Manila Standard - 2018 May 12 - Saturday

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Eagle eyes

Pensees Fr. Ranhilio Aquino

Tony La Vina VOL. XXXII • NO. 86 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

SC ousts Sereno in 8-6 vote

It’s not over for Sereno, the rule of law MAY 11, 2018 will be remembered in the Philippines as a bad, terrible day for the rule of law and also for democracy.

It was the graduation speech that Chief Justice Sereno delivered last year in Ateneo de Manila that insiders say prompted the President to order her removal. Ironically, in this speech, she neither attacked nor criticized Duterte. She simply laid down the conditions for a constitutional implementation of martial law.

Apparently, that was too much already.

Turn to A5

Decision also opens possible disbarment

Padre Faura turns into battleground

By Rey E. Requejo

By Joel E. Zurbano

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HE Supreme Court voted Friday 8-6 to oust Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, saying she was unqualified for the office because her failure to file the required number of statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) was a clear indication of dishonesty and a lack of integrity.

PADRE Faura Street in Manila was a cacophony of sound and color on Friday as supporters and critics of erstwhile Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno marched in front of the Supreme Court building to await the tribunal’s ruling on the quo warranto case filed against her.

Both pro- and anti-Sereno camps brought posters, signs and audio systems to announce their positions in the contentious issue, with the pros sporting red ribbons in defiance of the top magistrate – red also being the color identified with President Rodrigo Duterte, who had called for the Chief Justice to step down and who endorsed the petition through the Solicitor General.

Some of the rallyists even got physical as Next page

8-6 on the Constitution I HAVE never expressed a position on whether Meilou should be ousted or not. I have my personal view but I have kept it personal.

But I have always asserted that quo warranto is a proper action and that asking the Supreme Court to desist from deciding the case was tantamount to calling on the Court to renege on its bounden duty.

The Court has spoken. It is not infallible but it is supreme and therefore its decision articulates the state of the law. The academic disputation should Turn to A4

In granting the quo warranto petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida against Sereno, the Court declared the position of chief justice vacant and directed the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to begin the application and nomination process.

Sereno, who became the first female chief justice in 2012, is now also the first top magistrate to be removed from office through a quo warranto petition, which deemed she was never qualified for the position from the beginning. Sereno, 57, would have served as chief justice until 2030 or another 12 years before her retirement if not for her ouster.

In a press briefing, Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te said Sereno was “adjudged guilty of unlawfully holding and exercising the office of the chief justice” and was therefore ousted.

The decision, written by Associate Justice Noel G. Tijam, is “immediately executory without the need of further action from the court.”

Aside from Tijam, the justices who Next page

SHOWN THE DOOR. Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, the country’s 57-year-old 24th chief magistrate, waves to supporters in front of the Supreme Court building Friday before the high court, in a landmark decision and acting on a quo warranto petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida, voted to oust her, by a vote of 8 for and 6 against, after finding her disqualified from holding and exercising the Office of the Chief Justice. Lino Santos

How they voted

SUPPORTERS SHOUT. Sereno supporters shout slogans Friday after the successor of impeached and convicted Renato Corona is herself removed as top magistrate. Norman Cruz

Aquino, others hit SC, fear crippling effects

IN FAVOR

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AGAINST

vote to grant quo warranto

vote on whether quo warranto is proper remedy to remove Sereno

9-5

By Macon Ramos-Araneta FORMER President Benigno Aquino III and other critics on Friday slammed the Supreme Court decision ousting Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno from power.

He was joined by Vice President Leni Robredo, Senators Ralph Recto, Juan Edgardo Angara, Sherwin Gatchalian, Panfilo Lacson, Joel Villanueva, Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan, Antonio Trillanes IV, Risa Hontiveros, Bam Aquino and Leila de Lima, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines and Sanlakas.

“If the law is already clear, there is no more need to explain. It is clear in the Constitution that an impeachable officer can only be removed through impeachment,” said Aquino who appointed Sereno.

“In my own opinion, we see a forced decision whatever the explanation of the majority.”

Robredo said Sereno’s ouster set a “very dangerous precedent that may seriously undermine the independence of the judiciary.”

“We express alarm over this decision in the strongest terms,” she said.

Recto said the high court decision set a bad precedent.

“The decision in effect reduced the powers of both houses of Congress. I do not expect the House to impeach the Chief Justice,” he said.

Angara said impeachment was the only constitutional route for removing a chief justice.

“The ripple effect of the decision may be felt in the coming months and years. I pray that wisdom and sobriety prevail in

8-6 9-5

CELEBRATORY CHEER. Anti-Sereno group led by lawyer Ferdinand Topacio (middle) celebrate after the Supreme Court ousts her and declares the position of Chief Justice vacant. Lino Santos

JUSTICE LUCAS BERSAMIN Appointed to SC by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

JUSTICE ALEXANDER G. GESMUNDO Appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte

JUSTICE SAMUEL R. MARTIRES Appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte

JUSTICE ANDRES B. REYES JR. Appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte

JUSTICE TERESITA J. LEONARD-DE CASTRO Appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

JUSTICE FRANCIS H. JARDELEZA Appointed by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III

JUSTICE DIOSDADO M. PERALTA Appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

JUSTICE NOEL G. TIJAM Appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte

vote on whether Sereno violated the Constitution for failure to file SALNs

Sereno will appeal decision MAJORITY of the justices of the Supreme Court voted against ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno in the three points of contention discussed in the special en banc session on Friday.

However, removing Sereno from her seat without undergoing an impeachment trial in the Senate “is a legal abomination,” Associate Justice Marvic Leonen said in a dissenting opinion.

Apart from the 8-6 vote that upheld the validity of the quo warranto petition filed against Next page

JUSTICE ESTELA M. PERLAS-BERNABE Appointed by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III

JUSTICE ALFREDO BENJAMIN S. CAGUIOA Appointed by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III

JUSTICE MARIANO C. DEL CASTILLO Appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

JUSTICE MARVIC MARIO VICTOR F. LEONEN Appointed by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III

SENIOR ASSOCIATE JUSTICE ANTONIO T. CARPIO Appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

JUSTICE PRESBITERO J. VELASCO JR. Appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

ABSTAIN CHIEF JUSTICE MARIA LOURDES P. A. SERENO Appointed by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III

Pro quo warranto side hail high court ruling

By Maricel V. Cruz LAWYER Lorenzo Gadon, who filed the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, said her removal from office freed the Supreme Court from the footprints of the Liberal Party.

He said Sereno was the reason the election protest of exsenator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had dragged on for a year.

“She served at the pleasure of the Aquinos. She [would] do anything to block any effort that would put the Aquinos in a bad light,” Gadon said.

“She served only at the pleasure of [former president Benigno] Aquino [III].”

The Office of Solicitor General also praised the high court decision against Sereno.

In a statement, Solicitor General Jose Calida said Sereno’s removal the maintained the stability and integrity of the Judiciary.

But Rep. Reynaldo Umali, chairman of the House committee on justice, said Friday Congress must wait for the final ruling on the quo warranto petition voiding the appointment of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno that was approved by the Supreme Court, He said Sereno could still file a motion for reconsideration on the ruling, and Congress would only act on the impeachment complaint against her after the high court had rendered its final decision on the petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said the Supreme Court was supreme in many things, but its supremacy was not in everything.

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News

SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Duterte govt rating falls to 'very good' in latest survey

By Vito Barcelo THE net satisfaction of Filipinos with the performance of the Duterte administration has plunged from a breraking record “excellent” rating in December 2017 to “very good,” according to a Social Weather Stations survey released on Thursday.

Based on the results of the survey conducted from March 23 to 27, the Duterte administration scored a “very good” net satisfaction rating of +58, a 12-point decline from its record-high “excellent” rating of +70 in December 2017.

In Malacañang, presidential spokesman Harry Roque expressed gratitude to the Filipino people for giving the Duterte administration a “very good” +58 net satisfaction rating for the first quarter of 2018.

Roque said it was noteworthy that the current government’s rating remained “excellent” in Mindanao, the President’s bailiwick, and stayed “very good” in Balance Luzon and the Visayas.

While the rating of Duterte dropped from the plus-70 rating (or grade of “excellent”) that it achieved last December, the Palace wass confident this would improve in the months through the implementation of various programs that would uplift the lives of the Filipino people.

Kuwait, PH finally sign protection pact for domestics KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait—Kuwait and the Philippines signed a deal on Friday to regulate domestic workers, after a dispute between the two countries led to a ban on Filipino workers in the Gulf state.

“A short time ago we signed an agreement between the two countries on the employment of domestic workers,” Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled al-Sabah told a joint press conference with his Filipino counterpart Alan Peter Cayetano.

The memorandum of understanding would protect thousands of overseas Filipino workers in Kuwait amid falling ties with the Gulf State due to abuses committed against them, Malacañang said Friday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the under the MOU, Filipino workers would get seven hours of sleep, will be well-fed, get to enjoy holidays, and won’t have their passports confiscated by their employers.

The countries also agreed that Kuwait would create a special unit within its police that the Philippine embassy can liaison with regarding complaints of Filipino workers, and a special number that Filipino workers can call for assistance, which are both available 24 hours.

Roque said that under the agreement, Filipino workers will be allowed to have a cellphone so they could call the hotline.

Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said they met with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and were told that the Kuwaiti government will be shouldering the expenses for the repatriation of more than 500 undocumented Filipinos.

With the signing of the MOU, Bello said the ban on the deployment of OFWs to Kuwait may be lifted soon by the President. Vito Barcelo and AFP

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the future for the good of the country and our people,” he said.

Gatchalian said the high court “circumvented” the constitutional mandate of Congress when it ruled on Sereno’s case.

Lacson said the ones who stood to gain the most from the high court decision were the “incompetent lawyers” who would have been fully exposed if the impeachment trial had pushed through.

Villanueva said he stood by the Constitution and that “the “only means to remove the chief justice is through impeachment.”

Drilon said he totally disagreed with the high court’s decision.

“The Constitution is clear that the only remedy on erring constitutional officers like the chief justice is a conviction in an impeachment proceeding,” he said.

Pangilinan said he respected the high court decision but disagreed with it.

“What the majority in the Supreme Court did was a disgrace to the Constitution,” Pangilinan said as he called on the people to express their opinion against the tribunal’s decision.

Trillanes said the Supreme Court, which was supposed to be the cradle of the fragile Constitution, was the same body that killed it.

With Rio N. Araja, Sara Susanne D. Fabunan and Joel E. Zurbano

IBP: Sereno ouster must be paused pending appeal

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IBP vice chairman Domingo Cayosa said he could not understand why the high court seemed to be in a hurry to decide on the quo warranto plea against Sereno by the Office of the Solicitor General.

“Sa tingin namin, walang reason to rush the voting. Hindi ho ba kasi kung ang pakay natin dito ay public accountability, mayroon namang impeachment sa Kongreso. Bakit nila inuunahan?” Cayosa said.

“Eh ngayon biglang sasabihin nila immediately executory. So may hint of gusto nila kaagad permanent o maaksyunan kaagad.”

Said IBP president Abdiel Dan Elijah S. Fajardo: “We are awaiting official receipt of the decision of the Supreme Court in

Republic vs. Sereno, with an eye towards seeking its reconsideration or reversal.

This is pursuant to our position that only the Senate, assembled as an impeachment court, has the power to dismiss an incumbent Justice of the Supreme Court on questions pertaining to his or her alleged lack of integrity.”

In a briefing Friday, high court spokesman Theodor Te said the decision ousting Sereno was immediately executory.

But Cayosa insisted that Sereno had 15 days to file a motion for reconsideration, and only after it had been resolved could the ruling be deemed final.

He said the IBP itself would be filing its own motion for reconsideration in the hope

of convincing even at least two pro-oust justices to reverse their vote. In its deliberations, eight justice voted to grant the quo warranto plea while six voted against it.

“Kung pag-iisipan baka maaring ma-convince ang dalawa sa kanila o higit pa na magiba ang kanilang desisyon,” Cayosa said.

“Panahon na rin para igiit ng tao ang delikadesa at pag-inhibit-in ang ilang members of the SC na nagtestigo at nagpahayag na ng kanilang paniwala at posisyon na dapat matanggal at ma-dismiss si CJ bago pa dumating sa kanila.”

Cayosa criticized the high court justices who voted to oust Sereno despite being asked to inhibit from the case after supposedly displaying “bias” and “impartiality” by testifying in the impeachment case against the chief justice before the House of Representatives.

“Basic logic na hindi puwedeng maghusga ang taong nag-aakusa o ang taong mayroon nang dating desisyon,”Cayosa said.

“That’s a fundamental rule of fair play.”

SC...

emerged from the special en banc session that ousted her. “If you look at it tht way, we won. But those who should have inhibit themselves did not, so that’s what happened.”

Sereno had earlier sought the inhibition of De Castro, Peralto, Jardeleza, Bersamin and Martires for their alleged bias and animosity toward her.

“I was removed, but the six votes from justices who wanted me to stay in office only shows that I am right in my stand,” Sereno said.

“This was the first time in our history that a majority of the members of the Supreme Court booted a colleague of their own out of office,” she said, even as she lamented that the majority bloc effectively robbed the Senate of its constitutional right to hear and try an impeachable official.

Sereno insisted that a magistrate of the Supreme Court can only be removed through impeachment proceedings to preserve the independence of the members of the Court.

Sereno thanked her supporters for their unwavering support throughout her fight and vowed to continue her fight for rule of law and against what she called “barkadahan” in the judiciary.

“Today is not the end but the beginning,” she continued in Filipino. “On this day we muster our courage and let our united voices be heard. We cannot remain silent because to be silent is to be complicit in their abuses.”

“They robbed the Senate of the right.

They outright violated their sworn duty to protect the Constitution and destroyed the judiciary,” she added.

Former solicitor general Florin Hilbay expressed concern that Sereno’s removal would affect close Court decisions in which she voted, because the theory behind the quo warranto case was that she was never qualified to be chief justice.

“This will be tested. There will be one party, whose case was decided by a very close majority, say 8-7, [that can argue that].. it should be 7-7 because we removed Sereno from the computation,” he added.

Sereno arrived to her office at the Supreme Court shortly before 7:30 a.m., more than two hours before the scheduled en banc vote on the quo warranto petition.

Lawyer Jojo Lacanilao, one her spokesmen, confirmed her early arrival.

Meanwhile, groups calling for Sereno’s resignation also arrived at the SC main office on Friday morning, bearing placards and streamers saying “Sereno resign.”

On Thursday night, Sereno’s supporters held a prayer vigil in front of the SC building along Pardre Faura Street in Manila, praying that the justices would junk the quo warranto petition to give way to the impeachment proceedings in Congress, which they said is the only constitutional way to

decide on the fate of the chief justice.

President Rodrigo Duterte and Sereno first clashed in 2016 when she criticized his order urging judges whom he linked to the illegal drugs trade to turn themselves in as part of his crackdown.

Police say they have killed around 4,200 drug suspects in Duterte’s nearly two-yearlong campaign but rights groups allege the actual number is three times higher.

Duterte’s spokesman released a statement saying, “the High Court has spoken.

Let us respect its decision.”

Sereno had resisted the ouster effort, saying in March: “The current state of the nation is one where perceived enemies of the dominant order are considered fair game for harassment, intimidation and persecution.”

Other Duterte critics have also been ousted, punished or threatened including Senator Leila de Lima, who has been detained on drug charges.

Duterte last month urged lawmakers to speed Sereno’s removal by impeachment, warning otherwise “I’ll do it for you.”

Sereno is the second chief justice in a row to be ousted in the Philippines. Lawmakers convicted her predecessor, Renato Corona, in 2012 of corruption allegations.

Then-President Benigno Aquino III, who campaigned for Corona’s ouster, said the sacking was part of his anti-graft reforms, but critics said he aimed to ensure his control of the court.

Sereno’s camp may still file a motion for reconsideration within 15 days as provided under Rules of Court, especially since she would need only a concurring vote to switch side to have the decision reversed.

But the Court pronounced that it would no longer act further on the case.

In their decision, the justices said Sereno’s ineligibility could not be cured by her nomination and eventual appointment as chief justice by the previous administration.

They also rejected Sereno’s assertion that questions on her SALNs have no relation to her integrity as a qualification for the chief justice post.

“In so arguing, respondent loses sight of the fact that the SALN requirement is imposed no less than by the Constitution and made more emphatic by its accompanying laws and its implementing rules and regulations. In other words, one who fails to file his or her SALN violates the Constitution and the laws; and one who violates the Constitution and the laws cannot rightfully claim to be a person of integrity as such equation is theoretically and practically antithetical,” the decision said.

The tribunal also ruled that the SC has the power to remove Sereno through quo warranto despite her being an impeachable officer and that the case could be resolved independently from the impeachment case before the Congress. With Vito Barcelo, AFP

constitutional! How can we trust the justice system if the associate justices of the SC are unjust?!,” said Ramil Correa, professor at the De La Salle University and president of Sanggunian sa Filipino, an organization of Filipino professors.

Businesswoman Joann Dy-Suriaga of Tondo, Manila said “I believe it has been carefully studied by the pool of justices, she deserve the decision! Karma it is!”

Rizaldy Balce seconded Suriaga, saying “Justice has prevailed!!!”

Yael Toribio commented on his Twitter account : “Today is a sad day for democracy. Now more than ever, it’s high time that we intensify our fight against this blatant attack on our democracy.”

Zeejay also tweeted: “I am not totally against Sereno ouster if there are enough grounds. But not quo warranto because it would mean that even the highest court of the land is no longer protected by the Constitution. Majority of the law experts are against Quo Warranto against CJ.” Motorists and commuters encountered heavy traffic on both lanes of Taft Avenue and other major streets in Malate and Ermita in Manila due to closure of Padre Faura Street, where more than 2,000 pro- and anti-Sereno demonstrators converged.

Policemen only allowed employees of

the Department of Justice, Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, and University of the Philippines Manila students into the area around the Supreme Court.

Trucks across the street served as barricades to clear the direct vicinity of the Supreme Court, police said.

Traffic personnel from the Metro Manila Development Authority assisted enforcers from the city government of Manila in manning traffic in the affected areas.

“We were asked by Manila Police District if we could assist them in managing the traffic regarding anticipated rallies in the Supreme Court. We will assist the Western Traffic Enforcement District in any capacity we could give them,” said MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago.

Manila Police District officials said as of 9 a.m., 1,800 pro-Sereno supporters and 200 anti-Sereno supporters gathered and held their rallies along Padre Faura and Taft Avenue.

The MPD was reinforced by additional policemen from the National Capital Region Police Office - Regional Mobile Force Battalion, who arrived on Padre Faura s few hours before the Supreme Court en banc session started.

Classes and work at UP Manila were suspended.

HE Supreme Court decision ousting Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno should not be enforced yet because she still had the option to file an appeal, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines said Friday.

From A1

also voted to oust Sereno were Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Diosdado M. Peralta, Lucas P. Bersamin, Francis H. Jardeleza, Andres B. Reyes, Jr., Alexander G. Gesmundo, and Samuel R. Martires.

Those who dissented were Associate Justices Antonio T. Carpio, Presbitero J. Velasco, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, Mariano C. Del Castillo, and Marvic Mario Victor Leonen.

Sereno’s legal woes do not necessarily end with her removal from office, however, as the Supreme Court also ordered her to explain why she should not be sanctioned for violating the Code of Professional Responsibility and Code of Judicial Conduct for “casting aspersions and ill motives” on her colleagues and for violating the sub judice rule, which restricts parties from making public statements on matters that are the subject of a judicial proceeding.

In speeches ahead of Friday’s vote, Sereno denounced the quo warranto proceedings as unconstitutional.

Violations of the code could be used in disbarment proceedings against Sereno.

Friday’s quo warranto decision renders the impeachment proceedings against Sereno in Congress moot and academic.

On the issue of whether or not quo warranto is the proper remedy to challenge Sereno’s appointment as chief justice, the justices voted 9-5 in favor of quo warranto as proper remedy, namely Velasco, De Castro, Peralta, Bersamin, Jardeleza, Martires, Tijam, Reyes Jr., and Gesmundo.

Justices Carpio, Del Castillo, Perlas Bernabe, Leonen, and Caguioa dissented, advocating that the proper remedy to challenge Sereno’s appointment was impeachment.

On the issue of whether or not Sereno violated the Constitution for her failure to file her SALNs, nine justices – Carpio, De Castro, Peralta, Bersamin, Jardeleza, Martirez, Tijam, Reyes Jr., and Gesmundo -- voted that there was a violation. Of these, only Carpio said a quo warranto proceeding was not the proper remedy.

Calida’s quo warranto petition sought Sereno’s disqualification and removal for her failure to comply with the requirements of the JBC of filing 10-year SALNs when she applied for top judiciary post in 2012.

In a speech before a throng of supporters outside the Supreme Court shortly after she was ousted by her peers, Sereno still claimed victory because she believed that six of the eight who voted against her should have inhibited themselves from the case because they were biased.

“Only eight justices should have voted because the six should have inhibited themselves,” Sereno said in Filipino as she

Padre...

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they approached the SC’s gates on Padre Faura, only to be separated by Manila policemen overseeing the crowds.

A little past 11 a.m., Sereno finally emerged on a makeshift platform inside the high court’s compound after learning of the 8-6 vote that formally unseated her as top magistrate. Wearing a light purple shirt with a pink scarf, she delivered a prepared speech in Filipino, as dozens of media photographers, cameramen and journalists jostled for position in front of her.

Both boos and cheers were heard as Sereno spoke, mirroring the mixed reactions from the public elsewhere in the country.

Some users of Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites said removing the chief justice by means other than impeachment was unconstitutional, while others rejoiced at Sereno’s removal.

“I always maintain that CJ Sereno can only be removed through impeachment process. The failure to perform such exercise will undermine our Constitution thus affecting the entire nation,” said Dante Nacuray, a resident of Mandaluyong City.

“The ouster of Chief Justice Sereno is un-

How...

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Sereno, the magistrates also voted 9-5 on the issue of whether Sereno violated the Constitution with her incomplete submissions of her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth or SALNs before joining the high court.

The nine who voted against Sereno on the SALN issue were Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, Samuel Martires, Andres Reyes Jr, and Alexander Gesmundo.

