Manila Standard - 2022 February 17 - Thursday

twitter.com/ MlaStandard

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

manilastandard.net

Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net

BBM, SARA RETAIN DOMINANCE IN JANUARY SWS SURVEY

NEWS / A2

Russia starts pullout from Ukraine borders but West still sees buildup

VOL. XXXV • NO. 7 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 •THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

RUSSIA on Wednesday said military drills in Moscow-annexed Crimea had ended and that soldiers were returning to their garrisons, a day after it announced a first troop pullback from Ukraine’s borders.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, howev-

er, insisted that Russia’s military buildup seemed to be continuing around Ukraine despite Moscow announcing the pullback of more forces.

“We have heard the signs from Moscow about readiness to continue Next page

Comelec warns poll offenders Calls out bets over health protocol, campaign poster violations

By Vito Barcelo

T

HE Commission on Elections has warned candidates and their respective political parties they will be held liable for violations of poll rules as well as health protocols, which may be considered election offenses, amid fears that in-person campaigns may become COVID-19 super spreader events.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the poll body observed that several candidates were not following campaign protocols, particularly on the wearing of face masks and physical distancing.

“It has been brought to our attention that several campaign sorties conducted since the campaign period started have not been compliant with the mandatory face mask Next page

ELECTION RESTRICTIONS. (Top) Commission on Elections acting chairperson Socorro Inting (center) leads the signing of a memorandum of agreement with Vote Pilipinas that aims to beef up voter information campaign for the May 9 polls. Inting was joined by (from left) Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, Commissioner Aimee Ferolino, and Vote Pilipinas representatives Ces Rondario and Larence Libo-on. The poll body said it will also review its campaign guidelines, in particular the prohibition on selfies, handshakes and hugs, as alert levels for COVID-19 gradually ease. Norman Cruz, Ver Noveno and AFP

Duterte issues EO making National ID legal document

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed an executive order institutionalizing the acceptance of the Philippine Identification System Number (PhilSys) or National ID as sufficient proof of identity and age in all government and pri-

vate transactions.

Executive Order No. 162 was signed, by the authority of the President, by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Feb. 14, 2022.

The President cited the urgent need to institutionalize the acceptance of PhiliSys or PSN as authenticated, as sufficient proof of identity and age in

all government and private transactions, to improve efficiency in the delivery of social services, strengthen financial inclusion, and promote the ease of doing business.

Duterte said the PhilSys shall be the government’s central identification platform for all citizens and resident aliens of the country.

In connection with the Philippine IdentifiNext page

Poll body junks Second dose for kids still at shorter DQ petitions vs. interval amid push for longer period Tulfo, Pichay

By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Philippines will continue observing a three-week interval

between the first and second doses of the reformulated Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5 to 11, despite new data from the World Health Organization Next page

Calabarzon declared as low risk for COVID-19 infections

By Willie Casas and Darwin Amojelar THE provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Quezon and Rizal are now

classified as “low risk” for COVID-19 transmission, the independent monitoring OCTA Research Group said on Wednesday.

Next page

SIGN OF THE TIMES. A passenger sits inside a tricycle covered with

a reminder to wear a face mask as part of the COVID-19 health protocols in Manila on Wednesday, February 16, 2022. AFP

Nine police officers give up over killing of Calbayog City mayor, 3 others NINE police officers facing criminal charges over the killing of Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino and some of his staff members in March last year have already surrendered to authorities, the Criminal Investigation and Detec-

tion Group said Wednesday.

In a message to reporters, CIDG spokesperson Lt. Col. Mon Sawan said that aside from the nine police officers, three other persons who were not identified surrendered to the CIDG’s Detec-

tive Special Operations Unit in Camp Crame on Tuesday night.

This came after the Calbayog City, Samar Regional Trial Court Branch 32 issued a warrant of arrest against the suspects on February 14.

Last January 20, the panel of prosecutors conducting the preliminary investigation resolved to file criminal charges in court against Lt. Col. Harry Sucayre, Maj. Shyrile Tan, Capt. Dino Goles, Lt. Next page

By Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has junked the petitions to cancel the certificate of candidacy (COC) of reelectionist Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay and senatorial bet Raffy Tulfo.

Next page

3,644,597 2,671

68,829

55,223

77

3,520,545

6,130

(As of 4 PM, February 16)

A2

News

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

BBM, Sara dominate SWS Jan. poll Senator Panfilo Lacson got 6 percent while labor leader Leody De Guzman garnered 0.3 percent.

In a Pulse Asia survey conducted last month, Marcos posted a majority rating of 60 percent, followed by Robredo at 16 percent, Domagoso and Pacquiao with 8 percent each, and Lacson with 4 percent.

For the vice presidential race, DuterteCarpio topped the survey with 44 percent,

followed by Senate President Vicente Sotto III with 33 percent and Senator Francis Pangilinan with 10 percent.

Dr. Willie Ong ranked fourth with 7 percent, while Rep. Lito Atienza got 2 percent.

For Stratbase president Dindo Manhit, however, it is not unlikely that the ranking may still change as there is still a big chunk of the voters—20 percent—who remain undecided.

“Now there is a possibility that we will be downgraded to Alert Level 1, so maybe we will review our rules soon for the campaign to be consistent with the alert level,” she added.

Comelec Resolution 10732, issued in November last year, sets rules and regulations on the poll campaign under the new normal due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The resolution says in-person campaigning is allowed in areas under Alert 1, 2, and 3 but candidates or their campaign leaders must be accompanied only by a maximum of five staff members under Alert Level 2 and three staff members under Alert Level 3.

The resolution also prohibits handshakes, hugs, kisses, going arm-in-arm, or any action that involves physical contact among the candidate, their companions, and the public under all alert levels.

It also prohibits taking selfies, photographs, and other similar activities that require close proximity between the candidate and their companions, and the public.

The distribution of food and drink and anything of value is also prohibited.

Meanwhile, Comelec began removing

unlawful election materials Wednesday with the launch of “Operation Baklas” in Metro Manila.

But as several videos of Comelec enforcers dismantling campaign materials were posted on social media, former poll commissioner Rowena Guanzon said if they were doing this on private property, then they were trespassing.

“If they enter private property without permission then it is trespassing,” Guanzon said on a Twitter post.

Comelec enforcers dismantled some tarpaulins displayed at a RobredoPangilinan volunteers center in Quezon City. Supporters of presidential candidate Leni Robredo argued that the area was private property, outside the jurisdiction of the Comelec.

Last week, the Comelec said even if campaign materials were put up on private property, they still had to comply with the allowable size.

Jimenez also said the poll body had the authority to regulate campaign materials even on private property.

“You can post campaign materials in your personal property but you’re still going to have to abide by the size requirement,” Jimenez said.

Acting Comelec chairman Socorro Inting said that a petition filed by Romeo Momo seeking to deny due course or cancel Pichay’s COC for allegedly falsely misrepresenting that he is eligible to run for office was dismissed by the Comelec’s first division.

Pichay can run for office after the poll body’s First Division said “there was no false material representation when Pichay declared that he was eligible to run for office.”

Momo insisted Pichay was found guilty of grave misconduct by the Ombudsman in 2011 and among the penalties imposed is his disqualification to hold any public office.

The petitioner argued that despite his disqualification, Pichay “consciously, deliberately and declared under oath that he is eligible to run for public office.”

“Pending the resolution of his appeal with the Supreme Court, we cannot hold that the perpetual disqualification is effective against Pichay,” a portion of the 11-page resolution read.

“Consequently, there was no false material representation when he declared that he was eligible to run for office,” the Comelec added.

Meanwhile, the Comelec second division junked the petition filed by Tulfo’s ex-wife, Julieta Pearson, saying there was no misrepresentation in Tulfo’s COC when he named Jocelyn Tulfo as his wife.

Pearson filed the petition and claimed to be the legal wife of the broadcaster.

Inting said the second division junked the case because whoever is the spouse of a candidate is not material to whether they can run for office.

On Tuesday, OCTA said Metro Manila’s positivity rate for COVID-19 may fall below 5 percent in March, an indicator that according to the World Health Organization, the epidemic is “controlled or declining.”

OCTA fellow Dr. Guido David said the NCR’s positivity rate or percentage of coronavirus tests that yield positive results is down to 6.8 percent.

Other indicators of a controlled epidemic include a three-week decline of at least 50 percent since the latest peak of infections, and at least two weeks of “continuous” reduction in hospitalization and ICU admissions, according to the WHO. At least 80 percent of cases should be linked to known clusters, which indicates that “transmission chains have been identified.”

The Philippines in January battled record-high coronavirus infections driven by the more contagious Omicron variant.

The seven-day average of new cases is now at 3,600, said David, a mathematics professor at the University of the Philippines.

OCTA earlier said the daily tally of new cases could go down to below 1,000 by March.

The Philippines logged 2,671 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total case count to 3,644,597, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.

The DOH also reported 68,829 active cases, of which 1,130 are asymptomatic; 63,037 are mild; 2,920 are moderate;

1,433 are severe; and 309 are critical.

This is the lowest number of active cases since Jan. 6.

The positivity rate was at 9.6 percent, based on COVID-19 tests on 25,629 people conducted on Feb. 14.

There were 77 new fatalities reported, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 55,223.

The DOH also reported 6,130 new recoveries, bringing the total number of recoveries to 3,520,545.

Nationwide, 33 percent of ICU beds, 28 percent of isolation beds, 24 percent of ward beds, and 17 percent of ventilators, are in use.

In Metro Manila, 32 percent of ICU beds, 26 percent of isolation beds, 25 percent of ward beds, and 19 percent of ventilators, are in use.

Despite the decline in cases, a health expert urged the public to remain vigilant and warned against complacency as the government is preparing for the “new normal.”

Dr. Lulu Bravo, director of Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, said the public should follow the health protocols imposed by the government, which came from the recommendations of the health experts backed with scientific data.

Bravo said the public should always wear face masks and maintain physical distance despite the decrease of COVID-19 infections in the country.

Bravo also encouraged the public to get inoculated against COVID-19, saying that vaccines will help the country recover from the pandemic.

Earlier, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Alert Level 1 would be the country’s “new normal.”

It is declared when case transmission is low and decreasing, and total bed utilization and intensive care unit utilization rates are low.

Vergeire said under the new normal, restrictions will be very specific or will only be implemented in areas with high risk of infection.

The capacity limit in establishments, whether indoor or outdoor, and in transportation will be removed.

Also on Wednesday, Cebu Pacific said it has expanded its international flights after the government eased arrival quarantine restrictions and reopened its borders for tourists this month.

The airline resumed its thrice weekly flights to Bangkok, and weekly flights to Fukuoka and Jakarta.

“This development will benefit the tourism industry across the Philippines as we welcome vaccinated travelers from around the world to explore our beautiful shores,” Xander Lao, chief commercial officer at Cebu Pacific said.

Cebu Pacific also plans to resume its flights to other international routes from Manila next month, specifically Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) on March 1; and Taipei on March 2.

The United Arab Emirates has also lifted capacity restrictions on the DubaiManila route, enabling Cebu Pacific to resume its daily flight frequency beginning March 1.

Niño Salem and several John Does.

They were charged for the murder of Aquino, his security aide Staff Sgt. Rodeo Sario, driver Dennis Abayon and Julio Armeza Jr., Staff Sgt. Neil Cebu, passerby Clint John Paul Yauder, and Staff Sgt. Edsel Omega, Staff Sgt. for the frustrated murder of another seRandy Merelos, Cpl. Julius Garcia, Pat. curity aide Mansfield Labonite.

In a resolution dated Dec. 15, 2021, a panel of state prosecutors from the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Aquino and his aides were ambushed by the accused police personnel in Labuyao Bridge, Calbayog City on March 8, 2021.

Then Philippine National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Roderick Alba said prior to the DOJ’s decision, four out of the nine respondents were dismissed upon the recommendation of the Internal Affairs Service citing “overwhelming evidence of administrative culpability.”

in cases attributed to the more infectious Omicron variant in January, with peaks surpassing those of the Delta variant surge in 2021.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends a twodose series separated by 21 days for the reformulated Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine intended for children aged 5-11 years.

On the other hand, Dr. Wilda Silva, DOH National Immunization Campaign program manager, said that while myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) were noted after receiving mRNA COVID-19 vaccines such as Pfizer, cases are very rare.

“Most people with myocarditis after vaccination can recover with simple treatment. However if you get it from a viral infection, this can be very severe,” Silva warned.

The risk of getting myocarditis from a COVID-19 infection is four to eight times higher for unvaccinated individuals, Silva added.

There is only a 1 in 200,000 chance of getting myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination.

She reiterated that most adverse effects following immunization among the 5 to 11 age group are mild and treatable, such as headaches, rashes, and fever.

The use of antipyretic or drugs against fever was more frequent after the second dose, according to Silva.

Pfizer’s jab among children ages 5 to 11 is 90.7 percent effective, Gloriani said. The 10-microgram dose was chosen for the said age group as it produces nearly the same amount of neutralizing antibodies as that of the 20-microgram dose for adults, she added.

The public is urged to observe minimum public health standards alongside vaccination, Silva said.

“Go out and get vaccinated; get your loved ones, children vaccinated against COVID-19. We have routine [nonCOVID-19] vaccines for children under 1 year and they’re given for free,” she said. “It’s a proven fact: vaccination saves lives.”

The Philippines has inoculated against COVID-19 some 48,615 children ages 5 to 11 and 9.3 million children aged 12 to 17 as of Tuesday.

P

RESIDENTIAL aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, were the top choices in the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey commissioned by the Stratbase ADR Institute.

The commissioned survey, conducted from January 28 to 31, showed Marcos enjoying a wide lead over other candidates with a 50 percent voter preference.

Vice President Leni Robredo fol-

lowed with 19 percent, while both Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and Senator Manny Pacquiao were tied for the third spot with 11 percent each.

Russia...

From A1

Comelec...

From A1

diplomatic efforts, but so far, we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground,” Stoltenberg said ahead of a meeting of NATO defense ministers.

“On the contrary, it appears that Russia continues their military build-up,” he said. “We are of course monitoring very closely what Russia does in and around Ukraine. What we see is that they have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way.”

Germany’s Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said the Russian troop build-up on the border “continues to be a cause for concern.”

“There are signals that at least give us hope. But it is important to observe closely whether these words are followed by deeds,” she said.

Stoltenberg said Moscow still maintained the ability to launch a major attack on Ukraine and said NATO remained “prepared for the worst.”

Russian state television showed images of military units crossing a bridge linking the Russia-controlled peninsula to the mainland.

“Units of the Southern Military District, having completed their participation in tactical exercises, are moving to their permanent deployment points,” Moscow’s defense ministry said in a statement.

The statement said tanks, infantry vehicles and artillery were leaving Crimea by rail.

Western leaders remain concerned that Russia could still launch an attack on Ukraine, with US President Joe Biden warning on Tuesday that an attack by Moscow remained “very much a possibility.”

Biden said that despite Russian claims of a troop pullout, Washington and its allies had yet to verify the withdrawal of any of the tens of thousands of troops he says Moscow has now mustered along Ukraine’s border.

Russia will be “judged by its actions” after announcing a troop pullback from Ukraine’s borders, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace said Wednesday.

“What we haven’t seen is evidence of withdrawal that has been claimed by the Kremlin,” Wallace told Sky News.

“In fact, we’ve seen continued build-up of things like field hospitals, and strategic weapons systems such as Iskander missiles deployed,” he said, adding Britain “will judge them on their actions.”

“Until we see a proper de-escalation, I think we should all be cautious about the direction of travel from the Kremlin.”

Meanwhile, the Philippines is already reaching out with countries neighboring Ukraine for a possible evacuation or repatriation of Filipinos in the area.

“Rest assured Filipinos in Ukraine will come to no harm; I will be on top of it personally,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. said in a tweet. With AFP

and face shield policy, as well as the strict physical distancing requirements,” Jimenez said in a statement.

“In case the candidates need reminding, they are responsible for the safety of their staff and supporters and that the guidelines on physical campaigning are strictly followed,” he added.

He said election campaign activities that involve physical or personal interaction, such as in-person campaigns, rallies, caucuses, meetings and conventions, motorcades and caravans, and meeting de avance are covered by Resolution No. 10732.

Acting Comelec Chairman Socorro Inting said the poll body would review the campaign guidelines, including the prohibition on taking selfies, giving hugs, and shaking hands, as pandemic restrictions eased even as she reminded candidates to strictly follow safety and health rules.

“Yes, we are aware of these complaints of some candidates. Maybe we will review our rules,” Inting said.

Duterte...

From A1

fice; enrollment of students in public and private schools or registration for the Philippine Educational Placement Test; applications with the Professional Regulation Commission; and applications relative to voter’s registration with the Commission on Elections.

Government agencies are likewise tasked to amend their Citizen’s Charters to integrate the PhilSys Components and accommodate its features. The transacting public shall be informed of these amendments and private sector entities are enjoined to do the same.

On the other hand, banks and other financial institutions shall comply with the relevant issuances of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and other government regulatory agencies, and communicate to the public such policies and guidelines on the use of the PhilID, PSN, or PSN Derivative.

