualdez, Philconsa chairman Manuel Lazaro and former chief Justice Reynato Puno.

“The drug trade is being operated by the 14K [and the] Bamboo Triad. They have taken over. They are cooking shabu on the aisles,” the President said in his speech during the 120th anniversary of the Justice department in Pasay City. Later in the day, he spoke before the Philippine Constitution Association, which marked its 56th anniversary, which reafﬁrmed its commitment to defend and protect the 1987 Constitution amid perceived threats of destablization against the Duterte administration. At the DoJ. the President noted those cooking shabu in the country were given “franchise and distribution” rights by these two groups to operate in the country. Expounding further, the President said the country had been used as a “transshipment” point of these groups, which “turned interNext page national.”

Rights group raps PNP Senate to govt: Stop ‘senseless killings,’ protect the youth on ‘sinister’ tact vs drugs By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan AN INTERNATIONAL rights group on Tuesday denounced a whistleblower program used by the Philippine National Police as a “sinister new tactic in its murderous war on drugs.” The neighborhood informant system works by creating public drop boxes for residents to anonymously submit the names of alleged drug dealers and users, the group Human Rights Watch said.

The group said the informant system was ﬁrst reported to them in July in Quezon City and has since spread to at least two cities and several towns. “The police chief of Quezon City said when he launched the system that he would put one drop box in each of the city’s 142 barangays or neighborhoods. In one sense, the boxes could be called a success,” HRW said. In Roxas City, anonymous informants slipped in Next page

SIXTEEN of 23 senators called on the government Tuesday to “stop the senseless killings” in its anti-drug war, particularly of children and minors. The 16, including 10 from the majority, signed the resolution that also called for an inquiry in aid of legislation to determine the institutional reasons, if any, that give rise to such killings. It is the state’s duty to ensure that children are protected and that their rights are respected, the resolution said. Based on data from the Children’s Legal Rights and Development Center, at least

54 minors have been killed in police operations or vigilantestyle killings since July 2016, the first month of the Duterte administration, the resolution said. It said in many cases, the targets were not the children but the adults they were with. The resolution also cited the recent deaths of Kian Lloyd delos Santos, 17, and Carl Angelo Arnaiz, 19, who died at the hands of the police, who said they resisted arrest and fired at them first. The resoluton also cited the case of Reynaldo de Guzman, 14, who was found dead in a creek in Nueva Ecija with 30 stab wounds. Next page

Poll chief’s wife seeks to disbar UST dean, 20 others By Rey E. Requejo

THE estranged wife of Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to order the disbarment of University of Santo Tomas law dean Nilo Divina and 20 other lawyers of his law ﬁrm whom she accused of paying commissions to the poll chief.

In a complaint for disbarment, Patricia Paz Bautista sought disbarment of Divina, managing partner of Divina law ﬁrm, and the other lawyers for alleged violation of the Code of Professional Responsibility for lawyers. Patricia also wanted the dissolution of the law ﬁrm used by Smartmatic, the technology provider of the automated

polls last year, under Article 180 (3) of the Civil Code. “Although I was informed that clamor for the dissolution of a partnership must be brought up before the Securities and Exchange Commission, it is out of concern to inform this Honorable Court that there really are law ﬁrms in this country who engage in highly dubious transactions

IN A KNOT. Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Richard Gordon, in a huggle with fellow senators Juan Miguel Zubiri, Sherwin Gatchalian and Nancy Binay at the resumption of session Tuesday in Pasay City, after the committee held a hearing on the the P6.4 billion worth of shabu shipment from China. Ey Acasio

yet make it appear as if their activities are without any hint of illegality,” Patricia said in her complaint. Divina said the disbarment complaint ﬁled by Patricia Bautista against him was probably borne out of her frustration over the dismissal of the impeachment complaint against her estranged husband. Next page

Panel okays medical use of marijuana By Maricel V. Cruz

BAUTISTA’S DISBARMENT CASE. Patricia Cruz-Bautista, the estranged wife of Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista, Tuesday files disbarment case against UST Dean Nilo Divina and 20 other lawyers with the Supreme Court for alleged violation of the Code of Professional Responsibility for lawyers. Patricia also wants the dissolution of the law firm used by Smartmatic, the technology provider of the automated polls last year, under Article 180 (3) of the Civil Code. Norman Cruz

PSG officer found dead in Palace ground AN OFFICER in President Rodrigo Duterte’s elite military security force was found shot dead on Tuesday inside the sprawling presidential compound, an ofﬁcial said.

Maj. Harin Gonzaga, 37, was found by his wife with a gunshot wound to the heart inside his room in the riverside Malacañang compound in Manila, said Brig. Gen. Lope Dagoy, head of twitter.com/ MlaStandard

the Presidential Security Group. Dagoy said there were no initial signs of foul play or any indication of a struggle but police were still investigating. Next page facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

THE House committee on health on Tuesday approved a bill legalizing the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. The committee, chaired by Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan of Quezon, passed House Bill 180, or the proposed Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act, which attests that cannabis has beneﬁcial and therapeutic uses to treat chronic or debilitating medical conditions. “The controversial Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act was unanimously endorsed by the House committee on health after extensive consultation with patients, advocacy groups, health Next page

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SBMA gets new chair, ends power struggle By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has ended the power struggle in the SBMA after issuing Executive Order No. 42, deﬁning the powers and functions of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Administrator and Directors. As a result of the reorganization, Duterte virtually eased out Martin Diño and instead appointed current SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma as the agency’s new chairperson and head of agency. The new executive order repealed EO No. 340 (s. 2004) issued by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, which separated the position of the SBMA Chairman from the position of SBMA administrator. To avoid confusion, EO No. 42 directed that the appointed SBMA administrator by the President Next page

POWER STRUGGLE. President

Rodrigo Duterte has ended the power struggle in the SBMA, effectively appointing current SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma as the agency’s new chairperson and head of agency.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Comelec stops Oct. SK, brgy poll efforts By Vito Barcelo THE Commission on Elections has put off all preparations for the synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, which initially were reset to Oct. 23 this year, as it’s still waiting for President Rodrigo Duterte to sign the bill postponing the synchronized elections to May 2018. The Comelec said both the House and the Senate had agreed on the same version of the bill postponing the elections next year, and would allow the incumbent officials to remain in their posts in a holdover capacity until their successors had been elected. The Barangay and SK elections were originally scheduled for Oct. 23 this year but Duterte wanted them postponed because a number of barangay officials were suspected of being linked to the illegal drug trade. Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said the printed election ballots would not be wasted as those could still be used in the next elections by covering the old date with stickers or by using correction fluid. He said the Comelec could also pass a resolution saying it was allowing the use of the ballots with the 2017 date.

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care practitioners, experts in the regulation of controlled substances for medical use, medical cannabis industry professionals and law enforcement agencies,” Isabela Rep. Rodito Albano said. Albano said the decision of the committee was a welcome development. “I have high hopes under the Duterte administration that this measure would be enacted into law. Finally, there is hope for our people, especially our children, who suffer from medical conditions like epilepsy, cancer, and multiple sclerosis,” Albano said. Albano said in his bill that marijuana has confirmed beneficial and therapeutic uses in treating chronic or debilitating diseases or medical conditions. These include cachexia or wasting syndrome; severe and chronic pain; severe nausea; seizures, including but not limited to those characteristic of epilepsy; and severe and persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to those associated with multiple sclerosis, he said. Under the bill, the use of cannabis for medical purposes will be legalized and regulated, Albano said. The bill also seeks to establish a regulatory office under the Health department to supervise the use of cannabis for medical purposes. Under Albano’s proposal, registered identification cards will be issued to qualified patients after a careful review of the documents required and included in the implementing rules and regulations of the proposed law. “An entity shall operate as a Medical Cannabis Compassionate Center after approval of its application and registration. An MCCC shall guarantee the appropriate dispensation of cannabis and shall not release more than the prescribed dosage for one month to a registered qualified patient or designated caregiver, Albano said.

Yolanda housing firm faces raps By Maricel V. Cruz

AWMAKERS will recommend the ﬁling of criminal and civil liabilities charges against the contractor of an P892million housing project for the victims of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” after they conﬁrmed that the houses built for the typhoon victims were substandard and could endanger their lives. Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez, chairman of the House committee on housing

and urban development, said Tuesday an inspection team sent by his panel confirmed that JC

Tayag, the contractor, lied before lawmakers when he denied earlier at a congressional hearing that the construction materials he used were below par. “This contractor fooled the people of Eastern Samar and the lawmakers when he denied the allegations hurled against him that turned out to be true,” Benitez said in a press conference. He said his committee will then recommend the filing of perjury, contract violations

and plunder charges against Tayag and his associates. Benitez’s panel earlier conducted a hearing on the matter, with Tayag as one of the resource persons, to answer the accusation against him by subcontractor Camilo Salazar. Salazar said Tayag used substandard steel bars to build more than 2,000 houses in Balangiga, Hernani and Guiuan towns in Eastern Samar, but Tayag denied his charge. Immediately after the hearing,

NPC: Privacy Act does not justify SALN redactions By John Paolo Bencito THE National Privacy Commission “schooled” a defiant Malacañang on Tuesday, saying acquisition costs should not be redacted―revised or edited—from the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth of government officials. Privacy Deputy Commissioner Ivy Patdu told reporters that the Data Privacy Act, which the Palace had invoked to justify the massive redactions in the SALNs of Cabinet officials, “does not shield government officials from legitimate inquiries into matters of public concern.” “If it’s a question of assets, liabilities and net worth, then of course that should not be redacted,” Patdu said.

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The bill declares all kinds of hazing illegal. The bill mandates that at least two representatives of the school must be present during initiations and prohibits unscheduled or impromptu initiations. Like the existing law, the bill provides a penalty of life imprisonment for individuals involve in hazing that results in death, suicide, rape, sodomy or mutilation. Senators on Tuesday also vowed to amend the Anti-Hazing Law. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, and Senators Richard Gordon, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV and Risa Hontiveros said they are inclined to strengthen the AntiHazing Law. As a member of the University of the Philippines-based Sigma Rho fraternity since 1966, Drilon admitted he underwent similar initiation rites during his younger years. “I will admit that Senator [Richard] Gordon and I underwent hazing. We were subjects of hazing. But we’re willing to admit it. It was more than 50 years ago so it has prescribed. Cases

Rights... From A1 the names of 36 of their neighbors in the first two weeks after it opened in late August. The group also said that police in the towns of Pontevedra and Maayon in Capiz province have also installed the boxes, and plans are under way for a drop box inside City Hall in Iloilo City. “Local authorities have even called on the Catholic Church to install drop boxes in its churches in and around Iloilo City and nearby areas,” the group said. People whose names end up in a drop box could get their names placed on police drug watchlists. The system, the group said, could fuel arbitrary arrests. “And there are fears the drop boxes may well add to the thousands of killings linked to President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs,” HRW said. The group said police drug watchlists are routinely used to identify targets for extrajudicial killings by police or their agents. “After 15 months and untold bloodshed, the government and

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In a statement, Divina said he believed the complaint had something to do with the impeachment complaint against the poll chief. “They are probably sour that their impeachment complaint against Chairman Bautista was dismissed,” the lawyer said. Just the same, Divina shrugged off the disbarment complaint even as he gave assurances he would respond to the allegations “accordingly.” “I have always acted in accordance with law and the ethical de-

“That is part of what is mandated to be included in any disclosure of the SALN form.” Patdu insisted that the details removed from the SALN of Cabinet secretaries, such as the acquisition costs of personal and real properties, should have been made available to the public. “They should not be redacted... They should be open to the public and they should be included in the SALN,” Patdu said. In a recent report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, a total of 167 redacted details were blackened out in 29 SALNs of the members of the Cabinet. Twenty-eight of the SALNs had the acquisition costs or amounts of personal proper-

ties blacked out while in 24 of them the exact locations of real properties were redacted. And 23 SALNs had blackedout acquisition costs of real properties as well. Malacañang had earlier invoked the Data Privacy Act for the redaction on some information on the SALNs of some Cabinet officials. Asked if the Palace would not redact information on the acquisition costs and data pertaining to the assets and net worth of government officials, Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said none of those would happen in future requests. Communications Assistant Secretary Michael Kristian Ablan likewise stressed that they would disclose informa-

tion that were blackened out. “Yes, that will be disclosed,” Ablan said. “The acquisition costs, the total assets, the total net worth, the total liabilities will be disclosed.” The SALNs of government officials are being kept in six repository agencies: the Civil Service Commission, the Office of the Ombudsman, the Office of the President, the Senate Secretary, the House of Representatives Secretary, and the Supreme Court Clerk of Court. The Civil Service Commission will soon convene a Technical Working Group by October “to conduct a review of the SALN guidelines and SALN form, which will address our concerns on redactions,” Ablan said.

can no longer be filed against those who hazed us,” he said. Asked if he ever participated in initiation rites, Drilon said yes, but claimed he never used the paddle on anyone. “I hear your plea to strengthen the anti-hazing law and indeed with all due respect to Mr. Joey Lina, the author, I think there is really a need to examine Republic Act 8409,” said Drilon as he urged lawmakers to strengthen the Anti-Hazing Law of 1995. “Hazing that happens is punishable but the initiation itself is allowed if nothing happened. What we need to discuss is if we [can] prohibit outright initiations which include hazing,” Drilon said. Senator Richard Gordon is a member of another UP-based fraternity, the Upsilon Sigma Phi. Both Gordon and Drilon are graduates of the UP College of Law. Senator Panfilo Lacson, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, also admitted undergoing such rites in the PMA. Zubiri said a lot of senators have gone through hazing, including himself. “As my Org in UPLB would do paddling as their initiation rites in the eighties. At that

time, there were no laws governing initiations or fraternities,” Zubiri said. “And as we’ve seen and experienced the violence that goes in the initiation process and seen the evil that is inculcated to the neophytes that creates a culture of violence. This through the years had injured, maimed, tortured ang killed hundreds or maybe thousands of young men and women and this should stop. Im’ confident that my colleagues will fully support the strengthening of the Anti-Hazing Law which will prohibit all forms of physical, mental and psychological violence on any new recruit for any organization, fraternity or sorority,” he said. Aquino said he expects all senators to come together to amend the law. He said these senseless and needless deaths must be stopped and no other young life should be wasted on a barbaric, cruel and heartless practice. Hontiveros called on school administrations to improve their risk management capabilities to eliminate hazing and other forms of violence and abuse from fraternities. She said schools should be

pro-active in investigating and addressing “under the radar” cases of violence before they escalate into an incident wherein a student is seriously injured or worse, killed. She also urged schools to be on the lookout for cases of fraternityrelated sexual assault or harassment. She also called on schools to recognize all legitimate fraternities so they can be easily subjected to school regulations and “remove the shroud of secrecy surrounding their initiation rites.” Castillo, 22, told his parents he was going to “welcoming rites’ at the Aegis Juris fraternity on Sept. 16, Saturday. His parents found the boy dead at the Chinese General Hospital the next day, with extensive blood clotting on both arms and cigarette and candle wax burns in different parts of his body. An autopsy showed Castillo died from a heart attack due to injuries he suffered during hazing. Senator Grace Poe also supported amending the AntiHazing Law. “Fraternal ties should not be formed through pain or injury,” Poe said. The Catholic Church also called for a concerted effort to stop hazing.

police should stop their abusive war on drugs and allow an international investigation into the killings, rather than actively seek to increase the number of its victims,” the group urged. Amid reports that most illegal drugs come in from China, Taiwan on Tuesday said it has never been a source of illicit narcotics. In a statement, the representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Gary SongHuann Lin, said Taiwan has been helping the Philippines fight illegal drugs. “Taiwan fully supports the Philippines’ combat against transnational drug syndicates. Taiwan will continue to join hands with the Philippine relevant authorities to enhance cooperation to vigorously eliminate the transnational drug traffickings,” Lin said. Teco said Lin has recently approached the relevant Philippine government agencies and the Senate to clarify that Taiwan has never been the source of illegal drugs. Based on Philippine Drug Enforcement Administration statistics, most of the drugs are actually manufactured locally

and do not come from overseas, Teco said. Lin also emphasized that Taiwan and the Philippines have been working together to fight illegal drug for years. He said in recent years, Taipei and Manila have established cooperation mechanisms and systems for the two countries to fight illegal transnational drug trafficking. As a result of the joint efforts in the last three years, the Philippines has been able to close 12 important cases resulting in the confiscation of over 1,000 kilograms of shabu, more than 8,000 kilograms of semi-finished products and raw materials, three shabu laboratories, on distribution station and six shipments through air cargo and sea container. The market value of those seizures was more than P3.2 billion, Lin said. The People’s Republic of China and the Philippine government, meanwhile, have agreed to strengthen existing cooperation to effectively combat drug trafficking along with other transnational crimes, such as terrorism. This commitment was firmed

up after Chinese law enforcement officials led by Liu Yuejin, the deputy director of Chinese National Narcotics Control Committee, Counter-Terrorism commissioner of Ministry of Public Security, held a meeting with their counterpart at the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Customs and other relevant agencies after participating in the 5th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Plus China Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crimes and the 8th Asean plus China, Japan, South Korea Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crimes last Sept. 21 in Manila. “It is hoped that through the joint efforts of both sides, people can truly feel the strong determination of the two governments on narcotics-control, the multinational drug gangs will feel strong pressure from the two governments. The media and the public can feel of the huge benefits of cooperation in drug control to jointly maintain good relations of China and the Philippines on the overall situation,” Liu said, in a statement.

mands of the law profession. I am not worried at all about any threat of disbarment,” he said in a statement. According to Patricia, she chose to file the complaint with the high court and not with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines because Divina had strong ties with the leadership in the IBP and that “may cause bias and partiality in the investigation.” She said it was proper for the SC to take cognizance of the complaint considering that the issue she had raised was important. She also said the SC under Section 1 of Rule 139 B of the Rules of Court could, on its own, investigate erring lawyers upon the filing of the complaint.

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shall also be the ex-officio chairman of the SBMA Board. “The powers of the SBMA Board, as defined under Republic Act No. 7227, shall be exercised by the SBMA Board of Directors,” the EO added. Further, the SBMA administrator will also act as chief executive officer. Its functions include: To implement policies and measures approved by the SBMA Board, to supervise the operations and daily activities of the SBMA, and to

exercise the powers of control and supervision over decisions and actions of subordinate officers. As CEO, the administrator will represent the SBMA in all dealings with government agencies, sign all permits and other official documents issued by the SBMA, and execute, on behalf of the SBMA, all contracts and instruments affecting the interests of the SBMA. The Palace made the move after the House of Representatives questioned the legality of EO 340, which separated the powers and functions of the SBMA administrator and chairman.

Benitez said, his panel dispatched a team of construction experts to determine who between the contractor and whistleblower Salazar was telling the truth. The team then confirmed that Tayag had perjured himself, Benitez said. He said the team confirmed Salazar’s revelations that Tayag used steel bars that were below the standard set by the National Housing Authority. “There is a possibility that similar houses for the Yolanda

PH... From A1 “[The Philippines] is a transshipment of shabu to America,” Duterte said. “It behooves upon America to work closely with the Republic of the Philippines, especially on this serious matter,” he said. “We are flooded with drugs and the locals here haven’t [been] taken in, but they participate in the produce of the selling,” the President added. “I think they are happy because they are protected [and] we have become a narco state long ago.” He also stressed that Chinese trawlers cook shabu at the borders of the country. The Hongkong-based 14K triad is the second largest Triad group in the world with around 25,000 members split into 30 subgroups responsible for large-scale drug trafficking around the world, most of it heroin and opium from China or Southeast Asia. This is their primary business in terms of generating income, but they are also involved in illegal gambling, loan sharking, money laundering, and other activities, he said. Meanwhile, the Taiwan-based United Bamboo Gang, also known as UBG, is the largest of Taipei’s triads, internationally known for drug smuggling and human trafficking. In the same speech, Duterte scored other nations who criticize the country’s approach towards drugs. “There are some countries which are insulting us to open our records. Who are you to do that to insult our country? We do not fabricate,” he added. At the Philconsa affair, the association President Martin Romualdez said: “Let us join hands to maintain the pristine

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The resolution was signed by Senators Francis Pangilinan, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Joel Villanueva, Risa Hontiveros, Ralph Recto, Franklin Drilon, JV Ejercito, Antonio Trillanes IV, Sherwin Gatchalian, Panfilo Lacson, Grace Poe, Nancy Binay, Francis Escudero, Sonny Angara, Loren Legarda and Leila de Lima. The senators who did not sign the resolution are Senate President Aquilino Pimentel, Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, Senators Richard Gordon, Cynthia Villar, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Gregorio Honasan, and Manny Pacquiao. A group led by lawyer Evalyn Ursua, meanwhile, urged the Supreme Court to compel the concerned government agency to thoroughly investigate “each and every” killing related to its war on drgus. The other petitioners include Anna May Baquirin, Mary Jane Real, Maria Lulu Reyes and Joan Dympna Saniel. Named respondents in the petition were Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and Commission on Human Rights Chairman Chito Gascon. Invoking the Court’s landmark decision on the Manila Bay Cleanup case in 2008, the petitioners said the Court should order the government to impose proactive and insti-

