Manila Standard - 2023 July 14 - Friday

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Darwin Amojelar

THE National Irrigation Administration

(NIA) said Thursday it is prepared for the El Niño phenomenon as its field office nationwide has action plans that include water delivery schedules, alternate wetting and drying technology, crop diver-

sification, and the use of early maturing drought-resistant crop varieties.

Meanwhile, day-long rains owing to the southwest monsoon led to flooding —and huge traffic jams—in portions of Metro Manila on Thursday.

The operator of the Skyway System apologized to motorists affected by the heavy flooding at the ground level of the

WATER CONTRAST

Long lines form on the southbound lane of the South Luzon Expressway as flooding in Bicutan, Paranaque stalled traffic on Thursday. Gutter-deep waters also plague a motorcycle rider in Manila after day-long rains–while ironically the water levels of Angat Dam, Ipo Dam, and Bustos Dam, all in the province of Bulacan, continue to drop (inset photos). Joan Bondoc, Danny Pata, and Norman Cruz

China rips ‘US-led’ SCS effort

Says rival 'roping in allies to gang up' on Beijing into accepting arbitral ruling

By Rey E. Requejo

CHINA on Wednesday accused the United States of masterminding efforts to rally countries against Beijing and instead support the 2016 decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that invalidated its expansive claims to the South China Sea and upheld Manila’s exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.

In a statement released by the Chinese Embassy in Manila, China accused the US of mobilizing countries to gang-up on

DOTR NIXES CLAIM IT FAILED TO HELP PUV DRIVERS

Beijing to pressure it into accepting the arbitral ruling.

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the

Philippines (AFP) on Thursday said it deployed additional assets to the Kalayaan Group of Islands in the West Philippine Sea amid continued Chinese incursions in the disputed waters.

Additional ships were deployed in the islands to hold sovereignty patrols, which AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said was part of the military's mission to "protect Filipinos and the state" together with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). Aguilar did not disclose how many assets were deployed but assured the AFP would devote more time to patrol wider

SolGen: ICC may indict gov’t execs in probe on drug war

By Rey E. Requejo

SOLICITOR General Menardo Guevarra

on Thursday said the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor could proceed with an indictment of certain individuals if there is sufficient evidence.

This was predicated, however, on the possibility that the appeals of the Philippines against a resumption of the ICC drug war probe are dismissed, Guevarra hinted.

Meanwhile, the ICC has set July 18 for the release of a ruling on the appeal of the Philippine

PBBM unveils ‘green lanes’ for investors

By Charles Dantes

government against its decision to allow the court’s prosecutor to proceed with the probe on the killings in the drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte and the so-called Davao Death Squad.

"If it is dismissed, the ICC prosecutor will be authorized to resume his investigation into the Philippine situation and he may indict certain individuals based on whatever evidence he may be able to gather," Guevarra said.

SC junks 3 petitions to invalidate IATF issuances during pandemic

SC’s en banc session on July 11, the high tribunal resolved to dismiss the petitions for violating the doctrine of the hierarchy of courts.

Guevarra made the statement as the ICC's appeals chamber is expected to is

is-

sue next week its decision on the Philippines' appeal. In a three-page order signed by Presiding Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, the appeals chamber said; "Judgment in

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday stressed the need for reforms to streamline the process of investing in the country and launched “green lanes” for investors to make that happen.

During the official launch and signing of Ex ecutive Order No. 18 in Pasay City, Mr. Marcos remarked that to create a conducive business en vironment, the government should fix its bureau cratic processes. “It is, indeed, long overdue to have reforms that will not only attract more investments into the country but will also create an environment conducive to business growth and develop ment,” the President said.

THE Supreme Court has junked three petitions seeking to declare as unconstitutional the various issuances on the COVID-19 pandemic by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), local government units, and other govern-

govern ment agencies. resolu

In a resolution adopted during the

It said the issues raised required determination “and adjudication of extremely technical and scientific facts that necessitates the conduct of full-blown proceedings before the court of first instance.”

The SC stressed that the petitions

‘Blasphemous’: Church, solons livid over video

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Catholic Church has slammed as “blasphemous and disrespectful” the use of Jesus Christ’s image and costume for entertainment purposes.

Lawmakers also joined the chorus in condemning the video of a certain Pura Luka Vega wearing clothes to depict Jesus Christ at a party while singing the punk rock version of “Ama Namin” or The Lord’s Prayer.

It went viral on social media, mustering millions of views in a country that is predominantly Catholic.

The country’s first transgender legislator, Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman, called

UN: PH still high on HIV/AIDS list

By Gabriellea B. Pariño

THE Philippines is among the top countries in the Asia Pacific where cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections have rebounded in the last year, according to global AIDS-prevention watchdog UNAIDS.

While cases of HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been declining in several countries, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines have been reported to have a rebound of cases, with key populations in the youth between ages 15 and 24 being the most vulnerable.

China...

From A1 areas in the West Philippine Sea, the part of the South China Sea in which the Philippines says it has sovereign rights, and that sovereignty patrols would be done more often.

On the 7th anniversary of Manila's win in its arbitration case against China, Beijing on Wednesday night said the US has been pushing more countries each year to commemorate the ruling.

"As the mastermind behind the South China Sea arbitration, the US ropes in allies to play up the issue each year on the anniversary of the illegal award to gang up against China and to exert pressure, and force China into accepting the award," the embassy statement said.

"We are firmly against this," it added.

China's remark came after a growing number of countries openly expressed support for the Philippines in the maritime row—a development welcomed by Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo.

Among those countries include the US, an ally of the Philippines; Japan, which also has disputes against China over the East China Sea; Australia, which shares the same waters with the Philippines and China; India, which shares a border with China; and the UK; France and other European nations.

On July 12, 2016, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled that China's "nine-dash line," which

SolGen:...

From A1 the above appeal will be delivered in open court on Tuesday, 18 July 2023 at 10h00."

Asked if Duterte and other officials of his administration may be among those who could be indicted, Guevarra said, "Anyone may be charged with enough evidence."

During the previous administration's controversial drug war, at least 6,200 suspects were allegedly killed in police operations based on government records. But human rights groups the actual death toll could be anywhere from 12,000 to 30,000.

However, Guevarra insisted that the country’s domestic institutions were "in-

NIA...

From A1

expressway in Bicutan, Paranaque City, resulting in heavy traffic.

A low-pressure area will bring more rain showers across the country until the weekend, according to the state weather bureau PAGASA.

By working together with other government agencies, NIA said, it remains confident that the country can overcome all the challenges that the El Niño phenomenon brings.

The NIA is also conducting preliminary activities, such as weekly monitoring of field conditions, including dam hydrological data and discharge; information, education, and communication activities; and adjustments to the planting calendar during the wet season and early planting during the dry season.

On the Bicutan flooding, Skyway O&M Corp. said in a statement: "Historically, this portion of the Skyway System

PBBM...

From A1

EO No. 18 creates “green lanes” in government offices to facilitate and expedite the processing of investments. (See related story in Business, Page A8— Editors) Issued on Feb. 23, 2023, the EO is part of the administration's eight-point agenda, which mandates all government offices, to expedite the processes involved in the issuance of permits, licenses, and certifications required to implement investments.

“I am confident that the green lanes will pave the way for the realization of many pledges that we have had—includ-

‘Blasphemous’:...

From A1 on fellow members of the LGBTQIA+ community to “umayos kayo” (fix yourselves), saying that her being

“To end the AIDS epidemic, we must significantly slow the stream of new infections. If we do not take decisive action, we are at risk of seeing a reversal of prevention gains,” said UNAIDS Asia Pacific Regional Director Eamonn Murphy in a press release. The slow progress in the prevention of

it cites as basis to claim the West Philippine Sea, a part of the bigger South China Sea, is contrary to the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

UNCLOS is an international agreement, which both the Philippines and China ratified, that establishes a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities.

In the same statement, China said it will "never accept any claim or action based on the award."

Arguing that its rights and interests in the South China Sea were "established in the long course of history," China said its claims "are solidly grounded in history and the law" and will not be affected by any award.

China then urged countries outside the region to respect its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.

It also called on them to "stop using the South China Sea issue to drive wedges among regional countries, and refrain from being a troublemaker to peace and stability in the South China Sea."

JAKARTA TALKS

Meanwhile, top US and Chinese diplomats will hold their second meeting in as many months on Thursday in Jakarta, seeking to manage tensions that risk flaring anew over alleged Chinese hacking.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Wang Yi, China's top foreign policy official, will meet on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations talks in the Indonesian capital, the State Department's public schedule showed.

The meeting is going ahead despite

vestigating and prosecuting the abuses" committed in the drug war.

"It will not change the fact that our own domestic institutions are investigating and prosecuting abuses committed in relation to the government's campaign against illegal drugs," said Guevarra, who also served as head of the Department of Justice under Duterte’s watch.

"We can discharge this responsibility with or without the ICC," he added.

Nonetheless, Guevarra expressed optimism that the Philippines has a "fair chance" of getting a favorable ruling.

Duterte pulled the Philippines out of the Hague-based tribunal in 2019 after it began a preliminary probe into his drug war, followed by the launch of a formal inquiry later that year.

The investigation was suspended in

has remained flood-free and we have consistently strived to maintain a smooth and reliable traffic flow for our valued users."

But over the past few months, the company said the rise in floodwaters at the carriageway has become evident.

"These incidents were primarily due to a drainage system problem outside of the Skyway system, which we traced in February this year, due to ongoing construction works in the area that are unrelated to our operations and outside our direct control," the Skyway operator said.

"Since then we have been in constant coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and other government and private sector stakeholders in the area to find a way to address the issue together," it added.

The company said it lent some of its equipment to help drain floodwater faster and deployed maintenance teams to siphon off water from the carriageway.(See full story online at manilastandard. net)

ing those that I have personally received while abroad—ensuring that they will bear fruit for our people and our nation,” Mr. Marcos said.

According to the EO, the Board of Investments should establish a One-StopAction-Center for Strategic Investments which will serve as a single point of entry for all projects qualified as Strategic Investments.

Mr. Marcos said that the creation of "green lanes" will also attract foreign investors into the country.

The green lanes will enable the electronic submission of applications for and the issuance of clearances, permits, payments, certifications, and among other documentary requirements. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

“offended” by the video was an understatement.

But the drag performer himself said that his performance as Jesus meant no disrespect.

"I’d like to stress that my drag performance as Jesus was not meant to disre-

the disease is attributed to the lack of fullscale HIV-prevention services as needed by key populations, including the young, and barriers presented by laws, stigma, and discrimination, according to the report by UNAIDS.

“Key priorities for the AIDS response in Asia and the Pacific include modernizing and scaling up HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and care services; leveraging innovative solutions such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and virtual interventions; removing barriers to access services; prioritizing key populations; pursuing equitable and sustainable HIV financing; implementing legal and policy reforms to create a more enabling

Microsoft saying two days earlier that Chinese hackers had breached US government email accounts, including those of the State Department.

The Jakarta talks come nearly a month after Blinken traveled to Beijing, the first visit by a US secretary of state in nearly five years, and met President Xi Jinping as well as Wang and Foreign Minister Qin Gang.

Wang, who leads the foreign affairs commission of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee, is representing China at the Jakarta talks among foreign ministers as Qin is ill, the foreign ministry in Beijing said.

Blinken's trip opened a flurry of diplomacy, with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visiting Beijing last week and a trip by climate envoy John Kerry set for the coming days.

But the United States has still not achieved its key goal of resuming dialogue with the Chinese military, seen as critical to avoiding worst-case scenarios.

Tensions between the world's two largest economies have soared in recent years over a host of issues including China's growing assertiveness in the region and sweeping restrictions imposed by the United States on exports of advanced semiconductors.

US officials fear China is readying plans to invade Taiwan, the self-governing democracy it claims, and want to preserve the status quo that has reigned, often uneasily, for nearly five decades.

Neither the United States nor China has predicted breakthroughs from the renewed diplomacy, but both have spoken

November 2019 after the Philippine government said it was re-examining several hundred cases of drug operations that led to deaths at the hands of the police, private hitmen, and vigilantes.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan had asked to restart the inquiry, saying the Philippine government had not provided evidence it was carrying out thorough inquiries.

The ICC authorized the reopening of the inquiry in January 2023.

In an appeals brief filed in March, the Philippine government sought a reversal of the decision of the ICC to reopen an inquiry.

Duterte, for his part, has continuously dismissed the ICC probe.

“On Tuesday, 18 July 2023, at 10:00

(The Hague local time), the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal

SC...

From A1 should have been filed first before the trial courts for proper proceedings.

Dismissed by the SC were the petitions filed by Jose C. Montemayor Jr. on Feb. 17, 2022; Passengers and Riders Organization (Pasahero) on Feb. 23, 2022; and Nicanor Jesus P. Perlas III on May 12, 2022.

In a statement, the SC Public Information Office said the petitioners “assailed the validity of several issuances by the IATF in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as those issued by local government units and government agencies."

They specifically cited IATF Resolution No. 148-B, 148-G, 149, 150, 155, 163, and 164; IATF Guidelines on Nationwide Implementation of Alert Level System for COVID-19 Response dated February 27, 2022; MMDA Resolution No. 22-01; DOTr D.O. No. 2022-001; DILG Memorandum Circular Nos. 2022-002

environment, reducing stigma and discrimination and empowering community leadership,” Murphy added.

Harry Prabowo, Programme Manager of the Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV also urged governments to support the key populations within their countries into recovering from AIDS.

The cases of HIV are projected to reach about 364,000 by 2030, according to the Department of Health (DOH). About 39 million people around the world live with HIV as recorded by UNAIDS in the previous year.

A total of 112,028 cases were recorded from 1984 to February 2023 by the Department of Health.

of making sure that disagreements do not lead to outright conflict.

