Manila Standard - 2018 June 16 - Saturday

VOL. XXXII • NO. 121 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY.

Thousands of Filipino Muslim families gather Friday in Barangay Cawa Cawa Boulevard in coastal Zamboanga City as they join co-religionists round the world in marking the end of Ramadan Friday, which ushers in the month of celebration, the start of Eid al-Fitr, which lasts for three days, with a lavish meal. The celebration marks the conclusion of the 29-30 days of dawn to sunset fasting during the month. Mark Navales

Rebels’ safety pass expires Govt urges they turn themselves in as sign of good faith or be hunted down

By Joyce Pangco Pañares

TIAMZON

BAYLOSIS

ECHANIS

SILVA

LADLAD

Police arrest priest-slay suspect

By Ferdie G. Domingo CABANATUAN CITY–A prime suspect in the killing Fr. Richmond Nilo has been arrested in Barangay Malapit San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, police said Friday.

PC/Supt. Amado V. Corpus, Region 3 director, identified the suspect as Adell Roll Milan, 25, a resident of Barangay Malapit San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, and a known gun for hire.

He and five other John Does have been

charged with the murder before the Nueva Ecija Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

Earlier, thousands of Catholics accompanied bishops and parish priests in the province to Nilo’s burial at the Crypta Saint Nicolas De Tolentine Church.

Nilo was shot dead afternoon before celebrating Mass inside a chapel in Barangay Mayamot on June 5 at around 5:15 pm.

He suffered multiple gunshot wounds to different parts of his bodies and died instantly.

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Carpio pushes for tripartite pact on Scarborough

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan ACTING Chief Justice Antonio Carpio said Friday that the Philippines, China and Vietnam could reach an agreement over what to do about the rich fishing grounds in Scarborough Shoal, noting that a UN tribunal had ruled the area a common fishing ground for the three countries.

“The one thing that’s lacking is there’s no common agreement between these three nations,” he told CNN in Next page an interview.

HE safety and immunity guarantees extended to five jailed communist leaders no longer stands with the government poised to ask a Manila regional trial court to revoke their release order following President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to postpone the resumption of formal peace talks in Oslo.

T

Meet ‘iPal’: Sino robot babysitter SHANGHAI—It speaks two languages, gives math lessons, tells jokes and interacts with children through the tablet screen in its chest—China’s latest robot is the babysitter every parent needs.

The “iPal” was among a slew of new tech unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show Asia in Shanghai this week, offering education and company for lonely children and peace of mind for adults.

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The five communist leaders–Communist Party of the Philippines chairman Benito Tiamzon, Adelberto Silva, Rafael Baylosis, Randall Echanis and Vicente Ladlad–were earlier allowed to travel abroad to participate in the negotiations as consultants of the National Democratic Front.

“Since the peace talks were deferred upon orders of the President, the basis for the court order [for their release] no longer exists and the prosecution will consequently move for the revocation of said orders,” Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra told Manila Standard.

“The NDF consultants should thus present themselves to the courts for proper disposition as a sign of good faith,” Guevarra added.

A well-placed source earlier revealed that Tiamzon and Baylosis, in particular, appeared to have already gone underground.

In a separate interview, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said Tiamzon and his colleagues must turn themselves immediately “as a gesture of good faith and for them to continue to enjoy safety and immunity guarantees in the future” when the peace negotiations resume.

Philippine National Police chief Dir. Gen. Oscar Albayalde, for his

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‘Norwegia’: Where in the world is that?

By Joyce Pangco Pañares WHERE in the world is Norwegia?

A post on the Facebook page of the Presidential Communications Operations Office identifying outgoing Norwegian

So sue me! Rody dares rights critics of anti-drug war

By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte dared human rights advocates late Thursday to take him to court over the government’s bloody anti-drug war as he ordered newly elected barangay captains to do their duty to fight illegal drugs in their respective communities.

In a speech during an oath-taking ceremony for newly elected barangay leaders, Duterte told human rights groups to file charges against him, saying he would gladly go to prison.

“There’s no problem with me, anyway I’m old,” he said in Filipino. “In a few years time, I will begin to deteriorate and maybe go ahead of you.”

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REPEAT AFTER ME.

President Rodrigo Duterte administers Thursday the oath of the newly elected barangay chairmen of Region 4-A, or Calabarzon, during a ceremony at the Santa Rosa Sports Complex in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

Presidential Photo

‘Ester’ on way out but rain to persist

By Rio N. Araja and Joel E. Zurbano

Solon presses Sanofi to own up to ‘reckless’ Dengvaxia sale

By Maricel V. Cruz A LAWMAKER on Friday demanded admission from the French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur that it acted recklessly in prematurely selling the anti-dengue

vaccine Dengvaxia to the Philippines.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel made the remark following a study confirming that Dengvaxia might be harmful to children with no prior dengue infection.

“Instead of Sanofi announcing that it

now knows how Dengvaxia may be better used with the proper label warning and prior testing to ascertain if a child had been previously infected with dengue, the company should just admit that it messed Next page

TROPICAL depression “Ester” on Friday entered the Philippine area of responsibility but is not expected to make landfall. Next page

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SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Sereno asks SC to quash show cause order on sub judice case

By Rey E. Requejo OUSTED Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno has asked the Supreme Court to quash the show-cause order it earlier issued against her for violating the sub judice rule and casting aspersions on some members of the high court at the height of the controversy arising from the quo warranto proceedings against her.

Sereno also reiterated her plea for the inhibition of Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam and Samuel Martires whom she accused of showing bias and animosity toward her not only in the quo warranto case, but also in the impeachment proceedings before the House of Representatives.

Sereno said certain statements attributed to her were made in response to the many attacks against her in the media, including the baseless accusations hurled by Solicitor General Jose Calida.

“No less than the Solicitor General of the Republic himself repeatedly attacked Respondent and publicly discussed the merits of the petition and even made personal attacks on Respondent, not only through the media but also through his personal social media [Twitter] account,” Sereno said.

She said she could not be faulted for explaining her side to the public after her repeated demands that she be given her right to due process were unheeded.

Sereno was prohibited from crossexamining the witnesses who appeared during the impeachment proceedings before the House Committee on Justice, thus denying her the opportunity to expose the falsity of the accusations against her.

She also claimed that she was denied her right to be heard by the proper tribunal, which is the Senate sitting as an impeachment court.

‘Norwegia’...

From A1

Ambassador to the Philippines Erik Forner as “the representative of Norwegia” has gone viral and netizens have called out the mistake.

Norway, the Scandinavian country famous for its spectacular fjord coastline, is never referred to as Norwegia.

The error, which has since been corrected by the PCOO, resulted in the tag “Norwegia” landing on the Top 10 trends on Twitter.

Former elections commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal tweeted: “Where is Norwegia in the world map?”

“You have to admit Norwegia is funny. Except that we’re paying PCOO so much and they’re so stupid,” wrote forensic expert Raquel Fortun.

Some Facebook users said Norwegia might be similar to the fictional country Wakanda, which is home to Marvel’s Black Panther superhero, while others posted a copy of the Haruki Murakami book ‘Norwegian Wood’ with the second ‘n’ omitted. Others tagged Norwegia as their next travel destination.

PCOO Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, who claimed it was a case of typographical error, took exception to the comments and said her agency could not copy-edit its social media posts despite its huge budget. She said a simple mistake like “Norwegia” does not give bashers the right to call PCOO “stupid.”

“How much do you think is our budget?” Badoy said in a thread within the PCOO Facebook page.

A netizen replied that the PCOO received a budget of P1.38 billion this year, a 4.4-percent increase from its budget in 2017.

Badoy replied: “So you have no idea how much is really for PCOO in that P1.3 billion, right? And you don’t know too that PCOO is the department that has the smallest budget in government, right?”

While some netizens were quick to point out that a simple apology would have sufficed, others were intrigued by Badoy’s remarks.

“So just how big a budget do you need to know that Norwegians are from Norway and not Norwegia without netizens pointing it out to you?” wrote Facebook user Nilo Baranda.

“Even if you have the lowest budget, that is not an excuse to make an error on an official government page. I thought the administration had the ‘best and the brightest’,” wrote another Facebook user, JV Cruz.

Professor Antonio Contreras, while expressing support for the PCOO, said the best response to the mistake was a sincere apology and an assurance that remedies would be undertaken.

“Mistakes are committed, but how we deal with them is more important,” Contreras said.

US postpones war games with Sokor ‘indefinitely’ W

ASHINGTON—The US military has indefinitely postponed major joint exercises with South Korea, an official told AFP on Thursday, acting on President Donald Trump’s pledge to halt the “provocative” military drills following his summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un. The move, a significant break in how the US and South Korean militaries have worked together for decades, came even as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that peace efforts still face risks, and insisted sanctions must be maintained until Pyongyang dismantles its nuclear arsenal.

“Major military exercises have been suspended indefinitely on the Korean Peninsula,” a senior US official told AFP. Trump on Tuesday had said the US would halt “war games” with its South Korean security ally—but he did not make clear when the freeze would kick in.

US and South Korean forces have been

training together for years, and routinely rehearse everything from beach landings to an invasion from the North, or even “decapitation” strikes targeting the North Korean regime.

Pyongyang typically reacts furiously.

Following drills last year, the North fired ballistic missiles over Japan, triggering global alarm.

Verifiable denuclearization?

Trump has sounded a triumphant tone since the Singapore summit, where he and Kim signed a joint statement in which Kim committed “to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

But critics have pointed to the vague

Rebels’...

pronouncements on the timetable of the negotiations.

“The President reviewed the recent statements of Joma because it was Joma who was announcing that there will be a week-long ‘stand down order’ between the NDF and the government that will begin on June 21 and that the formal peace talks will resume on June 28. Is he the spokesman of the government?” the source said.

Sison, however, insisted that the June 21 and June 28 dates that he announced in the media were contained in written agreements signed by government chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III and NDF chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili on June 9 and 10.

A member of the leftist Makabayan bloc in the House raised suspicions that “saboteurs” were interfering in the peace talks between the government and the NDF. “I think that the issues raised by Secretary Dureza can be addressed at the same time that the peace talks are ongoing.

They should not be used as stumbling blocks or preconditions for the resumption of the negotiations,” Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate said.

“The longer it takes for the talks to restart, the peace spoilers and saboteurs would also have a longer time to sabotage the process,” Zarate said.

Zarate, a Mindanaoan, said the Filipino people have long been hungry for peace.

“The Filipino people have long supported the peace talks for a just and lasting peace. Indeed, addressing the root causes of the armed conflict like landlessness, oppression and exploitation, among others, will certainly get the continued support of the majority of Filipinos,” Zarate said.

“Resume the talks now. It is only those who benefit and profit from the current inequitable and unjust system will not support the peace talks and will do all they can to sabotage it,” he added.

With Maricel V. Cruz

From A1

part, said it will be “problematic” if the communist leaders refuse to present themselves before the Manila court.

“If they do that, not only the PNP but the Armed Forces of the Philippines as well are ready to hunt them down again,” Albayalde said.

President Duterte announced his decision to scrap the resumption of formal negotiations with the CPP-NDF during Wednesday evening’s Joint Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police Command Conference in Malacañang.

Presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza said the postponement will allow government to engage a “bigger peace table” to include the public and other sectors in government.

But CPP founding chairman and NDF chief political consultant Jose Ma. Sison rejected Dureza’s official explanation as “bullshit.”

“The resetting of the planned peace talks is exactly for the purpose of protecting the gains achieved in the backchannel talks prior to formal resumption of peace negotiations. History teaches of many peace deals that suffered setbacks due to the lack of public support and this is precisely why we have decided to engage the public and have consultations with various sectors to protect those gains,” Dureza said in a statement released on Friday.

“Getting public support and goodwill even while still in the course of peace negotiations is truly indispensable. Suddenly springing finished peace agreements upon a public who have been kept in the dark during the negotiations can certainly undermine those efforts,” Dureza added.

A well-placed source who was privy to the command conference said Duterte reached the decision to “reset” the peace talks following Sison’s several

Solon...

From A1

up in haphazardly peddling the vaccine without enough safety trials,” Pimentel said.

“Sanofi in effect made 870,000 of our school children the subject of an unusually large clinical trial that unnecessarily put their lives and safety at risk.”

Pimentel said there were two ways Sanofi could assume responsibility for the mistake.

“They can return the entire P3.5 billion spent by the Philippine government for the three million doses of the vaccine, and they can put up an indemnity fund for the children who have been harmed, or who may be rendered sick after receiving the shots,” Pimentel said.

Pimentel heads the House committee on good government and accountability, which conducted a joint inquiry with the health panel into the Dengvaxia controversy.

The New England Journal of Medicine on June 13 published a study that confirmed that children who never had a dengue infection, but who were

‘Ester’...

From A1

It is expected to leave Friday night or Saturday night for southern Taiwan and to enhance the southwest monsoon.

“It is on its way out of PAR,” the weather bureau said.

The bureau made its announcement even as the Metro Manila Development Authority on Friday asked the Department of Public Works and Highways to repair the damaged por-

given Dengvaxia shots anyway, had an increased risk of hospitalization and a severe case of the debilitating mosquito-borne disease.

The study included data on 2,384 children who were vaccinated and 1,194 who were not.

Among the previously uninfected children who received the vaccine, there was a significantly higher risk of hospitalization among those aged two to eight, and a trend toward increased hospitalization in those aged nine to 16, the study found.

For previously exposed children aged nine and older, the vaccine reduced rates of severe disease and hospitalization by 80 percent versus the control group.

In April, the Department of Health disclosed that 3,281 school children were hospitalized after receiving Dengvaxia shots, and that 1,967 of them “were found to have contracted dengue,as confirmed through clinical and serological tests.”

So far, the department said, 65 children had died after receiving Dengvaxia shots.

Of the 65 mortalities, 13 were due to severe dengue infection while the 52 others died of other causes. tion of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue following the heavy rain brought by the southwest monsoon and tropical storm “Domeng.”

Because of Ester, the southwest monsoon will continue to bring monsoon rain in Ilocos, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Batanes, the Babuyan group of islands, Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac and Pampanga.

Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro and the rest of Cagayan Valley and the rest of Central Luzon will experience light to moderate rainfall.

wording of the non-binding document, which Trump described as a “deal,” and to concerns among allies about the decision to stop the US-South Korean “war games.”

Speaking on a regional tour to brief South Korean, Japanese and Chinese officials about the historic summit, Pompeo said Washington remains committed to the “complete, verifiable and irreversible” denuclearization of North Korea.

“We believe that Kim Jong-Un understands the urgency... that we must do this quickly,” he said of the effort to have North Korea abandon its atomic arsenal.

In Beijing, Pompeo also said China “reaffirmed its commitment” to United Nations sanctions after the foreign ministry suggested earlier this week that the UN Security Council could consider easing the economic punishment against its ally.

“We truly believe that we have a path forward after so many years that can bring peace,” Pompeo told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi before talks with President Xi Jinping. AFP

Police...

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Police identified the suspects through CCTV footage and witness accounts.

Nilo was the former president of the College of Immaculate Conception in Cabanatuan City. He was the third priest to be killed in a span of six months.

Also on Friday, opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros urged Senate President Vicente Sotto III to reconsider his rejection of calls for a Senate investigation into the killings.

“I call on Senate President Sotto to reconsider his take on this matter. The Catholic Church and the millions of Catholic faithful demand that we take action,” Hontiveros said.

Sotto had rejected calls for an investigation, saying the police should be allowed to do their work.

Hontiveros thanked Senator Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the Senate committee on public order, for agreeing to hear the issue, and urged other senators to support the inquiry.

She also disputed Sotto’s assessment that the killings could be “a coincidence.”

“Once is an unfortunate random event. Twice could be a coincidence.

Thrice is a pattern,” she said.

“With all due respect to the Senate president, but I think the killings are continuing and too similar to be dismissed as mere coincidence.”

On Wednesday, Hontiveros filed a resolution directing the Senate committee on public order to look into the killings of Nilo, Fr. Mark Ventura and Fr. Marcelito Paez.

With Macon Ramos Araneta

Meet...

From A1

The humanoid device stands as tall as a five-year-old, moves and dances on wheels and its eyes keep track of its charges through facial recognition technology.

Parents can also remotely talk to and monitor the children through the iPal, which is linked to a smartphone app that allows them to see and hear everything.

“The idea for this robot is to be a companion for children,” said Tingyu Huang, co-founder of AvatarMind Robot Technology.

“When a child sees it, he or she will think of the robot as a friend, as another child in the family.”

Their 9,000 yuan ($1,400) did not dampen interest from buyers watching a performance of several iPals dancing in unison.

“They’re pretty cute. I was just thinking my own two-year-old daughter would love one,” Mike Stone, a buyer from Australia, said.

China’s young working parents often face the burden of taking care of children or elders without help from a large extended family, as the impact of the country’s decades-long one-child policy lingers. The limit was raised to two children in 2016.

“I don’t think the robots can replace parents or teachers,” Huang said. “But iPal can be a complementary tool to relieve some of their burden.” AFP As of 5 pm, Ester was spotted 295 kilometers north of Basco, Batanes.

It was moving east-northeast at 25 kilometers per hour and packing maximum sustained winds of 60 km/h and gustiness of up to 90 km/h.

MMDA general manager Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. said coordination had been made with Highways Undersecretary Robert Bernardo to immediately patch up several potholes and damaged sections that pose danger to motorists and hamper the traffic flow along the major roads.

Carpio...

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“They should sit down and discuss the rules of fishing within that shoal because we have to preserve the fish... so there will be sustainable fishing. But the Chinese don’t want to discuss that with us,” he said.

Carpio said reports that members of the Chinese Coast Guard were bullying Filipino fishermen were disturbing.

“For me, it’s harassment. It’s even theft, because they’re taking it against the will of Filipino fishermen. We should protest at the very least,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Foreign Affairs secretary Alberto del Rosario disputed Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s statement that the previous administration had mismanaged relations with China.

“We believe that Secretary Lorenzana is a very good man with the highest credibility in the Cabinet,” the former senior diplomat said. “[W]e feel deeply sad because it appears that he is being used as a propagandist precisely since he has the reputation of being straight as an arrow.”

He said he was saddened to hear Lorenzana declare that President Rodrigo Duterte was handling the country’s maritime dispute in the South China Sea “very well,” in contrast to the the previous administration where “everything was chaotic.”

He said that Lorenzana has no basis of comparison on the quality of management in the disputed sea, and said the Aquino government defended the Philippines’ territorial claims while Duterte opted to shelve Manila’s victory in arbitration against Beijing’s excessive claims.

“One government had defended what is ours by resorting to political and diplomatic means while utilizing both bilateral and multilateral approaches to seek a peaceful resolution,” Del Rosario said.

“Another [Duterte] government, after being awarded this invaluable victory at The Hague, immediately announced the shelving of this most important outcome, thus avoiding for itself the task of managing what had been handed down,” Del Rosario said.

Del Rosario also disputed Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano’s account of what happened after the standoff between China and the Philippines in Scarborough Shoal in 2012.

At the time, Del Rosario said, the US brokered an arrangement where China and the Philippines agreed to a simultaneous withdrawal of ships from the shoal—but China never pulled out their ships.

“We therefore agreed. At the appointed time, we withdrew, whereas China did not—in violation of our agreement,” Del Rosario said.

Del Rosario said the Aquino government dealt with a powerful China whose declarations were often inconsistent with the facts on the ground.

“Other nations, we began to discover, had the same difficulty in dealing with our northern neighbor...if this is being deemed as chaos, so be it,” Del Rosario said.

Also on Friday, Cayetano said there was nothing irregular about the Chinese military plane landing in Davao City on June 8.

“It’s nothing irregular, there’s nothing fishy about it, it’s something that countries do with each other,” Cayetano said in a CNN Philippines interview, referring to plane landings provided protocols are followed. With Rio N. Araja, PNA

So...

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The President also reiterated his proposal to arm barangay officials to protect them against criminals, and even urged them to shoot suspected drug dealers if their lives were in danger.

“I don’t care about human rights, you better believe me,” he told the 4,018 newly elected punong barangays in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon).

Duterte’s centerpiece anti-crime drive, focused on an ambitious campaign promise to end the widespread drugs problem before his term ends, has left more than 4,000 drug suspects dead, many of them either in firefights with police or under suspect circumstances.

The President also lamented that some mayors and barangay leaders are involved in the illegal drug trade.

“Many were using shabu, both poor and wealthy. The rich [are] using cocaine. Ecstasy is pricey. Now these cocaine, cannabis, marijuana are organic.

Shabu is a deadly mix of chemicals.

Toxic…. Shabu use over a period of six months to one year would cause aggressive and violent, bizarre behavior,” Duterte said.

He told the barangay captains they were the “mayors” of their small communities.

“The barangay is so small, how can drugs get into your communities?” he said in Filipino.

Duterte said he wanted to arm barangay captains on a selective basis and said the police would still be in charge of actual operations.

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SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Trillanes dares SAP Bong Go to bare source of ‘vast’ wealth

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

PRAYERS. Muslims offer Eid al-Fitr prayers on the roof of an unfinished mosque in Manila on June 15, 2018. Eid al-Fitr festival marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Noel Celis

‘Don’t hostage free college education’ DoT: ‘Buhay Carinderia’ project suspended DEPARTMENT of Tourism chief Bernadette Romulo-Puyat on Friday reiterated the suspension of Buhay Carinderia Redefined project of the Tourism Promotions Board and private firm Marylindbert International, following the reported staging of its North Luzon Roadshow.