The five other justices—Associate Justices Mariano del Castillo, Estela Perlas Bernabe, Marvic Leonen, Benjamin Caguioa and Presbitero Velasco —did not give an opinion on this issue.

On whether the quo warranto petition was the proper remedy to remove Sereno from office, the justices voted 9-5 as Velasco, De Castro, Peralta, Bersamin, Jardeleza, Martires, Tijam, Reyes and Gesmundo concurred.

The dissenters were Carpio, del Castillo, Perlas Bernabe, Leonen, and Caguioa.

Tijam penned the decision on the 8-6 main vote ousting Sereno, with De Castro, Peralta, Bersamin, Jardeleza, Martires, Reyes, and Gesmundo concurring.

Carpio, Velasco, Del Castillo, Bernabe, Leonen and Caguioa were against it.

However, Leonen stressed that even if Sereno “has failed our expectations, quo warranto, as a process to oust an impeachable officer and a sitting member of the Supreme Court is a legal abomination.”

He said that “a better reading of the Constitution requires us to read words and phrases in the context of the entire legal document.”

Leonen, an appointee of former President Benigno Aquino III like Sereno, noted that the general grant of jurisdiction for quo warranto actions under Article VIII Section 5 (1) of the 1987 Constitution “should be read in the context of the provisions of Article XI Sections 2 and 3, as well as the principles of judicial independence and integrity inherent in several sections of the Bill of Rights.”

Article VIII Section 5 (1), he added, provides that the high court “exercise original jurisdiction over cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls and over petitions for certiorari, prohibition, quo warranto and habeas corpus.”

On the other hand, Article XI Sections 2 and 3, which Leonen said “should be read in the context of the first mentioned provision,” enumerates the officials that can only be removed by impeachment, the specific grounds, and who has jurisdiction to initiate all cases of impeachment.

“This petition should have been dismissed outright and not given due course.

It does not deserve space in judicial deliberation within our constitutional democratic space,” he pointed out.

The majority decision, Leonen said, created a bad precedent that put at risk those who dissent against the “privileged and the powerful.”

“It creates a precedent that gravely diminishes judicial independence and threatens the ability of this Court to assert the fundamental rights of our people.

We render this Court subservient to an aggressive Solicitor General. We render those who present dissenting opinions unnecessarily vulnerable to powerful interests,” he warned.

“Granting this petition installs doctrine that further empowers the privileged, the powerful, and the status quo,” Leonen said. Rey Requejo

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He said the chief justice was an impeachable official who could only be removed after impeachment by the House and conviction by the Senate.

“The reputation and esteem of this present Supreme Court will now rise or fall on the basis of the soundness or unsoundness of this controversial decision upholding a very unusual remedy to oust a sitting chief justice,” Pimentel said.

Umali said if, indeed, the 8-6 Supreme Court ruling granting the quo warranto petition against Sereno was final, then the impeachment complaint against her would be moot and academic.

“If the ruling is final and executory, it would mean that the impeachment complaint against the chief justice is now moot and academic,” Umali said.

He said they would wait for the official copy of the ruling to guide their course of action.

Right now, Umali said, the panel report on the impeachment complaint against Sereno that was transmitted to the House committee on rules for referral to the plenary would be discussed during the resumption of Congress sessions on May 15.

Rep. Johnny Pimentel, head of the House committee on good government, said the Supreme Court’s action set “a very dangerous precedent.”

“Any impeachable official is now fair game. I hope they will reconsider their position,” he said.

Rep. Albee Benitez said the quo warranto ruling “saves tax payers money by avoiding the process of impeachment by Congress, which could have resulted in the same way.”

Rep. Rodolfo Albano III said whatever the high court decision on the matter must be respected.With Rio N. Araja, Macon

Ramos-Araneta and Rey E. Requejo

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SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Detained diplomats freed in 2-3 days

I DO. Former PNP chief Ronald ‘Bato” Dela Rosa takes oath Friday as Director General of Bureau of Corrections before Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra at the Department of Justice, with Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra giving him a tall order to destroy the illegal drug machinery inside the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City. Norman Cruz

Malacañang congratulates Malaysia’s Mahathir

By Vito Barcelo MALACANANG on Friday congratulated Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, an old friend of the Philippines, following his victory over former premier Najib Razak, and is looking forward to strengthened ties with Malaysia.

“We wish to congratulate Mahathir Mohamad on his return as Prime Minister of Malaysia,” the Palace spokesperson Harry Roque said right after Mohamad took his oath of office.

“Prime Minister Mahathir is an old friend of the Philippines and his fresh mandate augurs well for the deep relations between the Philippines and Malaysia,” the President Spokesperson said.

Mohamad was sworn in as Malaysia’s seventh Prime Minister, after the former premier accepted the will of the people that handed Barisan Nasional (BN) a shock defeat which ended the Umno-led pact’s six decades in power.

Roque said that Malaysia was a long a trusted ally, and was a brother nation and dependable partner of the Philippines for having played a constructive role towards the attainment of peace and stability in Mindanao.

“We are thus confident that the strong partnership between our countries would continue to be enhanced in the years to come,” he said.

Mahathir previously held office for 22 years, from 1981 to 2003, making him the longest serving prime minister of Malaysia.

Mahathir was in Manila in October 2017 for the Association of South East Asian Nations Leaders’ forum.

The 92-year-old took the oath at the Southeast Asian nation’s royal palace at about 9 pm local time in a ceremony with Malaysia’s monarch Sultan Muhammad V.

Comelec destroys 1-m defective ballots THE Commission on Elections on Friday destroyed 1,056,154 excess, spoiled and defective ballots printed for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections scheduled on Monday.

Comelec Printing Committee Vice Chair Ma. Victoria Lucero said 511,401 of these ballots were for the barangay election while 544,753 were for the SK election.

The excess SK ballots included those printed in 2016 and 2017 for voters who are now over 30 years old and can no longer vote for SK candidates.

Many of the ballots were for Luzon and Visayas voters.

No ballots for Mindanao were printed in 2017 after elections were suspended there because of the imposition of martial law.

Lucero said each ballot costs P3.00, which includes expenses for the paper, ink, electricity and use of the National Printing Office facilities.

NPO will replace defective and spoiled ballots.

Installed MXs on PH-claimed isles wake-up call—think tank

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

T

HE installation of anti-ship missiles and surface-toair missile systems on Philippine-claimed islands in the West Philippine Sea should serve as a wakeup call for the Duterte administration to revisit its foreign policy, an independent think tank said.

In a statement, Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute president Dindo Manhit urged the Philippine government to explore other ways of dealing with the increasing volatile situation, following the “obvious” militarization of China over the disputed waters.

“The most common rationale cited—we are militarily not in a good position to wage war against Beijing—should not be license to kowtow to China’s every whim. After all, the threat of the use of force constitutes a violation of the United Nations Charter,” Manhit said.

Vietnam has unequivocally called on China to remove the missile

installations while President Rodrigo Duterte on the other hand opted no to side with any parties to avoid being caught in the crossfire between superpowers. “(This should) not he the only option,” Manhit said.

“The pivot to Beijing away from the country’s more traditional allies needs to be revisited while exhausting all available mechanisms for unilateral, if not global, cooperation,” he added.

Manhit said when the Duterte administration shelved any discussions on the tribunal’s ruling, the militarization continued, unchallenged.

“But our options are not limited to

either let the militarization continue or risk going to war with China, but when it comes to foreign policy it’s important to approach the situation from a position of power, not weakness,” he said.

Geopolitical experts focused on the developing scenarios during the ADRI forum featuring a special paper authored by one of its trustees, Dr. Renato De Castro, titled: “Revival of the QUAD and the Emergence of the Indo-Pacific Region as the 21st Century Geopolitical Region”.

The study discussed the effects of the government’s “policy of appeasement” on the country’s strategic interests and the overall security of the Indo-pacific region and recommends the revival of the QUAD, an informal security association among the U.S., Japan, India, and Australia; the adoption of a long-proposed code of conduct in the South China Sea; and even working with the UN General Assembly toward a consolidation of its members to promote international law, specifically UNCLOS.

‘Bato’ told to destroy narco-machinery inside Bilibid JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Friday directed Bureau of Corrections chief Ronald dela Rosa to destroy the illegal drug machinery inside the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City Dela Rosa, who has the rank of undersecretary, took his oath as BuCor chief at the Department of Justice Friday.

The BuCor is one of the attached agencies of the DoJ, along with the National Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Immigration.

“I only have one instruction in mind for him. The penitentiary is known as a lair for illegal drug operations... My marching order is to destroy whatever machinery is there in the penitentiary pertaining to the manufacture and trade of drugs,” Guevarra said.

Dela Rosa, for his part, said a bigger budget could solve the problems in the

state penitentiary.

Dela Rosa, formerly the chief of the Philippine National Police, said he spent his first five days as BuCor chief studying, assessing and evaluating the situation in the NBP. He said if the BuCor was given a bigger budget, he would push through with the construction of new prison facilities in the regions, as well as the repair of old facilities.

“Actually, the solution to all the problems is budget, a bigger budget.just give me time, I will institute reforms,” Dela Rosa, also known for his nickname “Bato,” said.

“Without a good facility, you cannot institute good reforms. And the facility takes time to be built and there is a need for huge amount of money,” he aded.

The BuCor chief also proposed the segregation of convicted foreign drug

lords and local drug lords to cut the supply and demand of illegal drugs in the state penitentiary.

Meanwhile, Guevarra said he would make sure that all necessary support from the DoJ would be given to the Bucor.

He said he would have a more personal approach in supervising the BuCor under the leadership of Dela Rosa.

He added putting an end to the illegal drug trade in the NBP was one of the problems President Rodrigo Duterte told him to put special attention on.

“The problem of illegal drugs is not just found outside, but also inside the national penitentiary, that’s why I have to take a more hands on approach in supporting the efforts of the Bucor in wiping out illegal drugs in the penitentiary,” Guevarra said.

THE three Filipino diplomats ordered arrested by Kuwait authorities are expected to be released in two to three days, Malacañang said on Friday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made this announcement after he and other Philippine officials met with Kuwaiti Deputy Foreign Minister H.E. Al-Khaled Sulaiman Al-Jarallah.

In a related development: • Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano has arrived in Kuwait to discuss the current bilateral relations between the two nations with his counterpart, and later witness the expected signing of an agreement to protect household service workers in the Gulf nation.

Upon arrival at the Kuwait International Airport on Thursday, Cayetano was joined by Kuwaiti Ambassador to Manila Musaed Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh and Philippine Consul General Noordin Lomondot.

Cayetano said he and Kuwait Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al Hamad Al Sabah would sit down to assess the two nations’ accomplishment since the diplomatic row broke out, and discuss how much farther the two were willing to go in engagement.

A Philippine delegation, composed of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque and other labor officials are also in Kuwait to discuss the spat and witness the possible signing of the memorandum of understanding Friday.

The Foreign Minister of Kuwait assured that the release of the three Filipino diplomats “are now being worked out with the Interior Ministry.”

“The diplomats are expected to be released in two to three days,” Roque said in a statement sent to media. PNA

Brgy official in Malabon charged before Ombudsman

By Rio N. Araja THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Department of Interior and Local Government have filed criminal and administrative charges against a barangay official from Malabon City before the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged involvement in illegal drug trade.

Director General Aaron Aquino said Barangay Tinajeros chairman Alvin Mañalac could be held liable for violation of Section 5 in relation to Section 3 (ee) (protector/coddler), Section 6 (maintenance of a drug den) and Section 8 (manufacture of dangerous drugs and/or controlled precursors and essential chemicals) in relation to Section 39 (ee), and Section 32 (liability to a person violating any regulation issued by the board) of Republic Act 9165 or “The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

He said Mañalac was in the PDEA’s narco-list.

Director Ismael Fajardo Jr., PDEANational Capital Region director, and Undersecretary Martin Diño of the Department of Interior and Local Government personally filed the complaint against the barangay official with the Ombudsman.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCEMENT President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has submitted to the Commission on Appointments (C.A.) for confirmation the ad interim appointments of the following officers in the Armed Forces of the Philippines: To the rank of Brigadier General/Commodore Nestor Florente DC Rayos, PAF (GSC), Rolando R. Rodil, PA (MNSA), Nelson P. Collantes, PAF (MNSA) (RES), Joselito F. Maclan, PAF (MNSA), Ariel R. Caculitan PN(M) (GSC) and Antonio C. Palces, PN (GSC) To the rank of Colonel Emmanuel A. Mahipus, PAF (MNSA) (RES) and Luisito S. Suarez, PAF (MNSA) (RES) The public may submit any information, written report, or sworn/notarized complaints or oppositions in thirty two (32) copies on the above appointments to the CA Secretariat, 6th Floor, PNB Financial Center, D. Macapagal Blvd., Pasay City, Metro Manila.

For the schedule of the public hearings and any other inquiry, contact the CA Secretariat through telephone numbers 834-2713, 831-1824, 831-0527, 832-9830, 834-2706 and 551-1989.

11 May 2018.

Employees of the National Printing Office start Friday destroying the printed excess, spoiled and defectine ballots for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on Mponday. Manny Palmero

HECTOR A. VILLACORTA Secretary (MS-MAY 12, 2018)

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Opinion

SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Cayetano and the rescuers about the deployment ban.

Admittedly, the rescue operation was not in accord with diplomatic protocol recognized in International Law. Considering, however, that the rescue operation was a response by the PhilTHE good news is that the Philip- ippine embassy to the desperate pleas pines can be proud of the Department of Filipinos who could possibly lose of Foreign Affairs under Secretary their lives in Kuwait, and that time beAlan Peter Cayetano, and its corps ing of the essence, and in view of the of diplomatic personnel based in Ku- notorious indifference of Kuwait auwait. About three weeks ago, the DFA thorities to the plight of Asian domeslaunched a clandestine operation to tic helpers as well as the propensity of rescue two Filipina domestic help- Kuwaitis to treat overseas domestic ers being abused in that awful desert helpers as nineteenth-century slaves, country. In coordination with its home the rescue operation was justified unoffice in Manila, three diplomats from der International Humanitarian Law. the Philippine embassy in Kuwait City Sadly, Kuwait viewed the rescue opconducted the clandestine operation, eration as a violation of its sovereignty and succeeded in saving the lives of and summarily ordered the expulsion the two overseas Filipinos from their of Renato Pedro Villa, the Philippine inhumane Arab employers. ambassador to Kuwait. As of this It appears that the rescue opera- writing, Ambassador Villa is safely tion came in the wake of deteriorat- back in the Philippines. ing relations between the Philippines The Kuwaiti government also said and Kuwait, a that it will invessituation brought tigate the three about by the sePhilippine diplovere maltreatmats directly reThe operation ment of Filipino sponsible for the domestic helpers was justified under rescue operation. working for KuThis announcewaiti employers. International ment is interThe incident that Humanitarian Law. preted by Matriggered the rift nila as Kuwait’s between Manila determination to and Kuwait City arrest the three diplomats once was the discovery they step out of early this year of the murder of Joanna Demafelis, a Fil- the Philippine embassy. ipina domestic helper working in KuInitial reports received by Manila wait, whose body was left in a freezer indicate that the power and water supby her Arab employers. On an earlier ply to the Philippine embassy was deoccasion, another Filipina worker was liberately cut off by the Kuwaiti govraped by her Kuwaiti boss. ernment to cause inconvenience to its Reacting to these incidents, a very occupants. Subsequent reports, howangry President Rodrigo Duterte im- ever, claim that it was a power outage, posed a total ban on the deployment not a power cut. That is rather difficult of Filipino workers to Kuwait, which to believe because an oil-rich country is to remain until and unless Kuwait like Kuwait never runs out of electrictook concrete steps to protect the safe- ity, particularly in the diplomatic and ty and well-being of Filipino expatri- consular areas of the capital. ates in that desert nation. Kuwaiti Last week, the DFA quietly anofficials, Labor Secretary Silvestre nounced that there are ongoing negotiBello III and the owners of Philippine ations for the repatriation of the three recruitment agencies sending workers diplomats. The stealth is, of course, to slavery in Kuwait were unhappy Turn to A5 HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Quo vadis after quo warranto?

F

RIDAY’S landmark decision of the Supreme Court ousting its head, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, for “unlawfully holding and exercising the office of the Chief Justice” is cause for jubilation for some quarters and indignation to others.

For the entire nation, however, it is a harbinger of uncertainty and dark times ahead.

Eight justices voted to oust Sereno while six voted against the quo warranto petition filed

by Solicitor General Jose Calida.

The petition highlighted Sereno’s failure to submit a complete set of Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth—a basic requirement for nominees to the post.

Sereno herself tried to put a positive spin to her dismissal, thanking her supporters and urging them to continue the fight against oppressive forces.

“As long as we stand for what is right, we will never lose,” she said.

Former President Benigno Aquino III likened the case to a mango in varying stages of ripeness as he insisted that an official like Sereno can only be removed through impeachment.

Vice President Leni Robredo said the day everyone had been dreading had arrived.

But no less than President Rodrigo Duterte has declared Sereno an enemy, vowing in April that he would personally make sure she is removed from office. “She is bad for the Philippines,” the President said, reacting to Sereno’s assertion that he was behind the attempts to oust her.

The Supreme Court’s decisions has made the post of chief justice vacant, but it does not get rid of doubts on how the country can proceed after the highly divisive and emotional ruling.

How can we disabuse the public that the associate justices voted the way they did because of their personal loyalties, instead

of their convictions and sense of justice?

How can we throw out the simplistic thinking that every issue can be reduced to a battle of personalities instead of the legitimate legal questions that must be resolved?

How can we put to rest the questions on the validity of rulings, especially close ones where Sereno’s vote could have decided, or helped decide, the case?

Finally, how can the Duterte administration dispel fears that this is part of a bigger attempt to control all branches of government and silence its critics?

The Supreme Court as an institution has decided, and Filipinos must respect the decision whether or not they agree with it.

A more daunting task lies ahead, however, for these supposedly erudite individuals, and for the heads of the other branches of government: To reassure all Filipinos of all political persuasions that justice reigns supreme despite these—we hope, temporarily—turbulent times.

The (In)justice League lated the very Constitution they had sworn to uphold and protect. This SC decision wrestled from the Senate its constitutionally-mandated power and responsibility under the impeachment process. No wonder, Senators Drilon, THE nation mourns the death of rule Angara, Trillanes, Hontiveros, Aquiof law and judicial independence. Our no, Gatchalian, Lacson, Ejercito, and hard-earned democracy also suffered Recto have all spoken out against the a terrible blow from the gods of Padre granting of the quo warranto petition Faura. In the hallowed halls of the Su- and usurpation of the powers of the preme Court was born the (In)justice senate.

League composed of the eight who The (In)justice League rendered the ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Constitution’s provisions on impeachSereno: Associate Justices Tijam, Per- ment inutile. The decision sets a very alta, Bersamin, Reyes, Gesmundo, De dangerous precedent that allows the Castro, Jardeleza, and Martires. removal from office of any impeachThe voting, eight against six, was able official through quo warranto inquite close. This, surely is being con- stead of impeachment. sidered by the ousted CJ in decidNeedless to say, this SC action can ing on her next backfire on some moves. the Associate I said that the Justices who are SC decision on not exactly anthe quo warranto gels.

These eight petition could In removing the strengthen or justices must be held CJ in this manfurther weaken accountable by the ner, the Associour democracy. people. ate Justices have I thought that become instruthe petition prements of INJUSsented an opporTICE. The injustunity for the SC tice was done not to strongly enforce rule of law and the only against the ousted CJ, but against principle of checks and balances by the Filipino people who fought hard to rejecting the petition. win democracy back. As I have writI was hopeful that there will be a ten before, the “oust Sereno project” majority who would follow the Con- goes beyond the CJ but goes at the stitution and allow for due process in very heart of rule of law, judicial inremoving a CJ from office, that is, by dependence, and democracy. impeachment trial with the Senate Now that the (In)justice League acting as the impeachment court. Af- succeeded in their evil plan, the conter all, CJ Sereno only wanted to be trol of President Rodrigo Duterte on given her day in court. The Filipino the three supposedly co-equal branchpeople also wanted the opportunity to es of government is TOTAL. He has weigh in on evidence that will be pre- been in full control of the Executive sented by both parties in an impeach- and Legislative branches from day one ment trial. of his term. Sereno as Chief Justice But the SC, to be more precise, the was the biggest stumbling block for (In)justice League decided to remove Duterte to control the highest court.

CJ Sereno by granting the quo war- He already had the majority, the (In) ranto petition filed by Solicitor Gen- justice League, on his side. eral Jose Calida. In effect, they vioTurn to A5

POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO

8-6 on the Constitution PENSEES FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO

warranto against the President and the Vice-President.

Actually it was by only one vote that the Chief Justice lost her seat. Had one justice voted against the grant of the writ, the vote would have stood at 7–

Continued from A1 continue but the controversy has been resolved.

As for quo warranto against impeachable officials, those against it should, for the sake of consistency, have protested the PET Rules promulgated years ago that provide for quo

The Court has spoken.

It is not infallible but it is supreme.

7, a tie, and that would have meant a dismissal of the petition!

What should be clear is that conspiracy theorists do not have the numbers to back conjecture. True, that Court could have come across more convincingly by voting with greater unanimity to grant the petition for quo warranto, but that would also have provided fodder for the wags who have peddled the canard of a well-orchestrated plot to unseat Serreno. At 8–6 it can be said that she came very close to holding on, and that her colleagues were not of one Turn to A5

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Opinion It’s not over for Sereno, the rule of law Continued from A1 Apparently, that was too much already.

For this reason, Friday’s quo warranto decision is not just a terrible subversion of the rule of law but also a direct attack against democracy.

The Constitution, in the quo warranto decision, was subverted by those who are supposed to be its guardians.

This decision by the Highest Court seriously imperils the checks and balances that is a bedrock principle of our democracy. The 8-6 decision by the Court to oust one of their own—and the chief justice at that—is controversial to say the least. Imagine, the accusers being allowed to pass judgment on the accused? Whichever way you look at it, to allow the ousted Chief Justice’s critics to participate in the deliberations and voting is a travesty of justice. At the very least, the justices who were asked to inhibit should have inhibited themselves. The rules of fair play demand no less. It would have been otherwise a 6-2 vote in favor of Sereno.