Blinken spoke in unusually sanguine terms about China after his trip to Beijing, avoiding the Cold War-like talk of a longterm global confrontation with the rising Asian power that was popular under former president Donald Trump's administration.

"At least in the near term, maybe even in the lifetimes of most people in this room, I don't think (there is) a clear finish line," Blinken said of US goals in China during a recent appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

"This is more about getting to a place where we have peaceful and maybe somewhat more productive coexistence between us."

But incidents have repeatedly crept up to overshadow the relationship.

Microsoft this week said that a Chinese hacking group had gained access to nearly 25 organizations with the goal of espionage.

The State Department said it detected "anomalous activity" but stopped short of publicly blaming China, saying an investigation was underway.

Blinken's first plan to visit Beijing was scuttled in February after Washington said it detected a Chinese spy balloon over the mainland United States.

SCS TENSION

The South China Sea is set to be a major topic at the ASEAN talks in Jakarta, where Washington and Beijing will both take part in an 18-nation East Asia Summit with foreign ministers' on Friday. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Court (ICC) will deliver, in open Court, its judgment on the appeal of the Philippines Government against ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I’s authorization, pursuant to Article 18(2) of the Rome Statute, to resume the investigation of the Prosecutor,” the international tribunal said in a media advisory late Wednesday.

Five judges comprise the Appeals Chamber, namely Presiding Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, Judge Piotr Hofmański, Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza, Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa, and Judge Gocha Lordkipanidze.

The Philippine government appealed the decision of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber in January this year to allow the resumption of the probe. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

and 2022-008; LTFRB Memorandum Circular No. 2022-001; DepEd-DOH Joint Memorandum Circular No. 001, Series of 2022; DOH Department Circular No. 2022-0131; and Makati City Ordinance No. 2022-005.

Citing one of the assailed issuances, the PIO said that “IATF Resolution No. 148-B, requires all public and private establishments to require its eligible employees who are tasked to do on-site work to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or else subject themselves to RT-PCR testing every two weeks at their own expense, among others.”

It said the petitioners "collectively contended that the foregoing issuances trampled on their right to life and liberty without due process of law, constituted an impairment of their right to travel, as well as an infringement of the equal protection clause for applying only to those without access to private vehicles, and is discriminatory against the unvaccinated.” Rey E. Requejo (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

BLASPHEMOUS?

Drag performer Pura Luka

Vega, wearing a costume to depict Jesus Christ, is shown in this video grab of his performance of a punk rock version of the ‘Ama Namin’ or The Lord’s Prayer, which outraged Catholics after it went viral.

spect anyone. On the contrary, it is a drag art interpretation of worship," Vega said. "I was very intentional of using a specific song and the symbolism to relate the queer crowd with the intersection of queerness and religion," he explained.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri bewailed what he described as a “blasphemous and offensive" video showing people in a club making a mockery of the Christian faith and disrespecting The Lord’s Prayer. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Comelec flagged for P2.169b in cash advances

By Rio N. Araja

THE Commission on Audit has flagged the Commission on Elections for failure to liquidate P2.169 billion in cash advances on time, the bulk of which was issued in connection with the 2022 elections.

Based on their 2022 annual audit, state auditors said Comelec’s cash advances granted to accountable officers increased from P380 million to P2.089 billion in just a year.

COA said the amount was broken down into P1.9 billion given to Comelec Special Disbursing Officers (SDOs), and P188.9 million for Comelec officers and employees (OEs).

“The significant increase in the balance of the advances account from Dec. 31, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2022 totaling P1.708 million was due to the numerous cash advances granted to various accountable officers for the 2022 national and local elections activities and failure of the administrative orders to liquidate the same within the prescribed period,” COA said.

“Section 89 of Presidential Decree 1445 states that no cash advance shall be given unless for a legally authorized specific purpose. A cash advance shall be reported on and liquidated as soon as the purpose for which it was given has been served,” it added.

THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) on Thursday decried the recent circulation of screenshots on social media maliciously accusing the state casino regulator of plagiarizing the logo of a website called “Tripper”.

"The allegation made against PAGCOR is entirely false and driven bymalicious intent. Throughout its operations, PAGCOR has consistently upheld the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability. The agency remains dedicated to fostering a safe and thriving gaming industry in the country," it said.

The government firm said it is investigating the source "of thismalicious and baseless campaign and urges the public to exercise caution."

"At the outset, the website is lacking showing of credibility and in fact, bears resemblance to a phishing site," it added.

The agency urged everyone "to be vigilant and to obtain information from credible sources to combat the spread of false narratives and protect themselves from potential scams."

"PAGCOR remains dedicated to responsible gaming, regulation of the Philippine gaming industry, and nation-building," it added.

PAGCOR blasts plagiarism claims over new logo IN BRIEF

Boracay remains in travel list Top 10

BORACAY stayed in the Top 10 of the "Favorite Islands in the World 2023" list by Travel + Leisure Magazine.

The island ranked no. 10, alongside the likes of Australia's Great Barrier Reef Islands and Maldives— one place down from last year's list. Boracay scored 92.94 percent on the list based on a survey taken by the site's readers.

"The tiny island—just 4.5 miles long—is known as 'the island that never sleeps' for its parties and nightlife," the article said. "One T+L reader called the island 'the best leisure vacation destination.'"

MPD cops sacked for shop extortion

MANILA Police District chief Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon on Thursday ordered the relief of all his men assigned to the Police Intelligence Operations Unit after five of its men reportedly got involved in the extortion of a computer shop.

Dizon also formed a special team to conduct a manhunt operation against the five officers—Staff Sgt. Ryann Tagle Paculan; Staff Sgt. Jan Erwin Santiago Isaac; Cpl. Jonmark Gonzales Dabucol; Pat. Jeremiah Sesma Pascual, and Pat. Jhon Lester Reyes Pagar.

A civilian, who was in cahoots with the five accused officers, was also the target of the manhunt.

A computer shop owner in Sampaloc, Manila claimed the five men, who introduced themselves as police officers, went to his establishment claiming they were conducting an anti-gambling operation. Joel E. Zurbano

Strengthening the Filipino spirit

By Patricia Taculao

FAITH is beautifully interwoven within Filipinos’ way of life. It has shaped our culture and traditions, explaining why the nation continues to find solace and a community under the roof of churches.

This sense of community and faith keeps local churches striving to adapt to modern times and guide individuals who have heard the calling to serve in the house of God. Such dedication has spurred the support of people who share the same ideals, like Felicidad T. Sy.

Fondly known as Nanang in the SM community, Sy is the better half of the late Henry Sy. Her unwavering dedication to the Catholic faith resulted in the establishment of the Felicidad T. Sy Foundation Inc. (FTSFI), an affiliate of the SM Foundation.

Since its inception, the FTSFI has promoted Catholic living by supporting church activities and charitable institutions in the Philippines. Its projects include restoring and building Catholic churches throughout the Philippines and providing SM employees with spiritual development programs. FTSFI

also enabled church leaders and ministers to spread social good through spiritual wellness and the promotion of culture through special assignments.

According to Imelda Elido, who works at the helm of FTSFI, the foundation has erected and maintains eight churches and chapels across the Philippines, namely the Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord in SM Megamall, San Pedro Calungsod in SM Aura, Shrine of Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life beside the SMX Convention Center, San Pedro Calungsod Church in Cebu City, Mary the Queen Chapel in Jaro, Iloilo, and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in General Uno, Cavite City.

Recent additions include Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary chapels in SM North EDSA, SM Grand Central, and SM Makati, as well as the Holy Family of Nazareth Chapel at the NU Nazareth campus and the Cross Tower in Cebu.

FTSFI’s mass wedding, or kasalang bayan, has joined over 100 couples in holy matrimony since 2013. It also set to host another mass wedding in October 2023. It meanwhile helped in holding the Sacrament of Confirmation for over 100 individuals.

The foundation has also held spiritual recollections, lector’s formations and renewal, and various learning sessions on sacristy upkeep and flower arrangement, among others, for

more than 2,000 participants.

To spiritually nourish Filipinos’ faith in God despite indoor confinement, the FTSFI held televised masses at the Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord at SM Megamall, reaching about 35 countries. Elido added that they aim to hold spiritual development programs, including a mass wedding at the Archdiocesan Shrine of

Jesus the Way, the Truth, and the Life, beside the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City this year. Through its unwavering devotion, FTSFI continues to aspire to help Filipinos enrich their spiritual wellness and live out their faith to contribute to building a more inclusive and compassionate society, one that reflects the values inherent in the Catholic faith.

FTSFI supports several churches, including the Archdiocesan Shrine of Jesus the Way, the Truth, and the Life in the MOA Complex

The Sy matriarch, Felicidad Sy, and SM Prime’s Mr. Hans Sy at the Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod at the SM Seaside Complex

Sr.

M. Cecilia Payawal and Sr.M. Ruth Nardo lead the floral arrangement arranged by FTSFI.

Altar servers at the Chapel of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in SM Grand Central prepare before the mass.

The Felicidad T. Sy Foundation has united 100 couples in holy matrimony since its inception in 2013.

FTSFI has assisted the National Shrine of Saint Michael and the Archangels in holding the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Annulling a final and executory judgment

A JUDGMENT attains finality after the expiration of the period to file a motion for reconsideration or an appeal.

It also becomes final and executory if there is no other legal remedy available to the losing party after the judgment is rendered by the Supreme Court or if the latter denies a motion for reconsideration.

“The doctrine of finality of judgment is grounded on fundamental considerations of public policy and sound practice that at the risk of occasional errors, the judgment of adjudicating bodies must become final and executory on some definite day fixed by law” (One Shipping Corporation v. Penafiel, G.R. 192406, January 21, 2015). A judgment attaining finality therefore becomes immutable and unalterable.

“This quality of immutability precludes the modification of a final judgment, even if the modification is meant to correct erroneous conclusions of fact and law” (G.R. 192406, January 21, 2015).

“The only exceptions to the rule on the immutability of final judgments are (1) the correction of clerical errors, (2) the so-called nunc pro tunc entries which cause no prejudice to any party, and (3) void judgments” (G.R. 192406, January 21, 2015).

The exceptions are concerned only with corrections on the original judgment or in declaring a judgment void.

What are the legal remedies of an aggrieved party from a judgment that has attained finality? These include a petition for relief from judgment or a petition for annulment of judgment under Rule 38 and Rule 47, respectively, of the Rules of Civil Procedure.

The petition for relief from judgment will be discussed by this author in a different article.

The case of Macabingkil v. People’s Homesite and Housing Corporation provided for a third remedy which is “either a direct action, as certiorari, or by collateral attack against the challenged judgment (which) is void upon its face, or that the nullity of the judgment is apparent by virtue of its own recitals” (cited in Arcelona, et al. v. Court of Appeals, et al., G.R. 102900, October 2, 1997).

Lawyers are cautioned that certiorari is not a remedy for a lost appeal.

An annulment of judgment is “a remedy in equity… [available] only when other remedies are wanting, and only if the judgment… sought to be annulled was rendered by a court lacking [in] jurisdiction or through extrinsic fraud” (Pinausukan Seafood House v. Far East Bank & Trust Company, G.R. 159926, January 20, 2014).

“Lack of jurisdiction on the part of the trial court in rendering the judgment or final order is either lack of jurisdiction over the subject matter or nature of the action, or lack of jurisdiction over the person of the petitioner. The former is a matter of substantive law because statutory law defines the jurisdiction of the courts… [while]… [t]he latter is a matter of procedural law, for it involves the service of summons or other process on the petitioner” (G.R. 159926, January 20, 2014).

“A judgment or final order issued by the trial court without jurisdiction over the subject matter or nature of the action is always void… [b]ut the defect of lack of jurisdiction over the person, being a matter of procedural law, may be waived by the party concerned either expressly or impliedly” (G.R. 159926, January 20, 2014).

“Fraud is extrinsic… where the unsuccessful party has been prevented from exhibiting fully his case, by fraud or deception practiced on him by his opponent, as by keeping him away from court, a false promise of a compromise; or where the defendant never had knowledge of the suit, being kept in ignorance by the acts of the plaintiff; or where an attorney fraudulently or without authority connives at his defeat…” (G.R. 159926, January 20, 2014).

“The overriding consideration when extrinsic fraud is alleged is that the fraudulent scheme of the prevailing litigant prevented the petitioner from having his day in court. Nonetheless, extrinsic fraud shall not be a valid ground if it was availed of, or could have been availed of, in a motion for new trial or petition for relief” (G.R. 159926, January 20, 2014).

“In Arcelona v. Court of Appeals, this Court

El Niño’s threat

SHOULD we be afraid of the threat posed by the El Niño weather phenomenon?

Not at all, because the government is already preparing to deal with its adverse impact.

Here’s what will happen: El Niño or the unusual warming of the ocean surface in the central and eastern tropical Pacific, could trigger disruptions in local weather patterns.

During El Niño, winds blowing west along the equator slow down, and warm water is pushed east, creating warmer surface ocean temperatures.

The phenomenon occurs on average every two to seven years, and can last nine to 12 months, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Earlier this month, state meteorologists officially declared the onset of El Niño. This came after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) observed that in the past three months there has been an ongoing El Niño in the tropical Pacific, and its effects starting to be felt in the country.

It is likely to persist until the first quarter of 2024.

According to the weather agency, El Niño increases the prospect of below-normal rainfall conditions that could bring negative impacts

such as “dry spells” (periods of dry days) or droughts in some parts of the Philippines.

But between now and December, Pagasa expects at least 10 to 14 tropical cyclones to affect the country.

The agency has urged the public to brace primarily for lesser rains during El Niño, which could impact the country’s water supply and affect areas that are dependent on hydrological energy.

The country faces the risk of reduced agricultural output and hampered business operations from the double whammy of dry conditions and more typhoons from El Niño

Higher temperatures and extreme weather events are also more likely during this period, which could escalate risk of infectious diseases, floods, and droughts.

