Manila Standard - 2019 August 20 - Tuesday

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VOL. XXXIII • NO. 187 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

POGOs can spy on PH from afar—Duterte Malacañang said Monday, so having foreign nationals located near military bases should not be a cause of concern.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo shared the President’s view afPRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte believes ter Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzathat China can spy on the government na said that online gaming operations even from afar because of technology, with Chinese workers should be relo-

By MJ Blancaflor, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rey Requejo

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PH fires off new protest vs. China

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.

DFA chief hits out at Chinese warships’ incursions in Sibutu

Poll official, youth leader swap charges

By Rey E. Requejo, Macon Ramos-Araneta and MJ Blancaflor

F

OREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Monday ordered the filing of another diplomatic protest over the repeated passage of Chinese warships through Philippine waters without permission or notice.

By Vito Barcelo COMMISSION on Elections Commissioner Rowena Guanzon on Monday tore into Duterte Youth’s Ronald Cardema for accusing her of extorting P2 million from him, saying he did not have that kind of money.

“Cardema said I demanded [P]2 million from him. I don’t think he even has P500K in his bank account. Aber, show us, you overaged trying hard name dropper,” Guanzon said on her Twitter account.

“Before it was death threats, now extortion. What’s next, impeachment? All intimidation tactics to coerce me to reverse my vote. Again, friendly advise, study your case and get a good lawyer. But [yo]u can’t change your date of birth,” Guanzon Next page said.

“Fire diplomatic protest over Chinese warship; drop the diplomatic crap; say it is ours period; they’re trespassing. If we did it already fire another,” Locsin said in a tweet to the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of Asia and Pacific Affairs.

“We won’t run out and don’t wait for formal intel. This is the secretary of National Defense, no less. Fire at will,” Locsin added.

Locsin’s move came after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana revealed recent incursions by Chinese warships into Philippine waters without informing the authorities while with their identification systems turned off.

Lorenzana cited a report from the

9 Pinoy sailors taken in Africa MOST of the sailors kidnapped off the Cameroon coast last week were Filipinos, not Chinese as first reported, according to an official document seen by AFP Sunday.

On Friday, an official in the port of Douala told AFP that 17 crew had been abducted, including “nine Chinese civilian sailors” from one of the two ships attacked, along with Ukrainians.

The attacks took place on Thursday in Cameroonian waters off Douala, located at the apex of a gulf that has become a hotspot of seaborne crime.

The port document said instead that “nine hostages, all Filipinos,” were seized from a Greek-owned ship while “eight (three Russians, four Filipinos and a Ukrainian)” were taken from a German-owned vessel.

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cated to areas far from military camps.

“The President said you don’t even have to be near because even if you are 1,000 miles away, they can spy on us. They’re [using] high-tech and they have several satellites,” Panelo said.

The Chief Executive is also confident

Western Mindanao Command that Chinese warships sailed through the Sibutu Strait at least three more times in August. Two incursions by Chinese vessels were also reported in July.

Early this month, the DFA fired off a diplomatic protest over Chinese vessels sighted within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

In a hearing of the Senate foreign affairs committee, Locsin confirmed the filing of yet another protest against China.

In the same hearing, Locsin agreed to reveal to the Senate the China’s responses to the many diplomatic protests the Philippines has filed against Beijing.

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HIV cases involving drug users in Visayas on the rise—lawmaker

By Maricel V. Cruz

NEW MUTYA. Davao City’s Klyza Castro is the new Mutya ng Pilipinas 2019 after she was crowned Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City by reigning Miss Asia Pacific International Sharifa Areef Mohammad Omar Akeel, the first Muslim woman to win the crown. Castro will represent the Philippines in the Miss Asia Pacific International Pageant in October in Manila. Teddy Pelaez

A TOTAL of 2,199 drug users—2,071 males and 128 females—have been reported infected with HIV after sharing contaminated needles, a lawmaker from the Visayas region said on Monday.

Citing a Department of Health report, Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas said nearly all, or 99 percent, of the reported cases of infection through needle-sharing from January 1984 to April 2019 were from Central Visayas.

“The growing abuse of synthetic opioid painkillers, particularly Nubain, is a serious health challenge, especially in Central Visayas. The DOH has to find ways to address the demand side of the

problem,” Gullas said.

“We are also counting on the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to suppress the supply side of the problem,” Gullas said.

Nubain (Nalbuphine hydrochloride)—a powerful narcotic analgesic that may be injected into a vein, muscle or fat—first emerged in Cebu in the early 1990s.

At the time, Nubain was classified as a “regulated drug” that could be prescribed only by physicians specially licensed by the Dangerous Drugs Board.

However, due to widespread abuse, the DDB eventually reclassified Nubain as a “dangerous drug” in 2011, effectively banning it.

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Ex-DENR chief passes away, 65 Clark City novelty:

By Rio N. Araja Driver-less bus units PHILANTHROPIST and environmentalist Gina Lopez succumbed to multiple organ failure at 4:15 a.m. on Monday. She was 65.

“The whole ABS-CBN family profoundly mourns the passing of Regina Paz ‘Gina’ Lopez, chairman of ABS-CBN Foundation,” the network’s official statement said.

“With Gina’s passing, we lost a fervent advocate of children’s rights and protection, a passionate proponent of sustainable livelihood among the underprivileged, and an unswerving champion for environment preservation.”

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By Jess Malabanan

GINA LOPEZ

CLARK GLOBAL CITY―Frenchmade “autonomous” vehicles will shuttle athletes, coaches, delegates and VIPs to point-to-point destinations within the New Clark City as the official mode of transport during the holding of the Southeast Asian Games in November this year.

“The vehicles run independent of any human intervention...that’s the thing of innovation,” said Bases Conversion and Development Corp. president and CEO Vince Dizon.

“These vehicles are fit for our vision to make NCC the first smart and green city. They showcase what is possible today in terms of technology.”

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More than 13,000 students and youth leaders from all over the country and abroad, gathered at the Mall of Asia Arena last Aug. 17, 2019, for the annual Global Youth Summit, organized by Global Peace Foundation and SM Cares. Global Youth Summit is the country’s largest gathering of future leaders, who came to engage with industry experts, and discussed concrete actions on global issues that mattered to them the most. GYS supports the United Nations Youth Strategy for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

P4-t budget up for House debate T

By Maricel V. Cruz

HE Palace is expected to submit to the House of Representatives today, Tuesday, the proposed P4.1trillion national government budget for 2020.

Malacañang’s economic managers will meet with Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, Davao City and Rep. Isidro Ungab and other leaders to seek the money measure’s speedy passage.

Romualdez said the House will immediately tackle the budget proposal and subject it to a thorough study to make it responsive to the needs of the people.

He said the House will approve the budget on third and final reading in October.

“The timely passage of the national budget and other priority measures will further propel the country’s economic growth. If we can sustain this, we might go to greater heights never seen before,” Romualdez said.

He said “lifting Filipinos out of poverty is the top priority of President Rodrigo Duterte in the next three years and we need everybody’s support for this mission.

“The numbers now are good. All poverty indicators are at an all-time low. We just need to stay the course and make sure that all the programs and policies are in place for the next phase of the war against poverty.”

The House committee on appropriations, led by Ungab, is scheduled to conduct the budget hearings from Monday to Friday starting on Aug. 22 to ensure its timely passage.

“We will do our best to approve the budget on time and exercise our constitutional duty to scrutinize the budget to make sure that every peso that we appropriate will contribute to the overall growth and development of the coun-

try, Ungab said.

He said the appropriations committee hoped to finish the budget hearings by the second week of September and start the plenary deliberations as soon as the panel approved its committee report.

The target date for passing the General Appropriations Bill is Oct. 4 before the congressional recess, Ungab said.

The budget hearings will kick off on Thursday, Aug. 22, at 9 a.m. with a briefing of the Development Budget Coordination Committee, the inter-agency body that determines the overall economic targets, expenditure levels and the budget of the government.

The DBCC is composed of the Department of Budget and Management, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Finance and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Then on Friday, Aug. 23, the appropriations committee will review the budget proposals of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

The Budget department earlier said the 2020 national budget had the theme “Continuing the Journey to a More Peaceful and Progressive Philippines” as it hoped to “sustain the tremendous progress that the Philippines has made as a nation during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The theme was also consistent with the administration’s goal of becoming a middle-income country where no one lacked

PH...

From A1

Put up or shut up, Palace dares media group

“Let me ask my department. As far as I’m concerned, it’s fine,” Locsin said, after Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon asked him if he could share the information with the panel and the public.

“I don’t know about the public, [but] definitely with the committee,” he said.

“And it will be done.”

The Palace on Monday said China should inform the government if its ships pass through Philippine waters because that is required by international law and is an act of friendship.

The matter is an issue for President Rodrigo Duterte, who is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said.

China and the Philippines were both signatories to United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea which allows innocent passage of ships through the territorial sea of a coastal state as long as it will be “continuous and expeditious.”

“It is an issue with the Office of the President given that we need to be informed in advance of any passage on our territory because that is what the UNCLOS says,” Panelo said.

At least five Chinese warships have recently passed into Philippine waters through the Sibutu Strait near Tawi-Tawi, the Western Mindanao Command reported.

So far, 13 Chinese People’s Liberation Army vessels have recently entered the country, the government says.

Earlier in the day, Panelo said the President would raise the increasing presence of Beijing’s ships in Manila’s waters, as among “irritants” in the two countries’ relations when the chief executive flies to China later this month.

Panelo could not say whether the President will raise the issue to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

But he said Duterte has three talking points so far, including the 2016 arbitral ruling, a 60-40 joint oil exploration with China, and the code of conduct in the disputed waters.

By MJ Blancaflor

Poll official...

From A1 The COMELEC recently disqualified Cardema, 34, from being the nominee for the Duterte Youth party-list group, saying the age limit for a youth sector representative is 30.

Cardema is seeking help from other persons, including the President and congressmen, in hopes of ousting Guanzon.

The Palace earlier cut Cardema loose, saying it had no interest in what he does.

The poll body’s 1st Division canceled Cardema’s nomination and his remaining hope is the COMELEC en banc, of which Guanzon is part.

Guanzon vowed to block Cardema’s nomination, saying she would not inhibit herself from Cardema’s case.

In an interview, Cardema said the Duterte Youth would pursue criminal charges against Guanzon for alleged extortion.

Cardema added that they are also considering filing an impeachment complaint against Guanzon and called on others whom he claimed had also been victimized by the commissioner.

On her Twitter account, Guanzon said: “Why will I extort money from him or anyone? I don’t need it. I am richer than Cardema for sure.”

Cardema’s threat to commit suicide in front of the COMELEC building if they don’t rule in his favor drew ridicule from some social media users.

“Go ahead,” said Belarmino Saguing on Twitter. “Make my day.”

MALACAÑANG on Monday challenged the media group Vera Files to prove its allegations that President Rodrigo Duterte accepted gifts amounting to millions of pesos in 2014.

A Vera Files story published Sunday alleged that seven deposits totaling P193,705,615.88 were credited to the joint bank account of President Duterte and his daughter Sara.

The money was deposited on Duterte’s 69th birthday on March 28, 2014, at BPI’s Julia Vargas branch in Ortigas Center, Vera Files said.

“They say, ‘One who alleges must prove.’ If you cannot prove, don’t speak because you are merely defaming him, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said.

The VERA Files report was based on the bank records submitted by former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for the plunder case he had filed against Duterte before the Office of the Ombudsman.

“Is that true? Does [Vera Files] have any evidence to that effect? Many people said the President has millions of pesos but those weren’t true,” Panelo said.

Duterte initially denied the existence of the

POGOs...

From A1 that the government has the capability to know what the foreigners are doing, his spokesman added.

“Our capability in terms of intelligence and information is okay so he’s not worrying,” Panelo said, quoting President Duterte.

Lorenzana’s concern stem from the fact that some Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) centers are located in Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City and Eastwood, which are less than a 20-minute drive from the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo and Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame.

The other POGO hubs are located in Resorts World in Pasay City near the Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Army headquarters. Other POGO hubs are on Macapagal Avenue near the

MONEY MEASURE. House Majority Leader Rep. Martin Romualdez (left) of Leyte discusses the 2020 national budget with Department of Budget and Management's acting Secretary Wendel Avisado during a short meeting in Malacañang. Ver Noveno opportunities, the department said.

It said the 2020 cash appropriations would give priority to the acceleration of infrastructure, anti-poverty and pro-employment spending. It said the Build, Build, Build Pro-

bank account, but later said those bank deposits meant “he has many rich friends.”

In response to Panelo’s challenge, VERA Files president Ellen Tordesillas noted Duterte’s confirmation of those bank accounts.

“The President didn’t deny the information cited in my column when it was first exposed in 2016. He even confirmed it with his remark about having ‘rich friends.’ Secretary Panelo should take time to read my column carefully.

Everything is there,” she told Manila Standard in a text message.

Panelo said Duterte does not personally receive gifts despite the Chief Executive’s earlier pronouncement that policemen could accept thank-you gifts for their work.

“What I know is that when someone sends a gift to him, he will ask the OP to receive it.

The government of the Philippines will receive the gift,” Panelo told reporters.

He recalled an instance where a painter offered his artworks to Duterte who later asked for a courtesy call.

The President refused to accept the artworks and directed the painter to send them to the OP, Panelo said.

Duterte drew flak weeks ago after he said he

Philippine Navy headquarters in Roxas Boulevard.

A POGO hub is also being eyed at a 36-hectare former resort in Kawit, Cavite just a few kilometers from the Philippine Air Force’s 15th Strike Wing and Philippine Naval Base Heracleo Alano in Sangley Point, a former US base in Cavite province.

Duterte also believes it is only natural for countries to spy on each other, Panelo said.

“That’s I think that’s SOP for all countries,” he added.

The government considers the online gaming hubs as part of a revenue-generating industry for the country, Panelo said.

“That’s very important, we need money, revenue, that’s [a] legitimate revenue-making project. We are not worried about the security [risk] that they are posing to us,” he said.

Tthe Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. has suspended accepting applications for POGO until all concerns “have been addressed.”

Ex-DENR chief...

From A1 “While we mourn with Gina’s family and loved ones, we also pray that her legacy continues to live on in the heart of every Kapamilya she had touched in her lifetime,” ABS-CBN said in a statement.

Lopez took on the post of Environment Secretary in 2016 but her term was cut short after the Commission on Appointments rejected her appointment in 2017.

At least 12 of the oppositions filed with the CA against her were about the closure and suspension of mining operations.

She was succeeded by former Armed Forces chief Roy Cimatu.

Lawmakers on Monday mourned her passing.

Party-List Representative Carlos Zarate, Ferdinand Gaite and Eufemia Cullamat of Bayan Muna expressed condolences and sympathies to the family and friends of the late environmental activist.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto described Lopez as a “great secretary of defense of our natural resources.

“Gina was not a debutante infatuated with green causes to which she had a passing fancy. She was a lifelong warrior for Mother Earth,” Recto said.

Senator Grace Poe said Lopez “came in

gram would continue to be the flagship program of the Duterte administration’s infrastructure development plan, reaching around P1.8 trillion or 6.9 percent of the country’s GDP by 2022.

would not sanction policemen accepting gifts because the act was not considered bribery.

“If they give you a gift, accept it. It is not bribery because... It cannot be bribery because it is allowed by law,” he said during his speech on Aug. 9 before police officials in Camp Crame.

Republic Act 3019, commonly known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, prohibits government officials and employees from accepting gifts or presents except those which were “unsolicited” or whose values were insignificant.

• The Civil Service Commission must set guidelines on the gifts that may be received by state workers, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Monday.

He told reporters that, short of altering relevant laws, the CSC may define under its implementing rules what gifts may or may not be acceptable.

“If I may suggest (to) the CSC commissioners, they may have to set specific guidelines to clearly delineate when a government or public officer is exceeding the bounds of ethics,” he said. With PNA and Macon Ramos-Araneta

“We will no longer, at this time, accept any more applications until we have reviewed and comfortably addressed all of the concerns of everybody,” Pagcor chairman and CEO Andrea D. Domingo said in a press conference Monday.

She said Pagcor stopped accepting POGO application three weeks ago, saying the concerns of authorities should be taken into consideration.

Currently, there are 58 licensed POGO operators, with three others awaiting the issuance of licenses to operate.

Pagcor, Domingo said, will also assess the societal impact of POGO operations in the country.

In related developments: • Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon shared Lorenzana’s concerns over the growing presence of Chinese-dominated POGOs, saying their proximity to military camps spells danger. He also described the Chinese embassy’s statement that overseas Filipino workers in China may also

our midst and taught us love for mankind and the environment, our common home.”

Senator Richard Gordon described Lopez as a staunch advocate of significant and meaningful causes for the country. He said Lopez stood her ground firmly on the issues she felt needed to be addressed.

Senator Francis Pangilinan said Lopez was a woman of courage.

Senator Bong Go said he had the honor of workingwithLopezwhenshewastheenvironment secretary of the Duterte Administration.

ABS-CBN, the family-owned company, said Lopez’s tireless commitment to her advocacies gave birth to Bantay Bata 163, Bantay Kalikasan and other programs under the ABS-CBN Foundation.

Lopez pushed for many campaigns and projecst, including Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog, No-to-Mining in Palawan, the La Mesa watershed reforestation, and the “G Diaries” weekly television program before serving as Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission chairman and Department of Environment and Natural Resources chief in 2016.

“Gina was the pillar of strength that pushed AFI to achieve what seemed to be impossible. Her caring heart and selfless kind of love inspired people within and beyond the organization to help and serve others,” the ABS-CBN family said. With MJ Blancaflor, Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

be suspected of spying as “absurd and beyond the realm of possibility.”

• The Palace rebuked Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua for saying that Filipinos working in China could be accused of spying, after Lorenzana raised security concerns about Chinese working in POGOs. “The Office of the President shares the sentiment of Secretary Lorenzana and Secretary [Ernesto] Pernia when they said that the [Filipino workers] went to China for the purpose of work,” Panelo said.

• Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday slammed the Chinese government, saying Filipinos working in China are not spies.

“They have no history of espionage.

Filipinos abroad are valued both for their skill and unique blend of hard work and care,” she said.

Based on records from the Department of Foreign Affairs, there were about 12,000 Filipinos working in China. Most of them live in cities such as Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Xiamen.

HIV cases...

From A1 Mere possession of Nubain ampules now carries a life sentence.

Citing a report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Gullas said people who inject drugs “have multiple vulnerabilities to HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.”

Around the world, the UNODC said: • Sharing injecting device is at least three times more likely to transmit HIV than sexual intercourse; • There has been a 33 percent increase in new HIV infections among people who inject drugs in the last five years; • People who inject drugs are 24 times more likely to acquire HIV than adults in the general population; • Some 83 percent of the people who inject drugs and who live with HIV are co-infected with hepatitis C; and • Eight percent of people who inject drugs have TB. HIV causes AIDS, or the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, which destroys the body’s natural ability to ward off all kinds of infections. The condition still does not have any known cure, but antiretroviral therapy has been known to help restrain the virus.

Leonen opts out of race for CJ post

By Rey E. Requejo SUPREME Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen has opted to decline his automatic nomination for the Chief Justice post.

“I confirm that I have declined the nomination of the court en banc to the position of Chief Justice, vice Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin,” Leonen said.

