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Senate supermajority looms

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

A

N ADMINISTRATION supermajority looms in the Senate with 11 candidates endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte poised to win in Monday’s midterm elections.

This gives the ruling coalition of Duterte, halfway into his six-year term, a full 19 sitting senators.

According to partial and unofficial count from Comelec’s transparency server

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 90 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

as of 7:20 p.m. Tuesday, Senators Cynthia Villar and Grace Poe continue to lead the senatorial race in the May 13 elections after 95.02 percent of total election returns Next page had been processed.

Rody big winner in Monday’s polls

#2019PHVOTE: SENATORIAL RACE 1 VILLAR (NP) 24,497,560

6 ANGARA (LDP) 17,612,084

11 PIMENTEL (PDPLBN) 14,149,497

2 POE (IND) 21,415,299

7 LAPID (NPC) 16,468,345

12 BINAY (UNA) 14,123,874

3 GO (PDPLBN) 19,864,849

8 MARCOS (NP) 15,370,053

13 EJERCITO (NPC) 13,876,548

4 CAYETANO (NP) 19,147,818

9 TOLENTINO (PDPLBN) 14,951,045

14 AQUINO (LP) 13,764,593

5 DELA ROSA (PDPLBN) 18,255,363

10 REVILLA (LAKAS) 14,161,021

15 ESTRADA (PMP) 11,026,189

By Nat Mariano PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s allies were poised for victory in midterm polls, unofficial results showed Tuesday, signalling firm approval of his rule and clearing a path for his most controversial plans.

Duterte’s deadly crackdown on narcotics has drawn international censure, but is central to the populist appeal that has buoyed his remarkable popularity among Filipinos since taking the presidency in 2016.

In Monday’s vote, administration loyalist candidates for the Senate were headed for a resounding election win, according to data released by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, a Catholic-run poll monitor accredited by the government to tally votes.

With 94 percent of ballots counted early Tuesday, Duterte allies were on track to take nine of 12 open seats in the upper house, which has been a bulwark against some of the President’s most controversial proposals.

Official, complete results from the nation’s elections commission are expected in the coming days.

Historically, the nation’s 24 senators—who serve six-year terms—have Next page

Poll machines malfunction: Koko seeks probe

Metro Manila Mayoralty Results Caloocan

Malabon

Malapitan, Oca

By Joel E. Zurbano and Vito Barcelo

Las Piñas

SENATOR Aquilino Pimentel III on Tuesday called for a congressional inquiry into reported vote counting machine glitches that caused delays during Monday’s midterm polls.

Pimentel, chairman of the Senate committee on electoral reforms and people’s participation, questioned the Commission on Elections for lacking the foresight to anticipate the widespread malfunctioning of VCMs in different areas of the country.

“Glitches are enough to call for a congressional investigation. Why are we still having theses glitches? Can’t COMELEC anticipate them?” Pimentel told reporters in a text message.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said it was time for the country to stop tapping Smartmatic for the elections.

Binay, Abby

423,072 Oreta, Lenlen

Manila

Aguilar, Imelda

170,972 Domagoso, Isko

Makati

Navotas

179,522 Tiangco, Toby

Mandaluyong Abalos, Menchie

Marikina

Teodoro, Marcy

Pasay

128,661 Calixto-Rubiano, Emi 157,576

Muntinlupa

Fresnedi, Jaime

164,144

Parañaque

Olivarez, Edwin

Pasig

Pateros

Ponce, Ike

Quezon City Belmonte, Joy

San Juan

169,224 Zamora, Francis

Taguig

Sotto, Vico

208,548 Cayetano, Lino

Valenzuela

Gatchalian, Rex

248,911

Next page

99,885 357,925 78,778 121,391 18,370 469,480 35,060 174,558

GLITCHES DESPITE. The Commission on Elections national and local canvassing board starts Tuesday its canvassing for the 2019 midterm elections at the seaside Philippine International Convention Center. Officials admitted that several glitches were experienced throughout election day and during the transmission of election results to the transparency server, but said the recent elections underscored the gains demonstrated by the automated election system in the country. Ey Acasio

Giant killers: Youngblood reign while some dynasties fall

Moon shrinking, shows wrinkles

By Jimbo Gulle and Rio N. Araja VOTERS in Manila who booted Mayor Joseph Estrada out of office Monday highlighted a trend among some cities to vote out political clans that have had a stranglehold over local politics stretching across generations.

In Cebu, Mayor Tommy Osmeña suffered the same fate, as did Roberto Eusebio of Pasig, and other members of political dynasties.

Residents of the capital and areas across the country woke up Tuesday to new, and younger, mayors and elective officials who broke through the bailiwicks of the families that have ruled their towns and cities unchallenged for decades.

With their grip on local politics, the patriarchs of these clans were able to pass on positions to their children and grandchildren as if they were inherited.

While many other clans survived the midterm elections, Estrada’s defeat in Manila to his one-time vice mayor, MORENO

BELMONTE

SOTTO

ZAMORA

Next page

WASHINGTON—The Moon is steadily shrinking, causing wrinkling on its surface and quakes, according to an analysis of imagery captured by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) published Monday.

A survey of more than 12,000 images revealed that lunar basin Mare Frigoris near the Moon’s north pole— one of many vast basins long assumed Next page

News

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Du30 siblings sweep Davao polls

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

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HE family of President Rodrigo Duterte cemented its grip on Davao politics after the three eldest Duterte siblings were poised to win in Monday’s elections.

Sara Duterte was upbeat about posting a landslide victory over her closest rival, while her running mate, younger brother Sebastian, was unopposed.

Meanwhile, President Duterte does not want his daughter Sara to experience the presidency, the Palace said on Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo told reporters it was only natural for

Senate...

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With no senatorial candidate from the “Otso Diretso” entering the “Magic 12” based on the partial, unofficial results, the 18th Congress braces with only four opposition senators, led by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, who said the opposition might have less in number now but stressed they would continue to fiscalize —a unique Filipino term to mean to keep watch on – the administration in the Senate.

The four opposition senators include Senator Leila de Lima, who has been detained at the PNP Custodian Center in Camp Crame since February 2017 over illegal drug charges, Senators Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros.

In related developments: • Half of the opposition’s Senate slate conceded on Tuesday, but they promised the fight for the Filipinos would not end with their defeat.

Otso Diretso candidates election lawyer Romy Macalintal, ex-Solicitor General Pilo Hilbay, civic leader Samira Gutoc, and former congressman Erin Tañada waved the white flag, ending months of their grueling campaign.

“The will of the people is supreme, so we respect the result of the elections... This is not the result we hoped for, but it is the reality that we have to face with the optimism that we will have better days,” Hilbay said in a statement.

Macalintal added, “It is clear that a great majority of our voters have chosen other candidates. And I respect their decision.”

• Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday urged Filipinos to respect the voice of the majority.

In a statement, Lacson also reminded the public to remain vigilant and keep an eye on the new public “servants.”

“When the dust has finally settled and all the winners have been officially proclaimed, let us bear in mind that we are all Filipinos who love democracy, no matter the flaws and weaknesses,” he said.

“What is important is that we respect the voice of the majority but without abandoning our responsibility to continue our vigilance against abuses and wrongdoings of those given the mandate to serve. Remember, we may not be their masters, but definitely, they are our servants,” he added.

A total 18,072 national and local positions were at stake in Monday’s polls.

At stake in Monday’s polls were positions for 12 senators, 61 seats for party-list organizations, 245 members of the House of Representatives, 81 governors and vice governors, 780 members of the provincial board, 145 city mayors and vice mayors, 1,628 city councilors, 1,489 municipal mayors and vice mayors, and 11,916 municipal councilors.

• In the Senate, President Vicente Sotto vowed the upper chamber would remain free from the influence of President Duterte.

“Don’t worry that there will be no opposition in the Senate because opposing is not the sole franchise of the opposition. We just side with what is right.,” Sotto told radio dzMM. • Former police and corrections chief Ronald dela Rosa issued guarantees to the public that he would not be a lapdog of the Palace, as he is poised to get a seat in the Senate after placing in the top half of the midterm polls based on partial, unofficial results.

Poll machines...

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Smartmatic International has been providing the VCMs used in the all four automated elections—2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019.

COMELEC spokesperson James Jimenez said the number of VCMs that malfunctioned in Monday’s polls—estimated at about 600— was still within the “acceptable” range, given the use of 85,000 machines.

“What we see right now is 400 to 600 machines and instances it could go higher.

I don’t know yet but so far that’s all that has been reported to me. That is a small figure out of 85,000 VCMs. So it seems to me it’s still within the range,” he said in a press briefing at the National Board of Canvassers headquarters at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

But the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections declared that violence, machine malfunctions and other irregularities could affect the integrity of the election results in specific areas.

NAMFREL volunteers reported incidents of violence in Datu Piang and Matanog in Maguindanao that made it impossible for people to vote.

In Sulu, violence was reported in Panglima Estino, Patikul, Talipao, and Panamao.

Reports of altercations between voters were also received from Basilan and Lanao del Sur. Volunteers in Davao Oriental and Davao

the President to warn his daughter to shoot down her plans to become the next president.

“I think, it’s because many people would want her to run. The President feels, through his experience, that it’s hard to become President. People would criticize you even though you were doing good,” Panelo said.

“Since he is a father to a daughter, he doesn’t want her children to experience what he’s going through right now.”

Sara, who sought her third and last term, obtained 511,393 votes over the 3,853 votes received by independent candidate Jun Marcellones based on the partial, unofficial results from the Comelec as of 8:30 p.m. on Monday.

As of 9:46 a.m. on Tuesday, the partial, unofficial results showed that Sara

Dela Rosa, quoting the late President Manuel L. Quezon, said his loyalty to his party ends where his loyalty to the country begins.

“I will be supportive, I will be cooperative, but I will never be dictated to by Malacañang,” Dela Rosa told ANC. “If you see that it will not be good, too selfish, too personal, if the agenda that the President wants to pursue is too selfish, we are not that stupid to support it,” he said.

Dela Rosa, who served as President Duterte’s top cop in Davao City during his time as Mayor, was Malacañang’s chief enforcer of the anti-drug campaign when he was national police chief.

The 2019 midterm election was the fourth time the country held an automated poll nationwide.

The first one was during the 2010 presidential polls, the 2013 mid-term election was the second, and the last was during the 2016 presidential polls.

Liberal Party president Senator Francis Pangilinan still would not concede defeat for Sen. Bam Aquino and the seven other senatorial aspirants, stressing the fight did not end with the election.

He said they would continue to hope that one or two opposition senatorial bets would make it to the Magic 12 until the last ballot is counted.

Pangilinan gave assurances the fight would continue on issues against China’s illegal intrusion into the country’s territory, alleged extrajudicial killings, illegal drugs, and the fight for a decent pay and more job opportunities for all Filipinos.

Although they were not sure of winning, he said the opposition participated in the elections because of their principles.

Lacson also underscored the need to respect the voice of the majority “but without abandoning our responsibility to continue our vigilance against abuses and wrongdoings of those given the mandate to serve.”

“When the dust has finally settled and all the winners have been officially proclaimed, let us bear in mind that we are all Filipinos who love democracy, no matter the flaws and weaknesses,” Lacson said in a statement.

“What is important is that we respect the voice of the majority but without abandoning our responsibility to continue our vigilance against abuses and wrongdoings of those given the mandate to serve,” he added.

For his part, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, noted how having the last name is no longer an assurance in winning the elections.

In his Twitter Account, Gatchalian posted, “All of the sudden, dynasties are under threat. Your last name is not an assurance anymore.”

Meanwhile, Villar thanked voters who gave her an early lead in the partial and unofficial tally of votes for the Senate race.

Villar also said she was happy that two of her partymates in the Nacionalista Party— Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano and Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos—also had strong showing in the polls.

Villar also extended her family’s gratitude to residents of her home city of Las Pinas for electing her daughter, Camille, as representative.

Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas said the proclamation of the winning senatorial candidates could take “several days” even though the results were already known as could be seen in the transparency server.

Occidental also reported that voters just went home when they were unable to locate their precinct numbers, or could not find their names in the precincts where they have previously voted.

In Davao, Lanao del Sur, Cagayan de Oro and Basilan, there were reports of failure of the Voter Registration Verification Machines in pilot areas.

NAMFREL also said the vote counting machine malfunctions in San Dionisio, Iloilo, and specific clustered precincts in various cities in Metro Manila resulted in manual voting.

In areas with defective VCMs, voters would no longer be around when their votes were finally cast, although they were given the option to wait, Namfrel said.

Malfunctions took several forms, the group said. VCMs would freeze, overheat or turn themselves on. Sometimes, there were paper jams or ballots would be rejected. All of these resulted in delays.

In Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte, volunteers reported that VCMs failed to produce voting receipts.

NAMFREL volunteers also reported lack of some election paraphernalia, as well as poor crowd management in many areas.

In Santolan Elementary School in Pasig City, political party watchers handled the transfer of filled-out ballots from the precincts to a room on another floor of the school building without the accompaniment of independent election observers.

Vote buying was also reported in Cagay-

amassed 567,777 votes based on 97.89 percent of the Election Returns. Marcellones received 4,176 votes.

Sebastian, who promised to do his job well, received 545,807 votes.

For the city’s 1st district, Paolo Duterte got 190,155 votes against Rex Labis’ 2,064 votes and Susan Uyanguren’s 4,950 votes based on the partial, unofficial results from the Comelec Monday night.

As of 9:46 a.m. Tuesday, he had 195,074 votes.

Uyanguren and Labis had 5,081 votes and 2,112 votes, respectively.

It would be the first in Congress for Paolo, who earlier quit his vice mayoralty post in December 2017 after his name was dragged in the Senate investigation on the illegal drug operations in the country.

However, it would be the first time in

politics for Sebastian who was earlier more inclined to do commercials for various products than to enter politics.

Sara, Sebastian and Paolo are the President’s children with his first wife Elizabeth Zimmerman. He has another child, Veronica “Kitty” with his common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña.

With the three Duterte children emerging victorious in the midterm elections, and their father as the President, Davao City remains the “stronghold” of the Dutertes.

But the President defended his family from strong criticisms that they were building a “political dynasty” in Davao.

While the President admitted that he did not want political dynasties, he said they were forced into it because the people asked for it. With Nat Mariano

COUNSELS. Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas talk with the legal counsels of political

parties during the counting of votes from the provinces such as Ifugao, Agusan del Norte and Sorsogon. PNA

Giant killers:...

From A1

Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, by a nearly 2-to-1 vote, was stunning.

Nor could Estrada seek solace in his previous bailiwick of San Juan, where his granddaughter, Janella Ejercito, lost to another former vice mayor, Francis Zamora.

The Ejercito-Estrada family has held sway of San Juan politics for nearly half a century.

Another youngster, Victor Maria Regis Nubla “Vico” Sotto, dethroned Eusebio in Pasig, which the family has controlled since 1992.

Osmeña, who has served Cebu as mayor in previous terms of seven (1988 to 1995) and nine years (2001 to 2010), saw his latest three-year term ended by his Vice Mayor, Edgar Labella.

Elsewhere, Estrada’s old buddy Chavit Singson became the new mayor of Narvacan, Ilocos Sur by ending the 30-year reign of the Zaragoza family; the Floirendo-Del Rosario family lost its hold on Davao Del Sur; and the Lobregats of Zamboanga City were denied office by Mayor Beng Climaco and her allies.

“A dynasty can only last so long,” former Ateneo School of Government Dean—and Manila Standard columnist—Antonio La Viña told ABS-CBN’s ‘Bandila’ news program on Monday night.

“This is the positive part of the night.

You can actually topple dynasties and giants,” he said.

The success of the mayoral bids of Sotto, Domagoso, and Zamora could be attributed to good campaigns, the lawyer said.

“It’s very simple. [The voters] wanted change, not the old [politicians] and wanted to try something new,” La Viña said.

“In truth, if you also go around the country, that’s the most depressing thing about our politics. It’s the same family, it’s the same family names, and it seems hopeless,” he added.

Yet the victories of Domagoso, 44, Zamora, 41 and Sotto, 30 in Metro Manila provided a glimmer of hope that things can change if the voters will it.

The trend certainly left Estrada, 82, puzzled, even as his sons Jinggoy Estrada and JV Ejercito failed to win seats in the Senate, and his nephew, ER Ejercito was losing his bid for governor of Laguna province.

“I don’t know how this happened…

It baffles me until now. The feeling is so an de Oro, Lanao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, and Zamboanga del Norte, and in Metro Manila.

NAMFREL also said their volunteers reported that in many areas, Emergency Accessible Polling Places for persons with disability, senior citizens, and pregnant women were not provided.

NAMFREL deployed about 25,000 volunteers across the country to observe the voting, counting and consolidation processes on Monday.

The volunteers used observation forms that reflect NAMFREL’S more than 35 years of experience in monitoring Philippine and international elections.

Another election watchdog, Kontra Daya, expressed alarm over the failure of the Commission on Elections transparency server to provide current results to the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and media for some seven hours.

The Computer Professionals’ Union also expressed disappointment over the technical glitches that marred the elections, and said COMELEC and its technology service provider Smartmatic Inc. be held accountable.

Timely results from the transparency servers are vital in affirming the accuracy, credibility and cleanliness of the election, so problems in the transmission of votes was a major issue, the group said.

“The COMELEC should have done more rigorous quality assurance and preparation as these are critical,” the group added.

With Nat Mariano and PNA

heavy,” the outgoing Manila mayor told ABS-CBN on Monday. “Until now, I’m still at a loss as to who had a hand in this.”

Estrada claimed that he was a target of a “project” to unseat him.

“Why should I concede? All surveys, from the start, said I would win. Now all of a sudden, Isko won,” he said.

However, political science professor Julio Teehankee said the apparent end of the Estrada-Ejercito era is part of a “cycle of dynasticism” in the Philippines where political clans eventually lose power after years of dominance.

Teehankee said Estrada might have been ripe for the picking, six years after expanding his political power from San Juan, where he was mayor for 27 years, to Manila, where he won his first mayoral term in 2013 and was running for his third and last consecutive term.

“That is where his problem started, because now he has to take care of two kingdoms,” Teehankee told ANC. “It was a gamble, pardon the pun, on the part of Erap and they went all in and they’re losing big.”

In Pasig City, Sotto broke through almost three decades of domination by the Eusebios.

Sotto, who won election as councilor in 2016, is the son of celebrities Vic Sotto and Coney Reyes.

His party-mate former Rep. Roman Romulo also won the race against Eusebio’s brother incumbent Rep. Ricky Eusebio and is now a returning congressman for Pasig City’s lone district.

Zamora, a businessman, is the new mayor of San Juan City ending the reign of the Ejercito-Estrada clan in the smallest city in Metro Manila.

The new mayor promised to turn San Juan into a highly developed “smart city” with improved services and state-of-the-art facilities.

Francis’ father, Ronaldo Zamora, remains in office after defeating challenger Edu Manzano for a House seat representing the lone district of San Juan.

The Estrada clan took hold of San Juan City in 1969 when Estrada won as mayor.

He was succeeded by his sons Jinggoy and JV Ejercito then JV’s mother Guia Gomez, who narrowly beat Zamora in 2016.

The Zamoras and Estradas were family friends for 30 years before the contested 2016 election, which Zamora said was stolen from him.

Moon...

From A1

to be dead sites from a geological point of view—has been cracking and shifting.

Unlike our planet, the Moon doesn’t have tectonic plates; instead, its tectonic activity occurs as it slowly loses heat from when it was formed 4.5 billion years ago.

This in turn causes its surface to wrinkle, similar to a grape that shrivels into a raisin.

Since the moon’s crust is brittle, these forces cause its surface to break as the interior shrinks, resulting in so-called thrust faults, where one section of crust is pushed up over an adjacent section.

As a result, the Moon has become about 150 feet (50 meters) “skinnier” over the past several hundred million years.

The Apollo astronauts first began measuring seismic activity on the Moon in the 1960s and 1970s, finding the vast majority were occurred deep in the body’s interior while a smaller number were on its surface.

The analysis was published in Nature Geoscience and examined the shallow moonquakes recorded by the Apollo missions, establishing links between them and very young surface features.

“It’s quite likely that the faults are still active today,” said Nicholas Schmerr, an assistant professor of geology at the University of Maryland who co-authored the study. AFP

Romualdez victorious; Tingog seen clinching a seat

By Maricel V. Cruz PHILIPINE Constitution Association president Martin Romualdez is confident he will reclaim his post as representative of Leyte’s first district after receiving a high number of votes in the congressional race.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio, chairman of the regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, has endorsed Romualdez as Speaker of the incoming 18th Congress.

As of 1:53 p.m. on Tuesday, Romualdez, a three-term Leyte congressman, had received 157,382 votes against Lino Dumas’ 9,621 based on the partial and unofficial results from the aggregated Commission on Elections’ data comprising 499 election returns.