SC slams lapses in big drug case

THE Supreme Court is often called the ‘court of last resort.’

That’s because its decisions are not subject to further review by any other court. Its decisions in most cases may be generally hailed by the public as truly serving the ends of justice, but may raise eyebrows in others, particularly when it acquits those charged with serious crimes based on legal technicalities.

declared that a final and executory judgment may still be set aside if, upon mere inspection thereof, its patent nullity can be shown for having been issued without jurisdiction or for lack of due process of law” (Diona v. Balangue, et al., G.R. 173559, January 7, 2013).

“The action, if based on extrinsic fraud, must be filed within four years from the discovery of the extrinsic fraud; and if based on lack of jurisdiction, must be brought before it is barred by laches or estoppel” (G.R. 159926, January 20, 2014).

The remedy of annulment of judgment “is available only when the petitioner can no longer resort to the ordinary remedies of new trial, appeal, petition for relief or other appropriate remedies through no fault of the petitioner.

This means the remedy, although seen as ‘a last remedy,’ is not an alternative to the ordinary remedies of new trial, appeal and petition for relief”

G.R. 159926, January 20, 2014).

In the case of Pinausukan Seafood House v. Far East Bank & Trust Company, the counsels of the parties failed to attend a court hearing despite a previous agreement to do so.

As a result, the Regional Trial Court dismissed the case for failure to prosecute, and the dismissal of which attained finality (G.R. 159926, January 20, 2014).

Claiming surprise over the turn of events, Pinausukan inquired with the RTC and learned that its counsel of record had not informed it about the order of dismissal.

Pinausukan brought the petition for annulment to the Court of Appeals, seeking the nullification of the order of dismissal.

“The substantive defect related to the supposed neglect of the counsel of record to keep track of the case, and [of] his failure to apprise Pinausukan of the developments in the case… [was] not accept[ed] [by the CA] as constituting extrinsic fraud because… what is involved is mistake and gross negligence of Pinausukan’s own counsel” (G.R. 159926, January 20, 2014). Full text at www.manilastandard.net

The High Tribunal did raise not a few quizzical looks when it recently exonerated six accused in a P1-billion drug case.

Charged in the case were five Chinese nationals and a Filipino. They were arrested by an Anti-Illegal Drug Special Task Force of the Philippine National Police during an entrapment operation in Binondo, Manila in November 2003.

The head of the police unit, a captain, said the Chinese allegedly attempted to bribe them with 10 kilos of shabu in exchange for their release.

To catch the big fish, he said they tailed the suspects’ vehicle set to deliver the drugs.

The Filipino suspect, Robert Uy, was nabbed after he drove the car carrying the shabu bribe on Nov. 10, 2003.

Police said they discovered over 230 kilos of shabu in a warehouse in Valenzuela where Uy allegedly picked up the contraband.

The Valenzuela City Regional Trial Court sentenced Uy to life in prison for trafficking and possession of drugs. One of the Chinese suspects, Willie Gan, was meted out 12 years in prison and fined P300,000.

The court dismissed the charges filed against the other Chinese after granting a demurrer and for failure of the prosecution to prove that they participated in the bribe. Uy sought the ruling’s reversal before the SC, which affirmed the 2014 decision of the Valenzuela RTC.

On appeal, the SC found irregularities in the case and exonerated Uy, saying the prosecution failed to establish that he possessed the drugs recovered from the warehouse.

The SC said Uy should be acquitted of both charges filed against him for failure of the prosecutors to establish corpus delicti or body of the crime due to lack of evidence to show the arresting police officers complied with the statutory requirements of Republic Act 9165 or

the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

The police, according to the Supreme Court, also failed to follow the chain of custody rule.

The SC noted the prosecution did not offer any excuse for the absence of the DOJ representative during the anti-narcotics operation.

Even if Gan did not appeal his sentence, the SC extended Uy’s acquittal to him as the same evidence was used against him.

And here’s the rub.

Clearly the High Tribunal went over the case with a fine-toothed comb and found serious lapses in the way the police, prosecutors and judges handled it

The blame, the SC said, lies with the law enforcers and prosecutors.

“It is truly regrettable that the court must acquit accused-appellant in the instant case and extend such acquittal to Gan. The law enforcement agents and the prosecution must exercise more prudence in their compliance with the law,” the SC said.

The SC also ruled the Valenzuela RTC committed errors in handling the case.

“The law enforcement agents and the prosecution must exercise more prudence and care in their compliance with the requirements of Sec. 21 of R.A. 9165 (or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002),” the Court said.

“Even more reprehensible is the error committed by the RTC in the penalty imposed upon Willie Gan and accused-appellant for violation of RA No. 9165,” the SC said, noting the law provides a penalty of life imprisonment to death and a fine ranging from P500,000 to P10 million where the shabu or other dangerous drugs possessed is 50 grams or more.

AdvaBased on five occurrences of “severe” El Niño since the 1990s, rice production in the Philippines was one of the worst-hit in Asia whenever the climate phenomenon hits overdrive.

Severe El Niños were recorded in 1991 to 1992, 2002 to 2003, 2003 to 2004, 2009 to 2010 and 2015 to 2016. The most recent severe El Niño was considered as one of the worst in recorded history and, during that time, rice production in the Philippines was 10 percent below the average annual output.

The Water Resources Management Office will soon issue its recommendations to address the effects of the El Niño phenomenon in the country.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is also preparing a plan to make public what needs to be done, according to President Marcos Jr. Other agencies involved in the mitigation of the expected effects of El Niño are the Public Works and Agriculture departments.

The country faces the risk of reduced agricultural output and hampered business operations from the double whammy of dry conditions and more typhoons from El Niño.

But economists believe the Philippines can still maintain their growth forecast of 6.2 percent in 2023 and 6.5 percent in 2024. If the numbers are unchanged from the forecast made last April, then we can very well overcome the weather phenomenon’s illeffects.

THE public call for the immediate resignation of NBI Director Medardo De Lemos is mounting.

Last June 30, the NBI held an official “command” conference at the plush Manila Diamond Hotel in Ermita, Manila with top NBI national and regional officials in attendance.

The entertainment fare of the conference consisted of a sexy and provocative dance number performed by several nearly naked women. That lewd dancing incident seemed to go well with the NBI, until a videogram of it went viral online. The exposé created quite a backlash against the NBI in terms of public opinion. Soon thereafter, De Lemos made a public apology, but he apparently downplayed the scandal.

In particular, De Lemos apologized for “any offense caused, particularly to women.” He added the dance number was merely a part of a “fellowship” activity where re-

gional and national officers of the NBI can simply “bond” together. Observers in the social media found De Lemos’ apology superficial and equivocal. They want De Lemos to resign his post.

First, by apologizing for “any offense caused, particularly to women,” De Lemos seems to have impliedly denied the lewd dance number was offensive. They view De Lemos’ apology as a denial made to sound like an apology.

Second, De Lemos’ apology seems to dismiss the magnitude of the entire scandal by saying the lewd dance number is not objectionable because it was just a part of a “fellowship” activity where top NBI officials can “bond.”

To the observers on social media, what De Lemos meant to convey is that having many almost naked women dance provocatively in front of top NBI officials as the entertainment fare of an official NBI “command” conference is totally acceptable simply because it created an opportunity for NBI top brass to bond together.

For the observers, De Lemos’ apology and justifications stink. Accompanying the De Lemos apology is his denial that public funds were spent to

finance the conference and the dance number. He said the expenses for the conference were covered through contributions from NBI officials and agents. To the angry public, De Lemos’ excuses only magnify the extent of the scandal.

First, it is absurd that an official “command” conference of the NBI was actually paid for with personal contributions from top NBI officials and agents.

Official conferences of government agencies are never paid for by personal contributions from the agencies’ personnel.

Second, even assuming the “command” conference was paid for by personal contributions from top NBI officials and agents, that arrangement is not a license for the NBI to include a lewd dance number in its entertainment fare.

In the opinion of the critics, De Lemos seems to have the mindset that if an activity is paid for by “private funds,” it is totally acceptable for the activity to include a provocative dance number performed by several nearly naked women.

The critics maintain a respectable NBI director should never have that kind of mindset.

Accordingly, they insist De Lemos should resign his post immediately, and that as long as De Lemos remains as NBI director, the word “integrity” in the official NBI seal should be erased.

Gabriela partylist Representative Arlene Brosas says the scandalous NBI conference treated women as sex objects, and De Lemos may be held liable for violating Republic Act 6713, or the Code of Conduct for Public Officials and Employees.

An online writer revealed De Lemos claims that had he (De Lemos) been at the conference, he would have most probably stopped the lewd show.

The online writer does not believe De Lemos’ claim, and likens him instead to Pontius Pilate, who washed his hands from any involvement in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

In reprimanding the police authorities, prosecutors and the RTC judge, and CA magistrates who handled the case of Uy, the SC said any failure on their part would likely result in an acquittal.

According to the Court, there were material gaps in the links of the chain of custody for the items seized on Nov. 10 and 11, 2003.

The Court noted that another officer apart from the seizing officer marked the carton box and five plastic bags that contained the drugs. It said there was also no inventory receipt provided.

“While photographs of the carton box and the five plastic bags of shabu were offered in evidence, it is unclear if these photographs were taken at the place of seizure or, if not applicable, at the nearest police station or at the nearest office of the apprehending officer or team,” the Court said.

The SC ruled the case revealed the “law enforcement agents’ complete ignorance of the requirements of Sec. 21 of R.A. 9165.”

“This ignorance extends to the prosecution because the records are woefully bereft of any attempt on its part to even invoke justifiable circumstances to excuse the failure of the law enforcement agents to even attempt to comply with the mandatory requirements of Sec. 21 of R.A. 9165. The utter disregard for the law demonstrated by these actors is reprehensible,” the Court said.

Following the Supreme Court decision, the Department of Justice said it would probe the prosecutors who bungled a P1-billion drug case in 2003 and implement measures to achieve higher conviction rates.

The agency said the blunder should be a reminder for state prosecutors to comply with the chain of custody rule to prevent acquittals of drug traffickers.

Clearly the High Tribunal went over the case with a fine-toothed comb and found serious lapses in the way the police, prosecutors and judges handled it. It should serve as a timely reminder for them to do their jobs better in the future.

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

Many observers agree with the online writer.

For them, it is inconceivable how and why De Lemos, as NBI chief, would not be present at an official “command” conference of the NBI.

The adjective “command” already indicates the conference must have been called under the authority of De Lemos himself.

Other observers called out that this lewd dance number scandal is just another of many controversies marking De Lemos’ one-year stint as NBI chief.

The news media reported that last June 20, six NBI personnel escorted Jose Dera out of the NBI facility in Manila, where he is detained on narcotics raps, for a clandestine date with a lady friend in a restaurant in Makati City.

Critics say an anomaly of that extent is certainly a reflection of the objectionable way De Lemos runs the NBI.

Indeed, the mounting public clamor for De Lemos’ resignation as NBI director erodes the public image of the NBI.

Observers stress the only honorable option for De Lemos is to spare the NBI any further discredit by resigning his post immediately.

DOTr dismisses transport group’s claims it failed to aid PUV drivers

By Darwin G. Amojelar and Rio N. Araja

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Thursday refuted the claims of transport group Malayang Alyansa ng Bus Employees at Laborers (MANIBELA) that the agency failed to address the various concerns of public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators.

“DOTr, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and Office of Transportation Cooperatives (OTC) have been in the past many weeks engaged in consultations with our PUV drivers and operators regarding their concerns such as

the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP),” the Transport agency said.

According to the DOTr, the LTFRB has always been fair in implementing its mandate based on the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines (OFG) either to corporations or cooperatives.

The LTFRB also appealed to MANIBELA to cancel its planned three-day transport strike to coincide with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) on July 24.

“We urge them not to push through with the strike since this is not all about the modernization (program) and the affected stakeholders,” board member Mercy Jane Paras-Leynes said.

“The most important consideration is the welfare of the riding public because they will be most affected here,” she added.

MANIBELA president Mar Valbuena threatened to stage a three-day strike from July 24 to July 26 to disrupt public transport after failure to meet DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista and LTFRB

DOH planning

PH-wide breast cancer

screening

By Gabriellea B. Pariño

chairman Teofilo Guadiz III in a dialogue to resolve the phaseout of the old jeepneys.

MANIBELA, which has around 3,000 members, said groups from other provinces have expressed interest in joining the transport holiday on July 24 to July 26.

Paras-Leynes said that the agency is coordinating with its regional counterparts to validate the possible participants to the planned strike in their areas.

Transport groups earlier said they are planning a three-day transport strike to coincide with President Marcos’ SONA.

Mr. Marcos will deliver his second SONA on July 24, a Monday.

GRADUATION SCENES.

A girl cries into the shoulders of her classmate as more than 400 Grade 6 students of Rafael Palma Elementary School in Manila graduated from elementary school on Thursday. Despite a  continuous downpour, graduating high school students and their parents line up at the entrance of the Batasan Hills National School in Quezon City (inset).

THE Department of Health (DOH)

will look to adopt organized screening for breast cancer in communities as more and more Filipino women succumb to the disease every day.

Breast cancer remains the top cause of death in Filipino women, the DOH said.

In a round table talk, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire discussed the department’s plans to incorporate organized screening in the country as part of the government’s universal healthcare plan.

“Organized screening would really be the key and I agree very much to that, because as part of the Department of Health, we are really for the prevention side of things. Now with this primary healthcare, meron po talaga tayong dapat gawin when it comes to breast cancer,” Vergeire said.

About 3 in every 100 women in the country are diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. There are also 27,000 new cases of breast cancer reported every year, according to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).

Vergeire pointed out that health literacy remains a problem among Filipinos which can become a barrier for cancer treatment and screening.

