Manila Standard - 2017 October 28 - Saturday

VOL. XXXI • NO. 256 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

Another terror financier falls

By Rio N. Araja and John Paolo Bencito

Rasdy Malawani, or Rasdi Macabangkit, 42, a shopkeeper at the Salam Bazaar in the Novaliches Plaza Mall.

HE Quezon The store was believed City Police owned by Ominta Romato District arrested “Farhana” Maute, the motha suspected financier er of brothers Abdullah and Omarkhayam, who led the of the Maute terror extremist group in Marawi group in Novaliches for five months from May 23.

Thursday.

Police found a .45 caliber QCPD Chief Supt. Guillermo pistol, a rocket-propelled greEleazar identified the suspect as nade, and bank transaction re-

T REGAL POSE. Miss Philippines International 2017 Maria Angelica de Leon poses in traditional Japanese kimono during the 57th Miss International Beauty Pageant news conference in Tokyo Friday, two days after she arrived in the Land of the Rising Sun in her campaign for the country’s 7th Miss International crown. AFP

Roque new Palace spokesman “DO not lie.”

This was President Rodrigo Duterte’s instructions to former party-list lawmaker Harry Roque, who formally joined the Duterte administration as the new presidential spokesperson, the Manila Standard learned Friday.

As of press time, Roque, a human rights lawyer, had yet to be administered his oath before Duterte in Davao City late last night. He was given a Cabinet rank of secretary.

Roque, who is the current House Deputy Minority Leader, had already spoken with House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez about his intention to resign as the Kabayan party-list representative, sources said.

Roque replaces Ernesto Abella, who had the rank of undersecretary.

Reports said the President was dissatisfied with how Abella responded to his threats to cut ties with the European Union.

Assistant to the presidential spokesperson, China Jocson, in a Palace brief-

ceipts supposedly linking him to the Maute matriarch.

A case of illegal possession of weapons will be filed against the suspect, who was presented to the media Friday.

Malawani was the second suspected Maute financier arrested in a month, and the third in 60 days.

The Philippine National Police on Wednesday announced the arrest of Aminkisa Romato Macadato, the son

AFP looks into ‘mauling’ video THE military said Friday it had launched an investigation after a group of soldiers were shown on video punching and kicking a suspected Islamic militant during the just-ended battle in southern Marawi city.

The video, aired by GMA television late Thursday, showed a mud-splattered captive, dressed only in shorts, surrounded by sol-

diers in Marawi, where a five-month battle between troops and Islamic State followers ended this week.

As the captive is taken away with his hands being held behind his back, some of the soldiers rushed towards him, punching and kicking him as one is heard yelling out: “You killed a lot of people, idiot.”

Military spokesman Maj.

Gen. Restituto Padilla, commenting on the video on Friday, said an investigation into the incident was underway to find out who was involved.

“The armed forces [are] very strict regarding the treatment of captives in a conflict situation. They are supposed to be decently treated and respected, which did not happen in this case,” Padilla told Next page reporters.

... prepares for all-out Marawi rehab

By John Paolo Bencito ing the city, particularly the THE government is ready to conduct an all-out rehabilitation and rebuilding of war-torn Marawi city, the military said Friday.

AFP Spokesperson Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla, during a Malacañang news briefing, said the Armed Forces was at present clear-

HARRY ROQUE ing Friday, said Abella might not join Duterte’s working visit to Japan from Oct. 29 to 31 because he was busy with “more pressing matters.”

“It is not yet final whether he will go to Japan or not. He may or may not. But currently, he has to attend to more pressNext page ing matters,” she said.

main battle area, to ensure there were no remaining unexploded ordnances, improvised explosive devices, or booby traps that could harm citizens.

Padilla also said that Joint Task Force Marawi had been dissolved after it had accomplished its mission of liberating the city.

Subsequently, Joint Task Group Ranao, which will take its place, was elevated to a task force in charge of the city’s complete rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, the government is studying proposals to turn the main battle area of Marawi into a memorial, the Task Force Bangon Marawi said.

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Human rights on agenda of Du30-Trump Nov. meet HUMAN rights will be on top of agenda when United States President Donald Trump meets with President Rodrigo Duterte next month, a White House official said.

In a Bloomberg report, a White House official said that Trump would send a clear message on human rights principles in his meeting with Duterte when he visits the country from Nov. 12 to 13.

the Office of the Ombudsman,” a statement said.

Through its official Twitter account, the Ombudsman did confirm Friday the dismissal of Mabilog for “serious dishonesty.”

The Ombudsman said Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang penned the order on Oct. 6, directing Interior Secretary Catalino Cuy to immediately enforce the dismissal Next page order on the mayor.

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Liberals ‘haunted by own ghosts’ MALACAÑANG on Friday said the opposition Liberal Party was spooked by its own ghosts and said the Palace had nothing to do with the testimony of a drug cartel bagman who linked LP stalwarts to slain drug lord Melvin Odicta Sr. and alleged narco-politician Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.

“The administration had nothing to do with the testimony of a drug cartel bagman Ricky Serenio, implicating Senator Franklin Drilon and former secretary Mar Roxas in the illegal drug trade in the Visayas,” the Palace said in a statement.

“The Liberal Party is afraid of its own ghosts after conducting several witch hunt investigations against their perceived political enemies when they were in power,” he added.

Serenio, a confessed bagman for the Berya drug cartel earlier arrested by police, has implicated Drilon and Roxas in the illegal drug trade in the Visayas, saying they were the protectors of the notorious slain drug lord Odicta.

Odicta controlled the narcotics trade in Iloilo City, Serenio said in Next page

Malacañang, however, has yet to comment on the issue.

In the past, Duterte has rejected US criticism of his human rights track record, calling then President Barack Obama a “son of a whore” over the issue.

Trump will be in Manila to attend the special gala celebration of the 50th anniversary of Asean and the Asean-US Summit, as part of his 12-day trip to Asia and Hawaii.

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1 of 4 knew of Tokhang ‘targets’

Iloilo narco-pol suspect flees ahead of ill-wealth raps filing MALACAÑANG on Friday said it is ready to implement the dismissal of Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog after his alleged failure to properly account for the sources of his unexplained wealth as seen in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

“The Department of the Interior and Local Government would implement the dismissal order once it receives the official copy of the decision from

of a former mayor in Lanao del Sur, in an operation in Valenzuela City last Oct. 7.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had also declared the arrest of another Maute financier, Abdul Patah alias “Kitong,” last Sept. 26.

Malawani supposedly collected money from shop owners in a Novaliches mall that he managed, and remitted the money to the Mautes.

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DISPLACED EVACUEES. Photo, taken Tuesday, shows evacuees displaced by fighting between government troops and IS-inspired Muslim militants, preparing firewood for cooking in front of their tents at an evacuation center in Saguiran town near the recently freed lakeshore capital of Marawi City. AFP

2 Immigration commissioners indicted for plunder

By Rio N. Araja

THE Office of the Ombudsman on Friday indicted two former commissioners of the Bureau of Immigration for plunder for demand-

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ing and receiving P50 million in exchange for the release of 1,316 arrested Chinese nationals violating immigration laws.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales ordered the filing

manilastandard.net

of charges against ex-commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles, along with Wenceslao Sombero Jr., president of the Asian Gaming Service Providers Association Inc. Next page

ONE out of every four Filipinos surveyed knew someone who had been summoned for “Oplan Tokhang,” the now suspended door-to-door campaign meant to convince drug users and pushers to surrender, a survey showed.

However, the results of the Third Quarter 2017 Social Weather Survey of Social Weather Stations indicated serious doubt about whether the campaign was actually netting the right people.

Of those who said they knew someone who was subjected to Tokhang, 49 percent said not all of them were addicts or pushers, and of those 2 percent said none was involved in drugs.

The survey also found “lower net satisfaction with government among those who say not all of the Next page

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Palace OPS Facebook account ‘hacked’ THE Office of the Presidential Spokesperson on Friday claimed that its Facebook account got hacked by a former staffer, who had posted a rude and insulting comment against an online reporter and a TV personality in the middle of a televised Palace news briefing.

On its official Facebook page, the OPS posted at around 11:30 a.m.: “si pia at si lourd devera pantay na sa kakupalan” (Pia and Lourd Devera are both smegmalike).

“Kupal” is the Filipino word for smegma, the bodily secretion under a man’s foreskin. The term is used as a pejorative for someone who is an obnoxious jerk or idiot.

While it did not mention any surname, the comment was apparently alluding to Pia Ranada, the Malacanang reporter of online news portal Rappler, who was the one asking questions at the press conference at the time the Facebook post was made.

Another Palace reporter, Pia Gutierrez of broadcast giant ABS-CBN, was not present during the briefing.

“Lourd Devera” meanwhile, seemingly refers to musician Lourd de Veyra, a former news anchor of TV5 and known to be critical of the Duterte administration.

In his own Facebook post, Lourd de Veyra shot back at the Palace communications team.

“Kung kups ako, mas kupal yung mga gumagawa nito na gamit ang pera ng taumbayan [If I’m a smegma, the ones who did this using taxpayers’ money are even worse],” De Veyra said, adding the hashtags “#HuliKaBalbon #TheBestAndTheBrightest.”

Ranada expressed disappointment with the OPS remarks.

“Trolling is bad in itself, trolling incompetently is just on a whole other level of SAD,” she said on Facebook.

The statement from the office of Palace spokesman Ernesto Abella did not offer an apology to either Ranada or De Veyra. It claimed the comment, similar to those expressed by online “trolls,” was made by someone with access to the OPS Facebook account.

John Paolo Bencito

Iloilo...

From A1 Mabilog, who has been tagged by President Rodrigo Duterte as a narco-politician, has been on leave since September, and left the country amid fears he might be the next public official linked to illegal drugs to die under the current administration.

The mayor has denied the President’s allegations, and his wife and children have also left the country. Mabilog has also yet to report back to work at the Iloilo City Hall.

The decision made by Ombudsman Prosecution Officer Rachel CariagaFavila, was issued on Aug. 29, but a copy of the decision only became available on Thursday.

Mabilog, Cariaga-Favila said, failed to prove that the ₱8.98-million increase in his net worth from 2012 to 2013 as indicated in his SALN was not questionable.

The evidence that Mabilog used to justify the increase— his business earnings and his wife’s tax returns from 2007 to 2012 as a comptroller in a company in Canada—was insufficient, she added.

“Respondent failed to present proof of his wife’s lawful source of income from her employment in Canada for 2013,” CariagaFavila said. “Moreover, it is also significant to note that respondent also failed to present proof of income from the business interests disclosed in his SALNs.” “Simply, his failure to properly account or explain his sources of income establishes presence of malicious intent to conceal the truth, causing grave prejudice to the government in the amount of ₱8,981,082.52,” CariagaFavila added. John Paolo Bencito and Rio N. Araja

Leak of frat man’s affidavit probed

By Rey E. Requejo, Bill Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta

J

USTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Friday vowed to take action against those who released the contents of the sworn statement of Marc Anthony Ventura, the Aegis Juris member who turned state witness to testify against his fraternity brothers in the hazing death of law student Horacio Castillo III. “Any copy of the sworn statement obtained by anyone and released publicly is a clear violation of the law and will be dealt with accordingly,” Aguirre warned in a statement.

On Wednesday, Ventura signed an agreement with the Justice Department to be placed under the Witness Protection Program after giving a sworn statement detailing the ordeal

Another...

From A1 National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Oscar Albayalde on Friday said the arrest showed that some legitimate businesses were being used to fund the terror activities of the Maute group.

Albayalde said the bazaar was identified as a source of financing of the terrorist group in Marawi City.

Malawani remitted some P300,000 monthly to Azesha Macabangkit-Maute alias Lily in Marawi, who turned out to be the wife of Madie Maute who was among the brains behind the Marawi siege.

Malawani started being the collector when Farhana was arrested in Barangay.

Kormatan, Masiu, Lanao del Sur in June, Albayalde said.

...prepares...

From A1

suffered by Castillo at the hands of his fraternity brothers in Aegis Juris.

“Under Section 7 of Republic Act No. 6981, an Act Providing For A Witness Protection, Security Program And For Other Purposes, no information or documents given or submitted in support of an application for admission to the WPP shall be released except upon written order of the department or the proper court,” Aguirre said.

“As of this statement, the Office of the Secretary of the DOJ has not issued any written order authorizing the release of any copy of the sworn statement of Marc Anthony B. Ventura, which

On Thursday night, President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated a military warning that Islamic State sympathizers could launch “lone wolf” attacks in the Philippines as they have done in other parts of the world.

“Even I am worried in the sense that they might opt to do a lone wolf attack.

They have tried a massive, violent activity and they were defeated,” Duterte said.

The military liberated Marawi City from IS-inspired terrorists on Oct. 23, killing three of their top leaders, Isnilon Hapilon, Omar Maute and their Malaysian financier Mahmud Ahmad in the country.

Military spokesperson Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla earlier said that the threats posed by the IS remain as its network is “increasingly becoming better.”

In a Palace news briefing, Padilla said that these attacks could be prevented if

he submitted to the Witness Protection Program,” Aguirre said.

On Wednesday, Aguirre announced at a press conference that Ventura had approached him to become a state witness in the hazing case. The DoJ is currently conducting a preliminary investigation over the criminal complaints against those believed involved in the hazing.

Aguirre provided some details of Ventura’s account of the initiation rites held at the Aegis Juris library on Sept. 17, which led to the death of the University of Santo Tomas law student.

He also assured the media that he would provide copies of Ventura’s sworn statement.

“every citizen will do their part.”

He also emphasized the role of the family in preventing lone wolf attacks from prospering.

“In the fight against terrorism, particularly, in the attempt to poison the minds of our young, the role of the family is very important. And the role of the family must be emphasized,” he said.

The IS or Daesh are known to use propaganda to recruit lone wolves, to retaliate against counter-terrorism measures implemented by states and security services.

Individuals without any clear, organic or hierarchical connection with a group or faction carry out the attacks unilaterally.

Experts say lone wolves represent an extremely difficult challenge for security and intelligence services, since they are relatively unpredictable, undetectable and effectively unstoppable.

health and psychosocial services, and medical and nutritional services,” Purisima said, adding that remaining funds would be allocated for the ongoing construction of transitional shelters for evacuees.

At the same time, the government is still studying the pledges from foreign organizations to ensure these are within the framework of the administration’s finance and resource mobilization.

“Individually, if there are organizations or countries that approach specific agencies, the agreement is that agency would have to disclose that to the task force and the task force will discuss whether to accept it,” he stressed.

Purisima confirmed the government had received foreign donations from the governments of Canada, China, Germany, Korea, India, Thailand, and Singapore.

Additionally, financial assistance was provided by the Asean Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management and the US Agency for International Development, also for the early recovery phase.

International organizations also pledged assistance to the country, including the governments of Australia and Japan, the Asian Development Bank, the European Union, the World Bank, and the United Nations Development Program.

The five-month fighting displaced 77,170 families, or 353,921 people, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

In a related development: --Cradling her baby in a muddy tent camp, Jamalia Pindaton has no idea if she can return home to Marawi in the southern Philippines after the end of a five-month war launched by Islamic State supporters.

More than 350,000 people from in and around Marawi, the mainly Catholic Philippines’ Islamic capital, were displaced because of the conflict, which ended on Monday when soldiers killed the remaining gunmen inside a mosque.

But, with the eastern half of Marawi almost totally destroyed and worries over bombs planted by the militants, authorities have said it could be months or even years before most people would be able to return.

“We don’t know if our house is still there,” Pindaton, 29, told AFP on Thursday as she held her six-month-old daughter at an evacuation center in a coconut grove at Balo-i, 20 kilometers from Marawi.

“It is difficult here. We don’t have income and can only rely on relief.”

About 10,000 Marawi residents have been allowed to return so far, mostly those who lived near the Mindanao State

University that was well outside the battle zone, according to local authorities.

About 33,000 others, whose homes are in so-called “controlled areas” that were spared the worst of the war, are set to follow next week, regional social welfare chief Zorahayda Taha told AFP. Many of the displaced are living with relatives and friends, but tens of thousands without such support networks like Pindaton have been forced to live in makeshift evacuation centres.

Signalling how long it will take to rebuild Marawi, the government is building new lowcost housing for this group.

It has also launched cashfor-work schemes and given families a P200 ($4) daily cash allowance to help them out with groceries.

Pindaton’s husband, a former construction worker, has been planting corn on government land in one of the cashfor-work schemes. But she said he would only be paid when the corn went to market, leaving them totally reliant on handouts.

The Philippines has a long experience of managing large, seasonally displaced populations due to frequent natural disasters such as typhoons, floods and earthquakes, and the government has sought to quickly start a rehabilitation program for Marawi. AFP

1 of 4...

Liberals...

From A1

persons summoned by ‘Oplan Tokhang’ are drug addicts and pushers,” SWS said.

The results were from a non-commissioned poll on the government’s anti-drug campaign conducted from Sept. 23 to 27 and involved face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults. It had sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages, ±4 percent for Balance Luzon and ±6 percent each for Metro Manila, the Visayas and Mindanao.

The results indicated that, statistically, 37 percent of the adults polled adult believed police were lying about the slain suspects supposedly having fought back, 45 percent were undecided and 17 percent said they were telling the truth.

While 95 percent of the respondents said it was important to capture suspects alive, 76 percent said it was “very important” to ensure this.

Notwithstanding the growing opinion against the continued killings, the net satisfaction with the government’s war on drugs remained a “very good” +63.

Personal knowledge of someone summoned for Tokhang was highest in Metro Manila at 31 percent, followed by Balance Luzon and Mindanao with 25 percent each and the Visayas with 22 percent.

an affidavit he submitted to the La Carlota City prosecutor’s office in Negros Occidental on Oct. 18.

Serenio had accused Drilon and Roxas of partnering with Odicta to control the illegal drug business in the Western Visayas, Panay and Negros islands by kicking out Berya Tolentino and the Camaria group from their dominance as local drug suppliers.

“Being in power with close association to the PNP, it was easy for the Roxas-Drilon tandem to paralyze, and eventually overthrow the BeryaCamaria drug operations and wipe out these groups from operating in Negros Island,” read Serenio’s affidavit.

With the Berya-Camaria group taken out of play, Serenio said Drilon and Roxas could

turn over the drug operations in the region to Odicta.

Odicta and his wife Meriam were shot dead by unidentified assailants on Aug. 29, 2016 upon their arrival at the Caticlan Jetty Port in Aklan.

Serenio also claimed Drilon and Roxas were not only protectors of Odicta, but also patrons of Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, who protected the illegal drug operations of the slain drug lord.

Liberal Party president Senator Francis Pangilinan vowed that the opposition would not be silenced by Serenio’s allegations.

The opposition would continue to speak out and uncover any misdeeds of the administration, Pangilinan said.

“This could not gag the opposition. We should speak against and expose wrongdoings,” he said.

Pangilinan branded the allegations against Drilon and Roxas as an effort by the Duterte ad-

ministration to just divert public’s attention from the scandal that rocked the Bureau of Customs concerning the smuggling of P6.4 billion worth of shabu, and the extrajudicial killings in the government’s bloody campaign against illegal drugs.

If the government was really serious in its illegal drugs crackdown, he said the Duterte administration should go after those involved in the smuggling of the huge shabu shipment from China.

“They plant or manufacture evidence to pin down their enemies and tamper with the evidence to free and absolve their allies,” he said.

Senator Panfilo Lacson said he does not believe the accusations being hurled against Drilon and Roxas, not only because he knew them well, but because it was difficult to take the word of a drug cartel bagman. John Paolo Bencito, Macon Ramos-Araneta

single day.”

Argosino, Robles and Sombero were also charged with one count each of direct bribery and graft and two counts of violating a presidential decree against receiving any gift on any occasion.

Former intelligence chief Charles Calima Jr. faced one count each of direct bribery and violation of RA 3019.

Lam was charged with violating PD 46 for giving P50 million to the Immigration officials.

“While the amount returned

by Argosino to the Department

of Justice lacks One Thousand Pesos, it cannot excuse them from being indicted for Plunder” since they failed to controvert, by clear and convincing evidence, the claims of Norman Ng and Alex Yu [Lam’s business associates] that money, amounting to P50M, changed hands at the City of Dreams in the City of Manila,” the Ombudsman’s consolidated resolution says.

“This is aside from Robles’ admission that “they took possession of all five bags containing the P50 million.”

Defense Assistant Secretary Kristoffer James Purisima said in a television interview the local government of Marawi had earlier floated the idea of turning the main battle area into a symbolic reminder of the atrocities laid by jihadist rebels.

In a Palace news briefing later, Purisima said the government had started the return of 6,463 internally displaced persons to nine barangays in Marawi.

“For the remaining barangays in the main battle area, we are awaiting for (sic) the conclusion of the clearing operations to be determined by the AFP,” Purisima noted.

He also ensured that the government would continue to uphold the principles of transparency and accountability in handling the funds for the Marawi rehabilitation.

An initial P5-billion budget allotted by the government would be used for the city’s early recovery, Purisima said.

Of this amount, an estimated P3.4 billion will be tapped to provide health and social services to IDPs. “This includes the continuous distribution of relief for our IDPs and other basic services such as water, sanitation and hygiene services, or what we call as WASH, including mental

From A1

2FromImmigration...

A1 Investigation showed Argosino and Robles received P50 million from Chinese businessman Jack Lam in a deal facilitated by Sombero.

On Nov. 27, 2016, “Argosino and Robles, in connivance with Sombero, accumulated or acquired ill-gotten wealth in the amount of P50 million, through a combination or series of overt or criminal acts committed on a

“In due time, we will give you a copy of the affidavits.

But let’s wait until it’s final and he’s in permanent coverage of the WPP,” Aguirre told reporters who asked for a copy of the document.

Though no copies were released, several media organizations have reported the contents of Ventura’s sworn statement based on leaked copies.

Nilo Divina, dean at the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law, on Friday urged his fraternity brothers to tell the truth regarding the fatal hazing of Castillo, and welcomed the testimony of Ventura, calling it “a most welcome development.”

“I trust that Mr. Ventura tell the whole truth in the spirit of remorse. I hope that others will follow suit,” Divina said in a statement.

Divina also commended Aguirre for his “relentless efforts to reach out to possible witnesses” by offering them protection through the Witness Protection Program.

“This only shows his commitment to ferret out the truth and bring to justice those who may be responsible,” Divina said.

Divina is one of the respondents in the criminal complaints now undergoing preliminary investigation by the Department of Justice.

Peace laureate, 14 other Quezonians feted in Nov. SEVENTY prominent “Quezonians” will be honored at the Manuel L. Quezon University Alumni Association Inc. Grand Reunion on Nov. 11 at the AB Pavillion, Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City.