Romualdez, president of the LakasChristian Muslim Democrats and former head of the House Independent Bloc of the 16th Congress, thanked his supporters for believing in his ability to continue his public-service-with-a-heart advocacies.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you to all the support and votes given to me in the last election,” said Romualdez, husband of Leyte First District Rep. Yedda Marie M. Kittilstvedt-Romualdez, the first nominee of the Tingog Sinirangan Party-list group.

According to the partial and unofficial results from the aggregated Comelec data as of 2:50 p.m. on Tuesday, Tingog Sinirangan ranked 18th with 381,249 votes and was expected to get one seat.

Rody...

From A1

had a reputation for being more independent-minded than the lower house.

As part of his drug crackdown that has killed more than 5,000 people, Duterte has pledged to bring back the death penalty and lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12.

The Philippines outlawed capital punishment in 1987, reinstated it six years later and then abolished it again in 2006.

He also promised to rewrite the nation’s Constitution to create a federal republic where regions would be given more power to tackle the nation’s deep rooted poverty.

However, opponents see those plans as an effort to extend his hold on power or weaken the nation’s democratic institutions.

“This election just gave Duterte carte blanche to push his brand of governance to its logical conclusion: complete transformation of the nation’s political system,” analyst Richard Heydarian said.

More than 18,000 positions were at stake in the vote, primarily local posts, but also half the Senate and nearly 300 seats in the lower House of Representatives.

The polls saw isolated outbursts of violence, which is not unusual in the Philippines’ frequently bloody competition for elected seats.

At least 20 people were killed and 24 wounded in election-related violence in the runup to the vote, according to an official count.

The military said nine people were shot and wounded Monday during a confrontation at a polling station on the southern island of Jolo, which is home to insurgents and powerful local clans.

Turnout was steady throughout the day and voters across the country flooded social media with images of their ink-stained fingernails, which are daubed blue as a protection against voter fraud.

“I voted for many of the candidates endorsed by President Duterte because his government is doing its job,” voter Myrna Cruz, 51, said.

“I support their programs, including the anti-drug campaign... but I wish the bloodshed would stop,” she added, echoing many Filipinos’ nuanced backing of the crackdown.

Duterte, 74, hit the campaign trail to get his supporters into the Senate, giving two-hour speeches at late-night rallies and routinely insulting opponents.

The opposition warns constitutional change could lead to the single-term limit for the presidency being lifted, allowing Duterte to prolong his rule despite his repeated statements that he would stand down at the end of his mandate.

Even if the presidential term limit is not lifted, the Duterte family looks wellplaced to prolong its political power.

The President’s daughter Sara—eyed by some as his potential successor in the 2022 vote—was poised to keep her post as mayor in the family’s southern bailiwick of Davao City.

Her younger brother Sebastian ran unopposed for the city’s vice mayoral seat, while Duterte’s eldest son Paolo was on track for a seat in the House of Representatives, PPCRV data showed.

“If you agree with me then you can vote for my candidates,” Duterte, who was not on the ballot, told reporters after casting his vote.

“If I am repudiated by the loss of all my candidates... that’s that.”

The Palace said the shutout of opposition Otso Diretso candidates in the midterm elections was proof that Filipinos want the President’s programs and reforms to continue.

“While the results of the elections are still unofficial, there appears to be an unstoppable trend towards a resounding victory of the administration’s favored senatorial candidates,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said.

News SC allows more local bets to join polls despite old form

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court has allowed more candidates in local elections to pursue their candidacies despite being disqualified by the Commission on Elections for using the old certificate of candidacy form.

In a resolution released on Tuesday, the SC granted the urgent relief sought in the separate petitions of Nicolas Ponsica Jr. and Merly Iroma, candidates for councilor in Escalante City, Negros Occidental; and Shirley Avila, also candidate for councilor in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.

The SC issued a status quo ante order enjoining the Comelec from implementing its minute resolution that disqualified petitioners from the elections for using the old certificate of candidacy form.

“Considering the allegations contained, the issues raised and the arguments adduced in the petitions, it is necessary and proper to issue a status quo ante order requiring the parties to observe the status quo prevailing before the issuance of Comelec en banc Minute Resolution No. 19-0826 issued last March 6, 2019,” stated the order.

In the same order, the Court directed the Comelec to answer Avila’s petition and file its comment within 10 days from notice.

The ruling was issued upon orders of Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin and recommendations by the justices in charge of the cases since the Court is on recess.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019

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DILG to bets: Lead clean-up drive A

By Francisco Tuyay

DAY after the midterm elections, the Department of the Interior and Local Government called on all local officials and candidates to lead the cleanup drive and remove their election campaign materials immediately.

“The immediate task at hand is to call on your supporters to clean-up and rid our communities of poll trash,” said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.

“Win or lose, show that you are a good sport and that you have the best intentions for your communities by

being part of the clean-up drive in your areas,” Año said.

Año said that all Barangay chairmen, mayors, and governors should lead in the clean-up together with LGU employees especially the Sanitation Division or Environmental

Management Office.

Año said, he expected that, as in previous elections, there would be tons of trash left in the roads and public places leading to and in the polling precincts because of the numerous election campaign posters, sample ballots, flyers, leaflets, tarpaulins distributed by the candidates.

Last year, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority hauled numerous truckloads of garbage composed of posters, tarpaulins and plastics after the elections in several areas of Metro Manila alone.

Año stressed that cleaning up election trash would not only make the surroundings clean but “will also

be an opportunity for our people to gather and work together, turn a new page, and look forward to more good things for our people and for our nation.”

The DILG chief said the cleanup efforts in public schools which served as polling precincts should be fast tracked in time for the opening of classes in June. “We must cleanup the schools and adjoining areas to prepare for the opening of classes in June,” he says.

He called on everyone to work together and act fast in cleaning up election trash because these might clog canals and waterways which might later cause flooding.

Grid operator puts Luzon network on yellow alert

By Alena Mae S. Flores

ECOWASTE MESSAGE. The Ecological Waste Coalition of the Philippines, a public interest network of com-

munity, church, school, environmental and health groups united by the common goal to end wasting through the promotion of environmental justice and stewardship, has a strong message to candidates, parties and the general public: Think Before you throw; To reduce the volume of post-election discards requiring disposal, find innovative uses for used campaign materials such as leaflets, posters and sample ballots instead of burning or dumping them, which can only contribute to environmental pollution. Manny Palmero

GRID operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines placed the Luzon grid on yellow alert for a few hours on Tuesday, one day after the elections after the power reserves stayed thin.

NGCP said the yellow-alert status was raised from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. as the available capacity was placed at 11,749 megawatts against the peak demand of 10,931 MW. The yellow alert took effect from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. as the available capacity reached 11,162 MW against the 10,182-MW demand.

It was the fifth yellow alert for the Luzon grid for the month of May. On Monday, the Department of Energy said GNPower Mariveles Coal Plant Ltd. Co.’s Unit 1, which has a dependable capacity of 316 MW out of its 345-MW installed capacity, was on forced outage due to high turbine vibration. GMPC’s technical problem is expected to be resolved at earliest on May 15.

Team Energy Corp’s Pagbilao Unit 1, with a 382-MW dependable capacity, was also on forced outage due to the excessive water leak at the feed water flow sensing line and was expected to be back on normal operation on Tuesday.

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Opinion

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019

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What to expect WELL, the people have spoken.

Monday’s election was indeed a referendum on President Rodrigo Duterte, who is halfway into his sixyear term.

The complete sweep of administration candidates for the Senate and the inclusion of the President’s favorite candidates—Bong Go, Bato dela Rosa and Francis Tolentino—in the Magic 12 is enough proof that the majority of Filipinos are satisfied with Duterte and trust his leadership.

I can see a renewed push for federalism and for the revival of the death penalty.

Duterte may be crude, vulgar and lewd in his remarks, especially on women. Women’s groups accuse him of being misogynistic. Still, Filipinos in general look up to him as the leader they have been waiting for.

Indeed Duterte is a paradox. Despite his tirades against the Catholic Church, its bishops and priests, it seems that the over 85-million Catholics regard him as the leader they had long wanted to lead the nation.

His promise to end the brutal and bloody war on illegal drugs, accompanied with allegations of extra-judicial killings, may not have ended. But it seems people still want to give him a chance these next three years.

The President’s war on government corruption may not have made a dent, but people appear willing to give him the chance to deliver on this promise.

This makes me ask—what makes Duterte so popular such that the majority of Filipinos see him as the leader they have been longing for?

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

The people are willing to disregard his many indiscretions and tirades against the values we hold dear.

They still believe he is the person who can occasion the change that has eluded the country for so long.

There is no better proof of this than the complete sweep of Duterte’s senatorial bets.

I expected at least Mar Roxas and Bam Aquino to make it to the Magic 12. But I was wrong.

So what will happen?

We can now expect the President to push through with changing the political system to a federal one. With Go, Dela Rosa and Tolentino, there is a strong chance that a federal system of government can succeed within the next three years. With this will come amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

Just how far we can progress here is anybody’s guess since the people hardly know a thing about federalism.

They are not aware of its implications on the fiscal and economic sustainability of the country.

President Duterte may revive his push for the death penalty. It’s a controversial move.

On the Senate itself, I believe Senate President Tito Sotto will keep his post unless the Senate majority wants a new leader, In this case, it will be a choice among Cynthia Villar, Sonny Angara and Dick Gordon.

Another contributing factor to my mind is that despite global headwinds, the national economy remains in good hands with the economic team ably led by Finance Secretary Carlos “Sonny” Dominguez, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and now Bangko Sentral Governor Benjamin Diokno. *** I have mixed feelings about the outcome of the Senate and local polls, with the defeat of my friends and former student Joseph Estrada and another good friend, Jojo Binay.

In the Senate, I am happy that Sonny Angara made it. In fact, Sonny is my choice to be the next Senate President if the super-majority opts for another leader.

Residents of the City of Manila

Practice makes imperfect

P

RACTICE makes perfect—except, it seems, for the Commission on Elections and its technology partner Smartmatic. In fact, based on Monday’s automated elections—the country’s fourth since 2010—things are getting worse, not better.

At a news briefing at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez admitted that the number of vote counting machine glitches were much higher than they were in the 2016 national elections.

Jimenez estimated that at least 600 VCMs were replaced after bogging down during the polling hours, four times higher than those that did in the 2016 presidential race.

Two watchdog groups, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and the Legal Network for Truthful Elections also reported widespread VCM breakdowns.

Before this year’s dismal showing, the number of defective VCMs had actually been dropping, from 205 during the country’s first automated elec-

tion in 2010, to 171 in 2013 and 150 in 2016.

Jimenez said the number of affected units was not large enough to have a significant impact on the outcome of the polls.

“That is a small figure, out of 85,000 VCMs. So it seems to me it’s still within the [acceptable] range,” he said.

But the defective VCMs were only part of the problem.

News organizations, watchdog groups, and political parties encountered a problems Monday receiving unofficial election results from the Comelec’s transparency server.

These groups only received one file—with a time stamp of 6:15 p.m. of May 13—consisting of votes from only 359 precincts, representing less than 1 percent of the total votes.

For the next seven hours, no succeeding files were sent or re-

ceived from the transparency server, even though they were supposed to be sent out in 10to 15-minute intervals.

During this time, Comelec and Smartmatic officials scrambled to fix the problem, but reported only that the computer service that generates the files for media and watchdog groups encountered “technical problems.” The transparency server, they added, continued to receive results from VCMs across the country.

While the vote counts from the transparency server are only partial, unofficial results, any delay in the election process diminishes the credibility of the poll outcomes.

As part of its oversight function, the newly elected Congress should investigate the technical problems besetting the automated election system. That the lawmakers were elected despite the glitches and delays should not matter as they are now duty-bound to determine if the people’s money is being squandered on automated systems that don’t work as they should.

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A tale of two presidents

TWO presidents, one elected and the other ousted 18 years ago, met markedly contrasting fates in this week’s May 13 mid-term elections.

In January 2001, Joseph Ejercito “Erap” Estrada was evicted from the presidency, jailed, accused, convicted of plunder, and pardoned by his own jailer, his successor President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

On Monday, as part of a long-term effort to vindicate the family name, Estrada and nine other close relatives sought election. Eight lost by a wide margin in a near-complete wipeout of an extended political dynasty that had been in power for nearly half a century.

An accomplished actor, Estrada first won public office in August 1969 as mayor of suburban bedroom town San Juan. He ruled it for 17 years.

Then he ran for senator, for vice president, and for president, winning each time, parlaying an immense popularity earned while playing roles of the poor and downtrodden in 150 movies.

On May 13, Estrada, 82, lost his bid for a third term as mayor of the Philippines’ capital, Manila, disastrously, to a former scavenger on the city’s streets, Isko Moreno Domagoso, 44.

Of the more than 548, 473 votes cast between them, Moreno bagged 63 percent (345,774 votes), Estrada just 37 percent (202,699), a huge margin of 143,075 or 27 percentage points. Pollsters had earlier predicted a close fight, with Estrada, at worse, losing by just 5,000 votes.

Two sons, returning Senator Jinggoy Estrada and reelectionist Senator JV Ejercito, lost big in the senatorial race, coming in 15th and 13th, respectively.

With 10,001,794 votes, Jinggoy’s

distance from No.12, reelectionist Nancy Binay (who has 14,082,137 votes), is 3.09 million votes, making him a sure loser. With 13,831,863 votes, JV is outside the winning circle by 250,274 votes with nearly 95 percent of all votes already counted and 2.27 million votes still to be counted.

Erap’s granddaughter, Janela Estrada, daughter of Jinggoy, lost to former San Juan Vice Mayor Francis Zamora, son of lawyer Ronaldo Zamora who who reelection as congressman. Ronnie served in the 30-month cabinet of Estrada and was in fact the latter’s protégé.

in.

Dynasty out, dynasty

Estrada’s daughter, Jerika failed in coun her first bid for elective office as councilor of Manila. The former president’s nephew, former Governor ER Ejercito, previously ousted for alleged election spending, lost as governor of Laguna.

ER’s son, John Paul, lost the mayorship of Pansanjan, Laguna, hometown of the Ejercitos and where Erap’s father, the late Don Emilio, was born.

ER’s wife, Maita, won as vice mayor of Pagsanjan, however.

Another Erap nephew, Gary Estrada, was not elected vice mayor of Cainta town east of Manila. A niece, Jana Ejercito, won reelection as San Juan city councilor.

Amid the dark political landscape, Senator JV put on a brave face, saying he did not do badly. “There were just too many of us,” he exclaimed.

Of 10 candidate Estrada-Ejercito clan members, two won—in two minor positions. Erap Estrada’s political empire has collapsed.

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‘Rise up’: Papua New Guinea female police chief’s battle cry to women

By Elizabeth Vuvu IN A nation where sexual violence is endemic, women are still targeted and attacked for witchcraft, and female representation in parliament is nonexistent, police chief Julie Palakai is blazing a trail for change.

The 43-year-old inspector, a domestic abuse survivor and 18-year veteran of the force, is one of the most senior female police officers in Papua New Guinea—and is calling on the nation's women to take a stand against sexism with her.

"Women must strive and rise up against any discrimination, abuse and sexual harassment in the workplace," she tells AFP. "For young girls who are still struggling: Do not give up but strive for the best to achieve your goals and to find a better and happy life. Nothing is impossible," she insists.

Human Rights Watch named Papua New Guinea "one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman" in a report which estimated 70 percent of women would be raped or assaulted in their lifetime.

The NGO added that sorcery-related violence remains an issue, adding that women and girls are the "primary targets", though men too have been attacked in witch-hunts.

None of the country's 111 parliamentarians are women and there are few women in the police force.

Palakai is the only female commissioned officer—an umbrella term for senior management from inspector grade upwards—in all of Papua New Guinea's northeastern Islands Region.

She has worked hard to get to her Turn to A5

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Opinion The Indian ‘Miss Marple’ snooping on election candidates

By Peter Hutchison AS INDIA'S best-known female private eye, Rajani Pandit has posed as crazy, blind and deaf to solve murders and unmask unsuitable fiancés.

But election time is boom time for the woman dubbed "Miss Marple."

In the world's biggest election ending on Sunday, Pandit and others like her are in high demand from political parties to dig up dirt on the opposition and make sure their own candidates are squeaky clean.

"It's confidential but whenever a party finds one of its own candidates or an opposition candidate suspicious they ask us to investigate them," Mumbai-based Pandit told AFP. "Often we are asked to look into their finances and how they have procured money to fund their campaigns. We try to maintain a low profile," the 57-year-old added.

Inundated Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi is up against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the world's largest democratic exercise, which is awash with cash. Some experts say the polls could cost $10 billion.

Pandit says her team has been busy "integrating" themselves into political parties since January, inspecting finances and attending rallies before submitting reports to their clients.

"There's usually a surge of cases ahead of the elections. We've been inundated with requests and were

A tale...

From A4

Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s name was not even on the ballot but he became the biggest winner of what he described as a referendum on his administration.

His sweeping victory could lead to his huge influence on, if not stranglehold of, all three major branches of the government—the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary, plus command of at least 80 percent of all local executive and legislative positions nationwide.

No president in the Republic’s 123year history has held such overwhelming power and control. This makes Duterte the Philippines’ most powerful President ever. With 24/7 access to all the levers of power and having at his fingertips the economic life and death future of 107-million Filipinos, Duterte could change a nation’s history, perhaps moving it to an unprecedented strongman rule.

Within hours of Monday’s elections, Duterte’s allies have swept all but one of the 12 senate seats at stake (half of the 24-person Senate). The lone survivor, currently at No. 2 in the count, independent re-electionist Grace Poe, is not really reckoned to be a member of

What to...

From A4

opted for a younger mayor in the person of Isko Moreno. Still, I believe that in his two terms as mayor, Erap did very well.

I am also sad that Jinggoy Estrada did not make it.

And, I have always been a Binay supporter.

Makati Mayor Abby Binay won against her brother. I still hope that the Binays will reconcile. Blood will always be thicker than water. *** Some say the era of political dynasties are gone. I don’t believe so. There remain to be husbands and wives,

‘Rise up’:...

From A4

position battling institutional discrimination, abuse, and rigid cultural expectations.

Palakai now heads the Public Safety Unit at Kokopo Police Station: It's a role that's highly visible—she leads the prestigious Guard of Honour parade.

Dressed in crisp police blues and wielding a large silver sword, she proudly marches judges, superior officers and other dignitaries —almost always male—up and down Guard of

only able to take on a few," she said.

Kunwar Vikram Singh, chairman of India's Association of Private Detectives and Investigators, said "there's a lot of due diligence". "[A candidate's] local reputation, influence, his stance in his own caste... all these things are looked into," Singh told AFP. Magnifying glass Private detective agencies are popular in India, with sleuths tasked with solving everything from petty household thefts to business deals gone wrong.

Pandit has been conducting covert operations across India for over 30 years out of her small office in the Asian giant's financial capital.

The investigator—who does own a magnifying glass—was dubbed India's first female private detective by media outlets when she began cracking cases in the early 1980s.

She has been featured in countless newspaper articles, often referred to as India's "Miss Marple" or "Nancy Drew," Agatha Christie's fictional spinster sleuth and the ever-evolving US amateur detective.

This has encouraged scores of women in male-dominated India to follow in her footsteps.

Several women-dominated investigative firms now operate in the country, such as Lady Detectives India and Venus Detective which are both headquartered in the capital New Delhi.

"Clients are open a lot more to having a female investigator. They

feel we are more empathetic and that they can talk to us," Lady Detectives CEO Tanya Puri told AFP. A suitable boy Pandit first started snooping as a 22-year-old at college, informing the parents of a fellow student that their daughter was drinking, smoking and hanging out with boys.

Her most difficult case was when she worked undercover for six months as a maid for a woman who was suspected of poisoning her husband to death and then killing her son through a hitman.

She gathered evidence and handed it over to police who arrested the hitman and the woman.

Pandit has won numerous awards, written two books, and says she has completed more than 80,000 cases—most of them pre-matrimonial investigations.

Parents in the ultra-conservative country seeking a suitable husband or wife for their offspring will ask her to investigate the potential spouse and their family.

She looks into whether they have the job they say they have and tries to find out if there is anything in their past that might be deemed to bring shame to the family they are marrying into.

Pandit has had to be the master of subterfuge to gather evidence, including donning "various disguises." But she says she received no formal training.

"Detectives are born, not made. I will keep doing this job until I am no longer alive," she said. AFP

the opposition.

Duterte’s four personal choices for senator—No. 3 Bong Go, No. 5 Bato dela Rosa, No. 8 Imee Marcos, and No. 9 Francis Tolentino all won handily.

When the four filed their certificates of candidacy last year, their chances of winning were iffy at best.

By having all 12 winning senatorial candidates to his side of the political fence, Duterte has whittled the Senate opposition to just four—incumbents Franklin Drilon, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, and the feisty former justice secretary of past President Benigno S. Aquino III, Leila de Lima, who is in jail on drug charges.

