Manila Standard - 2021 November 24 - Wednesday

Chinese still ‘harass’ PH boats Supply mission arrives at Ayungin with China Coast Guard close-by

By Maricel V. Cruz, Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

D

EFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has protested the continued “intimidation and harassment” of China Coast Guard (CCG) ships on two Philippine boats that successfully brought food and supplies to Filipino soldiers stationed at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea on Tuesday.

Pag-Asa Is. gets fresh supplies too

THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) sent fishing gear In a statement released Tuesday, the Coast Guard said and basic supplies to Pag-Asa Island in Kalayaan, Pala- they turned over the supplies to the local government of wan over the weekend despite recent tensions with Chi- Kalayaan Island Group.

Next page na Coast Guard ships.

SUPPLIES SAFE. In this photo handout from the Department of Defense, two civilian resupply boats manned by the Philippine Navy arrive at the BRP Sierra Madre in the Ayungin Shoal at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, despite being tailed and photographed by China Coast Guard forces. DND Photo

2,827,820 1,153

18,721

47,482

195

2,761,617

2,182

(As of 4 PM, NOVEMBER 23)

VOL. XXXV • NO. 282 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

In a statement, Lorenzana said he already communicated to Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian the actions done by the CCG. He said that a China Coast Guard vessel was present near Ayungin Shoal at the time the supply boats reached the shoal and took photos and videos of the operation (see related story – Editors).

“There was a Chinese Coast Guard ship in the vicinity which sent a rubber boat with three persons near the [BRP] Sierra Madre while our boats were unloading and took photos and videos,” Lorenzana said.

“We consider these acts as a form of intimidation and harassment,” he added.

Before the supply boats left Palawan on Monday, Lorenzana said the Chinese envoy had promised him that the CCG would no longer intimidate the Filipino soldiers, so long as their vessels would not be escorted by the military.

The Philippines adhered to the condition, as Philippine Air Force aircraft were flown to monitor the supply boats, while Philippine Coast Guard ships sailed near Pag-asa Island to enNext page

RODY: NO FACING ‘WHITE’ JUDGES NEWS / A3

Bongbong submits to drug test, files negative results with PDEA

By Vito Barcelo, Rey E. Requejo do Federal ng Pilipinas, made the statement after President Rodrigo Duterte and Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENTIAL candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday said he took a cocaine test and submitted the result showing he tested negative for illegal drugs to concerned law enforcement agencies.

Marcos, standard-bearer of the Parti-

earlier said a presidential candidate is using cocaine, a prohibited drug.

The Chief Executive also described the candidate aspiring for the country’s top post as a weak leader and a spoiled brat.

“I really don’t feel that I am the one

Next page

BUSY RODY. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (second from right) joins (from left)

Senator Christopher Go, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Director General Jim Sydiongco in inspecting the newly expanded General Santos Airport in General Santos City on Tuesday. Earlier, the President joined other leaders from in the virtual plenary session of the ASEAN-China Special Summit (inset). Presidential Photo

Vax for children aged below 12 available soon TEST PROOF. Lawyer Vic Rodriguez, spokesman of former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., holds up the drug test results of the presidential candidate that he submitted to anti-drug authorities on Tuesday.

Fake deliveries tricked VP, solons

By Rio N. Araja and Macon using her name for delivery of goods.

She said she was victimized by a Ramos-Araneta scammer who delivered goods for VICE President and presidential as- cash on delivery worth P100,000.

This emerged as two opposition pirant Leni Robredo cautioned on Next page Tuesday the public against scammers

By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta

Gov’t vows to uphold free press THE Duterte administration will continue upholding press freedom, Malacañang said Tuesday, as the country marked the 12th year of the infamous Maguindanao massacre.

In a Palace press briefing, Cabinet Secretary and Acting Presidential

Spokesperson Karlo Nograles pointed out it was during the current administration where key members of the powerful Ampatuan clan were found guilty of the 2009 massacre that left 58 persons, including 32 journalists, dead.

Next page

COVID-19 vaccine doses for children aged 11 and below might be available in the country by the end of the year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Tuesday.

“I’m pretty sure Pfizer-BioNtech is going to be there by the end of the year,” said FDA chief Eric Domingo during a Palace briefing.

“We are also waiting on Sinovac to submit their data [for a COVID-19

Next page

Comelec to check health rules violations in campaign Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez, in a television interview Tuesday, THE Commission on Elections (Come- said the monitoring systems would be lec) will devise a plan to monitor cam- at the local level.

“As far as our campaign rules are paign activities that violate health proconcerned, we will have a monitortocols amid the coronavirus pandemic.

By Rio N. Araja

ing system at the city and municipality level, we will be able to guard that,” he said.

But Jimenez admitted their authority in implementing rules and regulations Next page

FOR THE DEPARTED. Members and officials of the National Press Club offer prayers at the Ampatuan Massacre marker in front of the NPC compound in Manila on Tuesday on the 12th anniversary of the gruesome massacre, which killed 32 journalists. Danny Pata

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2021

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News

Poll official, COA chief to vie for SC A

N ELECTION commissioner handling a petition against presidential contender Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the outgoing Commission on Audit chief, and eight others are vying for a Supreme Court associate justice post.

face shield whose expiration dates were altered, and alleged non-payment of taxes by Pharmally and its executives despite purchasing luxury vehicles.

President Rodrigo Duterte had criticized COA for the releasing audit reports, but Aguinaldo clarified the claim of overpriced contracts did not come from them.

Kho, Duterte’s fraternity brother and a graduate of San Beda College of Law, placed 10th in the 1991 Bar Examinations. He had his own private practice and taught in the law schools of Arellano, San Beda and De La Salle University before he was appointed as undersecretary of the Department of Justice in 2016 by the President.

Kho hails from Zamboanga. He withdrew from an earlier bid to replace

retired justice Edgardo delos Santos.

Aguinaldo graduated in 3rd place from the Ateneo Law School in 1992 and placed 7th in the Bar Exams that same year.

He has a master’s degree in law from the University of Michigan and taught in Ateneo and other universities before joining the law firm of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.

Aguinaldo went on to become a partner at the Romulo Mabanta Law Office.

He was then appointed deputy executive secretary for legal affairs during the previous administration.

For the Supreme Court post, he was nominated by retired Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin.

2016 Arbitral Award in the international community.”

“These past years have witnessed how China converted Philippine seas and fishing grounds into military installations, how China bullied and threatened Filipino fisherfolk out of their own fishing grounds, and how China openly plundered or destroyed the country’s maritime resources,” the Makabayan group said.

“The government’s cowardly stance and failure to uphold the country’s own valid and rightful claims in these waters have further emboldened China to conduct itself like an imperial hooligan in the Philippines’ own territory,” it added.

The Chinese government claimed the Philippine vessels “trespassed” and so Chinese forces just did their job to protect Chinese territory.

Addressing the ASEAN-China summit, President Rodrigo Duterte branded China’s action as abhorrent, saying the incident “does not speak well of the relations between our nations and our partnership.”

Senator Panfilo Lacson said he is “thankful” that President Rodrigo Duterte issued a “very strong” statement against the Chinese vessels blocking and using water cannons on Philippine supply boats.

“Even if belatedly said, it’s better it was mentioned in a venue where ASEAN leaders were listening. No matter how late, it’s still good that the President issued a strong statement, at least to awaken not just China, but other stronger allies,” Lacson said.

Lacson said on top of filing diplo-

matic protests, the government should be more assertive.

Lacson also urged scientists and researchers to go to Pag-Asa Island and other areas in the West Philippine Sea to pursue their maritime studies and unearth the ecological riches these islands can provide the Philippines.

He said the presence of scientists and researchers, not just Filipinos but from all nations, will help preserve the balance of power in the region and make aggressor countries think twice about moving into and claiming these features in the WPS. Lacson said the ongoing construction projects on Pag-Asa Island will allow more people to visit the country’s western front and see for themselves the extent of the Philippines’ natural resources in the area.

The developments include an improved road network, a deepwater port, and the planned expansion of the PagAsa airstrip into a proper runway to accommodate larger aircraft, Lacson said.

Lacson’s proposal also dovetails with the recent announcement by the government that it is reactivating the Marine Research Center on Pag-asa Island.

He noted that the University of the Philippines and the Department of Science and Technology are sending a team to the center in January 2022.

“So aside from sending scientists from UP and DOST to the area, why not invite foreign scientists as well? I think they will be interested to get involved because the WPS area is wide and very rich in aquatic resources,” he said.

“Today we remember the victims of the Maguindanao massacre. As you may recall, under the current administration we have achieved justice for the victims of such a case after convicting those found guilty in 2019,” Nograles said.

“We continue to uphold freedom of the press,” he added.

The Philippine National Police, in a separate statement, extended prayers for the victims of what they described as a “murderous act of violence committed in the history of Philippine elections.”

“We fervently pray for the eternal repose of the souls of the departed even as

we continue to wage a nationwide campaign to stem the culture of politicallymotivated violence,” PNP spokesperson Col. Roderick Alba said.

“We take note of the fact that the PNP has been instrumental in serving the end of justice with the arrest of the accused held responsible for the death of 58 persons, among them 34 journalists, in this single incident of mass murder,” he added.

As the 2022 election season is now within sight, Alba said the PNP was taking early actions to foil attempts by warlord politicians to employ and mobilize private armed groups that will apply force to influence the outcome of the elections.

He said PNP would be decisive in seeking to disband and disarm these private

armed groups simultaneous with interdiction operations as they will deny these PAGs the economic support systems that sustain its operations thru criminal activities such as robbery, kidnapping, drug trafficking, smuggling, illegal gambling, and other illegal ventures.

“The PNP takes shelter under the authority bestowed by Comelec as its deputized agency to meet head-on any and all threats to the May 2022 elections,” Alba said.

On Dec. 19, 2019, Judge Jocelyn Solis Reyes of Branch 221 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Quezon City convicted Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr. and Zaldy Ampatuan, the masterminds of the infamous Maguindanao massacre, of 57 counts of murder and sentenced them to reclusion perpetua without parole.

citizens, or persons with comorbidities.

At least 134 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been delivered to the Philippines so far, but those fully vaccinated number around 33 million, according to acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles.

The government aims to fully vaccinate 80 percent of its 109 million population to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19 by May 9, 2022.

The Philippines logged 1,153 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases to 2,827,820.

There were 195 new fatalities, bring-

ing the COVID-19 death toll to 47,482.

The Department of Health (DOH) also reported 2,182 new recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 2,761,617.

There were 18,721 active cases, of which 55.2 percent were mild, 4.7 percent were asymptomatic, 5.8 percent were critical, 13.8 percent were severe, and 20.51 percent were moderate.

The Philippines’ COVID-19 positivity rate was at 2.3 percent of 25,562 tests conducted, slightly lower than the 2.8 percent positivity rate recorded on Monday.

Both figures were within the World

Health Organization’s requirement target of less than 5 percent positivity rate.

Nationwide, 32 percent of ICU beds, 28 percent of isolation beds, 17 percent of ward beds, and 18 percent of ventilators, were in use.

In Metro Manila, 31 percent of ICU beds, 25 percent of isolation beds, 23percent of ward beds, and 20 percent of ventilators, were in use.

The independent OCTA Research Group, meanwhile, said if current trends continue, the seven-day average could decrease to under 200 cases by

“Thank you to Metromart and the merchants. The process of returning the goods was that easy,” she said.

“Amid difficult times, I just hope that scammers would not do that, affecting small workers,” she added.

The fake order had badly affected the delivery riders who had to initially foot the bill for the purchase and deliver the goods despite the rains.

“When I was informed about this, I was concerned about the delivery riders. This is a big inconvenience for them. Scammers may think the burden is on us. But they did not consider the riders and the shoppers they have victimized. It was also raining yesterday, and the drivers got wet,” she said.

Hontiveros said a food order worth over P18,000 was placed under her

name and Senate office.

She said Hashtags #WeLoveDuterte and #ILoveDrilon were part of the order notes, she said.

The order did not push through since the restaurant required a payment through bank transfer.

In her Facebook page, Hontiveros posted screenshots of invoices of orders from a popular lechon restaurant, where she seemed to have ordered one large size lechon worth over P18,000 including shipping fees.

“Protect local businesses. There is a new scam that wants to taint our name. They pretend to be me and order items in my name, using my office’s address,” she wrote.

Hontiveros said she is mulling filing a complaint to protect local businesses and delivery riders who are suffering because of these pranks.

Commission on Elections commissioner Antonio Kho Jr. and COA chair Michael Aguinaldo both applied to take the place of SC Associate Justice Rosmari Carandang when she retires on January 9 next year.

Kho is part of the Comelec’s 2nd Division, where the petition for the cancellation of Marcos’ COC filed by civic leaders is currently pending.

The division recently granted Marcos additional time to file his verified answer in response to the petition, despite

petitioners and an election lawyer arguing the period for filing the answer is non-extendible, and Comelec has never granted any extensions in the past.

Meanwhile, Aguinaldo is overseeing COA’s special audit on pandemic procurement deals entered into by the Philippine government with Pharmally Pharmaceuticals.

COA’s earlier annual audit report led to the Senate probe that uncovered Pharmally’s inadequate financial standing, supposedly overpriced contracts, expired

Bongbong...

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Chinese...

From A1

being alluded to. In spite of that, I believe it is my inherent duty as an aspiring public official to assure my fellow Filipinos that I am against illegal drugs,” Marcos said.

Marcos, who adopted presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio as his vice-presidential running mate, stressed that while he does not feel alluded to, he took a cocaine test and submitted the result to concerned agencies.

“This is why I took a cocaine test yesterday and the result was submitted this morning to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the office of the Chief of the PNP (Philippine National Police) and the National Bureau of Investigation,” Marcos said.