“No matter how much you tell the patients in the community, they will not agree to self-testing or screening for breast cancer. There should always be guidance for self-examination,” she added.

The official also said that she will be pushing for organized screening to help more women understand the importance of getting screened during the probable early stages of cancer.

The DOH estimates that around 70 to 80 percent of women go to cancer centers because they already feel or see symptoms of the disease among themselves.

DFA: 30 Pinoys’ repatriation from war-torn Sudan delayed by Hajj Private schools file

THE largest private school groups in the Philippines have issued an open letter to legislators appealing for the reconsideration of the passage of Senate Bill 1359 or the No Permit, No Exam (NPNE) Prohibition Act, which was approved on third reading on March 20, 2023.

The open letter was signed by the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU), Philippine Association of Private Schools, Colleges, and Universities (PAPSCU), Association of Christian Schools, Colleges, and Universities (ACSCU), and Unified TVET of the Philippines, Inc (UniTVET).

In the letter, the private schools reiterated the dangers that prohibiting “No Permit, No Exam” policies will cause, including forcing many private schools to close down.

“Prohibiting No Permit, No Exam (NPNE) policies will thus endanger the sustainability of private schools. Schools will not have a steady cash flow, because the incentive to pay on time is removed, and parents and students will have the option to delay payment. Simulations show that private schools will run out of operating cash after just over two months, after which they will need to find other sources of financing (e.g., loans) or delay payment of operational expenses (e.g., salaries),” the private schools stated.

‘Include

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said some 30 Filipinos awaiting repatriation to the Philippines are currently stuck at the Port of Sudan as flights became unavailable due to the Hajj pilgrimage.

DFA Assistant Secretary Paul Cortes said that there are still some 150 Filipinos in conflict-torn Sudan, while 30–around

IN BRIEF

REP. Ray T. Reyes of Anakalusugan party-list group and chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Health is supporting the inclusion of psoriasis in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) coverage.

“The world looks to follow the Philippines’ template on, and its progress in, ongoing legislative efforts toward the inclusion of psoriasis in free primary health care as interest from other countries gains ground,” Reyes said.

Reyes made the statement upon his return to the country after serving as a panelist in the recently concluded International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA) Forum held in Singapore.

Reyes also cited the Philippine legislative experience of introducing a Psoriasis Bill and its importance on the future of people afflicted with psoriasis, and how it contributed to strengthening primary care and health reform by way of its inclusion in covered afflictions under the UHC Law.

“Psoriasis is a lifelong autoimmune disease that has no cure yet and affects the quality of life of hundreds of thousands of Filipinos nationwide. It is painful, chronic, and leaves them prone to worse medical conditions, including psoriatic arthritis, cardiometabolic syndrome, and depression,” the lawmaker said.Maricel V. Cruz

BOC agents intercept P22m worth of ‘kush’

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized nearly P22 million worth of smuggled ‘Kush’ marijuana and cigarettes in separate operations in Clark, Pampanga, and Davao.

Customs examiners found 2,318 grams of the high-grade marijuana worth P3,824,700 inside pieces of furniture. The shipment came from Bangkok, Thailand and was declared as “furniture.”

20 adults and nine children—are at the Port of Sudan, from where they would take a plane going to either Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, or Doha, Qatar.

“We are having a hard time finding flights for them because, as you know, it’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi, especially in Jeddah, which is near Mecca),” the DFA official said.

“Almost all of our countrymen who want to leave and pass through Saudi are

Joy vows to stop fraudulent PWD claims

QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Thursday vowed to go after fraudulent persons with disability (PWD) claims to ensure that assistance and support reach those who genuinely need it. She said the Persons with Disability Affairs Office has implemented rigorous verification processes to identify and eliminate individuals falsely claiming to have a disability to be included in the list of registered PWDs.

“The improper use of PWD IDs to obtain discounts, by individuals who are not legitimate PWDs is completely unacceptable. To address this issue, we have implemented an automated registration system which makes the process more efficient and secure,” she added.

The new PWD ID registration system uses the online portal QC E-Services, where applicants must submit necessary documents as proof of their disability.

The automated process has eliminated the need for in-person transactions, removing opportunities for patronage or the involvement of fixers, the city mayor cited. Before the COVID-19-19 pandemic, the number of PWD identification holders in Quezon City stood at around 78,000.Rio N. Araja

having a hard time because there are no available flights because there are many people now in Jeddah and Mecca,” he added. Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca, the holiest city for Muslims. If they can, adult Muslims must make the pilgrimage at least once in their lives.

Cortes said they meant to book one flight for all Filipinos who want to leave, but this would still depend on the avail-

ability of flights.

According to him, there is also another “challenge” facing the Philippines in repatriating the remaining Filipinos in Sudan.

“There is also a slight challenge because we need to ask entry visas from Saudi or Qatar for our countrymen so they can pass through those countries where they will get flights to the Philippines,” he said.

High Court starts beefing up personnel for online, regional Bar exams in Sept.

THE Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday started recruiting lawyers and judiciary employees to serve as local personnel in the 2023 online and regionalized Bar examinations set on Sept. 17, 20, and 24 in 14 testing centers nationwide.

In a notice issued by Office of the Bar Confidant Officer-in-Charge Amor P. Entila, the applications will be accepted by the SC until July 20.

The local personnel for the Bar exams will serve as floor supervisors, head proctors, proctors, and runners

Qualifications for the posts are— lawyer in good standing outside of the judiciary, or an incumbent Judiciary employee, including those with permanent, coterminous, and casual status; fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and has received at least one booster dose at the time of application; not teaching in any law school or law review center; has a Landbank of the Philippines account in one’s own

name; and has no relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity who will take the 2023 Bar exams in the same local testing center where the personnel will serve.

The SC said “to sufficiently equip all local personnel with the knowledge necessary to assist and aid the examinees in the upcoming Bar examinations, they will be required to attend online training sessions, which may be scheduled outside of official office hours.”

Lawyers and judiciary employees may apply online through https://bit.ly/ B2023LocalPersonnelNCR for the National Capital Region (NCR); https://.ly/ B2023LocalPersonnelLUZ for Luzon; https://.ly/B2023LocalPersonnelVIZ for the Visayas; and https://.ly/B2023LocalPersonnelMIN for Mindanao.

The SC also said that applicants may apply to serve only in the area where they are currently residing. Rey E. Requejo

Norman Cruz and Manny Palmero

CHECKMATE. Agents of the Bureau of Customs - Port of Clark, under the leadership of District Collector, Atty. Ricardo Uy Morales II, CESE, found 2,318 grams of high-grade kush marijuana worth P3,824,700.00 inside chess pieces of furniture on July 11. BOC Photo ‘NO’ TO NUCLEAR WASTE. A member of the United Filipino Consumers and Commuters stands in front of the Japanese embassy in Pasay City to protest the plans of the Japanese government to dump nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean from

nuclear plant in Fukushima. Danny Pata

The bureau’s X-ray Inspection Project (XIP) personnel flagged the shipment after suspicious images were observed and later detected by K9 dogs, confirming the presence of dangerous drugs.

The customs examiner opened the shipment and discovered 56 packs of dried leaves and buds hidden inside large black chess pieces such as the King, Queen, Bishop, Rook, Knight, and Pawn.

Meanwhile, joint Customs and Philippine Navy operatives seized illegally imported cigarettes worth P18.25 Million during a joint maritime patrol in the vicinity of Brgy. Camudmud, Island Garden City of Samal, Davao province.Vito Barcelo

MTRCB panel told to resign for approving ‘Barbie’ filming

By Maricel V. Cruz

CAGAYAN de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Thursday called for the resignation of members of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) “for failing to support and uphold our national interest.”

Rodriguez made the call following MRTCB’s decision to allow the commercial release of the movie “Barbie” starting July 19.

The film reportedly contains a depiction or reference to China’s expansive nine-dash-line territorial claim over the South China Sea, including parts of the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Rodriguez aired his call a day after the seventh anniversary of the country’s historic victory in the United Nationsbacked Permanent Court of Arbitration, which invalidated Beijing’s assertion of its extended maritime domain.

The court also ruled that some islands in the South China Sea occupied by China belonged to the Philippines as they were inside the latter’s EEZ.

“I am dismayed and disappointed by MRTCB’s decision. The inclusion in the movie of China’s illegal nine-dash-line claim is against our national interest, which the board apparently does not appreciate. Those officials should not stay in government any minute longer,” Rodriguez stressed.

He said the MRTCB members’ vote to allow the commercial showing of the controversial movie “embarrasses and demeans the country and the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. before the international community.”

“I have no doubt that President BBM Jr. (Marcos) supports the July 12, 2016 arbitral ruling. He has repeatedly stated so. We should be the first country and people to assert it and to insist that China complies with it because it was our victory in the international tribunal,” he said.

The Mindanao solon added that it was ironic that Vietnam has banned “Barbie” for its “dubious content while the MTRC obviously wants to promote Beijing’s baseless expansive territorial claim in the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea.”

GEARING UP FOR CROWD CONTROL.

Operatives of the Quezon City Police District practice their crowd control techniques at Camp Karingal in Quezon City in preparation for the Civil Disturbance Management competition this month at the National Capital Region Police O ce grounds in Taguig City. Joan Bondoc

PAO vows to abide by SC decision on CPRA ‘conflict of interest’ issue

By Rio N. Araja

THE Public Attorney’s Offi ce on Thursday vowed to adhere with the Supreme Court (SC) resolution allowing two public defenders to represent the accused and the complainant in one and the same case.

PAO chief Persida Acosta advised all regional public attorneys to respect the High Court’s resolution that rejected PAO’s appeal to review and amend a conflict-of-interest provision of Section 22, Canon III of the newly approved Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability.

Acosta advised the public lawyers to reconcile the SC resolution with the provisions of Article 209 of the Revised Penal Code to avoid criminal responsibility and imprisonment considering that penal

provision requires the consent also of the first client.

She urged the resident public attorneys to adopt precautionary measures in handling conflict-of-interest cases to “protect their life and limb as well as to avoid criminal and administrative liability.”

On Wednesday, the High Court turned down PAO’s request to remove the conflict-of-interest provision of CPRA.

“To turn away indigent litigants and bar them from availing of the services of all PAO lawyers nationwide due to alleged

Solon to MRT, LRT: Improve your services

A LEGISLATOR from the Bicol Region has said commuter train operators in Metro Manila should first improve their services before increasing fares.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund

Villafuerte in a statement said he is “hoping against hope that with barely a month to go before the scheduled rate adjustments at the three rail networks in Metro Manila, our transport officials will find it in their hearts before August

to defer anew the fare increase.

Villafuerte appealed anew to President Marcos to suspend the fare increase set by the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) and Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRTC), respectively, for LRT Lines 1 and 2 (LRT-1 and LRT-2) and for MRT Line 3 (MRT-3)—in the same way that the Chief Executive ordered Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista to defer the plan when Bautista

conflict of interest would be to contravene

PAO’s principal duty and leave hundreds of poor litigants unassisted by legal counsel they cannot otherwise afford,” the SC said.

The High Tribunal reminded the PAO of its primordial mandate to “extend free legal assistance to indigent persons in criminal, civil, labor, administrative and other quasi-judicial cases.”

“To turn away indigent litigants and bar them from availing of the services of all PAO lawyers nationwide due to alleged conflict of interest would be to contravene PAO’s principal duty and leave hundreds of poor litigants unassisted by legal counsel they cannot otherwise afford,” it added.

The questioned provision sought to be deleted by PAO states: “A conflict of interest of any of the lawyers of the Public Attorney’s Office incident to services rendered for the Office shall be imputed only to the said lawyer and the law-

first before raising fares

broached this subject in April.

He pointed out that officials at the Department of Transportation (DOTr), LRTA and MRTC were “pulling the cart ahead of the horse in stressing that adjusting rates is necessary for Metro rail lines to boost revenue so they can spend more on improving the service for commuters, because the much better alternative is for them to first improve their train

services before demanding higher fares from the riding public.”

Villafuerte said it was possible for transportation offi cials to defer the fare increase plan and look for other sources of funding for the scheduled maintenance and improvement of the railway systems.

The rail systems were set to impose a 20 percent fare increase starting August 2. Maricel V. Cruz

Make Baclaran Church a heritage site—Jinggoy

SENATOR Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada wants to declare the 65-year-old Baclaran Church in Parañaque City which is visited by thousands of devotees notably on Wednesdays as heritage site and tourist attraction.

Estrada said the Baclaran Church, also called the Redemptorist Church, was also known as the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help and one of the most popular churches in the Philippines.

“It is considered one of the largest Marian churches in the country, attracting a multitude of devotees as well as tourists,” Estrada said.

“Wednesdays are acknowledged as ‘Baclaran Day’ by many Filipino Catholic families and visited by thousands of pilgrims, as much as 150,000 devotees from all walks of life, every week,” said Estrada, himself a known Baclaran Church devotee.

The senator has filed Senate Bill No. 2278 to have the Church and its surroundings declared a heritage site and tourist destination.

With the declaration, Estrada said there will be an institutionalized policy that will preserve its historical and sociocultural importance, ensuring the accessibility, convenience, and security of its numerous visitors through the construction, installation, and maintenance of appropriate facilities and infrastructure in the area.

Under the measure, the Department of Tourism (DOT), in coordination with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the local government of Parañaque, and other relevant agencies, will develop a tourism development plan for the site.

This plan will include the construction, installation, and maintenance of suitable facilities and infrastructure to enhance the overall features of the surroundings of Baclaran Church, while also ensuring accessibility and the security of tourists. Macon Ramos-Araneta

yer’s direct supervisor. Such conflict of interest shall not disqualify the rest of the lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office from representing the affected client, upon full disclosure to the latter and written informed consent.”