PSG... From A1 The incident took place far from Duterte’s residence inside the compound, Dagoy said, adding that even other members of the security force were unaware of the shooting until Gonzaga’s wife found the body. The wife, a sergeant in the security force, said the couple were not facing any problems apart from Gonzaga’s heavy workload,

victims are being built in Leyte, Biliran and other provinces that suffered the wrath of the super typhoon,” Benitez said. He warned Public Works and other government agencies involved in infrastructure construction to inspect the structural integrity of JC Tayag works. Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone asked the NHA to suspend work on all JC Tayag construction projects while an investigation was being conducted. supremacy of the Constitution.” “The Constitution, is the Bible of good governance from which all acts of government, the governors and the governed must draw their bearings. It is the antidote of the virus of graft and corruption,” Romualdez added. He warned against unscrupulous politicians from disrespecting or dishonoring the Constitution to advance their own personal interests. “This serves equally as a reminder and warning to whirligig and troublesome politicians who mischievously and shamelessly hide from the clutches of the Constitution in the pursuit of their shadowy and shallow agenda embellished with their irrational understanding and illusory and nebulous interpretation of the Constitution,” Romualdez said. He also urged Filipinos to heed the call to support and strengthen the legal and moral dimensions of the Constitution to maintain its supremacy … to address the obstacles created by the detractors of the State and good governance.” “I urge our countrymen to place the Constitution in the windows of their vision and in the altar of their hearts so that the Constitution will forever reign supreme and the regime of law and justice will forever endure,” he added. The Philconsa president said that the faithful observance of the constitution will lead to progress and prosperity of the country. “We are what we make of the Constitution. For in the end, as in the beginning, is the Constitution. When we honor and respect the Constitution, we honor and respect the sovereign people. When we politicize, trifle and desecrate the Constitution, we betray the nation and became traitors of the people. Philconsa, which is supportive of the federalism initiative, is celebrating its 56th anniversary this year. tutional measures to prevent extrajudicial killings. The petitioners also wanted the high court to require the Duterte administration to observe utmost transparency in its investigation by regularly making public the results and status of its actions on the deaths resulting from police operations and vigilante killings, which had reportedly reached nearly 14,000. “What is at stake here is the right to life, the most fundamental of all human rights, whose protection should not be rendered naught by ‘administrative inaction or indifference,’” the group said. “In the context of the ongoing government campaign against illegal drugs, the state’s positive obligation to protect the right to life requires… adequate and effective measures to ensure that no arbitrary deprivation of life happens in the course of any police or law enforcement operation,” they said. Also on Tuesday, CHR’s Gascon said the Duterte administration has already turned down several human rights proposals during a recent United Nations dialogue in Geneva, Switzerland. In an ANC Early Edition television interview, Gascon said the government seemed to be “in denial” of the real situation of human rights in the Philippines when it rejected some recommendations submitted by different countries to improve the promotion of human rights. Rey E. Requejo and Rio N. Araja

Dagoy told reporters. Gonzaga was in charge of the security force’s operations and was not one of the President’s personal guards, he added. “We cannot speculate. [It’s difficult to say] suicide. We don’t have all the data,” he said, adding they could not say if the PSG officer committed suicide or if it was a case of accidental firing. The President, through Special Assistant to the President Secretary Christopher “Bong” Go, has been informed about the

incident, adding it would also be unlikely for the incident to affect the President’s security. Duterte was elected in a landslide last year on a vow to eradicate illegal drugs in society by killing up to 100,000 traffickers and addicts. Since he assumed office 15 months ago, police have reported killing more than 3,800 people in antidrug operations, with many more killed in mysterious circumstances. AFP, John Paolo Bencito

News Free PhilHealth coverage for PWDs pushed A HOUSE leader on Tuesday batted for the passage of a bill providing for the free and automatic coverage of persons with disabilities (PWDs) under the national health insurance program. CamSur Rep. LRay Villafuerte said his House Bill 6108, once enacted, will ensure the PWDs full access to health and medical facilities and services, in keeping with the country’s commitment under the UN Convention on the Rights of PWDs. In ﬁling the bill, Villafuerte noted that based on the results of the Census of Population and Housing in 2010, over 1.4 million Filipinos or approximately 1.57 percent of the entire population have a disability. Republic Act 7277, or the “Magna Carta for Disabled Persons,” was enacted in 1992 to institute a national health program for PWDs and establish medical rehabilitation centers for them. The law marked a framework for the country to address the health needs and access to basic services of the differently-abled without discrimination, Villafuerte said. Maricel V. Cruz

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Surigao judge in Du30’s ‘narco’ list dismissed By Rey E. Requejo

HE Supreme Court has ordered the dismissal of a Surigao del Norte judge who had been linked by President Rodrigo Duterte to illegal drug trade. In a 21-page decision, the SC approved the removal from the judiciary of Dapa-Socorro, Surigao Municipal Circuit Trial Court Judge Exequil Dagala over a separate administrative case. Dagala was previously cleared by the SC of his alleged involvement in illegal drugs in its ruling promulgated last December. In ruling against Dagala, the high court found him guilty of immorality and gross misconduct after he

was caught on video carrying an M-16 armalite rifle and having a child with a mistress, according to the SC. The tribunal imposed the penalties of perpetual disqualification from reemployment in any public office and forfeiture of his retirement and other benefits except accrued leave credits. The dismissal arose from a letter-complaint filed before the Office of Ombudsman in 2015 by a resident

of San Isidro, Siargao Island who had witnessed the altercation involving his neighbors and Judge Dagala over the ownership of his neighbor’s lot and the trees planted thereof. The complainant submitted a recorded video of Dagala shouting invectives while brandishing an M-16 armalite rifle. Upholding the findings of the Office of the Court Administrator, which had been ordered to investigate the case, the SC ruled that there was sufficient evidence to hold the judge accountable for gross misconduct in connection with the incident. It held that Dagala’s actuations as recorded in the video were “unacceptable for a member of the bench and should merit a finding of administrative liability. This is without prejudice to

any criminal action that may also be ﬁled against him.” The high court also upheld OCA’s ﬁnding that the judge was guilty of immorality for siring a child with another woman during the subsistence of his marriage. It noted that Dagala, in his comment, admitted he was married but was separated and “without any remorse” has three children with three different women. The High Court said that it does not “seek to interfere with a judge’s relationships” but nevertheless stressed that immorality is a valid ground for sanctioning members of the judiciary. “We understand the undeniable sadness of a failed marriage. We understand that judges and justices are also human, and are naturally inclined to search for what is good and what gives mean-

ing, including happy and fulﬁlling relationships. Nevertheless, choices are made within particular contexts and in consideration of duties and obligations that must be honored,” read the ruling. “More importantly, choices have consequences. Judge Dagala made his choice. He must now face the repercussions. Thus, as much as we commiserate with Judge Dagala, we remain a court of law with a mandate to dispense evenhanded justice,” the SC pointed out. Dagala was one of the four judges listed in the “narco-list” made public by Duterte last year. The three others were Judges Adriano Savillo of Iloilo City regional trial court, Domingo Casiple of Kalibo, Aklan RTC and Judge Antonio Reyes of Baguio RTC.

Ex-Caloocan solon indicted for graft THE Office of the Ombudsman indicted on Tuesday ex-Caloocan City representative Luis Asistio for alleged involvement in an P8-million pork barrel fund scam 11 years ago. Four counts of graft, two counts of malversation and two counts of falsification of public documents have been filed against Asistio before the Sandiganbayan. Ex-secretary Esperanza Cabral of the Department of Social Welfare and Development as well as two others—Mateo Montaño and Leonila Hayahay, and Cenon Mayor of the Kaloocan Assistance Council Inc. were included in the charge sheet. Asistio was a lawmaker from 2004 to 2010. The graft and malversation raps stemmed from Asistio’s approval of disbursement vouchers for ghost projects. Rio N. Araja

Seniors, PWDs to get discounts from PAL FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines announced on Tuesday it is now offering a 20 percent discount and 12 percent valueadded tax exemption for elders and persons with disability who will purchase domestic flight tickets online. The discount and exemption via PAL’s online booking portal www.philippineairlines.com expands the available platforms for said privileges for senior citizens and PWDs. The airline has been granting the same privileges via ticket office transactions for domestic flights. Discounts and exemptions apply to resident Filipino citizens purchasing regular fare tickets and is not applicable to other taxes, fees and charges and ancillary service like extra baggage and to tickets issued as a reward or prize. To avail of the discount/ exemption, one must log on to the PAL website and go to the section ‘Book a Flight’ and click origin and destination, class of service and number of passengers. Joel E. Zurbano

GROWTH FORECAST. Workers do their thing while atop a scaffolding in a construction site in Manila, one of several construction projects in the country. Activities

like this have prompted the Asian Development Bank to upgrade its growth forecast for the country this year, as it noted the rebounding global trade and China’s strong momentum that is said should help boost Asia’s economic prospects. AFP

Allocation for 1st 1,000 Days program sought By Macon Araneta SENATOR Grace Poe said on Tuesday that a portion of fresh revenue stream from the government’s move to impose excise taxes on sugar-sweetened drinks should be earmarked for the First 1,000 Days program that provides support to a child’s most crucial stage of development. During the plenary debates on Senate Bill No. 1592 or the proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act that seeks to overhaul the

Philippine tax system, Poe moved to include an important health initiative that provides natal care program for expectant mothers and health care and feeding program for toddlers. “Will the good sponsor agree that the tax on sweetened beverages should also fund programs for the ﬁrst 1,000 days of a child or the programs that will beneﬁt mothers and children from 0 to 2 years old since this is the most crucial period. In fact, the good sponsor is one of the main authors also [of

the First 1,000 Days bill], so I know he fully understands the benefits for the first 1,000 days of a child,” Poe said, addressing Senate committee on ways and means chairman Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara. Angara, principal sponsor of the first tranche of the administration’s tax reform package, agreed to Poe’s proposal, saying “it should be one of the priorities of government.” “We would welcome any amendment that Senator Poe has in mind regarding

the earmarking. I think it would strengthen the bill if the legislator has her inputs into all of these provisions,” said Angara. He said the earmarking really is to strengthen that link with the people so that they feel some kind of solidarity with the measure in that they know that it is going to a good cause and the susceptibility to corruption and misspending is not there,. Under the measure, 50 percent of incremental revenues from the sweetened

beverage tax shall be allocated to health programs for the bottom 10 million poorest households to address obesity, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases resulting from the intake of sweetened beverages; dialysis wards in government hospitals; school-based supplemental nutrition programs and provision of water fountains in public schools; and supplemental feeding programs for children and adults in areas with high incidence of hunger.

HPG to tap Grab drivers vs illegal transport of drugs By Francisco Tuyay THE PNP’s Highway Patrol Group will train drivers of Transport Network Vehicle Services to serve as ‘force multipliers’ to assist in the government’s war on drugs by way of helping prevent the transporting of illegal drugs through courier services. Thousands of full-time TNVS drivers from Grab Philippines will be selected to undergo training under the PNP, a move to help detect packages with concealed narcotics, which has emerged as a new platform by drug syndicates who use transport services as couriers of prohibited substances.

“Well, I think when it comes to sending contraband through the platform, the criminals are wisening up and they are also trying to use technology,” said Grab Philippines country head Bryan Matthew Cu. At present, Grab has a total of 54,000 TNVS drivers with thousands of full-time members who will be tapped to undergo introductory courses under the auspices of the HPG. As drug syndicates turn to this new method to transport illegal drugs, Grab Philippines vowed to assist the government in eradicating the drug problem through their partnership with the PNP.

WINGS SCHOOL. A certain Bro. Rudy of Asia Pacific Mission Institute of Manila True Love

Movement Organization volunteers to teach street children along Lahuerta St., Parañaque City. Lino Santos

House OKs P3.767-t national budget By Maricel V. Cruz THE House of Representatives approved on Tuesday the proposed P3.767trillion national budget for 2018 by a 223-9 vote. The House passed House Bill 6215, or the 2018 General Appropriations Bill, which Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, chairperson of the House committee on appropriations, said was highlighted by the inclusion of a P40-billion allocation for the “Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act” or the Free Higher Education Law. Steering the GAB’s record-breaking passage, Nograles said that most of the adjustments made on the GAB was a result of a painstaking scrutiny on the spending pattern and the absorptive capacity of each government agency. It took only almost two months for the Lower House to pass the budget bill. “We have considered at least two major factors in making our adjustments. One is urgency and another is capacity. We carved out budgets depending on the urgency of certain projects and programs that require allocation and depending on the capacity of implementing agencies to really put their funds to good use,” Nograles said. Nograles admitted that one of the agencies that suffered the biggest cut is the Department of Education, with at least P30 billion being taken out of its school building program with an original allocation of P122.96 billion.

Smokers’ group lauds Duterte on EO 26 PROYOSI, a consumer advocacy group, has applauded President Rodrigo Duterte for striking a balance between the rights of smokers and non-smokers in coming out with his Executive Order 26 establishing new rules on smoking in indoor or enclosed places. Guesting at the weekly Kapihan sa Maynila at the Manila Hotel, Anton Israel, ProYosi president, expressed his group’s support to President’s Duterte’s call for smoke-free environments in public and enclosed spaces while still allowing the practice outdoors and in open areas. “We are in no way questioning the essence of the EO. We just want to uphold our rights as smokers,” Israel explained. Even the Department of Health clariﬁed the public confusion surrounding the implementation of the EO, afﬁrming that there is actually no total smoking ban in the country. “The EO only provides for the establishment of Smoke-Free Environments in public places and public conveyances,” Dra. Cora Flores, DoH representative explained during the same forum. According to ProYosi, the EO in effect now is consistent with the existing Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 (RA 9211) which only restricts smoking in indoor or enclosed areas and allows for smoking in open areas like al fresco dining spaces or outside of restaurants, open parking spaces, and streets.

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Out with the old

NCE again, jeepney drivers and operators have gone on strike, leaving thousands of commuters composed mostly of students and workers stranded.

Stranded commuters were seen in Commonwealth, Litex, Monumento and Fairview in Quezon City and Santa Ana and Paco in Manila, but normal jeepney operations continued in many parts of Metro Manila. In Bulacan and Mandaluyong City in Metro Manila, classes were suspended because of the transport strike. The government-deployed buses failed to help ease the lack of transportation because only a few of those were deployed. The bone of contention, says the Stop & Go Transport Coalition, is the

government’s jeepney modernization plan, which seeks to get aging, smokebelching and diesel-burning units off the road. The coalition’s president, Jun Magno, said jeepney drivers and operators would not be able to afford the P800 a day they need to acquire new vehicles that would be sold for P1.6 million per unit for seven years at six-percent interest. He added that not all jeepneys should be required to install GPS navigation devices and speed limiters because those were not applicable to vehicles whose routes were short. The group also says the government should be blamed if there are still many dilapidated jeepneys on the streets because it continues to allow the registration of these vehicles.

These are legitimate points, but they need not be deal breakers. The government, for example, says it will provide not just ﬁnancing but also outright subsidies to drivers and operators who buy the new jeepneys. At the same time, if we are to phase out antiquated public utility vehicles, we really ought to replace them with standardized, modern and clean alternatives. Speed limiters, if these are approved as standard equipment, should be on all jeepneys, regardless of their routes. GPS navigation isn’t particularly expensive, or should not be, given that this feature is available even on the most inexpensive smart phone. It is wrong to blame the government for registering aging jeepneys because in the past, it has done so precisely because of the resistance from drivers

and operators who want to keep the old clunkers in service. The modernization program itself will immediately correct this situation, as old jeepneys will no longer be registered and will be replaced with their modern counterparts. Finally, like the vehicles that they drive, the methods by which the drivers and operators seek to get their way are antiquated. What purpose will it serve them if thousands of students and workers are inconvenienced for a day or two? These are not the people who make and implement transport policies. The drivers and operators who punish innocent commuters only do themselves a disservice, and generate no goodwill toward their cause. Like old and dirty jeepneys, obstacles to modernity and progress need to stop—then go away. VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

Shock and awe with taxes

Fariñas’ army LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES THE sense of entitlement is strong with this one. And I don’t know how threatened House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas thinks he and his fellow members of Congress feel—he shouldn’t get away with this shameless bid to make taxpayers pay for his and every other lawmaker’s personal security by creating a dedicated police force just for them. Fariñas, whom wags at the Lower House have taken to calling the “real speaker” because he seems to be in the forefront of every action in his chamber, eclipsing even Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, has filed a bill calling for the establishment

of what he calls the Philippine Legislative Police. The purpose of this new, entirely distinct law enforcement agency is to protect members of Congress, their spouses and their kin, up to the second degree of consanguinity “upon determination and validation that their lives are under threat,” the properties of the Congress and maintaining peace and order in its premises. Let’s do a little arithmetic to find out how much Fariñas’ “private army” is going to cost. There are more than 300 members of Congress in both Houses. The new police force that will secure them, their relatives, their property and their premises will have to be several times that number, at least. But we’ll assume that three cops will be given to one

lawmaker—a conservative figure, since the number of people needing protection will not include the legislators’ spouses, children, mistresses and all others that

1,000 of the worst members of the Caloocan City police force be immediately assigned to Congress. the new police force will be assigned to guard. The Philippine National Police, on the other hand, has 170,000 or so members and was given a budget of P88.513 billion in 2016. That

means the average cost to the public of one policeman is P529,664.70 annually, all in, as the car dealers say. Now, let’s assume that 1,000 new policemen are hired for Fariñas’ law enforcement agency. That comes up to P529.664 million for the new PLP—in just a year. That figure may not sound too big in the context of the P3.7 trillion national budget for 2018 that the entire government wants Congress to approve this week. But it’s big enough, for such a small police force, given that the current lawmaker-to-citizen ratio is one cop for every 572 people, according to official PNP data. If you have three lawmen for every lawmaker, that would be a ratio of 3:1, making Congress a veritable police state, something which also makes the 1:572

ratio for the rest of us sound like a recipe for complete and utter lawlessness. (Of course, anti-Duterte politicians have already long concluded that this is the prevailing situation, but that’s not the story here.) Over the next five years, in fact, the PNP announced earlier this year that it wants to hire 10,000 new policemen to bring the cop-to-citizen ratio to a better 1:500 and bring down the national crime rate significantly. But assigning a tenth of these new cops to Fariñas’ Army is not part of the PNP’s plans, of course. That’s entirely on Fariñas, naturally. After all, this is the House leader who asked traffic authorities earlier this month that congressmen and their drivers should not be arrested for minor traffic infractions so as not to impede the prog-

ress on the road of lawmakers rushing to get to the Batasan before the 4 p.m. roll call during session days. Perhaps, in lieu of paying taxes to the government through the Bureau of Internal Revenue, we should just all directly remit the money to Congress. After all, Congress holds the purse strings, as they say, because they get to approve the national budget. I’m sure Farinas will only be too happy if he and his fellow lawmakers get to collect all our taxes and disburse the money to the entire government, as Congress sees fit. Then maybe our lawmakers will have more than enough money to stay in power forever and to live in the manner that they have become accustomed to—and which they believe they so richly deserve.

Turn to A5

AT THE MOPC Finance Forum last Thursday (Sept. 21), Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez deﬁned the three major goals of the Rodrigo Roa Duterte government—reduce poverty, reduce corruption, and reduce illegal drugs. “At the end of the term (of Duterte) we want to achieve just three goals,” said Dominguez: Reduce the poverty rate of 22 percent to around 14 percent; make this country more compliant with the law…by going after the (biggest) violations which are drugs, tax evasion, and terrorism; and achieve peace. Sonny equates peace with rebellion and separatism. I equate peace with social stability; hence, poverty reduction. Poverty is to be reduced from 21.6 percent at present to 14 percent by 2022, the equivalent of rescuing six million people from poverty—deﬁned as not earning at least $1 a day or P18,600 a year. No president has rescued six million Filipinos from the clutches of misery before. Under BS Aquino, the number of Filipinos who were poor swelled by two million. Corruption is supposed to be reduced to zero. No president has done it before. Illegal drugs is a recent phenomenon. The menace prospered under BS Aquino III. While campaigning for president, Duterte promised to drown 100,000 drug addicts in Manila Bay, out of more than three million addicts. So far, the police admit to killing 3,800, out of some 14,000 alleged to have been killed under all kinds of circumstances (meaning including those murdered by angry spouses). With Duterte spending enormous capital to pursue illegal drugs, he is a success story. So successful has he been that Turn to A5

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Opinion

WHILE much of the world’s attention is fixated on North Korea and its nuclear ambitions, something with the potential to be equally globe-rattling is taking place, generally unnoticed, in South Korea. There, new President Moon Jae-in is charting an entirely contrary course in economic policy than much of the rest of the developed world. If successful, the experiment could alter how governments tackle the most challenging problems of our day. Moon is embarking on a highly liberal economic program—and unapologetically at that—that’s heavily dependent on the kind of taxing and spending conservatives loathe. The goal is to boost household income, workers’ welfare and small businesses. As the Ministry of Strategy and Finance outlined in a July statement, Moon intends to raise wages, build more public housing and increase unemployment insurance and other benefits to widen the social safety net. Education spending will be beefed up; so will job training programs. To pay for all this, Moon plans to raise taxes on the wealthy. He’s already made progress since winning the presidency only four months ago. Moon quickly introduced a fiscal stimulus package to increase the number of public-sector workers, expand the social security system, fund startups and subsidize employment at small enterprises. Then he proposed a record budget for 2018. In July, his administration announced a 16 percent hike in the minimum wage, the biggest leap since 2001. This agenda runs counter to current economic wisdom. Politicians throughout the developed world argue that the only way to boost growth and create jobs is to withdraw the state from the economy—slashing taxes, spending and regulation. Even in France, that bastion of welfare-state socialism, President Emmanuel Macron has proposed loosening up the country’s vaunted labor laws. Where progressive experiments have gone ahead—such as Seattle’s efforts to hike minimum wages —they’ve generally been limited and local. That’s precisely why Moon’s experiment is so worth watching, since the results could help determine which side is right. South Korea is an especially fitting crucible. The country is confronting many of the same woes that plague other rich nations. The income gap, while not as severe as in the US, has widened significantly since the early 1990s. Wage increases have been feeble, while productivity gains have tapered off. And then there’s Korea’s rapidly aging population. The International Monetary Fund warned in a January report that Korea

Fariñas‘... From A4

Finally, a friend has proposed that, in order to give Farinas what he wants right away, 1,000 of the worst members of the now-notorious Caloocan City police force be immediately assigned to our members of Congress as the new members of the PLP. In this way, the Duterte government will be able to rid that tainted police force of alleged bloodthirsty scalawags and make bloodsucking lawmakers happy at the same time. If the Caloocan cops live up to their reputation and start killing the people that they’re supposed to pro-

faces a demographic crisis as bad as Japan’s, threatening future growth. At the same time, the Korean economy boasts certain strengths that could make Moon’s job easier. Government finances are in such good shape that Moon can afford a bit more fiscal spending, unlike many of his Western counterparts. Korea’s gross government debt is not even 39 percent of its national output, compared with 107 percent in the US. Korea also never built out a weighty welfare state similar to those in Western Europe; it ranks near the bottom in public social spending among OECD countries. Strengthening the safety net could thus free up workers from the need to care for elderly parents, expanding the labor force. Koreans, too, may be particularly receptive to Moon’s program. They’re arguably more sensitive than, say, Americans are to the idea that their fellow citizens are getting left behind; mass layoffs and high unemployment are still considered socially unacceptable. That gives Moon sizable political capital; he won election handily. Will his policies work? Many of them make good sense. Some of Moon’s new public spending is earmarked to widen access to child daycare, which he hopes will encourage more women to join the workforce, and to enhance job opportunities for unemployed youth. Both are critical steps to offset the drag from an aging population. Raising wages and providing more generous government services could lift household income and thus unleash greater consumption. And better education and job training could help South Korea maintain its innovative edge over a rapidly ascending China. At the same time, Moon is no anti-capitalist radical; he’s striving for a balance between supporting workers and business. He favors free-trade deals and he has been a die-hard defender of Korea’s pact with the US, which has come under fire from US President Donald Trump. Moon has also vowed to close down “zombie” companies kept alive by the state and banks and to enforce freer competition by cracking down on unfair business practices—all of which should theoretically be good for productivity. South Korea has successfully defied the economic consensus before, when it embraced global trade to propel industrialization rather than turning inward like many other postcolonial nations; exports powered its decades-long rise into the ranks of rich nations. Now, instead of paying lip service to the plight of the middle class, Moon is trying to tilt the scales in its favor. We should hope South Korea proves the naysayers wrong again. Bloomberg

tect, I’m sure no one will really mind. *** The wife of Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista, newly “freed” from impeachment charges by the House of Representatives, has filed criminal complaints against the Divina Law firm, which allegedly secured a “sweetheart” contract for legal services with Comelec’s automation provider Smartmatic with Bautista’s backing. This is supposed to be Patricia “Tish” Bautista’s way of getting around the dismissal of the impeachment complaint against her husband and the start of a new effort to get him to pay for his sins. Hell hath no fury, indeed.