With this Court decision, any public officer becomes fair game. By the simple expedient of a judicial fiat, all officers, including impeachable officers, can be ousted on the pretext that their appointment is void from the very beginning. It opens a convenient avenue to oust officers who are otherwise removable only by impeachment.

Insofar as Sereno is concerned, why was she appointed associate justice and chief justice in the first place if her papers were out of order? If at all, it is the fault of the Judicial and Bar Council for being negligent in this regard by including her in the short list and recommending her for appointment despite her supposed failure to submit her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth. Or was it the fault of the appointing authority—i.e President Aquino—who named her to the post without exercising due diligence?

The timing of the quo warranto case was suspect. It was lodged at the time when the President vowed to oust Sereno, his avowed “enemy,” when he egged on his allies in the House of Representatives to speed up the impeachment process against her, when a significant number of members of the Court have been accusing her of various wrong-

8-6...

From A4

mind about unseating her.

Significantly, however, nine justices agreed that she had violated the Constitution insofar as the SALN issue was concerned, but for Senior Associate Justice Tony Carpio, that meant that she should be turned over to the Senate for trial. Obviously, for the eight, the infirmity went to the very legality of her appointment—hence the negative answer to the question: “By what warrant (quo warranto) do you hold the office of Chief Justice?”

Even before the verdict was laid down, however, it should become clear that holding on to the position of Chief Justice was becoming increasingly untenable for Serreno. There were of course about 200 supporters

The (In)...

From A4

Remember that Duterte himself said that he will act to remove Sereno from her position. This is not surprising since it was the Solgen, one of Duterte’s henchmen who filed the quo warranto petition before the SC. Duterte already had the majority but not the Chief Justice, and she should be removed at all costs for the President to have control of the Judiciary.

Whatever semblance of judicial independence remained has been shattered and Duterte now controls all three branches of government.

The country is now under a de facto dictatorship far worse than Marcos.

Who needs Martial Law when Duterte can now rule like a dictator? Dark, dark days are ahead.

doings which assured an unfavorable number when the time to vote for the quo warrant case comes. Even before the actual voting, rumors were rife that the Court would decide against Sereno.

Of course, this prognostication had a reasonable basis, considering that six of their numbers have previously made statements against her.

The repercussions are serious. A decision by the courts, especially the Supreme Court, is meaningful only and serves its purpose if people find it credible and fair. Without trust and faith in our justice system, people will have no choice but to take recourse to self-help and violence. Without trust, there is chaos and anarchy. Failure to render justice makes the Court a false institution. Thus, the Supreme Court – all courts for that matter – are only good for as long as they can dispense genuine and credible decisions.

By sweeping under the rug the constitutional diktat that an impeachable officer can only be removed by impeachment, and coming up with a decision under questionable circumstances, the Supreme Court has not only sullied its reputation as the last bastion of democracy. It may have irreparably damaged its independence. Foremost in the minds of many is whether this Court, after the Sereno ouster, can still come up with a credible decision. Many cannot help but entertain the suspicion, albeit unfounded perhaps, that the Highest Court is willing to break the rules of impartiality and fair game to give in to petty intramural squabbles or perhaps satiate personal vendetta. The more sinister angle, though again this may or may not have solid basis, is the danger for some people to think that the justices, in deciding as they did, could not summon enough fortitude and moral courage to defy the wishes of one man.

There is still an opportunity for the Court to correct itself. One vote is enough to swing the Court to the right decision. I hope they will do that in the motion for reconsideration. There are two Justices in the majority that I know are definitely good persons and have the highest interests of the country in mind. I hope they reconsider, not to save their reputation, but to redeem

the Court and prevent our country from collapsing into legal and judicial chaos.

Personally, as a law professor, I am in crisis. How can I now teach to my constitutional law students that the Supreme Court is rightly the arbiter of constitutional disputes, the final word in constitutional interpretation?

All I can do now is to repeat what Ka Pepe Diokno, the greatest lawyer this country has produced once said, said in the darkness of the Marcos dictatorship: “Yet the truth remains true that never have our people had greater need than today for great lawyers, and for young men and women determined to be great lawyers.

Great lawyers—not brilliant lawyers. A scoundrel may be, and often is, brilliant; and the greater the scoundrel, the more brilliant the lawyer. But only a good man can become a great lawyer: for only a man who understands the weaknesses of men because he has conquered them in himself; who has the courage to pursue his ideals though he knows them to be unattainable; who tempers his conviction with respect for those of others because he realizes he may be mistaken; who deals honorably and fairly with all, because to do otherwise would diminish him as well as them—only such a man would so command respect that he could persuade and need never resort to force. Only such a man could become a great lawyer. Otherwise, ‘what you are speaks so loudly, I cannot hear what you say.’

For men and women of this kind, our country will always have need—and now more than ever. True, there is little that men of goodwill can do now to end the madness that holds our nation in its grip. But we can, even now, scrutinize our past; try to pinpoint where we went wrong; determine what led to this madness and what nurtured it; and how, when it ends, we can make sure that it need never happen again.

For this madness must end—if not in my lifetime, at least in yours. We Filipinos are proverbially patient, but we are also infinitely tough and ingeniously resourceful. Our entire history as a people has been a quest for freedom and dignity; and we will not be denied our dreams.

So this madness will end; the rule of force will yield to the rule of law. Then the country will need its great lawyers, its great engineers, its great economists and managers, the best of its men and women to clear the shambles and restore the foundations of that noble and truly Filipino society for which our forefathers fought, bled and died.”

surrounding the Supreme Court on the eve of decision day—but what judges and court personnel throughout the country and even within the Supreme Court itself harbored but were reticent many times about expressing was quite another. When employees of the Court over which you preside festoon its fence with red ribbons and wear red shirts to tell you to go, and when your colleagues, in an unprecedented move, volunteer to testify against you, then it surely is not a Tess de Castro versus Meilou Sereno spat. It is a matter of lost love and ruined trust. It had long ceased to be a matter of innocence or guilt. It had become a question of inability to lead a key institution of government.

But the Judicial and Bar Council must carry its share of blame. If the Court found the Chief Justice ineligible for appointment, that can only

mean that the JBC was remiss in its duty of seeing to the endorsement of only the eligible. This point must not be lost in the coming days for the JBC members who sat in judgment over the candidates at that time must themselves be called to task for negligently if not knowingly endorsing one who did not meet the requirements.

I have been asked about the future of the judiciary. My answer has been unchanging: the judiciary will survive and flourish. It has seen crises like these, even worse in the past. There was a time that the entire Supreme Court resigned over a Bar-related scandal. That rocked the Court but did not destroy it.

Maria Lourdes Sereno is not the judiciary. She is not even the Supreme Court, and the judiciary is greater than a quo warranto case against the Chief Justice that results in her ouster!

But all is not lost. This SC decision is not the end, far from it. It signals the beginning of a stronger struggle against dictatorship.

I expect ousted CJ Sereno to appeal the decision. I also expect her to be more vocal about things that happen in the Supreme Court. I expect her to bring her case to the people, present her defense, her evidence to the court of public opinion, and let the public make the (In)justice League accountable.

I even want her to run for the Senate next year. We need her caliber there to lift the quality of the Senate as a body.

Perhaps, the senators who oppose this SC decision can look into what can be done. Hopefully, they speak in one voice and use the senate to question the quo warranto decision as an encroachment on the powers of a coequal branch of government. After all,

the Justices already made a precedent of appearing in Congressional hearings.

Lastly, the preamble of the Constitution is clear on where the ultimate power lies when it said, “… WE THE SOVEREIGN FILIPINO PEOPLE…” The Justices should be made to realize that they serve the Filipino people by making sure that the Constitution is followed. They committed a crime against the people when they violated the Constitution.

In the end, it is the Filipino people who will again stand up to defend not just judicial independence and the rule of law but democracy. It is time to speak out against abuse of power.

The (In)justice League must be held accountable by the people.

As a law professor, I am in crisis.

bethangsioco@gmail.com @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2018

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mst.daydesk@gmail.com

The challenge of space gardening: One giant ‘leaf’ for mankind

By Kerry Sheridan IT’S not easy having a green thumb in space.

Without gravity, seeds can float away. Water doesn’t pour, but globs up and may drown the roots. And artificial lights and fans must be rigged just right to replicate the sun and wind.

But NASA has decided that gardening in space will be crucial for the next generation of explorers, who need to feed themselves on missions to the Moon or Mars that may last months or years.

Necessary nutrients, like vitamins C and K, break down over time in freeze-dried foods. Without them, astronauts are increasingly vulnerable to infections, poor blood clotting, cancer and heart disease.

So the US space agency has turned to professional botanists and novice gardeners—high school students, in fact—to help them practice.

“There are tens of thousands of edible plants on Earth that would presumably be useful, and it becomes a big problem to choose which of those plants are the best for producing food for astronauts,” explained Carl Lewis, director of the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, which is leading the effort.

“And that is where we come in.”

Useful foibles The Miami-based garden has identified 106 plant varieties that might do well in space, including hardy cabbages and leafy lettuces.

They have enlisted 15,000 student botanists from 150 schools to grow plants in space-like conditions in their own classrooms.

The four-year project is about midway through, and is paid for by a $1.24 million grant from NASA. Using trays rigged with lights that mimic the grow boxes used in space, students must tend to the plants and record data on their progress, which eventually gets shared with NASA. “We’re not using typical gardening equipment,” said Rhys Campo, a 17-year-old high school student who tried her hand at growing red romaine lettuce this year.

“We have setups that are a lot more high-tech.”

Still, some plants get overwatered, some classrooms are hotter or colder than others, and holiday breaks may leave the grow boxes unattended.

In Campo’s class, the lettuce dried up, and students were unable to taste it.

Such foibles have turned out to be an unexpected but useful part of the project, said NASA plant scientist Gioia Massa.

“If you have a plant that does well in all that variability, chances are that plant will do well in space,” she told AFP. New textures Astronauts living at the space station, 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth have encountered their share of failures while gardening in orbit, too.

Cayetano...

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understandable, owing to the delicate nature of the issue, and the irrational way many Kuwaitis think simply because they are wealthy.

Apparently, the negotiations were fruitful. Yesterday, the DFA announced that the stranded Philippine diplomats may be able to leave Kuwait within the next two days or so, because Manila and Kuwaiti City have signed an accord regarding the treatment of Filipino workers in that country. While that accord will only legitimize the maltreatment of Filipino workers in Kuwait, at least it triggered the safe repatriation of the diplomats.

This development should also augur well for Kuwait. If Kuwait insists on keeping the Philippine diplomats in their country under threat of punishment, then Kuwait will be no different from Iran, It will be recalled that in 1979, Iran allowed radical students to take over the American embassy in Tehran. Everyone in the embassy became hostages and were released only in 1981. *** It is unsettling to hear that certain noisy sectors among the so-called “career diplomats” in the DFA bureaucracy are demanding the resignation of DFA Secretary Cayetano for what happened in Kuwait. After branding the rescue operation a diplomatic disaster, they attributed it to the youth and inexperience of Cayetano.

What hogwash! Since when was the rescue of a distressed Filipino by a Philippine consular officer a diplo-

The first portable growing box for space, equipped with LED lights, called Veggie, was tested at the orbiting outpost in 2014.

Some of the lettuce didn’t germinate, and some died of drought.

But astronauts kept trying, and finally took their first bite of NASAapproved space-grown lettuce in 2015.

Now, there are two Veggie grow boxes at the ISS, along with a third, called the Advanced Plant Habitat.

The food being grown is only occasionally harvested, and amounts to just a leaf or two per astronaut, but it’s worth it, said NASA astronaut Ricky Arnold, during a live video downlink with students at Fairchild last month.

“The textures of food are all kind of very similar,” he said of the freezedried fare available on board the ISS. “When we are able to harvest our own lettuce here, just having a different texture to enjoy is a really nice diversion from the standard menu.”

The ideal space veggie Plants don’t need gravity in order to grow. They just orient themselves to the light.

According to Massa, a good space plant has to be compact and produce a lot of edible food.

Plants also have to do well in a spaceship like the ISS, which has a temperature of 71 degrees Fahrenheit (22 Celsius), 40 percent relative humidity, and high carbon dioxide— some 3,000 parts per million.

“That is something plants aren’t adjusted to,” said Massa. “On Earth it is about 400 ppm.”

Under a system Massa described as akin to hydroponics but not exactly the same, space plants also have to germinate from a plant pillow with only a small amount of dirt, do well under LED lights, and be microbially fairly clean, because it is hard to wash vegetables in space.

Some of the student-tested crops are expected to launch in coming months, including dragoon lettuce and extra dwarf pak choi.

By next year, tomatoes could be on the menu.

Connection to Earth NASA is looking into the possibility of robotic space gardening, to automate the process so crew can focus on other tasks.

But many astronauts say they like tending to plants, because it helps them maintain a connection to Earth.

“The psychological benefits can be important for astronauts,” said Nasa research scientist Trent Smith.

Besides—as many gardeners know —having a plot dry up or be devoured by mold isn’t the end of world.

“The thing that the students learn is that making mistakes is okay,” said JoLynne Woodmansee, a teacher at BIOTech High School in Miami.

“The whole process of science is all about building. You can’t learn something new without making a mistake.” AFP

matic disaster? Those “career diplomats” have been basking in their comfort zones for so long that they have forgotten the interests of their fellow Filipinos. Many of them consider diplomacy as the art of attending embassy parties in expensive attire; of expressing one thing and meaning something else; of smiling at people whom they would rather frown at in reality; of putting down one’s countryman so as to avoid offending the feelings of a foreigner; of enjoying a virtual tour of the world at the expense of taxpayers like overseas Filipino workers, and of putting form and nicety over substance, justice and national welfare.

By golly, it was probably Cayetano’s “youth and inexperience” that made him think of that rescue operation!

Therefore, if there should be anybody who ought to resign from the DFA, those uncaring vultures among the “career diplomats” should be the ones who should do so.

What happened in Kuwait is not a diplomatic disaster. What happened there is that for the first time in a long, long while, Filipino diplomats did what they were expected to do -protect overseas Filipinos stationed in their assigned areas.

All Filipinos should unite behind our well-meaning foreign service officials, particularly Secretary Cayetano, Ambassador Villa, and the three diplomats whose names cannot be mentioned in the meantime, in order to assure their safety. It will be in the best interest of the Filipino people if these officials can trigger more substantial reforms in our overseas diplomatic missions.

News

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SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Boracay rehab plans still being crafted, OCD official says

AFP denies ‘SouthCom’ FB post

By Francisco Tuyay THE Armed Forces of the Philippines on Friday denied a “Messenger” post which claimed that soldiers from the “Southern Command” are allegedly withdrawing support to the national government.

The message was posted in facebook and was titled “Steve Dissident” under the account of a Steve Ronquillo, which reads: “We, the officer and soldiers of Southern Command, hereby declare that effective today, we have withdrawn our support to this fake governance of Mister Duterte. We are the constitutional-armed forces of the Philippines and not to Mister Duterte.”

It added: “We are calling on all the other units of the Armed Forces to join us. Let us heed the calls of our people now. This is what we looking for AFP. This is our prayer.

That you make such a life-giving declaration.

Your oath is to our PILIPINAS.” The message was posted on May 7, 2018, five days before the Supreme Court handed down its verdict on the quo warranto which effectively ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno from her post in the Supreme Court.

“A ‘messenger’ post purportedly from the soldiers of the “Southern Command” allegedly withdrawing support to government and President Rodrigo R. Duterte and encouraging other AFP units to follow suit is now circulating in social media,” AFP spokesperson Col. Edgard Arevalo said.

“Few people sent it to me to determine its veracity. That is a fake statement. It did not come from the military,” he said.

He also clarified that there is no “Southern Command” in the AFP, saying that the post is the handiwork of individuals who intend to sow discord and discredit the military as a professional organization.

Arevalo also assured the public that the AFP will be “united and steadfast” amid such disinformation.

“Your AFP shall and will remain united and steadfast following duly constituted authority and under the Chain-of-Command with the President and Commanderin-Chief on top of the hierarchy,” Arevalo said. With PNA

‘MRT operations continue to improve’ THE operations of the Metro Rail Transit Line-3 (MRT-3) continues to improve and has not recorded any unloading incident for 17 consecutive days.

This is the longest streak of no unloading incident of the MRT since 2011, according to a statement from the Department of Transportation Friday.

It also surpassed the 13 consecutive days without unloading incident which was recorded from Oct. 12 to 24, 2014.

The MRT management has started implementing on 2011 its record-keeping system of the number and causes of unloading incidents of the railway system.

The MRT has also increased the number of running trains to 18 last Thursday. The last time it has fielded 18 trains was on Nov. 16, 2017.

The MRT management earlier said the arrival of more spare parts starting last February has resulted to the improvement of the railway system’s operations. PNA

By Joel E. Zurbano

NEW CONSULAR OFFICE. Department of Foreign Affairs Asst. Secretary Frank Cimafranca congratulates Jeffrey Lim, president of SM Prime Holdings Inc. during the signing of memorandum of agreement between DFA and SM for the new DFA consular offices to be constructed this year at SM Dasmariñas, SM San Pablo, and SM Cherry Antipolo. Also in photo are DFA senior special secretary Roy Ecraela and Annie Garcia, President of SM Supermalls. Norman Cruz

‘PH fastest with growing HIV epidemic in Asia-Pacific’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

W

ITH a 140% increase in estimated annual new HIV infections from 2010 to 2016, UNAIDS said that the “the Philippines has become the country with the fastest growing HIV epidemic in Asia and the Pacific. The country has also become one of eight countries that account for more than 85% of new infections in the region.”

Because of this, the Department of Health and the World Health Organization held on Friday a one-day free confidential and anonymous HIV screening in the workplace at several sites within the DoH compound in observance of International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day on May 18.

About 400 DoH staff, including walk-ins, availed of the free HIV screening in eight (8) different stations within the DoH compound.

These stations are located in the following areas: Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (2 stations), World Health Organization (2 stations), Epidemiology Bureau, Philippine National AIDS Council Secretariat, Health Promotion and Communication Service and Media Relations Unit Office.

The screening, which took about 15 minutes per person, was conducted by trained members from the communitybased organization, “Project Red Ribbon.”

Manila Social Hygiene Clinic and San Lazaro Hospital provided further testing

and counselling to those who will test reactive in the screening.

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said that health workers should lead and promote HIV testing as part of the national strategy to fight and prevent HIV/AIDS. He said It is important to know one’s HIV status to enable people living with HIV (PLHIV) to access treatment, which is now given for free by the DoH. He added that this activity inside the DoH provided convenience and privacy to those who want to avail of the services.

“We recommend, together with other Philippine National AIDS Council member agencies, that other government agencies and private organizations do the same for their staff on a regular basis,” Duque added.

Records from the DoH showed that from January 1984 to March 2018, the number of individuals diagnosed with HIV is 53,192.

Among those diagnosed from January 2001 to December 2005, the pre-

dominant age group was 35-49 years old. However, starting from January 2006 to March 2018, the trend shifted to the 25-34 age group. The proportion of HIV positive cases in the 15-24 age group increased from 25% in 20062010 to 29% in 2011-2018.

In March 2018, there were 912 new HIV cases reported to the HIV/AIDS & ART Registry of the Philippines (HARP). Ninety-four percent (858) of the newly diagnosed cases were male.

More than half (52%, 471) were 25-34 years old while 31% (283) were 15-24 years old at the time of testing.

Sexual contact remains the most predominant mode of transmission (99%, 899). Among this, 86% (774) were among males who have sex with males (MSM). Other modes of transmission were needle sharing among injecting drug users (1%, 11.)

“Given the current HIV situation in the Philippines, we have to step up our efforts to reduce the number of new HIV cases in the country,” WHO Representative to the Philippines Dr Gundo Weiler said.

“We hope that people take this opportunity not only to remember the lives lost to HIV but to also work towards the elimination of HIV stigma in the Philippines. It is time to talk to your loved ones about HIV screening because treatment is readily available.”

Sandiganbayan junks retrial appeal for MCIAA exec

By Maricel V. Cruz THE Sandiganbayan has junked the appeal of the prosecution for a retrial of former Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority general manager Adelberto Federico Yap. The anti-graft court's Second Division denied the motion for reconsideration (MR) of Ombudsman prosecutors for failure o present new arguments that would reverse the dismissal of Yap's case.

“There is nothing in the subject Motion for Reconsideration which has not been passed upon in the assailed Reso-

lution that would warrant a reversal of the case,” the Sandiganbayan said in a May 8 resolution penned by Associate Justice Lorifel Pahimna.

The Sandiganbayan dismissed the case due to “inordinate delay” after finding that the Ombudsman filed the complaint only in April 2014, or almost six years from the time his case was provisionally dismissed and downgraded for a fact-finding investigation.

Yap was charged for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for awarding a P161,890.91-contract to MS Electronics for the airport's radio communications network in 2005.

Yap allegedly approved the contract despite the lack of a public bidding and the absence of an approved budget for the contract.

The prosecution, in filing its motion for reconsideration disputed anti-graft court's ruling, saying a six-year delay did noy violate Yap's right to a speedy disposition of case.

“Contrary to plaintiff’s argument, accused has already actively participated in the fact-finding investigation conducted by the Office of the Ombudsman, which has control over the same,” the Sandiganbayan said on the other hand.

Asia-Pacific fisheries focus on resilience and ‘blue’ growth MEMBERS of the Asia-Pacific Fisheries Commission (APFIC) have vowed to scale up collective efforts to ensure that fisheries and aquaculture are managed in a responsible and sustainable manner, the commission announced today at its 35th Session, which has convened in Cebu, the Philippines.

As a region, Asia and the Pacific produces most of the world’s fish. The region currently contributes over 55 percent of global capture fisheries and 90 percent of its aquaculture. Resilient blue growth of capture fisheries and aquaculture in the region is of great importance to food security, nutrition, livelihood development and overall economic and social development in many countries of Asia and the Pacific and achievement of some important SDG Goals in the 2030 Agenda.

As demand for both capture fisheries and aquaculture rises, the industries will need to rely on innovations in a number of areas.

They will also need to become more resilient to the effects of climate change on fish stocks and aquaculture operation. FAO’s Regional Initiative on Blue Growth offers

some solutions and a way forward, and the Commission will examine these during the days ahead. The 35th APFIC Session will review a draft six-year APFIC Strategy (2018-2023) prepared by the Secretariat for eventual revisions and endorsement.

