Manila Standard - 2020 June 17 - Wednesday

(StoryFINAL on A4) LOOK, 'IS INCLINED' TO SIGN IT (Story below) DUTERTE GIVES ANTI-TERROR BILL

VOL. XXXIV • NO. 113 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

MOVING FORWARD.

President Rodrigo Duterte makes a point on the community quarantines during a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on Monday night. Presidential Photo

Palace: Lockdown working

Gov’t sees ’promising signs’ to avert projected 40,000 cases by end-June

By Vito Barcelo, Willie Casas and Jimbo Gulle

COVID-19 PH

DROP BOX ENROLLMENT.

B

AT A GLANCE

Parents observe physical distancing before dropping filled-out Learner Enrollment Survey Form (LESF) into a box at the Rosauro Almario Elementary School in Tondo, Manila on Tuesday to enroll their children for school year 2020-2021.

Norman Cruz

Y KEEPING Metro Manila and other areas under a general community quarantine (GCQ), the government is hoping to avert a projection that the number of coronavirus cases in the country would reach 40,000 by the end of June, Malacañang said Tuesday.

(AS OF 4 PM JUNE 16)

26,781 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

1,103

NEW

5

DEATHS

NEW

6,552

301

RECOVERIES

Experts from the University of the Philippines (UP) arrived at the 40,000 figure—nearly double the current number of cases at 26,781 as of 4 p.m. Tuesday— based on their own study, which Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque admitted was “more or less” happening at present.

The UP experts' recommendation was taken into consideration when the government decided to keep the National Capital Region (NCR) under GCQ from June 16 to 30, Roque said on the “Unang By Vito Barcelo, Hirit” TV show on GMA-7.

Rey E. Requejo, Willie Casas This developed as the Palace said government’s effort to contain the and Francisco Tuyay spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 DESPITE mounting public opposition (COVID-19) is to the anti-terror bill, President Rodrigo

364

NEW

STORIES INSIDE

• PGH SAYS ’NOT OVERWHELMED’

Rody rechecks anti-terror bill before signing it Duterte is inclined to sign it into law, a Palace official said Tuesday.

In an interview with CNN Philippines, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the President would likely sign the bill, once it has been reviewed by the Office of the Executive Secretary and the

Department of Justice (DOJ).

Roque admitted, however, that the bill has not yet reached the President’s desk.

“He has not seen the measure or the anti-terror bill,” Roque said. “I guess that we are waiting for the final review by the Next page

• KOKO DODGES TWO ’BULLETS’ • FARMERS: PROBE ’FERTILIZER SCAM’

House to probe Remote area classes to get radios late distribution By Vito Barcelo of cash doleout

By Maricel V. Cruz

NEEDING IT MOST. Ana Amoy Taag, 92, of Brgy. Labueg, Kapangan, Benguet, receives P5,500 from Social Welfare Usec. Jose Ernesto Gaviola as officials conducted house-to-house distribution of aid to senior citizens who are most vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic. DSWD Twitter

THE House of Representatives will launch an inquiry into the confusion and delays that marred the distribution of cash and other government assistance by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, who filed a House resolution seeking an inquiry, said some of the problems in implementing the Bayanihan to Heal as One law were understandable. But he also said “there were problems in the

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said he will allocate funds for the purchase of transistor radios which will be used for poor students in far-flung areas as schools across the country shift to blended learning curriculum in August this year.

In a late Monday night public address, Duterte reiterated his order that physical

classes cannot resume unless a vaccine against COVID-19 has been made available to protect the students.

The President said that the opening of classes will proceed on Aug. 24 using a blended learning curriculum.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education announced that more than 10 million learners nationwide have registered remotely in the first two weeks Next page of the enrollment period.

Next page

• Beijing posts uptick in cases, situation ’extremely severe’

BEIJING—Beijing's coronavirus situation is "extremely severe", a city official warned Tuesday, as 27 new infections were reported in the Chinese capital from a cluster that has sparked a huge trace-and-test programme.

The coronavirus resurgence—believed

to have started at the city's sprawling Xinfadi wholesale food market—has prompted alarm as China had largely brought its outbreak under control through mass testing and draconian lockdowns Next page imposed earlier in the year.

WORLD ROUNDUP

VISIBLE BARRIERS. Plastic dividers separate customers dining in at the King Chef restaurant at the Lucky Chinatown mall in Manila after authorities allowed restaurants to open under the general community quarantine, but only up to 30 percent of their capacity and following strict health protocols. Norman Cruz

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

PGH: We’re not overwhelmed T HE Philippine General Hospital said Tuesday it is not "overwhelmed" by the increase in the number of COVID-19 patients being brought to the facility in the past few days.

to the National Task Force on COVID-19 said on Tuesday.

“I think he needs to step up. He needs also to hear the voices of the people and perhaps reflect on some other plans or measures and perhaps [organize] a very brief three-day team building and come up with a business plan for the next three months,” Tony Leachon told ABS-CBN. He also advised Duque to serve at the pleasure of Filipinos and not just at the pleasure of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Pay up, PhilHealth asked A House leader on Tuesday urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. to settle at least P18 billion in the unpaid reimbursement claims of accredited

hospitals throughout the country.

“This is very urgent because we are still facing this COVID-19 pandemic, and we all need the full operations of our hospitals with the necessary medical personnel,” Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriquez said.

“We don’t want our hospitals to close, down scale down services or lay off medical personnel because of the nonpayment of claims by PhilHeath.”

More test positive The Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday the number of Filipinos abroad who tested positive for the COVID-19 exceeded 6,000 following the reported 455 new infections.

Willie Casas and Rey Requejo

"'Yung question n’yo na overwhelmed na ba 'yung PGH, hindi naman po," PGH spokesman Jonas del Rosario told Dobol B sa News TV. "Kasi, although we offered 130 beds initially to the DOH [Department of Health], eventually we were able to really create 200 beds," Del Rosario said.

He said the highest number of

admissions at the end of April at the PGH was 172 cases. The number then further went down to 75 to 80 admissions in May. Duque asked to ‘step up’ Health Secretary Francisco Duque III should “step up” amid mounting fresh calls for him to resign over the supposed lapses in his leadership in addressing the coronavirus pandemic, the special adviser

Palace…...

Cebu City, or 61 of the 80 barangays, have active cases of COVID-19.

Thirteen of these are considered "worst-hit" barangays by the Department of Health.

Talisay City, also in Cebu province, was placed under the modified ECQ until the end of the month.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF) recommended that Metro Manila stay under a GCQ, even though half of the COVID-19 cases in the countrty are recorded in the NCR. Other areas that will be under GCQ until June 30 are Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and Santiago City in Cagayan Valley; Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Olongapo, Tarlac in Central Luzon; Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon in Calabarzon; Occidental Mindoro in Mimaropa all in Luzon; Bohol, Cebu province, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Mandaue City, and Lapu-Lapu City in the Visayas; and Davao City and Zamboanga City in Mindanao.

The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday reported a single-day record of 301 COVID-19 patients who recovered from the disease, even as total infections climbed to 26,781.

It was the sixth straight day that new recoveries have surpassed 150. Total recoveries stood at 6,552.

Of the 364 newly reported cases, 249 were “fresh”—or recorded within the last three days—while 115 were “late”—or with results released four days ago or

more.

Of the fresh cases, 128 are from Metro Manila, 56 are from Region 7 (Central Visayas), and 65 are from other regions or do not have location information.

Meanwhile, 24 of the late cases are from Metro Manila, three are from Region 7, and 88 are from other areas.

There were also five new COVIDrelated deaths reported, raising the total fatalities in the country to 1,103.

The DOH said that it removed three cases from the total number of confirmed cases after they were “verified to be negative.” One of them was initially reported to have recovered.

“The total cases reported may be subject to change as these numbers undergo constant cleaning and validation,” the DOH said in its bulletin.

The DOH started reclassifying additional cases into fresh and late cases in late May to assure the public that the spike in new patients was because of delays in validation. This was to allay fears that the government is failing to curb the spread of the virus.

The agency also started putting disclaimers in its number of new deaths, also because of the recent increase in reported fatalities. It said a large number of the recently reported deaths were from previous months as far back as April.

At a virtual press conference Monday, Health Undersecretary Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire discussed the efficacy of the government’s health initiatives and the country’s way forward with members

of the University of the Philippines’ independent COVID-19 Pandemic Response Team.

Before the ECQ was declared, the Pandemic Response Team had projected that the country would see as many of 80,000 new cases in a day, said Emmanuel Baja of the response team.

“But yesterday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines was only 539. At the start of the ECQ, the highest count was 1,000 cases in a day,” he said in Filipino.

The recovery rate has been increasing while the case fatality rate (CFR) has also been steadily decreasing. The recovery rate is currently at 22.96 percent while the CFR is at 4.24 percent. Baja said this is a good indicator that the health system was well-prepared and that health care workers are now more capable of dealing with the illness.

Baja, along with the other members of the response team such as the Executive Director of UP Resilience Institute Dr. Alfredo Mahar Lagmay and UP Executive Vice-President Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, emphasized the importance of public cooperation.

As the economy slowly begins to reopen, more people are finding themselves outside and potentially exposed to the virus. Vergeire appealed to the public to continue following the health guidelines such as physical distancing, use of masks, frequent hand washing and proper hygiene, and limiting time spent in high-risk locations.

with the bill’s implementing rules and regulations that would ensure that people’s rights are safeguarded.

He said should the bill be enacted into law, the DOJ would try to define more clearly the parameters within which the law will be implemented and enforced, “to erase any latitude for misapplication or abuse.”

But the Concerned Lawyers for Civil Liberties (CLCL), a broad network of legal academics, litigation and human rights lawyers and civil libertarians asked Guevarra and the DOJ to consider the constitutional implications of the new terror bill and recommend the veto of the bill.

“What Malacañang attempts to do with the new terror bill is overkill—when there are enough laws against terrorism,” the CLCL said in a statement.

“The current Human Security Act is already draconian and is more than sufficient to ferret, arrest and charge the Abu Sayaff and other groups considered by government as terrorists,” the group said.

It allows for surveillance, proscription, opening of bank accounts, freezing of assets, warrantless arrest of suspects and other repressive mechanisms.

There is also Republic Act No. 10168, the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act, which further imposed more draconian measures to stop supposed terrorist financing, the group added.

“There is no need for the new terror law, as far as terrorists are concerned, but Malacañang needs this law against critics and the growing number of ordinary people who protest against the failure of government to deliver relief and aid during quarantine,” the CLCL said. “They can be easily designated as terrorists or arrested without warrant and detained without charges for more than two weeks to nip these protests [and] dissent.

The group criticized provisions in the bill that would give political appointees of the President the function of a judge in issuing arrest warrants in violation of the Constitution, which states that only courts can issue warrants.

Also on Tuesday, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon challenged critics of the anti-terrorism bill to condemn the acts of the New People’s Army, the Abu Sayyaf Group and other homegrown terrorists.

“We as leaders of this country would be remiss in our duties if we failed to adopt the needed measures that would bring us at par with the international obligations aimed at combatting global terrorism in all its iterations and forms,” Esperon said.

He said instead of diminishing people’s rights, the bill strengthens them by protecting democratic institutions from violent extremists and fundamentalists while providing numerous safeguards that uphold civil liberties and protections.

Remote...

18 million low income households for two months. However, distribution for the second tranche of assistance to the beneficiaries has yet to be completed.

Cayetano’s resolution enumerates a number of issues and concerns, which may have caused the DSWD to miss several critical distribution deadlines, as well as causing the delay in the release of the second tranche of aid for beneficiaries intended for May to June.

“The DSWD arbitrarily and without consultations with the LGUs, based the number of recipients on the 2015 national census, slightly adjusted upwards. Five years have passed and certainly the population has increased since, and thus the estimate proved inadequate,” the resolution reads.

An official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday said about 4.2 million families would be prioritized in the distribution of the second tranche of the government's SAP. In a Laging Handa briefing, DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said they have identified the heads of the families that are waitlisted and were left out of the first tranche of the emergency subsidy program.

“Through our coordination with the DSWD, we have gathered the contact details and names of the heads of the households who were waitlisted and left

out. Based on our latest data, we have around 4.2 million families," he said in Filipino.

He added that they are expecting to finish the distribution of the second tranche of SAP by June 23.

“The DSWD will have a pilot distribution in Benguet in Cordillera Administrative Region, that's the start and it will continue until June 23," Malaya said.

Malaya said the cash aid will be distributed either manually or electronically.

In a manual payout, the DSWD would personally give the aid to the families who have no access to the internet to register for the automatic way of distribution, or with no bank account number and smart phones.

The second tranche of SAP will be given to the entitled beneficiaries in the following areas—National Capital Region, Central Luzon (except Aurora), Calabarzon, Benguet, Pangasinan, Iloilo Province, Cebu Province, Bacolod, Davao City, Albay Province, and Zamboanga City.

SAP, the national government’s P200-billion program, grants monthly emergency subsidy ranging from PHP5,000 to PHP8,000 to poor families affected by COVID-19 for April and May. Around P100 billion haS already been released for the first phase of SAP. With PNA

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showing promising signs of leveling off the infection rate, despite the rise of new cases, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Roque said the doubling rate for the entire country is now up to 10 days and slowed during the more than two months under a lockdown.

“Our mortality rate is also under 10 daily. So these are important details that prove that our lockdown works and since our lockdown is working, we are sure what we will do again in Cebu City and Talisay will still work,” Roque said, referring to a spike in new infections in those two cities.

While many areas have been put under less strict quarantine restrictions, Cebu City has been has reverted to an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), while Talisay has been placed under a modified ECQ. Metro Manila, which continues to record new cases, will remain under a general community quarantine (GCQ) until June 30 because its doubling time has slowed.

Placing Cebu City under the ECQ again is meant to curb the widespread transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic there, Roque said.

"If we cannot contain the spread of the disease in Cebu City, there is a big chance that this will spread in different parts of the Visayas,” Roque told reporters.

Some 76 percent of the villages in

Rody...

From A1

executive secretary and if it’s possible, if the DOJ will also have its inputs because (Chief Presidential Legal Counsel) Secretary (Salvador) Panelo has already submitted his.”

Duterte could either sign the bill into law or veto it. He could also simply let the measure lapse into law by not acting on it for 30 days.

While the measure is aimed at toughening the country’s anti-terrorism law, several human rights groups and lawmakers have expressed concern that it could be abused to crack down on dissent.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he would submit his comments on the bill by Wednesday.

“We finished our brainstorming session yesterday, examining and inter-relating with one another each and every section of the enrolled anti-terrorism bill,” Guevarra said, in a text message.

“We are drafting our comments today and will send our internal communication to the Office of the President tomorrow,” the DOJ chief added.

