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CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018
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IN BRIEF Millions in China mourn Hawking SHANGHAI―Millions of Chinese mourned Stephen Hawking on Wednesday, bidding farewell to a “giant star” admired in China for stoically rising above physical disability and posting heartfelt messages to his Chinese fans on social media. Already well-known in China, the British cosmologist two years ago further endeared himself to fans in the country when he opened an account on the Twitter-like Weibo platform, posting in both Chinese and English. The account garnered one million fans within its first few hours and now has nearly five million, with his infrequent posts typically generating tens of thousands of admiring comments and earning him the affectionate nickname “Hawking Dada”, or “Uncle Hawking.” News of Hawking’s death at 76 quickly became the top-trending Weibo topic, with the hashtag #Hawking passed# generating more than 300 million reads and nearly 200,000 comments within a few hours after his death was announced. Many said his passing was “the falling of a giant star.” “The deterioration of his body did not trap him. Today this superhuman brain has left this world, and his next journey, death, remains a mystery,” one user said. “I hope he has the strength to send us information from the next world.” AFP
FOTO 1 DOLLS FOR SALE. A vendor in India poses for a photograph while arranging ‘thanjavur’ dolls at a handicraft fair in Chennai on March 14, 2018. AFP
Chemist: The Russians did it What FVR brought to the Presidency THE key military figure of the Edsa Revolution, is about to reach another important milestone in his illustrious life. Former President Fidel V. Ramos will turn 90 on March 18. FVR — the initials by which the former Chief Executive is widely known — was a dashing soldier of 58 when he decided to sever his political ties with his cousin Ferdinand E. Marcos and co-lead the revolt that brought down the dictatorial regime of the 9th President of the Philippines. During his cadet days at the Philippine Military Academy and, later, at the U.S. Military Academy FVR could not have imagined that on February 22, 1986 he would be defying his Commander-in-Chief and challenging the Marcos regime. But challenge President Marcos he did, alongside the Minister of National Defense, Juan Ponce Enrile, and the officers comprising the Minister’s staff. The period between February 25, 1986, when Marcos and his family were flown into exile, and July 1, 1992, when FVR took his oath as the nation’s twelfth President, was one of the most tumultuous periods in contemporary Philippine history. Not only did the termination of nearly twenty years of Marcos governance create a political vacuum, but conflict also erupted between the group headed by Juan Ponce Enrile, who believed that the fruits of the Edsa Revolution belonged to it, and the group headed by FVR, who believed that the masses who supported the revolution—and the highly intimated Catholic Church—wanted a shift from military to civilian. Finally convinced that they had a better claim to the seat of national power, the Enrile group staged no less than seven coup d’ etat attempts between August 1987 and December 1989. As Security of National Defense, the civilian-head of the nation’s armed forces, FVR was faced with the existential choice: Keep the 120,000-manstrong Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) squarely behind President Corazon Aquino’s Presidency or grab power for himself with the support of the legions of pro-Ramos members of the military. Anyone who knew anything about the Ramos family never had any doubt as to the choice that Fidel V. Ramos would make. FVR carries in his veins the blood of two Northern Luzon families known for their integrity and stability: the Ramoses of Pangasinan and the Valdezes of Ilocos Norte. On a personal note, my parents considered FVR’s parents, Narciso and Angela Ramos, one of the finest couples they met in my father’s political life. FVR’s and my father found great pleasure and satisfaction in having served together in the 1934-1935 Constitutional Convention, the pre-independence National Assembly and this country’s foreign service. Besides personal and professional pedigree FVR brought to the Presidency a keen sense of patriotism, a first-rate intellect, an inclination toward industriousness and a passion for efficiency. FVR had a proper, not a perverse, sense of patriotism, and he has not lost it. Realizing that the future of the fledgling Republic of the Philippines lay with a stable world order, FVR newly graduated from the U.S. Military Academy, eagerly served with the Philippine contribution to the United Nations’ military effort against North Korea (the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea; or PEFTOK). For the young Lt. Ramos, love of country called for support for the U.N. And, of course, defending what rightfully belonged to this country. The course at West Point, like the PMA course, ends with the cadets’ earning a degree in engineering. But FVR’s keen intellect — no pasang awa 75 for him — caused him to develop in interest in economic and the humanities. His engineering degree and his absorption of economic concepts were to serve him well when, during his Presidency, the Cabinet took up infrastructural, industrial and financial matters. Although FVR had no degree in economics or finance, the members of the Cabinet economic cluster knew that they had to be ready to answer questions from their boss at Cabinet meetings. FVR’s penchant for hard work was almost legendary. Not only was the