NEGROS Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. has asked for a two month leave from legistative duties in the House of Representatives, citing “very grave threat” to his life and that
of his family. He also appealed to Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla to keep an open mind and give him “a fair trial” as he lamented having already been judged guilty by public perception.
THE House of Representatives on Wednesday told Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. to explain in five days his absence from the chamber or risk being suspended or expelled.
Teves, who has been charged with three 2019 murders and linked to the March 4 assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, has been in the United States and has refused to return to the Philippines even though his travel authority has expired.
Rep. Felimon Espares, chairman of the House committee on ethics and privileges, said the panel wanted to give Teves the opportunity to explain his side.
“It is a very simple but very important action,” Espares said. “Our move is to hear his side. Five days should be enough for him to reply.”
Teves’ travel authority expired on March 9.
PUV FARE DISCOUNTS.
The government will soon implement fare discounts for jeepneys, buses and UV Express in place of free EDSA bus carousel rides.
“The agency is just waiting for the money to be downloaded to the LTFRB. After that the SCP immediately push through,” he said.
THE Department of Tourism on Wednesday raised the alarm over 61 tourism sites—including beach resorts—that are affected by the massive oil spill in Oriental Mindoro.
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco raised this concern during the Tourism Stakeholders’ National Summit on Wednesday.
“It’s an ongoing collaborative effort to manage the situation that is led by the DENR (Department of the Environment and Natural Resources) and we are here to assist our tourism workers,” she added.
The oils spill from the sunken tanker MT Princess Empress, which was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel, has already affected 70 barangays in the region, and will surpass the devastation caused by the 2006 Guimaras oil spill, said Senator Cynthia A. Villar.
She pushed for assistance to residents who are affected by the oil spill of the coast of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. Presiding the Committee on environment, natural resources, and climate change hearing, Villar asked resource persons from various government agencies what
THE Department of Justice has approved the indictment of seven members of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity over the alleged hazing death of Adamson University student John Matthew Salilig. In a statement, the DOJ’s panel of prosecutors said it found probable cause to indict Earl Romero (alias Slaughter), grand triskelion Tung Cheng Teng Jr.
By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-AranetaTHE Senate committee on constitu-
tional amendments and revision of laws will conduct a public hearing on Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 6, which calls for a constitutional convention that would propose changes to the Charter’s
Espares also echoed the appeal of Speaker Martin G. Romualdez for the Negros Oriental lawmaker to return home. “We want to consider his side, give him an opportunity to explain. So the public would know that we did not neglect our role here while we consider our colleague,” Espares said.
economic provisions.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez, for his part, said the 301 lawmakers who voted to amend the restrictive provisions of the Constitution are “in a rush.”
“If we do our jobs quickly, this is because the people’s interest is at stake. Not politics but the country’s economy.
THE Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Wednesday found guilty the three accused in the carnapping with homicide case involving Venson Evangelista, the son of Volunteers Against
Crime and Corruption president Arsenio Evangelista.
QC RTC Branch 215 Judge Rafael Hipolito sentenced Rolando Talban, the self-confessed gunman, with Jason Miranda and Roger Dominguez
(Nike), Jerome Ochoco Balot (Allie), Sandro Victorino (Loki), Michael Ricalde (Alcazar), Mark Muñoz Pedrosa (Makoy), and master initiator Daniel Perry (Sting) for violation of the AntiHazing Law of 2018. The DOJ said two separate criminal information for violation of the AntiHazing Act will be filed before the Biñan City Regional Trial Court.
THE La Niña weather episode is now over, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, but it stopped short of declaring the start of the summer season.
In an advisory, the weather bureau
declared the end of the La Niña phenomenon or the cold phase of a climate cycle. Most climate models predict a neutral El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) — neither El Niño (hot or dry phase) nor
He said his panel also sought to protect the reputation of the House.
Espares added that his panel can recommend disciplinary actions, from suspension to expulsion.
Teves said he refused to return home, saying he fears for his life and that of his family.
Speaker Martin G. Romualdez has repeatedly asked Teves to come home and answer the allegations against him.
On Tuesday, Romualdez said Teves called him from an undetermined location Monday night, saying he would not return to the Philippines because he feared for the safety of his person and his family.
Romualdez said he tried to assure Teves that he would be safe.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said he expected “a breakthrough” in the Degamo case in
the following days. In a press briefing, PNP spokesperson PCol. Jean Fajardo said they have gathered “material information” from the suspects in custody, particularly on the identities of the gunmen still at large and the possible mastermind.
“We are under direction not to speak on the background of the remaining suspects. We are pursuing a very credible lead on their whereabouts,” Fajardo said.
She said the PNP is working closely with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to collect more intel regarding the case.
As of March 15, four suspects are in custody while five suspects are still at large and believed hiding in the Negros region. One suspect—recently identified as Arnil Labradilla, was killed in a shootout with police. Police said he was a former member of the communist New People’s Army.
Local authorities have put up cash rewards for information leading to the ar-
rest of the remaining gunmen who shot and killed Degamo and eight others in his residence.
Also on Wednesday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the Degamo family has asked that all prosecutors assigned to the province be replaced because of past complaints that were filed.
Remulla did not say if the Department of Justice (DOJ) would grant this request but assured the Degamo family that they would look into other cases of political violence in the province.
“We have received reports that there are 17 other cases that we need to investigate,” he said.
Remulla also assured Teves that he would be safe when he returned to the Philippines.
“We have many personnel available that can be assigned to him for security,” he said.
“What’s important is Teves returns to the Philippines and face the allegations because everything seems to lead to him being involved in the death of
The province, he said, received financial assistance from the calamity fund only in 2022, three years after the typhoon struck.
Degamo,” he said.
Degamo and eight other persons were killed when armed men entered his residence in Pamplona town, Negros Oriental last March 4. Seventeen other persons were injured.
Remulla said so far, three counts of murder and frustrated murder have been filed before the regional trial court (RTC) in Tanjay City against four arrested suspects and 12 others over the March 4 massacre.
Earlier, the Supreme Courtas already granted the Department of Justice’s request for the transfer the cases to the Manila Regional Trial Court.
“The SC knows there is a problem in Negros Oriental. That’s why it is better to transfer the case in Metro Manila. Here in Metro Manila we can have security,” Remulla said.
The Palace said Wednesday that March 16 was a special non-working day in the whole province of Negros Oriental to allow locals to have time to grieve and honor the memory of De -
Recto believed that “if the treasury were an oil tank, then it is only correct to siphon off from its contents to address a situation for which one particular tax was meant to alleviate.”
“No word yet on exactly when the cases will be filed although since the resolution has already come out, we can expect within the day or by tomorrow (Thursday) the filing of the information before the court,” DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano said in an ambush interview.
Meanwhile, the DOJ said two separate complaints filed by the victim’s brother, John Michael Salilig, along with Dela Cruz, Alexander Marcelo, and Earl Abuda have yet to be assigned to prosecutors.
The complaint filed by Dela Cruz and Salilig’s brother was against Mark Rama (alias Ji), Levi Gianan (Sakmal), Arjay Camangyan (Snoop), Arjay Arao (Vash/Bash) Christian Mercado (Void), Lester Sus (Biggie), Carlos Rovillos (Bishop), Earl Ursolino (Thugs), Aron Cruz (Bones), Ralph Tan (Scottie), Armando Hernandez Jr. (Tyler) and a certain “McGregor.”
The other complaint was filed against Romero, Balot, Victorino, Pedrosa, Perry, Hernandez, Gianan, Rama, Camangyan, Arao, Mercado, Sus, Ursolino, Cruz, Tan, Michael Ritalde (Lambert), Carlos Rovillos (Bishop), and “McGregor.”
The body of Salilig, 24, was found in a shallow grave in Imus, Cavite on February 28, ten days after he was reported missing.
The indictment came after the complaint was submitted for resolution last Friday.
According to the DOJ, the panel said all the respondents planned and participated in the hazing of Salilig, fellow fraternity neophyte and complainant Roi Dela Cruz, and two others.
It said the complainants were also able to establish that Salilig’s injuries led to his death.
“In the instant case, it was sufficiently proven that all respondents actually planned the hazing activity as a requirement of John Matthew and complainant Dela Cruz’s initiation to the fraternity and actually participated in the infliction of physical injuries upon them, which ultimately resulted in the death of John Matthew,” Clavano said.
Clavano noted that Perry was the first to paddle Salilig.
“This assertion belied respondent Perry’s averment in his counter-affidavit that he opted not to participate in the initiation rites and instead focused his attention on looking out for the health and safety of the neophytes,” Clavano said.
assistance they have provided so ar for the cleanup and containment of the oil spill, as well as the assistance given to affected residents, especially those who have lost their livelihoods.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Assistant Secretary Bernardo Alejandro updated the committee on the oil spill.
Villar said the oil spill will definitely damage the marine ecosystem and biodiversity; fisheries and food supply; livelihood of the people, especially fishers; the health of the people; and tourism.
Furthermore, the oil spill threatens around 21 locally-managed marine protected areas, including the Verde Island Passage, which is poised to become a legislated protected area as “the center of the global-shore fish biodiversity,” Villar said.
Senator Francis Escudero asked the Office of the Civil Defense and the NDRRMC to simplify their process to expedite the release of calamity funds to local government units (LGUs) that need immediate relief.
He noted the bureaucratic red tape cannot go on and the LGUs affected by the oil spill should not suffer the same fate of Sorsogon when it was devastated by Typhoon Tisoy in December 2019 when he was still governor.
The NDRRMC met on Wednesday with its member agencies and local government units to reinforce the ongoing response operations following the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress in Oriental Mindoro.
During the meeting, Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerito Dolor raised concerns about the impact of the oil spill in the region.
As of Tuesday, the oil spill has affected 31,497 families in Mimaropa and Western Visayas, and hurt the livelihood of 13,654 farmers and fishers.
House Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto, meanwhile, said that a portion of the government’s P380 billion a year collection from crude oil and petroleum products can be used to finance the clean-up of the Mindoro oil spill and indemnify impacted coastal residents.
Recto said a mere one day’s worth of oil tax collections – P1 billion – would be enough to jump start “abatement and alleviation” measures in areas hit by the ecological disaster.
Recto said he is “gently reminding” government of its huge revenues from oil and fuel products “to goad it to spending more for the containment of the oil spill.”
“Whatever you are spending is just a mere drop in the barrel of oil tax collections,” he said.
“Nature, when it is under threat, as in the case of the oil spill, is entitled to tax dividends,” he said.
Recto said an excise tax is slapped on oil products because it is viewed as a harmful product, causing pollution and sickness, and contributing to global warming.
“The argument was that it is paid to compensate for damages to health and the environment.
That was how previous administrations framed their justification for higher oil taxes,” he said.
“So can this principle be invoked in the Mindoro oil spill? Can collections of this specific tax be spent for the contingencies used to justify its imposition?”
Recto said.
Based on a study of a House of Representatives think-tank, the Bureau of Customs collected P372 billion in duties and taxes on crude oil (P138.9 billion) and petroleum products (P233.5 billion) in 2021.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue added P7.4 billion in excise tax from petroleum products during the same year.
The BOC gets the bulk in collections based on the “pay as you enter” principle when taxes on crude oil and refined products are collected upon landing in ports.
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Not election, but the mission to lift fellow Filipinos out of poverty,” Romualdez said.
“When did working quickly for the country become a sin?” he added.
Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro, who chairs the House constitutional amendments committee, said his Senate counterpart Robinhood Padilla has invited him to attend the hearing.
“I will attend it. I will explain to senators and the public that our intention in our Charter change initiative, as repeatedly stated by Speaker Martin Romualdez, is to rewrite the economic provisions so the country could attract more foreign investments,” he said.
“That is our only objective. We do not want the other parts of the Constitution to be touched,” he said.
He said the present “restrictive economic provisions have been, to quote Fitch Solutions, ‘historically a challenge for foreign investors.’”
Based on the invitation sent by Padilla’s committee to Rodriguez, RBH 6 is the only item on the agenda.
Rodriguez said he would suggest to Romualdez that House Bill 7352, which was approved Tuesday, be immediately transmitted to the Senate for inclusion in Monday’s hearing.
He said he hoped the bill could be discussed along with RBH 6 in Padilla’s committee.
“In the bill, we are giving the constitutional convention seven months to finish its job. The deadline is the best proof that we want this effort to be limited to the economic provisions. Rewriting the other parts of the Charter would entail a longer, perhaps an open-ended period,” he said.
Under HB 7352, convention delegate would receive no salary but would be entitled to a P10,000 allowance for every day of attendance in the assembly or any of its committees.
Padilla will preside over today’s hearing on charter change in Cebu City after previously holding hearings in Baguio City and Davao City.
Despite lack of support for constitutional amendments among his colleagues, Padilla said he will continue to advocate the amendment of seven provisions of the 1987 Constitution which he believes will spur economic development.
On the other hand, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said there was no need to rush charter change.
to reclusion perpetua or 40 years of imprisonment for the death of the younger Evangelista.
“Venson, you took me here. I promised you at that time to fight endlessly for you. I am willing to take the bullet just to see you get justice. Son, I love you so much,” Arsenio said tearfully to the media.
A counsel of Dominguez, lawyer Oscar Caraan, said they plan to file a motion for reconsideration against Hipolito’s decision.
According to the case files, on Jan. 13, 2011, a supposed buyer, who pretended to be a transvestite, and a mechanic went to the Evangelista’s showroom in Cubao, Quezon City to inquire about a second-hand Toyota Land Cruiser.
Venson allowed the two suspects to test drive the vehicle. Days later, police saw his burned body in Barangay Buliran, Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija.
assured the government would continue to stamp out fake news under her watch.
Garafil assured the public that the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) strives to share facts with the public as she highlighted the importance of ensuring factual communication about government actions and services amid the proliferation of fake news.