APFIC convenes every two years with the main objective to consider the Secretariat’s report to the membership and observers on major programme activities carried out, and the achievement by the Secretariat during the intersessional period. The FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific provides the Secretariat services to APFIC and this 35th Commission Session is jointly organized by FAO and the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture.

The 35th Session of APFIC will also review and discuss the recommendations from a Regional Consultative Forum Meeting convened prior to the Session and is expected to endorse the proposed priority areas of work to support the member countries in addressing issues relating to the development of their fisheries and aquaculture sectors.

TOLLWAY ASSISTANCE. SMC Tollways, operator of TPLEX in the north and Skyway, NAIAX, SLEX, and STAR in the south, in partnership with Petron Philippines, recently launched its assistance program for motorists using the toll roads during the summer months. RoadMAP, by using 6 Petron stations located both in the north and south toll roads operated by SMC Tollways will provide motorists with free mechanical services and checkups, road safety tips, travel information, and free medical assistance. Manuel Bonoan, president and CEO of SMC Tollways, noting that traffic volume on the toll roads notably increase during the summer months says, ‘We have deemed it fit to continue to provide these extra services to our motorists.’ Likewise during the RoadMAP launch, plans of stretching existing tollroads and building more infrastructure projects in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s ‘Build Build Build’ program were noted. Diana B. Noche

REHABILITATION plans for Boracay, the world reknowned tourist destination known for its pristine white sand beaches, are being crafted, an official of the Office Civil Defense (OCD) bared on Thursday.

In an interview, OCD spokesperson Edgar Posadas said the agency has already participated in the ongoing postdisaster needs and assessment (PDNA) which will identify the specific needs in the recovery and rehabilitation phase of the island.

“Siguro po titingnan natin kung paano natin maire-recommend yung gastusin para maisakatuparan na agad yung (Maybe we are looking at how we could recommend the expenditures so we can implement the) PDNA which shall be the basis for the comprehensive rehabilitation and recovery plan,” he said.

“Also, we are closely working with Neda (National Economic Development Authority) and all the other concerned agencies kasi sila po ang in-charge dun sa pag-craft again ng (because they are in charge in crafting of) comprehensive recovery and rehabilitation plan for Boracay,” Posadas added.

The government has closed Boracay island for tourism while undergoing a sixmonth environmental rehabilitation which started last April 26. Meanwhile, the Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) on Friday announced it will temporarily suspend all commercial flights to and from Caticlan beginning May 17 following the six-month closure of Boracay island.

“Cebu Pacific will temporarily suspend all flights to and from Caticlan, Aklan on the back of sluggish demand as Boracay Islands remains closed. The suspension of all operations will take effect on May 17, 2018, until Oct. 27, 2018,” the airline management said in a statement.

It added that the CEB will resume full commercial flight service in Caticlan once Boracay is opened in late October this year.

At present, CEB and other affected airlines are mounting additional flights to other popular tourist destinations to recover revenue losses from the closure of the country’s most popular island.

President Rodrigo Duterte gave the go signal to close the island due to environmental degradation, illegal construction and insufficient waste management.

CEB corporate communications director Charo Logarta Lagamon said the airline is expecting to minimize the impact on its bottomline by redeploying capacity to other routes to between two to five percent.

“Our priority is to be able to help passengers who would be affected by the closure of Boracay,” she said.

According to Sydney-based aviation industry group CAPA (Centre for Aviation), Boracay market is served with nearly 40 daily flights.

CAPA said that Cebu Pacific expects up to USD5 million impact from Boracay closure.

Retrain returning OFWs, solon says A HOUSE leader on Friday called on the government to implement job-matching and “reskilling” programs for overseas Filipino workers who want to return home to retrain them for employment opportunities.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte said conducting job fairs here and overseas to recruit OFWs for the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program would have to be complemented by a “reskilling” program to cover Filipino migrant workers who need to learn new skills to meet the new job requirements under an economy fast embracing technological change.

Villafuerte, vice chairperson of the House committee on local government, said his proposal could be part of the government’s solution to the current situation that befell OFWs in Kuwait after President Duterte encouraged them to come home.

He said that job-matching and reskilling programs are needed to fasttrack the rollout of the Duterte administration’s massive infrastructure buildup.

“Not everyone will have the skills to take part in the jobs and industries to be created by the “Build, Build, Build” program and even for those with the necessary skills, they might need to be retrained because of the new technologies that would be used in modernizing our infrastructure.”

“Conducting job fairs and job matching programs to encourage our OFWs to return home will not succeed unless these are complemented by retraining programs to enable our OFWs to learn new skills to meet the demands of the domestic job market,” he added. Maricel V. Cruz

Sports

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SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Strong start for Dustin at Players P

ONTE VEDRA BEACH—Dustin Johnson got off to a strong start but still has work to do to hang on to his world number one ranking as six players shared the lead Thursday at The Players Championship.

Johnson headlined the leading pack on six-under par 66—his lowest opening round PGA Tour score in 13 months.

Joining Johnson atop the leaderboard at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, were fellow US Open winner Webb Simpson, Chesson Hadley, Matt Kuchar, Patrick Cantlay and in-form Swede Alex Noren.

Johnson, who has been world number one for 64 weeks, is under siege by those ranked from second through fifth, and he answered the challenge with a bogey-free round.

“I definitely want to keep the number one title, but I still have three more days

of golf, and I’m going to have to play really well if I want to keep the number one spot,” the 33-year-old said.

Kuchar, fueled by a birdie-eagle-birdie run at the 10th, 11th and 12th, moved to seven-under with birdies at 15 and 16, but a bogey at the last dropped him into the leading group.

A further six players, including defending champion Kim Si-woo of South Korea and were a stroke back on 67.

Kim, the youngest winner of the Players, matched the lowest opening round by a defending champion established by Jack Nicklaus in 1977.

“I liked my score in the first round, but I can hit it better,” Kim said.

“I’m fine, good,” he said, but added he wasn’t yet thinking about a repeat title. “If I was to win again, I feel like it would be dreaming, as that’s too hard.

This is just the first round. I’m going to keep working hard.”

Mickelson meltdown Former Players and Masters champion Sergio Garcia was seven-under with two holes to play, thanks in part to a run of five straight birdies from the eighth through the 12th.

Garcia then undid his then bogey-free round in hitting the woodwork guarding the island green at the famed par-three 17th, his ball disappearing into the water.

A year ago, Garcia had the crowd roaring with delight on day one with a hole-in-one at 17.

On Thursday he walked off with a doublebogey five and then bogeyed the last to finish in a group of 14 players on 68 that also included third-ranked fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm and world number five Justin Rose of England.

Tiger Woods’s return to TPC Sawgrass included a 20-foot eagle at the parfive ninth. Bu he undid a solid display in finding the water off the tee at the last on route to closing bogey and a level par 72.

“I felt like today the way I was hitting the golf ball, especially toward the back nine, that I felt like I should have shot something in the 60s, but didn’t do it,” Woods said.

Jordan Spieth struggled in posting a shock three-over 75 that included a 12th hole eagle promptly followed by a doublebogey at the very next hole.

Phil Mickelson, playing alongside Woods and Rickie Fowler, ended his round in shocking style. AFP

Tuguegarao hosts PVL tilt Games today (Tuguegarao) 2 p.m. – PayMaya vs Pocari-Air Force 4 p.m. – BanKo-Perlas vs Creamline

POCARI Sweat gets to show its soupedup roster following a link-up with Air Force as it kicks off its title-retention drive against PayMaya while title favorite Creamline shoots for a second straight win against BanKo-Perlas in the Premier Volleyball League’s first outof-town sortie in at the People’s Gym, Tuguegarao City today (Saturday).

Tuguegarao is actually hosting backto-back PVL games with Pocari and Creamline switching rivals tomorrow.

Other out-of-town games have also been set, including a Baliwag sortie on May 23, as the league brings the sport closer to the fans, especially in the provinces where the sport has enjoyed popularity the last few years.

Though they lost top libero Melissa Gohing and a couple more of players during the off-season, the Lady Warriors remain a force to reckon with in the Reinforced Conference with former Jet Spikers Wendy Semana, Iari Yongco, Dell Palomata, Angel Mae Antipuesto and May Ann Pantino joining former MVP Myla Pablo, Elaine Kasilag and Jeannete Panaga.

Imports Maddie Palmer and Arielle Love will anchor Pocari’s bid against PayMaya, which hurdled its opening day game against Tacloban in last weekend’s inaugurals of the second season of the league organized by Sports Vision.

Gametime is at 2 p.m.

SUPER LEAGUE TABLE TENNIS. Presidential Communications Operations Office Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson, honorary adviser of the Philippine Table Tennis Federation Inc., graces the opening ceremony of the 2018 Philippine Super League Table Tennis Championship and does a ceremonial match with PTTFI President Ting Ledesma at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Adriatico, Manila. The tournament is also backed by the Philippine Sports Commission.

BEST Center opens 3 more provincial venues THE multi-awarded Basketball Efficiency and Scientific Training Center (Best Center), sponsored by Milo, will open three more provincial venues for young students from May 14 to 19.

The Nestle Philippines Lipa Factory in Lipa, Batangas will host students in Levels 1 and 2. Interested students can call the BEST

Center office at 372-3065 411-6260 for details.

San Pablo, Laguna will also have its own Best Center clinic at the Barangay San Gabriel Sports Complex. It is open to students in Levels 1 and 2 with Esjay Urquico (0915-641-0392) and Lilibeth Joven (0999588-6623) as organizers.

Basketball and volleyball clinics, mean-

while, are being offer at the University of Mindanao Matina Campus in Davao City. Organizer of the event is Michael “Chad” Bouffard (0928291-7764 and 0916-847-4305).

The Best Center is an Olympism awardee of the Philippine Olympic Committee and a Hall of Fame awardee of the Philippine Sportswriters Association.

3 events highlight Allianz’s Day of Courage on May 13 ALLIANZ has declared May 13 as a Day of Courage, with three events that are designed as a test of mettle and to encourage more Filipinos to live a healthy lifestyle.

These three events, the PHA Heart Run Powered By Allianz together with the Philippine Heart Association at SM By the Bay; the Allianz Conquer Challenge in Vermosa, Laguna; and the Bayanihan Walk in Singapore, will help bring out the best in the participants as they challenge not only physical limits but also to promote the value of courage.

The PHA Heart Run powered by Allianz, which will be held at the SM By The Bay area gives participants the opportunity to become Heart Warriors and bring awareness to cardiovascular diseases that are affecting many Filipinos today.

Doctors and healthy heart advocates from the PHA will be joined by running coaches Toni and Jim Saret, in a race that will be led by heart condition survivors who will run in the 1k advocacy division in a bid to shine a light on the prevention and primary care of CVDs. Allianz PNB Life President Olaf Kliesow reiterates

Romain Cans, TAG Heuer Area Sales Director for the Philippines and Lester P. Castillo, MILO Sports Executive with the official clock to be used in the races with 42KM category, reflecting 2017 National MILO Marathon King Joerge Andrade’s time to beat

the need for Filipino families’ to monitor their health conditions and be wary of increasing medical expenses, especially for a great majority whose savings and insurance protection levels are very much wanting.

To make the fun run more exciting, Allianz will be giving out P100,000 worth of personal accident life insurance to all participants, and two lucky 21k and 10K participants will win all-expense paid trips to Thailand, to join the Allianz Ayudhaya World Run! Those who want to level up their game may register at the Allianz Conquer Challenge, an obstacle course race that tests speed, endurance and strategy. The race is made even more special with the participation of Jamil Faisal Saro Adiong, a recipient of the Sultan Kudarat Award for Peace and Community Development. Marawi City, his home province of Lanao del Sur, was besieged with a very big challenge last year, as it was still reeling from the effects of a tropical storm, it was also battered by a war. Jamil is one of the local heroes who was involved in Marawi’s rehabilitation efforts.

AXA GIVES JR. NBA KIDS A HEADSTART. AXA, the official insurance partner of the NBA in the Philippines, supported young Filipino basketball players as they participated in the Jr. NBA Philippines presented by Alaska Regional Selection Camp in Metro Manila. AXA backed Johnrey Catalan, Jamir Baldomar, Christian Jaojoco, Dexter Lugmay, Razel de Torres, John Greg Gawat, and Jam Lachica, who joined over 800 young players ages 10-14 at the tryouts held in Don Bosco Technical Institute, Makati City. AXA supports the NBA’s global youth basketball participation program, which teaches the fundamental skills and core values of basketball. For more information, visit www.axa.com.ph/nba. Photo shows AXA chief customer officer Amor Balagtas (fourth from left) and coach Dick Gawat (leftmost) with the AXA-sponsored kids.

TAG Heuer is MILO race’s official timer

LEADING beverage brand MILO announces TAG Heuer as its official timing partner for the 2018 National MILO Marathon.

The renowned Swiss luxury watchmaker joins forces with MILO to provide a better race experience for all runners joining. Now on its 42nd season, the National MILO Marathon is the country’s biggest and most accessible running event.

As an additional motivation for runners to push their limits and finish at the top of their game, TAG Heuer is awarding the 2018 National MILO Marathon King and Queen with a special token, to help immortalize their remarkable feat.

In line with MILO’s advocacy of building champions and sports development, TAG Heuer also believes that Filipino marathoners

have what it takes to compete at the highest caliber since they don’t crack under pressure.

The 42nd National MILO Marathon is set to kick off in Urdaneta on July 15, and will continue in Metro Manila (July 29), Tarlac (August 26), Batangas (September 16), Lucena (September 30), Iloilo (October 7), Cebu (October 14), General Santos (October 21), Butuan (November 11), and Cagayan De Oro (November 18). The National Finals in Laoag will be on Dec. 9.

For more information on the National MILO Marathon and MILO Philippines, log on to the official website (http://www.milo. com.ph) or the MILO Philippines Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/milo.ph).

Follow MILO on Twitter (@MiloPH) and Instagram (@MiloPhilippines).

NBA: Refs missed 2 calls vs Celtics NEW YORK—Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was right in thinking he was fouled with 14.6 seconds left in his team’s season-ending playoff loss to the Boston Celtics, the NBA confirmed Thursday.

In the league’s Last Two Minute Report on officiating in the late stages of the Celtics’ 114-112 triumph, the league said game officials missed two key calls against Boston.

Celtics center Aron Baynes should have been called for a shooting foul when Sixers big man Embiid attempted a game-tying layup with 14.6 seconds remaining.

The report said Baynes made “contact to Embiid’s arm that affects his shot attempt near the rim.”

“I mean the play unfolded, and I mean the refs, they had a great game, I thought they were great tonight,” Embiid said after the game that saw the Celtics advance to play the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.

“But I mean I felt like there was something on that last play, but you can’t really do anything about it. But they did a great job the whole night.”

The report also confirmed officials missed a travelling violation on Celtics guard Marcus Smart with 1.5 seconds remaining when he intercepted Ben Simmons’ desperation full-court pass from the opposite baseline.

That call would have given Philadelphia the ball back.

The despite the disappointment of their playoff exit, the young 76ers were sounding a note of optimism after an overachieving season that included 52 regular-season wins and their first playoff series victory since 2012.

Embiid, who missed his first two seasons after being drafted in 2014 and suffered a knee injury last season, is expecting to make great strides after staying healthy and playing 71 games in the 2017-18 campaign.

“This is my first year going into a summer healthy,” he said. “I think next year is going to be an MVP type season for me.

“I want to be a leader. Being an MVP candidate shows you bring your team to where it has to go, and I want to be that type of guy.

“I have a lot of room to grow - post moves, ball handling, passing. But I think it starts with my body.” AFP

3 bets share PPS Agoo net honors TRISHA Gutierrez, Charles Torres and Prince Lim nailed two singles victories each as the Pangasinan bets dominated the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Agoo age group tennis tournament at the DMMMSU outdoor tennis courts in La Union recently.

The unranked Gutierrez stunned top seed Marielle Jarata, 6-0, 6-3, in the semis then ripped Andrea Sarmiento, 6-1, 6-1, to clinch girls’ 14-and-under crown. The rising Alaminos star then upended No. 4 Gabrielle Abarquez, 6-4, 7-6(3) in the 16-U finals of the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro and presented by Dunlop, the official ball.

Torres and Lim matched that two-title feat with the former surprising top seed Exequiel Jucutan, 4-6, 6-1, 11-9, in the Final Four then routing No. 2 Marc Jarata, 6-2, 6-0, to claim the boys’ 16-U diadem.

The Calasiao find then thwarted Joshua Molina, 6-3, 6-4, for the 18-U plum.

Prince Lim, on the other hand, took the 10-unisex crown with a 4-2, 4-2 victory over sibling Roque Lim, 4-2, 4-2, then the young Urdaneta bet foiled Tomas Gabuat, 6-1, 7-5, in the boys’ 12-U finals of the weeklong event sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines, made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg. Local ace Jarata atoned for his failed bid in 16-U play by ruling the 14-U class, beating top seed Jucutan, 6-1, 6-1, while sister Marielle Jarata claimed the girls’ 12-U diadem with a 6-0, 6-1 romp over Janelle Asprec.

Abarquez, also from Alaminos, likewise made up for her defeat in the 16-U finals by pocketing the 18-U title via a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Jane Calonge.

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

Sports

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

A8

SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2018

Phoenix’s RJ Jazul (right) drives to the basket against NLEX’s Raul Soyud in a PBA Commissioner’s Cup game at the Alonte Sports Center in Biñan, Laguna.

Nadal breaks McEnroe record in Madrid tilt; 3 stars beaten MADRID—Rafael Nadal broke John McEnroe’s 34-year record on Thursday by winning his 50th consecutive set on clay at the Madrid Open.

But while the world number one cruised to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Diego Schwartzman, Juan Martin del Potro, Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep all crashed out.

Nadal’s straight-sets victory means he establishes a new Open era best for consecutive sets won on a single surface, passing McEnroe’s 49 on carpet in 1984.

McEnroe also won the Madrid Open Indoor title that year and Nadal may be about to follow suit in the Spanish capital, with Austrian Dominic Thiem up next in the quarterfinals on Friday.

His unbeaten run is also perhaps a reflection of a lack of rivals, with Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, for different reasons, all posing little threat on clay over the past year.

“When my career is over, these are things that are going to be there forever,” Nadal said.

“They are big records. It’s difficult to be able to win 50 sets in a row. But I’ve done it. It’s over.

“Let’s not talk about that any more and let’s focus on what we have ahead.”

Del Potro, however, will not join him in the last eight. The Argentinian led 4-0 in a third-set tiebreak but still lost 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) to Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic.

Lajovic will now face South Africa’s Kevin Anderson, who overcame Philipp Kohlschreiber.

“I think I can improve a lot of things towards Rome and Roland Garros,” Del Potro said. “I can level up my game.

Right now I’m quite calm.”

Pliskova triumphant Sharapova also lost in three sets to Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands while Halep, the champion in 2016 and 2017, was blown away by Karolina Pliskova.

It means Pliskova, the sixth seed, is the highest-ranked player left in the women’s draw after Caroline Wozniacki, Garbine Muguruza, Elina Svitolina and Jelena Ostapenko all lost earlier in the week. AFP

NLEX Warriors whip Fuel Masters, 120-115

By Jeric Lopez

N

LEX recovered and rediscovered its stroke in crunch time to shrug off pesky Phoenix, 120115, in overtime to finally earn a win in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup at the Alonte Sports Arena in Binan, Laguna.

After a collapse late in regulation that led to the extra period, the Road Warriors kept their poise and turned in a strong finish.

NLEX opened overtime on a 9-2

run, with five points coming from Alex Mallari, to take a critical 113106 lead with over three minutes remaining.

Unlike in the fourth period where it

allowed the Fuel Masters to force overtime, the Road Warriors closed out well in the extension to finally crack the winning column.

The scores: NLEX 120—Moultrie 37, Quiñahan 16, Mallari 13, Fonacier 11, Ravena 9, Miranda 8, Baguio 7, Soyud 7, Tiongson 5, Rios 4, Monfort 3, Ighalo 0.

PHOENIX 115—Wright 31, White 18, Chan 17, Perkins 15, Revilla 9, Mendoza 8, Jazul 8, Kramer 4, Eriobu 2, Chua 2, Alolino 0, Wilson 0, Intal 0.

Quarterscores: 28-25, 57-43, 78-72, 104-104, 120-115 (OT).

JOB WELL DONE. President Rodrigo Duterte and Special Assistant the President Secretary Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go welcomed and commended Team Pilipinas-San Beda after its victorious campaign in the recent Pacific Rim NCAA Basketball Championship 2018, beating Thailand, 50-40, in the finals. The players are tournament MVP Prince Alao, Lanze Ronquillo, Nathaniel Manarang, Deandre Larqueza, Jomel Yap, Yco Protacio, Tonnchie Conde, Dexter Alapar, Marlon Alcera, Red Caidic, Jabeth Lirazan, Marcus Espiritu and Carlo Bathan. They were accompanied by head coach Manu Inigo, team manager Joseph Ronquillo and consultant Rey Alao at the Palace.

PH Residents take on Guam national team

By Peter Atencio THE Philippine Residents XV will take on an undefeated Guam national team, which is returning from its successful campaign in the Asia Rugby Division III Championships.

Ja ke Let ts, general manager of Philippi ne Rugby, welcomed the

prospect of facing a great team at the Souther n Plains f ield in Laguna.

Guam came from a string of recent successes after defeating Brunei, 66-12, last Tuesday.

They later took the Championship Trophy with their 52-12 triumph over China in the finals.

“Guam has had a great week, their Division 3 championship is very well deserved. With a stopover in the Philippines before their final trip home, they reached out to Philippine Rugby to see the possibility of putting together an international match for the development of both our teams,” said Letts.

Asi to make a record 16th All-Star appearance NINETEEN years after and evergreen Asi Taulava remains very much part of the PBA All-Star.

The 45-year-old veteran will be playing in a record 16th All-Star game this season as he suits up for the PBA Visayas selection opposite the national men’s team during the final leg of the annual event on May 27 in Iloilo.

Although aware about having the longest All-Star stint in league history, Taulava admitted not knowing the number of times he’s seeing action in the mid-season spectacle.

“I lost track of it,” said Taulava with a giggle. “But it’s always an honor to be part of the All-Star weekend. The All-Star has always been an outreach program for us players to give back to the fans.”