tenth President known to burn the midnight oil, but he also had always been an early riser. Deadlines were things that were supposed to be met. Woe to the department or agency head who failed to meet a deadline for submission of a report or plan. If FVR’s middle initial were E rather than V, the E surely would stand for Efficiency. There was — and is — nothing that the former Chief Executive abhors more than sloppy, substandard work. That is why he has always been a stickler for staff work. In FVR’s book, inefficient work is wasteful work and inefficiency leads to waste of scarce resources and even scarcer opportunities. These are the things that FVR brought to the Presidency. That is why his Presidency was a great success. One can only muse over how things would have been difficult for this country if the Constitution had allowed FVR to serve two terms instead of one. Happy 90th birthday, Mr. President. E-mail: romero.business.class@gmail.com
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RINCETON―The Russian chemist who first revealed the existence of “Novichok” nerve agents says only the Russians can be behind the weapon’s use in Britain against a former spy and his daughter. Vil Mirzayanov, 83, came to the United States in 1995 after 30 years of working for the State Scientific Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology, or GNIIOKhT. It was he who in the early 1990s revealed the existence of that class of ultra-powerful nerve agents. He did so first in the Russian media as it opened up with the collapse of the Soviet Union, and later, with chemical formulas at hand, in his book “State Secrets,” published in 2007. Former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found slumped on a bench in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. Britain says it is “highly likely” that Moscow was to blame for the nerve agent attack. Mirzayanov, speaking at his home in Princeton, New Jersey, said he is convinced Russia carried it out as a way of intimidating the opponents of President Vladimir Putin. “Only the Russians” developed this class of nerve agents, said the chemist. “They kept it and are still keeping it in secrecy.” The only other possibility, he said, would be that someone used the formulas in his book to make such a weapon. He said that the Russians could argue that maybe someone had synthesized them “and they
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could make me guilty!” This is the first time the nerve agents, which took 15 years to develop and were tested on animals, have been used to kill somebody, Mirzayanov said. Why now? Mirzayanov said he believes the Kremlin wants to intimidate people, such as the enemies of Putin. For instance, he hypothesized, suppose someone leaves Russia with material that would compromise President Donald Trump in the US probe into whether his 2016 election campaign colluded with Russia in its alleged drive to help him beat Hillary Clinton. “It’s very dangerous for the Kremlin because it is a plot against America,” said the chemist. “So they threaten this person, and they say, ‘look what happened to Skripal. The same could happen to you.’” Mirzayanov said Skripal could no longer cause Russia any problems but the Kremlin could have killed him anyway, and in a cruel fashion, just to intimidate potential opponents. An attack with Novichok agents, which are 10 times stronger than VX, is excruciating and has no cure, he added. He said half a gram is enough to kill a person who weighs 110 pounds. Someone exposed to it first has their vision go blurry, and if no antidote is applied are then hit with violent convulsions and can no longer breathe. “I have seen the effect on animals―rabbits, dogs. It is awful,” he said. Even if they do not die, Skripal and his daughter will suffer for the rest of their lives, he predicted. The nerve agents are easy to administer because they are binary, meaning they result from the mix of two substances which on their own are harmless. AFP
DISSOLUTION NOTICE NAME
: BENTLEY CCY EXCHANGE INCORPORATED
ADDRESS : 11F APPLE ONE EQUICOM TOWER, CEBU BUSINESS PARK BO LUZ, CEBU CITY, PHILIPINES 6000
:
SUBJECT :
2.
3.
InvItatIon to BId Procurement of amBulance and moBIle dental vehIcle 1.
The Department of Health (DOH), through the General Appropriations Act of 2018 intends to procure the following projects listed below: IB No. IB No. 2018187 IB No. 2018188
ABC (PHP)
Cost of Bidding Documents (Php)
PhP600,000,000.00
75,000.00
Procurement of Brand New Mobile Dental Vehicle
PhP147,000,000.00
50,000.00
2.
The DOH now invites Bids from eligible Bidders for the procurement of the above-caption projects. Delivery of the Goods is required as specified in Section VI. Schedule of Requirements. Bidders should have completed contracts similar to the cited projects as stated in the ITB. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.
3.
Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.
4.
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SALESMAN
One (1) year transitory period or until February 28, 2019 is given to the existing licensed salesmen to take and pass the SEC Certification Examination, otherwised their license shall be revoked; New salesmen who had not yet taken and passed the SEC Certification Examination will be allowed to register under provisional license which will automatically be cancelled at the end of the one (1) year period mentioned in number 1 above if they fail to take and pass the exam within said period; and New applicants for registration as broker/issuer of proprietary/non–proprietary shares shall be allowed to register as such subject to compliance with requirements under items 1 and 2 above.