Fifteen special awardees will also be cited as part of the university’s 70th founding anniversary.

MLQUAAI president lawyer Pete S. Principe said former Peza director general Lilia De Lima will also be honored during the special platinum anniversary as 2017 Magsaysay Peace Laureate, the association said in a press statement.

It said MLQU had produced champions, topnotchers and many of the nation’s leaders.

The list of MLQU outstanding alumni is endless.

The list includes positions of Secretaries of Justice in Ricardo C. Puno Sr., Sedfrey Ordoñez and Artemio Tuquero while Justices Martin Villarama Jr., Venicio Escolin, Jose Melo,

Jose Vitug, Ruben Reyes, Isagani A. Cruz Leonardo Quisumbing and Samuel Martires went on to become associate justices of the Supreme Court.

MLQU graduates also made notable achievements in government service: among them former Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo; former Commission on Elections chair Benjamin S. Abalos; former Labor Secretary and Senate President Blas F. Ople; labor secretaries Rosalinda Baldoz, Silvestre Bello 111 and Leonardo Quisumbing.

The list also includes Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin; Peza Director General and 2017 Maysaysay Peace Laureate Lilia de Lima; Tarlac Governor Jose V. Yap; former PCGG Chairman Magtanggol Gunigundo; former Senators Wigberto Tañada; and Wenceslao Lagumbay; Deputy Speaker Frederick Abueg, (17th Congress) and Rep.Reynaldo Umali, chairperson committee on justice.

AFP...

thing is here’s an army that had to go in a fight like that, and they had not one human rights allegation against them with any credibility, not one,” Mattis told reporters Padilla described the incident as an “isolated case”.

“We are not hiding this,” he said, adding the results of the investigation would be made public and those responsible held accountable.

But he also appealed for understanding, saying emotions ran high in the battlefield especially after soldiers were killed.

He also called on the public not to share such videos, saying the militants could use them as propaganda. AFP

From A1 The video emerged after the military declared on Monday the fighting over, exactly five months after it began when IS supporters rampaged through the city and then sought to occupy it.

The fighting claimed the lives of 920 militants, 165 troops and 42 civilians, according to the military.

US Defense Secretary James Mattis, while in the Philippines, on Wednesday praised local troops for upholding human rights during the Marawi conflict.

“I think the most important

Human...

From A1 Duterte, known for his fiery rhetoric, has been criticized over extrajudicial killings in the Philippines that accompanied his crackdown on the drug trade.

Trump has previously offered praise for Duterte, telling the leader on a private phone call that he had done “an unbelievable job on the drug problem.”

However, Duterte has not taken criticism well, especially from other nations and from international organizations, and has called these violations of Philippine sovereignty.

Portions of Metro Manila will be locked down during the Asean Summit meetings, a spokeperson for the Metro Manila Development Authority said Friday.

In places where the lockdown is in place, no vehicles will be allowed in the area, MMDA spokesperson Celine

Pialago told GMA 7.

In other areas where there is no lockdown, vehicles may be made to stop at intersections for up to 20 minutes to allow Asean convoys to pass.

Roxas Boulevard and Buendia to P. Burgos will be locked down on Nov. 13 from 12 a.m. to noon. A lockdown will be imposed in the CCP Complex partially on Nov. 8 and in full on Nov. 12, and the SMX Convention Center will be locked from 10 p.m. on Nov. 11 to Nov. 12.

Routes that will be on high alert or closed off for use of leaders and diplomats participating in the Asean Summit include the Clark Complex, NLEX, SLEX, SCTEX, Roxas Boulevard, Ayala, Makati Avenue, Pasay, Lawton, to Makati.

Motorists should avoid the southbound lanes of Edsa, NLEX, SCTEX; and the north and southbound lanes of Roxas Boulevard from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the last dry run on Sunday. John Paolo Bencito

Roque...

From A1 “You may hear from him next week, he may still give briefings, if he is in town, if he doesn’t push through with the trip, he may still give briefings next week,” she added.

It was unclear how Roque’s appointment would affect the Presidential Communications Operations Office and its Content and Messaging division, in charge of crafting Malacañang’s communications strategy to the public.

There were pending moves to separate the PCOO, led by Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, from the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson.

As a lawyer, Roque, through advocacy group Center for International Law (CenterLaw), handled high-profile cases — including cases of families of the Maguindanao Massacre victims, slain transgender Jennifer Laude, and slain journalist and environmental activist Gerry Ortega. John Paolo Bencito

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

DoJ submits Kian slay case for resolution

Check in early, CEB urges passengers THE Cebu Pacific Air management on Friday urged air travelers this coming holiday break to come early at the airport to avoid long lines at the check-in and immigration counters.

The CEB Domestic Checkin counters are open three hours before the scheduled time of departure and four hours for International flights.

All check-in counters close 45 minutes before the scheduled time of flights, except for Shanghai (50 minutes).

To cut the waiting time, CEB and Cebgo flights passengers are encouraged to use the following check-in options: CEB Mobile Check-in.

Download the official Cebu Pacific Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play and tap on the Check-In option. CEB Mobile Check-in is available from seven days to four hours before an international flight, and up to one hour before a domestic flight.

Joel E. Zurbano

Do your jobs well, DAR chief tells officials SECRETARY Rosalinda Bistoyong of the Department of Agrarian Reform on Friday told agency officials to “do your assignments.”

She said top officials from the central, regional and provincial levels of the agency must perform their assignments, and that they will be held accountable for the accomplishments and failures in DAR’s performances on land tenure service, agrarian legal service, technical advisory support services, foreign-assisted and special projects office, and finance and administrative service.

Rio N. Araja

Don’t accept tasks from ‘third’ country, OFWs told THE Philippine Overseas Employment Administration warned Filipino workers from accepting offers of employment in Dubai, Mongolia, Turkey and Russia due to least ideal working condition and some jobs were non-existing.

The POEA received reports of Filipino household service workers in Hong Kong, Singapore and Cyprus who were lured into transferring to another country but later found out the conditions of employment to be least ideal or worse, the offered jobs does not exist.

The recruiters are mostly nationals of the third country who have Filipino partners in their illegal activities.

Vito Barcelo

Eco group asks Du30 to act vs air pollution AN ECOLOGICAL group appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to immediately rescue and protect Filipinos against the clear and present danger brought about by real threats of fatal air pollution.

They also included in their urgent appeal to Duterte issues involving poor working conditions and the poor occupational safety and health hazards protection that now exists in most industrial factories and manufacturing sites nationwide because it gravely impacts against human life.

Clean Air Philippines Movement Inc. president Manuel Galvez yesterday said “our government cannot anymore turn a blind eye on the real danger of air pollution to us all who breathe it daily. In a polluted air environment all of us without exception automatically becomes unwilling victims. Government must be decisive and must act now to save precious Filipino lives from deadly respiratory and cardiovascular diseases (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, cancer, heart attack, stroke and even sudden death) due to air pollution which incidentally also contributes to climate change.”

By Rey E. Requejo

NEW ROUTE. DPWH Secretary Mark Villar (3rd from right), DOTr Secretary Art Tugade (5th from right), Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano (4th from left), DFA Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano (3rd from left), ex-Senator Pia Cayetano (2nd from left) and BCDA president Vince Dizon on Friday, Oct. 27, 2017, formally opened the Laguna Lake expressway phase 2, a 4.5-kilometer highway that will cut the travel time from Bicutan to Taytay, Rizal from one hour to 30 minutes. Norman Cruz

‘MRT 3 equipment stolen, replaced with fake parts’

By Maricel V. Cruz

A

PARTY-LIST lawmaker on Friday exposed another irregularity hounding the Metro Rail Transit 3.

Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles revealed that out of the 73 MRT3 cars, only one is equipped with the original Vehicle Logic Unit.

The VLU serves as the “brain” and the primary automatic safety device for MRT 3 Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) while the rest have been pilfered and were replaced with “chopsuey” and unauthorized parts.

MRT3 maintenance was originally handled by the Japanese firm Sumitomo but when the Aquino administration took over, the maintenance was

taken over by PH -TramsCB&T for six months, then by Global EpcomApt, followed by Global E p C o m - S B I - C B & T, Nograles said.

Although these companies and joint ventures have different names, Nograles noted that alleged Liberal Party political operator Marlo dela Cruz was among the top incorporators. And while Dela Cruz was no longer involved as incorporator under BURI, his company Diamond Pearl had become its VLU supplier.

“After Sumitomo,

different companies took over maintenance before BURI. Strangely, all these companies had Marlo dela Cruz as one of the top incorporators and when BURI took over, he became BURI’s supplier. To me, this is highly anomalous and it appears that all these contracts have been manipulated to favor Dela Cruz,” Nograles, a deputy majority leader, said.

“Is it a coincidence that the VLUs were surreptitiously taken off the MRT3 cars and replaced with fake ones and Marlo dela Cruz suddenly becomes the VLU supplier?

“Marlo dela Cruz should stop ignoring our summons for him to explain his role on this MRT3 maintenance contracts. I will definitely move to have him arrested if he fails to appear in the next hearing,” Nograles said.

Nograles said all but one of the original

“Bombardier” VLUs which were previously installed on each MRT3 car have been removed and were replaced with unauthorized and mismatched or mixed VLUs. But at a congressional hearing earlier conducted by the House committee on good government and public accountability, headed by Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, Busan Universal Rail Inc. spokesperson and lawyer Charles Mercado denied reports they replaced MRT3 VLUs with unauthorized units.

But Mercado lied, Nograles alleged. He said based on documents he obtained, only car number 63 is still equipped with the proprietary VLU manufactured by the Canadian firm Bombardier Transportation Signal Ltd. which has been designed

especially for MRT3.

“It turns out BURI’s lawyer and spokesman Atty.

Charles Mercado is lying through his teeth when he claimed that the VLUs installed in the MRT3 cars are all original parts and no replacement has been made of these very important safety devices. It turns out that except for one car, all other cars have fake VLUs. I think that he should cited for contempt for lying under oath,” Nograles said.

In a memorandum submitted by MRT3 Engineers led by Jowelito Barco to MRT3 chief engineer Oscar Bongon, it showed that based on an inventory conducted on all of the 73 MRT3 cars, it showed that except for car number 63, all other 72 LRV units are equipped with either ABB, ABB-DaimlerBenz or Daimler Chrysler VLUs and not Bombardier.

2 ex-cops, active cop who kidnapped trader killed

By Francisco Tuyay AN ACTIVE policeman, two dismissed operatives and a civilian allegedly involved in the kidnapping of a wealthy businessman were killed in an encounter with authorities Friday morning in Cavite province.

Sr. Supt. Glenn Dumlao, director of the PNP AntiKidnapping Group, identified the slain members of the notorious kidnap for ransom syndicate as PO3 Rodel Estonactoc, 41, the supposed gang leader; PO1

Ramil Espejo, 38, PO1 Rolando Albios and civilian asset Erwin Escobido, also known as Taba.

Dumlao said that the suspects were involved in the kidnapping of Carlos Tan, a casino junket operator at Resorts World Manila in Pasay City last Oct. 21.

He said that PO3 Estonactoc, a resident of 994 Broadway Street, Brgy Kristong Hari, Quezon City is an active member of the Quezon City Police District while the two rookie cops

had been dismissed from the service.

Dumlao said the killing of the suspects occurred after AKG operatives led by Supt. Arthur Masongsong intercepted the Mitsubishi Adventure being driven by the suspects while cruising along San Lazaro Road, Sitio Ulong Tubig, Brgy Mabuhay in Carmona town at about 4:10 a.m.

However, when the AKG tried to stop the vehicle, the suspects fled prompting the operatives to chased them and upon

reaching the said area a shootout ensued which led to the killing of the suspects on the spot.

Hours after Tan was snatched, the suspects immediately demanded P50-million ransom for the victim’s freedom. The family negotiated to bring the ransom money down to P10 million, but only P5 million were given, prompting the kidnappers to kill the victim on the eve of Oct. 21.

The suspects decided to free the driver of Tan at the vicinity of Tagaytay early

dawn of Oct. 22.

The driver, whose identity was withheld, said minutes after he was released by the suspects, he heard two gunshots.

Immediately thereafter, the family of the victim reported the said incident to the PNP AKG which conducted a manhunt against the suspects.

The dead body of the victim was recovered at a lower portion of the Tagaytay City ridge with bite markings from a native reptile commonly known as “bayawak.”

JV wants probe vs CAAP on buildings near airports SENATOR JV Ejercito wants the Senate to investigate officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines for allowing the construction of buildings that obstruct flight paths.

“I will file a resolution to investigate because it has happened, not once, but thrice,” said Ejercito, vice chairman of the Senate committee on public services.

He was referring to the almost-finished Aeon Tower in Davao City, which is reportedly standing directly on the flight path of aircrafts landing or taking off from the Davao International Airport.

There were reports that Mayor Sara Duterte has threatened not to allow the Aeon Towers building in

Davao City to operate unless the developer complies with the five-day deadline to remove the boom cranes obstructing air traffic.

This is not the first time.

Cypress Towers along C5 was the cause of diversions when the ILS (instrument landing system) of Runway 24 of Naia was non-operational, so many diversions to Clark,” Ejercito said.

Ejercito said the CAAP also allowed the construction of a private hangar at the end of the runway of the Clark International Airport, which was used as an alternative landing site of aircraft diverted from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport when its Instrument Landing System was not operational.

FLOWERS FOR THE SEASON. A woman arranges an assortment of flowers in a stall

selling different kinds of flowers and blooms at the Dangwa flower market in Sampaloc, Manila in preparation for the celebration of All Saints’ Day. Lino Santos

THE Department of Justice has submitted for resolution the case involving the controversial death of Grade 11 student Kian Loyd delos Santos after the panel of prosecutors concluded its preliminary investigation.

Associate Prosecution Attorney 2 Moises Acayan, a member of the DoJ’s prosecution panel, revealed that the case has been submitted for resolution.

“Hopefully, the resolution will be released on the second week of November by the prosecution panel,” Acayan stressed.

He said the resolution will be forwarded for approval to Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon and Acting Prosecutor Jorge Catalan.

The panel conducted the preliminary investigation over the criminal complaints filed by Kian’s parents—Saldy and Lorenza—and the National Bureau of Investigation against 16 policemen who have been named as respondents in the case.

Four policemen were initially named as respondents, namely, dismissed Caloocan City Police Community Precinct 7 commander Chief Inspector Ameor Cerillo, PO 3 Arnel Oares, PO1 Jerwin Cruz and PO1 Jeremias Pereda.

The Public Attorney’s Office, which represented Kian’s parents as legal counsel, later on included 12 more names, namely that of PO2 Arnel Canezares, PO2 Diony Corpuz, PO2 Fernan Cano, PO1 Reynaldo Dan Blanco Jr., PO1 Silverio Garcia Jr., PO1 Ronald Herrera, PO1 Myrldon Yagi, PO1 Christian Joy Aguilar, PO1 Ceferino Paculan, PO1 JRossillini Lorenzo, PO1 Erwin Romeroso and PO1 Ferdinand Claro.

Bam files bill protecting reservists’ employment

By Macon Araneta A SENATOR has filed a measure seeking to protect the employment rights of members of the reserve force of our Armed Forces of the Philippines when they render military service for the country.

“The measure aims to ensure that reservists will be reinstated to their civilian careers by the end of their required military service, whether for training or deployment purposes,” said Senator Bam Aquino in his Senate Bill No 1607 or the Reservist Employment Rights Act. Under Aquino’s measure, reservists shall be entitled to their original position, or to a substantially equivalent position, without loss of seniority rights, and diminution of pay.

“This bill also ensures that companies cannot require reservists to use their standard leave credits entitled them for absences, for the military service they are required to render,” he added.

During the Marawi siege, around two battalions from the reserve command were mobilized alongside the regular soldiers of the AFP to fight the terrorists who held the city under siege for five months.

Aquino said some of the reservists temporarily left their jobs behind when they were mobilized to Marawi City.

A4

Opinion

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

‘No good’

W live?

Adelle Chua, Editor

HY is it that we seem to take greater offense when it is a foreigner making observations about us or the way we

A recent example was the comment of Chinese businessman Jack Ma about our Internet connection here.

We have always known that internet speeds in the Philippines are not quite up to par with other countries’ —despite the fact that we are one of the most active, at times vociferous, users of social media.

For so long we have en-

dured this inconvenience.

After all, we did not have a choice. Neither the two big telecommunication providers nor the government seems to grasp the urgency of the matter. We’ve been getting by, anyway. We continue to patronize their products despite the pitiful speed, high cost and lousy service.

But when Ma said the connection here was “no good,”

his words made headlines.

Have not millions of consumers been saying this all along?

And then there is the predisposition to reject the opinion of the rest of the world—except, perhaps, Russia’s and China’s— about how we conduct our domestic affairs. The pushback ranges from defensive to downright rude. We are an independent nation, our officials cry out, and how dare they meddle into what is happening here.

We completely ignore any

constructive value or valid points the observations may have.

The rejection of external opinion has been so venomous that often we have had to take a backward steps and mumble the diplomatic equivalent of the disclaimer “joke lang!”

The same goes for popular culture. Our people and some of our personalities have been depicted as undesirable, stupid or hilarious, and we have always responded on the side of excess—protesting, striking

back, demanding an apology, all the while taking ourselves too seriously.

It’s misplaced pride or errant nationalism, perhaps, that makes us automatically pay more attention to what other nations say about us.

Reacting thus we lose the opportunity to see that they are outsiders, precisely, with a more detached and objective view of what is happening here.

We ourselves should be our harshest and most effective critics. Unfortunately we keep forgetting that.

BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN

A divisive move to beatify Cory Aquino THE clamor by zealots in the Catholic Church to secure the canonization of former President Corazon Aquino as the third saint in this God-forsaken land is damn serious to be taken as a joke. Maybe it is exhilarating for the blind fanatics but definitely an insult to people in what President Duterte would say that not even a whiff was felt of what she accomplished during her tumultuous reign.

This column has no objection to the desire of this motley group to elevate Cory as saint. It is part of their freedom of belief—that for us to object is to violate their freedom which they will never understand that

The idea would ignite the fires of hell right in our own backyard.

‘Bastos dignitaries’ POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO IS IT too much to expect proper decorum from this administration’s officials?

Are good manners and right conduct dead?

The country has again been put to shame in the international stage by two high-ranking government “dignitaries”—Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar, and Chief Presidential Legal Adviser Salvador Panelo.

On Oct. 23, Andanar spoke in front of overseas Filipino workers in London and slammed European organizations critical of the Duterte administration’s human rights abuses. He

called them “palaiyot,” a Visayan term that refers to sex-starved or sex-crazed people. He also said that these EU groups are just full of noise but are not able to show actual results from what they do.

Andanar drew flak from netizens and opposition legislators over these remarks unbecoming of a representative of the country. He later justified his crassness by saying that those comments were made among Duterte supporters, and were said in jest. In short, “joke lang.”

Panelo, on the other hand, also got into trouble for injecting sexual jokes during an interview with Karin Wenger of the Swiss National Public Radio and Filipina journalist Ana Santos. From the transcripts of the interview, it appeared that Panelo, besides saying

that he is “better in bed,” also used the word “f*ck” several times.

As expected, people were aghast at the vulgarity of Panelo’s words during an interview that was supposed to tackle the very serious issue of this administration’s war on drugs.

It is an oxymoron.

Some think that this was a tactic on his part to deviate from the interview’s topic.

Panelo’s so-called “jokes” did not help the government any. Wenger said: “If a guy like that, who talks like that, is the legal adviser of the president… it tells a lot about the nature of this

government.”

In response, Panelo denied that he used the word “f*ck” in the interview. He said it was “pack” to refer to his packing of is clothes because he travels a lot.

Moreover, “better in bed” meant he is good at fixing his bed and not a lewd remark, according to him.

Panelo accused Wenger and Santos of intentionally changing “pack” to “f*ck” to suit their anti-administration agenda.

The audio of pertinent parts of the interview has since been released. I listened to it and what I heard was “f*ck” not “pack” several times. Wenger even clarified when she asked, “F*ck your clothes?” and Panelo responded with, “You didn’t get the joke?

I wanted you to laugh.” If indeed he was misquoted, he should have corrected it

then and there.

This was a case of another uncalled for, inappropriate, crass, and sexist “joke” from an official tasked with advising the president on important legal matters.

Vulgarity seems to be a distinct characteristic of this administration. It almost seems like a “style” that those holding positions like to publicly display, like Panelo’s fashion sense. The President himself is known to curse, cuss, and viciously rant against those critical of the way this government is managed, or mismanaged.

He was the first to include sexual innuendoes in his speeches. His spokespersons were the first to use the “joke only” line to rationalize his crass statements.

Government officials are debasing themselves, the country, and the Filipino

people because of their bad manners and wrong conduct. The actions of Andanar and Panelo have made the people cringe in humiliation. However, they have also angered many, thus, the criticism.

These officials represent the country and people.

They are supposed to be the face and voice of the people especially when they go out into the world. They must show the best of who and what the Filipino is.

They ought to be paragons of dignity and decorum.

They must exude honor and be respectable. Very sadly though, what actually happens is farthest from what is proper and expected.

Moreover, they should know that sexual innuendoes are not jokes. These are manifestations of their sexist attitudes that betray

once crossed could equally violate the boundary that separates the seculars from the ecclesiastics.

While I would not encourage the canonization of Cory Aquino, because I am sure she is not without sin, the implication is far ranging to create a deep cleavage in our society. Her beatification will divide our people: first, between believers and non-believers; second, between those who adhere to the strict separation of the Church and the State and those who adhere to the theocratic system of oneness of the two institutions; and third, between the Catholic Church against other religions. It will be an uphill battle for the Catholic Church against all religions.

The bigots do not realize that to elevate

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’Bastos...

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Cory Aquino as saint would ignite the fires of hell right in our own backyard. The backlash could be terrible that it will unevenly divide the Catholic Church against its own brethrens who are opposed to the idea of compelling them to venerate a woman they bitterly denounced after she made a mockery of our democratic electoral process by repacking her treasonous act as “people power.”

Some seculars may not directly oppose the canonization of Cory, but will on the ground that it would constitute a violation of Church and State separation. Her being the former leader venerated at the same

TOGETHER with Senior Justice Antonio Carpio, Justice Marvic Leonen registered his strong dissent to the majority opinion on the case of Senator Leila de Lima. He states that while he is not surprised by the majority vote, he nonetheless finds disturbing the unsettling of established doctrines, the misapplication of unrelated canons and failure of the majority to render a good judgment.