Meanwhile, Senator Christopher Go commended the issuance of EO 162, which he said aims to improve efficiency of public service delivery, strengthen good governance, and cut red tape in private and public transactions.

cation System Act, an individual’s record in the PhilSys shall be considered as sufficient proof of identity and age of an individual for public and private transactions.

The PhilSys shall also serve as the official government-issued identification document and official proof of identity of cardholders in dealing with all national government agencies.

The PSN or PSN derivative of an individual shall also be honored and accepted in transactions with the government and private sector entities, notwithstanding the non-presentation of the PhilID. The EO allows the PhilID, PSN, or PSN Derivative to be presented in lieu of a birth certificate for transactions that require individuals to establish their age, including but not limited to: applications for a marriage license; applications for student driver’s permit or conductor’s license with the Land Transportation Of-

Poll...

From A1

Calabarzon...

From A1 Batangas is expected to follow suit in a few days, OCTA said.

OCTA fellow Guido David, in a tweet, said positivity rates in Calabarzon, as well as in the National Capital Region, have dropped below 10 percent.

“The positivity rates in NCR and Calabarzon continued to fall as all provinces had less than 10 percent positivity rate as of Feb. 15,” David said.

OCTA earlier classified NCR as a low risk for COVID-19 transmission and said this could slide down to “very low risk” by March.

Among Calabarzon provinces, Quezon “is very close to being the first province under very low risk classification,” David said.

Based on OCTA’s data, NCR had a positivity rate of 7 percent as of Feb. 15, while Batangas had 10 percent, Cavite had 9 percent, Laguna and Rizal had 8 percent, and Quezon had 4 percent.

The NCR had a reproduction rate— which refers to the number of people infected by one case- of 0.19, Batangas 0.25, Cavite 0.20, Laguna and Quezon 0.19, and Rizal 0.18.

A reproduction number below 1 indicates that the transmission of the virus is slowing down.

The NCR had the highest average daily attack rate with 3.57 while Quezon had the lowest at 0.79.

Nine...

From A1

Second...

From A1 (WHO) that shows the second dose should be given four to eight weeks after the first.

“We have to review the data to see if there is a better immune response if it is given after eight weeks,” said Dr. Nina Gloriani, chairman of the Vaccine Expert Panel. “Right now it is three weeks at least, or four weeks. Right now, we still have no data.”

According to WHO, longer interval between doses is “associated with higher vaccine effectiveness and potentially lower risk of myocarditis or pericarditis,” Gloriani said in an online forum by the Department of Health.

However, the status quo will be followed until the study is reviewed by the Vaccine Expert Panel.

The Philippines followed the shorter interval between doses to “balance the effect” of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, Gloriani said.

The Philippines recorded an increase

News

THURSDAY, FEBUARY 17, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Binay seeks devt of local fertilizers

Armamento new human rights chief

By Joel E. Zurbano Former Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday said the country should develop alternative and indigenous sources of fertilizers to help farmers maintain or increase their incomes and prevent sudden hikes in food prices.

Binay, who is running for senator in the May elections under United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), issued the statement from Bataan, where he is on the second leg of his Luzon sortie.

“The planting season is near again.

We must have an alternative source of fertilizer, if not, this will affect the quantity to be planted and the price of the food,” he said.

“The government must be the one to take the initiative to study this up to the technology transfer, with the help of experts from agricultural colleges,” he added.

According to the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), as of the last week of January 2022, the average retail price of a 50-kilo bag of prilled and granular urea reached P2,517.74 and P2,522.95, respectively.

This is higher than the average retail price of P1,046 and P993.31 in the same period last year.

“Developing our own fertilizer industry will be a big help for us to have a stable supply so as not to surprise our farmers to sudden price increases around the world,” said Binay.

Binay said while imports can temporarily stabilize supply, developing domestic sources of fertilizers would have long-term effects on our agriculture sector.

“According to the Department of Agriculture, we don’t have much volume of importation that’s why it is important for us to have our own supply,” said Binay.

Imee demands transparency on sugar deals

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Imee Marcos on Tuesday demanded transparency from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) for “sweetheart deals” with large industrial users of refined and bottler’s grade sugar.

A day after the SRA deadline to apply for importation, Marcos, chair of the Senate committee on economic affairs, also disclosed a major softdrinks manufacturer and other processors of sugared products have cornered thousands of metric tons (MT) of the commodity and used traders as fronts to bring in larger import volumes.

“Why is the SRA so enamored of importation? What vows did manufacturers of sugared products make to get the SRA’s ‘I do’?” she asked.

The SRA claims that Typhoon Odette’s damage to the sugar industry in December called for the importation of 200,000 MT of sugar.

But sugar farmers told Marcos’s office that only one mill shut down during the typhoon and that all sugar mills nationwide are now in full operation.

The United Sugar Producers Federation based in Negros, where 13 of the country’s 27 sugar mills are located, confirmed that the Southern Negros Development Corporation mill in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental shut down due to flooding but “only for a week.”

Marcos warned that small sugar farmers, who make up 85 percent of the industry, may not last the next crop season starting September, if sugar imports bring down farmgate prices and the high costs of fertilizer and of fuel for transport, tilling, and milling continues.

A3

By Rio N. Araja

HYBRID CLASSES. Kindergarten students have returned to Caruhatan West Elementary School in Valenzuela City as three teachers conduct hybrid classes (limited face-to-face classes and online classes simultaneously) on Wednesday morning. Boy Bautista

SC approves nonsexist language guidelines

By Rey E. Requejo

T

HE Supreme Court (SC) has approved on Tuesday the guidelines against the use of sexist language in the judiciary, especially in courtrooms.

During its en banc deliberation, the SC approved “The Guidelines on the Use of Gender-Fair Language in the Judiciary and Gender- Fair Courtroom Etiquette,” which encourages the use of nonsexist language in official documents, communications, and issuances in the judiciary.

The SC’s Committee on Gender Responsiveness in the Judiciary headed by Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier recommended the approval of the guidelines intended “to expand, reinforce, supplement and contextualize gender-fair language for a more nuanced adaptation and application.”

It noted that the drafting of the guidelines was an offshoot of the enactment

of Republic Act No. 11313, or the Safe Spaces Act, which prohibits and penalizes several forms of gender-based sexual harassment.

It cited for example the use of “person” instead of “man” or “humanity” instead of “mankind.”

It discouraged the use of masculine terms for professions or occupations: “chairperson” instead of “chairman” or “business owners” instead of “businessmen.”

“Sexist language ‘devalues members of one sex, almost invariably women, and thus fosters gender inequality.’ Indeed, it has been pointed out that ‘[t]he use of gendered generics can communicate subtle sexism, distract, and create

ambiguity,” the SC said in the guidelines.

“Our courts are courts of evidence, and its power to take judicial notice of matters is limited. Therefore, courts cannot and should not perpetuate gender stereotypes, which rest on unfounded generalizations regarding the characteristics and roles of binary and non-binary genders, but indisputably influence the perspectives of the judges and litigants alike,” it added.

The SC stressed that the “The Safe Spaces Act” defined gender as “a set of socially ascribed characteristics, norms, roles, attitudes, values and expectations identifying the social behavior of men and women, and the relations between them.”

“The Guidelines was a product of the CGRJ’s efforts to combat sexist language in the Judiciary, by including sensitivity towards persons with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC),” the SC said.

ROOF REPAIR.

Members of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) District Northeastern Mindanao help repair the damaged roof of the house of CG Seaman Second Class (SN2) Jovanie Escatron at Barangay Dayaohay in Pilar, Surigao del Norte. It was part of the ongoing recovery and rehabilitation efforts of the PCG District to support the families of Coast Guard personnel residing in Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands who were affected by Typhoon Odette. PCG Photo

PH, Japan reaffirm ties after bilateral meet Dominguez said the past six years of development cooperation between the PhilipTHE Philippines and Japan reaffirmed their pines and Japan under the umbrella of this strong economic partnership and recog- high-level committee “have been fruitful nized the substantial gains made in their bi- despite the challenges and inevitable delays lateral cooperation after the two countries’ brought by the pandemic and unforeseen 12th meeting. natural disasters.”

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez “Between the first Joint Committee III chaired the Philippine side while Mori Meeting in 2017 and today, much has been Masafumi, the Special Advisor to Prime started, achieved, and will be further continMinister Fumio Kishida of Japan, led the ued,” Dominguez said.

Japanese delegation in the virtual meeting Mori, for his part, reiterated the of the Philippines-Japan High-Level Joint commitment made by Prime Minister Committee on Infrastructure Development Fumio Kishida to President Rodrigo and Economic Cooperation.

Duterte on continuing Japan’s “support

By Julito Rada

to the Philippine’s infrastructure development including railways, response to COVID-19, and capability enhancement for maritime law enforcement,” among other development initiatives between the two countries.

“I wish to report that Japan’s public and private financial contribution to the Philippines’ nation building in the five years since January 2017 amounts to 1.38 trillion yen, well over the 1 trillion yen mark set forth.

I’d like to emphasize that the government of Japan’s commitment to the bilateral cooperation project remains unchanged under the Kishida Cabinet,” Mori said.

US donates educational materials to BARMM

By Nash B. Maulana

MANNY IN STA. MESA. Presidential aspirant Senator Manny Pacquiao woos the people of Sta. Mesa, Manila and promises to continue his fight against corruption. During his visit, he also signed a covenant to support programs in education, agriculture, and livelihood. Danny Pata

THE Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) of the Bangsamoro Government has received close to P10 million worth of early grade reading materials in Maguindanawn language from the US government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

MBHTE Minister Mohaguer Iqbal, and two other education officials of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, received the reading materials written in Maguindanawn for schoolchildren in Maguindanao and elementary and preschools in the 16 villages comprising the BARMM Special Geographic Area, a statement from the US Embassy said on Tuesday.

BARMM Deputy Education Minister Haron Meling said the turnover took place in Davao and the Bangsamoro team was composed of Minister Iqbal, Director-General Abdullah Salik Jr. and himself—and

with USAID-Philippines Acting Director for Education Office, Yvette Malcioln joining virtually the handover event in Davao City on February 10 The US Embassy statement said the materials will benefit nearly 100,000 children from Kindergarten to Grade 3 and more than 2,000 teachers in the region.

The digital version of the translated materials will also be uploaded to the Department of Education’s (DepEd) website for Magindanawn children in other parts of country to access.

“As education systems continue to rebuild amid the COVID-19 pandemic, USAID will continue working with partners to mitigate learning losses, equip educators and institutions to be more resilient and adaptive to the current situation, and ensure children have continuous access to quality education,” said USAID Philippines Acting Office Director for Education Yvette Malcioln at the handover event in Davao City on February 10.

THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Wednesday appointed a new chairperson Leah Tanodra-Armamento to succeed the former chair Chito Gascon.

The new chairperson is not new to CHR since she was previously a commissioner under the present and fifth commission en banc.

She worked for five years with the Office of the Solicitor General as an associate solicitor, where she assisted the solicitors in habeas corpus cases.

She transferred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and moved her way up from state prosecutor to senior state prosecutor from 1991 to 2003.

In 2003, she was appointed as the DOJ assistant chief state prosecutor, wherein she chaired the legal panel of the Government of the Philippines during the 1996 Review of the Final Peace Agreement’s Implementation between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front. She was appointed as DOJ undersecretary.

The new chairperson graduated Bachelor of Laws from the Ateneo De Manila University School of Law, and a fellow of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government in 2007.

The new chairperson will be serving the unexpired term of Gascon, who passed away after succumbing to complications caused by COVID-19 in October 2021.

The appointment of the present Commission en banc – Commissioners Karen Gomez-Dumpit, Gwendolyn Pimentel-Gana and Roberto Eugenio Cadiz—will expire on May 5.

IN BRIEF Archdiocese of Manila to hold penitential walk CLERGY members of the Archdiocese of Manila will hold a penitential walk on Thursday to pray for voters who will be choosing the new leaders of the country in the May 9 elections.

In an advisory on Wednesday, the archdiocese said the activity will start with a Mass at 9 a.m. at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros.

Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula will be the main presider and homilist of the Mass.

“We particularly pray for our people as we choose our next leaders this coming May. We ask our fellow Filipinos to be ‘maka-Diyos kaya makabayan, (Godloving and patriotic’ to discern their choice well and prefer leaders who embody and promote the values of the kingdom of God,” it added.

The penitential walk coincides with the 150th anniversary of the martyrdom of the three priests Mariano Gomez, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, collectively known as “Gomburza”.

The participants will also be joined by other priests from Manila’s suffragan dioceses and the religious men and women from different congregations.

DAR to award lands to Lanao farmers THE Department of Agrarian Reform will start the awarding of the military reservation Camp Keithley in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur to landless farmers in March under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

“They have waited long enough. This land is part of their ancestral domain. It should be returned to them. Let us do our best to distribute these lands to them this March,” Agrarian Reform Secretary Bernie Cruz said.

The distribution of idle governmentowned lands (GOLs), like in Marawi, is a top priority in accordance with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive under Executive Order No. 75 of 2019.

“The President believes that there were historical injustices inflicted against the Bangsamoro people, jeopardizing their legitimate birthright over their ancestral lands. And it is just right to indemnify them by distributing all governmentowned lands to the rightful claimant to correct the historical offenses,” Cruz said.

He instructed the agency’s Field Operations Office and its Northern Mindanao regional office to immediately complete the survey activities at Camp Keithley in Marawi City, identify those who would be affected, and distribute the lands to the identified agrarian reform beneficiaries in the area.

The military reservation is composed of 6,667 hectares, and that based on EO 75 and after the initial survey of DAR, 4,000 hectares of land would be distributed to the qualified beneficiaries in Marawi, Marantao, Piagapo, and Saguiaran towns in Lanao del Sur. Rio N. Araja

A4

Robredo worried over Boracay casinos displacing Ati settlers

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022 E-mail: mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

SEA OF SUPPORTERS. Presidential candidate Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. and Lakas-CMD vice presidential candidate

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte join Ilocos Norte congressional candidate Sandro Marcos as they are warmly welcomed by thousands of supporters in Bangui, Ilocos Norte. (See story below). Ver Noveno

By Rio N. Araja VICE President Leni Robredo on Wednesday raised concern over the possible entry of casino operations on Boracay Island in Aklan, citing the rights of the indigenous peoples must be protected.

In her visit to an Ati community in the province, Robredo said: “The only assurance I can give to you is that, should I be given the chance, no matter small is your number and how far you are, we will ensure that our government will take care of you.”

She thanked the Atis for supporting her presidential bid.

“For me, it is important that I have talked and listened to your whole story because that is the dream of the indigenous people community. No. 1, to ensure that you have a good sleep and peace of mind that you would never be evicted,” the presidential candidate said.

“Every day, you are assured of a security of tenure that no other person would have a claim over the property.

That is our initial step. Secondly, we will ensure that the government is giving you many opportunities and to live with dignity,” she said.

The Ati community told the Vice President that while they were granted

land by the National Commission of Indigenous Peoples in 2010 after their displacement from Boracay’s Sitio Bulabog, it took them two years before they could occupy the place in Barangay Manoc-Manoc.

The Vice President’s late husband, former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, backed the installation of the Ati community in the area.

She said the Ati community was one of the last places visited by her spouse before his death in a plane crash off the Masbate coast in August 2012.

“When I learned that we were going to Aklan, and we would have a chance to pass by here, I remembered what my husband told me. I still remember who mad he was when you were asked to leave the place when (in fact) you were the first settlers here. There was still no Boracay then,” she said.

Meanwhile, Robredo’s running mate, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, said affordable and quality food will entice more tourists to visit Boracay Island and help sustain businesses and livelihood of the people.

The vice presidential candidate said this is possible if government will bolster support to farmers and fishers to improve their catch and production.

Manny takes train, vows focus on rails

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

P

ROMDI presidential candidate Sen. Manny Pacquiao took his campaign to Sta. Mesa, Manila on a train, to show the strength of his groundswelling grassroots support even without the backing of traditional political machinery.

Taking the PNR train in Makati, Pacquiao and PDP-Laban senatorial candidate Lutz Barbo travelled to Sta. Mesa to consult with vendors who he said are constant victims of extortion and clear-

ing operations.

Pacquiao said he would also pursue President Rodrigo Duterte’s program to modernize the country’s rail and mass transport network.

Furthermore, he would build another rail system on top of the existing one as part of his plan to decongest Metro Manila traffic. The old line will be used for containers and cargo while the elevated rail system will be for commuter trains.

“Railway is the most effective, cheapest, and most environment friendly mode of moving goods and people. We will focus on that,” Pacquiao said.

Sharing his experience after taking the PNR, Pacquiao said Duterte had a done good job in improving the country’s oldest train system.

Pacquiao then told the vendors he can

fully relate with their hardships because he also used to sell flowers at the Quiapo and Baclaran churches to augment his income as a construction worker and support his family.

Aside from selling flowers, Pacquiao also repacked garlic and pepper, which he sold to small sari-sari stores -- before becoming one of the world’s highest paid athletes as an eight-division champion boxer.