“Given the suspension of the program, and pending its review by the Commission on Audit [CoA], any activities of the private proponent of Buhay Carinderia at this point are not sanctioned by the DoT and should not in anyway be considered as connected with the Department,” Romulo-Puyat said in a statement.

“DoT has not disbursed any further funds since the suspension,” she added.

Once verified, Romulo-Puyat said the agency will take “appropriate steps,” including formally informing the other party about “DoT’s actions.”

The secretary did not elaborate.

Buhay Carinderia Redefined’s Facebook page outlined an upcoming event titled “Buhay Carinderia: Vigan City” at the Vigan City Convention Center set from June 29 to June 30.

Within the first week of June, Buhay Carinderia Redefined has concluded pre-qualifying events in North Luzon.

In a memorandum dated May 18, 2018, Romulo-Puyat instructed the “suspension of the implementation of all ongoing TPB projects” subject to CoA review, including the Buhay Carinderia project.

The review was requested after questions were raised on TPB’s P80million payment for the Filipino food tourism project. It was later discovered that the project has not gone through the regular bidding process. PNA

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

S

ENATOR Bam Aquino on Friday urged the government not to hold free college education hostage, because government can afford free tuition even without the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law. Aquino made the statement in reacton to a Palace statement that free college education will be affected once the TRAIN Law is suspended.

He said the government has other sources of budget. “ Sa totoo lang malaki pa ang hindi nagagamit na pondo,” said Aquino, one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the TRAIN Law. “Why is there a need to hostage free college education?” asked Aquino.

He noted that the government should stop burdening the people already drowning in the high cost of prices.

Aquino, the principal sponsor of the Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, said the government has enough funds for the continued implementation of the free college education, even without the P70-billion expected revenue from the rollback of the excise tax on petroleum products under the TRAIN Law. He also reminded the administration that underspending, or the allotted funds that were left

‘Rush processing of applicants on govt ‘housing units’

By Maricel V. Cruz A SENIOR legislator on Friday urged the National Housing Authority to speed up the processing of applications for some 55,000 unoccupied houses that are ready for occupancy.

Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez, chairperson of the House committee on housing and urban developments, said the NHA should act swiftly to prevent anarchy because some groups are out to forcibly occupy those houses.

Benitez called on law enforcement agencies to secure all housing projects covered by Joint Resolution 2 that President Rodrigo Duterte signed last month.

Floirendo ordered suspended over graft

By Maricel V. Cruz THE Ombudsman has asked the Sandiganbayan to suspend Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr. while the trial of the graft case filed against him by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez is going on.

In a motion filed at the antigraft court’s Sixth Division, the Ombudsman cited Section 13 of Republic Act 3019, or the AntiGraft and Corrupt Practices Act, that mandates the suspension of a public official facing trial.

Section 13 of the law provides: “Any incumbent public officer against whom any criminal prosecution under a valid information or for any any offense involving fraud upon government or public funds or property pending in court

untouched by government agencies, reached P390 billion for 2017. The budget for free college education was set at P41 billion for 2018.

“It is important that the President knows the real numbers. It’s difficult to decide if he was being fed wrong information,” Aquino said.

He recalled that government economic managers told the Senate during TRAIN deliberations that inflation will not breach the fourpercent mark. Last month, the country’s inflation reached 4.6 percent.

The allocation of funds, he said, depends on the priority of the government.

“If they will not give funds for the free college education, this means it is not a priority,” he said.

He also made the assurance that the Senate will not allow that this law is not funded since it was intended to support poor Filipinos to alleviate their living conditins through education.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the

House of Representativea’ committee on appropriations on Friday hailed President Rodrigo Duterte for reaffirming his commitment to providing quality education to Filipinos, especially those coming from below the poverty line.

“President Duterte means business when it comes to democratizing college education in the country.

The state’s educational institutions recognize this and are 100 percent supportive of his advocacy,” Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, the panel chairperson, said, following the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between the Commission on Higher Education and state and local universities and colleges for the implementation of the free tuition law.

President Duterte witnessed the signing of the MoA in Malacañang last Wednesday.

The MoA provides that a total of 190 colleges—112 state universities and colleges (SUCs) and 78 local universities and colleges (LUCs)—will launch this year the free college education program as provided under Republic Act No. 10931 or the “Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.” “The spirit of the law is to benefit students from poor families who don’t have the means to put their children through college. Education is the best weapon against poverty, and President Duterte recognizes this,” Nograles said.

shall be suspended from office.”

The prosecution team told the court that “there is no dispute that Floirendo is sufficiently charged with violation of Section 3(h) of RA 3019 and was already arraigned last May 25.’’

If Floirendo is suspended, the prosecutors said, he will be prevented “from committing the same offense and from influencing potential witnesses in his case over the alleged anomalous lease of land at the Davao Penal Colony [DPC].”

“Verily, such suspension pendente lite is aimed not merely to prevent the accused from intimidating witnesses or otherwise hamper the prosecution of the case, but also to prevent him from committing further acts of malfeasance in office,” the prosecution added.

“We recognize the need and growing desperation among urban poor for adequate housing. However, we put prime in the rule of law and the institutional process to address social issues,” Benitez said.

“We cannot let desperation lead to anarchy,” he added.

Benitez was referring to the attempt of some 500 members of a local urban poor group affiliated with the urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) to forcibly take over an NHA housing project in Rodriguez, Rizal last Wednesday.

Benitez said joint Resolution 2 provides that the NHA will award the houses only to qualified urban poor

applicants.

“Pursuant to this measure, NHA should work double time to institute mechanisms for informal settler families, including KADAMAY members, to avail low-cost housing formerly under the PNP/AFP housing program,” he said.

Benitez said the joint resolution was expected to address the controversy surrounding the P20-billion AFP/PNP housing program that has failed to really benefit policemen, firemen and soldiers to whom the NHA housing units were originally intended.

He also warned against the deterioration of the houses should the NHA fail to award the housing units immediately.

Villar leads launch of new Las Piñas road

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Cynthia Villar led the inauguration of the newly constructed Sinombre Drive that seeks to further ease the flow of traffic in the main thoroughfares of Las Piñas City.

The Sinombre Drive road project was initiated by Senator Villar as part of her commitment to address the terrible traffic problem in the city. It was funded and implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“I am fully aware of the horrendous traffic that affects the residents of Las Piñas City and all motorists and commuters who ply the AlabangZapote road. I understand the anger and frustration. That is why I am finding ways to help ease the traffic congestion. I hope this new road will make travelling within the city easier and faster,’ Villar said.

The 500-meter Sinombre Drive traverses along the Sinombre Creek.

It will bring motorists to an access road from the Alabang-Zapote road to the Zapote River drive, passing through Pamplona Park subdivision in Barangay Pamplona, and connect to the Las Piñas River Drive, a fivephase, 15-kilometer road project also initiated by Villar.

‘I look forward to faster traffic and business movements to and from Las Piñas and surrounding areas now that we have these new road projects. I initiated these projects to make the lives of our people better and travelling less burdensome,’ Villar said.

Villar will lead the ribbon-cutting ceremonies during the inauguration of the new road. She will be joined by city government officials, barangay leaders and members of the homeowners associations of the subdivisions that will benefit from the new route.

RESPONDING to the challenge of Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go, opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Friday dared him to sign a waiver to establish the source of his alleged “vast wealth,” being a billionaire as claimed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Yes, let’s have a one-on-one in the signing of a waiver. His boss [Duterte] can also join us,” said Trillanes.

A staunch critic of the President and his administration and family members, Trillanes noted that this is his challenge to Go, which has “sense and value.”

“Because Duterte said Bong Go is a billionaire so we will know where his money came from,” said Trillanes.

Go dared Trillanes to a “one-on-one” after the lawmaker criticized him for being coy about his political plans.

In a recent media interview, Trillanes took potshots at Go for denying that he will run for senator in the 2019 elections when his face was ‘‘plastered in the four corners of the country.’’

Go issued the challenged to the former navy officer in an interview over the state-run Radyo Pilipino on Thursday, his 44th birthday.

During the campaign period in the last presidential election, Trillanes also dared Duterte to sign a waiver to dispute his assertion that the Chief Executive owns over P2 billion in ill-gotten wealth deposited in several banks.

However, the President did not take up Trillanes’ challenge as he repeatedly denied the existence of said bank accounts.

On Thursday, Trillanes strongly reacted to the plan of former Davao City vice mayor Paolo Duterte to file libel charges against him for linking the former Davao City vice mayor to the illegal shabu shipment from Xiamen, China last year.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS

ANNOUNCEMENT President Rodrigo Roa Duter te has submitted to the C o m m i s s i o n o n A p p o i n t m e n t s (C . A .) f o r c o n f i r m a t i o n t h e ad interim appointments of the following of ficers in the A r med Forc es of the Philippines: To t h e r a n k o f C o l o n e l ( P h i l i p p i n e A r m y ) P e d r o C . B a l i s i , J r. , PA (G S C) ; A r s e n i o D .

S a d u r a l , PA (G S C) ; R i c a r d o F. L e o n a r d o , J r. , PA (G S C) ; B e n e d i c t D . B a l a b a , PA (G S C) ; G r e g o r i o S . N i e v e r a s , PA (G S C) ; E u g e n i o C . B o q u i o , PA (G S C) ; N a s s e r P. L i d a s a n , PA (G S C) ; E l m e r B . S u d e r i o , PA (G S C) ; A r l e n e A .

Fr a g e , PA (G S C) ; L e o E d w a r d Y. C a r a n t o , PA (G S C) ; R a n d o l p h G . C a b a n g b a n g , PA (G S C) ; R o l a n d o C . D u m a w a , PA (G S C) ; R o l e e n M .

D e l P r a d o , PA (G S C) ; F e r d i n a n d R e y G . G a , PA (G S C) ; G u l l i v e r L . S e n i r e s , PA (G S C) ; J o s e D o d j i e C . B e l l o g a , J r. , PA (G S C) ; R a n d o l p h P. R o j a s , PA (G S C) ; M i c h a e l G . L o g i c o , PA (G S C) ; J T T. B a j e t , PA (G S C) ; D i v i n o A r i e l S .

M a b a g o s , PA (G S C) ; J o e l Q . M a m o n , PA (G S C) ; J a s o n T. B a j e t , PA (G S C) ; V i r g i l i o M . N o o r a , PA (G S C) ; A l l a n I . D e G u z m a n , PA (G S C) ; R o b e r t o H . H u e t , PA (G S C) ; F e r d i n a n d D .

E s c a l a n t e , PA (G S C) ; G a l i l e o R . G o y e n a , J r. , PA (G S C) ; V i r g i l i o F. L u n a , PA (G S C) ; Ly n a r t D . C a s t i s i m o , PA (G S C) ; C e s a r C . F e r n a n d e z , PA (G S C) ; A r l i n o L . S e n d a y d i e g o , PA (G S C) ; L e o m a r J o s e M . D o c t o l e r o , PA (G S C) ; A u d i e A . M o n g a o , PA (G S C) ; E d d i e M . P i l a p i l , PA (G S C) ; R o s e n d o C . A b a d , J r. , PA (G S C) ; M a r i o D . J a c i n t o , PA (G S C) ; C h r i s t o p h e r C . Ta m p u s , PA (G S C) ; R o d n e y G . I n t a l , PA (G S C) ; A d o l f o B . E s p u e l a s , J r. PA (G S C) ; R a n u l f o A . S e v i l l a , PA (G S C) ; R i c k y P. B u n a y o g , PA (G S C) ; V i c t o r M . L l a p i t a n , PA (G S C) ; R a y C l a u d i o R . A b a y a , PA (G S C) ; P o m p e y o J a s o n M . A l m a g r o , PA (G S C) ; J o e y A . E s c a n i l l a s , PA (G S C) ; L u c i t o C . C a r i n , PA (G S C) ; P e t e r P. B u r g o n i o , PA (G S C) ; A r n e l F. F e r n a n d e z , PA (G S C) ; R o n a l d J e s s S . A l c u d i a , PA (G S C) ; M e l i s a n R a y m u n d N . R e c a i d o , PA (G S C) a n d E d w i n C . S a d a n g , PA (G S C) To t h e r a n k o f C o l o n e l , R e s e r v e (Philippine Ar my) S o n n y M . S a l e s , PA (G S C) ; E l m e r M . A t e r r a d o , PA (G S C) ; A l c o n R . M a g d a m i t , PA (G S C) ; J e r o b o a n C . D e v e z a , PA (G S C) ; P a u l i t o R . I d u l , PA (G S C) ; E d m u n d o S . S u f i c i e n c i a , PA (G S C) ; J u l i e t o L . E s t o q u e , PA (G S C) ; B e n e d i c t o S .

M a n q u i q u i s , PA (G S C) ; E m m a n u e l G . A l i l i n , PA (G S C) ; O r e n c i o D . J e r u t a , PA (G S C) ; N o m a n L . A l c o v i n d a s , PA (G S C) ; E l d r e d H a r r i e t t o A . R a g p a l a , PA (G S C) ; R o d o l f o A .

G e s i m , PA (G S C) ; N i c o l a s R . S u e m i t h , PA (G S C) ; W i l f r e d o C . A d q u i l e n , J r. , PA (G S C) ; J e f f e r M . P a d i g d i g , PA (G S C) ; R o b e r t o L .

S i m a r a , PA (G S C) a n d J e f f r e y C . C a b a n s a y, PA (G S C) To t h e r a n k o f C o l o n e l ( P h i l i p p i n e A i r F o r c e) A d r i a n o S J . D u a d i c o , PA F ( M N S A ) ; R y a n R e y n i e P. S o n z a , PA F (G S C) ; F e r n a n d o G .

Ve n t u r a , PA F (G S C) ; E r w i n G . S o l o m o n , PA F (G S C) ; A n g e l i t o R . R e t u t a , PA F ( M N S A ) ; F e l i x M . B a l a n z a , J r. , PA F ( M N S A ) ; O n o r l i e B . B r i l l a n t e s , PA F (G S C) ; J u l i u s S a m s o n A .

N a z i , PA F ( M N S A ) ; R o b e r t R . B i t a s , J r. , PA F (G S C) ; J o s e R i t c h i e M . P a b i l o n i a , PA F (G S C) ; A c m a d U . O m a r, J r. , PA F (G S C) ; R a n d y M .

P a s c u a , PA F (G S C) ; G i e m e l O . E s p i n o , PA F (G S C) ; A l v i n M . H a t e , PA F ( M N S A ) ; G e r a r d o B .

G r a m a t a , PA F (G S C) ; P e r f e c t o R . M a g a l o n g , J r. , PA F (G S C) ; C h a r l i e R . T i u , PA F (G S C) ; S h e i l l a h G r a c e E . V i c e n t e , PA F (G S C) a n d R h o s s e l R . D u q u e , PA F ( M N S A ) To t h e r a n k o f C o l o n e l , R e s e r v e ( P h i l i p p i n e A i r F o r c e) Leodigario V. Macalintal, PA F (G S C) ; R e y n a l d o L . B a j e t , PA F ( M N S A ) a n d J o h n R e s n e r P. J a y m e , PA F (G S C) To t h e r a n k o f C o l o n e l / C a p t a i n (Philippine Nav y) G l e n n Z . D i z o n , PN (G SC); E m i l i o G . O r i o, J r. , PN (G SC); A r m a n d o B . Cu s t o d i o, PN (M) (G SC); Ro m u l o K . V i g i l a n c i a , PN (G SC); Fr a n c i sc o Lu i s A . L a p u t , PN (G SC); W i l f r e d o B . M a n a l a n g , PN (M) (G SC); Re d e n t o r R . C o r t e z a n o, PN , (G SC); Ca r l o s R . Ru i z , I I I . , PN (G SC); G l e n n E .

C e l e b r a d o, PN (M) (G SC); J u l i u s E . Va l d e z , PN (G SC); E s t e l i t o B . L a g a d i a , J r. , PN (G SC); E r w i n P. Ca l i m a g , PN (G SC); S i m p l i t i u s G . Ad e c e r, PN (M) (M N SA); M a r c o N . B u e n a , PN (G SC); Ro n a l d o V. J u a n , PN (M) (M N SA) a n d I va n D R .

Pa p e r a , PN (M) (M N SA) To t h e r a n k o f C o l o n e l / C a p t a i n , R e s e r v e (Philippine Nav y) A r t h u r S . Ta d u r a n , PN (G SC); C e d r i c k G .

M o n e s , PN (G SC); Ro l a n d o N . Fe r n a n d e z , J r. , PN (G SC) a n d M a n u e l B . B u n d a n g , PN (M) (G SC) To t h e r a n k o f C o l o n e l / C a p t a i n (Philippine Nav y) Te c h n i c a l a n d A d m i n i s t r a t i v e S e r v i c e s Dino Anthony P. Flores, MC (GSC); Michael B. Manalo, DS (GSC) and Angelica D. Torres, DS (GSC) To t h e r a n k o f C o l o n e l / C a p t a i n , R e s e r v e (Philippine Nav y) Te c h n i c a l a n d A d m i n i s t r a t i v e S e r v i c e s M a r i n e l a M . C a i l i p a n , M C (G S C) ; N e l s o n S .

P e c a c h e , M C (G S C) ; L e o g a r d o D . L e o n e n , M C (G S C) ; J o e l E n r i c o N . A n a s t a c i o , M C (G S C) ; J o s e f i n o M . L a n u n c i a , M C (G S C) ; J o b S . G o n z a l e s , M C (G S C) ; L u i s C . C a p a c i a , D S (G S C) ; L u t h e r A . P u n z a l a n , D S (G S C) ; A a r o n J . B u l a c l a c , D S (G S C) ; M a . N i e v a L . M a n t i l l a , N C (G S C) ; B e r n a d e t t e A . A n g e l o , N C , (G S C) ; R o d e r i c k V. G u e r r e r o , J AG S (G S C) ; D a n i e l D . Ta n s i p , C H S (G S C) ; J o e l P. A l b a r d a , C H S (G S C) ; A c h i l l e s R . E s t r a v i l a , M AC (G S C) a n d F e l i s a S . Tu l i a o , V C (G S C) The public may submit any infor mation, wr it ten repor t, or sworn/notarized complaints or oppositions i n t h i r t y t w o (3 2) c o p i e s o n t h e a b o v e a p p o i n t m e n t s t o t h e C A S e c r e t a r i a t , 6 t h F l o o r, P N B F i n a n c i a l C e n t e r, D. M a c a p a g a l B l v d ., P a s a y C i t y, M e t r o M a n i l a .

For the schedule of the public hear ings and any other i n q u i r y, c o n t a c t t h e C A S e c r e t a r i a t t h r o u g h t e l e p h o n e n u m b e r s 8 3 4 - 2 713 , 8 31 -18 2 4 , 8 31 - 0 5 2 7, 8 3 2 - 9 8 3 0 , 8 3 4 2 7 0 6 a n d 5 51 -19 8 9 .

15 J u n e 2 018 .

H E C T O R A . V I L L AC O R TA Secretar y (MS-JUNE 16, 2018)

A4

Opinion

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Sereno’s appeal for fairness the Sec. 1 Rule 8 of the Internal Rule of the Supreme Court concerning compulsory grounds for inhibition, Rule 3.12, Canon 3 of the 1987 Code of Judicial Responsibility and the New Code of Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary “THIS is essentially a plea to the hon- particularly Section 5, Canon 3 thereof orable court to do what is right and which also constitute as grounds for just,” ousted Supreme Court Chief compulsory inhibition of a judge. She Justice Sereno appeals to her former then states that the majority failed to colleagues in her 207-page Motion for refute this actual bias on the part of Reconsideration (MR) to reverse the Justices De Castro and Jardeleza and decision of 11 May 2018. did not address other grounds for manBasically, the MR raises five grounds datory inhibition present in the case of for reconsideration.

Justices De Castro and Peralta when First, Sereno is of the belief that she the Court has required inhibition of was deprived of her fundamental right trial court judges for far lesser reasons. to due process, hence null and void.

Moreover, Chief Justice Sereno Second, the decision is contrary to the decries the majority’s action to take Constitution, as the Court had no juris- cognizance of extraneous matters as diction to oust an impeachable official corroborative evidence of respondvia quo warranto. Third, the Court seri- ent’s supposed lack of integrity. Sereno ously erred in annulling the official act cites several instances of this error and of the Judicial and Bar Council and the insists that the additional issues represident absent any allegation of grave solved by the Court were never raised abuse of discretion. by the OSG in his Fourth, assuming pleadings. Moreoquo warranto is ver, according to initially available, her, the decision the same is now itself states that She raises time barred. Last- five grounds for the Court has no ly, assuming the jurisdiction over Court has jurisdic- reconsideration. matters committion, the decision is ted by impeachcontrary to law and able officials after assumption of ofjurisprudence. The Chief Justice was fice. By imposand is a person of proven integrity. ing on her the penalty of removal, the Sereno argues that six of the eight majority encroached upon the power of justices that granted the quo warranto impeachment which rightly belongs to ought to have inhibited themselves Congress. The majority also violated in the case as there were compelling respondent’s right to be presumed ingrounds to believe that they were im- nocent when they accorded evidentiary partial. Their continued participation weight to the impeachment charges constitute a denial of due process. against her. Thus, the petition is ultiShe insists that the disqualification of mately based on disputed questions of the six justices, who were subjected fact which could not have been validly of separate motions for inhibition, is resolved by the Court without observmandatory, grounded on actual bias ing the mandatory procedure for recepand prejudice and not mere participa- tion of evidence. tion in the House committee hearings.

