Ms sect b 20170514 sunday

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SUNDAY, MAY 14, 2017 Adelle Chua, Editor

Opinion

Joyce Pangco Pañares, Issue Editor

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE

KEEPING A COMMONPLACE BOOK

UNDER FIRE S

FROM cavemen’s drawings of animals on walls to internet blogs, for as long as people have been making marks on paper, they have been documenting what they do, see, feel, think, desire.

This urge became easier to fulfill when paper, pen, and ink became more affordable and accessible and higher levels of literacy became the norm rather than the exception.

There have been several versions of the notebook, each with a different purpose.

Planners and daybooks are for making lists and schedules; they allow us to to bring order and some degree of control to our lives.

Diaries are for documenting, in chronological order, daily activities and occurrences, thoughts and feelings, wishes and dreams.

Friendship books, common in the 19th century, were collections of dedications, poems, and drawings from and autographs of friends. A version of this familiar to many of us is the “slumbook” of our youth, with each page pre-printed with questions such as “what’s your favorite color?” and “who is your crush?”

Regular notebooks are for preserving important bits of information; examples of these are school and work notebooks.

Sketchbooks are for drawings and other forms of illustration. For some it serves as a diary or daily log.

We’ve used one or more of these types of notebooks at some point and we are familiar with how to create them. However, there’s one type of notebook that may be unfamiliar to most—the commonplace book.

Before the internet and easy access to information, such a book was necessary if one were to recall things that mattered to them in some way.

Scraps of poetry, aphorisms and saying, quotations, and passages of books were copied into these commonplace books.

In the 13th century, the Italians had a version called zibaldone, which means “a heap of things.” In addition to text, these notebooks contained sketches and drawings and random jottings such as lists, calculations, thoughts, meal logs.

“Commonplacing” was popular in Enlightenment-era Europe and America, where people transcribed from books and other sources the ideas that attracted them, going on to create their own personal philosophies from these collected concepts.

Bruce Lee refined and developed the philosophy that he was to turn into Jeet Kune Do by much the same technique. The famed martial artist kept a two-by-three inch notebook with him in which he wrote down poems, pupils’ phone numbers, training regimens, affirmations, and ideas.

In modern times, notebooks are often started but not finished. With good intentions to persevere, I’ve started many planners and diaries that ended abruptly three or four months later.

I first began a commonplace book on New Year’s Day of 2008.

In it, over the years, I wrote poems, sayings, proverbs, aphorisms, postal addresses of friends abroad,

INCE the start of the Duterte administration, the international community has trained its eyes on the Philippines.

There was a war to be fought, and the new president was employing an unconventional way to accomplish the task.

The global audience is aghast that President Rodrigo Duterte prefers a manner that involves the violation of human rights of those he suspects to be involved in the use, or trade, or both, of illegal drugs. The numbers vary but the consensus is that thousands have been killed either through police operations where the suspects evaded arrest or tried to wrest control of the firearm, or through vigilante killings. This even as administration officials insist the numbers have been distorted.

Lawful arrest and a fair trial seem to be roundabout ways to achieve immediate results.

Mr. Duterte’s public demeanor and pronouncement suggest he encourages such extrajudicial methods. He has spoken about how the suspects are a menace to society, how they threaten our children’s future and how they should be wiped out in big numbers. He has assured the police of his support as they go after these drug suspects.

And for his critics, domestic and foreign, he only has fighting words.

At last week’s conference on human rights at the United Nations

headquarters in Geneva, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said there was no statesponsored killing in the Philippines, and that there is no sudden wave of killings.

Notwithstanding these assurances, 45 out of 47 nations expressed concern over the conduct of the war on drugs here, called on Mr. Duterte to end the killings and withdraw the plan to revive the death penalty.

The President has responded to these international calls with resentment.

Even the presence of UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard was roundly criticized by his supporters; Callamard herself was even subjected to personal insults from supposedly enlightened individuals.