He argues that based on extant law and case law, the Sandiganbayan, not the respondent Regional Trial Court, has jurisdiction over the offense as charged in the Information. According to Leonen, the information alleged acts of petitioner during her tenure as Secretary of the Department of Justice. The acts she alleged to have committed are in relation to her office.

Jurisdiction over crimes committed by a Secretary of Justice in relation to his or her office is explicit, unambiguous and specifically granted to the Sandiganbayan by law contrary to

the majority who relied on Section 90 of Republic Act No. 9165 which only authorizes the Supreme Court to designate among Regional Trial Courts special courts for drug offenses. None of these provisions explicitly states that only the Regional Trial Court has exclusive and original jurisdiction over drug offenses. It merely implies that the Regional Trial Court has jurisdiction over the drug offenses.

Further, Leonen also opines that the issuance of the Warrant of Arrest was unconstitutional because the Respondent Regional Trial Court Judge Juanita Guerrero did not conduct the required personal examination of the witnesses and other pieces of evidence against the accused to determine probable cause. She only examined the documents presented by the prosecution which is not enough considering (a) the crime charged was not clear, (b) the prosecution relied on convicted prisoners; and (c) the sworn statements of the convicted prisoners did not appear to harmonize with each other.

To Leonen, the charge of “Conspiracy to Commit Illegal Drug Trading” is nonexistent. He points out that

illegal trading, for which petitioner is being charged, does not only require the identities of the buyer and seller but also requires the identity of the broker and the essential element in all violations of Republic Act No. 9165 is the dangerous drug itself. The failure to identify the corpus delicti in the Information would render it defective.

As a result of the lack of jurisdiction, the RTC committed grave abuse of discretion in determining probable cause and in issuing the warrant of arrest.

On this point he explains that the complexity of this case should have led respondent judge to actually conduct a physical hearing, call the witnesses, and ask probing questions. After all, even Justices of this Court were left bewildered by what was charged, leaving this Court divided between Direct Bribery, Illegal Trading, or even Illegal Trafficking.

Moreover, he adds, assuming that the RTC had jurisdiction over the offense charged in the Information and that the judge properly went through the preliminary investigation, still, the evidence presented by the prosecution does not actu-

ally prove that there was probable cause to charge petitioner with conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading or illegal drug trading.

The testimonies of the convicts of the New Bilibid Prison who have not personally appeared before the Department of Justice but were merely presented to the House of Representatives during a hearing in aid of legislation were fraught with inconsistencies. Moreover, the vindictive and oppressive manner by which petitioner was singled out and swiftly taken into custody is an exceptional circumstance that should have placed the courts on guard that a possible miscarriage of justice may occur. According to Leonen, it is clear by their actuations and pronouncements that the President, the Secretary of Justice, and the Solicitor General were already convinced that petitioner should be prosecuted even before a preliminary investigation could be conducted.

Leonen also digresses from the opinion by the majority in that he believes petitioner did not violate the rule on forum shopping since a question of lack of jurisdiction may be raised at any stage of the proceed-

ing. To support his argument he stresses that because of the novelty of the issue presented, a direct recourse to this Court despite the pendency of the same action in the trial court should be allowed.

As to petitioner’s lack of signature in the verification, Leonen has this to say: No one is questioning petitioner’s identification or signature in the Petition. No one alleges that she falsified her signature in the Petition or that the notary public was unauthorized to notarize the Petition. The evil sought to be prevented by the defective verification, therefore, is not present in this case.

Finally, Leonen makes an impassioned appeal for justice, asking the Court not to waver when rights are clearly violated. It is from the courage of the Court’s position and the clarity in our (the Court’s) words that empowers our people to find their voice even in the most hostile of environments.

The De Lima decision is disturbing, unsettling. But I am still hopeful the Court would find its way and reverse it on motion for reconsideration.

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The drug war must be won now

will be in position forever?

For those in government, they should be reminded that they are public servants. Their only power emanates from the people and positions are entrusted to them so they can serve. For their avid supporters, they should realize that they do not have any power. What they have now are crumbs of privileges that can be taken away anytime, and will be gone after their principals’ terms are over.

And as sure as the sun shines, their terms will be over.

“Bastos” dignitaries cannot be. The phrase is an oxymoron because being bastos is undignified. The people know this. People will continue to be mindful of public servants’ actions and words. We will continue to make them accountable. We will not tire demanding good manners and right conduct from those who represent us.

We cannot anymore suffer “bastos dignitaries.”

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte correctly identified the drug menace as the root cause of the ills of the nation.

Murders, rapes, theft and violence are, more often than not, committed by individuals who are hooked on drugs so badly, they have lost their fundamental sense of humanity.

The illicit drug trade yields so much money, its revenues are enough to corrupt lawmakers and law enforcers alike. When lawmakers and law enforcers themselves are the ones involved in the narcotics trade, the concept of law and order as civilized society knows it disintegrates.

Indeed, when drug syndicates buy protection from government officials and the police, they do so with very large sums of money—so large, indeed, that honest officials drawing a government salary will find it hard not to get tempted. Considering the high cost of living today, that is not far-fetched.

Several weeks ago, the news media reported a bungled attempt to smuggle P6.4 billion worth of narcotics from Communist China into the country through the Bureau of Customs. That the smuggling attempt was discovered and

exposed and the drug shipment (or part of it anyway) were confiscated is not the point. What is alarming is that the shipment actually got past our customs bureau!

Another unsettling example is the scandal that happened last year at the New Bilibid Prison, the national penitentiary.

Under the watch of then Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, and with what seems like her acquiescence, convicted drug lords doing time inside prison walls were having a such grand time while in detention that the word “penitentiary” is no longer descriptive of the prison.

The drug lords had spacious, air-conditioned living quarters, restaurant-catered food, and unlimited access to television, mobile phones, social media, and the Internet. They had facilities for private entertainment, and even a small gymnasium for their private use. The news media even reported that these high-end prisoners had regular access to firearms, narcotics, cash, and prostitutes.

Many prison guards, with the tacit consent of prison officials, served as waiters and errand boys for the drug lords.

The privileged status of the drug lords and their minions was possible because these organized criminals had so much money from the illicit drug trade that they could afford

circumventing even the prison system itself. Obviously, drug money can now subvert the very concept of punishment for one’s crimes, and undermine the saying that “crime does not pay.”

Good grief! Drug dealers enjoy a life of privilege whether inside the pen or out of it. That’s a winwin situation for organized crime!

When he assumed the presidency, President Duterte lived up to his campaign promise.

He launched an all-out war against the drug menace, and his efforts proved so effective that junkies surrendered en masse. Even government officials and police figures identified

by Malacañang for alleged involvement in the drug trade submitted themselves to police authorities for investigation. A large drug rehabilitation facility was established out of town for the thousands of drug users who sought rehabilitation.

One interesting result in Duterte’s anti-drug offensive is the admission by many government officials that they are into the drug habit. Quezon City Councilor Hero Bautista, a brother of Mayor Herbert Bautista, publicly admitted his drug dependence and has gone on leave for rehabilitation. How that drug habit escaped the attention of the city mayor remains unexplained by city hall.

By focusing his attention

on fighting the drug menace, President Duterte is saving the Philippines from the predicament of narcorepublics like Colombia.

Because the narcotics trade in Colombia was tolerated by past political regimes, the drug syndicate there led by the notorious Pablo Escobar practically ran the state at the turn of the century. The syndicate summarily eliminated enemies, whether those in the government or those within the syndicate itself.

Considering that known drug dealers lived in luxury, many of Colombia’s youths aspired to join the syndicate, even as two-bit or marginal pushers in order to taste the good life.

Nobody was interested in finishing college; one only needed a dogged sense of loyalty to the syndicate’s boss for one to enjoy a privileged status in Colombian society.

By the time Bogota decided to address the narcotics problem, it was too late. Escobar was firmly in place, and he used his illacquired wealth to keep the cops away. Although the combined efforts of Colombian and American operatives finally killed Escobar, the people of Colombia will take a long time to reconcile with life without narcotics—Escobar’s drug money, dole outs and donations in particular, had bought so much patronage in Colombian society that it was difficult for many Colombians

to even see Escobar as a criminal. For many, he was the godfather to run to for emergencies. Ironically, it was Escobar’s drug trade that made many Colombian citizens remain in abject poverty for decades.

Hopefully, the Philippines still has a chance not to go the way of Colombia.

That is only possible if the Filipino people fight the drug menace now.

Fortunately, President Duterte is doing something about it.

Unfortunately, there are sectors opposed to Duterte who will do anything to discredit the President, even it means undermining his anti-drug campaign.

Stragglers in the Liberal Party led by the purported vice president, Leni Robredo, have joined forces with opinionated church leaders and noisy scarecrows of the moribund local communist movement in denouncing the deaths that occurred in the aftermath of the anti-drug campaign. They simply refuse to accept that in any war, there will always be unwanted casualties. They conveniently, however, fail to mention the numerous families and lives permanently destroyed by drug pushers and drug addicts.

Hopefully, President Duterte will ignore these senseless noisemakers and continue his relentless campaign against narcotics. It’s either that, or the Colombian example for this country.

time as saint is odd because respect for her as former President is different from their veneration of her as saint. There will be a cascading cry for the removal of her picture, statute, icon or anything that represents her in public buildings, offices and plazas, and insist that they be placed only in places or edifices owned by the Church.

Secular historians would insist on writing her name in our history only in relation to her role as former president. That could heighten tension not only between Catholics and nonCatholics but also between believers and non-believers who would consider her as another icon of demagoguery promoted by the elite and the clerics.

Should people start demanding the removal of all things

representing her, it could effectively pull down her so-called “iconic” status as a freedom-loving woman.

Instead of reverence, contempt will overshadow her image.

Her position in our history will be unique because we have a saint who was not so saintly and a President who was equally not so honest.

In contrast, mundane believers would prefer to judge her based on what she has accomplished during her presidency and they cannot be punished for not venerating her as saint much that the right to believe also guarantees their right not to believe.

In turn, the Church will be looked upon as antipeople that could cause further rift among us. Even devout but open–minded Catholics will feel indig-

nant about being forced to swallow one they could hardly digest. Priests and nuns will be made to answer their demagoguery about her as the purveyor of wisdom while this country continues to sink deeper into the morass of poverty and squalor.

It will open the old wound much that the secularists will argue that the Church does not contribute a centavo to the coffers of the government, yet it exerts influence to dictate on its policies. It remains fresh to the minds of many that the Church was an accomplice in the commission of massive electoral fraud that nullified their mandate for the candidate they voted for Vice President.

The law enforcing authorities would be hard pressed analyzing whether

the people’s disrespect for Cory stems from their denial of her as saint or for their disagreement to her administration. One must bear in mind that a state that declares itself secular means it does not favor any religion or is against a particular religion in contrast to a Marxist socialist ideology which declares materialism (or atheism) as the core doctrine of their ideology.

Making Cory Aquino a saint could open the gates to eternal conflict never before witnessed in our country. One must not forget that all wars that are rooted on religion are characterized as wars of attrition because they aim for the annihilation of the unbelievers and heretics. There is no room for compromise.

Since faith is central to the core of the conflict, it

gives little value to sovereignty but in establishing a theocratic state as what the Catholic Church did during the Medieval Age. Once Cory is canonized, it would be unavoidable for the government not to spend taxpayer’s money to renovating places as shrines in her honor and that could trigger deep resentment. The practice could lead to the promotion of personality cult or in creating an image of her as demigod. This could now become the starting point of a bitter conflict between the Catholic Church and other religious organizations, including the non-believers, except for our wayward Communist Party and their front organizations that opted to align with the reactionary Church that propagated

the bogus idea of Liberation Theology to deceive the people with materialist outlook.

Even if Cory cannot be faulted for this possible rupture in our society, people can never forgive the clerics for igniting the eternal flames of religious strife. The people know, as is anyone does, that politics and religion can never mix. They can never synthesize her dual status as former President and at the same time a saint to be venerated. The seculars know that man could only be immortalized by his good deeds which are totally different from the ecclesiastics who preoccupy themselves in saving a man’s soul which could only happen after death.

their low regard for women in general. This is power play. Sex “jokes” are usually done to rattle and degrade women, to put them in their “proper place.”

These officials feel entitled and privileged, able to do and say anything they want without regard for the repercussions of their words and actions.

The brazen actions of the top “leadership” of the country make it appear that being crass is acceptable. No wonder, those below them, including their avid supporters mimic what they do. Just read the posts of Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson, Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, as well as the pro-Duterte bloggers. They all disregard propriety and manners. I have never seen an administration that brings out the worst in people except this one.

These public officials’ and their minion’s arrobethangsioco@gmail. gance is unmatched. Are com @bethangsioco they drunk with power? on Twitter Elizabeth AngDo they think that they sioco on Facebook

A divisive...

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

A disturbing, unsettling decision

Smartphones have changed the world, but they still don’t belong to school OF ALL the places where a mobile phone does not belong—at the dinner table, near a steering wheel, in the hands of a president before 8 a.m.—close to the top of the list is in the classroom. In the last five years, however, many large school districts in the US have lifted their restrictions on smartphones. They’ll come to regret it.

Research shows that mere proximity to smartphones contributes to sloppy work, reduced concentration and lower problem-solving capacity. (Phones also facilitate cheating.) College students who don’t bring their mobile phones to class score a full grade higher than those who do. A study of 91 high schools in the UK found that students in schools that imposed strict limits on mobile phones saw test scores improve by 6.4 percent of a standard deviation—and improvement was highest among low-achievers.

If keeping mobile phones out of the classroom has such obvious benefits, why do they remain ubiquitous? One reason is inertia: At least three-quarters of American teens own a smart phone, and educators, like parents, have concluded that it’s futile to try to police texting, Snapchatting and whatever-else-ing kids do on their phones nowadays.

Some teachers also argue that smart phones can be used as learning tools, and may even help schools save on technology procurement costs. And mass-casualty school shootings have spurred parents to insist that kids have access to their phones in case of emergencies.

Certainly parents need to know whether their children are safe during a crisis. But mobile phones can impede school safety rather than enhance it, by overloading cellular networks and contributing to the spread of misinformation. That’s not to mention the role mobile phones play in cyber-bullying and gang activity on school grounds—even when they’re forbidden in classrooms.

Schools that decide not to prohibit students from bringing their phones to school can still find ways to limit their use. They can require students to deposit their phones in lockers for the duration of the school day, for example —and enforce penalties for unauthorized use. They can also provide incentives to encourage students to stay off their phones, similar to a gaming app that rewards teens for not looking at their phones while driving. To allay parents’ anxieties about being unable to reach their kids, school districts should develop communications plans to provide reliable information to parents in a crisis.

It almost goes without saying that, just as surely as they once passed notes in class (does anyone still do that?) kids will find a way around the rules. Schools are perfectly free to acknowledge the difficulty of the challenge they face. What they cannot and should not do is surrender to it.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2017

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

rpkapunan@gmail.com

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

News

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2017 A6 Standard Manila

TODAY mst.daydesk@gmail.com

5,300 cops in NCR for ‘Undas’ A

ROUND 5,300 personnel from the National Capital Region Police Office will be deployed to secure the public during the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day next week, NCRPO chief Director Oscar Albayalde said.

Albayalde said there would be “skeletal deployment starting Sunday and full deployment on Monday. More or less 5,300

would be deployed apart from the 1,900 barangay tanods who would be helping us as well as the civilian volunteers.”

Albayalde and Quezon City Police District head Chief Supt.

Guillermo Eleazar inspected bus terminals, malls, and the LRT station in Cubao in the run up to the long vacation, with thousands going to their respective provinces north and south of the capital.

Albayalde said they were assuming a high threat level, especially in Metro Manila where

almost 16 million of the 106million population of the country live, as the public remember their departed loved ones and with the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit next month.

“The threat level is notches higher and we are assuming this level in Metro Manila because of the religious festivity and the summit of the 10-member Asean,”

he said in Filipino.

He added they had intensified their intelligence gathering.

In the meantime, police authorities said bus and ferry terminals in the capital region began to swell as early as Friday, with provincial commuters beginning their exodus to the provinces to mark All Saints’ Day in their hometowns.

In Metro Manila, some bus

For fast ad

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Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

Highway Phase 2 to link towns

results, please call

Advertising Department 832-5547

By Joel E. Zurbano

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Officer-In-Charge Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (MS-OCT. 28, 2017)

Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, P.O. Box 436, Manila, Philippines Tel. No. (0632) 527-8356, Fax. No. (0632) 527-4855 http://www.ppa.com.ph

OCTOBER 26, 2017 PPA MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 08 -2017 TO

DIFFERENT COLORS. A woman arranges collections of candles in her stall where she sells candles with different colors at the crowded Manila North Cemetery in preparation for the celebration of All Saints‘ Day Wednesday next week. Lino Santos

: The Port Manager PMO-Batangas Asian Terminals Inc. All Shipping Companies & Agents Other Port Users Concerned

SUBJECT : Approved Increase in Cargo Handling Charges for Foreign Containerized Cargoes at the Batangas Container Terminal, Phase II ------------------------------------------------------------------------------Pursuant to Board Resolution No. 2654, a cargo handling rate increase of nine percent (9%) for foreign containerized cargoes handled at the Batangas Container Terminal, Phase II, Port of Batangas is hereby approved.

This Circular shall take effect 30 days after the completion of its publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

(SGD.) JAY DANIEL R. SANTIAGO General Manager (MS-OCT. 28, 2017)

Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE Roxas Boulevard Corner Pablo Ocampo, Sr. Street Manila 1004 Request foR expRession of inteRest foR tHe PROCUREMENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS (ISC) CONSULTANCY TEAM 1.

The Department of Finance (DOF), Government of the Philippines under the General Appropriations Act for CY 2017 intends to apply the sum of Fifty One Million Four Hundred Eight Thousand Four Hundred Sixty Seven Pesos and 77/100 (Php51,408,467.77) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for International Strategic Communications. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at the opening of the financial proposals.

2.

The Department of Finance (DOF) now calls for the submission of eligibility documents for International Strategic Communications. Eligibility documents of interested consultants must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat on or before November 6, 2017, 9:45 am at 8th Floor, Procurement Management Division, EDPC Bldg. cor. P. Ocampo Sr. St., Malate, Manila. Applications for eligibility will be evaluated based on a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion.

3.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Department of Finance (DOF) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

4.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on October 28, 2017 from the address below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of Twenty Six Thousand Pesos (Php26,000.00).

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

5.

The SBAC shall draw up the short list of consultants from those who have submitted Expression of Interest, including the eligibility documents, and have been determined as eligible in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”, and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). The short list shall consist of at least one (1) prospective bidder who will be entitled to submit bids. The criteria and rating system for short listing are: I. Applicable Experience II. Qualification of Personnel III. Job Capacity Total

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the IRR of RA 9184.

6.

The Department of Finance (DOF) shall evaluate bids using the Quality-Cost Based Evaluation (QCBE) procedure. The Department of Finance (DOF) shall indicate the weights to be allocated for the Technical and Financial Proposals.

The criteria and rating system for the evaluation of bids shall be provided in the Instructions to Bidders.

7.

The contract shall be completed within twelve (12) months.

8.

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

9.

For further information, please refer to: Ms. Liceria A. Te BAC Secretariat Procurement Management Division 8th Floor EDPC Building, BSP Complex Cor. P. Ocampo Sr., Street Roxas Boulevard, Manila Telefax No.: 526-4786 (SGD) GIL S. BELTRAN Undersecretary and BAC Chairman

1.

Equivalent in Philippine pesos of US$700,000 plus applicable taxes and expense; based on BSP Exchange Rate as of October 26, 2017:Php51.718

(MS-OCT. 28, 2017)

UN reps tour migratory bird sanctuary

By Macon Ramos-Araneta UNITED Nations delegates pushing for conservation of wildlife species toured Friday the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area, the only migratory bird sanctuary in Metro Manila.

Speaking during the 12th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on the Consevation of Migratory Species, UN Environment Program Deputy Executive Director Ibrahim Thiaw cited the need to protect the country’s ecosystem since it serves as foundation of its economy.

Thiaw said the move would help bring in more tourists and generate wider employment.

CMD executive director Bradnee Chambers called for the formulation of internal guidelines on the protection of wildlife species.

Senator Cytnhia A. Villar, Senate environment committee chairperson, had the tour for the foreign delegates and were given the chance to watch birds at the Wetland Park along Manila Bay. Villar presented to the delegates the conservation efforts at the wetland park, including the facilities that now make visiting the park more convenient.

“After successfully protecting this area from various threats, including reclamation, we are now working to letting other people see and experience its natural biodiversity as an eco-tourism destination,” Villar said.

“What we have done is a good working example of how biodiversity protection and conservation of landscapes/seascapes can help communities protect their source of livelihood as well as secure homes from the threat of

massive flooding and typhoon surge,” she added.

A visitors’ area built through the Villar family is now in place. It serves as a drop-off point and gathering area of people visiting the park.

In partnership with the Department of Tourism, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau, park facilities such as museum, training center, board walk and bird hides will soon be built.

“We envision it to be the premiere learning environment for urban wetlands in the Philippines.

We are doing our best also to make it a model of sustainable eco-tourism and a living model of environment that will encourage people to be more aware and involved in the protection of migratory species and critical habitats,” Villar said.

IN TOUCH.

Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas talks with one of his constituents during the celebration recently of his birthday anniversary when he launched projects at his Novaliches District Office.

- 60% - 30% - 10% 100%

The minimum passing score is eighty percent (80%).

terminals have indicated they would bring in additional buses to accommodate passengers, but stopped short of saying how many buses exactly they would bring in to help ferry passengers.

Other bus terminals in Manila were starting to be similarly crowded, with “walk-in passengers” flocking there for a chance ride to their home provinces.

THE city government of Taguig on Friday announced the opening of Laguna Lake Highway Phase 2 linking the towns of Rizal province to the eastern corridor of Metro Manila.

The project, along the areas surrounding Laguna de Bay, covers the construction and widening of bridges, improvement and widening of existing asphalt road, a bike lane, and a pedestrian sidewalk.

Mayor Laarni Cayetano said the completion of the road project would now shorten the one-hour travel time of motorists from Bicutan, Taguig City to Taytay, Rizal into 30 minutes.

Apart from Cayetano, the formal opening was also attended by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Public Works and Highways chief Mark Villar, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, and Bases Conversion and Development Authority president Vivencio Dizon.

The opening coincided with the launching of the first stretch of new bicycle lanes at the Hagonoy Pumping Station, also in Taguig City.

The 3.2-kilometer additional 2-lane road from Napindan to M.L. Quezon Avenue was built under Phase I and Phase II of the Highway Project worth P512 million.

“This newly opened highway is part of a road network that we are building to ease congestion in this particular area and provide a barrier that would prevent back f low of water coming from the Laguna de Bay going to industrial and residential areas in Metro Manila,” said Villar.