Guevarra said the DOJ cannot make public the results of its review, since its communication will be addressed directly to the Office of the President.

Earlier, Guevarra said theDOJ and the Anti-Terrorism Council would come up

House...

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implementation that are inexcusable.”

“There is no question that we are here to support the efforts of those agencies tasked to implement the program. But we also have to do what is right and demand accountability for the failures and delays that have plagued the distribution from the start," Cayetano said.

Cayetano earlier raised the issue in his speech before the adjournment of the First Regular Session last June 5.

This “inexcusable” delay in the distribution of aid, the resolution noted, is “contrary to the general principle espoused by President Rodrigo Duterte that the most vulnerable Filipinos shall get the resources at the fastest possible time with the least number of requirements and regulations.”

Through the resolution, Cayetano said Congress will be able to look into the DSWD’s “lengthy and complicated procedure” for the distribution of the SAP (social amelioration program) benefits, which requires a total of 30 steps and fivelayers of approval, with an estimated completion time of three weeks.

Under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act”, an emergency subsidy amounting to a minimum of P5,000 to a maximum of P8,000 per month will be provided to

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“With this development, we reiterate that we are one with the President in saying that the health of our learners is non-negotiable and no face-to-face classes will be conducted until the safety of all is assured,” it said in a statement, thanking parents and teachers “for supporting our mission of offering learning opportunities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.”

DepEd will continue to conduct remote enrollment as it opens the “drop box” system of enrollment, which will be ready starting Wednesday.

These drop box/kiosks, which could be found in barangay halls or schools, will be set-up only for picking up and droppingoff the Learner Enrollment Survey Form (LESF), the department said.

Under a blended curriculum, students have the option to choose from a modular, distance, or online learning, which will need additional equipment and resources.

To address this, the President plans to send transistor radios to remote areas in the country to aid students especially those who do not have access to the Internet.

The government, Duterte said will buy transistor radios, which cost around P300, to aid distance learning for students and teachers without access to television, cell phones, computers, and the internet.

“We will try to come up with something in the next few days. Maybe before the end of the week, I would be able to look for the money. We don’t have funds now. I would look for the money to buy transistor radios to be distributed all throughout the country,” he said.

“The radio will be given to all barangays so that the poor students will be able to have communication with their teachers,”he added.

The President agreed to the opening of classes in August, but stressed that faceto-face sessions will not be allowed until an effective vaccine against the deadly coronavirus disease is discovered.

DepEd is now coordinating with telecom companies for the free Internet and with local radio stations for the infrastructure, the Palace said.

But the department also said thousands of public school teachers lack gadgets and the internet connection needed for online classes.

A survey of about 700,000 teachers nationwide showed that 87 percent had laptops or computers at home while 13 percent had none, Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said.

Among those with gadgets, only 41 percent had an internet connection. Fortynine percent said there was an internet signal in their area but they had no connection of their own. Ten percent said they lacked both.

Pimentel wins SET case, gets probe delayed

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rey E. Requejo THE Senate Electoral Tribunal has rejected the two petitions to declare Senator Aquilino Pimentel III ineligible to run for another term in 2019.

In a decision dated June 3, 2020, the tribunal said Pimentel “was not prohibited to run and be elected for the 2019-2025 Senate term since he has yet to serve two consecutive terms in full.”

It is required that a senator has fully served two terms for a disqualification argument to stand, the tribunal says.

Meanwhile, the Justice department has deferred for the third time the preliminary investigation on the complaint filed against Pimentel for allegedly breaching quarantine protocols.

National Prosecution Service Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento says the hearing on the case must be rescheduled because the complainant, former University of Makati School of Law Dean Rico Quicho, has yet to comply with some procedural requirements.

The preliminary investigation hearing was originally scheduled on May 20 and was later moved to June 18.

Spaniard who fought cops can't come back

By Vito Barcelo THE Bureau of Immigration has banned from the country a Spaniard whose encounter with Makati City policemen went viral on social media.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente ordered the ban on Javier Salvador Parra after he failed to return to the Philippines since he left three days after the incident on April 26.

Parra had a violent altercation and eluded arrest by policemen who warned his housemaid for not wearing a face mask while outside their home in Dasmariñas Village.

"Now that he has been placed in our Immigration blacklist, he is perpetually banned from reentering the Philippines for being an undesirable alien," Morente said.

"Foreigners who disrespect our laws and persons of authority do not deserve the privilege to stay in our country.”

Morente said he issued the order against Parra "to warn other aliens that they should not flout our laws and insult our policemen."

Immigration intelligence chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. said Parra left on April 29 on a Qatar Airways flight to Doha and then to Madrid.

He said Parra was allowed to leave since no formal charges had yet been filed against him by Immigration, which was then building a case against him.

World...

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The new cases took the number of confirmed infections in Beijing over the past five days to 106, as authorities locked down almost 30 communities in the city and tested tens of thousands of people.

These more than two dozen new coronavirus cases in China and the first New Zealand infections in almost a month on Tuesday underlined the immense challenges still ahead in containing the deadly pandemic, even as some EU nations reopened their borders to fellow Europeans.

More than eight million people have now been infected with the virus worldwide since it first emerged in China late last year—with more than 435,000 deaths—and the tolls are still surging in Latin America and South Asia.

Caseloads have declined across Europe, however, and governments are keen to ease lockdowns that have saved lives but devastated economies—despite experts warning that restrictions will be required until a vaccine or effective treatment is developed.

China had eased much of its anticoronavirus measures in recent months as the government all but declared victory against the disease that emerged in Wuhan late last year.

"The epidemic situation in the capital is extremely severe," Beijing city spokesman Xu Hejian warned at a press conference.

The World Health Organization had already expressed concern about the cluster, pointing to Beijing's size and connectivity.

Officials in the city said they would test stall owners and managers at all of its food markets, restaurants and government canteens.

News Gov’t should not tax online sellers, solon says

By Maricel V. Cruz THE House of Representatives’ economist and tax guru on Tuesday said online micro-, small- and medium-sized business are the “saviors of the economy” during COVID-19 lockdowns and called on BIR and DTI to facilitate their registration and “to expect no tax and fees for now,” so that they can benefit from the economic stimulus offered by the government.

Albay Rep. Jose Clemente “Joey” Sarte Salceda, Committee on Ways and Means chair and economic stimulus cluster co-chairman, called on Department of Trade and Industry and the Bureau of Internal Revenue to encourage online MSMEs to register and become part of the formal economy “so that they can avail of the benefits that MSMEs are entitled to in upcoming stimulus programs.”

At the same time, Salceda is seeking “the widest and most liberal” implementation of exemptions under the Barangay Micro Business Enterprises Law, the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law, and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, so that online MSMEs can “become part of the country’s development without excessive burden (to their owners).”

“Online MSMEs are saviors of the economy in this time of the pandemic,” Salceda said. “In the countryside, like Albay, they are becoming the motive force of the economy in these difficult conditions.”

“They are actually very effective units for translating the programs under our economic stimulus and recovery plans into tangible growth and dynamism in the real economy. They move faster than most bigger enterprises. They require very little capital to operate. They employ even stay-at-home mothers. And they encourage people to stay at home. I can’t think of a more efficient recipient and multiplier of our supply-side interventions,” he added.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Probe ‘fertilizer scam’—CL farmers

By Rey E. Requejo

NETWORK of farmers’ groups in Central Luzon has asked the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate the allegedly overpriced P1.8 billion fertilizer supply contracts approved by the Department of Agriculture last month under an emergency stimulus program amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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According to Joseph Canlas, chairman of the Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon (AMGL), the Office of the Ombudsman may initiate on its own (motu propio) an investigation on the supply contracts in question.

“The Ombudsman has the power to ini-

tiate its own probe, motu propio, to get to the bottom of this mess,” said Canlas, who earlier urged Agriculture Secretary William Dar to rescind the questionable contract for the supply and delivery of urea fertilizers.

The AMGL leader also encouraged farmers in the areas covered by the supply

contracts to come out and testify on the alleged anomalies.

The Department of Agriculture, under its stimulus program Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat Kontra Covid-19 (ALPAS sa Covid-19), has allocated P5.69 billion for the procurement of urea fertilizer at P1,000 per bag – which is way higher than the average retail price of P850.

The DA in May issued notices of award to two suppliers amounting to P1.8 billion—to La Filipina Uy Gongco Corporation for P1.69 billion for supply contracts for Regions 4A, 6 and 3; and to Atlas Fertilizer for P96.74 million for a supply contract for Region 7.

Canlas earlier appealed to President Ro-

By Joel E. Zurbano

WARM WELCOME. The Philippine Coast Guard warmly welcomed and served more than 2,000 returning overseas Filipino Workers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) yesterday, 15 Junwe 2020.Said ROFWs from Germany, Barbados, Lebanon, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates were subjected to stringent health and security protocols at the airport. Coast Guard Photo

A CONSUMER advocacy group has asked the government to remove the bureaucratic barriers that hinder the development of digital infrastructure in the country.

“We call on the government to fully enforce the Ease of Doing Business law and permanently demolish the bureaucratic barriers in national and local levels,” CitizenWatch Philippines convenor Orlando Oxales said.

Oxales said this is all the more important because the coronavirus pandemic has sparked a rush towards a digital transformation of society.

“We have learned to embrace digital platforms as a convenient, safe, and reliable tool for business activities. Information and communications technologies have become the default tool as we are learning to adjust to a no-contact

Villar backs Du30 stand on Manila Bay reclamation SENATOR Cynthia Villar on Monday said that President Rodrigo Duterte’s repeated opposition against the Manila Bay reclamation indicates how the government remains true to its commitment to rehabilitate and protect the bay.

Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, noted that in various times during his public address briefing the people on the state of the country under quarantine, the President has said that he will not allow the Manila Bay reclamation even in the face of the urgent need to fund the COVID-19 pandemic response.

She also noted that the President has advised private individuals lobbying for these reclamation projects to wait for the next presidency.

“Going into the new normal, there are a lot of things that will have to cease to exist but I am glad the policies that will help us achieve our goals for the preservation of our biodiversity, especially the protection and the rehabilitation of Manila Bay will continue,” Villar said. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Probers in radioman killing receiving threats THE Presidential Task Force on Media Security on Tuesday expressed alarm over reports that investigator tasked to resolve the recent killing of Dumaguete City-based radio anchor Cornelio “Rex” Pepino are being subjected to serious threats and intimidation by some unscrupulous individuals in Negros Oriental.

According to PTFoMS Executive Director Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco, his office has been receiving regular updates from both the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation regarding the ongoing investigation, including reports of obstruction by some local officials and the recent harassment on agents of the bureau.

“We were informed that NBI agents who are onto the case are being surveilled and are facing grave threats. We commend both the PNP and the NBI for their efforts in unmasking the perpetrators and mastermind in the brutal killing of Mr. Pepino. We are also in close contact with the victim’s family and colleagues in the media. We cannot be cowed by anyone or anything into abandoning this probe. As I have said before, we will follow where the evidence leads us,” the PTFoMS chief said. Willie Casas

drigo Duterte to crack the whip on Agriculture officials involved in the fertilizer supply mess.

Earlier, Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) chairman Rosendo So said the supply contract for urea fertilizer was grossly disadvantageous to the government, citing the complaints of farmers who bought urea fertilizer for only P830 to P850 per bag.

“The expectation of the industry was clear. Centralization of the bidding would mean a lower or a price similar to the prevailing market price of P880 per bag. Please also note that since the bidding was a bidding of importers, the bidding price should have been much lower,” So said in his letter to Agriculture Secretary William Dar.

PAL to launch ‘distancing’ seats

Demolish bureaucratic walls, consumer group urges gov’t

IN BRIEF

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mode of interactions,” he said.

Oxales said that with the new normal, the demand for fast and reliable internet access and mobile phone services will grow exponentially as more of people integrate digital tools into their lives. “Hence, there is urgency in strengthening our digital infrastructure to provide thereach and bandwidth to efficiently serve this surge in cloud users,” he said.

CitizenWatch therefore called on the government to prioritize the strengthening of the telecommunications and digital infrastructure in both urban and rural areas to expand the reach and access to cloud-based services for the entire population. “This should be among the top priorities in the government’s recovery strategy,” the group said.

It said the first step is to demolish the bureaucratic barriers that have been causing construction delays of telco towers and other for decades.

“This is a reality that continues to impede the development of underserved areas that need these digital technologies to boost economic activities and attract investments,” CitizenWatch said.

The group asked regulators to audit and rationalize the permitting and certification requirements imposed on all telco projects and ensure that the seven-day limit on permits prescribed in the recently released Department of Information and Communication Technology Circular No. 8 on Common Tower Policy Guidelines are strictly implemented.

FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) announced on Tuesday that it would launch next month flight operations with special seats designed for physical distancing amid the coronavirus disease pandemic.

Starting July 1, 2020, all flights of PAL and PAL Express will have ‘distancing seats’, according to PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna.

Villaluna said the airline’s Premium Economy cabin class will have purely ‘distancing seats’ while the PAL/PALex Economy cabin class will have a mix of regular and ‘distancing seats’.

“You may reserve a distancing seat if you book on a Premium Economy fare or Economy Flex fare for a PAL or PALex flight scheduled July 1st onwards,” she added.

In the social distancing sections, an aisle or middle seat will be left empty in defined rows per aircraft, Villanuna said.

She also said the new product will be included in specific fare classes (Economy Flex and Premium Economy Class).

Villaluna urged air travelers to avail these seats for flights departing July 1 onwards by calling PAL’s hotline, or by visiting any PAL Ticket Office, or by contacting travel agents beginning Tuesday (June 16, 2020).

Meanwhile, PAL operated a number of international and domestic flights on Tuesday.

The international flights include PR8102 (Manila-Los Angeles-BarbadosVancouver), PR0-8117 (Vancouver -Clark-Manila), PR-8725 (BombayManila, and PR-111 (Guam-Manila).

Domestic operations in Manila include flights to and from Cebu, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Davao, Pagadian, and Tacloban.

Police nab 2 Chinese nationals who abducted fellow Chinese

By Joel E. Zurbano POLICE ar rested two Chinese nationals who abducted and detained a fellow Chinese at their condominium unit in Makati City.

Suspects Zhou Meng, 26, and Tseng Yi-Ting, 25 were arrested inside their residence at Room 3316 Lerato Tower 1, Malugay Street in Barangay Bel-Air around 9:40 p.m. Monday.

The two were responsible for the abduction and illegal detention of Ao Yuan, 29, a resident of 14H Three Central Condominium, Valero Street, also in Barangay Bel-Air. Makati City police chief investigator P/ Maj. Gideon Ines said they conducted the rescue operation after their office received “SOS” information via Chinese mobile application and reported the crime involving a female Chinese national around 9 p.m.