Under the Constitution, two-thirds or 16 senators are needed to impeach a sitting president. Lacking this number, the four-member opposition cannot possibly impeach Duterte who has been maligned by the western media, perhaps unfairly, for so-called extrajudicial kiillings that have claimed up to 5,000 victims, and for his authoritarian tendencies.

By the same token, with 20 senators at his beck and call, Duterte can easily summon the votes to impeach anyone he dislikes—like opposition Vice President Leni Robredo on whom he has heaped so much contempt, the

Supreme Court justices (majority of the 15 justices are now hos followers), and all constitutional commission officers subject to impeachment like the chair and commissioners of the Commission on Appointments, the chair and commissioners of the Commission on Audit, and the anti-graft prosecutor Ombudsman.

So the people who manage the elections, who audit the budget, and who run after grafters may have more reasons to spend sleepless nights in troubled times.

Meanwhile, Duterte’s allies ran under two parties—his own Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban (PDPLaban) and his daughter’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago Party. They now dominate the country’s 81 provinces, 146 cities, and 1,488 towns, as well as the House of Representatives which has 289 congressmen.

All three Duterte children won their seats in Davao City—Sara for mayor, Sebastian for vice mayor, and Paolo for congressman—all three virtually unopposed.

Duterte magic? It works, says Presidential Spokesman Sal Panelo.

Dynasty out, dynasty in.

daughters and sons and even grandchildren running for public office.

Why should we be threatened with political dynasties, so long as they serve the country well?

The argument against political dynasties is that they deprive others of the opportunity to rise in politics. But as far as I am concerned, there is nothing wrong with dynasties so long as they do the greater good for the greatest number. We cannot hand over the government to the incompetent and the ignorant. We have jails for the corrupt, but not for the incompetent.

In the United States, political dynasties have been serving their country well, and people have not been complaining.

It’s the corrupt we should guard against. *** In my home province of Abra, there are some 1,000 military people deployed during the elections because of heavily armed political factions fighting to the death over elective posts.

Abra has always been a hotspot during elections. It’s a life-and-death fight there, in the absence of other means of livelihood.

I recall that a group of Abra politicians came to my home in Quezon City to convince me to relocate to Abra and enter politics. My wife and I said, “No way!”

Honour lines.

It's a rare sight in the male-dominated nation, and a role that requires total respect from subordinates.

"When inviting and escorting an important officer or VIP on parade, we are actually inspecting each individual on parade," she says.

Palakai came from a broken family and while she finished secondary school, any plans for further education were disrupted when her home town of Rabaul, was devastated by twin volcanic eruptions in 1994.

Instead, she took a job as a sales rep for a stationary firm in the area but

soon became restless. By chance, she saw an advert from the police in the local paper and decided to respond to their search for new recruits.

She was shocked to be selected, Palakai conceded, but happily took the six-month training course near capital Port Moresby before being posted to Lihir, an island best known for goldmining.

"I was just a young policewoman officer posted out there to lead, manage and command officers older than me, very experienced and long-serving policemen and women," she said of the role as station commander.

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How the mighty have fallen

THE 2019 mid-term elections will be remembered for two major developments in the politics of this nation.

One is the overwhelming vote of confidence given to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, whose chosen and adopted candidates for senator clearly won.

Most of his candidates for local positions also won all over the land.

It will be most interesting to watch how the President and his men will use this huge mandate in the second half of his term to strengthen, even recast if he wishes, his legacy as leader.

How the President wields his powers and how he harnesses the support of his key allies in Congress and the local government units in pursuit of a lasting and truly reformist legacy will also determine how he will influence the vote for the next president of the land three years from now.

How his chosen senatorial candidates will remain steadfast in their loyalty to the President through support of his plans and programs also bears watching. Similarly, how these endorsed senatorial winners as well as those who have allied themselves with him but are not due for reelection until 2022, (none of whom supported him in his presidential run in 2016), will be keenly observed.

The second major development that 2019 will be remembered for is how the mighty have fallen.

Let me begin with one: In Cebu City, the Osmeña dynasty is thrashed. Tomas Osmeña, since 1988 the undisputed kingpin of Cebu politics, was defeated by a political commoner, a timawa so atypical to an electorate dominated by the revered memory of a gentleman president, Don Sergio Osmeña, followed by a brash but visionary son, Serging Osmeña who despite losses in the national stage, made his mark in Cebu City’s political and economic landscape for posterity.

This legacy of a prosperous Cebu which Tomas Osmeña inherited from his forebears, and for which an entire generation of Cebuanos have entrusted to the Osmeña’s third generation, was laid to rest last Monday by Edgar Labella, who until 2018 was poohpoohed by keen Bisaya political observers with a sneering “kinsa man siya?” Labella who?

Mild-mannered, humble to the point of self-effacement, deeply spiritual and simple-living Edgar Labella was a prosecutor whose father was a trueblue Osmenista, “bisag unsahon, Osmeña gihapon.” He would have risen in the legal profession perhaps to the rank of Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas had not fate intervened. Rushing to Cebu back from a conference in Manila, he took a ship which sank past midnight in the waters off Masbate. For two nights and three days he clung to a piece of timber from the sunken vessel, kept alive only by prayers and the hope to see his family yet.

Rescued by Waray fishermen on the third day almost lifeless, Labella miraculously survived the ordeal. Years after, he ran as councilor in the ticket of Tomas Osmeña. A hard-working legislator, Mike Rama picked him as vice mayor to give balance to his ticket. Rama is from the south district, Labella from Mabolo in the north district of Cebu City. Tomas Osmeña supported Rama and Labella, and ran for congressman after his third term as city mayor.

But the Osmeña-Rama honeymoon failed to last. Aching back for the kingdom he entrusted to Rama, Tomas wanted it back in 2016. Mayor Rama was on his second term, gunning for a third and final term.

It was, however, a presidential election year. The only Bisaya candidate for president was a tough guy mayor of Davao City whose father migrated from Danao in Cebu to seek greener pastures in the land of promise.

"You have to learn to think fast during states of emergency or in everyday situations whilst on normal police duties, and make prompt and wise decisions," she added.

Palakai was ambitious, but like many women in Papua New Guinea, she found her partner was not receptive to her career aspirations.

"I had to leave him as I could not see any better future with him given...the disrespectful behaviour that I could not stand any longer," she told AFP. "He often argued telling me that I was just a woman and policemen and

Osmeña and his local party, Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan was allied with the Liberal Party whose standardbearer was Manuel Araneta Roxas of Capiz and Negros Occidental. Rama on the other hand was Vice President Jejomar Binay’s UNA candidate for reelection, and was very vocal about his support for Binay.

Duterte had no big politician gunning for him in Cebu City. After Duterte launched his “listening tour” in Butuan City on Jan. 23 in Butuan City, I asked my good friend, businessman Michael Lloyd Dino, to arrange a similar engagement in Cebu City, and he did so at the University of Cebu through family friend Dr. Augustus Go a week later.

From that point onwards, Mike Dino the non-politician, was Duterte’s point person in the city, and even the province, where he tried to enlist the support of the Garcia clan for the Cebuano Duterte.

This is just one example.

To cut a long story short, Winston Garcia junked Binay and went for Duterte about three weeks before election day. Dino tried convincing Rama to support the Bisaya candidate, meanwhile launching the Bisaya Na Pod movement across the Visayas, evoking the sentiment of the Bisaya ethno-linguistic group which altogether comprise more than half of the entire Visayas, who have not had a president since Carlos P. Garcia in 1957 (there have been only two, the short-lived Osmeña ascent to the presidency after Quezon died, but whom Manuel A. Roxas of Capiz defeated in 1946) and the Boholano Garcia). Rama stuck to Binay.

The wily Tomas Osmeña switched to Duterte when he saw that an avalanche of support was clear for Cebuanos in support of Duterte. In his miting de avance three days before the elections, he plastered Duterte-Osmeña in a yellow and blue background, the colors of Mar Roxas and the Liberal Party. That switch may have contributed to his victory over Rama.

But Duterte is made of different stuff. He has little respect for those who switch their support for a rival simply to curry favor with the voters whose support he had already won.

And he appointed Michael Lloyd Dino Presidential Assistant with rank of cabinet for the Visayas.

Meanwhile, Tomas Osmeña in his renewed first term of another hoped-for round failed to answer the basic needs of a population hungry for relief from the basic problems of uncollected garbage, water shortage, and heavy traffic.

His high-handed, arrogant style of leadership, which Cebuanos before relished as toughness now failed to impress his constituents and turned-off the business community.

Vice Mayor Edgar Labella, who was reelected in 2016 even as his Mayor Rama lost to Tomas, became the PDPLaban and Hugpong candidate against the incumbent. He was the exact opposite in style and personality versus Osmena.

As of the unofficial count midnight Monday, he leads by a comfortable 17,000 votes over incumbent Osmena, with no more than 20,000 votes to be canvassed.

It was an extremely tight contest.

But two things that happened in the last week of the campaign period may have turned the tide for Labella and against Osmena. First, a video-taped appeal from President Digong with Labella beside him. “Pulihi na,” Bisaya for “palitan na” was the message the President imparted to his fellow Cebuanos.

Next, an IBP-sponsored debate on May 10, the last day of the campaign, where Labella outdid and out-classed the voluble Tomas Osmeña.

How the mighty have fallen, and there are many other such stories whose denouement came on May 13.

women will not listen to my instructions and orders and that women had no power to lead," she recalled.

In May 2013 she became a commissioned officer, graduating along with four other female officers placed around the country, and 20 male colleagues at a ceremony overseen by Prime Minister Peter O'Neill.

Since then she has championed the push to encourage women to actively invest in their future.

She explains: "Education does not stop when you are young or old.

Where there is opportunity, go for it, as education is your future." AFP

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Solon urges barangay officials to activate BADACs

6 CAAP workers fired after found positive for drugs

By Joel E. Zurbano

By Maricel V. Cruz THE admission of President Rodrigo Duterte that the number of illegal drug users in the country has ballooned to as many as eight million has prompted a lawmaker to call on barangay officials to activate anti-drug abuse councils in their localities.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte said that while the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine National Police are still reassessing their strategies in winning the drug war, local governments should do their part by making their respective BADACs useful in the President's drive against drug abuse and narco-trafficking.

“The best way to eliminate the drug scourge at the grassroots is for our barangay officials to heighten their vigilance and make their anti-drug abuse councils do the job they are tasked to do,” said Villafuerte, vice chairman of the House local government committee.

Villafuerte said BADACs could serve as street-level law enforcement multipliers because two of their key tasks are to gather information about drugrelated incidents in their areas, and to list down suspected drug users and pushers in their barangays for submission to the PNP or the PDEA for validation, he said.

Villafuerte added BADACs should also provide the assistance of other groups and individuals in the communities such as health workers, youth groups, Parents-Teachers Associations, senior citizens and even the barangay-based transport organizations.

Last year, the PDEA had pushed for the filing of administrative charges against barangay officials who had failed to activate their respective BADACs despite an order from the Department of the Interior and Local Government several years ago.

NEW PAO BUILDING. The Department of Public Works and Highways formally started the construction of New Public

Attorney’s Office Central office building in a 5,175-square meter property at the National Government Center located at Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.The groundbreaking ceremony was led by (from left) Department of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, Chief Public Attorney Persida Rueda-Acosta and DPWH Assistant Secretary Antonio Molano Jr., (4th, 5th and 6th from left), and joined by other officials from the DOJ, PAO and National Housing Authority. According to Guevarra, National Government agency attached to DOJ, PAO deserves a building of its own to be a place of productivity in providing free legal assistance to the ever-growing influx of clients.

SC junks AMWSLAI’s bid to expand members’ base

By Rey E. Requejo

T

HE Supreme Court has upheld the decision issued by the Court of Appeals that stopped thrift bank Air Materiel Wing Savings and Loan Association Inc. from amending its by-laws to be able to expand its membership base to include 24 additional agencies of the Executive Department.

Du30 to visit Japan anew—Palace

By Nat Mariano FOR the third time, President Rodrigo Duterte will visit Tokyo to attend the annual Future of Asia conference in Japan at the end of this month, the Palace confirmed on Tuesday.

In a Palace press briefing, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the Chief Executive’s visit would expand Manila’s bilateral ties with Tokyo.

“What I know is the invitation was personally carried here by the representative of the prime minister. According to what I heard also is that when the President accepted that, the representatives of the prime minister came here to thank [Duterte],” Panelo told Palace reporters.

“Our trade relations will also improve greatly,” he added.

Asked if the Philippines can expect

the signing of a memorandum of understanding and other agreements with Japan, Panelo said: “Hopefully.”

According to Japan’s Nikkei Inc., the Future of Asia is an “international gathering where political, economic and academic leaders from the Asia-Pacific region offer their opinions frankly and freely on regional issues and the role of Asia in the world.”

Duterte is also expected to deliver a keynote speech at the forum, which would be held on May 30 to 31. A total of 21 other leaders, including Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad, are also set to attend the said event.

This would be the President’s third time to visit Tokyo since he assumed the presidency in 2016. Duterte first visited Japan in October 2016 and went back for a second visit in October 2017.

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC Smart will permanently discontinue its Caller Ringback Tunes(CRBT) Service effective June 1, 2019. The service will no longer be available to all Smart, TNT and Sun subscribers.

For Customer Care assistance, you can still call the Smart/ TNT Toll-Free Hotline at *888, Sun Toll Free Hotline at 200 via your Smart/Sun Mobile Number (MS-MAY 15, 2019)

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES TARIFF COMMISSION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Pursuant to Section 1608(b) of Republic Act No. 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), this Commission will hold a public hearing on the petitions filed by the Philippine Plastics Industry Association (PPIA) and the Association of Petrochemical Manufacturers of the Philippines (APMP)for the extraction of tariff lines for low-density polyethylene (LDPE) under AHTN 2017 Subheading Nos. 3901.10.19 and 3901.10.99 and the reduction of their Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff rates from 10% to 0% and for the extraction of tariff line for Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) under AHTN 2017 Subheading No. 3901.90.90 with MFN rate of duty of 10% and the provision of 10% MFN tariff rates for all LLDPE under HS Heading No. 39.01, respectively. The public hearing will be held at the Tariff Commission Conference Room on 28 May 2019 at 9:00 a.m.

The product coverage of the public hearing is as follows: AHTN Code Description 2017 39.01 Polymers of ethylene, in primary forms.

3901.10 - Polyethylene having a specific gravity of less than 0.94 : - - In the form of liquids or pastes : 3901.10.12 - - - Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) 3901.10.19 - - - Other - - Other : 3901.10.92 - - - Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) 3901.10.99 - - - Other 3901.20.00 - Polyethylene having a specific gravity of 0.94 or more 3901.30.00 - Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers 3901.40.00 - Ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymers, having a specific gravity of less than 0.94 3901.90 - Other : 3901.90.40 - - In dispersion 3901.90.90 - - Other

Existing Rate of Duty (%)

Martial law in Mindanao deters terror

By Francisco Tuyay

THE imposition of martial law in Mindanao and the aggressive posturing of military and police forces across the country has deterred all threat groups from committing terrorism and violent acts aimed to disrupt the recently concluded midterm elections.

According to Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, terrorist groups, particularly the New People’s Army, failed to sow violence during the elections due to the extensive and visible presence of police and military personnel in areas considered as hotspots.

“Meticulous planning and preparations seamlessly executed by government security forces and the Commission on Elections [Comelec] and their commanding presence in the polling areas Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region Quezon City, Branch 104 IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME/TO ADOPT FATHER’S NAME OF JHON PAUL VARON, Assisted by: BENEDICTA O. VARON, Mother Petitioner, - versus R-QZN-19-02238-SP 1) THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF QUEZON CITY 2) THE ADMINISTRATOR AND CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL OF THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY (PSA) formerly NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICE (NSO), 3) ROMEO M. BEA, and 4) ALL OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES, Respondents. x---------------------------------------------x

ORDER (Notice of Hearing)

10 10 10 10 10 3 3 3 3

The public hearing will also include the review of the tariff structure of Heading No. 39.01 of the AHTN 2017 pursuant to Section 1603 (c) of the same law.

For inquiries, Director Elvira C. Ignacio, Research, Investigation and International Trade Analysis Service (RIITAS), may be reached at Telephone Number 936-3319 or at info@tariffcommission.gov.ph .

Issued this10th day of May 2019, Quezon City, Metro Manila.

MARILOU P. MENDOZA Chairperson (MS-MAY. 15, 2019)

In a resolution, the SC’s Second Division ruled that CA did not commit any error in ruling that Regional Trial Court of Pasay City, Branch 119, gravely abused its discretion when it granted AMWSLAI's petition for certiorari on September 11, 2015 and issued a writ of preliminary injunction preventing the Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas from implementing its June 26, 2015 decision denying AMSWLAI appeal to allow its expansion.

AMWSLAI has more than 200,000 members consisting of active and retired personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police and their dependents.

“As correctly ruled by the CA, AMWSLAI should have filed an appeal before it under Rule 43 of the Rules of Court (Rules)—and not a petition for certiorari before the RTC under Rule 65 of the same Rules—considering that the CA has appellate jurisdiction over reso-

lutions of public respondent which are issued in the exercise of its quasi-judicial functions,” the SC said.

“Accordingly, the RTC did not have jurisdiction to act on the above-mentioned certiorari petition, much more issue the ancillary writ of preliminary injunction against public respondent,” it said.

In its June 29, 2018 decision penned

by Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh, the CA’s Tenth Division granted the petition filed by the BSP-Monetary Board seeking the reversal of the Pasay RTC ruling in favor of AMWSLAI. Records show that Under R.A. No. 8367, otherwise known as the “Revised Non-Stock Savings and Loan Association Act of 1997,” membership in Savings and Loan Associations, such as AMWSLAI must be limited to a “well-defined group.”

The Monetary Board is vested with the authority to ensure that SLAs comply with this requirement.

But in May 2014, AMWSLAI sent a letter-application to the Intergrated Supervision Department I of the BSP for the approval of its proposed amendment to its by-laws to give way for the expansion of its membership to cover employees of 24 other agencies of the Executive Department, as well as their relatives by consanguinity and affinity.

A verified petition was filed praying for the change of name of Jhon Paul Varon, alleging as follows : that petitioner, assisted by his mother, Benedicta O.Varon, was born on January 15, 2001 to Benedicta O. Varon and Respondent Romeo who remain to be unmarried; that though considered illegitimate, petitioner, from the time of his birth, has always used the surname of his father, “BEA”’ as his last name and the surname of his mother “VARON” as his middle name in all his records, both private and public; that the full name, Jhon Paul V. Bea was the name which both his parents had taught petitioner to write as child; that from the provisions of Article 176 of the Family Code of the Philippines as amended by Republic Act No. 9255, the general rule is that an illegitimate child shall use the surname of his or her mother; that the exception provided by RA 9255 is in case his or her filiation is expressly recognized by the father through the record of birth appearing in the civil register or when an admission in a public document or private handwritten instrument is made by the father; that in such situation, the illegitimate child may use the surname of the father; that Article 176 gives lIlegitimate children the right to decide. if they want to use the surname of their father or not; that petitioner during’ his minority had continuously been under joint custody of his parents, herein respondents Romeo Bea and Benedicta Varon who exercised parental authority over him and provided him support, financial and otherwise;

that petitioner through his mother exercised the right to use his surname and opt to use the surname of his father, respondent Romeo; and that petitioner should be allowed to use/ bear the surname of his father to permit him to synchronize their records, to avoid confusion of their true relationships and to give petitioner peace of mind in his future private and public transactions.

deterred NPA atrocities,” Arevalo said.

“In Mindanao where there are a number if identified election areas of concern, martial law prevented breach of law and order especially by various private armed and threat groups,” Arevalo added.

He attributed the success of the elections to the people’s cooperation with the AFP and PNP in observing measures laid out for them and the citizens’ active involvement in reporting unusual developments or movements in their localities.

“Since the start, we have been expressing our confidence in peaceful, orderly, and credible elections owing not only to the tedious planning and execution but also to the round-the-clock observation in Election Monitoring Action Centers at the various levels throughout the country,” he said.

“Vigilance and anticipation enabled us to immediately act and counteract efforts, anticipated or unexpected, that may or tend to disrupt our planned peaceful and orderly conduct of the elections,” he added.

THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines terminated six employees who were tested positive for drug use following a series of urine testing on more than 2,000 workers at various airports nationwide.

The series of random drug tests, conducted from Feb. 6 to April 30, 2019 by the CAAP-Office of the Flight Surgeon and Aviation Medicine (OFSAM) covered 2,548 personnel and 104 aircrews.

CAAP spokesperson and chief information officer Eric Apolonio said those found positive for drug use are all job order employees of the agency.

He said the agency’s Human Resource and Management Division also revealed that the six employees, who tested positive in the substance methamphetamine, are all serving as airport facility cleaners.

The CAAP assured that the “operational safety of the airports and aircraft were not put at risk.”

“The employees who tested positive in the illegal substance has been immediately terminated from their respective posts,” said Apolonio.