The SC likewise directed Acosta “to show cause why she should not be cited in indirect contempt for her social media posts and newspaper publications which tended, directly or indirectly, to impede, obstruct, or degrade the administration of justice” and characterized her resort to social and print media to air her unfounded grievances against the SC as a threat to the independence of the judiciary.

Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said he had misgivings about PAO’s position on the matter.

“Personally, I believe the PAO is a service. It is not strictly a law office. The conflict of interest frame of mind showed by PAO is strictly for law office which is not

Sandigan clears PhilPhos exec in P46-m graft suit

AN EXECUTIVE of a fertilizer company walked free after the Sandiganbayan dismissed the criminal charges filed against him for alleged involvement in the P46-million fraudulent purchase of fertilizer by agriculture agencies in 2003.

The anti-graft court dismissed the graft charges against Tomas A. Guibani, an executive of the Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer Corporation (PhilPhos) following the motion filed by the prosecutors of the Ombudsman.

Guibani was accused in the case together with former Agriculture Secretary Luis Ramon Lorenzo Jr. and former National Food Authority (NFA) administrator Arthur C. Yap. They were accused of “conspiring together and confederating with one another” in the allegedly irregular acquisition of 92,158 bags of fertilizer for P46 million from the Philippine Phosphate Corp. through negotiated procurement instead of going through public bidding.

The prosecution filed a motion to withdraw the charges, citing the Supreme Court’s September 14, 2022 decision which ordered the dismissal of the cases against Lorenzo and Yap for violation of their right to speedy disposition of cases.

The anti-graft court directed the prosecution to submit further evidence which were not included in the records, and the prosecution complied on last June 27, even as it decided to grant the motion after reviewing the documents.

“Upon reassessing... and examining the additional evidence submitted by the prosecution, the Court finds that there is insufficient evidence on hand to show that accused Guibani conspired with accused Lorenzo and Yap. Notably, the Informations do not even allege the overt acts he supposedly performed in furtherance of conspiracy,” the anti-graft court said.

“There being insufficient evidence to show the conspiracy, the Court finds that the withdrawal of the Informations is proper,” it ruled. Maricel V. Cruz

TEACHING KITS FROM USAID. Tabaco City Mayor Krisel Lagman-Luistro (left) and o cials from USAID, RTI International, Department of Education, and Mayon Volcano Response distribute teaching and learning kits at San Antonio Elementary School. Norman Cruz

Thai parliament elects PM, best bet faces bar

BANGKOK—Thailand’s parliament opened Thursday to vote for a prime minister, with frontrunner Pita Limjaroenrat saying he was confident despite a barrage of last-minute hurdles that could undo his bid for the premiership.

The coalition bloc led by Pita’s Move Forward Party will face off against more established parties and juntaappointed senators, spooked by the progressives’ shock election victory in May and their determination to amend Thailand’s strict royal defamation laws.

On a day of high political drama Wednesday, Pita was hit with the threat of parliamentary suspension while the Constitutional Court accepted a case accusing him and his party of attempting to overthrow the monarchy.

“I am confident in myself that I will work with my full capacity to respond to people’s hopes and the support that they gave to me,” Pita told reporters ahead of the session opening.

“I will try my best in showing my vision and explaining all senators’ doubts.”

House speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha opened the parliamentary session, welcoming politicians ahead of the vote, which is not expected to begin until late afternoon.

Despite the MFP’s win at the polls, with Thais rejecting the government of Prayut Chan-o-cha, who seized power in a 2014 coup, the party’s chances of forming a government with Pita at its head look increasingly slim.

He faces resistance from a military-appointed, 250-member Senate because of his party’s push to reform section 112 of Thailand’s criminal code, which bans defaming or insulting the royal family.

His plans to shake up the country’s powerful business monopolies have also sparked concern.

Pita’s eight-party coalition, which includes runners-up Pheu Thai, has 312 seats but is short of the 376 needed across both houses of parliament to claim the prime ministership.

On Tuesday, now-caretaker Prime Minister Prayut -whose United Thai Nation party finished a dismal fifth in the May elections—announced his retirement from politics, although he will remain as premier until a new prime minister emerges. AFP

North Korean leader oversees latest test of solid-fuel ICBM Canberra has doubts on Kyiv’s jet request

SEOUL—North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the successful test of the country’s newest intercontinental ballistic missile, state media reported Thursday, days after Pyongyang threatened to down any US spy planes that enter its airspace.

A beaming Kim, wearing a white suit and flanked by his wife and key aides, was shown in state media images applauding enthusiastically after the launch of the solid-fuel Hwasong-18 on Wednesday.

pledging to send an additional fleet of 30 armoured Bushmaster infantry vehicles at a cost of US$67 million.

But Kyiv has also asked Australia about the condition of dozens of retired F-18 fighter jets, which could provide a major boost against the might of the Russian air force.

Defense Minister Richard Marles said conversations about providing aircraft were “ongoing”, but were much more difficult than other forms of military support.

“Aircraft become a much more complicated question,” he told national broadcaster ABC.

“The situation around aircraft is pretty complicated, but we will keep having the conversation with Ukraine around that.

“What we give, and what we do, needs to be practical and needs to make a difference.”

Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, said in June that Kyiv was interested in the aircraft.

“There has been a request for information,” Myroshnychenko said.AFP

‘Chinese hackers breach US govt email accounts’

WASHINGTON, DC—Chinese-based hackers seeking intelligence information breached the email accounts of a number of US government agencies, computer giant Microsoft said.

“The threat actor Microsoft links to this incident is an adversary based in China that Microsoft calls Storm-0558,” the company said in a blog post late Tuesday.

Microsoft said Storm-0558 gained access to email accounts at approximately 25 organizations including government agencies.

Microsoft did not identify the targets but a US State Department spokesperson said the department had “detected anomalous activity” and had taken “immediate steps to secure our systems.”

“As a matter of cybersecurity policy, we do not discuss details of our response and the incident remains under investigation,” the spokesperson said.

According to The Washington Post, the breached email accounts were unclassified and “Pentagon, intelligence community and military email accounts did not appear to be affected.”

But the paper reported Wednesday evening (Thursday in Manila), quoting US officials, that State Department email accounts and that of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo were hacked. AFP

The ICBM, which North Korea has fired only once before, in April, flew 1,001 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 6,648 km before splashing into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

The launch was a “grand explosion” that shook “the whole planet,” KCNA said. State media footage showed the missile blasting off into the sky.

Kim vowed that “a series of stronger military offensive” would be launched until the United States and South Korea change their policies towards North Korea, the agency added.

Citing the “unstable situation” on the Korean peninsula, Kim also called for “more intense efforts” to boost North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. AFP

ASEAN-plus-three to meet on disputed SCS

JAKARTA—Economic cooperation and the disputed South China Sea will be on the agenda when Southeast Asian foreign ministers meet their Chinese, Japanese and South Korean counterparts for ASEAN-plus-three talks on Thursday. China will be represented at the talks by top diplomat Wang Yi instead of Foreign Minister Qin Gang after Qin pulled out for “health reasons,” according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his South Korean counterpart Park Jin will also attend. The grouping was established after

the 1997 Asian financial crisis to develop better economic ties between Southeast Asian nations and East Asian powers.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations members include this year’s chair Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, the Philippines and Myanmar. Experts said the South China Sea will be a priority because China claims almost the entirety of the strategic waterway and several ASEAN members complain about Beijing infringing on their own overlapping territorial claims there. AFP

HIGH POLITICAL DRAMA. Move Forward Party Leader and prime minister candidate Pita Limjaroenrat gestures as he arrives at the Thai Parliament before the parliamentary vote for the premiership in Bangkok on Thursday. AFP

UNPARALLELED. This NASA handout image captured by the James Webb telescope and obtained on July 12, 2023 (Thursday in Manila) shows a small star-forming region in the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex, the closest star-forming region to Earth. AFP

DOTr, two groups sign P52b worth of contracts for North-South rail

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Department of Transportation said Thursday it signed three civil works contracts with two consortiums for the construction of the Metro Manila segment of the North-South Commuter Railway.

Secretary Jaime Bautista said the three contract packages, with a combined cost of P52 billion, would be used “to build a world-class railway line equipped with the most modern facilities.”

“The contractors must be able to build with the least disruption to Metro Manila’s already chaotic daily routine,” Bautista said.

“We want to impress on the contractors the importance of meeting sched-

Security Bank raises P18.5b from corporate bond issuance

By Julito G. Rada

SECURITY Bank Corp. said Thursday it raised P18.5 billion from the issuance of peso-denominated fixedrate corporate bonds due 2025 on strong demand from investors.

“This is the largest issue size of the bank to date. Due to strong demand for the bonds, the bank exercised its oversubscription option and accepted offers above its minimum P8-billion issue size,” the bank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

Security Bank executive vice president and financial markets segment head Arnold Bengco said the successful issuance and oversubscription proved investors’ sustained confidence in the bank and its commitment to provide BetterBanking service.

The bonds have a tenor of 1.5 years at 6.4250 percent per annum. Minimum denominations were set for P1 million, with increases of P100,000.

The bonds were listed at the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. to provide secondary market liquidity to investors who would like to trade the instruments.

The bank said it issued the bonds to diversify funding sources and support lending activities.

Security Bank tapped Philippine Commercial Capital Inc. as sole bookrunner and PCCI and SB Capital Investment Corp. as joint lead arrangers and selling agents.

Security Bank remained one of the leading lenders in the country in terms of assets. It posted a net profit of P2.4 billion in the first three months of 2023 on sustained growth across its business segments.

Net interest margin increased to 4.06 percent, up by 14 basis points over the previous quarter. Net interest income also rose 3 percent quarteron-quarter.

ules, so the whole NSCR project can be completed as promised,” he said.

CP S-01, awarded to the joint venture of PT Adhi Karya (Persero) Tbk and PT PP (Persero) Tbk, includes the construction of a 1.2-kilometer railway viaduct structure and the Blumentritt Station which will be linked to the existing Blumentritt Station of Light Rail Transit Line-1 in Manila.

CP S-03a, clinched by the joint ven-

ture of Leighton Contractors (Asia) Ltd. and First Balfour Inc., includes 7.9 km. of at-grade and viaduct railway track structure including an elevated station at Buendia and at-grade stations at EDSA and Senate.

CP S-03c, won by the joint venture of PT Adhi Karya (Persero) Tbk. and PT PP (Persero) Tbk, consists of 5.8 km of at-grade and viaduct railway track structure, including elevated stations at Bicutan and Sucat.

Bautista said that with the financial support of the Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency and the governments of Indonesia and Australia, the country inches closer to completing the flagship rail infrastructure. Records from the DOTr showed that

of the total P873-6 billion project cost, the ADB would fund P329.55 billion; JICA, P369.27 billion; and the Philippine government, P174.78 billion.

“We inch closer to completing this longest rail system of the country through their assistance. Once completed, this railway will transform lives and communities,” Bautista said.

DOTr Undersecretary for railways Cesar Chavez said civil works would commence between the fourth quarter of 2023 and first quarter or 2024.

A flagship project under the Build Better More Program, the construction of the 147-km NSCR system aims to seamlessly connect Clark, Pampanga and Calamba, Laguna passing through Metro Manila and the towns of Pampanga, Bulacan and Laguna.

IN BRIEF

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. Lopez-led First Philippine Industrial Park and First Industrial Science and Technology College Inc. open a P1-million educational fund for the benefit of poor, yet bright students from their two host cities in Batangas province. Signing a memorandum of agreement to implement a holistic educational grant for eligible students are FPIP president Francis Giles Puno (second from left) and First College president Joaquin Quintos IV (third from left) to help indigent but intelligent students from Tanauan City and Santo Tomas City. Witnessing the event are First College chief business development officer Karmela Marie

San Miguel: Court’s decision against ERC upholds due process

By Alena Mae S. Flores

SAN Miguel Global Power Corp., the power arm of San Miguel Corp., said Thursday the Court of Appeals’ decision nullifying the Energy Regulatory Commission’s ruling upholds the constitutional mandate of due process that guarantees the right to be treated fairly and effectively by quasi-judicial bodies.

San Miguel Global said this assured “a fair and balanced regulatory environment that equally protects the rights and interests of all stakeholders involved.”

“It is regrettable that the ERC’s unfair decision early on to reject our joint petition with Meralco for a temporary rate hike — despite proving to be the least

cost option at that time for power consumers — resulted in consumers shouldering the burden of much higher electricity rates,” the company said.

ERC chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta said San Miguel Global’s rate hike petition was not a least-cost option for consumers on the part of the agency.

“That’s where our difference in appreciation lie,” she said.

She said the ERC, through the Office of Solicitor General, was studying filing a motion for reconsideration on the CA’ decision.

“We are already preparing a motion for reconsideration for the case. We haven’t discussed with OSG [Office of Solicitor-General] but they are putting

together a draft motion,” Dimalanta said.

Dimalanta said the commission wanted clarification on the decision, specifically why the CA made the decision and did not remand it back to the ERC.

“If that motion is denied, we can take it all the way to the Supreme Court,” she said.

The ERC received on July 12, 2023 a copy of the joint decision rendered by the CA’s 13th Division which granted the petitions filed by South Premiere Power Corp. and San Miguel Energy Corp. to annul the orders it issued on Sept. 29, 2022, denying the generation companies’ plea for electricity price increase.

Solar project first to get endorsement under

By Othel V. Campos

THE Department of Trade and Industry awarded the first certificate of endorsement under Executive Order 18 to renewable energy company SunAsia Energy Inc. during the launch of the Green Lane for Strategic Investments at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila Thursday.

Underscoring the country’s bid as the next investment destination in Asia, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said SunAsia Energy would set up floating solar panels on Laguna Lake to produce 1.3 gigawatts on $1.7-billion investments.