Sure, the drug problem is a domestic problem, and the solutions are domestic, as well. But what all these tell us is that we cannot exist in isolation and ignore what the community of nations has to say. This is exactly why such forums exist. Openness to the opinion of others is not subservience.

It is a way to evaluate whether we are doing the right things, and whether we are doing the right things right.

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CALL TURKEY’S BLUFF ON ARMING SYRIAN KURDS THE White House’s announcement that it would start directly arming the Syrian Kurds fighting Islamic State was greeted as big news. It was no such thing for the Kurds themselves, who have been receiving US weapons for more than two years, and opposition

from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shouldn’t deter the plan from going forward.

It’s not as though Turkey was unaware that US weaponry was ending up with Kurdish Democratic Union forces, which Ankara considers a terrorist

Stepping up military shipments will speed up Islamic State’s demise.

group allied with Turkey’s outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. But for the White House to announce that such shipments are now official policy, and will include heavier equipment such as mortars and armored cars, is a direct warning to Erdogan, who has

become increasingly autocratic as a leader—and problematic as an ally— since he put down an attempted coup last summer.

It’s a delicate balancing act for Washington to maintain relationships Turn to B2

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with both the Turks and the Kurds in Iraq and Syria. At the moment, however, annihilating Islamic State is the overriding priority in the Syrian civil war—reason enough to make arming the Kurds official US policy.

They have been the most effective proxy force for the anti-Islamic State coalition, and should take the lead in the final push to defeat the jihadists in their self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa.

Moreover, and uncharacteristic for Donald Trump’s White House, the decision on the Kurds seems to have been taken carefully. Trump’s top military advisers, including National Security Adviser General H.R. McMaster, are said to have been the prime advocates of the plan, arguing that the push for Raqqa should be made quickly while Islamic State is concentrating on the fight for Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city. Former President Barack Obama also reportedly favored stepping up Kurdish arms shipments and had his aides present the incoming Trump administration with a plan to do so.

Once the terrorists are defeated, the US can turn to longer-term issues such as patching up relations with Erdogan, as well as reaching some sort of peace deal involving protected, autonomous zones for US-supported factions and, eventually, the end of President Bashar al-Assad’s murderous reign.

Erdogan has responded to the arms announcement with typical bellicosity, raising concerns he will step up attacks on anti-government Turkish Kurds. This presents a complication for the US, but not necessarily a bad one. The US also considers the PKK a terrorist group, and it is a bitter rival of the Iraqi Kurdish groups that have been fighting on the American side for more than two decades.

As frustrating as Erdogan can be, Turkey remains a vital Nato ally and a bulwark against terrorism and instability in the Middle East. So the US can make some concessions to ease Turkey’s concerns: promising that it has no intention of recognizing a sovereign Kurdish state, for example, or that it will cut off the arms flows if there is strong evidence weapons are flowing across the border to Turkish Kurds, or that Turkish forces can remain in control of the city of al Bab, west of Raqqa, which they conquered in February.

But Trump’s strongest case—which he should make to Erdogan in their scheduled meeting next week in Washington—is that it’s in Turkey’s interest to accept this policy. Not only does Turkey have a greater stake in defeating Islamic State and ending the civil war on its southern border, but drifting away from the West and Nato toward Russia’s orbit would result in an economic disaster for a nation whose economy is looking increasingly vulnerable. Bloomberg

KEEPING...

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online usernames and passwords, quilt patterns, recipes, the lyrics of Nessun Dorma in Italian and English translation, and other things that were of interest or significance to me.

One entry was a list of cheeky Latin phrases: “Stercus accidit (Shit happens).” “Si fractum non, sit noli id reficere (If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it).” “Sit vis vobiscum (May the Force be with you).”

I’d also jotted down a lengthy list of archaic words, no longer used but with such fine nuances of meaning that I would applaud their return to regular usage: “blateration” (blabber, chatter); “obstrigillate” (to oppose, to resist); “omniregency” (state of complete authority). To use these in a sentence that is relevant to present times is easy: “Trump and Duterte’s ill-considered blateration provoked many citizens of their countries to obstrigillate against them lest they impose an omniregency led by themselves.”