On the second ground, Sereno posShe then narrated that the concerned its that the decision is contrary to the justices had issued pronouncements Constitution. Citing respected constiand made actuations, not only because tutionalists such as Fr. Joaquin Bernas they participated in the House Com- SJ and former Chief Justice Hilario mittee hearings, which wold show their Davide, she argues that impeachable Turn to A5 actual bias. She then draws attention to

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Organizational sloppiness

T

HE Presidential Communications Operations Office is again in the news, not for some announcement it has delivered on behalf of the President but for yet another blunder.

In its Facebook page the PCOO posted a photo of President Duterte meeting with outgoing Norwegian Ambassador to the Philippines Erik Forner.

Unfortunately, Forner was identified as “the representative of Norwegia.”

The error has since been corrected, but not before social media users were able to grab screen shots, repost the wrong reference, and make memes and jokes out of it and make “Norwegia” a trending topic on Twitter.

It’s hilarious, actually, and might be dismissed as another typographical error on the part of

the agency. Who, after all, does not make mistakes?

The problem is that it does not appear to be a typo, as Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy insists.

Norwsy could be a typo, or Norwey, or Norwqy. But no—the person who made the post obviously believed Norwegia was a country and took the trouble of typing additional letters to show it.

The bigger problem is that the agency could not be counted on to at least employ a second pair of eyes to look over what its people post, much less hire employees who know the actual countries of the world.

What rankles is that the PCOO supposedly enjoys a huge budget of P1.3 billion this year, a 4.4-percent increase from last year’s allocation, even as Badoy asserts, and arrogantly, that her agency has the smallest budget in government.

That is hardly the point, because what this points to is a culture of sloppiness and poor work ethic at the agency. This is not the first

time this has happened. The Philippine News Agency, which is under PCOO, once used the logo of a pineapple firm to refer to the Department of Labor and Employment. No less than the PCOO’s assistant secretary believed Mayon Volcano was in Naga City, and has posted numerous misleading photos and statements online.

Mistakes are inevitable, of course, but if the lead communication agency of the government makes one embarrassing mistake after another, especially on matters on which it should know better, then that speaks volumes of the way these public servants regard their work. The haughty, unapologetic attitude does not help in sending the message that they acknowledge their mistakes and commit to do better.

Excellence is a way of life. It is measured not only by milestones achieved but by the manner in which one approaches the consistent challenge of turning in good work, day after day.

The ‘war’ for the West Philippine Sea War, even for a rich and powerful country is not always a first option because it entails significant economic and related costs. War also does not seem to be necessary at this point, as our government action (and inaction) I YIELD my space to activist, chef and does not really give China a reason writer Giney Villar. This piece that to rattle its spears. From publicly sayshe wrote after attending a lecture of ing that we should deal with China in former Solicitor General Florin Hil- “meek and humble” ways, to calling bay (which had her all riled up) in my the West Philippine Sea “disputed waopinion, deserves to be read by more ters” despite a clear ruling in our favor, people. to secret personal meetings rather than “Two years ago, the arbitral tribunal official actions. under the United Nations Convention There is also the rapid militarizaof the Law of the Sea [Unclos] decided tion in the last two years of three out in our favor on the case we filed against of sevens reefs seized from the PhilipChina over incursions in our territorial pines since 2002, the destruction of our waters. This is a fact, and not an opin- coral reefs and harassment of our fisher ion. The ruling gives the Philippines a folk. This administration has tried to concrete foundation by which to assert prove its case by saying that China will our right to our territorial and exclusive provide us with grants and loans, laudeconomic zones ing China for ”alworth trillions of lowing” our fishdollars with its erfolk to fish in rich natural gas “relevant” waters, and marine reand announcing ‘To keep the peace, sources. a “suitable legal While we won we have to fight.’ framework” for the case, it is still offshore oil and imperative to progas exploration that does not aptect our territories pear to take into because the ruling has no implementing mechanism. Chi- context the sovereignty issues over na knows this and has taken full advan- Philippine territories. tage of this gap to continue, and even It is unthinkable that an independent make more aggressive its incursion country, that has won its case will turn into our territories. Thus, it is up to us back from its victory and go as far as to uphold that victory by finding ways defending China in subverting its own to enforce it. It is, after all, not merely a sovereignty. The Philippines already matter of a few islands and rocks, but a stands on a bedrock of fact from which matter of sovereignty. it can take diplomatic action. And ChiOur victory should have inspired our na, despite its alleged refusal to take government to vigorously protect our part in the arbitration process, remains territories. This victory has provided us a member of Unclos. As a member, with strong moral and legal grounds to China is bound by its rules—one of act against any violation by any claim- which is that all members must submit ant country. Instead, our government themselves and abide by all arbitration has chosen to downplay the ruling’s decisions. Thus, there is no logical reaimportance—touting war as the only son for our government’s subservient consequence of standing our ground stance vis-à-vis China. The burden to Turn to A5 against China.

POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO

The Bangsamoro Basic Law experiment proval of the BBL is more of an appeasement to regain the trust of the people in the provinces that will be included as territories in the so-called Bangsamoro Land after that bloody putsch led by those hot-head Maute groups with the THE approval by Congress of the aid of the Abu Sayyaf and their foreign Bangsamoro Basic Law is more of an adventurers. Maybe the month-long atexperiment than a milestone. Muslims tempt to take hostage the city of Marawi in Central Mindanao have long aspired for this. Nobody really knows what will happen once it is ratified, whether it will satisfy or run short of everybody’s Nobody really knows expectations. Right now, the government is hoping that its enactment will what will happen. finally bring about peace and prosperity in that troubled land.

Some say, and rightly so, that the ap-

BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN

was the dramatization of their frustration to establish a sort of caliphate state in Mindanao.

The defeat of the motley Maute group exposed the truth of just how far they would go in their ambition to create a separate Islamic state. The outcome led to the destruction of the only Muslimdominated city in the country. The siege proved that many of their own people are unwilling to carry on the brunt of fighting to a cause that revolves only to the unhinged ambition of their leaders mainly operated by their foreign brokers.

The lack of overwhelming support revealed that the issue of being treated Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandard.net

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Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

Opinion To respectfully differ with the Secretary of Defense

By Albert del Rosario WE HAD read with a heavy heart the interview of Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in which he declared “President Duterte was handling the Philippine maritime row in the South China Sea very well” while, insisting in comparison, “Aquino mismanaged the Philippine sea dispute with China and that everything was chaotic.”

Quality of management comparison One government had defended what is ours by resorting to political and diplomatic means while utilizing both bilateral and multilateral approaches to seek a peaceful resolution. That government did everything possible, which as a last resort included bringing our dispute to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) Arbitral Tribunal at The Hague, resulting in an overwhelming victory for the Filipino people.

Another government, after being awarded this invaluable victory at The Hague, immediately announced the shelving of this most important outcome, thus avoiding for itself the task of managing what had been handed down.

Based on the above, we are left with no basis for comparison.

Everything was chaotic Sec. Lorenzana moreover attributed “chaos on everything” related to the Aquino administration’s handling of the South China Sea dispute. We fully agree that defending what is ours against a powerful nation as China could be chaotic.

Chaos is often looked upon as being negative and destructive, but it can also be looked upon as positive and constructive.

It was chaotic when in the past we fought for our independence; it was also chaotic when we defended our democracy.

Illustrations of chaos Please allow me to provide a few examples of what may be chaotic: 1. Meeting with leadership of China When I first met with now President Xi Jinping, he immediately brought up what contributions China was making to our economy and how much more we could benefit by fully cooperating in areas where there existed differing points of view. When I suggested that we move together in advancing our traditional bilateral agenda while abstracting contentious issues to be dealt with separately, he then strongly asserted that China had indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea as represented by their nine-dash line.

According to him, there were no disputes in the South China Sea. I respectfully stated that the ninedash line was an excessive claim which we believed was in violation of International law. The dialogue shifted to other topics but inevitably it came back to a staunch re-statement of China’s position many times over and over, eliciting essentially the same response from us.

In dealing with this powerful nation, we were being asked to acquiesce, but we did not.

If this is being deemed as chaos, so be it.

2. Meetings with China’s foreign minister and its foreign ministry Our many meetings with both China’s Foreign Minister and the Chinese Foreign Ministry were at all times more of the same. We were being influenced to be fully acquiescent to China’s position but we were firm in asserting that what is ours is ours. The DFA had countless meetings with China, a great number of which included formal protests against China’s unlawful acts. I am told that we can substantiate nearly 50 such formal written protests against China.

China continued manifesting its increasing anger against the Philippines which led us to more strongly defend our position.

If this is being deemed as chaos, so be it.

3. Meeting with the US At some point in time, I was asked in Washington, DC by our treaty ally what the situation was with China. I explained to both the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense that I felt like a scrawny kid in a school yard controlled by a bully. The bully never fails to bring me to the back of the school yard to beat me up while warning me that I needed the bully’s permission each time I enter

Sereno’s...

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officials can only be removed via impeachment and not by any other means.

That impeachment is the only way to remove these officials is evidenced by the deliberations of the 1986 Concom and expressed by its members. Further, jurisprudence prior to the 11 May 2018 decision impeachment is the exclusive manner of removal. Contrary to the majority opinion, the word “may” does not denote an alternative to impeachment

the yard and that I should not ever mention my being beaten. After being the object of physical abuse so many times, I thought this bully must have a vulnerability. And since the bully asked me constantly not to mention being beaten up by him, I then discovered his vulnerability. He did not want to be internationalized. From then on, we decided to tell the whole world about the bully and his power agenda and the importance of restoring a rules-based order.

If this is being deemed as chaos, so be it.

4. Scarborough agreement During the impasse at Scarborough Shoal with China, we were approached by the U.S., an honest broker, for both China and the Philippines to agree to a simultaneous withdrawal of ships from the shoal. We therefore agreed. At the appointed time, we withdrew, whereas China did not—in violation of our agreement.

Adding to our challenges therefore was having to deal with a powerful China whose declarations were often inconsistent with the facts on the ground.

Other nations, we began to discover, had the same difficulty in dealing with our northern neighbor.

If this is being deemed as chaos, so be it.

5. At Asean Amid China’s unlawful activities to promote their expansion agenda including their artificial island building activities, we led the campaign for upholding the Asean-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and adherence to the rule of law. Our efforts were opposed by China and its proxies in Asean. We did our best to appeal to the objectivity of the members, which achieved significant success when we made a passionate appeal for support by quoting Martin Niemoller, “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

If this is being deemed as chaos, so be it.

6. At Leaders Summit At every opportunity, no matter what the odds, we spoke to defend what is ours. Prior to a leaders meet, I received word from Sec. Hillary Clinton that China was attempting to silence the Philippines and for me to secure my back. The organizers of the meeting had made sure that I would not be given an appropriate opportunity to speak.

Realizing this, I asked Sec. Clinton if she would speak about the South China Sea and I would merge myself at the end of her talk. I was able to successfully intervene and began speaking about the South China Sea when the microphone suddenly went dead.

After persisting to go on by standing and raising the volume of my message to promote the position of the people of the Philippines, they decided to restore the power.

If this is being deemed as chaos, so be it.

7. More on Asean On another Asean Leaders meet, we were able to speak fully and we were able to convince a number of Asean members to do so as well. When it was time, however, to release a final statement of matters discussed, the Asean chair decided at the behest of China to omit not only the discussion but the entire topic involving the South China Sea. The Philippines insisted that the matter be included to reflect the facts.

The chair threatened that there would be no final statement if the Philippines did not support its proposal to exclude the South China Sea discussion. We decided not to move from our position, not only in protection of the Philippines’ interests, but also that of other Asean members who were strongly in favor of doing what is right. At the end of the day, it was the first time in Asean’s history that no final statement was issued.

If this is being deemed as chaos, so be it.

8. Global campaign including UN initiatives Before I resigned, former President Aquino and I had a total of nearly 200 bilaterals in which we had promoted the

Philippines position on the South China Sea. Having been given the opportunities, I was encouraged by former President Aquino to speak each year before the UN General Assembly for the purpose of promoting our rightful position in the South China Sea. We had garnered the support of many countries, which we presumed would have continued their support when we had won our case.

If this is being deemed as chaos, so be it.

9. Filing of Philippine case at the Unclos arbitral tribunal After pursuing all that is possible in arriving at a peaceful resolution on the South China Sea dispute, we filed as a last resort a submission to the UNCLOS Arbitral Tribunal at The Hague, the results of which are now history.

Contrary to China’s opinion, the UN had declared that the filing of an arbitration case is not an unfriendly act.

If this is being deemed as chaos, so be it.

10. Joint patrols with the US In late 2015, we had travelled to Washington, DC a couple of times to seek further assistance in terms of responding to China’s unlawful activities in the South China Sea. To my recollection, we had successfully convinced the State Department to undertake joint patrols which were subsequently objected to as instructed by President Duterte’s government.

If this is being deemed as chaos, so be it.

Trade with China Sec. Lorenzana had said that, before the Duterte administration, the Philippines had no trade with China. This statement, as the records would show, was gravely inaccurate.

What I recall is that, prior to my stepping down, China was either our second or third largest trading partner based on our records. If you believe our northern neighbor’s claim, our number one trading partner would have been China. I am told that the differences can be explained by the extent of smuggling activities.

While it is true that certain banana exports were held up by China to punish the Philippines for filing our legal case, former President Aquino had mandated the cabinet to replace what was being lost by tapping non-traditional markets.

As a result, under the able leadership of Sec. Greg Domingo, the reduction on banana exports were minimized.

Tourism from China Sec. Lorenzana also mentioned that Chinese tourists were not coming in.

We understood, again to punish the Philippines, that China had been unofficially limiting its group tourism to the Philippines. Under the proactive leadership of Sec. Mon Jimenez, the negative effects of China’s limiting group tourism were likewise minimized.

Fishing at Scarborough Shoal According to Sec. Lorenzana, Filipinos also could not fish at Scarborough Shoal.

The driving out of our fishermen from Scarborough Shoal was indeed the immediate cause of our filing of our case with the UNCLOS Arbitral Tribunal at The Hague, which led to a restoration of the rights of our fishermen there.

Our view of Secretary Lorenzana We believe that Sec. Lorenzana is a very good man with the highest credibility in the cabinet. As I said earlier, we feel deeply sad because it appears that he is being used as a propagandist precisely since he has the reputation of being straight as an arrow.

Sec. Lorenzana and I are very close friends, having worked together for many years in Washington, DC. I have the warmest esteem for him and trust that he will consider what I have written as factual and helpful. I also wish to add that he is considered by all people to be a patriot and to be objective at all times, and we hope that this sentiment will continue to be merited by him.

Most recently, we are gratified to hear Sec. Lorenzana at his BBC interview reasserting Philippine sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea and the need to defend those rights with an abiding faith in the rule of law—truly the great equalizer among nations and the antithesis of chaos.

We wish him all the best always.

citing Gonzales v. Office of the President. Besides, according to her, statutes providing for removal of officers must be construed. Hence, the constitutional provision on the same subject must be construed more strictly, especially in this case where there is no serious doubt as to the contemporary understanding and intention to make the mode exclusive, not to mention that the reasons and public policy behind impeachment such as separation of powers and judicial independence, negate any other mode of removal.

Sereno further stresses that a difficult process deliberately chosen by the Con-

stitution cannot be substituted with an expedient procedure such as a quo warranto. Contrary to the majority view, even assuming that respondent is a de facto officer, she can only be removed through impeachment for the reason that the constitution does not distinguish between de jure and de factor for purposes of impeachment. Sereno said that it would have been more prudent for the Court to act with judicial restraint to avoid a constitutional crisis as its decision puts its place in a collision course with the Senate. She insists that the Republic is guilty of forum shop-

Mr. Del Rosario is the chairman of ADR Institute and is a former secretary of Foreign Affairs and Philippine Ambassador to the United States.

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018

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mst.daydesk@gmail.com

The Bangsamoro...

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like second-class citizens and alleged discrimination was all but propaganda.

The outcome of the war that cost nearly 1,000 civilian lives and nearly a hundred of our soldiers led to a redefinition of what they really want. Whereas before, the MILF were demanding everything short of independence, highlighted in that failed MOA-AD and followed by their demand embodied in the original Bangsamoro Basic Law, the war spelled out just how costly and brutal it is to them. The MILF leadership uncannily distanced themselves and nowhere to be found at the height of the fighting.

Political observers believe that the Marawi siege indirectly compelled the MILF to whittle down some of their hard-line demands. As one would say, it was the Maute, the Abu Sayyaf and those foreign mercenaries that ruined their plan. For whatever bargain the MILF could now exact from Congress, they will have to contend that the provisions will have to be ratified in a referendum with the majority of the Filipinos somewhat unsympathetic to what they did.

On second thought, the approval

by Congress of the BBL could still be interpreted by them as their crowning glory. Finally the MILF leadership of Murad Ibrahim has dislodged the MNLF headed by Nur Misuari in a running feud, not based on religion but on tribal leadership and rivalry. First, that would mean that from now on, it will be the Maranao and Maguindanao that will spearhead and represent all Filipino Muslims, and not the Tausugs.

Second, the approval of the BBL would finally shelve our claim of Sabah and invariably reject the proprietary rights of the Sultan of Sulu. Third, for as long as the leadership of the MILF is recognized through the framework of the BBL, Malaysia will have peace of mind.

Right now we could take comfort that not a single inch of our territory was detached to satisfy the demand of Murad who wants to appease his Malaysian, US and Japanese brokers.

The Republic will remain in control of the external defenses constituting the proposed Bangsamoro land and of the local police forces. If one would rightly correct that perspective, it was the Supreme Court that prevented the fragmentation of the Republic of the Philippines by their rejection of the original BBL Law. It was the judiciary and the military that combined their power and authority as institutions of

The ‘war’...

From A4

government that preserved our territorial integrity and sovereignty as an independent state.

But as it is, politicians are again doing everything to scuttle what has been accomplished by allowing use of the words “autonomous” and “separate” Islamic state which legally and logically has different connotations. An autonomous state can co-exist with the state that granted its autonomy, but a separate state cannot, without violating the principle of sovereign equality and indivisibility. Maybe the MILF remains allergic to the word “autonomy” for the fact that it has the marking of an MNLF accomplishment.

The only ticklish problem that is hampering the approval of the BBL experiment is the provision of an automatic allocation of yearly funds called “block grant” in the amount of P62.5 billion to be allocated to the Bangsamoro territory. Congress should have realized that it would be unconstitutional to automatically allocate funds to any province, region or territory or to a particular project because the Constitution, and all constitutions for that matter, must appropriate funds. It is the “appropriation”

by Congress that legalizes the spending of public funds, stupid!

Legalizing this so-called “block grant” would mean that we would be the only constitution in the world giving away public funds without any appropriation. No government can promise to perpetually allocate an amount much that revenue income is always relative and conditional. The government cannot always give the same amount it promised, especially in times of economic crisis or when other provinces are suffering from decline in revenues, although admittedly, fund allocation can be increased if the economy is doing well. But as always, budgetary allocation requires the ritual of appropriation. It is part of the democratic process on how public funds are wisely spent.

As one observed, if Congress would allow the phrase “separate state” to be included in the provision, the MILF could put substance in the realization of their objective to create a “separate state.” It can be upheld as constitutional and legal like its right to enter into contract with any foreign investors and to secure a loan without the consent of the Republic of the Philippines. We could find ourselves at the losing end, and worse, could be accused of violating a provision of the BBL because these are sovereign acts of state which we allowed by according Bangsamoro Land the status of a “separate state.” rpkapunan@gmail.com divide ourselves along those lines. Here we are at the precipice overlooking a landscape that will change our lives in ways unimaginable if we allow it. This government can use this threat to our sovereignty, and turn it into an opportunity to rally our citizens under one flag.

It is unfortunate that we have missed out on building our military and economic might through the years, but we cannot and should not be held back by this. We still have a powerful arsenal composed of a legal and recognized claim to our territories and lessons we must now quickly parlay into a clear vision, policies and action.

We used to be the envy of our Asian neighbors, sadly most of them have surpassed us in economic and military might (even Vietnam which until the mid-70s had been at war), I will not begrudge our citizens for this. We had a very different context. Our archipelagic landscape had proven to be both a blessing and challenge.

Here, in a very unusual way, we are presented with an opportunity to show our courage and leadership in Asia. An opportunity to also show ourselves that we know what to do with the freedom we enjoy. To overcome, we can take inspiration from former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay who said, “think long term and match the vision of the opponent.” China has lain in wait for decades to execute their vision. We know that now, and it is a lesson we can take well to heart.

We have a duty to demand that our government defend our country. And it is our responsibility to be relentless.

We owe it to ourselves, our heroes who fought for our freedom, and our future generations.

We should avert war at all cost, but to keep the peace we have to fight.”

heed the ruling is squarely on China’s shoulders.

The threat of war appears to be a strategy by this administration to sow fear in our hearts. It wants us to believe that resistance is futile—that it is either we die, or we accept the inevitability of Chinese “occupation.”

Is war inevitable if we decide as a country to fight for our sovereignty?

Not if we choose to hold a vision of independence and sovereignty, and challenge this situation strategically.