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Unsung heroes

Can South Korea save liberalism? By Michael Schuman

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO THEY are the unsung heroes because it’s really their job to defend the country from external and internal forces. Nowhere is this role more evident than in Marawi where our soldiers are still battling the Maute who , strengthened by internal terrorist ISIS, are holding out. Aside from the military offensive, our ﬁghting men ﬁnd time to take part in the rescue, relief and evacuation of the Marawi residents displaced by the siege now entering its fourth month. From all indication some of the government troops will remain in Marawi to provide security and make sure terrorists cannot come back to sow death and destruction. The soldiers, we are told, will also assist in the restoration work of the badly damaged city. I will not mention the

names of the high-ranking ofﬁcers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who are calling the shots in Marawi. It is the men on the ground who follow orders without question and risk their lives who should be accorded admiration and praise for their courage. These soldiers have families waiting for their safe return. A wife, children and parents praying for their safety. They too deserve our prayers; they suffer in silence and the agony of waiting for word on their husbands, fathers and sons after every military operation. It’s a hazardous profession. But many of our young men choose a military career and go to the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio. Usually from poor families, these men in the prime of their lives opted for a military career because the job market is already full of lawyers, doctors and engineers. Hence, we have heroes

as exempliﬁed by the 44 members of the PNP Special Action Force who were massacred in Mamasapano by combined forces of the MILF, BIFF and Abu Sayyaf. The SAF team were on a mission to serve an arrest warrant to international terrorist and bomb maker Marwan. They were able to kill Marwan but were waylaid as they withdrew from the operation site. Compare the hard choice and path taken by these gallant men of the AFP to the senseless need to belong by some of our students in expensive colleges and universities. Unlike the soldiers’ esprit d’corps, these students are misguided to think they need to belong to fraternities . We sympathize with the parents of hazing victims. It’s about time hazing is totally outlawed. Colleges and universities bear the responsibility of making sure hazing is not done by fraternities. Expulsion of those found guilty of haz-

ing should be these educational institutions’ priority measure. While most of these horrific hazing is done outside the school premises, college and university officials should still be held accountable for not monitoring student activity. It’s not just about raising tuition, really. The wellbeing of their students should also be of paramount concern. Why would anyone want to belong to a fraternity group whose leaders enjoy inflicting pain and humiliation to new members? Sado-masochism seems to have found its place in these fraternities. During my time as university student I was asked to join a fraternity. I declined the invitation and was treated like an outcast and some kind of a lone wolf which I was then. I’m sure I’m going to draw flak from the fraternity crowd. But someone has to speak out against the practice of hazing lest we have more

victims like Horacio Castillo III, the UST student who died from serious injuries caused by hazing. Instead of joining fraternities or sororities, students should join civic groups that help in time of natural disasters like typhoons and earthquakes. Community service is a more worthy cause. I may sound like I’m preaching but I am a parent too and I can empathize with those who lost a child because of senseless initiation rites that can turn violent. The perpetrators in the Castillo case have ﬂed the country. Because they belong to wealthy and welloff families they were able to buy plane tickets to the US where they think can hide . The parents of Castillo have asked the Department of Foreign Affairs to cancel the fugitives’ passports and have them extradited back to the Philippines. So, was one night of inﬂicting pain on another person worth it?

Subic SO I SEE LITO BANAYO BEFORE anything else, I apologize to the editors and publisher of this paper, for having written in my Monday article something that turned out to be “fake news.” This was about the alleged “Nikki Haley” statements on the president. I was rushing the article while in the Taoyuan airport where I was to board a ﬂight to Manila. Earlier, I received through the mail the report about the supposed statements of the US ambassador to the United Nations. I texted the sender if this was veriﬁed, and after about half an hour, he replied that it was already printed in the column of journalist Yen Makabenta of the Manila Times. I know Mr. Makabenta by reputation and concluded that the Haley statement must be real. I was already writing about other issues, principally the war of words between Haley’s boss and the North Korean boy-king, but thought I could weave in the very interesting

Shock... From A4

the western media regularly portray him as a butcher and a gross human rights violator. The real shock and awe is the administration’s goal of economic inclusion. This 2017, there are 105 million Filipinos. So 21.6 percent of that is 22.68 million, the number of poor Filipinos. By 2022, there would be about 114 million; 14 percent of that is 15.96 million. So 22.68 million minus 15.96 million is 6.72 million—the number of Filipinos to be rescued from poverty. To save those 6.7 million Filipinos, the administration needs cash. That cash will come from taxes. From income of wage earners, professionals and businessmen. From purchases of assets like cars and other luxuries. From consumption of drinks and items like bread, cake and candy laced with sugar. There is even a plan to tax cosmetics and body improvements like facial lift, breast lift, lipo and all

comments of Ms. Haley about our president. Turns out we were “faked”, “na-kuryente” in by now passé writer’s patois, fed with “fake news” that has become a by-product of social media dominance. Whoever those trolls were, and I do not care to know who they are, you got us buying your fool’s gold. Again, my apologies. *** We motored to Subic last Monday where we held the MECO board meeting in the brand new ACEA resort hotel owned by the family of one of our directors very close to the Triboa Bay developments made by President FVR in time for the Apec Leaders’ Summit in 1995. As I haven’t visited Subic in a long time, I was impressed at how this industrial cum tourism enclave which was a reuse of an American naval base, has been able to preserve the surrounding forests despite more than two decades of industrial and commercial “invasion.” The last time I went through the winding roads carved between hilly terrain and the sea was in the late nineties during

SBMA administrator Tong Payumo’s stewardship. It has basically remained the same but for the fact that the then utilized airport has now become deserted. No FEDEX, which has moved its hub to China after a few years in Subic, and no other airlines touch the runway but for an occasional ﬂight school light plane. Sayang. But it seems the harbor is now well-utilized, and the number of shipping lines docking at Subic has increased from two to nine, giving locators better terms due to stiff competition among the carriers. As is our wont when we hold board meetings outside congested NCR, we spent a few hours meeting with Taiwanese locators. This we did likewise in the Mactan export processing zone, as in Clark. The Subic locators said that they are by and large happy they put up their operations in this former US naval base, although they had concerns about the present “chaos” in the management of SBMA. This delayed permit issuances especially for new investors, as well as clearances which caused demurrage costs. We checked with

Malacañang and we were informed that all should be well within the day. That the differences in management style between Chairman Martin Diño and Administrator Wilma Eisma would be a thing of the past effective yesterday. The “conﬂicts” in policy setting and program implementation would be resolved, according to the information we got yesterday, by reverting to the letter and intent of the law creating SBMA, where the appointed administrator would likewise chair the board of directors. Subic, one of the ideal economic zones in the country due to an excellent bay with a deep harbor and adequate infrastructure mostly left by the withdrawing Americans, would now ﬁnd management “peace.” The locators of course pointed to high power costs and water services as disincentives, although they are happy with the labor situation. Filipino employees are both skilled and productive, although there were other concerns that MECO intends to bring up to the agencies concerned, as a way of assisting Taiwanese

investors and eventually promoting greater foreign investments. The Taiwanese in Subic even gave very good suggestions on how we could maximize the utilization of our Subic-Clark and Bataan corridor, and even promote more tourist arrivals to the country. *** This Thursday and Friday, there will be a Taiwan-Philippines Industrial Collaboration Summit to be held at the Manila Peninsula Hotel where top Filipino and Taiwanese business leaders will dialogue on ways and means of promoting economic relations and enhance the ﬂow of trade and investments. Among the prominent Taiwanese industrialists coming to Manila are Chairman Ted Huang of the TECO Group, the leading appliance manufacturing company in Taiwan, Mr. Jimmy Ou, Chairman of Universal Micro-Electronics and Vice-Chair of the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturer’s Association (TEEMA), Chairman Rock Hsu of the New Kinpo Group, which is also among the major Taiwanese investors in the country, as well as its CEO, Mr. Simon Shen.

kinds of mangling of the body disguised as plastic surgery. People earning not more than P250,000 a year will not pay any income tax, if they have four children. Today, those people pay an average of 20 percent because of the withholding tax system. Professionals and businessmen income tax as little as 1.8 percent or none at all. They and their companies enjoy all kinds of tax exemptions and perks. Businessmen, deﬁned as self-employed, will pay an average of 8 percent on income, beginning 2018. In general, Duterte’s tax bill, assures the DOF, will reduce the income tax of 99 percent of 7.5 million taxpayers. Only about two million of the 7.5 million taxpayers pay income taxes anyway. Cars retailing for P2 million or below will be slapped excise taxes averaging 20 percent. Cars priced above P2 million will taxed 33 percent of retail price on the average. The Senate Ways and Means Committee has adopted the House’s ﬁve-tier auto sales excise tax rates

and exempts from excise tax hybrid and electric cars but they should be able to run without gasoline or diesel for 30 kms. Coal will have higher excise tax. Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) will still be taxed P5 per liter for beverages with caloric sweeteners, P3 for those with non-caloric sweeteners, and P10 for those that use high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). After two years, the SSB tax will be P0.05 per gram of sugar per beverage— which is a tax regime that hopefully incentivizes manufacturers to produce and consumers to drink less sugary drinks. Exempt from tax is “3-in-1” coffee as well as milk (plain milk, infant formula milk, and growing up milk; and powdered, ready to drink, ﬂavored and fermented milk with less than 5 grams of sugar per 100ml) given their nutritional value. About 90 percent of consumers of 3-in-1 coffee are low-income earners. Also excluded are beverages with 100 percent natural fruit and vegetable juices,

unsweetened tea, meal replacement and medically indicated beverages. Sweetened beverages that used coco sugar and stevia are also excluded. The sugar tax is supposed to curb obesity and diabetes. DOF estimates the nation spends P300 billion a year on treatment of diabetes. PhilHealth, if you believe Dominguez, will soon go bankrupt. So the P47 billion expected revenues from sugar tax seem like a bargain. The tax on diesel is calibrated at P1.75 a liter in the first year; P2 in the second; and P2.25 per liter in the third, to minimize the shock to the economy and to keep inflation within target so as to prevent undue increase in prices of commodities. The original proposal of DOF was a P6 increase per liter, while House Bill 5636 had a phased implementation of 3-2-1. According to DOF, the richest 2 million families (or richest 10 percent of Filipinos) consume 50 percent of oil products. Estates and donations will be subject to a flat

6 percent tax on the net estate. Estates worth P200,000 or less have no tax. Those above P10 million will pay P1.25 million estate tax plus 20 percent of amounts above P10 million. Sonny Angara said the tax bill will raise P134 billion in additional revenues. Much of that money will be given to the poor— either as cash doleouts, subsidies, and projects like free tuition in college. The Senate tax version adopts the House’s P3million threshold for VAT-exempt sale or lease of goods and services— from P1.9 million. Small businesses with P3 million or below annual sales are also exempt from paying VAT, and also from ﬁling the monthly VAT return and quarterly percentage tax returns. Retained for VAT exemptions are sales related to food production, health care, and socialized housing, the BPO industry, cooperatives, PWDs (persons with disabilities), and senior citizens. biznewsasia@gmail.com

World

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

N. Korea war claim dismissed as absurd NEW YORK―The United States dismissed as “absurd” North Korea’s accusation that President Donald Trump had declared war against the regime, after Pyongyang said it was ready to defend itself by shooting down American bombers. Speaking to reporters outside his New York hotel, Foreign Minister Ri Yongho responded to Trump tweeting at the weekend that North Korea’s leadership “won’t be around much longer” if it keeps up its threats. Ri, who attended this year’s UN General Assembly session, said the international community had hoped that a “war of words” would “not turn into real actions.” “However, last weekend, Trump claimed our leadership would not be around much longer,” Ri said. “He declared a war on our country.” The White House disputed Ri’s interpretation of Trump’s saber-rattling. “We have not declared war against North Korea and frankly the suggestion of that is absurd,” said White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Alarm over Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs dominated this year’s gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, amid fears the heated rhetoric could accidentally trigger a war. Those fears were sharpened after US bombers ﬂew off the coast of North Korea on Saturday -- going furthest north of the demilitarized zone that any US aircraft has ﬂown this century. AFP

Hate speech by clerics criticized DUBAI―Saudi Arabia is condoning hate speech against its Shiite minority from the upper echelons of its religious establishment, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday. Saudi clerics, including those holding ofﬁcial positions, have “vigorously employed” 21st century tools, like Twitter, to stoke intolerance among millions of followers, the New-York based watchdog said. Often their words rise to the level of “incitement to hatred or discrimination”, it said. Derogatory statements against Shiites made by inﬂuential clerics mirror the language found in state-sanctioned religious edicts end even children’s schoolbooks, which use widely understood terms to castigate Shiite religious beliefs, HRW said. The watchdog cited many examples, including a Facebook post in which Al-Sharif Hatem bin Aref al-Awni―a former member of the government’s Shura council―hailed the bombing of a Shiite mosque in Qatif in 2015. He later removed the post, without explanation. Anti-Shiite attitudes come from the top. In September 2016, the current grand mufti of Saudi Arabia―the country’s highest religious authority―told Okaz newspaper that Iranians are “not Muslims”, HRW researchers found. They point out that such designations are dangerous in a country where apostasy can be punishable by death. AFP

Mud, misery for refugees as Bangladesh tent city grows KUTUPALONG, Bangladesh― Two hours’ walk from the nearest road, with no toilets or clean water and little proper shelter, the vast area of scrubland Bangladesh has set aside for more than 400,000 Rohingya refugees is a miserable place to call home. Over the last week, Bangladesh authorities have cleared hundreds of thousands of newlyarrived refugees from roadsides

and private land near the border with Myanmar where they had set up camp, and ordered them to head for the 2,000-acre site, an extension of the largest existing camp at Kutupalong. But almost nothing has been set up for them there. Bangladesh has for decades been home to Rohingya refugees who live in camps run by the United Nations where they have access to

food, sanitation and clean water. But the poor, overpopulated country is no haven for the estimated 436,000 Rohingya who have arrived in the last month after ﬂeeing violence that the UN has called a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing”. The unprecedented speed and scale of the latest inﬂux has completely overwhelmed the existing camps.

Some of the new arrivals, who now make up the majority of the refugees in Bangladesh, have been taken in by relatives already in those camps, others by local families. But many more have had to fend for themselves and have headed to the new site known as the Kutupalong Extension, where tents set up by the UN refugee agency quickly ﬁlled up. Newer arrivals have had to haul

bamboo poles and tarpaulins up steep, muddy slopes and across rivers swollen by the recent monsoon rains to build makeshift shelters that appear unlikely to survive the upcoming cyclone season. Those makeshift shelters now stretch as far as the eye can see -even though the United Nations says the site, allocated by the government just 10 days ago, is unﬁt for habitation. AFP

No mining in the Amazon B

RASILIA―The Brazilian government backed off a controversial proposal to authorize private companies to mine a sprawling Amazon reserve Monday after blistering domestic and international criticism.

FIRST MEETING. Alice Weidel (C-L) and Alexander Gauland (C-R), leadership members of the hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, talk with journalists on the sidelines of a first meeting of the AfD’s parliamentary group at the MarieElisabeth-Lueders-Haus parliamentary building in Berlin, two days after the general elections. AFP

Doctors, hospitals among casualties of war in Afghanistan KANDAHAR―After the Taliban closed his local health clinic, Afghan farmer Haji Fazel Ahmad was forced to rent a car to take his sick wife to the nearest hospital six hours away. To his dismay, the insurgents had shut that too. It is a scenario being played out across Afghanistan as medical facilities and workers come under attack

from all sides of the bloody conﬂict, denying ordinary people access to even the most basic health care. Since January more than 200 medical centers have been forced to close―most temporarily―while 13 aid workers have been killed and over 150 injured, ﬁgures show, underscoring the growing violence as Afghan forces struggle to beat back

a resurgent Taliban and other Islamist groups. In recent days Taliban ﬁghters have closed scores of medical facilities in the impoverished southern province of Uruzgan in what authorities say is an attempt to force the local government to set up more clinics in areas under control of the insurgents, apparently to treat their own ﬁghters.

“We were in the clinic when a number of armed men came in and asked us to give them the keys and told us we could no longer stay there,” Ehsanullah, a doctor based on the outskirts of the provincial capital Tarinkot, told AFP. Other facilities shuttered by the Taliban were located in Charchino district where Ahmad and his wife live. AFP

President Michel Temer’s ofﬁce will issue a new decree Tuesday that “restores the conditions of the area, according to the document that instituted the reserve in 1984,” the Ministry of Mines and Energy said in a statement. Last week, environmental activist group Greenpeace said at least 14 illegal mines and eight clandestine landing strips were already being used by miners in the Denmark-sized reserve known as Renca in the eastern Amazon. Greenpeace said this showed the risks faced by Renca even without Temer’s earlier proposal for ending a ban on large-scale foreign mining in the mineral-rich region. Temer’s decree signed on August 25 on opening up Renca―rich in gold, manganese, iron and copper― was suspended days later after an international outcry. The president had argued that liftingthe restrictions would allow Brazil to boost its struggling economy and also push the hugely destructive illegal mining operations out of business. In announcing the government was formally withdrawing the decree, the mining ministry insisted that the conditions that led to the

Swedish award for US lawyer

Blame beginning to fly over collapsed buildings MEXICO CITY-Hopes of finding more survivors after Mexico City’s devastating quake dwindled to virtually nothing on Sunday, five days after the 7.1 tremor rocked the heart of the mega-city, toppling dozens of buildings and killing more than 300 people. Yet authorities were still listening to anguished families who insisted that painstaking rescue operations continue at a handful of sites. Foreign teams from Japan, the US and elsewhere were working with dogs and hi-tech gear to try to detect signs of life under the rubble. In the first three days, 69 people were pulled out alive. But since Friday only bodies have been re-

covered. A series of smaller earthquakes in the south of Mexico on Saturday― including a 6.1-magnitude one that triggered seismic alerts in the capital― stoked panic in a population traumatized by Tuesday’s disaster. Authorities said two people died in the southern state of Oaxaca, where tectonic upheaval was centered. A bridge buckled and collapsed, as did several other previously damaged structures. In Mexico City, two women, one aged in her 80s, the other 52, died of heart attacks as they tried to evacuate their homes. Others prayed the rocking earth wasn’t going to swell into a new catastrophe. AFP

THE SEARCH CONTINUES. Rescuers make the signal for silence during the search for survivors in Mexico City—two days after a strong quake killed at least 240 people. AFP

Food aid, masks dispatched to Bali as 57,000 Indonesians flee volcano KARANGASEM, Indonesia―Vehicles laden with food, masks and bedding have been dispatched to help more than 57,000 people who have ﬂed a volcano on the tourist island of Bali, as rising magma and increased tremors fueled fears of an imminent eruption. Mount Agung, about 75 kilometers from the Indonesian tourist hub of Kuta, has been rumbling since August, threatening to erupt for the ﬁrst time since 1963. “The chance that an eruption will

measure in the ﬁrst place were “still present.” “The country needs to grow and generate jobs, attract investments for the mining sector, including to exploit the economic potential of the region,” it added. The rainforest has a wealth of valuable commodities but has been protected for decades from private industry and is home to several indigenous tribes. Critics of Temer’s decree included international environmental groups, the Catholic Church and even supermodel Gisele Bundchen, who is Brazilian. The Renca reserve is home to the indigenous Aparai, Wayana and Wajapi tribes and vast swaths of untouched forest, covering more than 17,800 square miles (46,000 square kilometers). Environmental groups say opening up Renca, part of the “world’s lung,” to mining would accelerate the advance of private mining and deforestation of preserved areas. “The cancellation of the degree shows that, no matter how bad it is, no governing politician is absolutely immune to public pressure,” said Marcio Astrini, public policy coordinator for Greenpeace Brazil. AFP

happen is quite big. But it cannot be predicted when it will happen,” Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the disaster mitigation agency, said. The increased frequency of tremors shows the magma continuing to move towards the surface, with the mountain entering a “critical phase”, the spokesman said. The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said there has been an increase in volcanic tremors, with a total of 564 recorded Monday.

Evacuees have packed into temporary shelters or moved in with relatives. Some 2,000 cows have also been evacuated from the ﬂanks of the volcano. Balinese residents, international NGOs and the government have begun organizing aid. Vehicles ﬁlled with noodles, mineral water and blankets have been sent to the evacuation centers, while residents around the island have been collecting donations for those affected.