“We don’t feel alluded to. We’re just concentrating on what we’re doing,” added Marcos spokesperson Vic Rodriguez, who showed to the media copies of the drug test results he took at St. Luke’s Medical Center Global City in Taguig.

Meanwhile, Malacanang on Tuesday denied any rift between the President and his daughter after DuterteCarpio urged her supporters to protect Marcos Jr. from criticisms.

Acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles said it is normal for candidates to support their political parties, particularly during elections.

Duterte said he will support his former aide and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go for president, and said he was the one who pushed Go into running for president after he withdrew his vice-presidential bid following Duterte-Carpio’s decision to seek the same position.

At the same time, the Palace said it is up to the candidates if they want to undergo drug testing to convince voters that they are not into illegal drugs.

Nograles issued the statement after Marcos underwent a drug test and tested negative for illegal drugs.

Presidential aspirant senator Panfilo Lason and vice-presidential hopeful Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III also subjected themselves to drug tests.

“That’s voluntary…It’s entirely up to these candidates,” Nograles said.

sure they could readily respond in case of another confrontation.

The boats resumed the resupply mission on Monday after they were blocked and blasted with water cannons by the CCG ships last week, prompting leftist lawmakers on Tuesday to file a resolution calling for a congressional investigation into the Ayungin Shoal incident on Nov. 16.

In House Resolution 2370, members of the Makabayan Bloc asked the House of Representatives committee on foreign affairs “to condemn and investigate, in aid of legislation, the recent attack of China against Philippine boats.”

The group said the incident showed “China’s increasing aggression and arrogance” in claiming and annexing Philippine waters and territories.

Former ambassador and Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the incident “reminds us, Filipinos, of the continuing Chinese aggression in our waters.”

“The Chinese threat to take over the West Philippine Sea is a real and continuing issue that should always be in the minds of every Filipino, especially in choosing our leaders in the upcoming 2022 elections,” Del Rosario said in a statement.

He said the Ayungin incident “should be an opportunity and impetus to multilateralize the South China Sea issue and actively push for the enforcement of the

Vax...

From A1 vaccine] below 18 years old,” Domingo said.

The COVID-19 vaccine brands for minors aged 12 to 17 are limited to Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

The government has already allowed the administration of booster shots for those already fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for the last six months, provided that they are health workers, senior

Fake...

From A1 senators, both running in the 2022 elections, were also the latest victims of fake delivery bookings on the same day Robredo was victimized using the same modus.

Two fake orders were placed under the names of reelectionist Senator Risa Hontiveros and vice-presidential aspirant Senator Francis Pangilinan.

Robredo claimed she returned the goods booked under her name through the Metromart app without her knowledge and at no charge to delivery drivers involved.

The items were delivered by three delivery riders to the Office of the Vice President in New Manila, Quezon City.

Gov’t...

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Comelec...

From A1 on campaigning would only begin in February when the campaign period starts.

At the same time, the Commission on Human Rights called on citizens and concerned groups to stay vigilant and defend the basic rights and freedom as the election period approaches.

“As an integral part of State duty, we appeal to the government to ensure a safe, free, ++and genuine elections.

We also ask all citizens and concerned groups to be vigilant in defense of basic rights and freedoms during this period. #StopTheKillings,” spokesperson Jac-

SC greenlights trial of cases vs. ex-Ombudsman

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court has paved the way for the full-blown trial of the graft cases filed against former Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Mark Jalandoni, who sought for the dismissal of the 69 counts of criminal cases filed against him by the Office of the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan in 2013.

In a 31-page decision, the SC’s Third Division through Associate Justice Marvic Leonen sustained the March 13, 2013 resolution and October 25, 2013 order of the Ombudsman which found probable cause to charge Jalandoni for 13 counts of falsification of public documents and 56 counts of infidelity in the custody of public documents by way of concealment of documents.

The SC also upheld the resolutions issued by Sandiganbayan dated October 31, 2014, February 23, 2015, November 9, 2018, December 13, 2018, and February 4, 2019, denying his motion to quash the charges filed by the Ombudsman as well as his motion for leave to file demurrer to evidence.

In a motion to quash an information, an accused assails the validity of a criminal complaint filed against him for insufficiency of evidence or defects in the information.

On the other hand, a demurrer to evidence is filed by a party to seek the court’s immediate dismissal of the case on the ground of insufficiency of evidence.

In sustaining the anti-graft body’s decision, the high court held that there was no grave abuse of discretion in the preliminary investigation and subsequent finding of probable cause by the Ombudsman against Jalandoni.

“Ultimately, Jalandoni cannot claim that he was deprived of due process. This Court has consistently held that ‘the essence of due process is simply an opportunity to be heard, or an opportunity to explain one’s side or an opportunity to seek for a reconsideration of the action or ruling complained of’. If the party has been able to form and present their defense and their interest, due process is not violated,” the SC ruled.

Pag-Asa...

From A1 They also sent provisions for policemen working in Pag-Asa Island.

“Relieving personnel were also transported to provide sufficient rest period to deployed law enforcement teams, which is necessary in upholding public health and safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo.

The move is in support of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ (BFAR) efforts to help fishermen in remote territories, they said.

Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Leopoldo Laroya said their routine mission to the country’s maritime zones is part of their commitment to the government’s whole-of-nation approach in safeguarding national interests through a rules-based and peaceful approach.

Chinese vessels are present near PagAsa Island amid tensions between the Philippines and China over maritime entitlements in the West Philippine Sea. The Coast Guard said they monitored a China Coast Guard vessel approximately one to two nautical miles away from their vessel while they were on their way to their routine mission but said this did not issue any radio challenge.

queline Ann de Guia said.

She reacted to the killing of municipal election officer James Diaz Maghanoy, 42, in Lope de Vega, Northern Samar on Nov. 18.

Maghanoy was on his way home from the Commission on Elections office in Lope de Vega town when an unidentified assailant shot him.

“Election violence denigrates human rights, particularly the right to life, and creates an atmosphere of fear that impacts the conduct of free and genuine elections — a democratic exercise of the people’s right to vote,” De Guia said.

She said CHR in Region 8 had undertaken an immediate independent probe to ensure that accountability would be exacted.

News

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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Rody will still support Quiboloy amid indictment

By Vito Barcelo

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte “will execute the laws accordingly” amid the issues hounding his spiritual adviser, Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder Apollo Quiboloy.

Last week, the US Federal Grand Jury indicted Quiboloy and other KJC associates for sex trafficking. There is no extradition request yet for Quiboloy from the US government.

Acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said that the President would

still continue supporting Quiboloy amid sex trafficking charges filed against the pastor.

Nograles was also asked whether Duterte would allow Quiboloy’s extradition to the United States (US) if requested.

“As a lawyer and as a former prosecu-

The City of Manila received 1,000 boxes of Molnupiravir from Faberco Life Service, Inc. in a turnover ceremony held at the Manila COVID-19 field hospital in Quirino Grandstand. Each box contains 40 bottles of Molnupiravir, the first oral drug that will prevent mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 from progressing into a severe disease that needs hospitalization.

Danny Pata

the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases earlier approved that only fully vaccinated (primary series) schools and faculty members may enter school premises.

De Vera said schools must also pass the requirements for minimum health standards; facilities are retrofitted for observance of health and safety protocols to prevent infection transmission; and, proper coordination with respective local governments.

“So, kailan puwedeng magsimula? Eh, depende kung gaano kabilis ang retrofit at saka magcomply ang mga schools sa kanilang safety standards. Kung sila ay handa na ay puwede na silang magsimula na kahit ngayong December (So, when could the expanded classes start? It depends on the speed of retrofitting and compliance of schools to the safety standards. If they’re ready, they can already start this December),” de Vera said.

QC PROMOTES READING AMONG THE YOUTH. In celebration of “National Reading and Book Month,” the Quezon City local government led by Mayor Joy Belmonte launched the “Pagbasa Muna” campaign and “Handang Magbasa” that aim to emphasize the importance of the Filipino youth learning to read at an early age. Manny Palmero

Priority groups get first jabs in Manila THE Manila Health Department (MHD ) has started conducting on Tuesday the inoculation of thousands of residents under priority groups A1, A2, and A3 with specific comorbidities.

Priority A1 are workers in frontline health services; A2 are senior citizens; and A3 are persons with comorbidities.

For A3, only those with specific comorbidities were inoculated.

These are those with immunodeficiency state; people living with HIV; active cancer or malignancy; transplant patients; and patients under immunosuppres-

a statement on that issue),” Nograles said.

On Friday, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Quiboloy would not be accorded any special treatment.

“The DOJ, through the IACAT (InterAgency Council Against Trafficking), will perform its mandate under the law, regardless of the persons involved,” Guevarra said.

The new indictment charged Quiboloy and two other top church officials–Teresita Dandan and Felina Salina–with participating in a conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, as well as the sex trafficking of children.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte reiterated he will not face “white” judges and will not allow himself to be jailed if not sentenced by Filipino judges amid the move of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate alleged crimes against humanity in his administration’s drug war.

“I will not, for the life of me, face a tribunal with the judges who are all whites. I will not face these white people,” Duterte said in his speech during the inspection of the General Santos City Airport Passenger Terminal Building.

It will be recalled that Duterte, who criticized the ICC for authorizing a full inquiry on his administration’s drug war, claimed that the court does not have jurisdiction over

CHED: Colleges, universities can have face-to-face classes

By Willie Casas

The charges accused Quiboloy and others of recruiting women and girls, typically 12 to 25 years old, as “pastorals” who cooked his meals, cleaned his houses, massaged him, and traveled with him around the world.

Some also had sex with Quiboloy on scheduled “night duty,” including some minors such as a 15-year-old girl, according to reports.

“Again, we’ll wait for the President’s statement regarding that kasi bago pa lang itong development na ito (because this is just a new development). Hayaan na lang po natin na magsalita si Pangulo tungkol po diyan (Let the President make

Digong says he will not face ‘white’ judges in ICC probe

MANILA GETS MOLNUPIRAVIR.

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chair J. Prospero de Vera III on Tuesday said higher education institutions (HEIs) can push through with expanded limited face-to-face under certain conditions.

“Itong expanded face-to-face ay pagdagdag doon sa original na limited face-to-face para sa medical and allied health sciences, engineering, tourism at maritime na inaprubahan ng Pangulong Duterte (This expanded face to face [classes] are additional to the original medical and allied health sciences, engineering, tourism and maritime [degree programs] approved by President Duterte), early this year,” de Vera said during a televised Laging Handa public briefing.

Among the conditions, he said, provide that all students and faculty members must be vaccinated.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for

tor, and the chief executive of the country, he will execute the laws accordingly,” Nograles said in a press briefing.

Nograles earlier said it is up to Duterte if he will keep Quiboloy as his spiritual adviser.

Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, when asked whether the President will allow the extradition of Quiboloy, his spiritual adviser, said “President Rodrigo Duterte is a lawyer and I believe our president follows the law. The President is there to give moral support to Pastor Quiboloy. They are friends. If you’re friends with the President, he will really treat you as a friend indeed.”

sive treatments, the MHD said in a statement.

The vaccination activities were conducted in the six district hospitals and 18 public schools in the six districts of Manila.

Each of the vaccination sites was allotted 1,000 doses each.

The vaccination activities were conducted on November 23, from 7 a.m. till 4 p.m.

The districts hospitals are Gat Andres Bonifacio in District 1; Ospital ng Tondo in District 2; Justice Jose Abad Santos in District 3; Ospital ng Sampaloc in District 4; Ospital ng Maynila in District 5; and Sta. Ana Hospital in District 6.

Philippine affairs.

“I will never accept jurisdiction. Even if hell freezes over, I will not accept their nonsense,” Duterte said. He said he would only stand on trial before a Filipino judge in the country and be detained in a Philippine prison rather than face “white people” at the ICC. Duterte said the ICC knows nothing about “domestic crimes,” especially in areas where shabu or methamphetamine hydrochloride is openly sold in the streets.

The international tribunal, which has temporarily suspended its Philippine drug war investigation, has a current slate of 18 full-time judges, but only some of whom appear to be white. Vito Barcelo

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Lacson-Sotto experience as tandem props survey placing

News

“T

HE war on drugs shall be pursued and won through ‘love’.”

By Macon Ramos-Araneta WITH their 83 years of combined experience in public service and vast network of political connections, it is impossible to discount the Lacson-Sotto tandem in the run-up to the 2022 synchronized national and local elections, an independent survey finds.

The political pairing of Partido Reporma standard-bearer Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III of the Nationalist People’s Coalition emerged as the second preferred candidates that Filipinos would most likely vote for.

This is based on the latest “Pulso ng Pilipino” pre-election polling conducted

by The Issues and Advocacy Center (The CENTER) between November 16 to 20, 2021 with a respondents’ base of 1,200.

In the survey, participants were asked: “If you are given a choice, and if the elections will be held today, who among these pairings or tandems will you vote for?” At least 21% of the respondents chose Lacson-Sotto, which ranked second overall, according to The CENTER. As expected, presidential scions Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. and Sara Duterte-Carpio became the much-hyped tandem at the moment with 35%, while Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo and Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan placed third at 15%.

Trailing them are the political pairings of Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao and Buhay party-list Rep. Joselito “Lito” Atienza (13%); Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and Dr. Willie Ong (11%); and political activists Leodegario “Leody” De Guzman and Walden Bello (2%). Three percent of the voters are still undecided.

Meanwhile, Lacson climbed a notch higher again at fourth in the overall ranking for presidential candidates with 12% of the votes, inching closer to Robredo, who also placed third at 13%. Marcos, Jr. (36.5%) and Pacquiao (16.75%) remain as the top two contenders.