There was no opposition in the Senate CA hearing to lift her ad interim appointment as the Marcos Jr. administration’s top spokesperson after she was plucked from the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Bureau to head the PCO.
At the opening of the hearing, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri expressed his “1000% support” to Garafil, whom he described as “very low profile.”
“I must say she was very much loved
and very well-liked by not only the members of Malacanang family but also the media,” Zubiri said of Garafil, who is also a lawyer, former journalist, and former public relations practitioner.
He recalled an incident when they traveled with her in Japan during a presidential trip, as he saw her sitting in one of the corners of a restaurant, exhausted and without enough sleep.
“That’s the Philippines’ press secretary,” he said during the hearing.
Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Go also manifested their support to Garafil, while Sen. JV Ejercito moved for her approval as PCO chief.
Senators Risa Hontiveros and Grace Poe and Rep. Rodante Marcoleta were the only members of the CA who asked questions of Garafil.
In her opening remarks, Garafil recognized that leading the PCO was a “tough endeavor,” especially when fake news is easily spread via the Internet.
“I know that serving as PCO Secre -
tentially leading to adverse impacts in some highly vulnerable areas,” it said.
tary will be a tough endeavor. In a time when information is readily available at the click of a finger, there is also the proliferation of fake news,” she said.
“We, at PCO, have to make sure and likewise watch ourselves to ensure that we only share facts and truth,” Garafil added.
In an interview with Senate reporters, the PCO Secretary vowed the agency will always be truthful and transparent in its information dissemination to the public.
“We will always try to be truthful and transparent in all our articles, in all our efforts,” she said.
During her confirmation hearing, Senator Risa Hontiveros asked her how the PCO can help fight fake news and in reply, she said that they “abhor” it.
“The PCO will not tolerate fake news. Actually, we abhor it,” Garafil said.
“There are still many fake news about the PCO and the members of the OP (Office of the President) that’s why we’ll fight them during my term as PCO secretary,” she added.
Zubiri noted that charter change was not among the priority measures discussed in the recent Legislative Executive Development Council (LEDAC).
“Our group, made of the House of Representatives, Senate and the Executive which discussed the priority measures needed for our country and charter change is not there,” Zubiri said.
“You will know that the President already said that it is not part of his agenda,” said.
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The SCP and the fare reduction program, he said, will follow the guidance of Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista.
Under the proposed discount scheme, traditional jeepney fares revert to pre-pandemic level at P9 from the current P12.
Fares for modernized jeepneys will be at P11 while bus fares will be reduced by P3 to P4. UV Express rates are still being studied.
La Niña — will be “favored from March through June” with an increased likelihood of a transition to El Niño or a warm phase afterward, PAGASA said.
“Although La Niña has already ended, its lag effect may still influence the probability of above-normal rainfall conditions in the coming months, po -
“El Niño, on the other hand, increases the likelihood of below-normal rainfall conditions, which could have negative effects (such as dry spells and droughts) in some areas of the country,” PAGASA added. El Niño and La Niña are the extreme phases of the ENSO cycle; between these two phases is a third phase called ENSO-neutral. Based on the weather outlook this
month, the agency reported the northeast monsoon or “hanging amihan” would weaken, while the easterlies will become predominant.
Most parts of the country will likely experience near to above-normal rainfall conditions, except for some provinces over the western section of Northern Luzon and the northern part of Palawan that may receive below-normal to way below-normal rainfall, the bureau added. Rio N. Araja
Teves said.
Guadiz said senior citizens, PWDs and students will get additional discounts.
“I believe the budget may last only for about six months, half a year. So as early as now, I am requesting the DOTr to come up with additional funding so that we can stretch it until the end of the year,” Guadiz said.
He said the LTFRB is seeking an additional P2.1 billion to be allocated for the service contracting program.
efit it may serve them best,” Teves added.
“The undersigned, Representative of the Third District of Negros Oriental, humbly plea and request that he be granted a two-month leave of absence due to very grave security threat to his life and his family, to be reckoned from March 9, 2023,” Teves said in a letter sent to House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
“Please also help me reach out to our
former colleague Sec Boying to please be open minded and give me a fair trial. Ngayon pa lang guilty na ako sa public perception due to the interviews at hindi ako nagsasalita,” he said. There was no response yet to his request.
“I’ve already been judged publicly despite the absence of legal charges against me. I have already been persecuted by some authorities through planting of evidences in my house and other properties. My people are unlawfully arrested and unjustly charged,”
Teves also confirmed having been advised by Romualdez to return to the Philippines.
“I said thank you but I’m sorry because it’s hard for me to trust the authorities who might be assigned to guard me as the ones who planted evidences were also government authorities. I’m not away because of guilt but I’m away for safety,” he said.
“I have intel that some people want me killed or at least jailed for whatever ben-
The House of Representatives earlier cleared him for travel to the United States from Feb. 28 to March 9.
His name surfaced after the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo on March 4.
He was also charged for three murders in 2019, including the killing of Negros Oriental Board Member Miguel Dungog. Teves’ brother, Pryde, was unseated by Degamo for the gubernatorial post.
THE incumbent Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director-general and two of his predecessors have rejected reports that 30 percent of confiscated drugs were given to informants who possibly reverted them to the street market.
The denials came even as two policemen were ordered jailed for contempt by Senators Ronald dela Rosa and Raffy Tulfo during yesterday’s Senate inquiry on the alleged police complicity in the illegal drugs trade.
During the hearing conducted by the Senate public order and illegal drugs committee, PDEA director-general Moro Virgilio Lazo and his predecessors, Wilkins Villanuneva and Aaron Aquino, took exceptions to reports about the so-called “drug rewards” following successful police raids.
Committee chairman Dela Rosa and Tulfo were visibly irritated by the “blatant lies” ostensibly aired by PDEA agents Master Sergeants Jerrywin Rebosora and Lorenzo Catarata.
Lazo, who said he was new in the PDEA, asserted that they usually sought him from civilian informants.
He said the informants offered to help on the condition that they would get 30 percent of the confiscated drugs.
Lazo maintained that the that the PDEA would insist on monetary rewards in accordance with the law.
Lazo said some informants personally told him about an incident when the PDEA did not fulfill its part of the bargain.
“When we came face to face, I asked them why? They. Answered; “Sir, yun daw ang kalakaran, to use their words. Pati rin daw sa kabila...they were referring to the PNP,” Lazo said at the hearing.
CEB launches ClarkIncheon daily flights
THE Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) on Wednesday announced it has expanded its Clark hub with the launch of daily flights to South Korea from Clark International Airport.
Beginning May 5, the CEB will operate direct flights from Clark to Incheon daily. Flight 5J 176 will depart Clark at 4:35 p.m. and will arrive in Incheon at 9:45 p.m. Its return flight, 5J 177, will leave Incheon International Airport at 10:45 p.m. and arrive in Clark at 2:05 a.m. the following day.
THE Archdiocese of Manila has set in motion the opening of a confession chapel accessible to the faithful at any given time of the day or night.
Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula said they are seriously looking at the Divine Mercy Chapel of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary Complex in Makati City soon for
the project.
“We envisioned that this can be a place where anytime a person can avail himself of the Sacrament of Reconciliation,” the prelate said in an interview over Churchrun Radio Veritas Wednesday.
The Cardinal noted that the 24/7 confession chapel will be pf great help for the devotees who could make a confession
any time.
“God has always been waiting for the preeminent moment when a person can feel, can do, and can approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation,” Advincula stressed.
According to him, confession or reconciliation is a sacrament where the faithful seek forgiveness for offenses committed
against God by acknowledging their sins, expressing sorrow, and making reparation.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the chapel was recently held, led by the Manila Archbishop. The complex is located along Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) near MRT Guadalupe Station.
By Rey E. Requejo
THE Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the orders issued by Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Office imposing stiffer penalties against operators of unlicensed or “colorum” vehicles and erring drivers.
In a 69-page en banc decision authored by Associate Justice Jhosep Lopez, the SC ruled that the imposition of higher fines against erring motorists and operators of public utility vehicles (PUVs) under LTO Department Order (DO) No. 2008-39 and its amended version Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01 were necessary to promote public safety and welfare.
Joel E. ZurbanoJust a four-hour flight from Clark, South Korea is home to one of the most vibrant cultures in East Asia. Known for its world-famous K-BBQ, highly sophisticated television shows and films, beautiful hanbok traditional clothing, and delicious Korean dishes, South Korea remains as a go-to destination for Filipinos of all ages.
PAO cites CA ruling on boy’s death by Dengvaxia
CEBU City—Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta on Wednesday lauded the Court of Appeals (CA) for the dismissal of a motion to quash the criminal charges filed against the former chief of the Department of Health’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in connection with the Dengvaxia-related death of a boy in 2017.
Acosta, in an interview, told the Manila Standard that the motion to dismiss filed by the petitioner Dr. Socorro Lupisan could weaken the case at bar filed with the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 13 against ex-health secretary Janette Garin and 38 others. Rio
N. Araja
THE provincial government of Zambales has disbursed some P62 million in educational assistance to local students over the past four years under Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr.’s “long-term capabilitybuilding program to improve human infrastructure in the province.”
The cash assistance covered students taking up master’s and doctorate degrees, but notably those needing matriculation fees and other incidentals for enrolment.
The educational assistance is specifically given to poor students who have good scholastic standing under Ebdane’s “Handog Edukasyon” project, which is funded through donations from some senators and the provincial government allocations. Butch Gunio
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) is poised to prosecute 28-year-old man who has admitted to killing his own mother and tried to conceal his crime by placing her body in a storage box and leaving it in an isolated place in Bulacan.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed before the DOJ a complaint for parricide against Raymund Villastique who owned up slaying his mother inside their house in Pasig City.
“The NBI-AOTCD (Anti-Organized
and Transnational Crime Division) brought Raymund Villastique to the DOJ for inquest proceedings. He was charged for parricide,” NBI spokesperson Giselle Dumlao said in a text message.
Raymund surrendered to the Pasig police and confessed to the killing.
Dumlao said Raymund had executed a confession on March 13 and admitted to killing his mother inside their house in Pasig City.
She said they have also conducted
THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has signed an agreement with the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) to help the agency enhance its training programs and advocacies for employees. The state university will extend its professional services and allow the CAAP to utilize and benefit from its expertise in psychology through the training programs.
Spearheaded by the PUP PhD and MA Psychology program, the partnership will not only help promote the university’s programs but will also serve as a step towards improving the quality of the workplace at CAAP and by extension, the quality of life of its employees. Representing CAAP at the signing
rite were director general Capt. Manuel AntonioTamayo, deputy director general for operations Capt. Edgardo Diaz, deputy director general for administration Danjun Lucas, and assistant director general (ADG) for enforcement and legal service Roberto Martin Buenaventura.
The PUP was represented by graduate school dean Dr. Elmer De Jose, MAP Psychology Programs chairperson Dr. Pricila Marzan, and John Mark Distor. Chief executive officer and head executive assistant Maria Antonia Llamzon, ADG for air traffic service and human resources management division chief Amneris Gabriel, ADG for civil aviation training center Diane Ines Briñas, and HRM officer Wilmar Jones Montero also attended the signing ceremony.
an examination of the house and found bloodstains, plus they also have CCTV footage showing him dragging the storage box to his vehicle. The body of Raymund’s mother, 67-year-old Maria Estrella Villastique, was found inside a storage box in Sitio Kanyakan, Barangay Matictic in Norzagaray, Bulacan.
Dumlao said the murder weapon was not recovered as Raymund admitted that he threw it at a passing garbage truck.
Rey E. RequejoLTO Department Order 200839 which came into effect in March 2009 imposes a penalty of P5,000 on drunk drivers and P10,000 on drivers under the influence of drugs.
The order also imposes fines of P1,500 for driving without a license; P400 for driving with an expired license; P2,000 for possessing a fake driver’s license; P3,000 for conviction for a crime perpetrated with the use of a motor vehicle; and P6,000 for driving a public utility vehicle out of line.
On June 2, 2014, D.O No. 2008-39 was superseded by Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01 or the Revised Schedule of Fines and Penalties for Violations of Laws, Rules and Regulations Governing Land Transportation” issued by the LTO and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
The DO No. 2008-39 imposes a fine of P50,000 on public utility jeepneys plying the routes without franchise; P6,000 for motorcycles; P120,000 for sedans; P200,000 for vans; and up to P1 million for buses.
FIERY SUNSET. The sunset as seen at the University of the Philippines-Diliman in Quezon City on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. The relaxing view drowns the noise of rushing vehicles just outside the confines of the State University. Joan Bondoc
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday said it has filed murder charges against suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag and former deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta over the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid and alleged middleman Jun Villamor.
Justice Assistant Secretary and DOJ spokesperson Jose Dominic Clavano said the charge for the killing of Lapid was filed before the Las Piñas Regional Trial Court on March 14, while the charge for the killing of Villamor was filed on March 13 before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court.
The filing of the charges came after the DOJ found probable cause to indict Bantag, Zulueta, and others over the killing of Lapid and Villamor.
The DOJ’s panel of prosecutors stressed that the death of Villamor was intertwined with the death of Lapid and that it was used to cover up Lapid’s death.
In a press statement, the DOJ said “sufficient circumstantial evidence has been presented to establish that he masterminded the assassination” of Lapid, whose real name is Percival Mabasa.
Sought for comment, Bantag’s camp said they will file the necessary pleadings while Zulueta’s camp said they “expected” the indictment.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros meanwhile said the indictment of Bantag is an important step “toward justice for Lapid’s family, rebuilding genuine freedom of the press, and exorcising the culture of impunity.” She said this should be a stern warning that no one is immune from justice, not even uniformed personnel.
THE bill empowering President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to suspend the increase in premium rates for “direct contributors” of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has hurdled second-reading approval at the House of Representatives.