With the help of security personnel and other individuals at the condominium, the police operatives were able to rescue the victim who at that time was shouting for help at Unit 3316.

Police recovered four computer laptop

units, identification cards and condoms from the condominium unit.

Citing initial investigation conducted by the Makati City police station, Southern Police District spokesperson P/Maj. Jaybee Bayani said the victim owed money to her captors.

The case was the latest crime incident happened in southern Metro Manila involving Chinese nationals.

Five months ago, police arrested two Chinese nationals for killing a fellow Chinese and injuring another inside a restaurant, also in Barangay Bel-Air, Makati City.

The suspects were Yang Chao Wen, 32, and Yan Wu, 29.

The authorities arrested the two foreigners for the killing of Yin Jian Tao, 33, and injuring his companion Zheng Kai, 25, inside a VIP room of Jiang Nan Hot Pot Restaurant along Garcia Street in Barangay Bel-Air. Investigation showed that one of the suspects entered into a transaction with Yin but did not materialize. The two initially met somewhere and later at the restaurant where the victim agreed to hand over P345,000 cash for the transaction.

DISCHARGED. Patients with chronic kidney disease at Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center in Tondo,Manila were discharged after recovery from COVID-19.

According to GABMMC Director Dr. Ted Martin, all seven patients were given free hemodialysis treatment from Flora V. Valisno De Siojo Dialysis Center. JNL

REINTEGRATION. The Office of Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday afternoon delivered and distributed packed meals to at least 500 repatriated Overseas Filipino Workers arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2.

The OFWs were waiting for chartered flights that will bring them home to their respective provinces. Hontiveros is calling for an OFW reintegration plan from the government. The Senator filed Proposed Senate Resolution No. 445 which seeks to probe government plan on financial aid programs available for Filipino migrant workers and their families and to help develop a bridge program towards local employment for OFWs displaced by COVID-19.

PhilHealth extends payment deadline TO PROVIDE relief from the financial challenges as a result of the CoViD-19 pandemic, the Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth) has extended anew the deadline of payment of contributions for self-paying members until June 30, 2020, while its flexible and deferred payment scheme remain an option for Overseas Filipino Workers.

In its Advisory No. 2020-038, the Agency sets the payment extension for self-earning individuals, professional practitioners and those belonging to group enrolment schemes until June-end this year without interest. They may pay their contributions at any of its accredited collecting agents and PhilHealth local health insurance offices nationwide.

Employers in the public and private sectors have also been advised that their premium remittances for the applicable months of February, March and April 2020 can be

paid until June 22, 2020 without interest, in line with the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. They may also pay at any LHIOs and ACAs including CIS Bayad Centers and their third party agents, or through the electronic premium remittance system online.

Meanwhile, PhilHealth also issued Advisory No. 2020-037 to prescribe “rules (that) may be observed by Overseas Filipino Workers affected by the enforcement of the Universal Health Care Act”. It said that OFWs “may pay at the previous rate of P2,400 as initial payment” and are “granted one year or 12 months from the date of their initial payment to complete their balance for the year.

The Advisory clarified that “premium payment shall be voluntary (for OFWs) for the duration of the pandemic”, and that although temporarily suspended, the provisions of the UHC Law still apply pending its amendment by Congress.

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

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2020

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Moonwalk facility ordered raided

By Joel E. Zurbano

T

HE Parañaque City government, tapping law enforcement agents, is going against a medical facility in Multinational Subdivision, Barangay Moonwalk, reportedly attending to Chinese nationals with the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19).

Mayor Edwin Olivarez directed city police commander Col. Robin Sarmiento to launch an immediate operation against the establishment, following the request of residents who asked the local government to frequently inspect the village after learning that several Chinese nationals were seen frequently entering the

Manila OKs dine-in services

commercial buildings, rented homes and condo units in the gated subdivision.

Village residents suspect the establishment remains operational even after the agents of the National Bureau of Investigation - Task Force Against Illegal Drugs conducted a raid on May 29 and discovered the illegal clinic inside the facility

along Timothy Street.

Seized during the raid were boxes of dextrose, beach chairs, unregistered Chinese medicines used to treat respiratory illness, swab samples, face masks and gloves.

The authorities also arrested four Chinese nationals identified as Liang Junshai, Pingqiang Long, Yanyun Jiang, and Tang Hong Shan during the operation.

One of the arrested foreigners also got injured after trying to escape by jumping off the third floor of the building.

Sarmiento said he believed there were more underground Chinese clinics in

Paranaque because of the presence of Chinese nationals temporarily residing in the city.

The Multinational Village, five kilometers from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and nine kilometers from Villamor Air Base of the Philippine Air Force, used to be a quiet, gated residential community.

But residents said the proliferation of Philippines Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) brought a “dramatic increase” of Chinese nationals, now renting in big residential houses and condominiums in Barangays Baclaran, Tambo, and BF Homes, and in Multinational Village.

PREVENTIVE MEASURE.

People walk through a disinfection channel as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus at the entrance to the Manila City Hall on Monday. AFP

By Willie Casas THE Manila City government has started allowing dine-in services at fast-food chains and restaurants, but stressed that establishments are only allowed to operate at 30-percent capacity.

Manila City Mayor Francisco "Isko" Domagoso on Monday informed fast-food chains they could now offer dine-in services, provided they would comply with protocols set by the national government.

Bureau of Permits Director Levi Facundo warned businesses that authorities would not hesitate to shut down businesses who would refuse to comply with the government’s protocols.

Food establishments caught defying the national government’s protocols would be issued show cause orders, Facundo said. Failure to provide a valid explanation will result into the issuance of a closure order, he said.

“However, if fully validated there had been violations, the closure order would be immediately enforced,” Facundo said.

Under national government protocols, servers of restaurants should wear proper personal protective equipment such as face masks and gloves, while the restaurant's utensils should be disposable.

Facundo said that under the “new normal” in dine-in establishments, customers in a table must sit diagonally to observe physical distancing.

The management must also implement a “No Mask, No Entry” policy and regularly conduct sanitation activities in all of its facilities.

"If you are dining more than the capacity, chances are they will not get to dine in together because we have to follow a physical distancing," Facundo said.

Facundo appealed to the public for understanding and cooperation as confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country continued to rise.

"As much as possible, we ask everyone to follow strictly what is being implemented for everyone's safety," Facundo said.

"We still have to keep our guards up as always," he added.

HERBS AND VEGGIES. ARC

employees show samples of their vegetable and herb plants using recycled PET bottles as pots— part of the company’s new advocacy called ‘My Gulay Garden,’ which aims to empower employees to find ways to promote sustainability, environmental awareness, and selfsufficiency. (from left) Brand Manager Clark Lee; Marketing Head James Loverio; Corp.

HR -OD Engagement Manager Dothy Bungay; Sustainability Manager Grace Dionisio, Kaybiga Plant Operations Controller Ricardo Reyes.

QC to begin 1st phase of bike lane

By Rio N. Araja THE Quezon City government is set to begin the first phase of its bike lane network project to provide a safe place for people who have shifted to biking due to limited transportation options during the lockdown.

Mayor Joy Belmonte vowed to fast track the project to begin its implementation in July.

“We are working double time on this project so that the increasing number of bikers in our city will be able to travel safely without other vehicles running over their lanes,” she said.

The first phase would be a shortterm development to include the improvement and repair of existing bike lanes and placement of temporary and semi-permanent traffic separation devices.

The new bike lane routes have also been identified to improve route connectivity, while route signages and bike parking areas would also be included in the network.

According to Belmonte, she has asked permission from the Metro Manila Development Authority to implement the city's program along Commonwealth Avenue.

“Commonwealth Avenue is one of the major thoroughfares in our city so it is fitting to include it in our bike lane network,” she said.

The city government is also drafting an ordinance to support this bike lane program to strengthen the protection and support for the cycling community.

In 2017, Belmonte, a strong advocate of biking, pushed for the approval of SP-2636 or the Road Safety Code of Quezon City during her time as vice mayor and presiding officer of the 37-member city council.

Muntinlupa to enforce market sked

Insurer FWD donates P2m to partner groups FWD Life Insurance Corporation (FWD Insurance), part of pan-Asian FWD Group, has launched three corporate social responsibility initiatives designed to empower those in need.

In a statement, the firm said these projects aimed to help health care frontliners, farmers and informal workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as cancer patients.

“We are living in extraordinary times and at FWD, we’d like to step up for our brothers and sisters in need,” said Li Hao Zhuang, FWD Insurance President and Chief Executive Officer. “The spirit of bayanihan is alive amid the evolving COVID-19 situation and we are inspired to care and be of service by supporting our partner organizations and reaching out to communities in need.”

FWD also said in its statement that it launched in April its charity drive to aid health care frontline workers of St. Luke’s Medical Center Foundation (SLMFC).

Through this project that raised a total P1,000,000, every eligible FWD protection product bought in April generated a donation to the SLMCF to aid

in its continuing need for personal protective equipment (PPEs).

“We sincerely thank FWD for their contribution that would greatly help our medical personnel in the fight against COVID-19. The funds generated will go a long way in safeguarding our health care workers who are in the frontlines in protecting our patients who are being treated for COVID-19,” said Olivia Yao, St. Luke's Medical Center’s Vice President for Resource Development Group.

Also last April 2020, FWD Insurance reached out to farmers and informal workers displaced by the Enhanced Community Quarantine.

FWD employees held a fundraising drive for farmers and informal workers, two of the most vulnerable sectors during the ECQ, to cushion the economic burden caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

The generated funds were used to purchase produce from farmers in Cordillera and provided to families of displaced informal workers in Metro Manila as relief packs, FWD said in its statement.

In collaboration with AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation (AC Infra) and its partner charity, relief packs were also given to families residing along the

FWD-Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX).

In December 2019, FWD and AC Infra, fully-owned subsidiary of the Ayala Corporation (AC), announced their Expressway Sponsorship Program that unveiled the newly renamed FWDMCX. In February and March 2020, FWD Insurance also launched its charity drive for the benefit of the Philippine Cancer Society (PCS) and its cancer research and awareness programs.

For this cause, FWD Insurance raised a total donation of P1,214,000 from all eligible protection products sold during the program period.

Dr. Rachael Rosario, executive director of PCS, said: “It is an even greater challenge coping with cancer during the pandemic. Through FWD’s generosity, the Philippine Cancer Society will be able to give some of our underprivileged countrymen a fighting chance against cancer and support our other ongoing research and awareness programs too.

“Our heartfelt appreciation goes to FWD, as well as its advisors and customers, for their donation. “

THE local government of Muntinlupa is set to enforce a curfew and market schedule during the General Community Quarantine or GCQ and Modified General Community Quarantine or MGCQ to manage the COVID-19 situation in the city despite the relaxation of quarantine measures, officials said.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi approved City Ordinances 2020-102 and 2020103 imposing a city-wide curfew from 10:00 PM to 4:00 AM during the GCQ and MGCQ, and a market schedule regulating the operations of the Alabang Public Market, respectively.

Fresnedi said the initiative to implement a curfew and market schedule for residents was intended to limit movements and interactions in public places which are hotspots for the transmission of COVID-19.

Muntinlupa City Health Office recorded a spike in local cases during the effectivity of GCQ in Metro Manila starting June 1. The city’s confirmed cases jumped from 226 confirmed cases last May 31 to 303 confirmed cases last June 15.

As of June 15, Muntinlupa City had 303 confirmed cases with 185 recoveries, 83 active cases, 35 reported deaths, 45 suspect cases, and 324 probable cases.

The curfew period in the city shall take effect immediately. No person shall be allowed to go out of his/her respective home during the GCQ and MGCQ, except for essential travel and emergency cases.

ARC pushes urban gardening ARC Refreshments Corp. Inc (ARC) has provided immediate relief assistance to its employees, business partners and communities where its manufacturing plants operate, the company said in a press statement Tuesday.

At the same time, it also extended the same benefits to frontliners and other sectors affected by the lockdown, which went into effect on March 16, following the rise of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country.

Dubbed “Tulay ng Pangarap,” ARC’s new advocacy showcases the company’s resiliency amid the “New Normal” and highlights its environmental and sustainability efforts to solve pressing environment issues, it said in its statement.

These issues include plastic pollution, and the company has started engaging and empowering the community and key stakeholders to be part of the cause.

At the same time, ARC said it had

launched “My Gulay Garden,” which promotes the use of recycled RC Cola PET bottles as plant containers to grow vegetables in urban areas.

This urban gardening program started with ARC employees.

Butch Aves, ARC Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, said: “We are happy to announce the launch of our ‘My Gulay Garden’ project to add to our government’s call towards food security amid the pandemic.

“Since more than a month ago, we have engaged all our plants nationwide to do waste composting and vegetable gardening utilizing our recycled PET bottles.

“All our personnel are also expected to learn from our project to be able to do the same in their homes.”

Meanwhile, ARC launched a digital training to teach their employees how they could reuse and recycle plastic bottles for their urban gardening project.

Opinion Incongruous I

whom the story accused of engaging in criminal activities. The businessman filed a case against the two.

It would have been an ordinary legal issue, decided on pure merit of whether the story in substance and form violated the law against libel

After the previous weeks’ heated conversations about a bill purporting to fight terrorism, and prior to that, the closure of a popular broadcast network upon the expiration of its congressional franchise, now comes another development that makes us ask whether media organizations in the Philippines can ever aspire to be truly independent.

A Manila court on Monday convicted the executive editor and a former researcher of an online publication of cyber libel. The case stemmed from a years-old story about a businessman

That sends chills down our spine. in cyberspace. However, the online publication has been critical of the Duterte administration’s conduct of its war on illegal drugs, telling vivid stories about how the police targeted the poor. The Palace banned its reporter from covering presidential events and the President himself has

TO THE POINT

EMIL JURADO and ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses and their cronies.

All these years that the PCGG has been in existence, how much has it recovered? A dismal amount—and the worst part is that the PCGG has been losing almost all its cases against the Marcoses.

What good have these agencies done?

Recall those days when Cory Aquino appointed fiscal agents and commissioners who have been accused of taking expensive junkets, even bringing their secretaries with then.

There have been many recommendations to abolish the PCGG but I wonder what happened to those recommendations.

Another agency we can do without is the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel. Its functions, in the first place, can be taken over by the Office of the Solicitor General. This office has been surrounded by many questions especially after the ouster of Philip Jurado, who tried to go after lawyers and their corrupt practices. The Commission on Audit has in fact flagged these

Guilty VIRTUAL REALITY

TONY LOPEZ YOU are guilty of libel every time you publish the same libelous article, whether in print, online, web, email or other means, including future technology.

This is the jurisprudence set by Manila Regional Trial Court 46 Presiding Judge Reinelda H. Estacio-Montesa in her 13,800-word decision in finding Maria Angelita Ressa and Reynaldo Santos Jr. guilty of cyberlibel in the suit filed by businessman Wilfredo D. Keng, a property, retailing, and mining magnate.