Bali’s “sister village” program and tradition of communal assistance means evacuees have been able to stay in villages outside the danger zone. Around 62,000 people lived in the danger zone prior to the evacuations, according to the disaster mitigation agency. I Ketut Subandi, head of logistics at the village of Tana Ampo, said basic food items like rice, instant noodles, cooking oil and water were most needed. AFP

STOCKHOLM―A US environmental lawyer who defended Americans whose drinking water had been contaminated by chemicals won the 2017 Right Livelihood Award on Tuesday, the jury for the Swedish human rights prize announced. Robert Bilott was honored for “exposing a decades-long history of chemical pollution, winning long-sought justice for the victims and setting a precedent for the effective regulation of hazardous substances,” the jury said. Aged 52, Bilott achieved “one of the most significant victories for environmental law and corporate accountability of this century” after winning a 19-year legal battle against US chemical giant DuPont in February. He represented 70,000 citizens whose drinking water had been contaminated with Perfluorooctanic acid (PFOA), a chemical used in Teflon non-stick cookware and other products and which can cause respiratory problems and various types of cancer. “I hope that this honor helps spread awareness and recognition of the urgent need to take further steps to protect our drinking water, and the ability and power of local residents and communities to ensure that such steps are taken”, Bilott was quoted as saying in a statement from the Right Livelihood Award Foundation. AFP

Sports THE HOARSE WHISPERER JENNY ORTUOSTE

Adelaide 36ers top Merlion Cup; Nonito claims title THE Adelaide 36ers trounced defending champion Shanghai Sharks to win the 2017 Merlion Cup in Singapore recently. The Sharks pressed the 36ers for most of the deciding match, only to see the latter pull away in the last quarter to win by 20 points, for a convincing final score of 101-81. A communication from the organizers stated that “the Australians’ preseason preparations showed on the court as their high tempo game caused Sharks problems with a total of 17 points from turnovers. “With all of their starters hitting double figures, the Adelaide 36ers showed their quality against a hardworking Shanghai Sharks team, dominating the boards with 40 rebounds and an impressive 60% conversion in the paint.” The Philippines’ representatives to the event, the NLEX-SCTEX team skippered by coach Jojo Lastimosa, had a less than stellar campaign. They did win a match against the Yulon Luxgen Dinos, 81-76, in their qualifier for the 5th/ 6th placed tie. About that game, the organizers said “NLEX got off to a good start as they took the first quarter 19 – 8, and went on to lead at the close of the second and third 4027 and 53-51 as power forward Jason Perkins earned himself a double-double by the third quarter, en route to ending the game with 28 points and 13 rebounds.” *** Nonito Donaire (38-4, 24 KOs) scored a unanimous decision win over Ruben Garcia Hernandez of Mexico (22-3-1, 9 KOs) in their recent 10-round fight for the World Boxing Council Silver Featherweight World Title. “I boxed very well, which is something I haven’t done in a long time,” said Donaire. “I moved my legs well and maintained it throughout the whole fight. I’ve always been an aggressive boxer but this time I used my jab and combinations. I had the urge to just brawl and I felt like I hurt him. But ultimately I did a great job showing versatility in my game.” Donaire took control over the fight, outclassing Hernandez with speed and movement. “Nonito was very smooth and moved around well,” said Hernandez. “I couldn’t get to him because of that. He adjusted to everything I did. It was a fair decision at the end of the night.” Judges scored the 10-round fight 100-90, 99-91, and 97-93 in favor of Donaire. *** Do politics and religion have a place in sports? The “taking a knee” controversy surrounding US President Donald Trump and some National Football League players is big news here as people ponder whether athletes should interject their personal beliefs and stands into the games they play. From Tim Tebow’s kneeling to pray to the present use of the gesture to protest institutionalized racism and violence against people of color, there is an increasing visibility of players using their media exposure to take stands on social issues. Many players suffer the negative impact of racism and other forms of discrimination and aggression. Their tendency toward self-expression of political views at games is a reflection of and a response to the greater turmoil and unease in the world at present. There comes a time when circumstances dictate struggle rather than the silence that means consent, because there is no one to fight for you except yourself. It looks like that time is here. *** Dr. Ortuoste is a Californiabased writer and researcher. Facebook: Gogirl Racing and Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @gogirlracing and @jennyortuoste

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Stags win; Pirates stay clean By Peter Atencio

HE San Sebastian Stags sustained a hot start until the end. With their outside shots and triples finding their mark, the Stags went on to blast the Letran Knights, 95-64, yesterday at the Arena in San Juan.

Jayson David banged 27 points and led two others who scored in double digits as the Stags remained in contention for a Final Four semifinal slot in the 93rd National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s

basketball tournament. The Stags, who converted 16 of 37 three-point attempts, climbed to a share of third spot with a similar 7-6 record with the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers.

The Knights, who were led by Bong Quinto with 14, struggled as the Stags took a 17-7 lead in the last 2:51 of the first period. Enzo Navarro and Michael Calisaan made this possible with their threepointers and from there, the Stags finished the period with a 25-11 edge. Another trey from Navarro at the start of the second period handed the Stags a 25-15 spread with 7:54 left. Coach Egay Macaraya said they never expected their game with the Knights

Games tomorrow (Filoil Arena, San Juan) 12 nn.- CSB vs Mapua (jrs) 2 p.m.- CSB vs Mapua (srs) 4 p.m.- San Beda vs AU (srs) 6 p.m.- San Beda vs AU (jrs)

(7-7) to get this lopsided. “I guess they gave up. Maaga sila bumigay,” said Macaraya. Allyn Bulanadi and Calisaan hit 16 and 13 points, respectively, for the Stags. Lyceum of the Philippines University outlasted Emilio Aguinaldo College, 86-74, to inch closer to an

elimination-round sweep. MJ Ayaay unloaded a team-best 15 points while adding nine rebounds even as Jaymar Perez and Jaycee Marcelino contributed 13 and 11, respectively, to help the Pirates’ stretch their win streak to 14, four wins from sweeping their way to the finals where they will also clinch a thrice-to-beat advantage. LPU takes on San Sebastian on Friday, Letran on Oct. 6, Jose Rizal on Oct. 13 and defending champion San Beda on Oct. 19.

The Generals absorbed their eighth defeat against six wins. In the junior division, the SSC Staglets leaned on defensive stops in the dying seconds from Lewis Pasamante and Romel Calahat to escape with a 67-66 triumph over the Letran Squires. Pasamante, who topscored with 21 points and Calahat kept Kiefer Cordero from shooting a triple and Kobe Monje from converting a followup as the clock winded down.

Velez, Madis share Pikit leg MVP crowns

FESSAP will host the first-ever Asia Pacific University Swimming Championship on April 13 to 15, 2018. Photo shows (from left) FESSAP vice president Atty. Baldomero Estenzo, Prof. Dato’ Dr. Abdullah Mohamad Said, FESSAP president David Ong, APUSU secretary-general Mustaza Ahmad, Atty. Maria Luz Arzaga-Mendoza, Cecille Sarmiento and Prof. Robert Milton Calo during the FISU General Assembly in Taipei City.

JOHN David Velez continued to dominate the Mindanao swing of the Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional tennis tournament, racking up another pair of titles even as Tennielle Madis scored three victories in the Pikit leg at the Pikit Tennis Club in Cotabato last Monday. Velez, 14, reasserted his mastery over Bruce Hurtado, posting a 6-2, 6-2 romp in the boys’ 16-and-under finals and escaping with a 7-5, 6-4 decision in the premier 18-U side of the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger The twin victories came on the heels of the Precious International School of Davao ace’s three-title feat in Mlang two weeks ago, ruling his agegroup and the 16- and 18-U divisions over Hurtado. Madis, on the other hand,

1st Asia Pacific University Swimming tourney slated THE first-ever Asia Pacific University Swimming Championship will be held in the Philippines from April 13 to 15, 2018. Venues being considered for the three-day competitions being sanctioned by the Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines and the Asia Pacific University Sports Union include Iloilo City or the province of Pampanga.

This development was confirmed by FESSAP executive vice president, Professor Robert Milton Calo, who said that the FESSAP Aquatic Club will be tapped to prepare for the swimming championship. The FESSAP Aquatic Club has been tasked to put together the development plan to host the 1st Asia Pacific University Swimming Championship. Aside from Prof. Calo who

is also from PISCUAA, the other members of the Aquatic Club Working Committee are Allan Soria of the SCUAA, Ivy Sta. Ana of PRISAA, Edgar Galeno, Jim Justin Jalseburge Ang, Emer Matienzo, and Dennis Antonio Cordero. The Aquatic Club will soon coordinate with Local Government Units and present its project. Among the countries invited to send entries to the first-ever

Asia Pacific University Swimming Championship include Malaysia, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea, and the Republic of Korea. Meantime, the 2nd Asia Pacific University Games will be held this year from December 6 to 11 this year in Cebu City. The University of Cebu will host the multi-sport festivities. Atty. Baldomero Estenzo, the UC Dean of Law, is the

Organizing Committee Chair of the 2nd APUG event, has been appointed by the Asia Pacific University Sports Union Board to manage the APUG games along with Prof. Mustaza Ahmad, the APUSU secretary general from Malaysia. Prof. Mustaza is currently the Secretary-General of the Malaysia University Sports Federation or MASUM, a member of FISU.

Rivera notches 9th straight triumph in Phoenix Slalom WORLD Gymkhana champion Milo Rivera came out victorious in a five-way fight during the ninth leg of the Phoenix National Slalom Series of the Race Motorsports Club at the NFA Compound in Cabanatuan City. Rivera of Tough Gear Racing Team bagged the overall and production best time for his ninth straight win with a time of 43.70 after a tight battle with Carlos Anton of Mark Young Racing Team and Cars Unlimited (43.82) and Jevoy Moreno (43.94) of JAF Racing Team. Inigo Anton (44.22) and Estefano Rivera (44.54) placed fourth and fifth, respectively. Meanwhile, Carlos Anton brought home the Front Wheel Best time and son Inigo Anton took the novice best clocking. The 2017 Race Motorsports Club National Slalom Series is presented by Phoenix Premium 98 and Phoenix Accelerate Fully Synthetic Oil, and major sponsors Federal Tyres and Outlast Battery and supported by Starbright Body Kits, Auto Transporter, Cars Unlimited Auto Sales Fairview and Mark Young Cars. It is also backed by media

partners Stoplight TV, C! Magazine, Auto Car Magazine, Power Wheels Magazine, Ride and Drive Philippines and Driven2ride.ph. The event was also supported by Mayor Jay Vergara, Eugene Mintu, who provided a top-of-the-line Ambulance and Rescue Team, Michael Mendoza and Joey Vergara. Winners were awarded right after the slalom race at the Pig Stop Bar and Grill owned by Daryl Flores and Mikko Briones. The event was participated in by the JAF Racing Team, Tough Gear Racing Team, Autofastion Racing Team, Speedjav Racing Team, Kajega Racing Team, Mark Young Cars, Cabanatuan Auto Club, Rod and Lea Racing Team and Jemag Racing Team, among others. The 2017 remaining legs for the year are on Oct. 1 at Robinsons Novaliches; Nov. 12 at Tarlac Circuit Hill; Dec. 10 at Robinsons Starmills Pampanga and the Slalom Invitational on Oct. 8 at Robinsons Calasiao Pangasinan. For details, contact Bing Bang Dulce at 09178119337 or like the event’s FB page racemotorsportsclub.

Auto Fastion Racing Team Martin Sanchez and Armand Marcaida.

Some of the official results: Novice Stock Injected: 1st Rainier Tinio 48.96; 2nd Rod Chang 49.40; 3rd Christian Manuel Tan 52.94 Novice Stock Carburated: 1st Joseph Ortega 49.14; 2nd Marco del Mundo 58.84 Novice Modified A: 1st Rainier Tinio 47.78; 2nd Glenn Suba 48.46; 3rd Armand Marcaida 48.92 Novice Modified B: 1st Inigo Anton 45.64; 2nd Potchie Paikot 46.86; 3rd Vegil Calayo 47.74 Novice Modified C: 1st Vegil Calayo 47.14; 2nd Glenn Alfonso 47.96 ;3rd Ritchie de Jesus 48.32

Novice 1A: 1st Inigo Anton 46.06; 2nd Potchie Paikot 46.36; 3rd Ritchie de Jesus 46.70 Novice 1B: 1st Inigo Anton 43.74; 2nd Ritchie de Jesus 44.92 Pro Stock A: 1st Milo Rivera 45.10 Pro Stock B: 1st Milo Rivera 45.16; 2nd Ramiro Cruz 50.16 Pro Stock C: 1st Milo Rivera 43.74; 2nd Estefano Rivera 44.92 Group 2A: 1st Ryan Ablang 45.80; 2nd Vegil Calayo 47.38; 3rd Adriel Pacis 48.54 Group 2B: 1st Ryan Ablang 43.36; 2nd Kiko Dysico 48.14; 3rd Migz Belena 49.22

NHA Builders vow to bounce back

NHA’s Marvin Ladia (18) steals the ball from MalacañangPSC Kamao’s John Michael Jimenez (55) during their UNTV Cup game at the Pasig Sports Center.

“NEXT time, babawi kami.” This was the promise of NHA Builders Head Coach Silverio “Bennet” Palad III after his team lost to the Malacañang-PSC Kamao last Sept. 17. Towards the end of the game against the Kamao, the Builders were complacent on both ends,

allowing the Kamao to clinch the lead and the win, 92-90. “ Na g k u m p i y a n s y a kami, ang momentum napunta na sa kanila. Bago kami naka-recover, wala na, too late na,”Palad recalled. That is why for Coach Palad, gearing up mentally is far more important than physical prepa-

ration this time as they face the PDEA Drug Busters on Wednesday at 2 p.m. “Ang preparation ko para sa next game, siguro, mentally na muna. Siguro ipapaalam ko lang sa kanila how to protect the ball,” Palad said. Both the Builders and the Drug Busters have a loss and no win.

took over from sister Jazzelle, who captured two titles in Mlang but skipped the Pikit leg, as she swept the 10-unisex and girls’ 12- and 14-U plums in the event backed by the Unified Tennis Group, composed of Cebuana Lhuillier, PPS-PEPP, Wilson, Toby’s, BMeg, Citigreen, Babolat and Tru-Flex. The Mlang, Cotabato rising star crushed Josh Cabanting, 4-0, 4-0, for the 10-unisex title, ripped Jillian Manangking, 6-3, 6-1, in the 12-U finals, then trampled Daniela Dandalanin, 6-2, 6-1, for the 14-U diadem. “Velez and Madis’ feats should inspire other young players to strive harder and the PPS-PEPP circuit will provide them the venue and the yearround exposure to enhance their talent and skills,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/ CEO Bobby Castro.

Lady Tams eye crucial triumph vs Bombers Games today 8 a.m. – UST vs San Beda (men’s) 10 a.m. – La Salle vs UP (men’s) 4 p.m. – FEU vs Jose Rizal (women’s) 6:30 p.m. – Lyceum vs San Sebastian (women’s)

FAR Eastern University hopes to come out strong coming off a long break, shooting for a crucial win over winless Jose Rizal University today in a bid to stay in the semifinal hunt in Group A of the Premier Volleyball League Collegiate Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan. The Lady Tams dropped a four-set setback to the unbeaten National University Lady Bulldogs last Sept. 16, snapping their back-to-back victories. But they remain the heavy favorites against the Lady Bombers in their 4 p.m. encounter with a victory putting them in step with the idle Ateneo Lady Eagles at second at 3-1. A three-way fight for the two semis seats has shaped up in Group A with NU assuring itself of at least a playoff with a 4-0 card. The Lady Bulldogs and the Eagles dispute the first berth in a blockbuster face-off on Saturday. FEU, meanwhile, seeks to hurdle JRU before closing out its campaign in the single round elims of the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by Mikasa and Asics against Lyceum of the Philippines University on Monday.

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

P0 M+ P0 M

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

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Sports

Dino Villanueva shows his top form off the No. 10 mound

Obscure pro steals ICTSI golf spotlight LIPA City, Batangas—Dino Villanueva, who missed the cut in three of his last four events, found himself on top of the heap this time, firing a six-under 66 and grabbing a one-stroke lead over Clyde Mondilla and two other foreign aces at the start of the ICTSI Players Championship at the Summit Point Golf Club here yesterday. Villanueva gunned down seven birdies against one bogey in near-ideal condition, capping his 32-34 card with back-to-back feats from No. 8 that shoved the unheralded shotmaker past Mondilla, Aussie Nathan Park and Dutchman Guido Van der Valk to the lead, much to his surprise and to the rest of the 75-starting field. “I played awesome, everything was in place,” said Villanueva, who failed to advance at ICTSI Classic of the Philippine Golf Tour at Mt. Malarayat, and at the Aboitiz Invitational at Southwoods and at the ICTSI Splendido of the PGT Asia Tour. He actually snapped that string of failed bids with a 20th place finish at ICTSI Riviera Classic ruled by Mondilla last week but the Cagayan de Oro pro never

Blackwater 5 stays alive By Jeric Lopez

MONUMENTAL upset. That’s what No. 8 Blackwater pulled off after Allein Maliksi’s go-ahead jumper with 9.5 seconds remaining lifted the underdog to an exciting 9291 stunner over top seed Meralco to live to fight for another day in the quarterfinals of the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City last night. Henry Walker was spectacular, scoring 19 of his game-high 30 points in the

Enderun, PCU clinch berths in quarterfinals ENDERUN College edged Rizal Technological University, 85-81, and Philippine Christian University overwhelmed Manuel Luis Quezon University, 8970, to clinch quarterfinal berths in the NAASCU Season 17 men’s basketball tournament atbthe San Andres Sports Complex in Malate. Michael Louise de la Cruz, Serge Wabo Captue and John Vidal joined hands in the Titans’ hardearned victory over the Thunder that enabled them to arrange a quarterfinal showdown against defending champion and Group A topnotcher St. Clare College-Caloocan. De la Cruz scattered 20 points, including five points in a crippling 11-0 run by the Global City-based Titans that put them ahead for good, 67-60, from a 56-60 deficit at the end 9f the third period. Wabo Captue also made his presence felt with a double-double of 17 points and 16 rebounds, while Vidal had 14 points for the Titans, who now face the formidable task of having to beat the Saints twice in the quarterfinals. Leading RTU’s losing effort was Cyrus Tabi, who exploded with 34 points, including four three-point shots in more than 36 minutes of action. Backing up Tabi for the Johnedel Cardrl-mentored Thunder were Kerr Bangeles, who finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, and Nicole Liquanan, who had 12 markers. Later, PCU had an easy time in dispatching MLQU to advance to a quarterfinal match against Group B runner-up Colegio de San Lorenzo.

fourth quarter to go with his 18 rebounds and six assists as he led Blackwater to the

improbable upset win over the heavily favored Bolts, who came in equipped with a twice-to-beat advantage. However, it was Maliksi who displayed his clutch genes in the final minute by scoring the team’s last four points, including the eventual game-winner. Down by a point, 90-91, with 15 seconds left, the Elite went to Maliksi and the pure scorer delivered as his jumper in the free throw line went through the bottom of the net

to give his squad the lead, 9291, with Meralco having one more chance to steal the game with less than 10 seconds left. But the Bolts were unable to convert after Mike Tolomia’s long floater back-ironed at the buzzer, allowing the Elite to complete the stunning upset and to force a do-or-die game between the two tomorrow to see who will move forward to the semifinals. Meralco looked for either Allen Durham or Baser Amer but Blackwater’s stin-

gy defense prevented them from having looks, forcing Tolomia to launch the shot before the clock expired. Meanwhile, No. 4 Star, armed with a twice-to-beat advantage, is looking to be the first team through to the semis as it is working on eliminating No. 5 NLEX as of this report. The winner between the Bolts and the Elite tomorrow in their sudden death will face the victor between the Hotshots and the Road Warriors in the best-of-five semis.

Maliksi finished with 15 points while Mike DiGregorio was also big for Blackwater, firing 20 points of his own. Prior to his game-winner, it was also Maliksi who gave the Elite a previous lead with an earlier jumper, making it 90-89 in his team’s favor with 33.6 seconds remaining. Durham gave Meralco its last taste of the lead, 91-90, with his putback with 15.8 seconds left. Chris Newsome led Meralco with 19 points.

James: I’d love to have Wade here in Cleveland LOS ANGELES—LeBron James is hopeful Dwyane Wade will join the Cleveland Cavaliers after he secured his buyout from the Chicago Bulls. The 35-year-old guard bought out his contract with the Bulls on Sunday, and is now poised to listen to offers from a string of potential suitors. Wade passed up around $8 million in salary to obtain the buyout, according to ESPN. Wade is a former teammate of James from their time at the Miami Heat—and the Cleveland star is enthusiastic about a possible reunion. “I would love to have D-Wade a part of this team,” James told reporters on Monday. “I think he brings another championship DNA, championship pedigree. He brings another playmaker to the team who can get guys involved, and

make plays, and also just has a great basketball mind. “I think it would be great to have him here... I hope that we can bring him here. I would love to have him.” As well as the Cavs, Wade is also being courted by the San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder, according to reports. Wade is also a close friend of Carmelo Anthony, who wrapped up his move to Oklahoma City on Monday. Meanwhile, James said Monday he did not regret branding President Donald Trump a “bum”, accusing the US leader of dividing the nation in his feud with the sports world. NBA star James had taken aim at Trump on Twitter on Saturday after the president withdrew a White House invitation to the champion Golden State Warriors and star player Stephen Curry. AFP

Blackwater’s Henry Walker drives to the basket against Meralco’s Allen Durham in a PBA game won by the Elite, 92-91.