“There is no requirement to state our reasons for declining the nomination. For now, in my considered judgment, my decision is the right thing to do for myself, this Court and this country,” he added.

Under the rules of the Judicial and Bar Council, the five most senior magistrates of the 15-member bench are automatically nominated to the SC top post, which Bersamin will vacate on Oct. 18 when he reaches his mandatory retirement age of 70.

Aside from Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, the other senior magistrates are Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, Leonen, and Francis Jardeleza, who will retire on Sept. 26.

The JBC set the deadline for the submission of application, nomination and acceptance for the chief justice post on Aug. 20.

Palace probes COA claim vs.

Kaliwa bidding MALACAÑANG on Monday said it would look into the report of the Commission on Audit questioning the legitimacy of the Kaliwa Dam contract awarded to Chinese firm China Energy Engineering Corporation Limited.

According to COA, the bidding for the Kaliwa Dam was done “in the guise of being a competitive procurement process” with the two losing bidders merely included to comply with the Procurement Law requiring three bidders.

The government auditing body said the Consortium of Guangdong Foreign Construction was non-compliant with the eligibility requirements while the financial bid of Power Construction Corporation of China Limited was “surprisingly higher” than the approved budget for the contract.

“Only the China Energy Engineering Corporation Limited qualified which is questionable considering that the two bidders were disqualified in the first and second stages of the procurement process due to the seemingly intentional purpose of the bidders not to comply with the TWG [technical working group] requirements,” COA said .

“Of course, we will have to look at the report of COA, then look at the contract,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said.

President Rodrigo Duterte, Panelo added, has the power to suspend the contract if the alleged irregularities were proven. MJ Blancaflor

9FromPinoy...

A1 Noel Choong, head of the information service of the International Maritime Bureau based in Kuala Lumpur, confirmed the figures but said he could not be sure of the nationalities on the second ship.

“The IMB has issued a warning to all ships at Douala. We ask all ships to take additional precautions,” Choong said Friday.

In Moscow, press reports citing the foreign ministry said three of the victims were Russian.

The Gulf of Guinea, whose coastline stretches in a huge arc from Liberia to Gabon, is notorious for piracy as well as oil theft, illegal fishing and human and drugs trafficking. AFP

Clark City...

From A1 Three driver-less mini-buses with a capacity of 14 passengers each, Hizon said, will be criss-crossing the NCC during the SEA games. The vehicles will run by electricity.

“Come October, November and December where we will be hosting the SEA games. We will be very proud to be the first country in Asia to experience these driver-less vehicles for everyone’s use inside the NCC for free,” Dizon said shortly before the signing of the memorandum of agreement among the BCDA, CDC and COAST Autonomous held at the BCDA Corporate Office on the 9th Floor of One West Aeropark Building here.

Pierre Lefevre, Chief Technology Officer of COAST Autonomous, said the deployment of the driver-less vehicles would serve as a pilot test before the firm embarked on mass production targeting the cities and huge universities not only in Asia but also in Europe.

“Mass production will start next year and our main mission is to give jobs. The vehicles have safety and security features and very safe to use,” said Lefevre during the press conference here.

The vehicles, Lefevre said, were made to avoid humans. “Included in the safety features program is to make sudden stop each time a human crosses in front.” It has a maximum speed of 60 kilometers per hour and runs at a low speed.

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Du30 supports separate restrooms for LGBTQ+ Palace says

REMEMBERING QUEZON. Members of

the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of the Philippines perform fancy drills during the 141st birthday anniversary of the late President Manuel Quezon at the Quezon Memorial Circle. Manny Palmero

By MJ Blancaflor PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is in favor of creating distinct restrooms for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community, his spokesman said Monday.

“There is a need for a third restroom for them so we will not have any problem. If you’ll enter a female restroom, some might not be comfortable because it might be a man. Vice versa,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a television interview.

“That’s what he told me yesterday,” Panelo added.

Panelo’s remark came after the incident in a mall in Quezon City where a transgender woman was barred from entering a female restroom.

The incident triggered a call for the passage of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) equality bill which failed to be approved in the 17th Congress.

Distinct restrooms for LGBTQ+ were not part of the version of the SOGIE equality bill filed in the 17th Congress, but Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri expressed optimism that it might be included in the new version of the bill.

If passed into a law, denial of access to establishments, facilities, services and utilities on the basis of sexual orientation will be prohibited. The proposed measure will also penalize verbal and physical harassment against LGBTQ+.

Group urges Senate to hike ‘sin taxes’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Sin Tax Coalition urged members of the Senate Ways and Means committee to pass a substantial increase to the excise tax on alcoholic beverages, heated tobacco products (HTPs), and electronic cigarettes.

“We would like to thank Senate Ways and Means committee chairperson Pia Cayetano for immediately scheduling a hearing to discuss the proposal to raise the taxes on alcohol and e-cigarettes,” said Sin Tax coalition convener Antonio Dans.

“We hope that our senators act swiftly on the measure, and approve the highest rates possible,” he added.

The increase in sin taxes, which constitutes Package 2+ of the Department of Finance’s Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, was approved by the House of Representatives on second reading during their plenary session last Aug. 14.

The coalition also hopes that the reform bill will be approved on third reading today (Aug. 20).

“We are also grateful to Rep. Joey Salceda for his prompt action on the proposal to increase sin taxes in the House. As we soon expect the measure to be passed on third reading, he can be assured of the coalition’s full support,” Dans added.

7 erring Customs officials sacked

By Rio N. Araja

T

HE Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed seven officials and employees from the Bureau of Customs for neglect of duty, grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and serious dishonesty.

In separate decisions, the Ombudsman dismissed deputy collector for operations Ramon Hernandez, Customs operations officer V Lomonto Macabando, Customs operations officer III Vanzandt Remonde, special police assistant chief Jaybee Raul Cometa, Customs security guard II Renly Tiñana, special agent I Oscar Farin and Customs operations officer III Vicente Gamboa, and meted the penalty of dismissal from service with all its accessory penalties under the 2017 Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service.

On the other hand, Customs operations officer IV Dolores Domingo was found guilty of gross insubordination, and handed down the penalty of suspension from office for one year without pay. Ombudsman Samuel Martires approved and signed the orders last Aug. 15.

Hernandez was liable for three counts of gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct over the irregular transshipment of 539 cargo containers from the Manila International Container Port to the Port of Batangas, and the loss of 230

from that figure when he was then the deputy collector for operations of the MICP. The Ombudsman found Macabando guilty of grave misconduct for attempting to smuggle into the country a clutch bag filled with pieces of jewelry without any receipt or invoice, and for his failure to declare the items in May 2018 in violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. Remonde was found guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and serious dishonesty for an August 2018 shipment of supposed packages of refractory mortary.

Upon examination, the shipment was found to contain sacks of sugar.

The Ombudsman found Cometa guilty of gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service for his failure to properly encode a shipment filled with 276 kilos of shabu mixed with concealed bags of plastic resin.

Cometa labeled the shipmen as

“YELLOW,” and not “RED” selectivity status.

Tiñana was found guilty of grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, after he was discovered to have deposited huge amounts of money derived from an “illicit source” to different accounts with the Philippine National Bank.

Also found guilty of gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service was Farin over his “indifference” to the transfer of 23,015 sacks smuggled rice from Malaysia out of the Ben Go wharf from Sept. 27 to 28, 2018.

Moreover, the administrative rap against Farin emanated over his failure to verify if the trucks that were authorized by the Bureau of Customs, and that he did not determine the ultimate destinations of rice.

Gamboa was found guilty of grave misconduct when he took P3,000 from one Kathy Kimberly Gamboa for a parcel addressed to her on Feb. 28, 2018.

He forged her signature in the statement of receipt of duties collected on informal entry and failed to immediately issue an official receipt.

The Ombudsman suspended Domingo for one year without pay after being found guilty of gross insubordination for refusal to receive and comply with the order reassigning her to the Port of Cagayan de Oro in December 2016.

‘Revise old law against terrorism’ SENATOR Imee Marcos wants to revisit and revise the country’s 12-year-old anti-terrorism law—the Human Security Act of 2007.

She said this law needed to be updated to cope with the digital, transnational, and evolving nature of terrorism.

The new modes of terrorism and what used to be mere predicate crimes, she said, are now main offenses punishable with life imprisonment or a possible death penalty in her proposed Senate Bill 630.

“Terrorist activity in Philippine territory has become frequent and commonplace,” Marcos said.

She cited the first recorded case of a Filipino suicide bomber in Sulu last July and the conviction of two terrorist suspects that included an Indonesian earlier this year.

Unmentioned in the present law, cyber attacks on computer systems are considered punishable terrorist acts in the Marcos bill and would compel system providers to give customer information to law enforcers.

Recruiting terrorists and glorifying violent acts that sow fear and panic among the public or threaten the government or public services, whether done personally or through the media, are also in the bill’s roster of terrorist acts.

“Neither religion, ideology, politics, nor economic goals can excuse acts of violent extremism,” Marcos said.

Naming the violent use of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear material as terrorist acts will also harmonize national law with international agreements, Marcos added. Macon Ramos-Araneta

PAGCOR REPORT. Pagcor

Chairman Andrea Domingo stresses a point during her report to the nation for year 2019 during a media forum.

The topics nclude PAGCOR’s success, and other issue that the agency is facing, ncluding the Philippine Online Gambling Operations (POGOs) at the National Press Club in Intramuros, Manila on Monday. Lino Santos

File charges vs. corrupt PhilHealth execs, Roque told MALACAÑANG on Monday urged former presidential spokesman Harry Roque to file charges against corrupt officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

Roque, the lawyer for two whistleblowers who exposed a fraudulent scheme to claim payments for “ghost” dialysis, earlier said he is mulling to press charges against former and current PhilHealth officials allegedly involved in irregularities.

“If Mr. Roque has the goods on any official of the PhilHealth, then he should file the appropriate charges,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said.

Roque said he was willing to file the cases for free, if the new PhilHealth president Ricardo Morales would provide him the documents needed to identify the of-

ficials involved in fraudulent activities.

He also said he is planning to file cases against former PhilHealth president Roy Ferrer and former board members for accrediting hospitals involved in ghost claims.

Ferrer and former board member Roberto Salvador, Jr. tagged seven officials as part of a supposed “mafia” who wielded high influence in the agency.

They were identified as Paolo Johan Perez, regional vice president of PhilHealth Regional Office 4B; Khaliquzzaman Macabato, RVP of PhilHealth Regional Office ARMM; Valerie Anne Hollero, assistant corporate secretary; Dennis Adre, RVP of PhilHealth Regional Office XII; Masiding Alonto Jr., RVP of PhilHealth Regional Office

Region X; Jelbert Galicto, RVP of PhilHealth Regional Office CARAGA and William Chavez, RVP of PhilHealth Regional Office Region VII. The so-called PhilHealth mafia has ensured that there were no review of rates and overpayments and manipulated the processing of claims for their own benefit, according to the two officials at a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing last week.

The seven officials, who have been suspended, denied any wrongdoing.

Panelo also said Roque’s suggestion to abolish PhilHealth should be addressed to Congress.

“If he wants it abolished then address it to Congress,” Panelo said.

MJ Blancaflor

OSG’s lawyering for PNP on raps vs. Leni, others hit

By Rey E. Requejo RESPONDENTS in the sedition complaint filed by the Philippine National Police against Vice President Leni Robredo and other opposition personalities have asked the Department of Justice to reject the complaint for lack of personality and the appearance of the Office of the Solicitor General as counsel for the complainant during the preliminary investigation of the case.

Former Magdalo Party-list Rep. Gary Alejano and Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) lawyers Manuel Diokno and Lorenzo Tañada, who are all respondents in the sedition complaint, argued that the OSG is only authorized to represent the government in criminal proceedings before the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals only.

In separate motions filed by Alejano and Diokno along with Tanada, they cited the SC ruling in Urbano vs.

Chavez which held that the chief state lawyer cannot appear in preliminary investigation.

In the same ruling, the respondents argued that the high court emphasized that if the OSG lawyers are respondent public officer during a preliminary investigation, it effectively restraint itself to a position that would prevent it from credibly performing its role as the government’s appellate counsel should that respondent’s conviction be challenged on appeal.

P5b allocated for equipment of rice-producing towns—Villar EACH of the 947 rice-producing towns in the country will get P5 million worth of farm equipment and machinery under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, said Senator Cynthia Villar.

Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, said P5 billion has been allocated for the procurement of farm equipment through the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech). This will be divided among the rice-producing municipalities.

The machinery, Villar said, will be used for land preparation, crop establishment, harvesting and threshing, drying, and milling. In the absence of farmer associations, the local government unit will manage and maintain the equipment.

“Mechanization of farm labor is our solution in reducing the cost of producing palay in the country, which is pegged at P12 per kilo compared to Vietnam, which produces a kilo of palay at P6 only,” Villar said.

Villar said experts have analyzed the cost difference between two countries and found out the biggest difference of P3.40 as labor cost.

“We hope to bring down labor cost through mechanization. Under RCEF, our rice farmers will receive as grantin-aid P5 million worth of farm equipment annually for the next six years,” said Villar. Macon Ramos-Araneta

A4

Opinion

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Hoaxes (Continued from Thursday) PHILIPPINE media started calling that event the “bloodless People Power Revolution of 1986,” which they claimed caused the exile of Marcos.

The anti-Marcos elements and their media friends wanted to perpetuate a scented and sanctified image of Edsa One. This is just a fanciful delusion.

Historians Salvador Escalante and J. Augustus dela Paz of the Truth and Justice Foundation said it was not a revolution, just a pocket mutiny that grew into a localized revolt. Less than half a million people were there; the population of the country at that time was 80 million.

Remember, a revolution connotes a change in government.

Here are more examples of fake news. *** Yet another example of fake news was that which happened during the first months of martial law. There was a report that a banker had been arrested at the international airport because he was caught with a suitcase full of peso bills; he was supposedly smuggling out his own bank’s money to Hong Kong.

The banker was Vic Tan, president of the Continental Bank. The report came from the office of Defense Sec-

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

retary Fabian Ver. That was a lot of bull—nobody in his right mind would pull such a stunt.

There was a rumor that Ver simply wanted to take over the bank.

In any case, Tan was arrested and taken to Camp Crame. And then he was taken to Camp Laur, Nueva Ecija and was placed in isolation. Worse, even his wife Helen was arrested.

The incident was narrated in Tan’s book, “Struggle Against Greed and Injustice.” The worst part was that when Cory Aquino came to power, she took over Tan’s insurance company as well! *** Almost every Philippine president had his or her share of hoaxes.

For instance, there were all these hoaxes during the time of President Gloria Arroyo. She was accused of cheating in the 2004 polls when she defeated action star Fernando Poe, Jr. There was her comment to some supporters to “take care of the votes.”

These words were twisted to mean they should manipulate the results.

For this, Gloria was charged with electoral sabotage, a grave offense that was later on dismissed. She was also charged with the same offense when she appeared on TV and said “I am sorry” for talking to elections commis commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.

Records later on showed that her TV appearance simply intended to convey her regret for talking to Garcillano. Her political enemies made a mountain out of a molehill.

Then came the Hyatt 10 scandal, which portrayed Gloria as a president who could not be trusted and who must be replaced. The truth was that the Hyatt 10 were Yellows who wanted to replace her with somebody they could manipu-

M

Analytica.

A propensity to share AKING waves this week on the streaming service Netflix is The Great Hack, a documentary on data research/ propaganda firm Cambridge

The company supposedly targeted specific “persuadable” segments of the population and bombarded them with advertisements, articles, memes and other social media posts. These posts in turn swayed their opinion and changed their behavior on issues of national importance: Brexit, for instance, and the 2016 United States presidential race.

The posts popped up on each users’ feed alone, “miraculously confirming their prejudices, playing on their insecurities, magnifying and warping their worries,” said The Guardian.

How did Cambridge Analytica know who were malleable and who were not? It reportedly had some 5,000 data points for every single person that it had harvested from Facebook through seemingly innocuous information, posts, comments, likes and messages as well as answers to surveys—which millions of users willingly shared.

The documentary follows a pro-

fessor who filed a lawsuit seeking to know how much information Cambridge Analytica had about him, an investigative journalist who first broke the story, and two former Cambridge Analytica employees who claim to have realized the error of their ways and the magnitude of what they have helped create.

One of the personalities mentioned in the film, Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix, claims to specialize in election campaigns in numerous countries, the most notable of which was in Trinidad and Tobago in 2013, where it successfully told young voters that it was cool not to vote. Nix was also connected with an affiliate organization, SCL Elections—Rappler reported he was in Manila in 2015 to deliver a talk and to meet with key members of the Duterte campaign. Insiders denied that a local company was an SCL office and that inked a deal with Nix. He was

here for mere research, they told Rappler.

Beyond specific cases, at the heart of the conversation is how people reveal too much of themselves in the name of connectivity—not knowing where the information could go or how it can be used to persuade them to buy things, join political movements, or vote for or against a particular person.

Filipinos are known to be avid users of social media, taking delight in revealing things about themselves for their circles to see.

Few are aware that once a piece of information is out there, it is difficult to control or know who has access to it and how it can be used.

While we happily share away, our minds are conditioned and manipulated by those who know better and stand to profit from the information we volunteer.

Laws are still being crafted as technology evolves. Meanwhile, our best protection is to be circumspect about what we put out there, and to be rigorous in verifying information and our sources before allowing ourselves to be swayed.

Turn to A5

Heroes and heroines of August

WITH this column, I start a series about great Filipinos—four who have passed to eternal life, one just yesterday, and one who is living but a political prisoner of the Duterte regime like the first hero was of the US-Marcos dictatorship.

I will end the series next Tuesday on Aug. 26, National Heroes’ Day, remembering the students and young who were killed during the Marcos martial law years and who have given up their lives to fight for what they think is right. It is important to do that as the state is targeting again our young heroes and heroines.

Aug. is a month of heroes not just because of the holiday on the 26th. Ninoy Aquino gave his life for the country 36 years ago, on Aug. 21, 1983. Cory Aquino, heroine of our democratic restoration, succumbed to cancer 10 years ago this month, on Aug. 1, 2009; her death filled the country with such grief and gratitude that swept her son to the presidency less than a year later.

It was seven years this month, on Aug. 18, 2012 when Jesse Robredo’s plane crashed in the sea near Masbate, taking away our one big hope that a servant-leader would become our president one day. And then yesterday, the sad news of the demise of Gina Lopez, the great defender of nature, came.

And then there is Leila de Lima, senator of the Republic and most famous political prisoner of the Duterte government. Thankfully she is alive and still fighting, leading the resistance to growing repression in our land from her prison cell in Camp Crame.

Born on Aug. 27, 1959, she too is a heroine.

More than 900 days have passed since charges had been filed against Senator Leila de Lima for supposed involvement in the drug trade operations inside the New Bilibid Prison and alleged extorting money from

Bilibid inmates to fund her senatorial campaign, De Lima remains in detention, languishing in jail despite utter lack of credible evidence to pin her of the charges.

De Lima’s only fault was to earn the ire of the President when she investigated, as Justice Secretary, the extrajudicial killings of suspected criminals by the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS) in Davao City during the term of then Mayor Duterte. She compounded the President’s anger by continuously criticizing Duterte’s bloody anti-drug campaign. Because of that, the President in his public statements vowed to destroy and crush her.