Pacquiao said the people’s hopelessness and the systemic corruption that is pushing the country to bankruptcy forced him to run for the country’s highest office.

He said he decided to act because he has grown tired of hearing traditional politicians giving false hopes to Filipinos, especially the poor.

If elected as president, Pacquiao said his administration will provide free decent homes for all homeless families and extend zero-to-low interest loans for those who want to set up small businesses.

He said that providing capital for vendors and other micro, small and medium enterprises will not only help provide livelihood for millions of jobless Filipinos but would also trigger a domino effect to perk up the country’s economy.

Under his administration, Pacquiao would not allow clearing operations for vendors without any prior relocation program.

He said his program to provide loan facilities for MSMEs is part of his “HEALTH of the Nation” policy platform.

IN BRIEF

Lacson-Sotto duo: PH voters not yet ‘married’ to bets

1-UTAK forges pact with Anakalusugan HEALTHCARE advocate Anakalusugan Party-list and 1-United Transport Koalisyon (1-UTAK) on Tuesday signed a strategic alliance accord to push for wider health protection for eligible public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers nationwide.

“Our public transport drivers are frontliners, too. They are exposed both to COVID-19 as well as common health dangers as part of their everyday essential work,” Anakalusugan nominee Ray Reyes said.

1-UTAK chairman Vigor Mendoza II said the transport group has seen the commitment of Anakalusugan in pushing for key legislative measures that promote and protect the health of Filipinos.

“Anakalusugan has been at the forefront of efforts to fight for free medical checkups, removal of VAT on maintenance medicines, and regularization and wider benefits of health workers, including our barangay health workers who are our first responders at the community level,” Mendoza said.

“For the transport sector, we believe Anakalusugan is our best partner in Congress to push for wider benefits for our PUV drivers,” Mendoza added.

Anakalusugan nominee Ray Roquero said as part of its advocacy to extend healthcare to all, the party-list will be extending its membership cards to bona fide members of 1-UTAK.

Senate ‘seatmates’ kick off motorcade FOUR candidates dubbed as “seatmates” in the Senate launched a motorcade to advance their political campaigns for the May 9 elections.

Reelectionists Senators Migz Zubiri, Win Gatchalian and Joel Villanueva, and comebacking JV Ejercito, in a bid to gather votes in Mindanao, mounted a three-day motorcade that kicked off in Surigao City, Surigao del Norte on Tuesday, February 15.

The quartet proceeded to Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Sur. On Wednesday, the motorcade toured Butuan City in Agusan del Norte, and Gingoog City and Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental.

Today, the motorcade will ply the streets of Dipolog and Dapitan cities in Zamboanga del Norte, before going to Oroquieta and Ozamis cities in Misamis Occidental.

The four senatorial aspirants are common candidates of various political parties.

Zubiri, running as an independent candidate, said among his priorities should he win a fresh mandate is the passage of the third coronavirus financial aid or the Bayanihan 3. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Duterte endorses Panelo for Senate PRESIDENT Rodrigo Roa Duterte expressed his all-out support for Salvador Panelo, the former chief legal counsel and Palace spokesperson who is running for the Senate.

In a video posted on social media, the President said that a Panelo victory “in the Senate will greatly help the country.”

“He is a good man, he talks of nothing except for the good of the country. He has the intelligence and the capacity,” Duterte, said as he urged the public to vote for Panelo.

The President was endorsing Panelo for the third time. He first expressed his support for the lawyer’s candidacy last June, even before the filing of certificates of candidacy.

During his “Talk to the People” briefing, Duterte said Panelo is his “favorite Senatorial candidate,” admiring his intelligence and loyalty. Maricel V. Cruz

HEALTH stands for Housing, Education, Aid and Agriculture, Livelihood, Transportation and Telecommunications, and Health.

In his talks with the vendors, they shared their stories of hardships to Pacquiao.

Altura Vendors Association president Rosita Ching said their lived got even worse when the pandemic hit because they had to stop selling due to the quarantine lockdowns.

Mayen Regino, head of the PUP Vendors Association, related to Pacquiao that after 22 years as a vendor, she lost her only means of livelihood after she and her fellow vendors near the Polytechnic University of the Philippines were forcibly evicted by local government authorities.

ALLIANCE. Anakalusugan Party-list nominees and 1-United Transport Koalisyon

(1-UTAK) flash their fingers to signify the number 51, the party’s numbers on the official ballot, after the groups signed a strategic alliance to push for wider health protection for eligible public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers nationwide in Makati City last Feb. 15.

Present are (from left to right, seated) Anakalusugan Party-list nominee Ray Roquero, 1-UTAK chairman Vigor Mendoza 11, Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas, and Anakalusugan Party-list nominees lawyer Regina Reyes Mandanas and Ray Florence Reyes. Joseph Muego

Manotoc lauds UniTeam in Ilocos Norte

By Maricel V. Cruz ILOCOS Norte Governor Matthew Joseph Marcos Manotoc on Wednesday assured the tandem of former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte of “solid” support, not just from the province but from the entirety of Ilocandia.

This developed as Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) President and House Majority Leader Martin G. Romualdez expects the show of support for the BBM-Sara UniTeam to reach a fever pitch as the “Mahalin Natin Ang Pilipinas Ride” rolled over to Ilocos Norte yesterday.

“We thank them, we welcome them and or course we pledge our support to the BBM-Sara slate entirely, and although Ilocos Norte is a province that

doesn’t have that many voters, but our vote is always solid. And I’m sure Ilocandia’s vote is solid for the BBM-Sara ticket,” Manotoc said in an ambush interview at Bergblick Restaurant in Pagudpud town.

Manotoc is the nephew of leading presidential candidate Marcos, standard-bearer of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP). Ilocos Norte is the home province of the Marcos clan.

On Wednesday afternoon, vice presidential candidate Duterte arrived in Pagudpod to do sorties ahead of the big rally planned for the BBM-Sara UniTeam tandem later in the day in Paoay.

“Firstly, we thanks my Uncle Bong, our former senator Bongbong Marcos and Mayor Inday Sara Duterte for coming and not taking Ilocos Norte or Ilocandia for granted,” the governor said.

SAYING Filipino voters are not yet “married” to their chosen candidates, the tandem of Partido Reporma standard bearer Sen. Panfilo Lacson and his running mate Senate President Vicente Sotto III yesterday said they will keep on courting them.

Lacson and Sotto believe they can still change their minds with about three months to go before the May 9 national elections.

Sotto said he and Lacson were not disheartened by recent survey results, and that they would stick to their campaign strategy of telling Filipinos how they can improve their lives once they earn their mandate.

“They probably want to listen to what we plan, and what our platforms are,” said Sotto, who also made his mark in showbusiness before becoming a public servant and senator for 24 years.

Meanwhile, Lacson renewed his proposition on rightsizing the different bureaucratic organizations under the executive branch to optimize the delivery of essential public services and state-funded programs at less cost to taxpayers.

However, he aired his reservations about the legislative proposal to create a Department of Disaster Resilience.

During his visit to Paranaque, the vice-presidential candidate also paid a courtesy call on Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivares, whom Sotto noted graciously received him even if they belong to different political parties.

“Why don’t we put it this way: I am here because I am courting (voters).

That’s how it is],” said the chairman of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, noting that the mayor was a ranking official of the ruling PDP-Laban party.

Isko fulfills promise to visit mom’s birthplace Allen, Samar MANILA Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso fulfilled his promise to visit the birthplace of his mother and vowed to bring the long-overdue development of Samar if elected president.

Speaking before thousands of Samareňos in the municipality of Allen, the Aksyon Demokratiko presidential candidate said he is very happy to have finally visited the town where his mother Rosario Moreno, whom he fondly calls Nanay Chayong, was born.

“I told the campaign team, if we are going to tour officially, if I am going to tour in the Visayas, can you please let me go first to Samar, here I will start all my rounds in the Visayas. It was like homecoming as a tribute to my parents,” Moreno said.

Moreno and his running mate, Doc Willie

Ong, as well as Aksyon senatorial candidates Dr. Carl Balita, Samira Gutoc and Jopet Sison, have previously scheduled the Samar visit in December last year, but were forced to postpone because of Typhoon Odette and the subsequent Omicron surge.

The 47-year-old presidential aspirant pointed out that while he is born, raised and started his public service in Tondo, it cannot be denied that the blood running in his veins is 100 percent Bisaya, as his father hails from Antique.

However, while he is happy to have finally set foot on the place where his mother was born, he is also sad to see the result of the decades-long neglect from the national government that has made Samar one of the poorest islands in the country, and which

forced its residents, like his Nanay Chayong, to seek greener pastures in Manila.

“Why go to Manila, there is a lot of land here. There is a lot that can be fixed here.

I notice that Samar, I have been to several towns and passed through, as if the government has turned its back on you. Even at your airport, I feel sorry for you. Wherever you can see the airport, there is a cow crossing,” Moreno lamented.

“Remember, the last time, the last time you had a national candidate was in the 1950’s. You have already won many presidents, you have also elected many senators, Pedro, look at Samar. You are the ones who answer, you are the ones who judge, I don’t want a fight,” he said.Rey E. Requejo

ISKO IN LAGUNA.

Presidential bet Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, vice presidential aspirant Doc Willie Ong, and senatorial candidates Samira Gutoc, Carl Balita, and Jopet Sison join Los Banos Laguna mayoral candidate Joel Lapis during a campaign sortie in Laguna. Norman Cruz

Opinion Looking for a homerun

IF WE can believe all that we are reading on social media and the many surveys conducted, one could say that the presidential election is all but over except for the proclamation. One survey has former Senator Bongbong Marcos with 60 per cent of those surveyed favoring him with all the others trailing far behind.

With a number of surveys already conducted and the results not varying by much, it is possible that the voters have already made up their minds on whom to vote for. If this is the case, the country will be having its first majority president since the 1992 elections. All our presidents since the election of former President Fidel V Ramos in 1992 were minority presidents including the current one.

I have had conversations with several political pundits and scanned all available literature in the vain attempt to find the reasons behind this phenomenon but I could not find any rational explanation. It seems that the people have simply decided to vote for BBM. I wrote in a piece once that we Filipinos have the propensity to want to vote for children of presidents like Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Benigno Simeon Aquino lll to be our presidents. By the looks of it, this may be the only apparent reason why BBM may be elected to be our next president. This does not say much about our political maturity but as the say, the people are entitled to the kind of president they want.

There is however, still a long way to go before election day and anything can still happen. I also believe that as the election draws nearer, issues will become clearer and the contest will be a lot closer for the sake of a healthy democracy. As we can see, we are having a presidential campaign like no other. Not only is the pandemic wreaking havoc on an otherwise lively campaign but social media seems to have taken over and the candidate whose campaign is not technically savvy will be severely disadvantaged as we are already seeing.

We are also somehow seeing the classes of people supporting various candidates. But with the kind of lead BBM has, his support cuts through all classes with the rest splitting what is left. For example, many former high ranking public officials who served previous presidents have come out endorsing VP Leni Robre-

do. The business sector also appears to be endorsing her. The ABC classes and cause oriented groups are the pillars of VP Robredo’s support. But so are the other candidates like Senator Ping Lacson and Mayor Isko “Moreno” Demagoso with the possible exception of Senator Many Pacquiao who will probably draw support from the D and Es.

We can only hope for the future of our country.

For myself, I have a couple of questions that I would like to ask which apparently even some of the candidates never asked or raised during some of the debates. Given that the battle cry of BBM is unity which is great if it can be achieved, I would like to see the BBM campaign come out and explain how BBM intends to unify a divided Filipino society.

The other question that comes to mind is about national security. The year before the late President Ferdinand Marcos left office, the strength of the CPP/NPA was about 27,000 armed combatants and were scattered throughout the country. Since then, the government was able to reduce the number drastically. The current CPP/NPA strength if I am not mistaken is now fewer than 4,000 and control very few areas that the Armed Forces is now confident that their end is not that far away.

Will a BBM presidency resurrect the CPP/NPA to its strength in 1985-86? It is essential that the BBM campaign addressed this very important issue because it is something that cannot be ignored considering that the AFP is shifting its focus to external territorial threats due mainly to the issues in the West Philippine Sea. It would be a pity if the AFP diverts meager government resources to deal with a resurgent CPP/NPA. If this happens, it will be the poor who will bear the brunt of the hardships as they did more than a generation ago. Maybe BBM’s campaign leaders are feeling very confident and believe that the election is already won and do not feel that they have to wade into controversial issues like the way they are ignoring joint debates. I would advise against this attitude because it takes a very short time for people to turn against a candidate as what happened in the 2016 elections. With the stakes being so high, we can only hope that for the sake of the future of our country, people will use their brains to vote instead of their emotions.

laughable. How ridiculous.

The name of the BBM-Sara campaign organization is a gross misnomer. It should be Divideteam, not Uniteam.

How ridiculous.

Let’s start with BBM’s family.

President Ferdinand E. Marcos and the wife and children that he left behind make up the most controversial - and most divisive - family in the history of Philippine politics. Mere mention of the family name Marcos kindles fierce feelings of negative passion among non-Ilocano Filipinos. No other family in this country generates the same amount of controversy and negative sentiment as the Marcoses. This is not to say that there are no other families in this country that are objects of negative feelings among Filipinos; there are, but those feelings are not nearly as strong or as deep as the negative feelings that millions of Filipinos continue to harbor towards the family that Ferdinand E. Marcos left behind. A special kind of bad feeling - disdain is the most apt word - is reserved for the Marcoses.

This controversiality, this disap-

ManilaStandard

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 8-5646225 and 8-5646229 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandard.net

ONLINE

can be accessed at: manilastandard.net

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

B1

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Uniteam couple cannot unify the country

EVERY election in this country generates names and designations that are deserving of ridicule or derision.

Election 2022 is no exception: it has generated, among others, Uniteam, the name chosen by presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and vice-presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio for their campaign organization.

In all their public engagements and appearances BBM - the media’s shorthand name for Ferdinand Marcos Jr. - and Sara Duterte tout their Uniteam, and all their election literature and paraphernalia proudly proclaim the unity aspect of their electoral venture. The namesake of the late dictator and of the former mayor of Davao City vow that, if elected, they will be unifiers and the essence of their administration will be the unity of the nation.

BBM and his family unifiers? President Rodrigo and his elder daughter instruments of national unity? How

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

C

A legislative achievement

ONGRESSIONAL performance is usually measured by big-ticket legislation that affects a vast number of people – the national budget, tax reform, laws to broaden access to health and education, and in the last two years, measures to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

But in recent days, a bill has been transmitted to President Duterte for signature that is important as well, not because of the scale of its coverage, but because its goal is to correct decades of injustice suffered by a class of people who have been severely disadvantaged by accident of birth.

The Foundling Recognition and Protection Act, which recognizes foundlings as natural-born Filipinos, is now awaiting President Duterte’s signature.

The bill, principally authored

by Senator Risa Hontiveros, states that an abandoned child found in the country or in its embassies, consulates, and territories, shall be presumed a natural-born Filipino citizen.

The bill also grants foundlings rights to government programs and services, such as registration, facilitation of documents for adoption, education, protection, nourishment, and care.

It also seeks to streamline the registration process for a foundling

regardless of age and circumstances and expedite the issuance of a birth certificate.

This isn’t a lot of people, but each one matters.

“The Foundling law is a signature away from becoming law. There is no longer a need to go to the bicameral council committee because we have just adopted the Senate version considering that both versions are almost the same, if not completely identical,” said Ang Probinsyano Rep. Ronnie L. Ong, who authored the House version of the bill.

He said the measure did not have to go through a bicameral conference as the House adopted the Senate version.

“The utmost motivation of this bill is the best interest of the child,” Hontiveros said during the

voting. “The child is deprived not just of a family but of the right to have a name, nationality, and access to government programs and services. This is the gap that we are trying to fill in.”

Senator Grace Poe, who is a foundling and suffered disqualification cases because of it when she ran for President in 2016, expressed her support for the bill.

“In 2013 when I ran as a senator, it was already a subject of a legal discussion, whether my being a senator was legal because of the supposed uncertainty as a natural-born citizen,” the senator, who was adopted by movie stars Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces, said. “Imagine the hurt of thousands of Filipinos who do not know who their biological parents are.”

As of December 2021, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) recorded at least 6,580 certificates of foundlings.

There were also 1,473 foundlings legally available for adoption from 2009 to October 2021, based on the data of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

That isn’t a lot of people, but each one matters. After all, as Hontiveros underscored, it is the government’s duty to provide protection to every child, regardless of status or circumstances of birth.

National oil stockpile price hikes and potential shortage of global supply.

FOR seven straight weeks, local oil prices have significantly gone up. Just as the holiday season ended, so did the much-awaited rollbacks in oil prices in the country.

This new wave of successive oil price hikes coincided with the COVID-19 Omicron surge. We have moved on from the surge, but we are still seeing weekly increases of prices at the pump.

Last year, fuel price adjustments reportedly led to a total net increase of Php 17.65 per liter for gasoline and Php 14.30 for diesel. While we hope it won’t be the same this year, the rising tension between Ukraine and Russia aggravates the already tight oil supply-demand situation in the world.

