Manila Standard - 2019 November 12 - Tuesday

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TYCOON LUCIO TAN’S SON PASSES AWAY AT 53

By Darwin G. Amojelar and MJ Blancaflor THE son of tycoon Lucio Tan passed away Monday morning after he collapsed Saturday during a basketball game in Mandaluyong City.

“It is with deep sorrow that I announce the passing of my brother, Lucio ‘Bong’ Tan Jr. this morning, Nov. 11, 2019. He was 53,” Tan’s sister, Vivienne K. Tan, said.

“His untimely passing leaves a big void in our hearts and our group’s management team, which would be very hard to fill. Bong was a son, husband,

Next page Lucio ‘Bong’ Tan Jr.

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 271 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PORTABLE DETECTOR.

Masahiro Nakata, economic affairs minister of the embassy of Japan, turns over a 15-meter patrol boat and a portable X-ray machine to Philippine Coast Guard commandant Vice Admiral Joel Garcia. The donated fast boat (above) is part of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s promise to President Rodrigo Duterte to upgrade the Philippines’ strength in fighting piracy and terrorism.

(Inset) Nakata and Garcia watch the demonstration of the portable X-ray detector at the Philippine National Headquarters in South Harbor on Monday. Norman Cruz

Leni turns to UN for ‘lessons’ Du30 eyeing one-star general Draws flak over what Speaker calls ‘Operation All Talk’ for Albayalde’s successor at PNP ICE President Leni Robredo on Monday met with

By Rio N. Araja and MJ Blancaflor

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rey E. Requejo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte could appoint a one-star general to be the new Philippine National Police chief, going outside the list of three senior officials recommended by Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, a close aide said Monday.

Senator Christopher Go, a close aide of the President, said Duterte was having difficulty choosing a replacement

for Oscar Albayalde, who resigned in the wake of a scandal linking him to so-called ninja cops, who were accused of reselling shabu seized during a 2013 drug raid.

As of Sunday night, the President had not yet made a choice, Go said.

“It’s true, what the President said— he was looking for an honest chief of the Philippine National Police. He knew that the PNP had been problematic. It’s still hard for the President,” he said.

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representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to seek help in improving the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

Robredo did not say who the representatives were, or what specifically would be discussed, promising only to give an update on what transpired after the meeting.

As the newly appointed anti-drug czar, Robredo said she was open to suggestions from a wide range of stakeholders.

“We do not only talk to the govern-

ment but also to advocates and private organizations,” she said. “We could learn a lot of lessons from their experiences on the ground.”

Also on Monday, Robredo met with the core group of the Community-Based Rehab Alliance, a network of organizations both from the private and public

sectors, to push for “balanced, peoplecentered, humane, and evidence-based solutions” to the country’s drug problem.

Philip Dy, Robredo’s chief of staff, said the meetings were aimed at learning from others.

“In broad terms, the UNODC meeting covered… best practices that we can learn from in terms of addressing the drug problem,” Dy said. “Secondly, what has the experience been of countries in the region trying to deal with this problem, what we can learn from those experiences and how we can build on those experiences.”

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, meanwhile, mocked Robredo, saying she Next page

Defense girds for SEA Games

‘Sleepless’ Rody takes 3-day rest

By Francisco Tuyay

By MJ Blancaflor

SOME 400 soldiers and 27,400 police officers will provide security to more than 10,000 athletes competing this year at the 30th Southeast Asian Games when it kicks off on Nov. 30.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who led the send-off ceremony in Camp Aguinaldo for 127 soldier-athletes and coaches, said the soldiers would augment the police security at the three venues for the 12-day event.

Lorenzana said it while it was unlikely that a terrorist attack would target the games, the deployment of military units was part of precautionary measures to secure the regional sports event.

“Although we do not see the likelihood of a terrorist attack, it’s better that

MALACAÑANG on Monday announced that President Rodrigo Duterte will take a three-day rest in his hometown in Davao City on the advice of his friends and colleagues, and then withdrew it hours later.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo later said that President Duterte will just stay in his home in Davao City starting Tuesday to finish paperwork.

“He won’t take a leave. He’ll just work in Davao in his house. He has several backlog, many paperwork, Panelo said in a radio interview.

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Velasco hopeful on ‘term sharing’

CHILDREN ASSISTED. Personnel from the Philippine National Police in Cotabato province assist Monday the children’s stress management activity at the evacuation site in Barangay Magkaalam in Magpet, Cotabato. Cotabato Police Photo

By Maricel V. Cruz

Quake-affected people placed at 260,492

MARINDUQUE Rep. Lord Allan Velasco said Monday he was confident Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano would step down after his 15-month tenure expires under a term-sharing agreement brokered by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Velasco, chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy, said he believed he would be able to assume the speakership and that Cayetano would abide by the agreement. Next page

THE number of families affected by the magnitude 6.6 and 6.5 earthquakes that rattled Tulunan, North Cotabato, on Oct. 29 and 31 has climbed to 53,362 or 260,492 people, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Monday.

But the Department of Social Welfare and Development said the victims of the series of earthquakes that hit Tulunan and other parts of Mindanao were con-

tinuously getting assistance.

“As of 6 p.m. on November 10, the agency has given P38.8 million worth of aid to the 260,492 people affected by the disaster from Regions 11 and 12,” department spokesman Irene Dumlao said.

“The food packs that we give last for two days, so we give another batch each time depending on the assistance needed by the victims,” Dumlao said.

Meanwhile, the classes at all levels in the public and private schools in Makilala will remain suspended this week, an official said Monday.

Makilala municipal administrator and spokesman Sherry Orbita said Mayor Armando Quibod had ordered the extension of the class suspensions as the town continued to experience aftershocks and many school grounds are still being used as evacuation centers.

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TRUMP FACES IMPEACH THREAT WORLD B3

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019

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DND not too keen on ML extension

By Francisco Tuyay

D

EFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Monday he was not inclined to recommend extending martial law in Mindanao, a security measure aimed at quelling the terrorism in the region, because it had already been “too long.”

He said unless the military and the Philippine National Police thought otherwise, he would not recommend the extension of martial rule in Mindanao.

“If it were up to me I would not recommend the extension of [martial law in Mindanao],” Lorenzana said.

Malacañang said President Rodrigo Duterte would consider Lorenzana’s suggestion not to extend martial law

in Mindanao, which has been in place since 2017.

“That will be considered by the President. He always listens to the recommendations on the ground,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo told reporters.

Meanwhile, military pursuit operations are underway against a band of Islamic State-linked rebels who clashed

Du30...

Leni...

Go said the three contenders submitted by Año, who are all qualified, are next in line given their seniority but the President has the prerogative to choose among the onestar police generals.

“The President is looking for the most honest man who can carry the PNP,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English.

Meanwhile, the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on Monday insisted that Albayalde had direct control and supervision over the controversial 2013 drug raid in Mexico, Pampanga, carried out by the team of Supt. Rodney Baloyo IV. Responding to an affidavit filed by Albayalde, the PNP-CIDG said that while the former police chief sought to play down the Senate Blue Ribbon committee report that recommended the filing of criminal charges against him, Albayalde said the testimony during the Senate hearings was enough to establish probable cause against him and the ninja cops.

“The overt acts of respondent Police General Albayalde, as then acting provincial director, Pampanga Police Provincial Office, [were] clear. He had direct control and supervision over the operation of respondent Supt. Baloyo and his team at Lakeshore, Mexico, Pampanga as of 23 November 2013 until he was administratively relieved on 26 March 2014,” it said.

Albayalde maintained that he was administratively relieved as provincial director of Pampanga and placed on floating status on March 26, 2014, but the CIDG said this was already four months after the large quantity of illegal drugs reportedly went missing.

“Albayalde was fully informed about every detail that was happening during the raid, including, but not limited to the marked money, prearranged signal, suspects’ arrest and confiscation of suspected shabu placed in one open luggage and one medium size box, the cash money amounting to P300,000 and the marked money amounting to P100,000,” the CIDG said.

“Despite knowledge of the irregularities in the said operations, he remained mum and even applauded respondents Supt. Baloyo and his team for a job well done,” it said.

The PNP-CIDG also argued that the dismissal of the criminal case against Chinese national Ding Wenkun and Roel Cabag strengthened the allegations allegedly committed by the respondents in the case.

Reports said Baloyo’s team originally arranged a raid against Korean drug trafficker Johnson Lee in a house he was renting in Woodbridge Subdivision in Mexico, Pampanga, but the 13 policemen allegedly released Lee in exchange for 160 kilos of shabu worth P648 million, P50 million in cash and new sports utility vehicles. In his stead, the raiding team presented Ding Wengkun as the suspect.

During Monday’s fourth preliminary investigation, the DOJ panel of prosecutors said out of the 13 original respondents and Albayalde, only nine were present: Police Senior Inspector Joven de Guzman Jr., Senior Police Officer 1 Jules Maniago, SPO1 Rommel Muñoz Vital, SPO1 Dante Dizon, SPO1 Eligio Valeroso, Police Officer 3 Dindo Dizon, PO3 Gilbert de Vera, PO3 Romeo Guerrero Jr., and Police Officer 2 Anthony Lacsamana.

Neither Albayalde nor Baloyo were present.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government earlier said there was not enough proof to charge Albayalde administratively but said he is liable for command responsibility.

With PNA

should stop talking and start working.

“Vice President Robredo has been all talk since her appointment as the cochairman of the ICAD,” Cayetano said, referring to the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs.

“I’ve been monitoring the last three days and it’s like Oplan Tokhang, has become Operation All Talk,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in a TV interview.

Cayetano also advised Robredo to first seek a briefing from all agencies engaged in the war against drugs before “mouthing ideas and criticisms of how the campaign is being implemented.”

Responding to Cayetano, Robredo’s spokesman Barry Gutierrez observed that the vice president has not even been on the job for a week but is already drawing fire.

“If Speaker Cayetano cannot help in the work the vice president is doing, he can at least avoid for now attempts to destroy her reputation,” he said in Filipino. “The entire government needs to help in the campaign against illegal drugs. If we begin fighting with ourselves this early, that will make the drug lords happy.”

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said he was saddened by Cayetano’s remarks.

“Such comments are totally uncalled for, especially coming from the Speaker of the House,” said Drilon, an ally of Robredo and her partymate in the Liberal Party.

Drilon pointed out that it cannot be denied that illegal drug continues to be a problem, notwithstanding the over 5,000 deaths from Operation Tokhang.

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with government troops on Saturday in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, that left a government soldier and two rebels killed.

Two soldiers of the Army’s 33rd Infantry Battalion were also injured in the morning skirmishes near Tukanalipao River, site of the infamous 2015 Mamasapano encounter.

Maj. Arvin John Encinas, speaking for the Western Mindanao Command, said the firefight erupted at 9 a.m. while soldiers of the Army’s 33rd Infantry Battalion were conducting foot patrols near the Tukanalipao River in the area.

Lorenzana said the finality of his position on martial law would solely depend on the extensive evaluation of both the military and the PNP as regards the security situation in Mindanao.

“We are waiting for the recommen-

dation of the Armed Forces and the PNP, “but if it were up to me I would not recommend an extension,” Lorenzana said.

He said two years of martial law in the region was already too long, and the security sector had shifted its focus in the wake of the security debacle in Marawi City that left a thousand people dead, mostly terrorists.

Instead, Lorenzana is pitching for the passage of the human security act in Congress that would strengthen law enforcement agencies.

“If the Senate or the Congress can pass the human security act that would give “more teeth” to our law enforcement, then that’s a better arrangement than martial law,” he said.

With MJ Blancaflor and PNA

He said the gravity of this issue calls for everyone to set aside politics.

“Malacañang has vowed full support for the Vice President in order to fulfill this enormous task. We expect the allies of this administration to do no less,” he said.

The Palace on Monday said Robredo could scrap Oplan Tokhang if she wants to, saying the President has given her a free hand.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the Palace is open to the idea of scrapping Oplan Tokhang since Robredo is now leading the campaign against illegal drugs as co-chair of ICAD. “VP Leni is in charge. So whatever she feels that should be enforced, we will do it. It is a yes, if she wants it,” Panelo told Palace reporters.

“If she wants to scrap it and there’s something more effective, she should do it,” Panelo added.

The Palace statement came after Robredo suggested the creation of a new anti-drug campaign to replace Oplan Tokhang during her meeting with ICAD on Friday.

She said the anti-drug program has been equated to unnecessary killings.

Oplan Tokhang, or the house-to-house “knock and plead” initiative of police to get drug suspects to surrender, has gained notoriety for allegedly violating human rights and depriving suspects of the presumption of innocence.

Panelo also said there is nothing wrong if the country would seek help from foreign entities and countries such as the United States in combating the problem of illegal drugs.

Robredo earlier said US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim has offered to partner with the Philippines in the

area of intelligence gathering.

“If she feels America can help in the drug war, the Americans have been helping us for a long time, sharing intelligence,” said Panelo.

Panelo also said the Duterte administration would provide additional funds for the anti-drug campaign, as Robredo requested.

“If she needs it, why not?” Panelo said.

Also on Monday, Panelo said Rappler founder and CEO Maria Ressa has been exaggerating in her claim that the Philippines is “far worse than any war zone,” adding that foreign and local journalists alike are safe when covering events in the country.

“She’s always exaggerating. It’s only a war zone to those who are involved in drugs and who resist violently any warrant of arrest being served to them, or when they’re the subject of a buybust operation and they violently resist as well as imperil the lives of the law enforcement officers,” Panelo said.

In her interview with American television program “60 Minutes” Ressa said journalists in the Philippines were being subjected to hostile attacks.

“This is far worse than any war zone that I’ve been in… In a war zone, you know exactly where the threats are coming from. We’ve been living through three years of this kind of hell,” she said in the interview.

She also said “there is no end” to the threats against the Philippine media.

Her arrest on cyber libel charges earlier this year sparked outrage from the local and international press and human rights groups who saw it as a government attempt to silence critics of President Rodrigo Duterte and his antidrug campaign.

Tycoon...

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MINORS MISSING. Senator Ronald dela Rosa, after delivering his speech on the committee report on the missing minors, greets parents of the missing ones who were believed to have joined the communist rebels. PNA

Defense...

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we are ready,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English.

The Defense chief’s remarks come amid fears of possible terror attacks by followers of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was killed by US forces in Syria last month.

The DND chief said security preparations of both military and police for the SEA Games have been ongoing for quite some time.

PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said a total of 27,440 police officers will be deployed in the venues in Metro Manila, Laguna, Bulacan, Tagaytay, Subic and New Clark City sports complex in Capas, Tarlac for the sporting event.

Some 18,105 policemen will be deployed in Metro Manila, 6,554 in Central Luzon, 1,865 in Southern Luzon and 916 in La Union.

Aside from police officers, 20,000 personnel from different agencies will also be deployed, PNP officer-in-charge, Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa said.

“We are putting our best foot forward for the regional sporting event among our ASEAN neighbors. We have started preparations since last year, [and] we continue to rehearse and fine-tune all our systems and

procedures,” Gamboa told reporters in a press briefing in Camp Crame.

Over 10,000 athletes from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor Leste, Singapore and Vietnam will participate in 543 sports events.

The 30th SEA Games will open on Nov. 30 at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan and will be held in different venues in Metro Manila, Clark, Pampanga, and Subic, Zambales. It will conclude at New Clark City on Dec. 11.

The country won its first-ever SEA Games overall championship in 2005, the last time it hosted the biennial meet.

The Philippines also hosted the 1981 and 1991 editions of the SEA Games.

With PNA

Quake-affected...

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The NDRRMC report released by executive director Ricardo Jalad said the families affected by the earthquakes were from 322 villages in Davao and SOCCKSARGEN. Also, 11,425 families or 54,431 people now being sheltered at 69 evacuation centers, while another 11,042 families equivalent to 56,875 people were being aided outside.

The number of fatalities from the two earthquakes now stand at 24, with 535

father, friend and, most importantly, our elder brother whom we all relied on for advice, counsel and leadership,” she said.

Bong Tan is survived by his wife Julie and sons Hun Hun (Lucio Tan III) and Kyle.

“Our sincerest thanks to all who offered prayers and shared words of comfort during this hour of grief. Our family continues to request everyone to respect our wish for privacy as we go through this very difficult time,” Vivienne said.

Malacañang on Monday expressed its condolences to the family and described Tan as “a humble, kindhearted brother, dutiful son and efficient and competent corporate man.”

President Rodrigo Duterte visited his wake on Monday, the Palace said.

Vice President Leni Robredo also expressed her condolences.

Tan was the namesake son of taipan Lucio Tan, one of the country’s richest individuals with a fortune valued by Forbes Magazine at $3.4 billion.

On Oct. 28, he was named president and chief operating officer of PAL Holdings, which owns Philippine Airlines.

Tan was also a director of the family’s main holding company, the $2.8-billion LT Group Inc., since 2003.

He held key positions in many of its subsidiaries, which include Philippine National Bank, Tanduay Distillers Inc., Asia Brewery Inc., Fortune Tobacco Corp., and Eton Properties Philippines Inc. others injured and two still missing in Northern Mindanao, Davao, SOCCSKSARGEN and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The infrastr ucture damaged by the ear thquakes totaled 37,519 in Zamboanga, Nor ther n Mindanao, Davao, SOCCSKSARGEN and BAR MM. The total assistance extended by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health and the Office of Civil Defense to the affected families have reached P61.414 million so far. PNA

Storm brewing over Virac A LOW pressure area off the country’s Pacific coast is brewing to develop into a tropical depression in the next 12 to 24 hours.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the LPA is expected to hit Luzon or the Visayas.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, it was spotted at 1,025 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes.

Once it becomes a tropical depression—the 18th this year—it would be named “Ramon.” Rio N. Araja

‘Sleepless’...

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“There are many bothersome people in Malacañng. There are several people who want to talk to him, want a private meeting. He can’t rest there.”

This is not the first time that Duterte will be absent from the public eye for days. In several instances he had no public appearances for days― sometimes an entire week―and then the Palace said he was “resting.”

Earlier in the day, Panelo said the President was advised by his friends and colleagues to take a break, adding that he lacked sleep.

“I think that’s what he lacks.

He always lacks sleep, Panelo told reporters.

But he assured the public that Duterte did not need to see a doctor as he took his break.

Asked about what the 74-yearold leader would do while in Davao, Panelo said: “Sleep.”

The state leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations had noticed that Duterte appeared “overworked” during the regional summit on Nov. 2 to 4, Panelo said last week.

“There were comments from ASEAN leaders. Our President looks overworked. Don’t let him work too much. That’s what they are saying,” he said.

Prior to the ASEAN Summit, Duterte’s longtime aide and now Senator Christopher Go said the President wanted to go home in Davao City where he would stay for a week to rest his “aching back.”

Last October, Duterte figured in a motorcycle accident within the Presidental Security Group Compound in Malacañang that caused him muscle spasms.

The Palace said the incident was just a minor mishap, and that the President only sustained “slight bruises” from it.

Velasco...

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“As far as I know, an agreement is an agreement. And based on the gentlement’s agreement, I will see you next year as the Speaker,” Velasco told reporters.

But Cayetano said there was no talk that he would not abide by the agreement.

“I mean, you cannot stop the congressmen from being happy with the reforms [I have implemented] ...that the budget was passed within a month ...that institutional [amendments] were prioritized ...the record attendance,” Cayetano said in Tagalog.

He made the statement to reporters who were hastily called to his office after Velasco, for the first time, broke his silence on the persistent talk that he would not abide by the agreement.

Velasco was quick to say, however, that the speakership “will go through voting.”

“We are focused on working ...passing laws which I believe I will be able to do something by way of legislation to bring down electricity prices,” Velasco said.

Velasco is supposed to assume the Speakership in October 2020.

Cayetano earlier hinted that he would not honor the term-sharing agreement when his term expires and would instead ask President Duterte, as head of the administration coalition, if he should not just stay on the job.

Under the term-sharing agreement brokered by Duterte, Cayetano would assume the post for 15 months while Velasco would occupy the post in the remaining 21 months.

Meanwhile, Velasco, celebrated his birthday with a ride for the victims of the earthquake in Mindanao over the weekend. Those who joined the ride were expected to donate to the victims of the Mindanao quake.

“This is a special day for me, and this fundraiser is my way of giving back my blessings to our brothers and sisters in Mindanao,” Velasco said.

Velasco and Mayor Inday Sara Duterte of Davao City also led a giftgiving activity in Boac, Marinduque.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Judges back proposed PH Marshal System

By Rey E. Requejo

SENT OFF. Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (8th from left) and Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, Gen. Noel Clement (9th from left), together with ranking police and military officials lead the send-off for soldier-athletes, coaches, and emergency responders who will participate in the 30th Southeast Asian Games, in Camp Aguinaldo on Monday, Nov. 11. The country will host the regional biennial sporting event from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11. PNA

Lacson warns House of possible budget delay due to ‘realignments’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Panflo Lacson on Monday warned of another possible delay in the passage of the proposed P4.1-trillion budget for next year if the House contingent pushes with its planned P100-billion realignments.

House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano earlier said there would be realignments of the budget amounting to P100 million during the Bicameral Conference Committee hearings.

Since this is a huge amount, Lacson cautioned against a distortion in the recommended national budget of the agencies which could suffer a budget cut or additional budget.

Lacson said the realignments could have been included in the proposed budget approved by the House of Representatives and transmitted to the Senate for scrutiny of the senators.

Lacson cited the delay in the approval of the 2019 budget due to the P95-billion realignments made by the House after bicam meetings on the budget.

Due to the delay, there were delays in government infrastructure projects like construction of bridges, roads and school buildings. If has also a negative impact on the country’s economy as there was also a slower GDP growth.

Meanwhile, Finance commitree chairperson Senator Sonny Angara commended his fellow senators for further raising the “compassion index” of the 2020 national budget by hiking allocations for social services.

The amendments to education, health and social welfare programs in the P4.1 trillion spending bill, he said, are “targeted and transparent.”

He said there is “a bipartisan consensus” to increase funds for the repair of earthquake-damaged schools, school vouchers, free college, school feeding, help for indigent patients, and the deployment of nurses, doctors to poor areas, among others.