BBM, Sara vow to win drug war through ‘love’

BOOSTERS FOR SENIORS. San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora oversees the rollout of booster shots against COVID-19 for senior citizens and persons with comorbidities at the Filoil Flying V Center on Tuesday. Meanwhile, senior citizens in the city of Manila also received COVID-19 vaccine booster shots at the Justo Lukban Elementary School (inset).

Manny Palmero and Norman Cruz

Maloleños out to support VP Robredo presidential bid via stationary caravan

By Orlan L. Mauricio MALOLOS CITY—Thousands of volunteers or “Kakampinks” are expected to join the stationary caravan set today to welcome the first visit of Vice President Leni Robredo in this capital city of Bulacan.

The caravan will start at Tabang, Guiguinto (just past the NLEx exit) in the morning until the arrival of Robredo at the Malolos Sports Convention Center, where she is set to open a “Vaccination Express” for 1,000 pre-registered recipients.

Robredo will make a courtesy call to Bishop Dennis Villarojo of the Malolos diocese at the Malolos Cathedral followed by a stop-over at the historic Barasoain Church where Robredo will meet the Robredo People’s Council composed of 150 leaders of volunteer groups in the province.

Other non-government and business organizations are also participating in the event.

These groups include Bulacan Lawyers for Leni, Rotarians for Leni; RobreDoks; Tomasino para kay Leni, and other representatives from 21 towns and 3 cities of the province.

The highlight of Leni’s visit is a speech at the balcony of the Malolos City Hall where she will extend her gratitude to supporters especially the “Mainit na Lugaw Brigade” that provide relief to volunteers flocking the places visited by Robredo.

This was the statement of the BBMSara Uniteam, the tandem of Presidential aspirant Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. and vice-presidential aspirant Inday Sara Duterte, regarding their program against illegal drugs when given a chance to serve as the country’s president and vice-president in 2022.

“Naging matagumpay ang kampanya ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte laban sa ipinagbabawal na gamot, ipagpapatuloy natin ito at sasangkapan natin ng puso ang pagpuksa sa salot ng lipunan na ito,” the BBM-Sara Uniteam stated.

In their official statement, they opined that the persistent scourge brought about by illegal drugs is rooted in health, economy, and law enforcement.

“The proliferation of illegal drugs is a law enforcement, economic and health concern,” they said.

“Sinimulan na ni Pangulong Duterte, atin na lamang i-e-enhance ang programa, kinakailangang magtayo ng marami pang rehabilitation center, magdagdag ng mga professional na mag-aaruga sa mga biktima na ituturing nating mga pasyente, bibigyan ng pagkakaabalahan, pwedeng hanap-buhay katulad ng handicrafts habang nasa proseso ng rehabilitasyon hanggang maiahon at maipanalo natin sila laban sa napakasamang bisyong ito,” they stated.

According to the BBM-Sara Uniteam, selling illegal drugs, especially shabu, is

a lucrative business such that a few grams of shabu are equivalent to one gram of gold that may be mined painstakingly for one long week in mining sites.

“Sa mining site isang linggo bago maka-harvest ng isang gramo ng ginto, samantalang ang shabu saglit lang sa kalye pera na. That’s the reason why after five years of aggressive campaign against illegal drugs, the problem still persists.”

“Every day, we read news reports of socalled ‘buy-bust’ operations by the police resulting in the arrest or neutralization of drug suspects and the confiscation of varying quantities of illegal drugs,” they said.

“This tells us that the problem of illegal drugs is likely to persist for as long as the drug trade is a lucrative or profitable enterprise despite the inherent danger of arrest or even death in the hands of law enforcers,” the BBM-SARA Uniteam added.

For the tandem, aside from intensifying the guarding of the ports for possible entries of illegal drugs, the government must also make sure that every Filipino shall have a paying job that may grant them decent living conditions so they may not be easily lured to the illegal drug trade.

“Hindi tuluyang masusugpo ang illegal na droga kung mayroon tayong mga pulis na kasabwat ng mga druglord sa ilegal na negosyong ito, samantalang ang mga nagagamit na drug mule at smalltime pusher naman ay mga kaawa-awa nating mga kababayan na lugmok sa kahirapan at ang mga drug dependent naman ay mga taong maaari pa nating gamutin sa mga rehabilitation center o maituwid sa pamamagitan ng ating penal system,” they said.

Isko vows gov’t will invest in national fiber optic backbone

By Rey E. Requejo

Presidential candidate Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso on Tuesday vowed to give priority to development of the national fiber optic backbone to improve and stabilize internet interconnectivity in the country if he is elected president in next year’s elections.

Moreno made the commitment in his speech before some 300 youth and students at the Ynares Auditorium in Binangonan, Rizal where he underscored the need for improving the country’s internet bandwidth which is vital in reviving

the education sector that is expected to retain distance learning modalities for some time.

“With regards to connectivity, we will invest more with our bandwidth to make it available to our students in relation to blended future distance learning, which is include both face-to-face and online learning,” Moreno stressed.

The Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer said these initiatives are already being implemented in Manila, where students are provided significant mobile data allocations by the city government.

“Now, can this thing be duplicated?

Yes, it can. Can it be escalated? Yes, it can also. Because that’s the way to do it so that we can educate children during the pandemic,” said Moreno.

The Manila mayor explained that he also plans to boost the country’s digital infrastructure to support industries that rely heavily on internet connectivity.

According to Moreno, the government can partner with the private sector to build and complete a national fiber backbone that will connect all schools, govt offices, law enforcement and other agencies requiring connectivity such as the Commission on Elections.

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Opinion

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2021

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Going so far on so little

NO, WE’RE not talking about a vehicle that miraculously takes you 100 kilometers on a liter of fuel. Or your meager cash stash allowing you to purchase luxury goods at bargain basement prices.

We’re talking about those who think they’re God’s gift to the Philippine political system, especially now that it’s election season once again.

We’re seeing it in full throttle: candidates who aspire for top positions in government with little more than self-delusion, bravado and an overweening sense of entitlement rather than solid achievement, proven competence and unsullied integrity.

By now, we should be wary of people who have managed to reach the pinnacle of public office with empty promises, bombastic speeches and song-and-dance routines.

The 16 million Filipinos who voted for Duterte as president in 2016 made a colossal blunder as he has led this country to the dark depths of authoritarian misrule.

Once elected or appointed to public office, they promptly help themselves to taxpayers’ money, whether through pork barrel or the gargantuan budgets of various government agencies, even if they already receive scandalously high salaries and benefits compared to the minimum wage earners in this country. No wonder the rich get poorer and the poor do not just get poorer but also die sooner from hunger and disease.

Non-performing public officials spend most of their time staring at the ceiling and walls, counting exactly how many lizards crawl on the walls and the ceiling because they have little inclination nor the capacity for intelligent and spirited debate on the issues of the day.

Or, they resort to name-calling when someone calls them out for their irresponsible statements. The most egregious examples of these come from show business, but they can also come from other government agencies and local government units.

Then there’s also unmitigated hubris on the part of a certain politician now running for higher position who recently castigated a witness in a recent congressional hearing for expressing doubt over a recent stand of the House on an issue. What did he tell her? “How dare you question the wisdom of Congress!”

Last we looked, wisdom, let alone infallibility, has never been the strongest suit of our lawmakers.

The framers of the 1987 Constitution,

EDITORIAL

aware of the steady rise of political families particularly during the martial law regime, wisely decided to prohibit political dynasties “to guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service” but left it to lawmakers to pass an enabling law. That was a fatal mistake on their part, since giving Congress the power to decide if members want to stay in office for generations on end or not should have been a no-brainer.

As things now stand, different versions of the anti-political dynasty bill filed by well-meaning legislators have ended up in the trash can because the very same politicians who should have been voted out of office a long time ago or their successors are the ones moving heaven and earth to ensure that they remain in power for as long as they can.

But the most glaring example of a politician who has gone so far on so little is our sitting president. He ruled Davao City as its mayor for more than 20 years before running for the highest national executive position in 2016 on a platform that promised to end the drug menace and corruption in six months. Now with less than a year to go in his presidency, Rodrigo Duterte has neither ended the drug menace nor the scourge of massive corruption. It has only left a bloody trail of more than 8,000 suspected drug users/traffickers killed by police -- because they allegedly fought back.

He has even publicly defended those accused of corruption, as the Pharmally scandal now being investigated by the Senate starkly demonstrates. He vowed to defend the Constitution when he took his oath of office in 2016, but stomped on it with heavy jackboots right after his inauguration.

Not only has Duterte not fulfilled his campaign promises, he does not want to leave public office even if the Constitution disallows his re-election. No problem, he says, he could always run for vice president, as he has said on more than one occasion. But as the recent political circus involving the substitution of candidates has shown, he really does not want to be out of power. For one thing, he fears that the International Criminal Court (ICC) would finally investigate him for crimes against humanity for his bloody war on drugs from 2016 to 2019.

Now, Duterte is saying he will run for senator because he wants to change the way the Senate conducts investigations in aid of legislation after the Blue Ribbon Committee unearthed irregularities in the procurement of supplies, such as face masks, test kits and personal protective equipment from an undercapitalized firm backed by a Chinese national he had once appointed as an economic adviser.

The 16 million Filipinos who voted for Duterte as president in 2016 made a colossal blunder as he has led this country to the dark depths of authoritarian misrule. Now he wants to inflict even more damage to Philippine democracy with his senatorial bid in May 2022.

How can we trust this vindictive and foulmouthed leader when he does not even want to make public his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth or SALN as required by the Constitution of all public officials from the highest to the lowest? ernhil@yahoo.com

A spiritual movement and Germany’s low vaccination rate

By Mathieu Foulkes AN EXPLOSION of coronavirus infections at a German Waldorf school has put a spotlight on “anthroposophy,” the spiritual movement behind the education system, and raised questions over how it may be contributing to stagnating vaccinations.

After a turbo-charged inoculation campaign in the spring, Germany’s jab rate has struggled since the summer to climb to the 70-percent mark.

Likewise, neighbouring Austria and German-speaking parts of Switzerland have seen their vaccine curve flatten.

For Spiegel writer Tobias Rapp, who went to a Waldorf school, among the reasons is “the vaccination scepticism of a special middle-class group which has its center in southern Germany and Switzerland.”

In particular, Rapp wrote, the group is made up of adherents to anthroposophy, a philosophy developed by Austrian educator Rudolf Steiner in the early 20th century.

Centred on beliefs in karma, reincarnation and connections to the spiritual world, anthroposophy teaches that illnesses are a necessary challenge that must be overcome naturally.

Michael Blume, who specializes in political and religious sciences, also points to geography for providing a breeding ground for such esoteric ideas to thrive.

Vaccine skepticism is particularly high in mountainous regions across southern Germany, Switzerland and Austria, he said, as an anti-authoritarian streak stoked by federalism and the proximity to nature provide further ingredients for ideas like anthroposophy to thrive.

“Many anthroposophists believe in the rule

of karma, which is that illnesses can help atone for misdeeds in previous lives and bring about spiritual development,” he told AFP.

How is anthroposophy contributing to stagnating jabs?

“That’s why there are unfortunately in some Waldorf schools many sceptics with regards to vaccines. Some also subscribe to conspiracy theories,” he said.

Before the pandemic, Waldorf or Steiner schools — 200 in Germany and popular for their alternative method allowing children to learn at their own pace -- often found themselves in the spotlight for measles outbreaks.

Even if not all parents who send their children to Waldorf institutions are coronaskeptics or anti-vaxxers, over the last 20 months of the raging pandemic, the schools have been repeatedly linked to rows over Covid vaccines and mask-wearing.

At the school in Freiburg where 117 infections were recorded in late October, investigators found that of 55 medical certificates exempting students and teachers from wearing masks, only two or three were valid.

Meteorite iron While Germany counts only 12,000 anthroposophists among its 83-million-strong population, the influence of the movement is far more pervasive in society.

Besides the schools, anthroposophy is also at the root of the Weleda cosmetic group, also created by Steiner. A major organic supermarket chain Alnatura and drugstore giant DM were also both founded by self-

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Impunity is alive and well

T

WELVE years ago yesterday, 58 people lost their lives in a most gruesome and blatant manner in what has now become known as the Maguindanao Massacre.

The case against those responsible for the crime, committed with impunity and in broad daylight, was decided on by the court nearly two years ago, in December 2019.

Justice, however, was neither swift nor complete. An entire decade of trial was marked by intimidation and attempts to silence witnesses, and by technicalities in the case.

The suffering and grief of family members of the deceased were prolonged. And then, even with the court’s decision, not all of the accused were in the custody of authorities. Many of them remain free.

The Palace has vowed to pursue these fugitives and ensure they are held accountable for their participation in the massacre.

How do we know, though, that this is not just another empty

mouthful, something to pacify the people hungry for promises that are actually delivered? After all, weren’t we promised the eradication of corruption and freedom from drugs nearly six years ago? And aren’t we still waiting?

Genuine justice for those who lost their lives to the machinations of those who believe they are not covered by the rules of civilization.

Today, we know that senseless killings remain.

Some are committed under a pretense — for example, fighting back

when arrested for drug-related accusations, or a personal dispute.

Some are simply done with no attempt at an explanation.

Apparently, there are those who do evil things just to show they can, or because they believe they can get away with it.

Tragically for their victims and for the rest of us, they really can.

In the runup to the elections, may we see through promises and posturing and elect only those who are keen on addressing impunity at its roots — by dramatically increasing the likelihood of arrest, prosecution, conviction and punishment.

Nobody should deem himself or herself above the law, whatever the status in the community, however big the riches, however great the influence.

Let us continue to seek justice for those who perished in Maguindanao in 2009, and all those who lost their lives to the machinations of those who believe they are not covered by the rules of civilization.

The durable Digong Duterte

RODRIGO Roa Duterte has been in the news lately for five reasons: One, he hates that daughter Sara Duterte opted to run for vice president instead of for president. After all, the feisty Davao mayor previously was leading over Bongbong Marcos in surveys for president before November 2021.