What are the benefits of keeping a commonplace book?

It is a repository of information that you will otherwise find difficult to retrieve. It reminds you of what you were like at a certain time in your life through the things were important to you or inspired you. It imposes a discipline on thinking through writing—studies have proven that writing helps us process thoughts more effectively.

All you need to start commonplacing is a notebook and a pen. After that, the rest is up to you.

Dr. Ortuoste is a California-based writer. Follow her on Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Instagram: @jensdecember, @ artuoste

THE VARIETIES OF MOTHERHOOD

By Pecier Decierdo WHAT does motherhood mean?

That question is difficult, perhaps even impossible, to answer to the satisfaction of everyone. And I think that’s fine. Maybe there are as many different kinds of motherhoods as there are mothers.

Perhaps one does not even have to be a mother, or even a woman, to experience some aspect of it.

Still, there are two facets of motherhood in the narrower sense that are worth a closer look. First is the biological connection between mother and offspring. Second is the social connection between those who nurture and those who are nurtured.

For a vast majority of living things on Earth, motherhood means making copies of oneself.

That’s what many microbes do, and microbes easily outnumber us animals.

However, since we are animals, we are often more interested in the varieties of motherhood among our fellow animals. We can also relate more to animal mothers, at least to those more closely related to us. After all, insect motherhood seems so alien to us. Bacterial “motherhood” barely deserves the human-made term.

Even then, the variety of motherhood among animals is staggering.

Consider the African elephant.

After being pregnant for 22 months, an elephant mother gives birth to a young that weighs up to 110 kg (around 240 lbs). Born blind and almost helpless, elephant calves need a lot of help to gain their footing in life.

Fortunately, the calf’s mother is rarely alone in raising it. The other females in the herd, from grandmothers to sisters to aunts and even cousins, will help in raising the young calf. These full-time baby sitters are called “allomothers,” and their participation in raising the calf is critical in preparing it for life in the savannah.

This style of raising young is found in many other groups of animals, including some human societies. As the proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child.”

Some animals, and cultures, take this to heart.

Among meerkats, a dominant pair in a group breeds to produce young meerkats. The rest of the group will forgo reproducing and will instead dedicate their lives to raising the offspring of the dominant pair. Dwarf mongooses have a similar family setup.

Contrast these styles to those of solo mothers.

For the first few months of a polar bear cub’s life, the only contact it will have will be with its littermates and its mother. Mother polar bears give birth in the dead of winter, when the temperature averages at

minus 40 degrees Celsius. A mother polar bear is basically trapped in its den with its young cubs for months on end.

Female octopuses often have to protect their brood alone, and they will do this even at the cost of their life. When it gets very hungry, a female octopus will consider nibbling on its tentacles rather than leave its brood. By the time the eggs hatch, a female octopus can be too weak to defend itself against predators.

Other mothers do not even get to see their young. From green sea turtles to many species of fish, the mothers will lay their eggs and then swim away.

Meanwhile, newly pregnant female orangutans often intentionally break her relationship with other individuals, particularly the male who got her pregnant. One theory is that pregnant orangutans do not want to share resources with the father. Instead, the female wants to focus her attention and resources to raising her young, which she will do for five years and possibly more. A mother orangutan will provide not only material but also emotional and social support for her young for as long as she can.

Because of this dependence on their mothers, young orangutans that are abandoned or orphaned have a lower chance of surviving.

Our closest relatives, the chimpanzees and bonobos,

experience motherhood somewhere in between the extremes of solo parenting and alloparenting. The bond between mother and young is very strong, and the motherhood style of a particular female can greatly influence the life story of an individual chimp or bonobo. But grandmothers, aunts, and even uncles and other males can play huge roles in raising the young into chimp or bonobo society.