322 cyclists shoot for slots in LBC Ronda Pilipinas SOME 322 cyclists, headed by former champions Santy Barnachea and Irish Valenzuela and Southeast Asian Games triathlon gold medalist Nikko Huelgas, aim for slots in the LBC Ronda Pilipinas main race early next year as they compete in the Luzon qualifying race on Saturday in Tarlac City. Barnachea, 41, is looking to earn his spot in the main race tentatively set March 1 next year and a chance to

shoot for his third title in this annual LBC-bankrolled race after winning the very first edition in 2012 and the fifth in 2015. Valenzuela, the 2013 Ronda titlist, who now works in Dubai, will likewise return to action after sitting out the last two years following a road accident a couple of years ago. For Huelgas, who is fresh from his gold medal conquest in the SEAG in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last

month, he is using this race to train for future triathlon races, including the 2018 Asian Games in Palembang, Indonesia and the 2019 Manila SEAG. Junrey Navarra, the former Ronda King of the Mountain winner, is also hoping to make it back after skipping early this year. Navy’s Jan Paul Morales, the reigning Ronda champ, is one of the 20 qualified riders, but he decided

to join the one-day race, which stakes P30,000 to the champion, and P20,000 and P10,000 to the second and third placers, respectively, as part of his preparation for a title defense. Only 38 slots are up for grabs in the one-day race covering 180 kilometers of roads, starting in front of the Tarlac Provincial Capitol and ends on a mountain top at Monasterio de Tarlac. Another qualifying race

has been set on Oct. 21 in Danao, Cebu, where 38 more spots are being staked. LBC Ronda project director Moe Chulani said the champion in the main race will take home P1 million courtesy of LBC. “The LBC Ronda Pilipinas is upon us again, and just like in our past editions, we’re hoping to produce champions and attract talented young riders,” said Chulani.

projected to be in early contention in this P3 million event sponsored by ICTSI. But now on top of the elite field, Villanueva hopes to go all the way and end a decade-long search for a breakthrough win. “Hopefully, this would be my time. I never won a tournament in 10 years and I hope to sustain my game in the next three days and make it for the first time,” said Villanueva, who had three tap-in birdies on Nos. 1, 9 and 14 and rescued pars three times, including a pair off the bunkers. He hit the fairway bunker off the par-5 No. 5 tee and failed to return a six-footer for his lone bogey. He also muffed birdie putts from 10 feet on Nos. 6 and 7. “I kind of rushed my putts and didn’t give much time to read the line,” he said. But a shakeup in the leaderboard could ensue right in today’s second round with Mondilla, Park and Van der Valk expected to press their respective bids after turning in identical 67s with Elmer Salvador and another unfancied bet Raymund Gonzales another stroke behind with 68s.

Eagles gun for 5th win in a row Games today: (Smart Araneta Coliseum) 2 p.m. – FEU vs NU (men) 4 p.m. – Ateneo vs UST (men)

By Peter Atencio CONSISTENCY has been a key when the Ateneo Blue Eagles won its first four games. And they can’t afford to be complacent when the Blue Eagles gun for their fifth straight victory when they play winless University of Santo Tomas at 4 p.m. today in the 80th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. “We can’t fall into the trap of looking at our record. We have to stay focused on our next game,” said Blue Eagles’ coach Sandy Arespacochaga. On the other hand, Far Eastern University and National University dispute solo fourth earlier at 2 p.m. Arespacochaga said the Growling Tigers may be down at 0-4 in the standings, but the coach Tab Baldwin doesn’t want the team to take them for granted. “We’ll look at what we can improve on. We can’t be complacent and think 4-0 na kami,” added Arespacochaga. Despite their four losses, the Tigers have shown significant improvement from last season. On the other hand, FEU and NU have split their first four games under their new coaches Olsen Racela and Jamike Jarin, respectively. The Tamaraws will seek a follow up their 7865 win over UST last Saturday, while the Bulldogs seek to bounce back from last Sunday’s 76-83 loss to Adamson. “It’s a tough schedule for us. Subukan namin na talagang mag-grind out for wins,” said Racela.

Trump says NFL insults about patriotism, not race WASHINGTON—US President Donald Trump denied inflaming racial tensions Monday, insisting his charged comments that prompted a wave of symbolic protests by NFL players were about patriotism not color. After his volley of verbal attacks on black athletes led players across the country to kneel during the US national anthem over the weekend, the besieged president played defense on Twitter. Trump had started the furor

by attacking players like Colin Kaepernick —who first took a knee through renditions of the “Star-Spangled Banner” during last year’s American football season to protest police brutality toward African Americans—as a “son of a bitch” who should be fired. In a separate feud, Trump also disinvited basketball superstar Stephen Curry from a White House event. More than 150 pro football players took a defiant stance on Sunday, kneel- Trump

ing, linking arms or raising clenched fists during the anthem before 14 games. In response, the US leader doubled down on those remarks by urging fans to boycott the NFL as long as the protests continued. And on Monday, keeping the issue alive for a fourth day, Trump insisted: “The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!” Twelve hours later, he was

still at it, denying any rifts about the issue with his influential chief of staff. “General John Kelly totally agrees w/ my stance on NFL players and the fact that they should not be disrespecting our FLAG or GREAT COUNTRY!” Trump—who faces low poll numbers and is struggling to enact his agenda—earlier tried to single out the NFL players who protested. “Many people booed the players who kneeled yesterday (which was a small percentage

of total). These are fans who demand respect for our Flag!” he tweeted. He also pointed to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ acceptance of a White House invitation and support from racecar fans. “So proud of NASCAR and its supporters and fans. They won’t put up with disrespecting our Country or our Flag—they said it loud and clear!” Trump tweeted. Only a handful of NASCAR drivers have been African American. AFP

SMC power unit defers IPO plan

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

ADB hikes PH growth forecast T

HE Asian Development Bank on Tuesday upgraded its growth forecast for the Philippines this year and next, on strong performance in the ﬁrst half and recovery in exports.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, September 26, 2017

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.6290

Japan

Yen

0.008951

0.4532

Pound

1.346900

68.1922

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127979

6.4794

Switzerland

Franc

1.034875

52.3947

Canada

Dollar

0.808473

40.9322

Singapore

Dollar

0.740412

37.4863

Australia

Dollar

0.793400

40.1690

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653787

134.3586

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266674

13.5014

Brunei

Dollar

0.737681

37.3481

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0038

Thailand

Baht

0.030221

1.5301

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.7856

Euro

1.185000

59.9954

Korea

Won

0.000882

0.0447

China

Yuan

0.151083

7.6492

India

Rupee

0.015356

0.7775

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.237982

12.0488

New Zealand

Dollar

0.726200

36.7668

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033128

1.6772 Source: PDS Bridge

ADB said in an an update of its flagship annual economic publication Asian Development Outlook 2017 that growth projections were raised for Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore on surprisingly strong performances in the first half with broad revisions for domestic and external demand. It revised upward the 2017 growth forecast for the Philippines to 6.5 percent from 6.4 percent, while the 2018 forecast was adjusted to 6.7 percent from 6.6 percent. “The upgrade for the Philippines reflects stronger exports, rising remittances, higher investments and continued credit

expansion,” ADB said The gross domestic product of the Philippines grew 6.5 percent in the second quarter and 6.4 percent in the ﬁrst half. Southeast Asia as a whole is expected to grow 5 percent in 2017 and 5.1 percent in 2018. Meanwhile, Developing Asia is forecast to expand 5.9 percent this year, stronger than an earlier estimate of 5.7 percent. Growth in 2018 is seen at 5.8 percent. “Growth prospects for developing Asia are looking up, bolstered by a revival in world trade and strong momentum in the PRC,” said ADB chief economist Yasuyuki Sawada. “Countries in developing Asia should take advantage of favorable short-term economic prospects to implement productivity-enhancing reforms, invest in badly needed infrastructure, and maintain sound macroeconomic management to help in-

crease their long-term growth potential,” said Sawada. Growth across developing Asia is buoyed by a revival in trade. The dollar value of the region’s exports surged by 11 percent in the ﬁrst ﬁve months of 2017 over the same period in the previous year, and the value of its imports rose by 17 percent. The pickup follows two consecutive years of contracting export values caused by falling commodity prices and subdued external demand for manufactures. Excluding the PRC, the eight largest regional developing economies saw real manufacturing exports rebound. Meanwhile, the two nations received the largest upgrades for this year among major economies in the Asian Development Bank’s latest outlook. Meanwhile, India received the steepest downgrade. The global trade recovery is helping boost exports in Hong Kong and Malaysia while

demonetization and the implementation of the new goods and services tax regime in India have dented consumer spending and business investment. India’s economy is seen recovering in fiscal year 2018 with expansion forecast at 7.4 percent. As a whole, the outlook for developing Asia is robust even as risks remain including sudden changes in US monetary policy and geopolitical or weather-related disasters. The unwinding of stimulus in the US “may drain capital from the region, which would challenge Asia’s financial stability,” according to the report. Higher bond yields could push up longterm financing costs at the same time that a strengthening U.S. dollar would prompt more capital outflows from the region. Government officials should monitor debt levels and asset prices while strengthening their financial positions, the ADB advised. With Bloomberg

PH climbs a notch in competitiveness By Othel V.Campos THE Philippines climbed one place to rank 56th among 137 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2017-2018. The report showed while the country improved its global ranking from 57th last year, its Asean ranking slid to 8th this year from 6th in 2016. With the two-point drop in regional standing, the Philippines now ranks behind Vietnam and Brunei Darussalam, which both made large strides, according to the Makati Business Club. “It is good to see that we have maintained our overall competitiveness and even moved one notch higher. However, as we implement changes to improve, other countries are doing the same. In fact, Vietnam and Brunei have overtaken us this year,” MBC chairman Edgar Chua said. “We therefore need to do much more at a much faster pace. We call on Congress to focus on passing priority bills identiﬁed by the business sector especially the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program and not allow itself to be diverted by various political maneuvers like impeachment proceedings,” said Chua. The Philippine’s highest gains this year are in market size where it climbed four notches from its 2016 ranking; labor market efﬁciency, 4 notches up; and higher education and training, 3 notches up.

ASEAN ENERGY MEETING. Energy Undersecretary Jesus Cristino Posadas (inset) sits as the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Senior Officials Meeting on Energy +3 (China, Japan and Korea) in Manila. Posadas led the Asean discussions on various agenda under the Asean Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation 2016-2025.

Gardenia allots P1b for Mindanao bakery PAL gets nod to adjust

BREAD manufacturer Gardenia Bakeries said it is investing P1 billion in a fully automated bread manufacturing plant in Mindanao to serve the growing demand in the south. Gardenia president Jun Umali said the company would soon construct a new state-of-the-art bread manufacturing facility in a 2.5-hectare land in Phividec Industrial Estate in Misamis Oriental adjacent to Cagayan de Oro City. “Gardenia’s Mindanao plant is a completely new breadline that will feature robotics and the latest available technologies in modern baking sourced from the best bakery

equipment suppliers from all over the world like in Germany, the Netherlands, United States, United Kingdom, Malaysia and Japan,” Umali said. The fusion of bakery equipment from the different parts of the world is one of Gardenia’s advantages according to Umali. “Gardenia’s operations in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, China and Indonesia helped it develop the expertise of combining the best baking equipment from different sources worldwide and make them work as one integrated unit which enable us to develop a proprietary manufacturing process unique to Gardenia,” he said.

Premium ingredients used in baking are also sourced globally to ensure the high quality and great taste of Gardenia products like flour from US wheat, milled to Gardenia’s high quality specifications, milk from Australia or US and other imported premium ingredients. Gardenia will also take advantage of its location to ensure regular availability of ingredients supplies through the ports of CDO, Umali said. The manufacturing facility will have a total capacity of 130,000 loaves and buns a day which will be distributed with an expanded fleet of trucks all over Mindanao. Othel V. Campos

capital to lure investor By Darwin G. Amojelar PHILIPPINE Airlines said it secured a green light from the Securities and Exchange Commission to overhaul its authorized capital stock in preparation for the entry of new strategic investors. PAL Holdings Inc., the parent company of PAL, said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the SEC approved the flag carrier’s application to reduce its authorized capital stock from P20 billion to P13 billion, via a decrease in par value per share from P0.20 to P0.13. The SEC also approved PAL’s application to increase par value per share from P0.13 to P1 without increasing the authorized capital stock, and thereby decreasing the number of shares from 100 billion to 13 billion shares. PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista earlier said the airline was 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.

Sugary drinks tax to hurt small store owners—local business group THE Federation of Philippine Industries on Tuesday expressed opposition to the proposed taxes on sugarsweetened beverages, saying this will hurt small businesses and affect industry competition. FPI chairman Jesus Arranza said in a news brieﬁng the Philippine Competition Commission should look into the proposed tax measure on SSBs. Arranza said the affected beverage manufacturers were now looking at the tax measure as an anti-competition act. “This case is an example of a situation removing competition. I think it’s about time for the PCC to come up with an opinion,” he said. FPI is a 132-corporation, 38-industry association. Among its members is the Beverage Industry Association of the Philippines. The

Federation of Philippine Industries Inc. chairman Jesus Lim Arranza describes as anti-poor the proposed taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages during a news briefing at Makati Diamond Residences in Makati City. Lino Santos

group expressed strong opposition to the proposed SSB tax, labeling the bill as “discriminatory, regressive and anti-poor.”

“The SSB tax is an antipoor measure by targeting staples not just patronized by lower income households, but the source of

livelihood for sari-saristore owners. It is essentially a pro-rich tax for exempting goods patronized by those in the high-

er-income brackets, who have alternative and more expensive sources for their sugar-sweetened beverages,” Arranza said. The SSB tax bill based on volumetric content passed House approval while the Senate has its own revised version based on sugar content. The Senate bill proposed a P10-per-liter tax on beverages with high-fructose content, P5 for sugar-based drinks and P3 for non-caloric sweeteners. Soft drinks, energy drinks, juices and powdered beverage mixes will be affected by the bill. FPI said if implemented, the SSB tax would cause a 40 percent to 60 percent sales slump among sari-sari stores and other micro-enterprises, triggered by a 25 percent to 50 percent price increase of daily commodities. Othel V. Campos

IN BRIEF

GBPC-Alsons deal cleared THE Philippine Competition Commission approved the acquisition of shares by Global Business Power Corp. in Alsons Thermal Energy Corp. GBPC, a leading power generation company operating in the Visayas and Mindoro, will acquire 50 percent minus one share of the total voting and total outstanding capital stock in Alsons Thermal Energy from Alsons Consolidated Resources Inc. ACR is a publicly-listed company of the Alcantara Group with subsidiaries engaged in power generation, property development, industrial estate management and other investments. The PCC said in decision on Sept. 25, 2017 that its Mergers and Acquisitions Office found that the transaction would not result in substantial lessening of competition in the power generation market. “The merged firm does not have the ability or incentive to engage in foreclosure after the acquisition,” the PCC said. “There is also sufficient competitive constraints from competitors in the said market,” it said. PCC, the country’s anti-trust body, is mandated under the Philippine Competition Act to review mergers and acquisitions to ensure that these deals will not harm the interest of consumers. Othel V. Campos

PH, Japan to expedite projects TOP officials of the Philippines and Japan agreed to further streamline their respective approval processes and introduce new measures to have a faster implementation of big-ticket infrastructure projects. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, who heads the visiting Philippine delegation to the 3rd Philippines-Japan High-Level Meeting of the Joint Committee on Infrastructure Development and Economic Cooperation in Tokyo, said during the session that “significant milestones” had been reached in the processing of the jointly agreed project list between the two countries. “Now that our plans have progressed, we intend to lay out specific plans on how to expedite the processing and implementation of the flagship projects,” Dominguez said in his opening remarks during the meeting, referring to the infrastructure projects that the Philippines would implement in cooperation with Japan. Both panels agreed to speed up their respective project approval processes and come up with additional measures “for more efficient decision making, and swift execution such as in project preparation and formulation, due diligence, procurement process and project implementation including land acquisition and resettlement,” Dominguez said. Julito G. Rada

BDO clients given new cards BDO Unibank Inc., the largest bank in the country, asked retail clients to avail of the EMV-chip ATM debit card from their branch of account to protect them from fraud. BDO executive vice president and transaction banking head Edwin Reyes said in a statement Tuesday that shifting to the more secure EMV would enable clients to earn the benefit of its fully EMV-certified ATM network. EMV stands for Europay Mastercard and Visa. BDO started to make the EMV-chip ATM debit cards available free of charge to clients since the third quarter of 2016. The bank, however, said there was still a low figure of card pick-ups from the branches, which meant that a large number of clients were still using the magnetic stripe-only ATM debit cards. For corporate or payroll clients, BDO will make the EMV-chip cards available at their respective HR offices by Dec. 31, 2017. “Making the shift to the EMV-chip ATM debit card is one way to protect the clients from electronic fraud. It has enhanced security features, which include among others, encryption locks and keys to authenticate the card and the cardholder’s transaction, protecting card data from being compromised,” Reyes said. Julito G. Rada

Business

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Robinsons Retail replaces EDC in benchmark index By Jenniffer B. Austria

THE Philippine Stock Exchange said Tuesday Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. will replace Energy Development Corp. in the 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange index starting Sept. 28. PSE said in a statement EDC would be removed from PSEi after the power company’s public ownership fell below the 12-percent minimum requirement to qualify as a main index constituent. The public ownership of EDC dropped below 12 percent after major shareholder Philippines Renewable Energy Holdings Corp. conducted a tender offer to acquire 6.6 billion to 8.9 billion common shares at P7.25 apiece from the public. This represented 31.7 percent of the total outstanding voting shares of EDC. PREHC is consortium of investment fund managers managed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets and Arran Investment Pte. Ltd. of Singapore-based GIC. EDC is the country’s largest operator of geothermal power plants. RRHI is a retail holding company of the Gokongwei group, which was listed in the PSE in November 2013. RRHI will be the fourth Gokongwei-owned company to be a part the benchmark index, after parent company JG Summit Holdings Inc., food manufacturer Universal Robina Corp. and developer Robinsons Land Corp.

Market extends losses; MacroAsia leads gainers S TOCKS fell for a third day, following losses in Asian markets as US-North Korea tensions ﬂared up again after Pyongyang accused US President Donald Trump of declaring war on the country and said it may shoot down US bombers.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, dropped 74 points, or 0.9 percent, to close at 8,170.14 Tuesday, as ﬁve of the six major sectors declined. The heavier index, representing all shares, also tumbled 30 points, or 0.6 percent, to settle at 4,831.86, on a value turnover of P9.6 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 138 to 63, while 53 issues were un-

changed. Four of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by aviation company MacroAsia Corp. which climbed 7.9 percent to P15.82 and Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. which went up 5 percent to P100. Bloomberry Resorts Corp. advanced 4.6 percent to P10.80, while BDO Unibank Inc. inched up 0.1 percent to P129.50. Meanwhile, PXP Energy Corp.

plummeted 22.4 percent to P7.69, after accumulating gains over the past several days, while Energy Development Corp. slid 20 percent to P4.80, ahead of its exit from the 30-company PSEi. Most Asian markets traded lower Tuesday. North Korea Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho issued comments at the United Nations in response to Trump’s warning on Twitter at the weekend that North Korea “won’t be around much longer” if it continues its threats. Ri said the regime of Kim JongUn had “every right to take countermeasures, including the right to shoot down US strategic bombers even when they are not yet inside the air-

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2017

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 4.8 140,000 59.7 4,330 100 2,122,680 3.91 1,000 129.5 2,663,170 2.42 7,757,000 35.35 177,100 16.1 500 31 768,700 8.52 47,100 1.66 6,000 945 460 0.69 2,223,000 86.7 1,904,390 0.82 356,000 13 23,500 24.75 4,200 59.9 136,200 240.8 4,520 120 180 88.2 270 50 62,700 249 1,125,670 1,810 290 86.5 440,340 1.28 120,000

691,470 256,646 211,825,660 3,910 344,555,636 19,393,220 6,275,570 8,050 23,798,830 406,937 9,960 421,400 1,539,470 165,454,965 293,170 305,500 104,055 8,174,052.50 1,085,090 21,303 23,814 3,099,460 280,718,650 527,650 38,090,173.50 153,760

-1,178.50 -36,562,045.50 66,154,543 680,970 -1,522,330 2,130,135 -265,150 23,450.00 -17,336,984.50 -7,391,539.50 1,058,600 411,505 53,021,562 -36,858,413.50 -

INDUSTRIAL 42 1,191,200 9.3 1,139,200 0.78 1,115,000 1.38 1,537,000 20.05 46,100 0.225 2,270,000 115 270 5.5 5,156,800 17 897,100 165.3 90 37 520,400 21.2 121,700 65 14,540 76 1,470 1.92 442,000 6.42 790,000 11.4 10,700 10.18 3,643,300 15.04 572,800 13.9 1,633,200 7.19 568,900 4.8 244,687,600 18.34 1,329,600 66.75 187,460 14 58,500 12.4 97,500 18.46 3,320,600 1.78 1,036,000 249.8 423,000 55.05 50 4.97 1,331,200 3.4 26,000 23 2,500 31.1 243,900 19 525,900 16.2 2,052,600 276.4 226,170 0.226 5,730,000 12.7 56,000 3 41,000 6.87 102,200 10.18 873,100 6.68 133,800 9.9 31,400 1.75 2,608,000 12.28 662,300 68 331,810 6.71 229,500 309.8 4,780 4.31 106,000 2 7,000 4.4 381,000 2.76 1,153,000 13.28 1,306,200 4.52 77,000 0.142 1,170,000 1.19 93,000 151.5 2,612,190 3.7 23,000 2.14 3,745,000 0.97 505,000

49,949,025 10,638,681 872,680 2,125,090 937,940 516,870 31,230 28,591,860 15,246,472 14,911 19,343,200 2,641,603 932,422.50 114,040 847,740 5,142,396 122,116 36,938,390 8,598,438 22,635,810 4,020,448 1,201,959,091 24,351,252 12,482,417.50 818,400 1,220,858 60,150,052 1,848,100 103,729,262 2,752.50 6,598,378 84,320 57,500 7,583,575 10,066,442 33,509,528 62,802,856 1,298,320 733,078 120,760 692,617 8,884,530 882,000 310,947 4,588,290 8,068,006 22,585,703.50 1,530,731 1,483,802 456,860 13,840 1,676,180 3,137,300 17,341,548 347,740 166,140 111,200 392,398,707 85,310 7,952,130 491,360

22,456,225 462,600 30,360.00 -8,228,489 1,759,548 -74,600 703,215 1,242,276.00 -122,996 5,709,480 -709,163 -402,362,401 7,545,406 -2,278,671.50 -547,560 1,643,290 6,943,018 98,182 4,313,320 1,860,930.00 -13,281,176 27,622,478 -325,232 1,964,870 -1,240 3,537,888 1,277,985 463,890 10,000 13,500 -11,184,050 -17,520,685 -9,990 -