The structures for pedestrians are integrated in the road projects to ensure inclusive mobility not just of motorists, but also bikers and pedestrians.

The Laguna Lake Highway Project covers the construction and widening of two bridges, improvement and concreting of existing dilapidated asphalt road, with provision of additional two lanes, and construction of 2-meter wide planting strips, 3-meter bike lane, and 1.5-meter sidewalk.

The road serve as an alternate route of motorists to avoid the congested Epifanio delos Santos Avenue and Circumferential Road 5.

QC solon marks milestone with projects, meets constituents WITH much appreciation and gratitude, Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas recently celebrated his 38th birthday in District 5 with projects for his constituents.

The weeklong celebration kicked off last Oct. 23 with the gathering of his supporters, allies, city officials and fellow lawmakers at the Novaliches District Office.

“I would like to take the opportunity not just

to celebrate my birthday, but our success in making District 5 a livable, productive and sustainable place,” he said in a press statement.

On the actual date of his birthday, Oct. 24, Vargas, his family, Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, friends and supporters attended a Thanksgiving Mass at the Good Shepherd Cathedral in Barangay Fairview, followed by another fellowship with various civic

organizations.

Vargas is the president of the Quezon City Capitol Jaycees.

He vowed to deliver more projects, such as the P10-million infrastructure project in barangays Nagkaisang Nayon, Capri and some other areas in District 5, and to give his best as a legislator.

According to Vargas, he was able to introduce and author 17 House bills enacted into

laws, such as Republic Act 10906 or the AntiMail Order Spouse Act and RA 10645 or the Mandatory Philippine Health Corp. Insurance Coverage for All Senior Citizens.

Among the completed infrastructure projects of Vargas were the rehabilitation of the Tullahan River, construction of 14 school buildings, 41 covered courts, four footbridges, 32 multipur-

pose buildings, 14 school buildings and three barangay halls.

In 2017 alone, over 5,000 patients benef ited from the lawmaker’s medical assistance.

His office also facilitated assistance for 2,000 students from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, 1,300 Tesda scholars and hundreds of applicants to avail of the job opportunities.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports Pirates, Maroons prevail in Milcu tilt THE University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, the Lyceum Pirates and De Ocampo Memorial College turned back their respective foes over the weekend to stay in the lead of the 25-under action of the Milcu Sports Basketball presents Got Skills Premier League at the Lyceum gym in Intramuros.

Akhuetie Bright and Kenneth Villaruaz topscored for 19 points as the Fighting Maroons turned back La Salle, 55-36, to stay in the solo lead with their 10-1 win-loss record.

Ken Soriano shot 17 points as the Pirates demolished La Salle, 79-50, to improve at 8-3 in the 14team seniors’ bracket.

Jonard Clarito made 19 points for DOMC as it won over Letran, 81-75.

Miguel Oczon tallied 32 points as the National University Bullpups-A prevailed over the National University Bulldogs-B, 82-79.

Darrell Caranguian led with 14 points for DOMC as it won over Technological Institute of the Philippines, 64-56.

Renato Ular starred with 11 points in Letran’s 69-42 win over La Salle.

In the 19-under semifinals, La Salle-Zobel whipped Far Eastern University, 48-43, with Prince Carlos making 14 points.

In the 17-under side, Adrian Custodio chipped in 14 points in La SalleZobel’s 73-54 outplaying of Trinity.

Chan, Shin set pace in NGAP golf AIDRIC Chan posted a huge five-stroke lead over Luis Castro with a three-under 68 despite a final hole mishap while Korean Shin Seo Yun took charge with a 73 in the women’s side at the start of the 2017 NGAP Northern Luzon Regional Golf Championship at the Beverly Place Golf Club in Mexico, Pampanga yesterday.

Chan looked headed to a dominant start after sustaining a near-impeccable twounder 32 with three birdies at the back. But the 16-yearold Ateneo student missed posting a bigger lead with a double-bogey after driving out-of-bounds on the closing par-5 No. 18 of the par-71 layout.

But with the rest failing to tame the short, flat bunker-laden course, Chan stormed ahead of the pack in the Elite amateur division with Castro falling behind by five despite gaining three strokes with a birdie on No. 18 for a 73.

Best Center deadline for listup today LAST day of enrollment for the Saturday-only classes of the pioneering Best Center basketball clinics will be on Saturday.

Student applicants will still be accepted at the Ateneo College Covered Courts from 8 to 11 a.m., for Preparatory Level, Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The clinics sponsored

by Milo will then shift to Xavier School from 1 to 4:30 p.m. for Preparatory Level, Levels 1, 2 and 3.

The Best Center, supported by Rain or Shine, Chris Sports and SKLZ, lists among its top graduates Thirdy Ravena, Michael and Matt Nieto, Anton Asistio, and Aaron Black, to name a few.

A7

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Momentum on Astros’ side

H

OUSTON—Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts vowed resiliency after an emotional defeat while the Houston Astros try to carry over World Series momentum as baseball’s championship showdown shifts to Texas.

The Astros rallied from a three-run deficit for an 11-inning 7-6 road victory to level Major League Baseball’s best-of-seven final at 1-1 entering Thursday’s game three at Houston, where the Astros have yet to lose in the playoffs.

“We’re upbeat. And still focused,” Roberts said. “We knew that it was going to be a really great series. So focus is probably the word. It’s not

down. It’s not disappointed.

There’s definitely no feeling sorry for ourselves. I think it’s still a very focused group.”

Dodgers right-handed pitcher Yu Darvish will start against Houston right-hander Lance McCullers as both clubs try to put the tensionpacked thriller behind them.

“It was an incredible game.

It was just fun to be a part of,” said Astros third baseman Alex Bregman. “It gave us

a little bit of momentum and we’re happy to be home.”

Astros manager A.J. Hinch will happily claim momentum after finally finding their batting touch against solid Dodgers’ pitching.

“We’re coming off one of the most epic baseball games in any of our careers, so that feels good. I think our guys are ready,” Hinch said.

“If we lost I would have said no. Since we won, I’d say absolutely, this will be a big swing... You literally are at the momentum of the next game. It’s 1-1, it doesn’t mean anything is decided. Tomorrow is a huge game.”

Roberts has stressed fighting back for a Dodgers team

that won the most games in the major leagues this season.

“It’s just part of who we are,” Roberts said. “We haven’t been in a 1-1 situation, but you look at a season, there’s a lot of stressful situations where your back’s against the wall, where you have to bow your neck and fight. And that’s just who we are.

“Yeah, last night hurt. We turned the page. We’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”

Darvish is 4-1 at Houston since 2013 with their American League west division rivals the Texas Rangers, who traded the Japanese ace to the Dodgers in July.

“Momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher,” Rob-

erts said. “We expect Yu to spit out a good one tomorrow and we’re going to kind of follow his lead.

“Yu is going to pitch well and we expect to win.”

McCullers has taken an emotional boost from the game-two Houston win, the first World Series triumph in Astros history.

“Our guys showed a lot of heart. Showed we were a relentless group,” McCullers said. “I’m excited. I feel really good. And I just have to continue to stick with my plan and stay in the moment.

“I go out there and I stay on the attack. I’m very confident in myself.”

- An electric atmosphere -

A slight chance of rain has players hoping their stadium’s retractable roof will be closed, creating a more intense atmosphere for players and spectators alike.

“We want it closed. We’ve got to have it closed. I feel the electricity when it’s closed is so much better,” Astros pitcher Chris Devenski said.

“We love playing here.

We have so much excitement being here and the electricity and the vibe. And I feel like we feed off of it.”

Added Hinch: “It’s quite an environment when we play under the roof. Our fans get going. It was one of the loudest stadiums the last series. I expect it to be the same.” AFP

Stakeholders welcome ITF intervention SOME of the Philippine tennis stakeholders, led by Jean Henri Lhuillier, can now heave a sigh of relief after the International Tennis Federation announced its non-recognition of the presidency of Atty. Antonio Cablitas and demanded the troubled association and its board of trustees to clean up their act or face possible sanctions.

No less than ITF president David Haggerty sent a letter to PHILTA and Philippine Olympic Committee officials expressing disappointment and concern over the leadership row that has negatively affected the growth and development of local tennis.

Lhuillier, along with fellow PHILTA Board members Randy Villanueva, Julito Villanueva and Gerard Maronilla were the ones who exposed the issues inside PHILTA, foremost of which were its being very exclusive and lacking in programs.

A leading and long-time patron of the sport, Lhuillier welcomes the decision of the ITF to finally intervene in the infighting.

“We have been demanding for PHILTA officials to make improvements in running the association because it has already derailed the development of tennis in the country for so long,” said Lhuillier.

On Oct. 20, the ITF sent a letter to PHILTA and POC officials expressing its “disappointment on the events that have destabilized the governance of tennis in the Philippines” as it demanded the association to submit, until Nov. 15, a list of current members, qualifications and criteria for membership and a clear plan of action for how PHILTA intends to make changes to expand the representation of its membership.

PHILRACOM RACE HORSE TRAINERS’ ACADEMY. For the first time in history, the Philippine Racing Commission is professionalizing horse-training via the Philracom Philippine Race Horse Trainers’ Academy, which produced 21 graduates recently, topped by the only woman in the roster in Dra. Mary Grace Sandoval (center), the Valedictorian, who got an academy-best 81.89 grade and received the Chairman’s Award. Joining Sandoval in the honor roll are Salutatorian Benedicto Jose Lorenzo (78.65), Royland Mendoza (75.92), Manuel Alvarez Jr. (75.28) and Danilo Tombado (75.12), who all received the Commissioner’s Award. The graduates are (standing from left) William Sabate, Mendoza, Jose Bernardo Cabaylo, Jonathan Sordan, Julius King Natividad, Wally Manalo, Manuelito Mamucod, Tombado, Zaldy Pinental, Renato Leona, Jed Christopher Francisco, Alvarez Jr., Jayson Sordan, (seated from left) Romeo Matias, Edwardson Viloria, Dewey Santos, Edgardo Lumpay, Dra. Sandoval, Lorenzo, Mark Anthony Vazquez and Joey Inocencio.

Pablo battles former teammates in All-Star MYLA Pablo braces for a competitive but friendly duel with former National U teammates Risa Sato, Aiko Urdas and Jasmine Nabor as they head their respective squads in the first Premier Volleyball League AllStar Game tomorrow (Sunday) at the FilOil Flying V Center in San Juan.

Pablo, who helped power NU to the crown in the defunct V-League in 2015, is the lone former NU player in the White

squad slugging it out with Team Red in the exhibition match put up by the PVL to thank its fans and backers for a successful year-long staging of the country’s premier league.

The Pocari Sweat spearhead will be joined by Creamline ace playmaker Jia Morado, Isa Molde of UP, Nicole Tiamzon and Sue Roces of Perlas Banko, Air Force’s Joy Cases, Pocari’s Jeanette Panaga, Gyzelle Sy, Elaine Kasilag and Melissa Go-

hing, Bea de Leon of Ateneo and Creamline’s Pau Soriano.

Sato, Urdas and Nabor, on the other hand, will be backed up by BaliPure teammates Jerilli Malabanan and Alyssa Eroa along with UP’s Diana Carlos, Creamline’s Aurea Racraquin, Perlas Banko’s Kathy Bersola, Amy Ahomiro and Jem Ferrer.

The match is set at 6 p.m.

Also on tap is the men’s AllStar at 3:30 p.m. with former four-time UAAP MVP Marck

Espejo and top setter Ish Polvorosa reuniting with former Ateneo teammates Rex Intal and Ysay Marasigan for the Blue team against the Yellow squad led by Edwin Tolentino, Fauzi Ismail, Ranran Abdilla, Kim Malabungan and Rodolfo Labrador.

The All-Star also includes an autograph signing and photo ops with the volley stars at 1:30 p.m. for ringside and lower box ticket holders.

Graft Busters vow to intensify training

By Nathanielle Punay

Ombudsman’s Francis Palacio (right) elevates for a layup during the Graft Busters’ game against the the DA Food Masters at the Pasig City Sports Center.

AFTER losing to the Department of Agriculture Food Masters last Sunday, Ombudsman Head Coach Richard Alcantara promises to strengthen up the Graft Busters for their 2 p.m. Sunday match against the National Housing Authority Builders in the UNTV Cup at the Pasig City Sports Center.

“Our team has good potential, even though most are lawyers. But the potential I see as a team is on defense,” said Alcantara, who is confident that the team can still make a good run in the League of Public Servants.

He also said that the Graft Busters will be spending more time preparing for the match.

“Maybe, we will dou-

Games Sunday

(Pasig City Sports Center) 2 p.m. NHA vs. Ombudsman 3:30 p.m. Judiciary vs. DOJ 5 p.m. DOH vs. BFP

ble our efforts,” he added.

“First, our consistency, defense, then our offense. We are still not composed, we all need to be in one place.”

Alcantara also said that the attendance of the players is another challenge for them

to deal with.

“So far, we didn’t have a practice where all players are present,” said Alcantara.

The Graft Busters have a 0-2 record.

In other games, Judiciary takes on the Department of Justice at 3:30 p.m. while the Department of Healthy battles Bureau of Fire Protection at 5 p.m.

SOLANE COMMUNITY SERVICE INITIATIVES.

Solane, the country’s leading LPG solutions provider, recently held its first basketball cup tournament at the Balabag basketball court in Boracay, aptly named the Solane Boracay Cup. The event aimed to promote camaraderie and sportsmanship in a competitive and friendly game, while encouraging a healthy lifestyle among its employees. The basketball tournament is also part of Solane’s corporate social responsibility program, which seeks to help provide educational materials and school equipment to public schools. Winners in the tournament donated their prizes (which included audio visual equipment, school supplies package, and tables and chairs package) to schools within the community.

Present during the event were (from left) Isla LPG Corporation or ILC account manager Kyle Yulo, ILC general manager for sales Tonito Gonzalez, Marianing and Sons president Marlon Julius Lao, ILC CEO Ruben Domingo, Marianing and Sons operations manager Jose Joaquin Mayor, ILC marketing manager Valeri Villano, and ILC regional sales manager for Visayas and Mindanao Rene Gamba.

San Beda-Taytay, Arandia score in Brotherhood caging SAN Beda College-Taytay frontliner Prince Alao ignited a scorching thirdquarter run to outgun De La Salle-Zobel ,87-64, in the curtain raiser of the 13-under School Division of the Manila Brotherhood Basketball League Association

League Inc. at the Trinity University of Asia Gym in Quezon City.

Alao’s all-around performance netted him 24 points, half of them from a thirdquarter blitz supported by JR Lopez with 21 points en route to its opening victory in the

league organized by MBBLAI founding president Erick Kirong of Macway Travel, along with Chairman Joseph Ronquillo, VP Ray Alao, directors DM Bradley and Nats Manarang and supported by Cocolife.

Arandia College pulled

off an upset victory over San Beda College-Mendiola in the 19-under category, 54-46.

Johnlon Llarvez and Ehm Zee Babasa combined forces for Paranaque dribblers to snap every attempt of the Mendiolabased cagers to steal the game that went Arandia’s way.

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

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

A8

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2017

Sports

Griffin basket powers Clippers past Blazers

Los Angeles Clippers players Blake Griffin (32) and Patrick Beverley (21) celebrate after Griffin converted the game winning shot against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 26, 2017 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. AFP

Stags trounce Bombers

By Peter Atencio

T

HE San Sebastian Stags relied on their outside shooting and presence under the boards in the second and third quarters to trounce the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers, 85-73, yesterday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Regille Ilagan unloaded 15 of 21 points in the second part allowing the Stags to take command at halftime, and move a win closer to the second finals slot in the 93rd National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) stepladder semifinal playoffs.

Ilagan, who connected on

five of seven three-point attempts, unloaded a couple of treys in the last 59 seconds of the second half, allowing the Stags to claim a 41-34 halftime edge.

Allyn Bulanadi had 13 points with Michael Calisaan, with his rebound and threepoint play with 6:49 to go,

sending the Stags to an eight point lead, 49-41.

Calisaan, who had eight rebounds, struck with nine points in the third during a decisive 22-0 blast that handed the Stags a 71-43 spread with seven ticks left.

“Dinala namin sa sipag, bilis at hustle. And that is what happened in the third quarter,” said Stags coach Egay Macaraya as they get ready to meet no. 2 San Beda on Nov. 7.

Jed Mendoza made 20 points for JRU. In the junior division, Will Gozum made his imposing presence felt in the closings minutes, with his big plays

propelling the defending champion Malayan Red Robins to the finals with an 82-80 win over the Letran Squires.

La Salle Greenhills banked on a season-high 17 triples, Joel Cagulangan’s 27 points and Inand Fornillos inside plays to stop the second seed San Beda Red Cubs, 83-72, and force a rubber match for the second finals slot.

The 6’5” Gozum sank a game-high 24 points, with his two baskets underneath and defensive play off Neil Tolentino handing the Red Robins their second straight championship appearance.

Gozum’s layup off Carl Lacap’s pass in the remaining

48.2 seconds lifted the Red Robins who took the lead for good, 79-78.

After Lacap intercepted a Neil Guarino’s pass, Gozum scored on a putback off Lacap’s miss in the last 14.4 seconds to give the Red Robins a threepoint cushion, 81-78 Gozum then got an unsportsmanlike foul in his effort to stop Tolentino underneath in the last two seconds.

As Mike Enriquez knocked in one charity off Lakksman Ganapathy’s fifth foul, 82-78, in the same play, the Squires bungled a chance to keep up when they managed to convert only one of three charity tries.

Taguinod, Eugenio take home more gold medals

By Randy Caluag VIGAN, Ilocos Sur—Swimmer Jalil Taguinod and archer Bryan Amir Eugenio capped their week-long brilliance with another golden feat in their respective fields to end their dominant stint in the Luzon Leg of Batang Pinoy with five gold medals each.

Taguinod of Santiago, Isabela again dominated his favorite breaststroke

event, topping the boys 12-under for his fifth gold at the pool of the Elpidio Quirino Stadium here.

The sixth-grader at Infant Jesus Montessori School earlier won the 12-under 50-meter and 200m breaststrokes, 50m backstroke and the 200m individual medley.

Tarlac Province’s Bryan Amir Eugenio copped the gold in the 1440 Olympic Round Mixed to add up to his

victories in the 20 meter, 40m, 50m events and team division.

Archery also churned out a young heroine in Maria Karylle Pangilinan who won four gold medals for her Magalang, Pampanga team with triumphs in the 50m, 60m, 40m and the 1,440 Olympic Round events.

Two more athletes were going for five-gold medal feats in the penultimate day of this multi-event meet organized by the Philippine Sports Commission for

PSL resumes at Filoil Flying V Centre today ACTION-packed battles explode as unbeaten teams Petron and Foton tackle separate foes when the Chooks to Go-Philippine Superliga (PSL) formally goes full blast today (Saturday) at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

The Blaze Spikers collide with rival Cignal at 6:30 p.m. following the collision between Foton and darkhorse Cocolife in the 4:30 p.m. first encounter of this prestigious club tourney bankrolled by Cignal, Mikasa, Senoh, Mueller, Grand Sport, Rebisco, Island Rose, Cloudfone, UCPB Gen and Asics.

But before that, the season-ending conference lights up its opening salvo with no less than United States women’s volleyball team head coach Karch Kiraly joining PSL president Ramon Suzara and PSL chairman Philip Ella Juico in declaring the games open.

A three-time Olympic gold medalist and member of the elite FIVB Hall of Fame, Kiraly will also min-

Games Today

(Filoil Flying V Centre) 4 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies 4:30 p.m. – Cocolife vs Foton 6:30 p.m. – Cignal vs Petron

gle with fans in a meet and greet session right after the opening ceremonies.

Kiraly yesterday (Friday) stressed that the Filipinos have the heart and passion to drive the country soon in international volleyball.

“I don’t think you have to be the tallest, the highest jumpers or the most powerful to be a great volleyball team,” said Kiraly moments before holding a coaching clinic exclusively for PSL coaches.

Opening-day festivities will be aired live over ESPN5, the league’s official broadcast partner.

Petron will have the chance to keep its momentum.

After clobbering Generika-Ayala in the opener, the Blaze Spikers ran over Sta. Lucia Realty in four sets to collect their second victory.

Chung, Belingon square off at MOA

Phoenix taps Alas as new coach

By Jeric Lopez WHILE everyone’s attention is focused on the fiery PBA Governors’ Cup Finals and the upcoming Draft, the Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters quietly made a move in hopes of turning its fortunes around in the Philippine Basketball Association next season.

The Fuel Masters yesterday appointed veteran mentor Louie Alas as their new head coach.

Alas will take the place of Phoenix’s first mentor Ariel Vanguardia, who will part ways with the team after a mediocre run for over a season.

The former Letran head coach will be taking his talents from Alaska to Phoenix to take on a lead role this time around.

Alas has spent the last five years being an assistant and deputy coach for the Aces where he helped the team in its 2013 Commissioner’s Cup title romp.

Along with Alas, Topex Robinson will also be on board for Phoenix as he will serve as the team’s associate coach and top assistant.

athletes 15years old and below.

In athletics, Jason Jabol Dasmarinas won his fourth gold medal following his conquest of the 15-under boys’ 200-meter run.

Coming from a poor family in Bicol and playing out of Dasmariñas, Cavite, Jabol earlier bagged gold medals in the 15-under boys’ long jump, 200m and 4x100m relay. He was to go for his fifth in the 4x400 meter late afternoon.

LOS ANGELES—Blake Griffin hit a three-pointer on the buzzer as the Los Angeles Clippers maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 104-103 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday.

The Clippers’ first road win of the 2017 campaign came after Griffin made a quick dribble and shot from just outside the arc to silence the crowd at Portland’s Moda Center.

It capped a superb night for Griffin, one of five Clippers players to break double-digits in a fine all-round offensive display.

Griffin finished with 25 points while Center DeAndre Jordan made 18 rebounds alongside seven points.

“Honestly, I was just trying to get two (points),” Griffin said of his game-winning the final play.

“I was looking to see if we could get something easy or a quick layup. I was just trying to get a clean shot. But as time ticked away, I just didn’t think I could get to the rim in time. I just kind of took what was there.”

Blazers guard Damian Lillard led the home team’s scoring with 25 points, while guard CJ McCollum added 23, and forward Al-Farouq Aminu 19.

The Clippers moved to 4-0 with the win as the Blazers fell to 3-2.

Elsewhere Thursday, Kyrie Irving and Al Horford propelled the Boston Celtics to their third straight victory with a 96-89 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Horford scored 27 points while Irving chipped in with 24 as Boston improved to 3-2 in the Eastern Conference to climb to sixth place.