In the same way that the human experience of motherhood is not restricted to a biological bond, chimpanzees and bonobos also experience non-biological motherhood in the form of adoption. Wild chimps and bonobos have been found to adopt orphaned young chimps or bonobos not related to them.

And that’s just a sampler limited to a few non-human animals.

Imagine how greater the variety would be if we included the wide range of motherhood among different human societies.

Even in the stricter biological sense, there are so many different ways to be a mother. Likewise, there are so many different ways to have a mother or to consider someone your mother. We should respect that. We should celebrate it.

Decierdo is resident astronomer and physicist for The Mind Museum.

UNFIT, YET HE’S STILL THE PRESIDENT

By Francis Wilkinson PRESIDENT Donald Trump is not always crazy like a fox. And that— more than obstruction of justice, or any potential criminality related to Russia—is the greatest threat facing the US. It’s also a threat that US institutions are failing to acknowledge, let alone confront.

Trump is unlikely to succeed at completely derailing the FBI investigation into his campaign’s ties to Russia. But he might undermine it enough to avoid any serious consequences. Even without his subterfuge, the investigation could prove inconclusive.

But at least there is an investigation into Russia, in addition to congressional inquiries, news reporting, and a general mobilization of expert opinion and institutions. The investigations are vital. Unless they are, ultimately, beside the point.

For two days early this week, Trump’s staff went to great lengths to establish a plausible claim that Trump did not instigate the firing of FBI director James Comey.

Instead, White House aides and Vice President Mike Pence insisted that Trump was responding to concerns raised in a memo by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

This White House has not assembled a highly competent or ethical team. So the explanations were pretty dodgy. But they nonetheless represented a coordinated effort to define Trump’s actions and confine the

Not very reassuring. AFP

political damage from firing Comey.

Then on Thursday Trump told NBC News anchor Lester Holt that Rosenstein’s memo wasn’t even significant. “I—I was going to fire Comey,” Trump said. Holt immediately questioned him on the issue, all but encouraging Trump to get his story aligned with the previous White House talking points. Trump wasn’t having it.

“Oh, I was gonna fire regardless of recommendation,” Trump said.

There is good reason for journalists and others to ask whether Trump’s statements to Holt constitute something close to an admission that he fired Comey to impede the Russia investigation. (Trump said he was eager for the investigation to end.) There is good reason to use this interview as evidence that Trump’s White House staff is often no more

truthful than Trump himself.

But the issue of the motives and means of the Trump White House is small compared with the enduring madness of the man himself. Trump’s admission to Holt was not an effort to distract from a bunch of bad news stories. Does Trump use such tactics?

Frequently. And from this comes the notion that Trump is “crazy like a fox.”

But the Holt interview wasn’t evidence of being crazy like a fox. This was not a devious move. Trump can be cunning. But he also flails wildly, harming others often and himself occasionally. His recent interviews with the Economist and Time were bizarre and frequently incoherent.

Trump can’t be bothered to even master his own talking points, even in something which could put his entire presidency at risk. Or perhaps he’s

intellectually incapable of doing so.

Trump is almost supernatural in his multivariate unfitness, combining combustible levels of ignorance, amorality, venality and mental imbalance in a way not seen even when Richard Nixon drank alone.

The Russia investigation serves as an outlet for collective anxiety about Trump’s unfitness, just as the prospect of indictments offers a potential deus ex machina to resolve the dangers inherent in Trump’s administration. But what if they resolve nothing? Or take too long doing so?

It’s easy to miss the dense and haunted forest of Trump for all the trees. Speaking to National Public Radio, Republican Senator Ben Sasse, who has kept a safe distance from Trump, spoke of his concerns and lamented the state of American political conflict. “We have a crisis of public trust in this country that is much deeper than just the last four months or the last 18 months. We have an erosion of a shared narrative about what America is about. And we have the huge unpopularity of almost all of our governing institutions.

That should trouble everybody.”

Yes, indeed. That’s all true.

Meanwhile, however, we have a slightly more pressing problem.

The president of the United States is mentally and morally unfit with a nuclear arsenal at his fingertips.