This volatile situation can, sadly, mean more weeks of fuel price increase, especially if it escalates further.

As a heavy importer of petroleum products, we are greatly vulnerable to global oil price increases. In times of crisis, we are constrained to implement mitigating solutions and temporary relief such as proposals to suspend excise taxes on fuel, or financial assistance to affected PUV drivers. While these measures are indeed helpful, they can only do so much. We urgently need to prepare for impending oil

For now, the government should increase our current oil stockpile.

The unpredictability of the situation can lead to further price hikes that will definitely hurt the economy. Meanwhile, I deem that it is time that we also seriously consider and act on long-term solutions that will ensure adequate local supply of oil at reasonable prices.

The Department of Energy issued last September 2021 a Department Circular on the proposed establishment of a Philippine Strategic Petroleum Reserve Program, with its primary implementor, the Philippine National Oil Company.

This program has been long proposed after the 2019 drone attacks in Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s largest oil-producing and exporting countries. The attacks sent oil prices to record highs across the globe.

Today, the pandemic has, likewise, substantially affected oil production and world demand. We have seen how dependent many of our industries are on petroleum products—manufacturing, fishing, farming, transportation, power supply, among others—hence, the corresponding price increases on certain commodities. Many Filipinos have already expressed distress over the price increases

amidst the pandemic. Meanwhile, PUV drivers and operators call for proportional fare increase to make up for the high costs of fuel and the reduced passenger capacity imposed by the government.

It is high time that we invested in our own stockpile. Having our own reserves will provide stability and security whenever there are disruptions in global oil supply and national calamities or emergencies. I, therefore, urge the national government to study and consider this DOE proposal. We can expand our existing stockpiles and establish storage facilities in different regions to optimize access. Albeit capital-intensive, this program may be implemented with the help of exporting countries to reduce the costs. However, it is important to take into account national security, geological risks and other natural hazards. Perhaps we can take Japan as a model for oil stockpiling facilities with their natural disaster prevention system. With this, a multi-agency approach to this program may be necessary.

We should act swiftly and prudently given the foreseen challenges on our oil supply. More than that, we should work together for more sustainable approaches and long-term solutions in resolving perennial and recurring problems. Many people depend on oil—fishermen, farmers, drivers, ordinary workers, and even the average Filipino. Hence, we cannot be left helpless with these price hikes.

probation, is not surprising considering the collective record of BBM and his family during their 20-year stay in Malacanang, of which 12 were under martial law. Deceit, extravagance, violations of human and political rights, excesses of all kinds and plunder of the treasury - these sins against the FIlipino people explain why millions of Filipinos remain antipathetic, even hostile, after. The EDSA revolutionaries threw them out of this country.

BBM cannot be a unifier because

too many Filipinos - those who know the real story of what his parents did to this country during their long conjugal reign - refuse to have anything to do with a descendant of Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Neither can Sara Duterte-Carpio be a unifier because she is the daughter of arguably the most controversial Chief Executive in this country’s history. The attitude toward Sara Duterte among many Filipinos is a perfect case of the father’s sins being visited on the daughter. President

Rodrigo Duterte’s six years in office have been a very derisive time in this country, and Sara Duterte is now inheriting the feelings of alienation and resentment created by her father’s wannabe-autocratic approach to governance. In the eyes of the Filipino people, both Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter are non-unifiers.

If BBM and his running mate believe that the FIlipino people have accepted the believability of their Uniteam campaign, they have another think coming.

We should act swiftly and prudently.

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

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

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor

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

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022 B2 TODAY REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 221, QUEZON CITY IN RE: PETITION FOR THE CORRECTION OF ENTRY IN THE CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH OF “JOVEL DAMES DAWATON BONNIT” TO BE AMENDED(CORRECTED AS “BRYAN JAMES BONNIT BAGSAO” IN THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRY OF QUEZON CITY WITH REGISTRY NO. 99-42118; AND FOR THE CORRECTION OF THE NAME OF THE FATHER FROM “NA” TO “JOSEPH AGSIB BAGSAO” SPEC. PROC. NO. 10382-SP

R-QZN-21-

BRYAN JAMES BONNIT BAGSAO, Petitioner, -versusEVELYN DAWATON BONNIT, JOSEPH AGSIB BAGSAO, EDEN JACINTO BAGSAO, THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF QUEZON CITY, AND ALL OTHER PERSONS WHO HAVE CLAIM OR INTEREST, Respondents. x---------------------------------------------x

ORDER A verified Petition was filed before this Court on December 2, 2021 by petitioner, BRYAN JAMES BONNIT BAGSAO, praying that after due notice, publication and hearing, judgment be rendered to allow the correction of name from JOVEL DAMES DAWATON BONNIT to BRYAN JAMES BONNIT BAGSAO and to order the Local Civil Registrar the correction thereof in the Certificate of Live Birth with Registry No. 9942118, and to correct the portion for the name of the petitioner’s father from “NA” to “JOSEPH AGSIB BAGSAO”.

Finding the verified Petition to be sufficient in form and substance, the Court gives due course thereto.

IN RE: PETITION FOR DECLARATION OF THE PRESUMPTIVE DEATH OF JOVEN BONILLO JARANDILLA CIVIL CASE NO. R-MND-21 -01624-CV JENEL MANCERA JARANDILLA, Petitioner. x --------------------------------------------x

ORDER A verified petition for the declaration of presumptive death of Joven Bonillo Jarandilla (JOVEN) was filed by petitioner Jenel Mancera Jarandilla (PETITIONER) on 23 July 2021.

In her petition, PETITIONER alleged that she is of legal age, filipino citizen, and with residence address at No. 10 F. C3 Suntrust Treetop Villas Condo Residences, Coronado Street, Barangay Hulo, Mandaluyong City.

PETITIONER’s absentee spouse Joven Bonillo Jarandilla (JOVEN) is likewise of legal age, Filipino whose present address and whereabouts is allegedly unknown.

PETITIONER and JOVEN were married in a civil rite ceremony conducted by Hon. Elizabeth Gutierrez-Torres, Presiding Judge of Metropolitan Trial Court, Mandaluyong City on 28 February 2003 . Out of their union, the couple begot two children, namely: Patricia Isabela M. Jarandilla born on 20 October 2003 and Nathalie Mancera Jarandilla born on 4 August 2006. PETITIONER and JOVEN lived together and acquired real properties in Sta. Rosa Laguna.

PETITIONER averred that her spouse JOVEN was employed as a part time driver to a businessman. On 09 May 2009, JOVEN called PETITIONER that he will go to National Capital Region to collect from his employer his three (3) months unpaid salaries. PETITIONER, needing money for her children, agreed to meet JOVEN at Starmall. However, after series of phone calls, JOVEN did not show up. At around 9:00 o’clock in the evening PETITIONER went home to Sta. Rosa Laguna. The following day, PETITIONER tried again to call JOVEN, but she did not receive any response from him . After two (2) weeks of waiting, PETITIONER tried to locate her spouse JOVEN through his parents, siblings, and relatives, but to no avail. PETITIONER reported the incident to the office of Barangay Labas, Sta. Rosa City and blotter the same. However, she failed to secure any certification of the said report because the records of the office were destroyed during the onslaught of Typhoon Ondoy.

PETITONER also tried to report the matter to the Police Station in Sta. Rosa City.

However, no report was made.

Meanwhile, sometime in June 2009, PETITIONER, through an informant, filed a complaint with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) against the members of PACER operatives, who allegedly were responsible for the abduction/kidnapping of her spouse JOVEN. After an operation was conducted, a person was released from the custody of PACER. Unfortunately, said person was not his spouse JOVEN but a certain Mark.

PETITIONER tried to inquire from Mark about the whereabouts of her spouse JOVEN, but

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Hearing on the verified Petition, is hereby set on July 18, 2022 at 10:00 A.M. before this Court at Room 608, 6/F, Hall of Justice-Annex, City Hall Complex, Quezon City, at which date, time and place all interested persons are required to appear and show cause why the petition should not be granted.

Ukraine marks ‘Day of Unity’ as US warns of Russia attack

Let copies of this Order be posted by the Branch Sheriff thirty (30) days before the hearing date at the following places at the expense of the petitioner: 1. At the main entrance of the City Hall Building, Quezon City; 2. On the bulletin board of the Court, Hall of Justice Bldg., Quezon City; and, 3. At the Barangay Hall of the barangay where the petitioner resides.

Likewise, let a copy of this Order be furnished the Local Civil Registar of Quezon City, the Office of the Solicitor General, Makati City; the Office of the City Prosecutor, Quezon City; the Civil Registrar General, and the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Further, petitioner through counsel is ordered to furnish respondents Evelyn Dawaton Bonnit, Joseph Agsib Bagsao, Eden Jacinto Bagsao, a copy of this Order with the Petition and its annexes thereto at their given address, and to show proof of compliance hereof before the hearing date.

SO ORDERED. Quezon City, December 16, 2021.

(Sgd.) JOCELYN A. SOLIS-REYES Presiding Judge

WHEREFORE, let a copy of this Order be published in a newspaper of (MStandard-Feb. 17, 24 & Mar. 3, 2022) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 214 MANDALUYONG CITY

World

general circulation in the Philippines once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks at petitioner’s expense, upon coordination with the Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Quezon City.

she did not obtain any information from Mark.

PETITIONER stopped seeking help from CHR operatives because she had run out of funds. Thereafter, PETITIONER sought help from her police friends and JOVEN’s parents to inquire whether JOVEN was in jail.

The whereabouts of JOVEN remains unclear.

PETITIONER thought of publishing the incident, however she was dissuaded by her parents-in-law saying that JOVEN will return if he is still alive.

PETITIONER suffered financial difficulties supporting her children. She went to Cebu to find a good job, but it did not help.

She returned to Mandaluyong City and applied for a teaching position. Meanwhile, PETITIONER and her children resided at the house of her parents-in-law in Aklan.

Their financial struggles worsened because her parents-in-law can barely support them.

Thus, her parents-in-law told her to find a partner who could help her and her children.

Eventually, PETITIONER and her children returned to Mandaluyong City where she began teaching. In 2010, her former lover started courting her. She informed her parents-in-law as well as her other in-laws and they did not object to it for the welfare of the two children. Thus, PETITIONER decided to marry her partner and filed the instant petition.

JOVEN has been absent for more than eleven (11) years, specifically from 09 May 2009 until the filing of this petition. Since then, JOVEN’s whereabouts is unknown to the PETITIONER and their children Patricia lsabela M. Jarandilla and Nathalie Mancera Jarandilla. Thus, PETITIONER presumed that her husband JOVEN is already dead.

WHEREFORE, finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, notice is hereby given that this case shall be heard for the presentation of jurisdictional requirements, through in court hearing, on 08 March 2022 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning at the Regional Trial Court, Branch 214, Third Floor. New Hall of Justice Building, Maysilo Circle, Mandaluyong City, at which time and place, any person or entity having interest in this petition may come and show cause, if any, why the petition should not be granted.

Let this Order be published once a week for three (3) consecutive week in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines to be determined by raffle pursuant to P.D. 1079 at petitioners’ expense and be posted in the Court’s bulletin board for at least three (3) weeks before the scheduled hearing.

SO ORDERED. Mandaluyong City.

12 January 2022 (Sgd.) IMELDA L. PORTES-SAULOG Presiding Judge Copy furnished: Office of the Solicitor General Office of the City Prosecutor, Mandaluyong City Atty. Julian T. Tutanes B29 L5 Riverview Drive, Ridgemont Executive Village, San Isidro, Taytay, Rizal Jenel Mancera Jarandilla No. 10F, C3 Suntrust Treetop Villas Condo Residences, Coronado Street Brgy. Hulo, Mandaluyong City Joven Bonillo Jarandilla (Publication) Office of the Clerk of Court Regional Trial Court, Mandaluyong City (MStandard-Feb. 17, 24 & Mar. 3, 2022)

FULL CAPACITY. People lie in hospital beds outside the Caritas Medical Center in Hong Kong on February 16, 2022, as the city faces its worst COVID-19 wave to date. AFP

US general: China may provoke Ukraine crisis C HINA may take advantage of the Ukraine crisis and do something “provocative” in Asia while Western powers are focused on defusing tensions with Russia, a US general warned Wednesday.

Russia’s deployment of more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s border has triggered fears in Washington and other Western capitals of a looming invasion.

General Kenneth Wilsbach, the head of US Pacific Air Forces, noted that China had aligned itself with Russia in the crisis, raising questions about its own intentions in Asia.

“From the standpoint of will China see what’s happening in Europe and... try to do something here in the Indo-Pacific – absolutely yes, that’s a concern,” Wilsbach said, using an alternative term for the Asia-Pacific region.

“I do have my concerns that they would want to take advantage,” he added, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow.

“It won’t be surprising if they tried something that may be provocative, and see how the international community

reacts.”

Wilsbach said that when Beijing expressed support for Russia in the Ukraine standoff, he held talks with his staff and other “entities” in the region about its implications.

Based in Hawaii, Wilsbach’s command would play a central role if conflict erupts in the Pacific.

Over the years, Beijing has been blamed for stoking tensions in the region as it has steadily cemented control of key islands and atolls in the South China Sea. Beijing claims almost the entirety of the sea, but that overlaps with those of Taiwan and four Southeast Asian countries – Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

While the United States and other Western nations have no claims there, they fear Chinese control would infringe on freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway.

In recent months, China has also ramped up pressure on Taiwan – which it sees as its territory – by sending fighter jets into the island’s air defence identification zone.

Wilsbach said that when China looks at crises, it considers whether “this is an opportunity for gain.”

He did not go into specifics about what China might do during the Ukraine crisis, saying only that there were “probably a number of options” for Beijing. AFP

A DEFIANT Ukrainian leader urged citizens to celebrate a “Day of Unity” on Wednesday, as Washington warned once again that Russia remains poised to launch a devastating assault.

President Volodymyr Zelensky chose the date for what he hoped would be a patriotic outpouring after US reports suggested Russian forces could attack as early as February 16.

An intense diplomatic campaign is underway to head off the crisis triggered when Russia deployed more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders, backed with fleet reinforcements and powerful artillery and missile systems.

On Tuesday, there were hopes for a breakthrough as President Vladimir Putin met Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz to explore a route to a negotiated solution and Moscow said it had begun to pull back some forces.

But US President Joe Biden – who has ordered Washington’s embassy in Kyiv closed and urged Americans to leave Ukraine – demanded that Russia prove its good intentions with a verifiable withdrawal.

“Analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position,” Biden said, in an address on the crisis. “The United States is prepared no matter what happens. We are ready with diplomacy,” he said.

“And we are ready to respond decisively to Russian attack on Ukraine, which is still very much a possibility,” he said, warning of “powerful sanctions.”

Earlier, in the first announced withdrawal from among the troops Russia massed on the Ukrainian border, the defense ministry in Moscow said some soldiers were returning to bases at the end of planned exercises.

Western leaders have accused Moscow of positioning the troops in advance of a possible invasion of pro-Western Ukraine, warning that any attack would be met with severe economic sanctions. AFP

Blinken ‘troubled’ by new Navalny case, urges release IMPRISONED Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said he would keep challenging Russia’s leadership during the opening of a new fraud trial that could extend his jail term by more than a decade.

Navalny appeared at the beginning of the hearing Tuesday via video link wearing a prison uniform and flanked by guards at the makeshift court inside his penal colony, smiling and embracing his wife.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was “troubled by dubious new charges” against Navalny and called for his release.

“Navalny and his associates are targeted for their work to shine a light on official corruption,” Blinken tweeted.

“This time, he goes to trial in a penal colony, out of public view. Russian authorities should release Aleksei Navalny and end their harassment and prosecution of his supporters.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier said the new case was “incompatible” with the rule of law, speaking during a press conference with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

The 45-year-old opposition leader has already been behind bars for a year, after surviving a poison attack he and Washington blame on the Kremlin.

He is serving out a two-and-a-half year sentence on old embezzlement charges, but the fresh charges could see his time behind bars significantly extended.

“You’re going to increase my term indefinitely. What can we do about it?” Navalny said during the court hearing.

“The activities of people are more important than the fate of one individual. I’m not afraid.”

The new case was launched in December 2020, when Navalny was recovering in Germany after he was attacked with Soviet-designed poison.

The Russian authorities have repeatedly denied any involvement. AFP

SNOWY CELEBRATION. This picture taken on February 15, 2022 and released from North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on February 16 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (center) attending a national meeting to celebrate the 80th birth anniversary of chairman Kim Jong Il in Samjiyon City. AFP

Sandy Hook families settle for $73 million over school massacre FAMILIES of nine victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting have reached a $73 million settlement with US gunmaker Remington, in a landmark deal for a country traumatized by campus massacres.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs said the settlement marks the first time a gun maker has been held liable for a mass shooting in the United States.

Twenty-six children and teachers were shot dead in 2012 at the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut by LEGAL NOTICE Adam Lanza, a 20-year-old with Notice is hereby given known developmental disabilithat the estate of ties. the late ABDUHADI The killings—the secondS. MUALLAM was extrajudicially settled deadliest school massacre in US among his heirs on history—stunned Americans, February 8, 2022, with many thinking they would as per Doc. No. 321, Page No. 66, Book mark a watershed moment that No. XIII, Series of would lead lawmakers to tighten 2022, before Notary gun control.