The government should continue to invoke our legal claim to our territories using the arbitral ruling by firing off diplomatic protests and cases for violations committed by China. Recently, Acting Chief Justice Carpio noted that Chinese occupation of Woody Island, puts at risk 80 percent of our exclusive economic zone. Diplomatic protests will provide documentation of our resistance to Chinese expansionist moves, and demonstrate to the international community that we are faithfully upholding the ruling in our favor.

Government inaction on the contrary, can be used as proof that we waive our rights under the ruling.

The Philippines must find ways to avoid fighting a battle from a disadvantaged position. Revisiting our formal and informal agreements and alliances with partners and neighbors can be employed to pressure China to abide by the tribunal decision, or at the very least slow them down. It cannot be overemphasized that whatever happens in West Philippine Sea will affect the fulcrum of the world’s economic and military powers in the future.

As a country, we have gone through so much. We continue to question our @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth identity, highlight our differences and Angsioco on Facebook

ping because both the quo warranto and impeachment complaints carry the same charge, i.e. respondent’s supposed lack of proven integrity for her failure to submit her SALNs. The quo warranto petition was filed in anticipation of an unfavorable ruling by the Senate in an impeachment proceedings. The OSG filed the petition to secure a conviction which it could otherwise not do in an impeachment trial. Willful and deliberate violation of the rule on forum shopping is a ground for dismissal of the case.

In the decision the majority ruled that

by filing separate motions for inhibition she had voluntary submitted herself to the jurisdiction of the Court, a ruling which respondent disagrees. According to her, respondent raised objections to the Court’s jurisdiction over the subject matter and not the lack of jurisdiction over her person. And this she has consistently raised and maintained at the earliest opportunity.

I will continue my summary of Chief Justice Sereno’s Motion for Reconsideration in the next column.

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News

A6

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

19 foreign nationals arrested by Immigration

By Vito Barcelo

BAY EYESORE. A scavenger collects on Friday plastics and recyclable materials washed ashore on Manila Bay caused by the monsoon rains spawned a few days back by the severe typhoon ‘Domeng’ that whipped northern Philippines. Lino Santos

NFA still prone to corruption —Aquino

By Macon Ramos-Araneta OPPOSITION Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino said Friday the National Food Authority was still prone to mismanagement and corruption.

“What about the corruption allegations surrounding National Food Authority administrator Jason Aquino?” he asked.

Aquino said the government should look into allegations against Aquino rather than entrust him with the task of importing thousands of metric tons of rice.

“Because he had been remiss in his job, the price of rice spiked [had] cost additional burden to Filipinos,” said Aquino, who earlier called for the resignation of the NFA administrator.

He questioned what had happened to the allegations against the management of NFA. During a Senate hearing on the rice issue, Jason Aquino admitted the agency failed to comply with required 15-day buffer stock since last year.

Aquino said this drove the prices of commercial rice up, burdening poor Filipino families further.

“This happened because the NFA failed to do their mandated duty and not due to the NFA Council,” said Aquino.

Aquino said the President’s removal of the powers of NFA Council chairman and Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. was unnecessary and left the NFA even more prone to corruption and impunity.

“Bakit sinisisi si Evasco na ang tanging gusto lang ay hindi mahaluan ng katiwalian ang proseso ng pag-aangkat ng bigas,” said Aquino in Tagalog.

Evasco was pushing for a government-to-private mode of procurement to make the process more transparent while Aquino wanted a government-togovernment mode, which was prone to corruption.

2 senior police officials of Pateros, Taguig axed

By Joel E. Zurbano

S

OUTHERN Police District director Tomas Apolinario Jr. on Friday ordered the relief of two ranking officials of Pateros and Taguig City police stations for their alleged poor performance.

Relieved from their posts as assistant chief of police for operations were Supt.

Ritchie Salem (Pateros) and Supt. Maurito Caraguian (Taguig).

Apolinario ordered them replaced following the recommendation by members of the District Oversight Committee who measured their performances based on four parameters: Crime Solution Efficiency; Enhanced Managing Police Operations, Police Community Relations and the War Against illegal Drugs.

“The District Oversight Committee gauges the overall performance of each Police Stations and determines how they are fairing with each other. As a result, for the period January to June 10, 2018, the Taguig City Police Station and Pateros Police Station failed to deliver based on the four parameters set by the committee,” said Apolinario.

Aside from the unsatisfactory performance, Caraguian was also cited due to command responsibility for failure to supervise one of his men engaged in moonlighting and caught by members of the Interagency Council for Traffic (I-ACT) driving a colorum vehicle.

The SPD chief said the current assistant chiefs of police for administrations of the two stations will replace Salem and Caraguian.

Apolinario said the relief was also part of the reorganization to strengthen the SPD’s all-out war against illegal drugs in the southern part of Metro Manila in support to the government’s campaign initiated by President Rodrigo Duterte to eradicate illegal drugs in the country.

“We will put the best performing PNP officers on post so that we will meet our target and attain our mission to

make SPD area of responsibility drug free. The relief of the two ACOPOs is a manifestation of our seriousness in resolving criminality and eradicating illegal drugs in SPD,” said Apolinario.

Apolinario said he was hoping his directive to relieve the police officials will serve as a challenge to the other police station chiefs and deputies to double their efforts in the campaign against illegal drugs and meet the target on the given time frame.

He also warned his men of “future changes on police station leadership and be relieved from their posts if they fail to perform well.”

Four months ago, Apolinario also ordered the relief of police officers assigned to the SPD-Special Operations Unit in connection with the alleged robbery extortion in Pasay City.

The SPD chief made the directive following a complaint filed by the family of Roselyn Genorga, 55, an illegal numbers game bet collector, who accused the police officers of demanding P200,000 in exchange for her freedom.

Investigation showed the policemen arrested Genorga while collecting bets in the area of Merville, Pasay City.

PATROL CARS.

Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, PNP chief Oscar Albayalde and NCRPO Director C/Supt. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar and other PNP key officers grace Friday the turnover by the Quezon City government of 25 brand new Toyota Vios patrol cars and 100 Galil assault rifles to the Quezon City Police District under C/Supt. Joselito Esquivel Jr. in simple ceremonies at the QCPD Headquarters in Camp Tomas Karingal, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City.

Makati govt acquires 39 units of AEDs as first aid device THE Makati City government has acquired 39 units of Automated External Defibrillators which will be used as first aid device in case of emergency for children, teachers and other personnel in public elementary and high schools in the city.

Mayor Abigail Binay said her administration had seen fit to equip the schools with the portable device in line with its thrust of building resilient communities with empowered citizens who are capable of surviving and recovering from any adversity.

“We have prioritized the acquisition of portable defibrillators or AEDs for our public schools as part of their first aid equipment because it can help save the life of a victim of sudden cardiac arrest, which can quickly lead to death without timely intervention,” she said.

Binay noted that the use of an AED

while administering CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) could spell the difference between life and death for a heart attack victim—a student, a teacher, or a school official or staff.

Developed by international firm HeartSine Technologies, the samaritan PAD (Public Access Defibrillator) 500 has been designed to revive unconscious and nonresponsive patients.

It is used with the Samaritan PediatricPak for patients one year to eight years old, and with the adult samaritan Pad-Pak for those over eight years old.

HeartSine is considered as the leading medical and lifesaving treatment provider for sudden cardiac arrest.

The device works by delivering an electric shock through the chest to the heart.

It has a built-in computer that checks a victim’s heart rhythm through adhesive

electrodes and, if defibrillation is needed, a recorded voice prompts the rescuer to press the shock button on the AED. Recently, the city Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, in partnership with the Philippine Heart Association, conducted a series of trainings on Basic Life Support and First Aid for city employees, DRRM coordinators in public schools, and barangay personnel.

It also provided an overview of CPR and the use of an AED for the said stakeholders.

Through the Training of Trainers program, the city has also been able to create a pool of trainers to cascade the BLS resuscitation courses to residents as well as transients in the city.

At present, the Makati DRRM Academy at the University of Makati is accepting applications for BLS and first aid, DRRM 101, and Basic Emergency

Medical Technician courses.

Interested residents, aged 18 and above, can submit their accomplished student application form and other requirements at the Makati DRRM Office, 15th floor of Makati City Hall Building 1, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 am to 5 pm.

Meanwhile, applications are also accepted on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Health and Physical Science Building, 9th floor of the University of Makati, from 9am to 5pm.

Earlier this year, Emergency Go Bags were provided to city public schools as part of the city government’s disaster preparedness program.

A “go bag” is a portable survival kit recommended by emergency response experts for every household or facility.

Joel E. Zurbano

IMMIGRATION operatives arrested 19 foreign nationals linked to drug trafficking and call center scam in a joint operation with the Royal Thai Police in Muntinlupa City.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said that 16 of the arrested were Thai nationals who were all undocumented and posed as public safety and security risks for being fugitives from justice.

“We received information from the Royal Thai Police that they are fugitives from justice and a part of a largescale criminal syndicate that have been operating an illegal call center in the country,” Morente said.

“They have amassed millions of Thai baht by committing fraud and victimizing Thai people in the Philippines,” he added.

BI-Fugitive Search Unit chief Bobby Raquepo said the syndicate initially operated in Cambodia and Malaysia before expanding their operations in the Philippines.

“The passports of the 16 Thais have been revoked by the Thai government,” he said.

BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said the three other arrested foreigners during the operation were Taiwanese nationals.

Taiwanese authorities revealed that the ring leader, known as alias Wu Chang Long, was a fugitive from justice and wanted for drug trafficking.

“Let this serve as a warning to other foreign nationals who plan on conducting their illegalities (sic) in the Philippines.

“We will not allow foreign criminals to use our country as their venue for their illegal activities,” Morente said.

The foreigners are now detained at the BI Detention Facility in Taguig City pending their deportation.

QC penalizes restaurants dumping oil

By Rio N. Araja THE 37-member Quezon City council has passed an ordinance to implement stricter rules on restaurants dumping grease in sewage.

Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte said the council passed Ordinance 2691 penalizing food establishments illegally dumping used cooking oil and grease trap waste in the sewage.

She said grease contaminates waterways and clogs the drainage if not properly disposed of and treated.

“It is the policy of the Quezon City government to prevent or minimize the health hazards on ground and water pollution caused by the improper disposal, transport, storage, and reuse of used cooking oil and grease trap waste by food establishments,” she noted.

“The Used/Waste Cooking Oil and Grease Trap Waste Regulation Ordinance” provides new policies in the transport, storage, reuse, recycling, reprocessing or disposal of used cooking oil and grease by local restaurants and similar food establishments.

It strictly prohibits and penalizes non-segregation, illegal disposal and selling, and collection and transport by unauthorized entities of used cooking oil and grease trap waste.

Under the measure, all used cooking oil and grease trap waste shall only be transported, stored, reused, recycled, reprocessed, treated and disposed by waste transporters or treatment, storage and disposal facilities accredited by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and registered with the city’s Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department.

Sports

A7

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Johnson, 3 others share golf lead S

OUTHAMPTON—Top-ranked Dustin Johnson fired a oneunder par 69 to head a group of four players sharing the first-round on Thursday as a wind-whipped Shinnecock Hills offered a classic US Open test.

As Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson saw their hopes of milestone major victories suffer serious setbacks, it was England’s Ian Poulter, and Americans Scott Piercy and Russell Henley who stood alongside Johnson as the only players under par after the first round.

Jason Dufner was alone in fifth with an even par 70.

“The golf course, it was hard,” said Johnson, who holed a bunker shot for birdie at the eighth and rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt at the par-three 11th. “You had to play good golf if you wanted to shoot a good score. I felt like I did a good job today.”

Former world number one Woods couldn’t say the same after an eight-over

par 78 that started with a triple bogey and featured two double bogeys—including a four-putt at the 13th.

“It’s tough out there. But, I mean, shouldn’t make two doubles and a triple, four-putt,” said Woods, whose flashes of brilliance in his return this year from spinal fusion surgery fueled anticipation that he could end a 10-year major title drought stretching back to his 2008 US Open triumph.

“For most of the day I just didn’t putt well.”

Mickelson, a six-time US Open runner-up, arrived at Shinnecock seeking a win that would make him just the sixth man to complete the career Grand Slam.

He missed just one fairway but still

came away with a seven-over 77.

Mickelson’s round hit the skids early, too as he opened with a bogey at the 10th hole. He would make six bogeys before his only birdie of the day, at the par-five fifth—then bogeyed two more the rest of the way.

Playing in a marquee group with Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and American Jordan Spieth, Mickelson was, astonishingly, the best of the bunch.

McIlroy staggered off Shinnecock with a 10-over par 80 that matched his highest score in a major and included seven bogeys and three double bogeys.

Spieth had a triple bogey at his second hole, the par-three 11th, where he was in a bunker, then over the green, and his chip rolled back to his feet. He also had five bogeys and a double bogey in firing a 78.

Like Woods, Spieth said the conditions were difficult, but not tough enough to account for his score.

“There were certainly some dicey pins, but at the same time there was guys that shot under par,” Spieth said. “So I could have played better.”

Piercy said the wind affected every aspect of the game.

“What’s tough about the wind here is that it’s crosswinds,” he said. “It’s hard to pick your lines. You’re trying to putt with the ball wiggling. So there’s a lot of stuff that is difficult.”

‘Hard but fair’ But Johnson said there was no comparison to the 2004 US Open at Shinnecock, when brutal weekend winds left the greens so dry that some were virtually unplayable by Sunday.

“It was hard, but it was fair,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t anything tricky or unreasonable by any means.”

Johnson was cruising with back to back birdies at four and five when his tee shot at the sixth disappeared in deep fescue grass rough. AFP

Duathlon spices up Xterra Albay HUNDREDS of duathletes gear up for a fierce showdown in their side of the battle as they share center stage with the elite pros in the XTERRA Off-Road Triathlon set tomorrow (Sunday, June 17) in Albay, Legazpi City.

While focus will be on the likes of reigning world champion and backto-back reigning men’s titlist Bradley Weiss of South Africa and Aussies Penny Slater and Leela Hancox in the women’s division, the duathletes wage their own fight in trail running and mountain biking and back in the 2km run-14km bike-4km run with the majestic Mayon Volcano as backdrop.

Also on tap is the XTERRA Lite, a 750km swim-14km bike-4km run featuring the future of Phl off-road triathlon.

For details, visit www.albay.xterraphil.com or hashtags #XTERRAAlbay or social media accounts facebook /XTERRAAlbay, twitter @XTERRAAlbay or instagram @XTERRAAlbay.

Meanwhile, the organizing Sunrise Events, Inc. has lined up a busy Saturday for all the participants in the event presented by the City of Legaspi and produced by SEI, including a bike course ride out from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., an Expo Open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., meet the pros presscon at 3 p.m. and a Mayor’s night and welcome dinner at 6 p.m.

Action fires off tomorrow at 7 a.m. for the XTERRA full while the Lite and Duathlon are set at 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., respectively.

Meanwhile, Weiss is all primed up for another crack at XTERRA glory as he banners the compact men’s cast that includes New Zealand’s Sam Osborne and Kieran McPherson, 2016 XTERRA Asia-Pacific titlist Ben Allen of Australia, Japanese Takahiro Ogasawara, the 2016 XTERRA Saipan winner, Akihiro Maeda, also of Japan, Kiwis Alex Roberts and Olly Shaw and local ace Joseph Miller.

Dustin Johnson of the United States walks off the 15th tee during the first round of the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. AFP

Raptors hope Nurse can ease pain of loss MONTREAL—Nick Nurse, an assistant coach who helped the Toronto Raptors reach the NBA playoffs in each of the past five seasons, was named Thursday as the Canadian club’s new coach.

Nurse replaced the fired Dwane Casey, who went 320-238 over seven seasons with the Raptors and guided the team to four Atlantic division titles and a record club-record 59 wins last season.

But the Eastern Conference top seeds were swept out of the playoffs by Cleveland in the second round for the second year in a row, the flop sealing Casey’s fate.

Nurse, 50, had been the top assistant to Casey, who earlier this week signed

with Detroit.

“Nick is an innovative coach who has a tremendous basketball IQ, and a unique approach to the Xs and Os,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said.

Under Nurse’s detailed planning, the Raptors ranked among the NBA’s top 10 in scoring in three of the past five seasons, setting club record with 111.7 points a game and 968 3-pointers made last season.

“I’m proud to take on the role of head coach of the Toronto Raptors and to continue to work with the exceptional players we have here,” Nurse said.

“I’ve watched this group grow and succeed together. I’m looking forward

to more of that this season, and to working towards our shared goal, which is to earn the right to call ourselves NBA Champions.”

Nurse was a player-coach for the British league’s Derby Storm in 199091 and later returned to coach four other British teams—the Birmingham Bullets (1995-96), Manchester Giants (1998-2000), London Towers (200001) and Brighton Bears (2001-06). He won British league crowns in 1996 and 2000 and was named Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2003.

Nurse also gained coached in Italy and Belgium and was an assistant coach for Britain’s team in the 2012 London Olympics. AFP

Responders seek 6th straight win

UNTV CUP. Office of the Ombudsman’s Director Nikki Laure (21) is shown in action during their game against the Senate Sentinels at the Pasig City Sports Center in the elimination round of the UNTV Cup Executive Face-Off. Director Laure produced 26 points, 11 rebounds and an assist to lead the Graft Busters, while handing the Sentinels their first loss. Laure shared Best Player of the Game honors with Atty. Armando Sanchez Jr. The Ombudsman team takes on GSIS at 2 p.m. on Sunday, while the Department of Justice fights Armed Forces of the Philippines at 3:30 p.m. and the Senate faces Philippine National Police at 5 p.m.

THE Philippine National Police Responders try to extend their win streak to six, while the Senate Sentinels attempt to get back on track when they clash on Sunday in the 2nd UNTV Cup Executive Face-Off at the Pasig City Sports Center.

Already assured of a semis berth, the Responders are looking to secure a twice-to-beat advantage when they collide with the Sentinels at 5 p.m.

Though coming off a runaway 90-59 win over the DOJ Boosters, the Responders can’t take the Sentinels lightly since the latter are determined to boost their own semis bid.

Expected to lead the Responders are Joel de Mesa, Philips Gil Philipps and Anthony Padua.

The Sentinels are currently tied for the second to fourth places with the Nikkie Laure-led Ombudsman Graftbusters

Games Sunday

(Pasig City Sports Center) 2 p.m. GSIS vs Ombudsman 3:30 p.m. DOJ vs AFP 5 p.m. Senate vs PNP

and the Judiciary Magis with similar 3-1 records.

The top two finishers after the single-round eliminations will earn twiceto-beat advantages when they play the No. 4 and No. 3 teams in the playoffs of the event presented by UNTV. Fresh from beating the Sentinels, 66-51, the Graftbusters tackle the GSIS Furies at 2 p.m. while defending champion Ar med Forces of the Philippines takes on the DOJ Boosters at 3:30 p.m.

With a 0-3 mark, the AFP Cavaliers need to beat the Boosters to stay in playoff hunt.

Lady Warriors take on Perlas, eye vital PVL victory FIRED-UP Pocari-Air Force tries to close in on the third semifinal berth as it faces a BanKo-Perlas side also out to bolster its own Final Four drive, guaranteeing a slam-bang duel in the quarterfinal round of the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Reinforced Conference today.

The Lady Warriors swept their first two games in the single round phase with another victory in their 4 p.m. clash at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan

Games today

10 a.m. – Army vs PLDT (men’s) 2 p.m. – Tacloban vs Iriga-Navy (women’s) 4 p.m. – Pocari-Air Force vs BanKo-Perlas (women’s) 6 p.m. – PetroGazz vs BaliPure (women’s)

putting the defending champions within a win from joining the Creamline Cool Smashers and the PayMaya High Flyers in the semifinal round of the seasonopening conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.

But the Perlas Spikers are also going flat out for a follow-up to their straightset romp over a skidding Tacloban Fighting Warays last weekend and boost their own semis bid in the tournament backed by Mikasa and Asics.

BaliPure-NU, which nipped IrigaNavy in five, also guns for a second straight victory against PetroGazz at 6 p.m. in another match tipped to go down-to-the-wire.

The Angels bowed to the Lady War-

riors but bounced back with a victory over the Warays last Wednesday and back on track for a crack at one of the last two semis seats.

Tacloban and Iriga-Navy, toting identical 0-2 cards, knock each out from the race as they tangle in the 2 p.m. opener of an explosive triplebill.

PLDT, meanwhile, shoots for its second win and the solo lead as it collides with Army at 10 a.m. in their side of the quarterfinals in men’s play.

Woods fires 8-over 78—his worst ever US Open score SOUTHAMPTON—Tiger Woods returned to the US Open with an eight-over par 78 at Shinnecock Hills on Thursday, his worst ever score in the championship leaving him nine shots off the first-round lead.

Woods, who counts three US Open titles among his 14 majors, hadn’t played in the tournament since 2015.

He opened with a triple bogey seven at the first hole and would make two double bogeys—including a four-putt at 13—before he was done.

Woods’ previous worst US Open round was a 77 in the third round at Oakland Hills in 1996.

The 42-year-old, whose major title drought now stretches back to his 2008 US Open victory at Torrey Pines, will face an uphill battle just to make the cut.

The intensely competitive star indicated he was up for the challenge.

“Shoot something in the 60s tomorrow, and I’ll be just fine,” he insisted.

Despite the difficult, windy conditions, Woods said it was his own game that let him down—particularly his putting.

“I didn’t putt well today,” he said.

“I drove it pretty darn good for most of the day, just never took advantage of the opportunities.”

He’d seen the high scores of the morning starters, Woods said, and went out aiming to keep anything worse than a bogey off his card.