For the record, the NLEX big man also missed being in the All-Star thrice in his career – in 2000 (Iloilo), 2013 (Digos), and 2014 (Mall of Asia Arena).

But he’ll be back this year for a fourth straight appearance as part of coach Chito Victolero’s unit during the final phase of the three-leg tour with Phoenix Fuel with Phoenix Pulse Technology as major sponsor.

Among Taulava’s Visayas teammate is James Yap of Rain or Shine, who made the All-Star for the 15th straight season.

“Some people take it for granted, but throughout my whole career, I always appreciate it. This means a lot,” said Taulava, who was All-Star MVP twice in 2004 and 2006.

“It’s like second best to winning a championship.”

This year’s All-Star edition supported by Peak Sports Apparel, Molten, PBA RUSH-Cignal, Nature’s Spring, TAG Heuer, Gatorade and Rain or Shine, kicks off on May 23 in Digos, Davao del Sur featuring the PBA Mindanao selection, coached by Tim Cone, against the national team.

“It is with pride and honor to host the opening leg of this year’s All-Star in the city of Digos, Davao del Sur, which has been a long-time partner of the PBA after staging several games of the league in the province during the past,” said Davao del Sur governor Douglas Cagas.

Chua, Jumapao make PBF finals KENNETH Chua and Jomar Jumapao topped the ongoing 2nd PBF Pagcor Philippine International Open to advance to the final round of the men’s open division yesterday at the Coronado Lanes at Starmall, Mandaluyong City.

Chua, the defending champion, rolled a total tournament-best 1522 after combining a series of 804 and 768 during the meet backed by Cafe Puro, Smart Communications and Boysen Paints.

“I’m excited. Honestly, I have never seen this kind of support from the bowling community before,’’ said the 26-year-old Chua.

“For me, this is a perfect environment to retain my title,” added the silver medalist in the men’s singles event during the Asian Indoor Games in Turkmenistan last year.

Jumapao, on the other hand, remained closely behind Chua with 1520 after scoring the first 800 series of the tournament early this week.

Seventeen-year-old Kenzo Umali placed third in the qualifying rounds after compiling 1497 followed by JP Macatula (1476), Merwin Tan (1475) and the comebacking Paolo Valdez with 1467 points.

Umali, a Grade 12 student from Charis School in Marikina City, is also the leading contender in the youth boys’ division, where Shounick Datta of India (1354), Kin Limpo (1353) and Bassam Oraif of Saudi Arabia (1343) are the favorites for the title.

Sam Cooley of Australia topped the six playing visitors with his impressive 1530 points, and will play in today’s final qualifying round.

Magis fight Boosters; Sentinels try to bounce back

Court Administrator Midas Marquez will be one of the key players of the Judiciary Magis when they take on the DOJ Boosters in the UNTV Cup Executive Face-Off on Sunday.

THE Judiciary Magis, to be led by court administrator Midas Marquez, will take on the Department of Justice Boosters in the UNTV Cup Executive Face-Off on Sunday, 4:30 p.m., at the Pasig Sports Center.

The Magis are composed of judges/ ballers from Floridablanca Pampanga, Judge Wendell Ramiterre; Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija Judge Michael Benedick Aleta; Talugtog, Nueva Ecija Judge Ian Ramoso; Manila Judge Manuel Gerard Tomacruz; Parañaque and Judge Christian Castañeda, to name a few, and from the Supreme Court, Judge Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa and Court of Appeals Judge Ronaldo Martin.

PCGG Commissioner Reynold Munsayac will lead the DOJ Boosters, together with Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Atty.

Games on Sunday (Pasig City Sports Center) 3 p.m. Malacañang vs. Ombudsman 4:30 p.m. DOJ vs. Judiciary

Richard Anthony Fadullon, Assistant State Prosecutor Atty. Charlie Guhit, Assistant State Prosecutor Atty. Alexander Suarez, Assistant NBI Head Agent Ronald Aguto and Lipa City Prosecutor Atty. Nonilon Tagalicud.

Both the Judiciary Magis and DOJ Justice Boosters finished strong during last season’s Face-Off games as they barged into the Final 4.

In another match up, Malacañang-PSC Kamao will strive to bounce back as they meet the Ombudsman Graft Busters in the opener at 3 p.m.

The Kamao failed to topple the Senate Sentinels in their opening match.

Malacanag-Kamao Head Coach Raffy Gonzales admitted that more practice sessions are needed for the team to be cohesive.

“Talagang kulang lang kami ng familiarity, napakahirap ng sitwasyon na ganoon,” Gonzalez said.

The Palace executive hoopsters believe their team is competitive as proven in their last game, wherein Lieutenant Commander Paul Yamamoto led the team with 22 points, even as Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go made 15 points and Anti-Corruption Commissioner Greco Belgica shot 12 points and hauled 15 rebounds.

Games and Amusement Board Chairman Abraham Khalil Mitra and PAGCOR Vice President Jimmy Bondoc also made contributions.

IN BRIEF

SMC food business expects P33-b profit

THE combined net profit of the food and beverage businesses of conglomerate San Miguel Corp. is expected to hit P33 billion this year on sustained growth in consumption and consumer spending.

Sources said the group’s beer business was projected to register P24 billion in net income this year, while the food unit would deliver P8 billion in profits. Liquor unit Ginebra San Miguel Inc. is also expected to contribute P1 billion in net income for the group.

San Miguel is consolidating its food and beverage businesses under San Miguel Pure Foods Company Inc. It has obtained Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval for the change in name of SMPFC to San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc. is waiting for other regulator approvals.

Among these are the SEC approval of the share swap arrangement, increase in the SMPFC’s authorized capital stock to P12 billion and confirmation from the Bureau of Internal Revenue that the transaction was tax exempt.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Semirara’s Q1 profit up slightly to P4.57b

SEMIRARA Mining and Power Corp. on Friday reported a consolidated net income after tax of P4.57 billion in the first quarter of 2018, three percent higher than P4.42 billion in the same period last year.

Semirara disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange a strong coal segment results offset the drop in the power generation business during the first three months.

The company said that net of eliminations, the coal business, SEM-Calaca Power Corp. and Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp. contributed P3.58 billion, P589 million and P407 million, respectively during the first quarter.

Semirara said coal production from the Antique mining operations reached 4.1 million tons, three percent higher on year.

“Local demand surged 27 percent on the back of higher requirements from its domestic customers. But with lower export sales, total coal sales for the quarter decreased by five percent to 3.4 million tons from 3.6 million tons in the same period last year,” the firm said.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Business BSP may increase rates one more time this year T

By Julito G. Rada

HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas may be compelled to raise interest rates at least one more time before the close of the year, if inflation rate continues to accelerate and go further beyond the upper limit of the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent, the local unit of Dutch financial giant ING Bank said Friday.

The bank’s observation was contained in a report a day after the Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral, raised interest rates for the first time in four years on Thursday by 25 basis points to 3.25 percent.

The interest rates on overnight lending and deposit facilities were likewise

raised by 25 basis points to 3.75 and 2.75 percent, respectively. “... The central bank signals its readiness to act further to cap second-round effects as it raised its 2018 inflation forecast to 4.6 percent from 3.9 percent and to 3.4 percent from 3 percent in 2019,” ING Bank Manila senior economist Joey Cuyegkeng said.

“Further hikes are likely if upcoming data and developments indicate inflation remains elevated above the target range for an extended period of time,” he said.

Inflation in April further increased to 4.5 percent from 4.3 percent a month ago, driven mainly by price increases in the so-called “sin products,” which was notable after the government implemented the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law in January.

The TRAIN Law cut personal income taxes but raised the excise taxes on alcohol, automobiles, tobacco and fuel.

However, Cuyegkeng said the next rates hike might occur in the fourth quarter of 2018. He said investors’ an-

ticipation on the next policy move of the Bangko Sentral could result in the peso’s weakening against the greenback.

“The market has expected tightening since late last month which has insulated the peso from the recent weakness of emerging market currencies. However, with another rate hike less likely in the very near term and with weak external payments fundamentals, the peso would be volatile with a weakening bias,” Cuyegkeng said.

The peso weakened Friday at 52.19 from 51.80 Thursday.

The Bangko Sentral last tweaked the policy stance in September 2014 before the market-moving move on Thursday aimed a curbing the rising inflation.

Bangko Sentral Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said in raising the benchmark interest rates, the board considered a slew of vital economic data, such as the rising inflation, the 6.8-percent gross domestic product growth in the first quarter, possible increases in world oil prices and potential wage hikes in the fourth quarter of the year.

SRA assures adequate ‘18 sugar supply

By Othel V. Campos THE Sugar Regulatory Administration expressed confidence Friday that sugar production for crop year 2017-2018 will provide ample supply to meet local demand and fulfill the country’s commitment to US exports under a quota system.

SRA administrator Hermenegildo Serafica said he had visited sugar mills in Luzon and the Visayas to personally witness standing sugarcane crop and check on operations and production in the areas.

“We have the canes (to mill), but the problem besetting the industry at the moment is the scarcity of cane cutters.

The canes have to be harvested and brought to the central for milling. That is why some mills may end much later in the crop year, around June or July, and others to start earlier to take advantage of the remaining canes,” he said.

Latest report showed that sugar production reached 1,925,820 metric tons as of the production week ending May 6, 2018. Only 340,594 MT are needed to reach the agency’s production target of 2.27 million MT. “It is very apparent that in a few weeks, well be able to meet this target,” Serafica said.

Some planters, meanwhile, are on their second crop of sugarcanes for the crop year. Sugarcane crop year begins on September 1 and ends August 31 of the following year.

This translated into more available canes to be milled and additional supply for the market, said Serafica.

The SRA is closely monitoring the supply situation and is prepared to stabilize supply and to curb speculation.

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2018

B1

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Ban gko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, May 11, 2018

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

51.8870

Japan

Yen

0.009142

0.4744

UK

Pound

1.351800

70.1408

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127395

6.6101

Switzerland

Franc

0.996910

51.7267

Canada

Dollar

0.783392

40.6479

Singapore

Dollar

0.747831

38.8027

Australia

Dollar

0.753200

39.0813

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652098

137.6094

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266645

13.8354

Brunei

Dollar

0.745045

38.6581

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000071

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.031201

1.6189

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

14.1274

Euro

Euro

1.191700

61.8337

Korea

Won

0.000939

0.0487

China

Yuan

0.157580

8.1764

India

Rupee

0.014872

0.7717

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.253293

13.1426

New Zealand

Dollar

0.696100

36.1185

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033661

1.7466

Source: PDS Bridge

Ayala Q1 net profit rose 10% to P7.7b

By Jenniffer B. Austria

Shell, Phoenix clinch Ilijan supply contracts

POWER Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. declared Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. and Phoenix Petroleum Philippines as the winning bidders for the supply and delivery of oil-based fuel to the Ilijan natural gas and Malaya thermal power plants this year.

PSALM said in a statement Shell and Phoenix passed the post-qualification process and the technical documents they submitted.

“PSALM has issued the Notices of Award to Phoenix and Shell,” the company that manages the assets and liabilities of National Power Corp., said.

Shell submitted the lowest offer for the supply and delivery of neat diesel oil for the 1,200-megawatt Ilijan power plant in Batangas with a price of P961.161 million during the bid opening conducted on April 30.

Phoenix, meanwhile, emerged as the lowest bidder with an offer of P1.139 billion to supply industrial fuel oil for the 650-MW Malaya thermal power plant in Rizal.

Phoenix also submitted the lowest bid for the supply and delivery of diesel oil for the Malaya plant at P47.7 million.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor

TURKEY FORUM. Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. and unit First Metro Investment Corp. host a forum for Turkish business leaders to explore possible synergies between the Philippines and Turkey. Joining the forum are (from left) Metrobank Foundation president Aniceto Sobrepeña, Turmaks Ltd. founder and chief executive Ali Kemaloglu, Etkin Energy general coordinator Suayip Kaplan, First Metro president Rabboni Francis Arjonillo, Turkey-Philippines Business Council chairman Ilkem Sahin, Philippine Ambassador to Turkey Maria Rowena Mendoza Sanchez, NKY Engineering overseas director TolgaSahin and First Metro first vice president Charles Ian Salvador.

LT Group’s income jumped 61% to P3.63b in 3 months LT GROUP, Inc., the listed holding company of tycoon Lucio Tan, said unaudited attributable net income in the first quarter of 2018 jumped 61 percent to P3.63 billion from P2.25 billion year-on-year, boosted by strong contributions from the tobacco and banking subsidiaries.

LT Group said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the tobacco business contributed P2.35 billion, or 65 percent of the total attributable income, followed by banking unit Philippine National Bank, which accounted for P833 million or 23 percent of the total.

Asia Brewery Inc. delivered P149 million to total net income while Tanduay Distillers Inc. generated P135 million.

Property unit Eton Properties Philippines Inc. contributed P97 million, while the company’s 30.9 percent stake

in Victorias Milling Company Inc. shared P59 million.

The income from the tobacco business stood at P2.36 billion in the first quarter of the year, while equity in net earnings from the 49.6 percent stake in PMFTC Inc. reached P2.29 billion.

The company attributed the higher earnings to better pricing as the company is now operating in a level playing field and can pass on the increases in excise taxes, and finds no need to price its products at economically unsustainable levels.

LT Group said it wanted the government to sustain its drive against illicit trade, which includes smuggled and locally produced products.

The industry’s total volume was estimated to have decreased by 8 percent to 15.3 billion sticks in the first three months of the year largely due to excise

tax driven price increases.

The company said cigarette price increases might result in a further drop in volume.

ABI’s net earnings amounted to P149 million, down 1 percent, while revenues rose 8 percent to P3.4 billion.

Margins declined as a result of product mix, as well as higher costs attributed to the depreciation of the peso.

Tanduay’s net income dropped 35 percent to P135 million while revenues from liquor inched rose 2 percent to P3.7 billion as selling prices were raised to pass on the increase in excise taxes.

Meanwhile, Eton’s first quarter net income climbed 29 percent to P97 million, while revenues rose 8 percent to P579 million after leasing revenues and sales from residential units increased.

Jenniffer B. Austria

CONGLOMERATE Ayala Corp. said net income in the first quarter of 2018 rose 10 percent to P7.7 billion, fueled by the robust earnings growth of the property and power subsidiaries.

Ayala said in a disclosure to the stock exchange equity earnings from core business units grew 9 percent to ₱9.2 billion, boosted by contributions of Ayala Land Inc. which jumped 15 percent, as well as AC Energy which nearly doubled during the period.

“The sustained growth momentum in our portfolio reflects the progress we have made in our long-term diversification strategy to establish new pillars of growth and expand into new markets,” AC president and chief operating officer Fernando Zobel de Ayala said.

“While we remain positive about the domestic environment and the concentration of our investments will continue to be in the Philippines, we are establishing a growing presence regionally and globally in sectors where we can bring our expertise and capital as opportunities arise,” Zobel added.

The conglomerate’s power generation arm, AC Energy, nearly doubled its net profit in the first quarter of the year to ₱593 million, lifted by the robust contributions of its Indonesia investment and thermal and renewable platforms.

AC Energy had a total attributable capacity of around 1,600 megawatts from thermal and renewable plants in operations and under construction as of the end of the first quarter.

The company plans to expand the capacity to 2,000 megawatts by 2020, with 1,000 mw coming from renewable sources, and raise the net income to ₱5 billion by 2020.

AC Industrials, meanwhile, registered a net income of P217 million in the first quarter, down 36 percent from a year ago, as the growth in electronics manufacturing and vehicle retails segments was offset by one-off expense and startup costs of new acquisitions.

DoF: Macro-economic fundamentals to sustain PH high-growth momentum THE Department of Finance said solid macro-economic fundamentals such as strong external position and ample fiscal space will continue to sustain the country’s high-growth momentum.

The economy grew 6.8 percent in the first quarter, faster than 6.5 percent a year ago and 6.6 percent a quarter ago, driven mainly by higher spending and the robust performance of the manufacturing, trade and services sectors.

The DoF in an economic bulletin on Friday also said the passage of the first package of tax reforms would bring in additional resources to fund the ambitious infrastructure plans and greater spending on social services.

“These investments are gamechanging in the sense that they catalyze further investments, which in turn drive investment-led growth, generate meaningful employment, and subsequently reduce poverty,” it said in a statement.

“With the implementation of

infrastructure projects, the motion is set for investment-led growth,” the DoF said.

The Duterte administration earlier embarked on a massive P8.4-trillion “Build, Build, Build” program that aims to construct more infrastructure projects nationwide to further boost economic activities and lure more foreign direct investments and tourist arrivals.

Under the program, the government will construct more roads, bridges, airports, seaports, railways and water and irrigation projects. A 25-kilometer subway will also be built in the Metro Manila to decongest the metropolis of heavy traffic that has been causing around P3.5 billion in economic losses daily.

The industry sector in the first quarter surged 7.9 percent while services expanded 7 percent. Manufacturing maintained its above-average growth of 8 percent, contributing to as much as 2 percentage points to the economic growth. Julito G. Rada

DIPLOMATIC TOAST. Latvia Consul General to the Philippines Robert Lim Joseph (in barong) leads the ceremonial toast to the newly-installed Latvia Consul in Cebu. With him at a reception attended by tourism and local government officials, diplomats, the media, business leaders and stakeholders at the Summit Galleria Ballroom, Cebu City are (from left) Robinsons Land Corp. president Frederick Go, Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale and Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña. Latvia is celebrating its centennial anniversary of independence.

B2

Business

SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks cheer rate hike; banks climb

T

HE stock market surged Friday as investors cheered healthy economic figures in the first quarter of 2018 and the decision of the Monetary Board to raise interest rates to curb rising inflation.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index jumped 181.11 points, or 2.4 percent, to 7,752.11 on a value turnover of P5.7 billion. Gainers beat losers, 116 to 80, with 49 issues unchanged.

Banks led the advance on prospects of increased interest margins after the Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Thursday raised the benchmark borrowing rate for the first time in four years by 25 basis points to 3.25 percent in a bid to arrest any potential second-round effects of rising inflation.

The MB adjusted the rates after the Philippine Statistics Authority reported early Thursday that the country’s gross domestic product expanded 6.8 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, making it one of the fastest expanding economies in Asia, on the back of higher government spending.

Bangko Sentral Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said

the interest rates on overnight lending and deposit facilities were also increased by 25 bps, or to 3.75 percent from 3.5 percent, and 2.75 percent from 2.5 percent, respectively.

“The decision is based on the latest developments... the time to act is now. By acting right now, we will avoid a very strong action down the road,” Espenilla said.

BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, climbed 3.3 percent to P133, while Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the second-largest bank, gained 2.9 percent to P86.

Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-biggest lender, rose 2.3 percent to P98, while Security Bank Corp., the sixth-largest, surged 3.4 percent to P200.60.

Casino operator Bloomberry Resports Corp. gained 3.9 percent to P12.36.

The rest of the Asian markets built on the past week’s gains Friday following another rally in New York as traders welcomed a below-forecast US inflation read that dampened expectations for a sharp lift in interest rates.

The news lifted all three main indexes on Wall Street

and those gains extended into Asia.

Hong Kong rose one percent, putting it on course for a fifth-straight gain, while Tokyo ended 1.2 percent higher.

Singapore climbed 0.8 percent and Seoul added 0.6 percent, while Wellington, Jakarta and Taipei also posted healthy gains.

However, Sydney finished marginally lower and Shanghai lost 0.4 percent.

While geopolitical tensions continue to linger after Donald Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear pact this week, dealers were buoyed by the prospect of cheaper borrowing after data showed consumer prices edged up only slightly in April.

News that Trump and Kim Jong Un had agreed to meet on June 12 in Singapore—the first US-North Korean summit in history—lifted optimism and fueled hopes for peace on the Korean peninsula.