During the plenary session on Tuesday, the chamber approved through voice voting House Bill (HB) 6772, which seeks to amend Republic Act 11223, otherwise known as the Universal Health Care Act, which will increase the rate of contributions this year from 4 percent to 4.5 percent, or from the minimum monthly premium of P400 to P450.
The rate will further increase to 5 percent starting in 2025.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez, one of the authors, said the suspension of the adjustment would remove an added financial burden on millions of government and private sector workers, professionals, self-employed, and other PhilHealth contributors who are still reeling from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
He said daily wage earners and many employees, who comprise the majority of PhilHealth members, would save at least P50 a month or P600 a year from their health insurance premium payment if the adjustment is suspended.
“Those earning more will naturally save more,” he said.
Other authors of the bill are Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe, Senior Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, and Tingog Party-list Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre.
Under the bill, the President of the Philippines may, upon recommendation of the PhilHealth board, suspend and adjust the period of implementation of the scheduled increase of premium rates during national emergencies or calamities, or when public interest so requires.
KABANKALAN’S 116TH ANNIVERSARY. Vice President Inday Sara Duterte recently visited Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental during the city’s 116th founding anniversary. The Vice President cited the local government’s plan to further grow tourism and said the Office of the Vice President will always be ready to help the city.
CAMARINEs Sur Representative Luis Raymund Villafuerte on Wednesday filed a bill establishing the country’s archipelagic sea lanes as espoused in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other relevant international conventions.
Villafuerte said House Bill (HB) 1095 or the proposed “Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act,” seeks to enable the government to designate sea lanes where foreign merchant ships and warships and aircraft can pass in accordance with UNCLOS provisions.
Villafuerte issued this statement as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported on its social media page last week the “continuing unauthorized presence”
New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Francis Tavita Kell pays a courtesy call on Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez at the Speaker’s office in the House of Representatives Wednesday afternoon.
Ver Noveno
of “a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA) Navy vessel, China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 5203 and 42 suspected Chinese Maritime Militia (CMM) vessels anchored in the vicinity of Pag-asa Island. According to the PCG, these Chinese vessels were about 4.5 to 8 nautical miles (NM) off Pag-Asa, or “clearly inside the land feature’s 12 NM territorial sea” as set in the 1982 UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award in favor of the Philippines
Roman urges Senate to pass SOGIE bill
by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Netherlands.
“Their continuing unauthorized presence is clearly inconsistent with the right of innocent passage and a blatant violation of the Philippines’ territorial integrity,” the PCG said on its FB (Facebook) page of the Chinese incursions into the vicinity of Pag-asa Island, which is the largest island in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) in Palawan.
“Under UNCLOS, an archipelagic State has sovereignty over its archipelagic waters and the airspace above it, as well as its seabed and subsoil. The archipelagic State may designate sea lanes and air routes suitable for the continuous and expeditious passage of ships and aircraft through or over its archipelagic waters and the adjacent territorial sea,” said Villafuerte.
Senator Cynthia Villar said Republic Act No. 10845 or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016 should be amended to include profiteering, hoarding and smuggling in its list of crimes involving economic sabotage.
This was among the notable points in Villar’s sponsorship of Committee Report No. 25 Tuesday night following the
probe on the sudden spike in the price of onions by the Senate committee on agriculture and food.
Villar, chair of the said committee, said amendments should be explicit and express, and should “not leave room for the implementers to interpret the intent and spirit of the law.”
Villar also proposed in her report the creation of an Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Task Force to serve and protect
the entire agricultural sector, not only the Onion Industry.
“And to give the Task Force the muscle to bring these smugglers, profiteers, and hoarders to justice, a Special Court was proposed to be created to specifically try and hear economic sabotage cases with a special team of prosecutors to assist the Task Force in the expeditious prosecution,” Villar said.
THE Supreme Court (SC) has allowed veteran journalist and Nobel Laureate Maria A. Ressa to travel abroad until April 1 for speaking engagements in Canada, France, South Korea, and the United States. Ressa, chief executive officer of news outfit Rappler, has appealed her cyber libel conviction and is still pending resolution before the high court.
In a statement, the SC’s Public Information Office said Ressa’s permission to travel abroad was granted by the SC in a resolution
issued last March 6.
However, the SC imposed conditions.
“Ressa was, among others, ordered to observe the sub judice rule and to refrain from making any comment on or discussing in public her case and other related matters, and to travel on the cash bond of P100,000 she previously posted pursuant to an earlier Resolution of the Court,” the SC said. It also said the SC required Ressa “to transmit to the Court an advice in writing of her return to the country within five days from her arrival.”
BATAAN Rep. Geraldine Roman on Wednesday appealed to the Senate leadership not to cave in to the pressure of not having passed the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill.
Roman, chair of the House committee on women and gender equality, made the appeal as she welcomed the bill filed by Sen. Raffy Tulfo that promotes gender-neutral school uniform by allowing female students to wear pants.
Tulfo’s Senate Bill 1986, or the Pants for Her Act, would also help protect students from dengue amid the spike in the case of the mosquitoborne disease nationwide.
Tulfo explained that while the current uniform policies do not cause harm, it still has a potential to spark gender inequality.
Tulfo added that uniform policies must be developed in a way that does not foster gender disadvantages and discrimination. Maricel V. Cruz
Co urges gov’t to use agency funds wisely
AKO Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, appropriations committee chairman of the House of Representatives on Wednesday reminded government officials to use the funds allocated to their agencies wisely and to avoid delays in the implementation of projects considering that the rainy season is fast approaching and the election ban on public works projects in preparation for the barangay and youth council polls.
Co in a statement reminded executive departments and other agencies with infrastructure funds “to obligate and spend those funds this year, and any infrastructure funds obligated last year but not yet spent should also be spent in 2023.”
In addition, Co also reminded departments and agencies to make sure they avoid the election spending ban that comes with the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls in October this year and the rainy season “while following the government procurement law and regulations.” Maricel V. Cruz
THE House of Representatives committee on ways and means on Wednesday is pushing for the enactment of a bill that will make it easier and cheaper for working Filipinos to invest in legitimate securities.
Albay Representative Joey Salceda, the panel’s chairperson and the House resident economist, made the call as he was elected by the House Committee on Economic Affairs to chair the technical working group on Collective Investment Schemes, House Bill 642 which he authors.
A collective investment scheme is an “arrangement where funds are pooled for the purpose of investing in securities and other investments.”
Salceda pointed out that under current laws, which do not expressly provide for collective investment schemes, investors need to shell out significant amounts of cash in order to make investments in “clunky” assets such as real estate or businesses.
Salceda added that entering into an investment itself is “tricky” for ordinary Filipinos. Maricel V. Cruz
CONDOLENCES. Senator Mark Villar visits the wake of Jerome Maquiling in Dumaguete on Saturday. Maquiling was one of the victims in the fatal shooting of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.THE tons of industrial oil from the sunken MT Princess Empress, which occurred last February 28, has become a major environmental disaster. Sinking off the waters of Pola in Mindoro Oriental, the oil slick has gone beyond Pola, into Naujan and almost the entire eastern seaboard of Mindoro.
Now the swift currents of the Tablas Strait is bringing the dirty, sticky black oil all the way beyond Calapan into the Verde Island passage, which is the most bio-diverse marine area in the country, even Asia.
If we are unable to find the spot where the vessel sank, and plug the spot where the oil is gorging out, even Batangas may be in danger of dirty slick touching its shores.
Already, international news reports have shown the location where the oil tanker sank, and the neighboring areas which happen to be prime tourist destinations.
Expect travel cancellations in the immediate future, despite more fun in the Philippines, or whatever new marketing slogan the DOT is cooking up.
We never learn. We had a similar disaster in Guimaras, when the tanker MT Solar I was carrying some half a million liters of oil that sank in shallower waters.
The MT Princess Empress has 800,000 liters inside its hull, and the waters whereof it sank are deeper, the currents faster and wider.
Two weeks after the accident, the ship owners are still waiting for the remote operated vehicle (ROV) they contracted from a supplier abroad to be able to ascertain the source of the leak, and patch it up.
of Transportation and Communications was headed by Hernando B. Perez of Batangas City. Being a consultative manager, Nani Perez, who later served as congressman for the 2nd district of Batangas, and later as Secretary of Justice under PGMA, had all of the agency heads under his supervision attend regular meetings where they could directly interact with him on problems as well as offer suggestions for improvement of our transport and communication systems.
Though I was then postmaster-general, and communications was not yet removed from the department, we were all free to suggest measures even beyond our respective turfs, as long as they were within the MOTC realm. I recall two suggestions which, if acted upon then, or in the later years of the Cory administration, would have prevented the transport mess we face these days.
First, we foresaw the potential traffic congestion in the metropolis once the integrated container terminals were opened in Manila Bay.
Huge container trucks, still relatively novel in 1986, would hog so much road space as they travel from the port to factories or warehouses also situated in NCR.
Why not move the container ports to Batangas City, where there was a completed international terminal which could be expanded as container shipping increased, taking over break bulk cargoes?
That would also decongest NCR of factories which would likely relocate to Batangas, Laguna, and other parts of Calabarzon more proximate to the container port.
The other suggestion was, and this was quite politically controversial: gradually phase out the jeepneys, by asking LTFRB not to give new franchises for operations in Metro Manila, so their operators could sell their units to provincial operators while LTO would stop renewing registration of dilapidated jeepneys.
Meanwhile, the department should proceed to plan and implement more modern transport systems, whether in rail or road.
IF THERE’S one distinguishing feature of the 19th Congress that stands out at this juncture, it’s their diametrically opposed stand on the issue of Charter change.
The Senate, according to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, is not really that enthusiastic about pushing Charter change at this time, since he believes almost half of its members are against it. Moreover, any move to amend or revise the Constitution requires three-fourths of its membership, or 18 votes. And then there’s President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who has gone on record as saying that he’s against it as well. Over at the House of Representatives, the mood is upbeat.
An overwhelming majority of its members has approved House Bill 7352 calling for a “hybrid” Constitutional Convention composed of both elected delegates and those appointed by the president.
The main Charter change proponent in the House, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, said the chamber’s proposed Resolution of Both Houses 6 would have no effect until approved by the Senate and that HB 7352 still had no resolution to
implement it.
As things now stand, therefore, with the Senate and the Chief Executive himself lukewarm to the idea of changing the fundamental law to reflect changes both in the domestic sphere as well as in the global arena, Charter change looks dead in the water. The Senate committee on Constitutional
amendments, chaired by non-lawyer and former action star Sen. Robin Padilla, has embarked on a nationwide “consultation caravan” that will conduct hearings in the cities of Davao, Baguio, and Cebu. But this so-called “consultation caravan” could prove to be just another waste of precious public funds as his credentials as an expert on the 1987 Constitution are, well, suspect. Popularity in the box-office in the past will not automatically convince people that Charter change is necessary at this time.
While Zubiri has expressed his personal support for the bid to revise the Constitution, he has said he is concerned that prolonging the debates on charter change will only let Congress “lose its focus,” or give priority to urgent legislative matters.
“What we want to help are the people we have not reached through meaningful legislation because if we spend all our time on Charter change debates, but at the end of the day there is no vote … we are wasting a lot of time and effort; we are wasting a lot of energy and funding discussing a measure that we don’t have a vote on,” he said.
But the last word on the issue would no doubt be that of the Chief Executive himself: “It’s not a priority for me because there are many things that need to be done … there are so many other things that we need to do first.”
ABOUT two weeks ago, PBBM gave the Armed Forces a new marching order.
respond to what China has been doing in the SCS and WPS.
Two lessons should have been learned from the Guimaras disaster.
One, vessels plying our waters should have double hulls, which have the ability to prevent or reduce oil spills.
The ship is designed and constructed in such a way there is a separator between the outer bottom and an inside hull, so that unless there is a huge collision between two vessels, the cargo is protected from spillage.
I recall there was a move during the second Aquino administration by some businessmen to import double hull vessels from Japan, but I am unaware if MARINA or such other government agencies that license vessels have implemented the same.
In the wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill way back, the US government required all new oil tankers for use in the US to be equipped with full double hulls.
The other lesson we failed to learn from the Guimaras disaster is how unprepared government is in reacting to such oil spills.
It distresses people no end that two weeks after the MT Princess Empire sank, the shipowners are still waiting for an ROV to detect the source of the leak in the vessel.
Why did our government not purchase such ROV equipment after Guimaras, given the fact that oil is transported from Limay or Batangas to all parts of the Visayas and Mindanao?
Surely, that amount would be a minimal fraction of the totality of the pork barrel and insertions/identifications made by legislators in the government expenditure program?
But no. We never learn.
We always react too late. We never pro-act. ***
Take the resistance of our jeepney drivers to the modernization of public transport.
At the beginning of the Aquino I administration, in fact under what was called a “revolutionary” government where nothing revolutionary transpired other than the replacement of duly elected local officials by then Minister of Local Governments Aquilino Pimentel Sr., the Ministry
By Pierre-Henry DeshayesREVOLVERS in hand, they advance slowly down the hallway past the panicked and wounded witnesses before the armed suspect suddenly comes into view, about to kill a man cowering on the floor.
To shoot or not? It’s a split-second decision.
The gun is a laser training weapon and the mass shooting a scene projected on an interactive screen.
At the Oslo police academy, housed in an imposing red-brick building, police cadets are learning how to handle an active shooter.
In the United States the numbers killed by police hit a new record last year—at least 1,194 dead according to Mapping Police Violence, or more than three a day. In Norway police are rarely involved in fatal shootings.
“There’s no ‘spray and pray’ here,” says instructor Espen Olsvik.
“The shot has to be justified. And you don’t empty your clip in the hopes of eventually hitting the target,” he adds.