Together Horford and Irving went 21-for-32 from the floor but their efforts masked another poor display overall by the Celtics’ offense.

Milwaukee talisman Giannis Antetokounmpo meanwhile was held to fewer than 30 points for the first time this season, but still weighed in with 28 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. AFP

Kevin Chung (right) connects with a kick to the head of opponent Zong Qingya during ONE Championship bout won by Chung. ONE Championship

KEVIN “Old Boy” Chung gets an opportunity to establish himself as one of the premier bantamweights under ONE Championship when he battles world title contender Filipino Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon on the undercard of ONE: Legends of the World at the 20,000-seater SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines on November 10, 2017.

“I am super excited to visit the Philippines and put on a show. I know I am in his backyard, but I have no pressure on me like I did when I competed locally. It is going to be

Eagles stake unbeaten record against Warriors WITH the Ateneo Blue Eagles’ bench playing better every time, the Loyola dribblers are expected to get past the University of the East Warriors when they meet at 2 p.m. today at the Mall of Arena.

The Blue Eagles, who have earned the first seeding in the Final Four, will try to stay unbeaten after 11 games in the 80th University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament.

“We are up against a fast and athletic team. We have our work cut out for us,” said Ateneo coach Sandy

Games today

(at the MOA Arena) 2 p.m. UE vs Ateneo 4 p.m. FEU vs UP

Arespacochaga.

The Blue Eagles are coming off a 70-59 win over the Far Eastern University Tamaraws.

And they are banking on how main man Thirdy Ravena will blend well with second unit players like Gian Mamuyac, Tyler Tio and Jolo Mendoza.

“Very good effort, when Thirdy slows down a player, Gian comes in to equal his

defense. When they deny Tyler and Jolo their shots, Mamu (Mamuyac) comes and breaks the defense,” said Arespacochaga.

The Warriors have a 3-8 win-loss slate, and trying to stay in contention.

They are smarting from a 78-99 loss to the defending champion La Salle Green Archers.

Later, Far Eastern University (5-5) clashes with the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons at 4 p.m.

They are smarting from a 59-70 setback they suffered from Ateneo. Peter Atencio

a wild night,” Chung said.

The 24-year-old Korean-American standout kicked off the main card of ONE: Light of a Nation with an exciting performance, defeating Chinese grappling ace Zhong Qing Ya via second-round technical knockout in their catchweight contest.

Chung got the job done in the second round, where he landed crisp punches and kicks from side control, and when Zhong turtled up, “Old Boy” took advantage of the position and delivered a pair of knees to the head.

It was all over from there as veteran referee Yuji Shimada stepped in and called a halt to the bout to award the stoppage victory to Chung.

With a professional record of 16-5, Belingon is known as a fierce competitor with the ability to finish opponents in a variety of methods.

Moreover, the 29-yearold Baguio City native owns seven huge knockouts on his resume and is one of the most feared strikers in ONE Championship’s deep bantamweight division.

Although a mere glance at their records

shows a sizeable gap in experience between the two bantamweights, Chung is confident in his own talent.

“To the common eye, it may be a mismatch on paper due to records and experience. But I am confident in my skills and feel like this is my time.

Anything can happen, and I have the skills to finish him,” he stated.

Chung believes that great risks result to great rewards as a decisive win over Belingon could instantly catapult him into a championship clash with division kingpin Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes.

Brady, Patriots try to pull away LOS ANGELES—Tom Brady has called on the New England Patriots to step on the accelerator this weekend as they aim to speed away from their rivals in an unusually crowded AFC East divisional race.

The Patriots could reach the halfway stage of the season sitting pretty with a 6-2 record if they are able to halt a resurgent Los Angeles Chargers in Sunday’s home game at Gillette Stadium.

So far this season, the Patriots have been a shadow of their usual dominant selves, crashing to defeats against Kansas City and Carolina while looking less than impressive in scratchy wins over Tampa Bay and the New York Jets.

However a clinical 23-7 demolition

of Atlanta on Sunday in a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl has given the Patriots a fresh jolt of momentum as they prepare for their final game before a bye week.

Brady, the five-time Super Bowl champion, challenged the Patriots to close out the first half of the season on a winning note.

“We’re close to the midway point; this is when we really have to hit the accelerator,” he told reporters. “That’s what the good teams do. To get to 6-2 would be huge for this team.

“Knowing that this is the last game before that (the bye week), you want to finish on a high note and you want to go in feeling really good about what you’ve done,” Brady added. AFP

Holcim spending P2.7b for expansionB2

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2017

B1

DOTr clears SMC’s airport bid

By Darwin G. Amojelar

S

AN Miguel Corp. has obtained an original proponent status from the government to build a P700-billion new international airport in the north of Manila.

“A formal proposal was submitted to us and we have gone over the proposal, the completeness of the proposal and by end of last week, we have forwarded the proposal to Neda [National Economic and Development Authority] for final evaluation,” Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade said during an aviation forum in Makati.

Tugade said the agency granted original

proponent status to San Miguel to construct an airport with at least four runways and covering 2,000 hectares in Bulacan towns near Manila Bay. He described the proposed international airport

by San Miguel as “viable.”

Tugade added the government was still awaiting the proposal of All-Asia Resources and Reclamation Corp., a consortium led by retail tycoon Henry Sy Sr. and the Tieng family to build a new international airport in Sangley Point, Cavite.

“We are made to understand that there are certain private party ready and willing to invest in Sangley to make it into another international airport. I await their submission,” he said.

ARRC plans to reclaim 2,500 hectares at Sangley Point. The company expects to complete the reclamation in 12 months.

The new airport would be designed to have a capacity of 50 million to 100 million passengers for completion in five years.

“In other words, the approach is multiple airports. The condition for these new airports that are coming in, we told them, please respect the three conditionalities, which we would like to be recognized,” Tugade said.

“Number one, when you put those airports, be sure there is no government guarantees and assure us there would be no government subsidies and do not make it a matter of contractual commitment for us to transfer airplanes already moving in existing airports to transfer it to airports which you would like to put up,” he said.

Tugade also said Clark airport would be developed and the new terminals would be put in

Meralco posts core net profit of P15.4b

NEW AFREIGHT WAREHOUSE.

Officers of the AFreight Philippines Inc. lead the groundbreaking ceremony of the company’s new warehouse in Sucat, Parañaque on October 7, 2017. The modern warehouse will serve as the central and distribution center for the handling of cargo, mostly balikbayan boxes, from the company’s overseas facilities in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia and Italy.

Leading the ceremony are (from left) engineers Amador Barrameda and Edmund Nario, AFreight Group president Brian Belen, API managing director Alfonso Santiago, API vice president Luzviminda Bañas, API VP Rochelle Apego and API operations staff Resalyn Rebaldo.

By Alena Mae S. Flores

BoI approves P35.4b worth of renewable energy projects

By Othel V. Campos THE Board of Investments approved four renewable energy projects with combined investments of P35.4 billion to address the power requirements of an infrastructure buildup program until 2022.

The projects qualified for incentives through Renewable Energy Act No. 9513, which is under the Special Laws List of the 2017 Investment Priorities Plan.

“Since the ongoing infra-

place.

“The new terminals will be put in place. We hope we can start construction at the earliest, by the end of this year and at the latest, by the first quarter of next year. And then, we try to develop and improve existing gateways,” he said.

State-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority is currently bidding out the development of a P12.55-billion new passenger terminal in Clark International Airport in Pampanga province.

The project aims to construct a new passenger terminal building and accommodate 8 million passengers per annum and build and install all required associated facilities, both landside and airside, to support the operations of the new terminal. The construction period is between 2017 and 2020.

structure program involves construction and modernization of airports, building of more roads, railroads and transport networks all over the country, demand for power continues to go up. In the long run, additional power is also needed to usher the growth of other industries as they undergo their own expansion and modernization,” said Trade Undersecretary and BoI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo.

VS Gripal Power Corp. will get government support

for its P777-million biomass power plant in Nueva Ecija.

The other three are the P4.74-billion wind power project of Currimao Solar Energy Corp. in Camarines Norte; the P14.6-billion Talim wind power project in Rizal; and the P15.3-billion Calatagan wind project in Batangas.

The VS Gripal project involves the development, construction and operation of a 6-megawatt biomass power plant in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija. Using rice husk

as feedstock, the generated electricity is expected to be traded in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market at competitive prices. Commercial operation is scheduled to start on December 2019 with 25 employees.

Currimao’s 50.4-MW Talisay Wind Power Project will be located on a 162-hectare area straddling the municipalities of Labo, Vinzons and Talisay in the province of Camarines Norte. The plant will use 14 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 3.6 MW.

Meanwhile, the Talim and Calatagan wind power projects have a capacity of 151.2 MW each.

The projects will be located on a 162 hectare-area in different locations. The Talim project situated between Binangonan and Cardona towns of Rizal, while that of Calatagan lies between Calatagan and Nasugbu towns in Batangas. Both sites will have 42 wind turbines with a capacity of 3.6 MW each once commercial operations start by September 2020.

IN BRIEF Cemex’s profit falls 63% to P688m CEMENT manufacturer Cemex Holdings Philippines Inc. said Friday net income in the first nine months of the year fell 63 percent to P688 million from P1.88 billion year-on-year on lower prices and volume.

Cemex said in a disclosure to the stock exchange net sales in the first three quarters of the year dropped 13 percent to P16.56 billion from P19 billion a year ago.

The company, however, kept its cost nearly flat at P9.45 billion.

“Cemex remains committed to delivering the best building materials in the market today. The company is working hard to strengthen its position and continue being the trusted partner in building the nation. We are optimistic that our customer-centric approach will drive growth for our business. Cemex is deeply committed to its customers, stakeholders, and investors,” Cemex president and chief executive Ignacio Mijares said.

Net income in the third quarter decreased 79 percent to P202 million from P983 million in the same quarter a year ago, while net sales dipped 11 percent P5.5 billion.

The company said it started to see signs of recovery as the domestic cement volume in the third quarter of the year increased by two percent on a pick-up in public and private sector spending.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Investments healthy—Dominguez FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III downplayed the concerns of some quarters over the supposed drastic drop in the flow of foreign direct investments in the country, citing the recent “healthy” $2.3-billion capital infusion by two global companies in the manufacturing and energy sectors.

Dominguez said those pointing to the alleged drop in FDIs failed to present the complete picture, omitting reinvestments that should have been included in assessing FDI data. “(These quarters have) not captured the entire data, and reinvestments by foreign companies in the Philippines have actually been quite healthy,” Dominguez said at a recent forum on the Philippine economy in Washington DC. He cited two recent new FDIs—the $1 billion investment by Japan Tobacco International in acquiring the assets of cigarette manufacturer Mighty Corp., and the separate $1.3-billion deal between Energy Development Corp. and a consortium of foreign investors backed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets and Arran Investment Pte. Ltd., an affiliate of Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC. Dominguez said investor confidence was boosted by such initiatives as the higher public spending on infrastructure and other priority programs, tax reform, and trimming of the Foreign Negative Investment List. Julito G. Rada

150M PASSENGERS. Cebu Pacific marks another milestone after reaching 150 million

passengers flown since starting operations in 1996. The 150 millionth passenger, Alfredo Cruz (center), boarded Cebu Pacific flight 5J 397 from Manila to Cagayan de Oro on October 20, 2017.

Cruz received 150,000 points from GetGo, the lifestyle rewards program by Cebu Pacific. The points are equivalent to between 20 and 25 round trip flights on CEB. With Cruz are Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade (seventh from left) and CEB president and chief executive officer Lance Gokongwei, along with other officials from the government and the airline.

MANILA Electric Co. reported a consolidated core net income of P15.4 billion in the first nine months of 2017, up 3 percent from P15 billion year-on-year.

The country’s biggest power retail also registered a net income of P15.9 billion, up 2 percent a year ago.

“With only two months remaining in 2017, we are indicating a guidance on 2017 consolidated core net income to be a slight improvement over the amount reported in 2016,” Meralco chairman Manuel Pangilinan said.

Meralco reported a core net income of P19.6 billion in 2016 and a net profit of P19.2 billion.

Consolidated electricity revenues rose 10 percent to P208.8 billion in the nine-month period on higher generation charge resulting from the combined effects of coal, oil and gas and the depreciation of the peso.

Distribution revenues increased four percent to P44.7 billion, while consolidated non-electricity revenues stood at P5.5 billion, down 8 percent lower year-on-year.

“The guidance is it will be slight improvement. We can’t pinpoint the exact figure,” Meralco president Oscar Reyes said.

Meralco said the full-year income forecast would be affected by developments in the retail electricity supply and the company’s “business development mode.”

Sales volume grew four percent over the nine month period to 31,401 gigagwatt-hours despite a high base in 2016.

“Meralco’s 4 percent growth in energy sales volume, 5 percent expansion in customer base and three percent increase in consolidated core net income for the first nine months of 2017 are significant achievements, considering the high base in 2016,” Pangilinan said.

Residential volume increased 4 percent due to strong consumer confidence and new build, while commercial volumes grew more than four percent on healthy demand for offices spaces and the growing gaming operations.

Board excludes guaranteed loans from regulatory limits

By Julito G. Rada THE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, approved the exclusion of all loans guaranteed by multilateral financial institutions, where the Philippines is a member or shareholder, from the regulatory limits on banks’ loans to their subsidiaries and affiliates.

Bangko Sentral Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said in a statement Friday the move would “enable concerned banks to increase their loan budget available for high priority projects (such as infrastructure) that attract MFI guarantees.”

For the purpose of determining compliance with this policy, the Bangko Sentral considers International Finance Corp., the Asian Development Bank, and the Credit Guarantee and Investment Facility as multilateral financial institutions.

“This policy amendment aims to promote level-playing field for bank borrowers through consistent application of regulatory limits on credit. Under existing regulations, loans guaranteed by MFIs are excluded from the Single Borrower’s Limit and ceilings on a Director, Officer, Stockholder and their Related Interests,” Bangko Sentral said.

The amended regulations extended the exclusion to banks’ loans to subsidiaries and affiliates. The revisions aim to recognize that the mitigation of credit risk similarly applies to all MFI-guaranteed loans regardless of whether the borrower is a third party, DOSRI, or a subsidiary or affiliate of the bank.

State Bank of India re-opens PH representative office THE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, granted authority to State Bank of India to re-open its representative office in the Philippines that ceased operations a few years ago.

Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier said in a circular the local office would be known as State Bank of India-Manila Representative Office. It will serve as a liaison office of State Bank of India, which deals directly with the public.

Fonacier said its “function

shall be limited to promoting and providing information about the services and products offered by State Bank of India and will not include those of its affiliates.”

The State Bank of India-Manila Representative Office was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 19, 2017. The corresponding certificate of authority to operate as a representative office was issued by Bangko Sentral on July 6, 2017 and its operations started on Oct. 1, 2017.

State Bank of India is a

multinational, public sector banking and financial services company. It is a governmentowned corporation based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

On April 1, 2017, State Bank of India merged with five of its associate banks (State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala, and State Bank of Travancore) and Bharatiya Mahila Bank.

It was the first-ever largescale consolidation in the Indian banking industry. With the merger, State Bank of In-

dia was expected to enter the league of top 50 global banks with a balance sheet size of 33 trillion rupee, 278,000 employees, 420 million customers, and more than 24,000 branches and 59,000 ATMs. SBI’s market share will increase to 22 percent from 17 percent.

The bank has 198 offices in 37 countries and 301 correspondents in 72 countries.

The company is ranked 232nd on the Fortune Global 500 list of the world’s biggest corporations as of 2016.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, October 27, 2017

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

51.7410

Japan

Yen

0.008774

0.4540

UK

Pound

1.316200

68.1015

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128166

6.6314

Switzerland

Franc

1.002506

51.8707

Canada

Dollar

0.778513

40.2810

Singapore

Dollar

0.731636

37.8556

Australia

Dollar

0.766000

39.6336

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653928

137.3169

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266652

13.7968

Brunei

Dollar

0.728969

37.7176

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000074

0.0038

Thailand

Baht

0.030111

1.5580

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

14.0884

Euro

Euro

1.165100

60.2834

Korea

Won

0.000887

0.0459

China

Yuan

0.150523

7.7882

India

Rupee

0.015425

0.7981

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.236267

12.2247

New Zealand

Dollar

0.684200

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033098

35.4012 1.7125 Source: PDS Bridge

B2

Business

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market climbs; Ayala Land rises T HE stock market rose Friday in step with the rest of Asia on the back of a stronger US dollar and investor optimism over President Donald Trump’s long anticipated tax cuts.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 28.03 points, 0.3 percent, to 8,295.95 on a value turnover of P4.6 billion. Gainers and losers were even at 95 each, with 46 issues unchanged.

BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, climbed 2.2 percent to P138, while Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the second biggest bank, advanced 2.2 percent to P88.95.

Ayala Land Inc., a major property developer, gained 1.3 percent to P43.35, while DMCI Holdings Inc., which is into power generation, coal mining, water distribution and construction, rose 2.9 per-

cent to P15.68.

Bourses across the region, including the major indexes in Tokyo and Hong Kong, tracked an upward swing on Wall Street after a slew of solid US corporate earnings reports and progress on Trump’s tax reform plan.

The dollar shot up after the European Central Bank announced Thursday that it would soon begin to cut back its monetary stimulus program.

“That US dollar surge at a time of solid global growth expectations is going to be good for (Asia)... as the depreciation it speaks to for many Asian currencies will improve their competitiveness,” said Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader.

Tokyo rose 1.2 percent, bolstered by the yen’s weakness against the dollar, a positive for Japanese exporters as it makes their products more competitive abroad

and inflates their repatriated profits.

“Japanese stocks look bullish,” Hiroyasu Iida, head of the investment research center at Aizawa Securities in Tokyo, told Bloomberg News.

“Both in the US and Japan, companies will likely continue to have better earnings results. Good earnings results, the yen’s weakness and speculation over foreign investors’ purchases are fueling expectations over further gains in stocks.”

Among the gainers, Toyota rose 0.6 percent while Sony went up 0.2 percent.

But Subaru fell 2.6 percent on local media reports that uncertified employees have been inspecting vehicles at a domestic factory before they were shipped to dealers. The company declined to comment on the reports, saying an in-house probe was underway.

Hong Kong gained 0.7 percent, as the

stock exchange’s red-carpeted trading floor prepared to close, having ceded its historic role to electronic and internet dealing.

Seoul was up 0.6 percent while Singapore rose 0.5 percent. But Sydney edged down 0.2 percent.

Thursday’s ECB announcement that it would halve its purchases of government and corporate bonds to 30 billion euros ($35 billion) a month sent Eurozone equities soaring.

The advance continued on Friday in opening trade with London edging up 0.1 percent while Paris added 0.3 percent and Frankfurt climbed 0.4 percent.

On Wall Street, the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.3 percent Thursday following solid earnings reports including from Ford and UPS as well as congressional progress on Trump’s tax cut plan. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2017

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 4.76 23,000 59 1,410 98 655,410 3.9 11,000 138 1,425,130 2.3 530,000 33.6 95,600 15.88 3,100 32.05 2,113,500 0.65 13,000 1.7 16,000 0.65 2,268,000 88.95 1,639,810 0.81 45,000 57.9 101,550 242 3,980 101 2,480 90 40 59.05 622,070 252 180,560 1,915 185 86.9 4,480 1.26 598,000

109,780 81,987 63,772,733 42,540 194,669,830 1,224,770 3,204,520 48,232 67,895,400 8,450 27,220 1,517,150 142,987,087.50 36,450 5,898,947 960,790 254,711 3,600 37,209,585.50 45,423,302 355,775 389,598.50 755,490

-572 -33,781,621 -22,399,838 -11,500 680,955 1,590 -10,284,780 6,700 -45,333,050 -1,673,009 4,200 -8,452,985.50 -11,897,404 -47,875 -1,738 -

41.4 11.76 0.73 1.36 19.24 0.208 102.1 4.64 15.14 43.3 18.06 64 1.9 6.35 11.68 10.18 14.1 12.6 6.92 5.72 17.52 62.9 15.12 11.9 17.3 1.73 248.6 4 3.19 20.8 30 19.06 16.34 281.6 0.21 10.8 2.89 6.34 9.88 7.17 1.71 11.32 62.15 6.72 306.8 4.68 4.7 2.06 12.98 4.57 0.14 1.21 139.3 2.84 2.11 0.94

INDUSTRIAL 42 1,063,400 11.78 994,500 0.76 113,000 1.38 219,000 19.78 8,200 0.228 13,170,000 102.2 240 4.66 13,718,800 15.28 33,300 44.5 621,800 18.4 2,600 65 2,030 1.92 19,000 6.36 125,700 11.68 1,000 10.3 13,361,900 14.66 4,920,200 12.66 447,600 7.1 536,700 5.77 1,835,000 17.7 295,300 63 52,370 15.2 21,900 11.9 1,146,600 17.42 5,468,600 1.75 216,000 249.8 459,090 4.29 712,000 3.19 11,000 22.9 7,900 30.6 220,800 19.3 15,400 16.4 2,212,400 290 471,210 0.216 370,000 10.8 11,800 2.9 169,000 6.34 21,700 9.95 862,700 7.5 1,205,300 1.71 1,347,000 11.42 98,300 62.6 175,470 6.72 10,000 307 7,170 4.68 64,000 4.77 143,000 2.07 1,187,000 13.1 1,299,300 4.63 38,000 0.14 150,000 1.21 46,000 142 612,070 3.25 9,000 2.12 2,070,000 0.94 280,000

44,673,280 11,778,278 84,270 297,900 161,548 3,009,790 24,506 64,970,205 506,634 27,734,210 47,500 131,484 36,120 814,471 11,680 137,619,794 71,475,566 5,704,142 3,784,211 10,575,108 5,210,066 3,299,406 337,380 13,706,530 96,755,530 375,850 114,554,092 2,993,950 35,090 166,105 6,727,220 295,808 36,220,240 134,935,788(35 78,510 127,606 489,750 137,609 8,566,844 9,263,012 2,312,090 1,143,790 10,979,598.50 67,200 2,207,208 299,520 675,660 2,502,490 16,960,184 174,800 21,000 56,030 86,090,455 27,990 4,402,200 263,410

16,289,930 229,032 -115,000 1,589,932 -118,216 4,844,585 -24,628 -1,648,044 6,557,144 -3,107,386 -2,917,571 -220,723 571,500 -2,725,592 -9,072 2,907,218 -9,733,250 104,400 25,594,366 185,895 9,610 -16,821,022 ,727,783.9999) -330,670 -3,495,013 1,032,000 -123,360 -431,616 -2,204,140 -912,940 3,633,552 46,150 1,335,773 -9,750 1,514,830 -