And no one in Washington knows what to do about it. Bloomberg

CHINA’S AMBITIOUS ROAD TO SOMEWHERE Bloomberg Editorial EVERYTHING about China’s “Belt and Road” project is big—from the scale of its investments to the guest list for this weekend’s gathering to celebrate the initiative. To improve its odds of success, China would be wise to think smaller.

True, the initiative—which envisions building energy and transportation infrastructure from Asia to Europe— addresses real needs. The often-poor countries along the proposed routes need modern roads, rails, ports and power plants. China, meanwhile, has legitimate worries about the security of its energy supplies, as well as money, expertise and excess capacity in its construction industry.

The risk, for China no less than participating countries, is that vaulting ambitions could doom the project’s chances of success. What’s held back infrastructure development in Asia isn’t

so much a lack of funding but a dearth of viable projects. Inevitably, as it has within China, politically motivated lending will produce more white elephants, burdening host countries with unsustainable debt burdens.

Strategists might rationalize these losses as the price for support and stability along China’s periphery. But the costs may not be so easy to sustain.

Fitch Ratings has already warned of the risk to banks’ balance sheets as loans sour. Exporting China’s investmentheavy development model will also ease pressure on inefficient stateowned enterprises to reform and slash overcapacity. And with China blocking capital outflows and holding onto reserves in order to bolster the yuan, there’s simply less money to waste on bad projects.

Nor is there any reason to think that building more roads and pipelines will in itself achieve China’s larger stated goals: to promote economic

growth and hence political stability.

Pouring money into development projects could just as easily encourage graft in countries along the route, fuel anti-Chinese fervor and encourage sabotage attacks. China’s historic preference for dealing with authoritarian governments—and raising few questions about their governance—can breed resentment among ordinary citizens, risking future problems.

China’s experience with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, one of the main Belt-and-Road funders, is instructive. The institution’s flashy launch in 2014 inspired fears that Chinese leaders were seeking to overturn the global financial order.

These fears were misplaced. Run by a cadre of international professionals and adhering to high standards, the AIIB is, according to one estimate, unlikely to lend much more than $2 billion annually for its first five years.

That will limit its influence, but also its losses.

China needs to apply the same rigor to Belt-and-Road projects, which should be scrutinized not only for their headline numbers but their long-term viability. Lenders need to be transparent about financing terms and considerate of borrowers’ ability to repay. Project officers should consult with local farmers, merchants and NGOs, not just bureaucrats, or worse, corrupt leaders; environmental concerns should be aired and addressed.

And along with infrastructure, China should be promoting greater openness in economies along the route.

Most of all, China needs to treat the Belt and Road with care and a cleareyed appreciation of risk. That will likely result in fewer, less high-profile projects. But they—and China—will be the stronger for it.

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MACRON FACES FIRST CHALLENGES AHEAD OF SWEARING IN PARIS, France—Tensions over president-elect Emmanuel Macron’s bid to redraw France’s political map burst into the open Friday as a key ally was briefly angered ahead of crucial parliamentary elections next month.

Macron annoyed fellow centrist Francois Bayrou and faced mockery from his opponents after his La Republique En Marche (REM, Republic on the Move) party unveiled more than 400 candidates for crucial parliamentary elections in June.

“It’s a big recycling operation for the Socialist party,” Bayrou told L’Obs magazine, adding that candidates from his MoDem party had been offered only 35 constituencies instead of the 120 he expected.

Bayrou, a veteran centrist and presidential candidate, threw his support behind Macron at the end of February at a crucial time when the 39-year-old presidentelect’s campaign needed new momentum.

“When I offered him my support, he was at 18 percent,” Bayrou added bitterly.

However, by Friday evening Bayrou announced a “solid and balanced” draft agreement had been reached with Macron’s party regarding the list of candidates, putting an end to 24 hours of tension.

Macron, who will be inaugurated on Sunday, has promised to refresh France’s parliament and his party unveiled 428 out of 577 candidates on Thursday.