470,900 71,048,005 133,163,140 27,320 459,703 1,382,650 141,450 474,961,255 10,893,052 205,051,364 4,734 4,065,712 46,230 119,504,985 6,312 67,524,086.50 11,000 5,040 902,500 3,324,389 48,942,900 160,150 145,186,142 577,100 1,215,640 664,690 67,590 52,660,742 144,110 353,140,135 3,890,660 2,955,728 62,750 17,610 567,240

13,717,572 -22,805,288 100,746,735 3,154,450 -48,384,060 -4,734 -36,204,835 33,640,124.00 1,742,849 5,561,412 71,071,721 -13,800 -1,416,614.50 34,136,415 14,200 -997,424 -

996,652 26,309,370 268,478 1,049,450 3,922,630 688,082,340 6,096,620 22,202,375 352,394 12,737,850 743,300 367,750 10,316,950 309,200 12,208,555 913,920 2,920 59,028,120 9,312,870

-66,953 16,200 146,242 51,500 -435,040,245 357,070 598,250 2,449,950 -300,520 -4,753,810 4,410

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

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

4.8 59.05 101.2 3.91 129.5 2.78 35.6 16.1 31.15 8.36 1.66 925 0.7 87.7 0.84 13 24.8 60.5 241 120 88.2 48.55 251 1,810 86.5 1.28

5.06 59.7 101.2 3.91 129.5 2.78 35.6 16.1 31.15 9.3 1.66 945 0.71 87.75 0.84 13 24.8 60.5 241 120 88.2 50 253 1,825 86.55 1.3

4.8 58.8 99.5 3.91 129 2.39 35.2 16.1 30.85 8.36 1.66 900 0.69 86.4 0.82 13 24.75 59.9 240 110.1 88.2 48.35 247 1,810 86.5 1.28

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS ASIABEST GROUP BASIC ENERGY BOGO MEDELLIN CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CHEMPHIL 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 AND CO ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH VULCAN INDL

41.95 9.18 0.79 1.4 21.5 0.23 116 5.67 17 167 38 19 64.05 83.5 1.93 6.57 11.38 10.12 15.08 14.14 7.12 5.7 18.38 67 13.96 12.8 18.18 1.78 245 55.05 5.1 3.2 23 30.8 19.24 16.74 276.8 0.227 13.1 3 6.8 10.16 6.9 9.91 1.79 12.5 68.5 6.55 311 4.31 1.92 4.38 2.81 13.32 4.53 0.142 1.21 152.4 3.71 2.1 0.99

42 9.45 0.79 1.4 21.55 0.23 116 5.67 17.08 167 38 23.45 65 83.5 1.93 6.66 11.48 10.22 15.08 14.14 7.19 5.75 18.38 67.05 14 12.8 18.8 1.8 249.8 55.05 5.15 3.4 23 31.15 19.4 16.74 279.2 0.228 13.38 3 6.89 10.26 6.9 9.91 1.79 12.5 68.7 6.71 311 4.31 2 4.4 2.83 13.4 4.53 0.142 1.21 152.4 3.71 2.15 0.99

41.55 9.09 0.78 1.38 20 0.225 115 5.45 16.96 165.3 36.9 19 64 76 1.91 6.2 11.38 10.1 14.98 13.4 7.01 4.8 18.18 66 13.96 12.4 17.5 1.77 240 55.05 4.82 3.2 23 30.8 19 16 276 0.225 12.6 2.93 6.7 10.1 6.3 9.9 1.73 12 68 6.55 309.8 4.31 1.92 4.38 2.66 13.12 4.5 0.142 1.19 149.8 3.7 2.08 0.97

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

0.355 73.4 16.68 1.07 6.99 0.35 0.345 960 8.42 15.78 7.89 5.5 0.201 1,189 7.89 78.8 5 5.04 0.88 6.6 17.26 0.41 6.94 0.048 1.51 2.06 2.6 98 2.63 877 1.45 292.6 0.275 0.194 0.217

0.355 74.2 16.68 1.07 7.05 0.35 0.345 963 8.49 15.78 7.89 5.8 0.201 1,197 7.89 79 5 5.04 0.9 6.6 17.28 0.41 6.94 0.049 1.56 2.06 2.6 98 2.72 877 1.45 292.6 0.275 0.197 0.217

0.345 73.4 16.24 1.05 6.9 0.34 0.345 953.5 8.38 15.64 7.89 5.5 0.201 1,167 7.89 76.1 5 5.04 0.87 6.55 17.12 0.4 6.77 0.046 1.32 2.03 2.59 96.9 2.61 858 1.42 287 0.27 0.194 0.215

8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITY AND LAND CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE

5.2 1.15 8.59 2.51 1.04 44.5 3.76 5.41 5.38 0.51 1.35 1.48 0.244 0.49 42 0.68 0.146 2.02 1.49

5.2 1.22 10.94 2.51 1.04 44.5 3.8 5.41 5.4 0.52 1.36 1.54 0.249 0.49 42.05 0.68 0.146 2.08 1.52

5.12 1.14 8.55 2.3 1.01 43.3 3.74 5.15 5.3 0.5 1.34 1.48 0.242 0.48 40.85 0.68 0.146 2.02 1.49

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

IRC PROP MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

0.91 5.23 0.335 0.495 0.48 6 26.05 1.78 3.21 34.8 1.03 0.89 6.28

0.91 5.25 0.335 0.5 0.49 6.06 26.5 1.79 3.21 34.8 1.04 0.89 6.3

0.9 5.06 0.31 0.48 0.46 5.85 25.5 1.78 3.16 34.05 1.02 0.85 6.12

0.9 5.1 0.31 0.495 0.46 5.95 26.5 1.79 3.2 34.6 1.03 0.89 6.28

1,674,000 54,601,900 112,640,000 7,170,000 3,830,000 3,673,700 925,900 133,000 19,000 9,772,800 1,238,000 144,000 2,033,300

1,508,350 279,081,874 35,872,600 3,518,350 1,799,450 21,918,714 24,143,295 237,160 60,670 336,916,200 1,274,910 122,860 12,639,233

-71,677,087 21,850 8,947,842 6,067,765 -13,292,985.00 -2,683,217

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA DFNN INC DISCOVERY WORLD FAR EASTERN U GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN HAVEN HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER 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 SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRAVELLERS WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

20.6 40.55 1.8 0.57 0.039 11.1 10.28 0.072 110.3 9.08 10.04 7.3 2.27 1,000 2,078 6.06 16.4 2.59 2.91 104 8.42 0.159 1.32 3.14 16.2 4.52 1.32 14.58 0.55 2.4 7.78 4.22 18.22 2.45 11.14 5.18 2.86 170 9.3 1,654 1.59 0.395 51 94 5.9 4.5 1.51 3.95 1.22 8.94

20.6 40.7 2.2 0.58 0.04 11.1 10.8 0.073 111.2 9.1 10.04 7.3 2.27 1,000 2,078 6.08 16.4 2.59 2.91 104.3 8.42 0.162 1.34 3.24 16.2 4.52 1.32 15.9 0.55 2.49 7.9 4.3 18.7 2.45 11.14 5.18 2.86 170 9.48 1,654 1.6 0.4 51 105 5.9 4.55 1.51 3.96 1.27 8.94

19.76 40.55 1.79 0.56 0.038 11.1 9.99 0.071 106.4 8.05 9.86 7.01 2.27 1,000 2,050 6.03 16.06 2.35 2.85 103 8.4 0.15 1.31 3 15.44 4.25 1.22 13.8 0.55 2.4 7.2 4.14 18 2.37 11.14 5.1 2.86 166 9.06 1,625 1.58 0.395 49 92.2 5.84 4.34 1.44 3.66 1.19 8.57

SERVICES 20.15 40.55 1.91 0.57 0.039 11.1 10.8 0.072 107 8.67 9.97 7.01 2.27 1,000 2,078 6.04 16.08 2.43 2.85 104 8.41 0.156 1.31 3.18 16.06 4.36 1.27 15.82 0.55 2.42 7.9 4.3 18.7 2.4 11.14 5.16 2.86 167 9.4 1,635 1.6 0.395 50.2 100 5.85 4.55 1.48 3.83 1.24 8.63

214,100 27,500 15,583,000 5,707,000 32,900,000 400 28,436,300 13,990,000 378,890 50,600 4,755,400 83,200 7,000 5 32,520 699,000 32,100 3,425,000 174,000 591,960 297,000 11,390,000 128,000 442,000 38,000 2,011,000 2,103,000 13,180,400 25,000 195,000 12,098,000 1,105,000 6,800 3,392,000 1,400 47,200 1,000 21,900 234,900 126,075 9,081,000 1,990,000 2,200,930 4,817,610 44,300 1,854,000 14,280,000 1,320,000 27,363,000 7,797,200

4,289,673 1,115,625 31,235,470 3,246,910 1,280,500 4,440 293,125,637 1,007,580 40,541,862 453,210 47,203,272 588,880 15,890 5,000 67,324,160 4,230,216 516,300 8,435,200 497,200 61,330,964 2,495,490 1,759,790 170,100 1,348,520 605,848 8,725,820 2,691,680 197,823,010 13,750 479,810 91,722,495 4,649,540 124,826 8,088,870 15,596 241,384 2,860 3,662,662 2,179,216 206,521,005 14,497,950 786,150 109,778,701.50 487,423,852 259,944 8,234,540 21,076,680 5,042,410 33,604,530 67,317,870

12,000 -168,670 5,000 10,707,747.00 -84,960 662,128 940 1,351,652.00 -183,139 18,313,760 -49,800 -28,082,608 -12,880 88,150 100,210 -17,091,116 19,232,339 -446,030 119,500 -470,372 -83,841,220 916,460 -63,615,359 -309,386,028 -154,180 5,786,460 847,050 2,141,190 -7,722,656

ABRA MINING APEX MINING ATLAS MINING ATOK 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

0.0026 2.4 4.9 17.9 1.65 0.385 8.85 2.66 0.265 0.181 0.195 0.01 0.012 2 6.96 1.77 0.51 1.03 0.012 0.012 0.012 2.47 8.66 10 45.6 0.0078

0.0027 2.42 4.9 20 1.68 0.39 8.96 2.86 0.27 0.184 0.196 0.011 0.012 2.01 7.14 1.8 0.53 1.04 0.012 0.012 0.012 2.47 8.8 10.1 46.1 0.0078

0.0025 1.86 4.69 17 1.39 0.385 8.7 2.65 0.26 0.179 0.192 0.01 0.012 1.97 6.82 1.72 0.51 1.01 0.012 0.012 0.012 2.47 8.3 7.5 45.2 0.0078

MINING & OIL 0.0026 497,000,000 1.92 166,054,000 4.7 2,090,000 17.1 158,200 1.43 19,550,000 0.39 250,000 8.9 4,500 2.81 22,620,000 0.265 210,000 0.182 4,300,000 0.192 970,000 0.01 4,400,000 0.012 1,000,000 1.99 429,000 6.89 3,818,600 1.77 49,000 0.53 83,000 1.02 830,000 0.012 307,700,000 0.012 1,900,000 0.012 150,400,000 2.47 1,000 8.37 1,456,200 7.69 48,799,600 45.35 584,300 0.0078 6,000,000

1,258,300 354,265,480 9,894,570 2,982,738 28,683,300 97,350 40,107 62,782,150 55,000 777,160 187,840 46,600 12,000 853,600 26,447,276 86,600 42,350 853,990 3,692,400 22,800 1,804,800 2,470 12,279,730 419,238,752 26,541,105 46,800

59,500 -2,852,590 -56,910 179,000 -1,800,510 -212,470 19,600 1,627,533 360,000 -143,061 -390,205 -1,495,880 46,800

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 FGEN PREF F GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B LR PREF PCOR PREF 2A SFI PREF SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H

40.55 526 525 104.6 525 5.78 1,020 1,030 1.05 1,065 1.96 75 80.5 78.1 81 78.9 78.5

40.6 526 525 109.4 525 5.78 1,020 1,040 1.05 1,065 1.96 75.2 81 78.1 81 78.95 79

40.45 526 525 104.5 525 5.75 1,020 1,030 1.05 1,065 1.96 75 80.5 78 80.1 78.5 78.5

PREFERRED 40.6 179,200 526 3,000 525 32,100 109.4 700 525 4,000 5.77 590,000 1,020 20 1,040 585 1.05 304,000 1,065 1,005 1.96 1,000 75.2 80,340 81 44,100 78.1 38,580 80.1 3,110 78.5 3,120 79 292,720

7,273,070 1,578,000 16,852,500 73,207 2,100,000 3,396,910 20,400 602,700 319,200 1,070,325 1,960 6,025,560 3,550,100 3,011,064 251,901 246,228 23,068,535

2,656,120 -2,440,550 -6,000,000 801 -

LR WARRANT

2.69

2.56

WARRANTS 2.6 524,000

1,359,190

1,671,270 8,760 598,020 4,483,115

-106,240 58,189

916,907

17,322

4,360

HOLDING FIRMS 0.355 1,360,000 74.2 958,890 16.5 8,108,400 1.05 26,000 7 65,700 0.34 4,050,000 0.345 410,000 960 494,950 8.49 1,287,000 15.7 13,057,600 7.89 600 5.75 701,000 0.201 230,000 1,168 102,035 7.89 800 79 857,270 5 2,200 5.04 1,000 0.88 1,032,000 6.57 505,900 17.14 2,850,700 0.4 400,000 6.87 21,149,400 0.049 12,200,000 1.42 831,000 2.04 326,000 2.59 26,000 97.4 540,330 2.72 55,000 875 406,910 1.43 2,728,000 291.8 10,140 0.275 230,000 0.197 90,000 0.215 2,630,000 PROPERTY 5.16 1.17 10.74 2.36 1.03 43.45 3.76 5.29 5.4 0.51 1.35 1.5 0.247 0.485 41.55 0.68 0.146 2.03 1.5

193,700 22,202,000 29,600 442,000 3,841,000 15,811,400 1,621,000 4,238,700 65,700 24,943,000 552,000 245,000 42,090,000 640,000 294,100 1,344,000 20,000 28,890,000 6,197,000

ITALPINAS MAKATI FINANCE PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

4.17 3 4.65 5.64

4.4 3 4.88 5.69

4.16 2.88 4.5 5.62

FIRST METRO ETF

124.8

123.6

USD DMPL A1

10.9

TRADING SUMMARY

10.9

FINANCIAL

20,089,773

INDUSTRIAL

299,834,103

HOLDING FIRMS

78,399,986

PROPERTY

352,627,176

SERVICES

226,428,836

MINING & OIL

1,240,897,733

GRAND TOTAL

2,219,608,787

10.9

4.26 2.88 4.77 5.63

SME

395,000 3,000 130,000 794,400

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 123.8 7,380 10.9

DDS

400

VALUE 1,964.88 (down) 15.07 1,107,267,867.23 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,009.80 (down) 168.89 2,308,298,453.70 HOLDING FIRMS 8,284.97 (down) 35.22 1,758,505,111.699 PROPERTY 3,860.43 (down) 51.06 SERVICES 1,705.77 (up) 3.58 1,610,311,835.035 MINING & OIL 13,865.39 (down) 340.22 1,862,302,968.86 PSEI 8,170.14 (down) 74.59 953,060,925.182 All Shares Index 4,831.86 (down) 30.79 9,607,430,701.40 Gainers: 63; Losers: 138; Unchanged: 53; Total: 254

space border of our country”. The comments on the war declaration—described by the White House as “absurd”— are the latest in a war of words between the two sides following the North’s recent nuclear test and missile launches. While most analysts do not expect a nuclear conflict, China and Russia have been among the countries to express alarm. “This does represent a significant escalation in rhetoric and raises the risk of a tactical misstep,” Tapas Strickland, a Sydney-based economist at National Australia Bank, told Bloomberg News. And the concerns are being felt on financial markets, with safe-haven investments rising. Gold was up more than one percent at $1,310, while the Japanese yen recovered recent losses against the dollar. Tokyo’s Nikkei index ended 0.3 percent lower, while Seoul shed 0.3 percent and Hong Kong was down 0.2 percent in the afternoon. Sydney, Singapore and Taipei were also in the red but Shanghai eked out minor gains. In early European trade, London fell 0.2 percent and Paris lost 0.1 percent while Frankfurt retreated 0.3 percent. On currency markets the dollar struggled to recover from its New York losses and was sitting around 111.50 yen, well off the levels around 112.50 yen seen in Tokyo earlier Monday. Adding to the greenback’s weakness were conflicting comments from top Federal Reserve officials over the timing of the bank’s next interest rate rise. With Bloomberg, AFP

Max’s eyes restaurant in Washington RESTAURANT chain operator Max’s Group Inc. said Tuesday it will open a Max’s Restaurant in Tukwila, Washington by 2018. Max’s Group said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it teamed up with JS Restaurant Llc. to build a fried chicken restaurant in Washington, which is a new area for the company’s expansion in the United States. “This is another exciting moment for us to provide our countrymen based in the United States a genuine taste of home. We are grateful to be in partnership with JS Restaurant LLC to serve our best-inclass products to the community of Tukwila,” said Max’s Group president and chief executive Robert Trota. The new deal is the sixth development agreement secured by Max’s Group this year. “We are witnessing the fastest rate of expansion in North America. For this year alone, we opened three new Max’s Restaurant’s across New Jersey, Calgary and San Diego. Moreover, we have another two stores in the pipeline for 2018 to be located in Winnipeg and Tukwila,” Max’s Group chief executive for international operations Peter King said. JS Restaurant is a private company engaged in specialized medical services. Its principals have been residents of Tukwila for close to two decades. JS Restaurant has successfully forged business networks and alliances which will anchor its initial foray into restaurant operations. “We are thankful to have been entrusted with a wellloved Filipino brand. We are determined to extend the Max’s Restaurant tradition of excellence in food quality and heartwarming service to our customers in Tukwila,” JLS managing director Joselito Santos said. Jenniffer B. Austria

Business

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

SM Group introduces Cavite condo project By Jenniffer B. Austria

TOYOTA FINANCIAL TURNS 15. Toyota Financial Philippines Corp. celebrates its 15th year of operations in the country. Consistently among the top finance and leasing companies in terms of assets, TFSPH recorded total assets of P58.7 billion and gross income of P4.2 billion for fiscal year 2017. Leading the anniversary celebration are (from left) TFSPH director David Go. chairman Carmelo Bautista, Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. vice chairman Alfred Ty, TFS Asia-Pacific Region CEO Yasuhiro Yomoda, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas assistant governor Restituto Cruz, TFSC Group CEO Riki Inuzuka, TMP president Satoru Suzuki, TFSPH president Atsushi Murakami and Toyota Dealers Association president Jose Lim III.

SM Development Corp., the residential property unit of SM Prime Holdings Inc., launched Green 2 Residences, its first high-rise condominium project in Dasmariñas, Cavite worth P3 billion. SM Development executive vice president Jose Mari Banzon said in a press briefing Tuesday the Green 2 Residences was part of the the group’s portfolio of “University Town” developments aimed at college students and young professionals. The company plans to sell 1,057 units at an average price of between P2.6 million and P4.5 million. The 22-storey building will also have a retail developments on the first three floors of the property to address the needs of the residents. Similar to other highrise projects of SM Development, Green 2 Residences will feature amenities like WiFi-ready study areas, gym, lounges and function rooms. SM Development said the condominium project is expected to address the current lack of formal housing set up for students in the area. The project is near three of the Cavite’s most populous universities, namely De La Salle University Dasmariñas, De La Salle Health Sciences Institute and Emilio Aguinaldo College Cavite. The schools have a combined student population of 20,000.

SMC power unit defers IPO plan Splash revenues rose 7% in 1st half

INNOVATIVE products that have become instant hits in the market have allowed Splash Corp., the leading homegrown personal care products company in the Philippines, to grow four times faster than industry. Philippine revenues of Splash personal care products rose 7 percent in the first six months of 2017 to P1.7 billion year-on-year. Kantar, a market research firm, estimated that total personal care growth was a flat 2 percent. Leading the growth of Splash personal care was Maxi-Peel Zero, an exfoliant product launched only in January this year. With the help of a dynamic television advertising campaign, a strong social media presence, and word of mouth endorsement, the product has now become the leading stock keeping unit of Splash personal care. “The growth in sales of Maxi-Peel Zero in just seven months has been phenomenal. We attribute this success to Splash Corp.’s deep affinity with the Filipino consumer, built over many years, which allows us to continuously anticipate and provide the products that Filipino consumers need,” said Marco Nieto, general manager of the Splash Philippine operations division.

By Alena Mae S. Flores

MC Global Power Holdings Corp., a unit of San Miguel Corp., has pushed back further its planned initial public offering amid an ongoing dispute with Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. over the Ilijan and Sual power plant management contracts.

The two coal-ﬁred power plants have a combined capacity of 2,400 megawatts. “With this problem, we cannot conduct an IPO because of Ilijan and Sual,” San Miguel president Ramon Ang said. PSALM, which manages the assets and liabilities of National Power Corp., terminated San Miguel’s independent power producer administrator agreement on al-

leged unpaid payments in connection with the 1,200-MW Ilijan combined cycle power plant in Batangas province. But San Miguel said it had been religiously paying its fees to the government, claiming the issue involved an interpretation of the contract. The case is pending with the Regional Trial Court of Mandaluyong. San Miguel’s South Premiere Development Corp. successfully bid for the contract to administer the Ilijan power plant in 2010. The Ilijan natural gas plant was constructed and is owned by Korea Electric Power Corp. under a BoT scheme that will expire by June 4, 2022. San Miguel, meanwhile, earlier asked the Justice Department to prosecute then PSALM president Lourdes Alzona (now ofﬁcer-in-charge) for plunder in connection with the alleged P14-billion loss over its 2009 contract to manage the output of

the 1,200-MW Sual power plant in Pangasinan. The Sual plant is the largest coal-ﬁred power station in the Philippines in terms of installed capacity. It was built under buildoperate-transfer scheme that will expire in 2024. Team Energy, a joint venture between Marubeni Corp. and Tokyo Electric Power Corp., operates the Sual plant. On August 28, 2009, San Miguel Energy Corp. successfully bid for the appointment to be the administrator of the Sual power plant. San Miguel accused Alzona of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Also impleaded in the complaint were Suguru Tsuzaki, president of Team Philippines Energy Corp., and Kochi Tamura, executive vice president of Team Sual Corp. San Miguel alleged it did not obtain the

contracted capacity of 500 MW per unit from the Sual coal plant because Team Energy’s 100-MW nominal capacity was given priority in accordance with the 2009 agreement on excess capacity. Ang earlier said his company planned to conduct the IPO in the third quarter this year.. SMC Global Power has four operational power plants—three as independent power producer administrator and one joint venture—and greenﬁeld stations in the pipeline. The diversiﬁed portfolio gives SMC Global Power the ability to provide the most competitive and reliable supply offers to customers and fuel the growth of the Philippine economy. San Miguel announced in 2013 it planned to raise $700 million from the planned IPO in the same year but decided to defer it in 2014.