Public Atty. Romeo M. A “settlement agreement has Corporal. been executed between the parties,” (MS-FEB. 10, 17 & 24, 2022)

a notice from lawyers for the families said Tuesday.

Calling the move “historic,” US President Joe Biden said it begins “the necessary work of holding gun manufacturers accountable.”

Manufacturers and dealers must either change their business models or “bear the financial cost of their complicity,” he said in a statement.

Lanza’s mother, a gun enthusiast, had bought him an AR-15-style Bushmaster XM15-E2S semi-automatic rifle more than two years before the shooting.

Lanza murdered his mother before attacking the school, and killed himself afterward.

The lawsuit alleged that Remington and the other two defendants are culpable because they knowingly marketed a military grade weapon that is “grossly unsuited” for civilian use yet had become the gun most used in mass shootings.

An AR-15 was also used to kill 58 people at a mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017, and 17 at a school in Parkland, Florida in 2018.

Remington, the oldest gunmaker in the United States and which has since filed for bankruptcy, had

denied the allegations.

The plaintiffs alleged that the gun was marketed immorally and unscrupulously and sold on its warfighting capabilities to civilians.

Marketing, they charged, popularized the AR15 in combat and mass shooting-type situations through the type of violent video games that Lanza was known to play.

They specifically cited Remington’s marketing of high-capacity magazines, which have only combat utility, for use with the gun.

The gun “was used not by a highly trained soldier but by a deeply troubled kid, not on a battlefield abroad but in an elementary school at home, and not to preserve freedom, but to eviscerate them,” Joshua Koskoff, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, told a press conference Tuesday.

Christopher Boehning, another lawyer for the plaintiffs, told AFP the settlement “sends a strong warning signal to other gun manufacturers regarding their role in these unthinkable tragedies.”

AFP has sought comment from Remington. AFP CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Business PSEi February 16, 2021

TOP GAINERS

1 DD 2 TECH 3 CNVRG 4 TECHW

LAST PRICE CHANGE 9.84 0.96 4.03 0.3 27.55 2.05 0.96 0.07

% CHANGE 10.81% 8.04% 8.04% 7.87%

5 6 7 8 9 10

0.275 8.8 1.58 5.7 5.28 38.5

7.84% 7.32% 6.76% 6.54% 5.60% 5.48%

WIN ACEN MARC MAC BC SMPH

0.02 0.6 0.1 0.35 0.28 2

TOP LOSERS

1 KPPI 2 OPM 3 ATNB 4 MG 5 VUL 6 FERRO 7 T 8 FRUIT 9 ABSP

LAST PRICE CHANGE 2.9 -0.38 0.012 -0.001 0.72 -0.05 0.155 -0.007 0.94 -0.04 2.5 -0.1 0.77 -0.03 1.21 -0.04 12.5 -0.4

% CHANGE -11.59% -7.69% -6.49% -4.32% -4.08% -3.85% -3.75% -3.20% -3.10%

10

7.16

-2.72%

FDC

-0.2

B3

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks advance on easing Russia-Ukraine hostilities

S

HARE prices surged Wednesday on hopes that Russia will not invade Ukraine after Moscow said some of its troops on the countries’ border had started pulling back.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index jumped 142.88 points, or 2 percent, to 7,452.82 on a value turnover of P9.5 billion. Gainers overwhelmed losers, 123 to 63, with 49 issues unchanged.

Leading fiber broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. advanced 8 percent to P27.55, while SM Prime Holdings Inc. of the Sy Group climbed 5.5 percent to P38.50.

Casino operator Bloomberry Resorts Corp., owned by port tycoon Enrique Razon Jr., rose 5.5 percent to P6.55,

while major property developer Ayala Land Inc. of the Ayala Group added 2.9 percent to P38.90The rest of Asian markets rebounded Wednesday. While not verified, the claims by Russia of a troops pullback provided some much-needed relief for investors, who had grown increasingly fearful of a conflict in Eastern Europe after Western powers warned for days that an attack was imminent.

While politicians remained wary, investors jumped on the positive developments.

All three Wall Street indexes jumped after three days of hefty losses, which were also fanned by inflation worries.

And Asia built on the gains.

Tokyo and Seoul piled on around two percent, while Hong Kong, Sydney, Wellington and Taipei jumped more than one percent each. Shanghai, Singapore, Mumbai and Jakarta were also up.

The news also helped traders brush off another forecast-busting surge in the US

producer price index that some warned could indicate another painful jump in consumer inflation down the line.

Equities were sent into a spiral after a top US security adviser said Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin could send troops into Ukraine any day, adding to a range of risk-off issues plaguing the markets including soaring prices, the end of central bank financial support and the coronavirus pandemic.

But the mood lifted Tuesday after Russia’s defense ministry said some of the more than 100,000 soldiers amassed around Ukraine in recent weeks had started to return to their barracks.

Then, after three hours of talks, Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a news conference in which the Russian leader confirmed a “partial pullback of troops” and said he was willing to look for diplomatic solutions to the crisis, adding that “of course” he did not want war.

MOST ACTIVE 1

SMPH

16,987,200

651,475,635

2

CNVRG

22,420,200

610,247,180

3

ALI

13,150,300

507,054,195

4

EMP

23,992,800

479,194,865

5

GLO

140,185

390,380,280

6

BPI

3,882,050

386,693,833

7

MONDE

18,613,700

313,152,248

8

BDO

2,295,910

312,755,120

9

BLOOM

46,208,800

299,512,894

10

SM

308,670

289,186,865

PRICES IN CHECK. People shop for vegetables at a market in Beijing on February 16, 2022. Inflation in China slowed in January, official data showed Wednesday, as the government pledged to keep prices in check in the world’s second-biggest economy. The producer price index (PPI), which measures the cost of goods at the factory gate, rose 9.1 percent on-year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, tracking falls in coal and steel prices. AFP

Market gyration: Wheat and corn prices ride the Ukrainian rollercoaster NEW YORK, United States―The crisis between Ukraine and Russia, two of the world’s biggest wheat and corn producers, has sent the commodities’ prices on a wild ride― with anything from a diplomatic statement to rumor of a maritime blockade roiling markets.

Usually much less volatile than stocks or oil, agricultural commodities are now often subject to spectacular spikes and drops.

“The market doesn’t know nuance: Either it’s war and it goes up, or it’s peace and it goes down,” said Gautier Le Molgat, an analyst at Agritel.

The grains’ markets turned around three times in less than 24 hours this week: First on the Russian foreign minister’s optimistic tone Monday, then on news of the United States relocating its Ukrainian embassy, and finally on Moscow’s claims of a military pullback.

The stakes are especially high for wheat, with Russia being the world’s top exporter and Ukraine the fourth, according to estimates by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Together, the two countries account for almost a third of wheat’s world trade.

On the corn side, Ukraine ranks fourth among exporters and accounts for approximately 22 percent of trade.

To date, however, the Russian army’s movements have had little effect on Russian or Ukrainian exports.

While global wheat prices surge, Ukraine has seen its own rates fall by four percent over the last month, according to S&P Global Platts.

“If we remain in a latent conflict, volatility will remain in place and Russia and Ukraine will be losers in this,” Le Molgat said.

UK inflation rate reaches fresh 30-year high of 5.5% LONDON, United Kingdom―UK annual inflation has hit the highest level since 1992, data showed Wednesday, adding pressure to the cost of living and on the Bank of England to keep raising rates.

The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) edged up to 5.5 percent in January from 5.4 percent in December, also a level not seen in almost three decades, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.

The rate is now at the highest level since March 1992, the ONS added.

Prices have soared globally over the past year, in large part owing to surging energy prices, while consumers are facing also higher food costs as economies reopen from pandemic lockdowns.

“We understand the pressures people are facing with the cost of living,” British finance minister Rishi Sunak said in response to Wednesday’s data.

“These are global challenges,” he added.

As inflation reaches the highest levels in decades, lagging rises to workers’ wages, central banks are deciding on how fast to hike interest rates.

The Bank of England earlier this month lifted its main interest rate for the second time in a row aimed at bringing down inflation.

The BoE has forecast Britain’s annual inflation rate to peak at 7.25 percent in April, far above its 2.0-percent target.

The latest “increase in CPI inflation... will add a bit more pressure on the Bank of England to continue raising interest rates rapidly,” said Paul Dales, chief UK economist at Capital Economics.

Policymakers in December lifted borrowing costs from a record-low 0.1 percent to 0.25 percent―their first tightening in more than three years.

They raised again this month, to 0.5 percent.

With prices shooting higher, Sunak earlier this month unveiled a support package worth £9 billion ($12.2 billion, 10.7 billion euros) targeted at 28 million poorer and middle-income households.

This is likely to be offset, however, by a surge in domestic energy bills and a salary tax hike from April.

Hundreds of people protested in London and other UK cities on Saturday, demanding government action to tackle the sharply rising cost of living.

One of the marches organized by The People’s Assembly headed for Downing Street in London where they called for the resignation of scandalhit Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson. AFP

“Their currencies will depreciate and few will risk buying from a distant origin without guaranteed delivery.”

Ukraine is also the top sunflower oil exporter, with Russia a close second.

“We did see some customers that were pulling back buying sunflower oil from Ukraine, because they had worries about whether they would be able to deliver if they’re involved in a military conflict with Russia,” Manila said Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist at Standard Republic of the Philippines TODAY StoneX Financial.

COMMISSION ON AUDIT Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines However, according to Scheve, “over time, (such a RESOLUTION No. : 2021-038__ latent crisis) would just be acDate : December 20,2021 cepted as it’s the risk that you SUBJECT : Delegation of authority to adjudicate money claims involving face.” AFP amounts not exceeding P100,000.00 to the Cluster Directors/ Regional Directors of the Commission on Audit

As costs jump, Sao Paulo Uber drivers set to launch rival app

By Lujan Scarpinelli SAO, PAOLO, Brazil—The Uber driver’s phone bleeps out the signal to pick up a passenger, but he checks the distance and declines: with fuel prices soaring in Brazil, “I’ve become a mathematician at the wheel,” he says.

Surging inflation has left many Brazilians struggling to make ends meet, and ride-hail drivers have been especially hard-hit.

Fuel prices increased nearly 50 percent last year, and the apps the drivers depend on claim a sizeable share of what’s left.

But now, drivers in Sao Paulo, a sprawling city of 12 million people, are about to launch an app of their own, taking on the likes of industry giant Uber with a platform they say will give drivers a better deal.

“With gasoline so expensive, I have to do split-second math before every trip to make sure it’s worth it, so I don’t end up giving the passenger a free ride,” says Sao Paulo Uber driver Valmir, 56, who asked that his last name not be used.

“I’m working 12-, 13-, sometimes 14-hour days to make the same money I used to”—between 250 and 300 reais ($48-$57) a day before expenses, he says.

That problem has led a group of Sao Paulo’s 150,000 app drivers to organize and develop a mobile app of their own, backed by the Sao Paulo Asso-

WHEREAS, Section 6, Article IX-A of the 1987 Constitution provides that the Commission on Audit (COA) en banc may promulgate its rules concerning pleadings and practice before it or any of its offices; WHEREAS, this Commission promulgated the 2009 Revised Rules of Procedure of the COA (RRPC) which took effect on October 28, 2009; WHEREAS, Section 1, Rule VIII of the 2009 RRPC provides that the Commission Proper (CP) shall have the original jurisdiction over money claims against the government, regardless of the amount involved;

People wait for a car requested through an app at the Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on February 10, 2022.

AFP

WHEREAS, there are money claims filed before the CP involving small amounts which have unnecessarily added to the heavy case load of the CP; WHEREAS, delegation of these money claims to the lower adjudicating office will expedite the resolution of small money claims cases filed before this Commission; WHEREAS, in COA Resolution No. 2014-025 dated November 17, 2014, the Commission Proper Adjudication and Secretariat Support Services Sector (CPASSSS) was created under the direct control and supervision of the CP; WHEREAS, in COA Resolution No. 2021-009 dated May 12, 2021, the CP resolved to delegate to the Directors of Claims and Adjudication Office (CAO)CPASSSS the adjudication of small money claims involving amounts not exceeding P100,000.00 and retaining its appellate jurisdiction over the actions of the CAO Directors on these claims; WHEREAS, the CP, having appellate jurisdiction over the actions of the Directors of CAO-CPASSSS in adjudicating money claims not exceeding P100,000.00, and the CPASSSS being under the direct control and supervision of the CP create a conflict in the execution of the delegated function that may offend the due process principle; NOW, THEREFORE, the CP RESOLVES, as it does hereby RESOLVE to delegate the authority to the Cluster Director (CD)/Regional Director (RD) to adjudicate money claims involving amounts not exceeding P100,000.00. The CP shall retain appellate jurisdiction over actions of the CD/RD on these claims. Appeals from the decision of the CD/RD shall be made pursuant to Rule VII of the 2009 RRPC; RESOLVED FURTHER that a copy of the decision of the CD/RD shall be furnished the Commission Secretary, through the Assistant Commissioner of CPASSSS, within five days of the ensuing month from issuance of the decision.

ciation of Application Drivers and Delivery Workers (AMMASP).

It is called Me Busca, which roughly translates as “pick me up.”

“We want to offer drivers the conditions that the (ride-hailing) companies don’t: better pay, more security and better-quality work,” AMMASP president Eduardo Lima told AFP. Its creators say Me Busca will offer prices similar to competitors like US-based Uber and 99, which is owned by China’s Didi.

The app is due to launch in March, and thousands of drivers have already signed up.

Ends not meeting Inflation came in at a painful 10 percent in Brazil last year, driven by the economic havoc of the coronavirus pandemic.

Price increases for some sectors were far higher, including 49 percent for fuel.

The pandemic has also swelled the ranks of the struggling and unemployed.

Raniel de Queiroz, a 42-year-old tech worker, has started supplementing his day job as a data backup analyst with eight-hour nights as a ride-hailing driver.

“My salary isn’t going up, but prices are.

Driving was a way to earn some extra money and keep up with the country’s inflation situation,” he says.

But his treatment by the app he drives for “has gotten more and more unfair,” he adds.

Re-slicing the pie The fares paid by app users rose 60.5 percent last year in Sao Paulo. AFP

RESOLVED FINALLY that the Office of the Commission Secretary, for money claims cases involving amounts not exceeding P100,000.00 pending before the CP as of the effectivity of this Resolution, and the Directors of CAO-CPASSSS for money claims cases filed before them pursuant to COA Resolution No. 2021-009, shall transmit said cases to the concerned CDs/RDs, for adjudication in accordance with this Resolution.

This Resolution amends Sections 1, Rule VIII of the 2009 RRPC and other pertinent provisions therein and supersedes COA Resolution No. 2021-009.

All issuances inconsistent with this Resolution are deemed modified or repealed accordingly.

This Resolution shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

Quezon City, Philippines, December 20, 2021.

MICHAEL G. AGUINALDO Chairperson

ROLAND C. PONDOC Commissioner (MS-FEB. 17, 2022)

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

B4

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

PSE INDEX CLOSING

Wednesday, February 16, 2022 142.88 PTS. 7,452.82

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES

1,162,230,877 101,868

TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP) ADVANCES DECLINES

9,527,294,352.09 123 63

UNCHANGED

49

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

51.3700

Japan

Yen

0.008649

0.4443

UK

Pound

1.354100

69.5601

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128185

6.5849

Switzerland

Franc

1.080614

55.5111

Canada

Dollar

0.786473

40.4011

Singapore

Dollar

0.743771

38.2075

Australia

Dollar

0.715100

36.7347

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652731

136.2708

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266517

13.6910

Brunei

Dollar

0.741015

38.0659

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.030921

1.5884

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.9874

Euro

Euro

1.136000

58.3563

Korea

Won

0.000836

0.0429

China

Yuan

0.157759

8.1041

India

Rupee

0.238977

12.2762

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.663900

34.1045

New Zealand

Dollar

0.035914

1.8449

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035958

1.8495 Source: BSP

PH office space supply to add 3.3m sqm in three years

By Othel V. Campos THE country’s office space supply is expected to reach 3.3 million square meters in the next three years, as ongoing developments mature and tenants that adopted hybrid and remote work are likely to right-size their office footprint, according to a property market consultancy firm.

Santos Frank Knight said in its latest office supply forecast office space vacancy rate remained at double-digit level in the fourth quarter and would likely persist in 2022 as work-from-home arrangement of the business process outsourcing industry may last until September 2022.

“Office leasing activities have slowed down during the pandemic as occupiers tried to figure out their next moves.

In 2022, we expect to see organizations make their real estate decisions, from expansion to right-sizing,” said Santos Knight Frank senior director of occupier solutions and services Morgan McGilvray.

Santos Knight Frank said that while a number of organizations were shifting to hybrid or remote work model in the longer term, they would likely reduce the size of their offices upon the expiry of their leases. This would have a a net positive effect on office leasing demand in 2022, it said.