Ressa is Rappler CEO and executive editor. Santos used to be a Rappler writer-researcher.

Cyberlibel is punishable from six months to six years imprisonment under Section 4 (c)(4) of Republic Act No. 10175, otherwise known as Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. RA 10175 intercalates Article 355 of the Revised

Penal Code, as amended, making libel a crime, but adds “through a computer system or any other similar means which may be devised in the future.”

Cyberlibel being a more serious offense than ordinary libel, RA 10175 has a prescriptive period of 12 years and imprisonment up to eight years.

Libel is defined as “a public and malicious imputation of a crime, or of a vice or defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status, or circumstance tending to cause the dishonor, discredit, or contempt of a natural or juridical person, or to blacken the memory of one who is dead.”

The libel stemmed from an article originally published on Rappler’s website on May 29, 2012 and updated on Feb. 19, 2014, after RA 10175 was passed.

In making the ruling, Judge Estacio-Montesa considered the update a republication of the article. “An update connotes that a change was made to the article. Said updated version was the one published and still available on the website of Rappler, Inc.,” she said, adding “the original version was replaced by the updated one considering that it is no longer accessible in the Rappler’s

Adelle Chua, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

same as hogwash and unbelievable. To them, he remains untrustworthy. Period. Their inability to trust was truly deep seated. Not to be outdone, Trump has returned the compliment with a vengeance. To him, his critics simply could not bear the fact that he won the 2016 elections at all. Thus, from Day One, distrust twinned with his winning and will hound him until the end of his term. It was tit-for-tat from then on and the country be damned.

CROSSROADS

J.A. DELA CRUZ

uttered uncharitable words against its journalists.

Administration officials like to dissociate themselves from these perceived attacks on press freedom.

They claim that our democracy continues to be vibrant—see, anybody can still say what he or she wants to say. Of course people still speak out, but they do so despite the risks of being maligned by hacks and trolls at best, and branded as terrorists or even sued for one reason or another.

The people need more acts, not words, of assurance from the government to dispel the notion that press freedom—which we fought for hard and dearly—is under attack again. What our leaders are saying and what we see them doing are simply incongruous.

That sends chills down our spine.

TRUST, defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “a firm belief in the reliability, truth or ability of someone or something,” is increasingly getting eroded these days specially between governments and the governed. This is true not only in the Philippines but globally.

The almost-total global lockdown over the past three months resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak highlighted and in fact exacerbated such distrust.

Such distrust is most apparent in America where President Trump has been having a running word war with critics on his handling of the pandemic.

With the world’s highest number of infections and deaths and with no end in sight, Trump’s lead has been variously described as irrational, insensitive, ill informed, highly partisan, egoistic and, yes, untrustworthy. Some sectors have even suggested that Trump’s whining complete with his usual lies and incendiary language was all meant to cover up for his inability to get his “wishes come true.” Indeed, the rumble over Trump’s COVID-19 responses is instructive.

Early on, he boldly proclaimed that the outbreak was not as deadly as some quarters have insisted. Trump said it was just a case of the seasonal flu and will get away sooner as summer set in.

That did not happen at all. Infections spiked, COVID-19 spread like wildfire and deaths stalked the land. Then, he came out with a number of possible cures to the disease. He touted hydroxychloroquine as one such drug and even suggested that he was already taking it himself. Then, he came out with other solutions including the use of disinfectants—only to backtrack after.

Unable to convince the critics and an increasing number of the population of his unorthodox solutions to the outbreak enveloping the land, he turned his ire at the World Health Organization (WHO) and then ending up with China as the ultimate culprit, the “end all and be all” of the ills which visited America and its citizens. It doe not help that his critics pounce at every miscue and misstep which merely exacerbates the acrimony hounding the government’s COVID- 19 response. It is no wonder America continues to be the epicenter of the outbreak as distrust polluted the air.

Thus, even as Trump’s statements are true and aligned with what he believed was in the best interest of the American people, his critics considered the

Abolish PCGG, OGCC THE Bureau of Internal Revenue’s order that online sellers must pay income tax came as a shocker to people who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic and who have just been trying to make ends meet.

Does this mean that the lowly bibingka or halo-halo seller also has to pay taxes? I was bewildered when I pondered what the BIR was thinking.

With all our problems brought by the pandemic, how could the agency be so heartless and stupid?

Two senators, Bong Go and Sherwin Gatchalian, are right in calling the BIR move untimely, coming as it did with no less than 7.3 million Filipinos who are now jobless, and 20 million going hungry.

My gulay, according to reports, Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators have not paid P70 billion in taxes. Why don’t the BIR and Pagcor (which gives them their license) go after them? Why is the government so soft on these Chinese-owned and -operated POGOs? And if the Duterte government is so much in need of funds, there are many other ways that it can raise money—for example, reorganizing the bureaucracy and abolishing useless government agencies.

I can name two government agencies that have become useless and corrupt. First is the Presidential Commission on Good Government, organized because President Cory Aquino wanted to go after the hidden

B1

The inability to trust

EDITORIAL

N A genuinely democratic society, citizens can express their sentiment about the government and its leaders, without fear of backlash or reprisal.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2020

practices. Alas, happy days are here again for the corrupt because the Office of the President listened to them and ousted Jurado instead.

(Disclosure: Philip Jurado is my nephew.) *** The conviction of Maria Ressa and her researcher-reporter at Rappler is a warning for the rest of us to be circumspect in our use of the Internet.

We may be committing libel against others. Freedom to express oneself is not absolute.

The crime of libel, in whatever means, has three elements. First, the identification of the person. Second, the imputation of a crime or anything to destroy one’s reputation. Finally, there must be malice.

And that is exactly what happened in the case of Ressa. That businessman was already libeled in 2012, and then Rappler reposted the article.

But this is not the end. They can still post bail for their freedom. I am certain this will be elevated to the higher courts. *** Three family friends have died since the lockdown. I am sad that we were not able to commiserate with their families.

First was Chinese General Hospital eye doctor, Cayetano Mangahas. The second was businessman Fred Revita. The third is Perfecto Yasay. To all their loved ones, please accept our condolences.

website. In other words, the original article published on 29 May 2012 can no longer be found. Only the 19 February 2014 version presently exists and accessible on the internet. Clearly, there was republication of the updated version of the subject article.”

The Feb. 19, 2014 updated article was headlined “CJ Using SUVs of Controversial Businessman.” With a kicker, “Shady past?”, Santos, the writer of the article wrote:

Here’s what the decision said.

“At the time we were tracing the registered owner of the Chevrolet in early 2011, we got hold of an intelligence report that detailed Keng’s past. Prepared in 2002, it described Keng as a “naturalized Filipino citizen” whose exact birthdate is unknown. In the report, he was also identified as bearing the alias “Willy,” using a surname also spelled as “Kheng.”

The report stated that Keng had been under surveillance by the National Security Council for alleged involvement in illegal activities, namely “human trafficking and drug smuggling.” He is supposedly close to lawmakers and

President Duterte is no Trump.

The subsequent ruckus over the killing of black Americans in the hands of white policemen that reignited the “Black Lives Matter” movement are simply part of that journey of distrust which will likely convulse all the way to the November elections. Whether it will recede or just fade away like the battles of 2016 remains to be seen.

What is clear is that distrust has enveloped not just public discourse but the very core values for which America has prided itself since independence that it is fraying its entire fabric as a “nation under God” and threatens its standing as the beacon of liberty, freedom and individual liberty in the world.

Sadly, America’s fraying fate is now inching towards the Philippines almost exactly as is happening in that country.

Not surprisingly, we are witnessing the methods, the language, the related arrangements and, of course, the timing meant to bring the country to a level of distrust and toxicity which, if we don’t watch out, will only bring our people more misery than we can imagine. The administration’s COVID-19 response, for example, has been derided by the critics as anti-poor, ineffective and even inconsequential.

Without offering an alternative plan the critics have also gone to town trying hard to decouple lives and livelihood, as if attending to both cannot go hand-in-hand. As if one can exist without the other. As if the response has to be sequential and in a straight line. These guys are echoing the same line as Trump’s critics. But to no avail.

President Duterte is no Trump even as he is being derided similarly as uncouth, misogynist, rambling and incoherent. In fine, unpresidential. Well, he has consistently overwhelmed the critics. Unlike Trump, Duterte’s approval and trust ratings have been on the up and up four years into his term. He has become his critics’ worst nightmare.

Full version at www.manilastandard.net

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The long and winding road to recovery

had contacts with the US embassy at the time.

The document also said Keng was involved in a murder case for which he was “never jailed.” It could be referring to the death of Manila Councilor Chika Go in 2002 where Keng had been identified as a mastermind. Go was also the architect of Keng’s Reina Regente condominium residence in Binondo, Manila.

The Rappler article quoted a 2002 Philippine Star report, saying “Keng was also accused of smuggling fake cigarettes and granting special investors residence visas to Chinese nationals for a fee. Keng has denied his involvement in this illegal transactions, saying it’s easy to get visas to the Philippines.”

Aghast, Keng sought intermediaries to convince Rappler to air his side of the story in August 2016. Keng denied the allegations. Before suing, Keng, through a lawyer, Leonard de Vera, called Marites Vitug sometime in August 2016. De Vera got PDEA certification that Keng had no derogatory drugs record. In connection with the murder of former councilor, Manila Councilor Chika Go, Keng denied his alleged involvement in human trafficking. He was neither investigated nor there is any record in any government agency of his involvement. Keng also denied allegations on cigarette smuggling and

tax evasion. De Vera pleaded with a Rappler writer-researcher, Katerina Francisco assigned by Vitug for the follow-up story, to at least publish their side if she does not want to take down the article. Francisco drafted the clarificatory article and sent it to her editors at Rappler.

Despite Keng’s numerous followups, from August 2016 to February 2017, Rappler never published Keng’s side, even at this writing, according to the judge. He thus sued for cyber libel in May 2019. Ressa and Santos did not bother to testify. At their arraignment, they pleaded neither guilty nor innocent. So the court presumed them to be innocent. Keng had numerous witnesses­—PDEA, the NBI, his lawyers, and himself.

Keng is a businessman, with interests in several companies based in the Philippines and in China, i.e., Century Peak Metals Holdings Corp., Colony Investors (SPV- AMC), Inc., Good Earth Plaza and U-Need Shopping Center, among others. The companies are involved in various industries, including mining, leasing, property development, land investment, manufacturing, production and merchandising. Some of his companies are publicly listed.

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CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

US, China to hold top-level talks W

Kong, where pro-democracy activists fear an erosion of the financial hub’s guaranteed freedoms.

And Trump is expected soon to sign into a law an act, widely supported in Congress, that would lay out sanctions against Chinese officials over alleged ATLANTA—The mayor of Atlanta abuses in the western region of Xinjiang. ordered immediate police reforms on Pompeo will hold talks with senior only that the two countries were “mainActivists and witnesses say that at Monday after the fatal shooting of a Chinese foreign policy official Yang taining communications via diplomatic least one million Uighurs and other Turblack man by a white police officer Jiechi, The South China Morning Post channels,” according to the state-run kic Muslims have been detained in a in the US city sparked further outrage said, quoting an unnamed source.

Global Times. massive brainwashing campaign. over the deaths of African-Americans Politico and CNN also reported on It will be the most senior in-person China says it is providing vocational at the hands of law enforcement. plans for the meeting. CNN said it meeting between the two nations since training to discourage Islamic extremism.

“Our police officers are to be guardwould take place at Hickam Air Force January when Vice Premier Liu He met China has recently hit back by criticizians and not warriors in our commuBase next to Pearl Harbor.

President Donald Trump at the White ing the United States over racism and nities,” Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance The State Department did not com- House to sign the first phase of a deal police brutality following widespread Bottoms told a press conference. ment on the reports. aimed at ending soaring trade tensions. protests over the killing of George Floyd Bottoms described Friday night’s Chinese foreign ministry spokesman But friction has sharply intensified -- including US police’s use of force to police shooting of 27-year-old RayZhao Lijian said that “more information since then as the Trump administration, disperse a peaceful demonstration outshard Brooks as a “murder” and said it will be given when available,” saying with Pompeo leading the charge, seeks side the White House. AFP CYAN MAGENTA “didn’t haveYELLOW to end thatBLACK way.”

“It angered me, and it saddened me Manila Standard beyond words,” the mayor said.

TODAY Brooks’s death came two-and-a-half weeks after the death of George Floyd, a black man killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis. Floyd’s May NOTICE OF THE INITIATION OF A PRELIMINARY 25 death ignited a wave of protests for SAFEGUARD MEASURES INVESTIGATION ON THE racial justice and police reform across IMPORTATION OF ALUMINUM ZINC (GL) SHEETS, the United States. It also triggered a COILS AND STRIPS FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES (SG CASE NO. SG03-2020) national soul-searching of the country’s checkered past regarding racism.

Notice is hereby given that the Department of Trade and Industry President Donald Trump is due to officially received a properly documented application from Sonic sign an executive order Tuesday to Steel Industries Inc for the initiation of a preliminary safeguard encourage “best practices” among the measures investigation on the importation of Aluminum Zinc (GL) police, but the move will likely fall sheets, coils and strips from various countries. The application alleged that the increased imports have contributed significantly short of calls for a fundamental shaketo the serious injury suffered by the local industry. up of the service.

Bottoms outlined reforms to stanThe DTI acting under Section 6 of RA 8800, the Safeguard dard operating procedures including Measures Act, has made an evaluation of the application and use of deadly force policies and a found the existence of a prima facie case that will justify the “duty to intervene” if an officer sees initiation of a preliminary safeguard measures investigation on importation of Aluminum Zinc (GL) sheets and coils from various misconduct by another policeman. countries classified under AHTN Codes 7210.61.11, 7210.61.19, “This is the beginning of a great deal 7210.61.91, 7210.61.92, 7210.61.99, 7210.69.11, 7210.69.19, of work that lies ahead of us,” she said.

7210.69.91 , 7210.69.99 and GL strips falling under AHTN Codes “It is clear that we do not have another 7212.50.19, 7212.50.23, 7212.50.24, 7212.50.29, 7212.50.93, day, another minute, another hour to 7212.50.94, 7212.50.99. The period covered by the investigation waste.”

(POI) are the years 2014 to 2018.

The mayor’s address came after Further, Rule 5.2 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) thousands of demonstrators marched of RA 8800 provides that “the Secretary when establishing that on the Georgia state capitol in Atlanta the application of a safeguard measure will be in the public to protest Brooks’s death. interest shall take into consideration the following factors; Georgia prosecutors said they were among others: (i) whether the imposition of the provisional weighing bringing charges against the measure will result in political and economic crisis: and (ii) the extent to which such imposition will cause a shortage of policeman who shot Brooks in a Wena product under consideration in the domestic market”. dy’s parking lot.