Cadets are debriefed after every practice round on the simulator. Did you have to
Some of course said that this was a risky political move, considering the number of voters relying on jeepneys for livelihood.
Still there was unanimity that we needed more modern transport systems and could not rely on the diesel-guzzling, limited space jeepneys which our esteemed colleague, Atty. Emil Jurado described as a pioneering post-war venture of the late Don Emilio Yap.
Nothing happened to those suggestions, and Sec. Perez moved on to reprise his legislative duties in the newly-formed House of Representatives.
Three secretaries succeeded Nani Perez during the Cory administration, and nothing changed. We are still where we are, and now the jeepney drivers and operators are rightly worried at the full implementation of the jeepney modernization plan which, if started by a gradual phase-out some 35 years ago, could have been smoothly rolled out.
Because we never pro-act and only react when the problems have mounted, and because we never learn from past experiences, we are where we are today.
***
I have to apologize for a serious error in the previous column titled “Where bullets fly.”
In my haste to send my column to our opinion editor, I failed to delete my previous draft, portions of which came from other articles that I normally post in my laptop to remind me of writings on the same topic.
I actually ended my column with a quote from former president, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, who kept telling us during his 2015-16 campaign for the presidency, that “I hold it as my chief article of faith, that without peace and order, there can never be progress.”
Incidentally, I was invited by Atty. Alfredo Lim, chairman of the Lex Talionis Fraternitas, to a book-launching event last Monday, where the former president was guest of honor. Still preferring to be addressed as “Mayor,” Duterte mingled with his fraternity brothers, looking more relaxed and in good health despite the many problems he faced head-on and hands-on in the previous six years.
This is to concentrate on territorial defense with emphasis on the West Philippine Sea. For the past several years, the AFP has actually been moving in this direction but the President’s order indicates a new sense of urgency. Whether this order was influenced by what many countries in the region are doing or solely due to the continued actions of China on our Coast Guard patrol vessels, we can only speculate.
But if we scan what is happening in the region, most of the powerful countries around us are all increasing their defense spending.
China has just announced a 7.2 per cent increase in its defense budget while Japan recently announced a whopping $340M new investment for defense.
Australia, not to be outdone, just announced it is buying about five Virginia class nuclear submarines from the United States that will eventually cost about $268B after three decades.
Even tiny Singapore will also buy about eight fifth generation US F-35B fighter planes.
Indonesia and Malaysia for their part have been for some time modernizing their military capabilities.
The US, apart from its already huge defense budget, is investing another $78B to fortify Guam and its other possessions in the Pacific Ocean.
For us, however, whatever new military assets we have acquired or have ordered all pale in comparison to what our neighbors are capable of acquiring.
We just took delivery of some naval patrol boats from Israel and just ordered another six 94-meter Offshore Patrol Boats from South Korea’s Hyundai.
All these are hardly enough considering that China is building a navy so fast that will soon be twice as large as the US navy.
Given this situation, we have to wonder what our defense planners have in mind to confront this difficult situation we are in.
As of now, it appears our men in uniform are the ones dominating current policy directions on how the country should
Whether, of course, this is the best way forward is another matter.
This is because the dynamics of the WPS or SCS issue is a lot broader than military matters alone.
Former NSA Dr. Clarita Carlos, for instance, believes the President should seek advice from a broader sector to include political scientists like herself that all corners of the problem are covered.
To her, it is myopic and even foolhardy to depend on the military alone for advice on such a complicated issue.
For one, not too many people would probably believe the US ambassador when she said that the prepositioning of equipment on the selected military bases for joint use would only be for disaster and relief operations.
The Chinese ambassador for his part should stop telling us what is in our best interest.
This is not the first time he has done that.
He should just let us determine what is in our best interest.
What he is doing is unheard of in diplomacy.
Diplomats assigned to countries do not go about telling the country where they are assigned how to conduct their foreign policy.
No wonder, Senator Koko Pimentel was forced to respond to his lecturing.
As diplomats, both the US and Chinese ambassadors should instead contribute to the cooling of tensions.
She, of course, has a point. After all, the SCS, WPS and the Taiwan issue are a lot broader than just being a military problem unless the countries involved have decided that military conflict can no longer be avoided.
Let us hope, however, there are cooler heads in all the countries involved including us that will chill the situation so diplomacy can take over instead of the constant beating of war drums.
The war in Ukraine, which is already affecting the world in more ways than one, should tell and remind us what will happen if the world powers get involved in another conflict to widen that war which is causing so much misery to non-combatants.
It would be catastrophic for the whole world.
The ambassadors of both China and the United States should also cool down their verbal wrangling in the press because it is only increasing the tension.
open fire on the extremist? At what exact moment? How do you neutralize a suspect wearing a bulletproof vest?
Comparing the United States, population more than 330 million, and Norway, population 5.4 million, can be unfair.
The former struggles with social inequalities and racial tensions, the latter is sparsely populated, wealthy and egalitarian.
Norway has been largely spared such tensions despite rising immigration as stiff entry rules and a strong labor market mean most immigrants can be self-sufficient.
And there is also a huge difference in how the two countries train their law enforcement officers.
In the US, some states require only a few weeks of instruction in order to become a cop.
According to CNN, basic training in Louisiana is completed in 360 hours, significantly less than the 500 hours required to become a licensed manicurist.
In the Scandinavian country, a police officer graduates from the academy after three years of studies that include psychology, law and ethics, in addition to standard police work.
Not the Wild West
Getting accepted into the academy is difficult, with between 3,000 and 3,500 young people vying each year for the 500 spots. The academy selects only the top candidates.
“We have criteria like being a good team worker, open-minded and analytical capacity”, says the head of the academy’s bachelor department Philip Christopher Tolloczko.
“We don’t want any Wild West cowboys here”, he says.
On the contrary, “at an operational level, we spend a lot of time practicing how to deescalate situations.”
Tellingly, 80 percent of Norwegians say they have confidence in the police force.
As in Britain, the question of whether Norway’s police should be armed at all times is regularly debated.
While Norwegian police are normally unarmed—their service weapons are locked in their patrol cars—they can be ordered to carry weapons temporarily for security reasons.
‘Temporarily’ is sometimes a relative concept—after a fatal shooting on the sidelines of Oslo’s Pride festival in June 2022, police were armed for 237 days until the order was dropped on Monday.
“It’s a problem if the police militarize,” says former member of parliament and exOslo mayor Michael Tetzschner.
“If police adopt a military mentality, I fear that they’ll lower the bar for the use of firearms.”
In a country with a small population, the numbers are modest: five people have been killed by police since the start of 2020.
Still, that’s almost double the three who were killed during the entire previous decade. Words instead of weapons
At the Oslo police academy, Anders
They could serve the interests of their countries better that way.
But when everything is said and done, much will depend on how we ourselves will determine the best way forward.
Right now, we are signaling to China that as far as the WPS issue is concerned, we have simply gotten tired of the many failed promises and the perceived unreasonable harassments of our patrol vessels.
This is one of the most likely reasons why EDCA, which has been languishing for six years, suddenly sprung back to life with a flurry of activities.
The runway of Basa Air base in Pampanga will be improved and extended.
The largest joint military exercise with the US has just started with more in the pipeline.
All these must be very satisfactory to our AFP.
China, on the other hand, is understandably sore but all this because of its refusal to give an inch to harvest a lot more.
Haugerud looks on as first-year cadets, training in a staged apartment setting, try to calmly determine the identity of a man who thinks he is the king or a woman suffering a psychotic episode.
The roles are being played by hired actors.
“You have to have the gift of communication”, says Haugerud, a police chief who spent 20 years on patrol.
The only weapon he ever used, he says, was his baton, once.
“Communication, humility, confidence...
We also teach students to apologise when they make a mistake”, Haugerud says.
Norway’s police was heavily criticised for its slow response in the devastating July 22, 2011, twin attacks.
Right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people, mostly teens. He stalked them before opening fire over 72 long minutes on the small island of Utoya.
The force now puts more emphasis on handling crisis situations.
But above all else, notes Tore Bjorgo, a researcher who teaches at the academy, “In the Norwegian police, the most important weapon is your words.” AFP
where we are today
As diplomats, both the US and Chinese ambassadors should instead contribute to the cooling of tensions
AFORMER Australian prime minister on Wednesday rubbished the country’s landmark nuclear-powered submarines deal, saying it unnecessarily targeted China and could have “deadly consequences.”
Australia announced on Monday it would buy up to five US submarines in an ambitious effort to bulk up Western muscle in the face of a rising China.
With the help of the United States and Britain, Australia will also embark upon a 30-year plan to build its own fleet of nuclearpowered subs.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the deal was the country’s biggestever military upgrade, while US President Joe Biden said it would ensure the region remained “free and open.”
But former prime minister Paul Keating
has derided it as a “great misadventure.”
“History will be the judge of this project in the end, but I want my name clearly recorded among those who say it is a great mistake,” he said in a statement.
The former Labor prime minister – who led the country between 1991 and 1996 –said Australia had blindly followed the United States and Britain, and that China posed no tangible military threat.
“What would be the point of China wanting to occupy Sydney and Melbourne? Militarily? And could they ever do it,” he said.
“The question is so dumb, it’s hardly
worth an answer.”
Keating said Australia was beginning a “dangerous and unnecessary journey” at the urging of the United States, and that this could carry “deadly consequences” if the country became tangled in future conflicts.
“Signing the country up to the foreign proclivities of another country – the United States – with the gormless Brits lunging along behind is not a pretty sight,” he said.
Acquiring submarines powered by nuclear reactors puts Australia in an elite club and at the forefront of US-led efforts to push back against Chinese military expansion.
While Australia has ruled out deploying atomic weapons, its submarine plan marks a signifi cant new stage in the confrontation with China, which has been racing to strengthen its own sophisticated naval fl eet. AFP
MOSCOW warned against “hostile” US flights on Wednesday, as tensions simmered a day after a Russian fighter jet was accused of colliding with an American drone over the Black Sea.
US European Command said two Russian Su-27 fighters intercepted the unmanned MQ-9 Reaper over international waters on Tuesday and one clipped its propeller.
Washington blamed Moscow for the incident, calling its fighters’ conduct reckless and unprofessional, but Russia has denied any wrongdoing.
PROTEST DUMMY. A dummy has been symbolically hanged as employees of the sugar and ethanol group Tereos block the access to the factory to protest against its announced closure in Escaudoeuvres, northern France,
HONDURAS will establish diplomatic relations with China, President Xiomara Castro said, a move that would result in the severing of longstanding official ties with Taiwan.
Castro wrote on Twitter that she had instructed Foreign Minister Eduardo Reina “to undertake the opening of official relations with the People’s Republic of China.”
The switch—which Castro pledged to make while on the campaign trail—comes weeks after her government announced it was negotiating with China to build a hydroelectric dam.
Under Beijing’s “One China” principle, no country may maintain official diplomatic relations with both China and Taiwan.
Beijing said it “welcomed” the decision, with foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin telling journalists: “On the basis of the One-China principle, China is willing to develop friendly and cooperative relations with Honduras and other countries in the world.
Honduras is one of only 14 countries that of-
ficially recognize Taiwan, a self-ruled island that China considers part of its territory to be retaken one day, by force if necessary.
The Honduran government did not immediately confirm whether it had officially severed ties with Taipei.
On Wednesday, Taiwan’s foreign ministry expressed “serious concern” at the announcement.
“We ask Honduras to carefully consider and do not fall into China’s trap and make the wrong decision to damage the long-term friendship between Taiwan and Honduras,” it said in a statement.
On Wednesday morning, an AFP journalist saw the Honduran ambassador to Taipei Harold Burgos arrive at Taiwan’s foreign ministry. Neither side made any immediate comment regarding the meeting.
Latin America has been a key diplomatic battleground for China and Taiwan since the two split in 1949 after a civil war. Honduras is among three Central American states—alongside Belize and Guatemala—that still recognize Taiwan. AFP
“We assume that the United States will refrain from further speculation in the media and stop flights near Russian borders,” Russia’s ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, said Wednesday.
“We consider any action with the use of US weaponry as openly hostile,” he wrote on social media channel Telegram. Russia’s defence ministry said Tuesday it scrambled fighter jets following the detection of a US drone over the Black Sea and denied causing the crash.
The Pentagon said its drone was on a routine mission when it was intercepted “in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner,” while Russia countered the aircraft was out of control.
“As a result of a sharp maneuver... the MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle entered an uncontrolled flight with loss of altitude and collided with the surface of the water,” the ministry said, adding that the two Russian jets had no contact with the US aircraft and did not use their weapons.
The US State Department said it had summoned Russia’s ambassador to protest. AFP
THE death toll from a landslide on a remote Indonesian island rose to 50 with four people still missing on the last day of the search, an official said Wednesday. The landslide struck the island of Serasan on March 6, killing scores of residents in a village and burying houses under mud and debris.
“Until yesterday 50 people have been found dead, 49 of them have been identified while four others are still missing,” local government spokesperson Patli Muhamad told AFP.
At least eight of the dead were children, according to local search and rescue teams scouring the island, located in the Natuna region between Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia.
Nearly 3,000 residents remain displaced and were being evacuated to several shelters, according to local authorities.
“They are afraid to go home because there are total blackouts in some villages,” Muhamad said. Officials are planning to meet later on Wednesday to determine whether to extend the search and rescue operation. AFP
A CELEBRITY gossip YouTuberturned-lawmaker became the first MP expelled by Japan’s parliament in over 70 years Wednesday, having not shown up to work once.
Yoshikazu Higashitani, known by his online moniker GaaSyy, had been ordered to apologise for his months-long absence earlier in March.
But the lawmaker, one of two elected members of the fringe party Seijika Joshi 48, or “Politician Girls
48,” did not attend that parliamentary session either.
Higashitani, 51, had not set foot in the House of Councillors since his July 2022 election, despite a requirement for lawmakers to be present.