“The signs are emerging. Total foreign investments approved for incentives in the first quarter of 2023 amounted to P173 billion, a signifi-

green lane

cant increase from just P9 billion in the same quarter of last year,” Pascual said. He said the various investment missions so far yielded P3.5 trillion of leads for the country. The public and private sectors generated leads from investment trade roadshows in Singapore, Indonesia, the United States, Japan, China, Thailand and Europe, he said.

Pascual said EO 18 is a governmentwide response to improve the ease of doing business in the Philippines.

The EO is meant to expedite, streamline and automate government approval and registration processes for priority investments or strategic investments aligned with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, he said.

It covers all national government

agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations and other government instrumentalities as well as local government units involved in the issuance of permits, licenses, certifications or authorizations covering strategic investments.

The DTI together with the Board of Investments were mandated under EO 18 to launch a One-Stop-ActionCenter for Strategic Investments as a single point of entry for all strategic investments.

“With this EO, the DTI, through the BOI’s One-Stop-Action-Center for Strategic Investments, can effectively collaborate with key stakeholders and uphold the current administration’s goal to promote ease of doing business for both local and foreign investors,” Pascual said.

which owns the 1,000-megawatt Santa Rita combined cycle power plant, was reviewing its options. The Sta. Rita natural gas plant is one of the four gas-fired power plants of First Gen with a combined capacity of 2,017 MW. First Gen is one of the country’s biggest power players with natural gas, hydro, wind and solar in its power generation portfolio.

Alena Mae S. Flores

DBP grants P1.1-b loan to Pueblo de Panay

STATE-OWNED Development Bank of the Philippines granted an initial P1.106-billion loan to a Capiz-based real estate developer for the expansion and improvement of a master-planned development venture in Western Visayas, a top executive said Thursday.

DBP president and chief executive Michael de Jesus said the credit assistance to Pueblo de Panay Inc. would finance the construction and improvement of various projects within the 670-hectare mixed-used township in Roxas City, which is touted to be the first and largest of its kind in the region.

“Through this partnership, DBP aims to hasten progress in the housing sector, stimulate job creation and foster economic growth in one of the fastest-growing cities in the Philippines,” de Jesus said.

“This partnership further reflects DBP and PDPI’s shared vision of driving progress and building vibrant and sustainable communities throughout the country,” he said.

DBP is the eighth largest bank in the country in terms of assets and provides credit support to four strategic sectors of the economy – infrastructure and logistics; micro, small and medium enterprises; environment; social services and community development. Julito G. Rada

Aboitiz Land taps sister firm to work on Meadow Village

ABOITIZ Land, the real estate arm of the Aboitiz Group, tapped its sister company Aboitiz Construction to conduct site development works for residential enclave Meadow Village in Lima Estate, Batangas. Aboitiz Construction said in a statement Meadow Village is part of The Villages at Lipa, a 49-hectare residential enclave that provides a selection of spacious lot sizes ranging from 250 to 1,500 square meters.

The company said the 11.7-hectre project is slated for completion by June 2024. It plans to hire close to a hundred manpower at peak, mostly local hires if available.

“We are glad to undertake this project for our affiliate Aboitiz Land. Through this, we will be able to strengthen our capabilities in light industries with focus on site development. More importantly, this is aligned with our goal of contributing towards economic growth while helping other businesses to succeed,” said Aboitiz Construction vice president Levi Agoncillo.

Once completed, the project will contribute to Aboitiz Land’s commitment to building distinctive and high-quality communities that offer lasting value for customers and stakeholders. Jenniffer B. Austria

PAL passes international association’s operational safety audit

THE Philippine Airlines group said Thursday it passed the “gold standard” in flight safety audit by the International Air Transport Association.

Philippine Airlines and PAL Express completed their respective IATA operational safety audits, confirming the group’s conformance with the highest international aviation safety standards.

The IOSA is the internationally-recognized safety evaluation system of the IATA that rigorously assesses the operational management and control systems of an airline.

Conducted every two years, the IOSA is accepted by top government authorities as the gold standard in airline safety assessments.

“I congratulate the men and women of Philippine Airlines for their collective effort in sustaining work processes

that align with global aviation safety standards. We all commit to live and promote a culture of safety above all, the cornerstone of PAL operations,” said Capt. Stanley Ng, PAL president and chief operating officer.

“As the aviation industry strives to meet the surge in travel demand, the safety of our flights and our passengers remains our top priority,” he said.

The IOSA audit affirms that PAL and PAL Express are committed to adhering to safety standards in the areas of flight operations, aircraft engineering and maintenance, organization and management, operational control and flight dispatch, cabin operations, ground handling operations, cargo operations and security management.

This is PAL’s 9th consecutive successful IATA operational safety audit

renewal, marking nearly two decades of consistent work in operational safety by the flag carrier.

PAL’s first IOSA registration was in 2006. The new IOSA registration is valid until April 10, 2025.

PAL Express also marked its adherence to the global standard with its fifth successful IOSA renewal. PAL Express first entered the IOSA Registry in 2014. Its current IOSA registration is valid until March 28, 2025.

“The unwavering commitment to maintaining a culture of safety, as signified by passing the audits on a regular basis, is a testament to the dedication and professionalism of the entire organization, which consistently strive to maintain the highest standards of safety excellence,” said Rabbi Vincent Ang, PAL Express president. Darwin G. Amojelar

Sarmiento (left) and FPIP vice president Ricky Carandang.

Security Bank executive vice president and financial markets segment head Arnold Bengco

Chery Tiggo smashes

Gerflor, bolsters PVL semis bid

AFTER a shutout loss to Creamline and a five-set escape over Akari, Chery Tiggo finally got on track, driving past newcomer Gerflor, 25-19, 25-20, 2518, to enhance its semifinal bid in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig on Thursday.

But the Crossovers remained far from reaching their true potential as they scrambled and struggled to try to find chemistry and impose their will early, enabling the inspired Defenders to take control early in the first two sets.

Mylene Paat, however, took over and provided not only the needed spark on offense but more so the leadership, and the Crossovers re-asserted their might and closed out the first two sets in commanding fashions before cruising in the third to complete the one-hour, 40-minute victory.

Chery Tiggo thus improved to 2-1, stalking unbeaten Creamline (2-0) in the five-team Pool A play although PLDT is just behind at 1-0 with the Cool Smashers and the High Speed Hitters clashing in a key duel later in another busy day in the single round robin elims of the mid-season conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.

“I’m very happy with how they played but definitely there’s still a lot of things that we need to improve on,” said Chery Tiggo coach Aaron Velez. “Kailangan maging mabilis ang start namin, so that’s one thing I think that we have to pick up. I also like that fact that everybody was able to step up.”

“Kailangan namin i-work out ang chemistry namin, yung communication dapat maging smooth in preparation for our next match,” added Velez, whose wards will close out their elims campaign against the High Speed Hitters on Tuesday.

Paat fired 15 points to lead the Crossovers’ charge with Velez drawing sevenpoint outputs from Ponggay Gaston, EJ Laure, and Cza Carandang. Rookies Imee Hernandez and Eya Laure added six and three markers, respectively.

“Hindi lang puntos sa spike ang kailangan, kung kailangan na magdagdag sa ibang skills, like blocking and serve, malaking tulong na yun sa mga teammates ko at happy ako na nakapag-perform ako,” said Paat, who added four blocks to clinch the game’s top honors.

LeBron says no intention to retire yet

LOS ANGELES—NBA star LeBron

James ended speculation over his future on Wednesday, saying that he is not yet ready to retire and maintains his love for basketball.

James responded to his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, losing the Western Conference final to eventual champions Denver in May, by saying he had “a lot to think about” amid reports he was considering walking away from the sport.

But in a speech at the ESPY awards ceremony on Wednesday, James settled any fears he may be ready to quit.

“I don’t care how many more points I score, or what I can or cannot do on the floor,” James said after receiving the award for Best Record-Breaking Performance for passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league’s all-time leading scorer.

“The real question for me is: Can I play without cheating this game? The day I can’t give everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today,” he said.

“In my 20 years playing this game and all the years before, I’ve never, ever cheated the game and I will never take it for granted,” he added.

James, who will be 39 in December, dismissed suggestions that he wanted to continue playing in the NBA with one or both of his son’s -- his eldest son Bronny James, who will play college basketball next season at the University of Southern California, and could conceivably enter the NBA in time for the 2024-2025 campaign.

But he said that coaching his sons has helped to maintain his enthusiasm. AFP

Lakers deputy coach tells Sotto to ‘keep going’

By Randy Caluag

LOS Angeles Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy has inspirational words for Kai Sotto moments after he was again benched in Orlando Magic’s losing game against New York Knicks on Thursday (Manila Time) at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Handy approached the Filipino 7-3 center who was on his way back to the Orlando dugout and had a brief chat, telling him to “keep going.”

The chance encounter was captured by the video taken by Filipino journalist Homer Sayson, who also asked Sotto if he was ready to see action in Orlando’s no. 4 match in the NBA Summer League.

Sotto answered in a short affirmative. “Always, he said”

Reports have it that Sotto, after being benched in all of Orlando’s three losing games, will finally be fielded by Orlando coach Dylan Murphy on Friday morning (Manila time) against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Again, nothing is sure, however, as Filipino basketball fans are still groping for answers as to what the Orlando team is planning for the Gilas

Pilipinas center.

It was a refreshing moment though for Sotto to receive encouraging words from a veteran NBA mentor who is no stranger to the Filipinos’ style of basketball.

Handy visited the Philippines last month and provided a basketball clinic for the PBA team, Converge. He also watched the Fiberxers and sat behind coach Aldin Ayo during a PBA game.

Handy’s expertise is player development and he won championships for three different NBA teams.

FIBA World Cup single-game tickets now available

WATCHING the best basketball players in the world go up against each other live…isn’t that every basketball fan’s dream? To be part of the action, witness the hardcourt battles right before one’s eyes, and not just hear the crowd roar, but be a part of it all! Fans in the Philippines have a chance to not just be a part of history, but to make history as well. Record crowds? Why not? Decibel levels at an all-time high? Go for it!

The Philippines boasts of the world’s most valuable fans and has the honor and privilege of welcoming not just its own, but passionate fans from all over the world to behold top-level basketball competition.

The chance to experience and participate in all of this is now possible for as low as just 499 pesos, with highest category tickets ranging from

11,099 pesos to 27,299 pesos depending on the matchup, as single game tickets are now offered for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023! Tickets for the Philippine Arena and the Smart-Araneta Coliseum games are available via ticketnet.com. ph, while tickets for the SM Mall of Asia Arena contests are available via smtickets.com.”

The games begin on August 25, including a double-header featuring Angola taking on Italy and the Dominican Republic facing off against Gilas Pilipinas at the Philippine Arena. A cel-

ebration featuring top Philippine musical acts will also take place in between the two featured games. At the SM Mall of Asia Arena, Mexico and Montenegro will go at it, followed by Egypt and Lithuania.

The Philippines will then face off against Angola at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum on August 27, with tickets available for as low as 499 pesos.

Coming off their European training camp, Gilas Pilipinas players are all excited to play in front of their hometown fans.

“Ever since I was included in the 23 for 2023 list back in 2018, playing in the World Cup has been the dream,” said Dwight Ramos. “Everything I’ve done as a player, all the work I’ve put in, leads to that moment.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of playing at the Philippine Arena for Ginebra with more than 50,000 fans, and it was unbelievable,” said Jamie Malonzo. “I don’t think having the World Cup at home again will happen in our lifetime, so I hope the fans come out and support us. I think it’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone.”

Other must-see games at the SmartAraneta Coliseum include Italy-Dominican Republic, and all games among Serbia, Puerto Rico, and China in Group B.

PH bet Barrientos stuns top-seed foe, cops Asian Tenpin’s Masters gold

By Peter Atencio

ART Barrientos of the Philippines toppled top seed Blake Walsh for the Masters gold medal in the 21st Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships in Bangkok, Thailand. The third-seeded Barrientos ruled the 16-game series after striking a total of 443 pins to Walsh’s 349 in the double-round finals.

The 19-year-old Barrientos reached the championship round after getting past second seed Lee Myeongchol of Ko-

rea, 205-191, in the stepladder semifinals.

“I just focused on my game, frame by frame. That’s my shot execution. Whatever happens, happens,” said Barrientos, a student of Far Eastern University on Sports Radio.

In the finals, Barrientos led Walsh, 206-180 in the first match, and before once again taking charge, 237-169 in the second match.

Barrientos, who also claimed the boys’ team gold the other day to hand the Philippines the boys’ overall honors.

Singapore International Open champion Zach Sales Ramin backed up Barrientos in the fight for the boys’ title with teammates Stephen Luke Diwa and Marc Dylan Custodio.

Jojo Canare and American consultant Joe Slowinski called the shots for Team Philippines.

Walsh settled for a silver medal, starting the day in fifth place after winning 7 of 8 games in the first of two blocks

The Australian was 32 pins behind the bronze medal position on Day 1.

Chad Cunada of Chery Tiggo delivers a spike (Photo from PVL Media)

Kai Sotto poses with 2023 FIBA World Cup during a stop of the trophy tour in Las Vegas where the Gilas Pilipinas center is part of the Orlando Magic squad competing in the NBA Summer League Photo from FIBA

Art Abarrientos

AMMAN, FUHEIS (Jordan)—The Philippines booked the first flight to the Division B Semi-Finals following a dominant showing against hosts

Jordan, 106-58, in the FIBA U16 Women’s Asian Championship 2023

Wednesday evening at the Prince Hamzah Sport Hall.

Three consecutive three-pointers courtesy of Scarlett Mercado, Sophia Canindo, and Nevaeh Smith midway into the second quarter sparked the one-sided affair as Gilas Women U16 went on to collect their third win in three outings to lock the no. 1 seed of Group A.

It will be the Philippines’ second straight trip to the Semis, this time hoping to redeem themselves after losing in the same stage of last year’s U16 competitions also held in Amman to Samoa, who eventually won it all and earned the promotion to Division A of this year’s meet.