“If that shot was fired for some reaWHEREFORE, IN VIEW THEREOF, interested parties are invited son other than to save that officer’s life to submit their comments and position on the matter, including or to prevent injury to him or others, their views on whether the imposition of a safeguard measure is then that shooting is not justified under in the public interest. Submissions may be made to the Bureau of Import Services (BIS), Department of Trade and Industry, 3rd the law,” Fulton County district attorFloor, Tara Building, #389 Senator Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, ney Paul Howard said. or through electronic submission to bis_irmd@dti.gov.ph within The officer, Garrett Rolfe, was disfive (5) days from the date of publication of this notice. missed from the force, and Atlanta’s police chief resigned within hours of The Non-Confidential Report on the Initiation of a Preliminary the shooting.

Investigation can be accessed at the DTI web page: https://bit.ly/ initiation-aluminum-GL Trump described the Atlanta incident as “very disturbing.”

15 June 2020 “It’s about law and order but it’s about justice also, and it’s about safety,” he said ahead of unveiling the exMASK OF SYMPATHY. A man wears a mask during a protest against police brutality and in RAMON M. LOPEZ ecutive order on police standards.AFP support of the Black Lives Matter movement in Bogota, Colombia on June 15. AFP Secretary

ASHINGTON—US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will meet a top Chinese official in Hawaii Wednesday in the powers’ first senior-level talks since tensions skyrocketed over the coronavirus pandemic, reports said.

to blame China for COVID-19.

Trump, under fire at home over his response to the pandemic, has pointed to China’s early suppression of news of the virus when it emerged in the metropolis of Wuhan.

Pompeo has sought to popularize a theory, discounted by most mainstream scientists, that the virus came from a laboratory in Wuhan -- not a market that butchered exotic animals, as widely believed.

While Trump has described Chinese President Xi Jinping in friendly terms, his administration has increasingly cast the Asian power as an enemy, with candidates from his Republican Party running advertisements harshly critical of Beijing ahead of November elections.

The Trump administration has also taken measures in response to China’s push for a new security law in Hong

After another ‘black’ shooting, Atlanta mayor eyes reforms

MS (JUNE 17, 2020)

IN BRIEF NOTICE OF THE INITIATION OF A PRELIMINARY SAFEGUARD MEASURES INVESTIGATION ON THE IMPORTATION OF GALVANIZED IRON (GI) SHEETS, COILS AND STRIPS FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES (SG CASE NO. SG02-2020) Notice is hereby given that the Department of Trade and Industry officially received a properly documented application from Puyat Steel Corporation for the initiation of a preliminary safeguard measures investigation on the importation of galvanized iron (GI) sheets, coils and strips from various countries. The application alleged that the increased imports have contributed significantly to the serious injury suffered by the local industry.

The DTI acting under Section 6 of RA 8800, the Safeguard Measures Act, has made an evaluation of the application and found the existence of a prima facie case that will justify the initiation of a preliminary safeguard measures investigation on importation of galvanized iron (GI) sheets, coils and strips from various countries classified under AHTN Codes 7210.41.11, 7210.41.19, 7210.41.91, 7210.41.99, 7210.49.91, 7210.49.99 as well as Gl Strips falling under AHTN Codes 7212.30.12, 7212.30.13, 7212.30.19 and 7212.30.99. The period covered by the investigation (POI) are the years 2014 to 2018.

Further, Rule 5.2 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 8800 provides that “the Secretary when establishing that the application of a safeguard measure will be in the public interest shall take into consideration the following factors; among others: (i) whether the imposition of the provisional measure will result in political and economic crisis: and (ii) the extent to which such imposition will cause a shortage of a product under consideration in the domestic market”.

WHEREFORE, IN VIEW THEREOF, interested parties are invited to submit their comments and position on the matter, including their views on whether the imposition of a safeguard measure is in the public interest. Submissions may be made to the Bureau of Import Services (BIS), Department of Trade and Industry, 3rd Floor, Tara Building, #389 Senator Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, or through electronic submission to bis_irmd@dti.gov.ph within five (5) days from the date of publication of this notice.

The Non-Confidential Report on the Initiation of a Preliminary Investigation can be accessed at the DTI web page: https://bit.ly/ initiation-GI-sheets 15 June 2020

Nokor army ‘fully ready’ vs. Seoul NOTICE OF THE INITIATION OF A PREUMINARY SAFEGUARD MEASURES INVESTIGATION ON THE IMPORTATION OF PREPAINTED GALVANIZED IRON (PPGI) AND PREPAINTED ALUMINUM ZINC (PPGL) FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES (SG CASE NO. SG04-2020) Notice is hereby given that the Department of Trade and Industry officially received a properly documented application from the steel industry represented by Puyat Steel Corporation and Sonic Steel Industries Inc. for the initiation of a preliminary safeguard measures investigation on the importation of Prepainted Galvanized Iron (PPGI) and Prepainted Aluminum Zinc (PPGL) including other coated products and painted strips from various countries. The application alleged that the increased imports have contributed significantly to the serious injury suffered by the local industry.

The DTI acting under Section 6 of RA 8800, the Safeguard Measures Act, has made an evaluation of the application and found the existence of a prima facie case that will justify the initiation of a preliminary safeguard measures investigation on importation of PPGI and PPGL from various countries classified under AHTN Codes 7210.70.11, 7210.70.19, 7210.70.90, 7210.70.91, 7210.70.99 including other coated products falling under AHTN Codes 7210.90.10, 7210.90.90 and painted strips falling under AHTN Codes 7212.40.11, 7212.40.12, 7212.40.19, 7212.40.91, 7212.40.92, 7212.40.99. The period covered by the investigation (POI) are the years 2014 to 2018.

Further, Rule 5.2 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 8800 provides that “the Secretary when establishing that the application of a safeguard measure will be in the public interest shall take into consideration the following factors; among others: (i) whether the imposition of the provisional measure will result in political and economic crisis: and (ii) the extent to which such imposition will cause a shortage of a product under consideration in the domestic market”.

WHEREFORE, IN VIEW THEREOF, interested parties are invited to submit their comments and position on the matter, including their views on whether the imposition of a safeguard measure is in the public interest. Submissions may be made to the Bureau of Import Services (BIS), Department of Trade and Industry, 3rd Floor, Tara Building, #389 Senator Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, or through electronic submission to bis_irmd@dti.gov.ph within five (5) days from the date of publication of this notice.

The Non-Confidential Report on the Initiation of a Preliminary Investigation can be accessed at the DTI web page: https://bit.ly/ initiation-PPGI 15 June 2020

RAMON M. LOPEZ Secretary MS (JUNE 17, 2020)

RAMON M. LOPEZ Secretary MS (JUNE 17, 2020)

SEOUL—North Korea’s army is “fully ready” to take action against the South, state media said Tuesday in the latest verbal saber-rattling from Pyongyang, days after its leader’s sister threatened military moves against Seoul.

Since early June, North Korea has issued a series of vitriolic condemnations of the South over activists sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets over the border—something defectors do on a regular basis.

Last week, it announced it was severing all official communication links with South Korea.

The leaflets­—usually attached to hot air balloons or floated in bottles —criticize North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over human rights abuses and his nuclear ambitions.

Analysts say Pyongyang may be seeking to manufacture a crisis to increase pressure on Seoul while nuclear negotiations with Washington are at a standstill.

The General Staff of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) said on Tuesday that inter-Korean relations were worsening, and it had been studying an “action plan” to “turn the front line into a fortress”.

That included re-entering areas that had been demilitarized under an inter-Korean agreement, it added.

South Korean reports said that could mean reintroducing guard posts near the heavily fortified border, which the two Koreas agreed to scrap in 2018 to defuse tension.

The North Korean army will also plan to carry out “large-scale leaflet scattering” into the South, the statement said.AFP

Landmark LGBT ruling by US top court WASHINGTON—The US Supreme Court delivered a landmark victory for the gay and transgender communities Monday when it ruled that employers cannot discriminate against workers because of their sexual orientation.

In a blow to the administration of President Donald Trump, the court ruled by six votes to three that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlaws discrimination against employees because of a person’s sex, also covers sexual orientation and transgender status.

“Today we must decide whether someone can be fired simply for being homosexual or transgender,” the court said. “The answer is clear.”

Gerald Bostock, one of the plaintiffs, said he was in “shock.”

“But trust me when I say my heart is just full, I am so excited and happy,” he said.

“No one has to be fearful going to work, fearful that they could lose their job because of who they are, who they love or how they identify,” Bostock said, though he noted there was still “a lot of work to be done.”

Trump’s administration had effectively thrown in its lot with employers, but the president later Monday called the ruling “very powerful.”

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights activists, as well as Democratic politicians and several major businesses, had been demanding that the court spell out that the community was protected by the law.

“This is a huge victory for LGBTQ equality,” said James Esseks, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBTQ & HIV Project. AFP

Business

B3

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2020 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks bounce back; GT Capital up HE stock market rallied Tuesday on bargain hunting led by blue chip issues, after global losses suffered Monday following news of a spike in new cases in Beijing, Florida, Texas and Tokyo, among other places.

T

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index jumped 117.93 points, or 1.9 percent, to 6,281.75 on a value turnover of nearly P7 billion. Gainers overwhelmed losers, 141 to 54, with 46 issues unchanged.

Merrymart Consumer Corp., the fast-rising supermarket chain owned by businessman Edgar Sia II, surged 50 percent for the second straight day to P2.25 from a initial public offering price of P1.

GT Capital Holdings Inc. of the Ty Group advanced 6.3 percent to P491, while Alli-

ance Global Group Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan climbed 5.6 percent to P7.29.

Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-biggest lender in terms of assets, rose 4.3 percent to P71.

Asian and European equities also shot higher Tuesday as growing fears about a possible second wave of infections was overshadowed by the US Federal Reserve’s launch of a massive program to support Main Street businesses hit by the virus lockdown.

The rally across the region helped

wipe out most of the losses suffered Monday.

Investors were also taking heart from reports the US is eyeing a huge infrastructure stimulus as well as the easing of lockdowns around the world, with several European countries opening their borders and British shops trading again.

But the main driver of the gains was the Fed’s Main Street Lending Program and an emergency lifeline under which the Fed will buy up to $750 billion in corporate bonds.

The announcement saw all three main indexes on Wall Street reverse early losses to end well up, and the gains filtered through to Asia.

Tokyo soared almost five percent, getting an extra boost from a Bank of Japan move to ramp up aid for firms struggling

with virus fallout.

Seoul surged more than five percent and Sydney almost four percent, while Hong Kong jumped 2.4 percent and Shanghai more than one percent.

Mumbai and Taipei were also more than one percent up, Jakarta 3.2 percent higher and Bangkok 2.5 percent up. Wellington edged up 0.8 percent.

The Fed several times in recent weeks was on the verge of rolling out the Main Street scheme, but held off as it expanded the criteria to reach more struggling companies.

The plan is part of a massive financial backstop put in place by the bank to protect the economy from the worst of the virus crisis. The government has also pledged trillions of dollars in stimulus support. AFP

PSEi June 16, 2020 TOP GAINERS

TOP LOSERS

More readers are paying for online news but trust low PARIS―Increasing numbers of readers are paying for online news around the world even if the level of trust in the media in general remains very low, according to a report published Tuesday.

Around 20 percent of Americans questioned said they subscribed to an online news provider (up four points over the previous year) and 42 percent of Norwegians (up eight points), along with 13 percent of the Dutch (up three points), compared with 10 percent in France and Germany.

But between a third and a half of all news subscriptions go to just a few major media organizations, such as the New York Times, according to the annual Digital News Report by the Reuters Institute.

Some readers, however, are also beginning to take out more than one subscription, paying for a local or specialist title in addition to a national news source, the study’s authors said.

But a large proportion of internet users say nothing could convince them to pay for online news, around 40 percent in the United States and 50 percent in Britain.

YouGov conducted the online surveys of 40 countries for the Reuters Institute in January, with 2,000 respondents in each.

Further surveys were carried out in six countries in April to analyze the initial effects from COVID-19.

The health crisis brought a revival of interest in television news―with the audience rising five percent on average―establishing itself as the main source of information along with online media.

Conversely, newspaper circulation was hard-hit by coronavirus lockdown measures.

The survey found trust in news had fallen to its lowest level since the first report in 2012, with just 38 percent saying they trusted most news most of the time.

However, confidence in the news media varied considerably by country, ranging from 56 percent in Finland and Portugal to 23 percent in France and 21 percent in South Korea. AFP

MOST ACTIVE

WINDOW SHOPPING. A worker cleans the windows of Topshop on Oxford Street in London on June 16, 2020. Various stores and outdoor attractions in England opened on June 15 for the first time in nearly three months, as the government continues to ease its coronavirus lockdown. British unemployment claims soared close to three million and the number of workers on payrolls sank more than 600,000 in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown, official data showed on June 16. AFP

Aviation sector to hold back oil recovery—IEA PARIS, France―Demand for petrol and diesel is set to heal by the end of the year but the coronavirus crisis is likely to leave scars on the airline industry and the oil market, the International Energy Agency said on Tuesday.

The IEA continued to upgrade its forecasts for the oil market in its latest monthly report as more countries ease lockdown measures that have pushed the world economy into its greatest crisis since the Great Depression.

It now expects 2020 oil demand to come in at 91.7 million barrels per day, a drop of 8.1 mbd from last year. That is an improvement on its May estimate an 8.6 mbd reduction and the April estimate of a 9.3 mbd drop.

The IEA noted that year-on-year consumption figures have been rising steadily since “Black April” when the lockdown measures were at their peak.

The 21.8 mbd drop in April was pared to an estimated 18.6 mbd reduction in May. The drop is expected to narrow to 12.9 mbd in June and 7.4 mbd in July.

The Paris-based IEA pointed to a number of encouraging signs of a recovery.

“For demand, increased mobility indicators in the March-May period provided support: in particular, China’s strong exit from lockdown measures has seen demand in April almost back to year-ago levels,” it said.

It also noted a strong rebound in India in May, although demand was still well below last year’s level.

“In the second half of the year the easing of lockdown measures in many countries should provide a boost,” it said.

The IEA released its first forecasts for 2021, when it sees demand rising by 5.7 mbd “as activity begins to return to normal across vast swathes of the economy.”

That will bring global oil demand back up to 97.4 mbd, which it noted will still be 2.4 mbd below the 2019 level, which it said “is largely explained by the dire situation of the aviation sector.”

The IEA estimated that demand for jet fuel and kerosene will fall by 62 percent in the second quarter from the same time last year, and only slowly recover as air travel is likely to be held back by restrictions and lower demand until a

vaccine is found.