Half of them have never held

elected office, including a retired female bullfighter and a star mathematician, and half of them are women.

The initial reaction from three out of four voters was positive, a survey published Friday by the Harris Interactive polling group suggested.

“Probably the biggest success of Emmanuel Macron is having motivated so many people who were outside of politics to have committed themselves to try to renew things,” his spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said on Friday.

But as well as angering Bayrou, REM was forced to correct its list after around 10 people said they had not agreed to stand for the party or had never applied to be a candidate.

One was Mourad Boudjellal, the wealthy president of Toulon rugby club, who said that while he was flattered about being approached, “it is not my ambition” to enter politics.

The vice-president of the farright National Front, Florian Philippot, accused Macron of “amateurism.”

The parliamentary selection process is seen as a tricky and risky balancing act for Macron, who will take over from unpopular Socialist Francois Hollande.

Without his own parliamentary majority, the former investment banker will find it hard to push through his planned reforms of the labour market, pensions, unemployment benefits and education.

GOP PATH NARROWS AFTER COMEY FIRING

W

ASHINGTON— United States Republicans struggling to pass a health care overhaul and tax reform this year have seen their path narrow, as Congress reels from fallout over President Donald Trump’s firing of his Federal Bureau of Investigation director.

CANONIZATION. Pope Francis looks down during the Blessing for the Candles from the

Chapel of the Apparitions, in Fatima on Friday. Two of the three child shepherds who reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Fatima, Portugal, one century ago, will be declared saints on Saturday by Pope Francis. The canonization of Jacinta and Francisco Marto will take place during the Argentinian pontiff ’s visit to a Catholic shrine visited by millions of pilgrims every year. AFP

POPE FRANCIS TO MAKE FATIMA CHILD SHEPHERDS SAINTS FÁTIMA, Portugal—Two young shepherds who had visions of the Virgin Mary 100 years ago in Fatima, a Portuguese site now a global draw for pilgrims, will be declared saints Saturday by Pope Francis.

The Argentine pontiff was greeted by a cheering crowd of hundreds of thousands when he arrived Friday in the central Portuguese town on a pilgrimage to mark the centenary of the first reported apparition on May 13, 1917.

Catholic faithful from countries as varied as China, Venezuela and East Timor filled a giant, 400,000-capacity esplanade that faces the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, falling silent when the pope called for harmony “among all

people” in a prayer broadcast across the holy site.

The canonization on Saturday is also expected to attract crowds to the sanctuary where the Virgin is said to have appeared six times between May and October 1917 to three impoverished, barely-literate children.

She apparently shared three prophesies with Jacinta, 7 at the time, Francisco, 9, and their cousin Lucia, 10, at a period marked by the ravages of World War I. These reportedly included warning of a second conflict.

Francisco died in 1919 and his sister Jacinta the following year in the Spanish Influenza epidemic that swept through Europe at the end of the war.

Their cousin Lucia lived on until 2005, becoming a nun and meeting several popes including the late John Paul II. He was possibly the most devoted to Fatima, attributing his narrow escape from an assassination attempt at St. Peter’s Square on May 13, 1981 – the anniversary of the first reported apparition – to the intervention of the Virgin Mary.

It was John Paul II who beatified Jacinta and Francisco in 2000 following decades of debate over the events at Fatima and their meaning.

They will now be canonized after the Church officially attributed two miracles to the pair – a necessary step to become a saint. AFP

HIGH HOPES FOR FIRST NEPAL POLLS IN 20 YEARS KATHMANDU, Nepal—Nepal holds its first local elections in two decades on Sunday hoping to cement a fraught transition to democracy and fill an institutional void that has seen corruption flourish.

The last local representatives were elected in 1997 and their mandates lapsed after their five-year terms expired at the height of the brutal Maoist insurgency.

After a 2006 peace deal ended a conflict in which 16,000 people died, the impoverished Himalayan nation began a rocky transition from a Hindu monarchy to a secular federal republic, which has

seen the country go through nine governments.