Two, he hates the idea of Bongbong Marcos being elected president. BBM, he claims, sniffs cocaine, is a weak leader, and has nothing to show except the record of his famous dad.

Duterte’s bet for president: Senator Bong Go, who, however, is languishing in surveys.

Three, Duterte wants to be a senator. Sure to win, he could snatch the Senate presidency and be third in line of succession to the highest position in the land and a pain in the neck of a President Bongbong Marcos.

Four, the International Criminal Court has suspended, temporarily, the investigation into extrajudicial killings which are subject of a possible case to be filed before the ICC. Duterte can spend Christmas and New Year with his family/lies without fear of ICC agents knocking at his door.

State-sponsored illegal drugs killings under Duterte vary—from 6,201 during July 2016 to September 2021, to 8,663 per the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to between 12,000 and 30,000 per documents submitted to the ICC. The NGO, Armed Conflict Location and Even Data Project, claims 7,742 killings since 2016. “The numbers are amplified,” says the newly minted Philippine National Police chief, police Lieut. Gen.Dionardo Carlos. “We were just doing our job,” he says.

Five, finally, Duterte now hates the Chinese (After Pharmally, who is not). He thinks China has become lawless.

The President told the ASEAN: “We abhor the recent event in the Ayungin Shoal and view with grave concern other similar developments. This does not speak well of the relations between our nations and our partnership. UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award provide legal clarity for all countries that subscribe to the majesty of the law. These two landmark documents are beacons pointing us to a just and fair solution

professed anthroposophists.

There is also a federation of doctors who subscribe to the philosophy.

A network of anthroposophist clinics includes a hospital in Berlin which deploys ginger compresses and iron from meteorites as part of its medicinal toolbox on Covid patients.

“Meteorite iron is a medicine that we use in phase 2 of a Covid illness — when the first symptoms of sickness are showing, we also use it in post-Covid syndrome — when tiredness and weakness set in in the convalescence stage,” said Harald Matthes, who heads the

Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida

to our disputes.”

On Nov. 16, 2021, the Chinese coast guard blocked and water cannoned Philippine Navy boats bringing food supplies to eight to 10 Filipino sailors soldiers stationed at Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal), part of the Kalayaan Island Group located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan. The soldiers got their supplies yesterday.

He hates the idea of Bongbong Marcos being elected president.

Pre-pandemic, Rodrigo Roa Duterte was going to be the best president.

He built more infra than any other president in history. He built more infra than all four presidents before him combined. He brought poverty incidence to below 16 percent, a record low, and unemployment down to less than 5 percent, also a record low. The Philippines received more credit ratings upgrades than at any other time before him. Duterte initiated free college education and expanded universal health care, from 90 percent of the population to 100 percent.

Build, Build, Build, under Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar raised infra spending to an average of 5.14 percent of GDP, from Fidel Ramos 1.7 percent; Joseph Estrada 1.62 percent; Gloria Arroyo 1.5 percent; and Benigno Aquino III 2.7 percent.

Duterte poured more money into infrastructure — over P6 trillion in six years — than any president before him. DPWH under Villar built 145,000 classrooms, 2,000 school buildings, 5,555 bridges, and 26,500 kms. of roads, access roads, expressways, and tollways.

Tax reform, under Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez, made the Philippines one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia.

Transportation modernization under Department of Transportation Secretary Art Tugade made mass transportation safe, reliable, and available.

RoRo shipping routes rose from 120 (servicing 223 ships and 2.8 million vehicles) in 2016 to 181 by 2020. Tugade targets additional 41 to service 325 ships and 4.8 million vehicles.

Art completed more than 200 airport projects, 400 seaports, and 21 new lighthouses to reach 564 lighthouses. New airport

Havelhoehe hospital, in an interview with the daily Tagesspiegel.

But some anthroposophist doctors reject the charge linking them to Germany’s antivaxxers.

“We are not aware of any empirical data showing that anthroposophists have more concerns than others about vaccinations,” Stefan Schmidt-Troschke of the umbrella federation of anthroposophist medicine in Germany DAMiD told broadcaster ZDF. He also said the federation had “from the beginning welcomed vaccination for the fight

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against the pandemic” and prioritised jabs for the elderly and the most vulnerable.

But for children, that’s a different story, he argued, because “their risk of developing serious illness is extremely low, we also view the vaccination with great caution — as do many other medical societies”.

Covid vaccines are considered safe for children, and countries such as the United States and Israel have already been giving the jabs to five-to 11-year-olds.

Germany is also expected to approve them for children in the coming weeks. AFP

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Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager Head—Ad Solutions Circulation Manager

terminals were built for Mactan, Clark, Ormoc, and Kalibo. Bicol Airport was restarted after an 11-year delay.

Night-rated airports increased from 14 in 2016 to 20 by June 2021.

NAIA improved from being one of the worst airports in the world to being the most improved by 2018. Art has started building the impossible--a subway on EDSA. Duterte pursued an independent foreign policy and is the first president to cut Manila’s umbilical cord to Washington DC. Despite its pivot to Beijing, Manila kept Washington’s friendship and support. The US returned the Balangiga bells of Samar seized by the US Army as a war trophy after Filipinos in 1901 wiped out an entire infantry regiment of 48 men and wounded 78 other American soldiers.

Duterte reduced red tape for the masses and made oligarchs toe the line.

Of course, under Duterte, crime went down but extrajudicial killings became rampant.

Overall, under Duterte, the Philippines became one of the fastest growing economies in the world. In his first four years as president, average economic growth was an awesome 6.6 percent.

Duterte was a tax reformist.

Key tax reform measures passed during Duterte’s first five years: —The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law of Dec. 19, 2017 provides hefty income tax cuts for majority of Filipino taxpayers.

—RA No. 11213 Tax Amnesty Act, Feb. 14, 2019 -offers a one-time opportunity to taxpayers to settle estate tax amnesty program that gives reasonable tax relief to estates with outstanding estate tax liabilities —The Tobacco Tax Law increases the excise taxes on tobacco products (e.g., cigars, cigarettes) and subjects to excise taxation and regulation heated tobacco products, and vapor products, popularly known as electronic cigarettes.

—The Sin Tax Law increased taxes on alcohol beverages and electronic cigarettes.

The Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE is the largest fiscal stimulus for businesses in recent history, projected to provide private enterprises more than P1 trillion worth of tax relief over the next 10 years.

CREATE is a boon to MSMEs with the reduction of corporate income tax rate from 30 percent, to 20 percent, the largest ever reduction in the country.

Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor

Emil P. Jurado

Jimbo Owen Gulle City Editor Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

World

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2021

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AFTER BIDEN-XI SUMMIT

US warship transits Taiwan Strait

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US warship sailed through the strait separating Taiwan and China on Tuesday, the Navy said, the first such passage since leaders from the two rival superpowers held a video summit.

The passage through the Taiwan Strait by the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Milius was a routine transit, the US Seventh Fleet said.

The voyage, the 11th declared freedom of navigation exercise of the year,

“demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” it said in a statement.

The latest transit came after US President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping traded strong warnings on the future of Taiwan at a virtual summit earlier this

month.

Chinese state media reported after the summit that Xi cautioned Biden that encouraging Taiwanese independence would be “playing with fire.”

US warships periodically conduct exercises in the strait, often triggering angry responses from Beijing, which claims Taiwan and the surrounding waters as its own territory.

The United States and many other countries view the route as international waters open to all.

A growing number of US allies have transited the route as Beijing intensifies its military threats towards Taiwan and solidifies its control over the disputed South China Sea. British, Canadian, French and Australian warships have all made passages through the Taiwan Strait in recent years, sparking protests from Beijing.

China’s foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian slammed the latest transit as a “deliberate attempt to disrupt and undermine regional peace and stability.”

China: Peng Shuai case ‘maliciously’ hyped up

Sokor ‘Butcher of Gwangju’ Chun dies at 90

Chun Doo-Hwan

SOUTH Korean ex-dictator Chun Doohwan, who brutally crushed opponents until mass demonstrations forced him out, died on Tuesday, his longtime aide announced.

The former president died at his home in Seoul, Min Jeong-ki told reporters outside the Chun residence. He was 90.

He oversaw the country’s economic rise and secured the 1988 Olympics for Seoul. He was the first South Korean president to hand over power peacefully.

A general in the South Korean military, Chun took power in a coup after the 1979 assassination of strongman Park Chung-hee.

He was president from 1980 to 1988, ruling with an iron fist and brutally crushing his opponents.

Chun remains among South Korea’s most reviled figures.

He is known as the “Butcher of Gwangju” for ordering his troops to put down an uprising against his rule in the southwestern city.

In 1996, he was convicted of treason and condemned to death, in part over what happened at Gwangju, but his execution was commuted on appeal and he was released following a presidential pardon.

The official toll for the dead or missing at Gwangju is around 200 people, but activists say it may have been three times as high.

Chun and far-right politicians in South Korea dismissed it as a “riot.” The former dictator denied any direct involvement in the suppression of the uprising.

After his death, the South Korean president’s office expressed regret that there was “no sincere apology” from Chun.

REMEMBRANCE. A makeshift memorial is pictured along the route of the parade on W Main Street in Waukesha, Wisconsin on November 22, 2021, the day after a vehicle drove through a Christmas parade killing five people. AFP

UN hits Thailand for deporting Cambodian refugees THE United Nations refugee agency has condemned Thailand for deporting a third Cambodian refugee in two weeks, after a former female politician was sent back to a Phnom Penh jail.

Thavry Lanh – who represented the now dissolved Cambodian opposition party at district government level and was a vocal critic of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government – fled to Thailand more than four years ago.

Thai immigration officers arrested her on Friday in an eastern border town and she was sent to Cambodia the next day.

Gillian Triggs, a senior official with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), said the move contravened the principle of non-refoulement, under which countries are banned

from sending people back to places where their lives or freedom are in danger.

Thavry Lanh’s deportation came 10 days after two other Cambodian UNHCR-registered refugees were sent across the border, the agency said in a statement issued on Monday.

The UNHCR tried to intervene in all three cases but the Thai government went ahead with the deportations.

“We are extremely alarmed by this trend of forcibly returning refugees to Cambodia, where they face a serious risk of persecution,” Triggs said in the statement, adding that the agency was worried about the fate of other UNHCRregistered refugees in Thailand.

Thavry Lanh’s husband Radong Phin said he had grave fears for his wife’s

safety and wellbeing.

She was in custody at Prey Sar prison in Phnom Penh, awaiting trial for “treason” but the court date was unknown, he said.

“She might be incarcerated for months or years. I’m also worried about her health because she has asthma and takes medicine,” he told AFP, adding he had not been able to speak to her because her phone was confiscated.

Thailand and Cambodia made an agreement to exchange “fugitives” in 2018.

“This is in line with foreign affairs principles. Many countries are implementing this and Thailand shouldn’t be at a disadvantage,” Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha said Tuesday, in remarks relayed by his spokesman at a regular press briefing. AFP

At least 45 people killed, including 12 minors, in Bulgaria bus blaze

EMPTY PLATES. Students stand in a queue to collect their midday meal during lunch break at a government high school on the outskirts of Hyderabad on November 23, 2021, as schools reopen after months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

AFP

Italy hits Amazon, Apple with $225m euro fine ITALY’S competition watchdog imposed fines totalling 200 million euros ($225 million) on Amazon and Apple on Tuesday in the latest action taken against US tech giants in Europe over their business practices.

It ordered Apple to pay 134.5 million euros and e-commerce firm Amazon 68.7 million euros for infringing EU laws through restrictions which penalised sellers of Apple and Beats products.

US big tech firms have faced a slew of antitrust challenges in Europe – an approach being watched closely by regulators in Washington, which has pledged to intensify scrutiny of the technology industry.

The Italian watchdog said a 2018 deal between the two US companies had “barred official and unofficial resellers of Apple and Beats products from using Amazon.it, allowing the sale of those

“The US should immediately correct its mistake, stop stirring up trouble, crossing the line and playing with fire,” he warned.

Collin Koh, a research fellow at Singapore’s S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, keeps a database of declared US transits through the Taiwan Strait.

Nine were conducted in 2019 followed by 15 in 2020. So far this year there have been 11, including the USS Milius crossing. AFP

products in that marketplace only to Amazon and to selected parties in a discriminatory manner.”

The aim had been to restrict the number of retailers and limit cross-border sales, it said.

The agreement spelled bad news for consumers, because at least 70 percent of electronics goods bought in Italy were purchased on Amazon, it added.

The watchdog said its investigation had attracted the attention of “the national competition authorities in Germany and Spain, which have also launched similar procedures.”

A crackdown on Big Tech firms could lead to the breakup of the largest platforms, with Europe powering ahead with antitrust litigation and US lawmakers eyeing moves to make antitrust enforcement easier. AFP

AT LEAST 46 people, including a dozen minors, were killed after a bus caught fire south of the Bulgarian capital early Tuesday, officials said.

A cause has yet to be determined but officials believe a fire broke out on board and the bus crashed into guardrails.

There were no other vehicles involved in the accident, which occurred around 2:00 am (0000 GMT) on a highway about 40 kilometers (26 miles) from Sofia, near the village of Bosnek.

“Of the victims... 12 in total were under the age of 18,” national police chief Stanimir Stanev said.

“The driver died immediately so there was no one able to open the doors,” he added.

North Macedonian Health Minister Venko Filipce told public BNT television that the seven survivors included a 16-year-old girl.

All seven – two women and five men – are from the same family, he said after visiting the survivors in the Sofia hospital where they were being treated for serious burns.

Survivors “jumped out of the windows,” said Maya Arguirova, head of the treatment center for severe burns where they were transported.

Images showed the carcass of the totally burned out bus, having broken through the guardrails between the two sides of the highway.