The inflation data provided some relief to trading floors, which have fluctuated over recent months on worries that an improving US economy and an expected surge in inflation will force the Federal Reserve to tighten monetary policy. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 58.95 34,380 98 3,417,660 2.98 9,000 133 2,092,790 1.52 229,000 34.85 95,600 16.3 27,500 16.84 856,300 3.64 184,000 8.4 200 1.49 3,000 880 150 0.61 5,325,000 86 5,150,240 1.07 218,000 52.1 334,350 214 6,160 110 270 86.4 340 37.6 46,200 200.6 1,028,520 89 52,070

2,023,360.50 333,471,700 26,980 278,315,377 348,310 3,338,055 448,712 14,383,668 663,070 1,680 4,450 132,000 3,299,410 441,817,961 229,990 17,442,772 1,318,180 29,405 29,388 1,745,010 206,444,815 4,632,422

1,793,575.50 -13,132,467.50 84,468,006 652,560 2,294,972 217,395,749 17,750 -1,901,782 29,960 17,580 -528,420 -82,052,114 -461,892.50

38.75 14.28 0.59 1.28 19.78 0.226 3.15 16.6 248 51.3 25 56 65.95 83.55 1.94 5.15 9.1 10.8 16.2 11.42 7.17 5.28 15.54 63.8 18.6 8.65 17.1 2.12 280.6 5.06 3.13 17.1 26.5 13.36 22.6 328 0.188 6.85 2.36 4.5 9.48 5.6 7.91 1.46 12 53.5 6 4.84 2.02 3.65 1.89 14.04 64.75 5.3 0.132 0.98 141 3.51 0.85

INDUSTRIAL 38.95 933,000 14.68 2,192,900 0.6 508,000 1.28 2,000 20.15 22,500 0.228 960,000 3.18 13,559,000 16.98 381,500 251 360 51.4 475,230 25 14,400 58 289,090 70 1,370 84.2 640 1.97 101,000 5.15 50,600 9.3 12,800 10.88 1,950,500 16.3 1,325,200 11.78 512,600 7.2 533,700 5.3 758,700 15.58 610,300 63.8 108,010 19.1 393,700 8.78 118,100 17.76 1,795,500 2.16 1,180,000 285 366,080 5.14 10,100 3.13 30,000 17.1 10,000 27 1,490,100 13.42 378,900 22.65 1,119,700 328 109,940 0.188 280,000 6.85 2,400 2.45 3,873,000 4.5 291,000 9.6 4,271,900 5.8 668,100 7.98 16,500 1.46 22,000 12.44 113,300 53.8 318,340 6.2 60,200 4.84 2,000 2.02 209,000 3.7 22,000 1.93 226,000 14.1 661,600 64.95 945,200 5.39 46,000 0.132 1,550,000 1 28,000 143 449,790 3.52 65,802,000 0.86 1,983,000

36,328,700 31,908,170 304,990 2,560 446,269 219,460 43,464,480 6,480,786 90,390 24,525,899 360,445 16,767,417.50 95,166 53,929 197,180 260,590 118,940 21,249,260 21,695,584 6,071,286 3,834,606 4,037,878 9,513,444 6,914,297 7,536,982 1,034,294 31,580,350 2,536,940 104,465,500 51,464 94,310 171,000 40,314,900 5,109,864 25,603,375 36,148,322 52,640 16,622 9,491,620 1,315,530 40,943,646 4,010,829 131,366 32,140 1,400,226 17,131,161.50 365,240 9,680 430,970 80,930 432,880 9,456,420 61,426,911 245,091 205,880 27,920 64,417,077 246,565,610 1,710,980

17,589,260 19,292,168 -12,200 19,800 -22,681,290 4,927,108 906,588.50 -16,699,495 1,693,346 4,897,200 4,705,860 -89,365 -525,895 -1,739,918 -96,951 -27,460 -331,096 7,893,986.00 -597,000 20,006,240 -10,280 18,780 22,845,840 -358,244 -1,981,930 13,631,134 -1,783,200 14,460,952 2,397,819 -82,959 -5,965,437.50 -1,890 -1,506,762 18,031,702.50 14,750 40,028,077 -2,399,810 -860

0.26 59.35 13.2 0.88 6.28 0.64 0.64 938.5 6.58 10.44 7.2 0.212 1,030 7.12 59.35 5.26 0.62 4.7 21.4 0.61 5.26 0.04 1.13 3.22 2.5 136.8 2.56 908 1.63 544 258.6 0.237 0.25 0.193

HOLDING FIRMS 0.26 5,380,000 62.85 703,190 13.6 2,333,600 0.88 69,000 6.54 306,400 0.65 7,977,000 0.65 1,228,000 970 349,630 6.61 1,317,900 10.7 9,180,000 7.54 414,600 0.212 170,000 1,038 113,950 7.16 3,400 60.7 1,650,190 5.26 5,000 0.63 11,000 4.75 5,561,000 21.55 9,180,200 0.61 2,328,000 5.41 29,202,500 0.04 2,900,000 1.17 200,000 3.22 1,256,000 2.6 28,000 137.9 159,090 2.56 51,000 918 211,280 1.63 869,000 545 70 263.8 7,250 0.237 20,000 0.255 9,460,000 0.193 150,000

1,413,300 43,612,732 31,490,878 60,720 1,976,248 5,171,640 792,960 337,015,270 8,703,844 98,138,988 3,040,238 36,040 119,076,985 24,222 99,928,038.50 26,750 6,910 26,415,550 197,403,490 1,441,230 157,291,034 116,500 227,820 4,073,320 70,300 21,971,441 130,560 194,049,235 1,430,050 38,310 1,892,000 4,850 2,441,150 28,950

7,698,519 5,538,156 -3,200 149,931,610 4,731,621 -22,929,474 2,321,330 18,526,275 689,900 1,133,110 39,704,919 367,320 -2,456,689 -59,648,595 -1,700 -28,446 -

2,974,030 6,335,530 10,448 14,070 552,760 411,090,885 1,157,950 14,053,950 200,913 75,300 7,073,650 6,170 1,110,420 8,774,850 31,163,785 61,110 26,923,800 444,740 1,197,250 96,386,280 69,800,150

1,012,654 86,940 42,441,780 124,230 -2,090,290 -4,670,350 -43,390 1,230,380 -12,095,550 -3,880 -2,437,830 -643,060

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

59 97.5 3 129.9 1.53 35.05 16.52 16.5 3.53 8.4 1.48 880 0.63 83.7 1.08 53 211 107.5 86.45 38 196 88.95

59 98.25 3.06 135 1.58 35.05 16.52 16.92 3.68 8.4 1.49 880 0.65 86 1.08 53 214 110 86.45 38 201.6 89.1

58 96 2.97 129.9 1.5 34.85 16.3 16.5 3.51 8.4 1.48 880 0.6 83.7 1.05 52 211 107.5 86.4 37.6 195 88.95

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS ASIABEST GROUP BASIC ENERGY CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CHEMPHIL CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CONCRETE B 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 PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP RFM CORP ROXAS AND CO ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SMC FOODANDBEV SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VITARICH VULCAN INDL

38.8 14.42 0.61 1.28 20.25 0.231 3.25 16.96 248 51.8 25 60 65.95 83.55 1.97 5.15 9.1 10.8 16.3 11.42 7.2 5.35 15.66 64.6 18.6 8.7 17.1 2.15 280.8 5.12 3.16 17.1 26.5 13.6 22.6 328 0.188 6.98 2.46 4.5 9.48 5.78 7.91 1.48 12.24 53.95 6.1 4.84 2.09 3.69 1.9 14.38 65 5.39 0.135 1 141 3.85 0.85

39 14.68 0.62 1.28 20.25 0.232 3.29 17.02 252 51.9 25.15 60 71.5 92 1.97 5.15 9.3 10.96 16.5 11.96 7.2 5.35 15.66 64.6 19.9 8.8 17.76 2.2 286 5.14 3.18 17.1 27.4 13.82 23.4 329.6 0.188 6.98 2.48 4.55 9.65 6.3 7.98 1.48 12.48 53.95 6.2 4.84 2.09 3.7 1.93 14.6 65.05 5.4 0.135 1 144.5 3.95 0.88

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

0.27 60.5 13.24 0.88 6.56 0.64 0.65 938.5 6.62 10.5 7.57 0.212 1,046 7.12 59.35 5.5 0.64 4.75 21.65 0.61 5.41 0.041 1.16 3.27 2.5 136.8 2.56 909 1.66 563 258.6 0.248 0.265 0.193

0.27 62.85 13.62 0.88 6.56 0.66 0.66 971 6.62 10.8 7.57 0.212 1,065 7.16 60.95 5.5 0.64 4.78 21.85 0.63 5.45 0.041 1.17 3.27 2.6 139.1 2.56 928 1.7 563 264 0.248 0.27 0.193

8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CEBU PROP A CENTURY PROP CITY AND LAND CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE IRC PROP MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED

7.12 1.06 14.9 2.01 0.84 40.2 3.44 4.72 6.02 6.6 0.455 1.03 1.03 0.247 31.5 0.63 1.64 1.26 1.05 4.36 0.66

7.2 1.06 14.96 2.01 0.85 41 3.47 4.93 6.13 6.6 0.47 1.03 1.04 0.26 32.9 0.63 1.7 1.28 1.06 4.5 0.67

7.12 1.03 14.9 2.01 0.84 40.05 3.43 4.72 6 6.22 0.455 1.02 0.99 0.247 31.1 0.63 1.64 1.26 1.05 4.32 0.63

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

0.495 0.55 4.02 29.3 18.26 2.05 3.16 34.9 1.12 10.6 0.78 6.7

0.5 0.56 4.05 29.3 18.9 2.1 3.24 35.75 1.14 11.54 0.81 6.72

0.465 0.54 4 29.3 18.12 2 3.16 34.8 1.09 10.4 0.78 6.61

0.48 0.56 4 29.3 18.9 2.07 3.24 35.65 1.14 10.72 0.8 6.65

16,820,000 4,458,000 187,000 100 1,503,900 572,000 48,000 8,899,400 5,025,000 1,835,800 82,000 3,638,600

8,103,550 2,462,740 750,040 2,930 27,931,998 1,187,650 152,940 315,168,750 5,621,330 20,094,828 65,070 24,197,987

57,150 -8,260 12,040.00 -1,212,036 56,880 20,251,885 -10,354 26,550 -12,643,412

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

15.9 27.05 1.35 0.48 0.047 12.66 12.02 0.055 89.9 8.7 7.12 7.5 21.5 940 1,700 5.56 302.6 4.2 2.26 81.5 13.3 8.21 1.39 3.48 15.24 4.63 1.05 25.95 0.48 4.31 6.55 3.22 8.41 11.02 9.54 128.5 6.02 1,392 1.04 0.395 46 88.5 7 2.3 1.3 0.42 4.81 0.87 11.4

16.9 27.5 1.35 0.48 0.048 12.8 12.4 0.057 92 8.7 7.15 7.7 21.7 940 1,762 5.65 307 4.23 2.36 83.3 13.3 8.23 1.39 3.48 15.24 4.63 1.05 26.2 0.48 4.32 6.8 3.26 8.5 11.68 9.54 131 6.02 1,409 1.05 0.395 46.75 89 7.15 2.3 1.3 0.445 4.85 0.88 11.6

15.6 27 1.35 0.475 0.047 12.6 12 0.055 89.05 8.7 7.07 7.5 21 940 1,700 5.53 302.2 4.14 2.21 81.25 13 8.21 1.38 3.34 14.98 4.54 1.01 25.6 0.48 4.22 6.43 3.22 8.09 11.02 9.54 128.5 5.94 1,390 1.03 0.38 46 88.35 7 2.26 1.29 0.42 4.81 0.86 11.4

SERVICES 15.9 27.05 1.35 0.48 0.047 12.6 12.36 0.056 92 8.7 7.14 7.7 21.4 940 1,742 5.56 306 4.18 2.21 83 13.3 8.23 1.38 3.48 15 4.61 1.03 26.2 0.48 4.31 6.44 3.26 8.16 11.68 9.54 130 5.98 1,396 1.03 0.38 46.6 88.95 7.1 2.28 1.29 0.435 4.84 0.86 11.56

26,600 47,100 25,000 1,900,000 8,500,000 996,500 11,701,600 34,900,000 118,860 2,500 436,900 9,000 74,900 1,000 47,425 489,700 5,500 629,000 195,000 2,265,490 2,100 30,000 23,000 10,000 20,700 653,000 47,000 2,347,000 30,000 22,000 2,419,200 126,000 3,938,600 4,100 1,800 27,200 424,100 38,075 2,494,000 4,820,000 213,000 68,280 101,700 417,000 581,000 8,310,000 1,722,000 3,085,000 2,763,000

418,902 1,275,960 33,750 907,200 400,100 12,567,568 142,783,164 1,958,000 10,873,117.50 21,750 3,110,715 68,960 1,599,555 940,000 82,728,535 2,725,772 1,672,376 2,629,150 438,300 187,884,324.50 27,540 246,690 31,940 33,960 311,882 2,995,150 47,630 60,935,625 14,400 94,590 15,985,519 407,260 32,458,911 45,248 17,172 3,505,770 2,528,613 53,195,320 2,588,540 1,852,900 9,924,545 6,049,640 722,763 950,810 753,160 3,610,350 8,330,960 2,658,680 31,888,494

11,264,400 -9,573,692 -138,880 3,704,720 8,580 42,812,715 -20,750 16,151,563.50 150,000 -68,250.00 14,129,050 -2,882,640 12,910 254,972 3,386,485 -1,033,175 -3,321,960 1,712,210 -8,061,145 85,584.50 -191,210 241,240 4,400 -913,310.00 -1,548,000 31,026

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

0.0029 1.71 4.2 18.88 1.69 0.3 7.16 2.3 0.207 0.138 0.144 1.45 5.15 1.21 0.54 0.94 0.012 0.013 0.012 2.11 5.58 13.9 28.2

0.0029 1.72 4.2 18.88 1.69 0.3 7.36 2.36 0.207 0.139 0.144 1.45 5.15 1.21 0.56 0.96 0.013 0.013 0.012 2.15 5.6 13.96 29.6

0.0028 1.69 4.2 18.88 1.63 0.3 7.15 2.3 0.201 0.138 0.144 1.42 5.1 1.17 0.54 0.94 0.012 0.013 0.011 2.1 5.55 13.4 28.2

MINING & OIL 0.0028 22,000,000 1.69 1,899,000 4.2 11,000 18.88 100 1.63 1,296,000 0.3 150,000 7.36 1,400 2.35 1,928,000 0.201 420,000 0.139 3,830,000 0.144 10,000 1.42 59,000 5.1 1,145,300 1.21 8,000 0.56 7,000 0.96 290,000 0.013 20,400,000 0.013 17,000,000 0.011 7,800,000 2.1 52,000 5.6 342,000 13.48 1,465,100 29 2,315,400

62,100 3,227,540 46,200 1,888 2,144,430 45,000 10,240 4,507,050 84,480 530,090 1,440 84,560 5,869,761 9,500 3,880 274,300 248,100 221,000 90,800 109,270 1,905,819 19,973,506 67,269,040

-4,200 -163,900 661,660 1,261,109 -73,908 5,204,090 -17,406,630

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B2 DD PREF GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2A PCOR PREF 2B PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

25.5 505 100.9 506 5.58 981 101 1.06 104 1,024 1,020 104 110.9 975 76.95 78.85 75.5 78 77 75.9

26.4 510 101.2 506 5.58 982 101 1.07 106.5 1,024 1,020 104.2 110.9 975 77 79.9 75.5 78 77 75.9

25.5 504 100.8 506 5.5 981 100.3 1.05 104 1,020 1,020 104 110.9 975 76.95 78 75.5 78 77 75.9

PREFERRED 25.7 94,000 510 30,010 100.8 60,010 506 10 5.5 328,000 982 430 100.4 5,520 1.07 1,029,000 106.5 270 1,020 10,000 1,020 255 104.2 270 110.9 60 975 600 77 69,820 79.9 107,100 75.5 144,010 78 30,000 77 11,010 75.9 268,400

2,430,130 15,128,290 6,061,402 5,060 1,804,008 421,840 553,720 1,090,690 28,730 10,217,155 260,100 28,132 6,654 585,000 5,376,065 8,377,533 10,872,755 2,340,000 847,770 20,371,560

609,370 -1,804,008 -22,260 -585,000 -1,540,000 -1,887,500 37,950

LR WARRANT

2.73

2.83

2.73

WARRANTS 2.76 93,000

257,020

-

2,027,716 199,950 4,147,980

164,654 8,880 -50,770

MS

PROPERTY 7.17 1.04 14.96 2.01 0.85 41 3.46 4.93 6.13 6.22 0.465 1.03 0.99 0.247 31.1 0.63 1.65 1.27 1.05 4.32 0.64

415,600 6,067,000 700 7,000 655,000 10,095,800 336,000 2,879,000 33,400 12,100 15,140,000 6,000 1,094,000 34,800,000 978,700 97,000 16,243,000 350,000 1,139,000 21,740,000 107,594,000

ITALPINAS PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

5.39 2.97 3.21

5.42 2.97 3.21

5.31 2.9 3.15

FIRST METRO ETF

117.7

119.4

117.7

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

19,672,497

INDUSTRIAL

114,169,110

HOLDING FIRMS

93,530,277

PROPERTY

262,857,666

SERVICES

98,731,399

MINING & OIL

82,492,375

GRAND TOTAL

673,229,093

5.33 2.97 3.17

SME

379,000 68,000 1,310,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 119.3 18,450

2,191,567

475,600

VALUE 1,933.66 (UP) 47.81 1,394,608,932.90 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,188.84 (UP) 108.21 960,681,599.37 HOLDING FIRMS 7,745.50 (UP) 182.84 1,423,367,085.49 PROPERTY 3,693.37 (UP) 86.12 1,545.92 (UP) 26.50 1,091,855,166.56 SERVICES MINING & OIL 10,194.17 (UP) 118.79 702,990,617.88 PSEI 7,752.11 (UP) 181.11 106,744,163.46 All Shares Index 4,709.15 (UP) 79.24 5,688,815,951.26 Gainers: 116; Losers: 80; Unchanged: 49; Total: 245

Phoenix says Q1 profit rose to P464.75m

By Alena Mae S. Flores PHOENIX Petroleum Philippines posted a net income of P464.75 million in the first three months of 2018, up 65 percent from P282.3 million year-onyear, on higher volumes sold and the entry of new businesses.

Phoenix disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday it registered the strong financial results “despite the increase in finance costs related to new business acquisitions and aggressive network expansion, and the increase in cost of sales resulting from higher oil prices.”

Phoenix booked revenues of P18.083 billion in the first quarter, up 107 percent from P8.727 billion on year.

“Our acquisitions are starting to add value, and we are realizing the synergies across our businesses, from fuels and lubricants to LPG, trading and supply, convenience store retailing and soon, asphalt,” Phoenix president and chief executive officer Dennis Uy said.

Phoenix attributed the increase in revenues to the 66-percent growth in fuel volume sold, with major contributions from the company’s new business segments—regional trading and supply arms PNX Petroleum Singapore Pte. Ltd. and Phoenix LPG Philippines Inc. Phoenix in 2017 acquired the local LPG business of Malaysia’s Petronas and established the Singapore trading office.

Sales volume of liquefied petroleum gas increased 11 percent on year.

Phoenix said its traditional fuels business showed strong organic growth, as the company opened more retail stations and secured deals to supply to key accounts in the power, manufacturing, shipping, transportation, construction and other industries.

Philippine FamilyMart CVS, Inc., another new business, increased its same store sales by three percent since the acquisition in January.

Family Mart is the country’s third largest convenience store brand, a franchise of Japan’s FamilyMart, with 65 stores mostly in Metro Manila.

“We are looking at another banner year as we fully consolidate our new businesses and relentlessly pursue operational excellence,” said Uy. Phoenix Asphalt Philippines Inc., a joint venture with Thailand’s TIPCO Asphalt and PhilAsphalt Development Corp., recently broke ground for its asphalt plant in Batangas.

Shakey’s posted P184-m income in first 3 months

By Jenniffer B. Austria PIZZA chain Shakey’s Pizza Ventures Inc. said net income rose 6.3 percent in the first quarter of the year to P184 million from P173 million year-on-year, after cost pressures tempered the doubledigit growth in sales.

SPAVI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange systemwide sales, a measure of total sales for both company-owned and franchised stores, climbed 10 percent to P2.2 billion on the back of a 2-percent growth in same store sales and the store network expansion strategy.

“We are pleased to have achieved a double-digit sales growth for the first quarter of 2018 despite what is typically a seasonally weak quarter and a high base last year,” SPAVI president and chief executive Vicente Gregorio said.

“We continue to face a competitive environment, but this has been mitigated by the success of our own marketing initiatives and the efforts we have made to improve the overall Shakey’s brand experience. We look forward to positive momentum from here and expect improvements as we move to complete the year,” he added.

SPAVI opened four new outlets from January to March to end the period with a nationwide store count of 212.

Gregorio said the company would continue to implement efficiency measures to cushion the impact of higher costs and inflationary pressures.

“Moreover, with the expected pickup in sales moving forward, we will likewise see an uptick in our margins as we maximize operating leverage and spread out fixed costs,” said Gregorio.

SPAVI plans to open another 16 new branches to end 2018 with 228 stores.

“We are further expanding our reach as we bring the Shakey’s experience to more and more locations beyond Metro Manila. The bulk of the 20 new stores we are opening this year are outside the first-tier cities, where urbanization and incomes continue to rise,” Gregorio said.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2018

World

Manila

Standard

TODAY

B3

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

OPENING RECEPTION. This is a general view of the atmosphere at the Gilles Bensimon opening reception of ‘Gris-Gris’ Exhibition presented by Gobbi Fine Art on May 10, 2018, in New York City. AFP

Malaysia’s king to pardon Anwar KUALA LUMPUR―Malaysia’s king has agreed to pardon Anwar Ibrahim, the country’s newly installed prime minister said Friday, paving the way for the jailed opposition leader to return to politics and potentially become premier.

It was the latest dramatic development after Mahathir Mohamad’s opposition alliance inflicted a shock defeat on the long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, ending the corruption-riddled regime’s six-decade stranglehold on power.

Mahathir was sworn in Thursday, becoming the world’s oldest elected leader at 92.

Mahathir, who had ruled with an iron fist for over two decades before retiring in 2003, cut ties with BN due to allegations that the party’s leader and his ex-protege Najib Razak oversaw the pillaging of sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. The elderly politician joined forces with opposition parties that opposed him while in power and agreed that if elected, he would hand over the premiership to Anwar, his former nemesis.

Mahathir has previously said he would likely remain prime minister for two to three years, before transferring power to Anwar.

Anwar, from the People’s Justice Party, is a key long-time leader of the opposition alliance. AFP

Trump-Kim talks in Singapore W ASHINGTON― Donald Trump on Thursday revealed his historic summit with Kim Jong Un―the first-ever between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader―will take place in Singapore on June 12.

The location and date of the landmark meeting were announced in a presidential tweet just hours after Trump welcomed to the United States three American prisoners released by Pyongyang.

“We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace!”

Trump wrote.

The talks, which are expected to last one day, are set to focus on North Korea’s rapidly advancing nuclear and ballistic weapons programs.

“I think it will be a big success,” Trump said as he boarded Air Force One, on his way to a political rally in Indiana.

US officials said the release of Americans Kim Hak-song, Tony Kim and Kim Dong-chul removed a major

obstacle to the summit, providing Trump with some tangible evidence that his twin-track policy of engagement and “maximum pressure” was working.

“We’re not under any illusions about who these people are. We know who we are dealing with here,” said Victoria Coates, of the National Security Council.

“But we got, up front, our people home.”

The United States and North Korea are technically still at war-a stop-gap armistice ended the brutal three-year Korean war in 1953 and around 30,000 American troops remain in neighboring South Korea, which the US supported in the conflict.

Singapore will provide a neutral backdrop for the summit, avoiding some of the security and political challenges

Irish-Gaelic language poet Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill speaks after receiving the 2018 Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award in Warsaw, Poland. AFP

With reference to previous published notices (April 22-23, 2018 and May 5-6, 2018), transfer of all impounded vehicles at SLEX and Star Tollway storage areas have been completed. For owners who wish to claim their vehicles, please proceed to our storage area at Bulihan, Malvar, Batangas on or before May 20, 2018. Please bring the original Certificate of Registration and a valid ID. Auction will commence after the said date. For inquiries, please call 0932-3321189 or 0932-5772663.