In the vacuum left at the local level, graft has become a way of life. Nepal is ranked one of the most corrupt countries in South Asia.

Bureaucrats appointed on the basis of allegiance to political parties filled local government positions, and spawned a shadow industry of brokers who earned fees for everything from getting citizenship documents to registering a marriage.

When Mahananda Timilsina decided to extend his house, getting permission took months of work and in-

volved hefty bribes.

“If there were elected representatives at the local level, the civil servants wouldn’t dare to ask for bribes from us,” said the 35-year-old.

Many of the nearly 50,000 people vying for 13,556 seats in Sunday’s polls are shunning the main political parties to run as independents or as candidates for new reformist parties.

“It couldn’t get any worse.

The gap between society and government couldn’t get any wider,” George Varughese, Nepal representative for the Asia Foundation think-tank, told AFP. AFP

The shock dismissal of James Comey – and the White House’s bungling of the aftermath – has triggered distress on Capitol Hill, with Democrats and Republicans increasingly preoccupied with how Trump’s action affects investigations into his team’s possible collusion with Russia.

The resulting chaos has antagonized some moderate Republicans, who had hoped to move on from the cycles of controversy that have marked the administration’s first four months and forge consensus on legislative priorities.

Trump campaigned heavily on pledges to repeal and replace Obamacare and reform the tax code.

Both are monumental tasks, and while Congress can act with due speed when it wishes, its chambers are paralyzed by gridlock. Seamless bipartisan cooperation is a fantasy on Capitol Hill in 2017, and some say the Comey hue and cry will only make it more difficult to cooperate on big-ticket legislation.

“Certainly there is a case to be made that it will be more polarizing and more partisan, not less,” Republican Senator Tim Scott said Thursday as he contemplated prospects for getting a controversial Obamacare repeal bill through the Senate.

Even staunch conservatives acknowledged that the latest political uproar – parts of which have unfolded like a spy novel, including subpoenas of Trump’s former national security advisor Michael Flynn and hints of clandestine White House recordings – is cutting into congressional efforts to move forward.

“I’d say it’s a distraction,” warned Orrin Hatch, the Senate’s longest-serving Republican.

Complicating the schedule in coming months is a series of fiscal deadlines, including passing a spending bill by September 30 and negotiating a raise of the debt ceiling, that could suck up weeks if not months of valuable Washington legislative time.

With Comey’s departure, another hiccup to the already tight timing: a potentially protracted Senate confirmation process for a new FBI director.

Macron, a former economy minister in Hollande’s government, has so far failed to attract centrist members of the rightwing Republicans party, but still believes some will cross over before he announces his final list next Wednesday.

Before then, he faces other crucial decisions on his staff at the Elysee Palace and his first government.

The most important will be his choice for prime minister, who will head the government until at least the parliamentary elections on June 11 and 18 and perhaps beyond.

Amid feverish speculation in the French media – will he pick a loyal supporter or someone from the rightwing Republicans?

– nothing has leaked from his small group of aides.

The choice will send a strong signal about Macron’s intentions, and he has promised to pick someone with past experience of parliament and capable of managing a majority. His declared preference is for a woman.

Immediately after his swearing-in, Macron will head to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel to start discussions about his ambitious plans for reforming the European Union.

Macron wants to deepen integration in the 19-country eurozone, giving the zone its own budget, and wants to toughen the EU’s response to “unfair” industrial competition from countries such as China. AFP

Republic of the Philippines Department of Health CENTRAL OFFICE BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE INVITATION TO BID FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF 16GB TABLET (BLACK) (REBID) IB NO. 2017-128-A l.

The Department of Health (DOH), through the General Appropriations Act of 2017 intends to apply the sum of Eleven Million Five Hundred Thousand Philippine Pesos (PhP11,500,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Procurement of 16GB Tablet (Black)(Rebid) under IB No. 2017128-A. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The DOH now invites bids for the procurement of the above-captioned project. Delivery of the Goods is required within the period specified under SECTION VI. Schedule of Requirements. Bidders should have completed, within two (2) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project, equivalent to at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183.