According to bTV, the bus was travelling from Turkey’s main city of Istanbul to Skopje in North Macedonia.

Local media in Macedonia report that the bus was registered to the “Besa trans” tourist agency, which organises touristic and shopping tours to Istanbul.

North Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev told state news agency MIA that he had spoken to one survivor. AFP

PEDIATRIC JAB. Youths between the ages of 12 to 17 wait to receive doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Hanoi on November 23, 2021. AFP

CHINA on Tuesday said the controversy surrounding Peng Shuai was being “maliciously” hyped up, after the Chinese tennis star made sexual assault claims against one of the nation’s most powerful politicians.

Peng, a Wi m b l e d o n and French Open doubles champion, was not seen for more than two weeks after she made the accusa- Peng Shuai tions against former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli.

The 35-year-old Peng reappeared in public for the first time at the weekend when she was seen attending a Beijing tennis tournament.

“I think some people should stop deliberately and maliciously hyping up, let alone politicise this issue,” said foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian in response to a question on whether the case affected China’s international image.

Beijing will host the Winter Olympics in February.

“I believe you have all seen that she recently attended some public events and had a video call with IOC president Thomas Bach,” Zhao added.

The comment was the most direct response from the Chinese government to Peng’s case.

Until Tuesday, Beijing had repeatedly brushed off questions about her whereabouts and welfare – calling them “not a diplomatic issue.”

Evidence of her claims have also been scrubbed from China’s highly censored Internet. AFP

Dutch police make fresh arrests in 4th day of virus unrest DUTCH police said Tuesday they had arrested at least 21 people during a fourth night of unrest over coronavirus measures, although the situation had calmed down.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte has slammed the days-long spree of “pure violence” by “idiots,” and warned that more COVID restrictions are on the cards.

Small groups caused trouble in Zwolle, Groningen and Roosendaal on Monday night though not on the scale of violence that rocked major cities at the weekend.

Police in the northern city of Zwolle arrested 13 people after declaring an emergency situation to prevent what they said were planned riots, local police said on Twitter.

The suspects were detained for offences including possession of fireworks, disobeying police orders and having no ID, broadcaster RTL said.

Eight people were arrested in the southern town of Roosendaal, including three for setting fires, the ANP news agency said.

Police also intervened to break up gangs of youths in Groningen on Monday, a day after Manila AUCTION SALE noisy protests in Standard ACME PAWNSHOP, INC. the northern city, TODAY Auction sale on RTL said.

05, 2021 10:00 More than December a.m. MJ Holding Bldg., 150 people have Almanza Las Piñas; noon Alabang Town now been ar- 12:00 Center Stall 2074 U/L, rested across the 2:00 pm G/F Majalco Bldg.

Benavidez St., country during Legaspi Village, Makati L&R Bldg., 1018 protests against and Pasay Road, Makati and c o r o n a v i r u s 4:00 pm Circle C G14, Congressional Ave. measures that #17 Bahay Toro D1, Quezon came into force City. All items Pawned on November July 01-31, 2021.

(MS-NOV. 24, 2021) 13. AFP

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

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2021

Business

Electronics group upgrades export growth forecast to 10% TKC Metal set to dispose of all its core assets

By Jenniffer B. Austria TKC Metal Corp., the steel manufacturing unit of the Tiu family, is disposing of all core assets as it plans to explore new investment opportunities in the technology businesses and broadband internet.

TKC said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Tuesday the board approved the sale of all non-performing assets at terms and conditions to be negotiated and finalized.

The proposed sale will include the stake in major subsidiaries, namely Billions Steel International Ltd. and its unit, Zhangzhou Stronghold Steel Works Co. Ltd (ZZ Strongholder), Treasure Steelworks Corp. and (TSC) Campanilla Mineral Resources Corp., The company said it would conduct a special stockholders’ meeting on December 30, 2021 to obtain shareholders’ approval of the planned action.

The Philippine Stock Exchange implemented a one-day trading suspension on the trading of TKC shares to give investors ample time to digest the material development.

ZZ Stronghold manufactures and distributes various types of steel pipe products in China. It started repairing in March the second phase of plant upgrade and teamed up with thirdparty SK Group over fabrication, coating and galvanizing activities set to be in operations in 2022.

TSC, on the other hand, has suspended its production of steel billets in Iligan City since 2013.

TCK since 2020 has been negotiating with third parties on potential business ventures based on a recent filing with corporate regulators.

TKC said it plans to explore new investment opportunities, especially in technology businesses and broadband internet, to diversify its portfolio and generate revenue to sustain group’s operations and meet maturing obligations.

“The project aims to bring seamless connectivity using wired, wireless and VSAT capabilities for all the cities, municipalities and all the networking communities in the country,” TKC said.

“This will make internet universally accessible for everyone in the Philippines. The service extends from the basic connectivity on-wards to elearning, e-health, security services, e-commerce and all the opportunities the internet brings,” it added.

By Othel V. Campos

A

GROUP of electronics manufacturers and exporters upgraded their 2021 growth forecast to 10 percent from an earlier estimate of 7 percent on strong overseas demand.

The Semiconductor and Electronics Industry in the Philippines Inc. expressed optimism its members would end 2021 with at least 10 percent growth, following a 15.6-percent expansion in shipments in the first three quarters.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that export sales of electronic products reached $31.5 billion in the first three quarters, up from $27.2 billion a year ago. Electronics accounted for more than 60 percent of total exports by value.

SEIPI chairman Glenn Everett said Tuesday the global and local trends and the continuing recovery of the economy prompted the SEIPI board of trustees to revise its 2021 export growth forecast to 10 percent from 7 percent earlier in the year. ”Growth in 2022 depends very much on improvements to inbound and outbound logistics flows and to the ongoing opening of the country,” Everett said Tuesday at SEIPI’s 4th general membership ,eeting.

SEIPI president Danilo Lachica was

equally optimistic that the industry’s export revenues would exceed $45 billion in 2021, given the continuing support of the government to ease business and mobility restrictions for a more relaxed economic recovery.

“This is actually higher than the $43 billion we recorded during pre-pandemic times,” he said.

Everett said new technologies continued to develop with remarkable speed as advances continued to expand Internet of Things applications with a compound annual growth rate of 25 percent.

This is estimated to become a massive market estimated to be at $1.8 trillion by 2028, he said.

“The same is being applied to vaccine development, banking fraud detection and many other data crunching tasks.

These new capabilities are driving annual growth rates of more than 25 percent through 2023,” Everett said.

SAN MIGUEL ADVOCACY.San Miguel Corp., along with the Technical Skills Development Authority, expands its skills development program to cover more provinces and include financial assistance to small businesses in disadvantaged communities where it operates. The program has already benefitted close to a thousand trainees from Taliptip and other coastal barangays in Bulacan—where the company is building the New Manila International Airport and Aerocity— and over 300 families from Sariaya, Quezon, where it is investing in a modern agro-industrial facility.

Meralco buying 170-MW power supply amid big demand

By Alena Mae S. Flores MANILA Electric Co. (Meralco), the biggest retailer of electricity, is seeking approval from the Department of Energy to purchase 170 megawatts of power in preparation for an anticipated increase in demand during the dry months and the election period.

Meralco vice president and head of utility economics department Lawrence Fernandez said the company would endorse the terms of reference of the competitive selection process, or bidding, to the Third Party Bids and Awards Committee.

“As soon as the TPBAC receives the Department of Energy (DOE)-approved TOR, the TPBAC will commence the process, starting with the publication of the invitation to bid,” Fernandez said.

Meralco officials In October cited

the need to secure an additional 170 MW of supply in preparation for increased demand during the dry months, the election period and declining gas supply from the Malampaya project in northwest Palawan.

Meralco earlier sought approval from DOE to secure the same level of capacity during the dry months this year. The agency did not grant the request.

The decline in gas supply from Malampaya forced the country’s natural gas plants to run on the more expensive liquid fuel or shut down some of their operations, leading to lower generation capacity in the Luzon grid.

An industry executive earlier warned Luzon would have a tight power supply in the dry months next year, or the election period, amid increasing demand, depleting reserves

from Malampaya and the inability of the plants to hold regular maintenance amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think it’s going to be a very difficult summer. I think only one new power station has come into the energy mix in Luzon, up north, a 660-megawatt super critical coal power plant. Aside from that, there are no new power stations coming into the market,” Frank Thiel, managing director of Quezon Power (Philippines) Ltd. Co. and general manager of San Buenaventura Power Ltd. Co., said earlier.

QPPL operates a 440- MW coalfired power plant, while SBPL owns a 500-MW coal-fired station in Mauban, Quezon. SBPL is the Philippines’ first supercritical coal-fired power plant that was switched on in October 2019.

SMC SLEX registered 46% net income growth to P1.76b in first three quarters

By Darwin G. Amojelar

CHRISTMAS AT MIDORI. After a series of Christmas tree lighting ceremonies held in various hotels in Clark, Midori Clark Hotel and Casino lights up its gigantic, candy-themed Christmas Tree. Leading the lighting ceremony are (from left) Midori Hotel-Casino deputy general manager Vincent Tang, Clark Development Corp. president and CEO Manuel Gaerlan, BB International Leisure and Resort Development Corp. president Irineo Alvaro and Philippine Business Group managing director Alvin Wu.

SMC SLEX Inc. said Tuesday net income rose 46 percent in the first nine months from a year ago on higher vehicle traffic volume.

The tollway unit of San Miguel Corp. said net income reached P1.76 billion from January to September, higher than last year’s P1.20 billion.

SLEX said traffic volume showed healthy recovery in nine months and almost reached pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

“The easing of the lockdown restrictions and expansion of industrial areas in Southern Luzon which is part of the government’s continuous support in the decentralization drive to simulate business activities outside the NCR mainly drove the recovery in traffic volume,” SMC SLEX said.

The company’s toll revenue grew by 25

percent in the first three quarters to P3.98 billion from P3.18 billion a year earlier, reflecting the stable improvement in traffic volume.

“The increase mainly reflects the impact of the gradual re-opening of the economy and moving the country into granular lockdowns towards the end of third quarter,” SMC SLEX said.

Operating expenses amounted to P322.82 million in the first nine months, higher than P160.99 million in the same period last year.

“Operating expenses increased for managed fees and charges for shared services, repair and maintenance of the toll collection system and charges for the major RFID rollout for the mandatory cashless toll payments projects of the Department of Transportation, offset by lower local business taxes from lower revenue base in 2020,” SMC SLEX said.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Tuesday, November 23, 2021 118.49 PTS. 7,401.16

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

1,547,252,345 119,229 9,275,440,344.86 133 56 53

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.6620

Japan

Yen

0.008706

0.4411

UK

Pound

1.339800

67.8769

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128375

6.5037

Switzerland

Franc

1.071811

54.3001

Canada

Dollar

0.787526

39.8976

Singapore

Dollar

0.733353

37.1531

Australia

Dollar

0.722300

36.5932

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652379

134.3748

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266588

13.5059

Brunei

Dollar

0.730674

37.0174

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.030423

1.5413

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.7946

Euro

Euro

1.123800

56.9340

Korea

Won

0.000840

0.0426

China

Yuan

0.156593

7.9333

India

Rupee

0.013436

0.6807

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.239006

12.1085

New Zealand

Dollar

0.695600

35.2405

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035971

1.8224 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF BSP, Lyka negotiate payment system bid THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is in discussions with the Hong Kongbased Lyka/Things I Like Co. Ltd. (TIL) over an application to register as an operator of payment system in the country, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno told reporters Tuesday in an online briefing.

Lyka is a social media platform that allows people to earn GEMs (gift cards in electronic mode) for posting, sharing, or liking content on its app.

“To date, Things I Like Co. Ltd. remains unregistered with the BSP. However, we are in discussions with a representative of Lyka Philippines to ensure proper compliance with the National Payment Systems Act and BSP Circular 1049 so that the appropriate entity and true operator of the Lyka payment system registers in accordance wit the law and regulations,” Diokno said.

Lyka currently has 10 million registered users in the country and is endorsed by almost all celebrities and social media influencers. Julito G. Rada

PH pushes free trade agreement with EU THE Philippines is pushing for the resumption of the stalled negotiation for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union.

“We are pleased to note that the EU is also a leader on this front, and we would also welcome closer engagement with the EU in this area, possibly through the resumption of the Philippines-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations,” said Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez on the second day of the 3-day Pilipinas Conference 2021 organized by Stratbase ADR Institute.

He stressed the current economic priorities of the Philippines towards establishing the country as a hub for manufacturing, innovation, research and development and a center for training and education is compelling enough for the EU to strengthen ties with the Philippines through an FTA. “Notwithstanding discussions for a possible FTA, a core feature of our relations with the EU is the EU Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP+). Since the successful application of the Philippines to the GSP+ in 2014, the Philippines has enjoyed greater market access to the EU that led to a significant increase in exports,” Lopez said.

Othel V. Campos

PAL prepares flights from GenSan airport PHILIPPINE Airlines is set to mount international flights from the upgraded General Santos Airport to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia on December 9 this year, according to the Department of Transportation.

“The Philippine Airlines has formally signified to us that they will again start here their international operation, GenSanKuala Lumpur–Gensan,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said.

With the expanded passenger terminal building of the General Santos Airport, Tugade said the gateway can now accommodate two million passengers annually from its previous annual capacity of 800,000 passengers.

Tugade said the development projects in the General Santos Airport and in the Port of General Santos would also bring comfort and convenience to airport and seaport passengers.

The Soccsksargen Region’s main maritime gateway, the Port of General Santos or commonly known as Makar Wharf, can now accommodate at least 1,300 large ships for port calls every year after the wharf’s upgrade and expansion.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Israeli investors vouch for robust business climate and economic opportunities in PH this year ISRAELI investors attested to increasingly vibrant Philippine business climate during a recent webinar entitled “Business Opportunities for Israel in the Philippines.”