The former businessman and YouTuber has instead remained at his home in Dubai, claiming he may be arrested if he returns to Japan, where he reportedly faces questioning over alleged defamation.
Japan’s Upper House decided on Tuesday to expel him from parliament. The move was made official Wednesday – making him the first Japanese lawmaker to be expelled since 1951, local media reported. Higashitani will be replaced by another member of his party.
The single-issue Seijika Joshi 48 party campaigns for changes to Japan’s public broadcaster and was previously known as the NHK Party. AFP
SEASON. A woman poses for photos under blossoms as people come out to Ueno Park to see the early cherry blossoms in Tokyo. Japan announced the o cial
STOCKS bounced Wednesday to end a four-day slump as concerns about contagion from the collapse of two US regional lenders eased while investors turned their attention back to next week’s Federal Reserve interest rate decision.
The PSE index, the 30-company benchmark, gained 72 points, or 1.14 percent, to close at 6,466.10, as three of the six major subsectors advanced.
The broader all-share index also went up 24 points, or 0.70 percent, to settle at 3,478.52, on a value turnover of P11 billion. Gainers led losers, 103 to 80, while 48 issues were unchanged.
Five of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green, led by BDO Unibank Inc. which climbed 4.10 percent to P124.30 and SM Investments Corp.
WASHINGTON, United States—
Facebook owner Meta announced a fresh wave of job cuts on Tuesday, part of what CEO Mark Zuckerberg called the company’s “year of efficiency” as the US tech sector continues to downsize.
In an email to employees, Zuckerberg said Meta would shed 10,000 jobs over the next few months, targeting middle management, and that 5,000 other roles would remain unfilled.
The cuts follow a cull of 11,000 positions announced by the company in November that started a wave of similar jobs cuts across big tech companies, including Amazon, Google and Microsoft, but not Apple.
With the second announcement, the California-based company will have ridded itself of roughly 25 percent of its workforce in just four months.
“This will be tough and there’s no way around that. It will mean saying goodbye to talented and passionate colleagues who have been part of our success,” Zuckerberg said.
The first victims will be Meta’s recruitment department as the company officially puts an end to the hiring spree that came when big tech ramped up operations to meet high demand during the coronavirus pandemic.
In subsequent months, tech and business departments will also be affected and “in a small number of cases, it may take through the end of the year to complete these changes,” Zuckerberg said. AFP
WASHINGTON, United States—The massive constellation of satellites operated by SpaceX, while still growing, will soon be joined in low Earth orbit by many more commercial competitors, but also government-sponsored programs.
When firms floated the idea of expanding access to high-speed internet through satellite constellations in low Earth orbit, analysts expected only two or three companies would succeed.
“But the number of players keeps growing,” Caleb Henry, research director at Quilty Analytics, told AFP at the annual SATELLITE conference in Washington.
He said there are now at least eight companies vying to launch or complete their LEO constellations, including early entrants SpaceX and OneWeb, which could see a ballooning number of objects in orbit.
Amazon alone hopes to launch over 3,200 satellites as part of its stealthy “Kuiper” project.
But governments are also keen to join the rush.
China plans to launch 13,000 satellites as part of its GuoWang constellation, while Canada’s Telesat will add 300 and German start-up Rivada is eyeing 600.
That will be in addition to the European Union’s Iris project -- 170 satellites -- and the 300-500 satellites planned to be launched by the US military’s Space Development Agency.
When it comes to the satellite constellation game, “people underestimated how sovereign interests would get involved,” Henry said.
While around 120 satellites were launched in all of 2012, in just the first two months of this year, almost 380 were put into orbit. AFP
which rose 1.63 percent to P874.00. The peso also appreciated Wednesday to close at 54.95 against the US dollar from 55.08 Tuesday.
Asian markets also rallied. Banks rose in early exchanges after taking a battering the previous two days in reaction to the demise of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank at the weekend, which were the biggest casualties since the global financial crisis.
But investor worries were soothed by the swift response from US authorities
to pledge all depositors would get their cash and that other lenders would be given support.
The run on deposits at SVB and Signature—as well as crypto bank Silvergate Capital, which went under earlier in March—led ratings agency Moody’s to cut its outlook for the US banking system to negative from stable.
Still, the mood on trading floors was less fraught than at the start of the week, with banks enjoying a much-needed lift.
Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Financial gained more than three percent and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial put on almost five percent, while South Korea’s Hana Financial Group was up more than two percent. HSBC gained more than three percent.
On broader markets, Asia tracked
a surge on Wall Street that was led by banks, though they pared morning rallies.
Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul and Taipei all put on more than one percent, while Bangkok was more than two percent higher.
Shanghai, Sydney, Mumbai and Wellington were also up, while Tokyo and Jakarta were flat.
However, European markets were unable to build on Tuesday’s big gains, with London, Paris and Frankfurt falling at the open.
Traders offered little reaction to data showing Chinese retail sales rebounded in January-February thanks to the lifting of zero-Covid restrictions and as the country celebrated Lunar New Year. With AFP
STOCK TRADING. Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on March 14, 2023, in New York. The US stock markets opened higher and Treasury yields rose sharply Tuesday, driven by an early revival in regional banking stocks after days of declines on fears over their financial health. Shares of First Republic Bank were up around 50 percent, while those of PacWest Bancorp and Keycorp were up around 45 percent and 15 percent respectively. AFP
SAN FRANCISCO, United States—The company behind the ChatGPT app that churns out essays, poems or computing code on command released Tuesday a longawaited update of its artificial intelligence (AI) technology that it said would be safer and more accurate than its predecessor.
GPT-4 has been widely awaited ever since ChatGPT burst onto the scene in late November, wowing users with its capabilities that were based on an older version of OpenAI’s technology, known as a large language model.
“We’ve created GPT-4, the latest milestone in OpenAI’s effort in scaling up deep learning,” a company blog said, adding that the AI technology “exhibits human-level performance” on some professional and academic tasks.
The company said the model is “more creative and collaborative than ever before” and would “solve difficult problems
with greater accuracy” than its earlier versions. With its update, text responses from GPT-4 will be more accurate, and—in future—will come from both image and text inputs in a major leap forward for the technology, though this aspect has not yet been released. For example, if a user sends a picture of the inside of a refrigerator, GPT-4 will not only correctly identify what is there, but also concoct what can be prepared with those ingredients. OpenAI said it was working with a partner company, Be My Eyes, to prepare the next advance.
Much of the new model’s firepower is now available to the general public via ChatGPT Plus, OpenAI’s paid subscription plan and on a AI-powered version of Microsoft’s Bing search engine that is currently being tested. AFP
RISING automotive sales in the Philippines are a harbinger of further economic growth. They indicate the increasing disposable income of consumers and their optimism on the prospects of the economy. Increased car sales can also mean that consumers may purchase other large-ticket items in the near future, like housing-and-lot packages.
Philippine automotive sales in February this year rose 27 percent to 30,905 units, up from 24,307 units year-onyear. Combined vehicle sales in the first two months of 2023 jumped 34 percent to 60,404 units from 45,069 units a year ago, with passenger car sales rising 25.6 percent to 14,695 from 11,698 units a year ago and those of commercial vehicles climbing 37 percent to 45,709 from 33,371.
The Philippine automotive market is bullish. The industry forecasts the volume to increase 10.4 percent to 408,300 units in 2023 or 10.4 percent higher than the 369,981 units sold in 2022. Growing car sales, however, will shrink the road system, especially in Metro Manila―and worsen the traffic jam in urban centers in the absence of of new or expanded thoroughfares.
A study published by the Asian Development Bank way back in 2012― Transport Sector Assessment, Strategy, and Road Map―noted that while some of the principal road corridors in Metro Manila had high capacities, traffic
volumes were also extremely high.
“As a result, the movement of people, goods, and services is becoming increasingly difficult. Although restrictions on vehicle usage are in place, their effectiveness is decreasing as rates of motorization increase; consequently, congestion in Metro Manila is increasing rapidly and is estimated to cause economic losses equivalent to about 4.6% of GDP,” said the ADB paper.
The traffic congestion in Metro Manila and elsewhere in the country, thus, is expected to get worse even before it gets better with the registration of new vehicles. The new fleet of vehicles competing for the country’s narrow roads will expectedly compound the traffic jams.
Transport services, according to the 2012 ADB paper, consisted mainly of jeepneys (public utility vehicles), taxis, tricycles, and pedicabs that are privately owned and operated. “In 2010, taxis comprised 667,424 (35 percent) of the 1.9 million vehicles in Metro Manila, and half of the 6.6 million vehicles in the country were motorcycles,” noted the ADB.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, meanwhile, has estimated that about half a million vehicles were added to the streets of the capital region during the two-year pandemic period. The agency noted that there were 247,527 private four-wheel
vehicles that plied EDSA every day.
The increasing vehicle sales will certainly add to the nightmare of commuters in EDSA and elsewhere.
It will be more convenient and time-saving to go on commuter trains than driving a car through the city, as what travelers experience in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and other megalopolises in Asia.
Overcharging
Singaporean ride-hailing app Grab is not yet off the hook, as it likes to believe it. It may face another round of fines, having not fully complied with the P25million refund ordered by the Philippine Competition Commission for overpricing customers in 2019.
Grab has settled just 70 percent of the refund due to its riders, which PCC OIC-Director Ivy Medina confirmed in a recent press briefing.
“The PCC has found that Grab has not yet fully refunded all of the amounts that they are supposed to have given to the riders,” says Medina
“The commission is now considering whether or not the circumstances or the reasons for which that refund was not yet fully paid to consumers would merit another fine to be imposed on Grab,” she warned. The refund is separate from the P40-million fine that the PCC wants to collect from Grab following its failure to fulfill its price commitments. The partial payment of the fine has
prompted the PCC to ask Congress for more teeth in enforcing the antitrust provisions of the Philippine Competition Act to avoid monopolistic acts. But Marikina 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo, in a previous Congressional hearing, said the PCC had the power to investigate Grab Philippines about its abuse of dominance.
Grab’s aggrieved passengers, meanwhile, has found an ally in Senator Grace Poe. The lady lawmaker noted that Grab had a monopoly of the Transportation Network Vehicle Service sector, leaving passengers with little choice. Grab, according to her, bolstered its dominance of the market when it entered the motorcycle taxi operations business after acquiring MOVEIT, one of three accredited motorcycle taxi operators in the country. The acquisition has emboldened Grab to raise it fares or implement price surges that consumers cannot contest in the absence of a real competitor.
E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com or extrastory2000@gmail.com
REMITTANCES continued to rise in 2023, following a 3.6-percent growth in 2022 that supported the recovery of the economy.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Wednesday cash remittances went up 3.5 percent in January to $2.76 billion from $2.67 billion a year ago. The growth was slower than the 5.8-percent expansion in December 2022 as overseas Filipino workers usually send more money during the holiday season.
“The growth in cash remittances from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Singapore contributed largely to the increase in remittances in January 2023. Meanwhile, in terms of country sources, the US posted the highest share of overall remittances during the said month, followed by Singapore, Japan, and Saudi Arabia,” the BSP said.
Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said cash remittances in January were still
“near record highs [after $3.16 billion in December 2022] as the economy reopened towards greater normalcy during the holiday season.”
Ricafort said the sustained growth in remittances in recent months also reflected faster economic recovery in some major host countries for OFWs around the world that enabled more of them to work again.
“The continued growth in remittances may [also] be attributed to the relatively higher inflation that may have required the sending of more remittances to cope up with higher prices,” he said.
Inflation in December reached 8.1 percent and accelerated further to 8.7 percent in January 2023 before easing a bit to 8.6 percent in February.
Personal remittances, which include non-cash items, amounted to $3.07 billion in January or 3.5 percent higher than $2.97 billion in the same month last year.
Julito G. RadaFINANCE Secretary Benjamin Diokno, the head of the economic team, on Wednesday assured the public that the economy and the local banking sector remain strong and will not be affected by the financial turmoil in the United States.
Diokno was referring to the collapse of California-based Silicon Valley Bank, the 16th largest bank in the United States catering for the financial needs of technology companies around the world.
SVB’s downfall was linked to the decline “in the value of bonds it acquired during boom times, when it had a lot of customer deposits coming in and need-
CONSTRUCTION and property development company
D.M. Wenceslao and Associates Inc. said Wednesday net income in 2022 reached P2.1 billion, up 3 percent from 2021, fueled by higher earnings from residential and leasing projects. DMW’s core net income grew at a faster rate of 13 percent.
“We kept our leverage ratios low with pesodenominated and fixed-rate debt that kept us insulated from forex fluctuations and the rise of interest rates,” said DMW chief executive Delfin Angelo Wenceslao in a stock exchange filing.
Wenceslao said the company proactively locked-in favorable pricing for majority of construction materials at start of construction to safeguard cost and protect margins.
He said despite the high interest rate and rising cost of materials, he remained optimistic about the long term growth story of the domestic economy and bright outlook for the real estate industry.
Jenniffer B. Austria
Bank of Commerce booked record P1.8-b profit in 2022
BANK of Commerce, the financial arm of conglomerate San Miguel Corp., said Wednesday net profit in 2022 climbed 49 percent to a record P1.8 billion from P1.2 billion in 2021.
The bank said in a statement revenues went up 30 percent to P8.12 billion from P6.22 billion on higher net interest income, service charges, fees and commissions, foreign exchange and gains on foreclosure and sale of property and equipment and foreclosed assets.
Net interest income climbed 24 percent to P6.68 billion from P5.40 billion, boosted by the increase in interest on loans and receivables and investment securities.
Other income also supported the bank’s profit as it reached P1.43 billion, or 74 percent more than the previous year’s P826.34 million.