He said the “budgetary augmentations” were recommended by the vice chairpersons of the Senate’s budgetwriting committee “upon the request of the departments.”

Death of another PMA cadet ‘bothers’ Palace

By MJ Blancaflor

M

ALACAÑANG on Monday said it was “bothered” by the death of another plebe, as it urged the Philippine Military Academy administrators to ensure the safety of their trainees.

Cadet Fourth Class Mario Telan Jr. was found dead in the 15-foot deep end of the pool hours after his swimming class Friday afternoon.

“We’re bothered by the death of another plebe who could be an outstanding military officer if he were able to finish his course,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a press briefing.

Efforts were done to revive him upon the discovery of his body and he was “immediately transferred” to

the PMA Station Hospital inside the campus in Baguio City, the PMA said, but he was declared dead on arrival.

The PMA discounted the possibility of foul play in the incident after reviewing the CCTV footage.

Telan, 20, belonged to the Alpha Company of the AFP Cadet Corps.

Panelo called on the academy to evaluate their protocols for their trainees’ safety.

“The military instructors especially on the swimming side should reassess

their protocols so that they can provide safety to their trainees,” he said.

“I understand the initial findings is that there was no foul play but they’re looking at the negligence of the instructors,” Panelo also said.

The PMA has already identified the two instructors involved in the swimming class, who were supposed to be in charge of ensuring that the cadets were accounted for, and has suspended swimming classes pending the investigation on the incident.

The academy is also assisting the Telan’s family who are now in Baguio City.

The incident came more than a month following the controversial death of another soldier in training, Cadet 4th Class Darwin Dormitorio, who experienced severe beating allegedly from upperclass cadets.

Dormitorio died on Sept. 18 after sustaining hazing-related injuries.

Belmonte, 5 others, to receive TOFIL excellence award SIX eminent Filipinos, led by former House Speaker Sonny Belmonte who all served as Junior Chamber International World presidents, will receive The Outstanding Filipino Excellence Awards during the 2019 TOFIL Awards and Recognition Night on Dec. 2, 2019 at the Centennial Hall of the historic Manila Hotel.

The announcement was made by JCI Senate Philippines president Domingo”Jun” Roque Jr. and TOFIL 2019 National Chairman Melandrew T. Velasco. The former JCI World presidents—JCI WP Ramon del Rosario Jr., JCI WP Roberto T. Villanueva, JCI WP Feliciano R. Belmonte Jr., JCI WP Victor Jose I. Luciano, JCI WP Crispin C. Dy Jr., and JCI WP Marc Brian C. Lim—who will each receive a trophy designed and crafted by TOFIL 2012 Awardee for Visual Arts Jose Datuin.

“As part of the 30th year of TOFIL as a prestigious and established award giving institution and in celebration of the five decades of JCI Senate

Philippines, we thought it best to bestow special awards to our esteemed six JCI senator colleagues who served as world presidents of the 104-year-old Junior Chamber International, a nongovernmental leadership organization present in 124 countries,” said both Roque and Velasco.

The occasion coincides with the presentation of the 2019 TOFIL awardees led by San Miguel Corp. president and CEO Ramon S. Ang. Joining Ang are: Glenn S. Banaguas (Environment Conservation and Science Diplomacy); Dr. Joselito R. Chavez (Medicine); Virgilio L. Malang (Science and Technology); Legazpi City Mayor Noel E. Rosal (Government/Public Service); and Nelly Siababa-Aggangan (Agriculture).

The six TOFIL 2019 awardees— who will each receive the coveted trophy designed and created by National Artist Napoleon Abueva— passed the criteria set by the Search Committee and the scrutiny of the

Board of Judges chaired by Supreme Court Administrator Justice Jose Midas Marquez, together with TOFIL Foundation Chairman JCI Sen. Rogelio “Bicbic” Garcia, JCISP President Domingo “Jun” O. Roque, Jr., 2010 TOFIL Awardee Dr. Shirley Halili Cruz, and PCCI chairman emeritus Dr. Francis Chua.

TOFIL Awards was institutionalized in 1988 by the JCISP. The project was pursued in partnership with Insular Life until and throughout the years they became partners with Insular Life which continued until 2014. It is now being undertaken in collaboration with ANSA Foundation led by its president Philip Nocom, a partnership that started in 2016.

For over 30 years, the JCI Senate Presidents has given over 147 awardees their recognition as men and women who have contributed to nation-building through the excellent pursuit of their work in their respective fields.

Labor group hits gov’t bid to tax salty food

By Vito Barcelo THE labor group Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines on Monday slammed the government-proposed measure to impose tax on salty food and food ingredients, and instead recommend that government develop healthier, affordable and accessible alternatives than levying tax on salty food.

“With this measure to tax salty food, the government is pushing the poor informal sector workers and their families to fall into deep poverty rather than building ladder to help and empower them,” Gerard Seno, ALU-TUCP national executive vice president, said.

“There is no need to tax salty food and ingredients at this time. We rather strongly recommend government to develop research-and-developmentbased healthier, cheaper alternatives and

options and make these accessible in the market,” he said in a statement.

“But if we raise their income, have developed and made these cheap, healthy food and ingredients alternatives very accessible to the market, then that’s may be the time that we talk about imposing tax on salty food,” Seno said.

Seno said poorly-waged working people and their families are aware that most of their daily meals that they can afford to buy with their meager daily budget are those foods with salty ingredients are mal-nutritious, unhealthy and brings ill-health to their family such as instant noodles, food flavoring, snacks, and dried fish.

However, because of their meager salary, short term, temporary jobs, inadequate social protection safety nets, poor workers have no choice but to purchase these because they are cheaper and more available in the market.

MINDANAO-BOUND. The Philippine Navy held a send-off ceremony for two of its ships bound for Mindanao, The BRP Emilio Jacinto and BRP Ang Pangulo at Pier 13 on Monday, Nov. 11. Norman Cruz

THE Philippine Judges Association on Monday backed the proposal of Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta for the creation of the country’s version of marshal system to protect the justices, judges and other officials of the judiciary.

PCA president Felix Reyes said that the security system for the judiciary, which they dubbed as the Philippine Marshal System, would provide security escorts for justices and judges especially those handling sensitive cases and have death threats.

Reyes noted that 31 judges have been killed since 1999, of which 19 are regional trial court judges.

Of the 31, five were killed under the Duterte administration.

According to PCA official, most of the judges killed were “handling drugrelated cases” and heinous crimes such as murder. He also said some judges were also killed for “personal reason.”

Reyes explained that the marshal system could be patterned after the US Marshal System and be under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court.

“They will provide security to judges, justices and other court employees.

It should be headed by a chief marshal with background in security, intelligence and investigative work,” Reyes said, in an interview over ABSCBN news channel.

Reyes said their group will initially propose the hiring of at least 500 marshals to secure judges and justices.

Besides providing security, the marshals will also conduct threat assessment for members of the judiciary who receive death threats.

Peralta is also pushing for the creation of a similar system as part of his 10-Point Agenda to strengthen and improve the security and safety of judges, justices and court personnel.

96% coverage polio vaccination lauded THE Department of Health reported a 96 percent coverage for the recently concluded round of the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio in select sites across the country, according to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. The Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio will commence its final round for the National Capital Region and its second round for the whole of Mindanao on Nov. 25, 2019.

Third round for the whole of Mindanao will be on Jan. 6, 2020.

“Let’s sustain the high vaccination coverage by continuously working together with our dedicated bakunators to stop the spread of the disease, and to save our children from the debilitating effects of polio,” said Duque.

Duque said he was pleased with the high turnout of children vaccinated, and thanked all those who volunteered their time and energy in the vaccination campaign. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Gordon concern over riding-in-tandem murders EXPRESSING concern over the high rate of murder cases in the country involving the use of motorbikes, Senator Richard Gordon on Monday said the police should really act with dispatch to solve these killings.

He noted that these motorcycleriding assassins should be arrested and such wrongdoing should be stopped at once as the safety of the people is of the utmost importance.

“Motorcycle-riding in tandem cowards are killing with impunity. They fearlessly execute people even in broad daylight and in plain view of witnesses because they can get away easily,” he said Gordon has deplored the killings committed by motorcycle riders and consistently renewed his call for the Land Transportation Office to finish drafting the implementing rules and regulations of the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act of 2019 or R.A. 11235, which he sponsored and authored, so that the law could be implemented immediately.

Gordon said the law’s objective is “to protect the public, and to secure and safeguard the citizenry from crimes committed with the use of motorcycles through imposing bigger, readable and color-coded number plates to make it easier for eyewitnesses to identify the number plates of motorcycles used in crimes that they witness.”

Macon Ramos-Araneta

A4

Opinion

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Why Leni is bound to fail FORMER Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile took me aside at the 365 Club get-together at the Holiday Inn Suites to tell me that I got it all wrong about the alleged escape of the late ABSCBN boss Geny Lopez and Serge Osmeña. They had been detained for their role in the assassination attempt against the late strongman President Ferdinand Marcos.

The drug problem is a health issue.

According to Enrile, the escape of Lopez and Osmeña was for real. I wrote that it was not; that Marcos allowed them to “escape.”

JPE recounted that when he was in New York after a meeting in Washington, somebody called him from San Francisco to say that Lopez and Osmeña had escaped and were already in the United States. Subsequently, Enrile called Marcos about this.

According to JPE, it was Steve Psinakis, brother-in-law of Lopez, who actually engineered the escape. Psinakis was working in Meralco—still a Lopez domain at that time. From detention, JPE said, Lopez and Osmeña flew to Hong Kong and then to San Francisco.

They joined the Light A Fire movement headed by Raul Manglapus. Enrile also recalled that it was engineered by Psinakis in cooperation with a certain American named Larry Logman, a Jew. After Marcos was reelected in 1969, there was also a coup attempt led by the Philippine Academy Class of 1944 in cooperation with the ROTC. This was quelled in time.

It has always been my policy to accept that I am wrong. The Lopez-Osmeña escape was a true event that a movie was even made out of it. The movie was called “Eskapo.” *** When I said in my latest column that Vice President Leni Robredo was bound to fail in her role as drug czarina, I meant that in the end, any attempt to wage war on drugs will only minimize

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

it, not end it.

Recall that the United States which has been waging an anti-drug was for many years despite the effectiveness of the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Robredo does not seem to have a real grasp and strategy to dwell on the drug menace except to say that the killings must be stopped. Official figures place the number of casualties at 6,000, but unofficial counts claim the real number could be four or five times that!

In soliciting the help of the United States and the United Nations, which have been critical of Duterte's policy of killing almost everybody involved in the drug problem, Robredo indicated that she is ignorant about her role as drug czarina.

To many who are ignorant about the drug menace, the move of Robredo to stop the killings may be a long-sought solution. Will fewer killings end the problem, though? Absolutely not.

The drug problem is a health issue, I keep saying that.

Records show that the demand for drugs is so great such that our country has become a transshipment point for cartels and syndicates.

Yes, Leni, there is a need to cut the supply of drugs coming to the Philippines. But the US and UN cannot do that. We have to cut the demand. You should ask Congress to enact a law requiring every local government unit to build community-based rehabilitation centers to stop the demand.

And that, to me, is another problem.

Government rehabilitation centers usually do not cure the drug users with psychiatrists and psychologists.

This would be expensive. Instead, the centers just resort to isolating addicts— when they are released, they go back to their old habits.

This is the reason I say the drug problem can only be minimized and not eradicated.

I recall that Marcos created special courts to try drug dependents but after martial law, these courts were abolished.

Drug dependence and addiction is the bane of this generation. For the poor, drugs are a way to assuage their hunger and joblessness. For the rich, it's for kicks.

I know a little about drugs because I was vice president of DARE Foundation, a rehabilitation center. This is where I learned that the drug problem is multi-fold.

This is why I said that Robredo is

T

Suspect invitation

HE director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has invited Vice President Leni Robredo, the newly appointed anti-drug czar, to join a drug raid to give her an idea of the conditions police face when they launch such operations.

The invitation makes good copy, but it seems to be aimed at driving home a point to the public rather than the vice president, and upon closer examination, lacks any genuine sincerity or readiness to help.

“I gave her an invitation so she’ll know that what she’s saying that nobody should die in anti-illegal drug operations is impossible,” PDEA Director-General Aaron Aquino was quoted in one news report as saying.

“She does not understand what goes on in those operations. There will be

casualties especially if the enemy is armed and dangerous. The possibility of encounters is high.”

Aquino, who co-chairs the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) with Robredo, said he would secure the Vice President and would even accompany her.

“I’ll make sure the Vice President is secure. I have experience in securing the President,” he said, pointing to his eight years in the Presidential Security Group during previous administrations.

Should Robredo join the raids, she would be equipped with a Kevlar helmet and bulletproof vest, and would only be able to access a target area after it has been secured and cleared.

Seriously?

Does the PDEA chief really think it is a good idea to bring the second highest official in the land, decked out in a Kevlar helmet and a bulletproof vest, into harm’s way?

Would he have made the same invitation if someone less critical of current police tactics were appointed to

be his co-chair?

If Aquino sincerely wanted the vice president to get a closer look at a real drug raid, he could have simply invited her to watch on a remote monitor while police commandos, equipped with body cameras, conducted such an operation.

That he did not do this suggests that he was more interested in scoring points in public than actually cooperating with the vice president in private.

The vice president, on the other hand, should consider tempering any sweeping statements that suggest that she believes the police are interested in nothing else than killing drug suspects. There are instances, after all, when the suspects really do shoot first. She should welcome the opportunity to gain a better appreciation of how police raids are carried out.

The co-chairs of the ICAD need to stop wasting time on posturing and issuing public pronouncements that embarrass the other, and focus on working together to get the job done.

Turn to A5

Robredo, the servant leader I HAVE always said that the best description of Leni Robredo is that she— like her husband, my friend Jesse—is a servant leader. She is not into politics to play power games, certainly not to enrich herself, but to serve. As it was with Jesse, accepting positions of responsibility is a matter of duty to the country, to the people, and to the poor.

That she is a servant leader is the only way to understand Robredo’s decision to accept President Duterte’s offer to cochair the Inter-Agency Committee on Illegal Drugs (ICAD), which she will now oversee and lead with Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency head Aaron Aquino. I truly believe her that she is saying yes, even as she has been warned that this is a political trap, so that she can save lives. She said: “Because if I would be able to save even just one life, my principles and my heart tell me I have to try.”

Based on Executive Order No. 15, the ICAD has the following specific functions: Ensure the effective conduct of anti-illegal drug operations and arrest of drug personalities, including street-level drug pushers and users; Lead and coordinate the implementation of the government's National Anti-Drug Plan of Action; Ensure the implementation of the administration's Barangay Drug-Clearing Program; Ensure the intensive conduct of anti-illegal drug advocacy campaign initiatives; Ensure the roles and responsibilities of member agencies are carried out; Remove government personnel involved in illegal drugs from office and; Ensure that the government's anti-illegal drug objectives are achieved.

The centerpiece drug campaign by the present administration has been a complete failure. The massacre of the poor is so far its only result while the drug menace has grown. The war against illegal drugs has attracted nothing more than a deluge of controversies and criticisms from foreign and local observers and human rights groups. Indeed, although

there is no underestimating the resolve of the President to stamp out the drug problem, regrettably human rights and the rule of law have taken a beating in the campaign. Thousands upon thousands have paid with their lives, many of whom were killed under suspicious circumstances.

Despite the savagery of the anti-drugs campaign, the government has given mixed signals on its effectiveness, at one point claiming the campaign a success while at another point admitting that the illegal drug trade in the country has actually worsened.

These contradictory claims and inconsistent assertions are swinging like pendulum. Even the estimates of drug dependents are problematic.

This is clearly the right thing to do.

During a press conference, the vice president took note of this when she pointed out: “The numbers we have are estimates. 1.8 million on DDB (Dangerous Drugs Board) as of 2015, but the working number for the government is four million. Then there’s the seven million to eight million [claimed by President Duterte]. That is why I will be setting an appointment with the law enforcement cluster [of ICAD],” It is safe to assume that the management and leadership approach of the two leading officials will be very different, if not diametrically opposed. During her first meeting, VP Robredo promised to replace “Oplan Tokhang” with a new anti-illegal drug campaign. Initially, she intends to look into the accuracy of the government numbers on drug dependents. Robredo will also be seeking the cooperation of our international partners, including the United States, European governments, and United Nations agencies. What a relief! What a good infusion of fresh air in a war the government has been losing!

This is the right approach. The problem Turn to A5

Iloilo’s struggle for power IT'S NOT about politics, folks, but about electricity.

The Philippine legal system protects consumer interests through laws setting standards of quality and safety. In fact, the 1987 Constitution authorizes Congress to issue franchises to companies that will provide vital public services such as power and water. In the case of electricity, we have such laws as the Philippine Distribution Code and the Philippine Grid Code.The Energy Regulatory Commission created by Republic Act No. 9136 or the Electricity Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) is mandated to set the requirements for licensing or the issuance of Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to companies involved in the generation of and distribution of electricity to communities. These standards are intended not only to ensure reliable and sufficient electricity for homes and businesses through good management, but also to see to it that consumers will be safe considering the sensitive nature of electricity transmission.

This is the problem that Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas must now confront head-on. He has asked Malacañang to intervene as he views with grave concern the threat to public safety brought

about by “inadequately-maintained lines, power outages and hazardous electric posts” owned by the city’s old utility, Panay Electric Co. (PECO), which has

This is the problem that Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas must now confront head-on. been denied a new franchise by Congress and is now operating on a provisional CPCN from the ERC until the new franchise holder, More Electric and Power Corp. (MORE), completes its takeover.

Barely a year back at the helm of City Hall, Treñas found it disturbing that PECO’s aged and dilapidated transmission facilities have caused not a few fire incidents in the city with no concrete action

from the company to solve the problem.

Treñas has urged the Office of the President to direct the ERC to do something about PECO’s failure to solve the problem of PECO’s antediluvian transmission lines and wooden electricity poles burning down as power lines go haywire from strong winds or rusting transformers blow up. He listed down nine fire incidents that hit PECO’s electricity poles from Oct. 19 to 21 alone based on the Bureau of Fire Protection’s report to City Hall, which apparently caught his ire after repeatedly asking PECO to do something about the problem.

Piqued by PECO’s inaction, the Iloilo City mayor said he was “obliged to take the necessary steps to address the needs of the people considering that the problems and complaints raised against PECO have direct impact not only on the property but also on the lives of residents of Iloilo City.”

“While the attention of PECO had been repeatedly called (by the Office of the City Mayor) to address the (complaints), the city is still plagued by the same problems,” Treñas said in his complaint to Malacañang.

MORE, the new franchise holder, Turn to A5

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Opinion Kinder and gentler?

THE big news last week was the President’s exasperated challenge to the Vice President, after all those years of her mudslinging from the sidelines, to return to his Cabinet and run the anti-drug war herself.

It was a challenge that Robredo picked up, after some hemming and hawing. Some of her social media supporters have been crowing that her decision caught the administration by surprise, allegedly because Duterte didn’t expect her to take the bait.

Such comments mystify me. After three years of Duterte and his stratospheric survey ratings, it seems there are still critics of his who think he can be caught by surprise by anything. This is a guy who plays his cards very close to his chest, and the Yellows only have themselves to blame for their incorrigible wishful thinking.

So far the VP’s record is mixed, no thanks to all the fake news that infests social media. It was reported that she wanted the UN to intervene; this story turned out to be not quite true. It’s also been said that the police now have to observe a “zero guns, zero killing” protocol. This is laughable, but if the story is gaining traction, it just shows how little the public believes that Leni is aware of reality on the ground. *** If we step back a bit, we’re presented with the sight of a 72-year-old president, increasingly subject to the frailties of old age, seemingly trapped at the helm of a thankless war against drugs—one that he anchored his entire campaign on, but which he has now found, from bitter experience, to be much different if waged across an entire country and not just within his home city.

This is a war where he’s being undermined by ninja cops, second-guessed by the opposition, and threatened by do-gooders in Europe and the US with lawsuits after he leaves office. If one doubts the overpowering influence of the drug lords and their enablers at the highest echelons of our government, one need only read about how the Sinaloa cartel—the same one that planned to expand into the Philippines during the PNoy years—recently raided a Mexican prison to free “El Chapo”s son, after assassinating the Mexican cops who had arrested him.

Iloilo’s...

From A4

said the incidents clearly demonstrate that PECO’s recent pronouncements only show it has not acknowledged its failure to provide Iloilo City with safe and sufficient electricity supply as the reason why it failed to convince Congress to renew its 95-year-old franchise.

Roel Castro, MORE president and a veteran of the electricity power industry, lamented that while PECO’s recent announcement it was investing P1 billion to improve Iloilo’s electricity transmission system is most welcome, this is an exercise in futility because it has lost its franchise to operate.

Moreover, Castro explained that the MORE announcement to spend P1.1 billion is "the amount, more or less, they owe the consumers. So it's only proper they will pump it in because they owe it to consumers. In fact, they have to spend that in 10 months, not 10 years!” said Castro.

So how will this struggle for power play out in the months ahead? We'd re-

Robredo,...

From A4

with Duterte’s war against illegal drugs is that it has never been based on facts but on political exigencies. The drugs issue got Duterte elected, and it is what he uses to attack political opponents.

It is not science-based which requires government and society to see the drug problem as a criminal matter in terms of supply, but as a health issue from a demand perspective. By all means, go after the drug syndicates, but rehabilitate the addicts and address the conditions that enable addiction like the harsh working conditions of the working poor.

Political trap or not, or whether or not the offer was intended to shame the vice president, Robredo can now make a real difference as head of the anti-illegal drugs governing body. She is in a position to take the war on drugs in a different but more humane direction by correcting the perceived abuses in the anti-drug campaign, prevent rampant human rights violations, ensuring that it operates within the bounds of law. She can ensure that casualties are a result only of legitimate police oper-

Who needs this kind of aggravation?

If the VP’s backers think they can ride this dirty war into the Palace in 2022, good luck with that—the same way I wished their senatorial slate good luck earlier this year. And it frees Duterte to focus his remaining years in office on building a “kinder and gentler,” more conventional, more durable legacy— one that would be much more helpful to the potential candidacy of Mayor Sara after he steps down.