It did not take long for Congress to conduct a sham probe in an inquiry followed by the filing of cases in court. But the world saw through the charade and gross injustice against her. Many world organizations and

Time and again, brave and noble souls come out to rally us into action and wake us up from the slumber of indifference and apathy. rights groups, local and international, continue to cry out for her release from imprisonment and dismissal of the trumped-up charges. Even as she is now confined within the four walls of her cell, De Lima has proven that she remains uncowed and unbowed, continuing to castigate what she perceives as the Duterte administration’s misrule. Mindless of her safety and loss of freedom, she is an implacable thorn at the backside of this administration.

Senator De Lima’s travails reminds me of another senator, Ninoy Aquino Jr., whose death anniversary we celebrate this coming Aug. 21. I am reminded as well of Cory Aquino and Jesse Robredo.

Early on, Senator Ninoy saw through Turn to A5

The insurgency revisited (2) THIS is the second part of my earlier column on the communist insurgency that I discussed last August 14 before the Philippine Air Force Civil-Military Operations Group (PAF-CMOG).

The Duterte administration restarted peace talks with the CPPNPA-NDF in 2016. To show good faith and sincerity, the government released some detained CPP-NPA leaders who were said to be peace consultants. The peace talks held mainly in Europe brokered by the Norwegian government managed to hold a few meetings but was not able to agree on the substantive as-

The idea of local peace talks sounds good—in theory. pects covering economic and social reforms, political and electoral re reforms, and cessation of hostilities.

The biggest obstacle was that the two sides could not agree on a bilateral ceasefire for the duration of the peace talks. The NPA launched numerous attacks on government forces even while the peace talks were ongoing. As things now stand, the government has indicated that it would seek to crush the communist rebellion through both military offensives and civic action.

With the collapse of the formal peace talks with the NDF, the government has begun to implement lo localized peace talks aimed at facili facilitating the surrender of communist rebels and giving them cash incentives when they lay down their arms to rejoin the mainstream of society.

The idea of local peace talks sounds good in theory: Talk to the local NPA leaders, convince them that armed struggle is futile because the government is addressing their grievances, such as agrarian reform, and even offer them cash for arms, housing, and livelihood assistance. But will the rebels bite this tactic, and stream to military camps to surrender?

That’s highly unlikely. The military may be able to convince some of the rebels to go down from the Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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Opinion

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2019

No need for transgender certificates

Another brick in the wall

TODAY—though not at all for the first time in their long and colorful history—the students at the University of the Philippines are calling for a classroom walkout from all of the UP campuses. It’s not clear to me what the specific issues are, but I gather from a radio interview with the UP student regent that the big issue is—once again—“impending militarization” and the “death of academic freedom” at the state university.

There are a lot more campuses in the UP system today than when I attended half a century ago, and the student population has grown many-fold since my time. But I don’t doubt that there’ll be no shortage of fresh-faced idealism and sheer youthful energy to ensure that this latest student protest makes the headlines again—no matter how old-hat the issues are.

If only the story could stop at that—the spectacle of callow kids venting their spleen against a system they neither like nor understand. But unfortunately it has never been only that, not since—again half a century ago—the ragtag band of followers of Jose Maria Sison from the early sixties got together to resurrect, first the local communist party, then the local communist guerrilla army, with their sights dead set on converting the “flower children” of the late sixties into a perpetual recruiting ground for insurrection. *** I was reminded of this while viewing on TV the tearful testimony of parents who had lost their children to that same recruiting ground. It breaks the heart to see, not just their tears, but even more so the determination on the grim faces of their children—so young, barely old enough to shave or bleed every month—and know that, unsaved, they will likely end up dead and buried in some patch of ground cursed by their revolution.

Like others in my little corner of our generation, I’ve also lost more than my share of friends—high school mates, fraternity brothers, college buddies—to the intemperate urgings of their brave hearts but uncompleted minds, stoked by the fantasies of ideologues who have long since decamped to the decadent

Hoaxes From A4

late. This was why Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and Budget Secretary Butch Abad met with Vice President Noli de Castro, to convince him to go with their plan. But De Castro saw through their ruse and refused to be used.

The Hyatt 10 did not resign—they were fired. The Yellow sector of media just made it appear that they broke away from Gloria. Fake news!

Not content with throwing brickbats against Gloria, the Yellow sector of the press came out with the national broadband network scandal. They portrayed a whistleblower as some sort of hero when in fact he was later on charged with corruption.

Gloria survived everything thrown against her. In fact, records showed she was the only president who achieved a GDP growth rate of 7.9 percent because of he fiscal and economic reforms.

When BS Aquino came to power,

Heroes...

From A4

the evil plans of Marcos to perpetuate himself in power. Taking the Senate podium, he exposed Oplan Sagittarius, the blueprint formulated by Marcos to put the entire Philippines under martial law and thus pave the way for untrammeled concentration of power.

As a result of his constant and unrelenting criticism of the abuses of Marcos, his family and cronies, Ninoy was arrested, accused of trumped-up charges of murder, illegal possession of firearms and subversion, tried before the Military Commission and sentenced to death by firing squad. Ninoy was per-

embrace of their European fellow travelers. Out of sight, out of the line of fire—how convenient indeed for these bitter old men!—but, unfortunately, not out of mind for each new generation that replaces the previous ones who inevitably come of age and become the wiser for it.

The friends I lost—the average age was 19—were all wasted deaths. This in no way demeans their sacrifice; it only underscores their tragedy. How much more could they have lived a full life, founded their own families, contributed to humanity—had they not fallen prey to ideologues who then acclaimed their deaths as “not

We owe our children the protection of our strong hand, the wisdom of our admonitions if not our still-misunderstood advice, the opportunity to grow up and eventually learn for themselves how precious, all by itself, the simple reality of one’s own life can be.

rection that is killing our soldiers, policemen, and the civilian victims of collateral damage. Both the US and the European Union have officially condemned these people as terrorists, and yet we make room for them even as they still hold on to their guns.

When students take to the streets on behalf of arguably legitimate grievances, these are not innocent assemblies but highly orchestrated mass actions of the Sisonite Left, designed not only to influence national discourse but also to keep its recruitment pipeline full. In this light, it would be foolhardy to allow these actions to go unmonitored and unrestricted—unless we too, like the Left, have lost interest in the lives and futures of the innocents being so mustered.

The rest of us are—and ought to be—better than that. These are our children, not Sison’s, not the Left’s.

They are owed the protection of our strong hand, the wisdom of our admonitions if not our still-misunderstood advice, the opportunity to grow up and eventually learn for themselves how precious, all by itself, the simple reality of one’s own life can be. *** In last Sunday’s Gospel (Lk 12: 49-53), Jesus may have scared the crowds with His fiery admonition: “Do you think I have come to establish peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be didi vided, three against two and two against three…” After all, this was the same man who ordered His disciples to abandon their families, the rich youth to sell all his goods and follow Him, later even turning against His own family, even His mother, to embrace the larger community who followed Him. On whose authority did this man go around breaking up families? On the authority of His Divine Sonship, we are reminded again and again, as in today’s Gospel (Mt 9: 18-31) which recounts three miracles one after another: the woman healed by just touching His cloak, the young girl raised from the dead, and the healing of two blind men.

For such a man as this—for such a mission as His—may families be rightfully divided. Not for anyone else, and certainly not for political charlatans.

lighter than a feather, but heavier than a mountain” because of the revrev olution they enlisted in? This is nothing but prattle from carrion vultures, feeders upon the dead. *** The UP student walkout today has nothing to do with militarization—right now just a whisper of a threat—or academic freedom. What it is really about is the continuation of a decades-long campaign by communist ideologues to advance their vision of a utopian society—a struggle they believe should be violent as well as protracted, sheltered by the umbrella of legitimate causes, sincere idealism among young hearts, and the legal protections afforded by a democratic state to all its citizens.

When a party-lister from the Sisonite Left makes it into the halls of Congress, this is not a victory for enlarging democratic space and consultation. It is opening the doors of power to those who are simultane- Readers can write me at gboliously also stoking an armed insur- var1952@yahoo.com.

his regime specialized in double standards. He put Gloria under hospital arrest and refused to let her have treatment abroad. He also had Chief Justice Renato Corona impeached, tried and convicted for not declaring his dollar accounts in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth. Corona’s sin was that he raised the amount of compensation for the tenants of the Aquinoowned Hacienda Luisita.

It was also Aquino who had opposition senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla jailed for plunder and their connection with the P10-billion pork barrel scam of Janet Lim Napoles.

And yet, Aquino kept talking about his “daang matuwid.” *** We now come to the Duterte administration—his war on illegal drugs, criminality and corruption.

Despite his promise to end the drug problem in three months, Mr. Duterte kept extending the deadline. The smug-

gling of illegal drugs continues—and it’s because he is going about it the wrong way. The drug menace is not a peace and order problem, my gulay!

Rather, it’s a health issue.

And because this concerns health, first and foremost, the government should put up community-based rehabilitation centers in every province.

It seems, though, that the President is not listening.

The issue of corruption is another thing. I have been a journalist for over 70 years and I have come to the conclusion that corruption will persist so long as there are human discretion and intervention in government transactions.

The President is making it worse by putting military people at the helm of sensitive agencies. But are these men really honest?

One thing I can say about the President—despite all the rumors about his health, he seems to defy all odds.

secuted and eventually felled by an assassin’s bullet which paved the way for him to be raised to the pantheon of the country’s heroes.

Ninoy and Leila are heroes with parallel lives. They dared fight abusive governments of their time, risking everything dear to them—their liberty and loved ones, suffering imprisonment and forced separation from their families, effectively foregoing a life of peace and contentment, to sound out to the people and the world that injustice in whatever form must be resisted; that evil cannot be allowed to run amuck without resistance. Their love for country takes precedence over the lure of worldly peace and tranquillity. They let their conscience rule over an option to

be complacent, to compromise, enrichment, and enjoy the perks that power has to offer. Instead they chose a difficult path by fighting injustice and untruth in whatever form.

Although dark clouds continue to hover over us because of runaway extrajudicial killings, existential threats to our country’s sovereignty because of Chinese aggressive acts in the West Philippine Sea, and the implementation of government policies intended to subvert constitutional democracy, our collective strength and resiliency will ensure that we can tide over any and all challenges. Time and again, brave and noble souls come out to rally us into action and wake us up from the slumber of indifference and apathy.

www.emiljurado.weebly.com

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

IN THE controversy on “Gretchen Diez,” the bone of contention may not necessarily be the issue of discrimination against LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) as much as it is the violation of one’s legal and human rights.

Transwoman Diez herself caught on video the maltreatment she experienced in the hands of maintenance and security personnel of Farmers’ Plaza in Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City a few days ago.

So, the janitors and security guards cannot deny their utter disregard of the laws when they forced Diez out of the restroom and detained her for hours.

Diez's ordeal did not end when Quezon City policemen came who, instead of resolving the dispute, readily handcuffed and hauled her to the police station despite no clear justification. One thing clear is the fact that the policemen themselves prejudiced against the transwoman.

It is not anyone else's business what ever bias those nincompoops at Farmers' Plaza have against the LGBTQs for as long as nobody's legal and hu-

The insurgency...

From A4

man rights are trampled on.

Conservative people may find LGBTQs mannerisms and actuations disgusting but one cannot deprive them of their rights just because one finds them repulsive.

The bathroom incident at Farmers' Plaza may be a simple case of stupidity that led to the abuse and maltreatment of Diez.

The janitress did not have the right to stop Diez from using the bathroom, thinking that she was just a transvestite or a cross-dresser at first. Still, the janitors and the security guards refused to believe when Diez told them she was a "transwoman."

Would the janitress have stopped a lesbian or a tomboy from using either the women's or men's bathroom?

Don't tell me there was a need for Diez to show a transgender certificate like what they are just implementing in the United Kingdom?

There is no need for that here in the Philippines.

The culprits, including the cops, were either acting out their prejudice against Diez or they were in fact simply morons.

Either way, they are liable for the hateful maltreatment and abuse of one fine, educated and cultured woman.

Ignorance of the law excuses no one.

closed the door to the resumption of peace talks with the communists, then we can expect the military, including the Air Force, to take an active role in counter-insurgency operations. The modernization of the AFP includes the acquisition of more air assets, such as fighter jets and attack helicopters to assist ground forces in search and destroy operations against the NPA. Beyond the military component, the Air Force should be able to assist the civilian government in winning hearts and minds through prompt rescue, relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in emergency and disaster situations, and close coordination with government agencies at the national and local levels to assist in social development and anti-poverty initiatives. The pro-active stance in civil-military operations will help the national government in combating the communist insurgency and rebels to give up their arms and return to the mainstream of society.

In one of my recent columns, I described the continuing armed hostilities between government forces and communist rebels as a war without end unless the two sides agree to a mutually acceptable political settlement. The draft presented by the NDF on social and economic reforms has not been formally taken up but it includes such issues as genuine agrarian reform and nationalist industrialization.

Those are two big issues that require a process of give and take or agreeing to concessions to the other side. With the prospect of more violence and bloodshed in the months and years ahead, somehow the peace process should be resumed, with backchannel efforts aimed at getting the two sides to face each other across the negotiating table rather than in the battlefield.

hills and return to a normal life in the social mainstream, but probably not in sufficient numbers to dismantle the rebel apparatus in the countryside. We’re talking here of armed struggle that’s been going on for half a century, or spanning two generations, and the aging communist leaders and their second liners steeped in Marxism-LeninismMaoism aren’t likely to give up so easily.

The NDF does not want localized peace talks as they see this is a form of divide-and-conquer. But reaching out to local rebel leaders and convincing them to stop the fighting may work in some areas, and should be pursued along with socio-economic initiatives. The creation of a separate civil-military operations unit by the Air Force will no doubt help in the overall effort to achieve peace in the country.

While the NPA’s strength has dwindled, the NPA is still capable of attacking government forces in hit-and-run fashion particularly in far-flung areas. At the same time, the NPA is engaged in what it calls revolutionary taxation to raise funds for its operations. That is why we often read reports of incidents of NPA attacks on mining firms, transportation companies and other commercial enterprises in the provinces that apparently refuse to pay up.

The buzzword these days is to take a whole-of-nation approach to solving the insurgency problem.

This simply means taking a comprehensive approach to ending the fighting through a combination of military offensives and socioeconomic development initiatives to reduce poverty incidence and improve the standard of living of those in the rural areas.

If the Duterte administration has ernhil@yahoo.com

The likes of Corazon Aquino and Jesse Robredo have given us a flicker of hope even in the darkest of times.

Cory rejected the opportunity to grab absolute power by establishing a revolutionary government and assuming the mantle of a dictator like her predecessor. Instead, she took the road to constitutional democracy by spearheading the passage of the 1987 Constitution and spending her term as president to dismantle the vestiges of the dictatorship and restore democratic institutions destroyed beyond recognition by the Marcos dictatorship.

Robredo, the paragon of exemplary public service, who as a city mayor of Naga, had shown to us that good and effective governance can be dem-

onstrated not by abusing power by through leadership by example—selfless, dedicated and with sincere desire to serve the people.

And then there is Gina Lopez, who I will write about in detail in the next column. Gina was visionary and courageous, a woman for all seasons.

Like Senator De Lima, nothing scared Gina—not corporate interests, not the politicians. Nature was in good hands when she was our environmental secretary.

These heroes personify the spirit behind Ninoy’s immortal words— “I have weighed all the virtues and faults of the Filipinos, and I have come to the conclusion that the Filipino is worth dying for.”

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Cannabis Dev’t Authority body proposed

By Maricel V. Cruz

A

LAWMAKER has proposed the establishment of a state agency that will oversee the development of what could be a legitimate multibillion-dollar export industry producing medical cannabis from the strain of this plant that is not addictive and does not produce the so-called buzz or “high” for users.

Deputy Speaker and Camarines Sur Rep Luis Raymund Villafuerte said his proposal “should not be deemed in any manner to advocate, promote, authorize, legalize the ‘recreational’ and/or nonmedical use of the cannabis plants,” as he reiterated his full support for President Rodrigo Duterte’s all-out war on illicit

drugs and narco-trafficking.

“Other countries with zero tolerance for drug trafficking like China and Singapore are either already producing medical cannabis or considering the legalization of the drug for medicinal purposes,” Villafuerte said as he filed House Bill 3961.

Once enacted, Villafuerte said his bill

is expected to benefit not only ailing Filipinos in need of the revolutionary treatment offered by the drug but also the government in terms of export revenues that can be tapped from its potential $57-billion market.

“Medical cannabis is now legal and used for health, scientific and research reasons in 60 countries across the globe,” he said.

HB 3961, Villafuerte made it clear that medical cannabis refers to cannabidiol or CBD, the non-addictive, non-intoxicating strain of the cannabis (marijuana) plant, which is different from tetrahydrocannabinol, which is classified in the Philippines as illegal as it delivers the euphoric “high” leading to addiction.

HB 3961 noted that the US Food and Drug Administration has already approved the first and only prescription medicine using 100 percent CBD called Epidiolex, which is used to treat seizures.

Also, international experts have cited the medicinal qualities of the cannabis plant, including US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy who said in a recent CBS TV interview in the US that it “may be useful for certain medical conditions”.

Villafuerte noted in the bill that the World Health Organization itself has published a report confirming that cannabidiol or CBD “exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential .... there is no evidence of public health-related problems as-

Recto wants delayed NIA projects investigated SENATE President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto wants a Senate probe on the “monumental delays” in irrigation projects, warning that the country’s food security and the income of its farmers will be hurt “if these projects will not flow like water.”

Because one cannot grow crops without water, Recto said “the pipeline of National Irrigation Administration projects, like farm canals, must be desilted of procurement and implementation blockages.”

Recto said irrigation formed part of the rural “Build, Build, Build” and because of its importance, it must be “the focus of close and constant executive and legislative oversight as well.”

“As they say, ‘We cannot grow, grow, grow food, if we will not build, build, build our rural and farm infrastructure,’” Recto said in a statement.

In a resolution he will file Tuesday, Recto recalled that government had budgeted more than a quarter of a trillion pesos for irrigation projects from 2009 to 2019.

“But despite Congress appropriating some P260 billion for the NIA during this period, irrigation coverage had increased at an annual average of only 1.63 percent over the past 20 years,” Recto said.

“While work was done on 580,000 hectares from 1999 to 2018, climate change, land conversion and other disruptions had, however, cut the country’s irrigable area by 1.5 million hectares during the same period,” Recto said.

Recto said annual Commission on Audit reports on the agency “consistently flagged serious slippages in deliverables, that findings for each year seems to be an echo of the previous one.”

In 2014, 214 projects with a combined worth of P5.43 billion faced implementation delays, as did almost $100 million worth of foreign assisted projects.

The number rose in 2015 to 183 irrigation projects, with a total contract amount of P8.24 billion.

CEB to launch direct flight to Busuanga

By Joel E. Zurbano

PH WARSHIP. The Philippine Navy has obtained its “most powerful ship” donated by South Korea. BRP Conrado Yap, formerly Pohangclass corvette (small warship), arrived at the South Harbor in Manila on Sunday, Aug. 18, Philippine Fleet commander Rear Adm. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said. The vessel has anti-submarine, anti-surface and anti-air warfare capability. It was named after Capt. Conrado Yap, a decorated Filipino soldier who was part of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea during the 1950s.