“My game plan was not to make any ‘others’ and I made three of them.”

Things looked promising when Woods found the fairway at the first, but his second shot rolled through the green and he would need three shots to reach the elevated green, finally two-putting for a seven.

A bogey at the second didn’t rattle him.

“All I had to do after that start was shoot even par over the next 16 holes and I’d be just fine,” he said.

Woods did play the next 10 holes in even par—with one birdie and one bogey. AFP

3x3 caging gets boost

By Peter Atencio SUPPORT to the game of 3x3 basketball at the grassroots level is gaining ground.

Businessman sportsman Ronald Mascariñas agrees with officials of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas that this is the next best thing for the Philippine basketball.

Marcarinas, who is the president of Bounty Agro Ventures Inc., said that they are supporting efforts from the SBP to develop a pool of players, who can qualify to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“There’s is an ongoing 3x3 program.

It’s at the grassroots level. We had a chance to talk to SBP president Al Panlilio and FIBA during the 2018 FIBA 3x3 World Cup. And we realize, we must organize a sustainable 3x3 league in the country,” said Macarinas.

Mascarinas talked about his desire to help the SBP effort to organize 3x3 basketball in the Philippines during Thursday’s thanksgiving dinner that was hosted by Chooks to Go at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Ortigas.

The Philippines is currently ranked no. 57 and this can improve if players and tournaments on 3x3 will be registered with FIBA. Having a 3x3 league, according to Mascarinas, will make the Philippines more competitive and be able to excel in international meets.

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, JUNE 16, 2018

A panda plays with a football in a basket during a simulated football match at the Shenshuping Base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Wenchuan in China’s southwestern Sichuan province, to mark the Russia 2018 World Cup. AFP

Red Lions expect tougher season

By Peter Atencio SEASON 94 will be a tough season for the San Beda Red Lions.

That’s how team manager Jude Roque sees it as they prepare for the 94th National College Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament.

“A lot of teams are doing well, it’s going to be a tough season,” said Roque.

Coach Boyet Fernandez made an effort to improve on the level of play of the Red Lions last month.

Working on the cohesiveness of the team was the focus of their training when they went to Fort Lauderdale, Florida last month for a two week camp The Red Lions had an opportunity to train with Gannon Baker, regarded as one of the premier basketball skills’ trainers in the world.

In the United States, Baker has trained players in the National Basketball Association, the US National Collegiate Athletic Association, high school and middle school levels since 2001.

Roque said they are not just worried about the Lyceum Pirates, whom they fought for the crown last season.

Even a lowly team like the College of St. Benilde Blazers have improved with a new coach in TY Tang.

“More teams are getting better.

I’m expecting a competitive season,” added Roque.

There are plenty of new faces, who could be part of the San Beda University Red Lions in Season 94, with Davon Potts as the only player leaving the team.

The presence of 6’6” slotman Damie Cuntapay could give the Red Lions a taller frontline.

Cuntapay, who averaged 6.3 points and 6.5 rebounds, during his time with San Sebastian Staglets, is among the latest newbies vying for slots in Team A. He joined Red Cubs standout and point guard Evan Nelle, who is one of two members of the junior squad that’s committed to stay put and remain and play for the school.

Cuntapay, along with forward Peter Alfaro, who came from the Red Cubs with Nelle, was given the chance to join the Red Lions in their training camp.

Butcher wants Azkals to target World Cup E

NGLAND great Terry Butcher said he was targeting taking the Philippines all the way to the World Cup after being named head coach in a shake-up.

Butcher, who will lead the Azkals at their first ever Asian Cup in January, said in Moscow that the World Cup “is our target for the Philippines”.

“The Philippines is in the Asian Cup. Why can’t we look further on? That what we have to do,” Butcher said in a video interview released by the Philippine team.

Butcher, a veteran of three World Cups who has managed clubs in England, Scotland, Wales and Australia, was speaking as the current World Cup got underway in Russia.

Butcher praised his predecessor, former USA captain Thomas Dooley, who guided the Philippines to their first ever Asian Cup qualification as well as an

all-time high of 115th in the FIFA world rankings.

But he added: “It is okay to (be) reaching a level but it is horrible and awful to just rest on your laurels at that level.”

Butcher compared it to climbing Mount Everest, saying: “You don’t stop halfway up. You want to go right to the top.”

Butcher was named late Thursday as the new coach of the Azkals—slang for feral dogs—after Dooley’s four-year reign ended on March 18.

Although the American won credit for his success, he also publicly squabbled with one of his players, midfielder Stephan Schrock, who was later dropped.

Azkals team manager Dan Palami

acknowledged that there was concern about the change in leadership after the achievements under Dooley.

“It’s natural. People tend to fear change. That holds true every time we make changes with the national team,” he told reporters.

“We don’t need to fear change. We have to embrace it. We need to show everybody that the Philippine Azkals are here to compete and to show Asia that we belong,” Palami added.

Butcher, 59, said he liked the “big challenge”, of working with an emerging team, adding that it had an exciting group of players.

His first major test will be November’s AFF Suzuki Cup, the Southeast Asian championship, before January’s Asian Cup, where the Philippines are grouped with China, South Korea and Kyrgyzstan.

Rested Thai coasts to win LIPA City—Threatened by an amateur after nine holes, Yupaporn Kawinpakorn turned in a kind of finish that wins bigtime golf tournaments—an eagle-spiked 32—as she ran away with The Women’s Championship crown with a closing 67 yesterday at the Summit Point Golf and Country Club here.

Lois Kaye Go took the cudgels for the embattled local pros and pulled to within one in a flight ahead with a flawless 34 at the front and kept an impressive bogey-free round of 68. But it proved not enough to stop Kawinpakorn, who eagled the par-5 14th and birdied Nos. 11 and 15 to highlight her scorching finish that netted her a three-stroke romp over Go and fellow Thai Chonlada Chayanun on a 54-hole total of 10-under 206.

She hit the sack early Thursday and credited her clutch eagle for the win.

“I’ve been grinding it out the last seven weeks so it was a much-needed rest. I felt really good when I woke up and had a lot of energy,” said Kawinpakorn, who hacked a solid 6-iron second shot from 170 yards on No. 14 and drilled in the putt from 16 feet for eagle and a threeshot cushion against Go, who parred the par-5 hole.

“There was a bit of wind so I picked my 6-iron to do the trick,” said Kawinpakorn, who pocketed P350,000 for her feat, her second straight after posting a two-shot win in the China LPGT Tour in Guangdong last Saturday.

It was also her second triumph on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour this year after the ace shotmaker from Samut Prakan Province beat Chihiro Ikeda by three at Beverly Place in Pampanga last January.

Despite her failed title bid, Go, 19, proved she’s ripe for the picking, handily winning the low amateur honors with a joint runner-up finish with Chayanun, who shot a 69, at 209. Chayanun pocketed P185,000.

“Before Summit, my putting was off but there was much improvement the last two days. In fact, it was better than I expected,” said Go, who also flashed a near-flawless iron game, hitting all but one green inside 15 feet.

“That created a lot of birdie opportunities. Too bad, I didn’t make some of them coming home,” she added.

Yupaporn Kawinpakorn

Russia proves doubters wrong MOSCOW—Russia have proved the doubters wrong—for the moment.

The World Cup hosts showed nerves of steel and ruthless finishing in thumping Saudi Arabia 5-0 in the tournament’s opening match before an anxious crowd of nearly 80,000 in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on Thursday.

The emphatic result transformed the men in red from villains to heroes and gave Russians a rare sporting reason to rejoice.

Everyone from senators and regional leaders to President Vladimir Putin himself congratulated coach Stanislav Cherchesov for Russia’s biggest World Cup victory in post-Soviet history.

It came at Luzhniki Stadium—the crucible of both Russian and Soviet sport—with the weight of an expectant but sceptical nation on their shoulders.

“The head of state called me and congratulated me,” Russia’s moustachioed manager said matter-of-factly after the match.

Putin “told me to keep playing the way we were, to keep going.”

“Give me five!” Moscow’s Sport Express newspaper exclaimed in a frontpage headline. “Russia, we love you!”

It was not always like this for Cherchesov and his charges.

The team entered the tournament without tasting victory in more than eight months.

They had registered just one shot on target in their last two World Cup warmups.

Four of Russia’s defenders and a starting forward had been ruled out for the tournament with injuries.

One Moscow news website dubbed the matchup between the 70th-ranked Russians and the 67th-ranked Saudis —the two worst teams in the tournament—as “Bad vs. Worse”.

‘We’re not so bad’ Cherchesov kept fiddling around with formations and few could tell which players he would start once British pop star Robbie Williams finished belting out his opening ceremony set.

It all worked out in the end.

But it will all get that much harder from here on out.

“It could have easily been 1-1 if we were not careful,” said Cherchesov.

“And our opponents will be getting stronger by the match.” AFP

Tigers, Valientes prevail in MPBL BIÑAN, Laguna—Mindanao teams Davao Occidental and Zamboanga conquered Laguna Thursday night as the two expansion squads hurdled their respective rivals to make a good impression in the MPBL Datu Cup. Davao Occidental, the preseason champion in a four-team tournament held in Polomolok, South Cotabato last month, outlasted Imus, 75-71.

Also winning big was Zamboanga Valientes-Family Brand Sardines as the visiting squad blasted home team Laguna Heroes-Krah, 86-80, in the other game.

Ex-Barako Bull guard Reed Juntilla, back in the mainstream cage scene, sizzled for 30 points as the former PBL MVP held the fort for the Valientes, who also got 18 markers from former Kia player Jonathan Parreno.

Parreno added 18 markers.

Ex-pros Billy Robles, Mark Yee, Leo Najorda and Bogs Raymundo combined forces in keeping a hold on the Cocolife-backed Tigers.

Picked up from Rain or Shine in the PBA, Robles, known in the south as the “Ilonggo Superman” finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and three steals.

Yee and Najorda combined for 25 markers, while Raymundo had a strong first half, contributing 10.

But it wasn’t just the Tigers’ offense which proved to be the decisive factor in the win over the GLC Truck and Equipment-backed Bandera.

Bolts blast Elite to clinch quarterfinal seat

By Jeric Lopez

Meralco’s Ranidel De Ocampo splits the defense of Blackwater’s Roi Sumang and Henry Walker.

AN EARLY explosion in the first half paved the way for an easy route for Meralco as it crushed ousted Blackwater, 102-75, for its third straight win to clinch a berth in the quarterfinals in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup. Arinze Onuaku scattered 17 points and 16 rebounds, Anjo Caram scored 13 markers, while Cliff Hodge scattered all of his 12 points in the first half to lead the Bolts to an easy win.

The victory gave the Bolts their sixth victory as they improved to 6-2 and formalized their entry into the quarters.

Also, the victory enabled Meralco to

still be in the running for a top two finish and a possible twice-to-beat incentive in the post-season.

Bolts’ coach Norman Black was pleased with how his team showed up.

“We came out with focus and purpose and that carried us through, allowing us to get a good lead early and establishing our game,” said Black.

From the get-go, the Bolts were focused taking care of business as they were in full command the entire contest.

Right off the gates, Meralco zoomed to a sizeable 24-12 lead in the waning seconds of the opening quarter after an aggressive start from Hodge, who scored seven points right away.

As if its burly start wasn’t enough,

the Bolts doubled their effort even more in the second, catching more fire to outscore the Elite by 20 points in the quarter.

Meralco owned the second, 35-15, to break the game wide open by halftime, taking an insurmountable 59-30 spread in between the two halves.

While Hodge had all his points in the opening half, Onuaku almost had his double-double, nine points and boards, after the first two periods.

The second half was just a coast for Meralco as work was already done in the first 24 minutes of action.

The woes continued for Blackwater as it fell deeper with an abysmal 1-9 card with only a game left in its schedule.

IN BRIEF

DOTr order upheld Grab’s fares—lawyer

GRAB Philippines said the new order of the Department of Transportation transferring the fare-setting authority from transport network companies to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board upholds its position that its present rates set in 2016 are legal.

The new DOTr order was issued only this week. It revokes the old order issued in 2015 allowing TNCs to set without LTRFB approval their own fares, which are in effect up to now. Under the new order, the present fares can only be adjusted with the approval by the LTFRB. “So Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Partlylist Jericho Nograles was wrong from the start in claiming our fares were not legal because the new order acknowledges that we were authorized to set our own fares in the past. It is only now that LTFRB will have the authority to approve our fares,” said Grab lawyer Miguel Aguila.

He said Nograles caused so much misery to the drivers who lost income and as a result were discouraged from driving, leading to fewer vehicles to serve riders.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Citizen Watch seeks solution to FIT deficit

CONSUMER advocacy group Citizen Watch called on the government to explore ways to address the ballooning deficit of the feed-in tariff fund’s and review the feed-in tariff allowance to lessen the burden to consumers.

“Insufficiency of FIT (feed-in tariff) payments should not be shouldered by the consumers anymore, who are already suffering as it is. We call on the government to explore other options in addressing the P7.378-billion deficit, to have an immediate review of FIT-All processes and to ultimately find solutions that will help soothe the plight of consumers,” CitizenWatch Philippines convenor Hannah Viola said.

Viola said the feed-in-tariff Allowance, or FIT-All, was proving to be an additional burden to Filipino consumers, already overburdened by the increase of prices attributable to rising inflation rates and oil prices in the world market and the weakening of the peso against the US dollar.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Business

Megaworld hikes 2018 residential launches to P80b

By Jenniffer B. Austria OFFICE and condominium builder Megaworld Corp. raised its target for residential launches this year to P80 billion from the initial goal of P60 billion as demand remains strong despite rising interest rates.

Megaworld senior vice president Kevin Tan said during the annual stockholders’ meeting Friday the company upgraded the target after the project launches reached P40 billion in the first quarter of the year.

“This record launch of new residential projects in a year is intended to further boost our aggressive position as the country’s top residential developer.

There is no better time to expand our residential offerings across the country but now, when the economy is sound and healthy, and our country is experiencing the infrastructure boom,” Tan said.

Tan said reservation sales in 2018 were expected to hit a record P110 billion from P105 billion this year.

Megaworld and its subsidiaries have already registered reservation sales of P73 billion in the first five months of 2018.

Approximately 70 percent of this year’s new launches will come from parent company Megaworld, which has earmarked new projects in Arcovia City in Pasig City, Capital Town in Pampanga, Iloilo Business Park in Iloilo City, Maple Grove in Gen. Trias, Cavite, The Upper East in Bacolod, Westside City in Paranaque City, McKinley West and Uptown Bonifacio in Taguig, Makati CBD and Manila.

Global-Estate Resorts Inc., meanwhile, is set to cover around 15 percent of the new launches in Twin Lakes near Tagaytay, Southwoods City in Biñan, Laguna and the Ortigas CBD.

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018

B1

BSP: International reserves to settle at $80b by yearend

By Julito G. Rada

B

ANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas expects the gross international reserves to settle at around $80 billion by the end of the year, lower than the $81.5-billion level posted in 2017.

The Bangko Sentral said in a statement Friday the reserves level by yearend would be consistent with the revised balance of payments projection of a $1.5-billion deficit from the earlier pro-

jection of a $1-billion surplus.

It said the updated BoP projection incorporated the latest available data and reflected recent and prospective economic developments, both domestic and global. The current account is seen to post a higher deficit of $3.1 billion, equivalent to 0.9 percent of the gross domestic product.

“This mainly reflects the projected wider trade deficit as growth in goods imports largely outpaces exports growth,” the Bangko Sentral said. “... The GIR level remains ample, covering more than seven months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and income,” the regulator said.

The reserves at the end of May de-

clined to a more than three-year low of $78.97 billion from the end-April level of $79.61 billion, pulled down in part by the government’s payments of its maturing foreign exchange obligations.

This was the reserves’ lowest level since the $78. 679 billion in November 2014.

“The marginal decline in the GIR level recorded in May 2018 was due mainly to outflows arising from the foreign exchange operations of the BSP, payments made by the government for its maturing foreign exchange obligations, and revaluation adjustments on the BSP’s gold holdings, resulting from the decrease in the price of gold in the international market,” the Bangko Sentral said.

“These were partially tempered by the

NG’s net foreign currency deposits and the BSP’s income from its investments abroad,” he said.

The end-May 2018 level of GIR served as an ample external liquidity buffer and was equivalent to 7.7 months’ worth of imports of goods, and payments of services and primary income.

It was also equivalent to 5.4 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 3.9 times based on residual maturity.

Net international reserves , which refer to the difference between the Bangko’s GIR and total short-term liabilities, also decreased by $0.64 billion to $78.95 billion as of end-May 2018 from the endApril 2018 level of $79.59 billion.

PLDT not in a hurry to sell 2% in Rocket

Hyundai’s auto sales declined 27% in May

HYUNDAI Asia Resources Inc., the official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the Philippines, said Friday sales dropped 27 percent to 2,054 units in May from 2,801 units year-on-year.

“With persistent inflationary pressure in the market, the automotive industry continues to take the brunt of tempered consumer demand for big-ticket items. Nevertheless, Hyundai commits itself to turning the tide by introducing exciting and innovate products and services in the next few months. We will not disappoint,” said company president and CEO Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo.

Passenger cars sales dropped 36 percent to 1,298 units from 2,017 units year-on-year.

Sales of Light commercial vehicles sales slipped 4 percent to 756 units from 784 units on year.

Total year-to-date sales stood at 13,130 units, down 7.3 percent from 14,163 units in the same period of 2017.

With 9,109 units sold for the first five months of 2018, the passenger car segment posted a relatively minimal decline of 6.8 percent from 9,770 units in the same period in 2018. Othel V. Campos

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

By Darwin G. Amojelar

SHELL FUEL PARTNER. Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. and Toyota Manila Bay Corp. sign a partnership agreement on May 21, 2018 naming the largest car dealership in the country as the oil company’s fuel partner. Sealing the agreement are (from left) Kit Bermudez, marketing and strategy director for retail of Pilipinas Shell; Anthony Lawrence Yam, vice president for retail of Pilipinas Shell; Ko Nakayama, first vice president for planning and administration of Toyota Manila Bay Corp.; and Gunter Jensen, head of marketing of Toyota Manila Bay.

Foreign debt slightly increased to $73.2b at the end of Q1 THE country’s outstanding external debt slightly increased by $98 million or 0.1 percent to $73.2 billion at the end of the first quarter 2018 from $73.1 billion a quarter ago, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said Friday.

“The slight increase in the debt stock during the first quarter was brought about by positive foreign exchange revaluation adjustments [$621 million], due largely from the weakened US dollar against the Japanese yen which pushed the debt stock higher by $655 million,” Espenilla said in a statement However, he said the upward pressure on the debt stock was partially mitigated by net principal repayments amounting to $735 million, which resulted mainly from the bullet payments at maturity as well as prepayments by the private sector, and the transfer of holdings of Philippine debt papers issued offshore ($472

million) by non-residents to residents.

But the debt stock declined from the end-March 2017 figure by $609 million or 0.8 percent from $73.8 billion due to net repayments ($3.4 billion), primarily on the private sector’s short-term nontrade accounts.

“This downward impact on the debt stock was partly offset by previous periods’ adjustments [positive $1.5 billion] due to late reporting; upward FX revaluation adjustments [$713 million]; and transfer of Philippine debt papers from residents to non-residents [$618 million],” Espenilla said.

External debt refers to all types of borrowings by Philippine residents from non-residents, following the residency criterion for international statistics.

Espenilla said key external debt indicators “continued to improve in the first quarter of 2018.”

Gross international reserves stood at

$80.5 billion as of end-March 2018 and represented a 6.3 times cover for shortterm debt under the original maturity concept.

Public sector external debt increased to $39.2 billion (or 53.6 percent of total debt stock) from $37.5 billion in the previous quarter due largely to net availments of $1.5 billion, mainly by the national government.

The government issued two bonds during the quarter—the $2-billion US dollar global bonds (of which $750 million is new money) issued in February and the RMB1.5 billion (or about $233 million) Panda bonds issued in March.

Espenilla said while there was a positive foreign exchange revaluation of $602 million, it was partially offset by the $503-million increase in residents’ investments in debt papers issued offshore by the public sector.

Julito G. Rada

PLDT Inc. said it is in no hurry to sell its remaining stake in German technology company Rocket Internet.

“There’s no pressure on the part of PLDT. I think for the meantime we will still hold on to the shares of the Rocket,” PLDT chairman and chief executive Manuel Pangilinan said.

PLDT still owns 2 percent of Rocket after selling a 4.1-percent stake worth P10.5 billion last month.

PLDT bought a 10-percent stake in Rocket Internet for 333 million euro or $445 million in 2014.

Rocket is a Berlin-based internet company that builds online startups and owns shareholdings in various models of internet retail businesses. It has stakes in major e-commerce platforms and startups in Southeast Asia, including Zalora, Lamudi, Carmudi, Traveloka and Foodpanda.

Pangilinan earlier said PLDT would use proceeds from the Rocket sale to partly finance the company’s P58-billion capital expenditure program this year to further expand the fixed and mobile broadband networks.

The company set a P40-billion capex last year, or equivalent to 26 percent of consolidated service revenues.

PLDT earlier reported a net income of P6.9 billion in the first quarter, up 39 percent from P4.9 billion year-onyear.

Consolidated core income reached P6.1 billion in the three-month period, up 14 percent from a year ago.

Core income, excluding that of unit Voyager, rose 23 percent year-on-year to P6.7 billion, which if annualized would put the company ahead of its income guidance of P23 billion to 24 billion for 2018.