Shannon Sayson led Gilas with 19 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 7 steals for an efficiency rating 29.0. Ava Fajardo, a part of last year’s team, poured 17 points, 4 boards, and 5 dimes.

Smith had 15 points, Ryan Nair made 11 points and 7 assists, while Mercado and Demicah Arnaldo added 10 apiece for the Philippines, who dished out 27 assists and collected 28 steals.

The Jordanians, meanwhile, were carried by the 26 points and 7 rebounds of Zena Alkarain in the defeat —their second in a row after Tuesday’s heartbreaker to Hong Kong. Photo and story from FIBA.com

FIBA UNDER-16 ASIAN TOURNEY

Gilas women dominate Jordan to pierce Division B semifinals

Obiena, Yulo top performers for month of June

COUNT on heavy hitters Ernest John Obiena and Carlos Edriel Yulo to give Philippine sports a smashing end to the first half of 2023.

Fresh from ripping his own Southeast Asian Games record, Obiena soared to even greater heights as he joined pole vault’s ultra-elite six-meter club on a sunny June afternoon in Bergen, Norway.

With one try, Obiena cracked one of the

most elusive barriers in athletics en route to the gold medal of the Sparebanken Vest Bergen Jump Challenge and a place among the best pole vaulters ever.

Only 27 others have made 6.0 meters before, including greats such as Hall of Famer Sergey Bubka and reigning world and Olympic king Mondo Duplantis.

Yulo, for his part, dazzled in the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in

Jake, VCT and the Filipinas

BANGKOK—Bleed Esports massacred SCARZ in the finals, 3-0, to rule the 2023 VCT Ascension Pacific Playoffs and secure its spot in the 2024 and 2025 Pacific League, and in the Masters and Champions Tournaments featuring the best Valorant teams from other regions.

Bleed, the team from Malaysia and Singapore, completely dominated their Japanese rivals, 13-9, 13-2 and 13-8 in the best of five finals held recently at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand. A lot of fans who came to watch the finals expected a close match between Bleed and SCARZ and were completely surprised at how Bleed played a solid match in sweeping SCARZ. SCARZ earned the right to face Bleed in the finals af-

ter they defeated NAOS Esports, an-all Filipino crew, 2-1 in the semifinals. Before the semifinals, The Designated Kit Man was able to chat with Jake Sin, Head of Valorant Esports, APAC-Riot Games, on the ongoing VCT Ascension Pacific tournament and plans to make Valorant even bigger in the Philippines.

Sin maintained that the country remains one of the priority markets of Riot Games in the Southeast Asian Region because of the hundreds of thousands or even millions of Filipinos playing Esports including Valorant, a 5 x 5 character-based tactical FPS developed by Riot Games that combines precise gunplay and unique agent abilities.

“The Philippines is the biggest player base in Asia Pacific and that hasn’t really translated very directly to Esports viewership. We definitely want to narrow that gap and because we have been successful in so many markets already and the Philippines also has that potential to succeed with our Esports,” Sin said.

Sin added that a good show by Filipino teams such as NAOS Esports in the VCT Ascension Playoffs will certainly bring more attention and interest to Valorant in the country.

“So we have two Filipino teams in the Pacific and if either one of them makes it to the Masters or Champions, I think that would be huge. I think that’s going to be a strong stimulus for Filipinos to rally around their teams and feel that national pride. Filipino teams doing well globally against other regional teams will result in a big spike in the region. We are very much looking forward to that,” Sin explained.

Singapore, where he anchored the Philippines’ three-gold, three-silver, and three-bronze haul.

Aside from reigning supreme in the parallel bars, vault, and floor exercise events, the world champion gymnast also collared a silver medal in the Individual All-around and a bronze in the horizontal bar.

For their exploits, the two Tokyo Olympics veterans led the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s honorees for June.

Similarly worth recognizing were the feats of Team Philippines in the Asean Para Games in Cambodia, Singapore-based bowler Zach Sales Ramin, and the IM Daniel Quizonheadlined chessers in the 21st Asean+ Age Group Championships in Thailand.

The Pinoy Para Games bets harvested 34 golds, 33 silvers, and 50 bronzes in Cambodia meet to surpass the 28-3046 collected last year in Indonesia.

At the forefront of this were six-gold winner Darry Bernardo and the chess delegation, which delivered 13 mints Ramin, 17, ruled the 53rd Singapore International Open and became the first Filipino male bowler to win the prestiQuizon topped the standard and blitz events in the premier U20 division and earned his third GM norm as he spearheaded the Philippines’ 16-gold, 37-silver, eight-bronze harvest and second overall standing behind Vietnam in the tourney.

He also added that aside from this, they are also planning to be more active in the Philippines in the coming days.

“We also want to have more physical interactions in the Philippines. I think having an offline event there and meeting the fans in person will have a big impact and that’s what we want to see,” he said.

Since its introduction in 2020, Valorant has enjoyed a growing following not only in Southeast Asia but all over the world. There has been a steady growth in the game in its many markets fueled by constant development of new content. This can be seen in the quality of teams competing in the VCT Ascension Pacific.

“It has been super competitive and super cutthroat. There is so much talent. So much strategy and team play that’s why we saw a lot of these group stage matches come close,” Sin said.

While he is relishing the development of Valorant and Esports in general despite the pandemic, Sin is also enjoying a new but a very much welcome development in his personal life. From a super gamer, Sin is now a super dad to his five month old twins - a boy and a girl - his version of an “ace” in Valorant.

He says he never thought that there was a need to balance his life which he initially spent most of it on work, until now.

“I am almost forced to create a distance between work and life but it helped me to separate, to contain my work part of self and then really be dedicated to my family. Spending time on my family has been super helpful to my mental health,” Sin added. Going back to Valorant, Sin says they are

Paranada, 3 more Fil-Ams commit to UST

UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas is looking at the big picture as they secured the commitment of four Fil-foreign talents to its men’s basketball program.

Kyle Paranada, Ashon Andrews, Geremy Robinson Jr., and Leland Estacio have all moved to Espana, boosting the men’s basketball program for the future.

“Preparation natin ito para sa hinaharap at masaya tayo na sasamahan tayo ng mga batang ito. Ebidensya ito na naniniwala sila sa sistema at programa na ginagawa natin dito sa UST,” said Growling Tigers coach Pido Jarencio.

Paranada is considered as the biggest catch being one of the main gunners for University of the East last season.

The fearless guard posted 11.64 points on 26-percent shooting from deep, 4.21 assists, 2.86 rebounds, 1.64 steals in 23 minutes for the Red Warriors.

The 5-foot-9 Paranada will have two more years to play in the black-and-gold.

doing everything to make Esport, and other games, more accessible to everyone, especially to new players. This is one of the reasons why they are kicking off Premier as the entry point to Esports. He believes Premier will play a big role in the coming days.

***

Seven days from now the Philippine Women’s National Football Team or the Filipinas will play their first-ever game in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup against Switzerland in Dunedin, New Zealand. The Philippine Football Federation has released the 23-woman lineup that will compete against the very best from all over the world.

Please include the Filipinas in your prayers and let us rally behind the team in this historic campaign.

Laban, Filipinas!

My nephew, Jacob Marcus Puno Navarro and his Aspire Football Academy mates ended their campaign in the 2023 Pyrenees Cup with a 2-1 breakthrough win against Juventus AC Mataró of Spain thus becoming the first-ever team from the Philippines to record a win in the tournament.

It was a remarkable achievement considering that the young Pinoy side lost its goal keeper due to an injury he sustained during a scrimmage three days before the actual tournament. Jacob and his teammates had to scramble to train a replacement goalie among themselves just to compete in the Pyrenees Cup. The team lost its first four games against Spanish teams RSD Alcala A, Blanca Subur, C.F. Puigcerda and Play Easy before ending their campaign with a bang.

Andrews, on the other hand, is hungry for an opportunity after only appearing in three games for University of the Philippines and largely seeing action in the preseason leagues.

The uber-athletic 6-foot-4 high-flyer can still play for three years in UST. Robinson Jr. is the son of former PBA import Geremy Robinson who last saw action for Air21 in 2011.

Standing at 6-foot-2, the younger Robinson still has four years of eligibility after being listed as a reserve for La Salle last season.

Estacio averaged 3.6 points on 40-percent shooting from three, and 1.6 boards in 11.8 minutes in his sophomore year for West Valley College in Saratoga, California.

The 6-foot-2 guard still has two playing years of eligibility.

All four will undergo residency before being cleared to play for UAAP Season 87.

Keep pushing and moving forward, Jacob! ***

In case you are free today until Sunday (July 14-16), you may want to take part in the 1st PNP Press Corps (PNPPC) 2023 Invitational Shootfest at the QCPD shooting range at Camp Karingal in Sikatuna Village, Quezon City. It is a Level 1 Philippine Practical Shooting Association sanctioned match with five stages and 120 rounds for handguns and Pistol Caliber Carbine. Aside from promoting the self-defense capability of its members, the first-ever PNPPC shootfest will also serve as a fundraising event for emergency financial assistance for its members in cases of harassment and attacks. For more details, please send queries to the PNP Press Corps Secretariat at leanabeabrnrd@ gmail.com or call 0928 508 1296.

On a personal note, congratulations to my good friend and Bedan brother Jocel De Guzman for his pet project Scam Watch Pilipinas. Barring any unfortunate event, Scam Watch Pilipinas will become the national citizen arm against cyber fraud by the government beginning today.

It’s about time that something concrete and real should be done against these scammers and their enablers, who are only good at giving out press releases but leave their customers to hang and dry when they get victimized by these criminals. Keep up the good fight, Jokel! Stay safe. Stay happy peeps!

For comments or questions, you can reach The Designated Kit Man at erel_cabatbat@ yahoo.com or follow his account at Twitter: @erelcabatbat

The Gilas teens on the attack against Jordan.

From L-R : Ashon Andrews, Geremy Robinson Jr., Leland Estacio, and Kyle Paranada.

Photo by UST Growling Tigers Media

EJ Obiena and Carlos Yulo

Bea Alonzo finds perfect opportunity to share the value of hard work in showbiz

ACTRESS Bea Alonzo is embarking on a new journey as a mentor and judge in the highly anticipated talent competition, Battle of the Judges . The show premieres tomorrow on GMA Network.

collaborated with.

"I learned to be fierce. I realized that I'm my mother's daughter," she said in jest.

Alonzo's decision to join the program was an easy one, as she immediately recognized the opportunity it presented.

"When the show was presented to me, I had to say yes immediately. I couldn't turn down this opportunity," she shared with Manila Standard Entertainment.

With a wealth of previous projects under her belt, Alonzo acknowledges that Battle of the Judges represents an entirely new challenge for her.

While reflecting on her role as a judge and mentor, the actress highlighted the significant shift in responsibility compared to her previous acting endeavors.

"When you're acting, you're only responsible for your own character or your own story to tell, but here, you're responsible for the future of the contestants. It's no longer about you. It's very fulfilling, and I've learned a lot," she explained. Embracing the transformative experience, Alonzo discovered her inner strength and drew inspiration from the people she has worked and

Despite initially feeling outmatched by her fellow judges, such as Boy Abunda, Annette Gozon, and Jose Manalo, Alonzo's perspective gradually shifted as she developed a deep sense of maternal care for her contestants. She vowed to fight wholeheartedly for their chance to succeed.

Beyond her role as a mentor, the actress aims to share her industry knowledge and experiences with the contestants, serving as a motivation for their growth.

"After being here for a while, I want to share what I've learned in this business with the contestants to motivate them. For me, it's my way of giving back since this industry has been very good to me and my career," she expressed.

The TV and box office star also believes this is the perfect opportunity to impart valuable lessons on hard work and constant preparation to aspiring talents.

“Battle of the Judges promises to be more than just a showcase of exceptional skills,” she said emphasizing the importance of storytelling in each performance, as contestants are encouraged to convey their personal backstories and

HBO’s 'Succession' tops nominations for Emmys 2023

SUCCESSION, the HBO drama about an ultra-wealthy family fighting for control of a sinister media empire, led the nominations Wednesday for the Emmys – television's version of the Oscars.

The show's critically adored final season earned a whopping 27 nods, in a live-streamed announcement overshadowed by the threat of a Hollywood actors' strike that could derail the industry's entire awards calendar. Succession was followed by two more HBO dramas – video-game adaptation The Last of Us (24) and satire The White Lotus (23).

Apple TV+'s Ted Lasso topped the comedy section with 21, while Netflix's Beef and Dahmer – Mon-

ster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story led the limited series category, with 13 nods apiece.

After a final round of voting by the Television Academy's 20,000-odd members, the 75th Emmy Awards are scheduled to take place on September 18.

But that ceremony is highly likely to be delayed if the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) calls a strike, with a negotiations deadline looming at midnight (0700 GMT Thursday.) An actors' strike would mean a boycott of the ceremony by stars. Studios including Netflix and Disney have called in federal mediators to help resolve the deadlock over pay and other conditions. AFP

origins. This emotional connection with the audience is paramount to their success.

Alonzo admitted that initially, she felt shy in her role as a judge and mentor but quickly redirected her focus to the contestants. "I'm getting there. At first, I was shy, but then again, it's not about me. It's about the contestants," she revealed.

More laughter, surprises await fans in ‘Team A’ TV return

FOLLOWING its successful maiden season, Team A returns for a more uproarious Season 2 starting tomorrow on TV5.

Recapping the events of the first season, Ian (Jerald Napoles) and Janet (Kim Molina), along with their only child Yeye (Gianna Iguiron), found their happy and simple lives complicated by the constant clashes between Janet's mother and Ian's father.