Insurance body asked to probe Marsh operations Philam Life launches A LAWYER has asked the Insurance Commission to look into the allegedly illegal operations of Marsh UK in the Philippines. Lawyer Jose Bernas, in a letter addressed to Commissioner Dennis Funa and Jose Marie Tolentino, cited the foreign company’s use of “fronting insurers” to bypass Philippine laws, and conduct business in the country without a license. “While Marsh Philippines is a licensed insurance broker, Marsh UK is not. Marsh UK is a reinsurance broker that may only tender brokerage services to an insurer, and cannot tender insurance brokerage services nor insurance services to an insured or potential insured

Sweet spot SEPTEMBER is drawing to a close. This last week of September follows a busy, eventful week. The 22nd of September marked the autumnal equinox. At the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), we welcomed Class 2019 of the Master in Entrepreneurship (ME). Unsurprisingly, amidst more local news, the Viber chatter of both of the current batches of AIM ME entrepreneurs revolved around the bankruptcy filing of toy retailer, Toys R Us. The failure of global, storied businesses is always fascinating for business people – a warning that even those who have reached lofty, ambitious goals can fail. Success In the entrepreneurial classroom, the definition of success is multi-faceted. Whether an entrepreneur can call himself successful often boils down to the success of the enterprise. However, too many enterpreneurs sacrifice their personal lives to the enterprise. So that is a question we ask very early in the ME program. “If you wake up ten years from now, wildly rich, and legendary because of the success of your enterprise, but are alienated from family and friends, is that success?” The reality, of course, is that many entrepre-

(client),” the letter stated. Bernas referred to a particular case in which Marsh UK sent the head of its Singapore office, David Jacob, to meet with the top executives of Cebu Air Inc. This was the same case where a complaint was filed against Marsh UK before the UK High Court for allegedly disclosing highly confidential and proprietary information. Before a final ruling could be reached, Marsh allegedly chose to settle the matter out of court. Jacob during a meeting allegedly presented a predetermined reinsurance package to the aviation company, in which Marsh

would assume all the insurance risks under a special arrangement with a “fronting insurer.” In an earlier letter sent to the IC, Marsh UK conceded its intention was to solicit the insurance business of Cebu Air, adding “Marsh was now able to compete” with other local insurance companies and that the purpose of the meeting was to “invite Cebu Air to consider giving Marsh Philippines and Marsh UK an opportunity to tender for the Cebu Air account.” “I don’t think it gets any clearer than that,” said Bernas. “They practically admitted their violation to the IC, which is to solicit local clients and take full respon-

neurs establish businesses because they see an opportunity they believe they can mine, or because they want to forge their own path. The question I always ask is this: “If you can’t even take a vacation because you feel the business needs you 24/7, are you really successful?” The reality is some entrepreneurs end up becoming slaves of their business. Their personal lives are pushed out by business concerns. While devoting your entire life to your business may actually be a preferred choice for certain individuals, for many, it is an undesired effect. In the ME program, we aim to help the entrepreneur achieve personal goals as well as enterprise goals. This conscious focus on the dual goals is important because simply owning a growing, proﬁtable business is never the only goal for an entrepreneur. In order to do this, we need to pay just as much attention to personal goals as to business goals. So the very ﬁrst course in our program is one on Entrepreneurship and it begins with discussion of the “entrepreneurial sweet spot.” Sweet Spot The sweet spot occurs in that space where the enterpreneur is happy and the business is successful. It begins, of course, with an idea, an idea that turns into a direction for your business. How do you know if the path you have taken for your business makes sense? Which opportunity should you chase? First, the direction you take must involve an attractive market opportunity. Every business begins with a market opportunity. After all, if we cannot

sibility for their insurance needs. First of all, a reinsurer can’t do that, much less a foreign reinsurer with no license to operate in the country,” he said. Based on the terms of Marsh UK’s deal with its “fronting insurer,” the latter would only be paid a nominal fee, while Marsh would be paid a fee amounting to ﬁve times or more that amount. “Effectively, Marsh UK pays a local company to use their name, while they handle every aspect of the business—including the primary and legal risk of liability. Apart from being prohibited, that’s a very risky proposition for any local company,” Bernas said.

3 insurance products PHILAM Life strengthens its commitment to empower Filipinos to live longer, healthier, and better lives with the launch of three products under the Active Series: Active Health Invest Plus, Active MoneyWorks, and Active Family Provider. These are fully supported by Philam Vitality, the wellness program that rewards customers for living healthy. “We recognize the importance Filipinos put on their health and we are committed to help them bridge the gap between their current practice and what they want to achieve in terms of their health,” said Aibee Cantos, Philam Life chief executive ofﬁcer. “Beyond helping them take care of the physical aspect, we are here to help

eventually develop revenue, there is no business. Second, your strategy and business model must be economically feasible. In simple terms, you must be able to make money at this business. Ideally, we are looking at an opportunity that will allow us to grow profitably over the long-term. Now, here’s the kicker. What this means is that we must be able to build a business that can maintain competitive advantage over the long-term. As every entrepreneur knows, an opportunity is only an opportunity if the entrepreneur has the wherewithal to exploit it. What is it that the entrepreneur has or knows or can own that will allow him to best take advantage of the opportunity? Aiming for Success In the business classroom, we explain that shaping the profitable enterprise, especially in the early fast-growing years, can be boiled down to three critical matters: market, capability, and finance. The entrepreneur must be clear about how the enterprise intends to address the market. This means clarity about the primary target market and

them achieve total wellness through our products,” he added. The Active Series is ideal for everyone. “We know that as they age, our customers’ needs change. As such, we developed products that support their needs for each phase in their lives, keeping in mind their total wellness needs,” said Timothy Marriott, Philam Life chief marketing ofﬁcer. Active Health Invest Plus provides customers with comprehensive health and accident coverage while building funds for future healthcare needs. At the same time, it has a life insurance coverage that ensures protection for loved ones in case something untoward happens.

the core promise to the market. The core promise, of course, must ideally be valuable, differentiated and credible. He must also be clear about how to build the capability necessary to deliver to the market promise, as well as to sustain competitive advantage. Finally, the entrepreneur must completely understand the economic fundamentals of his business model – how we will build revenue, how he will structure costs, and how he will raise capital. But all of this is just one half of the equation. The other half is personal. One way to address personal satisfaction is to actively carve out time for the self. The truly lucky entrepreneur, however, is one who manages to ﬁnd something he loves and is able to build a business around it. The research shows that happiness happens when we are able to engage in activities that provide both pleasure and meaning. The ﬁrst job of every entrepreneur is to understand what it is that gives him happiness. Only then can they carve out their plans in oder to create both personal and business success. This, of course, is not enough. There are many other lessons, including how to avoid the trials and travails Toys R Us is currently going through. But that is a story for another time. Happy Wednesday and a warm welcome to ME 2019! 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.

Manila to abide by SC decision

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor jimbo.gulle@gmail.com mslocalgov@gmail.com

wednesday, september 27

By Bill Casas

LGUs LocaL government units

FIRE TREE PLANTING. Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan (center, with shovel) leads the planting of fire trees on Saranay Road in Caloocan North. Malapitan encouraged residents to do backyard

gardening if their spaces allowed it. With the mayor are Vice Mayor Macario Asistio (to Malapitan’s right), city administrator Oliver Hernandez, and staff of the city environmental management office under Engineer Jay Bernardo. Jun David

Curfew for Makati minors

By Joel E. Zurbano

AkATI City Mayor Abigail Binay has ordered the imposition of curfew hours for minors in a bid to protect and save the children from getting involved in illegal drugs and other criminal activities. Binay signed Ordinance 2017-098 or the Child Protection Ordinance of the City of Makati, which prescribes curfew hours from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. daily for children below 18 years old and those over 18 but incapable of fully taking care of themselves.

The ordinance prohibits minors to stay in streets, highways, roads, gutters, driveways, and sidewalks; and other public places such as parking lots, vacant lots, parks, alleys, playgrounds, curbs, walkways, and public buildings during

curfew hours. Also off-limits to children during curfew hours are common areas in and around churches, apartment buildings, office buildings, hospitals, schools; shops and places of entertainment such as computer shops, internet cafés, movie theaters and similar places or establishments; and places of amusement and eating places, whether inside or outside a motor vehicle, or other unsupervised places. Binay signed the ordinance following its approval by

members of the City Council Wednesday last week. Among the penalties it imposes is the suspension of benefits provided by the city government for parents or guardians of first-time curfew violators should they fail to comply with the requirement of attending a parenting seminar. Moreover, on the child’s second rescue, the parent or guardian shall be ordered to pay a fine of P2,000 or be imprisoned for not more than five days, or both at the discretion of the court.

Binay, who chairs the Makati City Council for the Protection of Children, lauded the City Council for giving priority to the enactment of the ordinance, which aims to keep children and differently-abled adults off the streets and other public places during critical hours. She said the ordinance takes effect immediately, and enjoined the city’s barangay chiefs to ensure its strict enforcement in their respective jurisdictions. “I enjoin all barangay

In BrIef

Cotabato gets 120 more cops

Benguet gains P4.3b for projects in 2018

By Nash B. Maulana COTABATO CITY— The Central Mindanao police office has deployed 120 policemen here to augment the city’s regular police force in the face of heightened terror alerts in nearby Maguindanao. City Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi received the new police contingent from Chief Supt. Cedrick Train, Director of the Philippine national Police in Region 12, during the expanded City Peace and Order Council Meeting on Sept. 22 at Southseas Mall Convention Hall here. Earlier, a “Cotabato” was mentioned in some high-level but informal geographical security assessment, attended last month by lawmakers allied with President Rodrigo Duterte. Again, the President, citing what he said were instances of multiple land-titling, mentioned “Cotabato” as pur portedly the next target by militants after Marawi.

COPS LAUDED. Mayor Mel Aguilar (left) commends the Las Piñas Police Force headed by Senior Supt. Marion Balonglong (beside the mayor) for the awards it received from the National Capital Region Police Office. The Las Piñas Police Force was cited for its good performance in Index Crime Reduction (Station Level) and Women and Children Protection (City/Station Level) for 2016.

‘Small’ removed from Davao city council posts By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY―The City Council on Tuesday removed controversial Councilor nilo “Small” Abellera from all committees he is associated with owing to his continuous absences. Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, who presides over the council, said they needed

to remove Abellera from all committees where he is chairman or a member of, since he have been absent for quite some time. “We cannot leave the committee vacant because [Abellera] is absent. There are a lot of things to do and [a lot] needs to be done,” Duterte said. While Duterte clarified that Abellera is still a coun-

cilor, the City Council had urged him to just resign from all his committees since he cannot do his jobs with his absence. However, Abellera did not submit a resignation letter, forcing the council to remove him, the vice mayor added. “He did not file any resignation. We’ve advised him to file a resignation, especially

that his committee [Peace and Order] is very crucial, the whole city depends on it,” Duterte said. Since Abellera’s name was dragged into the controversial smuggling of P6.4 billion worth of the illegal drug shabu past the Bureau of Customs, the councilor has attended the council’s regular sessions just once.

Quezon City boosts Bayanihan volunteer program By Rio N. Araja QUEZOn City’s Community Relations Office has conducted a training workshop on its Bayanihang Bayan, a volunteer and citizenship program.

chiefs of Makati and their councils to be at the front lines in the enforcement of the Child Protection Ordinance of Makati. As elected officials, we all have a duty to protect children from neglect, abuse and other forms of violence which negatively impact on their development,” said Binay. The mayor also called on parents and guardians of minors to be vigilant and keep track of the whereabouts of their children to be able to remind them to come home before curfew.

MAnIlA will not appeal the Supreme Court’s decision declaring as unconstitutional the city’s curfew ordinance for minors, Mayor Joseph Estrada said. The SC being “the highest court of the land,” Estrada said the city government will comply with the order. “We have to just follow whatever is their decision,” he told reporters at the sidelines of the blessing ceremonies for the new City Hall-funded covered quadrangle of Bacood Elementary School in Sta. Mesa Monday. “We cannot do anything. It’s the highest court of the land. We have to follow the order. nobody is above the law, not even the President,” Estrada said. The mayor said he is not dismayed at all by the SC ruling and that the city government will not file any appeal. “There are other remedies,” he said. One of these remedies, Estrada said, is to “revisit” the provisions of the subject curfew law, City Ordinance no. 8046, and introduce amendments that will not go against the High Tribunal’s ruling. “We can pass another ordinance or we’ll just amend it. It depends on the City Council,” he pointed out. Majority f loor leader Councilor Casimiro Sison of the 6th District, who was with Estrada during the inauguration ceremonies, confirmed the city council is working on a new curfew ordinance.

In compliance with Republic Act 9418 of 2007 or the Volunteer Act, Mayor Herbert Bautista ordered the conduct of the training workshops. The law provides a policy framework on volunteer programs in national gov-

ernment agencies and local government units to promote and encourage volunteerism in government programs and projects. City hall employees are encouraged to participate in volunteer services for the

social, economic and humanitarian development of different communities. last Sept. 19, over 40 volunteers from different organizations and offices of the city government attended the training workshop.

City Ordinance 2416 of 2015 declares December as volunteer month in Quezon City, in support of Presidential Proclamation 194 issued on Dec. 7, 1987 declaring every fifth of December as International Volunteer Day.

lA TRInIDAD, Benguet—Benguet Rep. Ronald M. Cosalan announced that some P4.3 billion worth of hard and soft infrastructure projects were included in the priority programs of various government agencies that will be implemented in Benguet province next year. At least P4 billion was included in the annual budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways to fund the repair, rehabilitation, upgrading and concreting of various national roads and bridges provincewide, Cosalan said. Some P300 million were spread out in the different agencies for the upgrading of farm to market roads, construction of school buildings, improvement of agrarian reform communities, scholarship grants to poor but deserving students, and the provision of basic health services and livelihood programs, among others. “We are elated that Benguet was allocated substantial funding support for our priority projects, especially the sustained improvement of our national roads, secondary national arterial roads and bridges to enhance the inter-municipal, inter-provincial and inter-regional connectivity that will guarantee the timely delivery of agricultural crops from the farms to the prospective markets inside and outside the region,” Cosalan stressed. In 2017, Benguet got more than P3.3 billion worth of various hard and soft infrastructure projects implemented in the different parts of the province by various agencies. Dexter A. See

movie, lunch treat for public teachers nOVElETA, Cavite—Mayor Dino Reyes Chua will celebrate his 38th birthday on Thursday, Sept. 28 with a movie and lunch treat to public school teachers here. The mayor will also distribute eyeglasses for senior citizens and free eye check-up and bloodletting program in cooperation with Cavite Blood Bank on Friday at the Mayor’s Action Center in the municipal grounds. The Rural Health Unit will conduct medical and dental mission at the municipal esplanade on Friday as well. “I will celebrate my birthday with my kababayan, simple but memorable one, because we are still recovering from the calamity of Tphoon ‘Maring,’” Chua said. “noveleta is the province’s catch basin, so we will stage a medical and dental mission with the help of the Provincial Health Office and the Office of the Governor.”

Life

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

fashion & beauty

wednesday, septemBeR 27, 2017

Christmas

comes early to sM home CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND. The bridgeway of SM Makati has the largest Christmas collection with more than 500 ornaments to choose from.

HriSTMAS has come early to SM Home. And the store has been filled with all things merry and bright since early September, giving customers great ideas on how they can bring the joy, love and beauty of Christmas to their homes. Walking along the SM Home Bridgeway on the fifth level of SM Makati is like entering a Christmas wonderland. Giant nutcracker soldiers greet customers with their fairy tale costumes, leading them to a world of lush holiday trees, jolly Santas, delightful Christmas villages, dazzling lights, bountiful wreaths and garlands. There are also more than 500 holiday ornaments to choose from, modern expressions of traditional holiday trimmings have an artisan touch that celebrate all that is creative and classic. With probably the widest assortment of décor in town, SM Home shares some tips of how to bring the holidays to our homes. Classic charm. Create a cozy and casual holiday living room with classic reds and greens that never go out of style. Add shades of white to create a refreshing theme, and don’t forget a bit of sparkle for added flair. Nutcracker toy soldiers, potted poinsettias and Christmas trees, carousel and candy cane ornaments, show globes, and miniature vintage villages will help showcase a traditional holiday scene at home. Contemporary luxe. Metallic shades make an elegant and pol-

ished holiday look. Mixing silver and gold—with a touch of antique brass and champagne—into your Christmas design adds warmth to your home, but with a luxurious feel. Modern opulence. Deck your halls with rich royal colors—amethyst, sapphire, tourmaline, and citrine—to create a chic and sophisticated holiday look. Make a beautiful and bold statement with glittering Christmas balls, jester mask ornaments, and oversized finial ornaments with ribbons.

Pretty whimsical. Holiday décor can also be lighthearted and whimsical. Combine pretty pastels—baby blue, creamsicle, cotton candy, and chartreuse —with sweet dessert ornaments: gingerbread, cupcakes, ice cream, and doughnuts for a playful spin that kids and kids at heart will definitely adore. The latest Christmas Décor collection is available at the SM Home section at all SM Stores. Also, visit their largest Christmas Décor Display at the SM Home section in SM Makati.

This Month’s

MUST-HAVES

September is all about fashion! And the trend to try right now? Graphic arts.

Watch by SM Accessories, P399.75

Bag by Parisian, P699.75

Headband by SM Accessories, P199.75

Graphic knit dress by SM Woman, P1,499.75

ON MODEL: Sunnies by SM Accessories, P379.75. Red collar top (worn inside red top) by SM Woman, P999.75. Red knit top by SM Woman, P999.75. Skirt by SM Woman, P999.75. Flats by Parisian, P699.75. All items are available at The SM Store Premier in Makati, Aura and Megamall

Striped waist dress by SM Woman, P1,499.75

Spark curiosity among your guests with these sugary table toppers that look realistic and almost good enough to eat.

Top by GTW, P499.75

Skirt by SM Woman, P999.75

Chunky heel by Parisian, P999.75

Necklace by SM Accessories, P579.75

Bag by SM Accessories, P549.75

Heels by Parisian, P999.75 All items are available at The SM Store Premier in Makati, Aura and Megamall

Traditional Santa in red and green with plaid accents and loads of charm

Skirt by GTW, P499.75

Life

wednesday, september 27, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

What empowered women represent

HeN one comes across the brand name “Avon”, the association is easy and immediate: women, direct selling, beauty, and cosmetics. Still, there’s so much more to Avon than what we know. through the years, the company has been empowering women through the earning opportunities it offers and each Avon Representative’s success story is a testament to how Avon has been making a beautiful difference in the lives of countless families. It is no wonder that each Avon lady will tell you, without batting a fabulously mascara-ed eyelash, that it’s “Nakaka-proud!” to be an Avon Representative.

Avon celebrates this triumph of instilling the pride of being an Avon Representative, cascading it to company Associates, and eventually is being felt by customers, through its pride-filled campaign #NAKAKApRoUD. the campaign has revealed inspiring stories about how empowered Avon Reps developed virtues of courage, strength, confidence, determination, and passion, with the company providing moral and financial inspiration. Check out their amazing stories: The purpose of enriching lives. Rosalie was a registered nurse when it dawned on her that a bigger purpose is in store for her. on the path to finding that purpose, she discovered that being an Avon Rep could give her the financial capacity to share her successes. Not only is she now able to provide her own family with a comfortable life, but she has also given scholarship grants to deserving students in her community. The house that determination built. that onestormy-day rainwater started gushing through the roof of Marina’s bahay kubo (nipa hut) was the last straw. Determined to build a better home for her kids, she grabbed the opportunity at Avon, working her way up to become a sales leader. today, not only does she live in her dream house, but she is also a proud owner of several properties and luxury cars. But the sweetest fruit of her determination is that she was able to send her three kids to college, which helped them build their own careers and raise their respective families with comfortable lives. Confidence turns lugaw vendor into a “star”. With her lugaw (rice porridge) business barely earning profit, then young mother Angie decided to take the invitation to become an Avon Representative. Confident by nature, she performed like a star and immediately became a sales leader. this confidence even shines through whenever she speaks in public to share her success story. Finding strength among family. Gloria may have lost her husband to a fatal accident years before, but she managed to pull her strength from her three kids. It also helps that she has a second fam-

EMPOWERED WOMEN. Avon Philippines proudly presents its roster of Representatives whose stories of determination and success are truly inspiring and #NAKAKAPROUD. ily in Avon, which has been helping her not only financially, but emotionally as well. Because she is earning sufficiently from selling Avon products, she still manages to spend time with her family— that alone is more than enough source of strength for one strong-willed woman. Fighting adversity through burning passion. Glo was already an Avon Representative when her daughter was diagnosed with heart disease. Her earnings went mostly to operation procedures, and this only drove Glo to work even harder until she

raised enough funds. this experience for her daughter gave her the reason to pass on her burning passion to aspiring representatives so that they, too, can find the light that will guide them toward a better life. Surviving breast cancer with courage. Franz found hope through Avon’s advocacy for breast cancer awareness. She realized that her being a breast cancer survivor has given her a second chance at realizing her dreams of a better future. Now, she is proudly selling Avon products and sharing her inspiring survival story at the same

time—an opportunity that not everyone is blessed enough to have. these stories are so inspiring that one will most probably end up thinking, “maybe I should try being an Avon Rep myself!” And why not? Avon is the no. 1 direct selling company in the country; it has an exclusive range of award-winning products; the products are so easy to sell because of its affordability and high quality; the earning opportunities are remarkable; and the company represents Beauty for a purpose. Now, that’s truly #NAKAKApRoUD!