0.345 74.9 15.88 1.1 7.09 0.46 0.47 1,030 8.5 15.9 7.55 1,157 7.75 76.2 5.7 5.37 0.83 5.99 17.96 6.74 0.055 1.58 2.11 2.72 104.6 2.58 947 1.44 299.4 0.27 0.215

0.335 72.55 15.06 1.04 7 0.435 0.44 1,010 8.42 15.3 7.54 1,133 7.75 74.3 5.09 5.37 0.8 5.7 17.46 6.64 0.052 1.51 2.09 2.61 102.5 2.58 931 1.43 291.2 0.265 0.215

HOLDING FIRMS 0.34 80,000 74.9 1,062,330 15.88 6,561,400 1.1 12,000 7.01 45,500 0.44 13,130,000 0.44 3,310,000 1,030 187,390 8.49 9,773,200 15.68 7,446,000 7.55 5,900 1,140 89,670 7.75 103,300 74.6 912,790 5.5 14,900 5.37 2,000 0.8 1,018,000 5.7 267,300 17.96 415,500 6.7 19,037,200 0.054 49,030,000 1.54 960,000 2.11 168,000 2.72 4,000 103 596,400 2.58 11,000 935 353,320 1.43 1,073,000 299 580 0.27 60,000 0.215 50,000

27,350 78,299,169 102,025,140 12,600 319,559 5,821,300 1,480,450 192,089,670 82,974,481 116,583,374 44,540 102,257,930 800,575 68,086,773 79,894 10,740 816,450 1,534,529 7,458,134 127,395,472 2,605,590 1,487,480 351,910 10,660 61,619,430 28,380 330,656,085 1,534,480 172,600 15,950 10,750

-36,046,973 20,265,380 84,049,760 3,499,942 20,266,508 3,020 -37,516,735 -45,147,684 -463,670 3,401,882 -1,407,343 -15,500 25,425,615 -175,631,740 35,874 -10,550 10,750

5.24 1.08 2.4 0.99 43.35 3.76 4.86 5.4 0.52 1.27 1.25 0.203 0.485 41.6 0.67 0.147 1.95 1.52 0.78

5.07 1.05 2.38 0.96 42 3.72 4.8 5.4 0.5 1.24 1.22 0.199 0.465 40.6 0.67 0.145 1.92 1.49 0.76

1,382,547 2,954,780 198,460 1,140,230 363,018,315 918,000 6,614,930 80,460 3,059,680 62,670 124,260 7,818,640 360,400 11,261,825 124,620 13,070 11,365,490 1,749,210 462,410

-31,048.00 -10,500 -84,000 -53,610 -136,866,435 -538,800 2,400,000 79,920 -596,880 -32,480 -604,065.00 11,600 1,382,770 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

4.85 57.05 96.75 3.86 135.1 2.21 33.8 15.2 31.05 0.65 1.71 0.65 87 0.81 58 240 106 90 60.05 252 1,930 87 1.28

4.85 59.65 98 3.9 138 2.4 33.8 15.9 32.6 0.65 1.71 0.68 88.95 0.81 58.2 242 106 90 61.9 253.8 1,930 87 1.28

4.76 57.05 96.6 3.86 133.6 2.21 33.5 15.2 31.05 0.65 1.7 0.65 86.3 0.81 57.9 240 100.1 90 59 250 1,915 86.9 1.25

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS ASIABEST GROUP BASIC ENERGY BOGO MEDELLIN CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION 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 LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL MACAY HLDG MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO MG HLDG PANASONIC PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHIL H2O PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP PUREFOODS RFM CORP ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH VULCAN INDL

42.1 11.98 0.76 1.38 19.88 0.209 102.1 4.9 15.3 44.9 18.06 64.8 1.9 6.35 11.68 10.34 14.96 13.2 7 5.75 17.62 63.5 15.52 12.18 18.32 1.76 250 4.12 3.19 20.8 30 19.3 16.34 285 0.21 11 2.9 6.35 9.99 7.17 1.72 11.6 62.7 6.72 308 4.68 4.72 2.16 12.98 4.6 0.14 1.22 139.3 2.84 2.12 0.95

42.45 11.98 0.76 1.38 19.98 0.235 102.2 4.9 15.3 44.9 18.4 65 1.92 6.52 11.68 10.34 14.96 13.2 7.1 5.77 17.7 63.5 15.52 12.18 18.5 1.76 250 4.29 3.19 22.9 30.6 19.3 16.44 290 0.216 11 2.91 6.35 9.99 8 1.72 11.7 62.7 6.72 308 4.68 4.77 2.16 13.28 4.63 0.14 1.22 142 3.25 2.15 0.95

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

0.345 74 15.36 1.1 7 0.46 0.465 1,018 8.49 15.3 7.54 1,141 7.75 75.8 5.09 5.37 0.83 5.99 17.9 6.67 0.055 1.51 2.09 2.61 102.8 2.58 947 1.44 292 0.265 0.215

8990 HLDG A BROWN 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 IRC PROP

5.07 1.07 2.38 0.97 42.45 3.72 4.86 5.4 0.52 1.24 1.22 0.202 0.465 40.6 0.67 0.145 1.95 1.5 0.78

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

4.16 5.29 0.32 0.37 0.55 6.96 28.05 25 1.81 3.12 35.75 1.01 0.86 5.88

4.16 5.32 0.32 0.385 0.58 6.96 28.05 25.4 1.82 3.14 35.8 1.03 0.86 5.98

4.16 5.25 0.31 0.365 0.53 6.63 28 24.85 1.81 3.1 35.55 1 0.86 5.82

4.16 5.32 0.315 0.37 0.54 6.81 28 25.2 1.82 3.11 35.7 1.03 0.86 5.98

1,000 12,118,400 21,920,000 4,490,000 29,405,000 2,036,400 600 1,455,400 479,000 41,000 2,616,100 208,000 3,000 1,799,500

4,160 64,158,847 6,949,000 1,661,800 16,325,100 13,732,086 16,815 36,633,265 867,010 127,470 93,390,635 211,330 2,580 10,691,265

32,416,737 -365,800 328,335 -8,931,400 555,670 31,040 -39,770,455 6,268,639

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA DFNN INC DISCOVERY WORLD EASYCALL 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

19.58 38.8 1.53 0.53 0.053 9.32 0.07 106.7 8.95 9.52 7.56 2.02 3.26 2,044 5.95 18.62 2.46 2.63 104.9 8.39 0.152 1.37 3.2 15.22 4.03 1.34 19.02 0.55 2.8 6.62 4.03 16.3 2.21 10.98 5.05 2.82 181 8.27 1,718 1.39 0.395 50.35 94.9 5.95 4.14 1.81 3.81 0.93 8.45

19.6 38.8 1.53 0.54 0.055 9.5 0.07 107.9 8.99 9.52 7.56 2.02 3.26 2,044 5.96 18.86 2.46 2.68 104.9 8.39 0.154 1.41 3.25 15.22 4.09 1.34 19.4 0.55 2.87 6.91 4.05 16.3 2.21 10.98 5.1 2.99 182 8.27 1,718 1.44 0.395 51.7 95 5.95 4.14 1.81 3.87 0.97 8.49

19.4 38.7 1.52 0.52 0.051 9.24 0.069 106.7 8.95 9.4 7.56 2.01 3.26 2,002 5.92 18.6 2.31 2.63 103.5 8.38 0.152 1.36 3.2 15.22 3.98 1.3 18.84 0.55 2.8 6.43 4.03 16.3 2.17 10.92 5.05 2.81 181 8.05 1,674 1.36 0.385 50.35 93.55 5.9 3.91 1.72 3.78 0.91 8.38

SERVICES 19.44 38.8 1.52 0.53 0.054 9.5 0.069 107 8.98 9.4 7.56 2.01 3.26 2,042 5.95 18.62 2.46 2.65 104 8.38 0.154 1.4 3.25 15.22 4 1.31 18.88 0.55 2.87 6.7 4.05 16.3 2.2 10.96 5.1 2.99 181 8.05 1,679 1.44 0.39 51 94.45 5.9 3.91 1.74 3.87 0.95 8.49

101,100 19,500 89,000 248,000 46,310,000 9,964,200 10,060,000 406,070 2,100 1,912,600 1,900 10,000 1,000 17,895 199,900 3,100 3,489,000 15,000 1,503,740 275,100 1,020,000 251,000 13,000 3,500 1,430,000 1,612,000 1,081,000 64,000 20,000 4,142,700 777,000 200 863,000 11,500 22,400 967,000 150 527,900 75,075 17,099,000 340,000 1,869,530 825,860 7,900 1,996,000 25,553,000 815,000 22,844,000 2,358,300

1,972,886 755,980 135,430 130,700 2,450,880 93,748,049 696,300 43,443,100 18,865 18,073,828 14,364 20,120 3,260 36,321,220 1,187,555 57,738 8,380,870 39,740 156,314,590 2,307,588 155,950 345,570 41,750 53,270 5,726,670 2,107,710 20,516,082 35,200 57,330 27,392,525 3,132,160 3,260 1,886,550 125,910 113,225 2,717,480 27,220 4,283,553 126,467,105 24,382,800 132,750 95,176,433 78,009,850.50 46,985 7,856,010 44,638,840 3,111,110 21,545,710 19,918,631

195,600 -160,760 27,637,256 36,783.00 651,770 -25,640 -9,225,383 -187,290.00 -2,529,246 -498,743 -44,350 50,500 3,640 -3,152,536 -50,950,645 -3,514,220 -4,382,794 -15,051,238 -908,190 1,919,730 679,700 -50,800 10,857,720

ABRA MINING APEX MINING ATLAS MINING ATOK BENGUET B CENTURY PEAK 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

0.0024 1.74 4.99 15 1.82 1.75 8.21 2.73 0.255 0.185 0.192 0.01 0.011 1.94 6.75 1.76 0.5 1.02 0.012 0.013 0.011 2.35 7.55 7.9 42.55

0.0025 1.74 5 15 1.82 1.75 8.21 2.8 0.26 0.187 0.198 0.011 0.011 1.94 6.84 1.76 0.5 1.02 0.012 0.013 0.011 2.35 7.72 7.95 42.55

0.0024 1.71 4.92 13.54 1.81 1.68 8.18 2.67 0.25 0.182 0.192 0.01 0.011 1.91 6.71 1.71 0.495 1 0.012 0.013 0.011 2.33 7.52 7.5 41.7

MINING & OIL 0.0024 87,000,000 1.72 2,106,000 4.93 71,900 14.98 4,600 1.81 100,000 1.68 5,161,000 8.18 900 2.8 10,782,000 0.26 50,000 0.185 7,220,000 0.198 1,490,000 0.01 3,800,000 0.011 100,000 1.94 159,000 6.78 1,329,800 1.75 79,000 0.495 297,000 1.01 245,000 0.012 2,000,000 0.013 500,000 0.011 200,000 2.33 27,000 7.55 877,300 7.88 7,846,800 42.55 837,500

209,200 3,621,170 359,356 64,962 181,050 8,792,190 7,377 29,667,260 12,700 1,326,710 292,410 38,100 1,100 305,540 9,009,036 135,280 147,710 247,200 24,000 6,500 2,200 63,430 6,640,681 60,141,618 35,351,640

-2,953 76,400 -715,000 48,000 -3,840 1,519,365 12,120 -223,250 -384,949 -15,480,130

AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 GMA HLDG PDR MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2B SFI PREF SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

532 520 5.67 110 1,150 2.25 76 81.4 76.45 78.1 80.05 77.15 78.5 79.55

532 520 5.67 110 1,150 2.25 76 81.95 76.45 78.1 80.85 77.15 78.5 79.6

532 520 5.65 110 1,150 1.95 76 81 76.45 78.1 80 77.15 78.5 78.7

PREFERRED 532 10,030 520 150 5.66 50,400 110 160 1,150 10 1.95 3,000 76 120 81.95 51,340 76.45 5,000 78.1 21,760 80.85 20,100 77.15 40 78.5 500 78.7 16,200

5,335,960 78,000 285,292 17,600 11,500 6,150 9,120 4,176,138.50 382,250 1,699,456 1,611,090 3,086 39,250 1,285,133.50

-5,320,000 -227,508 -289,617.50 -1,699,456.00 -

LR WARRANT

2.38

2.45

2.33

WARRANTS 2.41 337,000

793,210

-

14,267,387 60,150 1,529,147

-285,126 68,880

1,898,151

-

NAME

MS

PROPERTY 5.21 1.08 2.4 0.98 43.35 3.76 4.85 5.4 0.52 1.24 1.23 0.199 0.475 40.8 0.67 0.147 1.94 1.5 0.78

267,100 2,789,000 83,000 1,168,000 8,532,700 245,000 1,375,000 14,900 6,000,000 50,000 100,000 39,050,000 760,000 275,900 186,000 90,000 5,883,000 1,166,000 602,000

ITALPINAS PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

6.93 3.84 5.34

6.95 4.05 5.51

6.2 3.84 5.33

FIRST METRO ETF

124.9

125

124

T RADING S UMMARY FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS

6.43 4.05 5.34

SME

2,163,200 15,000 283,800

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 125 15,250

SHARES

VALUE

10,541,724

592,017,821.96

72,791,887

975,021,593.101

115,907,818

1,301,267,406.96

PROPERTY

153,230,166

703,106,698.08

SERVICES

161,612,150

857,187,899.05

MINING & OIL

132,290,513

156,660,311.325

GRAND TOTAL

648,851,515

4,603,017,392.18

FINANCIAL 2,018.16 (up) 17.21 INDUSTRIAL 10,880.72 (up) 3.01 HOLDING FIRMS 8,462.57 (down) 2.83 PROPERTY 3,893.37 (up) 21.31 SERVICES 1,687.63 (up) 5.16 MINING & OIL 13,176.29 (up) 26.25 PSEI 8,295.95 (up) 28.03 All Shares Index 4,857.56 (up) 12.11 Gainers: 95; Losers: 95; Unchanged: 46; Total: 236

Holcim spending P2.7b for expansion

By Jenniffer B. Austria HOLCIM Philippines Inc. said it will spend P2.7 billion to expand the capacity of its cement plant in Davao City.

Holcim said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the expansion of the Davao plant, which would boost capacity to 2.2 million metric tons a year, formed part of the company’s overall plan to raise the group’s total output to 12 million MT by 2020.

Groundbreaking for the Davao plant expansion is scheduled this month.

Holcim said it was also pursuing and developing solutions and technical services, along with clients and partners, to achieve time and cost efficiencies.

The company is pursuing the expansion plan despite posting a 58-percent decline in ninemonth net income to P2.3 billion from P5.4 billion year-on-year.

Net sales in the Januaryto-September period reached P25.6 billion, down from P30.9 billion recorded a year ago.

Net income in the third quarter stood at P337.4 million, down 81 percent from P1.76 billion on year, as sales dropped to P8.2 billion from P10.1 billion a year ago.

The cement firm attributed the weak financial performance to tighter competition and higher production expenses “We remain steadfast in our support for Philippine growth and in the many opportunities in the market. We note the government’s recent report that infrastructure spending has started to pick up. To this end, the transformation of our company continues in order to better serve our customers and support the development of the country,” said Holcim president and chief executive Sapna Sood.

Basic bares Thailand and Japan investments

By Alena Mae S. Flores LISTED Basic Energy Corp. is investing in renewable energy projects in Japan, Myanmar and Thailand to expand its overseas energy portfolio.

Basic Energy said Friday its board approved the purchase of a minority interest in Hong Kong-based Solmax Power Ltd., where Vintage Holdings Japan, a wholly-owned unit of Vintage Engineering Public Co. Ltd., holds the right to take a majority position.

“The board of Basic Energy approved the 10 percent equity investment in the 14-MW solar power plant located in Japan,” the company said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Basic Energy earlier made a refundable deposit of 50 million yen that allowed it to conduct a due diligence on the project.

The equity investment is subject to the satisfactory results of the full due diligence on the project, which is expected to be completed next month.

The board of Basic Energy also approved a 12.5-percent equity investment in Vintage EPC Co. Ltd. and Vintage International Construction Co., wholly owned by Vintage Engineering Public Co. Ltd or VTE. VTE has bagged the contract to build a 220-megawatt solar power plant in Minbu, Myanmar.

World Protests greet Macron in Guiana CAYENNE, France― President Emmanuel Macron faced demonstrations on the first day of his trip to the impoverished French territory of Guiana on Thursday where he arrived saying he was not “Father Christmas” bearing gifts from the state.

The 39-year-old leader arrived Thursday in the South American territory, which borders northern Brazil, six months after a wave of protests erupted about security problems and unemployment there.

On Thursday evening, five people were arrested and two police officers were lightly injured in clashes following rallies by local activist groups Pou Lagwiyann dekole (So That Guiana Takes Off) and 500 Freres (500 brothers).

Many locals feel they are overlooked by the government in Paris despite unemployment of 23 percent, massive illegal immigration, pot-holed roads and poor public infrastructure compared with mainland France.

“I am not Father Christmas because the people of Guiana are not children,” Macron said as he arrived for the trip in the forested and humid territory that is home to around 250,000 people.

“The state has made too many promises which have not been kept,” he added.

“So I’m here to tell things as I see them, make commitments that I can keep during my term in office and help provide the authority which is essential on this territory.” AFP

N. Korea to free crewmen SEOUL―North Korea said Friday it would free a South Korean fishing crew and their boat in a rare humanitarian gesture amid high tension on the peninsula.

“391Hungjin” and its crew were captured off the North’s east coast on Saturday when it “illegally intruded into waters...under the control of the DPRK side,” state-run news agency KCNA said, using the North’s official name.

The crew confessed that they had deliberately crossed the border for fishing, KCNA claimed, adding the North, however, decided to repatriate them “from the humanitarian point of view”.

The North took into account the fact that “all the crewmen honestly admitted their offense, repeatedly apologizing and asking for leniency”, the KCNA said.

The ship and crewmen would be handed over to the South at around 0930 GMT on Friday, it said. It is unclear how many crewmen were aboard the ship.

The South Korean government confirmed the report and welcomed the move by the North.

“We find it fortunate that our fishing ship and its crewmen are being returned,” said a spokesman for Seoul’s unification ministry handling North Korea affairs.

North Korean fishing boats have occasionally strayed across the sea border and have been repatriated by Seoul, but this is the first time a fishing boat from the South has done so since 2010, the spokesman said. AFP

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2017 Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

Spain poised to roll back Catalonia’s regional autonomy MADRID―Spanish senators met Friday to adopt drastic measures to impose direct rule on rebel region Catalonia in a bid to frustrate its drive to break away, though separatists may push back with an independence declaration.

The senate, where Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s Popular Party holds a majority, is scheduled to vote on steps to depose Catalonia’s secessionist

government before the week is out, after the region held an unlawful independence referendum on October 1.

For its part, the Catalan parliament, where pro-secession parties hold sway, will meet in Barcelona where a proposal to vote on splitting from Spain could work its way onto the floor.

On Thursday, Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont opted not to

call elections for a new regional parliament―thought to be the only way to stave off Madrid’s imminent power grab.

Warning that seizure of control by the central government would escalate the crisis, he passed the buck to the regional parliament “to determine the consequences” of the threatened takeover -thus leaving the door open for a possible independence push.

Spain and Catalonia have been locked in a constitutional standoff since a “Yes” vote in the unregulated plebiscite which secessionist leaders hold up as a popular mandate for independence for the region of 7.5 million people.

Only about 43 percent of voters turned out, however, with many anti-secessionists staying away and others prevented from casting

their ballot by Spanish police in a crackdown that turned violent.

Based on the vote, Puigdemont moved towards an independence declaration, but suspended it pending negotiations.

Madrid turned to Article 155 of the constitution―a never-beforeused provision designed to rein in rebels among Spain’s 17 regions, which enjoy varying levels of autonomy. AFP

More crackdowns expected B

EIJING―When President Xi Jinping was handed a second term at the helm of the Communist Party this week, he said China had entered a “new era”. But human rights activists expect the same old crackdowns.

FINAL SEASON. Vulture + Showtime celebrate the season finale of “Ray Donovan” in West Hollywood, California. AFP

UN report blames deadly gas attack on Syria regime UNITED NATIONS― United Nations investigators on Thursday blamed a sarin gas massacre on Bashar al-Assad’s regime, as the United States renewed its warning that he has no role in Syria’s future.

The expert panel’s report and tough remarks by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson overshadowed the announcement that UN-

sponsored peace talks will resume next month.

More than 80 people died on April 4 this year when sarin gas projectiles were fired into Khan Sheikhun, a rebel-held town in the Idlib province of northwestern Syria.

Images of dead and dying victims, including young children, in the aftermath of the attack provoked global outrage and a US cruise

missile strike on a regime air base.

The UN placed the death toll at 83 while the UKbased Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was 87.

Syria and its ally Russia had suggested that a rebel weapon may have detonated on the ground but the UN panel confirmed Western intelligence reports that blamed the regime.

“The panel is confident that the Syrian Arab Republic is responsible for the release of sarin at Khan Sheikhun on 4 April 2017,” the report, seen by AFP, says.

The report will increase pressure on Assad’s regime just as Washington, in the wake of battlefield victories against the Islamic State group, renews calls for him to step down. AFP

Xi has increasingly stifled civil society since taking office in 2012, targeting everyone from activists to human rights lawyers and teachers to celebrity gossip bloggers.

In his speech to the twicea-decade Communist Party congress, Xi made it clear that there will be no loosening of the party’s control over the country’s affairs during this “new era”, in which he envisions China becoming a superpower by 2050.

He warned that social tensions and problems should be met with the strengthening of “governance based in law,” and made multiple stern warnings to those supporting independence for semi-autonomous Hong Kong, and for self-governing Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province.

“We will never allow anyone, any organization, or any political party, at any time or in any form, to separate any part of Chinese territory from China,” Xi said.

In recent years and months, the government has enacted several laws on internet control and other measures in the name of national security, giving a legal basis for its tightening grip on society.

It has also jailed several mainland citizens who spoke out in support of Hong Kong’s democracy

Academic guilty of defamation

Aussie govt in turmoil after citizenship ruling SYDNEY―The Australian government was thrown into turmoil Friday after losing its one-seat majority with the nation’s deputy prime minister kicked out of parliament over his dual citizenship.

Barnaby Joyce was among seven politicians embroiled in a crisis after falling afoul of a previously obscure constitutional rule that bars dual citizens from sitting in parliament.

The High Court ruled he was ineligible, meaning a by-election for his lower house seat of New England in New South Wales state will be held on December 2.

The court move reintroduced uncertainty into a political landscape that has been turbulent in recent years, with four different prime ministers serving since 2013.