Treating the Philippines as his second home, Itamar Gero, chief executive of Truelogic and Axandra, noted the untapped potential of the Philippines.

Having a background in IT and software engineering and for the past 13 years, Gero

invested in six companies amassing an estimated total revenue of $10 million annually. He described the Filipino workforce as “young and very passionate” and “family oriented,” which makes the work easy for his companies.

Gero invited his fellow investors to start exploring business opportunities in the Philippines, as improvements are evident through infrastructure program such as

“Build, Build, Build.” He also cited progress in the playing field of telecommunication industry.

He assured Israeli businessmen that the country has a lot more to offer with its “untapped opportunities.”

“Start sooner than later. The Philippines is one of the best-untapped opportunities in the region countries, and soon you’ll say I should have been there sooner,” he said.

Liron Gross, chief executive and cofounder of Payo Asia, also shared her insights on the thriving e-commerce sector in the Philippines as every transaction is almost, if not always, done online.

“This is the best place now,” she said on the flourishing e-commerce businesses that the pandemic pushed to adapt faster.

Gross noted the proficiency of the Filipino workers in English, making communi-

cation in the workplace “easy.” “We solve problems by eating together,” she said, as she noted that the workplace environment and culture in the Philippines is similar to Israel’s.

Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss guaranteed a bevy of business opportunities in the Philippines. “The environment here is friendly environment—the government, people, business sector,” he said.

Sports

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2021

Touring ladies resume hunt as ICTSI Riviera starts Chanelle Avaricio in hot pursuit of a maiden LPGT crown.

PATAFA FORMS INDEPENDENT PROBER

Obiena: Paying late no crime

By Peter Atencio

T

HERE is no crime committed when financial statements and reports are submitted late.

Pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena said this even as the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association created an independent Administrative Committee to look further into the Olympian’s alleged non-payment of his coach’s services.

“PATAFA accused me in writing of committing serious crimes of embezzlement and outright theft of monies intended for my coach Vitaliy Petrov… That’s a long way from embezzlement and theft that I’m accused of. I am not a lawyer. But as far as I know, paying late is not a crime,” said Obiena.

Roxas stuns Kapatagan for 1st win in Super Cup PAGADIAN—Roxas played inspired basketball, nailing its first win at the expense of the debuting Kapatagan, 89-77, in the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup Mindanao Challenge, Tuesday at the Pagadian City Gymnasium here.

With their lead down to just five, 77-72, the Vanguards unleashed a game-finishing 11-2 burst.

Cyrus Tabi started the run with a shot-clock beating floater before he alongside Marlon Monte and Nick Abanto buried three straight treys, 8874, with less than a minute to go.

The victory put Roxas at 1-1, dedicating the win for its utility staff Gerry Cojuangco, who passed away early Sunday morning.

“Itong game na ito dine-dedicate namin kay Gerry Cojuangco,” said Roxas head coach Alvin Grey. “May mga lapses kami pero noong fourth quarter, gumana ‘yung trap defense namin.”

Marlon Monte went on a scoring spree, firing 27 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field and a perfect 9-of-9 from the stripe. He also had five rebounds, five assists, and two steals.

Monte’s backcourt partner Cyrus Tabi also came up big with 19 points, six assists, and five rebounds, while Kentoy Segura was a spark off the bench with 13 points.

The debuting Buffalos was paced

by Gayford Rodriguez with 18 points and eight rebounds.

Jonel Bonganciso had 11 points, while Richard Kwong and Garexx Puerto combined for 20 points, 18 from the first half.

Kapatagan will dance with Zamboanga Sibugay tomorrow, 4 pm, for a chance to get in the win column.

The new body was formed after a four-man investigating panel, which the PATAFA formed last week, continued looking into allegations that Obiena may have falsified liquidation reports and failed to turn over payment for his coach at a specific time.

Liquidation paperwork on the re-

ceipt of Petrov’s 85,000 euro funding allocation will be looked into by the administrative panel, which will also review the affidavit of top World Athletics official Sergey Bubka and the written statements of Petrov alleging that he “did not receive any monthly coach’s fees for the years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021”.

Obiena has already submitted his written explanation to the committee, according to a new PATAFA statement.

While preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, Obiena said he had difficulty with the paperwork and disbursing funds to his coaches.

“I have admitted that I struggle with the huge amount of paperwork that I am required to do to be a paymaster to my team. I am alone in Italy. I train nine hours daily, and I have no help,”

C1

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor

wrote Obiena in his statement.

Obiena believes that a helping hand from the PATAFA could have helped him ease that burden.

Based on the records of PATAFA, the coach’s fees of Petrov were released to Obiena from May 2018 up to August 2021.

But the PATAFA acted on a statement signed Petrov, who informed the association that he did not receive payment for his services to the Filipino pole vaulter, now ranked no. 5

by World Athletics.

For now, all funding related to Obiena’s training activities in Formia, Italy has been suspended.

The 24-year-old Obiena admitted in a statement that the liquidation paperwork on the receipt of Petrov’s funding allocation has been submitted late, of which he apologized.

HARMIE Constantino and Sunshine Baraquiel set out for a second victory in the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s third restart, Chanelle Avaricio and Daniella Uy go all out for the elusive win while a crew of amateurs try to sneak into the title chase in the ICTSI Riviera Ladies Challenge unfolding today (Wednesday, Nov. 24) at the Couples course in Silang, Cavite.

Constantino held off amateur Mafy Singson and won by one at Eagle RidgeAoki at Tour resumption three weeks ago, four months after she launched her pro career with a two-stroke victory over multi-titled Princess Superal, also at the same venue.

And while Avaricio and Uy, along with the rest of the bidders, are all firedup to launch their respective drives in the 54-hole event, Singson and fellow amateurs Laurea Duque, Arnie Taguines, Anna Kei Fernandez and Eagle Ace Superal are all looking to upstage the big guns for a crack at top honors.

But nobody comes into the event with as much confidence and poise as Baraquiel, who endured exacting conditions at Highlands a couple of weeks back to snatch victory, finally putting herself in the conversation after finishing no higher than seventh in her first four tournaments as a full-pledged pro this year.

The 30-year-old lady pilot worked on her long game during the break, which is key at the Couples, but maintains she doesn’t want to look ahead but expects to come out stronger this week.

“I worked on my driving during the break but I don’t have any expectations,” said Baraquiel.

But she reiterated her desire to get better and eventually get a crack at the world’s premier circuit.

“My goal is really to reach the LPGA, so I’ll keep on working hard,” added the former Southwoods mainstay, who decided to go full-time on golf than make a career out of flying during the second respite due to the spike of coronavirus cases in NCR Plus last March.

“Basically, I turned pro because of Covid,” said Baraquiel. “It was actually from staying at home that I realized that my heart is really in golf and not in flying.”

But Constantino, Avaricio, Uy and the likes of Marvi Monsalve, Lovelyn Guioguio, Sarah Ababa, Pamela Mariano, Apple Fudolin and Korean rookie Jane Jeong along with Sheryl Villasensio, Eva Miñoza, Majorie Pulumbarit and Florence Bisera all expect to soar this week, ensuring another spirited battle and a wild finish to the P750,000 championship.

The tougher Langer course, meanwhile, will host the next stop for the ICTSI Riviera Ladies Challenge on Dec. 1-3 with the ICTSI Midlands Classic on Dec. 14-16 wrapping the seven-leg swing of the circuit organized and conducted by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. in strict protocols under a bubble setup.

Tolentino: EJ retiring a great loss for PH sports THE Philippine Olympic Committee on Tuesday expressed deep regret over the row involving Ernest John “EJ” Obiena and his own federation and vowed to conduct an investigation on the flaming issue.

“We are in deepest regret to realize that one of our Olympians, multimedalist and great inspiration Ernest John Obiena of athletics, to be involved in this squabble with his home federation,” POC President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said.

Tolentino said Obiena’s declaration to retire at this stage of his globally budding career would be a great loss for Philippine Sports.

“I am very disappointed. They could have handled the situation internally absent of any misfires from both parties,” Tolentino said. “A bountiful career is now in peril.”

Rep. Abraham Tolentino

Obiena, together with his legendary Ukranian coach Vitaly Petrov, sought a retraction and public apology from the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association after the federation stated that Obiena falsified liquidation documents on his coach’s salaries.

Obiena, 25, competed in the Tokyo Olympics and holds the Asian record in the sport. He is now ranked No. 5 in the world.

“Needless to say, we, Filipinos, will be deprived of two gold medals in the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games in 2022 and in Cambodia 2023, not to mention another one in the Asian Games also next year and most importantly, a representation in the Paris Olympics come 2024, due to the fiasco in the leadership of his organization,” Tolentino stressed.

“We could have easily propagated this

achievement to the youth by proper guidance and genuine attitude,” he said.

The Obiena-Patafa mess didn’t escape the Senate’s attention. Late Monday evening, senators recalled the 2023 budget of the Philippine Sports Commission after expressing dismay over the agency’s apparent hands-off stance from the controversial rift.

“Since the PSC is the source of funds, it could have easily—under its mandate—intervened and corrected the same from the very beginning,” Tolentino said.

Tolentino added: “But we in the POC will be steadfast and for the sake of Olympism and impartiality, will go into the details and investigate the matter.”

The POC’s Ethics Committee will investigate the controversy.

The POC statement was read in the Senate on Tuesday by Senator Francis “Tol” Tolentino.

Manila crowned FilBasket champion AICC Manila whipped San Juan, 7268, to capture the inaugural FilBasket Subic Championship title Monday night at the Subic gym.

The Manila dribblers drew strength from Michael Mabulac, Chris Bitoon and Hesed Gabo to seal the crown in the deciding Game 3 of their best-ofthree finals’ affair.

Mabulac fired 18 points, hauled eight rebounds and got three steals, while Bitoon chipped in 13 points and six boards for Manila, who followed up its 74-70 Game 2 victory Sunday after losing Game 1 Saturday, 80-74.

Hesed Gabo also fueled Manila throughout the series by averaging 14.3 points, three rebounds and three assists per game to be hailed as Finals Most Valuable Player. In Game 3, he finished with 10 points, three re-

bounds and six assists. throughout, leading by as many as 13 third period.

But the Knights refused to give up Manila pulled away from an early points, 54-41, off a Ronjay Buenafe 9-all deadlock and dictated the pace triple in the last 52 seconds of the without a fight and threatened in the last four seconds of the game after Jhonard Clarito drained a triple to cut their deficit to only two, 70-68.

San Juan attempted to stop the clock and gain ball possession, but two free throws from Buenafe off Paolo Hernandez’s foul sealed the win for Manila.

Abando finished with 17 points for San Juan, while Clarito scored 11 points. Orlan Wamar and Renato Ular added 10 points in a losing effort.

Meanwhile, Medical Depot’s Simon David Camacho earned the Conference MVP plum.

Also part of the Mythical team were Muntinlupa Defenders’ Thomas Torres, Nueva Ecija Bespren’s The jubilant AICC Manila team Renz Palma, Wamar and Mabulac.

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Sports

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2021

Dy battles Maksimovic in BRAVE CF 56 main event

Acuna nails spot in PH shooting SEAG team

By Peter Atencio AMPARO Teresa Acuna broke national records in two of her pet events over the last two weeks as she assured herself of a spot in the national shooting team.

The 24-year-old Acuna tallied totals of 620.4 and 620.5 during the two weekend trials of the women’s 10-meter rifle event at the Philippine Marine range inside the Ft. Bonifacio barracks in Makati City.

Her totals allowed Acuna to improve on her best performance of 616.5 back in 2018.

In the 3-position event of the 50-meter air rifle shootoff, Acuna accumulated 1149 points, which bettered her previous national mark of 1146 in the 2019 Doha Asian Championships.

“Been doing good. We still have another round to go in the following weeks until we conclude, but so far I’m assured of a spot in the SEAG for topping my events,” said Acuna.

An Olympic Solidarity scholar, Acuna said she is gaining the confidence she needs as she prepares for action in the coming Southeast Asian Games.

Acuna said she is finally shaking off the rust that she felt following the long layoff since the country went in COVID-19 lockdowns in March, 2020.

“This is an assurance that I’m on the right track. Matagal na rin kaming nakapahinga,” said Acuna as members of the national team are now finally going into physical training activities.

Members of the national squad are now getting ready for their participation in the Philippine Open next month.

The Philippines placed third overall in shooting in the last SEA Games with three golds, three silvers and a bronze.

Caisey Dongallo scores all but one of her 25 points on attacks for California Precision Sports.

Precision Sports notches st 1 Champions League win

L

IPA City—Playing for pride, California Precision Sports beat Baguio City, 25-14, 23-25, 25-11, 25-12, for its first Philippine National Volleyball Federation Champions League victory on Tuesday at the Aquamarine Recreational Center.

The Lady Highlanders also finally won a svoet in the second, but the Antipolo-based CPS regrouped with a dominant performance in the third and fourth to prevail.

“We could have done better,” said skipper Kizzie Madriaga after her teammates allowed Baguio City to steal a set before playing their usual game and snatch their first win in four outings.

The Lady Highlanders fell to 0-4.

Caisey Dongallo scored all but one of her 25 points on attacks and collected seven digs, Jelai Gajero added 16 points and eight digs andsetter Madriaga tossed in 19 excellent sets for CPS. Handled by multi-titled high school coach Jerry Yee in a bubble training for a month, CPS was finally rewarded after putting up a gallant stand in its first three matches.

“Coach Yee prepared for us very well,” Gajero said.