(MS-MAY 12, 2018)

Republic of the Philippines PROVINCE OF QUIRINO Cabarroguis -oOoBIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE INVITATION TO BID FOR Construction/Improvement of Quirino Sports Tourism Complex (Drainage and Rubberized Track Overlay) Contract No. PB-CW-2018-039 May 12, 2018

Kosovo war weighs heavily on Serbian film BELGRADE―Serbian director Ognjen Glavonic says the topic of his new film, which tackles the lingering horror of the Kosovo war, probably explains why his script was rejected seven times.

“Teret” (The Load), which will screen at Cannes on Saturday, addresses one of the grim secrets revealed after the war, a

taboo subject in a country still struggling to confront its past.

It follows Vlada, a truck driver on the road from Kosovo to Belgrade, who discovers that he is transporting the bodies of victims from war crimes committed by Serb forces in Kosovo.

Most of them are ethnic Albanian civilians, including many women and children.

Based on real events, the bodies are transported to Serbia to be buried in mass graves in a bid to cover up the truth about the last of the wars that tore apart the former Yugoslavia.

The 1998-1999 conflict killed some 13,000 people, including 11,000 ethnic Albanians and ended with the NATO bombing of Serbia. AFP

1.

The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Provincial Government of Quirino, through the Trust Fund (LGSF-FA to LGUs FY 2018 intends to apply the sum of P 46,550,000.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for PB-CW-2018-039 Construction/Improvement of Quirino Sports Tourism Complex (Drainage and Rubberized Track Overlay), Capitol Hills, Cabarroguis, Quirino. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Provincial Government of Quirino now invites bids for Construction/Improvement of Quirino Sports Tourism Complex (Drainage and Rubberized Track Overlay). Completion of the Works is required by 79 Calendar Days. Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy-five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Provincial Government of Quirino and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00 AM to 4:00PM.

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from May 12, 2018 to May 30, 2018 from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Twenty Five Thousand Pesos (P 25,000.00).

The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents at the BAC Secretariat, Capitol Hills, Cabarroguis, Quirino, upon payment of the applicable non-refundable fee.

6.

The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Provincial Government of Quirino will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on May 18, 2018, 3:00PM at Special Projects Unit Conference Hall, 2nd Floor, Commercial Bldg., Capitol Compound, Capitol Hills, Cabarroguis, Quirino, which shall be open to prospective bidders.

7.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before May 30, 2018, 2:00PM at Special Projects Unit Conference Hall, 2nd Floor, Commercial Bldg., Capitol Compound, Capitol Hills, Cabarroguis, Quirino. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

South Korea’s relatively poor elderly are worked to the bone SEOUL―In theory Park Jae-yeol should have retired 11 years ago.

But despite its advanced economy South Korean state pensions are meager, and the 71-year-old is obliged to continue working, delivering packages to high-rise apartments.

He pushes a cartload of brown boxes into a lift at a block of flats in Seoul,

PTTS FINAL NOTICE FOR IMPOUNDED VEHICLE OWNERS

LITERARY AWARD.

Toll from Kenya’s burst dam hits 44 NAKURU, Kenya―The search for survivors after a dam burst its banks in central Kenya resumed Friday with 44 confirmed dead and a further 40 still missing, the region’s governor said.

Weeks of heavy rain have caused flooding and mudslides across the country that have left 175 dead.

On Wednesday evening, the earthen wall of a privately owned irrigation dam in Solai, about 40 kilometers north of Nakuru town in Kenya’s Rift Valley, breached and inundated nearby settlements.

Nakuru county governor Lee Kinyanjui said 44 bodies had been recovered so far, with another 40 reported missing, and warned that at least one other local dam “will have to be discharged to avoid disaster”.

Dozens more were taken to hospital with injuries.

The search and rescue operation, involving emergency services as well as volunteers digging through the mud by hand, was disrupted by further heavy rainfall on Thursday, resuming on Friday morning. AFP

associated with a meeting in the Demilitarized Zone that separates North and South Korea.

The Southeast Asia city state has long acted as a bridge between the United States and China, with successive prime ministers offering Oval Office occupants their cherished geopolitical counsel.

When Trump and Kim do sit down a month from now, the two relatively untested leaders will be presented with a puzzle that has stymied seasoned diplomats for decades.

A series of US administrations have sent envoys, both official and unofficial, to Pyongyang in the hope of stopping North Korea’s provocative nuclear weapons program.AFP

his aging eyes strained by constant squinting at tiny address labels.

“Money is the biggest reason” he is still working, Park told AFP. He is one of millions of elderly South Koreans pushed into labor well past the official retirement age of 60.

Social safety nets in the rapidlyaging country are weak, despite

South Korea ranking in the OECD club of developed countries.

More than 45 percent of elderly South Koreans live in relative poverty―less than half of the median household income―by far the highest proportion in the OECD, where the average is 12.5 percent.

Park is one of the millions whose efforts powered the “Miracle on

the Han”, the country’s transformation from a war-ravaged ruin in the 1950s to the world’s 11thlargest economy.

A high school graduate from the southern port of Busan, he worked in air conditioning maintenance, earning enough to raise three children and buy an apartment in Seoul. AFP

Prospective bidders shall submit their duly accomplished forms as specified in the BD’s in two (2) separate sealed bid envelopes to the BAC Chairman. The first envelope shall contain the technical component of the bid. The second envelope shall contain the financial component of the bid. Contract will be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bid as determined in the bid evaluation and the post-qualification.

8.

The Provincial Government of Quirino reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: Engr. Dencio A. Pagbilao Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee Province of Quirino +639175007275 +639177756155

(MS-MAY 12, 2018)

(SGD) ENGR. DENCIO A. PAGBILAO BAC Chairman

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

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SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2018

Cebu’s resort-themed airport is almost complete LIFESTYLE DESTINATION. MCIA’s Terminal 2 will offer tourists their first taste of Cebu as soon as they set foot at the country’s second-busiest air gateway.

Tourism to get boost with June opening of 2nd Mactan terminal

L

OUIE Ferrer, president of Megawide GMR Cebu Airport Corporation, thought it would be great pick up line.

OTIS ‘SKYRISE’ EXPERIENCE. Concepcion-Otis Philippines, Inc. (COPI), a joint venture between Otis and Concepcion Industrial Corporation (CIC), has come out with two environmentally beneficial products to address the demands of a growing smart city. The Gen2 Regen and The Skyrise elevators marry elegant design and global engineering expertise. Their compact design eliminates the need for a machine room, which saves construction costs. The sleek elevators also boasts an energy-saving feature that uses up to 70% less energy than traditional elevators. The Skyrise is Otis’ most advanced elevator that is available with various ranges of speeds, duties and rises to support the demands of any high-rise project. The double-deck configuration reduces the number of elevator space needed for the building, which increases rentable space by up to 40%. It has 50% less energy loss and 36% smaller foot print than conventional elevators. “We foresee an urbanized Philippines, and it looks like the nation is on the right track,” said Rajan Komarasu, head of Alstra, the commercial division of CIC. “Our role is to provide a means to make this mobility seamless, safe, and innovative.”

MASTERPIECES OF ITALIAN DESIGN. Italian brand Boffi is celebrating its second year in the Philippine market, dishing out innovative kitchen installations and storage systems. Boffi’s kitchens are well known in the world of interior design and found in the most upscale homes around the world including in the Philippines, where the Italian manufacturer made its market debut two years ago through Focus Global, Inc., Boffi’s exclusive distributor. Boffi occupies a showroom at the ground floor of The Residences at Greenbelt, Makati City. Shown here is the Xila, an iconic, handle-less kitchen system by Luigi Massoni.

NOW YOU SEE IT…EVEN WITH THE DOOR CLOSED. LG recently

launched its line of home appliances that are more responsive to the demands of modern everyday life. The LG ‘InstaView door-in-door refrigerator asks you to knock twice in order to get a visual on the contents of its easy access compartment.

So no more opening the refrigerator door over and over again to find out what drinks or food are inside. LG’s ‘SmartThinQ’ is a convenient way to control the functions of this refrigerator, even when you’re outside. Now that’s what you call a perfect work-home balance through innovation.

Attempting to impress a gorgeous Celine Schrenk at last year’s Miss Universe Pageant in Manila, he asked what she thought of ‘glulam’ wood, the timber material from her native Austria used to form the wavy barrel roof-supporting structure for the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA), the ambitious resort-themed airport currently being built in the Visayas island.

Miss Austria, as it turned out, was modestly familiar with one of Austria’s prime industrial exports, glulam (glued laminated timber), which is a structural timber product comprising layers of dimensioned timber bonded together with durable, moisture-resistant structural adhesives. Ferrer proceeded to be schooled on the high strength and stiffness of laminated glulam timbers which enable beams and arches to span large distances without intermediate columns, allowing more design flexibility than with traditional timber construction. “The size is limited only by transportation and handling constraints,” Miss Schrenk explained to the Megawide-GMR executive.

To cap off Ferrer’s education, Miss Austria congratulated him for choosing glulam wood as a prime material in building the airport. The material, she said, is just right for the Philippines’ humid and unpredictable monsoon climate “because it is tough, resilient and environmentallysustainable.”

“I got picked up instead,” Ferrer ruefully said.

Iconic structure Leading an MCIA tour for Manila media last week, Ferrer brushed off any embarrassment from the Miss Austria incident. Instead, he displayed pride for the iconic structure that will pay homage to the rich culture and island heritage of the province when it opens this June.

The Terminal 2 of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, touted as the world’s first resort airport, is poised to become a lifestyle destination in itself, offering tourists their first taste of Cebu as soon as they set foot at the country’s secondbusiest air gateway.

“We create the first and last impressions visitors make of Cebu and the rest of the country and thus we want to create a worthy impression for everyone,” Ferrer explained. Not only will the new terminal look distinctly Filipino, it will also be a complete experience of Filipino hospitality the moment you set foot here.”

“This airport is more than a transfer point, we are making it a vital part of the Cebu experience,” Ferrer added.

GMCAC is the consortium managing the terminal operations and other related areas of the Mactan-Cebu Airport under a public-private partnership with the MactanCebu International Airport Authority. It bagged the P14.4 billion contract for the MCIA passenger terminal building in 2014. Once completed, the new Terminal 2 will cater to international flights while the old terminal will be retrofitted to cater to domestic ones.

World-class designers Designed for an annual capacity of 4.5 million passengers, the MCIA has been bursting at the seams with 7 million yearly arrivals since 2013. It is only logical that a new terminal be constructed, one that would represent in a more contemporary

CRAFTSMANSHIP. The glulam ceiling composition evokes the surrounding Visayas islands’ legacy of craftsmanship in wood and rattan. The timber’s warm colors, ranging from blonde ash to coffee-brown mahogany, offset the cold efficiency of the terminal. way Cebu’s tropical resort economy and the rich tradition of craftsmanship.

Hong Kong-based design firm Integrated Design Associates Ltd. (IDA) and airport planning consultant Ove Arup and Partners collaborated with local architect-of-record Albert Yu of Asya Design and three other Filipino design experts, interior designer Budji Layug, architect Royal Pineda, and Cebuano furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue.

The MCIA Terminal 2 is rising on a 5-hectare lot south of the existing terminal and control tower, in what was part of the apron of the old US airbase that stood there until 1971. (Part of this base is still operated by the Philippine Air Force, which uses Mactan as its largest air base outside Manila).

Projected to accommodate 4 million international passengers annually upon opening in 2018, Terminal 2 can be expanded to accommodate the 8 million international travelers expected in the next ten years. The proposed terminal’s modular design and linear configuration make this possible.

Cebu experience The soaring parabolic arches and floating glulam beams at the checkin area on the second level evoke rich history of local expertise in boat building, woodworking, and rattan weaving. At the duty-free area at the departure level, the use of floating glulam rafters evokes memories of coconut leaf fronds swaying in the beaches.

Terminal 2’s curvaceous roof, supported by large Y-shaped pillars, has been likened to an inverted local boat’s hull, the waves of the sea, and the woven baskets and mats (’banig’) that Cebu has produced for centuries.

Ten of these wave-shaped roofs form parallel lines running the length of Terminal 2. The billowing height evokes an atmosphere of “lightness” and “airiness” that will greet travelers as they disembark and approach the departure area. The gable curtain walls allow impressive lookouts over aircraft parked on the apron, and relaxing views of the tropical landscaped amenity outside, which will be planted next to the building’s vehicular access side.

The departure area on the upper floor is housed under the central arched roofs and can be accessed from the main road via a vehicular ramp. These are the tallest of the terminal’s curved roofs, reaching up 15 meters by 30 meters wide, and spanning up to 210 meters from curbside to the farthest gate.

All of the roof’s ridges have skylights allowing natural light to filter diagonally

across the expansive space. Check-in counters, kiosks, and in-line baggage conveyors span the sides of the departure hallway, giving a sense of horizontal linearity and directionality familiar to frequent air travelers.

The most distinctive local design intervention can be found in the ceilings of the departure area. Here, a system of free-standing Y-shaped parabolic pillars (reminiscent of mid-19th century ironand-glass “palaces of industry” in Paris and London), x-braced rafters, and parallel “floating” braced beams, all made of glulam, will dominate sightlines and perspectives.

The ceiling composition is the closest visual metaphor for the surrounding islands’ rich legacy of craftsmanship in wood and rattan. The glulam’s warm colors, ranging from blonde ash to coffeebrown mahogany, offset the cold efficiency of the terminal and give it a rustic flair Largest order of “glulam” wood An earlier statement by Rubner Holzbau, a engineered timber construction firm in Europe, reported that “a total of 4,500 m³ of glulam timber was used and installed under the Holzbau’s supervision.

“This project is the largest order that has ever been received for a structure made of glulam in the entire company history of Rubner Holzbau in Ober-Grafendorf,” the statement said..

Soaring passenger arrivals For this year, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport expects passenger arrivals—both local and foreign—to hit 10 million, up 12 percent from last year’s 8.93 million.

This growth may be attributed to the new routes being opened. The MactanCebu Airport is currently serving a total of 16 international destinations, 27 domestic destinations with 19 partner airline carriers.

In the next two years, GMCAC is targeting new routes connecting Cebu to Australia, Europe and other Asean countries, likewise expanding connections to China, Japan and South Korea.

As more international and domestic destinations open, GMCAC chief executive adviser Andrew Harrison said that increasing the airport’s capacity was the next crucial step.

“We need proper infrastructure so that we can accommodate more airlines and more flights. Route development is essential to an airport; the more flights we have, the more passengers will pass through our gates,” Harrison said.

The construction of the MCIA Terminal 2, which is slated to open on June 2018, will increase passenger capacity to 12.5 million from 4.5 million.

TOURIST DRAW CALLED ACIENDA. A designer outlet mall is set to become a welcome addition to the weekend itineraries of foreign and local tourists who regularly travel to Tagaytay City. Acienda designer outlet in Silang, Cavite, is being built by Cathay Land Inc., which previously set up South Forbes Golf City, also in Silang. Acienda is billed as a fully-integrated P2.5 billion shopping hub that’s dedicated to bringing a year-round sale of designer finds in fashion, sports, and homewares. Visitors can visit the mall’s themed sections in Italian, French, New England and Spanish. Acienda will be spread through 20-hectares. “Acienda s expected to change the way people see the Tagaytay-Silang tourist hub,” said Jeffrey Ng, president of Cathay Land. “People would go up the windy city to visit restaurants and cafes while enjoying the view and the climate. Pretty soon they will make the short trip to also find the best deals from international brands that Acienda can offer. “

Life

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife

travel and leisure

@mstandardLIFE saturday, may 12, 2018

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Fabulous retreat at F1 Hotel Manila

Treats fit for a

queen

surprise mom with an overnight stay in a City suite and a complimentary one-hour in-room massage for P6,300 nett. This room offer is available today until May 16. Moreover, for the whole month of May, the queen of the house gets a free lunch or dinner buffet when accompanied by at least two paying guests at F all-Day Dining. all moms dining on May 13 will receive a free gift pack from La Filipina.

For inquiries and reservations, call (02) 908-7888.

Mother’s Day surprises that will make mom feel special

P

erhaPs the best gift you can give mom on her special day is quality time together. But do you know what’s better than that? Quality time dedicated to her; a day where she can kick back, relax, indulge, and trade her many hats for a crown. here’s a few ideas on where in the metro you can take mama on Mother’s Day. Stay, shop, relax at New World Makati

For a complete treat, gift your mother with an overnight stay in a chic room with breakfast for two, a soothing aromatherapy massage at Marahai spa, and P1,000 shopping credits at any stores specialists, Inc. brands for all weekends of May for P6,500. after a quick shopping session and relaxing spa treatment, take her to Café 1228 for sunday Brunch for P2,650, or to Jasmine for unlimited dim sum, main course, soup, and rice dish for P1,388 per person.

For inquiries and reservations, call (02) 811-6888 ext. 3700.

Date mom at Discovery Suites Manila

Celebrate with stay and steak at this premier Ortigas property where mom can let her hair down in a serendipity Junior suite Deluxe for P5,000 nett, or in a serendipity Junior suite Premier for P5,300 nett, or in a serendipity One-Bedroom suite for P5,500 per night. all room packages come with breakfast for two, special token from hallmark, access to saturday’s Mom & Me activity, and more.

Treat her to the finest steak and other sumptuous options at 22 Prime. share a special Mother’s Day Package that comes with soup of the Day, choice of Meat Platter, seafood Platter, or Prime’s Porterhouse steak, carafe of strawberry mango juice, and a bouquet of flowers, all for P6,500 nett.

For inquiries and reservations, call (02) 719-8888.

Make your mama pampered at Makati Shangri-La

Moms deserve to de-stress and unwind what with all her hard work and sacrifices. Complete her staycation with a relaxing day at the salon Petit Luxe, which offers exclusive rates for moms staying at the hotel.

The ladies of the day get to enjoy a head-to-foot pampering package that includes haircut or hair color retouch, manicure, pedicure, and 15-minute head, shoulder, and back massage for P3,500 instead of P6,150; or a handsto-feet pampering package that comes with manicure, pedicure, foot massage, hands and arms paraffin treatment, and 15-minute head, shoulder, and back massage for P2,000 instead of P2,900.

For inquiries and reservations, call (02) 813-8888.

Delightful escape at Diamond Hotel

Let mom wake up to a relaxing day in a premium room where she can partake of a buffet breakfast for two at Corniche and a choice of lunch or dinner for two, get a complimentary food and beverage voucher at Bar 27, and shop at the Beauty and Lifestyle Fair for a starting rate of P8,500 nett. spoil her even more by taking her to a gastronomic journey. Buffet at Corniche is available at P3,180 nett per person; a Japanese set menu of four at Yurakuen is priced at P9,900; a Mother’s Day set Menu with a glass of wine or standard beverage at Lobby Lounge is at P1,980 nett; and a Mom’s Treat Package where mom and three of her friends can sashay to ‘80s music, get two hours unlimited standard beverage, a choice of pica-pica at Bar 27 can be enjoyed for P3,580 nett.

For inquiries and reservations, call (02) 528-3000

Create memories at Crimson Hotel

Relax and recharge at Richmonde Hotel Ortigas

Give mommy the gift of relaxation that she can get from the cozy comforts of a Deluxe room, buffet breakfast for two at richmonde Café, and access to hotel amenities for P3,700 nett. Top it all off with a luscious cake for P4,000 nett. Once she’s rested and ready to eat, treat her to a luncheon buffet filled with the best and freshest prawns, salmon, tuna, blue crabs, oysters, and more at richmonde Café for P1,490 nett.

For inquiries and reservations, call (02) 638-7777.

Impress your mother with a weekend staycation surprise for P4,888 net, which includes a pampering kit, or for P5,888 net that comes with buffet breakfast for two at Café eight and a pampering kit. spoil her with an hour or two at the spa as she’s entitled to a 30 percent discount on massages, facials, and body scrub with aromatherapy massage. since many great memories are made over food, bring her and the whole family to Café eight on sunday where you will be treated to a wide array of delectable treats for P1,600 net. Mom eats for free when accompanied with five paying guests. an afternoon tea set paired with dainty pastries at Lobby Lounge is priced at P750 net for two persons.

For inquiries and reservations, call (02) 863-2222.

Discover pizza at Discovery Primea

Does mom love pizza? she gets half the price off on all pizzas at restaurant Tapenade as well as daily gourmet breakfast and 20 percent discount on in-room dining when she stays for the night at P7,200 nett. aside from indulging in a variety of delicious pizza choices, she also gets 20 percent discount at Terazi spa, a special Mother’s Day gift upon check-in, and one Fruit Cooler Carafe of choice thru in-room dining. More surprises await mothers on May 13 at the Makati hotel’s dining establishments.

For inquiries and reservations, call (02) 955-8888.

Life

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saturday, may 12, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

e

MeRGiNG from the shadows of typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), tacloban has become a symbol of Filipinos’ undying resilience and hope.

As a way of celebrating tacloban’s strength against all odds and as a way of giving back, Summit Hotels opens a new property in the heart of the city. Summit Hotel tacloban is the fifth property in the province under the Summit Hotels brand. it serves as a physical representation of the beauty that remains within and around the city. eastern Visayas’ distinct beauty is best reflected in the hotel’s well-appointed interiors which take inspiration from the region’s colorful history and lush environment. As you enter the hotel, you’ll be greeted by wooden arches symbolizing tacloban as the gateway to the region, as well as bursts of colors that symbolize the vibrancy of Filipino culture. the area is dotted with basket weave and coconut leaf patterns. this tropical Filipino look is just as apparent in the hotel’s 138 rooms, which made use of design concepts and finishes that are unique to the region.

Super Rooms feature native woodwork patterns to mimic the bamboo flooring of the traditional bahay kubo. Six guest suites are inspired by three major celebrations in the region: Sangyaw rooms, from the Sangyaw Festival, which is devoted to the Sto. Niño, feature bold floral patterns and metallic accents; lubi-lubi rooms, from the lubi-lubi (coconut dance) street parade that serves as a commemoration of peace, love, and unity among barangays, consist of bold leaf patterns and a variety of textures and colors. lastly, Pintados rooms, from the Pintados Festival that celebrates the first inhabitants of Visayas, are filled with modernized symbolic tattoo patterns.

All rooms as well as the communal spaces are furnished with mid-century modern pieces to balance out the traditional design elements, giving the hotel that luxurious and contemporary feel mixed with a warm and welcoming vibe.