“The decision of the court today is clearly not the outcome we were hoping for but the business of government goes on,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in Canberra after the ruling was handed down.

Joyce, the leader of the rural-based National Party, is Australian-born but found out in August he automatically acquired New Zealand citizenship through his father.

He told reporters in Tamworth, a city in his New England seat, that he was “always prepared for this outcome”.

“I had no reason to believe that, you know, I was a citizen of any other country than Australia. That is the way it is... Now I am going to make sure that I don’t cry in my beer.” AFP

HELPFUL GEESE. French rice farmer Bernard Poujol stands among geese that he uses to weed his ricefield in Saint Gilles. AFP

Mexican journalist honored for reporting vows never to be silenced WASHINGTON―A Mexican journalist recognized for his undaunted reporting vowed to never be silenced Thursday despite living in one of the world’s most dangerous countries for reporters.

Marcos Vizcarra, who lives and works in Mexico’s violent northwestern state of Sinaloa, accepted the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism for his coverage for the newspaper Noroeste on corruption, violence and human rights abuses.

movement and arrested a Taiwanese NGO worker, Lee Ming-cheh, putting him on trial last month for “subverting state power.”

“Emboldened by the national security laws passed

by Xi, police will likely go after anyone who dares to criticize government policies,” Frances Eve, researcher for the overseas Chinese Human Rights Defenders group, told AFP. “There will be more crackdowns, arrests, mass surveillance and censorship.”

While Xi has also presided over efforts to improve the professionalism of the judiciary, such as raising criteria for the appointment of judges, the reforms have not led to better treatment of government critics.

More than 200 Chinese human rights lawyers and activists were detained or questioned in a police sweep in 2015 that rights groups called “unprecedented.”

In July, the authorities ignored international pleas for mercy as they refused to free democracy activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo before as he died of liver cancer.

Liu’s death in custody triggered rage and frustration among the Chinese dissident community, and engendered a sense of hopelessness under Xi. AFP

“I believe that this award gives me a lot of responsibility,” the 29-year-old told a ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, speaking of the prize co-sponsored

by Reporters Without Borders and Agence France-Presse.

“We will not be quieted.”

Vizcarra paid homage to the 11 journalists killed in Mexico this year and dozens more who died in recent years trying to report in the face of rampant corruption and violence.

“The 11 deaths this year proves that journalism is a high-risk job,” he said. “It is a profession of the brave, of people who love peace.”

Vizcarra has focused his research and writing on the enforced disappearances of Mexican civilians, including the government’s failure to address the problem in a meaningful way.

He said it is challenging to continue objective reporting in an environment where journalists can face daily threats.

“The government and the criminals have tried to pay us off,” he said.

But he added that “there are also those who are doing responsible journalism” despite the challenges.

“We do it because it’s necessary.

Because doing better journalism means having a better society.”

The state where he lives is the scene of a major power struggle for leadership of the Sinaloa cartel, following last year’s capture of its leader Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman. AFP

SEOUL―A South Korean professor who challenged the consensus view of Japan’s war time sex slaves was convicted of defaming the victims on Friday, after a Seoul appeals court overturned an earlier acquittal.

Park Yu-Ha, of Sejong University in the South Korean capital, was found guilty of defamation for questioning the popular narrative that all so-called “comfort women” were dragged from their homes

by Japanese soldiers during World War II. In her 2013 book “The Comfort Women of the Empire”, she suggested the reality was more complex, with some women volunteering―though without necessarily knowing what their eventual fate would be. Many were told that they would get factory jobs.

The book also suggested some women forged emotional bonds with the soldiers they served, sparking an angry response from the surviving victims.

The Seoul High Court on Friday overturned a January verdict by a lower court, which acquitted Park on the premise that academic freedom was a basic right and her opinions were not a criminal issue. AFP

Dino Ray Directo III, Editor

B4

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2017

Trucks &Buses

The UD Quon boasts an upgraded exterior.

Commercial

vehicles

of the future FUSO's Aero Ace is equipped with a small displacement engine

The Super Great heavy truck is FUSO's flagship.

Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III

T

OKYO-With the theme “Beyond the Motor”, this year’s Tokyo Motor Show (TMS) greets visitors with massive display halls of the Tokyo Big Sight bursting with concept cars and trucks showcasing future possibilities for a modern society and mobility. Sharing the limelight at this year’s TMS are the truck and bus manufacturers that present their ideas of the future with concept models symbolizing the electric trucks of tomorrow.

Leading the charge for a peek of tomorrow’s trucking mobility is powerhouse Isuzu Motors Japan.

With “Transport” as an essential part of our daily lives, Isuzu unveiled its line-up of commercial vehicles which aimed to highlight the company’s 80year history of manufacturing diesel powered trucks. The star of the Isuzu booth was the FD-SI, whose design concept revolves around the future of delivery. The exterior is a honeycomblike design. The cargo space is sructured like a honeycomb featuring

The Isuzu FD-SI is the concept of future delivery

a good compromise between strength and space needed for storage. As the packing style of the cargo space, the hexagonal boxes to be piled up have been adopted.

Inside the cabin of the FD-SI are controllers gathered in the center of the instrument panel with a rectractable steering wheel. The driver’s seat is placed at the center enabling the driver to move swiftly, achieving high operability encased in a comfortable cocoon-like space.

FUSO’s theme of “Light up Tomorrow”

HINO's Poncho EV runs on pure electric power and is already being used in key cities around Japan

HINO's 500 Series won key victories at the Dakar

Isuzu's Elf EV runs on pre electric power and is eco-friendly

is an expression of their continous efforts to address the needs of their customers and the shape of the future of logistics and transportation. With the eCanter leading the charge, FUSO showcased their flagship heavy duty truck and flagship tourist bus.

The all new Super Great heavy duty truck is a welcome change after 21 years of servicing the trucking needs of the global market and its flagship tourist bus, the Aero Queen enables anyone who sits in the driver seat the experience of a professional driver’s cabin workplace and feel how the future of commercial vehicles will be like by way of a Virtual Reality cabin inside the Aero Queen. This latest iteration of the popular Aero Queen is equipped with a small displacement, low fuel consumption engine matted to a new eight-speed AMT/ ShiftPilot transmission.

HINO brings to th table a host of new technologies represented by five vehicles which included the new HINO 700 Series and the Poncho EV. Their theme for this year incorporates the company’s desire to convey people and goods more efficiently and safely and to be more useful in supporting people’s lives.

Commercially available in Japan, the 700 Series heavy duty truck has undergone a comprehensive model change in 14 years. For this new generation 700 Series, both the exterior and interiors have been changed and is well regarded in both safety and fuel efficiency. The vehicle features advanced safety equipment such as the PCS or Pre-Collision damage mitigating System capable of detecting pedestrians.

It also has a lane departure system as standard and HINO engineers downsized

the engine from a 279Kw (380ps) 13L to a nine liter engine. This significantly trims the weight of the truck making it lighter and more fun to drive.

The Poncho EV is the only light duty, non-step community bus in Japan. This EV bus is equipped with an electric motor, replacing its diesel unit. The Poncho EV bus is currently operating in Tokyo’s Sumida and Hamura districts, as well as in Komatsu in Ishikawa Prefecture. When running, te Poncho EV runs quietly and emits no CO2.

An added treat to visitors to the HINO booth is the 500 Series which competed in the Dakar Rally 2014. This rally race truck has entered the Dakar Rally 26 consecutive times since 1991, earning it a record of continuous podium finishes under the 10-liter class.

UD placed its best foot forward with the new generation Quon, the UD’s flagship heavy duty truck. Powered by a GH11 engine, acclaimed for its clean, powerful and fuel efficient performance, the allnew Quon boasts smooth and stressfree driving experience for both driver and passenger. The downsized engine generates 460ps/224kgs, more powerful than the larger GH 13.

Life

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

HealtH and environment

satuRday, octoBeR 28, 2017

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No to animal testing Cruelty Free International and The Body Shop recently launched their new campaign #ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting, a call for everyone to take a stand to finally ban cosmetic testing on animals everywhere.

T

HE Body Shop recently launched #ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting campaign in the Philippines at SM Megamall Mega Fashion Hall.

The event also introduced the brand’s #ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting ambassadors, who are also avowed animal lovers: model Vanessa Matsunaga, ABS-CBN artists Michelle Vito and Fifth Solomon, host Janeena Chan, and racing driver Marlon Stockinger.

The Body Shop, the iconic global brand first to fight against animal testing in cosmetics, hopes to get eight million signatures to present to the UN General Assembly in 2018. And mall visitors joined the celebrities and members of the media in signing up for a good cause.

Other celebrities who have posted support for the campaign include model Bar Rafaeli, actor Adrian Grnier, and Nykhor, the former face of Louis Vuitton.

In the last three decades, The Body Shop has worked with its campaign partner Cruelty Free International. Their collective efforts helped lead to a European Union ban in 2013. However, 80 percent of countries still allow animal testing, and they want to end this practice everywhere and forever.

It will be remembered that in 1989, The Body Shop started campaigning to end animal testing in cosmetics, the first global cosmetics company to do so. Following its sustained campaign, the UK government banned animal testing of cosmetic products and ingredients in 1998.

In 2003, campaigning by The Body Shop and BUAV (British Union for the Abolition

of Vivisection, now Cruelty Free International) contributed to a European Union ban in animal testing in cosmetic products, which was implemented in 2009.

The Body Shop celebrated history in 2013 when the EU ban was completed with the prohibition of the sale and import of animal tested products and ingredients. Its campaign with Cruelty Free International collected a million signatures across the world.

South Korea, New Zealand, and India now have a variety of bans in place.

Australia is set to follow with a ban promised

by July 2017 as is Taiwan in 2019. Cruelty Free International scientists in Vietnam are now discussing with Thailand and other governments the possibility of a ban across ASEAN. But how does The Body Shop test? It uses three main testing methods involving computer data, laboratory created tissues, and people.

Its n-silico (computer based analysis) uses readily available, existing data, which assess the suitability of similar materials through a process of extrapolation of this information.

Laboratory-produced Episkin (created by L’Oreal), is grown from human skin cells, allows The Body Shop to conduct safety checks on cells that react virtually the same as human skin without harming any people or animals.

Finally, to ensure good tolerance on peo-

The Body Shop’s #ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting ambassadors: model Vanessa Matsunaga, ABSCBN artists Michelle Vito and Fifth Solomon, racing driver Marlon Stockinger, and event host Janeena Chan. ple, The Body Shop often tests its products using patch testing, which involves placing a very small amount of product on a person’s skin to ensure that it is safe and effective.

Join the #ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting (#FAAT) campaign by animal testing free beauty products and signing the petition at The Body Shop stores and online.

The Body Shop now accepts SM Advantage Card for points earning and redemption, SM and Sodexo premium pass in all The Body Shop stores nationwide.

Cure to cancer coming soon

Featured performers at the A Special Evening for Special People Benefit Dinner include Radha, Vell Baria, and Thara Santiago among others

Adult Autism group’s benefit dinner THE Association for Adults with Autism Philippines (AAAP) will hold a benefit dinner called A Special Evening for Special People, on Nov. 3, 6 p.m. at the Manila Polo Club, Makati.

Enjoy world-class entertainment, art auctions, and stories of hope while giving to a good cause, as proceeds from the benefit will go towards the development and construction for Phase One of A Special Place, the first multi-purpose, integrated residential and working community for adults with autism and other special needs in Alfonso, Cavite.

The program starts at 6 p.m. with an exhibit of works by autistic artists featuring works of Vico Cham, lead artist and owner of Vico’s Autism Gallery in Pasig; decorative craft by Joy Jesena Barcelon; and a book signing of Growing Up with Autism: Journeys of Love, Devotion, and Hope, an anthology of narratives written by parents on their lives raising children with autism.

Dinner is at 7 p.m. with a fabulous entertainment program headlined by singer Radha, herself a niece of a special person, and with performances by internationally known singers and persons with autism Vell Baria and Thara Santiago; a family musical ensemble led by Kevin Bautista, also a special person; and a first-time performance by the Young AAAP Trio of Ian Borleo, Andrea Alviso and Macky Palomares following after.

Program emcees will be Triccie Sison of the Philippine Ballet Theatre and Jef Flores, 2016 and 2017 PhilStage’s Gawad Buhay awardee. Guests are advised to bring their dancing shoes for the musical and dance hour ending the program.

Tickets are available at various rates - Friend of A Special Place – P5000/pax; reserve a table for 10 at P45,000, and at sponsorship levels – with SILVER – P15,00.00 for two seats; GOLD - P30,000.00

The Bautista Family Ensemble is led by Kevin Garcia Bautista, with siblings Jaron and Jinka, and parents Dennis and Solinda for three seats; and PLATINUM – P50,000.00 for four seats. Deposits can be made to Association for Adults with Autism Philippines, BPI Acct # 0401-0099-49 or at the door on Nov. 3. Donor names or company logos will be placed in the program.

The AAAP office is located at 51-A West Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

For more information, like AAAP on Facebook at www.facebook.com/adultautismphil, check out adultautismphil.wordpress. com, or contact 0917-500-7760.

CANCER may be conquered, even completely eliminated, very soon. Thanks to genomics, scientists and clinicians can now “personalize” medicine – allowing for disease prediction, prevention and treatment tailored to each patient’s unique genome, including the makeup of tumors or infectious microbes.

“Genomics is the field of science that studies an organism’s entire genome or DNA sequence. Genomics analyzes the relationship between genetics and traits, and uses the data to answer scientific questions and solve practical problems,” explains Jeffrey J. Seitz., founder of PHIX Genomics Inc. How can genomics lead to a cure for cancer and many other diseases?

“One person differs from another by millions of variations in the genome, and many of these variations affect susceptibility to disease and response to treatments. Doctors will be able to assess a person’s risk of disease and recommend preventative measures, and physicians will be able to prescribe the most effective drugs with the fewest side effects, based on the patient’s genome-driven response to those drugs,” says Seitz.

Today’s sequencing technologies are easier, faster, and cheaper. Until 2003, there were only two genomes that could be analyzed, turn-around time was more or less five years, and the cost per genome is $2 to 3 billion. Today, millions of genomes can be analyzed, the turn-around time is only 15 minutes and it costs as little as $100.

This results to clinical genomic diagnostic testing rapidly becoming a standard of care for many hereditary and acquired conditions. When scientists use Next Generation Sequencing for genetic alterations in DNA, they can affect susceptibility to cancer and other diseases.

“This has changed the way scientists approach their research, empowering them to look for the minute differences that provide new understanding of disease and biology,

PHIX Genomics Inc. founder Jeffrey J. Seitz leading to commercialization,” adds Seitz. \ Seitz is currently Vice President for Sales of D-MARK Biosciences, Canada’s premier provider of advanced solutions for genomics and molecular biology and he is determined to bring the benefits of genomics to the Philippines.

PHIX Genomics is a pioneer in the Philippines, focused on Genomic Diagnostics.

It is the first commercial company that will establish a clinical lab to establish the very first Filipino Genome Database.

Seitz sees PHIX Genomics bringing about a significant impact on the health of Filipinos.

Wait and see. The cure for cancer may come sooner than expected, thanks to genomics. – Robbie Pangilinan

Life

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saturday, october 28, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

Kiehl’s X Autism Speaks

partners with Gerald Anderson, Candy Pangilinan Matthew Mcconaughey designed the packaging of the Limited edition ultra Facial cream

Gerald anderson’s foundation helps children with autism

candy Pangilinan is a mother to a child with autism

K

IeHL’s Philippines has always firmly believed in giving back to the local community through the Kiehl’s Gives Program. This year, Kiehl’s Global is partnering with Matthew McConaughey in support of the Autism speaks Foundation, a global organization dedicated to promoting solutions for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. For this campaign, matthew designed the packaging of the Limited edition Kiehl’s x Autism speaks ultra Facial Cream. Locally, Kiehl’s has partnered with Gerald Anderson and Candy Pangilinan in support of the Autism society Philippines.

Kiehl’s Philippines is collaborating with Anderson and Pangilinan in establishing a scholarship fund for therapies needed by children with autism.

These therapies can aid in developing a child’s social skills and can help them become more independent in the future. Both were featured in online videos released on Kiehl’s Philippines Facebook page where they shared their journey with and support for autism.

Help Kiehl’s gain the awareness for the need of early intervention by buying Kiehl’s products. A portion of the proceeds will go to support the Autism society Philippines. Also by purchasing the Limited edition ultra Facial Cream designed by mcConnaughey, you can help support the Autism speaks Foundation.

The Gerald Anderson Foundation founded the Angel Dog Program that trains therapy dogs for children with autism. Children with autism process external stimuli very differently; they are unable to filter out the five senses and can react negatively to what they see, hear, feel, taste, or smell. The therapy dogs of the Angel Dog Program then becomes a focal point in which the

Complete your beauty regimen with Proactiv Solution Women’s beauty regimen may be deemed complicated by many, with all the elements that come with it to ensure that their beauty comes out in all its majestic glory.

But to achieve total beauty, it all boils down to having a healthy attitude and lifestyle. of course, the Proactiv solution completes any beauty regimen, especially when dealing with the dreaded acne, a common skin problem of anyone. so, make your skin beautifully radiant with these healthy and practical tips from Proactiv for that worry-free look.

It starts with having clean hands before washing or touching parts of your face. Remove any trace of makeup and dampen skin with lukewarm water to kill acne bacteria.

Don’t use hot water as it will just make your face turn red because of increased blood flow in your face. Hot water also won’t open your pores, and neither would cold water close them, if that’s what your friend told you.

Your pores’ appearance really depends on the amount of oil, dirt and dead skin cells that accumulate in your pore area.

And like what Proactiv always says, keep exfoliating. exfoliation helps remove dead skin cells, and with Proactiv solution’s exfoliating beads, will aid in shedding those dead cells and prepare your skin for any medication that will be applied.

Plus, whatever happens, never scrub.

While exfoliation means the gentle removal of dead skin cells, scrubbing is its violent counterpart if you think it will remove acne.

It will not only create small skin tears, but also make it more prone to infection and inflammation. Don’t use cleansers with strong

What is Green?

Smart Living

By Romolo V. Nati

use lukewarm water when washing your face to help kill acne bacteria alcohol content as well for it will remove the skin’s natural moisture and oil.

Lastly, avoid picking your pimples. Learn to pick the proper treatment and certainly, picking or squeezing your pimples is not one of them. And whatever you do, spot treatment won’t work. Apply the Proactiv solution on your whole face and not on select or pimple-marked areas. The secret is consistency, which means applying Proactiv solution every day without fail.

Good thing for Filipinos is that the wellloved Proactiv solution is here to stay and help solve Filipinos’ perennial skin problems such as acne. It uses a 3-step system to achieve that clear and healthy, glowing skin you’ve always dreamed of.

Complete your daily beauty regimen with Proactiv Solution. Price is at P2,495 for the 30-day kit and P3,995 for the 60-day kit.

Visit any Watsons and SM Store nationwide.

No. 1 health concern in Southeast Asia DenGue, the fastest spreading viral disease in the world, is also the no. 1 concern in southeast Asia (seA), according to the seA Dengue survey. Commissioned by GlaxosmithKline (GsK) Consumer Healthcare, the survey takes a comprehensive, present-day look at the prevention and management of Dengue, which outranked dangerous viruses such as Zika and HIV. GsK is one of the founders of Allied Against Dengue (AAD), an open movement initiated by public and private institutions with a mission to reduce the impact of the disease on society. The pharmaceutical company presented the highlights of the survey at a scientific forum on AseAn Dengue Day in Legazpi City in Albay province.

Two thirds of the respondents are anxious about widespread occurrence of the virus, and almost 40 percent had an immediate family member who suffered from it. While local government uniuts have made extensive efforts to inform the citizens, dengue continues to be a huge burden to society.

“The impact of dengue has dramatically risen over the past few decades, putting about half of the world’s population at risk,” says Debjit Rudra, Area General manager for southeast Asia, GsK Consumer Healthcare. “southeast Asia alone carries the

children can latch onto when they are scared or uncomfortable. Having firsthand experience relating with children with autism, Gerald hopes to continue nurturing awareness, inspiring change and raising funds to help them.

Candy Pangilinan is an actor, a comedian, and a mother of a child with autism. she has always been an active advocate of early diagnosis and intervention of autism because of her journey with her son Quentin. According to Candy, “every day is a journey with my son, but it is also a pleasant surprise.”

Due to her unwavering positivity, patience, and consistency, Candy has become a key resource and adviser to many mothers who are raising children with autism. Candy will be releasing a book this october entitled: “mommy Dear: our special Love” which is a journal compilation on her experience with her son starting from her pregnancy up until today. she believes that the most powerful support we can give to children with autism is acceptance and love.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/KiehlsPhilippines and via Instagram at @KiehlsPhilippines.

highest prevalence of dengue, affecting 2.9 million people annually, representing the biggest regional burden in the world.”

There is also rampant misunderstanding among the public, with more than 70 percent in the region and almost 80 percent in the Philippines mistakenly believing there is a cure, or that antibiotics are needed to manage dengue symptoms. A low 28 percent of Filipino respondents are aware that paracetamol is the only recommended medication for dengue fever management as stated by the World Health organization (WHo).

Beyond management, survey findings also uncovered that there is still a struggle to identify the symptoms of dengue in the Philippines. only 19 percent know that dengue can be detected on the first day of infection and that majority would only visit the doctor when fever persists up to three days. Ironically, more than half of parents are confident that they would be able to diagnose their children with dengue, which may lead to misdiagnosis and place children in jeopardy.

“It is alarming that a large proportion of the population are misinformed about dengue management. This emphasizes the greater need for education,” Rudra says. “In light of these results, the AAD will continue to intensify its public advocacy program to

mitigate the impact of dengue on communities in the region.” on a positive note, the survey revealed that 95 percent of Filipinos are interested to learn more about dengue, and almost all parents feel schools should play a role in educating students about the disease.

Initiated by a coalition of 12 organizations, the AAD launched its pilot educational campaign in Indonesia in 2015, followed by malaysia and the Philippines. more than 11,500 healthcare professionals and pharmacists joined efforts to empower and educate more than seven million patients on disease prevention and management across digital and media channels, and on-ground activations.

Active members of AAD, alongside GsK in the country, are the Department of Health (DoH) and mercury Drug Corporation. each organization provides their expertise in support of defeating dengue burden in the Philippines.

“Dengue is rife in southeast Asia and, as a coalition partner; we can play an active role in society empowerment. The AAD is a perfect model on how we can join forces, and leverage on our collective strength and partnerships to drive awareness. The results of the survey will guide us on developing initiatives to educate people better,” Rudra says.