The CAAP conducted the drug tests on the airports at Tuguegarao, Kalibo, Mactan Cebu, Laoag, Bacolod, Dumaguete, Puerto Princesa, Zamboanga, General Santos, Iloilo, Davao, Legazpi, Laguindingan, Clark, Naga, Busuanga, Roxas and Panglao.

The random drug tests is in accordance with CAAP’s mission of ensuring a safe, secure, and green Philippine skies.

The aviation regulator manages 81 airports nationwide while four others are controlled by other airport authorities— the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Subic Bay International Airport, Clark International Airport, and Cebu-Mactan International Airport.

In 2016, CAAP also terminated more than 30 personnel who tested positive for drug use.

Bucari Ecotourism Zone bill approved TWO remote towns in Iloilo are trying to spike their tourism industry by developing a forested area in the mountain that sits astride 14 barangays in the two towns into an eco-tourism site.

House Bill 8854 or the proposed “Bucari Ecotourism Zone Act,” calls for the preservation of the terrain by declaring it as Bucari Ecotourism Zone.

The Bucari area covers 14 barangays in the Municipality of Leon and seven adjoining barangays in the Municipality of Alimodian.

HB 8854, principally authored by Rep. Arcadio Gorriceta of Iloilo, recognizes that the State shall protect the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology, as well as to promote a viable and sustainable ecotourism industry in order to attract local and foreign tourists.

Ultimately, it aims to generate employment and investment opportunities for local communities while ensuring environmental protection and preservation of the area.

The bill provides that an Ecotourism Development Plan for the Bucari Ecotourism Zone shall be incorporated in the overall National Tourism Development Plan of the Department of Tourism, pursuant to Republic Act No. 9593 or the “Tourism Act of 2009.”

The Development Plan shall be jointly implemented by the Municipalities of Leon and Alimodian, and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority.

Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, in coordination with the TIEZA and the two Municipalities, shall delineate welldefined geographic areas and coordinate the integrated development of the area for the optimal use of its assets and attractions. Maricel V. Cruz

WHEREFORE, notice is hereby given that the petition will be heard before this Court sitting at Room 221, Hall of Justice, Diliman Quezon City, on June 17, 2019 at 3:30 o’clock in the afternoon at which date and time, all persons interested and concerned may appear and show cause, if any, why the petition should not be granted.

Let this Order be published for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation to be chosen by raffle. Likewise, petitioners are ordered to serve a copy of the petition on the Office of the Solicitor General, the Civil Registrar General, the Office of the City Prosecutor of Quezon City and to the other respondents, and to submit proof of service thereof.

Moreover, the Civil Registrar General and any person having or claiming any interest in the petition may file opposition/objection thereto within fifteen (15) days from notice, or from the last date of publication of this Order.

SO ORDERED. Quezon City March 18, 2019.

(Sgd.) CATHERINE P. MANODON Judge CC: JOHN PAUL VARON c/o BENEDICTA G.,VARON . 115 Kasunduan Street, Barangay Commonwealth, QC ROMEO M. BEA (Respondent) 115 Kasunduan Street, Barangay Commonwealth, QC PUBLIC ATTORNEY’S OFFICE 6/F DOJ Bldg., J. Cecillia Munoz Palma Hall, City Hall Complex, QC OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL 134 Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY EDSA corner Times Street, Quezon City THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR City Hall Compound, Quezon City Hall CITY PROSECUTORS’OFFICE J. Cecillia Munoz Palma Hall, City Hal! Complex, QC (MStandard - May 1, 8 & 15, 2019)

NEW TERM. Mandaluyong City Board of Canvassers chairman, lawyer Antonette

Aceret (2nd from right) and vice chairman, lawyer Bernabe Augustus Solis (left), proclaim incumbent Carmelita Abalos (2nd from left) as mayor-elect of Mandaluyong City, at the City Hall grounds late Monday, May 13. Abalos, who got 128,661 votes, is set to serve her second term as city mayor. PNA

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports Thais aim for top finish as Ladies PH golf begins A COMPACT but talent-laden Thai roster, including four who have notched victories on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, goes all-out to restamp its class in the ICTSI Tagaytay Midlands which gets going today (Wednesday, May 15) at the Midlands layout in Tagaytay City.

Thanutra Boonraksasat spearheads the country’s perennial regional rivals’ campaign in the 54-hole championship, seeking not only a follow-up to her victory at Manila Southwoods last March but also make up for her final round meltdown that led to a third place effort to the last LPGT event at Royal Northwoods won in runaway fashion by Pauline del Rosario three weeks ago.

“I think we can go low here although it will boil down to putting,” said Del Rosario, priming for a series of tournaments in Florida, USA in her buildup for the LPGA Tour Q-School.

But three other Thais are also tipped to contend for top honors in the P750,000 event serving as the ninth leg of LPGT put up by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., including Supakchaya Pattaranakrueng, Onkanok Soisuwan and Saruttaya Ngam-usawan.

Pattaranakrueng nipped former three-time LPGT Order of Merit winner Cyna Rodriguez to snare the Luisita crown while Soisuwan topped the Mt. Malarayat stop, both last year while Ngam-usawan aims for a second crown after scoring a breakthrough at Northwoods in 2016.

Numa Gulyanamitta, Ajira Nualraksa and Tip Seeumpornroj are the three other Thais seeking to steal the thunder not only from their fancied compatriots but also from the country’s leading campaigners.

They include Del Rosario, who clinched the LPGT OOM title in her rookie year in 2017 and is oozing with confidence coming off a whopping 14shot romp over Daniella Uy at Northwoods, along with multi-titled Chihiro Ikeda, Marvi Monsalve, Alex Etter, Apple Fudolin, Gretchen Villacencio, Lucy Landicho, Sarah Ababa, Sheryl Villasencio and Uy. Completing the cast in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT, Empire Golf and Sports and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc. are Koreans Choi Kim and Da Yun Kang and Valerie Tan of Bahrain.

Ramos, Ganzon fastest in Clark Global City Duathlon 2019 CLARK GLOBAL CITY—Joshua Ramos of DEROSA-CORSA and former national standout Alexandra Ganzon emerged as the fastest male and female finishers, respectively, of the Clark Global City Duathlon 2019 co-presented

by Smart held this past Sunday.

Ramos completed the long distance 6km run—60km bike—4km race with the best time of 2 hours, 27 minutes and 16 seconds to grab the male 18-24 agegroup title as well.

Former national duathlon champion Alexandra Ganzon, racing in the female 30-34 age group category, crossed the finish barely two minutes after Ramos in 2:29:14.

Hot on Ganzon’s heels was her male 30-34 counterpart, Oscar Miguel Mapalo of 2Wheel Nation Cycling club in 2:30:00.

Mapalo’s fellow age grouper Luigi Victor Robles of FIT.PH, rounded out the Top 3 fastest males with a time of 2:31:39.

Joining Ganzon for the overall fastest females in the event supported by Clark Global City, Udenna Group, NLEXSCTEX Metro Pacific Tollways, Standard Insurance, Garmin, Pocari Sweat, Sip Purified Water, and Royce Hotel and Casino were triathletes Bernadette Tan as second fastest female and 1st place in the 45-49 age group with 2:51:15 and female 50-above champion Celma Hitalia with 2:57:25.

“We’re happy with the turnout of this race and considering the feedback from the participants, we’d be happy to support another edition next year if one gets planned,” said NLEX Sports coach Allan Gregorio.

Gregorio and Wilfredo A. Placino Vice-Chairman and President of Global Gateway Development Corporation were on hand to award the winners in the post-race ceremony.

A7

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Tiger chases 16 major, no. 1 spot th

B

ETHPAGE—Tiger Woods launched his quest for a 16th major title, and a possible return to world number one, with a PGA Championship practice round in cold and rainy conditions Monday.

The 43-year-old American, who snapped an 11-year major win drought by capturing last month’s Masters, toured the front nine at Bethpage Black in just under 2 1/2 hours ahead of Thursday’s start to the year’s second major tournament.

“I feel good,” Woods told Golfweek.

“Got a couple more days of work to get in and I’ll be ready to go.”

Woods hopes to pull within two of the all-time record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus and take a fifth PGA crown, which would match the career record hauls of Nicklaus and Walter Hagen.

“To tie Walter Hagen and Jack Nick-

laus with five wins would be a very special accomplishment,” Woods said.

With a victory, Woods would also match the all-time career US PGA wins record of 82 by Sam Snead.

Woods, whose career had been jeopardized by years of nagging back pain before 2017 spinal fusion surgery, won the 2002 US Open at Bethpage Black and shared sixth in the 2009 US Open, but those were in warmer mid-June conditions.

This marks the first PGA Championship since 1948 to be played in May after the event was shifted this year from its traditional August spot in golf’s lineup.

Woods practiced four times last week, including an 18-hole session at the Long Island public layout last Wednesday, two days after accepting the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a White House ceremony.

The in-depth shotmaking session at Bethpage was the first time Woods had seen the facility since the 2012 US PGA Barclays tournament.

Sixth-ranked Woods is among five players with a chance to top next week’s rankings.

Top-ranked Dustin Johnson, defending champion Brooks Koepka, England’s second-ranked Justin Rose, four-time major winner Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Woods all have a chance at the top spot.

Johnson, Rose, third-ranked Koepka and fourth-rated McIlroy could take number one with a triumph while Woods would need to win, have neither Rose nor Koepka finish second alone and have

Johnson finish worse than solo 11th place.

- Tiger oldest No. 1? Woods, who has not been world number one since March 2013, has spent a record 683 weeks atop the rankings.

Should he return to the top, Woods would become the oldest world number one, overtaking Australian legend Greg Norman for the distinction.

Las Vegas Westgate Superbook oddsmakers have Woods as a 10-1 co-favorite with Johnson and two-time US Open winner Koepka with four-time major champion Rory McIlroy just behind at 12-1.

Woods jumped 13th to sixth after winning the Masters but hasn’t played since his Masters triumph. This marks only the sixth time in his career Woods has played two majors without at least one event between them, the first time since the 2013 British Open. AFP

Injured Durant to miss Dubs’ series opener against Blazers

Henni Zuel (right) is with Tiger Woods at the GOLFTV coverage of the Genesis Open.

Discovery acquires Golf Digest from Condé Nast DISCOVERY, Inc. announced yesterday it has acquired Golf Digest from Condé Nast.

Golf Digest is the world’s No. 1 golf media brand and will extend Discovery’s global golf media business to the US market through Golf Digest’s multiplatform distribution and reach.

The acquisition creates a powerful programming engine by adding Golf Digest to GOLFTV’s offerings that already include exclusive carriage of the PGA TOUR, the European Tour, and the Ladies European Tour, as well as the Masters Tournament, in select territories outside the US and Discovery’s exclusive global content partnerships with Tiger Woods, winner of 81 PGA TOUR events and 15 major championships, and Francesco Molinari, winner of three PGA TOUR events and the reigning Open champion.

The addition of Golf Digest boosts Discovery’s global golf ecosystem with a leading platform in the US, which will allow the company to now reach golf fans with everything associated with the game, including instructional videos, equipment

advice, course rankings, travel destinations, online bookings and more.

Additionally, Discovery and the PGA TOUR are expanding their 12-year strategic partnership with a new content and sales relationship in the US, among other initiatives. The organizations will deepen their partnership and join forces to create the largest digital network in golf with a one-stop activation platform, now including Golf Digest, for advertisers to engage with fans and players. This includes a full suite of editorial coverage, live and on-demand video streaming, digital, social, print and branded content opportunities. The current Golf Digest sales teams will continue to be responsible for ad sales during a transition period until the Discovery/PGA TOUR sales integration is complete.

David Zaslav, President and CEO of Discovery Inc. said: “Golf Digest is a worldclass brand that has become the ‘go-to’ authority for millions of golf enthusiasts, professional players and global advertisers. It’s a natural strategic fit with Discovery’s goal to be the leading golf media platform in

the world. Through our investments with the PGA TOUR, the European Tour and our partnership with Tiger Woods, we wanted to bolster GOLFTV’s international offerings with Golf Digest’s award-winning journalism, broad consumer reach and deep content library while also creating the largest U.S. digital golf business. Jay Monahan and the PGA TOUR have been great partners and we are excited to expand our mutual vision to bring these amazing players and all of their terrific play to more people on more devices in every market in the world.”

Rick Anderson, Chief Media Officer, PGA TOUR, said: “We’re thrilled to deepen our partnership with Discovery, as well as Golf Digest, which has been an official marketing partner of the PGA TOUR since 2006. By combining our assets in the US, we’re now able to offer the most robust digital content and product offering for fans, golfers and TOUR partners. The new PGA TOUR/Golf Digest digital network will be the single largest golf network offering unrivaled breadth and depth of content across platforms.”

Cockfighting elite clash at World Slasher Cup 2 AN American (Cris Copas of Kentucky) and his partner from Mindanao (Claude Bautista of the CPB group) may have snagged the solo championship at the World Slasher Cup first edition last February, but those focusing on winning the coveted silver-plated WSC cup will have a second chance this year.

On May 27, the 2019 World Slasher Cup 2 rolls out at the historic Smart Araneta Coliseum and will last until June 2.

Winning the title will not be a walk in the park, though, as tough challenges are ahead for the best breeders and bloodlines in what is touted as the one and only Olympics of Cockfighting.

With nearly 200 entries, contenders can expect to go up against only the revered names in the sport, including 7-time World Slasher Cup champion Patrick “Idol” Antonio, who was the sole winner in the first edition of WSC 2018. Other multiple title holders Frank Berin (2017 WSC 1 & 2 winner) and Rey Briones (2018 WSC 2 winner) are also raring to add another trophy to their collection.

WSC former champs and veterans are also expected to keep the competition heated up: Nene Araneta, Peping Ricafort, Joey Sy, Dicky Lim, Biboy Enriquez, Ito Ynares, Anthony Lim, Vergil Intino, Lawrence Wacnang, Art de Castro, Magno Lim, Ed Apari, Rikki Reyes, to name a few.

Also expected to bring their best birds to the fights are the following loyal WSC combatants: Ed Ochoa, Jun Mendoza, Mel Lim, James Uy, Roel Gatchalian, Tony Marfori, Cleso Evangelista, Faustino Datu Jr., Lawrence Villanueva, John Yap, James Yap, Marc Cruz, Rhemy Medrano, Arman Santos, Peping Ricafort, Rey Morla,Virgilio Lacson, Jun Villanueva, Alwynn Sy, Gerry Espina, Jun Marasigan, Efren Canlas, Marvin Rocafort, Celso Salazar, Jet Fernando, Carlos, Tumpalan, Boy De Roca, Honey Yu, Nelson Uy, Louie Madlambayan, Gerry Escalona, Willard Ty, Ricky Magtuto, Marvin Perez, Eugene Perez, Kenneth Liao, and Tady Palma; Ramil Capistrano, Julio Vinluan, Rene Adao, Boody Buenaventura, Boy Montano, Jimmy Junsay, Nestor Vendivil, Noel Jarin, Jesry Palmares, Jojo Gatlabyan, Edgar Santos, Rey Directo, Nick Crisostomo, Jun Sevilla, Eddie Araneta, Boy Gamilla, Jowar Baustista, Pros Antonio, Wilvin Sy, Jeffrey Sy, Jess Moradas, Bernie Tacoy, Jun Bacolod, Tonton Uy, Atty. Astorga, Dante Hinlo, Vic Lacsao, Boboy delos Santos, Hector Magpantay, Amante Capuchino, Boyet Joson, Gemmy Coronel, Anthony Garcia, Nino Alando, Noe Palmares, Marvin Rillo, Jun Topacio, Mike Romulo, Charlie Chan, Elan Nagano, Remegio Llarenas, James Bagay, Erik Abella, Moises Villanueva, Toto Sevilla, Ed Ladores, Paolo Malvar, Jessie Viceo, Jubee Navarro, Emil Tiu, Mikee Menez, Lito Orillaza, Boy Tuazon, Glen Eduarte, and Ms. Osang dela Cruz.

2018 WSC2 solo champ Rey Briones (Greengold Uno)

UP Maroons...

From A8

As for Ricci Rivero, who moved over from the La Salle Green Archers two years, he is trying to recover from a knee injury.

Perasol and the Fighting Maroons got together with their supporters yesterday the Manuel L. Quezon Hall of the UP-Diliman campus following a contract signing with one of the team’s new supporters this year, Palawan Pawnshop and Express Padala.

Palawan Pawnshop and Express Padala, through their vice president for finance Lilian Castro-Selda, signed a deal with team management, led by Atty. Agaton Uvero, who leads the Nowhere to Go But Up group.

“We are excited because we are a UP family, including my parents, who were activists in the 70s,” said Selda, who added that they will also extend their assistance to the UP Lady Maroons in women’s basketball. Peter Atencio

LOS ANGELES—Golden state star Kevin Durant has been ruled out of Tuesday’s first game of the NBA Western Conference finals and coach Steve Kerr said he could miss Durant more of the best-of-seven series against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Durant was listed as out for Tuesday’s game in Oakland, California, on the Warriors’ injury list, and Kerr told reporters that he did not know when Durant would return from a right calf strain.

“Everyone needs to slow down a little bit on the Kevin stuff,” Kerr said after the team practiced on Monday. “He hasn’t even stepped on the floor yet. We’ve tried to remain somewhat vague because the injury is open-ended in terms of how much time he will need to recover.”

Kerr said he thought the uncertainty surrounding Durant’s return had led some to think he’d be back sooner than he will.

“He still has pain,” Kerr said. “So there’s time ahead of him on the rehab process.”

Durant was averaging a league-best 34.2 points in the playoffs when he was injured in the third quarter of Golden State’s 104-99 victory over Houston in game five of their second-round series last Wednesday.

The Warriors went on to seal the series with a game-six win without Durant as an MRI showed the injury was no worse than the strain originally diagnosed. AFP

Cavaliers name veteran college coach Beilein as new head coach LOS ANGELES—The Cleveland Cavaliers, in rebuilding mode after a 19-63 NBA season, have hired veteran collegiate coach John Beilein to fill their head coaching job, the team said Monday.

Beilein replaces Larry Drew, who took over the job when Tyronn Lue was sacked six games into the Cavs’ first season since superstar LeBron James departed via free agency for the Los Angeles Lakers.

In 41 years coaching university teams Beilein has posted 35 winning seasons, and in his past 12 seasons at the University of Michigan he has mentored nine NBA draft choices and built a reputation as a savvy offensive tactician.

“We could not be more thrilled to name John Beilein as the new coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers,” Cavs owner Dan Gilbert said in a statement. “First, John is a great human being. He cares deeply about his players and others who work for him and around him. He defines the words class, integrity and character.

“He is a tireless worker who obsesses about finding better ways and the inches that will help his team and the organization grow.

John is a brilliant basketball mind and last but not least, John Beilein is a winner.”

Beilein said he thought the Cavaliers were “the perfect fit”.

“With hard work and dedication by all of us, we will grow this team day by day and reinforce a culture of success that sustains itself with strong core values,” he said. “Cleveland is a great city with amazing fans and I am really looking forward to calling Cleveland home for years to come.” AFP

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor sports@manilastandard.net sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

A8

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019

THE Philippine Golf Tour Asia goes overseas for the first time on its third season as it holds the Daan Taiwan Open on May 23-26 where some of the country’s leading pros go up against the hosts’ top and rising players at the CCK Golf Club in Taichung.

Top guns from other countries who are regular campaigners on the region’s newest circuit and the leading players in Taiwan PGA (TPGA) are also seeing action in the $100,000 championship that would further highlight PGT Asia’s steady rise as one of the region’s emerging circuits.

“Holding tournaments abroad has been part of the PGT Asia program in our continuing commitment not only to help raise the level of play among Filipino pros but also advance the growth of Phl golf,” said Colo Ventosa, general manager of Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., organizer of the country’s three pro circuits, including the PGT and the Ladies PGT. Sixty-five mainstays of PGT Asia will be mixing it up with 79 of the leading TPGA campaigners in what promises to be a slam-bang duel with veteran internationalists and multititled Tony Lascuña and Jay Bayron leading the Filipinos’ campaign in the 72-hole championship.

To underscore PGTI’s commitment to help raise the level of play of Filipino pros, a second PGT Asia event in Taiwan is also scheduled on Sept. 2629 for the Nan Pao TPGA Open in Nan Pao Golf Club.

“Our goal is to grow the PGT Asia further and we need more of our talents to play abroad and join the likes of Miguel Tabuena and Angelo Que, who have been mixing it up with the top players from Asia and Europe the last few years,” said Ventosa, The LPGT actually first broke barriers when it staged its first tournament abroad, the Party Golfers Ladies Open, also in Taiwan late last year with the second edition slated on Oct. 2-4, also at the National Golf Country Club in Miaoli County.

By providing the Filipino pros the opportunity to compete on a different setup and environment, Ventosa believes the exposure will be beneficial to their respective games in particular and to Phl golf in general.

The Taiwan PGA Open serves as the second leg of this year’s PGT Asia after the Luisita Championship last month, which Thai Namchok Tantipokhakul ruled in come-frombehind fashion over Finnish Teemu Putkonen.