British, American sex offender deported by BI

By Vito Barcelo A BRITISH national wanted in the UK for pedophilia and an American sex offender wanted in New York were ordered deported after their arrest in separate operations in Metro Manila, the Bureau of Immigration said Monday.

The Briton, identified as 68-year-old William James Neville Ireland, is now detained at the BI jail in Taguig, following his arrest in Lubao, Pampanga by operatives from the bureau’s fugitive search unit.

BI commissioner Jaime Morente said Ireland was in the wanted list of UK’s National Crime Agency for engaging in sexual acts with a child at his home in Northern Ireland in 1996.

He was reportedly charged with seven

counts of indecent assault of a female and two counts of gross indecency with a child.

The American, identified as Shane Edward Scism, was nabbed in Marikina City for being wanted in New York for failure to register as a sex offender.

The Correction Law of the State of New York requires sex offenders to register any change of address, Internet accounts, Internet profiles and status at any residence or educational institution. A warrant for his arrest was issued in the State of New York last July 30.

“We will immediately deport them as their continued stay in the country poses a serious threat to our women and children.

Both are undesirable aliens who must be expelled from our country without delay,” Morente said.

Morente said the two will also be placed in the BI blacklist and banned from re-entering the country.

BI intelligence officer Bobby Raquepo said Ireland hid in the Philippines since Oct. 1, 2013 when he arrived here as a tourist. It was learned that he fled the UK to evade questioning by police on a complaint of historical sexual abuse that was filed against him.

“He was invited to appear for interview by the UK police that was scheduled on the same day he arrived in Manila,” Raquepo said.

Ireland became the subject of an Interpol red notice after fleeing to the Philippines.

On the other hand, the America planned to relocate in the country for good to escape his criminal liabilities in his country,” Raquepo said.

Legislator calls on CHED to explain ‘non-disbursement’ med scholarship THE Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao needs more government physicians, a legislator from the area said on Monday.

Deputy Speaker and Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman said the number of government physicians in the region is inadequate for the efficient delivery of health services to the residents.

“The municipalities, cities and provinces that make up BARMM are some of the poorest areas in our country today. And because of this, we also have some of the lowest doctorto-patient ratios,” Hataman said.

At the same time, Hataman urged the Commission on Higher Education to explain why, in 2018, not a single centavo was disbursed from the P250-million Student Financial Assistance Program and Subsidy for Tuition Fees of Medical Students in state universities and colleges.

KIDNAP SUSPECTS.

The National Bureau of Investigation nabs two suspected members of Abu Sayyaf Group in separate operations in Zamboanga.

The two, identified as Abdulla Addi aka Tuma and Aluyudan Guru aka Abu Tarik, are suspects in the kidnapping incident in Patikul, Sulu on Aug. 20, 2002.

They are charged with kidnapping and serious detention with ransom.

Norman Cruz

“I call on CHED to be proactive in seeking medical scholars who will stay in the barrios once they become doctors,” Hataman said.

In 2011, the then ARMM average of the doctor-to-patient ratio is 1:45,224, with Basilan having a 1:58,664 rate, according to figures from the Mindanao Development Authority and the Department of Health.

Recent data shows that the ARMM average is now at 1:45,197, with Basilan having at least seven doctors serving a population of 346,579. The national average is at 1:33,000.

“Add these low figures to the fact that six out of 10 Filipinos die without seeing a doctor and we can surmise the sorry state of our health care system not only in ARMM, but in other poor areas in the country as well. This has to change and it has to change now,” Hataman said. Maricel V. Cruz

‘Safeguard duty not enough to counter cement dumping’ WHILE the increased safeguard measure of P12 per bag of imported cement may protect local cement producers from serious injury due to increasing imports, a higher safeguard duty ranging from P18 to P20 per bag that should be considered as a progressive tariff for the commodity, industry sources said.

Trade figures showed that cement imports in the first half of this year increased by an alarming 48.2 percent to 3.4 million MT from 2.29 million MT in the same period last year.

The higher safeguard measure of P12 per bag of imported cement may protect local manufacturers from serious injury posed by

sociated with the use of pure CBD.” CBD is legal in 31 states of the United States and in 59 other countries, while THC is illegal in almost every part of the world, Villafuerte noted.

He said the establishment of his proposed Philippine Cannabis Development Authority will ensure that all medical cannabis products from the farm all the way to the finished products are of pharmaceutical grade.

A special panel of technical experts will also be set up under the bill to monitor cannabis farms, the processing or manufacture of cannabis products and its use that may be authorized by PhilCADA, Villafuerte said.

the surging importation of the commodity, according to the Tariff Commission, but many are saying the tariff is not enough.

The P12 safeguard duty is the difference between the weighted average landed cost of imported cement and the average domestic explant selling price of the local cement industry for the most recent year of the period of investigation in 2018.

Recent data also showed that the volume of cement imports even increased by 64 percent in the first quarter of 2019 despite the P8.40 duty imposed since Feb. 9. DTI monitored 1.77 million metric tons of imported cement brought into the country from January to

March 2019, compared to 1.06 million MT in the first quarter of 2018.

“The Commission finds the existence of an imminent threat of serious injury and significant overall impairment to the position of the domestic cement industry in the near future,” the TC said in its final report on the formal investigation on the imposition of safeguard measure against importations of cement released on Aug. 9.

In the said decision, the TC recommended to increase the P8.40 provisional safeguard duty per bag of imported cement imposed by the Department of Trade and Industry starting February for a period of three years.

“Since it addresses the extent of price undercutting by cement imports based on the latest available data, the Commission believes that this level of safeguard may prevent the occurrence of serious injury to the domestic cement industry and will facilitate said industry’s adjustment to the adverse effects of increasing cement imports,” the Commission’s report explained.

The counsel of the domestic industry represented by the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines, the petitioner for a higher and permanent safeguard measure on imported cement, lauded the TC’s decision for being based on facts and evidence.

THE Cebu Pacific Air has announced it is set to launch its direct flight operation to Busuanga (Coron) from its Cebu hub.

Beginning Oct. 27, CEB’s sister airline Cebgo, will be having a twice daily flights between Cebu and Busuanga.

The first flight departs Mactan Cebu International Airport at 7:25 a.m., and arrives in Francisco B. Reyes Airport at 9 a.m.; while its return flight leaves Busuanga at 9:20 a.m. and arrives in Cebu at 11 a.m. The second flight leaves Cebu at 10:25 a.m., and lands in Busuanga at 12:05 p.m.; while its turnaround flight departs at 12:25 p.m. and arrives at 2:10 p.m.

“We believe that these twice daily flights will enable residents from Cebu and other parts of Visayas and Mindanao to explore Palawan, without having to make the trip to Metro Manila to catch their flights,” said Alexander Lao, Cebgo president and chief executive officer, in a statement.

He added “With this direct Cebu-Busuanga route, the islands of Coron and Culion are easier to get to. This will also allow locals from the rest of Southern Luzon to easily connect to Cebu and its network of over 20 domestic and six (6) international destinations,” CEB offered seats for as low as P299 base fare since Aug. 15 until seats last.

Travel period is from Oct. 27 to March 28, 2020.

Aside from Cebu, CEB also operates flights out of six other strategically placed hubs in the Philippines: Manila, Clark, Kalibo, Iloilo, Davao and Cagayan de Oro. The airline’s extensive network covers over 100 routes and 64 destinations, spanning Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and USA. For bookings and inquiries, the airline management urged air travelers to visit its official website www.cebupacificair.com or call the reservation hotlines (+632)7020-888 or (+6332)230-8888. The latest seat sales can be found on CEB’s official Twitter (@ CebuPacificAir) and Facebook pages.

Guests may also download the Cebu Pacific official mobile app on the App Store and Google Play.

EU brings relief to PH quake victims IN RESPONSE to a series of powerful earthquakes and aftershocks that hit northern Philippines in July, the European Union is providing € 90 000 (P5.2 million) in humanitarian funding to address the urgent needs of the most affected families.

The aid will directly benefit 1,000 people in some of the heavily hit areas in the remote island of Itbaya, Batanes province, EU said in an official statement released to media.

This EU funding supports the Philippine Red Cross in delivering much-needed humanitarian assistance through the provision of emergency relief items such as tarpaulins, mosquito nets, and temporary latrines.

The aid will also ensure access to clean water, good hygiene practices and psychological support to the affected communities.

Moreover, cash grants will be distributed to enable displaced people to meet their immediate household and food needs following the disruptions of livelihoods caused by the earthquakes, the statement added.

This funding is part of the EU’s global contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Almost 3,000 people—the entire population of the northernmost island of Itbayat —were displaced when three strong earthquakes of 5.4, 5.9, and 5.8 magnitudes successively struck near the town at shallow depths in the early hours of 27 July.

The tremors, followed by at least 13 aftershocks, caused devastating damage to a number of structures. According to data from the government, 290 houses have sustained damaged, over 85 percent of which have completely been destroyed as of Aug. 10.

Sports

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

76ers’ Bolden pulls out of Australia’s World Cup bid

Petron, F2 try to set Superliga showdown

SYDNEY—Australia have suffered a setback after Jonah Bolden joined Philadelphia 76ers’ teammate Ben Simmons as a no-show for the upcoming basketball World Cup in China.

The power forward, who starred for the Boomers in their 81-73 win over Canada in an exhibition game on Friday, with 12 points and five rebounds off the bench, cited “personal reasons”.

Australia coach Andrej Lemanis said he supported the decision.

“My first thought is always with the player in these situations—having to withdraw from the national team is tough for anyone,” he said in a statement late Sunday.

“From a team perspective, the timing is sub-optimal, but again, we are very fortunate to have the depth of talent we have in this country available to take up this opportunity.”

A replacement will be named soon, likely ahead of the Boomers’ two preWorld Cup clashes against a depleted United States in Melbourne this week.

Bolden’s withdrawal follows a decision by Simmons—who recently signed a five-year, US$170 million contract extension with 76ers—to also skip the World Cup, which tips off on August 31.

Other Australian NBA standouts who will not be playing include Thon Maker (NBA commitments), Ryan Broekhoff (birth of his child) and Dante Exum (injury).

Despite their no-shows, Australia still boasts several NBA stars, including Utah Jazz’s Joe Ingle and Patty Mills of the San Antonio Spurs. AFP

Daniil Medvedev of Russia celebrates his win against David Goffin of Belgium during the men’s final of the Western & Southern Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. AFP

Cincinnati Masters’ title lands Medvedev in Top 5

C

INCINNATI—Daniil Medvedev, coming off back-to-back ATP finals defeats, held off David Goffin 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 Sunday to win the ATP Cincinnati Masters.

The ninth-seeded Russian finished with an ace after saving break points in the final game, lifting a first Masters 1000 trophy after settling for runner-up finishes to Nick Kyrgios in Washington and Rafael Nadal in Montreal last weekend.

“These have been the best three weeks of my life,” Medvedev said.

“My mentality was the best, my serve was the best, my tennis has been really consistent.

“I didn’t have one bad match, I hope to continue this way for next few weeks.”

After his full-on post-Wimbledon schedule, the winner admitted: “I’m so exhausted, I almost can’t talk now.”

He also revealed that he was starting to cramp in the final game,

SEA Games’ bet Bersamina tops Balinas chessfest INTERNATIONAL Master Paulo Bersamina primed up for his upcoming stint as one of the country’s top bets in this year’s Manila Southeast Asian Games by ruling the qualifying round of the Grandmaster Rosendo Balinas Jr. Memorial Chess Tournament held at the Activity Hall of Alphaland Makati Place in Malugay Street, Makati City on Saturday.

Bersamina actually tied for first and second places with fellow IM Master Daniel Quizon with six points apiece, but emerged with a better tiebreak score to rule the Open category of the event sponsored by Engr. Antonio “Tony” Carreon Balinas and organized

by Philippine Executive Chess Association president Dr. Jenny Mayor, NCFP Director Cliburn Anthony Orbe and Dr. Alfred Paez in coordination with Alphaland Mall.

Quizon settled for second place.

Rounding up the Top 11 winners were IM Angelo Young (3rd); Fide Master Nelson Villanueva (4th); National Master Nick Nisperos (5th); IM Ricardo de Guzman (6th); IM Chris Ramayrat (7th); NM Carlo Magno Rosaupan (8th) NM Master Julius Sinangote (9th); Arena Grandmaster Almario Marlon Bernardino Jr. (10th) and IM Barlo Nadera (11th).

Bersamina turned back Nadera after 56 moves of a Nimzo-Indian defense, while Quizon beat De Guzman after a marathon 107 moves of the Ruy Lopez.

Sherwin Tiu beat Alfred Rapanot after 89 moves of Nimzo-Indian defense to top the non-master division.

He had 6.5 points in seven rounds.

Kevin Mirano and Christian Arroyo shared second to third places with six points each, while Rolly Parodo finished fourth with 5.5.

International Arbiter Gene J. Poliarco served as chief arbiter of the tournament.

when he tossed his racquet in anger before saving break points.

“I think my Montreal final against Rafa was important,” he said of hanging on. “I was maybe able to use that experience that I had and David did not.”

Medvedev, who only recently gained the ATP Top 10, now will find himself ranked fifth as a result of his three-week run of form.

“I don’t check the rankings every two minutes, but I do look after I do well at a tournament,” he said. “If I had lost I’d be seventh, now I’m fifth.”

Medvedev followed up his semi-final upset of defending champion Novak Djokovic as he controlled feisty Belgian Goffin to win an ATP leading 31st hardcourt match.

He has the most match wins on any

surface this year with 43.

Spanish superstar Nadal, who did not play this week—is second with 41, followed by Roger Federer on 39.

Medvedev stamped himself a contender for the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the season that starts in Flushing Meadows in a week.

Goffin was competing in his second final of 2019 after losing to Federer in Halle.

“Congratulations to your team,” he told Medvedev, “Once again, an unbelievable week for you, fantastic.

“I think you are ready for New York.”

Medvedev powered to a 4-1 lead in the opening set but had to win it in a tiebreaker as Goffin, coached by 2002 Australian open winner Thomas Johansson, fought back.

But Medvedev’s break in the opening game of the second set was all he needed as he avenged a loss to Goffin at Wimbledon this year. AFP

Jr. NBA All-Star Alarcon named cage MVP THE fourth and final day of Basketball without Borders Asia 2019 in Tokyo, Japan concluded in thrilling fashion as the 64 campers from 18 countries and territories in Asia-Pacific competed in playoffs and championship games, a 3-point contest, and a pair of AllStar games, which featured Batang Gilas forward Joshua Rafael Lazaro, Jr. NBA Philippines All-Stars Harold Alarcon and Florence Jil Talas.

The camp got underway in the morning with playoffs games to determine the championship games matchup. On the girls side, the New York Liberty and the Los Angeles Sparks faced off in the championship game, with the Liberty (coached by former WNBA player Ashley Battle) coming away with a 33 – 18 win.

The boys’ championship game then followed, with the Orlando Magic, coached on the sidelines by current NBA assistant coach Pat Delany, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves, 22–16.

Upon the conclusion of the championship games, the boys and girls competed in the 3-point competition finals. Mustafa Rashed from Bahrain was crowned the boys 3-point champion, while Japan’s Miyu Ogita came out on top on the girls side.

Finally, the two boys and two girls All-Star teams were announced.

The West All-Stars pulled out a win

Jr. NBA 2016 All-Star Harold Alarcon emerged as Boys’ All-Star Game MVP.

for the girls (29–23), while the East All-Stars emerged victorious on the boys’ side with a 42–37 win that saw Alarcon emerge as the Boys’ All-Star Game MVP. The 11th BWB Asia camp wrapped up with the Awards Ceremony. Junseok Yeo (South Korea) was named Boys MVP, while Georgia Woolley from Australia was crowned as MVP on the girls side.

The following is a complete list of All-Star rosters and awards winners:

Girls All-Star Team: East—Siya Deodhar (India), Aika Hirashita (Japan), Jayzelee Waihi (New Zealand), Georgia Woolley (Australia), Ruby-Belle Macdonald (Australia), Jiyeong Moon (South Korea), Jazzmyne Kailahi-Fulu (New Zealand) West—Florence Jil Talas (Philippines), Maho Hayashi (Japan), Emilia Shearer (New Zealand), Harsimran Kaur (India), Miyu Ogita (Japan), Isabelle Morgan (Australia), Emily Sewell (Australia)

McKenzie, Bravo shine in PPS Calbayog KIMBERLY McKenzie toppled Corazon Lambonao twice in tough fashion while Cedrick Bravo dominated the boys’ side as they shared top honors in the PPS-PEPP Mayor R. Aquino national age-group tennis tournament in Samar yesterday.

McKenzie, a half-Pinay, half-Australian from Cebu, repulsed Lambonao, 6-0, 4-6, 10-2, to rule the 14-U bracket then hacked out a 7-6(2), 6-3 victory in the 16-U finals to match Bravo’s two-title romps in his side of the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop and part of Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express

Pera Padala circuit.

Bravo, one of the rising stars from Ormoc City, trounced Gerald Gemida, 6-2, 6-3, in the 16-U finals then crushed Grant Regino, 6-3, 6-1, in the premier division of the first-ever tournament at Calbayog Tennis Courts through host Mayor Ronaldo Aquino.

“We take pride in successfully staging our first age-grouper in Calbayog through Mayor Aquino’s initiative and we hope this will be a regular stop of the circuit,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

The Ormoc City bets dominated the other singles finals with Christian Laguna ruling the 10-unisex, Renante Bravo topping the 12-U, Gerald Gemida bagging the 14-U crown, Nina Grace Solano reigning in girls’ 12-U, and Mia Gemida duplicating her feat (18-U) in last week’s Baybay stop of the circuit sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg. Meanwhile, action shifts to Cotabato on Aug. 22-25. Listup is ongoing. For details, call PPS-PEPP Sports Program

Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

Laguna downed Rhian Dedace, 4-2, 4-0; Renante Bravo upended Laguna, 6-3, 6-2; Gerald Gemida foiled Mark Barquio, 6-3, 6-2; Solano ripped May Impas, 6-2, 6-1; and Mia Gemida beating Lambonao, 6-2, 6-2.

McKenzie and Bravo actually ended up with three wins each with Kimberly joining with sibling Ashley to rout Lambonao and Mia Gemida, 8-3; and Bravo teaming up with Mark Talle to edge Brent Regino and Dwyne Balibalos, 8-6.

BITTER rivals Petron and F2 Logistics seek to arrange their seventh straight finals duel when they tackle separate foes in the semifinals of the Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference today at the Muntinlupa Sports Center.

The Blaze Spikers, who have been ruling this mid-season conference for the past two years, battle Cignal in the 7 p.m. featured encounter while the Cargo Movers face Foton in the 4:15 appetizer of this prestigious women’s club league bankrolled

by Team Rebel Sports, SOGO, Eurotel, PCSO, Cocolife, UCPB Gen, Mueller, Senoh, Asics, Bizooku and One Sport.

Petron and F2 Logistics will be armed with a twice-to-beat advantage after coming up with a 1-2 finish in the double-round preliminaries of this tourney that also has ESPN5 and Kapatid TV5 as broadcast partners.

But hopes are high on the Blaze Spikers.