“Unlike gasoline and diesel, which are likely to recover to close to pre-crisis levels by the end of 2020, the outlook for jet fuel is more uncertain,” it said.

The IEA said the industry would continue to be a drag on oil demand through 2021, estimating that after falling by 3 mbd this year, demand for jet fuel and kerosene will rise by only 1 mbd in 2021.

On the supply side, the IEA says global oil production is set to tumble by a massive 7.2 mbd this year and will only rise by 1.8 mbd next year if OPEC and its allies respect their pledges to cut output.

While oil prices have recovered considerably, with the main US contract WTI going from negative at one point to flirting with $40 per barrel, it noted that this price was not sufficient for a significant rebound in US production, where shale oil output had contributed to global oversupply in recent years.

The IEA also noted that large stocks, including in the United States where they are at record levels, means there is little room for producers to sell to refineries in the short term. AFP

Europe reopens borders, but virus looms large in Latin America

By Dave Clark with Jung Xuan Teng BRUSSELS, Belgium―A raft of EU nations reopened their borders to fellow Europeans Monday, but a new coronavirus outbreak in China and surging death tolls in the Americas underlined the bleak struggles still ahead in the pandemic.

More than eight million people have now been infected with the virus worldwide since it emerged in China late last year, and more than 435,000 have died, according to an AFP count based on official figures.

The virus is surging in Latin America and the Caribbean, where the death toll passed 80,000―the majority in Brazil, which has the second-highest number of infections and deaths in the world, after the United States.

Iran, India and Saudi Arabia have also reported worrying increases in deaths and infections, adding to concern the world still faces a long fight against COVID-19.

‘It’s been five months’ Caseloads have declined recently

Workers dismantle the fence on Trg Evrope (Europe’s Square) in Nova Gorica, Slovenia on June 15, 2020, as the border between Slovenia and Italy reopens after a monthslong closure aimed at stemming the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus. AFP

across many parts of Europe, and governments are keen to ease lockdowns that have saved lives but devastated economies and taken a psychological and emotional toll.

Belgium, France, Germany and

Greece were among the countries that lifted border restrictions Monday. In Spain, a planeload of German tourists flew to the Balearic islands in an experimental pilot project.

The European Union launched an

app, “Re-open EU”―available in 24 languages―to help travelers find out which EU countries they can enter.

At Brussels Zaventem airport, Joy Kamel, a student traveling to join her father in France, waited to board a flight to Marseille.

“It’s been five months since I’ve seen him,” she told AFP. “I’m in the middle of an exam, but since I’m taking them online, I might as well take advantage.”

In England, shops and outdoor attractions welcomed their first customers since March.

Britain, which has the highest virus toll in Europe, is anxious to get back to work after figures last week showed the economy shrank by one-fifth in April.

In Paris, cafes and restaurants were allowed to fully reopen after three months of lockdown, catching up with the rest of France.

“The question now is whether clients will come back,” said Albert Aidan, manager at L’Ami Georges, in the heart of Paris. AFP

Global foreign investments to plunge by 40% GENEVA, Switzerland—Global foreign direct investment flows are likely to plunge by 40 percent this year due to the coronavirus crisis, the UN said Tuesday, with worse expected in 2021.

FDI will shrivel from its 2019 value of $1.54 trillion to below $1 trillion for the first time since 2005, said the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

FDI—a measure of cross-border private sector investments—is forecast to decrease by a further five to 10 percent in 2021 and only start a recovery in 2022, UNCTAD said in its World Investment Report 2020.

“The global economy is in a direr situation than it was during the 2008 financial crisis,” UNCTAD secretarygeneral Mukhisa Kituyi told reporters.

“The pandemic represents a supply, demand, and policy shock for FDI.” Kituyi said the economic impact of COVID-19 would hit developing countries hard, with disruptions to major productive sectors and industries, declining remittances and receipts from tourism and contracting world trade.

“The shock will be further compounded by the impact on food security as production of major food items is concentrated in a few big countries where the pandemic is expanding,” he said.

“Managing the disease is only part of the persistent challenges facing developing economies.”

In Asia, the pandemic is expected to precipitate a fall in reinvested earnings of foreign affiliates in the region, while the crisis has underscored the significance of China and other Asian economies as global production hubs.

Meanwhile all 32 landlocked lessdeveloped countries were struggling with the economic impact of the pandemic on FDI flows—particularly with border closures, the report said.

Those countries cannot turn to direct sea transport—the mode that carries an estimated 80 percent of global trade, said UNCTAD. “As we saw in the past, international investment played a lead role in recovery from global financial crises,” said James Zhan, UNCTAD’s director of investment and enterprise.AFP

PSE INDEX CLOSING Tuesday, June 16, 2020

117.93 points

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES

968,672,134 100,899

TOTAL VALUE 6,986,603,333.91 ADVANCES 141

6,281.75

DECLINES 54 UNCHANGED 46

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.2930

Japan

Yen

0.009314

0.4684

UK

Pound

1.261900

63.4647

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.129027

6.4892

Switzerland

Franc

1.053963

53.0070

Canada

Dollar

0.737518

37.0920

Singapore

Dollar

0.719217

36.1716

Australia

Dollar

0.691500

34.7776

Bahrain

Dinar

2.651113

133.332

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266560

13.4061

Brunei

Dollar

0.716640

36.0420

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000071

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.032144

1.6166

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.6934

Euro

Euro

1.132700

56.9669

Korea

Won

0.000828

0.0416

China

Yuan

0.141068

7.0947

India

Rupee

0.013166

0.6622

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.233836

11.7603

New Zealand

Dollar

0.647200

32.5496

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033753

1.6975

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

B4

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2020

Business PH improves competitiveness ranking to 45th out of 63 nations

By Othel V. Campos

Source: BSP

IN BRIEF Pilipinas Shell plans recovery strategy PILIPINAS Shell Petroleum Corp. said the Philippines remains an important market for the group even as operations were severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic in the first quarter.

“Although Pilipinas Shell’s first-quarter results this year were impacted and the pace of economy uncertain, our recovery strategy are in place for all lines of business. Coupled with our strong track record, Pilipinas Shell is poised to seize opportunities and positioned for success,” Pilipinas Shell chairman Min Yih Tan said during the annual virtual stockholders’ meeting.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic created a crisis with unparalleled proportions in health and economy and demand and pricing were disrupted in all sectors including energy.

Tan said he was optimistic of Pilipinas Shell’s businesses operations. Pilipinas Shell is the country’s second largest oil company with a 110,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Batangas.

The company shut down its refinery for one month starting June 24 as part of cash conservation amid low demand and low oil prices.

“We are in a robust standing not only to deal with the market volatility but also are ready to support the country’s growth as it enters the new normal,” he said. Alena Mae S. Flores

GMA Network’s profit increases 14% to P2.63b GMA Network Inc. said Tuesday net income rose 14 percent in 2019 to P2.63 billion from higher political advocacies and traditional advertisements.

The broadcasting network told the stock exchange last year’s profit increased from P2.32 billion in 2018 as consolidated revenues improved 8 percent to P16.49 billion from P15.23 billion.

GMA said advertising revenues reached P15.17 billion last year, up 10 percent from P13.83 billion in 2018. “Most airtime-revenue generating platforms surpassed prior year’s top-line performance with the boost from this year’s political advocacies and advertisements,” the company said.

Advertising revenues from online platforms also contributed to this year’s incremental sales.

Total consolidated operating expenses for 2019 amounted to P12.76 billion, or 6 percent higher than P11.99 billion in 2018.

Darwin G. Amojelar

PEZA investments sank 31.6% in May

NEWLY-APPROVED investments in economic zones declined 31.6 percent in May to P29.54 billion from P43.22 billion in the same month last year.

Philippine Economic Zone Authority director-general Charito Plaza in a virtual briefing cited the persistent fears of investors to move on with programmed expansion and even with new projects because of ambiguous laws on taxes and incentives.

“We want to avoid the closing down of companies in the country, or the reduction of their work forces which will lead to job loss for our people. We want to enhance our local manufacturing capabilities so that we will be able to complete our local supply chain amidst the pandemic and recovery from global crisis,” she said.

Among the investments approved by the PEZA board in May were 10 projects on export manufacturing, nine IT projects, two facilities providers, one logistics service provider and four economic zone developers.

Othel V. Campos

MERRYMART’S DEBUT. MerryMart Consumer Corp. debuts on The Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. as the first initial public offering for 2020. MM raised P1.59 billion from the offering, which will be used by the company for its capital expenditures, store network expansion and investment in distribution centers. Attending the listing ceremony are (from left) Philippine Chamber of Commerce president Ambassador Benedicto Yujuico and PSE director Eusebio Tanco; MM chairman and chief executive Edgar Sia II; Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III; PSE president and chief executive Ramon Monzon and PSE director Edgardo Lacson; MM president and chie operating officer Ferdinand Sia; Philippine National Bank president and chief executive Jose Arnulfo Veloso; and PSE director Emmanuel Bautista.

PH, Japan sign P75.5-b loans for infra projects T

By Julito G. Rada

he Philippines and Japan signed on Tuesday two loan agreements worth a combined P75.5 billion (about 154 billion yen) for two big-ticket projects in Visayas and Mindanao under the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program as the Duterte administration ramps up infrastructure investments to help the country recover quickly from the coronavirus-induced global economic crisis.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Japan International Cooperation Agency chief representative Eigo Azukizawa signed the agreements for the P57-billion (119 billion yen) loan to support the construction of the Cebu-Mactan Fourth Bridge and the Coastal Road Construction project in the Visayas and the supplemental financing of P18.5 billion (35 billion yen) for the Davao City Bypass Construction Project.

MORE vows to end Iloilo power outages with modern system

By Alena Mae S. Flores

VIRTUAL MEETING. BDO Unibank holds its virtual annual stockholders’ meeting on June 16 with board members led by chairperson Teresita Sy-Coson (third from left), observing proper social distancing and wearing protective face masks. From left are corporate secretary Edmundo Tan, vice chairman Jesus Jacinto Jr., president and chief executive Nestor Tan and head of corporate planning and investor relations Luis Reyes Jr. BDO posted earnings of P44.4 billion in 2019 and P8.8 billion in the first quarter of 2020 on the back of strong core income sources.

ICTSI raises $400m from sale of 10-year notes amid strong international demand

By Darwin G. Amojelar PORT operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. said Tuesday it raised $400 million to refinance and extend debt maturity and support expansion plans.

The company led by businessman Enrique Razon said it sold $400-million, 10-year senior unsecured notes in its return to the debt market after completing a fixed-for-life perpetual capital securities transaction in January 2018.

The notes were priced with a fixed coupon of 4.750 percent per annum, payable on a semi-annual basis and a price of 99.607 to yield 4.800 percent.

“This transaction is in line with our focus on prudent balance sheet management, which allows us to sustainably execute on our business strategies and increase ICTSI’s resilience particularly in this time of economic disruption,” ICTSI senior vice president and chief financial officer Rafael Consing said.

The company said net proceeds from the issuance would be used to refinance and extend the maturity of ICTSI’s liabilities and for general corporate pur-

“Given the challenging circumstances, these projects bring more support to our economic recovery well beyond their nominal value,” Dominguez said after the signing of the loan agreements at the Department of Finance office in Manila.

The approval of the two loans was fast-tracked through high-level consultations between the Philippines and Japan.

Azukizawa said the loan agreements were signed even amid the global crisis triggered by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

“In a broader sense, I hope that these projects will also contribute to the economic recovery of the country amidst the COVID-19 pandemic as we fully support your government’s pronouncement that restarting and accelerating the ‘Build, Build, Build’ program should be one of many strategies for reviving the Philippine economy,” Azukizawa said.

The signing was witnessed by Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koji Haneda and Public Works Secretary Mark Villar.

The loans for these projects carry highly concessional lending terms of 0.10 percent (a tenth of 1 percent) interest rate per year for non-consulting services and 0.01 percent (a hundredth of a percent) for consulting services, with a maturity period of 40 years inclusive of a 12-year grace period.

THE Philippines improved its ranking by one place in the 2020 World Competitiveness Yearbook to 45th among 63 countries from 46th in 2019.

It moved up the rankings this year, buoyed by an increase in international trade and steady performance in the labor market. The Philippines last year climbed four spots from its 2018 rank.

The report said the Philippines remained at 13th place out of 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The WCY has been published by the International Institute of Management Development since 1989 with the AIM Rizalino S. Navarro Policy Center for Competitiveness as its Philippine partner, supplying data from national sources and helping distribute the executive opinion survey.

The WCY evaluates competitiveness using 337 criteria spread across four competitiveness factors: economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency and infrastructure.

About two-thirds of the indicators are based on hard data, while the remaining are perceptions-based indicators derived from an executive opinion survey.

Competitiveness is defined by the WCY as “ability of a nation to create and maintain an environment that sustains more value creation for its enterprises and more prosperity for its people”.

This year’s results reflect the immediate impacts the US-China trade friction in 2019 and the shifts in executive opinion that may have been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic as captured by the executive survey that ran from February to April 2020.

The full impact of the pandemic on macroeconomic factors were not yet captured in the results since the latest statistical data used in the study were from 2019.

Despite moving up one spot in the overall ranking, the Philippines did not improve in any of the four main factors or dimensions of competitiveness when taken individually. Economic performance declined by six notches from 38th to 44th; government efficiency went down one spot from 41st to 42nd; and business efficiency declined from 32nd to 33rd.

poses.

Citigroup, Credit Suisse and J.P. Morgan acted as joint lead managers and joint bookrunners for the offering.

ICTSI said the offering attracted strong demand from a wide array of accounts and pricing was compressed 45 basis points from initial marketing to final pricing levels. Demand allocable at final pricing was in excess of $1.85 billion from over 111 accounts, equivalent to order book oversubscription of over 4.6 times.

ICTSI said the notes were widely distributed with fund and asset managers allocated about 65 percent of the offering; banks and private banks, 21 percent; and insurance and pension funds, 14 percent.

By geography, Asia, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and offshore US investors took about 80 percent, 19 percent and 1 percent, respectively.

ICTSI is currently involved in 31 container terminal facilities in 18 countries worldwide, with a focus on origin and destination and gateway ports in emerging and frontier markets.

SM Prime declares dividend of P0.185 a share

By Jenniffer B. Austria PROPERTY developer SM Prime Holdings Inc. said Tuesday it reduced its dividend payout to a 13-year low as a part of a cash conservation strategy to remain financially flexible amid the coronavirus pandemic.

SM Prime said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the board of directors approved the declaration of cash dividends of P0.185 per share in favor of stockholders of record as of June 30, 2020, payable on or before July 14, 2020.