Rejuvenate skin during rainy season

Pantene ambassadors Jasmine Curtis-Smith and Gabbi Garcia

Fight pollution, fight hair fall

A top concern of Filipinas today is the stress from commute where they are constantly exposed to not just the worsening traffic but the daily exposure to pollution. We know that dust particles and air pollutants can wreak havoc in one’s health leaving you sick and tired. But did you know that pollution also suffocates hair, causes it to weaken which leads to hair fall? It’s like hair asthma. Senior Scientist p&G Hair Care, Asia pacific, Saint Tiu, shared some groundbreaking findings on the effects of pollution on hair. “Scientific tests have revealed that hair exposed to highly polluted environments for three days can take on so many particles that its total weight can be more than three percent of its initial total weight. Not only does this weigh down your hair, but also renders the hair up to 20 percent rougher in texture. If left untreated, this additional roughness results in hair more prone to hair fall due to breakage,” he said. With air pollution a key problem in Southeast Asia, pantene has an especially formulated shampoo and conditioner to help women protect their tresses from weakness that leads to hair fall. pantene’s Hair Fall Control Shampoo

contains pro-V formula that protects hair from root to tip, shielding it from pollution. It also contains micro-bubble technology that features ingredients that are even smaller than some of pollution’s tiny dirt and dust particles, easily reaching and removing pollution particles from the hair cuticles and pores. Its micro-Keratin Damage Blocker technology purifies hair from unwanted heavy metals that can also damage hair. Ultimately, pantene’s Hair Fall Control Shampoo transforms weak hair into strong hair so it is resilient enough to fight hair fall caused by breakage, even when it is exposed to extreme pollution. For best results, pantene Hair Fall Control Shampoo should be followed by pantene Hair Fall Control 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner, which repairs three-months of damage in just three minutes and protects hair from the damaging elements of pollution. It uses anti-oxidants called Histidine, which gets inside the hair and removes heavy metals such as from pollution particles, preventing any further damage. pantene’s pro-Vitamin ingredient called panthenol, penetrates to fill-in voids, further strengthening the hair. Fortified hair from the inside is therefore made.

tHe mid-year season often gives hardworking men and women the blues for a lot of reasons. Storm clouds, flash floods, and the resulting traffic cause a large amount of stress. Add to that performance reviews that can boost or slow down a career, and tuition that have to be earned and saved up for the kids’ remaining school year. Still, people can still look their best and feel that they are running on their peak performance, despite the pressure. And it starts with taking care of one’s skin. Let’s face it, how they like or dislike feeling and living within their own skin can also have an impact on their own self-confidence. “Skin care addresses two concerns: wellness and aesthetics or our sense of being attractive, that’s why we do have to take care of our skin and not take it for granted,” emphasizes Dr. Lalaine Salazar, medical director of the Svelt’i Health and Beauty Centre on timog Avenue, Quezon City. “Fortunately, this is something we can do ourselves, with the help of clinical specialists; and the results will last a long time. proper skin care will arrest certain medical conditions like acne, remove those pesky pimples, and even raise our energy levels by making us feel younger than we are.” Skin care should start as early as the pre-teen years, as the habits that the young person will develop will follow

Stem cell ampoule

them into adulthood. It should also be consistent and applied every day of every single year, regardless of the climate or the season. “It is never too early or too late to start taking care of your skin whatever the season is,” Dr. Salazar points out. So now, what are the important skin care tips one should follow in order to maintain that youthful glow despite the inconstancy of weather? Hydrate. Always make sure our skin is always hydrated because water will always cleanse our skin and wash away its impurities and toxins. there are two ways to do this: internal and external. “Always drink eight to 10 glasses of water a day, that’s how you hydrate from the inside. Do this even during the rainy season. You have to keep yourself hydrated at all times.” says Dr. Salazar. “externally, you can apply every morning our massage cream that infuses the skin with collagen. Collagen rejuvenates the skin and makes it appear youthful. our production of it reduces as we age, but products like the massage cream infuses regular doses of collagen that lets the skin’s natural glow to shine. Block and nourish. the skin’s health will be boosted by two substances that should be applied everyday: sunblock, which shelters it from the more harmful effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays, and facial serum which tightens once loose skin

Firming eye cream

and improves the radiance to the face. “A sun block is a must,” exhorts Dr. Salazar. “Always use it, even if the weather is cloudy. All parts of the body exposed to the sun must be protected, even your neck and hands. Also, a proper facial serum keeps away the anti-aging effects accelerated by the climate, stress, and even genetics. It makes you look youthful and energetic. our stem cell ampoule also reduces the appearances of fine lines and wrinkles, improves the skin tone, and softens the skin as well.” Watch the under eye. Another advice that Dr. Salazar gives is about the proper care of the skin under one’s eyes. She explains, “the thinness of the skin leaves them more vulnerable and it also lacks a lot of the oil glands that rejuvenate our skin.” Neglect of this part of the skin will result in heavy-set eyebags that can make the face sag. Collagen again comes into play in this part of skin care. “Collagen can stir up the oil glands within the eye frames,” Dr. Salazar reveals the solution. Svelti’s firming eye cream triggers the production of collagen, effectively reducing the signs of stress and aging. the firming eye cream should be applied diligently every day in the morning and preferably before going to bed. Wash and learn. the thorough cleansing and washing away of makeup before sleeping is also an important part of skin care. to cap the skin care regimen, Dr. Salazar recommends a cleanser that can prevent the onset of pores, blemishes, and acne; it will also improve skin tone and heal any skin inflammation. “Do proper skin care daily and you will see the results,” enthuses Dr. Salazar. “to ensure that you are on the right track, you can confirm the methods and outcome of your skin care regimen with clinical specialists who will advise you accordingly. A monthly visit can do wonders for the overall wellness and aesthetic appearance of your skin.” To know more about SvelT’i’s treatments, inquire at (02) 332-7546 / 09188-SVELTI (783584) or visit the clinic at 5/F South Insula Condominium #61 Timog Avenue, Quezon City.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Is ELLEN a bad inﬂuence to JOHN LLOYD?

UMOR has it that ABS-CBN is not planning to renew John Lloyd Cruz’s contract once it expires in January. Is it because of the actor’s strange behavior on social media of late? Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are ﬂooded with everything John Lloyd Cruz and Ellen Adarna these days as their rumored romance takes the spotlight from current events including pressing social and political issues. Their recent SocMed posts, which were taken mostly in Cebu where the two Kapamilya stars went on a vacation with a few friends, are making headlines with the dramatic actor taking most of the media mileage and airtime. In between their sun-kissed posts are videos and photos that made a lot of people felt either disgusted or sorry for the actor. Some became more interested to know the real

score. And many say Ellen is dragging Lloydie into a ditch. Early this month, videos of the Kapamilya actor had gone viral to where he was caught on tape in a drunken state, some even surmised he could have been under the influence of a prohibited drug. It launched an avalanche of memes poking fun at the Lloydie’s unusual behavior like dancing and flashing the middle finger, and sitting by the gas stove. Alarm bells are ringing and fans are more attentive. The Instagram account, which the actor personally maintains, shows similar behavior, too. There’s this post that shows human feces, and a series of repeated posts of a white ceiling with a single light bulb and the crucified Christ with a distorted face. Definitely, that’s not the John Lloyd people are used to. That’s not the gentleman similar to the characters he plays on TV and movies. Amid the sudden outburst, his

REMINISCENT of the highly successful the 50 Shades of Grey franchise, the thriller Decadence is an adult movie that follows a passionate affair that ends up as a dangerous sexual game. Anabel (Natalie Umaña) is a beautiful young woman who manages to live a normal life with her modest job. Innocent and cheerful but her sweetness seems to make her a willful victim. Oskar Pratz (Alejandro Estrada) is a brilliant and handsome entrepreneur amassing an impressive fortune. At age 32, his lifestyle goes beyond the limits of imagination. Oskar lives with an inner emptiness that no possession or experience can fulﬁll. One day after almost running over Anabel with his car, a spark of mutual attraction is inevitable and a

Natalie Umaña and and Alejandro Estrada, stars of the adult movie "Decadence"

torrid romance ensues. Not too long after the romance, Anabel begins to fall into Oskar’s sexual games in erotic world. Although Anabel tries to stay open-minded and plays along for a while, Oskar wants more. With the self-destructive nature of Oskar, the fun and sexy games begin to decay and spiral downward into dangerous acts that lead to tragedy. Decadence is shot on location in the beautiful and historic city of Guadelajara, Mexico, the pristine beaches of the Mayan Riviera and the vibrant and colorful city of Las Vegas. Decadence opens Sept. 27 in select cinemas from CrystalSky Multimedia. Check trailer link https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=tWwMDP7HLk0&feature=y outu.be

BRASH, but brilliant, courtroom psychologist Dr. Jason Bull may dazzle the audience with his wit and insight on human behavior, but the protagonist of legal drama Bull could’ve turned out differently if it weren’t for the talented and charming Michael Weatherly. Former senior ﬁeld agent Tony DiNozzo of police procedural series NCIS, Weatherly—as Dr. Bull—now heads a team of “trial science” experts with specialties from neurolinguistics to fashion, to help the falsely accused win the jury’s favor. But apart from his previous acting stint in crime investigation, there’s so much more to the man that makes him the perfect match for the role of trial consultant. Everybody loves a funny guy, and Weatherly is a natural when it comes to bringing lighthearted humor to an otherwise serious scenario. Sure he makes Dr. Bull come off as cocky with a few snarky remarks, but that just adds suave to the character. It must be those cheekbones, or that neatly combed hair. Whatever it is, he deﬁnitely looks like the handsome analytical type with a sharp suit on and thick-rimmed glasses.

LET’S FIGHT GHOST’ on GMA

"Let's Fight Ghost" lead cast Ok Taec-yon and Kim So-hyun

STARRING K-Pop idol Ok Taec-yon as Ivan, and one of the most sought-after Korean actresses Kim So-hyun as Denise, Let’s Fight Ghost is a thrilling and romantic journey of an exorcist and a restless high school ghost.

Ivan works hard as an exorcist to save money and pay for the service that permanently takes away his ability to see ghosts. In one of his operations, he meets the ghost of a feisty high school student named Denise to ﬁnd themselves essential in each

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Wednesday, September 27, 2017

ACROSS 1 Erroneous 6 Strad 10 Prepare flour 14 Sky hunter 15 Charles Lamb 16 Buckeye State 17 Make void 18 Congers 19 Lose feathers 20 More doubtful 22 Fugitive 24 Psychic’s power 25 Facetious 26 Purity in conduct 30 Gee follower 34 Vitality 35 Containers 37 Search site 38 Elev. 39 Tycoons’ homes 41 Pitcher’s stat 42 Showed again 44 Between 45 Old Roman road 46 Pony’s comment 47 So-so 49 Early VCRs 52 Dog tags, in the Army 53 Has ambitions 56 Misled 60 Sphagnum moss 61 — Minor

Rumoured couple John Lloyd Cruz and Ellen Adarna in "happy time" in Cebu

adult decision. And it’s unfair to say that it’s Ellen who triggered John Lloyd to act differently – behavior doesn’t change overnight most especially one’s character. At the end of the day, it’s his life

and people can only say so much about how he runs it or who he wants to be in it. He is not going to be affected by any amount of criticism in his current frame of mind as he claims of being so

happy and feeling so real. Perhaps, fans just need some reminding that celebrities are also mortals and that the roles they play don’t necessarily reﬂect who they are in real life.

What makes Michael Weatherly perfect as Dr. Bull

PASSION TURNS DEADLY

‘Decadence’

network still defended the troubled actor. In a statement sent to TV Patrol by Star Magic’s Johnny Manahan, after the controversial video gone viral, the executive said John Lloyd was “just letting off some steam” and will be more careful with his actions in the future. “John Lloyd works hard as an actor. 18 hours at a stretch. He was just letting off some steam. In this age of an all-pervasive social media, what is ok and innocent in private becomes worthlessly controversial in public. He will have learned his lesson and be more careful in the future,” Manahan’s statement read. With these hullabaloos hounding him, some people are asking: Is Ellen a bad inﬂuence to John Lloyd? That is a valid question but shouldn’t it be the other way around? The public doesn’t really know the actor apart from the roles he plays. John Lloyd is old enough to decide for himself. He’s 34 and Ellen is ﬁve years his junior. Hence, Lloydie should be the dominant one unless his mind is not that capable of making any

63 Dodge 64 — Stanley Gardner 65 Penn or Connery 66 Narrow crest 67 Fortune-teller 68 Long-active volcano 69 Scoff at DOWN 1 Paddock youngster 2 “Zara” composer 3 Wrinkle 4 Most lemony 5 Join the Navy 6 Turn aside 7 Seine moorage 8 Fuel carrier 9 Dogie stopper 10 African nation 11 Flapjack chain 12 Computer document 13 Lug 21 Film spectaculars 23 Sticky soils 25 Forceful people 26 Industry magnates 27 Keller or Hayes 28 Kind of turf

29 Brit’s farewell (hyph.) 31 Sweater letter 32 Kitchen tool 33 Ancient 36 Mix it up 39 Walk in 40 Arsenio’s buddy 43 Judge 45 Pancreas output 48 Slackers 50 Kid around with 51 Valuable holding 53 Tarzan’s pals

54 Desiccated 55 Ashen 56 Carvey of “Wayne’s World” 57 Kind of ranch 58 Slight advantage 59 Whitetail 62 John, in Aberdeen

While Weatherly in the show applies science to scrutinize the human mind, the actor does happen to play the piano and guitar in real life—musical skills he couldn’t help but weave into his character with a shovel guitar towards the end

American actor and TV producer Michael Weatherly as Dr. Jason Bull

Despite his seemingly harmless appearance, Weatherly claims that he can be very edgy. Messing with the jury—as Dr. Bull, of course— could be quite a risk if it means getting booted out of the court by an angry judge like in the episode “Name Game.”= Reading biographies as a hobby is a telltale sign of having an innate curiosity for other people’s personal lives. Could that also make Weatherly a natural when it comes to reading and analyzing people in one look? Albert Einstein once said that the best scientists are also artists. other’s mission in life—and afterlife. They decide to work together and ﬁght mischievous ghosts, ﬁnding out along the way that some others are just working on ways to cross over the next life. With their adventures sealing a deep connection with one ano ther, will they notice that an evil spirit is lurking around them? Follow their story on Let’s Fight Ghost weekday mornings before Trops, only on GMA.

of the episode “Light My Fire.” Can’t get enough of Michael Weatherly? Catch the premiere of Bull Season 2 on Sept. 27, 9 p.m. same day as the U.S., ﬁrst and exclusive on RTL CBS Entertainment.

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

ATOM ARAULLO

is back where he feels he belongs I

left him for so many years to find his place under the T’S a biblical they say, sun. “Dahil kilala ang GMA-7 sa paggawa ng world when a prodigal son returns class at award-winning documentary and public affairs programs, kami ay nalulugod sa paglipat ni home. Well, I am not ISAH V. RED Atom Araullo para lalo s’yang mahasa sa pagiging saying Atom Araullo was magaling na broadcast journalist at documentarist (sic) among others,” Atty. Gozon said. GMA Network’s prodigal A graduate of Applied Physics at the University of son when he left and became the Philippines-Diliman, Atom was exposed to broadcasting at an a Kapamilya. When he resigned from the early age. In the past decade, he has earned the trust of the viewing public and the respect of his colleagues through the news stories and news organization of ABS-CBN (though documentaries he has helped produce. remained an anchor in its morning news/talk His documentary on climate change aired on the network where his name had been attached for sometime won a Bronze World show Umagang Kay Ganda), there had been Medal at the 2017 New York Festivals “World’s Best TV and speculations that the popular news reporter was Films”. GMA won three Gold World Medals and three finalist up to something, perhaps take a different route certificates also in the same competition. Atom is currently an Advocate for the United Nations High and become an actor, more so when maverick Commissioner for Refugees in the Philippines, a humanitarian organization mandated to lead the protection of refugees and and self-effacing director Mike de Leon cast displaced persons. him in Citizen Jake after hibernating for some internally With his return to GMA, Atom is looking forward to doing more documentaries with the Network’s Public Affairs group. “Ano man time. Other quarters whispered loudly that he could be planning to go back where he used to be…on the Kapuso network where he used to anchor a segment in the evening newscast 24 Oras called “ATOMic Sports” until he hopped over to the neighboring Kapamilya lot. But, Araullo felt underutilized (perhaps) he was compelled to seek a workplace where he could expand his personal and professional portfolio. And, GMA Network is it. Araullo said. “I’m very excited. Ang dami kong gustong gawin, particularly in the realm of documentary production. I think this is a great place to do all of that.” GMA Network Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon welcomed Atom with open arms like a father whose son

ang mga gagawin ko rito will be the next stage of my career. Gusto kong mas marami pang mai-share sa mga tao tungkol sa aking mga paniniwala, at yung passion ko to do documentaries,” he says. “Excited po ako na makasama kayo sa mga susunod na mga taon. Asahan po ninyong hindi ko sasayangin ang inyong tiwala. At gagawin ko ang aking makakaya para mabigyan kayo ng mga documentaries at istorya na magiging makabuluhan, napapanahon, at tagos sa puso. I hope you join me on this new adventure,” concludes Atom. ABS-CBN wished Atom well when he left the network. Some die-hard Kapamilya followers regret his departure from the network and didn’t think he should re-join the Kapuso network. But, who are we to tell him not to join an organization where he feels he’d be happy in?

Broadcast journalist Atom Araullo at lobby of GMA Network building in Quezon City doing his first interview as a Kapuso

ABS-CBNmobile provides free job alerts, news, and safety tips ABS-CBNmobile shows its way of being in the service of the Filipino as it offers subscribers free access to the Kapamilya One text service, which blasts up-to-date information on employment opportunities including recruitment fair events, on top of important news alerts, and safety advisories. The chances for a better life start with “Trabaho Tips,” which sends subscribers the latest employment openings and recruitment fair announcements, as well as tips for facing potential employers and sending out resumes in a way that can attract companies. Meanwhile, users can also get “Balita,” which gives users access to for current news and alerts via text, “Kapamilya Tips” for safety and money management, “Good Vibes” for inspirational quotes, and a directory to Lingkod Kapamilya hotlines. Users can get up to three messages per category per day, without spending their load. To register, ABS-CBNmobile subscribers should dial *128# and choose from the menu of text broadcasts they want to receive. Subscribers need to have at least P1 maintaining balance to receive the free alerts. With an ABS-CBNmobile SIM, subscribers can call, text, and have internet access. Subscribers can also avail of the Kapamilya VIP program, a status that gives ABS-CBNmobile users front row access to all things Kapamilya, for free. With it, fans of the ABS-CBN stars and shows have a chance to experience a host of privileges like live shows, front-row seats in concerts, and the chance to get up-close and personal with their favorite stars.

Sunpiology evolves into a bike-run event THE highly-anticipated annual fun run organized by Sun Life Financial Philippines, will soon cater to both running and cycling enthusiasts, as it evolves into a two-fold event dubbed Sunpiology Duo. #SunpiologyDUO will come in two parts: Sun Life Cycle PH @BGC and Sun Life Resolution Run. Sun Life Cycle PH will take place on Nov. 18, at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. Sun Life will be mounting the event in partnership with Sunrise Events, Inc., known for its ﬂagship projects that focus on race organization and sports tourism. The contract signing between the two companies was held recently in Shangri-La Mactan in Cebu, with Sun Life CEO and Country Head Riza Mantaring, Sun Life brand ambassador Piolo Pascual, Sunrise Founder Wilfred Uytengsu, and Sunrise General Manager Princess Galura. “We recognize cycling’s growing popularity in the Philippines, and this is our share in helping encourage more people to get into the sport,” Sun Life Chief Marketing Ofﬁcer Mylene Lopa said. “Just as it is in our fun run, Sun Life Cycle PH will cater to different ages and will offer different categories.” Sun Life Cycle PH will have a total of seven categories: Tricycle Ride (100 meters for 2-3 year olds), Kids’ Ride (500 meters for 4-5 year olds), Family Ride (30 minutes for 6-15 year olds with adult companion),

Solo Ride (30 minutes for 6-15 years old), Short Distance Ride (20km for 10 years old and above), and Long Distance Ride (40km for 10 years old and above). A charity category called Bid2Bike lets the fans of Piolo Pascual, Matteo Guidicelli, Iñigo Pascual, Gerald Anderson, and

other Star Magic celebrities, bid for a chance to bike alongside their idols, an exclusive photo souvenir, and have their jersey signed. For cycling enthusiasts, they can bid to ride with legend Robbie McEwen Meanwhile, the Sun Life Resolution Run will happen on Jan. 20, 2018. As with the previous years, Sun Life will once again mount the event with Run

As an advocate of active lifestyle, Piolo Pascual, with his partnership with SunLife, turns the annual SunPiology into a two-sport event

Rio and will offer 3k, 5k, and 10k categories. It features an obstacle course that illustrates the steps to prevent diabetes, like watching what you eat and why exercise is important. More details will be revealed in the coming months, which includes an expanded payment facility like PayPal and DragonPay. Interested to do both Sunpiology Duo events? Sign up for Sun Life CyclePH @BGC and get P100 off Sun Life Resolution Run registration fees. Registration for both races is now open at www.sunpiology.com. Sunpiology Duo will likewise retain its charitable components, where it will continue to raise funds for the different causes it has been supporting for the past seven years. These include the education of scholars from Hebreo 12:1 Foundation and Star Magic’s chosen charities. Moreover, Sunpiology Duo will continue to be a star-studded happening, with Star Magic celebrities, as well as ambassadors of Sun Life’s wellness community GoWell, expected to participate. “With Sunpiology Duo, we can now cater to even more Filipinos who are eager to get a boost in their ﬁtness journey and contribute to worthwhile causes while at it,” Lopa said. “It’s surely going to be an exciting event. We look forward to seeing our Sunpiology regulars, and we’re also eager to welcome those who will be joining us for the ﬁrst time.”