PH Golf Tour Asia breaks through with Taiwan event Tony Lascuña (in photo) and Jay Bayron will carry the cudgels for the Phl side in the first PGT Asia event overseas.

Beermen, Hotshots gun for title

By Jeric Lopez

O

NE deciding game for all the marbles.

It will be dynasty against destiny when San Miguel Beer and Magnolia swing for the fences as they dispute the crown in the winner-take-all Game 7 in their best-of-seven championship tilt in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup.

With everything squared at 3-3, it all boils down to Game 7 now as the protagonists see each other one last time at 7 p.m. today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to see who will reign supreme.

The Beermen are looking for an unprecedented fifth straight All-Filipino conference championship, while the Hotshots are looking to carve their own dynasty by possibly winning their second title in a row after reigning supreme in last season’s Governors’ Cup. Even if his squad was unable to close out on its first try in Game 6, Magnolia coach Chito Victolero re-

mains optimistic of their chances.

“We’re still in it. We still have a chance to get the championship,” said Victolero. “All we want is to be in a position to win the championship and we can still achieve that in Game 7.”

San Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria is banking on his team’s championship experience and poise in the pressure-packed Game 7 ahead.

“With a lot of experience, our players know what it takes to win.

I hope we can show that in Game 7. We know what’s at stake,” said Austria.

Best Player of the Conference June

Mar Fajardo is one again expected to backstop San Miguel Beer, while the talented backcourt of Paul Lee and Mark Barroca are ready to give the Hotshots a lift.

Facing serious adversity after being down 2-3, the four-time defending champions responded and delivered in Game 6 last Sunday night, routing the Hotshots, 98-86, to stay alive and force the decider.

After struggling for most part of the series, Beermen gunner Marcio Lassiter broke out of his slump at the perfect time in Game 6, scoring 20 points to lead San Miguel Beer in the elimination game.

Meanwhile, Rain or Shine traded away versatile big man Raymond Almazan to Meralco in exchange for two future first round picks.

This was a big move for the Bolts as they are in dire need of a steady big man.

As for the Elasto Painters, the transition to a more youthful core continues as the two first-round picks they are bound to receive will help them further.

PH sending best Gilas 3x3 women’s team to Fiba tourney COACH Pat Aquino is confident that he has the right tools to carry the Gilas Pilipinas women’s team to a strong finish in the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup in Changsha, China from May 23 to 26.

“These are the best players that we have,” said Aquino, program director of women’s basketball for the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and head coach of the NU Lady Bulldogs in the UAAP. Aquino graced Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Amelie Hotel-Manila, and was joined by members of the Changshabound squad—Jack Animam, Afril Bernardino, Janine Pontejos and Clare Castro.

The team will be pitted against lowerranked Chinese Taipei, Samoa and Vanuatu. The goal, according to Aquino, is to top the bracket and advance to the second phase.

“If we advance, then we will face the tougher teams like Japan, China and New Zealand,” said Aquino in the ses-

sion presented by San Miguel Corp., Braska Restaurant, Tapa King, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation . “You have to qualify to the main tournament. The goal is to make it there.”

Aquino, who holds the UAAP record in the women’s division with 80 consecutive wins as a coach, described his team as currently “the best that can represent our country in women’s 3-on-3.”

Pontejos, a 22-year-old from Centro Escolar University, is a “pure shooter” who saw action in the 2018 FIBA 3x3 World Cup; Animam at 20 is the youngest but with five championships with the Bulldogs in the UAAP; Bernardino, also of NU, is a three-time MVP in the UAAP; and Castro, of FEU, is the tallest at 6 feet 4 inches.

“We will try to reach the next phase,” added Aquino, who is also looking forward to forming the best team for the 30th SEA Games

Members of the Gilas Women’s basketball team with their coach Patrick Aquino (3rd from left) during their appearance at the PSA Forum at the Amelie Hotel. They are (from left) Janine Pontejos, Claire Castillo, Jack Danielle Animam and Afril Bernardino. EY ACASIO

in Manila in November. for the SEA Games. They will also be “Probably this will be the same team part of our 5-on-5 team,” said Aquino.

Tigresses shoot for volley crown Games today (Mall of Asia Arena) 12 noon – FEU vs NU (Men Finals) 4 p.m. – Ateneo vs UST (Women Finals)

By Peter Atencio THE University of Santo Tomas teammates of season MVP Cherry “Sisi” Rondina are hoping to give their graduating team captain a graceful exit.

That is why members of the Tigresses are eager to take Game 2 of the 81st University Athletic Association of the Philippines women’s volleyball tournament.

“Graduating na po si ate. Gusto po namin, maganda ang exit niya kasama kami,” said open spiker Ysabel Jamie Jimenez as the Tigresses shoot for the crown when they meet the Ateneo Lady Eagles at 4 p.m. today at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The 19-year-old Jimenez was among those who stepped up with Eya Laure and Alina as they helped Rondina at the frontline.

The Tigresses are all set in taking their best-ever season in seven years if they win the crown via a 2-game sweep of the eliminations.

The Tigresses made a big stand in the third set and put away the Ateneo Lady Eagles, 25-17, 25-16, 25-20, last Saturday in Game 1 at the Araneta Coliseum.

UST is not only seeking their first title in nine years. The Tigresses are also looking for their second triumph against Ateneo since 2012.

UST coach Kung Fu said they hope to clinch the crown today.

“We celebrate and go back to the drawing board. Hangga’t ‘di pa tapos, hindi pa kami titigil. Kailangang pagandahin pa ang mga galaw nila, para less ang errors namin,” said Reyes.

The Lady Eagles, behind the defense of Kat Tolentino, Julianne Samonte, Bea de Leon and Maddie Madayag could still spoil things for UST if they bounce back in Game 2.

UP Maroons preparing early for UAAP

CHAMPION CYCLISTS. The Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance cycling team represented the country and emerged as champions in the OCBC Cycle Speedway Southeast Asia Championship held recently in Singapore. The Malaysian team placed second, while Vietnam ranked third. Standing at the podium are (from left) Philippine national cyclists Jhon Mark Camingao, Ronald Oranza, Jan Paul Morales and John Mier. The entry of the Philippine Team to the tournament was made possible under the auspices of PhilCycling, headed by Tagaytay Rep. Abraham N. Tolentino.

A TRAINING camp in Las Vegas and Serbia and a pocket tournament in Kaohsiung are in store for the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons within the next two months.

The Fighting Maroons’ exposures abroad will be done to help them get sharper and in shape when the coming 82nd University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball season gets under way this September.

“The objective of the pre-season games and activities and is to get them to play together. Because they are going to be my lineup,” said Fighting Maroons coach Bo Perasol.

After reaching the finals of the 81st season last year against the Ateneo Blue Eagles, the Fighting Maroons are gearing

for a return trip to the finals this season.

Their two-week visit to the Joe Abunassar camp in Las Vegas is expected to happen in the second week of June.

Perasol hopes that Cameroonian big man Bright Akhuetie will be able to join them once he gets his visa requirements done.

A weeklong cagefest is set this July in Taiwan for the Fighting Maroons before the squad goes to Europe for another camp in Serbia this August.

“We can’t get through season with six or seven players just playing. And it’s going to be a long season,” added Perasol.

He noted that back injuries have been bugging Akhuetie, Juan Gomez de Liano and one of the two new guys in the team, Kobe Paras.

Turn to A7

IN BRIEF

JG Summit’s profit climbs 54% to P7.4b

JG SUMMIT Holdings Inc., the investment company of the Gokongwei family, said consolidated net income climbed 54.2 percent in the first quarter to P7.44 billion from P4.82 billion a year ago, boosted by the strong performance of the airline and property businesses.

JG Summit said in a disclosure to the stock exchange that first-quarter consolidated revenues grew 8.7 percent to P76.26 billion from P70.15 billion recorded in the first quarter of 2018.

The conglomerate said while its airline and real estate businesses delivered double-digit growth in net income, it was partially offset by the profit decline in petrochemical business and lower foreign exchange translation gains and market valuation gains on the group’s financial assets.

Consolidated core net income, which excludes non-operating and nonrecurring items, was slightly lower at P6.22 billion in the first quarter compared to P6.35 billion in the first quarter of 2018.

The group’s food manufacturing unit Universal Robina Corp. posted revenues of P33.3 billion, up by 8.7 percent from P30.6 billion driven by the double-digit sales growth in all segments. Jenniffer B. Austria

Phinma Energy eyes tender offer

PHINMA Energy Corp. said Tuesday it will conduct a tender offer to shareholders of Phinma Petroleum and Geothermal Inc. as a part of the sale of its shares to AC Energy Inc., the power unit of the Ayala Group.

PPG, formerly Trans-Asia Petroleum Corp., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Phinma Energy.

Phinma Energy currently owns 126,838,679 common shares, representing 50.735 percent of the total issued and outstanding capital stock of PPG. After the transaction, it will own an aggregate of 189,801,107 common shares, representing 75.92 percent of the total issued and outstanding capital stock of the company.

Phinma Energy will be making a voluntary tender offer for the remaining 59,208,851 common shares representing 23.684 percent.

“The terms of the tender offer shall be announced separately on the date of the commencement of the tender offer,” it said.

Alena Mae S. Flores

E-vehicle station rollout delayed

PILIPINAS Shell Petroleum Corp. has not yet rolled out its electric vehicle charging stations because of the delay in the deployment of evehicles by partner QEV Philippines.

“We remain open to the partnership with QEV but our deal with them was they are the ones working out the vehicles. We just identify the stations. So far we have not been notified to construct,” Pilipinas Shell president Cesar Romero said.

Pilipinas Shell teamed up with QEV Philippines last year to put up the first electric vehicle fast charging infrastructure network in the country. The joint venture agreement called for an initial 100 pilot sites for the EV charging posts.

“It’s quite a challenging undertaking coz first of all availability of vehicles, demand.

We’re ready to deploy if there are enough evehicles,” Romero said.

Romero said the use of e-vehicles is expected to grow in the coming years.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019

B1

DoF: Power firms, co-ops owe P59b Vehicle sales increased by 0.8% S to 25,799 in April

By Julito G. Rada

EVERAL independent power producer administrators and electric cooperatives owe P59.23 billion to Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., a report submitted to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III shows.

The Finance Department said in a statement that IPPAs and electric coops dominated the list of the top corporate entities with long overdue accounts with PSALM amounting to a combined P59.23 billion as of December 2018.

Many of these accounts were transferred by National Power Corp. to PSALM by virtue of Republic Act No. 9136 in 2001.

A report by PSALM to Dominguez, who chairs the state-run firm’s board of directors, showed that several IPPAs had pending overdue accounts amounting to P28.46 billion as of December 2018. Some of the IPPAs are contest-

ing the amounts in courts or in arbitral tribunals.

The PSALM report also listed 10 electric cooperatives and industries with the largest unpaid obligation due to PSALM with a combined total of P28.74 billion as of December last year.

San Miguel Corp.’s South Premiere Power Corp., which administers the Ilijan gas-fired power plant in Batangas City, has the highest unpaid obligation to PSALM in the sum of P19.75 billion. PSALM earlier terminated the IPPA, but this was stopped by the court.

Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative

has the highest overdue account among electric cooperatives amounting to P9.63 billion dating back 16 years, according to the report.

The Public Utilities Department of Olongapo City, although no longer a PSALM client, owes P6.07 billion in obligations representing over nine years of overdue power bills, more than 10 years of unpaid value-added tax payments and five years of penalties and interest.

Vivant-Sta. Clara Northern Renewables Generation Corp., formerly owned

by Vivant Energy and Sta. Clara Power Corp., owes P3.86 billion to PSALM. The company was awarded an IPPA contract for the Bakun Hydroelectric Power Plant in Ilocos Sur. Vivant-Sta. Clara filed a petition for rehabilitation. It was recently purchased by North Renewable Energy Corp. Data showed that despite the change in ownership, no payment has been made to PSALM for the overdue accounts.

Metro Pacific still interested in MRT 3 operations, maintenance

By Darwin G. Amojelar METRO Pacific Investments Corp. said it is still interested in operating and maintaining Metro Rail Transit Line 3 despite the government’s decision to award the rehabilitation of the rail system to a Japanese company.

“It’s [the proposal] still there with the government. I’m glad [Transportation] Secretary [Arthur] Tugade has mandated Sumitomo [Corp.] to start the rehab work for MRT3 that’s much needed, its a big step,” said MPIC chairman Manuel Pangilinan.

“We will wait for their direction― whatever their intention is,” he said.

The Transportation Department in September 2017 granted the original

proponent status to MPIC which submitted an unsolicited bid for the rehabilitation and O&M of MRT 3.

The consortium of MPIC and Ayala Corp. submitted an unsolicited proposal to DOTr to upgrade and rehabilitate MRT 3 for P12.5 billion.

The government, however, tapped Sumitomo Corp. to rehabilitate MRT 3 under an P18-billion loan agreement between the Philippines and Japan.

Under the deal, Sumitomo will be in charge of rehabilitation and maintenance of the system’s electromechanical components, power supply, rail tracks and depot equipment until 2022. It will also overhaul the system’s 72 18-yearold light rail vehicles.

The consortium is also looking at

buying out the stake of the government and private investors in MRT 3.

The government through Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines own a combined 80-percent economic interest in MRT 3 while the balance is held by creditors of Metro Rail Transit Corp.

MPIC in 2011 offered to buy out Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines in MRT 3 for $1.1 billion.

MRT 3 which runs along Edsa from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City serves more than 500,000 passengers a day, beyond its rated capacity of 350,000.

The line has a fleet of 73 Czech-made air-conditioned rail cars.

By Othel V. Campos VEHICLE sales slightly increased 0.8 percent in April to 25,799 units from 25,583 units delivered in the same month last year, two industry groups said Tuesday.

Data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and the Truck Manufacturers Association showed while demand for commercial vehicles increased, sales of passenger cars declined during the month.

“April recorded a year-on-year growth of 0.8 percent, selling 25,799 units against 25,583 units during the same period last year.

Sales last month remain erratic on a monthly basis, but we expect that positive growth trend on a yearly basis will continue to improve in the coming months,” said Campi president Rommel Gutierrez.

Sales of commercial vehicles climbed 15.7 percent in April led by the light commercial vehicle segment that grew 35.4 percent to 14,954 units from 11,045 units.

Passenger car sales fell 22.7 percent to 7,661 units from 9,910 units because of higher excise taxes, the industry groups said.

Data showed that on a monthon-month basis, sales plunged 19.8 percent from 32,173 vehicles sold in April. Sales of passenger cars went down 16.85 percent while demand for commercial vehicles fell 21 percent on a monthly basis.

B2

Business

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

PH, Asian stocks fall on trade war S HARE prices slumped Tuesday along with the rest of Asia following hefty losses on Wall Street that came in response to China’s hike in tariffs on $60 billion of US imports.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index sank 95.54 points, or 1.2 percent, to 7,646.66 on a value turnover of P11.9 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 140 to 57, with 37 issues unchanged.

BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, fell 4.1 percent to P130.20, while Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-largest bank, also lost 4.1 percent to P81.30.

Casino operator Bloomberry Resorts Corp. dropped 4.6 percent to P10.40, while GT Capital Holdings Inc. of the Ty Group declined 4.1 percent to P815.

The rest of Asian markets extended a global sell-off Tuesday as tensions in a trade war between the global economic titans rose.

The move by Beijing was followed by a warning of further action such as dumping US Treasuries and came days after Washington more than doubled levies on $200 billion of Chinese goods and Donald Trump said he was looking at more than $300 billion more.

The stand-off has sent shockwaves through trading floors, where most dealers had a little over a week ago been confident the two sides were close to a deal.

World markets have rallied for most of the year on the back of optimism about an agreement.

Hong Kong led losses as the market reopened after a long weekend. The Hang Seng Index sank 1.5 percent while Shanghai shed 0.7 percent and Tokyo ended down 0.6 percent, marking its

seventh straight loss.

Sydney and Singapore each dropped 0.9 percent, with Jakarta down 1.4 percent.

There were also losses in Taipei and Wellington, though Seoul edged up slightly.

“Uncertainty and short-term sentiment impact is likely to stay,” Medha Samant, director of investment at Fidelity International, told Bloomberg TV. “In the short term, it looks like volatility is here to stay and we could see this riskoff, risk-on going on for a long time.”

The retreat came after the Nasdaq on Wall Street suffered its worst day of 2019 and the Dow ended at its lowest point in more than three months.

After announcing the higher tariffs, the editor of Communist Party-owned Chinese newspaper Global Times warned Beijing could also hit the US by offloading Treasuries, ending US agricultural purchases and reducing orders for Boeing airplanes.

OANDA senior market analyst Jeffrey Halley warned there could be worse to come.

“Given that equity markets are so far behind the curve in repricing the risk to the new-world reality, equities could be in for an extended period of pain,” he said in a note.

However, while there is a lot of fear about an all-out trade war, which could batter the world economy, both said talks will continue, though no date has been set for the next round.

Also, Trump said he had a feeling talks with China will be “very successful” and that he intended to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at next month’s G20 summit.

“An eventual agreement still seems the most likely outcome, although political miscalculation is a rising risk,” said Paul Christopher, head of global market strategy at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2019

NAME

OPEN

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 56.25 750 81.3 3,954,270 2.19 4,000 130.2 4,980,940 1.25 43,000 26.75 83,000 18.9 162,500 10.9 814,300 4.49 202,000 1.36 12,000 0.46 860,000 72 4,126,480 0.89 243,000 12.9 28,700 21.4 2,000 52.7 194,730 180.5 1,140 57.45 1,980 26.2 23,700 168 607,670 1,795 10 59.3 2,580 1.12 283,000

42,187.50 321,260,404 8,760 648,760,733 54,650 2,198,750 3,072,786 8,912,862 909,580 16,320 396,900 297,127,519 216,020 377,016 42,800 10,272,476.50 205,733 113,891.50 621,540 102,341,577 17,950 153,388.50 316,960

-128,009,073 -192,553,767 547,010 907,400 -178,910 -60,859,851 51,620 -3,179,106.50 -135,410 -75,980 -55,982,758 -8,915.50 -

34.65 15.18 0.71 1.36 0.241 89.5 2.59 14.5 118.4 26.05 14.54 45.45 60.6 1.85 5.3 5.3 10.3 15.9 8.92 7.5 20.2 76.25 34.9 2.33 14.8 9.7 1.63 291.8 49.5 3.92 3.28 9.01 20.85 13.1 21.5 364 0.188 1.15 4.2 5.9 1.98 11.9 41.6 4.85 4.8 1.62 2.04 1.22 12.5 104.2 6.7 0.9 150.5 2.5 1.21 16.98 1.01

INDUSTRIAL 35 1,537,800 15.52 235,400 0.74 4,461,000 1.36 735,000 0.248 1,360,000 96.75 110 2.75 52,302,000 14.5 1,023,700 118.4 10 26.05 162,600 15.88 1,300 45.45 2,100 60.6 10 1.9 74,000 5.3 92,700 5.3 16,400 10.4 3,740,400 15.98 522,100 8.95 244,600 7.53 1,688,800 21 2,767,900 77.1 190,970 36.6 165,600 2.4 9,820,000 15 5,804,600 10.46 698,700 1.7 376,000 302.6 6,205,170 49.5 10,000 3.92 5,000 3.49 19,000 11.84 27,258,800 20.95 3,238,900 13.48 831,500 21.75 2,575,600 364.2 312,990 0.188 670,000 1.15 5,680,000 4.48 219,000 5.99 3,884,100 2.1 57,851,000 12 94,000 42.2 426,000 4.85 105,000 4.9 177,000 1.69 143,000 2.04 6,000 1.24 136,000 12.8 591,200 108.5 669,850 6.77 199,500 0.9 134,000 160 1,615,820 2.5 63,000 1.24 3,006,000 16.98 100 1.03 716,000

53,688,720 3,646,742 3,223,340 1,004,820 332,940 9,917.50 142,295,030 15,089,930 1,184 4,339,260 19,324 95,470 606 137,980 492,740 90,215 38,821,296 8,335,838 2,187,986 12,723,688 57,537,285 14,709,056 5,931,255 24,059,420 87,112,562 6,926,527 625,730 1,828,503,084 495,000 19,600 63,640 247,769,905 67,933,045 11,129,964 55,785,990 114,867,154 126,750 6,592,150 944,400 23,108,599 120,177,200 1,124,132 18,037,355 509,290 865,860 238,030 12,240 167,340 7,547,092 72,967,874 1,343,558 122,190 253,608,425 159,190 3,705,250 1,698 727,440

-24,342,365 -156,130 -58,400 36,440,000 -284,842 -56,125 -9,044,090 4,724,970 -165,837 -2,958,548 -2,273,640 -3,733,667 1,684,085 718,050 11,055,170 1,456,671 -139,784,138 238,743,897 -40,176,150 -273,958 22,688,185.00 -45,756,984 794,600 -12,780 -3,865,411 204,710.00 -639,984 -3,572,735 -485,040.00 46,474 1,839,440 33,300 -51,522,049 70,000 250 -5,150