The cash dividend, with a total value of P5.34 billion, represents 15 percent of the company’s P38.1-billion net income in 2019. The dividend per share is the lowest since June 2007 when SM Prime paid P0.1725 a share and lower than last year’s record payout of P0.35 a share.

“This is both an extraordinary and challenging time for each of us,” SM Prime President Jeffrey Lim said.

“The company is taking all the necessary steps to ensure the well-being of our employees and society. While we maintain a strong balance sheet, the company has decided to prioritize financial flexibility to prepare for what has yet to come.

Management sees it best to conserve our resources as we strive to strike a balance between protecting the interest of our stakeholders and maintaining a sustainable growth trajectory for the company over the long-term,” Lim said.

SM Prime remains optimistic about an eventual recovery in consumer spending, owing to the resilience of the Filipino people.

Meanwhile, the company said its financial position would allow it to carry on with the planned expansion in the second half of 2020 moving forward.

The property developer earlier said the P80-billion planned capital expenditures for 2020 remained intact for the year as it focuses on nearly completed projects that are seen to bring about sustainable returns.

SM Prime said it would continue to explore opportunistic acquisitions and/or investments that are well within its core competencies.

SM Prime, through SM Foundation, has supported various government and nongovernment organizations to contain the spread of the virus including medical tools and equipment to hospitals and front-liners nationwide and food aid to communities hardly hit by the enhanced community quarantine.

MORE Electric and Power Corp., a company led by businessman Enrique Razon, said the power outages in Iloilo City it inherited from the old utility Panay Electric Co. will be gone soon as its P1.8-billion three-year modernization program is already underway.

MORE chief operating officer and president Roel Castro said part of the company’s modernization program is the installation of a looping system of the 69-kilovolt sub-transmission facility to provide backup power supply whenever preventive maintenance and repairs are conducted on any of the five substations around the city.

Castro said unscheduled and unannounced power outages could be attributed to the combination of high pilferage and unreliability of the old equipment.

“But we assure our consumers of immediate response to these unexpected brownouts so we can hasten the restoration of supply,” he said.

Castro said MORE replaced more than 130 transformers installed by PECO that were in danger of exploding or bursting into fire from high temperature because they were either too old or not subjected to maintenance operations.

MORE also replaced over 100 rotting wooden electric poles with concrete ones to protect the system and the public from falling poles, the official said.

The new Iloilo City distribution utility started its upgrade of the dilapidated facilities and equipment of the city’s distribution system as soon as it took over its operations in February last year.

MORE completed the repairs of the Jaro, City Proper and La Paz substations while the remaining two substations will undergo the same works in

Hallasgo back in training after quarantine SOUTHEAST Asian Games marathon champion Christine Hallasgo is back in training in Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

After spending two weeks in quarantine, the 27-year-old Hallasgo is slowly going back to outdoor training.

“Kat at apos ko lang ng quaranti ne. Plano ko bu mali k sa t rai ni ng,” said Hallasgo i n an i nter view.

She is being guided online by his coach Eduardo Buenavista on how to restart her efforts on endurance activities.

Hallasgo went through an ordeal in going back home in Bukidnon.

She was supposed to return home on March 16, a day after the enhanced Luzon-wide lockdown was imposed.

That was when she got stranded after being unable to get a flight from the Clark International Airport in Pampanga.

Luckily, the Philippine Sports Commission found out about her situation and provided her a place to stay at Philsports facilities in Pasig.

And that was until she was able to get a flight back home, to be with her family, her husband Wilmer and daughter Tricia Mae. Her home is far from the city proper, which is the reason why Hallasgo feels that she can train safely and on her own.

“Unti unti lang ako na nagsisimula ulit. Dalawang linggo din ako natigil,” added Hallasgo.

Hallasgo is best remembered for snatching the marathon crown from Mary Joy Tabal during the Southeast Asian Games and the Milo national championship.

She is being groomed by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association to join Olympic qualifiers when quarantine protocols have been lifted throughout the country. Peter Atencio

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

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 , 2020

Tab suspended for 3 games, fined P75,000 A

MERICAN-NEW ZEALANDER coach Tab Baldwin was fined P75,000 and slapped a three-game suspension by the Philippine Basketball Association for his comments deemed “detrimental” to the league.

The Commissioner’s Office of the PBA, headed by Willie Marcial, handed the penalties to Baldwin, an assistant coach of the Talk ‘N Text KaTropa, after hearing his side via a conference call on Monday.

Baldwin, who is also project director of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and coach of the Ateneo Blue Eagles, said sor-

ry to Marcial after attracting controversy for his comments during the “Coaches Unfiltered” podcast on Thursday.

His comments during the podcast angered the PBA Commissioner, coach Yeng Guiao, San Miguel Corporation’s sports director Alfrancis Chua and the Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines.

During the conference call that was

also participated in by deputy commissioner Eric Castro and league legal counsel Melvin Mendoza, Baldwin apologized and said his remarks were “taken out of context.”

“I feel bad that (this) has happened but that is not my intention,” said the former Gilas coach.

During the podcast, Baldwin responded to a question on “what surprised me when I first came to the Philippines.”

He snapped at the PBA for its flawed format, saying its single import conference is a “big mistake.”

He also alleged that the imports enjoy an advantage in calls from the game officials, adding that PBA coaches are ‘tactically immature’.

Team Lakay members reveal favorite heroes THE modern-day protagonists of combat sports in Team Lakay look back on real life heroes in the commemoration of the Philippines’ 122nd year of independence.

On 12 June, the country celebrated Independence Day, and the biggest stars of ONE Championship pay tribute to our national heroes.

“Andres Bonifacio is my hero—he’s courageous, he’s a warrior, and he started the revolution for the freedom of the Philippines,” former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon said.

“He wasn’t just behind the scenes and pulling the strings, he was on the front line of the revolution. Bonifacio became a hero by fighting for the freedom of our country.

As an athlete, I try to honor him.”

Former ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio looks highly on a certain diminutive general who stood against the Americans in the Philippine–American war of the late 1800s.

“My favorite hero is Gregorio Del Pilar. I found this hero great in terms of his strategies and brilliant moves on the field of battle,” he said.

“I honor him with my way of fighting.

I make sure to have a strategy, the capability to adapt and adjust in every situation during competition, and to make

Christine Hallasgo is best remembered for snatching the marathon crown in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (above) from champion and favorite Mary Joy Tabal.

Sports

By Peter Atencio

Members of Team Lakay

sure to bring a brilliant game plan to overcome my opponent.”

Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, on the other hand, does not have one specific hero in mind, but when it comes to the revolution, he believes collaboration works.

“I thought Dr. Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio complimented each other really well,” Folayang said.

“It only boosted the feeling of patriotism for the country. Jose Rizal was an intellectual and Andres Bonifacio was more on the application. I honor them

by doing my part in representing my country well and to inspire others.”

To commemorate the Philippine Independence Day, ONE Championship has released exclusive merchandise donning the country’s colors. Check out ONE.SHOP for the fresh drops.

Cowboys, Texans players contract COVID-19 LOS ANGELES—Ezekiel Elliott was one of several players from the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans who have recently tested positive for COVID-19, US reports said on Monday.

The NFL Network quoted Cowboys star Elliott’s agent as saying that the running back was “feeling good” despite the positive test.

The Cowboys declined to confirm the report citing player confidentiality rules.

“Due to federal and local privacy laws, we are unable to provide information regarding the personal health of any of our employees,” the team said in a statement.

None of the players who had recently tested positive had been in their team’s facilities.

Although NFL coaches have been allowed to return to team facilities, players remain barred from reporting for duty.

Instead players will be required to work in “virtual programs” through June 26 rather than

in-person mini camps.

The NFL and its players union are in talks to determine protocols for creating a safe reopening of training camps, which is expected to come next month ahead of September’s scheduled start of the 2020 season.

In the NHL, an unidentified Boston Bruins player tested positive for COVID-19 as part of the NHL’s return to play plan, but has since tested negative twice, the club said Friday.

The Bruins, who had the NHL’s best record when the season was shut down by the pandemic on March 12, said the positive test was returned as part of required tests before players could use NHL team facilities for workouts, a period that began Monday.

“The player underwent two subsequent tests, and both returned negative,” the team said in a statement. “The player remains asymptomatic.”

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said the

player who tested positive has not been at the team facility.

The team said all players who have returned have returned negative COVID-19 test results, and it will continue to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines as well as NHL return protocols.

The player is the first known Bruins player to test positive for the virus.

Training camps are scheduled to open July 10 as the next stage of the NHL’s return, provided medical safety conditions allow and the league and players union have reached a deal to resume games.

The NHL plans to have 24 teams return with a chance to win the Stanley Cup, eight top clubs playing each other to determine seedings while the bottom 16 meet in eight playoff qualifying series.

Boston would be among the trophy favorites after getting 44 wins and 100 points from 70 games. AFP

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Tab Baldwin

“And the reason is they aren’t given the regulatory advantages by the referees that they’re given here. So in other words, put it in layman’s terms, a foul for a PBA player for a local player isn’t a foul on an import, and the foul of an import, that same foul on a local player isn’t a foul.

So our local players are competitively disadvantaged in their ability to compete against the import players, and this is not the case in other countries,” said Baldwin during the podcast.

Despite the penalties he incurred with the PBA, Baldwin still enjoys the support of Ateneo Blue Eagles and his PBA team.

The Eagles are looking forward to three more titles during his time with the team.

UAAP wants full calendar of events for Season 83

LOS ANGELES—Sports footwear giant Reebok has decided to endon its ORGANIZERS are keen partnership with CrossFit Inc. later holding a full calendar of events this year following should Season 83 ofantheinsensitive Univercomment by the fitness organizasity Athletic Association of the tion’s chief executive concerning Philippines happen in the first protests against racial injustice roilquarter of 2021. ing the US. League officials said thisit iswould posReebok said Sunday sible since the situation make the move once it involving fulfils its efforts tocontract control obligation the spread of current as the the coronavirus pandemic should have title sponsor for the 2020 CrossFit eased by that time.

Games.

“We’re looking at abeen full in calendar.

“Recently, we have discusBut when it will start, we have to look sions regarding a new agreement, at what theingovernment says,” said outhowever, light of recent events, we have theEm decision to end our going made president Fernandez of Seapartnership with CrossFit HQ,” Reeson 82 host Ateneo de Manila. bok said in a statement Fernandez, along withSunday. league comCrossFitAtty. chief Greg missioner Reboexecutive Saguisag talked Glassman tweeted, “It’s about the league’s state of FLOYD-19” affairs duron afteronline the Institute ing Saturday yesterday’s session for of Health Metrics and Evaluation clasthe weekly Philippine Sportswritsified racism andForum. discrimination as a ers Association public health issue.

League officials said they are still Humanforrights groups from expressed waiting advisories the outrage at the tweet, calling it insengovernment and the Interagency sitive to the current events and the Task Force for Emerging death of George Floyd, a Infectious black man Diseases on when it will beonpossible who died in police custody May 25 to have physical Minnesota. outdoor activities. in Minneapolis, So far, to officer Fernandez, Floyd wasaccording killed when Derek they have been advised by the PhilipChauvin, who is white, kneeled on his pine Sports Commission that it will neck for nearly nine minutes. notChauvin be possible have events likewith the hasto been charged UAAP until December second-degree murder2020. and manThe league still other not able to slaughter, whileisthree officers finalize dateswith of abetting calendarmurof have beenthe charged der and manslaughter. activities, considering the numerReebok and protocols CrossFit previously ous quarantine currently signed a deal that named the athletic being imposed. footwear company as president the title sponsor Incoming league Emfor the CrossFit Games. manuel “Nonong” Calanog of Seaaffiliates CrossFit MagsonOther 83 host De Lalike Salle University nus cut calendar ties with the will also soondecided discussto the of Washington, DC-based fitness activities in the comingglobal months. organization.

“Normalcy in the schools will “After eight years as a CrossFit take precedent.

So, kung normal affiliate we are ending our affiliana ang pasok, which means ontion,” CrossFit Magnus spokesman line or face towrote face, in normal magNick Hurndon a social mestart ang schoolyear.

Then, we dia post. can talkwill about UAAPcontinue sports,” “We no longer to added your Fer nandez.

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2020

US Open to go ahead as planned N EW YORK—The US Open tennis tournament is to go ahead as planned pending formal government approval, the New York Times reported on Monday.

The Times cited four tennis officials speaking on condition of anonymity as saying that the Grand Slam event would take place in its usual late August-September slot.

The status of the tournament has been mired in uncertainty for weeks as New York battles the coronavirus, while a number of top players have expressed doubts about playing in the tournament.

The Times report said the tournament would take place at Flushing Meadows without fans from August 31 to September 13 after receiving support

from the ATP and WTA Tours.

The US Tennis Association is expected to announce the decision later this week, the Times reported.

Forbes magazine also reported that the Open would take place as scheduled, with a decision expected “soon”.

The proposed plans for the tournament had been met with widespread reservations amongst leading players in international tennis, with world number one Novak Djokovic the most outspoken critic.

Under proposed safety protocols,

US Open players would be confined to a hotel outside of Manhattan and would only be allowed to bring one member of their entourage to the event.

Singles qualifying would be eliminated while the doubles tournaments would be reduced from 64 pairings to just 24.

“This is the world we are living in,” USTA’s director of player relations Eric Butorac told ATP and WTA players during a conference call last week.

“We believe this is a good plan and believe it is good for the sport. It’s good for the tennis economy, creates jobs for you, for coaches, for commentators, for so many people.”

Djokovic however said the proposed safety measures and restrictions on the numbers of support staff

were problematical.

“We would not have access to Manhattan, we would have to sleep in hotels at the airport, to be tested twice or three times per week,” Djokovic said.

“Also, we could bring one person to the club, which is really impossible.

“I mean, you need your coach, then a fitness trainer, then a physiotherapist.”

Djokovic’s misgivings were shared by defending men’s singles champion Rafael Nadal, who would be chasing a 20th Grand Slam title at Flushing.

Nadal, the world number two, said earlier this month that he would not play in New York if the tournament was taking place now.

The 34-year-old says tennis should not resume until it is “completely safe” for all competitors. AFP

PGA meet in August to go ahead without fans LOS ANGELES—The PGA Championship will be held in August but without fans, after California health officials on Monday gave the green light to the first major championship of 2020, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The tournament scheduled for August 6-9 in San Francisco had hoped to attract up to 40,000 fans a day at Harding Park golf course but that was before the USPGA Tour was shutdown because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The PGA Championship, which is run by the PGA of America, was originally scheduled to take place in May. Harding Park last held a PGA event in 2015 and has never hosted a major championship. Construction on grandstands were already underway when the Tour was shutdown in March at the Players Championship.