Those losses against professional clubs toughened CPS and Yee was the glue that kept the young crew together in the tournament that has Rebisco, Pitmaster Foundation Inc., Top Speed, 1Pacman Partylist, Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee as platinum sponsors and F2 Logistics, Asics, PLDT, MVP Sports Foundation and Mikasa as gold sponsors and BCDA, Philippine Red Cross, Lipa City, Davis Paint and Emerald PVC Pipes, Fittings and Doors as silver sponsors with PNVF godfather, Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, chairman of the Champions League, giving his full support.

“He is so calm coaching us,” said Madriaga, referring to Yee. A “grassroots” volleyball program consisting of players from Bicol, Bu-

lacan, Cebu, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Rizal, CPS lived up to the mantra “nothing to lose, everything to gain.”

“Our group’s dedication to the sport and its continuous precision training while in the bubble is paying off despite the pandemic,” said CPS owner Dr. Obet Vital, who hopes that some of the athletes could try out for next year’s Asian Volleyball Cup U17 and U19 competitions in Thailand and China, respectively.

Ann Atuban and Joan Lyn Maddatu each scored seven points, while Shyla Marie Ylarde and Rhaetia Mae Pilo contributed six points apiece for Baguio.

Both teams wrap up their Champions League campaigns on Wednesday with CPS hoping to go out on a high note against Petro Gazz at 1:30 p.m. and Baguio will getting its final shot of a first win in a 4 p.m. clash with Chery Tiggo.

The games are live streamed over the PNVF official website volleyballphilippines.com, iWantTFC for local and international audiences, Puso Pilipinas and Smart Sports Facebook pages and YouTube channels and Gigaplay.

SEEF DISTRICT, Bahrain—After a groundbreaking year that saw BRAVE Combat Federation hold multiple live events in Europe and Asia, the Bahrainbased global promotion is gearing up for its final extravaganza of 2021.

The organization will make its first foray into Belgrade, Serbia on December 18 to hold BRAVE CF 56 at the state-of-the-art Belexpocentar.

The card is headlined by a pivotal lightweight encounter between Filipino superstar Rolando “The Incredible” Dy and hometown hero Slobodan Maksimovic.

Dy, the 30-year-old son of boxing legend and former WBC Super Featherweight World Champion Rolando Navarrete, has been a mixed martial artist since 2011 and is one of the most recognizable faces of the sport’s wellentrenched scene in the Philippines.

With more than 20 professional bouts on his résumé, Dy has the experience of a seasoned veteran and has seen it all inside the cage.

Always a crowd-pleaser, “The Incredible” utilizes his dynamic boxing background with an impeccable takedown defense to outclass his opponents. He’ll now get the chance to put on a show once more opposite Maksimovic.

In the other corner, Maksimovic has been in the MMA game for more than a decade and has a wealth of fight experience under various outfits on his curriculum vitae.

Ranked as the No. 5 lightweight in the Balkan Peninsula, Maksimovic possesses a beautiful combination of solid striking and grappling skills that has proven to be a potent formula for success as he has amassed a stellar 17-6-1 overall record.

Moreover, the 32-year-old Serbian is riding high on a two-fight winning streak and has won seven of his last eight outings since 2016.

Dy, the 2020 BRAVE CF Fighter of the Year awardee, desperately needs an impressive performance to maintain his status in the stacked 155-pound weight class. Meanwhile, Maksimovic is eager to keep rolling and make a big first impression on the world stage.

In partnership with MMA League of Serbia, BRAVE CF will be announcing more matches for its first trip to Belgrade in the coming days.

PH bowlers upbeat for SEA Games THE success of the Philippine men and women’s bowling teams in the recent World Championships hopefully will spur their campaign in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi.

Legendary bowler Bong Coo said winning one or more gold medals is definitely the target in Vietnam and the bronze medal finish of the Filipino bowlers in Dubai last week serves as the perfect springboard to help them attain that goal.

“Ngayon ang target namin is the Southeast Asian Games. In the past SEA Games, hindi kami nakaka-gold. Nu’ng panahon namin, walang problema.

Kapag naka-bronze, umiiyak kami. Ngayon ‘pag bronze, umiiyak din, pero sa tuwa,” said Coo, a world bowling Hall of Famer and winner of four world championships.

“Pero ngayon ang target namin is to really deliver the gold for the country kasi alam kong kayang-kaya namin,” she added.

National women’s coach Jojo Canare and national bowlers Rachelle Leon and Merwin Tan shared the same optimism with the Philippine Bowling Federation secretary general when they appeared in the online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday.

Canare handled the women’s team composed of Leon, Mades Arles, Norel Nuevo, and Dubai-

based Uella Marcial that bagged the bronze medal, while Biboy Rivera and Rey Reyes called the shots for the men’ side of Kenneth Chua, Patrick Nuqui, Merwin Tan, and Ian Dychangco, which did the same feat.

The podium finish was the first for the country since Rivera bagged the gold in the same meet 15 years ago.

But the Filipino keglers, whose campaign was helped funded by former national bowler and current Senate President Tito Sotto, had to do it under tough conditions in Dubai, with the semis and finals being played outdoor in an experience which both Leon and Tan described as ‘rare and one-of-a-kind.’

The teams’ preparation was also very short going to the meet due to the pandemic situation in the country.

“Umalis kaming medyo nakatungo kasi napaka-iksi ng aming preparations. Pero gaya ng sinabi ko sa kanila nu’ng final frame na, gusto ko dramatic exit. So at least umuwi kami ng nakataas noo kahit paano,” said Canare in the same session presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, Daily Tribune, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

Bowling guests at PSA Forum

Training of the national team starts in December as tryouts will be held to fill in the team that will compete in the SEA Games set May 12-23. The Philippine Sports Commission, according to Coo, mandated a criteria that medalists in the last edition of the biennial meet held in Manila be included as part of the Philippine delegation.

The bowling team bagged a silver (men’s team) and bronze (women’s team) in the 30th edition of

the SEA Games.

Coo said two from that medal winning team has retired in Lisa Del Rosario and Frederick Ong, but Kenneth Chua, Patrick Nuqui, Tan, Alexis Sy, Lara Posadas-Wong, and Bea Hernandez are still with the national squad.

“Lara has started training already after niya magasawa and magka-anak,” said Coo. “We hope we can have a very good team.”

Denice, Drex Zamboanga coming home for 1st time since pandemic FILIPINA ONE Championship atomweight Denice “Lycan Queen” Zamboanga is finally coming home to the Philippines.

Zamboanga flew to Thailand before the COVID-19 lockdowns in March 2020, and decided to remain there with older brother Drex and their friend Fritz Biagtan to make sure her training went uninterrupted.

She has not been on Philippine soil since.

Now, after nearly two years of being based overseas, Zamboanga is coming home to celebrate the Christmas holidays with family.

“Actually, I’m going home on December 1st. I’ll be home in December. All three of us, kuya Drex, Fritz [Biagtan], we’ll be flying back to the Philippines to spend Christmas there. I think it’s time,” Zamboanga told ONE Championship in a recent interview.

“I just want to reset and re-energize myself. It’s been so long and I miss my family back home. I miss my mom’s home-cooked meals, all the street food, and all my friends. My older sister is going home too, so it’s going to be a family reunion.”

During her time in Thailand, Zamboanga trained with Thai atomweight sensation and close friend-

Denice Zamboanga

Stamp Fairtex at the Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya, before switching gym affiliations and moving to Bangkok to train at Marrok Force.

“Lycan Queen” also figured in three exciting mar-

tial arts contests, notching victories against fight, so I’m cleared to compete.” veteran Mei Yamaguchi and Thai local Zamboanga, who is the ONE atomWatsapinya Kaewkhong, however weight division’s #1-ranked conmost recently falling to South Kotender, is looking forward to a rean Seo Hee Ham via controfruitful 2022. versial split decision.

Reigning ONE Women’s AtZamboanga also revealed omweight World Champion that she was scheduled “Unstoppable” Angela Lee is to fight one more time in expected to make her longDecember, but believes awaited return to the Circle her would-be opponent denext year, and a highly-sought clined the showdown.

Lee vs. Zamboanga bout could “Actually I was offered a fight be in the cards. against Alyona Rassohyna on the Meanwhile, ONE ChampionDecember 3 card. I agreed to that ship returns with ONE: NextGen fight and was getting ready for it, even III, a previously-recorded event from if I only had a couple of weeks to really prethe Singapore Indoor Stadium which Drex Zamboanga pare for it,” Zamboanga said. broadcasts via tape delay this Fri“Honestly, I just wanted to fight again, day, November 26. In the main event, so that I could get another one in before Christmas. #5-ranked strawweight contender Lito “Thunder Another win would have been great. But I think Ras- Kid” Adiwang of the Philippines takes on prosohyna turned the fight down. I’m fully recovered motional newcomer Jarred “The Monkey God” from the injuries I incurred during the Seo Hee Ham Brooks of the United States.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2021

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French Netflix show ‘Call My Agent’ nets International Emmy

The crew of the French Netflix hit comedy ‘Call My Agent’ celebrate their win at the 49th International Emmy Awards in New York on Nov. 22.

FRENCH showbiz comedy Call My Agent won an award at the International Emmy’s Monday after riding a wave of popularity on the global streaming giant Netflix.

Launched in France in 2015 under the title Ten Percent, the show has become an international hit as Call My Agent, charting the ups and downs of the lives of actors and their agents in Paris. The International Emmy for best comedy was awarded to the fourth season of the show, which began as an idea by former agent Dominique Besnehard.

The writers and producers were in

Roaring in silence

International Silent Film Festival Manila turns 15

‘Orochi’ (Serpent) is a 1925 action film by Futagawa Buntarō.

O

PENING today at the newly renovated Manila Metropolitan Theater — Manila’s architectural Art Deco gem built in the midst of the Philippine “Silent era” – is the 15th edition of the International Silent Film Festival Manila.

Running until Dec. 03, the fest is presented by the Japan Foundation, Manila, the Embassy of Italy with the Philippine Italian Association, the Instituto Cervantes, the British Council in the Philippines, the Goethe-Institut, the Embassy of France, and the Film Development Council of the Philippines.

In this year’s edition, the festival features six classic silent films from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, and the United Kingdom, and nine short films especially produced by the FDCP to represent the Philippines, all accompanied

Indie folk band Munimuni

by original musical scores from local bands and musicians.

The program is screened online via the FDCP Channel https://fdcpchannel.ph/isffm2021.

The invitational opening ceremony, hosted by the Japan Foundation, Manila will be followed by the screening of Orochi (Serpent), a 1925 action film by Futagawa Buntarō. It will be live scored by Munimuni band.

This is cine-concert in pre-COVID style in-person but in keeping with the health restrictions in force.

With the exception of the opening day, the program of this 15th edition of the International Silent Film Festival Manila that includes screenings and international round table webinars will be entirely accessible online from tomorrow until Dec. 3.

Loyal to the very essence of the festival, all silent films will be scored with original music exclusively composed and performed by local bands and musicians.

Dec. 1 to 3 will be dedicated to the screening of the nine short films produced with the very first edition of FDCP’s Mit Out Sound International Silent Film Competition.

Nine Filipino filmmakers worked with nine film composers to produce nine short silent films that represents the Philippines in this year’s ISFFM. The Festival will culminate with a closing night of the ISSFM2021, and the awarding ceremony for the best productions of Mit Out Sound.

For more information on the schedule, and list of films to be exhibit, and for other inquiries, visit the festival’s Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/InternationalSilentFilmFestivalManila

GMA Network continues commitment to ‘Serbisyong Totoo’ UNPARALLELED Serbisyong Totoo remains at the heart of GMA Network.

Fully utilizing the network’s wide reach across the country – complemented by its second free-to-air channel GTV; Kapuso digital channels Heart of Asia, Hallypop, I Heart Movies, and DepEd TV; its GMA Regional TV (RTV) stations; as well as radio station DZBB, and all Super Radyo stations nationwide – GMA continues to enrich the lives of Filipinos with its various public service programs and initiatives across all its on-air and online platforms as well as on-ground.

Widely regarded as the network with a

GMA Network remains truthful to its mantra ‘Serbisyong Totoo’ through its various television and radio programs and other initiatives.

heart, GMA has been steadfast in living up to its commitment to public service even if it means having to go the extra mile.

From keeping the public well-informed and aware of the most pressing issues today, starting with eye-opening discussions on various concerns, to providing much-needed assistance to those in dire need of help and calling out authorities to take action, and up to reuniting families and loved ones – GMA is at the forefront of public service.

Serbisyong Totoo on-air Providing viewers round the clock news and information are newscasts 24 Oras and 24 Oras Weekend, Unang Hirit’s Unang Balita, and Saksi.

On GTV, simulcasts of 24 Oras, 24 Oras Weekend, and Saksi are also available in addition to Balitanghali, Breaking News, Dobol B TV, State of the Nation, Dapat Alam Mo!, and Regional TV News.

Up-to-the-minute and breaking reports are also available throughout the day via news bulletins on both GMA and GTV. The Kapuso Network continues to produce programs attuned to the changing needs and interests of viewers in every part of the globe. On GMA, these include Public Affairs programs Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, Unang Hirit, Wish Ko Lang!, Imbestigador, I-Witness, AHA!, Born to be Wild, Pera Paraan, Pinoy MD, and The Atom Araullo Specials; as well as infotainment shows Amazing Earth, iBilib, Makulay ang Buhay, Agri-

Preneur, and long-running public service program Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko. Serbisyong Totoo extends on GTV via Reporter’s Notebook, Good News kasama si Vicky Morales, Tunay na Buhay, Stories of Hope, On Record, Biyahe ni Drew, Brigada, I Juander, Becoming Pinoy, Oh My Job!, Pusong Pinoy sa Amerika, and Pinoy A+ Filipino Stories for Kids.

The network also remains as the most reliable source of public service during events of national importance including the President’s address to the nation via the State of the Nation Address 2021: The GMA News Special Coverage.