The firm predicted that the office market would be generally positive in 2022 as the outsourcing requirements from the US, Australia and Europe to the Philippines is expected to lift the real estate footprint of IT-BPO companies.

It noted that companies started to gradually shift to new workplace strategies to address demands that emerged during the pandemic. Occupiers are increasingly considering models such as “hub & spoke”, which decentralizes offices to bring them nearer to employees.

Tenants are also spreading out their offices to more than one city as a business continuity strategy against the negative impacts of localized lockdowns and natural events, as seen in Typhoon Odette in 2021.

“The office is transforming from a place you ‘need to go’ to a place you ‘want to go’. This has important implications on how organizations will be selecting their new office spaces, implementing return-to-office programs, and reconfiguring their workplaces. Occupiers are not just looking for strategically located and cost-effective real estate, but also quality options that appeal to their employees,” McGilvray said.

BPI DONATION.

Aligned with its sustainability push, Bank of the Philippine Islands through social development arm BPI Foundation donates 94 used but functional computer units to four public schools in Muntinlupa City.

Attending the turnover ceremony of the computer units in Poblacion Elementary School are (from left) BPI director Ignacio Bunye, BPI Foundation executive director Owen Cammayo, Poblacion Elementary School Principal IV Dr. Raul Felix, Muntinlupa Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Dominico Idanan, POBES General Parent Teachers Association president Jackelyn Inople and POBES faculty president Milagros Barroga.

Business

SEC approves P3.5-b IPO of SMC’s Bank Commerce T

By Jenniffer B. Austria

HE Securities and Exchange Commission said Wednesday it approved the P3.5-billion initial public offering of by Bank of Commerce and the P60-billion bond shelf registration of San Miguel Corp.

BOC plans to offer of up to 280.6 million shares at to P12.50 apiece. The offering size was reduced, following the removal of the over-allotment option of 42.09 million shares.

The bank plans to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund lending activities and finance capital expenditure requirements in connection with the upgrading of its automated

teller machine fleet and core banking system. Any remaining proceeds will be used for the acquisition of investment securities to meet regulatory liquidity requirements.

The public offering will run from March 7 to 15, with listing on the main board of the Philippine Stock Exchange scheduled on March 23, according to the latest timetable submitted by the bank to the SEC. BOC, a subsidiary of San Miguel, provides banking products and services in deposit, commercial loans, credit card services, consumer banking, corporate banking, treasury, asset management, transaction banking and trusts and investments.

It had a network of 140 branches and 257 ATMs as of Sept. 30, 2021.

The bank engaged BDO Capital & Investment Corp., China Bank Capital Corp., Philippine Commercial Capital Inc. and PNB Capital Investment Corp. as the joint issue managers, joint lead underwriters and joint bookrunners for

the transaction.

The Monetary Board, the policy-making body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, earlier approved the upgrade of the banking license of BOC from commercial bank to universal bank, subject to regulatory requirements.

It will allow BOC to provide a much broader range of products and services essential to conglomerates and businesses, particularly those expanding in 2022 as the economy recovers strongly from the pandemic.

“Our expanded banking services will allow us to fortify our presence in the domestic market and deepen relationships with clients and unlock cross sell opportunities which we intend to convert into additional revenue streams,”BOC president and chief executive Michelangelo Aguilar said.

The bank said it is also looking to provide clients access to attractive, wholelife and investment-based insurance products through a strong bancassurance offering.

LANDBANK LOAN. Land Bank of the Philippines and Medicum The Medical Center Inc. sign a P300million loan agreement for the construction of a hospital building and support facilities with modern medical equipment in Tabuk City. The new hospital will be completed next year and will be located strategically along the provincial road within the city’s commercial hub. Leading the signing ceremony are (seated, from left) LandBank Cordillera Administrative Region lending center head Ramon Francisco Badiola, MTMCI chairman Dr. Danilo Domingo and president and chief executive Dr. Rita Dong-as. With them are members of the MTMCI board of directors and LandBank officers.

2 agriculture groups ask Duterte Jollibee opening to save jobs by enacting vape bill 2 Scotland stores TWO agriculture groups asked President Rodrigo Duterte to protect the livelihood of Filipino farmers and growers by approving the vape bill that will regulate and provide less harmful alternatives to combusted cigarettes.

The Philippine Tobacco Growers Association and the National Federation of Tobacco Farmers Associations and Cooperatives, with combined members of 45,000 tobacco farmers, said the vape bill would regulate cigarette alternatives such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products and promote the utilization of local tobacco leaves.

“This will provide a big support to our local farmers who depend on the tobacco industry especially amid the pandemic,” PTGA president Saturnino Distor said, as he thanked the Senate and the House of Representatives for overwhelmingly approving the vape bill which encourages the manufacturers of these innovative smoke-free products to use locally-produced tobacco.

The vape bill will provide a regulatory framework to ensure that these products contribute revenues to the national coffers, according to Distor.

In a letter to President Rodrigo

Duterte sent through Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea on January 13, 2021, PTGA asked for the signing of the vape bill into law to regulate the importation, manufacture, sale, packaging, distribution, promotion, use and consumption of e-cigarettes, HTPs and other alternatives to combusted cigarettes.

“The PTGA is pleading for the signing of the bill into law to ensure that there is an appropriate regulation for new these new products,” it said The group said tobacco growers endured a number of challenges last year, including the higher excise tax imposed on tobacco which led to lower sales and farm production as well as the adverse effects of the pandemic on the economy.

The group said while the VNP Bill is designed to regulate alternative tobacco products, this would also help sustain the legitimate tobacco industry and ensure that proper taxes are collected from these new products. If implemented, the vape bill will empower tobacco growers to become a part of the alternative tobacco product industry, which would also be derived from tobacco leaves, it said.

in the first quarter

RESTAURANT chain operator Jollibee Foods Corp. said Wednesday it will open its first two stores in Scotland in the first quarter.

Jollibee said in a statement the first store is located at 136 Princes Street, Edinburgh, while the second store will open in Glasgow on March 25.

The two restaurants in Scotland will serve halal meat to cater to all communities in both cities.

“This is an important moment for us as we introduce Jollibee to Scotland with not only one but two restaurants launching within a month, showing our commitment to expand in Europe. We are looking forward to serving our Scottish customers delicious food in a joyful restaurant experience,” Jollibee chief executive Ernesto Tanmantiong said.

“We know there are many in Scotland who have waited a long time for Jollibee to arrive, and we’re excited to see the local communities experience Jollibee for the first time,” Tanmantiong said.

The fast-food company said both Edinburgh and Glasgow have a large student presence and active youth community, making them the perfect cities for Jollibee, which saw a huge success among young people looking for new food experience.

It said that over the last 18 months, overall sales from United Kingdom surged by 417 percent.

“The reception for Jollibee in 2021 gave us confidence that our new store design and locally-relevant menu created specifically for our European audience was working.

We are very happy to be opening on one of the busiest streets in Edinburgh and Glasgow and expect to see big queues of chicken lovers at its launch,” said Dennis Flores, president of Jollibee Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australia.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Diokno assures stability of banks amid WB’s rising bad debt warning

By Julito G. Rada BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno on Wednesday downplayed the observation of the World Bank that the rising bad debt of accumulated by banks may pose a risk to the country’s post-pandemic recovery.

Diokno said in an online briefing the BSP has “prepared our banks and helped them during the pandemic,” while insisting that they were not at risk.

“The debt-to-GDP ratio is manageable at the moment... We don’t see any problem,” Diokno said.

The World Bank said in its World Development Report 2022 it was time to prioritize actions that would support a healthy financial system that could provide the credit growth needed to support recovery.

The multilateral lender mentioned the Philippines as one of the countries where bad debt was becoming a problem.

Diokno said in a previous briefing the country’s banking system remained strong amid the continuing global crisis and that non-performing loan ratio of banks would likely remain at a single-digit level going forward.

Citing BSP estimates, he said banks’ NPL ratios might settle between 5 and 6 percent at the end of 2021.

The Department of Finance also said the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio would stabilize as pandemic-related spending was winding down.

The DOF noted that the stock of national government debt stood at nearly P11.729 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2021, down from P11.917 trillion in the third quarter.

IN BRIEF BDO reimburses hacking victims

BDO Unibank Inc., the country’s biggest bank controlled by the Sy Group, is nearing completion of the reimbursement of affected clients in the recently reported hacking of nearly 700 accounts, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Wednesday.

BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno provided an update on the regulator’s investigation of the incident, which also involved Union Bank of the Philippines. “The BSP’s oversight examination team reports that both BDO and UBP have extended their full cooperation in the ongoing investigation, which is at an advanced stage,” he told reporters.

“BDO has already reimbursed 94 percent of all affected customers and has assured us that remaining clients will be fully reimbursed for their losses,” he said.

Diokno said the BSP continued to coordinate with law enforcement agencies, relevant government bodies, including the Anti-Money Laundering Council and key stakeholders in our efforts to strengthen cybersecurity. It is also working closely with Congress for the passage of measures on SIM registration and anti-mule accounts. Julito G. Rada

MPTC unit to build new Indonesia road

A SUBSIDIARY of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. in Indonesia is spending P2.7 billion to construct a tollway access for Makassar New Port.

PT Bintaro Serpong Damai, where MPTC owns a majority interest, broke ground on Feb. 7 for the construction of Makassar New Port Access Toll Road. The project is about 3.2 kilometers in length and directly provides access to the Makassar Port in South Sulawesi.

The MNP project will connect the Makassar Port to Makassar City through other toll road projects of MPTC in Indonesia. MNP is expected to encourage economic growth, aid in the distribution, logistics and the facilitation of export and import routes and ease the congestion of traffic for the delivery of goods and logistics transportation with its direct access to the Makassar Port.

The construction of MNP will be carried out in three stages and is targeted to be completed by early 2023. Darwin G. Amojelar

AIA PH steps up to provide protection

A STUDY by Hong Kong-based insurer AIA Group, parent company of AIA Philippines, showed majority of the respondents in its eight markets including the Philippines are more likely to save and invest on their financial security and protection moving forward, despite reports some of the pandemic-induced economic challenges are likely to stay until late next year.

Consumer spending allocations for insurance premiums in the Philippines jumped 27 percent in 2021, or 18 percent higher than prepandemic levels. This indicates heightened interest in using insurance as a way to cushion the impact of future economic setbacks, according to the study.

Study results also showed a stronger interest in insurance with 75 percent of Filipinos agreeing insurance has become more important than ever to provide better protection in case of unexpected incidents, and 27 percent saying they plan to increase their allocation of funds for insurance.

“The pandemic made everyone realize the need for protection, even among those who are non-believers of insurance,” said Tennyson Paras, AIA Philippines associate director for products. “And this is why we developed AIA All-in-One Plus, a new product that provides leveled up protection that Filipinos are looking for during this time of uncertainty.”

AIA All-In-One Plus is a comprehensive variable unit link whole life insurance plan with added benefits. It protects the policyholder against four major risks: death, accident, disability and critical illness.

Sports

Magnolia notches 5th straight PBA win MICHAEL Harris led the injury-hobbled Magnolia Hotshots to a 112-109 triumph over the NLEX Road Warriors Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Road Warriors could have taken the lead and won the game in the last 32 seconds of their game in the 2022 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup. But Matt Nieto bungled three charity attempts, allowing Harris to step forward and score the winning basket with his driving layup in the last 12 seconds.

Two more chances came the Road Warriors’ way in the remaining time, but efforts to force an extra period went for naught, as triples from Don Trollano and Kj McDaniel missed their marks.

“It’s all about effort. We had a bad start. But our second group saved us today,” said Hotshots’ coach Chito Victolero.

Struggling without three injured players throughout the game, the Hotshots lifted themselves out of 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Aries Dionisio capped a 15-4 blast which the Hotshots took at the start of the last period to force two deadlocks.

Harris finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds for Magnolia, which extended its unbeaten run to five and stayed in the solo lead.

The Road Warriors stayed in third with the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters, with both sharing the same 4-2 cards.

McDaniel fired 35 points and had 13 rebounds for the Road Warriors.

Calvin Abueva and Rome de la Rosa were out due to injuries and did not see action for the Hotshots. Peter Atencio

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

C1

Alaska’s “Fearsome Foursome”, the sixtime PBA champion and one-time Best Import Sean Chambers and local stalwarts Jojo Lastimosa, Bong Hawkins and Johnny Abarrientos.

Navarro said they “formed Alaska’s vaunted offensive nucleus in the ‘90s that clinched a rare grand slam.”

Navarro thought, however, that the magazine cover was actually a boo-boo.

“Sean’s head was too small for Superman’s huge frame, while Jolas, Bong and Johnny were like ‘manananggals’ (mythical self-segmenter with vampire-like appearance) in basketball jerseys, obviously clueless as to what the heck they were doing there with their lower torso missing?” said Navarro.

It was good that social media was not yet the fad at that time so Navarro didn’t have to worry about the bashers.

The Alaska Aces’ championship rings

ACES’ LAST DANCE

Alaska: A class act on and off basketball court T

By Randy Caluag

HERE was something in the Alaska Aces that made them a unique team in the Philippine Basketball Association.

After 14 championship trophies, including one grand slam under coach Time Cone, to go with 31 finals appearances in 36 seasons, Alaska is finally bidding the league goodbye.

The Uytengsu family, led by Alaska team owner Wilfred Uytengsu, always serves as an example of how to behave during games. He was always a man of composure whether in times of losing or winning.

Blen Fernando, the longest-serving marketing executive of Alaska until 2019, shared the mantra that became the team’s foundation in its three decades of membership in the PBA. “What made us different was our way of

running the team - from top management to the staff of the entire company. Integrity, discipline, hard work, determination, and teamwork. Nothing less. We were probably the only PBA team who followed the rules, stood on our decisions and on issues affecting the community. There were no superstars in the team. Everyone had a clear role. These values were the bedrock of the team and of the company,” said Fernando, who started her marketing career with the Alaska franchise owner in 2009.

Belen said her marketing team saw to it that they watched every Alaska game, keeping tabs and making sure that their players nurture the team’s corporate principle that they were built for.

“We built and evolved the Alaska Milkmen to Alaska Aces along with the basketball management team - from a mediocre team to a classy, well-bred, disciplined, and one of the winningest teams in the PBA,”she said.

Charlie Favis, former team manager of the defunct Shell squad, also revealed that he considered Alaska as their“best friend” in the PBA. And it was the Shell people, who per-

suaded Alaska to join the pro league.

“Nakakalungkot.

Among all the teams in the PBA during my time, Alaska and Shell were very close. In fact, one year after Shell joined the PBA, Shell invited Alaska to join and they did,” he said.

Favis added Alaska Governor Joaqui Trillo “trained in my office for one week” when he was about to assume the role of Alaska team manager.

“I also brought the Alaska team abroad to play with us in Australia (twice) and Guam (4 times). Sad day. Thanks for the memories,” said Favis.

Because of the way Alaska conducts its business properly, it got nothing but respect from its peers in the board of team governors.

Rain or Shine team owner Raymund Yu said: “I feel a genuine sadness with the departure of Alaska. Nothing but respect for a classy organization. Indeed, they won with integrity.”

Louie Navarro, former editor of the defunct but once-popular Sports Weekly Magazine, remembers having featured

Sean Chambers with Alaska teammates Rene Hawkins, Jojo Lastimosa and Johnny Abarrientos appearing at the cover of the Sports Weekly Magazine.

Fast forward to the current time, Alaska player Jeron Teng had to take the news with the pain of saying goodbye.

In his Twitter post, Teng used the hashtags “ThelastDance and #WenotMe” in his tribute to the team that has been his home for the last four years.

“It’s been an honor to play for the franchise. This will be our last conference as the Alaska Aces, will definitely make it count,” said Teng.

One of Alaska’s loyal fans since 1995, Gerard Advincula, said he will always cherish the memories of watching the games and hob-knobbing with his favorite Alaska players.

“It’s just so hard to accept. My PBA addiction won’t be the same without you. We sure are gonna miss this team, the greatest franchise in PBA history. I just hope and pray that you end this conference on a winning note,”he said.

In their hearts and their minds, “Wala pa ring tatalo sa Alaska.”

COVID-19 ravages Korean team for FIBA meet

By Peter Atencio TWO more players of the Korean men’s basketball team tested positive for COVID-19, bringing to four the number of cagers who won’t be allowed to leave for Manila and play in the FIBA World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers’ February window in a week’s time.

The infectons have left the Koreans with a depleted lineup, without newly infected players Ra Gun-Ah and Kim Jong Kyu, who will both undergo quarantine.

The 6’8” Ra, also known as American cager Ricardo Ratliffe, and his backup Kim, tested positive for COVID-19 after more RTPCR tests were done on the 24-member national pool before they went to their training

bubble in Goyang.

Ratliffe plays for the Jeonju KCC Egis in the KBL, while the 6’2” Kim is part of the Wonju DB Promy.

Because of this, the Korean Basketball Association has withheld its announcement of its final roster, according to online reports coming from Korea.

With Ra and Kim not available, officials are looking forward to the addition of Korean Basketball League standouts Lee Won Seok and Ha Yung to reinforce their national squad.