Pasay City, Philippines, _2__ March 2018 For the Commission:
Interested bidders may obtain further information from the COBAC Secretariat, Ground Floor, Building 6, DOH, San Lazaro Compound, Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, Manila and inspect the Bidding Documents at 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday. It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS), provided that Bidders who interested to participate shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.
BROKERS/ISSUERS OF PROPRIETARY/NON– PROPRIETARYSHARES
This Memorandum Circular shall take effect immediately.
5.
6.
The DOH will hold a Pre-bidding Conference and the Submission and Opening of Bids at COBAC Conference Room, G/F, Bldg. 6, DOH, San Lazaro Cmpd., Rizal Ave., Sta. Cruz, Manila on the schedule given below: Activity (Date & Time) Pre-bidding Submission and Conference Opening of Bids
IB No.
Name of Contract
IB No. 2018187 IB No. 2018188
Procurement of Brand New Ambulance Type I Procurement of Brand New Mobile Dental Vehicle
22 March 2018; 10:00 A.M.
03 APRIL 2018; 9:00 A.M.
Bid must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before the date given above. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated below: Form of Bid Security
Amount of Bid Security (Not less than the required percentage of the ABC)
(a) Cash or cashier’s/manager’s check issued by a Universal or Commercial Bank. (b) Bank draft/guarantee or irrevocable letter of credit issued by a Universal or Commercial Bank: Provided, however, that it shall be confirmed or authenticated by a Universal or Commercial Bank, if issued by a foreign bank. (c) Surety bond callable upon demand issued by a surety or insurance company duly certified by the Insurance Commission as authorized to issue such security. (d) Bid Securing Declaration
Two percent (2%)
Five percent (5%) No percentage required
Bid opening shall be at COBAC Conference Room, G/F, Bldg. 6, DOH, San Lazaro Cmpd., Rizal Ave., Sta. Cruz, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address above. Late bids shall not be accepted. 7.
The DOH 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.
8.
For further information, please refer to: COBAC-D Secretariat Building 6 Department of Health San Lazaro Compound, Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, Manila Tel. Nos. 651-7800 local 1625 to 1627; 1650 to 52 Facsimile No.: 711-6061/740-6830
TERESITA J. HERBOSA Chairperson (MS-MAR. 15, 2018)
Name of Contract Procurement of Brand New Ambulance Type I
Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183.
In line with the requirement of Rule 26.3 of the 2015 Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Securities Regulation Code and in accordance with the New Modularized Certification Examination per SEC Resolution No. 733, Series of 2016, which now includes module for proprietary/non– proprietary securities, please be advised that the Commission resolved to adopt below policy guidelines for the transitory implementation of SEC Certification Requirement for salesmen of Brokers/Issuers of Proprietary/ Non–Proprietary Shares: 1.
SHAH ALAM, Malaysia―The Malaysian police’s investigation into the murder of the North Korean leader’s estranged half brother was “shoddy” and could lead to an unfair trial, a court heard Wednesday. Defense lawyer Gooi Soon Seng, on the 32nd day of the trial of the suspects in the Cold War-style killing of Kim Jong Nam, sought to discredit the manner in which the police conducted their probe. Kim, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was poisoned at Kuala Lumpur’s international airport in February last year while he was about to take a flight to Macau. Two young women―Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong―are on trial for allegedly smearing the banned nerve agent VX on the face of Kim, who died in agony minutes later. Kim had been living in exile since a family fallout. Defense lawyers have argued that the women were recruited to take part in what they thought were prank TV shows but were instead tricked into becoming inadvertent assassins, in an elaborate plot by a group of North Korean agents. Gooi, questioning the case’s chief police investigating officer Wan Azirul Nizam Che Wan Aziz, said police failed to investigate certain evidence and denied him access to his client Aisyah during her initial 14-day detention. The defense lawyer said that during Wednesday’s hearing, police showed the court only bits and pieces of closed-circuit television footage of the murder, which did not paint an accurate picture of what happened. AFP
Republic of the Philippines Department of Health CENTRAL OFFICE BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE
(MS-MAR. 1,9 & 15, 2018)
SEC MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. __4___ Series of 2018 TO
Police slammed over murder probe
(SGD) HERMINIGILDO V. VALLE, MD, MPA Undersecretary of Health Chairperson, COBAC-D (MS-MAR. 15, 2018)
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