The season finale brought a series of surprises, including Ian's decision to cancel his plans of going to South Korea and the pregnancy test he found that left him and the viewers wondering who could

ONE event that you will surely love the Philippines for is the Aliwan Fiesta Grand Festival of Champions a three-day celebration of unity and diversity through cultural street dance and grand float parade, now returning live after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic. The colorful Grand Parade and its awe-inspiring component, Streetdance Competition, are set for tomorrow (Saturday), at the CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, while the highly anticipated Reyna ng Aliwan pageant, is happening tonight.

Festival goers and local and foreign tourists will be captivated to witness spectacular, showstopping performances during the Street Dance competition featuring the country’s regional festival champions with their dynamic choreographies in vibrant costumes showcasing regional pride and indigenous culture. The Grand Parade will feature those participating in the Float Competition showcasing local craftsmen’s majestic creations highlighting their respective hometowns’ rich socioeconomic heritage and traditions.

The captivating candidates of Reyna ng Aliwan 2023 are Erika Maie Sawma (Antipolo Maytime

be expecting a baby soon.

For Team A Season 2, real-life couple and multi-talented artists Kim Molina and Jerald Napoles (known as KimJe to their followers) continue to play the role of a married couple and lead the lovable and quirky Ambida family, a.k.a. “Team A,” in their hilarious adventures. As they settle into their new home in Friendly Village, their initially peaceful and happy

Hosted by Alden Richards, Battle of the Judges serves as the newest platform for Filipino talents to shine.

The competition between judges begins as they mentor and prepare their squad members for the three levels of competition: Battle of the Best or the elimination round, is the thrilling encounter of 24 squad members who will fight it out in 12 Battles.

Battle to the Top is the semifinal round where the four judges will continue to guide the remaining 12 performers who will compete against each other in 6 battles in order to move forward to the final level, The Ultimate Battle, or the Championship round. Here, the remaining six performers will face each other to conquer the battle stage and be voted as the one and only ultimate champion.

The splendor of Aliwan

Festival), Deniece Allen Ayon (Panagbenga Festival-Baguio City), Doreen Pagcu Ahuja (Dayan Dayang Festival-Pasay City), Kiara Liane Wellington (Sinulog Festival-Talisay, Cebu), Nina Athena Ariza (Sangyaw Festival-Tacloban City), Mariela Bianca Acob (Tan-ok ni Ilokano Festival-Ilocos Norte), Melanie Grace Gillamac (Palawod Festival-Bantayan Island, Cebu), Mary Ann de la Cruz (Halamanan Festival-Guiguinto, Bulacan), Yoshabel Lebico (Mahaguyog Festival-Sto. Tomas, Batangas), Raisa Kabugatan (Shariff Kabunsuan FestivalCotabato City). Kisha Honey Panis (Pintados Festival-Tacloban, Leyte), Ashley Misaki Francisco (Hamaka Festival-Taytay), Kristine Billy Tabaday (Ayat Festival-La Union), Natalya Magaret Lindsay (Tagultol Festival-Atimonan, Quezon), Shane Pia (Himaya-an Festival-Himamaylan, Negros Occidental), Polyanna Martina Manalo (Anihan sa Ambling Festival-Magdalena, Laguna), Ghenesa Marie Mueller (Udyakan Festival-Kabankalan, Negros Occidental ), Michaela Reen Egay (Tuna Festival-General Santos City), Patricia Marie Mendiola (Pasayahan Festival-Lucena City), and Jazminum Marciano (Kangga FestivalMogpog, Marinduque).

During the last live staging of the Aliwan Fiesta in 2019, the top winners were Pasaka Festival of Tanauan, Leyte for the Pintados Kasadyaan (Streetdance), Tacloban Through the Years (Float) and Roi

life takes a tumultuous turn when an unexpected character resurfaces, bringing a series of challenges that will test their relationship. Completing the wacky gang in this new season are Yayo Aguila, Gene Padilla, Anjo Yllana, Cindy Miranda, Marc Acueza, Ashtine Olviga, and Ethan David who are all set to bring their own compelling stories and

Neeve Comanda - Panagbenga of Baguio (Reyna ng Aliwan 2019).

* * *

An intimate birthday celebration for Aura Queen Bennilyn

The ever-lovely Bennilyn AmigoMolina hosted an intimate but memorable birthday celebration held at VIP Suites Okada Manila in Parañaque City.

Bennilyn, gorgeous in a red dress, was joined by a bevy of her loving friends, family members, and other well-wishers. Bennilyn, a Doctor’s wife with two loving sons and the CEO of Aura Group of Companies, is wellrespected for her brilliant networking skills and marketing expertise in the beauty and wellness industry and in the organization of leadership excellence and achievers’ awards.

Mutya ng Pilipinas Organization president Cory Quirino and Miss Charm 2022 first runner-up Annabelle McDonnel brought glitz and glamor to Bennilyn’s natal day celebration which was highlighted by a beautiful designer birthday cake. “I am surrounded by the people I love. These people may not have brought me gifts, but the number one thing that I am grateful for is their taking off of their busy time to come and celebrate with me. You all made this day a beautiful one indeed. Thank You so much for coming to my simple birthday celebration,” an overjoyed Bennilyn exclaimed.

able issues for the viewers to enjoy the full Team A experience.

Written by Mel Mendoza-Del Rosario and directed by Mervyn B. Brondial, Team A Season 2 is made possible by the extraordinary mix of talents and the production expertise of Cignal, Studio Viva, and Sari Sari Channel.

Boy Abunda

Alden Richards Annette Gozon Valdes Jose Manalo

A scene from the award-winning HBO satirical drama ‘Succession’

relat-

BEVY OF BEAUTIES. This year’s candidates for Reyna ng Aliwan pageant

‘Team A’ stars real-life couple (left) Jerald Napoles and (right) Kim Molina

Nickie Wang Editor Angelica Villanueva , Writer

LIFE

Pulling all stops to celebrate ‘International Fried Chicken Day’

LEADING food chain KFC went all out to celebrate International Fried Chicken Day at its branch in BGC. The event was graced by the presence of members of the media and popular social media personalities, making it a star-studded affair.

To ensure an engaging and entertaining experience for the attendees, the food chain invited notable influencers and personalities such as rising TikTok stars Hansandharold, comedian friends Gifer and Euleen, and TikTok gamer Razzie Binx

The celebration revolved around the concept of “#Fingerlickingoodness,” emphasizing the deliciousness and quality of KFC chicken. The brand created interactive booths and activities to involve the guests. One such booth was Chicken Hoops, where attendees could participate in a fun game involving tossing hoops onto chicken-shaped targets. This activity aimed to bring a sense of playfulness and friendly competition to the event.

Another booth, called Design the Bucket, allowed guests to showcase their creativity and personal style by customizing the iconic KFC chicken bucket. With art supplies provided, attendees could put their own spin on the buckets and create unique designs. This activity not only provided enter-

tainment but also served as a tribute to the brand’s iconic packaging. At the KFC KOLLab booth, guests were encouraged to create their own secret menu items. This interactive experience allowed attendees to experiment with different combinations of chicken and fixings, showcasing the brand’s commitment to food innovation and customization.

After the interactive activities, guests were treated to generous servings of KFC’s Original Recipe Chicken and Hot & Crispy Chicken. The attendees had the opportunity to indulge in the finger-licking goodness that the brand is known for, enjoying the delectable flavors and the brand’s signature gravy. Throughout the event, attendees en-

thusiastically shared their experiences on social media, updating their feeds with posts about the celebration. This organic social media buzz further amplified the brand’s reach and generated excitement among followers and fans. As a fitting conclusion to the event, the food chain awarded winners and presented prizes. Among the coveted prizes was a Colonel Sanders Funko

Sharon Cuneta’s The secret to mega weight loss

LAST Friday, July 7, showbiz icon Sharon Cuneta and her daughter Miel Pangilinan were introduced as the new InLife brand ambassadors or Dreamweavers who will amplify the company’s mission to help Filipinos lead “A Lifetime for Good.”

Aside from taking inspiration from the Megastar’s wise financial decisions and investments, I also find her weight loss secret intriguing. I asked what it was after the media conference and referred to her recent photos where people online have been raving about how younger and slimmer she looks.

“It took seven years!” Sharon smilingly reacted. “When your weight loss is slow but steady, people only notice when you have trimmed down. They don’t remember the whole journey. If you go through my Instagram feed from a year ago, [you will see the difference].”

Sharon revealed working on her weight loss for seven years but really took it to heart last year.

“If you go through my photos, you will see the progress,” she said and later emphasized that one will not be able to lose ten pounds overnight. “Even if you have liposuction done, which I had done many years ago, I have proven that it would be useless if you don’t go on a diet. For me it’s diet,” she revealed and laughingly joked about being too lazy to engage in exercise.

Her weight loss tip was consistent with what she said in a media conference for the primetime series FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano had in 2021. Back then, people had already started noticing Sharon slimming down.

She revealed then, “I started in January 2016. I remember making a commitment to myself, finally. I’ve been losing weight slowly but steadily. You reach a point when you hit a number, you don’t know what it is, when you hit that number on the scale, it will suddenly drop and people will notice.”

Two years ago, Sharon described her weight as almost half of what it used to be. And these days, she is noticeably looking lighter than before. Overall, Sharon said it has been a healthy journey.

“It was for my health, actually. I really made a commitment to myself that I want to be able to play with my future

grandkids,” she shared.

The iconic singer and actress also added that she wants to be healthy enough to spend time with her children Miguel and Miel, who are both in their teens.

“I don’t want to miss out on anything so I had to do it for myself. When you do it for someone else or something, it’s not going to last. I had to talk to my self, ‘Kaya mo ‘to! (You can do this!)

Pop collectible, adding a touch of exclusivity and fandom to the celebration.

International Fried Chicken Day served as the perfect occasion for the food chain to highlight its expertise in crafting mouthwatering chicken dishes. The event emphasized the brand’s commitment to using fresh ingredients and preparing meals with love and attention to detail.

International Fried Chicken Day is celebrated every 6th of July. Its observance originated in the United States but is steadily gaining international recognition from fried chicken lovers around the world.

Supermarket chain wins best TikTok campaign in Hashtag

Asia Awards

not going to last. I had to talk to myHas anyone questioned your discipline be-

Has anyone questioned your discipline before? No.’ So, I challenged myself. Thank God, [things worked out].”

“I wish I could say that I work out regularly but I’m not going to lie, be cause I don’t,” Sharon confessed during the mediacon which is still the case for her these days. “If I can, I just go on the treadmill.” She added rediscovering her love for swimming which she loved as a little girl.

For those who cannot commit to strict diets like the popular no-carbo hydrate type, Sharon’s journey is in spiring. She shared her slow-but-sure eating secret, “I did not remove carbo hydrates [from my diet], I just lessened.

I just got used to it. You just have to train your tummy. They say, when you stretch it, it will stay there when you eat a lot. Over the years, since I was in my 20s, I was also used to having vi ands with vegetables as my rice. Thank God I’m not very much into rice. I’m also not into sweets and I cut down on bread, my weakness. I also avoid sweet drinks.”

Sharon said, “I’ve done so many crash diets in the past and they have all resulted in rebound weight. The re bound weight gain is often bigger than what you lost and harder to remove. So, I stopped.” She reminded with confi dence, “I speak through experience. I’ve been through so many diets. More pro tein, less carbs. Not no carbs, just less.”

For those who cannot commit to diets no-carboincarbo[from my diet], I just lessened. train your tummy. They say, when you vireI stopped.” She reminded with confiprotein, less carbs. Not no carbs, just less.” weight right now can learn a thing or two

Anyone battling to lose excess weight right now can learn a thing or two from Sharon. She captured her journey with this piece of advice we often take for granted, “Everything in moderation.”

PUREGOLD’S firstever TikTok series in the Philippines, 52 Weeks, recently won the gold prize in the Best Social Media Campaign category of Hashtag Asia Awards, a competition that aims to recognize the outstanding work that companies and project teams have displayed in the field of online advertising.

52 Weeks edged out the Raya Ni Saya Rindu campaign of BigPay, which won the silver prize, and the CP Malaysia TikTok Contents Creation & CP Chicken Roll Challenge of PRK Agro Industrial Products, which won the bronze prize.

The winners were decided by an esteemed panel of judges that included experts from around the world. All entries were judged on the following criteria: challenge, strategy, execution, and results.

ternational scale. We share this honor with all Puregold channel subscribers, and the cast and crew who made ‘52 Weeks’ possible.”

52 Weeks is part of Puregold’s retailtainment efforts – combining retail and entertainment to create delightful content for brand building and product awareness.

52 Weeks was the company’s first episodic foray into TikTok, followed by several other series released on YouTube via the Puregold Channel.

The series was directed by Lemuel Lorca and produced by award-winning filmmaker Chris Cahilig The campaign was overseen by Republic Creative Creations, led by Sonny Bautista

“We’re very grateful to the Hashtag Asia Awards for the recognition,” Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, Puregold’s Senior Manager for Marketing, said. “It is both exciting and rewarding to see that our retailtainment efforts are being acknowledged on an in-

and rewarding to see that our ing acknowledged on an in

The digital series starring Jin Macapagal and Queenay Mercado was released last July 27, 2022, and ran for 36 episodes. It told the story of Mina (Mercado), a hopeless romantic who had No Boyfriend Since Birth. Wanting Mina to finally have a love to call her own, her best friends Chem (Derick Lauchengco) and Eya (Herbie Cruz) gave themselves 52 weeks to find the perfect boyfriend for her. The series garnered over 34.1 million views across its run on TikTok.

Social media personalities gather to celebrate International Fried Chicken Day at KFC in BGC

Content creators Gifer Fernandez and Euleen Castro

KFC created interactive booths and activities to involve the guests

SLOW AND STEADY PROGRESS. Sharon Cuneta flaunts her ‘new figure’ which she achieved after several years of dieting

’52 Weeks’ lead stars Jin Macapagal and Queenay Mercado