Where to stay in Tacloban Marked by the untouched beauty of its caves, rivers, and limestone formations, the Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park in Basey, Samar is a welcome respite for spelunkers and nature-lovers.

this vibe also extends to the pool deck and bar as well as to the in-house restaurant, Patron Casual Dinining, which is adorned with tree patterns and beehive tiles, and will serve a predominantly Asian cuisine using fresh ingredients from local suppliers.

The MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park features life-sized statues of former US General Douglas MacArthur and his landing party at the Gulf of Leyte.

Only one and a half hour of plane ride away from Metro Manila, Summit Hotel tacloban stands beside Robinsons Place tacloban in Marasbaras. its strategic location allows visitors to explore the areas beyond the city walls. it also provides opportunities for its guests to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of tacloban City, with various dining options, interesting attractions, and lively festivals all conveniently located within reach.

Visitors can enjoy cultural places like the Sto. Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum as well as the MacArthur landing Memorial National Park. Adventurers may schedule a day of hiking at the scenic Calvary Hill in Siren District or explore the Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park. Burgos Street isn’t to be missed either for the plenty of restaurants and bars it houses.

Of course, no trip to tacloban would be complete without trying the delicious delicacies like chocolate moron and binagol, and visiting all the memorial sites dedicated to the innocent souls lost during typhoon Haiyan.

Creative

Mother’s Day activities

Still looking for a place to take mom on her special day? Here are two suggestions that are located in Makati City

Citizens by Century: A Filipino Fusion Market May 12-13, 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. at Milano Piazza

Our tourism infrastructure this two-day event will bring together the “citizens” of Poblacion, a melting pot of culture in a neighborhood that celebrates beauty in diversity.

On Mother’s Day, bring the whole family to Century City for a kind of get together where everyone gets to choose an activity they want in one setting. From face painting and slime making for the kids to ice cream, coffee workshops and essential oil talks for the moms and daughters, to Sip & Gogh painting sessions and Happy Hour for the adults—it’s going to be fantastic family day that everyone will enjoy. in addition, there will be merchants showcasing the best of modern Filipino products and live music to boot.

mercury rising

BY BOB zOzOBRadO

tHe tourism infrastructure and enterprise Zone Authority is an agency connected with the Department of tourism, and created by the tourism Act of 2009. it is responsible for implementing the Dot’s policies and programs pertaining to the development, promotion, and supervision of tourism projects in our country. tieZA brings development to areas with high cultural, historical, religious, heritage, or ecotourism values, helping shape a deep sense of awareness and pride for our traditions, natural bounties, and uniqueness as a race. the agency is also responsible for restoring and rehabilitating historical landmarks and constructs tourism facilities in accordance with the Dot’s National tourism Development Plan. it also operates and manages tourist facilities, like hotels, restaurants, and specialized sports facilities, in various parts of the country.

Another task for this agency is setting up tourism enterprise Zones to attract private stakeholders, through Fiscal and Non-fiscal incentives, to partner with it for tourism development. the Fiscal incentives include income tax Holiday, Net loss Carry Over, Gross income taxation, tax and Duty Free importation, tax Credit and Social Responsibility incentive. the Non-Fiscal incentives are employment of foreign nationals, Special investor’s Resident Visa, and lease of land. tieZA is also the agency responsible for collecting the travel tax from every passenger leaving the country. this is imposed by the Philippine government through Presidential Decree 1183, regardless of where the ticket was issued and how it was paid for.

Pink Fong and Baby Shark at Century City Mall May 13, 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 5th Floor Events Center

TIEZA chief operating officer Pocholo Paragas (4th from left) and business development manager Bing Francisco (left) are shown with travel industry leaders, namely (from left) PIATA president Pat Alberto, PATA chairman Bob Zozobrado, NITAS president Angel Bognot, and PATA board member Simon Ang during the OTTPS launch.

the amount collected benefits three touchpay Kiosks which will be set up government agencies: tieZA gets 50 in strategic locations. percent, the Commission on Higher During the launch, tieZA chief opeducation gets 40 erating officer Popercent, and the Nacholo Paragas himself tional Commission demonstrated how YOUR weekend for Culture and the to create an account, Arts receives the rewhile DBP vice CHUCkLe maining 10 percent. president Ricardo Can an Atheist get insurance Not too long ago, Josef Bandal ii showed against “Acts of God?” tieZA, in partnership how to pay through the with the Development touchPay Kiosk.

Bank of the PhilipCOO Paragas conpines and the DBP Data Center, launched ceived of this idea to give passengers the the new Online travel tax Payment Sys- option to pay their travel taxes online intem, making it now more convenient for stead of lining up at the airports and other travelers to pay the required travel tax. travel tax centers, and is in line with the new system may be availed of President Duterte’s directive to reduce the 24/7 with the use of ViSA, MasterCard, queues in government offices. and BancNet credit cards, including For those who want to avail of this more debit cards. this can even be done over- convenient tax payment facility, log on to the-counter at partner establishments, traveltax.tieza.gov.ph and click on OttPS. such as lhuillier Pawnshop, tambunting Pawnshop, Shopwise, Wellcome For feedback, I’m at Supermarket, and in tieZA’s own bobzozobrado@gmail.com

the global entertainment company behind the global Youtube hit Baby Shark animated song will be coming over to Century City Mall to take kids and adults on a voyage of cheerful songs along with Pinkfong and Baby Shark mascots.

Bring the kids to the mall for a sing and dance time with Pinkfong and Baby Shark and get a chance to meet and greet the two of them after the show. Only the first 150 kids will be accommodated in each show. tickets are available at the concierge desk.

For more details about these events, visit centurycitymall.com.ph.

SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2018

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

HOLLYWOOD Beyoncé, Kanye streaming stats ‘manipulated’ on Tidal: report STREAMING numbers of Beyoncé and Kanye West’s respective albums on rap mogul Jay Z’s music platform Tidal have been manipulated, allowing the stars excessive royalty payouts, a Norwegian newspaper said on Wednesday.

In its investigative report, the financial daily Dagens Naeringsliv (DN) claimed the streaming numbers for Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo and Beyoncé’s Lemonade were inflated through manipulated user play counts on Tidal.

Jay Z bought the online service, which has its roots and significant activities in Oslo, through his holding Project Panther for $56 million in March 2015.

His wife Beyoncé and his former protégé West both launched their albums exclusively on the streaming platform in 2016.

DN’s revelations suggest that West and Beyoncé, along with their record companies, received a disproportionate share of royalty payouts at the expense of other artists on Tidal.

This could put the service in a tricky situation, as it has promised to pay rights holders more money than its other streaming rivals including Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer.

Based on an analysis provided by the Norwegian Center for Cyber and Information Security (CCIS), DN reported more than 320 million false plays of songs from the two albums over short periods, a manipulation which affected more than 1.7 million users.

User accounts and play counts obtained by the newspaper revealed suspicious listening patterns, such as simultaneous playbacks of multiple songs by the same user or repeated playbacks of the same song at regular intervals.

For example, the tracks were restarted every six minutes at the same second and millisecond.

Two of the Tidal users contacted by DN appeared to have listened to tracks in “Lemonade” 180 and 251 times, respectively, during 24 hours.

They both denied doing so to the paper.

Tidal’s lawyer Jordan Siev told DN that it denies any manipulation and claims its data has been stolen and that the media report is false.

Contacted by AFP, the platform was not immediately available for comment. AFP

M

YX surrenders to Wildflower star Maja Salvador as she takes over the country’s number one music channel as Celebrity VJ for the month of May.

or www.ticketnet.com.ph, and are priced at P1,275 for VIP, P1,060 for Patron A, P850 for Patron B, P530 for Box, and P160 for Gen Ad. Catch Celebrity MYX VJ Maja on “Pinoy MYX” until today, “Mellow MYX” until May 19, and “My MYX” on May 20 to 26. Watch MYX on SKYcable channel 23 and SKYdirect channel 37.

Ivy Aguas/Lily Cruz cools down from intense fight scenes and revenge quests in her recently concluded program as she now ushers in the summer’s hottest local and international hits. The new Celebrity VJ also shares insightful pieces of advice on love and life during her stay.

Meanwhile, get to know more about ASAP performer Darren Espanto as he rises up this month as “MYX Headliner.” The 16-year-old singer also joins the fun in the MYX Music Awards 2018 happening on May 15 as a performer and four-time nominee for Artist of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Collaboration of the Year, and Remake of the Year.

Indie folk band Ben&Ben,, on the other hand, lights up the music channel under the “MYX Spotlight” with special performances of their breakout songs such as “Ride Home,” “Leaves,” and “Kathang Isip.”

Tickets for the much-awaited MYX Music Awards 2018 + MYX Squadfest are available at all TicketNet outlets

***

Penelope Cruz puts ‘torture’ of early work behind her SPANISH Oscar winner Penelope Cruz said Wednesday that putting a firewall between acting and her private life—even when working with husband Javier Bardem—had put a stop to the “torture” of her early years in the industry.

Presenting her new film Everybody Knows by Iran’s Asghar Farhadi at Cannes, Cruz told reporters that she and Bardem made a point of not taking their personal life to the set, or their work home with them.

“When I was in my 20s, I thought the more I would torture myself and the more I would stay in character for months, the better the result would be,” Cruz said.

“We (she and Bardem) have very similar ways to work and maybe I did that experiment when I was younger because we both started very young.”

Cruz and Bardem, who many celebrity watchers say have claimed the place vacated by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in the star couple firmament, met on the set of the sexy 1992 Spanish dramedy Jamon Jamon when she was still a teenager.

But it took working together on Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which premiered at Cannes in 2008, to light the romantic spark.

Cruz took home an Academy Award for her supporting role as a hottempered artist in the film. She and Bardem, who won the previous year for No Country for Old Men, are respectively the first Spanish man and woman to win an acting Oscar. AFP

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, May 12, 2018

ACROSS 1 Make merry 6 Skippy rival 9 Quail family 14 Without help 15 Actress — Hagen 16 Stay 17 Not according to Hoyle 19 Sign of spring 20 Prosecutors, for short 21 Contemptible 22 Snorkeling venues 23 Former Mets’ stadium 25 Name for a cow 26 Vampire expert Bram — 29 Narrow board 31 Decks out 32 Boxster maker 36 Protein source 37 Bit of paint 38 Own 40 Traveled on snow 43 Wan 45 Stratagem 46 Cisco Kid movies 47 Sphere of influence 50 Knights’ titles 51 Sing like Bing 52 Shacks

54 Tenet 57 Found out 58 Lacking manners 61 AMD competitor 62 Airport info 63 Valentine gift 64 Out-of-date 65 Pregrown lawn 66 Bizarre DOWN 1 Speakeasy risk 2 She, in Seville 3 Tenn. students 4 Flight dir.

5 Trouser half 6 Gourmet cook — Child 7 “— do for now” 8 Ms. Dunaway 9 Root vegetables 10 Woodwinds 11 Intuitions 12 Illuminate 13 Urges 18 States positively 23 Enjoy the rink 24 Attention getter 25 Disqualify 26 Mr. Houston 27 Very, to Yvette 28 Grad-school exam 29 Garden

implement 30 Tennis stroke 33 Schmoozes 34 Cod kin 35 At any time 37 Tierra — Fuego 39 MS polishers 41 Shrink 42 Telegraph signal 43 Composure 44 Teacup handle 47 Hippodrome 48 Deep ditches 49 Long-winded ones

50 Fine viol.

51 Guacamole dipper 52 Shades 53 Till 54 Part of MIT 55 Tarot reader 56 Dept. store inventory 59 To and — 60 Chit

Music takes center stage at Shangri-La Plaza IT’S going to be a lively and musical May as Shangri-La Plaza treats mall guests to an experience of nostalgic tunes and live performances by popular groups and artists in the country.

On Mother’s Day, watch as OPM icon and celestial diva, Celeste Legaspi, takes to the stage with her vocal prowess together with ABS CBN Philharmonic Orchestra performing under the baton of Maestro Ryan Cayabyab. This special treat for moms happening tomorrow 7:00 p.m. at the East Atrium.

Then jump right into the energetic Baby Shark craze on May 18, 6:00 p.m., at the East Atrium. The viral Baby Shark song and dance is coming to Shangri-La Plaza for a fun and spirited interactive performance, plus a special treat for the youngsters—a meet and greet with the Baby Shark characters.

Catch the Bernie Pasamba Quartet, one of the most sought-after ensembles in the country for various events, on May 19, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at the East Atrium. The Bernie Pasamba Quartet will entertain mall guests with their extensive repertoire of ballads, Broadway songs, OPM, and contemporary music.

It’s a Throwback Thursday at the East Atrium as the Shang puts on a well-curated playlist from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.. As mall guests and shoppers pass through the East Wing, they will be soothed by the classic and timeless hits of the Bee Gees, Frank Sinatra, The Cranberries, Whitney Houston, and Billy Joel.

For inquiries, call 370-2597/98 or visit www.facebook.com/shangrilaplazaofficial. Follow the Shang on Instagram: @shangrilaplazaofficial.

Seasoned OPM singer Celeste Legaspi

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

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SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2018

AHA! celebrates 8TH ANNIVERSARY with animation originals TOMORROW, top-rating infotainment program AHA! celebrates its 8th anniversary with host Drew Arellano presenting a whole episode featuring four original children’s stories of adventure, fantasy, and discovery rendered ‘cartoon-style.’

Anchored on its tagline ‘bida ang bata’, the animation special also showcases the beauty of the Philippines and the values Filipinos always hold dear as they achieve their dreams.

In “Ang Hardin ni Lola,” a young girl named Liwa wants a flower garden of her own but there is not much space in their home. Meanwhile, a big patch of land lays abandoned in front of a big, ancestral house in town inhabited by an old woman who is feared by many and believed to be a ‘witch.’ Can Liwa conquer her fear and save the flowers before they finally wilt and die?

Meanwhile, in “Super Okra,” a slimy vegetable named Ompong Okra dreams of becoming a hero in the vegetable kingdom of Gulayan. But his sticky and gooey sap always gets in the way. One day, a vicious and voracious group of plant-eaters called the ‘Insekto Squad’ attack, and Ompong must come to terms with his true nature so he can save the kingdom and fulfill his destiny.

In “Nang Magtampo ang Ilog,” on the other hand, a young boy named Andres witnesses the slow degradation of their once pristine river in Dakóng Suba. The people’s neglect and indiscriminate disposal of garbage angers the river deity, Loway. One day, Loway decides to leave but the river tags along with her. Can Andres appease Loway’s wrath and convince her to ‘come back?’

Finally in “Ang Kambing sa Parada,” young and skinny Kevin wants to join the ‘Kneeling Carabao Festival Parade.’

But there’s just one problem: he is a goat!

But Kevin insists on his right to become part of this long-revered tradition. Can his determination, quick wit, and never-saydie attitude convince the mighty leader, Bosing Kalabaw?

AHA!’s special anniversary episode is in collaboration with animators from GMA Post Production, Top Peg Animation and Creative Studio, CIIT College of Arts and Technology, and the show’s art director Benedick Rellama. All four stories are written by head writer and award-winning children’s book author Augie Rivera.

Guest celebrities who lent their voices to some of the characters include comedienne Boobsie Wonderland as Liwa, young actor Miggs Cuaderno as Ompong Okra, heartthrob Juancho Trivino as Bosing Kalabaw, and child actor Yuan ‘Pao Pao’ Francisco as Andres. Drew provides the overall narration.

AHA! Animation Originals airs tomorrow at 8:15 a.m. on GMA 7.

Second try for Pinay singer from Japan of instruments.”

A FILIPINA singer Among her achievemaking waves in Japan ments in Japan include is in Manila for a return placing 2nd in the Jamission: make it big pan Karaoke Grand here.

YUGEL Prix, winning multiple Songstress Maricar, LOSORATA champion trophies in who in the past ten years Utawit (singing compehas been flying in and tition for Filipino-Japaout of Japan as a professional singer, is promoting her freshly nese singers), and fronting Bless of GK, a made and independently produced self- band based in Ginza, Tokyo that performs titled album, actually her second since regularly at the high-end Kentos Ginza.

She also had a sold-out concert at JZshe released an album under the tutelage of seasoned songwriter Vehnee Saturno Brat in Shibuya, described as a dining club frequented by Japan’s movers and back in 2014.

That album Mahal Mo Na Siya was a shakers.

Her album’s executive producer credit minor hit and distributed by Universal Records under her full name Maricar is shared by Marikai Group Japan and Riesgo. She needed to drop her surname Blckmrkt International (with its studio for this new package because, according located in Quezon City). Most of the songs, including the alternative rock track to her, it is not that easy to pronounce.

But the surname matter is least of “Lumuluha”, featured the skill of young Maricar’s concern. It is the challenge of songwriter Yang Yang Duna. A Japanese penetrating the competitive Manila music version of the mentioned track closes the scene that gives her the urge to “take the album.

Maricar recalled that she needed to fly big leap.”

“I wanted to please the local audience back to Japan a couple of months after the kahit mahirap ang labanan dito,” ex- release of her previous album. This time pressed the noticeably grounded lady act around, she won’t make the same move whose voice beautifully captures a vari- that affected her momentum.

Asked about the current state of Filipiety of singing styles, including one often n o performers in Japan, she heard these days. pointed out, “Gone are One of her new songs “Tahan Na” the times when just fits into that bill, with its lyrics sung in about anyone can such quick-walk pace without losing have a shot at bethat necessary laidback feel. It’s the coming a singer second single off her 11-track album in Japan. Now she launched on May 5 at Walwalan you need to be Overview in Quezon City. Lima legitimate ited copies of her CD is available singer to get by ordering through her Facethe gigs.” book page: https://www.

With her facebook.com/maricredential and carofficial/.

Any love for Pimoment the whole noy crowd, album is in digital no doubt format release.

Maricar Maricar, who is a singer is raised in who deserves Tondo and got a second look. scouted by a Japanese company for her career, Pinay singnoted, “The er Maricar album started has been as essays that making a got crafted name for into different herself in genres of muJapan. sic played on different sets

RIVA

QUENERY

revs it up in

‘RiVlog Live’

F

IERY performances, funny banters, good memories and a whole bunch of inspiration are just a few of the things that Riva Quenery promises to showcase on her one-night-only birthday concert on May 27 at the SM Skydome.

The former GirlTrends member who is performing solo for the first time admitted that she’s both nervous and excited being the main act.

“I used to appear in shows as a guest performer, now it’s a solo event. It’s all about me. I am going to showcase my talent in singing and dancing that’s why I’m in mixed emotions,” Riva said during a recent media conference.

Apart from giving her audience a taste of what she can offer as a singer and dancer, Riva’s birthday concert will also cater to the needs of less fortunate kids at the Tahanang Mapagkalinga ni Madre Rita.

“Every time I celebrate my birthday, I make sure na tumutulong ako sa mga street children. It has become my advocacy,” she told the press.

Joining her on the show are her bosom buddies including Krissha Viaje and Sammie Rimando, as well as Hashtags member Zeus Collins and FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano star Awra Briguela and Star Magic talent Maris Racal.

“What’s exciting about the show is the new genre na gagawin ko, it’s something that local artists haven’t done before,” she said on what to expect in her birthday show.

The 20-year-old talent has been quite a figure on the local vlogging scene with her naturally quirky and intimately personal vlog called RiVlog. Her YouTube channel, which she proudly runs solo, likewise earned its own stripe last year.

RiVlog received YouTube’s popular Silver Play Button award, a recognition that is given to vlogs that have amassed a total of 100,000 subscribers. Roughly a year since she started vlogging, Riva’s subscribers have more than doubled for she now has more than 400,000 followers on the popular video-sharing platform.

Dancing has always been Riva’s passion, as seen on the countless dance covers on her vlog, and the fact that she was tapped to be part of It’s Showtime’s GirlTrends.

One of her biggest dancing feats happened just last month, after becoming part of the local hip-hop dance group, Power Impact. Riva and the dance crew’s long hours of training eventually paid off as they placed third under the Team Divi-

DIGITAL MEDIA

A Mother’s Day TRIBUTE

Watson's online campaign "Look Good, Feel Great" continues with a Mother's Day tribute video that trains the spotlight on our childhood hero and best friend—mom.

GOING SOLO.

Vlogger and former GirlTrends member Riva Quenery headlines a benefit concert at SM SkyDome.

sion at the World of Dance Manila 2018. She is also set to fly to Los Angeles, California to compete at World Dance Competition.

Riva’s concert is produced by Hermie Carreon and directed by Marvin Caldito, tickets can now be purchased by calling SM tickets at 470-2222 or visiting www.smtickets. com. Nickie Wang

WE SEE mom as the strongest and the most loving person in the world which is why even when we’re already grownups and things get tough, when something happens in life, when something goes awry, we still want mom—ourgo- to person.

Celebrating Mother’s Day also means the influx of tribute videos on social media and other online platforms. But there’s one tribute honoring our mothers that stood out from the rest. The video talks about how unaware most moms are about how their children see them—brave, selfless, caring and responsible.

Moms are often hard on themselves; completely unaware that to their children, husbands and loved ones, they are perfect. A mother may describe the perfect woman as “loving and caring” when, in fact, that is her.

A mother’s love is selfless and her job never ends but she deserves a break. Moms need to pamper themselves and be pampered. Happy mothers who look good and feel great in turn make their loved ones feel great, too.

For Mother’s Day, make her feel like the perfect woman who looks good and feels great always. Here are some ideas: 1. Give your mom a homemade gift card for a foot and hand massage. It should be redeemable forever.

2. Put together a special basket for mom filled with beauty and wellness goodies such as facemasks, massage oil, a bottle of multivitamins and nail polish. Basically, the basket should include items your mother will enjoy.

3. Give her gift cards from her favorite store. If she loves beauty, then she will enjoy shopping at Watsons.

If it’s fashion she’s into, she will surely love the wide selection at The SM Store.

4. Write a letter or poem telling her why she is the best mom in the world and what makes her perfect.

5. Serve her breakfast in bed. If you can’t cook, slice some fruits and serve it with toast and butter on a beautiful plate.

6. Take her out for dinner and a movie. Take note of what her favorite restaurant is and what movies she likes to watch.

To learn more about the video click on this link https://www.facebook.com/WatsonsPH/videos/1749122025125347/ or visit the Watsons Philippines Facebook page and watsonsph on Instagram.