0.62 46.7 13.12 0.74 6.5 14.02 1.28 1.3 880 7.01 10.02 12.34 0.255 810.5 6.16 58 5.82 0.48 4.33 16.32 0.55 4.11 0.038 2.95 180 900 0.8 1.33 268 0.231 0.32

HOLDING FIRMS 0.64 15,663,000 46.7 4,125,800 13.88 6,328,400 0.74 349,000 6.5 8,100 14.4 70,000 1.29 6,715,000 1.31 1,173,000 880 794,540 7.29 14,306,100 10.18 5,899,900 13.4 473,200 0.28 50,000 815 189,310 6.16 28,200 59.5 4,933,360 5.85 7,800 0.51 65,000 4.33 520,000 16.9 2,732,700 0.55 335,000 4.17 28,419,000 0.039 8,800,000 3.04 1,124,000 184.1 308,980 902 573,170 0.82 881,000 1.36 65,000 274.8 6,270 0.232 1,470,000 0.325 6,730,000

9,920,200 196,322,660 86,027,308 258,310 52,740 995,072 8,745,700 1,549,530 706,694,330 104,153,102 59,987,552 6,199,444 13,750 154,712,410 173,921 292,768,116.50 45,450 31,320 2,278,440 45,965,652 184,250 118,276,980 342,300 3,365,240 56,568,747 517,827,335 712,820 87,030 1,691,886 342,890 2,206,150

-56,790 -129,645,910 15,446,454 5,200 -323,060,880 -922,912 -26,191,756 270,732 -66,655,805 -146,120,367 -571,320 1,865,372 181,500 -34,618,940 -78,000 461,420 3,148,819 -344,023,240 13,300 -139,958 3,300

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

ASIA UNITED 56.25 BANK PH ISLANDS 83.45 BDO LEASING 2.19 BDO UNIBANK 132.5 BRIGHT KINDLE 1.32 CHINABANK 26.95 COL FINANCIAL 18.86 EAST WEST BANK 11.2 FERRONOUX HLDG 4.5 IREMIT 1.36 MEDCO HLDG 0.47 METROBANK 72.1 NTL REINSURANCE 0.89 PB BANK 13.44 PBCOM 21.4 PHIL NATL BANK 53.7 PHIL STOCK EXCH 180 PSBANK 57.6 RCBC 27 SECURITY BANK 171.7 SUN LIFE 1,795 UNION BANK 59.9 VANTAGE 1.12

56.25 83.45 2.19 133 1.32 26.95 18.92 11.2 4.69 1.36 0.47 72.45 0.89 13.44 21.4 53.7 182.7 57.75 27 171.9 1,795 59.9 1.12

56.25 80.5 2.19 128.5 1.24 26.1 18.86 10.74 4.48 1.36 0.46 71.5 0.88 12.9 21.4 52.2 180 57.45 26.1 168 1,795 59.3 1.12

ABOITIZ POWER 35.15 AGRINURTURE 15.6 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.75 ALSONS CONS 1.39 BASIC ENERGY 0.25 BOGO MEDELLIN 89.5 CEMEX HLDG 2.75 CENTURY FOOD 15 CHEMPHIL 118.4 CIRTEK HLDG 26.5 CNTRL AZUCARERA15.92 CONCEPCION 45.5 CONCRETE B 60.6 CROWN ASIA 1.9 DAVINCI CAPITAL 5.34 DEL MONTE 5.5 DNL INDUS 10.76 EAGLE CEMENT 15.98 EEI CORP 9.1 EMPERADOR 7.5 FIRST GEN 20.75 FIRST PHIL HLDG 77.1 GINEBRA 37.45 GREENERGY 2.45 HOLCIM 15.38 INTEGRATED MICR 10 IONICS 1.77 JOLLIBEE 301 LIBERTY FLOUR 49.5 LMG CHEMICALS 3.92 MABUHAY VINYL 3.28 MACAY HLDG 9.21 MANILA WATER 21.5 MAXS GROUP 13.8 MEGAWIDE 21.7 MERALCO 377 MG HLDG 0.198 PEPSI COLA 1.19 PETROENERGY 4.48 PETRON 6 PHINMA ENERGY 2 PHX PETROLEUM 11.96 PILIPINAS SHELL 43.75 PRYCE CORP 4.85 RFM CORP 4.8 ROXAS AND CO 1.62 ROXAS HLDG 2.04 SFA SEMICON 1.25 SHAKEYS PIZZA 13.3 SMC FOODANDBEV 111.8 SPC POWER 6.79 TKC METALS 0.95 UNIV ROBINA 158.8 VICTORIAS 2.57 VITARICH 1.27 VIVANT 16.98 VULCAN INDL 1.02

35.6 15.6 0.75 1.39 0.25 96.75 2.82 15.02 118.4 27.5 15.92 45.5 60.6 1.9 5.34 5.6 10.76 15.98 9.1 7.55 21 77.5 37.45 2.54 15.38 10.46 1.78 302.6 49.5 3.92 3.49 12.46 21.55 13.8 21.85 377 0.198 1.2 4.48 6.09 2.18 12 43.75 4.87 4.9 1.69 2.04 1.25 13.3 111.8 6.8 0.95 161 2.57 1.27 16.98 1.04

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

0.65 49.95 13.9 0.76 6.65 15 1.34 1.34 914 7.29 10.32 13.6 0.28 848 6.17 61.15 5.85 0.51 4.56 16.9 0.55 4.27 0.04 3.04 189.5 924 0.82 1.38 274.8 0.24 0.34

0.65 48.2 13.36 0.74 6.65 15 1.33 1.34 900 7.11 10.3 13.6 0.255 848 6.17 61 5.82 0.51 4.48 16.9 0.55 4.26 0.039 3.04 189.5 924 0.81 1.34 274.8 0.234 0.34

8990 HLDG 14.22 A BROWN 0.75 ARANETA PROP 2.22 ARTHALAND CORP 0.78 AYALA LAND 47.2 BELLE CORP 2.35 CEB LANDMASTERS 4.75 CEBU HLDG 6.4 CENTURY PROP 0.52 CITY AND LAND 0.78 CITYLAND DEVT 0.89 CROWN EQUITIES 0.232 DM WENCESLAO 10.7 DOUBLEDRAGON 23.6 EMPIRE EAST 0.475 EVER GOTESCO 0.125 FILINVEST LAND 1.57 GLOBAL ESTATE 1.31 MEGAWORLD 5.33

14.44 0.75 2.24 0.78 48.3 2.4 4.78 6.45 0.53 0.8 0.91 0.232 10.72 24.3 0.475 0.125 1.58 1.33 5.44

14.1 0.7 2.14 0.71 47 2.3 4.65 6.2 0.5 0.78 0.89 0.232 9.84 22.5 0.47 0.125 1.54 1.3 5.15

VOLUME

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

0.335 0.485 1.9 0.45 2.61 23.8 1.95 3 38.45 1.91 6.9 0.72 7.25

0.34 0.49 1.93 0.465 2.63 24.45 2 3 38.5 1.95 6.98 0.72 7.27

0.33 0.485 1.76 0.435 2.5 22.55 1.95 2.98 37.05 1.86 6.63 0.72 7.08

0.34 0.49 1.78 0.435 2.5 24.45 1.96 2.98 38.4 1.9 6.83 0.72 7.12

7,990,000 100,000 7,049,000 630,000 1,040,000 3,063,200 78,000 29,000 16,851,100 7,377,000 260,200 6,000 5,763,400

2,660,100 48,750 13,053,780 285,100 2,656,410 72,640,350 153,360 86,660 637,397,930 14,141,900 1,776,509 4,320 41,138,967

-60,300 -155,880 6,444,880 45,620 -193,777,445 -5,834,891

2GO GROUP 12 ABS CBN 19 APC GROUP 0.4 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.043 ASIAN TERMINALS 15.9 BERJAYA 2.52 BLOOMBERRY 10.62 BOULEVARD HLDG 0.066 CEBU AIR 82 CENTRO ESCOLAR 7.05 CHELSEA 5.92 DFNN INC 6.4 EASYCALL 10.5 GLOBE TELECOM 2,000 GMA NETWORK 5.23 GOLDEN BRIA 409.8 HARBOR STAR 2.47 INTL CONTAINER 133.5 IPEOPLE 10.98 IPM HLDG 6.84 ISLAND INFO 0.125 ISM COMM 5.85 JACKSTONES 3.08 LBC EXPRESS 15.5 LEISURE AND RES 3.91 LORENZO SHIPPNG 0.79 MACROASIA 19.7 MANILA BULLETIN 0.54 MANILA JOCKEY 3.5 METRO RETAIL 2.72 METROALLIANCE A 1.65 METROALLIANCE B 1.63 NOW CORP 2.09 PACIFIC ONLINE 3.2 PAL HLDG 9.62 PH RESORTS GRP 4.36 PHIL RACING 8.15 PHIL SEVEN CORP 113 PHILWEB 2.82 PLDT 1,240 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.68 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.91 PUREGOLD 43.85 ROBINSONS RTL 72.5 SBS PHIL CORP 9.25 SSI GROUP 3.18 STI HLDG 0.65 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.325 TRAVELLERS 5.62 WATERFRONT 0.7 WILCON DEPOT 16.2

12.3 19 0.4 0.044 16.78 2.58 10.62 0.067 83 7.87 6.11 6.4 11.02 2,012 5.23 419 2.47 137.8 10.98 6.84 0.126 6.2 3.08 15.52 3.94 0.8 19.7 0.54 3.98 2.77 1.65 1.63 2.09 3.31 9.9 4.46 8.45 116 2.85 1,279 0.68 1.02 44.5 72.5 9.25 3.18 0.67 0.33 5.65 0.7 16.5

12 18.88 0.4 0.041 15.9 2.47 10.2 0.065 80.5 7.03 5.91 6.33 10.28 1,975 5.14 409.8 2.39 133 10.98 6.2 0.121 5.85 2.98 15.5 3.8 0.75 19.02 0.52 3.5 2.52 1.64 1.63 2.01 3.1 9.62 4.16 8.15 113 2.81 1,214 0.64 0.9 43.6 68.1 9.25 2.95 0.65 0.31 5.62 0.66 16.18

SERVICES 12 6,200 18.94 51,600 0.4 80,000 0.041 7,300,000 16.78 1,500 2.56 695,000 10.4 28,330,900 0.065 13,290,000 83 87,280 7.03 4,400 6 1,592,500 6.4 219,000 10.76 40,000 1,998 105,330 5.18 165,300 416.6 1,600 2.42 2,352,000 136.2 6,414,720 10.98 100 6.7 27,500 0.125 5,220,000 6 10,187,900 2.98 29,000 15.52 1,300 3.89 620,000 0.79 380,000 19.28 755,300 0.52 1,170,000 3.89 244,000 2.62 10,713,000 1.65 52,000 1.63 1,000 2.04 983,000 3.16 284,000 9.62 19,200 4.42 7,000 8.45 4,100 116 1,300 2.83 1,135,000 1,240 231,055 0.67 3,986,000 0.99 85,316,000 44.05 1,637,900 68.85 914,810 9.25 16,000 3.14 21,510,000 0.67 3,082,000 0.32 4,420,000 5.63 4,569,900 0.67 4,620,000 16.46 2,942,700

75,300 978,130 32,000 303,000 24,290 1,728,420 294,525,010 881,580 7,119,945.50 31,054 9,537,294 1,395,040 422,874 210,523,365 854,885 665,756 5,660,590 869,374,263 1,098 180,325 635,990 61,077,530 87,560 20,170 2,392,120 294,980 14,564,288 620,820 938,410 27,994,400 85,640 1,630 2,007,870 904,190 187,177 30,520 33,445 149,900 3,208,140 284,819,705 2,614,670 82,419,050 72,164,925 63,525,528.50 148,000 65,183,310 2,012,200 1,415,400 25,749,117 3,100,870 47,845,932

5,034 -114,288,608 -6,600 -123,289 9,842 -1,575,666 -1,034,646 49,456,530 76,752,466 122,000 1,490,798 156,000 -3,305,368 588,470 193,050.00 28,340 146,480 -705,280 36,480,930 239,120 -2,125,880 6,657,980 -28,159,505 9,168,450 -539,950 -13,857,012 -134,000 31,364,318

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

0.0019 1.25 2.79 12 2.8 0.285 7.87 1.63 0.238 0.113 0.113 0.008 1.02 2.29 1 0.56 0.88 0.012 3.81 3.06 7.82 22.6 0.0067

0.0019 1.27 2.79 12 2.81 0.285 7.87 1.63 0.239 0.113 0.121 0.008 1.02 2.3 1.02 0.56 0.88 0.012 3.83 3.06 8.3 23.55 0.0067

0.0018 1.25 2.79 12 2.74 0.285 7.72 1.57 0.237 0.105 0.112 0.008 1.02 2.2 0.98 0.56 0.87 0.011 3.61 3 7.8 22 0.0065

MINING & OIL 0.0018 109,000,000 1.27 831,000 2.79 146,000 12 200 2.81 322,000 0.285 600,000 7.85 300 1.6 11,528,000 0.237 150,000 0.11 2,220,000 0.12 170,000 0.008 11,000,000 1.02 3,000 2.24 4,811,000 1.01 46,000 0.56 10,000 0.88 288,000 0.012 26,900,000 3.61 153,000 3.02 551,000 8.3 1,285,600 22.35 3,923,600 0.0065 21,000,000

200,800 1,049,370 407,340 2,400 894,960 171,000 2,344 18,440,690 35,710 243,510 19,300 88,000 3,060 10,842,150 45,280 5,600 251,760 303,100 572,960 1,660,210 10,498,129 88,557,295 136,700

-214,300 8,400 -1,200 316,550 -2,610 -195,620 1,177,663 41,191,770 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 GMA HLDG PDR LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2A PNX PREF 3A SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2F

18.62 467 5.03 0.97 102 970 100.4 975 75 76.1 71.85 73.7

18.62 467 5.04 0.98 102 970 100.4 975 75 76.1 71.85 73.75

18.62 467 5 0.97 102 970 100.4 962 74.85 76 71.85 73.7

PREFERRED 18.62 16,000 467 1,060 5 71,900 0.98 121,000 102 40 970 90 100.4 10 975 5,300 74.85 40,000 76 18,160 71.85 550 73.75 8,150

297,920 495,020 360,198 118,530 4,080 87,300 1,004 5,138,040 2,994,903 1,380,774 39,517.50 601,032.50

-297,920 -306,377 532,600.00 -

LR WARRANT

1.9

1.94

1.85

WARRANTS 1.86 207,000

386,430

-

5.11 0.99

4.9 0.91

SME 5.04 0.93

3,845,390 10,944,790

253,230

FIRST METRO ETF 116.5

116.5

114

1,758,611

-

USD TECH B2

1

1

13,200

-

NAME

OPEN

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

MS

PROPERTY 14.4 477,600 0.73 1,732,000 2.14 143,000 0.74 3,312,000 47.95 20,830,600 2.35 721,000 4.7 1,321,000 6.2 31,100 0.52 15,643,000 0.8 147,000 0.91 355,000 0.232 1,030,000 10.06 2,169,200 24.15 2,089,900 0.47 730,000 0.125 500,000 1.58 6,862,000 1.32 1,445,000 5.44 24,974,400

6,817,018 1,237,420 313,810 2,439,810 992,087,350 1,683,440 6,235,040 193,957 8,014,300 116,920 319,610 238,960 22,155,070 49,014,635 343,650 62,500 10,675,830 1,893,890 132,121,434

-1,069,852 3,650 -42,800 194,746,180 -82,110 -51,750 -190,742 -294,840 -12,000 -18,000 1,056,800 -118,305 -531,490 -161,230 -10,623,706

ITALPINAS XURPAS

4.9 0.99

765,000 11,671,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 114.5 15,300 DDS

1

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL

SHARES

18,702,521

INDUSTRIAL

204,903,167

HOLDING FIRMS

118,810,280

PROPERTY

140,870,967

SERVICES

228,160,973

MINING & OIL

195,877,494

GRAND TOTAL

919,785,146

1

13,200

VALUE 1,685.88 (DOWN) 52.95 1,666,945,650.85 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,445.83 (DOWN) 82.49 3,328,089,957.54 HOLDING FIRMS 7,176.38 (DOWN) 169.53 2,441,219,568.89 PROPERTY 4,156.81 (UP) 38.81 SERVICES 1,595.17 (DOWN) 0.40 2,099,258,471.53 MINING & OIL 7,412.09 (UP) 86.81 2,262,550,329.02 PSEI 7,646.66 (DOWN) 95.54 134,451,412.70 All Shares Index 4,736.54 (DOWN) 54.72 11,949,100,445.48 Gainers: 57; Losers: 140; Unchanged: 37; Total: 234

GT Capital’s income down 8% to P3.42b in first quarter

By Jenniffer B. Austria CONGLOMERATE GT Capital Holdings Inc. said net income attributable to equity holders of the parent company dipped eight percent in the first quarter of the year to P3.42 billion from P3.74 billion year-on-year on lower revenue growth from the real estate and automotive businesses.

GT Capital said in a disclosure to the stock exchange first-quarter consolidated revenues reached P47 billion in the first quarter of 2019, up three percent from P45.5 billion on year.

Five of the 10 component companies under GT Capital posted positive net income growths, namely Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., AXA Philippines, Property Company of Friends Inc., GT Capital Auto Dealership Holdings Inc. and Sumisho Motor Finance Corp..

Five companies also registered declines in net profit, namely Federal Land Inc., Toyota Motor Philippines Inc., Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Toyota Manila Bay Corp. and Toyota Financial Services Philippines Corp.

“Solid growth in our financial services component companies, the early signs of recovery in the automotive sector, as well as positive developments in our property businesses led to revenue growth for GT Capital during the period,” said GT Capital president Carmelo Maria Luza Bautista.

“Easing inflation, sustained government infrastructure spending and improved consumer confidence give us optimism for the rest of the year,” he added.

Metrobank posted a net profit of P6.8 billion in the first quarter of 2019, up 15 percent from the P5.9 billion on year.

The bank’s solid performance for the quarter was driven by a double-digit growth in operating income on the back of consistent loan growth and margin expansion, higher fee-based income and prudent operational expenditures.

IN BRIEF Emperador, Travellers register mixed results EMPERADOR Inc. and Travellers International Hotel Holdings Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan posted mixed first-quarter financial results.

Liquor unit Emperador said in a disclosure to the stock exchange net profit attributable to equity holders of parent company rose 10 percent in the first quarter of the year to P1.74 billion.

First-quarter revenues increased 13 percent to P11 billion on the strong sales performance of whisker and premium brandy products.

Tan’s gaming unit Travellers International Hotel Group Inc., meanwhile booked a net income of P243.4 million in the first quarter, down 45.2 percent from P444 million year-on-year.

TIHGI, which owns and operates Resorts World Manila, said net revenues increased by 46.5 percent to P6.89 billion in the first three months from P4.7 billion on year. The increase was driven by the continued improvement in revenues in both the gaming and non-gaming segments.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Semirara’s Q1 profit dipped 49% to P2.3b SEMIRARA Mining and Power Corp. said Tuesday consolidated net income after tax in the first quarter fell 49 percent to P2.33 billion from P4.57 billion year-on-year due to losses suffered from its power generation unit and lower coal prices.

SMPC disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange net of eliminations for the coal segment and Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp. contributed P2.13 billion and P226.10 million respectively, while SEMCalaca Power Corp. recorded a net loss of P22.37 million this year.

SMPC chairman Isidro Consunji said he was optimistic of better financial figures next year with the full operations of the power plants.

“The plants are not fully operating this year. Next year will be okay. For coal, production is higher but prices are lower,” said Consunji. Alena Mae S. Flores

Italpinas set to sell shares worth P650m NICHE property developer Italpinas Development Corp. plans to raise as much as P650 million from the issuance of preferred shares.

IDC said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it approved the offering of up to 33.333 million preferred shares with an over allotment of 10 million preferred shares at a price of P15 apiece.

IDC will offer the shares from the company’s unissued capital stock.

Other terms and conditions of the offering, including the timetable and features of the preferred shares, will shortly be finalized by the company and underwriter Unicapital Inc. The offering is subject to the registration requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange. Jenniffer B. Austria

B3

World

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Oil tankers ‘sabotaged’ as tensions in Gulf soar F

UJAIRAH, UAE―Four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, were damaged in mysterious “sabotage attacks” that have inflamed Gulf tensions amid a standoff between the United States and Iran.

In the face of growing international concern, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo scrapped a planned visit to Moscow and headed to Brussels instead for talks Monday with European officials, as Britain warned of the danger of conflict erupting “by accident” in the Gulf.

Turning up the pressure on Tehran after the United States deployed B-52 bombers and an assault ship to bolster an aircraft carrier in the region, President Donald Trump warned that Iran would “suffer greatly” were it to “do anything” to threaten US interests.