After posting 12 straight wins to shut down the preliminaries with an impressive 13-1 win-loss slate, the Blaze Spikers flaunted their strength as they sent rookie team Marinerang Pilipina packing in the quarterfinals.

Head coach Shaq Delos Santos liked what he saw, saying that they are peaking as the league enters its very crucial stretch.

“I’m glad that our players are playing on top of their game, but this semifinals we have to be more eager,” said Delos Santos. “We have to be more aggressive and sustain the level of our game for us to achieve our goal.”

With the hard-hitting tandem of Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons at the attack zone, the core of Frances Molina, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Mika Rheas, Rhea Dimaculangan and Denden Lazaro are tipped to go all out against the seasoned tandem of Rachel Anne Daquis and Jovelyn Gonzaga with do-it-all FilipinoAmerican playmaker Alohi RobinsHardy directing traffic.

Against Generika-Ayala in the quarterfinals, the troika of Daquis, Gonzaga and Robins-Hardy did wonders at the defensive end, posting 16 blocks to pull off a convincing 2515, 17-25, 25-18, 25-22 win.

“We’re excited because even they swept us in the preliminary round, we still pushed them to their limits,” said Cignal head coach Edgar Barroga, whose wards forced a pair of five-set matches with the defending champion. “This time, we’ll be more confident because we know that we got what it takes to beat them.”

La Salle teams continue Best Center romps DE LA Salle Greenhills-A and De la Salle-Zobel continued their respective romps over the weekend while Nazareth School of National University remained unbeaten in its class to stay on top of the Best Center’s SBPPasserelle twin basketball tournaments at the Xavier School gym.

LSGH-A routed Claret School (21), 53-43, for its third straight win in as many games to pace Group A of the Small Basketeers Philippines of this event sponsored by MILO and supported by Rain or Shine, Chris Sports and SKLZ. College of San Benildo, meanwhile, notched its first win in three matches with a 67-24 demolition of DLS-Z White (0-4).

DLS-Z also marched to its third straight win in as many starts by trouncing LSGH-B, 61-43 (2-1), for the Group B lead. Marist (1-2) scuttled San Sebastian College-Recoletos (0-3), 62-23, in the other Group B game.

Nazareth School was unforgiving in clinching its fourth straight victory at the expense of San Beda University (3-1), 65-43, for the Passerelle lead, while DLSZ (2-2) scrubbed Casimiro A. Ynares Memorial National High School (0-4), 77-32, in the other game.

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor sports@thestandard.com.ph; sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

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Sports Hwang Min-jeong

Korean lass firms up Ladies’ PH Golf cast CANCELLED SURFING EVENT An unidentified surfer practices ahead of the WSL Tahiti pro surfing trial at the famous break Teahupoo in Tahiti, French Polynesia. The swell is too big and the trials for the Teahupoo event are cancelled. AFP

PSC ready for 2019 Batang Pinoy national finals THE Philippine Sports Commission is geared up for the upcoming 2019 Batang Pinoy National Championships in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan from Aug. 25 to 31.

“The PSC is ready for the growing number of delegates that will take part in the games,” said National Secretariat Head Manuel Bitog.

Around 10,000 athletes, coaches, technical and delegation officials from all over the country are expected to take part in a total of 31 sporting activities.

PSC has pin-pointed 10 billeting areas to accommodate delegations from the 234 local government units represented in the event, namely Sta. Monica Elem. School, Sta. Monica High School, F. Ubay Memorial Elem. School, Manuel Austria Memorial Elem. School, Sicsican Elem.

School, Sicsican High School, Puerto Princesa Science High School, Palawan National School, Puerto Princesa Pilot Elem. School and San Jose Nat’l High School. Six other billeting areas will be prepared to accommodate the additional needs of the participants.

National Secretariat senior member Teresito Fortaleza reported that the PSC team is conducting a final ocular inspection on competition and non-competition venues for the national championships with Puerto Princesa City Sports Director Atty.

Rocky Austria this week.

A Children’s Fun Run will be held on the morning of closing day, August 31, with a target of 8,000 kids participating from all over the province.

PSC Commissioner Celia Kiram and Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucio Bayron formally signed the Memorandum-of-Agreement for the games’ hosting last July 26.

Laguna makes NBL playoffs LAGUNA topped Imus, 94-92, last Saturday to enter the playoffs on the winning note in the National Basketball League Season 2 at the Hagonoy Sports Complex in Taguig City.

Shin Manacsa had 14 points for the Pistons as they finished the elimination round with a 10-4 win-loss record.

The Pistons are in a tie with the Taguig Generals at third place in the team standings and in line for an outright quarterfinal spot.

The top two teams at the end of the eliminations advance to the semifinals automatically, while the third and fourth placers will get a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals. The fifth to eighth placers will play in a knockout match for a spot in the quarterfinals.

In the second game, Quezon City stunned Taguig, 82-80, to snap a fourgame losing streak.

Enzo Battad had 20 points and six rebounds, while Christian Diaz converted the go-ahead lay-up with one second left in the match to pull off a stunning upset over the Generals.

Filipino triathlon squad to SEAG now complete

By Peter Atencio

A

NDREW Kim Remolino will join the country’s top triathletes seeing action in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Triathlon Association of the Philippines Secretary General Tom Carrasco said this in announcing the lineup of the Philippine national team to the biennial meet.

The Talisay, Cebu-based Remolino will join 2017 silver medallist John Chicano in seeking the top honors in the men’s division.

Men’s gold medallist Nikko Huelgas is moving over to the mixed team relay with Kim Mangrobang, Kim Kilgroe and Claire Adorna.

The 19-year-old Remolino earned his slots after becoming the first Filipino elite to cross the finish line in the 2019 Gyeongju ASTC Asian Triathlon

Championships, held in South Korea last June.

During the event, Remolino competed for Talisay Luigi Triathlon Group —Go For Gold Team.

Reigning individual women’s gold medallist Mangrobang will be around with Kim Kilgro.

Adorna, the silver medallist, isn’t competing in the individuals.

In duathlon, Doy Comendador and Jarwyn Banatao are entered in the men’s division.

Monica Torres is in the women’s side with Jelsie Sabado.

The mixed team relay is composed of Joey Delos Reyes, Doy Comendador and Ephraim Iñigo Torres, Pawee Fornea and Sabado.

Meanwhile, Two Fil-heritage swimmers who made the qualifying B times in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are set to compete in another international meet in Budapest with other members of the national pool.

Fil-Kiwi Luke Michael Gebbie and

Fil-American Remedy Rule will seek to improve on their times when they see action in the World Juniors Championships set from Aug. 25 to 29.

The two will join the likes of junior swimmers Jaden Olson, Mia Tandigan, Desirae Mangaoang, Adrian Eicler, Jerard Jacinto, Miguel Barreto and JeanPierre Khouzam.

All seven swimmers are tipped to be part of the national squad to the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Last month, Gebbie debuted for Team Philippines when he became the first Filipino swimmer to have gone below 50 seconds in the men’s 100m freestyle event and hit the Tokyo Olympic Selection Time during the 18th FINA World Swimming Championships in Gwangju, South Korea.

Philippine Swimming Inc. officials said Gebbie clocked 49.94 seconds in the men’s 100m freestyle prelims to rank 42nd among 120 elite swimmers from around the world.

Gebbie is now ninth among all Asian swimmers and second in Southeast Asia.

Lions, Altas try to fulfill NCAA goals today THE defending champion San Beda Red Lions are a confident team on the rise, while the University of Perpetual Help Altas are struggling squad seeking to get back on its feet.

Both quintets will face separate opponents today as they will try to fulfill their separate missions when they the 95th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament resumes today at the FilOil-Flying V Sports Center in San Juan.

The unbeaten Red Lions will be in for a big fight when they clash with the Lyceum Pirates at 2 p.m. and go for win no. 7.

On the other hand, the Altas will be looking for their third triumph when they play the Emilo Aguinaldo College Generals since absorbing a painful 56-102 setback to the Red Lions last Friday.

For San Beda College coach Boyet Fernandez, their game with the Pirates is considered a confidencebuilding encounter.

“We’re playing against Lyceum. The win against the Altas will give us the confidence against them (Pirates),” said Fernandez.

The Red Lions are hoping to stay unbeaten after seven games when they take on the Pirates, who removed the College of St. Benilde Blazers from their share of the lead last Friday.

This was after the Jaycee Marcelinoled Pirates won over the Blazers, 74-71, to move to second at 6-1.

The Red Lions pulled off an unexpected blowout win the last time around and it turned out to be their best game of the season.

A hurting Altas team will now play without coach Frankie Lim, who took a leave, with assistant mentor Myk Saguiguit taking over.

“We’re just preparing to play a good game against EAC,” said Saguiguit as the Altas try to notch their third triumph in Perpetual Help’s Edgar Charcos Dennis Abrina eight outings. Peter Atencio

HWANG Min-jeong hopes to ride the momentum of her big finish at Mount Malarayat last week in pursuit of a second Ladies Philippine Golf Tour diadem as she joins the hunt in The Women’s Championship at Summit Point beginning tomorrow (Wednesday, Aug. 21) in Lipa City, Batangas.

Hwang, 17, turned in one of the final round’s two best cards of oneunder 71 to salvage joint third in the ICTSI Mount Malarayat Classic, a finish she hopes would help fuel her bid in the P750,000 event serving as the penultimate leg of the 12-stage of the seventh season of the country’s premier circuit put up by ICTSI. “I didn’t play well last week because of back pains but I was glad to finish strong,” said Hwang, who points to her short game as key to her drive for a follow-up to her breakthrough win at Splendido last January.

“This week, I hope I can dish out a better showing, especially my short game,” added the 2018 Philippine Amateur champion.

But the long-limbed Korean will be up against a talent-laden roster toughened up by a slew of Thai aces coming off a stint in LPGA of Taiwan, including Saraporn Chamchoi and former LPGT leg winner Supakchaya Pattaranakrueang.

Focus, however, will be on Nemittra Juntanaket, who will be gunning for a rare back-to-back championship after a dominant six-shot romp at Mount Malarayat with runner-up Sangkagaro Pimpadsorn and joint third placer Ajira Nualraksa also tipped to contend for the top P150,000 purse in the 54-hole championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. Meanwhile, multi-titled Chihiro Ikeda and former three-time Order of Merit winner Cyna Rodriguez will spearhead the local challenge that includes Marvi Monsalve, Pamela Mariano, Alex Etter, Apple Fudolin and former leg winner Sarah Ababa, all hard-pressed to dish out their best against the crack international field that includes Korean Kang Dayun and Brunei’s Valerie Tan. Completing the cast are Thais Nimmita Juntanaket, Tip Seeumpornroj, Sarinee Thitiratanakorn and Pasinee Thongthaengyai with amateurs Eagle Ace Superal also in the cast along with Annyka Cayabyab and Mafy Singson joining the likes of Nicole Abelar, Samantha Bruce, Samantha Dizon, Samantha Martirez, Laurea Duque, Arnie Taguines and Korean Kwon Taeyon.

Texters tap another ex-Rocket

By Jeric Lopez

SELFIE WITH HIS AIRNESS’ WAX FIGURE. A boy poses for a photo in front of a life-size wax figure of US basketball player Michael Jordan at the NBA exhibition in Beijing. The Basketball world cup will be held from Aug. 31 to Sept. 15 in China. AFP

FOLLOWING their grueling finals’ encounter in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup, eventual champion San Miguel Beer and TNT KaTropa are now looking forward to the season-ending Governors’ Cup. Soon after the wrap-up of their highly-comptetive championship tilt in which the Beermen won in six games, both squads immediately locked up their imports for the third conference.

Now eyeing a Grand Slam after winning the season’s first two championships, San Miguel Beer is bringing in Dez Wells to help its cause.

The 27-year-old Wells is a 6’5” forward who played for Xavier and Maryland in the US NCAA. He also played in the NBA G-League for the Oklahoma City Blue before taking his act to Greece and Italy, most recently.

As for the Tropang Texters, they are tapping KJ McDaniels, who was a teammate of their recent Commissioner’s Cup import Terrence Jones with the Houston Rockets.

He was a second-round pick of the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2014 draft before joining Jones in Houston in 2015.

Both San Miguel and TNT are hoping that their new imports can replicate the success of the ones they had in recently-concluded Commissioner’s Cup.

IN BRIEF

Travellers begins P8.7-b tender offer

TRAVELLERS International Group Hotel Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan began an P8.7billion tender offer in preparation to delist its shares from the Philippine Stock Exchange on Oct. 15.

TIHGI said in report filed with the Philippine Stock Exchange the tender offer period is scheduled from Aug. 19 to Sept 23.

TIHGI pegged the tender offer price at P5.50 each, the higher part of the P5.00to-P5.70 range in the fair value opinion of PricewaterhouseCoopers and local partner Isla Lipana & Co. PwC-Isla Lipana used three methods in arriving at the fair market value of TIHGI’s shares—discounted cash flow, market approach and income approach.

DCF, which used a weighted average cost of capital of 12 percent, yielded a fair value within the P5.00-to-P5.80 range.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Business

Volkswagen launches Calabarzon dealership VOLKSWAGEN Philippines and the Lica Auto Group inaugurated the Volkswagen Santa Rosa dealership along the busy automotive row of the Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road.

The Volkswagen Santa Rosa dealership, Volkswagen Philippines’ eighth since it first officially started operations in 2013, is the first established in southern Luzon. It aims to attract mainly the upwardly mobile markets of the Calabarzon area t encompasses the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.

“Establishing our 8th Volkswagen dealership in the country, at the economic epicenter of a developing phenomenon that is the Calabarzon area, was a very easy decision to make. And in collaboration with the Lica Auto Group, we are able to establish our presence in a very exciting market,” said company president Felipe Estrella.

Othel V. Campos

Cirtek’s profit down to $2.3m in first half

SEMICONDUCTOR manufacturer Cirtek Holdings Philippines Inc. said net income in the first half of the year dropped 70 percent to $2.3 million from $7.5 million year-onyear on lower revenues.

Cirtek said in a disclosure to the stock exchange first-half revenues fell 11 percent to $48.6 million from $54.8 million on year.

“The global economic slowdown and unique industry challenges have negatively affected demand for electronic and communication devices. As a result, revenue and profitability for the first half of the year have been lower than expected,” Cirtek president Jorge Aguilar said. Jenniffer B. Austria

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2019

B1

By Alena Mae S. Flores

KEPWEALTH’S LISTING. The Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. welcomes Kepwealth Property Philippines Inc. on its maiden listing with a special bell ringing ceremony at the PSE headquarters. KPPI listed its shares on the PSE’s small medium and emerging board and raised P384.8 million in proceeds. Attending the listing ceremony are (from left) KPPI corporate secretary Robert Ivan Olanday, treasurer John Catindig, independent director Mark Anthony Migallos, chairman Restituto Lopez, president Edmundo Las and director Ignacio Salvador Gimenez III, PSE chairman Jose Pardo, president and CEO Ramon Monzon, director Ma. Vivian Yuchengco, directors Wilson Sy and Roberto Cecilio Lim, COO Roel Refran, corporate secretary Aissa Encarnacion and director Alejandro Yu.

DoF official slams Peza for bloating contributions

By Julito G. Rada

F

INANCE Undersecretary Gil Beltran on Monday described as “wrong” and “flawed” the claim of Philippine Economic Zone Authority that it contributed P10 trillion to the economy from 2015 to 2017.

“No one has called Peza an evil, three-headed dragon,” Beltran said in dismissing an earlier Peza statement that justified the massive amount of tax incentives it granted to locators.

“But based on their statement, Peza seems to have a weak grasp of basic economics and accounting,” Beltran said.

Beltran, who is also the chief economist of the Department of Finance, said Peza’s assertion that it contributed P10

trillion to the economy in a three-year period was incorrect because “their” method of accounting for its contribution was “flawed”.

“For one, Peza double counted by adding up the total of exports, investment, capital equipment, and raw materials, which are from the expenditure side; and wages and taxes, which are from the income side. This is a no-no in basic accounting,” Beltran said.

“Like GDP [gross domestic product], benefits can be measured from either the expenditure or income side, but not both,” Beltran said.

He also said the purchases of raw materials were already part of total exports which meant that Peza also doublecounted raw materials.

“Peza’s calculations are wrong, and the result is that they’ve bloated their contributions,” Beltran said.

He said that while the DoF agreed that exports contributed significantly to the economy, Peza should “give the

whole truth in making its claims.”

Peza originally said that from 2015 to 2017, their exports accounted for more than half of the country’s total commodity exports.

“Peza says that 70 percent of their supposed contribution, or about P7 trillion, to the economy is because of exports,” Beltran said.

“What they are hiding is that Peza exports contain about 80 percent imported inputs which don’t add value to the local economy,” he said.

Beltran said that a proper accounting of benefits should subtract imports from total exports to arrive at net exports. In some sectors, like electronics assembly, almost all the parts are imported and are assembled in ecozones, creating very little domestic value-added, he said.

“Assuming their figures are correct in the first place, using the appropriate method to account for exports and remove double-counting wipes out more than half of the P10 trillion they allege to have given back to the economy,” he said.

HALAL CERTIFICATION. Prime Group, a leading quality and compliance solutions provider in Asia, Middle East and North Africa, awards halal certification to a facility of The Pure Foods Hormel Company Inc. Receiving the halal certification from Prime Group vice chairman Salah Ameen (center) in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates are Raul Nazareno (left) and Jackson Lumaban.

Vallacar Transit reorganizes board amid family dispute

By Darwin G. Amojelar VALLACAR Transit Inc., the largest subsidiary of the Yanson Group of Bus Companies, announced Monday a management shake-up following an intra-corporate dispute among members of the Yanson family.

The company held a special stockholders’ meeting at its main office in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City to elect a new board. The stockholders including Yanson matriarch Olivia Yanson elected Leo Rey Yanson, Olivia Yanson, Ginnette Dumancas and Charles M. Dumancas as members of the board of directors.

Following the election of the new directors, the board held a re-organizational meeting and reinstated Leo Rey Yanson as the president of the company.

Also elected were Charles Dumancas as vice president, Ginnette Dumancas as treasurer and Olivia V. Yanson as corporate secretary.

A boardroom battle ensued on July 7, 2019 when four Yanson siblings, in a purported special board meeting, unceremoniously unseated Leo Rey Yanson as the president of Vallacar Transit.

Leo Rey was subsequently replaced by his eldest brother Roy Yanson.

The special stockholders’ meeting on August 19 effectively re-affirmed Leo Rey Yanson as the rightful president of Vallacar Transit, according to the company.

The new board of directors said it also passed resolutions tasking the company’s legal team to recommend possible legal action/s against Ma. Lourdes Celina Lopez over her alleged P380-million outstanding obligation to the company in accordance with the audit report from SGV and on the results of the cash property and asset inventory audit.

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

DoE to appeal court’s ruling vs unbundling of fuel prices

Diokno: BSP on track to reserves cut goal BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said monetary authorities are on track of reducing the reserve requirement ratios of banks from the current 16 percent to a single-digit level four years from now.

Diokno, in a speech on Monday during the annual conference of the Bank for International Settlements held at the Conrad Hotel in Pasay City, said the reduction in reserve requirements formed part of the Bangko Sentral’s broad financial sector reform agenda. “... We will continue to pursue the reduction of reserve requirements from the current 16 percent to single digit by 2023 to promote a more efficient financial system,” Diokno told conference participants.