“This is primarily due to the 61-percent surge in service charges, fees and commissions to P857.63 million,” it said. Julito G. Rada
A STUDY by the International Trade Center showed an untapped trade potential of $49 billion between the Philippines and Japan.
“The Philippines has the potential to increase its exports by $49 billion. The study further stated that the most important market region with opportunities for Philippine export growth is East Asia,” the Department of Trade and Industry said Wednesday.
The ITC assesses the export potential of trading countries by identifying exporters, markets and products that could be prioritized in trade promotion activities.
Published data on the Philippines spanned a 5-year period from 2015 to 2019, utilizing GDP growth projections to estimate the potential export value that a country can achieve for a given product and export market in the year 2025.
The DTI disclosed new trade commitments of $620.72 million and $22.67 million in fresh investment leads generated in one of the business pitches during the Tokyo state visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Othel V. Campos
ed somewhere to park the cash.”
Diokno said the Philippine banking system is sound and well-capitalized and there is no reported exposure of Philippine banks to SVB. “[I] think the Fed and US finance authorities have successfully ring-fenced the banking turmoil,” he said in a message.
The 44-member strong Bankers Association of the Philippines also assured
the public that developments in the US financial system have no substantial or material impact on Philippine banks.
It said local banks have diversified deposit bases that include all sectors of the Philippine economy, allowing them to continuously provide the liquidity needs of their clients.
“Additionally, banks in the Philippines continue to have capital and liquidity ratios that exceed the requirements set by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas,” the BAP said.
“The prudential measures implemented by the BSP [Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas] provide the necessary support that allows the Philippine banking system to withstand economic shocks,” it said.
The BAP said it continues to work
with BSP and other stakeholders to pursue reforms that will lead to an even stronger financial system that sufficiently provides the financial needs of the banking public.
The BAP groups 44 universal and commercial banks in the country, including 20 local lenders and 24 foreign bank branches.
Meanwhile, the head of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, created by US regulators to succeed SVB after it collapsed, on Tuesday urged fleeing depositors to return with their money, as large banks see an influx of funds.
SVB—a key lender to startups across the United States since the 1980s—collapsed after a sudden run on deposits, prompting regulators to seize control Friday.
PAL
several aircraft to support recovery
By Darwin G. AmojelarPHILIPPINE Airlines said Wednesday it expects a “strong” recovery this year at it plans to take back some of the aircraft that it abandoned during the Chapter 11 restructuring.
“We are expecting a continuing strong market recovery so there are plans in place to enhance and upgrade our fleet. We’re taking back some of the aircraft we relinquished during the Chapter 11 restructuring. One tri-class Airbus A330 was delivered back to us last January, and we are working on the return of the other airplanes,” PAL director Lucio Tan 3rd said during the company’s 82nd anniversary media luncheon.
ENERGY Secretary Raphael Lotilla said Wednesday he is reviewing the work plan and projects of state-run Philippine National Oil Co. such as the proposed strategic petroleum reserve.
“We are reviewing their work plan and projects so that they can concentrate on some alternatives fuel. For example, we don’t compete with private sector,” Lotilla said.
PNOC was created through Presidential Decree No. 334 on Nov. 9, 1973 to provide and maintain an adequate and stable supply of oil. PNOC’s charter
Maynilad
vestment. It is something that involves
was later amended to include energy exploration and development.
The company posted a comprehensive income of P3.363 billion in 2022, up from P1.092 billion in 2021. Revenues reached P6.37 billion from the sale of the banked gas, lease and operation of the energy supply base and its industrial park.
Lotilla said the PNOC’s SPR program is still part of the government’s oil emergency plan.
“But if you continue to invest in the oil strategic reserve right now, and what you have is a declining market for oil so you will have to take a look at how long will be the useful life of your in-
Water
ServicesInc. said Wednesday it
earmarked P178 billion from 2023 to 2046 for its wastewater management program which aims to expand sewer coverage and manage pollution loading into bodies of water. The water firm said in a statement the latest spending plan involves the con-
struction of 18 new sewage treatment plants in different areas within its concession, installation of around 360 kilometers of new sewer lines that will catch and convey used water from households to STPs and the upgrade of 17 wastewater facilities to meet the revised effluent standards of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
“Besides improving the distribution of drinking water supply, our invest-
cost...These are the things that we are considering,” he said.
PNOC put on hold its proposed SPR and targeted fuel relief program initiatives, pending a policy and financial review.
“Oil is a sunset industry and considering this, the SPR and TFRP shall be subjected to policy and financial viability review,” PNOC said in its 2022 yearend report.
The SPR consists of large stockpiles of crude oil and petroleum products stored in facilities located around the country—and possibly overseas—that are released during periods of local or international oil supply disruptions.
ment program also includes the laying of essential infrastructure to collect and treat the wastewater generated by households so we can ensure environmental sustainability,” said Maynilad chief operating officer Randolph Estrellado.
The company announced P3.2 billion in capital expenditure for the construction of four modular treatment plants that will serve customers in Cavite.
PAL and Airbus earlier agreed to defer the delivery of 13 Airbus 321231 NEO aircraft to between 2026 and 2029 from the original scheduled delivery between 2022 and 2025.
“We are also re-activating more aircraft that we parked during the pandemic, with all of them going back in service between now and the fourth quarter,” he said.
PAL operates 68 aircraft out of its total 75. Tan said the company’s fleet expansion would require “big investments,” and the company is determined to take needed actions to ensure that PAL offers reliable and competitive product that’s responsive to the market.
PAL president and chief operating officer Captain Stanley Ng said the airine posted a “solid performance” last year.
The four ModTPs in the cities of Bacoor and Imus in Cavite province will have a combined water output of 47 million liters per day—enough to supply the daily needs of some 200,000 customers in the area.
The investment will also cover the cost of pipelines that will distribute treated water to nearby areas. The plants are expected for completion by 2023 and 2024.
FAR EASTERN University racked up its fourth straight win in the UAAP Season 85 men’s volleyball tournament, downing skidding University of the East in four sets, 25-21, 25-23, 23-25, 25-20, at the Filoil-EcoOil Centre in San Juan on Wednesday.
Unlike the second frame where the Red Warriors folded in the end, JM Andaya, Lloyd Josafat, and Kenneth Culabat came through in the clutch in the third to force an extension, 25-23.
But the Tamaraws did not allow themselves to play catch-up in the fourth. They went ahead early through the efforts of Dryx Saavedra and Mark Calado en route to the 25-20 clincher.
“Ang maganda nag-deliver pa rin ‘yung boys kahit na tight ‘yung schedule nila kasi midterms week. Galing pa rin ng boys,” said FEU head coach Rey Diaz.
The Tamaraws upped their record to 5-1 for solo second, while the Red Warriors absorbed their third consecutive loss to sink to 2-4 at sixth, just above winless Adamson University and University of the Philippines.
Calado led the way for FEU with 23 points on 19 attacks, three blocks, and a service ace. Saavedra and Martin Bugaoan provided the needed assistance with 13 and 10 points, respectively, while Herald Domingo and Jelord Talisayan chipped in eight and seven points.
Andaya was the high man for the Red Warriors with 20 points founded on 15 spikes and five blocks, while Josafat and Culabat made 16 and 11 points, respectively.
Both teams will be back on Saturday at the same venue as UE will open the day against University of Santo Tomas at 9 a.m. while FEU will cap it against reigning champion National University at 5 p.m.
Watch both games live on the UAAP Varsity Chann el (Ch. 263 HD). Available on Prepaid Loads 300 & up (valid for 30 days) or you can watch your favorite match-ups.
THE Letran Squires have the opportunity of ending a 22-year championship drought on Thursday as they battle the College of Saint Benilde-La Salle Green Hills Greenies in the National Collegiate Athletic Association juniors’ basketball finals at the San Andres Sports Complex.
The Squires took Game 1, 85-81, to move to within a win shy of capturing their first NCAA juniors’ basketball title since 2001. They brace for a big Greenies’ fightback in their 2:30 p.m. match.
“Masaya kami pero hindi pa tapos ang championship,” said Andy Gemao, the 16-year-old prolific guard who finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and three steals in the opener.
“Marami po kaming lessons na napulot sa laro ngayon. Tulad po ng kung paano po kami maging composed sa maraming crowd kasi lahat po kami rookie,” added Gemao.
LSGH bigs Luis Pablo and Seven Gagate will still be Letran’s main cause for concern.
“Inaabangan ko po talaga ‘yung twin towers nila,” said Gemao. “Siguro po may gagawin silang adjustments. Nasa amin na din po iyon kung paano namin hihigpitan ‘yung depensa namin.”
Pablo and Gagate posted double-double outings in Game 1, as the Squires
BACOLOD—Obscure Albin Engino and legend Frankie Miñoza took different routes but produced the same results as they matched two-under 68s in varying fashions to seize control at the start of the ICTSI Negros Occidental Golf Classic presented by MORE Power here yesterday.
Engino, still in search of a breakthrough win in a long pro career, birdied two of the last four holes in a big frontside finish to save a 35-33, while the Miñoza fumbled with a bogey No. 16 from the bunker in a late mishap that spoiled what could’ve been an explosive start for the multi-titled campaigner who posted his last victory here in 2016.
He signed for a 32-36 card that still netted him a shared view of the top with Engino, one stroke ahead of an equally hot-finishing Ira Alido and gutsy Korean rookie pro Hyun Ho Rho as majority of the stellar field struggled in the heat and wind around the short but tricky par-70 Marapara
layout and ended up with soaring scores.
“I didn’t expect to go under. I just played it shot-by-shot and hole-by-hole. But it came out okay, so I’m so happy,” said Minoza, whose mere presence in the tour crowded by young, long hitters continues to be a troubling sight for the rest of the bidders.
He tied for eighth in last month’s The Country Club Invitational.
“I’m just enjoying the game. Malakas ang hangin sa umpisa pa lang. Iba’t-iban ang kondisyon ng greens, may mabilis, may mabagal,” said Miñoza, who beat Miguel Tabuena in sudden death here seven years ago for his last title win on the Philippine Golf Tour.
Engino likewise used a conservative approach to break a two-birdie, two-bogey card after 14 holes, birdying No. 6 then holing out with another feat on the ninth to join Miñoza at the helm.
“I played it safe and short throughout and made the most of my birdie
chances,” said Engino, who wound up tied at 17th at TCC. “Medyo maganda ang resulta, may mga na-save na pars, me long putt at may chip-in. Mahangin pero kaya naman at ang greens, mabilis kumpara sa dati.”
A mix of aces and lesser lights stayed in early contention with Ferdie Aunzo, Jun Bernis, Reymon Jaraula, Korean Kim Min Seong, Tony Lascuña, Gerald Rosales, Nilo Salahog and Rupert Zaragosa all matching par 70s for joint fifth, and Jhonnel Ababa, Mars Pucay, Bonifacio Salahog and Dino Villanueva carding identical 71s. But things loom to get wilder in the next three rounds of the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.-organized circuit with Alido and Rho just behind by one after the former birdied the last two holes at the back for a 69 and the latter holding his ground against Van der Valk and fellow rookie Kristoffer Arevalo with a superb frontside spiked by a threebirdie string from No. 7.
A NEW breed of long-hitting lady golfers, younger, athletic, stylish, competitive, perfectionist are dominating the fairways. They bomb their drives in their
swinging short skirts, laser line their putts, do celebratory fist pumps and yoga stretches, while waiting for their turn. And they are with the Tagaytay Highlands Ladies’ Team, as prescient luck would have it, biologically.
Presumably, no other golfing ladies’ team has a spawning history like the TH Ladies formed 18 years ago. Belonging to a multi-generational golfing clan, media executives Team Captain Sandy Prieto-Romualdez and mom Marixi Prieto, are the original mother/daughter duo.
The three daughters of dermatologist Lilibeth de Villa -- Linnel, Debbie, and Angela -- were jungolfers, who contributed to the Highlands team’s wins during the WGAP and Ladies Federation Games. Now eldest daughter Lilet recently joined one of the country’s winningest ladies’ golf group.
“Lilet just started playing a year ago, because hubby loves golf. She hated it before when sisters were into it. But got inspired by her hole-in-one in Midland’s hole #3 January this year, ahead of me at that,” beamed Lilibeth.
Golf is also a clan sport for Farah Imperial. Daughters Chesca and Tara inherited their mother’s genes in all ways. Chesca mirrors her mom’s prowess from tee to green. Tara’s swoon worthy vocal chops serenade the team après golf.
“As they say, a family who prays together..plays together..stays together,” smiled Farah, who also guides her daughters in the family businesses. The Imperial cousin, tall and lean Kyla O. Laurel, is in the same league of this new breed of dominating young women golfers. Her sports bio includes college softball.
are looking for clues on how to limit the Greenies’ frontline to wrap up the bestof-three series.
Syrex Silorio, Letran’s big man who was huge with 27 points and seven rebounds, knows that it will be tough Game 2 if Pablo and Gagate continue to produce massive numbers for LSGH to save its season. Game 3, if necessary, is set on Monday.
THE Marikina Shoemasters unraveled a marvel in Felipe Chavez and clobbered Bacolod City of Smiles, 79-67, on Tuesday in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season at the Batangas City Coliseum.
Not to be outdone, Batangas City Embassy Chill routed Pasay Voyagers, 69-54, in the nightcap to join first game-winner Zamboanga Family’s Brand Sardines in the leaders’ circle of the 29-team league.
With the young Shoemasters trailing the veteran-laden Bacolod up to the third quarter, 51-55, Marikina coach Elvis Tolentino tapped Chavez to preside over their offense.
Chavez, a prized find from Teresa, Rizal, responded by outscoring the entire Bacolod squad, 16-12, in that span and leading the Shoemasters, composed mostly of homegrown players, to the first stunner of the long season that would last till December.