What might the President wish to shift his attention to? For one, the on-again, off-again initiative for constitutional reforms—not just federalism, mind you, but also long-overdue political and electoral overhauls: anti-balimbing, anti-dynasty, campaign finance reform, genuine “proportional representation” in Congress in lieu of the bastardized party-lists.

So far the VP’s record is mixed.

A companion initiative can also be launched to change, not just the sys system through the Constitution, but also the way our people behave every day.

Simple things like clearing the roads, cleaning up our beaches and rivers, no smoking, no public drinking, no red tape in government offices, no drugs in the barangays—these will go a long way towards making our country more livable and our people more worthy of this beautiful country.

Abroad, Duterte has already moved the country toward cooperation with China on joint development of our underwater resources like oil and gas. Using economics and business to bypass political stand-offs is also a strategy that sits well with our Asian neighbors. That by itself could position the President as a major leader and influencer in the region. *** A raft of recent favorable news on the economy is also creating a tailwind behind Duterte, which he can then ride in building his durable legacy. Among them: New investment approvals by the Board of Investments totaled P765 billion for the nine months ending last September, mostly in the ICT sector. This is double the number for the same period last year.

NEDA has become more pragmatic by including at least 26 PPP projects

ally want to see the final outcome.

Iloilo's struggle for accountability While we're at this, Iloilo City residents are wondering what has happened to a low-cost housing project in Pavia district funded by a P125-million bond flotation in 2001 that has yielded not a single one of the 413 units supposed to have been built since then.

With interest mounting over the years, it's taxpayers who have to shoulder a heavy burden for a project that was ostensibly for the benefit of the homeless and the poor but appears to have gone only God knows where.

The project unraveled in 2002 when subcontractors abandoned the worksite after complaining that the project contractors had not paid them a single centavo. The subcontractors' complaint reached the city council, prompting an investigation of the mess.

In 2003, the city council completed its probe and came up with three recommendations: (1) rescind the contract with the project builder; (2) compel the contractor to pay damages; and (3) charge certain city officials and the contractor for graft.

ations and not of extrajudicial killings, and finally focus more on reintegration and rehabilitation of drug users instead of relying solely on the “kill, kill, kill” approach which for three years now seems to have been the preferred and failed remedy of this administration.

After all, one innocent life spared or one drug user rehabilitated makes a lot of difference.

As for not being competent or tough enough, that description of the vice president is not supported by the evidence. I have seen her up close in a number of occasions and this is one strong woman. She does her homework, she listens, but for sure she is decisive. Her limited work as vice president has produced big outcomes, having outsized impact with poor communities. Her projects are the paragon of efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability. Her staff is one of the best I have seen in government in the last 20 years.

I was ambivalent at first about Robredo's rejoining the government as the anti-illegal drugs czar for the country. But through the lens of servant leadership, it is clearly the right thing to do. Thank you, VP Leni, for doing this and setting an example for all of us.

in its pipeline of over a hundred flagship projects. In light of sad stories like the failure of MWSS to develop another wholesale source of water, the limitations of government trying to go it alone are now seen as putting at risk the President’s ambitious Build, Build, Build, program.

Significantly, the giant US courier service Federal Express is returning to the country, ten years after transferring its Asia-Pacific hub from Clark to Guangzhou. Other American companies that plan to expand here include food giant Cargill and consumer products houseword Procter & Gamble. The ongoing trade war between the US and China may be prompting even non-Chinese companies to consider relocating here.

The economy grew by 6.2 percent in this third quarter, the second fastest growth in Asia. With even more spending expected from the Asian Games here in December, we may hit government’s target range of 6-7 percent growth for the whole year, although this will be harder to achieve next year amid continuing global uncertainties.

The Philippines will be attending the first-ever G-20 ministerial meeting in Hokkaido aimed at encouraging re responsible tourism in line with the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Together with Indonesia, we’re the only countries attending from ASEAN and from the “developing world.” This is a feather in the cap, not only of Tourism Secretary Romulo-Puyat, but also DENR Secretary Cimatu after his cleanup of Boracay and now Manila Bay. *** Today’s Mass readings give us the proper perspective on the hardship of human life, our lot in the world after the devil entered it out of envy. Suffering may indeed be a punishment for those who are wicked. But for those who are just, it may be counted as a blessing, because they are being proven like gold in the furnace and prepared to rule by God’s side (Wis 2: 23 – 3: 9).

Thus we should endure life’s travails, and carry out our chores, with forbearance. “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do” (Luke 17: 7-10) The earlier and deeper we learn the lessons of humility, the more we are “greatly blessed” and the quicker we shall “be found worthy of God himself.”

These are words that all those televangelist prophets of the “prosperity gospel”—mostly from outside the Church—may wish to take to heart.

Readers can write me at gbolivar1952@ yahoo.com.

The city council panel headed by Raul Gonzalez Jr. pushed for graft charges against an ex-mayor, the incumbent mayor and the project contractor.

It took two years before the council recommendation was acted upon. Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Primo Miro resolved in May 2005 to suspend some city officials and indict them before the Sandiganbayan.

Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Gutierrez took no action on the case but on Aug. 20, 2010—after five long years— OIC and Deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro gave the go-ahead for the 2005 Primo Miro resolution to be implemented. However, he deleted certain names from the list of officials to be indicted before the anti-graft court. Instead, he ordered the Ombudsman-Visayas office to delve deeper in its probe of the housing project.

To this day, Iloilo City taxpayers are still left in the dark whatever happened to the P125 million intended for lowcost housing that's nowhere to be found, even as the interest on the debt keeps piling up, and up, and up. ernhil@yahoo.com

Why...

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

The case for durationless franchise A LAW approved this year that was intended to make life easier for organizers of corporations has ended up drawing attention to the limitations imposed by law on franchises for the operation of public-utility enterprises. One of the Corporation Code of the Philippines amendments signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte scrapped the longstanding 50-years limit on the life of corporation established in this country.

Because of their special economic character—they often have little competition due to the large scale of their operations and the big amounts of capital that they require—public utilities are required by the Public Service Act to obtain franchises for their operations. The duration of the franchises differs according to the nature of the public utility: a power company will require and be granted a franchise valid for 50 years, whereas a land transportation company may require and be granted a franchise of 10 years’ duration. No investor will want to put up a public utility necessitating a huge amount of money if the government will give his company a franchise of short duration. A short-duration franchise almost certainly will not allow his company to recover its investment during the lifetime of the franchise.

In the explanatory note to the bill seeking the amendment of the Corporation Code, the bill’s authors explained that they saw no acceptable reason why a corporation’s life should be limited to 50 years. They said that a corporation can operate in only one of two ways: like a good citizen or like a bad citizen. If a corporation behaves like a good citizen—paying its taxes honestly, treating its employees and other stakeholders fairly and obeying faithfully all laws and government regulations—why should its life be arbitrarily ended at the end of 50 years?

On the other hand, if a corporation behaves like a bad citizen, doing the opposite of what a good citizen does, the government does not need to wait for the end of the corporation’s legal life to put an end to a bad situation?

The various government departments and agencies closely involved in most public-utility operations, especially BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue), DOE (Department of Energy) and DOTr (Department of Transportation), can, upon strong indications of unlawful conduct, issue show-cause orders compelling the managements of bad-citizen corporations to prove to the government that they deserve to be allowed to continue doing business.

The government has all the power to act swiftly and effectively against erring corporations; it does not have to wait for the end of the 50-year period

indicated in the corporation’s certificate of authority (CA).

This brings me to the matter of government limitation of the existence of franchises valid for a certain number of years. The argument that the government can punish an erring corporation at any time during a corporate CA’s life and does not have to wait for the end of that life applies with equal force to government treatment of an erring public utility. If a public utility is clearly shown to be violating the terms of its franchise, the proper government action is to make it stop operating forthwith; the government should not wait until the end of the franchise period, when it can take the punitive action of non-renewal of franchise.

If a public utility is clearly shown to be violating the terms of its franchise, the proper government action is to make it stop operating A government’s allowing a public utility to utilize its franchise up to the end of the franchise period can only mean that a corporation has been operating like a good citizen, obeying all laws, treating all its stakeholders fairly and promoting the public good. Had it been otherwise, the government surely would have taken disciplinary action against it.

Two current cases come to mind in this regard. I am referring to the cases of the nation’s largest broadcast network, ABS-CBN, and PECO’s largest electricity utility on the island of Panay. ABS-CBN has already been told that President Duterte will not approve a Congressional measure extending ABS-CBN’s franchise beyond March 20, 2020; Congress granted a franchise to another company when PECO’s franchise expired last year. If PECO had been supplying electricity to the Iloilo City area for 95 years, why was its franchise not renewed?

And if ABS-CBN has been able to rise to the position of No. 1 broadcast network (or No. 2, if rival network GMA is to be believed), why should its franchise not be renewed when that document expires next year? Politics should have no place in the grant and renewal of public-utility franchises; considerations of economics and efficiency alone should matter.

Congress was sufficiently enlightened to discern the merit in removing the 50-year duration from the CAs of corporations. It should now display the same measure of enlightenment with regard to public-utility franchises and approve a bill making franchises durationless.

Agonizing fight for justice THIS Nov. 23, it will have been 10 years since the Ampatuan, Maguindanao Massacre shocked the whole world, as political violence claimed the lives of 58 people. The bereaved families of the victims may have to wait a few more weeks until the Quezon City regional trial court renders the verdict on the case.

From A4

bound to fail in her role as drug czarina. If there were a president who could wage a war on drugs, it would be Duterte. *** We postponed the launch of my book, The Road never Ends, to January. The Manila Standard, courtesy of House Majority Leader, is helping me publish this book. This is because the original date, Nov. 26, is too close to the holidays. Many of the businessmen and taipans I am inviting will be too busy to attend the book launch.

I will announce the details as soon as I have them. *** My sincerest condolences to the family of a good friend, John Gokongwei Jr., self-made tycoon, whose life was legendary, from rags to riches. He is a visionary and a pioneer who gave back to the needy.

He's blessed that he had children who took up after his pioneering spirit. He will be missed by friends. His life is a perfect example that there is no substitute for hard work, patience, perseverance and integrity.

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How much longer will the victims’ families have to wait?

Meanwhile, the reopening of the case of the Mamasapano Massacre, otherwise known as the SAF44 Massacre, is being sought by the widowed families of the slain policemen as represented by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC).

They seek to indict former President Benigno Aquino III, for plotting the disastrous Oplan Exodus along with ex-police generals Alan Purisima and Getulio Napeñas.

These two cases dramatically demonstrate the grossly rotten and most hateful state of our justice system, particularly its prejudice against crime victims.

They have showcased the travesty of criminal justice procedures and the litigation process in the country.

One cannot imagine the 10-year ordeal the families of the defenseless

58 victims in Ampatuan, including 32 media members, who were waylaid by over 100 heavily armed suspects in the days leading to the 2010 elections.

Just as horrifying is the tragedy of the 44 commandos of the Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP), among those contingents ordered to implement the evil designs of Aquino and Purisima.

These nincompoops sent the SAF who ended up as sitting ducks in the territory of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and other rebel groups, and were left to die without reinforcement.

They should have their day in court and they should be made to answer for their cold-blooded crime with the appropriate charges.

Justice has been elusive for the SAF44 families in the past five years.

The question is: How much longer will they have to fight and wait in agony?

In many cases, it seems impossible to have the rich and powerful criminals to bring to justice and pay for their transgressions. They cannot be easily arrested, detained and charged in court as they are always assisted by private lawyers.

Ironically it is not uncommon for poor innocent people to get jailed based on false and trumped-up charges. They can be dragged out of their homes by some abusive cops without arrest warrants and thrown into jail in no time. In most cases, they do not get legal assistance until the day they appear in court when the case is all cooked up with planted evidence against them.

There are, however, signs of change that bodes hopes for judicial, as well as criminal justice reforms, during the current administration. We can only hope that such winds of change would eventually translate to upholding of truth and justice.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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News

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

3 PNP execs face ax over extort bid

T

HREE police officers are facing dismissal for allegedly extorting money from bidders of the P334 million worth of body cameras being procured by the Philippine National Police.

PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa identified the three cops as Majors Emerson Sales and Rholly Caraggayan, now both AWOL (Absent Without Official Leave); and Angel Beros, who is still in active service.

Gamboa said the alleged illegal activities of the three officers were exposed by one of the losing bidders in the project.

Gamboa said he, as the chairman of the PNP Bids and Awards Committee, uncovered said irregularity when one of the eight initial bidders who were disqualified complained to him.

He said the proponent had paid at least P5 million to the policemen who were members of the technical working group, only to find out later on that they were dis-

qualified from the bidding.

“So when the proponent was disqualified, they complained to me. From then on, I caused the investigation. I caused them to be relieved from their position as technical working group. I displaced them but they were charged administratively for doing so,” he told reporters during Monday’s press briefing held in Camp Crame.

“As what I told to them, we are trying to prove that government procurement can be clean and here are you putting a very bad example and I promised to the members of the BAC that I will dismiss

these three police majors and they are now undergoing administrative proceedings. I think within the month of November we will be coming up with their verdict but I am sure that they will be dismissed because this is also part of our anti-corruption campaign in connection of course with the President’s call for anti-corruption measures,” he stressed.

Aside from administrative charges, Gamboa said he also instructed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to file criminal charges against the three cops. PNA

PCSO to rebuild lottery system PCSO General Manager Royina Garma assured the public and the Committee on Games and Amusements of the House of Representatives that the procurement of the PCSO Lottery System shall be in accordance with laws and best practices to promote the prudent use of public funds and for the best interest of the Filipino people.

For transparency, procurement of the PLS was undertaken through the Special Bids and Awards Committee in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act No. 9184, as amended.

Unfortunately, there was a failure of bidding as the two bidders which participated were declared “failed and ineligible.”

At present, PCSO and its consultants are engaged in a mandatory review and evaluation of the terms, conditions and specifications of the bidding documents, including cost estimates to immediately rebid the PLS after the approval of the PCSO Board as the Head of the Procuring Entity.

In addition, the coverage, components/lots, timeline and related activities for the procurement are policy matters which will also be considered by the PCSO Board.

PCSO has ensured that the terms of Reference for the new Online Lottery System will be responsive to PCSO lotto requirements.

PCSO has conducted procurement of its OLS unExtra-judicial der the NationSettlement of Estate with Waiver of Rights wide Online Lottery System Notice is hereby given that the Estate of the and PLS projdeceased ROMEO S. ects pursuant to CAPARROS were Extraprovisions Judicially settled among the the heirs With Waiver of of Republic Act Rights as per Doc.No. 9184, as 289; Page No. 59; Book No. No. 221; Series of 2019, amended and its before Notary Public Atty. Nelly B. Molina of I m pl e m e n t i n g Quezon City.

Rules and regulations.

(MS-OCT. 29, NOV. 5, 12, 2019)

VENDORS BANNED. Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko’ Domagoso was dismayed upon seeing the filthy state of Ylaya Street in Divisoria, Tondo, Manila during a surprise inspection on Monday morning. Domagoso later on banned the vendors in the area. Norman Cruz

Solons push for creation of nat’l disaster body

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATORS pushed for the creation of the Department of Disaster as National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive director Ricardo Jalad expressed apprehension over the move, describing it as “overwhelming.”

Senator Panfilo Lacson, Senate defense committee chairperson, who presided over the hearing on disaster management, objected to the Department of Disaster, warning it would just bloat an already bloated bureaucracy.

“Now, this puts us in a dilemma. As a matter of policy direction, do we cre-

ate another department that will further bloat an already bloated bureaucracy, or simply make do with a council called National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council that has no focus and responsibility to address natural and man-made calamities that have become permanent and frequent in a country such as ours, which is located along the boundary of major tectonic plates and at the center of a typhoon belt coupled by its socially and economically vulnerable population? “ asked Lacson.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri and Senators Christopher Go, Francis

Tolentino, Ronaldo dela Rosa and Aquilino Pimentel have aired their support to the creation of the Department of Disaster during the said Senate hearing.

They were among those who filed separate resolutions to establish the department that will handle the country’s disaster resilience and management efforts.

Zubiri said the creation of a Department of Disaster Resilience will ensure a more efficient, coordinated, and complete system of disaster management— from risk assessment to emergency response right down to reintegration assistance and rehabilitation.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION REGIONAL TRIAL COURT BRANCH 230, QUEZON CITY BLESILDA GADITANO, Plaintiff, -versus-

CASE NO. R-QZN-19-02417-CV For: Collection of Sum of Money

MELINDA LAHOM Defendant. x---------------------------------------x

ORDER

In today’s hearing on the Motion for Leave of Court to Effect Service of Summons by Publication, the representative of Blesilda Gaditano in the person of Elizabeth is present. Likewise, Atty.

John Thomas S. Alferos III, counsel for the plaintiff, is present.

Finding the motion to be well-taken, the same is herby GRANTED. The plaintiff is hereby given leave to effect the service of the Summons to the defendant Melinda Lahom by publication in a newspaper of general circulation once a week.

SO ORDERED. In open court, 13 September 2019.

(Sgd.) MARIA GILDA T. LOJA-PANGILINAN Presiding Judge Copy furnished: Atty. John Thomas S. Alferos III ALFEROS ARMAS & ASSOCIATES LAW OFFICE Counsel for the Plaintiff Unit K, No. 1143 San Francisco Del Monte Ave., Barangay Paltok 1105, Quezon City Blesilda Gaditano Plaintiff 107 Antique St., Bago Bantay Quezon City Melinda Lahom Defendant No. 3 Dangay Street Veterans Village, Project 7, Quezon City 102 Road 18 Extension Project 8, Quezon City

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION REGIONAL TRIAL COURT BRANCH 230, QUEZON CITY BLESILDA GADITANO, Plaintiff, -versus-

CASE NO. R-QZN-19-02417-CV For: Collection of Sum of Money

MELINDA LAHOM Defendant. x---------------------------------------x

RISK REDUCTION. Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council chairman Secretary Eduardo del Rosario (right) and Office of the Civil Defense Administrator USec. Ricardo Jalad testify over yesterday's senate inquiry into the National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation—the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System Act. Ey Acasio

SUMMONS

GREETINGS: You are required within fifteen (15) days after service of this summons upon you to file with this Court and serve on the plaintiff your answer to the complaint, copy of which is attached, together with the annexes. You are reminded of the provision in the IBPOCA Memorandum on Policy Guidelines dated 12 March 2002, to observe restraint in filing a motion to dismiss and instead allege the grounds thereof as defenses in the answer. If you fail to file answer within the time fixed, the plaintiff will take judgment by default and may be granted the reliefs applied for in the complaint.

WITNESS my hand under the seal of the Court, this 13th February 2019.

(Sgd.) ATTY. GENELOU L. SAMPAGA Branch Clerk of Court (MStandard-Nov. 5, 12 & 19, 2019)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

By Joel E. Zurbano AIRPORT authorities on Monday urged passengers not to bring firearms and amulets, gun replicas and other similar items to avoid flight delays and inconvenience to air travelers, especially this Christmas season when the number of passengers are expected to increase.

The Office for Transportation Security continue to apprehend people carrying banned items at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Late last week, Archie Peregrino, a passenger bound for Davao, was accosted by an airport Security Screening Officer at the NAIA Terminal 3 for possession of a grenade-shaped novelty lighter.

The authorities reminded the people about the danger of bringing in or carrying firearms and explosives.

OTS administrator USec. Raul del Rosario said that “doing so will not only delay your flight, but it would also cause panic among other passengers.”

He reminded the public that various transport facilities in the country remained on heightened alert status, and asked for passengers’ cooperation as stringent security checks are being implemented.

Six months ago, OTS men also arrested Deogracias Pulmano caught in possession of a grenade at the initial screening area of NAIA Terminal 2.

Pulmano was about to board Philippine Airlines flight PR-2819 bound for Davao when the authorities found the MK2 fragmentation grenade inside his backpack bag.

The OTS screeners asked Pulmano to show legal documents for possessing or for bringing in the grenade but he failed to present any.

This prompted the authorities to place the passenger under arrest and the confiscation of the explosive.

The OTS reminded travelers to secure documents, particularly a permit to transport from the Philippine National Police, when bringing guns and ammunition during their trips.

Malaysian police nab rape suspect

By Vito Barcelo A CANADIAN-American man who allegedly raped a 17-year-old girl in Subic, Zambales a year ago was turned over to the Philippine police by Malaysian authorities who arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, according to the Bureau of Immigration.

Fouad Bounab , who arrived Saturday night at NAIA 3 terminal aboard an Air Asia flight from Kuala Lumpur, was accompanied by two Philippine National Police escorts who fetched him in Kuala Lumpur after he was arrested by Malaysian authorities.

He was later brought to Camp Crame after arriving at the airport.

BI-Border Control and Intelligence Unit chief Atty. Rommel Tacorda disclosed that Bounab was on the wanted list of the Interpol which earlier issued a red notice against him.

“He fled to Malaysia to evade prosecution for his crime. Fortunately, our counterparts in Malaysia were able to trace his whereabouts and he was arrested and brought back to Manila,” he said.

Bounab was charged with raping his victim several times in Subic, Zambales in March last year, and violated the antitrafficking act and cyber crime law.

House to pass stricter laws to avert smuggling

By Maricel V. Cruz

To: MELINDA LAHOM No. 3 Dangay Street Veterans Village, Project 7, Quezon City 102 Road 18 Extension, Project 8, Quezon City

Airport authorities: Don’t bring firearms

THE House of Representatives will work on the passage of a measure seeking stricter regulations on the importation of construction products to address the alleged rampant smuggling of steel billets.

Agusan del Norte Rep. Lawrence Lemuel Fortun made the statement as he stressed the need for Congress to pass a bill to avert the problem that is resulting in the supposed deceitful selling of quenched tempered steel bars that could have compromised the structural soundness of some infrastructure

in the country in the last 10 to 12 years.

“We hope to be able to introduce major reforms to regulations on importation, inspection and testing of steel products as well as other construction materials,” Fortun told reporters.

He earlier filed House Resolution 379 to investigate the alleged collusion between large steelmakers and officials of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Bureau of Customs behind the smuggling of substandard steel products.