“We expect that all these will aid in the further development of Philippine capital markets by fostering money market transactions and active liquidity management by Philippine banks,” Diokno said.

Julito G. Rada

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor

Govt gets seven offers to explore new PH oil and gas fields THE government said it received seven offers to explore and develop new oil and gas fields under the Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program despite the tension in the West Philippine Sea. The Energy Department said it received four out of the 14 pre-determined areas open to investors and three other nominations under the latest contracting round.

PCECP, a transparent petroleum service contract awarding mechanism, allows the government to develop and utilize indigenous petroleum resources under a service contract with qualified local and international exploration companies.

The awarding of service contracts are conducted either through the competitive selection process or via nomination.

“Considering the context of the Philippines…We are currently competing with markets in Africa, competing for investments from the US. The tendency really is, shall we say, invest in areas that are really stable where the risk is less. We have to recognize the fact that the Philippines is a frontier market as far as the development of energy is concerned,” Energy assistant secretary Leonido Pulido III said.

“We do have territorial disputes. In the discussions we had with different agencies around the world, we do recognize the Philippines is not marketable.

There is a difficulty, challenge there.

We are working on them. Considering this context, we’re happy to get a third of the PDA but we do have nominated areas,” Pulido said.

Pulido said some investors also raised concern over the ongoing tax dispute in the Malampaya gas project.

He said while the department accepted the applications, it would still serve notice regarding the completeness of the submissions. A 15-day evaluation will follow.

Israeli firm Ratio Petroleum Ltd. made an offer for one of the pre-determined areas including Area 3 (East Palawan Basin). Ratio Petroleum is also the operator of Service Contract 76 also located in the East Palawan Basin.

Sulu Sea Energy Resources Development Corp., a Filipino firm whose proponents are residents and community leaders in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, offered to explore for oil and gas in Area 6 (Sulu Sea). Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Energy Department said Monday the Office of the Solicitor General is set to appeal the decision of the Mandaluyong City Regional Trial Court Branch 213 to issue a writ of preliminary injunction against the implementation of the petroleum price unbundling.

“We cannot enforce our circular until after either we get relief from a court or a decision... A preliminary injunction order is essentially what we call a pending relief so it runs during the pendency of the court,” Energy assistant secretary Leonido Pulido said.

The DoE issued Department Circular No. DC 2019-005-0008 which requires oil companies to report their “unbundled price adjustments” to include import expense, tax burdens, biofuel and other essential cost components that contribute to the changes in retail prices, including industry take or profit.

The oil firms sought to stop the implementation of the circular through the courts. In the case of Petron Corp., the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Cout acted on its petition for the issuance of an injunction on June 25 which was granted on Aug. 5. The Taguig RTC is also said to have issued an injunction against the order in favor of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp.

“We are currently discussing this with the Office of the Solicitor General that we, the Department of Energy, is considering appealing that decision... resolution...It’s usually 15 days to file a motion for reconsideration regarding an order,” Pulido said.

Meanwhile, Chevron Philippines and PetroGazz raised the price of gasoline by P0.50 per liter, diesel by P0.75 and kerosene by P0.50 per liter effective 12 a.m. Tuesday.

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. and Seaoil Philippines raised the price of gasoline by P0.35 per liter, kerosene

by P0.45 per liter and diesel by P0.60 per liter.

BoP position swung to $5-b surplus in first seven months THE country’s balance of payments position posted a surplus of $248 million in July, a reversal of the $455-million deficit in the same month last year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Monday.

Data showed the July surplus was also a turnaround from the $404-million deficit in June.

The figure brought the BOP position in the first seven months to a surplus of $5.036 billion, a reversal of the $3.71-billion deficit a year ago.

“Inflows in July 2019 were reflected in the BSP’s foreign exchange operations and income from its investments abroad as well as in the national government’s net foreign currency deposits,” the BSP said in a statement.

These inflows were offset partially by outflows which were reflected in the payments made by the national government on foreign exchange obligations.

The BSP said the seven-month surplus could be attributed partly to remittance inflows from overseas Filipinos and net inflows of foreign direct investments.

“The BoP position reflects the final gross international reserves level of $85.18 billion as of end-July 2019. At this level, the GIR represents a more than ample liquidity buffer and is equivalent to 7.4 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income,” the BSP said.

It is also equivalent to 5.2 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 3.8 times based on residual maturity.

The BSP revised upward the balance of payments projection this year to a surplus of $3.7 billion from a deficit of $2.3 billion in 2018.

B2

Business

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market jumps; URC rises T HE stock market surged Monday following a strong lead from Wall Street and comments from Donald Trump’s top economic adviser hailing “positive” trade talks with Chinese negotiators.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index jumped 142.37 points, or 1.8 percent, to 7,938.35 on a value turnover of P7 billion. Gainers beat losers, 113 to 72, with 62 issues unchanged.

Universal Robina Corp., the biggest snack food maker, advanced 6.5 percent to P172.50, while parent JG Summit Holdings Inc. climbed 6.1 percent to P67.40.

Conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which is into toll roads,

water and electricity distribution, railways and hospitals, rose 6.2 percent to P5.10. Kepwealth Property Philippines Inc. soared 42 percent in its market debut to P8.15 from the initial public offering price of P5.74.

The rest of Asian markets rallied Monday following a strong lead from Wall Street and comments from Donald Trump’s top economic adviser hailing “positive” trade talks with Chinese negotiators.

Optimism that central banks will provide fresh support to head off a global economic recession has also lent muchneeded support to regional equities after last week’s sell-off, with eyes on an upcoming speech by Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell for clues about its plans.

Investors were in an upbeat mood after White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow said that if talks between deputies from Beijing and Washington

went well and “we can have a substantive renewal of negotiations” then “we are planning to have China come to the USA and meet with our principals to continue the negotiations.”

He added that high-level phone talks last week were “a lot more positive than has been reported”.

Trump provided further cause for hope by tweeting: “We are doing very well with China, and talking!”

Kudlow also raised the prospect of using cash taken from higher tariffs on Chinese goods to pay for tax cuts.

“This sort of recycling won’t clear the oceans of plastic or reduce global warming, but it is an elegant solution to reducing the pain of tariffs on the American consumer of China and may give equity markets a small boost as we start the week,” said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst for Asia-Pacific at OANDA. The remarks helped Asian traders

build on New York’s rally. Hong Kong led gainers, surging more than two percent in the afternoon with dealers also cheered by three days of protests in the city passing off peacefully. Shanghai ended up 2.1 percent and Tokyo added 0.7 percent.

Sydney climbed one percent, Singapore put on 0.6 percent and Seoul jumped 0.7 percent with Wellington, Taipei and Jakarta deep in positive territory.

There remains a high level of concern about the global outlook and particularly the US economy after yields on 10-year US Treasury bonds slid last week below that of the two-year note, while the 30year yield fell below two percent for the first time ever.

The so-called “inversion”―when short-term interest rates are higher than longer-term ones―is viewed as a harbinger of recession. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2019

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 57.05 2,340 90 1,683,980 2.05 17,000 146.8 1,922,890 26.35 47,600 18.58 1,000 11.7 144,600 4.9 145,000 0.53 5,000 1.33 16,000 750 10 0.455 10,000 71.5 3,311,400 0.99 152,000 13.1 13,000 46.1 433,900 188 2,470 57.8 1,950 28 21,000 191.9 440,460 59.05 19,970 1.19 178,000

133,535 150,669,216 35,410 280,116,840 1,254,975 18,580 1,681,030 700,760 2,650 21,280 7,500 4,550 234,263,697.50 150,480 170,342 20,029,425 465,139 112,900 580,435 83,619,388 1,179,197 200,970

-17,555,006 18,544,385 -1,028,250 -285,238 -22,741,293 33,660 -15,784,530 -43,677 -86,850 -27,655 3,890,760 -130,513 -

35 13.92 0.67 1.3 0.245 3.13 13.98 11.74 15.54 36 76.35 92 2.02 5.75 6.04 9.02 14.74 9.1 7.35 25.05 83 53.8 1.91 14 8.2 1.47 231 3.39 8.2 22.5 14.04 18.46 357 5.3 1.86 4.41 5.14 9.1 2.73 10.7 36.05 4.95 5.1 1.75 2.28 1.07 12.5 97.8 6.85 0.125 1.02 162 2.45 1.13 1.13

INDUSTRIAL 36.3 1,408,000 14.28 601,200 0.69 228,000 1.34 2,000 0.246 120,000 3.17 8,367,000 14 2,528,500 12.08 318,000 15.54 900 36 900 79.15 14,600 94 48,450 2.02 6,000 5.75 10,000 6.15 7,300 9.15 505,100 14.8 69,700 9.12 336,100 7.36 324,200 26 1,136,000 83.2 68,040 55 173,280 2.01 4,436,000 14.04 197,000 8.21 53,700 1.5 72,000 234 859,570 3.39 76,000 8.35 1,800 22.55 138,900 14.1 506,400 18.48 7,416,200 366 165,300 5.49 1,800 1.9 17,139,000 4.45 40,000 5.3 1,504,600 9.1 1,000 2.75 30,851,000 11.2 67,800 37.1 94,000 5 17,100 5.1 161,500 1.82 9,301,000 2.32 351,000 1.12 174,000 12.5 370,300 98 203,080 7.05 49,200 0.125 50,000 1.07 285,000 172.5 1,023,370 2.5 26,000 1.14 4,327,000 1.16 1,350,000

50,793,785 8,548,090 157,690 2,640 29,450 26,647,260 35,427,032 3,853,992 13,986 32,595 1,152,197 4,600,381.50 12,120 57,500 44,103 4,605,370 1,030,578 3,066,070 2,387,609 29,302,085 5,671,037 9,506,442 8,779,840 2,762,386 440,856 108,280 200,686,252 257,640 15,015 3,134,995 7,176,260 137,051,456 60,179,834 9,559 32,732,720 184,590 7,882,492 9,100 86,267,120 742,568 3,455,795 85,345 823650 16,986,610 820,850 187,900 4,643,368 19,918,003.50 341,817 6,250 291,230 172,256,466 64,950 4,942,760 1,552,570

-2,128,575 -4,172,718 3,483,380 4,363,540 -156,934 -7,200 127,148 -2,428,173 368,672 804,745 -1,573,324 6,770,420 -551,070 3,189,117.50 -106,010 446,600 41,890.00 -13,187,180 0 1,196,215 -936,952 134,464,196 12,533,876 -4,206,990 2,736,167 -11,407,520 -225,095 -254999.9999 125,220 -638,856 3,540,850.50 695 81,600 30,024,425 2,450 8,310.00 -118,170

0.87 51.8 13.3 7.1 14.88 1.22 1.25 953.5 3.8 6.94 9.45 13.8 0.239 884 67.4 6 0.5 4.65 13.88 0.63 5.14 0.039 1.29 2.9 179.9 1,025 0.83 1.4 256.4 0.236 0.255

0.83 49 13.08 7.09 14.26 1.19 1.23 923 3.74 6.8 9.29 13.6 0.223 852.5 63.7 6 0.485 4.56 13.5 0.55 4.78 0.038 1.21 2.85 176 995 0.78 1.4 253 0.226 0.235

HOLDING FIRMS 0.84 33,169,000 51.8 1,404,500 13.2 11,098,600 7.09 3,200 14.5 22,900 1.22 1,094,000 1.25 454,000 953.5 256,220 3.77 1,250,000 6.9 1,723,900 9.45 5,270,000 13.8 2,001,400 0.239 30,000 884 119,130 67.4 2,376,080 6 400 0.5 70,000 4.6 7,427,000 13.5 1,257,800 0.6 8,212,000 5.1 103,207,000 0.038 8,600,000 1.29 236,000 2.85 70,000 177.1 208,780 1,020 407,180 0.79 1,241,000 1.4 9,000 256.4 2,360 0.236 580,000 0.242 3,340,000

28,083,350 71,639,115 146,440,608 22,693 331,736 1,322,360 564,600 242,371,750 4,716,180 11,896,141 49,418,332 27,224,750 6,850 104,353,665 157,458,967 2,400 34,500 34,320,360 17,099,594 4,808,900 515,920,060 329,100 296,950 202,760 37,039,446 411199127.5 979,830 12,600 597,312 131,190 805,350

61,700 -4,266,645 -45,987,320 -18,692 466,150 71,432,575 -410,160 220,770 -19,281,318 -26,295,570 5,351,755 6,140,104 600 -195,300 -6,095,762 131,500 137,216,800 4,595,320 -108993007.5 -58,220 -

15.52 0.82 1.97 1.01 49.4 2.19 4.78 0.57 0.78 0.238 0.4 10.06 23.45 0.46 1.75 1.31 5.35 0.31 0.44 1.5 0.385 2.03 50 25.05 2.39 3.31 35 2.73 5.94

15.5 0.79 1.97 0.95 48.2 2.15 4.65 0.55 0.75 0.225 0.39 9.9 23.2 0.45 1.66 1.29 5.08 0.305 0.44 1.39 0.385 1.98 49.4 24.2 2.3 3.27 34.35 2.49 5.7

PROPERTY 15.52 188,700 0.81 225,000 1.97 93,000 1 6,143,000 49.4 12,304,900 2.15 619,000 4.75 405,000 0.57 8,244,000 0.77 62,000 0.238 970,000 0.4 390,000 9.95 114,700 23.4 131,600 0.46 950,000 1.67 30,539,000 1.31 707,000 5.29 38,087,600 0.31 5,950,000 0.44 30,000 1.45 2,021,000 0.385 90,000 2.02 572,000 49.65 4,800 24.8 2,518,500 2.34 388,000 3.31 846,000 34.75 15,769,000 2.6 4,177,000 5.91 6,600

2,925,608 179,930 183,210 6,060,900 601,801,925 1,337,280 1,894,880 4,616,900 47,360 218,970 155,900 1,140,725 3,066,835 430,100 51,670,900 920,190 198,767,845 1,820,750 13,200 2,924,240 34,650 1,141,640 237,420 62,435,000 910,650 2,792,240 546798115 10,875,570 38,796

-317,750 -343,290 -44,305,700 -58,170 163,390 -146,720 -2,380 -479 1,058,250 -41,400 -9,172,210 -36,856,878 -112,160 153,140 -21,490,550 529,550 -15439139.9999 130,440 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO LEASING BDO UNIBANK CHINABANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK FERRONOUX HLDG FIRST ABACUS IREMIT MANULIFE MEDCO HLDG METROBANK NTL REINSURANCE PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK VANTAGE

58 89 2.09 143 26.2 18.58 11.7 4.9 0.53 1.33 750 0.455 70.05 0.99 13.18 46.3 189.8 58 27.9 183.1 60 1.11

58 90 2.09 148.5 26.5 18.58 11.74 4.98 0.53 1.33 750 0.455 71.5 0.99 13.18 46.95 189.9 58 28 191.9 60 1.19

57.05 88.15 2.05 142.2 26.2 18.58 11.52 4.78 0.53 1.33 750 0.455 70 0.99 13.1 46.1 188 57.8 27.5 183.1 59 1.11

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS BASIC ENERGY CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CONCRETE B CROWN ASIA DAVINCI CAPITAL DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA GREENERGY HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE MABUHAY VINYL MACAY HLDG MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO PANASONIC PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHINMA PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP RFM CORP ROXAS AND CO ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SMC FOODANDBEV SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH VULCAN INDL

35.6 14.08 0.67 1.3 0.245 3.21 14.4 11.9 15.54 37.95 79.2 97.3 2.02 5.75 6.04 9.16 14.8 9.1 7.38 25.05 83.5 54.3 1.91 14 8.22 1.48 238 3.39 8.35 23 14.04 18.5 363 5.3 1.94 4.67 5.17 9.1 2.87 11 36.05 4.95 5.1 1.78 2.29 1.1 12.6 99 6.99 0.125 1.08 162 2.45 1.17 1.15

36.55 14.28 0.7 1.34 0.246 3.26 14.5 12.5 15.54 37.95 84 99.8 2.02 5.75 6.15 9.2 14.82 9.2 7.39 26 83.5 56.5 2.01 14.06 8.22 1.55 238.4 3.39 8.35 23 14.36 18.54 366 5.49 1.97 4.67 5.3 9.1 2.92 11.2 37.1 5 5.1 1.87 2.38 1.12 12.86 99.5 7.05 0.125 1.08 172.5 2.5 1.17 1.16

ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANSCOR ASIABEST GROUP ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B AYALA CORP AYALA LAND LOG COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL JG SUMMIT JOLLIVILLE HLDG LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA PRIME MEDIA REPUBLIC GLASS SAN MIGUEL CORP SM INVESTMENTS SOC RESOURCES SOLID GROUP TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.87 49.55 13.2 7.09 14.34 1.2 1.23 935 3.74 6.88 9.29 13.8 0.223 870 64.95 6 0.5 4.65 13.5 0.62 4.8 0.038 1.29 2.88 179.9 1,025 0.82 1.4 256 0.226 0.245

8990 HLDG A BROWN ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CENTURY PROP CITY AND LAND CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DM WENCESLAO DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL INFRADEV PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP PTFC REDEV CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS

15.5 0.8 1.97 0.97 48.5 2.19 4.69 0.56 0.78 0.226 0.39 10.06 23.3 0.455 1.73 1.29 5.3 0.31 0.44 1.4 0.385 2.03 49.4 25 2.3 3.27 34.55 2.49 5.87

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

0.84 7.68

1.06 7.68

0.82 7.5

0.92 7.59

24,018,000 6,577,700

23,159,460 49,904,159

-122,650 -15,755,582

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CHELSEA DFNN INC DISCOVERY WORLD EASYCALL FAR EASTERN U GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN BRIA HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER IPEOPLE IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN MANILA JOCKEY METRO RETAIL METROALLIANCE A MLA BRDCASTING NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PAXYS PH RESORTS GRP PHIL RACING PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRANSPACIFIC BR TRAVELLERS WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

10.3 18.34 1.58 0.52 0.047 2.27 10.4 0.058 93.5 6.8 5.78 2.1 9.4 890 1,918 5.35 411.6 1.63 1.86 129 9.23 5.2 0.11 5.13 14.02 3.2 0.87 19.08 0.45 3.01 2.52 1.2 14 2.21 2.69 8.2 2.9 4.68 9.2 144 3.42 1,142 0.69 0.57 44.45 76.8 9.36 2.87 0.7 0.31 5.45 0.7 15.8

10.3 18.34 1.58 0.52 0.048 2.3 10.66 0.059 95.45 6.8 6 2.1 9.4 890 1,948 5.35 423 1.67 1.98 131.5 9.23 5.2 0.11 5.16 14.64 3.25 0.94 19.08 0.48 3.19 2.56 1.2 14 2.27 2.69 8.2 2.9 4.69 9.2 144.5 3.42 1,150 0.7 0.57 45.15 79.45 9.39 2.92 0.7 0.33 5.46 0.7 15.88

9.7 18.1 1.42 0.5 0.047 2.24 10.4 0.058 93.45 6.66 5.78 2.1 9 890 1,880 5.31 411.4 1.61 1.86 128.2 9.23 5.2 0.108 5.04 14.02 3.18 0.87 18.94 0.44 3.01 2.52 1.2 14 2.15 2.62 8.12 2.9 4.68 9.2 144 3.3 1,134 0.68 0.54 44.45 76.8 9.36 2.85 0.68 0.305 5.45 0.68 15.7