The KBL is experiencing a spike in COVID-19, with 11 players already testing positive in the past days.

Earlier, Kim Sun-hyung and Yang HongSeok, two of the most experienced players of the South Korean national team, were among

the 11 players who were quarantined back in Seoul due to COVID infection.

The 6’2” Kim and the 6’6” Yang were supposed to spearhead the Koreans against the Philippines, India and New Zealand in the FIBA tourney.

The Philippines and Korea had two unforgettable games recently, both of which the Filipinos won—81-78 at the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers in Bahrain, and 82-77 in Pampanga last year.

Kim plays for Seoul SK Knights while Yang is part of the Suwon KT Sonicboom in the KBL. Gilas will meet South Korea on February 24, before taking on India on the 25th, New Zealand on the 27th and Korea again on the 28th.

Ra Gun-Ah (left) against the PH’s Angelo Kouame (fiba.basketball)

Miller crashes out for 2nd time at Winter Games

Coach Will Gregorak (left) and Asa Miller discuss their strategy prior to the men’s slalom race.

YANQING, China—Asa Miller just couldn’t solve The Ice River and for the second straight time and in his second consecutive Winter Olympics, he got a DNF (Did not Finish) in the first run of the men’s slalom of Alpine skiing on Wednesday when the weather was better than the first time he was DNF in giant slalom three days ago.

Teary eyed, Miller walked to the side, his head bowed at the track that was cruel on 34 skiers—the 21-year-old Filipino-American included—who failed to complete out of the 89 starters.

“I have a fault also,” said Miller, who was accompanied by American coach Will Gregorak at the Athletes’ Area before deciding to go by his lonesome to the wax cabin below the finish area.

Austrian Johannes Strolz topped the first run by a slim margin over Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen and Sebastian Foss-Solevaag.

Strolz ,29, and already a winner of the Alpine combined last week in is first Olympics, clocked 53.92 seconds.

Kristoffersenwas .02 seconds behind and Foss-Solevaag by .06.

The Austrian described the snow as “a little uneven between being aggressive and icy in some spots,” but it was different for the two-time Olympian Miller, who skied for 36 seconds before crashing out—more than twice the time he spent on the ice in the giant slalom at 15.90 seconds.

“With this type of snow, the skis were not responding very well for him so it’s very difficult to get his feeling on the skis and that’s how it goes sometimes,” Gregorak said. “You hoped that it wouldn’t happen in the Olympics, but that’s ski racing and that’s the nature of the sport, and that’s slalom racing.”

Miller was flagged off at No. 65. In the end, 52 completed the race while one was

disqualified. Another one didn’t start.

“Skiing is one of those things where you have to think about it as a season long thing,” Gregorak said. “Nobody on any given day can guarantee what will happen to skiers or what they do over a season because there’s so much variability, where the Olympics is really the star of all races and that’s something we care about a lot.”

“But it’s still ski racing, you cannot put too much in one race,” he added.

Six different skiers won the six World Cup slaloms this season with Strolz hoping to break the norm. He won the third World Cup leg in Adelbodden, Switzerland, last January 29.

Despite failing to match his 72ndplace finish in his Pyeongchang debut four years ago, the Philippine Sports Commission-backed Miller and his coach remained proud of representing the Philippines in win-

ter sports’ grandest stage.

“I’m really proud of Asa for the composure he showed this week,” Gregorak said. “The difficult hills, the difficult conditions and all the work and focus he put on to it—that’s all about being an athlete.”

“You cannot guarantee the result but Asa proved to be a formidable Olympian,” he added.

Philippine Ski and Snowboard Federation President Jim Apelar said he also remained proud of Miller for keeping the Philippines—a tropical nation—on the Winter Olympics map.

“It’s disappointing, but that’s part of the game and there’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Apelar said. “We are here for a couple of things: competition and representation. So we can see positive things. We were able to raise positive things by raising our flag in the Olympics.”

C2

Sports

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

3 substances in Valieva’s body led to doping storm N

EW YORK—Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva had three different substances used to treat heart conditions in the sample which triggered the doping storm at the Beijing Olympics, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.

Valieva learned during the Games she had tested positive in December for trimetazidine, a drug used to treat angina which also boosts endurance.

On Monday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that she could carry on at the Olympics, but that does not mean she has been cleared of doping and she could still face punishment at a later date.

The Times reported that her sample also contained the heart medications hypoxen and L-Carnitine, which are not on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list.

The Times report said the disclosures concerning the different substances were contained in a document submitted at Sunday’s Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing that ended with the controversial decision to allow Valieva to compete.

Senior IOC member Denis Oswald told reporters in Beijing on Tuesday that Valieva told the CAS hearing she tested positive because of “contamination” from her grandfather’s medicine.

Russian media reported that Valieva allegedly drank from the same glass as her grandfather, who takes trimetazidine for a heart condition.

The Times report said that Valieva’s grandfather had provided a pre-recorded video message to a hearing with Russian anti-doping officials on February 9 in which he said he used trimetazidine to treat “attacks.”

The athlete’s grandfather showed a packet of the medication during the message.

Valieva’s mother told the same hearing her daughter took the substance hypoxen due to heart “variations”, the Times report said.

She added that Valieva’s grandfather also accompanied the teenager to practice on a daily basis. AFP

Russia’s Kamila Valieva competes in the women’s single skating short program of the figure skating event during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing. AFP

Harden relishes perfect fit with Sixers NEW YORK—James Harden said Tuesday he is relishing the prospect of getting down to work with his Philadelphia Sixers team-mates, revealing that the franchise had been his preferred destination all along.

Harden joined the Sixers from the Brooklyn Nets last week in a blockbuster trade that caps a roller-coaster 13 months since the 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player left the Houston Rockets just over a year ago.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Harden said he had always wanted to join the Sixers, who believe the 10-time All-Star can turn them into championship contenders.

“Originally when I was going through everything I was going through in Houston, Philly was my first choice,” Harden said. “I just knew for a very long time that this was a perfect fit.”

Harden said playing alongside Sixers big man Joel Embiid in a team coached

by Doc Rivers had been key attractions.

“They’ve got the best big man in the league in Joel, they’ve got the coaching, from top to bottom it just made sense,” Harden said.

“I’m just happy to be here. And as Doc and everybody knows, the goal is to win and be the last team standing.”

The move to Philadelphia also reunites Harden with former Houston general manager Daryl Morey, who is the Sixers president of basketball.

Morey said the recruitment of Harden would shorten the odds on Philadelphia making a run at the NBA Finals.

“The way this league works, you

have to get players of the calibre of a James Harden to pair with Joel (Embiid) and Tobias (Harris),” Morey said on Tuesday.

Perfect foil “You can win without it, but if you look at the history of the league you’re looking at pretty long odds if you don’t have two great players of that level of play on the court.

“We are well-positioned to go on a run and a run that excites the city of Philadelphia.”

Harden meanwhile believes his playing style will be the perfect foil for Embiid.

“I think we complement each other,” he said. “The whole world knows how great Joel has been playing. His presence at the moment is unbelievable.

“I feel like I’m the same way as far as making my team-mates better and impacting the game at the highest level.

And we have a great core of guys who can also help with that.”

Harden is also looking forward to working under Sixers coach Rivers, who is chasing a first NBA title since leading Boston to the championship in 2008.

“I’m working with one of the best coaches that’s ever coached basketball,” Harden said. “Why wouldn’t I want to be led by that? I’ve been doing this a long time but he’s been doing it much longer and is more experienced than me.

“From what I’ve seen in the past couple of days everything’s in place. Doc makes sure everyone knows their role in the structure. I’ve just got to go out there and do what I do. From my side it’s pretty easy.” AFP

Samsung PH teams up with MOONTON Games to amplify gaming passion of creators in 2022 GEN Z is known for being digitally savvy, and their cultural influence is reshaping traditional beliefs about online entertainment. According to a study, one of the things that Gen Z enjoys is mobile gaming. It not only allows them to unwind but also allows them to socialize with their friends.

During the height of the pandemic,

mobile gaming apps registered the highest growth usage in the Philippines, based on Global Web Index. In addition, 98% of Filipinos aged 16 to 64 own a smartphone and from these users, 72% are into mobile gaming. From these gaming apps, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang took the top spot based on active users.

With the growing popularity of mobile gaming, Samsung Philippines has partnered with international gaming developer, MOONTON Games to strengthen its presence in the gaming scene, further solidifying the role of its products to gamers and streamers in the country. Samsung already begun to tap the gaming community with its Galaxy A Series, positioning it as the best affordable mobile gaming phone for all.

This year, Samsung Philippines is officially taking the lead to expand its local e-sports initiatives by sponsoring the upcoming Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League in the Philippines starting February 18, 2022.

The new season will bring more challenges to gamers nationwide while featuring well-known esports players like Bren Esports, ECHO, Smart Omega, Nexplay EVOS, TNC Pro, RSG Philippines, ONIC PH, and the defending champion Blacklist International.

The partnership will support all Mobile Legends: Bang Bang initiatives aimed at connecting Gen Z and Millennial gamers nationwide.

Simmons ‘mentally ready’ for NBA return NEW YORK—Ben Simmons said Tuesday he is mentally ready to return to basketball following his trade to the Brooklyn Nets after a turbulent end to his Philadelphia 76ers career.

The Australian star has not played at all this season after requesting a trade from the Sixers in August, citing mental health issues.

The 25-year-old point guard finally got his wish last week when he secured a move to Brooklyn as part of the deal that sent Nets star James Harden in the opposite direction.

Simmons told an introductory press conference on Tuesday he was looking forward to returning to the court next month, and hopes to be ready to face the Sixers when the Nets travel to Philadelphia on March 10.

Simmons did not go into detail about the reasons for his departure when probed by journalist on Tuesday, “If I knew, I would tell you everything,” Simmons said.

“But there’s just a lot of things internally that had to happen over time. And it just got to a place where I don’t think it was good for me mentally. So it is what it is. It happened, and I’m moving forward.”

Simmons’ Sixers career soured last year after the team bowed out of the playoffs to the Atlanta Hawks. Simmons was criticised for his failure to take a shooting opportunity towards the end of the seriesdeciding game seven.

At the time Sixers coach Doc Rivers openly questioned whether he considered Simmons to be a championshipcaliber player.

Simmons was suspended by the Sixers for the opening game of the season in October after a bust-up with Rivers.

Tensions also flared when Sixers star Joel Embiid accused Simmons of “disrespecting” his team-mates.

Simmons on Tuesday said he was eager to resurrect his carrer after overcoming his personal demons.

“For me, it was just making sure mentally I was right to get out there and play again,” Simmons said.

“That’s something I’ve been dealing with. It wasn’t about the [Philadelphia] fans, or coaches or comments made by anybody.

It was just a personal thing for me...

“It is something that I continue to deal with and I’m getting there and getting to the right place to get back on the floor.” AFP

Ajinomoto becomes sponsor of highest rank for 31st SEA Games AJINOMOTO Co., Inc. (Ajinomoto Co.) is named as an official sponsor of the highest rank for the 31st South East Asian Games to be held in Vietnam in May 2022.

The SEA Games are held every two years forging strong regional cooperation, understanding, and unity within the Southeast Asian community. It is the largest sporting event in Southeast Asia, attracting the attention of more than 600 million people in the region.

Ajinomoto Co. has been a longtime supporter of regional and global

sports competition. The company was also an official partner of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games as well as a top tier sponsor to the 30th SEA Games held in the Philippines back in 2019.

Since 2003, Ajinomoto Co. has also been working on the Victory Project® to support the conditioning of top-level athletes in Japan and conduct nutritional support activities1 by utilizing the power of amino acids. The project included the distribution of aminoVITAL® products and promotion of the Winning Meals

Kachimeshi® program. Ajinomoto’s Kachimeshi® (“Winning Meals”) concept aims to support elite athletes in building winning physiques for optimum performance.

Since 2018, The Victory Project has been rolled out in 6 Ajinomoto Group Companies in ASEAN region, one of which is Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) Group.

APC Group imparted Winning Meals Kachimeshi® support to Philippines’ top Karate athlete Ms. Junna Tsukii who won gold medal in the women’s kumite 50 kg event at the last 2019

SEA Games.

As sponsor of the highest rank in this year’s SEA Games, Ajinomoto plans to amplify its initiatives to support Filipino athletes as well as other regional players throughout the games.

“Ajinomoto aims to realize greater wellness for people around the world.

This includes providing nutrition and nutrition education support to our national athletes to support them in realizing their full potential,” said APC Public Relations, Marketing and Sales Director Hironori Aoki.

Entertainment Clockwise: Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer, and Regina Hall

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

C3

History-making female comics to host next month’s Oscars THE Oscars will be hosted by three doyennes of comedy, Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer, and Regina Hall, it was confirmed Tuesday, as organizers amp up efforts to lure viewers back to the ceremony.

It is the first time since 2018 that the Oscars will have a host, the first time since 1987 that it has had three, and the first time ever that all three will be women.

“I’m not sure who thought this was a good idea, but I’m hosting the Oscars, along with my good friend Wanda Sykes

and Regina Hall. I’d better go watch some movies,” Schumer said in a video clip.

The comedians’ names were announced on ABC’s Good Morning America (GMA) show.

ABC will broadcast the 94th Academy Awards on March 27.

“I know the fun Regina, Amy and Wanda will be having will translate to our audience as well. Many surprises in store! Expect the unexpected!” said the show’s producer, Will Packer, in a statement.

Television ratings for the Oscars have dramatically declined in recent years.

Late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel was

the last person to host the show, in 2018. The following year’s hostless format drew praise and was emulated by other awards shows such as the Emmys, but subsequent Oscar ceremonies have been criticized for lacking focus and humor.

Last year’s edition, which honored mainly smaller, arthouse movies such as best picture winner Nomadland, was watched by just over 10 million viewers — a 56 percent decline from 2020, which was already a record low.

As Oscars voters have drifted away from more mainstream fare, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has toyed with reforms to boost the ceremony’s popularity. AFP

Julia Barretto, Xian Lim Pop icon Cher wants Leni to lead pair up in Brillante Mendoza’s new horror movie

By Patricia Taculao

A

CTRESS Julia Barretto immediately said yes to Brillante Mendoza when the multi-awarded director pitched a project to her. She agreed to be part of the film even without knowing the story or seeing the script.

In this project, Barretto gets paired with Xian Lim – who plays her husband in the film – for the first time. She is also reunited with Marco Gumabao, who, in the movie, plays her erstwhile boyfriend.

“I didn’t have any idea what the story was. I had zero clue but I said yes immediately,” Barretto shared during the film’s media conference admitting that it’s her first time to do a horror flick. And in doing so, the young actress felt that she went out of her comfort zone.

“At the end of the day, it was trusting your director and trusting yourself.

That’s the biggest factor why we did what we were

supposed to do. It was all about growing, learning, trusting, and believing,” she carried on.

Titled Bahay Na Pula, the story revolves around newlyweds Jane (Barretto) and Marco (Xian), who travel to Mindoro to sell the ancestral house that Jane inherits from her grandmother.

The caretaker gives them a tour around the property, but Jane suddenly feels strange upon reaching the basement.

That night, the couple make love to one another when suddenly, Jane notices that someone seems to be peeping at them.

The next day, Jane and Marco were informed that the buyer of the property backs out because the Municipal Council Julia Barretto in Brillante Mendoza’s new horror movie passes a resolution starting the process faster by the day, as if she of declaring the ancestral house as a was pregnant.

National Historic Site.

Meanwhile, Xian Jane tries to talk to the Lim shared that Municipal Mayor to convince working with him to veto the council Mendoza was resolution. But to her surprise, so inspiring for her ex-boyfriend Anton Lim. (Gumabao), now “He’s the type the Mayor’s of director whom s e c r e t a r y, you would listen faces her. to when he started While they talking. He didn’t lobby together beat around the bush. His to reverse the council’s resolution, Marco Gumabao filmmaking style is really unique and something old flames start to rekindle. At the same different. In his filmmaking process, we time, evil is about to learned so much. Our director made us be born as Jane realize it’s okay to have changes along e x p e r i e n c e s the way,” he shared.

Bahay Na Pula, which streams horrifying events inside on Vivamax on February 25, marks the ancestral Brillante’s return to the horror genre. His house that last one was Sapi, shown almost a decade lead to her ago in 2013, starred Dennis Trillo, t u m m y Baron Geisler, and Meryll Soriano. growing b i g g e r Julia Barretto (left) co-stars with Xian Lim a n d for the first time in ‘Bahay Na Pula’

Most watched, most followed, i-KMJS mo yan KAPUSO Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS) is still the most watched news and public affairs program on Philippine TV and the most followed Philippine TV program on Facebook.

For the fourth consecutive year, KMJS is the favorite Sunday viewing habit of Filipino families with a strong 19.4 percent average NUTAM (National Urban TV Audience Measurement) people rating, equivalent to 9.4 million viewers on primetime, based on Nielsen Philippines’ data for 2021.

KMJS has 27 million followers on Facebook, the highest among Philippine TV program accounts in the country. Last year alone, its online engagements reached over 164 million.