He filed the resolutions following deaths and destruction caused by the series of earthquakes that hit Mindanao recently.

Recently, the BOC announced that

it was cracking down on undervalued steel importations amid reports of substandard QT steel bars while Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission Commissioner Manuelito Luna bared that the parallel inquiry of the agency headed by chairman Dante Jimenez found sufficient evidence that will pin down those responsible for the alleged technical smuggling of billions of steel bars.

Assistant Customs Commissioner Philip Vincent Maronilla disclosed that four to five big steel companies were being audited by the BOC. It was reported that one of the companies undergoing audit is Steel Asia,

one of the country’s biggest steel firms.

Fortun also said that the House committee on Mindanao affairs would team up with the House committee on trade and industry to jointly probe the supposed smuggling of steel products following deaths and destruction caused by the series of earthquakes that hit Mindanao recently.

“The resolution will be referred to two committees, namely, the Committee on Trade and Industry and the Committee on Mindanao Affairs. The Mindanao Affairs committee is taking cognizance because of the urgency of the matter in Mindanao,” said Fortun.

Sports

A7

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

PH football gets boost with Luzon Cup ball Association to stage the Luzon Cup football tournament from Nov. 21 to 24 in Tarlac City.

HE Negros Football CLFA secretary general Ed FlaminiAssociation is taking the ano said the staging of the meet will initiative to help regional address the need to have a grassroots’ associations in the development football development in Luzon. in their grassroots’ programs.

“For the last three years, there’s no grassroots program in Luzon. The Luzon Cup is With help coming from the Philippine a good sports development program,” said Sports Commission, the NOFA is col- Flaminiano during yesterday’s launch at laborating with the Central Luzon Foot- the Kachina Room of Sheraton Hotel.

By Peter Atencio

T

The tournament for boys aged 12-under has drawn entries from 16 clubs across Luzon. It will be held at the Jose V. Yap Sports and Recreational Park in San Jose, Tarlac.

And it will be done with the support of the Tarlac provincial and city governments as it encourages clubs to hold more grassroots competitions.

Businessman-sportsman and NOFA president Ricky Yanson Jr. said they have been organizing the Bacolod-

based NOFA Cup for the last four years.

Yanson owns the Ceres Football Club.

His family also owns a bus line company that covers the Visayas region.

Since that time, Yanson explained that he came to realize the need to bring football development to the community outside the Visayas area.

“We have to bring football to a larger community. When we stage the NOFA Cup, only a few teams can join outside of Visayas. So we made a decision on

Roxas wins historic title at Visayas Passerelle tilt

Yanson to run for PFF president TO support the need for a sustainable grassroots’ development program in football, Bacolod-based businessmansportsman Ricky Yanson Jr. is set to go for the presidency of the Philippine Football Federation.

Yanson is seeking football’s top post against current PFF president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta.

While Yanson remained tightlipped at the meantime about his decision to run against Araneta, his supporters from within the PFF said change from within the football community is coming.

For now, maintaining and organizing the four-year old NOFA Cup is among his priorities.

Members of the football community said there has been disenchantment on the PFF”s grassroots program over the last year.

And that’s because grassroots activities seems to have waned these days.

That is why Yanson’s bid to reach out member organizations outside of the Visayas region has been welcomed.

Araneta is currently on his second term. Peter Atencio

Negros Occidental Football Association President Ricky Yanson hands over the NOFA Cup shirt to PSC Chairman Butch Ramirez.

Perpetual Altas Molino crowned champ BACOOR CITY—Perpetual Altas Molino edged sister school Perpetual Saints GMA to bag the 24th Cavite School Cultural and Athletic Association Men’s College Division Basketball crown on Sunday at the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA-Molino Campus gymnasium along Molino Boulevard here.

Most Valuable Player Gavin Rossdale Umalis of the coach Phelot Levita-men-

tored Basketball Team carried the Altas to a 68-67 victory to bring back the glory to the Tony Tamayo-owned learning institution, which clinched the championship for the last time in 2015.

Mark Calawigan and Christina Sanchez of Perpetual Molino, Jayvee Padogay and Ervin Mercado of Perpetual GM and Christina Arcenal of St. Dominic Collge of Asia were chosen members of the Mythical First Team.

“Nakita ko ‘yung effort ng mga players ko na gustong manalo at hindi bumigay until the last minute of the game. Thank God for the victory,” said coach Levita.

Perpetual Molino ripped St. Francis of Assisi College System-Bayanan campus, while Perpetual GMA demolished defending champion St. Dominic College in the crossover semifinals to arrange the winner-take-all finals in the 13-member school tournament. Dennis Abrina

Kickboxing, volleyball at PSA Forum TWO sports which are looking to make a noise in the 30th Southeast Asian Games will serve as special guests in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday at the Amelie Hotel-Manila.

Kickboxing and beach volleyball will discuss their respective campaigns during the biennial meet two weeks from now in the session presented by San Miguel Beer, Braska Restaurant, Amelie Hotel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

The Samahang Kickboxing Pilipinas is going to be represented in the 10 a.m. session by secretary-general Atty. Wharton Chan, coaches Donnie Geisler and Glenn Mondol, together with athletes Karol Maguide, Ruel Catalan, and Rex De Lara.

The beach volleyball team, meanwhile, will be led by Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons.

PSA members are enjoined to attend the session livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page fb.com/ PhilippineSportswritersAssociation and aired on a delayed basis over Radyo Pilipinas 2 from 1-2 p.m. and later at 6:30 p.m

PH shooting...

From A8

The shooting team’s participation was fully supported by the Philippine Sports Commission as it was not only an Olympic qualifying tournament for next Year’s Tokyo Olympiad but also served as the last International exposure for the shooters seeing action in the 30th SEAG three weeks from now.

this last year,” said Yanson.

PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez welcomed the staging of the Luzon, which will now be part of a triangle of age-group competitions which the NOFA helped organize.

“I am supporting Ricky Yanson in his quest to develop football wherever it takes him,” said Ramirez.

The 16th participating squad will come from the Mindanao Cup 2019 champion, which is the Bukidnon FA.

POTOTAN, Iloilo—For the first time in history, a champion from Roxas has won the Passerelle division championship of the Visayas Regional Finals of the 34th SBP Passerelle Twin Tournament backed by Milo, supported by Rain or Shine, Chris Sports and SKLZ. HERCOR College stunned the field as it trounced Sacred Heart SchoolAteneo de Cebu, 88-68, at the Pototan Astrodome.

For scoring the historical first, the team earned a ticket to the national finals in its home city of Roxas on November 23 and 24.

In a game marked by scoring runs by both sides, HERCOR used a big end-game onslaught to clinch the championship.

HERCOR enjoyed a hot start, taking a 24-12 lead at the end of the first period with Joshua Mainar erupting for 13 points in the period.

The Cebu champions bounced back in the second period as Michael Asoro Jr. poured in 17 points in a rally that saw them overtake HERCOR, 39-35 at halftime.

HERCOR returned the favor in the third period, building a 59-55 lead going into the fourth period. HERCOR jumped to a 65-58 lead to start the fourth period, but SHS-Ateneo rallied to slice the lead to 65-62, the closest it would get.

Kent Gaitan then drilled a triple that launched a 7-0 run for a 72-62 lead, 5:10 left in the game.

As SHS-Ateneo closed in at 72-64, HERCOR stepped on the gas anew to increase the lead to 81-66, 1:47 remaining, ignited by yet another trey

by Gaitan. Mainar, who gave the Cebu champions problems, led HERCOR with 19 points.

John Lloyd Ubas had 15 while Eden Aldaba had 12. Michael Asoro led SHSAteneo with 23 points while Jared Bahay had 14.

In the game for third place, University of St. La Salle of Bacolod defeated defending champion St. Robert’s International Academy of Iloilo, 63-53.

HERCOR College also bagged the coveted Sportsmanship Award.

Toronto...

From A8

The Perpetual Molino-Altas team of Coach Phelot Levita (extreme right, standing) is shown after clinching the 24th CAVSCAA basketbal men’s college division crown by beating sister school Perpetual GMA-Cavite campus, 68-67, Sunday at the UPHSD-Molino campus gym in Bacoor City. Dennis Abrina

New backer for Asia Sports Industry Awards THE 5th Edition of Asia’s leading sports business conference and awards platform, SPIA Asia – Asia’s Sports Industry Awards and Conference, is proud to announce its extension of its major partnership with TPB Philippines for the 2019 event in the Philippines.

SPIA Asia 2019 will run from December 2 to 3 at the Grand Hyatt Manila and is part of the official activities of the 30th South East Asian Games, which are taking place during the same time.

“We are delighted to announce our Partnership with TPB Philippines. Sport and tourism go hand-in hand and this is no different in the Philippines. Every year, sport has a tremendous economic impact through the hosting of major sporting events as well as tourists entering the country to participate in leisure sporting activities such as golfing, swimming and diving”, states Eric M. Gottschalk, CEO and Founder of SPIA Asia. “SPIA Asia has always featured a strong segment of Sport and tourism at the conference and we are excited to have TPB actively contribute to this segment, especially considering the sports-tourisms impact that the 30th SEA Games should have.”

““In fulfilling its mandate to attract MICE and Sports tourism to the country, the Philippines Tourism Promotions Board cannot be more honored to host and support the Asia’s Sports Industry Awards and Conference 2019 in Manila in conjunction with the Southeast Asian Games. The Philippines welcomes warmly all conference delegates and enjoins everyone in celebrating and congratulating the Winners of the prestigious Asia Sports awards,” said Venus Tan, Chief Operating Officer, Tourism Promotions Board Philippines.

Over 600 delegates and 60 international speakers are expected to attend the event in Manila with key focus on the pulse of the industry such as “Business of Football” including the exclusive LaLiga panel, eSports, rugby, basketball, motorsport, MMA/boxing, sports tech start-ups, and several subjects around tolerance, integrity and inclusion.

Key attractions at SPIA Asia will be the keynote address by PHISGOC, the organizing committee of the 30th South East Asian Games and the launch of the Asian Sponsorship and Events Association.

SPIA Asia will also host its annual

edition of the SPIA Asia Awards, Asia’s most prestigious and credible awards platform, recognizing and celebrating sporting excellence of the industry, including this year’s inaugural “Best Asian Sportsman”, “Best Asian Sportswoman” and “Best Asian Sports Team of the Year” awards.

SPIA Asia brings together the governing bodies, federations, agencies, rights holders, brands and organizations which strongly contribute and positively influence the landscape of sport in Asia.

Organized by MMC Sportz, SPIA Asia is endorsed by PHISGOC, the local organizing committee of the 30th South East Asian Games, the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines and supported by the following entities: LaLiga, Allianz, YouGov Sport, HANZZ+HEIDII, Kooora, Sport Business, SRI, Esports Insider, Grand Hyatt Manila, Asian Replica, F1 Race Simulators, Color Manila and sponsorship marketing support from Paul Poole (South East Asia) Co. Ltd. For more information about the conference program, delegate passes and Awards Gala ticket sales, visit www.spiaasia.com.

season opening setback to the Clippers.

Anthony Davis appeared to hurt his shoulder but stayed in the game. Lakers coach Frank Vogel said after the game Davis is “fine with that shoulder.”

Also, Nikola Jokic nailed his second consecutive game-winning basket just before the final buzzer as the Denver Nuggets outlasted the Minnesota Timberwolves 100-98 in overtime.

Jokic drained a 15-foot fadeaway jump shot with three seconds left in overtime for the Nuggets, who won their fourth straight game.

On Friday, Serbia’s Jokic hit a 20 footer with 1.2 seconds left to lift the Nuggets to a 100-97 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

“At this point, you just sit back and watch it,” Denver forward Paul Millsap said. “I believe in the shots he’s making, and in those situations we’ve just got to give it to him.”

Jokic finished with 20 points, Millsap had 14 points and 10 rebounds and Will Barton scored six of his 13 points in overtime. Barton also had 12 rebounds.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 16 rebounds, Andrew Wiggins also scored 25 and Josh Okogie had 17 points for Minnesota.

The Timberwolves were missing two of their top guards in Jeff Teague and Shabazz Napier. Teague was out with an illness and Shabazz has a hamstring problem. AFP

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor

sports@manilastandard.net

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

A8

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019

Toronto cools off red-hot Los Angeles LOS ANGELES—Pascal Siakam tallied 24 points and 11 rebounds as the reigning NBA champion Toronto Raptors overcame a LeBron James triple double on Sunday night to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 113-104.

Siakam fuelled a late rally by the injury-depleted Raptors who trailed 6052 at the half but dominated down the stretch against the host Lakers, who had a seven game win streak snapped.

“We had good opportunities to win the game but they turned it up in the fourth quarter,” said James.

“It doesn’t matter that they were shorthanded. They still got players with championship DNA.” Siakam is helping Raptor fans forget about the loss of NBA finals MVP Kawhi Leonard to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Raptors have been one of the best teams in the league despite losing Leonard to free agency and Danny Green to the Lakers.

The Raptors visit the Clippers on Monday for the first time since Leonard skipped town to play in Los Angeles.

The Raptors were missing two of their top players Sunday, including guard Kyle Lowry, who is out with a broken thumb and forward Serge Ibaka who has a severe right ankle sprain.

Chris Boucher scored 15 points, Norman Powell added 14 and Terence Davis chipped in 13 points for the Raptors, who have won six of their last seven contests.

“We got a lot of tough guys,” said Raptors Fred VanVleet who finished with 23 points. “Our guys got a lot of heart and those guys playing tonight because of injuries, they got something to prove.”

James finished with just 13 points but added 15 assists and 13 rebounds for his fourth triple double of the season as the Lakers suffered their first loss since a Turn to A7

Three Toronto Raptors Chris Boucher (25), Terence Davis (0) and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (4) hound LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers during a 113-104 Raptor win at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Lions try to stay sharp vs Knights

By Peter Atencio

C

OACH Boyet Fernandez knows what complacency can do to a team aspiring for the crown.

This is what Fernandez reminded members of the defending champion San Beda Red Lions as they get ready to face the Letran Knights in Game 1 of the 95th National Collegiate Athletic Association best-of-three finals.

Gametime is at 4 p.m. at the Mall of

Asia Arena.

Earlier, the San Beda Red Cubs will take on the Lyceum Junior Pirates at 1 p.m.

“They should be learning the lessons of what happened to the Lyceum Pirates a few years ago. Then, we should be ready for the finals,” said Fernandez.

The fate of the Lyceum Pirates when they pulled off a 14-game sweep in season 93 is now in the minds and hearts of the Red Lions.

The Pirates, just like the Red Lions, got an automatic finals’ slot and had a long layoff. They waited for a few

weeks before playing the San Beda in the champions, and then lost two straight games.

“We need to be sharp in preparing for the finals,” added Fernandez.

The Red Lions have rested for a total of 25 days after claiming a 14-game sweep of the eliminations with their 8562 smothering of the Pirates last Oct. 17.

Meanwhile, the Letran Knights will be a confident team going into their encounter with the Red Lions.

The momentum is still theirs after posting six straight wins since the eliminations. They turned back the Lyceum

Pirates, 92-88, in the second stepladder semis last Friday.

“They proved themselves by being composed throughout their last six games,” said Knights’ coach Bonnie Tan. The Red Lions will draw strength mainly on the big game of Calvin Oftana, who averages 15.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 blocks.

He gets backing from James Canlas, Donald Tankoua and Evan Nelle.

The Knights’ game revolves mainly on Jerrick Balanza, who can provide 15.1 points in 27.2 minutes per game.

South eyes payback in The Duel PH shooting

South boasts of three players who won four of the nine titles disputed in this year’s Philippine Golf Tour, led by multi-titled Tony Lascuña.

HUMBLED the last time out, Team South seeks not just redemption but domination of a side that is likewise keen on bucking the odds and proving its worth again in The Duel –North vs South which gets going tomorrow (Wednesday, Nov. 14) at the posh Sta. Elena Golf Club in Laguna.

That should guarantee a spirited battle right in the first pairing of the opening foursomes where the Southerners vow to reassert their might and impose their will early for the momentum needed in such kind of a duel that puts premium both on team play and on individual skills. Blessed with a roster bannered by some of the country’s top guns, South coach Charles Hong believes they have the edge not just in cohesion but also in personnel which he hopes to use to the hilt to fuel another successful title drive in the country’s version of the Ryder Cup put up by ICTSI. “Our thoughts are to build on the chemistry our group has,” said Hong, “We have new players but the core is intact and a lot of our guys just came from wins on the tour which

should build our confidence.”

Truly, South boasts of three players who won four of the nine titles disputed in this year’s Philippine Golf Tour, led by multi-titled Tony Lascuña, who closed out the milestone 10th season of the circuit with back-to-back victories at Apo and South Pacific.

Reymon Jaraula also scored a breakthrough at Pueblo de Oro while Jhonnel Ababa dominated the field at Del Monte.

Put in reigning PH Open champion Clyde Mondilla and veterans Jay Bayron, Elmer Salvador, former Masters titlist Jerson Balasabas, Albin Engino, Zanieboy Gialon, Arnold Villacencio, Nilo Salahog and Rene Menor, North coach Cookie La’O indeed has a lot of work to do as far as pitting his talents against their powerhouse rivals is concerned.

But with the right combinations and motivation plus poise, the North side proved it can be done, stunning their rivals with strong starts in the foursomes and four-ball then holding sway in the singles to pound out a three-point win at John Hay last year.

Manila Southwoods hosts Chairman’s Charity Cup on Nov. 22, 23 MANILA Southwoods Golf and Country Club continues the commitment to its corporate social responsibility duties when it hosts more than 350 participants in the forthcoming Chairman’s Charity Cup slated from November 22 to 23 in Carmona, Cavite.

For the third straight year, the premier golf club with two championship courses (Masters and Legends) is having Autism Hearts as the main beneficiary of the annual event held in honor of Manila Southwoods chairman Robert “Bob”

Sobrepena.

Over the last 12 months, Manila Southwoods has been supporting an art school in Kalibo, Aklan for 12 children. These kids have amazing untapped talents, which is being used to stirring their creativity through art, particularly with painting onto fabric.

At the awards night on Saturday (Nov. 23), these fabric creations will be in full display through a mini fashion show instead of hiring an entertainer or band, according to general manager Mark Watson.

The one-day tournament will stake a Mitsubishi Mirage G4 from Mitsubishi Motors and Alpine Motors and an 8-day, 7-night Alaska Cruise with airfare from Royal Caribbean/Baron Travel as the top holes-in-one prizes or raffled off if not won.

Mit Air Sales Center, Agrexplore and Ogawa are also staking fabulous items on designated par-3 holes of bother layouts of the tournament also supported by The Turf Company and Nutranta Inc. (gold sponsors) and Southwoods Club Fitter

(silver sponsor).

CJH Golf Club, Castillo Laman Tan Pantaleon San Jose Law Office, Club Leisure, Federal Management & Maintenance, Forest Hills, G&W and GG&A Club Shares, Greens N Turf, Golforce, Hydrotech Irrigation & Gen. Services, Mega Manila Pest Management, Minerva Sales, Nozomi Providers, Smart Prob, The Manor @ Camp John Hay Upside Down Museum and Warbird Securities are the other supporters.

Forest Hills re-claims WGAP crown FOILED in its title-retention drive in the WGAP Circuit, Forest Hills stamped its class to recapture the WGAP Cup crown in wire-to-wire fashion, beating Sta. Elena and Tagaytay Highlands by two in the gruelling course-hopping finale of the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines season recently.

The Antipolo-based squad topped the first of the three-part WGAP Cup, which featured the top five teams after the WGAP Circuit, at Valley

Golf’s South Course under the HighLow format among Classes A and B players then sustained its charge in the next stage at the Ayala Greenfield where play shifted to Best Ball among Classes B and C players.

Forest Hills, led by team captain Tess Staub, pooled 5.5 points after two legs of the event sponsored by Champion and Hana, just one point ahead of Villamor and Fernando Air Base (4.5 points each) with this year’s WGAP Circuit titlist Sta. Elena at

fourth with three points and defending WGAP Cup champion Tagaytay Highlands trailing the elite cast with 2.5 points.

They held sway in the closing Greensome format for Classes A and C players at Eastridge Golf Club, scoring 2.5 points for the winning eightpoint output as rivals Villamor struggled with one point and Fernando Air Base dropped all its matches in the Ryder Cup-style format event organized and conducted by WGAP.

Sta. Elena and Tagaytay Highlands/ Midlands rallied in the final leg and scored 3.5 points and three points, respectively, as they finished tied for second with six points with Villamor ending up fourth with 5.5 points and Fernando Air Base winding up with 4.5 points.

Up next is the Philippine Ladies Open at the Manila Golf Club early next year with the annual Dominga Capati Memorial Tournaments set in March in Canlubang.

team aims for top spot

THE Philippine Shooting team is hopeful of a big performance in the coming 30th Southeast Asian Games to be hosted by the Philippines starting November 30 after it performed well in the just concluded 14th Asian Shooting Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Philippine National Shooting Association officials said they are satisfied with the results of the Doha meet, especially in the men’s shotgun trap team competition.

Shotgun shooter Carlos Carag, who had the best score of 114 for the Philippine men’s trap, along with Hagen Topacio’s 113 and Eric Ang’s 110, accumulated a total of 337 to finish seventh out of the 14 Asian teams which competed.

It was a score that hit the best mark in Southeast Asia this year.

Carag and Topacio met the minimum qualifying standard to qualify among the candidates for universality place in next year’s Tokyo Olympiad.

Jethro Dionisio, who was also seeking to meet the minimum quota score was one shot short as he fired only 111.

However, Ang and Topacio already met the MQS in the Southeast Asian shooting or SEASA championships early this year in Jakarta Indonesia.

Trap coach Fernando Mercado said that the Philippine men’s Trap team’s score is equivalent to the gold medals in both the individual and team competition in the SEA Games.

The eight other Filipino shooters who competed in the Asian Championships were the rifle team, led by Olympic solidarity scholars Jayson Valdez and Amparo Acuña, along with Denise Basila and Sean Jayfred Ocampo; and the pistol team of Shanin Lyn Gonzales, Juliette Rose Arellano, Marcelo Gonzales and Angelo Michael Fernandez.