PLDT’s consolidated service revenues amounted to P36.7 billion, up 3 percent year-on-year.

PLDT Home reported revenues of P8.9 billion in the first quarter, up 14 percent on year, driven by robust subscriber take up of its home broadband services, while the Enterprise Group posted revenues of P9.2 billion, up 7 percent.

AgriNurture investing P100m in bank unit

SAN MIGUEL’S REPORT. San Miguel Corp. president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang (left) responds to feedbacks from shareholders during the annual stockholders’ meeting Thursday at the Valle Verde Country Club. With him is San Miguel chairman and chief executive officer Eduardo Cojuangco Jr.The conglomerate’s consolidated revenues in 2017 rose 21 percent to P826 billion while operating income grew 11 percent to P111 billion. Recurring net income climbed 11 percent to P54.7 billion.

AGRINURTURE Inc. is putting in an additional capital of P100 million to affiliate Agricultural Bank of the Philippines, subject to the final approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

AgriNurture said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the P100-million capital infusion would increase ABP’s authorized capital stock to P200 million.

The company said ABP’s capital increase would fund the expansion of the bank’s P2P platform and e-wallet business. Through the capital infusion, the company aims to enhance supply chain micro-finance access of Filipino farmers in remote areas using technology.

AgriNture president and chief executive Antonio Tiu said ABP’s P2P platform would allow farmers to borrow money directly using their mobile phones.

The proceeds of the loan can then be stored in the farmers’ e-wallet which

can be exclusively used for purchases in ANI’s accredited merchants nationwide.

Meanwhile, the company’s board of directors approved the incorporation of Agri Technology Holdings Inc., a 100-percent owned subsidiary, with an initial capital of P100 million.

The move is in line with the company’s goal to complete the farm-to-plate agrieco system for immediate fintech integration.

The new subsidiary will serve as the company’s post harvest and farm technology arm. It will collaborate with hybrid seed producer BeiDaHuang and agri-biotech company Ocean Biotech, both ANI subsidiaries.

AgriNuture, meanwhile, disclosed that the company’s board of directors approved a P320-million subscription of Japanese investor Takuhiro Kusumi in the agriculture firm, subject to the foreign equity limits set by law. Jenniffer B. Austria

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Business

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

IMF: US policies create risks to global economy

By Heather Scott

The International Monetary Fund managing director, Christine Lagarde (right), Director of the Western Hemisphere, Alejandro Werner (center), and Deputy Division Chief of the Western Hemisphere, Daniel Leigh (left) arrive to talk about the IMF’s preliminary findings of its annual review of the US economy during a news conference in Washington DC on June 14, 2018. AFP

WASHINGTON―President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies, and expansive tax cut at a time when the US economy is growing, are creating risks that could damage the domestic and global economies, the International Monetary Fund warned Thursday.

The tax cuts will generate a nearterm boost to growth but also “will elevate the risks to the US and global economy,” and increase the size of those risks, the IMF said in its annual review of the US economy.

Meanwhile, the punitive import duties the US has imposed and threatened could harm the world economic recovery by “catalyzing a cycle of retaliatory responses” and interrupting global supply chains, the report said.

On the eve of an expected White House announcement of the list of per-

haps $50 billion in Chinese goods that will be hit with 25 percent tariffs, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said trade wars had no winners.

If there is tit-for-tat retaliation from US trading partners, which they have threatened, there will be “losers on both sides,” Lagarde told reporters.

And that outcome would have a “serious” economic impact on the US and global economies, she said, including by causing inflation to accelerate.

While the direct economic impact is hard to calculate since it will depend on the size and timing of the responses, trade conflict could undermine confidence and cause businesses to hold off on investments, of which there already were signs in Europe, she said.

“Unilateral trade actions can be disruptive and may even prove counterproductive,” she said in her critique of the fund’s largest shareholder. AFP

EU backs tariffs vs US whiskey, jeans

By Danny Kemp

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RUSSELS—EU countries on Thursday approved a raft of tariffs targeting US goods including whiskey and motorcycles in retaliation against painful duties imposed by President Donald Trump on European metals.

Europe’s move fuels a growing transatlantic trade war just days after a disastrous G7 summit in Canada at which Trump lambasted his allies on the issue and refused to adopt a joint statement.

The European countermeasures aimed at 2.8 billion euros ($3.3 billion) of American imports come after

Trump on June 1 followed through on his threat to impose tariffs on European steel and aluminum exports.

“Member states have today unanimously supported the commission’s plan for the adoption of rebalancing measures on the US tariffs on steel and aluminum,” a European Commission source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The source added that the EU tariffs would take effect “in coming days,” with other officials saying they would be implemented by the beginning of July.

Brussels first drew up the list in March when Trump initially floated the 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum, which also

target Canada, Mexico and other close allies.

From blue jeans to motorbikes and whiskey, the EU’s hit-list of products targeted for tariffs with the US reads like a catalogue of emblematic American exports.

The list does not specifically name brands but European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker spelled out in March that the bloc was “preparing import duties for US products including Harley-Davidson, bourbon and Levi’s jeans.”

The EU imported some 415 million euros’ worth from the US in 2017, along with another 150 million euros’ worth of whiskey without the “bourbon” designation.

Cranberries, cranberry juice, orange juice, sweetcorn and peanut butter are among the other food products targeted.

The list hits clothing including “trousers and breeches of cotton denim” along with bed linen and men’s leather footwear, eye make-up and lipsticks, plus a host of steel products.

“The EU will exercise its rights on US products valued at up to 2.8 billion euros of trade, as notified to the WTO (World Trade Organization),” the commission source added.

Transatlantic ties are at their lowest level for many years due to rows over a host of issues including the tariffs, the Paris climate agreement, the Iran nuclear deal and the new US embassy in Jerusalem.

But relations plumbed new depths at the weekend as Trump abruptly rejected the text of a G7 statement and bitterly insulted his Canadian host, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Trump claimed America had been obliged to levy the metals tariffs as it has been exploited as the world’s “piggy bank” under existing arrangements.

His counterparts, however, said they were equally determined to protect “rules-based” international trade.

Trump’s outbursts were the latest in which he has clashed with America’s closest allies, even as he has had warm words for autocrats like North Korean leader Kim Jong un, with whom he had a historic meeting on Tuesday, and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. AFP

Euro suffers more losses as ECB defers plan to raise interest rates HONG KONG―Euro selling extended into Asia on Friday after the European Central Bank said it would hold off hiking interest rates at least for another year, while equity traders were uneasy ahead of Donald Trump’s decision on whether to hit China with fresh tariffs.

The single currency was hammered on trading floors after the ECB’s announcement Thursday, which was accompanied by a cut in its eurozone growth outlook, citing rising protectionism and global trade fears.

Confirmation that it would end its crisis-era bond-buying stimulus provided little support as that had been widely expected.

The news came a day after the Federal Reserve said it would likely hike US rates twice more this year and four times in 2019, highlighting an increasing divergence between the two.

The euro dived to $1.1580 Thursday, from above $1.1800 earlier in Asia. On Friday in Asian trade the unit sank even further towards one-year lows.

“The signals from the (Fed) and ECB couldn’t be more different,” said Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trading at OANDA. “The Fed, barring any unexpected financial market calamity, is primed to raise interest rates every quarter while the ECB will continue to sit on their hands well into 2019.

“These opposing views should see interest rates diverging more between the two most powerful central banks in the US’s favor which should continue to lend support to the dollar. And should keep the euro circling the drain well into the summer.”

The news sent European stocks soaring as a cheaper euro boosts the bloc’s exporters. But while the Nasdaq hit another record on Wall Street, US stocks were choppy as fears grow that Trump will on Friday announce tariffs on billions of dollars worth of Chinese imports.

Those worries filtered through to Asia, where markets fluctuated. Tokyo ended 0.5 percent higher and Sydney added more than one percent. Taipei and Bangkok also rose.

But Shanghai closed 0.7 percent off, Hong Kong was down 0.1 percent and Seoul shed 0.8 percent while Wellington was also lower.

Trump is due to make a decision Friday, with many expecting him to push through the measures, with China threatening to retaliate in kind―stoking fears of a trade war. AFP

Europe hikes renewable energy target STRASBOURG―The EU agreed Thursday to raise its consumption target from wind, solar and other renewable energy sources, aiming for 32 percent by 2030 rather than the previous 27 percent.

But environmentalists said the provisional deal between the 28 European Union countries, the European Parliament and the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, was not ambitious enough to fight climate change.

EU climate and energy commissioner Mighuel Arias Canete said: “I am particularly pleased with the new European target of 32 percent.”

Canete said “this new ambition will help us meet our Paris (climate) agreement goals,” create jobs, give investors certainty as well as lower energy bills and energy imports.

Under the Paris climate deal struck in December 2015, the EU pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030, compared to 1990 levels, and make renewable energy account for 27

percent of energy use.

Under the deal that the European Parliament and member states must still give final approval, at least 14 percent of fuel for transport must come from renewables by 2030.

It stipulates that first generation biofuel must be capped at 2020 levels and in no case exceed seven percent of final consumption of road and rail transport.

It said the share of advanced biofuels and biogas must be at least one percent in 2025 and at least 3.5 percent in 2030.

But it said palm oil, cited as a cause of deforestation, will be phased out.

The environmental group Greenpeace said the deal could lead to millions more solar panels on European rooftops as it makes it easier for citizens to take part in the energy transition.

“But the renewables target of 32 percent is far too low and allows power companies to cling onto fossil fuels and false solutions,” Greenpeace’s Sebastian Mang said in a statement. AFP

In this file photo taken on June 12, 2018 AT&T and Time Warner attorney Daniel Petrocelli speaks to the press after a court ruled that the $85-billion merger between AT&T and Time Warner could go ahead in Washington, DC. US District Judge Richard Leon dismissed the government’s challenge to the $85-billion deal, saying a seven-week trial produced no evidence the tie-up would harm competition, in a stinging defeat for the US Justice Department’s antitrust division. AFP

AT&T closes $85-b mega-merger with Time Warner

By Glenn Chapman SAN FRANCISCO―Wireless and broadband colossus AT&T on Thursday announced the close of its $85-billion merger with media-entertainment conglomerate Time Warner.

The news came just two days after a US federal judge approved the deal, delivering a stinging rebuke to President Donald Trump’s administration in its first major antitrust court case.

“We’re going to bring a fresh approach to how the media and entertainment industry works for consumers, content creators, distributors and advertisers,” AT&T chief executive Randall Stephenson said in a statement stating the acquisition was completed.

Stephenson noted that the merger comes as the way video is created, distributed and consumed is rapidly changing in an age of streaming digital content to a broad spectrum of internet-linked devices.

“The content and creative talent at Warner Bros., HBO and Turner are first-rate,” Stephenson said.

“Combine all that with AT&T’s strengths in direct-to-consumer distribution, and we offer customers a differentiated, high-quality, mobile-first entertainment experience.”

Justice Department officials who had opposed the deal in court did not to ask a judge to put the merger on hold pending a legal appeal, but the option to appeal remained available.

US District Judge Richard Leon on Tuesday said the government had failed to meet its burden of proof that the tie-up between the largest US payTV operator and the media entertainment giant would harm competition.

The case had been closely watched as setting a benchmark for other big corporate mergers, especially in the media and communications sector.

Leon said the case fell short on all counts and warned the government against seeking to hold up the deal with an appeal, saying that would cause “irreparable” harm to the two companies whose tie-up had been delayed for a year and a half.

He maintained that the government’s claim that pay TV costs would rise from the merger was based on “speculative” logic and that its study from an expert witness was contradicted by other evidence from the government.

Trump had previously denounced the AT&T deal, vowing that his administration would block it because it would concentrate corporate power unacceptably.

This fueled speculation that Trump could be retaliating due to critical coverage of his administration from news broadcaster CNN, a Time Warner property.

“Trump’s meddling in law enforcement actions, his attacks upon particular companies, and his utter unpredictability have created the kind of legal uncertainty common in ‘banana republics,’” Berin Szoka of the think tank Tech Freedom said after the judge’s decision.

Streaming tide The deal brings together AT&T’s wireless and broadband networks and its DirecTV subscription service with the media assets of Time Warner, which include CNN and other Turner cable channels, Cartoon Network, premium channel HBO and the Warner Bros studios.

AT&T and Time Warner argued they need more scale to compete with online rivals like Netflix and Amazon and with Silicon Valley giants like Google, Facebook and Apple, which are expanding in the rapidly evolving sector.

The merger comes after Comcast on Wednesday offered $65 billion for key film and television assets of Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox, topping an offer from Walt Disney Co. for a deal that could create a dominant media-entertainment power. AFP

World

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018

B3

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

END OF RAMADAN IN LIBYA. Libyan Muslim worshipers perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Martyrs’ Square in the capital Tripoli on June 15, 2018 to mark the end of the fast month of Ramadan. AFP

Song composers join Hall of Fame NEW YORK―Sara Bareilles, John Mellencamp and Kool and the Gang on Thursday entered the Songwriters Hall of Fame as top music executive Lucian Grainge urged the industry to keep its ears open to new sounds.

In its 49th year, the Songwriters Hall of Fame recognizes the composers behind the hits and, true to the profession’s profile, stays lower-key than major awards shows with a dinner in a New York hotel ballroom rather than a televised gala.

Neil Diamond, the songwriter by trade who became an arena-packing pop singer in his own right, was honored with a prize to mark lifetime achievement by a composer who has already been inducted.

Returning to stage despite his announcement in January that he was retiring from touring due to Parkinson’s disease, the 77-year-old New York native showed no signs of illness on his rousing take on his classic “Sweet Caroline,” the audience joyfully singing along the “ba ba ba” of the chorus.

Grainge, the chairman and chief executive of the world’s largest label group Universal, was presented an award as a long-time “hit maker.”

Befitting the status of one of the most powerful people in the music industry, Grainge was welcomed with previously unannounced appearances by two of Universal’s top stars―Ariana Grande, who sang her hit “Be Alright” to a jazzy piano, and The Weeknd, who flew in from Paris to briefly introduce his label boss.

Grainge, whose father ran a record store in London, spoke of his lifelong passion for music and how he spent a third of his career in the songwriting business, sometimes thrashing out tunes with composers over a solitary piano or guitar. AFP

Nicaraguans lining up to get out M ANAGUA― One evening as she watched some local kids play outside in her Managua neighborhood, Nicaraguan Mireya Alegria was shocked to see police, motorcycles and a white van carrying hooded men speed past.

“They started firing,” she says. It was the moment she decided enough was enough.

Now Alegria is one of the thousands of Nicaraguans desperately seeking to process migration documents and flee to neighboring Central American countries, as two months of anti-government dissent has triggered increasingly violent state repression.

“Thousands of people come daily to do paperwork,” said Nubia Manzanares, a migration agent, adding that many come with their children.

Lines in offices such as hers are endless, as families and young people at-

tempt to leave in particular for Costa Rica, the primary destination of Nicaraguans since the country’s 1980s civil war between President Daniel Ortega’s Sandinistas and the US-backed contras.

Jonathan Pena, 19, says his top reason for leaving is because he sees the government “persecuting and killing young people.”

He spent hours working to get a visa and travel by plane to Costa Rica, because at the land border activists have erected barricades in an attempt to intensify the pressure on Ortega.

According to analyst and ex-deputy of the opposition Eliseo Nunez, part of

Yemen rebel chief remains defiant AL DURAIHIMIY, Yemen―Yemen’s rebel chief urged his forces to fight on against pro-government troops pressing a Saudi-backed offensive to retake the key aid hub of Hodeida, as the UN called for the Red sea port to be kept open.

Heavy fighting left 39 people dead on Thursday, a day after the Saudi-led coalition launched an assault to recapture the city controlled by the Iran-allied Huthi rebels.

Military sources said coalition gunships pounded rebel positions as fighting raged several kilometers from Hodeida airport, south of the city.

Rebel leader Abdel Malek Al-Houthi urged troops to “confront the forces of tyranny”, warning they would recapture areas taken by pro-government forces by “bringing huge numbers [of fighter] to the battle”, according to the rebels’ AlMasirah TV. “The western coast will turn into a big swamp for the invaders,” he added.

The clashes came as the UN Security Council met for urgent talks on the military operation and called for the port, held by the rebels along with the capital Sanaa since 2014, to be “kept open”. AFP

Sidney bridge gets makeover SYDNEY-One of Australia’s top tourist attractions the Sydney Harbour Bridge is set to get a “game changing” makeover with new climbs and interactive technologies, officials said Friday.

Climbing the so-called Coathanger― one of Sydney’s most-photographed landmarks and the centerpiece of the New Year’s Eve fireworks―has been a bucket-list attraction for celebrities and tourists.

It has been run by the same operators BridgeClimb, which pioneered the activity, for two decades, but the New South Wales state government said it was time for fresh ways of exploring the imposing structure.

“The government is excited to be ushering in a new chapter for what is one of Sydney’s, if not Australia’s, most iconic structures,” a NSW Roads and Maritime Services spokesman said.

He added that the change of management, which starts in October, was a “game-changing opportunity that will lead to both enhanced and new experiences”.

Some 13 local and international firms were in a bidding war for the lucrative 20-year contract, which reportedly brings in some Aus$50 million (US$37 million) in annual turnover for BridgeClimb.

The new operators Hammon Holdings said they would make the structure more affordable and accessible. AFP

Ortega’s strategy is to incite panic to trigger migration particularly from the middle class, an especially anti-government sector.

The crisis sparked by relatively small protests against now-abandoned social security reforms morphed into an explosive movement demanding Ortega along with his wife and vice president Rosario Murillo leave office.

But Ortega appears set on staying, and the past two months has seen more than 160 people die in bloody clashes between armed government-backed forces and activists brandishing slingshots and homemade mortars. AFP

END OF RAMADAN IN AFGHANISTAN. Afghan Muslims offer prayers at the start of the Eid al-Fitr holiday which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Khost province. AFP

Saudi drama extolling ‘modern past’ draws awe and anger RIYADH-A Saudi television drama that glorifies a period before the rise of religious fundamentalism has evoked nostalgia about the kingdom’s “modern past”―and fury from arch-conservatives sidelined in a much-publicized liberalization drive.

“Al-Assouf”, set in the 1970s and aired on satellite broadcaster MBC during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, has emerged as a cultural flash point that has

pitted hardliners against the more moderate proponents of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reforms.

It portrays a different Saudi Arabia―a traditional but tolerant society where the sexes mingle unfettered, some women blithely pursue lovers and appear unveiled in musical soirees, and the men appear disinterested in controlling what they wear.

That image of Saudi society, dismissed

as a distortion by hardliners, chimes with Prince Mohammed’s repeated assertion that the kingdom was a cradle of moderate Islam until 1979, a turning point that marked the birth of radicalism.

That year saw an Islamic revolution in arch-rival Iran and a militant siege of Mecca’s Grand Mosque, which the crown prince has said gave conservatives free rein to enforce an austere vision of Islam. AFP

Hawking’s voice to be beamed into space during memorial

LONDON―A message from late British astrophysics giant Stephen Hawking will be beamed towards the nearest black hole as his remains are laid to rest in London’s Westminster Abbey on Friday.

As the ashes of the British theoretical physicist are interred, a specially-written composition featuring his famous synthesized voice will be beamed into space by the European Space Agency.

“This is a beautiful and symbolic ges-

ture that creates a link between our father’s presence on this planet, his wish to go into space and his explorations of the universe in his mind,” said his daughter Lucy Hawking.

The wheelchair-bound professor, who dedicated his life’s work to unraveling the mysteries of the universe and fought to overcome his disability, will be buried by the graves of fellow science greats Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.

“The broadcast will be beamed towards the nearest black hole, 1A 062000, which lives in a binary system with a fairly ordinary orange dwarf star,” Hawking’s daughter said.

“It is a message of peace and hope, about unity and the need for us to live together in harmony on this planet.”

Hawking, who captured the imagination of millions around the world, died on March 14 at the age of 76. AFP

Walk of Fame star for Jeff Goldblum LOS ANGELES―Jeff Goldblum, who has been in some of the biggest blockbusters in history, received the 2,638th star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame Thursday and joked: “That’s always been my lucky number!”

The 65-year-old veteran of 80 movies thanked every actor, director and crew member he had worked with, declaring that he had devoted his life to acting while trying to remember not to get a big head.

“I was in the airport the other day and a woman was looking at me... and she walked up to me sort of in a trance, and said, ‘Can I ask you a question?’” he told the fans gathered in Hollywood Boulevard.

“And she said, ‘Are you Howie Mandel?’ That’s true. A bitter pill, but a very good lesson, you can’t get too full of yourself.”

The ceremony came ahead of the June 22 release of “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” the sixth in the franchise in which Goldblum reprises his part as mathematician Ian Malcolm from the first two movies. AFP

Home/Design

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

B4

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018

A PLACE TO JAM. Why default to scotch, leather, and basketball, when what you really want is French-pressed coffee, velvet, and Charlie Parker on vinyl?