Brooks Koepka will defend his title at Harding Park, where he’ll look to become the first player to win three straight PGA Championships since Walter Hagen won four in a row from 1924-27.

The PGA cancelled 11 tournaments and revised its remaining schedule, finally resuming last week with no spectators at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

Daniel Berger parred the first extra hole to beat Collin Morikawa in a playoff as the Tour made a muted return from the pandemic in Fort Worth, Texas. The next four events of the restart will also be played without spectators.

The first tournament to have fans will be The Memorial, July 16-19 in Dublin, Ohio. Officials are planning for up to 8,000 fans per day at Muirfield Village.

After the Charles Schwab, the PGA Tour will feature the RBC Heritage (June 18-21) in Hilton Head, South Carolina; the Travelers Championship (June 25-28) in Cromwell, Connecticut; and the Rocket Mortgage Classic (July 2-5) in Detroit, Michigan.

The US Open is rescheduled for September 17-20 in New York.

Meanwhile, LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan said he felt “pretty sure” the Women’s British Open could go ahead in August despite France’s Evian Championship becoming the first women’s golf major to be lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. AFP

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his shot from the 18th tee during the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. McIlroy is still the bookmakers’ favourite for the second PGA Tour event after the three-month coronavirus hiatus, though it will again be almost impossible to pick who will come out on top. AFP

Rory’s run ends, but he’s still favorite HONG KONG—Top-level golf continues its return from its coronavirus shutdown Thursday with the US PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage behind closed doors at Hilton Head.

AFP Sport looks at three talking points after golf’s successful resumption at last week’s Charles Schwab Challenge, won by Daniel Berger.

- McIlroy streak over For the first time in almost a year world number one Rory McIlroy will tee up on Thursday in South Carolina without the momentum of a top-five finish behind him.

The Northern Irishman’s final-round 74 at Colonial on Sunday, including a disastrous front-nine 41, saw him finish T32 to break a US PGA Tour consecutive top-five streak going all the way back to August 2019 when he finished T19 at the BMW Championship.

McIlroy is still the bookmakers’ favourite for the second PGA Tour event after the three-month coronavirus hiatus, though it will again be almost impossible to pick who will come out on top.

As at the Charles Schwab, the world’s top five will all play in a field that features no fewer than 114 PGA Tour win-

ners in an elite, 154-player field.

Bryson’s big hit Bryson DeChambeau’s post-quarantine, bulked-up body drew plenty of comment at Colonial Country Club, but the transformation paid off for the maverick American who pocketed a cheque for $367,000 after finishing a stroke behind Berger.

Remarks about world number 12 DeChambeau beefy physique turned to gasps as he launched drives into uncharted territory.

“I’ve put on about 20 pounds (9kg) (during shutdown) and about 45 pounds (20kg) in the last nine months,” said the 26-year-old.

“My ultimate goal is to get as strong as I can, applying some force and speed to the swing to see what it can handle.”

DeChambeau led the field in driving distance, often bombing 350 yard-plus (320 metres) monsters.

That prompted a call from Colin Montgomerie for “tournament balls for professionals” to limit tour players.

“To see him carrying 330 yards in the air, this is getting unreal,” said Montgomerie on BBC Radio.

“Something has to be done or these classic courses cannot be used,” said the

56-year-old Scot, who won the European Tour’s Order of Merit eight times.

“There were only four holes on which Bryson was more than 100 yards away for his approach. It’s now brute force and a sand wedge.”

Rankings wrangle Berger’s win on Sunday saw the American rocket to 31st in the world from 107th.

While it was a well-earned reward for beating a star-stacked field and battling back from a career-threatening wrist injury, the decision to unfreeze the Official Golf World Rankings has left a bitter taste for some.

The European Tour is unable to restart until July and the Asian Tour will be idle until mid-September, meaning US-based players have an unfair advantage.

Former number one Lee Westwood has dropped a couple of places to 33rd in the new rankings released Monday, while fellow Englishman Eddie Pepperell was the biggest casualty in the top 100, falling six to 71st while watching at home on TV. “By the time I restart I’m going to be outside the top 100 and 80 yards behind Bryson (DeChambeau),” tweeted Pepperell. AFP

Not fade away: Venus Williams still dreaming at 40 years old LOS ANGELES—When Venus Williams first stepped onto a tennis court in Oakland for her professional debut in 1994, the Rolling Stones were playing a concert next door at a neighbouring stadium.

Twenty-six years later, Williams, like Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, is in no mood to simply fade away.

The trailblazing American star celebrates her 40th birthday on Wednesday with the tennis season on pause amid the coronavirus crisis which has decimated the calendar.

The former world number one, however, says there is no prospect of her quietly drawing a line under a career which has yielded seven Grand Slam singles titles, four Olympic gold medals and dozens of tournament wins.

So, despite the march of time and a recent record of futility—her last singles title came in a WTA Tour event in Taiwan in 2016 - Williams won’t be hanging up her racquet just yet.

“You always have to have dreams, so I keep having them,” Williams told the Tennis Majors website in an interview earlier this month, revealing that she still wants to challenge for the French and Australian Opens, the two Grand Slams that have eluded her.

“I would like to win Roland Garros. I was not far from it. The same goes for the Australian Open: I was unlucky, I always missed it a little,” Williams said.

Dreams of completing a career “Golden Slam” are likely to remain elusive though.

While sister Serena has kept pocketing Grand Slams regularly, it is 12 years since Venus won her last Slam, when she triumphed at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships.

And Venus though knows that the clock is ticking.

“I probably won’t be playing as long as what I have already played,” she says. “We’ll see how I feel. I still love winning as much, but when it’s over, it’s over.”

Highs and lows Williams has never been big on admitting defeat however, a hallmark of her early days under the tutelage of father Richard Williams, who drummed into his daughters the maxim that “the ball is never out”—an exhortation to chase down every ball.

When Williams does finally call it quits, tennis will bid farewell to one of the greatest players in its history.

And even though advances in sports science are increasingly stretching the boundaries of longevity for modern athletes, few players today are likely to match her achievement of a professional career that has spanned four different decades.

By now the broad brushstrokes of Williams career are part of tennis lore: the upbringing in the gritty Los Angeles suburb of Compton, the rivalry with younger sister Serena, who has 23 Grand Slam titles to Venus’s seven, the successful comeback after being diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, an auto-immune disease whose symptoms include joint pain and fatigue.

“I’ve had great moments, I’ve been on the top, I’ve been on the bottom, I’ve been down and out—I’ve done it all and I’ve been equally as happy during all of it,” Williams says.

The final years of Williams career have coincided with the emergence of a young crop of African-American tennis players, including Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, Taylor Townsend and Coco Gauff. AFP

Premier League braces for return after virus shutdown LONDON—The Premier League returns on Wednesday after 100 days in the deep freeze, with Liverpool on the brink of winning the title in a radically changed football universe.

The English top flight follows Germany’s Bundesliga and La Liga in Spain in rebooting their seasons after the coronavirus lockdown, aiming to cram 92 games into six weeks of breathless action.

Aston Villa kick off against Sheffield United, to be followed later on Wednesday by Manchester City v Arsenal, before a cascade of matches.

Despite vocal complaints from some clubs and stars including Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling, “Project Restart” has largely gone smoothly, with regular testing of players and staff yielding few positives.

But when Villa and Sheffield United kick off, the watching world will be confronted with a jarring spectacle, with an eerie silence in the usually noisy stands.

Piping crowd chants into stadiums, card-

board cut-outs of supporters and live video fan walls will add colour but it will be impossible to mimic the usual vibrant atmosphere.

In total, about 300 people will be allowed in stadiums for each match, with strict health protocols in place.

There will be widespread disinfection of changing facilities, dugouts, matchballs, goalposts, corner flags and substitution boards.

People other than players and coaching staff on team benches must wear face coverings.

The games themselves will look different.

Players have been told to maintain social-distancing during goal celebrations and encouraged not to spit.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admits players will have to find motivation without the urgency provided by fans.

“The game is different,” he said in his pre-match press conference on Monday.

“The intensity drops a little bit. That urgency from the crowd doesn’t exist any more,

how passionate the crowds are in England.

We have to adapt.

“We have to experience it. We have to find ways to motivate our players as well in moments.”

But Aston Villa manager Dean Smith said his players were desperate to return, talking about the honour of playing the first game.

“The eyes of the world will be on us and we are looking forward to it,” he said. “The players have been itching to get back.”

Muted celebrations The hectic fixture list, warm summer temperatures and a lack of preparation time could lead to more injuries, so world governing body FIFA has given the green light for five substitutions per match.

Some believe that unfairly helps teams with bigger squads. Villa’s Smith said he was not in favour of the change.

Following the recent death of George Floyd, killed by a white police officer in the United States, the Black Lives Matter cause will also be visible. AFP

The Premier league trophy sits beside the pitch ahead of the English Premier League football match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester City at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton. From cardboard cut-outs in the stands to Zoom-watch parties, the return of the Premier League will be a bizarre experience for locked-out supporters. AFP

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2020 ||

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Life

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

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FASHION AND BEAUTY

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2020

Serum for stressed skin STRENGTH IN, STRESS OUT. The ultra lightweight Vital Skin-Strengthening Super Serum from Kiehl’s is formulated to effectively penetrate the skin to help strengthen its barrier that serves as defense against skin aging stressors such as pollution.

By Bernadette Lunas

T

HERE are two types of people when it comes to skin care: one who diligently follows a routine and another who can’t be bothered with one, let alone a multi-step regimen.

But if daily stressors have adversely affected the skin, as they do, according to experts, American cosmetics brand Kiehl’s makes a case for getting a little help.

“Stressors accelerate aging process resulting in damaged skin barrier,” said Yricka Dela Peña, Kiehl’s Philippines education manager.

The brand brings to the Philippines its new Vital Skin-Strengthening Super Serum, an ultra lightweight serum that harnesses the power of a highly absorbent hyaluronic acid and a blend of adaptogens (natural substances that help

the body adjust to stress) to strengthen skin barrier.

Available in this new release is Kiehl’s 11kDa (kilodalton) Hyaluronic Acid, “our smallest form of hyaluronic acid,” which the brand says can penetrate up to eight skin layers owing to its small size. High absorption means better skin hydration than other hyaluronic acids.

Complementing the 11kDA Hyaluronic Acid are three adaptogenic herbs that help fight the effects of skin aging stressors such as lack of sleep, toxins, pollution, UV rays, diet, and work envi-

ronment. Adaptogens are traditionally used in Chinese, Korean, and Ayurvedic medicine.

The potent Adaptogenic Herbal Complex consists of holy basil whose ursolic acid and rosmarinic acid help neutralize skin-damaging free radicals; red ginseng root which helps stimulate essential resurfacing skin cells with the help of its ginsenosides; and Schisandra berry, rich in schisandrins responsible for reinforcing skin resiliency and elasticity.

Why does a strong skin barrier matter?

Dela Peña explained during the product launch held via Skype that a strong skin barrier “defends the skin from stressors as well as improves appearance.”

In the brand’s four-week clinical study involving 58 subjects living in urban and polluted environments, it

found that the Vital Skin-Strengthening Super Serum improved skin texture by 41 percent, boosted skin radiance by up to 29 percent, improved resilience by 38 percent, and reduced fine lines by 27 percent.

Due to its formulation, the new product is best applied as a pre-serum, preceding serum and moisturizer. Kiehl’s recommended order of application: cleanser, toner, eye cream, pre-serum, serum, facial oil, moisturizer, and sun screen (for day time).

Explaining the order of the regimen, in which eye cream, which usually has thicker consistency, comes first, Dela Peña told Manila Standard it is because the pre-serum must not be applied on the skin in the eye area.

In addition, she said, “eye creams can be applied anytime in the regimen.”

According to Gracinha Arceo, the brand’s senior product manager, the Vital Skin-Strengthening is ideal for those who want to maintain the appearance of their skin and has no other concerns such as dark spots and acne among others. It’s recommended for users aged 18 to 45 years old.

“Think of it like a multivitamin product that can complement any of our serums,” said Dela Peña.

Since it is a multi-benefit serum, it can either be used to upgrade a skin care routine—especially of those exposed to stressful factors—or used as it is for those who have no other skin concerns and prefer a simple regimen.

“It’s your basic serum,” said Dela Peña.

Kiehl’s Vital Skin-Strengthening Super Serum is now available in stores for P3,200 (30ml).

FATHER’S DAY GIFT GUIDE

Keep dad well-groomed KEEP the man of the house clean and smelling great with a set of grooming kit made for dedicated dads and modern men. Nivea Men’s latest Deep range is a complete grooming system powered by black carbon, a powerful anti-bacterial agent that provides deep cleansing and protection.

Bannering the range is Nivea Men Deep Deodorant (150ml spray and 50ml roll-on formats), which provides long-lasting perfume-like fragrance and reliable 48-hour protection from sweat and odor. It comes in three distinct fragrances, namely Original (elegant dark wood scent), Espresso (sensual mix of espresso ristretto and cedar), and Amazonia (refreshing rainforest scent).

Also part of the range is Nivea Men Deep Face Wash (100g) made to clear away impurities while providing 12-hour oil control and a cooling sensation; Deep Shampoo (250ml) that cleanses the hair and removes excess grease; and Deep Shower Gel (250ml) whose microfine clay cleanses and protects the skin from drying out.

Dad hasn’t gone to the barber yet? Help him keep his hair from blocking his face, or suggest a new look using Blackwater Loose Flow Hair Wax.

Shower gel, deo spray, and face wash from Nivea Men Deep range.

Perfumes and hair wax from Blackwater.

Better still, help him get a confidence boost, without breaking the bank, on his special day and beyond with Blackwater perfume, whose price starts at P120.

The aforementioned products and more are available at the brands’ Lazada and Shopee pages.

Montblanc’s (clockwise from left) MB 01 wireless over-ear headphones in black, Nightflight envelope bag, Meisterstück fountain pen, and 1858 Geosphere in blue calfskin.

Spoil your papa GERMAN luxury brand Montblanc offers a variety of ways to make dad feel truly special.

The 1858 line features sporty vintage timepieces inspired by the trend for reconnecting to nature. Design and product codes take their inspiration from Minerva 1920s and 30s military chronographs.

The brand’s first smart MB 01 wireless overear headphones are made of fine materials and feature active noise cancelling technology.

For the man who values quality, Meisterstück is a symbol for high quality luxury writing with

its nib that is hand-sculpted from precious 14K or 18K gold bands by master craftsmen.

The envelope bag from My Montblanc Nightflight line, meanwhile, offers a roomy compartment for personal belongings. It features several interior and exterior pockets, one of which is equipped with Montblanc shield technology (RFID-blocking lining). It can be personalized with initials embossed on the black, blue, or red name tags included with the bag.

Montblanc is available at rustans.com.