The team was headed by PNSA VP Irene Garcia along with rifle coach Julius Valdez, shotgun coach Fernando Mercado, pistol coach Susan Aguado and armorer Mario Dasalla. Turn to A7

IN BRIEF AMA questions BSP’s order to shutter bank

THE Mandaluyong City-based AMA Rural Bank said the closure order of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas last week was “unreasonable,” adding the bank is liquid and fit to operate “in every capacity.”

The bank’s management said in a statement Monday AMA was the 15th largest rural bank in the country in terms of assets with resources of P2.76 billion as of end September 2019, based on its latest financial statement filed with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

The bank is also considered the fifth largest in capitalization with P1.04 billion, and a net loan portfolio of P1.90 billion, consisting mainly of teacher salary loans estimated to be the 13th largest among rural banks.

“The bank is liquid with its shareholders’ capital injection of an additional P405 million, and a total deposit due from BSP/other banks amounting to P246 million. Given this strength, AMA Bank assures our clients, employees, and stakeholders that we are fit to operate in every capacity,” AMA said.

“We challenge the closure as unreasonable. Guided by legal measures, we are exploring all possible courses of actions to resume our full operations and continue to serve you,” it said.

Julito G. Rada

San Miguel to use biodegradable packs

FOOD and beverage conglomerate San Miguel Corp. is set to use fully-certified biodegradable plastic packaging on several businesses as part of a sustainable business initiative.

San Miguel president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said in a statement the company had teamed up with Philippine Bioresins Corp., which has been developing and testing the technology in the last five years, using biodegradable plastic packaging food and nonfood products, such as cement and feed sacks, grocery bags and food packaging.

“Initially, we will use it for cement packaging. What we will use is a biodegradable plastic woven packaging, or sack. This is proudly developed by Filipino inventors, using local materials, and made by local workers,” Ang said.

Philippine Bioresins recently received an environmental technology verification certificate from the Department of Science and Technology Industrial Technology Development Institute.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Business

Manila Water’s income drops 11% amid tight supply WATER supply shortage continued to affect the operations of Manila Water Co. as net income declined 11 percent in the first three quarters to P4.4 billion from a year ago.

The company, however, said, core net income climbed 10 percent to P5.8 billion from the previous year on improved efficiency and better operating margins from domestic subsidiaries.

Consolidated revenues rose 10 percent in the nine-month period to P16.1 billion, driven by the contribution of the domestic businesses outside the east zone despite the downward impact of the one-time bill waiver program in the Manila concession during the water supply shortage early this year.

Consolidated costs and expenses increased 18 percent from the previous year to P7 billion, driven by the penalty imposed by Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System and the additional service recovery and operational costs relating to water supply shortage.

Manila Water said the performance of the Manila concession was still impacted by the water supply shortage early this year.

Billed volume declined by 2 percent and average consumption went down by 4 percent as a direct result of the lack of available raw water supply for distribution. Revenues grew 3 percent for the period to P12.5 billion.

It said that excluding one-offs brought about by the water supply shortage, direct costs were almost flat in line with billed volume trajectory, increasing only 1 percent from last year to P1.5 billion.

Net income for the Manila east zone concession reached P4 billion in the first three quarters, down 17 percent from a year ago. Isolating the effect of one-offs driven primarily by the water supply shortage, core net income improved by 2 percent to P5.3 billion, it said.

Othel V. Campos

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019

B1

First two PH oilfields closed down T

By Alena Mae S. Flores

he Nido and Matinloc oilfields in northwest Palawan ceased production after four decades, the Energy Department said Monday.

“The closing of Nido and Matinloc’s production comes after over 40 fruitful years. Throughout their operations, these two oilfields have contributed significantly to our country’s energy needs,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said in a statement.

This leaves Galoc and Malampaya as the remaining major petroleum-production areas in Palawan. The Alegria

oilfield in southern Cebu produces minimal volume. Previous oil discoveries in Tindalo, Cadlao, Tara and West Linapacan are no longer commercially producing oil, while the Camago field became part of the Malampaya natural gas project.

Energy officials participated in the closing ceremony for the Nido and Matinloc oilfields last week, which were hosted by service contract (SC) 14 A and B’s consortia, composed of The Philodrill Corp., Alcorn Petroleum, Oriental Petroleum, Nido Production, Phinma Energy and Forum Energy.

Nido and MOPC were able to produce 18.9 million barrels of oil and 12.5 MMBO, respectively in more than four decades of production operations.

Cities Service Inc. and its Filipino partners discovered commercial oil in

what became the Nido A Field in the Nido limestone reservoir of service contract 14’s offshore area in July 1977.

The discovery of the Nido B Field followed in January 1978 while production commenced in February 1979 which marked the first commercial oil production in the Philippines. During its early stages, peak field production of Nido reached 40,000 barrels of oil per day.

Meanwhile, the Matinloc oilfield was discovered in January 1979, followed by the Pandan and Libro discoveries in 1980 which led to the establishment of the Matinloc Oilfield Production Complex―the central hub of production operations. The North Matinloc oilfield was discovered and connected to the MOPC in 1988.

“As this chapter comes to a close, we look forward to exciting times ahead as

we continue our search for similar oil and gas projects that would help us attain energy security and fuel our continued development,” Cusi said.

The Energy Department has been wooing investors to the Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program through the conduct of an international road show in the United Arab Emirates and other countries with the goal of spurring investor interest in the country’s upstream oil sector.

“The PCECP is a key program of the department to revitalize our upstream oil industry, which enables us to showcase what the country has to offer in terms of petroleum exploration. As we embark on the road towards energy selfsufficiency, we are in need of suitable partners who would help us harness our indigenous resources,” Cusi said earlier.

FDI inflows declined 40% to $4.5b in eight months

By Julito G. Rada

NFA says rice stocks safe, of good quality

THE National Food Authority on Monday assured the public that only good quality rice stocks were released by the agency for sale at P27 per kilogram in public markets.

NFA administrator Judy Carol Dansal said the agency took all the necessary steps to ensure rice stocks were kept in good condition through good warehousekeeping protocols.

She stressed the agency’s commitment to release only rice stocks that were safe and in good condition.

The agency issued the pronouncement in the wake of a news report that a retailer in the Pasig mega market allegedly complained about the poor quality of NFA rice sold in the market.

An official of NFA’s East District Office immediately checked on the quality of NFA rice sold in the area.

No such “poor quality” stocks with “bad odor and even worms,” however, were presented as the retailer said she already sold all her stocks. Othel V. Campos

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

OUTSTANDING PH COMPANY. BDO receives three prestigious awards during the 2019 Asiamoney Best Bank Awards, including Most Outstanding Company in the Philippines-Financials Sector, Best Domestic Bank Award and Best Private Bank Award for subsidiary, BDO Private Bank. Albert Yeo (second from left), president of BDO Private Bank, and Lorah Sy (third), first vice president of BDO Unibank Inc. Singapore branch, receive the accolades in Singapore on the bank’s behalf from Asiamoney’s Clive Horwood, editor-in-chief (left) and Matthew Thomas, Asia Bureau Chief (right).

DTI imposes stricter standards on steel products

By Othel V. Campos THE Trade Department vowed to help legislators investigate the alleged proliferation of substandard steel in the local market following the passage of House Resolution 379.

“We welcome this call and shall fully cooperate and support the investigation to be conducted in order to ensure that the public will not be harmed by substandard construction materials,” said Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez.

He said for regulated steel products such as rebars and angle bars, the agency placed stricter standards and intensified monitoring and enforcement of both imported and locally-manufactured products.

These new guidelines include increasing the sample size for product testing, checking the Philippine Standard mark and standards of local manufacturing plants and inspections at different stages of transport, such as pre-shipment, post-

shipment and audit in retail.

“We heightened the campaign against substandard products because it is not safe for consumers and unfair to local manufacturers who will face cheap competition. This, in turn, may shrink the country’s manufacturing base and lead to job losses. Clearly, smuggling substandard steel is detrimental to the mission of the agency,” Lopez said.

Lopez said the department further intensified its monitoring and enforcement activities for steel products.

The Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau issued 61 notices of violation against erring establishments found distributing non-conforming steel products while the Bureau of Philippine Standards heightened factory surveillance activities and created composite teams conducting surprise factory surveillance audits.

The BPS conducted 14 factory visits involving 19 PS licenses for steel products. During these visits, samples were

randomly drawn and submitted to the Metal Industry Research and Development Center testing laboratory for independent testing.

The BPS also suspended two PS licenses of factories found producing non-conforming steel products. A total of 57,250 pieces of non-conforming steel bars with an estimated value of P6.5 million were destroyed.

The team conducted 52 factory surveillance audits with eight more factories due for surveillance and/or surprise audits within the year.

It said that since 2017, the DTI implemented stricter technical regulations both for locally manufactured and imported cement products.

All cement imports are subjected to regular verification and critical testing on a per shipment, per bill of lading basis while regular surveillance activities are likewise conducted for local manufacturers.

NET inflows of foreign direct investments fell 45 percent in August to $416 million from $758 million a year ago, as the uncertainty in the global environment continued to dampen investor sentiment, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Monday.

The figure brought FDl net inflows to $4.5 billion in the first eight months, down 40 percent from $7.5 billion registered in the same period last year.

“The ongoing uncertainty in the global environment continued to dampen investor sentiment, which caused postponements in investment plans,” the Bangko Sentral said.

The BSP said in a statement the bulk of the net inflows in August were in the form of investments in debt instruments or inter-company borrowings/lending between foreign direct investors and their subsidiaries/affiliates in the Philippines, which reached $263 million, down from $534 million a year earlier.

“Non-residents’ net equity capital investments dropped by 55.3 percent to $77 million from $172 million in the same month last year, as the decline in placements from $187 million to $86 million outweighed the decrease in withdrawals from $16 million to $10million,” the BSP said.

Equity capital placements in August came mostly from Japan, the United States, Hong Kong, Cayman Islands and Singapore. These investments went to manufacturing, real estate, financial and insurance, information and communication, and wholesale and retail trade industries.

Reinvestment of earnings expanded by 46 percent to $77 million from $53 million in the same month last year.

Meanwhile, the decline in FDl inflows in the first eight months resulted from the contraction in nonresidents’ net investments in debt instruments by 32.5 percent to $3.3 billion from $4.9 billion and equity capital by 73.4 percent to $536 million from $2 billion.

Aboitiz InfraCapital eyeing separate offer on Panglao airport expansion

By Darwin G. Amojelar ABOITIZ InfraCapital Inc. plans to submit a separate proposal for the capacity expansion of the Bohol-Panglao International Airport, a top executive said Monday.

“Given our negotiation with the government, we found ways on how we can still develop the Panglao airport and be the O&M [operations and maintenance] under the government terms,” Aboitiz InfraCapital chief operating officer Cosette Canilao said.

Canilao made the statement after the National Economic and Development Authority’s Investment Coordination Committee removed the capacity augmentation proposal of AIC for the Bohol-Panglao International Airport.

The government, on the other hand, asked AIC to submit purely O&M for Bohol-Panglao International Airport.

“I think the reasons why we’re interested in airport is that we believe in the tourism capacity of tourism sector in

Bohol. So we have our own business material adverse government action. in future laws. If MAGA occurs during the opplan on how to increase the passenger Under the clause, proponents will only be eration and maintenance period, the project prolevel and if that reaches the capacity compensated for adverse government action ponent is entitled to compensation equal to the of the current airport right now, then we from the executive branch and not any change additional costs incurred and/or loss of revenue. will submit,” she said.

AIC earlier obtained an original proponent status from the government to operate and maintain the future development and expansion of the New Bohol International Airport.

The new airport on Panglao Island aims to replace the current airport in Tagbilaran City which is currently serving under one million passengers a year.

AIC earlier submitted a revised unsolicited proposal to the Department of Transportation to upgrade, expand, operate and maintain the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental province.

RCBC’ DIGITAL SOLUTION. Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. president The DOTr earlier returned all unsolicitand chief executive Eugene Acevedo (fourth from left) and LenddoEFL managing ed airport offers after the government dedirector Mark MacKenzie (fifth from left) sign an agreement to integrate Know Your cided to standardize and pattern the draft Customer processes for RCBC’s DiskarTech virtual bank. With them are (from left) RCBC retail banking group’s Lhan Bendal, retail banking group head Richard Lim, contract to the operation and maintenance chief innovations and inclusion officer Lito Villanueva, LenddoEFL sales director contract for Clark International Airport, Judity Dumapay and RCBC retail banking group’s Em Valdes. which covers provisions for MAGA or

B2

Business

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks down; Alliance Global up T HE stock market fell Monday as another record close on Wall Street was overshadowed by uncertainty over the ChinaUS trade talks.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index declined 56.38 points, or 0.7 percent, to 8,009.38 on a value turnover of P5.4 billion. Losers beat gainers, 107 to 77, with 47 issues unchanged.

Nickel Asia Corp., the biggest coal miner, slumped 6 percent to P3.63, while LT Group Inc. of tobacco and airline tycoon Lucio Tan dropped 2.5 percent to P12.70.

SM Prime Holdings Inc. of the Sy Group lost 2.2 percent to P39.10, but Alliance Global Group Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan advanced 6.2 percent to

P11.28.

The rest of Asian markets turned lower on Monday, while Hong Kong was also hit by fresh protests in which at least one person was shot.

Expectations Beijing and Washington will agree a mini-pact have fueled an equity rally for the past few weeks, and hopes were given an added boost Thursday after China said the two sides had agreed to roll back some tariffs as the negotiations advance.

But the US side sent out some confusing signals after that announcement, before US President Donald Trump denied such an agreement, leaving investors scratching their heads.

Still, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro provided a lift to sentiment, saying Trump could postpone tariffs on Chinese goods scheduled to take effect in December. The S&P 500 and Dow both ended at fresh all-time highs.

Asian investors were unable to extend the winning streak.

Tokyo ended 0.3 percent lower and Singapore shed more than one percent with Seoul, Mumbai, Taipei and Jakarta also sharply lower. Sydney and Wellington edged up.

Shanghai dropped 1.8 percent, with traders keeping tabs on China’s annual “Singles’ Day” shopping frenzy, the world’s biggest 24-hour shopping event, which acts as a gauge of the country’s consumer spending.

Total gross merchandise volume settled through e-commerce titan Alibaba’s payments platform Alipay hit 192 billion yuan ($27.4 billion) in the first 12 hours, the company said.

This put it on course to break last year’s record of $30.7 billion. The firm said the first $1 billion was spent in just 68 seconds.

Hong Kong sank almost three percent

as the city was gripped by another wave of protests that have jammed up the transport network and led to the closure of several businesses.

At least one person was hurt after a policemen fired several shots at demonstrators, as the five-month-long unrest— which has battered the city’s image and dragged on the economy—shows no sign of letting up.

Tensions have soared in recent days following the death on Friday of a 22-year-old student who succumbed to injuries sustained from a fall in the vicinity of a police clearance operation a week earlier.

“President Trump’s speech on Tuesday at the New York Economic Club offers the perfect soapbox for (him) to make a big political splash on both the US-China trade talks and section 232 auto investigation against the EU,” said AxiTrader’s Stephen Innes. With AFP

Manila Standard BuSineSS daily StockS review Monday, noveMBer 11, 2019

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING),

FINANCIALS 55 18,420 98 952,840 2.07 25,000 155 2,362,170 1.14 20,000 25.1 115,400 18.4 4,400 13.38 2,978,500 4.41 204,000 7.73 600 850 630 68.4 1,786,360 0.88 30,000 13.1 1,000 44.6 25,800 173 660 116.8 560 57.9 2,500 25.8 12,800 200 213,320 1,878 295 60 10,010

1,004,838 93,108,869 51,410 366,976,072 23,030 2,894,385 80,760 39,306,728 906,300 4,638 520,500 121,482,829 26,400 13,100 1,154,620 114,913 65,458 144,619.50 330,865 42,716,792 553,460 600,787.50

869,192 21,015,386 -76,570,699 -649,180 23,096,708 67,930,324 -13,200 -763,930 -8,750 -15,495 -2,340,194 -538,334.50

38.55 2.55 13.42 0.64 1.28 4 0.241 103.5 2.46 15.1 125 7.9 31 65.3 69 2.11 5.48 8.75 15.08 10.3 6.99 1.59 24.6 78.25 48.8 2.14 14.58 8.1 1.45 224 9 18.94 13.22 16.96 340.2 5.16 1.65 4.12 4.99 9.51 10.98 33.45 5.17 5.5 1.82 1.94 0.97 11.8 89.95 7.61 0.126 1.05 150.5 1.3 1.08

INDUSTRIAL 38.75 884,300 2.67 6,589,000 13.7 10,400 0.65 864,000 1.28 121,000 4.07 1,973,000 0.247 20,000 103.5 20 2.52 619,000 15.1 1,130,100 130 180 7.91 294,800 31 24,400 65.3 1,000 69 370 2.11 170,000 5.48 15,300 8.87 940,200 15.2 89,700 10.3 1,171,400 7.3 36,572,900 1.6 16,000 24.6 322,500 78.5 147,100 48.8 48,310 2.17 5,814,000 14.58 500 8.1 118,300 1.48 29,000 224 808,840 9 31,000 19 530,500 13.26 8,100 17 855,000 340.2 125,780 5.16 700 1.68 910,000 4.3 10,000 5.01 776,500 9.51 13,600 11.18 237,600 33.6 250,400 5.2 90,400 5.5 1,000 1.91 1,804,000 2.01 9,000 0.99 121,000 11.88 129,400 90 54,410 7.78 39,900 0.129 450,000 1.09 100,000 154.7 536,040 1.33 3,962,000 1.09 670,000

34,338,305 17,297,690 142,334 561,670 154,900 7,990,410 ( 4,880 2,070 1,546,660 17,186,806 23,200 2,355,750 756,400 65,300 25,530 360,200 83,844 8,268,376 1,374,652 12,281,318 258,034,067 25,590 7,970,245 11,531,827.50 2,419,403.50 12,861,590 7,290 967,952 42,480 182,718,716 281,133 10,085,752 107,820 14,546,624 43,235,006 3,612 1,526,190 41,440 3,884,249 129,336 2,625,600 8,417,280 471,930 5,500 3,356,690 17,810 119,620 1,546,022 4,912,344.50 304,784 58,020 108,460 82,876,972 5,253,210 731,550

-12,154,080 -227,060 87,602 3,250 -108,820 210,939.9999) 59,440 -1,635,044 138,288 93,000 -105,500 1,874,900 169,366 -5,447,234 -191,625,923 -3,444,905 -5,013,311.50 104,201.50 -1,674,730 -7,290 86,100 -5,920 -54,026,334 -7,382,376 -13,220,024 -12,786,430 429,650 -1,321,657 1,059,075 -1,037,800 -2,496,575.50 5,175 41,920,996 -224,900 -1,100

0.81 54.4 10.6 0.73 6.54 12.4 1.11 849 3.5 6.68 7.63 13.12 3.88 0.204 880 5.57 77.3 0.49 4.15 12.7 0.55 4.66 0.037 1.29 165.2 1,060 0.84 1.3 221 0.212 0.238

HOLDING FIRMS 0.86 21,209,000 54.9 1,022,220 11.28 35,128,900 0.73 209,000 6.54 8,900 12.5 157,700 1.13 422,000 856 306,740 3.5 1,216,000 6.91 260,200 7.9 19,867,300 13.4 10,800 3.88 3,000 0.204 20,000 890 64,800 5.57 15,200 77.5 504,870 0.51 41,000 4.15 1,507,000 12.7 4,997,800 0.58 64,000 4.66 7,772,000 0.037 2,100,000 1.39 1,114,000 165.2 57,490 1,068 115,410 0.84 62,000 1.3 10,000 227 2,450 0.212 10,000 0.238 10,000

17,852,160 56,139,884 389,261,210 155,060 60,971 1,970,912 472,830 262,520,045 4,264,480 1,795,665 156,988,965 143,466 11,640 4,080 57,808,025 84,866 39,242,031.50 20,635 6,318,600 63,628,346 19 36,290 36,625,500 77,700 1,512,260 9,572,036 123,286,845 52,690 13,000 544,992 2,120 2,380

-3,380,510 4,957,793.50 36,661,112 932,742 -34,385,535 -613,580 784,540 14,571,722 -21,088 -14,995,865 -84,866 11,144,979 -46,060 ,992,081.9996 5,504,710 -1,598,526 59,990,940 -286,120 -

14.8 0.8 9.22 1.64 0.89 46.5 2.01 4.63 6.34 0.59 0.77 0.2 0.46 10.28 19.88 0.46 1.62 1.25 4.85 0.285 1.43

PROPERTY 14.88 290,700 0.8 368,000 9.22 7,600 1.78 539,000 0.9 4,253,000 46.8 7,175,500 2.02 35,000 4.67 262,000 6.35 77,600 0.6 32,504,000 0.78 91,000 0.201 1,240,000 0.465 960,000 10.42 331,900 20 580,800 0.475 920,000 1.64 5,272,000 1.27 940,000 4.87 9,505,000 0.29 8,520,000 1.43 3,657,000

4,325,100 294,410 71,009 896,640 3,873,870 335,529,805 70,460 1,225,320 492,557 19,460,540 70,380 250,070 441,900 3,445,308 11,629,537 433,500 8,606,770 1,198,950 46,193,140 2,442,600 5,367,800

-183,038 46,750 179,500 -190,900,860 -2,010.00 -116,750 218,237 -419,000 24,180 2,726,184 108,855.00 -23,750 2,500,820 -18,790,900 -736,080

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LOW

CLOSE

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

54.5 97.5 2.03 159.5 1.16 25.45 18.6 12.88 4.48 7.73 820 67.6 0.88 13.1 44.95 175 116.9 57.1 25.85 200.8 1,870 60.3

55 98.1 2.07 159.5 1.16 25.45 18.6 13.38 4.49 7.73 850 68.4 0.88 13.1 45.25 175 116.9 57.9 25.85 201 1,878 60.8

54.4 96.65 2.03 154.2 1.14 25 18.3 12.88 4.41 7.73 820 67.4 0.88 13.1 44.6 173 116.8 57.1 25.8 200 1,870 60