My kingdom for a man cave

A den for dudes doesn’t have to be cave-like

ETON TO EXPAND FOOTPRINT. Eton Properties Philippines, Inc. (EPPI), the real estate arm of the Lucio Tan Group, recently announced plans to explore new project formats to cater to emerging market needs. In the pipeline are pocket retail developments in Ortigas, Quezon City, and San Juan and a mixed-use commercial development along Roxas Boulevard. EPPI’s management expressed confidence that expanding the company’s footprint will sustain the market’s interest in its various projects and steer the company forward. In 2017, EPPI spent Php4 billion in capital expenditures, 14% higher than the Php3.5 billion spent in 2016, as development of West End Square in Makati City, Centris Cyberpod Five and expansion of Centris Walk in Quezon City went on full swing. The company also broke ground on several projects notably in the Ortigas CBD in Pasig City with the construction of NXTower I, a 30-storey office building, and Eton City Square, a commercial strip in Eton City in Sta. Rosa, Laguna designed to complement the residential communities in the area. At a recent EPPI board meeting were (from left) Johnip G. Cua, independent director; Karlu T. Say, director; Dr. Lucio C. Tan, chairman; Atty.

Erolyne C. Go, corporate secretary.

T

HE stereotypical image of a man cave is often cause for shudder, especially for the partner who has to live with it. But this den for dudes doesn’t have to be cave-like at all—or have a lazy lounger in sight.

Man caves are not only good for the male in the relationship, but the wife, or significant other as well. Personal space is important, no matter your marriage status or how old you are.

Man caves can come in all shapes and sizes. Whether it is built outside in the garage, behind a secret passageway beyond a bookcase or in the standard basement location. It is most likely the only room in the house where one has complete design control.

If one has the means to do so, take advantage of this opportunity and make it unique. Add as many personal man cave ideas as you can. But there are certain man cave essentials to have. Men ostensibly need entertainment, food and of course a TV. That is not everything man caves need.

Recliner Not all males enjoy TV and sports. A man cave can be used to just relax and get away. Likewise, it can be used for work or client calls one needs to make later on in the night. In addition, many homeowners know what it is like to fall asleep on the couch and wake up with a stiff neck.

Chances are, this will happen at least a few times while hanging out in your unique man cave. Hence, the recliner.

TV Many males of the household choose to put in a man cave so they can have their own room to watch NBA, PBA, or World Cup and international tennis matches, not to mention Tiger Wood’s exploits in the PGA circuit. A unique man cave will undoubtedly need a large TV to complete the full picture.

If sports are not one’s thing, putting in a large, flat screen TV is also perfect for watching movies with the wife and family.

Indeed, sharing one’s man cave once in a while with the people one loves shouldn’t be that far of a stretch.

Bar and fridge A key purpose of the man cave is so one doesn’t have to walk upstairs, or across the hall to get a cold beverage out of the refrigerator. To avoid this daunting task, one needs to have a man cave bar and/ or fridge. Not only will this be useful for when the guys come over, but also during those family gatherings or parties. A full bar would be great, but if one’s means or space is limited, a fridge should do.

Pool table Other than the television, men need other forms of entertainment (sometimes).

One of these is a pool table. In the old days, it was just a means of playing a good old game of 8 ball. Now, men have gone above and beyond to make their pool tables as unique and extravagant as humanly possible.

Dart board, poker table Sticking with the entertainment end of the man cave, dart boards and poker tables are highly encouraged. Not only are both of these items useful during parties or get-togethers, but they are also perfect for friends of the wife and kids.

Personal touches Add as many personal touches as possible. Did you snag your country club’s golf tournament one summer, or did your son win the NCAA playoff last year? Highlight those accomplishments by showing off your trophy, or the very playoff medal that enabled your son’s team to bag the championship.

Sports memorabilia Many males install their own man caves to watch sports. Man caves and sports go together like bars and beer. Chances are, if one is spending the resources to create one’s own man cave, there will be one or two classic pieces of sports memorabilia

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP BY ATIMONAN COMMUNITIES. Close to 600 volunteers recently scoured the beachfronts

ALL HAIL THE MAN CAVE. The use of accents also give the room a punch. This is what happens when the husband designs the kitchen.

and waters along the coast of Atimonan in Quezon province to celebrate World Oceans Day. The two-day event covered an estimated 12-kilometer coastal area, and yielded around 151 sacks of around 1,760 kilos of garbage that included residual waste like plastic water bottles, plastic bags, styrofoam containers, candy wrappers, fishnets and cans. These were gathered from the coast of barangays Lumutan, Buhangin, Balubad, Angeles, Zone 1- Poblacion, Zone 4 – Poblacion and Caridad Ilaya. The garbage was disposed at the Municipal Sanitary Landfill located in Barangay Inaclagan. Around 15 to 20 tons of coconut husk, bamboo pole and stick, sea grass, and woods were likewise collected and were buried. The clean-up activity was led by Atimonan One Energy (A1E) and Atimonan’s Municipal Environment and National Resources (MENRO). A total of 587 volunteers from the NGOs, Bureau of Fire Protection, local government employees, barangay officials of concerned barangays, Sangguniang Bayan and other Atimonan residents participated in this activity. “Aiming for a new and cleaner Atimonan, expect more environmental activities like this with A1E as our partner,” declared Atimonan municipal councilor Merly Pesigan.

EIGHT BALL, ANYONE? Nowadays, men have gone above and beyond to make their pool tables as unique and extravagant as humanly possible.

CURATE THE SPACE. Add character by being imaginative. Avoid kitsch and design a room that offers relaxation, and looks refined, too

hanging around. Now is the time to please the wife, and remove that dining room poster of the 1992 USA Dream Team, and put it where it belongs.

Extra seating We highly recommend home theater seating, but more often than not, a big couch will do. What guy doesn’t love leather recliners, cup holders and a place to put one’s iPad as you track your fantasy team? The answer is no male on earth.

Movie posters No true man cave is complete without at least one poster showcasing a real man movie. The first ones that come to mind include Scarface, The Godfather or Reservoir Dogs. A man’s favorite movies can say a lot about a person, so choose wisely.

Bar stools There is no place on earth manlier than a bar, and all bars need bar stools. Therefore, to add even more seating to one’s man cave, all man caves should include a set of bar stools. There are tons of designs to choose from when it comes to these.

Father’s Day surprise This Father’s Day, when it comes to what dads want in a home, the answer seems clear: their own space. If dads can’t

find the ideal space in a home, they’ll make it. Or at least have somebody else do it.

From music to cars to grills Dads who are into music like, for example, to mount their guitars and have a place to jam. Others wanted the walls of their study knocked out so they could stare at their classic cars, or motorcycles, or mountain bikes in the garage.

In the Philippines, by far the most down-to-earth dad amenity is the outdoor kitchen.

It’s a popular upgrade for dads who not only want a fully equipped, dedicated space where they can show off their skills as family ‘grill master,’ but also have a great area for outdoor entertaining.

Jera Sison, a PR consultant living out in the Quezon City burbs, is one of those. He said any outdoor grill needs to have charcoal/ wood, gas and electric power options.

“Depending on what you’re grilling, or how much time you have, it’s always good to have them all,” he pronounced.

It’s also important to have the outside grill area connected to the kitchen, he said.

“As someone who loves grilled steaks and blackened fish, it’s also great for keeping your house smelling good,” he added.

Sison’s wife, Red, declined to comment.

HOUSEKEEPERS’ MEET. Technolux’s small wares division recently hosted the second general assembly of the Executive Housekeepers Association of the Philippines (EHAP). It was held at Mall of Kitchens, a division of Technolux, and a sprawling facility that showcases the products and brands distributed by the company, an importer and supplier of a complete line of foodservice, small wares and laundry equipment. Jenny Carlos, Technolux vice-president for small wares, welcomed the members of EHAP, and gave them a tour of MOK, its facilities and products. Jenny Arienda, Technolux sales manager, presented the new line of hotel supplies and amenities which was recently launched to serve the local hospitality industry, as well as the Suites and Benalla hotel intelligent system. The EHAP learning session, “P & L” For Housekeepers, was facilitated by Prof. Rudy Ruiz of De La Salle - College of St. Benilde.

GREEN WORKSPACE. With the world’s growing concern on energy conservation, the demand for ‘green’ buildings is expanding. Filinvest Alabang, Inc. is targeting this market segment with its office development: the 32-storey Parkway corporate center at Filinvest City, Alabang. Designed by architectural practice H1 Architecture and Design, Parkway corporate center comes with units averaging 36 square meters in size, allowing for flexibility and combinability depending on the need. Other future-ready facilities include intelligent space planning, six high speed elevators, 24-hour security with CCTV cameras in strategic areas, 100% back-up power, and an advanced fiber optic backbone. Filinvest City is a 244-hectare metropolis that combines modern conveniences with nature—a genuine work-live-play environment that is fast reinforcing its stature as the ultimate green city—sustainable, pedestrian friendly, and eco-centric.

Life travel and leisure

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MstandardLIFe saturday, june 16, 2018

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Daddy’s day out Where to celebrate the man of the house’s special day

H

e was there when you fell from your bike on your first try, he is always there to fix anything that’s broken at the house, he always picks up the tab when the whole family’s out for dinner, and he taught you some of the most invaluable lessons in life. Now it’s your turn to make him feel loved and special by taking him on a day out or a weekend trip to celebrate his special day. Whoever’s the “main man” of the house, these are for you.

Dad and the whole family can relax in a well-appointed City Suite

Meet DreamWorks characters at DreamPlay

Dine and play at City of Dreams Manila

Day off at F1 Hotel Manila

Treat dad to a Sunday brunch featuring Japanese-Peruvian cuisine at Nobu Manila. Try Wagyu Brisket Pastrami or Nobu’s signature selection of sushi and sashimi, among many others, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for P3,880++ per person.

Dads craving premium Cantonese and regional Chinese cuisine can celebrate Father’s Day with a lavish seven-course lunch or dinner for P2,380++ per person at Crystal Dragon. But if he prefers French food, treat him to a four-course degustation menu at Tasting Room for P4,788++ per person, plus wine pairing at an additional P2,000++.

The man of the house gets a complimentary ticket at DreamPlay, where he can unleash his inner child, when accompanied by at least two ticket holders.

Call (02) 800-8080 or e-mail guestservices@cod-manila.com for inquiries and reservations.

Let him take a well-deserved day off from daddy duties and experience a luxurious treat with an overnight accommodation in a City Suite for P6,600 nett. He also gets to celebrate his special day with a drink as he also gets P1,000 drink credits he can use at the Canary Lounge. This offer is valid until June 28.

Call (02) 908-7888 or visit www.f1hotelmanila.com for inquiries and reservations.

Treats and surprises at Westgate Alabang

Grab a bite at Anila Poolside

Luxurious getaway at Anya Resort Tagaytay

Breathtaking views, charming suites, great food, and fun acitivities can be had when you take dad and the whole family to a weekend escape in Tagaytay.

Dads and kids can bond over pizza making at Anila Poolside Restaurant’s brick oven, origami workshop, or a Pinoy blockbuster screening at the Anya Elite Club Lounge.

Meals come with a side of Filipino culture, as a wide selection of local delicacies is served during Saturday evening buffet by the pool (P1,350 nett per person) accompanied by a cultural performance by the Agsala Dance Group. Meanwhile, a more refined dining experience featuring Pinoy specialties is available at Samira for P1,850 nett.

The Father’s Day promo is valid until June 30 for P7,000 nett on weekdays, and P8,500 nett on weekends. The package is inclusive of an overnight stay at a Junior Suite for four (two adults and two kids), breakfast buffet for four, two complimentary glasses of Engkanto draft beer, and complimentary use of hotel facilities.

Call (02) 657-1640 or e-mail resv.tagaytay@anyraresorts.com for inquiries and reservations.

Residents in the south who don’t want to drive too far from home or northern folks who want to discover what the opposite side offers may head to this open-air complex for a fun Father’s Day weekend.

Treat dad to a spa date at Altacienda Native Wellness Spa where he gets 30 percent off on all of their body scrub with massage treatments, or spoil him with a fine dining at Melo’s Steakhouse today to get up to 50 percent off on A5 Japanese Wagyu. Dining dads at Alba Restaurante Español on June 17 get a free gift check for a dinner buffet at their next dine-in. Sapporo Beers are available for a Buy 1 Get 1 offer at Sushi Ninja and Butamaru.

He also get to enjoy some retail therapy at Moto Market, offering 20 percent off on all regular items until June 18, or at Bikeline Spend the night in a Studio

Philippines, slashing 10 percent off on selected bikes and bike parts on June 17.

End the Father’s Day evening by being serenaded by the Keeper’s Club International at 7:00 p.m. at Activity Park. Or bond with dad at Brews & Bites as you listen to nostalgic hits from the 60s and 70s.

Staycation at Makati Diamond Residences

Pay tribute to your father with a weekend getaway in the heart of Makati.

Dads can spend the night in a 41-square meter Studio for P6,500 net or in a 64-square meter One-bedroom Suite for P8,500 net, both inclusive of breakfast for two, complimentary mini bar, free Wi-Fi access, and local city calls. This promo is valid until Sept. 30.

Treat him to a hearty Sunday brunch, highlighted by roast leg of lamb and cochinillo paired with DIY pasta and salad, at Alfred’s tomorrow, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at P2,000 net. Or relieve his body aches and pains with a foot reflexology and sports massage at P2,499 net.

Call (02) 317-0999 or email reservations@makatidiamond.com for inquiries and reservations.

Games and goodwill at Araneta Center

Wellness weekend at The Farm at San Benito

A holistic, healthy weekend awaits dads at this internationally acclaimed medical wellness resort, a few minutes away from the metro.

This Father’s Day, The Farm at San Benito offers the Noble Man package, a four-hour journey that consists of The Farm signature massages for men, Hilot Lakan, a guided session with The Farm’s Holistic Physician, and a complimentary hot Ginger Lime Tea. The 180-minute Hilot Lakan treatment begins with a healing ritual by cleansing the feet with warm herbal water to set the right temperature. When the body is set, a customized herbal body polish is applied using a blend of fresh local healing medicinal herbs and sandalwood bark that helps the body detoxify and regain energy. The massage ends with an invigorating, salutary healing tonic herbal bath followed by Harmonizing Flow.

This treatment is available at P12,229++, get 40 percent discount when dad books a luxury villa on weekdays.

Call (02) 884-8074 or 0918 884-8080, or email info@thefarm.com.ph or reservations@thefarm.com.ph for inquiries and reservations.

Fun activities await Westgate

Spend a healthy weekend at The Farm

Take dad to an afternoon of fun activities at Gateway Mall activity area for Dads on the Go, featuring PBA legend Benjie Paras and his two kids Sam and Riley. Fun games such as dart football and relay will also be held simultaneously in the activity areas of Farmers Plaza and Ali Mall.

A minimum of P700 single-purGateway Mall chase receipt will entitle a father and his kid to join in these activities and win exciting prizes such as shoes and sports gear.

Fathers and the whole family can also exercise their way to helping young scholars in Araneta Center and J. Amado Araneta Foundation’s “We Row For HERO” at the Gateway Mall activity area today. From 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., a rowing machine will be available for 150 volunteers to use for one minute. Each minute corresponds to the money Araneta Center and JAAF will be donating to HERO Foundation.

Visit www.aranetacenter.net and follow @AranetaCenter on Facebook and Twitter and @ TheAranetaCenter on Instagram for more details.

Life

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saturday, june 16, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

‘High Five’ tells the story of an aspiring basketball star who credits his achievements to his supportive dad.

‘High five’ to all dads

w

Ho’S your first coach? For most children, their fathers were their first source of guidance, strength, and inspiration.

That’s why this Father’s Day, local fast food chain Jollibee celebrates the important role dads play in “High Five,” the latest short-film installment in the awardwinning Kwentong Jollibee series.

Directed by Chris Martinez, “High Five” tells the story of an aspiring basketball star who credits his achievements to his dad who has always believed in his capabilities and continuously motivated him.

“More than providing for the needs of the family, our fathers (or tatays) have been a great force that has, and continues to, shape our lives. He sees something special in us, believes in what we can accomplish, and supports us in our endeavors despite the challenges, until we reach our dreams and full potential.

Simply put, we are who we are because of our dads,” enthused Francis Flores, Jollibee brand chief marketing officer.

The Kwentong Jollibee video, which currently has 1.3 million views as of this writing, showcases the incredible father-child relationship using basketball—the country’s most-loved sport—as the vehicle to deliver the message that in the game of life, dads are our best coaches— teaching and cheering us on to make the game-winning shots, always the g.o.A.T., the greatest of All Time, in their eyes. For their children, though, fathers are, and will always be, the g.o.A.T, the greatest of All Tatays.

Go to Jollibee’s official Facebook page to watch “High Five.”

Jollibee’s latest Kwentong Jollibee celebrates the important role dad plays in the life of his child.

A Standing Ovation…for this ship mercury rising

BY BOB zOzOBRadO

Spend a day doing all things dad loves on Father’s Day

10 ways to have an extra special

Father’s Day

wHen it comes to gift giving and celebrations nothing can be more difficult than preparing for a surprise for Father’s Day. of course there’s nothing wrong with giving the ubiquitous tie, money clip, or wallet but if you really want your dad to have an extra special day, then it’s time to plan activities or presents that he will truly enjoy.

Give time to play with his ‘toys’

Let him indulge in a little ‘me’ time

Send him to boot camp

Keep the kids preoccupied with tasks or playthings so dad can focus on things that will make him relax and enjoy like watching his favorite game or series, uninterrupted time online, or even a quick jog outdoors.

This Father’s Day let him spend time doing what he used to do over the weekends – taking care of his second “baby,” his car. To top it off, literally gift him with a new set of Bridgestone wheels like another set of passenger tires, new wet tires for the rainy season, or a 4x4 set for off-road adventures. enroll your dad into a Sports or Performance Training Program at Focus Athletics to help him achieve his fitness goals faster. or better yet, tag along and be his workout buddy so you can bond and encourage each other over drills and exercises.

Encourage him to relax, Spend the day playing his refresh and recharge favorite sport For the dad who needs rest and relaxAthletic dads who love football for instance, will enjoy a trip with the entire family to a specialty store like nike Bootcamp where they can try on the latest football boots and cleats, or buy an extra pair of pro gloves and shin guards.

ation, a chance to unwind at the Commercenter’s Centro Holistico might just be the thing. The wellness center offers acupuncture, iV nutrient Therapy, detox, lymphatic dry brushing, and other programs that can soothe the senses.

Let him live out a dream

Zone out with a little screen time

For dads who secretly dream of riding of into the sunset on a two-wheeled muscle machine, they can now live out their fantasy by enrolling in the Ducati riding experience. Drop by the Ducati shop at the Commercenter to book a class where they will be trained by Ducati Certified instructors. not only will they brush up on their motorcycle riding skills, dads will get a Dre kit, certificate, practical session, and of course hours of riding time on a Ducati motorcycle!

Support his hobbies

if you’re father is more of a cyclist than a biker, a trip to epic Cyle at the Commercenter might just be the highlight of your dad’s day. From performance footwear, helmets, handle bars, and frames, the store has everything a hard core cycling enthusiast needs for a perfect ride.

who doesn’t enjoy a little screen time? with the Commercenter’s spacious and luxurious cinema, dads will surely be able to focus and lose themselves in whatever film they’re watching.

Towering 18 stories high, 348 meters long from bow to stern, carrying a maximum of 4,905 passengers and a crew of 1,500, the ship certainly deserves a standing ovation! royal Caribbean’s germanbuilt ovation of the Seas is the third ship in the cruise line company’s Quantum class which is the second largest class of passenger ships behind royal Caribbean’s oasis class, the ships of which can carry more than 5,000 passengers.

At the invitation for the ship’s maiden call in the country, i headed off to Subic the other day. i was still a good 10 minutes away from the port, but i already saw from the distance the gigantic structure that resembled a big building complex. in fact, when i was looking at the picture taken of me at the port, with the ship standing tall behind me, it looked like i was in front of a very big hotel.

For this particular sailing, the ship came in from Hong Kong, with 4,500 passengers on board, and docked in Subic, just to test the port’s viability as a future destination.

According to Capt. nikolaos Antalis, associate vice president for marine and safety of royal Caribbean Cruises, they will have to wait for feedback from the passengers’ onshore experience, among many other factors to be considered, if Subic or any other port in the country were to be included in the ship’s itinerary. naturally, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, which manages and operates Subic Bay, left no stone unturned in putting up a full-scale colorful, musical and warm welcome for the ship’s passengers and crew.

Aside from several groups that performed native dances and songs on the pier, and another group that dished out rhythmic percussions which made disembarking passengers dance to the beat, there were also several booths put up on the pier by the SBMA’s Tourism office to guide incoming passengers to the area’s shopping, dining, and other entertainment options.

The ovation of the Seas is Asia’s largest and most revolutionary, and is the largest cruise ship to call at any port here in the country. it has a total of 2,091 staterooms (cabins), 75 percent of which are outside, meaning they have balconies that afford passengers a breathtaking panoramic view of the ocean. what’s noteworthy is that 37 percent of the ship’s crew are Fili-

YOUR weekend CHUCkLe If you spin around an ORIENTAL man three times, does he become dis-ORIENTED?

pinos, which means we can expect “kababayan” hospitality in the dining rooms and in the staterooms. with the number of passengers the ship carries, you’ll wonder how and where they will move around in. well, there are a total of 16 guest elevators to make it easy for everyone to go from one deck to the other, and a total of 23 food and beverage dining options. That should be enough to keep any customer occupied. They even have a “Bionic Bar” which uses robots, instead of bartenders, to mix any cocktail drink.

For the shopaholics, there is a big arcade on the Promenade with a dozen shops, including big name brands like Cartier, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, and omega. guaranteed, you’ll find many “luxurious” reasons to part with your dollars. And if you want to up the ante and take a chance at getting back what you spend shopping, there is the Casino royale.