Dubbed “The Elevator” for his uncanny ability to dunk the ball at 5-foot6, the 23-year-old guard showed his all-around skills with a statistical line of 17 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal in a 23-minute, 30-second stint.
Chavez got ample support from homegrowns Jason Opiso, who posted 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Deo Timajo with 13 points, the same as Rian Narra.
The touted Joe Gomez de Liano ended up with 3 points and 5 rebounds in his debut for Marikina, which has produced prolific scorers Yves Sazon and Enzo Joson, both playing for different MPBL teams now.
Bacolod got 15 points from Cantimbuhan and 12 points from Domark Matillano.
Ababa churned out a near-impeccable round in tough conditions to upstage a slew of aces tipped to dominate the early going of the ICTSI Negros Occidental Golf Classic presented by MORE Power, firing a oneunder 69 and opening a huge fourstroke cushion over Chanelle Avaricio and two others here yesterday.
That she hit all the fairways and greens spoke well of the preparations and mindset of the player who last won on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour at Sherwood Hills in 2015 and the shotmaker from the talented golfing clan from Davao could be on her way to ending the long spell with a sustained charge in the next two days.
“Tinamaan ko yata lahat ng fairways and I think I hit 14 greens today (yesterday),” said Ababa, whose superb round netted her birdies on Nos. 2 and 14 against a bogey on the 11th for the lone under-par card in the day of floundering fortunes.
“I’ll just stay patient. Mahirap basahin ang greens, you need to match the speed and allowance,” added Ababa, who honed and sharpened her skills for the resumption of the circuit at South Pacific Golf and Leisure Club in Davao and at Orchard Golf and Country Club in Cavite.
Avaricio, winner of three LPGT legs last year who also toughened up in the US and Thailand tours, kept Ababa within sight in a separate flight but double-bogeyed the par-4 17th and finished with a 73, enabling Harmie Constantino and Danielly Uy to tie her at second.
Constantino, who foiled Avaricio’s back-to-back title bid at Pradera
Verde then won the inaugural ICTSI Match Play Invitational at Villamor late last year, also preserved a oneover card after 15 holes. But like Avaricio, she wavered at the finish, bogeying Nos. 16 and 18 for a similar 36-37 card, while Uy, who scored a breakthrough in wicked conditions at Riviera-Langer in 2021, birdied the 16th but holed out with a bogey for a 73.
“Mostly, everything was tough —hangin and the greens—and had unlucky bounces on the fairways,” said Avaricio, who nevertheless remained upbeat of her chances with 36 holes remaining in the P875,000 event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
“I’ll try to keep my drives on the fairway and my iron shots just around the green for easy up-and-down tomorrow (today),” she added.
Despite her flawed finish on the par-5 18th, Uy said: “My round today (yesterday) is better than I expected because the course is narrow and playing long. But I hope to hit the fairways and make a lot of putts tomorrow (today) and just be calm and try not to be too excited.”
Top amateur Rianne Malixi, meanwhile, groped for form in her first foray at Marapara, going four-over after three holes and spending the rest of the day trying to regain the form that netted her LPGT victories at Luisita, Valley and Riviera last year. She wound up with a 78.
From C1
Guess winning golf games is a requirement of father-in-law golfer Arsenic Laurel.
Kyla is the picture of today’s empowered woman. She owns The Olive Tree Corporation, making custom bed and table linens plus two smaller businesses, Ola Haus for bags, and Ola Bebe for baby clothes. Also a freelance fashion, event and portrait photographer, she has a twoyear-old daughter named Barcelona.
Jessalynn Tan’s daughter Patricia or Patty plays a mean game since she was a Highlands’ team member in her high school days. Now back in Manila after graduating from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, she signed up anew to play with the team.
“I look forward to spending more time together and being part of the same team.
I think it is nice to have Mom in the same team as we go through the challenges of the game, and hopefully the victories that will come!,” said Patty.
Just last year, Jackie drives mom Mabek Kawsek to the scenic golf course by the lake within a lake.
Into fashion and food businesses, Jackie opined, “My mom and I are like yin and yang. Our personalities are polar opposites - she’s creative and bubbly, I’m more methodical and serious, she’s a risk taker and I’m more conservative, but what
FACED with a daunting task of choosing which team to meet in the Final Four, PLDT coach Rald Ricafort has opted not to look beyond the task at hand – that is, hurdling a block as tough as Choco Mucho at the close of the Premier Volleyball League All Filipino Conference Thursday back at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
With a 5-2 (win-loss) slate, PLDT looks to tie early semifinalists Petro Gazz and F2 Logistics at 6-2 with a victory over Choco Mucho in their 4 p.m. encounter. But trailing the Angels and the Cargo Movers in tiebreak points, the High Speed Hitters need to win in three or four sets over the Flying Titans to finish third in the final rankings for a clash with the No. 2 Angels in the semis.
Otherwise, PLDT will wind up at No. 4 and will meet elims topnotcher Creamline (7-1) in the best-of-three series.
KIGALI, Rwanda—The expanded 2026 men’s World Cup in North America will start with 12 groups of four teams, a change from the original planned format of 16 groups of three, football’s world governing body FIFA announced on Tuesday.
“The revised format mitigates the risk of collusion and ensures that all the teams play a minimum of three matches, while providing balanced rest time between competing teams,” FIFA said of the format for the first World Cup to feature 48 teams, up from 32 sides at the recent tournament in Qatar.
It means that there will be 104 matches played, a huge increase on the 64 games at last year’s tournament.
FIFA’s original plan for 2026, when the World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, was for 16 groups of three teams, from which the top two would advance to a last 32. The new decided format means the top two in each group will go through to the knockout round along with the eight best third-placed sides. As a result, the finalists, and the teams finishing third and fourth, will
play a total of eight games instead of the current seven.
The decision comes after a dramatic group stage at the tournament in Qatar convinced FIFA that a rethink was needed.
“The groups of four have been absolutely incredible until the last minute of the last match,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in December.
Tuesday’s decision was announced following a FIFA Council meeting in the Rwandan capital Kigali, at which it confirmed the next men’s World Cup final will be played on Sunday, July 19, 2026.
Infantino is expected to be waved in for a new four-year term as president as he stands unopposed for re-election at Thursday’s FIFA Congress.
But Ricafort wants to focus on their key match against the Flying Titans, whom they have not beaten since the franchise joined the country’s premier women’s volley league.
“Either team (Creamline or Petro Gazz) will be tough opponents because they are championship-caliber teams,” said Ricafort on their possible semis opponents. “What we only have control of is our next game, which is Choco Mucho. PLDT has not yet beaten Choco Mucho since we joined the PVL.”
“We have to win that game first and let fate decide our destiny,” he added.
True. But while fate is set by outside forces, destiny involves choice and observers believe the best option for the High Speed Hitters is to get past the Flying Titans and get to face the Angels, whom Ricafort steered to the PVL Reinforced crown last year.
PLDT edged Petro Gazz in five last Feb. 23 but the High Speed Hitters succumbed to the Cool Smashers in three last March 7.
Petro Gazz has amassed 19 points to secure the No. 2 seeding while F2 Logistics finished with 16 points and PLDT has a running 15-point total and is eyeing to improve to 18 points with a convincing victory over Choco Mucho.
MA. Caroliean Fiel hopes to ride the momentum of her big two-title romp in Maasin last week as she goes for a reprise in the Mayor Jose Carlos Cari National Juniors Tennis Championships, which begin Thursday at the Baybay City Tennis Club in Leyte.
The young find from Ormoc dominated the 10-unisex field last week and added the girls’ 12-U crown to match Kimi Brodeth (16- and 18-U) and Gio Manito’s (boys’ 16- and 18-U) feats and share the MVP honors with the latter in the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop.
But she expects a fightback from the likes of siblings Pete and Enzo Niere and
could be seen as a handicap is actually one of our greatest strengths!”
She added: “On the golf course, our differences make us better together! Her short game is amazing and my long game is more consistent. I can go for the green and she plays safe. We both enjoy the sport so much individually, but since we’ve started playing together with Team Tagaytay Highlands, we’ve gotten much closer- bonding during the drives to and from tagaytay, talking game tips and strategy, and meeting new friends together. Our Tagaytay Highlands golf games are weekly highlights for me, not just because of the game, but even more so because I get to spend quality time with my mom.”
Philippines’ golf tourism advocate, Connie Mamaril of Regent Travel Inc., played with daughter Christel in the Tagaytay Highlands Ladies team before the latter left for Florida as a sports therapist.
“It was a great way to spend quality time with Mom and to get to learn from someone who has been playing golf longer than I have been,” Cristel said.
A few years before, golfer now scuba diver Hedy See suffered back injuries, daughter Hannah also suited up for TH’s competitive games.
This year, the princess of businesswoman/artist Mathilda or Matê Sun named Kathleen, is poised to join the team.
“After years of encouraging Kathleen to play golf, she finally agreed! She is very focused and quite a perfectionist so it may
Julianne Ciabu in the youngest category of the nine age-group division tilt of the country’s longest talent-search put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Fiel will also be sternly tested in the 12-U division of the event which drew a record 216 entries through the effort of Mayor Cari, whose daughter Gia is a UP top player and a former PPS-PEPP junior campaigner, and Rep. Nicolas Cari, whose all-out support continues to boost Baybay City’s sports program. Meanwhile, Brodeth, also from Ormoc, likewise shoots for a two-title repeat but braces for a challenging week
against Kate Imalay, Davanee Velasco Eda Villa in 16-U class, and versus Joan Gonzaga, Rica dela Cerna, Princess Rebuyas, Velasco and Imalay in the premier division of the event backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating).
Kimi Brodeth and Fiel are also motivated to do good this week as the circuit heads to their hometown for the third leg of the Visayan swing on March 23-27. For details, contact tournament organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
Like Kimi Brodeth, Manito, from Pardo, Cebu, will have his hands full in the
32-player boys’ 18-U draw that includes Gerald Gemida, Ariel Semblante, Jr., and Nicholas Ocat, while the likes of Kenzo Brodeth, Kevin Tabura and Manuel Jocson are all primed for a crack at glory in the 16-U play.
Kenzo Brodeth and David Sepulveda banner the boys’ 14-U cast, which also features Christian Laguna and Urciano Villa, while Imalay, Chrystell Laguna, Dorothy Araneta and Beatrice Celeste headline the girls;’ 14-U field.
Leading the boys’ 12-U roster are Claudwin Toñacao, Pete Niere, Fritz Cayunda, Wynn Calagos, Gabriel Cañezo, Xyril Chiong, Enzo Niere and Raphael
take a while to let her join tournaments. For now, my heart is full. I can’t wait to see the day when she’ll beat me. That would definitely still be a big win on a larger perspective,” declared the joyful mom Matê.
How about grandmothers and granddaughters?
Team Tagaytay Highlands will soon have them, too!
In the wings are Dionne Cu and 15-year-old
Katie Cu Yaw, who claims “I can beat my Bubu (grandmother in Shanghainese) in golf.” Meanwhile, Cathy and granddaughter Gabby Borja, 15, have been hoisting trophies in several tournaments.
Song Kang is thankful for the overwhelming support of his Filipino fans
By Patricia Taculao and Angelica VillanuevaDUBBED the “Son of Netflix,” South Korean
actor Song Kang gained a significant global following for his notable performances in several K-dramas, including Sweet Home, Nevertheless, and Forecasting Love and Weather
Filipino K-drama fans were no exception to his charm and talent as they showed the actor their support.
“I feel like I have received so much love, but I have not been able to give back just because of the situation. I have not been able to come and see Filipino fans,” Song Kang said in Korean. But thanks to Korean skincare and manufacturer brand of cosmetics Deoproce, he had to opportunity to meet his Filipino fans last Sunday, March 5.
Although a bit nervous about the “fun meet” at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Song Kang doesn’t deny that he’s excited to see his Filipino fans and interact with them as much as possible.
Yet before he made his and his fans’ dreams come true, he shared some of his experiences in the Philippines when he landed. He arrived in the Philippines around noon on March 4, Saturday. His first item on his agenda was to see the streets of Manila, prompting him to go
out and sample local cuisine, starting with Jollibee. It didn’t stop there, though, as Song Kang ate home-style cooking dishes such as halo-halo, kare-kare, and bulalo. For an extra treat, Song Kang admitted to enjoying dried mango.
Besides the food, Song Kang thought the streets of Manila were beautiful and enjoyed the Philippine weather. He shared it was the kind of weather he likes, cool and breezy. When the night came, during his Fun Meet, the warm cheers of
FOR years now, the Philippine music industry has been blessed with the nowiconic Wish Bus, a mobile FM radio booth on a bus. The innovation that took local pop culture by storm further leveled up with
Everyone includes Filipino artists in America, Pinoy hitmakers visiting the US, and even non-Filipino acts.
For that, it is worth mentioning that some world-famous foreign artists, all loved by Filipinos, have already got on board to perform. The Jets, which had five top 10 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100, expressed they thrillingly felt “butterflies in the stomach” perhaps due to “the proximity of the audience” and the intimacy of the atmosphere. Rick Price, the voice behind the 90s ballad “Heaven Knows,” dropped by on the day of his
Eron argued, “EZ Mil is a full package, young, good-looking, skillful, and has good content. You really have to present yourself properly kasi if you’re not ready, saying ‘yung slot.” According to Sonny, around 3,000 artists have already performed on Wish Bus USA. Not everyone gets published or uploaded on YouTube. So far, netizens can access 250 to 300 of the clips. Yet, such is the power of the Wish brand that being handed the moment to sit in front of a familiar mic with a headset is counted as a major highlight of an artist’s career.
In the USA, such an experience has even magnified the fact that you’re being watched by the L.A crowd and, chances are, you’re going to walk along Hollywood Boulevard after letting your heart out inside an RV (recreational vehicle). Wish Bus USA can park anywhere and serves as, in Sonny’s words, the “back and forth gateway for artists of any genre, any generation, and any race.”