SERVICES 10.2 18.3 1.54 0.52 0.048 2.3 10.66 0.058 95.45 6.74 6 2.1 9.32 890 1,900 5.31 423 1.62 1.98 131.5 9.23 5.2 0.11 5.09 14.64 3.21 0.94 19.04 0.45 3.19 2.53 1.2 14 2.15 2.62 8.12 2.9 4.68 9.2 144.5 3.3 1,149 0.69 0.56 45.05 78 9.39 2.87 0.7 0.315 5.46 0.68 15.84

35,100 280,500 91,000 1,238,000 2,200,000 215,000 4,351,500 14,600,000 214,130 479,800 130,600 1,000 21,600 480 59,080 73,800 430 738,000 3,000 1,068,050 4,300 800 360,000 2,292,600 700 445,000 237,000 216,600 370,000 4,000 213,000 33,000 1,300 1,164,000 70,000 59,800 2,000 21,000 100 1,290 2,251,000 132,250 833,000 14,044,000 209,100 672,470 1,100 2,187,000 978,000 1,960,000 7,045,000 1,256,000 260,900

348,945 5,117,418 137,280 635,700 104,000 486,790 46,212,406 847,770 20,319,515 3,224,083 767,598 2,100 195,565 427,200 112,563,245 392,218 180,478 1,197,900 5,700 139,258,926 39,689 4,160 39,580 11,665,718 10,062 1,429,170 217,590 4,113,820 166,700 12,400 537,870 39,600 18,200 2,540,890 184,120 487,742 5,800 98,290 920 186,295 7,498,970 151,264,830 573840 7,759,110 9,401,885 52,593,618.50 10,311 6,293,240 676,560 611,850 38,398,950 854,100 4,129,826

1,960 -26,615,446 17,488,777.50 81,640 -30,465,890 -153,310 20,367,839 101,100 3,980,852 -50,600 -70,060 2,630 -269,740 -31,502,325 -151239.9999 493,960 -1,191,005 -483,913.50 -1,487,300 -55,200.00 94,500 -2,952,265 730,346

ABRA MINING APEX MINING ATLAS MINING ATOK BENGUET B CENTURY PEAK COAL ASIA HLDG DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE LEPANTO A LEPANTO B MANILA MINING A MANILA MINING B NICKEL ASIA NIHAO OMICO CORP ORNTL PENINSULA ORNTL PETROL A ORNTL PETROL B PHILODRILL PHINMA PETRO PX MINING PXP ENERGY SEMIRARA MINING

0.0017 1.35 2.58 12.36 1.11 2.72 0.27 7.89 1.45 0.206 0.115 0.116 0.0096 0.01 2.52 0.98 0.455 0.82 0.011 0.012 0.011 5.31 3.75 12.72 22.35

0.0017 1.36 2.58 12.8 1.11 2.72 0.27 7.89 1.46 0.207 0.116 0.119 0.0099 0.011 2.61 1.04 0.455 0.83 0.012 0.012 0.011 5.87 3.86 13.26 23

0.0017 1.3 2.54 12.36 1.11 2.72 0.27 7.75 1.42 0.2 0.115 0.116 0.009 0.01 2.51 0.98 0.455 0.81 0.011 0.012 0.01 5.31 3.73 12.72 22.35

MINING & OIL 0.0017 160,000,000 1.35 4,556,000 2.55 448,000 12.78 2,900 1.11 2,000 2.72 166,000 0.27 20,000 7.87 8,300 1.46 551,000 0.206 510,000 0.116 1,150,000 0.119 180,000 0.0092 98,000,000 0.011 80,400,000 2.6 4,464,000 1.02 229,000 0.455 10,000 0.83 236,000 0.012 23,100,000 0.012 4,500,000 0.011 57,400,000 5.74 931,900 3.78 1,071,000 13.08 2,623,200 23 1,283,500

272,000 6,084,530 1144960 36,728 2,220 451,520 5,400 64,842 792,340 102,770 132,340 20,960 936,300 816,400 11,489,850 228,590 4,550 193,000 276,900 54,000 598,400 5,288,202 4,048,800 34,252,638 29,242,125

78,250 -843899.9998 1,440 -943,860 -134,800 41,230 -3,642,738 18,329,225

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 DD PREF FGEN PREF G FPH PREF C GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2A PCOR PREF 3A PCOR PREF 3B SFI PREF SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2I

17.32 499 498 101 107 498 501 5.2 967 969.5 100 1.01 101 996 1,030 1,022 1.42 1,010 76.5 78.5 75.5 76 76.95 75.5

17.32 499 498 101.8 107.5 498 505 5.2 967 970 100 1.01 102 996 1,040 1,040 1.42 1,010 76.5 78.75 75.6 76 77 75.5

17.3 499 498 101 107 498 501 5.16 967 969.5 100 0.99 101 996 1,030 1,022 1.42 1,010 75.8 78.5 75.5 76 76.9 75.5

PREFERRED 17.3 78,500 499 30 498 200 101.8 1,400 107.5 14,010 498 50 505 2,100 5.16 41,300 967 100 970 3,380 100 300 1 121,000 102 4,320 996 5 1,040 3,100 1,040 7,595 1.42 5,000 1,010 20 75.8 6,880 78.75 2,130 75.6 4,940 76 5,000 77 142,930 75.5 5,000

1,358,750 14,970 99,600 141,480 1,499,075 24,900 1,058,580 213,796 96,700 3,278,590 30,000 120,180 436,390 4,980 3,223,000 7,895,820 7,100 20,200 523,022 167,207.50 373,170 380,000 11,003,990.50 377,500

-1,237,650 -89,440 -20,720 -

ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

6.9 5.87 0.99

7.35 8.49 0.99

6.81 5.84 0.96

7.35 8.15 0.98

43,712,076 226,950,557 1,017,920

696,674 -32,150

FIRST METRO ETF

117.8

119

117.2

576,904

-23,780

USD DMPL A1 USD TECH B2

10.3 1.02

10.3 1.02

10.3 1.02

147,393 238,353.60

-

NAME

MS TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL

SHARES

10,014,726 98,284,025

HOLDING FIRMS

200,587,249

PROPERTY

163,161,824

SERVICES

63,434,708

MINING & OIL

443,123,099

GRAND TOTAL

1,015,974,047

SME

6,052,200 30,266,100 1,044,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 119 4,880 10.3 1.02

DDS

14,310 233,680

VALUE 1,823.72 (UP) 44.43 969,682,046.82 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,093.90 (UP) 249.58 1,090,826,806.365 HOLDING FIRMS 7,842.20 (UP) 115.20 2,373,885,483.57 PROPERTY 4,065.94 (UP) 28.97 SERVICES 1,589.71 (UP) 20.86 1,578,727,661.40 MINING & OIL 8,270.11 (UP) 218.92 637,065,355.73 PSEI 7,938.35 (UP) 142.37 96,566,157.363 All Shares Index 4,797.21 (UP) 56.07 7,019,014,832.23 Gainers: 113; Losers: 72; Unchanged: 62; Total: 247

SEC approves public offering plans of Axelum, Villar’s AllHome

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Securities and Exchange Commission approved the initial public offerings of coconut product manufacturer Axelum Resources Corp. and home improvement retailer AllHome Corp.

The SEC, in an en banc meeting Monday, cleared the maiden share offering of Axelum, which plans to raise much as P7.7 billion proceeds, and All Home of the villar Group, which is looking to raise up to P20.7 billion in fresh capital.

The planned IPO of Axelum and All Home comes after the successful stock market debut of Kepwealth Property Philippines,Inc. on Monday.

Share price of Kepwealth jumped 42 percent to P8.15 from its IPO price of P5.74.

Documents filed with the SEC showed that Axelum would offer 700 million primary shares and 430 million secondary shares at price of up to P6.81 a piece.

The company is earmarking the fresh capital for strategic acquisitions, expansion of domestic and international distribution network, installation, improvement and expansion of manufacturing facilities, retirement of loans and reduction of payables and other capital expenditure requirements.

Axelum appointed First Metro Investment Corp. and BPI Capital Corp. as joint lead underwriters.

Axelum is a fully integrated manufacturer of coconut products for domestic and international food and beverage companies, confectioneries, bakeries, private label supermarkets and grocery store chains, food service industries, coconut coffee creamer manufacturers, cosmetics and diet prepared food market.

Meanwhile, AllHome plans to sell up to 1.1 billion common shares, representing 34.5 percent of the company’s outstanding capital stock, at an price of up to P16 per share.

AllHome plans to use the net proceeds from the IPO to fund capital expenditures and initial working capital for store network expansion, debt repayment and general corporate purposes.

MPIC unable to raise stake in Makati hospital CONGLOMERATE Metro Pacific Investments Corp. has failed to increase significantly its stake in Medical Doctors Inc., which owns and operates Makati Medical Center.

MPIC’s hospital unit Metro Pacific Hospitals Holdings Inc. said in a filing with the Philippine Competition Commission that only 17,636 MDI shares were tendered during the extended tender offering period. This will increase MPHHI’s stake in MDI only by just 0.52 percent from the current 33.3 percent.

MPHHI has offered to acquire up to 563,000 outstanding common shares, representing 16.6 percent interest in MDI. This would have increased MPHHI’ stake in MDI to 49.9 percent.

The PCC said it would take no further action on the planned transaction after the insignificant increase in MPIC’s stake.

“The decision is rendered solely on the facts disclosed and the circumstanced of the proposed transaction and documents submitted by MPHHI and MDI,” the PCC said.

Should MPHHI pursue its intended acquisition of MDI’s shares through tender offer pursuant to the implementing rules and regulations of the Securities Regulation Code to increase its interest in MDI, the parties shall inform the Commission of any such transaction regardless of whether the same is notifiable under the PCA and its IRR,” the PCC added.

The tender offer was initially scheduled to end on July 26. The deadline was extended until Aug. 9 due to the low acceptance of shareholders.

MPHHI earlier announced plans to further expand the capacity of Makati Medical Center.

It was set to invest about P5 billion to P6 billion to build a new medical facility specializing in women’s health care.

MPHHI currently has 14 hospitals across the country, including Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Asian Hospital, De Los Santos Medical Center, Manila Doctors Hospital, Marikina Valley Medical Center Inc., and Dr. Jesus C. Delgado Memorial Hospital in Metro Manila. Jenniffer B. Austria

World IN BRIEF Thousands riot in Papua, Indonesia

MANOKWARI, Indonesia―Riots broke out and a local parliament building was torched in Indonesia’s Papua on Monday, as thousands protested against the weekend detention of pro-independence student activists.

An AFP reporter on the scene estimated several thousand protesters took to the streets of Manokwari, the capital of West Papua province, bringing the city of some 130,000 to a standstill.

Some demonstrators also set fire to shops and vehicles, knocked down street signs, and threw rocks at government buildings.

“The parliament building has been set on fire,” West Papua deputy governor Mohamad Lakotani told Kompas TV. “Downtown, markets, the port and shops are all affected. All activities are basically paralyzed,” he added.

Three police officers were injured by rock-throwing protesters, police said. It was not immediately clear if any demonstrators were injured.

Authorities closed local schools for the day.

Papua, which has been the scene of a decades-long insurgency against Indonesian rule, shares a border with independent Papua New Guinea (PNG), just north of Australia.

A former Dutch colony, Papua declared itself independent in 1961, but neighboring Indonesia took control of the resourcerich region following a UN-sponsored independence referendum that was widely viewed as a sham. AFP

B3

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

China warned on crackdown

W

ASHINGTON― Donald Trump has warned China that carrying out a Tiananmen Square-style crackdown on Hong Kong pro-democracy protests would harm trade talks between the two countries, in comments that followed a huge, defiant march through the streets of the global finance hub.

between police and hardcore activists who fear the semi-autonomous city’s freedoms are under threat from Beijing.

On Sunday, rally organizers said some 1.7 million people turned out for a peaceful march under a sea of umbrellas, defying police orders and stark warnings from China to end the protests.

The American president cautioned that any violent effort by China to quell the unprecedented protests would damage trade negotiations.

“I think it’d be very hard to deal if they do violence, I mean, if it’s another Tiananmen Square,” Trump told reporters in New Jersey on Sunday.

Hong Kong has been rocked by more “I think it’s a very hard thing to do if than two months of protests and clashes there’s violence.”

Trump’s comments came as Washington and Beijing look to revive pivotal high-level talks aimed at ending their trade war.

The trade dispute between the US and China has been blamed for setting world financial markets on edge amid signs of a possible global economic slowdown.

Phone calls between the deputies from two sides are planned for the next 10 days and, if those are successful, negotiations between more senior officials could resume, Trump’s chief economic advisor Larry Kudlow said on Sunday.

The demonstrations in Hong Kong have tipped into violence, with protesters paralyzing the city’s airport

‘US power waning in the Pacific’

5,000 evacuated over wildfire

LOMO DEL PINO, Spain―A raging wildfire on the Spanish holiday island of Gran Canaria forced the evacuation of some 5,000 people, authorities said Sunday, warning it could take days for the blaze to be brought under control.

The fire, which has spread to the mountainous Cruz de Tejeda region popular with tourists for its breathtaking views, is “extremely fierce” and “unstable”, said Canary Islands president Angel Victor Torres in a statement.

No fatalities have been reported.

More than 600 firefighters and 14 aircraft battled to contain the flames, hampered by strong winds and high temperatures.

With the temperature set to rise Monday, authorities estimate it could take days before the blaze is brought under control.

“The next few hours will be very important because the weather forecast for the night is not good,” Torres said.

The fire broke out days after another wildfire in the same region forced the evacuation of hundreds.

Gran Canaria is the second most populous of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic off the northwest coast of Africa.

The Canary Islands received 13.7 million foreign visitors last year, over half of them from Britain and Germany.

Spain is frequently plagued by huge forest fires because of its arid summer climate. AFP

Trump hails talks with Taliban

WASHINGTON―US President Donald Trump on Sunday hailed progress in negotiations on an Afghanistan peace deal, saying that talks with both the Taliban and the Afghan government are going well.

But while Trump said the United States has things “under control,” a massive bombing in Kabul highlighted the rampant violence still plaguing Afghanistan and the major challenges it would face even if an agreement is reached.

“We’re having very good discussions with the Taliban. We’re having very good discussions with the Afghan government,” Trump told reporters.

Expectations are rising for a deal in which the United States would start withdrawing its soldiers from Afghanistan after nearly two decades of war that has ground into a stalemate.

“We’ve really got it down to probably 13,000 people and we’ll be bringing it down a little bit more and then we’ll decide whether or not we’ll be staying longer or not,” Trump said.

“We have things under control very well with the small force. We can probably make it a little bit smaller and then we’ll decide,” he said, adding: “It’ll depend on the Taliban, it’ll depend on the Afghan government.” AFP

AT THE BAR. A woman sits in a bar at the Talad Rod Fai Train Night Market in Bangkok on August 18, 2019. AFP

Economists expect US recession in 2020 or 2021 WASHINGTON―A majority of economists expect a US recession in the next two years, but have pushed back the onset amid Federal Reserve actions, according to a survey released Monday.

The survey came out after President Donald Trump pushed back against talk of a looming recession as a raft of US data reports last week showed a mixed picture on the economy.

“I’m prepared for everything. I don’t think we’re having a recession. We’re doing tremendously well. Our consumers are rich,” Trump told reporters Sunday.

“I gave a tremendous tax cut, and they’re loaded up with money. They’re buying. I saw the Wal-Mart numbers, they were through the roof,” he said.

“And most economists actually say that we’re not going to have a recession.

But the rest of the world is not doing well like we’re doing.”

His chief economic advisor Larry Kudlow also downplayed talk of a recession.

“I sure don’t see a recession,” he told NBC’s Meet the Press.

“Consumers are working at higher wages. They are spending at a rapid pace. They’re actually saving also while they’re spending... So I think actually

the second half, the economy’s going to be very good in 2019,” he said.

“We’re doing pretty darn well in my judgment. Let’s not be afraid of optimism.”

The National Association for Business Economists (NABE) found far fewer experts now think the next recession will start this year compared to a survey in February.

NABE conducted its policy poll as Trump put the Fed under constant attack, demanding more stimulus, but before the central bank cut the benchmark lending rate on July 31.

However, the Fed was already sending strong signals that it intended to pull back on the rate increases made in 2018 due to concerns starting to dog the economic outlook, including the trade war with China.

“Survey respondents indicate that the expansion will be extended by the shift in monetary policy,” said NABE president Constance Hunter, who is chief economist at KPMG. Only two percent of the 226 respondents now see a recession this year, compared to 10 percent in February’s survey, NABE said.

However, “the panel is split regarding whether the downturn will hit in 2020 or

2021,” Hunter said in a summary of the survey, which showed 38 percent expect a contraction of growth next year, while 34 percent don’t see it until the following year.

More economists shifted their recession prediction to 2021, narrowing the gap from the prior report, which had many more expecting the change next year.

The results show 46 percent expect at least one more rate cut this year from the Fed, while about a third see policy holding where it is now, with 2.25 percent as the top end of the policy range.

Economists are skeptical about a resolution to Trump’s trade wars, although 64 percent said a “superficial agreement is possible,” NABE said.

But that was before Trump announced another round of tariffs of 10 percent on the remaining $300 billion in goods not yet hit by US punitive duties. The new measures will take effect in two stages, on September 1 and December 15.

As Trump continues his vocal campaign criticizing the Fed, the NABE survey found economists are concerned about the impact: 55 percent said his remarks do not influence Fed decisions but do “compromise the public’s trust in the central bank.” AFP

Young Libyans chose danger at sea over peril at home UNDEFINED―For three young Libyans plucked from a deflating dingy in the Mediterranean, the perils of trying to cross the sea were still preferable to what they had left behind in their wartorn home.

Salah, Khalil and Ibrahim, aged between 19 and 22, sat in a corner of the Ocean Viking vessel operated by SOS Mediterranee and Doctors without Borders as it waited for permission to dock at a port.

They sat apart from other migrants from Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, Senegal and the Ivory Coast who have fled torture and abuse in Libya where most of them had gone to seek work.

“I had no idea how dangerous the sea could be,” says Khalil, 20.

“But Libya is collapsing―you cannot live there,” he adds, pulling an imaginary trigger.

Before he fled Libya, Khalil was a taxi driver.

While driving the route from Sabha, his hometown in the center to the eastern city of Benghazi, he was stopped by militia loyal to Khalifa

last week and tarnishing a campaign that took pride in its peaceful intent.

Communist Party-ruled mainland China has in turn sharpened its tone towards the dissidents, decrying the “terrorist-like” actions of a violent minority.

State media has broadcast images of military personnel and armored personnel carriers in Shenzhen, across the border from Hong Kong, propaganda read across Hong Kong as intimidation.

China deployed tanks to end student-led protests in the bloody 1989 crackdown in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, resulting in an estimated death toll between several hundred to over a thousand. AFP

Haftar, a strongman who holds sway in the region.

He said he was thrown into prison where he languished for three months alongside hundreds of others and was beaten daily, pointing to a scar in the corner of his mouth.

He later made a break for freedom with about 15 fellow prisoners, running the gauntlet of their jailers who fired on them as they fled.

“People were shot around me but I didn’t stop,’ he said. “I was hit too.”