“If they do anything, it would be a very bad mistake,” Trump warned at the White House. “If they do anything they will suffer greatly.”

Acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan proposed a revamped military plan at a meeting with senior national security aides that would send up to 120,000 US troops to the Middle East were Iran to attack American forces or speed up nuclear weapons development, The New York Times reported.

Other options have been floated, and this one includes the highest number of troops.

Tehran meanwhile called for an investigation into Sunday’s “alarming” attacks off the Emirati coast and warned of “adventurism” by foreign players to disrupt maritime security.

A UAE government official said the Saudi oil tankers Al-Marzoqah and Amjad were attacked off the emirate of Fujairah along with the Norwegian tanker Andrea Victory and an Emirati ship, the A. Michel.

Saudi Arabia, the Islamic republic’s

TROPHY. This photo taken on May 13, 2019, at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes, southern France, shows the Palme d’Or trophy of the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival. This year’s Cannes Film Festival is running from May 14th until May 25th. AFP

IN BRIEF Scientists say carbon dioxide N. Korea demands return of ship

SEOUL―North Korea on Tuesday demanded the return of a cargo ship seized

by Washington last week for violating international sanctions, calling it an “unlawful and outrageous act”.

On Friday, the US Justice Department said it had taken possession of the North Korea-registered bulk carrier M/V Wise Honest, one year after it was detained in Indonesia, citing illicit sanctions-busting activities.

It was the first time a North Korean cargo vessel had been seized by the US for sanctions violations, after several years of high seas cat-and-mouse games in which Korean shippers disguised vessels, used false flags and turned off their tracking transponders to avoid discovery.

A spokesman for the North’s foreign ministry slammed the move on Tuesday, saying it was an “outright denial” of the spirit of a statement signed by leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump at their landmark summit in Singapore last June.

“The United States committed an unlawful and outrageous act of dispossessing our cargo ship... linking the ship to the ‘sanctions resolutions’ of the United Nations Security Council,” the spokesman said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The move was an “extension of the American method” of seeking to bring Pyongyang “to its knees” through maximum pressure, he said.

“The US should ponder over the consequences its heinous act might have on the future developments and immediately return our ship,” the statement added.

North Korea is sanctioned under multiple UN Security Council resolutions for its nuclear and missile programs, and lifting of some of the measures was a key demand at a second Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi in February that ultimately broke down without a deal. AFP

Guterres meets mosque victims CHRISTCHURCH―UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned hate speech was spreading online “like wildfire” at a meeting with the victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings Tuesday, vowing the world body will the lead efforts to extinguish the problem.

Guterres visited the Al Noor mosque, one of two Muslim centres in the New Zealand city where a self-described white supremacist killed 51 people in a March 15 shooting that the attacker livestreamed on Facebook.

The UN chief is traveling the South Pacific to highlight the impact of climate change but said he also wanted to show his support for Christchurch’s Muslim community during Ramadan.

“I know there are no words to relieve the hurt and sorrow and pain, but I wanted to come here personally to transmit love, support and total and complete admiration,” he said.

He told victims of the worst mass shooting in modern New Zealand history that there had been “a dangerous upsurge in hatred” as social media was exploited to promote bigotry.

“Hate speech is spreading like wildfire in social media. We must extinguish it,” the Portuguese diplomat said.

“There is no room for hate speech― online or offline.”

He highlighted a previously announced plan for his special adviser on genocide prevention Adama Dieng to combat online extremism.

He said Dieng’s mission was to “bring together a United Nations team to scale up our response to hate speech and present a global plan of action”.

His remarks come as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who hosted Guterres when he arrived in Auckland on Sunday, embarks on her own quest to tame social media in Paris this week.

Ardern will co-host a meeting of world leaders and tech firms to promote a “Christchurch call” aimed at curbing online extremism. AFP

levels have hit a historic high

PARIS―Scientists in the United States have detected the highest levels of planet-warming carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere since records began, sounding a new alarm over the relentless rise of man-made greenhouse gas emissions.

The Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, which has tracked atmospheric CO2 levels since the late 1950s, on Saturday morning detected 415.26 parts per million (ppm).

It was also the first time on record that the observatory measured a daily baseline above 415 ppm.

The last time Earth’s atmosphere contained this much CO2 was more than three million years ago, when global sea levels were several meters higher and parts of Antarctica were blanketed in forest.

“It shows that we are not on track with protecting the climate at all. The number keeps rising and it’s getting higher year after year,” Wolfgang Lucht, from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), told AFP. “This number needs to stabilize.”

But far from stabilizing, levels of CO2―one of a trinity of greenhouse

gases produced when fossil fuels are burned―are climbing ever more rapidly.

Ralph Keeling, director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s CO2 Program, said the trend would probably continue throughout 2019 -- likely to be an El Niño year in which temperatures rise due to warmer ocean currents.

“The average growth rate is remaining on the high end. The increase from last year will probably be around three parts per million whereas the recent average has been 2.5 ppm,” he said.

“Likely we’re seeing the effect of mild El Niño conditions on top of ongoing fossil fuel use.”

The 2015 Paris Agreement calls on humanity to block the rise in the Earth’s temperature at “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) compared to preindustrial levels, and 1.5C if possible.

The last four years were the four hottest on record and, in spite of the Paris deal and increasing public awareness of the problem, mankind continues to break its own emissions records, year on year. AFP

regional arch-rival, condemned “acts of sabotage” and a “criminal act”, a foreign ministry official said.

Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE gave details on the nature of the attacks or accused anyone of responsibility.

No link has officially been drawn between the incidents and US accusations that Tehran was planning “imminent” attacks against US interests in the region.

Asked whether the United States believed Iran played a role, Brian Hook, the US special envoy for Iran, declined to comment, saying only that US authorities would be assisting the investigation at the request of the UAE which has called the incidents “deliberate sabotage.”

Describing Pompeo’s talks with his European counterparts, Hook said they had discussed “what seemed to be attacks on commercial vessels.”

Underscoring the international concern, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he used his one-on-one with Pompeo to stress that “we are concerned about the development and the tensions in the region, that we do not want there to be a military escalation”.

British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt called for “a period of calm”.

“We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended on either side but ends with some kind of conflict,” he said as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

And in New York, the United Nations called on all sides to “exercise restraint for the sake of regional peace.” AFP

Cannes presses to drop Delon award over claims he hit women CANNES―The Cannes film festival opens Tuesday amid a row over its decision to honor the veteran French star Alain Delon who has been accused of being violent towards women.

Women and Hollywood, one of the US lobby groups at the head of the #MeToo movement in the film industry, said the decision to give him an honorary Palme d’Or “sucked.”

Last year the festival vowed that there “must be zero tolerance with sexual harassment or abuse of any kind” amid red carpet protests led by Cate Blanchett of more than 80 Hollywood stars and women directors.

An online petition calling for the

lissa Silverstein tweeted that she was appalled that Cannes was honoring Delon given that he “has publicly admitted to slapping women and he has claimed that being gay is against nature.”

“He has aligned himself with the racist and anti-Semitic National Front,” she added, which was founded by his lifelong friend Jean-Marie Le Pen, which has been renamed as the National Rally by his daughter Marine, who now leads the far-right party.

Delon admitted hitting women in November when he was questioned on French television about claims of domestic violence from his estranged son Alain-Fabien Delon.

Delon prize to be stopped branded the 83-year-old actor a “racist, homophobic misogynist”.

The row came as the world’s biggest film festival opens with one of the starriest line-ups in years. A host of Hollywood big names from Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Bill Murray to Julianne Moore and Elle Fanning are due on the Croisette.

The controversy broke after a new movie by Franco-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche was selected to compete for the top prize despite police investigating him for an alleged sexual assault on a young actress. Kechiche denies the claim.

Women and Hollywood founder Me-

“If a slap is macho, then I am macho,” he said, adding that women had hit him and that he had never “broken” a woman.

His son said the star of such screen classics as “The Leopard”, “The Swimming Pool” and “Le Samurai” had beaten his mother, breaking eight of her ribs and her nose twice.

Another son, Anthony Delon, took to Instagram earlier this month to confirm that he was locked in a cage with dogs by his father as a child “to toughen me up”.

But Cannes director Thierry Fremaux came to Delon’s defense Monday, saying they were honoring his career not his views which the festival did not condone. AFP

Manila

FASHION WEEK. Models

show off a creation

by Australian designer We Are Kindred during Fashion Week Australia in Sydney on May 14, 2019. AFP

Standard

TODAY

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF MEDICAL DOCTORS, INC. Pursuant to Rule 19 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Securities Regulation Code, Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings, Inc. (the “Offeror”) hereby announces its intention to conduct a mandatory tender offer (“Tender Offer”) for up to Five Hundred Sixty Three Thousand (563,000) outstanding common shares (“Tender Offer Shares”) of Medical Doctors, Inc. (“MDI”), owner and operator of Makati Medical Center, and a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office at No. 2 Amorsolo Street, Legazpi Village, Makati City. The Tender Offer Shares represent approximately 16.6% of the total outstanding shares of MDI, which will bring the Offeror’s ownership of MDI to no more than 49.9%. The Offeror is currently the shareholder of One Million One Hundred Twenty Eight Thousand Seven Hundred Fifteen (1,128,715) outstanding MDI shares, which represent approximately 33.3% of the outstanding MDI shares.

The Tender Offer will commence in accordance with, and will be subject to, the Terms of the Tender Offer forming part of the Tender Offer Report of the Offeror to be contained in SEC Form 19-1 to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about May 24, 2019. The Tender Offer Period shall commence on June 28, 2019 and the same shall last for a period of at least twenty (20) business days from June 28, 2019 to July 26, 2019.

The Offeror shall provide adequate notice and the Terms and Conditions of the Tender Offer to all eligible MDI shareholders.

For inquiries or updating of addresses for receipt of Tender Offer materials, please contact the Tender Offer Agent as follows: Atty. Jane Catherine C. Rojo 10F MGO Building, Legazpi corner Dela Rosa Streets Legazpi Village Makati City Phone: (+632) 804-2855 Mobile: +63 949 9942305 Email: jcrojo@mpic.com.ph (MS-MAY 15, 2019)

LGUs

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

WINNERS ALL. The southern Metro Manila cities of Muntinlupa and Las Piñas had the winners declared in their local elections on Monday night. At left photo is the Commission on Elections officers proclaiming reelectionist

Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi (4th from left) along with his running mates Temy Simundac (5th from left) for Vice Mayor and Ruffy Biazon (right) for Congressman, and later 16 out of 19 candidates from Team Fresnedi for Sangguniang Panlungsod positions. At right is reelectionist Las Piñas Mayor Imelda Aguilar (2nd from right) and her daughter, newly elected Vice Mayor April Aguilar (center) being officially proclaimed by Local Board of Election officer Atty. Jehan Lidasan-Marohombsar (2nd from left). Also in photo are Dr. Loreta Torrecampo, DepEd division superintendent, member-secretary of the City Board of Canvassers, and City Chief Prosecutor Cynthia Madamba-Luang as vice chairman.

Herbert unveils 100-bed hospital named after mom

By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista on Tuesday inaugurated the 100-bed Rosario Maclang General Hospital to service mostly indigent patients.

It is the third hospital owned and operated by the city government. The three-floor medical center is a Level 2 accredited hospital by the Department of Health.

According to Bautista, the hospital was named in honor of his mother, who had passed away in 2008.

In an interview, Dr. Richard Joseph Maclang, hospital director, said the threestory medical center located in Barangay Batasan Hills could provide immediate healthcare for injured persons.

“We will be fully operational once we get our permit to operate from the Department of Health in a month’s time,” Maclang told reporters.

“We have an emergency medicine (center), radiology, critical care and surgery,” the director said.

“The out-patient department went through a test run and soft opening on March 25. We have free consultations, X-ray, ultrasound, and dental and laboratory services,” he added.

Bautista said they support the antidepository law.

Batocabe’s widow concedes

L

EGAZPI CITY—Gertrudes Batocabe, the widow of the late Ako Bikol Party-list congressman Rodel Batocabe, waved the white flag on Tuesday and accepted defeat in the 2019 mayoral elections in Daraga, Albay.

Batocabe lagged behind acting mayor Victor Perete, who is on top of the race with 21,615 votes against the widow’s 17,358 votes in the partial and unofficial tally as of 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Incumbent Mayor Carlwyn Baldo, who has been tagged as the mastermind in the killing of Rep. Batocabe in December last year, received 14,774 votes.

Gertie Batocabe expressed gratitude to those who supported her.

“Thank you very much, to all our family, friends and supporters who have helped us in this campaign,” she said.

Even if the election results were not in their favor, Batocabe said her camp respects the decision of the people.

“We have fought a good and honorable fight and I am so grateful to have had your love and respect as a substitute candidate for my husband, Rodel M. Batocabe. God bless us all, I pray for our beloved Daraga,” she said.

Meanwhile in Trece Martires City, Cavite, Gemma Lubigan, the widow of slain vice mayor Alex Lubigan, is leading this city’s mayoralty polls based on the Commission on Elections partial

and unofficial canvassing of election returns early Tuesday.

Running against Melencio de Sagun Jr., the former city mayor and father of the incumbent mayor, Lubigan got 27,918 votes to the former’s 21,197 votes.

Another contender, Denver Colorado, is at third with more than 10,000 votes.

In a phone interview, Comelec provincial chief, Atty. Arnold Pio Quinto clarified that although Lubigan is leading, she cannot be declared as the official winner “as we are yet to receive 100 percent of the election returns.”

Quinto said the counting of election returns still continues in cities like Imus, General Trias, Dasmariñas, and Trece Martires City.

Cancer fight gets ‘Strong for Someone’ aid CANCER is strong, but the fight against it is stronger, especially when there are people around us to battle this brutal disease with.

As the market leader in oncology in the Philippines, Roche has launched its “Strong for Someone” advocacy that aims to inspire and ignite strength among cancer patients and their families by creating a nationwide community that will serve as their pillars of support.

Strong for Someone is a multi-stakeholder campaign that provides access to information for cancer patients and caregivers on disease awareness, treatment solutions, funding sources, and emotional support.

“While we recognize that better outcomes for patients are expected as new treatments are discovered and become available in the market, we also believe in the importance of the collective resolve of the patient’s support system to not give up and to be strong for each other,” said Edgar de las Alas, campaign lead from Roche.

“Each cancer patient needs to have pillars of support: their families, their doctors, other patients, government institutions, private organizations. We are here to bridge them together,” he added Roche (Philippines) Inc. coordinated with the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology, a professional nonprofit organization of medical oncologists that aims to advance the science and ethical, holistic practice of cancer care in the Philippines.

This organization of doctors serves as the pillar in providing education on the latest treatment solutions and information available for cancer patients.

Part of FWD’s WorksForMe program are special leave entitlements for employees, as their vacation leave days can be rolled over during the next 12 months of the succeeding year. The longer the employee stays with the company, the more VLs they earn.

Korean firm adds P15b to Clark investments CLARK FREEPORT—A Korean firm is set to pour an additional P15 billion in investments into their leisure and resort complex project in the next three years inside this freeport zone.

The additional investment was announced during the signing of the consolidated lease agreement between Clark Development Corp. president and CEO Noel F. Manankil and Widus International Leisure Inc. President Dae Sik Han. In an interview, WILI assistant vice president for Corporate Planning and Compliance Agnes “Neki” Liwanag said Widus has committed to the additional investment to develop a new property that will complement their existing facilities here.

“This property that we got, which is around three hectares, is to supplement our current property, thus giving WILI a total of around 11 hectares of property to develop,” Liwanag said.

“For us to acquire the lease for this property, we committed to be able to have invested a total of P15 billion ($300 million) by 2022,” she added.

Part of the P15 billion committed by year 2022 is the ongoing construction of their hotel Tower 4, which is composed of 380 rooms, an expanded casino and the establishment of a retail area here.

Once the project is completed, Liwanag said this will fulfill WILI’s vision of making Widus “the first fully-integrated resort outside Metro Manila.”

Insurance firm’s ‘WorksForMe’ tack help employees’ work-life balance

AT A time when work-life balance and personal time-off days have become strong buzzwords for employees, FWD Life Insurance Philippines has gone beyond the tried-and-tested route and rewrote the employment rule book, enhancing its brand and business in the process.

Considered one of the fastest-growing insurance companies in the country, FWD

Philippines launched “WorksForMe” in 2018, an enhanced employee benefits program designed to help the organization’s workforce celebrate life while they work.

Through the program, FWD employees can now say, “At FWD, I can choose what works for me!”

“WorksForMe is the outcome of collaborative efforts to improve benefits

LAND LEASE PACT.

SunRay Power Inc. chairman Salvador “Buddy” Zamora (left) hands in a check for P26 million to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority through its chairman, Gregorio D. Garcia for the two-year advance lease of the 260-hectare property at the New Clark City. SunRay, formed to invest and develop renewable energy projects in the Philippines, is planning to put up a 100-megawatt solar project within New Clark City.

for our employees, after surveying what the challenges and areas of improvement were,” said FWD Philippines Chief People and Culture Officer Rozanne Parungo.

“It all boils down to providing better experiences for our employees,” she added.

A business principle that people-oriented leaders of organizations strive to

adhere to is that to best serve customers, employees need—first and foremost— to be empowered and to be motivated.

They also need to stay fit to carry out their functions, Parungo said.

It all starts with top leadership intent on helping promote the health and wellbeing of a vital component in the organizational wheel: its people, she added.

23 student-inmates earn degrees TWENTY-THREE inmate students inside Medium Security Compound in Camp Sampaguita, New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City have finished their 4-year degree course inside the penitentiary during the 30th University of Perpetual Help Bilibid Extension School commencement exercises recently.

Among the 89 graduates of Batch 2019, 23 of them finished their Bachelor of Science degree in Entrepreneurship, 42 finished Computer Hardware Servicing course, and 22 completed the Senior High School program.

Forty-two student inmates received citations, including the Gold Medallion for Academic Excellence Awards for BS Entrepreneurship and the Dr. Antonio Laperal Tamayo Gold Medallion for Leadership.

Director General Nicanor Faeldon of the Bureau of Corrections, the guest of honor and speak-

er, witnessed the event before the student graduates and relatives of the inmate graduates at the newly erected college building covered court.

“This learning institution really helped inmates to be reformed. Everything should be like this so investors will have confidence to put up business here at the NBP,” Faeldon said in his speech.

“We need to have alternative jobs to earn a living here inside this institution, so your families outside will survive, and you will not think of doing evil deeds inside the prison,” he added.

The BuCor is now looking for an industry that will put business in the jail and make every inmate a productive one, Faeldon added.

Bilibid Extension School is a comprehensive program of the university that seeks to help in the rehabilitation of medium-risk prisoners through education, skills, training and development.

Life

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

FASHION AND BEAUTY

Entering the corporate world in style

@MStandardLIFE WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019

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MAN WITH A PLAN. Local label McJim Classic Leather offers leather bags, belts, and

wallets in classic and contemporary styles made for young professionals.

T

HEY say you only have one chance to make a good first impression. And when it comes to applying for a job, whether first time or otherwise, dressing for the position is as important as having all the necessary documents ready.

Looking neat and clean helps enhance a person’s image, while having the right accessories provides a huge confidence boost.

To achieve the professional look that helps a man get the job, local label McJim Classic Leather offers a wide range of high quality leather goods like bags, belts, and wallets. Unlike non-leather bags or belts, these stylish and functional accessories add a distinct kind of elegance to one’s attire, making them look like the best candidate for the post they want.

To wrap up a corporate look, choose from McJim Classic Leather’s line of stylish belts that come in various colors and designs: basic dark brown, basic modernist black, and reversible minimalist. Each design comes with distinctive looking and strong metal buckles.

Another essential leather accessory that all professionals need is a wallet. The brand offers two different styles for making a lasting impression: the leather wallet and the canvas wallet. Invest in one that is made to last for years.

Finally, a staple accessory in every young professional’s wardrobe, a sturdy leather bag is both smart and functional. New graduates can opt for a shoulder bag, a body bag, or a gadget bag.

Go to mcjim.shop-ph.com to score select McJim Classic Leather products.

Stash important documents and other essentials in a functional bag.

Having the right accessories such as a leather wallet and a leather bag provides a huge confidence boost.

Second skin

CLOTHING is the second skin a person chooses for themselves. It is entirely related to the wearer’s state of mind.

Taking inspiration from the movement and the intimacy that each one of us has with our pieces of clothing, Ricardo Preto Woman presents a collection full of sophisticated and practical silhouettes for the contemporary women, asymmetrical cuts in fluid materials, unexpected color combinations in earth tones, blues, greens, reds, and mixed prints.

Ricardo Preto is exclusively available in Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La, Rustan’s Gateway, Rustan’s Alabang, and Rustan’s Cebu.

Sunflower dress and Tansy pants (left); Blackberry coat, Browallia top, and Azalea pants (right), both ensembles are from Ricardo Preto Woman spring/ summer 2019 collection

Moon Flower dress in Debby print

Life

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

4 special collections for the warm season A

MERICAN fashion label Guess releases four special collections that take warm-weather dressing to more stylish heights.