It is also the leading show that drives traffic to GMA Public Affairs’ YouTube channel. In 2021, KMJS’ videos generated over six billion combined views on Facebook and YouTube.

Its topics continue to trend weekly on Twitter.

“Our goal is to continue connecting and interacting meaningfully with both our TV audiences and online followers and subscribers.

But what we‘re really most proud of are the lives we helped change for 2021,” program host Jessica Soho said.

Through KMJS, two families — the Sifiatas

Through KMJS, two families correct what could have been a sad fate for their newborn babies— getting switched at birth in the hospital.

of Rizal and the Mullenos of Bulacan — managed to correct what could have been a sad fate for their newborn babies: getting switched at birth in the hospital!

The story has 17.2 million views on Facebook and made KMJS the Philippine winner for the Best Infotainment Category in the Asian Academy Creative Awards.

Then there’s the story of 11-year-old Reymark from Sultan Kudarat who plows the family’s field of radishes with his horse.

Viewers were so moved by his story, they donated enough money for the boy to stop working and just concentrate on his studies until he finishes college. His family now has a brand new house and a more steady source of income.

All Ranelyn ever wanted was to wear her favorite bestida again. But poverty and severe malnourishment have reduced the six-yearold girl to literally skin and bones. Thanks to KMJS viewers who donated money and goods to Ranelyn, she is now healthy and in school and can wear her favorite dress again.

The year 2021 also saw the return of the Taliban to power. The almost 20-year old video of Jessica’s coverage in Afghanistan in 2002, which nearly cost her and her team’s

lives when a landmine accidentally exploded, was posted on the KMJS website and got 20 million views.

“This proves that not only are Filipinos global citizens. We do care about what’s happening in other parts of the world,” Soho added.

Also last year, the program was a Finalist at the 2021 New York Festivals’ Documentary: Social Justice category for its “Babaeng Tinaga sa Mukha (The Woman Slashed on Her Face)” segment, and was given a Special Citation under the Best Adult Education/Cultural Program category last year in the Catholic Mass Media Awards after having been elevated to the Hall of Fame status as “Best News Magazine” in 2020. For the third time, KMJS was also named the Most Outstanding Magazine Show at the Gawad La Sallianeta Awards.

And like she has done for the past years, Jessica again pays it forward in 2021 by helping judge entries in two international award-giving bodies that champion good TV Journalism — the Emmy Awards and the New York Festivals Film and TV Awards.

Thanks to KMJS viewers who donate money and goods to Ranelyn, she is now healthy and in school and can wear her favorite dress again.

Jessica Soho’s coverage in Afghanistan in 2002, which nearly cost her and her team’s lives when a land mine accidentally exploded, got 20 million views on the KMJS website

THE stakes are high for the 2022 presidential elections as the country is divided into factions depending on their bet. Presently, Vice President Leni Robredo and former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. are the top candidates among the five other presidential aspirants that Filipinos are supporting immensely.

Even celebrities are expressing their support for their respective candidates. Some local personalities who publicly announced that they stand behind Leni are Robi Domingo, Carmi Martin, Angel Aquino, Marjorie Barretto, and Saab Magalona, among others.

With many Filipinos across the globe voicing their opinions on the matter, it’ll only be a matter of time before other countries and celebrities catch wind of what’s happening in the country.

Much to the Filipinos’ surprise, US singer Cher, the Goddess of Pop, publicly announced her support for Leni as the next president of the Philippines.

It began with Cher tweeting, “Excuse Don’t Know Leni,” to which a Filipino netizen proudly replied, “Leni Robredo is the current Vice President of the Philippines and soon to be our President!”

Enlightened and amused by this claim, Cher replied with a powerful message about how women like Leni should hold positions of power to get the job done.

“Bravo! Let women do it! Let Leni and all women fighting to save [the] climate, children, elderly, poor, and homeless people of all colors, ethnicities, and LGBTQ+.

Force honor in government makes medical care, education, and childcare free. Tax corporations, stop child labor, animal cruelty,

etc. #2GETHERWERSTRONG,” her tweet read.

Although social media platforms have seen their fair share of edited endorsements from foreign personalities on who to vote for this upcoming 2022 presidential election, Cher’s approval is authentic and has left everyone in awe at this development.

Unfortunately, not everyone saw Cher’s support for Robredo as positive. Within minutes of her tweet, the renowned global pop icon received commendations and backlash from netizens. But being the unbothered queen that she is, Cher remains steadfast with her decision, saying she’s “trying to help make changes.”

“I don’t know everything, everyone. Cut me some slack. I work hours every day, sometimes talking to several continents at once trying to help, make changes. Bye,” she said in a separate tweet.

Whether her latest tweet is meant for the Filipino netizens attacking her for her decision or not, there’s no denying that Cher wants a woman to lead the Philippines to get the job done effectively.

Globallyrenowned pop icon Cher

ABS-CBN partners with HK, US prods for international drama ‘Sellblock’ ABS-CBN joins and production the international values can resonate production phenomenally Sellblock as it with audiences continues to worldwide,” added champion Filipino producer-director talent on the world Pedring Lopez, The series ‘Sellblock’ highlights Filipino talent on the world stage the head of both stage.

The prison-set BlackOps and action drama, which is now in pre-production, Psyops8. will have a Filipino lead star that will come International media Variety broke the story on from ABS-CBN’s stable of artists to be ABS-CBN’s participation in the project last week announced soon. as BlackOps Studios Asia, Story Arch Pictures, Sellblock is among the 16 films and series and Agog Film Productions Ltd. unveiled the in the Asian Genre that will be developed lineup of their co-production partnership, which and produced by BlackOps Studios Asia was forged at the European Film Market in the from the Philippines, Story Arch Pictures Berlin Film Festival. from the United States of America, and Agog The country’s leading content provider, Film Productions Ltd. from Hong Kong, for ABS-CBN continues to forge new streaming all over the world. partnerships to promote Filipino stories and ABS-CBN is directly working with talent all over the world. Entertainment website BlackOps and Philippine-based creative Deadline revealed recently that ABS-CBN is agency Psyops8 for the project, which also has also collaborating with Filipino-American the support of the Film Development Council actor Reggie Lee and Filipino-American film of the Philippines (FDCP). producer JeremiahAbraham for Concepcion “We’ve chosen to partner with BlackOps a crime drama about a Filipino family’s rule in for their captivating Sellblock series because a Los Angeles town. it has everything we’re looking for—highEarlier this year, ABS-CBN announced the concept, high-drama, high-stakes, and a high- all-star cast of Cattleya Killer, a thriller series profile international cast,” said ABS-CBN produced for global audiences that will be International Production and Co-Production shown later in 2022. It is also behind Almost head Ruel Bayani.

Paradise, the first American TV series filmed “As last year’s Squid Game proves, a entirely in the Philippines, which it co-produced local production with the right ingredients with Hollywood’s Electric Entertainment.

‘Death on the Nile’ takes viewers on a murder-mystery cruise THIS month, a classic mystery story comes alive on screen with the theatrical release of 20th Century Studios’ Death on the Nile directed by five-time Academy Award nominee Kenneth Branagh.

The daring mystery-thriller features an allstar cast led by Gal Gadot (Linette Ridgeway), Emma Mackey (Jacqueline de Belfort), Letitia Wright (Rosalie Otterbourne), Tom Bateman (Bouc), four-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening (Euphemia Bouc), and Russell Brand (Windlesham).

The film follows Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (played by Branagh) as he enjoys a luxurious cruise down the river Nile when a newlywed heiress was found murdered on board. Can Poirot put a name to the assassin

before the cruise comes to an end?

The 2022 adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel reunites the stellar filmmaking team behind the 2017 global hit Murder on the Orient Express.

Death on the Nile is now showing in cinemas. For schedule and cinema information, click on this link: 20thcenturystudios.asia/ph/ death-on-the-nile.

A scene from the 2022 remake of ‘Death on the Nile’

Life

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

Infectious disease expert Dr. Joseph Adrian L. Buensalido

Suzi Entrata-Abrera is the host of the e-talk discussing coughs

By Nickie Wang

E

ARLY last month, just like most people I know, I had a pesky cough that wouldn’t go away despite taking medicines. In group chats I have with friends and family, I was told to isolate myself even if I was not experiencing any other symptoms that might be related to COVID. I got tested after two weeks of isolation. I was negative. But what if it was coronavirus, and since I wasn’t feeling anything apart from the itchy throat that caused violent coughing, I just went about my normal routine, including going outside?

In a recent etalk titled “Apat na Sapat at Dapat Tandaan Tungkol sa Ubo” hosted by Suzi Entrata-Abrera that streamed on GMA News Facebook page, Dr. Jondi Buensalido, an infectious disease expert, gave a rather simple and straightforward advice that just might save lives.

Dr. Buensalido advised people with cough to immediately isolate themselves while they are unsure as to why they are coughing to prevent the possibility of infecting others with the coronavirus and then take the proper medicines to ensure a timely cure.

In the etalk, Buensalido clarified issues and concerns related to cough in this time of pandemic, including the four important things that people need to know: that cough may be infectious if the cause is a viral or bacterial infection; that there are particular medicines for every type of cough; that cough needs to be treated immediately if the cause of the cough needs prompt treatment; and that cough is not a side effect of COVID-19 vaccines.

The medical expert said even if

Taking the right medicine for particular coughs works faster than just drinking whatever’s available

Could your cough be a sign of something more serious?

Coughs can be irritating if not treated properly

there is no confirmation yet that COVID-19 is the cause of the cough, the prudent thing to do is to isolate right away, wear a mask, and seek medical help.

“Because we are in a pandemic, it is safer to treat cough initially as infectious because there is a big chance that it is due to the coronavirus. Staying away from other people protects those around you, while the cause of the cough is still being ascertained.”

A persistent cough is one of the top symptoms of COVID-19 and also the major way that the coronavirus is spread, according to health experts. “If you have a cough, observe, and if it persists and becomes worse, it could be infectious so you have to isolate, drink plenty of fluids, rest, and go to a doctor to have a second set of expert eyes evaluate if it is infectious or not,” the doctor said.

Buensalido said there are several

What if you fell for the charismatic but abusive guy?

Never ignore the red flags once they start to present themselves

THEY’RE insanely gorgeous and all, but what if they’re abusers or worse, psychopaths? If you can easily spot one, you can save yourself and maybe help others as well.

Valentine’s Day or not, people date.

And for various reasons, there are those who are particularly vulnerable to abuse from their SOs or the person they are dating, whether emotionally, mentally, or physically.

For the ladies, picture this. The guy is good-looking; he might even give some models a run for their money in the looks/physique department. He laid his eyes on you, you started chatting almost non-stop. His humor and intellect make you fall hard. Plus, you could swear he genuinely cares for you and you have his full attention. I know it kind of reminds you of Joe in the Netflix hit You. A study published by The National Center for Biotechnology Information https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC3876290/ states that

“abusive behavior does not always involve tangible violence. Distinctions must be made between physical violence/ abuse—traditionally, the most researched and detectable form—and emotional, or psychological, abuse. Emotional abuse is any non-physical behavior or attitude that is designed to control, subdue, punish, or isolate another person through the use of humiliation or fear. Emotional abuse can include verbal assault, dominance, control, isolation, ridicule, or the use of intimate knowledge for degradation. It targets the emotional and psychological well-being of the victim, and it is often a precursor to physical abuse. “ Further, the article says that there is a high correlation between physical abuse and emotional abuse in batterer populations and that verbal abuse early in a relationship predicts subsequent physical spousal abuse.

types of cough: the infectious ones caused by virus and bacteria, and the non-infectious ones triggered by allergies or when something inadvertently blocked your airway that prompts the body to expel it through coughing.

For cough that is dry and bothersome, Buensalido said it is best to treat them with antitussive medicines. Those with phlegm, or the productive type, mucolytic medicines like carbocisteine, would be more appropriate.

There are also different medications for cough triggered by asthma and allergies. Buensalido stressed that home remedies — like drinking plenty of water, gargling with warm salt water, taking honey, drinking boiled lagundi leaves concoction, and steaming (suob) — will provide relief but will not necessarily cure the cough.

“Those are supportive treatments…

There is care and cure, and these are in clinical trials, cough is not one of those the “care” part because they make the (vaccine side effects). Cough happens patient feel better. These aren’t cures, when something gets into your airways but may still help.” and you need to expel it. Vaccines are He advised people to ensure cough, injected into the muscle and you will not and especially the one causing it, is have a cough because of something in cured in a timely manner because it the muscle. Coughing is not one of those could worsen and trigger complications (side effects), unless you have an allerlike pneumonia, as what has become gic reaction that will cause shortness of prevalent in this time of COVID-19. breath or difficulty of breathing; but this “Compared to other viruses, SARS- is rare.”

CoV-2 virus is more potentially life“The Apat na Sapat at Dapat Tandaan threatening so we should be more careful Tungkol sa Ubo” etalk was presented by with respiratory infections caused by it. Solmux Advance with Zinc, supported These days, because the enemy is worse, by several non-government organizathere is increased benefit in shortening the tion. It is the first of a series for the year. illness and decreasing the severity.”

Apart from GMA News Facebook There is also the danger of double-sick- page, the etalk also aired on GMA ening, where patients develop a more severe Brand Room, regional media Facebook cough just after their condition has improved pages, several Church-based and nonand may suggest a secondary bacterial in- government networks. fection. Another way to help speed up the recovery process is to take vitamins and cough medicines that are fortified with zinc.

Zinc, Buensalido said, shortens the duration of viral illnesses by around two to three days. He also clarified that cough is not a side effect of COVID-19 vaccines.

“If you look at the Suzi Entrata-Abrera (left) and Dr. Joseph Adrian L. Buensalido during results of Phase 3 the e-talk titled“Apat na Sapat at Dapat Tandaan Tungkol sa Ubo”

Someone I know has shared her my therapist, we were able to identify sive hands of my ex-husband. Now, I story with me and gave permission for the triggers and most of them were my am raising my family in a safe and lovme to share it here under a false name bad experiences with my past relation- ing environment. We are in a happier in the hope that she can help educate ship. He had been gaslighting me, mak- place. We no longer have to feel like we or warn people, particularly women ing me believe that every little thing are walking on eggshells, unlike before who can fall victim to the handsome, that goes wrong when my ex-hussmooth, and charismatic guy only to was my fault. And band would be trigrealize much later that he can suck out I believed it,” Ana gered by the most the life and light in you. added. trivial of things,” Ana (not her real name), who’s in her Thankfully, Ana Maan said. early 40s, dated and lived with this guy was able to get out The pain that her for more than two years before realiz- of the relationship former husband ing that he had been manipulating and and has finally inflicted was not gaslighting her over that period. moved on. The exalways physical.

“You could say that he was an expert perience made her Maan recalled that in that field. First, he made me fall for realize that these one time, when they him by showering me with attention perpetrators can Always raise your voice against violence were all in the car, and affection. Eventually, he gained manipulate even driving out to visit my trust, and before I knew it, I was al- the smartest woman in the room. Now her relatives, when he casually said to ready “under his spell,” that she’s out of it, she wants her story her kids, “Your mother is stupid,” just shares Ana. to be heard in the hope that it can help because he did not feel like going. “He “He had been cheating women who might be in the same situ- called the boys ‘losers,’ too if he saw on me repeatedly with- ation escape from it. them cry over something.” out me knowing, and “The therapy was a big help to me.

According to the 2017 National Debecause he was playing My therapist and I have exercises on mographic and Health Survey conhis game so well, I never how to easily identify my triggers and ducted by the Philippine Statistics suspected it at first. It overcome episodes of depression and Authority, one in four Filipino women was only when a col- anxiety attacks. There might be others aged 15-49 has experienced physical, league reached out to me who are undergoing the same experi- emotional, or sexual violence by their and shared that the guy ence I went through and to them, I have husband or partner.

I was dating is showing this to say: Do not be afraid to seek “For me, the first sign that women her an interest that I took help, to move out, and to move on.” should watch out for is when their partnotice of the little things. When you’re Maan, a single mother to four boys, ner starts isolating them from their in love, you can be that blind,” she said. also shared her story. On her part, she family and friends — or their support “When I was able to escape from the stayed in an abusive relationship longer system. Also, never ever ignore the red trap with the help of my therapist and than she ought to for her children. flags no matter how trivial or small the people who truly care for me, I was “In hindsight, I could’ve left earlier. they may seem,” she advised. able to recognize my blind side.”

But it’s all fine now, the most important The stories above are just a few of In the two and a half years that Ana thing to me at this point is that we are all many others. Indeed, it is important to spent with safe and happy, be aware and to realize that there is althe guy, Ana and no longer ways that choice to leave especially at had recurafraid and tip- the first sign of abuse. These women, ring episodes toeing around though afraid at first at the thought of depression the house,” she of starting all over again, mustered and anxiety atsaid. whatever courage they had within tacks.

“It’s been themselves and decided to put a stop “I thought years since I to situations that are no longer serving it was brought packed up with them. And come to think of it, doing about by my my four boys so means that they value and love not job. With the and escaped just the people who count on them, but guidance of Domestic abuse can come in different forms from the abu- especially themselves.