Luca, the ship’s doctor who removed the bullets embedded in Khalil’s body, says such wounds are nothing new among those fleeing from conflict areas.

With his taxi taken from him, Khalil returned to his family. “I just wanted to live a normal life,” he said.

But a month later fighting broke out in his town and his mother told him to flee.

“She had no idea of how dangerous the crossing could be,” Khalil says.

“Neither did I. I was happy to try the sea.”

But by the time he was rescued by

Doctors without Borders on August 12, the blue rubber dingy he was sharing with 104 others was on the verge of sinking.

Nineteen-year-old Salah joined the forces of the Government of National Accord of Fayez-al-Sarraj. But he soon realised that he was not cut out for war.

“If I had stayed, I would have been killed―either by Sarraj’s men for fleeing, or by Haftar’s men for fighting for Sarraj,” he said.

He got a number from a Sudanese, and left the same day―with just time for one last selfie with his family.

Ibrahim’s reason for fleeing was the color of his skin.

“My father was black―he is dead.

My uncle died in the fighting. My school was bombed. My mother said to me ‘Libya is not a country for you’.”

“My Sudanese friends were like a family to me. One from Darfur was killed right in front of me as we were on our way to play football,” he said.

“I didn’t want to fight. I was terrified on that blue boat, but Libya is more dangerous than our sunken vessel.” AFP

GARDEN PARTY.

Denah Anzel attends BAFTA Los Angeles Garden Party at The British Residence on August 18, 2019, in Los Angeles, California. AFP

SYDNEY―The United States no longer has military primacy in the Pacific and could struggle to defend its allies against China, a top Australian think tank has warned.

A hard-hitting report from the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney released on Monday said the US military is an “atrophying force” that is “dangerously overstretched” and “ill-prepared” for a confrontation with China.

If correct, the assessment has farreaching implications for US allies like Australia, Taiwan and Japan who depend on American security guarantees.

Donald Trump’s presidency has deepened concerns that Washington would not defend its allies in the face of aggression from China. But this latest report has suggested that the United States may struggle to help even if it wanted to.

Accusing Washington of “strategic insolvency”, the authors said decadeslong Middle East wars, partisanship and under-investment have left Pacific allies exposed.

“China, by contrast, is growing ever more capable of challenging the regional order by force as a result of its large-scale investment in advanced military systems,” they warned.

Under President Xi Jinping, China’s official defense budget has increased by around 75 percent to $178 billion -- although the true figure is believed to be much more.

Crucially, Beijing has invested in precision ballistic missiles and counter-intervention systems that would make it difficult for the US military to reach contested areas quickly.

According to the report, “almost all American, allied and partner bases, airstrips, ports and military installations in the Western Pacific” lack hardened infrastructure and are under major threat.

That advantage could be used to seize territory in Taiwan, Japanese-administered islands or the South China Sea before US forces could get there.

Experts believe that the deployment of US land-based missiles and a changed role for the United States Marine Corps will be vital to countering China, as well as collective regional defense―with the likes of Australia and Japan doing more. AFP

LGUs

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

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2019

IN BRIEF QC-Pampanga drug connection busted CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga—Police have busted a group of illegal drug traffickers, believed responsible for the distribution of shabu in Quezon City and Pampanga, following the arrest of four suspects during a drug bust along By-Pass Road, Barangay Sindalan, City of San Fernando over the weekend.

Police Capt. Vladimir Canape, officer-in-charge of the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit stationed here, identified the suspects as Acmali Francisco, alias Balbas; Mohammer Hadji Ganda; and Jalal Mauyag, all residents of Sangandaan, Quezon City; and Michael Evance Villacorta, alias Kim, of Bgy. San Isidro here.

More than 810 grams of shabu were seized by the police from the suspects’ possession. Also found inside the vehicles were illegal drug paraphernalia, marked money, a .45 cal. pistol, a cellular phone and a sling bag.

Canape said the suspects are on the list of high-value police targets due to their alleged involvement in illegal drugs trade in Pampanga and the rest of Central Luzon.

“The suspects are considered notorious drug peddlers,” he said.

Jess Malabanan

Nat’l polio vaccination drive kicks off in Manila

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

M

ANILA Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso on Monday led the synchronized polio vaccination kickoff activity in the capital, as the city government targeted 197,000 children to be free of poliovirus.

36 die in Pangasinan to acute gastroenteritis DAGUPAN CITY—The Pangasinan Provincial Health Office is monitoring acute gastroenteritis cases as the disease has already left 36 dead from January to the second week of August this year, an official said on Monday.

Provincial health officer, Dr. Anna Ma. Teresa de Guzman said there was a 21-percent increase of cases this year with 6,695 compared to last year’s 5,533 acute gastroenteritis victims.

“Out of 36 fatalities, seven are from Dagupan City,” she said in an interview.

The PHO placed San Carlos City, Mangaldan, Bayambang, Calasiao, and Alaminos City under close watch, as these cities and towns have the highest concentration of acute gastroenteritis cases at 541, 432, 404, 337, and 290, respectively.

The PHO urged the public to find clean water sources, and de Guzman asked residents to purify tap water to kill most of the germs and parasites. PNA

FASHIONISTA PETS. Pet owners display their dogs and cats in their most fashionable costumes — with some owners in outfits to match — as the Mandaluyong City government conducted a ‘Pet Ko Fashionista 2019’ competition over the weekend at the city hall. Manny Palmero

10 QC villages under tighter dengue watch

By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday ordered a strict monitoring and intensified anti-dengue drive in at least 10 barangays with the most dengue cases.

“Our city health department is in full force. And our barangay health workers conduct search and destroy, and spraying campaign every day in these barangays,” she said.

The barangays involved are Fairview, Payatas, Commonwealth, Holy Spirit, Batasan, Pasong Tamo, Bagong Silangan, Bagbag, Tandang Sora and Tatalon.

Belmonte issued a memorandum mandating public schools to encour-

age students to wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.

“This is one of the city’s immediate actions as we learned that the age group most hit by dengue is children 1 to 10 years old,” she said.

As of latest count, the number of dengue cases in Quezon City totaled 3,502 with 29 deaths from January to Aug. 10, or 15 percent lower compared to the same period last year.

The mayor assured that the local government is intensifying its awareness campaign, clean-up drive and spraying as part of measures to combat dengue.

“Rest assured the city government is doing everything required and ex-

pected of us and beyond,” she said.

She urged the residents to cooperate with the local government’s efforts to fight dengue, especially spraying, “which has been long proven to be effective, to prevent an impending outbreak.”

“We call on the people to cooperate. I have heard some people would refuse spraying at their home and on the streets,” Belmonte said.

“Simultaneously, we are employing active fever surveillance and the use of NS1 rapid diagnostic tests to diagnose dengue early. Once dengue is detected, our health workers immediately address it to avoid further complications,” the mayor said.

Since the Philippines is currently at high risk of polio virus transmission despite being declared polio-free since October 2000, Moreno cited the need to address the viral disease.

The kickoff activity with the theme “Olats ang Polio sa Maynila” (Polio Loses in Manila) was held at the Del Paso covered court in Quiapo.

Moreno was joined by Department of Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo, Manila Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan, and UNICEF country representatives.

The first round of polio vaccination is set from Aug. 19 to 30, with the second round on Oct. 1 to 14 and a third round on Nov. 15 to 30.

Polio is a fatal and disabling disease caused by poliovirus, which is transmitted in poor environmental sanitation and hygiene conditions.

Complete vaccination is the best preventive measure against polio, the DOH said. All children under one year old should complete their three doses of OPV and one dose of the Inactivated Polio Vaccine.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III had warned that the country risks losing its poliofree status “unless we act quickly in putting our surveillance on alert to detect signs of poliovirus transmission, in strengthening our immunization program, and in improving environmental hygiene and sanitation.”

“Most importantly, we risk the health and future of our children due to a disease which otherwise could have been prevented,” he emphasized in a statement.

“We repeat our call to parents and caregivers: Back to bakuna. Una sa lahat, bakuna. Let us prioritize complete vaccination of our children so they remain safe from vaccine-preventable diseases,” said Duque.

Leo Rey Yanson Taguig convenes disaster council over dengue risks, earthquake drill back as boss of

By Joel E. Zurbano TAGUIG City Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano on Monday convened members of the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and discussed anti-dengue measure and other contingency plans during emergency situations.

Cayetano ordered the Council to upgrade the city’s disaster preparedness and response measures and continue to conduct earthquake drills and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) trainings to prepare city government personnel and residents in the event of a big quake in Metro Manila.

The city chief executive also directed his men to adopt the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s Memorandum Circular No. 1 Series of 2019 enjoining all member agencies to support the nationwide Dengue epidemic response.

Cayetano discussed the workflow of the cancellation of classes during bad weather condition and other emergen-

cies, the disaster preparedness in schools and the community and long-term disaster risk reduction and management plan for the city.

During the meeting, Cayetano stressed that the attack rate or the measure of how fast dengue spreads in the community remains low in Taguig.

“This is attributed to the strategies continuously being done by the city to fight dengue,” he said.

The City of Taguig continues its aggressive fight against dengue through multiple strategies and interventions including simultaneous cleanup drives, and reproduction and distribution of Information, Education and Communication materials.

The city government conducted its Dengue Cleanup Day last Friday at city hall, barangay halls, public and private schools, barangay health centers, super health centers, the Taguig-Pateros District Hospital, the Taguig City University, Sentro Kalinga, daycare centers, police stations, public transportation terminals and public markets.

POLICE CORN-ER. Police Master Sgt. Ricky Gonzales (standing right) of the Paete

Municipal Police Station on Saturday shares his harvest of corn from a 12-hectare field owned by the National Housing Authority in Barangay Dayap, Calauan, Laguna to relocated families who recently moved to the site. Roy Tomandao

Vallacar Transit

THE stockholders of Vallacar Transit Inc., the country’s largest bus transport company, on Monday elected a new set of board of directors, who subsequently reelected Leo Rey Yanson as the president of the company.

In a special stockholders meeting at the company’s main office in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City, the stockholders, including Yanson matriarch Olivia V. Yanson, elected Leo Rey Yanson, Olivia V. Yanson, Ginnette Y. Dumancas and Charles M. Dumancas as members of the board of directors.

Following the election of the new directors, the board held a re-organizational meeting and re-elected Leo Rey Yanson as the president of the company, the bus firm said in a statement.

Also elected were Charles M. Dumancas as vice president, Ginnette Y. Dumancas as treasurer, and Olivia V. Yanson as corporate secretary.

The board of directors also passed resolutions tasking the company’s legal team to recommend possible legal action against Ma. Lourdes Celina Y. Lopez over her P380-million outstanding obligation to the company in accordance with the audit report from SGV, and on the results of the cash, property and asset inventory audit including documents at the Main Office and South Terminal.

SGV was appointed as the corporation’s external auditors for the year 2019.

Vallacar Transit Inc. is the largest subsidiary of the Yanson Group of Bus Companies and is the company behind Ceres Liner and Sugbo Transit.

The Yanson Group, the parent company, is one of the largest bus conglomerates in Southeast Asia and operates more than 4,000 buses nationwide.

BIRTH PAPERS. Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco (center) leads the distribution of birth

certificates through the free late birth registration program of the city government. Navoteños benefited from the waived fees, penalties and charges for filing the papers. Jun David

Mayors urge airlines: Mount flights between Clark and General Santos CLARK FREEPORT—Members of the Metro Clark Advisory Council have urged various airlines here to mount flights between this Freeport and General Santos City in Mindanao to allow more possible opportunities for investments, trade, and tourism for both areas.

This was gleaned in a resolution passed by MCAC officials chaired by Clark Development Corp. president and CEO Noel F. Manankil and co-chaired

by Mabalacat City Mayor Crisostomo Garbo during their regular meeting here.

MCAC members include Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin, Jr., Capas Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan, Bamban Mayor Jose Antonio Feliciano, and Porac Mayor Jaime Capil.

In the resolution, the MCAC underscored the importance of the connectivity of Clark airport to major points of tourism and commerce in the country while citing the development of the new passenger terminal here.

Prior to the resolution of MCAC, three chambers of Pampanga also expressed support and enthusiasm in the creation of a direct flight between Clark and GenSan. This is through a joint resolution passed by the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (PamCham), Metro Angeles Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. and the Clark Investors and Locators Association.

The joint resolution of the three chambers cited that the collaboration between Metro Clark area and South Cotabato will help to usher in more economic and cultural impact on various industries here.

By supporting the creation of the flight, it is also expected to provide alternate entry and exit port for local and international tourists who wants to travel from Gen-San to Clark and vice-versa.

This is also supposed to strengthen economic ties that will benefit local and foreign investors in both areas.

Life

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

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2019

C1

The real ‘fountain of life’ FROM MOM, WITH LOVE. Breastfeeding, the most natural and inexpensive method of feeding a baby, is recommended by health experts as the milk from a woman’s breast provides a number of benefits, both for the infant and the mother.

By Diana B. Noche

Myths on breastfeeding

B

REASTFEEDING by mothers of royal families before the th 20 century was taboo. It was considered disgraceful and a kind of activity fit only for commoners, hence, surrogate mothers or wet nurses were employed to breastfeed royal babies until they were weaned.

During the early 20th century, breastfeeding, especially in Canada and the USA, was regarded as bourgeois and practiced only by the uncultured class.

After World War II, the use of infant formula gained acceptance. On instances when infant formula was not available, alternatives such as animal milk from cow and goat, flour, or cereal mixed with broth or water were used. During the 1960s, a revival of interest on the merits of breastfeeding came about.

Breastfeeding is the most natural and inexpensive method of feeding a baby. A mother’s milk contains all the nutrients a baby needs in perfect proportions and at the right temperature.

Colostrum, the thick and yellowish fluid found in mother’s milk contains immunoglobulin antibodies that help the baby’s young digestive tract to develop and prevent gas and colic. It is high in protein and low in sugar.

Colostrum also contains antibodies that fight bacteria and viruses, lowers the risks of asthma and allergies like atopic dermatitis and eczema, diabetes, and leukemia.

A 2007 study on “Breastfeeding and maternal and infant health outcomes in developed countries” reveals babies who have been solely breastfed continuously for six months have less middle ear infections, respiratory tract ailments, diarrhea, gut infections, intestinal tissue damage, and sudden death infant syndrome.

Breastfed babies develop healthy weight and prevent childhood obesity. Babies also develop positive emotional attachment to

UNICEF taps lactation expert Dr. Michele Griswald to debunk myths and misconceptions about breastfeeding.

Myth: I can be separated from my newborn baby after birth so I have time to rest.

Studies reveal babies who have been solely breastfed continuously for six months are less prone to several diseases.

their mothers due to the physical intimacy and eye contact as they are cooed fondly.

Plus, breastfed babies’ bowels are not as smelly as those on infant formula.

Likewise, breastfeeding has several benefits for nursing mothers. During breastfeeding, the body produces oxytocin, a feel-good hormone that promotes relaxation in mothers, as well as hastens the contraction of the uterus.

Further, it has been found that nursing mothers have a lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, and type 2 diabetes as she ages. It also helps a mother lose some of the weight she gained while pregnant. She has a lower risk of developing postpartum depression because breastfeeding encourages mother and child bonding and maternal caregiving.

While breastfeeding has its many advantages, mothers can also experience some inconveniences. She may not be able to attend to some pre-childbirth activities, but some technologies like breast pumps help in that area.

Breastfeeding can also be painful and uncomfortable when the child goes on an aggressive sucking or biting.

Various organizations, including

those at the grassroots levels, recognizing the importance of breastfeeding have come up with multi-phased programs to increase awareness of it.

The World Health Organization is spearheading such initiative. There’s the National Breastfeeding Week in the United Kingdom, the Department of Health and Ageing, Breastfeeding Strategy in Australia, the National Women’s Health Information Center in the USA, and concurrent international breastfeeding events during the World Breastfeeding Week.

In the Philippines, Hakab Na! (Big Latch-on) is a breastfeeding event that celebrates the World Breastfeeding Week and the National Breastfeeding Month.

Hosted by Breastfeeding Pinays, Hakab Na!, now in its seventh year, is a government-backed breastfeeding event in 77 different areas in the country plus one location overseas.

Last year, Hakab Na! assembled 1,692 nursing mothers (some had twins sucking on both breasts) and 5,000 attendees. This year’s event, held at the SMX Convention in Pasay City, went beyond attendance expectation.

Additional photos by Diana B. Noche

The skin-to-skin practice between mother and baby immediately after birth, also called “kangaroo care,” is encouraged and widely practiced by doctors, nurses and midwives. “Keeping the baby against the mother’s skin will calm the baby enough to find the mother’s breast on their own within 30 minutes to an hour after birth,” explains Dr. Griswald.

Myth: I should be worried because my nipples are sore from breastfeeding.

Many mothers experience discomfort in the first few days after birth when they are learning to breastfeed.

With the right support with positioning the baby for breastfeeding and making sure the baby is correctly attached to the breast, sore nipples can be avoided.

form their doctor that they are breastfeeding and read the instructions with any medications they buy over the counter. It might be necessary to take medications at a specific time or in a specific dosage, or to take an alternative formulation.

Myth: My baby shouldn’t eat so much as a newborn.

A baby should show signs of hunger about eight to 12 times in 24 hours. Newborn babies need to eat a lot because they’re growing rapidly. They double their birth weight in the first six months of life, or before.

Myth: I should wean my baby right away.

Babies will naturally wean starting around one year of age or so because developmentally, they’re changing so

Myth: I should only eat plain food while breastfeeding.

Generally, there is no need to change food habits. Mothers who breastfeed still need to eat a balanced diet like everyone else. While in the womb, the baby was already exposed to their mother’s food preferences.

Once born, the infant will taste whatever the mother eats through their milk, which will prime them for table foods when they’re about six months old. “If your baby reacts to a specific food that you eat, consult a specialist.”

Myth: Exercise affects the taste of my breast milk.

There is no evidence that exercise affects the taste of breast milk. Exercise is healthy even for breastfeeding mothers.

much. They’re becoming less focused on their mother, and more focused on learning about the world around them.

Myth: I will have to wean my baby when I go back to work.

Lactating mothers need time and support to continue to breastfeed, so it is important to get support from family, workplace, employers, and the entire community.

Myth: There are no familyfriendly policies that support lactating mothers like me.

The Expanded Breastfeeding Promo-

Myth: I should not breastfeed tion Act 2009 or Republic Act 10028 mandates employers to provide safe while I’m sick.

Depending on the kind of illness, mothers can usually continue breastfeeding when they’re sick. In many cases, the antibodies a nursing mother’s body makes to treat their disease will pass on to their baby, building their own defenses.

Mothers breastfeeding during Hakab Na!, the biggest breastfeeding event in the Philippines that celebrates the World Breastfeeding Week and National Breastfeeding Month in August.

Myth: I cannot take medication while I’m breastfeeding.

Dr. Griswald advises mothers to in-

and hygienic lactation rooms in places of work. Lactation periods should be no less than 40 minutes within an eight-hour work period, in addition to meal breaks.

Additionally, the Expanded Maternity Leave Act or Republic Act 11210 states that all working mothers in the government and private sector are guaranteed with 105 days of paid maternity leave credits, with seven days transferable to fathers. An additional 15 days of paid leave will be granted to single mothers.