IF THeRe is one trend that appears throughout the consumer’s market today, it is “Green”. We live in a time when experts and non-experts alike will urge us buy green, eat green, and live green. Consumer goods (and the cardboard they come in) may be labeled as such. even airline tickets may be turned into green, with extra payment in exchange for a digital promise that some penance will be performed, sight unseen, and presumably having to do with tree seedlings. But what does it all really do?

When I first moved from Italy to the Philippines, many of my family could not understand why. They did not grasp the immense potential in this dynamic and fast-growing country. But I made the Philippines my much loved adopted home, and founded Italpinas Development Corporation (IDC) together with my business partner, Jojo Leviste. I have since been able to apply and build my architectural designs here, in a country where the future is bright, and where many take environmental responsibility, thankfully, seriously.

The consumer market in the Philippines is not exempt from the jumble of “green claims”. I strive to navigate all of them by asking myself the following questions: Is the promised benefit objective and concrete? Does it extend to the processes of producing, delivering, and using the product over its lifetime? Does the product encourage habits and behaviors that are sustainable?

The first criterion is often fulfilled when we consume less. A consumer product dispensed to a refillable container, for example, may save numerous plastic bottles that would otherwise have been disposed of over time. such a benefit, though simple, is at least concrete and measurable.

The second criterion is perhaps not as easy to fulfill. When offered a product that claims to be sustainable, we must also consider what it took to produce and deliver that product. A piece of organic fruit, for example, may have been grown responsibly, but also took an unmentioned quantity shipping fuel deliver, if it is imported from abroad.

A reusable shopping bag may displace many disposable ones, unless it is itself made partly or fully from nonbiodegradable material, or fabrics that have been chemically processed to be bleached and refined.

The third question is whether the product encourages behaviors and habits that are sustainable. much attention is given to the green credentials of objects that we buy. In the longer run, however, it is lifestyle that matters, and those objects are merely tools or signi-

fiers of our lifestyles. We may buy a larger refrigerator that promises power efficiency, and feel that we are gaining ease and convenience. But in reality, are we not only shifting our expectation of food? Relying less on the local and natural, and more on the boxed and frozen?

In terms of habit, this new appliance may influence us to alter our diet, import more from overseas, and of course, consume more electricity than before.

Together with the great Filipino architects and engineers I work with we take these matters to heart at IDC. While there are many perspectives about what constitutes a “Green Building,” I take it upon my designs to be objectively beneficial to the environment throughout their lifespans, and conducive to a healthy and comfortable lifestyle. our first project, Primavera Residences in Cagayan de oro City, utilized the “chimney effect” to harness the subtle efficacy of warmer air rising upward through an open central courtyard; encouraging lateral ventilation through windows in both the outer and inner walls of the private apartments. It also utilized software and parametric architecture to determine the exact dimensions of exterior features to ensure that the building’s façade would be shaded from the sun at the hottest times of the day. These effects constitute the building’s physical performance, which in turn lessens the need for electricity in maintaining a comfortable interior climate. When residents spend fewer Pesos on their electrical bills, while enjoying a fresh and well-ventilated environment, the benefits have been objective, measurable, consistent, and lasting.

There is of course, an added bonus to all of this that resonates with the creative side of my work. These design principles, while performing objectively well, also produce elegance and beauty. There is no metric to measure the satisfaction of a freshening breeze or an unobstructed line of sight, that give a sense of lightness and wellbeing from within a beautifully designed building. Philippine architecture, in its many forms and throughout its complex history, has been all of these things: functional, elegant, and beautiful. To me, this is the spirit of Philippine design, and the driving force behind my creative process for IDC as an Italian-Filipino firm. next year will mark the 10th anniversary of my moving to the Philippines. I am now more than ever before, intrigued and engaged by the dynamism and beauty of Philippine culture, including architecture, heritage, and design. I look forward to sharing my insights about this universe in the course of this monthly column.

(Smart Living appears once a month on this section. The author is the Chairman and CEO of ItalPilipinas Development Corporation (IDC), a design-driven developer of sustainable properties in emerging cities in the country. )

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2017

Newest drama on the Kapamilya front A BS-CBN formally announced the upcoming small screen team ups of Jericho Rosales, Yen Santos, Yam Concepcion, and Sam Milby in its newest drama about marriage, family, and love titled Love Will Lead You Back.

“Unlike the other shows which focus on infidelity, we went the other way around. The thrust of our show is how to stay faithful in your marriage. You are also going to see real characters that will struggle on how they will fix their respective marriages,” said Jericho.

Love Will Lead You Back marks the first time Jericho and Sam will work on a teleserye together. The show also serves as a reunion project for Sam and director FM Reyes.

“Direk FM was my director in my first teleserye, Maging Sino Ka Man. After 12 years, we will be working with each other again so I am really excited” shared Sam. Yam and Yen, meanwhile, return on the spotlight as the show’s leading ladies and are both equally excited to start taping.

“Before, I was only watching them on TV. Now I have the chance to work with them,” Yam shared.

“My character here is different from what I have done before, which were light roles. Here, I’m more mature and I’m also married,” explained Yen. Aside from the media announcement, the production team of Love Will Lead You Back surprised Jericho, who celebrated his birthday on Sept. 22, with an AVP video of birthday greetings from the Kapamilya stars he worked with like Claudine Barretto, Anne Curtis, Bela Padilla, Erich Gonzales, Maja Salvador, and Piolo Pascual.

He also got emotional with the tribute video for his career milestones that proved his worth being the Asian Drama King. Most of Echo’s teleseryes are now being enjoyed in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.

Also joining the cast are Allan Paule, Lotlot de Leon, Amy Austria, Cris Villanueva, Christian Bables, Hero Angeles, and Gab Lagman.

Love Will Lead You Back will be under the production unit headed by Ruel Bayani.

Jericho Rosales

Sam Milby

Yam Concepcion

‘Himig ng Panahon’guitar competition launched

Yen Santos

Ashley Ortega on the look out for an adventure SHE is not your typical girl-next-door.

Underneath the sweet exterior of Ashley Ortega lies a tough young woman who constantly seeks new horizons and new experiences. Just scroll through her Instagram account and you’ll see her riding the ocean waves on a surf board, speeding through the sand dunes on an ATV, or suspended on a cable while she zip lines on air.

The 18-year-old GMA artist and newest ambassador of Ever Bilena Cosmetics, Inc. admits, “I’m very adventurous. If I don’t have work, I don’t like staying at home and doing nothing. I like outdoor physical activities, but recently, I’ve been trying contact sports like Muay Thai and boxing.”

In a way, her preference for such extreme activities can also be owed to her early years as a professional figure skater where she represented the Philippines Kapuso star Ashley in various competitions in Ortega beams as Asia. “I started skating when the new face of a I was four, and then I stopped popular beauty when I was twelve.” But while brand she’s finished doing it as a competitive sport she adds, “I still like to do it for fun, with friends or as cardio exercise.”

And like a true adventureseeker, her showbiz career was also a risk that she gamely took: “I was doing modeling and commercial gigs when someone saw me and asked me to audition at GMA,” she fondly shares. “I tried it but I didn’t expect anything at all.

Luckily I got in, and they gave me a drama to work on right away.” Her

starring role was Marian “Julie” Dela Guardia in GMA’s now-defunct show Cielo de Angelina, which was then followed by roles in shows like Dormitoryo, Magpakailanman, Maynila, Dangwa, and Oh, My Mama! These days, you will find her as one of the regular co-hosts of the afternoon variety show Wowowin, showing her playful and sweet side.

But Ashley has a lot more to offer. Aside from her blossoming showbiz career, she’s also an interior design student at SoFA, and a selfconfessed art and make-up enthusiast who enjoys experimenting with different make-up looks just like any other girl. “I love experiencing new things, and learning to apply make-up is one of them,” she says. “It’s part of my life. I feel like I can’t be an artista without make-up.”

On most days, she carries either Ever Bilena’s or Careline’s Cheek and Lip Tint in her bag, along with Blackwater Women Activ’s So In Love body spray to keep her feeling fresh and clean all the time. She shares, “I like that Ever Bilena, Careline and Blackwater offer dualpurpose, long-lasting products that I can always apply while working out or during tapings.” And just like her, she also recommends other girls to keep these products in their kits. “We should take care of our appearance, and maintaining a good hygiene is one of them. These products will not only help us feel fresh and clean but they’re also confidence boosters,” she advises.

With all that’s going on in her life, she says she still has more challenges to conquer. “I want something different – I want to play a superhero because I want to do action, or an ice princess so I can skate.”

Adventurous, fun, and girly – Ashley Ortega is indeed everything Ever Bilena, Careline, and Blackwater represent.

A NATIONAL guitar competition for amateur and professional guitar players was officially launched on Oct. 18.

Dubbed Himig ng Panahon, Guitar Competition, the nationwide search is open to all guitar players aged 13 to 35 and currently not under professional management contract or not signed to any music labels. The grand winner will receive P100,000 cash, while the second and third place winners P50,000 and P35,000, respectively.

A consolation prize of P5,000 will be given to the 12 finalists.

Presented by Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, a sprawling seaside heritage resort in Bagac, Bataan, the competition aims to revitalize the ageold tradition of musical performance and to honor Filipino heritage through musical creativity.

According to Jerry Acuzar, chairman of New San Jose Builders, Inc., the property developer of the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, the competition is a cultural expression that trains the spotlight on guitar, not just a fretted musical instrument but also a cultural symbol that transcends generations.

“The sound emanating from the guitar gives one a feel of the bygone days of our younger years and is now becoming unpopular due to the advent of digitally produced music. We want to keep it alive and support its longevity,” says Acuzar, a known advocate of Filipino heritage and culture.

Himig ng Panahon panel of judges includes composer Ric Mercado, six-string master Noel Manalo Mendez, and classical guitar professor Lester Demetillo.

Mercado is a musical director and arranger and is regarded as one of the best acoustic and electric guitarists in the country. He appears in ABS-CBN Sunday musical variety show, ASAP, and has performed and recorded albums with OPM icons Martin Nievera, Gary V., Zsa Zsa Padilla, Lani Misalucha, Sarah Geronimo, and Aiza Seguerra, to name a few.

Manalo, on the other hand, is a seasoned session guitarist who has been in the business for more than three decades now. He has collaborated with local artists like Kuh Ledesma, Regine Velasquez, Jay-R , Jaya, Francis Magalona, Ogie Alcasid, Leah Salonga, among others. He has also performed alongside foreign acts like Fra Lippo Lippi, Michel LeGrand, David Pomeranz, and Patty Austin.

Meanwhile, Demitillo, a respected name in the academe, is a classical guitar professor at the University of the Philippines College of Music.

He is the founder of the multi-awarded University of the Philippines Guitar Orchestra composed of outstanding students majoring in Guitar in UP. The finals will be staged on Nov.18 in one of the performance venues of Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar. The winner will be chosen based on his dynamics and style (30 percent), clarity and intonation (25 percent), timing and tone quality (25 percent), and stage presence (20 percent).

Application to the contest is now open.

For further details please contact Live Artists Production, Inc. at 02-9202643 or 02-9260556.

Las Casas Filipinos de Acuzar is a project of New San Jose Builders, Inc., in consultancy with Asian Grand Legacy. For more information visit lascasasfilipinas.com or call 332 5286 332 5338.

Joel D.D. Lacsamana, Editor Joel Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com jdlacsamana@gmail.com

C4 28, 2017 C4 SATURDAY,OCTOBER SATURDAY,OCTOBER 28, 2017

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

C4

SATURDAY,OCTOBER 21, 2017

Stress-free house-hunting Big hit Stress-free Tradespeople’s Tradespeople’s Flow of living B B

ANCREA ANCREAHomes, Homes,together togetherwith with mass-housing mass-housingadvocate advocate8990 8990 Holdings HoldingsInc., Inc.,recently recently unveiled unveiled shower pieces are the rainmaker select, the itsitswebsite, ansgrohe, one of the leading website,www.BancreaHomes.com, www.BancreaHomes.com, raindance E, the unicaoffers E, andasome new SMALL often deal the which ofoffeatures SMALLtomakers tolarge largecontractors contractors often dealwith with thededeof cutting edge water which offers arange range featuresthat thataa releases from the Axor collections (Seen mand accuracy and mandofofprecision, accuracy andalignment alignmentinintheir their traditional property brokerage fi rm does fiprecision, xtures recently released traditional property brokerage firm does here). construction construction applications. not normally provide. products inapplications. the Philippine market not normally provide.

The unica E shower set is a flexible that allow users to easily choose handheld piece with a flat and round showerhead, plus a glassy finish. Rainmaker setheir options, and enjoy care-free lect are multi-jet overhead showers which wash and shower experiences.

favorite favoritefriend friend

H

Hansgrohe is known for its functional select water control, and extra-large showerheads known as the XXL feel-good shower collections.

Following the flow of big and premium

These These include include the the “ASK “ASK REA:24/7”, REA:24/7”, aa dedicated live chat hosted by dedicated live chat hosted by real-person real-person customer customer service service staff; staff; an an “E-Refer “E-Refer Kita” Kita” app, app, where where every every visitors visitors can can refer refer aa sales sales lead, lead, check check the the status status of of their their referral, referral, and and earn earn aa commission commission on on the the lead; lead; and and aa lead lead generation generationand andexchange exchangeservice service whose whose deddedicated Customer Relationship Management icated Customer Relationship Management

(CRM) (CRM) platform, platform, powered by Aggrego.io, can organize can organize and track sales leads and virtually ally manage manage a network of real estate brokers and agents. and agents.

To To make make site trippings less stressful , Bancrea Homes Homes also also introduced a “Book-A-Tour”—via a ride-sharing ride-sharing app—where one can schedule visits at at their their own own time, and also ride for free.

uses both air and water pressure to produce bath rain.

Hansgrohe products are distributed by Kuysen enterprises, importer of over global bathroom and kitchen brands.

singlemisalignment misalignmentisisone oneofofthe thequickest quickestways ways AA single to ruin the project that may affect the design and to ruin the project that may affect the design and quality aspects of the infrastructure altogether.

Laquality aspects of the infrastructure altogether. Laser devices such as Bosch’s GCL 2-15 G professionser devices such as Bosch’s GCL 2-15 G professioncombi Laserlevel leveldevice deviceare aredesigned designedtotosimplify simplify al al combi Laser precision work for tradespeople such as carpenters, precision work for tradespeople such as carpenters, electricians,installers installersand anddrywallers—even drywallers—evenininununelectricians, favorable lighting conditions such as bright environfavorable lighting conditions such as bright environments. ments.

Theyhave haveproven proventotobebea areliable reliablecompanion companioninin They positioning windows exactly, or hanging ventilation positioning windows exactly, or hanging ventilation ducts and ceilings accurately. The device also notiducts and ceilings accurately. The device also notifies the user when there are irregularities in the surfies the user when there are irregularities in the surface: the product’s laser lines will flash if the device face: the product’s laser lines will flash if the device notices any serious abnormalities. notices any serious abnormalities.

Bigbuy buy Big inManhattan Manhattan in

Property showcase event Property THE Outlook by Lamudi—a comTHE Outlook by Lamudi—a comprehensive report on Philippine prehensive report on Philippine real estate— will be launched real estate— will be launched on November 29 at the Marquis on November 29 at the Marquis Events Place in Taguig.

Events Place in Taguig.

The unveiling of the nationwide The unveiling of the nationwide survey of 10,000 property seeksurvey of 10,000 property seekers will coincide with an event ers will coincide with an event

acknowledging the industry’s best acknowledging the industry’s best of the best using data generated of the best using data generated from the said survey. from the said survey.

“The event will gather the in“The event will gather the industry’s thought leaders for a day dustry’s thought leaders for a day of discussion and knowledge sharof discussion and knowledge sharing on what drives the real estate ing on what drives the real estate sector,” said Lamudi’s managing sector,” said Lamudi’s managing

director Bhavna Suresh Chathamdirector Bhavna Suresh Chathambeth. beth.

The thought leaders, she said, The thought leaders, she said, will come from the industry’s mawill come from the industry’s major sectors—namely, top-level repjor sectors—namely, top-level representatives from real estate players resentatives from real estate players specializing in mixed-use or townspecializing in mixed-use or township developments; representatives ship developments; representatives

Value for for money money Value for Kapampangans Kapampangans for

Sun-kissed community community Sun-kissed

ASCOTT Residence Trust (Ascott Reit) recently ASCOTT Trust (Ascott by Reit) recently acquired Residence the 224-unit DoubleTree Hilton Hotel acquired the– 224-unit DoubleTree byUS$106 Hilton million Hotel New York Times Square South for New York – Times Square South for US$106 million (See photo).

(SeeThe photo). freehold property is located in Midtown ManThe freehold property is located in the Midtown hattan near Times Square, one of most Manvisited hattan near in Times Square,with one more of thethan most locations the world, 40 visited million locations in theyear. world, with more than 40 million visitors each visitors each year. would strengthen our foothold in “This acquisition “ThisYork, acquisition strengthen our foothold New which would saw record high visitor arrivalsinin New York, which visitor arrivals in 2016,” said Bobsaw Tan,record Ascotthigh Residence Trust Man2016,” said Bob Tan, Ascott Residence Trust Management Limited’s (ARTML) chairman. agement Limited’s (ARTML) chairman.are mostly opAscott Reit’s serviced residences Ascott under Reit’s the serviced residences mostly operated Ascott, Citadinesareand Somerset erated under Citadines andgateway Somerset brands.

Theythe are Ascott, mainly located in key citbrands.

They are mainly Berlin, locatedBrussels, in key gateway cities such as Barcelona, Guangzhou, iesHanoi, such as Brussels,Kuala Guangzhou, HoBarcelona, Chi MinhBerlin, City, Jakarta, Lumpur, Hanoi, Ho Manila, Chi MinhMelbourne, City, Jakarta, KualaNew Lumpur, London, Munich, York, London, Manila, Melbourne, Munich, New York, Paris, Perth, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.

Paris, Perth, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.

Ascott Reit is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of CapitaLand Limited, of Asia’s largest real esAscott Reit is an indirectone wholly owned subsidiary companies. oftate CapitaLand Limited, one of Asia’s largest real estate companies.

from the design and innovation secfrom the design and innovation sector; and those from the residential tor; and those from the residential and affordable housing segments. and affordable housing segments.

Lamudi’s research team is curLamudi’s research team is currently analyzing the results of rently analyzing the results of the survey, and a first look of the the survey, and a first look of the report will be made available in report will be made available in early November. early November.

PLAYA Laiya, an upPLAYA Laiya, anarea up-in scale residential scale residential area was in San Juan, Batangas San Juan,launched Batangasbywas recently real recently launched Landco. by real estate developer estate developer Landco.

The development ofThebeach development fers homes thatofare fers homes thathours are justbeach two and a half just twofrom andMetro a halfManila. hours away away from Metroattraction Manila.

But the biggest But the biggest is the pristine attraction beach that is the pristine beach that

stretches for 1.5 kilomestretches ters, andfor can1.5 be kilomeenjoyed ters, and can be enjoyed

by Playa Laiya’s residenby Laiya’severyday. residentialPlaya community tialThe community everyday. residential propThe comes residential erty with propthe erty comesof with the privilege being able privilege able to access of the being Playa Laiya toBeach accessClub. the Playa Laiya Beach “TheClub. beach front of “The has beach front been of Laiya always Laiya has always been

the strength of the tourthe of theBatantourismstrength of San Juan, ism Batangas,of andSan thisJuan, has been the gas, and this of hasLandco been the inspiration to inspiration of Landco to develop a leisure tourism develop tourism estate ina leisure the area,” said estate in the area,” said Cris M. Zuluaga, LandCris M. Zuluaga, Landco CEO. Playa Laiya’s co CEO. Playa Laiya’s beach properties range beach properties from 200-450 sqm,range averfrom sqm, averaging200-450 at Php,16,000/sqm. aging at Php,16,000/sqm.

LIVING in the Philippines, inwhich goes LIVING the Philthrough months monippines, which of goes soon every year, through months of means monlong every days year, of rain.

The soon means smartest to protect long days way of rain.

The your house apply smartest way isto toprotect sealants to repair your house is to cracks apply and leaks. sealants to repair cracks and leaks.

JENRA, the Pampanga-based retail chain , recently JENRA, Pampanga-based retailJENRA chain , Dolores, recently opened the its newest branch, Jumbo opened its newest branch, Jumbo JENRA Dolores, in San Ferndando city. in The San Ferndando fifth store city. in Tan Song Bok (TSB) Realty The fifth store Corporation’s in Tan Song Bok (TSB) Realty and Development line of commercial and Development Corporation’s line of commercial shopping centers, Jumbo Jenro Dolores will be the shopping Dolores will be the biggest incenters, terms ofJumbo selling Jenro area, and is envisioned to biggest in terms of selling andthe is envisioned to be a retail shopping havenarea, amidst bustling combe a retail shopping haven amidst the bustling community of Dolores. munity of Dolores. of JENRA supermarkets around The development The development of JENRA supermarkets around Pampanga has increase urbanization of the province.

Pampanga increase urbanization of the province.

The brandhas introduced state-of-the-art facilities for The brand shopping introduced state-of-the-art improved conveniences for facilities residents for on improved shopping conveniences for residents on the province. theTSB province.

Realty is the developer of JENRA establishTSB in Realty is the developer of JENRA establishments Angeles City and Mabalacat. ments in Angeles City and Mabalacat.

Other JENRA locations are in Sto. Rosario; Angelocations are in Sto. lesOther City JENRA ; Dau, Mabalacat City; and Rosario; Sindalan.Angeles City ; Dau, Mabalacat City; and Sindalan.

No cracking cracking sealant sealant No But most consumers have standards But different most consumers of quality whenstandards it comes have different to quality sealants.

Since they of when it comes discover leaksSince only when to sealants. they they’ve leaks started already, discover only when they think the quick drythey’ve started already, ing think variant the most they theisquick dryeffective. ing variantIt is not. the most effective. It is not.

The sealant that easilyThe dries up andthat hardens sealant easlikedries cement hashardens a tenily up and dency to crack like cement hasbecause a tenit becomes brittle.

Sure dency to crack because “iwas itSeal’s becomes brittle.crack” Sure comes in“iwas handy. crack” Seal’s It isinan all purpose comes handy. “elastomeric It is an all sealant”, purpose “elastomeric sealant”,

which has “iwas crack” technology.

This crack” slowwhich has “iwas curing sealant is transtechnology.

This slowformed sealant into ais tough, curing transrubber-like gasket which formed into a tough, offers reasonable morubber-like gasket which tion, contraction and moexoffers reasonable pansion, withoutand cracktion, contraction exing, or losing adhesion. pansion, without cracking, or losing adhesion.