Edgy street style

A true street style label, GUESS Originals takes details from ‘90s Guess style into an edgy lineup of hoodies, sweatshirts, jean jackets, and logo tees. For its spring 2019 collection, the Guess Originals campaign stars California rapper Phora, sporting the iconic Guess Originals stripes in vibrant blocks of color.

Guess Originals features stripes in vibrant blocks of color.

Eco-conscious style

The fashion brand recognizes that sustainability is not just a trend—environmental consciousness is a goal that should be strived for. With this, it launches Guess Eco, a collection for both men and women featuring eco denim—a special denim material made with less water, recycled materials, and details that are sustainably sourced.

Eco denim undergoes an innovative dye process, which reduces the use of chemicals and makes the creation of denim more environmentally friendly.

The collection rounds up with organic cotton tees with the signature Guess logo and a signature Henley.

Eco denim and cotton tees comprise Guess Eco’s latest collection.

Floral maxi dresses in yellows and reds are big in Guess spring 2019 collection.

Active style

Easy springtime style

At the forefront of the season’s lineup is the Guess Spring 2019 collection, featuring yet another iconic campaign starring Guess girls Viki Odintcova, Kristina Krayt, Mishel Gerzig, Gulsina Kalimullina, and Andrea Damante. The campaign was shot by Paul Marciano at the luxurious resort city of Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

The campaign provides a glimpse of the collection’s vibrant palette and laidback vibe. An ode to easy springtime living, floral maxi dresses and resort-style dressing in pops of yellows and reds are styled against various classic denim pieces. These are worn along with the collection’s bold array of accessories—from bags of all shapes, textures, and patterns to eyewear in retro-inspired and classic shapes.

Watches come in various metallic shades. Meanwhile, its jewelry collection exudes classic California Girl style.

Athleisure takes on a military stance with the Guess Activewear in black and army green hues. A stylish punch to any kind of workout, the sports collection comes in hoodies, fitted crop tops, and jogger pants bearing iterations of the Guess logo and font.

Fitted hoodies and crop tops from Guess Activewear.

All four spring collections will be available in the Philippines at Guess stores nationwide.

Vital Dome ‘infra-therapy’ machine now available in PH

Chic resort wear Resort wear brand Lotus offers pieces perfect for summer travels and holidays under the sun.

RUSTAN’S introduces a happy and vibrant addition to its private label with its first resort wear brand, Lotus.

The new label offers stylish and contemporary resort wear for summer travel and holidays at the beach or anywhere under the sun. Pieces are designed by Pia Regala-Hebron, the woman behind Lady Rustan.

“This first collection is inspired by the ocean, sun, and sky with color combinations and pattern play that exude tropical or warm-weather vibes,” she shares.

The resort wear features the bright colors of the sunny season and garments adorned with trims and tassels. The look is fresh and vibrant, perfect for a fun-filled day at the beach or a relaxing evening under the stars.

Lotus’ debut collection for spring/ summer 2019 consists of cool summer must-haves from chic cover-ups and loose, fluid dresses to airy sarongs and beach kaftans. Completing the collection is a selection of comfortable footwear and carry-all beach bags made of woven rope materials.

Clockwise: Sabby top, Vicky belted dress, and Kit in olive

Lotus is exclusively available at Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s ShangriLa, Rustan’s Alabang Town Center, Rustan’s Cebu, and Rustan’s Gateway.

VITAL Dome, founded and manufactured in France by Alexandra Gavsevitch and Eric Fauchon, is an advanced infra-therapy ecosystem machine that uses pure far infrared to regenerate the body from within.

The machine uses far infrared (a vital radiation of the sun), which Fauchon and Gavsevitch found to be the ultimate, most natural, and essential factor for body rejuvenating and healing.

Vital Dome’s black carbon heating panels emit high density and uniform distribution of carbon in the panels, allowing for an even emission of temperature on its surface for maximum efficiency and comfort. Its far infrared system, a biocompatible emission, penetrates up to 4cm beneath the skin, which means that it can improve tissue exchange, enhance draining function, stimulate blood circulation, and cleanse the body of harmful toxins.

But while it is aggressive about eradicating unwanted body contaminants, the technology guarantees a gentle and efficient method in rejuvenating all bodily processes.

The machine has landed on the Philippine shores through i3 Incorporated.

“There is no risk of claustrophobia during treatments because you will be free to stretch or move a little, and the heat envelops the entire body through its four-heated zones focusing on the back, chest, legs, and feet, making it very safe,” assured Katherine Alejar,

Vital Dome infra-therapy machine helps improve tissue exchange, enhance draining function, stimulate blood circulation, and cleanse the body of harmful toxins.

i3 chief executive and chief innovator.

One Vital Dome session lasts up to 40 minutes and each session has 36 treatment programs that are personalized and tailored to an individual’s specific needs.

Clinical studies prove that 82 percent of those who experienced Vital Dome’s infra-therapy feel more relaxed, while 77 percent achieved a slimmer silhouette. Almost 70 percent noticed how their skin got firmer and almost 80 percent proved they attained lighter legs, improved sleeping pattern, and an enhanced overall well-being.

“After 12 sessions in just over a month using the Vital Dome machine, some clients experienced up to 4cm reduction in their waistline and up to 2.5cm in the hips. Some reported about a drop of up to 2cm around their thighs,” shared Alejar.

Aside from weight loss, Vital Dome sessions are said to result in ultimate detoxification, oxygenation of tissues, reduction of edema, and skin stimulation. The skin becomes firm, is purified and revitalized. Damaged tissues due to stress are regenerated; wrinkles are reduced, and those with dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis are relieved.

It also helps to stimulate the immune system, reduce physical and muscular pain, lowers blood pressure, and relieves rheumatism and joint pain, making it ideal for athletes and individuals engaged in heavy workload and activities.

Call or text 0998-8699358 to know more.

Entertainment

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

Ricky Reyes’ FilHair celebrates another milestone

F

ilipino Hairdressers Association (FilHair), the premiere association of professional hairdressers, makeup artists, and salon owners in the country, celebrated its 35th year in a landmark event that gathered together people in the beauty industry to a daylong event on April 23.

Tagged as the “Jade Anniversary Beauty Event,” FilHair showcased a glitzy gathering of beauty trade practitioners and suppliers at the Metrotent in MetroWalk, Pasig City.

Beauty industry pillar and philanthropist Ricky Reyes, FilHair president, who is at the helm of this colorful event, gathered industry leaders (Asia Pacific hairdressers and Cosmetologists Association members) from mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan to comprise the steamed panel of judges.

Several categories of different hair and makeup trends were opened for competition.

The LGBTQ community shined in the centerstage for the ‘Fabulous Cleopatra” total look category where they dressed up as the historical icon. Other divisions included men’s cut and blow dry, creative color, evening party makeup, and bridal makeup for the professional division.

Prior to the national level competition, several preliminaries and qualifiers were organized by FilHair officials in partnership with the respective Local Givenrment Units and LGBTQ organizations in Quezon City, Malabon, Antipolo, Baguio City, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Iloilo City.

With months of hard work and rigorous preparation, Mother Ricky ensured that

the best of the best clashed in the much awaited event.

Mother Ricky’s vision for the LGBTQ community is for its members to be more relevant in the society and contribute in the economic development by providing livelihood trainings and avenues to hone their skills.

“My vision is for people to realize the mislabeling of the LGBT group, that the LGBTs have the capacity to help and be relevant to the society that they belong; that it is not about whether you are straight, gay, or lesbian, but just another human with a heart and a life’s purpose.

I told them [the LGBTs] to change gears and let’s join hands together in serving our countrymen,” Mother Ricky said.

On April 23, new stars were born, a handful of dreams were fulfilled as they emerged winners in various categories. Christian Rogel bagged Christian Rogel receives the overall championship prize at the 35th FilHair competition. the championship prize for the Bridal Makeup and Evening Party Makeup categories, Regie Cruz took home the championship prize for Men’s Cut and Blow Dry, Julius Curivan for Creative Color, and Avie Viola for the Fabulous Cleopatra category.

The standout from Cavite and first PINOY Asianovela fans or “faneys” nn), and on May 25 (11:00 p.m.). timer in the competition, Christian get a chance to go on an ultimate fan Relive the Asianovela drama hit about Rogel was hailed overall champion and experience as Asianovela Channel the intricate life in historic South Korea will be representing the Philippines in premieres “Faney Avenue,” the first-ever Hwarang (Monday to Friday starting May the 23rd Hair Olympics which will be daily lifestyle-reality show for them, this 27 at 5:00 a.m., with replays on June 1 and held in Singapore.

May. 2 at 7:00 a.m.) and feel-good romcom I Am Hosted by actress and comedienne Not A Robot, (Monday to Friday starting Alora Sasam, the new show airing May 27 at 10:00 a.m., and 3:00 p.m., with weekdays (with replays on weekends) replays on May 25 and 26 at 11:00 a.m.). gives fans a chance to experience what Other programs that will surely entertain they love most from their favorite Asian TVplus viewers of Asianovela Channel dramas, from fashion, make-up, food, to are romcom Mr. Hurt, the mysterious culture. and complicated My Dearest Intruder, Each day brings a different fun a story about one woman’s journey of experience: Fans get to go to different local discovery in Twenty Again, the Jackie places to reminisce iconic scenes from Chan headliner Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky their favorite Asian series every Monday; Stars, the Thai action hit Iron Ladies 2, the they can create their very own symbolic plot intricacies of Chinese movie, Never items from their favorite Asian Series Say Die, fantasy romcom Wonderful every Tuesday; they get to dress like their Nightmare, the historical drama of China’s favorite drama idol each Wednesday; they Last Eunuch, crime-thriller Overheard 3, become their own social media star every and the horror sequel Sadako 2 for the Thursday; and get to enjoy their favorite entire month of May. Asian food from their most-loved dramas More and more TVplus users are every Friday. also watching programs on Asianovela Meanwhile, viewers are in for a treat Channel that is now the eighth most with the various plot twists and turns of the watched channel among DTT households Asian remake of The Good Wife, which based on Kantar Media’s Q4 2018 report will be airing first on Philippine TV on that covers DTT households nationwide.

Asianovela Channel. The story revolves Continue watching Asianovela Channel, around a lawyer and his wife’s life caught the ultimate fanbayan on free TV, to watch in a political turmoil. This airs from “Faney Avenue” and more Asian hits. For Monday to Friday starting May 20 (7:00 more details, visit Asianovela Channel on From left: GMA Artist Center Assistant Vice President and Head for Talent Imaging and a.m.), with replays in the afternoon (12:00 Facebook (fb.com/AsianovelaChannel).

Marketing Unit Simoun S. Ferrer, Clint Bondad, and Clint’s co-manager John Brilliantes.

Shows for Asian drama fans premiere on Asianovela Channel

Clint Bondad officially a GMA Artist Center talent

MODEL and actor Clint Bondad officially inked his management contract with GMA Artist Center today, May 7.

“I am very grateful to GMA for allowing me to be part of its growing family. I take it as an honor to finally be called a Kapuso,” said Clint.

Present in the contract signing were GMA Artist Center Assistant Vice President and Head for Talent Imaging and Marketing Unit Simoun S. Ferrer and Clint’s co-manager John Brilliantes.

Clint has already appeared in some Kapuso shows including Unang Hirit and Sunday Pinasaya. Currently, he is part of the well-loved romantic

comedy series, Love You Two. Clint looks forward to more exciting projects under the Network and to work with various Kapuso artists soon.

“The atmosphere here in GMA is very light and happy, bagay sa personality ko.

When people believe in you it’s a big push and mas madaling mag-improve,” he shared.

Meanwhile, Ferrer feels glad to officially welcome Clint into GMAAC’s roster of talents, “Clint has been a familiar face here. We’ve seen him on TV already and he is a promising actor with a lot of potential so we are excited na mas makita pa kung ano ang kaya niyang i-offer.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Thursday, May 16, 2019

ACROSS 1 Give off, as rays 5 Iron hook 9 Ship’s bottom 13 Sacred scroll 15 Pac-10 team 16 Ouch!

17 Sycophant 18 Feng — 19 Pointed arch 20 Son of Prince Val 21 Seeger of folk music 23 Soapsuds 25 Boot or sandal 26 Cravat cousins 27 Feign 30 Jaunty cap 31 Pick up 32 Was an umpire 37 Limerick locale 38 Castle or Dunne 40 Language of Pakistan 41 Made a reply 43 Theater backer 44 Region of India 45 Soft 47 Amaretto flavor 50 Furrows 51 Downhiller’s run 52 Greek-salad cheese 53 Air rifle ammo

56 Epochs 57 Busy loafing 59 Radium discoverer 61 Interlock 62 Far down 63 Sears rival 64 By Jove! (2 wds.)

65 Auction site 66 Attaches DOWN 1 Wonder Woman’s friend 2 Heath 3 Rug exporter 4 Small fry 5 Blew hard 6 Tooth problem 7 Winter ailment 8 Totally reliable (hyph.)

9 Temple city of Japan 10 Prime-time hour 11 “En garde” weapons 12 Sly glance 14 Dash 22 Very long time 24 High point 25 Fling 26 Solar disk 27 Courtroom bargain 28 Rider’s gear 29 Bunny features

2 Scarlet 3 33 Undersized pups 34 Syllogism word 35 Delightful place 36 Punctually 38 Raymond Burr’s TV sleuth 39 — my lips!

42 Conscious beings 43 Charge 45 Weird 46 Not at home 47 Large lots

48 Dalai Lama’s city 49 Sentimental 51 Turnpike rumbler 52 Tiny insect 53 Thin nail 54 Albatross, e.g.

55 Hardens 58 Party girl 60 Actress — Thurman

Chae Soo-bin and Yoo Seung-ho of 'I Am Not a Robot'

A model shows off her do for the bridal makeup category.

‘Pikachu’ gives ‘Avengers’ a run for its money MARVEL Studios’ Avengers: Endgame led the North American box office for a third week running, but the cuddly creatures of a new Pokemon movie gave the superheroes a run for its money, industry watchers said Sunday.

The mega-blockbuster from Marvel Studios, a Disney subsidiary, took in an estimated $63.1 million for the three-day weekend, industry tracker Exhibitor Relations reported. That brought its domestic total to a whopping $723.5 million.

With a global tally now nearing $2.5 billion, Avengers appears to be on track to pass Avatar ($2.79 billion) as the all-time top grossing film.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu took in a healthy $58 million for the weekend’s second spot. Based on a Nintendo video game series and subsequent anime series, Pikachu tells the story of how the fuzzy animated title character (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) teams up with a young boy (a live-action role played

by Justice Smith) to seek the boy’s missing father.

Third place went to another new film, The Hustle from United Artists, at $13.5 million. Sony’s psychological thriller The Intruder dropped two spots from last week to fourth place with a take of $6.6 million. And in fifth, also down two spots, was Lionsgate’s odd-couple romantic comedy Long Shot, at $6.1 million. AFP

Detective Pikachu voiced by Canadian-American actor Ryan Reynolds

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019

Vickie Rushton hailed as Ms. Ever Bilena RETURNING Binibining Pilipinas 2019 candidate Vickie Marie Rushton exuded confidence and grace as she was named Ms. Ever Bilena at the corporate visit held recently at the local cosmetic brand head office.

The Pinoy Big Brother alumna was the top choice of a panel of judges led by Ever Bilena CEO Dioceldo Sy for projecting sophistication, beauty, timeless elegance and confidence.

Rushton also won Ms. Careline last year.

“I am very happy since last year I was Ms. Careline and now I got this award,” said Rushton who is joining the pageant for the second time. “And, this is our first-ever award during our Binibini journey and this will inspire us to push through and fight for the crown.”

Aside from Rushton, three other candidates also took home special awards. Jessica Marasigan won as Ms. Careline for possessing an undeniably hip and trendy look combined with a vibrant and sassy attitude. Samantha Bernardo won as Ms. Blackwater for her fierce yet feminine aura, and Emma Tiglao was chosen as Ms. Ever Bilena Advance for embodying the modern woman who carries herself well and displays a picture-perfect look whenever, wherever.

Ever Bilena, the country’s leading cosmetics brand, is a proud sponsor of Bb. Pilipinas 2019. Now on its 36th year, it continues to provide worldclass everyday go-to product for women who want to further enhance their look to feel good and confident about themselves.

To learn more about Ever Bilena’s products, visit Ever Bilena’s website, www.everbilena.com.ph, and follow their Facebook page,www.facebook. everbilenacosmetics.

Reliving the bold sounds of the ‘80s 'Into the 80s' is a retro concert where Philippine '80s music icons Gino Padilla, Jett Pangan, Lou Bonnevie, Raymond Lauchengco, and Jam Morales (inset) recreate the beat through the memorable music of '80s international stars and their very own OPM hits.

O

F LATE, a lot of VERY musicians are embracing WANG the sounds of the '80s, NICKIE the decade when MTV was a WANG new thing and the words subtle and understated were unknown to the world of music and fashion.

It was also the period when every sound was tied to punk rock, dance music, synthesizers and other electronic instruments.

“We were the ones who popularized that kind of music, the music artists of the ‘80s. If you’ve noticed, they’re bringing back these kinds of sounds.

Just a reminder, nauna kame, but we even sounded better, mas marami kaming tono,” Lou Bonnevie said in jest while promoting Solaire Resort and Casino’s latest retro concert Into The 80s happening on May 18 at The Theatre.

“We were thinking about this for so many years now. We did some smaller

gigs and we harnessed it more and improved it that’s why we are staging a bigger show,” she added.

The concert, according to Bonnevie celebrates the diversity of music that brings out the big, bold, brash, colorful, and lively '80s vibe. She will be joined by some of the Philippines’ own ‘80s musical icons Gino Padilla, Jett Pangan, Raymond Lauchengco, and Jam Morales, who will serve their audience an exciting repertoire that will cover the entire gamut of songs popular during that era.

The ‘80s witnessed a wide range of music genres that were born or reached

new heights of popularity—from pop, hard, metal, alternative rock, contemporary R&B, Hip Hop, country music, new wave, postpunk, all the way to electronic dance music.

Exceptional artists and bands exploded onto the scene—their performance styles as diverse as the music they performed. From Prince to The Police, Sheena Easton to Spandau Ballet, Blondie to Kim Carnes, Bangles to Irene Cara, Whitney Houston to Wham, Billy Joel to Rick Astley, Kool and the Gang to Queen – each one unique in their own right and all with a fervent following of fans all over the world.

“We will be singing a few songs that will remind you of that era. There will be theme songs and dance songs that became popular back then. I’m sure it will bring back a lot of memories,” Bonnevie said of the concert’s repertoire.

Musical Director Toto Gentica has put together a set list that includes Billboard Top Hits like “Careless Whisper” by George Michael and “Every Breath You Take” by The Police; favorite movie themes like Xanadu, Ghostbusters, and Footloose; the best of new wave and 80s dance tunes “Just Got Lucky” by Jo Boxers, “I Wanna Dance With

Somebody” by Whitney Houston, “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel and “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang.

Topping off this musically rich repertoire are some of the hit songs of each of the evening’s performers—Lou Bonnevie’s “Love me Tonight”, Gino Padilla’s “Closer You and I”, Jett Pangan’s “Salamat”, Jam Morales’ “A Smile In Your Heart”, and Raymond Lauchengco’s “I Need You Back”.

The ‘80s feel will be further enhanced by outfits, choreography, and videos of events, TV shows, performers and performances reminiscent of the times.

The entire evening is guaranteed to bring back memories and get audiences up on their feet and groove with iconic beats that transcend generations.

The headliners of Into The 80s will be joined by the Filipinas Dancers and the Session Band plus some surprise guests to ensure the show will live up to the spirit of the ‘80s with direction by Toto Gentica, script by Henry Tejero, and choreography

by Butch Esperanza.

For tickets to Into The 80s, you may call Ticketworld at 891-9999.

Tama drum clinic Asia tour with Anika Nilles

Binibining Pilipinas candidate Vickie Rushton

GET ready to groove to the beat as Tama, together with Audiophile, brings Anika Nilles to Manila on May 21, 5:00 p.m. at the Johnny Be Good restaurant and bar in Makati city.

Powered by Audiophile and Tama, the event will see the wickedly talented drumming superstar make a stop in Manila to provide outstanding linear chops and share her music sensibility as she demonstrates a fusion of arrangements and out-of-thisworld grooves for drum enthusiasts.

The German drummer/producer/ composer/phenomenon made her mark

with her first published hit song “Wild Boy” in 2013. Since then, she has been praised as she made her way to the industry by carving her own path, and focusing on producing her own performance through her YouTube channel rather than doing covers or the same old patterns other artists usually do.

With her hit album Pikalar, Nilles gave an indescribable drumming experience to her fans and listeners. Each song in the album, with its combination of clean and powerful beats, d--elivers a remarkable sound that is well, Pikalar.

German drummer and music producer Anika Nilles