ABOITIZ POWER AC ENERGY AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS AXELUM BASIC ENERGY BOGO MEDELLIN CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CHEMPHIL CIRTEK HLDG CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CONCRETE B CROWN ASIA DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR EUROMED FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA GREENERGY HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE MACAY HLDG MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO PANASONIC PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHINMA PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP RFM CORP ROXAS AND CO ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SMC FOODANDBEV SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VITARICH VULCAN INDL

38.6 2.59 13.8 0.65 1.3 4.08 0.241 103.5 2.5 15.2 125 8 31 65.3 69 2.13 5.48 8.78 15.4 10.6 7 1.59 25 78.75 50.1 2.26 14.58 8.39 1.45 227 9.01 19.18 13.4 17.2 349.8 5.16 1.66 4.12 5.02 9.51 10.98 33.95 5.28 5.5 1.87 1.94 0.97 11.96 91 7.8 0.126 1.1 154 1.32 1.1

39.2 2.69 13.8 0.66 1.3 4.12 0.247 103.5 2.52 15.22 130 8.12 31 65.3 69 2.13 5.48 8.87 15.46 10.62 7.3 1.6 25 78.75 52 2.27 14.58 8.39 1.49 227.6 9.26 19.42 13.4 17.3 350 5.16 1.71 4.3 5.03 9.51 11.2 33.95 5.28 5.5 1.92 2.01 0.99 12 91.5 7.8 0.129 1.11 155 1.33 1.12

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

0.83 56.9 10.6 0.73 6.89 12.9 1.13 852 3.57 6.68 7.63 13.2 3.88 0.204 900 5.61 78.4 0.52 4.25 13.04 0.57 4.68 0.037 1.44 170 1,060 0.85 1.3 224.4 0.212 0.238

0.86 56.9 11.28 0.75 6.89 12.9 1.13 863 3.57 6.91 7.99 13.4 3.88 0.204 901.5 5.61 78.75 0.52 4.25 13.04 0.58 4.78 0.037 1.44 170 1,070 0.85 1.3 227 0.212 0.238

8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITY AND LAND CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DM WENCESLAO DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL INFRADEV

14.88 0.8 10 1.68 0.89 47.5 2.01 4.66 6.35 0.61 0.77 0.2 0.46 10.3 20.05 0.46 1.63 1.25 4.9 0.295 1.49

14.9 0.81 10 1.78 0.93 47.5 2.02 4.7 6.35 0.61 0.78 0.205 0.465 10.42 20.2 0.475 1.64 1.29 4.9 0.295 1.52

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING),

PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND VISTAMALLS

0.38 2.08 26.25 2.27 39.4 2.5 1.5 7.72 5.53

0.38 2.08 26.8 2.27 39.7 2.54 1.53 7.73 5.54

0.38 2.01 26.2 2.27 39.05 2.49 1.44 7.68 5.46

0.38 2.02 26.2 2.27 39.1 2.49 1.48 7.7 5.53

10,000 222,000 319,700 19,000 6,870,900 768,000 11,632,000 1,988,700 23,700

3,800 448,020 8,413,805 43,130 269,266,885 1,920,480 17,295,750 15,316,600 130,428

-20,100.00 -697,905 -86,679,795 -12,500 -4,973,680 -

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL ALLHOME APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA DFNN INC EASYCALL GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN BRIA HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN METRO RETAIL METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PAXYS PH RESORTS GRP PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRANSPACIFIC BR WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

10.98 18.2 1.53 11.38 0.51 0.04 2.53 10.82 94.35 7.19 6.46 5.9 9.08 1,905 5.29 421 1.61 1.75 123.8 3.62 0.105 4.8 3.13 0.91 19.32 0.42 2.49 1.05 1.09 3.55 2.65 8.3 2.65 4.75 155 3.04 1,101 0.67 0.48 39.7 77.45 9.12 2.65 0.67 0.33 0.66 17.18

10.98 18.2 1.59 11.38 0.52 0.04 2.57 10.82 96 7.19 6.57 5.9 9.2 1,929 5.29 438.8 1.61 1.94 126 3.62 0.107 4.81 3.16 0.91 19.4 0.42 2.5 1.05 1.09 3.58 2.79 8.55 2.65 4.75 160 3.04 1,112 0.69 0.48 39.85 77.45 9.12 2.74 0.68 0.335 0.67 17.24

10.56 18.08 1.52 11.2 0.5 0.039 2.53 10.7 94 7.19 6.44 5.9 9.03 1,870 5.26 421 1.57 1.73 123.1 3 0.105 4.77 3.12 0.91 19.16 0.42 2.46 1.05 1.05 3.2 2.63 7.98 2.65 4.72 155 3 1,101 0.67 0.465 39.05 75.5 9.12 2.65 0.67 0.325 0.66 17

SERVICES 10.56 18.08 1.59 11.3 0.5 0.039 2.57 10.78 96 7.19 6.45 5.9 9.2 1,870 5.26 432 1.58 1.84 124 3.22 0.107 4.78 3.13 0.91 19.24 0.42 2.48 1.05 1.05 3.24 2.79 8 2.65 4.72 158 3 1,106 0.67 0.475 39.05 77 9.12 2.71 0.68 0.33 0.67 17.22

15,100 36,800 63,000 6,926,000 4,435,000 10,600,000 127,000 690,100 45,290 100 488,600 20,300 26,000 25,445 68,700 870 522,000 34,000 732,960 39,000 280,000 691,000 115,000 30,000 843,400 10,000 292,000 2,000 328,000 14,972,000 51,000 74,700 7,000 21,000 2,280 103,000 51,605 685,000 10,110,000 1,544,000 187,290 300 3,563,000 424,000 5,350,000 266,000 2,859,400

161,504 666,722 96,180 78,193,760 2,219,100 414,800 324,280 7,444,840 4,318,194.50 719 3,160,802 119,770 235,164 48,436,015 361,415 369,674 825,520 62,300 91,094,271 133,250 29,550 3,306,110 359,970 27,300 16,228,252 4,200 724,360 2,100 346,560 49,740,970 136,690 617,612 18,550 99,660 356,280 310,610 57,089,520 459,730 4,767,750 61,181,080 14,342,872 2,736 9,649,860 285,450 1,749,000 176,600 49,164,978

3,222 -18,656,680 -700,000 2,551,524 1,862,685 -116,322 5,900 -2,176,690 34,860,068 395,730.00 15,650 -1,877,282 24,600 -346,560 -975,940 -16,710 -2,650 268,480 -72,310 -24,258,520 -198,110 -250,650 16,770,680 -7,503,923.50 -1,408,280 -49,500 9,247,872

25,500 665,420 1,226 1,090 532,950 10,051,520 128,160 118,020 35,600 9,900 220,430 77,440,220 11,540 78,810 2,976,100 496,800 313,900 8,495,774 1,646,020 20,570,278 11,613,065

-220,890 1,305,880 1,504,430 54,000 32,164 -400,340 -2,489,166 4,778,030

MS ABRA MINING APEX MINING ATOK BENGUET A CENTURY PEAK FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE LEPANTO A MANILA MINING A MANILA MINING B MARCVENTURES NICKEL ASIA NIHAO ORNTL PENINSULA ORNTL PETROL A ORNTL PETROL B PHILODRILL PHINMA PETRO PX MINING PXP ENERGY SEMIRARA MINING

0.0017 1.1 12.26 1.09 2.55 1.82 0.21 0.105 0.0089 0.0099 1.08 3.76 1.07 0.82 0.012 0.012 0.012 11.22 3.43 12.12 23.5

0.0017 1.12 12.26 1.09 2.55 1.86 0.21 0.105 0.0089 0.0099 1.13 3.76 1.07 0.84 0.013 0.012 0.012 11.46 3.45 12.22 23.8

0.0017 1.1 12.26 1.09 2.55 1.8 0.205 0.104 0.0089 0.0099 1.08 3.5 1.03 0.82 0.012 0.012 0.011 11 3.4 11.7 23.5

MINING & OIL 0.0017 15,000,000 1.11 601,000 12.26 100 1.09 1,000 2.55 209,000 1.82 5,538,000 0.209 620,000 0.104 1,130,000 0.0089 4,000,000 0.0099 1,000,000 1.1 203,000 3.63 21,493,000 1.07 11,000 0.83 96,000 0.012 248,000,000 0.012 41,400,000 0.011 28,100,000 11.04 761,700 3.4 480,000 11.74 1,731,800 23.65 491,500

ABS HLDG PDR ALCO PREF B DD PREF FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR HOUSE PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 3A PCOR PREF 3B PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B PNX PREF 4 SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2I

17.36 101.1 101 109.5 506 5.2 99 1.01 101.9 1,050 1,080 101.9 109 1,031 999 78.3 75.1 76.1 75.95 76.8

17.38 101.1 101 110 506 5.26 99 1.01 104 1,050 1,080 101.9 109 1,034 999 78.3 75.1 76.1 75.95 76.8

17.32 101.1 101 109.5 506 5.2 99 1.01 101.9 1,050 1,079 101.9 108 1,031 999 78.2 75.1 76.1 75.95 75.5

PREFERRED 17.32 70,000 101.1 1,180 101 10 110 17,040 506 200 5.26 88,400 99 10 1.01 52,000 102 59,040 1,050 4,990 1,080 1,280 101.9 240 108 1,070 1,031 1,690 999 990 78.2 900 75.1 4,800 76.1 18,900 75.95 200 75.8 142,800

1,214,800 119,298 1,010 1,871,380 101,200 460,160 990 52,520 6,022,094 5,239,500 1,382,255 24,456 116,160 1,743,790 989,010 70,412 360,480 1,438,290 15,190 10,822,840

-728,320 -661,380 231,360 54,500 -113,610 -

LR WARRANT

1.6

1.6

1.54

WARRANTS 1.54 50,000

77,380

-40,040

3,415,890 54,129,392 18,399,560

-148,060 -45,202 424,750

4,339,999

3,849,264

ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

7 12.48 1.11

7.02 13.92 1.14

6.75 12.3 1.03

FIRST METRO ETF

120.6

120.6

119.8

Trading Summary FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS

SHARES 8,766,325

70,604,070 103,462,808

PROPERTY

99,409,788

SERVICES

152,515,372

MINING & OIL

371,342,351

GRAND TOTAL

827,874,960

SME

6.9 13.92 1.03

495,600 4,081,300 17,160,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 119.8 36,210

VALUE 1,928.96 (down) 17.79 672,097,070.52 FINANCIAL 10,434.30 (down) 44.03 INDUSTRIAL 783,469,101.00 7,904.70 (down) 28.62 HOLDING FIRMS 1,266,820,574.15 PROPERTY 4,123.31 (down) 47.58 1,549.46 (down) 2.40 SERVICES 759,343,454.71 8,872.96 (down) 219.65 MINING & OIL 1,690,271,325.265 8,009.38 (down) 56.38 PSEI 135,451,968.6645 All Shares Index 4,789.28 (down) 34.52 5,387,740,418.31 Gainers:77; Losers: 107; Unchanged: 47; Total: 231

AUB’s maiden bond offering raises P7b after strong demand

By Julito G. Rada ASIA United Bank of the Rebisco Group said Monday it successfully raised P7 billion in its maiden bond issuance on strong demand from investors.

AUB said in a statement it would use the proceeds to fund general corporate activities. The bonds have a coupon rate of 4.625 percent a year for a three-year tenor.

AUB initially announced a P3-billion offering but concluded the transaction with close to three times the target. Due to the overwhelming demand, the bank had to end its offering period two days ahead of the original Oct. 30 schedule.

“The bank decided to issue only P7 billion as it was deemed to be the right balance between internal funding need and investor reach,” AUB executive vice president and head of treasury Antonio Agcaoili said.

“We are extremely pleased to have achieved this milestone for our first tranche at a time when competition is very high among bank and corporate issuers crowding the market for investment funds,” he said.

“Though we had to work within a tight timetable, the positive response we received is proof that AUB has attained a new level of customer preference that believe in our financial strength and operational capabilities in a highly competitive market environment,” he said.

AUB president Manuel Gomez said the overwhelming demand received by the bond offer was an affirmation of the bank’s growth and stability.

Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. president and chief operating officer Antonino Nakpil said in a speech during the listing ceremony of the AUB bonds that the bank’s first bond issuance and listing were just the start of a mutually beneficial and strengthening relationship between AUB and bondholders.

China Bank Capital Corp. and First Metro Investment Corp. acted as the joint lead arrangers and Amalgamated Investment Bancorporation as selling agent along with AUB. The bank issued the bonds on Nov. 7, 2019 and listed them with Philippine Dealing & Exchange on the same date.

Max’s income rises by 8.3% to P128.3m on higher revenues

By Jenniffer B. Austria MAX’S Group Inc., the country’s largest casual dining restaurant group, said net income in the third quarter of 2019 rose 8.3 percent to P128.32 million year-on-year on higher revenues.

Max’s said in a disclosure to the stock exchange third-quarter systemwide sales, a measure of all sales to consumers, increased 7.7 percent to P4.82 billion from P3.68 billion.

Revenue in the quarter amounted to P3.39 billion, up 5.3 percent on year.

“Our positive results are attributed to the success of our current company-wide strategies, namely: growing our franchise business, investing in supply chain modernization, and strengthening brand relevance. As industry conditions improve, we are resolute in our commitment to maintain market leadership and increase shareholder value,” said Max’s president and chief executive Robert Trota.

The positive third-quarter performance boosted the nine-month net income to P494.7 million, up 9.8 percent from P450.5 million a year ago.

Restaurant sales amounted to P8.53 billion, up 3 percent, driven by the pivot to franchising operations.

Commissary sales rose 13.5 percent to P1.29 billion from P1.13 billion, while franchising income climbed 13.6 percent to P608.23 million from P535.23 million.

Delivery sales in the nine-month period climbed 15.8 percent to P1.32 billion as the company continues to partner with food aggregators to supplement its in-house delivery operations.

“We hope to advance our overall performance during the holiday season and to end the year strongly. We have augmented the capacity of our commissary operations and continue to future-proof our business for sustained efficiency and long-term profitability,” said MGI chief operating officer Ariel Fermin Max’s opened 50 new stores from January to September, including 16 overseas to bring the company’s total store network to 730 branches, with 64 situated across several locations in North America, the Middle East and Asia.

World

B3

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Bolivia’s Morales resigns after losing security forces’ backing

WARNING. A sign on a fire station in Taree, 350 kilometers north of Sydney, warns of ‘catastrophic’ fire conditions for the next day on November 11, 2019, when a state of emergency was declared as Australia prepared for a fresh wave of deadly bushfires. AFP

LA PAZ―Bolivian President Evo Morales resigned Sunday, caving in following three weeks of sometimes-violent protests over his disputed re-election after the army and police withdrew their backing, sparking wild celebrations in La Paz. “I resign my post as president,” the leftist Morales said in a televised address, capping a day of fast-moving events in which many ministers and senior officials quit as support for Latin America’s longest-serving president crumbled and created a temporary leadership vacuum in the country.

The streets of La Paz immediately exploded in celebration, with jubilant Bolivians setting off firecrackers and waving the country’s red, yellow and green flag.

The main opposition candidate in the election, former president Carlos Mesa, said Bolivians “have taught the world a

lesson. Tomorrow Bolivia will be a new country.”

In the confusion, a group of 20 lawmakers and government officials took refuge at the Mexican ambassador’s residence, and Mexico announced it was offering asylum to Morales as well.

Morales later tweeted that there was a warrant for his arrest, but police commander Vladimir Yuri Calderon told local Unitel television that was not the case.

Morales also wrote that “violent groups” had attacked his home.

Police announced on Sunday night that they had arrested Maria Eugenia Choque, the head of the country’s electoral court, an institution slammed by the opposition as biased.

Morales, a member of the Aymara indigenous community, is a former coca farmer who became Bolivia’s first indigenous president in 2006. AFP

New clashes after HK protester is shot

H

ONG KONG―A Hong Kong policeman shot a masked protester in the torso on Monday morning, igniting clashes across the city and renewed fury towards the force as crowds took to the streets to block roads and hurl insults at officers.

The shooting, which was broadcast live on Facebook, is the latest escalation in more than five months of pro-democracy protests that have engulfed the international financial hub.

Footage showed a police officer drawing a pistol in the district of Sai Wan Ho as he tried to detain a masked person at a junction that had been blocked by protesters.

Another unarmed masked individual then ap-

proached the officer and was shot, quickly falling to the ground.

Seconds later, two more live rounds were fired as the officer scuffled with another masked protester who fell on the floor. Both were detained by officers.

A pool of blood could be seen near the first man whose body initially appeared limp, although he was later filmed conscious and even trying to make a run for it.

The second man was conscious, shouting his name to reporters as he was handcuffed.

Hong Kong police said one person was struck by a bullet while hospital authorities said a 21-yearold man was admitted with a gunshot wound.

The semi-autonomous Chinese city has been upended by 24 consecutive weeks of huge and increasingly violent rallies, but Beijing has refused to give in to a movement calling for greater democratic rights and police accountability.

Monday’s shooting has only added to the tinderbox atmosphere.

“I don’t understand why the police has to use that kind of brutality to hurt innocent people. I think it’s just out of sense, out of control,” a 22-year-old IT worker, who gave her surname Chan, told AFP as she joined angry crowds in Sai Wan Ho after the shooting.

The city was already reeling from the death on Friday of a 22-year-old student who succumbed to injuries sustained from a fall in the vicinity of a police clearance operation the weekend before.

After a weekend of clashes and huge vigils, Monday’s chaos began with small groups of masked protesters hitting subway stations and roads during the rush hour commute.

Manila But as footage of the shooting Standard went viral, the protests snowballed.

TODAY During the lunchtime break in Central, a downtown district that

CENTURY PROPERTIES GROUP INC. 21st Floor Pacific Star Building Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. corner Makati Ave. Makati City 1200

Najib’s fraud trial to proceed

Chile to draft new constitution SANTIAGO―Chile announced Sunday it will move to draft a new constitution and replace one dating back to the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship―a key demand of protesters who have rocked the country for three weeks.

The new constitution will be drafted by a body called a constituent assembly and then put to a referendum for ratification, Interior Minister Gonzalo Blumel said.

He made the announcement after a meeting with a coalition of center-right and right-wing parties which until now had been the most reluctant to change the Pinochetera constitution.

The US-backed general ruled with an iron fist from 1973 to 1990.

Chile has been stunned by three weeks of sometimes violent and deadly protests by people fed up with the status quo. They cite low wages, high costs for education and health care and a yawning gap between rich and poor in a country dominated politically and economically by a few old, elite families.

Unrest that began on October 18 with protests against a rise in rush hour metro fares has mushroomed into a broader outcry, with burning, looting and daily clashes between demonstrators and police.

One of the protesters’ demands is changes to the constitution.

A survey by pollster Cadem published early this month said 87 percent of Chileans favored such reforms. AFP

MARKETS AND SECURITIES REGULATION DEPARTMENT

November 6, 2019

IN BRIEF KUALA LUMPUR―Malaysian ex-leader Najib Razak’s first trial linked to the 1MDB scandal will proceed after a judge ruled Monday prosecutors had made a sufficient case, boosting the efforts to bring him to justice over the mammoth fraud.

The former prime minister will take the stand next month when his defense begins, in the case related to the theft of billions of dollars from the sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. His coalition was ousted at the polls last year after six decades in power, largely due to the scandal, and he has since been arrested and hit with dozens of charges linked to the looting of the investment vehicle.

The 66-year-old went on trial for the first time in April over the controversy, in a case centering on the transfer of 42 million ringgit ($10.1 million) from a former 1MDB unit into his bank account. Najib denies any wrongdoing.

Prosecutors finished presenting their evidence in August, and on Monday High Court judge Mohamad Nazlan Mohamad Ghazali ruled the case was strong enough to go forward and Najib should enter his defense.

“The accused had enormous and overarching influence” over the 1MDB unit, SRC International, the judge told the court, adding the prosecution had established Najib has a case to answer for all seven charges he is facing.

“It was under the control of the accused from day one.

The accused wielded considerable power.”

The alternative would have been to strike out the charges in the case—although Najib is still facing several other cases linked to 1MDB, with his biggest trial over the scandal having opened in August.

Monday’s decision will be a relief for Malaysia’s government and 94-year-old Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who came to power partly on a pledge to get to the bottom of the 1MDB scandal and bring those involved to justice.

Lawyers for Najib, who is free on bail, said he would take the stand when the defence stage of proceedings gets underway on December 3. AFP

hosts blue-chip international conglomerates and luxury retailers, police fired tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters, many dressed in office attire, chanting “Murderers” and “Triads”.

Many expressed anger over the shooting that morning.

“He was not carrying any weapon, what threat could he pose on the officer,” a 29-year-old office worker, who gave her first name Elaine, told AFP as fellow office workers coughed and wretched from the acrid clouds.

Tear gas and rubber bullets were fired in multiple districts throughout the morning, including at two university campuses and in multiple districts across the harbor. AFP

Attention:

MR. JOSE EDUARDO B. ANTONIO President

Gentlemen:

We have reviewed the company’s Amended Registration Statement (SEC Form 121) filed with the Commission on October 28, 2019 relating to the Primary Offer of 20,000,000 Preferred A Shares, with an Oversubscription Option of up to 10,000,000 Preferred A Shares with Initial Dividend Rate of [●]% per annum at an Offer Price of P100.00 per Preferred Share to be listed and traded on the Main Board of the Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc.

CHOICE AWARDS.

The Commission, in its meeting of November 5, 2019 favorably considered the said Registration Statement subject to the submission and compliance of the following:

Nastassja Bolivar attends the 2019 E! People’s Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on November 10, 2019, in Santa Monica, California.

AFP

1) 2) 3)

Final Prospectus1 that shall be uploaded in the company’s website; A Duly executed Underwriting Agreement; and Other requirements or conditions that the Commission may impose

In the event that any of the following occurs, the prospectus cannot be used until appropriate amendments are made thereto and said amendments have been properly filed with the Commission, to wit: • • •

There is a material change in any information contained therein; A material event occurs which would otherwise be required to be reported on SEC Form 17-C; and The financial statements contained therein are over 225 days old.