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the COBAC Secretariat, Ground Floor, Building 6, Department of Health, San Lazaro Compound, Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, Manila and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given above during 8:00 AM 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday.

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 15 May - 05 June 2017 from the address above and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of Twenty Five Thousand Philippine Pesos (PhP25,000.00).

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhiIGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

6.

The DOH will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 22 May 2017, 10:00 AM at the COBAC Conference Room, Ground Floor, Building 6, Department of Health, San Lazaro Compound, Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, Manila, which shall be open to prospective bidders.

7.

Bids must be duly received by the COBAC-B Secretariat at the address below on or before 05 June 2017, 9:00 AM All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on 05 June 2017, 9:00 AM at the COBAC Conference Room, Ground Floor, Building 6, Department of Health, San Lazaro Compound, Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders ‘ representatives who choose to attend at the address above. Late bids shall not be accepted.

8.

The DOH reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

9.

For further information, please refer to: COBAC-B Secretariat Department of Health San Lazaro Compound Sta. Cruz, Manila Tel. Nos. 651-7800 local 1625 to 1627; 1650 to 52 Facsimile No.: 741-9775; 740-6830 (SGD.) MA. CAROLINA V. TAINO, CPA, MGM, CESO IV Assistant Secretary of Health COBAC - B Chairperson

(MS-MAY 14, 2017)

Republic of the Philippines Office of the President

PHILIPPINE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

PDEA Bldg., NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Barangay Pinyahan Quezon City 1100, Philippines www.pdea.gov.ph

INVITATION TO BID SUPPLY, DELIVERY, AND TESTING OF 560UNITS HIGH-POWERED FIREARMS Bid Ref. No. 2017-10 1. ThePhilippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), thru its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), intends to apply the sum ofONE HUNDRED SIX MILLION FOUR HUNDRED EIGHTYTHOUSAND PESOS(₱ 106,480,000.00)through General Appropriations Act (GAA) for CY 2017 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)for the SUPPLY, DELIVERY, AND TESTING OF 560 UNITS HIGH-POWERED FIREARMS. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected duringbid opening.

2.

The PDEA - BAC now invites bids for SUPPLY, DELIVERY, AND TESTING OF 560UNITS HIGHPOWERED FIREARMS.Delivery of the goods is 180calendar days upon receipt of Authority to Import from PNP-FED. Bidders should have completed within three (3) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II Instructions to Bidders.

3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Act.” Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183.

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during office hours (8:00 am to 5:00pm).

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on April 17, 2017 from the address given below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of fifty thousand pesos (PhP50, 000.00).

The Invitation to Bid may be downloaded from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and PDEA Website at www.pdea.gov.ph, provided that Bidders shall pay the applicable non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

6.

The PDEA-BAC will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on May 11, 2017, 9:00 a.m. at ODDGA Conference Room, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Quezon City 1100 which shall be open to prospective bidders.

7.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before May 23, 2017, 9:00 a.m. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on May 23, 2017, 9:00 a.m. at PDEA Main Conference Room, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Pinyahan, Quezon City 1100. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

8.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the BAC Secretariat c/oMs. Aroceli E Sonido or Mr. Arvin E Sadulloat the PDEA Compound, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Quezon City from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PMonly, Mondays to Fridays starting May 5, 2017at Tel No. (632)920-8082.However, any queries relative to the contents of the bid documents and the project requirements can only be made by bidders who purchased the bid documents not later than Ten (10) days prior to the Submission and Opening of Bids.

9.

PDEA reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

10. For further information, please refer to: Ms. Aroceli E Sonido or Mr. Arvin E Sadullo PDEA-Logistics Management Service PDEA Compound, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Quezon City Tel No. (632)920-8082 (Sgd) JESUS A FAJARDO, MMOAS Deputy Director General for Administration Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee (MS-MAY 14, 2017)