Those who just want a leisurely sailing, the ship has an outdoor movie screen for casual film treats and the royal Theater for evening entertainment. There is also the avant garde Two70, a very modern entertainment venue.

The children will enjoy the Seaplex, a large indoor activity space for roller skates and bumper cars. And i am pretty sure they will have fun at the Video Arcade and at Dreamworks experience, where they will come face-to-face with some of their favorite cartoon characters. For some added excitement, there is the north Star, an observation capsule that rises 92 meters above the ocean.

Sports enthusiasts will be challenged by the Flowrider Surf Simulator, the rockClimbing wall, the Zip Line, and the ripcord which is a sky-diving simulator. There is also an ice skating rink and the tallest water slide at sea! of course, for those opting for a tamer version of athletics, there is the sports court and the gym. i always prefer to spend my time for some relaxing bliss, so i know i will enjoy the spa. royal Caribbean’s ovation of the Seas has many more facilities to marvel at, which is why every time you see Capt. Flemming nielsen, he’s grinning from ear to ear, rightfully proud of everything the ship offers. Am now trying to keep my schedule in check, to see if i can join any of the ship’s upcoming cruises. There’s going to be a 12-night cruise from Tianjin to Singapore on october 7, with stops in okinawa, Taipei, Hong Kong, Hue, nha Trang, and Ho Chih Minh. But, what i find even more exciting is its 14-night sailing from Singapore to Sydney on october 19, with stops in Perth, Adelaide, and Hobart, Tasmania.

More information on this and the other royal Caribbean ships and their sailings may be obtained from wally Cervantes, senior vice president of Arpan Air, the local sales agent for royal Caribbean at seniorvp@arpanair.com.ph.

Let him feast like a king

After a fun-filled and eventful father’s day weekend, treat dad to steak and more steak at the Black Pig. if he’s into burgers, he can dive into the pork belly sandwich which is just as satisfying.

Cap off the day with a toast

Throw a toast to dad and tell him how much you appreciate him with a premium bottle of wine from Bacchus wines. if he’s more into hard drinks, give him a cognac or a whiskey to let him feel valued. Drop by the Comercenter in Alabang this Father’s Day weekend to show your dad how much you care

Royal Caribbean’s 168,666-ton Ovation of the Seas looks like a huge floating building on the high seas.

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com.

Entertainment

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

The ‘Incredible’ portraits of teams

Kramer, Dantes, and Belo-Kho

ABS-CBN launches ‘One Love, One Pinas’ campaign

Gloria Diaz (right) and Elizabeth Oropeza in a scene from the indie roadtrip flick, 'Si Chedeng At Si Apple.'

A riotously funny film on friendship, love and liberation THE road trip adventure comedy film Si Chedeng At Si Apple, starring two of Philippine cinema’s endearing actresses Gloria Diaz andElizabeth Oropesa, joins Cine Lokal as it celebrates diversity and pride this LGBT month featuring award-winning movies shown on selected theaters starting June 22.

Gloria and Elizabeth reunite to give a fresh and fun narrative in this Cinema One Originals entry as part of the weeklong “PelikuLAYA sa Cine Lokal: An LGBT Film Festival,” led by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) in partnership with different LGBTQ organizations.

The former Miss Universe (1969) first teamed up with La Oropesa, 1999’s grand slam best actress, in Ang Pinakamagandang Hayop sa Balat ng Lupa in 1974.

Their exceptional tandem takes moviegoers to a new adventure that centers on friendship, selfdiscovery, and finding true love. Two old women become accidental criminals after Chedeng (Gloria) decides to come out of the closet in the wake of her husband’s death just as Apple (Elizabeth) beheads her live-in partner. The best friends then embark on an exciting road trip to find their heart’s desires.

Si Chedeng At Si Apple is directed by young filmmakers Fatrick Tabada and Rae Red, best known as the screenwriter of the award-winning films Patay Na Si Hesus and Birdshot, respectively.

Moviegoers of all ages can relate to the film’s overall self-discovery and liberation theme.

“It’s about freedom from whatever you need to unshackle yourself from, taking control of your own life, [and] learning to fight for what you want.” shared its directors. The story, they said, aims to depict that “coming out shouldn’t be gloomy and bleak.”

The “riotously funny” movie, according to a review by Megan Purdy of international film site msenscene.com, talks about friendship, love, duty, and scoundrels. She said, “Chedeng and Apple is a funny and refreshing film about older women living for themselves and rediscovering the importance of their friendship.”

Hayley Scanlon of windowsonworlds.com, meanwhile, stressed the fine performance of the leads. “The spiky banter between the two women has an authentic, lived-in quality that brings a degree of realism,” he said.

The movie had its international premiere at Europe’s largest filmfest dedicated to Asian cinema—the 20th Far East Film Festival—held in Udine, Italy last April, and was also recently shown in Seattle International Film Festival. It will be screened at Frameline’s 2018 San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival this month.

In last year’s Cinema One Originals, Si Chedeng At Si Apple won best supporting actress for Mae Paner and also earned a special jury citation “for its humorous critique on Filipino macho culture and discourse on the emancipation of gender and age.”

The film’s lead actresses Gloria and Elizabeth got Best Actress nominations at the Gawad Urian 2018. Gloria also got nominated for Best Actress at the 66th Famas Awards.

Catch Si Chedeng At Si Apple on Cine Lokal at SM Manila, SM Sta. Mesa, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, SM Fairview, SM Southmall, and SM Bacoor from June 22 to 28.

Incredible Filipino celebrity families with Pixar animator Bryn Imagire.

D

ISNEY-PIXAR’S Incredibles 2 held its Philippine premiere on June 11 at the SM Aura IMAX Cinema heralding the return of the beloved Parr brood of superheroes.

For his part, Doug Kramer shared, “What an honor it was to be one of the three families that Ms. Bryn Imagire sketched through the #Incredibles2 theme here in the Philippines.”

Not to be outdone, Vicky Belo raved, “How incredible is this version of our family portrait by Bryn Imagire! Thank you Bryn, it’s such an honor to be immortalized by you!”

The “Incredible” family portraits are currently on public display at the SM Aura Atrium.

In Incredibles 2, Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) is called Adjunct to the premiere was the unveiling of family portraits on to lead a campaign to bring Supers back, while Bob (voice created by Pixar animator Bryn Imagire who flew in from the of Craig T. Nelson) navigates the day-to-day heroics of US to be part of the film’s Manila launch. “normal” life at home with Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell), Credited as the Shading Art Director of Incredibles Dash (voice of Huck Milner) and baby Jack-Jack—whose 2, Imagire interpreted the Dantes (Dingdong, Marian super powers are about to be discovered.

Rivera and daughter Zia), Kramer (Doug, Cheska and Their mission is derailed, however, when a new villain children Kendra, Scarlett and Gavin) and Belo- emerges with a brilliant and dangerous plot that threatens Kho (Vicky, Hayden and daughter Scarlet) families as everything. But the Parrs don’t shy away from a challenge, “Incredible” supers. especially with Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) by their All three families attended the big reveal, visibly delighted side. That’s what makes this family so Incredible. by their portraits.

Written and directed by Brad Bird (Iron Giant, The In his Instagram post after the event, Dingdong Dantes Incredibles, Ratatouille) and produced by John Walker (The wrote, “Many thanks to Bryn Imagire... [S]he made us her own Incredibles,Tomorrowland) and Nicole Grindle (Sanjay’s interpretation of a Dantes Incredibles family portrait! What an Super Team short, Toy Story 3 associate producer), honor and privilege.”

Disney•Pixar’s Incredibles 2 busts into theaters on June 14.

The alpha males of Independence Day THE recently concluded Araw ng Kasarinlan festivities aroused the curiosities of many. You may wonder, why so? Thanks to local Tinseltown’s three favorite leading men, Dingdong Dantes, Alden Richards and Paulo Avelino, who added the heat and sizzle to the rainy day that was June 12, the 120th Anniversary of Philippine Independence.

I personally attended the Istorya ng Pag-asa Film Festival, with Dong Dantes (the voice over called him as such) as the host and Vice President Leni Robredo as special guest.

Five best short films, selected from 73 entries, were shown and presented to an enthusiastic crowd inside the Cinema 6 of Glorietta 4.

In her speech, Robredo said, “This festival and the whole Istorya ng Pag-asa project of the Office of the Vice President have been a journey of hope, positivity, and affirmation of what makes us proud to be a Filipino. Today, we celebrate the stories from these 15 filmmakers, as well as the triumph of every Filipino who has gone through tremendous adversity and emerged hopeful as bearers of light for the people around them.”

The major partners of this festival were the Ayala Foundation and the Ayala Group of Companies. Festival judges were Professor Doy Del Mundo, FDCP’s Liza Diño, filmmakers Dan Villegas and Quark Henares with actress Shamaine Buencamino as chair.

The Winners Circle includes special awardees: Best Script – Ang Gahum Sang Daku Nga Gahum (by Demy

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, June 16, 2018

ACROSS 1 Mercy 5 Chicago airport 10 Laird 14 Feel sore 15 Plump 16 Be an owner 17 Fossil fuel 18 Rousseau novel 19 Bad sign 20 Made catty remarks 22 Lawmakers 24 Kramer or Satie 26 Archaeological site 27 Use a coupon 29 Fingerprint, say 33 Moo goo — pan 34 Grabs 37 Slow mover 38 Compute a sum 39 Neatens a beard 41 Rx givers 42 — Rivera 45 Hit the horn 46 Work by Keats 47 Dog Star 49 Small crevice 52 Last degree 53 Fuzzy fruit 54 Elegant one (2 wds.)

59 Jelly thickener 63 Nest or burrow 64 Bellow

66 Bronte governess 67 Equally balanced 68 Rotating shop machine 69 Disagreement 70 — shui 71 Put up with 72 Freight units DOWN 1 Snow boots 2 Click-on item 3 Bangkok native 4 Barked 5 Submissive to authority 6 Whir 7 Graph part 8 Part in a drama 9 Improves by editing 10 Kind of wedding 11 Hunter’s wear 12 Walkie-talkie word 13 Playing cards 21 Sooner than anon 23 Zeroes in on 25 Target rival 27 Diameter halves 28 Northern duck 30 Pythias’ friend 31 Lightheaded

Animator Bryn Imagire is the shading art director on 'Incredibles 2' and has also worked on Pixar's 'The Good Dinosaur' and Disney's 'Coco.'

32 “Anything —?”

33 Is on the go 35 Sci. class 36 Art class wear 40 Removed paint 43 Medicinal root 44 Six to an inning 48 Shoulder warmers 50 Wonder 51 Most pleasant 54 Gourmet’s staffer 55 What makes the world go ’round

56 Last word 57 Online activity 58 Oz pooch 60 Spelling error 61 Turkey’s neighbor 62 Makes after taxes 65 Shout of surprise

ARIAS ALWIN IGNACIO Cruz); Best Cinematography - The Climbing Puppeteer (by Aunell Ross Angcos); and Best Director —Pamilyang Bernardo (by Anna Mikaela Quizon).

Victorious films were: 2nd runner up —Gawilan (by Kelsy Lua); 1st runner up—Tago (by Margaret Serranila); and Best Picture—Ang Byahe ni Marlon (by Florence Rosini).

The Best Film was my personal favorite, Rosini’s Ang Biyahe ni Marlon, about a father afflicted with Tourette Syndrome. It’s a powerful short film that conveyed in five minutes, a husband and father whose heart is filled with courage, hope, and love for life, which some twohour garbage masquerading as a comedy movie can never bring to light.

Going back to Dantes, his hosting was on point. He did not buckle. Read his cue cards and pronounced the words sans the pretentious American accent. No unnecessary adlibs. He did not murder the King’s language. As he mentioned the names of the filmmakers, one can feel his admiration and respect for these young bloods, the new hopes of the film making industry.

In a chit-chat, the actor inquired if I have watched Sid and Aya. I answered an affirmative and I saw his eyes twinkled with appreciation. Proud to admit that

I’m one of the many who made the Irene Villamor motion a mammoth hit, P141 million box-office gross (and counting).

Meanwhile, at theGrandstand area, nobody can rain on his parade as Paulo Avelino arrived on a horse as Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral.

Ably supported by other cast members such as Mon Confiado as Emilio Aguinaldo, Epy Quizon as Apolinario Mabini and Gwen Zamora.

Avelino was a sight to behold as Goyo. His extra good looks was a definite advantage and fully costumed as the young general, one can sense that Paulo invested much on giving life to historical figure, his authority and gravitas as the hero whose life story will be made known soon in September, was truly electric.

In the Queen City of the South in Cebu, Pambansang Bae Alden Richards joined the flag raising ceremony of the City Government of Lapu-Lapu at the Liberty Shrine.

The Bedinpled One employed his charm offensive at 7am, wearing a Barong Filipino that made him looking like Prince Charming in a traditional Filipino outfit.

Later that afternoon, Richards had a Kapuso Fans Day program held at the South Town Center in Talisay, Cebu.

Without any doubt, the actor who once portrayed national here Dr. Jose Rizal, made a lot of Cebuanos oh so very happy last Independence Day. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang ating Kalayaan at Kasarinlan!

ABS-CBN pays tribute to the good qualities of Filipinos through the “One Love, One Pinas” campaign, which was launched on June 12 as the nation celebrated its 120th year of independence.

The Kapamilya network set off its onair and digital campaign during its annual flag-raising ceremony with a special video showing people from around the Philippines who spread love and positivity in their own ways. The video highlights values of Filipinos from all walks of life. From creative entrepreneur Kim Obiso, the creative owner of Cebu’s “Jeepeoke” who brings joy to passengers with a fullyfunctioning videoke machine onboard his jeepney; the hardworking fisherman from Miag-Ao, Ramon Montalbo, who supports his whole family; the persevering Silay farmer Bonifacio Villarena who refuses to let difficult circumstances break his spirit; and the selfless public school teacher Jimmy Conil, a Palau’an Tribe member who found his calling as an educator in remote areas of Palawan.

According to ABS-CBN chairman Mark Lopez, “One Love, One Pinas” hopes to inspire Filipinos to celebrate what truly makes the Philippines beautiful, which are its people and the values they possess.

“We want to be able to help shed light on the Filipino values that truly make our country rich through our news and entertainment programs,” said Mark.

“Through our talent reality shows and sports programs, we also hope to help develop the talents and fighting spirit of Filipinos everywhere.”

He also stated the network’s continuing goal of spreading the Philippine cultural heritage through ABS-CBN Regional, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year with 33 stations around the country.

The ceremony, which was attended by ABS-CBN employees, staff, and officials, was hosted by Jorge Carino and Doris Bigornia of ABS-CBN News, and featured a special performance by the internationally-acclaimed University of Santo Tomas Singers.

To promote Filipino pride, ABSCBN invites everyone to take part in this campaign by posting stories, photos, or videos that highlight our Filipino values, culture, sceneries, and food on social media using the hashtag #OneLoveOnePinas. People can view the “One Love, One Pinas” video on the ABS-CBN News and Entertainment Youtube channels.

ABS-CBN head Mark Lopez said “One Love, One Pinas” hopes to inspire Filipinos to celebrate what truly makes the Philippines beautiful, which are its people and the values they possess.

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

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SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018

Entertainment

Nature docuseries 'Planet Earth II' captures footage using innovations in technology and good old-fashioned human tenacity.

By Nickie Wang

W

E HAVE made great strides to understand the mysteries around us, but the more we discover Earth’s magnificence, the more we learn that this place we call home is just kind of strange. The Earth is much more bizarre than we thought.

In a program called Planet Earth II, an utterly stunning nature documentary by British Broadcasting Company (BBC), the crew used a variety of sneaky ways to capture footage of very rare animals. The gorgeously filmed nature documentary shows clips from the absurd circle of life—plants growing, insects feeding, prey hiding, and predators hunting, to name a few.

These stunning clips, filmed over three years in 40 countries in Ultra HD, which also showcases spectacular footage from the centers of crowded cities to the most remote mountaintops, are what we are going to see in GMA’s newest infotainment program Amazing Earth beginning June 17.

Presented by Dingdong Dantes, the program showcases the unseen beauty of planet Earth featuring the BBC award-winning series.

The first Planet Earth series was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC and also the first to be filmed in high definition. It received multiple awards, including four Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and an award from the Royal Television Society.

It aired in 2006 in the United Kingdom on BBC One, and by June 2007 had been shown in 130 countries. The original version was narrated by David Attenborough, while some international versions used alternative narrators. Hence, Dantes doing the hosting job for the Philippine presentation of the series.

While featuring extraordinary and exceptional wildlife from all over the world, Dantes will also bring the audience to different places in the Philippines—from its natural formations and all types of terrains to its fascinating flora and fauna.

“I love to travel. In my every destination, I always discover that we still have a lot of things to learn and explore about how beautiful this planet is. That’s why in this show, expect me to be part of the journey of every viewer—that in every episode, I will be learning side-by-side with them,” Dantes said in a press launch on Wednesday.

He further said the show enables him to unlock his adventurous side.

A show for all ages, the program presents amazing wildlife stories using ultra high definition cameras, remote recording and aerial drone technology.

Dingdong—being an advocate of education, youth development and protection of the environment—is proud that the show highlights how everyone should properly treat and protect the people, animals and our planet.

“I’m happy while doing this, I realized how it teaches me the value of respect—for the people, the animals and our planet. In the complexities of this current world, we should all find this balance wherein we could all co-exist and live as how we were all designed,” he stated.

Amazing Earth is helmed by Rico Gutierrez. It premieres tomorrow after 24 Oras Weekend on GMA-7.

Dingdong Dantes is hosting 'Amazing Earth,' an infotainment program featuring BBC's big budget and multi-awarded series, 'Planet Earth II.'

Make dad look good, feel great HE WAS the first man in your life. He carried you as a baby when mom was too tired and sleep-deprived to do so. He changed your diapers and stayed up at night even when he was tired from work.

When you started school, he woke up an hour early to take you on his way to work. He’d also bring you to mall outings with friends and even parties. He made you look good, feel great during challenging times, such as when someone bullied you at school.

Dad may not be at home most of the time but when he is, he makes sure he spends quality time with you. Now that you’re all grown up and caught up with the realities of life, time spent with your father isn’t as much as it was when you were a child and in school.

In a Father’s Day video of Watsons, which genuinely captures why our father is our ultimate superhero, reminds us that before all these comic book and movie superheroes, we already had our Dad in our life.

Now, it’s your turn to make Dad look and feel great.

Here are some heartfelt suggestions: Take him to lunch or dinner at his favorite restaurant and foot the bill. Now that you’re a professional, take your dad on a Father’s Day date. Surprise him.

Even better than a meal at a restaurant is a meal you made yourself. With YouTube tutorials, it is so easy to prepare and cook a good meal. Your dad will be happy and proud, no matter what the results.

Give your father the gift of good health by putting together vitamins and supplements so he will be healthier. Dad may no longer be young but he can live a long and fulfilling life if he takes care of his health.

Book him a session or two with a fitness trainer who can come up with a realistic health program for him. Your dad may be too busy or not have the time to exercise but with the right information, he’ll have no excuses and get right on to it.

Watsons Philippines Father's Day tribute, a video that's now making rounds online, reminds us that before we were introduced to big screen superheroes, we already had our Dad.

More than any material thing, your father will appreciate the gift of love. Make time from your busy schedule to be with him and reconnect, not just for lunch or dinner. Send him an SMS everyday or give him a call to let him know that despite your being an adult, he is still your superhero.

To learn more about the video, visit the Watsons Philippines Facebook page and watsonsph on Instagram. To learn more about Watsons, visit http://www.watsons. com.ph.

Benjie Paras, kids grace Father’s Day event at the Araneta Center

Benjie Paras is the special guest in Araneta Center's Father's Day program, which hosts a series of activities for the whole family.

KNOWN for their hard work and sacrifice to provide for their families, fathers finally get a much deserve downtime and recognition in Araneta Center’s Father’s Day celebration tomorrow.

Dubbed as “Dads on the Go,” the event will be a whole afternoon of fun activities for fathers and their families, with no less than actor and PBA legend Benjie Paras as special guest.

The father of rising basketball stars Andre and Kobe, Benjie has carved a niche playing father roles in TV and movie projects such as Wansapanataym: That’s My Toy, That’s My Boy, Nathaniel, Wang Fam, and Got to Believe.

He will be bringing along his younger kids Sam and Riley to play with the daddy participants and their children at the Gateway Mall activity area starting at 1:00 p.m..

Fun games such as dart football and relay will also be held simultaneously in the activity areas of Farmers Plaza and Ali Mall.

A minimum of P700 single-purchase receipt will entitle a father and his kid to join in these activities and win exciting prizes such as shoes and sports gear.

Be a Hero on Father’s Day Fathers, mothers, and even their children can also exercise their way to helping young scholars in Araneta Center and J. Amado Araneta Foundation’s (JAAF) “We Row For HERO” at the Gateway Mall activity area today.

From 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., a rowing machine will be available for 150 volunteers to use for one minute. Each minute corresponds to the money Araneta Center and JAAF will be donating to HERO (Help Educate and Rear Orphans) Foundation.

HERO has been providing educational assistance to children of fallen soldiers since 1988. Since then, the organization has already supported the schooling of more than 2,000 kids with the help of its partners like JAAF. A number of its new scholars this year are children of soldiers who fought terrorists in Marawi last year.

Volunteers in this event will also get gift certificates from Anytime Fitness.