In addition, your attention is directed to the following requirements of the pertinent SRC Rules and SEC Form 12-1 which must be submitted/complied with in connection with the offering: ♦

SRC Rule 8.1.1.5 - The sale of subject securities shall commence within ten business (10) business days from the date of effectivity of the Registration Statement; and

♦

SRC Rule 8.1.1.6 - Written notification of completion or termination of the offering shall be filed with the Commission within three (3) business days from such completion or termination, and the notice shall state the number of securities sold (and shall also state the type of investor, i.e., individual or corporate)

♦

SRC Rule 8.1.3.5 - NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF THE PROSPECTUS

♦

SRC Rule 12.5(b).3 - The Order of the Commission rendering effective the registration statement shall, at the expense of the Issuer be published in national newspaper of general circulation and uploaded in its website within two (2) business days from its issuance.

The company is hereby directed to furnish the Commission with a copy of the affidavit of publication of the Order of Registration.

Trump faces removal from presidency WASHINGTON―Donald Trump faces the prospect of becoming only the third US president to be impeached when open hearings begin this week into his alleged effort to bolster his re-election hopes by pushing Ukraine to find dirt on a Democratic rival.

Having survived special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, Trump now faces potential removal from office for pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden, a leading candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

Democrats have amassed evidence― from a whistle-blower complaint to the rough transcript of Trump’s July 25 call with Zelensky and testimony from a dozen witnesses―that the president abused his office by withholding aid and a requested White House meeting to force Zelensky into helping his personal political agenda.

“This is a very simple, straightforward act. The president broke the law,” Democratic Representative Jackie Speier said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” program.

“This is a very strong case of bribery, because you have an elected official,

the president, demanding action of a foreign country, in this case... and he is withholding aid,” said Speier.

The hearings begin on Wednesday in the House Intelligence Committee, with the first witnesses two officials who have already provided evidence against Trump in private testimony: Bill Taylor, the top American diplomat in Ukraine, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent.

On Sunday, Trump repeated his charge that the investigation is a “witch hunt” and that he did nothing wrong.

“The call to the Ukrainian President was PERFECT. Read the Transcript!” he tweeted.

“Republicans, don’t be led into the fools trap of saying it was not perfect, but is not impeachable. No, it is much stronger than that. NOTHING WAS DONE WRONG!” But Democrats say the evidence against him is strong.

Once the coming Intelligence Committee hearings are complete, the Judiciary Committee can draw up articles of impeachment, or formal charges, against Trump.

Those would then be voted on by the full House of Representatives, reportedly before the end of the year. AFP

SEC Form 12-1 •

Item 1 (Part VI , paragraph (A)(5)

On the outside front cover page of the prospectus, the information provided shall be in an easily readable style and format and include, at a minimum, the following information in bold face 12 point type, prominently displayed.

‘THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED THESE SECURITIES OR DETERMINED IF THIS PROSPECTUS IS ACCURATE OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE AND SHOULD BE REPORTED IMMEDIATELY TO THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION.” •

Item 2 [Part VI, paragraph (B)(8) of Annex ‘C”]

The following statement in bold face 12-point type, signed by the President under oath shall be prominently displayed: “ALL REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN MET AND ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN ARE TRUE AND CURRENT.” Immediately following compliance with the foregoing requirements, the registration relating to the Primary Offer of 20,000,000 Preferred A Shares, with an Oversubscription Option of up to 10,000,000 Preferred A Shares with Initial Dividend Rate of [●]% per annum at an Offer Price of 100.00 per Preferred Share to be listed and traded on the Main Board of The Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. shall be declared effective by the Commission through the issuance of an Order of Registration and Permit to Sell Securities.

This pre-effective letter is without prejudice to the prerogative of this Department to act later against the subject entity, if warranted, to ensure full compliance with the provisions of the Securities Regulation Code, its implementing rules and regulations, as well as PD 129, as amended, and Omnibus Rules and Regulations for Investment House and Universal Bank Registered as Underwriters of Securities.

Very truly yours,

VICENTE GRACIANO P. FELIZMENIO, JR. Director The following information and documents should form part of the Prospectus relative to the Office of the General Accountant’s recommendation:

1

a)

b) c) d) e)

Inclusion in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) Section of the required information on Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the current interim period (April 01 to June 30, 2019) with comparative figures for the interim period (April 01 to June 30, 2018) of the immediately preceding financial year Consolidated Audited Financial Statements (CAFS) as of 31 December 2018, including the supplemental schedules required by SRC Rule 68, as amended; Revised Statement of Management’s Responsibility (SMR) covering the CAFS as of December 31 , 2018 which is compliant with the requIrements of SRC Rule 68, as amended; Consolidated Reviewed Interim Financial Statements (CUIFS) as of June 30, 2019, including the supplemental schedules required by SRC Rule 68, as amended; and Other documents that form part of the financial statements based on SRC Rule 68, as amended.

(MS-NOV. 12, 2019)

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

B4

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019

SM Cabanatuan opens Yuletide with golden tree

LGUs

By Brenda Jocson

CABANATUAN, Nueva—A 45-footLOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS tall Christmas Tree surrounded by sparkling golden Arctic- inspired decorations, thousands of flickering lights, hundreds of glittering tinsel balls and 20 giant golden bears highlighted this year’s Christmas Launch at SM City Cabanatuan on Sunday.

Ian Ezekiel Balao, SM regional operations manager, said the celebration is just a start of many fun filled activities at the mall this season.

“We encourage the whole community to celebrate this season with SM mall here, from the wide selection of gift finds, gift giving through Bears of Joy campaign, up to the biggest events that brings the spirit of Christmas home,” Balao said.

COLORS OF CHRISTMAS. SM City San Jose del Monte turns its main atrium into a Santa Claus Village (photo upper left) as children enjoy the traditional lighting of a Christmas tree The event drew spectators to the complemented with a snow and confetti drop. This year, SM launched ‘Sparkling Christmas,’ signalling the different Christmas festivities, dazzling sights, ecstatic sounds, and a lot of holiday powerful singing performances of finds, which were repeated in SM malls in Marilao, Masinag and San Mateo (clockwise from upper right ). Orlan Mauricio, Jun David, and Manny Palmero artist Frenchie Dy, who sang with the audience and expresses her happiness to visit Cabanatuan City and become part of this year’s Christmas event.

At SM Megacenter also in this city on Friday, the mall highlighted family bonding over modern technology, creating scenes of families hanging out together in a theme park, experiencing exciting rides, and walking through sparkling alleys in a despite repeated reminders and warnBy Vito Barcelo great carnival-inspired centerpiece. ings since he assumed office.

Carol Licup, assistant mall manThe mayor also warned illegal orANILA Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso has stopped ager, said the attraction “will give so ganizers who were extorting from venBy Alena Mae S. Flores street vendors from selling their goods along Ylaya Street dors during the past administration, much excitement and magical feeling in the Divisoria market district after tons of garbage were saying they are trying to do it again for to children and to mall goers.”

THE Iloilo City government is plan“A carnival is a happy place, same left behind by vendors, three days after the city chief executive the Christmas season. ning to auction some of the assets with SM malls as we combine these “To the organizers of illegal vendors, allowed them to temporarily sell there for the holiday season. of Panay Electric Co. (PECO) by two happy places into one, definitely return the money you ask for advance next month to pay for the company’s it will be the best place in the province payment. If I catch you, you will be in real estate tax liabilities, which have of Nueva Ecija,” said Licup.

“Vendors will no longer be allowed to ready allowing you to earn a living and jail,” he said. reached P106 million, including penThe events were graced by local He said vendors along Ylaya can set up stalls along Ylaya Street in Divi- yet, you continue to disrespect me.” alties since 2006. government officials led by Provinsoria due to their negligence in manag“Wala, walang kusa (no initiative),” no longer return to sell their goods, “Yes, that’s only for the P90 million cial Board Member Jojo Matias, City ing their waste,” Domagoso said after Domagoso lamented. “If they’ll do it and told them to go back to their in unpaid taxes,” Iloilo City Mayor Councilors Peewee Mendoza, Junnie provinces instead. conducting a surprise inspection in the everyday, I’ll stop it all.”

Jerry Trenas said when asked about Del Rosario, and Joselito Roque, DTI Failure to maintain cleanliness area on Monday morning.

In his speech before Manila City Hall the planned auction. provincial director Brigida Pili, ProDomagoso confronted vendors and employees during the flag-raising cer- and orderliness “is a clear failure The move is seen to solve the city vincial tourism officer Atty. Jose Mapolice officers after he found the street emony following the inspection, Doma- to comply with the ‘Tapat Ko, Linis government’s collection problem with ria Ceasar San Pedro, provincial tourto be littered with garbage, saying in the goso slammed the vendors blatantly Ko’ ordinance” recently signed by PECO, which has not paid taxes in 13 ism advocate Armando Giron, and the mayor, according to Julius Leovernacular: “Aren’t you ashamed? Do leaving their garbage unattended. years or when the City Treasurer’s Ofother well-known local personalities. you really lead a gross, filthy, unclean He also expressed his dismay over the nen, Manila Public Information Office first made the tax assessment. life? Do I have to surprise you? I’m al- unabated violation of the littering ban, fice chief.

PECO distributes electricity to Iloilo City through its certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by the Energy Regulatory Commission, pending the completion of the transition to the new franchise holder More Electric Power Corp. or MORE. PECO’s franchise expired early this year, and the franchise to distribute electricity in the city was given to MORE by Congress.

By Jun David The city assessed PECO’s real estate tax dues at P90 million and addiTHE Caloocan City government headtional penalties since March this year. ed by City Mayor Oscar Malapitan has PECO’s tax obligations arose from joined the celebration of this year’s a new ruling from the City Treasurer’s National Children’s Month.

Office (CTO) that the lot on which The celebration has a theme: “KaraPECO’s electricity poles are located patang Pambata: Patuloy na Pahalagaare also taxable real estate. han at Gampanan para sa Magandang The CTO is planning to put a floor Kinabukasan.” price of P106,881,685.33 as the lowest In his short message during his bid when it puts up for bidding PECO’s State of the Children Address, Malapiland that utilize these electricity posts. tan laid down his continued support to PECO’s electric posts are valued at the programs and projects for the chilP214.9 million. dren until his term ends.

CTO Tax Enforcement Division “You can be sure that here in Caloochief John Ladrillo, in a radio intercan City, children are always a priorview, said the floor price was computity, always loved, and always taken ed based on PECO’s total tax liability care of,” he said. amounting to P97,164,438.81, the cost Meanwhile, the mayor was delightof the sale including documentary ed with the declaration of four-yearstamp taxes estimated at P9,716,443.88 old Andrei Ablaza as the city’s “Little and a registration fee of P802.64.

CULTURAL TREASURE. Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar (second from left) unveils the National Cultural Treasure marker of the Mayor” for the event.

Meanwhile, Trenas balked at reports Bamboo Organ housed at the St. Joseph Church in Las Piñas on Saturday together with (from left) Rep. Camile Villar, Senator Cynthia Villar, Malapitan urged everyone to carry out that PECO considered the recent pole National Museum Officer in Charge Raquel Flores, Parish Priest of St. Joseph Church Rev. Fr. Agusto Pulido, Diocese of Parañaque Bishop Most Rev. Jesse Mercado, and Teodoro Fuente of the Board of Trustees of the Bamboo Organ Foundation. the rights of the children in Caloocan. fires around the city as “not a big issue.”

Isko halts Ylaya sales

M

Auction eyed for PECO assets to pay off taxes

Caloocan hails children; Oca: ‘Kids a priority’

Davao FIESTA promotes halal goat production

By Butch Gunio

WORK FOR SENIOR CITIZENS. A special work-for-pay program for senior citizens was formally launched

Monday at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines with the signing of a Memordum of Agreement by (from left) Anak PUP Federation president Ellenor Joyce Bartolome, Ang Probinsyano Party-list Rep. Ronnie Ong, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and PUP president Emmanuel de Guzman. The program, which will be funded by DOLE’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa Disadvantaged/Displaced workers program, is an initiative of Ong, who hopes to replicate this in other state universities, public schools and government offices nationwide.

AS A response to the increasing demand for halal products, an event in Davao City promoted the production of halal goat developed from research and development initiatives of government agencies and state universities.

The Farms and Industry Encounters through the Science and Technology Agenda on Halal Goat, was held recently at the University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City, Rose Anne M. Aya of the PCAARRD Applied Communication Division said.

Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora, Executive Director of The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, said the demand for halal products are not only prompted

by Muslims, as non-Muslims have also taken interest in these products.

These products should be safe, clean, and wholesome as mandated under Islamic law, Aya quoted Ebora as saying.

“Our country has indicated its readiness to join this lucrative market of halal products, with the creation of the Halal Board under the Philippines Halal Export Development and Promotion Act of 2016,” Ebora said.

Halal is Arabic for lawful and permissible under the Islamic law.

“In the scientific perspective, goat is the perfect meat as it is a healthier alternative to chicken, beef, pork, and lamb. It has lower calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol, but has high potassium and iron,” he said.

Ebora also provided an overview of the accomplishments of PCAARRD in halal goat production.

These include protocols on transport and marketing, slaughtering, chevon processing, and laboratorybased haram detection.

In terms of research and development, PCAARRD has invested P29 million for halal goat over the past nine years. This year, it has funded the P35-million program, Niche Centers in the Regions for R & D or NICER Halal Goat Science and Innovation Center.

Life

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

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019

C1

Riding the waves of plastic waste awareness

BEHIND THE SCENES ON THE BEACH. De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Center for Campus Art director and ‘Alon!’ documentary producer Architect Gerry Torres interviews one of the locals in the surfing community to raise awareness of the plastic waste problem in our seas.

By Angelica Villanueva

A

CCORDING to a 2015 study by the University of Georgia, a total of 275 million metric tons of plastic waste entered the world’s oceans in 2010, and among the top polluters was the Philippines, which ranked third.

Noli John Mercader, a local surfer from Gubat, Sorsogon, holds plastic trash he picked from the beach in a five-minute period.

Instead of simply repeating reports and mentioning numbers and percentages, the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in August mounted an exhibit and premiered a documentary both entitled “Alon!” to show the immense problem of plastic waste in our seas.

The exhibit featured a series of photos of local surfers holding plastic trash they picked up from the beach in a five-minute period.

The idea came to Architect Gerry Torres, director of Benilde Center for Campus Art and the curator of the exhibit, when he lived for several days at Lola Sayong Surf Camp in Gubat, Sorsogon. During his stay, Torres chatted with its head, local surfer Noli John Mercader, who shared with him his idea of turning plastic waste into something useful.

“I talked to Noli, at one point, he said he was thinking of turning plastic into surfboards. That gave me an idea,” recalled Torres.

He continued, “Initially, I wanted to do an exhibit on surfing, particularly surf board designs. But later on, I realized that it was not enough for an exhibit to just focus on surfboards. So, I thought maybe I should do something else, and then it dawned on me that perhaps the issue of plastic is something that I could tackle.”

Torres pushed to go with the exhibit to raise awareness not just among Benilde students, but also those who are going to witness the campaign. It highlighted the call for change of the community most affected by trash in the ocean.

Along with photos, a short documentary of the same name was premiered. Alon! featured the top surfing destinations in the Philippines—Siargao, La Union, Baler, Mati in Davao, Gubat in Sorsogon, and Sabang Daguitan in Leyte—heavily affected with plastic waste.

The production team at work to capture the contribution of the urban landscape to the environment problems of the country.

With the help of Gabby Fernandez, the former chairperson of Benilde Production Design Program, who directed Alon!, the vision of raising awareness through film became a reality.

“Plastic pollution. It fascinated me. The ultimate story of a generation. And seen from point of view of the surfing way of life, I found it visually arresting,” Fernandez said when asked on why he agreed to do the film.

Local surfers, or “eco-warriors” as described by Torres, were asked on their opinion about the country being the third worst plastic polluter in the world and how the plastic waste has affected our oceans.

“I connected that the surfers would be the first ones who will see the trash, plus the surfers would be the people who really love the ocean. They just love being in the oceans,” said Torres.

These surfers also asked and beseeched the tourists—foreign and local—to participate in preserving the oceans by not using plastics and opting to use other alternatives.

Fernandez and the production team still hold onto the dream where Turn to C2

2 telcos join forces in reforestation efforts TWO telecommunications company—one from Singapore, another from the Philippines—banded together to plant trees in widely deforested areas in Iba, Zambales.

The group of six Singtel, a telco from Singapore, and 13 Globe volunteers went to Iba Botanicals eco-village in Iba, Zambales to plant Acacia, Kakawati, Langka, and Kasuy.

Iba Botanicals is the operational partner of The Mead Foundation. It provides crucial project management and operational oversight activities for all reforestation and environmentrelated projects happening in and for the municipality.

Globe and The Mead Foundation, which is a non-profit organization, share a common goal with regard to “rainforestation.” The foundation has been working closely with the Aetas of Zambales to help replant trees in the province’s bare forest areas, and provide livelihood opportunities to the community members.

“We are happy to partner with The Mead Foundation and for the opportunity for Globe and Singtel volunteers to be part of this journey where they can help with environmental sustainability while getting to know the indigenous communities,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe chief sustainability officer and senior vice president for corporate communications.

Globe and Singtel Volunteers team up to plant different species of indigenous trees at the Vetiver terraces in Iba, Zambales.

Volunteers learn how to make usable stone sculptures from lahar rocks, as well as plates and baskets by weaving Nito vines.

Crisanto added, “By investing on environmental protection and partnering with various organizations, particularly on reforestation programs, we hope to do our share in mitigating the drastic effects of climate change,” Ben Mead, executive director of The Mead Foundation, affirms that the “partnership is aligned with our goal for impactful, sustainable efforts that provide transformational change, conservation of the environment, and sustain-

this country can be a better place for the tourists and the community,” said Charles Diomampo, a Globe volunteer.

Meanwhile, Singtel volunteer Ronnie Bin Shani shared, “It’s a very eye-opening experience and heartwarming to be part of this program, knowing that our efforts can have a long-lasting impact on the community.”

Globe and Singtel Group share a common vision to empower communities, especially the marginalized ones, by creating platforms that will fulfill

able development.

Aside from tree-planting, the volunteers conducted a Brigada Eskwela activity at the ADBSA Aeta School (Jesmag Iba) in Tambac, Palanginan, Iba, Zambales.

The volunteers also learned bamboo bag and basket weaving, and lahar pottery-making—two of the most popular sources of livelihood among Aetas that help sustain their families and the entire community.

“This program made me realize that

their potential, ensure their security, and integrate them with society.

Since 2011, Globe has been bringing in volunteers from Singtel and other Group affiliates to support local communities in the Philippines, especially those which are disadvantaged. Activities include building homes, painting and repairing schools under Brigada Eskwela, cleaning up coastal areas, teaching sports to children, and promoting digital citizenship, among others.

Life

C2

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

Companies build alliance to reduce plastic waste I

N A bid to keep plastic out of rivers and oceans, leading consumer goods company Procter & Gamble collaborates with other multinational firms to end the plastic waste problem.

Launched this year, The Alliance to End Plastic Waste is a CEO-led, crosssector, not-for-profit organization that aims to develop, accelerate and deploy solutions, catalyze public and private investment, and engage communities to help end plastic waste.

P&G is a founding member of the Alliance, joining forces with 39 global companies from across the plastics value chain—companies that make, use, sell, process, collect, and recycle plastics.

P&G president and chief executive David Taylor stands as the group’s chairman.

The Alliance member companies have collectively committed $1.5 billion

over five years. They will work together to develop and bring to scale infrastructure, education and engagement, innovation, and cleanup efforts.

“While efforts are global, the Alliance can have the greatest impact by focusing on parts of the world where the challenge is greatest—such as the Southeast Asia region where more than half of the world’s plastic waste have been found,” says Antoine Grange, chief executive officer of Recycling and Recovery of SUEZ Asia and an Alliance member.

For its part, P&G continues to develop products that appeal to environmentally concerned shoppers. Several

The company aims to increase its water efficiency by 35 percent.

of its brands including Head & Shoulders, Fairy, and Herbal Essences have introduced bottles containing recycled beach plastic.

Here at home, the company is one of the founding members of the Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability, a multistakeholder coalition committed to developing and implementing a comprehensive program to increase resource recovery and reduce landfill dependence,

Plastic waste to be recycled for product packaging.

Procter & Gamble finds ways to stem the flow of plastic to the world’s oceans.

Some of the company’s brands use packaging made with recycled plastics.

leadi n g toward a zero -waste Philippines.

One of its projects is constructing a P25-million residual plastic recycling facility that addresses the need to recycle flexible and lowvalue plastics such as sachets.

P&G has also partnered with World Vision to launch the “Pag-Asa sa Basura,” a school-based plastic collection program aimed at educating students and families, incentivizing their efforts, and executing proper collection. The waste collection and recycling program will be implemented in several schools across Metro Manila.

As part of this program, 25 participating schools will be fitted with school-based material recovery facilities that will collect solid waste materials including sachets and bottles. Students who will bring their waste to the center will receive incentives such as

How to fight premature aging AGING is a natural part of life, but premature aging—or when the body shows signs of slowdown and weakness earlier than usual—is another story.

Surveys reveal more than half of Filipino adults experience premature aging because of various factors,

Managing hypertension with home BP monitors

mainly due to lifestyle choices such as unhealthy eating habit that lacks in nutrition, a sedentary lifestyle, and lack of proper rest.

A brand of adult milk shares three simple steps that help combat premature aging.

Get enough sleep

Adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a day to allow their bodies to repair itself and replenish lost energy. Sleep also helps the brain relax, restore alertness and focus, and reduce stress levels.

Monitoring blood pressure at home helps manage it and prevent complications.

Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep a day.

Anlene MoveMax supplement for adults in their 30s to ‘50s.

Get the right nutrients

Adults need to maintain a diet rich in calcium and protein, plus other vitamins and minerals. Staying hydrated, meanAt least 20 minutes of exercise per day will keep the body agile. while, helps manage energy levels, lubricate joints, deliver oxygen throughout the body, flush out toxins, and more.