The music scene in the US has really opened up and Wish Bus USA is a significant venue for Philippine tourism.
In June, it is joining the traditional Manhattan Parade to celebrate Philippine independence.
“We provide the opportunity to artists to reach more audiences, as well as fortify the presence of Fil-Am musicians in the US,” Sonny noted.
his Filipino fans would welcome him.
The ‘Nevertheless’ lead star couldn’t help but get emotional with the overwhelming support of his Filipino Songpyeons – his fan base name – as he watched a video tribute especially made for him during the ‘fun meet.’
“I really did not think I was going to cry. I am really surprised,” said Song Kang.
It’s the first time that the 28-year-old actor visited his fans in the Philippines.
“I am always thankful for all your support. I hope you can all be happy and you can all be healthy. I am so honored,” the South Korean actor added.
Song Kang also expressed his amusement at how famous he is outside South Korea after seeing them up close during his fan meeting.
“I gain so much strength and energy from all of you,” granted Song Kang.
What is a fan meet without interacting with fans portions where they could interact with the Korean star? Songpyeons enjoyed segments such as ‘The Kang-munication Tutorial’ where selected fans taught him some Filipino phrases, and ‘Kang I Call You?’ where they got a chance to have a phone call with Song Kang and ask for advice on their career, love, and life.
During the question and answer portion, Song Kang also received a request to show a sample of ballet dancing which he gladly granted. Song Kang learned how to dance ballet as a requirement for his series Navillera. He also brought his viral dance moves to Manila as he covered K-pop girl group New Jean’s’ “Hype Boy.” Song Kang’s meet-cute with his Filipino fans ended with his message wishing them to stay healthy for a long time.
Song Kang started his career in 2017 in the drama series The Liar and His Lover. He began making his name in the Korean drama world when he starred in Love Alarm, Sweet Home, Nevertheless, Forecasting Love and Weather, and his latest series, Navillera
GMA Masterclass: The Icons Series is back in featuring some of the biggest names in various industries, with GMA Network’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Lizelle Maralag gracing the event last March 3 in St. John Paul II College of Davao, Davao City, and last March 4 in Notre Dame of Dadiangas University, General Santos City.
Maralag shared with students and other participants the journey toward her passion for integrity as one of the respected icons in the marketing field. The event was also open to online participants. Last October 28, GMA’s CMO also led the first leg of the 2022 ‘The Icons Series’ at the University of San Jose Recoletos in Cebu City. The first Mindanao leg of the 2023 series last March 3 and 4 was joined by the equally respected First Vice President and Head of GMA Regional TV and Synergy, and Acting Head of GMA Integrated News Oliver Victor B. Amoroso, whose vision gave birth to the GMA Masterclass Series.
“The campaign for truth and education never stops for GMA Network. We are honored to have our very own Chief Marketing Officer Lizelle Maralag joining us in the continuation of our GMA Masterclass: The Icon Series Her experience and expertise has definitely inspired students and other participants to be the best in their respective fields,” says Amoroso.
“Through The Icon Series, we at GMA Regional TV and Synergy hope that we can spread the passion and inspiration to more Filipinos all over the Philippines by sharing
with them the insights from the country’s icons themselves,” the TV network executive adds.
GMA Regional TV Anchor and Senior Desk Editor Sarah Hilomen-Velasco and sportscaster Martin Javier hosted the Davao and General Santos legs. Successfully closing both events is Senior Assistant Vice President and Deputy Head for Regional TV Operations and concurrent Station Manager for Southern Mindanao Mariles G. Puentevella. Singer Hannah Prescillas also graced the event with a musical performance.
The GMA Masterclass: Icon Series is another initiative by GMA Regional TV and GMA Synergy, the same teams that produced the GMA Masterclass Series Launched in 2018, the GMA Masterclass Series aims to
THE Janine Gutierrez-led drama, Dirty Linen , is taking social media by storm as the trending revenge series raked in one billion total views across YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, iWantTFC, and Kapamilya Online Live.
in the USA came upon in 2017. Kuya Daniel, who conceptualized the beloved bus and whose authoritative voice we hear the famous “Wish 107.5” whisper, said he wanted it launched in Hollywood in four months’ time. He and his friend Sonny Cos, now Wish USA’s marketing manager, had to relocate from New York to L.A. Kasama na sa spiels ng tourist guides sa Hollywood ang Wish Bus,” Eron quipped, stressing that Wish as a platform for artists to let their acts be known is effective partly because it “welcomes everyone.”
flight back to Australia to sing. The Wish Bus USA went to the Northern part of L.A. to accommodate Simple Plan lead vocalist Pierre Charles Bouvier in performing their signature hit “Perfect,” as Stephen Speaks was also assured of a “passenger seat” to connect to his fans from the Philippines. Even Filipino band Sponge Cola hopped on the popular bus after their US tour. In 2021, Filipino-American rapper Ez Mil’s performance of the patriotic “Panalo” (Trap Carinosa) went viral and he became an overnight sensation.
After visiting the Wish USA office in North Hollywood, I found my way to Sunset Boulevard where I had the opportunity to get on the bus myself while the 95th Oscars was ongoing in the nearby Dolby Theatre.
Kuya Daniel’s concept began with a small wish that led to the creation of a radio station catering to everybody.
Wish FM literally moved and on its wheels, the Philippine music scene found a mouthpiece. Wish USA is therefore a testament that the magic did not stop there. It flew miles away to reach the glamorous Hollywood.
The series continues to be the talk of the town in the online world as it consistently trends on Twitter Philippines with netizens sharing their reactions to the powerful Fiero family’s intense confrontation scenes and the show’s shocking plot twists.
Dirty Linen is also currently among the top two TV shows on iWantTFC and has earned an all-time high of 141,957 live concurrent views on Kapamilya Online Live, as viewers watch how Alexa/Mila’s (Janine) twisted revenge tale takes a major turn with Mila taking advantage of her closeness to Aidan (Zanjoe Marudo), the Fieros’ ‘golden son,’ by
seducing him into her trap to bring down his family.
As the story continues this week, Alexa/Mila now has an upper hand against the Fieros since Carlos (John Arcilla) is hell-bent on uncovering his wife Leona’s (Janice de Belen) secret - an underground betting
provide students and professors with another venue for new learning and discourse on various local and national issues. It has been recognized as “The Most Development Oriented TV Plug” at the “Gandingan 2020: The 14th UPLB Isko’t Iska Multimedia Awards” and took home the second Excellence Award under Communication Training and Education Category at the 18th Philippine Quill Awards. The Icons Series, which began in November last year, is a continuation of the GMA Masterclass Series in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Awardwinning broadcast journalist Howie Severino conducted the second leg of the 2022 The Icons Series last November 12 at Naga College Foundation in Naga City. business that could further tarnish the family’s public reputation. Dirty Linen airs weeknights at 9:30 on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, iWantTFC, and Kapamilya Online Live on ABSCBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.
Throughout the concert, Harry keeps making his fans feel like they’re a part of the show rather than just being spectators
Harry is also a fashionforward risk-taker who’s not afraid to speak his mind
BRITISH singer Harry Styles has come to be known for his affinity of high-waisted trousers and shimmering tops. And living up to his nouveau glam-rock style, this 29-year-old fashion risk-taker greeted his thousands of fans who trooped to the Philippine Arena on Tuesday night in, well, his signature eclectic style. And the venue was filled with people in colorful outfits that very much resembled or were inspired by Harry Styles. The almost two-hour solo show brimming with visual and aural treats opened with “Music
for a Sushi Restaurant’’ – the first track in his Grammy award-winning album, Harry’s House Dressed in a sparkly blue and gold T-shirt with yellow piping, teal-gray leather trousers, and green sneakers, Styles greeted his adoring fans “Kamusta Philippines! Good evening, people of Manila, my name is Harry.”
With his guitar slung over his shoulder, the Brit star performed “Golden” and dished out his other hits “Fine Line,” “Adore You,” “Keep Driving,”
“Daylight,” and “Woman” in succession. Keeping his audience on their feet and making them feel that they were part of the show, not to mention making the massive venue look like a party venue, Styles repeatedly asked them to sing along. At one point during the main show, while scanning the crowd, Styles spotted
a couple with a hand-written sign that read: “Harry, my boyfriend said he’ll propose if you duet with him.”
“Are you ready to get married? Are you sure?”
Styles asked the couple and told the male fan that there was a microphone that he could use to sing with him. The British superstar then sang “Sign of the Times” with the fan and promised that he’d sing the full version later in the show.
“Our job tonight is going to be to try and entertain you, I give you my word. Your job this evening is to have as much fun as you possibly can. You can sing, you can dance. Please feel free to be whoever it is you always wanted to be in this room tonight,” he told the crowd, noting that it was his third time in the country, first was with One Direction, and his second was when he introduced himself to his Filipino fans as a solo artist.
Paying tribute to his former band, Styles sang “What Makes You Beautiful” prompting the entire arena to explode in deafening shrieks from solid Directioners. Prior to that, Styles paraded the stage with a Pride rainbow flag, thrown to the stage by a fan, before performing “Treat People
American actors Myha’la Herrold and Kieran Culkin, and UgandanBritish actor, singer, composer, and playwright Sheila Atim lead the campaign’s diverse cast on the streets of Los Angeles. Starring alongside are Indigenous American model, water protector, and climate advocate Cherokee Jack, American model Rebecca Longendyke, Chinese model Shu Pei, and South Korean model Xu Meen
Showing how inspiration can come from all places, whether the city streets, buildings, or the studio, Britishborn, Los Angeles-based photographer Glen Luchford captures the mood of the city in a sequence of captivating images.
An understated approach to luxury, the season’s ready-to-wear collection champions the perennial through fashion that lasts. Paying close attention to construction with an emphasis on shapes and form, tailoring is reinvented in light seasonal linen and seersucker, while soft leather jackets and structured trench coats elevate the every day, transitioning seamlessly to the evening. Broderie anglaise sits loosely on the body while handdrawn abstract florals adorn coordinating sets in fresh new colorways.
Harry spoils his Filipino fans with performances of his hit songs
with Kindness.”
The dynamic concert treated the crowd like spoiled brats with Styles dishing out all of his chart-topping hits including “Late Night Talking,” “Watermelon Sugar,” and “Love of My Life.”
Before leaving the stage and seeing his fans off, Styles enthralled the crowd with “Banana Song,” “As It Was,” and “Kiwi” in this LiveNation-presented musical event.
Sidelights
At the Smart booth in the Philippine Arena’s outdoor lobby, concertgoers got to win perks and prizes when they played and won in the Powered Up Quiz. Harry Styles’ fans got to take home photo prints showing their colorful outfits for free when they snapped photos and shared them on social media with the hashtags #LoveOnTourPH and #SmartLive.
Of course, Smart had charging stations on the 2nd and 4th floors of the Philippine Arena so that Smart subscribers had enough battery
Darren Espanto makes an appearance at Harry’s concert
power for their OOTD shots and concert videos. Smart brand ambassadors Belle Mariano and Donny Pangilinan were among those spotted posing for photos at the #SmartLive booth. Also in attendance were Darren Espanto, AC Bonifacio, and Jayda Avanzado
CELEBRATING the confidence that comes from walking your path with purpose, the COS Spring Summer 2023 campaign showcases versatility, embracing the fluidity of the everchanging season. Championing open thinking, the campaign sets out to challenge formed beliefs and encourages a positive perception of new views. Set against a richly textured cityscape backdrop, the campaign champions creative contrasts and drives inclusivity. Guyanese American rapper and singer SAINt JHN,
Craftsmanship is further explored this season through a selection of COS × Linda Farrow collaboration sunglasses. Styled by Suzanne Koller, effortless summer volumes and structured silhouettes are explored through considered transitional combinations. Bold green hues stand out against contemporary natural tones while refined craftsmanship and a circular approach are prominent.
South Korean girl group is Levi’s newest brand ambassadors
IN CELEBRATION of the 150th anniversary of Levi’s 501 jeans, one of the most enduring icons of global style and the original template from which all other jeans have descended, Levi’s brand has named NewJeans, the South Korean K-pop girl group, as its new global ambassadors. The year-long partnership – spanning Spring/Summer ‘23 and Autumn/Winter ‘23 – will include a new campaign featuring the brand as well as concerts and appearances.
NewJeans – an all-girl group featuring members Minji Hanni, Danielle Haerin and Hyein – has stolen the hearts of Gen-Z with its forward-thinking reimaginings of 2000s sounds seamlessly blended with K-pop.
After breaking out with the buzzy music video for its debut single “Attention,” NewJeans proceeded to challenge perceptions of their music with bold singles “Hype Boy” and “Cookie” from their self-titled debut EP. Its following singles, “Ditto” and “OMG” would enter the Billboard Hot 100 while further expanding its sound. In addition to its music, NewJeans has
earned fans worldwide for its innovative aesthetics. Known for their Y2K-inspired fashion mixed with modern trends, NewJeans have become idols for Gen-Z while demonstrating the influence of K-Pop on global fashion.
The group’s name, “NewJeans,” refers to their aspirations to become timeless icons of a new era, like jeans, that people never become tired of putting on. No jeans have been more timeless than Levi’s 501 Originals.
“NewJeans is a talented group that has looked to the past for inspiration while boldly blazing their own unique future in culture,” said Chris Jackman, Vice President of Global Brand Marketing at Levi’s. “As the group’s influence on the music industry and culture continues to grow, we’re excited to be a part of their journey and help NewJeans connect with fans globally in a fresh and authentic way.”
To kick off their partnership, Levi’s will be releasing a brand campaign featuring NewJeans that celebrates the group’s positive energy and each member’s unique personality all while wearing items from the upcoming Levi’s Spring/Summer 2023 collection.