These are on top of the various public service announcement plugs that regularly air on all its channels.

Further, with stations strategically located in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, GMA Network through its regional arm, GMA RTV, further brings Serbisyong Totoo outside Metro Manila via its flagship newscasts and morning shows, namely GMA RTV Balitang Amianan and Mornings with GMA Regional TV in North Central Luzon; GMA RTV Balitang Bicolandia in South Luzon; GMA RTV Balitang Bisdak and GMA Regional TV Live! in Central and Eastern Visayas; GMA RTV One Western Visayas and GMA Regional TV Early Edition in Western Visayas; and GMA RTV One Mindanao and At Home with GMA Regional TV in North, South Central, Western, and Southern Mindanao. Read full story on manilastandard.net

New York for the awards, which are given to the best television shows produced outside of the United States.

On the red carpet in New York, producer Michel Feller admitted that “the Netflix broadcast of the four seasons has allowed us, with a production that we could say is local, to be seen in more than 200 territories.”

“Today there are almost 20 remakes that have either been signed, are in production or have been filmed,” in countries as diverse as Canada and India, he said. AFP

Parents, celebrities laud ‘One Tablet, One Student’ bill CELEBRITIES and some parents of school age children, lauded House Bill No. 10405, also known as the “One Tablet, One Student Act of 2021” recently filed by three-term Senator Loren Legarda, that seeks to provide each student from public elementary, secondary, State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), a tablet as a learning tool.

The bill was received well and is seen as a definite boost in the capabilities of our public school students to learn especially in the new normal setting.

Columnist, real-estate broker and proud owner of artisanal Kamuning Bakery Wilson Lee Flores said, “This bill is a good idea to help equalize educational opportunities for public school students all over the Philippines who have suffered disadvantages of lack of tech gadgets.” He recommended that the next steps will be “lowering costs and expanding nationwide, better faster internet services.”

In the same vein, actor-director Cesar Montano said, “that bill, when enacted into law, will lessen the great disadvantage poor people experience in the school setting. It will provide equal opportunities to learn and excel. Sana ang susunod naman, malakas at matatag na internet sa buong bansa natin.”

Singer-songwriter Ogie Alcasid considers this an excellent news. He said, “that would help all students so much.”

Comedy Queen Ai-Ai Delas Alas, who herself had been approached so many times

Clockwise: Metro Pacific Group’s Chaye Cabal-Revilla, comedienne Ai-Ai delas Alas, actor Cesar Montano, and journalistentrepreneur Wilson Lee Flores

by students and parents asking for tablet donation, said of the proposed bill, “Sana totoong ma-provide sa lahat, lalo na yung mga mahihirap. Sa Pasig may libreng tablet, pero hindi lahat nabibigyan kaya maraming nanghihingi sa akin sa email.” Delas Alas hasn’t lost all hope that our learning system could soon go back to face-to-face setting.

Metro Pacific Group’s Finance and Sustainability Chief and a doting mother Chaye Cabal-Revilla speaks from the heart as a parent. “This is okay with me as a learning tool but it should have restrictions with respect to time and access. A tablet can be a double-edged sword – it can be a very useful learning tool when used properly given the right time and materials and access to research items. But it can also be a distraction if given without limits,” she said, then added in jest, “Baka dapat sa DepEd portal lang siya pwede, wala sa Youtube.”

Legarda’s bill also provides that students who already have their own personal learning gadgets shall be given educational assistance in the form of an internet allowance to ‘One Tablet, One Student Act of 2021’ recently cover the cost of connectivity. Read full story on manilastandard.net filed by three-term Senator Loren Legarda

QC-based boutique theater hosts free short films to the public SINE Pop, a post-war house turned boutique theater in Cubao, Quezon City, currently hosts free screenings of short films and video works from across the world.

The initiative is part of MCAD Commons: 2021 Artists’ Film International (AFI) Programme. Established in 2008 by the publicly-funded historical 120-year-old Whitechapel Gallery, AFI showcases contemporary pieces from their regions to be screened across the participating countries.

For 2021, AFI explores the various ways of addressing the concept of care. It features short films handpicked by Crawford Art Gallery in Cork Short, Ireland; GAMeC in Bergamo, Italy; Video-Forum, Neuer Berliner Kunstverein in Berlin, Germany; Project 88 in Mumbai, India; and Ballroom Marfa in Marfa, Texas, USA. Flight from the City (2015) by Irish artist Clare Langan is a poetic exploration on the concepts of connection, love, separation, and transition following the bond of a mother and child.

Invocation for a Wandering Lake Part 1 & 2 (2016) by American performance artist and film director Patty Chang pictures rituals of care to non-human entities: a lifeless body of a whale off the coast of Newfoundland’s Fogo Islands, a former fishing hub; and the shell of an abandoned ship in the desert of Muynak, Uzbekistan, a defunct seaport on the receded Aral Sea.

My Castle Your Castle (2017) by German ultra-contemporary artist and filmmaker Kerstin Honeit studies the construction site of the rebuilt Berliner Stadtschloss as a place where national hegemonies transformed into identity-generating architectures.

What Has Left Since We Left (2020) by Italian artist and filmmaker Giulio Squillacciotti evokes the feelings of loss for a Europe that no longer exists.

Setting the Stage for a Gathering of Friends (2020) by Indian writer and artist Himali Singh Soin captures the essence of uncertainty, fear, chance, missed connections, and false promises in the visualization of an Ensō, a special circle form in Zen Buddhism.

The Philippine screening likewise includes Mag-uuma (Farmer) (2014) by Filipino filmmaker and human rights activist Kiri Dalena, currently installed at Project Space Pilipinas in Lucban, Quezon. The Philippine screening of the 2021 AFI Programme is presented by the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Manila under its initiative to foster creative development, exchange of ideas, and curatorial discourse to a wider audience.

The next shows are scheduled on the remaining Tuesdays and Wednesdays of the month. It will also be on view today, Dec. 7 and 8. Shows run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. All screenings are free and open to the public.

For more information, visit http://www. mcadmanila.org. ph/aficare/.

‘Flight from the City’ by Clare Langan

Life

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

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FASHION AND BEAUTY

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2021

Soin Hydratant (Moisturizer) made with hyaluronic acid and aloe vera.

Soin Beaute du Regard (Beautifying Eye Care) made with caffeine and green tea.

Former beauty editor Nicole Romero Vagner has learned a lot about French beauty after moving to France.

(Photo from @nicolevagner/ Instagram)

French skincare brand Varens Beaute Bio’s Soin Revitalisant (Skin Revitalizer) and Soin Nourissant (Nourishing Care)

Soin Vitamine (Vitamin Booster) made with vitamins C and E.

Keep it French and simple

French beauty focuses on quality skincare products, clean formulations, and habits — like drinking water — that help improve skin.

By Bernadette Lunas

W

HEN it comes to French skin care, quality trumps quantity. They do not care much about layering dozens of products and buying the latest releases. Fancy packaging and perhaps even marketing do not distract them.

“It looks effortless but actually they think about it,” Filipino beauty journalist Nicole Romero Vagner noticed after moving to France. “They don’t buy for the sake of buying. They are really mindful about the things they get; they are after quality, it doesn’t even have to be pricey.”

‘Princess of Blockchain’ does business in style BLOCK Tides chief executive Myrtle Ramos is empowering the blockchain community with corporate finesse complemented by her strong fashion sense and classy persona.

During the 5th anniversary celebration of her company on Oct. 23 at Okada Manila, the “Princess of Blockchain” declared her intention to further drive awareness of blockchain.

“I will definitely promote blockchain technology and all the other outlets out there,” said Ramos.

She added, “We are a team of well-experienced marketers and PR professionals heavily involved in blockchain technology. Our Block Tides chief executive officer Myrtle team is a golden bridge towards Ramos expanding a project globally in no time with our strategic partnership with Asia Token Fund and Block PR Asia.”

Block Tides has hosted around 30 road shows about blockchain and cryptocurrency in and around Southeast Asia. It also helps those facing challenges brought about by the pandemic.

Ramos, who also sits as a key figure in other companies like PlaceWar and GokuMarket, offered suggestions to address the challenges posed by lockdowns. “This crisis is a unique moment of risk and opportunity. We need to strengthen our base and raise our voices together to steer economic recovery.”

Business innovation leaders present at the event discussed how their emerging industry can help the country’s economy, promote high-quality learning for its patrons, and directly help people struggling amid the pandemic.

The event was staged in collaboration with Vention App, hailed as the first-ever NFT (non-fungible token) marketplace in the Philippines. “It’s a pleasure to be part of this amazing event. I admire seeing people from different generations come together with a common level-up goal,” said Julius Santillan, head of Vention App. Event partners included Gala Games, PlaceWar, LBank, Ace eWallet, and GokuMarket.

That effortless look the French are known comes from their straightforward approach to beauty: Consistently using a product made with quality ingredients and clean formulations because it works.

French skin care routine is just about the basics: cleanse, tone, moisturize. According to Vagner, “moisturizing is the big thing” for the French.

Beauty and wellness brand distributor iFace, Inc. brings to the Philippines a vegan skincare brand that can be found in pharmacies in France, allowing Filipinos to try moisturizing like the French.

Varens Beauté Bio harnesses the power of plants to restore, protect, and nourish the skin. The brand’s Ecocert certification verifies that at least 95 percent of the plant ingredients each product in the range contains are organic and at least 20 percent of organic ingredients are present in the total formula.

The range consists of a moisturizer, a vitamin C and E booster, a skin revitalizer, a skin nourishing care, and an eye contour care.

The Soin Hydratant (P499/40ml) helps restore moisture in the skin with the help of different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid and aloe vera pulp. It’s recommended for all skin types, day and night.

Also ideal for all skin types, the Soin Vitaminé (P499/40ml) is enriched with vitamin C and E, powerful antioxidants that help protect the skin against free radicals as well as stimulate cell renewal.

Skin that needs a boost may use the Soin Revitalisant (P499/40ml), whose active collagen boosters and aloe vera help reduce the signs of aging.

The Soin Nourrissant (P499/40ml) is formulated with avocado oil, shea butter, and trace elements to immediately calm and repair dry, irritated skin.

When applying moisturizer like the French, Vagner said, “Slow down and take your time when you’re applying the product.” And never forget your neck, “bring it down to the décolletage”.

The Soin Beauté Du Regard (P499/15ml) is infused with caffeine and green tea to help

reduce puffiness and dark circles around the eye area.

Vagner really meant it when she said “take your time”, because after a getting a small amount of the product (“a little goes a long way”), she recommended to “inhale it, take it in, [before] applying it using upward strokes – like giving yourself a very light massage – making sure you’re helping the cream become absorbed by your skin.”

“Enjoy it, you can even try closing your eyes.”

According to the brand, the safety assessment of all five products was carried out by a toxicologist in accordance with European regulations under strict conditions. Each product has also been rigorously tested by 22 individuals for 26 days, “with excellent results to boot”.

“What impressed me about French pharmacy finds is that they really work,” said Vagner.

Varens Beauté Bio is available at Watsons and on Lazada.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

12 stylish presents HERE are stylish gift ideas for the loved ones you want to spoil and pamper.

New Balance Shando Sneakers

Make that loved one swoon comfortably in this luscious caftan made of modal blend jersey, a timetested fabric and customer favorite for years. Get it at Rustan’s

Give a stylish and practical gift with a pair of Shando sneakers your receiver can wear when running or running errands.

Get it at Rustan’s, New Balance

Chloe Drew Mini in Cement Pink

It’s chic, it’s pink, and it packs the essentials. This Chloe grained lambskin features golden brass hardware, knotted chain shoulder strap, signature turn lock, and interior suede lining. Get it at Rustan’s

Longchamp Brioche Crossbody Christian Louboutin Follies Strass Sling 70 in Light Silk

Formal events and holiday parties call for anything shiny. This low-cut Louboutin showcases a gradient of hand-fixed strass with iridescent reflections and delicate finishes in lamé suede. Get it at Rustan’s

La Mer Holiday Set

La Mer = luxury. So for those you want to spoil with pamperat-home treats, this holiday set consists of the nourishing and hydrating combination of Creme de la Mer, The Treatment Lotion, and The Revitalizing Hydrating Serum. Get it at Rustan’s, on Lazada

This evening-ready version of Longchamp’s on-trend flap bag comes with its signature square clasp and sliding metal chain so that your receiver can wear it on the shoulder or across the body. Get it at Rustans, Longchamp

Philips Handheld Steamer 3000 Series

Give the gift of perfectly steamed clothes with this compact foldable steamer. It delivers up to 20g/min of continuous steam.

Get it on Lazada

Swarovski Stella

Give someone special the star with this piece from Swarovski’s line of star-shaped jewelry.

Get it at Swarovski boutiques

Chanel Collection No. 5 Rouge Allure

For the one who always wants to make a statement, this opulent red lipstick collection honoring the legendary Chanel number makes a perfect gift.

It comes in five shades of red. Get it at Rustan’s

Korres Pure Greek Olive Shower Gel

Give the gift of Greek glow with this nourishing shower gel range. It’s available in Olive Blossom, Verbena, Sea Salt, Golden Apple, Lime, Pomegranate, and Peach Blossom scents.

Get it at Beauty Bar, on Lazada

Marks & Spencer Aloe and Cucumber Gift Set

Ramos vows to promote blockchain technology.

Natori Shangri-La Caftan in Heather Stone Blue

Treat a beauty fanatic loved one to a lovely gift set that consists of hand and body lotion, shower gel, and hand wash soap made with aloe and cucumber. Other variants are available. Get it at Marks & Spencer stores

Avon Far Away Royale Fragrance

Celebrate a loved one’s elegance with an opulent scent featuring an intoxicating blend of spices, jasmine, and warm vanilla. Get it at avonshop.ph