Get off the couch Anlene offers a great way to supplement an adult’s diet.

Without proper exercise, blood circulation becomes less ef- Anlene MoveMax offers 100 percent of the daily calcium ficient, and a person runs the risk of decreased strength and requirement for bones, high protein for muscles, and collamuscle mass. Simple physical activities like taking the stairs gen for joints. Specially formulated for the needs of adults in or stretching while in the office chair, or getting at least 20 their 30s to 50s, it is available in Original, White Coffee, and minutes of exercise per day will help keep body agile.

Chocolate flavors.

Anlene is available in all leading supermarkets, drugstores, and convenience stores nationwide. It’s also available on Lazada.

Herbal healing

FILIPINOS are no stranger to topical solutions for stress-induced muscle pains and soreness. Choices are aplenty, but one brand remains a favorite with those who prefer this kind of remedy.

Tiger Balm by Haw Par Healthcare provides all all-around solution for itchiness, headaches, and muscle and joint pains. It comes in two variants, Tiger Balm White and Tiger Balm Red. Tiger Balm is soon launching a new product here in the Philippines.

school supplies.

Aside from upcycling collected plastics into school chairs and garbage bins, the program aims to empower students, teachers, and the community through focused trainings that will strengthen the schools’ respective solid waste committees.

In addition, nearly all or 92 percent of P&G’s manufacturing sites in Asia Pacific, India, Middle East, and Africa are already qualified as a Zero Manufacturing Waste to Landfill (ZMWTL) centers and will reach 100 percent by 2020. Included in its roster of sites is the P&G Philippines manufacturing plant in Cabuyao, Laguna which has been ZMWTL-certified since 2017.

“Through these programs, P&G continues the drive to our Ambition 2030 goals which enable positive impact to the environment while always creating superior value for consumers and partners,” says P&G Philippines general manager Rafael Fajardo.

Tiger Balm Red and White ointment

ACCORDING to a Department of ry, makes measuring, synching, and Health survey, half of the 12 million sharing of readings convenient via the hypertensive Filipinos are unaware of Omron Connect app that assists users their condition and the threat it poses. in recording, viewing, and managing Hypertension-related complications their health data on their smartphone. cause the death of 120,000 Filipinos The HEM-6181, meanwhile, ensures annually, making it the leading cause convenient blood pressure monitoring of mortality in the Philippines. with its advanced measurement posture Early detection is guide sensor to ensure the user’s arm is at key to managing the proper angle for an accurate high blood presand precise reading. sure. Monitoring it The portable wrist regularly at home blood pressure monihelps manage it and tor also comes with prevent complications; body movement the relaxed setting in a famildetection, hyperiar place also reduces the incitension indicator, dence of white coat and masked and irregular heartbeat hypertension, conditions detection. It features 60 wherein the blood pressure Omron HEM-6232T sets of measurement and an readings are influenced by (top) and HEM-6161 Intelliwrap cuff for reliable wrist blood pressure readings anywhere. the environment. monitors.

Omron Healthcare Finally, the HEM-6161 offers a variety of inis the ideal wrist blood novative wrist blood pressure monitor for an pressure monitors that on-the-go lifestyle. With enables individuals 30 sets of measurement to check their BP at and Intelliwrap, this home, or anywhere. clinically validated The HEM-6232T device is built to deuses Bluetooth connectivity tect irregular heartto make health tracking simpler beat and loaded by and easier. The unit lets users cuff wrap guidelines to access their data anywhere, get ensure continuous propdetailed visual insights, track health er blood pressure readings. progress, and manage their lifestyle These new Omron digital home via the BP Diary. blood pressure monitors are available The wrist-type BP monitor, with in major drugstores nationwide as well the flexible cuff type and 100 memo- as on Lazada and Shopee.

Riding...

From C1

there is zero plastic waste and that the film would help everyone get there.

“I’m hopeful it will. If it succeeds, much of it will be owed to the juxtaposition between the allure of the surfing lifestyle and the horror of the plastic in the oceans. It’s quite a dramatic contrast,” said Fernandez.

In the future, Torres is hoping that the film will not just stay in the four corners of their exhibit, ongoing until Dec. 14, but will reach more audience—both young and old.

Fernandez, meanwhile, said that an updated version of the film is on the pipeline, as of writing.

“We’re thinking of shooting additional footage for an ‘updated’ version of the documentary. A Director’s Cut if you will,” he revealed.

Entertainment

A

ccording to singer and actor James Reid, he seriously considered quitting the ‘biz a lot of times in the past.

“Most of the time was before Nadine and I got together. That period was probably the height of my depression.

If you’ll remember, I received lots of bashing from the fans then because of reports that I was allegedly seen partying with different girls. Of course, solid JaDine followers didn’t like it,” he shares.

“I was so depressed that I just wanted to drop everything and say goodbye to the scene. That time, I was really affected by what the fans hurled at me.

I was affected by what people were telling me on how to be me and what to do with my life,” he adds.

It’s good he still opted to stay in the business.

“I did some soul-searching during that period. I flew solo to Japan for a short vacation. I just wanted to get away from the country, the fans and bashers alike. I made some introspection and it helped me see things in a much clearer, better and positive perspective.”

The 26-year-old star reveals that it was when he came back to the country from that trip that his relationship with Jadine got more serious.

He shares that he doesn’t need to pretend when he’s with her.

“I could just be myself completely.

Like, I can pick my nose in front of her. in the end, she became the only one i wanted to please,” he reveals.

“What i appreciate most about nadine is that she helped me through the darkest time of my life. We’ve been there for each other. I’m more open now, so none of that stuff gets me anymore. i can say that I’m experiencing the best times of my life at this point,” According to James, nadine is one major factor why he chose to continue his career in showbiz.

“Nobody understands me the way Nadine does. I couldn’t talk to anyone else about my problems or hardships.

Being able to share it with someone is a relief because I couldn’t just bottle it all up and try to forget it. Life doesn’t work that way. As they say, pain shared is half the pain.”

Meanwhile, when asked about the possibility of getting paired with other actresses in the future, the actorsinger says that he’s okay if it’s with the likes of Janella Salvador, Yassi Pressman, Liza Soberano, and Kathryn Bernardo. He has apprehensions though with Julia Barretto. it can be remembered that he received flak from JaDine fans in the

tuesday, november 12, 2019

Why James Reid decided to stay in showbiz

past when a netizen uploaded a picture of them together in a bar.

“Let’s just put it this way: I have no problem with her. But there’s too much noise when it comes to fans and stuff. Let’s just make life easy, okay.”

The talented actor-singer is excited with his forthcoming project opposite Nancy McDonie of Momoland fame. It’s a drama series titled, “Soulmate” which will be under the helm of acclaimed director Antoinette Jadaone.

“Yes, and i appeal to the fans not to give

color to our team-up. I hope they will not link me to her. It’s just work. It’s already 2019, the viewing public should let artists work together for the sake of working,” ends James. *** Janella Salvador says that her screen pairing with Joshua Garcia in the hit ABS-CBN soap opera The Killer Bride is no big deal with her rumored beau Markus Paterson.

“Yes, he perfectly understands! That’s the good thing about him. He knows it is

just pure work!” she states. the lovely young actress is perfectly aware that getting romantically linked to her screen partner is just a normal thing in the ‘biz.

“Actually, it’s inevitable. Fans dream that your screen romance translates in real life. But in my case, Markus is mature and secured enough not to get affected whatsoever. I need not explain to him.

He doesn’t demand for it. As I’ve said, he understands and he’s very supportive.”

Interestingly, Markus has a good

Netflix participates at C1 Originals film fest StreAming giant Netflix will be debuting its presence at the cinema one originals Film Festival by giving Philippine consumers a preview of The Two Popes and hosting the world premiere of Dead Kids. this first-ever partnership with a local Film Festival reinforces Netflix’s commitment to cultivating Filipino creativity, and the company’s support for Filipino talent and content industry.

The Two Popes is a story from Fernando Meirelles, the Academy Award-nominated director of City of God, and threetime Academy Award-nominated screenwriterAnthony McCarten, comes an intimate story of one of the most dramatic transitions of power in the last 2,000 years.

Frustrated with the direction of the church, cardinal Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) requests permission to retire in 2012 from Pope Benedict (Anthony Hopkins). instead, facing scandal and self-doubt, the introspective Pope Benedict summons his harshest critic and future successor to rome to reveal a secret that would shake the foundations of the catholic church. Behind Vatican walls, a struggle commences between both tradition and

Slowly, friendship develops between them until one day Diah asks Nik to tour him around the city. eventually, their friendship begins to blossom into something more special. From Sapporo, Japan in Kita Kita to Busan, South Korea for the Indonesian adaptation, love will find a way to open our hearts if our sight has failed us.

Shandy Aulia is an actress and costume designer who gained popularity in her lead role in romance film Eiffel I’m In Love. Shandy also starred in numerous horror movies such as Tarot, The Doll, and Kutuk (curse).

Now she plays Diah in Cinta Itu Buta (Love is Blind), a tour guide in South Korea who becomes devastated when her fiancé of three years left her.

Formerly a music teacher, Dodit

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in contrast, her 2005 turn as a miner who files the United States’ first classaction sexual harassment lawsuit in North Country came at a time when Hollywood turned a blind eye to such issues.

Back then there was a sense that sexual

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relationship with Janella’s family. Proof is his attendance to the recent birthday celebration of her father Juan miguel Salvador.

“That’s right!” she avers.” Of course, I’m happy about that. Everybody knows that I consider family a priority. It’s a big part of me. It’s everything to me at this point. I’m really happy that Markus is close to my family.” despite their rumored affair, Janella and Markus still don’t want to confirm what they have at present.

“It’s our mutual decision not to give any official statement as of now. It’s because when you do that, you will be obliged to share events or the latest goings-on between the two of you.” the talented lass has already learned her lesson.

“Based on my experience, I want things to be private at this point. especially that it’s something new. It’s nice that this part of my life has privacy.”

Meanwhile, Janella expresses her happiness working with Joshua in “The Killer Bride.” Their JoshNella tandem has already gained remarkable following among fans.

“I would like to thank TV buffs for their warm support to me and Joshua in our show. I’m glad with how our scenes turn out in each episode. Personally, I’m grateful that I was able to work with him in ‘Killer Bride.’ It’s a big honor.”

The singer-actress isn’t sure though if their screen tandem is official.

“I’m clueless if we’re an official love team or what. It’s our maiden project together and I’m just happy with the encouraging support we get from the public. I think Josh and I are rewarded because we work hard to achieve that screen chemistry,” Janella ends.

James Reid shares that girlfriend Nadine Lustre helped him through his depression.

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progress, guilt and forgiveness, as these two very different men confront their pasts in order to find common ground and forge a future for a billion followers around the world. the story is inspired by true events. The Two Popes launches on Netflix on Nov. 27.

Dead Kids is a story about a socially awkward teen who bonds with a group of misfits who plot to take out the school’s arrogant rich kid—that is until their kidnapping scheme turns deadly. Based

on true events.

The Two Popes will be screening at the cinema one original Film Festival on Nov. 13 and 16. Dead Kids will have its red carpet premiere on Nov.17 as the closing film of the Festival and a sharing session with Director Mikhail Red and main cast of the film prior to the screening.

For more information on the Film Festival, please visit the official Facebook page of Cinema One Originals (Facebook.com/CinemaOneOriginals)

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Surprise...

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'Dead Kids,' the result of the partnership between Globe Studios and Netflix, stars Kelvin Miranda, Sue Ramirez, Khalil Ramos, Markus Paterson, Vance Larena, Gabby Padilla, and Jan Silverio.

harassment “was in the past and that it’s been dealt with,” said Theron. the part earned her a second oscar nod.

A decade later, the #metoo movement swept through Hollywood.

Theron was born in the small South African town of Benoni in 1975. When she was 15, her mother shot and killed her father after he attacked them in a drunken rage. Her mother was never charged. theron arrived in Los Angeles as a teenager in the 1990s speaking only broken English—her first language is

Afrikaans.

She was discovered by a talent scout in a bank, and broke into Hollywood’s elite with The Devil’s Advocate (1997), alongside Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino.

Theron has since mixed commercial films such as the Fast and Furious franchise with tougher, less conventional roles.

The American Cinematheque Award is a “mid-career achievement award,” with previous honorees including Al Pacino, tom cruise, and Steven Spielberg. Andrew Marszal, AFP.

Write About Love tells the story of a young female writer (played by Miles Ocampo) who is paired up with a seasoned indie film writer (Rocco Nacino). they are forced to collaborate and rewrite the script of an unfinished love story (with characters played by Yeng constantino and Joem Bascon). “despite their clashing personalities and different perspectives on relationships, their writing process leads them towards a path of self-discovery, realizing in the end what it truly takes to write about love,” explains Direk Cris.

“Plus there’s the undeniable kilig factor of first time love. The character played by miles must prove to the older, dashing male writer that she can write a genuine love story even if she has never been in love before.”

Direk Cris further adds: “Miles is perfect for the role because of her authenticity. She is currently taking up

Janella Salvador

Mulyanto started his acting career when he joined Stand-Up Comedy Indonesia (SUCI). After the contest, he was known in comedy films like Cek Toko Sebelah (Check The Shop Next Door), Susah Sinyal (Difficult Signal) and an actioncomedy, Partikelir (Private).

In his previous films Dodit has always played supporting roles until Cinta Itu Buta (Love is Blind). In the film, he plays Nik, a persistent neighbor to Diah, who helps her deal with her blindness. He also sang the film’s theme song, “Darling.”

A Citra Award nominee for Best director at the indonesian Film Festival for Lost in Love in 2008, Rachmania Arunita comes back with her new film Cinta Itu Buta (Love is Blind), based on the original story by Sigrid Andrea Bernardo and adapted for the indonesian screen by Fanya Runkat.

Cinta Itu Buta (Love is Blind) unspools tomorrow, Nov. 13, in cinemas nationwide.

Creative Writing at UP Diliman and like her character is also an NBSB (No Boyfriend Since Birth). the movie will make you feel as if the role was specifically written for her.”

“TBA Studios is confident that Write About Love is going to be a success because aside from it being the only romantic, feel good entry at the 45th MMFF, the film was made in honor of the 100 Years of Philippines Cinema,” says Ting Nebrida, President and Executive Producer.

“We are thankful to the MMFF Selection committee. this is also our third time at the mmFF after Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo (2014), Sunday Beauty Queen (2016) and now Write About Love (2019).”

Prior to the film’s opening date, the whole cast is expected to join the TBA Studios float at the annual MMFF Parade of Stars on Dec. 22. Meanwhile, film marketing & promo will be helmed by the Philippines’ leading entertainment and celebrity firm PUBLICITYASIA with cinema distribution under AXINITE digicinema inc.

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Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019

Surprise entry at the 45th Metro Manila Film Festival WRITEAbout Love, a new romantic comedy starring Miles Ocampo (Maledicto, The Debutantes), Rocco Nacino (Bar Boys), Joem Bascon (Heneral Luna) and Yeng Constantino (The Eternity Between Seconds) finally has an opening date -- Dec. 25.

It is TBA Studios’ official entry to the 45th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

Present at the media thanksgiving luncheon fêted by TBA Studios at Café Ysabel in San Juan, were Chairman Fernando “Nando” Ortigas, CEO Eduardo “Ed” Rochaand President Vincent “Ting” Nebrida. Also, in attendance: Writer and director Crisanto B. Aquino, executive producer Daphne Chiu and TBA’s newly appointed global marketing chief & special projects head, Joyce A. Ramirez.

They took the opportunity to thank the

top entertainment editors and writers for getting the film significant buzz and media attention, which allowed it to be selected as one of the top 4 finished film submissions at the MMFF 2019 Official Entries Announcement Ceremony organized by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) last October 16.

Write About Love is co-written by first time director Crisanto B. Aquino and Janyx Regalo with music helmed by Jerrold Tarog.

Direk Cris also wrote the lyrics to the original song “Ikaw Ang Akin” beautifully interpreted by popular singer Yeng Constantino as part of the movie’s original music soundtrack. The track is set for release by Star Music.

“Write About Love is a film of many firsts. Aside from it being my first directorial assignment, it is also the

first major starrer of (former Goin’ Bulilit star) Miles Ocampo,” says Direk Cris. “I am truly grateful to TBA Studios for allowing me to write, produce and direct this beautiful film.”

Prior to Write About Love, Direk Cris is known for being the country’s most soughtafter Assistant Director and has worked with the likes of directors Chito Roño, Olivia Lamasan, Rory Quintos, Laurice Guillen, Cathy Garcia-Molina and Jerrold Tarog for both Goyo and Heneral Luna.

“Being selected in this year’s 2019 MMFF validates my more than 14 years in the film industry. I started as a Production Assistant and over the years I helmed my craft as a First Assistant Director. I am truly humbled and grateful to all those who supported my filmmaking journey.” Continued on C3

Legendary crooner

‘Fearless’ Charlize Theron honored by Hollywood AMERICAN-SOUTH African actress Charlize Theron was honored

by Hollywood Friday for a “fearless” career in which she tackled themes including sexual harassment long before the #MeToo movement up-ended the industry.

The 44-year-old South African Oscarwinner, who has often played down her flawless looks to win darker, more complex parts, collected the prestigious American Cinematheque Award at a Beverly Hills gala.

“I’m overwhelmed —I need a cocktail!” she told AFP as stars including Kristen Stewart, Seth Rogen, and David Oyelowo gathered to honor her career.

“These people who are here tonight have been with me through a lot of stuff.”

Theron won the best actress Academy Award in 2004 with her turn as prostitute and serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster.

She earned Hollywood’s respect with a visceral performance which saw her pack on 30 pounds (14 kg) and render herself unrecognizable with makeup and prosthetics to play the unappealing murderer.

“She is the most fearless actor I’ve ever worked with, and probably the most fearless human being I’ve ever met,” said Jason Reitman, who directed Theron in Young Adultand Tully.

Next month Theron appears in another

TBA Studios CEO Ed Rocha, director Crisanto B. Aquino, Ting Nebrida and Chairman Fernando Ortigas. (Inset) 'Write About Love' stars Miles Ocampo and Rocco Nacino.

ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK

transformative role—as former TV anchor Megyn Kelly in Bombshell, which depicts the downfall of Fox News co-founder Roger Ailes after a sexual harassment scandal.

“When I read (the script) it felt like it was part of a conversation that was happening now. And that to me, felt really important,” she said. Continued on C3

tonight at New Frontier Theater Fame and Las Vegas Walk of Fame.

His singles “Release Me” and “The Last Waltz” both topped the UK music charts in 1967, and sold more than a million copies each. “Release Me” went into the Guinness Book of World Records for achieving 56 consecutive weeks on the charts. It was No.1 in 11 countries.

In North America, he also had chart successes with “After the Lovin’” (1976) and “This Moment in Time” (1979).

Some of his other hits are “Am I That Easy To Forget,” “How I Love You,” “Spanish Eyes,” and “A Man Without Love.”

Tickets to The Angel On My Shoulder is available at TicketNet outlets.

South African Oscar-winner Charlize Theron collected the 33rd annual American Cinematheque Award at a Beverly Hills gala.

Manband Why Don’t We in Manila for a show BREAKOUT manband and pop group Why Don’t We is holding the Philippine leg of its 8 Letters Tour at New Frontier Theater on Nov. 18.

Amassing more than 1 billion global audio streams, 4 million Instagram followers, and total YouTube views exceeding 450 million with over 2.8 million subscribers in under 3 years, Why Don’t We has become one of pop music’s biggest breakout stories.

The group is composed of Jonah Marais, Corbyn Besson, Daniel Seavey, Jack Avery, and Zach Herron.

The album 8 Letters debuted in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 and immediately shot to the top of the US iTunes’ Overall Albums chart (along with topping charts in over 20 more territories around the globe) – while the title track is RIAA-certified Gold, hit Top 20 at Pop radio and boasts over 185 million global audio and video streams to date.

8 Letters was preceded by popular tracks “Hooked” and “Talk.” In June 2019, Why Don’t We released its sixth new track of the year, “Come To Brazil.”

Former actor and concert producer Joed Serrano (Photo by Kate Adajar of Random Republika)

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‘Cinta Itu Buta’ in theaters tomorrow

Legendary singer Engelbert Humperdinck

E

NGLISH singer Engelbert Humperdinck is back in town performing his greatest and classic songs tonight via a concert at New Frontier Theater. Entitled The Angel On My Shoulder, the concert is produced by former actor Joed Serrano, the show starts at 8:00 p.m..

Why Don’t We, composed of Jonah (21), Corbyn (20), Daniel (20), Zach (18), and Jack (20), all came together in 2016 after pursuing smaller solo careers.

“It’s my first time to produce a concert that caters to this kind of market, but it makes me feel so excited because Humperdinck is known for selling arenas despite his age,” Serrano told reporters in a pocket press conference.

“I am a fan of the legendary singer and

producing his concert is a dream. You know, every concert producer, like big production outfits, you wouldn’t know if the show would be a hit or not. It’s like throwing a dice in a casino, you wouldn’t know if you’re going to win but you have to take risks,” he added.

In his career that spans over six decades, Engelbert has generated sales in excess of 140 million records, including 64 gold albums and 23 platinum, four Grammy nominations, a Golden Globe, and stars on the Hollywood Walk of

The highest-grossing Filipino independent film, Kita Kita now comes with a heart-tugging Indonesian remake.

A woman who acquires temporary blindness caused by prolonged stress is about to see what love can do when a man willingly accompanies her. Cinta Itu Buta (Love is Blind) is a romancecomedy film that will remind us that love should be felt rather than be seen through the eyes.

When Jun-ho (Chae In-Woo), a local Korean, left Diah for another woman, she becomes depressed which caused her to be blind. Feeling miserable for losing both her sight and the man she loves, she locks herself in her house in Busan.

Nik, a fellow Indonesian, surprised her one day with a sumptuous meal but she simply ignores him. Undeterred, he keeps bringing her food everyday and was so persistent that Dia couldn’t ignore him anymore. Continued on C3

A scene from 'Cinta Itu Buta (Love is Blind),' the Indonesian remake of the blockbuster hit, 'Kita Kita.'